European Vacation

I wish I was leaving for Europe, but alas... I also wish I was taking a month long vacation during the month of August like many Europeans, but that's not happening either. I am, however, taking a slight vacation. I will be back with more posts by next Friday.

In Emily Allyn news...
Big news! I'm hoping to launch our new look in early August. Many of you voted as to which color scheme you would like to see us use. The changes are almost finished. I love the new look. It is vibrant, fun, fresh and most importantly it "says" I sell children's clothing! We hope you love it too.

Paris Anytime

No, not Paris Hilton. Good lord are we done with that "story" yet?!?

Do you love the city of Paris? Would you like to be reminded of it daily? Here is the perfect solution. A hip baby bag with a picturesque print of mothers and prams strolling through a park in front of the Eiffel Tower. If you like the style, you must look at all the bags from Rian. Some are handbags, some are baby totes. The Paris one above is a leather tower baby tote that features:

a changing mat (wipe clean)

inside bottle holders

inside zipper pocket

diaper pockets with dividers and magnetic closure

mobile phone pocket

key ring clip with logo key chain

zip and outside magnetic closure

and the image is printed on leather

You can't ask for much for from a diaper bag. If you are a little sick of sporting a diaper bag around and are in need of a new handbag, take a look at the Esplande bag or the Kerry park bag. In case you are wondering Kerry park is in Seattle and Esplande is in Portland.

Very chic totes and handbags indeed.

Have a Seat

Is it a dot? Is it for pillow fights? Is it to sit on? Is it to roll on? Is it a dangerous step stool? What is this thing?

It could be all of the above. Zac and Zoe carry these Mini Poofs for sitting on and playing with. These handmade items are embroidered with wonderful images like a sun, a tree, a monkey, and more. They are definitely one-of-a-kind and made of very soft, 100% cotton flannel.

J. Crew Sale + 20% Off

You can't beat it when J. Crew offers their final sale plus another 20% off. And I believe if you spend $175 or more, you can use the code JulyFS for free shipping. What a deal! The size selections are slimming day by day, so hurry. Also be forewarned, all sales are final. No exchanges or returns. But for these prices, heck you can try almost anything and not feel guilty!

SPA & Childcare? Must be a Mirage.

It's high time I post something for the moms! I looked back on my posts and it's been a little one-sided lately for the kiddos. I saw this post on Mommies With Style and had to share. For you moms out there trying to come up with an ingenious plan for what to do when your kids go off to school or if you just plain want to make loads of money... I suggest the following idea. And of course, for all the other moms out there who just want a little pampering during the day, this is perfect!

Abbracci. The only unfortunate thing about this store is the location, at least for 99% of us. It is located in California. Yes, perfect for those of you near Redondo Beach. Not so perfect for those of you, say in Minnesota, near me! The idea is brilliant. An upscale SPA offering childcare Wednesday through Friday all the while you are being pampered. How many times have you looked down at those toes and thought, "I want a pedicure... now!"? How many times have you thought, "I would love to go get a massage, but my sitter works during the day."?

No more excuses ladies (for those in beautiful California). Now for those mothers out there not in California, please start opening up this concept nation-wide!

For the Dog Days of Summer

Ahhh, to be a kid again! Can you imagine having one of these when you grew up? It would have been the most fun toy for those hot summer days. Extextoys.com carries some super fun water slides. The only problem is you can't be over 110 pounds. I'm 5'9" (so in the world of reality I'm over 110 pounds), how am I supposed to have as much fun as the kids? I have to sit on the side lines and just watch.

If you would like to try this out before summer's end, it is on sale (slightly) and you can get free shipping right now. I'd love to hear from those of you who have used these. They seem like a wonderful idea, but I have read a few reviews (not on this particular model) where the seems rip easily and holes appear after only 6 uses, etc. Is it worth it? You tell me!

It Just Keeps on Giving

Star Wars. The movie that will never go out of style. It just keeps on giving - giving more toys, more costumes, more movies, more Legos, more video games, and now more Mr. Potato Heads. My kids are 6 and 4 and they have been into Star Wars for a year. How did this happen at such a young age?!? Every time we go to Target, I get the "Mom, can we please buy this light saber?" "Mom, can we please buy this storm trooper?" I do have to admit, I almost fell out of my chair laughing when I saw this. I think it's the eyes that crack me up. There is also the Mr. Potato Head Spud Trooper.

