Beans Style Guide



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What's better than a maxi skirt that can be worn as both a skirt and a dress? With darling ruffles and the perfect amount of twirl this piece is sure to be a favourite.  An easy pull-on silhouette and an elastic waistband mean she can dress herself in the morning.  Wear it as a dress with the Tides Out Tank underneath or pair it with any of our tops and add flip-flops for a perfect outfit!
 




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CiCi Bean is passionate about helping girls feel comfortable in their own skin!  We know that every single girl is unique and special and a look that works for one person will not necessarily work for someone else.  We encourage girls to dress in a way that makes them feel the most comfortable.  That's why CiCi Bean is designed to mix and match well with clothing you already have in your wardrobe...like your favorite skinny jeans!  We also incorporate lots of cool features that allow you to "wear it YOUR way" so that you can decide what is right for YOU!  So have fun creating looks that really show off your personality...try mixing colors, adding some denim or any of your favorite accessories.  Your style is all up to YOU!
  

Let's help our children save our planet!


Times are changing and with the newest generation of children, becoming more "green" is not an option as it will become part of their normal lifestyle. As the world becomes increasingly concerned with the environmental impact of our actions, we need to make changes now for the future of our children.  Let's help this up and coming green generation start incorporating more responsible practices into their daily routines that will foster a lifetime of good earth stewardship.
 
We have compiled a list of things that we can teach our children to do now to go green and help keep our Mother Earth clean: 
 
  1. Take a litterless lunch to school. Change to reusable containers to pack lunches and eliminate individually wrapped snacks. And this includes staying away from zip lock bags... invest in some washable cotton snack bags instead. 
  2. Walk to school as often as you can. It's a great way to start the day and get some fresh air into your lungs! And maybe arrange to meet up with some friends along the way.
  3. While brushing your teeth, be sure to turn off the water.  No need to keep it running while you are busy brushing 
  4. If you are not in the room, be sure to keep the lights turned off.  And why not turn off those video games, radios & computers while you're at it. 
  5. Ask Mom or Dad to help you plant an organic garden.  Get Growing!! and grow some delicious fresh fruit, veggies and herbs.  And if you don't have  large green space to do this, no worries, you can just container garden. 
  6. Replace paper napkins at the dinner table with reusable napkins.
  7. Don't throw out those toys!!  Instead of getting rid of old toys by throwing them in the garbage, wipe them down, throw them in a box and drop off a local thrift store. 
  8. Get biking! Tell Mom and Dad to stay away from the car and get on the bikes if you are going somewhere in the neighbourhood. Also a great way to keep fit!!
  9. For friends & family birthdays, create homemade gifts using recycled products found around the house. Get those creative juices flowing as the ideas are endless!
  10. When you have outgrown your clothes, find a way to repurpose it or hand it down to a younger family member or friend. 
  11. Say NO to that store bought bottled water!  Instead, switch to tap water and use a Britta (or something similar) and purchase a refillable water bottle that you can use over and over. 

Another Weekend Play Challenge & Giveaway!


 
Be sure to email your photos to our Peekaboo Beans Social Butterfly Deana @ deana@peekaboobeans.com
 
Entries must be received no later than 8pm PST on Sunday, April 21st, 2013. Our winner will be announced on our blog and Facebook on Monday morning.
 
Don't forget to visit our Crafty Ideas Pinterest Board for many playful arts n crafts ideas! And that's also where you will find the links to the crafting projects shown above.

Have FUN getting those creative Beans growing!!
 
 
** This contest is not open to any Peekaboo Beans Staff or Play Stylists.
 

Seeking new buddies to join our Playground!

Calling all future Playground Buddies! We have a couple of positions available to join our team at the Peekaboo Beans Playground and thought how fun it would be to offer these opportunities to our favorite Peekaboo Beans fans! 


Play Stylist Manager – Full-time
Peekaboo Beans
 
Reporting to the General Manager, the Play Stylist Manager’s main responsibility is the leadership of the Peekaboo Beans direct sales force. The position requires a motivated, financially-minded incumbent to oversee the direct sales management, marketing and communication strategies and manage the recruitment function for sales reps.

Typical job tasks include:
  • Liasoning between playground and field.
  • Setting goals with, motivating and leading Stylists.
  • Creating sales forecasts.
  • Providing training support.
  • Providing recruitment support.
  • Managing the Online Playroom.
  • Coordinating direct selling marketing research
  • Creating business tools

Qualifications:
  • Two (2) years experience in direct sales management required.  
  • Experience in accounting, marketing, and staff supervision an asset.
  • Strong computer skills in Microsoft Word and Excel. 
  • Hours of work are 32 to 40 per week, with a minimum of four working days per week.
 
 

 
Closing date:  MAY 15, 2013
Please e-mail cover letter & resume to:
 
 

Why kids need to build forts.

Why building forts is so important for children:
 
When a child is building a design from their own invention they have a chance to decide for themselves what may work, what they like to build, or in what direction they would like to build next. They will think inventively about which type of stick they may like to add next, curved or straight? Long or short? Or what type of connector they would like to choose. Children will naturally need and want to create their own special places: it's a fundamental experience of childhood that crosses age, gender time and culture. And as parents, we need to give them this opportunity to build and create secure hideaways they can be proud of. 
 
