Description

Over the next couple of weeks I will be doing some product info posts. They will all be linked in a tab so that there is 1 easy stop to find all the info you might want to know about. Have you had a question about one of the items we carry? Let us know and we will make sure that that information is included in the post!

Pads on Sale

1 of the things we are doing when we remodel the shop next month is giving our medium absorb pads an upgrade. Now we use a cotton terry cloth core. Our updated line will have a bamboo terry core making them more absorbent and even lighter weight than before. So, what are we doing with the cotton core pads that everyone already knows and loves? We put them on sale of course! Check out all the pads and other goodies on sale in our SPRING CLEANING SALE section in our shop. The last run of pads we had in the sale section went very fast, so if you want to get your pad stash up for a stellar (and limited time) price, get in there fast!

Medium Absorb Short Peanut Pad in Birds in the Trees - SPRING CLEANING SALE

Also, another reminder that we will be closed for our much needed vacation and shop remodel from the 8th to the 15th. The sale will be over when the shop reopens. You can find all of our sale items at thecrazyelephantboutique.com! The sale pads do count toward the pad drive as well, in case anyone was wanting to know.

Up Coming Break

We have been going strong for months on end! Seriously, I haven't put the shop in vacation mode for an actual vacation since we opened in 2009! We have had so many changes in the last year that we think it is time to do some updates. We will be closing for a week from June 8-15. Our whole shop will be getting a make over and here are some of the areas we will be working on...

We will be doing a makeover on all of our graphics. The elephant will still be with us, so don't worry about him. Our shop has changed drastically in the last year and our look should too.

Our photos are going to get redone so that all of them are beautiful and crisp and enticing.

Last, but certainly not least, our pads are going to become permanent fixtures. Are you confused about that one? If you haven't been a Crazy Elephant fan very long then you might not know that our pads have only been around for about 6 months! We have decided that the trial run for them is definitely complete, meaning new descriptions, photos and prices that are more comparable to our competitors since they are no longer in testing.

We are making some big changes at The Crazy Elephant during our week off. We are making a move from being a hobby that is sold to having a business mind. The ultimate goal being that we are able to support our family and make this both our full time jobs. We have always had quality and service in the highest importance, but our new mindset is to push out nothing but our very best making our shop an amazing experience for everyone!

Reviews

We really love hearing from our customers! I mean it! I got this feedback in my shop a few days ago and it made my day:

"Outstanding! TY Michelle for your skilled sewing, innovative, comfortable product & super fast shipping! Finest cloth pads of the many I've tried."

Now I have all of my favorites in one spot. If you look at the tabs at the top you can find our customer reviews. Each one that is posted on there gave me that "I love what I do so very much" kind of chill!

Have a Heart Give a Pad

I know how we all just adore our periods! Ha! That'll be the day. As much as we dislike our periods here, it is far worse for others. If you are reading this there is a good chance that you have a bathroom drawer lined with period relate products, you may know when it is coming, and are as mentally prepared for it as one can really be...if you are reading this and are a woman that is.

I can't imagine what it would be like to not have my period relatively under control. I also never imagined that making reusable cloth pads could actually help anyone. When I was contacted by a volunteer from The Luhwahwa Youth Development Foundation (www.luyodefo.org), I knew it was a match made in heaven!

The Luhwahwa Youth Development Foundation is a non-profit, community based, non-governmental organization (NGO) that provides support to marginalized communities across the Kasese district of western Uganda. In developing countries, the issues regarding menstruation and lack of access to sanitary products are often kept silent and what should be a right of passage into womanhood is often a gateway to dropping out of school. Menstruation is a silent issue; half of adolescent girls consider it a disease and don't know how to deal with it. Most girls/ women are unable to afford sanitary napkins. The lack of feminine products and information lead to girls dropping out of school early as they have no opportunities to maintain their hygiene during menstrual periods, miss lessons and fall behind. Most often, girls face the embarrassment of blood leaking through their clothes (spotting). This lack of protection leads most girls to miss up to five days of school monthly. That is a lot of days over the course of a school year, 6 weeks!

