Merry Christmas everyone! I LOVE Christmas. I love the songs, I love the family, I love the gifts (*gasp* - I said it!), I love the egg nog, I love 24 hours of A Christmas Story - all of it.

This year we have a white Christmas. In fact, here in Seattle it has been 12 years since we have had this much snow! Where I am at in Bellevue, we have over a foot. It's madness. Seriously.

Anyway, I just want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and hope that wherever you are, you are warm, safe, and with someone you love - oh, and try not to shoot your eye out :-)

Cheers,

Shelly Clause

Yoga. For some, it is a way of life. For others, it is an odd, tree-hugging sort of thing that 'those' people do. No matter what side of the fence you fall on, it is hard to debate the proven benefits of yoga. Yoga:

- reduces stress
- strengthens muscles and muscle tone
- helps you sleep better
- improves self confidence
- aids in digestion

What I didn't know, was that yoga is also great for babies and tots! I knew that when my girlfriend's 5th graders get out of hand (she's a teacher), she makes them all get up and do breathing and poses. (Can you imagine?!)She says it works like a charm and the kids like it. But babies? Apparently, yes.

Blossoming Yogis is a very cool series of yoga classes over the course of 6 weeks, broken down into three age groups: baby, tot, and tyke. Blossoming Yogi classes are based on the Itsy Bitsy Yoga program and are taught by a fabulous instructor, Anna Starikov. Anna is the mom of two extremely cute kids Zoe and Max and is one of the nicest people you will ever meet.

Although the class is not available everywhere, the program itself is. For those of us lucky enough to be in the (currently snowy) Seattle/Bellevue area of Washington, you can take Anna's Blossoming Yogis class in Kirkland at Yoga Studio Be.

Check out Anna's site today (www.blossomingyogis.com)and when you sign up, tell her that Shelly sent you!

Namaste,

Shelly

The last few weeks have been so crazy, so stressful, and I have hardly had a minute to think! (Seriously). The last year, I have been working like a maniac on creating products for Plein de Vie. What I learned from all of that hard work, is that I am happiest and the least stressed when I am being creative. Whether it is designing a new gift set for Spoiled Rotten Baby or coming up with a new formula for a Plein de Vie product, it helps me be a better mom, partner, and person in general.

So, in the midst of current chaos, I decided it was time to do something I had never done before - make soap! Rick (my 'better' half)and I geared up in our old long sleeved tees, latex gloves, and oh-so-cute eye protection to make what we hoped would be some pretty decent soap.

We added ingredients like Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, and Babasu Oil. I tried to add some essential oil so it smelled pretty (didn't add enough though!) and a sprinkling of organic cocoa butter to make it at least look pretty.

When all was said and done, we ended up with a very neat looking block of soap, which then ended up becoming 4 smaller pieces of neat looking soap after I attacked it with my butcher knife. We still have a few weeks to wait until it's ready to use, so cross your fingers that it actually turned out ;-)

It can be hard to remember the things that bring us a little relief when life gets crazy. I hope that the next time life seems to spinning out of control, you take a deep breath and go to that stress-free place in your life. Even if it turns out to be making a block of soap that smells like nothing.

Shelly

This year has brought so many changes and adventures. From fun times like taking our first (long overdue) winery tour in Walla Walla for my fiance's birthday, to exhausting times like starting my own skincare line, Plein de Vie, to proud times like watching my son accept the leadership award during his first year of football, to scary times when I thought I had cancer this past summer.

What it has made me realize is that all of those experiences (the good or the bad) make us the people we are today. Even more than that . . . there's truly no place like home.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Dorothy (a.k.a. Shelly)

After months and months of long hours and hard work, the first product from my new luxury organic skin care line (Plein de Vie) has launched! Plein de Vie will release 13 new products in 2008-2009 designed to combine all of the wonderful benefits that pure organic ingredients can provide, without all of the chemicals most of us are trying to avoid. Our flagship product, the On-the-Go Remedy Stick is incredibly universal and has already enjoyed some local press in the Eastside Business Newspaper:


http://eastsidebusinessjournal.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2258&Itemid=58

I am so proud to have created a product that helps with:

bumps, bruises, scrapes, cuts, sunburn, windburn, rashes, chapped lips, bug bites, mild eczema, skin irritations, chapped lips, diaper rash, itchy skin, dry skin, baby massage (any massage!), and ragged cuticles in a super convenient mess-free stick.

