Thanks to everyone who contributed baby name ideas to Elf Tesla earlier this year. We're happy to say she gave birth to a healthy baby girl on St. Patrick's Day, March 17! Mother and child are both doing well, and they were finally able to visit the workshop this week to show off the newcomer.

Many of you who call our shop with questions know Elf Tesla very well. She's been at the helm of our customer service team for several years, and is often the first to answer a ringing phone. As much as we love having her around, Tesla will be leaving us for a few months when she goes on her next...

In our previous "Natural Learning" post, we explored the rise of outdoor schools, or "forest kindergartens," across America (and their origins abroad). Even after all that research, we still had some questions about what it's really like to opt into this alternative learning setting. We asked Soft Star's good friend and natural living inspiration, Katy Bowman, to discuss her family's first-hand experiences...

"For 99 percent of the time we've been on Earth, we were hunters and gatherers, our lives dependent on knowing the fine, small details of our world. Deep inside, we still have a longing to be reconnected with the nature that shaped our imagination, our language, our song and dance, our sense of the divine." - Janine M. Benyus What can...

Why I Changed Careers for a Family-Friendly Workplace It has been five years now since I officially joined the Softstar Shoes family. Those are five years during which I have been able to bring my own family into work with me, for odd school holidays, snow days, or when they just needed extra “mama time.”  My two daughters have always...

We're giving away 3 pairs of colorful custom kids' shoes PERFECT for spring... enter below! Winter, your days are numbered! Chase away those cold-weather blues and welcome spring with these gorgeous and totally unique shoes for your little one. These special edition Classics in bright Peacock and Yellow leather feature an absolutely precious baby chick bursting from a hand-painted egg—an...

Scrap the wrapping waste with these incredible, sustainable, Japanese-inspired gift wrapping ideas! It's hard to think of the holiday season without calling to mind images of mysterious boxes wrapped in festive, shiny paper and bows. In fact, we don't even stop at gifts any more, wrapping front doors, framed pictures, and even cars to resemble fun gifty surprises. Unfortunately, this...