mommy blogs

Kissy Kissy For Fall ’14


030514_CRTPost_kissykissy-04_resizedThe beloved baby brand launches a new line of pajamas.

Tatiana and Company is the first U.S. company to establish a Peruvian Pima cotton line for children in the U.S. kids market –Kissy Kissy, a wonderful collection of Peruvian Pima cotton layette with a traditional look, and its style and signature designs have set industry standards.

In addition to new themes, Kissy Kissy’s collection for Fall 2014 is launching a new line of pajamas, which feature a snug fit.

030514_CRTPost_kissykissy-03_resized“When you think about a child’s first two years, it’s amazing how much they develop and learn just through common daily sights and interactions. That’s why this season Kissy Kissy is offering a curated selection of prints that celebrate everyday wonders as seen through baby’s curious, impressionable eyes,” says founder and owner Roxana Castillo. “This combined with our ongoing commitment to exceeding moms’ expectations for quality and comfort makes it a very special collection indeed.”

030514_CRTPost_kissykissy-02_resizedTimeless Style, Signature Peruvian Pima Softness. From wardrobe essentials to dressy options, find sweet looks in the Kissy Kissy line; bolder statements from Kissy Kissy’s Qt-Qt; christening apparel in Besos by Kissy Kissy; and embroidered, smocked garments from Kissy Kissy Premier.

For girls, hearts inspire devotion, ballerinas exude grace, sweet treats tempt, animals thrill and delight, and flowers bloom. The line also charms with little extras like ruffle hems and tushies, smocked bodices, scalloped necklines and floral fabric accents. The boys’ prints feature bustling city streets, courageous law officers, far-off planets, frolicking puppies, classic cars and endless construction. Contrast stitching, color blocking, rolled hems, hang-down sleeves, raglan silhouettes and kangaroo pockets provide additional visual interest.

030514_CRTPost_kissykissy-01_resizedFor those looking for unisex options, the line offers neutral creams as well as bold primaries and sunny yellows with animal, toy, teddy bear and sweet pea graphics. Both fabric and pattern mixing up the sophistication level throughout while embroidery details provide a subtle bit of whimsy. Pieces with all-over stripes, dots and stars coordinate with individual groupings while a windowpane check pattern intermixes with several boys’ themes. Silhouettes include rompers, footies, playsuits, pants sets, gowns, A-line dresses, drop-waist dresses, swing tops and bishops bodies. The collection features sumptuous velours, chic knits and quilted textures on cozy hats, cardigans, blankets and buntings. Sizes run from preemie through 4T.

030514_CRTPost_kissykissy-05_resizedKissy Kissy is carried in the finest department stores and specialty boutiques around the world and has a strong celebrity fan base that includes Katie Holmes, Molly Sims, Celine Dion, Salma Hayek, Brooke Shields and Alyson Hannigan.

My Lanyard Maker


Helps kids create the easiest lanyards ever – weave it to believe it!

Recently, the Choose Friendship Company débuted the new My Lanyard Maker on popular shopping site HSN –with great applause!

112113_ChooseFriendship_04Whether you grew up calling them lanyards, scoubidou, boondoggle or plastic gimp, this all-American arts and crafts favorite makes making them easier than ever. My Lanyard Maker’s innovative loom is designed to create an endless variety of patterns, without tangling laces and confusing knots. Convenient storage keeps colorful supplies neat and clean, too.

112113_ChooseFriendship_01Fun Gift Idea. Popular with the boys as well as the girls, kids can design colorful plastic bracelets, tradable key rings and backpack charms with My Lanyard Maker –great holiday fun!

112113_ChooseFriendship_03The Choose Friendship Company is the brainchild of David Crorey, who’s philosophy is, “Give me an everyday problem and I’ll invent a solution.” He invented the My Friendship Bracelet Maker® for this granddaughters, so they could make friendship bracelets with ease – a patented innovation.

112113_ChooseFriendship_02Now, David has turned a family business into a global sensation, bringing even more innovation to simple crafting techniques with an expanding product line to engage kids in creative self expression, while promoting the message of friendship.

