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Baby Safety Month

When our children are born, the need to keep them safe is so important. Although we know that we can’t always protect them – we can do our best to be mindful of the dangers they could encounter. The task can be quite overwhelming to be honest. These days there are so many options to choose from – car-seats, strollers, cribs, childproofing equipment and the list goes on. However, there are so many resources available to us as parents than ever before. Once armed with the right information, we can make an educated decision on what we need for our little ones. A huge resource for parents is the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, which hosts tons of baby events that we participate in. In 1991, JPMA a campaign to educate parents and caregivers on the importance of the safe use and selection of juvenile products. Each year different themes are featured such as safe sleep, hidden home hazards, and product recall response. JPMA is responsible for reviewing and certifying hundreds of products.. JPMA’s unique certification program visibly demonstrates the manufacturer’s commitment to safety and gives you an extra peace of mind when selecting and using products that have it! Baby Buddy was grateful to receive a JPMA finalist award in 2014. We are working hard to get several of our products onto their list.

This month we will be featuring several of our safety products on our blog and social media accounts. We will have guest posts from some respected voices in the baby safety industry. If you are new parent, expecting a new baby, or just looking for to update some items in your home – stay tuned!

from http://www.babybuddy.com/uncategorized/baby-safety-month/

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The Epic Rise of Breastfeeding

from http://www.babybuddy.com/category-1/the-epic-rise-of-breastfeeding/

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#SAYCHEESE4SCHOOL

Is that the alarm going off? School is back in session for some kids and for many families they’re still in summer mode. We are too! Since we all have to snap back to reality – why not have some fun while doing so? We would love to see your back to school pictures from all over the country and the world even. Please snap a pic of your child(ren) heading back to school, and we will feature them on our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages. We want to see sleepy heads, first day of school outfits, breakfast table shenanigans, crazy carpool drop offs, and of course kids brushing their teeth for school!

Tag us using #saycheese4school and be on the look out for your featured photo.

from http://www.babybuddy.com/category-1/saycheese4school/

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I Love Baby Buddy!

Last weekend, we had the pleasure of hosting thirteen adorable kids and their families at our casting call. What an awesome time we had! Our production team and executive staff worked tirelessly to make sure the event went off without a hitch. Let’s just say – we had a few bumps in the road, but in the end , it was fantastic! We were very happy with how the event turned out being that it was our first casting call ever. The children ranged in age from about 10 months old to 4 years old. Can you believe there were no meltdowns during our four hour photo-shoot? The kids slept, laughed, played together, ate some yummy food, and then gave us some of the cutest smiles and poses. We wanted to love on them all day long! Our entire team was able to sit and talk with parents – we talked about parenting, oral care, and daily life.

The aim of connecting with families is not only to sell more toothbrushes or any other product for that matter. What matters most to us is connecting with families and being a support to each of them. We know each family is unique with it’s own set of challenges – our own families are no different. The commonalities we have are far more than our differences. We hope that as we host more events, attend more shows, and love on more families – that people would know us by our love. Baby Buddy is a brand that seeks to empower parents on their journey understanding that without your support our work would be in vain.

Please follow us on social media over the next couple of weeks to meet our new brand models! Like, comment, share, and visit our website to check out the products we featured in more detail. If you would like your child featured on our social media accounts – feel free to send their high resolution pictures to social@babybuddy.com and tag us with #ilovebabybuddy=

Can’t wait to meet more of your cute kids!

from http://www.babybuddy.com/category-1/i-love-baby-buddy/

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Our Casting Call is Almost Here!

We can’t believe it’s almost here! Our Baby Buddy Casting Call is this Saturday, July 22nd. The planning has not been without it’s challenges, but we are grateful to all of the families who have signed up to participate. The hardest part was choosing which children would be the new faces of our brand. It was so difficult to decide from over 80 entries, however, we hope that in the future we will be able to accommodate a larger group. With that said, we know that in these days and times, parents are very leery and cautious with their children. We do our best to make sure that people know we are a company of strong family values, and we have a reputation that testifies to this. Our faith, morals, and beliefs are what people trust. Some of the families involved are travelling from various states across the country, and we do not take that for granted. We hope that going forward events like these would not only be for business purposes but also for building relationships in our community. The platform we have been given by God allows us to be a light and an encouragement to families we meet. Each day we strive to bring innovative products that make your family’s life easier. Our baby products, especially our oral care line has become hugely popular, and it is all because of you, our family of customers. To say we are excited about all the future holds would be an understatement!

