stroller strides!

Does anybody know what tomorrow is? (Besides Wednesday, April 30).

Tomorrow is the Grand Opening of Stroller Strides! Come to CGB at 9:30am and take part in a free Stroller Strides class! The class will depart from CGB and walk to Salem Common for a one-hour workout, returning to CGB after class. Upon return, enjoy light refreshments, a CGB raffle and the opportunity to sign up for Stroller Strides classes.

Stroller Strides classes meet weekly, every Mon / Wed / Friday from 9:30-10:30 am. Classes meet and end at CGB and all participating students will receive 5% off any CGB purchases following class.

Hope to see you at CGB tomorrow morning, at 9:30 sharp!

Oh, and does anybody know what today is? Besides Tuesday, April 29. Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's! Did we mention how much we love living next door to Ben & Jerry's?!

new products: star slings

CGB is proud to announce that we're now carrying Star Slings, which are hemp / organic cotton pocket slings made in Canada!

Easy to use, versatile and designed for babies up to 30lbs, Star Slings are a great way to practice the art of babywearing, without the added complexity of tie wraps or ring slings. Carry styles include: cradle carry, hip carry, cuddle carry, forward-facing carry, safety hip carry, around the back, etc.

Included with each sling is a 10-page instructional booklet, "The Science and Fine Art of Babywearing," describing the philosophy of babywearing as well as clear and detailed instructions on how to wear your baby. Also included is a linen sachet containing wild-harvested lavender, renowned for its calming and balancing properties.

Star slings are machine-washable, guaranteed for life and 2% of the profits from each sling are donated to the Transition House for Abused Women and Children in Fredericton N.B.

In addition to the Star Slings, we still carry our other favorite babywearing brands like Ergo, Maya Wrap and Calin Bleu.

CGB Loves Mother Earth

Happy Earth Day!

Celebrate Earth Day be visiting Crunchy Granola Baby and perusing all of our 'good for the earth' products, including new clothes and toys. Additionally, with every $25 (minimum) purchase you can enter to win our Earth Day Tote - a Crunchy Granola Baby tote bag filled to the brim with environmentally friendly items like: "Better Basics for the Home" (a book with recipes for creating your own household products, like shampoo and lotions), organic stuffed veggies, some of our homemade green cleaners, and more! Happy Earth Day 2008!

composting for carlton

Crunchy Granola Baby would like to extend a big thank you to Jacob and Andrea Kasper for presenting the Composting for Carlton workshop this morning. They discussed composting techniques and tips with a large group of interested students, many of whom now plan on starting their own compost pile.

Besides hosting the workshop, Crunchy Granola Baby also sold raffle tickets to help raise money for the Carlton School. In the end, Smoky the dog (along with his family) went home with the compost bin prize and we raised over $100 for the Carlton School!

Thanks again to Andrea and Jacob, and thanks to all those who purchased raffle tickets and learned about composting. Nothing is better than combining a school fundraiser with an environmental workshop!

Couldn't make it to Composting for Carlton this morning? Here are a few tips:

• Why Compost: produce free fertilizer, reduce landfill waste, reduce stinky trash, reduce greenhouse gases and keep nutrients in the natural cycle.

• Materials: container (make one from a trash can by drilling holes with 1" hole saw) or purchase one from the Salem DPW), shovel, rebar, kitchen container and thermometer.

• Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio: you need to have a 4 to 1 carbon to nitrogen ratio. materials high in carbon (often called "browns") include wood chips. paper, bark, leaves, etc. materials high in nitrogen (often called "greens") include grass clippings, coffee grounds, vegetable waste, cow/horse manure, etc.

• Other Notes: keep the pile aerated. some materials compost more easily than others, so be patient.

• Resources: UMaine's "How Compost Happens" US EPA Composting Guide.

Jennie = BusinessWoman of the Year

Congratulations Jennie!

Jennie Cudmore, CGB owner extraordinaire, was awarded Businesswoman of the Year for 2007 at last night's "86th Annual Celebrate Salem Awards Dinner."

We would like to extend a big congratulations to our favorite businesswoman/mom and thank her for all her hard work and dedication in creating not just a store, but a community.

Check out The Salem News story here.

Check out The Salem Gazette story here.

(Pssst Jennie... Sorry for using the old Globe photo, I didn't have anything more recent!)

7 days a week

Good news for all you CGB junkies . . .

Starting in May, CGB will be open seven days a week!

That means you can come visit us everyday, including Mondays!

Come hang out in our playroom, shop our new merchandise and visit Jennie, Amy and our newest employee, Lauren.

Woohoo for summer hours!

what's your human footprint?

