TEA time

This year we began carrying Tea brand clothing and have fallen in love with its exotic fabrics and reasonable price point. After doing a little digging and learning more about the company, the love has grown even deeper.  The company was founded in 2002 by two moms, Emily Meyer and Leigh Rawden who connected over their love of travel. They developed the Tea brand as a method of inspiration for adventure.

“Tea brings worldwide cultures and modern design to children's fashion.Twice each year we pack our bags, travel the globe, explore and discover, and then bring it all home in original designs that express the spirit of our adventures abroad.”

The reason behind the name Tea is to celebrate a drink that is shared
in almost every place around the world. Practices surrounding the consumption of the drink may vary,
but in most cultures, sharing a cup of soothing tea is a celebrated experience, creating a warm connection between people.

Through their clothing, these moms want to share their travels
and inspire creativity through their use of bold exotic textiles, and cheerful designs.

 We love this line and we love the message behind it.
You can’t beat its price points or the feeling it brings when you see your child in bright happy clothing.

Valentine's Day

Love is in the air at University Village as Valentine’s Day approaches. The holiday celebrates a saint who risked his life to demonstrate that love was a greater force than fear.

Saint Valentine's story began in roughly 270 CE when the Roman Empire  celebrated its

far reaching power. The army of Rome was composed of the toughest,

strongest, deadliest men that could be found.

These soldiers weren’t allowed to marry because the Empire believed marriage made men soft.

Valentine couldn’t believe that in a world filled with so much anger and violence, these men were not permitted to have just one aspect of beauty in their lives.

So, with the threat of imprisonment and possibly even death, he performed forbidden marriage ceremonies for the brave soldiers.

He even cut hearts out of parchment paper for the soldiers to take to battle to remind them of the love they had and to fight not just to stay alive but to remain victorious for the sake of love.

Whether it’s your spouse or your child, take a moment this Valentines Day to show them how much their love means to you.

The Art of Diapering

To reuse or not to reuse? That is the question that every parent struggles with when the time comes to diaper.

Reusable diapers are always associated with image of drippy, smelly, stained, pinned together nappies that our grandparents used for the free love generation of babies.

But reusable diapers have come so far!

I will even admit that when I first started at Kids Club and was being trained on the diapers we carried I didn’t realize until I opened one that it was a reusable diaper.

We carry the BumGenius line;

no pins, cute colored diaper covers, and they are just so soft and plush.

When expecting parents come in they usually stick to questions about strollers and car seats, but just recently a couple came in full of questions, some of which being about the differences between disposable and reusable diapers.

So I did some research and I discovered some mind boggling statistics between these two products:

Disposable diapers may be convenient, but produce roughly 1 ton of landfill per day (theclothdiaperwhisperer.com).

A 1999 study reported on by National Geographic tested the chemicals used in disposable diapers on lab rats, and concluded that these chemicals cause asthma like symptoms; and could trigger or worsen existing asthma symptoms in infants.

In addition to health risks, families have reported an average savings of $2,500 per child when using cloth diapers versus disposable.

Reusable diapers also aid in quicker potty training because children can recognize when they are wet quicker than children who use disposable diapers.

Moreover cloth diapers do not cause diaper rash!

They are more comfortable and gentler on babies skin than their plastic counterpart.

Although there is a little more “gross” factor when using cloth diapers, there are so many benefits, the choice is simple.

They are less expensive in the long run, more comfortable for your child, environmentally friendly, and help with potty training; plus they now make flusahble liners to minimize mess!

Come check out the award winning BumGenius brand at Kid’s Club!

Sticky Mosaics + Music = FUN!

This year the University Village Sounds of Summer Concert Series might well be the biggest and best yet! 

Last week's activity at the Kids Club table was Orb Factory Sticky Mosaic play day kit -- and it was a BIG hit! The pictures were all a mystery, with no way to really tell what it was before you got started. Each bag was packed with a cardboard picture, sticky mosaic tiles, and a color chart. The kids had lots of fun following the chart and filling in the numbers. Most followed the color chart, some made up their own unique designs (see photo below).

