GIVEAWAY: Made in Canada, Reusable Snack & Sandwich Bag Set

These fabulous Snack & Sandwich bags are reusable, washable, BPA free, phlalate free and FDA approved food safe.

Made in Canada!

We think they're an awesome stocking stuffer too- kids and adults will get plenty of use out of these!

The Snack is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers- holds about a 1 cup of snacks. 

The Snack and Sandwich bags can be wiped out with a damp cloth or tossed in the washing machine. (dryer on low or medium heat!)

1 Winner will receive a snack and sandwich reusable bag set of their choice. 

Enter to Win: Tell us what you would fill yours with and what print or prints you would choose to buy or receive if you win!

$100 Gift Certificate Giveaway!

$100 Gift Certificate Giveaway!

Tell us how you heard about us below to be entered to win. Extra entry? Tell a friend about this giveaway and leave an extra comment for an extra entry into the giveaway!

Be sure to leave an email address so we can contact you if you win. Winner announced on Friday.

Good Luck!

Locally Made Muddy Buddy Rain Pants! PVC + Phthalates Free!

Locally Made Rain Pants!

Now In Stock in Blue and Red

Sizes 1 to 4

We had a difficult time finding safe rain gear, at a reasonable price so we had some rain pants locally made with french seams (so they will not let the water in!). 

Many of the commercially available rain suits for children are made from nasty PVC likely softened with Pthalates. 

What's wrong with PVC?

• Generally, the smell is awful and should be your first clue it's not a meterial you want to wrap your child in.
• Health and Environmental Risks are posed by PVC because it releases dioxins (the same chemical found in trace amounts in disposable diapers!), mercury and phthalates into the environment.
• Young children, generally explore the world by mouth, and of course typically chew on many toys (and non toys) so it's particularly  harmful

Source 

The Awesome Wishbone Flip has Arrived!

The Wishbone Flip just arrived at Abby Sprouts!

We all know kid's are always growing out of their clothes, toys, diapers etc so we love that Wishbone designs children's items with longevity in mind. They make our fave 3 in 1 bike that goes from trike to balance bike, and now they've come out with the awesome wishbone flip! Toys designed with multipurpose for different ages and stages are also more environmentally friendly as you're only buying 1 product to last through years of play.

It's perfect for the coming fall as we spend more time indoors too. 

First Rock..

Then Roll!

It’s a rocker.  It’s a ride-on.  It’s your child’s best friend.

With its innovative flipping mechanism, Wishbone Flip transforms from rocker to ride-on in seconds.

Eye-catching and super-functional.

Wishbone Flip is a timeless toy your whole family will love. 

Made from 100% reforested birch plywood.  Meets current European, US and international toy safety standards. Recommended for ages 1 to 5.

Rocker seat height - 8.6 inches

Riding seat height - 10.2 inches

Double bolt holes allow Flip to grow with your child.

Unboxed weight - 8.8 lbs

Boxed weight - 10 lbs

Abby Sprouts in Victoria, BC, Canada is located at 3011 Gosworth Rd. and we've just built the demo if you'd love to let your little one try it out!

What to Pack in your Hospital Bag?

We've had a few moms asking lately what would be good to pack for the hospital so we got some input from moms on our facebook page to make a list of the essentials and luxuries. 

In no particular order:

•  Hair Ties
• Food (for you, support people etc)
• Toothbrush/Tooth Paste
• Diapers
• Receiving blankets (we like aden + anais or Dress Me Up Organic)
• Nipple Cream
• Your own pillow
• Nursing Pillow
• Lip Balm
• Bottom Balm
• Camera
• Extra Batteries
• Flip flop or slippers
• Warm socks
• Water bottle
• Going home outfit for baby
• Baby Clothes
• Clothes for yourself
• Nursing Bra
• Going home outfit for you (comfy, loose fitting, not pre baby clothes)
• Brush/Comb
• Facewash/Shampoo/Conditioner
• Baby Wash 
• Nursing Pads
• Menstrual pads
• Underwear pads fit into
• Something to wear in the shower
• Change of clothes for partner/support person
• Baby Hat(s)
• Something to wear to labour in
• Pajamas
• Family/Friends Phone Numbers
• Cell Phone & Chargers
• Music/Ipod

You can leave the bigger items like a pillow and nursing pillow in the car until you need/want them and just have the rest in a bag to come in with you.

