Another happy customer!

It was really busy in the shop yesterday. I guess because we were closed Good Friday and Easter Monday, we had a bit of a back log of internet orders to process. There were also lots of people who were 'back to normal' , out and about after the Easter break, getting jobs done.

One such person was little 4 week old Amelia, seen here road testing the Kari Me baby carrier in the shop. I really enjoyed helping her try it out (hence the big grin!) It was so lovely to have a tiny baby in a carrier again and she obviously enjoyed it because she snuggled down and fell asleep! If I had not been so busy I would have been tempted to send her mum for a coffee while I enjoyed the moment a bit longer!

Amelia's mummy (sorry I did not ask your name, I was too busy enjoying Amelia!) bought the Kari Me for her, so there goes another happy customer!

Sunny Days

What a glorious Easter we have had! It is amazing when the sun comes out just how much jollier everyone seems.

We see a real shift in buying patterns as soon as we get a stretch of good weather like this, particularly when it is on the early side and the prospect of a long Summer stretches out before us (fingers crossed!)

One product we always end up with a waiting list for is the UV sun/mesh covers for buggies (we sell them for Mountain Buggies and Phil&Teds buggies).

I don't know about you but we tend to be out late enjoying the lighter evenings and we have struggled to get the kids into bed at anywhere close to their 'normal' times over the last couple of weeks. A suncover for the buggy offers protection from the sun, keeps the bugs out but also provides a bit of a shield from all the activity that is going on outside of the buggy making those much needed daytime naps just that little bit easier!

Happy Easter!

Well, we have had a great couple of days out in the sunshine. It has been lovely to see everyone out making the most of it.

The kids and I have been to the beach this afternoon and it struck me that, considering the weather, rather than chocolate eggs, perhaps an Easter bonnet would be more appropriate?!

Get Real!

Real Nappy Week 2011 will be upon us soon, 16th-22nd May 2011. We sell and promote the use of real nappies all year round but Real Nappy Week is a good chance to focus on the issues around nappy use and try to raise awareness of modern, user friendly washables.

We used Real Nappies on all 3 of our children (some of them did all 3!) and saved a fortune in the process. I like to think we also saved quite a lot of waste... (it must be countless bin bags full of used nappies) as well as the transportation miles saved by not buying nappies manufactured, packaged and delivered to shops for us to use them once then chuck them in landfill.

I am not a super-mum, nor am I a martyr, it just did not make sense to us to buy boxes of diposable nappies when we have a washing machine in which we can easily launder and re-use washables.

We have seen a real increase recently in our sales of real nappies, maybe due to the good weather? Our local council (West Dorset District Council) offer an incentive scheme to get as many families as possible using real nappies by offering a £30 voucher towards £45 or more spent on real nappies (we accept these vouchers in store!). You can apply online and the process is easy. Once you have your voucher just pop in and see us to decide how to spend it!

If you are at all curious about the issues surrounding disposables vs washables we urge you to do a bit of research so you are at least making an informed choice about which nappies suit your baby. Go Real, the real nappy information service is a good starting point.

We will be writing more about Real Nappy Week nearer the time!

Drink up!

I don't know about you but once the sun comes out I cannot go anywhere without filling up at least one (and sometimes up to 5) bottles with water. The kids seem to constantly need a drink. They take them to school, to all their after school activities, and although they can be heavy, we obviously encourage them to drink as often as they want to.

I have noticed with interest that Oregon, USA has recently become a BPA free state. I have not been happy for our family to drink from plastic bottles for years now, but having checked on recent research I am really happy we have stuck to our minimal plastic policy.

BPA or bisphenol A is now widely accepted as being toxic and is banned from baby bottles in the EU and Canada. Exposure to BPA is also linked to increased instances of some cancers. Whilst I do not wish to be alarmist, I cannot see the point in taking a risk on this one. Alternative refillable metal drinks containers are now widely available. We have recently started selling Klean Kanteen after doing research about the different drinks bottles available. Klean Kanteen are made from stainless steel with no internal coatings or residues and all lids are BPA free.

Of course, the other benefit is the environmental one. Bottled water is heavy to transport and creates so much waste. With Klean Kanteen you can buy a bottles and change the lid as your child grows so you truly have a bottle for life! We have a full range of bottles, insulators, carabiners, and lids available.

If you are interested in reading more about BPA research, Wikipedia is a good generic starting point.

Look what Stokke have won!

We have just heard that Stokke have been given several awards in the prestigious Junior Design Awards 2011. We think they are well deserved, what do you think??

Easter bunnies!

