Kelsey MacLean

Named one of Oklahoma’s 50 most powerful people in 2015, Kelsey MacLean is offering her line directly to you.

The Kelsey MacLean brand of fine clothing and accessories for babies, children and adults the epitomizes timeless country club style. Named after founder and creative director, the custom-embroidered luxury apparel features classic designs expertly crafted in Peru of “decadently” soft Pima cotton and other fine textiles for superior comfort and long life.

Create One-Of-A-Kind Clothing

Using the latest technology, Kelsey MacLean is one of just a few companies in the United States to offer such an extensive personalized custom embroidered collection. Kelsey MacLean craftsmen can personalize most garments by adding monograms, names, logos, icons or text embroidery to create a truly unique one of a kind piece. Choose your text, font and thread color for monograms and names – or select a logo from the company’s list of charities and non-profits and support you favorite – it will receive a portion of the proceeds.

Personalized in the USA

All aspects of the personalization process, including artwork design, embroidery, hand finishing and pressing- are done at the company headquarters in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania to ensure that your custom piece is not only what you envision, it is made with the highest quality. For instance, the embroidery machines use very small needles, which help make the personalization crisp and clean.

Founder/Creative Director Kelsey MacLean launched her line in 2013. Once only available in high end hotels, resorts, country clubs and golf clubs, her company Fore Kids Golf has earned Preferred Vendor status for The Ritz-Carlton Hotels, and is an Official Licensee of the Tournament Players Club (TPC) Network. Named one of Oklahoma’s 50 most powerful people in 2015, Kelsey is offering her line directly to you through KelseyMaclean.com.

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

Good Dog in a Box

Animal lovers are launching new business today on KickStarter.

Sisters Jenn Merritt and Kim Merritt-Butler grew up with two poodles, Fluffy and Muffin, who taught them the love, companionship and wonder a dog adds to life.

Today they’re launching a new business, Good Dog in a Box on KickStarter. “Our subscription boxes are not just a toy of the month club, but instead provide dog owners with the equipment and education to help improve the behavior of their dog and their relationship with that dog,” they say. “Each month our boxes provide training tools, training exercises and a unique online component with training videos and games that isn’t being done anywhere else.” Jenn and Kim want to help keep family dogs at home, rather than dumped at shelters because of “bad behavior” or biting, and to keep children from getting bitten by dogs.

Good Dog in a Box is specifically for families with kids and dogs.

Dog bites among children ages five to 12 are a serious problem in our society. Many dogs labeled as “biters” are ending up in shelters at an alarming rate. Jenn, who’s a professional dog trainer and Kim combine a positive reinforcement training base and a little home-school experience with the huge popularity of subscription boxes to offer a unique product line that has safety as well as fun implications for families with kids and dogs. In addition, Calm Dog in a Box is for anxiety ridden and stressed out dogs that is being produced in partnership with Thundershirt.

Jenn is also a Tellington TTouch practitioner for companion animals, and has spent her 15+-year career promoting positive reinforcement training techniques and speaking out against animal cruelty. Kim calls herself a “serial entrepreneur”, starting her first company, Kim’s Khocolate, at the tender age of 11 – counting Apple, AT&T, The Rolling Stones and Range Rover as clients. Kim is the pet parent of two rescue cats, Mister Kitten Britches (aka Mister) and Momma June Bug Jones (aka Buggy).

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

Freshly Picked Marketplace

Newly launched online shopping community curated by Susan Petersen.

Baby and kid lifestyle brand Freshly Picked just launched the Freshly Picked Marketplace, an online community made up of small businesses that features hand-selected and unique baby products. Not only will shoppers learn the passion behind each business, they can buy the products online directly from the Freshly Picked Marketplace.

The unique companies are “freshly picked” by the Freshly Picked founder Susan Petersen, who started making durable, well-designed baby moccasins from premium leather in 2009. Her highly coveted moccasins soon became adored by parents across the country, have remained a celebrity kid must-have and are available online at www.freshlypicked.com and retailers nationwide, including Nordstrom, Zappos, Bloomingdales and others.

“The Marketplace community of small businesses is truly the best of the best, hand-picked and tested by the Freshly Picked team. I’m excited to introduce moms and dads to each of these wonderful brands, and to add to the Marketplace community moving forward,” Susan says. “As new baby product innovators have emerged and try to gain exposure for their awesome products, I’ve thought, ‘I’ve been there before’. As I found myself wishing I had megaphone to share each of their stories and products in a way that didn’t distract from our focus at Freshly Picked, my team and I came up with the idea for Marketplace.”