Do a Little Belly Dance

Does your belly feel like it's dancing? If you are pregnant it does! What a clever name, Belly Dance Maternity. Get out the disco ball and get ready to jive. Belly Dance Maternity is having a huge summer clearance with 25 - 95% off. And guess what? We still have half the summer left!! Chalk one up for the customer.

To Have and to Hold

If aliens aren't your thing (see previous post), check out these other little guys from Modern Nursery. A soft, cuddly stuffed animal is just the thing to take to bed... when you are 3. You feel secure. Modern Nursery carries some wonderful creatures to hold.

Large Floppy Elephants
Large Floppy Bunnies

Moncalin Melon Pig

Handknit Monkeys

and a variety of those Ugly dolls.

If your child wants something unique that no other child has, check out the Doodle Dolls. Each one comes with special markers to color the doll just how you want it to look. No worries about mixing it up with other children's dolls. You certainly won't mistake your little one's with the neighbors. Or will you?!?

The Aliens Are Coming

Here are a couple of aliens I would welcome into my home anytime. I don't think you could find a cuter alien. Modern Nursery carries these adorable little handknit guys. They even squeek when you squeeze their bellies. Sure, I can see how aliens would communicate... by squeeking.

Goodbye Luna Lou

Luna Lou is closing it's virtual doors. Right now you can save $10 off your order on their blankets, clothes, and scuffys (offer is not applicable towards the paper and totes). Shop now before everything is going, going, gone...

Hot Moms - New Look!

Last October I posted an article about an online magazine, Hot Moms Club (read here). As I said then, don't let the name mislead you. This site is not just about being sexy. In fact, there's not much talk of that at all. There is so much more to the Hot Moms Club. And now they have a new and improved web site. Check it out.

While you are there listen to the Hot Mom Song, "Beautiful Now," by Alex Woodward. Very cute! The lyrics are posted too. My favorite part:
Darling they don't know
Not the way I know
I seen you sleepin
Tangled up in children
In the morning
This describes my morning to a tee!

Speaking of, towards the bottom of the home page, they list a fun fact that is so true. "According to Suave's recent Motherhood vs. Womanhood survey, 89% of moms said that getting a compliment from their hubby made them feel pretty - more than anything else. " It's true isn't it? When your husband says you are beautiful, your whole mood can change. Maybe if husbands knew that, they would say it more often. However, if your husband isn't telling you it enough, listen to the "Beautiful Now" song over and over again and let "Alex" tell you how beautiful and hot you are!

Stefanie Wilder-Taylor is not only one of the editors, she is also the author of Sippy Cups Are Not For Chardonnay: And Other Things I Had to Learn as a New Mom (Simon Spotlight April '06). What a riot! I will post about it in the upcoming weeks. Her new book, Naptime Is the New Happy Hour will be released April 2008.

Side note: If you were a Trista fan (from the Bachelorette), Hot Moms Club has the latest scoop on her pregnancy. Yes, she's pregnant. Moving on...

J. Crew Final Sale

I always complain how fall clothes seem to appear in stores by the end of July. Summer feels like it just started and stores are reminding me of the fall - actually I love the fall, so I guess it reminds me of winter.

BUT one good thing to come out of it is all the sales. Most stores have great sales going on now with their summer clothing and we still have 2-3 months left to wear them. Score!

Check out J.Crews Final Sale. There's still a number of darling things.

For the Dragon Detectives

Do your children like books where they get to search and find things? And do they like funny looking dragons? If so, this book is for them. Where's the Dragon? is written by Richard Hook and illustrated by Jason Hook. It's a cute story about a little boy and his grandfather who go on a dragon hunt adventure. There are many, many dragons to find through the book. Some are obvious and some are quite difficult. And most are pretty funny looking! The pages have texture to them which makes it clever and exciting to search for the dragons. When you buy the book, see if you can figure out why the pages are bumpy, but don't tell your kids!

