Little Bundles of Joy

Our little bundles are here! Gift sets are now available at Emily Allyn. Just click the Shop tab and go nuts. We have added bibs and pants to our line.

Don't forget to enter the Emily Allyn birthday contest. Only a couple of days left. We turned two last month and want to celebrate.

It's good to be young, you just keep growing!

Sorry for the delay in posts. I've been busy adding all of our gift sets to the website. I'll be back next week with more amazing finds.

Emily Allyn is Growing!

It just keeps getting better and better at Emily Allyn. This week we have many new products rolling out and some favorites returning!

Our newest little character to hit our family is Wiggle Worm. Wiggle Worm has inched it's way into our stock room and is ready for a new home. It is available now to order online!

We also have a new little Pumpkin joining our group! While we loved our original pumpkin, we decided to make our new little Pumpkin a little more "pumpkin-like." Just a few minor changes, but still unique and adorable. It is also available now to order online.

I'm not ready to think about snow just yet. But for those who want to get a jump on a little winter shopping, our one-of-a-kind Snowflake is in stock and all ready for you.

You have been asking for gift sets and they are coming! This week be sure to check out our new little bundles. We will be offering gift sets! Many of you have asked for this and now it's just days away. We will add pants and bibs to our product line. Yippee!

And one last thing. Don't forget to enter our Birthday Contest. To celebrate Emily Allyn's 2nd birthday, we are giving away free clothing!

People, it doesn't get much better than this! Whew... I think that's everything.

In a Baby Carriage

Are you looking for a creative Holiday card this year? Something your friends have never seen? Or are you not even thinking holiday cards yet? OK, I admit I wasn't. But it's time and I have a secret for you. I absolutely love the cards from In a Baby Carriage. The are fabulous to say the least.

And for that super-creative card - to set your card above all others? Right here, the personalized tri-fold card. This is not your run-of-the-mill tri-fold card. There are designs and layouts you will fall in love with.

The best part, the process is a piece-of-cake. Really, all you have to do is email photos to them and then approve the proof. Yes, there is a proof to make sure you are satisfied. The hard part - choosing one design. But hey, there's always next year!

Everybody Loves the Tooth Fairy

My son lost his third tooth the other day. We have a tiny silver keepsake holder lined in velvet he puts it in. The tooth fairy comes, takes the tooth, and hides money under his pillow. I won't say how much because you will judge me for either being too damn cheap or for spoiling my child too much. I think it's a cute box and found a couple like it on Amazon. I searched for tooth fairy on the internet. Let me tell you there are some pretty weird web sites out there selling crap! And get a load of this picture I found. Now that is down right freaky, and gross I might add.

Back to cute things...
This tooth fairy box is sterling silver. At $45 it makes a nice gift for your niece or nephew.

If you want something more extravagant, this tooth fairy box is also sterling silver only it's $307. What the difference is, I have no idea. Maybe the $307 one comes with teeth - dentures for the actual tooth fairy.

The book pictured above, Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World, is a cute read with your little ones. As you can see from the title, the book explores traditions from families all over the world. That tooth fairy is one busy globe-trotter!

Another Three Martinis, Please

She did it again.
And, no, I'm not referring to Britney. That's an insult! Christie Mellor, author of The Three Martini Family Vacation has written another funny book. Once again, I am still chuckling over some of the situations she describes.

Her previous book, The Three Martini Playdate had me rolling on the floor (like Yoga) while providing my abs a nice work out from all the laughing. Have you ever heard of losing weight while reading a book? Bonus! This book is just as good. She has a way of taking everyday situations, revealing the stupidities of some parents, and trying to set them straight with some valid suggestions - all while being quite hilarious because you can picture so much of it in your mind. And you know many of "these" parents!

If you read The Three Martini Playdate, you have an inkling of what is coming in the chapters with titles like these:
Adventures in Babysitting
Your Endlessly Fascinating Child
Your Child-Free Getaway: The Best Lei'd Plans
Christmas Comes But Twice This Year!

Another fun read.

Laugh Over Spilled Milk

Murphy's Law #572:
More food ends up on the floor than in Junior's mouth.

Why is that? I spend more time cleaning the floor under where my kids sit than I spend at the spa. And that is just wrong! I'm fighting back with a spill mat by Caden Lane. Laminated and large, measuring at 35" x 39", these spill mats will make any mess easy to clean. Just wipe the surface. Not to mention the super cool prints you can choose from. Depending on the shape of your floor, you just might want to keep the mat on the floor permanently!

Those nasty little messes come from everything - art projects and play dough to little Ricky looking you square in the eye with a huge grin while he dumps his yogurt on the floor. Next time, you can smile back at little Ricky and laugh. He will not only be utterly confused that you did not get angry and frantically try to clean up the mess, he will probably think, "Game over" and not try it again. Then you will secretly throw your head back, do a mad scientist laugh and think, "I've won. I've actually won."
Daydream over. Back to reality.

Clean floors once again... well, for a few days anyway. Thank you, Caden Lane!

