I have my period and don't even know it!

I have used a Diva Cup for over a year now. I love this thing. I wish I'd always known about it. It is so much better in every way than tampons, sponges and pads. I never buy any of those things any more. I feel very off the grid!

What is the Diva Cup?
It's a silicone cup that stops the blood from leaking. When it fills, you rinse and reinsert. There is also a rubber version, quite similar.

How do you use the Diva Cup?
Put the cup in in the morning. I am able to wear it all day without leakage. At night, I remove, rinse and reinsert. I can do this for my whole period. I can swim, exercise, go to the bathroom, whatever! There was a learning curve for me but it's been so worth it. Every once in a while I don't do it correctly so now I know to dance around a little to make sure it's in correctly.

Where to buy Diva Cup?
I'm not going to tell you! Just google it and find a place near you. It is around $40, which sounds like a lot of money but come on, you know you spend that on pads and tampons within a few months.

I think my favorite parts are that I never have to worry about changing pads/tampons in a public bathroom. That can be such a pain. And now that I am always with my kids, it's even better!

Just one more thing

So I thought I was done but then I tried my website in Opera and it would not give me the lock. Picky, picky. After some serious digging, I uncovered yet one last image that was not https and now Opera likes me! LA LA LA LA LA!

Online Security: SSL

I consistently work on ensuring a safe shopping experience. I've come a long way in this regard. As far as I know, my website is very secure, but I am always open to hearing about any issues.

Like yesterday, a customer called and said she was not comfortable ordering because there was no lock on the browser. I had noticed this before but hadn't addressed it because, well, an entrepreneur always has a million things on her plate. But if it's costing sales, it suddenly becomes Issue Number One.

So after frantically researching this, it turns out that the issue was due to some images from external websites that were not being addressed by the full secure pathnames. If a website is set up for SSL, you can get to the same place by using either the http:// pathname or the https:// pathname. Some external images were not being accessed by the secure pathname, even though the script was created by the vendor. Their bad!

I've kludged my way through and put in proper secure pathnames to all external images and now the lock shows up. But not on all browsers. So read the article for more ideas to ensure you are buying from a secure website before sharing your credit card information.

Please note that my site was secure all along. Now it's just able to show that it is secure.

Proud Sponsor of the Babywearing Conference 2008

I am proud to announce that SoBeBabies is a Proud Sponsor of the 2008 Babywearing Conference. I've also been asked to speak about Structured Baby Carriers!

Demo & Used Baby Carriers 50%-99% off Sale!

So what was I taking all those photos of? Go check out my online yardsale and see!

Behind the scenes

Sometimes people get the impression that SoBeBabies is a large corporation or at least a staffed small business. Nope. It's still a one-woman show.

Today, in trying to get at my actual inventory, not just the overflow, I decided to tackle a much-needed project and clear out some extra stuff. I'm in the process of listing amazing deals in my online yard sale. Here's a peek at some of what's involved in that.

See that strange contraption? It's a small light box I picked up on eBay. I am somewhat in love with it. It all comes in its own bag which folds up like a large briefcase with a handle. It comes with that small tripod - the camera isn't on it because I needed to take a photo of the whole setup - and it includes two super nifty lights that fold down into nothing and fit in outside pockets.

I have found that the lights don't throw anywhere near enough light so I just use it outside on my balcony and harness the power of the Florida sun. I still need to do a fair bit of work on the images after the fact. The background still must be extracted and the images properly cropped and sized. All in all, it takes a good 5-10 minutes of work per image to get it listed, sometimes more. And this is after getting the hang of this process; it used to take 30 minutes or more.

So that's a sneak peek behind the scenes!

P.S. Some of the photo editing was done with a toddler on my lap. Once she finally drifted off for her nap, I popped her into bed and carefully sneaked away. I had to hit the floor once because her eyes popped open. Then I tiptoed ever so quietly away and hopefully I can now finish up listing my yard sale!

ScootaBaby Hip Baby Carrier

We are fully stocked on the Scootababy Baby Carrier and it is being very well received.



So what's so wonderful about the Scootababy?

Easy of Use
The Scootababy is so simple to use. It comes with instructions but really, you just put it on and pop your baby in. It's totally intuitive. And you can wear your baby front or back safely on the very first try without someone to help you! It is also easy to switch sides; no need to rethread or struggle with buckles behind you.

Comfortable Hip Carrier
There are plenty of hip carriers out there but none of them accomplishes the two important things that the Scootababy does. First, the Scootababy supports the baby's weight mainly on your hips with the wide, padded strap. And second, the shoulder design on the Scootababy means that the strap spreads the weight out well and doesn't ride up your neck.

Baby Can See!
You baby can easily see to the front or the back since he or she is sitting on your hip. Baby is happy! You are happy!

Oilily shoes

I got hooked into Oilily when my first daughter was around two. A crazy friend of mine had been dragging me to their seasonal sales and I was overwhelmed and couldn't get into it at first. But over time, seeing her daughter appear in such cute outfits, I started to make the effort to overcome my fear of the price tags and dressed my daughter in The Most Fun Clothing Ever!

