Deodorant Stains, stains

It works folks!!!! I am always on the search of stain removals, shampoo, laundry soap, ect. that I can make. Since my child's eczema flares up with surfactants it's always great to find tips on cleaning supplies without that detrimental ingredient.
Here is the original link
Deodorant Stains
Below is my modified version to this trick.
1/4 c. hydrogen peroxide to a presoak load of laundry in hot water.

Used Clothes and Eczema

My child has eczema. If you've ever visited Life behind Chipmunk's Clothes, you have soon gathered that I am very much a 'all things from scratch' kind of person. My reasoning with dressing my kids in yard sale clothes is the fact they wear some sizes for literally a day. I ran into a problem when it came to my son's clothes. It didn't matter whether the people had washed their children's clothes in Dreft; my son would break out in a bad rash. I ran across this lady who discovered that eczema can be irritated when the skin comes in contact with products made out of surfactants. After reading her instructions, I washed my entire house of clothes (no easy task). My child's clothes were washed specifically to her directions and although, the skin is still dry, it no longer is a scab and a red rash. Not only has it cleared my child's skin from eczema but also my other children's skin from detergent irritation. Here is the following recipe I highly recommend for washing baby clothes in. Use an 1/8c. per full load.
Powdered Laundry Soap
1 1/3 parts Borax
1 part Washing Soda
1 part Baking Soda
1 part Oatmeal (ground fine in the blender)
1 part Castile Soap


Disclaimer: This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Please consult with your physician regarding the use of any ideas in this article or use at your own risk.

More then One Size

6 month

3 Month

Something I have found interesting when buying clothes lots from people is that they will buy a particular item in variations and different sizes. Now keep in mind, not all people I buy from have twins. Some have only children or a boy and a girl, ect. It doesn't matter what the family dynamic is there always seems to be an identical item in a different size or variations of an item in different or same sizes. For example: the above pictures are variations and differing sizes but the same style and cut. Is there a particular style you enjoy dressing your children in and why?

To wash or not to wash

To start off the week was Easter. My child wore this beautiful dress and her diaper did not hold it's contents. In my haste I washed the dress in cold water then commenced to wash it in warm water. When I pulled it out of washer it was no longer beautiful, long, elegant dress. In perplexity I read the label to discover it stated 100% silk dry clean only. The poor dress was perfectly ruined by running it through the warm wash cycle. ( I should have left it alone after the first cold cycle!)
It led me to wonder, who in their right mind designs infants clothing out of silk!? Cashmere or any other expensive material. Of course after 1 hour of wear I should have pulled the dress right off her and it would not have gotten dirty. Instead I left it on her for a mere 3 hours and her infamous diaper mishap, she manages to accomplish every Sunday, happened.
For special occasions I can see dressing infants in cashmere, silk, ect BUT would you dress them in the same outfit twice? Would you leave it on them longer then an hour? Would you dry clean the outfit and dress them in it a second time? I am just curious. If I had not shrunk the dress I would have continued to dress her in it. Next time I need to read the label!

Brand = Quality?

I remember a day when you through out the name of a brand and everyone immediately thought of their finest materials, stitching, quality of work, creativity in design, ect In present times I can't help noticing that unless you buy boutique hand made pieces, it is becoming more of a blurred line between name brand clothes and clothes available to everyone. It seems people are paying for name without the quality as in days of old. Is it just me or have you noticed as well that their materials are just the same as you can purchase a cheaper prices?

Shipment

So a quick note on something I learned today. A sweet customer had to pay postage in order to receive their package. I shipped my item through USPS and remembered this package distinctly because I was having trouble printing out my own shipping label. 

 I first put my own stamp on it and my WONDERFUL mail lady wrote "not enough postage" and placed it back in my mailbox. I then proceeded to (not my neighborhood post office) a small town post office I had never used before and had them weigh it and put on the extra postage. 

All that to say, how dare they charge this customer for their mistake?! They should have charged me!!!!! Needless to say I will not be returning to that post office! On a good note I was able to learn how to issue a refund for a specified amount! That makes me excited to learn something new in regards to business.

Ebay versus Estore

Yes, there are marketing strategies for any product out there. Companies spend countless hours and money. For Chipmunks Clothes there seems to be a marked difference from selling on Ebay versus selling from the store front itself. This 'causes me to question, what makes customers prefer a general competitive website over a personalized specific website? Is it the credibility or the thrill of the competition? Or is it the type of products available much less quality and advertising? It's a very curious study for sure!