The pad project is not just about raising attendance. It is about raising the profile of girls at home, at school, and in the community. It is about teaching them to advocate for themselves. It is about telling them to be proud, and that they have the right to be healthy and educated. The implications of this are significant. Today’s young girls will teach the next generation about puberty, sexuality, and reproductive health. The conspiracy of silence will have been broken. Through this project helping girls feel empowered, we really can create social change. Girls who feel empowered are going to ask questions and push to get their questions answered. They’re going to understand what’s happening to their bodies, and be able to make informed decisions that keep them healthy and safe.

The project is also about environment concerns. As any one can imagine a week worth of used pads damped on the dirty roads allover the villages, as there is no garbage cans for waste disposal for regular garbage pick-up, these used pads would end-up contaminating rivers and streams.

What can you do?

There are 3 main things you can do to help:

• Place a pad order at thecrazyelephantboutique.com! For every 3 pads ordered will will send a pad to the women of Uganda.
• Place an order at thecrazyelephantboutique.com for donation! Every pad that is ordered for donation will be doubled. That means if you order a pad (make sure to let me know in the message to seller) I will send 2 to help the women of Uganda.
• Go to the foundations website and get your own campaign started! (www.luyodefo.org)

Thank you to luyodefo for the information on the project!

Veggie Treasury

I am going to start posting a weekly treasury. I can toot my own horn all I want, but there are a plethora of fantastic artisans on Etsy and I love to share!


You can find the treasury and all the fantastic shops here: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NzkxMjcwN3wyNzIwMjYzMjAx/walking-in-the-vegetable-garden

Thong Liner Launch

Give your period a little love!

Summer is coming and we will all be barely there! Now The Crazy Elephant will be too with our new line of tear drop thong liners. I have never used thong liners, but after trying out my design (because I am not about to let them go untested) I have to say they are super comfy! That was certainly a peasant surprise! They are made the same way our classic peanut pads are and are always high quality and fast shipping as are all of our items. Here is some customer feed back on them:

"I am very pleased with my liners and pad. The bottom fabric really does keep it in place all day, the top fabric is absorbent and dry. Very thin for an everyday panty coverage. Plus the seller is really easy to get in touch with, I will return!"

I love when my customers are happy! You can find the thong liners and all our other goodies at thecrazyelephantboutique.com!

They even come in a pair...one to wash and one to wear!

Take a Bow

I will be honest, closing the shop for a day drove me crazy! There is something about taking it easy and not really having anything nagging at me that just, well, nags at me! It must be the mom in me because the same thing happens when I have a kid free day, not that it happens very often. So, back I came and what is the first thing I sell just hours after the shop opens back up? 6 of my hair bows! I am very excited because the bows are a new item in my shop and this is the first sale of them.

You can find my bows in the shop tab above or click here!

It is interesting to watch what happens with new items, how long it takes to make the first sale, if it will float or sink. I have seen many of my new items flop despite their popularity in views and traffic. This was the way of the egg matching game, in case any of you were around back then. And then there are things that I don't expect to take off, like the panty liners. I made them because I liked them and thought, "why not add them to the shop?" So, the item I added just to see if someone else might like them to turned out to be the item that would shape our shop. I don't know where those 6 bows will lead, but it will be fun to find out.

Silent

The shop is closed today, along with thousands of others, in silet protest to Etsy. Etsy has been lacking as far as handmade. Handmade is supposed to be what Etsy is all about. The last straw that caused this protest was their artisan feature that featured a seller who has her finished products shipped to her. I won't go into detail because so many others have already. You can read more about it at protesty.com and feel free to join us by not selling or buying on Etsy today.

Launch is Coming

Today is Wednesday and around here that means it is my Crazy Elephant sewing and production day. That doesn't mean I don't work on custom orders and such other times of the week, but this is the day I get the bulk of it pushed out. Today is extra exciting because I will be sewing for a new product launch! What is this super fantastic new item? Thong panty liners! There has been mention of how it would be cool if we carried them but when I had an actual request for order I knew it was time to go for it. So, I will be sewing them today and I will do a post about the full launch when the time comes. In the meantime, here is a preview of what is to come!

Thong panty liners will be available soon!

Welcome

Welcome to The Crazy Elephant blog! I look forward to many fantastic posts about our shop, running a boutique, and toutorials to make green goodies of your own. In the mean time, bear with me as I get the shop set up and situated.