Donations... where do they go?

A lot of folks ask us where we make our donations to when they come into the store. In the past, GROVE STREET kids has donated to national organizations such as Goodwill and The Salvation Army but also local organizations such as A Safe Place (Domestic Violence Services) in Oakland and Harrison House, a shelter right here in Berkeley. GSK also accepts requests for shelters and/or organizations of their customers' choice.

Recently, with the combined efforts of our neighbors at Positive Motion Training Studio, Grove Street Kids was able to send a large amount of used clothing and shoes to the children and families of AHOPE Ethiopia, extending their efforts internationally. Positive Motion's co-owner Laura Lambert delivered the items personally.

AHOPE is a non-profit organization that helps the orphan children of Ethiopia, with an emphasis of helping children living with the HIV-virus.

We received a letter from the director of AHOPE thanking us for our donations. We are at once pleased and humbled at the opportunity to be a service to this wonderful organization.

Introducing... oishii

GROVE STREET kids is pleased to announce the latest addition to our family....oishii modern knits. Beautifully hand crafted knit caps for babies on up are now available in our store. Hand-knit with 100% natural fibers (cotton, modal, wool) by designer Erika Kemp and her team right here in Berkeley. Come check out our selection. Don't see what you like? We can special order!

Previously available at the former O Baby Baby and Waddle & Swaddle, oishii (meaning "delcious" in japanese) designer and owner Erika Kemp makes beautiful, oh so soft baby hats, blankets and ponchos. She also does custom orders in colors and yarns that you can choose from, in the combination you would like.

We are very excited about this new partnership, and hope that you will be too!

Read more about oishii here.

Back to... Ghoul?

Is it just me, or are the seasons out of order this year? It seemed like all summer long, it was winter, and now that fall is vast approaching, we are now having the summer sun and heat! I guess that's why us locals refer to this time of year as "Indian Summer" or the "Dog Days" of summer. But because of our particularly cold, actual summer having been so long, I'm just now starting to get used to the warmth and sunshine, yet people are coming into the store requesting... Halloween Costumes!

Rest assured, GROVE STREET kids will have a great selection of used and new Halloween Costumes. Everything from Fairies and Firemen to Pirates and Pixies. Superheroes. Goblins and Ghouls.



Truth be told, Halloween is one of my favorite occasions to celebrate and I love decorating the windows for it. Check out our slide show to see Ghouls and Goblins Past. But for now, we'd like to let our customers know that the costumes are coming... we'd just like to soak up a little more sunshine first. Look for costumes on the racks by the end of next week, and in the windows the first week of October.

Back to school.... already?

GROVE STREET kids just celebrated having opened our doors 2 years ago (July 18, 2007). My how time flies! It seems like just yesterday that I was collecting inventory from all my parent friends to have something to put on those racks! Well, there's no shortage now, and GROVE STREET kids is ready for "Back to School." And we have recently updated the store to make your shopping experience more convenient and enjoyable. Come check it out!

Ms. Independent

In July we celebrate the independence of our nation. It can also be a time when we celebrate the independence of our economy and the terrific independent businesses that make our community unique.

When we shop at Berkeley Independents, we support the notion of taxation with representation ... Our sales tax dollars get routed to our municipal government where democracy is acted out at the grass roots. And we get the pleasure of a personal relationship with the folks who provide us with the products and services we rely on.

So, when you shop with Berkeley independent businesses, you cast a vote for your home town -- and declare your independence from cookie cutter consumerism.

Buy Local Berkeley challenges you to meet all of your needs from July 1st through 7th exclusively at locally owned, independent Berkeley businesses. The Berkeley City Council Proclaimed the first week of July Independents Week and joined towns across the country to celebrate the local, independent businesses that make our communities unique. Each of the 9 City Council members has also personally taken the pledge to shop local Berkeley for the week.

For every $100 dollars we spend at local independents, $68 of that money gets spent again right here in our region. That's 58% more money added to our region than when you spend at a national chain.
All these numbers mean that when we buy from cool, indie businesses we are helping our friends and neighbors keep their jobs and nurturing our local economy. So, in honor of July 4th, let's Celebrate our Independents!

Should we stay or should we go?

Some of you may already know that GROVE STREET kids was considering a move to a busier (not necessarily better) location. Due to the state of the economy, we had become aware that rents were coming down, and we could afford to be in a location that would provide more foot traffic and more visibility to us. We were very close to signing a new lease but, after negotiations with our current landlord, amongst other things, we have decided to stay where we are. Our landlords are actually really great (which is worth a lot we have found), we have a new neighbor coming in at the former games store location (a hair salon) and we expect our little business district on"Grove Street" to be bustling. We are very excited!

In other news, we must say "à bientôt" to our beloved Emmanuelle, who will be leaving us for the summer holiday in Switzlerland! Nous sommes si triste de la voir aller! But she is welcome back upon her return bien sûr.

Meanwhile, you will see some new faces, welcome aboard Lizette! And hopefully you will see our soon-to-be graduated daughter, Bailey, spending some time at the store before she starts school in the fall.

We do expect to close temporarily in July for a week or so to give the store some revitalization in anticipation of our 2 year Anniversary. So stay tuned for details and upcoming promotion of our "Grand Reopening."

What does it mean to be Green?

I wish I had made this post yesterday, as it would have been apropos of Earth Day, but better late I suppose. We are very excited, regardless, about our Green Business Certification.

So what does it mean to be Green? Well, after submitting the application and filling out extensive questionnaires about our business practices, it ultimately means that we meet or exceed all the stringent guidelines proposed by the County of Alameda for waste management and recycling, that we comply with all environmental regulations, and take steps to conserve natural resources, prevent pollution and reduce waste.

We had inspections by PG&E, EBMUD and the City of Berkeley. Some of our practices include using environmentally-friendly cleaning products, use energy-efficient lighting and use practices (ie.timers), and use supply vendors that reduce waste in their packaging whenever possible, to name a few. We passed all of our inspections with flying colors!

Goodness, it feels good to be Green!