We always feel a little bit sorry for the tiny babies who are too small to feast on chocolate over Easter but this year we think we have come up with a great alternative for them!

Handmade in Dorset from the softest organic cotton fleece, these Snuggle Bunnies are a great gift for a new baby at anytime, but particularly at Easter!

We have Piccalilly!

We are always excited to have new stock arrive at the shop, whether it is from suppliers we have been working with for years, or from a totally new brand.

We have had our eye on Piccalilly for a while and have decided to get a selection of their playsuits, hats and bibs for babies in store. They caught our eye with their fun prints and bright colours, without expecting us to compromise our ethical and environmental position (Piccalilly make baby clothing from organic cotton and the clothes are fairly traded).

Take a look, hopefully they will catch your eye too!

British Summer Time

A busy day in the shop today and several people have commented how the increased daylight hours are affecting their children's sleep patterns.

We have a solution! The GroClock from Grobag is an ingenious invention. Lets be honest, it must be quite confusing if you can't tell the time, to know what time it is when you wake up? If it is light it must be time to get up, right?

Well, with the GroClock, all your child has to do is wait for the sun to come up. As they go to bed, read the lovely accompanying story, say goodnight to the sun and the clock glows gently with blue stars. The stars count down throughout the night so that if your child wakes in the night they have a visual guide as to how far through the night they are. When it is time to get up the GroClock sun rises and glows yellow.

This clock has transformed our mornings. Our two and a half year old does not move from her bed until the sun gets up! We can't promise the same results for you but it has to be worth a try doesn't it?!

A day off!

We had a well deserved day off yesterday. After talking to the neighbours (they know what they are doing, very handy!) I decided that inbetween football matches, it was time to get the veggie patch underway.

We have a small greenhouse and plot at the bottom of the garden in which we have been growing our own veg for about 7 years. Armed with nothing but a few tools, a water butt and lots of advice from the aforementioned neighbours, we have progressed to managing about 4 months of the year without buying much at all in the way of vegetables.

To be honest it is all a bit hit and miss. It gets done when we have time, rather than when it should be done and the results are a little inconsistent but we have not had any major disasters and the kids have enjoyed it. The picture is of the youngest gardener in the family. The boys are usually too busy riding their bikes or playing football these days!

So far we have planted 3 types of potato, peas, mangetout, courgettes, cucumbers, salad leaves, peppers, beans, radishes, basil, coriander and parsley.

I get a huge sense of satisfaction from knowing we can produce so much from so little (I have spent £3.98 this year so far, the rest has come from left over seeds, plant swaps and donations) and there is nothing like coming home from work and planning dinner around what you can pick from the garden.

It also makes trips to the supermarket less frequent, which, as far as I am concerned, is a good thing!

Customer satisfaction

As a small, independent business we always strive to provide the best customer service we possibly can. It is one of the things we think that we can do to set ourselves apart from the big chain stores and internet only retailers.

We often get customers commenting how pleased they have been with our service, after sales care etc but this week we received two emails on one day.

Your customer service is great! Thanks for the thorough follow up!

I just wanted to let you know that my husband and I called into your shop on Wednesday and were extremely impressed by the lady that helped us look at the nappies and other products. She was very friendly and informative. She took down my name and telephone number so that you could let us know when you have more of the Bumgenius nappies back in stock as we cleared you out of the white ones.

Your shop is absolutely lovely and we look forward to visiting again soon.

It puts a spring in your step and a smile on your face to know that people have enjoyed shopping with us. For us, that is what it is all about!

School's out!

Today is the first day of the Easter Holidays in our house. The sun is shining and we are all looking forward to a break from the routine! Please bear with us if our blog updates are less frequent for the next couple of weeks, I may have more pressing issues to attend to!

I am looking after a friend's kids tomorrow so I will have 6 to entertain. I already have a plan. We are heading to the local park with a picnic and taking our time over getting there and getting back (instead of the usual 'hurry up'). We will have a selection of drinks in our Klean Kanteens, the kids will be carrying their lunch bags and using a variety of transport including an array of Like a Bike's and scooters. We will take a football and probably pop to the shop for an ice cream at some point. (Must remember to pack the Cheeky Wipes!)

I can't wait!

One less car...?

The big news in our house is that we have decided to have a trial period of using one car. I have to admit that this is mainly instigated by me. I have been saying for a long time that we could manage with one car. My husband has recently had knee surgery and could not drive for 2 weeks so it seemed like a good time to give it a go!

