Posts by Kristen

Fundraiser for Antonio

I've heard my Aunt say at least five times, "We'd all have ten kids if they never got sick!"  I know I take for granted my childrens' strong immune systems and that they're only knocked out from sniffles, coughs, fevers and random viruses a couple times a year. But I still worry when I'm holding my sick kiddos, listening to their breaths while they fidget in their fever-induced dreams, smelling that weird smokey fever smell. I wonder when (not if) they will be ok, and am so ridiculously grateful with the knowledge in a few more hours (and cold washcloths) it will soon pass.

But for those parents who hold their children who are sick  with an unknown disease,  or a scary known one, my heart breaks.  We all know family who are affected by a disease which has turned into something beyond doctors' help. We see the family praying and hoping that this procedure will heal him, or pleading the Please God-take-this-away-from-her-and-give-it-to-me prayer.  For these moms and dad I am sincerely empathetic, but I truly do not know that despair. So I donate time, money, and a listening ear; meals and childcare if they are local.

This is an opportunity to help one of those families going through a scary illness called ROHHAD, and the answer for healing is experimental and the costs are exponential. For the family of Antonio, they have so many trials ahead. The awesome people at Eylas Imports, Nappy Shoppe and Sweet Pea Diapers have come together to help him out by making a one-of-a-kind wetbag.

I have two orange camo prints available for $15. All of which goes to the family after the manufacturing costs are complete.  Personally I know the family through several cloth diaper retailing groups on Facebook and they are a class act. I also have a huge admiration for Sharni (of Nappy Shoppe) and Candice, Antonio's mother, who runs Mami's and Papi's in Killeen, TX. These ladies have a great relationship as friends and  fellow retailers who could be considered competition, but instead complement each other's business.

I plan to personally match the price of the $15 wetbag to send to Antonio's fundraising page. So another $30 for both of these bags.

For more information on Antonio's condition and fundraising webpage: click here.

To buy the wetbags - come into the shop, or message me here.

THANK YOU!!!

Go GREEN for Easter!

Before I considered myself a "crunchy" mom I didn't think twice about what went into the Easter baskets. Except for what chocolate did I like and NO WAY were my kids getting those weird marshmallow candies with the hard shell on it.  However, now with candy being handed out for every single holiday as well as the non-holidays (St. Patricks day candy? Really?) I started to rethink what goes in those baskets. I slowly switched from candy to little toys, pencils and pennies.

Then I decided I didn't want to put plastic junk in their bags (I do reuse the eggs every year) and quit using that plastic Easter grass and Chinese junky toys that you can get in the Target or Walmart bins. Now I try to find cool art projects, a new
pair of flip flops and swim suit for swimming lessons, toys that I can find for cheap at our local consignment store like Polly Pockets and this year I scored a big Play Mobile sale at Intelligent Life toys in Marion, IA.

And now with my own store I can be even more creative. See the play silks (Sarah Silks and Color Tonic), Hevea Bath toys, Aura Cacia bath foams, Jellystone teething jewelry and toys (they have Jr. sizes too!), Planet Wise snack bags, Green Toys and more. Now with the addition of Sophie and the new Farm Buddies coming next week - that is one heck of a basket!

So think outside the basket, you CAN make a change with your dollar this year:

Think Local - There are lots of options at Baby Time and other local toy and candy stores. A couple of NICE pieces of candy and or toys are more fun in the long run. Plus avoid the junky toys that will break and end up in the bin long before Christmas stockings are getting pulled out of storage.

Think Green - No more plastic grass! Better for the environment, better for you having to clean up all those little pieces stuck on clothes, toys and furniture, not to mention always ending up in the baby's mouth!

Think Consciously - Where is that 5 for $1 pencil eraser made? Or that shirt you got for $5? Just like the cheap diapers, do you think they are made from factories in the USA for workers who are given fair wages and working conditions? Probably not. Some of the items I carry in the store are more expensive than their Chinese counterparts - and I can easily justify that because I'm supporting (and you with your dollar!) our own economic ecostructure as well as knowing the workers are being paid fairly. I also trust that the products I carry at Baby Time are safe for you and your children.  Every bit counts.

Go GREEN for Easter this year. Every"bunny" can make a difference!

Healing Amber Update

It's been quite some time since we started wearing Healing Amber in our family. Here is an update:

Me: I like it - I'm not sure if I notice a difference in my mood or general well being, but I didn't have any real complaints or conditions to begin with. I'll be honest tho - I think my chiropractor has made the plantar fasciitis, knee, hip and back pain go away more than the amber. However, I think it's beautiful to wear and love how it warms to my body temperature.

Meaghan: She just turned four last month and she doesn't wear it long enough to say one way or another. I'm lucky she keeps the same pair of undies on throughout the day. However, I did have her wear it when she was sick with the flu to hopefully combat some of the aches and pains. But I'm not sure if it made a difference or not.

Aaron: He wore it for about a month, and took it off saying it made his pain worse. YMMV I guess!

Rhys: He started out with one necklace and took his Dad's after he quit wearing his, and now has two! He loves how they look and says he thinks it makes his back hurt less (I wasn't aware he was having back problems, I think he hears us old folk complain about it too much.) But this is where it gets interesting....what he doesn't know is I have kept track of his mood swings, meltdowns and temper tantrums since wearing the amber. He has a few blow ups every now and again, but the epic meltdowns only occur 24 hours after he forgets to put his amber back on after swimming lessons or showering.  By far this change in our family has been the best and worth the investment in the amber I purchased for the family.

I chatted about this phenomenon in the Healing Amber retailers page on Facebook, wondering what they thought or if the owner of Healing Amber had any input. Kristen Eaton had this to say, "I have heard it improved mood but haven't learned specific (scientific) reasoning behind it. My personal theory is that if you are uncomfortable/in pain etc, the amber helps alleviate that and you feel better in general. Children often have a hard time knowing if they are in pain unless it's big or there is an event. Think 0f needing to pee badly, it would cause anxiety/irritability in a person but they wouldn't call it pain. Does this make sense? Aside from that, if he has some inflammation in his body causing the mood swing (not sure how, maybe brain chemistry?), amber helps with inflammation :)."

I have been considering putting our family on a no-dairy trial to see if that helped with moods, tummies and all of those sort of things. I know that cutting dairy out (I eat a yogurt a day and cheese maybe once a week is all) has drastically improved my seasonal allergies and congestion, and am willing to make the switch to almond milk and a cheese substitute to see how our family would feel overall.  The next step is cutting gluten, but I'm not THAT crunchy.....or am I?

Pregnant or plan to become pregnant??

Join the Corridor Birth Alliance in their premier event:

Where: Sendak Room, CRPL at Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids, IA.

When: Thursday, December 6, 2012

Time: 7:00pm-8:00pm