oldbazaaristanbul recently opened their first West Coast brick-and-mortar shop at The CAMP in Costa Mesa. The elevated, in-person experience is open to the public 7 days a week from 11am to 7pm. oldbazaaristanbul enjoys connecting with all women—not just parents—and intentionally empowers them to shop consciously for themselves and their homes. The address of the new shop is 2981 Bristol Street, Suite B3, Costa Mesa, California 92626.

oldbazaaristanbul was launched in 2015 as an online platform for sustainable and ethical buying decisions with an emphasis on aesthetics. The new shop offered women’s and kids’ products from brands that were making waves in sustainability, empowering parents to find everything they’re looking for—for themselves and their littles—in one chic location.

According to the founder, Gina Ozhuthual, “I saw an opening in the marketplace for women like myself, new moms who want to shop more responsibly, not only for their children but for themselves.”

The lifestyle brand and retailer, which has been featured in publications including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Architectural Digest, opened its flagship store in New Jersey in 2017.

Both the e-commerce site and East Coast shop have experienced increasing success as the brand intentionally pivots their product offerings to the needs of their loyal oldbazaaristanbul customer base.

On the opening of the new SoCal storefront, Gina shares, “I’ve been looking for years for the perfect location to serve our loyal SoCal customer base. The CAMP had everything we were looking for: Community, sustainability, accessibility from all over LA and Orange County, and a wonderful management team. We are very excited to join The CAMP and to bring BoMa to SoCal!”

According to The CAMP’s website, “The CAMP balances culture, sophistication, and functionality, blurring the boundaries between nature and the everyday bustle of life in Orange County, California.” The clean lines, natural elements, and neutral color scheme of the new oldbazaaristanbul space further extends this experience to the community, offering them an opportunity to shop brands such as Rylee & Cru, Free People, Lack of Color, Maileg, Poppie Toys, and many more. 

By offering a highly curated collection of ethically made, sustainably sourced clothing and home goods, oldbazaaristanbul takes the guesswork out of shopping consciously and fashionably for women and children.

Join the community of women who are shopping consciously for themselves and their littles by following oldbazaaristanbul on Instagram @shopbohemianmama, and discover eco-friendly, aesthetically pleasing products for women, children, and home at www.oldbazaaristanbul.com or by visiting the new location at The CAMP in Costa Mesa.

We’re pulling out the Easter baskets to fill with beautiful, sustainable Easter gifts. We’re prepping the mantle for felt garlands, the playroom for a soft flower wall. And we’re picturing how cute our little bunnies will be in fresh, spring pjs and daisy bonnets. 

We honestly can’t wait for Sunday, April 9, but we’re going to enjoy every second of filling Easter baskets with colorful Easter gifts for kids and getting our family-friendly weekend activities ready for launch. 

Speaking of family Easter activities, ours will look a bit different this year: We’re having an eggless Easter. We can think of plenty of reasons to ditch the eggs—a vegan lifestyle, the current egg shortage, that funky smell they leave in the kitchen—so we’re going for it.

We came up with some Easter kids’ activities that aren’t reliant on eggs, and we’d love to share them with you! For starters, though, let’s dig in to 2023’s best Easter gift ideas for kids’ Easter baskets. 

Read on for a step-by-step guide to filling your kids’ Easter baskets with sustainable gifts, floral and gingham pjs, party accessories, and so much more. 

How to Fill Kids’ Easter Baskets in 2023

Step 1 // Choose Your Kids’ Easter Baskets

This should come as no surprise—the most important aspect of your kids’ Easter basket is the basket, itself. Easter baskets transform a regular gift bundle into a delightful and sustainable gift experience. Consider which play activity your child enjoys the most: a pretend picnic, a trip to the farmer’s market, a hike through the forest, or a stroll with their baby doll. Our piki baskets  are ideal for a Parisian picnic, while these retro baskets (with matching styles for bohemian mamas) aesthetically house all of their farmer’s market finds. Similarly, the mini chari stays in place while kids traipse through the enchanted forest and the strolley in natural or rose is the dreamiest Easter basket for your mini mama.