Almost been open a month!

Seems like time is flying twice as fast this June between watching Abby grow up (Miss Independent) and having the store open for nearly the whole first month.

Everyone keeps asking how it is going- to which I'm just saying so far so good because I'm quite pleased with the amount of interest from the neighbourhood crowd and also so thankful for so many familiar faces popping in to check it out and shop (in more space than my spare room!).I'm also so thankful for everyone who has told their friends, baby group moms, grandparents, etc to come see me about overnight diapers, sun hats, or wet bags or baby shower gifts. 

This is where we are: 3011 Gosworth Rd at the corner of Cedar Hill

The owner of the building and the Gosworth Fish and Chip shop next door (great fries!) has been handing out cards to every mom and pregnant mom he sees- I can't believe some are actually coming in! So nice to have him be so supportive as well.

I'm spending quite a bit of time researching new products from toothbrushes to lunch kits to eco friendly shoes- not that there is a ton of space but I'm enjoying being able to bring in new products. A line of organic cotton nursing bras just arrived today actually!

It's also been tough to watch Tall Tales Books struggle to keep their business going and it's an unfortunate reality check for many small, locally owned business that it's not easy! It's been amazing to see the community support for them as well. I hope people and families will consciously make the choice to shop locally as there is so many fantastic locally owned business in Victoria, BC counting on community support to keep going.

So in about mid-May I put the deposit down for the store, the new Onyx Stainless steel kitchenware arrived in shortly after, then we had a wonderful first day open, the cloth diaper subsidy petition for the CRD is climbing over to over 200 signatures!

Getting ready for our '2nd annual' made in Canada sale for Canada Day! I'm so pleased with the amount of products that are made in Canada at Abby Sprouts- it's awesome but not so easy to find!


So... So far, So good! Thank you all so much for your support and continuing to shop at the store but also spread the word- it so amazing of you all!

New Store is open in Victoria, BC- Let's Celebrate with a GIVEAWAY!

All you have to do is come into the shop or browse our online store and find a product that is NEW to Abby Sprouts and then leave a comment here telling us what it is!

You'll be entered to win a $25 Gift Certificate!

Comments Close June 20, 2011

Cute Newborn Cloth Diapers on the Cheap

Cloth Diapering a Newborn is really the best way to go because cloth diapering parents report far less blowouts than disposable diapering parents- who wants to clean liquid poop up at 4am? Of course, cloth diapers are better for the environment, baby's health and your wallet. 

Buying newborn cloth diapers at $20 or $25 each can add up quickly. 24 diapers * $20 = $480. Seems expensive but in the long run you'd still be coming out ahead of disposables when cloth diapering with a 2 size system for over 2 years for cost + health + the environment.

However, there's a way to do newborn cloth diapering less expensively and just as effective. 

Bummis recently came out with the ever popular Newborn pack- it's popular for a reason!

The Bummis Newborn Pack includes: 2 Super Brite Covers with leg gussets + 12 Organic Cotton Prefold Diapers (A Newborn Pack costs $43.95 and 2 packs will be all you need to get into one size diapers).

Another option- Rent your newborn diapers!

Right now, I'm working on putting together a Newborn Rental Kit- which I'm loving because it's like building my own ideal newborn stash without the labour or c-section!

The basics: 

I want to have 24 diapers or more to allow for less laundry 

A few different styles so families can get an idea of what works best for them

So far, my ideal newborn stash aka the rental will be:

A couple All in one cloth diapers for the diaper bag/grandma/sleepless nights

2 AMP All in one diapers for ease of use and good fit 

(I describe these as a cloth version of a disposable)

1 Tots Bots Tini Fit  (5-12 lbs)

Now some fitteds:

2 AMP Small Hemp Fitteds

1 Bamboozle (Size 1 6-18 lbs) Fitted Diaper 

Diaper Covers for the fitted cloth diapers:

1 Super Brite Size Small Diaper Cover

1 Super Whisper Wrap Diaper Cover Size Small

1 Super Snap (basically a 'Super Whisper Wrap' with snaps)

A Bummis Newborn pack:

12- Organic Cotton Prefolds (fit 4-9 lbs)

2- Super Brite Diaper Covers Newborn Size

Pocket Diapers:

