small shopper / bear & bunny co and nicki's diapers

so excited to share these two awesome mama founded companies with you....

handmade by mamas (denver), these grow with me shorts and pants are made with cloth diaper wearing babies in mind. lets face it, these kiddos grow so fast, you might as well get your moneys worth. these shorts and leggings come in two sizes: newborn - 6 months & 6 months- 2t

the fabric is so soft, and so many cute patterns to choose from.

these two cuties are the kids of bear & bunny co, looking fly and sporting their 

[grey boy city pet tanks]

 jules loves his grow with me [swiss cross leggings]

[bear & bunny co]

shop now using "HELLOGREYBOY" for free shipping on your order.

this company was founded by a mama (wisconsin). family run, they specialize in cloth diapers, baby wearing, and nursing accessories. they carry a variety of brands. all your mama needs at one place.

they design unique prints for their comfortable leak-proof diapers.

jule's got to test these bad boys out. he's all smiles.

[nicki's diapers]

shop now using "HELLOGREYBOY" coupon code for 5% off your entire purchase

please shop small. 

when giving or buying for yourself, its always smart to shop small and support creatives. this section of the blog "small shopper" was created to promote shops & companies run independently by: artists, makers, designers, builders, mothers, fathers & families because they are extremely important.

small shopper / soul slings

[soul slings] sent us one of these beautiful, [eclipse ikat] slings. i want to start by saying how much we LOVE our sling already. we will most likely be using it for the new baby, but being pregnant with a toddler, babywearing comes in handy. lincoln has been really curious about the baby, and is more than willing to be my "baby" lately. he fits comfortably in the sling, around my baby bump and makes it easier on my back and body to have him snug up against me with his weight spread out on my shoulder and back evenly. (and that dead pan stare, is lincoln in his relaxed mode. tuning out)

i cant get enough of how beautiful this hand woven fabric is.

[Soul Slings] Made out of 100% pure natural fibers. Affordable. Safe. Handwoven by skilled weavers. Supports small-scale artisans and weavers. Supports local economy. Have a very low environmental impact. [find out more details here]

Soul strives to support local and fair-trade practices, small-scale artisans and weavers by working closely with cooperatives and non-profit organizations. All our baby carriers are locally produced, using local materials as we support our local economy. All our slings are hand stitched by local experts who have many years of experience. We try our best to make sure our business practices are eco-friendly is all possible ways.

Soul is a family run initiative based in Bangalore, India that aims to spread and share the babywearing love to all parents worldwide. It is co-managed by Chinmayie and Ravindra, a homeschooling, cloth diapering, attachment parenting, co-sleeping, babywearing and breastfeeding family of 4.

I asked Chinmayie how life is running a business and raising a family, "It hasn't been easy at all! I started Soul when my son was around 5 months old. I already had a 5 year old daughter who is homeschooled. We all know the kind of time and energy required for a start up. It was challenging to say the least. I think it helped a lot that I loved what I do so much. It is a product that I personally used everyday and is very close to my heart. I knew that Soul was touching many lives of mothers like me. I was happy that I could share the joys of babywearing with others. It helped that I have a wonderful, very supportive family. I have great help/support system. Recently my husband also joined me and now we both run Soul together. That has been a fantastic decision because we all get to spend a lot of time together as a family now that we work together. I am very happy that I have a flexible schedule and a work space where I can take my kids along!"

please shop small. 

when giving or buying for yourself, its always smart to shop small and support creatives. this section of the blog "small shopper" was created to promote shops & companies run independently by: artists, makers, designers, builders, mothers, fathers & families because they are extremely important. 

small shopper / mermapillar organics

Meet Alice and her son Felix behind Mermapillar Organics. 

This mama makes these lovely critters by hand in her home in Minneapolis, MN.

"I used to draw animals on the bills of regular customers I had when I was serving at a Minneapolis diner/bar in my mid 20's. Some of the customers would build up quite the collection! I liked to draw animals that were always a bit nervous, because for whatever reason I just think it's funnier and a little quirkier. Over time this turned into a business that included baby clothes, but now just the pillows (and soon art prints!)

The name came from one of my best friends who likes to give me a hard time, in a loving way of course, about my non anatomically correct creatures. I had drawn a "shrimp" at the restaurant that day, and when she saw it later she said it looked more like a Mermapillar - a caterpillar with a mermaid tail. The word stuck in my head, and I decided to use it since it seemed to fit with the quirkiness of the critters.

