Partners Alison Manes and Melissa Morgan met in 2004 in an online attachment parenting community where they shared a desire for healthy homes and lifestyles, choosing products and practices for their families with regard to their health and the impact on the environment.
Not thoroughly satisfied with the (then) limited options in diapering – the two set out to craft an extraordinary sustainable cloth diaper. Melissa tested myriads of fabrics from coconut to hemp and everything in between. Each fiber or fabric was discarded for a range of reasons from the un-environmentally friendly processing of the fibers to legislation that prevents some fibers from being produced in the USA.
Melissa, a white water rafting enthusiast, was out on a weekend rafting adventure with her husband when the light came on: recycled fleece.
LolliDoo™ was born.
Alison and Melissa have set a mission to create products and run business in respect for families, communities and the environment. Believing firmly in the “buy local” philosophy, Melissa and Alison have established a manufacturing facility in Newman Lake, Washington, where Melissa runs the day-to-day operations. Alison manages sales and marketing from her home in Tucson, Arizona
What’s in LolliDoo™
LolliDoo™ diapers have been specially designed with EcoSpun® recycled performance fleece. EcoSpun® performance fleece is made from recycled PET bottles and is the most eco-friendly and baby-friendly fiber available. LolliDoo® has eliminated the traditional cloth diaper Polyurethane (PUL) waterproof outer and rivals the chemical-laden disposables in keeping skin dry.
Their use of EcoSpun® recycled fabric yields many rewards for the Earth, as well as the consumer. By using recycled PET, they are not only keeping disposable diapers out landfills, they are also keeping at least 6 plastic water bottles (for each diaper manufactured) out of the same landfill. The recycling of PET saves millions of barrels of oil each year and reduces virgin resource consumption. Additionally, once created, LolliDoo™ Diapers save precious resources in that they thrive in cold - water washing.
A fast-drying diaper is beneficial for baby's skin. The Ecospun® fabric wicks moisture away from the skin toward the breathable outer layer, where air circulates to dry any accumulating moisture. Our tests of extreme diapering conditions (toddlers and overnight use) show that despite large quantities of urine, baby's bottom is as dry as it was when the diaper was first put on. As mothers, we tend to like that.
Not only is their product green, but LolliDoo™ also conducts every aspect of the business with minimal environmental impact -- from the materials, to the manufacturing, to the final distribution. They have sought to source ALL manufacturing components domestically and to finish it all off nicely, they are developing a recycling program that allows consumers to return the diaper at the end of useful life, where they'll feed it into existing fiber recycling.
The origin of the name LolliDoo™
Melissa and Alison originally named their diapers, Go Green Baby! After researching trademarks they were sad to find out that it was impossible to trademark the words Go and Green in conjunction with baby because all three words were too commonly used. The brainstorming commenced; Melissa and Ali spent days trying to come up with the perfect name for their diapers. Since the first corporate logo had a meaningful turtle in it, the ladies thought that incorporating a turtle name would work. Some initial names were Terrapin Pants, Terrapin Bums, Terrapin Tushies and Terrapin Piddlers. The ladies moved away from using the word “terrapin” because it was a mouthful and not memorable.
They spent hours and hours cultivating the name of those remarkable diapers. Some were just downright silly like Go Green Jelly Bean, Pee-Pee Pants and Diddle Bum. Others were fitting but the domains were taken; Boheme Buns, Turtle Tots and Honey Bums. The partners threw in the rag after four days and decided to table the topic for a bit.
Melissa and Ali aren’t just business partners, they are best friends. They were chatting later on that night about their families and life in general. Melissa remarked that her kids didn’t have any security objects. She went on to tell Ali about her satin trimmed thermal blanket that she carried around everywhere; Melissa’s “Lolly”. Ali chimed in explaining about her childhood security object was a worn out old rag of a cloth diaper that she called her “Di Doo”. At once they began shouting, “Lolly Di Doo!” over and over. After a dozen proclamations of “Lolli Di Doo Diapers”, the partners agreed to shorten it to LolliDoo Diapers.
Learn more about LollioDoo™ in the news here.
Melissa Morgan
Melissa and her husband, Carl, are working to create a life where they can be as self-sufficient as possible, living in such a way as to minimize their time apart as a family, while also minimizing their environmental footprint. Carl built their house, literally from the ground up, using many recycled and reclaimed materials. They have been blessed with a piece of land on a northern-facing slope in the Selkirk Mountain range, often referred to as the foothills of the Rockies, in Eastern Washington, where nature and wildlife abound. Their home incorporates such working spaces as his wood/door shop and Melissa’s glass and sewing studios. They have a large garden plot, where they produce a large portion of their family’s nourishment ; they homeschool their children to accommodate their lifestyle and family ties, and are greatly guided by their living creed, “ the family that plays together, stays together. ” They spend much time playing outdoors, hiking, river rafting, showshoeing, and snowboarding/skiing. Melissa and Carl have three children, Deven, 11, Skyler, 5, and Melody, 3. Melissa and Carl are also both whitewater raft guides and have placed water quality and conservation as one of their highest concerns. Melissa is a volunteer mother-to-mother breastfeeding support group leader and a passionate proponent for mother’s and women’s empowerment.
Alison Manes is a breastfeeding, baby wearing, co-sleeping, and organic as possible, work-at-home Momma. She is by no means an Eco-Diva, but everyday, little by little, together with her husband Chuck and their six kids , (Ashton, 18, Jordan, 17, Rylee, 10, Rorie, 9, Zoe, 5 and Talia, 3), she is learning and taking steps to live a more sustainable life. The older children attend project based and Montessori schools during the day while the little ones benefit from time with Alison. Living in Tucson, AZ, water conservation and consumption is a top priority. Alison and Chuck dream of buying some land and creating an entirely sustainable house built with re-claimed materials and complete with turbines, solar panels, a garden, livestock, and gray water. Additionally, they aspire to power up surrounding low income families. Alison, a former graphic designer, won the Business Woman of the Year Award from the American Business Women’s Association’s La Sonrisa Chapter in 2004. Alison’s motto is,” I am changing the world, one butt at a time.”
They have a large garden plot, where they produce a large portion of their family’s nourishment ; they homeschool their children to accommodate their lifestyle and family ties, and are greatly guided by their living creed, “ the family that plays together, stays together. ” They spend much time playing outdoors, hiking, river rafting, showshoeing, and snowboarding/skiing. Melissa and Carl have three children, Deven, 11, Skyler, 5, and Melody, 3. Melissa and Carl are also both whitewater raft guides and have placed water quality and conservation as one of their highest concerns. Melissa is a volunteer mother-to-mother breastfeeding support group leader and a passionate proponent for mother’s and women’s empowerment.