Featured Product Friday!-- Itty Bitty Lydi

Every Friday we will be featuring one of our products at Elegant Mommy. 

Today's featured products come from Itty Bitty Lydi!

IttyBitty started when My daughter, Lydia was born.

I  had her modeling several tutu's in different photoshoots and people just loved them.

IttyBitty Lydi has been around since October 2008.

Tutu's, Hats and Headbands are available Locally at

Elegant Mommy here in Sioux Falls, and also at

www.elegantmommy.com

(From Itty Bitty Lydi's website)

Check out the variety of headbands, hats and tutus because 

Every Day Deserves a Little Princess Play

Daisy Doodles review and giveaway!

Saving Money and Looking Adorable with Daisy Doodles!
Daisy Doodles are a revolutionary diapering system that can save you hundreds of dollars over traditional cloth diaper systems.  Daisy Doodles are an ultra trim diaper that is cute and economical.  With this diapering system, you can use the same shell several times until its soiled while just replacing the soaker.  Ideally, you can use 3 soakers to 1 shell!

Daisy Doodles soakers can be made with your choice of fibers: Microfiber Terry, Hemp, or Bamboo.  All soakers are contoured to fit the size of diaper that they coordinate with, which gives them a great fit on your baby! The sides of the Daisy Doodle soaker are also open, which allows you to add a double to give your Daisy Doodle a boost in absorbency for nap time or long car trips.

Some of the advantages of the Daisy Doodle system are:

• They're probably the trimmest cut diaper you'll find
• There's no topstitching, which eliminates the chance of wicking
• There's lots of elastic in the legs to contain messes without using leg gussets
• They come in a variety of cute prints!
• All snaps are hidden, so there's no plastic parts touching your baby!

Many people can save hundreds of dollars when using a Daisy Doodle diaper.  For example

1 Daisy Doodle AI2 starts at $15.99
2 One dryer cycle soaker starts at $4.99

That's 3 diaper changes for less than $26! Compare that to one diaper change with a pocket diaper for $18-$20 and the cost savings can add up very quickly!

Check out Elegant Mommy to see variety of colors of Daisy Doodles.

What to try out Daisy Doodles, enter our giveaway!
We are giving away a Daisy Doodle starter kit which includes 1 diaper of your choice and 2 soakers. 


Main entry : 

Become a follower of the Elegant Mommy Blog. (1 entry)
Visit our website and check out the variety of Daisy Doodles available and tell us which design you would like to win.
Extra Entries:
Follow us on Twitter. (1 Entry)
Become a Facebook Fan of Elegant Mommy. (1 Entry)
Become a Facebook Fan of Daisy Doodles (1 Entry)
Tell us what you would like to see carried on the Elegant Mommy Website (1 Entry)
What blog topics would you like to see covered? (1 Entry)
Is there anything else we can do on our website or blog to better improve our services? (1 Entry)

Please include your e-mail with your entry (at least your first one). A winner will be chosen 6/6. I will then e-mail the winner and they have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.  

Give away ends at 7 PM CST 6/6/10 
Good Luck!

How to use a Rebozo in Labor

How to Tuesday (a little late)

In this week's How to Tuesday I've included a video showing how to use a Rebozo in labor. A rebozo is piece of fabric 4-5 feet long (you can also use a wrap or you can use a rebozo as a wrap later).

I will defiantly be using one of these if I have another child. I have talked with a few women that used it and said that it greatly helped elevate some of the back pain they were having during labor.

Check out the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QyQGBwFWMM

Don't forget about our Meet a Doula Information night

Meet a doula information night

The word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves" and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.

Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily.

A Birth Doula

• Recognizes birth as a key experience the mother will remember all her life
• Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor
• Assists the woman in preparing for and carrying out her plans for birth
• Stays with the woman throughout the labor
• Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures and an objective viewpoint, as well as helping the woman get the information she needs to make informed decision
• Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and her clinical care providers
• Perceives her role as nurturing and protecting the woman's memory of the birth experience
• Allows the woman's partner to participate at his/her comfort level

A birth doula certified by DONA International is designated by the initials CD(DONA).

Research evidence shows that the quality services of a postpartum doula can ease the transition that comes with the addition of a baby to a family, improve parental satisfaction and reduce the risk of mood disorders.

(Information from http://www.dona.org/mothers/index.php )

If you would like more information on what a Doula can do for you, plan on attending Meet a doula information night at Elegant Mommy, Wednesday May 26. This free event starts at 6:30 pm. 

We as Elegant Mommy are not promoting a certain doula, we are just hoping that you come find out some helpful information.

Does Cloth Diapering really save money?

