What child doesn’t love a fort? A blanket spread across a couple of chairs or a bush in the backyard is transformed into a play wonderland whose only constraints are a child’s imagination. As a parent helping a child put together his or her dream world, you may at times have been frustrated by the too heavy blanket that makes the chair topple over or the wind that carries the sheet away again and again. Or perhaps
you’ve leaned towards the pre-made fort options with their tents and attaching tunnels only to find the setup too long, the space lost in a room too great, the durability of the fort too weak and the opportunity for creative play too limited. Have no fear - Fortamajig is here! Read the rest »

Are you forever on a quest to find for unique clothing for your child to fit her free spirit? Do you find yourself drawn to vintage, whimsical and brightly colored looks in the finest fabrics? Are heirloom quality and craftsmanship an important part of what you look for in clothing? If so, Heather Flottmann, designer and owner of Liliputians NYC has a treat in store for you. Read the rest »

Looking for a fun and stylish bag to carry your essentials, whatever they may be? Lexie Barnes has you covered. With a collection ranging from laptop bags, gym and diaper carryalls to knitting, craft and yoga totes, if you have something to carry, Lexie Barnes has a chic way to tote it. Plus, all of her bags are water resistent and easy-to-clean - a requirement for Clever Parents who are never too far from a set or two of sticky fingers. Read the rest »

Did you know that it takes approximately 1,000 years for a single plastic grocery bag to biodegrade in a landfill?

Here’s an easy way to help the environment and send a gentle message in the process. Pick up a few heavy duty canvas ‘Paper, Plastic or ME?’ re-useable bags and help do your part the next time you’re grocery shopping. The bags measure 16″ high by 18″ wide and hold approximately as much food items as three regular sized plastic grocery bags. Read the rest »

Frustrated by the lack of healthy, good tasting prepared snacks for their kids, Mark and Maureen Hotchkiss started experimenting with energy bar recipes in their own kitchen to come up with something to send in with their kids’ school lunches. Finding a winning recipe in their ‘Propeller Bar’ recipe, the Hotchkisses branched out and whipped up healthy and good tasting options for more of their favorite baked goods. “We then began experimenting with other favorite baked goods like chocolate chip cookies, brownies, oatmeal raisin cookies, sugar cookies, banana bread and even pancakes,” say the Hotchkisses. “We kept at it until we came up with tastes and textures our kids liked while maintaining the nutrition and health goals we were after.” Read the rest »

Watch Geralin Thomas of Metropolitan Organizing share tips for saying no to the constant stream of requests for your time without burning bridges. The Danger Rangers make safety a fun topic for kids. Plus, Kids Central Kitchen makes healthy and delicious snacks for kids that they can make!

See Vidcast #33 on Clever Parents TV. Read the rest »

Twenty seven years ago new mom Sallie Broach started a clothing business out of her home. With a couple of sewing machines and herself a skilled seamstress, she designed each season’s collection, cut the fabric, did much of the sewing and all of the applique work with the help of one assistant. The result? Beautiful, classic and custom children’s clothing.

The backbone of the company, Just Ducky Originals, was then and continues to be the home show division. “We were possibly the first children’s home show company,” says Sallie. “Now there are lots of competitors, but in 1980 it was a fairly novel idea for children’s clothing.” Read the rest »