A Blanket Story With A Happy Ending

If you have ever had any experience with us at Blanket My Baby, you may know that we pride ourselves on excellent customer service.  Our goal is to offer the widest selection of baby blankets on the web at the best prices.  We want to be the only thing that comes to mind when you need a baby blanket for your family or for a friend.   And anytime there are customer service issues, we try to over deliver and give you an excellent experience.

Well, this last week a customer service issue creeped up when one of our customers, Megan from Colorado, ordered a “Sloppy George” blanket from us.  The Sloppy blankets we have on our site are from AllyZabba.  So, we don’t keep them in stock, but pass on the goodness to you because they are such cute, handmade blankets!  Unfortunately for Megan, when we went to contact AllyZabba to send her the blanket, we learned that they didn’t manufacture it any more.  (Yes, this was a mistake on our end for having the product on the site, but we have since corrected it.  By the way, it’s OK to admit your mistakes!)  So, this is where the story gets good.  Let me share the story through some back and forth emails between us and Megan:

Hi Megan,

Thank you so much for your order!  Unfortunately, the “Sloppy” blanket you ordered is no longer manufactured by our partner.  I wanted to give you a couple of options:

1.  Choose “sloppy” another blanket from this page – http://www.blanketmybaby.com/allyzabba
2.  Choose a different blanket on our site (if less, we will refund the difference)
3.  Ask for a full refund

So sorry for the inconvenience!  Please let me know if you have any questions.

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Eric-

Thanks for getting back to me!

I am so sorry to have to do this, but can I take you up on the refund?

I am hoping against hope to find a “George” because I need to replace my son’s blanket that he dropped walking to school last week.  I may end up replacing it with a similar blanket, but the blanket was given to him by my daughters, and I believe that they are more attached to it than he is!

If I end up (reluctantly) replacing it with another blanket- I’ll return to your site!

Thanks so much- sorry for the hassle,
Megan Kelly

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Megan,

No problem.  I will issue the refund tonight.  FYI, I asked the manufacturer about these blankets and got this message in return, “The George blanket has been discontinued since July 2009. So sorry for the inconvenience.”  So, you’ll have to find it at another retailer who carried Allyzabba.  Good luck!

Best,
Eric

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Eric-

Here’s an unexpected but happy ending to our blanket saga: My nine-year old daughter posted “Lost Blanket” posters all over our neighborhood last week (on behalf of her brother!)  Somebody actually found the blanket and returned it tonight.

The Discontinued Sloppy George That Found Its Way Home

We will find another reason to return to your website and purchase something- amazing products and amazing customer support.  Thank you!

Warmly,
Megan

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Megan,

Hooray!  That is an awesome story!  Thank you so much for sharing.  Would you mind if I share that on our blog?  I just think it’s adorable, and who doesn’t love happy endings?

Also, thank you so much for the compliments on our business.  That means so much!

Best,
Eric

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Absolutely!

And- congrats on you and your wife’s pregnancy!

Drew- who is 22 months- is our surprise baby.  Sophie is almost 10 years old- and she’s full of faith that blankets (and stuffed animals and all beloved toys) have means to return to their kids, as long as their kids are keeping an eye out.  I am delighted that she was proven correct. Blankets have powerful influence in a child’s life- not only as a means of security and stability, but also as tangible evidence of the love and loyalty of the one who gave it.  Hooray for blankets!

Warmly,
Megan

Well, if you made it to the end of the story, first you are a trooper (there wasn’t much editing there), but you’ll see that everyone is happy.  We refunded Megan’s order in full, and her daughter had her blanket come back to her loving arms.  How fun!

(Thanks Megan for letting us share!!!)

Maternity Pictures Preview

Last weekend, one of Witni’s friends from work gave up her Saturday to come and take some maternity pics.  We are so grateful!  Thanks Anne and Deacon!  Her little boy was a trooper while mom worked with Witni on some beautiful pictures.  She did such a beautiful job, and we only have a preview of her work, but I couldn’t keep from sharing any longer.  I had to post pictures of my beautiful wife and her bump.  I had heard of people referring to the “pregnancy glow” before, but I had no idea how beautiful it would make my wife.  There is just something about your wife carrying your child that is absolutely amazing.

Anyway, let me share some of these beautiful photos.  Most were done at our house, with a few lighting and setup tricks.  (I was cooking some homemade pasta sauce during the event, except for a few cameos).  After we exhausted our house location, we went to the Anderson Town Center to finish up.  They have some really beautiful locations, and we used their artwork inside as a background.  Well, without further ado…

You can see more at Anne’s blog here.  She is making a full CD for us, so hopefully, I’ll get to add more in the future.

Nursery Work & Date Night

It’s another Saturday night and are the soon to be parents out on a hot date?  Not so much.  G.G. is here (gorgeous grandma), and she and my wife are busy working in the nursery again.  All the nesting is coming to a peak as we are less than a month away from this new little miracle to join our lives.  I played my part today and hung a light fixture (only one call to my Dad, thank you very much) and screwed in a door hanger that is tree and bird themed.  Outside of that, it was work around the house on some other chores, tend to my garden and workout.  Now, I’m off to the store to get some homemade pico de gallo ingredients to go with all my great romas!