As we prepare for this week, we ask all of our family, friends, social media followers, etc. to pray with and for us. We ask that you pray for safety for all of the families coming to the event and that the event would be a success all for the glory of God. We also pray that our guests feel welcomed with the love of Jesus Christ – may what we do and say bring honor to His name.

Thank you in advance for helping Baby Buddy become a household name!

P.S. – Just for visiting our blog we are doing special pricing on our toothbrushes online AND a giveaway. For the special pricing go to https://shop.compacind.com/essence-festival-c58.aspx for %50 OFF. For our giveaway go to our Instagram page @babybuddyig.

from http://www.babybuddy.com/category-1/our-casting-call-is-almost-here/

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Come See Us At Essence Music Festival!

Hello Friends!

Summer has begun, and our company is on the move! It’s a perfect time of the year for a road trip. Next stop, New Orleans, Louisiana for the popular Essence Music Festival 2017. In addition to the musical performers, amazing food scene (our team loves good food), and fun events – businesses also come to join the fun. This is the second year that our parent company, Compac Industries,  has been invited to attend. Our invitation comes from a company everyone knows, Wal-Mart. We are a part of Wal-Mart’s Diverse Supplier Community. This community consists of suppliers/businesses that are owned and operated by minorities. We are so grateful for this opportunity and what we are able to accomplish because of it!

One of the most important things we’re able to do at this event is  to engage with people. We meet people from all walks of life, and we’re able to simply chat with them. While doing so, we are able to tell them about the innovative products we offer from all three of our brands (Compac Home, HartFelt, and Baby Buddy). Each brand offers a variety of products to help make life at home and/or as a parent easier. Also, this year we will be giving away free products to the first 250 people who come to our booth, a drawing to win a dinner at Emeril’s Restaurant valued at $100, and gifts cards up to $100. Last year was a great time, and we we met people who are now loyal customers. If you’ll be at this event, we hope you will stop by our booth and say hello! You never know, it may be your day to win some fun items and to find products that fill a need in your home and life!

Follow us on social media to engage with us while we’re on the road to Essence and to see what we’re up to during our visit!!

You can look for us with #compac@essence17

Twitter, Facebook @ babybuddybear

Instagram @ babybuddyig

from http://www.babybuddy.com/uncategorized/come-see-us-at-essence-music-festival/

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Baby Buddy Casting Call 2017

On July 22, 2017 Baby Buddy will be hosting its first casting call – ever! Baby Buddy is a brand geared towards children’s personal care products and oral care needs. We are very excited about this event and cannot wait to meet some of you and your children. The casting call is open to children 6 months to 4 years old. This event will take place in Tucker, GA which is about 25 minutes northeast of Atlanta. If your child is selected they will be featured on product packaging, marketing materials and promotional materials, and all of our social media channels. This is a great opportunity to have your child featured as one of the faces of a trustworthy brand that is growing rapidly. Your child will also receive a swag bag with some of our popular products. The photo shoot will take place at our local corporate office and photos will be taken by a professional photographer.

In order for your child to be considered, you will need to send two high resolution photos (one headshot and one full body shot) to social@babybuddy.com. The deadline for submission is July 7, 2017. Once your child is selected you will receive further information as to time, location, photo release forms, clothing options etc.

Join us in making history!

from http://www.babybuddy.com/category-3/baby-buddy-casting-call-2017/

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Date Your Mate

Marriage and dating don’t always seem to go hand in hand because of how hectic and complicated life can get. We would all love to be dating our spouse consistently throughout marriage. Yes, it is easy at the beginning, but as the years pass by (or for some, months) work, children, and just all that life brings take precedence over you and your spouse spending some quality alone time. Sometimes when we think of going out on a date, we picture getting all dolled up and going out to a fancy restaurant, but going out on a date doesn’t have to entail all that. A date can just simply be going on a long stroll throughout your neighborhood or a park. It can entail just going by a fast food restaurant and having a meal. It could just be a nice dinner at home. As a married couple, we need time to catch up with each other and hear what is going on in each other’s life. We need to be silly together, laugh together, cry together, share disappointments together, share victories together, share with each other what you enjoy about the other, and prayerfully what irks us about each other.

Dean and I have been married for over 17 years, and as life got hectic with work and church schedules, and then as the kids started being born, dating took a place on the back burner. We started to realize that we weren’t getting to know more about each other and waiting until life slowed down and the kids were out of the house just did not seem like a fruitful option for our family. I love doing Bible studies with groups and listening to messages about God, but I learn so much more about God and feel so close to Him when I am spending one on one time talking to Him and reading His Word.