Make This Fall Sweeter

If you consider Fall starting when school starts, it's here. Otherwise, it's just around the corner. We must face it, another summer has flown by. However, I have to say fall is one of my favorite times of the year. Not too hot, not too cold. You are ready for a little crisp air (not arctic, just crisp). You are ready to slip those jeans back on and maybe even a comfy sweater.

Sweeters makes the most darling sweaters for toddlers. They truly are one-of-a-kind. Each sweeter is handmade. They do not mass produce the sweaters, they only knit when orders are placed. This is a huge plus for customers because the sweaters are custom made - you can choose the color, yarn weight, and can have the sweaters monogrammed however you'd like. Now that's service.

I love this lobster sweater, and this football sweater. And personally I'd like wrap myself up in this blanket. It looks so comfortable. If you have a little girl, you have to look at the poncho sweaters - so adorable.

I'm off to ask Sue (the owner) if she would be willing to start a line for adults!

Belated...

Happy Belated Birthday to Emily Allyn!
Emily Allyn turned 2 last month. Two years in the making. It has been a wonderful two years and we are looking forward to many more to come!

We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you - our customers. We would like to say thank you! Go to Emily Allyn to see how you can celebrate our birthday with us. There are deals going on, our latest contest to enter, and we will be posting more deals in the days to come.

Our New Little Pumpkin

While we loved our original Pumpkin, we decided to spiff it up (just a tad) to make it look more "pumpkin-like." Here is your sneak peak to what it will look like! The Emily Allyn Pumpkin will be available to order online September 21, 2007 - just in time for Halloween and Thanksgiving!

But if you are a fan of our old Pumpkin, we still have plenty in stock. Check out our overstock page for sizes. They are on sale for only $13.95 - that is a steal!

Check back soon because we are going to reveal our next nickname and design which will also be available to order on September 21st. Hint: It is inching it's way to our stock room as you read this.

Third Recall for Mattel

2007 is not the year for Mattel. They just posted their third recall on some products made in China. The latest involves mostly the Barbie doll and some units of GeoTrax. For more on the recall, read the MSNBC article. For Mattel's part they have "completed its testing program for the majority of its toys and spent more than 50,000 hours investigating vendors and testing toys over the past four-week period." Needless to say some vendors or subcontractors have been fired.

For detailed information, go to Mattel's Recall Information pages. It was just updated on September 4th and there is a new video message from the CEO.

Monkey Around

Need a little pizzazz in the little one's closet? These Monkey hangers are darling. You could even hang them on the wall for a little more decor in the jungle room. Or, even better, buy the Emily Allyn Monkey shirt and hang your monkey shirt from your monkey hanger. All kids are little monkeys so it's perfect!

Back to School, Back to Work

With the kids going back to school, the organization bug bites. Buying all those school supplies makes me want to buy a bunch of super chic supplies for myself - and no, not the things at OfficeMax. I'm talking See Jane Work. I've posted about this store before. I don't drool, but if I did, I definitely would drool over this site!

The picture above is from Bob's Your Uncle File Folders. Limbo... good one! Can I get one hundred of your Limbo folders please? One isn't going to cut it.

Did you show up to your staff meeting wearing bunny slippers - only to remember it was pajama day at little Katie's school today? You might need the Mom Agenda Kitchen Folio. "Keep contact info, cafeteria menus, class schedules, team lists and the never-ending barrage of hand-outs, forms and flyers your kids bring home from school all in one well-organized place with the Kitchen Folio from Mom Agenda."

I needed one of these when we moved. If you or someone you know is moving, buy this Moving Kit. I'm one of those people that when faced with a daunting task like moving, I start frantically making lists of what needs to be done. To save lots of time and brain power, it would be nice to have a checklist that a professional took the time to create.

Spice up that CD collection with the Mixit CD Stickers. A fun and bright way to label you CDs.

Why use an ordinary paperclip, when you can use the Clipiola? Make a statement about you and your style.

As always with this store, I could go on and on and on and on and on. Alas, I need to go make dinner...

007 Worthy

I love all of James Bond's gadgets. Here is a gadget that is James-Bond-worthy. It is not only cool but comes in handy daily. I mean, let's face it, you don't really need a watch with a built-in laser cutter and a remote detonator on a daily basis. But this gadget is for everyday use, the MATA BioTech M28 fingerprint door lock. You can throw away those keys to your house. Unless you've misplaced them for the umpteenth time. Then just don't bother spending the half hour it will take to find them, again. Instead, use your fingers as your "keys" - presuming you always have your fingers with you. Your fingerprint is your key. So, James-Bond-like! It will store up to ten fingerprints. Meaning your other household members can let themselves in and out. Or in case you are nervous you might lose that exact finger that holds your "key" to your house and you'll never be able to get into your house again, you can use two of your fingers for the prints - one from each hand. Chances of losing both fingers (or both hands) in a freak accident are slim to none, so you'll always have your keys with you! Genius.

Just in case you are thinking to yourself, "Oh remember that one 007 gadget that... how did that work again?" Here is a list of all his cool tools.

Parties Galore

Do you love throwing birthday parties but like to have fresh, new creative ideas on hand? Here are some places to check out.

