I am often asked to write about the 'green' phenomenon and what my company does to be green. One part of our eco-friendly philosophy that seems to stump people is my firm belief that simply buying quality, multi-purpose products is the best way to be green, regardless of the materials a product may be made from.

For some reason, this message seems to get lost amongst all the talk about chemicals, sustainable materials, the definition of organic, etc. But what is more basic than buying one all-in-one product instead of two or three individual products? Or buying a product that is of high enough quality that it will be handed over to another user rather than tossed in the garbage?

This was the fundamental philosophy behind the Svan Chair (use as a high chair and as a booster seat) and it continues to be a feature throughout our collection.

Don't get me wrong, we always strive to carry products made from the most environmentally and child-friendly materials and processes possible, but shouldn't we give a 'hats off' to all the products that collectively cost less and create less trash than their single-use counterparts?

Just something to think about  it is a simple way to be green and save money as well!

We had a wonderful family weekend. After weeks of travel, it is nice to know that we are home for a few weeks, so we had a full family-dedicated weekend. One thing I always dread that we actually tackled this week was family photos. I love having photos of my family, but photo shoots can be so hard with young ones. (It's like clothing - I love having clothes, just hate shopping.)

But this one was different. We had our photographer friend, Danielle Anthony, take the photos at our home in 'real life'. Check out her blog - dreadsky.blogspot.com. Her approach was so much better than stiff studio shots. She just followed us around as we tickled, swung on the hammock, peaked out our windows (okay, that was staged, but hopefully it will look cute), and literally hung out over Danielle as she took shots from below. It was so much fun that we forgot it was a 'shoot'. Here are a few photos to show how much fun we were having.

Svan is previewing their new product at ICFF. You have to see it, you will fall in love! (I will post pictures as soon as I have permission from the powers that be.)

The ICFF Show (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) is being held at the Javitz Center this Saturday through Tuesday. If you have never been, it is an amazing show featuring some of the designers that inspire me, from the amazing work of Straight Line Designs (you have to see this creative genius!) to the tried and true Herman Miller collection. And, of course, our friends from Argington, CasaKids, bObles, and more will be there as part of the juvenile world.

My personal inspiration, and the reason I fell in love with the bentwood Svan designs, is the Cherner Chair (I have to confess ... I stalk their booth at ICFF hoping that one day I can have one, just one, sitting in my office ... okay, maybe a whole set in my dining room!) It is a thrill to be exhibiting in the same show as these amazing designers. I am so proud of the Svan designs. They are truly at home among this group, even if they are a fraction of the price of a Cherner Chair.

ICFF is open to buyers and media only for the first three days, but open to the public on Tuesday. Come see us at Booth 418!

www.icff.com

Today is my husband's birthday ... I can't say how many years without dating myself, so I refuse to share.

It is the Swedish tradition to wake the birthday person with singing and gifts first thing in the morning. So, I dragged myself out of bed extra early (I am not a morning person) and started the preparations for breakfast of my world-famous surprise pancakes, then went upstairs to have the kids sign the birthday card (nothing like doing things the last second, but at least I wrapped the gifts last night). They were very excited about the special day - so much so that Anton forgot to argue about the fact that he is not allowed to wear his Batman pajamas to school. If he could, he would wear them everywhere. In fact, we caught him the other day putting them on under his school clothes, to sneak them to school. Remember, he is three.

After the card was done, Anton and I left Kelly in her room to finish her six-year-old primping. I finished setting the table, then announced to Anton that it was time to sing to Pappa. He immediately ran to the stairs and yelled up to Kelly "Kelly, it's time to SNEAK!" To which Kelly replied matter of factly, "Anton, it isn't a surprise if you scream." I wish I could capture the actual inflection and tone when Anton replied "Oh, yeah..." As if he had just learned something remarkably clever from his ever-so-smart big sister. Way too charming!

In the end, we had a nice little celebration - all jumping on the bed with Christer covered in tissue paper and gifts. I am not sure he was thrilled with the video camera, but I think it will be fun to capture these memories with the kids. Let's just hope it doesn't meet the fate of the super-fabulous MP3 player I bought for him (pre-iPod days) that remained 'charging' for about two years before we finally moved homes and lost it for good.

Happy Birthday, Honey!

My friend at Cartoon Furniture is now bringing his amazing products to the public. You have to see his pieces at Cartoon Furniture. They are designed to bring the cartoon world into your home. When he says "We love what we do!", he really means it.

Seriously, this is outrageously fun furniture. I have the Green Envy dresser and can honestly say that it is the only piece of furniture that I have seen a child HUG!

Enjoy!

We have exciting news to announce this week. We have acquired (key assets) of euro-baby®, a fellow distribution company in the baby product business. I have admired the service-oriented philosophy of euro-baby and its' president, Bill Jacoby, as well as their Micralite product line, so it is a great pleasure to announce officially that both Bill and Micralite are joining the SCI team!

Micralite is the culmination of a many-years-long search for the perfect stroller. Okay, no stroller is 100% perfect, but the new Toro Stroller is about as perfect as it gets. I love that assembly out of the box is as simple as attaching two wheels, steering requires just one hand, and the stroller weighs just 18 pounds! When it is collapsed, the Toro resembles a golf bag pull cart, resulting in a unique upright stand instead of collapsing to the floor in a pile. The basic model comes with a footmuff and full rain cover included  my favorite it is the brand new Emerald Green color. Because it is English design, the entire stroller is water-proof, something my friends in the Northeast will love. (My son seems to think it is pretty cool, too!)

The one-handed steering is the result of a great design that balances on the back tires. It feels very light in the front without a child in place, but that is exactly the point and why it is so maneuverable. Plus, if you want to go in sand, snow or off-road, Micralite offers an All Terrain Kit that attaches two big wheels to the front  making it the perfect stroller both on- and off-road. (Toro Stroller costs $575, Newborn system with Stroller, Bassinet and Maxi adaptors is just $750.)

In addition to the Toro, Micralite has another model called FastFold that comes in at just over $300 and has many of the features of the Toro including an optional Stroller Bassinet. For just $525, you can have a full-service stroller and Bassinet system!

I know, I am gushing ... but it is well-deserved. The Micralite team has put together an exceptional collection and we are all very excited to work with them.

It was interesting closing this deal while traveling in California. Yet another crazy week, but well-worth it with the PAM kick-off (read below) and this exciting acquisition.