Behind the scenes at Sprinkles

I was on a conference call today, explaining to a client what drives word-of-mouth. One of the keys to creating buzz about a brand is offering something worth talking about. If you give shoppers a sneak peek at something new or exclusive access, they can't help but want to talk about it. Think about it: no one wants to be the fifth person to recommend a cute cupcake bakery to our friends ... If we can't be one of the first, we probably won't make a point of bringing it up in conversation.

Sprinkles, the Beverly Hills cupcake bakery that arguably began the cupcake craze, opened its Chicago location in the Gold Coast last year. While it's as delicious as ever, it's no longer new. So it was a stroke of genius for the bakery to host an in-kitchen cupcake and Champagne reception for local mom bloggers. We headed back, behind the counter and through the kitchen doors to an immaculate work space where dozens upon dozens of cupcakes are mixed, baked and frosted.

Our hosts were the Sprinkles founders Charles and Candace Nelson (you may recognize her from the Food Network show Cupcake Wars). My co-worker Laura and I got to taste their cupcakes, try our hand at frosting one ourselves and talk to Candace about her business, her life and her inspiration. It turns out the couple were victims of the early 2000s dot-com bubble. She got laid off, went to pastry school and decided they should open a bakery. Candace lives in LA, is mom to a 4 year old and an 8 month old, and somehow balances parenting with a TV show and her growing cupcake empire.

Having turned out so many no-so-pretty cupcakes for A's birthday party last weekend, I asked how they managed to make all of the cupcakes exactly the same size. She said they use an instrument that's basically the size of an ice cream scoop, but that a city's heat and humidity affect how much batter they need and how long it needs to be baked. "We're always making adjustments."

I went home with a small box of cupcakes and shared them with my favorite foodie. "Don't take this the wrong way," Josh said, "but these are really good. I like them better than your cupcakes."

Sprinkles cupcakes retail for $3.50 each, which is pricey. But the ingredients are top-notch and the taste is incredible. If I had to pick my favorites, I'd say the Key Lime, the Salty Caramel, and the Vanilla.

About those little baggies of pre-cut apples

A, eating a bag of pre-sliced Crunch Pak apples

You heard it here first: pre-sliced apples are the new baby carrots.

As most people know by now, baby carrots are really ugly carrots cleaned and shaved down to a handy snack size.  Their popularity took carrots out of the so-called "drawer of death" and onto appetizer platters and packed lunches. Now, to maintain momentum, one of the biggest carrot sellers in America is trying to market them like junk food. You can see some of their efforts at babycarrots.com.

Now while carrots might be a popular produce item, I'm fairly confident in stating that apples are pretty much Americans' favorite fruit or vegetable (not including the french fried potato). And unlike traditional carrots, which require scrubbing/peeling and cutting for maximum enjoyment and portability, the regular old apple is pretty darn convenient. I typically rinse an apple (Honey Crisp is my favorite) under running water, wrap it in a napkin and pop it in my lunch bag.

But kids. They want a sliced apple. And they want those slices as white and crispy as the moment they were cut. The apple processing company Crunch Pak figured out how to cut, preserve and bag fresh apple slices years ago, and they've made it big selling their processed fresh produce product (how's that for a mouthful) to McDonald's and other fast food restaurants.

As a mom, I'm delighted to be able to choose apple slices instead of fresh fries, but I've held off on buying pre-sliced apples for home use. It just seemed like such a luxury. I can hear my own mother's voice saying "Just sprinkle a little lemon juice on the slices and pop them in a baggie. That's what I did and it was good enough for you."

Well you know what? I tried that and my daughter sent back the whole bag, uneaten. "It's brown and slimy," she complained.

But Crunch Pak apples? I've offered them as a snack at home, on a bike ride and in her packed lunch, and each time my 3 1/2 year old has eaten every last slice. You see, I was sent some free samples of Crunch Pak's new Disney-licensed line, and while A only showed a passing interest in the Cars 2 characters on her apple baggies, she went nuts for the Mickey Mouse-shaped snack pack with apples, cheddar cheese cubes and baby pretzels.

And the most I thought about it, the more I realized that by buying pre-sliced apples (or baby carrots, for that matter), I'm not paying a premium for fresh produce--I'm using convenience food funds that might otherwise pay for chips and crackers for something with equal kid appeal and a lot more nutritional value.