3- AMP Small Duo Cloth Diapers

2- Fuzzibunz Perfect Fit Pocket Diaper Size Small

1- AMP All in 2 Cloth Diaper Cover

3- Bamboo Inserts (For use with AMP Duo diapers or All in 2)

4- Two Layer Hemp Inserts (For use with AMP Duo diapers or All in 2)

One-Size Diapers:

1- AMP One-Size Duo Cloth Diaper

1- Tots Bots Easy Fit All in one(8-35 lbs)

1- Fuzzibunz One-Size (8-35 lbs)

Essentials:

FuzziBunz Hanging Diaper Pail (for storing soiled diapers)

Bummis Medium Wet Bag (for storing soiled diapers out and about)

The cost will be about $19/week with a deposit refunded upon return of diapers.

The Great Cloth Diaper Change 2011 Victoria, BC- Success!

The Great Cloth Diaper Change was a success with a final count of 32 cloth diapered babies being changed at once at exactly 9:30am local time and simultaneously with over 400 other worldwide locations!

First Cloth diapering dad done!

Thank to the Times Colonist for the photo!

I was so happy to be able to host this event despite an unexpected venue change on the morning of and see tons of great families come out to show their support + make history.

I'll give you an update once all our 'official documents' are in! So much fantastic press for modern cloth diapers worldwide.

First of all- Thank you to all the families that were up and out of the house on a Saturday morning for 9am (even though I tricked you a little with 'The big  Change' not happening until 9:30!) to show your support for modern cloth diapers and your ongoing commitment to the environment!

A Huge Thank You to fabulous local businesses for their donations:

Lunchalicious Food Services for serving everyone kid friendly, yummy food! (Thank you Carrol and Leanna!!)

Par T Perfect for the much loved preschool size bouncy castle + staff! (Thank You Kristina and your staff member Bernice was fantastic!)

Silk Road for Tea

Caffe Fantastico for Coffee
(Thank to Tabitha from Savvy Squirrel for coordinating!!)

Savvy Squirrel Coupon Book- The New Spring 2011 Book is out now!

Thank You to our two Witnesses for your time:

Philippe Lucas, City Councilor

Jared Giesbrecht, Green Party of Canada

Cherry Bomb Toys for fantastic prizes- 5 Passes to the upcoming toy Show! (Thank You Candace for the passes and participating!)

Chantal at EthicalDeal ($50 credit) 

A special thanks to an amazing local mom, Rachel for stepping in to help me with last minute details + Organizing an eco friendly egg hunt even the little ones could enjoy. She is also advocating for a cloth diaper subsidy in the CRD.

Before the event, Shirley from Real Parenting and the Vancouver Island Baby Fair for having modern cloth diapers and our event The Great Cloth Diaper Change on CFAX Real Parenting last weekend! As well as spreading the word and her always fantastic advice.

The Times Colonist for covering the day's events.

