Retailers & E-Stores

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Children’s Museum of Indianapolis


The Children’s Museum Store polls kid-experts to determine the top 10 toys for the 2014 holiday shopping season.

Parents are always looking for gifts to give during the holidays that are as special as their children. It can be a daunting task: find something educational that appeals to a child’s creativity, their sense of adventure, their unique ability to build something cool.

Don’t forget to browse your local children’s museums! Oftentimes, the best stuff can be found at museum shops –toys that have a special something you can’t find anywhere else. These gifts can also give back: to the community, to other children, to support the museum’s mission. How cool is that?

For 16 years, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis has conducted the Kid-tested, Kid Approved event. Local kids of all ages are invited to visit The Museum Store to play with and then vote on their favorite toys. Thirty of the store’s most popular toys are offered up as potential picks, and the kids get to check all of them out, right there in the store … until they decide which ones will make the top 10 list of fun, unique and educational toys that the kids love best –and parents can add to their own lists for holiday shopping. Here, this year’s Kid-Tested, Kid Approved selections are listed in order of most votes:

  1. Super Slam Basketball
  2. Original Flying Turtle
  3. Foxfire Glow Phantoms Thinking Putty
  4. Hoberman Switch Pitch
  5. Snap Circuits – Motion
  6. Mini OgoDisk Set
  7. Switchback Racetrack
  8. Hexbug Aquabots
  9. Playmobil My Secret Play Box – Dragon`s Lair
  10. Take ‘N’ Play Anywhere Fashion Spotlight Magnetic Playset

112614_CRTPost_ChildrensMuseumLogoWith the Kid-Tested, Kid Approved initiative, the museum hopes to lend a hand to parents who are looking to discover what most interests their children, straight from the kids themselves. Each Kid-Tested, Kid Approved selection is available for purchase at the Museum’s award-winning store and online retail site. On each individual online product page, read real reviews from the kid-expert testers and other clues for each toy’s rank. What’s more – all purchases help support the museum’s mission.

As the Children’s Museum tells you, start shopping with confidence – now you know what your kids want and you know what they like!

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Lolly Wolly Doodle


Brandi Tysinger-Temple is sitting with her niece Lolly while setting up an account on eBay to sell her homemade clothing for kids.

090414_CRTPost_LollyWollyDoodle_03“What are you going to call it?” Lolly asks Brandi.

“Well I don’t know, Lolly Wolly Doodle,” Brandi answers using Lolly’s nickname, “what do you think I should call it?”

Right then and there, the two realize they already have a great name! Lolly Wolly Doodle is entered into the eBay form and voila – Brandi’s got herself an account.

That was about six years ago. While Brandi is selling her creations on eBay, she decides to offer them on her Facebook page on a lark – and this is when the business turns into something even more special.

090414_CRTPost_LollyWollyDoodle_01Recently featured on ABC World News, Brandi’s clothing business has grown out of the house and into its own production facility, realizing $11 million in sales a year – and Lolly Wolly Doodle (LWD) has become one of the largest employers in her town, Lexington, North Carolina. “We’ve created jobs for more than 100 people,” Brandi says on her website. “Lexington was once a thriving manufacturing and textile town but now has an unemployment rate of 10.7% (one of the highest in the country), with almost all of the manufacturing work having moved abroad. Creating meaningful work for our great LWD team of people – every one of them with an incredible and often heartbreaking story of their own – has been without a doubt one of the greatest blessings of building this company.”

090414_CRTPost_LollyWollyDoodle_04Lolly Wolly Doodle makes apparel, holiday clothes and accessories for girls, boys, babies, ladies and families – just recently, LWD launched DESIGNEDbyMe, where you have the chance to design your own clothes, made by the LWD team in North Carolina and delivered to you in three weeks.

Some folks say Lolly Wolly Doodle makes the cutest kids clothes on the planet, and I say they’re also making a lot of dreams come true.

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Peek-a-Boo Boutique


“Our shelves are filled with high quality merchandise at a fraction of retail prices!”

080714_CRTPost_Peek-a-Boo_storefrontLocated in Coral Gables, FL, Peek-a-Boo Children’s and Maternity Preloved Boutique is an upscale consignment shop that carries lightly used, top drawer children’s and maternity clothing, kids gear, books, toys, furniture and accessories. Re-sale consignment items are offered at the fairest, market-appraised prices to ensure maximum return on investment for consignors. The store also serves as an outlet center to process overstock and past season items from fabulous boutiques.

