Let's Have a Giveaway!!

Time for a Giveaway! It is no secret we are having our Second Annual Seconds Sale beginning Friday and I want as many as possible to know about it.

We will have diapers with "older' labeling, items that have had a drip of something (coffee) land on them at trade events, items with puckers that does not affect use, some previously loved longies and shorties and much much more! These items will be up to 40% off our regular pricing. First come, first served and you will be invoiced once you are done shopping and charged combined shipping. Sale will begin Friday at 7 PM and all unsold items as of 9PM Sunday will be removed from the sale.

To thank you for taking the time to share our sale, I am offering a $20 gift certificate to one lucky winner to be used in our Etsy shop for a future purchase. Each person can get several entries by just following the rafflecopter prompts.  Winner will be announced Monday.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Supermom raising the white flag

With the best interest of you my customers, as well as myself, I am currently closed to custom orders (with the exception of those already in discussion). I always aim to get orders out as fast as I can and meet delivery times, and it is very important and a source of pride for me. I am not sure I can maintain that standard right now.

I have been having some "back issues". Sometimes my legs are numb, loose sensation and become very weak. I have fallen as a result of this. I finally discussed this with my GP and had an Xray today. It is very clear from the Xrays that I am in fact having a spinal issue of some sort even to my naked eye. Three vertebrae look to be involved. As a result, I am not going to put myself in a position of having to work through pain or risking aggravating symptoms.  I am awaiting the official read of this test and then will have more, likely a CT or MRI scan.

I CAN still sew. I WANT to be able to continue to for many years also as it does bring me joy. I just need to dial back commitments. Right now, I will go at it as I feel I can and need the freedom to not sew if I feel I can not. Until I have an actual diagnosis and know the risks of whatever IS going on, I want to protect my back. Protect my joy. Protect my mobility for myself and my family.

Right now, some days it takes me awhile to get out of bed, or if I am sitting I can not stand. Let's not even discuss getting onto the floor to play with the kids. I have kept going, like we all do, ignoring my own stuff to look after the needs of family and others. I feel I need to look after me for right now, because I am not quite sure I could be anyone's "patient" long term! Believe me, no one could handle me .

So, just an explanation of an adjustment that will be happening on the business front. Feel free to post "hey you need more boxers...or can you work on some girlie diapers your inventory is low". That I can handle, but cranking out a dozen in a week or two, not so much. Honestly, most of you should not notice much of a difference.

The Etsy store is stocked and purchases can be made as normal. This only affects custom orders.

I really hope this all turns out to be something that can be dealt with and that it does not impact me greatly. Unknown sucks. Pain sucks. Fear sucks.

I am sorry. I feel like I am giving in on one front and being selfish, but I know this is what I *should* do for today. Maybe it will change again in a week. I have always said knowledge is power. I feel powerless right now because I do not have the knowledge I NEED.

To all of you busy moms...take the time to look after you. See your doc if something is "off". Remember to nurture you.

Respectfully....
~Michelle

Generation 2 Launch

**Photos will be added tomorrow. Nothing like going to take photos and the battery is DEAD!

For quite a time I had improvements swirling in my head for our diapers. This was finally the time to implement them when a large custom order came in.

As I cut into several of my fabrics for the first time, I decided to make extras and make the best use of the fabrics as I did so. Fabrics very close to the end were used up so they did not have to be put away for example. 36 were pre~ordered and by the time all was said and done, there were 100 diaper outers cut.

It was the middle of March then. I decided to challenge myself to see how many of them I could sew up by the end of the month. I opened a Facebook question and invited people to make their guess as a way to enter for a 50% off diaper giveaway.

During those two weeks, the kids were out of school for spring break, I caught some sort of bug that laid me out in bed for three days, and I had my regular full day in hospital. Suddenly, those two weeks seemed like no more than a couple of days. While I had to finish the pre orders for the end of the month, I also wanted (and took) some time for my family and home as well. Actually, truth be told I did not take it, it TOOK ME!

The first improvement was increased absorption in all our diapers. The soaker layers are also now sewn individually so that there is greater water flow in the washer thus less chance of trapped particles, less compression and decreased drying times. 

Secondly, cross over snaps are standard on all sizes of diapers now. If you have chosen velcro as your closure of preference (available by request), it is also styled with a cross over tab to allow for more fitting options, especially during those size transition periods.

