The NYC Collection by Solo

Designed in New York and available everywhere.

Solo is one of the largest and fastest growing urban lifestyle brands around. The company designs bags, backpacks, cases, sleeves and totes “for people who know what they want and aren’t shy about demanding it.”

Inspired by its hometown and its inhabitants, Solo introduces its first New York-inspired collection of backpacks. Each bag features scenes from the five boroughs: Brooklyn graffiti, the Manhattan grid, skateboards and more; features include

Fully padded mesh 15.6″ laptop pockets
Two front pockets
Front zip-down organizer section with key clip
Side pockets fits most water bottles
Padded carry handle
Padded shoulder straps for added comfort
Lightweight

Looking for teen appropriate carryalls?

Solo’s got ‘em, and at a great price. Available now on Solo.net.

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

Moc Happens by Itzy Ritzy

Five Fresh Styles of Adorable Baby Moccasins

Moc Happens™ is a brand new line of leather baby moccasins by Itzy Ritzy. Made from super soft, breathable and durable leather, the spring collection includes five moccasin styles available in three different sizes for newborn babies up to 18-months-of-age.

“At Itzy Ritzy, we wanted to create chic, high quality, leather moccasins that were affordable and would be the perfect gift for any occasion in a baby’s early life,” says Kelly Douglas, Itzy Ritzy’s Co-CEO. “Moc Happens is the latest product in the Itzy Ritzy line that marries function and style for the modern parent.”

Itzy Ritzy’s Moc Happens feature removable padded inserts for comfort and to extend the life of the shoe as baby’s foot grows, secure elastic openings for easily taking them on and off, and Itzy Ritzy’s signature chevron embossed soles for an extra touch of style and distinction. The moccasins are available in five unique and playful styles including Ritzy Dot, Dino-Monster, Diamond Rain, Precious Metals and Toasted Almond.

Ideal gifts for baby showers, new moms, holidays, christenings or first birthdays, Moc Happens moccasins come packaged in a gift box and are fully CPSIA-tested and compliant. Moc Happens are available for purchase at fine retailers nationwide, online and at www.itzyritzy.com.

Itzy Ritzy’s products show that parenting in style is possible. By packing function and style into one eco-friendly punch, Itzy Ritzy provides attractive solutions to everyday challenges. Responsible for the great selling line of modern solutions for chic parents on the go, products include the Snack Happens Reusable Snack Bags, Nursing Happens Infinity Breastfeeding Scarf, Cozy Happens Infant Car Seat Canopy, Ritzy Sitzy Shopping Cart & High Chair Cover, Travel Happens Zippered Wet Bags, and Teething Happens Chewable Mom Jewelry. Celebrity fans include Jennifer Garner, Kelly Clarkson, Zoe Saldana, Gisele Bundchen, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Gwen Stefani, and Nicole Ritchie.

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

ergoPouch

Hip-Healthy Swaddles, Sleep Sacks & Sleep Suits

Award-winning manufacturer ergoPouch’s range of baby swaddles, sleep sacks and sleep suits have received “hip-healthy” designation from The International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and quality of life of those afflicted with hip dysplasia.

“We are thrilled to receive this designation from the International Hip Dysplasia Institute,” ergoPouch founder Alina Sack says. “Baby’s health and comfort is at the forefront of every ergoPouch design and we’re pleased to be recognized for our products which promote healthy hip development during infancy by an organization of this caliber.”

Australian-based ergoPouch founded in 2009 is renowned for the design and manufacture of premium baby swaddles, sleeping bags and sleep suits made from pure natural fibers. As a mother, Alina Sack draws on her own personal experiences of sleep deprivation to conceive of innovative products designed to help babies and kids get a better night’s sleep.

The award-winning ergoPouch collection includes baby swaddles, sleeping bags and sleep suits suitable for children ages birth to six years. All ergoPouch products are made with organic cotton, bamboo or Merino wool.

Hip-Healthy Status

In 2012, Prof Nicholas Clarke of University Hospital Southampton raised the alarm about tight swaddling. “Safe swaddling with appropriate devices should be promoted because it is recognized that traditional swaddling is a risk factor for developmental dislocation of the hip,” he says. “In order to allow for healthy hip development, legs should be able to bend up and out at the hips. This position allows for natural development of the hip joints. The babies’ legs should not be tightly wrapped in extension and pressed together.”