Piki Baskets  // Retro Baskets // Mini Chari // Strolley in Natural or Rose

Step 2 // Pick Their Pajamas

Are your kids growing as fast as ours? It’s as if they take a developmental leap around the same time U.S. clocks spring forward. Don’t you wish you could slow down time? Since that’s not an option, we suggest making the most of every moment with Easter themed pjs for babies, toddlers, kids—and yourself. You’ll find adorable bunny options in blue and pink, as well as gingham prints for your dapper fellows and posh little ones—and for the flower-obsessed, this spring floral print is an absolute must. Your kids will love snatching these Easter pajamas from their Easter baskets, and you’ll love seeing them in bedtime threads that actually fit!

 Bunny PJs // Gingham PJs // Floral PJs // Mommy PJs

Step 3 // Play to Their Creative Side

Engage kids' creativity by continuing to fill your kids’ Easter baskets with craft supplies and pretend play toys. We’re enamored with this DIY wand and flower crown craft kit from Meri Meri, which pairs wonderfully with an Easter activity like bunny embroidery! Watch them become busy bees while decorating with Easter stickers, or let them loose on the back patio with these new handmade sidewalk chalks in bunny, macaron, or alphabet shapes. 

Step 4 // Add a Bunny Stuffie or Baby Doll

This might be (read: definitely is) our favorite category of Easter gifts for toddlers and kids: Stuffies and Baby Dolls. We are dying over these new bunnies from Cuddle + Kind, and each purchase provides meals to a North American family in need. This therapist-designed narwhal will help your child with problem-solving skills (in an aesthetically Easter pastel hue), and this cozy dinkum lion pip is perfect for your wild ones. Need a soft and soothing plush for little hands, this new bunny from Maileg will bring a calming presence to your youngest Easter babies. 

 New Bunnies from Cuddle + Kind // Therapist-Designed Narwhal Kin // Cozy Dinkum Lion Pip // New Bunnies from Maileg

Step 4 // Fill in the Nooks & Crannies

Follow your heart for this final step of filling your kids’ Easter baskets. In our opinions, an Easter appropriate pair of bunny ears is essential, and these organic cotton shirts (with matching headbands and dresses for dollies) will keep them neutral and on-trend at their next playdate. Kids are sure to go wild for the surprise carrots (with a fluffy chick, temporary tattoos, and a joke inside), and we imagine they won’t be hopping far without this very chic, plush bunny bag. The options are endless for filling in the gaps in your Easter baskets, and we hope you’ll find everything you desire in our Easter collection for kids, babies, toddlers, and mamas. 

 Bunny Ears // Organic Cotton Shirts // Surprise Carrots // Daisy Bonnet

Easter Activities That Don’t Require Eggs

As promised, we want to share several egg-less Easter activities for your family in case you’re taking this holiday off-script, too! Here’s a non-exhaustive list, but feel free to get creative on your own and sculpt an Easter extravaganza that fits the unique passions of your kids and babies!

1. Go on a nature hunt for smooth stones and then decorate them with paint, glitter, or these decorative Easter egg tattoos.

2. Plan a trip to the park with friends! If possible, go a bit early to set up these bunnies, creating a maze through the park. The kids will work on their observation skills and have a blast searching for the gingham clues!

3. Have a crafting party! Sit down for some sewing with the bunny embroidery kit and then get to work on a DIY flower crown! You can use fresh flowers from your yard or enjoy this flower crown craft kit from our Easter collection. 

4. Put on a puppet show! Make your own from craft supplies at home or pick up this organic cotton bunny puppet to play out all kinds of silly scenarios. 

5. Use natural dyes on bandanas—not eggs—to enjoy the transformation to fun colors with sustainable practices! You can find instructions for experimenting with turmeric, black beans, onion skins, and avocado pits from various online crafters.