I can’t say we are all baby all the time.  Yesterday at work, my wife was about to call me and ask for a night out.  Little did she know that I had already made a reservation at Buca di Beppo for a date night.  When she got back to her desk, the email for our romantic evening out was awaiting her.  She called to say thanks and that it was the one restaurant she wanted to go to.  Score one for this guy!  We ate a yummy lasagna dish, and for a $10 coupon off of a $20 meal, it was not an expensive night out at all.  While I was planning to go to Yagoot for the Sztanyo creation (rasberries, Cap’n Crunch and dark chocolate chips), my wife had been craving The Cheesecake Factory.  So, off we went from Rookwood to Kenwood and about a half hour later, we enjoyed a piece of white chocolate rasberry cheesecake at Panera with some hazelnut coffee.  MMmmmm.  We were stuffed!  But at the end of a work week, it was great to take my wife out on a date and be together.  We figure date nights may be rare in the near future, so we should enjoy them now.

Closer and Closer to Our Delivery

I went with my wife, Witni to our 34 week checkup yesterday.  Our baby is going to be hear in about 5 weeks!  It is becoming more and more real.  I know for her, in this third trimester, it is beyond real.  That baby is moving and kicking like crazy!  It’s amazing to see this person grow inside of my wife, and I can’t wait to meet him or her.  Yes, it will be a surprise for us both.  We did not figure out what it was when we had the ultrasound.  We’ve had mixed reactions on that choice, but we are both very excited about that moment.

Now, I’m getting all prepared for the labor myself.  I finished reading Natural Childbirth, the Bradley Method, and I am ready to be a good coach.  We’ve even been practicing our relaxation exercises.  As I’ve talked with a lot of fathers about when their children were born, many were not involved in the delivery.  Often times I hear of those who waited in the hospital or even somewhere else for a call that the baby was born.  I can certainly understand on how that was a cultural norm for men, but I received a very thought provoking statement from a friend and a father of 5 on Sunday.  He said, “this is the last thing that you and your wife will ever do alone together.”  That is not only a powerful statement, but true!  If this is the last event that my wife and I get to do together before this baby comes, I want it to be a shining example of us working together as a team.  Early on in the pregnancy, I considered this job to me my wife’s, but now, I see that I can play a very important, caring, loving and serving role in the birth of our baby.  It’s the same role I plan on fulfilling as a father.

Right now, I’m watching a documentary Netflix called The Business of Being Born.  It’s very interesting.  I know I was unclear on the role of a midwife not a long time ago.  But now, I am pretty firm in believing this is an excellent way to give birth.  Our goal is to get through much of the labor at home, but then we will be meeting the midwife at the hospital when we are further along.  It may not be the choice for everyone, but this is the way we are going.

I can’t wait for this baby to come!  Life changing.  Life altering.  Thrilling.  Exciting.  How do you describe this event?  I’m sure, as in many things in life, you can’t explain, but only have to experience.  Here’s a picture of my wife and I at an awards banquet she was nominated for recently.  She’s so beautiful!

And some baby shower pictures…

Great Grandmas to Be!

Mom and Sister

At a Baby Shower at Work

Mothers in Need

Over the past few weeks, my wife and I have been blown away by the amount of generosity we’ve seen from family and friends at our baby showers.  Love has been poured out on us in more ways than one.  My wife was going through her registry on Target, and we got basically every item on the list.  Toys, clothes, diapers, wipes, and even blankets – we were given so much.  We even got the car seats and strollers we asked for.

With all this generosity, I was just reflecting on how blessed we are to have people who love and care for us.  As I thought further, I was thinking of how many mothers do not have this kind of support system around them.  With our family, friends and church, there are so many people who care for us.  But I am not naive to think that every mother has that luxury.  I know there are hundreds and thousands of mothers who are heading into motherhood with no one to lean on, no one to give support.  I can’t imagine the anxiety that comes with facing motherhood alone.

None of us can live this life alone.  We all need help.  So, if you know of a mother in need, reach out and lend a helping hand.  My wife and I have been a part of supporting a great organization like this one by our home.  It helps young mothers in all sorts of ways.  If you can and have the opportunity, please look in your neighborhood on how you can help mothers in need.

Our Labor Ward Hospital Tour

Well, my wife and I went on our hospital tour last night.  We are 33 weeks now with our first baby, so we are doing everything we can to get prepared for this baby.  The final touches on our nursery are being finished.  We are doing a tree theme.  It’s based off of Psalms 1, if you are interested.  Also, I am about 15 chapters into reading about the Bradley method and being a coach for my wife.  She’s anxious for me to finish reading.

The tour was good, but it left us both a little unsatisfied.  We were glad to see the rooms and know where we would go in an emergency.  However, our tour guide took about an hour and a half to tell us what we could have learned in 15 minutes and a handout.  With about 12 pregnant women and their significant others, it was a bit long.  Though, I am happy with the hospital.  We get a whole room to ourselves, which is great.  And I know I’ll be ordering plenty of room service.