Brand experiences as tourism

Over the last couple of days in Central Pennsylvania, we've made four very different brand pilgrimages.

The biggest and best known is Hershey's Chocolate World, which is consists of a free ride through a simulated factory-slash-"It's a Small World After All" animatronic extravaganza. You exit through the gift shop, which is the world's most extensive Hershey's candy department. Best souvenirs: rare candy bars and Hershey's Kiss earrings (about $6). Chocolate World also offers some 3-D movie nonsense and a "create your own candy bar" experience, but because the adults supervising children under 8 needed to pay the full admission price, we gave all the add-on experiences a pass. Instead, we took a Chocolate Lab class (they're offered at the Hershey Museum) for about $8 a person. We donned hairnets and aprons and created our own Aztec-inspired candy bars while learning about the history of chocolate.

The Turkey Hill Experience, which just opened this year, borrows a page from Hershey's. It's about entertainment and branding versus an authentic factory experience. The "museum" is right by 3 Mile Island nuclear plant, about 35 minutes from Harrisburg. For about $11 a person you get to sample very small portions of Turkey Hill ice cream and beverages, learn the history of the company and create your own pretend flavor of ice cream. From mixing in virtual ingredients to designing a carton to shooting your own commercial, it's a high-tech experience (complete with a social media overlay) that made a huge impression on my kids. If they were ever to see Turkey Hill ice cream in our Chicago-area supermarket, they'd definitely ask me to buy it.

On the other, more rustic end of the spectrum, were the Wilbur Chocolate Museum and Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery in Lititz. The former is a large candy store and working chocolate shop with a lot of vintage chocolate artifacts on the walls. Stop in and sample their famous chocolate buds, which looks suspiciously like Hershey's Kisses, but taste more premium and cost quite a bit more. At the Pretzel Bakery you can tour the original pretzel factory and get a lesson in pretzel rolling. You'll get a free bag of Tom Sturgis hard pretzels at the end of the tour, and I can't decide which is better: those hard pretzels or the fresh, doughy pretzels they sell in the front room for $1.

Speaking of deliciousness, we drove through Amish Country from Lititz to West Chester, where my in-laws live. We bought fresh peaches, cherries and blueberries from a farm stand; sweet-looking baked goods (including whoopie pies) from Bird-in-Hand Bakery; and homemade root beer. In order to get the root beer, we followed a hand-lettered sign up a long driveway and flagged down a gaggle of Amish children, who went inside to get 2 pint bottles of ice cold root beer that their family made on site.

Previously:
Two days on the road and I don't want to kill my kids

This Energizer ad is terrible

There are a lot of mediocre ads out there, but it's rare to come across one so head-scratchingly bad as this one for Energizer Max batteries.

But I'll start with what's good not terrible. Energizer is partnering with the National Park Foundation. Cause marketing is lovely and while I certainly need batteries for my flashlight when I'm camping in the woods, it is a little disingenuous for a disposable battery brand to associate itself with the environment. But if you look closer, this isn't really a cause marketing campaign. If you buy 3 specially-marked packages of Energizer batteries, you get the $10 award in the form of a prepaid MasterCard or PayPal deposit. Or, if you're particularly generous, they will donate it on your behalf. Just don't try claiming that as a deduction on your tax return!

The image at the center of the ad, with the image of nature superimposed over the battery window, it's fine. It makes literal sense of the association. The headline, "Get a $10 reward and explore America's National Parks through Energizer" is a bit of an overpromise as $10 doesn't even pay half of the entry fee for one vehicle at Yellowstone. But the worst part of this ad--by far--is the completely baffling use of a city harbor and skyline. Hell, the water takes up half the page! If anyone can explain this staid image's connection to National Parks, to battery usage, even to cash rewards, I'm all ears.

Coca-Cola Freestyle: fun with the ultimate soda fountain

Remember being a kid and helping yourself to a self-serve soda fountain--I think they were at Taco Bell? I'd mix together a little Coke with a splash of Minute Maid Lemonade and marvel over my own creativity.

Add 100 more flavors, a computer touchscreen and an iPod-like main button and you'll have the Coca-Cola company's latest innovation, the Coca-Cola Freestyle, a soda vending machine-sized invention that's being slowly rolled out in quick-casual restaurants, movie theatres and the like.

