Teddy bears launch into space

"Four teddy bears, fully decked out in custom-made spacesuits, were launched to the edge of space as part of a British university experiment.

Blasting off from Cambridge University's Churchill College last week, they were attached to a helium balloon and fitted with multiple cameras, a GPS receiver, flight computer and radio for the two-hour nine-minute flight, which saw them rise 30km (18.8 miles) above sea level.

The spacesuits were designed by local schoolchildren, as part of a project to engage youths in science and engineering, organised by the Cambridge University Spaceflight student club."

How sweet is that? I never thought I'd see the day...

Read more here.

Handmade Baby/Toddler Shoes!

Good Morning,

I have been loving 2 pairs of shoes that I recently bought for my son. Both handmade with love and care, produced responsibly and really comfortable.

Gucio:

These are handmade in Krakow, Poland.

"A MESSAGE FROM THE MAKER, SLAWOMIR....
The idea of making shoes came to me when my first child a son was about one year old. As soon as he started to take his first steps, my wife and I wanted to buy him his first pair of shoes. We were convinced that his first pair of shoes should be comfortable, let his feet develop naturally, and, what's more, make walking easier. To our surprise, we couldn’t find any shoes that met these criteria. As a matter of fact, they were exactly the opposite of what we were looking for - tough soles, too narrow, made of hard leather or other materials which didn't give enough comfort for the little feet of a toddler.

At that time, I was a student of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, Poland, in the department of Industrial Design. I decided to design good shoes for children as a year long project, and my idea was accepted by my professor. Those days, I had no idea about shoe construction and treated the topic in an artistic way instead of a professional way.

I finished my project on time needed the objective opinion of professionals, so I went to the biggest institution dealing with the whole shoe industry in Poland – the Central Laboratory of Shoe Industry - to get their opinion. The result from this visit was the proposal of undertaking the job in this Institute.

I was sent to the best school of shoe design in the world - Ars Sutoria - in Milano, Italy, to obtain the professional education in shoe construction and design.

After returning, I was sent to many factories in Poland as a shoe designer. At the same time, I was forced to make Gucio prototypes for my friends' children and their friends. I wanted to make other companies interested in my product, but they treated my unusual design as a strange thing which they would not be able to sell. They didn't treat my suggestions seriously when I told them that my friends and many other people like the shoes and children want to wear them (they take off other shoes and want only these.)


This lasted a few years until I had the opportunity to start my own business and produce Gucio shoes in larger quantities. I decided not to make a lot of models, and that I would concentrate on just one perfect design.

Gucio shoes are still changing in many "invisible" details to reach this perfection and make first steps for all children easier and more pleasant."

These shoes are made using pre-World War II non-electric sewing machines.

They are available at I'm Still Me.

Soft Star Shoes:

These are handmade by a family in Oregon.

I'm in love with these. They have a very soft sole. The Makers (and many medical experts) believe that barefoot is best, but when you need a little protection, their soft soles are the next best thing for the health of your feet. I can't wait to get the winter boots! I think these shoes make great gifts and you can even design your own pair and choose from loads of fun colors. They also make a line of Vegan Shoes.

I wish I knew the name of every person who made all my shoes.

In case anyone needs some new shoes for a little ones growing feet, I highly recommend these.

Keep Walking!
Niki

Zigo Bike!

Hey!

I came across this AMAZING bike this weekend and I can't stop thinking about it, so I thought I would share it with all of you.

It's called the Zigo and it has the capabilities to be 4 unique modes of transportation! 

Take a look. It converts from a regular bike for one, to a bike with a child pod(for 1 or 2 children), to a jogging stroller or just a regular stroller for 2 children! There is nothing more practical for city/apartment living than a bicycle that can accommodate all these different situations. Saves space and although it is expensive, it probably saves money in the long run.

If you are in the market for this sort of bike, I had seen one a little while back on minordetails called the Taga. 

It seems great too-very compact (it folds up), but it doesn't seem to be available in U.S. 

The Zigo is available on their website or at SpunkySprout.

With all the great new Bike lanes in NYC, this seems like the most fun and practical way to get around with a little one! 

So cool.

Have a great Monday!

Niki 

Pastel Toys!

Hey Everyone,

Just a quick little heads up on these amazing toys.

We were given this cute truck as a present and I was surprised I had never heard about this company before.

"Pastel Toys are "special toys made by special people". Kishorit is a kibbutz-like, non-denominational, non-profit community location in Western Galilee, where 120 developmentally disabled adults work and live in a friendly and supportive village, growing organic vegetables and creating high quality collectible toys. There is a feeling of nostalgia when playing with these simple toys made from all natural materials that meet the quality and safety standards of the Israeli Standard Institute. The pastel colors made with lead-free, water-based paints create a calm and relaxed mood where a child's imagination can flourish. Converted from blocks of wood by hand, all of the Pastel Toys have moving wheels."