We have even had testers enjoy relief from burgeoning pimples, razor burn, and blisters! All of Plein de Vie's products are:

Made with organically sourced ingredients
Nut and nut oil free
Phthalate, Paraben, and Formaldehyde-free
Proud to be Cruelty-free, toxin-free, and Vegan

I am not saying it's a 'cure-all' but it is certainly a 'must-have' in my opinion!

Check it out on the Plein de Vie website (http://www.pleindevie.com) or purchase it on the Spoiled Rotten Baby website (http://www.myspoiledrottenbaby.com)


Oh, and if you do try it, please let me know what you think.

Enjoy!


Shelly

So, before anyone judges me for my lack of blogging. Hmm . . . or working . . . or socializing . . . or anything for the last month or so, I have a very good excuse. In a nutshell, I had a very big cancer scare. When I went in for my biopsy, they discovered that I did not have cancer, but a pretty serious Staph infection instead. Scary! After a TON of time laid up in bed, and weeks of antibiotics, I am slowly making it out again into the real world.

Why am I telling you this? Well, because this scare reminded me how lucky I am to be healthy and how close I came to cancer. It is important to remember all of the millions of men, women, and children who have been affected by this disease and if there is a way to support them, we should do it.

Next weekend, my dear friend Anna (in Seattle) is walking in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day which is a 60-mile walk over the course of three days. Net proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure and National Philanthropic Trust, funding important breast cancer research, education, screening, and treatment.

I am asking you to all help her reach her goal of raising $5000.00 in support of this great cause by following this link and donating.

http://08.the3day.org/goto/AnnaStarikov

Some Shocking Breast Cancer Facts (As borrowed off of the site):

* Breast cancer is the leading cancer among American women and is second only to lung cancer in cancer deaths

* One woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes and one woman will die of breast cancer every 13 minutes in the United States

* More than 200,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and an estimated 40,460 women will die from the disease this year

* Approximately 1,500 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and approximately 450 men will die from the disease this year

* Only 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are due to heredity. The majority of women with breast cancer have no known significant family history or other known risk factors

* The older a woman is, the more likely she is to develop breast cancer, but women under 40 are still at risk too (SCHEDULE A MAMMOGRAM TODAY!)

* While breast cancer occurs more often in white women, African Americans have the highest death rate from the disease of any racial / ethnic group in the United States

Thank you! Every little bit can help change the life of another.

Shelly

Lately I have been making it a point to attend more networking events. Honestly, unless they are done just right, they can be either 1. A waste of time or 2. Insanely boring. In a previous blog (about the CRAVE party) I mentioned a couple of sassy chicks who started Girl Power Hour. GPH is a once a month networking event in the Seattle area focused on 'breaking the mold' of traditional networking. We are talking about a girls-only, business-minded cocktail party. (a.k.a. Shelly's idea of a good time!)

At the last event, I noticed this pretty young gal running around snapping photos of the party. A few days later, I received an e-mail from GPH with a link to Barbie Hull Photography (http://www.barbiehull.com)including a user name and password. Low and behold, there were pages of fantastic pictures from the party I attended. The pictures were great! They really captured the vibe of the party. Check out the picture of me talking to another attendee. I have no idea what I found so funny at that moment, but darn it - after seeing Barbie's picture I am dying to remember!

Barbie is obviously a very talented photographer and seems to enjoy what she does. Thanks for the great photo, Barbie!

Shelly

Although I would love to think that the only place to get a fabulous gift is from Spoiled Rotten Baby, I realize that not everyone specifically needs a baby gift every single time. (Side thought: Wouldn't it be great for me if they did though?)

