Peapods Blog

A Brief Reaffirmation of Attachment Parenting

noreply@blogger.com (dan) — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:41:00 +0000

It seems appropriate today to reaffirm our commitments to attachment parenting, breastfeeding, and baby wearing. These are the fundamental ideas that define our family and our business. Parents need the freedom to follow their instincts and parent the way they feel is best for their children. This looks different for every family, and it is unfortunate that the national media has manufactured a crisis this past week which calls those choices into question. In any case, we'll keep doin' what we're doin' and we hope you will, too!

Visit our parenting links page for other local and national organizations that support and promote attachment parenting.

Our New Cloth Diaper Comparison Chart Helps You Choose the Best Cloth Diapers for Your Family

noreply@blogger.com (dan) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:20:00 +0000

We've created this chart as a quick way to compare the best features of various styles and brands of cloth diapers we sell. We're often asked, "what are the best cloth diapers?", but we've found that the answer is different for almost every family. These are just our opinions, based on 13 years of experience in helping parents choose the right cloth diapers. See also our recently-created baby carrier comparison chart. Yeah charts!

Our chart will be revised as we add new products, so be sure to visit the chart's official page here.

Confused? Attend one of our free cloth diaper classes!

Cloth Prefolds, Flat, & Fitted Diapers with Covers
1. Prefolds, Flats & Fitteds Cotton Diaper Service Quality (DSQ) Prefolds are designed to be washed again and again. Flat cotton diapers are made out of the same birdseye weave cotton, but must be folded down to each time you use them. Fitted diapers have elastic and snaps built into them and are excellent at containing messes. Each of these styles of cloth diapers are not waterproof and must be used under your favorite waterproof diaper cover.
Product & Material	Ease of Use	Sizing	Cost	Leak Prevention	Durability	Best Feature
DSQ Prefolds Cotton	★ ★	Newborn, Infant & Regular	$	★ ★ ★ (much better with a Snappi or pins)	★ ★ ★ ★ ★	Super durable and also handy to use as burp cloths or changing pads.
Organic DSQ Prefolds Organic Cotton	★ ★	Infant & Regular	$$	★ ★ ★ (much better with a Snappi or pins)	★ ★ ★ ★ ★	Same as our conventional diapers except certified organic.
econobum diapers + covers Cotton + PUL* cover	★ ★	One Size	$	★ ★	★ ★	Inexpensive entry-level cloth diaper system.
Birdseye Flat Diapers Cotton	★	One Size	$	★ ★ ★	★ ★ ★ ★ ★	Dries quickly. Best diaper for line drying.
Kissaluvs Fitteds Cotton / microfiber	★ ★	Infant Only	$$	★ ★ ★ ★ ★	★ ★ ★ ★	Soft cotton fleece, contains messes.
Thirsties Duo Fitteds microfiber / fleece	★ ★	Two Sizes	$$	★ ★ ★ ★ ★	★ ★ ★ ★	Microfiber diaper contains messes.
2. Diaper Covers Each of the diapers above require a diaper cover as a waterproof layer. If you're using cotton prefolds, we recommend 6 diaper covers, which can each be used on average 2-3 times before washing. This will give you enough diaper covers so that you can wash every other day.
Product & Material	Ease of Use	Sizing	Cost	Leak Prevention	Durability	Best Feature
Bummis Super Whisper Wraps PUL	★ ★	Four Sizes	$	★ ★ ★	★ ★ ★	Features a softer, cloth-like feel on the inside.
Bummis Pull-Ups nylon	★ ★	Four Sizes	$	★ ★ ★	★ ★ ★	Old school classic plastic pants.
Proraps PUL	★ ★	Four Sizes	$	★ ★ ★	★ ★ ★	Affordable cover with leg gussets.
Thirsties Covers PUL	★ ★	Four Sizes	$	★ ★ ★	★ ★ ★	Affordable cover with leg gussets in bright colors.
Thirsties Duo Covers PUL	★ ★	Two Sizes	$	★ ★ ★	★ ★ ★	Two-size system requires half as many covers.
All-in-Two Systems All-in-Two cloth diaper systems offer convenience and fabrics that wick moisture away from your baby's skin. All-in-Two cloth diaper covers can be used more than once between washes. One thing we like to remind customers is that these systems are pretty compatible with each other. A SoftBums insert can be put inside a Flip cover, for example (and vice versa).
Product & Material	Ease of Use	Sizing	Cost	Leak Prevention	Durability	Best Feature
bumGenius Flip PUL cover + microfiber, cotton, or disposable insert	★ ★	One Size	$$	★ ★ ★	★ ★ ★	One-size system compatible with a wide variety of inserts. Can also be used with prefolds, flat, or fitted diapers.
SoftBums Echo system PUL shell + microfiber or bamboo fiber insert	★ ★	One size	$$	★ ★ ★	★ ★ ★	One-size system compatible with a wide variety of inserts. Inserts snap in place.
gDiapers Cotton shell + waterproof pouch + cotton/hemp/ microfiber or disposable insert	★ ★	Three sizes	$$$$	★ ★ ★	★ ★	Versatile system can be used with reusable cloth inserts or with biodegradable disposable inserts.
Pocket Diapers Pocket diapers are cloth diapers made out of three parts: A waterproof cover (usually PUL) sewn to an inside pocket made out of lightweight polyester fleece. A removable microfiber insert is the absorbant part of the diaper. Stuff the microfiber into the fleece "pocket" before use and then remove it before washing. It's a bit more work to stuff and unstuff pockets, but we scored them a little higher on ease of use because they're pretty easy once they're stuffed. The advantage of this design is that moisture wicks away through the fleece from baby's skin to be absorbed by the microfiber inside the pocket.
Product & Material	Ease of Use	Sizing	Cost	Leak Prevention	Durability	Best Feature
FuzziBunz® Perfect Fit PUL outer, fleece pocket, microfiber insert	★ ★ ★	Four sizes	$$$$	★ ★ ★ ★	★ ★ ★	Sized pocket diaper offers better fit than a one-size.
FuziBunz® Elite One-Size PUL outer, fleece pocket, microfiber insert	★ ★ ★	One Size	$$$	★ ★ ★	★ ★ ★ ★	One-size diaper with replaceable leg elastic.
bumGenius 4.0 pocket diapers PUL outer, fleece pocket, microfiber insert	★ ★ ★	One Size	$$$	★ ★ ★	★ ★ ★	One-size pocket diaper available in snap or velcro.
Rump-A-Rooz Pocket Diapers TPU Outer, fleece pocket, microfiber insert	★ ★ ★	One Size	$$$	★ ★ ★ ★	★ ★ ★	One-size pocket diaper uses environmentally-friendly TPU instead of PUL and is designed to contain messes better. Shorter rise than other pockets.
SoftBums Omni System PUL cover + microfiber or bamboo fiber insert	★ ★ ★	One Size	$$	★ ★ ★	★ ★ ★	One size pocket-diaper that can also be used as a two-in-one shell with snap-in inserts.
All-in-One Diapers All-In-One (AIO) Cloth Diapers are the easiest to use cloth diapers available. AIOs have a waterproof cover and absorbant liner sewn together in one convenient piece. As easy to use as a disposable but much more economical.
Product & Material	Ease of Use	Sizing	Cost	Leak Prevention	Durability	Best Feature
bumGenius Freetime PUL + fleece + microfiber	★ ★ ★ ★ ★	One Size	$$$$	★ ★ ★	★ ★ ★	One-size All-in-One designed to dry faster than other AIOs.
Rump-A-Rooz Lil' Joeys TPU + fleece + microfiber insert	★ ★ ★ ★ ★	Newborn only	$$$	★ ★ ★	★ ★ ★	One-size All-in-one uses environmentally-friendly TPU instead of PUL. Excellent fit on newborns.
bumGenius Newborn All-in-Ones PUL + fleece + microfiber	★ ★ ★ ★ ★	Newborn only	$$$	★ ★ ★	★ ★ ★	Easy to use All-in-One that fits very well on newborns.

