ML Interest Tag: burp-cloths

New & Natural: Sprout San Francisco in Brooklyn

by Anna Knoebel

Don’t let the name fool you: Sprout San Francisco just opened its newest location and it’s in baby-booming Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. The West Coast transplant (which you may already know from its Upper East Side store) is committed to bringing its customers the best — and best looking — in all things organic and natural for kids. (Need a non-toxic toy phone made of sustainable rubberwood? Yeah, they’ve got that.)

The Dirt on Sprout
Located across the street from the neighborhood’s popular Carroll Park (and next door to an outpost of mega play space chain Kidville) Sprout is in the heart of this family-centric area. No doubt like many of the apartments nearby, the well-lit space is longer than it is wide, and features walls of exposed brick and a pleasing pale blue. Little extras that help make shopping at Sprout that much easier include a DucDuc play table at the back of the store to amuse the kids while you shop, and a customer bathroom. (Thank you, Sprout. You understand.)

What Grows There
Essentials for the sleep-deprived parents of Sprout’s youngest clientele are conveniently located near the register. Everything from organic formula, diapers and snacks, to organic onesies, burp cloths and binkies are well positioned for grab-and-go shopping.

Elsewhere in the store you’ll find organic toys, big kid clothes and, in a large back room, cribs, changing tables and strollers from makers including Ducduc, Clek and Noona. All the furniture is sustainably produced and painted with non-toxic dyes, and some of the gear is pretty hard to find anywhere else. (Take the Bumbleride jogging stroller for instance, which has been selling daily since the Brooklyn store opened its doors two weeks ago.)

In addition to selling many well known natural and organic brands such as Oeuf and Tane, Sprout’s Brooklyn branch also stocks a bevy of designers based in the borough including Williamsburg’s Agatha Cub and Brooklyn Animal.

Overall, you can expect a stylish, well made, nicely curated collection at Sprout, as well as prices comparable to what you’ll find at similar fashionable children’s boutiques. (But you already know small batch organic cotton onesies don’t come cheap.)

More Than Just a Store
Sprout’s Upper East Side location is popular not only for its goods, but its sense of community. (The Manhattan store hosts various events and classes for parents and kids on topics such as music, yoga and childhood development.) The Brooklyn shop plans to develop a similar schedule of happenings, specifically catering to the needs and desires of the community’s families.

photo: Sprout San Francisco

Grand Opening
On Saturday, October 18, the store will host a grand opening party open to all, from 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. The celebration will include special events throughout the day, including a musical set from “Rockin’ with Andy,” a familiar face at the Third Avenue location. If you’re in the neighborhood, swing by and tell the staff what kinds of classes and events you’d like to see at the store — they want to know!

Sprout San Francisco, A Natural & Organic Children’s Boutique
376 Court St. between President and Carroll St.
Carroll Gardens
718-488-8200
Open Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. & holidays, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Online: www.sproutsanfrancisco.com
 
— Anna Knoebel
 
Do you have a go-to store for all your organic goodies? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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Unzipped: Jessica Alba’s Can’t-Live-Without Summer Travel Gear

by Erin Lem

What’s not to love about Jessica Alba? She’s the co-founder of The Honest Company, one of our go-to resources for eco-friendly and affordable diapers and goods, she’s kicked butt in some of our fave flicks like “Fantastic Four” and “Little Fockers” and she’s a mom we’d totally want to be friends with on the playground. While we’re the first to admit that our admiration for Jessica sometimes borders on envy (who wouldn’t kill for her sweet wardrobe?), we couldn’t help but be totally thrilled that she took the time to sit down with Red Tricycle to dish on her must-have summer travel essentials. So while we can’t all be BFF’s with Jessica, we sure can travel like her.

Red Tricycle: Besides taking a big dose of patience medicine (and maybe a stiff drink when you get on the plane) do you have any advice for parents travelling with kids through the airport?

Jessica Alba: Traveling through the airport with kids and who knows how many carry-ons is a constant juggle, so I am a big fan of using the multi-purpose car seat/stroller combo. I used it to death with Honor! Airplanes can be chilly and uncomfortable, so Honor and I love staying cozy with the Nuddle Blanket. I swear it’s the best blanket ever because you can tuck your feet into a pocket, slip your arms through open coverings, and fold it into a compact square when you need to pack up.

RT: What are some of your fave Honest Company goods that you can’t live without when travelling with Honor and Haven?

JA: When I travel, I never leave home without Honest hand sanitizer, wipes, healing balm, and lotion. Our trial kit has perfect travel-sized bottles and laundry detergent, which is great for throwing in the sink to do some last minute washing when your kids soil their clothes. The healing balm mixed with the lotion is the BEST moisturizer ever, which is incredibly useful when traveling as airplanes and hotels tend to dehydrate.

RT: We’re all guilty of entertaining our kids with the iPhone or iPad. Are you in our same boat? Any iPad or iPhone gear you always travel with?

JA: Honor has a great set of headphones from Pottery Barn Kids that I really like because the cord is adjustable in length, it doesn’t get tangled up when using an iPad, and can be extended to watch a DVD on the computer so she’s not too close to the screen. Useful tip from my business partner and friend Christopher Gavigan: When children use your smart phone or iPad always put on airplane mode even when you’re not flying because it is supposed to decrease emitted radiation.

RT: Do you let your kids indulge in airline food or do you opt for a healthier brown-bag alternative?

JA: Airlines aren’t known for their tasty or kid-friendly food options, so we pack our own. Lunch Skins reusable baggies are great for snacks like raw carrots, broccoli, and a homemade almond, dried cranberry, and granola mix. We bring meals in a stainless steel bento ECOLunchbox, usually a sandwich and sliced fruit. And Honest Kids drinks are our fave to travel with.

RT: You must travel a lot with your littlest one, Haven. Do you have any advice for parents travelling with kids who are still noshing on the baby food?

JA: I like to make Haven homemade baby food, but it’s tricky to travel with because it’s perishable. So, I’m still able to feed it to her on our trip out by packing the food in serving-sized glass containers (which I can wash for later use) and carrying them in an insulated bag. When I can’t make Haven’s food, I use Plum Organics for solids. It’s great that eating healthy and organic has become so easy and convenient.

RT: If you had to name one must-have baby travel toy, what would it be?

JA: Don’t forget your keys at home…stainless steel teething keys, that is. This is a simple baby toy I can attach with a pacifier clip that Haven loves to chew on, jingle like a rattle, and grab in her car seat or stroller.

RT: Most summer trips will find us staying in a jam-packed hotel room with the fam. Any advice on what’s in your suitcase when packing for a hotel stay?

JA: When we travel from city to city and hotel to hotel, I think it’s important to make it feel as homey as possible for the girls. So, I always pack familiar things like Honor’s favorite books, dress-up clothes, dollies, and the burp cloths she still snuggles for comfort, Haven’s dolly and lovey, and an assortment of other favorite toys. To keep things from getting lost once there, I pack a 3 Sprouts collapsible canvas storage bin that keeps the kids organized and makes it look like our play space at home.

JA: We want the girls to sleep as soundly and safely in the hotel as they do at home, so we pack organic sheets for the hotel crib (two just in case there is an accident), dress them in their fave pajamas—Kicky Pants bamboo pajamas for Honor and Halo Organic Cotton SleepSacks for Haven, use a cold-air humidifier borrowed from the hotel, and help them have sweet dreams with the Cloud B Sleep Sheep sound machine.

Thanks to Jessica Alba for unzipping her suitcase for us! And, if you love the Honest Company as much as we do, then you have to check out their brand spankin’ new store by clicking here.

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