The Happy Heiny promise

This is just another reason we are proud to be a Happy Heiny's retailer / customer:

This is from Linda Byerline the Owner of Happy Heiny's

It is our promise to you and to your customers that we will always stand by our products and will always provide the best products possible.


Recently I read where a company was talking about their China made products. It was stated that it was ok to have their products made in China because they have visited the facility and they have full knowledge of how the facility is run, how employees are paid, and how they are treated. It was also stated that none of the other diaper manufacturers can say this, INCLUDING THOSE MADE IN THE USA.
I want to clarify this statement for anyone who has concerns regarding this and I know there are some since I have received the emails asking about it. All of the Happy Heinys products are made in our own facility. Every single product including our microfiber inserts. The only product that is imported is hemp and this is done due to government regulations. Our hemp products are also made in our facility.
We purchased this facility 2 yrs ago and are currently doubling the space size. The facility is 3 minutes away from our home, 5 minutes if you hit every light. My husband and I work at the facility every single day. If a machine decides to have a bad day it is my husband who gets the pleasure of fixing it. Our managing seamstress has sewn Happy Heinys since our very first wholesale order that was shipped to Japan 8-9 yrs ago. She has worked for me exclusively now for 6 yrs. We have a complete team of seamstresses that come to work every day and they do so with the knowledge that if their child has a recital, doctors appt, is sick, or just needs mom they can leave. Most importantly they can leave without losing pay. We have several family members who work for us both as seamstresses and in our packing and shipping department. We have just 3 people who actually do the shipping of products, that is Stacy, Mike (my husband), and myself.
From the day it was obvious we were going to become a larger company it has always been my goal that our company will remain 100% under our control and 100% local. As the kids are getting ready to go back to school and the facility will once again be quieter during the day this remains to be our goal. As we hire more employees I always look first to those in my community that need the jobs.
Yes it is true that our cost of production is easily 3 times the cost of those in different states and 5 times the cost of those in China but at least we have the wonderful feeling that we are providing not only a great product for parents but also a great place of employment for parents.

Going Green in Tennessee

We make every attempt to live a "green" lifestyle. We recycle just about everything, yes even toilet paper rolls. We almost always take our reusable bags with us whenever / wherever we go shopping. Those bags are not just for the grocery store, use them at target, the mall, and the Farmers Market. Going green can be done in baby steps. Here are some easy changes you can make.

1) BYOB - Bring your own bag! Keep one or two in your car so their handy.
2)Phase out your light bulbs as they require replacement go to the energy efficient bulbs.
3) Ask your favorite take out place to switch to cardboard to go boxes instead of Styrofoam
4)buy one rain barrel a year. We found ours at Sam's club for $80! These are simple to install, and are perfect for watering your garden, or indoor plants.
5) Shop at your local Farmers Market. They have a great selection of fresh fruits, veggies, bread, eggs, and meats. It makes for a fun morning outing for the whole family, supports your community, and is a healthier option for you and our planet.
6) Shop local. Buying from local vendors cuts back on fuel emissions required to have items shipped when buying online, supports your local economy,and builds community ties.
7) Buy American made. This will create more jobs for our country while cutting back on fuel to have things imported.
8) I am happy to say that Franklin (and many surrounding cities) now has recycle programs in force, use them! It's easy just drop recyclable items into the blue bag, or recycle bin provided.
9) Have a clothes swap party with your friends. Invite your friends to bring their gently used clothes and make a ladies night out of it. What a great way to visit with friends while picking up some new to you outfits!
10) Use reusable snack bags.
11) Cloth diaper your babies (you saw that coming from me didn't you?). Cloth diapers are the only sustainable option in diapering our children. Reduce, reuse, cloth diaper!
12) Read labels. If it's food and you can't pronounce the ingredients don't buy it. Look for made in the USA products.
13) Buy bamboo products. Bamboo is a quickly grown and requires less water and pesticides to grow. It is friendly to our Earth.
14) Consume less. Think before you buy, do you NEED it, is it recyclable, where was it made, does it serve a true purpose? Mindful shopping will help your wallet, and our planet!

Most of all don't feel overwhelmed. Every little bit helps. If everyone made small changes to our lifestyles we can make the change our Earth needs.

Now I challenge you all to not just talk about it, be about it. Be the change you want to see in our world.