*PUL is an abbreviation of Polyurethane Laminate.

New Cloth Diaper Washing Instructions

noreply@blogger.com (Millie and Dan) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:33:00 +0000

What microfibers look like up close. This design makes them incredibly absorbant, but it takes a lot of water to rinse clean.

We've recently updated our cloth diaper washing guidelines based on new research conducted by the Real Diaper Association. Thanks to the RDA, we've been learning a lot about different cloth diaper fibers and how to clean them best. (Did you know that microfiber under a microscope looks like a hollow tube with pie-shaped wedges?)

The biggest change is that we are now recommending a warm water cycle for the first washing instead of a cold water cycle. And on the second wash, be sure to use plenty of hot water with the correct amount of detergent. (Even with microfiber, using less detergent will not lead to cleaner diapers.)

RDA created a handy pdf that simplifies everything and a Laundry Science page with more in-depth answers for solving cloth diaper laundry problems. As always, stop into the store or give us a call if you have questions!

A few products that help keep cloth diapers clean:

Bac-Out
Odor Eliminator

Bum Genius
Diaper Sprayer

Rockin Green Classic
Rock Remix Detergent

Our Best Travel Toy Recommendations

noreply@blogger.com (Millie and Dan) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:18:00 +0000

We've been working on developing a list of our best travel toy recommendations, which is something we get asked about a lot in the store.

What is a good travel toy? A good travel to should be self-contained, portable, small, lightweight, safe and fun. Our recommendations are based on the age of your child, since their interests and abilities change dramatically over time. In general, younger children need lots of little interesting items while older kids enjoy portable activity kits designed for longer play. Explore our recommendations for ages 0-3 years, 3-5 years, and 5+ years.

We asked our followers on Facebook to share their favorite travel toys, too. Their recommendations include: Books, masking tape; a spiral-bound drawing pad and crayons/ colored pencils; books on CD; coloring sets where you fill the "marker" with plain water; rocks, sticks and plastic hotel cups; "Scratch & Sketch" books; "Guess and Know" books, Travel Bingo; a tray for the car seat or lap; and Sakol velcro blocks. More great ideas!

