No matter what, all moms want is the best for their children; but as we all know it sure ain’t easy to find the best. With hundreds of brands in the market, art supplies are NOT the easiest things to go shopping for, especially when you’re worrying about what harmful chemicals, dyes and additives might be in them. Natural, fresh and real. Clementine Art promises to fulfill all these expectations as they introduce quality art supplies that are all natural, certified non-toxic, eco-friendly (80% of Clementine packaging is made out of post consumer recycled and reusable material!), and most importantly fun for your children to use. After exploring all that Clementine Art has to offer, my inner-child yearned to have had these products when I was younger. It certainly would have been easier letting my 10 year old imagination run wild if I didn’t have the constant worry of “putting that in my mouth!” or “rubbing it on my clothes!” as expressed by my mom. Clementine Art supplies are made for children, encouraging them to create real art with real tools.
Clementine Art Natural Modeling Dough, $13.99
Strawberry, lemon and lime fresh! Sounds yummy doesn’t it? Clementine Art’s Natural Modeling Dough comes in three delicious scents and promises to be crumble-free. They can even last up to 12 months, as long as you don’t succumb to their fruity scents and gobble them up!
Clementine Art Natural Paints, $19.99
Available in a set of six colors, Clementine Paints are all natural, free from chemical dyes and petrochemicals and just fantastic for finger painting.
Clementine Art Natural Markers, $8.99
In a set of four colors, these quick drying markers are colored with plant and mineral pigments and as always, free of chemical dyes and other harmful additives.
Clementine Art Natural Crayon Rocks, $8.99
Clementine Crayon ‘Rocks’ are made to fit comfortably into your little ones’ hands. This innovative new coloring tool comes in nine rich colors, the perfect tool for your little artist.
Clementine Art Natural Soy Crayons, $8.99
If your child is growing out of their ‘rocker’ faze, have no fear as Clementine Art also creates Soy Crayons (chemical dye and additive free of course)! The perfect alternative to crumbly traditional wax crayons.
Clementine Art Natural Glue, $9.99
Clementine Natural Glue, the name says it all. This clear drying, washable art glue holds strong and works on even the toughest surfaces (even wood)! But here’s the twist, once dry this glue is completely reversible with water and washes off completely (now experiments will never go wrong)!
When in doubt, mix and match and create a gift set that is the perfect starter kit for your budding artiste!
Crystal
–
Raspberry Kids Workshop Elf
On the Web: http://www.raspberrykids.com
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Our latest newsletter: http://www.raspberrykids.com/newsletter-apr21-2010
We are very pleased to bring Kinderville products to Raspberry Kids. This was a direct result of a customer request who asked us if we had seen this product and if so, would we consider selling them at Raspberry Kids. We had seen them and really liked them but the interest shown from one of our customers encouraged us to pursue this line more quickly than we would have otherwise. We organized a set of samples and got them into the hands of our customer who kindly tested the products and provided feedback.
We communicated this information to the manufacturer and based on her findings, we decided to add this great product and we are so excited to carry the entire Kinderville range, especially the popsicle molds that are just in for summer. Of course we had to buy a set and test these out too and have had great results and some really delicious popsicles, including some adult flavoured ones!
Kinderville products provide a safe, easy and toxin-free way to serve and store food. As parents, the founders of Kinderville were frustrated by the abundance of plastic and other toxic food systems. Out of this frustration, the quest for a safe alternative began. And, Kinderville™ was born.
Kinderville offers innovative, functional and toxin-free products for babies and toddlers. With a focus on quality and the use of safe materials, all Kinderville products—including feeding and food storage systems, bowls, bottles, sippy cups, utensils, and more—are thoroughly safety-tested and are BPA-, Phthalate- and Lead-free.
Kinderville Popsicle Molds $24.99
Kinderville products are perfect for use around the home, to send with your little ones to daycare or for use when the family is on-the-go. Safe, resilient and easy to clean. Not only are they a great alternative to toxic plastics, but they are dishwasher, freezer, refridgerator and, best of all, microwave safe! Kinderville is committed to delivering safe, stylish and innovative products for your little ones. Kinderville products include popsicle molds, cups, bowls, large storage jars, small storage jars and freezer trays.
Kinderville Silicone Cups Set of 4, $18.99
We hope you love the Kinderville range of kids feeding products as much as we do and we sincerely thank our customers for showing interest in these products and for being a key reason we have added them to the Raspberry Kids line up.
