bugalug baby hair clips

New Product Launches

2009-01-20T08:23:00.000-08:00

So we've been very busy over the past 6 months, which is easy to see by all the new products on our website. Our much anticipated Soother Savers were set to launch in September, but then, thanks to a comedy of errors, we were able to start shipping them in November, and we are still sorting out a few glitches, however, they are moving along and we have had RAVE reviews!!

All the while, we were behind the scenes securing our two new exclusive headband ribbon designs! These designs will only be available to Bugalug customers! We are so proud of our two new lines, All Girl and Darling Debut. We were able to take these new lines to LA to the Boom Boom Room and we were excited to see which ones the stars picked. I was surprised (perhaps only because I'm a mom of two boys) that the All Girl Pink Polka Dots was the #1 pick, followed by the All Girl Flutterflies (not surprised), All Girl Flowers and then the Darling Debut designs followed. I found that most of the Darling Debut headbands were picked for moms or "older" girls, where the All Girl were a hit with the little ones. But overall, they loved them both.

We also launched our new Pony Loops this month and what a hit they have been! Our online sales have doubled with the launch of these and again, the reviews have been amazing! People love the price, the designs, the selection and the overall simple, yet adorable idea! These Pony Loops are truly one-of-a-kind and another Bugalug innovation. They are on sale for another day or two so I recommend you try one for yourself and let us know what you think! Mom's, these are great for you too, if you are a pony tail wearing girl like myself. :)

Lastly, we have a new barrette line that will launch next week. You all know we don't do embellishments as we want to keep our barrettes as safe as possible, so we found a great alternative! Something to add a little bling to your baby. Keep your eyes out for these. My son has been bugging me for a Transformer line, but i can't imagine there is much of a market for them. LOL!

Valentines is fast approaching and we are all geared up for this girly occasion. We will be launching our Valentines collection this week. Heart ribbon barrettes, Greeting cards and Pony Loops! Please check back later this week, or join our newsletter for more info.

I hope this New Year has started out very positive for each of you and I look forward to sharing 2009 with you and your girls.

All the Best,

Sundi

LA Boom Boom Room was ROCKIN'

2009-01-14T10:48:00.000-08:00

So since I last wrote, it's been a whirlwind around here! November we were busy getting orders to stores and online customers in time for Christmas and just as things were slowing down in December, my family and I went to Mexico to spend the holidays with my Mom and Dad. We had a fabulous time, and didn't miss the snow one bit! (go figure!)

Anyway, we returned in January and within 3 days I was back at it. Unfortunately (ya, right!), I had to fly to LA to attend the Boom Boom Room gifting suite. We had attended the NY one this spring, but didn't meet any A-list celebs, well, we got to meet them this time!

Two days of schmoozing with the likes of Tim Allen, Mr. Big, Ali Landry, Scott Baio and MANY others! We were lucky enough to hand out tons of Bugalug products to these stars, a lot of press and a few average joes, all in the name of charity. Jayneoni Moore, the host of the Boom Boom Room has her own charity called the Jayneoni Moore Children's Fund, "a non-profit organization with a single mission to improve the lives of children living in foster care by providing resources for a healthy lifestyle, exposure to the fine arts, supporting educational, literacy and health care programs.

We were also lucky enough to be asked by Renee Baio to support her charity, the Bailey Baio Angles Foundation, which, of course, we were happy to do. We'll update you further as we get more information.

If you have a fundraiser or charity you'd like Bugalug to help out with, please let us know. We try to help as much as we can.

Anyway, enjoy the pictures and let me know if you spot any celebrities or their kids wearing Bugalug! :)

Sundi

And so these are the days of our lives...

2008-10-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

I always wondered what it would be like to be a celebrity and have people gush over you and get excited about meeting you. I mean really, these are people just like us, so why do we get so excited about them?

Well, I've had my first celebrity experience. I met a woman the other day and we got to talking about our kids and staying home and such. I mentioned how grateful I was to have my business as a means of being challenged, something for me, and in reality, an escape! She asked what I did and I told her I was the owner of Bugalug. We'll you think I had just told her I was really Katie Holmes! She started giggling and saying how excited she was to meet me. How proud she was of me and all of my accomplishments and how much she LOVES our products! I was a little flabbergasted to say the least! I mean really, it's just little ol me. The girl with a husband, 2 kids, a messy house and an empty fridge. Really, why would anyone get excited over that?!

