Learning How to Share

The time finally arrived! My three-year old son has learned how to share. This is a picture of him sharing cars with a friend in his Mommy & Me class. I remember last year when he and two other boys would eye the same car/truck/train, look at each other, then dive for the toy as they each tried to yank it from each others’ grasps. Oh, boy! That was a nightmare because all the mommies had to deal with the crying, the fighting and giving our sons “The Talk” about sharing. It’s a good thing we mothers are all on the same page regarding this, and know that we need to teach our children how to play together.

A year later, I stand in the classroom with pride (and with my camera) as I listen to my son say, “Do you want this car?” and proceed to play nicely with his friend. He’s growing up!

Paulo is wearing the rabbitmoon “discover” striped zip hoody. For this comfy cotton layering piece and more mix and match stylish kid’s clothing go to www.rabbitmoon-usa.com.

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The Green Onion Boutique: PREMIER STORE SPOTLIGHT Q&A

We interviewed boutique owner, Elliesha Villanueva, of The Green Onion Children’s Boutique in Brooklyn, New York. Elliesha gives us the lowdown on Halloween happenings in the Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens neighborhood, her views on growing up in the community and the perfect take-me-home gift for baby. Read more to discover more about The Green Onion!

 

The Green Onion

274 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231
718.246.2804

 CHECK-IN and JOIN 
The Green Onion’s Facebook
page and click HERE

 

1.    Tell us the inspiration behind opening your own boutique?
Having my own business has always been a dream I wanted to pursue. The Green Onion was originally founded and opened in 1998, and I had the opportunity to purchase this successful existing children’s boutique in 2008 and I love it!

2.    How did you come up with the name?
The name was already conceived, and I kept it because it stood out, and people always remembered us because of our name.

Inside the Green Onion

3.    Tell us the inside scoop about any special events that you have planned for your boutique for fall, especially the fun deals we can expect! Anything for Halloween?
Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens is a great neighborhood to raise a family – we have an amazing community! We normally open for Halloween and give out candy. Cobble Hill Park and Carroll Park both have separate parades. Prospect Park, which is located in Park Slope, is one of our nearby neighborhoods that has a ton of events during the weekend leading up to Halloween.

4.    Please tell us 1 fun Halloween tradition you had with your family as a child that you can share with our readers?
I grew up in Cobble Hill Brooklyn, and being an urban child during the early 80’s in New York was a different experience than it is now, but our tradition was to keep the “trick a treating “ within our local small business community. I have fond memories of Halloween in my neighborhood!!!

5.     What is one fun way to decorate a pumpkin or your home for Halloween?
My Husband and I love to fill our home with the scent of cinnamon and we also love to decorate our windows at home and in the store!

6.    Tell us…before you “had kids or grandkids, what is one thing you swore you’d never…?”
We have not started our own family yet, but my husband and I have sworn to never let our children create a habit of sleeping in our beds.

7.    Describe the neighborhood of your store location in Brooklyn, New York. Did you grow up in the local area?
I grew up in Cobble Hill Brooklyn, New York and it is and was a great neighborhood to grow up in. Downtown Brooklyn is socially and culturally diverse. Those who don’t know Brooklyn tend to think of it as a middle & lower class dormitory suburb of Manhattan. That’s not the image most New Yorkers have nowadays. Like Manhattan, its smaller cousin in terms of population (2.5 million versus 1.5 million), it has always been a borough of many neighborhoods, some rich, some poor and many solid middle-class. The challenge for the coming years will be to manage Brooklyn’s growth and maintain its cultural diversity.

8.    What Le Top or rabbitmoon Fall 2011 collection is your store’s favorite and why?
From Le Top we love the layette bunting (or what Le Top calls a “snugglebag” that also comes in blue and pink) in mint green! It has been one of our best sellers since fall 2010. We love it because it’s a great take-me-home piece and a fabulous gift for a new baby. Our other favorite are the knit sweaters from Rabbitmoon. 

rabbitmoon "anjou" color-blocked sweater dress

The Green Onion

274 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231
718.246.2804

CHECK-IN and JOIN 
The Green Onion’s Facebook
page and click HERE 

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Everyone Needs Playgroup

Paulo is wearing a zip hoodie and cargo pants set from rabbitmoon's Imagination collection.