Here’s to anything that makes meal time and food storage easier and safer!
Bon appetit,
Sue
–
Sue Sinclair
Chief Executive Mom, Raspberry Kids
Subscribe to our newsletter or become a fan of Raspberry Kids on Facebook for your chance to win a prize pack valued at a minimum of $1000!
On the Web: http://www.raspberrykids.com
Tweet with Us: http://www.twitter.com/raspberrykids
Become a fan: http://www.facebook.com/RaspberryKids
More details: http://www.raspberrykids.tel
Our latest newsletter: http://www.raspberrykids.com/newsletter-apr21-2010
We wanted to tell you a story about a wonderful new product we have welcomed into the Raspberry Kids collection called Vapur.
Vapur 16 oz Reusable Water Bottle, 5 colors to choose from $11.99 each
We often get excited about products we discover (or our incredible customers discover for us … you know who you are!) but Vapur has us extra excited. Vapur is revolutionary and has the ability to change the way we consume water and it gives us the ability to eliminate the need and use of disposable water bottles. Period. Full stop.
We have long been fans of brands like Klean Kanteen and several of our products like goodbyn, lunchbots and soon to be introduced Kinderville (coming in a few weeks) that promote the concept of reuse.
How Vapur is different than other reusable water bottles is the ability to fold it and put it in your pocket and take it with you anywhere. Other bottles cannot be minimized when you are done with them and can take up a lot of space in your backpack, purse, diaper bag etc. Vapur can also be frozen and act as an ice pack to keep other items cold.
When we received our samples and began testing this product, we have been approached by others to find out what it is and how it works. They then immediately think of situations or applications they could use it for in their daily lives. For example, one individual suggested they would take the Vapur to sporting events and fill it up when they are inside the venue. This not only saves them money but it means one less disposable bottle in the landfill. Think picnics, soccer games, hikes, walks, kayaking or for every day use. The possibilities are endless.
Vapur is made in the USA and is BPA free. Vapur is a member of 1% for the Planet and they work with local communities to make drinking water more readily available. Raspberry Kids is very proud to be one of the first Vapur retailers in Canada.
Vapur’s features include:
* Capacity: 16 oz (473 ml)
* Ultra-durable BPA-Free polymer
* Stands when full – rolls, folds or flattens when empty
* Carabiner attached for easy carry
* Writable text area for personalization
* Dishwasher safe (top rack)
* Freeze it, use it as an ice pack, and drink it as it thaws
Their fold & go design makes Vapur the most portable and convenient water bottle on the planet. Their hope is that this simple idea will help put an end to the use of bottled water. Now if that isn’t “Happily Ever After”, I don’t know what is.
I’ll drink to that (in my new Vapur that is),
Sue
–
Sue Sinclair
Chief Executive Mom, Raspberry Kids
Subscribe to our newsletter or become a fan of Raspberry Kids on Facebook for your chance to win a prize pack valued at a minimum of $1000!
On the Web: http://www.raspberrykids.com
Tweet with Us: http://www.twitter.com/raspberrykids
Become a fan: http://www.facebook.com/RaspberryKids
More details: http://www.raspberrykids.tel
Our latest newsletter: http://www.raspberrykids.com/newsletter-mar17-2010
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Congratulations to all of our winners & thanks to everyone for playing our online treasure hunt!
Melanie, from Vancouver won our grand prize of a Hape Toys My Royal Adventure Castle. I had the pleasure of dropping off Melanie’s prize to her tonight!
The winners of the other prizes were: Michelle, James, Olivia & Shoni!
Thanks to everyone for their great feedback and participation. We hope you had as much fun playing as we did coming up with the concept and clues. Special thanks to Yoyomama for their collaboration and promotion of this contest!
Join our Raspberry Kids online treasure hunt and you could win the grand prize:
My Royal Adventure Castle, retail value $139.95
Educo’s My Royal Castle from Hape Toys is an imaginative 26-piece wood castle set that includes 3 knights, a horse, catapult, rope ladders, working draw bridge and even a king and queen! Precision-machined for a smooth, quality finish, this magnificent wood castle will provide endless hours of imaginative play for a boy, girl or both! All pictured accessories are included. Building pieces slide together making assembly very easy.
