Goodbye to Little Window Shoppe
May 18, 2009 by Emily · 62 Comments
My Dearest Window Shoppe Readers and Friends,
This post has taken me over a month to write - partly because this is my last post on this blog. I am so sad to announce that as of today, Little Window Shoppe is closing for good.
The decision was not taken lightly and was really hard to make, but a combination of factors came together that brought me to this post…very much wanting to spend more time with my family (I have a very busy two year old who needs more mommy-time), 
getting ready for baby #2 in November (I’ve been out sick for two months! But it’s totally worth it as we’re so excited to have a new baby come to our family), and finally getting ready for a move to a new state with my family this Summer (my hubby is starting a new job).
{Photo source: Wilson Library Reserve}
I have learned so much from blogging at Little Window Shoppe and will be forever grateful for the kind friends I have made and the amazing experiences that I have had here!! Thank you so much for taking time to make Little Window shoppe a part of your lives and for being such a fantastic community. And also, thank you for all of the nice emails and inquiries about how we are doing.
Before I say goodbye for good, I want to thank a few people who helped me along the way:
First and foremost, my husband Scott. He is an incredibly supportive husband and friend and was the first person to listen to my every idea and concern throughout my blogging adventures. He has also been Superman at my house and has cooked, cleaned, taken care of our two year old and helped me out while I was sick over the last seven weeks! I couldn’t ask for a better man in my life and I love him so much!!
I also wanted to thank Holly of Tutus and Turtles. She is so cool and listened and talked to me for hours on the phone as I worked out how I would end my Window Shoppe blogging days. Her blog has been an inspiration to me from the beginning and I think that her blog ideas rock!!
Finally, I wanted to thank each of the writers and contributors for Little Window Shoppe. Each of them had creative and beautiful ideas to share and I’m so grateful and honored that they wanted to be part of this blog with me. They have become some of my dearest friends and were the best group of writers a blog ever had! They even sent me tulips when I was sick (just about made me cry, I felt so loved).
Please visit each of their blogs to keep up with their cool ideas!
- Vanessa - her blog: I Never Grew Up
- Lauren - her blog: Supermom Central
- Michelle - her shoppe: Sweet Mady’s Paper
- Michaelle - her blog: Monkeys Momma
- Cassie - her shoppe: Madison Envy
- Kelly - her blog: Albany Mommy
Also, I wanted to leave you with a few additional recommendations of blogs I love - in case you are looking for new places to subscribe:
- www.simplemom.net - this is my absolute favorite blog to follow…it has the best family tips and ideas that make sense, the ideas are easy to follow and I just can’t get enough of its coolness.
- www.howaboutorange.blogspot.com - artsy, tons of crafts, diy ideas, printouts, and the best time-wasters ever.
- www.thepioneerwoman.com - recipes, photoshop tutorials, photography 101, down-to-earth life.
- www.makeandtakes.com - the coolest (and most creative) kids crafts ever!
- www.metropolitanmama.net - and for all you contest lovers, this Metro Mama has excellent giveaways all of the time - and she writes helpful articles with tips for parents. Love it.
There are so many more…but I think this is a great start.
If you want to stay in touch with me, you can follow me at a few sites:
- www.emilyjune.com (I’ll still be designing blogs and websites - starting again this fall).
- I’m also going to be checking in and updating my facebook page and my family blog regularly. They will have weekly updates of my family life and the cool fun things we are doing.
**If you want to stay in touch with me at my family blog or on facebook, just email me or leave a comment letting me know and I’ll send you the links.**
Thank you again for making this the best blogging experience I have ever had!!
Always,
Emily
Sweet Shoppe: Goldtone Designs
September 17, 2008 by Emily · Leave a Comment
Everytime I’m in the airport, I see pillows like this (albeit the airport pillows are not nearly as stylish) and I often go through a debate whether or not to purchase one for the plane. I usually convince myself that it will be fine, and I probably don’t need one for just one trip….
Skip ahead five trips later to where I realized that I REALLY WANTED ONE and that this would have been a great investment since most of our family lives across the country and each time we travel 4 or 5 hours. Luckily, it’s not too late!
Goldtone Designs creates cute pillows for just such an occasion and they have been providing these luxury lounge travel wrap pillows for the whole family since 2001. All of their neck wrap pillows can be positioned however you would like to give head & neck support, while napping or traveling. They also have over 400 fabrics in stock ready for custom orders. These would also come in handy for car trips too…
HR Baby
September 11, 2008 by Emily · 3 Comments
Just wanted to give a quick “shout out” to HR Baby. It’s a pretty helpful resource that has answers for many of your mommy questions, HR (Health Record) Baby was formed when two people set out to simplify health care for U.S. moms. This site contains tips, articles and contributions by professionals about a variety of topics from safety to toddler dental care to time saving tips.
Sweet Shoppe: Live Beautiful
September 4, 2008 by Emily · 5 Comments
So we all want to look beautiful right? But what about living Beautiful….I was really intrigued by this Etsy shoppetique “Live Beautiful“ and its simple message. I want to live beautiful!!
Live Beautiful products focus on ways to help you to clear your mind and relax so that you can be inspired to Live Beautiful in your own way. One of their products that I want for myself is the Perfectly Plush Heat Relaxer ($16.50).
These are much like “rice socks” or “heat wraps” although there are a few ways that set them apart from your typical heat wrap. They are specially designed with an inside pouch that evenly distributes rice to keep it from bunching at one end and their plush minky dot liners are also unique - and look super soft.
Not only can these help you relax and relieve stress, but they are great “heating pads” for back and neck pain, muscle cramps, muscle fatigue and arthritic pain.
