Holidays and Other News

Yes, they are officially here - the Holidays! Time for crazy family gatherings and stories to create and tell to our children. Cameras will be snapping and video cameras catch all the wrong things (kidding! sort of). Portraits to be taken, given, saved, or preserved. (See below for a great link for your framing needs!)

Fantastic outfits and accessories are at the store. Lots of stuff for gift-giving also. And speaking of giving, in addition to taking my usual donations I am also trying to get some "wish lists" from Becky's House or the YWCA in the store. I'll update with more information as it moves along. Please remember no matter how little you might have, someone out there is also in need. Giving really is the best gift to yourself.

Interested in donating some food items? My fabulous chiropractor (Dr. Jason Shumard) located upstairs in my building (Active Posture- see link below!) is hosting a bin in his office at the request of his Assistant for Mama's Pantry. They are collecting nutritious non-perishables. Mama's Pantry is a part of Mama's Kitchen. If you don't already know about this Charity, go to their web page at http://www.mamaskitchen.org/ and check it out. Dr. Jason is offering people who donate five or more items to be entered in a drawing. I'll post a list of the items in the store or you can contact his office directly for hours and drop-offs at 858-564-7081. And thank you for working on my never ending migraines!

And while your at it, make an appointment! Treat yourself (or a friend) to a healthier body and get rid of some of that chronic pain we mothers wake up to (some of us daily). As a mom, there is no day off or time to rest an injury or heal from an illness. You deserve 15 minutes to devote to your body. It is the little things we have that keep us going. Light a candle, take a bath, do some Pilate's, take a five-minute time-out in your room instead of sending the kids to theirs and visit a nutritionist and chiropractor. Speaking of nutrition, I hope in the next few weeks to get the nutrition questionnaires into the store if anyone is interested in a consultation from a nutritionist! Also working on some (shhhhhh secret - can't post details yet!) organic, homemade products for mom and baby!

In addition to this season of new beginnings, let us remember ourselves as being important. We need to function in order to care for our little ones. Lots of baby steps because we are all strapped for time, but anything we can do we should. Talk to other moms- you would be amazed at what you find out. Someone might need a hot meal or a friend to go to the park with. Take the time to make yourself feel good by getting to know those around you and you never know what you might learn from them that will enrich your life.

Okay, lecture over. Here I am, mind racing with things to do and feeling overwhelmed myself and I am up again late working not pampering myself. But no matter how stressed I am or how crazy my day is, I really try and make it a point to take a few minutes to do something meaningful or helpful to someone else and something to clear my head for a few moments (if only a few moments, I'll take them).

Backtracking...

So, as I have mentioned lots of new items in and more on the way. It is so exciting. Every new thing that comes in I treat as if it is a little gift :)

Here is a sample of some of the sock purses or as I call them hold-em-alls that I now have in the store. I mentioned them several postings ago but couldn't really describe them without a picture so here it is!Great for holding anything that falls to the bottom of your purse (or diaper bag), for gifts to new moms/grandmas or even your kids, and of course cute. Who can't resist baby size socks? You know you all still have to stop when you see a tiny sock!

I also have been busy putting together little outfits and re-designing the store. I still need to decorate it but it is hard when it is still "unfinished". I also currently have separate racks for some Holiday stuff. Of course, most of the stuff is not just Santa Sleepers and Red Velour Dresses (although I have them) but great stuff for pictures, family dinners, winter outings, and more. A lot of the stuff I carry year-round I moved to the rack for ideas. It's great to think about not only using a resale boutique to recycle your old clothing, but how to make good use out of the purchases you make. Here is a little sample of my new "outfit" rack. I mix in some new and resale items in this picture and you can look closely to get a preview of the Bloomin' Beanies I know have in stock! More to come and I can devote a whole other post to some of my new items (so perhaps I should considering the time...). Anyway, how cute is this? Come in, grab an outfit and your set. Well, maybe while you're there you can grab a Melissa and Doug toy for a gift and that sweater you've been meaning to get and a pair of shoes. Just an idea ;)

You can see that cute little diesel shirt in the corner but not the matching shoes! Size 2T and priced to sell. On the other side you can see my dwindling rack of diapees and wipees. Must be about that time for some new orders. So start your shopping- Resale stores are in and I can give you a million reasons why I'm not just any resale store but I'll save that for another post. Those of you who have been in recently know there is so much more to it.

Final note of the night, Fresh Picked Boutique will have a booth at the Scripps Ranch Farmer's Market this Saturday. I'll be there with some hand-picked products instead of the store, but it will be open for sales and I'll be there from 2-4 afterwards. I hope it goes well. I'm assuming in this economy a lot of people would rather support locally, save money and not fight the crowds at the mall but I guess we'll have to see. I'll try and get an email mailing out this week with coupons and of course, I'll mention the SR Farmer's Market there also. I will also post again about that as it gets closer to Saturday.

As for hours this week, tomorrow (Wednesday) I will be there working and preparing, etc. I assume it will be a slow day so I probably will just be open from about 11-3 for customers unless I get a call from someone needing some help before Thanksgiving! And I will be closed Thursday and Friday. Friday I'll be working from home so if someone really wants to stop by I might be able to make a quick shopping appointment. Shoot me an email. And then Saturday the above mentioned Farmer's Market.

So, that's all for now. Thanks for reading as always!