Gonna Be A Hot Fall

Hotslings not only makes some of the prettiest slings out there, they're also constantly looking for ways to improve on their accessible, no-fuss design. Two of these improved pouches are now here at Mothersville: the reversible Hotsling (shown here in Kaleidoscope) and the fleece Hotsling! The reversible pouch lets you enjoy the best of both worlds by having both a gorgeous, fashion-forward, designer fabric side as well as a basic neutral side. The fleece pouch is a soft and cuddly option that will work especially well as the weather gets cooler - no need to stuff tiny little arms into bulky jackets! Just layer them into the fleece pouch and you're all set! The fleece Hotsling also features a handy little iPod pocket for rockin' mamas on the go.

We also have one adorable child-size Hotsling left, also in the kaleidoscope fabric, so your little one can have a sling just like yours! (We did have two, but they're just so dang cute I'm taking one home.)

What about the moon?

Warning: shameless exhortations of cuteness ahead.

When I was putting M to bed tonight, she spent her last few conscious minutes saying goodnight to ... well, everything. It went as follows ...

"Good night, mama."

"Good night, door."

"Good night, back of the door."

"Good night, open."

"Good night, closed."

"Good night, centerpiece."

(Huh? Can't laugh, it'll wake her up ...)

Rock and roll, baby!

Look out, people! Here comes the 3rd installment of Memphis Rock'n'Romp! It's the only local concert series for families - and no, we don't mean that it features giant trademarked characters or people desparately trying to rock out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." It's an afternoon show with full-fledged, professional musicians - some of the finest in Memphis, as it happens - playing a casual show that appeals to parents and little ones alike. For just a $5 donation each, parents can enjoy great music, cold beer, and a chance to let their kids listen to real live music. Kids get in free, plus they get all the temporary tattoos, bubble wands and air guitar practice they can handle. The line-up for this Saturday, Sept, 23rd features Sidewalk Talk, Jeffrey James and The Haul, DJ Key Lime, and my boy Cory Branan. For more information and to get the official evite with location details (it is in someone's backyard, so attendance is invitation-only and kids are required for entry), check out the link above.

And yes, Mothersville will be closing early on Saturday so I can get my rock fix without asking anyone else to miss out on the fun. I'll be here 11:30-1:30, if you need to stop by for some sunblock or bugspray before the festivities begin.

This just in: there is a rain plan, so get on the evite list to find out all the details!

Sling Shift

Well, another Cooper-Young Festival has come and gone - the 3rd one that Mothersville has experienced as a CY business and the first one where we've actually had our own booth as well. The expansion of the festival definitely brought a lot more people by the store and I had a great time meeting so many new new mamas and their families. And of course, it's always a twisted sort of fun to hear people walk by and see the sling-wearing mannequin and proclaim things like, "Oh, that baby's gonna fall out!" or "I wish they'd had those when I'd had babies!" Maybe some year I'll make a sign that says "It's worked for the whole of human evolution, it'll work for you, too!"

And just in case you were worried that all the festival fun was over, come on in an enjoy the post-fest clearance sale. I was hoping we'd move a lot more clothing (instead, most folks wanted one of those fancy slings), so now I've got a whole gigantic rack full of summer and fall mama clothes all steamed up and ready to go. At 40% off! It's mostly nursing and transitional clothing (pregnant now? plan ahead!), but I have an entire rack of maternity suits and tops as well, all marked from $5-20.

So come on now, I need to make room for the shipment of organic baby clothes and toys, and the unbearably pretty new Petunia Picklebottom bags.

The Best Fest

(sniff, sniff)

Can you smell that? The combined aroma of corndogs, face paint and hemp? It can only mean one thing: the Cooper Young Festival is this Saturday!

We're very excited this year, because the festival is branching all the way down to the trestle at York and Cooper. That means we're now in the festival proper, instead of just the high-traffic overflow. It also means that we've got an actual, factual booth, which will be jam-packed with super-duper clearance sale items (40% off sunscreen, bug spray, nursing tops and swimsuits!) and some great deals on fall/winter apparel for mamas and little ones alike (come early to grab one of the $30 maternity suits!).

As a new mom, I know that I was a little reluctant to schlep out to CY Fest with my wee one. It's crowded, hot and doesn't really cater to the pre-pre-school crowd. But that's where we come in! Come join us for our own BabyFest, where you'll find a clean changing area, a comfortable place to nurse, indoor toys for the tiny ones and close proximity to a new stage featuring some of the finest acoustic musicians in Memphis (like Kim Richardson @ 2:30!). We'll also have a babywearing workshop (time TBA), a bevy of new literature in the resource area and FREE COLD WATER (doesn't sound like a big deal, but just wait until that noontime suns starts bouncing off Cooper and the line for Coletta's is stretching toward Meda).

So come by to check out the new stuff and chill out the little stuff. It's our neighborhood party, and y'all are the best neighbors ever!

Sneak(er) Preview

I was going to wait until Cooper Young for the grand unveiling, but they're just too cute and I can't wait anymore. The new fall Robeez are here! We have a whole bunch of brand new styles in stock, and have even brought in a few 2-3 and 3-4-year-old sizes for toddlers and pre-schoolers who still love rockin' their Robeez. Not only are they the only shoes that will keep tiny newborn socks on baby feet, they're also great for bigger kids that like to climb all over playgrounds without getting big, rubbery shoe soles stuck on the equipment. Robeez has also added a newborn line, with sweet designs specifically for the tiniest tootsies.

And We're Back ...

Sorry for the unexplained hiatus, there, folks. Apparently something about this blog got the Blogger spam-bots all worked up and they locked us down while they could complete a review and verify that it is in fact a human being spitting out these random blurbs. I guess maybe that 600% spike in traffic that we got after being linked to MemphisBlogger may have looked suspicious.

In other news, today is my daughter's 3rd birthday! At this time, three years ago, I was ... well, I'm not sure. Napping, probably. And wishing the nurses would stop asking me if I'd peed yet. And thinking that I would never, ever, ever have another child ever. Ev. Er.

I never tell other parents how fast the time flies. They'll find that out on their own, once they start getting more than 19 minutes of REM sleep a week. Besides, it's not all fast. There are many long, long moments along the way. The mantra I frequently tell new moms is "the days are slow but the months are quick," and they look at me with this flash of agreement and relief. There are so many days that stretch out in front of you like a Navy SEAL obstacle course, with every rope bridge suspended over a moat of bodily fluids. But then you suddenly look at a calendar and realize that you're halfway to having a one-year-old. Or a kindergartener. Or another driver on your car insurance.

And then, for no very good reason at all, you start sort of wanting another one. Not with the abject desire and naive delusions of a childless adult, but with the wariness and stubbornness and cut-wide-open heart that only a parent can bear.

Or so I hear.

Happy birthday to us, Miss M. I love you. And since you can't read, I'll tell you that later, too.