Fitness for Mommies
June 24, 2008 by Emily · 8 Comments
I’m almost afraid to admit this to even more people - just in case I “chicken out,” but here it goes. ;)
In February, My husband and I decided that this is the perfect year to run in a marathon - it will be our first one ever! We are planning to run it at the end of August - and with just two months left, we have been learning as much as possible about how to prepare.
Pictures from the marathon trail we are running in! Isn’t it gorgeous?
We both have run in half marathons before and really wanted to meet our goal to run a full one. So, this is it, we’re signed up and we have been researching and talking to lots of experts about how to prepare. We have great shoes and a super sweet jogging stroller - all set right? Not quite, there’s that “training part” that we are still trying to figure out.
You may already know about Fitness for Mommies, so I just wanted to mention how helpful this site has been for me. I think Rachel, to put it simply, is awesome. This mother of two finds time to run marathons and shares her tips and fitness ideas on her Fitness for Mommies site. A few weeks ago, I asked her a few (OK - a lot!) of questions about my training schedule, and she was so helpful and gave me great suggestions that my hubby and I could incorporate into our running. Her suggestions were about nutrition, strength training, running groups, and great programs to follow. Needless to say, it was very motivating and helpful for me and if you are a runner, fitness lover, or are thinking about it, I highly recommend visiting her site to learn a little more. You can even enter a few of her fantastic fitness-oriented giveaways.
Slip Slap Slop
June 18, 2008 by Emily · 4 Comments
These are the sounds of sun screen being slathered on kids everywhere… Yesterday we took Logan, my little one year old, to the pool. It was so much fun, kids were playing, Nerf footballs were flying and we were having a blast splashing in the water.
On our way home, I looked at the pink hue on our cheeks and thought about sun safety and sun screen. I have light skin and tons of freckles, so I am an avid sun-block user. Growing up, the 15 SPF just didn’t work for me, so I had to put on at least 30 SPF or above. Ultimately, I made sure that we wore our sunblock yesterday. But there are always a few (my self included) who get scorched by the sun each year and have an ouchy sunburn to endure.
I found this little article on Sun Safety to be really helpful - it presents the facts of sun exposure, and shares how to protect yourself from the sun and how treat your skin if a sun burn does occur. One fact states: “most kids rack up between 50% and 80% of their lifetime sun exposure before age 18, so it’s important that parents teach their children how to enjoy fun in the sun safely.”
And if by chance a sunburn does occur, here’s a sunburn Instruction Sheet:
If you are not sure which sunscreen to choose, this little article may be of some help too. Coppertone carries a few popular sun blocks for kids that I love to use especially as they are the No. 1 Pediatrician recommended brand, waterproof, hypoallergenic, non-irritating, PABA-free, fragrance-free and ideal for use on your baby’s face. Coppertone also has helpful fAQ’s, a summer tool-kit (which includes your local forecast and UV index), and great sun strategies.
And for easier application - try a sunblock stick (in sun block spray bottles too).
You can find these just about anywhere you like to shop for less than $10.
To the Happy Couple - Here’s a First Aid Kit
June 11, 2008 by Emily · 5 Comments
Who would have thought that a first aid kit would have come in handy so often? Let’s just say last night I was very grateful to have it close by…the short of it…dinner, boiling water, my leg, and a 2nd degree burn. Ouch! With a few ice packs, and my first aid kit, I was patched up really fast. Fwew.
Scotty and I received a first aid kit from First Aid Only as a wedding present a few years ago. At the time, I thought…”Ok, that’s cool” and then put it in the cabinet hoping that we wouldn’t have to get it out to use very often.
As twitterpated newlyweds, thinking about how to best prepare for potential injuries was probably the LAST thing on our minds. However, our first aid kit has since become one of the most useful and helpful items that we received - in fact it is probably one of the few gifts that has withstood the test of time and is still with us.
First Aid Only has a kit for almost every need that you or your family may have whether at work, home, school, or play, there is even a first aid kit for your pets! For an all-purpose kit (we have an all-purpose) you can buy an 81 piece set for $15 or a 299 piece set for $35. Additionally, they have an easy refill system when you run out. Truly a gift I have appreciated and in return I would buy this to give as a wedding gift in a heartbeat!
Safety Tats - Safety for Your Kids and Your Sanity
June 10, 2008 by Emily · 4 Comments
I have wonderful sisters in law - all of whom I will probably mention over and over because they are brilliant and I receive a lot of inspiration ideas from them! If only we lived closer…. ;) Tenille, one of my brilliant sisters-in-law, sent an email my way with a helpful and unique idea that she found in Parenting Magazine: The Safety Tat “Just In Case”. Thanks Tenille!
Every parent has the concern that their child might get lost amongst a crowd in a public place, especially if you have more than just one or two children to keep an eye on. To put it plainly, “it can happen anywhere—at an amusement park, zoo, school field trip, or even your local shopping mall. Your attention shifts for a moment, and suddenly your child or loved one has wandered out of sight.” Eeek….please don’t let that happen to me!
“So put the odds in your favor for a safe return, with SafetyTat. Designed by a Mom of three kids, SafetyTat is a fun and colorful kids washable temporary safety tattoo that’s uniquely personalized with your cell phone number.” Such a simple and effective way to keep track of your kiddos - (and to brand them yours when you feel the need).
I’m sure that we will be asking ourselves why we haven’t already thought of this! Especially as it could have easily saved us all years of worrying ourselves silly! And since it’s a safety precaution that involves your children, it also provides an opportunity to teach and educate them on how to be a ”safety kid”. Not to mention they get to feel pretty cool…I mean seriously, mom is ACTUALLY letting them wear a sweet tattoo on their arm (temporary and washable - not permanent)! Buy them in sets - starting at $14.95 for 16 tats.
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