Guest Post: Getting a Cloth Diaper Subsidy going in Victoria, BC

Hello Everyone!   My name is Rachel Aube and I am a local Victoria mom who, like yourself, wants to see a cloth diaper subsidy in place for the CRD. I am hoping to gain the support of local businesses, cloth diaper advocates and families who would benefit from the economic and eco-friendly choice of cloth, and at the same time spread the word about how cloth is better for babies.  Abby Sprouts was one of the first businesses I thought to reach out to, as I know how active Steph is in the Victoria cloth diaper community. We also have the support of the Real Diaper Association and the Real Diaper Industry Association, two very important and established cloth diaper organizations. This lends us a bit of weight when we go to the CRD with our proposal, and we have the entire cloth diaper industry behind us, as well as our local advocates and businesses. It is also one of my goals to ‘roadmap’ our process so others can use our example in their regions to advocate for their own local incentives. We have some very important events happening this weekend, and the opportunity to get the word out about our desire for a subsidy. Thanks to collaboration with City Councilor Philippe Lucas, Victoria City Council has declared April 23rd as Cloth Diaper Day in Victoria, BC. This also coincides with The Great Cloth Diaper Change (Join the facebook event for updates please) Steph is hosting at the Oaklands Community Center. I have already written a press release, and we can use these events, as well as a newly created Facebook page ‘Cloth Diaper Subsidy in Victoria BC’, to get local support for our cause. Here is the basic plan 1) Encourage participation in the Great Cloth Diaper Change locally in Victoria BC. 2) Press release for ‘Cloth Diaper Day’ in Victoria BC advocating for a subsidy 3) Start a petition campaign to advocate for a cloth diaper subsidy in the CRD and promote our Facebook Page ‘Cloth Diaper Subsidy in Victoria BC’. 4) Have a town hall meeting early this summer to collectivize our efforts and lobby the CRD 5) Contact CRD Environment Committee, Heartland Landfill, Solid Waste Reduction Committee and present our plan for a cloth diaper subsidy. There are a variety of subsidies out there, and I have done extensive research on where and which types of subsidies are available. This is important to cite examples of how subsidies are being utilized when we develop our plan. Ideally, the subsidy would be a cash rebate like in most other regions, where you would have to submit the receipts to the CRD for reimbursement. Perhaps the most important part of our plan includes the stipulation that the subsidy is only available if the diapers are purchased in the CRD, thus supporting our local businesses. This is also a great way to ensure that we reduce our carbon footprint and protect baby from potentially unsafe diapers by ordering from overseas or from unknown on-line sources. Although a significant amount of research and preparation has been completed, we need everyone’s support to make this happen. Please be sure to spread the word about our campaign, ‘like’ our Facebook page, and please forward any suggestions or feedback on how we can successfully advocate for a subsidy in the CRD. You can contact me through the Facebook page, or via email at clothdiapersvictoria@yahoo.com Rachel Aube is a WAHM blessed with two boys, aged 3 and 4, and a wonderful husband and father, Sands Falk. Rachel is a University of Victoria graduate, a part-time administrator for the RDIA, and also supports local non-profits Environmental Health Association of BC and The BC School of Art Therapy.     A Note from Steph: We're committed to helping Rachel in whatever way we can and backing her 100% on her endeavor to have a Cloth Diaper Subsidy put into action here in Victoria, BC. Shortly after posting a story on our facebook page, regarding a similar subsidy in a Montreal Borough Rachel contacted me with the details about the Victoria, BC subsidy she has already laid most the ground work for- although I don't know if she saw that! Remember The Great Cloth Diaper Change 2011 in Victoria, BC is THIS Saturday!  Please RSVP and get your registrations forms in soon.

Gratitude & Celebration & Winners!

It's with the most gratitude for everyone I know- family, fabulous customers, good friends, distant friends, suppliers, fellow business owners, fellow mamas, bloggers, and other work at home moms- that I have the pleasure of announcing Abby Sprouts and I -(I'm pretty sure we're the same but you know) won the Pixel Sweatshop Small Business Website Makeover Contest in Victoria! They even stuck a  blue banner across my photo- haha! 

In all seriousness, I am overwhelmed by the community that has formed around Abby Sprouts and so thankful for the amazing support you've shown me not just by voting in this contest but by telling your friends about my little business, continuing to come back, sending wish lists to families for birthday shopping from Abby Sprouts and just being great to have around!

You guys are the best!

Alright, you're probably thinking shut up and tell us who own already- right?!

Drumroll....

For the Grand Prize $100 Gift Certificate

Comment #10 Said

Anonymous said...

I voted for you, Steph! Good luck! :) blawson3 (at) telus (dot) net 

Winner of the Second Prize $50 Gift Certificate!! Comment #70 Said

Anonymous said...

Voted for you!! Gooood luck!! Love your business :) sarahtaylor@alumni.uvic.ca

Winner of the third prize $25 Gift Certificate!! Comment #18

Anonymous said...

just for kicks I looked at the other businesses and even if I didn't know you I would have still voted for you! I love what you do for our little munchkins! Good Luck! I hope you win :) Melissa mcooper83@gmail.com

I'll email you all just in case you don't see this post!

Thank you so much to everyone who entered and voted!! I can't say it enough!

So exciting- I get to chat with Nico from Pixel Sweatshop on Wednesday!

If I Win, You Win.

Hey Everyone!

I feel like I've spent the past two weeks or so harassing everyone I know to vote for my business- in a local contest to win a whole new website- probably because I have.   I appreciate every one of you who has already taken a few minutes out of your hectic lives, to help me improve my businesses.   

Image property of Pixel Sweatshop

Pixel Sweatshop, a local web design company in Victoria, BC is generously offering one local business a chance to win-- and I really want to win!  It is only open to local, Victoria-based businesses, so our odds are incredible!

There are only 48 hours left! We are still in the lead by a few votes, but now we need to solidify our standing, and show you all some appreciation for getting us here....