Here's some of our favorite travel toys:

Box Set Airplane and Airport Portable Wood Playset	Airplanes Magnetic Design Set by Mudpuppy	Educo Train Magnetic Maze
Baby Paper	eeBoo Elodie & Naomi Musician & Artist Paper Dolls	Sophie the Giraffe

Press Release: Great Cloth Diaper Change on 4/21 -- World Record Attempt

noreply@blogger.com (dan) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:44:00 +0000

Local Businesses Team up to Break World Record in Support of Cloth Diapering

ST. PAUL, MN: On Saturday, April 21, local business owners and cloth diaper advocates will team up with over 305 other sites in 16 countries around the world in an attempt to break the record for the most cloth diapers changed at the same moment.

The event, dubbed The Great Cloth Diaper Change, seeks to promote the environmental and health benefits of cloth diapering. "Cloth diapering has been a growing trend for several years", said Brittany Kubricky, co-owner of ,BabyLove an Eagan business which teaches classes about cloth diapering. "Parents are looking for ways to be more environmentally-friendy," she added, "and cloth diapers are a big part of that."

Peter Allen, owner of Do Good Diapers in Minneapolis, a cloth diaper service, agrees. "Whether you have clean diapers delivered by a service or wash them yourself, they're a lot easier than they used to be." Allen, who also serves on the board the Real Diaper Industry Association, a national trade group of cloth diaper businesses, added, "Once they get started, parents really see the benefits of cloth diapering. Not only are they greener, but they're a lot more affordable than disposables".

Millie Adelsheim, the owner of Peapods Natural Toys and Baby Care, the host of the event, said, "We're really excited to host the Great Cloth Diaper Change. We see it not just as a world record attempt, but as a celebration of cloth diapers. We hope it'll be a lot of fun." Adelsheim, who's been selling cloth diapers at her St. Paul store since 1999, added, "Cloth Diapers have come a long way in the past 13 years. We have so many more great choices available now."

Other participating local businesses in the diaper change event will be Amanda Erickson, owner of And All That Scrap, a local cloth diaper maker; Jenene Johnson, owner of Sign2Say, a Baby Sign Language educator; and Megan Crown of Megan Crown Photography, a local birth, child, and family photographer. Interested participants should preregister at http://www.peapods.com/page.cfm/GCDC.html.

Baby Carrier Comparison Chart - 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Millie and Dan) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 05:13:00 +0000

We've created this chart as a quick way to compare the best features of the different baby carriers we sell. These are just our opinions, based on 13 years of experience in helping parents choose the right baby carrier. Let us know if you have questions; we can (and do!) expound upon every check mark in this chart.

	Optimum Ages*	Quick on/off	Best for Long Periods of Use	One Size Fits All Adults	Use While Nursing**	Baby Can Ride Facing Forward	Toddler Can Ride on Back	Best Feature
Slings & Wraps
Sakura Bloom Ring Sling	Birth-2yrs							Very Versatile
Moby Wrap	Birth-12mos							Very Secure & Balanced
Boba Wrap	Birth-12mos							Very Secure & Balanced. Springs Back to Snug Fit
Baby K'Tan Wrap	Birth-12mos							Easier to Use Wrap Style Carrier
Structured Carriers
Ergo Baby Carrier	6mo-3yrs younger w/ infant insert							Comfortably Distributes Weight to Hips
Boba Baby Carrier	Birth-3yrs No special infant insert needed.							Built-in support for young babies, stirrups for toddlers.
Beco Gemini Baby Carrier	Birth-3yrs No special infant insert needed.							Adjustable seat expands carrier as baby grows.
	Optimum Ages	Quick on/off	Best for Long Periods of Use	One Size Fits All Adults	Use While Nursing	Baby Can Ride Facing Forward	Toddler Can Ride on Back	Best Feature

*Many carriers can be used over a much longer range--these are the ages when we think they're at their best.
**Body shape and size will affect your ability to nurse in any baby carrier. It may be more difficult for some than others.

The Enduring Playability of KEVA Planks

noreply@blogger.com (dan) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:07:00 +0000

This picture was taken by our son Duncan at his homeschool co-op. Every week, he and his friends play with Keva Planks between classes. Sometimes they work together to build the tallest structure possible, standing on chairs to place the final pieces before it all comes tumbling down. Sometimes, they work in smaller groups, building multiple structures. It's amazing to watch these kids play cooperatively like this week after week, always coming up with new ideas.

We've always loved KEVA planks. In their simplicity, they aren't pre-programmed with an adult's conception of how to play. They rely 100% on inborn inventiveness. We love seeing them in action!

The Beginning of a Great Adventure: Our Journey into Open Adoption

noreply@blogger.com (millie) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:22:00 +0000

Our family has always been an integral part of our store--from the early days when we would close the store for naptime to blog posts and facebook pics of our kids as they explore their world, test new toys, or help work our sidewalk sale. As babies, Abby, Riley, and Duncan were always with us while we worked, sometimes riding in a sling, sometimes sleeping in a stroller. Much of their growing up happened right here at Peapods.

