Deal of the Week- Wooden Castle Blocks

While adults may already be planning for back to school, kids are still (hopefully) spending all hours playing outdoors. Which gets me thinking, how much fun would this wooden castle be set up under a tree for all kinds of imaginative play? Each set is hand made in Minnesota from reclaimed Ash so no two pieces are identical.

Until August 3, 2010 receive 15% off the Castle Blocks online or in store. Use code “Deal05″ online.

Deal of the Week- Clementine Art Products

As a kid, I could sit and color all day. I was fastidious about staying in the lines (to anyone who knows me now, this will not come as a surprise). But whether you stay in the lines or go hog wild, you’ll love these art supplies from Clementine Art.

For starters, they’re all natural. For the creator of Clementine Art, an art teacher herself, it wasn’t enough for paints and crayons and such to be only non-toxic. So she created a line of products that are made from natural and wholesome ingredients. They’re also produced by responsible manufacturers in the USA and the packaging is recycled and recyclable. Lastly, their products support educational best practice standards for early childhood art education and are made to inspire children.

Seriously, what more could you ask for?? Oh, you want the modeling dough to smell outrageously good and not all chemical-y? Well, this one smells like raspberries, lemons and limes, so there you go. One more thing to love.

From now until July 27, 2010 get 15% off all Clementine Art products. Use code “Deal04″ online. Check them out online here…

Weekly Deal- Urban Munchkin bodysuits and yoga pants

Now introducing Urban Munchkin! We’re proud to be the newest retailer for this new brand. The line was started by two friends who were looking for stylish and functional conscious clothing after the birth of their children. I had the pleasure to meet with the founders, Tamar and Orly, and they are as delightful as their new line of colorful clothing.

Their bodysuits come in 4 colors and all have contrasting stitching. They took their favorite design details from grown-up clothing, like the raw edges at the neckline and sleeves, and added it to their baby garments.

Their yoga pants come in 5 colors; the same 4 colors as the bodysuit to mix and match and then a beautiful grey to anchor the colors. They have the cutest little back pocket, too.

As a welcome to the brand, their clothes are 15% off until July 20, 2010. Use code “Deal03″ at checkout or mention in store.

Check them out online here...

Deal of the Week- Kinderville Ice Pop Molds

It’s pretty hot and humid here in Chicago, making it the perfect time for cold treats. And making home-made popsicles is certainly a summer time favorite of mine. I mean, who doesn’t love popsicles? And when you make them yourself, you can create any sort of crazy flavor combo you like.

Start with your favorite fruits and juices or try some with yogurt and have fun experimenting with different flavors. Need some help with recipe ideas? Check out Rick Bayless’s recipe for Fruit Ice Pops to get started…

From now until July 13, 2010 use code “Deal02″ for 15% off the Ice Pop Molds or mention in store. Check them out online here…

Deal of the week- Diaper Bags

So you want to see what we have new in store and save money?? Well, how ’bout a weekly special just for our blog readers and facebook friends! Each Wednesday we’ll feature a new or timely product for 15% off for one week only.

So let’s start things off by introducing our new Fleurville diaper bags! Eco-friendly diaper bags are hard to come by, so I was super excited to find these. They’re made from a fabric called Re-Run which is made from recycled plastic bottles. And, of course, they’re cute, too! They come in 2 styles, a hobo or a messenger and 3 different colors/prints. Check them out online here… Use code “Deal01″ online or mention in store until Tues, July 6 2010.

Bring on Summer!

Ahh, summer! Ask most kids what their favorite time of year is and they’ll tell you summer. And no wonder; summer means playing outside all day, catching fireflies at night and watermelon dripping down your arms. So for the little ones in your life to whom summer is full of endless opportunities for magic and imagination, here are some sure-fire pleasers.

The Original Tree Swing is every kid’s dream! It’s handmade in Minnesota from reclaimed wood and will have kids (and kids at heart) clamoring for a ride.

Green Toys Recycled Sand Play Set is perfect for the beach or the sand box. It comes with a castle mold so that you have a head start in creating the perfect sand castle. And the sturdy rope handle won’t break like so many other beach pails. And to make it even cooler, it’s made in the USA from recycled milk jugs!

Kinderville’s Ice Pops Mold lets you enjoy an icy cold treat made only with the stuff you want. Fill it with real fruit pieces and juice for a healthy and fun summer treat.

Born in the USA, baby!