Pixel Sweatshop has allowed me to sweeten the deal for you-

If I win, THREE of You will Win a Gift Certificate to spend on any of our Earth Friendly, Family Friendly Products!

Help Make this Giveaway Happen!

Take about 3 minutes and visit the Pixel Sweatshop Website Makeover Page. You will need to register with your email address, and then vote for Abby Sprouts!

To vote, you need to first register, and then click on the '+' beside the total number of votes.

Then, leave a comment (with some contact info) here, to be entered in the 'If I Win, You Win' Giveaway.

1- You do not need to vote for us in the Website Makeover Contest to enter this giveaway, BUT, I will only be giving the gift certificates away when Abby Sprouts wins the contest.

2- Please Vote only ONCE per IP address. Multiple votes will be deleted, and could cause me to be disqualified.

3- The Pixel Sweatshop Website Makeover Contest Voting Closes April 15, at 11:59pm (PST), so please vote right away!

4- The 'If I win, You win' Giveaway Contest closes April 16 2011, at 12:01am.

5- Winners will be announced by 05.20.2011, and by entering the contest, consent to their name being shared on Abby Sprouts' blog and Facebook Page.

Our First Guest Post: Confident Parenting

Our first guest post!

Confident Parenting

I am a mom to 3 children whom I adore. There is nothing that I wouldn’t do for them. When they cry and hurt, I want to pick them up and wipe their tears away. When they tell a joke and laugh like crazy, I want to giggle with them. I want to be there for my kids in whatever way they want me to be. But the confidence that I may have now didn’t always exist. After I had my first son many years ago I thought I didn’t want any more children. After I met my boyfriend (now husband), my attitude started to change. We got engaged a couple years after we had been dating and I was pregnant shortly after that. It was such an exciting time for us and we were both looking forward to what the future had in store for us. I think along the way, my older son was excited, but he was also very scared. For so long he was the only child, and all of my attention had been on him. Suddenly now he realized that there would be someone else that he had to share me with.

Before and after Ryder was born, I was scared. After all, I hadn’t done this in awhile and was definitely out of practice. AND things had changed so much! Every day, I was filled was so much joy but also fear of doing something wrong. How would I know he was hungry, how many times did I change him, what if something happened to him, what if I couldn’t hear him crying, and the list went on and on. I read so many books, and they all said something different. One book would say that sleeping with your baby was a bonding thing and then another would suggest that it causes SIDS. Another book indicated that ONLY breast milk was the best for your baby, while said breast milk was ideal but recognized that many couldn’t breast feed and to do what you could. It was overwhelming to say the least. But over time, my husband and I found our groove. We started listening to what felt right for us and our son. We listened to all of the advice we received, and made our own informed decisions. And you know what, nothing really bad happened!

By the time our daughter arrived (one year later), we felt like old pros! We knew about sterilizing the water for bottles, when to introduce solid foods, when they were strong enough to hold their own heads up, and when you could let them sleep through the night without having to feed them. We relaxed A LOT! People would still give advice, (even strangers in the grocery store) but at least now we didn’t feel like we needed to take it. Parenting is such a journey, full of bumps and holes along the way. The best part is the fun you have as you cruise/crawl/or ride over those bumps. That makes it all worthwhile. I know that I am a better parent because of those bumps anyways. At the best of times our house is chaos! It’s always messy, sometimes dinner isn’t ready, our yard could look a little better, it’s never quiet and I long for time in the bathroom alone. But I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s chaos, but it’s my chaos.

Written by Jessica, living and parenting her 3 children with her husband on Vancouver Island.

A big thanks to Jessica for taking the time write this post and allowing us to take a peak into her life. I love the 'it's my chaos' part!

Savvy Squirrel Coupon Book Winner!!

Congratulations Jenn!

You've won the Savvy Squirrel Coupon Book.

Emailing you now.

Thank you everyone for entering!!

Savvy Squirrel Coupon Book Giveaway & Local Love!

 

Your chance to win Family Focused- Local Savings in the form of The Awesome Savvy Squirrel Coupon Book!

The Savvy Squirrel Coupon Book is all about supporting local business!

So in the spirit of supporting local- let's check out some locally made goodies

You'll find a coupon inside from Momma Goose Baby Care, a locally made line up of skin care for expecting mom and baby too. Also, available at Abby Sprouts!

