smiles

It seems as if there is nothing in this world quite as contagious as a smile, especially a smile from a truly happy baby. Whenever our May Little Red Stories winner, Zoey, rides in her wagon she is grinning from ear to ear, says her mother, Valerie. At just one-year old, Zoey knows what makes her happy and she has even learned other ways, outside of her smile, to communicate this feeling to her Mom.

April showers bring May flowers and—this year—the Easter Bunny. While chocolate rabbits will never (hopefully!) go out of style, there are many new ways to celebrate and decorate all over the internet this year. These easter baskets are recycled—what a great use for brown paper grocery bags! And I would love to sit down at brunch to find these adorable easter treats at my place.

Congratulations to Reesa Allee, our October Little Red Stories contest winner for her story, “Mama Sit.”  She and her husband, Tre, adopted a little boy from Ethiopia last year—Amare Dawit.   Reesa keeps her own blog about her family’s adventure into adoption, including anticipating the arrival of a little sister from Ethiopia soon! 

At so many birthday parties we expect a gaggle of kids to wait patiently while a birthday girl opens gifts or the birthday boy blows out candles. All that waiting can be tough for kids who NEED to move, and they will squirm, wiggle and bounce if you want them to or not!

As a working mom with a young family, I want to create traditions that will be memorable and passed down to the generations that follow. I’m surrounded at work with a brand full of stories, nostalgia, warm memories and many smiles. And I have been thinking, a little more around the holidays – what traditions STICK? And what makes them STICKY?

Thanks to Michael R. of Clarksville, Tenn. for submitting this photo of his 2-1/2 year old daughter on her 2-in-1 trike.  We love her smile and energy!  Wishing you all a joyful holiday weekend full of laughter.

Kid's birthday parties are a chance to celebrate one special child at one special moment in their life. There are some standard ingredients: invitations, party treats, fun activities, and gaggles of friends. Each element is infinitely customizable to age, hobbies and family tradition. Choosing a theme based on a child's interests (or obsessions?) is a way to cherish who they are at that exact age.

Birthdays, holidays, big formal festivities, small shindigs, I love them all! Celebrations are important. These events serve so many purposes: they mark milestones, bring families together and provide an excuse to wear a special outfit. For pretty much every kid, it is almost impossible to wait patiently for these days. Especially when there are weeks between this very moment and something exciting like a birthday!