Today, we are beginning a new journey as a family. We are hoping to adopt a baby through domestic open adoption. We truly enjoy being parents and we would love the opportunity to add one more child to our family. The best moments in our lives have been with our kids. It took us a while to realize it, but in our hearts we'd like to raise just one more baby.

What is Open Adoption? Basically, open adoption is an arrangement made between a birth mother (and often birth father, too) and the adopting parents in which everyone's identity is known, as opposed to a closed adoption in which the identity of the adopting parents and adoptee is kept secret from the birth parents and vice-versa. Usually, in an open adoption, birth parents and adoptive parents remain in contact, working together in the adopted child's best interests.

Our journey so far has taken us through pre-adoptive education, background checks and a home study at the Children's Home Society and Family Services here in St. Paul. (The staff there's been great!) We've been working since last September to get to the point where we are now, which is seeking a match with a potential birth mother.

It used to be that waiting families would rely upon an adoption agency to match them with a potential birth mother, but many matches today are made outside of an agency, which involves a certain amount of advertising and networking (as in the movie Juno, where a match was made through an ad in a local shopper).

So, we now have a website for our family as well as an official profile through Children's Home Society. (Please visit if you're interested in learning more.) As strange experiences go, writing advertising text about your own family ranks right up there! In putting it together, we tried to be as forthcoming and honest about ourselves as we possibly could. The goal, after all, is to establish a supportive long-term relationship with birth parents who will likely play a very important role throughout our adopted child's life.

We're on a pretty steep learning curve here. This is completely uncharted territory for us. Ultimately, we hope to make a positive contribution that transcends our small family. We see this new journey as a way to not only grow our family but also to expand our horizons. If you have questions or comments, please send us an email. We look forward to sharing more as we progress.

Peace and best wishes,
Millie and Dan

How to Make Potholders

noreply@blogger.com (dan) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:28:00 +0000

Happy Holidays! Hopefully this video inspires some winter potholder weaving! We have basic and deluxe potholder looms in stock, all made in the USA. Makes a great gift for ages 6+.

Our Best Holiday Gift Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (dan) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:02:00 +0000

We've seen lots of toy lists this year, from best to worst and even a bit unwired. So, we'd like to add some of our favorites.

Our guiding principle for selecting all the toys in our store is play value. We ask, how much will your child enjoy playing with this toy compared with

what it cost? Our observation from 15 years of parenting is that the toys that kids play with most are the simplest--toys that require kids to invest their own imagination instead of just responding to a pre-programmed microchip. The one toy in our store with the most play value is probably our BEKA Unit Blocks, which have been a part of our kids' play from the age of 1 through 12 and beyond.

So, with play value in mind, here's our list of favorites for 2011!

Green Toys Vehicles - these tough trucks are safe for toddlers and perfect for big kids! They'll hold up to hours of sandbox play and are made in the USA from recycled milk bottles. We're particularily fond of their brand new School Bus!

The Grow Up Transformable Wooden Ride On & Cart - These just arrived! This brilliantly designed toy transforms from a toddler push cart into a cargo-carrying ride on and then into big kid shopping cart. A great value that's three toys in one!

Our Wooden Fishing Pole - This toy is truly a Peapods classic, and it recently won recognition as one of Mothering Magazine's Best Natural Toys of 2011.

Nuchi Wooden Train Sets - These back to basics wooden trains don't blink or beep or talk but they're capture your child's imagination nonetheless.

Rody Ride on Toys - Made in Italy, these are perfect for indoor gross motor play during these long winter months!

Shop Home for the Holidays this Saturday - Saint Anthony Park at its Finest!

noreply@blogger.com (dan) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:44:00 +0000

Kick of the Holiday season with some charm and delight and visit our neighborhood at its finest! This Saturday December 3, join the fun in South St. Anthony Park along Raymond Avenue and in North St. Anthony Park all along Como.

In addition to a wonderfully festive and endearing holiday atmosphere, planned events include:

Find unique locally-made gifts at the artisan fair at Milton Square (1 block east of us and home to Micawbers Book Store, The Little Wine Shoppe, Serendipity Flowers, Bungalow Pottery and Muffuletta)
Festive Holiday Carolers cheering the neighborhood 11:30-1:30
Santa & Mrs. Claus and Reindeer-pulled sleigh rides next door to us at Park Midway Bank 9:30-1:30
A tree lighting ceremony with Santa at Milton Square at 5:00
Wine Tasting at the The Little Wine Shoppe 1:00-4:00
Cookie Decorating at Speedy Mart 1/2 block west of us
A book sale at Micawber's benefiting the Saint Anthony Park School

And, when you spend $50 total at of the above Saint Anthony Park merchants or here at Peapods, the Bibelot, or Finnish Bistro, stop by Serendipity Flowers in Milton Square for a free coffee mug and enter to win a Holiday basket of prizes from all of our local businesses. (Click here for a full list of merchants)

So, bring your family and visit Saint Anthony Park this Saturday and help us cheer in the season! We can't promise snow, but we can promise a lot of festive Holiday fun!

