Turkey. Pie. and Thanks.

Happy Turkey Day everyone!

I can't believe that its thanksgiving again...where did the last twelve months go? Its been a full year with many things to be thankful for. Our first full year as a family of four with our new little girl...which at some points I never thought we would have another baby in our lives, which I am extra thankful for. My first baby started kindergarten and is the best big sister I couldn't ask for it to be better. For my dearest friends - a moms salvation - getting through another manic monday only to find them with a glass of wine waiting for me at the end of the week. And for my hubby who is an awesome daddy and super supportive in this journey of being a business owner. And of course thank you to all of our great customers...we wouldn't be here without you!
Cheers!

Drop Off a Toy. Save 20%.

This year, the downtown Royal Oak Retailers have teamed up with Toys For Tots. We're helping collect toys for the Marine's annual toy drive. Once the holidays are upon us, we all start feeling so lucky and fortunate for what we have. Its also a time to remind ourselves that even though we may not have as much as we used to - like cutting back on pedicures for me - I'm still able to cook a yummy holiday dinner and stuff presents under the tree where there are families who can barely pay the heating bill let alone even think of Christmas gifts.

So, here's the mom in me. How do you explain to your kids "why do we have to give gifts to kids that don't have money...Santa will bring them." Ahhh good question! So, here is my answer. Since I have a 5yr old that is still "a believer" I let her think that all kids, rich or poor, will get gifts from Santa. But they don't have enough money to get a gift from their cousins or mom & dad. That makes since to my 5 year old, especially since gifts from her cousin are her favorite!

Another good mom idea. Have your child spend some of their allowence on a toy to donate - and you can "match" their donation. Let your child pick out their favorite toy because you know there will be another boy...or girl...whose favorite it will be too. This month, my daughter is working to earn her yellow "helper" petal in Daisy Scouts...so this will be one of her "projects" to earn her petal.

HullaBaloo will have a Toys For Tots collection box in our store today through December 3rd. Plan on shopping downtown this weekend...pick up a new toy and drop it off at the store, unwrapped. And to say thank you, HullaBaloo will give you 20% off a single item* for every toy you bring in to donate (please a $5 value or more).

*some exceptions apply, see store for details. not vaild on previously purchased items or special orders.

Holiday Photo Cards. Get Creative.

minibook holiday card from minted.com

I never "got" holiday photo cards until I had my own family. Now its something that I love to do and thanks to four years of art school I feel obligated to create my own cards...but you don't have to! So I've searched the web for some new & different sites to order your cards from this year. Here are a few of my favorites [in my humble, creative opinion].

Unique cards and invites, for the holidays or any special occasion, check out minted.com - they're super creative Minibook Holiday Card [pictured above] might be a bit pricy at $3.44 each, but they'll be sure to wow your friends & family!

I originally fell in love with tinyprints.com for their birth announcements! But i also love their clean, simple holiday card designs too. Pick from flat or folded. And they're printed on high quality matte cardstock...a detail that I love!

Looking for more than just a holiday card? Check out polkadotdesign.com - they not only have cards & invites, but gift bags & partywear! Check out their Hanukkah & New Year designs and my favorite Pet Photo Announcements - after all, our first baby girl was Penny our chocolate lab.

Are you hosting a holiday party? Check out this new online invite site pingg.com - their invites are clean & simple and even have a print option. I've used them twice this year...they don't have all the bells & whistles that evite.com has, but sometimes you just don't need it! Its kinda like evite.com meets twitter!

It might not even be thanksgiving yet, but its never too late to get started with your holiday cards. Every year my goal is to have them written out & stamped just waiting for the first of December to send them out - like I said, its a goal, never a reality!!

Holiday Magic Parade In Downtown Royal Oak.

Mark your calendars! Downtown Royal Oak's annual Holiday Magic Parade is this Saturday November 21st 10:00 am. Bundle up warm, get your hot cocoa from Pronto, grab a spot on Washington Avenue and help welcome Santa to town! My daughter loves parades - any holiday - there's something "small town" about them and this one is no exception. The best part is, if you get a little chilly you can pop into any of the great little shops, warm up & get some holiday gift ideas - HullaBaloo will be open early for pre-parade shopping! After the parade take a stroll over to Stagecrafters to visit with Santa from 11-1:00.