Over the years, I got more into boutique clothing and I am always just that much happier when my girls have on something super cute.

We got a huge shipment of Oilily Girl's Shoes in a few weeks ago. Nearly all the photos and descriptions are uploaded. My older daughter nabbed a pair of blue sneakers. They are very retro and she adores them. All the moms notice them when we're out and about. I know they probably think I'm nuts, dressing my girls in Oilily but I don't care. I can admit it. I am that shallow and I still love my girls naked but I happily admit I really love seeing Oilily on them. Truth be told, most of us are shallow in that way but it's somehow not okay to admit it. It gets whispered to me over the phone often enough that I am going to boldly declare it.

I care what my girls wear!

So come on over and check out some Oilily Shoes! And subscribe to the SoBeBabies Newsletter. Those on it just saw an Oilily coupon. Lots of holiday sales are being announced every day!

Just for fun

We went camping a few weeks ago in Key Largo. We went with four other families who also homeschool their kids. It was so relaxing. The kids played together all day and well into the evening and were thrilled to wake up and see each other first thing in the morning. What a treat!

I haven't paddled in years. I used to be an avid whitewater C1 paddler. A kayak on flatwater isn't the same but it sure was fun!

When it was time to pack up, my three year old was not happy to see the tent disappear. She wanted to always sleep in there!

The Ergo Lady

Many people know one of my first huge babywearing loves was the Ergo. Most people probably don't realize that I created a whole website devoted to The Ergo Baby Carrier!

This website is chock full of information on how to use the Ergo but it was badly in need of a facelift. I had been hard at work on this for ages but my computer crashed badly and I lost a lot of data. Recovery has been a slow, ongoing process.

Today I unveiled the new look for The Ergo Lady. Stay tuned for more updates over the coming months.

I'm going to see Hathor at the LLL Conference!

I am so stoked! I am going to see Hathor speak at the LLL Conference on Friday! I've been looking forward to this for months and months! This is the coolest thing ever!

Donated a Baby Carrier

I was reading Stephanie's Adventures in Babywearing Blog, and she mentioned Jodie, an amazing mama who is adopting a premature baby. I offered them a gift certificate along with some suggestions on a baby carrier that might work for such a tiny baby and I am happy to say she has taken me up on it.

I love that more and more adoptive parents are using babywearing as a means to help the bonding process. This little baby will need all the loving he can get after this rough start and I know he couldn't be going to a more wonderful family. I wish them the best of luck!

Woman Owned Business: The Goddess Store

The Goddess Store is owned by a fascinating mama called Goddess Carmen. She's got two adult children and loves to dance. And her store has always intrigued me. I've found some very interesting treasures there.

I was totally thrilled when she agreed to host the monthly babywearing meetings in her dance studio. I had been looking for a new location for a few months and hadn't found anything that worked for people. The Goddess Store has generously hosted the meetings for over a year. Going forward, we will have a new location.

Carmen also hosts other events such as poetry readings. I went to one and found it, um, illuminating! The Goddess Store participates in the Art Walk, where people enjoy wine and cheese as they wander from store to store in Downtown Hollywood.

Woman Owned Business: Delicious Organics

When my first child was born, I had discovered how wonderful it was to have groceries delivered to get through the rough patch of recovering from birth and getting used to no longer having hands. And since my little one was so high needs and couldn't just happily sit in a shopping cart, I enjoyed grocery delivery for almost a year. But I grew tired of the lack of organic items and went back to shopping.

I've been shopping at Delicious Organics since I was pregnant with my second child. I felt silly at first but I was very exhausted and this service really helped out a lot. I told myself after a time that it was frivolous to continue to have groceries delivered when I could perfectly well shop myself, but the fact is, here I am three years later, still getting practically all my groceries delivered. I feel very lucky that I can have the highest quality organics brought right into my kitchen. Getting through a shopping trip with my kids in tow totally stresses me out. Getting everything in from the car is exhausting.

Annie and Jack started this business out of their house. Then they mortgaged their house in order to grow the business. I was so impressed watching them start with so few offerings. Every week, I'd ask about such and such a product and Annie would add in everything I wanted, keeping it if it did well. She still continues to answer emails within minutes, seven days a week, practically 24 hours a day. The website now is so robust and I know exciting changes are coming.

Through all this, Annie seemed to breeze through a pregnancy, birth, and raising a toddler. Annie and Jack work with their kids underfoot when necessary. They went from a tiny staff to a huge staff and from their kitchen to one small warehouse to what they have now - a few adjoining warehouses.

I wish them continued success with their business. I love that they intermingle their life and raising the kids with their values of bringing the highest quality organic food to this area.

Woman Owned Business: Yogarosa

I learned of the Yoga Rosa studio indirectly through a local mom who does prenatal yoga. I might blog about her at another time but right now, I want to talk about Rosa.

