UglyDolls Movie

Singing sensation Kelly Clarkson is voicing Moxy, the lead Uglydoll in the new animated feature film, UglyDolls.

Kelly is also performing original songs for the movie as well as Pitbull, who is also part of the voice cast. The film tells the story of Moxy and her Uglydoll friends “as they confront what it means to be different, struggle with their desire to be loved and ultimately discover that you don’t have to be perfect to be amazing because who you truly are is what matters most.” Wow, that’s a mouthful … and describes what many children face in their lives every day.

Robert Simonds’ global next-generation media company STX Entertainment is producing the film and STXtv also has the dual role of studio and producer for the UglyDolls animated kids series streaming exclusively on Hulu. STX is moving beyond traditional platform-driven content to creating talent-driven entertainment with a mission “to unlock the value of the direct connection stars have with their fans through the development, financing, production, marketing and distribution of film, television, VR, digital video, music and live entertainment content.” Wow, another mouthful.

Created as a plush toy line by David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim, the Uglydoll brand quickly gained a cult following around the world. The first hand-sewn plush character, Wage, came to life in 2001. In 2006, Uglydoll is named Toy of the Year by the Toy Industry Association. Uglydoll characters are distinct for their endearing “ugliness,” in a wonderful “uglyverse” where differences are celebrated and embraced.

Their company, Pretty Ugly, LLC is having quite the year. Earlier in 2018, Hasbro signs on as global master toy licensee, Walmart signs on to give Uglydoll its highest level of retail support and White Space Entertainment, global master licensing agent for STX Entertainment, selects Jay Franco as key licensing partner for the UglyDolls brand. Under the licensing agreement, Jay Franco will have rights to a variety of home products, including bedding, bath, pillow, beach and more.

“We are thrilled to be working with STX and White Space on UglyDolls, to develop products that elevate their message of positivity, friendship, uniqueness and self-empowerment aimed at inspiring young people to follow their dreams and never be afraid to be themselves,” Elisha Gordon, VP of Licensing at Jay Franco and Sons, says.

Next year looks beautiful for Uglydolls everywhere. The UglyDolls franchise is set to kick off with the animated feature film slated for a May 10, 2019 release via STXfilms, with additional UglyDolls projects in the works across STX’s multiple divisions, including STXtelevision, STXdigital and STXsurreal.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!

Let Them Eat Candles®

Premium chocolate candles to light up birthday cakes and celebrations. Why didn’t somebody think of this sooner?

Rather than messing up a gorgeous cake with drippy wax candles, why not top it with delicious chocolate candles? You can not only light them, you can eat, too!

Thanks to the clever chocolatiers at Let Them Eat Candles, you can top your party cakes and cupcakes with premium milk or dark chocolate candles, festively decorated in your choice of 12 colorful candy designs.

Can you really light them?

Yes. Each candle has a short paraffin-coated cotton wick that burns just long enough to sing “Happy Birthday” or cheer the guest of honor. Blow out the candle, remove the (cooled) wick and enjoy some premium chocolate.

Let Them Eat Candles® are the delicious exclamation point for every celebration.

These edible artisan candles are the brainchild of mom Loree Sandler. During one of her children’s birthday parties, she finds herself fixated on the wax candles melting onto the cake – and decides right then that a candle renovation is in order.

“I’m trained as an architect, devoted to details, and birthday candles were ripe for revision,” Loree says. “Thus began my journey to improve upon a tired tradition. Thank you for joining me in this quiet revolution. Shine on.”

Loree’s chocolate candles are sold three to a box (representing the past, present and future), available on www.LetThemEatCandles.com. They make great hostess gifts and gift toppers; look for limited-edition holiday patterns. Not for birthdays only, custom chocolate candles are available in quantities for corporate anniversaries, weddings and other occasions.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!

Lil’ Sidekick

Designed by a mom on a mission to create a safe, easy-to-clean and extremely versatile solution that finally eliminates the drop game.

Amy is the inventor of Lil’ Sidekick, a multi-functional tether for sippy cups, spoons, toys and just about anything. “Four years ago I became a mom, and six months into it, I realized I had a huge problem,” Amy says on her website. “My adorable son Jaxen was a habitual chucker! He threw everything within seconds of giving it to him, and always in the dirtiest places.”

Amy tries everything on the market to help keep Jaxen’s stuff from getting thrown about and filthy – until she goes one a “mommy mission” to design something that was safe, versatile and easy-to-clean.

Made in the USA

Lil’ Sidekick is not your ordinary tether. It is packed with innovative and useful features such as a built in teether, patented break away points for added safety and is not easily undone by a child. “I designed it to be extremely versatile so it can adjust to secure any item, from a small crayon to a large stuffed animal,” Amy says. Lil’ Sidekick also secures to anything -a stroller, car seat, baby carrier, high chair, grocery cart- unlike limited-use competitors.