We're Making "Black Friday" Less Blechy! (And More Neighborly!)

noreply@blogger.com (dan) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:25:00 +0000

More and more people are wondering why we have this thing called "Black Friday", which is now creeping back through the early morning hours and into Thanksgiving itself. Why get up early and fight huge crowds when you can have stress-free fun shopping at your favorite locally-owned indie shops? Skip the big boxes and have some fun instead!

We had a fabulous time last year with our Black Friday celebration and we're doing it again even bigger this year! No need to get up early—just stop by during our normal hours for a cup of hot cider. And, with a purchase over $30, you can draw an instant-win prize from our Black Friday fishbowl. You’ll draw one of the following fabulous prizes:

$5 Peapods Gift Card
$20 Peapods Gift Card (at least 4 available in the fish bowl!)
$50 Peapods Gift Card (one of these in the bowl)
$20 Gift Certificate to our neighbor Micawber's Book Store (2 available)
$20 Gift Certificate to our neighbor the Little Wine Shop (1 available)
$20 Gift Certificate to our neighbor The Bibelot (1 available)
Beka Construction Site Toy valued at $120 (made in Minnesota)
Haba Technics Building Blocks Set valued at $70
Swaddle Designs Swaddling Blanket Gift Pack valued at $38
A bunch of other prizes including Kid's Chapter Books from Micawber's, Kathe Kruse baby toys, a Ravensburger puzzle, and a fleece-line Urban Baby Bonnet

Plus, we'll have a bunch of great stuff on sale!

Baby K'Tan Baby Carriers 20% off
Econobum single packs from BumGenius will be Buy One, Get One Free
BumGenius 4.0 Pocket Diapers will be Buy 5, Get 1 Free
FuzziBunz One Size Pocket Diapers (not the new Elite style) will be %30 off
BabyLegs 3-Packs will be $19.99 (Regular price $36)
Kallisto Organic Stuffed Animals Made in Germany (absolutely lovely!) will be $29.99 (limited supplies; regular retail $60-$70)
Rockin' Green Detergent's brand new SECRET HOLIDAY SCENT will be $11.99 for Classic Rock and $12.99 for Hard Rock (Normally $14.99/$15.99)
Grovia: Buy 2 Grovia Shells and get 1 free
Ergo Baby Carriers: Get a free infant insert with each Ergo Purchase

But wait, there's more!

Our Holiday Rewards Program continues! Through the end of the year, our rewards program is for everything in the store, not just cloth diapers! Earn a $15 store credit when you spend $200 on anything in the store before 12/31.

And finally, we are continuing to collect gently used Baby Carriers, Cloth Diapers, and Maternity Clothes for families in need through the Bum and Belly Drive.

We wish you and your family a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

Looking Ahead to Election 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Millie and Dan) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:48:00 +0000

On this election day, we'd like to draw your attention to next year's election and a proposed amendment to Minnesota's constitution which would ban same-sex marriage. We're mentioning this now because we need to begin working together now to defeat this discriminatory initiative.

There are a few issues which we feel compelled to use whatever community standing we have as small business owners to stand up for what we feel is right. We believe that marriage is a human right and that government should not interfere with who a person chooses to marry.

More than that, we are dedicated to serve Minnesota's community of families and children, which is the entire purpose of our store. Whether they have straight or gay parents, all children deserve access to the security and protections that marriage provides. Marriage confers a whole host of benefits for children and families which range from tax deductions to custody issues and from health insurance coverage to legal protections in a divorce. To deny children of these protections simply because of who their parents are is unfair and hurtful.

One year out, we are already witnessing the grinding wheels of the political process as it rolls toward its big show--a presidential election year. An issue like this proposed constitutional amendment in a swing state like Minnesota is going to draw unprecedented attention and money from all over the country. In just a few months, Minnesota children will be bombarded with confusing and often hurtful messages about same-sex marriage every time they turn on the TV or radio. How will this affect your children?

This is an issue which affects us all. Whether it's your friends, your coworkers, or your own family, people you know in your life will be directly impacted by the result of this vote. It may even be one of your own children. Whether our kids turn out to be straight or gay, do we really want to burden them with a discriminatory amendment to our state constitution?

You can begin helping now. We urge you to visit Minnesotans United For All Families and take their pledge today to vote no. If you have time to offer, consider volunteering to help them educate voters about this issue throughout the coming year. And, more than that, talk to your friends and neighbors about how this amendment would hurt real families and real children. This is about so much more than partisan politics. It's about honoring and protecting children and families--no matter what kind they are.

Free Child Development Education Event 11/17

noreply@blogger.com (Millie and Dan) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:10:00 +0000

6:30pm on Thursday, November 17 @ Peapods

Stephanie Johnson offers an evening discussion about the effects of electronic toys and media on the child’s nervous system. Linking early physical experiences to future emotional and cognitive development, Ms. Johnson offers a unique perspective on child development. She is known for her warmth, clarity and humor and passionately educates the community on the body’s role in learning.

