Peekaboo Beans

Looking for cool greens for St. Patrick’s Day? How about something from Peekaboo Beans’ new spring line … in hippie-esque bean colors!

Canada-based clothing company Peekaboo Beans is known as “Playwear for Kids on the Grow” (love this!). Traci Costa founded the company in 2006 to integrate innovative children’s couture playwear with early childhood development (nice mission). Bean styles are perfect for play dates, the playground and playtime anytime.

Considered a mommy-approved brand, Peekaboo Beans recently launched its Spring 2013 collection called Endless Summer. Inspired by childhood memories of fun-filled long summer days, Endless Summer channels the inner surfer dude and “beachy keen Bean” with fabrics that reflect the hippie era, featuring vibrant colors that play off the warmth of natural, beachy hues.

Drawing inspiration from a rich summer sunset, the girls collection incorporates a fun floral print, sweet ruffles and bright, beautiful colors. Girl Beans and their moms can take advantage of selected styles available in size 8. The lavender hues, beachy coral, cornflower blue and sorbet pinks come together with a hippie-esque, dip-dyed fabric (available May 1 to store buyers) to create a collection full of fun.

For Any Playful Escapade. With the focus on safety, function and fun all in one, no collection offers Peekaboo Beans style without great versatile pieces at affordable prices. Traci’s inspiration for the line are her daughters, born though Invetro fertilization. She got them to eat their vegetables by playing peekaboo with their beans –edamame beans- a cute backstory for the brand name. She and her team are dedicated to designing a fresh, functional, fashion-forward line of playwear for girls and boys that allows children to play in comfort and still have a unique sense of style. Available online.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

guzzie+Guss

Looking for cool greens for St. Patrick’s Day? How about the G+G101 Goose Stroller from guzzie + Guss … in Grass Green!

For more than 30 years, the Canadian founders behind the Vancouver, B.C.-based guzzie+Guss brand have delivered excellent design in baby gear, from strollers, highchairs, rockers and accessories -all in modern, fashionable styles.

The full-function G+G101 Goose Stroller in Grass Green is a convenient and lightweight, the new standard for stroller essentials. The G+G101 has full suspension and is car seat compatible. Heavy gauge nylon fabric makes the seat and canopy resistant to wear, water and fading; the footrest and front bar are clothed in wipe down material for protection against messy hands and boots. The G+G101 works like a full-size stroller, but is compact enough to fit in the smallest spaces. At a mere 16 pounds, not only will the G+G101 let you travel lightly, but in style. With deep 4 recline positions and its unique frame design, the G+G101 is truly a full size stroller at a compact price.

Each product is designed to keep your baby safe and secure. guzzie+Guss full-functional strollers use luxurious, breathable, heavy gauge nylon fabrics, making the seat and canopy resistant to wear, water and fading.

Named for the founder’s daughter’s childhood nickname “guzzie,” this mom-approved baby gear line continues to grow. Products are sold through the online store (guzzieandguss.com), Amazon.com, buybuybaby.com as well as in retail shops across North America.

Another Pink Pearl PR client! Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

Maira Fashion House

This New Delhi-based fashion apparel company has made a good name for itself in the global garment industry.

Since its incorporation in 2009, Maira Fashion House is recognized as a dynamic supplier and exporter of ladies scarves and leather bags in India. The OEKO-TEX® -approved manufacturer runs a modern facility with in-house dyeing and printing mills sourcing new fabric designs in cotton, nylon and viscose, and specializes in silk printing. Under the careful guidance of managing director Ms. Anshu Chaudhary, the support of advanced machinery and an outstanding team of professionals, Maira offers customized solutions, producing 40,000 pieces per month.

In August 2012, the company launched the Maira Fashion kids brand, comprised of casual wear designed using breathable fabric to give a comfortable fit. The company also has a reputation for being a pioneer in children’s party wear, offered in elegant colors, designs and patterns of superior quality that bring out the innocence of a child. Maira plans to open five retail stores in 2013.

Stylish, trendy and attractive, Maira Fashion House is creating a buzz among children’s wear clients across India, the UK and other parts of the world –including the USA.

We believe that our growth is dependent upon the quality of our products, honesty in relationships, timely services, and customer satisfaction.

