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Talula Little


Namaste – A yoga-loving organic baby wear company.

Talula Little is an ethically motivated, family run business that just introduced the first of its GOTS-certified organic cotton baby wear – a fun collection of bandana dibble bibs that features adorable yoga-inspired illustrations and graphics. In fact, the company’s mission is to make beautifully handcrafted baby clothes that are comfortable and fun to wear.

“Our first project combines all the things we love the most – practicality, a holistic lifestyle and ethical mindfulness,” Lisa and Aviv tell us. “We are so excited that we couldn’t help ourselves and have included some poses inspired by our own little yoga baby!”

Every time you purchase a Talula Little product, you are supporting the production of organic clothing, encouraging its growth and actively contributing to a better and more sustainable world. That’s because Lisa and Aviv buy directly from co-op organic farmers in India in full compliance with Global Fair Trade practices.

“We have a toddler girl and everything we do is to empower her future. We firmly believe in organic production. It is so vital to the sustainability of our planet and for the next generation.”

Lisa and Aviv also believe that a healthy and positive lifestyle is the key to living well. Through practicing and teaching yoga, sensible eating and being mindful to use ethically sourced products wherever possible, they aspire to be extremely conscious in how they manage their daily lives – even as new parents.

“We all strive to give our little miracle-bundles only the best we can in life. However, this is often quite expensive and inevitably out of reach for some. Of course, there are countless cheap and cheerful baby products out there to cater for struggling parents. But in our experience, cheap and cheerful comes with a cost of its own – inferior quality and longevity sacrificed for price and profit.”

Lisa and Aviv dreamed about contributing to the community in some way and raising their own bundle of joy gave them the push to finally grow “a small business baby,” Talula Little. “We are so proud to say that our products are not only fun and comfortable to wear, they are ideal for a baby’s soft, delicate and developing skin, especially Eczema sufferers.”

New collections coming soon.

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Cooee Kids


An exciting and new, 100% certified cotton clothing line for kids.

When Anna Hesemenn and Naomi Wells meet while living in Uganda, they enjoy a mutual admiration and curiosity for the fabulous cotton available in this African country. Together with Cotton Made in Africa (CmiA), they create a company that makes children’s clothes with respect to the planet, the environment, the development and empowerment of people, and the fabulous raw materials they use. With social responsibility and good ethics at its core, their company ensures the entire production process supports the Ugandan people who make the clothes – from the farmers to the seamstresses.

Cooee is a new, sustainable kids clothing brand that makes beautiful everyday clothes for children ages two through seven. All garments are made exclusively from 100% CmiA-Certified African cotton grown and produced in Uganda. Anna and Naomi – who still live in Uganda – personally ensure the integrity of the field-to-fashion production line, working closely with artisans to make a positive impact. Cooee Kids also features unique hand-drawn print designs that engage a child’s imagination.

“We are both hugely excited to launch our first Spring Summer collection,” Naomi says. “It’s a dream come true for us. We care about our planet and how we leave it for future generations. Parents across the globe care more and more about where their children’s clothes come from and we are one of a handful of brands that can guarantee their fabrics provenance. We manage the entire production process first-hand and ensure every single garment meets our stringent measures.”

Cooee Kids’ SS18 collection of dresses, skirts, t-shirts and shorts brings to life things that make kids smile. The girl’s hero piece is the sky-blue monkey love dress that features a montage of monkeys printed around the neckline. Boys can choose a from a t-shirt printed with a mischievous crocodile on a bicycle, to a surfing monster catching a big wave.

Cotton Made in Africa (CMIA) is an initiative of the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) that helps smallholder cotton farmers improve living conditions in Africa for both themselves and their children. Child labor, dangerous pesticides and genetically modified cotton are strictly forbidden. Smallholder farmers get a fair and timely payment and are trained in modern, efficient and sustainable cotton farming practices. This helps the farmers to generate higher yields and incomes.

Anna and Naomi introduced their first Cooee Kids collection to the UK and German children’s markets in early March. When will it be available in the States? Ask them, right here.

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ClosetKanban


Organize your kids’ closets with a simple solution.

Parents: If you’re frustrated with your kids’ over-stuffed, under-organized closets, here’s a simpler, smarter way to manage their wardrobes. The ClosetKanban system can help – these little kanban signboards are designed for clothing hangers. You can write on them like a whiteboard, then erase and use them over and over again.

Continuous-improvement consultants Kanban NY LLC is the company behind ClosetKanban – they design, manufacture and distribute these reusable, purpose-built “visual management products.” Owner Gregory Bohk says the company knows first-hand the advantages of Lean manufacturing and practices, which focus on eliminating wasted time, materials and costs at every turn continuously, no matter how minimal. “Lean is our way of working, and it’s foundational to our organization,” he says. “Through our products, we increase user convenience, enhance satisfaction, reduce process times, minimize waste and decrease costs, while retaining our focus on eco-friendly solutions.”