I’m guilty! I am so guilty of not indulging my second child to the same enjoyable things as I did with my first. Miranda had playgroups, play dates, Mommy and Me classes, anything and everything that I could expose her to that would be fun, educational, and give us extra bonding/play time.

I remember someone telling me that having two kids is like having 10. I didn’t believe it! How can one little person make life complicated to the 10th degree? Well, let me tell you… Now that I have two kids, I AM A BELIEVER! I am so busy with the demands of motherhood, Miranda’s school, my freelance work, the housework, the grocery shopping (I have to go every week now because boys eat so much more than girls!) and all the voluntary roles I thought I would have time for (Classroom Mom, Yearbook Committee, Faith Formation Teacher, helping my parents). I’m lucky if I can keep my head above water. Poor Paulo! He gets whatever is left of my hectic schedule.

I jotted down my little guy’s schedule each day of the week:

• Monday: take Miranda to school, eat, very short nap, pick up Miranda, play
• Tuesday: take Miranda to school, eat, very short nap, pick up Miranda, play
• Wednesday : take Miranda to school, eat, longer nap, pick up Miranda, play
• Thursday: take Miranda to school, SWIM CLASS!!!, eat, longer nap, pick up Miranda, play
• Friday: take Miranda to school, eat, longer nap, pick up Miranda, play

Pretty boring, huh? At least he has weekly swim classes. But any free time I get, I’m either working, doing chores or running errands just so I can survive the day and actually get to bed at a decent time (midnight would be early for me!) But never mind about me. This is precious Paulo time I’m wasting. So… I’ve decided that I NEED take charge of my schedule and plan recreational activities for my little guy. He shouldn’t be penalized for being Child No. 2. He needs to have his own schedule, his own friends, and make his own memories. This sad little dude rarely sees a playground that when he does see one, he pees his pants in excitement! So I’m bringing back weekly playgroups.

His first play date was with my friend’s daughter. This little girl’s big brother was Miranda’s first playgroup friend and they have been very good friends ever since. (Coincidentally, my friend and I had our two kids roughly at the same time so each of our two kids are about the same age.) We met at a nearby playground to enjoy the fresh air and some outdoor fun, but it started to drizzle. Luckily, there was Toddler Storytime at the museum across the way that was just about to start. PERFECT!

The kids had a good time, AND the moms did as well. We both reminisced about our lives five years ago when we were both new mothers and only had one child each. We talked about how much more relaxed we were back then, how busy our lives have become, and how we missed connecting with each other just to talk about life in general (husbands, in-laws, school, broken appliances, the laundry…). We vowed to have our play dates each week for the sake of our second children AND for the sake of our sanity! What a revelation… I NEED PLAYGROUP, TOO!!! This is going to be a good thing.

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STORE SPOTLIGHT – HEAR ALL ABOUT IT!

Today is the second in our new “Store Spotlight” series, where we feature a premiere le•top specialty retail store each week. Read more for an exclusive Q&A and “sneak peak” images of our featured store of the week!

Wickford - RI

This week we had the chance to interview one of Rhode Island and Connecticut’s finest boutiques, Teddy Bearskins. Meet the proud owners, Bob and Debra Semple and read about their 3 boutiques!

We want to give you the inside scoop on Teddy Bearskins’ latest and greatest news, and what YOU don’t know about a few of the East Coast’s cutest childrenswear stores.

1.     How did you get started with Teddy Bearskins?
Bob:  Debra made all the clothes in our first store. I remember it was a very small store, but within 2 years, we had 2 bigger stores, and 3 stores after 5 years.

2.     What was your and Bob’s background prior to this business?
Debra:  Bob was in advertising and sales management prior to entering the childrenswear business
Bob:  Deb was a home economics teacher, and also had a business degree. She [Deb] is by nature a fashion designer!

3.     Teddy Bearskins is a distinctive store name – does it have any special history?
Bob & Debra:  The name Teddy Bearskins just had a great ring to it, and our favorite place was Bearskin Neck in Rockport, Massachusetts.

