Even though the days are cooling off, all eyes are turned toward the latest and greatest summer fashions for 2012. Retailers and consumers are hungry for something different — especially for clothing that busts out of the safety zones that have marked recession fashion. The trends in the higher-end collections lean more toward eye-catching asymmetrical garb, luscious floral prints in bright hues, gorgeous pleats, and attention-getting ruffles. The Giggle Guide^® shows next year’s sizzle from Eternal Creation, Scout Collection, and Joules.

Step into a Wall Street conference room and there she is — the hard-charging business exec running the satellite-linked meeting with baby spit-up on her shoulder. Swing by the school’s lush outdoor park and you can track him down — the brilliant investment banker who’s cheering on his twin girls at their soccer match while cornering the market on his PDA. Today’s parents are strapped for time and need to have the right tools at their fingertips. Highly-specialized solutions for the modern family are delivered by Working Family Solutions, Beanstalk Express, SmartyPants, and Do Not Disturb.

Finding new resources for quality room décor can be a challenge. The talented team at Peek a Boo Rooms comes to the rescue with designs that work together and can be altered so that a room can adapt from infant to tween. The line eschews themed prints and juvenile images so products can remain useful as kids grow. Little ones can start off with a crib and transition into a big boy or girl bed with the same designs. Artwork is the inspiration for a playful look that’s not ultra-kiddy and is of such heirloom quality that it can be kept and passed down.

Reports of childhood bullying are in the headlines. Kids pick on others because they don’t act the same or have some distinguishing feature or attribute that singles them out as different. Children want to be like their contemporaries and, when someone isn’t, the temptation to bully often rises. Advocate against intolerance and give customers a way to do the same with Just Like You, a story that aims to explain what being “different” is about to young children. Stock this informative, easy to understand book and help everyone spread the word that we are each valuable in our own, particular way.