Updates and Information

What a transition we have been through the past couple of months. There is a lot to tell...please bear with me!
CPSIA Update
A blessing for most crafters, the day our shop closed I got an email saying the CPSIA was postponed for another year. What good news! Too bad I had clearanced out the inventory and given the landlord notice of our leaving. But it does allow our crafty mamas to continue their businesses and allows us to continue online.
Blessed Baby Update
The shop was intended to be put fully online long before now. But just as Murphy's Law would have it, my trusty laptop had something of a fatal seizure just days after the doors closed. I have had it in the shop, and as much as Caleb tried, he could not recover it. He is working on getting my data so I can transfer it to another computer. Of course, that means buying another computer! We will continue to sell our products....online as soon as we can, but I am also available by phone for orders.
Personal Update
My personal life has taken a pretty drastic turn these past couple of months, which has greatly affected my ability to keep track of things. This is the first time I have been able to get to a computer to let everyone know that we are still around! I have not only moved the shop to my home, but moved out of my home as well. So settling into a small apartment was tough, and digging out the fabric and sewing machine was even tougher. I spent a good deal of February inside, not answering the phone, and not going anywhere except to work. My primary focus for March was to get out of the house once in a while, unpack, and create new stability for my children. Please understand that this was a very difficult time personally for me, and I recognize that it was not very good for business. But I am working on getting emotionally healthy again, and beginning to really reach out and get back into my life. I am working hard to catch up with everyone. If I owe you a sling, please feel free to call me and give me a nudge of a reminder!!!
WAHM Update
Tragically, we lost one of our own last week. Tara Hart, our Organic skin care mama and creator of beautiful handmade cards, was in a car accident in Fairfield. She was alone in her car. She leaves behind a wonderful husband and 3 beautiful boys. You may leave messages of condolences for her family at http://www.legacy.com/bangornews/Obituaries.asp?Page=Notice&PersonID=125690032
Consignment Sale Update
We are still planning on doing a consignment sale. I was hoping to have had it all ready to go by now, but like I have said, when it rains it pours! I am working to get that going ASAP! If you would like to give me a hand it getting rolling, feel free to call and let me know.
Contact Update
As I have moved and don't have a computer at the moment, the only way to catch me is by phone. I had ordered for Fairpoint to forward calls from the shop phone to my cell, but Fairpoint is incredibly behind in their orders! I still don't have a landline at the apartment. Frustrating! I also do not have email. As soon as I do, I will post and celebrate my reconnection to the world! Until then, my personal cell number is 207-778-1065. Please call between 9am and 8pm. Should I not answer, it could be that I am working, with my children, or not getting reception (my apartment has reception on the couch, near the kitchen window, and in my bed only! hahaha weird!). Please be patient as it may take a couple of days to get back to you, but I will try to call you back as soon as I can. You may also send me a text message- be sure to leave a name so I know who you are!
Any questions, please feel free to give me a call. Really. I mean it! I miss my customers a whole lot!
Please accept my sincere apologies for not being in touch. Sadly, I am on my mother's computer today because I had to come to MA to attend my aunt's funeral. It could be a bit before I get online again. Many blessings!! Heidi

Legistated Out of Business? S.O.S.

Save Our Shop and fight the CPSIA
While the big corporations are refusing to reveal and account for billions of tax-payers' dollars in bailouts, the government has passed a little known new law that effectively legislates work at home mothers (and fathers) out of business. Back in August, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act was passed. It is a broad sweeping knee jerk reaction to the Chinese imports of poisoned toys, a law designed to keep lead and pthalates out of products for our children. We are all for keeping our children safe, and while the basic aim of the law is good, it is a fatal blow to small manufacturers and crafters. The fact that so many of the crafters and makers of lovely things I have spoken to don't know about it yet makes me sad and angry that it was snuck so quickly under the radar. Not only am I angry for the millions of WAHM's around the country who are bringing home extra money for their families, while being able to stay home with their children by lovingly creating toys and items for children, but I am angry for me, too! I will no longer be able to buy the things I love so much for my own family. And, to ice the cake, as of Feb 10, 2009, most of the inventory of Blessed Baby Boutique will become illegal. The entire foundation of the shop, built with the love and support and products of so many WAHM's in Maine and around the USA, has become illegal. Without the funding to third party test every component of every hand-crafted item, each of these moms will not be able to make their products anymore, and I will no longer be able to legally sell them. This is the fatal flaw of the CPSIA, and this is just sad. Many crafters and small businesses are calling Feb 10 National Bankruptcy Day. Please join in and voice your concerns and opinions and support for changes to the CPSIA to keep these women in business:
*Joni James, WAHM, maker of handmade toys in Industry, ME
*Aimee Grimmel, WAHM, maker of cloth diapers and slings in Mexico, ME
*Harmony Lattin, WAHM, maker of handmade toys from recycled fabrics in Winthrop, ME
*Katherine Kollman, WAHM, maker of handpainted onesies, doll slings, blankets, warming packs, jewelry, and more in Gardiner, ME
*Raylene Hunt, WAHM, maker of beautiful quilts from recycled fabrics in Maine
*Deborah Sheehan, WAHM, maker of cloth diapers in FL
*Dawnella Sutton, maker of many many handmade things for children in Freedom, ME
*Karen Kangas, weaver of handmade bassinets in Strong, ME
*Leah Danala, maker of blankets and baby shoes in Strong, ME
*Alyssa Geis, maker of blankets, quilted blocks, and diaper bags in Farmington, ME
*Kelly McCrillis, maker of crochet baby blankets, stuffed animals, and toys in Wilton, ME
*Jennifer Ward, maker of cloth diapers in Limington, ME
*Chuck Baker, maker of hand carved wooden puzzles (a retired Navy Vet and grandfather), in Sterling, VA
*Cindy Heyes-David, maker of hand-quilted baby books in Strong, ME
*Heidi MacIsaac (me, of course), seller and supporter of WAHM-made things, maker of quilted blocks, dolls, bean bags, blankets, burp cloths, and other fun things for children as I find the time and inspiration.
We are the women in your community. We are wives and mothers. Our children go to school together. And we are asking for help.
I feel quite sad about the coming months, and wonder truly what the fate of these women (including myself) is. What will become of us, of our shop, of our Maine WAHM Network, and of WAHM's around the USA? Remember that beautiful baby doll that was lovingly made that your child carried everywhere? The hand-made toys of wonder, that last forever, are played with over and over, are passed down from generation to generation, will become obsolete without the voices of parents and concerned citizens everywhere. Please speak up, and Save Our Shop.

