“I want it!” is what I would have said if I were still in Kindergarten, and could get away with screaming all my demands. But now, as I have matured substantially (I hope!), I calmly tell myself less aggressively that I have to have them. The “them” that I am referring to, are the widely popular Momiji (pronounced ‘mom-ee-jee’) dolls.

The first ever collection of Momiji dolls were created in the UK just a little over four years ago in 2005.  Having to start off in a small office in the heart of a small town, it’s astounding to see that nothing about Momiji is small today.  Having expanded globally, Momiji has designers all across the globe (Austria, Malaysia, Australia, Chile, Thailand, Germany, Canada, Slovenia to name but a few…) Inspired by friendship and kindness, Momiji dolls are all about filling life with meaningful messages and memories.

These one-of-a kind dolls are never around for very long, with new collections launched all the time! With a teeny folded message card in every hand painted doll (intended for your own special message), it’s no wonder that these dolls are famous for “spreading the love”.  Each with their very own personalities, stories and styles, Momiji dolls are perfect for almost any occasion (collecting, to give away as gifts, to use in goodie bags and also fabulous “just because”)!

Momiji Doll Giggles with Gift Box, $12.99

After much contemplation I couldn’t decide on one single Momiji doll that I like best, but Giggles here is at the top of my list!  With such a bubbly name, cute outfit and charming smile, I just couldn’t resist. Giggles, along with a select group of Momiji dolls come in a “takeaway” noodle style gift box and include a free badge and sticker. The perfect gift without the hassle of wrapping!

Momiji Doll Favorite Person, $11.99

Her name says it all. This intricate Momiji doll is the perfect gift to give and receive, showing  best friends, family members and loved ones that they are special and your favorite people!

Momiji Doll Dance Dance Dance, $11.99

Not all Momiji Dolls call for a special occasion,  it’s always fun to buy one of these super cute dolls “just because”! As a girl who spontaneously breaks into dance, I was immediately drawn to this delicately clothed Momiji doll cleverly named “Dance Dance Dance”. I might just collect all of my favorite hobbies ! Next on the list, Momiji Doll Dreaming.

Momiji Doll in Tin Can by Nina Zimmerman, $14.99

Momiji Doll Adolie Day - Blanche with Gift Box, $12.99

Momiji Heroes Doll Thank You, $13.99

Nina Zimmerman, Adolie Day and Heroes are just a few of the newest collections that Momiji have come out with in Canada and Raspberry Kids is very pleased to have such an extensive Momiji doll offering.  Their collaborations with top art colleges allow them to work with the most creative and innovative kids on the block!  With the help of such talented artists, Momiji never fails to surprise with each unique collection, promising a special doll for each individual.

Momiji Random Notebook Flowers, $8.99

Collected all of the Momiji dolls bust still can’t get enough?  No need to fear as Momiji has also come out with a collection of Zakka (everyday essentials) to make life lovelier. With your favorite Momiji dolls on the covers, these notebooks are perfect for you and your children to jot down your own secret messages, keep a journal or just doodle to your hearts content.

Having just discovered Momiji dolls, I feel that I am getting slightly obsessed and cannot wait for the next releases and see what the Momiji designers come up with!  Which is your favorite Momiji doll?  Go ahead and find her at Raspberry Kids!

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

View my guest post on the Kids in Vancouver website:

http://www.kidsvancouver.com/blog/cathy/green-scene-sue-sinclair-raspberry-kids

Have a fresh, healthy & fun day,
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!

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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

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We so love the thrill of the hunt and while we find a ton of amazing products, certain ones stand out and Hopscotch Kids is one of those products that just jumps off the (web)page for us!

Hopscotch Kids eco-friendly nail polish now available at Raspberry Kids

This is especially interesting because I am not a girly girl and barely wear make up myself.  I can count on one hand the number of times I wear mascara in a year and I typically don’t get manicures (my hands are generally a disaster) but I must admit, I feel great when I have had a pedicure and love showing off my gorgeous toes.

I cannot even remember how I stumbled upon Hopscotch Kids but it was love at first site.  The name, the packaging, the colors (wow!) and of course the eco-friendly nature of this otherwise typically toxic laden product.