Using a traditional wrapping method, parents could wrap too tightly to ensure their babies stay securely swaddled. Wraps can tend to unravel, but it is really important to avoid wrapping a baby’s legs tightly in a straight (prone) position.

There is no origami and no wrapping involved when using an ergoCocoon or AirCocoon “They keep even the most determined Houdini babies snug,” Alina says. For this reason, the IHDI has recognized these ergoPouch products as “Hip-Healthy” – ergonomically designed with a bell-shaped bottom for extra legroom and made from stretchy organic cotton or bamboo to allow babies to move their legs comfortably and adopt the “frog-leg” position. They are perfect for babies diagnosed with hip dysplasia as a brace can be worn comfortably inside the swaddle.

Offering great functionality and versatility, ergoPouch also offers different sizes to ensure the right fit for baby with swaddles that can easily transition to a sleeping bag, and sleep suits that convert from bags to suits with legs for easy use from bassinet to stroller to baby carrier.

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

Lofty Elephants

Boutique toddler clothes handmade from beautiful, unique printed fabrics.

Farah Chherawalla is owner of Lofty Elephants, what she calls a “lofty endeavor to provide boutique toddler clothes made from beautiful and unique fabrics and prints at department store prices, while employing men and women in desperate need of income to feed their babies or put their children through school.”

Handmade in India

This Mom-owned and operated online apparel business sells children’s clothes that are handmade in small batches in India, using materials from small businesses. “Most of our prints cannot be seen anywhere else, and chances are they will not be repeated,” Farah says.

Part of Lofty Elephants sales proceeds benefit the operation of an education center that empowers women by teaching them skills, which make them employable. In return, Lofty Elephants aims to employ most of these women.

How to Buy

Due to technical difficulties on http://loftyelephants.com, Farah asks that you email info@loftyelephants.com with any interest in buying. “We will soon be available on Amazon.com,” Farah says. “Sorry for the inconvenience and we promise you an even more exciting collection soon.” Stay in touch with Lofty Elephants on Facebook.

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

Goblies

Young inventor combines science, fun and “messy” play with her new toy company.

Briana Gardell is a 23-year-old Lehigh University graduate inventor and CEO of Mezzimatic, her new company behind the patent-pending Goblies -one of the toy sensations that launched at the New York Toy Fair 2016. In fact, CNBC named Goblies one of the hottest toys at the fair!

What Are Goblies?

Goblies are walnut sized-balls that can be thrown like water balloons – paintball with a colorful splat. “The idea for Goblies was inspired by a homework assignment in my technical entrepreneurship program asking us to combine manufacturing processes with our own creative direction,” Briana says. “The result is Goblies. I’m excited to officially establish Goblies as a new brand in the toy industry.”

After a successful Kickstarter in 2015, and a Eureka! Venture Series award, Briana readied Goblies for market, registering for her patent and exhibiting her toys at the Mini Maker Faire hosted by Barnes and Noble before officially introducing Goblies to the industry. She recently launched her toys on Maker Shed and at the Da Vinci Science Center.

“As a judge in the 2014 Eureka! Competition run by Lehigh’s Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, I was instantly impressed with Briana and her Goblies,” Alita Friedman, toy industry veteran and CEO of Alita’s Brand Bar, says. “She had conceived an innovative and playful new S.T.E.M platform and won the Grand Prize in our competition. I look forward to watching her ongoing success.”

By combining chemistry with creativity, Goblies showcases the best of S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education activity kits. Currently available in both a starter kit and refill packs, Goblies include ingredients that allow kids (of all ages) to create squishy throw-able balls in an infinite number of colors. The final product is a wet powder that is not sticky and can be cleaned out of most items. Learn more about the science of Goblies right here.

Meanwhile, Briana has her eye on the future with plans to produce ready-made Goblies for instant fun and is also interested in licensing her new brand to established toy companies.

Congrats, Briana!

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

Kissi Couture

This team of fashion forward thinkers are ready to make the golf course their runway.

Kissi Couture is created by diva athletes for diva athletes. When junior golf sisters Makenna and Morgan Rodriguez begin to pursue their dream of golf super stardom, their parents begin their own search for stylish athletic apparel, to no avail.

In 2012, the sisters start designing their own outfits for golf tournaments with the assistance of Mom Nicole Rodriguez and Dad Benjamin Rodriguez. The girls refer to their sassy athletic style as Kissi Couture -and when their parents realize fellow junior girl golfers are just as excited about this fierce style as the girls are, they know it’s time to kick Kissi Couture into high gear. So Nicole and Benjamin embark on a fashion journey to achieve all the creative visions of their daughters.

