BlogZee

Oh no she DI'-INT!!

2010-08-24T19:42:00.007-05:00

so.

As many of you know we celebrated our first birthday recently (August 19, to be exact) and in celebration of hitting the one-year-in-business-and-still-kickin'!-mark we decided to get all buck wild and put our entire stock of inventory on sale for half off the lowest marked price. (I know, we're insaaaaaaaane, right??)

This wasn't just a celebration of our own success in business, we also felt it was a way for us to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation for our customers and the other people who have supported us and cheered us on throughout our first year. It was our way of saying "It's our birthday and we can slash prices if we want to!"

This should have been an exciting day of celebration (and it really was...up until 3 days afterwards...) but unfortunately, there's been a bit of a shadow cast upon our otherwise glorious day.

We never dreamed in a million years that anybody would see this as an opportunity to take advantage of us and place their order, receive their order, then instruct their bank to REVERSE the charges on the order, leaving us high and dry, literally the day she received her order in the mail.

Who does that?!

We pride ourselves on providing a flexible and generous return policy to our customers. There is a difference between returning a purchase for a refund and pulling the underhanded move that this woman did, which I do believe is defined as "stealing", plain and simple.

(I happen to know for a fact that this woman's baby isn't even due for another 3 months so this was not a matter of receiving the product and finding it to be ineffective or otherwise disappointing.) Nope, I'm afraid this is simply a case of someone seeing an opportunity to capitalize at the expense of two (hardworking!) SAHMs and all to the tune of a measly $17.00, and doing it without shame.

For the record: tt's not the $17.00 that has me all in a tizzy either. It's the principle (or lack thereof) behind this kind of shadiness. It's unethical and, in an effort to protect the identity and yada yada yada, I'll just state that: K.Z. in So Cal ought to be (utterly!) ashamed of herself.

Call me naive, but I guess I just don't really expect people to do these kinds of things, particularly when it's a "mom-on-mom" crime like this one was. Just..."Ew" :(

Anyhoo, to the 99.9999% of people who helped to make our very first birthday a raging success: we really do love you guys to bits and pieces. You guys may think that after having done this day in and day out for as long as have that we are somewhat desensitized to receiving new orders or baby pictures or feedback or comments or FB fan-ship or re-tweets, or what have you, but it hasn't gotten old. Not even a little. Every new order and every new feedback comment left for us still, literally, brings a smile to our faces. (Is that all cheese-esque?)

Regardless, it's true so whatdya going to do? We really DO have the best customers ever (with the exception of K.Z. in So Cal).

*WARNING**

2010-07-28T10:38:00.005-05:00

** * * * Proceed With Caution * * * **

ALERT...

ALERT...

YOU...

ARE...

NEARING...

MAXIMUM... CAPACITY.......

C U T E N E S S O V E R L O A D

I repeat:

*~* CUTENESS! OVERLOAD! *~*

***********

(Save all unfinished work before restarting the system)

Does this interview make me look fat?

2010-07-26T10:09:00.014-05:00

I have to admit, when I heard about the opportunity to be featured on an internet blog, I didn't "stop the press!!" to do it (in fact, I think I even "snoozed" the alert on this like 40 times....I suck). I have since been humbled by the experience of working with relevant bloggers.

I honestly didn't expect to see the boost in sales and Facebook
fan-ship that coincided with this feature. I don't attribute 100% of it to the specific people who read the interview, emailed it to their home PC so they could print it out and refer to it while scouring the internet-universe in hot pursuit of our product... But! I do think these kinds of interviews help us in terms of SEO by providing another channel for us to get our brand name out there. (If you haven't signed up for Google alerts for your biz yet, I recommend it! It's free and Google will email you any time your company/product name is put up on the internet, it's really cool)

(Moral of the story: every little thing you do is magic ) **Note: Does anybody know where this statue is located? I'd like to go there...