Many kids had never heard of or tried Sticky Mosaics before, and now they LOVE them! Many parents asked about their availability in the store. Let me tell you -- we do have them in-stock now! And yes, they make FANTASTIC travel activities! These pages keep kids focused and quiet for at least 30 mins if not more like an hour! Our table was elbow to elbow all night long with kids working on their pictures.

Awesome seahorse!

Completed clown fish (aka Nemo)

You can bring your pooch to Kids Club!

It's true! Kids Club is a dog-friendly store, and so are most of  the stores in U Village. Feel free to bring your dog(s) along with you on your next shopping trip. We love when doggies visit us! We even keep treats under the counter for any pup that's allowed to have some. 

Got Tricks?

If your dog knows any tricks, let us see them! One of our favorite pups, a standard poodle knows how to 'bow to your sensei'. My dog Brutus has been seen dancing in the store on his hind legs quite often, once while wearing a tutu!

A while back, a cute pair of dachshunds strolled on into the store in the basket of an UPPAbaby Vista stroller, giving us yet another reason why we love this stroller; It can carry 3 kids at once, and 2 small pups!

If you find yourself walking around the Village with your dog and you aren't sure which shops are okay to bring him/  or her into, look for this decal in the window:

DOG EVENT COMING UP!

In a few short months, on Sept. 25, it will be time for the annual U Village FidoFest! Stay posted by liking us on facebook! Register for the Seattle Humane Society's walk HERE 

Walk for the Animals - 9 to 11 am

FidoFest at U Village - 11 to 4 pm

Come on over the Kids Club table to make a free and fun doggie craft!

(Brutus will be there!)

Don't forget to visit Katie M. Simmons in front of Sole Food for amazing dog portraits. She will be donating a portion of the sales to the Seattle Humane Society! Please visit the events page of her website HERE to see photos from FidoFest 2010.

Introducing the dogs of Kids Club:

[Amy's dog]

[Mindy's dogs]

[Kathleen's dog]

New party games from Gamewright!

My friends and I have a weekly tradition of getting together, having dinner, and playing games. Last, Sunday I brought over two new 12+ party games from Gamewright, and they were a big hit: JOE NAME IT, not your average party game, and WHO WOULD WIN, the ultimate celebrity showdown. The boxes are very small, maybe 4"x4"x2", so they are easy to throw in a purse or messenger bag for traveling. I'm planning on bringing them camping this summer.

JOE NAME IT is a fun twist on classic trivia party games. Flip a card, roll the die, input number in the blank. See photo on left. If the top of the card says 'ANY JOE,' everyone gets a chance, the first person who answers correctly wins. If the card says 'JUST JOE,' only the player whos turn it is gets to play. No possible correct answer? Shout out 'NO JOE!' to win the card. If a correct answer isn't giving within a reasonable amount of time, Joe wins the card. The first player, including Joe, to win 10 cards is the WINNER!

Name a word with 2 vowel(s).

Easy, Great, Vowel

:)

WHO WOULD WIN was the favorite of the evening. Probably, because my group of friends is very opinionated and like to debate. This is also, by far, the more original and unique of the two games. Players take turns flipping over a character card, choosing an opponent, they flip over a character card, and the debate begins. We, of course modified the rules to fit our own group arguing style, if you have a more civilized group of friends you can follow the instructions and use the timed debate rule: 20 seconds each, with a 5 second rebuttal. We just yelled across the table until we felt we had made our point. The rest of the players then get to vote on who they feel is the winner. The winning player keeps the event card. First player to collect 5 event cards wins.

Who would win in a dog training competition between Lance Armstrong and Bruce Lee?

-Amy

A Great Big Thanks from Mr. Belly Bank

If you shop at Kids Club surely you know our trusty door greater: Mr. Belly Bank!