Rosa may look friendly and approachable, and the truth is she is all that and more. But I am also learning that she's a savvy business woman who helps other local business women to network. This really touched me deeply as I think it's so critical for women to help each other out. And most women who are also moms can get quite isolated so having support of other women is very, well, supportive!

My daughter has been taking kid's yoga with Rosa for a few months and I am so pleased with the quality of the classes. I've paid for a lot of classes over the years and have gotten quite picky so I know what I'm talking about when I say these classes are excellent.

My daughter is doing yoga. Real yoga. She is not being disciplined or entertained. And she is enjoying the process. That's really all you could ask for.

The classes I took at the studio were impressive. I showed up once with a very bad cold, and couldn't do much because of my coughing. The instructor had me do a few things for that and soon I was breathing freely. This was such a gift after days of struggling for air.

I love the light, open, airy studio with windows on two sides. I also am very intrigued by all the props. At first, I wasn't too thrilled with the idea of using so much "stuff" to do yoga, but I am really getting how helpful it all is. My daughter is loving hanging upside down on the wall. It's her absolute favorite part of the class.

We'll attend classes at YogaRosa as long as we are in the area!

Kid's Slings

What a great day! All three styles of kid's baby carriers arrived in the mail today and my girls couldn't be happier! I can't wait to get some photos of my girls with their dolls.


First of all, we got the Beco Toy. This fits both my girls very well. At first, I wasn't sure how to do a front carry and manage to keep the shoulder straps on. Then I crossed the straps and it was quite simple. We all love the gorgeous purple colors. There are actually a few different prints. I can't wait to get them listed. The back carry is very easy with straps not crossed.



Next, they tried the EllaRoo Children's Mei Tai. My older daughter knew exactly how to use it. I was very proud! Like a real mei tai, this is suitable for front and back carries, and I'll be teaching my girls a hip carry as well. It's so pretty!



The third kid's sling is an actual sling. My daughter found this the easiest to use and currently this is her favorite. She's got her dollie in there right now, sleeping peacefully!

Woman Owned Business: Synergize Weight Loss

I just heard about this place recently and was enjoying the helpful emails Shondelle, the owner sends. And then she sent one with a free offer for three semi-private trainings.

Now, I've worked out a lot in my life. I think I know a thing or two about fitness. But the fact of the matter is that since becoming a mom eight years ago, I have made a few aborted come backs, and slimmed way down after both kids, but I've really not been fit for all that long. I'm at my highest weight ever.

I wasn't sure what to make of trainings from a weight loss center.

I also wasn't sure to make of semi-private trainings. I had a personal trainer once and was considering body building at one point. I was training for the Whitewater Open Boat National Championships. I couldn't quite picture how you'd train four people at once.

As it turns out, this couldn't have been better. It was just the kick in the pants I needed.

I work a lot. I've turned out to be a bit of a workaholic. I value the seriousness in myself but the sedentary nature of what I do is taking its toll on my health.

The camaraderie of working out with a few other women really does help. It's not like we're standing around chit-chatting or anything. But just seeing them doing their best and being serious and focused was right on.

The workout is deceptively simple. I have done interval training in the past but the thing is, I was super fit when I did that. Self-motivation has become more difficult for me. I was a member of a local gym for two years and was just plain bored there. This was just better.

The trainer had us rotate through stations, spending around 45 seconds at each station. The maneuvers were ordinary enough but doing them for 45 seconds is challenging. By the end of each circuit, each of us has faced our own individual limitations. There was also some aerobic interval training. The entire workout is an hour.

After just one workout, I felt back in it! That hasn't happened for me for years and years! I felt like I was really doing it again. Tonight I just did my second workout and I am feeling so grateful. I really want to keep momentum this time. I think this is going to do the trick.

Local Woman Owned Businesses

There are so many absolutely wonderful businesses in my area. These are businesses with amazing women at the helm. Businesses I want to support because of what they have to offer and who I interact with. Businesses I am so grateful exist and that I want to support so they continue to exist.

So I am going to do a series highlighting some of these businesses so you can see what I am lucky enough to see.

Just for fun

An actual conversation today with a customer who was really fun to chat with:

-Hello! This is SoBeBabies.
-Hi! I was talking to you earlier. About that carrier I asked you about before - did you say the waist band had a stain?
-No, I didn't say anything about a stain. There is no stain.
-(Laughing) I didn't say stain!
-Oh sorry. I picked up the call on my cell phone. What did you say?
-I asked if the waist bands were the same.
-(Kidding now) What's that? Are they in Spain?
-No no! I said, 'Are you insane?'
-No. But thank you for asking!

Mystery Shopping and other scams

This blog entry I just read inspired me to blog about my experiences before I started my business.

I was absolutely desperate for income when I'd been home a few years and we hit rough times. But I didn't want to compromise on being with my little ones. I would not consider daycare. That is not for us. My children will be with me. Otherwise, I just don't see the point. If I was a single mom, that might be different.