6. Bake a vegan cake together—or use wooden eggs for your pretend cake with this Bunny Hop Mixer Set. 

7. Go on a family bike ride—with brand new bikes for extra fun! 

8. Make a fruit plate in the shape of an Easter egg! Encourage kids to get creative with colors and patterns while filling in an oval shape. 

9. Play some outdoor games! Fun for kids of all ages, croquet, bocce, and corn hole are a few of our faves (They can also be played indoors!).

10. Go on an Easter Egg Hunt for treasure eggs! Choose from gold-coated, egg-shaped sidewalk chalk or plush bunnies in sparkly paper eggs.

Ready to try out some of these Easter egg-less activities? We’d love to hear how they go! Tag us on social @shopbohemianmama to share how you and your kids are embracing Easter 2023!

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But how do we teach this?

The answer is we don’t teach this. We model this. And the way in which we model this deeply affects and sinks into a child’s heart and soul.

What do we care about? How do we answer their questions? How do we show them and guide them towards kindness and compassion? What does it look like to “be” inclusive?

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I often think about the things kids say out loud. They often don’t have the reservations or emotional maturity to keep things to themselves at a young age. And so they see what they see and they ask because they simply want to know.

 And the way in which we respond says it all.

“Mama, that person is in a funny chair and only has one leg, are they hurting?”

“What a beautiful person, they have a really special chair to help them get around the store more easily, so they are more comfortable in their body.”

“Mommy, that person is wearing a wrap around their head, why?”

“Awe yes isn’t that beautiful? People express their style, ethnicity, and who they are in so many cool ways. That person feels most comfortable wearing a head wrap. Doesn’t it look beautiful on them?”

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I think as parents sometimes we aren’t ready for the curve balls our kids throw. But what if we became ready? What if we stopped asking them to look away and be quiet? Instead we answer them. We guide them. We share what’s going on, and we ask them to treat all humans with dignity and respect. It starts with us. With our actions, our honesty, our replies and our own hearts.

Teaching our children the importance of giving a damn helps them notice the beauty all around them. Normalizing the differences we share as human beings is the start. When we connect the earth and humans as one, we understand the power of unity. The power of inclusion. The power of empathy. The power of responsibility. The power of understanding the inherent worth of all things.

 Shop Best Selling Cozy Dinkums by Olli Ella

Our children can be guided towards believing that every human being on this planet has a right to safely exist within the body they were given. But we have a responsibility as parents to teach our children such truths. So that they too will care for all living beings.  

Five things to help your children give a damn:

1. Ask them to draw a picture of all the different types of people they see. Have them draw different ways people get around in their body, the ways in which hair is styled or accessorized in unique ways.
2. Talk openly about different religions as well as no religion. This helps them understand that people choose religions or none as a way to connect with themselves and the world. None of it = bad.
3. Demonstrate what it means to help others by bringing food to a food shelter, giving money to homeless people, and writing letters to the seniors in senior care.
4. Volunteer with your children to pick up garbage in your neighborhood or city.
5. Guide your kids towards reading material that familiarizes them with what it means to be inclusive of others and to treat every human being with dignity and respect.
6. Be mindful of the dolls, books, and playing material that comes into your home. Intentionally represent all types of ethnicities, body types, and ways of showing up in this world.

 Shop Best Sellers from Olli Ella

May we guide our children to be soft, strong, kind, and assertive. May we welcome their tears as an opportunity to let them feel the emotion of sadness and anger instead of stuffing it. May we guide them towards inclusion of all human beings, and the differences that make us truly unique and beautiful individuals. May we teach them to stand up for the hurting and lonely. For these children are the hope and power of the future. A future that welcomes inclusion of all beings. Nourishment to the ground beneath our feet. Empathy and compassion to help and bring hope to every human being. May the love and passion in their eyes lead us into greater love for one another, no matter our differences.

