love those innovative mom bloggers!

blogging mom melissa of now what baby recently contacted us to do a review of babysparewear. now we get many such inquiries weekly, but i thought it was quite innovative of this young mom to kick it up a notch with video reviews and slideshows. yep, reviews that allow her readers to see the product being reviewed...in action. luckily melissa has a willing participant: her adorable three-year-old son conner. and we also got a little bonus on our review, melissa's friend's beauty of a baby: daughter jaden! (wearing our custom sky blue outfit) she is all of 8 weeks old. so sweet...

thanks, melissa. i think you are brilliant. now i get some fun shots of our outfits to blog about. so right back at'cha! hope you and conner enjoy your toddlersparewear kit in tangerine. happy potty-training!

from a personal perspective, i am always impressed with women who find a way to incorporate their specific interests and talents with motherhood. it is important for us moms to continue to grow as individuals and maintain that healthy balance between mom and "me." and as the kids grow, i see how inspiring it is for our children to see their mothers from a different perspective, too. bravo, melissa and all you other mom bloggers out there. keep up the good work.

babysparewear is going green...

we are thrilled to say that our new organic line is finally underway. at just about a year in the making, it has been a labor of love for us... as we strongly believe that as manufacturers we have a responsibility to do our part for the planet. we have taken great care in selecting only the best-quality fabrics with SKAL and Global Organic Trade Certification. as you might already know, certified organic cotton is grown without pesticides or chemicals under international standards for sustainable textile production. this means gentler fabrics for baby’s soft skin while reducing pesticide use, preventing soil erosion and protecting water quality to help spare the planet. our ecochic™ spare outfit kit will include an organic cotton long sleeve tee and pant in a beautiful quality organic canvas travel case. we wanted our organic kits to be more than just another organic basics line, so our kits will feature custom-designed silk screens with our three symbols of hope for a better tomorrow: spare love, spare peace and spare the planet. we are currently evaluating specific charities with which to tie each specific kit theme. in addition to certified organic cottons of the finest quality, this eco-friendly line will feature low-impact dyes, non-chemical, water-based silk screens (as always) and sustainable reuseable packaging. and we are proud to say that our products are still made in the usa. we are excited to share this new line with you. stay tuned for a sneak peek later this week. and please remember to spare your mother [earth].

haiku by sharon eisenhauer

we met sharon a couple of years into our business at an abckids show... tatiana and i were walking the show and we were stopped by sharon's gorgeous diaper bags. her line has since expanded to other lifestyle bags which are just as exquisite in detail. we got to chatting with sharon and seemed to bond over the challenges of manufacturing and general frustrations of running your own business. we have remained friends through the years and have really appreciated sharon's generous friendship and willingness to offer sales leads, overseas sourcing experience and general related know-how. and we try to share with sharon what we can, too. we've shared a booth space at enk children's club in new york and at the mom2b show here in los angeles to facilitate the high costs of trade shows. sharon has even stayed in our home while exhibiting in town...because if you are a small biz, it is SO about the costs.

i think it is really important to meet and support other women who are dedicated to building a business while still maintaining a family life as we are. it makes the uphill climb a little bit more bearable... and as sharon would say: it creates good karma.

if you do not yet know haiku bags, check them out. my girls still love their haiku to-go bags and don't leave to an overnight sleepover without them.

HOT PRODUCTS: babysparewear blue sparrow kit featured in pregnancy magazine

thank you pregnancy magazine for another awesome feature of our babysparewear travel kits. (jenny you are the best.) we so appreciate the support! and what a better issue than the july travel issue in which to be featured?


the july 2008 issue is on newstands now and probably at your local obgyn office, too. pick one up. there are some great articles this month, including "5 things no one tells you" which details the not-so pretty side effects of pregnancy. and another article i also found interesting is "big girls do cry" which discusses the merits of an occasional cry. kleenex, anyone?

eco-friendly shipping supplies from usps

our choice for shipping babysparewear orders to customers and retailers has long been usps priority mail for reliability and pricing, but now there is an even better reason: sparing the planet! yep, usps priority mail shipping supplies are eco-friendly. they have been awarded cradle to cradle silver certification for their material content, recyclability and manufacturing characteristics. not only are priority mail boxes and envelopes complimentary, but they compliment babysparewear's philosophy of less waste and a cleaner planet. so, even though we are down with brown, we're going clean with green...

"cradle to cradle certification is awarded to products that pursue an innovative vision of ecologically-intelligent design that eliminates the concept of waste."

babysparewear signs with exclusive l.a. showroom at the california mart

the babysparewear line is now exclusively represented in california and nevada by the very fabulous wholesale showroom: metropolitan kids. we are excited to have caught the eye of savvy california mart showroom owner michael anthony gonzales and look forward to expanding babysparewear's presence in our home state. michael's los angeles showroom represents a very selective assortment of childrens' lines including the exquisite kico kids and impressive fable and lore line which are both featured at fine retailers such as barneys new york and neiman marcus. we are honored to be in such fine company.

if you are an existing babysparewear retailer in california or a new retailer interested in seeing our complete line here in los angeles, stop by the showroom to say hello...or drop michael@metrokidsla.com an email to introduce yourself.

metropolitan kids is located at the california mart 110 east 9th street, suite #a632, los angeles, ca 90079 tel.213.489.0830 fax.213.489.0891

happy cinco de mayo!

in mexico, cinco de mayo is the day commemorating the victory of the mexican army against the french at the battle of puebla on may 5, 1862. in the united states, the 5th of may has become a holiday to celebrate all things mexican: the food, the music, the people and yes, the margaritas... for me, the day is a reminder to stop and pay tribute to my latino heritage.

my father, the second oldest of nine children, came to this country from a small town in jalisco, mexico in the early 1960's. my mother, a third-generation migrant farm worker born in gilroy, california spent her younger years traveling back and forth between california and mexico following the crops with her family. my parents married in 1965 and together they were determined to build a family in the land of opportunity. life was not without its challenges. my father was deported after only a few days of marriage leaving my poor young mother to track him down in tijuana at his sister's home, with no address and only a vague recollection of its whereabouts. there were many challenges ahead, but none to large.

my father worked as a busboy and in car washes early on. and it amazes me to think, given our country's current economic situation, that my parents were able to own their own home after only a few years. my father was always a traditional man and insisted my mother stay home with my brother and me while he worked, often two jobs. we spoke only spanish at home since my father did not want us to pick up his broken english. (gracias, papá.) my mother was a seamstress and did a bit of sewing work from home, but mostly focused on giving us the benefit of her traditional home-cooked meals, peaceful disposition, natural talent and amazing creativity (sewing, embroidery, knitting, crocheting, quilting, gardening, and even macramé in the 70's). my father spent most of his career working as a cook, but still managed to send his children to private schools—and later college and went on to own his own business, homes and new cars, and live a modest yet comfortable life.

today, my parents continue to offer my half mexican/half italian children the same richness of our mexican culture and traditions that i hold dear while keeping pace with modern America: my father is an avid collector of mexican stamps and is hooked on ebay (buying and selling) and my eco-conscious mom just started composting! my parents will retire this year...a well-deserved break from a long life of hard work. i admire my parents greatly and am thankful for their gifts of work-ethic, creativity and determination. and while natural humility still often clouds my parents' perspectives, i can only hope that they will one day realize how truly accomplished their lives have been. i know i am definitely feeling that mexican pride right about now.