I don't know if the boost in sales is due to this particular interview, due to an increased presence on the internet, due to a lunar eclipse and the resulting gravitational pull on little baby heads across the nation, or all of the above, but we've already sold as much product this month as we sold last quarter (last 3 months), and we've still got 2 months left in this quarter.
:) :) :) :)

(Moral of the story: Don't judge a PR opportunity by it's cover - orange you glad I didn't say banana again?)

((Wendy: Thank you warmly for giving us the opportunity to share our company and product and other SnugZee-isms with you))

Chiggity Chinese the Chinese Chicken

2010-07-16T13:06:00.000-05:00

We are continuing to grow at a speed that’s teetering closer and closer to the edge of “my wildest dreams” (yay!!) When I’m in the zone-age my brain is racing, my heart is thumping, my fingers are flying, my eyes are reading, my lips are moving (shut up), and the people around me are hesitant to speak out loud for fear of ripping me from this place of sheer vivacity that I can only describe inelegantly as “The Zone” *cue angel choir*…

… and then having to endure the wrath that ensues... *cue doomsday track*

If you’ve been there, you can dig it.

I have initiated the process of qualifying some manufacturing factories that are better equipped to handle the increasing demand than we are set up to do. (Yikes, am I REALLY doing this?? I AM! I AM!!) We haven’t spun out of control or anything (so keep the sales coming, they make me happy!) but if we aren't locked, loaded, and ready to fire relatively quickly, I'm afraid there may come a day when your precious bebes will be forced to wait a little longer for their SnugZees than they’d like to. And an irate bebe does not a happy Mommy make.

Needless to say it’s getting inneressin’ up in here….

* * * * * * * Who Wants to WIN a FREE SnugZee ? * * * * * * *
(or two!)

We're sponsoring 2 (two!) separate giveaways this month (we're wild and crazy like that) which the mamas at Hip Lil One and Me As A Mommy have been nice enough to host. (Happy 1st birthday, M!)

Free to Enter! Free to Win!
Please visit their blogs for details.

SNAPS...

2010-07-07T13:26:00.000-05:00

...for Angie @ ADH Sites & Business Solutions for her stellar design and excellent customer service.

Angie - You complete me. Warmest mahalos for working with me (over a holiday weekend, to boot) on this marketing piece. Sorry about the 472394612372 edits, the 342193461236211293 revisions, and the 237492641237 proofs before the "sign off"

I'm thrilled with the final product and will recommend your services to everybody..... and they mama.

"Ooooh! Aaaah!"

"She rocks in the treetops, all day long..."

2010-07-05T11:59:00.000-05:00

To Do: LEARN TO TWEET. Cuz apparently, I’m not maximizing my social media networking opportunities for my business unless I’m tweeting-blogging-viral-marketing-eating-cake-and-interactive-feeding.

I have to admit trying to pique my interest in Facebook when I was still a recreational, occasional user, back before I crossed the threshold into active Facebook-addiction, was a lot like pulling teeth. I think my exact words were, “Dude, this is stupid” (no offense, Facebook).

Fast forward 8 months and I’m literally Facebooking in my dreams at least 5 nights out of a typical work week. Now, before you start panicking and Googling “How to Perform a Facebook Intervention” please note that a “typical work week” for most start up ventures consists of 7 days, with no discernable break in the monotony, so really, it’s not like I’m doing it all the time, and I don’t *have* to do it, I could stop at any time, and besides everybody else is doing it too…..right?

My point is: I’ve learned how to Facebook. I’m learning how to blog (and isn’t it a riot??). Seems like a natural progression to learn how to tweet next. (Wait, would that make Facebook my “gateway”…?)

“All the world is a….Re-tweet?” (Just learned that lingo today) Thank ya, thank ya very much… *CURTSY*

"Ragin' Bebes" Photo Contest - June 2010

2010-07-03T11:36:00.000-05:00

Well, this was just a RAGIN' good time. Our polls logged more than 7,200 (no typo) votes in the span of 14 days! We will definitely be doing this again.

