Items tagged “Made in the U.S.A.”

Retail Reality celebrates Baby Frenzy, a family-owned retail store in El Toro, Californiam run by Linda and Michal Byerline. The store is the public side of a cloth diapering manufacturer, Happy Heineys, that operates an upstairs manufacturing facility. The combination retailer/supplier educates local parents about the environmental and financial benefits of cloth diapering and other natural parenting methods, and the products available today that help save green in both the pocketbook and the environment! A growing trend has emerged where manufacturers of all sizes are exploring the options of retailing and wholesaling. We were happy to discover Baby Frenzy and Happy Heineys! Who do you know that combines both worlds successfully?

Every parent knows the struggles of dining out with a baby. Food ends up on the floor, all over the table, and rarely in baby’s mouth. Tired of playing the drop-it-and-pick-it-up game, many parents opt to stay home.

For those parents who want to dine with baby without all the mess and stress, the Neatnik Saucer is your answer. While nothing short of a miracle will keep baby from making the messes, the Neatnik Saucer allows Mom and Dad to relax knowing that baby is safe from germs and the restaurant is safe from baby!

Hello everyone…I just received an e-mail from Southern Living magazine that the video is up for the 2009 Idea House in Port Aransas,Texas. They included some of my art for the children’s upstaris bedroom. They only show the Mod Owls in the room, but they did put some others in there as well. You’ll have to pick up the August issue to see the rest. I’m so excited and honored to be chosen as one of the many artists throughout the house. Click on the link below to watch the video…and my art is shown around the 2-minute mark. Thanks for looking..Smile

Editorial Director’s Product Picks
During the recent June market week, I visited a few showrooms on the 6th floor at the California Market Center, Los Angeles. There is so much new product to see and discover, a buyer could easily spend several days shopping and not see it all. I visited several showrooms that are members of Kids on 6, a co-op association of permanent showrooms at the California Market Center, Los Angeles. They work together to promote the many benefits retailers find year-round on the 6th floor. I noticed that all the showrooms have spiffed up their product displays, added welcoming touches for retailers, and have added new products from their existing brands, while adding new lines, especially in gift and non-seasonal products.

Here is Part 1 of my personal picks from my recent visit:

These zany monkeys wrap around the back of the one-piece outfit as they float on a vintage washed fabric. Available in sizes 3-24 months. Little ones can make a splash this summer with this silly monkey.

Contact: Lori Riley / (512) 261-5648

Seven years and seven children ago, Amy McCoy started selling cloth diapers online to help save on family expenses. Guess the change did her good. The online venture has grown to become a successful resource for gift-givers looking for quality, convenience, variety and value. Retailing is definitely not just for brick-and-mortor stores any more. Amy shares her gifts, insights and efforts to juggle a big family and big business!

I recently was commissioned by some clients from Dallas to create some art for their kids playroom. I actually did about four pieces for them, but stupidly forgot to take pictures of everything. But I luckily did take a photo of the biggest. The painting above was 4 feet x 4 feet (HUGE)…seriously it was big. They basically loved my Raining Mister Elephant painting but wanted more characters and really wanted the African amazon feel with trees and such.

I added monkeys and a funky orange giraffe. And a deep rich blue striped zebra for fun.

Remember a week or so back when I had donated a painting to charity similar to this one. Well, I had a customer see it who completely fell in love with it, but it was already donated and already purchased by the lucky bidder. So then I offered to create one that was similar but I added another planet to make it completely her own. And the result is the one above. It turned out amazing, and Denise my new customer loved it. And her son, who is ever so cute and pictured below, seems to love it as well.

Gabby Caperon’s personal journey is one of hope, adventure, love, ambition and surprises. Along the way, she created Beco Baby Carriers. She turned $5 into more than a million! The Giggle Guide™ is pleased to spotlight Gabby’s success story as our first profile in our “Road To Success” series. Hope. Love. Success. Isn’t that what our children’s business is all about?

Little for Now natural parenting store is an online retailer offering eco-friendly and attachment-parenting products. Little for Now is a one-stop shop for cloth diapers and accessories, baby carriers, and slings. Julie Renee Holland shares how her little business grew through many changes!

The Snuggin Go is an infant positioner designed by Beth Rumack, a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. After years of helping parents position the smallest infants into car seats with rolled blankets and towels, her own daughter was born in 2004 at just 6 pounds. Beth spent 5 years researching and designing the Snuggin Go out of a sincere desire to reduce the danger infants face when improperly positioned in a seat.

As many pregnant woman know, you are exhausted during your first trimester of the pregnancy. I read about this in a book prior to getting pregnant and thought … that won’t happen to me. I’m pretty active and I hate taking naps. I was totally wrong. I’m lucky if I can make it through dinner some nights without falling asleep at the dinner table. It’s a good thing the chairs aren’t too comfortable. So I’ve done a better job of getting ready for bed earlier. I am also very lucky to have a flexible job, so if I over sleep, it’s okay if I am a little late to work.

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