New Blankets Available in 2019

As we make our way through the beginning weeks of the new year, winter is still ready to rear it’s ugly head. While temperatures drop in the South (to what we call “cold”) the North is facing winter storm after winter storm. As temperatures drop, there’s no need to reach for your thermostat just yet…Blended Designs has got you covered! We are proud to announce that we are dropping a new line of 100 percent fleece blankets to help you beat the cold this season! Check out some of our new items available in our online store.

Personalize like a Boss

Here at Blended Designs, we recognize the importance of you being able to #BeDifferent. It is our unique experiences, appearances, skills and talents that give us our black girl and black boy magic. This is why our new line of fleece blankets can be personalized with your favorite's names! These new throws feature each member of the #BDSquad. Just like our totes, bags, backpacks and accessories, these blankets feature characters that represent a wide variety of melanin skin tones.

Are you an animal lover that aspires to be a vet one day? Then the Riley™ line of products is perfect for you! Is your child a star athlete with a propensity for leadership? Then he or she will fall in love with our Langston™ products! Not sure what #BDSquad member that you are? Head over to our quiz to find out what character has #SquadGoals most like your own! Next, it’s time to personalize your favorite character’s blanket, pick out your favorite color from our extensive selection and add your name for some extra flair!

Representation = Inspiration

Blended Designs was founded in response to a startling fact discovered by founder Casey Kelley: only 2 percent of all backpacks available on the market represent characters of color. This dismal representation of a wide variety of melanin skin tones inspired Kelley to begin her 100 percent black-owned business back in 2014. Since then, Kelley has dedicated herself to providing children with high-quality products that inspire confidence and greatness, both in and out of the classroom.

By purchasing 1954 products, you are providing bags and accessories with characters that your children can identify with. You are providing consumers with an opportunity to #BuyBlack. When you support a black-owned business, you are investing your hard-earned money back into our community, making it possible for a black-owned business to succeed. These success stories will, in turn, serve as inspiration for your children that they can do anything when they decide to pursue and achieve their goals.

Beat the Winter Blues With a Good Book

As parents, we adore when our children find a sport that they love. The skills that our kids learn and the relationships that they form with coaches and teammates can help to promote excellence both in and out of the classroom. However, winter storms and months of cold and hinder our children's abilities to go outside and perform. This can mean hours on end spent inside waiting for the weather to improve. Our new fleece blankets serve as the perfect excuse to get your little one to cuddle up and read a good book.

The Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) released its findings on the number of children's books either by or about people of color published in 2017. Not surprisingly, only 31 percent of children's books published in this year were by or concerning characters of diversity. Although this number had been steadily increasing over the years and is at an all time high since 1994, these statistics are still concerning when it comes to proper representation of characters of a wide variety of melanin skin tones. Give your child the gift on confidence this winter season by pairing their new customized blanket with one of our favorite inspiring books.

Choose From a Variety of Backgrounds!

Growing into Strong, Confidence Kiddos 

It’s no secret to say that growing up is tough. From the second we are born, we are met with a deluge of new information, as we pick up new skills and knowledge each and every day. Learning all of these new skills while traversing social and cultural situations entirely unknown to us as children makes for a daunting undertaking. It is our job as parents, classmates and mentors to install confidence in the children of today to create a kind, capable, skilled future for tomorrow. 

Show Confidence Yourself

The first step in installing confidence in your children is by displaying that confidence yourself. Children learn by example, and by being willing to try new things without fear of failure, you can teach your children to do the same. You don’t have to pretend to be the best at each new undertaking, or unafraid of failure to showcase this confidence. On the contrary, being open with your children about your feelings while focusing on the positive can encourage your children to do the same.

Let Children Learn from Failure

Not only is it important for children to become more confident from their successes in life, it is equally as important for kids to learn that failure is a part of the process. After all, confident people don’t let the fear of failure get in their way, and this is an important concept to impress upon your children as you encourage them to try new things. Failure will actually teach children to dust themselves off, pick themselves up, and try harder for better results in the future.

Allow Kids to Have an Opinion

This may be a tricky one for some parents. While we agree that children should be raised to respect adults and their time to speak and discuss issues as “grownups”, we also believe that it is important for children to develop their own original thought. Being outspoken does not mean that a child is being disrespectful, if it is done in an appropriate and well-thought out manner. Children should be taught to validate their voice through patience and reasoning, while giving others the opportunity to do the same.

Practice Persistence

While we all may want our children to excel at every new endeavour that they undertake, it is important to not let children give up at their first failure or setback. Kids must learn that they have to be resilient enough to withstand failure to keep trying, and to not be too distressed when they are not the very best at something. Learning to trust the process and their personal progression is what will keep children focused on their goals, no matter what may deter them.

Set #SquadGoals™ and Explore New Interests

Another key method for installing confidence in kids is by helping your children find their passions by exploring their own interests to help develop their own identity. As children find their interests in sports, hobbies and other activities, they will be amazed at their growing skill set, as they put in the time and effort to learn more about the things that they love. One way to encourage this progress is by articulating both big and small goals that your children may have. Setting goals can help your children feel strong and secure, and that they can truly achieve anything with time and dedication. Helping your children map out their goals will also work to validate their interests and to develop the skills necessary to get them where they want to be.

Show Your Love

Perhaps more important than all else in installing confidence and strength in your children, is to let them feel loved and supported. It is important to let your children know that you love them no matter what, and that you think that they are great, even when they may not be doing great things. This sense of security and belonging is invaluable when empowering your children to pursue their passions, achieve their #SquadGoals™  and grow into strong, confident adults.

WE’RE WORKING TO EMPOWER STUDENTS OF COLOR.

It’s our goal to provide gear to students that encourages them to be their best. We do this by producing bags, totes and organization tools with fun characters representing a broad range of melanin skin tones. Our products are made to be sturdy so kids can count on them to work. And we commit to giving students in less-advantaged schools free gear with the help of local community organizations.

Shop our 1954 Backpacks