Friday, January 30, 2009
Hallelujah!
Yeah! They listened! The CPSC grants a one year stay of testing and certification requirements for certain products. I think this means that none of my products need to be tested for now. The CPSC will use this year to decide what needs to be exempt from the law and will vote next Feb. Thank you!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
PLEASE!!!!
Don't forget!!!!! Just take 2 minutes to write out your thoughts to the CPSC on this ridiculous law. Public comments are being taken until tomorrow so please send them a quick email! Email them at section102ComponentPartsTesting@cpsc.gov. Do it for me...Please.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Baby Legs
I finally added Baby Legs to my website. I am offering a 25% off coupon only to my blog readers when you buy 2 or more pair. Use coupon code BLegs. Now through Feb. 28, 2009.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Going Private.
You might have noticed I took off all the personal posts. I am going to start a family blog and keep it seperate from my business blog. I just want to elaborate more on my personal posts and don't really think this is the place. If you want an invitation (and I hope you do!) to my family blog please comment!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Sneek Peek
Introducing... Plain Jane Binkie Clips
Here's a peek at my new line of Binkie Clips. Don't mind my little helper. I didn't think it was quite so cute at the time.
Here's a peek at my new line of Binkie Clips. Don't mind my little helper. I didn't think it was quite so cute at the time.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Every Stay-at-Home-Mom...
Needs to go to lunch! It's nice to get away from "potty talk" with our two-year-olds and have a little adult interaction to keep us sane. Thanks Katie! 
This picture is as good as it gets when you're taking it yourself!
This picture is as good as it gets when you're taking it yourself!
Check out my fabric shop for some fun new (and old brought back) fabrics. I've also added Sandi Henderson's patterns which are so nicely put together and easy to follow!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
What is With Them?
When the Federal Government makes a law most of us in this country intend to try and live by it. I have accepted the fact that the new law, CPSIA, might put me out of business, changing my life dramatically.
So what should I make of this statement?
Still, companies shouldn’t expect a crackdown, said Julie Vallese, a spokeswoman for the commission.
“There’s a need for compliance, but it’s fair to say that the toy police will not be descending on all of America on Feb. 11,” Vallese said.
Found in an article by Mark Drajem on Bloomberg.com
Reading between the lines, the government can't and won't do anything about small companies who disregard the law and continue business illegally. Is that what you read?
If they're going to make a law they need to be able to stick to it and enforce it. If they can't, then it isn't a good enough law to be passed.
So what should I make of this statement?
Still, companies shouldn’t expect a crackdown, said Julie Vallese, a spokeswoman for the commission.
“There’s a need for compliance, but it’s fair to say that the toy police will not be descending on all of America on Feb. 11,” Vallese said.
Found in an article by Mark Drajem on Bloomberg.com
Reading between the lines, the government can't and won't do anything about small companies who disregard the law and continue business illegally. Is that what you read?
If they're going to make a law they need to be able to stick to it and enforce it. If they can't, then it isn't a good enough law to be passed.
Friday, January 9, 2009
If You've Ever...
-bought a handmade hair bow for your daughter
-Shopped from children's boutiques who carry handmade items
-Shopped on etsy for toys, hats, baby jewelry
-bought anything from me
-bought your kids a toy from your local craft fair
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE write your congressmen and tell them how you feel. The majority of small business manufacturers will be closing their doors if the government doesn't make some changes.
Here's what to do...It can be done online and won't take you more that a few minutes!
Find your Representatives and Senators, and fill out a form letter (add some personal info) here.
-Shopped from children's boutiques who carry handmade items
-Shopped on etsy for toys, hats, baby jewelry
-bought anything from me
-bought your kids a toy from your local craft fair
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE write your congressmen and tell them how you feel. The majority of small business manufacturers will be closing their doors if the government doesn't make some changes.
Here's what to do...It can be done online and won't take you more that a few minutes!
Find your Representatives and Senators, and fill out a form letter (add some personal info) here.
Think they'll listen?
No one around here seems to even know about this bill. There have been no news stories about it. How can people share their opinion and write their congressmen if they don't even know what's happening in a little over 4 weeks.
I sent this to all my local news channels yesterday. Think anyone will listen?
I am a small business owner and am about to lose everything I have worked for over the last 5 years because of a bill passed in 2008, which will take effect Feb 10th, 2009. In summary, The CPSIA states that all products manufactured primarily for children until the age of 12 must be tested for lead.
