November 2022 - Diabetes Awareness

 

As you probably know, 14 November is World Diabetes Day. From 1 to 30 November, I will be posting my type 1 diabetes awareness squares again at https://www.facebook.com/KaijaSofia and @kaijasofiaboutique on Instagram, which you are welcome to share to your own pages to raise awareness among your friends and family.

I also have a 10% off code for any of my ready-to-send insulin pump belts during all of November. Just enter the code T1AWARE2022 at the checkout when ordering from my Etsy shop. This discount does not apply to custom belts, baby belts or items that are not insulin pump belts.

Packaging Regulations and the Impact on Kaija Sofia

Many countries now operate very strict packaging recycling regulations, which is a great idea to reduce tons of packaging waste.  However, it is proving very difficult for extremely small businesses who ship overseas.  Most countries operate a system where the person sending the packaging is responsible for ensuring it is recycled (or pays a company to ensure that the equivalent amount of the relevant type of packaging is recycled in the receiving country on their behalf).

I have spent several days reviewing the EU packaging licensing laws, and arranging licenses where possible. For some countries, this has proved difficult or impossible, either due to administrative difficulties or prohibitive costs. For example, the minimum annual fee for a license to France is €80.  Since I only send 5 or 6 padded envelopes to France per year, I cannot cover this expense.

With regret, I will no longer be able to sell to the following countries:

Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, France, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden

If the laws change, and/or I become able to comply with the regulations within each of these countries in future, I will be very happy to start selling to them again. Until then, I apologise to my wonderful customers in these countries.

As mentioned previously, my company (Kaija Sofia) is registered at the Packaging Register of the Stiftung Zentrale Stelle Verpackungsregister (ZSVR). My Dual System Licensing partner for the collection, sorting & recycling of the packaging is ACTIVATE by RECLAY. German customers can still place orders.

If you have any questions about whether I ship to your country or why I can no longer do so, please message me.

About My Insulin Pump Belts

(The prices in this post apply from 1 March 2022 onwards.)

I have made these pump belts for my type 1 children since 2010, so they have been thoroughly tested.

The standard pump belts have a clip at the back, adjustable elastic, and can be made in three sizes Size 1 - to fit approximately 17" - 22" waist (43 to 56 cm) - £20.00 plus postage Size 2 - to fit approximately 20" - 30" waist (51 to 77 cm) - £20.00 plus postage Size 3 - to fit approximately 26" - 40" waist (66 to 102 cm) - £20.50 plus postage I do not add a buttonhole to the back as standard, as not everyone requires one. If you require a buttonhole for cannula/tubing access, please order a custom belt, and request a buttonhole when ordering. I do not charge extra for the buttonhole. Baby pump belts have poppers at the side, non-adjustable elastic, and are made to measure. They are more comfy for babies who spend a lot of time lying down. I will need your baby's waist measurement. When your child grows you can order a replacement elastic in a larger size. Baby pump belt - £20.00 plus postage Spare elastic for a baby pump belt - £4.00 plus postage (postage will not be added if ordering with a pump belt) Window pump belts have a small PVC window at the front, and are otherwise almost the same as my standard belts, except that the zip is at the top, not the front. Size 1 window belt - to fit approximately 17" - 22" waist (43 to 56 cm) - £25.00 plus postage Size 2 window belt - to fit approximately 20" - 30" waist (51 to 77 cm) - £25.00 plus postage Size 3 window belt - to fit approximately 26" - 40" waist (66 to 102 cm) - £25.50 plus postage. For pricing of non-standard belts or other items, please message me. You can order by messaging me on my Facebook page or via my Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/KaijaSofia  My standard pump belts were originally made to fit my children's Medtronic Veo and Medtronic 640G pumps, but they also fit the Accucheck Combo and the Animas Vibe. If you are using another pump, please send me the measurements (width, height and depth) and I will check whether it will fit, but it should be OK.  If ordering a window belt for the t:slim pump please let me know when ordering and I will add extra stitching to stop the pump sliding out of the window area. Insulin pump belts that are currently available can be viewed at https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/KaijaSofia  Alternatively I can make you a custom pump belt, with your choice of fabric and elastic. Just send me a message. If you go to my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/kaijasofia and look in the photo albums, you should find 7 photo albums called Fabrics Available. Each photo has its own reference number, so you can just tell me the number of the fabric you would like. You can view the photos even if you don't have a Facebook account. The photo albums are roughly grouped into themes to make it a bit easier: Fabrics Available A = rainbows, stars, flags, hearts, unicorns, princesses, ballet, fairies, mermaids, dolls, smiley faces https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3161950433817222&type=3 Fabrics Available B = animals, animal prints, dragons, dinosaurs https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4063066700372253&type=3 Fabrics Available C = birds, butterflies, insects, sea creatures, water, space, aliens, music, wizards, Halloween https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4063068860372037&type=3 Fabrics Available D = words, letters, numbers, football, vehicles, science, hobbies, games, food, drink, Christmas, winter https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4063072067038383&type=3 Fabrics Available E = patterns, geometric, flowers https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4063073930371530&type=3 Fabrics Available F = flowers https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4063074937038096&type=3 Fabrics Available G = flowers https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4275596979119223&type=3 Each album contains many different prints. The headings are just to give an idea of the contents of the album. I suggest looking through all of them before ordering, so you don't miss a fabric you would love. If you find it too difficult to choose, let me know what theme or colour you like best, and I will offer suggestions. Kaija Sofia postage rates for pump belts, from 1 March 2022, are: Postage for up to two single-pocket pump belts, or one double pump belt UK 1st Class = £1.80 (not tracked) or £3.20 (signed for) Europe = £9.05 (tracked and signed) Rest of the world = £13.00 (tracked) If you order more than one pump belt, or something that is not a pump belt, please ask me for the postage price. I will weigh the finished items and only charge postage at cost. See my terms and conditions below for information about payment, delivery and my returns policy. Please send me a message or write a comment on the Kaija Sofia page if you would like further information.