So anyway, after a brief stint doing some transcription of focus groups and finding I could not make any money at that, I decided to sign up as a mystery shopper. I found an ad in Mothering Magazine and stupidly thought that made it legit so I started off foolishly - I spend money for who knows what. You can actually sign up for free.

Whatever. Never mind I was beyond broke and we were living off our credit cards. Those scum suckers were happy to steal $50 or so from us.

So that didn't pan out. I then just spent days and days going to mystery shopping websites and signing up. It took forever; some of the applications were quite involved. After all that, many of them had no offices or work in my area. They probably just sold my information.

Whatever.

Finally, work started to come in! Yay! But boo. The work was hard. Very hard. And I was trying to do it with two kids. In the end, I made about $5/hour and was only able to ever make about $40/week. It just wasn't worth it.

They say people can make a six figure income mystery shopping. I doubt that. I suppose if you work your way through some special secret ranking system and start to get better paid jobs, you could. We got a couple of really awful free meals out of it and a bit of cash but the stress just wasn't worth it.

Start a business selling something you love and feel passionate about. So much more rewarding! Or do anything that moves you. But not mystery shopping. Unless you really love it and have a knack for it.

I'm a Hathor Groupie

I love Hathor! Oops, I mean Heather. Well maybe I do mean Hathor as Heather makes it perfectly clear that Hathor is an ideal. Oh heck, I love 'em both. And I am a total groupie. So I can't wait to go to the La Leche League conference and see Heather in real life! Or Hather. I wonder who will actually show up. Whatever. I'm so there!

Cure for shopping addiction

I'm cured! I'm cured!

Okay. I'm not.

But I thought I was! I really did!

Here's the thing. I have always loved shopping. Well I knew that hadn't changed. But a few years back, I found myself a stay at home mom and the shopping got a bit out of hand. We were down to one income and I had loads of free time. A bad formula, to be sure.

Then we relocated and hit some rough financial times. Shopping wasn't an option. Heck, eating was really not an option but we did it anyway.

So then things turned around for us and I realized I was cured of my shopping addiction! I was no longer spending more than my husband's earnings on stuff we could totally do without.

But recently I had an epiphany. I'm not cured at all.

So, why am I not shopping?

I am, actually! It's just that I've channeled it into a more healthy outlet. It turns out that some of the reasons for my shopping addiction have to do with enjoying the hunt and touching new things. Once new things are not so new, I need to move on. (Gee, thank goodness I am not like this about relationships.) Well, since I am the Chief Bottle Washer and Head Executive Buyer for SoBeBabies, I guess that itch is getting scratched without me going out and spending all our disposable income on junk. Plus, it certainly doesn't hurt that I don't have time to shop, not even online. eBay sometimes beckons to me but I seriously can't spare the time.

Email Marketing

I've been working on better utilizing the features of our newsletter email marketing company. Email marketing is very powerful. I should know. I live and breathe the stuff because my husband works at Enflyer! You'd think that would mean that I was using the service to its best possible advantage but of course that's not always the way it works when it's all in the family!

Recently, I've started to make more of an effort to use more of the amazing features I've been paying for. I'm now encouraging more people to sign up to the SoBeBabies mailing list by offering a signup incentive on every page of my website. And I've finally created separate lists so people can pick and choose which list(s) they want to be on. I've noticed people signing up since I added this feature.

I'll have a new email template set up shortly so my mailings will look more like my website. I had a great template but now that I've got a better logo, done by Kimberley, I am loving incorporating it into everything.

Forum again

Oh goodness. This isn't quite the wonderful look and feel I was looking for. I can't believe it. Installing the software to get the forum up and running took seconds and was fine out of the box. Configuring the forum was simple. But trying to find the documentation to make changes to the templates? Not easy. There ought to be some great templates to download and install but they didn't appear in my selections list when I tried this and anyway, there was no description of what they looked like save the name. DJ Glass? What's that supposed to tell me? So I gave up trying to get a template out of the box and started modifying the one that came with it. It was all blue/gray and now it's obnoxious pink and less annoying lavendar. Oh well. This has taken entirely too long and I'm totally winging it at this point so I'm gonna leave the poor thing as is and work on something more pressing for now.

forum!

I just set up a forum on my website! Pretty cool stuff! Now to figure out how to change the style to match the SoBeBabies look.

Entrepreneurs don't sleep

It's a dirty little secret, or perhaps, not such a secret. Here it is, 4:18 in the morning, and I am about ready to call it quits. Yesterday, after a very full day with the girls, I got to work in the evening on some website enhancements.

As with all new things, there was a learning curve. One brilliant email from a friend got me on track with creating animated gifs in Photoshop and a brilliant hour or two spent with my husband, who works at Enflyer, got me on track with my mailing list signup sheet. And now, if you go to my website, you'll see a pretty little rotating gif that allows you sign up to my mailing list. In fact, there are going to be multiple lists going forward. Dear sweet hubbie is gonna help me get that properly configured soon. I hope.

Meanwhile, there is a display issue that irritates me so I've got a message up on a help forum about that. It's always something. And now, should I go to sleep, finally, or is it about time for breakfast? I'm starved!

