You know me, I’m always looking for the best way to spend our kids belts marketing/advertising budget (not that there is much of one, that’s how we keep our costs lower so we can still make Dapper Snappers in the USA), and yesterday I got an email. It looked like your average spammy type email, which I usually just delete, but then the subject line caught my eye, “ABC Kids vs PLUSH – The Truth“. Hmm… We have never been to Plush, but I have always wondered (and you know how I feel about the ABC Expo, as I discussed here and here). So, I opened the email and read.

ABC Kids vs PLUSH
My Take and What I See As The Future

Ok – I admit it “the truth” as stated in the subject line is only seen through my observations; however the amount of phone calls, emails and talks I have received and or participated in within the last few months prompts me to pen a letter that I hope shares my opinion on how I see the industry as a whole

So that everyone is up to speed, and forgive me to those that have been following my emails in the past, I proudly state that I am a veteran in this industry. 47 years to be exact. Proud owner of what we in the east call a mom and pop store. I grew up in the industry helped build the industry and look forward to a few more years in the industry. I stay anonymous through these email chains because I speak the truth and know the players on all sides. My friends this is a small industry – let’s not kid ourselves to that fact.

The Question at Hand 

Like I stated in my prior paragraph I have received inquiry after inquiry on what I see as THE SHOW to attend for the manufacturer and for the buyer, so let’s focus on the two shows that seem to be at each other’s neck and simplify the question thus bringing about a an easier, if any, solution.

ABC Kids - Good show, simple and bland but really all I need when it comes to finding my manufacturers, there does in lie the problem. 4-5 days of sifting through mountains of booths to only see 200-300 of my actual clients is a real downer. Like I stated above, I know the players of ABC and understand there determined goal to make themselves the largest show the industry has

seen…(que echo..seen..seen…seen) but let’s be frank, the million of $$$ that the show brings in does very little to help my store or the manufacturers that purchase the booth space. Due to little loyalty within the ranks of ABC and previous committees and boards the facts always make their way to my doorstep.The industry seems to have come to grips with the fact that inflated salaries, lush “non show” excursions and an ultimately bland show is the new norm for the industry. Now don’t pick up the phone and call ABC right away to complain about me… there is a flip side to this coin. This IS the show you have to go to place your product in front of buyers. Heed what I say when I tell anyone that is planning on attending ABC Kids that they made smart decision and I look forward to seeing them there. Oh and ABC – one more thing. KY C’mon???

PLUSH - this seems to be the biggest point of contention for most people that I talk to so I spent last week on the west coast visiting the show learning all I could and seeing some of my manufacturers. I’ll give you the good with the bad and then hopefully have a solution to the ongoing question later in this email.

THE GOOD – the bland went away. As a buyer this show was more appealing to my senses than any other show I have ever been at. From the moment you walked in the doors to the networking events, you felt as if you were the most important person there. I like that every once in a while. The manufacturers were great to talk with and the mood of the show made me proud to be in the industry.

THE BAD – It was very expensive to attend the show and beyond the networking events, a hamburger cost me $30.00. I did have the luxury of staying the 3 days for the show so the cost is partly my fault however seeing the consumer aspect of the show was interesting, CROWDED and worth the extra night stay and $40.00 breakfast. I have to throw the speakers for what I assume was the educational side under the bus for a second. I would rate them as a 30 on a scale of 0- 100 mostly because of “self proclaimed industry expert” Jamie Grayson. I was able to attend both of his seminars and was bored with both. Now don’t crucify me yet. I know he has a following of about 60 women in the industry that hate their husbands  and are looking for a sensitive man in their life, but seriously this young man is a perfect example of how the industry needs NOT TO BE. (This may be the bulk of my next email blast) As a side note to my side note, I also attended the panel at ABC Spring which was very similar to the panel at PLUSH and was happy with what I came away with. So maybe Jamie you send me an email atjuvenileworldoldguy@gmail.com and we can discuss why you flamed out at PLUSH.The decor atmosphere and management was charming and down-home for a west coast show and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for this young show.

SO MY PROGNOSIS DOCTOR

If you skipped the above just to see what I think, well, you didn’t miss much, but I must ask you to be very serious in reading what I see as the solution. There DOES need to be a change in the industry. ABC shaking hands with foreign entities sends red flags all over my mind and PLUSH being high end yet high dollar also strikes fear to my inner wallet. So Larry Schur, Jina Parks (Show managers of both ABC and PLUSH) – if you are reading this head my below advice and please know that I speak for a great many.

Larry (ABC Kids) – The show is too big – you forgot what the industry is all about and instead filled the bank accounts. Please remember that we are who you fought many years for and I hope you continue to fight for. Please please please reconsider your relationships with other countries. You know this will end bad for many.

