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.