Posh Rachel Reports

UniqueLA

2010-11-15T08:02:00.000-08:00

Posh Papoose will be one of the lucky 300 curated vendors at this year's UniqueLA on Dec 11 & 12 at the California Mart downtown. It should be a super fun show with tons of amazing local designers. 296 of the 300 vendors make their product in the USA.

110 E. 9th St. LA, CA 90079.

There is parking beneath the building, but you can park cheaper at a lot a few blocks away. I like Hill & Broadway & Olympic area for cheaper parking.

Check it out! Mention you saw the post on my blog and receive 10% off your purchase at the show.

You can preview some of our newer items on our Facebook Page.

Check out our rain hats & skirts!

2010-10-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

These are basically sample rain hats. I'll have to order more fabric if people like them! The skirts come in Small (2-4), Medium (6-8), and Large (8-10), but they have a great elastic waist so they fit a wide range of sizes. I'll upload to the website for ordering as soon as I can!

We're also going to add elastic/drawstring pull-on pants. Stay tuned and be sure to watch our Posh Papoose Facebook Fan Page for updates!

Posh Papoose is now at Papillon Baby Store in Marina del Rey

2010-10-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

Find a great selection of hats and plush blankets at this fantastic, modern children's boutique in the Marina:

Papillon Baby Store
4712 1/2 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA
310-301-1711

She will probably begin carrying our new rain hats and reversible corduroy hats for fall soon too! Check it out!

Organic Cottons and other solids are here! We are shipping in August!

2010-07-28T19:27:00.000-07:00

Two great bits of news!

#1) I ordered some Organic Cottons to try them out, and they are here! Very soft and very pretty. They will make a great sling! Check out the Organic Cotton Ring Slings here.

I also ordered some solid colors in the regular cottons due to many requests. Check out the Solid Cotton Slings with or without an Accent here.

All of the current prints are in a Picasa gallery. We're down to scraps in some cases that will work as an accent on a solid sling or a hat. Check availability before placing an order.

Click here for the home page for all our photo galleries of hats and slings.

#2) I have made arrangements with one of my production associates for order processing & shipping, even though I will be ostensibly on vacation for most of August. So, we should be able to make & ship most items. If there's a problem, I will email you as soon as I can to alert you. I'm also hoping to press my husband into service as a shipping clerk if necessary since he's sadly not joining us on our trek to the East coast (someone has to make the real living).

Check our Posh Papoose at Facebook Fan page for other updates!

SOLID COLORS ON ORDER!

2010-07-21T16:33:00.000-07:00

I heard you loud & clear and so I just ordered 4 bolts of great solid colors for solid slings with accents:

SAGE solid (like a celery / khaki)
a dark blue, very navy-like
a pretty fuschia-plum color
a dark, chocolate brown

I'll name the colors later. You can order a swatch to see what you like. Each of these colors will coordinate with many of our fun prints. You may see that some prints are no longer on the Stylish Sling page, but in the Hat section. That would mean that we have small quantities for hats & accents, so you can pair some prints with solids for a custom sling of your choice.

Order slings soon, because the feds are cracking down on slings soon... and I'm not sure if I'll hold out or not.

I also ordered sample yardage in the Organic cottons in some pretty colors AND a bunch of pretty and soft corduroys for fall hats! A first!

New Special Edition Hats Added

2010-07-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

We were given some adorable prints and made a few hats out of them! Check them out! Only a couple per style!

Three New Stores in Seattle, Portland, and Canada!

2010-06-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

We're proud to share that we will be shipping hats to the following fabulous stores:

Polliwog in Portland, Oregon
Clover Toys in Seattle, Washington
Little Monogram Shop in Whitby, Ontario, Canada

If you're in those areas, do stop in and check them out!

New Minky Dot Blankets!

2010-06-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

Not on the website but we have just made 10 plush, lush, large baby blankets in the super soft and amazingly washable minky dot chenille with ruffled trims.

Dark brown + Mocca

Dark brown + Cocoa Blue Dot

Navy + Seeds

Ivory + Beach Stripe

Hot Pink + Infinity Dot

Hot Pink + Coral Orbit

Order a large custom blanket from the website and specify which one you want!