KidSwitch Light Switch Extender


111313_KidSwitch_LogoGreg O’Sullivan is president of Just Kids Inc., makers of the KidSwitch Light Switch Extender, a nifty gadget that helps toddlers reach up and turn the lights on or off.

Greg and his wife Wendy started manufacturing and selling what they call a “helping hand tool” 18 years ago as a side business … which has grown into a full-time, family-owned, North Carolina-based small company selling more than 400,000 switches and counting.

KidSwitch attaches easily to a light switch and extends down vertically 12 inches to a toddler’s reach, which gives a child independence and parents a chance to teach their young children a necessary task. It can also instill the concept of “green living” very early on, encouraging kids to save energy.

111313_KidSwitch_productBut I’m getting ahead of myself here – the biggest advantage of KidSwitch is the safe solution it provides to help young children reach up and operate room lights on their own, so parents can rest easy.

Helping Children Reach for the Moon! Winner of Creative Child Magazine’s Seal of Excellence in 2010, KidSwitch is also honored with the Buzzillions Reviewer’s Choice™ Award for the nation’s best child safety product. “It is amazing to see how far our product has come,” Greg says. “I created KidSwitch after my own daughter fell off a makeshift ‘ladder’ that she had built out of toys in an attempt to reach her light switch. Years later, it is so rewarding to read the many positive reviews from parents who share their own stories about how KidSwitch is helping make their and their children’s lives a little easier.”

Wendy explains that the company name represents members of the family:

J stands for daughter Jordan
U stands for “Us” (we are all in this business together)
S stands for younger daughter Samantha
T stands for Taylor, the O’Sullivan’s inspiration

Just Kids it is – very nice!

Little Passports


111213_LittlePassports_packageRaising global citizens right in their own backyards.

Amy Norman says she practically grew up on a 747, traveling back and forth from America to England every three years for her father’s work. So it makes a lot of sense that she would create an educational experience for kids that inspires wanderlust.

Amy is co-founder of Little Passports, a fun way for kids to learn about and enjoy other places and cultures. She and her co-founder Stella Ma dreamed up two engaging characters, Sam and Sofia, who take young aspiring travelers along on their adventures through the United States and to other countries by sharing their experiences with them.

Our products combine the surprise of postal mail with the online games kids love today.

111213_LittlePassports_SamandSophiaWith the subscription-based service, Sam and Sofia send your kids a personalized package in the mail each month that includes an adventure letter, fun souvenirs, stickers, wall-size maps and more. They even get their own passport and a boarding pass to travel the world, with a secret code to access online games and activities at Little Passports’ online Boarding Zone. Everything is designed to encourage kids to take an active interest in their world and other cultures as early as possible – ages five to 12.

111213_LittlePassports_USThis San Francisco-based company is passionate about “helping to raise a generation of citizens who are compassionate about the cultures and people around the world,” donating one percent of sales to non-profits focused on children and issues that affect them.

Amy and Stella are also committed to giving other moms and budding entrepreneurs opportunities to grow businesses with Little Passports. Check them out on the Affiliates and Become an Agent pages.

News from GoldieBlox


Girls, start your engines. GoldieBlox introduces new toy collections! Pre-order now.

GoldieBlox is an inspired collection of games and toys that introduce girls to the fun of building. The company “employs” the smart, curious Goldie as master storyteller, and she’s become a role model to girls, building their self-confidence is all things engineering. The result? Goldie is mentoring the next generation of girls to be the builders of our future.

With a successful début -from Kickstarter to Toys”R”Us in less than one year- founder Debbie Sterling is ready to reveal Goldie’s next adventures.

110513_GoldieBlox_01“GoldieBlox and the Parade Float” is available now for pre-order on GoldieBlox.com for delivery by December 1 and rolling into Toys”R”Us stores nationwide this holiday season. Goldie introduces her new friend, Ruby Rails, and together they help Katinka the pink dolphin build a float for a special parade –all on their own!

110513_GoldieBlox_02In addition, GoldieBlox fans can dream up even larger projects with the Blox + Bits Expansion Pack, also available for pre-order. These rods and blocks fit both the original “GoldieBlox and The Spinning Machine” and “GoldieBlox and The Parade Float” sets.