It wasn’t until a few years into our marriage that Dean and I decided we both needed quality alone time with each other. We started by going out to lunch on Tuesdays and what a refreshing time that was for us! We loved each other, but life had taken over and our alone time was basically saying goodnight because before we could get into a good talking time, one or both of us would have moved on to nappy land — Yeah, nappy land because it was just a few hours before it was time to get up. We were just going from one thing to the other, and then our precious gifts from God would zap so much of the communication time when we were together. Don’t get me wrong, we loved every moment of those zapped times. Those lunch dates were so refreshing because we would talk, without being interrupted (well, except for the waiters) by phone calls or a little one. It was only an hour, but how we looked forward to that hour each week.

We later moved from Tuesday lunches to Thursday nights after about two years and named it Date Night, because when we started to home-school, and the kids joined us on Tuesdays, lunch just wasn’t cutting it. With young kids, we spent most of our date nights at home. We would put the kids down to bed and told them that even though we were home, it was Daddy and Mommy’s time to talk and get to know each other more. Dean would ask them if they wanted a mommy and daddy that loved each other and they would say, “Yes.” However, although they really didn’t get it at first, now that they are teenagers, they still get excited to know that Mommy and Daddy are going to just hang out. They have realized that just like how they get to know their friends better when they hang out and talk, the more time we spend together, the better we get to know each other. We don’t always go out, some nights we just watch a movie and laugh our heads off or cry. Every now and again, we go out for dinner or a stroll.

I am no expert, but just carving out some time to spend with Dean has been so rewarding for our marriage and for our family. So when will your next date with your spouse be? Let us know.

from http://www.babybuddy.com/category-1/date-your-mate-nicola-hart/

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Summer, here we come!

            Can you believe the year is almost halfway through? It’s unbelievable how fast time is flying by. The weather is warming up and summer is on our minds. Over the last few weeks parents have been buzzing about final exams, report cards, and graduations which can only mean one thing. The school year is coming to an end. We’ll admit, we have heard met some parents who are excited to spend more time with their children. Then there are some parents who are not looking forward to planning outings, endless grocery trips, kids fighting, and the list goes on. Whether you’re excited or loathing this time of the year – let’s try to look for the joy in the next few months. There will be no worry about them missing the school bus, being on time for carpool, staying up late studying for tests, or packing lunches for the next day. Summer break truly allows for rest for everyone. Whether you work inside or outside of your home – the school year can be quite busy. It will be nice to slow down the pace and catch our breath from the hustle and bustle.

Let’s celebrate the end of the school year by talking about outdoor fun. Interestingly enough, this week is National Backyard Games Week. Yes, we like you, asked the same question – who comes up with this stuff? There are some random weekly and monthly celebrations we like – and this happens to be one of them! We think it is a great way to ring in summer break and close out the school year. This week we will be sharing a fun giveaway, giving you ideas for fun backyard games/activities, talking about the benefits of spending time outdoors, and discussing how to take a time-out from technology. While raising children the days are long, but the years are short. Pretty soon our kids will be grown and these memories of their childhood will be held close to our hearts. As parents, some of the best gifts we can give our children is our attention and presence. In these days and times, our kids are bombarded with so many things competing for their attention. Spending time away from televisions, cell phones, and other distractions can be refreshing for the whole family.

Be sure to stay connected to us via social media. We want to hear what you and your family do for outdoor fun. Hopefully, the memories we make this summer will be ones that we will remember forever!

from http://www.babybuddy.com/category-1/summer-here-we-come/

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JPMA Baby Show

Dean-Paul Hart, president of Compac Industries, shown here engaging with visitors at our booth.

This past weekend was a busy one for our Baby Buddy team. We had several members of our management team attend the JPMA Baby Show. The location for this year’s show was Anaheim, California. If you don’t know much about JPMA (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association) they are the leader in representing 250 manufacturers who make 95 percent of prenatal to preschool products in the U.S. market. JPMA is the leading voice and authority in the industry regarding: mobility, feeding, vehicle transportation, health/safety, sleep/furniture, and soft goods. Each year JPMA hosts shows in different cities and allows manufacturers to promote their line of products. In 2018, JPMA will host a show in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.!

