Go! Go! Sports Girls of Dream Big Toy Company Founder Jodi Norgaard knew as a mother and a coach of girls’ sports that there was need for a girl’s doll that would be age appropriate, proportioned properly and send a positive message about a healthy lifestyle through sports. Jodi spent two years launching the product, from a rough sketch to the fall 2008 debut of the tennis girl doll at the U.S. Open in New York. Jodi believes the point of her business is to send a message to girls to dream big and go for it, which is her personal mantra.

Amanda Boyd, the designer for Adore La Vie was born and raised in Iowa. Amanda knew since the age of five that she wanted to be a fashion designer, remained true to her childhood dream and achieved a degree in Apparel Design with a minor in Creative Design, from both Iowa State University and London College of Fashion. In 2008, Amanda decided to pursue her big dream of launching her own design company, Adore La Vie, which means “love life.” From the designer with a Midwest soul and West Coast spirit, Amanda showcases this vibe through every collection she creates

If you’ve ever experienced that let down that comes from seeing someone sporting the same fashion as you, you’re not alone. Thousands of adults feel that way, and not only do they want something different for themselves, but they also want it for their children. And when parents begin voting with their wallets, you can bet that there will be creative, edgy designers such as Ann Loren ready to supply their eager demands. Ann Loren by JESS KIDZ is the purveyor of unique delights: original children’s boutique designs in durable, moveable fabrics created in tightly-limited runs of no more than a few months.

Cookies are awesome. We can all agree on this, right? While we all might have different favorites, we can also all agree that if someone was going around stealing said cookies, we’d be upset. We certainly would want to go on the hunt to find the thief if he or she found our cookies’ secret spot. This is the predicament Thomas finds himself in while visiting his grandmother in the charmingly simple book The Cookie Thief by Frances Gilbert. When he visits Granny, he’s anxiously anticipating her delicious cookies when he hears a patter, a swoop and a rush. Oh no! The cookies have disappeared right before their eyes.