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Please give a warm welcome to our newest online retailers!f&f_logo

Canada – GorgeousBaby
Denmark – AbeUnger
Ireland – Little Green Angels
Japan – Cosmic Daughter
Netherlands – De Kast Van Maxe
United Kingdom – MumSaid
USA – fawn&forest
USA – McKinley Kid
USA – Posh Tots

We are thrilled to welcome Belly Laughs – our newest Canadian retailer. This trendy children’s and maternity boutique in Kanata, Ontario (Ottawa’s west end) has a little someone for everyone. belly laughs

They’ve got one of the best selection of cloth diapers in the city (check out their Bottom’s Up! Trial Program where you can sample different types of diapers to see which ones best suit your needs), a huge selection of organic and natural toys like miYim and the PEPPA bonding doll as well as everything under the sun for the nursing mother. To top it all off, the store also sells consignment children’s and maternity clothing! Belly Laughs will be carrying Sakura Bloom slings from both our silk and linen collections.

Need a gorgeous silk sling for a wedding or special occasion? Not yet sure which one you want to buy? Belly Laughs will be offering Sakura Bloom slings for rent so you can try them out before you buy!  How great is that?

In celebration of Mother’s Day, we are launching our new blog series, Bringing Baby to Work. In this feature, we will be sharing stories from around the world of baby-friendly workplaces and the wowebsite_header_left1men (and men!) who make them possible and successful!

To kick it off, we are talking with owner Molly Ging, and working moms Jennifer, Giedra, and Kerry from The Little Seedling in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Tell us about The Little Seedling.
MollyThe Little Seedling is a store in Ann Arbor, Mi that focuses on natural parenting and unique, practical baby goods.  The store started due to a need in the area for cloth diapering information and has grown (in 5 years!) to a complete baby and maternity store.tls_3moms

What is your favorite part of your job?
Molly – My favorite part of my job is connecting with other mothers.  For me, the “baby stage” was so hard!  Being able to say to another mom… “don’t worry if your baby cries in the store, we have all been there” is so wonderful.  I don’t ever want another mom to feel like she can’t come into our store to shop, relax, chat, enter into adult conversation or whatever she needs that day!   Of course the store is here to provide a product but we are also here to provide support to families.

We were thrilled to learn that your staff wear their babies at work in Sakura Bloom slings. Tell us more!
Molly – I learned early on that there is no way to sell a product unless you LOVE the product.  Customers want first hand information and to know that there isn’t a single answer for each person.  Finding the right employees was hard!  I needed to employ parents because they are the ones we are catering to.  Allowing moms to bring their babies to work allows me to hire the *right* people for the job.  With daycare costs so high it is almost a necessity for me to allow this or my employees would not be able to afford to work.  Not to mention the fact that I would hate for work to interrupt the nursing relationships of my employees with their babies!  Oh… and we never have a shortage of cute little models around the store!

Jennifer + Giedra + Kerry

tls_4picsWorking at The Little Seedling sounds fantastic! What does it mean to you to be able to have your child with you at work?
Jennifer – Working at The Little Seedling is great! Being able to bring Henry (17 months) to work means that I CAN work. Day care just isn’t something we can afford so this is the ideal situation.
Giedra – It’s a huge gift to be able to bring my son to work with me. For me I wouldn’t be able to work any other way. Everyday I am so grateful to Molly for the privilege of bringing my child to work.
Kerry - It is such a wonderful thing to be able to bring my child to work with me – It’s important for my mental well-being to be able to get out of the house and go to work, but that wouldn’t be possible for me if I were not able to bring my son.

What sort of response do you get from customers?

Jennifer – Most costumers have very positive responses to seeing us with our kids at work. “How nice to be able to bring your child with you!” and “Are you hiring?” It also really helps for customers to see some of the products in action – cloth diapers, slings, toys, clothes, etc.
Giedra – I would say mostly it’s that people think it’s very unique. Some can’t imagine “having” to bring their child and others wish they could do the same.
Kerry – All of the responses have been extremely positive – Many ask if we are hiring!  A few people have even said that they make sure to come to our store since it supports moms with babies.tls_kids

What Sakura Bloom sling is your favorite?

Jennifer - I love the silk essential ring sling! I have it in chocolate~terracotta!
Giedra – My favorite is the silk essential ring sling, as well.  It’s so supportive for an older child and allows for easy up and down, perfect for a toddler on the move. I look forward to trying it out with a newborn. I also covet the blackberry stripe artisan sling, oh so gorgeous.
Kerry – I LOVE my linen essential ring sling in storm~cloud!  It’s casual enough for every day wear, but so beautiful that I feel good wearing it even when I’m in spit-up stained yoga pants.

Thank you to Molly, Jennifer, Giedra, and Kerry from The Little Seedling.  You are an inspiration to working mothers everywhere!

Live in or near Ottawa? Then you simply must get yourself to Milkface Nursingwear in Westboro for the best baby slings and nursing clothing around! Over in BC or up in Newfoundland? No problem. Milkface is also an online store with some wonderful products for new mothers.

Boob nursing shirts from Sweden. Breastfeeding information and support.

Sakura Bloom baby slings including the new Hana Collection. Sling loan programs. Babywearing workshops and playgroups.

Canadian-made (and gorgeously packaged) Substance bodycare products: mineral soak, herbal sitz bath, baby body foam and more.

Milkface is an amazing resource for mothers everywhere, whether you live down the street or on the other side of the world!

Living in New York? Traveling to New York?

Find an amazing collection of baby carriers and other great baby and toddler items at MetroMinis Boutique. From Haba toys to cloth diapers to Sakura Bloom baby slings, MetroMinis has what you and your urban baby need.

Not just a great boutique, MetroMinis also holds all sorts of workshops and has a big, kid-friendly area in the back of the store. Baby yoga classes, Strollercize, parenting workshops, sling tutorials, and more!

Buy your Sakura Bloom sling in person from MetroMinis and you will be in the hands of experts!

MetroMinis; 821 Park Avenue, on the corner of 75th Street.