5 Reasons to Shop Local This Holiday Season

You always hear how it’s better to shop local. There are movements where people only shop for items that were produced within a certain number of miles from where they live. Why is it better to buy local? You always hear, “Well, it’s good for the community.” That’s a kind of vague phrase that leads you to believe you’re doing something good, but it leaves you unsure of what good you’re exactly doing.

So why should you buy local? When it comes to food, you’re getting fresher, more nutrient-rich grub that hasn’t wasted a bunch of gas travelling from another continent to get to your table. When it comes to other retail items, here are some great reasons to buy from local Wilmington retailers:

1. When you shop locally, 1% of the state sales tax you pay funds local facilities, services, and education. This means that you’re helping to fund the resources you and your family use.
2. When you shop locally, nonprofits get more support. Local businesses donate more to local charities than non-local businesses do.
3. Local businesses have more of what you want. Yes, you can go to Wal-Mart and choose from a million things you don’t really need, but how many times have you come across a cool wooden toy or a unique, handmade gift there? Local stores stock what locals are looking for. Also, local small business owners are not usually bound by corporate beaurocratic nonsense, so if you don’t see what you’re looking for, just ask; most likely the local business owner can get it for you. Also, if your community is made up of a marketplace filled with small businesses, there will be more healthy competition, resulting in innovative products and lower prices.
4. Local businesses also support other local businesses, which--among other things--means they are more environmentally friendly. Less transportation is required to procure goods, and the local economy is preserved.
5. You get better customer service. Nothing makes me more irate than pouring my heart out to a large retailer and getting a canned template back as a response. Dealing with local retailers means you get personalized service. At Green Baby Diaper Service, customers are also friends. Making their customers happy means the world to Liz and Polly. If you have any questions, problems, or complaints, you’ll be more than taken care of.

So when you’re doing your holiday shopping this year, consider looking local before shopping online. Don’t get me wrong—Amazon and I are practically BFFs—but there is a lot to be found in Wilmington that I can’t get online. And I would rather give my money to a friend than to a stranger.

Check out some of the local businesses that we like on Green Baby’s facebook page and support them this holiday season and every day.

Want a Cloth Diaper Cake? Try a Floral Arrangement Instead

Just in time for the holidays and all the babies due this winter, Green Baby rolled out a brand new idea: the cloth diaper floral arrangement. You know how diaper cakes are so popular with disposable diapers but are a little more difficult (and expensive) to put together using cloth diapers?

Green Baby has teamed up with Lou's Flower World to create a cloth diaper floral arrangement that uses the same idea as a diaper cake, but it's a little greener. A cloth diaper arrangement makes a perfect:

• Baby shower decoration
• Shower gift
• Holiday present

What you do is buy a bunch of baby accessories and cloth diaper covers or prefolds. Bring them over to Lou's Flower World at 5128 Oleander drive, where you can pick out a potted plant or have them create a floral arrangement for you. The florists will put together an arrangement using the items you bought at Green Baby, making a perfect bouquet that's perfect for a mom-to-be or a new mom.

Some items that you could put in your cloth diaper bouquet are:

• Nursing pads
• Diaper covers in a variety of colors
• A bib
• A burpcloth
• Teething necklace
• A few colorful onesies

Green Baby has a diaper bouquet on display just inside the door. Check it out next time you visit the shop! Our bouquet also features Fertile Myrtle, a cast resin statue created by local artist Justine Ferreri. We haven't had a chance to get in touch with the artist to find out the exact symbolism behind these statues, but we're pretty sure they won't make the mom-to-be any more fertile--but they may bring new life to her garden.

Fertile Myrtle statues at Lou's

Lou's Flower World carries the Fertile Myrtle statues, and they also have a large gift shop with other green goodies to add to your cloth diaper bouquet. We are always interested in supporting local green businesses, and Lou's caught our attention with their organically-grown flowers, shrubs, and vegetables. You can go to Lou's to stock your garden, enjoy a floral arrangement created by their full-service florist, or to buy goodies made by several local artists.

What's even cooler is that the business is run by a woman. That's right -- this is Lou:

She is almost always at the store, and is so friendly and accommodating. So whether you're doing some Christmas shopping or looking for a gift for a baby shower, shop local. Stop by Green Baby's and Lou's and put together a truly unique gift.

Always taking the time to smell the flowers.

Green Business Spotlight: Progressive Gardens

My fall garden

When you walk into Green Baby Diaper Service, you’ll often find a new or seasoned mom or dad chatting with one of the ladies there. They might be asking about diaper creams, wondering about the newest cloth diaper covers, or sharing parenting advice.