The short and the long

I can't remember what my title was going to be....that's beside the point. One of my children has a long torso and short legs making some outfits (one-pieces) quite difficult to fit. It made me wonder how others cope with this issue! Do you just avoid overalls, one-pieces, ect all together? They should come out with a  line of clothes that address this issue, lol, I doubt all kids are generally the same in proportions when it comes to this issue, but who knows!

All in Stitches

There is different quality of clothing. For some, the quality comes in the details: pockets, colored stitching, appliques, ect. For others it's the material: silk, cashmere, wool, ect. While, others consider quality according to it's durability under outside factors, such as, exposure to sun, dirt, wind, repetitive actions (crawling for instance). All in all,  a quality piece of clothing to me is not only it's ability to hold up to my children's crawling and climbing over rough objects but also it's functionality. I'd rather not spend all my day buttoning and unbuttoning clothing to change a diaper! What qualities in children's clothing do you value most?

Back on Track

Time marches on! Slowly, Chipmunks Clothes is beginning to get back to listings for Spring. At CCeBay, there are 5 listings every other day. At CCeStore, we have been promising new products but not delivering at an appropriate pace. Hopefully, by the end of the month, there will be new items for the appropriate season listed! Happy Shopping.

Spring Vs Summer

Over the past week it came up people tend to shop online more while cooped up versus dropped online sales during warmer weather. Is this true?! Perhaps with certain products, but I'm always finding myself buying clothes for my ever growing children. It'd be nice if they grew on average, but I've learned the hard way to wait to shop for clothes or skip two sizes, when buying, because they skip sizes each time they grow. I'm curious if those whose children fit every size as they grow shop less, lol.

Spring Shopping

I received my Carter's catalog in the mail yesterday and it made me think of how much I prefer to dress my children in that brand only because my children are so long and skinny. The catalog put me in the mood for spring with all it's pastel colors. For that reason, I was transplanting my beautiful plants all this morning. I was shocked to see that the Carter's baby clothes did not come out with any new styles this year?! Maybe I was looking at the wrong catalog, but everything listed I already had from last year. What puts you in the mood for spring and clothes shopping for your children?

Blogging

I loved writing letters, back in the day. Since I moved a lot, I ended up writing 30 people at one time . Now, writing papers.....not so much! Anyway, I have started two other blogs (Business Explained and CCblog) beside this one, just because I want to familiarize myself with both sites capabilities. So far I favor blogger.com! On Wordpress there is no free option to customize the look of your blog.  Although, I'm not great at customizing or html, ect, ect I still prefer to have that option on hand. With that said, I will be linking my posts so that all my typing is not gone unnoticed! This will be my main blog about CC and what CC sales; while the wordpress blogs will be dedicated more to my interests and behind the scenes of what it takes to run CC. Enjoy reading!

KISS

Keep It Simple Stupid I have learned my lesson tonight. For the past two days I've been setting up accounts and linking them all together. Great, grand and wonderful! Where has it gotten me? Lack of sleep, fussy children, escalated frustration, and a relationship complex with my poor hubby (though we're not a vocal kinda people). What brought it home? Reading a links informative http://www.seobook.com/archives/001792.shtml Which I read all the way to the end only to realize, hey! take a step back all great things mature over time. My eStore ChipmunksClothes will be just that a great experience for my customers over a span of my lifetime. End of Story!

Google Breech of Name Policy

I'm a private kinda a gal so opening a store and setting up contact info on my most hated site does not evoke my utmost confidence. Chipmunk was nickname growing up 'cause I'd pack my cheeks full of food (now I pack envelopes full of baby clothes, ha!) anyway, I thought it'd be "safer" to change my name to Chipmunks Clothes only to come across the fact of breeching google name policy woops! not cool!

Bunnies By the Bay RAVE

Awesome, awesome website: http://www.bunniesbythebay.com - for all loyal American citizens, when you have a chance, check them out. Their clothes are American made and are of excellent quality. I know this for a fact, because I discovered them this week, when a contributor to my estore happened to have clothed her twin boys in a majority of Bunnies By the Bay clothing. Each article of clothing was so cute and unique that I had to look at the tag. I noticed it was made in America so I looked up their website to find so many adorable pieces to choose from. I have officially discovered a brand that I LOVE!!!!

Detergent Anyone?!

When it comes to children's clothing you can never be too careful it seems!!!! I've heard many wash their children's clothing in cold water and hand dry their items or prefer dreft for sensitive skin? Some of my children not only have sensitive skin but also suffer from eczema and for that reason I make my own that i came across on a blog. If I can find the post I will update this post when I have free time. What is your preference for washing clothes, what do you wash them in and why?