Over the weekend we held a fort building play challenge, in lieu of our rained out Pop Up Playdate.  We received many submissions and were amazed at the how much excitement was created, not only from children but from the parents as well. I think they were equally thrilled to be given the opportunity to ignore the usual daily chores and instead share in this special task with their children. We love all the stories and photos that were shared with us so much that we thought we could extend this "hot topic" of fort building into a blog post. Here's a few of the many creations that were built during our Weekend Play Challenge as well as the many reason that all children need the opportunity to build a fort...
 
 
The Social and emotional growth that occurs during fort-building is a key part of children's healthy development.
 

Fort-building invites narrative and creative planning and is a great forum for three key areas of play: exploration, construction, and pretend play.

 
Fort-building allows children to define their own parameters for success.

 
Through fort-building children create their own special places and imagine a world beyond what adults can see, do or build.

 
Fort-building is nostalgic for caregivers: it taps into their childhood memories and experiences.

 
Children are given permission to be exploratory, totally unique and sometimes even “wrong”. These types of perspectives and challenges present wonderful learning opportunities for children.
After our Weekend Play Challenge, our Playground staff were inspired and found ourselves in a "water cooler" type office conversation about the awesome memories we all had as children when we were able to create forts and secret hideaways and the importance of giving that same opportunity to our children today.  So let us share...   we asked the Peekaboo Beans Playground Staff this: Pulling from your own childhood experiences, tell us why you think it's so important for children to experience fort building? 
 
And here's what we had to say:
 
Courtney
It gives kids a chance to use creativity and logic in the same fun environment. They get a chance to use problem solving skills to make something they can be proud of.
 
Derrick
What if the boogie man was chasing them... they would need somewhere to hide!
 
Katrina
Forts are about discovery and questioning the hows and whys. They allow the imagination to go wild.
 
Lisa
To work together. To think about logistics of building. The feeling of accomplishments. How doing something may or may not work
 
Rachel
To enable them to create their own space where they can us their imaginations.
 
Traci
Imaginations soar.  Ideas come to fruition. Teamwork, to create. Delight and satisfaction in a finished product. Forts are magical places where you can be anything you want.
 
Felicia
To have a place of refuge where they can feel safe for quiet time. And for planning skills: how to source the right materials, put it together, communicate with others on how to execute.
 
Terynn
For the sense of adventure, to feel like a pirate or a princess. 
 
Julie
Forts were a place I could just be myself and not have to worry about anything else for a while.  Maybe that's why forts are still fun for adults! 
 
Carole, our lovely Grandma Bean
So that Grandpa's can play. This is where Colbie has bonded with her Ga-ga... through building forts.   
 
So, it's pretty obvious to all of us parents that fort building is an important and fun task that our kids must complete. But shhhh... don't let them know that while they are doing it, having fun and creating all these amazing memories, that they are actually learning very important lifelong skills!!  Let's just keep that on the down low. 
 
Happy fort building!!
 
 
 
Peekaboo Beans is on a mission to bring free unstructed play back into the lives of our children.  Join us and find out more about our Play Revolution HERE
 
 
 

Weekend Play Challenge & Giveaway!!

 
Post a photo of your Bean's fort creation on the Peekaboo Beans Facebook page to be entered to win.  Entries must be received no later than 8pm PST on Sunday, April 7th, 2013.  Our winner will be announced on our blog and Facebook on Monday morning.

Have FUN building those forts!! 
 
 

The inspiration behind the Peekaboo Beans Spring 2013 Collection


What is the inspiration behind the Spring/Summer 2013 collection? Where did your inspiration come from?The Endless Summer collection is inspired by the California Beach vibe and the endless summer days spent doing what you love...skim boarding, riding waves, and building castles.

How did you pick the colours for this collection and what inspired your choices? The colours came from the inspiration. It was obvious that in order to stay true to the theme the colours needed to be bright and playful and represent a beachy keen lifestyle. Fabrics are reminiscent of hippie tie-dye made modern, with flourishes of hibiscus, and peace and love.

What does your design process look like? How do you get from ideas to final designs? After trend forecasting we decide on a theme and from that the colour story emerges. We then begin sketching up style ideas and playing with colour to create a cohesive collection.

What was your biggest struggle when designing the Endless Summer collection? Not creating too many styles! I was so inspired and just wanted to keep growing the collection.

What was your favourite part of designing the Endless Summer collection?
Pretending I was living the beach life day in and day out.


What do you love most about the this collection?I am in love with the colours of the Endless Summer collection and so many of the styles as well. I think it is my favourite collection to date!

Is there anything that sets this collection apart from collections in the past?
The boys woven plaid is a great addition to this collection and I love how it mixes and matches with all the colours in the line.


What are the most important things you keep in mind when designing for Peekaboo Beans?For me it always comes back to the children. The pieces have to be comfortable and function-able to let children be children and play.

What is your favourite piece from the Endless Summer collection?That is a tough question. Can I pick them all? For girls, I would say the Sun Kissed Capri, which my daughter is wearing today! For boys, the Cruiser Short for sure!!

What are you working on now?
Believe it not we are just wrapping up design for Fall/Winter 2013.


 


 
 
 

The important details

What truly makes Peekaboo Beans different from all the rest are the well planned and well thought out design details we incorporate into our clothing.
 
We design with children in mind.
 
We want to empower them with independence and confidence by providing them with comfort, mix and match style, unfussy embellishments, breathable fabrics so they can focus on what's really important... which is PLAY!