We have worked out that, before any maintenance, assuming the car never has anything wrong with it (yeah right!!) and not including depreciation, it costs us £600 a year before we even leave the drive. Add to this depreciation, wear and tear, maintenance and petrol and we are talking substantial costs. Then consider the environmental costs of running two cars and we just can't justify it any more.

I realise we are lucky because my husband works from home a lot of the time. I tend to cycle to heybaby* and the kids go to school within cycle/scooter distance.

We have not agreed how long we are going to 'trial' this for. We are currently in week 3 and our first major challenge has arisen this morning. Our car was in the garage on the other side of town for an MOT and needed to be collected. Our two and a half year old also needed to come with me to collect it (husband working and can't walk that far anyway, post knee op). Normally I would just hop on the bike, seat on the back for my daughter, no problem! However, the bike does not fit in the car. Of course, my luck being what it is, it was raining this morning too!

'No problem', I thought, the boys can scooter to school, I will take the Mountain Buggy with rain cover and walk it. Imagine the scene when I realised I had left my trusty Mountain Buggy locked in the car boot at the garage.

At this point my husband offered to drive me in the other car (the one we are not, under the terms of the trial period, allowed to use!) It took some will power but I declined. We got the Like a Bike and the waterproof suit out and off we went!

I have been wearing a smug smile ever since. First hurdle cleared. I will let you know how we get on!

Less is more

To any new parent, the daunting prospect of what to pack in their baby bag is enough to cause sleepless nights. Then the baby arrives, life gets back to normal (or not!) except that every time you leave the house, it seems necessary to take half of its contents with you.

The size of some nappy change bags is testament to the amount of 'stuff' you might, or think you might, need to cover every eventuality when leaving the house. Of course, given a few months of practise, we all have it down to a fine art and know exactly what is essential to us and what we can't believe we ever thought we might need!

In the interim, any product that has a variety of uses must surely win a place on the 'essential kit for baby' list?

Aden and Anais swaddles do exactly that! Made from 100% cotton or bamboo muslin, and around 120cm square, these swaddles are so adaptable, we can't believe any new baby can survive without them! Traditionally used for swaddling, our customers have told us they use them for a range of things from burp cloths, nursing/car seat/stroller covers to tummy time blankets, portable play/change mats. Pack a couple in your bag and you can cope with anything (almost!)

With a range of designs available, you and your baby can even add a touch of style and individuality whilst being practical. Who is going to argue with that?

Quality, not quantity.

A friend of ours has just popped round with a few more 'hand me down' clothes for our daughter. There is something very satisfying about re-using items that other people have finished with and are generous enough to pass on. The clothing was returned in a bag made from an old duvet cover I could not bear to throw out despite the fact my washing machine had ruined it. (Thank you Nana Pat!)

People often comment that I must have so much fun dressing my kids when I have a shop full of clothes to choose from for them. The truth is, I do, but the real pleasure is knowing that by mixing new and second hand clothing, I can afford for my kids to look nice without compromising my principles. We, in turn, pass clothes back to friends and family when our children have outgrown them.

As a retailer, this may sound like crazy advice but I would like to see all parents passing used clothing on, and when they need to buy new, choosing carefully and paying a fair price for what they need. In fact, if you buy quality, well made clothing, the chances are it will last a lot longer anyway. Everyone is a winner!

Happy Mother's Day

It is so true that everything changes when you have children. Once you become a mum your focus is always on your family and what is best for them.

Mother's Day is a chance for everyone to reflect on what our mums do for us and what being a mum means to us.

Our message is simple.... we hope that whatever your situation, you can take a moment on Mother's Day to think about those who 'mother' you. To superwomen everywhere, Happy Mother's Day!

phil&teds goes 4WD

This video shows the new phil&teds verve - the new 4WD uptown inline stroller. What do you think?

We will have them as soon as they are available.... let us know if you would like to reserve one!

Think ahead!

One of our best selling products is the Stokke Tripp Trapp. It is a great design and brilliant to use, but I do sometimes wonder if, when people are looking for a 'highchair', they think beyond the baby stage?

When I get the opportunity to speak to customers in the shop, I always say to them that our Tripp Trapps are amongst our most frequently used 'baby' purchases. We have an 11 year old who is still not big enough to sit on a chair designed for an adult and comfortably reach the floor with his feet.

It struck me today when our youngest climbed up on her Tripp Trapp to do some painting (that is her in the picture!), how often children sit at the table to do something: drawing, painting, play doh, cutting and sticking, homework and eating of course! We love the fact that when we sit to do something, everyone can sit comfortably and everyone can reach what they need. I have a feeling if expectant parents knew what lay ahead EVERY child would have a Stokke Tripp Trapp!