Lots of new and exciting events coming up at eLeMeNO-Pee!

Now that the summer craziness is starting to wind down and everyone is starting to think about going back to school and getting back into a regular routine, we thought now would be a great time to announce several fun, new things coming to eLeMeNO-Pee!

We will be continuing to offer our popular Cloth 101 classes, including two of them today, Wednesday, July 30th at both 10am and 2pm. The class is free and is an excellent starting point for those curious about cloth diapering and not sure where to begin. We hope you'll join us! 


This Saturday, August 2nd, we will also be holding our first-ever Breastfeeding 101 class as well! If you are pregnant and planning to breastfeed or you're currently nursing and would like some additional information or assistance, please plan to join us this Saturday at 10am for an in-store Breastfeeding 101 class. 

You can register for our Breastfeeding 101 class by calling or visiting the store to  register for the class or by visiting our website, www.elemeno-pee.com and registering there as well.

Also on the horizon will be Daddy Bootcamp classes and Comfort Measures Natural Childbirthing classes as well. We are working diligently to get those planned and on the calendar so stay tuned to the blog and our Facebook page for important updates regarding details for both of those exciting classes!

We are hopeful that these events will be a welcome service to our community and we would love to have you join us. Also, as part of the launch, all classes (with the exception of Comfort Measures) will be free!  If you have any questions regarding our classes, please feel free to call or contact us via our website and we would be glad to assist you in any way we can.  We are also open to ideas for additional classes you may find useful as well. Be sure to tell your friends and family members -- the more, the merrier!

I'm crunchy....she's not. What on Earth do I buy her?

Admittedly, this is something I have encountered several times over the past few years. It's easy to get so caught up in your own way of living/mothering that you don't even realize what you're doing is not at all mainstream. If you consider yourself crunchy, maybe even just a *little* crunchy, baby showers for a more mainstream mama can leave you feeling stumped!

eLeMeNO-Pee has plenty of products for mamas even if they choose not to cloth diaper, baby wear, or nurse!



One of our most popular baby shower gift items are the certified organic bamboo swaddler blankets from the Austin Tye Dye Co. They measure 50x50inches and are super soft with plenty of stretch for a tight but breathable swaddle. And you can't beat how cute they are - so vibrant and fun!   We also offer a three pack of tye-dyed prefolds that are intended for use as burp cloths.




Another popular product to toss in the baby shower gift basket are  Chewbeads. Never heard of 'em? Oh, how I wish I'd had these when my daughter was a teething little one! She has always, always been a very "mouthy" type child and it would have been so nice to have cute but SAFE jewelry for her to gnaw on as she was working on cutting those teeth!

Chewbeads are non toxic, fashionable teething jewelry that mama can wear and baby can chew!  They are 100% silicone beads and contain no BPA, phthalates, PVC, cadmium, or lead.   They are also dishwasher safe! 

 
Our Colic Calm and Tummy Calm are also popular products with both mainstream and crunchy mamas who want to help their upset babies feel better! Both of these are perfect shower gifts as they are excellent to have *on hand* when the need arises for them. Late night trips to the store are never fun for anyone!






If you're looking for more of a pre-made bundle of products, The Honest Company has the perfect item for any mama-to-be as well! The baby arrival gift set includes all of the most beloved Honest Company infant products including adorable, eco-friendly disposable diapers and wipes, hand sanitizer, shampoo+body wash, lotion, healing balm, and a baby teether. 


eLeMeNO-Pee is so much more than "just" a cloth diapering store - we have products that accommodate families from every walk of life. These items are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to excellent products for mama and baby! Come in and see us weekdays from 9-5 and Saturday from 10-2 and let us assist you in picking the perfect items for the expecting mother in your life!

A few announcements about eLeMeNO-Pee!

There are a few fun changes on the horizon for eLeMeNO-Pee just in time for summer!

We have changed the store hours for our retail location and the following are our new hours:

Monday - Friday  we are open from 9am - 5pm

Saturdays we are open from 10am - 2pm

We remain closed on Sundays. 

 

We are also excited to announce that this summer we are offering a weekly story hour every Thursday morning at 10am. It is free of charge and we would love to see you and your children! There will be a story, snack, and other fun activities throughout the summer!