Kissi Couture is designed for the fashionable junior girl athlete, for the golf course and beyond. Polo shirts, tees, baby, bottoms, holiday, socks, jewelry, custom bling, hats, hair bows plus golf gear and umbrellas, bags, mugs and stickers. The polos feature girly styles with colors, cute sayings, ruffle sleeves and a crest logo that would make any girl feel like a princess. This girls golf and sports apparel strives to dress every little diva on the field.

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

kidpik

Girls’ shopping reinvented.

The recently launched shopping site kidpik hopes to change everything you thought you knew about shopping for girls. Created by the executives behind The Children’s Place, kidpik combines the luxury of personal styling with the convenience of home shopping, designed exclusively for girls and tailored to fit any budget. Seasonally, kidpik is expected to deliver a curated, coordinated and fashionable selection of quality outfits right to your doorstep, with the added benefits of free shipping, free styling and no membership fee.

No Commitment kidpik Experience

“Children’s preferences in clothing have evolved over the decades and so should the shopping and delivery system,” says Ezra Dabah, kidpik founder and CEO. “We are excited to deliver this ultimate shopping experience.”

Every item is designed and curated in kidpik’s NYC studio, where stylists and proprietary algorithms work collaboratively to remove the difficulty, time and guesswork from the shopping experience. Whether your daughter favors a look that’s Girly Glam or Classic Chic, Modest or one of kidpik’s five lifestyle looks, the interactive fun style quiz will help identify her unique style. Girls ages three through 12 (sizes 4-14), with the help of grown-ups, can define and own their signature style on the kidpik site.

“Pik” What She Loves & Send the Rest Back Free

Each fashionista will receive her own personalized box containing about six coordinated quality fashion apparel pieces such as tops, bottoms, dresses, layering pieces, shoes and accessories -designed to complete several mix and match outfits. “Pik” what she loves and send the rest back free. The average kidpik box price is under $100 and the cost of each item is just $12.50 if she decides to keep the entire box.

One of the Coolest Parts …

Purchase the entire box and get a 30% discount; keep what she likes and kidpik will donate any returned items through its charity partnership.

kidpik is the newest endeavor from prolific fashion entrepreneur Ezra Dabah and the executive and creative teams behind classic children’s brands including EJ Gitano, The Children’s Place, Disney stores, Nina footwear and Rum American Kid’s Wear.

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 Little Linguist’s Alphabet by LoveYourLingo

Beautiful, multilingual products to inspire little linguists to love their languages.

“I’m Mom to bilingual girls who speak English and French, and I have created a special alphabet to help make life easier for multilingual children, so they continue to love and speak their languages,” Úna McCarthy-Fakhry tells me nearly two years ago, just after she launches a crowdfunding campaign to get her creative endeavor off the ground. This January, with the help of 203 Kickstarter backers, the production of The Little Linguist’s Alphabet is a reality. Available as a poster, mini card or ebook, Úna’s multilingual alphabet is illustrated with 26 objects that all start with the same letter as their translations in English, Français, Español, Português, Deutsch, Nederlands and Italiano (coming soon). For example, D is always for Dinosaur and P is always for Princess, no matter which combination of these languages your little linguist speaks.

“The people who backed me came from all over the world, from Costa Rica to Japan, from the USA to New Zealand,” Úna says. “They have kept me going when things got difficult, and have been forever patient and supportive at every stage. I genuinely feel I now have 203 new friendships and want to thank each and every one of them for helping me make this a reality.”

As a result, Úna founded LoveYourLingo to make multilingual products that help little linguists thrive. The entire idea grew out of necessity as her own children began to discover the alphabet. Úna and her family currently live in Melbourne, where they share Australian, Irish, French and Lebanese roots. This OPOL (one parent, one language) family has Papa speaking French exclusively, while Úna’s main language is English. She has observed her daughters’ puzzled expressions while trying to identify which letter is which. “It is ‘p pour parapluie’ with her French Papa, but on the English alphabet on our wall, it is ‘u for umbrella’,” she says. “As we also knew many other little linguists facing a similar challenge, the idea just would not leave me alone.”

The sweet illustrations for, who also created the adorable little linguist Anna. “I have lots of plans for Anna, so if you have a curious little linguist who would like a little friend…watch this space (i.e., LoveYourLingo).”

