Boobba Baby Blog

Why Us?

2006-09-21T20:59:00.000-07:00

So, this week was FUN!!! I got off to a great start and by mid afternoon today, I was not only taking my three year old's hands out of crap I was swimming in some virtual feces, thanks to some hackers.

Fudge hackers they suck. Really, nice going guys especially the scum's who started doing here in the states!!! I can see where some of these other guy from overseas can hate America's government but for people right here in the US to partake in this crap, screw you. You should be tarred and feathered and sent overseas to join your buddies.

Why am I mad because although the original hackers were annoying they were kind enough to not delete files, they also pointed out a weakness with a system that many, many people were using. Problem fixed. Time to move on and instead of hoping it does not happen again lets find a way to not let it happen again.

By the way I have to give Stacey from Doodle Babies a huge THANK YOU! She has worked tremendously hard bringing everyone back online. She also worked incredibly quickly to get us a patch for the problem and a new version of the cart. She has always been nothing buy pleasant and extremely helpful.

THANKS Stacey for your hard work. Also, I heard through the grape vine that the owners of both Merchant Moms also beefed up there security and were working extremely hard to get their clients a revamped version loaded. I also heard Pie Cart is also working on the problem.

Now next week I don't know what I will do for fun so I better get to working on that forum I keep promising you all for boutique moms.

Okay, I'll blog 2you Later and hopefully launch soon!

making up for what we will never be

2006-09-16T22:41:00.000-07:00

Today, I was thinking about all those years I spent hating my hair because of how other girls always made fun of it. I spent about 20 years thinking how gross my hair was and how much I wished I had pretty brown hair like the other girls I went to school with. I spent years wishing it wasn't so jet black and curly, but what I wished for most was that I didn't have so much hair. Then when I had my first son and he was born bald I just about fell out my hospital bed when they gave him to me.

Could this be my son? This bald ass baby? As he became a toddler and his beautiful light brown curls started coming in and all the moms juts died when they saw his perfect hair, I would secretly giggle. The girl who was once called Medusa and Palm Tree head had the son with the perfect hair they all wanted for their daughters.

My husband and I have been talking lately about how children have a great way for making up for what "we" will never be. It is life's way of showing us the other side, the grass that we always thought was greener and the way to show us that our troubles did not go unrewarded but it could also be life's way of showing you what the dead grass looked like and learning some compassion for others.

I have a friend whom I adore who is very depressed right now. She in every way is a wonderful mom, wife, friend and person but she is going through some rough times now. I think she is a hoot and is incredibly easy to get along with but when she goes to her mom group she has a hard time making friends with the "it" gals. But my friend's little girl is a shining star that all the other little girls like. Her daughter has no trouble making friends, socializing and becoming the center of the play group. Someday, her child will be one of the "it" girls that the other girls want to be accepted by. So, my friend who has always been on the outside looking in will get to see through her daughter's eyes what it feels like to be part of that inner circle.

I much rather have been dog girl than to have one of my own children be the child called that. Not that my boys will not be ridiculed someday or that they won't go through their own pains, unfortunatley we all do. But it is just great when our children seem to be what we always wanted to be. It is also great knowing that when you have children that are looked up to because they are one of the "desirables" you can mold them into accepting all people even the "undesirables". That is something I as a once SUPER undesirable drill into my boys...have compassion for others!

For me almost being thirty is showing me that life is not about wanting to be something but capitalizing on what we are. I might never know what it feels like to have that perfect straight hair I can shampoo and go with. What I do have works for me and I have come to love it. I have other things that make me very happy to look in the mirror no matter what that physical image that reflects back is.

As far as my friend goes, she may never be part of that clique of moms sitting on the blanket at the park during the play group meetings. What she will always be is the mom who spends the play group time playing with her daughter and the other kids having the REAL fun. She will be the mom who does things for her children not because that is what the other moms are doing but because those things are what seem right for her kids. She is the mom who instead of spending her free time doing something for herself she does things for her children and for others.

So, to her who I relate to dearly in many ways kick those feelings you are having because sweetie you are more than one of the "it" girls. To me you are an inspiration, a friend that truly shares her life with me, a mom who does not pretend to be perfect and better yet, a person who never looks down on me for my own shortcomings. Your greatest reward will be that daughter who God gifted to you who will make up for those things you never got to experience.

Remember life has a funny way of rewarding people for their good and bad actions so...the bitches on the blanket that don't make room for you will someday get to experience their children being the ones on the outside looking in. But, luckily for their child maybe your daughter will be one of those desirable girls on the blanket and having learned from your pain, she will make room on the blanket for their child whom might not be a "desirable" no matter what the other girls think of her!

Blog 2u Later!

3rd Birthday Star

2006-09-10T07:01:00.000-07:00

Today, is my middle man's birthday! He is three finally! Seems like we have been in the terrible two's forever. Well, I hope he gets the potty training thing down soon. I hope his temper relaxes a bit must be hard being the monkey in the middle. I hope that his third year is so much better than the first two. As a two year old he accomplished so much. Even though he is accident prone he has great agility and balance. He is a wonderful climber and rides his bike almost without training wheels. His dad took them off once a couple of months ago and Dar did it for a little while but was not tall enough. His is our daredevil and punk rocker all in one. I know if any of my boys go through an all black, chains, hair dying and piercing stage the most likely to do it would be him. Most of all I hope I can be a better mom to him and give him all the individual attention he deserves. I love you Darrick Josef! Our little Dar Dar, Darlisimo, Darzan, Monster Truck and DarSucio!

Slacker Blogger!

2006-09-09T22:07:00.000-07:00

So, it is about 1am my time and this is the third time I have sat here making an attempt to write this blog. I have a great post in mind about a boutique owner who really inspires me so why can't I write? I have no clue but I think that my slacker blogger problem comes from the thousands of other things going on in my life. So, I am going to dig deep and try to find the motivation to to do that post tomorrow. Today, I have some questions for those of you out there reading this who are willing to answer? If you all would like to answer the questions as annonymous you can but I would love to get some feedback.

So, here come the questions...

Do you find it incredibly hard to balance being a mom and maintaining a sense of self?

I do that is why I am asking. I feel like I can no longer be greedy or put myself first. There are so many things I need to do for myself that will in turn provide for my children but I can't find the time to always do them in because I am taking care of the children! So, I work late into the morning hours to just be able to get anything done.

Next question...

How many of you out there do this too? Spend all day taking care of the kids, house and everything else and then do your work after they are all asleep?

Do you feel burnt out?

I do. I really am the type of person that likes to throw myself into things and do them at 100%. With having so much to do I feel like I have to constantly juggle and the juggling has me burnt out. I'd love to concentrate on one thing and not feel guilty for neglecting anything else.

Last question...

Do you ever feel like you are the only one who can't hang at this being a "SuperMom" bulls**t?

Pardon my French but it has to be bull because I have yet to meet one woman who truly is a SuperMom! I know plenty of inspiring, awesome, spectacular women but I have yet to meet a true SuperMom who is doing it all alone! So, why is it we are sold that picture everyday that we have to be able to just handle it all? Many of the moms I know who are running businesses from home either have all the kids in school or send their children to daycare at least half the day. The ones who are trying to run a business and take care of the children full time, at least the ones I talk to, are having a hard time balancing it all. We feel immense guilt and lots of frustration because something always seem to give. I just can't seem to manage getting all the things I want going. SO, yes I am airing out my frustration with myself here. Just want to know if anyone else feels the same way!

So, I am wondering if I should give up on some of my aspirations most of the time. I love my boys and want to homeschool them especially my eldest. It is so hard getting him motivated and keeping him going when I turn my back. I can't hold his hand for everything, not that he needs it, he just seems to want attention all the time. My middle son is having a terrible time potty training and seems to poop just after I sat him on the potty or when I am busy breastfeeding the baby. Then the baby wants to be attached to the breast all night and all day. I know they should always come first but I really want more for me. I want to start learning more, doing more and I especially want a career again but one I can do from home.

So, if you are a SuperMom and you read this and think that I am a complete fool let me know what the secret is. If you tell me that the secret is having your life straight before having kids then I am totally screwed because my life looks like Lombard St in San Francisco and I already have the three boys.

I promise to Blog 2you tomorrow!

You get more bees with honey!!!

2006-09-08T00:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, so English is not my first language so I always get all the sayings completly wrong. So, it might not be you get more bees with honey but that is how my Cuban brain interprets it! On with my point...

I started this blog as a tribute to all the great women I was meeting along the way as I grew my business. Women who are designers and shop owners that to me not only inspired me to keep going but made me realize that I was not the only one sticking it out for my dreams! My blogs were all formulated after having a few emails and/or phone calls with each of these gals. I loved how I could learn from these women and how great I felt after singing their praises to the world. But somewhere along the way my business began to grow sales began coming in and I became more pre-occupied with getting customers in to the site than letting things happen naturally. I stopped posting here and then after I saw some behavior in the boutique community I let this blog which was my personal retreat become sour. For this I greatly apologize to my readers. I should not have used this as a platform to voice those opinions! I am going to once again blog how I always intended.

I have taken time to reflect on the things that happened and realize that if it had not been for some of those very things I hated so much like 100 lists I would have never found so many friends in this community and they would not have found me. I want to extend a HUGE thank you to those gals that I have become friends with that are my biggest supporters and source of motivation. You all drive me to find my way, to re-open my site and to really make a committment to this industry. Susan, Jacky, Kristen, Taryn, Tara, Robin and Tabitha you all are great women that can count on me for whatever you need. Each of you has helped me solve a different piece of the puzzle. Each of you has shown me that we moms not only need to stick together but have to stand up for one another.

I am so glad that most of the women who read this blog are boutique owners. At first I wrote it so my own customers could get an inside look into some of the products and designers I carried or aspired to carry. Then I do not know how many of the boutique moms began to write me either to be featured or to tell me they liked reading the blog and I took time to write each back. I feel very fortunate to have found a base readership that has an interest in me continuing this blog. I have learned that this cyber world of boutique moms is tiny and in some great need of a place to speak candidly without censorship but also without negativity.

In the next couple of weeks my newest baby will be born and this one is for all of you boutique moms to help me pamper and raise. The site name will be realeased when it is ready but I hope you all join me there. We will have a forum to discuss everything business related plus mom issues that come with balancing our work, children and spouses. I hope that some of the real veterans in this game join us there such as Heather from Mom4Life and Wendy from DimplesandDandelions! I invite them because they seem to know how to succeed at business with class and leadership while still managing to be inspiring moms. I also welcome all ebay selling veterans out there that exemplify integrity and persistance.

I am setting up the site using a content management system that allows for blogs, password protected areas, ads and many other things. So, eventually this blog will move there. I will also open up the site to contain some new blogs. Ads as always will remain free as long as I run the site. I will never charge for ads. Ads will be on the homepage and in a banner rotation. So please come spam, come chat, come listen and make friends!

I hope to see all you Boutique Betties there and those of you Betties that just like to boutique shop!

Blog 2 you Later! This is one of my of the top of my head blogs written at 3:30 my time so excuse the typos!

Are You a HOT Mama?

2006-09-07T23:52:00.000-07:00

In my search for great baby products I came across a site that carried the best in baby products but also appealed to my inner "goddess"! I was so excited I could shop for my boys and get some cool things for myself too! As the mom of three boys the last place I want to schlep my boys too is a bath and body store since I can't even get them to sit still long enough at the Target for me to find a lipstick color I like. So, having a site like www.hotmamabeautyandstyle.com/ that allows me to get my girly and mommy shopping fixes all in one is heavenly!!!

I bet many of you might have already heard of www.hotmamabeautyandstyle.com/ though since the site is quickly gaining a fan base. I had the pleasure of getting to talk to the owner of the site by phone recently and I got the scoop on the hot mama behind the name, what started it all, her definition of what it means to be a true hotmama.

Tammy, came off as a funny, smart and very down to earth woman. At no time during our conversation did it seem like I was talking to a stranger. She quickly made me feel as if I had known her forever with her welcoming tone and infectious laugh. Tammy got her degree in Kinesiology and teaching credential which she used for 5 years as an elementary physical education specialist. I can totally see how she would be great with young children since she is so approachable. She loved her job and was devoted to children but when her first son Nicholas was born Tammy chose to stay at home with him and make him her priority. After his birth Tammy's husband gave her the moniker "Hot Mama"! One Christmas he decided to make that an official nickname by giving a license plate that stated, "Nicko's Hot Mama!". Tammy explained that she enjoyed sporting that around town since her definition of a hot mama is about more than just looks!

Tammy loves to try new cosmetics, body scrubs, lotions, if it is beauty related more than likely she'll try it. She even calls Sephora her "happy place"! She wanted to start a business but having no business background or sales experience she thought she better stick to something she knew well. A friend of Tammy's is a successful online boutique owner so Tammy got an inside scoop of what it takes. So, she figured that with hard work and finding her own niche she too could put a successful business plan together. Her resolution was to combine her two loves beauty and fashion. Learning new aspects of the retail industry lead her to expand her business to include her love of unique, quality baby products into her store.