Jina Parks (PLUSH) you have the future of show/events in the industry. If ABC had an ounce of courage they would pull your show into their fold and together make the industry unshakable. Bring your pricing for all attendees to an acceptable place and you have my business going forward and many of those that read this blog/email.

To The Reader (that’s you) watch these shows very carefully – one is for you and one could very well be against you.  If I had to make my choice now…it would be for PLUSH. They are what the industry needs to be healthy and they radiate that in their show, management and there perseverance.

Talk with everyone soon,

The Juvenile World Old Guy

It’s Friday, y’all! I’m in the south, I have to fit in, so y’all, it is! Anyway, Friday means it’s “Random Topic Day…” on the kids belts blog which means I can say what I want! I know what you are thinking, “But Chelle, it’s your blog can’t you say whatever you want whenever you want?” Well… true, but I have schedule of topics and there is some cosmic force that keeps me bound to that schedule. So, you see, my hands are tied.

Since it is Friday, I felt like a little encouragement for the weekend would be nice. My assistant, Jen, showed me this Kid President video and I fell in love with this kid. He’s got character, moxie… and I like it!

Plus, there are so many quotable quotes! I’ll list my favorite ones after you watch it (seriously, watch it, your life will be better for it!):

Favorite Quotes from Kid President:

1. “This is life people… you got air coming through your nose… you got a heart beat… it’s time to do something”
2. “Not cool, Robert Frost”
3. “It’s like the dude, Journey said: “Don’t stop believing.” unless your dream is stupid. Then you should get a better dream. I think that’s how it goes.”
4. “The world needs you so stop being boring. Ya- you! Boring is easy everybody can be boring.”
5. “Life is not a game people. Life isn’t a cereal either. Well, it is a cereal.”
6. “But what if there really were two paths. I want the one that leads to awesome.”
7. “I don’t know everything, I’m just a kid. But I know this, its everybody’s duty to give the world a reason to dance.”

Have I said, “I love this kid”? He’s got other videos, but this one is just so spot on…

So I’ll leave you with this, what will you create to make the world more awesome?

PS Here is a little bit about Kid President: “Robby, age 9, is my little brother-in-law. He’s full of life and ideas. Robby has Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) a brittle bone condition which has resulted in him having over 70 breaks since birth. What’s inspiring about Robby isn’t his condition, but the fact that his condition doesn’t define who he is. In spite of all he’s been through he not only keeps going – he dances.”

Blessings,

Here at the kids belts factory, we have a love/hate relationship with Amazon. We have some amazing retailers who sell on Amazon and we love them to death, but there are always one or two who spoil the pot.

We are very protective of our brand and our image. “Why?” you ask? Well, partly because this business and this piece of elastic with snaps is my baby. I feel like I literally birthed it with the amount of blood, sweat and tears that has gone into it! And, partly because that’s just good business. Imagine what Disney or Coca Cola would be today if they didn’t protect their brand and the value of their product. I know we are a young company and nowhere near as big as those companies (one day… you just wait), but if we don’t protect it now, it will only get harder. That’s where Amazon is making it difficult, and not just for us.

Like I said, we love the great majority of our Amazon retailers, but lately there has been one specifically (and I won’t mention names) that has blatantly been violating our pricing policies. We have been in contact with them through Amazon and they refuse to comply. I know that’s not Amazon’s fault, but here is where they come in… Amazon sellers are completely anonymous. Amazon won’t even talk about their 3rd party sellers. That makes it difficult for wholesalers and distributors like us to track down who is actually selling our product. We aren’t the only one. Once we started having this problem, we googled the issue (cause that’s what you do when you have a problem, right, google it?) and there are huge  companies having the same problem. So much so, that they even dedicate a whole page on their website listing the companies who are not authorized sellers and warning that their warranties are voided if their product was purchased from any of those retailers.

The problem is, when you sell a product for under the minimum advertised price, you cheapen the brand and make it harder for smaller stores to sell the product because they have to make a certain amount on the sale to justify keeping in inventory. Keep that in mind when you purchase any product. The cheapest price might seem like a deal, but it might also be forcing someone else to close their doors or not carry a product because they can not compete.

Blessings,

It’s Monday and that means it’s time for me to talk about “What’s New” around the kids belts factory, locally, nationally or the world. So, what’s new around here? Beautiful weather (in case you didn’t gather that from the title), that’s what. It has been rainy, dreary, tropical stormy and all around gloomy for the past few weeks. As someone who has gotten used to the gorgeous Florida sun, it has put a damper on my mood.