***DISCLAIMER: No bebes were hurt in the making of this contest*** (I probably don't even really need to state that, but there's always "that" one person in every crowd, I suppose...)

"Ragin' Bebe" Entries...

(Hey, are your ears ringing?? Weeeeird....)

Ragin' Bebe 1st, 2nd, 3rd place winners can be found our company website

SnugZee Baby Photo Shoot - June 25, 2010

2010-07-02T20:51:00.000-05:00

One week ago we did our very first "SnugZee Baby Photo Shoot" 6 babies + 6 Moms + 1.2 siblings per baby + 1 grandmother, or aunt, or both per baby + 1 cousin + the photographer + my own son on set + me = almost an entire sheet cake devoured by days end. (I've been on a diet since my son was born almost one whole year ago, so any excuse I can find to introduce a cake into the mix - ooh, pun! - I'm all over it...)

At the risk of being all awards-ceremonial about it, I really DO need to thank:

~ My mother-in-law for lending to us her beeeyooteefull house for the day. And just for being cool in general, cuz she really is. I know, I know, "you have a COOL mother-in-law??" Yes I do. Be jealous.

~ Alyssa Faye Photography for her amazing work, her patience, her calm laid back demeanor. Particularly when we were shooting two bebes simultaneously. If you're wondering how that's done, it goes a little something like this:

Step 1. Strap Baby 1 into his seat, affix his SnugZees as fast as you can all the while you're feeling your panic build as you start to hear the rumblings of a howl bubbling up to the surface

Step 2. *SNAP-SNAP-SNAP* pics, as fast as you can while singing and making googly eyes and baby talking in a voice that's increasing in tempo, pitch, and intensity...

Step 3. Swipe at the sweat that's starting to bead on your brow

Step 4. Slide Baby 1's car seat away from the window (lighting), and immediately slide Baby 2's car seat in it's place. Repeat Step 2 while simultaneously performing Step 5.

Step 5. Remove SnugZee from Baby 1's car seat, affix new SnugZee to Baby 1's car seat, try not to move Baby too much in the process while clicking your tongue in a desperate attempt to distract him from the fact that he is even IN his car seat.

Step 6. "Ok, you got those pics? Great, now SWITCH!!"

Step 7. Wipe sweat. Shoot Baby's mom an apologetic look. Ask her again "Are you sure I can't get you a piece of cake...?" (cuz cake makes everything better, right?) Consult wristwatch and note that Baby 3 and her entourage will be arriving in 7 minutes. Glance over at the pile of SnugZees that still need to be shot with Babies 1 & 2. Wonder for a split second what you got yourself into. Shake it off, and proceed like a warrior.

((( Alyssa - You truly were a pleasure to work with and I've got all kinds of other great project ideas in store for you. *rubbing hands together like a villain*)))

~ Thank you to the bebes for being sweet and adorable and innocent and pure and easily amused and flawless and thank you for being the epitome of "Perfection" and "Love" and "Tenderness" all rolled into one roly-poly-amazing-smelling-package. "You had me at: GUH!"

>>>> I want to interject that I'm really NOT some kind of emotionally unstable crazy baby-stalker lady. Everybody has their "thing" and babies are *my* "thing"... If I want to give virtual nose-nuzzles to other people's babies via my blog it's just me doing my "thing"...

~ And of course I have to thank the Moms. Not just for birthing some really really RIDICULOUSLY GOOD-looking bebes, but also for putting them in the car and driving them to our shoot. It's clearly evident to me that your babies are thriving and secure and happy and loved, and that's allllll you, right there. *DOUBLE-SNAPS FOR MOM!*

This might sound all cheesy McCheese-ness, but I don't believe in coincidences. I think every one of these babies was meant to be a founding member of:

"The Original SnugZee Babies Gang!!"

...only not like, violent and packin' heat....