What defines a hot mama? Well, in Tammy's own words "a Hot Mama is wild (spontaneous, takes risks), passionate (about life, Family, goals) and fun (laughs, plays, celebrates). A Hot Mama is About an attitude more than a look."

To her part of being a hot mama is also giving back and especially being able to reach out to other mothers who are in need. One of her greatest joys is being able to help at the Option House, a shelter for battered women and children, each Mother's Day. Tammy is involved with a group of church ladies that gives these moms a mothers day to remember. They pamper the women staying in the shelter with facials, foot baths, massages, manicures, they are gifted with plush robes and slippers and at the end of the evening there is a dinner. While the moms are being taken care of the kids make a gift for their moms and are treated to a pizza party. Tammy feels that the moms at the Option House are the Hottest of the Hot Mamas since they are making a real effort to improve the quality of life for their children and themselves, no matter how hard the obstacles ahead may be. Hot Mama Beauty and Style gives 10% if it's profits to the Option House in an effort to make the world a more passionate place!

Tammy, is the type of business owner that we all can be proud to support as customers and strive to be like as boutique owners. Please visit www.hotmamabeautyandstyle.com/ and enjoy browsing her many wonderful items for both baby and mom. And moms remember that an integral part of being a good mom is taking the time to pamper yourself too, so don't forget to pick up some products for yourselves. By the way not only is Tammy pounding the ground for hot new baby products that are top of the line but she is also coming out with her own brand of skin care products. Coming soon to www.hotmamabeautyandstyle.com/ is Tammy's own creation a refining cream!

Blog 2 You Later! Hopefully not as later as it has been lately? UH?

Campaign free google ranking!

2006-08-16T23:40:00.000-07:00

Here is an excerpt from a very useful article about page rank and linking. To read the rest of the very detailed article please visit: http://www.iprcom.com/papers/pagerank/

This article leads me to the assumption that how I initially wanted to carry out this campaign may need very much re-thinking. We will be able to do something to get our rankings up thought because I will have a solution it just may take longer since the solution needs to be helpful and have a long lasting affect.

Here is what they write:

Give away something usefulwww.phpbb.com has a Toolbar PR of 8/10 (at the time of writing) and it has no big money or marketing behind it! How can this be? What the group has done is write a very useful bulletin board system that is becoming very popular on many websites. And at the bottom of every page, in every installation, is this HTML code: Powered by phpBB The administrator of each installation can remove that link, but most don’t because they want to return the favour… Can you imagine all those millions of pages giving a fraction of a vote to www.phpbb.com? Wow! Principle: Make it worth other people’s while to use your content or tools. If your give-away is good enough other site admins will gladly give you a link back. Principle: it’s probably better to get lots (perhaps thousands) of links from sites with small PR than to spend any time or money desperately trying to get just the one link from a high PR page.

Blog 2 you Later!

Good Morning Boutique Moms!

2006-08-16T06:19:00.000-07:00

Good Morning! I am so excited that so many of you have emailed me and Susan to let us know you will also take a stand against these places that are charging tons for text ads and against the top 100 lists that have resulted in zero sales for most of us. I'd like to take the time to address some of your questions, but my friend will be posting detailed answers later today. If she can't get to it I will try my best at putting all her great knowledge into words that I can understand and that you can also grasp. Also being new to this I am learning all about how search engines work and how linking is important but what is most important is how we write our content for our sites. She, understands the mechanics of this better and she will be giving us the abswers to the questions. Most of you are asking how this is going to work. Essentially this is should work like one huge link exchange, instead of each of us putting in 100+ new links into our site by hand one link at a time, we will be adding one page with keywords that point to the site associated to that keyword. Each of us will get at least one keyword or phrase on that page that will point to our site(s). So, please please guys don't go crazy adding my banners to your sites. NOT what I wanted. I am not trying to get press for my store or the blog. Wait until we get more people contacted and when we compile the list with keywords we will contact you again about what we need. Just keep tuned to the blog and our emails. I am sorry boys are going crazy I will continue later!

Let's beat them at their own game!!!

2006-08-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

Recently, I have gotten several emails about advertising on Top 100 sites or sites that specialize in boutique directories. Some of these solicitation proclaimed to be wonderful deals and they fell just short of saying they were doing me a huge service. What these solicitation should actually say how much they are trying to screw me out of my hard earned money that could be better spent on my own business or family. I am not mentioning who these greedy moms are but the "deal" was for a list of 100 words that were being sold for $50 each to the first bidder for one year. If 100 people really give this person $50 each she will bring in $5000 and for what? What is she really providing you? The possibility of maybe attracking traffic to your site?

I understand the mechanics behind this thinking. We all know how search engines rank us, that we need links, links connected to our keywords/phrases, we know it is hard work getting visitors just to our sites. We also know that converting visitors into window shoppers into buying customers is very hard. I have since I started my site tracked each and every visitor that comes to my site from a 100 list, ad blog, or web directory. Not one of these visitors has become a paying customer. I have also spoken to many moms who have also paid for these pricy ads and most of them have had the same results, nothing!

So, my proposal to all of you boutique owning moms is let's beat them at their own game! Instead of one or two lists where you have to pay $50 for just one key word how about 100 of these lists for free! There is no catch you only have to do a few things. I have a few moms who are willing to help me put together these lists because they too are fed up with expensive ads that result in nothing.

Okay, so what do you have to do? Send me your site name and up to five keywords you'd like to claim. We will work on a first come first served basis. That way it is fair and that is why I need five choices from you. If your keywords are taken I will contact you via email to see if you can come up with one not yet taken.

September 15th will be the cut off date for keyword submissions. Me and the other moms will make the HTML page and send it to you. You then have to upload it to your site but not part of your store. Into the Cpanel and we can even help you match your site look or you can use the template we design. If we get 100 boutique moms to get on board then we have at least 100 lists out there all on sites that are constantly being crawled and indexed by search engines. That is more than beating them at their own game!

I am a huge proponent of moms helping moms. That is why I am not into just one mom making 5 grand off other moms who are all trying to make do and make better lives for their children. We'd all like to have an extra 5 grand, believe me I would but for me my integrity and sleeping well at night is worth far more than that. The best way to shut down these operations like blogs that charge $85 dollars a month for a banner ad is to stop giving them our money and finding our own ways of helping one another. DON'T give anyone money for nothing!!! Don't exploit yourself! And don't buy crap ads on top 100 lists that are being auctioned on eBay!!!

So, if you are interested write me an email the email address is advertising@boobba-baby.com! This is and will remain free!!! Also, if you'd like to be part of a board of boutique moms I am creating contact me.

walking the tight rope or is it high wire???

2006-08-08T19:31:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I didn't plan on taking over a month off from blogging, but walking the tight rope I call my life requires me to be balanced. To stay balanced I have to constantly juggle it all to stay on course. I have found that if something is bogging me down it is best to throw it up and juggle it until I can find a proper balance again. Some days, I feel like I will never make it to that place I see in the distant, could that be a mirage that I see? Other days I feel very lucky to be there already looking over what I have accomplished feeling lucky that I have what I need and most of what I want. I am sure many of you can relate? Or am I really WEIRD??? I'm Weird!

So, I'm back and I hope to be able to bring you new posts daily again. Thanks to those that have subscribed to the blog via email I never thought there would be that many of you, but now that there are I better keep writing, uh? Well, for those of you that are readers that own stores or are designers please drop me an email if you would like to be featured. For those of you that are artists, designers, business women that want to be featured drop me a line, too. If you are a mom who has a story about parenting or know of a cause I should write about let me know. I am open to providing a voice to just about any woman who would like me to help them get the word out about something. I am really looking forward to writing more about and sharing Mommy stories. Thanks again for sticking with me! Blog 2 you Later!

No, no's are CACA!!!

2006-07-06T00:23:00.001-07:00

Three more No, no's not to use in your terms of sale:

No shipping to APO/FPO's in your terms of sale is a no, no! Jacky says that although many buyers are not affected personally buy the fact that you don't ship to APO/FPO's they may still be turned off by this term of sale. Most American's do believe in supporting our troops and they will be offended if you deny troops the simple pleasure of buying from you online or on eBay. She reasons that it is a very silly policy regardless because shipping to APO/FPO's costs no more than shipping within the US. Only difference is an extra 10 seconds it takes to fill out a form to ship to an APO/FPO.
Charging extra to ship to Alaska and Hawaii is a no, no! People who live in those areas know that shipping USPS to AK and HI will cost the exact same price as shipping to Washington, Maine, Florida or southern California. Since all these areas are USPS Zone 9 why should you charge extra for AK and HI when it costs you the same as several other states.
"I am not responsible for any packages once they leave my hands. I am not responsible if your item(s) are lost or damaged for your protection please purchase insurance." Jacky, says that this is the biggest No, No of them all and should never be used in terms of sale, especially on eBay. First if you are not selling on eBay but using PayPal according to Paypal the seller is responsible! Paypal's terms will override your terms of sale and PayPal will give the customer a refund. Selling on eBay will result in the same outcome. Most Mom's who run online boutiques and eBay stores do so to provide their families with another source of income and to give customers an alternative to Wal Mart/Target. Boutique Moms and eBay Mom's cannot leave their customers out in the cold if they want to pull business in and away from the department stores. Wal Mart and Target will always replace items if they go astray in the mail. Jacky's advice is to purchase insurance yourself out of your own pocket for big ticket items or large purchases. She says that replacing a lost package for someone might just turn what could have been a lost customer into a repeat customer!

I hope you have once again enjoyed reading more of Jacky's great advice for boutique and eBay sellers. Going through your policies and removing the no, no's you might have in them will do a world of good for your sales. Remember No, No's are CACA!

Please visit Jacky's online boutique www.RhinestoneFashions.com for the very best in boutique custom made onesies.

Stay tuned for more advice from Boobba Baby Blog's resident selling expert Jacky! Blog 2 you Later!

Big Dot of Happiness

2006-07-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves a good party but no one likes to really plan the party usually. For me party planning is a joy especially when it comes to planning baby showers! I love baby shower games, baby shower decorations, baby shower favors and I especially love diaper cakes, that are used as ceterpieces! Boobba Baby, will soon be expanding it's store services to include baby shower planning and catering with the help of a young hip chef named Jennifer Lee. Ms. Lee comes to us with a lot of experience doing trendy Palm Beach parties. In the last couple of months Jennifer and I have been working together on getting vendors to be able to fulfill all our baby shower party needs we hit the jackpot by finding www.BabyShowerStuff.com!

Baby Shower Stuff is a web site that has all one needs to plan the most spectacular and fun shower on the planet. They have baby shower invitations, games, favors, supplies, balloons, centerpieces, diaper cakes, gifts and even thank you cards. The prices are very reasonable and it really helps when you are planning a bigger shower and need extra supplies. Shipping is SUPER quick and offered at low cost. The best things about Baby Shower Stuff are their Big Dot of Happiness Original Games. If you haven't seen or played one of these fun baby shower games you haven't lived a full life yet.

The Big Dot of Happiness Original Baby Shower Games include Who Smells The Stinky Doo?"Scratch 'n Sniff", A "MAZE" ing Baby, IS IT TIME?, Is it time?--Did my water break?, The "Dirty Diaper", "My Water Broke" , Guess what the "SweetMess" is, Baby "Firsts" Unscramble, Baby Word Search Classic, and the Pacifier Necklace Game. Personally, I have had a blast playing the "Dirty Diaper", Guess what the "Sweet Mess" is, and "My Water Broke" games. What I love about the games that the Big Dot of Happiness has come up with is how great they are for breaking the ice at baby showers. A baby shower is a time when important people in our lives get together to celebrate the upcoming birht of a baby. These important people many times come from different aspects of our lives and may not know eachother or be acquinted. Baby showers become awkard if there isn't a way to get people everyone to interact. Having fun games for everyone to play is the best way to get everyone laughing then making it easier for them to mingle!

If you read the Boobba Baby Blog regularly then you know how big I am about promoting companies owned and operated by moms and yes this is another one of those fine companies! In 1999, Sherri Yukel was a stay at home mom who loved it but was still restless, so she sought out a hobby to keep her attention occupied. When she had a rare moment that she wasn’t busy started "tinkering" creating unique items for her children and friends who were having babies. Her hobby grew into a business concept that evolved into what is now a team of 16 “fanatics”. The "fanatics" and Sherri love helping their customers create pleasant memories celebrating life’s occasions! The companies believes in making everyday events into extraordinary events with extraordinary ease. Now that they have become the originator of the Big Dot Originals games and prodicts they have evolved to be more than just an "Event Party Company”!

If you have baby shower planning needs please visit Sherri and her elves, at www.BabyShowerStuff.com, who you can consider your year-round bunch who look for ANY excuse to help you seek some spunk without the funk! They also have several other party planning sites so run and check them out! Blog 2 you Later!