Ok, I know that I come from Oregon and I should be used to never ending rain, but there is something about the sun down here. Once you have been around it for any length of time, you get addicted. Don’t get me wrong, I still love a good rain storm (usually around 3:30/4:00pm every day during the summer for about 30 minutes), but days and really weeks of rain wear on you.

Not to mention, it wears on the kids being inside all the time, ALL.THE.TIME… Seriously? Rain with thunder and lightening? I can’t even let them play in the rain to get out some energy. They sit in the house and entertain each other for all of 5 minutes and then they are at each others throats. Needless to say, I am so very thankful that today was beautiful out (except for our regularly scheduled afternoon sun shower). For those of you who haven’t experienced one, yes, it actually is sunny and rainy at the same time, so weird.

I’m not really a “beach” person, but I tell you what, days like today make me want to change my mind. The relaxing sound of the waves, the soothing sea breeze, the smell of the salt water, the warmth of the sun on my face, a good book loaded on my iPad… Yea, I might just change my mind. Wouldn’t you?

Days like today make me wonder how anyone could not love this area. Sure, it has it’s faults at times, but man, a beautiful day can erase all of that.

Blessings,

It’s rainy here in Port Orange, Florida and that makes me want comfort food. Right now, comfort food sound like a nice chicken pot pie. I’ve shared a variation of a chicken pot pie before (here) on my kids belts blog, but I have another recipe that is really easy and more traditional. Besides pots and pans, all you need is what’s shown in the pic above.

Chicken Pot Pie

2 Chicken Breasts (Boneless)
1 Bag Frozen Mixed Veggies
Self Rising Flour
Chicken Broth
Refrigerated Pie Crust
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350. In a large pot, fill halfway with chicken broth and salt & pepper to taste. Then place the chicken breasts in the pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium and boil until the chicken is cooked thoroughly. remove the chicken and add the mixed veggies. Cook on a low boil until veggies get tender. While they are cooking, take a fork and shred the chicken into small pieces.  Add the chicken back into the pot with the veggies. Now, in a small cup, add 2 tbsp of flour and add water and mix to make a slurry (looks like milk) and then add to the pot. Let it boil for a bit to thicken. Repeat the process until the sauce is as thick as you’d like it. Take a nine in pie pan and place one of the pie crusts on the bottom and trim the excess off the edges. After the chicken mixture has cooled a little, begin spooning it into the crust. Don’t overfill it. Then add the other pie crust to the top and seal the edges and trim excess. Place in the oven and bake until crust browns. Enjoy! (you may have enough mixture to make 2 pies, just freeze the extra one)

These taste great and are perfect for freezing if you want to make it ahead. You can also make them up, freeze them and bring them to a sick friend. They travel well when frozen. I hope you like it!

Blessings,

Are you looking for a hearty, filling, delicious and EASY dinner idea? I know I always am. Especially after a long day of working on kids belts and running around with the kids. So, who do I turn to? My assistant, Jen. Why? Because she is always cooking and is very good at pulling meals together, quickly!

She is part of a meal ministry at her church which provides meals for new moms as well as those recovering from illnesses and such. This is her go to meal. She swears that everyone loves it and asks for the recipe. It looks really easy so I’m ready to give it a try.

Here you go!

Chicken & Dumplings

1 or 2 Boneless Chicken Breasts (if you like dark meat better, use boneless chicken thighs) one breast actually goes much farther than you would think
1 Package of Pillsbury  Grands Flaky Layers it has to be the flaky ones, they help the broth thicken
32 oz Low Sodium Chicken Broth (may need more or to add water, you need plenty) low sodium keeps you in control of how salty it gets
Salt & Pepper to taste

Place the chicken breasts (thawed works best, but you can use frozen) in a large pot and fill the pot at least halfway. Turn the burner on high, until water boils. Turn down to med high and let the chicken boil. While the chicken is boiling, pop open the biscuits and cut them up into cubes (they don’t have to be uniform in size). They should look something like this…

I put a little flour on my board, but you don't have to.

Once the chicken is done (cut a piece open to make sure there is no pink). Remove it from the broth to cool down. Bring the broth back up to a rolling boil and drop all of the biscuit cubes in and stir. Turn the burner down to medium or med low. Don’t stir too much or too hard or they will break apart. Now just shred the chicken and add back to the pot. Stir again and let simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the dumplings are done to your liking! For a variation, you could throw in a bag of frozen mixed veggies.

Not bad, huh? It definitely beats mixing the dough and rolling it out! This gives you fluffy dumplings and the flaky biscuits come apart enough to thicken the broth! As much as Jen has talked these up, I can’t wait to try it out!

Blessings,

I decided to take a break from the ever demanding world of kids belts to focus on our house. You know, that thing we live in, eat in, sleep in, shower in, rest in, etc… If you are like me, you take it for granted. “Oh, we have a roof over our head, that’s all we need.” In the mean time, the walls have little finger print smudges, stray crayon marks and what appears to be traces of splattered drinks from days long past.

