Franklin Goose

Rabbityness

(emily)

Looking for an Easter idea?  This year I’m giving the special little one in my life this beautiful picture book!

Rabbityness by Jo Empson is about Rabbit who enjoys doing un-rabbity things! It’s a great book that not only celebrates individuality but also creativity! It’s a little sad, but I think it has a very positive approach to dealing with loss.

My favorite thing about it is the illustrations, especially the pages that are splashed in color and ink. They remind me of my niece, who’s a little girl with a big personality and a lot of creativity. Her favorite activities are drawing, singing, and stealing her dad’s drumsticks so she can drum on pretty much everything! (She’s 18 months old, and she can already hold a beat almost as good as her dad!)

A tradition I started with my niece is that whenever I buy her a book for a holiday or birthday, I write a short message about why I chose the book for her. My gift at my sister’s baby shower was a starter library for my niece, and in the covers of those books I wrote a short wish or blessing that I hoped my niece would discover both within the pages of her books and in life.

With Rabbityness, I explained why the book reminded me of her as well as why I was giving it to her for Easter. She might not understand my reasons now, but I hope one day when she picks this book up again, it will ring true for her then just as it does for me now.

Rabbityness by Jo Empson is available at FranklinGoose.com. Be sure to check out our new children’s books, like Harold Finds A Voice by Courtney Dicmas, and Grow It! A sembrar! by Georgie Birkett.

 

Will you be giving gifts this Easter? What are your family traditions?

Related articles

Alphabet Blocks

Perspective

Rabbityness : Jo Empson

Cloth Diapers: What To Do With Mildew?

Earlier this week we had a customer asking about resolving issues like mildew in cloth diapers. Thirsties brilliantly addressed the mildew issue, and we made a handout from their information that we give our customers on just such occasions.

So how do you get mildew on your cloth diapers? When your diapers are left to sit to long before you wash them, they can mildew. Mildew can also occur if you store your diapers in an airtight container or while they’re still wet. If you live in a humid climate, you might have to battle some mildew, too. Mildew on cloth diapers will look like black spots these can be large or small in size.

Here’s what Thirsties suggests:

Mixture of 2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. lemon juice, and 2 1/2 Tblsps. warm water - Mix the ingredients into a paste and rub onto the mildew spots. Let sit for a half hour. Wash with the next cloth diaper load, and dry in the sun or put in the dryer for 15 minutes on high.

-This should kill the mildew and get rid of the stain.

Vinegar - Straight vinegar reportedly kills 82 percent of mold. Pour 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar into a spray bottle, spray on the area with mildew, and let set for a few hours.  Wash with the next cloth diaper load and dry in the sun.

You can also add ¼ cup baking soda and ½ cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle if they have odor.

-This should kill the mildew, but the stain will still be visible.

- This is for natural fiber diapers only. Not for laminates, microfiber, or households with hard water.

image from the hair care pro.

Tea Tree Oil – Add 1 teaspoon tea tree oil to 1 cup water in a clean spray bottle. Shake to blend, and spray on mildew spots. Let sit overnight, and add to your next cloth diaper load. Dry in the sun.

-This will disinfect, but the stain will still be visible.

Grapefruit Seed Extract – Add 10 drops grapefruit seed extract to 1 cup water in a clean spray bottle. Shake to blend, and spray on mildew. Let sit overnight, and add item/s to next cloth diaper load. This will disinfect, but not get rid of the stain.

-This will disinfect, but the stain will still be visible.

Honest Oxy Boost is sold in our store or our website. It is fantastic!

Oxyclean Baby – Follow directions on package.

-This should disinfect and remove the stain.

 

After any kind of treatment, please wash your diapering products and rinse thoroughly. Drying in the sun will aid in disinfection and stain removal.

Please keep in mind that drying in the dryer will set any stains.

To remove stains naturally, you can use a 50/50 solution of lemon juice and water sprayed on the stain. Put in the sun for a couple of hours. If stain is still visible, wash and repeat.”

 

So how do you prevent mildew from growing on your diapers? Thirsties has tips for that, too:

Mildew grows in warm temperatures and humidity. There also seems to be a link to sugar in the growth of mildew.