Our first story hour is TODAY at 10am. We will be reading the book All the Way to the Ocean by Joel Harper.  Be sure to tell your friends and family - we'd love to see you and your little ones! We are located at 1513 W. McNeese St, Suite B in Lake Charles, LA.

Also happening this week is a sidewalk sale! Our sidewalk sale will be running from today through this coming Saturday so be sure to come in and snag some great clearance-priced items!

What sets us apart?

 
Long before I worked for eLeMeNO-Pee, I was a customer. I was introduced to this company by a former rep, Laura, and her enthusiasm for the business was catching. I knew it had to be something special by the way she talked about it.

She was right! By the time I found eLeMeNO-Pee, I had already been cloth diapering for the better part of a year and had a good system in place. When it was time to size up on diapers, I purchased the bulk of my stash through Laura and despite knowing what I was doing, she was still a tremendous amount of help, even for the miniscule things.

The fact is, eLeMeNO-Pee is unique in the way that our clients receive the one-on-one care from their consultants. We sell our products at the exact same MSRP (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price) as every other company on the market but what sets us apart is the relationship we build with our customers. It isn't just a sales position, we are in it for the long-haul. If you run in to a washing problem at 7 at night, you can't run to most stores and find someone who knows exactly what you purchased, how to fix the problem, or, at that time of night ... someone who is even in the store! As representatives of eLeMeNO-Pee, we strive to make sure we can assist our customers for the lifetime of the product. That is what sets us apart.

When I entered the cloth diaper "scene" five years ago, to say I was overwhelmed is a huge understatement. If you try to figure it out yourself, it is a lot of information to take in and try and sort out, and honestly, I almost gave up several times. Oh, how I wish I had known about eLeMeNO-Pee at the time. I  would have saved myself a lot of frustration if I could have sat down with someone who could show me each and every step   of the process and answer any question I had (and there were plenty, believe me!). I truly believe that cloth diapering can work for any family with the support and assistance that one receives from eLeMeNO-Pee's reps. We are here to make this process easier for you.  We do not charge a fee for our time and service, you simply receive it by purchasing your products through us. 

We are set apart because we care. We know all of the ins and outs of the cloth diapering process and we put our expertise to use by assisting you every single step of the way. That's not something Amazon or any major retailer can offer.  We aren't primarily in this for the sale, we want to see you succeed. We care about our customers, we care about what these products mean, and we want to see you succeed!

If you're not in contact with your nearest rep, please visit this link to set up your personal consultation today : http://www.elemenopeeonline.com/

What's the point of shopping local, anyway?

As I was scrolling through my timeline yesterday, a short video from a small business owner popped up in my feed. It was titled "GRRR" and, being the curious type-person that I am, I had to watch.

He owns a small business quite similar to eLeMeNO-Pee. He had just spent two hours with a customer, enthusiastically detailing the entire cloth diapering process, only to end the consultation with her snapping a few pictures, excitedly sending them to her husband who replied and said "I can find those cheaper on Amazon". She left without making a purchase.

Y'all, it is truly unfortunate how many times this happens on a regular basis. It's not always intentional, I'm sure. I think a lot of customers have good intentions and plan to come back to buy the products. They get online, search around, find a mob of people that point them elsewhere (to generally much inferior products), their loyalty to the company who taught them everything they know starts to waiver,  and then the sale is then lost. 

It may not seem like a big deal but to those of us who own or work for a small business, the loss of sales like this on a regular basis is quite  disheartening. We pour our heart and soul in to our business only to be passed over, time and time again, for big box stores or people opting to import directly from China instead.

We offer a level of customer service that big box stores can never compete with. When you come to us, we remember who you are, who your family is, and what your preferences tend to be. If a problem arises, we are physically here for you - to help you get the right fit for the diaper, how to troubleshoot washing issues, and SO many other things. We love to help you hand-pick items for big events in your life and those around you - baptisms, baby showers, and more. We care. Your patronage is not lost on us - you are what keeps us in business!

Not only is it good for the business you patronize to "shop small", but it's great for your local economy as well. Wouldn't you rather your purchase positively impact the economic sustainability of your own community?  In fact, a study done in Austin, TX showed that $100 spent at a local book store produced $45 worth of local economic activity whereas the  same $100 spent at Barnes and Noble only brought back $3. Yes, you read that right. Three. The difference is staggering!

