heart to heart blog

A post from our President, Doug McGraw.

Someone once said, “It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new.” Graco Children’s Products is beginning a new chapter in our 52 year journey. Recently we announced that we will be moving our headquarters from Exton, Pennsylvania to Atlanta, Georgia- the home of Graco’s parent company, Newell Rubbermaid. Obviously this move comes with incredibly mixed emotions as Pennsylvania is the birthplace of our brand and as many of you see on this blog, our people are an important aspect of “who” we are as a company. While most headquarter functions will be relocating, we will be maintaining a portion of our operation in Exton.

We are excited about this change and move because it brings us closer to realizing our vision of “enriching every family’s journey and enhancing every child’s development”. By being in Atlanta with our partners at Newell Rubbermaid, our Graco employees will have ready access to a whole new level of resources and capabilities, ultimately enabling us to meet our consumers’ needs even better.

Graco is a part of the Baby and Parenting Essentials Global Business Unit and we are thrilled to be a GROWING family of brands. Our most recent additions include: a luxury German stroller company (Teutonia) and an Asia-based baby gear company (Aprica). These additions to our family and changes to our business allow us to expand and realize our vision around the world.

While moving to Atlanta will certainly bring some changes to our organization and the way we work, the things that will not change are the core guiding principles that were the birth of our company and continue to guide our business decisions today. We believe these principles can stand the test of time (and location).

Graco was, is and will continue to be:
· Born out of a love for tinkering
· Built in a village based on trust
· Embodied with a passion for being the best
· Committed to doing the right thing
· Dedicated to taking time for the little things

There is no greater job, no greater joy than caring for a child. As a company we have taken part in this colossal effort for more than 50 years. We will continue to do this as we embark on this next step in our own journey.

This is my good friend Karen’s daughter “Baby.” Karen works for Graco in forecasting, she is a huge fan of the blog, you may even be hearing from her soon!

”Can someone point me to the ice cream section of this menu? These glasses of Nanny’s aren’t working too well for me.”

Every Wednesday we’ll be sharing a photo showing off a little bit of wonder in the lives of our extended Graco family of customers, employees and friends.

The internet is an amazing thing. All too often, we only hear about the negative aspects of online communities and social networking sites but for moms especially, it allows people to reach out to each other and connect. Many of you know from blogging, that friendships can really blossom online. When you hear the positive stories, it really makes you feel great.

My husband always teases me about “my buddies” (that’s what he calls them). “What do your buddies think about (insert topic)?” he says. Or “Why don’t you ask your buddies?” He loves to crack jokes. But, I’ve caught him peeking over my shoulder when I’m looking at vacation slideshows or watching videos of S jumping in the pool and B singing the entire ABC song. Laugh if you want, but they are friends.

My village is a group of women with babies born in November 2006. We have been hanging out together [online] for over 2 years now. Our children brought us together and we have maintained contact ever since February/March 2006 when positive HPTs started popping up in our homes around the world. Our group is diverse and international. We have ladies in the US, Canada, Greece, Australia and Hawaii. (Yes-I know Hawaii is part of the US, but, it’s so exotic I have to list it separately!) We have moms of one, moms of two or more and moms of multiples; stay-at-home moms, moms in the field of medicine, law, agriculture and more, moms with their own businesses and even a Wicked Witch down under. And, some of our moms have the good fortune to live close enough to each other to have actual in-person play dates!

It can be reassuring to compare notes with a big group of moms with children in the same age group. Several of us found reassurance in the fact that our children’s weird eye blinking episodes were just the kids discovering and playing with their eyes - not a neurological condition or vision problem at all.  (wouldn’t that have been an embarrassing trip to the doctor!)  The friendships extend beyond comparing notes and seeking advice about our children- we are there to cheer each other on, listen to vents without judgement and be there to provide extra support during difficult times.  You know, all the stuff that friendships are based on. 

I also need to make a quick shout out to my first and most enduring buddy group – the LWP.  There aren’t many of us, but it’s been 4 years and we’re still going strong! Happy Anniversary!

It takes a village. Mine is online. What’s your village like?

In celebration of National Family Day, I am (actually everyone at Graco is) leaving early today!  We just got an e-mail from our Human Resources department saying:

“Enjoy this bit of extra time with your family-take a walk in the cool of the evening…play a board game…just sit down to a dinner TOGETHER!!”