Babies in arms are welcome. For more information about Stephanie Johnson MA, R-DMT, LPC or Sage Education Center, please visit sageeducationcenter.com

Dispatch from the ABC Kids Expo

noreply@blogger.com (Millie and Dan) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:18:00 +0000

We just got back from our annual trip to the ABC Kids Expo in Louisville, KY. As always, it was an overwhelming experience. It's hard to convey how huge this trade show is, but we heard that to walk the entire show (which we did and then some) was a full eight miles.

We visited with a lot of our new suppliers and found lots of great new products, too. Watch our facebook page over the coming weeks as we announce new arrivals! Specifically, we got a chance to see new products from bumGenius, including a new one-size all-in-one, new colors and prints, and a new Flip training pant. We should be among the first stores to receive those. Also arrivng soon are new styles of the Beco Gemini and Ergo baby carriers.

We also had great conversations with the folks from Thirsties, Naturpedic, Bummis, SoftBums, Haba, Doodletown, and many more.

In conjunction with the trade show, we attended the annual meetings of the Baby Carrier Industry Alliance (BCIA) and the Real Diaper Industry Alliance (RDIA). We got to meet Peggy O'Mara, the founder of Mothering Magazine, and lots of other retailers and manufacturers. We also got a chance to talk with Neal Cohen, the CPSC's small business ombudsman, about current product safety issues. These meetings were probably the highlight of our trip.

The Bad Idea Fairy Awards
As always, there were a lot of goofy products on display. There's always something there that seems to go out of its way to promote detatchment parenting. This year's standout was the Laptime infant lap seat by Infant Affection. It's basically a padded infant seat to use when holding your baby--presumably so that you won't have to actually touch your baby. Or maybe because mom and dad's arms are just too hard. We couldn't quite understand why this product was necessary.

The oddest product we saw was a flowery headband gift for a baby that comes on a card suggesting that the headband should be saved and used later as a bridal garter belt. Talk about great expectations! We probably won't be ordering any of these, either.

Congress Passes Reform of the CPSIA!

noreply@blogger.com (millie) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 05:51:00 +0000

From Dan: For almost three years, we've been working hard to reform the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008, a one-size-fits-all law that imposed the same costly third party testing requirements on small batch toy crafters as it did on Mattel. Without a change in the law, we were worried about losing dozens of our favorite small business suppliers, many of work out of their homes.

I helped found the Handmade Toy Alliance in 2008, and I've made three trips to Washington DC and testified twice in Congress. Along with hundreds of other retailers, crafters, and small manufacturers, we've been trying to make the argument that handcrafted children's products deserve protection.

Yesterday, in a flurry of action during all the chaos of the debt ceiling debates, Congress finally passed a bill that offers a way forward for small businesses and targeted exemptions from the costs of third party testing. It was a truly bipartisan bill with only 2 no votes in the House and none in the Senate. We expect it to be signed by the president within days. We believe that these changes will save hundreds of businesses and many of our store's suppliers.

I have to thank the other members of the HTA board, all of whom have been working tirelessly to reach this day. They're a remarkable group of people with a diverse set of talents. They've helped me keep going even when all hope of change seemed to be lost.

We've all learned a huge amount about how the government works. And we've learned that it really is true that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.

Thanks also to all of our wonderful customers to wrote to Congress on our behalf--you really made a difference!

Finally, I have to thank Senator Amy Klobuchar, who's office has been incredibly helpful from the beginning. Senator Klobuchar helped us to shape this bill so that it was as helpful as possible and used her influence to push it through the Senate on a unanimous consent vote. We also owe thanks to our friends at MetroIBA, the Minnesota Retailers Association, and Park Midway Bank, all of whom helped us bring this issue to the Senator's attention.

Peapods Annual Sidewalk Sale June 24-25

noreply@blogger.com (Millie and Dan) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:42:00 +0000

Different Sidewalk, Same Great Sale!

Yes, this is the big event! It only happens once a year—bunches of stuff on sale 25-75% off. Closeouts, overstocks, scratch & dents, discontinued items, errant purchases, stuff we don't know where it came from, things we wondered "why did we schlep these to the new store?", etc. As always, this is a huge event that happens only once a year and everything's priced to move. Sale runs 10am to 6pm June 24th and 25th.

Because our sidewalk sale is a busy event, we recommend (but do not require) shopping without small children. Our sale will take place rain or shine. Sidewalk sale purchases are final—no returns or exchanges. No fair arriving early!

KARE 11 Coverage of Great Cloth Diaper Change

noreply@blogger.com (Millie and Dan) — Tue, 10 May 2011 01:47:00 +0000

Here's the video from the April 23rd coverage on KARE 11 of the Great Cloth Diaper Change event. Thanks again to everyone who participated!

The story of a sign

noreply@blogger.com (Millie and Dan) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:30:00 +0000

After 12 years of steady service above our old store on Snelling, we had to decide what to do with our old sign. Made of painted sheet metal on an aluminum frame, it was still in good condition, but the logo painted on it was out of date. What do you do with an old sign, anyway?

We designed our original peapod logo in 1999 by editing an MS-Publisher clip art image of vegetables. The font for "Peapods" was Rage Italic, also from MS-Publisher (the same font Panera uses for its menu boards). By 2005, the logo seemed awfully dated and, um, somewhat unprofessional. So we hired Katrina Hase at Mix Creative to redesign our logo. The sign, however, remained--mostly due to the cost of replacing it.