We know a lot of our customers are also eco-conscious and strive to be as green as possible. Buying local is so much more environmentally friendly than having everything shipped. Industrial pollution is estimated to be responsible for 50% of all pollution in the United States. 

On a slightly different note, if every family spent an additional $10 per month, just ten dollars,  at local businesses this year instead of a big box store, over  9.3 BILLION dollars would be directly returned to our economy.

The next time you're tempted to walk in to a small store and check out a product and walk out and order from Amazon instead, please keep these things in mind. Where you spend your money does matter. It positively influences your local economy, your local shop owner, and the environment. We value our customers more than we could ever say and hope you will continue to help make eLeMeNO-Pee a great success!

The Great Cloth Diaper Change is just ONE DAY away!

The time is finally here! eLeMeNO-Pee is so pleased to be hosting The Great Cloth Diaper Change event again this year (after taking a one year break) and we are hoping you will join us tomorrow morning!

The event is *TOMORROW*, Saturday, April 26th and begins at 10am so we can get everyone checked in and prepared for the main event. The actual diaper-changing Guinness World Record Attempt will begin at 11am sharp according to the Guinness rulebook.We are located at 1513 W McNeese St (Suite B) in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Last year, they broke another record! The new world record is 8,301 cloth diapers changed at one time at 182 qualifying locations in 15 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Chile, Germany, Spain, Finland, Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, United States! How awesome is that?!



eLeMeNO-Pee will be giving away door prizes, we're doing raffles, goodie bags, and BIG sales that are only available in-store! We would absolutely love to see you and help us attempt another new world record. We will also be accepting donations for two cloth diaper charities (Giving Diapers, Giving Hope  and the Real Diaper Association). If you have any cloth diapers you don't need and would like to pass them on to a worthy cause, please bring them with you tomorrow!


 




What you need to know for tomorrow's event:

2014 Guinness Requirements

Here’s a summary of the requirements for participating in setting the new world record. All requirements must be met in order to qualify for the Guinness World Record.

• Each participant must be 18 years of age or older.

• Baby being diapered must be 39” tall or shorter.

• The clean diaper must be 100% reusable and commercially available.

• The event location must be accessible to the public.

• Each change must take place at 11:00am local time.

.So, what do you say? Are you coming? We hope you'll join us!

Rep Spotlight: Tara Cullum

Welcome to this month's eLeMeNO-Pee Representative Spotlight! This month, we are featuring the lovely Tara Cullum, our Paris, Texas rep!

Tara is a dental hygienist 4 days a week in Oklahoma, commuting 120 miles a day from Texas. She met her husband   2 days before her 17th birthday but waited 7 years to get married. They had their first baby right after their 3rd wedding anniversary in 2009. Tara and her husband had a precious baby girl named Eden, whom they started cloth diapering at 7 months. She is now 4 years old and makes them laugh daily with her antics. Their son, Zane, whom they started cloth diapering right away, is 10 months old and walking. She is busy planning his first birthday party!

Time for a little Q&A!

How did you get introduced to cloth diapering? Mommy message boards while pregnant with my first but I couldn't talk my husband into for the first 6 months

What was the first cloth diaper you ever saw in person? A WAHM cover from eBay that I used with Gerber prefolds. I thought it was awesome at the time but now I have more experience I see how poorly made it was. I wish I had someone to teach me and show me what good cloth diapers were before I ordered the first ones.

How did you find eLeMeNO-Pee? I was searching for a company that would allow me to sell cloth diapers from home.

What is your favorite part of being a rep? I've sold Avon, Mary Kay and Home Interiors in the past. I loved direct selling but was never passionate about the product. I am very passionate about cloth diapers and the other products that we sell. I love being able to help other families become more "crunchy".

What is your current favorite cloth diaper? I'm loving my Bumgenius 4.0s right now.  I love the trim fit on my tall skinny baby.

What are your hopes and dreams for your family for the future? We are hoping for #3 in the next few years. Other than that I just want to raise happy healthy considerate children.

What is the most popular item that you sell via eLeMeNO-Pee? Probably the Bumgenius 4.0s since I recommend them a lot.

What is your #1 piece of advice for a family considering making the switch to cloth? Just go for it! Its a lot easier than it seems. Once you actually get started, you'll wonder why you waited so long and wish you'd started sooner.

