Blog posts of '2016' 'November'

Nuna baby gear products have taken the US market by storm and everyone wants to know the who, why, and how of this amazing new brand that seems to have just popped up. I was lucky enough to attend the first Nuna USA summit this past week, along with another 10 retailers from all over the US. We were joined by the President of Nuna USA and several of the Global team members to discuss this amazing brand and their drive to provide the most well engineered and tastefully designed product in the world.

Who is Nuna?

Nuna is not the little up-start that they are often thought of. The brand is a division of one of the largest car-seat and gear manufactures in the world, accounting for nearly 1/3 of the entire global production of infant and children' carseats. The Nuna brand is just one portion of this global powerhouse. As a manufacture for more than thirty years, they decided to take their significant knowledge and expertise and roll out a brand of products that merged high fashion, the ultimate in safety, and simple clean design. Most gear producers take a solitary focus and run with either high design or safety or fashion. These products are usually touted as 'best of this' or 'best of that' but never excel in all three arenas. Nuna is different. Nuna thinks that you can achieve the safest and most reliable products without sacrificing the design of the product.

The people that make up the Nuna team are surprising. Because the team was hand picked from a roster of professionals steeped in history in infant gear manufacturing, design, engineering, and marketing. The team roster reads like a who's who of the industry. As an example, the Global Textile executive has a 15 year history choosing and programming the fabric selections of Graco (one of the largest US producers). She left for the opportunity to create something dynamic and different than any products on the market. Her story is amazing, and we hope to bring you some more information and possibly an interview about her process in the future. As an example of the dedication to the product, she told us a story of the long process of perfecting the exact color of the fabrics on the Pipa Carseat by actual hand dying fabric swatches until the perfect color is reached. What looks like just a tan colored fabric takes months to years to facilitate because the fabric is tested and produced to be free of toxins and chemicals (oeko tex certified) and the color study takes equally as long. Then the fabrics actually have to stand up to the rigors and stresses of ruff-n-tumble lifestyles. Lastly the textiles have to feel good. This is no easy task and Nuna is excelling.

The resources they have available are some of the best. Testing safety and security is vital for gear products. There are so many different standards globally that manufactures struggle to address all the different international, national, regional and even province or state requirements. NOT Nuna. They own their own testing facility including a full fledged crash simulator. By the time the products go to independent lab testing for certification they have been tested and improved and retested multiple times. Every buckle, strap, adjustment and clip are there to create the safest and most highly engineered products around.

Elevating The World of Nuna Baby Gear

When you touch and feel the product you know you are seeing something different: A high chair that holds 225 pounds easily but has the visual of a sleek modern barstool, a nursery swing/bouncer that can double as your 10 year old's gaming chair, a carseat that installs in seconds yet withstands the harshest of testing standards and elevates safety approaches that the rest of the world is quickly copying to catch up to. Touching and feeling these products speaks volumes about the commitment to safety and quality. Many of the products have also been awarded the most prestigious design awards on the globe including the coveted RedDot. There really is not a single brand of baby essentials on the market that is more flushed out with quality, safety, aesthetics, and taste than those of Nuna. We are proud to be a partner of this amazing line.

Every parent under the sun goes through this horrible period somewhere between 18 months and 4 years wherein their lovely, sweet, and perfect baby finds out 'potty words' get noticed. I remember a two year old cousin stomping around the room one Christmas singing "Sh*t, Sh*t, Sh*t, Sh*t, Sh*t, Sh*t, Sh*t, Sh*t....." What in the world is a parent to do with this?

Ignore it?

Well this just might be the best approach if it seems like an isolated incident of mimicry and development. Very young toddlers will pick up on sounds and words and try them out. Often it is just part of the development of the skills used to incorporate language into their daily lives. New words, fun sounds, and constructions that have a good 'mouth feel' make for common repeated phrases and words. The newly tested word will be abandoned shortly for a new one and your life will move forward.

A side note on this: To this day the phrase, ‘Mecca Lecca High Mecca Hiney Ho!’ plays over and over in my brain.... damn you pee wee herman!

Redirect it?

