Spreading Rays of Green

She’s named for the sun and the moon and hopes the seed she’s planting will inspire others to join her in protecting the planet and its smallest residents. Actress Soleil Moon Frye, who starred as Punky Brewster on the hit ’80s sitcom is enjoying a leading off-camera role. She is a co-founder of The Little Seed, a Los Angeles children’s boutique, which opened last October and specializes in eco-friendly toys, clothing, sustainable furniture, baby gear and body products. Frye first sowed the seeds for the store after her daughter, Poet Sienna Rose, now 3, experienced severe reflux. “I was constantly trying to find organic alternatives. [I] spent hundreds of hours on the web to give my baby the best.”

 

At the same time, her close friend, Paige Goldberg Tolmach, created a green nursery for her son in an effort to help with his eczema and allergies. “Both of us, at the same time, came to the epiphany [that] if we were feeling this way, there must be millions of other parents feeling this way,” says Frye, who describes becoming a parent as an eye-opening, inspiring experience. Of the store’s name, Frye says, “It was this inspiration that we would be planting this little seed.” She adds, “When we have children, we make our little stamps on the planet. It was very symbolic to us.”

 

Frye was pregnant with her younger daughter, Jagger Joseph Blue, when the store opened. Fellow new mom, Beth Birkett, a fashion designer, joined the pair in opening the shop. Frye is a big proponent of parents not just taking products at face value. “Just because it’s for a baby or a child doesn’t mean it’s safe,” she reminds, citing the example of toys with lead. “I think if all of us come together and ask those questions and make the small changes in our life, we can come together and make big global change.”

 

The eco-friendly mission of the store extends into other areas of Frye’s life. She is a board member of the Environmental Media Association and is already talking to Poet about going green. “We try to teach her about recycling and not to litter.” At home, Frye says she and husband Jason Golberg, a TV and film producer, do their best to make environmentally sound choices but also recognize the need to strike a balance.

 

Frye, who says she is always learning about new products from parents who pop into the shop, is pleased with the community support The Little Seed has received. She also continues to act and direct and is playing a role in a comedy in production called For Better or For Worse.

 

“I love playing make-believe. I love being able to step on stage and be something else,” she shares. There just may be another actress in the family. Frye describes Poet as “incredibly shy,” but says when someone takes her picture, “It’s like a whole new being comes out. She’s posing. She’s twisting and turning. This morning she was acting out Cinderella.” Poet hasn’t watched a Punky Brewster episode yet but gets excited when she catches her mommy on a rerun of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. Still, Frye says, “She likes seeing herself even more.”

 

When it comes to balancing family time, The Little Seed and taking on acting roles, Frye finds that the key is to be fully present in the moment — even when the moment is about making faces with Jagger or dancing with Poet. Poet gives Frye her feedback on clothing and toys at the store. She also helps out at home. “She feels so good about herself when she cleans up, and I’m proud of her for putting her toys away,” shares Frye, who will drop a few coins in her piggy bank here and there.

 

Fyre, who was raised by a single mom on a budget, feels strongly that all kids, no matter their financial situations, should develop the kind of sense of ownership that comes from taking on responsibilities. “I don’t want my kids to think they don’t ever have to work for something,” says Frye, “I think that would be depriving them of passion.” They certainly have a role model in Mom, who is interested in seeing more Little Seed stores sprout. “The store started as this little labor of love,” says Frye. “It’s grown into such a big incredible amazing adventure.” For more information: thelittleseed.com.