- Make ALL the pom poms.
- Pick the colours you want. I went totally random and I like it. If I’d do it again, Mr. Flopsy can pick the colours that suit his more stylish trendy house magazine style style.
- Pick the method you are happy with, lots of options out there. Remember to leave two tails on them, did a good few at the start with just one. Do’h.
- Make loads. None of the blogs mentioned how many you might need and it’s really really hard to count them on the pictures. I ended up making over 250.
- Get your tyre.
Give it a clean. Pick a nice sunny day and have some fun cleaning it. Little miss flopsy enjoyed helping to clean it, as did I, and we didn’t make a mess inside so Mr. Flopsy was happy too.
- Measure and cut out the wood circular pieces you need. Then, to give some more height, little squares to put the legs on to, which also makes it more stable. Cheap as chips plywood from your nearest DIY store will do. No one is going to see it.
- Measure and cut the fabric.
Give yourself some extra space for safety. Cut the circle and then cut the skirt, allowing extra length on the skirt to fold over to make a hem to thread ribbon or string through to tie it once on the poof.
- Stitch these two things together.
I used wool to do the stitching. Check it sits right on the poof once done.
- Stick all the pom poms onto the fabric. One by one! What you need to do is send a tail through a hole and then the other tail to the hole beside it and then tie together. If you are living with grown-up adults you don’t have to go so tight. We have a toddler with toddler friends. One such toddler friend saw the chair and went straight to “I have to yank really hard to get this fun colourful ball off” mode. So I tied them tighter. And then tied stuff together. Beat that, toddlers!
- Thread your string or ribbon through the hem.
- Throw over the poof, tie the bottom. Sit your bum on it and enjoy!
The first blog I found it on had no information at all other than some pictures and a link to another blog. This blog was an admiration blog about the original blog that just happened to be in Portuguese, just to make life easier! This very well may end up on Pinterest as well deepening the rabbit hole! Hopefully, this one will give you some better practical ways of actually doing this thing!
First things first. This will not get done in a weekend! Not if you start from scratch. Even if you had all the elements together, getting the pom poms onto the fabric would take the whole weekend! I started in May and as time went on, I set myself a deadline to be finished by Christmas, it ended up being very late on 23 December in fact! Now, I was doing it around my full-time job, my flopsyshop.ie job and family life. One pom pom at a time.
Things you will need:
- Lots of wool – any colours you like. I bought them in Dealz, the local all sorts shop and the bargain bin in https://www.sanbetongnhexmc.com/ shop in Smithfield. Some people also gave me some leftover wool they had a home.
- A pom pom template – you can buy packets of them on eBay and Amazon but I went oldskool and used a cardboard cut-out template. I used the same circle to draw it out, it was actually an empty ribbon wheel that I picked up in the Fabric Counter. There are lots of videos on YouTube as well on the different methods people use. Find one you like best.
- You need at least 250 pom poms - I was doing a rolling count on Facebook but I lost count in the end. I thought I had enough but when I started to put them on, but ran out pretty quickly. I do know that I had to make one last one to finish because the colours I had left were too similar to go together in the little blank spot that was left!
- A tyre - I picked one up from a local garage and gave it a good wash. So you don’t need to find it on the side of the road and patch it up like the original blogger (theirs had threads sticking out, danger!)
- Some legs you like - We got ours here: https://www.sanbetongnhexmc.com/. We should have chosen the taller size because they are a beautiful walnut colour but are hidden under pom poms so we can’t appreciate them.
- Wood – This is to make the base and the seat. Any cheap old thing from the DIY shop will do, so long as it’s strong enough to sit on. You need two circles, one to sit on and one to screw the legs on to. We cut squares to help get a little extra height.
- Hessian Fabric or IKEA Stopp anti-slip underlay or a used bed sheet or similar. I used hessian fabric from the fabric counter but lessons learned the hard way, I would use the IKEA one if I did it again, less unravelling risk. The original blog used an old bed sheet but I thought it might be too much effort in poking through the wool to tie the pom poms (again, no way it was a weekend project!).
- Kick-ass scissors! I tried four different types of scissors. I went to the fabric counter again and asked because I was cracking up. They gave me one, it was a little bit expensive at 12 euro but oh my, worth every penny. Those scissors and some chunky wool speed things up immensely!
- Duct tape or strong glue to stick the wood onto the tyre. We used the big silver duct tape stuff but it’s not 100% and I just noticed a discrete bottle of some sort of glue on that original blog.
- Time. Don’t underestimate how long this will take, make no promises to when the poof is finished. I learned that the hard way, as one day I found a “countdown to Christmas” timer sitting on top of the half-finished chair.
This is what I started with
and this is what final result looks like.
]]>
A little backstory if I may… In the last few years, I have learned so much through various Facebook groups I’m part of. From wanting a different approach to managing childbirth I found Gentle Birth. From there and over time I joined various other groups full of like-minded ladies. I’ve picked up a number of tips and ideas - from help with breastfeeding, to baby led weaning, a more gentle approach to parenting, and also, in the last year, re-usable cloth pads.