Along with the hospital tour and labor books, we’ve had some showers too.  I’m in awe from all of the kindness poured out on us by friends and family.  Everyone is helping us prepare for this new life to enter the world!  We can’t wait.  Thank you, thank you to everyone who has given us baby shower gifts!  We’re so lucky to have a good support system.

We also can’t wait to deck our baby out in these great swaddlers and get them a personalized baby blanket as well.  Oh, and if you don’t know, we have the lowest prices on aden & anais, and if you to our Facebook page, we have a coupon code posted for an additional 10% off.  You can’t beat it.

Ok, I’ll leave you with some nursery pics!

aden + anais cozy swaddles are here!

Blanket My Baby is offering aden + anais cozy swaddles to add to our terrific line of this industry leading brand.  We have five different prints to choose from, and they are all adorable!  The great thing about these blankets is that they are composed of the same muslin cotton that you love, but they just have a double layer of it.

It’s 96 degrees in Cincinnati today and cozy swaddles may be the last thing on your mind, but just like the ant and the squirrel, we believe in hard work and preparation.  So yes, while it’s hot and all you may be able to think about now is how to escape the heat, soon enough, Old Man Winter will come blowing in.  These blankets are perfect for cool walks in the park and cold nights at home.  While keeping your baby warm, they still breathe well so that baby will not overheat.

The blankets are perfect for swaddling as well as play blankets, stroller blankets, and a number of other functional uses.  The large 47 x 47 size gives you plenty of options.  Enjoy.  Find them all here!

New! Personalized Baby Pillows

In an effort to expand our personalized line of products, which so many of you love, we are now offering personalized baby pillows!  Yes, we are still BLANKET My Baby, but what goes better with a blanket than a pillow?

Right now, you can get these pillows in blue, pink or brown.  The design on the front is a cute baby looking plaid with a large white space in the middle so that the name when embroidered will really pop.  You can choose to get a personalized gift with a first name or choose to monogram the pillow. The pillow can be taken out of the pillow case to be washed if necessary, but we also have a velcro backing so that when your child walks around, it won’t be with just a pillow case.

Right now, these pillows go for $30.95 with a $5 fee if you want them personalized.  Choose your font and color thread.  PLUS, my favorite part is that the back of the pillow is composed of a super soft minky dot material.  So, not only will they have their name, but they’ll love cuddling with this pillow.  Check out the pics below.

Share Blanket My Baby & Earn Up To 40% OFF!!!

It’s really simple.  We love our Facebook Fans, and we know you love saving money!  Why not combine the two?  If you invite your friends to our Facebook Page and they “LIKE” it, you will get a coupon, up to 40% off your next purchase of aden + anais, Angel Dear Blankies or Swaddle Designs Lovies from our site.  Sweet, right?

All you have to do is use the “Suggest This” tab on our Facebook page. First, confirm that you are a fan.  Then, invite your Facebook Friends and if they become a Fan by “Likeing” our page, we will create a coupon code for you.  1 friend = 1% off.  40 friends = 40% off!!!  Thanks to the Suggest This application, we are able to track how many invitations you send out and how many of your friends accept.  At the end of 2 weeks, if you have had 40 friends “Like” our page, we’ll send you a coupon code for that amount.

And don’t forget, every friend who accepts can use the 10% of promo code, AND they are eligible for the contest as well!

Tips:

• Be sure you “Add A Personal Message” when inviting your friends, letting them know that they get a discount of 10% off.
• Invite your friends who would be interested in our Fan Page.  We share great tips, news, and giveaways for moms.
• Reap the rewards!!!

Rules:

• The contest will last for 2 weeks, ending on Thursday, July 15th at 11:59pm PDT.  At the end, we will create coupon codes for everyone who participated and send them to you.
• The coupon code we send you may only be used to purchase aden + anais 4 packs or 2 packs, Angel Dear Blankies and Swaddle Designs Lovies.  The coupon may also be used for personalization.
• Your custom coupon code will be determined by how many of your friends accepted your request to LIKE Blanket My Baby’s Facebook page.  ie, 1 friend = 1% off, 15 friends = 15% off, 27 friends = 27% off, etc.

So, good luck!  Start inviting your friends and rack up your coupon rewards!

Click HERE to go to our store.

Click HERE to go to our Facebook Page.

Bonus:

• Add 5% to your coupon total (still a max of 40%) if you blog about this contest, link to our site, and then send us a link to your blog post.

Become a Facebook Fan and get 10% Off!

For those of you haven’t joined our Facebook Fan page yet, what are you waiting for?  Not only do you get great tips, news, access to giveaways and a fun community to share with, but you get 10% off on your order at Blanket My Baby. 

We already offer the cheapest prices on the web for aden and anais 4 packs, but now you can even get a deeper discount.  Most online boutiques sell these muslin wraps for $44, but we have them going for $38.95.  Plus, take an additional 10% off with your Facebook code.

To sign up, simply click here to go to our Facebook page.  Make sure you click LIKE for us.  The code is not automatic, but when you go to our Facebook page, you will be able to find it easily.  Come back to our store and use it at checkout to save a little extra green.  It’s that easy!  Enjoy!