Mompreneur

"I'm bored! There's nothing to do!" In answer to that age-old favorite complaint of the 8- to 12-year old, or "tweenager" group, Marin mom of two tween daughters Jules Howard has just opened club between in Fairfax. Club between is a high-tech interactive entertainment center and lounge for children aged 8 to 12, featuring boys' and girls' lounges with Wii, sports arcade games, foosball, air hockey, computers, board games, movie night, and more! They also offer meals delivered from nearby Iron Springs Brewpub and party rentals.

A desire for a more eco-friendly lunchtime led Marin mompreneurs Joyce Raffo and Paige Rodgers to create Fabkins, a fun line of unique cloth napkins just for kids. Fabkins are kid-sized napkins that sport different child-friendly themes like “Sports Fan,” “African Safari,” “Prima Ballerina,” “Fruit Salad,” “Beach Bound,” and “Garden Friends.” Useful as both napkins and placemats, Fabkins encourage good table manners and help make school lunches and meals at home waste-free.

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Ever since she started learning to talk, my little girl has always had her own distinctive vocabulary. Of course, most babies and toddlers have their own words for things they can't quite pronounce. Now there is a great way to show off your child’s unique words and phrases and preserve them on a shirt. Translation Tees is a local mom-owned business that offers one-of-a-kind shirts for the little ones who have their own unique takes on common words. Translation Tees combine your child’s own cute mispronounced words with fresh, colorful, and bold graphics. Over 100 designs are available, printed on high-quality 100% cotton interlock shirts that will last for years.
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Just because you're a mom doesn't mean you have to give up your creativity and passion for art. Novato mom and artist Alice Orth shows her paintings in exhibitions and shows throughout the North Bay, including area wineries. Her work can also be seen during the annual Marin Arts Council Open Studios, which are coming up this weekend, May 10 and 11, 2008. We asked Alice to tell us about herself, her family, and what it's like to be an artist and mompreneur.

Please tell us a little about yourself. What's your background?
After completing an AA in Fine Arts at the Collage of Marin, I attended and graduated from California College or Arts and Crafts [now called California College of the Arts] with a BFA in Interior Architecture. Encouraged by family and friends to pursue my love for art, I continued to paint alongside my design work. I discovered painting to be more gratifying than design and spent several years creating custom murals and mixed media on canvas. I am also the mother of a very charming four-year-old boy, and wife to an incredibly supportive husband. A couple years after the birth of my son, I passionately returned to painting solely on canvas. It allows me to be the best me.
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Making impressions of your children’s hands and feet in clay is a neat way to create a reminder of when they were small. Marin “mompreneur” Shawna O’Connor has made a business out of creating these special personalized keepsakes out of fine china clay with This Little Piggy. We asked her to tell us a little bit about herself and her unique business. She’s also agreed to give one lucky Marin Mommies reader a gift certificate for a free double print (two impressions on one piece), a $45 value. To enter the drawing, send an email to contests@marinmommies.com with "This Little Piggy" in the subject line.

Mother’s Day is around the corner, and it’s never too early to start thinking about the perfect gift for the moms in your life (which can include yourself, of course).  I like to get gifts that that involve my children. One of my wish list items this year is a piece of custom photo jewelry by mom-owned tj & co. You send them your favorite photos and they seal them into a sterling silver pendant for a necklace or bracelet.

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Ever since my son and daughter were born, overflowing bins of outgrown clothing have accumulated year by year in my garage. I’ve been holding on to them with the intention of giving them to someone in need, selling them at a local rummage sale, or having a garage sale. Yeah right! Who’s got the time for that?

Since this is a challenge that nearly all parents face, Marin mompreneur Melissa Hereford has created Marin Kids Consignment, a unique local business that encourages the community to recycle kids’ and maternity clothing through local sales events. Their motto is “Saving the earth, one outfit at a time.”

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Looking for a modern decorative mobile for your baby’s nursery, child’s room, or anywhere else in your home? Check out the Oras mobiles, created by local mother of two and designer Vilija Marshall.  Oras designs take a fresh, playful approach to traditional mobiles. They’re available in either square or oval styles, both of which in turn are available in a wide variety of color combinations. All mobiles come ready to hand with mounting hardware and instructions, and retail for $180.

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