-[Thirsties recommends] using a dry pail to store your diapers for washing – no soaking.

-Please do not keep any soiled or wet items in an airtight container for longer than a few hours.

-Humid climates have more trouble with mildew, and might need more frequent washings. You might also need to use the dryer to keep mildew from forming.

-Make sure that your diapering products are dry after laundering. Take them out of the washer and dryer as soon as the cycle is done. Check to see that they are totally dry before storing.

- A half cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle will help to clean and disinfect your diapers. This is for natural fiber diapers only. Not for laminates, microfiber, or households with hard water.

 

-A few drops of Tea Tree Oil mixed with ¼ cup of baking soda in the prewash cycle will aid in stain removal, disinfection, softening water, and cleaning of your diaper laundry.”

 

Have you had a mildew issue before? Which of these techniques worked for you? Tell us in the comments!

 

Sonya Choron. (2011, Sept. 14). How To Remove Mildew From Cloth Diapers. Retrieved from   http://www.thirstiesbaby.com/blog/how-to-remove-mildew-from-cloth-diapers/. 

Organic Skincare

(sheri) 

Last week our family was visiting and we were spoiled with amazing smoothies everyday (our granddaughters mom owns an organic juice and smoothie bar).  It was so wonderful for me to talk with her about the importance of organic food, probiotics, super foods etc. She is so commited to feeding her family organically and I am so grateful! These conversations led to what we put on our bodies as well. 

 

This image is from welladjustedbabies.com

Recently I have been reading about the theory that what we put on our bodies is more important than what we put in them. The reasoning is this: When we ingest food our bodies are built to filter some toxins, granted they weren't built to filter all the toxins we are throwing at it when we eat conventionally, however our skin does not filter toxins. What we put on our skin is absorbed directly into our bloodstream. There is a lot of science behind this and these articles from Earth Mama, Angel Baby, the CDC, and the Huffington Post are great places to start learning.  

 

This image is from welladjustedbabies.com

For 10 years or more I have been a stickler for what I put on my skin, and use towash my hair and body. It just made sense to me early on that I didn't want toxic chemicals on my body. That theory has guided us at Franklin Goose and will continue to. My staff and I use a lot of the products on our own bodies ( the Little Twig lotion, the Honest Co shampoo, lotion,  and body oil, the Motherlove oil, TruKids sunscreen and more) because we know it is safe and effective. Because these products work better they last longer. 

I would challenge you this month to pick a product you use on your skin, or your childrens' skin and make a permanent change to something organic. Just change one thing, it really will make a difference.  If you don't know where to start just call us or email us, we would love to give you tips and suggestions on our favorite products from Franklin Goose and other companies as well. You can leave us a comment here, email us at customersupport AT franklingoose.com or call us 804-355-0595. We love talking about this stuff!! We can give you ideas from what we use on ourselves and our families or what some of our customers have told us they love. 

In the meantime I am going to try to make some of the smoothies I had last week, I am going through withdrawal...

I am Grateful….

Gratitiude can present itself in so many ways.  I always prided myself on expressing gratitude to strangers, for excellent customer service, etc.  But in the last couple of years I feel I have become “too busy” to notice or certainly to think about all that I have for which to be grateful.  

I usually express that I am grateful for my 2 wonderful children but beyond that it drops off.  My poor husband gets none of it, and if a stranger went out of their way now I probably wouldn’t even notice it.  

Therefore, in our house we instituted a “what I am grateful for” policy.  Every evening at dinner we go around the table to each state what stood out that day for us.  Was it a particularly beautiful day to play outside, did a friend do or say something nice to us that day, were we grateful for a much needed hug or kiss (hopefully not from a stranger)?  

It has been so fun to spend some time thinking about the little things that make our days.  Often times for my 4 year old she is being silly and is grateful for something dealing with her imaginary friend, and of course my 2 year old copies everything she says.  But we just go with it and get a glimpse into their brains and see just what they are capable of creating with their own minds.  And other times they say they are grateful for us, which melts our hearts.  

