Cool Blog. Fierce Bite.

End of an era

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandria) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:29:00 +0000

Thanks to our incredible customers and amazing fans, our website stock has now been completely cleared out. You have no idea how exciting (and yes, sorta sad, too) this is for me. I've got space back that has been occupied by all manner of Clippo paraphernalia for five years! Gone are the Clippo banners, postcards, labels and packages. Gone are the bins of materials and products. Gone are the late, late nights of filling orders and planning product lines. I'm excited to start my new journey, but feeling nostalgic about leaving this one behind.

While I clear out some random extras, I'll be posting some pre-made packages for really cheap over on Facebook. So if you happened to miss out on something and want to pick up the very last Clippos for next to nothing, pop on over.

My new goal with Clippo is to support other small businesses. I own a social media consulting business, too (I've been helping others with their social media campaigns for over a year now), so I've got a lot of knowledge to share with all of you. I had a few inquiries to buy the business (and one hilarious request to buy just my domain to redirect all hits to another hair clip company to boost their page rank, ha!), but I've decided that if I can't turn the company over to someone with the same business morals as we have, then I can't turn it over at all. I've always said we choose people over profit and will always do so.

This blog will be a place where I can offer free help. If you're wondering how to begin, I can help. If you have specific questions about wholesaling products, ask me.

I'll be posting tutorials here, too. Specifically for the hair clip and accessories fans, I'll share where you can find the raw materials to make products and teach you how to make your own. If there's another company's product you'd like to make, I can tell you where their supplies are from, too, so you can make your own.

It's my turn to give back now, so don't be shy. You supported Clippo for five years, and I'll be eternally grateful.

So long, but not goodbye,

The Power of Voice

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandria) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:35:00 +0000

In my other life as a social media consultant, I run "primer" sessions that help businesses understand the power of platforms like Twitter, Facebook and blogging for building a business. It doesn't have to cost a lot (as is noted by my friend Julie Cole of Mabel's Labels in this National Post article) to make a huge impact on sales. Social media MADE Clippo. It was through the support of the women on a web board of which I'm a member who catapulted Clippo into stores across Canada. It was Twitter and Facebook that built our fans and friends. But how did this happen when, really, there were a billion other similar companies on the market?

Voice.

Your voice is everything to you and whatever it is you're "selling" to the world: a product, service, or blog, it's all sales. You can have the best product in the world, but if your voice isn't clearly defined (or let's face it, if it's unsavoury), you'll lose in the end. You need to know who you are, and what you stand for in order to communicate this to the world.

Building a brand, be it a company or personal one means knowing who you are, and what your values are. It means standing up for what you believe in, and maintaining your integrity. The voice of Clippo is consistent across all platforms -- here, on Facebook and Twitter, even in person: what you read is what you get. When you meet me in person, I am exactly as I seem to be online. This is my voice, and as a small business I have given my company that voice. If I question something in text or say something in an email, I will happily do the same face-to-face. This is my voice.

Yep, I'm opinionated.

Yep, I stand firmly in my beliefs.

Yep, I don't shy away from confrontation when required.

But I am also an honest business owner, and I'm supportive and generous. I'm willing to share with you the life behind the business, and these are all things that have made Clippo what it is today.

And this is why I've been so thankful for all the wonderful emails many of you have sent me during our clearance sale. To know we've touched your lives is incredible to me. To know that you'll stick around because you like what I have to say means more than I can tell you.

Finding your true voice is the key to success, I'm sure of it. People want to buy from a voice they love. Be that voice.

Made in Canada Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandria) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:44:00 +0000

As we close the doors on this phase of Clippo, we look forward to new projects and adventures with all of you. We hope you will stick around and check on the blog every now and again, and we hope you tweet us, too. Let's face it... Clippo's my third baby and I'm not likely to give either of my kids up, so it's not likely I'll wander too far from the business, either. What I can tell you is that I am really excited about spending time with my kids and focusing on new things.

One such project is my passion for all things Canadian. The reality of a business like this is that the competition is stiff. Our products aren't rocket science - anyone can make them. The charm of Clippo is that we offer handmade goods that are made well and are unique ideas. All it takes is a little time, a glue gun, sewing machine, and some raw materials. I've decided that over the coming months, we'll be doing tutorials on the products, teaching you all how to make them just like we did. And I'll even be sharing my top-secret vendors for the raw materials. For many you don't have to buy THAT much material, so making your own stuff is really just a few moments of time!

I will also be addressing the craft industry as a whole over the coming year. There will be a book, that I vow.

What started as a craft I made in my spare time turned into a successful business for me, and it gave me the unique opportunity to look into the retail world in a way most people will never have the chance to do. Did you know that stores generally make 100% profit on things they sell? Did you know that most juvenile products are represented by sales people who sell directly to the stores, and that those sales people take another percentage (often 10% or more)? And that distributors take even more? I'm going to open the world to you so that if you're considering a business like this, I can help you navigate the waters. And I encourage you to ask questions! I can help you.

And here's where my true passion comes in: Never once did we outsource the manufacture of our products to another country. Many other accessories companies are selling you products using the line, "Designed in Canada". Do you know what that means? Quite often that means the owner sits down at their computer and chooses selections for styles from any number of Chinese manufacturer websites. For pennies. And then tells you that they are "designing" in Canada and glosses over the "Made in China" part.

Hair clips can be bought for less than 5 cents from Chinese manufacturers and are then sold to you for $4+ per pair (more often closer to $8/ pair). There are Canadian manufacturers who would happily make these, so why aren't they being hired? Because they cost too much. Why aren't local people being hired? Because they cost too much. The bottom line is that outsourcing to China means huge profit margins. (stay tuned and we'll post some of the vendors from China so you can see what we're talking about) Wouldn't you at least like to know whether you're buying an imported good or a handmade in Canada good?

Are the factories where those products are being made treating employees fairly? Are the materials safe? Are they using child labour? You don't know, and chances are, neither do the companies selling you those products. It's up to us as consumers to ASK. I'm the first to admit that I buy things at the dollar stores, but at least I know what I'm buying. And I'm paying dollar store prices.

We paid $10/hr to start for our products to be made. Our longest-time staffer made closer to $12 (or more, actually) per hour for making what are essentially craft items. We think it was well worth the money to know that our manufacturing was done in a safe environment, giving work to Canadians who wanted or needed it.