Anyway, knowing that I cannot possibly meet every gift giving need in the world, I thought I might share with you a company that pretty much can - Urbanabox.
Urbanabox provides very cool, unique corporate gifts that are customized for each client. They even have the rare ability to ship wine and champagne which most companies are not allowed to do. (Always a bonus in my book!) In addition to the typical employee and client gift, Urbanabox can also design and provide:

Product Launches & Press Kits
Promotional Products and Packaging
Thank You & Referral Gifts
Meeting & Convention Gifts

As an added bonus, one of the owners, Denise Marinnaci (pictured above with yours truly)is a great gal to work with and honestly believes that customer service is a top priority in her company. In fact, we had a very interesting conversation about that very topic at the last event we attended. Denise shared with me several examples of what she has done for her customers and left me thinking that we could all learn a lot from her above Nordstrom quality service.

Check them out at urbanabox.com and if you talk to Denise, tell her I said hi!


Shelly

So, occasionally at one of my fun events (the Megumi Japanese Preschool Bazaar this time around) I come across an exceptional product or person. At this particular event, I was lucky enough to come across a combination of the two with Maiden America. Tristan Benz is not only the mastermind behind the patent pending non-slip barrette, but a dedicated philanthropist and mother. I have to admit it was very entertaining watching her take the tiniest piece of her own hair (really, really tiny!), place one of her very pretty barrettes on it and ask people to try to pull the barrette out of her hair. People who pulled, tugged, and twisted to no avail were completely amazed, and then bought half a dozen sets. Not only was I impressed at the dedication that this mother/entrepreneur had, but I was impressed at how happy and excited her customers were to have finally found a barrette that would actually stay in their daughters/nieces/granddaughters/neighbors hair.

Admittedly, I have a boy so whenever his hair bugs me I shave it all off (!) but darn it - if I had a girl, I would have every cute as a button variation of the Maiden America barrettes.

Mostly, I just love knowing that every single time someone supports Maiden America they are doing something for the 'greater good.' Check out Tristan's 'About Us' page if you think I am full of it!

Happy accessorizing!

Shelly

What do you CRAVE?? I finally attended my first Crave party today. I had been meaning to, and truthfully, it was really just their Spring Sample Sale (a bit smaller than normal) but it was fun nonetheless. My little (newly prego!) sister, Heather was my faithful sidekick and we worked every booth like the 'professionals' we are. Although I was a little disappointed today at the size of the venue, it won't deter me from attending another Crave event in the future. Everything was around 50% off and the luxury of a discount afforded me a few bars of Yummy Sweet Petula Soap and a super-hot vegan handbag from Persnickity Design. Yea! In addition to the shopping, Heather and I met Darnell Sue and Samantha Lawton from Girl Power Hour while they were hosting the 'Connection Cafe' section of the event. Girl Power Hour is (also) something I have been meaning to attend and I will definitely make it a priority now for sure. The next event is June 19th at the Canal and is sure to be an extremely fun event. I promise to tell you all about the fun and hope that if you make it, you'll introduce yourself and later share your comments with me on the blog. After Crave, Heatho (as I call her) and I made our way to the Issaquah Brew House for a yummy round of Bullfrog Ale and water with lemon (did I mention she's prego???) All in all, a great day - shopping, networking, sisters and brew.

Anyway, I hope this weekend you found something you CRAVE and had a great weekend to boot.

Shelly

Just over a week ago, I had the privilege of showcasing Spoiled Rotten Baby at the Megumi Japanese Preschool Bazaar in Bellevue, Washington. It was a fun day, complete with activities and games, a rummage sale of Japanese books, cds, and videos, yummy authentic Japanese food, and a few of us vendors. Along with Spoiled Rotten Baby, other vendors included: Jennifer Porter from Satsuma Designs, Carol Schiller from Baby Chaleco Performance Wear (my last post for more on Baby Chaleco), Tristen Benz from Maiden America, and a few others.

