Does Mommy Love It?

When I have a little free time (ha) I love trolling Etsy for fun and interesting products. For those of you not familiar, Etsy is an online marketplace for people to buy and sell handmade products.  It can be overwhelming to sift through the strange (stained glass screendoor suncatchers, anyone?) and the mundane (soooooooo many quilts). But, sometimes you come across a shop like Piou piou kids it’s all worth it!

Handmade in New Zealand by owner and designer Natacha Lee, Piou piou kids uses only organic or upcycled materials.  The products arrive lovingly wrapped in a handmade pouch with handwritten care instructions. I was fortunate to review the Carnival “Wild Things” Hoodie and I fell in love.  The clever design, the bright patterns, the kid-friendly softness, the eco-friendly materials, I could go on! Needless to say this will be a hand-me-down in our family for years to come. You won’t find items like these anywhere else. Check out the adorable shoes made from old hammocks or the baby yoga pants made from secondhand t-shirts.  After a good wash and dry, I am also impressed by the durability of the hoodie.

In today’s world of chain stores and strip malls, it’s incredibly refreshing to buy something from a person. Custom orders are encouraged, so get creative and send a request email with your order. If you just can’t get enough of Piou piou kids, follow Natacha on her blog.

Piou piou kids is offering a $25 gift certificate to one of our readers! Simply visit the site and leave a comment here that you did.  Also, mention doesmommyloveit in your Etsy shop order and receive 10% off!

For additional entries for the gift certificate:

1) Subscribe to Does Mommy Love It? then leave a comment stating you did so.

2) Twitter about the contest and leave us a hyperlink to the tweet!

3) If you haven’t, please join our FACEBOOK FAN PAGE!

4) Write a post on your own blog about this giveaway and comment with thepermalink to this post.

5) Grab our button and put it on your sidebar and comment with a link to your blog.

6) Email 5 of your friends and tell them why they should check out DoesMommyLoveIt?. Be sure to COPY us on the email (doesmommyloveit@gmail.com)! Then comment stating you did so.

This contest ends June 10th, 2010 Midnight EST. Click here for contest rules at DoesMommyLoveIt.com!

This review is based strictly my opinion. Others may have a different opinion or experience with the product listed above. Piou piou kids provided the product, and I provided my honest opinion. No other type compensation was received for this review.

42 Comments | In: Ages- Preschooler, Ages- Toddler, Apparel, Clothing, Contest, Green | tags: clothes, Green, hoodie, organic, shoes, upcycled. | #

Not long ago, when the word bamboo was mentioned, all that came to my mind was a panda having a snack. Now that green is in, this highly sustainable, eco-friendly material has permeated most markets and kids’ clothing is no exception.  Unfortunately, too many companies think that green means boring. Fortunately, companies like Kicky Pants are here to save us from the bland!

Kicky Pants combines eco-friendly materials with fashion-friendly designs.  Their bamboo basics are as delicious as your baby. Forget ill-fitting onesies in itchy cotton-blends. The silky fabric (in bold colors and prints) hugs your peanut and keeps them cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter (yes, bamboo is that awesome). The snug designs make your tiny one look and feel extra squeezable.

Let’s not leave mom out of the softness! They also have maternity pieces. Kicky Pants is sold at several retail locations as well as these online stores.

The only downside to bamboo fabric is that you should line dry for minimal shrinkage. But hey, shouldn’t we be saving energy anyway?

This review is based strictly my opinion. Others may have a different opinion or experience with the product listed above. Kicky Pants provided the product, and I provided my honest opinion. No other type compensation was received for this review.

3 Comments | In: Ages- Elementary, Ages- Newborn to 1yr., Ages- Pregnancy, Ages- Preschooler, Ages- Toddler, Apparel, Clothing, Green, Maternity | tags: babies, baby, bamboo, clothes, Clothing, eco friendly, Green, Kids, Maternity. | #

I have long been obsessed with all types of wooden toys and trinkets for my child.  I love the longevity of wooden toys and that fact that it is much easier on the environment.  Watching my son play with his wooden toys has increased my desire for more.   I love watching his imagination soar as he plays with them!

