DadGear and DaisyGear Diaper Bags Blowout Sale

Bumble Bags Kimberly Tote 40% off!

Beco Butterfly Clearance! Now $79.99 (45% off)

2 Red Hens Bag 40% off

Oilily Shoes 50% off!

SoBeBabies Gift Registry!

Great news! Enjoy our new gift registry! Sign up for the gifts of your choice and share your list with family and friends!

CPSIA Impacts on Children's Apparel Industry

I don't like to post about stuff that I don't fully understand, but something has to be done. So I am sharing what I currently understand the situation to be and I urge you to do your own research, come back and comment, and spread the word.

I just signed this petition mentioned below. It is all very confusing but it looks like there was legislation enacted that baby carrier manufacturers in the USA all missed but that could affect all manufacturers and perhaps put them out of business if they are found out as not having done the required expensive testing. The deadline is either November or Feb. The intentions are obviously good, but something seems misguided about it all. It seems it would require every single type and color of fabric or other material to be individually tested. And there seems to be an underlying assumption that baby carriers are more like a toy, than, say, a mom's coat, if you see what I mean; the latter would not be subject to the same requirements. Many things around the house get mouthed by babies. This legislature seems designed (intentionally or not) to put the industry out of business. It would certainly affect me and could leave me, literally, holding the bag with a lot of inventory I could not legally sell for use with babies.

Here is the petition link:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/economicimpactsofCPSIA?e

Going Green With Baby book

My dear friend, Jennifer Lo Prete, coauthor of the Itsabelly blog, did me the honor of asking me to write some sections for a book that has just been published called Itsabelly's Guide to Going Green with Baby.

I am thrilled to finally be able to see what she's been working so hard on. This book is wonderful. Read my review!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and today I am frantically making last minute preparations. Tomorrow, we will enjoy a feast with family and close friends.

I love knowing that on this one day, everyone in the country, regardless of religion, citizenship, heritage, race, or political beliefs is included into this powerful and yet gently peaceful celebration of peace and community.

When we go around the table and share what we are grateful for, I will take an extra moment to reflect on how blessed I am to have such wonderful customers and employees.

Warmly,
Naomi
Owner SoBebabies.com, Inc

Black Friday Sale

Most baby carriers, including the Beco Baby Carrier, on sale for Black Friday 3 day weekend! Use coupon code BLACKFRIDAY to save 20% on many items throughout our store. The Pikkolo is on sale for 15% off the regular price. Enjoy!

Sales and Specials!

If you are subscribed to our mailing list, you already know about our upcoming huge sale! If you didn't get the mailing, sign up now so you don't miss out! December might offer some surprise savings.

Great deals on Karma Baby Pouches for a Great Cause!

SoBeBabies just donated five (5) Karma Baby Pouches for a fund raiser. The prices are all amazing! Go bid! It's good Karma, baby!

Why I am Having Trouble Finding Your Order

Would you believe the dog ate it? Well perhaps not as we don't have a dog.

But we have a cat. He is the size of a dog. Does that count?

He has decided he lives in front of my computer monitor. That's nice; I love the sweet company. But look how big he is!

See those legs? Yes, they are all over my keyboard. And yes, he does hit keys with them. Random things have started happening, like emails disappearing. Seriously!

The other day, while waiting for dinner to finish baking, I answered a customer call and he rushed over to hang out with me. Only I could not see the screen with him standing in the way. He's so cute, preening, purring and relaxing, I don't have the heart to push him aside. I hope my customers understand....

Ergo Baby Carrier Sale!

All Hawaiian Ergo Baby Carriers are on sale for just $90 with FREE shipping! Regular price $110. While supplies last. Hurry!

Oilily Rockerfeller Center Skate Boots - last chance!!!!

The Oilily Rockerfeller Center Skate Boots are being clearanced off on Ebay! Get them before they are gone forever! These are gorgeous!!!!

Babywearing International's Vijay Owens Babywearing Advocacy Award for Lifetime Achievement in Promoting Babywearing

I love Vijay! And now there is an award with her name! It's a no-brainer for SoBeBabies to sponsor this award! Here is a link to the award:

The Vijay Owens Babywearing Advocacy Award for Lifetime Achievement in Promoting Babywearing

making labels - multiple labels to a sheet

I have just about pulled my hair out! I often do up special brochures for events and I like to have a specific coupon code for each event so I can track sales and know what works. This is just plain business sense; if I pay $75 for a bag insert at a La Leche Conference and then don't get one single sale, that was perhaps not a good idea. Of course, it's always possible that it was a success because it got my name out there and people now see my business as credible and bought at some later point without the coupon. But still, I like to see some sales.

So, I got this brilliant idea to buy my flyers in bulk and then print my own labels and stick them on. I designed my flyer with a nice empty space and bought clear labels 18 to a sheet for a great price. All good. And then the fighting started. The labels came with a template and I had a grand old time designing in PhotoShop. And when it came time to print, no matter what settings or program I tried, only the first few labels lined up. There was always way too much space at the bottom of the page so the last rows of labels were off.

