SHOP

Q&A Where do you love to shop in the city?

Lynn Chou,

Manager of Youth & School Programs at Frye Art Museum I shop at Blick Art Materials,Artist & Craftsman Supply for paint, paper, clay and such. Sometimes I go to Michael’s and JoAnn’s; they are good for craft supplies such as yarn, beads, buttons and felt. I like to browse in hardware stores,Daiso, and online at Oriental Trading Company. For bulk orders, I like Blick Art Materials and Sax Arts & Crafts (online).

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Lively + locally made

Things we love Sweet stuffies A stuffie that’s a combination pastry and pet? This plush concoction is from Seattle duo Thomas Marnin and Skye Saylor. Pick out a handmade cutie at their Pike Place

booth or online. Delicious designs include the bunny honey bun, the maple bear and the donut cat. $28 for a mini-plush, $80 for a full-size pastry pet. 3 MarninSaylor.com

Jessica Eggert, standing, and Jonna Bell want to make things easier for parents. Cutline here cutline here cutline here cutline here.

Childcare simplified

Leg Up offers a one-stop shop for finding childcare that can save parents an estimated 30 hours a year

by JIAYING GRYGIEL / photo by JOSHUA HUSTON

When Jessica Eggert moved to Seattle from Florida, the cost of her son’s day care jumped from

$800 to $3,000. And she was one of the lucky ones who actually got a spot.

Once her son started school, nailing down childcare got even harder. Oliver is on a two-year wait list for afterschool care at his school. Don’t even get Eggert started on the summer camp scheduling nightmare: last summer, she found numerous fantastic camps, but they all ended at 3 pm. Not happening for this working mom.

Sound familiar? For busy parents, finding childcare that fits your hours and location is frustrating and time-consuming. You’re going down a rabbit hole of Google searches, recommendations from friends, clunky CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE >

Hold baby close

When she was pregnant with her youngest, Mill Creek mom Aisha Jordan made a baby doll carrier for her 2-year-old. Like mama, her daughter loved carrying her baby doll close, and still have her hands free to play. Carriers are cotton and machine washable. $15. Ask about custom orders if you have a sentimental fabric. 3 facebook.com/ canjocreations

WE’RE HERE FOR YOUR HEALTH

kp.org/wa

©Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington

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websites and the purgatory of being on hold with the community center.

Imagine if there was an Expedia for childcare, where all the day cares, extracurricular activities and school-break camps are consolidated in a single, easy-to-search database. Leg Up aims to be that resource for parents

It’s launching this month, with more than 3,200 providers to beta wait-list members. Leg Up is free to sign up and search — all you need is your email address (and a transaction fee, to be determined.) Geographically, the service covers the Seattle regional area, from Everett to Kent and Bainbridge Island to Issaquah. The providers are vetted by Leg Up, and parents can search by availability and reviews.

“Leg Up is all about convenience,” says Eggert, the startup’s CEO and co-founder. “Instead of having to go to five different sites, you’re doing everything in one place. We are that one-stop shop.”

Eggert and her Leg Up co-founder Jonna Bell researched labor statistics and surveyed more than 375 parents. They figured out that parents spend 30 hours a year finding childcare. And both agree: it’s a burden that falls disproportionately to women.

“It’s time for technology to solve this,” Bell says. “We have so many startups solving issues that men face every day, because men have the VC money. It’s time the technology steps up and deals with the issues mothers face.

“It’s a much bigger mission that we have around starting Leg Up. We’re passionate about opening doors and breaking down barriers for women to pursue their greatest potential in what they want to do.”

Oliver, 6, is already doing baseball, soccer, theater and piano; that juggling act is about to get even trickier, with a new baby sister due in August. “We started Leg Up because having one is incredibly hard,” Eggert says. “Having two, and managing everything? I can’t imagine what parents are going through. I guess I will find out very soon.”

Diversity and inclusion are at the core of Leg Up, both in the workplace and in their product, says Eggert. For example, parents will be able to search for childcare with tuition assistance, or a place that supports kids with disabilities. q legup.com

» TheBookCorner

LGBTQ+ PRIDE MONTH READS FOR EVERYONE Celebrate children and families of all kinds with these fantastic books! Whether exploring their gender, growing their family, or just living their lives, these books about queer people and families are sure to delight all readers. — Nicholas Carr

Julián is a Mermaid By Jessica Love Ages 4-8 Winner of the American Library Association’s 2019 Stonewall Book Award, Julián sees three mermaids on the subway and wants to be just like them. But what will his Abuela think? Mesmerizing and full of heart, this colorful book celebrates self-love and individuality. My Two Moms and Me & My Two Dads and Me Written by Michael Joosten, Illustrated by Izak Zenou Ages 2-3 This gorgeously illustrated picture-book series celebrates same-sex parents and their children. LGBTQ+ families will chee these cheerful books that reflect their own daily lives.

Sponsored by

The Best Man By Richard Peck Ages 9-12 Abig-hearted novel about gay marriage from a kid’s endearing perspective. Archer has just started middle school and puzzles over what kind of person he wants to become, and helps his beloved uncle Paul become his best self as well.

Seafire By Natalie C. Parker Ages 12+ After Aric Athair kills her family, Caledonia Styx and her crew of all-female pirates must chart their own course on the dangerous seas. Will one of Athair’s defectors be the key to taking down the corrupt warlord once and for all?

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Coming soon! Book club, dance class …and the Revolution

Youth-designed expansion of Estelita’s Library comes to Beacon Hill

by SYDNEY PARKER

Coming this summer: A new youth-designed hub for

equity work in Seattle. Created by students from Sawhorse Revolution’s all-womxn design/ build program for youth through a Tiny Cultural Space grant from the Office of Arts and Culture, the new community space will build on the work of Estelita’s Library.

Founded last year, Estelita’s Library is a 501(c)3 nonprofit community bookstore and Library in Beacon Hill curated by activist and organizer Edwin Lindo.

With books focused on ethnic studies, social justice and liberation movements, Estelita’s is funded by donations, grants and a membership system with sliding-scale fees.

The Tiny Cultural Space will host programming and events including book clubs, chess, photography classes, dance classes and “anything that speaks to social justice, to equity, and to understanding identity oppression and power,” says Lindo.

Construction is underway. Once complete, the walls of the Tiny Cultural Space will display Estelita’s collection of Black Panther Party newspapers, one of the largest in the nation.

Estelita’s Library will have a free five-year lease on the city property, after which ownership may be transferred to the organization.

“We’re beyond excited to have a dedicated space that isn’t at risk of displacement, that we can call our own,” says Lindo.

Sawhorse Revolution offers free carpentry and design education programs for students, primarily in Central and South Seattle neighborhoods. q Learn more at sawhorserevolution.org. Visit Estelita’s at 2533 16th Ave. S. and stay tuned for this summer’s Tiny Cultural Space grand opening.