Bamboo Collection Creative mini puzzle, also free with any E-Racer purchase (while supplies last)
Boon saucer, Available in pink or orange $8.49
Fetch short wallet in Aqua, $22.99
Put on your crowns and jump into your virtual chariots, we are about to take you on a Royal Raspberry Adventure through the pages of our fresh, healthy & fun website.
You will navigate our site in search of 5 clues/questions. Once you find the first clue, it will direct you to your next clue … “Hape” searching!
When you reach the final one, you will then email the required information to info@raspberrykids.com and if your submission is correct, you will be entered to win the Grand Prize and the runner up prizes. Contest closes at midnight on Friday, June 5th, 2009 at midnight PST.
Ready to get started? Here is your first clue …
Clue #1:
Feeling hungry? Why not give peace (and peas) a chance at mealtimes.
Raspberry Kids is so pleased to be carrying this amazing Fair Trade product line and we are even more excited to be giving away a set of Doggy Bowling Buddies!
There are several different ways to enter our giveaway and earn a ballot for each of the following:
1. Comment on this post and tell us what your favorite Playful World product is
2. Follow us on Twitter and comment on our blog that you follow @raspberrykids on Twitter
3. Tweet about this giveaway and reference @raspberrykids
5. Join our Raspberry Kids Facebook Group (all current members are automatically entered)
6. Become a fan of Raspberry Kids on Facebook (all existing fans are automatically entered)
Hurray though because the giveaway is on between now and World Fair Trade day which is on Saturday, May 9th, 2009.
More details on the prize …
Playful World Bowling Buddies $65.99
The Playful World Bowling Buddies
• hand felted, dyed and sewn by women artisans in Kyrgyzstan
• 100% wool felt outer shell, synthetic fill
• a set includes 3 pins and 1 ball
• pins are 8 inches tall
• ball is 3 inches in diameter
• meets or exceeds ASTM safety regulations
• suitable for ages 18 months and up
Kyrgyzstan is an economically depressed country in Central Asia. The workshop that produces our toys is dedicated to preserving the traditional craft of felt making with origins from early nomadic tribes. Since 1992 the workshop has provided vocational training to unemployed women and has worked to raise awareness and find markets for hand-felted crafts. The workshop is trying to improve the economic livelihood of women in their community by creating fair and sustainable employment opportunities. The women use locally sourced 100% natural mountain sheep wool to hand felt and hand sew our toys to our design specifications.
Other Playful World Toys available at Raspberry Kids include:
Playful World Soft Blocks, Set of 6 $33.99
Playful World Large Soft Block $16.99
Soft Blocks
• made from organic wool
• hand felted, dyed and sewn by artisans in Mongolia
• 100% wool outer shell, synthetic foam fill
• small blocks = 2.5 inches a side
• large blocks = 5 inches a side
• bell inside each block
• suitable for ages 6 months & up
• meets or exceeds ASTM safety regulations
Our soft wool felt blocks are hand made by an artisan workshop based in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The workshop’s mission is to reunite homeless families by providing vocational skills training and income opportunities that help parents earn needed income in order to care for their children.
About the Playful World:
Toys from the Playful World are sourced with fair trade practices.
Artisans receive fair prices for their work
Work conditions are safe and supportive
Relationships are based on open dialogue and respect for cultural traditions
The Playful World is committed to long-term relationships with their artisan groups
Fair Trade directly supports a better life for small-scale producers and artisans. A purchase of a Playful World product from Raspberry Kids creates opportunity for families in need.
Thank you for reading and learning more about these fabulous products. Now go on, get Playful in your World.
Have a fresh, healthy and fun day,
Sue
–
Sue Sinclair, Chief Executive Mom, Raspberry Kids
On the Web: http://www.raspberrykids.com
Tweet with Us: http://www.twitter.com/raspberrykids
Join our Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=25861583447
Considering the status of good old mother earth, one could argue she needs and deserves more than 24 hours to be celebrated!
We have compiled a fabulous green, eco-friendly, sustainable and generally really great quality products that even the mother of all mothers, mother earth would be excited about!
The ultimate Green Machine, carved out of a bamboo read $19.99
Our bamboo collection e-racers are a great green option and a sure hit with little boys or girls that love cars! While supplies last, you will receive a bamboo mini puzzle with every e-racer order!
Hape Bamboo mini puzzle FREE with any e-racer order, while supplies last!