Call Me

"...on the line. Call me, call me any anytime. Call me." Blondie's Call Me song. Who knew she was ahead of her time. With the Erin Condren call me cards, you won't have to embarrass yourself by singing the lyrics every time you want some one to call you. Instead, you can simply slip that someone your card. I'm sure there are still some of you that will feel the need to break out into the Blondie tune, but that's at your own risk. These cards are perfect for new people you meet at playdates or parties.

Erin Condren also carries many other trendy cards. Her designs are innovative and bright. I love these return address labels, perfect for the back of the envelope. She even designs wonderful holiday cards like these Valentines. But I think the cards I would use the most are the gift labels. How many times have I wrapped a gift and realized I forgot a card? Too many, especially for kids. When my kid goes to a birthday party, a card is about the last thing on my list. So, these labels are ideal for moi.

National Lampoon's Vacation

OK, OK, so I'm not Christie Brinkley. I will not be appearing in any movies. However, I will be on vacation the week of July 4th. Sorry to say, I will be not be adding any blog posts this week. I will be back in the game beginning Monday, July 9th. So, by all means, stop back then. I have some wonderful posts coming up!

Girly Girl Is In the House!

Girly Girl may be fashionably late, but she is here and we are excited!

Our Girly Girl design is now available to order online at Emily Allyn.

It's All About Me

And by "me" I mean my kids.

My son received this book shortly after he was born because it was one of my husband's favorite books as a kid. Appropriately titled, My Book About Me is really a fun, cute book. Each page is filled with fill-in-the-blanks, like the height and number of teeth. There is even a bit of drawing involved when choosing a hairstyle and color. And questions to ponder, like the almighty What do I want to be when I grow up? One of the choices is millionaire. Steer your child toward that one. I'm kidding, well, sort of! Silliness is all part of the book, so you have to count many things in your house like the number of windows, the number of hot and cold faucets, and the number of buttons on your clothes. There are 72 wonderful pages for your child to fill out.

This book engages both of my kids. They can't wait to fill it out. They are down-right chomping at the bit to whip out their markers and go to it. Years down the road they will look back and smile (and probably laugh) at themselves.

Good times!

Mommy Yoga

Need a good laugh? Try Mommy Yoga: The 50 Stretches of Motherhood. I have seen this book written up so many times. I needed to get it and see what the buzz was all about. It is definitely worth a few good laughs! If you are a mom, you will enjoy this book. If you are a mom who has experience with yoga, you will laugh yourself silly. Mommy Yoga is chalk full of more than 90 "poses" you routinely perform as a mother. Some are newborn stage, some are toddler stage, some span the entire life of the child. A few of my favorites are:
The Triangle - refers to your child sleeping perpendicular between you and your husband.
Up Dog - when your children arise very early, especially on weekends and holidays
Many-Armed Goddess - self-explanatory!

If you are a mom who doesn't go to yoga class, you will be surprised to know you actually do attend yoga classes, daily.

Going Green Made Easy

Kermit the frog may have mentioned once or twice, "It's not easy being green." And to relate with the younger kids of today, I'm sure Shrek would reveal the same sentiment. Although I'm not physically green, I do find it a bit difficult to be green - environmentally speaking. I believe it mostly has to do with the unknown, which I am trying to change. I am trying to educate myself more and more on the topic.

It's clear to me, this is the wave of the future. Not because it is trendy, but because it is necessary. If you also feel like Kermy and/or Shrek, I found a great article. It will get you to start thinking green and it is not overwhelming. It is titled, Going Green Made Easy and written by the Earth 911 Staff on May 7th, 2007. In short, it covers these ten points in more detail. Again, the detail is not overwhelming; it's bullet points.

1. Buy Only What You Need
2. Recycle, Recycle, Recycle!
3. Change a Light, Change the World
4. Bag It Up the Green Way
5. Green Your Gadgets
6. Make Every Drop Count
7. Turn Up the Savings
8. Clear the Air
9. Save A Tree
10. Home Sweet Home

Now, I will say this. Number one scared me a bit. Buy only what you need? Come on, I don't need those shoes, but I do want them! Think of it this way. You can't change the world over night. Work on the other nine points first. When you are ready to tackle number one, buy only what you need, start with food, household items, your husband's wardrobe, etc. You get what I mean.