Úna says she is constantly amazed by her little girls as they show her just how natural it is to speak more than one language. “I have also witnessed challenges they met along the way and feel that a positive language experience, in the delicate early years, can be crucial in determining whether a child continues to speak their languages or not.”

One of my own regrets in life is speaking only one language (English). Even though I graduated high school with years of French and Spanish under my belt, I still carry a dictionary when traveling. As a child, I never learned Polish, my relatives’ native tongue. Keeping the multilingual fire alive in young children is definitely the key to raising little linguists at home. Thanks, Úna!

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

Little & Mighty

Hand drawn designs and homemade touches add a distinctive look to this colorful children’s clothing collection.

American made in Austin, Texas. “We are Little & Mighty and we make apparel for little explorers,” says Rachel Bucher, one of the fierce moms who founded this brand along with fellow fierce moms Amanda Jigmond and Komal Patel. “All of our designs are drawn by us, printed in our local print shop and American made.”

The onezies and tees for babies and little kids are created to inspire adventure. “We want to encourage little ones to explore and marvel at the great big world around them, and by doing so, to discover their own ‘Mighty’ abilities,” they say.

The trio began their adventure in the children’s clothing trade last fall. Most of their moderately-priced, original designs are screen printed locally using water based inks on 100% fine ring-spun, combed cotton. They chose water based inks because they sink into the fibers to become part of the fabric, producing a vintage, worn-in look while staying breathable – with that ultra-soft feel.

“We put a lot of care and effort into our items, from handpicking our shirts to drawing all of our designs in house. We go through a few rounds of picture and color selection in order to find the perfect combinations to enhance the designs.”

Little & Mighty has come to the attention of a few fierce mommy bloggers as well as local press, including the Austin American-Statesman – and now CRT. Very nice, Moms! So … could the next drawing on your list be … a smiling goat face?!

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

Hoot Company Inspires Imagination Through Play

Get to know the new Hoot Company at this week’s Atlanta International Gift Show.

The folks at Hoot Company® believe childhood should be a hoot (very cute) – and offers unique, high-quality toys and books that focus on fun and imagination. Columbus, Ohio-based parents and entrepreneurs Kerri and David Love have created this new toy company to follow their passion for igniting their own young children’s imaginations – and now they’re excited to be introducing their two-year-old company to the children’s gift industry at The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market. Visit them in Bldg. 3, Fl. 3, Booth #404.

Introducing Lovelets Plush Animals & Princess Kitty Butterfly – the First Toy Collection & Children’s Book

Hoot Company is entering the toy and gift markets with two initial brands that demonstrate the company’s commitment to fun and imagination: Lovelets® plush animal friends and Princess Kitty Butterfly®, an illustrated, read-along book and accompanying plush animal.

“We’re thrilled to introduce our company to those in the market looking for high-quality toys and books that inspire children’s imaginations. As parents ourselves, we believe children learn best through play and have made it our mission to create a family of toys that foster open-ended play.”

Lovelets® plush animals are one of two exclusive Hoot Company toy brands launching in Atlanta. The Lovelets collection features six super soft, 13.5-inch plush animal characters, each with a unique feature – arms that reach out as if to say, “Let’s Hug!”

“Lovelets ‘hugging arms’ encourage the positive and powerful act of hugging, which builds trust and a sense of safety, and also elevates mood and happiness. Not only do these adorable animals provide children hugs when they may need extra comfort on daily adventures, but they empower children to nurture others with hugs in return.”

Hoot Company is also introducing an illustrated, read-aloud picture book entitled, Princess Kitty Butterfly, about a chubby cat who dreams of becoming a butterfly. Readers follow Princess Kitty on an adventure and learn themes of self-confidence, perseverance and imagination. The book is available as a stand-alone item and also available as a gift set with an 8-inch plush toy.

“‘Princess Kitty Butterfly’ teaches young readers that if you believe in yourself, anything is possible. As with all Hoot Company toys and books, we hope it will inspire children’s imaginations and foster positive emotional growth through fun and play.”

After the Loves recognized many toys in the market today are void of imagination, diversity and positive emotional messaging, they set out on a mission to bring toys to the market that spark imaginations and encourage open-ended play. Hoot Company is an entirely new kind of toy company formed a wholesale distributor. Toys, games and books will be available through independent, specialty, children’s gift and online retailers, as well as bookstores.

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