Susan and her team want to create an online destination for small brands that need and deserve exposure – and Marketplace shoppers can rest assured they are getting well-made, amazing products. The first companies selected include:

Sproutling + Co

“Sproutling + Co’s simple wooden baby mobiles are a stunning, keepsake-worthy nursery accessory.”

Sproutling + Co is a modern mobile company started by Kristin Okada in 2016. Simple, beautiful baby mobile made of natural products and handcrafted with care for your sweet new baby. Each mobile is shipped in a beautiful muslin keepsake bag.

Koko’s Nest

“Koko’s Nest blankets’ modern design, heirloom quality, and intelligent versatility make them a must-have for every new arrival.”

Koko’s Nest is a contemporary knit baby blanket company started by Sy Yang in 2015. Made of 100% Egyptian cotton and spun in Italy, this year-round, versatile blanket will become a part of your everyday life as a family.

The Posh Society

“The Posh Society’s leather bows are the perfect size and shape for every tiny fashionista!”

The Posh Society is a playfully indulgent baby bow company started by Sasha Petersen in 2013. Each bow is made with genuine Freshly Picked leather and is attached to thin ivory elastic, made with felt on back of leather for maximum comfort.

Hazel Village

“Hazel Village produces their soft toys responsibly, striving for heirloom quality at a reasonable price.”

Created by Jane Van Cleef in 2010, Hazel Village is a soft toy company inspired by her favorite childhood stories like Brambly Hedge, Uncle Wiggly and the Little House stories and then expanded into making woodland theme animal toys.

Bannor Toys

“Made with all safe and organic materials, Bannor hardwood toys are beautiful and last a lifetime.”

Bannor Toys is a wooden toy company founded in 2012 by Jesse and Stacey Bannor.

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

The NEW Angelcare/Sassy

“We’re pioneering design and functionality that is going to change the conversation about monitoring and baby care for years to come.”

-Tom Bratton, Angelcare CEO

This year, Angelcare Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiary Sassy Inc transformed as a company to create groundbreaking new products in baby monitoring and developmental toys. Combining the latest technological advances with scientific insight and modern intuitive design, the Angelcare and Sassy offerings deliver what today’s parents and caregivers want: peace of mind while helping their children thrive.

The Industry’s Top Innovators

Canada-based Angelcare assembled a team of the industry’s best minds to drive this unprecedented step forward in baby care standards. “Recruiting top talent was our number one goal for the relaunch,” Tom tells us. “We built our team from top global brands in a range of fields—baby, health and beauty, consumer electronics, technology/SaaS—to create this unique culture of innovation and thought leadership. When you get this caliber of people together, it’s amazing what they can create.” With a growth mindset and shared commitment to supporting children, parents and caregivers, the Angelcare/Sassy team focuses their combined insights and skillsets on transformative solutions that truly advance the industry standard.

Intentional, Science-Driven Design

Angelcare/Sassy taps into the desires and expectations of today’s millennial parents. From data-driven tools and a modern design aesthetic, to the latest technology and the best materials, Angelcare/Sassy brings baby care up to the minute and set the standard for decades to come.

A Breakthrough in Baby Monitoring Technology

Coming in January 2017 to North American retailers, Angelcare’s new AC417 and AC517 baby movement, sound and video monitoring systems have a new sleek design and include the only wireless movement sensor pad on the market. They feature Angelcare’s new Activity Analytics for tracking baby’s movement. “Our new wireless sensor pad is all about simplicity combined with safety. Parents are going to love it,” says Angelcare President Jordan Riggs, “but the real game-changer is the activity tracking and reporting built into our new monitors.”

Current fans of Angelcare products know that their monitors are designed to sense baby’s slightest movements and sound an alarm if no movement is detected after 20 seconds. The new models offer this core alarm feature plus the ability to track, record and report on baby’s bigger movements (like restlessness, rollovers, and kicks). With this insight into baby’s activity level during sleep, parents are better able to adapt routines and respond to baby’s needs. The ultimate result is more peace of mind (and rest) for everyone. “Today’s parents use technology in all aspects of life,” Jordan says, “and at Angelcare, we provide moms and dads with easy-to-use monitors that help them care for baby, relax and enjoy the adventure of parenthood.”