The company’s new website, www.mairafashion.com, is still under construction. You can connect with Maira on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/mairafashion12 and by contacting Ash Nagpal by email at anshu@mairafashion.com.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

Ponytail Pals

A new line of little-girl-chic hair accessories combines the ease of creating fun hairdos with the cuteness of cuddly stuffed animals.

Recently introduced at the ENK Children’s Club trade show in New York, Ponytail Pals is a collection of ponytail holders that feature adorable little stuffed animal accouterments. The collection is created for girls ages infant to 12, who are thrilled with the 14 different cuddlies, which include a bunny, chick, lamb and more – a fun find for any little one’s Easter basket.

The heart of this brand captures that innocence and uninhibited imagination through playful, amusing accessories that bear elements of surprise, whimsy and delight.

Celebrating Girlhood. Designer Lisa Moy developed Ponytail Pals after searching for cute hair designs for her nieces. Fun to give as gifts, for special occasions and for every day, Ponytail Pals celebrate girlhood. “These ponytail holders become little buddies and trusted companions,” Lisa says, “so they will be invited to the next tea party and all the other fun things little girls love to do with their pals.”

Kid-at-Heart Style. Lisa’s journey into children’s accessories started with a passion for design and a love for kids and animals. Through her graphic design firm Moy Creative, she has put her unique visual style to work in annual reports and brochures, corporate videos and advertising campaigns. Walk into her Milwaukee-based design studio and you see her playful personality interpreted through her whimsical interior design style. With beloved rescue dogs Buddy, Chester and Jeff by her side, designing a Ponytail Pals line for girls was a natural transition which enables her to bring together all the things that she loves most.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

Kids.woot

This daily deals e-retailer has built a special consumer community with a style all its own.

When Woot.com débuted in 2004, its main online store offered just one product each day, discounted to the max. The Texas-based Woot Services LLC quickly added more sites to its woot-dom, including Kids.woot, which launched in 2009. About a year later, Woot was acquired by Amazon.com, and is now an independent subsidiary selling products by Woot, Inc.

Kids.woot sells children’s products – “all the accoutrements that make your little bundle of joy so damn expensive,” they say in the spinoff site’s online description. And there you have it – the thing that makes Woot so … special.

Woot Style. For many parents, just visiting Kids.woot is an entertaining adventure, due in large part to the company’s irreverent, funny writing style. The fan-based social community of woot includes a plethora of venues where folks are encouraged to “discuss,” including Kid Woots, Woots Plus, World of Kids.Woot, Everything But Woot and more. Which could make shopping, well –a lot more fun. Sophomoric? Perhaps. But can you get through one visit without at least one woot (i.e. chuckle)?

Cool Cheap Stuff. They say that Woot is “the hope in the eyes of a child when that child realizes you don’t have to pay List Price for cool stuff.” In the end, Kids.woot can give a shopper great new deals every day. Special shopping events, too.

Perhaps that’s all the woot you need.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

We’re back March 5

Children’s Retail Today is back in March, publishing new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

For Two Fitness

Made in the USA and available worldwide, this maternity apparel boasts flattering styles and form-fitting fitness.

For Two Fitness® is a maternity apparel line that inspires healthy, fit pregnancies by boosting a mom-to-be’s confidence. Celebrities, professional athletes and moms everywhere love this performance apparel line that flatters that baby bump, and crosses over easily for daily wear and lounging comfort. Tops, bottoms, workout apparel and loungewear are made with innovative technical fabric blends that keeps you looking and feeling your best.

Your pregnant body is unique! Our maternity activewear is designed to fit.

The designs hug and flatter growing curves throughout pregnancy. The Yoga For Two and Running For Two themes are bestsellers!

Another Rachel Florio PR client! Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

The Magical Mrs. Iptweet and Me

Mayfield Media launches an Etsy Shop of original fine art and kids lit by Barbara Mayfield.

Barbara Mayfield is a child’s treasure. A gifted artist, painter, performer and children’s author/illustrator who not only does improv, “the biggest surprise in a life full of surprises has been becoming a professional puppeteer,” she says. Through her company Mayfield Media, Barbara’s work “engages, inspires, encourages and educates audiences through humor, hilarity and riveting stories not to be forgotten” – not the least of which is her award-winning children’s story, The Magical Mrs. Iptweet and Me.

Reading Mrs. Iptweet gave me the same feeling as having the sweetest, most imaginative grandmother in the world.