National Family Day encourages everyone to sit down together at dinner and connect with each other.  If your house is like mine, it’s usually chaos, but we work hard to try and sit down together almost every night.  We’ve had some of the most entertaining and interesting conversations that simply start with “How was your day?”  Jagger now asks me how my day was which I think is just so cute.

Well for once, I’m actually going to take advantage of HR’s generous offer and surprise my husband by coming home early.  It’s great to work for such a family-friendly company that recognizes the importance of family-time.  Now if I only knew what to cook for dinner…

This is just a quick reminder that your chance to join our exciting new Graco Nation Ambassador Program ends September 23rd.

If you missed our announcement of the Graco Nation Ambassador Program last week, please be sure to read our detailed post about it with all the details. In short, we’re looking for people who LOVE Graco to raise your hand so that we can connect with you and build a deeper relationship over time.

If you’re a fan of Graco and you’d like to join us, click here and submit an application by next Tuesday -we look forward to getting to know you better!

For years Kaye Hansen, Executive Assistant Extraordinaire, has been editing my writing as a favor for me. She’s a lot like my mom when it comes to grammar - correct. Me not so good with that stuff.  And here I am writing on the blog for Graco and nothing I write gets proofread. Mistake? No- I like to think of it as “realism.” So not long ago I thought, “Why isn’t Kaye writing for us? She actually knows how to write!” So I approached her and we decided she could talk about her experience with the Weight Watchers at Work program we have here at Graco. So here is the grammatically-correct, Kaye Hansen with her first guest post…

A Weight Watchers at Work program? Doesn’t that sound nice? Especially the part about our company paying for half the fee if a person goes to all the meetings.

“That will be really nice for those of us who are game for public humiliation,” I thought as I pictured a huge digital scale like the one they use on the Biggest Loser TV show with numbers that could be read by people in the office building across the street from ours.

Championed by our HR Manager, Darlene Radcliffe, the WW at Work program began at Graco in September 2006 and as many of my co-workers were successful, the word spread. My own daughter signed up for one of the 10-week sessions and did so well, that she re-upped and encouraged me to join.

That’s when I learned the truth. No huge digital scale. No one but the WW instructor sees the person’s weight. However, self doubt grabbed my brain and convinced me that I would be the one who would go to class and fail.

Then the worst thing happened. The company opened the program to include our spouses, and my husband said he wanted to go. Since I was the one in greatest need to lose, I suspected a conspiracy!

But, Tom and I began a session last summer at the beginning of August, and I’m proud to say that as a couple we have lost over 82 lbs so far.

What a great health improvement for all who have taken advantage of this benefit. We have learned so much about healthy lifestyle planning, NOT dieting.

I’m happy to say that to date, the 44 Graco employees who have participated have lost a total of 1,756 lbs.!! This week marks another start of a session and I’m sure our “corporate down-sizing” will continue

Thanks, Darlene.

Not only have folks lost a lot of weight but we’ve also heard that their weight loss has positively affected their blood pressure and/or their diabetes.  And strangely enough, losing weight with people can bring a group together! Lots of friends have been made through this program which always makes coming to work that much nicer.

You have seen her on TLC’s “Trading Spaces” and “While You Were Out.” You also may have heard her on her radio show Money Pit. If you are a reader, you have probably fancied many of her fabulous ideas from her Shop Girl column in Country Home Magazine. I’m talking about Leslie Segrete! When Leslie isn’t knocking down walls, painting rooms, being a carpenter, seamstress, chef, designer and adding her amazing flare to homes everywhere- she is working on her latest and most successful project - being a mom to her son Henry.

I met Leslie at the NYC Boom Boom Room this May and aside from hoping to get design tips from her for my new fixer-upper of a home, I was very eager to have her blog for Graco because I love her work. Today she is going to tell us about her experiences as a new mom and her beautiful baby boy Henry. Stay tuned- in a few weeks we will be posting nursery decor tips from Leslie!