Seasons and shopping

I love to shop for my children's clothing six months in advance because that is my personality. The problem is guessing according to their present growth rate what size they will be. Sometimes I can find a good buy sometimes not. It always seems that socks and t-shirts always end up being bought during present. When seems the best time to buy clothes? does it seem your kids grow more during certain seasons?

Brands

Ok down to the real business! It did not occur to me how much a Brands cut and sizing can enable a customer's overall happiness with the product until someone was kind enough to comment with some valuable advice that "it's difficult when people's opinions of items and condition vary". I love carter's brand because my children grow too fast and can't keep a darling rolls as babies. I love Old Navy as they grow bigger for the same fact that that they are so skinny and tall many other brands just slide right off them. What is your favorite brand for your child and why? such input helps me describe items better.

Inputting Detailed Information

Ebay is one site that makes inputting information about products simple. You pretty much click some tabs and if you prefer not to write a description it is not necessary. Not so much when you are managing your own shop. It is up to you how detailed you desire your clothing to be described as. That is fine, but when I first began it took me a day and a half to figure out exactly how I was supposed to input the information not because it was difficult to understand but because I am not the greatest when it comes to technology! When listing any item ecraters.com conveniently has where you can input the data under two columns entitled: attribute name / attribute value.......simple enough except I could not figure out what exactly I was to type in these to boxes and sadly it took a day and a half to figure out (example) in the first box you type brand and in the second box you type carters then continue to the next line, ect.
A day and a half......I won't ever forget!

Setting Up Shop

Searching for an ecommerce website to provide children's clothing was quite an ordeal. I am not technologically advanced so finding a website where I could sell single items without more than one customer sending money for the same item took time. Wix.com is an innovative website tool but not quite fully developed. Much less you have to upgrade in order for certain options to become available, such as selling your merchandise. Then, I stumbled upon ecraters.com which turned out to be simple enough for me to understand! I became ecstatic to be able post multiple pictures for one item, choose to have that single item automatically unavailable once someone purchases it, and allowed to accept payment through secured payment for buyers.
Now to list items was another story! We don't realize how much work goes into anything until we are responsible for it! At least I can work on my own time, but at the same time I have found we are our own toughest critics when we desire to excel at a task. Some instances it is a good instinct....other times not so much.

Introduction continued

Ok, The kids are at grandparents for the day. So let's see how much I can type!
Back in May 2011, ......actually back in 2010, I received a phone call from a company marketing their motivational education services (as I like to view it). They're known as Apply Knowledge Institute. I will say: it is an outstanding staff and they provide you with every detail you can ever need - not only to establish a competitive Ebusiness but also to maintain your online business. The institute guides you through six intense months of your own personal guidance coach, plan of action, educational readings, live classes legal documents, ect. When you completed all the steps, you could feel free to continue to call with questions, ect. It was definitely well worth it's value and had better be at the "pretty little penny" of expense it takes to enroll!
The catch was I had no interest or plan of starting my own business. I filed away, in my mind, the valuable info and let it be. From that experience they had helped me establish an ebay account which I immediately sold two items through their coaching, got scared and left it alone. [One other part about Apply Knowledge Institute was they set an individual up for a pretty much self maintained online store. The problem was I had no idea what to sale much less even considering becoming an owner.] I continued with the coaching for a little over a month, when I found out I was expecting our second who would not quite be 10 months apart from the first. I became a hormonal basket case and quit the training.

Fast forward to three weeks ago.  At this point, there are three children just under 2 and I was clearing out their closets for the 30th time, when it struck me, I don't have to limit myself to tagging these clothes and dragging them 30 miles away to a KidsExchange consignment that is only available twice a year or even to Once Upon a Child Consignment to be picked over. Why not sell gently and never used kids clothing online? It promotes "green" living and provides others an affordable alternative to clothing their children. Not everyone has time to sift through the thrift store clothing racks much less visit yard sales bright and early, but that doesn't mean people still aren't interested in finding a good deal on an article of clothing that is only worn maybe twice on children so young! So here is the store being established to fund my kids with their $80+ monthly bill of diapers, their clothing budget, and college savings plan. Eventually, this business will not be a necessity so much as an area of life I enjoy and have the privilege of creating a career in!

Introduction

What can I say?! This endeavor is quite the ride. Opening an online store was not what I envisioned for myself, but it fell in my lap. Chipmunks Clothes was established in the summer of '11 as a way of being introduced to Ebay. ....more to come.