080714_CRTPost_Peek-a-Boo_storeSome of Peek-a-Boo’s preloved brands include: Juicy Couture, Ralph Lauren, Gymboree, Gap, Mini Boden, Hartstrings,  Burberry, Janie and Jack, Anavini, Kissy Kissy, Oilily, Tommy Hilfiger, Mad sky, Baby Nay, Nike, Nautica, Guess, Tea, Disney, Zara Baby, H&M and  Mother Goose among other boutique brands. Peek-a-Boo also carries a variety of extraordinary gifts from brands like Moby Wraps, Charm It!, Zirimi Hair Accessories, Toke Shoes, Eeboo, Melissa and Doug, Gund, Pickles and more. Peek-a-Boo is known for an excellent customer service experience, too.

080714_CRTPost_Peek-a-Boo_webAs a former Architectural Project Manager on high-end airport projects, Claudia Baroni traveled the world. While working in Los Angeles, she got inspired by the many consignment boutiques for maternity and children’s clothing, opening the doors of Peek-a-Boo Boutique in the summer of 2010. Now she brings great bargains and quality items to the residents of the Miami area and to the world, through the boutique’s new website,  http://peekaboobtq.com/.

 

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PishPoshBaby


20130513 Keeping Track of Baby Habits BInfographic brought to you by PishPoshBaby, one of the most popular online baby shops for baby gear, offering not only high-quality merchandise, but facts and advice, along with the right choice, to parents everywhere. PishPoshBaby utilizes Mom Reps – Moms, just like many of you- who help the retailer assist with this special stage of life. Along with personal, live experience comes professional service, immediate shipping, up-to-date inventory and the security of knowing that your purchase is backed by PishPoshBaby’s Satisfaction Guarantee.

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The Beez Kneez Designs


073014_CRTPost_TheBeezKneezDesigns_LogoCustom orders, international shipping.

You can find The Beez Kneez Designs on Facebook – the folks there create a wide variety of custom baby items and infinity scarves, lovingly handmade in Maple Ridge, British Columbia Canada.

Unique, trendy gifts for baby and mom. They are always adding new items to their photo albums, so check back often. If you don’t see what you want, message them with a picture and details – and they’ll make it for you.

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Right now they’ve got FROZEN fabric! Contact for custom orders or questions, message on Facebook or send an e-mail to contactbeezkneez@gmail.com.

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The Spunky Stork


072914_CRTPost_SpunkyStork_04Certified organic baby one-pieces and toddler tees that’ll make you smile.

The Spunky Stork is a Florida-based,100% GOTS certified organic clothing company that cleverly designs products and packaging to stand out from the rest.

Charming. Ever-changing designs. Single one-pieces and tees, hand silk-screened to order. Every print differs slightly with its own variations in texture and form.

The folks at The Spunky Stork only use eco-friendly, organic clothing pieces made from 100% GOTS Certified Fair Trade Organic cotton = super soft, environmentally-conscious clothing that makes moms and babies happy. Affordable, too.

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From personalized rompers to gift sets of rompers as well as tees for the parent, sibling and newborn to offering a romper of the month club (where you receive a different romper every month for a year!), The Spunky Stork also has the most creative gift wrapping options – packaging in an adorable white crib or a film reel canister or a fun little box – additions that make your gift extra special and unique.

072914_CRTPost_SpunkyStork_01The creative mind and owner behind The Spunky Stork, Aliya Jiwa quit her job as a hospitality executive and now operates her online organic clothing business in a proper studio. Why kids clothing? Aliya found a niche in the market after shopping for baby shower gifts for all of her friends. She simply couldn’t find adorable unisex items that aren’t covered in pastel-colored teddy bears or that add a little ‘spunk’ to the fashionable kid – so The Spunky Stork was born! Wholesale available, too.

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PlaqueMaker.com


070814_CRTPost_PlaqueMaker_suncatcherMoms and Dads everywhere know that one of the best ways to make any day a celebration is to personalize it.