The same thing happens when you walk into Progressive Gardens, the organic gardening store in Wilmington across the street from Green Baby Diaper Service. Except people aren’t asking about how to raise their kids, they are asking about how to raise their plants. Progressive Gardens is one of those places where you can shop for gardening supplies, seeds, rain barrels, or nursery containers, or you can go to find out about local organic farms, natural approaches to lawn care, and more.

You know how there is so much information out there about cloth diapers that if you try to research it on your own, you end up completely overwhelmed? Gardening is similar. It’s best to do a little planning, but then jump in and ask questions as you go along. And even with all the information out there on the internet, I find it’s so much more straightforward to just go into Progressive Gardens, ask about your specific issue, and buy what you need right there.

Mini Photo Sessions with Wilmington Photographer Nichole Lupton

On Sunday, August 21, Nichole Lupton of Nichole Louise Photography will be shooting back-to-school mini sessions at Green Baby Diaper Service. It's an affordable way to get professional shots of the kids, new baby, or family.

To get Nichole ready for the shoot, I asked her a couple of questions:

1. How did you get into photography?

I always loved photography, but it was always just something I admired and
something other people did. When I was pregnant I was jealous of all of
the amazing maternity images I would see, but they were out of our budget,
and at that point, custom photography wasn't really on my radar, I thought
that was reserved for 'big cities' like New York and LA. After I had my
son Finnegan, I started taking pictures of him all.the.time. Nothing more
than mom snap shots, but I loved them all the same. It was once I started
paying chain studios for photos that I really got the itch. I was draining
my wallet and underwhelmed with the final product. So tax time that year,
after much begging, convinced my husband to buy me a DSLR. It all took off
from there! I spent more hours than I care to admit learning what I was
doing. Reading. Studying. Once I decided (about a year in) to make this a
business, I told myself I was going to do it right. I learned the
technical aspects of it all, from working my camera, all the way to paying
taxes. It took quite a few more months on the business side to get set up,
and I will always be learning the technical side, but it has truly become
my passion, and something I absolutely love to do.

2. Did you always photograph people? What about kids... or was that something that came with motherhood?

Definitely something that came with kids. The older my kids get, the more
creative I've gotten, and the more inspiration they've been able to
provide me. I've also spent the better part of the last 3 years learning
and honing in on what I like, don't like, and enjoy. It's a rare day in my
house when I don't take a picture, and I love that my kids lives will be
thoroughly (if not excessively) documented!

3. How do you keep your business running and keep yourself sane with 2 kids? (In other words, how do you do it all?)

Magic? LOL! Honestly, its something I'm still mastering. I do the majority
of my work between 9pm and 1am - and thankfully, I'm a night owl. Once
this became a business for me, it definitely eased the financial strain on
our growing family. To a point where if the business were to ever close, I
would need to find a job away from home. Being able to stay home with my
kids and not have to manage daycare is one of the biggest perks of the
job. Especially with my boys still being so young and not in school, I
will do whatever it takes to be able to stay home. I shoot when my husband
has time off of work (he is a restaurant manager, so odd hours that work
in my favor), and on occasion, my wonderful In-Laws who live here in town
will help out. I try and make phone calls during 'nap time', or in the
case of my 3 year old, quiet time. If I need to go somewhere I try and do
it on one of my husbands days off as well since he usually gets two week
days off, but no weekends. Other than that, all e-mails, editing, and
business management happens late night after my kids and husband are in
bed. As I type this, it is 10:54 on Sunday night. I do my best to get some
mommy time in there as well, to help keep myself sane. I try and give
myself at least one night off a week. Sometimes a night off is just some
me-time around the house, other times, its a night out for a movie with
girlfriends. I also am very cautious in the amount of work I take on. I do
my best not to over book myself. It is a balancing act, and some weeks are
definitely better than others, but the alternative of a away from home job
and daycare is enough motivation to keep me going!

4. What is your favorite part about photographing families?

My favorite part about photographing families is how different they all
are. I love watching them interact, and seeing those little bits of
parenthood that differ from parent to parent. I love seeing close knit
groups that so obviously love each other. I also love interacting with
children. I used to want to be a teacher, and although a formal school
setting is not for me, I still adore kids. I love their innocence, and
playfulness. And don't even get me started about birth and newborn
photography! Being privileged enough to capture the moment a baby is
welcomed into the world, and then a few days later get to snuggle them
into the sweetest little positions?! It's almost enough to keep baby fever
at bay. Almost :)

Stop in for a 15-minute mini session or email or call Nichole {at} nicholelouisephotography {dot} com or  910-367-5151.