Wishpot.com, a revolutionary social commerce platform that integrates with retailers’ and publishers’ online content has today launched in the UK. Already an established name in the US, Wishpot.com provides users with a free online social shopping service that enables easy search, save and sharing of items into simple online lists, offering the perfect solution to wedding lists, baby gifts, Christmas lists – in fact any kind of list that users want to create.
The platform powers individual retailers’ registries and wish lists, allowing retailers to benefit from Wishpot features such as price alerts, newsfeeds and the multiple contribution function. Through this new platform, retailers can also create social channels allowing them to easily feature recommendations from experts and customers.
“Wishpot.com is as simple as it sounds – consumers simply find what they love, click on it and add it to their Wishpot.com lists,” commented Fabio De Bernardi, Director of Business Development for Europe, Wishpot. “It dramatically enhances the online experience for both the retailer and consumer by maintaining individual brand while dramatically enhancing the shopping experience.”
Positioning itself as a pioneer of social shopping, Wishpot.com has also launched Social Storefront , a social syndication tool for retailers of all sizes and products. The tool has been designed to work with product feeds, allowing any kind of retailer to instantly sell their products on leading social networks including Twitter and Facebook. Once configured, the service notifies fans/followers of new and popular items, price drops and more, enabling consumers to stay up-to-date on all the latest styles and best prices! The service is available to all retailers and includes a one-month free trial starter package.
With the Wishpot.com Social Commerce platform, retailers control both the functionalities and branding for their stores and/or registries. Thus, users get Wishpot.com features combined with customised retailer branding and service. The software is delivered as a hosted service, works well with any existing ecommerce platform and requires little integration to get started.
About Wishpot.com
Launched in 2007 and awarded Best Social Shopping site in 2008, Seattle-based Wishpot.com is a free social shopping service that makes it easy to save and share interesting things users find from anywhere on the web. Once collected, items are stored and organised using simple online lists, which can be kept private or shared with others. From wedding and baby to gadgets and homemade, any kind of list can be created. Users can collect and discover products they like, recommend their favourite things, share and explore gift suggestions, receive price comparisons, sale alerts and ask for opinions and advice. Once the Wishpot.com toolbar is downloaded, items from any online store or website can be saved with the simple click of a button.
To experience Wishpot.com for yourself please visit: www.Wishpot.com
For further information please contact: -
Victoria Melville
Melville Communications
Email: Victoria@melvillecommunications.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1483 489009
Cloth diapering is not without problems. Stains, repelling liquid, and diaper stink are issues that a cloth diapering household will likely encounter at least once.
What about stains? In cloth diapering staining does happen. Many cloth diapers are specific in their washing routines so your normal stain protocol for clothing may not work. Some stains will go away with repeated washings. But the most natural way I have found to reduce stains is to use good old Mr. Sunshine. Hanging the stained diapers in the sun for a day or two can make the stains disappear.
What about repelling liquid? Repelling liquid is a problem that can be found with pocket diapers. Pocket diapers are diapers with a waterproof exterior and a layer of stay dry material against the baby’s skin. The absorbent material is then placed in between the two layers. Repelling liquid happens when there is a build-up on the stay dry fabric and the wetness does not go through the material fast enough so it leaks out your baby’s legs. I have had this happen on more than one occasion. To prevent this you need to make sure you don’t wash using too much detergent, fabric softener, or a detergent with additives. When you do have build-up you can remedy the situation by stripping the diapers. To strip your baby’s cloth diapers you need to rinse the dirty diapers. Once they are rinsed wash the diapers on hot with a small amount of regular Dawn dish liquid. By small amount I mean about a Tablespoon in a large load. Once they are washed you need to rinse the diapers until the water runs clear. You want to make sure there is no detergent left in the diapers. If you have a lot of build-up you may need 10-20 rinses to get out all of the detergent. In some cases where hard water is present Calgon Water Softener may be necessary to get your diapers to rinse clean.
What about diaper smell? Diaper smell is usually caused by letting your diapers sit too long before washing, by using a wet diaper pail, and by not using enough detergent. You should wash your diapers every 2-3 days. If they sit longer than that diaper stink can set in. If you use a wet diaper pail, dunk the diapers in the toilet, or if you rinse out your diapers with a diaper sprayer you want to wash every two days. Leaving very wet diapers for more than 2 days can also cause diaper stink to set in. Make sure you are using enough detergent. You want to use half of the recommended detergent. So if you use a scoop of detergent for washing towels, you should use 1/2 a scoop for washing diapers. How to get rid of diaper smell? Well, it may be as simple as using more detergent. But you may need to strip your diapers like you would if you were having repelling liquid problems. In severe cases you may need to use a small amount of bleach. Be aware that this may void any warranties on the cloth diapers though.