The Lil’ Sidekick tether is made of a safe, durable and FDA-approved material in the USA. It’s dishwasher safe and very easy to clean. Additional benefits are that Lil’ Sidekick is designed for safety and effectiveness. The sophisticated universal design not only makes Lil’ Sidekick a high-quality, effective solution that eliminates the “Drop Game,” it can be used by all ages for a bike, in a purse, on luggage or by those with special needs and in hospitals.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!

Mosey Handmade

Celebrate Childhood. Make Memories. Repeat.

Jes Mosey is the mind -and the maker- behind Mosey Handmade, a beautiful collection of keepsake crowns, hats, buntings and party supplies for babies and children handmade in the spirit of childhood. “Bringing beautiful touches to your birthday party to mark this special moment with you and your child is our specialty,” says, Jes, “So let’s celebrate in style!”

Whimsical, easy-breezy Birthday Parties

Let Mosey Handmade take care of those birthday party details that are difficult to accomplish during your hectic, everyday life, yet make this moment with your little one special. Each creation is assembled in her studio and sewn by her take-home seamstresses, who get to work from home.

Jes has built a great relationship with her vendors and sources materials responsibly with you and your children in mind. Wool is made in New England in a factory that’s been producing wool felt for over 100 years. “It’s the finest around,” Jes says. “Durable and soft and never scratchy.” The ribbon is sourced from France -the prettiest grosgrains, the most luxe-y satins and the most intricate woven patterns.

Check Mosey Handmade out on Esty, too.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!

kidpik

Girls’ shopping reinvented.

The recently launched shopping site kidpik hopes to change everything you thought you knew about shopping for girls. Created by the executives behind The Children’s Place, kidpik combines the luxury of personal styling with the convenience of home shopping, designed exclusively for girls and tailored to fit any budget. Seasonally, kidpik is expected to deliver a curated, coordinated and fashionable selection of quality outfits right to your doorstep, with the added benefits of free shipping, free styling and no membership fee.

No Commitment kidpik Experience

“Children’s preferences in clothing have evolved over the decades and so should the shopping and delivery system,” says Ezra Dabah, kidpik founder and CEO. “We are excited to deliver this ultimate shopping experience.”

Every item is designed and curated in kidpik’s NYC studio, where stylists and proprietary algorithms work collaboratively to remove the difficulty, time and guesswork from the shopping experience. Whether your daughter favors a look that’s Girly Glam or Classic Chic, Modest or one of kidpik’s five lifestyle looks, the interactive fun style quiz will help identify her unique style. Girls ages three through 12 (sizes 4-14), with the help of grown-ups, can define and own their signature style on the kidpik site.

“Pik” What She Loves & Send the Rest Back Free

Each fashionista will receive her own personalized box containing about six coordinated quality fashion apparel pieces such as tops, bottoms, dresses, layering pieces, shoes and accessories -designed to complete several mix and match outfits. “Pik” what she loves and send the rest back free. The average kidpik box price is under $100 and the cost of each item is just $12.50 if she decides to keep the entire box.

One of the Coolest Parts …

Purchase the entire box and get a 30% discount; keep what she likes and kidpik will donate any returned items through its charity partnership.

kidpik is the newest endeavor from prolific fashion entrepreneur Ezra Dabah and the executive and creative teams behind classic children’s brands including EJ Gitano, The Children’s Place, Disney stores, Nina footwear and Rum American Kid’s Wear.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!

Mac & Mia

Style & Soul, Delivered.

Mac & Mia is new and totally parent-friendly way to buy clothes for your children. Marketed as an online, custom clothing boutique for kids, the company has a team of personal stylists that act as personal shoppers for parents, creating entire ensembles and looks for newborns to kids up to six years.

Parents create a style profile for each child and then they receive a package of hand-picked clothes and accessories. Keep the fashion with a passion, and send the rest back, at no cost to you.

All clothing is “consciously crafted by artisans and brands that stand for social and environmental responsibility,” including Made in the USA, recycled, handmade and organic selections, made in safe working conditions with an honest wage, or the proceeds are reinvested in the local community.

No Membership Fee. There’s no obligation to buy. Boutique pricing is similar to high-end retailers. Request a new box of treasures whenever you (or your child) is ready.

Founder Marie Tillman and mother of five is inspired by things that are important to her: family, friends, love and a giving heart- as she’s created the concept behind Mac & Mia. She says, “Like all parents, I’ve always wanted to make the world a better place for my children. I want them to grow up feeling grounded in the universe, appreciating the simple things in life.”

Mac & Mia is a way for kids themselves to feel more connected to the story behind the merchandise they buy, choosing beautiful clothing that expresses their personalities.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!

Cricket’s Circle

A baby registry with interactive, hand-holding features for new parents.

In less than a year since its launch, Rachel Blumenthal, founder and CEO of Cricket’s Circle, is living up to her promise of simplifying the baby registry process for parents-to-be by combining a holistic, interactive registry with personalized content.

“We created Cricket’s Circle to give every expectant and new parent their own ‘Cricket,’ a one-stop shoppable resource for trusted product recommendations and helpful advice.”