Made in Canada matters.

We hope you think so, too.

But wait, there's more!

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandria) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:30:00 +0000

So long, and thanks for all the fish SALE!

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandria) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:37:00 +0000

Due to a death in the family, our sale has been a wee bit delayed, but we're good to go now!

Sale prices are marked and it's while supplies last!

Run!

www.clippo.ca

Long time comin'

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandria) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:30:00 +0000

There are a number of you who've known this was coming for a few months now, and for some this may come as a surprise. To you all, I thank you for your incredible support of this business. It has been an absolute joy starting and growing Clippo for the past five years. What started as a craft I made in my spare time turned into a huge full-time success all because of the amazing people I've worked with and had as customers. I'm lucky to have you all.

The time has come to put Clippo on a shelf and focus on other things.

Remember when I wrote this post? I still mean every word. So many changes have happened to Clippo since that post. You proved to me that it was the right decision by supporting the company beyond my imagination. To think we'd be more successful without selling through retailers still blows my mind. I thank you all for sticking with us, and bringing your friends along, too.

My children are now five years old and two years old, and I miss the days when I could drop everything for a trip to the zoo. I miss the times when my evenings were spent hanging out with my husband watching movies. Clippo has been all-consuming for a long time now, and it's time for me to take a break and spend some quality time with my family. I also miss my storage space. ;) When I decided to leave the traditional workforce, I didn't have to bring home an income. I started the company for fun... but the fun became a whole lot more work than I ever dreamed possible in such a short time. And five years later, I am so proud of how far we've come.

Growing a home-based business has been the most exciting adventure I've undertaken to date. As someone who never dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur, it's been such a phenomenal personal growth experience. I've learned more about sourcing materials, product development, accounting for small business, website development, marketing, public relations, competition (and competitors... hoo boy, that's a blog post in the works!); I could go on forever with the absolutely incredible things I've learned these past five years.

I've been lucky enough to meet the people behind the companies I respect most, like Admiral Road and Mabel's Labels and Name Your Tune CDs, and call them friends. Because of my job, I've met customers, online acquaintances, celebrities and made friends with them all, and it's just been so much fun! This hasn't been an easy decision, to say the least. Many people call me "Clippo" and it has become a part of my identity.

Of all my lessons in business, the most important thing I've realised is that Spider-Man's Uncle Ben was right: With great power comes great responsibility. (Spider-Man, 2002) I've got a big job here at home raising my peeps and I'm lucky to be able to not have to work. So instead of choosing to do so, I'm choosing to be with my kids for just a little while longer. It won't be forever; goodness knows they grow so fast they'll both be in school full-time soon enough. And when that time comes I'll need something new to challenge me again and fill my days.

But for now I'm choosing my family as my only priority.

Remember that success isn't always related to money.
Remember that family comes first.
Remember that time is fleeting and we cannot rewind these years.
Remember that it isn't the money spent that matters, it's the time spent that they'll remember.

These are the things I'm telling myself as I sell off our current stock and head back to the couch with my husband and off to play with my kids.

Starting January 30th, 2012, there will be a HUGE blowout sale over at Clippo.ca, while supplies last. Enjoy!

I can still be found on Twitter and on my personal blog, too.

Thank you. All of you. I hope to see you soon.

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

Kindness Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandria) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:50:00 +0000

My friend ClickFlickCa shared a link on Twitter to this video that demonstrates how one small act of kindness sends ripples of good things through our world.

Kindness is a cornerstone in my life and in this business. I try to impart upon my kids the importance of small kindnesses; that it doesn't take a lot of money or time to make a good impression on our world.

Hold a door for someone with their hands full.

Donate some outgrown toys to a shelter.

Buy a coffee for someone on the street.

Send an e-card to a friend.

Bake some cookies for a teacher.

Smile.

Every kindness you send out into our world will come back to you plenty, I promise. Kindness is something we will never run out of, as long as we keep sharing it.

I love hearing stories of kindness. Share 'em if you got 'em.

From our family to yours:

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandria) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:19:00 +0000

If there's one lesson I'd like to impart upon my children, it's that family is what we've got when we enter and leave this world. Whether that family is biological, adopted, created or assumed doesn't really matter. The point is that our personal relationships are what matter the most. We encourage our children to play together, be tolerant of one another's annoying behaviours and to include one another in their daily lives. Although there's a three year age difference, we find activities they can do together to create a bond between them. (They're currently doing crafts together, actually.)

The crayons we made out of all the broken bits of crayon

Salt clay ornaments

The salt clay ornaments my five-year-old painted!

So many cookies!

Right now, Clippo is shut down for orders for the Christmas holidays. While I'm working behind the scenes on the spring line, new products, etc., it's nice not worrying about the flurry of orders that generally arrive during any given day. It's giving everyone involved in Clippo the chance to spend more time with their families. My kids and I are doing things that I hope create happy family memories for them as they grow older.

We've made cute crayons out of the bits of old crayons (you saw those up there). We've baked a myriad of cookies. We've written lists to Santa and sent cards to family far away. We've played outside, had spontaneous hot tub parties and lazed about in our pajamas for entire days.

This is what I wish for you all for your holidays, whatever you celebrate. Draw close those people who mean the most in your lives and give them a true piece of quality time with you. Remind friends you love them, and family that you care.

It isn't about the presents, it's about your presence.

From the Clippo family to all your families out there, we thank you so much for supporting our business and we wish you a peaceful, happy holiday season and all the very best for the coming year.

My Clippo Cuties: Mason & Story

Dads Can ShopWise, too!

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandria) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:57:00 +0000

Apparently I may not be the target audience for Yellow Pages' new iPhone app, ShopWise. (At least, that's what I'm left to assume after not being invited to the ladies-only launch party. Humph.) In the end, I did get to go, and I'm glad I did! On the day of the event, my lovely wife Alexandria (@Clippo) was robbed of her health by a sinus infection, and Erica Ehm (@yummymummyclub) knows that I work only steps away from the event, so just a couple hours before it was to start she invited me to take Alex's place. w00t! Finally, a perk to this gig!