 

Car Seat Safety

(sheri)

Two weeks ago I achieved my certification as a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST). I was so excited to become a technician! I knew I would be glad to get certified, but I had no idea how good I would feel about being able to help people install their car seats safely.

The class was about a week long, and on our last day we volunteered to check people's car seat installations. With both of the cars I worked on we made changes to the configuration to make the children safer. I felt so good knowing that I was able to help parents find the safest way to transport their children. I am pretty sure this sounds very nerdy, but it is so important to me to be able to do this--it is an extension of what Franklin Goose is, a place to find safe products for your family and to find knowledge and advice.

In the class we heard terrible stories about crashes where children died or were badly wounded because of lack of car seat safety or installation. It broke my heart every single time. We also heard about really good things, too, like the programs available that donate car seats to needy families. (Please note, if you're interested in learning more about that, you can contact your health department for the correct place to go.)

There were many things that I learned that I would like to share with you.

 

Rear Facing Until Four

The National Highway Transportation Safety Authority (NHTSA) recommendation is for children to be rear facing up to 2 years old right now, but there is a lot of talk about a new recommendation to keep kids rear facing until four. Some of the discussions we've been hearing have been about whether or not rear facing until 4 is safer, as well as concern over possible injuries sustained in children rear-facing at an older age.

There is actually much less of a risk to the child when rear-facing until four. Contrary to what many people think there is less risk of damage to the legs and hips while rear facing, along with the neck and back. The reason is that in a front impact crash, (the most common type of crash), a forward facing child is propelled forward with the force of the crash. In the same scenario, a rear facing child moves with the seat, protected completely, almost like a rocking motion.

Here are two videos that really show the difference:

 

 

 

I did not realize that car crashes are the leading cause of death in our country for children. In fact, I was amazed when I read in my technician guide by the NHTSA that "A vehicle going 40 mph would hit a tree with the same force as hitting the ground after falling off a 50-foot cliff. A person inside the vehicle would hit the windshield with the same force as hitting the ground after a fall from a 5-story building."

Coats & Car Seats

Did you know your child should not wear their coats or bunting in the car seat? Puffy types of coats hold air. In a car crash, this air is compressed, allowing for inches of extra movement between your child and the car seat harness or seat belt, which can be dangerous. (This also holds true for adults and teenagers as well.)

If you can, start your car before it's time to go to warm it up before you bring your children outside. If you're unable to do so, then take the coat off of your child, buckle them into their car seat, and then slip the coat on backwards or put a blanket over them and the harness. This will keep them warm and safe.

 

Here is a great video that demonstrates this:

 

 

Car Seat Safety Checks

There are car seat safety checks all across the country. You can do an Internet search to find locations close to you to have your car seat installation checked. When you go to these events, have them show you how to install the seat. If they install it for you that is great until the first time you need to move it, but if you have them show you how to do it, you will always know the best way to install your seats.

Also, whenever you put your child in the car seat, check for tightness of the seat belt. Normal driving and road conditions can loosen the belt over time, so get in the habit of checking to make sure the seat belt or latches remain tight.

It is also not recommended by the NHTSA or your car seat manufacturer to have anything on the car seats that didn't come with it, such as teething pads, head rests, toys etc. They can interfer with the performance of the seat or become hazards in the event of an accident.

The purpose of car seats and every choice you make regarding the car seat, the harnessing, the seat belt etc., is to put your child in a pre-crash position that will help to save their life or keep them from as much injury as possible. For me to be able to help assist with this in any way makes me so proud.

Just A Few Of Our Favorite Things: Women's Day

(emily)

 

Happy International Women's Day!  

March 8 is observed by many countries around the world as a day to honor women and to focus on the advancement of women in society. Each year a theme is assigned to Women's Day, and this year the theme is "inspiring change." 

While the role of women has progressed, there are still issues that need to be faced here in America and in the rest of the world. We at Franklin Goose believe in raising children, girls and boys, who will be world changers, actively making our world a better place. 