"Youth" sized hat?

2010-06-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

Though between our Medium and our Large, all sized heads should be covered, pardon the pun, it seems that older kids (elementary school age) and big-brained 4 year olds might benefit from a "Youth-sized" hat, that's sized between the medium and the large.

Any thoughts? What is the head circumference of your child (aged 4 - 10?) What about your own head? Does this sound like something you would like to see? Remember, our hats have 4" of elastic so it will take a long time for your child to outgrow it!

Infantino Slings Recalled

2010-03-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to the NYTimes article about the recent recall on Infantino slings. Slings have gotten a lot of bad press in the last 2 weeks, so here's what you need to know:

Wear a baby younger than 4 months in the Upright Inward-Facing, Tummy to Tummy position
Do NOT carry baby in the "Cradle Carry" position any longer! This is the "risky" position according to all these reports.
Make sure NOTHING covers the baby nose & mouth, like the sling fabric, clothing, or anything else or the baby could suffocate in 2 minutes.
Be sure you can SEE your baby's nose & mouth
Make sure the baby's head is not bent forwards towards his/ her chest because this can impede airflow & breathing.

If you are feeling anxious, then wait until your baby has good head control and start using the sling later (3 - 4 months old) and I assure you that you'll love it and get a lot of use out of it! Just read our reviews at www.thebabywearer.com

Fabrics Posted to Stylish Section of Website / new Hat combos

2010-03-24T08:43:00.000-07:00

The new fabrics are posted to the Stylish Print BABY SLING section of the website. Next, we'll making hat samples and photographing them, then posting them to the REVERSIBLE HAT section. The combos I'm planning for hats are:
KYOTO FLORAL / CURRY (browns, russet, peach, pink, light olive, gold accents)
FANS/ MANDALA (pastels, light avocado, khaki, tan, white, lilac)
RED IKAT / RED ROSES (bold reds, magentas, hot pinks, accents of kelly green)
LOTUS / WATER LILY (pink, aqua blues)
JADE FLORAL: will go with Ocean Folio, Grey Petals, Lotus, and more
HYACINTH / RED ROSES: fun contemporary floral with red roses reverse (can also be paired with Water Lily)

New Spring Fabrics for Hats & Slings April 2010

2010-03-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

Here are thumbnails of the new prints we're working with for spring/ summer of 2010. You can mix & match with solid colors, and I will take requests! Also, Pine-Blue Blossom, a long-time favorite is no longer available and Grey Petals has been discontinued, so for hats, Ocean Folio & Luna Floral will get new fabrics for the reverse side.

I'm still looking for a great Black & White print for adult hats.

Warning Issued on Using Sling Carriers for Babies Under 4 Months of Age

2010-03-17T09:37:00.001-07:00

Reposting from the Consumer Product Safety Commission:

Parents should take extra care when using sling carriers for infants younger than 4 months of age, according to a warning issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The group is investigating 14 infant deaths associated with the slings over the past 20 years.

The CPSC says the slings pose a suffocation hazard to young infants who cannot yet control their head and neck movements, especially those who are frail or have breathing problems.

If parents choose to use a carrier sling, they should make sure their child's face is visible at all times, according to the CPSC. The group's press release includes diagrams showing the right and wrong ways to use the slings.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission press release

Are slings safe?

2010-03-11T10:06:00.000-08:00

In the last couple days there have been a few articles in the New York Times and The Huffington Post regarding the safety and pervasive popularity of slings and other soft baby carriers. From what I understand, there is some concern about the possibility of very young infants suffocating in the "Cradle Carry" position if their head bends too far forward, obstructing airflow when they breathe and also there is risk of fabric falling over the baby's face, but not so much in an Upright Tummy to Tummy position. We have had this warning on our website for the last few years.

