modeco kids

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 »

I’ve got children’s birthday parties on my mind lately as my oldest son is turning 6 in a couple of weeks and we’re planning a pirate-themed party! So when I saw this post about Matthew Mead’s latest book, Cakes for Kids, I had to share it with you. The simplicity of the cake on the cover is brilliant and it looks very impressive yet fairly easy to make. It would never have occurred to me to tip the cake on its side to make a rainbow! I’m curious to see what other ideas are inside this book.

I discovered Matthew Mead via decor8 a while ago and it’s always fun to visit his website each season as he presents fresh ideas for entertaining, crafts and decorating. Be sure to click on the bonus link to find archives with even more inspiration and beautiful photography - be prepared lose yourself here for a couple of hours!

Technorati Tags: birthday cakes, kids parties, children’s birthday, party inspiration

June 15th, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, mealtime No Comments »

 Today’s post features three Etsy sellers with made-to-order items. How about a set of wooden dolls to represent your family? Michelle of Goose Grease will personalize a set for you using non-toxic paints and varnishes. So adorable! 

Cascade Lemonade offers reusable, insulated and stylish lunch bags that are customized just for you. Choose your fabric and size and add any features such as pockets and double insulation. I like the way all the options are clearly presented in the listing so it’s easy to figure out what to order depending on what you need. I’m making a note of this listing for when my son starts taking lunches to school!

This ceramic birth plaque is handcrafted by Rae Dunn and has been featured in Cookie magazine. You can choose the image and specify which baby’s details you want included on the plaque. In her profile Rae describes her work “strongly influenced by the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, the beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete”.

Technorati Tags: birth plaque, reusable lunch bag, wooden dolls, Etsy favorites, handmade

     

June 2nd, 2008 Lisa posted in KIDS, art + decor, mealtime, playtime No Comments »

Last summer when we had our family gathering in the town where I grew up, we visited the dump. This may sound strange, but with 5 grandchildren under 5 years old (including one boy who’s obsessed with recycling!), it was a real highlight! What struck me most was the thousands and thousands of plastic bags all over the place.

I’ve been wanting to switch to a cloth bag when I buy groceries but cannot bring myself to buy those cheap versions available at the checkout because they’re made in China, they’re branded with the store’s logo (I don’t care to be a walking advertisement for the grocery store!) and they’re just plain tacky. I’m trying to be more conscious of purchases (especially in light of The Story of Stuff) so the other night I spend some time on Etsy looking through pages and pages of grocery totes and was delighted to find Kootsac.

I love these Kootsac grocery totes with their modern orange/blue color palette and clean, simple styling. I’ve placed an order for four totes! When not being used for groceries, these totes would be perfect for bringing children’s gear to the beach or pool this summer. I never had a fancy diaper bag, so I can envision using it for that purpose too.

The seller also offers re-usable bags for bulk food. Due to an overwhelming response yesterday, she’s currently sold out but I hope you’ll check back if you buy food in bulk and want to reduce the number of plastic bags you bring into your home. A real bonus for Canadians like me is that Kootsac is based in British Columbia.

Technorati Tags: Etsy, handmade, made in Canada, grocery tote, shopping bag, eco-friendly, market tote

April 23rd, 2008 Lisa posted in mealtime 1 Comment »