Retailers, Ring up More Purchases

Children’s clothing boutiques (or any retailer) can use ClosetKanban to generate interest in merchandise and drive increased sales with creative point-of-sale messages. The kanban signboards can be preprinted with any logo, artwork, messaging or other advertising material, too. Send shoppers home with a free tag that advertises your clothing line or store while leaving room on it for them to add hand-written notes.

Here’s what else ClosetKanban can do:

  • Check coats by name, not number – Label garments with the customer’s name, rack them alphabetically and eliminate the need for easily misplaced, printed tickets.
  • Get kids out the door quickly – Organize closets for the week ahead and plan on having smoother, less stressful mornings
  • Optimize your wardrobe – Identify your clothes by style, season, last-worn date, material or any other note to help you make the right choice, right away
  • Aid the visually impaired – Mark garments by hue to coordinate colors
  • Use them almost anywhere – Secure with rubber band to identify toys, tools or anything you use in play areas, workshops or craft centers.

Closet Kanban is available in multipacks of five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50 and more, in a variety of colors, as well as the “complete system” that features five tags (one in each color), one wet-erase marker and a package of five rubber bands. Use them to attach ClosetKanban to tools and other items beyond hangers. Super simple, super easy.

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Tea Collection


Tea Collection’s first-ever tween collection is inspired by the United States.

CRT has long been a fan of Tea Collection, the globally-inspired children’s clothing brand made “for the little citizens of the world” to make the foreign more familiar. Tea just launched a newly sized collection designed especially for tweens, one co-founders Leigh Rawdon and Emily Meyer feel strongly about creating because this age group has always had limited fashion options.

From signature dresses and leggings for girls to bold and bright graphic tees and pants for boys, to rompers and bodysuits for babies and newborns, Tea designers bring the beauty of international cultures and modern design to children’s clothing. Twice each year, they go out into the world in search of inspiration for their clothing collections. They discover new places and faces, time-honored traditions and handmade creations. Now, they are bringing tween girls the power to express themselves.

That’s because Tea Collection inspires global connection and curiosity for children. “We want to give kids the world, to help them discover that no matter where we live or what language we speak, there is so much we all have in common.”

We think it’s a fine, fine passion for these times.

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Little Man Happy


First look at the Bandit Romance Collection.

Unisex. Organic. Straight from the heart. Kids fashion and lifestyle brand Little Man Happy today launches Bandit Romance, a “fresh and tender” collection for dreamers and wanderers, for lovers of any kind expressly made for girls and boys ages from 0 to 11 years. The new collection features dresses, bombers, babywear, sweaters, pants and more with the brand’s signature design element: reduced artwork and allover prints.

Little Big Man is the love child of Ivonne and Sven. While Ivonne brings her fashion design and illustration expertise, Sven brings experience in the interior industry. The team combines both understandings of design, lifestyle and inspiration to organic kids fashion from Berlin of comfortable, easy to wear basics with unconventional style and topic-dominated graphic elements; “always with a wink and little smile, never boring, often straight forward,” true originals.

“High fashion always means highest quality standards,” Ivonne says. “Connecting them with child-friendly, minimalist-inspired style is an insanely nice challenge for me. I like the idea that every little person feels my maximum attention in each of his or her clothing items.”

The new Bandit Romance collection relies on Ivonne’s and Sven’s experience in the material and processing selection. The unisex styles combine classic designs with shiny loud prints and fulfill oekotex 100 and most GOTS standards.

Blu & Blue New York


Premium denim, redefined for kids. 

Since its launch in December 2015, retailers, customers, parents and kids are instantly taken by Blu & Blue, which has also built a wildly successful following among influencers and celebrity fans, too. Blu & Blue founder Aaina Jain leverages her family’s 35-year reputation in manufacturing quality denim to produce clothing for babies and toddlers that is versatile enough to wear all year long. Blu & Blue’s seasonal collections are contemporary, fashion-forward, comfortable pieces that are safety-tested, adorned with hand embroideries, denim techniques and washes. The denim in also combined with different fabrics, for a new, unique look for each garment. The super-soft yet durable apparel stands up to active playtime.

Company Mission – Do Denim Right #BluDoneRight

Blu & Blue is well-designed, mindfully-made and contemporary, with quality you can feel.  “Each Blu Product is made with you in mind – a quality conscious, fashion forward parent who values well designed, elegant and sustainable clothing for their children,” Aaina says in an interview with Home Business magazine. “Each product is thoroughly quality checked and given the Blu seal of approval before it is packaged and shipped directly to you.”

All Blu & Blue fabrics are free of lead, phthalates and flame-retardants. Every step of the design and manufacturing process is conducted in-house. Each Blu Product is thoughtfully designed, cut, stitched, ripped and repaired and washed at the company’s own state-of-the-art sustainable and eco-friendly manufacturing and washing facility. Special softeners and treatments are used to make the fabrics butter-soft for extra comfort, luxurious texture and look. The company also uses “saliva friendly” fabrics that are pre-washed for a safe and super soft garment.

