Not paying attention

So there's always a fair amount of juggling going on at Belly Beyond HQ. Business to grow, children to tend etc etc and it's just not possible to be on top of everything all the time.

But I got a bit of a shock when someone made a comment about our Belly Beyond tattoos and how they loved the article on us in the latest Her Business Magazine.

"What article?" I thought. I have the latest Her Business Magazine - get it every month.

Two weeks ago I had answered their call for story submissions but it seems my highly prided attention to detail was missing when I had flicked through the mag, because on closer inspection, they'd already run it! Oh dear.

In my defence I haven't had time to read anything that's not directly attached to the work we are doing at www.bellybeyond.co.nz but these sorts of oversights are a clear indication that a year and a half of going a million miles an hour, is starting to show. Heidi laughed when I showed her the article. "yes, it's such a tiny picture - I can see how you missed it". :D

See the article itself on our Media page.

So the moral of the story kids, before making submissions to magazines - make sure you do your research and pay attention to every page!

A big thanks to Her Business Magazine for the article and our Fairy Godmother for setting it up.

Twitter account for sale

We received an email this morning from someone selling their Twitter account.

"Is anyone interested in purchasing a twitter account with over 8,000 followers?

It is now surplus to requirement and instead of letting it go to waste, i thought someone may be interested in rebranding it for themselves."

I know databases are bought and sold every day but this is a new concept to me.

Isn't a successful Twitter account about building up a relationship with your followers?

What are your thoughts? Carefully cultivated network to share information? Or just another database available for sale?

Supplier Colour Name Tips - KISS

We have a great product on the site called Smart Mum Teething Bling. They are a necklace pendant or bracelet for mum to wear and are made from the same materials as baby teething toys so are safe for baby to chew on.

The supplier has decided that standard colour names are too boring and it would be much more fun to be a bit clever. Unfortunately, all this means is that customer get confused about which colour they need to order. Case in point:

If you call something Cotton Candy, what colour do you think it would be? Pink right? No actually it's light blue.




And the lovely Jade looking colour below left, is actually called Peridot, Jade is an ice blue colour, as demo'ed by Tori Spelling.



So the point? While it's good to be original make sure that the photos and colours can be easily identified! People are busy and need to be able to glance at product specs and images and as retailers the last thing we want to do is make it hard for them to make a purchase.

Fly Buys go online

Recognising the growing trend in online shopping, retail loyalty points giant, Fly Buys has joined in the fun, offering a select range of e-stores to Fly Buys customers.

Belly Beyond is proud to be among the first online retailers to be included in the program.

Shop online NOW at Belly Beyond and collect Fly Buys points.

Sun safety tips for babies and toddlers

We love being outdoors and having fun family times in the backyard, at the beach or over the road at the park.

But did you know that New Zealand has one of the highest skin cancer rates in the

world? It's so important to be sun-safe and it's easy to to protect yourselves and your kids from the UV rays known to cause skin cancer including melanoma.

Sun-Safety Top 5

Because the highest risk from sun exposure happens in childhood our tips are written with little ones in mind but the tips apply to adults too. Remember that funny ad years ago with the Dad who turns into a Lobster? Don't be that guy!!

1. Cover up or ideally stay in the shade between 11am and 4pm when the UV rays are at their strongest.
   
   
2. You can still get burnt on a cloudy day! 80% of UV rays penetrate through cloud and you should cover up, use sunscreen and stay in the shade - just as you would if it was a blue sky day. You can also get sun burnt through clothing. As light colours and thin weave cottons are the worst fabrics for sun protection, choose UV protective clothing or other tightly woven fabrics.
   
   
3. Put sunscreen on 15 minutes before heading out into the sun and reapply at least every 2 hours on any skin that remains uncovered make sure you apply a thick layer of sunscreen and reapply it after swimming and towel drying.
   
   
   1. Use a sunscreen with at least a SPF30+ factor with both UVB and UVA protection
      
      
   2. Buy sunscreen in large bottles if you can and dispense into smaller bottles and stash them everywhere (baby bag, kindy or daycare bag, the car, grandparents house etc)
      
      
   3. Get into the habit of applying sunscreen as part of your morning routine, just like brushing your teeth - kids like routine and are less likely to fuss if they know what is coming.
      
      
4. Wear a hat (and sunnies). It's not rocket science but the amount of times we see babies and kids out and about without hats on is amazing. Caps are cute but the best choice is one with a brim that protects the ears and neck as well as the face.
   
   Belly Beyond Toddler Tip: If your little one refuses to wear a hat and finds it far more amusing to throw it off and have you pick it up for them, then get a hat with a tie neck. Have a favourite toy or snack ready and while putting the hat on distract them with it and tighten the tie. If that fails, use superglue (kidding!)
   
   
5. Use stroller covers. UPF50+ covers are a great way to keep babies and toddlers cool and protected from the sun.

Check out our top 10 Summer must-haves here

HOTmilk 2010 "Ever After" Collection

The new season from HOTmilk Lingerie has started to arrive and as these pictures show, the very clever ladies at HOTmilk, have totally redefined the Fairy Tale.

We will activate the new styles over the weekend and will start shipping the pre-orders ASAP. (well done those clever ladies who took up our secret offer).

Still some amazing nightwear specials available online at www.bellybeyond.co.nz too

Birth to Earth Placenta Capsule

We've come across this brilliant kiwi product and have just added it to the site.

I think lots of women would like to do something with their placenta but find it too hippy, too icky or maybe just too hard and end up leaving it at the hospital to be incinerated.

The placenta is an amazing organ, it's the only one your body grows then discards and it's specific purpose is to nourish and protect the baby.

The Birth to Earth Placenta Capsule is designed for your lead maternity carer to put the placenta straight into it after birth and you can plant it right away (within 24 hours) or put it in the freezer.

The pack means the placenta is well identified and will not be mistakenly defrosted by unsuspecting husbands!!

It is 100% biodegradable so is perfect for planting under a tree and the cute "Your Tree" book written by creator Liesje Bradley is a gorgeous keepsake.