The event was slick: cool venue, nice ambiance. A small group of mom bloggers (some of whom I'd met before) were gathered in the Pantages Hotel bar (which, by the way, was only 81m and about a one minute walk from my office, according to my iPhone maps app).

One "Shoptini" into the event and I forgot all about being the only male attendee and was having a great time chatting it up with some seriously cool women. About 30 minutes in, the presentation started. They ran through some stats, intro'd the app... all that good stuff. I was a little turned off by the level of (what I felt was) pandering to moms, but I guess that's par for the course for the original invitees. I felt the presentation stereotyped moms, but maybe I'm over-sensitive?

The app, as it turns out, is great! The presentation by the Yellow Pages folks was focused on moms, of course, but I actually think the app is equally well-suited to dads. Or, anyone, actually. In a nutshell, the app displays all the deals around you on a map identified by what looks like gift tags. Tap on a tag to get the deal details, or should I say dealtails (groan). It's that simple. Also, there are featured deals to flip through as you enter the app. Some deals are hot. Some are time-limited. 48 hours before a deal ends, a counter begins telling you how long you have left to get the deal. You can search for deals, too.

But here's what I really like about it: it's situational, quick and fun.Trapped in the mall running boring errands? Use ShopWise to get the bird's eye view of all the deals around you. Killing time before your next meeting? Fire up ShopWise and see what's around. Dads, moms, whoever, this is good stuff.

And yes, I now use it. I happened to be rolling into the train station the other day and tapped into the ShopWise app on a whim. Found out chocolate milk was on for $1 a litre at Loblaws (chocolate milk is awesome, bee tee dubya. We're still drinking it!). The app is quick, easy, and free. It works well whether you planned to be out shopping or not. You've got nothing to lose but a couple minutes and some data on your iPhone plan. Try it. Who knows what you might find.

A couple caveats worth mentioning:

1. I haven't tried anything similar before, and I know there are similar apps out there. What I do know is that ShopWise is built on the same deal database as RedFlagDeals, which has been my go-to deal site for years.

2. Fair disclosure - at the event, I won a CHI hair straightener and in addition to the aforementioned "Shoptini" I was given, I also received several coconut shrimp, mini burgers, pieces of sushi, mushroom tartlets, a box of sweet potato poutine, and a small cup of Hagen Daas - yum.

- Ryan.

Wanna Win a Leapster Explorer Prize Pack?

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandria) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:54:00 +0000

It's no secret that our family loves many of the Leap Frog™ products. When it comes to educational gaming, they're our number one choice for good reason: the products are sturdy, easy for kids to use, and they really do teach kids some great stuff. What's more, as children learn, you can track their progression online (we don't...but you can, and that's a nice option!) and they can move up levels through their games.

Back when Ryan wrote reviews for another site, he posted this rave about the Leapster Explorer™. The unit we were given then is still being used multiple times per week, by our now-five-year-old and our two-year-old as well. The games are progressive and fun, the unit itself stands up to all the abuse the kids can throw at it, and we absolutely love the product.

Just in time for Christmas, we've got a Leapster Explorer, three games, and a camera attachment to give away to one lucky Clippo reader, thanks to the generous folks at Leap Frog!

This prize includes:

Leapster Explorer™ ($79.99CDN value, English version, in green and white, like my daughter's one that's pictured here out of the box)
Explorer™ Learning Game Disney*Pixar Cars 2 ($29.99CDN value, English version)
Explorer™ Learning Game Pet Pals 2 ($29.99CDN value, English version)
Explorer™ Learning Game Leap School™ Reading ($29.99CDN value, English version)Leapster Explorer™ Camera and Video Recorder ($29.99CDN value, English version)

It's a prize worth just under $200CDN, people! This would be the ultimate gift for any lucky kid this Christmas. So how do you win this?

Easy:

1. Leave a comment here telling us why you'd love to win the prize. Include your email address, that's one entry.

2. Tweet us @clippo and tell us why you'd want to win the prize. Use the hashtag #ClippoExplorerPrize. Each tweet counts as another entry, but they must be legit tweets with reasons for wanting to win, not just random hashtag usage.

3. Post on our Facebook page telling us why you'd like to win the prize. That's one more entry. You can only post once on the wall saying why you'd like to win, but the more friends you get to mention your name, the more entries you'll get, which brings us to the next point:

4. Share the contest with friends! If they post on our Facebook page wall saying you sent them, that's an entry for you, and if they tell us why they want to win, it's an entry for them, too!

Contest will close at 5:30pmEST on December 14, 2011. The draw will take place on December 14th, 2011 at 6pmEST and will be announced here on the blog, via Twitter and on our Facebook page. The prize will be sent immediately upon receiving the winner's address, via Expedited Canada Post mail.

Open to Canadian and U.S. residents.

Good luck, everyone!

NOTE: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAST YOUR STATUS UPDATES FOR FACEBOOK AND TWITTER HERE. WE WILL FIND THEM VIA THE HASHTAG AND ON THE FB WALL.

*** THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED. ***

FROM MORE THAN 300 ENTRIES VIA THE BLOG, FACEBOOK AND TWITTER ENTRIES, RANDOM.ORG WAS USED AND THE WINNING NUMBER BELONGED TO TAMMI HAYNE. CONGRATULATIONS, TAMMI!

12 Days of Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandria) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:41:00 +0000

Here it comes! Be sure to join the Facebook event page, and participate on Twitter with the #12DaysEvent hashtag.

It's B I G, people!

Giving Within Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandria) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:26:00 +0000

Often our parents give us budget to shop for the kids on their behalf. $50 for Christmas seems to be the standard amount; $30 - $40 for a birthday. It's never up for debate whether that amount is flexible: we just get the best gift we can with the money given.

But what about between spouses?

Alexandria and I have given each other $100 budgets for Christmas. Birthday gift budgets are usually used up in advance of the day itself, since there's always something you want/need that goes on sale before the day. Surprise presents are usually reserved for Mother's Day, Father's Day and Valentine's Day. The thousand pound gorilla is Christmas. Christmas seems to be the only holiday where a budget really presents a problem.

I always daydream about blowing the budget wide open and getting something fantastic. Something that makes Alexandria cry because it's sofabulous. A new diamond ring. A surprise trip to New York City. If money was no object, I'd be a viking at gifting. Problem is, money is an object. And even if I only overspent within the reaml of reasonableness (like that Roots Canada purse I know she would just love), even then, if we both do it, we've got a financial strain on our hands.