A little fun

Yesterday, I got an email offer from Adobe to upgrade from Photoshop Elements to Photoshop CS2 for $299 and I clicked on that link so fast! I have never been able to correctly create animated gifs in Photoshop Elements; the animation was always fixed at .01 seconds. I called and spent hours and hours on the phone with Adobe and got them to reproduce the issue but it just never got resolved. It was mostly because I so desperately wanted animated gifs that I forked out the money for Photoshop Elements in the first place. Sure, it did to other useful stuff, but this was a huge issue.

It took me about 2 hours to track it down but I did finally figure out how to do animated gifs in CS2! So here is my first properly slowed down animated gif, actually viewable by the naked human eye!

P'kolino Play Table Dadlabs.com video

This video from Dadlabs demonstrates the P'kolino Play Table and also the toy version. When I went to JMPA, I met Antonio (featured in the video) and my daughter got to play with the toy size and full size Play Table. Antonio was so taken with her because he had never seen any child of any age correctly use the demo version of the Play Table. She kept going back again and again to the P'kolino display. She especially enjoyed corresponding the demo version to the full size version.

To be honest, I was not sure I was going to start carrying furniture at SoBeBabies. After seeing how my daughter interacted with the P'kolino furniture and other toys, I knew I'd be a fool to not take advantage and stock these wonderful items. We are in the process of getting them set up at our home and my girls really adore this stuff. And so do I! Our ottoman came yesterday and my husband was thrilled. My daughters are having such a blast with this stuff!

P'kolino Furniture

I am so psyched! We got the first of our P'kolino furniture in and the girls absolutely love it. They fought over the Klick for the first day. The second day, they fought over the Silly Soft Seating. Thank goodness all is peaceful here again!

I was surprised that my older daughter, nearly 8, fit perfectly in the Klick. It looks like she'll be able to enjoy it for a bit and I'll be getting some larger furniture for her shortly.

They both adore the crayons and sharpener. We are still waiting for the rest of the items.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

SoBeBabies makes every effort to limit our environmental impact. That is somewhat ironic in that shipping in and of itself is resource intensive, but for many of the items we stock, the only way to get them is online. We do some sales in person and will perhaps open a physical boutique...read more

Englacha II - a Sneak Peek!

Oh wow! This isn't quite out yet but have a look at the new Englacha Baby Stroller! This stroller is so cool! Ever walking and your baby is in the sun and there is nothing you can do about it? Poof! Here is the solution! Just turn the top part so your baby can face away from the sun and you keep walking! Nifty, yes?

Security - an education in online secure sites

Ordering online is definitely risky. In fact, it is riskier than I had been led to believe. It's not as simple as looking for a secure site. Credit card fraud and identity theft are running rampant these days and it is not always easy to tell the source. I recently got a call from American Express due to suspicious activity on my card and it turns out that someone was charging up mostly innocuous online charges that I might have otherwise missed, such as stamps.com.

As a vendor, there are more risks than I'd realized too, but I will get to that shortly.

First let me start with what I have learned as a consumer.

When I first set up my website, I used PayPal to process my orders. That was very secure. However, I lost a lot of ...read more

SoBeBabies Giving Back

I find it very rewarding to use some of our profits to help support charities.

We just donated a sling to support a member of TheBabyWearer.com who is in a very difficult situation.

We have also donated money and/or baby carriers to:

• No Mother Left Behind (Open Arms Natural Parenting)

• Attachment Parenting International

• La Leche League, International
  

• NINO (Nine In Nine Out - now defunct)

• March of Dimes

• Mamatoto (http://wearyourbaby.com/)
  

We also believe in donating time to advocacy. I have been led regular meetings for the past three years. Some meetings include:

• Eliminication Communication (Natural Infant Hygeine)*

• Attachment Parenting (API leader)*

• Babywearing (NINO leader)**

• Introduction to Attachment Parenting, Babywearing and Cloth Diapers*

Zolowear iParenting Award

ZoloWear has been awarded the iParenting Media Outstanding Product Award!

We are so excited to have these slings in. They are among the prettiest baby slings available and the craftwomanship is gorgeous.

Live Help!!!!

Woo hoo! Finally! SoBeBabies has Live Help enabled! I am so excited; feel like we are just entering this decade!

Englacha Baby Strollers on Sale!

This is the coolest stroller I've seen in a long time. Finally, a way to keep your baby out of the sun when you're walking. Simply turn the carriage around to whatever direction you need and your little one is still styling! How come no one thought of this before?

And now it's on sale! At just $419.95, these are a steal!

The Englacha Stroller is an innovative and uniquely ingenious design that allows the top to be turned and the child to extend her view to all four sides when sitting in the stroller. It allows the child to face the rear of the stroller, thus facing her parents, or to face forward so as to look around. The seat can also be positioned sidewards to the travelling direction. It is very practical, easy and user-friendly. Just a few twists of the wrist is all it takes to turn the seat - with the child still seated - in all four directions! Neither safety, nor stability is ever jeopardized in the process.