Wishing you a joy filled, green day,

Marie M. Sawyer
www.greenpixiebaby.com

Article in the Franklin Life Magazine

By LEAH DENNISON
Staff Reporter
ldennison@c-dh.net

Some women take a break from work after they have kids. When mother of four Marie Sawyer had her youngest daughter, she started her own business. Her incentive was green-but it wasn’t money.


Marie Sawyer encourages parents to go green by using cloth diapers.
Photos by Leah Dennison



Sawyer’s company Green Pixie Baby specializes in “green” parenting supplies, including cloth diapers, bamboo clothing, natural wooden toys made with toxin-free oils, cloth diaper cleaning tools, organic baby washes and bubble baths, locally handmade baby mobiles, alternative plant-based laundry detergent, and reusable multi-compartment lunchboxes-of which, Sawyer pointed out, Green Pixie Baby is the first retail carrier in Tennessee. Sawyer-who holds a full time job besides-spends her lunch breaks at The Shop Around the Corner, 117 North 3rd Avenue in Franklin, selling her products and offering consultations and demonstrations to families interested in cloth diapering.

19-month-old Lilliana, Sawyer’s youngest daughter, is “our mascot and our model,” she said. “We try everything out on her first,” before they decide whether to carry it.

Sawyer’s family had “gone green” already by recycling and reducing their water usage, so when Lilliana was born, Sawyer said they decided to incorporate their green lifestyle into caring for their family’s newest addition.

Sawyer said she tries to supply and support American and local products as much as possible. Green Pixie Baby’s products are available on their website at greenpixiebaby.com, and at their retail space in The Shop Around the Corner. Sawyer also has limited-stock locations in Murfreesboro and Spring Hill, to which she can deliver items for pickup.

Cloth diapering benefits babies, the environment, and family finances, Sawyer said.

According to the Real Diaper Association (www.realdiaperassociation.org), which Sawyer recommends as a great resource for parents, babies who are diapered in breathable cloth are much less likely to develop diaper rash, which is often caused by trapped moisture.

The RDA reports that disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills, and make up 50% of a family’s household waste. 92% of disposable diapers end up in a landfill, and according to the RDA, most are still there-it is estimated that they take from 250-500 years to decompose.

While cloth diapering does require an initial investment, advocates say that in the long run, it is less expensive than using disposable diapers. Sawyer suggests a “start-up kit” of 24 cloth diapers for one child.

“That will have you doing laundry every 2-3 days, instead of constantly,” she said. Cloth diapers can cost $10 to $30 apiece, but the average family spends nearly $1500 per year, per diapered baby on disposables.

Savings are even better with families who reuse the cloth diapers for multiple children. Plus, Sawyer said, used cloth diapers still have resale value on craigslist and ebay.

It might seem like a conflict of interest for Sawyer to point out her products’ reusability and resale value, but advocating cloth diapers is more about passion than a plump paycheck.

“I don’t make a whole lot of money doing this,” said Sawyer, “I do it because I want the best for my children and for our Earth.”

Green Pixie Baby will participate in the Green Living Expo, held Saturday, August 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Factory at Franklin. Their booth will feature a “take one, leave one” basket for the free exchange of gently used cloth diapers

The Living Green Expo

The Living Green Expo will be held August 28, 2010 at the Factory At Franklin, 230 Franklin Road, from 9:30 am - 3:30 pm. Please come visit Green Pixie Baby's booth and the many other green business leaders, learn at the workshops, and register for the many door prizes.

We will be donating a prize for the door prize drawings and we will also be drawing a name from guests who stop by our booth to win a free Knickernappies onesize diaper!

We also hope to have a leave one / take one basket set up for a free gently used diaper swap. So, bring your diapers that you want to swap.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Also if you haven't made it by our space within The Shop Around the Corner yet now is a good time to check us out. We are stocked on diapers, and green parenting items and specialize in American Made children products. We are located at 117 Third Avenue North Franklin, TN 37064.

We always appreciate your feed back so let us know what's on your mind.

Wishing you a joy filled day,

Marie M. Sawyer
www.greenpixiebaby.com

New Franklin, TN retail location!

Hello everyone!

We have been busy growing our inventory and testing out new cloth diapers. We are happy to have added the Kissaluvs line to our inventory. We now have Happy Heinys, Knickernappies, Thirsties, Kissaluvs, Imse Vimse, Starbunz, Bumkins, and Clover diapers in stock. We also have swim diapers, training pants, and all the accessories you need to successfully cloth diaper. We have expanded to carry some clothing, shoes, diaper bags, blankets and a few other American made products!