I asked the question of the Twitterverse, and got a mix of responses. Came to no firm conclusion. So I offer my thoughts on the topic:

Don't go materially over budget on a gift for your spouse. After much thought, I think that's mostly just disrespectful. You agree on what fits a family budget, so stick to it.
Whatever the budget, big or small, never just buy your spouse "stuff". Avoid things that will be little more than garage or basement insulation in a couple months at all cost - that's just wasteful.
Never simply meet the budget. Don't bother buying your spouse the cheap version of something they really want. That's just "stuff" in disguise.
Gift cards are better than "stuff" (and more thoughtful than cash) but they still stink of laziness - so be careful with those. Some gift cards can be winners. A Starbucks card for someone who works near a Starbucks, for example. (Psst: men seem more receptive than women to gift cards from my informal Twitter polling.) In the end, gift cards aren't just loaded with money, they're loaded with potential disappointment.
One suggestion on Twitter was to make something. Probably a safer bet than a gift card, but the real-world feedback on that suggestion from women on my train the other day was that most of the husband-made items were tragic disappointments.

It seems like the best way to "win" on a budget is to look hard and often for sales. Yes, this means that your traditional last-minute shopping technique may not work, but it is best way to turn effort into success. Finding a great gift within your budget is probably the best course of action.

Lastly, I've found that a $5 gift for Alexandria with hours of thought or effort put into it is more valuable to her than a $300 gift bought out of convenience.

- Ryan.

Living the dream... or not?

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandria) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:59:00 +0000

I count myself fortunate to be able to be my own boss. Prior to having children, I had a pretty great job that just happened to be in a totally toxic environment (and I really don't like that term, so because I'm using it, you know I really mean it). The owner of the company I worked for was a wretched egomaniac who happened to like me (thank goodness) but it didn't make me any happier to work there. So when I was on mat leave, after long discussions with my husband, we decided I'd be a stay-at-home Mom.

For someone who grew up with great career aspirations (to be what? who knows? just something), staying home to raise a kid and clean a home was a strange new goal for me. My Mom had been home with me, but was also a great entrepreneur and she always had side jobs that kept her challenged and income-earning, too. (She's now happily retired but guess what? She is a floral designer on the side of said retirement!) Never in my wildest dreams did I see myself following in her footsteps. And yet, here I am. Proudly following. And living the dream. Or am I?

Building a company is an incredibly challenging task. It's one thing to conceptualise a product that may sell, but to design it, create it,advertise/market it, and sell it? It's an amazing amount of work. Working for myself is easily the most difficult job I've ever had, and it never seems to end. At the end of my work day there is more work. More planning, more keeping-up-with-the-market, more everything.

In addition to the "real" work (HA), I have my kids home with me. My daughter attends senior kindergarten two (sometimes three) days per week and my toddler is home. I have a sitter who comes to watch them for two hours in the morning, and sometimes two hours in the afternoon, but in total, she's here no more than 15 hours per week. While a full-time job takes up 40 hours of a normal person's week, I have a mere 15 hours with help and I therefore spend most nights sitting up working till the wee hours of the morning. Hiring a full time nanny or sending my kids to care isn't an option -- I want to be with them. For me, no career is worth losing time with them. I chose to be home with them, and I'm sticking to that promise.

To say it's stressful is a colossal understatement.

I am constantly trying to find ways to advertise the company without spending much money. Of course we want to spread the word about the awesome products we sell, but we just can afford the cost to advertise -- it's outrageous! And though we gave PR a try, the returns weren't enough to justify continuing those efforts. Brand recognition is great, but I can't pay the bills with it.

Clippo's first priority is to "do good". We donate to pretty much every cause that asks. I give prizes for parties, draws, fundraisers and more. We offer discounts, deals, and often include freebies in orders just because. It makes me happy to help, I feel glad that we have something of worth to offer.

The staff making our products makes good money, and I like to keep it that way. That's the "real" labour, isn't it? If that's so, then what exactly am I doing all the time, if it's not "real work"? At the end of each month when I look at the books, I refuse to calculate my hourly wage. It would be terrible, really. That's not to say we're not a success; we are! I'm beyond proud of how far this company has come. But this is a labour of love, being an entrepreneur.

I am extremely proud of the products Clippo creates and that we stand behind the company the way we do. I'm happy that we do good things for our community, and that the company has given me such a challenge and more practical knowledge than I think my business degree ever gave me. I'm lucky to have met all the inspiring entrepreneurs I've met over the past five years.

But there isn't a day that goes by lately that I don't wonder if life would just be easier without the business. When choosing between my family and a business, my family will always come first.

And this is why we will be closed from December 13 - January 9 so that I can evaluate how this business can be run without taking up every waking moment of my life. I appreciate your understanding while we work through yet another hurdle in the life of Clippo.

This treat is better than a trick!

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandria) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:52:00 +0000

We've been neglectful of our poor website, and we're sorry. In order to make way for all the new patterns we have waiting to be posted, we're clearing out current stock.

Monday will be a great day to grab a sandwitch and boogie on over to do some shopping for the little ghouls and boos in your life!

Smoke and Mirrors

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandria) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:58:00 +0000

For the second year in a row, I attended the Blissdom Canada conference in Toronto last week. I bought a ticket before the agenda was even created, trusting that I'd find the whole event as exciting and inspirational as I had the year before. Stories being shared about bloggers' lives changing thanks to friends and connections made online, businesses being developed and grown through social media platforms, parties and fun, swag and "mapletastic" activities were what we were seeking. Yes, the conference absolutely delivered. But something was a little different for me this year. Something didn't leave me with that exciting high I had last year. So what was it? What changed?

Certainly not the personal connections, I loved those. It was so great escaping for coffee with friends, discussing our businesses and experiences. It was wonderful hugging the people I tweet with, and meeting the ones who support my business. I absolutely loved meeting some of the sponsors and learning how they're communicating with the public in a new way thanks to all this crazy social media "stuff". But... but it was somehow different all the same.

