Twinkle Lily

If you do a lot of sewing I cannot recommend getting an industrial machine highly enough!

I was lucky to have nabbed a Mitusbishi off ebay from an old lady who was suffering from Emphysema.  The wonderful lady had even serviced the machine so was all good to go.

After many teething issues where I dragged my mother in law to show me how to thread properly and give me some great tips I have enjoyably been sewing for 2 days straight....under no pressure at all (other than my sister being too slow at cutting - getting an electric cutter soon)

I tend to challenge myself at the best of times....from being a teenager, don't know why but I love it.  Even when I worked in Pathology I sat with a collegue and the general manager and we ran a comp to see how many specimens could be barcoded manually in the least amount of time. 
Well now it's how many pads can I get made in a week!  Whilst I was working elsewhere part time I could manage 100 menstrual pads a week comfortably, then with full time work I could only get around 50 menstrual pads done.  Now with the aid of a cutting person and the industrial machine I have 200 menstrual pads cut up and sewn, ready to be topstitched....I started on Monday afternoon so have till then to see if I can finish.  This is not only an awesome challenge for me personally but it also gives me an indication of what sort of KPI's I should set for contractor's/employees in the future.

Next week I'll be working on BabyHosen nappies and hpoefully get a good batch up and listed by the end of the week whilst my new contractor takes care of the menstrual pads.

You have probably heard the term  ‘organic’ before and perhaps seen organic food on your supermarket shelves, but what does it really mean?

 When something is described as organic it refers to the way the item has been produced.

The One-Group website describes organic as being “Organic products are grown and processed without the use of synthetic chemicals, fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms.

 Modern farming methods have involved the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for generations, now.  Our food is made from these ingredients and then altered again with the addition of preservatives and other ‘enhancements’.  Is it any wonder that the children of today are having higher levels of reaction to food?

 It isn’t just the food we eat that is affected; it is every crop in the modern world.  Our clothing and material products have been affected.  They are made from materials like cotton that have been farmed with chemicals.  All the base ingredients for most laundry and bathroom products have added chemicals – even the fragrance is chemically produced.   Our homes are full of them. 

Wouldn’t it be nice to go back to the old-fashioned way of doing things naturally?

You can.  That is what organic really means.  No chemicals or preservatives are used.  The products have been produced the way nature intended them to be.  The earth has not been damaged in the process and we do not have to live with the pollutants left behind.  Organic means made in the way of nature and with consideration for the environment.

Organic products are good for us all but they are excellent for people with allergies or skin conditions.  Being chemical-free they are less likely to cause irritation.

 When you think about the world you would have to ask why we have to damage its balance with chemicals.  When you think of your skin you should be asking the same question.

Most of you may already know, I lost my beautiful aunt on Monday 8th March 2010 to lung cancer.

The thing I can't come to terms with is the cancer itself and taking her out of all people, it seems so unjust. 
She was the healthiest, most stylish, unique, creative, and just most adored person I can think of.....when I remember her I think of the time she came to pick me up from kinder with my uncle Spiro....gosh I was so excited. 
More memories are sparked now she's gone, like the creative cakes she used to make for my lovely cousins....to the point I remember giving her a reminder my birthday was at the same time as Greek Easter thinking she might make me one of her yummy blackforest cakes.

Another special memory was of her being pregnant with my gorgeous younger cousin Irene, I was fascinated with the whole thing, especially the breastfeeding.  I still remember to this day how another male cousin walked in but she was so reassuring that everything was ok and he didn't need to feel embarrassed.

So what this post is about, really nothing at all other than me posting my feelings. 
What is cancer...technically a class of diseases of uncontrolled growth.....why does it grow?  One will never know, why are some people more susceptible to it than others? Again a mystery.

Even more importantly, WHY when we know what causes it do we and the government do nothing to prevent it?  When I say government I mean make it illegal to smoke, illegal to sell baby bottles with BPA, clothing lined with formaldehyde, even water traced with flouride....WHY do we not have the government support when they already have evidence to support these thing actually are detrimental to out health?

All of this bombards my brain every single day, now even more that my aunt has suffered at the evil hands of cancer.

There is always the threat of family history, my grandad worked in the railways where some unknown chemicals were used and possibly carried on to offspring in the womb...so I will live with this thought of "maybe it's carried on"
 
BUT ultimately we will never know, and never be able to prove....so if anything comes from this post and you are reading thinking the same things as I.....the only thing you can do is help yourself...arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible and try to prevent as much of this evil disease as possible....JUST go with your gut instinct....you can only try and help yourself.

Listen to a beautiful song (my aunt's favourite), very touching even if you don't know the words.

BabyHosen is one of our favourite brands of cloth nappies and we are very pleased to be able to manufacture here at Twinkle Lily headquarters.

BabyHosen nappies are very cleverly designed.  They have been designed with the typical chubby baby body in mind.  I love their little pot bellies and chubby legs. That stage doesn’t last long, does it?  You do need a nappy that will suit that body shape, though.  Many nappies that do up around the tummy area end up rolling and gaping after baby gets active.  BabyHosen have a low scoop at the tummy area which means that they sit very snugly below the belly.

This clever nappy has snap closures that close at the hip area.  It has 2 snaps on each side for extra security.

If you look around the internet at comments about BabyHosen nappies the first thing that will strike you is the huge amount of comments regarding their quality.  Mums are raving about the beautiful detailing and superb workmanship. 

We stock the quick dry version which consists of a nappy shell and a snap-in booster of 6 layers of bamboo fleece.  The outer of the nappy is pul in a fabulous selection of colours and an inner of super soft cuddly microfleece to help wick moisture away keeping your baby dry.

Apart from the practicality of this product, I love the colours that they are available in.  BabyHosen nappies are made of quality materials in gorgeous bold and funky materials.  They are a real fashion statement for baby.    I think my favourite at the moment, would be “Party At My Crib” and would suit a boy or girl.

If you are looking for a stylish yet very practical cloth nappy I recommend BabyHosen.  You will love them!

Superdays nappies are designed to last longer than the regular cloth nappy.  The name says it all, really.

Some days you know that it is going to be impractical to change your child’s nappy.  Now, rather than leave them sitting in a regular cloth nappy with the wetness starting to irritate the skin, you can put them in a Superdays nappy. 

Superdays nappies are made with the highest quality fabrics imported directly from the US.  They use 10 layers of highly absorbent bamboo fleece fabric so you can relax whilst your baby takes a nap, is at childcare or even on a long car trip.   The nappy is so absorbent that your child will be quite comfortable wearing them for the duration.  Superdays are excellent for babies who are heavy wetters, too. 

The nappy has been designed with 3 snap clips across the front which helps stop wing droop.  Most of the absorbency in the nappy comes from the snap in booster which is made simply by a trifold and an hourglass booster attached to it. With the booster folded you have a generous 10 layers of absorbency whilst still looking trim.

The inside of nappy is made from white suede cloth which has practical stay dry properties so your baby doesn't feel wet.   The outer consists of a hidden layer of polyurethane laminate and a lovely material outer.

I think it is worth adding these nappies to your nappy collection because they are so durable and incredibly useful for those difficult occasions.   They will make your life so much smoother….