Livie & Luca – Spreading Joy!

Popular footwear brand stays true to a mission to “tread lightly” on the environment and to give back whenever possible.

Those who dreamed up the Livie & Luca footwear line like to say if one of their shoes could whisper in your ear it would say, “Spread Joy!” This company responsibly sources and ensures their factories offer ideal working conditions and fair wages. Each month, they donate 10% of their online profits to a worthy charity and regularly donate shoes to local children’s hospitals and overseas relief efforts.

Watch a fun video featuring the Spring/Summer collection here!

Fresh New Designs. The current Spring/Summer collection draws inspiration from the moon and stars. Co-founder and designer Mitzi Rivas was inspired by the open sky, the planets and the feeling of floating. New designs include the cloud-accented Dawn, starry Nova and rocket ship Juno styles. At the suggestion of customers and after numerous fittings, Livie & Luca’s shoes have a new custom tailored fit, and this includes the expanded baby shoe collection.

Additional new styles include the Flutter butterfly sandals, Boa sandals with a subtle snake detail and the scallop-edged Ivy sandals. Classic styles are given a new twist with bold colors, including the light blue Pio Pios with red bird accents, the shimmery red Celestinas and the teal Barcelonas.

For Big Girls, Too. The Nola ballet flats for women are available in an earthy, sustainable jute -a great neutral- and a rich red for added intrigue. Designed to complement the Fun Dots in jute and the Ruche in red styles for children, the Nolas are a hip alternative to traditional mommy-and-me styles.

For customers seeking an animal product-free alternative, the striped Ferris shoes are 100% vegan and come in nature-inspired colors and playful prints- bark, bamboo and navy for boys, and flora and kiku for girls. Made of breathable fabric and featuring a flexible sole, these comfortable, lightweight shoes are perfect for playtime.

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!

UV 50+ Ultra-hip SwimZip

Swim shirts with SPF 50+ and a full length zipper make sun protection so easy for parents and kids.

The beauty of SwimZip, the new sun protection brand from founder and president Betsy Johnson, is that this cute and fashionable swimwear is so easy to get on and off, it’s no longer a hassle to get the very best in sun protection for your child. And this beauty battles a beast: those super-harmful UV rays.

SwimZip is an easy-on, easy-off UV 50+ protective swim shirt for children, featuring a full front zipper, no-pinch zipper flap, sewn-in protective collar, tagless neck and flat seams for comfort. Oh, and did I forget to mention that SwimZip’s material is chlorine resistant? It is.

My #1 goal is to keep children safe from the sun by getting a SwimZip into every child’s household around the world!

The new 2012 collection is inspired by Betsy’s honeymoon last summer. “My husband and I vacationed on the island Moorea, right off Tahiti,” she tells me. “We spent hours on the beach, snorkeling and kayaking around the lagoon. I fell in love with the rich colors of the green trees and mountains, the multicolored blues of water, the reds and purples of the coral reef. I knew that the new SwimZip colors would have to be as rich and powerful as the colors I saw on our honeymoon.” And indeed, they are.

Swimwear All Day Long. Betsy also decided to include matching bottoms for 2012. “I knew parents loved having matching bottoms and tops for swimsuits, so I’ve made SwimZip a swimwear outfit kids can wear all day long.”

When Betsy was 26, she was diagnosed with skin cancer, after years of playing outdoors while growing up in Kansas. “Just one significant sunburn as a child can have long term effects,” she says. “I wish I would have listened to my Mom back then and lathered up with sunscreen.” Now, Betsy has made it a priority to educate children and parents about the dangers of UV rays. She offers information about UV awareness on the SwimZip website, too.

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah. The original idea for SwimZip swimwear came with a complaint. Yep – Betsy’s brother was always complaining his daughter Maryella hated taking on and off her swim shirt just as much as she hated having sunscreen applied to her body. So … “With a pair of scissors, I cut Maryella’s swim shirt down the front and fastened it back together with safety pins,” she says. “All of a sudden, the shirt was a breeze to take on and off. In fact, Maryella could do it herself.” (Cool name, don’t you think?) Thanks, bro – for inspiring Betsy to turn those safety pins into easy-peasie zippers.

SwimZip perfectly blends my loves of fashion, function, health, and kids.

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!

Charming, Vintage Maisonnette Children’s Clothing

People are talking about the delightful Maisonnette clothing line, thanks in part to Rachel Florio PR. And with good reason!

The three-year-old Maisonnette brand began as a boutique by Ava, Natalie and Madeline Warr. It quickly transformed into charming clothing collection for girls and boys, size 6M- 7. Designed by Madeline and Ava, the vintage-classic, modern pieces made with inspired fabric combinations burst with color and uniqueness –and a little European style. The girls recently débuted the Fall 2012 line at ENK Children’s Club to rave reviews.

