“Local kids' clothing co. gets $10K for Office 2010 ... - Seattle Post Intelligencer” plus 3 more

Local kids' clothing co. gets $10K for Office 2010 ... - Seattle Post Intelligencer
Kids have keen fashion sense when it comes to shopping - Vancouver Sun
Schools’ agreement leads to changes for Kids, Inc. - Crossville Chronicle
LikeWear Seeks Entrepreneurial Moms Who Want A Piece of The Multi ... - PRWeb

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Local kids' clothing co. gets $10K for Office 2010 ... - Seattle Post Intelligencer

Posted: 13 May 2010 10:09 AM PDT

Binh Nguyen beat out a dancing janitor and a "The Office" homage to win Microsoft's $10,000 prize in a contest for making viral videos about Office 2010.

His video (posted below) takes the viewer back to 1992, when he founded his kids' clothing business, Questkids Clothing, in Seattle. Back then, Nguyen struggled to keep organized and meet deadlines, but he says Microsoft Office now keeps his shop running smoothly.

Microsoft and the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce held the contest as a promotion for Office 2010, which was released to businesses Wednesday. Nguyen's video was among the three finalists announced last week – the others were 4th Avenue Media and Thinkspace.

Seattle magician Nash Fung, of Nash Fung Entertainment, also won $1,000 for submitting the best foreign language video. A local self-employed photographer, Inti St. Clair, won another $1,000 for best video by a woman-owned business. Fung's and St. Clair's videos are also posted below.

Microsoft said there were 33 entrants to the contest. Companies had to be based in Washington and had to have seven or fewer full-time employees. More info here.

Questkids Clothing

Nash Fung Entertainment

Inti St. Clair Inc.

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Kids have keen fashion sense when it comes to shopping - Vancouver Sun

Posted: 13 May 2010 08:57 AM PDT

Time was, little kids wore what their parents put them in. These days, even kindergartners are right on top of each season's trends and guiding use of the parental wallet.

"I can tell you one of my employees has six-and four-year-old daughters," Kevin Meloche, Zellers' general merchandise manager for children's wear, said in an interview. "She had to meet them at the mall yesterday.

"They have an opinion. They were walking by, and one little girl saw these rubber rainboots -- chocolate brown and pink polka-dots -- grabbed them and had to have these, and she's six. That's real young," Meloche said. In case you are among the uninitiated, chocolate brown and pink is as hot as you can get.

Wired kids have up-to-the-minute knowledge of the trends and are more fickle than ever, Meloche said. As a merchandiser, there is no room for error.

"You better have the right trend on the floor, because if you don't, it's not going to sell," he said.

While adult runway fashions used to take a year to appear in the children's market, they are now appearing in the same season, he said.

This spring, think '60s love, peace and flower power mixed in with '80s high colour penetration. Think citrus bright, acid-washed and tie-dye, he said.

"The graphics are '80s-inspired. They are vibrant; they are bright ... In girls it's all about butterflies and small floral prints. Lots of peace signs."

You'll see colourful leggings beneath casual tunics reminiscent of the movie Flashdance, and plenty of that aforementioned brown and pink, Meloche predicted.

Boys' clothing is all about extreme graphics with skulls and crossbones, iron crosses and eagles. It's a skateboarder feel, Meloche explained. Even the polo shirts have extreme graphics across the shoulder or on the bottom of the shirt.

Also big this spring is nautical styling -- wide-legged sailor pants, with a crisp red, white and blue colour palette, said Stefanie Missler, an owner of Dandelion Kids in Vancouver and Port Moody.

Vans has created a boat shoe with a "cooler, skateboard-y thing going on. It's got lacing and is in navy," Missler said. "The traditional deck shoes are the domain of preppy teenagers. This is a bit edgier and not as literal. It has a thicker sole and the tread is really flat.

"We're seeing lots of jumpsuits, which I love," Missler said. "We have one in particular, with beehiving and balloony pants. It's a voluminous and comfy, funky little outfit they can still climb trees in for ages one to nine years."

For girls, she's seeing little tunics with tiered ruffles in small floral prints and punchy '80s colours.

At the top end, Laura Spencelayh, manager of Babes on Fourth said Burberry is their most popular line this season.

"I think it's because there's a real big trend of parents wanting to show off their kids," Spencelayh said.