If getting the kids bundled up & out of the house by 10 am on a Saturday seems too exhausting, snuggle on the couch with you cocoa to watch the parade on t.v. which will be televised on Channel 55 (Comcast) and Channel 11 (WOW).

Right before the parade is this year's Santa Scamper. A half-mile fun walk/jog/run along Royal Oak's Holiday Magic Parade route prior to the parade at 9:15 a.m. The Santa Scamper is open to all interested; registration is $10 in advance, $12 day of. To register for the race visit santascamper.org - all proceeds benefit the Toys for Tots Foundation.

Downtown Royal Oak is offering free metered parking until 2:00 on the day of the parade - yeah!

Wordless Wednesday

"What are we doing tomorrow, mommy?"

Or next tuesday, saturday? I get this question a million times a day and its usually followed by "Can I have a friend come over?" SO to help keep some peace in our house, I came up with a weekly magnet board. Since she's only 5 a basic wipe-off board was not a solution for us, even though she can recgonize many words...especially the names of her friends...I did not want her lack of reading ability to get in the way of my "great" idea for peace.

Off to the craft store for ABC stickers and 'sheets' of magnet - they come in 4x6" and then to the office supply for a MAGNETIC wipe-off board. Ok, here's where my OCD creative-ness, four years of art school and 10 years of being a graphic designer come in. On the computer I created labels - which would become the magnets, just stick 'em to the magnet sheet & cut - one for everything in our life that we do & for everyone that we see often...grandma & papa, mimi, uncle roger, the cousins, her friends, dance class, gymnastics, even a "special day" for the fun things that come up during the year like going to the zoo - I found pictures for everything/everyone and then wrote out the word too...to help with "reading". Then school started and there were more magnets to be made...gym day, library day, no school - google art saved my day for getting images for things like these.

The idea is: every sunday we "fill-in" her calendar for the week. What's going on at school. Who is coming over. Whose house we're going to. Now, she can check HERSELF if tomorrow is gym day, whose coming over to play on wednesday or what we're doing on saturday.

Yes, this has really helped control the number of times I hear "what are we doing tomorrow" because now my answer is easy & simple "Go look on your calendar!" I think it puts whats going on in our lives more in her control. She's definatly the type of personality that needs to know whats going to be happening next.

Wordless Wednesday

[this lil' punkin is sporting her BabyLegs and Pedipeds from HullaBaloo]

Maternity Monday - Going into Labor On a Full Moon

[ok...so its tuesday...but it counts because tonight there's a full moon!]

As we all know, there are so many ol'wives tales when it comes to pregnancy. I think mostly because the whole journey of pregnancy is such an unknown...I can't even imagine what it would've been like without all the medical knowledge we have nowadays. I think these ol'wives tales were a way that women could give themselves - and each other - some comfort during this time in their lives. I for one am a perfect example why ol'wives tales are just that - tales. Because if they were medically true, I would be the mom to TWO little boys...not girls!

But with that being said, this is one ol'wives tale that I truly believe in - not only because my first baby was born on a full moon [and many of my girlfriends] but my mom was a NICU nurse and during the full moon (unfortunatly) they would be at their busiest. So this theory has to have some merit.

The theory is: the moon has a gravitational pull that effects the water in the oceans and even in our bodies, therefore it may also effects our amniotic fluid in much the same way. Your water "breaking" is your amniotic sac bursting under pressure, this is usually caused by the pressure of your contractions [think of squeezing a water balloon until it bursts]. During a full moon, the same thing can occur to the amniotic sac due to the effects the full moon is having on the fluids in your body. This is when you water may break without any of those fun contractions - exactly what happend in my case!

Have you read the book "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant? From thousands of years ago it talks about women and how their cycles are related to the lunar cycles. With the onset of every full moon the women would prepare to spend 3 days in the red tent [if only we could still be practicing this tradition today].

So to all you pregnant women out there. See how tonight goes with the full moon.

Twig Crayons -a New Twist On an Old Favorite.

Here's a new twist on the same old boring crayon! Handmade in Ecuador from twigs, litterally. A hole is drilled through a twig & then filled with crayon. SO fun & cute...a perfect addition to any gift. Wrapped in cotton cord in sets of 10.