Children love Maisonnette clothing for the look and comfort. Parents love the clothing because it can be worn from the park to the party!

Made in the USA. Maisonnette clothing is designed and made in Oceanside, CA with what they call “an edgy twist to each piece.” Madeline and Ava personally choose the finest fabrics for their unique designs, transforming each into a work of art.

French Flair. “Maisonnette” is a French word meaning a small house or self-contained apartment in a larger house. The same is true of the Warr’s lovely studio. Located in a black and white 1924 cottage, Maisonnette shares space with Natalie, who is the company’s photographer. Natalie owns and operates Natalie Jennette Photography, specializing in infant, family, wedding as well as commercial photography.

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!

Alphabetown USA Launches New Line of Children’s Books

These books engage young readers to read with fun characters, lively illustrations and worthy life lessons.

North Carolina-based Alphabetown USA creates educational books that help children ages two through eight make sense of the letters in the alphabet and the magical words they create. The books are developed by husband and wife team Ryan and Nicole Mayer and illustrated by artist and family friend Russ Simmons.

With its bright and beautiful illustrations, Alphabetown books are a perfect way to introduce language skills to young children. We are excited about using these books as part of our curriculum.

-Nancy Whisonart, Trinity Episcopal Preschool, Moorestown, NJ

Titles included in the series from Beaner Books are Where is Ziggy?, Hannah’s Homework and Catena Goes Camping, followed this summer by the introduction of Madison’s Magical Adventure.

The story ideas come from the Mayers’ own children – Ryan and Nicole then write the books. Nicole’s background in psychology and education along with Ryan’s experience as a former law enforcement officer contribute to the couple’s added educational twists.

Reading, and the ability to read, is such a critical part of a child’s development that we wanted to create books that were not only fun for young children, but served as an educational tool for parents and teachers as well.

Prior to its official publication, Where is Ziggy?, the story that kicks off the Alphabetown USA series was made available for use in local elementary schools and eventually was awarded an Honorable Mention at the 2008 NYC Book Festival for Best New Children’s Book.

The illustrations are eye catching and will attract young learners with their bold colors and interesting adventures.

-Frederick Johnson, Ed.D., principal, Mary E. Roberts Elementary School, Moorestown, NJ

The authors’ children have also influenced Alphabetown USA beyond just story ideas. Socially conscious daughter Hannah inspired her parents to donate a portion of proceeds from each title to charity. Proceeds from the sale of Where is Ziggy? help Alex’s Lemonade Stand fight childhood cancer victims, from Hannah’s Homework benefit McDonald House of Southern New Jersey, and Catena Goes Camping aids Miracle Flights for Kids.

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!

One-of-a-Kind Softies from Child’s Own Studio

Their uniqueness is undeniable. And their cuteness is irresistible.

Over 13,000 people like Child’s Own Studio’s Facebook page. And it’s easy to see why.

Softie dolls have been around for quite some time (apparently it’s a wildly popular Japanese craze), but they’ve never been imagined quite like this. Wendy Tsao began using her needle and thread to create softie dolls based on children’s drawings about five years ago, and she’s been bringing their artistic creations to life ever since.

Child’s Own Studio makes custom, handmade, keepsake, soft toys that will be cherished for a lifetime. Featured in the June 2012 issue of Reader’s Digest, Wendy’s wonderful creations are a collaboration between her and the dreams of a child -one-of-a-kind drawings as unique as the child who draws it.

The child’s drawing, a wonderful expression of childhood, is the starting point of the collaborative project. Details and color choices are reproduced as closely as possible so that the stuffed toy that arrives in the mail is immediately recognizable to the child who designed it.

Wendy’s Vancouver BC, home-based craft business is keeping her very busy, and happy. “It’s a fun, rewarding process, and kids love seeing their drawings come alive,” she says. So busy in fact, that she’s got a wait list for her hand-crafted style –it takes up to two days to complete a Child’s Own creation. In the meantime, she offers the Softiemaker Showcase on her website, a list of independent craft artists from around the world who are also available, if you’re in a really big hurry.

Read Wendy’s blog on her homepage for the story behind many Child’s Own Studio softie creations.

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!

T-Shirt Transcendence

Can a t-shirt actually help a child develop self esteem? My Kinda Style t-shirts just may give kids the kind of positive reinforcement they need to feel great about themselves.