Great Baby Toddler Derby Race!

What a great fun time this will be! At this year's Wilton Blueberry Festival, we are sponsoring a Diaper Derby of sorts. Here are the details:
When: Saturday, August 2, 2008
Time: Registration begins at 12:30, Heats start at 1:00
Where: Kineowatha Park, on the Flagpole Green
Who: All children ages 0-24 months. They will be divided by age and ability at registration (0-12 mo, or crawling; 12-24 months walking)

Some Rules to Follow:

• All racers MUST have an adult supervisor present
• All racers must confirm registration by 1pm
• All racers in the crawling division MUST crawl. Anyone who gets up and walks will be disqualified (although celebrated!)
• Each racer will be called up to race by division and number.
• Preliminary races will have no more than 12 per heat
• 1st and 2nd place finishers in each heat will compete in the final heat
• Adults may use any means necessary to entice baby to reach the finish line- toys, dolls, bottle, rattles, keys, etc. But no adult can assist the racer or cross the starting or finish line during that race.
• All decisions of the judges are final

Winners will receive in each division:

1st place: $50 Bond

2nd place: $10 Chamber Bucks

For more information, please call Heidi at 645-2545.

To register, you may download and print a form at http://www.route2.com/wbf.htm

Good luck, have fun, and pray for sunshine!

Blessings,
Heidi

New Affiliate Program

Join Blessed Baby's affiliate program and earn store credit towards the things you love! From cloth diapers to handmade toys, laundry soap to bath soap, you can use your credit for Christmas, birthdays, baby showers, or just everyday needs! Here's how it works:
*You sign up as an affiliate at our site
*You are given a unique affiliate number and website link, and an emailed banner
*You post this link/banner online everywhere you post messages- online communities, emails, blogs, chats, wherever!
*Every customer that clicks from your link to our site and buys something earns you credit!
*Sales and credit will be calcuated monthly
*Sales of $1-$100 will earn 5%
$101-$250 earns 6%
$251-$500 earns 7%
*Credit can be applied online, in the shop, or both- you choose!
Questions? Email me!
Sign up today!

Doggy Doula

Last night I attended a birth as a doula. This wasn't mom's first baby. Oh, no. She has raised more than 20. She birthed 9 babies just last night. She is Emma, our black lab, and experienced mother. I have been so busy with the shop and with Maia that I forgot how amazing it is to witness the birth of little squirming puppies. Watching Emma birth, and supporting her with soothing words and hugs, reminded me of the way we treat birth in America. When a woman gets pregnant, she is sent to the doctor and many times treated as if her pregnancy is an illness. She is not allowed to birth on her own, to trust her own body and instincts. And amazingly, many dog breeders take this same approach with their dog-moms. They take the puppy from mom, cut the cord, clean it up, then place it on her nipple. They then remove that puppy so the next one can be born. When left to her own instincts, mom will calmly birth her baby, open the sack (each puppy is born in its own sack), shred the cord (cutting it too cleanly could cause excessive bleeding), and clean up the puppy herself. The licking clears the nasal passages and stimulates the pup to breathe. The pup makes his own way to the nipple and nurses until mom stands up and moves to birth the next one. She also will then return to nursing her litter. We (my husband and I) attend the births as observers, ready to help if needed. And the only times moms have needed help was with the first puppy ever- then mom does the rest- or with a very large litter and mom is exhausted with the last few.
I'm saddened at how much of a loud and chaotic time we make our births out to be. A quiet, calm, mother-centered birth can really make the difference between birthing with fear, and subsequent complications, and birthing with power. The addition of a doula to the birth team can help a mother to reduce her risks of complications and c-sections, and the doula serves to help mom's caregivers carry out the birth plan. Having a professional support in labor also frees dad up to support mom emotionally and to fully attend his child's birth.
Maine WAHM Network member Harmony Lattin has set up a CAPPA (Childbirth and PostPartum Professionals Association) training for labor and post partum doula certification. I will be attending, as will some other MWN members. If you are considering becoming a doula, or hiring a doula, you can email me for details. Each doula-to-be is required to attend at least 3 births for the certification process, and you may be able to take advantage of our eagerness!