I personally prefer the Upright Tummy to Tummy position anyway. I find it much easier to do and the babies seem more comfortable. The baby's head is right on your chest where you can monitor their breathing very easily and it is less likely for anything to obstruct the baby's face. If you're a really nervous parent, then wait until your baby is holding his or head up, and then start using the sling, probably around 3 -4 months of age. Certainly the risk of suffocation would seem to be minimal for an older baby that can sit up on her own in a Hip Carry position or a Forward Facing Kangaroo Carry position.

It seems to me a bit extreme to claim that all babies now need to be pushed exclusively in strollers for their safety. That would be like saying all babies ought to be born by C-section because it is safer and we can control the risk scenario better. (Not a statement I agree with, by the way, having safely home-birthed two children.)

Obviously, for 99.9% of modern history (50,000 years and counting), strollers didn't even exist and mothers had to carry their babies somehow. And I bet plenty of rural and poor mothers around the world don't have money for strollers nor would a stroller make sense in those environments, so let's not start demonizing all babywearing!

My advice? As always, use common sense, be aware and watchful, and avoid the "cradle carry" position just to be safe. You can still breastfeed the baby in the sling, but when you're done, put the baby in the upright inward-facing position, re-tighten the sling, and make sure the baby's head isn't bent forward. No reason to throw the baby out with the babycarrier, so to speak.

If you're too nervous to buy a sling, you can always check out our fabulous sun hats! I never heard of a hat accident or recall!

The Baby Wearer Reviews

2010-03-04T13:26:00.000-08:00

Many of you are finding us via our amazing reviews on www.TheBabyWearer.com. I would be greatly appreciative if you would take a moment to add a new review of your own so there are some recent posts there! Thanks so much!

And of course, please post on your favorite parenting blogs, yahoo groups, websites, Facebook page, Twitter accounts, etc.! It all helps!

Organic Cotton

2010-03-04T12:25:00.000-08:00

I have found organic cotton I could use for slings. Would you be willing to pay a premium for organic cotton? They'd probably cost about $118 and you could pick an accent fabric if you wanted one. It comes in black and a natural (which is kind of boring, to be honest, and would show stains, BUT - it would probably be cooler than solid black if you're in a hot climate).

New Fabrics ORDERED!

2010-03-04T12:23:00.000-08:00

Despite my own private budget crisis, I have ordered more OCEAN FOLIO and LUNA FLORAL for slings (and matching hats). Unfortunately, PINE-BLUE BLOSSOM is out of print. Too bad, that was a popular one.

I also ordered a bunch of other cool fun prints that will make fabulous reversible hats and accents for slings. If you're a person who likes fashion adventure, you might even be willing to wear these crazy prints as an entire sling. Look for these new items to be posted in 2 - 4 weeks.

Bringing back popular prints, adding new ones

2010-03-03T14:23:00.000-08:00

I've realized I've been remiss in updating the Stylish Prints of our sling category. I'm re-ordering Ocean Folio, Pine-Blue Blossom, Mocca, Luna Floral as well as hopefully some other fun prints for hats & slings & sling accents. Here is a sneak preview of some of the items I'm thinking about. Would love to know what you all think.

Thinking about new fabrics for hats & slings

2010-02-23T10:14:00.000-08:00

I'm ready to do a small re-order on fabrics. I'm thinking of more of the fun prints I used for hats and then adding more slings that are solid + an accent, using the fun hat prints. What are your favorites from our website? Here are some places to browse and tell me what you like best!
If I added more solid colored slings with accent, what colors would you want to see?

http://picasaweb.google.com/poshpapoose

http://www.ahfabrics.com/collection.php

http://www.westminsterfabrics.com/pub/designers.jsp

http://www.poshpapoose.com/reversible-hats.html

http://www.poshpapoose.com/custom-cotton-sling-accent.html

http://freespiritfabric.com/core-pages/designers.php

http://www.henryglassfabrics.com/

http://www.f-echino.com/tex.html

Seeking More Stores!

2010-02-17T11:50:00.000-08:00

Do you know of a great store that could use our hats? They are flying out the door of some our new accounts, Style Child in San Diego and Charla's Place in Marina del Rey. Tell your favorite store about us and if they buy from us, we'll send you a free gift.

