composting for carlton

We've just kicked off a new fundraiser! CGB is going to be raising money for the Carlton School (Salem's "green" school) by selling raffle tickets to win a compost bin!

Ok, Ok, we know what you're thinking. A compost bin, woohoo. But composting is a great green trick! You can create a natural fertilizer by "recycling" particular household waste. Not sure how to compost?

On Saturday, April 19, Andrea and Jacob Kasper, local composters, will be at CGB at 10:30 a.m. to show us just how easy and important it is to compost. Besides a demonstration, Andrea and Jacob will also discuss space options, winter composting, introducing worms and more. They'll be on hand to discuss any and all composting questions and concerns.

After the demonstration, we'll pull a raffle winner. The lucky guy or gal gets to go home with their very own compost bin! What a perfect way to welcome spring!

And if that itsn't enough to convince you, 100 % of the proceeds beneft Carlton's School PTO.

So pick up your raffle ticket (only $5 at CGB anytime after March 15) and mark your calendars for April 19.

gDiapers

Well, they're here.

gDiapers are now available at Crunchy Granola Baby.

And since my explanation of these super-popular diapers simply won't do justice, below is a brief description that I've pulled from the gDiapers site.

gDiapers consist of a washable, cotton outer pant and a plastic free flushable refill. They are made of breathable material just like sports clothing. So, babies stay dry and happy and are far less likely to get diaper rash.

Can't flush? It's ok to toss flushable refills because they're plastic-free. Or garden compost the wet ones. They'll break down in 50-150 days.

More on these later.

think spring

Spring apparel and toys are starting to arrive!

Imagiplay is the newest addition to the CGB toy collection. Imagiplay has been making high-quality toys for over a decade. All the toys are made from eco-friendly materials, most often plantain-grown rubberwood.

These rubber trees produce a sap that is used to make latex, their main job for 25-30 years. Once their time is up, the trees are harvested and used to make Imagiplay toys. And, of course, new ones are planted as replacements.

Besides their awesome environmental practices, Imagiplay has also received awards from Parenting Magazine, Creative Child Magazine, Dr. Toy, Parents' Choice Foundation and other well-known parenting outlets.

And now at CGB, we're got Imagiplay puzzles and wooden play sets and animal pairs...Come on in and try 'em out!

But wait, there's more. We've also started carrying adorable tees from Egg by Susan Lazar, a lifestyle brand that focuses on organic and stylish apparel for moms and kids. Check out the shirts that boast hip, crunchy phrases like "Plant a Tree," "Treehugger" and "Save the World."

knit one, play too

Looking for a kid-friendly, and still relaxing, space to try some knitting?

CGB is hosting a beginners knitting class on Tuesday mornings from 11 to noon. Knitters, and wannabe knitters, can sit back in CGB comfy couches as Marcie Clawson teaches everyone to knit a baby/child hat.

Marcie Clawson has been knitting for over 30 years and teaching on the North Shore for three. She has taught adults and children in both structured and studio classes and enjoys passing on the art of knitting to those interested in continuing on the tradition.

Session begins Tuesday, March 19 and runs for four weeks. Cost is $45, which does not include needles/yarn/pattern. Materials list will be available upon registration. Material costs will depend upon yarn chosen but should be under $18. Check out our neighbors Seed Stitch on Front Street for supplies.

positive press: kusikuy

It's always nice to stumble across positive press concerning companies CGB knows and loves. One recent find is the Co-op America article about Kusikuy, a Fair-Trade import business that makes the beautiful alpaca sweaters we sell. Read the article here and support Kusikuy by purchasing an alpaca sweater here - at CGB.

happy heart day

It's Valentine's day! We hope you're snacking on yummy organic chocolates while you read valentine's cards with your family and we also hope you remembered to stop by CGB for our pink and red sale... which ends tonight!