It's good for me to have a creative outlet while mainly staying home with Felix. I love to see how he reacts to the things I make or put in his room. It's probably the most satisfying part of it, when he smiles and laughs and wants to play with the pillows. Other than juggling when I have time to sew or design, which is a lot less now, he's my biggest inspiration. It's great to see what animals and books he gravitates to (right now dogs) and it's nice having a little sidekick to take to the post office!" 

These plush animals make a great gift for a nursery or new baby. They are playful with bright colors. Her materials are organic cotton, soy based inks, and non allergenic polyfil. 

enter promo code GREYBOY10 for a special 10% off discount

[mermapillar organics shop]

you can also find them on instagram @mermapillar

these art prints will be coming soon to the etsy shop

you know the french bulldog is obviously our favorite. lincoln thinks he looks just like prince. 

can't wait to meet our mermapillar pup, he will look super cute in lincoln's room.

what i love most about these plush, is that they have a back side too!

please shop small.

when giving or buying for yourself, its always smart to shop small and support creatives. this section of the blog "small shopper" was created to promote shops & companies run independently by: artists, makers, designers, builders, mothers, fathers & families because they are extremely important. 

small shopper / mister alphabet

as a mother and a teacher, i am always searching for innovative ideas and tools for learning. lincoln's at the age now where he is just starting to learn numbers and letters. mister alphabet is such a great way to get my son to learn and play, and can i mention what a well designed mister this is!

mister alphabet is a figurine designed to bend into every letter of the alphabet. he was created to bring the alphabet to life through innovative interplay of figuration and letter formation, uniting adults with children and design with education. based in los angeles, mister alphabet is proudly made in the USA.

mister alphabet is an original "hands on" approach to learning. the functionality of the figurine is directed toward education, yet allows for a personal, creative experience. although art and education are at the core of mister alphabet, he remains a design object of discovery and play for all ages. 

get yourself over to [kickstarter] to get yourself one of these rad little guys.

"L" is for Lincoln

and "J" will baby #2.. 

can you take a guess at the name? (yes we have already chosen it!)

greyboy's tiny winter 2015 collection

greyboy is excited to announce new handmade items in the shop. its our "tiny winter" collection. (probably "fashionably late" for a winter collection- but thats how things tend to happen around here) i plan on adding more and more as i have the time to design, produce, photograph, and post. juggling work, motherhood, and the desire to create can be challenging. but i always enjoy that moment when it all comes together. 

someone's half birthday is today and we are super excited to celebrate 18 months!

[shop] today and save 10% off all items with promo code: HALFBDAY (ends at midnight)

[tiny winter 2015 collection]            

a special thanks to my lovely model, who only charges me in food and clothing samples.

also- i love looking back at the [summer in the city 2014 lookbook]

my sweet boy has grown so much since then.

small shopper / summer in the city

[the red balloon co]
1940 n damen ave, chicago (bucktown)
5407 n clark st, chicago (andersonville)


here you will find, vintage visual displays and clothes that lay on and hang from antique furniture. the red balloon sells everything you need for a newborn up to age 16. clothes, shoes, accessories, an amazing book selection, vintage furniture, vintage toys, games.. etc. my favorite part about the red balloon is their amazing selection of boys clothes. its equally as large as their girl clothes.. which is a huge deal for mama's with sons! they also sell [city threads], who makes an awesome [initial tee] that is only sold at the red balloon. they take it back old school but are also on top of all the new trends.

head over their bucktown location today for a sidewalk chalk contest!

 

[egg baby - swim trunk] ahh! i've been looking for a plain but cute bathing suit for lincoln for a while now. i love the european look haha. and we got to try these out at the beach. egg baby has been a favorite of mine for a while now, and luckily red balloon is always carrying them!

small shopper / etsy sunday - nursery edition

[etsy]

switching it up a little bit, and taking you to the inter web. i do love how much shopping i've been doing on foot, but i think certain online shops need some attention for being totally awesome! below are 6 shops that i've put together to "curate" a nursery. (can you tell i'm into triangles?)

i've chosen my favorites from each designer. 

click any image and it will take you right to their shop! happy sunday!

small shopper / memorial day weekend sale & giveaway

[maya papaya & tony macarony]

1917 central st, evanston 

if george of the jungle had offspring, they would totally love to shop here. monkey business aside, this store has such a fun atmosphere. there are palm trees that go up to the ceiling and brightly colored walls. you will find toys, games, clothes, shoes, kid jewelry and accessories.. but the best part is they sell so many local designers and all their merchandise can be found on their online store.


20% off sale for memorial day weekend! online discount code: SUNSHINE
[shop online: maya papaya & tony macarony]