Rain Hats & Winter Hats

2010-02-08T11:09:00.001-08:00

If I made a rain hat and a winter hat, would you buy them for your kids? for yourself?

New Stores in San Diego and Santa Monica, CA

2010-01-20T18:20:00.000-08:00

We are in 2 new stores! Find our hats at

Style Child
1070 University Ave J101
San Diego CA 92103San Diego, CA

and

Pebbles Clothing

2400 Main St. suite A-2
Santa Monica CA 90405

New Etsy page

2009-12-21T13:12:00.000-08:00

I created an etsy page to attract more shoppers. If you're on etsy, mark us as a fave! http://poshpapoose.etsy.com

Seeking Sales Reps/ Showrooms in all territories

2009-12-08T12:18:00.000-08:00

We need reps/ showrooms for ALL territories. Do you have any leads for us? Know any good retail outlets for our line where you live? Please pass on our info to them, and let us know whom to contact. Especially interested in having the hats in the SouthEast, South West, Texas, North East, Pacific NW, California, Hawaii, Australia / NZ. Thanks!!

Winter Boutique Schedule / 2009

2009-11-12T12:26:00.000-08:00

If you are in the LA area, and you'd like to shop our wares for the holidays, you can find me at the holiday boutiques listed below. Mention that you read my blog for 10% off your check or credit card purchase. Cash is accepted too, of course. Ask about our specials in person.

SAT., Nov 21, 2009
Garden of Angels Preschool
10 am - 2 pm
1009 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90403

SAT., Dec 5, 2009
10 am - 3 pn
Coeur d'Alene Elementary School
810 Coeur d'Alene Avenue, Venice, 90291

SUN, Dec 6, 2009
9 am - 2 pm
Mar Vista Farmers' Market
Grandview near Pacific, Mar Vista, 90066

SAT., Dec 12, 2009
Ocean Charter Elementary School Campus
10 am - 4 pm
12606 Culver Blvd., Del Rey, CA 90066

Mar Vista Family Festival 10/3 Sat 10 -4

2009-10-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

I'll be at the Mar Vista Family Festival this Saturday from 10 - 4. At Mar Vista Park. Come check us out! I have a great new booth display and a TON of great hats!

Sling Rings for Sale

2009-09-17T16:04:00.000-07:00

We did so well with hats this spring and summer that I ended up with a bunch of rings in colors we didn't use. If you want to make your own slings, please check out my online auctions at ebay or contact me directly. I have several auctions listed for rings in Pink, Bronze, Black, Green, and Red at a fraction of their usual retail cost. Look for my sales listed under "larachelle" or search for Sling Rings.

Posh Papoose at Mar Vista Farmers' Market 7/5/09

2009-07-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

I'll be at the Mar Vista farmers' market this weekend, 7/5/09 with all our inventory at special pricing for cash sales.

Here is the info:
Grandview between Venice Blvd and Pacific. in West LA (Mar Vista)
9 am - 2 pm

Posh Papoose on Twitter

2009-07-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

I just set up a Twitter account. You can follow us at #poshpapoose

Authorize.net is down - unable to process payments temporarily

2009-07-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

It seems that I only post when I have something bad to say. Today it turns out that our payment processor, Authorize.net, is down due to a fire at one of their facilities. So we cannot process payments by credit card until they get back online. However, I can process orders manually and invoice customers via PayPal. Hopefully this will be resolved soon!

I apologize for the inconvenience!

Changing host providers - Posh Papoose site down temporarily down

2009-06-17T17:48:00.001-07:00

Just an FYI in case anyone is wondering: I changed hosting providers and the website is in transition. It should be up in 12 - 24 hours (better be!). If you need to reach Posh Papoose, please call Rachel at 1-888-286-5640 (9 am - 6 pm, Pacific).

www.POSHPAPOOSE.COM temporarily down | How to contact Posh Papoose

2009-06-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

For some mysterious and frustrating reason, my site is down today. If you want to reach POSH PAPOOSE or www.POSHPAPOOSE.COM today, please email gmail>
dot com.
You will have to type that yourself (we have to fool the spambots).