Like many of our country’s entrepreneurs, I among the growing group of stay-at-home moms who choose to turn their love for creating into a sustainable business that can be run while raising a family. I have been making Binkie Clips for 5 years, and am now featured in over 50 stores across the nation. I set up my LLC in 2003 and have been growing steadily ever since. I now employ 4 part time workers.
Like many people, I too have a stake in the children’s industry and its safety. I am a mother of four under the age of 8. I was very pleased that Congress acted quickly to protect America's children by enacting the CPSIA, however this bill was passed hastily and without regard for its long-reaching effects.
Last year after the dangerous lead scares in children’s toys, I personally went to my local Bureau of Environmental Health Services office and brought in my Binkie Clips to talk about their potential hazard with Dave Johnson. I was told that even if there were lead in my products, the amounts would be too small to do any harm. I took home the crayons provided and tested my products and found no negative results.
The testing this new bill would require would put me out of business. I guess that it would cost me over $50,000 to test all or a portion of my products. I have made roughly 10,000 Binkie Clips in my years in business and have a very good rapport with my customers. I just wonder…
1.Why hasn’t the news said much about this topic. There is a lot of talk going on online.
2. If everyone actually complies what will happen of Feb 10th? Will Target, Walmart, the Gap, and The whole Kid to Kid resale chain clear their shelves, take their inventory to the dump and start over? Will the few testing facilities available be able to handle the new load or will we have empty stores for a while?
3. Will Stores such as Kid to Kid chain and D.I. eliminate their children’s products altogether? Will we forget about our country's push to “go green” and take our children’s cribs, clothes and toys to our local landfill instead of donating it to be re-loved by others?
4. Will schools and libraries survive? How will they possibly comply?
5. Will our country's very make-up be changed? How many small businesses will have to close their doors? How many people will this put out of work?
6. How will the fashion industry react? Will you never see another one-of-a-kind article of clothing made for children? Will we have much less selection so that companies can comply and test each design?
7. Shouldn’t the law be changed? Just like in many other industries, shouldn’t small businesses be exempt from these harsh restrictions? Shouldn’t the large toy companies who outsourced their work to China to deepen their pockets be the ones who are forced to comply?
8. Or could we start with requiring just a label (“this product has not been tested for lead and may cause harm if it has lead, and more than 600 parts per million, and if your child chews it to pieces”)? The tobacco industry survived with just a label, why not toys and children's products? Let people make their own decisions on what deem safe and want to buy?
9. Isn’t lead exposure really only a problem with paint and plastics? Should cotton clothing, diapers, ribbon and hair bows really even be involved?
I would love to hear the news get involved in this issue. I have so many questions with the future of my little company and with my young family that no one seems to be able or willing to answer.
Please Help!
Sincerely,
Carlie Wendel, Owner
Baby Bintz
801.602.0981
If you are not familiar with this legislation, I suggest you check the following internet sites:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpsia.pdf
http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/advisory/320.pdf
http://nationalbankruptcyday.com/
http://www.toyassociation.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=CPSIA&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=6668
I sent this to all my local news channels yesterday. Think anyone will listen?
I am a small business owner and am about to lose everything I have worked for over the last 5 years because of a bill passed in 2008, which will take effect Feb 10th, 2009. In summary, The CPSIA states that all products manufactured primarily for children until the age of 12 must be tested for lead.
Like many of our country’s entrepreneurs, I among the growing group of stay-at-home moms who choose to turn their love for creating into a sustainable business that can be run while raising a family. I have been making Binkie Clips for 5 years, and am now featured in over 50 stores across the nation. I set up my LLC in 2003 and have been growing steadily ever since. I now employ 4 part time workers.
Like many people, I too have a stake in the children’s industry and its safety. I am a mother of four under the age of 8. I was very pleased that Congress acted quickly to protect America's children by enacting the CPSIA, however this bill was passed hastily and without regard for its long-reaching effects.
Last year after the dangerous lead scares in children’s toys, I personally went to my local Bureau of Environmental Health Services office and brought in my Binkie Clips to talk about their potential hazard with Dave Johnson. I was told that even if there were lead in my products, the amounts would be too small to do any harm. I took home the crayons provided and tested my products and found no negative results.
The testing this new bill would require would put me out of business. I guess that it would cost me over $50,000 to test all or a portion of my products. I have made roughly 10,000 Binkie Clips in my years in business and have a very good rapport with my customers. I just wonder…
1.Why hasn’t the news said much about this topic. There is a lot of talk going on online.