Grant SemiFinalists!

HOORAY FOR US!
A little while back, I applied for a grant from Idea Cafe. They are this great website for small businesses dedicated to finding and offering grants. Their newest grant is in honor of one of their own, and it's an inventive idea award. Apparently, Blessed Baby and all it's ways to support moms and families is inventive enough.
700!
There were more than 700 applications, and we were selected as semi-finalists.
Check us out here:
http://businessownersideacafe.com/small_business_grants/semi_finalists.php?grant_id=8
Help us become finalists and come celebrate with us! Go there and check out our name, then email me with the names of the people above and below me, and I'll send you a coupon for 20% off anything in the store! Or write it on paper- any kind of paper will do, just have the right names- and bring it into the shop for the same coupon!
The first 25 people with the names will also get a special prize, so hurry!

Our New Shop!

Thanks so much to WAHM Joni and her hubby for the beautiful sign!

It's been a while- sorry about the absence! But our new shop is now officially opened and running, and we're so glad we did it. Who knew how many people were in Farmington? ;-) I knew, and it's made all the difference.

Since opening, we've seen a great increase in customers, and a wonderful response to our products and mission. So many moms have come in and said "I've been meaning to come see you, but I never get to Wilton." And others have said, "We're so glad you're here! Now it's easier for me to come shop here!" New browsers have told us what a lovely shop it is, that our presence is very soothing, and that we've got great things for women of all ages.

Thanks to everyone who helped!

WAHM's Karen, Crystal, Joni, Raylene, and SAHM Jeannie all helped paint and paint and paint, with the assistance of Raylene's DS Matt, and my DS Jeffrey on job-shadow day.

It took many many trips with pickups and mini-vans to get all of our stuff over to the new place as well. Thanks to Aimee, Michele, Jeannie, Crystal and her DH Glenn, my DH Jeff and his friend Rian, Meghan, Joni and all the mamas who made trip after trip with stuff. Seriously, we just took the last load over this past Sunday!

Karen's DH made her a great new shelf for her Spring Blossoms line of handmade skin care and perfume, and Joni's DH put up our new slatwall, helped build our sign, and built her a new display for her Sweet Zinnias Floppy Friends. It's truly been a family affair, and we're so grateful for it!

Being in town has a couple of other bonuses!

There's a lovely walking trail out back that leads to a tressle (sp?) bridge in the woods.

We have quick access to the weekly Farmer's Market on Fridays 9-2 in the parking lot of the Better Living Center (quick access to the BLC for snacks as well!).

Maia loves hearing the church bells every day at noon and 5!

The House of Pizza delivers.

Nina's gourmet coffee and chocolate right next door.

Endless walks around town window shopping.

OK- I just had to put out there how much life and fun there is in town that we didn't have in Wilton. Maia insists on a midday walk daily, so we close up for 20 minutes or so and hit the pavement. It's actually a trick to get her to sleep- I throw her in the mei tai!

Along the way to Farmington, we've picked up a few new products-

Kelly's Crocheted Critters are handmade by Maine WAHM to 2 Kelly McCrillis. She makes some gorgeous little and BIG crocheted animals for little ones, including a big ole' sock monkey that lived in our tree for a total of 2 hours before hitching a ride home with Nina from Up Front and Pleasant. She's sending it to her brother in Tuscon. Yes, he was that cool- I'll post a picture of him soon! We've also got a butterfly, a hippo, and an heirloom-style bear.

We've also gotten some great upcycled Jacob's Ladders from Bangor. This guy makes some beautiful Jacob's Ladders from used books! He takes the title page of the book for packaging, and recycles the rest of the paper. Then he uses the covers to make the ladders. They're fun, beautiful, classic, and a wonderful use for old books (texts mostly, I think!). Check him out!

Another beautiful and hand made toy we've begun carrying is Grandpa's Woodshop wooden puzzles. They make a great gift for an older toddler or preschooler, and are made in the USA by a retired grandfather and USA Navy Veteran. He does a beautiful job, and these puzzles are guaranteed for life!

So that's the update- come and see us soon.

Blessings!

Heidi