My A-list
Kellie Martin: Actress + Mom + Owner, Romp Online Children’s Boutique
Adding Toy Boutique Owner To Her Credits, Actress Kellie Martin Proves That Life Is Just One Big Playdate
ELAINE SAYS: One of my regular sources for toys is the on online modern children's boutique, ROMP. When I realized that Actress Kellie Martin [Life Goes On, ER, Army Wives] was the new owner, i was intrigued and wanted to know more. I love a good reinvention story...or in this case, a great, creative growth story, and Kellie chronicles her sweet path to ROMP below. I'm so charmed by her decision and about all the dimensions to her new life. In addition to Actress and Toy Store-stress, Kellie is also Mom to her 5-year-old, Maggie, photography obsessed, a culinary enthusiast, nature lover and lucky for us...Blogger as well! This outlet has become a hub for mom-centric info including one of my favorite new discoveries, First Friends Custom Toy Portraits ....a portrait artist that makes affordable paintings of your child's favorite stuffed animal or toy. Looks like WoWo and Sunflower will be immortalized this holiday season...thanks, Kellie! PS: WIN-IT-WEDNESDAY TEASER: Kellie is going to be giving away one of my favorite Romp Items and you're going to want it for some special little person in your life. Make sure you're SIGNED UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER AND THAT YOU "LIKE" OUR FACEBOOK PAGE TO QUALIFY! Details in Wednesday's Giveaway Post. Scroll the icons on your way down to the purple box below OR just look to your left!
Posted on October 7th, 2012
A NOTE FROM KELLIE:
When my daughter was first born, I became obssessed with an online children's boutique called ROMP. I loved that the store sold toys and products that were heirloom quality, modern classics. When I learned the e-shop was closing down, I conferred with my husband to take it over ourselves. Now, as the curator of ROMP, I am committed to supporting the boutique's original high-quality focus - importing many of the items from Europe or sourcing toys from US manufacturers. I'm also focused on offering items that encourage imaginative and creative play. As a parent, it's important that I live out the same philosophy of conscientious, healthy and creative living in all aspects of our lives. Check out some of the ways I try to do so in my list below... -Kellie MartinKELLIE'S ONLINE FINDS:
- Pratima Ayurvedic Skincare VISIT WEBSITEI’m big on being able to pronounce everything on a label of any product I eat or put on my skin. My friend told me about Pratima’s amazing Neem Rose Face Sunscreen and I’ve been steadily working my way through every product they have on the site ever since. Love the Vata Rejuvenating Body Oil at the end of a long day of chasing your kid around. I don’t recommend it, but the products smell good enough to eat!
- Tracey Anderson Method VISIT WEBSITEOk, this is the best workout I have ever done, period. And, I’ve done them all. Miss Tracy knows her stuff. When I’m away working on location I take the Metamorphosis DVDs with me and don’t ever feel like I miss a day of a good hard workout. If you’re a new mom (or one that hates taking time to go to the gym), these DVDs are great to put on when your kiddo is down for a nap.
- Weelicious VISIT WEBSITEI love to be in the kitchen cooking or baking up a storm. My daughter is a very adventurous eater and really enjoys not only the cooking experience but the dining experience as well. Weelicious is a great place to find sophisticated food for kids that uses fresh, healthy ingredients. The recipes are straightforward enough to make with your child and delicious enough to please the entire family. My favorites are mac and cheese in the rice cooker and chocolate chip granola bars.
- ROMP's wooden camera VISIT WEBSITEWhen I was searching for safe, open-ended toys for my baby, a photographer friend told me about this fantastic wooden camera that ROMP carried. To this day, it is the best toy Maggie has ever had. She’s used it from the time she was 8 months old (yep, it started as an inadvertent teether) and still uses it at almost 6 years old. Only now she sets up photo shoots with her stuffed animals, clicks the “shutter” and examines the back of the camera like it has a digital display. When she becomes a National Geographer photographer one day, this little camera will take all the credit.
- Healthy Child, Healthy World VISIT WEBSITEBecoming a parent should make you stop and look at how you’re living, and then it should make you consider the world you want your child to live in. Healthy Child, Healthy World is an invaluable resource to help you make your home a safe, chemical-free place for your family. It’s an inspiring website and just might make you (like it did me) only use natural cleaning products and start an organic garden!
KELLIE'S LOCAL FAVES: Los Angeles
- Rising Lotus Yoga VISIT WEBSITE | LOCATION: Rising Lotus Yoga 13557 Ventura Blvd. Sherman OaksRising Lotus is a beautiful place to breathe and forget that you live in a busy city. I’ve been going since my friend Claire Hartley started it in 2006. And, my daughter highly recommends the kids yoga class. It’s not as peaceful as the grown-up classes but it does teach little ones to take a moment to breathe, stretch and meditate. It lays a great foundation for a conscious kid who will be able to deal well with stress and all the other stuff life throws at them.
- Franklin Canyon Park + Children's Nature Institute VISIT WEBSITE | LOCATION: Franklin Canyon Park 2600 Franklin Canyon Drive Beverly Hills + VISIT WEBSITE This is our sanctuary in the city. Franklin Canyon has great trails and a fantastic duck pond, making it the perfect place to take your small child. My daughter and I love to hike around solo or with an Environmental Educator from Children’s Nature Institute. They organize interesting nature walks for kids of all ages. They teach kids to respect nature and help them understand how to preserve it.
- New School of Cooking VISIT WEBSITE | LOCATION: New School of Cooking 8690 Washington Blvd. Culver CityI love classes, and I love cooking. Whether you’re looking for the most basic cooking class or want to become a professional baker, the New School of Cooking has it. I took so many recreational classes (pizza-making, food of France, tarts, just to name a few) at this school that I had to move into the “professional” classes. Yep, I graduated from their professional baking class and I can make a mean croissant. Many of the ingredients used are from the local farmers market. And, the best part: at the end of each class, you get to taste everything and enjoy a glass of wine.
- Noah's Ark at the Skirball Center VISIT WEBSITE | LOCATION: Skirball Center 2701 Sepulveda Boulevard, Los AngelesI’m a big art history/museum fan (in fact, my husband proposed to me at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC). Noah’s Ark at the Skirball is the perfect place for kids to interact with interesting objects and develop a love and appreciation for a story told through art. It is without one of the coolest places for kids to play and learn in LA.
- Date Night: Annenberg Space for Photography and Craft Restaurant VISIT WEBSITE | LOCATION: Annenberg Space for Photography 2000 Ave of the Stars [Century City] + VISIT WEBSITE | LOCATION: Craft Restaurant 10100 Constellation Boulevard Los Angeles[Century City]When my husband and I go out on a date together (which is not often enough), we head over to hear a free lecture from some amazing photographer at the Annenberg Space for Photography. I studied photography in college and it’s my little obsession, so when they built this gallery completely devoted to photography, you can imagine how excited I was! Right after the lecture, Keith and I love to stop in at my favorite LA restaurant, Craft, for an amazing meal with lots of wine.
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