Behold, the shiny black Freestyle

Z and I had the honor of being among the first people in Chicago to play with the machine at the Cosi at Washington and Wacker. I sampled the soda "cocktail" created for me by the red, black and white-clad Coke marketing team, a mixture of Barq's, Vanilla Coke Zero and Cherry Coke Zero (it was only okay), and Z mixed up a purple Laffy Taffy-like drink that was half Grape Fanta and half Grape Hi-C. Ultimately, I was more interested in discovering a wide range of lesser-known Coke products (hello Diet Mr Pibb!) and low-cal flavored waters than mixing one super-sweet soda pop with another.

Lest we fly away on a sugar rush, we also got to sample the lastest seasonal sandwiches from Cosi. I'm such a fan of their Signature Salad that I'd practically forgotten Cosi made sandwiches for grown-ups with their yummy flatbread, but I loved the three cheese grilled cheese and fig. The Thanksgiving-inspired turkey and stuffing sandwich was nice and I liked the ham and yam a lot more than I expected too. I picked off the ham (not a fan) and finished off the sweet potatoes and balsamic vinegar, an unexpectedly savory combination.

I don't typically order soda when I'm out to eat--I'm more likely to enjoy a glass of wine or settle for plain tap water--but I'll admit there's something very compelling about picking your drink from dozens of possibilities. It's a little like a jukebox, and it will be even more so when they upgrade the machines with the ability to save and share individuals' favorite soda combinations.

Disclosure: I was invited to a media event where I sampled the Coke Freestyle and Cosi sandwiches for free and received a swag bag. I was not asked or paid to write about it and all opinions are my own.

Can you smell the desperation at the Gap?

First there was the Gap Groupon. Yes, it was so popular it crashed Groupon.com, but going in a couple of weeks ago to spend my Groupon bucks was hard--I couldn't find any inspiring pieces among the messy displays and ended up stocking up on black and white basics.

Then today, a 40% off storewide sales promotion was announced. I figured this was my opportunity to score the black pants I'd been eyeing for nearly half off (Gap card buyers saved 45%), so I slipped into the Oak Park location before my podiatrist appointment. The checkout line was 15 people deep and it took 3 cashiers 25 minutes to get to me. The store was shockingly understaffed and looked like it was under siege.  Had I not been under a time crunch, I would have rummaged through the children's sale racks and brought an armful of clothes to the register like the rest of the shoppers.

So why, so close on the heels of its much ballyhooed Groupon would the Gap offer a fire-sale to the masses? Given that the sale was announced via Facebook, blogs and signs outside the stores, I don't think it was planned very far in advance. Which makes me wonder it if was a tactic to clear slow-moving merchandise from the stores before the holiday sales push or to divert attention from the giant marketing blunder the Gap made earlier this week when it launched a universally hated (and really, truly awful) redesign of its logo. 

Perhaps not coincidentally, the Gap also announced it is scrapping its new logo late today.

I'm actually looking forward to seeing the Gap's holiday advertising. They still have time to remove the offensive Helvetica monstrosity from TV commercials, but magazine ads may have already been turned in. Furthermore, having cheapened their brand through aggressive discounting and showing a shocking lack of design chops to an increasingly discriminating public, selling scarves and cashmere sweaters at full retail price is going to be an uphill battle.

I threw a Sauza House Party™

House Party, Inc. started a word-of-mouth marketing revolution when they blended elements of the at-home selling party (social, relaxed, fringe benefits to the host) with the standard big-brand event sampling event.

They've obviously hit on a winning formula: companies are lining up to hire House Party and volunteers (mostly women) compete for the opportunity to host.

Thanks to this blog, the folks from House Party have encouraged me to throw one of their events in my home for quite some time; but I hesitated, unwilling to serve my guests Kraft Mac and Cheese or peddle toddler toys during a play date. It just struck me as too commercial and awkward. And that's coming from me, a professional marketer.

However, the email about the Sauza Ladies' Night In party piqued my interest. I've hosted plenty of girls' nights at my place and I love a good margarita. I could host a relaxed get together for my friends (including fellow OPRF bloggers Carrie, Emily and Molly) at the end of back-to-school week and see what the House Party experience was all about.