My period was slow in coming back due to breastfeeding but I had made a decision to try cloth sanitary pads once it did. I did two cycles with the disposable ones and then for a couple of more I did a mix of the two (to use up the remaining pads I had).
The difference was hugely noticeable. The comfort that the cloth pads was second to none. It took me a little while to find the ones that really suited me best but I’d never go back now. Hopefully, the summary of the different ones I tired will help someone get to the ones the love quicker. I’ve since moved to using a Cup so just using liners as a just in case at the moment.
I’d read that using reusable cloth pads had reduced pain and cramping and could even lead to a shorter lighter period for some ladies. I believe this to be true for me. I used to get really bad cramps but in the last year my period has reduced to only one really heavy day/night and barely noticeable cramps.
TIPS – check with the seller – some of them have the print skin side up.
She sells the brand ImseVimse which is 100% organic cotton. I started with these, they are nice and thin but have a good absorbency. There are a few options to choose from on her website, including a starter pack of three different sizes and absorbency. She also sells colourful wet bags, I have the pink one and it sits nicely in my handbag and stores a couple of pads. She also sells a range of slings and wraps and accessories.
I got her Eco-Mensies kit which is a great starter pack, it has a mix of sizes and absorbencies, a storage bag and a mesh laundry bag. It’s a personal thing but I did not like the cotton feel but I could not fault the quality and the service. She also sells other items like heat packs and breast pads.
The ladies here sell Cheeky Mama Cloth Sanitary Pads from Cheeky Wipes. I didn’t like the thickness of this brand. They are better known for the baby wearing side of the business and they sell a big selection of slings, wraps and accessories.
Sweet Lavender and Chilli Flakes
I’d seen some of her work on her Facebook page and liked the style so I went for a mystery package that she offers monthly. The pad I got was an extra-large one for very heavy periods or for post-partum. By the time I got it my periods were much lighter so I never got to use it but the quality feels and looks great. She also does little wet bags to have in your handbag that can store one clean CSP which you can swap with a used one and close up with the confidence that there will be no leaks. I have a couple of these and they are great! She has lots of other items on her Etsy page from beeswax wraps to hairbands.
A close second favourite. Her pads were comfortable and had good absorbency while still being quite thin. I don’t see the option on her website anymore so not sure she is still making them. She also does breastfeeding friendly clothing for women, children’s clothing and more recently adaptations to her designs for children’s special medical needs, specifically g-tube feeding and insulin pumps.
By far my favourite. They are the thinnest and most absorbent I have found. I have a couple of her minky pads and they feel amazing on the skin! I used to leak at night and sometimes during the day when at the heaviest when using disposables but never had a problem with these pads. I only use the liners nowadays when using my Cup and they are so comfortable you would forget that you are wearing them.
She also sells Scrundies and says “After wearing a pair of Scrundies, you will fall in love with the comfort and never want to wear shop bought again!!” – This is 100% True. I call them my wedgie free underwear. I’m waiting for a pair of Star Wars limited edition to add to my collection, I think have about 10 pairs now!
Additional links:
Treehugger; reasons why you should switch to reusable menstrual products
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Take your time to play with them: Due to the busy schedules, most of the parents don’t have enough time to play with their little ones. But you are recommended to make some time to play with your children because it can strengthen the bond between parents and kids. This will also give the opportunity for your kids to enjoy their life. You can take them to a park and play or engage in games such as puzzles. The time you spend along with your kids has the ability to strengthen the connection that you have along with them as well. For example, we've established a no-phone time (hard but do-able).
Tone down your voices: Many parents think that they can convince something to their kids easily by raising their voice. From the researches related to parenting advice, it has been identified that children do better when their parents speak in a gentle and respectful way instead of yelling at them. When both parents and kids talk to each other in a gentle way, they can communicate with less hassle and express themselves. This will create an ideal platform for the kids to tell all their issues and problems to the parents. Then the parents can provide solutions to these issues and make them happy. Along with toning down the voice, you can use humor. Using humor can be considered as one of the best methods available to make your child feel comfortable.
Family mealtime: Having the meals together can be considered as one of the best methods to spread happiness among your family. It is a proven fact that families who have a family mealtime have strong parent-child relationships. Parents can talk with their kids while having meals and figure out how happy they are. If they have an issue, you can talk with them and solve it in the dining table itself.
Be patient at every time: Many busy moms tend to lose their temper due to stress. However, you need to be patient at every time, especially when talking with your child. If you have a quick temper, your child will feel afraid to express emotions. As a result, your child will hide the feelings and questions that he/she will come across in day to day life. This can lead your little one towards a variety of negative consequences in the long run. As a parent, you need to play a supportive role in front of your child. Therefore, you will have to practice patience and make your children feel comfortable in front of you at all times.
