Comfy and Cozy!

This past Saturday night we here in New York City got nearly a foot of snow delivered to us, just in time for the holidays! Snowy conditions mean frigid temperatures, not the best environment for a baby's sensitive skin. Here are some tips from Parents magazine for protecting little noses, cheeks, ears and lips during the chilly winter months:

CHAPPED LIPS
Babies’ lips are always wet thanks to drooling, lip-licking and drippy noses. That moisture can break down the protective top layer of skin. This leaves lips vulnerable to cold, windy air. Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly or lip balm to create a barrier against the elements and to moisturize already chapped lips.

FROSTNIP
This mild form of frostbite makes skin red and tender. Exposed skin, fingers and toes are particularly susceptible. Dress your baby in mittens and a hat or hood, and don’t stay out too long. Extend the cover of your stroller to block the wind. If your baby’s skin looks red, give her a lukewarm bath. Call your doctor if her skin color isn’t normal in a couple hours.

HEAT RASH
It’s not just a summer thing. If your baby is bundled up, he can become overheated. Itchy red bumps appear when tiny sweat glands get clogged. Dress your baby in breathable layers, and remove one if he’s hot. Use a 1 percent hydrocortisone preparation to help with the itchiness. The rash will go away on its own after a few days.

The Dish!

Mrs. Mogul from Mogul Baby prides herself on finding things that are "Funky, Fine and Fabulous!" Perhaps that is why she decided to review Dapple:

"For washing baby bottles, pacifiers or just to use to clean your own plates, Dapple Dish Liquid is non-toxic and kid-friendly.

It is phtalate-free, paraben free and dye-free. So what's inside this clear bottle? Purified water, baking soda, cleaners derived from fruits, tree oils, and french lavender essential oils.

The dish liquid rinses off quickly, leaving no residue. I've been using this product for awhile now and definitely feel better that I'm using something safer for the baby while being more eco-friendly."

Check out Mogul Baby and the Dapple review here!

Droolicious!

Dapple was just reviewed at Babble.com by their resident product tester, Lisa Estall! Well enough of me, here is what she had to say:

"For washing baby bottles, pacifiers or just to use to clean your plates, Dapple Dish Liquid is a very eco-friendly cleaning product. Specifically made for babies, it is phtalate-free, paraben free and dye-free.

The ingredients even sound lovely. The solution is made of purified water, baking soda, cleaners derived from fruits, tree oils, and french lavender essential oils.

I’ve been using Dapple Dish Liquid for awhile now and really can tell the difference between this and the regular dish liquid. It leaves no soapy residue so I’m happy that I can wash the baby’s things with this product." http://blogs.babble.com/droolicious/2009/12/11/dapple-dish-liquid-for-babies/

Toys for Tots

The holidays are a time for loving, sharing, and especially giving. The Marine Toys For Tots Foundation "collects new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distributes those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted."

Yesterday afternoon, I went to the Toys "R" Us flagship store in Times Square to meet some of their team members, and to ensure that there is enough Dapple for all of you to buy! I had seen the Toys for Tots army truck parked right outside and I had a great idea! I bought some Dapple Toy and Surface Cleaner spray and wipes, "marched" outside, and gave the Marine standing in the truck the bundle of wipes and sprays!

So Please Spread The Word! The Toys for Tots foundation is a truly great cause, as every child should have a new toy (or something to clean it with) for Christmas! Happy Holidays!

Cute and Little! Our Illustrations

Dapple was created by two moms, Dana and Tamar, when they couldn't find any natural cleaners that would safely and effectively clean their daughter's baby bottles. Being moms themselves, they created Dapple with the knowledge of all the little details that matter the most to moms. Dapple Baby Bottle & Dish Liquid has an extra-large pump head to enable mom's with no free hands to "dish out" the Dish Liquid (heh heh) with an elbow, an arm or even a little hand. The Baby Bottle & Dish Liquid formula is low-suds so busy moms don't have to spend a while rinsing their baby bottles. The harshest chemical we use is baking soda, letting moms who worry too much, worry a lot less. These are just some of the features that really sets Dapple apart from other organic baby products.
Our old labels were very informative and detailed, but for a mom who needs to make a fast decision on the fly, all the detail might have been a little superfluous. Our new Baby Bottle & Dish Liquid label features cute, little illustrations that help moms really understand what we do best!