With our move, however, we needed to get that sign down. We're pretty hardy do-it-yourselfers, but we realized removing the sign from its mountings on the brick above the fabric awning would require some professional help. Plus, we were a bit preoccupied with our move and getting our new space into shape. So, we hired a sign company from Eagan to take it down. We would decide later whether to recycle it or keep it as a souvenir.

One day in February, Dan drove our minivan down to Eagan to take a look. We had the idea that he might just load it into the back of the van and drive it home. When he got there, though, it was clear that the sign is much bigger than what we assumed--it's a full 16 feet long and 40" tall. Recycling would be a far easier option. But, it looked so sad, lying there in snow. Dan felt especially sentimental about it, so we arranged to have it delivered to the new store.

So now it's at the new store. Now what? It was too big to even go down the stairs to the basement. The only possible place for it was to hang it high on the wall in our back room, which is phase 2 of our expansion into our new store.

Our back room was the former hardware store's repair shop, where they fixed windows and lawn mowers. A little more than 1,000 square feet, it is actually the oldest part of the building. It was built as a automobile service garage fronting the alley in 1930. The main front part of the building was added 10 years later and became Park Hardware.

When we bought the building, the back had a cement slab floor, cinderblock walls, an uninsulated ceiling, a large space heater hanging in one corner, and was lit by big fluorescent lights. Much of our work in the new store was to convert the back room into usable space. We insulated the ceiling and walls, installed a vapor barrier underlayment on the floor, built space for our office, installed a new furnace, sheetrocked the walls, hung a new ceiling, and installed a beautiful new cork floor. And then hung up our old sign.

So, there it is. Right above our new cloth diaper shelves. It's maybe a little Cracker Barrel--hanging old signs on the wall--but we think it of it as an homage to our old store and all of our memories that go along with it.

The Great Cloth Diaper Change -- Help us set a World Record!

noreply@blogger.com (Millie and Dan) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 22:35:00 +0000

For Earth Day this year, we are teaming up with Do Good Diapers to host the Great Diaper Change event at our store. The event will happen simultaneously at hundreds of sites all around the world on April 23 at 11 am CST. And, if it's successful, we'll set a record for the Guinness Book of World Records for the most cloth diapers changes at the same time.

Cloth diapers have come a long way in past 10 years, and it's time to stand up and be noticed! In the Twin Cities, gather at our store at 2290 Como Ave in St Paul to help make history. Events start at 9:30 am with the big CHANGE happening at 11 am. Local diaper manufacturer Sarah from Softbums will also be on hand for demos. And, did we mention, there will be door prizes!

How to Participate:

Pre-registration is required so that we can plan for official observers, parking, etc. Go to www.dogooddiapers.com/guinness_record_sign_up to sign up for our event. Check out the national website to learn more about what is going on around the globe. And, follow us on facebook for updates and additional information as we get closer to the big event!

Getting the Temperature Right, Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Millie and Dan) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:41:00 +0000

One of the reasons we wanted to own our building was to take responsibility for its infrastructure so that we could make more efficient choices. Well, one of those choices presented itself a little earlier than we expected...

We wrote earlier about how this lead us to install a new high efficiency furnace in the back room of the new store. What we didn't mention then was that we were hoping to get a couple more years out of the 1963 forced air beast that served the front part of the store.

Well, we came up a bit short on that. We were open only 5 days when we heard this loud clunk clunk clunk CLUNK BANG! from the basement. The pulley system that drives the blower fan had seized and self-destructed. No more heat.

Well, 47 years of service isn't bad, right?

So, we called Boehm Heating once again. They put a temporary blower in the old furnace (so we could stay warm during last week's arctic blast) and put us the schedule to get another new furnace.

As of today, we are now the proud owners of 2 high-efficiency furnaces, each rated at 95.5% efficiency, which is about 25% more efficient than before. which means our gas bill should also be about 25% less.

Our new furnace. Yeah!

Although it was kind of a bummer to deal with this so soon after opening, at least we were able to use it as an opportunity to improve our building and, just a bit, our planet as well.

Thanks again to Boehm Heating for their quick response and service.

Extreme Floor Restoration

noreply@blogger.com (Millie and Dan) — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 05:14:00 +0000

One of the many things that we've been working hard on in our new store is the floor. When we first looked at our building, we noticed there was solid maple flooring underneath the old vinyl tiles that could probably be rescued. After all, what floor covering is greener than restoring the floor that's already there? All we had to do was rip up the vinyl and refinish the maple.

And, after 70 years as a hardware store, it probably had a lot of character, too. Well, it turned out to be a bit more complicated than that...

First, we had to move the stairway which led down to the basement. It was inconveniently located in the middle of the room, which made sense when the basement had been used as retail space. In mid-October, we ripped out the stairs, installed new floor joists, and lay new subfloor. A good weekend project, but we were just getting started.

