Say what?!?

That is a usual reaction I get when I start talking about The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, or the man behind the book, Mike Michalowicz. As most of you know, I met Mike a few years back, during the inaugural Martha Stewart Dreamers into Doers event. At that time, Mike generously gifted all 40 attendees with a free copy of his book. That weekend, I sat down and read the whole thing cover to cover, channeling my inner geek and underlining the funny bits. Needless to say, most of the book is underlined.

I never thought myself as someone who appreciates the toilet humor, and Mike will be the first one to admit this - the book was intended for male audience, but I didn't stop laughing the whole time I was reading, even a few hours later. Ever since then, I make sure to recommend his book to all my friends. If they don't get anything else out of it, taking a few hours of your time to simply laugh and get rid of some of the stress of being an entrepreneur is priceless.

So, when I heard that Ladies Who Launch is organizing a workshop with Mike as a speaker, I made sure I was there. I needed to learn what he had to teach. Granted, most of the things that he talks about are not brain surgery and are not revolutionary, but when combined with his comic routine, they are much easier to absorb. I can't say that I remember much from all the books about marketing I read in graduate school, but I can quote passages from his book. Enough said.

 

Selma Avdicevic with Mike Michalowicz, November 2010, New York City

To make a long story short, it was the most productive way to spend two hours on a Saturday. I finally have a name for some of the marketing techniques I've been using, and I got some amazing ideas that will need implementing.

If you find out Mike is hosting one of his workshops near you, make sure to make time to attend. You will not be sorry.

Guest Post: SAFE "BABY" SLEEP FACTS

Recently, while doing research on safe baby sleep products, I came upon this company, Secure Beginnings, the maker of breathable crib mattress. It is a two-part system with a base and a sleeping surface. We have not personally seen the product, but just by reading about it it makes us feel good. We only hope that in future they will incorporate more natural fibers and we certainly wish them luck.

One other thing that we wanted to draw your attention to is their blog. There, they will focus on sharing safe sleep information, research data, as well recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and Sudden Infant Death Alliance. One of the recent posts talks about body temperature. This information, together with the Woolmark Sleep Comfort Study offers really comprehensive look at the relationship between sleep and body temperature. We hope that you find it as interesting as we have.

SAFE "BABY" SLEEP FACTS: Why a Stable Core Body Temperature Not Only Keeps Baby Safe, It Helps baby sleep better.

Bragging rights, part deux: Babble's 50 Best

We are having a very interesting day here at Woolly Boo.

Shortly after getting off the phone with our new account located in Italy (more details on that later), we started getting emails from our friends from all over the US. Apparently, babble.com editors have included Woolly Boo in their list of the 50 Best Etsy Baby Shops for 2011.

Well, time to celebrate! Thank you Babble for recognizing our work. We really appreciate it.

To purchase our product, please visit our website.

Bragging rights

A few days ago Robyn Hatcher from Speak Etc tweeted this: "Toot your horn! It's not bragging! It's giving important information to help listeners make an informed decision! It's your duty!"

So, in the spirit of giving information, here are a few articles from the local design blogs that mentioned our participation in Playtime New York.

Dear Chic & Cheap Nursery, *hoolaboola, and babyology, thank you.

It's coming up green!

And not just because the Spring is almost here. Today is St. Patrick's day, and here in New York, EVERYONE is Irish. Chances are, you probably heard: "Tup o' the mornin' to ewe!" too many times. And are wearing green, despite not being remotely related to anything or anybody Irish. Why not? It is a great culture and it should be celebrated by all of us.

Not to be amiss, here is one of our items in the Etsy shop that is both green and "green": Crib Bumper Pad in green cotton sateen, filled as always, with our organic wool batting. Just for the wee ones.

Oh my, oh Brooklyn!

Who would have thought that going back home can be so much fun? I LOVE Brooklyn.

Yes, that is correct, yours truly is a Brooklyn girl. At least was for about 10 years after landing at the JFK airport in 1995. I love my old neighborhood of Bensonhurst, love my old neighbors, the amazing food, and shopping, screaming kids on the playground next to the subway station, the sound of wind when it whispers through the trees...