It’s June — which for most of the US means that Summer is *unofficially* here — and it’s the perfect time for you to get outside with your kids. Spending time outdoors with your kids is so beneficial, but sadly, on the decline. Blame it on TV, smart phones, or video games — the average American child spends five to eight hours a day in front of a digital screen. The repercussions of too much screen time, at the expense of unstructured play in nature are detrimental to the well-being of children. So this year, the team at oldbazaaristanbul challenges you to spend 1,000 hours outside.

What is 1,000 hours outside?

1,000 hours outside is a movement to encourage children and their families to spend more time outside and less time in front of screens. From their website: “The entire purpose of 1000 Hours Outside is to attempt to match nature time with screen time. If kids can consume media through screens 1200 hours a year on average then the time is there and at least some of it can and should be shifted towards a more productive and healthy outcome!”

Founded by Ginny Yurich, 1,000 aims to encourage families to track how much time they spend outside with nature — essentially gamifying something that is really good for you! The recommending time outdoors per day for children is 4-6 hours. We know, as parents ourselves, this sounds like a lot of time. But, the benefits of unstructured play outdoors has so many benefits for children — it’s certainly a goal worth striving toward.

Benefits of play in nature

1. Improved cognitive function
2. More creativity
3. Less sitting, more being active
4. Less solitary, more interactions with peers
5. Less depression and anxiety
6. Increased attention span
7. More vitamin D exposure helps reduce the risk of certain health issues
8. Improved eyesight
9. Exposure to natural light + lots of physical activity = better sleep
10. Active kids are more likely to grow into active adults

And the benefits don’t stop with the kids. Adults spending more time outside will also reap the benefits — especially those related to health and well-being. So when you start planning what your Summer looks like this year, be sure to include lots of activities outdoors for you and your children to enjoy. To learn more about 1,000 hours outside, visit https://oldbazaaristanbul.com/.

Our favorite outdoor gear

Be sure to include some of our favorite products in your outdoor activities this Summer to make spending time outside together a breeze.

The Reign Swing Attachment - White / Black by 2MamaBees will make a fun add-on to the  Reign Two Story Playhouse. Featuring two swings and one acro bar, the Reign Swing Attachment - White / Black will surely add hours of fun time for the kids!

Kids will have a great time playing with the Ajure Playhouse - White / Black by 2MamaBees! This beautifully crafted white and black farmhouse with a built-in kitchen, play food, and cedar window boxes will make a fun addition to your backyard or playroom!

Your kids will have hours of fun with our Good Wood Mini Golf Game. So many different configurations make this game different every time. Set up easy to difficult courses to make the game more challenging. We give it FORE stars!

Take the whole family on a biking adventure and let the youngest one ride along on this timeless designed baby trike. The seat of this classic tricycle is made out of oak and is softly padded for a comfortable ride. Suitable from 2 years and older and a perfect toddler tricycle to pass on to the next generation.

Olli Ella Luggy Natural is the most adorable (and functional) tiny wheeled basket for your toddler or little one. From trips to the farmers market to toting their favorite toys to the backyard this little rattan buggy for children is the perfect accessory for playtime. perfect for storing and toting their most prized possessions. The Luggy Basket is great for grocery shopping, the beach, and of course, the playground.

April is stress awareness month — and nothing is quite as stressful as those early days of parenthood. And, as a new mom, there is a lot of emphasis on managing that stress, taking care of yourself, and making sure your mental health is in good shape. Some days, this may actually feel impossible most days. It’s so easy to let your little ones dictate the day. Before you know it, ‘self-care’ means taking a shower before noon or running to the grocery store. But we can do better than that! Self-care means something different for everyone, but we think a great place to start is with the kids.

 Instead of waiting for them to have a weekend at Grandma’s or an occasional long nap, get them involved at a young age to create a healthy habit! Seeing mom do these things — or better yet, getting involved — is a wonderful way to create a positive relationship with mental health. Here are a handful of our favorite family-friendly self-care activities to get started with today!