We contacted Hopscotch Kids owner and founder, Ginny Cardenas and arranged to have a few samples sent to us.  We had tried other products on the market and found them to be clumpy, difficult to use and generally unappealing.  As a result, we wanted to do our homework so we used the sample products and we asked a few others to do the same.  The results were overwhelmingly positive.  I was especially impressed with the ease in which it was applied and of course I put it on my own fingers and toes (the things I do in the name of research!).

I did have a very hot shower and found that the finger nail polish washed off quite easily but that was likely aided by the shampoo and using my hands to wash my hair etc.  My daughter’s finger nail polish lasted longer, likely because her bath water wouldn’t be nearly as hot as my shower and she wasn’t using soap and shampoo.  Our toes both lasted really well.

Since I consider nail polish to be more for a special occasion, party or as a treat for my 5 year old, I am OK with it lasting for a shorter period of time than if I were to pay $50 for a manicure at a salon.  The most important thing for me is to know that when she puts her hands in her mouth and occasionally still sucks her thumb, she isn’t ingesting harmful chemicals.

Ginny also explained to me that our nails need to be conditioned and the more we use the product, the better our nails will react and the longer lasting it will be.

Hopscotch Kids Water Colors, is a water-based nail polish that is produced without toluene, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde, acetone, or heavy metals. There are no noxious fumes or odors and no yellowing or drying of nails.  It is safe, non-toxic, hypoallergenic, eco-friendly and + 100% biodegradable.  Hopscotch Kids truly feels that they have the safest nail polish on the market for children!

In addition to all those wonderful attributes, they have some beautiful colors that will appeal to girls of all ages and some very cute names for the different colors including: Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum in a Dish Pink
Eenie Meenie Miney Moe Green
Heads up, Seven Up Green
Ice Cream, Soda Pop Pink
Ink a Bink a bottle of Ink Blue
Miss Mary Mack Black
Red Rover, Red Rover Red
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Pink
Three Sailors Went to Sea, Sea, Sea Aqua
Say Say Oh, Playmate Purple (Coming in August 2010)

Hopscotch Kids Eco-Friendly Nail Polish, now available at Raspberry Kids!

We think Hopscotch Kids make an excellent choice for party favors, dress up, Halloween, a rainy day activity or for DIY mom and me spa fun!

and just so you know, even though the brush is designed for little girls, it worked just fine for me too

Sue
–
Sue Sinclair
Chief Executive Mom, Raspberry Kids

On the Web:  http://www.raspberrykids.com
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Sevi 1831. The story is in its name. It’s the trademark of Europe’s oldest wooden-toy manufacturer whose history spans almost two centuries. The fruit of their success is due to the commitment and professionalism through which the firm has satisfied its customers, past and present. Sevi has remained loyal to its vision and business principles over the years. The tradition of hand-crafted wood, care for detail, product research and Italian design truly distinguish their collections and enable Sevi to produce extraordinary things.  Sevi, based in Tarcento, Italy near the Prealpi Giulie Mountains, has been crafting luxury children’s toys since 1831. Steeped in tradition, Sevi artists mix innovation with research and innovative design to offer quality baby, toddler and children’s products for the world’s most demanding and discerning parents.

Fom hereon, this is going to be a photo blog post about Sevi because no words could do this line justice compared to the images and quality of these products.

Sevi Rattle Rainbow, $9.99

Sevi Pull Along Toy Zebra, $20.99

Sevi Breakfast Tray, $40.99

Sevi Happy Splash Music Box Merry Go Round, $50.99

Sevi B My Prince Toothbrush Timer Girl, $30.99

Sevi Kitchen with Oven and Accessories, $150.99

A picture, is as they say, worth 1000 words.
Enjoy these and many other products from Sevi on our website and we hope to expand on our Sevi offering over time.

If you have any questions on Sevi or any other products at Raspberry Kids, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Sue
–
Sue Sinclair
Chief Executive Mom, Raspberry Kids

On the Web:  http://www.raspberrykids.com
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Our latest newsletter:  http://www.raspberrykids.com/newsletter-apr21-2010

I thought it would be fun to sum up this past week in a blog post.  Considering how wordy I normally am, this time I am going to use bullet points to highlight some of the events and happenings from the past 7 days.