Englacha Baby Stroller Product Features

1. Alu-anodized polish chassis & seat frame.
2. Swiveled top.
3. Extra 90’ and 270’ sitting position.
4. Reflex on Canopy.
5. Attached with a Foot Cover.
6. Adjusted Handlebar, Bumper, Leg rest and Seat recline.
7. Comfortable seating space – width 14” x depth 10”.
8. Wheels can be easily un-installed to be stored in your car trunk.
9. Deluxe 12” JET Air Wheels
10. We use high quality material (Polymicro =100% Polyester) for upholstery and accessories.
11. Dimension – After fold : 80x64x50 CM / Open : 82x92x117 CM

JPMA again

JPMA was great! All my goals were achieved. It was no easy job, I can assure you, but it really did go smoothly.

I got upgraded by Enterprise so I wound up in a PT Cruiser car rental. They sent me off with windows rolled down and I was on the highway before I realized I didn't have a clue how to close them! I eventually found the adjustments in an unexpected place. We came by a DVD player recently so my daughter was set up in the back seat watching videos. Poor kid. I didn't really know how to use the thing so I got it hooked up and going and thought how annoying the movie sounded, just repeating the same thing over and over and over. After 20 minutes, she started to fuss and I thought all was lost until I finally understood that she was now bored of watching the menu scene and would actually like some movie, please!

My older daughter meanwhile was off with my husband who showed her the time of her life so as to help distract her from her first night away from mama ever! They had dinner out on Lincoln Road in South Beach and saw a movie, getting home some time after midnight, I think.

Driving there, I only had one crisis. I had printed out my directions but of course it's been so long since I drove alone at night, it didn't occur to me that I wouldn't be able to read them. I was supposed to take an exit that had 4 numbered routes. I kept chanting it over and over like a little prayer. I came to an exit that seemed early that had 2 of the 4 routes and totally panicked. In the end, I exited, found out where I was, wrote the directions into my PDA, which, duh, lights up at night, and was able to get there without further incident. The hotel was not one of the approved ones for conference attendees, but it was just down the street and about a third of the price. It came with free breakfast and the rooms were nice. All for about $69/night. Not bad!

The first day there, I got the brainy idea that I'd be one of those posh but simply classic mamas you see running around with smoothed back hair in a low, elegant pony tail. I spent a long time straightening my hair with the hotel's blow dryer, something I haven't done in probably 8 years. I heaped pounds of product and really tried to be patient. In the end, what did I have? Frizz. Ugh. So I went as myself. Well, sort of an old and new version of me. Most of my work wardrobe was so old that the waists were up to my armpits. And of the few items I had with a low waist, only one or 2 fit my new post-kids waist.

I have to say, the ability to go to a show like this with a child and have no one bat an eyelash is really something. I had my fears going in but they were totally without warrent. I did have to get a registration for my little and that process was rather random as I was directed to a few differnt places rather vaguely, but in the end, I got it done. Once inside, everyone was very friendly to her. And those that weren't, well, what the heck were they doing there? Honestly! But seriously, I came away with some relationships I wouldn't have predicted. She was bascially on the SoBeBabies staff. If she was excited about a product and wanted to stay around the display, and if they were friendly to her, well, we talked! There were vendors that were ridiculous. They said that the screws were not tightened so it was unsafe for her to be on the furniture or in the strollers or whatever. Honestly! What were they thinking? I guess they didn't want their stuff dirtied but I was trying my best to keep her clean. That was actually tricky; everyone kept giving her cookies, chocolate and candy when I wasn't looking. I had to let that one go! Anyway, it was really only a small handful of vendors that we had to avoid. The rest were beyond friendly and the whole thing was a blast. Oh - well, there were a few mysterious vendors. Instead of their booths being open, they had built walls up and there were guards posted at exits. I kid you not. And some had formidable desks at the entrance and no clue what was inside. The gatekeepers were formal and stiff, asking what I wanted and basically putting me off. That must have been the point. I only ventured into one and found mostly cribs and nothing that looked particularly Top Secret.

One vendor I am working with is P'kolino. I am so excited to start carrying this line. Luckily, they are down the street from me. I wanted to take my older daughter in to see how the furniture fit a larger child. Here are some pictures from that trip. You can see how the furniture works with a 3 and an 8 year old and get an idea what I'll be carrying in SoBeBabies shortly! Here are some pictures of the furniture to give you an eye treat!









While I was there, I made some orders with vendors I already had relationships with including 2 Red Hens and DadGear Diaper Bags. I went ahead and signed up with Zolowear and Diaper Dude Diaper Bags. I said hi to HotSlings but still haven't ordered from them (but I will!) and enjoyed meeting Vesta of EllaRoo and Angela of Ergo Baby Carriers. When I had had a bit much and was feeling drained, I went over to one of the baby carrier vendors just to relax and recharge a bit.

It was so totally ironic that my little would not get into a baby carrier for anything. She was mostly into running somewhat randomly and I chased her with a stroller full of stuff.