Y' know what else ends tonight? Our Toddler Expression art class! For the past eight weeks, a lively group of 2-year olds (like Max, at left) have been joining art teacher Brittany Bennet every Thursday afternoon to make beautiful and creative works of art. From homemade (and gluten-free) play dough to coffee filter flowers to puffy paint smocks, Toddler Expressions has been a great opportunity for the kids to explore their imagination without boundaries. If you are interested in taking Brittany's class, the next session begins March 20 and runs from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Thursdays for eight weeks. Fee is $240 and space is limited so register soon! You won't regret it and neither will your toddler.

chocolate, wine, veggies and pregnant women on unicycles

Ahhh... CGB is wrapping up a very busy and exciting weekend!

On Friday night, Jennie and Amy went to the Chocolate and Wine Tasting at Hamilton Hall. BTW, thanks for all the yummy wine, Pamplemousse.

And then Saturday morning Jennie dragged Amy to the Health and Wellness Expo at the North Shore Mall. BTW2, many thanks to the Chamber for strategically putting us in front of MiMi Maternity. Anyway, we did lots of babywearing demos and answered plenty of questions about cloth diapering.

And on Sunday, we just kept the party going! The Veggie Meetup group came to hang out at CGB and we walked around and “toured” the ice sculptures. Jennie just kept saying, "It was so great to meet new people and see people I hadn’t seen since Tommie was just months old!"

And although some of the sculptures had “fallen” to the warmer weather, our pregnant mom riding the unicycle stayed strong! Although, as Liv said, by the end of Sunday it looked like she reverted back to her first trimester.

Wanna know what else made Sunday great? The weather. It started out so perfect and then quickly turned to rain, then wind and finally snow! That's why New England is the best.

let's all say NO to bisphenol-a

Let's face it: It's been impossible to ignore the Bisphenol A/baby bottle rumors. (And if you still aren't clear about the entire fiasco, go here.) But while the American Chemistry Council and plastic bottle manufacturers like Nalgene are defending the chemical, studies are still popping up everywhere and still indicating that low doses of the substance (and higher doses if the plastic is subject to heat) can disrupt hormore systems and possible increase the risk of cancer or other serious illnesses.

Here at CGB, we don't like to take chances. Well, actually we do... when it comes to fun stuff like surfing, kayaking or hiking giant mountains. But when it comes to the health of kids, we're on the straight and narrow path towards safety. Which is why we're now carrying the Adiri Natural Nurser Ultimate Bottle.

The Adiri Natural Nurser Ultimate Bottle is 100% polycarbonate-free and bisphenol-A free. Designed by moms, doctors and lactation specialists, the bottle is safer, simpler and more natural. It resembles a breast, which helps to reduce nipple confusion. It's leak-resistant. It reduces colic. It does everything!

I mean, even The New York Times is paying attention. Read the Times article here.

And we have it here at CGB.

fresh february, fresh blog

Sure, 2008 is already a month old. But here at Crunchy Granola Baby, we're just now watching some of our new year resolutions blossom to fruition. Better late than never, right?

Let's start with this blog. The idea had been floating around the store for awhile, but time is an asset that mom's don't always have. Luckily, we've figured out a way to make this work. Mom/Shop Owner Jennie will chat, ramble, discuss various baby-related ideas and Childless Babysitter/Still Trying To Manage a Puppy Amy will simply post a concise version of Jennie's conversations. We'll see how it works.

(Oh, and please feel free to get involved! Post comments, ideas, questions! Anything!)

What else is new and fresh and exciting?

• Today kicks off our Pink and Red Sale! In celebration of Valentine's Day and Salem's So Sweet festival, everything pink and red in the store is 25 percent off through February 14. Happy Heart Day!
• Tomorrow and Sunday be sure to check out our Salem's So Sweet ice sculpture titled "Cycle of Life." We've teamed up with Salem Cycle and Red Lion Smoke Shop to create a seriously innovative ice scuplture: a pregnant woman riding a unicycle. You're not gonna want to miss this.
• And as if that wasn't enough, CGB is giving away organic sweet treats on Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. Yummmmyyyyyy...

But don't worry, that's not all thats happening here at CGB. Visit our blog often and read all about upcoming events, new products, fun kid stories, store photos and more.