NO, NO's are a No, no!

2006-07-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

I spent the greater part of today talking on the phone with a lady who is just a wealth of information and incredibly fun to talk to. She made me crack up about a thousand times and I related to her on many personal levels. She gave me enlightening tips on how to make a business thrive and keep customers happy, which I will share with you here. The gal I am referring to is Jacky owner of Rhinestone Fashions. Jacky is a successful eBay power seller with 100% positive feedback and repeat customers galore! She is now diligently working on employing her eBay success techniques on her newest web site. Jacky, is a work at home mom of four children who supports her family solely on her eBay income quite the achievement. Her eBay success has allowed for her husband to also be a work at home parent. Now they both can turn all their energy towards their business and their children. I bet you want to know how they were able to do this. Well, when I asked Jacky about her formula for success the one thing that stood out the most from her advice was for all sellers to think like buyers. Some of you may have heard of doing this before but the way that Jacky states it was a new and refreshing way to put it.

She asked me if I liked being told no. Of course I said that I did not like being told no. She quickly replied that no one did. She told me that buyers don't want to hear, see or read any implications of the word no. She said especially on eBay where shoppers come into a listing in a good mood seeing a bunch of no can put them in a bad mood and turn them off to your listing. Jacky, keeps to the motto keep it simple. Her listings are simply descriptions and pictures of the products. What you don't want to do according to her is have a listing that is beaming with terms of sale. She says that for most buyers that is a put off because it implies mistrust. She then told me that no, no's are a no, no! She wasn't just simply referring to the use of the word no she was referring to anything that could be implied from any of your policies as a no!

"The word only=NO! If you tell a buyer you only take Pay Pal then you are saying NO to checks, money orders, credit cards and cashiers checks."

Jacky reminded me that money is money and you should give your customer the option of paying any way they want to or can. She said that if a seller would rather get payment through Pay Pal then instead state it as, "seller prefers Pay Pal" but to not do it in the description of the item. She said the best place for that is towards the bottom with the eBay info.

She says that just being flexible with your terms of sale, providing quality products and friendly service will not only make your listings attractive to your buyers but they will become repeat customers. Those repeat customers will then refer more business to you. She feels that Rhinestone Fashions has been mostly built on word of mouth. When she first started she was told that their was no way, that she'd never and that only a few people could manage to do well with what she planned on selling on eBay. Well, as you can tell no, no's to Jacky are a no, no. She didn't even listen to the nay sayers and did what she knows best work hard at proving that no is not in her vocabulary. She has become a success and is willing to help others learn how to be better business owners. The rhinestone onesies pictured in this post are part of her creations that you can check out at her web site http://www.rhinestonefashions.com/! Stay tuned for other posts where I will share more of Jacky's wisdoms with you! I figured we learn one implement it and then we can move on to the next one.

Thanks again Jacky for sharing your knowledge with me, taking the time to listen, sharing many stories with me and for making me laugh SO much today!

Hope you readers can use this information not only selling on eBay but in your web sites, too! Blog 2 you Later!

Born to Sell

2006-07-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

Some people are just born to sell especially if they love to create! My son has a playmate named Lazara who I think will make a great business woman someday. Any chance she gets she comes up with new ideas on what to make to sell. She makes flower arrangements from weeds (that actually look great), she sets up lemonade stands (wouldn't recommend drinking it) and she spends much of her day brainstorming new business models. Talking to Janille Hudson owner, designer and founder of Boosker Babies gave me real insight into the kind of woman Lazara will hopefully grow up to be.

Janille tells me that as a little girl she would fill her Radio Flyer wagon with rocks that she hand picked from her yard and go door to door selling them to her neighbors. She would also sell sand pictures from her front porch that she had made using sand from her sandbox and glue. Of course she also had lemonade stands, participated in school fundraisers and constantly came up with many new business ideas. Unfortunately, the "real world" got in the way of her big plans and she got a "real job". Owning her own business was a thought that she always entertained in the back of her head but she never really explored the possibility of it becoming a reality. Janille poured her energy into her work and managed to keep her mind content with being creative and hand making gifts for others every chance she could. She would make unique baby gifts for those that she loved rather than buying a present that anyone else could also buy. She made many bibs and burpers for family and friends. After making gifts here and there she realized that she could turn her love of creating baby items into a business. This is how Boosker Babies became a reality and Janille found herself living a childhood dream. Boosker Babies makes Bibs, Burpers, Blankets, and Bum Buddys all of which Janille, a new mom, finds to be essential baby items. When asked why these items in particular she explained to me that they were they ideal things for her to make since, all babies need Bibs & Burpers to keep clean, Blankets to stay warm and Bum Buddys to keep protected when being changed. She loves to keep up with trends in her designs as well as change the fabrics she uses frequently. Doing these provides her customers the assurance that their Boosker Babies purchases are fairly unique items. Janille decided to take a new approach when making products that is why all Boosker Babies items are reversible and made from 100% cotton and chenille fabrics.

To purchase a coordinating gift set or individual items from Boosker Babies which Janille promises to hand sew with love and particular attention to detail please click the picture above. Blog 2 you Later!

Happy Fourth, don't press the button!!!

2006-07-04T07:22:00.000-07:00

I thank Steve for making it easy to access this game.

Dancing to the beat of my own drum!

2006-07-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for the perfect gift for a little girl that loves to dance? Then I know the perfect place for you to shop for her and that place is http://www.lilliangraceboutique.com/. At Lillian Grace (aka Hathead Boutique) you will find tutus to fit just about any little girls taste. My personal favorite is the Posh & Pretty Tutu (shown below) is an extremely poofy tutu. Made of yards and yards of soft shimmer tulle and it is available in one color or many colors, making it a perfect gift! It also has a large satin bow and a tiny flower at the waist to add extra flavor. What made me fall in love with these tutus is the fact that they come with the option of adding music to them. I would have never thought of that! What a cool idea! I know that little girls love to twirl and dance giving them built in music makes all the more fun.

Speaking of fun the owner of Lillian Grace, Kim is one mom who truly knows how to have fun but still manages to run a successful business. When she isn't making beautiful tutus or adorable outfits you might find her out on a motor cross track cheering her twins on. Having fun at the beach with her daughter or just about finding any fun activity to keep her away from the housework. Good thing her hubby is great help! She would rather spend her time creating even if it means having to make another 250 tutus and recital costumes for Falls Church Rec Center's recitals again this year. Yes, I said 250 tutus! For the last three years she has been making their tutus and costumes. No, wonder she wants to get out and have some fun after making that many tutus! To check out Lillian Grace's wonderful line of tutus, clothing or hats please visit them at http://www.LillianGraceBoutique.com/! Kim will give 10% off to anyone who comes to her from the Boobba Baby Blog. Just mention Boobba Baby Blog when you place your order. Blog 2 you Later!

Top 100 Lists Mostly SUCK!

2006-07-03T07:11:00.000-07:00

Many of my readers, I am learning, are small business owning WAHM's. Since, I am also a small business owner and a WAHM; I thought I'd share some of my new learned tid bits with you all. So, today I will be doing much ranting and raving about BAD marketing ideas!!! My latest and greatest PET PEEVE has become Top 100 Lists. Not all top 100 lists are created equal, all are not bad, mostly all generate bad traffic, you shouldn't advertise on most and all (especially those on a homepage) will divert traffic away from your site. My breakdown of Top 100 Lists:

All Top 100 lists are not created equal!

Just so you know anyone can generate a Top 100 list, I even have my own. I got one started and paid to have the ads that come with it removed, I started contacting sites to join my list, and I really got into it until I took the time to think. So, before you go and sign yourself up for a bunch of these lists and fill your site chuck full of, unpleasing to the eye banners, THINK before you brand yourself! Not only can anyone generate a Top 100 List but they can put whatever banners and links they find on the net on their list. Hey, I want Oprah.com on my list, maybe HP, oh how about Martha Stewart.com and even Boobba-Baby.com (that's a really cool site with great stuff) must add them too. Yupe, so a list can go from 0-60 faster than my husband's 1979 Firebird! A list doesn't have to have approval from another site to add it to their list! You'll be able to tell if the person added most of the sites themselves if few have detailed site descriptions. Another clue is if when you click on a Top 100 site that is on their list it takes you to through the voting portal of the list.

Okay, ALL these lists aren't a bad idea!

Your right these lists can generate traffic to your site and they all aren't a bad idea. In fact, I am part of a couple of these lists and I advertise on some which generate REGULAR traffic to my site. I just don't really care for the ones that make you put their link on your homepage. I rather put it on a links page. If my customers care to see who I link with they know where to go! I shouldn't need to plaster my entire site with marketing for someone else unless I love that product or service. A Top 100 list isn't either a product or genuine service, what it happens to be in my opinion is a list of some of your competitors. Want to know which ones I personally like and think are a good idea? I'll give you links at the end of this post, as a Thank-you you can enter the list and vote for my site. Tricky, uh? No. I'm kidding about voting for my site, though! It is part of the game with these sites. This leads me to my next peeve with these sites.

Mostly ALL Top 100 Sites generate bad traffic!

No, I am not saying that all traffic that comes from these lists are bad some is actually from shoppers but most is from other business owners who like you are looking for traffic. Some is even coming from people doing research on becoming a business owner. Of course most of the traffic you will get then will not generate a sale! You have shop owners clicking on these links to see what other people are doing, to check out the competition and to get ideas on how to compete better. Does that sound like good traffic to you? Wait want to hear something even funnier? Most of these lists are just replete with web designer ads and these designers are usually towards the top of these lists! Why these web designers aren't dumb they are probably the smartest ones out there! Where do they put free ads for themselves? Where people who are in need of their services will be and will be magnetically drawn to them. I am telling you this because I for a fact know that mostly shop owners and shop owning hopefuls frequent these lists, making them a great place for web designers to advertise!

Reasons why You Shouldn't PAY to Advertise on Most!

While these ads that only cost a few dollars may seem like a good idea to get your name out there they really, usually aren't! Honestly, most of these sites aren't even Google ranked; few of them are getting enough daily hits for it to register in any search engines! So, you basically are paying for NOTHING! No one will see your $15 ad, wait I forgot your competition will. Where is your money going? More than likely to your competitor. Really these lists are started by other boutique owners aren't they? So, your hard earned cash just might be going to your competitor so they can spend it on REAL advertising! Don't get scammed people. When, I first started my boutique I was scammed. I soon noticed how quickly you could get a Top 100 list to fill up and people inquiring about advertising then I got angry about how scammed I got on the first few ads I had paid for. If the list is not ranked don't buy their ads! But if they are ranked then you might want to consider buying some ads or joining ones that generate constant traffic and adding only those links. Buying ads on popular ones will keep you from having to add their links to your site and diverting traffic away from your site, so that money might be worth it. If you have a low advertising budget and would like to better spend those dollars don't waste them on Top 100 ads what you should do then is join the list and keep yourself towards the top, by voting for yourself. Which now leads me to yet another pet peeve about these lists?

Number One on a Top 100 List does not equal a Top Site!!!

Until, I had my very own Top 100 list I didn't know that just because a site is number one on one of these lists it does not mean it is the most popular site among shoppers. Sites on the Top 100 lists can be weighted and most are to ensure unfair ranking. List owners can make their clicks to and from their sites be weighted higher than other sites. What you get is the 100 lists owner’s sites towards the top of the list. Another problem is that some of these lists allow for visitors from the same computer to vote as many times as they like in one day. I think this is another unfair practice. With those lists a site owner can sit and vote for themselves as much as they want and many do. I have noticed that these lists are at times carbon copies of one another. Not only are the same people joining them but these same people are becoming "maniacs" about voting for themselves. If you check some of the bogus lists out usually the same people towards the top in all of them!

All will divert traffic away from your site!

You don't want your customers leaving your site right? So, why give them a link to click and easily navigate away from your site, they might not even ever find you again. These top sites are usually a bad idea because they are essentially geared to drive traffic away from your since they encourage clicking and browsing. A customer might just keep clicking until they find one that is pleasing to their eye instead of staying and looking for quality in a site. If you want to join Top 100 sites for the possibility of getting some web traffic only join ones that do not require a link to them on your homepage. Keeping the Top 100 list off your Homepage or your entire site template will keep visitors on your site longer. Okay, so I promised you a list of Top 100 sites that are good here well honestly there aren't any when it comes to boutique sites!!! If you are looking for support groups or information on a particular subject like breast feeding then top sites are excellent clicking on one may take you to a corner of the net you would have never found before!!!Everyone please don't forget the Quintuplets I wrote about last week!!! If you can send them anything, especially diapers please do so! This family really needs help! They have six children who are so loved but finances are very strained. They have had so much help from their family and friends but that help can only go so far before it also becomes warn thin. To help them please visit http://www.5ontheway.com/default.htm!

Thanks for your support, Blog 2 you Later!

Do you have Monkey Toes?

