We're Closing Our Doors and Moving Online!

Big changes are going on here at the store! I've spent four years watching the store grow alongside my daughter. I've always said that I left my advertising career to spend more time with my daughter. It seems ironic since owning a business takes more time out of your life - but in some odd way it had always worked for us. And now that there's two little girls in my life, I've realized it does not work as well and its time to move on to another new exciting chapter! I have grown to love the children's clothing industry but I am missing the creative world that I worked in before opening the store. This has been a whirlwind decision for me as a business owner, a mom and a wife. But when the opportunity to combine the two was offered to me, I couldn't pass it up! But with that comes the need to close the store. And its all so bittersweet for me.

Save 40% on everything!*

We're reducing our inventory - everything in the store is 40% off. Shop early to get the best selection on your favorites for kids like Zutano & Rabbit Moon. Grab a pair of mary janes or sandals from See Kai Run or Wee Squeak. A huge selection of fun & funky maternity for any season.

We're Moving!

Although its time to close the physical doors of HullaBaloo - the shopping doesn't end here - we're moving the store online! Coming in April, you will be able to find all your favorites on our new website. Shop hullabalooonline.com

*40% off sale is not valid on previously purchased items. In-stock items only. All sales are final.

Its Winter Clearance Sale Time!

If you're like me, the tree is still up & the gifts are unwrapped under the tree. I hate to admit the holidays are actually over. To me, its like your wedding day...months & hours of time put into making it "perfect" and its gone in a matter of hours.

But here at the store, its a different feel! The winter season is ending & spring will be here before you know it - sooner than it will be outside.

We're celebrating the end of the season with a Winter Clearance Sale!! Save 20-40% storewide on fall/winter clothing for baby, kids and maternity - we even have some kid shoes on sale. Sale time is a perfect time to "stock up" for late winter birthday gifts or for next year - pick styles that can be worn year-round on a chilly spring night.

And while you're in shopping, take a peek at some of the spring clothes that are popping out on the racks...just in time for that mid-winter tropical vacation!

Holiday Hours

Have you waited until the very last minute to finish your holiday shopping, too? This year skip the crazy malls and the over-picked box stores - shop local! We're extending our hours to fit your busy schedules starting Saturday December 19th ~ 23rd.

Holiday Hours
saturday 10-4:00
sunday 12-4:00
monday 11-6:00
tuesday 11-6:00
wednesday 11-6:00

Christmas Eve 11-2:00
Christmas Day ~ closed

New Year's Hours
the store will be closed
monday december 28 ~ friday january 1st
for inventory purposes

Wishing everyone a safe and festive New Year!

Wordless Wednesday

another great photo from Purple Tree Photography

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.

Storytime - How to Enourage THEM to read.

Do you remember starting to read in kindergarten? Nope, me neither...and I'm sure my mom did not come from kindergarten round-up with a list of "site" words. We also received in our packets some info from the National Institute for Literacy with some tips on encouraging your new reader to read.

Help them understand what they're reading with questions like:
"tell me about the story"
"who did what? why?"
"how did it end"
"what did you think of the book"
"is this story real or made up?'

Get them excited about reading.
Take turns reading their favorite book.
Let your children see you reading.
Go to the library together.
Let them write notes to grandma or cousins & send them in the mail.

Wordless Wednesday

Trick-or-Treat in Downtown Royal Oak This Sunday!

Save the date - this sunday the 25th is downtown Royal Oak's 26th annual Spootactular event! Bring your little goblins downtown for trick-or-treating at local retailtors...plus pumpkin bowling & face painting. Come visit with us from 2-4:00! For more info check out downtown Royal Oak online.

Bad Dreams? Catch them!

It amazes me that little ones should even have bad dreams...I just think its cruel & unfair. And I always wonder with my 5 year old, what are they about? I'm always afraid to ask as not to remind her of them. Our Mimi (or grandma) has a dreamcatchers in her bedroom...now your kids can make thier own!

Dreamcatchers are an authentic American Indian tradition, from the Ojibway tribe. Ojibway people would tie sinew strands in a web around a small round or tear-shaped frame and hang this "dream-catcher" as a charm to protect sleeping children from nightmares. The legend is that the bad dreams will get caught in the web.

Make your own Dreamcatcher

materials

4" embroidery hoop
tacky lue

4 yards yarn

jingle blees, feathers, beads

craft foam

how to

1. tie a loop of yarn at the top of the hoop at a hanger

2. knot one end of yarn at the top of the hoop & glue to secure

3. stretch the yarn across the hoop to the opposite side and wrap twice around the rim. Continue until you form a "web" leaving about 5" of yarn; knot and secure with glue.

4. cut yarn to approx. 18"; fold in half unevenly and tie to the bottom of the hoop.

5. decorate with bells, feathers and beads.

6. with craft foam, create a name plate; with a hole punch, punch holes in the corner and attach to the center of the web.

First Juice. Have You Seen This?

Another great find that I can't take credit for, it all goes to a girlfriend.

Half the sugar. Organic. Nothing artificial. Purple carrots. Yummy flavors like banana, peach, blueberry & apple.

The girls love it (personally its not so yummy, but I'm not the one drinking it!). I've found it at Whole Foods & some of the Krogers too! You gotta try it!

Wordless Wednesday

another great photo from Purple Tree Photography

Wordless Wednesday

in honor of ruby's 1st birthday. thanks again to kelli at purpletreephotography.