Payment

Payment by Paypal is preferred. If you would prefer to pay by debit/credit card you will need to order via my Etsy shop, https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/KaijaSofia. I can create a custom order and add it to the shop if you cannot find what you are looking for. Please contact me if you wish to pay by any other method.

Delivery

If you order a ready-made item, it will be mailed within 24 hours and should arrive within 2 - 14 days, depending where you are.

If you order a custom item, please be aware that it could take me up to 2 weeks to make the item, after which I will mail it to you within the same time-frames as the ready-made items.
I will always obtain proof of posting. If you wish to have the item sent by registered post or another signed-for service, please let me know when ordering, but be aware that this can cost considerably more. Take a look at the postage calculator at www.royalmail.com to find out more.

I do not make a profit on postage. I only charge the exact cost of the postage, fees and packaging, and I try to recycle packaging where possible.

If you are ordering from overseas, please be aware that you may incur a customs charge when your parcel enters your own country. There is nothing I can do about this. You can use the calculator at http://www.dutycalculator.com/ to work out whether you are likely to incur any customs charge.

Returns/Refunds

If you wish to return an item for any reason, please contact me to discuss this before sending the item back.

You have the right to return an item within 14 days of receiving it. Any refund will be provided to you within 14 days of the returned item being received by me. Unless the item was faulty, you will need to pay the cost of shipping for any returned items.

Ordering and Fabric Choices

 

How do I order in-Stock Items from Kaija Sofia?

If you want to order something that is in stock, and available for immediate despatch, please go to my Etsy shop, https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/KaijaSofia and buy an item from there.  You do not need to create an Etsy account to buy from the shop.  You can check out as a guest.

Important:  Please ensure that your delivery address on Etsy is the address that you want the items sent to!

Delivery

In-stock items will be sent out on the next available posting day.  This excludes weekends and bank holidays.

I always use Royal Mail for postage.  I send out by first class post within the UK.  If you want your item tracked, please let me know when ordering, as it will cost more than standard first class postage.  I send all non-UK items by tracked international mail, or tracked and signed where available.

How do I order custom-made Items from Kaija Sofia?

Contact Me

If you would prefer a custom-made item, please contact me by messaging me on my Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/KaijaSofia or on my Etsy shop, to discuss what you would like to order.

Decide on Fabrics

I have many small pieces of fabric available to make insulin pump belts, or similar zipped belts.  These can be found in the photo albums on my Facebook page, in the albums which start with “Fabrics Available”.  Simply choose a fabric from those albums and tell me the reference number from the bottom right-hand side of the photo.

If you are ordering something other than a pump belt, let me know what colour or style of fabric you are looking for, and I will let you know what I have available.  I only hold a very small quantity of other fabrics at the moment, so there won’t be a huge choice, but I will do my best to find something that suits your needs.

Fabric Albums for Insulin Pump Belt Fabrics

If you go to my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/kaijasofia and look in the photo albums, you should find 7 photo albums called Fabrics Available. Each photo has its own reference number, so you can just tell me the number of the fabric you would like. You can view the photos even if you don't have a Facebook account.

The photo albums are roughly grouped into themes to make it a bit easier:

Fabrics Available A = rainbows, stars, flags, hearts, unicorns, princesses, ballet, fairies, mermaids, dolls, smiley faces


Fabrics Available B = animals, animal prints, dragons, dinosaurs


Fabrics Available C = birds, butterflies, insects, sea creatures, water, space, aliens, music, wizards, Halloween

Fabrics Available D = words, letters, numbers, football, vehicles, science, hobbies, games, food, drink, Christmas, winter


Fabrics Available E = patterns, geometric, flowers


Fabrics Available F = flowers


Fabrics Available G = flowers

Provide Measurements

For pump belts, I will only need a waist measurement.  If you are ordering something else, I will let you know which measurements are needed.  These need to be taken accurately, to make sure that the item will fit correctly.

Payment

When you are ready to order, I can create an Etsy listing for you, or a Paypal invoice.  On Etsy, you can pay by credit/debit card, or by Paypal.  I do not begin to make custom items until payment has been received.

Important:  Please ensure that your delivery address on PayPal or Etsy is the address that you want the items sent to!

Delivery

Custom items will be sent out as soon as they are ready.  Always allow 2 – 3 weeks for the items to be made.

I always use Royal Mail for postage.  I send out by first class post within the UK.  If you want your item tracked, please let me know when ordering, as it will cost more than standard first class postage.  I send all non-UK items by tracked international mail, or tracked and signed where available.