Cloth diaper problems do arise, but solutions can be found. Diaper stains, diaper smell, and repelling issues are issues that have visited my home several times and will likely visit your home at some point if you cloth diaper. While there is no cut and dry solution that will work in every instance, the solutions I’ve given should work in most cases.
A little more about Thanks Mama from the woman herself…
Thanks Mama is a family owned on-line boutique that specializes in cloth diapers. We also carry natural baby care products, baby carriers, and reusable products for moms and toys. I am a work at home mom who decided to leave a corporate job when my daughter was born and started to run Thanks Mama from home. Although Thanks Mama is a lot of work, it gives me the flexibility that I need and I love to be able to be in a business I believe in. My customers are parents of young children with a similar mindset to my own family with the same problems and joys. We think cloth diapers are better for babies, the environment and family finances. We do what we can to spread the word about modern cloth diapers and recently started a blog www.clothdiapertalk.com where we post educational articles about cloth diapering and store announcements. We also host cloth diaper giveaways on a regular basis. In addition to cloth diapering my daughter, we practice attachment parenting, recycling, eat organic and local produce as much as possible, and we do not use chemical based cleaners/detergents in our household. I have to say that it would not be possible to have Thanks Mama without great help from my husband who is behind of most of the website look and who helps with much of daily work.
For more tips and ideas for your baby visit www.wishpot.com/registry/baby/!
Potty training is something that every child will encounter. When cloth diapering the transition to regular underwear is a bit more natural. I’ve potty trained two children so far with one more little one to train in the next year.
When my boys approached the age of 3 I started the process of potty training by adapting their cloth diapers. I typically used pocket diapers with stay dry material against my toddler’s skin. When potty training approached I would put the insert on the outside of the pocket so my toddler could feel wetness against his skin. After my boys turned three I took several concentrated days where I focused on potty training. I put my boys in sweat pants that were easy for them to pull up and down with no underwear or diaper underneath. I brought out a potty chair into their play area and gave them chances to sit on it. Accidents were common especially the first day. One son caught on quickly and took only a day to figure out what he was supposed to do. The other son took about three days to get the hang of it.
Once the potty chair started to be used for it’s intended purpose we ventured further away from the potty chair. When we were further away from the potty chair I put my son in a cloth diaper training pant. I’d put my son in a training pant like Kushies Taffeta Training Pant or a Bummis Training Pant. I love the prints on the Kushies Taffeta Training Pants. The prints are so colorful and cute and now they have adorable retro colors. I really liked the fit of the Bummis Training Pants. The leg and waist have soft and stretchy lycra to make the pants more comfortable. I would make sure to give my son frequent opportunities to sit on the potty, but used the training pants to help catch leaks. Because we were not near the toilet accidents happened. But scheduling frequent potty breaks helped my son “remember” to go while he was playing. Over a period of weeks we were able to move to underwear. I liked to start out with the Imse Vimse Training Pants. These training pants fit like underwear, but they are absorbent and are a great choice for a child’s first underwear.
Potty training when we were out and about was a totally different issue. When we first started potty training I would put my sons in a diaper when we left the house. Our trips were usually short so this worked fine. Once my boys had success at home and accidents became less frequent we put them in a cloth training pant when we were out of the house. After success with those we moved on to underwear with potty breaks as necessary.
Potty training at night was quite different. I kept my boys in their regular nighttime diaper - a Fuzzi Bunz stuffed with two Hemparoo Fleece Prefolds. I stopped putting nighttime diapers on one son when the diaper was consistently dry in the morning. He was around age four at that time. The second son was not consistently or even often dry by the time he was five. At that point we went cold turkey with the diapers and woke him once or twice a night to use the bathroom. Accidents happened, but with less and less frequency. By the time that son neared the age of six there were no more accidents and no more need to wake him at night.
Potty training has been fun. I was surprised how it was quite different between my two boys. I look forward to training my daughter next year.
Wishpot is here to help you pick out those adorable toys and baby gear all for great prices this holiday season! Below are just some of the awesome items we recommend all below $50 that will no doubt satisfy your little one.
