SpotGirl Cloth Napkins Winner!!

The lucky winner of the adorable owl napkins from SpotGirl is Jessie!

Congratulations Jessie, I've emailed you.  Thank you to everyone who entered, thank you for reading my blog and stay tuned for many more reviews and giveaways!

Spotgirl Cloth Napkins Review & Giveaway CLOSED 5/1

Over the years, we've cut way back on the amount of paper products we use.  Everyday cloth napkins have been on my list for a while.  For most people, disposable products are a big expense, and switching to reusable can save them a lot.

Not so for us.  The last time I bought napkins was 6 months ago.  It was two packs of 180 napkins, and we still have about 120 left.  So, we used 240 napkins in 6 months.  That's around 10 napkins per week.  We only use one every few days (we used dish cloths, towels and wash cloths in place of paper products), but whenever we have guests over, the napkin holder is emptied quickly.

In October, I paid $3.00 for 360 name brand napkins, and that's more than I usually pay.  So, at less than a penny each, it would take a long time for cloth napkins to pay for themselves.

Since my son has been eating solids, we're more likely to reach for a napkin to clean up spills if we've forgotten to grab a washcloth before we start.  I know I could just put some wash cloths in the napkin holder, but darn it, I want them to be pretty!  I had been looking for a while and I knew that napkins that fit what I was looking for weren't going to be cheap.  When I saw the napkins that Spotgirl had for sale on Etsy, I had to get them.

The print was awesome.  The first I had seen that I really, really liked (and I've been looking for a while).

They are double sided.  Three have dots and three have stripes.

They are topstitched, so the edges stay flat with no ironing.  The stitching is absolutely impeccable.

The woven cotten fabric is soft, but durable.  I am sure the color will start to fade and the fabric wear over time, but not like cotton flannel or other fabrics.

The napkins are 12 x 12, making them the same size as a paper napkin when folded.

They look great on my table!

The napkins are sold in sets of three for $9.00, plus $3.00 shipping.  I bought two sets, so the shipping for the second set was just $1.00.  No outrageous shipping charges.  The net cost for each napkin was $3.67.  That's less than two packs of napkins on sale.  I wouldn't be surprised if a family of four went through a pack of napkins every week or two if they're accustomed to using them at every meal.  For me, this was a splurge purchase (and a save the earth purchase), but I am certain they could save other families money.

My daughter was really excited when she saw the colorful package in the mail!

I was so excited to get these, it definitely felt like a present!

Spotgirl also has a personalized stationery store, so it was neat to get a little thank you card.  But what I realized when I took it out of it's sleeve is that it was blank inside, so I can use it as a thank you to someone else!  So really, it was a thank you and a sample rolled into one.

Want some?  Shop Spotgirl on Etsy or her stationery store spotgirl.net.

Want to win it?

Spotgirl is offering up a set of three cloth napkins in the Little Owls print.

Sweet owls on a chocolate brown background, backed with pale lime polka-dots.

These napkins are 100% mom tested! We use ours every day as lunchbox napkins or snack time place mats. Ideal for lunches on the go, especially picnics at the playground.


Napkins are double sided, making them extra durable. Top stitching ensures that edges stay flat - no ironing required! Cotton fabric has been pre-washed and becomes softer and softer with every use and washing.


Set of three: one for lunchbox or table, one for the cupboard and one in the wash. Napkins measure 12 x 12" square.


You will feel good about using these adorable napkins over and over again. I hope you like them as much as we do!
 
Here's how to enter:
 
1. Comment on this post.  Anything you like.  Flattery gets you everywhere with me, but it won't help you win this giveaway.  ;-)
2. Follow my blog publicly.  Current followers count.  Comment saying you're a follower to get your entry.
3. Fan me on Facebook.  Current fans count.  Comment saying you're a fan to get your entry.
4. Fan spotgirl on Facebook.  Comment saying you're a fan to get your entry.
5. Follow me on Twitter.  Current followers count.  Comment saying you're a follower to get your entry. 
6. Tweet about this giveaway.  One tweet/entry per day.  Comment with a link to your tweet to get your entry.  (Please be sure to include @chgdiapers and a link to this post)
7. Write a blog post about this giveaway and link to it. Post a comment with a link to your post for your entry.
8. Add spotgirl as a favorite shop on etsy.  Comment that you added her as a favorite to get your entry. 
 