Be clear: No matter how busy you are, you need to take your time and explain the things in a clear way to the child. If you just rush through the things, your child will not understand anything and it can even get more complicated. You need to show your love when speaking to the child and make sure that everything is convinced in a clear way. Otherwise, your little one will get confused about the things you tell. As a result, the child might work against the instructions that you tell. You never want that to happen. That’s why it is important for you to be clear regardless of your busy schedules.
Support them whenever you can: You can spend your off day with your child. You can go on an outing to talk with the child for a long period of time without any distractions. This can be considered as another effective method available for you to strengthen the bond that you have along with the little one. Hence, it is a parenting tip that you should never ignore when raising a little one.]]>
Regardless of how much food you recycle and how biodegradable you make the plastic used in industries unless you realize the role your clothes and dresses are playing in this fiasco there can be no solution. The factory produced items which are sold at ridiculously low costs are part of the fast fashion culture which we are entangled in, and when these 13 million tons of textile are discarded every year in the US alone, you realize that it is time to revert back to the old time slow fashion, and here’s why.
1. Invites Simplicity
Slow fashion products may not be as "fancy" as the ones which are produced in outlets and can certainly not be in the same variety, but what they do tell you is how you need to bring back the time when simplicity was a virtue which was respected. Having something new to wear every day is perhaps not as important as it is to preserve the world for the upcoming generations.Reduce waste through recycling and get your kids and yourself slow fashion clothes which will last much longer and will have memories associated to them, and help your kids learn the lesson of how the material world is not as important as they think it is.
2. Saves Money
When you put your mind to it you will realize that vanity and self-consciousness are the only reasons behind us wanting to dress completely different every day and have a vast wardrobe. What we fail to interpret in this race to own such a wardrobe, however, is the amount of money we spend on it, and how much more you could have simply saved.In today’s world the drive to save money can certainly not be disregarded, and reverting to slow fashion today means that you are giving way to this trend of saving. Besides, having relatively less but more durable clothes compared to a lump of items which have to be thrown away is a much better option, because you can reduce waste through recycling these items and contribute to the eco system’s betterment.
3. Restores Balance
Over-exploitation of resources only began when capitalist markets began to realize the need for diversifying to the extent where each privileged customer has the ability to purchase it all. Did you know that shops like Forever 21 have new items each day!? While that right is important, compromising a little on the choice may not be an unjust cause because you are doing your future generations a massive and deserved favour.
When the demand for fabric will drop in industries, the crops will get more time to grow fully, and the water stress will also reduce dramatically, all of which will give heavily to the cause of protecting the environment.
So if you say yes to slow fashion today, you will be saying no to a slow and uncertain future tomorrow.
We are also looking forward to the new movie examining the fast fashion world called The True Cost (truecostmovie.com) which will be out in May.
]]>1. Music
Have you ever noticed how you start singing out the lyrics to a song in your subconscious, and then suddenly ask yourself when you were able to learn the lyrics without even trying. That is pretty much how your children function, and quite a lot more adaptive at that.
Use all those children friendly videos on YouTube (now that it is safe again) through which the ABC or Numbers (Number zoo is a firm favourite) become a song which your children will cutely sing all day long while roaming around. What this ensures is interest, and your child will want to learn more about you because they know you make it more fun.
The daycare our little one goes to participates in the Gymboree activity. She often comes home with new songs (or parts of them). We'd love her enthusiasm when we ask her about it.
And lastly, there is no escaping Baby Shark! (but we prefer this version) It is truly a global phenomenon. We were on holiday in South East Asia, and the lady at the passport check started to sing it to our little one. Throughout our stay, we heard it from many people. Doo doo doo dooo
2. Show and Tell
Anytime you get apples on the dinner table or something which can be counted with ease, it might be a good idea to go over the basic counting lesson with your little toddler. When your toddler sees how he/she can count so many things they will eventually want to learn more and more about numbers. We are still doing this regularly with our little one. I think her favourite is counting grapes.
3. Colors and Shapes
Being able to differentiate one color and shape from another is quite important, and the best part is that children are quite interested in learning about them. Do not be hesitant to have a playroom in your house where your child (under your supervision) can play around with acrylic paints and use the paints to see how the colors blend and understand what item is of what color around him/her.
4. Grow something from seed
Lastly, our little one finds it fascinating to see things grow. Especially if you can eat the end result. We are blessed with a nice back garden where we grow apples, many types of berries and tomatoes. It is adorable to see a two-year-old understand the concept of ripe versus 'needs more sunshine' (even though we don't get much of that here in Dublin). So besides that they see the concept of growing, it also teaches them patience. My mom keeps telling me that I used to check the carrots if they were ready yet by pulling them out of the ground and putting them back if they were still too small. Just maybe some things never change.
