Occasionally we are going to do a "Meet the Designer" blog post so you can get to know the people behind the products!! I love knowing that there is an actual person behind a product that I am using! Our first "Meet the Designer" is Kathleen and Justin....the adorable couple behind Smiling Tree Toys! (I mean...seriously adorable...look at that picture!) I asked them a few questions and I hope you enjoy learning a little about them and the story behind their amazing toys!
Tell me a little about yourself? How did you get started in the woodworking business? Do you work from home? Or an office?
We’re Justin and Kathleen, the smiling faces behind Smiling Tree Toys. We’re fun-loving kids at heart with a deep appreciation for living simply, being kind to Mother Nature, and creating thoughtful, handmade gifts.
Our family business began in 2010 when we returned to the U.S. after serving two years with the Peace Corps in Niger, West Africa. After living in a small, strongly-knit community in West Africa, we wanted the same for our new home in the U.S. We chose Kathleen’s family roots in rural southwestern Minnesota as our little place to call home. That’s where you’ll find us, where Justin enjoys the prairie views from his woodshop window, and Kathleen is happy to return to the wide open spaces of her childhood. Best of all, we love sharing it all with our little daughter Amana, born last October.
The name Smiling Tree Toys reflects our love of and appreciation for Mother Nature. Our toys wouldn’t exist without her, and so we wanted our name to pay homage to the trees that allow us to transform them into wooden fun for little ones. The gorgeous grain patterns, coloring, and silky smoothness of organically finished hardwoods just can’t be beat! We do everything in our power to keep our environmental footprint very small; we like to think that all of the earth-friendly things we do bring a smile to the trees we use.
We love being work-from-home parents! The freedom to plan our daily schedules around play time, story time, and nap time is priceless. And because the first few years of a little one’s life just fly by, we feel very blessed that we can earn a living while not missing a single moment of our daughter’s daily achievements and discoveries.
When we’re not in our woodshop, the three of us are usually enjoying family time, playing games, camping, skiing, and helping out on our family’s organic farm.
We like to say that we “work hard to play hard,” although most days in the woodshop hardly feel like work at all -- come on, we get to make TOYS for a living!
Tell me what you love about what you do?
Most everything! Earning a living while doing something you truly believe in and feel good about is priceless. We both love our roles in Smiling Tree – Justin creates our toys and Kathleen handles the marketing, selling, and customer relations – it’s a match made in heaven! It feels great to know that the handmade items we pour our hearts and souls into go to new homes where they’re treasured and enjoyed. A few other things we love: our morning walk down the drive to mail packages, Justin’s ten-step commute to work, the thrill of new design ideas popping into our heads, and getting to know other independent artisans.
For Jen & I…once we had children we knew that we needed to take steps…even if small ones…to make our lives more toxin free/earth-friendly/organic….What drove your passion to be a “green/organic” company?
Being an organic, eco-friendly company just feels like the right thing to do. Kathleen was raised on her family’s organic farm, and we’ve always truly believed that some of the best things in life come directly from Mother Nature, unaltered and in their purest forms. We grow a lot of our own food, buy locally and organic, and are eco-conscious consumers. When we became parents, it only felt natural to raise our daughter in this same way. And that means surrounding her with earth-friendly, toxin free toys that are simple, safe, and inspire creativity. We find this lifestyle so fulfilling, that we chose to combine our passions with Justin’s love of woodworking and voila! – Smiling Tree Toys was born.
A few of the ways Smiling Tree is good to the earth:
*we use locally sourced and FSC certified woods
*our packaging materials are eco-friendly (recycled cardboard boxes, wood chips as filler, biodegradable bubble wrap, and re-used packing paper/bubble wrap from local businesses)
*our toys have our very own, homegrown organic finish (we use certified organic camelina oil and beeswax, both of which are grown on our family's farm)
*we participate in our local renewable energies program
*we shop locally for our business/home purchases
*we’re conscious consumers – waste not, want not!
*we’re sure to get out of the woodshop and tend to our organic veggie garden
Who is that adorable little baby in your picture?
That little lady is our ten-month old daughter Amana. She’s our first child. Amana’s name (pronounced ah-MAH-nah) is a West African word for “friendship and trust” that holds special meaning for us during the time we spent serving with the Peace Corps in Niger, Africa. All little ones truly are blessings from up above, and Amana is our daily reminder to enjoy the simple things in life and be thankful for what we’ve been given. She inspires, entertains, and motivates us each and every day. And she’s perfect for testing and modeling our toys!
What is your favorite food? Do you have a favorite healthy recipe you would like to share with our readers?
We love cooking with fresh, whole foods from our garden and family farm. For the last few weeks, we’ve been indulging in fresh sweet corn-on-the cob!
We’d like to share two favorites: creamy yogurt and homemade pizza crust.
Grandma B’s Homemade Yogurt: a great way to make healthy plain yogurt for your little ones (and yourself!). You’ll find my recipe here: http://www.smilingtreetoys.blogspot.com/
Stir-and-Roll Pizza Dough: this one’s a no-brainer; lots of fun for little ones to personalize their own sections of the pizza with toppings of their choice. And much healthier than ordering out for pizza.
3 c flour
3 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 c milk
1/4 c + 2 Tbsp olive oil (or oil of your choice)
Combine everything and stir until mixture leaves sides of bowl. Gather together and press into a ball. Knead ten times or so to make smooth. Roll out on a lightly-floured surface and transfer to a 9x13 pan. Brush lightly with oil and top with all your favorite pizza toppings. Bake at 425° F for about 20 minutes. Enjoy with someone you love!
GIVING BACK:
We’re on a mission to circle the earth with smiles! For every toy we sell, we make a donation to Peace Corps worldwide youth development projects. As former Peace Corps Volunteers, this is a cause especially near and dear to our hearts. The latest project we’re sponsoring is called Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) in Zambia, eastern Africa. Camp GLOW is a female leadership camp that gives female students and teachers the skills and knowledge to overcome gender obstacles in their communities.
RANDOM/FUN FACT:
We own a small herd of happy cows! They’re part of our family’s 5th generation organic farm. Our cows and calves enjoy plenty of sunshine, grass, and wide open spaces. It’s our small way of ensuring that the food our family eats is healthy, sustainable, and treated with kindness and respect.
Thank you Kathleen and Justin for being our first "Meet the Designer" feature!! You are a pleasure to work with and we look forward to a great future with you!
Mel & Jen
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