4.     Why Rhode Island and Connecticut? How did you pick these unique locations?
Debra:  Bob moved to Rhode Island in 1983 for business, and unfortunately there were no teaching jobs. Our twins at the time were 3-years-old so we opted to start our own business.

5.     Describe the neighborhood your stores are in.

Mystic Village - CT

Bob & Debra:  Of our three stores, we would describe each as:

1. Wickford Location ~ “Historic seaport village, and very quaint.”
2. Mystic Location ~ “ A historic seaport and tourist area.” 
3. Barrington Location ~ “A high-end village bedroom community of Providence.”

6.     Who is your target customer? Do you specialize in any certain types of product?
Debra:  I would say our target customers are Grandparents, Parents, and Relatives of a newborn. We have a wide range of pricing.

7.     What products do your clientele like the most?

Bob:  Toys, shoes, and clothing from newborn to teenage.

8.     Any Celebrity customers over the years or do you have any celebs buying right now?
Bob & Debra:  Jane Pauley, Montel Williams, several soap opera stars, and many professional sports athletes. Other clients include many of the Rhode Island TV personalities!

9.     What’s coming up for Teddy Bearskins? You have 3 stores and an online store – will there be a 4th store in the near future?
Bob & Debra:  We are always considering some moves!

10.     You have a remarkable history having founded the first Teddy Bearskins store in 1983 – what makes Teddy Bearskins unique after all of these successful years?
Bob & Debra:  We have everything you might need or want for your child or grandchild – from birth to size 20. We have customers from all over the country who stop in, call or even email us since they know we will have what they need or want.

Barrington - RI

 

11.     What do both you and Bob feel are the three biggest keys to your success?
Bob & Debra:

1. Location
2. Customer Service
3. Hard Work, Hard Work, Hard Work!

12.     How do you select your products for the store?
Debra:  I listen to my customers and also use my instinct and gut feelings.

13.     What is one trend you’re currently seeing with customers?
Debra:  Simplicity.

14.     If you had one piece of advice for someone entering children’s retail today, what would it be?
Bob & Debra:  Make sure you know you will love retail. It’s 24/7, and if you do not want to put in 110%, do not open a store.

15.     What are your top 3 fashionista tips for dressing a child? And your #1 kid fashion “no-no”?
Bob & Debra:  Keep it simple, give your child 3 choices, when asking their advice. And keep their personality in mind when making a selection. Do not give in to tantrums.

16.     You probably have seen thousands of parents and their children come in-and-out of all 3 of your store doors – what is one of the funniest things you have heard come out of parent or child’s mouth?
Bob & Debra:  Nothing stands out at the moment. We have wonderful relationships with our customers, many laughs, great customers. It’s a big family and great fun. The kids always enjoy coming to our Teddy Bearskins locations.

17.     What is your best or most memorable moment in your store?
Debra:  One of My favorite customers passed away and she requested in her eulogy that they mention how she loved Teddy Bearskins.

18.     What collection or piece from le•top and/or rabbitmoon do you love right now from the Spring 2010 collection?
Bob & Debra:  Our favorite is the le•top boys Sail Away collection!

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A Peak Behind the Scenes…

Hmmm, do we need a bigger office???

Although it seems as though the Fall 2009 photo shoot was just yesterday… another season’s photo shoot has come and gone! This amazing moment in time was for our Spring 2010 line. (Already spring you say?  We work well ahead of the ‘normal’ calendar!) Our model tryouts (in the biz known as a go-see) happened on July 9th. It was organized chaos with over 100 children turning out to smile and pose (a wonderful crowd!) and way too many adorable little ones – making it a very challenging series of decisions! The photo shoot for both Le Top and Rabbitmoon happened the second to last week of July. It was an exhausting week – but a fabulous success! Many thanks to everyone who assisted, especially the delightful kids! We can’t wait to share the Spring season’s collections and all the adorable photos with you but…it will have to wait. Sometimes it’s hard for us to keep track of what month, season and year we’re working on perfecting!  We are currently shipping Fall 2009 collections to our fabulous retailers, so take a gander at all the fabulous styles.