2006-07-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

I personally have Piggy Toes, little short stubby piggy toes! My mother-in-law not only likes to remind me of the fact that I have piggy toes she also likes to laugh at my poor little toes! Poor Toes, they never hurt anyone. On the toes subject I have recently come to really enjoy saying, "Monkey Toes", it is such a cute expression and there are some really adorable shoes and socks that go with that expression. My sons flipped for these the minute they saw them! Most kids that see the Monkey Toes shoes really want a pair of their own to just adore and cherish! After talking to the Monkey Toes designer Jenny Chism I realized why these hand painted shoes have become such a huge hit among kids. My talk with Jenny focused on how she first came up with the idea for monkey toes, where she gets the idea for such cute new designs and the company’s mission. What I found out follows below. Owning a business was a long time dream for Jenny. Hand painting shoes with cute and fun animal themes began as a way of bringing her peace of mind during her morning routine of dressing her daughters. This peace of mind idea would launch her into the world of entrepreneurship since she figured other parents would also benefit from footwear that children would love to put on. So, she used what was a pet name for her daughter's long toes, "Monkey Toes", and made it a brand. When I asked Jenny how she comes up with the ideas for such cute designs she responded, "I come up with new characters based on my customer’s ideas! Sometimes new ideas just pop into my head, but most of the time customers tell me what their kids LOVE and we create them! We are getting ready to start sending out our new Wowie Cowie designs and shortly after we will have Silly Monkey's and Spunky Spiders. We are so excited to see what kids think!” Jenny, pictured above with her daughters, is also an inspiration to all Moms’s out there she balances being a business owner, designer and single mother very well. Her company is growing by leaps and bounds because she is in touch with what kids want. When asked how she manages to do it all she said that it was a carefully orchestrated combination of Red Bull, Chocolate, and Starbucks Soy Chai Lattes that keeps her on top of it all! Hmm, I must try that! Monkey Toes is very committed to keeping kids stylish while providing parents with peace of mind and ease in dressing routines. Check out the other great Monkey Toes styles at www.Boobba-Baby.com! New styles coming soon!

Someone even more obsessed than me!

2006-07-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have gotten a bit obsessed with this internet thing, blogging, starting boutique sites, and promoting Mom's! I also have a new LOVE for web design. I find myself browsing the sites of web designers and looking through their portfolios repeatedly! Believe me there are some great Mom web designers and some no so great ones out there. One really great designer that kept jumping out at me was Red Peach Designs. I would go to sites that just looked awesome and again and again they would be done by Red Peach Designs, quickly I added www.RedPeachDesigns.com to my favorites. In the process of ordering ads for my sites I got an order form back for completion and I learned that the owner of RedPeachDesigns.com was who had sold me the ad through one of several websites she owned. I went to each of the sites just loved them all!!! I was impressed by the quality of the sites and the products in each. So, I wondered does this mad woman own a top-notch web design business, a boutique site that carries fabulous baby/mommy items, a jewelry boutique site plus she makes the jewelry!!! How could this be possible? I had to find out because if she really did do all this my plans seemed minuscule next to her current accomplishments!!! Below you can read my questions and answer session with Danielle (who we shall refer to, for always and forever, as Wonder Woman): Q: I got to ask though do you really own all those websites and manage them? Wonder Woman Answers: Well, my primary business is the web design but I do own www.redpeachdesigns.com, www.emilyjuliette.com, www.sparklemama.com, www.topbabyboutiques.com, and www.clothdiapersites.com. Q: If you tell me something like that you have like 5 kids, home school, run all those sites and do still manage to keep your house clean I am going to VOMIT! How do you run 5 sites? Wonder Woman Answers: I don't do all the cleaning hubby helps with that. The topbabyboutiques.com and clothdiapersites.com sites basically run themselves (except for the advertising which I set up). I make the jewelry for sparkle mama and the hubby helps with the boutiques. To keep you from Spewing I won't mention the projects and sites I have in the works! ;) Q: So, with doing all this how do you manage to do such great quality work in all that you do? Wonder Woman Answers: It's hard with the two kids. It's funny to even say that because they are my inspiration. My son has autism and we decided I should stay home to be here with him every day to help him grow, learn and have the best chance at living a fulfilling life. In doing that I have learned how time manage and live a full life! That is why anything I do I pour my complete self into, I give more than 100% and I hope it shows in the quality of my work. Q: Wow! You are really amazing and all your work that I have seen is a testament to that. Do you ever think you are doing too much? Wonder Woman Answers: Yeah, I think I'm in over my head and I don't sleep a TON, especially with our whole family in one bed most nights, but the lack of sleep is worth the success and the positive encouragement from clients keeps me going. Q: So, is there anything else that you are passionate about other than complete and total Web Domination? Wonder Woman Answers: Well, I am not quite ready for web domination but give me some time. What I am really passionate about is Autism Awareness and Research. I have created a special Autism Bracelet

that I sell at www.sparklemama.com, 20% of the proceeds from all Autism Awareness Bracelet sales are donated to the Autism Research Institute in San Diego, CA. Q: So, you are Wonder Woman? Wonder Woman Answers: No, I am not Wonder Woman. I am just another mom who is really doing everything I can to make a difference. If that difference comes from creating a pretty bracelet someone loves, providing great mommy and baby products for sale, donating money and time to the cause of autism or creating a site that is easy to navigate and pleasing to the eye then that makes me happy! Well, as you readers can see she is a Wonder Woman even if she won't take credit for it. I am very glad I got to know her because now I know that my aspirations are possible if I pour myself into my work and give it my all. I'd love for all of you to support her great works by visiting one or all of her sites; you can use the links below.
For Sparkle Mama Click Above

Blog 2 you later!

IF you think you have your hands full...

2006-06-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

For couples that struggle with infertility having just one baby is a huge blessing. Most families that have spent so much time trying and finally get a baby realize how truly lucky they are since at best success rate of most infertility treatments is very low. After getting a child to love, cherish and admire most of these couples want to try one more time to give their baby someone else to share the love with. Most of these couples are estatic when they finally find out that they are having another child. Now imagine if after struggling with infertility and conceiving your first and only child through a procedure you get pregnant again how much joy you must feel. Okay, you have that picture in your head right, happy parents with child hearing the news that they are going to get another baby? Okay, are you ready? Only catch is your not having one, your not having two more, no not three, not four more, how about FIVE! Yupe I said it FIVE!!! Then the doctors tell you that you should "selectively reduce" the number of babies being carried to term. It is a decision so personal and so difficult that unless we have been in those shoes it is not a call that most can TRULY say we'd be able to make. Courtnee and Mike Stevenson of Kitsap County, Washington were faced with this decision and although they knew it would be tough to raise five babies at a time, plus a toddler, they decided to carry all five babies to term. Doctors did not expect all five babies to turn out healthy, they stated one or a few would turn out with troubles but Courtnee the mom knew in her heart they'd be fine. She had to spend four months on bedrest three of which were spent in the hospital. Those three months in the hospital she felt seperated and isolated from her family. During that time she wrote in her journal, "My body and heart were meant to have these babies and I know that's why God blessed me with them. It's amazing that I can have such overwhelming love for something that I haven't seen or touched." As mom predicated, hoped and prayed the couple was blessed with five miracle babies who were all perfectly healthy. Yes, the babies went through some of the normal medical routines that all multiples do, the feeding tubes, the oxygen, the incubators, general stuff like that but in Courtnee's heart she knew they would be fine. I wonder how one Mom can really handle the blessing of five children being born at the same time.

Talking to Courtnee is beyond inspirational and if I thought I had my hands full with three boys then I need to rethink from Courtnee's stance. Five little babies who need holding, diaper changing, loving, feeding, burping, bathing, kissing and hugging, all at the same time plus a three year old who also needs many of the above. She told me that she was very tired but thanks the volunteers that are helping her. Her husband who is been out of work since December has taken on an equal share. Courtnee is glad that she and the babies have settled into a routine and she focuses on how each day she feels the next will be better. She tells me that she doesn't have a favorite among the five, she doesn't gravitate towards one more than another and she thinks it is sad when parents do favor one child over another. To her each of her babies and Lilli is truly special with their own personalities, attributes and look. I wonder how one Mom can really handle five infants plus a toddler knowing the help is dwindling. When the quints were born they got national coverage, talk shows showed interest and they even had a PR firm handling the media circuit for them. Interest has quickly fizzled and the initial help that was pledged is now not arriving. The family now faces hardship because of the financial implications that come with raising six children in a 900sq ft trailer and trying to get by when Daddy has been laid off since December. Keeping the babies in diapers and formula alone are significant tasks. Getting all the items one needs for five babies is an immense task and this family can not do it alone. They need diapers, clothes, dressers for the children and money to finish building a home their church has offered to build. They are in great need of any help that we can give. I know that if I help just a little and you help just a little then Courtnee will truly have a better tomorrow. Let's help change the world one Mommy at a time and help Courtnee provide for her Miracle Five plus Lilli!!! Yes, they have gotten some help but the help is stopping and many, many things are not covered. Thanks to Similac the family does get free formula but as the babies get bigger, gain weight and eat more they are going through their monthly allotments quicker. The end of the month is becoming crunch time for them. Similac has not let them down yet, but soon the babies will be eating more than the company will provide. Not one diaper company has come through to help them out with diaper donations, which to me is sad. I know those companies are making a killing off the rest of us and free diapers for five babies can't hurt their pockets that much. The construction of their home is at a stand still because right now is the busy time for construction companies and the family does not have enough money to pay to finish the project. They are managing to fit six children and a crew of volunteers and themselves into a small home but now that each day the children do more the Mommy wonders. She knows she will mangae the miracle of five plus Lilli when the five start crawling but she wonders if they will have enough room or if they'll have to learn how to crawl over eachother? Remember your donations are Tax Deductible! So, if you can find it in your heart to help in anyway read below. What they need: Diapers sizes 1-3 please!!! They go through at least 60 a day. Clothing donations sizes 12 months and up. Dressers for storage they only have two closets in their home. Cash to finish building a bigger home. How you can help: Use this link above it takes you to their Target.com registry. It is preferable if you send them a gift card since they are in such need of diapers. Gift cards can help them buy diapers, wipes, baby soap, shampoo and all sorts of consumable items they need daily for their children.

To send money to the family via your PayPal account please copy the families email address Courtnee-Mike@hotmail.com and click the logo above, you have to login to your account to do so.

To visit their website and be able to read their complete story and other ways you can help click here!

I hope you choose to help them! Blog 2 you Later!

Teacher turned Inventor...

2006-06-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

Brandy Noveh, a mom from (my favorite place in the WHOLE world, Sonoma, California), has come up with another great product for breastfeeding Moms! Her new invention is called The Belly Hugger and it helps mothers who need to breastfeed in public do it more discretely. There are nursing covers out there but some babies can not handle being covered and if you try using a cover to feed them they'll fight you every step of the way. These babies will scream, fuss, and pull the covers from off. You'll get so much added attention that the whole point of breastfeeding discretely will be blown out of the water. This is where the Belly Hugger comes to the rescue! Instead of using a cover you can wear the Belly Hugger underneath your top of choice, when it comes time to feed baby you just discretely pull your top up place baby on breast and you remain fully covered. It actually is a very discrete way of nursing because it looks like mom is simply holding baby and your body is not exposed. It also gets my vote for quickness you don't have to reach in a diaper bag for a cover or take the time to adjust baby and cover! But if you are EXTRA modest you might want to use a cover and the belly hugger, hey I've been known to do this a time or two!

For more about the Mommy behind the Belly Hugger keep reading:

Brandy Noveh, the creator of The Belly Hugger, has always had a love for children, in fact before becoming a mommy she was a kindergarten teacher. The summer she was expecting her son what seemed like bad luck struck her family in the form of her being laid off from her teaching position. Knowing that her family could not survive on a single teacher's income, her husband is also a teacher, Brandy had to come up with a way to help her family financially. After months of becoming involved online with pregnancy and cloth diapering bulletin boards she realized that she wanted to share her new passion for cloth diapering and attachment parenting with others. Her first endeavor was Momma'sBirdNest.com and later she came up with The Belly Hugger. Her turn of bad luck seems to have been a turning point in her life. As much as she loved teaching she is glad that her new job of boutique owner lead her to inventing a product many Mom's can now use to make their attachment parenting choice of breastfeeding simpler.

Please feel free to use the banners below to reach either of Mrs. Noveh's sites!

Thanks for reading the Boobba Baby Blog! Blog 2 you Later!

