Tot Trends Weekly

Thanks to Angie over at Dolce Baci Boutique on Etsy for letting us know that we've been featured in the latest issue of Tot Trends Weekly Magazine. One of our little ties made the cut! Check it out and the other picks of the week here.

What a Lovely Way to Eat Your Lunch

I just stumbled on these fun designs by Isak. Based in the UK, they have a wonderful line of dishes. They also have cards, wallpaper, and textiles, but I'm especially drawn to their dishes. Maybe my toddler would sit still long enough to actually eat her lunch with these entertaining dishes...

Kids Bedding

Modern Bedding for your kid's room by Anki Spets for Area at Design Public. I love the clean prints and fresh colours. They have an organic look to them and their "fabric feels like a breath of fresh air against your skin." Lovely!

New Beanie Caps

We've listed a few new beanies in our shop.  They're meant to sit above the ears, making them perfect for spring.  We'll be listing more in our shop over the coming weeks, so check back for more colours and styles. 

Perch

I just love this bird pendant from Perch. Wouldn't it look fabulous in a baby bedroom (or mommy's room???!?)? The simple and smooth shape is so modern, yet playful.

I'm also loving these Triangle Bird Lights:

and this beautiful birdfeeder:

Sneak Peek!

We're working on cropped pants for boys and girls at Leila and Ben. Made from a lightweight cotton/lycra blend, these pants are super comfortable and perfect for spring. Leila's been testing out a pair I made recently so I thought I'd show you some pictures of them in action! They're really sweet on their own or look fabulous under a sweet little dress as modern bloomers. Look for them in our store soon!

Romp Menagerie

I love this idea! Made from vintage and reprinted wallpaper, these animals are the perfect way to add a little fun to your child's room without being overpowering. Made by Inke Heiland from the Netherlands, a whole menagerie is available at Romp.

Rollin'

When I first saw the U Roll Scooter from Small Paul by 10 Grain ($175 USD) it made me wish I was small enough to go for a spin. I'm a sucker for molded plywood and the smooth design of this toy makes it style worthy to hang out even in the livingroom. 

10 Grain also has more fabulous children's furniture by Small Paul, my favourite being this plywood chair. Available at Design Public for $220 USD for a set of two.

P'kolino Clothes Tree

I've been meaning to post about great finds for modern kids,  so I'd like to share this super fun clothes tree. Modern and functional, it would be a great addition to any modern kids' living space.  

The P'kolino Clothes tree stand 4 feet tall and is very sturdy and durable. Available for $94 USD, I found it on Design Public, but they also have their own website here. 

We're Having a Party!

We're having a birthday party for little Leila and I made some Thank-you cards for her to hand out to her little guests after the party with a goodie bag. Leila is so excited to have a party and it's fun to see that this year she actually "gets" it.

We've come out with a few new argyle dresses (Leila is wearing the blue one on her card) which are perfect for Spring and Easter. The soft flannelette is so comfortable and cuddly and has such a spring look about it. We have 3 colours: blue, cream, and sage green. We'll be coming out with more sizes in the coming weeks. Check out our Etsy shop to see what's available!

A Spot of Tea

An afternoon tea party - the stuff childhood memories are made of. 

Some New Hats

We've added some new modern caps to our shop. More to come!

At a recent photo shoot we managed to catch Leila and Ben together in a few photos. This one's my favourite.

Tangled and True

Yesterday Erica from Tangled and True wrote a great little bit about our ties on her blog. Tangled and True is "a slice of modern parenting" placing a focus on things that are modern, simple, pretty, and organic. They love to support mother/women-run products and services that prove non-mainstream. If you haven't visited them before, they are definately worth the read - and they might become one of your favourite blogs!

Behind the Scenes

I always love reading about what goes on "behind the scenes" on other blogs, so I though I'd share a little bit about what goes on at Leila & Ben's. When it comes to taking product photos, it can be a bit tricky! Usually our own kiddos are models for our products and they sometimes get a little sick of mom always wanting them to change into a bunch of different clothing or wear another hat, etc. Little L was our model for our first Birdie Mobile and we wanted to get a picture of L looking at the mobile. Annette managed to get him to look by holding the mobile up and peeking over the screen. L was a gem and was giggling away at his Mommy and reaching for the mobile - it was really cute!