I come from a different perspective when I attend events like this. Once upon a time I had a very popular blog where I wrote about, well, absolutely nothing of substance, actually. It was way back in the blogging stone age when advertising on a blog seemed bizarre, and monetizing one was just not something we even dreamt of. People loved my useless blog, though, and I had "fans" from 'round the world sending me bizarre gifts (like a stuffed platypus toy... uh, what?), emailing me for advice (so not qualified), photographing me while on vacation (scary) and of course, leaving me hateful comments. I chose to withdraw from that life, realising that I just couldn't live up to the persona I'd created.

When I started Tweeting, it was to grow my customer base for Clippo. I had absolutely no idea just how effective that endeavour would be: Twitter expanded my sales triple-fold within a year and yes, that was very exciting and all that but there was more of value to me than sales figures. The real-world connections I made there were amazing. Genuine friendships developed and I learned that building these natural relationships took a lot of time and effort just like, oh hey, the "real" world offline. There is no easy, quick way to build trust, develop relationships or even build a company. And nobody can do that FOR you. No matter what courses they want to sell you. Honesty cannot be bought, even if a trending topic can be.

I've watched internet stardom come and go. I've seen bloggers, tweeters and everything in between rise up, have their 15 minutes and descend back into anonymity and I've seen true incredible talent come from the most amazingly unexpected places and make dreams come true. The conference brought together a bunch of truly incredible women seeking... well, I really don't know. Seeking friendships? Connections? Sponsorships? Money? Exposure?

I left feeling like there was a definite divide between companies (big or small) and the bloggers seeking to connect with them. I left feeling like there's a vast divide between traditional writers and the newer wave of bloggers. I left feeling like this whole social media "thing" just might be a smoke and mirrors trend that will burst when companies no longer fork out thousands to reach people they can essentially reach for free.

Call me disillusioned, cynical, snarky or "fiesty" (I heard that one a lot over the two days of the conference, actually... is that a compliment? I'm still unsure.), I call it being critical.

I'm questioning the true value of companies throwing huge dollars at bloggers to spread the word "naturally" about their brands. Is that natural? Effective? Worthwhile?

I'm worried that people spend too much time trying to "brand" themselves when what we all want is to be loved for ourselves, not some bizarre, constructed version of ourselves. I worry that this focus on creating a brand out of a person dehumanizes what makes blogging so incredibly wonderful.

It concerns me that all companies are being painted with the same brush and that swag has become the way to the hearts of the masses, not social responsibility and honesty.

I worry that the bickering between bloggers and writers is one that will result in a washed-out, watered-down world of journalism.

As a "brand" (Clippo), I am hesitant to rely on social media to spread the word about our products. I want the most honest feedback and frankly we do not have the capital to pay for reviews even if we wanted to. We can't afford to give flashy swag, and we cannot justify expensive gifting suites just to show photos of celebrities loving our products.

As an individual (and a consumer, let's not forget), I feel I can't trust most reviews anymore, and that this whole social media revolution has shown once again that those with the most money to throw at a medium will win the exposure game and the love of the consumers.

As a person who loves to write, and has always dreamed of becoming A Writer, I felt like I was just one small fish in a sea of people who want the same thing, and so, what's the point? How depressing. Ha.

So while I left Blissdom with a sense of excitement and hope last year, this year I leave with heavier thoughts and concerns we'll be addressing with Clippo and in my personal life in the coming months. Food for thought is always a great outcome, so I still consider the conference a success.

All in a day's work

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandria) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:13:00 +0000

Let me begin by saying that I feel like I won the life lottery most days: I love my jobs (I own Clippo and SoConnected as well and both are insanely busy, rewarding companies), I have an hilarious, handsome, supportive, genius husband, two brilliant kids who rarely throw tantrums in public, two parents who love me greatly, and friends who I have no doubt would cross coals barefoot for me. Well. They'd at least buy me a coffee and let me whine to them over BBM, that much I know for sure. So yes, I recognize all that I have and try hard to be thankful for all of that every single day.

But here's the but. But.

Sometimes I just find it incredibly hard to juggle all the things that must be done in a day.

Get the kids dressed. Get them fed. Brush those teeth! Wash those faces!

Walk daughter to school. Console son when daughter is gone (she's his best friend, he misses her so on the days she's in school).

Get home. Sit down to work. Respond to emails. Breastfeed the toddler. Grab something for breakfast.

Throw some laundry in.

Connect on social media to everyone, for all clients. Plan lunch.

Walk back to the school to get my daughter for lunch. Feed the kids.

Walk daughter back to school.

Make some calls. Have conference calls. Go to the odd meeting.

Did I get dressed today? If I don't have a meeting, there's a good chance I rolled out in crumpled-up floor-finds.

Create proposals. Plan stock. Order supplies. Manage staff.

Talk to the part-time nanny about how much it sucks that she's part-time but also how lucky I am to be able to work with the kid(s) home.

Complete more work. Send some orders. Develop promotions. Plan parties.

Get daughter from school. Walk home. Plan supper. Oops, no groceries! Take kids grocery shopping.

Put groceries away. Cook supper. Feed the kids. Bathe the kids. Pajamafy the kids. Read book after book after book to the kids. Cuddle them till they fall asleep.

Tiptoe downstairs to watch tv and relax. Realise there's no time for that.

Tidy up a corner of the messy house. Plop self down in front of this big, huge monitor and work more till my eyes sting and I can't form coherent sentences.

Pass out, coma-tired into the bed filled with my two kids and husband.

Later. Rinse. Repeat.

How's your day?

Our New Car - 2012 Mazda5 (part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Durrell) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 08:44:00 +0000

So we finally moved forward and bought a new car. We haven't had a new-new car in our family, well, ever. I sold my 2000 BMW last month after the repair list got too long, and our beloved 2001 Aztek received a terminal prognosis at its last checkup. It was time.

As I've been saying for over a year on Twitter and in blog posts, the Mazda5 is one of my favorite cars for families. It's the child of a compact car and a minivan and it's inherited some of the best traits of both. Good fuel economy, small footprint, good handling, and smaller price tag from the compact car side of the union, and three rows of seats, higher driving position, and convenient lift-gate from the minivan clan.