I really got to looking at our walls the other day and I thought, “gross! How did I not notice this before?” So, I did what anyone would do. I immediately went out and got numerous paint samples to test out. That’s right, I went around my house painting little swatches to see what would work. Now, I know what you are thinking, “That’s smart, that way she’s not stuck with a hideous color.” While that’s true, the hubby didn’t appreciate me painting several swatches of the same color all over the living room and bedroom so that I could see how the color looked in different lighting.

I would like to say that it looked similar to this…

Realistically, it was probably more like this…

Ok, maybe not my best idea, but I did find the color I love for the bedroom and I even got it all painted while hubby was away so he came home to a freshly painted room! I love how clean and crisp the room looks. Painting really is the cheapest way to redecorate a room. It took maybe $40 in paint and our room looks completely different. The best part? Hubby loved it, too, and he REALLY loved that he didn’t have to do it!

Now on to the living room. I still have about 25 colors to narrow down… where did I put that paint brush???

Blessings,

Dapper Snapper Review (as reviewed by MamaBreak)

Dapper Snappers are the perfect solution for your kids’ baggy pants. I was introduced to Dapper Snappers kids belts on Baby Steals about 4-5 years ago, and just love them! They come in a variety of colors and are super easy to use! We have had some of our Dapper Snappers for 2 years and they work as good as the first day we purchased them!

Watch below for our demonstration of how easy they are to use!

You can purchase them at: http://dappersnappers.com/

Thanks, MamaBreak!!

Blessings,

Baked, yes, not fried chicken wings. Why not make such a potentially unhealthy meal, a little healthier?? My wonderful kids belts assistant, Jen, shared this recipe (her original recipe) on her personal blog and she said I could share it here. I tried them and let me tell you, they are amazing.

My family loves wings, but all that fried food is too much so I thought I’d try this recipe. The wings still come out crispy and a lot of the fat boils off (yes, boils, I’ll explain in a minute). What’s really great about this recipe is the preparation. Even if you don’t like the soy butter basil (but why wouldn’t you?) you can sauce them however you like. If you have a traditional hot sauce you like, great! Use that. Teriyaki more your cup of tea, then use that. This preparation can be very versatile.

SBB Wings

20 wings (give or take)
1 Stick of Melted Butter (or the equivalent in margarine)
3 Cloves of minced Garlic
2 Tbsp chopped fresh Basil (or the equivalent in the squeeze basil that you get in the produce section)
Soy sauce to taste
Salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375. In a large pot, fill half way with water and salt to taste. Add the wings and bring them to a boil. Boil them until they are almost done. While those are cooking, mix the rest of the ingredients together (minus the salt). Keep tasting until you get the soy to mixture ratio to your liking. When the wings are almost done, but still a little pink, pull them out of the water and add them to the marinade. Mix it up until all the wings are coated. let sit for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place the wings on a lined baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray and brush with extra marinade. Bake until the wings brown and the skin crisps. Turn halfway through.

I love the soy, butter and basil combination. They just compliment each other so well. You have to try these. Let me know what you think!

Blessings,

We have plans and ideas, big plans and ideas. We have goals, big goals! What hinders our ideas, plans and goals?? Money, of course! So, this year we have decided to take a run at the Huggies Mom Inspired Grant Program with our kids belts. Have you heard of it? Here’s how their site explains it.

“The Huggies® MomInspired™ Grant Program is awarding up to $15,000 to further the development of innovative products inspired by the joys of motherhood. At Huggies® we recognize that there is a dynamic and talented community of moms who strive to make life as a parent easier and more enjoyable every day. It’s what we strive for too. That’s why we want to inspire moms from all walks of life to channel some of their best moments of ingenuity into products that help improve the lives of all moms.”

This is an amazing program for Huggies to offer. This is great advertising for smaller companies like ours. Plus, we would love to align ourselves with a big name like “Huggies”. I mean, really, doesn’t it just make sense? Dapper Snappers are perfect “fit” for toddlers with diapers. (ha ha, you like that?)

On top of that, the money would be nice. I know that we would only get a portion of the $15,000 that they are giving away, but we could put it to such good use. We could go to more trade shows to help up get in front of some of the bigger box stores. We could use it to help us revamp our packaging. So many idea, I have!

So, wish us luck, and pray that I get over my writers block so I can finish filling out the application. Why is it so hard to sing your own praises?? “What is something that you like to do? What is unique to you?” Uhhh…. I’m pretty good at killing house plants… Somehow I don’t think that’s what they are looking for, though.

Blessings,