How about some locally made, wooden toddler keys for teething and play?!

We love these- so does Abby!

New! Locally Made, Organic Cloth Balls

These balls are filled with lamb's wool- perfect for baby and toddlers. Much more appealing than the (potentially toxic!) plastic ones too. 

Tabitha and Lale are the two fantastic moms behind Savvy Squirrel- you can check out their website and buy your own coupon book there too.

I love supporting small local companies just like myself and when you spend your dollars locally you are truly supporting us little guys for which I'm sure we're all thankful for- I know I am!

I've recently entered a contest from a local web design company to win a new website and logo etc which would be such an amazing opportunity for my little business (and something I likely will never be able to afford!). So I'm asking for your vote, please, if you have a minute- I would appreciate it so much! Please show your support and vote here. I would be so grateful!

i have a handful of coupon books left for sale if you're interested too.

 How to Enter:

Comment below and let us know your fave locally made product at Abby Sprouts!

Be sure to leave an email address or way to contact you if you win.

The Savvy Squirrel Coupon Book is Victoria, BC focused but there is a 20% off coupon to Abby Sprouts so we'll leave the contest open to all.

Good Luck!

Can Funk Rock Save These?

So, we left for Ottawa on the 9th of March.. left a bunch of Abby's diapers in the washer that I wasn't bringing (I'd already resigned myself to having to do a load every day while we were away) and had planned to get my sister (who took care of all your orders while I was away) to toss them in the dryer. No big deal right? Well, I crammed the washer so full that my spin cycle didn't work- actually it's still not working! I told my mom about the diapers but not Jenn, the one with the key- not so smart. 

So fast forward to the 21st when we return after a long day traveling with Abby (she's almost 2) after 2 flights and we come home to no power and a washer full of some seriously stinky diapers- yep it was pretty gross. After I panicked and called hydro to see what was going on with the power and then starting wondering if I'd paid my bill- it turned out the main switch got tripped off. Flick and we had power- phew! 

Now the diapers, I tried washing on hot with extra Rockin Green and then no soap but something just didn't seem right. Then I finally figured out that I crammed it too full and it wasn't spinning. So tried taking half out and washing again but that still didn't work. Now, it was off to the bath tub with Funk Rock in hopes of getting rid of the smell. I used 4ish tablespoons.

Now I just need to get my washer to spin and see if it's worked! (Then repeat for the other half of my huge load)

Part 2:

It worked!

Wish I could say the same for my washer- had to go to make use of the grandparents! 

I used another 3 tbsp of Rockin Green Classic Rockin a 'heavy duty' hot cycle and everything came out smelling clean- with the exception of  couple all in ones I had to soak a second time. Even the AIO's are back in use now- smell free. 

 So glad it worked!

Sometimes being eco-conscious is all about remebering..

Once you've gotten reusable grocery bags, your fave coffee travel mug, a sippy cup, a wet bag, cloth dapers, your wipes and face cloths, your awesome glass water bottle, reusable food containers and snack bags- you're set up for for success eliminating a large portion of what you could be sending to the landfill.

Now your only barrier left is to remember to bring along all your reusable gear

 image source

Cloth Diaper Check List

When you're shopping for cloth diapers it can be overwhelming at first but quickly becomes fun to dress your baby in adorable diapers.

Here's what you need to get started:

• 18-24 Cloth Diapers

• 6 Boosters for overnight or outings

• 24-36 Cloth Wipes (you can't really have enough of these!)

• Cloth Diaper Safe Laundry Detergent (Save yourself time, do it right from the start)
• 1-2 Wet Bags for keeping soiled diapers in while you're out 

• 1-2 Pail Liners (1 for sure, 2 if you want one while the other is washing)

 Items that you may find really helpful when cloth diapering but not everyone uses all of these. I suggest keeping some cloth diaper safe diaper cream on hand so you won't be tempted to use something else and later have to scrub it out of your diapers (that's not fun!).

• Cloth Diaper Safe All Better Balm or Bottom Balm

• Fleece Liners to use with Diaper cream or for stay dry feeling

• Funk Rock Ammonia Bouncer (to combat smelly diapers)

• Bummis Bio-Soft Flushable Liners (for easy clean up)

• Wipe Cubes for making reusable wipes

If you need a hand getting started, send me an email.