]]>One of the talks was labeled 'The devil wears Primark' by Emma Gleeson (Give up your aul things), and it was an interesting talk about how fast fashion is creating not only bad working environments but also a lot of waste. Cheap clothes basically will not last as well as are very prone to the seasonal trends. This makes them much easier to discard as we don't have an emotional attachment to them.
Enter, the charity shop donation. Guess, what, they really don't want the fast fashion low-quality items. There is no resale value in it for them. So what happens next? The clothes get sold in bulk as shipped off to 'countries in need'. Oxfam UK ships over half (5.6 tonnes) of their clothes donations to these countries - source.
Hoorah, you'd say, job well done, well, not so much. These clothes also are of no use to them. In fact, it actually puts local companies out of business. Hence some local terms like "obroni wawu" (clothes of the dead white man) in Ghana or "mupedzanhamo" (where all problems end) in Zimbabwe to describe these kinds of clothes.
Even traditional markets for used clothes, such as poor parts of Asia and Africa, are rejecting forward fashion-wear as too shoddy. source
What can you do instead?
It is quite easy actually. Buy less but higher quality items that last longer and that you actually wear (30% of a wardrobe does not get worn in a year). Select items from sustainable and ethical sources and ones that are not prone to trends (colors, prints etc). Examples here are Grown, Keem and Fresh Cuts (more Irish Ethical fashion here). Lastly, find the pre-loved boutique shops like Siopaella, The Golden Child, NU wardrobe and ourselves sanbetongnhexmc . These shops aim to keep items in rotation longer and thus cut down on waste.
]]>Code-a-Pillar
Fisher-Price has jumped into the smart toys with this (rather noisy) Code-a-Pillar. It has a set of eight segments and a head, and each segment has a symbol on the back that shows a direction or an "action" icon for playing music or wiggling. By linking together the body segments in a sequence, the Code-a-Pillar will follow that set of instructions to move around. Lots of fun!
Cubetto
UK based Primo Toys funded this coding robot via kickstarter. It is Designed for 3 year old, and comes with a wooden robot that is controlled from a board into which children insert puzzle piece representations of programming commands. These coding blocks are color-coded for what they do, and kids can experiment with putting them in different sequences. There are a variety of play mats and story books available where you’d take Cubetto to the moon, the arctic or the forest. Many play hours ensured but will need some initial help if you start them early on this (3+).
Code & Go Robot Mouse Activity Set
Kids can build mazes for Colby the mouse and program the mouse to take the sequential steps to get through the maze in this kit by Learning Resources. The set comes with maze cards suggestions or kids can make their own with walls and tunnels. The programming involves simple directions or an "action" like lighting up or making sounds. To aid in setting up the programming sequence, the game comes with cards that have printed icons color-coded to match the buttons on the top (which program the mouse). Designed for children as young as 5, it doesn't even require reading skills.
Vinegar
Yeah, the stuff for salads is a perfect natural bleach. The inexpensive white distilled vinegar can be used in the laundry to whiten, brighten, reduce odor and soften clothes without harsh chemicals. The key ingredient in vinegar is acetic acid. For most white washes, just chuck it into the wash tray. For persistent stains, you can soak the clothes in vinegar overnight. When buying vinegar to use in the laundry, choose white distilled vinegar. It contains no tannins—natural plant dyes—that can stain clothes and it is less expensive. If you must use cider vinegar, use less and dilute it before pouring directly on clothes. We get our vinegar in the Polish shops, larger bottles for less.
Sunshine
Believe it or not, but when the sun is out (not hiding like today), a good sun soak does wonders. Ideally the clothes are a little wet. Then lay them flat, over a rack for example, so that all the surface is facing the sun. Et voila, there you have it, your own nature powered bleacher. If you need some extra power, you can spray some watered down lemon juice over it. Just don’t leave it out too long, especially with colored clothes. They can fade if the sun bleaches too much.
Dutch miracle soap
Well, not sure it is Dutch, but that is there we get it. It is called Ossengalzeep (Oxgall soap) by Dr Beckmann. This is a soap bar made out, you guessed it, Oxgall…. Sounds gross, but it feels and smells just like regular soap. It is fully biodegradable and work absolute miracles on stains. Just wet the stained area, rub it directly with the bar, let it sit for a little and then wash as normal.
Do you have other sure tested ways to remove stains? Let us know in the comments!
]]>Flopsyshop.ie was features on Mummypages.ie
Meet the Mumpreneur breathing new life into old things
Babies and small children grow super fast, leaving cargoes of nearly-new clothes around Irish households at each monthly and yearly milestone. Voices contributor, Irene Halpin Long spoke to one mum who spotted a gap in the market.
Cork native, Lisa Verhees, realised this was something that might be really needed. She and her husband, Marc live in Dublin and she launched Flopsyshop.ie in November 2016. sanbetongnhexmc buys and sells pre-loved baby and children’s clothing.
“We saw the potential of the pre-loved baby clothes web shop based on popularity in other countries. Combined with being conscious of the waste that is generated in the clothing industry in general, we thought it would be a great way to combine a personal value with a business model”.