I contacted Labels Online and they gave me some ideas, but it didn't help at all. Perhaps because I'm on a Mac; the settings mentioned weren't even choices for me. Then it hit me. I just set it up to print 3 rows of labels and I printed each sheet twice, feeding the other end through the 2nd time to print the other 3 rows. Perfection!

Now. I have to stick on 350 labels for an upcoming La Leche Conference! And quickly! The deadline fast approaches!

I love Enflyer for email marketing

I sent out a mailing (email) the other day. The next morning, I tracked clicks to see how many sales had come from the mailing. Two sales, one rather large. There. Enflyer paid for for the month. That was easy!

Haiku Bag Lineup

SoBeBabies Proudly Presents the Haiku Bag Lineup!

Compare sizes at a glance of the

• Haiku Grab Bag
• Haiku To Go Bag
• Haiku Small Tote
• Haiku Large Tote

Follow me on Twitter!

What a fun way to keep up! Mostly business, but some personal tidbits. Short and sweet. I got the idea from Guy Kawasaki, author whose blog I've followed for years. Oh and he's also a customer! He bought an Ergo for his wife a few years ago.

New: Haiku Large Tote

I love this new bag in sustainable jute: the Large Tote from Haiku. Featuring sustainable jute with cotton in gorgeous rich colors. The fabric used in the body of these bags is 50% jute which is considered a sustainable fabric due to its rapid growth rate and the fact that no pesticides or fertilizers are used in its production! I am in awe. These are awesome!

Twitter!

Follow me on Twitter and keep up to date on

• sales
• specials
• new product listings
• other exciting news
  

Action Baby Carrier Sale

Action Baby Carrier Sale!!!! Now only $55 with FREE shipping!

Beco Butterfly further reductions!

Beco Butterfly further reductions! Now only $99.99 with FREE shipping while supplies last!

Action Baby Carrier Recall

There was a small recall for the Action Baby Carrier.

Read about the Action Baby Carrier Recall.

We will be contacting our customers who may have been affected by this recall but we sold at least one of the affected carriers at the Babywearing Conference and do not have contact information for that person. Please contact us or Optave immediately if you need a replacement chest strap!

Mean People are Mean!

Yesterday, we were going to finally go to the local town pool with the big slide! We verified the hours, had plenty of time, got packed up and off we went. On the drive over, it started to thunder and pour. At the door, we were told that it was closed for 30 minutes due to lightning. We cheered up the girls and drove around in the rain, hoping it would clear but after 25 minutes, it went nuts. The skies opened. We drove by the pool just in time to see them closing the doors for the day.

The girls were so sad and to cheer them up, off we went to see what matinee we could catch. And that's how we found ourselves watching House Bunny, a sweet and perhaps predictable but nonetheless easy to watch movie.

The star, an ex-Playboy bunny, is a nice person. My favorite scene is a zoom to her bumper sticker, "Mean People are Mean". I love this line. It's so true!

I have always thought that there was merit to "The Customer is Always Right", but, well, not when the customer has a chip on his or her shoulder.

A local restaurant has a sign at the door that says, "Be Nice or Leave". A bit too direct, perhaps, but I totally take their point.

Our staff does strive to be nice but we also don't appreciate abuse. I had a bit of a shock when I first worked with customers as a support rep. Some people think it is okay to get on the phone and go directly into abuse mode. I can work with someone who is frustrated, stressed, who has been wronged. But when the customer is abusive, well there is just no call for that.

So yeah, Mean People are Mean! Be nice! Being frustrated is allowed. But be nice!

Be BOLD!

Are you going to see the BOLD play near you this Labor Day? I was so sorry to miss this last year so I am very excited about this opportunity this time around. BOLD is a play where about 7 women play out some different birth experiences.

I got to see a sneak preview this weekend and it blew me away. It is very emotional and raw. I wanted to cry almost from the first dialog, but my husband wanted to shout! It made him angry!

I know I still have anger about my first birth but oh, the anger that rose up in us about some of what was unfolding when we watched this play. Some of it was familiar; I'd definitely experienced women shouting "Push" in unison and acting as though I was not trying hard enough or was a burden. And that unspoken threat that if things didn't go quickly enough, my "natural" birth would be taken away.

I did learn from my experience and was much more lucky the second time, but so many women don't know there are any other options. I consider myself lucky for the resources I found, such as The Mother Magazine, where I read incredible birth stories of empowered women.

Go to this play. Tell young women about it. Catch them before they become entrenched in incorrect thinking about birth!

Oh, and I'm also a sponsor. I'll have a small table and will share a little about babywearing. No matter what your birth experience was, babywearing is a wonderful next step to maximize the joy in your parenting experience.

Baby Safety Month - Carseat safety

Never allow a child to travel in a moving vehicle unless properly strapped into an approved carseat. It is not safe to hold babies on your lap nor use baby carriers in moving vehicles.

