modeco kids

Little Bodhi is “essentials for the enlightened baby”. Great tag line! This Canadian online baby boutique specializes in organic baby clothing, fair trade accessories and non toxic wooden toys. You’ll even find cool music for babies including lullaby renditions of Bob Marley. This CD caught my eye since my husband and I recently watched a documentary movie about him.

They also offer a pretty unique service: free customized birth announcements that you can email, blog or print to share the news of your baby’s arrival with your family and friends. To be eligible new parents need only sign up for a gift registry.

I love the colors and styling of these toddler shoes by Umi for children up to 24 months. Too bad I didn’t know of this brand when my boys were that young! Apparently this brand was recognized by Consumer Reports® as one of their top recommendations for baby’s first shoe. I don’t know if this brand is exclusive to Little Bodhi, but a quick search of Canadian retailers at Umi’s website suggests it’s hard to find these children’s shoes elsewhere in Canada.

(image via littlebodhi.com)

Technorati Tags: e-boutique, baby boutique, children’s boutique, Canada, organic baby

August 10th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, RETAILERS, clothes, gear, playtime, retailer spotlights, shoes No Comments »

I love the philosophy behind Hazel Wood Children that’s so eloquently expressed by boutique owner Jennifer:

When you consider it, our choices as parents have a tremendous influence on the way our children will eventually see the world. Again and again I asked myself, isn’t it even more important to surround a child with such beauty? Why not nurture these values in every way possible, rather than settle for the plastic and ordinary?

You can read more here. I had the opportunity to meet Jennifer when I was in NYC and she visited my booth at the National Stationery Show. She’s so down-to-earth! I’ve been meaning to post about her online children’s boutique for such a long time, so the other day I finally did some leisurely browsing and wanted to show you my favorites.

Letterpress prints by Old School Stationers
Serendipity 100% organic cotton baby blouse
One-of-a-kind handmade sailboat by Ann Wood
Alphabet cards by Ida Pearle

(images via hazelwoodchildren.com)

Technorati Tags: children’s boutique, kids, baby, independent artists, indie designers, retailer spotlight

July 23rd, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, art + decor, clothes, paper goods, retailer spotlights No Comments »

Here’s a great tip for online-only retailers: host a one-day shopping event in your local community! It’s a fantastic way to connect with your existing customers and hopefully meet some new ones.

Nancy DeHart of Toronto-based Kai Kids is going “on location” this coming week to showcase her online boutique’s collection of ethical, eco-friendly, natural, non-toxic, upcycled and organic products for babies, toddlers, new moms and moms-to-be. She says here that she’s hoping to make it a regular event with monthly (and eventually weekly) Kai Kids shopping days.

If you’re in the Toronto area and want to check out Kai Kids in person, drop by 1390 Danforth Avenue in Toronto between 10am and 6pm on Tuesday July 8th. Email Nancy at info@kaikids.com or call 416-318-1501 if you’d like more information. A change room and mirror will be set up in the space so you can try things on. Also you can expect special sales for this one-day shopping event, available only to walk-in customers!

All products sold at Kai Kids are fair trade or ethically manufactured. You’ll also find several Canadian brands and products made locally including some I’ve featured on this blog (Bare Organics, Little Soles, RiNGLY and Petit Flaneur).

While browsing Kai Kids to pick out a few products for the image above, I noticed how well Nancy has described where things are made. The product description for Little Soles, for example, clearly states that they are made in China, but they’re sweatshop-free: “The Calgary-based owners travel to China to oversee the production run to ensure fair labour practices and quality control.” These details are perfect (and reassuring) for label-checkers like me! (I’m not alone! See this article that predicts that a growing number of consumers will want to know about the origins of their purchases.)

Here are the links to the products in the image above:
Little Soles leather baby shoes
Cut4Cloth organic top
Bambu bamboo bowls
Jessica Scott maternity top
Fleurville diaper bag (made from recycled pop bottles)

(images via kaikids.com)

Technorati Tags: online children’s boutique, baby gear, organic, fair trade, Canadian, eco-friendly

July 6th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, RETAILERS, clothes, gear, mealtime, retailer spotlights, shoes No Comments »

It’s so inspiring to learn about indie designers who take the plunge and open their own brick-and-mortar shop. After many years of selling her label Cinti does Vintage at craft markets throughout Melbourne, in the fall of 2007 Cintia Gonzalez opened My Poppet, a children’s boutique that showcases independent design for kids with a focus on items that are handmade in Australia. Her shop looks so cheerful and I especially love her creative use of spinning tops in one of her window displays. The sweet bears pictured above are Cintia’s own creations and ‘upcycled’ using felted wool sweaters. They were also featured in the latest issue of LMNOP - a perfect fit for its animal-themed issue! I think it’s very clever how Cintia uses a blog as her online shop where she offers My Poppet merchandise for mail order each week.

