Hey friends. You may have noticed that things have been a little quiet over here lately. We have a lot on our plates over here at Camp Kiddo….silly things like work and daily commitments, but also bigger things. Most significantly was sweet Dottie’s father passing, which has been incredibly hard on her as I’m sure you can imagine. We are on a self-imposed hiatus for a teensy bit. Please bear with us!

In addition to simply dealing with life, we’ve also been thinking a lot about the future of Modern Kiddo…do we continue on with it? Do we morph into something else? Do we simply stop all together? Or do we revamp it and come back better and stronger than ever?? All these questions are swirling around in our brains. And here’s where we’d love your help. I’m putting together a super quick/easy little survey. We’d love to get a little pulse check from YOU guys! You’re really the reason we do this. We’d love to know which things you love most. What you’d like more of. Or perhaps things you’d like less of. Hey, it’s all fair game. I’ve been in the process of a site redesign and before taking that step we’d truly like to get a little gut check from our MK family. As an added incentive, I have a fun little giveaway for everyone who participates in the survey. So stay tuned! And thank you so much for your friendship, support and patience.

Hi friends!  I spent this weekend sick as a dog, banished to the back room with nothing but the TV and my good old kitty, Minnow, who is acting as my nursemaid. So, in her honor, I dedicate this week’s round up of vintage cuteness to all things kitty! Enjoy, my friends!

Meow! From Etsy seller, This and That Cape Cod.

Who doesn’t need a pair of Garfield suspenders? From Etsy seller Robyn’s Nest.

I love this little sweet vintage barrette.  Darling kitty witty! From Etsy seller, Rosebud Cottage.

Check out this sweet tom cat  shirt with the fluffy ruffly bits. So darling. From Etsy seller, Oh Sydney.

Who wouldn’t want to choo choo choose this great kitty train conductor wall hanging? From Etsy seller, Lulu Marigold.

Lions are kitties too and they are all over these amazing pants! From Etsy seller, Vintarthromodern Kiddos.

Who doesn’t love a kitty on a bib wearing a snappy little bow? From Etsy seller, Lovesick Vintage.

Here is one my favorite kitty books when I was a child, but it is a heartbreaker!  Written by Bruce Waber of Lyle the Crocodile fame. From Etsy seller, Kishke Lovely.

And then there is the Queen of all kitties, Hello Kitty!  Check out this sweet vintage Hello Kitty tin plates, cake and stove set. From Etsy seller, Moon Parade.

Who doesn’t love a good Steiff stuffed toy? Well, I do and I particularly love this little startled cutie cat! From Etsy seller, Steiff Phyndz.

Happy Monday, folks!

Back in the day, when Halloween rolled around, kid’s toted around a little orange box that kind of looked like a juice box (and later a box of animal crackers!). But they were so much more.

Here’s the story behind that little orange box.

Image: Book or Treat

It started with a school teacher named Mrs. Allison who saw her children’s heavy bags of candy every Halloween and thought all that neighborly fun could be used for good—not just potential cavities. Around that time, she saw a parade led by UNICEF trying to raise money to supply milk to undernourished countries across the sea. Mrs. Allison was so inspired by the parade that she came up with the idea of having children ask for money on behalf of UNICEF as they were trick or treating on Halloween—collected in milk cartons!

Image: Washington Post

What started in Philadelphia in 1950 caught on and UNICEF started receiving checks from schools across the nation. And “Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF!” was born.

It became so big that TV shows started helping—there was even an entire episode of Bewitched dedicated to UNICEF. Oh, how I would have loved to have seen that!

Image: Book or Treat

Even The Brady Bunch joined in the fun.

And Betsy McCall, the famous McCall paper doll, dedicated a whole page of Halloween cuteness to the cause!

Image: ClutterShop

It has been more than sixty years since Mrs. Allison came up with her terrific idea and nearly $170 million have been raised by kids toting UNICEF collection boxes on Halloween calling out “Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF!” These funds that have enabled UNICEF to save and improve children’s lives by providing health care, improved nutrition, clean water, education and more.

In 2004, UNICEF took their Trick Or Treat fundraising online and as a result we don’t see too many of those little orange boxes. But Mrs. Allison’s wonderful idea, and the power of UNICEF, continues to change the world.

To see how you can get involved with Trick or Treat for UNICEF, check out their site! Did you ever carry a UNICEF carton?

Thanks to the Wasthington Post, Book or Treat and Child of the Sixties Forever.

We love h&m around these parts. They make the best jeans for little dudes and have such cute stuff for little girls. So it shouldn’t have come as any surprise that when they decided to do Halloween costumes for kiddos they kinda hit it out of the park. Check out these crazy cute little ensembles. The suave pirate? That tattoo man pulloever?? The mini Marie Antoinette? LOVE. And there are tons more, like a cool mermaid and a beetlejuice inspired stripey suit for boys and girls.

One of the things I love most is that most of these costumes are totally flexible—you can get a variety of costumes out of each! (Pirate coat = Swashbuckler! George Washington! Mozart! Headless Horseman!) I’m also imagining many a kiddo wanting to wear some of these in every day life too, the quality is really excellent.

But really, the best part is that 25% of all the proceeds go directly to the UNICEF All For The Children fund. Yup, 25%. Nice one H&M!

You can buy them in store or nab them online here.