What I liked

House Party provides a lot of inspiring content for party hosts, including recipes, decorating advice and party activities. There are also a lot of parties to choose from--there's really something for every taste. Right now party options include a Michigan State tailgate, a Tombstone Halloween Pizza Party and--most perplexingly--a Kleenex Clean & Fresh Hand Towels party. The process to apply is somewhat lengthly, but it is straightforward and you know where you stand. Once you're approved, the box of party goodies arrives promptly.

I used the provided $5 off coupons to purchase Sauza tequila for the party, and I loved the eco-friendly bamboo cutting board included in my party package.

I also loved having an excuse to invite people over and enjoy a relaxed evening with good food and some very awesome margaritas.

What needed work

The featured recipe for the evening, the Sauzarita, looked horrifying to me. It called for a can of HFCS-rich limeade concentrate and a bottle of beer. Instead, I squeezed a bajillion tiny limes and made a pitcher of fresh margaritas (1 cup fresh lime juice, 1 bottle Sauza Silver, 1 1/2 cups orange liqueur and lots and lots of ice).

The pitcher and margarita glasses included in the box were cheap plastic--lightweight and kind of tacky looking. Plus, the plasticware didn't have a recycling number stamp on them so I'm not sure I can safely recycle them (I'm Freecycling them instead).

My guests also complained about the RSVP process. Some of them were able to register and navigate the House Party website, but quite a few had trouble. Compared to Evite, the House Party invitation functionality is really clunky and difficult to use. On top of that, all of my registered guests were automatically signed up for the House Party mailing list, receiving pitches to host parties like the Durex Girl Talk event. Just because someone attends an event doesn't mean they want to host one or have their email box clogged with offers.

In summary

From a marketing perspective, I think the House Party concept is brilliant and its execution is solid. Although I buy spirits once in a while, I had no brand loyalty to any tequila before. As a shopper, I'll reach for Sauza now, and I think it's fair to say my guests were left with a very positive association with the brand as well.

Providing Sauza drinkware and the logoed bamboo cutting board meant there was some subtle branding at the party, but I'm guessing most hosts would welcome (and put up) decorations featuring the Sauza logo.

I'd have gone through more tequila if House Party had included a few different margarita recipes to taste and enjoy. And although I was willing to foot the cost, I'd have welcomed coupons to help defray the cost of buying margarita ingredients and food. Perhaps there's a missed opportunity here: imagine if Sauza and House Party offered Frito-Lay or Frontera the opportunity to include gratuity coupons for tortilla chips and salsa to serve at the events.

Be sure to check out Molly's post about the event, which includes a link to the recipe for the amazing watermelon soup/cocktail she brought along.

Huggies Jeans: go blue for poo

Although I think they're uglier than sin, Huggies new Jeans Diapers are kind of genius. I can imagine the brainstorm over at Kimberly-Clark:

"Market research shows that moms dress their babies in just a diaper and a sometimes a t-shirt when it's hot."

"So, tell me what's cool these days."

"Jeans are always cool."

"Yeah, but jeans are hot when it's hot."

"Baby jeans are so cute."

Cue lightbulb.

As for the commercial, I think it's tasteless and awesome in equal measure. It's memorable and there's no doubt about what the product is, how it is to be worn or who makes it.

But you know what's way cuter than diaper-clad toddlers? Potty-trained kids hanging out in their underpants. Or maybe that's just me.

Social media for (grand)moms

Everyone's talking about how moms own the social networks, but you know social media's made the mainstream when Grandma is LinkedIn and using Facebook to school a bagel company on how to maintain a modicum of Jewish cred.

Time for Mom to move to Oak Park, where she'll be 2 blocks from a Bruegger's egg or everything bagel and 1 1/2 miles from the super-authentic options at The Onion Roll.

Old Spice "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like"

Neither Josh nor I can get enough of this new, truly brilliant Old Spice commercial. My favorite line, "What I have is an oyster with to two tickets to that thing you love. Look again, the tickets are now diamonds."

I'm speaking at the Youth and Family Marketing Mega Event

Once again, my professional experience as a marketer and my (increasingly less) unique perspective as a mom blogger have converged and won me a speaking engagement. This time I'm talking about "The Love Affair between Marketers and Mom Bloggers: From Romance to Reality" at the Youth & Family Marketing Mega Event, which will be at the Hotel Sax in Chicago May 10-12.