Lisa and Marc promote their online business via social media and attending markets. With an ethos on reducing waste, the business is attracting interest from like-minded parents and groups.
"We found a great response in the Zero Waste movement group, where people are trying to cut down on creating waste by being conscious of what and where they buy. sanbetongnhexmc fits nicely into that ethos as it passes on clothes that otherwise might have ended up in landfill and creates value for both sellers and buyers”.
The couple have a two-year-old daughter, Elise. Lisa and Marc run their pre-loved clothes business in the evenings and weekends.
“During her afternoon naps, we often work an hour on the business, prepping social media posts for the week and processing orders. Most of the other work on the shop happens when the little one is asleep in the evening. We also make sure that we try to stop working after 10pm to have some time for ourselves.”
“We sometimes attend events or do pick-up runs where Elise would come along, so that means we've had random pit-stop at playgrounds throughout Dublin. Recently, we came across a fabulous one in Glenageary where she had fun climbing and sliding and we could sip a coffee from the local coffee shop.”
Lisa loves watching other parents choose pre-loved garments for their babies.
“They really take their time and you can see them putting outfits together themselves, like a mini capsule wardrobe. It’s satisfying when we see lovely items find a new home and knowing that there was value for both seller as well as the buyer.”
Starting a web based enterprise has posed some challenges for the couple.
“The biggest challenges are time, shipping costs and quality website traffic.”
In promoting the business, Lisa has employed a variety of modern marketing techniques along with some “old fashioned” methods.
“It is really easy to launch a web shop, but without a plan to drive traffic to the site, it will soon lay idle. Spending money on online ads will get you page likes or quite a lot of visitors, but I also realised that it may not generate many sales. I started a much more personal approach by reaching out to bloggers and Facebook groups to share the site. Generating word of mouth in the digital world works mainly the same as in the old days. Delivering great service while nudging others to share your details.”
Before setting up sanbetongnhexmc, Lisa completed the Small Business Boot-Camp run by the Local Enterprise Board, in turn, the idea of her online store into a reality. She has some sound advice for other entrepreneurs.
“Check out the local enterprise office for training around areas you’re not familiar with such as accounting or an overview of available grants. Their courses are great value for money. Secondly, do your due diligence with market research and sizing. Thirdly, whatever you do, it is going to take more time than you thought”.
sanbetongnhexmc is still in its infancy but Lisa and Marc have aspirations for the future.
“We’d like to grow our webshop by providing a larger variety of items and, with it, generate more traffic and sales. For the long term, we are contemplating how we can connect parents who have surplus clothes or other items. This could be via mobile phone apps or via an actual shop/events and meet-ups. We are also contemplating ways on how to reach customers outside of Ireland. As nice as the Irish audience is, it is rather small and enterprises need to look outside of their own border to grow. We already had interest coming from Poland where children’s clothes are in the high tax bracket”.
You taking your little one? Uhm, yeah….!
This is the question we’ve heard a number of time when we mentioned we’d go on holiday to Bali or Thailand. You gotta be kidding, we don’t leave our little one behind for 2 weeks. Of course, things are different when you are traveling long distance with an under two little person but as long as you adjust to their rhythm everything works out fabulous. Here’s 5 do’s and 5 don’ts that we found helpful.
DO
1: Research on our accommodation and their child friendliness. Swimming pools, shallow water beaches and playgrounds are the best combination for any kid. Our place in Thailand was on a hill, so the stroller was impossible with the stairs, so yay to the sling (and the little hotel shuttle….)
2: Bring long sleeve swimwear and a sunhat with a neck protector if you are going to a sunny destination. Trust us, rubbing sunscreen on them will be impossible. Look for these ones La Roche-Posay Anthelios Kids Body Lotion SPF50+.
3: Listen to the locals. Whether it is hotel staff or tour organizers, they know best when it comes to what is suitable for kids and what not. For example, we wanted to visit the ‘James Bond’ island/beach but that is either a long and bumpy speedboat ride or a 4 hour slow cruise just to get there. So we opted for the half day beach trip which was only 20 from the pier and then got to relax for three hours.
The Flopsy family getting ready for the speedboat trip in Thailand. Age 22 months.
4: Build a routine of things they like. For example, a swim after breakfast or a trip to the playground after lunch. Go for that little ice-cream or other little treat a few times so that they know what they are going away for.
5: Take time for yourself. Miss flops likes her massages, so mister flops takes care of the little one for an hour and bit at the pool or the playground. Mister flops likes his beer and a good read in the evening, so miss flops takes the early night turn sometimes.
DON’T
1: Let them run around the airplane too early on. Try stalling as much as you can, because once they are out it is really really hard to get them back into that cot or seat. So bring some new toys or books. Our little one loves stickers and drawing and will amuse herself with it for a long time. We also brought her own suitcase/backback with toys. Ow, and if they sing, sing along, even at 3am during a transfer and she’s belting ‘twinkle twinkle…’
2: Forget about naps! When planning your day activities, don’t forget about naps. Try to keep your little one(s) in their usual rhythm. Ours likes a nap at 11.45 before a lunch break and would often do a quick nap around 3.30.