While browsing the shop’s blog I also discovered two more independent designers whose work really caught my eye. This amazing sun dress is made of fabric that was hand screen printed by Fiona Roy, the founder of Monstar. This dress appears to have been from an earlier collection as you’ll just find the Fall/Winter 2008 collection at the Monstar website right now. These colorful handmade drums by Dobbin and Drum incorporate some recycled materials. Other items in their collection include play tents and teepees that I’m sure would delight most children. Both the Monstar and Dobbin and Drum brands are designed and manufactured in Australia.

(images via mypoppet.com.au)

Technorati Tags: independent design, kids, children’s boutique, made in Australia

June 17th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, RETAILERS, clothes, merchandising, playtime, retailer spotlights, storefronts 2 Comments »

Kristin Fine of children’s boutique LOVE is a guest on Design Mom this week and it was interesting to read how she’s launching a line of 100% organic cotton jeans for kids that are made in India with fair-trade manufacturing.

This reminded me that I had read a few months ago on Minor Details that children’s boutique Kid O exhibited their own brand of wooden educational toys at the NY International Toy Fair.

I suppose this post is just an observation about children’s boutique owners getting into the manufacturing side and distributing their own branded products to other retailers. It makes sense to me since retailers would know what sells well in their own stores and where there are gaps in the children’s market.

(images via shopwithlove.net and kidoproducts.com)

Technorati Tags: children’s boutiques, children’s market, wooden educational toys, organic jeans

June 11th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, clothes, playtime, retailer spotlights 1 Comment »

These super cute applique onesies are the creation of Jen of Beebee Mod. If they catch your eye too, move fast because May 15th is the last day for made-to-order onesies and hoodies. While browsing Jen’s blog, I even found a coupon code. After May 15th, Jen will instead be offering her design patterns for sale for a very reasonable $5. Also check back for shop updates as she’ll be expanding her offerings to include more children’s goods created by a variety of indie designers.

Technorati Tags: children’s boutique, applique onesie, baby gift

May 7th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, clothes 1 Comment »

This dress by Rae Gun has such nostalgic, old-fashioned charm with its tiny florals, eyelet trim and pin tuck detailing on the front. It is made to order in sizes from newborn through 3T. Matching bloomers are sold separately. So sweet! Check back May 7th for the next shop update.

I love the simplicity of this pink bunny that is hand embroidered on smooth canvas by Wishing Star Designs. I think it would add a touch of softness to a sleek, modern nursery.

Technorati Tags: Etsy, handmade, girl’s dress, embroidery, wall art, nursery decor

May 5th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, art + decor, clothes No Comments »

This selection is for girls who refuse to wear pink! (Or, more likely, for parents who vowed to never buy pink.) It’s neat to find three different Etsy sellers using a similar yet uncommon color palette of brown, orange and yellow/green. I think it works well together and gives the pieces a retro feel.

Pluto’s cute birdies are printed on a 100% cotton sweatshop-free American Apparel onesie. You’ll also find a birdies t-shirt for toddlers as well as a pink and purple version if your little one prefers more girly colors. Chicago-based Pluto recently opened their Etsy shop, but they’re not newcomers to the children’s fashions industry. Select designs have been featured in Parents magazine.

These baby booties by Linda Lou would be so sweet with the birdie onesie. They are hand knit from soft Merino wool and the listing shows a coordinating knit hat that would be perfect for a newborn. Or perhaps the seller might make them in a bigger size to go with these Smiley Jones bib overalls featuring vintage birdie patches on the knees.

Technorati Tags: Etsy favorites, handmade, indie artists, onesie, baby booties, bib overalls

April 21st, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, clothes, shoes No Comments »

I know that whether or not to use a pacifier is a controversial issue. But if you happen to have a baby who absolutely loves his or her pacifier, no doubt you’re growing weary of having to pick up and wash the pacifier every five minutes or fiddle with a clip. This is exactly what led mompreneur Teri Breuer to create Bink-Tees, a collection of cleverly designed shirts that make the pacifier part of your child’s outfit. Simply lift the applique patch and attach the pacifier ribbon with velcro. The 100% cotton shirts are sweatshop-free by American Apparel and are available in short- and long-sleeved versions in sizes up to 18 months. Cute designs for boys and girls. Just remember to detach the pacifier when your baby is sleeping or unsupervised!

(images via binkteesonline.com)

Technorati Tags: pacifier, baby, clothing, mompreneur, made in USA

April 18th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, clothes No Comments »

Lola and Lucas is just what I’d be looking for if I were putting together a newborn layette. The pieces look so comfortable and I love the simple yet modern styling. Manufactured in Canada in a sweatshop free environment, this line of baby basics is made of a blend of organic cotton and bamboo. Bottom pieces are roomy enough for babies who wear cloth diapers. Sizes for boys and girls range from newborn through 18 months. The collection is currently available at many children’s boutiques in British Columbia and I have no doubt that this line will soon be picked up by retailers across Canada and the USA.

(images via lolaandlucas.com)

Technorati Tags: baby, infant, clothing, organic, made in Canada

April 3rd, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, clothes No Comments »