What is your favorite part about being a Mom?
Well, it’s only been a short amount of time, but I have to say everything. Had I known how much I was going to fall in love with this snuggly little man I would have become a mom ages ago. Everything about Henry is perfect, I know every parent says that but we all must really believe it’s true. He is just super adorable and everyday there has been something new to discover about him. Right now he is into smiling at his parents, which we, of course just eat up - whatever he wants he can have it!

What was your latest wondrous moment with your child?
Well we recently reached a huge milestone. I hate to even talk about it too much for fear of jinxing it. With a bit of work over a week and half we got our son to sleep through the night! He goes into bed after a bottle, bath, massage, and story at about 8:30pm and sleeps until about 11, then has a very sleepy bottle before snoozing away until 7am. Man, what a life he has. Did you notice I wrote bottle, bath, massage, and story, if only everyone could end each day this way!

What is the biggest thing you have learned now that you are a Mom?
It’s probably the ability to trust my own instincts. I never had any questions about my abilities when it comes to my work. I can figure out how to problem solve any design dilemma and know that my gut is telling me the right thing. When it comes to Henry though, I have really had to listen to my instinctive actions and trust that I am, and we are, doing the right things for my son. You have so many expectations to be a good parent and raise a wonderful human being that it can really cloud the fact that you know deep down what it is he needs and how to care for and completely love, this tiny person.

Is there a family tradition you are passing down to your child or have you started a new one with your own family?
In my family we really go all out for the holidays. Starting on October 1st the house will transformed into a Halloween fun zone with pumpkins, birds, scary skeletons, and glittery gourds. This transformation of our home goes all way through the first of the year. Christmas is my favorite time of the year and I cannot wait to get the house all sparkly and pine scented and we are able to see the look on Henry’s face as he watches all of the colors and experiences the sights and smells of the season. I really hope that he will love all of the months ending in “ber” as much as I do!

What is your favorite children’s book?
My personal all time favorites are the Dorrie the Little Witch books by Patricia Coombs. Anytime the library has a sale or I spot one on EBay, I pick it up. I have almost the whole series and just adore the hijinx that little witch with her miss matched socks gets into with her cat. It is amazing how all these years after I was a kid I still love to pour over every page of those books. I have started sharing them with Henry but he looses interest (AKA falls asleep) after the first few pages.

What’s your favorite time of the time with your child?
It has to be first thing in the morning. When he wakes up, man, it is as if he is seeing the world for the first time again. He just beams with excitement. He smiles so big it is hard to get him to have is bottle. When he wakes up we bring him into our bed, I know don’t do it, but tell me you don’t just love it yourself! He sits with us while we have coffee and he has his bottle and we all snuggle and smooch each other and I just love it! My second favorite is when he falls asleep on my chest, he is just so delicious!

What is your favorite Graco product?
That would be a toughie. Given my line of work I have a thing for safety products. I have to say our Graco monitor has been very helpful. We put Henry in his own room when he was three weeks old. It was for the benefit of everyone involved. We would jump at every noise and he would never get any rest and neither would we. Using the monitor and having him sleep in his room, he still got his needs attended to but we all got some rest and we learned the ability to interpret each cry, squeak, and dinosaur sound for what that each demanded. And by the way, some of those crazy noises are nothing, just them testing out their vocal cords.

This is 3 month old “Patoochie.”

“Are you kidding me? No shirt, no service? But, really I have a shirt, its in my golf diaper bag next to my pants!

Dadda - a little help?”  

Every Wednesday we’ll be sharing a photo showing off a little bit of wonder in the lives of our extended Graco family of customers, employees and friends.

Since recently traveling to Sesame Place with fellow blogger, Lindsay and another friend of ours, I have been dubbed the “Amusement Park Junkie.” I guess I can agree with this statement—after going to Disney World for a week, my husband & I proceeded to take Pudding Pop to Hershey Park. And, a month later, PP went to Sesame Place & then to Dutch Wonderland that weekend. I don’t know if she is a junkie or I am.