We aren't Mazda5 newbies, either. Mazda had loaned us a 5 for a 4500 kilometre trip to Disney World and back (read about it here). You learn a lot about a car when you spend that much time in one. Of course, people say they love a car when they get to drive it for free, but a couple things made it easier when it actually came time to sign on the line:

Value: The Mazda 5 (in our selected trim and options combination) is $26,185. I've challenged people before to find me better leather-clad 6-seat option. No responses yet. As far as I know, only the Kia Rondo comes in cheaper - but I couldn't live with the styling.

Manual Transmission: Both Alexandria and I love driving stick. The fact that we could get a leather 6-seat vehicle in manual blows my mind. This is a Canada-only combination. Sorry Americans, no leather seats with the row-your-own option for you.

Financing Deals: Mazda has great financing deals. Whether you need financing or not, good financing options can make one car materially less expensive than other. I have a lot to say on the topic of financing, but I'll leave that for another post.

Economic Support: I like supporting the local economy as much as possible. For better or worse, the Mazda5 is made in Japan, not Canada or the US. When I heard that the 5's newest competitor was a Chevrolet (the Orlando) I was pretty excited. Sadly, though, the Orlando is built in South Korea, not Oshawa. So I go into this with a relatively clear conscience.

So, in the next couple of days, after listening to our own advise, we take ownership of our new 2012 Mazda5. And, for the record, I took a GT model with a manual transmission, and made it black.

Ryan

Win a copy of "The Kissing Hand" from Clippo!

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandria) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 01:51:00 +0000

Remember those first days of school? You'd wake up in the morning filled with excitement, anticipation and, ok sure, a little bit of fear.

Chester the little raccoon is heading to school for the first time and he's worried about missing his toys, his friends and yes, his mama. But Mama Raccoon knows just what will help her little fellow. She shares with him a special secret her Mama shared with her.

And now you can share that secret with your little raccoon, too!

Enter to win one of two copies of The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn simply by entering on the "Win" tab on our Facebook page or by sharing your own first day of school memories on Twitter, using the hashtag #kissingclippo.

We've got some 'splainin' to do

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandria) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:42:00 +0000

When I (it's Alex here...) started "Clippopotamus" in 2007, it was on a whim. I was staying home with our daughter Story, and was looking for a fun outlet. This is the part of the story where the other hair clip company owners say,"There was just nothing on the market that worked in my daughter's fine hair, I had tried everything! So I invented this fabulous clip!". Instead I am honest: there were ribbon-covered hair clips in my local stores for upwards of $8/pair and I couldn't see spending that much on something that cost less than $1 to make myself. So I spent some time Googling, found tutorials on how to make them, and so it began.

In the beginning

I sat down and made some of those hair clips I was too cheap to buy. And then I made some more. And then I sold them to a couple friends. And to their friends. And then my darling husband designed me a logo, a website, and it all started to snowball. In a matter of a few weeks, my products were being sold in retailers across Canada and I was learning more about wholesaling and retailing children's products than I had ever dreamed. I had a background in research and a degree in Business that I wholly put to use that year, let me tell you.

When Melonhead (a large children's hair cutting chain) decided to stock my products, I was elated. At the time it was just me sitting in my basement making all the products, and I had my parents and husband all working like crazy to get our first huge order out the door. It was exhilarating and more than a little mind-blowing that these little crafts could be doing so well in stores.

I spent hours upon hours each and every night contacting retailers, sending samples, following up... all to get my product into stores. Each time a new retailer placed an order, I felt a thrill... each one was a success, a huge win, a major accomplishment. And when they re-ordered time and time again, I was so proud of the work I had done to turn something into a business the way I had.

Growing pains

Each one of these developments changed my little business into something bigger, something a little more out of my control. Prices were adjusted to fit into retailers' demands. My husband Ryan and I spent countless late nights designing new packaging, creating line sheets, dreaming up promotions for retailers and creating a brand from just a name. Every tiny detail was agonized over and thought about at least a thousand times. But it was so worth it: the work paid off and our darling Clippo took off like crazy.

Each success drew the (negative) attention of competitors and put me in some horribly uncomfortable positions with some really nasty fellow hair clip company owners. It's a killer business, ask anyone involved. (aside: email is forever, people... I still have the email from a competitor whose right-hand person sent me a string of absolutely vile emails. They go nicely with the owner's response to the situation and her outrage at my refusal to sell them my product that they openly admitted to wanting to copy. I quote, "We have a line of soother clips coming out that will look very familiar." Nice.)

The reality of business

It's been four years now and since those early days, we've grown so much that I don't personally make any of our products anymore. I'm lucky enough to have an amazing staff of people working with and for my business. We've shortened our name to just "Clippo", hired a sales rep, a PR company, had four website redesigns and a major rebranding, we've phased out those original hair clips and grown our product line into a well-known brand across Canada and in much of the United States.

With the success of my company came some fantastic opportunities: I've become friends with people I considered my heroes before, met other inspirational business owners, had fun speaking engagements, enjoyed meeting loyal customers, had successful fundraising initiatives for causes close to my heart, and let's not forget the general sense of pride and accomplishment I feel when I reflect on how special Clippo has become.

But there are also the negative sides: my prices are controlled by what retailers demand, my sales events are frowned upon by these retailers because they affect their ability to sell at full price, there's a lot of work involved in keeping things fresh for the retail market and the competition in the market is vicious. My super-sales rep works hard to compete with other accessories companies in the market but it isn't easy with kids' products. With so many companies outsourcing to China (yes, even small Canadian businesses buy from random Chinese factories), competition is fierce. Even Melonhead started their own line of made-in-China hair clips. EDIT: Melonhead has contacted me to say their clips are actually made in Ontario, so the info we were given when they dropped our line was apparently untrue. I've never stepped into a location so I can't verify this, but I do know they sell other Canadian-made products so I'll have to go on their word today. When you can buy these clips for .29 cents a pair or a webbing belt for less than $2 from a Chinese factory, it makes it hard to compete for profits when we pay our staff high Canadian wages to make our products here.

Winds of change

In recent months I signed up for the ABC Kids Show in Kentucky this year. It's the biggest retail buying show in North America and it was a pretty huge step for us at Clippo. I was very excited to go, and had some amazing inquiries about our products long before the show date. But I had this nagging feeling that something just wasn't right. Something wasn't quite fitting with what I wanted for Clippo. I sat down with my husband and discussed where I'd like to see the company in five years, and what I wanted from it. What if one of these large retailer inquiries went forward? What if we were a huge hit and signed a bunch of new retailers? What if? What if? What if? I know that right about now you're waiting for me to say goodbye and let you know we're shutting Clippo down but that's not the case at all.