JPMA Guidelines for proper selection and use of a child restraint system.

·Children should always ride in a back seat restrained in a car seat or safety belt.

·Infants should ride in rear-facing car seats until they weigh at least 20 lbs and are at least 1 year old. Do not put a rear-facing car seat in the front seat of a vehicle with an active passenger air bag.

·Children over 1 year old and weighing between 20 lbs and 40 lbs should ride in forward-facing car seats.

·Children ages 4 to 8 weighing between 40 lbs and 80 lbs should ride in booster seats restrained with lap and shoulder belts. A regular safety belt won't fully protect a child this size in a crash.

·Children and adults weighing over 80 lbs should use a safety belt for every ride.

This year, JPMA is proud to support Child Passenger Safety Week (September 21-27, 2008). Child Passenger Safety Week is sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as a reminder to all parents to use a child safety seat in the back of their vehicles, restrain their child properly and in accordance with their size and age. The National Seat Check Saturday takes place on September 20, 2008- A Great Day for Your Car Seat Clinic- to educate parents and ensure that all child seats are installed properly.

Visit http://www.jpma.org/bsm/2008/ for additional in-store promotion ideas and ways you can take advantage of this month long celebration and help JPMA spread the word about car seat safety.

For more information on Child Passenger Week, please visit http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/childps/planner/index.cfm and en espanol,

go to http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/childps/planner/Spanish/index.cfm

Fay heading towards Gainesville - Possible shipping and communication delays

There will be shipping and communication delays if Fay hits us or if we need to shut down due to lightning or flooding. We thought we were in the clear but Fay is meandering around at sea at the moment, perhaps picking up steam for another land attack. One thing we like about being so far inland is any hurricane or storm should lose a lot of power by the time it reaches us. But even so, wind and rain can require us to shut down or we can lose power.

We appreciate your understanding. We will still have customer support when possible and we usually have limited access via the Edge network (iPhone is great!!!)

La Leche League again

It's coming around to that time again; last year I went to the Florida La Leche League conference mostly to see Hathor speak. But I was so pleasantly surprised by the quality of the speakers and what a great family vacation it was that we're going again this year, even without Hathor there! Just spending time around families that parent in the way most there do makes for a relaxing time.

Regular attendees don't have to do anything but show up, but us vendor types have to get our butts in gear well in advance of events.

I am donating a new Scootababy baby carrier for the fundraising auction and will also have a nice little surprise in the gift bags.

Ergo Baby Carrier in Cranberry is Discontinued!

Very soon, you won't be able to get a cranberry Ergo Baby Carrier! We only have a few left in stock.

When they're gone, they're gone!

This has been a very popular color so grab yours now while you can!

"That should keep you busy!"

I have sponsored The Natural Child Project for over a year and will continue to do so because I love Jan's work and what she stands for. And I've been meaning for some time to make it a priority to get a counseling session from her.

Last week, I hit a parenting snag (okay, crisis) that sent me straight to my computer to send the money over. My four year old daughter (Jan says it seems like a very high percentage of her clients have four year old children) was pushing all my buttons with her issues around food and control. I really needed some help getting out of the trees and finding the forest.

Obviously, not all our issues are going to get solved in an hour and I've done phone counseling before so I just let Jan do what she does best. She ran quite a few ideas past me but what she made clear at the start was that I would not have to take notes; she'd send a follow up email with information on all the resources and techniques we discussed. I just got the email (that was fast!) and the last line is:

"That should keep you busy!"

Yes indeed! I can't wait to get started on all this! I now have what I need most: Hope!

Beco Butterfly Madness!!!!

All Beco Butterfly baby carriers are on sale! Nearly 25% off! You won't see another sale like this any time soon! Enjoy!

The Beco Butterfly is suitable from birth and right up through toddlerhood. It can be worn front or back.

Huggalugs Baby Leg Warmers!

Gorgeous new product for us!

Like everything we sell, we test it first.

Boy, was it a hard choice to figure out which one to try. Well, hard for my four year old! She immediately narowed it down to two flower prints, pink and purple, but then it was touch and go while she deliberated, finally deciding upon pink (as I knew she would!)

My older daughter likes them as arm warmers!

New Improved Scootababy - Best Hip Carrier!

It didn't need to be made better! But Scootababy did it anyway! They managed to take the ideal hip carrier and make it even better!

First, and most important to me, it's prettier! This is just one of five gorgeous new prints, most of which are even guy friendly.

Second, it's taller, so it will accomodate even taller toddlers.

Third, baby's seat is contoured for improved fit and ease of use.

For more improvements, surf on over to the Scootababy product listing.

Beco Butterfly Sale!!! Still plenty left!

Beco Butterfly Sale Still Going on!

At these amazing first ever Beco Butterfly sale prices, many prints are already sold out and gone forever, but there are still amazing choices left, including:


Allison


Aubrey


Avery



Carnival


Chloe



Espresso



Joshua



Martini



Morgan