Megumi Japanese Preschool is a Japanese immersion school, which I personally think is very cool. Coming from a widely mixed background of Swedish, French, German, and Native American, it is hard for me to truly imagine being able to connect with my culture like the kids at Megumi do. If you are lucky enough to live near Bellevue, and have a Japanese background, check Megumi out. If you are even luckier, you'll get on their list!

- Yoi ichinichi oh!
(Loosly translated: Have a nice day!)

Shelly

I don't know about your kids, but my son was a drooler. Not just while teething and not just while eating, but ALL THE TIME. In fact, as I review pictures of him until about age 4, there is the lovely addition of glimmering spit in pretty much every picture. Not only that, but his shirts were accessorized with a large wet spot of varying sizes. I realize that putting a bib on him would have helped, but to me bibs were so unfashionable and always ruined an outfit. Needless to say I did a ton of laundry. If only I had been as smart as Carol Schiller (pictured with me above) and thought of Baby Chaleco Performance Wear!

Baby Chaleco features an exceptionally fashionable array of baby garments that not only keep your little one looking good, but also totally dry. They are not bibs, but cool, fun tops that perform better than a bib would. You can wear them over a shirt or alone, so they are super versatile.

Each garment is lined with a water resistant nylon that is thin, pliable, and baby-safe. The outside is also made of baby-safe, absorbent materials like 100% cotton terry velour.

On top of it all, they are reasonably priced at around $38.50. It would cost you that in laundry detergent for all those bib washings alone!

You can find Baby Chaleco performance wear at a variety of stores (including Whole Foods!) or online at www.BabyChaleco.com.

Happy Shopping!

Shelly

I recently had the opportunity to sit down for a cup of coffee with the CEO of Brambleberry Soap Making Supplies (brambleberry.com), Anne-Marie Faiola (aka 'The Soap Queen'). To be honest, I had only purchased a few items here and there while formulating my up and coming skincare line. I always liked the products that Brambleberry offered, but had not formed any exclusive loyalty to the store as of yet. This all changed last week when I met Anne-Marie. This very busy, very successful entrepreneur took several hours out of her extremely busy day to chat with me for a bit about what she does at Brambleberry and give me tips for Spoiled Rotten Baby. I was also fortunate to learn more about her blog that was written about last year in the Wall Street Journal. Anne-Marie takes the time to blog every single day to:

". . . talk about soap, toiletries and all manner of recipes and experiments around making your own goodies. (She)also muses about being self-employed, women in business, good design and cupcakes. It's a bit of a potluck . . ."

I love Anne-Marie for being a strong, smart woman, love Brambleberry for offering amazing soap-making supplies, and love the Soap Queen's blog for being both educational and entertaining.

Check it out, and if you talk to Anne-Marie, tell her Shelly sent ya!

Shelly

With Mother's Day fast approaching, we at Spoiled Rotten Baby would like to take the opportunity to thank and show appreciation for all of the Mothers and Mothers-to-be in the world. There are simply not enough words to describe the depth of a mother's love and not enough time in a day to show her how much she means to you. Whether she is your wife, your best friend, or a neighbor, she deserves to be recognized.

To help you honor a new Mom or one that is expecting, we are pleased to offer an amazing 40% off any set on our Spoiled Rotten Mama Collection. Just enter discount code: Mother at checkout.

We hope that in addition to one of our beautiful sets, you also take a moment to write her a note or letter describing how much she means to you. She will cherish it forever.

Happy Mother's Day,

Shelly
(pictured above with my spoiled rotten 8-year old, Nate)

With a new year, comes new changes. We have been working 'round the clock thinking of great new gift ideas for you.

We are especially excited about the addition of 'Modern Art For Baby' from Heather Roraback of TinyCookie.com. Heather is an acclaimed artist who 'shuns the traditional nursery rhyme and cliche décor' by creating one-of-a-kind, hand painted contemporary art on 8"x8" canvas.

Heather has created beautiful works that each child can grow with,
and treasure as an investment for as long as they'd like, and we are proud to be able to offer her talents to you!

Happy New Year!

Shelly