 He sits right outside our front door, rain or shine. Kids have lots of fun putting coins in his mouth and watching them zig-zag down into his tummy. Did you know that all of the coins collected are donated to local charities? And we match every penny 100%, doubling every donation! About $200 worth of coins are collected from his belly every month! We rotate the charities, picking ones that focus on youth, children and women's causes. 


This month our featured charity is:

 Youth Suicide Prevention Program of Washington. 

Why did we pick this organization? 

Although suicide is a difficult topic to talk about, it is extremely important. With recent cuts in federal and state funding YSPP is finding themselves with a much smaller budget to work with. We are committed to helping them continue critical programs to reach out to youth and parents in need of their services. 

For more info about YSPP and the services that they provide, and to donate, please visit: http://www.yspp.org

Past charities have included; 

Rise N' Shine -- Since 1988, Rise n' Shine, has been providing emotional support programs, stability, advocacy, and AIDS education for children and teens affected by HIV/AIDS.  This includes children and teens who have been orphaned by the disease, children and teens who live with a  parent or other close family member with HIV/AIDS, and those who are infected themselves. For more info and to donate please visit: http://www.risenshine.org

Treehouse -- Offering support and resources for foster families. With the goal of giving foster children a real childhood as well as hope for the future they offer six core programs; Tutoring, Educational Advocacy, College and Career Planning, Little Wishes, Summer Camp, and the Warehouse - where kids can shop several times a year for new and like-new clothing, shoes, school supplies, books, toys, bikes and other essentials to help them feel good and fit in. For more info and to donate please visit: http://www.treehouseforkids.org/

Friends of Youth -- In addition to operating the only overnight youth shelters on the Eastside, FOY offers youth development initiatives, in-home family support for young parents of newborns, parent education, youth and family counseling, substance abuse counseling, thereputic foster care, residential treatment and transitional housing for homeless young people and teen mothers. For more info and to donate please visit: http://www.friendsofyouth.org

We want to give a great big THANKS to everyone that has dropped a coin or two into Mr. Belly Bank over the years and we hope that you will share your spare pocket change with the next time you shop at Kids Club. Together we can help our community, one coin at a time!

Baking Memories with the Easy Bake Oven

Memories from my childhood came flooding back, the day we got the Easy Bake Oven in the store. When I was eight, I asked Santa for an Easy Bake Oven. Sadly, on Christmas morning, I did not get my oven. Instead, I got the mixes with a note saying that I could use the 'regular oven' with my parents' help. It wasn't the same! After a few more years, asking every Christmas, I realized that I was never going to get my Easy Bake Oven.

Many years later I was blessed with a daughter. When she was eight, I asked her grandmother to buy her an Easy Bake Oven, to make up for the one that I never got. Christmas day, Jessica got her very own oven and was very excited to make treats. We assembled it, put in the light bulb, and made cookies for everyone. We had fun watching them bake by the heat of a light bulb. As time went by she continued to make treats for our family, until she eventually outgrew it. I have many fond memories creating baked goodies with her.

The Easy Bake Oven that I asked for when I was little.

The Easy Bake Oven that my daughter got when she was little.

The Easy Bake Oven that we have in the store now.

[click on images to view larger]

The Easy Bake Oven has gone through many style changes over the years. It looks a lot different than the one that I wanted when I was little, and the one that my daughter had, but still comes with the cookie mix. Create memories with your child, bake a batch of Easy Bake Oven cookies!

-Debbie

Dance, Baby, Dance!

And I thought the last caspar babypants in-store performance was crazy!

Thanks caspar babypants for a terrific show!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, to everyone that came down today to dance and sing out loud. We hope you had a lot of fun! I know we sure did. I'm so glad he sang my new favorite song 'Googly Eyes.'

We tried our hardest to keep everything on the up-and-up, clear walk ways, and make paths in and out of the store, but eventually had to give in to the chaos of it all. Good thing the fire department didn't come and shut us down!

I was able to get some insider info...

