We are so pleased to share with you the latest book from The Global Fund for Children (GFC). Global Baby Girls is more than a collection of beautiful, close-up baby portraits from around the world–it bears an important message that, no matter where they are born, “girls can grow up to change the world.” We asked staff at GFC and our staff at Tea Collection, “Why do baby girls matter to you and to the world?” Be sure to share your thoughts with us as well!
“My daughter, Talia will be seven weeks old on Friday, March 22nd. I could never have imagined feeling such a fierce and intense love. Talia is a global citizen who is strong, bold and bright. Like all baby girls everywhere, she is a blessing to our community and the world over!” –Maya Ajmera, The Global Fund for Children
“What would this world be without little Princesses? Not the spoiled, holier-than-thou type. The little Princesses who grow up and explore the world around them… The ones who realize they’re just a little piece of this giant puzzle and they’re determined to make their mark on the world. They seek out challenges and are inspired by other cultures, they learn new languages and dream of one day ruling the world. They then raise their own little Princesses, encouraging them to dream big, see big and never lose faith in big hearts.” –Jessie Bandy, Tea Collection
“Baby girls matter to me and the rest of the world because they hold our future in their tiny little hands.” –Sandra Macías del Villar, The Global Fund for Children
“Baby girls are a powerful force for the future. Given support and the tools to succeed, baby girls will grow up to change the world! They will become mothers, sisters, best friends, students, teachers, leaders. They will stand up for what they believe in, they will initiate change and they will fuel growth. They will set the course for generations to come. Each baby girl has a whole world of possibilities ahead of her. And, that is incredibly inspiring.” –Diane DeRousseau, Tea Collection
“Sugar and spice and everything nice, that’s what little girls are made of. But that old-fashioned adage leaves out the gritty, the bold, the brave, the determined, the free-spirited, the sporty, and the clever. Today’s baby girls might grow up to be the President, teachers, sports stars, doctors, nurses, artists, and moms – and everything in between. The possibilities are limitless for so many, but not for all. The most important thing is that every girl everywhere can reach her full promise with all the access, choice, and opportunities she needs to do so. A girl’s potential should not be defined by where she is born, but determined by her limitless dreams and by the pathways we help create that lead to them.” –Victoria Dunning, The Global Fund for Children
“I do not have a daughter but I have two younger sisters and I remember my excitement when each sister was born. I remember carrying my sister on my hip and feeling a protective pride in this fascinating creature, so full of possibilities. I loved my role in showing the world to them, teaching them how to read and climb trees. Baby girls matter, just as baby boys, because they represent our future and, as society becomes more progressive, their opportunities to lead, influence and change the world are limitless.” –Lydia Bruno, Tea Collection
“Baby girls matter because today, more than ever before, they have the power and opportunity to shape the world we live in and make it better not only for future generations of baby girls, but for babies of all genders and backgrounds. I am raising my “baby girl” (now 7) to be mindful of the privileges she enjoys, growing up in the U.S. today, thanks to the tenacity, energy and spirit of those who came before her. I’m hoping she will strive to pay it forward.” –Esther Buss, Tea Collection
“Baby girls are a promise for our future. They are future mothers and providers for their children. And we need to make sure our baby girls know their innate power to shape the world for the coming generations.” –Teresa Weathington, The Global Fund for Children
Each month Studio T features one of our retailers. This month we chatted with Marlow from Lolly Garden. Dive into the whimsical world of Lolly Garden and discover their philosophy behind their success. They are the only children’s boutique in Midtown Tulsa with stroller- friendly aisles. (Moms love this!)
To help everyone at Tea “go there,” we make a yearly contribution to each employee for international travel and exploration. Upon their return, our Tea travelers write blog posts to share their adventures with all of us (and the world).
Emilynne, our excel whiz , traveled to her home away from home to the sunny and humid group of islands in the Pacific.
Last October/November I took a short hike halfway across the world to visit my sister for her semester break in the Philippines. A lot of the school holidays in the Philippines do fall,slightly suspiciously, during major Catholic Feast Days. This means that the Triduum of All Hallows, Christmas, and Holy Week are all holidays that the children may observe with family.
Look at the handwritten plane ticket.
Once I heard about this break, I jumped at the opportunity to visit my mom and my sister, travel a bit of my parents’ home-country, and (most importantly) soak in some sun and warmth!
We did a small amount of traveling, but kept it relatively simple for this go-around as two of my friends (pretty much my sisters by everything but blood) were flying in and out of Manila via slightly different itineraries. My friend Radhika and I got in one evening and our first stop was Taal Vista Resort in Tagaytay, about an hour south of Manila. The resort has a stunning view of the Taal Volcano.