In January, Cricket’s Circle expanded to eCommerce, launching its baby registry service. The company researches and tests products, and then –along with parent-knowledge-narrows down the vast array of baby products to three recommendations per category, all in an effort to make shopping easier for parents. They even partner with retailers to get the top baby and toddler items into one registry and shopping cart. What’s more, Cricket’s Circle’s blog is fully shop-able, too.

Earlier in her career, Rachel worked for Yves Saint Laurent, jeweler brand Rachel Leigh and eyewear company Warby Parker, which is cofounded by her husband Neil –as well as having her their son, Griffin, before creating Cricket’s Circle. As a new mom and entrepreneur, Rachel is in the business of giving and receiving advice – she welcomes yours, too, at rachel@cricketscircle.com or share your comments on social.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!

Love, Linda

Fashion meets health with kids being the winners.

After working in the entertainment industry for many years, Linda Brukman Brown pursues her love of knitting, selling her own knit designs during her lunch breaks to stores on trendy Melrose and Montana Avenues in Los Angeles, California.

Later, with products in over 150 stores nationwide –and a love of books and book art- Linda decides to re-launch her line as Love, Linda – The Art of Reading, curating unique children’s illustrations by fine artists from all over “to bring their creative imagination into your homes.”

Made in the USA. The Oak Park, CA-based company, now in their twenty-second year, produces a full line of tees, one pieces and more designed with art from children’s book illustrators such as Mary Jane Begin, Jennifer Goldfinger, Daniel J. Mahoney, Amy Schimler and others. Her newest collection is a line of Allergy Awareness clothing.

Imagine walking into a school knowing that about 5.9 million children under the age of 18 have a food allergy such as dairy, egg, peanut, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat and soy. This is the world Linda found herself in when she began to research why she was having bronchial infections and other related illnesses that have plagued her for almost 12 years. Frustrated that doctor after doctor could not help her, she turned to an Acupuncturist who is trained in both Eastern and Western medicine. The doctor suggested giving up dairy, focusing on other types of food allergies as well, which led to not only immediate relief and subsidence of Linda’s symptoms, she began a quest for information and a passion to give children, especially those too young to advocate for themselves, a way to tell others about their allergies

“My hope is that no child or parent will have to fear going to school or a play date and worry that their allergy will turn their day upside down,” Linda says. Her Allergy Awareness collection features kid friendly designs and slogans, as well as a line of stickers to adorn lunch boxes.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!

KidStyleSource.com

Two websites in one, for savvy kids fashion shoppers of all kinds!

Kindred Spirit. Whether you’re a style-minded shopping parent or a fashion-forward retail buyer, KidStyleSource.com is a fabulous online find – one after my own heart. The entire site features the latest news in apparel, accessories and furnishings for infants through tweens, organized for the shopping public as well as for professionals in the children’s product industry.

The brainchild of editorial director Tracy Mitchell, who has covered the children’s market in various editorial roles at Fairchild Publication’s Children’s Business magazine for almost 20 years, KidStyleSource.com features breaking collections, undiscovered designers, emerging labels and familiar brands –for both parents and professionals- presented in a grown-up, insider-type way.

As an industry insider, KidStyleSource surveys the market and tracks down the trends as they develop. And more importantly, we’re known for presenting those trends in a meaningful way that we believe enhances the retailers’ shopping experience. Translating this curated approach from online to the show floor is designed to take the retail buying experience to the next level.”

-Tracy Mitchell

Comprehensive Coverage. The site also features merchandise by trends and by categories in easy-to-navigate sections. The style showcase ranges in price “from mass to class,” which makes visiting a great shopping experience.

Fashion director Lynda M. Johnson is a fashion journalist and stylist with 28 years of experience working for both trade and consumer publications and leads the fashion resourcing efforts for the KidStyleSource, among other things.

A division of Style Source media LLC, the six-year-old KidStyleSource.com is a unique destination for both parents and industry executives to find great fashion stories.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!

My Denim and Lace

Create your own pair of jeans only you can design!

If you’ve always wanted to design your own clothes, have we got a place for you! At Owen Siegel’s MyDenimandLace.com, you can have your jeans and other favorite apparel embellished just the way you want, using the website to design them.

Owen recently re-introduced My Denim and Lace to the public with a brand-new website –and the process is easy-peasy.

“First, choose the style of jeans you want us to design,” Owen says. “Then choose embellishments using the top, sidebar or icons on the site, http://mydenimandlace.com.” Choose from adorable little embellishments just for kids, too!

If you have inspiration for a design that you would like us to make for you, we can try to create it.

The company designs ripped jeans, dyed jeans and faded jeans, as well as other styles for truly wearable art. And they do it in New York City. “We design a custom pair of jeans for you,” Owen says. “Whether it’s on a favorite pair of jeans or jeans that are brand new, we can design a pair of jeans that is both a new creation and a trend forward.”

Contact Owen and his team if you have a garment other than jeans you’d like to have re-designed. “You can also send your jeans to us we will ship it back to you at no extra charge,” Owen adds.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!