Now this is a company to support. This is amazing Environmentalism.

All these toys can be purchased at Wild Dill. Another great resource for kid goodies.

Have a great day!
Niki

And pigs fly...

Pigs take to the skies and the race track as part of the Royal Melbourne Show in Australia. It's an annual event that also features an Animal Nursery lawn, where children can engage in activities and learn about sustainability and the environment. Too cute!

Photos: AFP

Walls full of imagination!

Hi!
I just stumbled across this New York City artist named Ami Suma who specializes in murals for kid's rooms!

Her work is fun, modern and not overly 'kid'. I never see kid paintings that I would put on my son's walls, but Ami's work, I totally would!

Check it out:

So, how does it work? Here's the process, it's simple:

Of course, she only uses AFM safecoat and zero VOC paints that have no harmful toxins to cause indoor air pollution.

What a great service to offer! A room full of imagination and endless fun for the kids!
(Could also be a great gift, for a very special friend!)

And thanks to DesignSponge for the tip!

Keep Painting!
niki

Camden Rose Toys and The Little Seed

Good Morning,

I was feeling like we needed a good old fashioned Yo-Yo. So, I ordered one this one (with a bunch of other awesome things) from The Little Seed in LA. 

The Little Seed is my new favorite kid store. They've got the nicest selection of eco-friendly and organic kid products. And not to be a "name dropper" but it was opened by two new mothers, Paige Goldberg Tolmach and Soleil Moon Frye. Remember her? Punky Brewster! Who didn't love Punky Brewster? She had style...

Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked...

These Yo-Yo's are made by a company called Camden Rose, based in Ann Arbor Michigan. 

" We seek to create and sell honest children’s items with quality materials and craftsmanship. We choose to market responsibly, enable the customer to work with a person not a business, support our community both financially and physically, replace what we remove from the environment, and promote the love of learning and living.

Materials

Our toys are constructed to last through multiple generations and the materials that make up the toys are gathered through organized sustainability programs. We use the highest quality materials, all certified non-toxic. Toys made from natural materials such as wood, silk, wool or beeswax have a warm and honest quality that does not give a false impression of weight, mass or touch. It is our responsibility to provide an environment that tells the story of our world honestly and at the same time protects that world.

Production

Each item that we sell is meticulously constructed by craftspeople that specialize in their art. Our items are not mass-produced, rather they are created one-by-one, the old-fashioned way. Each item that we offer has been child tested and approved for safety, functionality and form."

They've got a great selection of toys for kids that will definitely last generations.

'

The Little Seed carries a bunch of their products. Also, check out The Little Seed's blog-it's my new fav! Check out this post, where someone wrote in with an Arts and Crafts project for kids of turning trash into great toys!

Great store with great products. I'm glad I found them and I'm glad I can share this info. 

Have a great day.

niki

Cardboarddesign furniture store in NYC!

Hey!

We've posted before about the cool Flexible Love Chair and now Cardboarddesigns is going to distribute it. They have a new store right in Soho (on West Broadway between Spring and Prince).

They have awesome furniture, all made out of recycled cardboard. Check it:

We've been wanting a teepee for E for a long time now. He would love their kid furniture:

They also have these really cute pics, to show the life of the carboard box:

I know where I'm headed tomorrow.....

Have a great day!

Niki

Eat your Veggies, Kids (and Adults, too)!

Good Morning!

I just saw this over at swissmiss---


Chomp from rei on Vimeo.


Reina Takahashi, a student at Carnegie Mellon made this video, to encourage kids to eat more vegetables!

The communication is so simple and so clear!

It's making me hungry for more veggies!

Have a wonderful lunch today!

Niki

Handipoints

A friend recently brought Handipoints Chore Charts to my attention, and I'm so glad they did!

Handipoints is an incredibly clever website for parents and kids.

The gist is: You set up a checklist of chores and activities you would like your child to do, they do the chores and check them off on their handipoints page, and the parent then awards the child points that they can use in HandiLand.

I wish I'd had something like this as a child.

The great thing is that control is entirely in the hands of the parents and their children. You can discuss with your child and agree as to what exactly the child will get in return for fulfilling his checklist. If Junior wants a bike, or skis, or archery set, they can work for it.

So smart, and such a good use of the internet.

Well done to the good people over at Handipoints!

Check 'em out: Handipoints.com