Items tagged “Toys & Recreation”

Who are the girls that will become the future’s Donatella Versace, Donna Karan, Stella McCartney or Vera Wang? They could be among the young designers that are crafting their sense of style with Paper Fashions from Klutz. Without the need of a sewing machine, bolts of fabric, or even a needle and thread, girls ages 8 and up can develop their fashion sense using paper and scissors and an array of embellishments from glitter and ribbons to decorative doodads. The spiral-bound Paper Fashions includes everything wannabe fashion designers need to create their own paper-clothing couture!

The Chicago Market’s Living and Giving Show, January 21st – 27th, is set to showcase the latest in children’s fashion and innovative children’s products. The show will also feature a variety of free seminars on current business topics ranging from strategies for growth to incorporating Fair Trade products in retail. In anticipation of a great show, The Giggle Guide® would like to shine the limelight on products from Folkmanis, Bitty Block, Sophie the Giraffe, and Lifefactory.

The Consumer Electronics Show was just held in Las Vegas, and sometimes you can get a feel for the economy and markets in general from this show, as it is the first big tradeshow of the year.

GOOD NEWS! Attendance was up at the CES over 2009. This bodes well for the economy, as it may just be that consumers are finally starting to feel a little more positive.

The seventh question in our exclusive series asks, To what extent do your child’s/children’s wishes affect your purchasing decisions?” While some of the moms surveyed have children that are too young to have a say (or even talk!), we certainly see influence growing with age. As vocal skills develop, so do children’s tastes and desires! However, even as kids approach the tweens and teens, most moms proclaim they are still the final word.

Bot Tots was founded by Erin Saelens, an impassioned mother and former case manager for Child Protective Services. Hoping to brighten children’s wardrobes around the world, Erin has also gone on to create fun, educational, environmentally-conscious books to help brighten children’s lives. Through Bot Tots, she has found a way to release her creative spirit while continuing to support the foster youth she cares so much about.

The Giggle Guide® is back on the trade show trail, showcasing great new children’s products at industry events throughout the country. This month we’ll be covering events across the country including: AmericasMart, LA Mart, California Gift Show, Kids on 6 at CMC, ENK Children’s Club, 7 W NY Baby & Gift Fair, NYIGF and The Dallas Total Gift & Home Market, January 13th - 17th. Here’s a little teaser of some products you’ll find at the Dallas show from Sue Berk Designs, Mag Tagz, Blessing Banks and K. Co. Kids.

Julie Windsor of Beat Street in Winnetka Il

The Chicago Market: Living and Giving® is proud to announce the December 2009 Retailer of the Month honoree. The ROTM program is designed to acknowledge exceptional retailers who are making a difference in the gift industry, as well as to provide inspiration to other retailers who can benefit from the winners’ stories.

Congratulations to the January 2010 Retailer of the Month, Julie Windsor of Beat Street in Winnetka, IL.

Contact: The Chicago Market / (312) 527-7600

Happy New Year! For retailers, January signals the start of the gift-buying season and a national round of trade events focused on what’s new in the gift market. Since children’s gifts are one of the most resilient product categories, buyers are encouraged to support the gift shows and discover ways to start or expand their gift selections. Here’s a preview of the first gift show of the season, The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market, January 6-13 at AmericasMart. Also see January’s Trade Show Calendar on The Giggle Guide® to plan your gift-buying schedule.

The newest, trendiest products on the west coast can be found during The California Gift Show®

“The California Gift Show is a must-attend market for buyers looking for fresh and unique product. The Los Angeles Convention Center and L.A. Mart will offer a combined temporary exhibitor roster of more than 1,000 resources for buyers to choose from,” said Peggy Coleman, vice president of marketing, L.A. Mart and California Gift Show. “Our buyers will see some of the hottest, most innovative lines available today.”

New products and lines, by location, are listed below.

Contact: LA Mart / (213) 763-5817
Living and Giving® to host twitter raffle at the January Market, Jan 21-27th, 2010

CHICAGO (December, 2009) - The Chicago Market: Living and Giving® will once again offer attendees an exciting opportunity to stream show content live, in real-time, directly from the show floors every day. Inspired by the broad reach of social networking and the convenience of real-time conversation, The Chicago Market encourages its showrooms, exhibitors, buyers, retailers and sales reps to micro-blog through Twitter.com before, during and after its upcoming January Market, January 21-27, 2010.

Contact: Victoria Kent / (312) 527-7708

When enterprising mothers have a meeting of the minds, their creative ideas can become a reality. Barefoot Books is an outstanding example of this. Barefoot Books makes it a priority to provide media for children that instills a love for the earth, teaches deep respect for diversity, and feeds thriving imaginations. By embracing writers, artists, story weavers, and musicians who create fun-filled, global journeys for children, this independent book company offers families many sensational opportunities to explore the world through rich colors, charming illustrations, and original story lines.

I am pleased to announce Sassy® as the BopStarBaby, exclusive participant in the developmental toys category in the BabyMakes3 baskets for 2010!! Here’s a little additional information on the company.

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