An event of this magnitude and reach is a huge privilege for small businesses like Baby Buddy. The event was fun, exciting, and most of all engaging. We were able to not only speak with retailers interested in our brand, but we were honored to talk with parents/caregivers who are the driving force behind what we do. It is a joy to be able to hear directly from moms and dads about their family’s needs and how we can help. We want to know how we can better serve those who spend their hard-earned dollars to purchase from us. These type of shows give us valuable insight into areas where we can grow and others where we should hold fast to current processes. Your feedback and interaction is crucial to the development of our brand. That is a fact we don’t take for granted. Several of our mommy blogger friends came by our booth and we did a fun giveaway too!

We want each of you to know how much your support of Baby Buddy means to us. The daily workings of a small business are filled with many highs and lows. However, when we think on the families that we are impacting, you motivate us to do our very best.

Please follow us on social media to find us at various baby shows all over the country. We would love a high five, a hug, or simply to encourage you in your journey as a parent.

We can’t wait to meet you, see you soon!

from http://www.babybuddy.com/showsandexpos/jpma-baby-show-recap/

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Who is taking care of you, mom?

  The to-do list seems to grow with each passing day. Our homes have laundry piles that never seem to dwindle. The kids have homework, youth group, sports, dance, and the list goes on. We also can’t forget that our families must be fed, and our husbands need us too. Where do we find ourselves in the hustle and bustle? Is it even possible to fit alone time in our schedules?

There are so many demands on our lives especially as moms – we can find ourselves lost in the shuffle. Everyone seems to be pulling at us and our energy is well spent on them. Our sacrificial love for others is the fuel that drives us. We love nurturing, helping, and serving those we love. In fact, we forget to add our name to the list of loved ones. Soon we notice that we are irritable, anxious, and exhausted from it all. This happens so easily in our day to day lives, and we have become accustomed to sweeping our own needs under the rug. However, if we are not careful we will give so much of ourselves that we will not have much left to give. Self-care expert, Eleanor Brownn, says “Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” We could not agree more. Have you ever tried drinking from an empty cup?

Knowing that we need to make time for self-care is easier said than done- we understand. We can think of many things to do for ourselves. Often times, we can see our feet clearly need a pedicure or our bodies could use a massage at a lovely spa. The problem is how and when can this happen? Self-care looks different for every person.  For one person it may be a 30 minute run at the park, and for another it may mean 20 minutes of personal prayer time. It could mean imagining yourself walking on the beach during your morning coffee. What works for each person will depend on various factors – resources, amount of spare time, someone to watch small children etc. Self-care will also be related to the stage of life you’re in. If you have teenagers who can be left alone for some time, then a spa day could work for you. If you have little ones, you could ask a friend or family member to babysit while you exercise for 30 minutes. We should value self-care just as we value doing things for others. Our bodies, minds, and spirits will have time for restoration and uplift when we do this.

Self-care is not one size fits all. Each person can sense when they need a break. Don’t ignore that prompting to take some time alone. It will serve you well to do so, give fresh perspective to each day, and have positive effects on those around you. Everyone benefits from your investment in you – especially those you love the most. You can find more enthusiasm, joy, and peace in the busyness of life. Who couldn’t use more joy and peace? We know we could.

    from http://www.babybuddy.com/uncategorized/who-is-taking-care-of-you-mom/

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Mother’s Day Giveaway 2017

  Hello Friends!

We are so excited to present our first Mother’s Day Giveaway. The opportunity to celebrate moms is one that brings us great joy and excitement. Baby Buddy is all about letting moms know we recognize and appreciate all that they do. Mothers sacrifice so much while raising their children and they deserve our appreciation. From birth to adulthood our moms are always taking care of us. They should know that we are grateful for them. The love and lessons they share with us are priceless. How about gifting mom with a sweet surprise?

This giveaway will allow you to gift your mom or a deserving mom you know. It is an honor to give back to those who so graciously give to us.

Here is how to enter:

Read the contest rules https: https://www.facebook.com/babybuddybear/notes/

Submit an entry 300 words or less to your mom or a mom you know telling her how great she is and why.

Email your entry to phoebe@compacind.com.

You must follow us on Facebook (Baby Buddy Bear), Instagram (babybuddyig), and comment on this blog post with your name/email address.

We look forward to reading each of your entries. From our entire Baby Buddy team – we hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day!

from http://www.babybuddy.com/baby-buddy/mothers-day-giveaway-2017/

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Teething 101

Quote: “Watching a teething baby is like watching over a nuclear reactor-it’s best done in shifts by well-rested people.”