Saving Money with Cloth Diapers

In today's economy everyone is looking for ways to save some money. There are lots of websites out there telling you ways to save a few dollars here and there. I'm going to let you in on a little secret I discovered to help our family save... Cloth Diapers. Now I know cloth diapers aren't for everyone, but check out some of these figures...


After doing some research, I've found that the average age for potty training is right around 30 months, so lets figure your child is average (I know, it's hard to believe, but I'm picturing my daughter as average here too :)


According to WikiAnswers Newborns use 8-15 diapers per day, where children at 1 year of age use 5-6. So let's just says that for the 1st year, they use 10 diapers everyday... that results in 3,650 diaper changes. Newborn to size 3 diapers are about .20 per diaper... that's $730 on JUST diapers. That is not including disposable wipes which can be anywhere from .01 - .05 a wipe! So if you use an average of 2 wipes per change... that's 7,300 wipes at .02 a piece that's another $146. So we've spent $876 in the first year! 


Once babies grow, which sadly they all do, and become toddlers, the costs of diapering sky rockets! If you are blessed with a large toddler (in a size 5 or 6 diaper) you can expect to pay anywhere from $.30- $.40 per diaper! 


So just making a rough estimate... if your childs diaper gets changed 5 times a day in their 2nd year and 1/2 of life and their diapers cost an average of .30, you can expect to spend about $822, add in wipes and it's another $55, bringing it to $877.... which is a grad total of $1,754. I spent less on my first car!  I know there are ways you can save even on disposable diapers and wipes by using coupons or making your own wipes. Plus you will most likely be given some diapers as a gift (even if you tell everyone you are doing cloth). 


Now lets look at the cost of cloth:

The price for cloth diapers was figured using Infant size CPF diapers for the first 6 months and Premium CPFs from about 6 months until potty training. Plus the cost of 6 size small covers, 4 medium covers, and 4 large wrap style covers at $9.50 each. This should be enough diapers to do laundry every 3 days.

Cloth diapers - Most Economical Chinese Prefold Diapers with wrap style covers

0-6 months 36 CPFs 6 small size covers	$60.00 $57.00 total $117.00
6-30 months 24 CPFs 4 medium size covers 4 large size covers	$56.00 $38.00 38.00 total $132.00
	Total Cost for Cloth Diapers and Covers $249.00

The following chart shows that you can use even premium pocket style diapers and still save significantly over the cost of disposable diapers. It compares the cost of FuzziBunz* One-Size diapers ($19.95 each, but discounted when buying in bulk). Fuzzi Bunz* fit most babies from birth to potty training. This should be plenty of diapers and inserts to do laundry every 3 days.

Cloth Diapers - Fuzzi Bunz One-Size (fits 8-35 lbs)

36 Fuzzi Bunz* $19.95 (15% off a cloth diaper purchase of $200 or more at  Elegant Mommy)	$718.20 before discount $610.47
	Total Cost for Premium Diapering System $610.47

Add $24.00 for 24 Cloth Wipes and Cloth Diapers cost you $273.00-$634.20 and they can be used for subsequent children as well.

(Pulled from http://www.diaperco.com/store/pg/90-Cost-Savings-Cloth-Diapers-vs-Disposables.html)* however I changed the brand of pocket diaper described.

Spending $600+ on a diaper system may come as a sticker shock, however there are many ways to save on that as well. If you launder more often you need less diapers. There are also many alternatives to the BumGenius diapers Personally I have invested just over $150 in cloth diapers and accessories, granted I did not start cloth until my daughter was over a year old, so she was already down to 5-6 changes a day.  

However, $600 now, Vs. $1,700 looks like $1,100 in your pocket!  

Some added benefits...if this is your first child, once you purchase cloth, they are yours and can be used on baby #2, 3, 7, 11! Also pocket diapers have a great resale value, so if this is your last child, it's not too late to try. You can still get about 50% of your investment back out of your higher end diapers as long as you take care of them. Keep posted for more tips on Cloth Diaper Care and specials!

How to make your own laundry detergent

How To Tuesday

How to make your own laundry detergent

About a month ago my family moved to a new apartment, this one includes my own laundry machine! I was so excited cause that meant that I could finally try the cloth diapers that I have been looking at for so long.  Along with the new adventure in cloth diapering I decided to try making my own soap.  I asked a few friends and searched google for a recipe.  I found recipes and tips on TipNut.com and ThriftyFun.com

Here is the basic recipe for powdered laundry detergent:
2 Cups grated soap
1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda

I personally used Fels Naptha Soap, however many sites talked about using Ivory or any other "natural" bar soap.  I found all of these ingredients at my local Hy Vee grocery store in the laundry soap section.

