Birthday Celebrations

Wow. I am in some sort of time warp. I can't believe I haven't blogged in a week! I swear it wasn't until I had children that my life started flying by at a frightening pace. On Friday I turned (gulp) 37. Now, I'm not one to be silly about growing older. I do not think I am OLD now that I am 37, but this has been the hardest bday yet. I just can't say the words t-h-i-r-t-y-s-e-v-e-n without thinking of a person way older and far more mature than myself. Other than my aching back and temperamental bladder (oh yeah, and the crows feet) I think of myself as so young.

Anyway, on the business side of life...our lawyer has come up with our first draft of the contract between Woobee Kids, BellySock, and BabyLegs. It looks very thorough with a few adjustments needed here and there. I am sure Nicole's lawyer will want to alter a few things as well. It is a lawyers job to first consider their clients. We want the contract to be fair to all parties involved. We've been waiting for months and now I can actually see that this will happen. It's super important that everything is signed before we attend the 3 September trade shows or else things start to get a little murky with the finances.

I had my first really bad manufacturing experience on Friday (happy bday to me). I picked up my first batch of product from my new local guy and out of 27 blankets I could only sell 4. Yes 4. The bibs were also crap. I was only able to save 3. I did have him stop blanket production (thank God), but the bibs were already sewn - 80! The big problem is that my inventory is tragically low and I do not have any more fabric in stock for some popular colors. The fabric supplier that I've been using is back ordered on my colors until the end of September. I wanted to change fabrics and am excited about the new cozy material, but now I will have to change two entire lines. Now think about what it means to change two whole lines...not just reordering hundreds (lot of hundrends) of yards of fabric and the manufacturing, but also having samples available for trade shows, literature on hand, line sheets altered, photos done, website changed, and press kits changed. It is a ridiculous amount of extra work 2 weeks before a show. But, it can and will be done. Oh, I am also adding a new product called the Super Woobee. I'll fill you in as it comes available - it is totally awesome!

The Outdoor Retail Show "product of the entry" is Smith sunglasses. The rep was so great to us and kicked down a pair of sunglasses each! I scored a very cool (a little too cool for me) gold metal frames pair of J.Lo style shades. I feel very hip in them - and am definately giving mix signals as I cruz around in my Volkswagon Vanagon. I need a new ride for shades:).

I'm going to bed, finally.

Children, Coffee and Pajamas

I am a little ashamed to admit that I did not get out of my pajamas today. Summertime is killin' me in the productivity department. Thank God for coffee or I may not have got one thing done. Ava (my 5 year old) is not in any summer programs this month. Lola has started her school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but not knowing my husbands job situation we did not commit to camps for Ava - and I don't know about where you all live, but in Seattle you have to have summer programs booked in the winter. There is a huge 'you snooze you loose' thing going on around here.

Because of the nature of parenthood I am so grateful for my job flexibility at BabyLegs. Instead of going into the office I'll be working tonight for a while when the girls go to bed, and while my husband handles the evening routine. I was able to be home today so I tried to get work done with the girls playing around me and I invited my friends husband to bring their two boys over while he ran a bunch of errands. Children are actually easier in a herd, especially when I have work to do.

Alright, so every posting I am going to end my posting with a mention of one of the great companies I experienced at the Outdoor Retailers Show. One company I think is great is Darn Tough socks with they're amazing comfy socks made in Vermont (I love products that are locally made) and the hysterical Ric Cabot running the show. Ric has a hosiery mill in Vermont that makes BabyLegs natural colored organic wool and cotton products. He hooked me up with a cushy pair of footie's and I LOVE them. Check 'em out.

Ultimate Mens Playground

Sorry I have been away from bloggerville. I am currently in Salt Lake City (wednesday - sunday) at the Outdoor Retailers Trade Show - what a crazy place! I can't even describe the size of this show. Floors and rooms upon rooms (and I am talking Ballrooms in size) of all the latest outdoor gear, clothing and accessories. What am I doing at the show? I am walking it with Nicole from BabyLegs, scouting the possibilities of having a booth for BabyLegs and Woobee Kids at this January's OR show. It is a great market for both companies.

Anyway, the trade show is HUGE and we have been able to accomplish a lot of our goals, such as sending around a petition to have a kids section in the directory listing, source materials for Woobee Kids and BellySock, and spread the word about our wonderful products. We also ran into a girl that I met at the JPMA show who is a partner in a wonderful baby carrier company called Belle Carriers...recently photographed with Julia Roberts using it - go Belle! Now that's the kind of celeb you want strutting your product.


Tomorrows the last day of the show and then we are flying home. I miss the girls and Ron so much. I do however appreciate this time to focus on business. Nicole and I have had some amazing chances to prep for meetings and get to know fabrics and also each other even better. It is always good to be in business with people you respect and can learn from - let go of all ego, be open to the experience, and soak it up.

Outdoor Retailer Trade Show

I am getting ready to fly to Salt Lake City to walk the huge and very cool Outdoor Retailers Show w/ Nicole from BabyLegs. We will be looking at cool new products, packaging, booth set-up, and other companies that may want to petition the OR group to have a children's section. If anyone out there has an outdoor product...and is interested in being part of this show, email me.

Here is the reality of being a mom that owns a growing business (here's a new pic of me, Ava, and Lola in the sunglasses). Leaving on a trip to a trade show is a logistical nightmare when it comes to girls (here they are with me at a BBQ). The idea of having my own business is that the girls don't need to be childcare 5 days a week (or even 4), and I can be available to help drop off and pick up from school/pre-school. So when something like a trade show comes up it is all hands on deck. Friends and family are called, favors are cashed in, and my husband gets a list of all the different places the girls need to be dropped off in order to have care (summertime and Ava's school hasn't started yet). Keep in mind that two children is much harder to find care for than one, especially when one is a potty training 2.5 year old. It literally takes me longer and more energy to plan for the trip than to go on the trip itself.

I really do appreciate my husbands flexible schedule Full Speed Ahead allows him (he designs bike parts - Peter Pan life). It would be impossible to do this Woobee Kids gig without that.

Hey, my friends (mother daughter team) just launched their web site and the clothes are great! The company is called Lil' Squirtz, and if you are into vintage looking original clothes you will love love love it. Check them out.

Working Moms...always working.

I believe I have mentioned that I signed on with a PR firm called 32 Flavors PR. I chose this boutique style firm because I really felt like Liz (the face behind the firm) had great style and she is a mom...not just a mom of one lil' girl, but pregnant with yet another girl. Some people in business suggested to me that it might not be a great idea to hire her with the new baby due to arrive soon and that she may not be able to give Woobee Kids the time it deserves to move forward. I say FOOEY! (and check out Fooey - I love this company).

Liz emailed me some pr opportunities with questions i needed to answer on Wednesday. I email her back that night late, expecting to have an email from her when I woke up (she's in NY 3 hours ahead). No email...hummm...I have a sneakin' suspition a new baby is in route. Turns out I am right and I get an email from her via Blackberry that afternoon, "thanks" for the questions I mailed back "had baby will be back in the office monday". Wow! I sent back a little congrats email and some trade show stuff expecting not to hear from her until monday, but no, I get another email from her via Blackberry responding to my trade show stuff! ROCK STAR! Newborn on the teet, Blackberry in the palm. That is a prime example of what it is like to be a mom and run a business...multi-tasking people. Mothers in business have a sense of obligation that is amazing. I could not be happier with my choice to support another mom in business who does a kick ass job. Thank you Liz!