We are so glad you're here! We blog daily highlighting sweet little shoppes, creative crafts & projects that you can make, scrumptious snacks and treats to add to your recipe box and we top it off with fun bright ideas for your home & family.

Window Shoppe Girls

{Emily ~ Editor}

{Ashley}

{Cassie}

{Vanessa}

{Lauren}

{Michelle}

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Cool Sites

Eco-Friendly Art Supplies for Creative Kids

{By Vanessa ~ January 6, 2009}

Stubby Pencil Studio is the perfect place to find eco-friendly art supplies that are healthy for your children and the environment. I placed an order for Christmas last year and we were so impressed with the wonderful customer service and high quality of the products.

Recycled Sketchbooks - Super earth friendly sketchbooks from 100% FSC certified post-consumer waste recycled, acid free and processed chlorine free paper and fully biodegradable glue and vegetable based inks. Various Prices.

Crayon Rocks - Made from non-toxic soy wax and tinted with natural mineral powders, Crayon Rocks make vibrant colors and beautiful textures. The pebble shape crayons are easy to hold and encourage the use of tripod grip to develop fine motor skills. 16 Crayon Rocks for $6.95

Smencils - Made from recycled newspaper wrapped around #2 graphite and soaked in environmentally-friendly fragrance liquids. Cotton Candy, Tropical Blast, Cinnamon, Watermelon, & Root Beer Set of 5 for $5.95.

Stubby Pencil Studio is my new place to buy all of my art supplies. They also have non-toxic toys & gifts, recycled cards and personalized stationary. It truly makes me feel good to provide my children with art supplies that I know are healthy for them as well as the environment.

Written by Vanessa of I Never Grew Up

{4 Comments}

Topics: Art and Activities, Eco-Friendly and Organics, Education and Learning, Front Page

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Free 2009 Printable Bird Calendar

{By Emily ~ January 5, 2009}

I recently discovered this 2009 Bird Calendar that you can download and print for free! Isn’t it beautiful? Not only does this make a lovely calendar, once you have finished with each month you can simply trim off the bottom half, and frame the illustrations to display at home.

To grab your own, visit: Mibo and sign up for their newsletter to receive this free pdf download.

{9 Comments}

Topics: Art and Activities, Featured, Front Page, Home Decor and Organization

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Rugs that Rock!

{By Emily ~ January 5, 2009}

If you have been searching high and low for the right nursery rug to adorn your little one’s room, look no further. Kids Dream Corner has a colorful collection of children’s rugs that you can bring home for under $50.

You can even find rugs in cool shapes like stars, basketballs, ladybugs and trucks.

{6 Comments}

Topics: Front Page, Nursery and Kid's Decor

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Cute Shoppes: Ajo Bebe and CityBird Designs

{By Emily ~ January 2, 2009}

I love that it’s Friday! ;) Today we’re doing a little window shopping with these two cute shoppes:

Ajo Bebe

Ajo Bebe’s contemporary, handmade baby & children accessory line is perfect for cool moms on the go.

Using vintage-inspired fabrics, you will find one-of-a-kind bibs, changing pads, baby wipes cases, burp clothes and nursing covers. You can buy these items at any of the “where to shop” locations listed on Ajo Bebe.

CityBird Designs

CityBird Designs is a paper design shop offering unique, hand-made invitations and cards. Currently they are having a sale for $1 cards! Check it out here.

These cute circle shaped tags are made from reclaimed file folders (recycled!) and have been distressed for the old-timey look. The birds are made out of vintage dictionary pages and are hand embroidered with cranberry colored floss. These tags were originally meant for the holidays, but I thought that they looked perfect for using throughout the year too.