Elise asleep at hipster beach lounge Potato Head in Seminyak, Bali. Age 7 months
3: Pack too much. Having lots of stuff with you is just annoying at the airport, at transfer and even in the room. Alternatively, pack as light as you can and use the local washing options. They usually aren’t that expensive (especially compared to the hotel) and have your clothes washed within a day or two.
4: Force them to eat if they don’t want to, they will take it if you keep on offering. Grumpy kids at dinner usually are created by their parents because they just don’t want that particular thing at that point in time. Just make sure they keep on drinking, much more important. We also found it useful to find out what local food they like and just ask for it. Example, Thai sate became chicken lollipops and she loved it. And in Bali she loved the prawn crackers. Ow, and if they do make a mess in the restaurant, just leave a little bit more of a tip.
Elise munching on a prawn cracker in Bali trip #2, age 15 months
5: Let it get to you when things don’t go to plan, just go with the flow. You are not in a rush, you are not on the clock. Take your time, enjoy your holiday at their pace. Jump in the puddles if they do, its only water!
What has worked for you? Let us know and well do a follow-up post on this topic.
]]>1) Zero Waste movement
At FlopsyShop we were recently introduced to the Zero Waste movement comprising of people who are consciously making little or big changes to their lifestyle in order to cut out non-recyclable waste. It is as easy as bringing your own shopping bag to the supermarket, buy loose local produce as much as possible (did you see the fruit/veg coming from South America or Africa in the Lidl for example while we have fabulous berries coming from Ireland?) and bring your own cup to the coffee guy around the corner from your work while your lunch is in an old-school Tupperware bow or a more hipster metal tin. Things become trickier when you are deciding to cut out plastic altogether for example, as before you know it you can’t even accept a local bakery packaging as the bread bag contains a little plastic window. At the end of June the first ever Zero Waste Festival took place in Inchicore showcasing relevant local businesses and running a large swapathon. sanbetongnhexmc was proud to be part of the first installment and looks forward to future iterations.
2) Community gardens and allotments
For the past few years, the Flopsy household has been running a small allotment. We rent a little plot in the city center to grow some vegetables and fruit. We’ve had great successes with raspberries, courgettes ,pumpkins, garlic, onions and rhubarb. Even-though it takes some time to prep the soil, grow the seedlings and making sure they don’t get eaten by the slugs, it is very much worth it as the produce tastes great and you are certain that it has not seen any pesticide nor has it processed many food-miles (10 mins from our house). Added benefit is that our little one is getting some education of where food comes from, that it takes hard work but that you can also enjoy it at the same time. Who doesn’t love rooting around in the soil to find potatoes or watering the strawberries. Our allotment sometimes gets manure from Dublin zoo, so we sometimes fantasize about their origins; elephant, giraffe or zebra…. Throughout Dublin and Ireland there many community gardens or allotment opportunities like the one we are part of. Make sure to visit dublincommunitygrowers.ie for more details on your local community garden. Other cool initiatives are Urban Farm focusing on hydroponics and rooftop gardening or something like the Social Hops initiative where small breweries are outsourcing hops grown by local supporters in exchange for some free beer and brewery tour.
3) Up-cycling and recycling
We are not there yet compared to Sweden where there are many repair and recycle shops, but I do think we are on the right track and seeing the local initiatives that are popping up fills me with positivity. From passing on used goods through popular marketplaces or charity shops to the various maker spaces that are popping up. I’m also happy that the DIY shops have started to pay attention to up-cycling and repairing rather than just building new items. For years I’ve also been following Rothar, who recondition previously owned/used bicycles as well as teach bike maintenance.
One of our popular Facebook posts was about re-using T-Shirts as tote bags for your small shopping errands. The second one was to create hanger pots from them. I’d also like to call out one of the businesses that we encountered at the All About Baby Fair called Alternative Endings that recycles adult clothes into children ones. We love the fact that our favorite shirts can be retrofitted into something our little one can wear. All you need to do is pick out your pattern and send over the items you’d like to up-cycle and Alternative Endings will take care of the rest. Pretty cool for presents if you ask me. Now if only I could let go of that 1997 OK Computer tour T-shirt…… Then there is also Other Mother, who create cloth nappies, sanitary pads, wipes, bags and other cool stuff out of old clothing. Definitely worth checking out.
Let us know what you are doing to save our little green planet and keep it as precious as it is for our next generation?
]]>Here’s Lisa to tell you about it.
What is Flopsy Shop?
We launched Flopsy Shop on 1 November 2016. We saw the potential of the pre-loved baby clothes web shop based on popularity in other countries. Combined with being conscious of the waste that is generated in the clothing industry in general, we thought it would be a great way to combine a personal value with a business model.
