The Biz

Piloting airplanes and running a children’s fashion business are certainly different career paths. Two ambitious ladies, however, have melded these vocations seamlessly to soar to new heights! To take on the challenge of flying, a pilot must be level-headed, a good multi-tasker, trustworthy, detail-oriented, organized, and a team player. These skills also come into play in running a successful business, as Wendi Shaffner of Gigis Apparel and Marta Sala-Rothwell of Baby Bella Maya have shown. Shaffner and Sala-Rothwell fly the skies as pilots, while ascending the mountain of the children’s accessory industry in flawless style.

In an effort to be more conscious of the needs of Mother Earth, parents often look for ways to “go green” while raising and guiding the next generation. Many caregivers choose cloth diapering as part of their commitment to protecting our planet. In this endeavor, however, they have run into a new problem… finding clothes that fit over the sometimes bulky cloth diapers. Lucy and Kurt Jewson experienced this problem first-hand and decided to attack it head on with their creation of the Frugi clothing line.

With 35,000 attendees, over 85 countries and all 50 states represented, the New York International Gift Fair is the place buyers and sellers will want to be this January 29th through February 3rd. Held twice annually in January and August, the NYIGF showcases the best and newest in gift merchandise. Stationery, candles, seasonal, houseware and kitchenware are among the categories displayed, in addition to, of course, games, puzzles, toys, baby and child products. Today, The Giggle Guide^® gives you a sneak peak of GRIMM’S, Kidlandia, Jaxxwear, and BabyBindle to whet your appetite for the big event!

As harried parents know, life is generally filled with more demands than there are hours in a day to meet. Given a family’s long list of daily activities and goals, parents who want both themselves and their children to be more organized and accountable can benefit from a helpful selection of tools by The Homework Caddy, Creative Changes, Prosperity4Kids and The Reward Chain. These products help parents teach kids the importance of responsibility when it comes to activities like tracking homework assignments, performing household chores and saving money.