My Kinda Style is a children’s knitwear brand of t-shirts and one-pieces with hip, witty and empowering graphic messages. Made from soft organic cotton with a tagless design, they not only provide endless hours of comfort, but are also made to encourage positive self esteem in children.

Shayla Mackey is the creative force behind My Kinda Style, and knows first-hand how important self-esteem is, especially for girls. While raising her daughter all on her own, she finished college with a degree in Business Management; in fact, Shayla was inspired by her daughter’s love of art and fashion to start the business.

We pay close attention to the details that both kids and parents want in a clothing line, from carefully choosing the perfect fabric texture and colors to dreaming up the next empowering themed messages and designs.

Oklahoma-based My Kinda Style is no ordinary t-shirt maker; as a community volunteer and an active member of her church, Shayla is also passionate about using her business to give back to communities.

“Not every child has the opportunity to have new clothes,” Shalya says. “While clothing is a necessity, a brand new t-shirt to a child in need takes on a whole new meaning; it can give him confidence, make her feel noticed and important, and overall teach a valuable lesson that when they’re in need, there are people who care to help.”

T-Shirts That Give. On this page of the website, folks can nominate a deserving child or children who can benefit from a new t-shirt by telling Shayla and the team at My Kinda Style their story. “We believe that something as simple as a t-shirt really can change lives. We want to do our part to make their dreams come true.”

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 Magic of Pippen Lane

Over a decade ago, Anna Beth Goodman envisioned a child’s emporium inspired by what she calls “the whimsy of youth,” right in her hometown on New Orleans, LA.

Today, as one of the premiere shopping destinations in this unique city’s Garden District, Pippen Lane offers cosmopolitan and traditional Southern styles -including Lylian heirloom dresses- as well as exquisitely selected European fashion, gifts, toys and nursery décor for little boys, girls and babies.

Earlier this year, Anna Beth introduced her own signature clothing label featuring fashion-forward, bold designs. The Pippen Lane Collection débuted in January and pays homage to the Big Easy with fresh and whimsical prints intertwined with classic, wearable styles available in sizes newborn to size 10.

All of my collections may not always have a direct New Orleans reference, but you can always count on the city giving me the ultimate inspiration.

-Anna Beth Goodman, wife of actor John Goodman and mom of Molly Evangeline

The Spring/Summer collection features styles inspired by unique New Orleans neighborhoods, streets and wildlife- including Garden District Floral, Arabella, Peacock Feather and Fancy Bird. Signature layettes feature the iconic fleur-de-lis, as well as bee, crown and bear embroidery on footies, polo shortalls, skirted one-pieces and blankets. For older children, Pippen Lane features rompers, capris, shorts, tunics and ruffled tees in lively patterns including carnival beads and vibrant florals.

The Pippen Lane Collection is available at the retail store, located at 2929 Magazine Street, and online. Wholesale is also available.

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!

BargainChildrensClothing.com – What a Deal! ITS A BARGAIN!

If you’re a fan of Children’s Retail Today, you may be liking my links to the fabulous deals found on BargainChildrensClothing.com.

This site is a treasure trove of incredible bargains on brand name children’s clothing and accessories. I’ve had the pleasure of working with the site’s masterminds –Manny & Joe– for about two years, and I know that they do everything in their power to earn their customers’ business.

You can be assured of price, quality, fast shipping, extensive selection and ease of site navigation when shopping at BargainChildensClothing.com.

Manny & Joe really stepped up, serving an under-recognized market for value-priced children’s clothing by leaving their top executive positions in the New York City garment district and starting a business that caters to savvy shoppers.

That was then, This is now. With a mission to save their customers time and money when shopping for children’s clothing, Manny & Joe began with 1,500 deeply discounted products, shipping from their warehouse in New Jersey. By adding 75-100 products per week, the company has grown to feature over 8,000 items at a 20 to 85 percent discount – every day. And if that’s not enough, you can enjoy even more deals:

Only $3.95 Flat Rate Shipping on All Ground Orders
Deal of Day
Discount Boutique
Extreme Sales
Fantastic Customer Service

And their customers love it.

BargainChildrensClothing.com is awesome. What I love is the ability to get unique, creative, non-mass-produced clothes without having to pay small boutique/European prices. You have helped me keep my daughter adorably dressed. Thank you!

– Ricki, Brooklyn NY

No Membership Required. BargainChildrensClothing.com’s Facebook page has 13,746 likes – and counting. The company recently gave away an iPad to contest winner Debralee Hasson Landry from Turnersville, NJ.

Shopping at BargainChildrensClothing.com is a pleasure thanks to Manny & Joe. Pajamas, jeans, designer duds, dresses, swimwear, footwear – you name it. It’s all there. Experience it for yourself!

