Introducing the Pacific Rim Woodworking Maple Crib

We're pleased to announce the newest addition to our store--the solid maple crib from Pacific Rim Woodworking. This is the first crib we've ever stocked, so we wanted to offer the best available. Made in Eugene, Oregon, it's made from FSC-certified maple. We think it's the greenest crib on the market. And, the quality of workmanship and finish is exceptional.

This crib is fully compatible with our EcoBaby and Naturpedic organic mattresses or any other standard mattress.

We're stocking a version with 2 fixed sides for extra security, which we aim to always have in stock. We can also ship anywhere in the lower 48 states, which takes 6-8 weeks for delivery.

Happy Earth Day!

We have 50 Eco Recycling Games and great reusable canvas shopping bags to give away on Earth Day, April 22. Both are courtesy of Plan Toys, which is one of the greenest toy companies in the world.

So, stop in early on Thursday and help us celebrate Earth Day!

Welcome to the Neighborhood: Egg|Plant Urban Farm Supply

Our very good family friends Audrey Matson and Bob Lies are opening an urban homesteading store called Egg|Plant on Selby Avenue 1 block east of Fairview (about 4 blocks west of Snelling).

Their official opening is tomorrow, April 1 (no fooling!), and they're all stocked up with an amazing selection of gardening supplies, heritage seeds, plants, composters, planters, implements, books, and backyard chicken supplies. Audrey knows her stuff, too--she's the one who turned us on to raising chickens a couple of years ago.

It's been really fun watching Bob and Audrey plan Egg|Plant and make it a reality.

So, before you put in your garden in this year, stop in and check out Egg|Plant. We think it's destined to be another great independent store that makes St. Paul such a great place to live!

Above, a few preview photos of Egg|Plant as Audrey and Bob and their kids (and a few of ours) prepare for opening day.

The BabyHawk Oh SNAP! Structured Baby Carrier

We recently added this new soft structured carrier from BabyHawk called the Oh SNAP! It's a great carrier for older babies and toddlers and can be worn on the front or the back.

It's similar to our long-time favorite the Ergo, but it has a fold-down head support panel instead of a hood and a wider center panel. Like the Ergo, it has a wide padded waist belt, padded sholder pads, and an adjustable chest strap. Unlike the Ergo, BabyHawk doesn't (as yet) make an infant insert to accomodate small babies--it's intended only for babies 15lbs or larger.

We love BabyHawk's sense of style and we get new fabric combinations every time we order. We also love the fact that they're made in the USA. Stop in a and try one on with your baby!

New in Store: Simple Eco-Friendly Toddler Shoes

We just got in our spring supply of toddler shoes from Simple. These are sturdy and wide little shoes made from certified organic cotton, hemp, and natural and recycled rubber. Even the laces are green -- made from recycled soda bottles. We're stocking size 4-10 in both boyish and girlish styles, but they might not last long since we didn't order a huge amount. If you need a pair of super-green puddle jumpers, stop in soon!

Announcing the Peapods Cloth Diaper Bottom Line Savings Program

Get rewards for building your cloth diaper stash!

We know that as your baby grows, her cloth diapering needs will evolve. And, we’d like to help you out each step of the way. From newborns to toddler, from prefolds to training pants, we’d like to reward you for coming back to us for all your cloth diapering supplies.

If you sign up for our free Bottom Line Saver’s program, we’ll keep track of your cloth diaper purchases for you—there’ll be no special card to carry. Then, spend $200 on cloth diaper supplies with us, we’ll give you $15 in store credit for your next purchase that you can use on anything in the store.

Every cloth diaper, diaper cover, or pocket diaper you buy adds to your rewards total. Save up and spend your rewards on a new toy, some great kids’ music, or… some more cloth diapers!

Simply stop into our store and sign up when you make your next purchase. Or, email orders@peapods.com with your name, address, and phone number and we'll add you to our system. No cost, no obligation. As one of our employees said, "There's really no reason not to do this."

Review of the NY International Toy Fair

From Dan: Earlier this week, Millie and I flew to NYC to attend the NY International Toy Fair. Honestly, we had a lot of fun. In addition to the fair, we met up with other businesses owners members of both the Handmade Toy Alliance and the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association. We also got the chance to shop lots of Manhattan stores, from haute baby boutiques to FAO Schwatrz.

The best news from our trip is that we found lots of great new toys, which we'll be telling you all about as they arrive throughout the year. It seemed like there were a lot more new products on display than there were last year, which seems like a very good sign for everybody.

If there was one product that defined this year's fair, it would have to be mechanical toy animals--in particular hamsters. Yes, expect small armies of Zhu Zhu Pet knockoffs to invade malls everywhere in the coming year. The weirdest thing we saw was probably fake fingernails for little girls. Or maybe it was a product that turned bathwater into something like Jell-o.

The coolest thing we saw was...well, we'll let you know when they arrive. Stay tuned! In the meantime, check out Rocketboom's review of Toy Fair--it provides a good sense of the experience, especially if you keep in mind that the whole things takes the space of about a dozen football fields.