How exactly am I supposed to prepare a presentation on a subject that's evolving every minute? Well, I'm going to start by providing the audience of khaki-pants-wearing brand managers with a brief history of the sometimes graceful (Leapfrog and Graco jump to mind) and more often awkward (Nestle, Motrin) middle school dance between mom bloggers and brands.

I want to get people thinking about who's leading us across this crowded dance floor. Is it the global corporations, who can wine and dine a stay-at-home mom, getting her to pimp their product in exchange for a box of frozen meals? Or is it the influential mommyblogger, who can bring an appliance manufacturer to its knees over a couple of angry tweets? How do the new FTC regulations come into play? Is the FTC an effective chaperone, or it it just moving the hanky-panky from the wide-open blogosphere to late night Twitter parties?

What does the future of marketing to and with mom bloggers hold? Will there be a retreat from blogger retreats? Could contests and giveaways go away? Will the stream of poorly-targeted "Dear Blogger" spam-pitches ever abate?

Can we look forward to an era when marketers and mom bloggers can work together in a way that both fosters connections among a community of moms and helps marketers deliver solutions that moms want to buy? Will more marketers hire moms to bringing their authentic voice to brand sites? Will the moms who jumped on the blogging bandwagon for free stuff abandon their sites when the freebie train leaves town, or will they focus their blogs on their passions and build an audience of fellow moms of toddlers, crafters, Crock-Potters or working mothers?

I've got a lot to share, but I have so much more yet to learn. Please, please drop me a line if you've got a case study or tidbit you'd like to share. I'll be sure to thank and link to all. Also, if you'd like to attend this conference or the concurrent Life Stage Marketing Summit, you can save 20% using these codes: FAMILY2010AK and LIFESTAGE2010AK.

How to speak Australian

They drive on the left. You knew that. But did you know your windshield wipers and turn signals are swapped as well?
I've mentioned my beloved flat white (espresso with milk), but did I you know Aussies call bell peppers capsicums and raisins sultanas?

That strollers are prams, cribs are cots, sweaters are jumpers, preschool is kindy, diapers are nappies and pacis are dummies? Also elevators are lifts, drugstores are chemists and friends are mates...

Incidentally, I packed two boxes of regular (yellow box) Cheerios for my sister since the only kind they sell are these presweetened multigrain Os.

I also found it interesting that, while Gerber dominates the American baby food market, Heinz has it cornered in Australia, selling everything from jarred purees to toddler snacks.

Even fast food outlets are a little different. Subway was heavily promoting its new Chicken Tikka sandwich and I'm guessing you'll recognize this fast food restaurant...

Apparently someone had already trademarked Burger King down under.

My work is in the news today

For the last few months, I've been working on the marketing activation for Procter and Gamble's U.S. Olympic Team sponsorship, and I'm thrilled to see my work getting mentioned in publications around the company, including the New York Times!

Check out this quote from Sports Business Daily, which calls out the theme line I wrote.

The company will support the deal with advertising on NBC during the '10 Vancouver Games using the theme "Look Like the World is Watching" to promote its beauty products. The theme is designed to draw a parallel between the performance qualities of beauty products like Olay, which can help women look their best, in the same way the performance abilities of Olympians help those athletes look their best before the world. P+G is in final negotiations with a number of female athletes who will be used in the campaign. In addition to the commercials, the company also will activate at retail. Those plans are in development, but Perry said, "We will be loud and proud with the participating brands whether it will be packaging or multi-brand, in-store displays."

Hopefully I'll make it to NYC for an athlete photoshoot later this month. Don't know yet if I'll get to go to the Games in Vancouver, but a girl can hope! Regardless, you'll be seeing my team's work in magazines and stores across the country in February. Have I mentioned how much I love my team? Because I do. I'm really lucky to work with such great, talented people.

Genius marketing move by Huggies Wipes

This is what a trip to the Brown Cow looks like with a two year old who insists on having her "own cone" of chocolate ice cream. So I was happy to see Huggies had placed a stack of baby wipe samples at the cash register.

Ah, but look closely. These aren't BABY wipes, they are HUGGIES SUPREME THICK N CLEAN HYPOALLERGENIC wipes. Apparently diaper wipe manufacturers have realized the market for baby wipes isn't going to grow very fast in a land where most moms stop at two children. The key to growing their brand is getting moms of potty-trained kids toting them around. And putting them in an ice cream parlor, where the need to wipe faces and hands is pretty much guaranteed? Freaking genius.

