KIDS CROWN AWARDS: FAMILY SHOPPING: SouthFlorida.com

The best places to shop in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties, as selected by our fabulous team of reader-judges.

Best Full-Service Children's Salon
COW LICKS KIDS SALON
19635 State Road 7, Boca Raton
561-488-6100, www.cowlickssalon.com
Cow Licks Kids Salon is a full-service salon that focuses on maintaining a personable and experienced staff. "If a child wants to sit in the Barbie Jeep while they get their hair cut and then suddenly decides that they want to sit in the Blue Angel jet, they can switch mid-cut," owner Peri Ginsberg said. "We don't have any expectations as to how a child should act. We are a non-shushing store." Because the staff caters so well to their customers, they maintain a large special-needs clientele. The salon can also be reserved for children's glamour parties, which include hair, nails, makeup, costumes, dancing and more.

Best Way To Get Design Inspiration for Kids' Rooms
PalmBeachTots.com
This online boutique is devoted to inspiring luxury rooms for children. On the site, you'll find detailed pictures of tastefully decorated kids' rooms -- no Disney themes here. Imagine kid-sized chandeliers for the girls and Wild West artwork and bedding for the boys. Once you have visited the inspiration rooms, you are free to shop online through the site. Palm Beach Tots offers complete room sets as well as in-home consultations to make it easy for those who are design-challenged. And if you really want to make your child's dreams come true, be sure to check out the high-end playhouses.

Best Upscale Kids' Boutique
KIDS IN BLOOM
9858 Clintmore Road, Boca Raton
561-477-7227, www.mykidsinbloom.com
This upscale children's boutique offers a combination of quality merchandise and personalized service. Aside from its classic labels, the store has brought in lines that offer appealing looks at good prices. "We are here to make sure that no matter what your budget, we will have something for you," said owner Ina Bloom. "As a neighborhood store, we pride ourselves on being on a first-name basis with many of our customers." Bloom said customers sometimes pick out items for their clients, gift wrap them and, if necessary, deliver them.

Best Quality Toy Store
THE GIFTED CHILD
1721 Main St., Weston
954-389-2775, www.goctoys.com
This family-run store makes it easy to find quality educational toys without having to sift through piles of worthless junk. "At the Gifted Child, our objective is to provide children with toys and books that will put them on the right track from the beginning," said owner Meir Aluma. The store carries few battery-operated toys, preferring to enhance the creative mind rather than the passive mind. It recently launched its Web site, making its excellent selection available at the touch of a button. The charming location in the Weston Town Center makes it easy to combine your toy shopping adventure with a stop for lunch, coffee or ice cream -- a nice day out.

Best Shopping Therapy for Mom and Dad
IKEA
151 NW 136th Ave., Sunrise
954-838-9292, www.ikea-usa.com
IKEA has a huge selection of home goods at inexpensive prices. The best part of IKEA is that while you shop, your kids can play in the onsite childcare facility. IKEA also is an eco-friendly company, allowing you to recycle your light bulbs, batteries and plastic bags at the store, even if you didn't buy them there. It is also important to note that IKEA supports the local (Young at Art, Hispanic Unity of Florida) and global community (UNICEF, Save the Children) in various partnerships. While you're there, be sure to grab a bite to eat at the famous Swedish caf�, where meals start at just 99 cents.

Best Place To Find Maternity Clothes on Consignment
DO-OVERZ
5785 South University Drive, Davie
954-530-5364, www.do-overz.com
Do-Overz is both a retail and consignment store. The store features a variety of new and gently used children's clothing, toys, strollers, cribs, books and accessories. It also features a nice selection of maternity clothing and accessories. It accepts clothing, toys, furniture and more, in "perfect condition," for consignment. "A lot of people use their consignment credit toward their purchases," said co-owner Rebecca Cooperman. "With the way the economy is going, we feel that we are helping people get what they need." The store's play area is also a plus, as it helps keep the kids entertained while you shop.