Our new retail space is now open for business with more new products coming! Stop by and see our new Franklin, TN retail location:

117 Third Ave. North
Franklin, TN 37064
Hours 10 -5 Monday through Saturday

We are always open to products suggestions so please let us know what you would like us to carry for you and we will do our best to get it in for you.

Thank you and have a wonderful day!

Marie Sawyer - Proud Owner
greenpixiebaby@live.com
www.greenpixiebaby.com
(615) 542-4338

American Made

We are proud to carry American made cloth diapers and baby products. There are so many choices new parents face. There are just as many if not more worries new parents face in regards to product safety. We've all heard of various toys, bottles, and even formula being recalled. Most not all, were from imported products. Recently it was discovered that metal coming in from China contained high levels of radiation. That metal is being used on our household products. There is currently no one that inspects the imported metal. Inspection and correction of the "issues" would be too costly. So for now it is left for the companies purchasing the metal to decide if they want to take on the expense of testing the metal. Hmm.. I'm guessing they won't. We are surrounded by imported products. Check your closets, and dishware. More importantly check your baby's nursery.

We don't profess that all American made products are superior. We do say though that if we all made an effort to buy local, and shop American made, our part of the world would be better off. On the green side purchasing from a company in the USA requires less fuel to transport it to you. On the humanitarian side the companies we purchase our products from have good working conditions where there employees are treated and paid fairly. Most are run by families and their workers are treated like family! One of our diaper manufactures notes "The one thing I can say though is that many CD companies have had issues with diapers made overseas ranging from bad quality fabrics to inconsistent sizing- they have often donated huge lots of these diapers or have replaced them for customers who complained. I have also noticed that many of the diapers made overseas do not have CPSIA tags on them which is quite amazing!" and was right on with this comment "Diapers made in the US of course support local families, keep money here and also help the struggling fabric manufacturing industry in the US". Buying American made soaps and lotions for your baby also means quality assurance! When speaking with one of our baby shampoo and bodywash manufactures he stated that the USDA stops in regularly to inspect them and to ensure that they have the exact percentage of ingredients as listed on the label. No short cuts to save on cost EVER! Products made overseas do not get inspected by the USDA.

While our primary focus is on cloth diapers we are excited to add Kepner Scott shoes to our product inventory. These are great infant, toddler, and children's shoes. They have been in business in PA since 1888 and are still family run! Their shoes are all made in the USA and are top quality. While searching for shoes for our daughter I was quite disappointed in the quality of shoes I came across. In my search for American made children shoes I found Kepner Scott. http://kepnerscott.com/aboutus.html We are thrilled to have them as an American made partner and look forward to introducing our customers to their great shoes.

We hope that our stance on American made products helps us stand apart from the competition. Anyone can sell baby products, we choose to sell American made baby products.

Thank you and have a wonderfully "Green" day!

Marie Moore Sawyer
www.greenpixiebaby.com
Franklin, TN

SuperUndies!

Potty training just got easier! We now carry the SuperUndies pull ons, and Pocket Trainers. These undies really are Super! The pull ons have a waterproof outer, and are sleek fitting. The inside of these are buttery soft, with three layers of absorbent microterry. These diapers will allow your child to feel when they have wet, but will protect their clothing when accidents happen.

The Pocket Trainers have the waterproof outer, and soft inside has pockets to add step up inserts. These trainers are perfect for the little ones just starting out. The inserts allow Mom to control the absorbency, and the back release snaps are handy for those Uh oh! moments. These are easy to use, and still have the appearance of big boy or big girl undies.

To clean simply turn them inside out, or unsnap the trainers, and toss in the washing machine and dryer. If your Super Undies do get "dirty", shake the waste off into the toilet and pre-rinse them by themselves prior to laundering.

As with all cloth diapers never use bleach.

Potty training is a whole new adventure. It takes time and dedication from Mommy and Daddy. Make potty time a special event. Pick up some books about potty training that your little one can flip through while sitting on the potty. Give your child praise for being such a good boy or girl. Be sure to take them to the potty every hour to "try" to go potty. Be consistent with praise and potty trips. Potty training truly is a learning experience for parents and children. Every child is different and will react to different methods. Try several methods to see which works best for your family. The key is PATIENCE! It will happen, and then your baby will be all grown up before you know it!

Happy potty training!

Marie
www.greenpixiebaby.com