{5 Comments}

Topics: Announcements, Invitations and Cards, Baby Blankets, Gear and Supplies, Front Page, Sweet Shoppes

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Win It: Girly Skull Diaper Bag and Bib

{By Emily ~ January 2, 2009}

Craving the unusual? Sourpuss Clothing is an independent company that specializes in awesome clothing for men and women, kitschy housewares, shoes, and kids gear too. They carry nearly 3000 items from brands like Fred Perry, Warrior, Merc, Collectif, Tripp NYC, Kreepsville and Sailor Jerry, to name a few.

Win It:

We have this cool “Skull Pops Diaper Bag” (includes a matching changing pad) and “Girly Skull Bib” that we want to giveaway to a Window Shoppe reader ($50 value).

To Enter:

Simply leave a quick comment letting us know that you want to win.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Optional) For extra entries:

Are you a Subscriber? Just let us know you’re subscribed to Little Window Shoppe in an additional comment.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

This giveaway ends on Sunday, January 11th at midnight PST. The winner will be chosen randomly and will be announced at this post Monday, January 12th. Good luck, everyone!!

(Please feel free to read our contest rules for additional details)

{254 Comments}

Topics: Children's Clothing, Shoes and Accessories, Current Giveaways, Front Page

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Best Ever Sugar Cookies

{By Cassie ~ January 1, 2009}

Happy New Years Day! One of my favorite things about the Holiday season has been all the baking I’ve been able to do. I remember growing up my mom would ask each child what their favorite holiday treat was and we would then spend a day baking each item.

Even though the holidays are wrapping up, I was just introduced to this sugar cookie recipe and had to share with everyone because they were amazing!

Cookies

1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5-7 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350. MIx all the ingredients in order. When rolling them out, it is best to take a ball of dough and flatten it with your hands (this is the key to making them fluffy). Cut out cookies with cookie cutters and bake for about 10 min.

Frosting

2 cups powder sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon milk
Food coloring

Hope you enjoy!

Written by Cassie of Madison Envy

{10 Comments}

Topics: Creative Treats, Recipes, Snacks and More

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A New Year - Tips and Ideas For Setting Goals

{By Cassie ~ December 31, 2008}

The start of a new year is very empowering to me. I feel as though each January 1st is a fresh start and a time to start over and be better. I am sure many of you, as I do, use the beginning of a new year to set new goals and make a list of things you would like to accomplish in the coming year.

Here are some neat tips and ideas about setting goals for your New Year:

Goals:

Set a reasonable amount of goals. Having an endless list will usually leave you feeling like you have too much to do. Try focusing on 2-4 main areas and include subgoals within those areas. This year I have chosen 3 main areas of my life to better myself: Family, Spiritual, and Self.

One Word:

I love the idea of having one word to focus your goals and year on. A wonderful blogger, Tanja, wrote a neat post about her Word of the Year and why she chooses this method of goal setting. If you decide this route, why not have your word put on a charm to be a constant reminder? You can buy a Word of the Year Charm like this at Lisa Leonard Designs (pictured above).

Quote or Saying:

If you have a favorite quote or saying, you can center your goals around your quote. You can use the quote to guide you in making decisions, setting other goals or when transitioning through life changes (i.e. taking a new job, etc).

Hopes:

Use the things you are looking forward to this year as a way of goal setting. If one of your goals this year is to lose weight write on your list “weighing X lbs” rather than “lose X lbs”. Seeing that goal accomplished on paper sends positive messages to your brain.

What do you do when it comes to New Year’s Goals and Resolutions? Share your ideas with us!

Written by Cassie of Madison Envy

{8 Comments}

Topics: Autumn and Winter Holidays, Education and Learning, Front Page, Jewelry and Fashion Accessories, Parties and Events

Little Window Shoppe

Simple Paper Streamers

{By Emily ~ December 30, 2008}

Looking for a simple homemade way to add extra color to your party decor? *Perfect for Casual New Years Eve Parties* This is so easy that your kids can do it with you! (Although, scissors are involved in this project, so they may need to use “safe children’s scissors” or have extra help and supervision).

