Bright Bots training pants

Bright Bots are simply adorable, affordable, Australian training pants.  They can be hard to find in the U.S., but we have them at bella stella!

I discovered these when Hazard was a baby and we were practicing elimination communication (EC).  The local EC group leader had some Bright Bots for her boys, and they are just perfect.  They do have a PUL waterproof layer inside, but they have a terry cloth fabric against the baby’s skin, so they can feel when they start to go.  This feedback helps them to learn what is happening when they release those muscles, but the waterproof layer helps to keep messes to a minimum – they do get wet on the outside because they are a trainer, not a diaper, but I have never had any leaking from them like I have experienced with other trainers.

The trainers are trim fitting like underwear, and are small enough for babies doing EC (the small fits my now 4 month old Geo perfectly), but also come in larger sizes for toddlers who are potty training.  It was so hard for me to find trainers that fit Hazard when he was a baby, and these do just that.

We have lots of colors and sizes in stock at the store, and they are only $11 (a lot less than other training pants out there).

Come check out other exciting new items people have been asking about – mom-made doll slings, locally made amber teething necklaces, and black and white Bella Bands are back in stock!

We also have a few specials in the store from now until February 15th.  Sweet eeBoo valentines are 10% off, and Sleepy Wraps are 30% off!  Don’t worry if you’ve never used a wrap before; we would love to show you how!

We Really Dig Naomi's. Les Schwab...Meh.

Naomi’s Organic Farm Store is a favorite in Portland. They act as a family resource and we love to see diverse, thriving small-businesses that really add something to the communities that support them. Apparently, Naomi’s is being kicked off the property they’ve been at for 3 years to make room for a Les Schwab.
I haven’t got anything against Les Schwab, in fact, they’ve helped me out in the past and I kinda feel like I owe them. Whoever “them” is. But since I don’t ACTUALLY know Les, and I do know the folks at Naomi (because they help me and a lot of my friends keep our chickens fed and our kids love their animals), my alliances are with the home team.

The fact is, we need Naomi’s.  Les, well, there are an awful lot of vacant spaces where small businesses have closed shop lately…could you grab one of those?

Read and sign the petition to help keep Naomi’s at home here.

Nobody does Little Love-y's like Amy McMullen

If you came to Little Love-y’s last year, you know why we are doing it again. It was as fun as the pictures. What> You didn’t come and don’t know what all the fuss is about? I see, your little valentine wasn’t born yet (really, the only excuse). So, for those coming late to the party, we’ll explain this again: You grab your favorite kid(s), and have them grab there favorite object of love (blankie? stuffed beaver? headless barbie doll? fine.) and you bring the whole gang to bella stella this Saturday (yes, the day after tomorrow) between 11 and 4. Then, that kid of yours get’s to make a valentine at our craft table. After that? The best part. A mini photo-session with the incomparable Amy McMullen. We (and I mean everybody who has ever come in contact with her) adore this woman. Her photographs are beautiful sure- but there is a quality of authenticity to them- I’ve never seen kids really open up and show that deep cuteness to a photographer in such a short amount of time. Trust me, these are pictures you will want to have, so come.

How much will it cost? Well, to come and make a valentine and get photographed, it will be free. For a valentine ready, fully finished print, it’ll be $20, and for a CD that you can print at your leisure, it’ll be $50. What’s more, I hear Amy will be giving gift certificates for future sessions and we will be offering discounts on bella stella goodie. Awesome.

And yes…those are (some of) our kids in the pictures.

Want a Better School District, Go to Jail.

Hey Ohio: this is wrong.  How many people do you know who have lied about their address to get thier kids into a better school? Well, a mom in Ohio just got sentenced to five years in prison for the offense. Perhaps a better solution would be to ensure that all of our children, regardless of their neighborhood, social class, race or economic status had equal access to quality education.

It’s time we not have “better school districts”.   On another note, it takes a good deal more than the “$30,000 she defrauded from taxpayers” to prosecute and jail a person for five years.

Sound good? OK, good. We know it’s tough out there and this whole holiday spending get-up isn’t easy this year. We thank you for supporting our little shop (and other little independent local shops) with your business. It means everything. Thank you.