Copenhagen Styles carries a wonderful selection of children’s apparel and wooden toys mostly from Denmark.  They have just added to my son’s wooden toy collection by providing a memory game made by Goki!   The Goki memory game consists of thirty-two solid wood pieces measuring 2 x 2.  There are sixteen different animal illustrations.  It is fun teaching my son “pairs” and helping him to find the matching animal.  It is now one of my son’s favorite toy/game to play with.  I have also used these pictures to introduce him to new animals and as an aid to memorizing their names!  Quite fun!

Along with this fabulous wooden memory game, Copenhagen Styles carries some of the coolest clothing for kids. It’s hard to resist their Okker-Gokker ocean corduroy pants.   They have a great sale going on right now! Copenhagen Style is constantly adding new items to their site so check them out frequently.  This is such a sweet site.  No wonder they have been featured in Cookie and Baby Couture magazine!

No Comments | In: Accessories, Ages- Preschooler, Ages- Toddler, Apparel, Clothing | tags: clothes, Copenhagen Styles, denmark, Goki, memory game, Toys. | #

Under the Nile boasts an impressive collection of clothing, blankets, toys, diapers, and accessories – all made with 100% Egyptian organic cotton.  I was sent the Summer Babybody for review and was very pleased with it.  Very cute monkey print and extremely soft cotton… If you’ve jumped on the organic bandwagon, Under the Nile is definitely worth checking out.  As far as apparel goes, they cover all the bases in infant clothing – onesies, gowns, pajamas, footies, and dresses – no flashy patterns here, just your basic  stuff made with quality cotton that’s:  grown in Egypt, hand-picked, organically cultivated, dyed with natural colors, and fair traded for the benefit of all people producing the product.

No Comments | In: Accessories, Ages- Newborn to 1yr., Ages- Preschooler, Ages- Toddler, Apparel, Clothing, Toys | tags: baby, blankets, clothes, eco friendly, egyptian cotton, onesies, organic, store, toddler, Toys, under the nile. | #

This contest has now ended.  The winner was DJP! Congratulations DJP!

Googoo, gaga! Googoo, gaga! The word “Kee-Ka” means exactly that…the babbling of babies and I can’t seem to stop babbling about Kee-Ka! I have a myriad of reasons to drool over this eco-chic line of apparel and gifts for babies and toddlers. Launched in Brooklyn, NY, Kee-Ka‘s line of expressive tees, onesies, bibs, blankets, crib sheets and hooded towels make fabulous gifts for your little one. These organic and simple yet stylish and unique basics can be customized by a cute design of your choice—cupcake, monkey, pumpkin, peanut, princes and princesses—to name a few.

More importantly, this highly fashion-conscious company is also equally eco-conscious. In their company manifesto, it states that “We believe in protecting the future of the world that our children will inherit. This means crafting fashionable products in socially and ecologically responsible ways: using 100% certified organic cotton and low-impact dyes, as well as working with Fair Trade and Fair Wage suppliers around the world. Our products are packaged in award-winning, ready-to-mail gift box made from recycled paper. A Kee-Ka gift is especially meaningful because it is bundled with the best intentions.”

It doesn’t end there, Kee-Ka is also very committed to “giving back” to the community. They designed shirts with the word “Courage” on it to kids fighting blood diseases and cancer in NYC hospitals, reached out to victims of Hurricane Katrina by donating 1,000 tees to infants and moms, and created an apparel line just for St. Jude’s Hospital.

Need I “babble” more on Kee-Ka?

Kee-Ka has generously agreed to giveaway ONE item of your choice to one reader of Does Mommy Love It? Go now and choose!!! To enter, you need to do 2 things:

1. Go to Kee-Ka and choose your favorite item. Come back to the Kee-Ka post and leave a comment on which one you love.

AND,

2. Email 5 of your friends and tell them why they should check out DoesMommyLoveIt?. Be sure to copy us on the email (doesmommyloveit@gmail.com)!

The deadline for this contest is October 20th, 2008 at Midnight.

***Remember for additional entries you can do one or all of the following: follow us on Twitter, blog about this contest and comment back with a direct link to it, join our facebook group!

118 Comments | In: Accessories, Ages- Newborn to 1yr., Ages- Toddler, Apparel, Clothing, Contest, Green, Nursery | tags: babies, bibs, burp cloths, clothes, Green, kee-ka, onesies, organic, toddlers. | #