Sometimes that lovely 'mouth feel' of a word can get stuck and becomes a bit of a habit. The little mirrors, that are our children, pick up on some of our worst behaviors. When handled appropriately a simple redirection can accomplish quite a bit of good. Three and four year olds often want to be oppositional and test limits, but, for the most part, like to please their parents. If you can time the discussion correctly (NOT right after the child drops an F*bomb in the grocery store which reinforces the behavior) you can redirect the behavior. It needs to be communicated clearly that their choice to use that word wasn't the right behavior and is dissapointing. This should be done at some time after but not so far down the road they cannot remember the actual behavior. Like maybe in the car on the way home.

Punish It?

At a certain point all kids will do stuff just to push your buttons and the limits of the relationship. It is completely natural and part of their development. You want your child to question the rules in life. You want them to grow and thrive and test the boundaries. How else would we have ever made it to the moon or invented the iPhone or thought to put bacon into a chocolate sundae? HOWEVER, part of pushing boundaries and testing the function of the world is to suffer a few consequences in breaking the "rules". Jumping out of a tree to see if you can fly (ill-advised behavior, by the way) has the consequence of hitting the ground. AND the foul-mouthed kindergarten student is going to have some pretty major consequences for you as a parent and your child too. Set realistic limits and clear consequences of the behavior. Time outs, loss of favorite toy, loss of desert, loss of story time, etc. If all else fails, pull a Lifebouy like poor ole Ralphie.

Tell us about your favorite "potty mouth moment" in the comments below. We would love to hear about it. At least we can all laugh together, out of earshot of your 'foul mouthed toddler' :)

Every once in awhile our industry takes an about face.  It appears that 2016 is one of those years.  The design trends for kids' rooms are super strong and really drastic shift from the past few years.  Everything feels new and fresh and there are lots of great options for just about anyone's taste.  The largest trends are in finishes (washed and beautiful grain revealing stains), structural finishing techniques, Coastal Cottage designs, and a return to the ultra feminine and soft looks of yesteryear.

Finish Reigns Supreme in Design Trends:

Your basic dark espresso finish seems to be just about done in.  This super-dark stain is quickly being replaced with rich tones of cherry, brown, caramel, chocolate and other wood tones that are a bit warmer. The flat simple gray painted furniture is just not cutting it any longer.  We are seeing the gray finishes continue to be a force but the finishes are richer than a year ago.  Grays are multidimensional finishes now with rich undertones rather than just a simple gray paint.  Gray stains that show the wood grain are leading the pack.  This trend is evident from the fantastic new finishes Romina and Silva have just released (washed gray, oiled gray, flint).  Stella Furniture also has a beautiful gray with lots of depth on their Trinity Collection, called Chateau Gray.

White finishes are also moving away from the everyday bright white paint so traditionally present in nurseries.  Everyone wanted that sharp bright white color, often citing the 'purity' of the color for nurseries.  However we are seeing more dynamic white finishes coming on strong. Whites are getting creamier and in some cases are, like the grays, becoming stains that the grain shows through. Again Romina and Silva are leading this trend, but Dolce Babi has released two incredible groups with alternatives to the traditional white.  Lucca is a scraped white and is spot on on multiple trends including the 'coastal cottage' and structural finish trends (see below) The other Dolce Babi Collection is Angelina featuring a rich cream and stunning pearlized finish that is leading the pack on feminine grace.

Structural Finishes in Design Trends:

Wood is truly a gift and amazing things can be done with it in constructing furnishings.  The newest in design trends with respect to wood is allowing the grain pattern to not only become visual but tactile as well.  'Scraped' finishes are the end result of some new technology in wood work.

Wood grows with an annual ring pattern, as you know from 2nd grade biology.  Well these rings represent softer and denser wood grains.  Our wonderful manufactures have found that using certain tools and machines on the surface of the wood, they can selectively scrape or carve out the softer pieces and leave the denser grain intact.  This same thing happens when a piece of wood floats around the beach being tumbled by the surf.  The sand and water selectively remove the softer grained wood from the surface and the resulting flotsam is rough and detailed.  This 'scraping' technique is now becoming commonplace in the furniture industry, releasing the glorious patterns of grain and natural beauty of the wood into a physically tangible structure.  These beautiful finish techniques are throughout both nursery design and big kid's furniture.  Some highlights: the new driftwood finish from Dolce Babi on both the Naples and Maximo collections. Highlands Driftwood and Highlands Espresso from New Energy for big kid youth furniture also has some of this fantastic finishing. But the runaway star of the show is from Romina.  They have taken their absolutely beautiful Beech wood product and worked it like no other.  The finish is velvety soft but hand carved and scraped with deep grooves.  The scraped wood is then finished in two different colors to accentuate the details and the result is stunning beyond words.

