Meet Mama Glimmer, she’s a bright, pink-haired mermaid doll with big blue eyes and a turquoise tail.
But this child’s toy is even more powerful than a regular mermaid; she breastfeeds. Toy designer Cimmi Cumes said she created the dolls to have a breastfeeding feature, with the goal of teaching children to care for others.
“Everyone knows Little Mermaid, but ours is different because it’s a family,” Cimmi said. “Nurturing is a big aspect of this, because we think if you teach children nurturing, they’re nurturing the planet, they’re nurturing each other.”
Cimmi and Paul Cumes, who are the co-founders of Cimmikids LLC, launched Seaglimmers in May, an environment-friendly doll brand with nine types of mermaid characters resembling a family.
The office is tucked into a Carpinteria neighborhood, in a home adorned with thousands of iridescent dolls, rainbow fabrics and sewing trinkets.
The dolls—made from recycled plastic—are stored throughout shelves, on hangers and under stairs in the Cumes’ living room.
The brand also offers customizable doll clothing and an educational book, titled “Seaglimmers Baby Seal Rescue,” which encourages children to reduce waste.
“World building is a big part of this,” Cimmi said.
The couple is not new to the creative art industry.
Paul does oil painting and creates T-shirt merch prints. Cimmi, who has been designing toys for more than 20 years, said she worked her way up to companies such as Mattel and Hasbro, primarily designing plastic dolls.
But she deviated to designing dolls with environment-friendly materials after noticing that trash often piled up on Carpinteria’s beaches and along the 101 Highway.
“As we grow, we intend to get even more eco,” Cimmi said.
That’s why Cimmikids LLC joined 1% for the Planet, a global network of businesses that donate at least 1% of their annual sales to environmental organizations.
Cimmi said the company donates funds to Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute, a conservation organization that helps rescue marine mammals and engages in wildlife research. Seaglimmers also uses plastic-free materials, such as paper and ribbon, for its packaging, she said.
Isaac, Paul and Cimmi’s 13-year-old son, shared his parents’ concerns about there being excessive trash in Carpinteria.
“For the last five years I’ve been growing up in Carpinteria—I surf, I do water polo, I love the ocean, the beach,” he said. “When I see trash, it’s not very nice.”
Isaac said he spends a few hours each week creating online spreadsheets to help his parents track the company’s finances. He calculates the cost of its products, and evaluates how much money the business is making.
Seaglimmers allows kids to have casual conversations about saving the ocean through toys they are passionate about, said Leanne Rose, who has been a customer for three years.
“It’s just a magical experience for little girls,” Rose said.
The company currently distributes products in the United States and Canada, Cimmi said, and they are looking to expand to Europe in the future. She and Paul plan to make the dolls using bioplastics, materials made of corn and bamboo, by 2028.
Seaglimmers currently sells its products on its own website and is focusing on launching a store on Amazon, Cimmi said.
“The kids just go totally crazy,” Paul said. “It definitely puts a smile on their face.”