The idea came from two different friends. One introduced me to the idea of the quality to be found in charity shops locally and when a friend from the Netherlands was visiting with her family, she told me of a Belgian website that is very popular that she likes to use. We had a stack of perfectly good clothes that were just sitting in the closet after our daughter grew out of them. So we did some research, talked to some more friends and after validating the idea that we could make this into an online enterprise, and encouraged by my husband, I attended a small business boot-camp by Dublin City Local Enterprise Office.
We did some proper market research on the concept in Germany, Netherlands and Belgium where this kind of website is like second nature to people. We source items from parents whose kids have grown out of them. Often we find items that are not worn and still have their tag on. We generally offer a fixed price per kilo, but for special items we make an exception. We then check, wash, photograph the items and put them up on our website.
We promote the website via popular social networks and share on groups of like-minded parents. For example, we found great response in the Zero Waste movement group, where people are trying to cut down on creating waste by being conscious of what and where they buy their day-to-day items. FlospyShop.ie fits nicely into that ethos as it passes on clothes that otherwise might have ended up in landfill and creates value for both sellers and buyers.
sanbetongnhexmc is currently run in the evening hours and weekends as my husband and I both have full time jobs. We have a two year old daughter which we’d like to give as much attention to as possible during the weekend, whether it is trips to the local playgrounds or going for a Sunday morning swim. During her afternoon naps, we often work an hour on sanbetongnhexmc, prepping social media posts for the week and processing orders. Most of the other work on the shop happens when the little one is asleep in the evening.
We sometimes attend events or do pick-up runs where she would come along, so it means we’ve had random pit-stop at playgrounds throughout Dublin. For example, recently we came across a fabulous one in Glenageary where she had a ball climbing and sliding and we could sip a coffee from the local coffee shop. We also make sure that we try to stop working after 10 pm to give some time for ourselves and at least two nights a week we prioritize catching up on our favourite TV or Netflix shows or pursue our own interests. So juggling work, business and family really means making sure we plan our time ahead and stick to it.
What business challenges do you face?
The biggest challenge is time, shipping costs and quality website traffic.
We need to juggle business with work and raising a daughter, so scheduling time is important. Making sure we spend our time effectively; managing stock, preparing for events, social media management and creating awareness via connecting with like minded bloggers.
The second challenge is shipping cost. In Ireland, options are limited for very small traders like ourselves and the cost to ship cheap items is often higher than we’d like. We are often not able to charge for full shipping cost, as it would mean a good value item would become too expensive. On top of that, Irish shoppers are used to free or very low shipping cost from the large e-commerce players, which makes it hard for us small enterprises. We are currently exploring options with a variety of providers.
It is really easy to launch a web-shop, but without a plan to drive traffic to the site, it will soon lay idle. Spending money on online ads will get page likes or quite a lot of visitors, but I also realized that it does not necessarily generate many sales. I started a much more personal approach by reaching out to bloggers and Facebook groups to share the site. Word of mouth in the digital world works mainly the same as in the old days. Delivering great service while nudging other to share your details. I’m also learning all the ins and outs of SEO, so that the site gets better ranked in search results.
What lessons have you learnt from setting up your own enterprise?
Everything either takes time or costs money. There are a lot opportunities out there to start a small business. As long as you can commit to the time it takes to keep it going and growing. Being non-technical, there are many places that can help to set you up with an e-commerce platform without having to learn how to code. There are tons of apps out there to make things like photo editing, SEO or providing support much easier. However, nobody has made to possible to applify human contact and story telling. This can only be done by getting out there and engage with people. Other small businesses love to share their story with you. Some of the best advice we’ve had came from other small business owners.
What aspects of your business do you enjoy the most?
I love seeing what people buy. They really take their time and you can see them putting outfits together themselves, like a mini capsule wardrobe. Being satisfied when we see lovely items find a new home and knowing that there was value for both seller as well as buyer in it. Besides that, I like the administrative side of the business, the sorting items, logging and storing until purchased. My husband enjoys playing with all the e-commerce and social media platforms. I like to say I’m logistics and he is social media sales.
What advice would you give to other aspiring entrepreneurs?
Check out the Local Enterprise office for training around areas you’re not familiar with such as accounting or an overview of available grants. Their courses are great value for money. Secondly, do your due-diligence with market research and sizing. Thirdly, whatever you do, it is going to take more time than you thought.
What are your future goals for Flopsy Shop?
In the short term, we’d like to further grow our webshop by providing a larger variety of items and with it hopefully generate more traffic and sales. For the long term we are playing with a number of thoughts on how we can connect parents who have surplus clothes or other items. This could either be via their mobile phones (think buy/sell/swap focused social apps) or via an actual shop/events and meet-ups. We are also contemplating ways on how to reach customers outside of Ireland. As nice as the Irish audience is, it is rather small and enterprises need to look outside of their own border to grow. We already had interest coming from Poland where children clothes are in the high tax bracket.