So, naturally, Brooklyn Baby Expo was going to be a success for me, no matter what. And it certainly was. Big thanks go out to Karen Connell and her team from A Child Grows in Brooklyn. They made us feel welcome and special.

Where do I begin? The location was ideal for something like this. Toren condos were not only stunningly beautiful, but also very spacious. My pet peeve about events like these is that they are always situated in large, cavernous spaces, with no end in sight, just tables upon tables of exhibitors. It is so overwhelming for me, let alone a parent who is trying to absorb all this information being directed at them. Having exhibitors broken up between several apartments, actually made the atmosphere much more relaxed and less overwhelming.

Karen and her team did a great job of catering to their audience: there was plenty of food, water, bathrooms, changing tables, stroller parking, quiet rooms, play rooms, nursing rooms, you name it. So, moms and dads could take a break without having to leave the building. How cool is that?

Last, but not least, they did a fantastic job in marketing the event. The media contingent numbered over 70 individuals, and most seminars were sold out. I overheard people saying that the event was so well organized that it will be a golden standard for future events of this kind. They are certainly on top of our list, and we can't wait to go back.

Brooklyn, Here We Come: The First-Ever Brooklyn Baby Expo

Hey Brooklyn parents and parents to be! Have you heard about this amazing event happening this Sunday in your borough? Good.
 

Because it is going to be fantastic. And not just because we are going to be there. That's right, Woolly Boo founder Selma Avdicevic will be manning our table, so make sure to stop by and say hello. You'll also have an opportunity to purchase some of our products, enter to win some fantastic prizes, and attend expert panel discussions.

So, don't forget: this Sunday, March 13 in Brooklyn. For more details, click here.

It's National Sleep Awareness Week!

It's National Sleep Awareness Week. Naturally, we were very excited to hear about this, because sleep is very important, and these days nobody gets enough, especially parents. Here are some Woolly Boo tips on getting some great zzzzzzzzzz's:

1. Have an early dinner. Never go to bed with the full stomach.
2. Dance. Yup, dance. Be silly. Laugh. This will help you get tired, in a good way.
3. Have a calming bath or a shower. A drop of lavender oil in the water is really helpful as well.
4. Air out the bedrooms before going to sleep.
5. Lower the temperature in the bedrooms to 66 degrees.
6. Use natural and organic sheets, as well as pillow inserts and comforters, like those made of wool, because wool breathes naturally and regulates body temperature, providing superior comfort.

Woolly Boo Toddler Pillow in Pink and Infant Sleep Sack in Sunshine Yellow

And these are not just for you. If you do it together with your children, it will make you both sleep so much better. Sweet dreams.

Playtime is fun time!

If you haven't had an opportunity to check out Playtime New York, you have indeed missed a lot. Oh, the mini fashion, the fun times... There was so much going on, I drained the iPhone battery tweeting about it. So, there.

But, seriously, as an exhibitor, it feels wonderful to be treated with respect, and from time to time, to be taken care of. And the Playtime organizers really took good care of us: starting with display delivery and all the way to the move-out. Coffee, tea, breakfast, snacks, when we needed them, cheerful conversation, encouragement. It is no doubt a stressful affair to organize something like this, but I never heard a cross word from anybody there during the entire time. Just amazing. I have a long way to go as a person.

Here are some fun photos taken by the Kid's Wear Magazine photographer, Adrian Crispin. For more, please visit our Flickr gallery. And see you in August.

Playtime Pop-up Shop - make sure you visit!

New this season

PLAYTIME NEW YORK POP-UP SHOP
in collaboration with Gabriel Grippo,
designer of the brand "Agua By Trash A Porter"














PLAYTIME NEW YORK DEBUTS THE PLAYTIME POP-UP SHOP
DESIGNER SAMPLES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE FIRST TIME!

Up to 30% discount off the retail prices. This is a MUST SEE!

Consumers access to the show will be restricted to the Pop-Up area only.