Next, we had to rip up the old vinyl tiles (after first getting them tested for asbestos--these one dated from the 1980s and were clean). The tiles themselves came up easy enough--our 9 year old son Riley and his cousin Ian popped most of them up in about 1/2 an hour. The 1/2" plywood underneath, however, was nailed to the maple with 1 1/2" resin-coated staples and took a lot longer. We hired a crew of about 6 guys and it took them the better part of two days to rip it up and pull all the staples. By the time they were done, the plywood looked like shredded wheat. It was then that we discovered dozens of holes and thousands of staples and nails in the maple floor underneath.

So, the next step was to fix all the holes in the floor, including where the stairway had been. We went up to the Maplewood Re-Use Center and bought 500 square feet of used maple flooring and hired The Transformed Tree to install it, which took several days. Because the flooring is tongue and grooved, it had to be meticulously feathered in to the existing floor.

We fixed some of the smaller holes, ourselves, too. Here's Millie fixing a hole where an old drain pipe had been.

Then, we had to pull thousands of little staples out of the maple and set thousands of nails that had been face-nailed into the surface of almost every individual piece of maple above every floor joist. It takes quite a punch to set a 9 penny nail into solid maple--usually about three hits with a 3-lbs. maul. Dan, our floor guy Shawn Russell, and 3 other guys got the job done after about 4 grueling days of work.

In one spot, we saw that someone had started to sand the floor previously and then gave up. It seemed clear, after several days on our hands and knees, that the nails and staples had deterred them. Which was probably why the vinyl flooring had been installed in the first place. It seems we were just a little more stubborn.

Finally, Shawn was ready to start sanding. He started off with some extremely course 14 grit sandpaper paper, which showed immediate results. Then, he worked up to finer grits. It took 4 days of sanding before he was ready to apply the polyurethane.

And here's the finished floor, finally completed just a few days before Christmas. We used a commercial grade low-odor water-based polyurethane which won't off-gas and should last for years. The floor is beautiful, although it does look a bit "distressed" in places. This was a hardware store for 70 years, after all. It's one of many things that remind us that our building has a history and has played an important part in its community for a long time. We're proud to be continuing that tradition.

Our Upcoming Move

noreply@blogger.com (Millie and Dan) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 06:32:00 +0000

We've managed to firm up a schedule for our move to our new store on Como Avenue. Here's the details:

We will be closing after Christmas for about 2 weeks. We'll be packing everything up the first week, then putting everything back together the next week. Both our store and our website will be closed during that time.

We are planning to reopen at our new location on January 7.

We realize this will be inconvenient if you need to return a Holiday present, so we'll be extending our normal 30-day return policy to 60 days for all purchase made in December.

We're excited, a little scared, and very overwhelmed about this huge undertaking. Please visit us at our new store when we reopen--we think you'll love it!

Getting the Temperature Right

noreply@blogger.com (Millie and Dan) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 20:21:00 +0000

One of the things we're really excited about in our new store is central air. And when we say excited, we mean pretty excited.

In the 11 years we've been here, we've loved lots of things about our current space, but the radiator heat wasn't one of them. The 85 year old system was controlled from one thermostat for the whole building, so we had a hard time controlling the temperature of our store. Some days we had to wear coats all day and other days we had to keep the doors open in the middle of winter.

And, our only way of cooling the store was four window air conditioners mounted above the doors which sounded a little like a jet airplane when we got them all going.

Needless to say, this was hardly an efficient arrangement. We got a quote at one point to install a more efficient cooling system, but the price was prohibitive.

So, we were really happy to watch the folks from Boehm Heating install our shiny new high efficiency furnace, which is one of two that'll heat and cool our new store. We'll have a constant temperature, smart thermostats that reduce usage when we're closed, and a much smaller carbon footprint.

We though we'd share this because if it all works right, you probably won't notice these improvements at all--it'll just be quietly keeping us comfortable.

Let’s make "Black Friday" less Blechy!

noreply@blogger.com (Millie and Dan) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:09:00 +0000

We’ve always wondered about the shopping phenomenon which has come to be known as “Black Friday.” Why do big box stores make their customers and staff get up super early and fight crowds just for a few good deals?

We thought we’d make the whole experience a little more pleasant! No need to get up early—just stop by during our normal hours for a cup of hot cider. And, with a purchase over $30, you can draw an instant-win prize from our Black Friday fishbowl. You’ll draw one of the following fabulous prizes:

A $5 Peapods Gift Card
A $20 Peapods Gift Card (at least 4 available in the fish bowl!)
A $50 Peapods Gift Card (one of these in the bowl)
A Moby Wrap gift set including a Moby Wrap, Baby Blanket, and Baby Hat (a $70 value)
Our giant “Red” Fraggle Rock Doll (a $120 retail value)

Plus, receive a free extra large reusable canvas shopping bag with every purchase over $50.

Plus, our Buy 5 Get 1 Free sale on Bum Genius 4.0 pocket diapers continues.

PLUS, All Fuzzi Bunz Perfect Size Diapers will be on sale for $11.99. (We've got lots of smalls, fewer mediums and larges)

As always, gift wrapping is free.

Let’s make the day after Thanksgiving fun and fabulous!

P.S. We’ll be closed on Thanksgiving, Have a great day with your family!