(Images from top left) Parents Busy Zoo $48.99, JJ Cole Original Bundle Me $39.99, Boppy Bare Naked With Slip Cover $35.99, Aveeno Gift Set Mommy and Me $29.99, Fisher-Price Hoppy Days Bouncer $35.99, Rockin Rider Brown Pony Rider $29.99, Lady Bug Bunting Set $26.99
To see more great baby gift ideas go to http://www.wishpot.com/registry/baby/ or visit WishpotBABY’s wishpot page.
What are your Mom Must-Haves this Christmas season? I know I have a few things on my list, but know I won’t be getting them all at once! Do you ever treat yourself to pricey items, special treats or a piece of luxurious clothing? I would love to hear what some of your favorites are!
Some of the following ideas were submitted to us and I thought I’d share them with you:
1.) Wishpot – To ensure everyone gets the gifts they really want (whether it’s Holiday gifts or baby registry gifts), how about sharing your new wish list/registry site Wishpot? The free of charge service is quite genius as it lets users:
* Create wish lists & registries by adding items found from not just one but from any site on the world wide web. As any smart shopper would agree, why limit yourself to one store when you can have them all?
* Save $$! Users can set price comparisons and sale alerts to keep their wishes within budget (http://www.wishpot.com/help/how-to-price-alerts.aspx)
* Get what they really want! Choose to save or share lists with family and friends – nothing wrong with dropping a helpful hint!
* Consult Wishpot’s shopping and gift experts or even other users for helpful Holiday gift ideas & tips (http://www.wishpot.com/channel/gift/ideas.aspx).
* Consult Wishpot’s baby experts as well as other registered parents-to-be for ideas & tips (http://www.wishpot.com/registry/baby/).
For Technological Moms 
2.) iGo Green Laptop Charger – Charge almost any laptop from this power saving iGo travel charger. The iGo includes two cables – one to charge at home, and one that works in the car or on an airplane. Unlike traditional laptop chargers (which can be known as energy vampires) the iGo Green™ Technology automatically reduces wasted standby power, so there is no need to unplug the charger. Another nice feature is a USB port on the base unit so you can charge your other devices like a cellphone, digital camera or mp3 player. I found this online, so Bluesuite Mom gets credit for this idea.
3.) A New Laptop is on my personal list! I’d like to have one with lots of memory, a 17″ screen and a webcam. Please let me know if any of you have a favorite brand or recommendations are because we’ve only had one laptop and it crashed a month or two ago. 
Boo hoo….We bought it used and it lasted us 2-3 years. It was a Dell Inspirion.
Intimate Apparel
4.) Brulee – Go ahead, indulge. Because every Mom should! Below, select looks for Holiday.
Beautiful lingerie and lounge wear comprised of luxurious and comfortable pieces that are sexy, versatile and travel brilliantly. From bi-coastal designer Kristian Giambi, each piece is handcrafted in New York City utilizing the finest silk, cotton and jersey materials, featuring delicate details and intricate workmanship using hand cast gold and crystal hardware. Brulee targets powerful, sophisticated women with a feminine yet sexy edge. The line’s camisoles, bodysuits, rompers, bralettes, boy shorts, lounge pants, leggings, nightshirts and more are luxurious and uncomplicated, and anything but sweet. Slipping into one of these pieces promises to leave you feeling sexy and confident.
Available in sizes XS-XL, the collection encompasses a rich color palette of deep plums and blacks as well as soft ivories, offset by hand cast gold and crystal hardware. Pieces will retail from $36 to $178, available late Fall in select boutiques throughout the U.S. as well as through www.brulee.net.
5.) Affinitas Intimates – For the Mom who wants to get lacy & racy! Get red-hot this holiday season with these stylish yet affordable looks from lingerie brand Affinitas. Below, select looks for Holiday. Visit www.affinitasintimates.com to view the full collection. Retailing at numerous e-retailers and boutiques throughout the U.S. at a price range of $8 – $58 (http://www.affinitasintimates.com/web09/store_locator.php?continent_id=1&country_id=1&state_id=14).
6.) N-Fini – For the Mom who wants to stay looking svelte over the Holiday season! Shapewear solutions for upper, lower and full body. Retailing from $55 – $100 in numerous specialty stores, boutiques and online retailers throughout the United States.