You can call me: Rachel at 1-888-286-5640.
We are in California, so the best times are 9 am - 6 pm PST or 10 am - 9 pm EST.

SOOO sorry my dear customers! I don't know yet what the problem is and I'm endeavoring to fix it ASAP!!

I have so many new cute hats to post! I've learned that we are doing something right in terms of sun protecting hats because our brims are really wide and with the sandwich of several layers of fabric and interfacing, the hats really do block alot of sun. Now is the time! I have new hat fabrics posted at picasa here: http://picasaweb.google.com/poshpapoose/2009SUMMERFALLPOSHPAPOOSEHATFABRICS#

Long Time No Post!

2009-03-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

Well since I've gotten stuck on Facebook, the blog has lagged. There's a lot to update you on!

You can become a "Fan" of Posh Papoose at our new Facebook page!

If you sign up for the Posh Papoose monthly newsletter, you'll always get the latest news along with coupons and specials not available to the general public. You'll see the link on the top right of our home page.

We are trying to stock a little bit of the Aqua Silk Douppioni Ring Slings at a time. It's too expensive to buy alot at once. You can check the website or sign up for the newsletters to get the latest update on our inventory.

I spotted a baby sling on Calista Flockhart's character last Sunday (3/7/09) on Brothers & Sisters! Not sure which brand. Which it were a Posh Papoose(R)! At least I finally saw a sling on TV. I've been trying to get my propmaster husband to get one on a show, but so far the costumer designers must think that Baby Bjorns signify "baby carrier" in a more mainstream way. Not in LA, though,I can tell you.

Ok, continuing in this rambling vein, we are testing the waters of working with a showroom to rep our line for the Western 11 states. Hopefully all you Left coasters will start to see Posh Papoose(R) hats and baby slings in stores near you. If they haven't all gone out of business in this depression/ recession whirlwind. I'm also working on getting the hats into a store in Belgium. You can already find them in Toronto at Wild Child Boutique.

And do check out the reversible sun protection hats for babies, kids, and adults. I bought a lot of cute prints just for boys! They are adorable and me and my kids wear them every day here in LA. Stock is limited because my favorite fabric company doesn't reprint stuff a lot.

You are helping to support a small American business when you shop from us! All our items are made by hand locally. Thanks for reading!

Rachel

It's Raining Beans

2008-09-28T20:58:00.001-07:00

There are just some things you hope never to hear uttered aloud inside your house, this phrase being one of them...

Lia carefully gathered pinto beans from a dried up plant, placed them in a bowl, and brought them inside. Then later, while I was cleaning up in the kitchen, I was startled to hear Etan joyfully exclaiming “it’s raining beans!” while tossing the bowl’s contents into the air, followed by vigorous whacking of the beans with various toy trucks and cars.

Two of my three vacuums are broken (I have bad machine karma), and it is so much fun hand collecting beans in one’s living room. Just one of the many fun moments we’ve had while I solo parent for 8 weeks.

BatMom

2008-07-27T23:21:00.000-07:00

My brothers were visiting this week and I managed to hire a babysitter to see the new Batman movie, aka "The Dark Knight." With a title like that, you'd think maybe it's about the night I lost sleep because my child had a rota virus and expelled the contents of her belly multiple times and required that I wash sheets repeatedly until dawn.

But no, it's about the Joker and how he's an agent of chaos and anarchy. Which reminds me of my son, who at age 2.5, also happens to be an agent of chaos and anarchy. I require order, organization, neatness, the flower in the vase angled just so. Etan is compelled to expel every scintilla of artful composition from our home. Markers and crayons are tossed gleefully, leaving indelible marks on newly painted walls. Hats litter the floor. Crumbs mark an interior trail raccoons could follow. Books are pulled off shelves and scattered.

So I wondered initially, why do people seem to revel in this Joker character? Why are they dressing up like poor Heath Ledger for their movie excursions? Don't they realize he's the villain?

I suspect they identify with those irrepressable early urges to upset the apple cart. Why not splash all the bathwater onto the floor? It's there isn't it? It sure is fun.