Now that it's starting to warm up, what are you most looking forward to this coming Spring/Summer? Walks outdoors wearing my sweet boy and watching my daughter play.

What is something most people would be surprised to learn about you? I don't know how surprising it is once you've seen how outgoing I can be but considering my current career is a dental hygienist/cloth diaper rep most people are surprised to find out that I started college as a theater major.

 

To get in contact with Tara for your own personal consultation, please visit her personal website :  www.elemeno-pee.com/tarac 

eLeMeNO-Pee Rep Spotlight : Vicki Kershner

We're going to start highlighting the backbone of our team : our reps/consultants! We want you to get to know them a little better, know why they chose to be part of our team, and all of the insight they have to offer! 

Vicki Kershner 

Vicki is originally from New Jersey but now resides in Greenville (Greer), South Carolina. She has been married for six years and is a stay-at-home mom to three children: a six year old boy, a four year old girl, and a ten month old baby boy. Vicki's friends know her as a coupon nerd and cloth diaper nerd. She loves to educate others about natural childbirth, breastfeeding, baby wearing and general natural living. Her family is also very active in her local church and God is a big part of their lives.

Now that you know a little bit about Vicki, it's time for a little Q&A!

Vicki, tell us one random fact about you! 

One random fact about me is that I'm technically only seven - that is, I've only had seven birthdays because my birthday falls on February 29th. :)

Who introduced you to cloth diapering?

I pretty much introduced myself to cloth diapering. In the beginning of my first pregnancy I wasn't working so I had a lot of time on my hands to do research about all things pregnancy and babies. In a forum I was a member of someone mentioned cloth diapers and I decided to do my own research on them. At first my mind went straight to my cousins growing up who wore huge diapers that drug the ground with big rubber pants. That was not something wanted to do. After doing more research I found that there were so many more, easier options that were cute too! Being a couponer, I of course like to save money everywhere so that was a huge perk for me (and a selling point for my husband who was definitely more skeptical than me about it). 

What was the first cloth diaper you purchased?

The first cloth diapers I bought were the old-style pointy tabbed Fuzzi Bunz. I was SO excited to get them in the mail, I took a picture. I still have those exact diapers today! 

What led you to eLeMeNO-Pee?

Last year, I was looking at ways I could make some extra money but still stay home with my children. The local brick and mortar cloth diaper store, which was really popular, closed down last year and I felt like people needed another place they could go to touch and feel diapers. At first I considered having my own store but after weighing the options and researching other opinions, I decided against it. However, in my research I happened upon companies that hire cloth diaper reps. I had considered doing something like Mary Kay or Thirty-One in the past but never felt that I was passionate enough about their products to actually sell them. But THIS, I could do. Cloth diapers I could do - I mean, I was already telling my friends about all the pros of them and I had also been leading a local play group based around it so why not make some money doing it?  I contacted someone on a forum who had been a rep for eLeMeNO-Pee. She had nothing but good things to say about the company so I decided to apply for a position and I got it! Although I still feel like I'm just getting started, I really love meeting new people and talking to them about one of my passions.

What is your favorite quote?

I don't know that I have a favorite quote. But my favorite Bible verse, along the lines of pregnancy and childbirth of course:

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be. -- Psalm 139:13-16 

What is something you've always wanted to try but haven't?

If you're talking about just in general in life, I'd love to do more traveling. I've been to Spain and Mexico but I'd love to do more traveling in the western US and to more of Europe.

If you could give one important piece of advice to a family considering making the switch to cloth diapers, what would it be?

My one piece of advice would be to try different systems in the beginning and stick with the one(s) you like. Different systems work on different babies and especially if you don't know what body type your baby will have, you don't want to be stuck with a bunch of one thing that you can't use. Buy a few different things and when you find what works best, you won't be out much money and then you can invent more into what you know works for you.

To get in contact with Vicki for a personal consultation, you can visit her website : www.elemeno-pee.com/vicki 

So what is eLeMeNO-Pee, anyway?

Hi, there! Welcome to the eLeMeNO-Pee blog. You may have stumbled across us lately because of Pinterest or DiaperSwappers or because one of your Facebook friends "liked" us. Maybe one of your local or online friends told you that she applied to be an eLeMeNO-Pee consultant and you were curious, or maybe you found us the old-fashioned way: Google!

So, who are we? 