Baby Bottles - Dapple Baby Bottle & Dish Liquid is formulated specifically to remove milk film and odor from baby bottles. It is how we all started!
Sippy Cups - Our Dish Liquid isn't just for babies, you can use it for toddlers too!
Pacifiers - The peace of mind that anything you clean with Dapple is safe for even the most sensitive mouths!
Breast Pumps - Get's out that milk film and odor from all those hard to reach nooks and crannies!
Grown-Up Dishes - Dapple Baby Bottle & Dish Liquid is so effective, it works great on all dishes!
Pots and Pans - Strong enough to handle even the messiest pan, but still gentle enough to use for babies!

Earthly Delights!

We just got reviewed! Parent Guide News wrote a great piece on Dapple called "Earthly Delights."
As we are always respectful, Dapple is quoted as being "being gentle to Mother Earth."
"In today’s world, being environmentally conscious is becoming increasingly important to families. To clean up your clan’s act around the house in terms of using wipes, toy cleaners and dish-washing liquids, look into Dapple’s products."

To skip the middleman and read the review in it's entirety, click here!

Times Square!

Yesterday the Dapple team went to hand out samples outside of the largest toy store in the world, the Toys "R" Us in Times Square. It was a beautiful day and there were so many parents and kids enjoying the warm, sunny weather. There were even two fashion photo shoots going on right near where we were sampling!
We had a great time letting people know that they could clean their baby bottles, sippy cups, and breast pumps in an effective, natural way. The weather is supposed to be beautiful again tomorrow, October 22nd, and we are going to be handing out more FREE Samples outside of the buybuyBaby in Chelsea! Come say HI!

Pasta Bolognese!

Meet Luna, a team member at Dapple. Last night Luna made pasta bolognese (pasta with yummy meat sauce) for her fiance, Dan. As Luna recounts it, she was walking into the living room holding two heaping plates of pasta when the one in her right hand just slid off the plate. Shocked, Luna looked at the plate in her left hand and saw that it too was headed south. The pasta and meat sauce got EVERWHERE. Sauce on the walls, the floor, Luna, Dan, and his WHITE COUCH.
Desperate, Dan tried saving his white couch from the grasp of the meat sauce using heavy soap and water, but to no avail. Just then, Luna remembered that she had brought home some Toy Cleaner spray from work when Dan had moved into his apartment. She also remembered someone telling her that they used Dapple Toy Cleaner spray to clean their white carpet when it got stained. Luna decided to give it a try. She sprayed a little Toy Cleaner to combat that meat sauce, scrubbed a little, and......... Voila! The stain disappeared! Unfortunately though, so had Luna and Dan's dinner.

It is of complete coincidence that this event happened a few days after the blog post about cleaning the Pyrex dish. Today, Luna had no leftovers to bring for lunch, so we are ordering in. Have a GREAT WEEKEND!!!

Made Mother Proud!

My mother has an old Pyrex measuring cup dating back to the 197o's that functions as a very large tea cup when the weather calls for it (to dispense not to drink). Through the years tea stains have made themselves at home in "Ol Pyrex" and have stayed there for about two decades. My mother has tried for all of these years to remove the tea stains, but no conventional dish liquid has done the trick. A month ago, while visiting my folks, I proposed a challenge. I would try to remove the tea stains using Dapple!

I scrubbed those stubborn tea stains off in about a half a minute, using elbow grease, a sponge, and a dollop of Dapple. My mother was very proud and offered me to come over and wash the dishes anytime. I love making mother proud!

Yummy!

Cookies and Cupcakes are amazingly delicious, but they aren't always nutritious. It took three moms to devise a bakery that makes baked from scratch delicious cookies, muffins, bars, cakes, cupcakes and doughnuts packed with meaningful nutrients in right size portions. Their result, the "smart baking company"Three Tablespoons, is.......yes! delicious and nutritious!!!!!

If you just take a quick look-see at that picture above yonder you will probably become quite hungry. I did.