I did an interview with the Calgary herald today and I kept saying "we." (i.e. we started out under a different name, we decided to pursue the US market, etc.) Finally the interviewer asked me who we was and I laughed and said it's really just me, but I've had so much help and support over the last two years, I feel like it should be "we." She laughed a bit too. But really, I find it hard to take the gushing and to just say "me", when there are so many other people involved in my business. So in this blog, I'd like to introduce you to the rest of "me." The people that have helped make Bugalug such a huge success, the "we" team.

First I have to tell you a bit about Erica. She is almost literally my right arm! I hired her a year ago and she has been such a huge help in every aspect of my business, including inspiring me and motivating me to make Bugalug the best it can be. I guess she's kind of like my agent! :)
Then of course, there are the 14+ moms/woman who make all these fabulous products for me, without them there could be no Bugalug!
I have also recently hired my sister in-law to do research and design for me and I truly believe that because of this decision, Bugalug will be taken to new heights.
I also have to thank my parents for their support and encouragement and Lee Ann and Malory for their countless hours helping me to keep it all together.
Finally, my Husband and my boys, for shushing when I'm on the phone and for listening to me when I've hit a wall...and for coming up with some crazy ideas, which make me think I'm not so crazy after all.
Last but not least (when did this turn into a thank you speech!?) I'd like to thank all of the people who love and support Bugalug as much as I do! Keep the ideas coming, the suggestions flowing and the referrals coming! We love you for it!

So really, I'm just little ol me, it's the rest of "me" that makes "me" special. :)

All the best to all of you,

Sundi

Bugalug won the Prairies Regional Mom Entrepreneur Award from Savvy Mom

2008-10-21T06:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks to your support, we were able to claim the prize for the Prairies Regional Mom Entrepreneur award from Savvy Mom!!! Thank you so much for your support!

In order to celebrate, we are going to have a Saleabration! Please use the code winner at checkout to save 25%! Any orders over $25 will still receive the free birthday headband as well!

Thank you again for all of your support and we look forward to doing it all again next year! :)

A HUGE congratulations to the other winners:

"The winner of the 2008 SavvyMom Mom Entrepreneur of the Year award is Martha Scully, founder and CEO of CanadianSitter.ca, founder and CEO of http://online.savvymom.ca/t?r=1246&c=1480810&l=30832&ctl=1ED8E25:54C533CB8138A8795D1A756A57E1DC5DABC4E1E6DC708244& and http://online.savvymom.ca/t?r=1246&c=1480810&l=30832&ctl=1ED8E26:54C533CB8138A8795D1A756A57E1DC5DABC4E1E6DC708244&, online childcare directories for parents and caregivers. As a new mom, Martha struggled to find suitable babysitters (sound familiar?)...and since necessity is the mother of invention, she was inspired to create a better way for families and caregivers to come together..."

"The winner in the Atlantic region is April MacKinnon who owns and operates a lovely online store, Nurtured Products for Parenting in Dartmouth, NS. In Ontario, we’re clapping our hands for Laura Berg from baby and toddler sign language company My Smart Hands in Toronto. For the Prairies region, we’re celebrating children’s hair accessories company Bug a Lug from Calgary. And way out west for BC and Territories, we’re congratulating online publisher, yoyomama.ca from Vancouver. Learn more about our regional winners in the winners’ showcase at http://online.savvymom.ca/t?r=1246&c=1480810&l=30832&ctl=1ED8E2E:54C533CB8138A8795D1A756A57E1DC5DABC4E1E6DC708244&. They each have a great story to share about their success as mom entrepreneurs."

CONGRATS GUYS!!

And the winner is...

2008-10-20T20:57:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow we will all know who the winner of the Savvy Mom Entrepeneur of the year is!

Be sure to watch Canada AM or our website to see if we have won. If Bugalug is lucky enough to claim a prize, we will have a Saleabration on Wednesday! Check here for more details.

Thanks again for all your support.

Sundi

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUGALUG!!!

2008-10-02T12:55:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I know it's been a while since I last wrote, but things have been CRAZY around here! I was in Vegas twice, for a total of 15 days in the month of September. It was a lot of fun and proved to be very successful!

I was so happy to meet a few (about 15!) fellow Canadian entrepreneurs at the ABC Kids Expo. I had been chatting with many of them over email for about 2 years and finally had the chance to see them in person. Posh Mom http://www.poshmom.ca/, Kid Brother http://www.kidbrother.ca/, Mocobabies http://www.mocobabies.com/, Nummies http://www.nummies.com/ and I all shared a space together and it was great being able to promote each others businesses.

Now that I'm back and hard at it (trust me, Erica and I are going CRAZY here it's so busy), I figured it was time to get back at it. So here's what's going on.