110513_GoldieBlox_03Online Play Gallery now on! GoldieBlox has recently launched an online “play gallery,” to share stop-motion “how-to” videos starring little girl inventors. GoldieBlox fans can submit their own masterpieces to be featured on GoldieBlox.com and the GoldieBlox YouTube channel. 

WeeStay No-Slip Clip by Wee Ones


Wee Ones® Spring/Summer 2014 Collection débuts with new technology for hair bows that stay put, no matter what.

101713_WeeOnes_02Popular hair accessories company Wee Ones is introducing the WeeStay No-Slip Clip, in what it is calling “a product improvement and patent-pending innovation that will forever change the game in the hair accessories.”

Breakthrough Solution. How long have you been trying keep hair bows in place? Feels like forever, right? The WeeStay No-Slip Clip is made from a safe, silicone-like material, the next big solution for keeping girls hair bows in place.

101713_WeeOnes_03“With the launch of our WeeStay no-slip technology, a product of more than two years of research and development, our goal was to make the best hair bows in the business even better,” says Miles Faust, CEO of Wee Ones.

The patent-pending no-slip strip is affixed to the inside of the Wee Ones clip, on the back of the hair bow -the biggest product improvement in the company’s history.

101713_WeeOnes_01“For the first time our brand is on the bow,” says Gina Faust, VP Design and Marketing. “Because the no-slip strip features the Wee Ones logo, we can now be recognized for the great quality and design that our customers know and love.”

Ask for it by Name. Just introduced to the children’s retail industry, shoppers could ask for it by the Wee Ones name very soon in a children’s shop near you.

KanDi Jewelry


101613_KanDiJewelry_candybraceletWho says you can’t have your candy and wear it too!? 

KanDi Jewelry is a very fun line of jewelry for girls, tweens and teens. The New York-based company designs and manufactures bracelets, necklaces, earrings and hair ties that resemble kids’ favorite candy treats, only this modern version of candy jewelry is just for stylish show.

Once upon a time, it was okay to eat candy necklaces and lick sticky ring pops. But unfortunately when you hit a certain age, sucking on jewelry is just not cool anymore.

101613_KanDiJewelry_jawbreakernecklaceCandy necklaces were all the rage when I was young, but once you ate the candy, the jewelry was all gone! From candy necklaces to gummy bears and jawbreakers, the new KanDi’s  are fun, colorful, stylish … and irresistible.

101613_KanDiJewelry_hairtiesEye Candy. Candy fiend Dani Kates dreamed up KanDi Jewelry for all the little girls who grow up, but never outgrow their love of candy –just like her. Dani’s original diamond KanDi necklace became such a hit that celebrities such as Lauren Graham, Kristen Bell, Fergie, Lindsay Lohan, Sharon Stone, Hayden Panettiere and others were seen wearing it.

“After just a year and a half, we are available in over 150 children’s boutiques and candy stores throughout the U.S. and Canada -and we are growing every day,” Dani tells me.

Plus, KanDi Jewelry’s full range of candy-inspired pieces are so affordable, no one can have just one!

  • 101613_KanDiJewelry_gummibearsChildren’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!

ZooBooKoo Cube Books


101013_GearedForImagination_CubeBooks_05A simple toy that engages and educates through play.

Popular toy company Geared for Imagination just introduced its newest educational toy- ZooBooKoo Cube Books.

The more you turn – the more you learn!

101013_GearedForImagination_CubeBooks_06Remember the Rubic’s Cube? Well, these books’ll make it fun for your kids to learn, in much the same way. Designed in the United Kingdom, Cube Books engage kids with knowledgeable info and detailed illustrations packaged in a unique way –by folding and unfolding parts of the cube, revealing the secrets inside.

Cube Books are available in four subjects – the Human Body, Planets, Spelling and Multiplication Tables.

101013_GearedForImagination_CubeBooks_01Ohio-based Geared for Imagination creates and distributes of high-quality products “Driven by Design, Powered by Play.” Founded in 2009 by dads Ryan Hamilton and Bret Faber, the company recently launched a Retailer Resource Site for wholesale that includes online ordering, virtual catalog, downloadable pictures, videos, catalogs and more!

Boo!


 

  • 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!