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

Tape
Paper - Any color or design you want, (you can use colored printer paper, cardstock or even *reuse paper scraps*) - you could also use plain white paper and color it, write names on it or add glitter.
Scissors

Once you have your paper and scissors, start cutting a strip (about 1/2 inch thick) at the end of your paper - cut it straight (almost to the tip - but not all the way) leave about 1 inch to the edge. *You can also cut your strips in wavy lines if you want to add a little flair to your streamers.

Then rotate your paper and start cutting another strip right next to it on the other side and follow the same pattern. You can make your strips as thin or as thick as you would like. After you have your entire paper cut into one long strip, you can leave it long or cut it in half for shorter streamers.

It should look kind of like this:

Finally, hang them up with tape wherever you want - from the ceiling, from a door frame, or you can use them to decorate a room or a desk!

I make these paper streamers all the time. I made these this morning in about 10 minutes! You can use them for any party throughout the year too.

{17 Comments}

Topics: Crafty Projects & DIY, Creative Crafts and Projects, Paper and Scrapbooking, Parties and Events

Little Window Shoppe

Win It: Mutsy Spider Stroller!

{By Emily ~ December 29, 2008}

That’s right, you can win this gorgeous Mutsy Spider Stroller right here at Little Window Shoppe. You know you want this!

The Details: “Revolutionary in design technology, the Spider Stroller is a remarkably innovative product offering all the benefits of a lightweight buggy with the most compact and simple fold available. Its extremely unique 3-wheel design supports a fashionable reclining seat with side protection. The Spider is also equipped with an adjustable handle, a fully protective hood and a basket for storage.”

With rave reviews and excellent ratings, I don’t think you can really go wrong with this one. You can purchase this stroller at www.kiwikidsgear.com - or at any of these other locations too.

Discount:

Receive a 10% discount on any Mutsy order from www.kiwikidsgear.com with code: lws10

Win It:

One lucky Window Shoppe reader will win this Mutsy Spider Stroller ($200 value)!

To Enter:

Stop by Mutsy or Kiwi Kids Gear to check out the stroller and then leave a quick comment letting us know that you want to win!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Optional) For extra entries:

Are you a Subscriber? Just let us know you’re subscribed to Little Window Shoppe in an additional comment.
Blog about this giveaway and include your blog link in an additional comment.
Stumble our main web page or blog page (www.littlewindowshoppe.com or www.littlewindowshoppe.com/daily-blog) and leave us your Stumble Upon name in an additional comment.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

This giveaway ends on Tuesday, January 6th at midnight PST. The winner will be chosen randomly and will be announced at this post Wednesday, January 7th. Good luck, everyone!!

(Please feel free to read our contest rules for additional details)

{801 Comments}

Topics: Baby Blankets, Gear and Supplies, Current Giveaways, Front Page

Little Window Shoppe

Christmas Vacation…

{By Emily ~ December 29, 2008}

The most peachy *relaxing* week ever! How about you? How was your Holiday? Are you looking forward to starting a new year? I truly had a nice week and luckily still have one more to go. My husband and I have a two week vacation from work and school this year. Woo! I love that New Years Day lingers slightly after Christmas keeping it around just a little longer.

A glimpse into my week:

Meet our snowman the “Italian Stallion” (a.k.a. “Rocky”) dubbed by my husband Scott. We finally had our first real week of snow and we were so excited. The snow came down powdery and beautiful and was just right for making a snowman. I think there must have been at least a foot or two of snow in our backyard.

As you can see, my two very favorite guys in the entire world were hard at work building this masterpiece and playing in the snow. My little boy loved it too - sipping on his hot chocolate, eating snow and munching on carrots.

And just in case you started to forget what I looked like - this is hot off the press and was taken last week (I think you can even see my freckles in this picture). ;)

I hope that you had a nice break too. Do you have plans for New Years Eve/Day? I think we are going snowboarding - so excited! I am definitely going to post a few more times this week (here and there), so come back and visit us again!

{6 Comments}

Topics: Emily Moments, Front Page

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