Extended Hours and Special Events Mark NY NOW

Get ready for NY NOW, the Market for Home & Lifestyle, which runs Saturday, August 17, through Wednesday, August 21, 2013, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Passenger Ship Terminal Pier 94. Overall, NY NOW, (formerly the New York International Gift Fair), will encompass 100,000 products in 400+ product categories. The event anticipates that 35,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 80 countries will attend.

In addition to the opportunity to see the latest baby and child merchandise, a number of special events will be offered. These include the 62nd Annual Retailer Excellence Awards on Sunday, August 18; the popular “Night on Broadway” on Monday, August 19; a guided walk of New York’s High Line elevated public park on August 17; and free market week admission, compliments of NY NOW and its showroom partners, to the Museum of the City of New York. Our preview of discoveries includes mimish, Wash with Water, Funkins, and Kira.

Storage Beanbag: Go Stuff It!

When customers bemoan the amount of stuff that is part of the joy of having children, point out a novel storage item that doubles as a comfy seat. Designer Andrea Solo of mimish sought a way to make the most out of what one has and came up with the Storage Beanbag. Zip it open and store stuffed animals, out of season clothes, blankets, pillows and sheets, or any other soft stuff that needs an out-of the-way home.

Made in the U.S.A., the beanbag’s shape attracts kids who race to sit on it. The chair is filled with post- consumer recyclable “beans” so shoppers can machine-wash the cotton versions if they remove the filling. The beanbags are available in different materials, including organic cotton and micro-suede and are available in zingy colors — golden Buttercup, femme Erase Pink, Medium Blue and Tomato Red among others.

Playful kids, family organizers or anyone who wants a soft spot to rest on will love this: www.mimishdesigns.com

Wash with Water: Collections of Skin Care Comfort

Wash with Water features organic skincare items that cleanse, hydrate and protect sensitive skin without harmful chemicals. The newest addition to the line is A Star is Born, an after-bath collection that is all about kissable baby skin. Luxuriously light, this line delivers incredible skin benefits with ingredients like Argan Oil, Roman Chamomile and Orange Blossom, penetrating deeply to replenish moisture and strengthen skin so even sensitive little hides do not dry out. Mothers and other family members may find themselves swiping the unscented baby lotion and massage cream to use on themselves.

The Sweet Pea Shampoo and Body Bar is made of yummy ingredients, including Saponified Organic Oils of Palm, Coconut, Olive and Palm Kernel as well as Argan and Calendula Oil, Sweet Pea Fragrance Oil, Organic Aloe Vera, and Organic Rosemary Extract, packaged in a completely recyclable box printed with soy ink.

The Barenaked Baby family of products includes shampoo, body foam and soap in bar form while the Yummy Tummy group has similar products and the delightful scent of luscious banana.

Response to Wash with Water has been terrific with parents thrilled that their children’s skin is no longer itchy, even those who had been dealing with eczema.

For smooth, kissable skin: www.washwithwater.me

Funkins: Reusable Napkins and Lots More!

With more than one hundred fifty spiffy patterns, the Funkins collection of handy dandy reusable cloth napkins fits in well with other children’s accessories, green and eco products, back-to-school supplies, feeding and mealtime products, themed sets and gift ideas. The product can be used as a napkin or placemat; cupcake or cookie decorating station; to wrap-around freezies, popsicles, and ice cream cones; or as a burp cloth. Your customers will figure out many more ways to use these versatile cloths.

Get ready for the holidays with Silent Night in blue; Tickled Pink Penguins or Polar Bear Express, each reversing to a different, coordinating pattern. Little guy-themed Funkins come in patterns with reptiles, robots, sports and pets, all suitable for the manliest kid, while flowers, animals and dots are some of the looks most girls prefer. The colors and patterns are all vivid and engaging, for mix-and-match versatility.

Each Funkin is 13”x15”, made from 100% cotton fabric using low impact dyes and offer a great alternative to throwaway napkins. Pack a lunchbox with Funkins and get in line with schools that practice waste-free programs.

Coming soon: patent-pending painting smocks in the same cool patterns. Reuse in a zillion ways: www.myfunkins.com

Kira: Local Love Abounds

Want to show shoppers how to celebrate both the wee ones in their lives and the place the kiddies live? Stock incredibly soft one hundred percent cotton garments from Kira, like the tiny one-piece in a Biketastic, Cupcake or Bolt design. Bolt is bright red with the look of lightning; Biketastic features a cool stingray bike, and Cupcake shows — what else — a sweet treat complete with single candle. All have an envelope neck for easy, no fuss dressing and snap closure, sized for 3-6, 6-12 and 12-18 months.

If you want to show a little Local Love, a neon green one-piece that proclaims Left My Binkie in NY; Heart LA leggings in gray, Southern Boy one-piece in gray, and a Live and Cry in LA tank all tell it like it is.

Baby gifts include stylish navy Retro Specs packed with a Biketastic green one-piece in a hand-screened gift box, or two girly one-pieces, one with white stars on navy ground; the other with a printed pink bow packed in a Little Star gift box. Kira Kids also offers a Superhero gift set that would wow parents of boys with a bodysuit printed with a vintage Batman mask and another with a lightning bolt.

Numbers one through seven are printed in bold pink on the chest of soft cotton t-shirts, making this a hit item for any birthday girl. Boy T numbers come in heather gray and a cool raglan tee has three-quarter length sleeves and graphics of an iconic beatbox.

Super soft, super cute: www.kirakids.com