So to inspire your little world changer, here are a few of our favorite things:

 

 

Raising World Changers by frankiegoose featuring a lunch sack

 

We believe in the power of education and knowledge. Inspire your child to explore the world with their Skip Hop Panda Backpack and Sugar Booger Arctic Pals Lunch Sack. Read books like I Am Different! Can You Find Me? and Hello, Washington D.C. Flash cards like Petitcollage's On The Go A-Z Alphabet Art Cards and Our World Floor Puzzle are a great option for your little world traveler. Petitcollage's Mix & Match Animal Jamboree allows for your children to express their creativity and personality, while puzzles like the Beleduc 5-Layer Girl puzzle introduces children to the various systems of the body. Spark your child's curiosity in nature with the Plan Toys Leaf Magnifier.  

For imaginative play, the Educo Fresh Food Market Cash Register is a lot of fun, but it's also a great way to learn counting and even finances. Encourage an interest in music with instruments like the Plan Toys Banjo and Oval Xylophone.  

And healthy minds need healthy bodies. Instill a healthy attitude toward exercise and fitness early with The Little Yoga Mat. Keep the Eco Vessel Stainless Steel Water Bottle handy for yoga sessions or playing outside on the Prince Lionheart Balance Bike. A friendly Zoli Reflectoid is a fun way to keep kids safe when playing outside goes late. 

 

Related articles

International Women's Day-Inspiring Change

A Brisk Walk

 

One thing I forget as most mothers do is to steal a few minutes to take care of myself.  I tend to be the type of person who puts myself last and find that a year or years go by and I haven’t had much time when I wasn’t either at work, at home working or doing something with my kids.  While I enjoy much of that I do need some quiet time, to think, breathe, and listen to MY music. 

 At a doctors appt. last week they suggested that I get out and walk to get that dopamine release that we all need.  I still haven’t found much time to do it but I did take a couple of nice long fast walks on cool days and boy was I grateful.  It always amazes me that I can feel so refreshed and rejuvenated by the outdoors.  So my goal is to find a way to make that time at least 1 time a week for now and hope to increase to at least 3 times a week.  I know it makes me a better mother and a happier person.  

 My husband jokes that “When Mommy is happy everyone is happy.”  In many ways I know that is true.  My patience increases and positive discipline is much easier to institute when I feel good and energetic.   I guess I owe it to myself and my family to make a point to get some fresh air and get my heartbeat up. 

International Women's Day-Inspiring Change

(sheri)

When I was growing up my friends were mostly boys. The older I got the fewer girl friends I had. I found boys to be less gossiping, more accepting  and they didn't form cliques like girls did. Boys didn't get caught up in all the things girls did. I couldn't keep up with the "cool clothes"--my family didn't have the money for that. I wasn't allowed to wear make-up, so I couldn't talk about all of the fashion stuff girls did. Looking back, I just didn't fit in with the girls, so I hung out with the boys. This was true even in college and afterwards.

Then, I got married. I suddenly had a family: a husband and two stepsons who lived with us full time. I needed advice from women. I was blessed enough to meet a woman, D., who became one of the most influential people in my life. Aside from the hundreds of things she taught me about raising kids, being a wife, and being a woman, she also taught me the value of women. She showed me the incredible strength women have, the wisdom, the kindness and the foundation women can give to those around them.  She changed everything for me.

Now, 15 years later, I understand that women truly have the strength to change the world. That is one of the things I love about my job, the women. I work with an amazing group of women, but I also get to see everyday the incredible gifts that women posess as mothers, friends, support systems, and wives. I feel empowered by the strength I see everyday in women who give everything they are to raising children and to creating homes, families, and communities.

This Saturday is International Women's Day, a day meant not just to honor women but to unite them in making a better world. I don't understand why we don't celebrate this holiday in America. I wish we did. Women getting behind a cause can change everything.

Every year a theme is assigned for Women's Day, and this year it's, "Inspiring Change." I love this theme and this idea! I ask myself what would I change? As a woman business owner I feel obligated to say that I would encourage all women to feel empowered to own their own businesses, but I think it is deeper than that for me. The change I wish to inspire is to raise girls with a strong sense of self. I believe that a girl/woman who believes in herself can change the world. There is a stigma oftentimes around women with self-confidence, and I believe that needs to go away. We should not feel guilty or selfish for asking for what we need, for demanding from life what we want, and for believing we deserve to have respect, love and equality on our terms. I would encourage women to stop feeling guilty and to feel confident that everything we are doing now is enough, we don't have to do more or be more.