Sassy Set to Launch 100+ Products in 2017

Working with premier child development PhD’s and experts, Sassy renewed its focus to incorporate the latest research into all Sassy products with its trademark child-pleasing colors and shapes. The company is launching more than 100 new toys, feeding and baby care products in early 2017 that will help children thrive by focusing on developmental and educational needs.

The fresh offerings include an exciting range of new materials and bolder colors designed to help children play with purpose, as well as learn to solve problems, be flexible and self-motivate. From toys to teethers, bathing products to innovative cups, all of Sassy’s new products are designed to fit a child’s growing sensory perception, motor skills, and creativity.

“The Sassy team not only understands the importance of child development, they also bring a high level of style to the process,” says Sassy Vice President of Marketing Susan Hinshaw. “Today’s millennial parents demand more from baby and child care products. Sassy’s flair for stylish touches make the company’s new products consistent with modern aesthetics and compatible with on-the-go lifestyles.”

Today, Northbrook, IL-born Sassy is part of Angelcare Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with development, design and engineering in Grand Rapids, MI. The company’s current product line includes developmental toys, feeding items, baby care products to help children thrive and industry-leading movement monitoring that gives parents 24/7 peace of mind.

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

Muddy Feet Boutique

Vintage-Inspired Swimwear Handcrafted in Texas

Jessica Sherrill’s traditional and trendy clothes caught my eye five years ago, when she was just starting Muddy Feet Boutique. Now, I’m looking at her fabulous lookbook full of modern vintage-inspired swimwear.

“Muddy Feet has grown and is focused on responsibly manufacturing high-quality swimsuits that are modestly cut, but still fashion forward,” she tells me.

What A Delight

The fun, sassy swimwear for girls and young adults in sizes 2-12 sports collections with names like Rebel Belle, Bathing Beauty, Flouncy Bikini, Flapper and more. Bikinis, boyshorts, one-piece and two-piece styles are offered in a large array of fabric combinations, such as Boho, Mermaid, Cotton Candy, Victory Garden, Vintage Boardwalk and Anchors Away. Ruffles, bows, matching headbands and hairclips are definitely all that.

Contact info@muddyfeetboutique.com for the new 2017 Lookbook and see for yourself.

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

Pink Pewter

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

Li’l Trunks

Pack your bags! We’re going to our happy place.

Each season, Li’l Trunks offers a wardrobe of bright, bold options. The juicy colors and joyful patterns are designed to transport you to your happy place. You may remember it -you lived there when you were young.

“All it takes is the sound of your child’s laughter, and you’re tumbling through time and space. I love that feeling. It’s like an instant holiday,” says Sush Utpala, founder of this Indian-inspired baby and children’s clothing line that features vibrant floral prints with exotic flowers such as lotus, hibiscus and dahlias on rompers, empire-waisted knit dresses and more.

Sush says Li’l Trunks is an expression of her own happy place. “It’s inhabited by the sights and sounds of India, where I grew up,” she says. “These bits of home now mix and mingle with my adventures since then, living and traveling around the world. Together they swoosh around like a kaleidoscope, creating exciting patterns, delightful combinations and endless smiles. Then they find their home in the collection.”

Created as a way for Sush to express her two worlds -her love for learning about new places and cultures and her experiences as a new mom- the simple silhouettes and contemporary prints help make Li’l Trunks both timeless and current, east and west.

I’d also add luscious and beautiful!

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

The Crescent Womb

A new and innovative solution for promoting the healthy growth and physical development of newborns the way nature intends.

The Crescent Womb Infant Safety Bed is a hammock made of mesh that attaches to a baby’s crib. When a parent places their newborn in the center of the “womb,” the baby can curl up in the fetal position, suspended in the soft and subtle air.

Inventor James Spencer says it’s the closest thing to the child sleeping in their mother’s arms.

“Just as a baby grows in a mother’s womb, the idea began its infancy in my head,” James says. “By designing an infant sleeper that removes avoidable risks associated with early infancy, I slept easier as a new father, (knowing) my beautiful daughter is sleeping safely. This idea became a mission to help not only my Stella thrive, but to also help every other beautiful new life thrive.”

The Crescent Womb is destined to help both babies and their parents sleep more soundly, particularly during the first months of sleepless nights. The safety bed is ideal for infants up to around six months, or when they begin to sit up unassisted, roll over and start to crawl.