They promise to make everything with 100% whole grain flours, load everything with vegetables, fruits, beans and seeds, and make sure everything is mostly vegan, except when honey is used. In addition, all their products are baked primarily with organic ingredients, are all dairy-free and egg-free, made with all-natural sweeteners, never refined and are free of trans-fats and hydrogenated oils. Their final promise is to make sure everything is "always delicious!" Check them out, and begin a healthy diet of cookies, doughnuts, and cupcakes!

http://www.threetablespoons.com

Play Dough!

My two favorite arts and crafts projects growing up were making tie dye t-shirts and PLAY DOUGH!! I haven't made play dough in years...... so when I came across instructions for making play dough, I just had to share them with you! The instructions are courtesy or Mom Tips by Life Tips. Here they are!

Mix 2 1/2 cups of flour with 1/2 cup of salt. Add 2 envelopes of kool-aid (any flavor except lemonade). Meanwhile, bring 2 cups of water to the boil. Add the boiling water and 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the dry ingredients. Mix together. Be careful, it will be hot for a little while. Let the kids play with the scented dough. Dough can be stored in plastic bags for a few days.

Recycling Soup

Here at Dapple HQ we only use recycled Paper Towels to wipe our hands, and recycled Toilet Paper to..... well I'm sure you can figure it out. We got a new batch of both today, and I wanted to share something that most people don't know about recycling...... how paper is recycled!

Once recyclable paper is collected, it is compacted into bales and transported to the mill. At the mill, it is mixed with hot water to make soup; steamy, hot, and delicious recycling soup. The soup is purified using screens and filters, then is washed to remove inks. After cleaning, the pulp is pressed, dried, and converted into paper, cardboard, or take out containers (not limited to these three)! That is how recycling works! RECYCLE!!!!

Weekend!

The weekend is finally here! Spend your time outside with your children before it gets too cold. Perhaps you would rather relax. That sounds even better. Have a great weekend!

Do it for Your Baby

"A recent study published from Norway by Obstetrics and Gynecology has shown a direct relationship between exercising during pregnancy and prevention of excessive weight gain in newborns. Reduction of birth weight by regular exercise can be as great as 23–28%!"

Not to be positive or anything: "There is an increasing trend worldwide towards heavier birth weights. Birth weight is an important predictor of morbidity, infant survival, later childhood size, heart disease and diabetes in later life." If you are not pregnant...... you can still exercise.... it's baby safe!

AHA!

This is one of the most interesting and useful pieces of information we have heard in a long time. "When choosing which line will be the fastest at the grocery store, it might surprise you to learn that the "express" lane may not always be the best choice. The number of people in line adds more to the wait time than the number of items each person has in their cart!" A math teacher named Dan Meyer came up with this theory.

""When you add one person to the line, you're adding 48 extra seconds to the line length (that's "tender time" added to "other time") without even considering the items in her cart. Meanwhile, an extra item only costs you an extra 2.8 seconds. Therefore, you'd rather add 17 more items to the line than one extra person!"" http://lifehacker.com/5369876/how-to-choose-the-fastest-line-at-the-market?skyline=true&s=i

Jenny Mccarthy

A little while ago, we met a celebrity. A very sweet, fun, and beautiful celebrity. We met Jenny Mccarthy!

Reducing Waste (into something else)...

Every so often we hear about great new products on the market that are truly from highly sustainable sources. This is a product made from what probably is the most sustainable stuff on earth........ Poop!!! It is amazing that people have the ability to create something green and clean out of what is the epitome of waste. You must read this........ thegreenmomreview.com

Getting to Know Your Neighbors

Don't you always wish you knew the story behind the items you bought? We are now sold at Abe's Market, an online retailer specializing in all-natural goods. Abe's provides the story behind every product they sell. It is quite inspiring to read all of the reasons that motivate people to start their own companies. They also have an awesome logo. Check them out!

Reviews!

Everyone enjoys a good compliment. Yesterday, we got three. We were featured as the product of the day at Kids Today magazine http://www.kidstodayonline.com . We also got glowing reviews from the "Moma to the littlest lovebug," http://momalovebug.blogspot.com , and from one very satisfied Minnesota Mama, http://www.minnesotamamasmusthaves.com . We hope you enjoy these reviews. We sure did.

