Good Morning Ohio: Little Alouette + Handmade Toy Alliance

{images via little alouette}

I'm excited to share a special edition of Good Morning Ohio this week...because this is the Handmade Toy Alliance's Blog Week, where supporters of the artisans and handmade toy crafters in America, get to spread the word and show some love to these amazing folks. I get to talk about one of my big favie Ohio companies Little Alouette!

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Not only is Little Alouette a member of the Handmade Toy Alliance, Little Alouette is run by Amy and Joe Sharp in Columbus, Ohio. Amy is amazingly sweet and, together with her husband, they create the most amazing natural wood toys, teethers, and rattles.

Let me talk about the first time I found Little Alouette on Etsy...

I had been shuffling through my local Etsy listings when I spied a darling Ohio Maple Tree Teether. Of course, even though I don't have babies, I was smitten with the simple, clean, organic design and wanted to learn more about the folks behind so many darling creations. Having been featured on Etsy's Featured Seller, Etsy's The Stork Quit Your Day Job series, and all over the blogosphere, I also came across Amy's own blog Doobleh-vay and, a little later, discovered she's a contributor on Scoutie Girl! (What can I say? We Ohioans dig craftsy types.) Little Alouette represents to me the best in finding balance between work - home - life. Cheers to the Sharps for keeping at it :)

So. My first (and lasting) impression upon discovering Little Alouette? These are the kinds of toys I want to buy for my kids one day. These are the toys we ALL should want for our little ones. Simple, natural, local, organic, and above all...safe. No toxins. No plastics. No huge carbon cost to ship it from a factory in China. This is the real deal. Made by hand, with love.


Want to know how to get involved in supporting folks like Amy + Joe? Want to find HTA business members in your area? Visit the Handmade Toy Alliance website for more information.

About the Handmade Toy Alliance: The HTA is a non-profit organization made up of crafters, manufacturers, and importers of small batch children’s products.  In 2008, Congress passed the CPSIA to regulate the children’s product industry, but the over reaching law has unintended consequence requiring all children’s products to be tested at a third party testing lab.  The testing costs are expensive and often require the destruction of several pieces for a result.  The HTA is urging Congress to amend the CPSIA in a way that keeps safe products in the market place and maintains safety standards that protect our children.  Do your part by going to www.handmadetoyalliance.com and contacting your member congress.