By Allison Wasko, Director of Operations, CityMommy of Northeast PA

When I heard that the remarkable Karen Wolfe, wife, interior designer and mother to six beautiful children had launced the the ultra-preppy, “Palm Beach Blankie” company, I just had to interview her. She recently shared information about her exciting company with CityMommy. Here is what she had to say:

CM: Please tell us a little bit about your business/site?

Karen: Palm Beach Blankie is a brand new company specializing in lightweight, cotton, designer baby blankets. Our two-sided, reversible blankets feature fun and preppy patterns on each side and are trimmed with a silky satin edge all the way around.

We are known for our Palm Tree packaging in which we wrap up each Palm Beach Blankie to resemble a palm tree and package it in a bright pink box and seal it up with a grosgrain ribbon and pbb sticker.

These stylish blankets are the perfect weight for a summer blankie or for taking the chill off of an air-conditioned room. They fold up compactly and are easily stashed in a diaper bag or purse. They are generous in size (27” x 36”) and look so cute peeking out of your baby’s stroller as you go on your daily jaunts around town.

CM: How long have you been in business? How did you get your business started?

Karen: Palm Beach Blankie is a newly-hatched baby chick! We were founded in 2009 and just launched our website in April.

The foundations of PBB had been swimming around in my head for a while, but everything really came together earlier this year.

I am a born-and-raised Floridian and have always been attracted to a preppy, palm, beachy look. My background is in Interior Design, which allowed me to nurture an affinity for beautiful fabrics and neat-looking designs. But it was truly becoming a mother and having my own kids that made me really appreciate great baby products.

When some of my older kids were small, I received a couple of baby blankets that really stood out. They were cotton blankets in bold, geometric patterns and I loved them! They certainly weren’t the typical light-pink-and-blue-and-covered-with-bears stuff you usually see. I knew I wanted to create a similar eye-catching product that other moms would enjoy as well.

It had to be stylish, but yet exceedingly practical at the same time. After all, what good is a baby blanket that you can’t throw in the washer when the baby inevitably throws up on it or has a major blow-out?

I also love that PBBs are lightweight and feature the silky satin edge. My babies have always loved rubbing something soft as they fall asleep. As any mom knows, anything that helps babies go to sleep is a good thing! But I have to say the packaging is one of my favorite parts. It is really fun and distinctive and always gets a big reaction. I love watching people open them.

CM: Is your business online, or a physical location or both?

Karen: At present, the only place you can find Palm Beach Blankies is online at our website: www.palmbeachblankie.com

CM What do you enjoy most about running your business/site?

Karen: My favorite part so far has been the delighted response from the gift recipients. The “Palm Tree Packaging” is truly unique and has been a big hit at Baby Showers and Baptisms. It is fun to hear stories about people being so excited when they open it up and see it and how much they love their new Palm Beach Blankie. I love knowing I had a part in making that day or occasion extra-special for somebody. I think that’s really cool!

CM: Is there a favorite product or service that you offer?

Karen: That’s a tough one!! I like them all! It’s so hard to choose because I really do love them all, but if I were forced to choose, I think I am partial to the “Coco” pattern. It just looks so quintessentially “Palm Beach” to me.

I also love that you can personalize Palm Beach Blankies. I am a sucker for anything with a monogram!! So I love the fact that you can make your blankie extra personal with its own unique message or monogram.

CM: Anything else you would like to share about you business?

Karen: Being primarily a SAHM for our 6 kids, I am grateful for the opportunity to help supplement our family’s income by doing something I truly enjoy and hopefully providing a service that puts a smile on people’s faces and a product that people will use and love for years to come.

Palm Beach Blankie is currently offering a 10% to all CityMommies on purchases made on all palmbeachblankie.com purchases. Just enter the code “citymommy” in the coupon code and hit “recalculate” at checkout. Thanks for your time and insight Karen.