  • You’ve got a fabulous picture from vacation with grandma? Custom frame it.
  • Getting ready to celebrate your son’s special birthday? Create a puzzle card.
  • A beloved kid’s best friend? Memorialize him.

It’s faster, easier and more affordable than you’d think.

070814_CRTPost_PlaqueMaker_ArchedPhotoPlaqueMaker.com is an online retailer for personalized plaques, signs, trophies, tags, memorials, awards and gifts. The Indiana-based, family-owned and operated business is a wonderful resource for all types of engraved products. From glass and wood to metal and plastic, the custom engraved plaques and gifts are designed in the USA, using materials sourced from all over the world – and for PlaqueMaker, that’s 4 million plaques and counting since 1999!

PlaqueMaker ROCKS! This was my first order with PlaqueMaker and their customer service is THE BEST! The product was gorgeous and when I had a problem, customer service was on it immediately and resolved it with no delays. I was really floored with how quickly they took care of it and how professional they are — these days customer service doesn’t have a lot of “service” in it but not here, they truly believe in customer first! Delivery is another plus — I had my order so quickly I really couldn’t believe it! Love these guys and have already told all my friends, including Facebook, how wonderful they are!

-Kathe Kelly, new customer

062314_PlaqueMaker_Materials_Puzzles_02Get inspired to make any day a celebration. PlaqueMaker’s graphic designers, craftsmen and customer service specialists help you bring your inspiration to life, no matter what you’re celebrating. Creative types will enjoy customizing plaques and gifts right on the site, and if anyone needs a little help –that’s available too. PlaqueMaker takes the guess work out of personalization by emailing you a digital proof of your design the next business day. You get to see what your creation will look like, customized with your artwork, wording and specifications, before you even buy it – with no obligation! That’s right! Upon approval, 99.7% of PlaqueMaker orders ship within two business days of payment and arrive with a 100% money-back guarantee. How sweet is that? Make sure to check out the PlaqueMaker blog for all sorts of new personalized gift ideas.

PlaqueMaker’s website is easy to navigate and once you’ve submitted your item for a proof they are extremely fast about sending you a proof, and are very open to making changes until it’s perfect. The product itself came JUST as it was in the proof, and the materials itself were perfect. I would highly recommend.

-HPC Hollywood

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Bella n Beau


062514_Bella-n-beau-infographic-01Stylish. Trendy. Exclusive. Infographic courtesy of UK-based Bella n Beau, an online fashion boutique for you and your stylish babies and children up to five years old.  Find a unique, trendy and exclusive collection of clothing and accessories from around the world – plus what owner Shane likes to call “an unforgettable online shopping experience.” International shipping available. Thanks, Shane!

The Lillie Pad


011514_TheLilliePad_WinterHatDelightful crochet and handmade treasure.

Owner, maker, designer and curator Amanda Lillie describes her business, The Lillie Pad as, “A great spot for handmade gifts!” And it is just that. Amanda and occasional assistant Julie Feicht offer clothes, afghans, crochet and knit accessories for babies. Amanda also sells patterns, so you can make select styles yourself.

011514_TheLilliePad_CabbagePatchHatFashion and Function. Handmade treasures from The Lillie Pad are not only adorable –take a look at the hat fashioned after a Cabbage Patch doll,  the gorgeous snowflake details on the winter hat or the regal crown for little boys- the hats will keep kids warm. And we know what a wild winter season it has been!

For over ten years, Amanda’s been knitting. But it wasn’t until she learned to crochet from a missionary in Spain that she found her calling. Now, she crochets with crochet hooks that have been passed down for generations –both her grandparents and great-grandparents crocheted:

011514_TheLilliePad_CrownThose crochet hooks are my dearest possessions, connecting me to my past and reminding me to carry on crafts and traditions that are decreasing in popularity in our rapidly expanding age of technology.

-Amanda Lillie

011514_TheLilliePad_logoIn 2011, Amanda started selling her handmade items on Etsy. Even though crochet is her craft of choice, she also likes sewing, knitting and beading. Indeed, The Lillie Pad is a great spot for handmade gifts!

My Denim and Lace


Create your own pair of jeans only you can design!

010814_MyDenimAndLace_01If 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.

010814_MyDenimAndLace_02The 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.”

010814_MyDenimAndLace_03Contact 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.

010814_MyDenimAndLace_04Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!