Teething can be a difficult time for parents and children alike. Children often become fussy, restless, have swollen gums, and even reject food during teething. Baby Buddy has a complete oral care line that is available for infants that can help soothe gums and keep gums healthy. Babies are born with all 20 primary teeth below their gum line. They typically start to come through between 6 and 12 months. When your child’s first tooth appears, talk to your dentist about scheduling the first dental visit. Treat the first dental visit as you would a well-baby checkup with the child’s physician. Remember: starting early is the key to a lifetime of good dental health. Children usually have their full set of baby teeth in place by age 3. There’s no time like now to start incorporating great products into your child’s oral care routine.

Remember children mimic what they see – are you modeling healthy oral care habits to them?

Check out this review by a young mom named Erin. She and her son are now fans of the Silicone Finger Toothbrush and the Wipe N’ Brush – learn why. Both items can be found on our website under our oral care tab. Your teething baby will thank you!

        from http://www.babybuddy.com/uncategorized/teething-must-haves/

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No Room For Comparison

Our first blog has been posted and shared, now what? There is so much more to learn about us and what we do. We hope that in getting to know us – we will get to know you. Our main goal is to know what is on your heart and mind. The parenting journey is by no means an easy one. However, when parents and caregivers come along side one another – the trying times can become much more bearable. The highs of the parenting journey are what most tend to share on social media and those moments are easily celebrated. On the flip side, there are moments when our “picture perfect” parenting is not so perfect. We tend to hide those times.  We may feel like we are not up to par with the parents whose kids seem to always behave well. Unbeknownst to us, they have days with epic fails too. Instead of hiding behind some ideal of who a perfect parent is – how about we get real and honest about what we struggle with? I can deal with real. I can relate to honesty and truth. I want to get to know other parents who deal with losing their patience at times, who don’t always have the “right” answer for their kids, or whose kids walk out of the house with breakfast barely eaten due to tantrums at the breakfast table. It’s time for us to break our walls down and take off the masks of perfection.

There is no perfect parent. It is only by God’s grace that we are able to carry on each day. We can turn to Him in moments of weakness to find strength for the journey. Once we realize that we are stewards of the precious gifts called children – then we can find our sufficiency in the Lord. We don’t have to seek to be like the mom across the street or the one with a clutter-free home on Instagram. We can rest in the fact that if we were blessed with these children – that it was on purpose for a purpose. This means that we can trust the Lord to give us what we need each day to do the best that we can. The journey of parenting is not always full of smiles and sunshine. Sometimes parenting can be described as weather patterns. Today may be sunny and the next may be filled with a little rain. Parenting challenges us, grows us, inspires us, changes us, and teaches endless valuable lessons.

Our kids won’t remember how often the floor was vacuumed or if every meal consisted of the five food groups. They will remember how much we gave to them even when we weren’t at our best. They will remember the nights we held them because they were afraid. They will remember the moments in which we extended grace when they didn’t know they needed it. They will remember how much we loved them in spite of our own shortcomings. They will remember the countless times when you could have put yourself first, but you thought of them instead.

So, here’s to letting go of the facade and embracing the truth of our own reality. Our children will be better for it and so will we.

  from http://www.babybuddy.com/uncategorized/no-room-for-comparison/

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New here?

Well, hello there!

Welcome to our Baby Buddy blog page. We are so glad that you chose to clink the link and read on. This is just the first of many blogs you will have a chance to peruse. Our goal for this page is to engage with our family of current and future customers. Each week we will discuss a new topic ranging from the history of our company, to the life of modern day parents, and the list goes on. Hopefully you will come back each week to participate with other parents, experts, and bloggers regarding these various topics. We know and understand that parenting comes with a host of challenges and differing circumstances. There are some of you chasing toddlers around, or helping your middle school child choose friends wisely,  and others who may be dealing with a rebellious teen. Wherever you find yourself on this spectrum – we care about what concerns you. These blogs will be carefully designed to help you along your parenting journey.

Our, brand strategist, Phoebe James will be the main content manager for the blog posts. As time goes on she will share more of her life as a young wife and mom of toddlers. Like most young moms, she and her husband are learning how tiring yet rewarding parenting can be. She will give a quirky, honest, and transparent perspective to the blog. However, occasionally we will have guest bloggers, who will also share their insight with us. We believe adding the voices of other trusted individuals will bring a well-rounded viewpoint to our overall approach. We want you to feel free to reply to us with any comments, questions, or concerns you have. Our family welcomes you, and we hope to get to know each of you better.

Stick around – there are exciting things ahead!

from http://www.babybuddy.com/uncategorized/new-here/