Warning, you are about to make a big mess!
At first I tried to grate the soap with a cheese grater, but I realized how long it would take to grate the bar, so I tried a food processor, which worked ok. It worked much better once I cut the bar up.  After I ground up the soap I added the borax and washing soda.  It was pretty clumpy, so I went back to the websites listed above to look for tips on solving that.  I learned it was a little late, but the best way to eliminate "clumps" is to let the soap sit out of the wrapper for a day or 2 before you grind it. Something, I will have to keep in mind for next time.

The scent may be a little strong, but you don't notice it on the clothing at all. If you like to change the scent you can add a few drops of essential oils as you mix the powders together.

I am storing the powder in an ice cream bucket.  I use 1 tablespoon for a small/medium load (my diapers) and 2 tablespoons for large/extra large/ extra dirty loads.

Once again, I will warn you making this is messy. However calculating the money that I will save using this (along with my cloth diapers) I think the mess is worth it. I have been using this detergent for a few weeks and it is working great so far. I also haven't hardly made a dent in amount I made, so it should last quite a while.

I hope these tips help you. Please pass along any tips you may also have. If you are looking for liquid detergent I would suggest checking out the sites I listed above. Let me know how they work.

Sheena

LaLeche League Featured on KELO news tonight

Here is a link to a featured story on Keloland news tonight.

http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=99997

LLL is a great place for expecting, new and experienced moms to come together to bounce questions and ideas off of each other. If you can, please join us at 6:30 at Elegant Mommy this Thursday, May 13.

Fuzzi Bunz Suggestions

For those of you that have questions about Fuzzi Bunz Diapers, here are some great suggestions we recieved in an e-mail from their General Manager. Hope this helps...
Side note: We carry One Size in our store, but we can order Sized.

Dear Shelly,
As a retailer it is often your responsibility, role and pleasure to inform your customers as to what best may fit their baby, not only in product but in size.  Since our launch of the new FuzziBunz One Size diaper last year we have changed our recommendations to customers both new and old to the cloth diapering scene.

Since our One Size launch we have seen a drastic shift in the sizes that people order, what they recommend to their customers and truly what fits babies at different stages the best.  We would like to share with you what we have found so you can also best educate your customers and provide the best service you can regarding FuzziBunz and fitting them for their diapers.

Infants - If a mom is starting cloth diapering from the get go with a newborn baby people are recommending the One Size as that is truly the MOST economical way to go.  It is not suitable for very small (under 7 lbs) babies or preemies - however it will fit (although somewhat bulky the first few weeks) a newborn.  BENEFIT - Moms know they can truly buy 12-18 of the One Size FuzziBunz and be done buying diapers until their baby is out of them! 

Babies 6-9 months of age - If someone is starting with FuzziBunz with an older baby but not yet a toddler - people are finding the MEDIUM size FuzziBunz fits their needs the best.  A MEDIUM FuzziBunz will fit very well at 6 months and fit most babies up until potty training provided they are not very very tall or very very chunky.  But for 80% of the babies Mediums do the trick and they are easier to manage than the One Size.  Other than our One Size the Mediums are our second best seller.  

Parents planning future children - Here again the ONE SIZE is a key suggestion.  With the replaceable elastic and snaps with a lifetime guarantee this makes a no nonsense choice for people who are really cost  and environmentally conscious.  After 10 years we know elastic does not last that long in storage - replace it and baby two is ready to go with no added investment in diapers!  

Preemies / Small newborns - Our Extra Small diapers are recommended for preemies starting at 4lbs.  Although we feel it is a large investment for diapers that will only last a short time, for people that are committed to using cloth from the very beginning this is an excellent product for them.  The MSRP will be going down on the XS when we relaunch the size next month making it more affordable, and this makes an excellent hand me down to new moms to get started with. 

Smalls and Larges - with the wide size range of the Mediums and the One Size craze, the size Smalls and Larges have really tapered off - you will see our stock levels are low on these as we project production based on our own sales reports and demand.  The LARGE size is REALLY large and is great for late potty training children or special needs children.  The small seems to not be making much sense for new babies as they will grow out of them in 6 months leaving parents to invest more money in diapers. However parents that prefer ease and trimness are more inclined to reach for a size small. 

I hope that this email will be helpful for you in both assisting your customers and planning your inventory.  The information above is what we recommend to cloth diaper users that contact us for more information and assistance. 

Best Regards,

Pam Peters

FuzziBunz® Diapers

General Manager

Mother's Day

Happy Monday Everyone :)

I hope that all of you mommies and mommies-to-be had a great mother's day.
Do you have any cool mother's day traditions? Or did you do anything fun?