Cool Customer: Trea

Our Cool Customer feature captures the essence of some of our amazing customers. We are so grateful for each and every customer that chooses to support Raspberry Kids and this segment allows us to introduce you to some of our brand champions who help spread the “word of mom” about us!  Are you interested in being profiled as one of our cool customers We would LOVE to hear from you! Email us at: coolcustomers@raspberrykids.com

Today, we would like to introduce you to Trea, one of our amazing customers since 2009.

RK: Tell us a little about your Raspberry Kids?

TL: My husband and I have been blessed with  both a son and a daughter. Oliver, who turns four next week, is an  amazing, bright little guy who keeps us  entertained with his witty comments and smarts.  He is an early reader and has  shown a real talent for mathematics, which makes him hard to keep up with  because he’s faster (and more accurate) at simple math than me! Charlotte is our baby, and will be two in September.  She can be a girly-girl, but also takes a keen  interest in her older brothers car and train sets.

 

 

RK: What is your definition of “Cool”?

TL: My definition of cool is being conscientious.  This means being socially and environmentally responsible, but also being respectful to those around you.  It also means that I spend a lot of time researching products for my family that are good for them and our environment, which is why we love shopping at Raspberry Kids so much!

RK: What is your fave activity to do with the mini me(s) in your  life?

TL: Reading is a passion that we share as a family.  We spend a lot of time  using our imaginations as well (“Mama, this umbrella is a big tree and  we’re sitting underneath it!”).  Now that both of our kids are on some  version of a bike, we’ve been enjoying going for bike rides in our  neighbourhood.

RK: Of all the products we carry, what is “the one” you dig the  most?

TL: I honestly can’t commit to just one product … but I’ll try to narrow it  down!  Here’s my top five list (this is really hard!):

1. Plan Toys – My son got the Plan City Garage for Christmas a few years  ago and it continues to be one of the toys he plays with most.  The wooden toys made by this Eco-friendly company are great quality, and we like that you can keep adding to the set!

2. anamalz.  My son’s first anamalz were a gift, and I was hooked … I  mean, he was hooked.  I’ll admit to owning every single last one of these  wooden/felt/rope anamalz and dinosauz, and also that I love playing  with them more than my children.  We use them to play the animal parts when we’re reading stories, and sometimes they even run rampant in Plan City.

3. Cocoon Couture‘s line of beautiful products.  Whimsical and incredibly beautiful and well-made, we own several items from this line and I consider them, and the anamalz, to be heirloom products.

4. Beatrix New York lunch boxes and backpacks!  We have the one of each for both our son and daughter, and not only are they super cool but the kids have no problem wearing their Little Kid Backpacks and carrying their Lunch Boxes on their own.

Charlotte and Oliver on Canada Day with Juju the Ladybug Beatrix NY Little Kid Pack

5. PoPo’s Ponchos.  Made by a local Vancouver company, these beautiful and convenient ponchos remind me of the German made ones my sister and I had when we were little (only these are much softer).

RK: Tell us about your proudest moment as a parent to date?  Don’t hold back, go on and gush!

TL: I guess that after going through lengthy and painful labour and deliveries to meet my little babies for the very first time I would have to say hearing Oliver reading everything in sight and at an advance reading level (Grade Two!  I’m so proud!), and for Charlotte it’s her dance moves.  Really.  That baby can move – all we have to do is add music and she’s pulling moves that I haven’t even seen on So You Think You Can Dance.  It’s exciting to see how coordinated she is at such an early age, especially because my son is not!

RK: Did you find that sleeping when the baby slept wasn’t really possible (ie. when you have an older sib running around)?  If you could give one piece of REAL advice to expectant mothers, what would it be?

TL: NOT POSSIBLE!  For me, I didn’t listen when people told me to sleep when the baby sleeps because I’m a self admitted neat freak.  I spent my time getting the laundry and dishes done instead and then wondering why I was so tired.  Once baby number two arrived, forget it – the toddler takes up all of your time (to the detriment of the laundry and dishes).
My advice to expectant mothers would definitely be to sleep when the baby is sleeping.  You’ll never sleep again for years, so take advantage of multi-naps during the day to get re-charged.

RK: Time to lay on the sap.  What does being a mom mean to you?

TL: Being a mom to me means everything.  I see my husband and myself in our children.  I see our parents in our children.  I’m reliving my childhood and playing and exploring again.  The responsibility is HUGE but it’s the most rewarding, fulfilling experience of my life.

RK: What is/are your favorite aspect(s) of shopping with Raspberry Kids?

TL: Sue and the staff at Raspberry Kids truly stand behind each and every one of the product they sell.  Not only that, I know that a lot of research and testing time is put into each of their products so that they can stand behind them.  Because I’m very picky about the products I select for my family, I know that whatever I buy at Raspberry Kids will measure up to my expectations – the work has been done for me! The personalized shopping experience I get at Raspberry Kids is incomparable. If I need a gift idea for a child and am stuck on what to get, I know that the suggestions from the Raspberry Kids staff will make my gift a favourite of both the child and his/her parent.  I also take advantage of the private party events that Raspberry Kids offers (usually around the holidays), and I spend hours browsing the great selections and purchasing my holiday gifts in a relaxed setting with my friends and family.

RK: Close your eyes and fantasize about your life “PK” (pre-kids), what do you miss the most?

TL: Sleep?  Going out without worrying about logistics?  Sometimes I think I was probably much cooler before kids, but I certainly can’t imagine my life (and don’t want to) without my little ones now.

RK: What blogs do you fancy?

TL: I am a big fan of A Lot of Loves and My Mom Shops

RK: Which word from our tagline would you use to describe yourself?  Fresh?  Healthy?  or Fun?  and why?

TL: Fun! We try to make living and learning a lot of fun at our house, and I think (most of the time) that we’re pretty successful.  I definitely want our children to look back at their childhoods as adults and think, “We had a great childhood. Our parents were so fun.”  Their next thoughts should be something like, “And man, were they also the coolest parents!”

RK: To wrap things up, please tell our readers what your personal 3 word tagline is!

TL: LIVING THE DREAM!

Photo above taken by and courtesy of Labour Union Photographers

Thank you so much Trea for sharing these beautiful photos with us and taking the time to be one of our “Cool Customers”!