Feeling Lucky

2006-06-30T13:02:00.000-07:00

As, I sit here breast feeding my youngest, having just put the middle one down for a nap and managing to get the oldest out the door to our play ground I am feeling lucky. Not because the house is calm or that I did the laundry, still haven't put it away though, I am feeling lucky because my children are healthy and haven't had anything happen to them. Looking at the Davinator who is now 10 months I think of how blessed I truly am. Yeah, Doug and I don't have much as far as material possessions and neither of us has attained the professional successes we once desired but we have everything we need. We have each other and we have three great boys who are, as of today, healthy. This is why I want to help others and turn this blog and my focus towards a new direction. Since starting my company I have really been happy and excited about life, frankly I have felt a bit empowered by the realizations that I can learn quickly and I can help others. Yes, I wanted to open an online boutique of all my favorite things, the trendiest things and all things baby & mom. Through doing this I have made friends with many other Mom's who either work in the home or in/out of the home. I have realized that making money is not my primary goal in life. It won't be what will make me happy or what will help me rest well at night. I have always desired to be a person who makes an impact! I feel that the best way for me to make that impact is by inspiring and helping others. In the future you will notice changes of the blog site and boutique site that will be related towards my higher goals. I know many of you have enjoyed reading my product reviews and how I feature the stories of designers/WAHM's, so do not fear those will not go away. I will just be adding more information on how you as a Mom can become an activist and help make this world better for all the children. I hope to bring enough causes to the table that eventually everyone will find something to feel positive about and stand behind. In a way the blog will become more of what blogs are meant to be a journal or soapbox for one to stand on & shout loudly until others are reached and a connection is made. Keep tuned and check back regularly for updates. thanks for sticking with me...Blog 2 you Later...Today...I promise!

CUT-SEW Mommy...

2006-06-29T00:11:00.000-07:00

When you see such a pretty dress the last thing you think about is a United States Marine, right? Yeah, me too! In all actuality that perfect and very sexy maternity dress is not only designed by a United States Marine but it is also hand-made by her! Yes, I know how unbelievable and it goes to show how versatile a woman can really be. Brenna the Mommy behind Mercedes Hill Maternity is a human paradox! How can the same woman who is tough and rigid enough to become a Marine and serve on Active Duty be the origin of things so feminine and free?

Brenna isn't the woman who she once thought she'd be and she isn't on a course she ever planned, but marriage and motherhood have a way of changing paths, don't they? As a little girl, she would purposely watch her mother sew. She sat by her mom in awe of her mother's great skill as a seamstress. Brenna at the age of five would sneak onto her mother's sewing machine trying to imitate what she had seen her mother do many times before. When her mother caught her she thought it would be better to teach the very young Brenna how to use the machine properly than to reprimand her for using it without permission. Her first designs were doll clothes that she even sold. Today, Brenna recalls how she quickly grasped the art of sewing but would only resort to it out of need. If she hadn't needed dresses for high school dances or if her mother had only bought her the designer clothes she really wanted she wouldn't have had continue sewing.

Brenna never intended or wanted to having sewing become her career, no way that was the last thing she wanted. She wanted to become a lawyer or business woman so she entered college with those aspirations. Soon a string of wonderful events would anchor her back in her roots. In 2003, she got married, she got called to active duty and she got pregnant and all that would get her sewing again. Yet again, she only sewed out of need because she just could not find the clothes she yearned to wear during her pregnancy. She wanted to be sexy to show off the beauty of her new form and wear materials that she loved. She made pieces for herself, she researched the maternity industry and she sold clothes on ebay. The pieces she made for herself got great reviews from family and friends. The research she did left her feeling that the maternity industry was just bare of the styles she was making. Her hypothesis was positive when she saw how much revenue she was bringing in from ebay. So her conclusion was to start Mercedes Hill Maternity while she was pregnant with her first daughter but she did not intend for it to be a career. She still had plans of becoming a lawyer and even began law school but after one semester she decided that it wasn't the right time to continue. Quitting enabled her to concentrate on being a mom and designing/sewing helped release her mommy stress.

What happened though was that since the the lines inception it doubled, so did her family, her goal became for the business to continue a steady growth rate until it becomes a household name. With new exposure in the form of her very own site www.MercedesHill.com and more bricks and mortar stores carrying her line she is now employing other seamstress WAHM's to help make the garments. She never thought that being a WAHM that designed and made maternity garments as a stress reliever and hobby would lead her to where it has. She loves what she is doing, she's glad that she quit law school, and she is delighted to have found her niche. She once thought she would be a savvy lawyer or cut-throat business woman but by the look of her designs I think she is better off being a CUT-SEW Mommy!

Straight from the Mommy's mouth (new blog feature!):

Q: Brenna, what makes buying from Mercedes Hill Maternity different than from the name brands my readers can find at the big department stores?

A: I am able to offer things like personal attention, custom inseams, custom requests, and high quality. I do not mass produce my items so you can expect exceptional quality and care!

To see more of her designs please visit her site www.MercedesHill.com!

Blog 2 you Later!

ps. those shoes on the model are too hot!!! Love the shoes!!!

I've been BANNED from...

2006-06-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

I've been banned from going to www.SheandIDesigns.com by my husband!!! He says that I have to stop going to their site and he asked me to make sure I cancel my newsletter membership, also. He says that I have an addiction that I need to admit. Oh, well so I have bought a few templates but they are all so pretty. The thing was that when I first was trying to put my site up I wasn't sure what I wanted and when I stumbled onto their site I loved their style of designs. I found one that was pretty but not perfect for me so I bought it to get started. A few days later they put out some more new ones and I bought another. Then two weeks later they put out some more and I bought another, then another, then another, and finally one last one. I told Doug that the problem isn't really with me it is with the gals at She and I Designs since they keep making templates that I LOVE. It isn't my fault I want them all. It's kind of like winter coats they can be so pretty but you can only wear one at a time and having to pick only one favorite is so hard and really isn't fair to a girl. I do think I found a favorite and I have fallen inlove. Now if they would only stop making templates that I like for sure I wouldn't have any more problems? I think I better listen to my husband and ban myself from their site, because those ladies have my tastes down pact. Since we are on the subject of She and I Designs I'd like to sing their praises. The company consists of two WAHM's that are delightful to work with. Melissa is based in Florida and Cindy in Pennsylvania, yet they still manage to work very efficiently together. Each handles a different aspect of the business but together they can do just about anything you might need for your site. The duo is very hardworking, honest and humble. I am very picky, fickle and difficult to work for yet, they have been nothing but patient with me and sweet to me. Their prices are very low compared to those of other companies providing the same services. Their quality and service is superior to any that I have seen or heard about. Melissa and Cindy design offer custom templates, one of a kind and limited edition templates for use with some of the industry's most versatile and user friendly shopping carts and hosting services. If your selling on ebay they have you covered with special ebay designs. If you do both sell on the web and on ebay you might want to look into buying a site bundle from them. They also can help upgrade your site to frameless if you are using a cart system that is framed for a very fair price. They recently updated two sites of people I know from framed to framless and the results were spectacular! You can see those here: http://www.abbabyboutique.com/store/Default.asp & http://www.sweet-pea-creations.com/store/Default.asp. My site has a whole new set of colors and is looking very spiffy (is that a word?) check it out at www.Boobba-Baby.com and soon they will be working with me on a flash entry for my site plus some product pages I want special made. Oh, I can't wait!!! No one tell my hubby!?! Please visit Melissa and Cindy's site if you need anything for your site. Contact them if you don't see exactly what you need listed among their products. I am sure they can not only make it happen for you but will do so at a great price plus they'll be so nice you'll want to pay them twice! Click on the link below to go to their site. If you don't want to take my word for it read their customer's comments!

Thanks for your continued inerest in my blog. Blog 2 you later!

What we don't know can hurt our children...

2006-06-28T01:05:00.000-07:00

When I wrote about Debbie Savage the other day I had no idea what kind of TRUE hardships Cambodian people had been facing for at least the last 30+ years. You know I consider myself pretty educated when it comes to current events and social issues, but no where in any of my studies or my readings had I ever come across the following facts:

The Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979, in which approximately 1.7 million people lost their lives (21% of the country's population)!*
As in Nazi Germany, and more recently in East Timor, Guatemala, Yugoslavia, and Rwanda, the Khmer Rouge regime headed by Pol Pot combined extremist ideology with ethnic animosity and a diabolical disregard for human life to produce repression, misery, and murder on a massive scale.*
A December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off almost 13 years of civil war.*
It wasn't until 2003 that the UN stepped in and finally helped the people of Cambodia with elections, bringing the perpetrators of the genocide to justice, helping with documenting these atrocities and got things on the road towards progress.

Things in Cambodia in no way are normalized, many Cambodian families are still suffering and now Vietnamese refugees living in Cambodia are adding to the problems this young government faces.

How can I teach my sons to be good global citizens if I myself don't know the facts of things like these? How can I teach them tolerance and activism if I don't practice it myself 100% of the time. I told Debbie that I had assumed that she was Filipino and I am so glad that she told me she was Cambodian. It sparked my interest to learn more, to educate myself about how much I need to grow if I want to ever be an activist for human rights.

Did all of you know about Cambodia? I think it is funny that we American's always say, "Thank God we live in a free country. Thank God we were born Americans!", do we really think it could never happen here? It could, it may and it will if we don't learn about how those things came to being, evolved and perpetuated as norms in other parts of the world.

I welcome any posts from readers that know of atrocities happening in other parts of the world. Let's inform one another about what goes on out there in our world. Let's see if we can get ourselves and our government to really act on behalf of these people who really have no means to get themselves out of these terrible situations. What we don't know can hurt our children.

Thank you for reading my words. Blog 2 you later!

*this information is from Yale University's Cambodian Genocide Program to learn more please Click Here!

Love the Libby Dibby Skirts! LOVE them!!!

2006-06-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile you find an item that you just fall in love with and this is what has happened to me with Libby Dibby reversible wrap-around skirts! I saw these online at a boutique I frequent and I went bananas over them the instant I read the description and looked at the fabrics. Okay, so the other day I am at the mall with my three beasts, hmm I mean boys, and this mom has one on. You know for sure I spotted that Libby Dibby from far away and hoped she'd come in the play area with her little boy, so that I could ask her about it. I was so tickled when she sat close enough to me that I could ask her without having to approach her and seem strange. Well, I talked to her about it and now I must get one, plus carry them in my catalog. Okay, so here is the scoop on these perfect skirts that should be a staple in any hip Mom's wardrobe. They are made from heavy material that hangs well and doesn't allow them to fly open in the breeze. The wrap goes in back, so you never end up flashing people when you sit down. They tie with grosgrain ribbon for a pretty and feminine look. They are A-line and look great on everyone who tries them on! With the size being adjustable, you know it's always going to fit. They are reversible so you get two skirts for the price of one! If you are very petite like me then you may need to have it tailored to fit you lengthwise. Even if you have to have it altered you still get a great bargain, $70 for a reversible skirt that will fit you even if your weight fluctuates a bit back and forth. What mommy doesn't experience some weight fluctuation from time to time? Okay, just shut up if your weight is nice and stable and you can always button your jeans and skirts even after the wash, you suck! Personally I think these skirts are great for girls like me that keep thinking, "when I lose those 10 pounds I'll buy some new clothes", know what I mean? On a serious note, I am working on getting you more information about Liberty Worth the mommy who designs them. She sounds like a very interesting, versatile and smart woman. I gotta get her to give me an interview but for now I'll settle with selling her skirts. I will be taking pre-orders next week on my site but for now please run off and buy them from her site. They are so great that you should really have one even if you don't buy them from Boobba Baby! You can click the picture above to get to her site! Thanks for reading AGAIN! Blog 2 you later...

Must have breastfeeding products

2006-06-26T23:51:00.000-07:00

Since the other day we had been on the topic of breastfeeding I thought why not give new Mom's a shopping guide of must have products for breastfeeding! These days there are new products popping up everywhere for hip moms to breastfeed in style. I'm here to help you pin point the best ones out so you don't waist your time on the rest. To Breastfeed in Style you must have...

Some sexy and comfortable Nursing Bras! My two personal favorite brands are PassionSpice Maternity and Eve Alexander these two companies, as you can tell from the pictures below, really know that Nursing Mom's want to continue to feel sexy. Both brands are constantly expanding their lines and both have that Victoria's Secret kind of sex appeal to them. The best thing about these two brands besides their great selection of coordinating sets is their functionality. These nursing bras can easily be unsnapped by the mom who has her hands full with an impatient baby and barely has one hand to unsnap it. If you have never tried nursing before believe me the most important thing at times can be how quickly you can get the 'girls' out of the sexy number to feed baby!

PassionSpice Pictured Above

Eve Alexander Pictured Above

Nursing Pads!!! If you ever plan to leave your house without towing baby along you MUST have nursing pads if you want to keep those swanky clothes looking good!!! I know I sell pads on my site that coordinate with bras, but I think that what you should buy are Lily Padz! If you don't buy Lily Padz Silicone Breast Pads you will at one time or another have an accident with the traditional pads. What I love about Lily Padz: they won't leak, they are invisible and they are durable! I get engorged with milk and if I even think about baby my body attempts to leak milk but the Lily Padz prevent leaks and contain any milk that may express out. No more embarrassing leaks that stain your pretty clothes. These pads conform so well to your body that you can wear them with anything tanks, dresses, nighties, or whatever you want. You want to wear something form fitting? No worries, the pads won't show if you like go braless! Now what other pad lets you go braless? I have only two pairs that I have used for the last nine months which still work like new!---The point is if I had to tell you only one product to buy it would be this one and I don't even sell them!

