spare the nation: a 6-year-old's letter to the president

early this school year my six-year-old was asked by a contest at school how she "can make a difference." she responded by writing a letter to the president. she proceeded to sum up her simplified version of political and social issues at hand. we were quite touched by her innocent, yet deep understanding of the world we live in. we framed the letter and it now has a place in our home for all of our friends to read. she even won an award of merit from the los angeles school district. we did not send the letter to the current administration...but feel the sentiment is worth sharing with you.












i have tried not to have the babysparewear blog become a blog about my life with three kids (not an easy task since that is such a big part of me). but with the historic advancements of our current presidential race, and today's important announcement from barack obama regarding his path towards true independence from a broken system, luna's letter seemed appropriate and timely. maybe we will send the letter one day soon.

happy father's day from bsw!

so, here's the guy who makes all my dreams come true: 3 beautiful daughters, a happy marriage, a lovely home, and all the support i need to continue on this unwavering path to building the babysparewear brand... he's not only my best friend of over 18 years, but the best father my girls could ask for. happy father's day. we love you. (sorry, i know you hate that i just posted your photo...get over it.)

to my own father/papá, my biggest fan (he must be the only one who has read this blog in its entirety...) though i must say, our relationship is one of mutual appreciation. felíz día!

to tatiana's father, whose memory and many wonderful qualities live on in his daughters... and to all fathers and grandfathers whether near or far—or with us just in spirit, your role as father is more important than you may ever know. happy father's day.

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.

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."

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.

cookie magazine wants to know...

everyone knows: if there is ever a question, ask mom. well, why should it be any different for cookie magazine? the upscale family magazine is inviting moms to share their favorite mom products via wordofmom.com. we have heard from so many of our awesome moms & customers telling us how much they love our products for our unique concept, convenience and long-lasting wear. and if we have not yet heard from you directly, your repeat orders say it loud and clear. : )

so if you have a spare moment, let cookie magazine know babysparewear is on your list of faves. we certainly would appreciate the favor...

click the headline link above to check it out. it is a very quick form (name, email, city) and does not take more than a few clicks to get to fashion/accessories where you can type "babysparewear" as a favorite kids clothing brand.

confessions of a gift-giver...

i love gifts. but more than giving them, or receiving them for that matter, i love to wrap them. it is a well-known obsession of mine. i love the added sense of anticipation a nicely wrapped gift offers. my friends and family can usually recognize my work on a gift table from across the room. perhaps because my gifts never resemble anything from behind a department store counter. most of my ribbon is vintage or unique salvaged designer goods i collect from flea markets or downtown fabric shops. my paper is usually recycled or re-purposed. some consider the effort a waste of time. and it astounds me that to most, the act of gift-wrapping is considered a chore. for me, it is therapeutic. i am soothed by the ease in which colors, textures and muted tones take on another life with just a few quick ties. i see gift-wrapping as just another opportunity to find beauty in simplicity.

if you honor us by sending a gift from www.babysparewear.com, just say the word and your gift will receive complimentary gift-wrapping and a gift message. and be assured, no baby footprints in pastel colors will ever adorn your purchase. i will make sure of that. : ) and if you need further proof, i am the same woman who will forego purchasing paper towels for the household if the only ones left at the market are the ones with printed designs...

ready set. go.

we know. you've been losing sleep over just how other moms use their handy, pre-packed spare outfit kits. so we thought we'd have one of our moms break it down for you. elizabeth of laverne, california offers these step-by-step instructions:

1) place your babysparewear® spare outfit kit in your diaper bag (see exhibit A above).

2) go.

and the third step, you ask. according to elizabeth, there isn't one. see, it's that simple.

thanks so much to elizabeth for the helpful demonstration. and how coincidental, it's usually #2 again which stops moms in their tracks when out with baby...

a little blogging humor...

© Isabella Bannerman SIX CHIX © 2007 King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Oops, too late. Thanks to Ron Gould for sending this over. I will consider myself warned. To quote a wise man: "Humor dances near the white-hot flame of truth."

happy spring!

while babysparewear makes no claims of relieving you from sinus pressure this season, perhaps our hummingbird kits can relieve moms from the pressures of parenting on-the-go... happy spring from babysparewear!