I will accept entries until Saturday, May 1st, 2010 at 9:00 P.M.
 
I'll use random.org's true random number generator to select a winner, then notify the winner via email.
 
Please be sure to leave your email address in your comment if it isn't in your profile
 
Thank you to spotgirl for providing the napkins for the giveaway!

Edit August 2010: We are still using these napkins daily and love them!!

It's spreading

I've been wanting to switch to cloth napkins for a while, but I haven't been able to find quite what I'm looking for, nor have I been ready to commit to the initial cost.  I've also learned about unpapertowels, and I've found some really clever containers for them.  That is definitely something I want to do when I have the funds.

Back to the point of this post!  My daughter started a new preschool.  It's 2 days a week, and she eats lunch there.  Her new school is very environmentally conscious.  In fact, the building constructed last year is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for certification under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program.

Needless to say, I'd be ashamed to send a paper napkin and ziploc bag in her lunch box every day!  We already have a reusable sandwich container, but I wanted cloth napkins and reusable snack bags too.  Enter etsy.  I asked each seller if I could use her photos here on my blog and each agreed.  I am trying to learn about photography, but I'm still terrible at it!

I purchased a set of cloth napkins from MagicalMemories

A Tinkerbell snack bag from smartsnackbags

and a pink snack pouch from cottontopquilts (I have to note that shipping charges were extremely reasonable, but this seller still refunded me 60 cents when shipping costs were less.  I didn't expect this for many reasons, but it was a nice surprise.  The only time I'm annoyed about shipping is when I'm charged MORE than enough to ship something in a box via priority mail, but I get it after 3 weeks, in an envelope, smushed, with 2 stamps on it!)

I thought they were reasonably priced and a worthy investment, considering how much disposable products cost and how quickly they add up. 

The bags are lined with water resistant, FDA approved materials, so you can even use them for things like sliced fruit.  The Tinkerbell bag is about 6.5" by 6.5" and the pink bag is about 6.5" x 3.75".  I thought the larger bag would be great for fruit and the smaller bag would be perfect for smaller snacks like crackers and pretzels.  They both have a velcro closure and no exposed seams for crumbs to get tangled in.  They can be wiped out or washed & laid flat to dry.

If you search, you can find tons of bags in all sizes, prints and closures, to fit any need.

Yesterday, I received the pink snack bag.

It's really well made, very easy to open and of course, adorable.  My daughter was so excited to take pretzels in it today.  She said her teacher held it up for everyone to see because it was "so cute!"

Today I received the napkins.

They're the perfect size for a lunch box!

I also got the Tinkerbell bag.  She looks a little, uh, confused in the first pic because the bag is creased right through her face.

The closure on this one was a little harder to open. My daughter is already planning to take orange slices in it to preschool tomorrow.

What made this extra special was the way it was packaged.

Even though I knew what it was (and I paid for it!) it was like getting a little present in the mail.

The custom sticker was really neat!

I've already started adding items to my etsy "favorites."  I'd love to have some larger bags with a bottom gusset to pack sandwiches in.  I've found quite a few adorable prints, but I'm not sure if I should go for a velcro closure, or the traditional fold-over "sandwich bag" closure.

Edit August 2010: The napkins held up great, as did the pink bag from cottontopquilts.  However, the Tinkerbell bag from smartsnacbags didn't fare as well.  We used the pink one 2x/week for 6 months with no problem.  The tinkerbell bag was used less often, maybe twice per month, if that.  It didn't even last 6 months before the lining fell apart, and I received to response from the seller when I contacted her about it.