"It's only our second season with Burberry, and we are just amazed at how popular it is. It's a very traditional, classic look. . . . We have a fabulous white, yoked girl's raincoat ($300). It's one of those you could buy now, put your kids in it and save it for your grandkids."

Other popular items this season are, for girls, polo tops with puff sleeves in the traditional Burberry plaid with white Bermuda shorts, and for boys, black cuffed shorts in both Hugo Boss and Burberry with orange, blue, red or white polo shirts.

Babywear reflects trends in children's wear, said Lisa Malcic of Beba Bean, which sells baby gifts and apparel in Coquitlam. Pantone, the colour company, has chosen turquoise as its colour for spring-summer 2010. In baby wear, it translates into soft turquoise, and for tweens, it's almost fluorescent.

Lisa Will of Stonz children's outdoor wear, which makes its product at Venables and Commercial in Vancouver, said plaids are so big she's had trouble finding them for her boots. Parents might choose conservative tans for themselves, but they are adventurous with kids' clothing.

"Dark brown with dusty rose or denim blue is still our bestseller," Will said. "Brown with lime green is also hot."

Vancouver Sun

jennylee@vancouversun.com

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Schools’ agreement leads to changes for Kids, Inc. - Crossville Chronicle

Posted: 13 May 2010 05:15 AM PDT

May 13, 2010

Schools' agreement leads to changes for Kids, Inc.

By Heather Mullinix Assistant editor

CROSSVILLE — The move to offer services to children with developmental delays or physical disabilities through the Cumberland County School System has Kids, Incorporated looking at how it will best be able to serve the community in the future.

Ronnie Webb, executive director of Kids, Inc., said he is seeking grant funding to offer occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy through the agency.

"I have two pediatric occupational therapists, two pediatric physical therapists and a speech pathologist who provide services through this building," Webb said. "That's unheard of outside a major metropolitan area.

"I feel that's a real asset, not only for Cumberland County, but the whole region. We have families that come here from Fentress, Morgan and Bledsoe counties to receive services they would either not receive or have to drive to Knoxville or Nashville."

Kids, Inc. currently serves about 48 children in Cumberland and Fentress counties that have disabilities or developmental delays. Those children range in age from birth to age three and receive services at the Kids, Inc. center on Dayton Ave., or in their home. At age three, those children begin receiving services through the county school systems.

Last month, the Cumberland County Board of Education approved a contract with the Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS) to begin offering those services earlier, starting at age 18 months.

Jamie Kirlpatrick, director of the office of early childhood in the Tennessee Department of Education, said there are resources available through part-time staff and vendors to serve children from birth to age 18 months.

"Many states provide services through local education associations beginning at birth," he said. "Schools are recognized community resources and we are leaning on a resource that's already strong to serve these individuals."

The pilot program has also been approved in Fentress County. As part of the agreement, TEIS has agreed to fully fund staffing for the program and cover all start-up costs, including the cost of a modular building to house the program, playground equipment, classroom supplies and furnishings. All of the equipment will become assets of the school system.

In a previous meeting with the BOE, Keena Inman, director of special education, told the board TEIS proposed serving an average daily enrollment of 20 children for group care, with the group divided into morning and afternoon groups. Kilpatrick said specific days and hours of care would be determined according to the child's specific needs. Inman has proposed combining the program with the Baby Birds daycare program at the Phoenix School to offer an inclusive environment, and allow for direct supervision by herself and Phoenix Principal Rocky Zazzarro.

Kids, Inc. was chartered in 1975 following Project Outreach, a program sponsored by the Cumberland County Mental Health Association to provide counseling services to Cumberland County families with at least one child under the age of six with any problem considered detrimental to the mental health and general development of the children.

In 1975, families with disabled children would have to drive to a metropolitan area to receive services and therapy for their child, usually allowing for about one visit a month. A center-based program was formed to provide counseling, developmental training, therapy and respite care on a daily basis.

At one time, Kids, Inc. served children in Cumberland, Fentress, Putnam and Jackson counties. The Putnam Kids later joined with the Pacesetters program in that county, and the Jackson County program was dissolved.

Webb said Kids, Incorporated had offered children all-day services for five days a week.

"I felt we offered a full service to that parent instead of a band-aid," Webb said, noting Kids, Inc. often worked with families to assess difficulties in housing, transportation, clothing, food and medication expenses.

"We embraced the global family," he said.

