Mimi the Sardine Gives Kids a New Grownup Way to Carry Lunch

Lunch sacks photo courtesy of Mimi the Sardine.

Little kids are always in a rush to grow up. It’s why they are always getting into their parents closets and playing dress up. This idea played in Pia Anderson’s mind when she decided to design preschool age lines of lunch bags, with a grownup feel, but still a young and practical twist.

“We gear to this age group of messy eaters. It’s where we are trying to make a difference,” said Ms. Anderson, founder and CEO of Mimi the Sardine, a provider of eco-friendly accessories and houseware.

Last month, the company launched its latest creation, a gender-neutral line of lunch sacks, to complement its long existing purse-style lunchbugs.

“The lunch sacks are more of a brown bag style. They’re a little more traditional for the boys,” said Ms. Anderson. And, while the design cut of the lunch sacks might appeal more to the boys, the print designs provide something for everyone’s tastes, with the availability of the five following prints: planes, frogs, trucks, ladybugs, and flowers.

The lunch sacks are all made with organically grown cotton, and coated with a water-based acrylic that has been thermally baked into all the materials.

“The acrylic makes it water resistant. It’s wipeable, machine washable, and also can go into the dryer. That’s why these products are so well liked for the age group that we are geared to. We have developed a line that really assists with caretaking,” said Ms. Anderson.

In addition, the water-based acrylic and all of the fabrics that come in contact with food items are all Oeko-Tex Standard 100 compliant, which means that the materials and dyes don’t contain chemicals that are potentially harmful to people and the environment.

Lunchbugs photo courtesy of Mimi the Sardine.

Likewise, the lunchbugs also all meet Oeko-Tex standards, with the difference being that the line is now transitioning to organic cotton, with following prints being made from the new organic material: jungle, hybrid cars, blue flora, pink flora, and propeller.

The lunchbug designs made from traditional cotton material are: frogs, ladybugs, Cats n Dogs, mouse, and bugs.

The Mimi the Sardine is now in the process of coming up with additional print design ideas for next year, with aquatic themes in mind, according to Ms. Anderson, who says that the company is also in the process of transitioning all of its cottons to organic.

In 2010, the company may come out with a snack bag, says Ms. Anderson, but that’s still in the discussion phase.

Currently, Mimi the Sardine products can be found most easily by going directly to mimithesardine.com and outlets like Whole Foods in the Mid-Atlantic states and California.

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