Where can people find you?
The easiest way to find us is either on sanbetongnhexmc or Facebook/FlopsyShop. Our email is [email protected] OR you can use the Facebook messenger option on the site or page which is really popular.
As published on Her Voice From the Kitchen Window and the Evening Echo in Cork.
sanbetongnhexmc had a stall next to the ladies from Little Green Shop who sell a fabulous selection of eco friendly articles. My eye caught the steel water bottles that come with multiple sippy tops to suit your little one’s preference. I was fantasizing bringing it to my local barista for the hot coffee. The other item was a set of metal straws which look good in a hipster jam jar filled with homemade lemonade, however the ‘boss’ said that our little one still chumps straws way too much and she fears high dental bills if we’d get some. In the Flopsy household we recently got some beeswax wraps, and I was happy to see a great selection of these as well. A simple way of covering bowls that cuts out plastic wrap for a more natural alternative.
I did a little spying, and I think that the top selling items on the day were the bamboo toothbrushes that come in a variety of colors. They are only a couple of euros and last 3 months for adults and a bit longer for kids. The shop also stocks a little storage container which is handy if you are traveling. There is also a natural toothpaste available so no more plastic micro-beats polluting the ocean. The toothpaste sits in a nice range of other shampoos and soaps.
So do us a favor, and make sure to support a small Irish eco friendly business and have a look at Little Green Shop’s collection!
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Life as you know it changes a heck of a lot when your first little one arrives. And possibly even more when number two comes along. Your outgoing nature, ready to go without planning life is officially over. Before leaving the house, you now need to run through a long checklist to see if you got everything; nappies, toys, food, stroller, rain cover, extra set of clothes, soother, bib and the list goes on. Now, in your former life you’d visit one or two of the good summer parties or festivals to enjoy the long summer evenings in Ireland. We have plenty of fabulous festivals all across the country, from Body & Soul to Forbidden Fruit. Now, as a parent you don’t want to only get stuck visiting Bloom or The Big Grill (both awesome festivals in their own right, but they do lack the music side of things). So we have compiled a little overview of how to make sure you and your little enjoy the “real” festivals.
Pack light but smart
Firstly, find out what each festival allows you to bring. Most of them are pretty flexible, especially for kids. Secondly, keep a close eye out on the forecasted weather, as Ireland can change quite quickly. We’ve visited festivals in blistering heat but also experienced the torrential downpours that are more at home in a Central American jungle. The killer though is the drizzle rain that soaks you to the bone. (whatever you do, don’t bring an umbrella, worst thing ever at a festival) Anyways, you can pack for these weather types by bringing some light weights rain gear and some plastic black bags to sit on. Invest in a little microfiber towel. If the forecast is sunny, make sure to bring a little picnic blanket. A great way to keep bums dry/clean but also a superb way to set boundaries for your little one; ‘stay on/near the blanket’. Lastly, make sure to layer up. Pack a t-shirt, cardigan/sweater, light jacket etc. so you can adjust depending on the weather or the setting sun.
Focus on safety, especially ear drums
One essential kit for visiting festivals is eardrum protection. For adults there are brilliant little earplugs, even ticketmaster sells them these days as part of their ticket sales. For the little ones, you can get headphone style ear protectors. Our little one was so comfy with her pink ones that she even fell asleep with them on and was out for are than an hour. She was 4 months when we took her to see some nice Irish music in the open air. Buy one or a few sizes bigger, most of them are adjustable and will last you quite a while.
Plan ahead
Many music festivals have more stages and acts than you can ever visit. Even as a somewhat sober adult you can not. So, plan ahead. What are the few things that are absolute winners when it comes to the line-up. Sometimes these are the big acts, but focus on the top-line-up on the smaller stages where it is easier to get closer to the action while keeping an eye on your little one. Create a postcard sized version of the program and laminate it. Trust me, you’ll thank me for it when that drizzle comes.
Focus on them little ones
You will have your best experience if you make sure the little ones have it. So make sure to make some time in your day just for them. Visit a kids friendly area if the festival offers it (many of them do these days) or just relax and sit down with some food, simple (fruit) snacks or little toys. In our experience balloons on a string a definite winner and the best is that you can bring some and inflate them in the presence of your little one.
Above all, make sure to enjoy the festival yourself. A relaxed mummy or daddy will rub off on your kids. they’ll appreciate the difference in pace and surrounding. And if they are anything like ours, then your have the little one singing and dancing in no time!
So stay tuned for the first post. We are making putting the final touches to it. The topic is all about summer festivals and we’ll be sharing some tips and tricks on how to survive them WITH your little ones.
For future blogs entries we are always looking for new topics, so let us know what you’d like us to post about. This can be any topic, like minded business or maybe you are interested in writing something for us. Please let us know on Šnipiškių g. 2-12 Vilnius LT-09309 Lithuania (+370)64307134 [email protected]