The big news today is the push back of the February 2010 deadline. Many manufacturers are breathing a sigh of relief and preparing for yet another deadline while more decisions are being made. While this might bring about more of the holiday spirit it also brings further frustration. We have tried to remain positive and have taken steps to comply but it is difficult to run a small business with so many unanswered questions.

Our line in particular has been tested with the XRF. We have held off adding anything new to our product line as we wait to see what cpsia does next. We have lowered our prices in order to reduce our inventory even further. In the screen printing industry there are still a flurry of unanswered questions. We have been in contact via email with Marci Kinter, SGIA.

1.) Why can’t screen printers use msds sheets to show the lead content? I’ve been told that they can’t because the limits are different than what the cpsia is requiring. It would make sense that the ink suppliers get on board and help the situation.

2.) If I contract a print job to a screen printer to print my graphics on infant apparel who becomes responsible for the testing? Would the screen printer be responsible for testing it before selling it? Would we be required to test it yet again before we distribute the product?

Still many questions are left unanswered. If you have listened to some of the audio for the meetings that have been held there are many manufacturers that are asking the tough questions! The bigger manufacturers are having the same issues as the smaller manufacturers. Every company would like to comply but please, give us a cost effective way to comply. Help us implement a system that makes sense! We watched many companies close their doors a year ago. There have been even more closing this year and yet again we have another stay. We remain hopeful that we can continue to thrive and do what we love to do best, dress babies!

Mark your calendar and show your support! Join the ultimate Twitter party for the launching of Moms Rock the Economy. What is Moms Rock the Economy? Glad you asked, Moms Rock the Economy is a campaign where moms online support each other by purchasing mom-owned. If you are a mom, support moms…it’s that simple. Special thanks Leah Segedie, Chief Mom of Bookieboo and Mamavation, and Kelly Loubet, the Designer of Childhood Clothing for creating the campaign!

Join us on September 17th from 5pm to 8pm PST (Mountain Standard Time: 6pm to 9pm, Central Standard Time: 7pm to 10pm, OR Eastern Standard Time: 8pm to 11pm). Don’t forget your hashtag #MomsRock

There are lots of great prizes being provided by Mom owned companies. We are happy to show our support! Need more details for this event? Get them here

@TwinHappyJen aka Jennifer Miller is the owner of the blog Twin Happy Twitter. She is a parent of twins looking for other parents who have twins and are members of Twitter. We love to dress twins! One of our favorite photos are the baby twins at the piano. As they grew we were able to dress them again right before their 2nd birthday, see if you can find them here. When Jennifer tweeted about Twinstock ‘09 we wanted to help! She is currently hosting a giveaway for us on her Twin Happy Twitter. If you have a set of twins and would like to join in the fun, please head on over to her site and enter to win!

We have just joined in the fun for the “Best Baby Products Carnival” hosted by Ellen from Thrifty and Chic Mom. The party begins in September so mark your calendars. You won’t want to miss out on all the great goodies for baby!

Welcome! We are happy to be this weeks sponsors for the MckLinky Weekly Blog Hop. We would love for you to join in the fun. Please click on the image below to find out more details.

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We love a good party! Here are a couple that are coming up pretty soon. Check them out and tell them we sent you. There are lots of great prizes being offered. Good Luck!

BlogHer ‘09 In Real Life

BlogHer ‘09 is going to be one heck of a conference for bloggers. It’s like the super bowl of blogging events! It’s where you can finally match the faces with the blogs. There are many bloggers out there looking for sponsors. In an effort to match up companies that would like to sponsor bloggers I’m going to provide this Mr. Linky! Bloggers if you are looking for sponsorship please sign in so that companies can find you. If you have a post that provides information that would be great! Let companies know what you can do for them. Good Luck and Happy Blogher ‘09!

***Update*** We have just heard that the tickets for BlogHer ‘09 are all sold out! Here is a link to the waiting list. The Blogher ‘09 Business for Thursday still has tickets available. If you have a ticket and still need sponsorship make sure you sign Mr. Linky. Create a post so companies can find you. Good Luck and Happy Blogher ‘09 to those of you lucky enough to have tickets!

Bruce Wolk sent me an email in April of 2008 explaining his research and the book he was writing. He thought our product would be a great addition and I was thrilled to help in any way that I could.

Bruce asked me if I had contacts that I could send his way to also be part of his book. Those companies that built a relationship with me during all the cyber baby showers that fit the requirements were sent his way. That is a great example of how my company displays our southern hospitality. We love to network and that makes projects like these so much fun! I’m very proud that Happy Panda is one of the many companies featured in his book.

“Made Here, Baby! has found, detailed, and then interviews more than 400 American manufacturers making nearly every kind of children’s product you can imagine. This book guides you to safe, quality, American-made products for new moms, preemies, infants, toddlers, preschool, school age and beyond, including toys, games, puzzles, diaper bags, carriers, car seats, baby products, clothing, shoes, bedding, furniture, sporting goods, and much, much more.”

Made Here, Baby! is scheduled to be available in late April/early May, 2009. You may pre-order the book in a number of different ways, click here to find out how.

I’m honored to be in the spotlight for the American manufacturer of the month! This is such a breath of fresh air from the current cpsia issues. Bruce Wolk has been an advocate for change. We have posted his writings here on our blog. It is my hope that those of you reading this post will purchase his book and spread the word! American manufacturers are still here and we are producing great products for you and your families.

Thank you,

Pamela Kramer

Want to learn more about the CPSIA? We’ll be chatting with Mompreneur Pamela Kramer to hear her thoughts on this hot topic. How is is impacting her business and Mompreneurs in the USA? The laws guidelines start Feb 10th and are causing quite a stir.

CPSIA is an acronym that means Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. Why should you care? The cost of 3rd party testing for certification to prove products do not contain lead or other harmful matters will put many small business owners out of business.

Many reasons:
- If you are a business owner selling products for children 12 and under this will effect you.

- As a consumer you may see many of your favorite products removed from the shelves until testing takes place.

- As a consumer you may see many of your favorite online shops close because testing rates are too high.

- As a consumer you may see an increase in price for products geared toward children 12 and under. The expense of testing will most likely be passed on to the consumer.

- As a WAHM or SAHD that crafts or decorates garments, jewelry or anything for children 12 and under this will effect you.

- Sites such as Wishpot, Etsy and ArtFire or any other Indie hosted sites may lose products and vendors.

- Many of the moms who review products will be effected.

This is going to be a chain reaction that will stretch far and wide as of February 10, 2009 (Now known as National Bankruptcy Day). I personally cringe at the thought of what could happen to my own product line. It is my responsibility to stay informed and research the latest updates. You will find many store owners already blogging about it. There are posts, forums, groups and more spreading the word. Rather than repeat what everyone else is saying I will just list the most effective links that I have found so far. I welcome you to comment here and leave more links that you might know about.

CPSIA Petition for Apparel Industry
What Needs To Be Tested?
ETSY’s open letter
VOTE @ Change.org

Blog Posts:

5 Minutes For Mom
Startup Nation
Cheeky & Swank
Fashion-Incubator
Moon Fly Kids
The Diary of a Poshpreneur
The Smart Mama
Ohana Mama

Forums:
Social Ning
Toy Industry
Craig’s List
Squidoo