CBB Exclusive and Giveaway: Soleil Moon Frye on The Little Seed and her second pregnancy

Actress Soleil Moon Frye (aka Punky Brewster), 31, and her business partners, Paige Tolmach and Beth Birkett, recently opened their new store, The Little Seed, in Larchmont Villagein Los Angeles, CA. Soleil spoke exclusively to Danielle this fall about theirventure into retail, their favorite products and eco-friendly focus.Soleil also gives us an insight into her second pregnancy — she is due in March. Poet Sienna Rose is 2.

Giveaway: We’re giving away three goody bags from The LittleSeed’s launch party!  Read the interview, check out the photos, and find instructions forentering to win at the bottom.

Pregnancy

Feeling great following the constant sickness in first trimester: I’mdoing great. I’m feeling really wonderful and I’m so excited, I made itthrough the first trimester. It was incredible but really hard. All daysickness and all night sickness.

I’m so grateful to have made itthrough. The fourth month came around and I was like ‘Yes.’ It’sincredible but you know, Poet was so excited.

Poet’s psyched to be a big sister: It was socute we were having dinner the other night and I said to Poet, ‘What doyou want to be when you grow up?’ and she said, ‘I want to be a bigsister.’

It was so lovely, I started crying immediately. She is justamazing. She kinda gets it, yeah. She gets it that mommy’s belly isgetting big and she points that out.

Being bigger the second time around: I felt likeeverything was all back. I am doing more things — running around afterPoet and with the store. My belly has definitely popped outimmediately. Literally I was two months pregnant and it was hard tohide.

The Little Seed

Maternity clothing and reasons for starting The Little Seed: Itsbeen such an amazing journey and I’m so excited about it. Especiallybeing pregnant I can get all these amazing organic stuff for my baby.We don’t carry organic maternity wear yet, but there are places outthere that do and we would love to expand and eventually do that.

Ithas been such an incredibly huge undertaking that we felt that weshould focus on the kids. They are the next generation. As parents wehad been searching and perhaps felt lost in finding organic things forour children. When you have a baby and your eyes are open to the worldand you look around and you are like, ‘Wow! This is the only planetthat we have.’

Opening the store, what it’s like and being there everyday: Allof us are new to the retail thing but it has been such an adventure –none of us had ever owned a store before. We all really came fromentertainment but all want to make a difference in this world, dosomething for our kids. We are learning from the store and new parentsthat come in and tell us about these fabulous lines.

We have createdthis kind of second home. There is a play area and changing room. Seventh Generationdonated wipes and diapers — there is a place to change your childrenin a clean environment. Poet loves the store and likes to hang outthere. There is also a place for breastfeeding. We have incrediblepeople that work there, but I still find that I am there most days and Iwant to be involved.

Favorite products that they sell: Loveeverything! We have really tried to make it so there is something foreveryone and there are affordable pieces for everyone.

From $5 to $500.I love Kate Quinn Organics, kitchen set by Camden Rose – a big ticket Christmas present, wonderful stuff by Kalon Studios (amazing cribs), Under the Nile (chew toys), Speesees, Mossy Creek (rattles, non-toxic toys), my daughter is obsessed with Mary’s Softdough, Fauna (animal print organic tees — this horse shirt is Poet’s favorite).

Literally love everything. I go in there and buy everything. It’shysterical, I literally went in yesterday and bought everything from myown store. We really tried to make it so that eco is something that isattainable. People talk about how being eco can cost more but we aretrying to make it so that everyone can afford it and have part of thislifestyle. It’s a massive learning experience and journey for all ourfamilies. We are all in this together. It’s amazing that it’s working.

Reasons for starting the store: Wecan all become activists and raise questions. We shouldn’t be saying, ‘This isn’t going to affect me.’ As our world is changing and we areseeing the facts of what is changing and the recalls.

Even if it’s a smallthing, such as buying a toy that doesn’t have lead in it. The littlethings make such a huge impact on our planet. We can make one giganticleap as a group.

Organic items are often more expensive than regular items, butSoleil asks us to consider the effect they have on our babies andplanet: Under the Nile is the amazing line that is affordable for parents who are concerned about prices. Onesies for under $15 and toys for under $7. It becomes the sake of a couple of dollars to protect the interests of your child.

Benefiting the planet when setting up and running the store: Non-toxicpaints when we painted the store and recycled wood for the counters –we have tried to incorporate it in as many ways as we could. Diapers and wipes, by Seventh Generation are eco-friendly. Everyone has been trying in their own ways to help – e.g. to walk to work.

Dream for the future: Our dream is to global with it. Onein Canada, New York, San Francisco. To have this opportunity to havethis second home that people can come to is what we have truly tried tocreate.

We want to have art classes with non-toxic paints and recyclingclasses. We need to raise our children with this philosophy so we havethis generation that are great and aware about world issues. It’s abouta global change. Little things that can cause change. We really want todo our own line to create this great organic products.

Personal

The baby’s sex: We are trying to be surprised thistime. It’s one of the last surprises you have in life. I couldn’t waitthe first time, but this time it’s kinda fun to really see if I can doit or not. You find out in the end anyway.

Have they chosen a name? No, not yet. We have to come up with something really original. We are very open to suggestions. 

The present: I can’t believe I’m having this baby and then I have my baby store and then my baby Poet. I read your blog. I love learning about the pregnancies of celebrities — especially Halle Berry at the moment.

Due date: Due in March.

Photo credits: The Little Seed store photos by Meeno Peluce,photo of Soleil, Jason and Poet courtesy of Soleil Moon Frye, for use exclusively on the Celebrity Baby Blog.

Enter to win one of three goody bags from The Little Seed launch party.  The bags include some or all of the following items:

Organic Baby by Kimberly Rider, published by Chronicle Books
Dwellbaby bib and burp set
Seventh Generation chlorine-free diaper wipes
Lavender garden in a bag
Pinxav rash ointment
Elsie’s organic baby wipes
The Little Seed organic onesie
Green to Grow bottle
Kate Quinn Organics onesie
Weleda calendula cream
The Little Seed reusable bag

Email the following info to celebritybabyblog @ gmail.com:

• Your full name and mailing address (entries without addresses will not be included)
• Tell us one of Soleil’s favorite products that the store carries.
• Tell us one thing you do that is eco-friendly.
• Make sure you put "The Little Seed" in the subject line in order for your entryto be included. Do not post your entry in the comments below- they won’t be included.

Giveaway closes Wednesday, January 2, 2008, at 7 am EST. (For giveaway terms & conditions, click here.)

Soleil and her partner Paige gave a tour of The Little Seed to YourLATV.com’s Maria Warman.