We're OPEN for Applications!

I am SO THRILLED to announce that we are open for applications! This application opening will remain as such until all spots are filled and our loan limit is met.

All information regarding applying and for link to the application - CLICK HERE!

Please allow one week for complete application processing. You will receive a verification of application receipt within 48 hours.

If you have ANY difficulties, questions, concerns, etc- please email me! I have reliable, regular access to email and will try and get back to you within an hour or two.

PLEASE hold off on dropping off any paperwork until you've received your verification of receipt.

HERE WE GO!!!!!

Support Groups

If theres one thing every mom needs- its another mom to be friends with, to talk, to vent, commisserate, and troubleshoot with. I leaned a lot on small local support groups when I first had my daughter and I'm SO excited to announce that another one has popped up in Lawrence.

BIBS (Breast is Best Social) Group

The Wednesday weekly support group is offered by the Health Department to help support breastfeeding and encourage moms at all stages. The group is free, open, and relaxed. It is facilitated by certified breastfeeding peer counselors.

The FIRST meeting is August 3rd at 6:30 PM with meetings every Wednesday thereafter. There will be giveaways for the first 20 women who come! $25 gift cards to The Perfect Fit breastfeeding supply store!

BIBS - Breastfeeding Support & Encouragement Group - EVERY Wed @ 6:30PM

I am personally REALLY excited to participate in this group, even in spite of the fact that my daughter self weaned months and months ago. Even if you're not breastfeeding your babes, if you are pregnant and unsure, or if your baby is weaned- you should come down and get in some socialization! Its great to see other moms, especially in a supportive environment, and I bet EVERYONE can walk away learning something new!

For More Information about BIBS and Breastfeeding Support in Douglas County - Visit their Facebook Page at Douglas County Breastfeeding Connection and the FIRST MEETING Event here!

If you know of any other local groups - be it for moms, a specific parenting philosophy, or just a playdate- please let me know! I may try to put up a calendar with scheduled groups and activities around Lawrence for all you parents in need of some interaction for yourselves and your kiddos!! :)

Labor of Love, and a word on our progress

As some of you may (or may not) know, Kaw Valley Cloth is currently a one-man ship. I started Kaw Valley Cloth out of a combination of enthusiasm and frustration. For 9 months of my daughter's life, I used disposable diapers mainly out of complacency and inaccessibility. I was uninformed and what I did know was that it seemed far too improbable that I could "scrape up" the $200 or so I thought it would cost me to start. Sure, cloth diapers are an amazing long term savings solution but it seemed like the families who truly stood to benefit from long term savings, were also the families who had no disposable income with which to invest in the longer term. It was the perfect Catch 22.

Fast forward another year or so later, and after diving in head first (more on that later), I realized that the transition was not all that difficult, if you found ways to subtract the financial burden. And there were a -FEW- options out there that could help to relieve that. For me, I bought used and slowly built up a stash. I also used the Cloth Diaper Foundation as a resource. CDF has been a HUGE inspiration for this. I thought, if they can do it, why can't I? And so, KVC was slowly born. And in a way, it is kind of just like having a baby. You work so hard, for months, putting lots of love and time and care into it. You get the gratitude of seeing your hard work blossom into something beautiful. But you also don't get paid for being a mom, or a faux-mom to a non-profit project. ;) And aside from your baby, or project-baby, you have lots of other obligations that take up your time.

So this is where the progress report comes in. I LOVE what is happening here and I feel immensely proud of the progress, the support, and our ability to help. There is just a lot of work. And I'm slowly chipping away at the to do list. Make flyers, write contracts, email donors, keep up the blog, compose press releases and other misc. documents, chat with those who express their interest (my favorite part!!), network, maintain social media, etc. etc. Plus I have a daughter, who deserves all the time I have to give her.

So with all of that being said, please be patient with me! (You totally have been thus far!) I am extra busy behind the scenes, trying to get everything on my end prepared for the most exciting part of KVC- accepting applications and distributing diapers! Its a lot of work, but somebody's gotta do it, and I am definitely glad, and proud, and excited that that person is ME!!!

:)

Gotta love our donors - GoGreen!

A BIG, HUGE THANK YOU goes out to one of my personal favorite cloth diaper merchandisers, GoGreen Pocket Diapers, for the amazing donation we received today! I am really excited about sharing GoGreen with our families, since it is not only a great company but also a diaper that I'm familiar with and love! Thanks GoGreen for your continued support! We are very very lucky!

Keep coming back... I have two more blog posts planned to complete over the weekend:
Progress (Wonder where we're at and what we're doing... you'll hear plenty very soon!)
Why I didn't Cloth Diaper (Its true, I once was a sposie mom, and I'll tell you what kept me away and why going cloth wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be!)

-Cara

Thank you, Lovely Pocket Diapers!

Man, I just cannot wait to get this shipment in from Lovely Pocket Diapers. They have some of the cutest prints!

It has been a pleasure dealing with Lovely Pocket Diapers and I'm so appreciative to have another business in on our mission! They have been so supportive and included us in their "Share the Love" project, which allows customers of Lovely Pocket Diapers to purchase a diaper to benefit our project! SO awesome! Thanks, Melissa!

GIVEAWAY details

*tap, tap, tap* Is this thing on?

If you follow us on Facebook, you know that there is currently a really great giveaway promotion going on related to the blog. We have over -100- fans on Facebook which is really just... phenomenal. And yes, much much less than that for subscribers to the blog. Whats up with that??? We have a lot of really special things planned for this blog, including giveaways, reviews done by the diaper recipients themselves, and exciting announcements will ALWAYS be made here first (one is coming!) ... So there you have plenty of really great reasons to subscribe!

Help us get to 50 subscribers and you could win a pack of ADORABLE WAHM made cloth wipes. You are automatically entered once you are following the blog. The winner will be randomly drawn for the subscription list and you can win even if you don't live in Kansas!

Exciting huh?
Just wait til you see what we have to announce next! :)

Thank You, Thirsties!

Lets make it official... THIRSTIES is the first corporate donor and sponsor of the Kaw Valley Cloth Diaper Project.

We are incredibly excited that Thirsties has agreed to a wonderful donation for our outreach. They are a phenomenal company with amazing products to boot! We use Thirsties Duo diapers on my daughter and have since I first started using cloth diapers! I LOVE them and so does our daycare! I can't wait to share Thirsties diapers with other moms!