My stroller was dragging me down, so hard to push, and I was really thrilled to be able to borrow an EasyWalker stroller for half a day. My daughter and I both adored it! I ordered my personal one right then and there and have been doing a lot more walking. It is so much better than my old jog stroller, which didn't recline and didn't let the front wheel swivel. I even use it for naps around the house when my little falls asleep on me. I pop her in there and she's not off lonely down the hall. I am totally loving this stroller. And speaking of strollers, my advisor, ahem, I mean my daughter was beyond taken with the Strolli, so we wound up getting ourselves one of those too. When the box came, she started ripping it open herself! Too funny! She adores this thing! Anything that makes going for a walk easier is great by me!

So that is the update on all the exciting things that are in the works at SoBeBabies. As you can see, I have been and will continue to be super busy. I wonder if I need to start paying my little as staff. Hmmm. She's such a great advisor!

Mac ROCKS!

I have had an old iMac for years. You know, the cute one. The one that had those nifty commercials where it looked around. I have always enjoyed it and never got tired of it. But unfortunately, once I started using it for business, it fell to its knees. Even though I maxed it out, the things I need to do have become more than it could handle. The last week has been hell just trying to process orders.

I was given a super tight deadline to get a magazine ad done and quickly realized I was wasting more time trying to limp along with my computer; it would be quicker to go buy a new one and get it up and running. This being a 3 day weekend, it seemed kismet.

Well what I didn't realize at all was that the process of moving over would be so smooth. I have always loved Mac computers and people always convinced me that they were useless and I'd regret getting one. When I got my first Mac, it was quite painful initially but gradually less so, until at about a month, I never looked back. But I didn't quite think through this new computer thing. Had I still had a PC, I would have been in, ah, what's the technical term? Oh yes. Deep doo-doo. I would have had to reinstall all the software on the new computer. With a Mac, not so! I didn't realize this is how it was going to go. When I booted up the new computer, it very nicely asked me if I already had a Mac. Sure! "So go get a firewire cable and hook it up!" said the nice initialization software. I had it copy everything over and after an hour or two, my new computer looked just like my old one, only it worked! I mean, it flew! Yay! And now in hindsight, I am so relieved because a lot of the software I have is downloaded from various websites and I shudder to imagine what I'd have gone through to track it all down and track down proof of purchase and so on.

I went to bed feeling really, and I mean really, smart! But really, deep down, I know it wasn't me that was so darned smart. It's the people at Apple computers who set that nice easy initialization procedure up for me. I am still not sure how they managed it all. Is it because it's Unix? Or is it just a Mac thing? I don't really know. And further, I don't think I'll ever give it another thought!

Swiss Strolli Rider

Have you seen this thing? I went with my younger daughter to the JPMA Trade Show in Orlando a few weeks ago and this was one of her top picks! She is three so she came in an advisory capacity, you understand. Well, that and I know she would not have done well if mommy suddenly up and left for 2 days.

Her face lit up there when she saw it and she had a grand old time riding around while I had a moving conversation with Ruth from happystroller.com. And her face lit up again when the box showed up here. She danced around as I put it together, which luckily was much more simple than most things that I have taken out of boxes since becoming a mom. And we were off! On the way to the park, two people stopped us and commented on it. I was pleased but not surprised. It's a bit like having a lion on a leash; the Strolli draws a lot of attention because no one has ever seen anything like it and once they have, the wonder why it hasn't been around forever.

I am definitely going to enjoy using this. My older daughter likes to scoot when we go for a walk but she tends to poop out long before I'm done and want a lift. We had a Buggy Board that we used on a MacLaren stroller when we were on a vacation but when I tried to attach it to my walking stroller, I wasted a lot of time and money. I had to order an extra kit to attach it as it doesn't move easily from one stroller to another. Once that arrived, it was a very involved task to get the kit installed. And after all that, my daughter could not stand on it because it was under the stroller handle so there was just no room for her. So for a few weeks we limped along with it with her sitting on it but after a few items of her favorite clothing got ripped under the wheels, she gave up. So then I had two girls fighting over a single stroller. Sometimes, I would put my younger one in a baby carrier, but she is currently not interested in getting in any baby carrier! Ironic, as I am the local babywearing expert. But I respect her right to prefer the stroller or being carried over a baby carrier.

Anyway, now, when my older daughter is done scooting, she can hop in the stroller and my younger one can catch a ride on the Strolli. Which is pretty much where she was already sitting as I seem reduced to pushing around an empty stroller most of the time now! Tonight when we got caught in a downpour, she was very quick to get up and into the stroller so I know she will do whatever pleases her most, which pleases me greatly!

Father's Day Specials on Daddy Diaper Bags and Baby Slings at SoBeBabies

Use Coupon Code "Father" for 10% off! Enjoy!