1) It's my youngest son's birthday today. He's 3, I'm sad - we're going to Chuck E Cheese. :) Yes, that's him.
2) October is Bugalug's Birthday too! I'm thrilled - we're celebrating by giving everyone who orders over $25 this month a FREE limited edition headband.
3) This is the month we find out who's won the Savvy Mom Award! I've got my fingers crossed. A HUGE thank you to everyone who voted.
4) Our new greeting cards are taking off! I have to thank those of you who did our survey and made the suggestion. I hope you enjoy these handmade cards (local mom!) as much as we do.
5) Our "Soother Savers" will be on the website November 1st! These are NOT your ordinary soother clips.
6) We are so excited to move forward. We have some great things coming our way over the next few months!

We've been in business for 2 years now and we are very proud to say we are in over 250 stores and 6 countries! Our online business is booming and the press we have received lately is incredible. Watch for us at Jayneoni's Boom Boom Room this January and in Pregnancy and Newborn Magazine!

Take care everyone and have a wonderful fall. Enjoy everything to it's fullest and push yourself - you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish!

Take care,

Sundi, Erica and the Bugalug Team (14 moms and growing!)

Clips are considered Jewellery - not toys - yeah!!

2008-06-11T08:58:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone,

So thank you to Health Canada, Snugglebug Baby bows and Ladybugs and Lullabies, we have a consensus that clips - including ours, fall under the category of Jewellery - NOT TOYS. This is great news for everyone who manufactures and buys clips - any clips! :) Due to safety concerns, we are still looking for an alternative to making really small clips, but we are looking for an alternative, so if anyone has any great ideas we'd love to hear it.

Thank you to everyone who has worked hard with Health Canada to make safe products for our kids. Really, it's us as mom's and business owners that have the ultimate responsibility, not a governing body, to keep our kids safe. I'm very proud of our industry as it is obvious that most companies are very concerned with your child's safety.

Have a great day!!

Sundi

Clips are considered Jewellery - not toys - yeah!!

2008-06-11T08:16:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone,

So thank you to Health Canada, Snugglebug Baby bows and Ladybugs and Lullabies, we have a consensus that clips - including ours, fall under the category of Jewellery - NOT TOYS. This is great news for everyone who manufactures and buys clips - any clips! :)

Due to safety concerns, we are still looking for an alternative to making really small clips, but we are looking for an alternative, so if anyone has any great ideas we'd love to hear it.

Thank you to everyone who has worked hard with Health Canada to make safe products for our kids. Really, it's us as mom's and business owners that have the ultimate responsibility, not a governing body, to keep our kids safe. I'm very proud of our industry as it is obvious that most companies are very concerned with your child's safety.

Have a great day!!

Sundi

New York Boom Boom Room!!

2008-05-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

Recently we received an e mail inviting Bugalug to the 1st Big Apple Boom Boom Room in NYC. We were so busy with our other trade shows we almost missed this fantastic opportunity. I got back from the Toronto ELLE show and was reading my emails when I came across the invite. Although it was only a week away, we jumped on the opportunity! One day in a room full of celebrities and media (in New York no less!) - absolutely!

Once we arrived at the Boom Boom Room, we started to get really excited. Not only were we where we needed to be to move our business to the next level, but we were also in a room full of people who were doing the same thing we were! So many moms (and dads) going after a dream - the atmosphere was one of anticipation, excitement and nerves!

Luckily, the Family Fun Fair, ELLE show and Women's show helped us prepare for the Boom Boom Room. We had a table we were very proud of and we got a great response from media and celebrities alike! Although many people had seen non-slip clips in the past, they were all very impressed with our innovative silicon grip strip and super innovative headbands. So simple, yet so effective! After a lot of hard work, research and countless set backs, it was so reassuring to know that I was on the right path. Thank you for this fabulous experience!

Here are some pictures from the Boom Boom Room:

A few NEW favorite companies to check out:

http://www.mamaom.com/

http://http://lollitopsusa.com/

http://www.vintagekids.com/

http://www.incog-neato.com/

http://www.tomtotes.com/

http://www.ochanga.com/

Are Smaller Clips deemed unsafe?

2008-05-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

REVISED:

Hello,

We have had so many requests for a smaller clip for younger babies. So Bugalug has been doing a TON of research, trying to come up with the perfect solution. In our research, however, it occurred to us that perhaps a smaller clip is not the best solution, as a smaller clip is obviously geared for smaller children (under 3) and it is obviously a serious choking hazard.

