V.I.A.’s Home Grown features only the most awesome companies in Vancouver. From tiny, single-person operations to the big players, we profile our favourite businesses and interview their owners.

Dandelion KIDS Established 2004 www.dandelionkids.ca

Dandelion KIDS is one of my favourite kids’ stores in Vancouver. They’re eco-minded – from the products they choose to stock, like a great selection of colourful organic clothing right down to their biodegradable bags – they’ve got a personable, multi-lingual staff, their store is easy to navigate, they constantly are giving back to the community, they have amazing window displays but honestly what I love the most about them is that they just have a lot of really cool products for kids. Their taste in and selection of products is second to none.

Our youngest contributor, Arlo, originally turned me onto Dandelion KIDS when he bought a pair of Kid Ear Muffs there to protect his hearing when he goes to shows (click HERE to get a look at them in his Said The Whale review) and he told me that he’s super excited that we’re highlighting them in a Home Grown feature… and of course I agree!

If you don’t believe Arlo and I, simply ask everybody else; they were just voted the Favourite Kids Clothing Store on the Eastside in the 2010 Vancouver Courier Stars of Vancouver award!

We got Dandelion KIDS owners, Maria Livingstone and Stefanie Missler, to answer some questions for us…

If Dandelion Kids is known for only one thing amongst it’s customers, what would it be?

Our magical mix of kids products that you probably haven’t seen before. You always know you’re going to find something, which makes last minute shopping easy!

Aside from your own, what’s your favourite Vancouver business, and why?

How can we choose just one? Vancouver is filled with great restaurants and shopping.

What’s your favourite product that you sell and why?

Our selection of Simply Read books. We think that Simply Read has exceptional taste and is a big supporter of Vancouver authors and artists like Lisa Cinar (The Day It All Blew Away), Robin Mitchell and Judith Steedman (Windy, Sunny, Snowy & Chinook and the brand new title Foggy) and Sara O’Leary and Julie Morstad (Where You Came From, and When You Were Small).

What keeps you here? Like what’s the best thing about Vancouver?

The weather, which gives four distinct seasons, the ocean and the mountains, the proximity to nature as well as the sophistication of a city. How many cities can you go for a run, kayak, snowboard and go see art galleries all in one day? Vancouver just keeps getting better.

www.dandelionkids.ca