JPMA

Well, I am off to JPMA in two weeks. I am so excited. I've been to trade shows before and even staffed booths, but it was never stuff that was for my own business. This will be the first time I ever spend the night away from my older daughter. I have booked the hotel for 2 nights, rented the car, printed out the driving directions, and bought new luggage because the zippers broke on our old bags. I still have to have a look at my old business wardrobe and see if anything at all fits my mama waist line. I have a funny feeling that my stuff is just so out of date that I am going to wind up in fairly casual clothing. I hope this is a blast!

Eden Velveteen Mei Tai

I am so jazzed! (Doing a little dance here!) I have been adding new baby carriers slowly, slowly, as time and business and life for a work at home unschooling mom of two girls allows. I have never added any Mei Tais before because I wanted just the right one to fit the SoBe image. Something that would have mainstream appeal. Something with style and pizazz. Something both men and women could wear (and kids too!) Something that works well with jeans but can go a bit dressier and still feel elegant. And of course something with rock solid construction and super comfy and easy to use.

The Eden Velveteen Mei Tais arrived today. I think I got to my office seconds after they arrived! I had them out of the box immediately. They are everything I'd hoped for. Wouldn't you know my daughter would not let me try it on because we were going to Starbucks. We do our modeling at home or running errands. But later, she fell asleep on the way to see my aunt at the hospital and I was able to pop her in a front carry.

Aaaagh!

Even though she's 2 1/2, her head rested comfortably on one of the wide shoulder straps. I am by no means a mei tai expert so I did have to tighten it a few times, but in the end, she was in there a good hour napping and I got no back pain even though she was a still a bit lower than I would have liked. Not bad for 25 pounds! Most baby carriers do not work for front carriers for toddlers. This is where a mei tai can shine and particularly one with nice wide straps.

I'll be working on my technique as time allows. I do have an article to write on structured baby carriers so the mei tai may not be my focus over the next few weeks but it is so gorgeous, it may find itself jumping off the hook anyway.

Eden Baby Carrier Velveteen Mei Tai

$90.00

Eden Velveteen carriers are made from a medium weight stretch velveteen that has just the right amount of stretch to cuddle snugly around your little one without being bouncy. They are 97% cotton and 3% spandex, which makes them incredibly soft with a luxurious simplicity that will compliment any outfit. Eden carriers are easily machine washable in cold/warm water and tumbled dry on low. The carriers are also reversible to the "cleanest" side! Eden carriers are sized to fit the majority of bodies.

Eden baby carriers are a contemporary version of the Asian Mei Tai. Eden carriers are created by a happy-to-work-at-home Santa Cruz, CA mama and are sewn in San Francisco by a reputable sewing house. She designed Eden carriers while pregnant with her second child. After developing back issues when carrying her first child, in a variety of one-shoulder slings, she decided that she needed a more ergonomic way to carry her children. She was frustrated with the bulky fabric of some of the current baby wraps and was concerned about the spinal health of her children, which is sometimes compromised in some of the currently popular front packs. She stumbled upon the traditional Mei Tai design and was instantly a convert! She loved the look, the ease of use, and the comfort to both baby and baby wearer. From birth, her babies have been comfortably and safely carried everywhere in the Eden.

Eden baby carriers offer versatile ways of carrying newborns, toddlers and beyond (when the walk is just a little too far). Newborns can be carried safely on the chest. Older babies can be carried on the chest, hip and back. Toddlers are easily carried on the back. I strongly believe that wearing your baby close to your body benefits both you and your child in many physical, emotional and practical ways! Eden carriers are a stylish, ergonomic and comfortable way to optimize intimacy with your wee ones.

Mothering Magazine Babywearing Issue

SoBeBabies: As Featured in the Mothering Magazine Babywearing Special Issue

Check me out! I haven't blogged here in a while because I was just bursting with the knowledge that I'd be in a magazine! I've had articles published before but never my actual photo! What an honor! I am so thrilled that M'liss included me and my two websites in this Mothering Magazine Babywearing special issue.

It was such a scramble to get the photos done. She knew exactly what she wanted but I only had a short time to get set up. Normally, I photograph outside but this needed a neutral background so I had to try to do the best I could with limited resources in a really short amount of time. I duct taped (gawd, I love duct tape!) a sheet to the wall of my balcony, cleared away all the furniture, and brought out all the lamps I own. I put a thin gauze cloth against the screen to block harsh shadows and then I waited for the light to come at the ideal angle. My younger daughter, pictured in the photos was so fussy. It was the third photo shoot in as many days and she really was quite done with all this. It was my older daughter who really saved my sanity. With the camera on a tripod, she patiently took photo after photo when I told her to click.

It turns out that the credit is for Sobebaby instead of SoBeBabies but it's really SoBeBabies! And there is also a mention of The Ergo Lady in the resources section! I am beyond thrilled! I have worked so hard on the Tips and Tricks section and I am so proud of it. That reminds me - I have to update it to include a tip I got from a mom of a four month old who wasn't quite big enough to sit with his legs open in the Ergo. She puts one foot in. Great tip from Michelle! And remember that these tips are good for all structured (soft pack) baby carriers.