LOVE

LIZ, CHRIS AND ELIJAH

Please don’t stop following me – as soon as the new domain is registered I will post the link so email subscribers and feed readers can find me!

Dear Lizanne

I’m the co owner and founder of Rhubarb & Custard which was established in 2006.
I learned about the email exchange between yourself and our office
late this afternoon. I have read through the emails and am really
disappointed that you received such a short sighed and unfriendly
response. It is with quality customer care and attention that we have
carved a place for ourselves in a very competitive market and today we
have failed you as a potential customer.

I would unreservedly like to apologise to you personally for any upset
our employee has caused you. When I get to the office on Monday, I
will email you the dimensions of the changing bag as I have absolutely
no problem in sharing that with you. We did not “invent the wheel”
when designing this product but are glad to say that it has had very
favourable customer reviews.

With best wishes for a good weekend and renewed apologies,

Emilia Knight
Rhubarb & Custard
076 837 4231

I am quite impressed that she took the time to do this, and would therefore like to retract my encouragement to “boycott” their company. As she rightly says they are a company thats thriving in a competitive industry, so they must be doing something right.

One rotten apple doesn’t always ruin the whole basket…

On that note, I will also say, I have deleted my “blog-cum-online shop” as I was not actively doing anything with it. I will however continue to sell the Cherub Tree nappies and make burp cloths on order for anyone interested.

I have finally chucked out the shampoo! Its weird, one day I was lathering up my hair and the next time I decided to take the plunge. Since my hair is pretty curly and prone to frizz without careful treatment, I was a bit worried, but I decided to persevere and give it a go. I am so glad it did it – my hair is all purty curly  and manageable! No more frizz!!

They say it can make your hair greasy for a while, but I must admit I haven’t really had that problem, my hair seems happy!

This is the best pic I have of it for now… This is on the second day after washing. (please note my adorable eskimo baby… this was taken last Wednesday, and it was really cold – plus the poor baby has an ear infection)

Its really easy and super cheap!! Just get baking soda (in SA that bicarbonate of soda – NOT baking powder) and apple cider vinegar.

Just mix one tablespoon baking soda with one cup of water and put in a pump acting bottle, you can use more if you have thicker/curlier/greasier hair. Then just wet your hair and apply as much of the mixture as needed to your scalp and massage it in. Rinse well.

For conditioner you can use one table spoon apple cider vinegar with one cup of water, I put it in a spray bottle and just spray onto my ends and rinse. It really softens your hair, but be careful not to use too much as it can make your hair greasy.

I hope this works out in the long run, it would be so nice to save money like that and also be green  Its really good to know I am no longer putting chemicals on my hair and face.

My next step is to make my own baby products, it seems so wrong to put any chemicals on my baby… Watch this space…

(Image source via weheartit)

I really don’t like making a scene unless one is called for – but today I feel there is.

I have been searching for a funky, mommy friendly nappy bag since I was pregnant. Its lank hard to find affordable ones that one would actually want to wear. Oh, I have found millions of tutorials to make, but my sewing skills are limited and now my time too.

Then yesterday I found the most beautiful bag – in my price range – but sadly, there were no size indications. As any mom of a baby knows, you leave the house with everything AND the kitchen sink… So I need a good size bag. Therefore I did what any normal person would do… I emailed the company to ask for measurements. Now, please note – the picture on there site is barely a thumbnails with no option for enlarging – so I can’t see how the bag is made or anything. Another thing you need to know is I attempted (it never took off), an online baby shop with stuff I made. The only stuff I now sell are Cherub Tree nappies.

Here is the response I got from the shop I emailed:

Hi Lizanne

Before replying to your mail, I went to have a look at your
blog-cum-eshop. Because of what I saw there, I will not be giving you
the measurements of our changing bag. I would also like to make clear
that Rhubarb and Custard does not give you permission to place any of
our images on your website, as you have done with other people’s
products that you plan to copy.

Regards

Annalisa

I will be looking up all the images you ahve used, and notifying the

Yes the email is incomplete, she sent it unfinished… But here is the thing:

1. My baby shop never went public – no one ever ordered or even viewed it.
2. I was purely mailing as a person interested in buying – she could have asked me WHY I wanted the measurements first.
3. About the images, I did a credit on the “shop” site, as I always do when using other images than my own.
4. As my shop was mainly geared at friends in the first place I was unaware that its a sin to make and sell things that millions of other people also do.
5. I emailed this very rude woman back to say I will never buy her products, or shop at anyone who stocks them.
6. I also said I would tell everyone I know not to buy there… Call that overreacting? I think maybe professionalism was called for, not to be treated like a common thief, without her checking facts.

I would never usually have done this kind of blog post – but I have not even received an apology – they can just be glad I have limited readership.

Elijah and his friend, Timothy just before their mamas’ bible study social – they take turns sleeping so as to not miss out a single minute of this exciting world!

I read most of my favourite blogs in Google reader – and today I noticed almost all of them had linked to this post. This mom has made a clear stand for modesty and how important it is to make sure girls/women dress appropriately. As a wife and mother of a son, I pray that women would learn this lesson – for the sake of their own virtue and that of my husband and son. Men don’t need to see every inch of skin. Really. Its hard enough for men with the media bombarding them, why must they see it in malls, work, school and sadly even church?

I hope that one day when I have a daughter, I will be able to be strong enough to model modesty to her, even if it means she’s not popular. Because my children are worth that.

This letter by another Christian mom really struck  a chord with me… I don’t want my kids to be happy… no siree, I want them to be content in everything and holy before God. I want them to shine His love, not through the cool things they have, but the way they live with Him at the centre. I pray that one day, Elijah and any brothers and sisters he might have will know the love and power of our Lord. That they will be content, good stewards, and strive heavenward, sharing God’s peace, grace and mercy with everyone they meet.

My deepest desire is not that my son be a doctor or a lawyer, but live up to his names and be a man after God’s own heart.

CS Lewis

I am still here – just being kept busy by this rather lively monkey!! Also have been experiencing internet issues… Will be back soon.