We Are Back!!!!

For the past month, we have been trying to login to our blog, but our old password and sign in didn't work for some reason. We finally reset the password and the login info and here we are! This blog will be updated (almost) daily from now on. Elliot of the roadtrippers is going to be the in-house blogger at Dapple. (I am writing about myself). We aren't on a roadtrip, but the blog will contain constant updates from the green world, the baby world, the kid world, and any other world that is fun and interesting. It will be fun!!

Elliot

BUY BUY BABY - WE HAVE ARRIVED!!!

Thank You!

After 7000 miles, 21 States, and thousands of new Dapple fans, we have arrived back in New York! It was great to meet so many of you and see so many different places. Although we have finished this road trip, we are soon going to the West Coast to Dapple and spread cheer throughout the masses. Our Blog will Continue to be Updated often from our NYC headquarters. So keep reading, we have many more fun little snippets to share with you. Thank you for "keeping up with us."

This is a Thank You, Not a Goodbye...... Thank You!! - Elliot and Rachel

New Recruit

We were in Skokie, Il stuffing samples and we were in dire need of a new recruit. Rachel had fallen asleep! We searched extensively and found....Gabriel!!!

Cute Baby!

We saw the cutest baby in Downers Grove, IL. We just had to show you!

Buy Buy Chicago

We Dappled the Buy Buy Baby team in Downers Grove, IL (a suburb of Chicago). Is it just me or does our team look happier?

Buy Buy Coral Springs

The Dapple founders joined our road trip.. sort of. They Dappled the Buy Buy Baby team in Coral Springs, NJ!

Memphis Mothers of Multiples

Elliot and the Memphis Area Mothers of Multiples group.
He took a whole bunch of ladies out for ice cream.

Bats!!

Yes, Bats with wings! Austin, Texas is the proud home of about 1.5 million Mexican fair-tailed bats, all living under The Congress Ave. Bridge. Very thankful to the Bats for their commitment to 'community service', Austin did not always hold their little friends in such high regard. A little PR campaign let it be known that the bats provide a valuable service, consuming thousands of mosquitoes... and suddenly they were very popular!

Check out the picture of them flying out in waves. (Click on the picture for a better view). Millions of tiny bats filling the sky may sound scary, but these are just fruit bats and it is actually very cool to see.

Balloons & Bibs

We were very popular at The Grove in Austin, TX.... The balloons & free give-aways had nothing to do with it... It was simply our charm

Dapple on TV!!

Full of Joi!!!

We met Joi in San Antonio, Texas today. Joi is a midwife for the Texas Midwives Group and is honestly one of the most enthusiastic people we have ever met.


In case you were wondering, Joi is not a black blob, this is what she actually looks like.

Breakfast in Texas

Sunset In The Panhandle

Genius Jones

Thank You Genius Jones for hosting a DappleFest in Miami, Florida. Definitely stop by one of their stores, they are awesome- I think I would have been picked on less in the playground if my mom & dad had shopped there.


The Yamini family and their newest addition were surprised to see us at Genius Jones. We tried to Dapple them- but as they already own our entire product line, they told us to save the samples for others.

Toad on the Road

We stopped off to visit The International Kids Zone in West Palm Beach Florida, and we saw that the frog had already been Dappled.... So we left.

Rachel's Secret Super Power?

Two Times a Charm? Where I go Babies follow. I arrived in West Palm Peach, FL and that day my friend gave birth to a beautiful baby boy- Three weeks early!

Once again Dapple rearranged our itinerary so that I could visit Baby Boy Knoll (name to be determined), his glowing parents, and adorable Baby Brother- who is apparently a big dapple fan.......

OK maybe it was just the bright colors & beautiful baby girl on the sample. After all, Azi is an accomplished flirt at the ripe age of 15 months.

Our Subtle Ride

We pull up to the stop light minding our own business and then we notice that everyone seems to be staring at us... it takes us a second or two and then we remember...

We Never Stop Working

Wondering what we do when we are not visiting day care centers, hospitals, parks... or driving?