• Met with a few other Mompreneurs over coffee or chatting over the phone.
• Processed Raspberry Kids customer inquiries, orders and multiple pickups.
• Met with my business coach for our bi-monthly session, got list of tasks to complete
• Took son/daughter to preschool every day & went to daughter’s “special person” day in class.
• Went to Erica Wells & Lorraine Regel’s launch party for their new book, The Survival Guide for Rookie Moms (Bonus, won a door prize)
• Got interviewed by CBC regarding Kids & Technology and how mobile devices are becoming “Mother’s little helpers”  Nothing like a camera crew/reporter coming to your house to throw you into a tizzy, particularly when 45 minutes before they are scheduled to arrive, you cannot find your kids!  Our caregiver wasn’t answering our home phone or her cel.  House was in a total state and the shirt I wanted to wear was soaking wet in the washing machine.  Go figure.
• Took the kids to join the lovely Annemarie from Yoyomama for her BTV segment on the products she loved for families this spring and summer.  Our Vapur anti-bottles made the cut!  Considering how unpredictable children can be, I was holding my breath that they behaved in their live TV debut.  Thankfully they were great!
• Spoke at the Women in Leadership luncheon at Hycroft Mansion on being Highly Productive AND Happy.
• Went for 2 power walks as my nagging piriformis injury is still persisting and running wasn’t an option.
• Visit to the chiropractor turned out to be costly (or will be costly if I listen to all of his recommendations).  Turns out I need a new bed, new orthotics, continued treatements, vitamin supplements &  a new ergonomic office chair.  Bloody hell.
• Went to Canucks vs Hawks game 4.  Let’s just say I want my money back.  The Canucks sucked.
• Attended a few sessions at Northern Voice, an annual blogging conference at UBC.  Got to see my Mommy pals from Twitter and the blogosphere.
• Ran several errands, ordered groceries online at spud!, swept, folded clothes, did laundry, dishes, bathed the children, made dinners, snacks, read stories and performed other responsibilities as the Chief Executive Mom of the Sinclair family.
• Took Riley to Science World for preschool Curiosity Club.
• Had friends over for dinner.
• Went to soccer, the coffee shop and the Mother’s Day UBC Plant sale … or so we thought, they changed the day of the plant sale this year *argh* but picked up a few plants and some seeds at the shop anyway.
• Weeded and planted with my little helpers.
• Played Angry Birds on my iPhone and iPad.  Totally mindless activity and I will never get that time back.
• Made my own Mother’s day dinner but hubs was off the hook as he was organized filters in my gmail account (on the advice of Alexandra Samuel’s session from the Northern Voice conference).
• I’m sure I’m missing a few more items but you get the picture, it really was a Mother of a Week which is rather fitting given that it ended on Mother’s Day.

Am I highly productive?  I would say so.

Am I happy.  Absolutely!

Am I a wee bit tired.  You betcha.

Signing off,
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!

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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

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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

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Our latest newsletter:  http://www.raspberrykids.com/newsletter-mar17-2010

One of the first products we sourced for Raspberry Kids was the incredible line from Dante Beatrix.  We proudly carry Beatrix Little Kid Packs for the toddler set (Ages 2-5), Big Kid Packs (Ages 5-10) as well as their lunch boxes and a few very chic diaper totes including a super groovy eco-friendly stroller bag made from recycled pop bottles.

We were so pleased to bring you the original cast of characters:  Esther the Bunny Rabbit, Dieter the Monkey, Juju the Ladybug, Anastasia the Pig, Percival the Dino, Senor Gomez the Penguin, Nigel the Shark, Rory the Lion, Yuka the Bee and Fergus the Polar Bear.  Each design is as cute as it’s name.

We wanted to make sure we gave a warm welcome and introduced you to two new animals from the Dante Beatrix collection and they are Papar the Owl, available in a Little Kid backpack, a Big Kid backpack and a lunch box.

Papar the Owl, Little Kid Pack $44.99

Papar the Owl Big Kid Pack $53.99

Papar Lunch Box $34.99

and for the little boys out there, here is Alexander, the Robot, also available in the Little Kid backpack, the Big Kid backpack and the lunch box.

Alexander the Robot Little Kid Pack $44.99

Alexander the Robot Big Kid Pack $53.99

Alexander the Robot Lunchbox $34.99

Apart from being so beautifully designed and unique in their look, we have thoroughly enjoyed our working relationship with Beatrix New York and always eagerly await their new product launches.  Cannot wait to see what designs they come up with next.

For the record, my first faves were Percival and Esther but I gotta say, Papar and Alexander are totally winning me over.

Sue
–
Sue Sinclair
Chief Executive Mom, Raspberry Kids

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