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!

Friendship Bracelets – BFF’s and More

The award-winning My Friendship Bracelet Maker® by Choose Friendship Company has been flying off the shelves lately.

The friendship bracelet – an international symbol of camaraderie – is a wonderful reminder to youngsters that they can count on their best friends no matter what, especially in this era of bullying and hurtful words. Invented for his granddaughters by David Crorey, a retired auto industry exec, the portable My Friendship Bracelet Maker helps kids make their own designs neatly and with ease.

Michigan-based Choose Friendship Company has established quarterly campaigns encouraging support networks between kids across the country. For instance, they collaborated with Mad Habit Media to launch an anti-bully, pro-friendship campaign revolving around the song/video, Inside Out, sung by Michigan teen Marisa Nahas – and proceeds from the song’s sales are donated to non-profit organizations that support this cause.

Because children carry burdens often overlooked or misunderstood by others, we want them to feel welcomed into their own exclusive club. Our mission is to let them know they’re not alone; not only are others living with the same fear and uncertainty, but that these special children are loved and supported by a larger community.

-Julie Crorey, mom to the granddaughters

This year, Choose Friendship also introduces two new craft kits. The My Friendship Bracelet Maker Traveler™ is great for backpacks and carry-ons and the nifty slide-out storage drawer features 20 pre-cut Prism® embroidery threads in 10 different colors. With The Image Bracelet Maker™, kids can express their favorite likes of the moment on their wrist – just like Pinterest! It uses photos, magazine pictures, internet images or the included art starter sheets to assemble bracelets that are totally unique and awesome.

Choose Friendship is not only the craft kit family business’ new name (the company was once known as Crorey Creations) but also its mantra. The joy of the product line is its ability to engage impressionable kids of the importance of friends and self-expression. Plus, it’s gone global in two short years. QVC sold out its entire load of more than 55,000 kits during the 4th quarter, 2011. National and specialty retailers alike had to restock their shelves in-store and online. My Friendship Bracelet Maker® and My Ribbon Barrette Maker® have earned kudos from Tillywig Toy Awards, Parents’ Choice, Dr. Toy, Creative Child Magazine, NAPPA Awards and Brilliant Sky.

Log on to ChooseFriendship.com for instructional videos, charitable causes, store locations, to watch Inside Out and more. The Friendship Bracelet Blog is authored by the inventor’s granddaughter.

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 Eyes Have It

Protection for kids’ eyes is fun, stylish and oh-so-effective.

When it comes to us humans, no one can deny that we are sun worshippers. Some statistics point out that about half of the total time we spend outdoors occurs in the first 20 years of our lives. And the human eye is 10 times more sensitive to harmful UV rays than our skin – reason enough to protect young eyes as aggressively as we do their bodies.

Thanks to these innovative companies, it’s no problem.

In my practice, and in the medical literature, I see that many eye diseases are linked to chronic, cumulative sun exposure. It’s important to be proactive and protect kids’ eyes with sunglasses.

-Mark Silverberg MD, Pediatric Ophthalmology

Where Fun meets FunKtion. funKshades is the first line of sunglasses for children with snappable, interchangeable, collectible, tradable charms. Founder Candy Hendrick created the company after learning her daughter Katherine was even more vulnerable to harmful UV rays because of a permanent birthmark on her eye. The “K: in funKshades even stands for “Katherine,” and the fun concept of personalizing sunglasses is inspired by her, too.

As parents, we smother our children with sunscreen, but we often forget to protect their sensitive, precious eyes.

Not only will kids love decorating their sunglasses with these whimsical charms, parents can feel good knowing that the sunglasses themselves provide 100% UVA/UVB polarized sun protection.

Just for Kids. Real Kids Shades are designed exclusively to fit a child’s face properly, and are shatterproof/impact-resistant, too. Made from durable, quality materials to ensure 100% of harmful UV rays are blocked, the folks at Real Kids Shades have worked with pediatric opthalmologists for optimal fit, comfort and safety. With a goal of having children’s shades viewed as a year-round necessity, the company hopes to educate the public on common misconceptions that can lead to permanent eye damage.

The truth is, wearing cheap toy sunglasses can actually do more harm to a child’s eyes than not wearing anything at all. Shaded lenses without 100% UVA/UVB protection will relax pupils, causing them to dilate and let more harmful radiation into children’s eyes.

-Real Kids Shades vice president Lisa Medora

Real Kids Shades’ collections -My First Shades, Flex Shades and the new Flex Duo Shades- are CPSIA compliant, CE Certified and FDA Approved to provide 100% UVA and UVB protection.

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