Well, we're a (1) cloth diaper retailer, in some ways just like any other online cloth diaper retailer. We have a Web store that offers same-day shipping, a Facebook Page, a blog. We run sales and specials from time to time, we stock several major brands of quality modern cloth diapers that come with good warranties, we offer our clients support and answer questions or help them process returns and warranty claims. We also carry the usual array of cloth diaper accessories, like wet bags and diaper sprayers and clean-rinsing detergents, and, of course, that most wondrously wonderful wonder of the natural parenting world, Baltic amber and beaked hazelwood jewelry.

But we're also a (2) direct selling company, much like Thirty-One or The Pampered Chef. We have local consultants all over Louisiana and Texas, and we're currently processing applications for potential consultants all over the United States, from California to Maine! Like most modern direct selling companies, the eLeMeNO-Pee "opportunity" is commission-based, and, after a thorough education and training process, and with the support of the home office and veteran consultants, our local consultants have the opportunity to successfully open their own cloth diaper businesses without encountering the massive overhead involved in owning a brick-and-mortar store... and with the highest commission rate we've seen from any cloth diaper direct selling opportunity. This means consultants are free to earn an income simply by geeking out over cloth diapers with their friends who are in the market and introducing their communities to the benefits and how-tos of cloth all while working from home or on-the-go with their babies in tow. Our consultants' clients can choose to host a party to receive awesome hostess rewards, have a cloth diaper baby shower, or just meet one-on-one with a consultant to learn more about cloth diapers, see and touch and try diapers on their babies, witness a cloth diaper laundry demonstration, collaborate to come up with a "dream stash," and then start making that stash happen! Additionally, each consultant has her own Web store, so that you can continue to support her business when you need to make a purchase but know what you want without requiring a consultation.

The store: 2102 W. Prien Lake Rd.

We are, finally, a (3) local brick-and-mortar store in Lake Charles, La. The "store" is technically our home office and warehouse, and it is staffed by our Lake Charles consultant for the convenience of her clients. As such, it is open for limited hours that change a little with each season. Summer hours are Tues. and Thurs. from 10 am - 2 pm. Lake Charles clients are encouraged to come in and shop during those hours or to shop online and select "in-store pickup" to avoid paying for shipping.

Why are we all three of these things?

So that we can be as mom-friendly as possible! Founded in 2008, we are still a relatively young company, and we are truly passionate about allowing moms to supplement their families' incomes by helping other families save money and green up their lifestyles by switching to cloth diapers. Each of our consultants is a talented woman committed to providing excellent customer service and product support to her clients. In order to keep things as low-pressure as possible for our consultants, who have no "quotas" to meet in case they need to take some personal time away from working, we also accept sales from our Web store to increase our volume of sales in regions where we have not yet hired consultants. But our goal is for every client--you!--to have her customer service needs met with the personal touch that can only be offered by an expert consultant!

Want an insider's perspective?

Several of our Louisiana reps at a training session.

I may be a tiny bit (ok, or a huge bit) biased, but as an employee and a client, I have huge admiration for each and every person who makes up the eLeMeNO-Pee family. The dynamic husband-wife duo, Allison and Todd, who own and run the company, work hard to make sure that our consultants feel supported and have an easy time learning the ropes. Our consultants, both veterans and newbies, are a true team, offering each other ideas and tips, celebrating each other's business and personal victories, and offering sympathy tears and comfort during each other's times of personal tragedy.

Lest you think eLeMeNO-Pee is just one big self-contained lovefest, I will also iterate that eLeMeNO-Pee exists for the clients just as much as for the consultants; after all, without the clients, there are no consultants! We encourage our consultants to host annual cloth diaper resale events in their communities, to offer free and open-to-the-public cloth diapering classes, to keep handy a list of resources and professionals for clients, who are often brand new parents, to be referred to when they have big parenting questions. And we continue to update our party hostess benefits (including the recent addition of free shipping for an entire party's order where the party sales total $400 or more, no matter how heavy the box!) as our company grows and our budget allows for it.

Each of our consultants has also shared with me instances where she has been willing to go to bat for her clients, so, for example, if you're also in direct sales or you own your own small business, know that your consultant is happy to learn what the products and concepts you represent can do for her. As one of our veteran consultants, Jenny H., is known to say, "It all comes full-circle when work-at-home moms are supporting each other."