BEST RETAIL STORE TO BUY KIDS' CLOTHING AT BARGAIN PRICES
THE CHILDREN'S PLACE
www.childrensplace.com,BR> Do-Overz is both a retail and consignment store. The store features a variety of new and gently used children's clothing, toys, strollers, cribs, books and accessories. It also features a nice selection of maternity clothing and accessories. It accepts clothing, toys, furniture and more, in "perfect condition," for consignment. "A lot of people use their consignment credit toward their purchases," said co-owner Rebecca Cooperman. "With the way the economy is going, we feel that we are helping people get what they need." The store's play area is also a plus, as it helps keep the kids entertained while you shop.

Best Consignment Store for Infant to Adult
KISS A KID
1098 NE 45th St. (Floranada Road), Oakland Park
954-958-7570
In business for more than 30 years, Kiss a Kid's new store location has a reputation for being clean and organized. Whether you are looking for infant toys or adult wear, this consignment store has it all -- both new and used. Shoes, designer handbags, prom dresses, toys, adult formalwear, maternity clothes, cribs, Exersaucers, bouncers, changing tables, strollers, bassinets and even PlayStations line the shelves. What really sets it apart from other kids' consignment stores is that the parents can also shop for themselves. The store is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

Best Organic Baby Food
YUMMY IN MY TUMMY
13770 W. State Road 84, Davie
954-358-2414, www.yummyinmytummy.com
Natural baby products and eco-friendly toys can all be found at this one-stop eco-shop. However, the organic, freshly made baby food is the big attraction here. Owner Karen Stanley said, "One thing that makes us different is that we try and change people's ideas of what baby food is. We are here to show that it is possible to buy baby food that's fresh and tastes good." The store now also offers a line of yummy kids' meals such as macaroni and cheese with a sweet-potato puree, turkey and brown rice with apple bits, and baked chicken nuggets with a turnip-potato mash. Fast, healthy food has never been easier.

Best Bookstore
BOOKS AND BOOKS
Coral Gables, 305-442-4408; Miami Beach, 305-532-3222; Bal Harbor, 305-864-4241
www.booksandbooks.com
Books and Books is a locally owned independent bookstore with three locations in South Florida. It has children's story times and hosts author events and readings on a regular basis. Books and Books is the place to stop if you are a visiting author. It has hosted such greats as Dave Barry, Rachael Ray, Eric Carle, Kurt Vonnegut and even the Clintons. The opportunity to meet authors can change the life of a child because they get to ask questions, learn and get inspired. Check out the Web site to see who's making an appearance next.

Best Place To Shop for Allergy Sufferers
THE ALLERGY-FREE SHOP
8803 SW 132nd St., Miami
305-254-2828, 877-212-2828, www.allergyfreeshop.com
The Allergy-Free Shop sells groceries, bath products, baby needs, cleaning materials and allergy alert products (bracelets, T-shirts) -- all chosen to meet the needs of allergy sufferers. The owner, Jennifer Herskowitz, is the mother of two children who suffer from food allergies. She was frustrated that most people could simply walk into Publix and get what they needed while others had to spend hours and hours scrutinizing food labels. "I started this business just to be a resource to people," she said. Her store now hosts monthly lecturers, including allergists and dermatologists. The store's Web site helps to make its carefully researched products available to the masses.

Best Variety of Toys
728 Arthur Godfrey Road, Miami Beach
305-532-5250, www.a2ztoys.com
This store's 22-foot-high ceiling is packed from floor to rafters with toys from around the world. Open toys are scattered throughout the store for kids to play with while you browse. The selection goes far beyond what you would find in a large department store. Wooden toys, a full line of Playmobil and Calico Critters, musical instruments, dress-up clothes, old-fashioned collectible toys, a 1967 red Mercedes Benz pedal car, and books and games in various languages line the walls. Maneuvering a stroller down the aisles is literally impossible, but the variety at A to Z Toys can't be beat.