While watching the Joker explain his motives (chaos is his raison d'etre), I wondered, does the universe tend towards order or disorder? The answer, I think, depends on whether you're a mom, or a toddler..Publish Post

An actual Posh update

2008-02-28T20:34:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to update the new hats & diaper pouches whenever I have a free moment. I'm Photoshopping until my fingers cramp up! They'll all be uploaded within the next week or so. Meanwhile, if you want a matching accessory to your sling and don't see a matching product on the site, you can order it as a "custom" item and we can make it, if we don't actually have it in stock - which is likely.
I'm debating whether or not to re-order more of those "dots" everyone likes so much. (cocoa blue dot, cocoa pink dot, etc.) I went to reorder the new "Ziggy" from that supplier and much to my horror, it was already out of print and being retired and I'd just seen it as new in October 07 at the fabric show.
If we take a break from Cocoa Blue Dot and its kissing cousins, Pink & Candy, will you all still find something you like? I hope so...! We've got yardage for heck of a lot of slings in about 30+ other darn cute prints & solid combos. Anyway, I'd love hear what you like best of the new prints. Even if you aren't buying right now, it helps to get a sense of what to stock up on before anything gets "retired" or out of print.

I'll send out an actual newsletter soon too. Just as soon as I find the time to sit down and focus!

They outsmart me

2008-02-28T20:32:00.000-08:00

Lia said, “Mama, I really really want to be six.”
I told her, “You’ll be six in six months.”
Lia: “But I really want to be six now!”
Me: “What if you always want to be older and older and one day you’re 110 and then you’re dead! Do you want that?”
Lia:” No, mama. I just want to be six.”

----

Etan: “No! It’s not ours. It’s mine!”
Etan refers to body glitter as “glittery” and he loves to smear it on his face like some sparkly West Hollywood savage. The ambulance is “my siren.” Chocolate yogurt is “brown yogurt” and when I try to sneak in pureed fruit or veggies, he calls me on it and refuses to eat it.

-----
Lia & I tussled the other morning the other day over getting dressed. I decided to pull rank and just force the clothes onto her. In the process I scratched her somehow and drew a speck of blood. Tears were shed. Later that day, I apologized to her for being forceful and for her getting hurt. I still wanted her to be more cooperative, however. She said,” Mama, sometimes you just need to calm down.”

And later, when I repeated the story to Will while laughing at her sage wisdom, she said, hurt, “It’s not funny, Mama.”

Why I will never be on time.

2008-02-21T19:51:00.000-08:00

We were literally walking out the door, at 8:05 am, when Lia turns and darts for the bathroom. How did she not notice the urge anytime during the previous 15 minutes? All momentum is lost. Finally, we get out and zoom over to the school, determined to make it through the side gate before it is locked. Lia notices her friends crossing the street at the traffic light and wants to dash for the intersection to join them. I scoop up Etan, his bulldozer, my keys, Lia's backpack, her sweater, and lope towards the light. Apparently I grabbed the wrong miniature vehicle, for Etan is screaming and making his 25 lb body lax as a lox. I put him down for a second, unable to manage all my bundles, and he tries to cross the very busy street back to our car, site of the truly desired toy.
Meanwhile Lia is running ahead towards the now locked gate. "Pick up your backpack!" I shriek. "I can't carry all this stuff myself!" Of course she won't and doesn't and now Etan is lying on his back on the sidewalk by the school buses, screaming. The driver is making sympathetic comments, but I cannot hear them. Lia is yelling at me to hurry up. I decide that I need to have a meltdown too and start screaming. I compose myself and stuff some crap into the backpack, pick up Etan, and start punting the backpack ahead of me like a soccer ball.
As we near the kindergarten gate, I decide, for efficiency sake, to just hurl it over the top and retrieve it when we come around from the other side, for now we have to go in a longer, back way. Now Lia is screaming and sobbing repeatedly, "I want my backpack! I want my backpack!" So I have to push her around and towards the entrance and I'm practically dragging Etan and finally enter the kindergarten yard where Lia stands still while crying for her backpack and my younger one is screaming. Out of the corners of my eyes, I perceive other adults assessing the situation, either breathing a sigh of relief that isn't their child, or wondering how Child Protective Services lets me parent without supervision. Within moments, everyone is settled as if we'd just sauntered into class with nary a quibble. It's 8:15 am, and I am exhausted.