Recent research conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics finds 91% of the newborns in the study “had loose or non-approved items in the bed with them;” 21% were placed on “non-recommended” sleep surfaces and 14% weren’t put to sleep on their backs in sleep environments “with established risk factors for sleep-related infant deaths.” It is estimated that 3,500 cases of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death occur in the U.S. each year, and half are cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, according to the Center for Disease Control. Twenty-five percent of the sudden unexpected deaths are caused by accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed.

After consulting with moms and medical professionals, James worked on his prototype for nearly two years before he revealed the Crescent Womb, which has been tested to meet Consumer Product Safety Commission standards. James’ Crescent Womb Kickstarter campaign surpassed its $30,000 goal recently, raising over $100,000.

“I wanted to help a new generation get a head start. More importantly I hoped that Crescent Womb could be the catalyst to a more intimate, natural, and safe approach to early childcare.

I hope this product can bring a sense of relief to all new parents, just like it did for me, and help their little ones thrive, just like it did for Stella.”

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

Bits of News

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kidpikbasics.com

kidpik, the custom head-to-toe fashion box, designed, styled and delivered exclusively for girls 4-14, recently introduced the kidpik basics collection in super-soft materials and yummy colors. Parents can now stock up on all the essentials that a girl needs in multiples at www.kidpikbasics.com. “Basics are an essential part of a girl’s wardrobe,” Ezra Dabah, kidpik founder and CEO says. “We are thrilled to offer a great selection of basics to complement the kidpik fashion collection.”

MAM Celebrates in 2016

MAM, a manufacturer of award-winning, innovative and unique baby products including pacifiers and baby bottles, is celebrating its 40-year anniversary this year with all MAM parents, thanking them for helping to make MAM the trusted and admired brand it is today. From its beginnings in 1976 as a small company in Vienna, Austria, MAM has grown into a leading global brand in five continents with more than 50 million products sold annually in 60 countries. “We understand and love babies,” says Jennifer Mitchell, CEO, MAM North America. “For the past 40 years our top priority has been the development of products for the well-being, safety and health of babies that make life easier for parents and allow them to focus on the joy of family. We are proud of our heritage and will remain committed to developing products that unify design, technological innovation and medical know-how.

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LÍLLÉbaby® Re-launches COMPLETE Organic Collection

The luxurious, lightweight 100% cotton COMPLETE Organic Collection is available in three new modern, must-have shades – Sea Glass, Blushing Pink and Powder Blue – as well as returning favorites Blue Moonlight and, for a limited time only, the classic Green Meadows. The Collection is now available for purchase at lillebaby.com and independent boutiques.

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Rocyalox Hair Accessories

Charmin K Edwards has created Rocyalox, the first healthy hair accessory for curly hair. Just wrap and twist the cute hair band around hair and you’re stylin’. “Self-esteem starts early,” Charmin says. “When all girls, no matter their ethnicity, are able to find and purchase the same hair accessory, it’s a great thing!”

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

Infantium Victoria

European baby & children’s fashion label inspired by fairy tales and Victorian elegance.

Infantium Victoria, founded 2013 by Julia Gaydina and Dinie van den Heuvel, is a high-end organic, vegan and ethically-sourced kids’ brand based in Germany. This fashion for kids offers chic dramatic styles in three initial collections: By the Sea, URGothic and Dark Romantic. New for Fall 2016: Flowers in Concrete.

“Infantium Victoria is a new dimension in fashion for kids,” Julia says. “We are not at all afraid not to fit in, in fact this what we actively aspire to.”

Julia and Dinie are influenced by romantic themes and nostalgia, and their brand offers what they call “a true alternative to mainstream fast-fashion.” At Infantium Victoria, they care deeply for the current and future well-being of our children, which is why they use only organic materials and source, produce and distribute sustainably.

Julia and Dinie both have a long history in fashion and share a passion for it. “Baby couture is real!” Dinie says. “We have proven it and we are determined to further explore the limits of contemporary kids fashion.”

Sustainable Production

All patterns for Infantium Victoria clothes are handmade by atelier D’andt in Lier, Belgium. Based on the patterns and samples, the company’s production partners in North Rhine-Westphalian, Germany, and India create the final fashion. Julia and Dinie select their partners based on their track record of sustainable utilization of resources, sound waste management, ethical working conditions and an independent monitoring of these key indicators.

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