New Ties in Our Shop

Some new ties in our Etsy shop. In our shop our style is to normally crop off part of the heads of our models (usually our own kiddos :) but I just had to share with you one of the full pictures I took of little J today. I think it's quite possible the cutest picture I have ever taken of him. Ever. Actually, he never sits still enough for me to get any pictures of him! ... but I figured out a way today! I sat him on a little stand and he couldn't figure out how to get off - he was at my mercy for a full 5 minutes for all the recent tie pictures. Yay! I just love his little chubby hands. But I guess as his mom, I'm a little biased!

Modeco kids

Lisa over at Modeco kids was kind enough to feature Leila & Ben on her blog today. Modeco kids has a great philosophy, offering fresh finds from indie designers and mompreneurs. Her blog is ideal for buyers for baby boutiques and gift shops, media people including PR and magazine editors, and modern parents who seek authenticity and sustainability in purchases for their family. Thanks Lisa!

I'm a Polka Dot Mom!

Thanks to Sally for a feature over at Polkadotmom.com! Polka Dot Mom "features fun and friendly moms who create uniquely handmade polka dot products." If you haven't ever been to her blog, check it out - it's really a good read featuring other creative moms and offering tips, crafts ideas, recipes, and more!

White - Always in Style

We found this cute white fabric at our supplier the other day... it's lightweight cotton with a totally modern pattern embroidered all over it. Just perfect for a sweet little dress! Unfortunately there was only a few meters left, so we can only make a few dresses out of it, but for now I am love, love, loving it!

Christmas Orders... and a Promotion!

Less than 5 weeks to go until Christmas and we're working full speed to get your Christmas orders out to you! Just a reminder that our current cutoff dates to ensure arrival for Christmas are Dec. 3 for Canada and the USA, and Nov. 26 for International Orders.

Because we're in the Holiday Spirit, we're having a promotion! Get 10% off your order of $50 (minus shipping) or more from now until Nov. 30! Just enter the code word LEILABENCHRISTMAS in the message to seller and we'll send you a revised invoice (don't pay until you receive the revised invoice). Yay! This offer is an exclusive blog offer and is not announced in our shop as a thank-you to all of you who read our blog!

The Inspiration Behind Leila & Ben

We thought we'd share with you the inspiration behind our shop Leila & Ben. Cousins and best buddies, they always have fun when they get together (with the occasional little fight thrown in there...) With kids like these it's impossible to NOT be inspired! I just had to pull out my camera to catch the moments..

Giveaway - Yoga Pants and Knot Hat Set!

We've donated our Yoga Pants and Knot Hat set to the good people over at Smidge.ca to be given away to one luck winner!

Here's what you have to do: Simply browse our site and then post a comment on the Smidge.ca site about your favourite item for sale. A winner will be randomly chosen on November 30. Good luck!

Ties for Your Little Guy

I have never been a big fan of ties... they can look stiff and uncomfortable and often seem to sit funny. I somehow got the idea in my head to try to make a modern tie - something that I would actually like putting on my little boy and would look cute and fresh. I picked some great fabrics and came up with some ties for our Etsy shop - comfortable, lightweight and super-modern looking, these ties really dress your boy up without making him look like a stiff miniature groom - he won't even notice it's there! Pair with cords or khakis and a white shirt and your little guy will steal the show.

Dress your Boy in Style this Christmas! Limited Edition!!!

Dress your boy up for Christmas! Look at these cute Red Pants! The matching Tie looks cute and very modern.
This is a limited edition, so be quick!

Are you interested in buying? Visit our Etsy store. We have a promotion on NOW!
Buy three items, and get free shipping!

Baby Leila is now "Leila & Ben"

We have been changing in the last few weeks... with the addition of boy clothes and larger sizes (up to 5T) the name Baby Leila seemed to not fit our company anymore. We've changed our name to Leila & Ben to reflect these changes and to neutralize the gender as we add more and more boys clothing. Hopefully there won't be too much confusion as we work towards a total changeover!