We had received information from Health Canada that the hair clips would in fact fall under the category of "toys" which meant that they would be deemed unsafe as they are too small to be used on babies. We have recently been informed by Snugglebug Baby Bows that they are working hard with Health Canada to make sure they meet and exceed all Health Canada regulations. Kudos! I'm interested to hear what the outcome will be (hopefully she was able to speak with someone who knows what they are talking about!)

Either way, for now, we will not add embellishments to our clips, as we are still concerned with your child's safety, and those small embellishments could be removed and become a choking hazard. For this same reason, we are putting off producing a smaller clip as we want to provide the highest quality, safest product we can for our customers. We have even made our headbands 2 inches longer, which allows you to tie a knot at the ends to prevent the toggle from falling off. (we are working on an even better method too!)

I hope this information has not confused or concerned too many parents. This was information I had been given and I wanted to pass it along so parents could make informed decisions.

So, when you are choosing your clips, whether they are Bugalug or another great brand, make sure you are looking closely at the safety and quality of the product to protect your little one from any harm. We are please to recommend www.snugglebugbabybows.ca in the meantime.

Take care,

The Bugalug Team.

Cutest BUG!!!

2008-04-11T19:10:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone that entered our cutest bug contest! The response was overwhelming and - seriously - my customers have the CUTEST little girls!

It was hard to choose, but after asking a panel of 5 judges, we finally choose the winners!

1st Place and winner of a $100 gift certificate at http://www.bugalugbaby.com/ was Renee with her adorable Love Child Flowers headband. So sweet!

It was a tie for 2nd and 3rd! Both Rachael and Naomi received a $25 Gift Certificate!

I have to post some hounorable mentions too, as I said, it was so hard to choose. I will post these pictures in the next week or two!

I the meantime, make sure you check out our new Luscious Orange barrettes and watch for us at the Elle Show in Toronto and the Calgary Women's Show in Calgary!

Take care,

The Bugalug Team!

Swanky Moms Contest

2008-02-27T10:49:00.000-08:00

Check out our prize this week at Swanky Moms!!

Who is the cutest "BUG?"

2008-02-07T21:06:00.001-08:00

Our Cutest BUG contest is now OPEN!!

Send us a picture of your little bug wearing one of our little bugs and you could win BUG - I mean BIG!!!

Please send your entries to contact@bugalugbaby.com . Be sure to include your name, your "Bug's" name, home address, email address and the age of the child.

1st prize is a $100 gift certificate to spend at www.bugalugbaby.com !! 2nd and 3rd prizes will be $25 to spend.

Enter now as this contest will buzz out of here April 1st, 2008.

Good luck!

Sundi & Erica

We're Here!!

2008-01-30T21:16:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my 1st ever blog! I'm so excited to be here. I'm excited to share all the developments that Bugalug is undertaking as well as share a bit of fun with all of you.

Our blogs will be sparatic I'm sure, however, there will be at least one per month. This will coinside with our monthly newlettter. If you'd like to receive the newsletter, be sure to sign up! Just click on "My Account" at the top of the page and sign in!

A HUGE thank-you to Lance at Popular Baby Products for the fabulous review in December! Be sure to check out their site at www.popularbabyproducts.com

Bugalug has far surpassed my wildest expectations and the fun has just begun. In September of 2007, we switched out our magnets for a much better, much safer and way more innovative gripping system. After a TON of research and testing, we finally came up with the perfect non-slip grip and once we launched this, we are proud to say we are truly the BEST non slip clip on the market today. We are very pround of our high quality clips. We use the best ribbon and our innovative "glueless" technology - what a compliment -our compeitors are trying to imitate this. As well, we "finish" off our barrettes where our competition ends by wrapping our ribbon ALL the way around the clip AND putting an added piece inside the back of the clip so you can't see the underside of the ribbon (now you are looking aren't you!).

Then in Ocotber we launched our headbands which have been a HUGE hit. These innovative headbands are the 1st of thier kind. They are designed to stay on, and can fit infant to adults. They are super comfy and some of them are reversible (again, you are checking - aren't you!?).

Please remember to tie a knot at the bottom of the ribbons if you are going to use these on children under 6 as the toggel can come off and become a chocking hazard OR get LOST!

We have BIG plans in the works and we are excited to share these with you - and now that I'm a "blogger" I can!

I wish you all a WARM spring (it needs to come fast) and a fabulous Valentines Day. Make sure to set some time aside for your Family if you are lucky enough to have Family Day off.

Be sure to enter our photo contest in February. We are looking for the cutest "BUG". More details to follow via BLOG, newsletter and Home page info box.

Take care,

Sundi and the Bugalug team

coming soon!

2007-12-02T12:47:00.001-08:00

check back soon for our grand opening!