This Sunday, April 13, National Geographic Channel will broadcast a documentary special titled "Human Footprint." The show, which airs at 9pm, will take a look at the waste produced by the average American consumer. And I mean 'take a look' literally. The show will not only fill your head with statistics about how much we Americans waste, but illustrate the stats with actual images of how much we waste.

Since the average American baby wears 3,796 diapers during his/her lifetime, the producers of "Human Footprint" stack 3,796 diapers on top of one another to make sure the statistic really hits home. And, don't worry, they also go into details about how much oil, plastic and wood pulp it takes to make each diaper. Depressing, sure. But maybe the images (combined with all the facts and details) are enough to make viewers rethink their daily lives.

So check out "Human Footprint" this Sunday at 9pm on National Geographic Channel. Who know's what you'll see.

..and still there is more

More New Products!

Aqua Bottles are a fun alternative to regular sippy cups or even nalgenes. These bright clear plastic bottles have a straw top with a sliding lid, and are contour-shaped for toddlers' ease. The best part? These bottles are PVC free and do not contain Biphenol-A. Hooray safety!

Our newest product line comes from New Hampshire: Badger Balm. A body care company founded on principles of natural living and giving back to the environment and the community, Badger Balm produces high-quality body care products...and we are super excited to be carrying some of these very products! So, what are some of the Badger products we now carry?

Diaper Cream: A non-irritating cream for baby's delicate skin. Ingredients include: Chamomile, a calming scene; Calendula, a traditional herb for soothing baby's skin; and natural Zinc Oxide, a safe & effective skin healer for over 300 years.

Sunscreen, SPF 15 and SPF 30: Badger proudly presents the most extraordinary broad-spectrum sunscreens we've ever seen. The SPF formulas are water resistant for up to 40 minutes, safe for children of all ages, thoroughly moisturize while they protect and are reminiscent of a holiday luau. These are natural, physical barrier sunscreens. Since the inception of this steamy, dreamy potion, previously sun-shy Badgers have been sighted belly up on the most luxurious beaches around the world. Meet you at the beach! (in case you didn't notice, the wonderfully-worded decription is taken directly from the Badger Balm site. Why try and improve something that already sounds great?)

And, yes. There are still many more new products arriving daily. Hurry in to CGB!

just keep swimming...

Well, they're here. The cutest swim diapers around. ImseVimse swim diapers come in fun prints and colors, and even have snaps on one side for easy changing. What else is great about the,? They're more comfortable and economical than disposable swim diapers. And one more thing? They're ready to use: no insert or diaper needed. Time to hit the pool, ocean, pond, puddle...anything!

bugaboo

Are you a fan of the ultra-sophisticated Bugaboo stroller? Visit our friends at Hip Baby Gear up in Marblehead (or stop by CGB) for some interesting information about the 2007 strollers...and how you just might be able to afford this luxurious baby item.

spring is here, and so is Kate Quinn!

The sun is shining, the weather is (kinda) getting warmer and we're receiving our new spring products! Our amazing friends at Kate Quinn have shipped us some adorable spring clothes, like the terry sunsuit seen at right. They've also sent along sunhats (also seen at right, in cream), straight leg pants, new vibrant-colored onesies, lap neck tees and short-sleeved kimono jumpsuits...just to name a few!

Be sure to stop by CGB soon and check out our adorable new spring clothes!

Jennie's Trip to the Le Leche League Seminar

So, I went to the Le Leche League’s Seminar in Chelmsford this past weekend. It was very informative and super nice to see so many familiar faces.

Besides hanging out with other moms, though, I also managed to attend a few lectures.

My favorite was the excellent vaccine lecture given by Dr. Sears. He only spoke for an hour, but still managed to explain tons of information. For those interested, I would recommend his book, titled simply "The Vaccine Book." And while I am still not vaccinating Tommie at this point, I'll certainly follow Dr.Sears' schedule and vaccine manufacturer recommendations if I decide to vaccinate Tommie in the future.

I also attended a lecture on Toddler Attachment Parenting. Just when I thought maybe it was time for Tommie to try sleeping alone, my AP ideas were perfectly reinforced. Of course its ok for a toddler to co-sleep! So I'm glad I attended the lecture about how to be a toddler attachment parent, it reinforced everything that already feels right - co-sleeping, nurturing, meeting every demand. Haha.

I also spoke with someone who attended Dr. Sears' talk that evening at 7:30 (too late for me), which I guess delved into the science of AP. She said it was very good; he included lots of data and studies done on AP style parenting. I'm interested in this idea of the "science" of AP and was wondering if anyone could recommend a book / article / journal that includes such information? (I'd love any recommendations to be posted in the Comments section below this post, that way we can all keep informed about the science of our parenting)

All in all, it was a fun and informative day in Chelmsford. =)