Best Children, Family and Maternity Photography
LIL' PEOPLE PORTRAIT GALLERY
Residential studio in Miami--appointment only
305-984-8028, www.Lppgallery.com, cbarquin@lppgallery.com
Lil' People Portrait Gallery is a family-run portrait studio that specializes in family portraits as well as children's, newborn and maternity photography. The residential-based studio is fully stocked with baby essentials such as diapers and wipes to provide you with the comforts of home during your shoot. The studio strives to maintain a relaxed environment, which is easy because it operates by appointment only, so there will be no drop-ins during your designated time slot. One of its signature offerings is its "baby plan," which includes four sessions within your child's first year. Photo jewelry, note cards, coffee-table books and DVDs also can be purchased.

Best Children's Shoe Store
LITTLE FEET & MORE
7216 SW 57th Ave., Miami
305-666-9655
This small children's shoe store offers a wide variety of shoes from prewalkers to teens. Owner Christina Rodriguez said, "Because the store has only two employees, we get to know our customers on a personal level. We sometimes fit a child from infancy until they grow out of us. Our specialty is really customer service -- and getting the right fit." The store sells only brand-name footwear such as Vans, Keds and Stride-Rite, stocking shoes for infants to size 7. They also carry special widths such as wide and extra wide and will special order if needed.

Best Baby Bargains
BABY POSH GARAGE
18060 W. Dixie Highway, Aventura
305-932-9655, www.babyposhgarage.com
This upscale consignment store focuses on delivering new and pre-loved items at severely reduced prices. It offers up to 75 percent off retail by purchasing overstock items and clearance inventory. It also sells unique baby goods made by local artists and designers, and only takes consigned items in "perfect" condition. "It's the kind of place where earthy hippie meets upscale uptowner," said owner Julie Tenenbaum. "We love the shock value when people pick up a price tag. My favorite is when I am asked if the price is a misprint." Staffed by moms who know their products, you'll find everything you need from birth to age 5.

Most Distinctive Children's Clothing and Furniture
GENIUS JONES
South Beach, 305-571-2000; Miami, 305-571-2000; Boca Raton (Mizner Park), 561-300-4004.
www.geniusjones.com
Selling children's clothes, toys, strollers and furniture, this store is hard to categorize. "We are design-driven," said owner Daniel Kron. "We have a modern style, very nontraditional. We try to pick quality designs from companies that care about kids and that are friendly to the environment." With two locations already established in Miami-Dade County, the recently opened store in Boca Raton has a prime location in Mizner Park with great restaurants, shady open spaces and in-store play tables. All of this adds up to a great morning out.

Best One-stop Shopping
TARGET
www.target.com
Multiple locations throughout the Tri-County Area
Whether you are looking for toys, furniture, bedding, craft items, clothing, baby products or even groceries, Target makes it easy. "They are always rotating their older toys out as they bring new ones in -- putting the older ones on clearance," said local resident Cori Glick. "That's the time to stock up." Most stores have a bistro where a hot snack can be picked up to keep your little ones' tummies full and hands busy. Target also carries many eco-friendly and organic items, making it easy to stock up and feel good about your purchase at the same time.

Best Service for Earth-friendly Parents
BRIAN LEWIS' DIAPER DUTY
6908 W. Cypress Road, Plantation
954-242-0442, www.diaper-duty.com, bklewis@diaper-duty.com
This top-notch cloth diaper service will pick up the dirty diapers and leave the clean ones right at your door. It offers a much more organic and Earth-friendly alternative to plastic diapers and provides everything you need to manage cloth diapering. By washing them in energy-efficient machines and delivering them in a hybrid vehicle, this business is truly an eco-friendly operation. At just 24 cents a diaper, the service is right on par with the competition, aka, "disposables." In a time in which limited-resource issues are front and center, Brian Lewis makes it easy and affordable to do your part.

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