Unfortunately I don't think any stain remover is going to get out the chocolate on A's dress. Ugh.

In the dark, eating M&Ms

If you've ever been in a focus group, sitting around a table discussing diapers or deodorant or a new drink with a few other women, you probably noticed a big wall of mirrors.

This week, I'm behind the mirrors.

If you're not in marketing or married to a marketer, sign yourself up with a research facility. You can share your opinions and get paid enough money for a new pair of shoes (how about these?). It's easy and fun, particularly if you're the opinionated type. If, on the other hand, you are in advertising, you might recognize my Top 5 Truths About Focus Groups.

1. Every group has a hater, a real Negative Nelly.
2. Someone in the room is an aspiring creative, someone who volunteers to re-write or art direct your material.
3. Sitting in the dark, eating M&Ms, Goldfish and pretzels all day does not make you feel good.
4. Eating junk food in the dark while listening to a live-translation of Spanish-language focus groups sucks.
5. You will thank the Lord for wi-fi.

Target's Bullseye Bazaar

Have you checked out Target's adorable pop-up store on Michigan Avenue? The space, which occupies two stories in the Tribune Tower building, is only open for three short days.

I went there--ostensibly for work--and ended up trying on a bunch of clothes and buying a Tracy Feith for Target swim cover-up/tunic. While in the dressing room, I eavesdropped on the resident fabulous gay guy as he dispensed fashion advice to the masses (and the videographer following him around): "Oh my gawd, I'm just loving white on white this season, don't you?...Pair this with a little cuffed jean, maybe a skinny leg?"

The whole shop has the vibe of hipster farmer's market/arty bazaar, and it does a great job of showcasing Target's many exclusive product lines, not just fashion labels, but brands like Smith & Hawken, @Home, Up and Up, DwellStudio, Liz Lange Maternity, Pixi by Petra, Umberto, Converse One Star and Archer Farms.

Mommyblogging for fun or profit

I mentioned earlier this week that my blogging and professional life were coming together nicely in the form of a trip to Las Vegas to sit on a panel with other, more famous mom bloggers (to be named later) and talk to corporate leaders about what moms want from them. But that's not all. I've also working behind the scenes at my agency to help them and my client understand how to better partner with the mommyblogging world. Mom bloggers are influencers in real life and online, and because their influence is Googleable from here to eternity, courting them is going to be a priority to marketers--at least in the short term.

But here's the rub. One of the questions I've been asked recently is whether so many mommybloggers have embraced companies, going on trips and accepting freebies, that they'll been seen as sell-outs and lose their credibility. I maintained that the best bloggers are sensitive to the issue: they know that if they sacrifice their honest voice to become corporate shills they'll alienate their readers. And what's a mom blog without any readers? A diary, basically.

Mocha Momma put up an interesting post on a related topic this week, railing against women whose motivation to start a blog is getting free stuff from companies. Which, if you think about it, makes very little sense. If readers what to know about your favorite hand cream, it needs to be in the context of your life. And if you don't have a readership to start with, no company worth its salt is going to send you free hand cream.

A very, very good hair day

I'll probably never again replicate my hair stylist's meticulous flat-ironing, but I sure feel glamorous today!

And, I got some very exciting news...I'm going to be on a panel of mommybloggers
before an audience of retail and CPG (that's consumer packaged goods) bigwigs so I can help them understand what moms want from brands and stores. It's the perfect opportunity for me since I've been on both sides of the shopping cart, so to speak.

A girl and her automobile

Speaking of cars, no one is buying any. Do you think the government should bail out American car companies? Naturally my agency is pushing employees to support a bailout since GM is a major client.

Motrin pisses of a whole mess of moms

Myself included.

Aside from wondering what bullshit agency put together an ad this moronic (hello, there are working moms in the ad world; you could hire one), I don't have anything to add to this momversation that hasn't been tweeted or blogged ad nauseum. I didn't check Twitter once this weekend, so I'm a little late to the game.

So read this from Her Bad Mother, this from Mom-101 (also an ad creative) and this from Ms. Adventures in Babywearing herself.

By the way, Motrin, I'd need a whole lot more headache pills if I didn't keep wearing Baby A. Half the time she on my hip or in the Ergo, it's because she'd started throwing an ear-piercing "up" tantrum at my feet!