:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::yippee!it's kids week here @ the rikrak studio: 6 days of celebrating children, and the wonderfolk who handcraft art for their curious, wonderful little hands! ::::::::::::::::::::> UPDATE! <:::::::::::::::::::::be sure to enter all of the KIDS WEEK giveaways!1. WIN a moozle home stuffie, here.2. WIN a *my beautiful girl designs* prize pack, here.3. WIN 6 REusable snack baggies by BananaSaurusRex, here.4. WIN a kids prize pack from Claire & Me, here.5. coming soon!6. coming soon!::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 
it's kids week here on the blog, and i'm a big believer that one of the most important parts of parenting is family.
so today we're visiting with the wonderful artist janae of Claire & Me. she's a delightful part of the rikrak studio blog family and i think she's an excellent role-model for indie businesses about embracing your work & family: together! {and yay - i hear it's her birthday today, too! woohoo!} i love the ways in which janae incorporates her wonderful handmade indie business into her life/family, and vice versa. i love the friendly, welcoming way the Claire & Me boutique invites me to be part of the fun, pull up a chair, make myself at home, and get delightfully lost in the beautiful works in her shop and in her wonderful family adventures on her blog!
we all know it's good business to welcome the world with open arms. and janae does it so well, and so sincerely, as a kind & generous artist & person!
i know you'll love her beautiful creations that are born out of her own mommying experiences. love that!so visit the Claire & Me shop here, the blog here,
and follow along with Janae's tweets here! 
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"My obsession with cloth diapers started when my friend had a neighbor that proudly stated how she was going to use them. My attorney sister totally agreed about the cloth diapers. I decided that a perfect mom would use them. I blogged about it. Finally, I have been using them for two weeks now. There are several reasons I like them. My daughter had super sensitive skin and got sores from the chemicals in diapers. Cloth diapers are better for sensitive skin. They are better for the environment (my brother in law disagrees because we use water to wash them). Finally Carlie convinced me with her proud little row of clean white diapers (her baby was six months old!)- she told me how easy it was and how much they cost. At the time both my kiddos were in diapers and I thought of the ramifications of using those same neat clean diapers for several children. Imagine the pairs of shoes I could buy with that!"
"My sister in law made it seem so easy. She just bought a system and went for it. She does all the research and I just call her when I have a question. She knows how to find the best laundry detergent and get a sprayer and bucket. If you are considering cloth diapers let someone else do all the hard work and show you what to do. Lots of people blog about cloth diapers- ask them your questions.
"I don’t always use the complete cloth- I use G diapers with disposable inserts (which are actually flush-able) so they are pretty easy to travel with.
"My other advice for people considering cloth diapers is to do whatever you can. I don’t always use the cloth inserts. I started off with one or two diapers and switched between them and disposable. I try to line dry my diapers. Maybe you don’t want to line dry your diapers, but you could save energy by line drying some of your kiddo clothing over the summer. Or you could use the detergent meant for cloth diapering on your clothing (I’ve learned a lot about what is in detergent.) Start small- every time you buy a box of diapers buy a cloth diaper at the same time. You will be surprised how quickly you can switch over."
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thanks for the helpful hints, janae!
and now.. it's YOUR CHANCE to win the fabulous Claire & Me kids pack!
:::::::: the prize is: ::::::::
an adorable doggie-applique onesie AND a sweet sweet child's apron! woohoo!
Apron Some days you need to get gritty. Maybe you have to plant bulbs in the yard with your mother. Maybe you need to paint or just carry all of your pants with you. Maybe you need to hide all of the balls for your little brother's toy in your apron and run around with them. For times like these- I have made a simple hostess style apron. It has three large pockets for your hands or your treasures. It can fit from size 18 months- 5 years (the ties are quite long) Oilcloth wipes clean with a damp cloth so you don't have to wash it. This girl Apron features Amy Butler Love fabric. 
1. go visit the claire & me shop.... come back and tell us about your favourite goodie from her shop & why you love it!
= 1 entry
2. leave us a comment telling us about an eco-tip (to do with kids!)
... = 1 entry
3. follow the Madsen Family blog
{click on follow on the top-left corner of the blog homepage} then come back here and tell us!
... = 1 entry.4. follow me (i'm http://twitter.com/therikrakshop ) AND *claire & me* (she's http://twitter.com/claireandjanae) on twitter. come back here and tell us about it!
... 1 entry
5. tweet on twitter
about this giveaway and come back here and tell us! please be sure to include @therikrakshop so i can find you! :)
= 1 entry.6. leave a comment over in this etsy thread here sharing a link to something FUN in your shop/at home that you handmade for a child/ for kids OR something handmade by another that you LOVE for kids!
come back here and tell us about it.
= 1 possible entry7. follow or subscribe to the rikrak studio blog
and leave me a comment here telling us that you do! = 1 more possible entry.
8. blog about this giveaway and leave us a link to it in a separate comment here.
= 1 more possible entry
9. :: PLEASE NOTE:
each entry must be it's own comment.
thanks! ::
..........................................
:: RULES ::
a) it is possible to have a maximum of 8 entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!
c) using random.org, 1 winner of the Claire & ME giveaway will be chosen on friday, may 21st @ 5pm EST.
d) open to contestants worldwide.
e) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account doesn't link to one. thanks.
................................................
see you tomorrow for giveaway #5
::::::::::::::::::::> UPDATE! <:::::::::::::::::::::be sure to enter all of the KIDS WEEK giveaways!1. WIN a moozle home stuffie, here.2. WIN a *my beautiful girl designs* prize pack, here.3. WIN 6 REusable snack baggies by BananaSaurusRex, here.4. WIN a kids prize pack from Claire & Me, here.5. coming soon!6. coming soon!:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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