There's a new CD coming out in September!

Whoo Hoo!

We will let you know on facebook when we have the new CDs available in the store!

Be sure to 'like' Kids Club and caspar babypants on facebook for all the latest info on our events, sales, promotions, shows, funny tid-bits...!

Like Us!

Kids Club:   http://on.fb.me/k6u7Xu

caspar babypants:   http://on.fb.me/lJw6NL

Also, check out caspar babypants on the web for videos, music, and more:

http://bit.ly/lzycbJ

Kids Club "Trash" is Seattle Children's Hospitals' Treasure!

At Kids Club we never let anything go to waste!

We donate anything of use that we don't need. Last month, I cleaned out my craft bins filled with goodies that I use for store events like Village Playdays and Summer Concert Series. I donated anything I didn't need anymore to the Friends of Youth craft room and Whitney Easton who will be teaching in a low income school in the Bay Area this coming fall.

So, last week, I was doing some spring cleaning in our back room and came up with a great big pile of sample and demo games and craft kits that we have no use for anymore. One of my first thoughts was Seattle Children's Hospital. I checked their website and saw that they are always in need of toys for their patients, including crafts kits and games.

How perfect! 

Two great big boxes of games and crafts for a large range of ages.

They are going to have lots of fun playing Classic Battleship 

or mixing up a batch of bath salts with Spa Science.

To donate new toys for patients or make a financial donation to 

Children's Hospital please go to their website: 

http://www.seattlechildrens.org/ways-to-help/donate/

Please note: For safety and infection control reasons, please donate only new items that are washable, nontoxic and not easily broken. We are unable to accept used toys or toys that represent violence. Please do 

not send large metal trucks or toys. Please do not wrap donations.

Greatest needs:  Fuzzy coloring posters, Small Lego sets, Brio trains (no track), Nail polish, Coloring books, Arts and crafts kits, Playing cards, Tactile toys for all ages, Disney/Pixar DVDs, PG-13 DVDs, Gift cards, Spanish, Vietnamese and Russian videos, books and music.

Can't make a donation of new toys or money? 

Donate your time, you will be glad you did! 

http://www.seattlechildrens.org/ways-to-help/volunteer/

April Village Playday

In honor of Earth Day on April 22nd, we made RECYCLED PAPER with the Thames & Cosmos Recycled Paper Press Experiment Kit for our Village Playday activity.

This science kit is intended for ages 8+,
but with help from an adult it was a fun activity for children as young as 3.

I saved all of the gift wrap and tissue paper scraps left over from the presents that had been wrapped the day before, along with the sports section of the news paper that someone left behind on The Salon at Kids Club waiting bench, and cleared out the hole punches of their tiny paper dots.

I tore and cut the paper into small pieces and mixed them up in a bucket with lots of water and let the whole slurry soak over night. This gave the paper a chance to break down and the fibers to separate. The next morning it was all mushy and ready to be made into a new sheet of recycled paper.The kids had a lot of fun touching the mushy paper pulp in the water.

I helped dip the provided trays into the paper pulp and water mixture and shake the tray so that the pulp was in a relatively even layer. I placed the layer of mesh over top and let the kids use the yellow tool to press out as much water as they could. This step was very easy for the toddlers to do without help from an adult. Since it was the second to last step, it gave the children a sense of accomplishment, being able to see that they pressed the paper into it's final product.

Here it is!

A beautiful piece of recycled paper!

If I do say so myself, we made the most beautiful recycled paper I have ever seen because we started with such fun and colorful gift wrap paper. Which we just happen to have lots of left over scraps in our recycling bin everyday.

What activity do we have planned for our May Village Playday?

Something SUPER special!!!

A LIVE IN-STORE PERFORMANCE WITH CASPAR BABYPANTS!!!

Tuesday May 17th

performance will start at 10:00 a.m. sharp

Listen to music, watch videos, and read more about caspar babypants on the web here:

http://www.babypantsmusic.com/fr_home.cfm