Natural Nipple Butter this is sold by EarthMamaAngelBaby.com who has so many other wonderful and organic products. What I love about this product is that it is Lanolin free and really prevents nipples from becoming sore and cracked. This last time around I was having a very hard time because my son's aggressive feeding would leave me with sore and cracked nipples, but when I found this product that ended! I haven't had one incident of cracking since. You must try this and the sooner you start using it the less problems you'll have!

A Nursing Cover if you plan to nurse discreetly in public. Okay, so chances are that you'll need to feed the little one when there is someone around that you just don't want to expose yourself to. The best way to maintain your privacy is with a Nursing Cover from Modest Mums, who makes the most stylish and functional covers that I have ever seen. A plus is that their huge selection of fabrics will not leave you yearning for a style that is more you because I am sure you'll find one to fit your personality! My favorites are the silk brocade fabrics very classy and what a way to add luxury to breastfeeding.

If you like having it all here are some extras that are not essentials but are wonderful to have:

Nursing Reminder Bracelets, so you can remember all those important feeding details.

Nursing Necklaces, so baby doesn't scratch and pinch you while feeding.

The Mayalena Momono, Nursing Modern-Day Housecoat you must check it out.

Adiri Nurser, great for preventing nipple confusion if you'd like to give occasional bottles.

Nursing Clothes, I personally like 1 in the Oven for comfortable nursing tops.

Well, I really hope my suggestions help you new Mom's out and hopefully give you Pro Mom's some new ideas you hadn't had.

Thanks for spending your time here reading my words, I am glad to share! Blog 2 you Later!

When a Man Loves a Woman...

2006-06-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

For many years the norm was that women would work very hard but quietly and discreetly in the background of their husband's ventures. These women for the most part would not receive any recognition from others for all they had done to help their spouse attain success. Come to think about it the only credit we girls got was the saying, "Behind every great man there is a great WOMAN!" but otherwise you heard no mention of how much of the struggle the wife had helped the man bear. So, now that things are changing and there are now great men behind great women we at Boobba Baby are proud to give one of these great men the spotlight. A spotlight that he deserves and that his wife is more than happy to share. Below you can read the story about how Debbie was able to start Baby Emi Jewelry with her husband's help.

The Baby Emi Jewelry Story

Debbie's Cambodian roots ignited a love of jewelry in her as a young girl. Cambodian tradition is to give infants gold anklets and bangles as a welcome baby gift. In Cambodian culture children are also given jewelry as gifts during special occasions, holidays and Cambodian ceremonies. Cambodian jewelry is not only beautiful but made with great quality and the pieces given to children usually are considered heirlooms. Although, Debbie's mother and aunts most definitely fueled her passion for jewelry, they did much more than that to help direct her fate of ultimately becoming a jewelry designer. Like many other families that have found refuge in the US, her family found this to be a true land of opportunity for those that are willing to work hard and were willing to educate themselves. They taught her that family sticks together and always comes before all else. They also ingrained in her that service and hard work, although it may sound cliche, are the way to seize the opportunities life presents you and make your dreams come true. Debbie's dream was to start a jewelry business of her own but for that dream to come true she first had to seize a chance that would change her life forever. For four years, Debbie and Albert attended the same college, their paths never crossed but life would not leave it like that. It was in the stars for them to meet and become the formidable pair they now are, it would take an old college roommate of hers becoming friends with him for the two meet, four years later. Debbie knew from their first meeting that in Albert she had found something very special. Albert, Debbie describes as an adorable, confident, funny, charming and assertive man that she finds to be extremely attractive and sexy! The way in which he from the beginning was genuinely interested in her and was always there to provide support truly swept her off her feet. The two married quickly by today's standard and the newlywed couple soon would take on their first joint venture. When Debbie married Albert she knew how kind and considerate he was yet his dedication still continued to surprise her. During the first few months of their marriage Debbie was still working very diligently on her thesis. Although Albert would come home extremely tired from his hectic day at the office, he would wait up with her and for her! He would help her in any way he could even if it meant going out of his way to help her edit, research her paper, or doing anything necessary to make her happy during the painful process. His love and support helped Debbie earn her masters in Community Health Education with flying colors. Debbie knew that to have someone who believed in her and stood behind her causes and dreams was such an amazing thing. His support carried her through a very satisfying and challenging career as a health program specialist where she educated children about cancer prevention. His support carried her during the hard months she was pregnant with their first child Emi. It was that same support that carried her during her last pregnancy with Chloe and while they were developing their online boutique. Owning a jewelry boutique had been her longtime dream but it would be his handling of the logistics that would help her realize it. Debbie fesses up to being wonderfully creative but hating the business side of business. Albert while juggling being a new dad, working full time at the office and attending graduate school in the evenings, still managed to find time to help Debbie build her business. He serves as "web designer" and the brains of all the business logistics. His love, help and support frees her up to dream and design. Debbie says that she is truly lucky to have him as a husband and doesn't know how she won the husband lotto. One thing she does know is that she isn't giving up this winning ticket. She with all her heart loves and adores him for how he has blessed her life and she knows that without him things would not have been as feasible. She says that their relationship empowers her, she's no longer afraid of failure because she knows he is there to catch her and not let that happen. She is thankful of all their time together, the fun they have doing the most mundane things, and even how special it feels to still put their daughters to bed together. Debbie knows that having Baby Emi Jewelry be the hit it has become is a dream come true. What Debbie now realizes is that Albert by her side to help her dream, live and laugh is much better than any dream she ever imagined! Two wonderful daughters and one successful business later, she tells me when a man loves a woman anything for her is possible! So, for you ladies out there that have an Albert by your side make sure you thank him. For those of you that haven't found your Albert remember that he is out there and sometimes closer than you think, keep your eyes out and your heart open for him. Men can be angels, great support and a woman's bestfriend we just gotta believe past their initial ulterior motives as Debbie says. So, to me when you make a purchase from BabyEmiJewelry.com you get so much more than a high-quality, glamourous, elegant piece with a trendy flair attractively packaged in a small jewelry box. What I believe you'll get is a piece that will bring great karma since each piece is handcrafted by Debbie who's heart is full of love in a home that is replete of love. A part of the joy and love the Savage family shares must get passed on with some of those Swarovski crystals? To check out pictures of this beautiful couple, their daughters and buy some exquisite baby jewelry that any fine momma can appreciate please click on the picture of one of my personal favorite Baby Emi bracelets below. Thank you for reading my words! Blog 2 you later! PS. We are working on trying to clone Albert or at least get Debbie and him to have some sons!!!

Your comments are always welcome!!!

2006-06-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the other day an anonymous person posted a comment that bashed my blog and what I do here a bit. I honestly was angry when I first read it and thought about not posting it to the blog. Then I thought why not post it? It is a good balance to post both the ones that are positive and the negative ones. I might not agree with everything all the readers think but I can take the time to listen. A long time ago I used to be very bitter and I would stay angry when others disagreed with me then I learned to not care what people thought of me. I also learned to respect others opinions no matter how much I was against what they believed. I think that happened in a Social Anthropology class I took that the instructor kept drilling into us that we had to see things from the perspective of the other person not our own cultural norm.

So, to KayKay I thank you for reminding me that not everyone that reads this blog is going to like it. I just want to tell you that what I feel that I am doing here is promoting mothers who I believe in. Yes, they have boutiques, products or services for sale. Yes, they are professionals that no matter how much time they spend with their kids they value all their customers. Yes, some are Christians but in no way am I advocating any single religion. I just highlight things that give each of them faith, support and encouragement to achieve their goals, even if that is God or Hello Kitty. I am not putting a spin on anything in my blog, I tell the stories as I see them and hear them. I am spending my very precious time to get these positive stories out to more moms because I truly believe in these PEOPLE!

You might think that I am giving away too much as you said in your post, KayKay, but I am one of those people who wears my heart on my sleeve and if I believe in something or someone I give it or them my all. To me something that is rare these days is women promoting women. I as a consumer also like to know where my hard earned money is going. So, if I am going to spend a bunch of money on a high-end product I much rather give that money to a family that has a small business than to a department store.

My point for doing this is becuase it seems to me like us girls are quick to pull eachother down. So, instead of just opening another online boutique and spending all my time, money and energy in promoting myself and my store I decided to blog. I hope to blog in a manner that goes beyond product reviews and press releases. I hope to start a revolution of mothers believing in one another and helping eachother make it through the journey. These might be big goals for just me to achieve but my "celestial planning committee" has never given up on me, therefore I dream BIG!

If you hate my blog stay tuned I am planning a website just for moms with message boards and more. You are more than welcome to visit them and share your candid opinions anytime you'd like. To KayKay and all thank you for taking the time to read my words. Blog 2 you Later!

Sorry, for not posting!

2006-06-24T21:09:00.000-07:00

I am greatly sorry for not posting these past few days but I have been trying to update the store with new products! I will make up for it in the next few days! I am working on a few pieces for the blog but waiting to hear back from the people in them. I am going to have to start way ahead on these to keep up! I promise not to let you guys down, I know I have a few dedicated readers already. There is someone that works at Kaiser Permanente in Walnut Creek that reads the blog and goes to my site, I'd love to give them a family & friends discount since I used to work there pier diem with SSI. If you are that person please email me at Ana-Lidia@Boobba-Baby.com and I'll email you the permanent discount link. I am also extending to all the blog readers an opportunity to also get a permanent discount link. All you have to do is sign up for the Boobba Baby store newsletter and indicate in the sign-up questionaire that you are a blog reader. Once you have confirmed your newsletter sign-up by clicking the link in an email that will be sent to you, I'll email you the discount link. Thanks again for your patience and for staying tuned to the blog, I'll blog 2 you later!

Give them the titty!

2006-06-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

okay, so you've gotten over that initial time in the hospital and the first couple of weeks at home and the breastfeeding has been going great. All of a sudden you realize that everytime this little perfect human is hungry or needs comforting you either pick him up or the hubby brings him to you. It starts to dawn on you how overwhelming it is to never be able to run away from this child. Yupe! You pretty much have to be there for him especially if you hav not introduced a bottle to him with either formula for supplementing or expressed breast milk. Yes, I know the last thing you want to do is go and hook yourself up to a pump after baby has been on you 24/7! So, by now you've probably gotten a swore nipple or two maybe even some cracks! Now you wan tto cry, you want to give up and brestfeeding might not sound as glorious as all the feminist once told you. For heavens sake your not a cow! Those are your breasts why does the hubby tell you to feed him everytime he cries? Why does he keep bringing to you? Okay, calm down. I know I have been there and it is overwhelming and I wanted to quit too! I yelled at my hubby and told them that they were my breasts, that I wasn't a cow and to give the baby a minute to cry, I needed a minute! The thing is the second to fourth months of brestfeeding can be the worst. I am at month ten with Davin and sometimes I still feel overwhelmed. It isn't easy being a food source. Human nature has in these days become more about our consumption not our production. You are made though to be able to feed that baby. You just have to stick it out and the negative feelings are normal. If you have a way of getting them out so you don't feel like you have to keep them inside, please do so! Each day you add to your breastfeeding resume will make it easier for you to add another week then another month. Before you know it the baby will be weaned and you'll have your breasts back. I have to find the link but I read somewhere about a culture (I think it was in Japan?-where the A Bomb went off) that each time the baby cried he/she was given the breast. Babies in this culture were allowed to breast feed as often as they wanted throughout the day without much concern when the last time was they nursed. On this island all babies were breastfed and there was no incidences of depression, in fact they had no psychologists on the island. I found this info to be very interesting and it keeps ringing in the back of my head when everyone comments how happy Davin is. He is pretty much a super smiley baby, mostly happy, never colicky and if he gets upset I nurse him. Just as the mom's from that culture did. If this gives him a chance to grow to be a confidant, independant and content man that does not suffer from depression, I'll have given him a great gift; even if it means a year or so of being a milk maid. When I find that article I'll link it here! Blog 2 you Later!