Here's what I want for/from Clippo:

I want Clippo to be a company that does good things.
I want to be charitable and fun, and to have my customers come first.
I want to always be the voice and controller of the brand you've all come to know, love and trust.
I want my company to offer what many do not: true craftmanship and pride in a 100% Canadian-made line that WILL NEVER buy products from a Chinese factory and let customers believe they're made here. (especially concerning if you have no idea what the working/pay conditions are at these factories...it matters. Human rights matter more than profits.)
I have no interest in letting retailers make more on our products than my manufacturing staff makes.
I don't want to use a Canadian factory to make the products because I absolutely love the fact that there is a Mom sitting behind a sewing machine at home lovingly making Clippos for you all.
Of course I want to remain a financially successful company, but I do not want my prices inflated because of retailers "needing" a 100% profit margin.

So here's where this lead me:

I backed out of the ABC Kids Show because it no longer fits the Clippo model of business. We are going back to basics.

We are bringing Clippo back to the people who matter most: our friends, fans and families.

Clippo is withdrawing from retailers. We will no longer be wholesaling our products.

So what does this mean to you?

It means our prices will drop dramatically in the very near future. It's important to me that we offer you our amazing line at prices you deserve and we can feel good about offering. It means we will be free to change up the line, offer you specials, new products, limited editions... whatever we want! Because we'll have control over our products and not answer to anyone but you. It means we get to stay focussed on the fun part of our business: growing it alongside our amazing, faithful fans.

It means that we honestly love what we do and we want you to love it just as much.

Thank you. Each and every one of you. I absolutely cannot wait to share this next phase of Clippo with you all.

(p.s. Just for reading, here's a 40% discount code that is good till August 2nd. Remember that we're actually shut down till then, so orders won't ship till after the 4th. Code: CLIPPOLOVE)

REVIEW: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze (and Jacket Giveaway)

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Durrell) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 13:46:00 +0000

Good honest transportation; that’s the name of the game when it comes to compact cars… or at least it used to be. Now you need to offer serious value. Four wheels, an engine and some seats just doesn’t cut it anymore. Enter the Cruze, this is the ‘Chevy’ that Chevrolet is betting on and I feel like they've made a very good bet.

Photo provided by Chevrolet, car not tested as pictured.

The Cruze name isn’t a slam dunk from a me - it's more than a little obvious. After a week with the car, however, it’s clear the name is apropos. The Cruze is made for cruising.

Photo provided by Chevrolet, car not tested as pictured.

When I first picked up the car I was wishing for a sporty, turbo-infused car; a car eager to rev and carve up roads, which is something I think the Mazda3 and Honda Civic have come to be known for. It took about three days for my presumptions of the Cruze to wear off. On the fourth day I found I was content to just cruise. The Cruze chewed up highway kilometers like it’d been starved of them since assembly. Helping this feeling along are probably the most comfortable seats in a compact car: soft, but not too soft, they hug you around the sides without feeling grabby. The ride is smooth but firm, and the motor pulls along on the highway in a very satisfying way.

The Cruze motor comes in two options: with and without turbo. My tester was the latter, an LT Turbo model. To put “turbo” on the motor is misleading (note: the word turbo is NOT on the motor - HA!). Turbo has always been synonymous with fast - ask any 5-year-old kid, they’ll tell you the same. But this implementation is different. In the Cruze, the turbo takes a very small engine (just 1.4L) and gives it big-boy pants. The base Cruzes come with a 1.8L motor making just about the same power as the 1.4L, but the Turbo motor is supposed to be better on gas, and more refined. I’ve never driven the base car, but I can tell you I enjoyed the 1.4L.

One quibble I had with the Cruze drive was the transmission. While I found the “shift-it-yourself” function pretty good, the problem I had was in the auto setting. The transmission is tuned in such a way that the power-delivery felt, I don’t know, slushy? My gut tells me this is done to make the Cruze more fuel efficient, which is good, but it took getting used to. My wife Alexandria took the Cruze out for a very short errand and didn’t like the drive for that very reason. A manual version is currently unavailable with the turbo, but it will be standard in the upcoming model year. I'd wait, because I think it could a wonderful combination.

On fuel economy, the Cruze didn’t quite meet my expectations in mixed driving. I admit I spent quite a few drives testing the oomph of the little turbo, so that probably contributed to the poorer than expected showing. Don’t get me wrong, the fuel economy is very respectable, but my expectations were very high. On one stretch of highway I tested the Cruze for pure highway driving and was really pleased with the real world 5.5 to 6.0L/100km I was getting. Like any other car, to be good on gas you have to be good to the car.

Photo provided by Chevrolet, car not tested as pictured.

The Cruze styling starts making up for the sins of the Cobalt and Cavalier. It does a nice job of being the more outgoing little brother of the current Malibu and reflects the design of the Equinox as well. Those are good genes to come from. I liked the creased front-end which has plenty of nice details to give the car a sophisticated, modern look. The high belt line makes the car look substantial, but makes smaller wheel options (16”) look a bit dorky. If it were mine, I’d opt for the RS appearance package which gives you 18” wheels and some other nice appearance upgrades.

Photo provided by Chevrolet, car not tested as pictured.

Open the door and around those great seats I mentioned earlier you’ll find a nice mix of materials. Quality-feeling buttons, a bright display in the gauge cluster as well as above the stereo controls. I liked that this high-up display showed what the climate controls were set at when making changes. The buttons and dials are really low, and peeking down to make adjustments would mean taking your eyes completely off the road. I also liked that the dash had fabric on it. It made the interior feel “soft” and also broke up what would otherwise be a vast expanse of plastic, which is a problem I have with Cruze competitors like the Mazda3 and Civic.

Overall, I liked the Cruze. Starting at $14,995 it’s a bargain. For that price you’ll be rowing your own gears and sweating to not only the oldies (no A/C at that pricepoint). Opt for the turbo model and you’ll get A/C, auto transmission, and a host of other upgrades...but now you’ll be in the thick of competitor pricing at $19,495. But that’s not all bad for Chevrolet. After all, the Cruze is a worthy competitor and it should be priced accordingly.