Webb has contacted parents of children served by Kids, Inc. to let them know it will most likely not be able to provide services after July 1. Kilpatrick said the school system would be coordinating group and individual meetings with affected parents in the coming weeks.

Webb said he was pleased the Cumberland County School System was selected for the pilot program, and that they involved him in the discussion.

"I felt it would be short-sighted to be turf protective and have Cumberland County miss the opportunity to take advantage of the stimulus monies," Webb said. "They'll have a state-of-the-art playground, all new equipment and several thousands of dollars in assets."

Webb hopes members of his staff will find employment in the school system's program.

"All of my staff are highly trained. I have three teachers that have been here more than 25 years. Any child with a disability who comes in for services, they basically know what they need to do for that child," Webb said.

Webb looked back on the 34 years of Kids, Inc. and thanked the community for its years of support.

"It would not have been possible without the support of the community," Webb said, noting state funding supplied only about 60 percent of the agency's annual budget. "Without that support, we would not have made it anywhere near as long.

"I think Kids has been a noble service for many years to many families, and I'm proud of what we've done and the services we have been able to provide. I hope the school system takes up the banner and provide a full array of complete services to our families."

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

LikeWear Seeks Entrepreneurial Moms Who Want A Piece of The Multi ... - PRWeb

Posted: 06 May 2010 06:28 AM PDT

LikeWear, the only direct sales company dedicated to selling licensed apparel and accessories, is seeking entrepreneurial moms interested in having their own home based business. With licensing deals in place with General Mills, Honda, Tootsie Roll Industries and Topps, LikeWear offers the "average mom" a business opportunity that until now has been reserved for major apparel companies and large retail and department stores.

Livingston, NJ (PRWEB) May 6, 2010 -- LikeWear®, a unique fusion of a casual boutique children's clothing line and a party plan direct sales company, recently emerged from its soft launch and is seeking moms interested in having their own home based business selling licensed apparel and accessories.

As the first and only company to focus on selling officially licensed products through direct sales, LikeWear offers merchandise that is unique to the party plan business. Yet, unlike many other items sold at home parties, LikeWear products don't require much demonstration because their designs feature family friendly, well-known brands like Lucky Charms®, Tootsie Roll®, Dots®, Honda®, the Pillsbury Doughboy® and many others.

"I always knew it was a big idea and I'm excited to offer other moms a way to earn extra money selling clothing and accessories featuring major, national brands. What once was the province of a select few apparel companies and national retail chains, is now a viable business opportunity for entrepreneurial moms." says Lisa Gold, LikeWear Founder and CEO. "Moms innately have the skills required to sell kids clothing. They know what their kids like, they're a good judge of quality and sizing, and they have a huge social network in place thanks to their children's school and social activities."

In addition to a targeted online media campaign, the Company has tapped into the expertise of Maria Bailey – the "creator of the Marketing to Mom industry" and her company BSM Media to help get the word out to leading mom influencers and bloggers. "I love that LikeWear is a mom-created company designed to help other moms," says Bailey. "They definitely offer one of the most unique home based work opportunities available today."

As part of its national expansion, LikeWear has just introduced a new compensation plan which pays generous commissions on product sales and also encourages and rewards LikeWear business owners to build a team and help other moms to have their own business.

LikeWear® is a Livingston, NJ-based company that is a modern day fusion of a high quality, boutique children's clothing line and a party plan direct sales company. We provide a turnkey, home based business selling casual clothing featuring images of favorite brands and other cool stuff people like to wear. LikeWear is a proud member of the Direct Selling Association. Please visit us at http://www.likewear.com to learn more.

General Mills, Lucky Charms and the Pillsbury Doughboy are trademarks of General Mills, Inc. TMs used under license. HONDA, the Wing® logo, Honda vehicle model names and their trade dress are trademarks of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. used under license from American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Tootsie Roll and Dots are trademarks of Tootsie Roll Industries, LLC. Trademarks used under license from Tootsie Roll Industries, LLC. Topps is a trademark of The Topps Company. TMs used under license. LikeWear, the LikeWear logo, WEAR WHAT YOU LIKE and the LikeWear Smiley Icon are registered trademarks of LikeWear LLC.

# # #

Post Comment:
Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/SW5zZS1TdW1tLUZhbHUtUGlnZy1TdW1tLVBpZ2ctWmVybw==

Kids Clothing

Thursday, May 13, 2010