ABC KIDS EXPO 2019 HIGHLIGHTS - MY FAVORITE FINDS!

Happy Monday everyone! It’s a new week and I have some really great information coming your way on the blog. Today: My latest trade show highlights and a look at my favorite finds! I attended the ABC Kids Expo (All Baby & Child) in Las Vegas last week. ABC is the world’s largest juvenile product trade show for child, baby & maternity products. Not open to the public, this show is a chance for me to see what the latest products coming to market are, all in one place! With over 600 exhibitors, this show is massive! I love being able to see the newest collections in person and find out from the brand owners and representatives what makes them so special and why I need to be sharing them with you. It was the quickest Vegas trip of all time, I flew in for only 24 hours, so no cool shows were seen and there definitely wasn’t any blackjack money won. However, I did hit the jackpot with some amazing brands in the “naturally kids” pavilion that showcased their healthier, safer and eco-friendly products. So, let’s get to it! Here are my favorite new finds and must-haves from ABC Kids 2019.

SNUGGLE ME ORGANIC.

Snuggle Me is an infant lounger that I’ve known about for some time now and included in my Baby Shower Gift Guide (download here), but I wanted to highlight it in case any of you haven’t heard of them yet. A sensory lounger designed to function similar to a padded bassinet, it curves around baby’s back while pulling in around them for a comforting, hugging sensation highly effective at calming baby. Made in the USA, with the purest, highest quality materials that are certified organic, non-toxic, hypoallergenic and free from all harmful chemicals. www.snugglemeorganic.com

NEWPORT COTTAGES.

One of my favorite furniture brands, Newport Cottages is always on the leading edge of style while remaining true to producing healthier products. They only use poplar & birch hardwoods, non-toxic, lacquer based and low VOC finishes. All made in the USA. Their overall look this year at the show was so chic and I was so excited about it! They’ve added some beautiful new finishes to the collection, their color combos and finishes used on the pieces shown were so on trend and fresh AND they’ve added a new acrylic crib! You will absolutely love this crib and I know it will be an all around favorite. www.newportcottages.com

Also showcased was their Astoria crib shown with a gorgeous lavender fabric which I think should be the real color of the year! Don’t you agree? Stunning! And you can’t miss their statement hardware - it’s like the jewelry for furniture.

ILADO - MATERNITY BELL NECKLACE.

Ilado is a completely new brand to me but it’s one of my favorite finds this market! Founded in 2015 in France, the pregnancy necklace is a beautiful way to relax mothers-to-be and promote prenatal bonding. The idea behind the ancestral jewel: In Mexico, the Harmony Ball was offered to expectant mothers from the start of pregnancy as a protective amulet. Known as the “Llamador de Angeles” (the “Angel Caller"), legend tells how its soft, crystalline tinkling would summon the protection of the guardian angel of the baby and its mother. From the 26th week of pregnancy, your baby gradually becomes sensitive to the familiar sounds of his natural environment - the beating of your heart, your breathing - but also to external sound stimulation - voice, music, singing. www.ilado-paris.com

The length of the bola necklace lands perfectly at your belly so that your baby can hear the soft, soothing ringing of the pendant. After baby is born, you can slip the bola pendant securely into their “bola comforter”, as in ancient tradition, young mothers stitched their pregnancy Bola in their toddler's blanket to continue to soothe him with his familiar melody and to call for the caring protection of his guardian angel. These gorgeous jewelry pieces come in three finishes - silver, rose gold & gold.

FINN + EMMA.

Another brand that I’ve loved for some time. I originally came across Finn + Emma at the ABC Kids Expo in 2016. The eco-conscious baby toy and clothing collection caught me eye with their adorable play gyms. Made with 100% birch wood frames finished with non-toxic stains and lacquers. They have the cutest removable toys hanging from the gym - The wooden teething toys are made from untreated Indian hardwood and finished with vegetable seed wax. The knit toys are hand-knit at an artisanal women’s collaborative in Peru using G.O.T.S. certified organic cotton yarn. They are releasing a new, darker finish this season and I can guarantee these will make an appearance in my upcoming nursery projects! www.finnandemma.com

Not only do they have these adorable play gyms, they have larger knit toys, an adorable macrame swing, a modern style baby rocker and of course, the softest, organic baby clothes and pajamas. I may or may not have placed an order for several items. ;)

ECO KIDS - NON TOXIC ART SUPPLIES.