Say goodbye to your grandmother’s girdle, suffocating Spandex, and old-fashioned corset bras! From the thigh, buttocks and waist to the torso, chest and upper arm, N-fini™ has a shapewear solution for every problem area of the body, providing for the utmost lift, shape, support and comfort for its wearer. The line offers ultra-flattering styles, ranging from strapless, tank, scoop neck, and cami styles to shaper bras, bustiers, torso trimmers and long-sleeve tops. For the lower half of the body, thigh shorts, capris and leggings come available in both regular and hi-waisted styles. Innovative features such as Non-Invasive Micro-Fiber Elastic Trim, Diamond Support Panels, Anti-Curl Comfort Hem with Serpentine Gel, Breathable Upper-Arm Plush Adjustable Straps, Vented Upper-Arm Trim Shapers, 4-Way Stretch Comfort Gussets and more can be found throughout the collection. Made with LYCRA® freshFX® fabric for dry, comfortable shaping, each style comes available in S/M, M/L and L/2XL to fit every body type, in white, black and nude to be worn unnoticed under any garment. Practicing quality production techniques, N-fini™ is proud to manufacture all products in the USA, in-house at the brand’s Tampa Bay, Florida plant.
1, 4-6 were provided by RichPR. Thanks!
Personal Care Products
7.) Personal Care Products that leave us feeling fresh and special! Mine include Body Shop Soap and a perfume my husband adores, which is has been discontinued, so I am in need of new recommendations as I search for a new fragrance!
A new favorite is goat’s milk soap. We tried some from Laurel Fork Farm and it was truly wonderful. It left our skin feeling soft and silky and their lotion kept our hands that way even after several hand washings! Simply amazing and like no other hand lotion I have used.
These may or may not apply to your individual tastes so please add your own favorites and perhaps they will become ours too!
Looking for those great deals for baby clothes, toys, and products? Wishpot is here to help you snag those fabulous finds for your bundle of joy this friday!
Baby Universe has tons of deals this Black Friday including diaper deals, up to 45% off strollers, up to 60% off toddler furniture, and up to 75% off slings, wraps, and carriers!
One of the many great deals Baby Universe has is up to 60% off baby gear and activity. One awesome deal is this Graco Easy Entry 6 Speed Infant Swing! Its original price was $89.99 and is on sale for $39.99!
Another great deal for baby gear is this Tummy Time Prop & Play Mat on sale for $19.99. It is definitely an awesome find!
If you shop at Baby Universe you will also be able to save up to 50% off baby furniture like this beautiful espresso colored Da Vinci Piedmont 4-in-1 Convertible Crib. The list price for this crib was $309.99 and is now on sale for $199.99! Such a great find!
Babies “R” Us also has some good finds for learning toys for babies. One find is this Fisher-Price Little Superstar 2-in-1 Singing Band Walker on sale for $24.99.
Another great learning toy for babies is this Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Puppy on sale for $14.99! So cute!
Walmart’s Black Friday has this Fisher-Price 1-2-3 Lights ‘n Sounds Ball for just $9.00. This is a great way for a baby to learn and have fun at the same time!
Need some baby clothes for cheap? During Black Friday Target has a great deal with this 2-pk. infants’ and toddlers’ blanket sleepers for just $12.00!
Do not miss out on ANY of these great deals!
For more great gift ideas for babies go to Wishpot.com or follow @wishpotBABY on Twitter!
Have a baby shower coming up? Wishpot has tons of great gift ideas for that mommy to be!
The first gift is an adorable polka dot duck bath gift set which consists of a cute rubber ducky (either blue, pink, or green!) and four matching wash cloths. Bath time is now fun with this gift!
Our second recommendation are wooden hanging letters from a baby boutique called Bel Bambini. You can get the name of the future bundle of joy and hang it up on the wall next to the crib or anywhere in the nursery.
There is no doubt any baby would enjoy our next gift idea. Keep any baby constantly engaged and intrigued by this Baby Einstein Seek and Discover Activity Gym. It is a great way to get a baby’s mind moving and keep them busy for the busy mommys!
Want to get personal? Well this is a great way to do it with a personalized “My First Nap” gift bag from Pottery Barn! It’s filled with a variety of coordinating essentials, including a microfleece blanket, a picture frame, a chamois stuffed critter toy and a chamois critter rattle.
Our last recommendation is a receiving set which comes with a blanket, sleeper, beanie, socks, and bib! You can find receiving sets at Nordstrom along with many other adorable baby gift ideas!
For more great gift ideas and baby info you can follow @wishpotBABY on Twitter.
Wishpot is happy to announce that one of our Mommy Experts Amy Bellgardt was recently interviewed for an LA Times article. The article was titled “Blogging moms wooed by food firms”. Check out Amy’s blog here to see what her response was to this article!