Organic clothing is a must have for newborns. Organic cotton is pesticide, herbicide, insecticide and chemical fertilizer free and organic cotton uses agricultural practices that are designed to help sustain the land it grows on. We have some adorable organic cotton onesies including Oopsy Doodle Designs which come in 6 styles and in eco-friendly packaging making the gift ready! Colette Kids organic onesies featuring Wilbur, Charlotte and Rufus are too cute to pass up!
Oopsy Doodle Designs Choo Choo Organic Onesie, on sale now for $18.39
Oopy Doodle Designs Lady Bug Organic Onesie, on sale now for $18.39
Colette Kids Charlotte Organic Onesie, a Raspberry Kids exclusive $23.99
Looking for a quick read for your budding environmentalist? From the Urban Babies series, try Eco-Babies wear Green.
Eco Babies Wear Green, $9.99
We love, love, love MiYim organic plush and they have recently come out with new designs and a new product called My Naturals which is coming soon.
Make it Valentine's Day year round with this MiYim organic stuffie bear $28.99
My Naturals rag doll, new and coming soon from the makers of MiYim $29.99
For more great organic options from Raspberry Kids, please visit the organic section on our website. Mother Earth will thank you and so will we as we truly value and appreciate your business.
Have a fresh, healthy and fun day,
Sue
–
Sue Sinclair, Chief Executive Mom, Raspberry Kids
On the web: http://www.raspberrykids.com
Tweet with us: http://www.twitter.com/raspberrykids
Since having our daughter 4 years ago, my husband and I have made a concerted effort to buy quality products for her and our son.
It is sometimes tempting to pick up something because it is “just a couple of bucks” but usually there is a reason for the cheap price tag. It could be the unfair labor conditions under which they were made, the poor quality or craftsmanship, or worse, it may contain toxins.
You cannot pick up a magazine or read the news without hearing about the dangers out there that our children unknowingly face.
I am not one to fall into the trap of scare tactics but where there is smoke, there is fire and there is enough proof that certain children’s products contain harmful chemicals and that is enough for me to read labels, check ingredients and determine where and how products were made prior to purchasing them.
At Raspberry Kids we are pleased to carry several organic and eco-friendly clothing, toy & feeding options including:
Boon inc.: BPA, phalate and toxin free feeding and bath products (new bath toys coming very soon!) MiYim: Organic plush, teethers and gift sets Oopsy Doodle Designs: Made in Canada gift boxed organic onesies that come in 6 styles Colette Kids: Organic onesies with gorgeous graphics Bambu Kids: Utensils made from sustainable bamboo Bamboo Collection Creative: E-racers that are carved out of a bamboo reed anamalz: Adorable handmade wooden collectible anamalz that use water based paints and fair labor Leg Huggers: Keep your legs warm with these cozy Leg Huggers, made from super soft bamboo Sprig Toys: Made in Canada, eco-friendly kid powered too cool for school cars and adventure guides Green Toys: Made in the USA, the name says it all, these goodies are made from recycled milk jugs Naturebag: Give the gift of nature and help kids spend time outdoors Ecotronics: No batteries required, the eco-mic, rocket, radio and Penguin torch are totally green Ringley: For the teething baby, avoid plastic. Instead, try this made in Canada organic option Wee-Go: Glass baby bottles, back to the basics Klean Kanteen: What goes in is exactly what comes out!
We are continually on the search for organic and/or locally made products that reduce our footprint. If you have any suggestions, please contact us at info@raspberrykids.com
Going green,
Sue
–
Sue Sinclair
Chief Executive Mom, Raspberry Kids
Sprig Toys Baja Scout with Miki Flinders $34.99
Colette Kids Organic Onesie Charlotte the Pig $23.99
MiYim Organic Fairytale Baby Ellie the Elephant $20.99
After stuffing ourselves with cinnamon buns and our traditional Christmas morning breakfast, the Best of Bridge wifesaver, we sat back with a glass of champagne & OJ and watched the kids revel in the wonder of Christmas.
Our 3.5 year old daughter swears she saw Santa and his reindeer in the sky last night just over top of our neighbor’s house and behind the tree. I agreed that I thought I saw it too. We left out cookies and milk and in the morning they had been eaten so Santa surely had arrived (or Beli, our labrador enjoyed a late night snack).
The kids were so excited this morning to see presents under the tree and they thanked Santa several times for recognizing that they had been good boys & girls this year (most of the time).