I just finished planning and executing a birthday party for the "4-footer" in my household. My husband and I swore we wouldn't do another home party again. We swore we'd go off the premises no matter the cost! But when giving the almost 7 year old ideas for where we could go, he said, "I want one here again, like last year. That was so fun." I couldn't exactly say no. The chosen theme? Star Wars.

I pulled together my nifty resources from last year to start the research process. One source I have skimmed through for my kids' birthday parties is Birthday Party Ideas (appropriately named). They have tons of ideas for every traditional party you can think of from a Princess party to a Dinosaur party to a Fire truck party to a Spa party to a Space party to a Tea party... and about a hundred more in between. One great feature about this site is it shows the age the party was thrown for, for example under Curious George party it would say Curious George Party for 3 year old. They even show party ideas for Tweens and Adults.

Another source for your child's birthday party is Amazing Moms. They too have well over a hundred themes to choose from and each theme is also discussed in detail. They give ideas for decorations, games, arts & crafts, and food. Last year we did a pirate party and this year it's a Star Wars party. I have used both of these sites to get basically all of our ideas.

For last years Pirate Party and this years Star Wars party, I have used both of these sites to get basically all of our ideas.

HILARIOUS

If you need a good laugh, you must look at this ebay auction.

Warning: those of you who hate taking your kids to the grocery store - you just might wet your pants from laughing so hard.

Little Miracles

Miracles, are they real? I can bet almost any mom would answer, "Yes, miracles happen every day. Look at my children, look at those children over there, or go to the maternity ward in a hospital and you will see miracles - little miracles."

This Little Miracles picture frame from Catching Fireflies is adorable. You can pin an ultrasound picture up, a newborn pic, or even a 7 year old picture of your child! Whatever the age, they are still miracles, maybe just not so little when tweens.

Catching Fireflies (love the name) carries a wide range of gifts for yourself or a friend. Beyond baby items, they also carry things for the kitchen, paper goods, gifts for little fido, handbags, jewelry, and even little wedding gifts. If you are in a rut and have no clue for a gift, surf Catching Fireflies. You are sure to find something within it's "doors".

Look Mom, No Hands

I can't tell you how many times I have gone to throw something away and see the trashcan lid covered in fingerprints and drops of food (mostly yogurt). Then I open it up to find more food particles in places they just shouldn't be. I'm sick of wiping the dang thing clean. I have a foot lever on the trashcan, but that doesn't stop my kids from using their hands. So, I think this invention could be quite handy. The touchless trashcan senses an object a few inches from the lid, automatically opens the lid, and automatically closes the lid 3 seconds after you move away. Of course the kids would probably play with it for a few days, then get bored and use it as it's supposed to be used (hopefully).

Think germ-free environment!

Diaper Bag 911

Need a diaper bag? I don't, but I wish I did when I saw The Trendy Tote. With a ton of adorable styles and prints to chose from, this is diaper bag heaven. If you can't find a diaper bag within this store, you need to see a therapist.

If backpacks are your thing, check out the Mia Convertible Backpack by Caden Lane. It's the one pictured above - simple and classic with the trendy colors of brown and pink (or brown and blue).

Are totes more your style? Get a load of these in what I will call "tote city". Can you believe all the styles? It's a tad mind-boggling and I don't even know where to begin in listing a few because they are all worthy of a link. So, I'll let you browse.

As if that wasn't enough to choose from, they also carry a load of messenger diaper bags, purse diaper bags, and a slew of more styles.

Gone are the days of my first plain, black, chunky diaper bag - and thank god!

I Heart My Home So Much...

...I want it replicated into a doll house.
If you love your house, beach home, ski chalet, etc so much you want a miniture one, look no further! FAO Schwartz offers this exclusive service. How do they do it, you ask? (Straight from FAO Schwartz:)

"The design team makes an appointment to come to your home. Then it's back to
the studio, where highly skilled artisans recreate every inch of your home in
1-inch-to-1-foot scale. This includes the wallpaper, paint color, lighting -
even the actual fabric of your furniture through real swatches or recreated
fabric! Appointments begin in January. Allow 24 weeks for design, fabrication
and delivery."

If you would like to preserve the look of your home, here's your chance. Just make sure you have a sense of humor 20 years down the road when you see the paint colors, wallpaper, or fabric choices you chose. Oh the horror!

Yet Another Recall

Mattel is not having a good year when it comes to relations with their Chinese manufacturers. This is their second recall within a month that involves products coming out of China. Both recalls involve lead-based paint, however they are from two different Chinese manufacturers. This recall also involves some products with magnets.

Mattel is not taking this situation lightly. They even have their CEO, Bob Eckert, giving an explanation, apologizing, and asking for the consumers trust via video on their web site.

For detailed information straight from Mattel, visit here.

The products associated with the recall are:
"CARS" Sarge Character (2 products) - lead paint
Polly Pocket™ Play Sets (multiple products) - magnet
Batman™ Magna Play Sets (4 products) - magnet
Barbie® and Tanner™ Accessory (1 product) - magnet
Doggie Daycare™ Play Sets (multiple products) - magnet
Shonen Jump's One Piece™ (1 product) - magnet