Coastal Cottage Design Trends:

The Coastal Cottage design approach  is reflective of a shift from the ultra modern looks of the past few years.  Designers are looking for comfortable and accessible looks that compliment a return to home design that is 'homey' and 'warm'.  This goes hand in hand with the finish story above but is all about the bed and dresser design.  Paneled headboards, metal elements, shuttered doors, simple silhouettes and rich warm finishes are what set this look apart.  Two new introductions are clearly designed with this aesthetic in mind.

The stunning Lucca collection from Dolce Babi takes it's cues from what one would expect to see in a coastal town in the Northeast.  It reminds me of something you would find in an old home on the coast of Maine; weathered finishes, metal accents and graceful design. Lucca offers both nursery and youth collections.

The second introduction is from Stone and Leigh.  Stone and Leigh (the youth division of Stanley Furniture) has recently launched and brought their interpretation of Coastal Living to youth and nursery design.  The "Driftwood Park' collection features paneled headboards in both cribs and beds, a metal cup pull and two warm finishes.  The entire collection reminds one of something from the beach communities of the South East.

These relaxed looks are not just for water adjacent homes.  The relaxed comfortable design and warmth of these groups make them an accessible design for any home.

Ultra Feminine and Blinged Out Design Trends

Softer colors, feminine details and lots of sparkle are certainly making a return to nursery and big kid room decor. Girly stuff never really disappeared, but it certainly wasn't mainstream. Most color trends start in fashion and work their way down to home decor over time. The ubiquitous chevron pattern and the predominance of turquoise/aqua colors all started in fashion before hitting the furnishings world.  Pantone recently named a light pink and light baby blue to the colors of the year .

These softer colors represent a shift from the rich coral and aqua palettes that have dominated kids' rooms and nursery decor over the past few years and are a welcome change.

We expect to see more soft hues in a variety of fabrics make their way to both kid's rooms and nursery decor. We are seeing pinks paired with soft creams, fabrics with a bit of a sheen, and lots of sparkly knobs.

Angelina from Dolce Babi and Kids is a perfect example of this trend in furnishings.  The delicate carved flowers and details throughout the line appear to be the antithesis of the sleek modern looks that were so prevalent over the past 5 years.  For older kids and teens this collection offers twin and full beds with reversible upholstered and tufted headboard.  The finishes on this collection are cream or pearl and tie in beautifully with the delicate feminine design of the collection and the trend away from bright white for girls.

When does a diaper bag become something more akin to a lifestyle accessory rather than than just a diaper bag?

Well, when it is a fantastic piece of well constructed apparel that makes toting around a bunch of stuff effortless and easy. It has to be style neutral and feature rich. It would also be a good idea that this bag be constructed to withstand the rigors of both travel and poopies.
If you are looking for such a bag… look no further and check out the Slider and Messenger totes from Daddy & Co.
Recently Daddy & Co. procured the licence and the patent on the Go Gaga diaper bag line. These bags were pulled from the market a few years ago to the horror and sadness of millions of moms. Restructuring and changes to the buyers at several major big box stores (Buy Buy Baby and Babies R Us) led to a product flow issue for the original designer and she shelved the product to pursue another career path. But the industry and many moms were devastated. Seriously, to this day, I see four and five year old versions of these bags on the shoulders of industry persons as they move about trade shows and travel to events in our industry, even after being off the market for three years. And you will still find people searching for the bags online.
Why would the industry people still carry a 4 year old bag around when they don’t have children in need of diapering and can get just about any bag on the market for their use? Well, it is pretty simple…. this bag rocks.