The company says its strength lies in “our passion and commitment to deliver quality.” Retailers – check out Blu & Blue’s launch of the new Fall/Winter 2018 Collection at Children’s Club January 7-9!

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New Year Wishes


Blowin’ Snow

“My beautiful model was especially happy when I let her play with some snow during our photo shoot. She loved ‘blowin’ the snow’ out of her hands.”

-Javcom117*, Photographer. Photo taken at Swallow Falls State Park in Garrett County, Maryland. Some rights reserved.

BornCute.com


An online resource for parents created by parents.

If you’re looking for the world’s best toy, kid product and gift ideas all in one place, look no further than BornCute.com. Owner/Editor Daniel Chabert and his team of writer parents are dedicated to helping Moms and Dads find the best, most suitable and safe products that help with their children’s learning and development. That’s why they say BornCute.com is “The World’s #1 Resource for the Best Kids Toys and Gift Ideas.”

A participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, the California-based company offers a plethora of resources to help parents make the right decisions when it comes to finding, buying and using appropriate toys and playthings that help kids develop into strong human beings. From lists of toys organized by age, girls, boys, type and best sellers to toy reviews, excellent blog articles on related topics to awards for Best Kid Focused Blogs (CRT is one of them!) – parents can find stuff that helps their children develop physically, mentally, socially and emotionally through play.

Sign up on the mailing list for the latest toys, gift ideas and special offers. Enter monthly giveaways! If you’re a parent and would like to write for BornCute.com, click here for more information.

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Qatrah


Have you heard of the slow-fashion movement?

Veteran women’s fashion designer Charu Wadhwa’s slow-fashion infant wear label Qatrah is designed in New York and ethically handcrafted in India by local artisans. Using handwoven, heirloom-quality fabrics, each Qatrah piece stands out in a sea of disposable fashion with designs that endure and can be passed down for generations.

“I think slow fashion lies in the essence of the textile process of Qatrah, where materials pass through the hands of one craftsperson to the other,” Charu says. “Qatrah is an effort to eschew factory and sweatshop culture in favor of equal pay and better working conditions for our artisans to create beautifully made pieces that can be worn, treasured and handed down from one child to the next.”

Charu’s clothing designs focus on freedom of movement for babies with airy silhouettes that reflect her Indian heritage. Rompers, harem pants, low-slung trousers and cotton-silk blankets (perfect for baby’s first trip home from the hospital) round out the breezy collection for 0 to 2-year-olds, available at www.qatrah.net.

Exquisite, Enduring Artistry

Qatrah is an ode from Charu to her daughter, Aria. Her newest collection, Little White Bird, has flowy, away-from-the-body silhouettes that feature the symbolism of the bird as its central motif. Charu revives the traditional Indian crafts of Daraj (reverse applique) and Chikankari (white on white embroidery) of Lucknow, with her distinctive, intricate embroidered designs of subtle bird details and playful, colorful tassel accents. The comfortable, breathable fabrics are all lovingly hand-dyed and finished on hand looms.

Upliftment

Charu Wadhwa is a designer with a strong interest in sustainable practices in the fashion industry and works for the upliftment of skilled and semi-skilled craftspeople. She hopes to be part of the new wave of designers and entrepreneurs that implement more conscious and careful practices within the fashion design field.

Charu’s extensive background in high-end women’s fashion sets her apart from other micro-fashion designers. Educated at NIFT in New Delhi and FIT in NYC, she has over a decade of experience working for the most esteemed design houses, including Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. From Nicole Kidman at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, Naomi Watts at the 2014 Oscars, to Katie Holmes at the Met Gala, she has been instrumental in many memorable red carpet fashion moments.

“Do you know who made your clothes?” asks Charu. “At Qatrah, we work with artisans directly and towards their upliftment!”

Now, who wouldn’t love that?

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Veyo Kids


mittyz™ – Awesome snow gloves for toddlers.

Veyo Kids makes mittyz snow gloves, a unique design that helps make outside playtime more fun for babies and toddlers. The unique design makes them easy to slip on and fit perfectly around bulky coats. Plus, they’re adorable.

Functional, Fun Designs Make a Great Mitten

  • Keeps little fingers warmer
  • Stays on better, which makes playtime last longer
  • Flip inside-out for easy drying or cleaning

New Dad-at-the-time Drake is inspired by every parent who has ever gotten a child ready to play outside, particularly in cold weather. “I mean honestly – what goes on first?” he reveals on his website. “The coat and then the gloves? Or the gloves, so that the coat sleeves stay over the glove cuffs? And the thumb…seriously?! Why in the world won’t my kids’ wiggly little thumbs go into the thumbholes?! And is the liner supposed to come out with their thumb when they take it off, so that I can never get their thumb in there again?”

After scouring local sporting goods store looking for some better toddler gloves, Drake develops his own prototype: a “thumbless” glove that still allows functionality with a thumb pocket, a big gauntlet to go over even the puffiest coat, made from super warm, water-proof material that can be flipped inside-out to be dried or washed.

Sounds like mittyz™ to me!