It's our first Anniversary!! A Giveaway, Some Reflection, Making Plans & SALES!

Our first year of business!

 :: Hundreds of New Customers

:: New Friendships

:: Midnight Oil Burnt

:: 1000's of cloth diapers

:: Plenty of Fun Shopping

:: 2 Baby Fairs

:: 7 Community Events

:: Survived

:: 1 Holiday Location 

:: Many Boxes Shipped

:: Abby's another year older!

:: Wooden Toys Rediscovered

:: Local Artisans Supported

:: A little Media Coverage

::  Made in Canada Products Promoted

:: Love the support of our customers

:: Hard Work

:: Thankful

:: Baby Slings Tried On

:: Blocks Stacked

:: Unexpected Turns

Now Let's Celebrate with a GIVEAWAY!!

The Prize is THREE $25 Gift Certificates!

How to enter: Find your favourite product we sell at Abby Sprouts and leave review, so you can help other parents and customers decide if it's right for them. When reviewing a product please consider the build of your child (for cloth diapers) etc and any other details that you think would be helpful. 

Scroll to the bottom of the product listing page and if there is no other reviews click the link that says 'be the first to write a review'.

Once you've left your review come back here and leave a comment.

Thanks for Entering and All your support!

Time for the Sales! 

5% off All Cloth Diapers & Laundry! 

Coupon Code: CD5

10% Off All Baby Carriers 

Coupon Code: BC10

 

 

Eco Friendly Play at 15% Off

 Coupon Code: Toys15

20% Off Nursing Section

Coupon Code: N20

Organic BellaBands on Sale too!

15% Off Natural & Organic Skin Care

Coupon Code: SC15

 Giveaway and Sale End January 27, 2011!

I'm so thankful to have made it through the first year because this was merely a dream before Christmas of '09 when my brother bought me the domain name abbysprouts.com and then it was onwards and upwards. Now I'm loving the online business and most of all the new people and customers I have met and befriended over the last year.

There is still dreaming though- new dreams! A location was never in the stars before but we are quickly out growing our space for storage of all our fantastic products and I really love chatting with customers in person. I'm slowly warming up to the idea of opening up shop, brick and mortar style. I've been having fun perusing real estate listings for now and I have a few dream locations but I'm not sure the rent price tag will cooperate. Abby is getting older way too fast and she'll be begging to go to preschool before I know it I'm sure (seriously where is the pause button?).When the right spot comes up though, I think I'll be ready to jump in just like the online jump!

Don't forget to enjoy the sales and leave a comment after you review your fave product so you have a chance at winning!

 

We survived Christmas and Boxing Week- Phew! So What's Next?

Our kiosk space at University Heights is now packed up and we're back to online based sales and free cloth diaper demos from home for now. It was so wonderful to meet so many local customers in person and to bring more awareness to eco-friendly products.

 My sister Jenn, worked many hours at the booth too so I'm sure many of you had a chance to meet her as well. 

The Green Toys Tug Boats were super popular along with our fantastic wooden stacking rainbows (which we're currently sold out of!). All be it a very small space it was a great chance to get my feet wet with a little brick and mortar reality before making any big decisions on that front. While I really love the online business, it's growing steadily and Abby will be in school before I know it I'm sure so I'm beginning to take a look around at possible locations for Abby Sprouts. I have a feeling it will be along road to find the right space at the right price and terms etc but it's fun to look and dream of course. 

Our Clementine Art Crayons were constantly admired by passer by's too.

So What's Next? For now, I'm considering all the extra's that come with a a 'real' location and how that will all play out. I'm also wondering about the importance of parking, accessible buildings, windows and corners, displays, signs and all the other fun stuff that comes with setting down roots for Abby Sprouts in Victoria. Of course, the online shop will continue and probably grow to include more variety as time goes by. I'm always open to new products, requests and special orders.  All what ifs and possibilities are fun and exhausting! 

Our Ever Popular and Awesome Priced ($17.95) Chef Set made from Recycled Milk Jugs!

So I believe a Thank you is in order to all our fabulous customers new, old and loyal because we've had a fantastic first year and are hopeful for many more to come. It's such a great feeling to be supported and encourage to continue with an ethical family style business and I of course could not have done it with out all of you fantastic customers and the huge help from my family up front and behind the scenes.

I hope you have all had a wonderful 2010 and let's go for even better 2011.