2. If everyone actually complies what will happen of Feb 10th? Will Target, Walmart, the Gap, and The whole Kid to Kid resale chain clear their shelves, take their inventory to the dump and start over? Will the few testing facilities available be able to handle the new load or will we have empty stores for a while?
3. Will Stores such as Kid to Kid chain and D.I. eliminate their children’s products altogether? Will we forget about our country's push to “go green” and take our children’s cribs, clothes and toys to our local landfill instead of donating it to be re-loved by others?
4. Will schools and libraries survive? How will they possibly comply?
5. Will our country's very make-up be changed? How many small businesses will have to close their doors? How many people will this put out of work?
6. How will the fashion industry react? Will you never see another one-of-a-kind article of clothing made for children? Will we have much less selection so that companies can comply and test each design?
7. Shouldn’t the law be changed? Just like in many other industries, shouldn’t small businesses be exempt from these harsh restrictions? Shouldn’t the large toy companies who outsourced their work to China to deepen their pockets be the ones who are forced to comply?
8. Or could we start with requiring just a label (“this product has not been tested for lead and may cause harm if it has lead, and more than 600 parts per million, and if your child chews it to pieces”)? The tobacco industry survived with just a label, why not toys and children's products? Let people make their own decisions on what deem safe and want to buy?
9. Isn’t lead exposure really only a problem with paint and plastics? Should cotton clothing, diapers, ribbon and hair bows really even be involved?
I would love to hear the news get involved in this issue. I have so many questions with the future of my little company and with my young family that no one seems to be able or willing to answer.
Please Help!
Sincerely,
Carlie Wendel, Owner
Baby Bintz
801.602.0981
If you are not familiar with this legislation, I suggest you check the following internet sites:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpsia.pdf
http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/advisory/320.pdf
http://nationalbankruptcyday.com/
http://www.toyassociation.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=CPSIA&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=6668
Well that's good...
The CPSC came out and released a statement yesterday that basically says we can still donate to second-hand stores. Thanks for rethinking that one!
"The new law requires that domestic manufacturers and importers certify that children’s products made after February 10 meet all the new safety standards and the lead ban. Sellers of used children’s products, such as thrift stores and consignment stores, are not required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards."
"The new law requires that domestic manufacturers and importers certify that children’s products made after February 10 meet all the new safety standards and the lead ban. Sellers of used children’s products, such as thrift stores and consignment stores, are not required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards."
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
As if The Federal Government Isn't Already on My Bad List...
They might be putting me out of business come Feb. 10th. The more I look into the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) Reform Act (H.R. 4040 or Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)), which passed the Senate with overwhelming support, the more I realize that if this isn't changed I will no longer be able to sell my Binkie Clips or any other baby product for that matter. The required testing would cost an exorbitant amount of money and wouldn't be worth staying in business.
Most of the Etsy shops you buy things for your kids from will be put out of business, and even some large manufacturer's won't survive this. This law was meant to protect children, but it will be at our whole country's expense (okay, I'm a little dramatic). Most of the products it wants tested for lead have no chance of having lead in them at all. I would understand a law that required all things painted or made of plastic to be tested, but they are basically requiring all products made for anyone under the age of 12 to be tested.
I just wrote this letter to my local Congressmen:
Resources:
Form Letter:http://coolmompicks.com/savehandmade/
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpsia.pdf
http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/advisory/320.pdf
http://nationalbankruptcyday.com/
http://www.toyassociation.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=CPSIA&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=6668
Most of the Etsy shops you buy things for your kids from will be put out of business, and even some large manufacturer's won't survive this. This law was meant to protect children, but it will be at our whole country's expense (okay, I'm a little dramatic). Most of the products it wants tested for lead have no chance of having lead in them at all. I would understand a law that required all things painted or made of plastic to be tested, but they are basically requiring all products made for anyone under the age of 12 to be tested.
I just wrote this letter to my local Congressmen:
Resources:
Form Letter:http://coolmompicks.com/savehandmade/
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpsia.pdf
http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/advisory/320.pdf
http://nationalbankruptcyday.com/
http://www.toyassociation.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=CPSIA&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=6668
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
I have to thank Devin one more time for all her photos. She is so wonderful and does great work. I love her eye for color! I am getting ready for a franchise convention where I will try to get stores to carry my products and I am frantically trying to get things ready. Thanks again Devin!
Coming Soon...
Our new Plain Jane line of Binkie Clips. If it would just stop snowing outside I could get my photos done and show you the designs!
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