Bottom line: if you’re one of those people who was turned off domestics 10 years ago, the Cruze is definitely worth a look. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

To get you Cruze'ing I have two Cruze jackets to giveaway (1 Women's Medium and 1 Women's Large - sorry guys). Drop a comment, and you're in the running. The first drawn will get the choice of size. The draw will take place on Sunday August 7th, 2011.

A week with the beast.

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Durrell) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 02:52:00 +0000

Today we picked up something special for review from our friends at GM Canada: A Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible. Who's giddy? Me? Nah, that giggling is just a nervous tick - I'm super blasé about having a drop-dead gorgeous iconic car sitting in my drive.

With more engine displacement than 3 big cartons of milk, and a sound that threatens to tear apart parking garages, it's a beast. Now it's up to us to find out if the beast likes kids. What I can tell you so far is: kids like the beast.

Now off I go to find a hat - I've had this thing less than 12 hours and my face is already burnt. Would you believe that I thought the sun wouldn't be able to catch me?

-Ryan.

#TwitterFit

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandria) — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 14:34:00 +0000

I've sat down to write this blog a thousand times (ha, how many blogs start this way?), and the words never come out quite right. So I'll be brief: I wanted to get fit. I wanted to lose weight and be healthy for my family. So I decided I'd join a gym...that's something I never in a million years thought I'd do, but I felt that if I joined, I'd feel obligated to go. So GoodLife Fitness extended to me a free 3 month membership and I've been going for a few weeks now. I've been tweeting using the #Twitterfit hashtag and have had such overwhelming support, it almost makes me tear up. Almost. My family has been just SO supportive, too. It's incredible.

I thought I'd have more to say about the process, but it seems I just don't. I took my measurements, my weight, I blogged about being 40% fat...and then I just stopped wanting to talk about it. Is it a fear of failure? Is it a desire for privacy? I'm really not sure.

But I know this: I absolutely love going to the gym. I hate the build-up, I hate convincing myself to go, but once I'm there, I'm in heaven. The Body Pump and Body Flow classes at GoodLife nearly killed me, I'm sure of it, but I loved every minute.

And I sit here this weekend, sick as a dog, and very disappointed that I just can't go work out.

I haven't lost any weight, I haven't lost any inches, but I have gained so much confidence and pride that I'm just so excited about seeing what I can accomplish. I finally feel like this is possible. Taking control and taking the first steps to fitness and health have made all the difference in how I feel. And there's nothing in the world that can buy that sense of satisfaction.

Breakfasts with Daddy - Teensy Breakfast Sandwiches

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Durrell) — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 12:23:00 +0000

One of the small things I can do as a Dad to show Alexandria that I appreciate the work she does all night (with oft-waking peeps) is get up with the kids and let her sleep in. This means I'm often on breakfast duty.

So what's for breakfast? Story often asks me to "surprise" her. Here's my latest surprise: Teensy Breakfast Sandwiches

What you'll need:

PC mini ciabatta buns - any mini-bun will do

1 or 2 eggs

Ham

Cheese

Butter or Margarine

Salt and Pepper to taste

Start by prepping your ham and cheese by slicing it into pieces small enough for your mini buns. Next scramble your eggs and add salt and pepper to taste. I would add chives if I had them.

Now prepare the buns by cutting them in half and buttering them. Place them inside-down in a frying pan to crisp up the buttered side - this will add a little crunch on the inside while softening up the bun. Once the buns are golden brown, set them aside.

Butter your pan and add the egg mixture. Make sure the egg is very thinly dispersed - almost like a crepe. Once cooked through (no need to flip) just fold the egg over and remove from the pan. Cut the egg into pieces small enough to fit on your mini buns.

Now build up your sandwiches. Garnish as your peep would like.

Where does Clippo get its fierce?

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Durrell) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:38:00 +0000

I got home today, later than usual, to find Alexandria head to toe in black work out gear. She looked SERIOUS.

I quickly deduced that the kids were overcooked and overdue for bed. But I had also arrived just late enough to cause her to miss a class at Goodlife (part of her #twitterfit initiative). I could tell she was determined to get a workout in - and nothing was going to stop her.

She kindly put the kids to bed with me - they were badgers tonight, proper badgers. But they settled, as soon as their breathing slowed to a sleepy rythm, up she got - down the stairs - out the door and off to rollerblade. I forgot she even had rollerblades.

2 weeks ago we'd have been watching TV with a glass of wine or a bowl of chips. But once a Clippo gets an idea into its head, it's going to become a reality. Rawr.

Alexandria is the fierce.

Ryan

taptaptap Is this thing on?

noreply@blogger.com (Clippo) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 15:24:00 +0000

It's been a long time in the planning but finally, here it is: the official Clippo Blog!

We look forward to sharing with you, our friends and fans all manner of blog posts that we hope will interest you. From product education to opinion pieces and reviews, we hope you'll find our blog entertaining, useful and fun.

Here at Clippo we strongly believe in charity, community support and spreading kindness, so you can expect to read about other parents just like yourself, find great deals, hear about the companies we love, and have the chance to hear about Clippo news before anyone else.

As always, we value your input and love communicating with our friends so please feel free to comment and leave feedback here. We'll always reply, and who knows, participation may lead to prizes. (wink, wink)

Thanks for reading, friends!

Cool Blog. Fierce Bite.

End of an era

The Power of Voice

Made in Canada Matters

But wait, there's more!

So long, and thanks for all the fish SALE!

Long time comin'

Kindness Matters

From our family to yours:

Dads Can ShopWise, too!

Wanna Win a Leapster Explorer Prize Pack?

12 Days of Christmas!

Giving Within Budget

Living the dream... or not?

This treat is better than a trick!

Smoke and Mirrors

All in a day's work

Our New Car - 2012 Mazda5 (part 1)

Win a copy of "The Kissing Hand" from Clippo!

We've got some 'splainin' to do

REVIEW: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze (and Jacket Giveaway)

A week with the beast.

#TwitterFit

Breakfasts with Daddy - Teensy Breakfast Sandwiches

Where does Clippo get its fierce?

*tap*tap*tap* Is this thing on?

taptaptap Is this thing on?