It is all about the strap:

First up is the patent. The bags feature a patented strap that disperses the weight of whatever is in the bag across your shoulder and back. You think you understand that this might be nice but until you actually put on a fully loaded bag and feel the difference this strap makes you will not grasp how revolutionary this strap really is. You will be blown away. The strap was designed with an eye to appropriate ergonomics. When a parent is carrying a heavy bag with a thin strap (even 2 and 3 inch straps are thin compared to this) the weight of the bag creates a lot of pressure on the shoulder and back and neck. We have all had this experience. Ever notice people in the airport transferring their bag from one shoulder to the other over and over as they walk down to the gate. A thin strap with a lot of weight just hurts. This strap alleviates most of the pressure and you find this bag comfortable from empty to full of heavy items. Recently I took this bag on a trip and loaded it down: two ipads, two 1 liter bottles of water (over 4 pounds of water), an air plane pillow, a large camera, two iphones, chargers for all of the above, two sets of large over ear headphones, a kindle, 2 books, and more. Seriously this bag was loaded to about 14 pounds, and it was comfortable throughout a long day of traveling.

Beyond the Strap:

These bags are produced by the same factory that makes much of the Patagonia product. So you find great attention to construction detail and the materials are wonderful. Every seam is finished and everything just feels like quality throughout. The bags are designed and constructed to last for years of abuse and people tend to repurpose them beyond just a diaper bag.
The styling is simple and ergonomic and modern. You will not find big trendy patterns or graphics all over these bags. They look like what a modern mom in a urban center would use, not what someone takes to the country club to show off their ‘trendy taste’. These bags are about function, use and longevity, not to display your knowledge of the difference between an icat and a damask.
Both the sling and the messenger totes feature exterior INSULATED bottle pockets. The design is so that a bottle can be reached easily but remain secure in the bag. I can easily fit a 1 liter bottle in each of the exterior pockets. Ice cold water in these bottles doesn’t sweat all over the contents of the bag and the water stays quite cold throughout the day. A couple of baby bottles will be a breeze to secure in the deep pockets. I’ve even seen a wine bottle or two being toted in these pockets. The inside of the bags are full of nice dividers and each of the bags also ships with a padded changer pad and a wipe holder.

The big picture

The Go Gaga bags by Daddy & Co are designed with function in mind. If you are looking for something to save your shoulders, provide great storage and features, easily adapt to babies and work and travel, something your husband will use and want for himself and something constructed to withstand the stressors of living in a modern world you should do yourself a favor and check them out. If all you want is a cute diaper bag to show off at the country club: don’t bother.

BROWSE THE BAGS

It is fall and the cool breezes are beginning to blow.... it is also time to start getting the ducks in a row for the nursery glider before the Holiday Season starts. We have A FEW great opportunities for the next few weeks...

Devonshire Wing-Back Glider

The Lovely modern wingback glider with a tufted back has taken our store by storm.  This is the perfect scale chair and style for most any nursery, be it modern or traditional.  We adore this chair and have worked out a special event pricing on it.

• Take $100 off ANY Devonshire glider ordered between 10/19/2016 and 11/132016
• Add an ottoman and receive an additional $50 discount for a total of $150 off the pair
• Choose ANY active fabric combination (including options for contrast welt - upcharges might apply).
• Special order combinations ship in 5-6 weeks.
• Cannot be combined with other offers
• Discount not transferable to other products or on previously completed orders
• EXTENDED THROUGH 11/28/16

Amsterdam Recliner/Glider Sale

The Amsterdam Recliner Glider from Storytime Series is our number one glider/recliner.  It features an inside the arm release mechanism for the recline which makes engaging the recliner much easier than those chairs you have to reach around to engage.  The Amsterdam also features a plush blown hollowfill back for a highly comfortable seat during long hours rocking a new baby.

• Take $125 off ANY Amsterdam recliner glider ordered between 10/19/2016 and 11/132016
• Add an ottoman and receive an additional $50 discount for a total of $175 off the pair
• Choose ANY active fabric combination (including options for contrast welt - upcharges might apply).
• Special order combinations ship in 5-6 weeks.
• Stock chair (natural with white contrast welt) is available for immediate delivery while supplies last.
• Cannot be combined with other offers
• Discount not transferable to other products or on previously completed orders
• EXTENDED THROUGH 11/28/16

Four Seasons Slip-covered Gliders

Four Seasons seating makes some of the most spectacular seating options available in the US today.  Chairs feature fantastic warranty on construction.  Options for machine washable covers allow easy cleanup of spills and stains.  Over 250 fabrics.  Option for Down Filled cushions and standard resilient seat at no additional charge.

