Mother May I?

Mother’s Day is always a special day of the year where every mom deserves major credit!  Treat your mama right and follow these easy steps to make an adorable craft to hang on the refrigerator to show your mom how much you LOVE and appreciate her!

Time to Make: 20-25 minutes

What you will need:

• 2 white paper plates
• Non-Toxic Paint (any color your child loves)
• Pen Marker (any color you like!)
• Hole puncher
• 6 inches of yarn (or any string of your choice)

Steps:

1. Take a blank white paper plate and turn it upside down
2. Take any color pen marker and (have an adult) write the following poem, or any poem that your child may choose:

I miss you when you we’re not together
I’m growing up so fast
See how big I’ve gotten
Since you saw me last?
As I grow, I’ll change a lot,
The years will fly right by.
You’ll wonder how I grew so quickly
When and where and why?
So look upon this handprint
That’s hanging on your wall.
And memories will come back for me,
When I was very small!

Love,
XXX (child’s name)

3. Place a big dollop of paint on your 2nd white paper plate.
4. Take your child’s left or right hand (palm facing down) and with your child’s fingers spread wide, place into the dollop of paint
5. Make sure that the palm of your child’s hand is fully covered with the paint of his/her choice!
6. Take your original first plate with the poem and make sure it is turned right side up!
7. Place your child’s hand that is covered in paint onto the middle of the plate to make a handprint.
8. Let the plate dry for 20-25 minutes
9. Use your hole puncher to make a hole at the top of the front side of the plate (about ½ inch from the edge).
10. String the yarn through the hole and tie a knot.
11. Voila and enjoy!  Any mommy can now hang her plate with joy on her refrigerator or wall in your home.

PS – Don’t forget to give your mom a BIG hug and kiss and say I LOVE YOU! One of the best gifts of all. 😉

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She went shopping…and bought the Entire Store!

Hop Skip N Jump's Store Front Along the Old Underground Railroad

Heidi Strimpfel loved shopping at the local children’s store in the quaint and historic town of Springboro, Ohio. When Heidi learned the owner of Hop Skip n Jump had decided to sell the store her first thought was “Where will I shop?” Her next thought was…I would love to make a change in my life – so she entered into negotiations to buy the lovely boutique! Heidi has a background in business, and with her accounting knowledge realized that the little business would be a perfect fit for her talents.

Hop Skip n Jump had been in business for 7 years when Heidi made her decision to ‘jump’ into the children’s clothing business – that was 11 years ago! Heidi has fine tuned the boutique into a desired destination for doting grandmothers and professional mothers who love the assortment and quality of Heidi’s carefully chosen selections. One of the store’s specialties is special occasion clothing. One customer declares “if you’re looking for a christening gown or First Communion gown and everything you’re finding appears to be cookie-cutter and not special, make a trip up to Hop Skip and Jump in Springboro, you won’t be disappointed.”

Heidi and Her Wears

The charming boutique is located on a lovely, tree lined street in Springboro, Ohio – a mecca for history buffs. Springboro, established in the early 1800’s and settled predominately by Quakers, was a major stop on the Underground Railroad. The building that the store occupies was built around the time of the Civil War, is on the National Historic Register and was the town’s original Dry Goods store. Tour groups regularly make a stop to visit the notable site. Heidi loves putting together eclectic merchandise groupings, using an antique display case and the fireplaces that grace every room. Integrating the beautiful merchandise while paying homage to the significant history of the area makes Hop Skip n Jump very special.

Take a stroll through the historic area, and visit Heidi at:
Hop Skip n Jump
220 S Main St
Springboro, OH 45066
(937) 748-9000

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It’s Bikini Weather in Seattle!

Well, maybe not quite bikini weather, but perhaps MONO-kini weather? This little darling shows us how they wear it in the Pacific Northwest. You have to wear clothes UNDER your swimsuit to stay warm. 🙂

This photo was sent in by one of our loyal blog readers, Jennifer from Seattle. Her daughter, Olivia (age 2) is sporting her birthday present — a new monokini from the le•top’s 2009 Strawberry Fields collection.  Jennifer explained that she “had to have something from the Strawberry Fields line” when she saw it featured in our “Swim Classes for Fun, Exercise and Safety” entry on our blog. (She’s a huge Beatles fan and, of course, loves the song “Strawberry Fields Forever.”) When her daughter opened her present, she refused to undress and proceeded to put her swimsuit on…OVER her clothes!

Hey, Olivia! It doesn’t matter how you want to wear it. You still look fabulous in le•top, dahling!