I was super happy to come across ECO KIDS and meet Kip, the owner of this awesome product line. ECO KIDS produces a line of non-toxic art supplies from eco dough, eco-crayons, side-walk paint to finger and face paints, each collection is made from non-toxic, natural ingredients with environmentally friendly packaging. All made in the USA. Safe art supplies makes play time that much sweeter. I love that this is a family run business that started from the molding dough recipe used by the owner growing up. With a variety of bold colors available, your little picasso will be off on the best start! www.ecokidsusa.com

PLANTOYS.

Another really awesome brand is Plan Toys. Not only do they create the cutest and most imaginative toys for kids to play, their mission is one to applaud. Their focus is on safety and sustainability. With that, they produce their wooden toys out of reclaimed rubber trees, water-based dyes, formaldehyde free glue and organic color pigments resulting in a chemical free product. With a strong commitment to minimizing their environmental impact, they pay close attention to every step of the production process. This includes the use of sustainable, natural materials and sustainable manufacturing. With this kind of mindset backing the company mission, there’s no wonder they’ve earned themselves a huge following. I’m excited to share this brand with my clients and their children. Trust me, they make the most adorable toys that are super photo-worthy, I’ve included just a few of my favorites below. www.usa.plantoys.com

MINIWARE.

Searching for modern dishware for your kiddos? Search no further! Miniware is a collection of plant based, non-toxic dishes that will help with self-feeding training. Functional, beautiful, all-natural and eco-friendly. Made of cassava based PLA, this renewable resource was a good choice for the company due to it’s high durability and chemical free quality. The designs are clean, modern, and blend in nicely with the rest of your dishes in their subtle hued colors rather than screaming “baby-ware!” Their 100% silicone suction foot is super strong as I tested it myself and it wasn’t moving anywhere! Plates, bowls, cups, spoons, dividers and bento boxes…they’ve got you covered!

SRUSHTI.

I love meeting a new business owner that is so passionate about what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. That’s what I found in Srushti owner, Deepthi. Deepthi is a wife, mother and business owner, building a brand with meaning. While getting to know Organic textiles, she realized that the fibre used in weaving the fabric is the ONLY Organic part of the entire process. I have an amazing interview here with Two Sisters EcoTextiles about exactly that! Water is used as the principal medium to apply dyes and various finishes for commercial production of textiles. The dyes are mixed with water and chemicals, which then has to be dumped. The burning of all the products inside the mills also pollutes the air with chemicals. Unfortunately not a lot of research is done on harmful chemicals used in textiles and this vicious cycle continues. www.srushtilinens.com

While looking for safer options, Deepthi got to learn about centuries old traditions of leveraging natural dyes for textiles. “Srushti” was born after getting to know the purity and authenticity of the entire process of extracting dyes from plants, roots and flowers. Below are a few of the textiles that are hand dyed and hand stamped to create the beautiful pieces of Srushti. I loved chatting with Deepthi about our shared missions and I look forward to ordering her pieces for my projects.

GOUMI KIDS.

If you’ve ever wondered what to get a parent that gave birth to a preemie, you’ve probably been left with very few options. Along with a collection of thoughtfully designed mittens, booties and jammies, Goumi creator - Lili has created a line specifically for preemies. It is the most thoughtful and beautifully curated gift set I’ve ever seen. The preemie set, in collaboration with Baby Jives, includes all they’ll need during those early days whether they’re in the NICU or at home. Preemie jammies, mittens, booties and milestone cards that are important for parents to celebrate while in the NICU. The welcome home set celebrates the moment when parents are able to take their little miracle home and begin their mighty journey together. How amazing is that?! Take a peek at Lili’s complete collection at www.goumikids.com

NATUREPEDIC, KYTE, GREEN SPROUTS, MONTE, TINY TRUCKER.

There are several other brands that I visited and wanted to share, but for the sake of making this long story short…or shorter, I’ve included images of their products in the slideshow below.

All in all, I was happy to see so many brands producing healthier and safer alternatives. I’d love to hear your comments on my favorites mentioned in this post. Have you purchased any of these products and how do you like them? I’d love to hear from you!

-stephanie