We shop for supplies... and sometimes the Dapplemobile catches the eye of someone in the parking lot. Check out what our friend, who may or may not be affiliated with a certain store, had to say...

UTOPIA???

Do all siblings play nicely here?

Peach Throwdown

Lessons from the road; inspired by a 7 ton peach.

Ever heard of the Gaffney Peachoid water tower? Can't miss it if you are driving down I-85 between Charlotte and Spartanburg South Carolinia (which we just passed). Figured it was prudent to find out more about the big peach before posting the picture on our blog, and in our research we stumbled accross a very interesting story.... apparently the Peach Crown of the south may not belong to Georgia- it is a disputed title.

On March 2, 2006 Governor Bob Riley of Alabama received a bill to be signed into law making the peach the official State "tree fruit" of Alabama

Georgia, the "Peach State", had to speak up..... "Georgia is the Peach State. We're known internationally as the Peach State. We have always been the Peach State, and we think we have the best peaches in the world.... We probably grow 10 times as many peaches as they do." (Robert Dickey, past president of the Georgia Peach Council and a fourth-generation peach grower)

What did Alabama have to say?..... "If you've ever tasted Alabama peaches, you'd throw rocks at Georgia." (Representative James Martin of Chilton County, Alabama)

How did Georgia react?..... "I didn't realize Alabama had any peaches at all." (Thomas Irvin, Georgia's agricultural commissioner)

But what about South Carolina?..... They are " just fine as frog hair" with Alabama's bill. "South Carolina welcomes Alabama to the peachy keen bandwagon." (South Carolina Peach Council)

Was South Carolina truly that gracious about sharing the Peach Crown?..... "South Carolina welcomes Alabama to the peach community and invites consumers to 'Taste the Difference'..... South Carolina is The Tastier Peach State" (South Carolina Peach Council)

I guess we will have to taste peaches while traveling through all three states to officially determine who's peaches reign supreme.

Truckin'

We have done a lot of driving the past three days; we meaning Elliot. There is only one reason for this - ok maybe two, Rachel is a horrible driver, and.................. (Hint: Watch the video)

Room with a view

Hey guys, good morning. We are currently in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina. The weather is great and the people are really friendly. Last night I looked out of the window and wondered what the view from the room was. This morning I looked out and saw a really beautiful sight. The Greensboro Grasshoppers stadium.


Update: I just looked out again, and there are kids running the bases. I have always wanted to do that and I am quite jealous. - Elliot

MY New Niece Zoey!

My sister just sent me this picture from our first stop on the Dapple Road Trip- the Mt. Sinai Maternity Ward. I arrived from Denver that morning and we were supposed to head straight to Maryland. Thankfully, Dapple insisted that we re-route through New York so that I could see my sister and meet my new niece Zoey. So... Elliot gave out Dapple products to the nurses and left samples for new moms while I surprised my sister and was able to hold my adorable niece.

Virginia

Hello from Virginia!

Today we Dappled four Day Care Centers.

How does it feel to be Dappled? Check out Jenny from Chesterbrook Academy in Sterling.



Meet another friend of ours from Sterling. She schooled us on how to use the Dapple Toy Cleaner! Can you top that?

Dapple Parties in NYC!

Hey guys, Elliot here. On Friday Dapple kicked off our road trip with a fun filled party at the New York Kids Club! The kids had an amazing time rock climbing and jumping on the trampoline. The biggest hit with the kids weren't the Dapple cupcakes, (although they were my favorite part of the party) it was........ the dish soap????!!!!

The trampoline was also really fun!

Meet the Dapple Road Trippers!

I’m Rachel.
A.K.A ‘Aunt Rachel’ or ‘Aunt Ra Ra’ to my nephews, niece and lots of friends. I’m a Dappler from Denver who dabbles in singing wheels on the bus, reading ‘Pajama Time!’, and keeping our environment clean and green

Meet Elliot – that’s me. No kids yet but I’m stocking up on Dapple in anticipation. I am super passionate about keeping it green and am all about the Dapple lavender scent. I hail from Chicago, where it is always sunny and never snows.