Are you a Fraser Valley or Tri-City Mom tired of the same old boring, big box store style clothing for your little one? Looking for the newest, cutting edge styles for your little fashionista? Be sure to check out Monkey Business Kids’ Boutique. Located in central Maple Ridge, Monkey Business Kids Boutique offers the latest and greatest fashions and styles from leading brands such as Mexx, Roxy, Quiksilver, Guess, Yogini, Vans, See Kai Run and more.

I’ll credit Felicia Lee for letting me in on this little gem. A few weeks ago, I met her for a business meeting at Whole Foods, centrally located at Cambie and 8th Ave in Vancouver. At first, I thought it was a bit unusual to meet in a grocery store’s cafe, but as soon as I arrived, I understood why. Whole Foods on Cambie is the perfect spot for moms. It’s great to meet other moms socially or to get out of your home office for a few hours – and get a few things errands done at the same time.

If you’re new to Active Baby, you might think that the store is like any other that offers basic and essential baby products like car seats, baby monitors and bath toys. But if you look deeper, you’d see that the store caters specifically to new families who are searching for quality, eco products specifically designed for an active, sporty lifestyle with babies and kids.

“People think consignment is worn out and shabby looking,” says Angie Heintz, owner of Beansprouts, an adorable kids store on Main Street that features an extensive “pre-loved” section that includes clothing, shoes, books and wooden toys. This assumption couldn’t be further from the truth since buying consignment has the added benefit of having someone review the clothes before they are accepted for sale. “So much of consignment has never been worn and is waiting for a new home.” The result: practically new clothes at terrific prices. Here are some things to consider when buying and selling clothes on consignment.

Meet the mom behind this Port Moody toy shop gem.

“Every order will arrive on your doorstep with a guarantee of bringing a smile to you and your child’s face,” promises Bevin Chilton of her recently launched Kippo Kids. With products selected by a mom with moms in mind, the online retailer carries kids’ bath, bed and toy products including bedding from Designers Guild, Deglingos stuffed toys, skincare from Dimpleskins Naturals – and more. Its contemporary product selection seeks to satisfy health-conscious parents who want quality and educational products for their young children.

VancouverMom.ca asked some of its favourite local merchants to name its top picks for the season. Joanna Mileos and her awesome staff over at Granville Island Toy Company offered up this list of Top 20 Gifts. And while we had girls in mind, most of these items would be appropriate for that boy on your list too.

VancouverMom.ca asked a few of our favourite local merchants to put together their list of top gifts for this holiday season. Leanne Kripp and Anne Leishman over at North Vancouver’s Jack and Lola told us what their top picks were for kids under five. They’ve also generously offered VancouverMom.ca readers a discount of 15% (some restrictions apply – see in store for details). Just mention that you’ve heard about the offer at the time of purchase.

Charitable gifts have gained popularity in the last few years, and can be an altruistic replacement for everything from department store wedding registries to corporate wine and cheese gift baskets.