Third, we have increased the variety of inner fabrics available. Flannel will always be an option to add a cute print at an economical price point. Micro-fleece is available with print or solid PUL outters as is micro-chamois (color choices are limited however and I can let you know what would best suit a particular print outer  Suede-cloth is available in a cow print only at this time. Wicking lining jersey is newly available at BB Butts. Light, breathable and dry against baby. There will soon be a wide variety of colors of the jersey available to work with out print PULs.

Finally, small diapers all have a snap down umbilical cord "dip". Snap it down and adjust your other snaps to work around the area. One snap closing on each side is sufficient to hold for these newbies that have entered your lives.

The diaper construction challenge began! Labels were sewn in (200 in all), soakers sewn together, diapers stacked and pinned. Snaps were applied..until my hand hurt.

This necessitated an invention (or intervention) of need. The handle of the snap press is rough cast metal...it literally shreds hands while snapping large orders. When you consider that a diaper has 16 snap pressings (on average) times 100 diapers... owies! I had worked one evening until my hand really hurt. The next morning I was doing laundry and it all clicked for me. I have some rubber shelf liner stuff atop my dryer to protect it and reduce noise when things are on top of it. I cut about a three inch wide strip of it off (times however wide it is...18 inches maybe), plugged in my glue gun and got at it. I simply wrapped the handle in the stuff to make a cushion. I hot glued it together and then because I thought it may slip down the handle with repeated pressings I injected glue in between the layers at the end then let it dry. SCORE!! No more sore, raw feeling hands and I went on to snap MANY more diapers. Now if someone has a cure for the sore shoulder.....

So at the end of the day on Easter Sunday there was 65 diapers completed!! Not my full goal of 100 but also nothing to sneeze at either. Actually there is another 15ish that are about 2 hours away from all being done as well. I never did get to working on the mediums, the completed diapers are all smalls. This is also ok as I was getting very low on inventory for smalls.

The joy of being a WAHM is that I can set my own schedule and am answerable to me only. I was able to live life during an off schedule time and in the end came out ahead and met my customer need. Success!!

So who won??? Well congratulations to Mallory Robbins who entered in the 60 to 70 complete category. Mallory, you can message me through either FB or Etsy to let me know which instock diaper you would like half price!

Excited and Stoked!!

For a couple of years now, I have always viewed Sept 2013 as the time for me to truly evaluate the business I have built as well as my own life.

You see, that is when my last baby goes to school, and after 20 years of parenting babies and toddlers, I admit I am tired. I am looking forward to those 6  hours a day to schedule for ME. To look after me, to fill my needs and desires and begin a new chapter of life.

My kids' principal and I joke...along with the kindy teacher...how many days until Sept?? She once said to one of the other parents recently " Oh I know Michelle, she will be having her own time out and an afternoon "tea" with a little something....and she should!" She has been along with our family as we have traveled a devastating journey the past couple of years and I have cried many tears on her shoulder. She understands at least in part some of what I have personally borne through it and understands my eager anticipation of this next journey that arrives in a few months (even if I am going to miss the crap out of the little man).

Soooo....imagine my thoughts when I came across a post on Facebook regarding a Fabric Fest is September...in Vegas! Vegas is VERY accessible from these parts as it is a high volume destination for British Columbia and as a result is very cost efficient to fly to. I chatted to hubby in an offhanded way and he said "GO! Do something for you and tell me what week I have to book off of work." I love this man some days...well most days...well every day even if he does infuriate me beyond belief from time to time.

I mulled it over most of the day, checked out the class descriptions, made a wish list, slept on it, revised the class selections and then BOOKED IT!!!!

Yep, I am going to Vegas baby!!

I felt this was a good time and opportunity to begin the process of that "rebirth" both of me and the business. A time to learn, be inspired, and and network. A time to see (once again) what is out here in that big bad wonderful world. To see what current and anticipated trends are. Gain a few new tricks in the bag and all of those other cliche statements.

This is my present to me. To finding me. For surviving little people. For remembering I count. To re energize me so I can share that in my marriage and with my children. It is funny in a way that one silly conference can have such a great effect, but I foresee it will. I will come back a happy smiling and excited momma. I look forward to sharing all of my new knowledge and ideas with all of you as well.

If any of you are going, please be sure to let me know so that we can meet up! I have one gal I have done business with in Florida going and get to see a business associate / friend who lives in Vegas as well. I am really excited to finally meet these ladies in person after knowing them for years!

Viva Las Vegas!!