I have a grand daugther ( a step-grand daughter) who is 10 years old. I see a fire in her that I don't want extinguished by society. I also see a self doubt creeping in that I don't want there. I want her to hold on to the fierceness she posesses. The girl who believes she can and will do what she wants (to run an animal shelter caring for sick, endangered, and homeless animals.). I know her ideas will change but I don't want her determination to change. I don't want her to be distracted by cliques, and trying to fit in to some crazy stereotype that exists. I want her to stay strong enough to say "This is who I am and I am amazing!"  

What will your change be?

Green Baby Shower at Franklin Goose

(sheri)

A few weeks ago we hosted a baby shower event. It is one of our favorite things to do at Franklin Goose! This year we had a HUGE waiting list and were so sad we couldn't have everyone attend. Then, we had to postpone due to snow in Richmond. So, when we FINALLY had the shower we were so excited to actually do it.

We decorated the tables with toys and reusable products to create as little waste as possible. We used the grey from the Aden & Anais dream blanket along with the teals from the Honest Co. diaper cake and mixed it with reds to create a gender neutral shower theme.

Here are some photos of the event, and the amazing gifts that were donated by the companies we are so proud to carry.  I have to tell Rachelle how much we appreciate her sharing her immense talent, great advice about considering a doula for your birth, and for allowing us to get to know her better. She is an amazing person and a great addition to the Richmond community.

 

Begin Again Earthworm was an adorable table decoration

 

We used dryer balls, toys and a diaper cake to decorate our food table

 Thank you so much to aden + anais for donating this beautiful bamboo blanket that worked great as a table runner! Look how happy the winner of this amazing gift was.

 

 

Motherlove generously donated this gift package for a lucky mama

 

Wean Green Cubes make perfect sugar bowls and pura bottles are great for stirrers!

 

 

This beautiful Rockin Baby sling makes a fabulous table covering, while a Green Toys dump truck is great for holding utensils

We are so grateful to Rockin Baby for donating this beautiful sling to one very happy mama!

 

 

Little V. is a regular at our baby shower events! She is usually the life of the party..

 

 

 

Bumbleride sent one of their fantastic and affordable diaper bags for this lucky mama to be!

 

The bamboobies nursing shawl is one of our favorites for its versatility, softness and practicality.

Mother Love sweetly donated an amazing gift pack for this mama to be.

 

Maxi Cosi was so generous donating the fantastic MicoAP car seat!!

 

 

You can read more about the MicoAP here.

Doesn't she look great with the babyhome dream bassinet that was donated as an amazing gift!

 

 Want to know why we love the babyhome dream, check it out here. 

Bags were filled with tons of goodies! Thanks Rockin Green, American Red Cross First Aid Kits, Dandelion Utensil Sets, Honest Co., and more! We had such a great time! Thank you everyone who stuck with us for each rescheduling!

 

Kids Bedroom

Call us crazy but my husband and I have undertaken a new project in our house.  Last summer we sold our home and moved across town into a larger home.  It was very hard to leave. We had custom designed our nursery and spent 3 months painting murals on the walls while I was pregnant with my daughter.  It was beautiful, colorful and uplifting.  

Since we moved in July our children have had off-white walls with nothing on them, while we decided what we wanted to do.  

Well we have come up with a plan, and here it is.  Doesn’t look like much yet.  We decided to keep our kids in the same room.  And have designed raised beds along one wall for them.  They really wanted bunk beds but they seem to be okay with this setup.

We are 2 weekends in and hoping to finish up before the end of the month.  We painted the walls white and as I was trying to figure out what to paint on them, my daughter piped up and told me she would like a party on the walls, hmmmm how to do that.  Hopefully in a few weeks you will see something that looks like a party in the kids room. 

Oddly enough the colors we chose to use came from their bath toys.  Every time I gave them a bath I was drawn to the colors of these foam bugs.  So I decided that was what I wanted to use in their room.  Just looking at the picture makes me so happy.  I can’t wait to see it on the walls.