-Jillian Brasch, fan

The first in a series of pre-teen fiction, The Magical Mrs. Iptweet and Me tells the story of Prudence Fish Hornby, a nine-and-a-half-year-old with a curious name and a broken heart. All of life looks dull and sad and hopeless to Prudy, until a certain artist-gardener-Parade Specialist moves into 406 Durham Street –that would be Mrs. Iptweet. The enchanting, whimsical, funny story is Barbara’s first, which she also illustrated, published by Santa Fe, NM-based Azro Press, and winner of several industry awards, including the 2009 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, Barbara lives in Santa Fe and studied writing with esteemed children’s author and teacher Jennifer Owings Dewey. She’s working on several more Iptweet stories, planning e-books. “Mrs. Iptweet, in Book 2, will be very interested in star-gazing and astronomy,” she tells her Facebook fans.

A graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Barbara recently opened a shop on Etsy.com, where fans can buy her original artwork and her children’s literature.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

Elephants on the Wall

Do you ever look at the walls in your house and think, “What can I do with this blank canvas?” Award-winning designer Patti Newton does, too.

Patti is creator of Elephants on the Wall, a company that designs paint-by-number wall murals. Now, you can transform your blank walls into magical worlds full of swashbuckling pirates, safari adventures, princess parties and more, by creating life-size illustrations yourself. You’ll be thrilled with the results.

Fun, Easy and Rewarding. Patti’s specially designed system has only has three steps: 1) tape the transfer paper to the back of the pattern paper and attach it to the wall; 2) trace the design and then remove the paper; 3) start painting. With paint-by-number wall murals you can 1) reuse it as many times as you like; 2) reverse the image to fit perfectly in your space; 3) repeat the image -or just part of it- to get the desired effect.

Great for expectant moms, your kids’ rooms and even for yourself, Patti has over 175 mural designs to choose from, including customized designs. Crafty types will love the challenge and those with no artistic experience will find it easy and rewarding. This just in: Elephants on the Wall was honored as the 2012 Kid Product of the Year by Creative Child magazine!

Made in the USA. Elephants on the Wall combines all of Patti’s passions – graphic design, themed environments, lots of color and love of sharing her talents with others. As a designer for Walt Disney Imagineering, she created themed signage and graphics that’s seen all around the world. Once an instructor at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, she’s also created five floats for the City of La Cañada Flintridge that were presented in the Tournament of Roses Parade. There’s nothing you can’t hand-paint on the wall, with Patti’s help – from sports to sea treasures, jungle landscapes to geometric beauty -even the occasional elephant!

Another ChicExecs PR client! Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

Samantha Conner Designs

From Stay-at-Home Mom to Work-from-Home Mompreneur, this spunky Texas-based designer is making it in the USA.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Samantha Conner has always had a passion for creating beautiful things. So after her first child was born prematurely and she needed to stay home, her passion took an unexpected turn.

Six years after selling her first hair bow at local craft fair -a hobby she started during her children’s nap time that blossomed into a successful home business- she’s taking her love of fun fabric combinations and bright style to the next level, and launching her own girls clothing line.

Made in the USA. Beautiful clothing and hair accessories for girls size 2T-6, Samantha Conner Designs (SCD) is a fresh take on girl’s fashion, featuring bold pattern, rich colors and lots of playful details. Created with what Samantha describes as “the busy girl” in mind, her first collections embody the idea that style and comfort go hand-in-hand. Her two daughters inspire her designs -and now, she’s noticed even they have an eye for fabric, and are learning to sew!

Manufactured locally in Garland, TX, SCD recently launched wholesale at the Dallas Market Center and is available in children’s boutiques all over the US and online. She continues to maintain a custom handmade shop at Etsy.com. Future plans for SMD include growing the business through online sales and local trunk shows.

If I can do it, then anyone can. I feel lucky that I have had the opportunity to pursue my passion. I hope that I can help others do the same by sharing my story.

Crafty Texas Girls. Want to know more about how you can live an inspired, creative life? Follow Samantha’s blog, Crafty Texas Girls, where she documents her journey of balancing motherhood, creativity and running a small business, following her dreams and turning a hobby into a thriving business.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today! SCD Photography by Erin Morman of Splendor Photography and Kristis Mills Photography.