New photos posted!

2008-02-18T21:05:00.000-08:00

I still don't think anyone is reading this. But in case you're a devoted PP fan - here's the latest from Posh-land! I managed to post photos of the new prints and they are great. I'd love feedback on what people like best, because I may not re-order all of them. I have photos of the Bamboo and Bamboo-blend solid with accents, and will post those soon. We also took photos on Sunday of new hats & diaper pouches so those'll get posted soon too. If you're dying to see a sneak peak, just email me and I'll send them to you. I'd also love feedback on what people think of the new Bamboo & Bamboo/Cotton blends (aka "Panda"). They both feel great, but wrinkle if you look at them funny. Do you care? I'd love to know. I'm still searching for the perfect solid color fabric, preferably organic or eco-friendly somehow.

Just an aside - my daughter (age 5) decided today that she doesn't have to do something if she merely crosses it off the calendar. Clever, that one.

Wanna see something fun? Check this out (it's ok if your kid sees it) I suspect this from "Improve Everywhere": http://madhatterinnyc.blogspot.com/2008/02/frozen-grand-central.html

New Diaper Pouches

2008-01-22T20:39:00.000-08:00

I have no idea so far if anyone is reading this!

Today, I uploaded a new category and product to the website for our brand new Diaper & Wipes Pouches. I think they are way better than similar items you can buy. Why? ours open horizontally, for one thing, which means your diapers won't get squished, and they are easier to access. I also made sure that they are big enough to hold four size 4 diapers, so that you won't get stuck without diapers as often. Julie F., my amazing right hand production guru, says she can fit three size 6's in hers. I'm using mine and it's great. We're going to work up a washable changing pad that can fold up and be inserted into the pouch, maybe it would take the place of 1 - 2 diapers. Or maybe there won't be demand for it. We'll see.

The diaper pouch fits into the sling pocket, or you can toss it into the bottom of your stroller or car for quick standing changes - good for toddlers.

In most cases, we're using up leftover fabric, so it's one way we recycle and leave no waste. But in some cases, I bought adorable fabric just for hats & diaper pouches because I could not resist: the red & blue Stars print, and the "Animal Parade" - just too cute.

Welcome to the Posh Papoose chronicles

2008-01-12T13:21:00.001-08:00

An admission: I aspire to being "posh" more than I actually achieve it. Between my two young children, the demands of a household, schools, and small business, I don't have much time or opportunity to spruce myself up in a big way. But it's the little things that add a touch of quick & easy glamor to a mom of young ones: a pretty baby sling, a quick slap of lip gloss, a fun pair of cheap sunglasses...

In 2002 when I was pregnant and not working, I started sewing slings for my own use. Being a helpless fabric junkie (I'm a former silk painter/ textile artist), I kept returning to the fabric store to get more colors and styles so that I could have a cool sling to match nearly everything in my wardrobe. I put in padding, I took out padding. I lengthened, I shortened. I added rings and clips and took them off. My infant grew. I tweaked and made franken-slings until I was really happy with the feel and fit. I was not a fan of the hippie and dull fabrics of the popular brands a that time and knew I could do much better. Modern moms deserver funkier style thatn that. Just because you're into babywearing doesn't mean you have to wear ugly fabrics you'd never buy in any other garment. I thought other moms might feel similarly.

I had so many, I decided to sell them to compensate for all the fabric I bought. And several years later, Posh Papoose(TM) has a full-blown website (launched in 2004, revised in 2007), a collection of different sling styles, hats, blankets, quilts, and more, an LLC, a almost registered trademark, and customers around the world. And on top of trying to meet the demands of a growing business, I'm still wiping tushies on a daily basis (don't worry, I wash my hands before packing slings!).