{image1}You've heard of candle parties, Pampered Chef parties -- even passion parties -- and now, five local women are available to throw UBB parties.
UBB stands for "Unique Baby Boutique," a company started in 2002 by a mother of six who wanted to make non-mainstream products for babies and families easily available.
UBB products support natural childbirth, breastfeeding, environmental responsibility, respect for instinctive wisdom and Attachment Parenting, a style of parenting developed by Dr. William Sears that's gaining mainstream respect and popularity.
"We sell things that promote AP (Attachment Parenting) like slings so that bonding can be further enhanced through 'babywearing;' a co-sleeper so bonding can occur through bed-sharing; and many breastfeeding products," says UBB consultant Nicole Wardall, 26, who has a one-year-old daughter.
Other UBB products include wooden toys, natural and organic baby care products, books, videos, vitamins, cloth diapers, beauty care products for moms, jewelry, keepsakes and more.
"Wooden toys, for example, ask a child to use their imagination and creative thinking instead of letting the batteries do it for them. They are timeless toys that last a long time," says Wardall, who lives in Port Washington and will earn her Master's in Clinical Psychology from Cardinal Stritch this May. "Most of our products are not found in stores like Target and Wal-Mart."
As one of five UBB consultants in the state, Wardall gives home party presentations, helps hostess catalog parties, works individually with those who prefer a personal shopping experience, creates fundraisers and educates others about the UBB opportunity.
Wardall says she's slowly building her business, but that some Wisconsinites are quick to back off when they hear terms like "natural birth" and "Attachment Parenting." Although both are becoming more common and are routinely written about in large-run magazines like "Parenting," some still lump these concepts under the category of "hippie" or "new age."
"I think a lot of parents practice AP without knowing it," says Wardall, who grew up on Milwaukee's South Side.
Wardall, along with another local UBB consultant, Monica Zamzow, recently organized a UBB fundraiser with Children's Hospital. Officially called "Donate 'Jack' to Children's Hospital of WI," the fundraiser runs until April 30 and offers people the opportunity to purchase two stuffed animals: Jack the Bear, filled with buckwheat and a blend of lavender and roses, and Lily the Bunny, filled with buckwheat and a blend of lavender, chamomile and orange.
"Every animal purchased will be donated to the children, along with a portion of the proceeds," says Wardall. "Both animals are used to promote sleep and rest and we thought these would be perfect for the patients at the hospital."
Unique Baby Boutique will soon be called UBB's Natural Family Boutique and a new catalog will be available with the latest products for the entire family.
"I saw this great opportunity to spread the word on a philosophy of parenting that I truly believe in and to bring these products into the mainstream," says Wardall. " At the same time, I can continue staying home to raise my daughter, which is the most important thing in the world to me."
For more information about UBB or the Children's Hospital fundraiser, contact Nicole Wardall at (414) 333-1757 or mystere124@aol.com.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