Look closely and Taal Volcano is the island in the middle of the lake.
Yes, that is an active volcano. In fact, people are not allowed to settle on the island, and even the resort we were staying in is technically within the danger zone. It’s hard to believe that this is an active volcano, which had quite a bit of activity as recently as July 2011, when you look at all the lush foliage surrounding it.
Take key pieces from winter into spring. Make them work extra time by mixing and matching. Double up on layers for the colder months and when it starts to get warmer, leave the long layer at home.
Here is one of our favorite layered girls outfits:
Flower Petal Sunset Outfit
Polokwane Hoodie
Flower Petal Top
Sunset Stripe Twirl Skort
Saltwater Sandals in Yellow
For the little guy in your life, shop our Rhinos and Stripes boys outfit:
Rhino and Stripes Outfit
Sharp Sharp Chinos
Grazing Rhino Polo
Ubuntu Stripe Hoodie in Cayenne
Vans Authentic Checkboard
Each month Studio T features one of our retailers. This month we chatted with Stephanie from Rocky Mountain Kids. We invite you to learn about the mother-daughter duo that are here for their customers day in and day out in their 3500 square foot store. Come learn about Rocky Mountain kids!
Tea: How did you decide to take the leap and open your own store? How long has your store been in business?
Stephanie: How does anyone get into their own business? Big ideas, a leap of faith, and a wing and a prayer. The chance to be your own boss? Yes, please! We’ve been in business for 15 years- all in one location. We have been carrying Tea since the days when the entire line consisted of maybe a dozen pieces. Lily (our daughter/granddaughter who has been raised with our family at Rocky Mountain Kids) is now 9 and has been a wearing Tea since she was a newborn (pink footie with red trim — anyone remember that?) and every season since.
Tea: She’s an original little citizen.
Tea: What is something that your customers would be surprised to learn about you?
Stephanie: We (mother and daughter) get to work together every day and we still like to hang out together outside of work. A lot! (Although I don’t know if that would really surprise any of our customers).
Tea: What is your favorite part of your day at the store?
Stephanie: Receiving new shipments. It’s like Christmas every day. Putting new, exciting product out on the floor is like having chosen the perfect gift for a friend. You can’t wait for them to open it.
Tea: What is the biggest trend you see right now in either shopping or kid’s fashion? What are people coming in for?
Stephanie: Well, Tea is now its own trend. Imitation is the highest form of flattery right? We see other brands trying to imitate the Tea look and style as their own. The trend is quality, fashion, color, and affordability all with a story.
Tea: What do you do in your “spare” time?
Stephanie: Family, friends, and a couple of cocktails on Friday nights. When we’re lucky and Cristy is in town, a visit to Zolo Grill and an ice cream cone.
Tea: How do you balance it all? What tricks can you offer us?
Stephanie: Balance? Even if things are balanced, would they ever really feel that way? You’re at the store, you feel like you should be at home. You’re at home, your thinking about the store. Home is work, work is home. But that is why we love it. Right? My best advice- Love what you do, love who you are, love who you’re with (family, friends, staff).
Thanks so much for stopping by! Visit Rocky Mountain Kids at 2525 Araphoe, H12a in Boulder, CO 80302.
To help everyone at Tea “go there,” we make a yearly contribution to each employee for international travel and exploration. Upon their return, our Tea travelers write blog posts to share their adventures with all of us (and the world).
Sandra, our data guru, shares her travel highlights in the unexplored parts of London and Wales.
L- R. Stonehenge, the White Hare in Llandudno, Titern Abbey, and Bath.
My brother and I traveled to the UK at the end of December to sight-see and visit our grandma and
uncle in the south of Wales. Since we’ve both been to London before, we skipped the standard tourist
stuff and took a lot of day trips before heading to Wales. Here are a few highlights from our trip:
London. Royal Ballet, one of the top ballet companies in the world, is a must see if you’re a ballet fan
or appreciate grace mixed with athleticism. Try to catch a performance with principal dancer Alina
Cojocaru.
Sightseeing tip: If you’ve been to London before and London Pass isn’t economical, Days Out Guide
offers 2 for 1 promotions with a valid travelcard from a rail station (must have the National Rail logo;
travelcards from London Underground won’t work) and it includes some attractions, such as the London
Eye, that aren’t covered by London Pass: http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/2for1-london
Stonehenge. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and on my bucket list of things to see. The henge is roped
off so you can’t touch or wander among the stones unless you sign up for a special dawn/dusk viewing.
It was very cold and windy there so make sure to wear lots of layers if you visit in the winter!
