Local Business

In this special "Earth Week" guest post, Melissa Hereford, Marin mompreneur and owner of Marin Kids and Maternity Consignment in San Rafael, offers a few reasons why buying gently used items (and selling or donating yours) is good not only for the wallet but for the environment, too.

Her motto is "Saving the earth, one outfit at a time," and she takes the idea seriously!

As we approach another Earth Day, we find ourselves focusing more and more on the recycling movement with our children, the future of the planet, and the limited space in our landfills in mind! Buying gently worn and gently used items is not only about saving money. That is a wonderful aspect of the practice, but it seems to be ever more important to reduce all the waste inherent in both manufacturing and retail. For example, when you buy gently used items, you:

Help Old Navy support Novato's schools! The Old Navy store in Novato is accepting donations of all sorts of school supplies to give to cash strapped Novato schools. Bring in any new school supply from now through March 15, and Old Navy will give you a 30% off coupon for a purchase made between March 12 and March 15.

It's a worthwhile way to help out the schools and save some money on those clothes your kids seem to grow out of every six weeks or so.

Maternity Xchange is a mobile maternity shop that offers discounted brand-name and designer maternity clothing. They'll be be at the Strawberry Recreation Center in Mill Valley on Saturday, February 7, from 11 am to 4 pm. You'll find a great selection of both new and consignment merchandise from brands including Gap, Mimi Maternity, A Pea in the Pod, Diane von Furstenberg, Japanese Weekend, Olian, Seven for all Mankind, Juliet Dream, Chaiken, A-Wish, 2Chix, Earl Jeans, and more. If you're a new mom, bring in your like-new designer maternity wear and receive 50% of the selling price.

Mention Marin Mommies at the event and save 20% off any one item!

The Strawberry Recreation Center is located at 118 East Strawberry Drive in Mill Valley. For more info about Maternity Xchange, go to www.maternityxchange.com.

Still looking for a great holiday gift for a special child? Want to find something out of the ordinary, with perhaps a touch of artiness? Look no further than your local museum store! Here in the Bay Area, we have a number of fine cultural institutions that not only can help enrich our lives with art, history, and science, but provide for great shopping as well. Museum stores carry great gift items for both children and adults that often are exclusive to the stores or inspired by and related to the museum's focus and collections.

Don't have time for a day at the museum? Don't fret—most of the time, you can shop at a museum store without having to pay museum admission. Better still, if you're a member of the museum, you usually receive a discount on your store purchases. Here are a few of our favorite local museum stores:

Sometimes getting kids to communicate their feelings can be difficult, but Kimochis, a new line of stuffed toys created by a group of Marin mompreneurs in San Anselmo, are here to help. Kimochi (which means "feeling" in Japanese) toys are cute and huggable characters that come with a set of feelings inside—little dolls that represent feelings like jealous, grateful, shy, happy, and brave. These feelings and the Kimochi characters assist children, parents, and teachers in discussing their feelings, becoming better communicators, and cultivating confidence and character.

Our Kimochi, Bug (an adorable caterpillar with a hidden pair of butterfly wings), was an instant hit with our three-year-old daughter, who insists on carrying it with her just about every place. The different feelings that came with Bug all store in a handy pouch on his tummy, where they can be stored and then pulled out to play with and of course communicate about the feelings they represent. Overall it's a really appealing and well made toy. We're definitely happy to make room for Bug in our home!

Sadly, we received an email today from San Anselmo's Playdate Café stating that they are closing indefinitely. Another victim of the credit crunch and economic downturn, their doors are shutting as of today, December 8, 2008. Their website will remain up and running at www.playdate-cafe.com.

We'll definitely miss Playdate Café and all the great events they hosted for families. This past November saw the closing of another mom-run small business and similar indoor playspace, Playtime Safari in Novato. It's a shame, because both of these businesses were great resources for Bay Area parents and children. We're sorry to see them go. There's the possibility that Playdate Café may only close temporarily, so we certainly would love to see them open again soon.

Two Marin companies, both started by mompreneurs, have partnered to help your school become waste-free and raise money at the same time. What's Cooking and Fabkins will bring a variety of waste-free products, such as SIGG bottles, Klean Kanteens, wrap-n-mats, lunch totes, BYO Bags and Fabkins kids' cloth napkins, and sell them at your San Francisco Bay Area school during drop-off, pick up, or anytime convenient for you.  They will donate a percentage of the total pre-tax revenue from the sale. You can also extend the sale to families online for a limited time.

Maternity Xchange is a mobile maternity shop that offers discounted brand-name and designer maternity clothing. They'll be be at the Strawberry Recreation Center in Mill Valley on Saturday, November 1, from 11 am to 4 pm. You'll find a great selection of both new and consignment merchandise from brands including Gap, Mimi Maternity, A Pea in the Pod, Diane von Furstenberg, Japanese Weekend, Olian, Seven for all Mankind, Juliet Dream, Chaiken, A-Wish, 2Chix, Earl Jeans, and more. If you're a new mom, bring in your like-new designer maternity wear and receive 50% of the selling price.

Mention Marin Mommies at the event and save 20% off any one item!

The Strawberry Recreation Center is located at 118 East Strawberry Drive in Mill Valley. For more info about Maternity Xchange, go to www.maternityxchange.com.