Out comes the infamous ‘tickle stick!

I think everyone wonders what happens ‘behind the scenes’ – here are a couple under-cover shots from the Le Top photo shoot.

Beware – baby ‘off’ board!

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We Love the Pitter Patter of Little Feet!

Adornment is never anything except a reflection of the heart.”  ~Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

Children’s hearts – pure and innocent – are the inspiration for Le Top clothing.  The whimsical designs we create here bring smiles to our faces – but children cannot live on clothes alone…they must have shoes to go out in the world!  When preparing for our Fall 2009 photo shoot we looked around the market and came up with the idea of collaborating with a children’s shoe company, hopefully one with the same design esthetic as ours – the choice was easy, pediped™!  We love the shoes – and knew them first hand, since they had been the choice for many le•top and rabbitmoon outfits for Chris’s grandsons.  Anna Carpio (our Design Room manager and Technical Designer) planned everything with Penny Redlin and Lauren McGlynn at pediped™ footwear over the course of three months to find the perfect accompaniment to each outfit in our collection.  Anna says, “They were so easy to work with. They are very family-oriented like we are and have a fun, quality product. It was a pleasure working with them on this project.” 

For the current season each company will feature the other’s products in their catalogs and marketing materials. “It seemed a natural fit for pediped™ and le•top to share our collections with each other from a styling standpoint. Our collections complement each other well. I think that the result has been fantastic! Congratulations to le•top on another fabulous collection,” says Angela Edgeworth, co-founder and president of pediped™ footwear. Find the style that goes with your little ones outfit at www.pediped.com.

 About pediped™ footwear:
pediped™ footwear was launched in 2004 by Angela and Brian Edgeworth in their quest for the perfect soft-soled shoe for their first daughter. Exceptional quality, unsurpassed comfort and distinctive styling have made the award winning company one of the fastest-growing children’s footwear brands in the United States. pediped™ footwear is sold in over 2500 stores in the United States and 40 countries worldwide with an offering of more than 120 designs for boys and girls between their two lines, Originals and Flex. Originals (soft-soled shoes for newborns to age 2+) and Flex (rubber-soled shoes for children 1-6 years) are available in EU sizes ranging from 17 to 29.

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A Long Forgotten Library Alive with Clothing and Memories!

source: http://www.waymarking.com

I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”              – Jorge Luis Borges

Mikki Griffith’s dreams have always revolved around children.  As an early childhood educator she invested in all of our futures – by guiding young people towards learning.  Mikki designed and made clothing for her own and other children to supplement her creative bent, but maintained the dream of someday opening a children’s clothing store.  Once retired and living in Northern Wisconsin, Mikki’s dream of owning a boutique came true!  On May 1^st of this year she re-opened the doors of the historic Carnegie Library in Hayward, Wisconsin, paying homage to the 100 year old site by naming her store Carnegie Kids.  She repurposed the original book shelves as display cases for her original creations and those of le•top, rabbitmoon and other fabulous collections!

Mikki has a high regard for the historic site of her business, but gives equal respect to the local community. Currently she is planning a city-wide baby shower for a local Women’s & Children’s Shelter, aimed at aiding women that do not have the support system needed for precious new arrivals.  Carnegie Kid’s customers that bring in diapers, formula, baby food, new or like-new baby blankets, or any other baby related products for the shelter receive discounts on purchases at the beautiful store.  Mikki supports the arts by working with a local, non-profit, live theatre.  She gives a discount to ticket holders and donates a portion of the proceeds to the theatre.  Take a bow Mikki!

Inside Carnegie Kids

Mothers and grandmothers who frequent her store laugh and giggle with delight at her carefully chosen selections – something that brings joy to Mikki’s heart.  A favorite part of her day is hearing the footsteps of the UPS man coming up the walk with boxes that conjure up memories of the days when her own children were small enough to wear and play with the cute clothes and toys.

Mikki offers gift wrap in a colorful signature gift bag, and loves taking phone orders from customers.  Stop in and say “hello” and check out Carnegie Kids in The Old Carnegie Library!