Exercise

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a million times: exercise is crucial for your mental health. Pop on a workout video and you’ll be shocked at how quickly your kids join in! Not into working out? Play some music and break a sweat with a dance! Don’t have a walker just yet? Search YouTube for gentle baby and me yoga to stretch and breathe alongside baby.

Grech & Co. reusable stainless steel + silicone thermo bottles are highly durable, super friendly to open and close, and feature a silicone spout which protects teeth - Offering a total drinking experience.

Get in the kitchen

Cooking a healthy meal with fresh food is a great way to slow down and connect back to yourself. I know what you’re thinking: cooking with a toddler sounds like a potential nightmare. I promise there are ways to make it manageable. Give them small tasks like dumping ingredients from measuring cups into a bowl or pressing the button to start your blender for a smoothie. Older kids can help by peeling vegetables or using a spoon to mix ingredients together.

Little Big Playroom Sit & Stand is the ultimate piece for your little helper! Use as a stool in the kitchen for you little one to get in on the cooking & baking action or use as a single coloring desk and chair! 

Meditation

Using apps like Calm or Headspace is a great introduction to meditation — they even have specific meditations geared toward children. Not interested in paying for an app? YouTube has some wonderful guided meditations as well! Creating a relaxing space for quiet time has proven benefits for children, including improved sleep, increased focus,  prolonged attention span, and reduced stress and anxiety — and everyone could use that!

Ready for bed? Relax your mind, ease your stress, and calm your body with this essential oil blend that helps get you ready for one magical night of deep sleep.

Spray your pillows/sheets and even your body with this gentle lavender essential oil misting spray. The oils used in this blend will help promote a restful night of sleep. Sweet smells of lavender, chamomile, marjoram and warm smells of vanilla and sandalwood.

Make the most of bathtime

Okay — you probably want to have some alone time while you bathe, which is fair enough.  However, bathtime is the perfect place to teach your littles to treat themselves occasionally with bubble bath or a special bath toy. For the mama, a hot bath with some decadent products can help ease your stress any time of day.

This multi-functional revitalizer goes deep as it gently removes makeup, dirt and all the icky toxins. All natural Fruit Extracted AHA’s and Activated Charcoal provide a deep cleanse, detoxify, and reduce the appearance of pores.

This Gemstone Resurfacing Treatment creates luminous glowing skin while reducing the appearance of sun and age spots, uneven skin tone, fine lines and wrinkles and improving texture, firmness and elasticity…all with no downtime.

Moisturize and soothe your baby’s delicate skin with natural Baby Oil. Made from natural origin and certified organic ingredients, our formula’s calming and nurturing effects are a great way to bond with your baby.

Mushie’s all purpose Baby Balm is made from natural ingredients that moisturizes, nourishes and creates a protective barrier for your skin. 

Mushie Baby Cream provides a protective barrier that prevents the skin from drying out and soothes. Gentle enough for everyday use, this all-purpose cream is suitable for areas of dry, chafed skin. 

Spend time outside

Exposure to nature is a fantastic mood booster. My toddler could be in the middle of a meltdown, but the mention of going outside does the trick (nearly) every time. Movement, sun, and fresh air — going outside is the self-care jackpot. Try outdoor activities together like going for a walk around the block, starting a small garden, or a simple picnic. Even just sitting outdoors together on a blanket with a book or some simple toys is perfect.

 The Mint Piki Basket by Olli Ella is that classic picnic basket that your little one will love. Pack it for a picnic, for the beach, or for a playdate.

By starting these small habits together — whether every day or once a week — you’re setting yourself and your family up for improved mental health. Self-care will become a routine activity, just like brushing your teeth or washing the dishes. In time, the children will be more understanding when you need a ‘mommy minute’ and some time to meditate. And who knows, they may even join you!