Product Testing: Choosing What to Sell October 12, 2012 15:49

Retail buyer was not on my resume prior to founding Ash & Alys Babes. I’m still learning the ins and outs of managing inventory and how to know what quantities to order to keep us stocked and our customers happy. It’s a recurring theme with us: everything is a learning experience. 

That being said, while we’ve been pondering over pricing and quantities and placing orders, we were never intimidated by knowing what products we wanted to offer. Clearly products must meet our green standards for sustainability and safety. But as a mom, I already knew of hundreds of products that I had used, sampled or heard about from friends – this was an amazing foundation for this site.

All of the products we sell have been put to the test on our very own babes (and the mommy products are tested on those babes’ moms). Both directly in my home with my boys over the last four years since I became a mom, and in the homes of trusted and discerning friends, these products have been evaluated to ensure usability, durability, value and quality. Everyone has different tastes, but we feel very confident that most of what we offer on our site will truly become our customers’ favorite and most loved products.

There have been some that don’t make the cut. We’ve purchased a handful of items that seemed to be a great fit for our site that ended up in the ‘no’ pile. If the product isn’t truly usable, or if it doesn’t resonate with the little ones, we won’t sell it. Some of our products have a high price point – we know that causes shoppers to hesitate – but if it is pricey, we believe it is truly a must have item that will prove its worth in your home or as a gift for which you will be sincerely thanked.

We love to hear from other parents. If you have a favorite ‘green’ baby product that isn’t on our site, please tell us about it. You can email us anytime at info@ashandalysbabes.com. We’d love to check it out for a hands-on evaluation. You should also stay tuned on the blog for product reviews every month!

-Ashley

Launch News Release October 8, 2012 14:54

Site Makes ‘Green’ Products More Accessible for Moms, Babes and Toddlers and Introduces Lovingly Recycled™ Fashion

SEATTLE—October 8, 2012—Ash & Alys Babes today announced the launch of its online boutique (www.ashandalysbabes.com), providing natural products for moms, babes and toddlers and introduced its Lovingly Recycled shop for gently used children’s clothing. Following its commitment to playing a part in the movement toward a more sustainable society, Ash & Alys Babes created this boutique to make natural options more accessible to families, while providing an enjoyable online shopping experience.

Today’s environment is rampant with harmful impurities, as well as an abundance of conflicting information that can be confusing for parents. As awareness grows about the importance of raising babies green, parents are seeking out natural products that will help them protect their children from toxins and chemicals. Drawing on personal experience as a mom, co-founder Ashley Allman aimed to provide a single online shopping destination that offered exclusively the best natural products available, making it easy for eco-conscious parents to find exactly what they need for their babies and toddlers.  

In addition to the popular eco products sold on the site, Ash & Alys Babes launched Lovingly Recycled, providing an online shop for buying and selling gently used children’s clothing. Consignment shopping has become increasingly popular among families, as children’s fashion can be expensive, and has a short shelf life as children grow. However, parents are busier than ever, giving them little time to do all of their shopping in brick and mortar stores. Lovingly Recycled provides an alternative for when parents need to rely on the convenience of online shopping, but still want the option of purchasing used clothing for their babies and children. Lovingly Recycled only re-sells premium brand clothing that is like new.

Ash & Alys Babes is also the creator of the SlumberSling® the one-of-a-kind car seat headrest that provides head and neck support for toddlers napping on the go. In succession with the launch of the online boutique, the company has launched Twosie™, its line of organic cotton bodysuits that have a charitable purpose. For every Twosie item sold, Ash & Alys Babes donates $2 to its fund benefitting charities that serve children and environmental conservation.

“For us, this site is much more than an online store, more than a convenient place for buying natural products,” said co-founder and CEO Alyssa Wolfe. “We see ourselves as part of a bigger movement wherein consumers have the power to vote with their dollar for more sustainable and safe products, and make green mainstream. Our site and products are aimed at making sustainability accessible for new families. Babes are born pure, and we believe in keeping them that way.”

About Ash & Alys Babes

Ash & Alys Babes was founded in 2010, subsequent with the launch of its flagship product, the SlumberSling, for dreamy car rides®. The company launched its online boutique at www.ashandalysbabes.com, as well as its Lovingly Recycled online shop and Twosie line in 2012. The company has a strong philanthropic foundation, and supports causes that benefit children’s well being and environmental conservation.

Contact

Ashley Allman

pr@ashandalysbabes.com

Ash & Alys Signature Babes: The Pre-Launch Photo Shoot September 28, 2012 15:43

I could sum up our pre-launch photo shoot in three words: cute, cute and more cute! How lucky are we that we got to host nearly 10 babes, play dress up with them, give them new toys to explore and watch them soak up a beautiful sunny Seattle day?! It could barely be considered work.

But amidst all the overwhelming cuteness, was some serious chaos. Major kudos to our very talented photographer Molly Vaden, who has great vision and was totally flexible to bounce from kid to kid getting all of the photos we needed, and making them gorgeous to boot. It certainly helped that she has four of her own babes, so she was in her element! Alyssa and I were zipping all over the place throwing outfits at moms and asking them to change their babes over and over again, and then hurrying to make sure we weren’t missing any good candid moments that would capture the essence of our site.

The kids did surprisingly well, and we averted any major meltdowns. There were definitely a few naturals who may have a future in modeling; Charlotte, Ester and Julieta, three girls you will see all over our site, were charming, happy and playful throughout the whole process. Even my four-year-old son, who tends to be touchy about getting dressed, was a trooper and it was only at the very end of the two-hour marathon shoot that he finally refused to change again.

Ultimately, the photo shoot was a celebration for us. A major milestone in the long road we have traveled to get to this launch. We brought together a big portion of our support system and reveled in what we love most: the precious little babes that have inspired this entire business.

-Ashley

Two Novices, Dozens of Boxes and Inventory September 26, 2012 15:51

Our first inventory session started off by Ashley and I staring at each other trying to figure out our first move.  It was about 10pm as we sat surrounded by boxes in our warehouse (also known as home).  This is the moment that everything we are doing became real. 

There is no reason to hide the fact that Ashley and I are new at this. We both bring important skills that are propelling this business forward, but at the end of every day, we are on a learning curve. 

This photo of our late night inventory session – where we counted and priced and documented every item in our opening inventory – is a perfect illustration of how crazy this ride has been. No fancy warehouse, no assembly line of employees. Just us, some wine, music and our amazing supportive mom to help us stay motivated to sort through and organize dozens and dozens of boxes. 

-Alyssa

Welcome! August 5, 2012 23:48