The Truth about Breastfeeding, part 1

2006-06-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

So, today I feel like talking about something most of us mothers do or at least try to make an attempt to do, breastfeeding. I want to share my truth about breastfeeding here candidly so that other mom's can know that they are not alone in their struggles with motherhood. From time to time I will do this since I have found that we girls like so much to paint pretty pictures and not share the ugly drafts with one another. Motherhood isn't easy and it can be pretty lonely sometimes, especially inside our own heads where we obess about our abilities as mom's. I have three sons with each I had a different brestfeeding experience and with each I had different circumstances that may have influenced the relationship between child and breast. Read on to learn my truths about breastfeeding... When I had my first son, he was taken to the ICU for about 8 hours for observation. When he got back to me he had been given a bottle or two and would not latch on to the breast. I also delivered him via C-Section in a military hospital where there was not one nurse to be found that was a lactation consultant. None of the OB nurses showed much interest in helping me learn how to put baby to breast and I wasn't born knowing how to do that. I unfortunately did not have my mom near either so after about a month of crying and giving him bottles I found a lactation consultant in my area through the internet. She was wonderful and helped me get him to latch on. I even used a bottle that hung around my neck and had a silicon tube attached to my nipple to supplement my almost depleted milk supply, with formula. I soon had to return to work fulltime. Breastfeeding him did not last very long. I pumped milk for awhile but it was too frustrating and he mostly got formula. This experience made me feel like a complete failure. I had wanted so badly to breastfeed him and I had failed mesirably. It really hurt and to this day I feel very guilty about not having found a way to make it work for him. With my second son I had the most incredible team of doctors and nurses in the world. My second baby seemed much easier to breastfeed. He and I had some struggles at first but we got it after much help from an OB nurse or two. I returned to work 3 weeks post-op because we desperately needed the money since I had been on bedrest for about 3 months. I had a wonderdul breast pump that I used but working in the OR did not permit me to pump regularly. I breastfed him and formula fed him until he was about four months. The more time I spent at work the less breast time he got. Yet, I still pumped until he was about nine months old for him to get occasional feedings throughout the day of breastmilk. With him I had less feelings of guilt because I knew I tried harder and knew more as a mother. Well, now my third son is 9 months old and he has not gotten one bottle of formula yet! I am a stay at home mother which helps emmensely with breastfeeding. The keys this time were how much I wanted to breastfeed him, how easily he took to the breast and how much support I got from the hospital nurses. It was so incredible to have my C-Section in a hospital that has a small OB department. The nurses made me feel at home, partly because I used to work with some of them, but mainly because they are true professionals and many are breastfeeding advocates! Not one time did any of them run in bombarding me with bottles of formula. Not one time did they try and enable my quitting when it got rough. They stuck by me and helped baby and me get through the first day which is the roughest. By the day I left the hospital we had it and the visiting Pediatrician commented on how I was a breastfeeding pro since he was my third. Internally I laughed if she had only known the troubles I had before. My youngest is still on the breast and I haven't found any need to supplement with formula, but the last nine months of breastfeeding have not always been easy. In another post I will tell you about the ups and downs we have had the last nine months. For now I hope that you new and experienced mom's got something from this post. I know how it is to suffer in silence about whether or not we are doing what is right for our children. I guess that is part of the reason I share here with you guys. Just know that if you breastfeed or formula feed however you do it that is the right way for you, that child and that particular moment. Don't let anyone make you feel like you are not doing it right and don't think that you have to do it like the others. Mothering is an art form we all master in a different manner. I bet that some of the best babywearing breastfeeding mommas can't bake cookies and some of the best cookie makers are stroller pushing formula feeding mommas! If you get my point I have yet to meet the perfect mom but I have meet some awesome moms who all do the best they can! I am very grateful that you continue to read my words, even on days like today that I ramble! Blog 2 you later!

One Mom’s Quest for a Flexible Work Arrangement

2006-06-19T22:56:00.000-07:00

For years Robin Bengston had worked for a Fortune 500 company and truly loved it. When children were added into the mix she still loved working for the company but found the lack of flexible work arrangements a hassle. When their second daughter was born both Robin and her husband were looking for ways to adjust their lifestyle from the hectic chaos that having both parents work full time outside the home presented them. They wanted to spend more time with the kids but still maintain their lifestyle. Robin knew that the sacrifice would have to be going part time but that was easier said then done. Her solution was an idea she had years before when her first daughter had been born that involved wonderful clothes from South Africa. She yearned to start her own clothing boutique, she even had a name, but how would she do it, when would Kaboodle Kids become a reality?

Robin knew that if she just did it the clothes would sell themselves, she remembered how much she wanted the clothes when she first saw them. She first noticed the beautiful clothes on the children of her husband's business associates they socialized with. Their children were dressed in the most adorable clothes that were so unique and fun. Robin's first question was “How do you get these clothes?”. She begged her husband to bring clothes home from his business trips to South Africa back for their baby girl. All of Robin's friends and family always wanted some for their own kids, so Robin thought that she could probably find them some on the Internet. After looking all over the Internet she became frustrated that she could not find them. She resorted to being content with the clothes her husband brought back.

The hectic lifestyle was becoming more of a rat race when her youngest was approaching the age of two. Robin was consumed with the idea of bringing those clothes to the States. If she loved the clothes so much, many other moms would too. The risk and timing was never quite right until…she realized that staying in the rat race and losing out on her dream was riskier than not taking the BIG leap. Kaboodle Kids would become reality in December of 2005, when Robin quit her full time job. She went to South Africa and brought home for our shopping pleasure only the best. The web site http://www.kaboodlekids.com/ went live in late March 2006, quite by accident I hear. Oops, she wasn't ready for her first sale but she was very happy that the clothes were now selling themselves as she once thought.

I am very grateful that Robin's husband encouraged her to start blogging about her journey along the road of small business ownership. In fact she didn't even really know what it was until her husband told her. He sat her down one day and they set up her blogsite and she was left alone to start blogging. At first she didn't know what to say. She was cautious about expressing her feelings out there where everyone can read them? Why would anyone want to hear about how she made Kaboodle Kids or really care about what she had to say?---Well, I for one was very fortunate, as I started my own journey I secretly read about Robin's. I found much encouragement and guidance along the way each time I read her blog, until I contacted her recently and thanked her for sharing. To read more about Robin's journey visit her blog Play At Home Mom! I am sure you will relate to her honesty and humor even if you are not a business owner.

You too could get free money...

2006-06-18T07:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, so you've heard those stories about people suddenly finding this large amount of money that the state was holding for them and you think, Bull#*@!. I know, I know, I was right there with you until the other day. I have to first give a shout out to my little bro, thanks for the free money AJ! I always knew mommy had you for a reason! Okay, so the story goes like this. I'm on the phone with AJ (the little brother) and he is offering to take the kids so, Doug and I can go on a date for our anniversary. I said no and he said well, we can watch them so you can work on the web site before Doug comes home. I asked to talk to his girlfriend and we chit chat a bit then I hear AJ in the background. He's asking her to tell me to go to some web site. He gets back on the phone and asks if I can go to the state web site where they post who's got money waiting for them to claim. Thinking he's full of it, I say sure sweetie what's the address. He gives it to me and tells me that he has gotten a letter twice now when he has gone to the DMV that someone by his name has money that needs to be claimed that is being kept by the state treasurer. I'm thinking well, there might be some reality to this because although we call him AJ, his real name is very different and I think my mom might have made it up, so he must have money. We look and to all my surprise after filling out forms and waiting for a PDF download I have the pleasure of telling him that he has to claim $70.24, from some old job that never paid him. He said thanks, I'll get the form from you later, we chatted some more and got off the phone. I sit in front of the site page about to click it closed but I start thinking about how much I wanted to avoid working on the web site. I figured why not play around on this new site by entering the names of people I knew. Why not start with my last name, it is unique enough that how many Bjorkquist's would pop up? Low and behold, Lidia A Bjorkquist pops up. Holy SH*$, I think, little ol'me? Yes, so I start filling out the forms and call my sweet little brother back. I tell him and as he is telling me, "If you get more than me I am going to be MAD!". I tell him hold your horses we don't know how much yet and then I break into a hysterical laughter. AJ had to just get used to being mad because I had $975.05, waiting for me from an old job, too! Yes, nearly 1000 dollars that had gone unpaid to me for over five years that the state was holding. I couldn't believe it. So, for you go and check your state's website of unclaimed property. Goggle the state you live in and the words unclaimed property for example: CA Unclaimed Property. Check out the site! Each state does it a bit different, I've come to find out. Oh, yeah I checked the other sates I had lived in too! No more money for me though. You might have some cash from insurance, real estate, a job you left, or an inheritance, who knows. You might have nothing, but the state charges you nothing for checking or claiming your money, so why not give it a try? If I hadn't played around thinking I'd find nothing my money would have gone unclaimed for who knows how many more years. Good luck to all and I hope you find more than I did. If you pass this information in an email to friends and you might just be helping them find free money, also. Thanks for taking the time to read my words. Blog 2 you later! See below Non-believers! TOM GALLAGHER CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER STATE OF FLORIDA CLAIM NUMBER : C1457810 Form DFS-UP-107 LIDIA ANAIN BJORKQUIST Claim for Unclaimed Property Pursuant to Section 717.124, Florida Statutes - CLAIM FILED BY OTHER THAN THE APPARENT OWNER NAME OF OWNER(S) : BJORKQUIST, LIDIA TYPE : PRIMARY NONE TYPE : DESCRIPTION OF REPORTED PROPERTY : CLAIM AMOUNT:$975.05 CASH BALANCE : $975.05 ACCOUNT NUMBER : 13591491 COMPANY NAME : JUPITER MEDICAL CENTER TYPE OF PROPERTY : WAGES, PAYROLL, SALARY TO FILE YOUR CLAIM, FOLLOW STEPS 1 THROUGH 8.

Rock Star WAHM!

2006-06-17T20:29:00.000-07:00

I guess since I don't have a little girl of my own I am always fascinated and drawn to wanting to carry all the prettiest, most girly and unique clothes available on the market in my boutique's catalog. I was searching the web again, the other day and I found a site that really has a great new outlook on what can be both girly, yet punk. Vintage Lucy's is an e-boutique dedicated to carrying vintage designs with a hip flair to them. When I first noticed the clothes I was very intrigued by the idea that I couldn't place a label on them. I thought, 'are they vintage?', 'are they rock?', 'are they trendy?', 'are they punk or are they country?', what can I classify these clothes? The more that I looked at them the more I thought, who cares what to label them I want my kids to have them all. I just had to contact the designer to carry Vintage Lucy's in the Boobba Baby catalog. I thoroughly looked at all the products making sure to annotate what all I'd like to retail, actually I wanted it all but I had to keep within financial reason, then I looked at Vintage Lucy's about us page. That in itself made me want to carry the line even more. Tabatha, the mommy behind Vintage Lucy's, seemed so Rock Star Mom, very together and down to earth. She's the cool mom that I aspire to be. So, I wrote her an email begging for the clothes and wanting to know more about her.

What I found was that all my preconceived notions were only the beginning. Yes, Tabatha is a Rock Star Mom. Her love of music influences her designs, in fact when she is making clothes for a client into the wee hours of the night she is blaring music in the background. Usually, Sex Pistols, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline or Social Distortion, the music effects what she is designing at the time. Tabatha's late great-grandmother Lucille, whom the line is named after, is another big influence. She remembers being a little girl at Lucille's 1920's bungalow in Downey, California where she helped raise her and her two brothers. When Tabatha finds vintage table linens, hankies and retro prints that she must use in her designs she knows it is great-grandma guiding her hand. Tabatha said that her own life is also a source of inspiration for her designs, a life filled with ups and downs that she handles with true rock star grace. In 2000, when her brother passed away Tabatha took in his son and has since continued to raise him. When she tells me this I thought how hard that most have been for her since she has four children of her own. Before I can even ask that question Tabatha adds that her brothers passing brought her heartache but that his son has been a pleasure to raise. The more that I get to know her the more I can see why her designs are so, unique! You see, she isn't your typical mom, well she isn't your typical woman, she is much more than that she is extraordinary. A lady that has tattooed sleeves on both arms who sews like an angel and who's heart is filled with love. Love for her children, love of all things musical, a love for the past and especially a love for creating art out of clothing. She doesn't want to raise her children to fit into anyone's cookie cutter mold, she wants them to express who they are, how ever they choose to be inspired to do so. She yearns to bring hip funky fashions to the youngsters and make quality products at the same time. I think she has more than accomplished her goal. She adores the idea that Vintage Lucy's is quickly becoming the go to line for parents who are similar minded and want more from a children's line than teddy bears and bunnies.

Vintage Lucy's began out of a Tabatha's desire to stay at home with her children in 2002, yet from her persona (1 part June Clever, 1 part Lucille and 2 parts Rock Star) developed much more than the typical line of clothing that any crafty hen could come up with. So, if you too are a rock star mom or a mommy who isn't waving the soccer mom flag from the SUV, please visit Vintage Lucy's website to purchase what is hotter than hot in children's clothing. By the way I'll warn you, Tabatha's daughter Bailey is going to blow you away with the attitude that she models the clothing for her momma.

Thank you for taking the time to read my words. Blog 2 you later!

2006-06-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

Evolution of Dance, this white boy can dance!
From time to time I will be adding things that crack me up. In life you gotta have some laughs too! So, if you have six minutes to spare you have to sit and watch! Enjoy! Thank you for sharing some laughs. Blog 2 you later!

www.Fashion-Chicks.com where faith is always in fashion...