However, I have learned to plan accordingly for each park trip. Other than directions, snacks, drinks, diapers, wipes, juice boxes, change of clothes (you know, only the essentials), I never leave home without my Quattro Tour stroller. I am not saying this because I work here either… One would be tempted to bring a lightweight & small stroller but why give up all of the niceties of a fully decked out stroller? Here is why my Quattro Tour stroller is perfect for an amusement park:

• Huge basket that will hold everything that I have named above—which also allows me to skip bringing a purse or bag since I keep everything in the basket
• Cup holders for my many, many Diet Cokes
• Storage for my sunglasses (which I totally need since I tend to leave my sunglasses anywhere I put them down)
• Compartments for random things: mini hair brush, sun block stick, change, etc
• Large canopy that moves front to back completely to shield PP from the sun when she falls asleep at the park (which lucky for me does happen so we don’t have to leave the park early & get to stay all day)
• Fully reclining seat so I can lay PP’s towel down & change her diaper in a corner of the park (anything to avoid those yucky diaper changing stations in the public bathrooms)
• Child tray so I feed PP her lunch: chicken fingers, French fries, and crackers (the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree—that sounds like my typical lunch too)

The key to any amusement park trip is preparation, preparation, preparation (& the perfect stroller). Does anyone else have any “must have” amusement park items?

Wow!  What a journey and what joy come with welcoming baby #2 into a family.  It all started with the surprise of “is it a Girl or is it a Boy”.  And the minute we realized we had 2 healthy little girls and a sisterhood forming, we were thrilled.

I must say it is amazing at the differences in baby #1 to baby #2 and how we as parents handle the situations in our parenthood journey.  My husband and I are only 10 days into our parenting TWO children…and I have discovered 6 small but somewhat amusing differences in how we handle situations with our 2^nd versus our 1^st.

Just to name a few:

#1:      What’s In a Name?

With your 1^st baby and their arrival into the world you have your baby names all confirmed and the birth announcements 95% complete.  Well, our 2^nd child (Love Bug) arrived and went unnamed for 24 hours.  Our family was curious and a bit concerned that we could go 42 weeks of pregnancy and have a child without a name for 24 hours after birth.  That would never happen with your first baby.

#2:      The Drive Home

Another difference between the 1^st and 2^nd baby is the drive home from the hospital and those first 24 hours in your parenthood journey.  With the 2^nd baby it all seems a little easier than the first time around.  Fewer nerves and questions as we are “experienced” parents now.  We checked the bassinet next to our bed easily 50 times during our first night home with our 1^st baby (Bear) and during the first night with our 2^nd baby (Love Bug) that number was cut to a conservative but still overly sensitive 25 times.

#3:      Where’s my Body?

The shock to your body.  It’s easy to forget (with your 1^st baby) that you leave the hospital looking more pregnant than when you entered.  However, with the 2^nd baby you are all too aware of the long-road ahead in losing that dreaded weight. 

Funny story…Our first night home from the hospital with Love Bug I ran into a restaurant for our take-out and a nice gentleman said, “let me hold the door for the mom to be”.  I quickly informed him that our 3 day old baby was in the car.  I can laugh now, but I did want to slap him.

#4:      The First BIG Trip

Your first trip out with the new baby is typically the doctor appointment.  With your 1st child it is a “family affair” with pictures, a special outfit, a bath beforehand and more.  With our Little Love Bug (2^nd child) – my husband met us at the Doctors Office, and I felt I had just conducted a small miracle by showering, dressing, combing hair, brushing teeth and arriving 10 minutes early with THREE of us (Bear, Love Bug and myself). 

#5:      Planning a Family Vacation

With your 1^st baby you would never think to plan a week long vacation 3 weeks from your due date.  With your 2^nd baby…bring it on!  All summer we have been talking about renting a lakehouse for a week and getting away from it all.  A time to disconnect and spend some time dreaming, talking, life-planning…you know one of those introspective weeks.  Well, we just happened to do it with our 2 week old baby and 2 year old.  AWESOME time and totally manageable.

#6:      Your Husband’s First Work Trip

With you 1^st baby you would never allow your husband to leave for a week-long work trip before the baby is at least a month old.  And between 1 month old and 6 months old you would probably have a family member in town “to help”.  Well…with the 2^nd baby, your husband announces he has a work trip when the baby is 2 weeks old and yes, I’m flying solo with 2 children for the first time.  Sure…it was a bit intimidating but extremely empowering when I pulled it off with fun and ease. 

And to think we are less than a month into baby #2 and the fun differences we experience in this new parenthood journey.  We are ecstatic about what’s ahead.