Interview with Kate Agarwal of Bella & Boo Organics – Eco-friendly shop for the kiddos

Thank God it's Thursday! We're almost there guys!

This week, I've had the special opportunity to interview Kate Agarwal, eco-friendly mom and owner of the shop, Bella & Boo Organics - a super cute online shop with clothes, toys, bedding and gear made of eco-friendly, fair-trade, and organic materials. Read on to learn more about her store and her passion for sustainable products!

CMar: When did you first begin Bella & Boo Organics?

Kate: We officially opened to the public in December 2009 but it was almost two years of research, planning and hard work that went into creating Bella & Boo Organics prior to that.  The “seed” was planted shortly after the birth of my daughter when I was trying to find the reason behind her recurring infant skin rashes.  After many trips to the doctor, a full round of allergy tests and a lot of frustration, I finally took a step back and wondered if the cause of her rashes was something simpler and right in front of our eyes—her clothing.  I turned out to be right.  After doing research on the growing and manufacturing process of regular cotton clothing and learning about all of the pesticides and harmful chemicals used to grow cotton, process it and create each garment, I decided to go organic.  I replaced all of my daughter’s bodysuits with organic cotton ones and shortly thereafter her rashes disappeared completely.  I had been eating organic foods for years but until then had never realized that off-the-rack clothing and other textiles can be ridden with chemicals and dyes that are harmful to us, and especially to babies with their delicate skin and developing immune systems.  I began searching the web for other organic baby products, safe clothing, non-plastic toys and natural bedding for my daughter and found a handful of retailers, all of whom were out of state.  I wanted to share my experience with other parents and create a shop where parents could go and find all of the organic and natural children’s products they were searching for in one place.

CMar: What brands do you carry at your store?

Kate: We carry organic clothing by Kate Quinn, Speesees and Tiny Revolutionary.  Our line of safe toys is by ImagiPLAY and MiYim.  Our natural and organic bedding comes from Robbie Adrian and Midori Bamboo.  Our eco-friendly gear is by Klean Kanteen, Envirosax and LunchBots.  We have a brand new section for Mom featuring beautiful prints by artist K.M. Bergrenn which capture the joy and intense emotion of motherhood. They are one of my favorite products.

CMar: How do you select the brands that you carry?

Kate: The brands that I carry in my shop are all those that I have direct personal experience with.  They are wonderful brands that I purchased for my daughter and wanted to share with other moms and dads.  I work with vendors who share my passion for pure, organic children’s products and for a cleaner, healthier world.

CMar: What are your views on sustainability?

Kate: I believe that living a greener, more environmentally-friendly lifestyle is not only vital to the future of our planet and all of its ecosystems, it is healthier for us and for our children.  We must keep in mind that every single purchase we make has either a direct or indirect impact on the environment, on human welfare and on animal welfare.  As consumers, we must take a step back and ask ourselves some important questions when making a purchase:  did this product travel thousands of miles to get to me?  Who made this product?  Were they treated fairly and given a decent, livable wage?  What is the impact on the environment from the manufacturing of this product?  If each one of us took care to support eco-friendly businesses, demand safer, cleaner products and not support those companies who are polluting our world (and making our children sick) we could really send a loud and clear message.  As more and more consumers demand greener products, more companies will begin to make positive changes to meet those demands.

CMar: What is special about your store?

Kate: I am thrilled to say that Bella & Boo Organics is very special in the way that each item we carry was handpicked by a caring mom who is passionate about safe, pure and eco-friendly products (me).  I started my company with a heartfelt goal in mind—to share my experience with other parents and help them avoid the same frustration I faced when trying to move to a more organic way of life for my family.  I created a “one stop shop” where parents can find all the basics they need for their kids—clothing, toys, bedding and gear—in a single store.  Moms and dads can feel great about the fact that we only carry the best, tried-and-true products, ones that a fellow mom has had real, personal experience with.  That fact makes Bella & Boo Organics very unique to other retailers.  We also have the Bella & Boo Blog (link can be found at the bottom of home page) where I discuss organic and natural products, eco-friendly living and highlight new items.  Blogging is new to me but actually quite fun!

CMar: Where can customers buy your products?

Kate: Our shop is currently online and can be found at http://bellaandboo.com We offer free shipping in the Continental U.S. on orders of $75 and free gift wrapping.  I absolutely love sending gift orders to people and making the packages look super cute and special.

CMar: What are your future design goals?

Kate: I am currently looking into expanding our collection with my own line of products under the Bella & Boo Organics label.  I am happily putting some designs together to create a line of luxurious organic blankets and baby layette basics.

You are an amazing inspiration to us and an awesome mom! Thank you so much for sharing your passions with us