Lately I’ve had quite a few customers come in asking for items made in the good ol’ USA. I love being able to showcase local designers and manufacturers so I enjoy getting this question and helping people find products that meet their ideals. I’ve found that there are a couple of reasons why people look for the “Made in USA” label. A few of the reasons are to support the American economy and workers, to reduce their carbon footprint by buying goods closer to where they were made, and because they are concerned about the rash of imported toys that have been recalled recently. What are your reasons?

To make sifting through all of the products out there easier, I thought I’d put together a list of some of the American-made goods we’re proud to carry at nat & helens.

1. Clothing

Pluto , Barley & Birch,Txai Organics, Baby Blend Tees, Rebel Green, Int’l Robot and Ecozini

2. Blankets and Bedding

High Desert Naturals and Swaddle Designs

3. Toys

Petite Miette, Maggies Organics, Green Toys, Maple Landmark, North Star Toys, Uncle Goose Blocks, The Original Tree Swing

4. Books and Art Supplies

Green Sugar Press and Clementine Art

5. Teethers

DANO 2

6. Personal Care

Little Twig

7. Artwork and Decorations

Petit Collage

8. Bibs, Back packs and Lunch sacks

Mimi the Sardine

What are your favorites that we’re missing?

There’s also a great book called Made Here, Baby! :The Essential Guide to Finding the Best American-Made Products for Your Kids by Bruce H. Wolk. It’s a wonderful resource and covers everything from furniture to sports equipment and lists contact info as well as a brief description of the businesses covered.

Earth Day Ideas for Kids

Earth Day is celebrating its 40th anniversary on April 22! What started as a grassroots demonstration to draw attention to environmental problems has grown to a nation wide event to highlight a myriad of issues. I think Earth Day is a great way to continue (or start) the discussion with kids about the world around them, the challenges it faces and what things we can do to help. And it can all be fun! Here are some of my ideas of how to share this day with little ones. What are yours?

1. Organize a beach or park clean up. Have kids help pick up trash and keep a tally of what sorts of garbage you find. Make it a contest to see who can pick up the most! (Don’t forget to wear gloves) After you pick up the trash, talk about how they think the garbage got there and what they can do to help prevent it. How much of the trash is recyclable? What happens to garbage if it ends up in our waterways? What might happen if animals mistake garbage for food?

2. Plant a tree or garden. Get kids interested again in the outdoors and playing with dirt. Plant their favorite flowers or veggies and watch them grow.

3. Make a meat-free, local meal. Cook together and talk about where our food comes from. Did you know that animal farming is responsible for more global greenhouse gas emissions than all our transportation combined? By replacing one meal of meat with more veggies and grains, you’ll help the planet and help foster a love of healthy eating for your kids. By choosing locally grown, in season veggies you’ll further cut down on the greenhouse gas emissions to get your meal to the table.

4. Make a craft from trash. Build robots with some empty metal cans or make caterpillars from egg cartons. Let kids use their imaginations to create a whole menagerie of animals from things in the recycling bin.

Earth Month Favorites

I still remember the first Earth Day that I got really excited about celebrating. It was 1990 and I wore a lot of tie dye and patchouli. Not too much has changed since then, I guess. Earth Day isn’t officially until April 22, but here are a few of my store favorites to educate and inspire.

1. Global Green Pals are a group of five young explorers from around the world who care about the environment and who are determined to help save the planet. Each doll focuses on a specific environmental issue (Clean Air Kate lives in Chicago (!) and rides her bike to help prevent air pollution) and includes a list of things that kids can do to help protect our environment.

2. Earl the Earthworm Digs For His Life by Tim Magner is the story of Earthworm Earl who travels around amazed by all of the creatures he meets and the jobs that they are able to do. At last Earl realizes that he also has an important job to do and that everything is connected in the environment. The book also includes footnotes for more info for bigger kids and a glossary and facts on composting with worms.

3. Tiny Revolutionary’s Tee is profound with the words “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children”. Ain’t that the truth!

We’re hopping into Spring

It feels like Spring has finally come to Chicago. Which probably means that we still have one more snow storm to come! But for now we’ll enjoy the spring-like temps and budding flowers, and get ready for Easter which is right around the corner. Here’s a few of our favorite bunnies at n&h… perfect for Easter baskets or, if you’re like my best friend who has a pet bunny, any time of year! And from now until Easter, take 10% off all bunnies with code “Bunny” at checkout online or simply mention in store (Good until April 4, 2010)

Yo-Yo Bunny

Victoria the Bunny

Dressed up Bunny