Carnegie Kids is located at:
10538 Main Street
Hayward, Wisconsin 54843
715.466.4724 (p)

Store Hours:
Mon-Sat: 10:00 am- 5:00 pm
Sunday: 10:00 am- 3:00 pm

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Celeb Baby Stella…all decked out!

Please tell me everyone has “guilty pleasures,” right?  A few weeks ago I was lying in bed watching Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood.  Yup, I admit it; I do watch Tori & Dean!  The celebrity parents were headed up to Vancouver, BC because Tori was guest starring in an episode of Smallville (filmed in gorgeous British Columbia.) On their much documented plane ride with their children (Stella’s first!) she was dressed in our very comfy and appropriate for traveling rabbitmoon orchid tracksuit!  I jumped out of bed and started screaming “THAT’S OUR TRACKSUIT, THAT’S OUR TRACKSUIT!”  My husband thought I had gone berserk as he ran in the room and asked what on earth I was screaming about!  I, with some exasperation regarding his lack of knowledge regarding all things “celebrity” told him why I was so excited.  He started jumping up and down with me…just kidding, he didn’t really do that, but he was excited for us!  I contemplated calling Chris, but then thought better of it as it was 10:30 ++ at night!  Here is a great clip from Tori and Dean’s plane ride…just fast forward to 2:59 minutes to see the outfit… CLICK HERE

I have never been one to stop at one of anything… so I then searched the Oxygen network website and found Stella wearing one of our darling swimsuits from the le•top Tropical Paradise collection!  Check out this cutie.

Photo from Oxygen.com. Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood. Click on photo to link to the site.

 LOVE THE STAR ATTITUDE…WOO HOO!

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Creative Baby Shower Gifts: The Diaper Cake

My cousin, Joslyn, is getting ready to have Baby #2 (a girl, Haven Bella) soon and this weekend, we are holding her baby shower! Since I work at a baby and kids clothing company, it’s no secret that most of my baby shower gifts are going to be our gorgeous baby clothes from le•top and rabbitmoon, but sometimes I like to mix it up a little. “Surprise” is a big thing for me, and because my gifts are generally predictable, I like to throw a zinger in there.

• For Jess’ baby shower gift, I put together a HUGE basket of clothes, along with some great products I have come across since being in the industry (Nookie pacifiers, Baby Legs, Pedipeds, etc).
• For Erin T’s, I did the basket and a Starbucks Frappuccino 4-pack filled with clothes instead of drinks. (Erin T. LOVES Starbucks!)
• For Joslyn (since she already had a similar gift with the first baby), I decided my “surprise” would be a diaper cake.

I have come across a lot of these online, but was never sure exactly how they did it. So the other night, I YouTube’d it, and sure enough there was a cheesy – though resourceful – How-To video. I bought the diapers, the ribbon, the jewels, the rubber bands, and the pins (my variation from double-stick tape), and went to work. I had to roll the diapers slightly differently than the video explained because the cute “character scene” on the front was turning my white cake into a blue one. All in all it took about 45 minutes to roll 92 diapers (size 1 & 2) and assemble them in the cake layers; about 30 minutes to put the ribbons and the jewels on; and 5 seconds to lay the shoes on the top as the cake topper.

Remember, this was my first time doing this, and I have learned some lessons:

1. Use ALL white diapers, if possible.
2. There is an advantage to using the double-stick tape (my ribbons are falling down because I only tautly pinned them — and in one place for that matter)
3. I need to figure out a way to secure the shoes on top (double-stick tape?)
4. Use a circular cake stand to start out the bottom layer. My bottom layer is too big for the cake stand.

Have you done a DIY shower gift? Please share your ideas and/or pictures!

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We’re the Daily Exclusive on BabySteals!

Our limited-edition rabbitmoon plush blankets are the exclusive steal-of-the-day on BabySteals — these four beautiful, plush, double-layer blankets are soft chenille on one side and deluxe velour on the reverse. They come in colors: rose, blue, pomegranate, navy (reverses to tan). 30 x 36 crib size. Washable and snuggly! Go to BabySteals and get a steal on this exclusive — for yourself, or as a very special baby shower gift (or, an effortless replacement of a magic blanket, as we did for Nadine)!

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