2006-06-14T03:32:00.000-07:00

At the age of 23, most young people are concerned with what their cohorts think. Most 23 year olds aren't business owners and many haven't even established enough roots to keep themselves footed in one place. Meeting Jessica the owner of Fashion-Chicks.com gave me a different outlook on today's youth. At the tender age of twenty-three, Jessica is an established business owner with a dream, a path set for success, and a very keen eye for girls fashion trends. While, most young ladies her age are out partying doing the club scene Jessica, is planting seeds for future harvesting which she waters with faith. She tells me that at the age of fourteen she found God and since then has been living a Christian life. She recalls how a couple of years ago she felt the desire to go into retail since shopping was something she had always loved. Born with a natural eye for the best in girls clothing Jessica made her first purchases and soon she was selling clothing out of her bedroom to family and friends. A girl with a hope that a few sales would give her extra money for school. She prayed on it, she planned, she kept selling (still out of her bedroom), things kept getting better for her, sales kept growing and customers all kept coming back to buy again. She found so much success through word of mouth, she eventually had to rearrange her living quarters to accommodate a professional look to her girls fashion "bedroom" boutique.

Through it all Jessica kept her dream, her faith and her determination to work and study hard. She eventually became a medical transcriptionist, a job that she loves, while her clothing sales expanded to eBay. She was very grateful to God especially for finding love and she rejoiced that with each day her dreams grew and seemed more possible. She found her success in business by being honest and maintaining integrity. She finds it incredible how she still has the same customers that she started off with 2 years ago but to me it sounds only natural. A couple of weeks ago after saving enough and praying even more, Jessica was able to launch her now even greater line of clothing into the world wide web. She carries clothes that are just perfect for everyday casual wear and even some more classy styles in sizes 3-14. The cute styles found above are just flying off her racks now that she owns her own online boutique. Her belief is that success is not her own to claim since she feels guided by her faith. Now, that life is better for her the extra income provides her more time to listen to music, shop, talk with friends and plan her wedding. Soon to be married, Jessica dreams about someday sharing her love of fashion with her own child and God willing she adds, someday owning her very own bricks and mortar boutique in Houston. She laughed, "One that doesn't consist of my bedroom's brick and mortar." Jessica may be young and she may be new to owning an e-boutique but she is not a newbie to fashion or a stranger to God. To see more of the sassy and girly fashions Jessica has to offer visit her store online at www.Fashion-Chicks.com. Thank you for reading my words. Blog 2 you later!

Sweet-Pea-Creations Proving that good things don't have to cost a lot

2006-06-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

Many people today automatically assume that if something is inexpensive than it must be of poor quality. I unfortunately once belonged to that mindset buying the most expensive products thinking that I was getting top quality. Then I had my first son and my world was turned up side down when I learned how many things a baby required (sound familiar John & Anna?). After the initial shock of 'oh, my God how are we going to pay for this baby' wore off I learned how to comparison bargain shop and my skies cleared. Lesson after lesson I learned that low price does not equal low quality. I just came across a WAHM run business that is proof positive that GREAT products can be affordable. Looking through the online catalog at www.Sweet-Pea-Creations.com I kept thinking, 'how can these beautiful birth announcements & shower invitations be at such low prices?', I contacted the owner about her products and I realized why. Over the phone I asked Susan why her prices were so low for such great products? She replied that so many people had recently been asking her the same question enough for her to think more than once about raising her prices. She continued to tell me that after people get their announcements and invitations back many say, "Susan, you really should charge more!" but Susan still continues to keep her prices low. As the mother of two toddlers she knows how much it costs to bring up babies and she also knows how important the birth of a new child is to a family. She is very proud to make it possible for families on a budget to announce the arrival of their child in style without having to break the bank. Her prices have made her very popular with those on a budget, she in fact started selling on eBay where there are many bargain shoppers. It is her quality work that brings her many repeat customers and referrals, though.

Selling on eBay isn't easy because there is always someone selling the same thing at a lower price. So, I asked her how she had managed to stand out from the pack enough to build a steady customer base large enough to then launch her own site. Her reply was that her main goal has always been to provide each customer with complete order customization. If a customer has a very specific and difficult idea for an announcement or invitation she welcomes the challenge. Susan said, "I recently finished work on a birth annoucement that was extremely difficult beacause the customer had an exact idea of how the finished product should look. She specified that it must be a 5 x7 and that all the wording be around a large open span where a picture of the baby would go. She didn't want any of the lettering to cover the baby's face. She also wanted it to be in a specific font." I asked, "Wow, that sounds like it must have taken you twice the work of a usual order. How much extra did you charge her for the customization?" Her reply came as a huge surprise to me, "I didn't charge her extra. My specialty and goal is to design cards that are especially made for each customer. I don't want two cards to ever be alike. I will work closely with my customers to make sure everything is just as they want it. I am also happy to make any suggestions to those customers who aren't quite sure what they want. I create announcements and invitations whose final product are exactly what the customer wanted whether they came to me with specifics or not". "So, how many tries did that one very detailed announcement take you?", was my next question. "Oh, I don't know it took a few to work the font just right to include the exact wording the Mom wanted and not have any of it touch the edge of where the babies picture would be. It was worth it though. I love being able to do it perfect and see what my customer says.", Susan replied. I think that it is an incredible thing Susan does. There aren't any large printing companies that I have ever heard of that go to the lengths she goes to in order to achieve customer satisfaction, especially at her low prices. Susan says that she is grateful for the opportunity that Sweet-Pea-Creations provides her to be able to stay at home with her children. She doesn't plan on raising prices now that she is so popular even among those not on a budget because she finds it to be a mutually rewarding relationship she shares with her customers. She gets to be a WAHM and they get totally customized products at great low prices. For a standard 4 x 6 announcement or invitation from Sweet-Pea-Creations pricing starts at $1 each and the minimum order required is only 20. For a larger 5 x 7 the pricing starts at $1.25 each, minimum order is also 20. Which is a very reasonable and fair price for cards that are handmade using high quality cardstock (acid free), papers (acid free) and ribbons, printed with fade-proof and smudge-proof inks, that even come assembled. By clicking the sample of Sweet-Pea-Creations most popular announcement Pink Rose you will be redirected to their website. Thank you for taking the time to read my words. Blog 2 you later!

It's my Anniversary

2006-06-12T23:41:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone! I know I just started the blog and I have been writing daily, but I am taking the day off today. It is my 8th wedding anniversary and I won't be posting or doing too much business stuff today. I have to dedicate a bit of time to the man who makes all my dreams come true. Thank you for taking the time to check in though. Blog 2 you later!

Need a Father's Day Present for the hubby?

2006-06-11T19:52:00.000-07:00

I personally hate shopping for electronic toys for my husband for three reasons:

All the high tech mumbo jumbo is like Greek to me. I can read and edit HTML, but I have no idea what the difference between an MP3 and an IPOD is. Is there a difference?
I just plain don't care about all those technological gadgets.
My husband can and does get himself exactly what he wants leaving me to shop for other things he loves but won't buy for himself.

So, after years of being married and learning that you can't change a T-shirt kind of guy into the collared shirt type, I have become quite the T-shirt guru. I never knew before my husband schooled me that men aren't satisfied with getting just any old tee with a witty saying. Men want the fabric to be soft, the collar to not ride into their necks, the seams to not be scratchy and to have more options than just text on the shirt. So, for you girls out there still in need of some presents for the Daddies in your lives here are some great sites for T-Shirts. Clicking on the shirts pictured below will take you directly to the sites that offer them for sale, just to make it even easier for you.

For the man that is into art most anything from Defunker.com should catch his eye. My personal favorite from them and my latest buy is the Jezabelle tee by Brown Sound that they sell. I think I love it so much because it really brings out the green in my husband's eyes, but he loves it because it is made of very soft cotton. Want to check out more T-shirts offered by Defunker click on the picture of the Jezabelle.

Note the next few tees are not for the "PC" types! They are all for sale at BustedTees and are for those who can appreciate jokes. For the sports lover that hates the Yankees, like my husband, father and brother do, BustedTees offers the perfect shirt for him sold in grey and pictured below.

The husband who hates Nascar or the wife who does can wear this next tee to let everyone know how they feel.

This next tee also by BustedTees is one that everyone might not get at first but the gun toting, hunting and gathering sort of man will crack up right away and so, will the History teacher type.

For those of you who are on the left coast the The Ryde designs T-shirts are true to California living and might be your cup of tea. Doug and I miss living in the San Francisco Bay area so when I got him the shirt pictured below he smiled. Funny because The Ryde motto slogan is "We make the clothes that make you smile".

TrippinTees.com is really good for super witty sayings and cool graphics and these are probably the softest shirts on the market. They also sell ladies tees that are very cute I just bought the one on the left for the hubby, the one in the middle for me, plus the one on the right for my future sister in law. Hey, I like shopping especially when a company gives extra incentives to buy more and TrippinTees offers free shipping if you buy three or more. To get to their website just click any of the tees below.

Last but not least are the Tees by Old Guys Rule my personal favorites to give to the my own father. As a joke I think I'm going to give Doug one too, when he turns 30 in a few months. All of the Old Guys Rule line Tees in one way or another display their motto, "Old Guys Rule". The graphics on these go very well with their motto. My Dad now has a few and he likes to wear them as a way to commemorate that in fact he is old but he still rules. Below are a few samples that you can click on if you are interested in getting to their site.

If you ever find any or already know of some other lines that are great let me know, I am always on the hunt for new T-shirts. It is so much nicer to buy things that are a bit more original than what you can find at Old Navy or Abercrombie and that also cost less, too. I personally have not bought from either one of those places after finding these great sites. I was pretty much tired of paying 30-50 dollars for a T-Shirt that would fade and/or shrink in the wash, plus pretty much everywhere we went some other guy had the same tee on. Well, I hope I gave you plenty of different options when it comes to buying tees for the man in your life or even for yourself. Thanks for taking the time to read my words! Blog 2 you later!

Posh Princess Bowtique Serving Up Bows with a dose of inspiration!

2006-06-10T16:37:00.000-07:00

The Posh Princess Bowtique has gone from local favorite to international hit with the help of the release of their website www.poshprincessbowtique.com last Fall! Success has come very quickly for the Mommy owned, operated and designed company with bulk orders for cheer bows coming in from as far as the United Kingdom. Yes, Posh Princess Bowtique unique cheer bows are being worn by several UK cheer squads! Stephanie the Mom behind the company started making bows three years ago that were made to match her little girls Gymboree clothes. Everywhere they went people would rave about these totally adorable bows on her precious little girl. Realizing that her unique bows would be a great way to supplement her income she started taking local orders in her home state of Tennessee. Like most mom's her business began by her family and friends spreading the word out, later orders came from cheer squads in E. Tennessee and now Posh Princess Bowtique is global on the internet. Posh Princess Bowtique has four lines of bows Cheer Bows, Just Juicy Bows, Basic Bows and M2M Gymboree Bows. If you are looking for bows made to match your favorite Gymboree lines, Stephanie (the self professed Gymboree Junkie) can custom make them for you. She hand makes her bows to perfection from the finest grosgrains, satins, sheers, chenille and any other beautiful ribbons, fabrics and embellishments that you'd like for any occasion, shape or size. Posh Princess Bowtique does not believe in rushing the making of bows because they want each bow they produce to truly be "the best". You won't be disappointed with the quality of Posh Princess Bowtique Bows! If you need a dose of inspiration Stephanie's Bio is just what the doctor ordered. She works full time at an engineering company, is a part-time Pre-Dental student, has Posh Princess Bowtique as her part, part-time job all while being a full time single mother to her daughter. Her dream is for her business to attain enough success for her to be able to not have to work outside of the home while in school. Her ultimate goal is to become a dentist and continue Posh Princess Bowtique to satisfy her creative appetite. Stephanie's top priority through all her struggles, no matter how much she has on her plate is to be a role model for her daughter and to teach her that women can have it all. I think that Stephanie is more than well on her way of attaining all her dreams. Please support the Posh Princess Bowtique by visiting them using the link provided below. Thanks for taking the time to read my words, Blog 2 U Later!

Creating this Blog!

2006-06-09T04:24:00.000-07:00

I never thought that I would need to learn how to manipulate HTML but here I am doing it. I am creating this blog with the hopes that it will serve as a bouncing board for advertising products on my site as well as showcasing Mom designers and entrepreneurs. If you would like for me to write a piece about a product(s)/service(s) that you provide or your business success story please email me at Ana-Lidia@boobba-baby.com. I like to let everyone know that the handsome little guy to the left was created by Stacey at DoodleBabies.com.

The pretty dots I set as the background for this site is from a purchased template from and copyright of SheandIdesigns.com. They make so many pretty & girly templates that I've bought a few just to have for when I have a change of mood! I'll warn you though shopping at SheandIdesigns becomes addictive!

Clicking my banner at the top will take you to my site of Top 100 Products & Services for baby & mom. It is filled with unique shops and vendors that most any mom could use. Banner Artwork by Joshi Madhu Big Stock Photo. The design of the banner is the property and copyright of Kandi Traxel.

Hope to bring you the latest news about products and services for both baby & mom, very soon!

Thanks for taking the time to read my words, Blog 2 U Later!