Feature: Teething Bonbons™

The sewing machines have been buzzing in the Blue Room all week! I've had a few orders to fill and plenty of preparation for the upcoming Moss Street Christmas Market. It's an exciting time. I finished over 60 Teething Bonbons™ this week and thought now would be a good time to share with you how the Bonbon was born.

This year, many parents turned a keen ear and eye to every news cast that mentioned the recall of children's products. The reality of global manufacturing set in - it's hard to truly know how something has been made and to trust the safety of products marketed for children. Before this new(ish) era of product recall and worry, Little R's papa and I had already been considering the kinds of objects she would play with - especially the ones that would end up in her mouth! Little R started to teeth early and I began all manner of experimentation with organic toys, face cloths and natural wooden toys to sooth her discomfort, all with varying degrees of success. Then, in late summer at the Moss Street Market, a parent asked if I made any teething products ... sparking me to spend the following week consulting my earlier 'test results' as I designed a practical, yet fun solution to help ease teething pain. I weighed the pros and cons of each of the methods I tried with Little R, took the best of each and came up with Teething Bonbons™.



Teething Bonbons™ Feature:

• Organic Cotton - certified and safer
  
• Soft Stuffed Centre - making grasping easy and comfortable for little hands (doesn't get cold!)
  
• Two Knots - just the right size for a good chomp and hard, yet yielding, when frozen
  
• Easy to Clean - washer/dryer friendly
  

To Use

• Soak the knots in cooled, boiled water and toss them into the freezer till needed. The baby chews on the frozen knots while their hands are kept warm with the wool centre.

And they couldn’t be more convenient! Teething Bonbons™ work just as well when not frozen given the density of the flannel knots, and are available in 3 different stitch colours so you can keep track of which Bonbon is on the go.



For December: $7 per Bonbon (Reg $9, $24 for Set of 3)

I can't seem to find the strike through option for the "For December" pricing listed above ...
NOTE: As of Jan 2008 the Bonbon pricing has changed, and they are no longer available in sets unless by Special Order (send me an email to arrange a Special Order).




The Making of the Bonbon

I use certified organic cotton flannel for the body of the Bonbons and begin by pre-shrinking the fabric. After a minute under the iron to get all the wrinkles out, I draft my pattern onto the material and get busy with the scissors. There's a lot of snipping to these little treats, and tons fun pieces left over that I'm crafting into a fun little something that I'll show you later. To get this last batch of orders filled in time I employed the nimble fingers of K, and together we set up an assembly line of stitching, turning, stitching again, stuffing, and stitching some more, and celebrated our efficiency with a little rum & nog.



I stuff the center of the Bonbons with sheep wool. It is clean and carded, and has come from New Zealand. There, the wool is washed with a biodegradable detergent that complies with NZ strict environmental laws. I perfer wool over cotton stuffing because wool is naturally anti-bacterial and to a certain extent, self cleaning, while having the added benefit of being considerably flame resistant too. Not that this should be an issue for something kept in the freezer. I hope to eventually use Alpaca wool because of it's lanolin-free properties, but in the meantime, if wool isn't an option for you, I do offer Organic Cotton Stuffed Teething Bonbons™ by special order ($9.50 each, Set of 3 $26).



The ends of the Bonbon are finished off with a simple knot. It's a tried and true method for easing teething pain - many folks tell me about tying knots in wet facecloths and freezing them for their little ones. A good standby, yet I always found the facecloth a bit too drippy for my liking, and invariably it would end up mopping up spilled food on the floor.

I've sold over 100 Teething Bonbons™ now and received strong positive feedback from many parents. It's exciting to have such a fantastic response. Teething Bonbons™ comply with Health Canada's standards, and I'm currently working with a lawyer to protect the design and function of the Teething Bonbons™. If you or your little one has had your hands on a Bonbon, I would love to hear what your experience has been.