Bath. Who doesn’t want to see the city where Jane Austen’s characters go to recuperate? Ok maybe
just me. The city of Bath is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has the only hot springs in the UK.
We took a tour of the Bath Abbey Towers (hilarious yet informative tour of the history of the abbey),
explored the Roman Baths, sampled the spring water at the Pump Room (tastes like warm iron, gross),
and ended the day soaking in the thermal waters at Thermae Bath Spa.
Tintern Abbey. Tintern Abbey is the first Cisterian monestary in Wales and inspired William
Wordsworth’s poem “Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey” and Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s
poem “Tears, Idle Tears.” The surrounding Wye Valley has beautiful scenic walks along the River Wye; a
perfect diversion while waiting for the next bus back to Chepstow!
Llandudno. Llandudno is the largest seaside resort in Wales and has a Victorian promenade and the
longest pier in Wales. The town has loose ties to Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland as Alice Liddell, the
“real Alice,” spent her summers there. Most attractions are closed in the winter, so after walking along
the promenade and pier, we searched for Alice in Wonderland statues scattered around the town (there
are four: Alice, White Rabbit, Mad Hatter, and Queen of Hearts).
Raise money for your school just by shopping Tea! For three days only, you get free shipping—and Tea donates 15% of all sales back to your school!
Now you can help your school just by shopping for your favorite globally inspired kids clothes from Tea Collection.
How does it work? When you sign up for School Days, we’ll give your school a unique promo code that you can share with your school community and with friends and family. When shoppers enter the promo code during School Days, Tea will donate 15% of the order total back to your school—and every shopper gets free Fedex Saver shipping.
How does it add up? We’ll donate back to your school 15% of the merchandise total of every single order placed using the code. If, for example, 10 people from your community place an order of $100, Tea will write your school a check for $150. The more people shop, the more we donate. And there’s no limit. It’s that simple.
How do I get started? Download the application on our website, fill it out, and send it by email to donations@teacollection.com.
To learn more & apply, visit our website: http://www.teacollection.com/about-tea/citizenship-donations. Applying takes no more than 5 minutes!
A softer side of MLK Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr once proclaimed, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others?” So, how are your honoring MLK Jr and his legacy? Twenty-seven years ago President Reagan signed MLK Jr Day into existence and catapulted a ‘can do’ and ‘will help’ attitude into the American radar. This willingness to lend a hand has been celebrated in South Africa for many decades, centuries even. Ubuntu is the idea that we are all interconnected and what happens to you happens to me. Desmond Tutu defined it as when a human knows “that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated… the essence of being human.” We can’t live without each other and we need to help one another out.
The idea of generosity and the call to serve has struck a special chord in Tadatoshi Akiba’s heart (Mayor of Hiroshima from 1999-2011). He loved the call to action so much that he declared MLK Jr Day a holiday. This really is a global celebration. How will your honor MLK Jr? Share with us on Facebook. Remember every day can be a day of service to your community.
Check out Tea School Days- a no brainer to raise money for your child’s school.
*Image courtesy of Family Goes Strong.
To help everyone at Tea “go there,” we make a yearly contribution to each employee for international travel and exploration. Upon their return, our Tea travelers write blog posts to share their adventures with all of us (and the world).
Brooke, our amazing Store Marketing guru, took a getaway trip to London with her husband.
You can't miss Big Ben when visiting London.
It’s been at least 2 and ½ years since we’ve had couple time for longer than a couple of hours…alone..no kids…no diapers…no nap schedules to work around. It was time to get away and for us to be kids again. We have two girls and my mother-in-law and sister-in-law generously volunteered their weekends. We definitely owe them one or maybe two.
Honestly we could have gone anyway (even into Boston), but it was magical to be across the pond (on an island of sorts) and somewhere my husband Josh had never been – London, England.
After hopping the overnight flight, we arrived to a rainy, cold day…this picture pretty much sums it up:
Notice the grey skies in the background.
Instead of wallowing or going to take naps (which would have been a treat all in itself!), we hit the department stores because they are such a wonder overseas. I definitely recommend popping into Harrods, House of Fraser, and Topshop. They have food halls, amazing displays and the hippest fashions – things that will be popular here in a year or so!
This was also the perfect day for a bus tour around the city – both to get oriented and to take a rest, and also stay out of the rain. The guide was great and super enthusiastic. We got to see all things quintessential London, and also got to stop for some fish and chips (with mashed peas of course!) and then on the Tate Modern museum.
The Tower of London has been standing since the 11th century.
The mix of super historic (Tower of London and St. Paul’s Cathedral) with the modern city of London really was striking, and on top of it all – the city was all dressed up for Christmas.
We loved how the House of Fraser went all out to deck the halls.