I was so pleased that some of the products I carry at Raspberry Kids were a huge hit. My daughter who got the Green Toys Tea Set from her Grandma has been serving tea since she opened this gift this morning. We loved that it came in eco-friendly packaging and that all you had to do was open the box and the toy came out. She also got the Green Toys Gardening Set from her Aunt & Uncle and is excited to plant flowers in the spring. We gave our nephew the Green Toys Sand Play Set which will get lots of use at the lake next summer.
Our nephew and son each got a Baja Scout and Rally Racer from Sprig Toys. “Turn on the light mama” … silly me, I thought Riley meant to turn on the living room light but he corrected me and said he wanted me to get the light on the Adventure guide’s head working.
The kids also each got an ecotronicPenguin Torch in their stockings and if they could wrestle them out of their father’s hands, they loved pumping up Pengy’s flap to make the torch (flashlight) light up. In a world full of high tech, loud and flashy toys, a simple kid powered flashlight seemed to be the biggest hit of the day!
They also received a Klean Kanteen in their stockings. Our kids already have one each but we gave them another one (pink & blue this time so we can tell who’s whose). We love that they are dishwasher friendly, you can easily but ice cubes in and they are absolutely safe to drink out of.
We did our best to wrap in reusable gift bags and despite 45 cms of snow outside, we are happy to have had a green Christmas on the toy and gift front. We sincerely hope all of our Raspberry Kids customers had an exceptional Christmas and enjoyed their gifts as much as we have.
Happy Christmas to one and all,
Sue (aka Mrs. Claus)
Mark this day down in history, Wednesday, December 17th went according to plan.
There was lots on the agenda, starting with an airport pick up. My sister, who is 6 months pregnant (yay, another prospective RK customer), my bro-in-law and my 2 year old nephew. The flight was on time, the airport wasn’t busy and all of their bags arrived in short order.
Despite the snowy weather, the roads were not too bad and being from Winnipeg, driving in snow is second nature anyway. The Peggers always laugh when I tell them about the school closures whenever there are a few flakes of snow out here.
We unloaded back at the house and then I commandeered my BIL with the promise of coffee and lunch and off to the warehouse we went. As I was packing up a few orders, the phone rang. It was Vitamin Daily calling and they wanted to see if I wanted to have some of my products featured on Studio 4’s show with Franny Kiefer that was about Holiday gift ideas. All I had to do was courier the products to the Shaw Tower. “No problem” I said. I packed up a sock monkey, an eco-mic and the Bamboo Collection red e-racer and off we went.
But first I had to drop off two tents. My first drop off was the Lucy & Michael cabot play tent and a Lucy & Michael berkeley play tent. The customers seemed so happy and excited to get them and I was just as excited to get them out of my van now that the family had arrived.
Next stop was Costco and instead of a nice coffee and lunch, I treated my BIL to a hotdog and slice of za. Good thing he isn’t fussy when it comes to food.
The snow kept on dumping but that didn’t bother us and it was off to the Post Office (my home away from home) to send out some orders. It is getting down to the wire for shipping deadlines and it always amazes me how many of us procrastinate. It isn’t as though Christmas is a surprise, it comes on December 25th every year but we still wait until the last minute to get things done. Speaking of, does anyone have any good ideas on what I should get my hubby for Christmas this year. So far he has asked for hair gel and a big screen TV. The latter is outside my budget and the hair gel will go in his stocking. He never reads my blog so I am not worried about him finding out about my intentions.
I was absolutely tickled with how well my day was going and how productive it was. We did a minor shop at Safeway to pick up fixings for our Christmas open house and then it was back home to check on the gang.
We prepped dinner, fed the kids and then it was time to load up the clown car (aka the Raspberry Mobile), install the 8th seat and drive downtown to pick up Daddy to go to Bright Nights at Stanley Park. It took us a half an hour to get everyone in but thankfully we had allowed enough time. The kids, big and small enjoyed the train ride, lights and photos with Santa.
The Peggers were starting to fade, despite their afternoon siestas and when we got home we relaxed and warmed up by the fire. Everyone went to bed and this little elf went back to work for a little while to finish off a few things and get the schedule sorted out for the next day. Julie Mccoy from the Love Boat had nothing on this social activities coordinator!
I often complain or speak sarcastically of how my days often go sideways and my plan goes out the window when unforseens arise so I absolutely had to share what a fantastic day yesterday was.
Thanks for listening and sorry for the blog hiatus for the past week. Hopefully my next entry will not take as long to get to.
Sue
