ERGObaby Sport - does it fit small people too?

The ERGObaby Sport carrier is designed with extra strap length in the waist band and shoulder straps, so it has a larger fit range and thereby makes it the perfect carrier for larger mums or hefty Dads.

However, this doesn't mean smaller sized people can't use it. I'm very petite at 5 foot nothing and weighing in at a rather puny 48 kg and I wear the ERGOsport as one of my everyday carriers.

If you are tiny like me, you might get the odd funny look if wearing your older child (eg, 3 years +) in the Ergo carrier because to an untrained eye the child might appear the same size as you are (just joking!)

Whats the difference between the ERGO and the ERGO Sport?

I get asked this question a lot. They are the exact same concept in carrier with a few minor differences:




1) The ERGOsport (pictured on the right) is slightly lighter than the standard ERGO. It's made from 35% cotton, 65% polyester blend which makes it lighter in weight and feel. The standard is 100% cotton.

2) The ERGOsport carrier has a vent which is great for extra breathability in hot weather

3) The ERGOsport waist band can be extended a further 10cms. The standard ERGO still fits relatively big people (XXL) and there is always the extender belt that can be used with both carriers which adds an extra 20cm.

4) The ERGOsport shoulder straps can be extended an extra 12cms

5) The ERGOsport does not have the pocket the standard ERGO has. It's only a small pocket but very handy for phone carkeys, or small wallet. You can always use the Front Pouch add-on of course too

6) The ERGOsport hood can be detached.


Which one is better?

Both of them! They really are both great baby carriers and it's just personal preference. I have both the ERGO Standard and the ERGObaby sport and use them almost every day. (one's in the car, one's in the house)

Check out the full range of carriers at www.bellybeyond.co.nz

New Years Resolutions

No. 1

I will properly file all my files into their own subfolders, rather than one humungous mess of a file.

La Leche League Nursing Bras

Our new range of Nursing Bras by La Leche League have arrived.

We are stocking this range for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I wasn't able to find a strapless nursing bra for under summer tops and dresses, anywhere in NZ and this range has a great one.

Secondly, La Leche League is such a fabulous organisation and anything we can do to highlight the fantastic work they do here, we are more than happy to do.

I think the common misconception is that La Leche League members are hairy-legged hippies that don't wear bras who sit around breastfeeding their 10 year olds. Nothing could be further from the truth. It's simply an organisation of ordinary Kiwi mums who are passionate about helping other mums get gain confidence with breastfeeding. Bravo we say!

Tip: It's pronounced La La-chay League

We are still to finalise the finer details with them but we working towards donating a portion from every LLL bra sold at Belly Beyond, to La Leche League NZ, in support of the fantastic work they do right here at home. Check out their website here

Boxing Day Sale: HOTmilk bras from $15

Crazy Arse ONE day only sale

50-80% off

Midnight to midnight 26th December 2009

(Boxing Day Sale items will be shipped on 29th December - see bottom of page for full sale and delivery info)

Book mark this page! set your phone alarm! This will be worth breaking your no-internet-on-the-holidays rule.

A taste of things to come....

END OF LINE, SECONDS, AND JUST AMAZING CRAZY ARSE SPECIALS!

We are updating the available size list, so keep checking back

GO TO THE SALE PAGE HERE

HOTmilk bras $15-$20

(available sizes)
8A, 10A, 10C, 10D, 10DD, 10E, 10F, 10FF
12A, 12D, 12DD, 12E, 12F, 12FF
14A, 14B, 14D, 14DD, 14E, 14F
16B, 16C, 16D, 16DD, 16F, 16FF
18C, 18D, 18E, 18FF
20C, 20D, 20E, 20F, 20FF

HOTmilk underwear from $10

HOTmilk Nursing Tops $20

Womama bras from $12.50 - normally $59.95!

(thats 80% off)

Womama Leisure wear from $20

Albetta Babygrows - 60% off

Isoki Nappy Bags - 50% off

Merino Blankets and more

What you need to know

The sale will go live at 12.01am on 26th December and will finish at midnight or while stocks last. Orders processed in the order they are received so literally first in, first served.

We plan to ship BOXING DAY sale orders on 29th December 2009. Delivery will vary but we expect it will be between 2-3 working days within New Zealand and an additional 7-10 days to Australia.

For deliveries outside NZ an additional 12.5% discount is deducted at checkout.

Please choose carefully, we regret we cannot exchange sale items. We happily exchange non-sale items (see our FAQs)

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.