• Take $125 off ANY Slipcover Glider ordered between 10/19/2016 and 11/13/2016
• Add an ottoman and receive an additional $75 discount for a total of $200 off the pair
• Choose any active fabric combination (including options for contrast welt) - up-charges for fabric grade might apply
• Special order chairs ship in 10-12 weeks
• Cannot be combined with other offers
• Discount not transferable to other products or on previously completed orders
• EXTENDED THROUGH 11/28/16

Renowned artist, Clay Rice, will be at the Charlotte Showroom Thursday November 17th from 3pm-6pm.  There are limited number of sittings for these incredible Silhouette Portraits.  Each appointment is 5 minutes and the personalized hand cut portrait goes home with you that day (2 copies in fact).  Mr Rice is well known and produced some 900,000 portraits over his 32 year artistic history.  Mr Rice will also present an open storytime from 3:00pm-3:30pm.  Don't miss this unique opportunity to memorialize your child's sweet face for all time. Details:

• Thursday 11.17.2016 from 3:00 pm - 6:00pm
• Open Storytime from 3:00 - 3:30pm
• BFPK Charlotte - 800 Clanton Road, Charlotte NC 28217
• By Reservation ONLY 704-323-8000
• $42 for two copies of portrait

Thank goodness this Election is over and we can get back to the more important things.... raising children and creating wonderful places for them to grow up.  We are ready and have a ton of great opportunities for our IN STORE Thanksgiving Sale:

Romina & Silva Rail Event

The top of the line furniture collections from Romina and Siva Furniture are all on sale through 11.28.2016.  Romina features solid beech wood construction and exquisite finishes and detailing.  Silva offers beech wood construction with simple refined styling and elegance.

• 15% OFF all Romina and Silva Products

• FREE - toddler rail ($175 value) with purchase of any Silva or Romina Crib

• FREE - adult conversion kit (up to $375 value) with purchase of any Silva or Romina Crib plus a Silva or Romina Dresser

• FREE - toddler rail, FREE adult conversion kit and FREE Changer top (up to $830 value) with purchase of any Silva or Romina Crib with matching Dresser and Chest

• 30% Deposits and 3 months to pick up

• 12 Month Financing available

• 5 year accident protection available and recommended on all furniture purchases

• Sale  ENDS 11.28.16

FREE CRIBS from Baby's Dream

Baby's Dream is offering a great opportunity to get FREE crib with purchase

• Buy any Baby's Dream Dresser and get matching crib for 50% OFF

• Buy any Baby's Dream Dresser and Chest - get matching crib for FREE

• Add adult conversion kit - get FREE crib mattress

• 10% Deposits and 3 months to pick up

• 12 Month Financing available

• 5 year accident protection available and recommended on all furniture purchases

• Sale  ENDS 11.28.16

30% OFF Kensington Collection

• All Kensington Collection pieces are 30% OFF

• Crib + Dresser package starts at $769.99

• Add adult conversion kit - get FREE crib mattress

• 10% Deposits and 3 months to pick up

• 12 Month Financing available

• 5 year accident protection available and recommended on all furniture purchases

• Sale  ENDS 11.28.16

25% OFF all Trinity and Athena

• All Athena and Trinity Collection pieces are 25% OFF

• Crib + Dresser package starts at $974.98

• Add adult conversion kit - get FREE crib mattress

• 10% Deposits and 3 months to pick up

• 12 Month Financing available

• 5 year accident protection available and recommended on all furniture purchases

• Sale  ENDS 11.28.16

42% OFF Haven Gray

• All Haven Gray products are 42% OFF

• Crib + Dresser package starts at $694.84

• Add adult conversion kit - get FREE crib mattress

• 10% Deposits and 3 months to pick up

• 12 Month Financing available

• 5 year accident protection available and recommended on all furniture purchases

• Sale  ENDS 11.28.16