It’s October now, and we’re in the middle of my favorite part of the year: autumn. Summer has so few holidays that rule with the possible exception of my birthday, which I’m still petitioning for national holiday status. Not too sure why the holiday makers are ignoring me so thoroughly, but anyway.
Now, on the not too distant horizon all of my favorite holidays are looming. We’re going to an actual pick-your-own-pumpkin patch this weekend which is about a million times better than the overcrowded, carnival-like one that we used to go to. Like anything else in the world, our old pumpkin patch was super-awesome until the rest of the world discovered it, and then the owners brought in a petting zoo, rides, a clown, a circus, a corn maze, a donkey show, llamas, an apple orchard and rocket rides. I’m only exaggerating slightly.
Afterward, if we’re all still alive, we’re going to carve pumpkins and decorate cupcakes. I’m completely excited by this because not only does this mean I might get to eat a cupcake, which, after weeks on a diet sounds totally delicious, but also, seeing the holidays through the eyes of your children is half of the reason for HAVING kids in the first place. Right? (the other half is, of course, tax deductions. OBVIOUSLY)
In an orange and black induced haze, I had forgotten what ELSE October brings to our house: fundraiser time. We live in a kid-infested neighborhood, the kind that you literally cannot walk through without tripping over someone’s bike, or someone’s toddler which is great. Mostly I like kids, especially if I don’t have to watch them and they’re not destroying my stuff. So my doorbell, it’s always ringing, some fresh faced pixie wanting to sell me over-priced candy I don’t need, or pizza kits no one will use. I am powerless against them.
Maybe it’s because I myself was a Brownie for a year until I dropped out when I realized what a waste of time and energy it was. Time I could have better spent sitting on my ass and watching grass grow. I dutifully sold cookies door to door as mandated by sadistic leaders everywhere and possibly one of the most traumatic experiences of my eight year old life.
I had doors slammed in my face. People screamed at me. I got stiffed and ripped off. I got blisters and ruined a perfectly good pair of Keds. And for all of my trouble? I got some stupid sad-eyed puppy charm for the zipper on my hoodie. I didn’t even sell enough to get a stupid patch.
In a month or two I will be swimming in the very same stuff that I cannot eat (hel-lo diet!) as my personal tithing to the Fundraising Gods. I am entirely sympathetic to these poor little tykes coming around, so much so that I try to buy something from the younger ones. PLUS, I am also trying to work up our Fundraising Karma for our children, so that by the time that I have to take them (shudder, shudder) door-to-door, mayhap people will not spit at them.
Every time the doorbell rings, I grab my check book and say a silent prayer of thanks that my own door-to-door days are now over, and later as I’m swimming in a sea of butt-ugly wrapping paper or popcorn, I’ll try and remember that maybe, just maybe, I was the house that got that kid the patch that I never got.
Or maybe I just have SUCKER written on my forehead…
For more posts from Aunt Becky, check out her blog: Mommywantsvodka.
Be sure to check the Wishpot Baby Blog for more updates or follow us on Twitter: @wishpot @wishpotBABY
This economy has been rough on the whole nation and no one wants to suffer through this anymore. So, in April 2009, Abbey Fatica created Living My MoMent to help other moms promote their companies and ideas for free. Her readers can come on the website and support the MoMbusinesses she advertises by buying their products and seeing what they have to offer. Abbey also gives the businesses an opportunity to get extra exposure by doing giveaways and doing reviews of their products. They are able to promote their sales and any news that they have going on currently. Abbey hopes to keep growing her website so that more MoMs have the opportunity to list their business for Free and so that the world can see what great ideas they have!
On top of listing the businesses, Abbey also likes to give her readers a little insight into her life. Being the MoM of a 19 month old baby daughter and expecting her second in December has created a great opportunity for Abbey to share her experiences with her readers about raising her child and being pregnant at the same time. In the midst of telling her story, she came up with the idea to write and publish her first book. There are so many great books out in circulation about what to expect for a first time pregnancy. Abbey has read a lot of them and even though she finds them very interesting and learned a ton the first time around, she now wishes there was something for her to read regarding second pregnancies, how to balance life with an older child and deal with the new aches and pains of another pregnancy. She is still looking for help in getting stories from other moms that she can incorporate into her book, so feel free to email her at livingmymoment@gmail.com
So, if you are looking to help the small business owner thrive then come check them out at http://www.livingmymoment.com
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