Visit the le•top website and click on “Online Shopping Options” to purchase your own Strawberry Fields Monokini and other outfits (some pictured below) from this fruity collection! Or you can visit our store locator to find a store near you. Whether it’s our online retailers or our walk-in boutiques, you’re in for a treat! OK, so tell us, do your kids have unique ways of wearing their swimwear?

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Summertime Baseball Fun: Anaheim Angels

Batting last in our MLB West Coast line up are the Angels!

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
2000 Gene Autry Way
Anaheim, CA 92806

Price Range: $12.00 – $200.00
Fireworks night: Friday nights at Angle Stadium of Anaheim are known as “Big Bang Friday”…hmmm…I wonder why?? Well, you guessed it, the Angels have a fireworks show at every Friday home game! If I lived in Anaheim I would definitely be there! Also this year, if you live in the Anaheim area and want to stay home for the 4th of July, take the family to the game and enjoy the fireworks show afterwards.

Family Sunday: Enjoy an afternoon at the ballpark with your family and take part in the activities in the family picnic zone.

Giveaway Days:
Kids Beach Paddle Ball Set (all kids 2-18) – Saturday June 13th @ 6:05 p.m.

Kids Mesh Jersey (all kids 2-18) – Tuesday June 23rd @ 7:05 p.m.

Kids Rally Monkey Coin Bank (all kids 2-18) – Saturday July 25th @ 1:10 p.m.

Kids School Binder (all kids 2-18) – Saturday August 8th @ 1:10 p.m.

Kids School Supply Set (all kids 2-18) – Saturday September 12th @ 1:10 p.m.

For more information on the Major League Baseball team nearest you, visit each team’s individual website or you can also go to mlb.com

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“Grajuration” Day!

Miranda in Vive Les Fleurs! from le•top's 2009 Fall collection

It’s the end of the school year, and for me it was a special one. My daughter graduated from Preschool!

Before I had children, I used to think that Preschool Graduation (or as my daughter calls it: “grajuration”) was a feeble event that parents made up to make something minor into something MAJOR. Well, I still think that, but now that it’s happening to my little girl, I’m all over it! It is a very big step for these little tykes to finish Preschool and go out into the world as accomplished, uh… Pre-Kindergarteners.

This morning, my daughter woke up and said, “I’m free! No more school! No more homework! No more waking up early! So… what are we doing today, Mommy?” (Ugh.) Well, she may be on summer vacation, but I’m still working. All summer long, I’m going to have to listen to her say, “I’m bored. There’s nothing to do!” How many more days until fall/back to school? 😉

Speaking of fall… Here’s a sneak peek from le•top’s 2009 Fall Collection: Miranda’s print knit dress from the Vive Les Fleurs! line is coming to stores near you  — in fact, the first of these dresses are leaving our warehouse and being shipped to stores this very week. The Giant Peach in Annapolis, MD is taking phone orders for this dress. Give Jean or Mary a call: 410-268-8776. Stay tuned for more fall sneak peeks!

le•top Vive Les Fleurs! print knit dress and matching tights available in 3mo - 6x.

And for all you parents with young “grads”… please share your event photos with us by clicking here. We’d love to feature your scholars!

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Secret twitter-Only Contest Winning Moms

Our twitter-only contest for Mother’s Day was so much fun! We asked moms for their favorite mom sayings, and we got a great response, with five super-excited winners! Congratulations to Jessica (Alabama), Gigi (Utah), Kerry (California), Victoria (Virginia), and Lisa (New York)! Each of these lovely moms won an outfit from le•top’s Tiptoe Tulip Duckling (available in sizes 3m – 6x) or Lucky Duck collections (available in sizes 3m-4t). Thank you for making us smile with your favorite sayings! Click on each winner’s state to find an online store in that state, or use our store locator to find a le•top retailer near you, so you can find our sweet ducks to put on your sweet little ones. Pssst! And stay tuned for our Father’s Day contests, coming soon…!

le•top Tiptoe Tulip Duckling for girls and Lucky Duck for boys. Click on the image to see all the offerings for both collections

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HEY TEX! Where are You?!!! Secret Contest Winner Stays a Secret!

Our most recent Secret Contest winner, Amber, took a bit of work to get a hold of, but she finally gave us a ring the other day from Texas…much to my surprise since her mobile phone number has a California area code! The Texas native, (who went St. Mary’s in Moraga, CA – hence the area code) had moved out here for college, met her husband, had a couple of babies and then, two years ago, decided that Texas is where they would like to raise their family.

SunnyHill Farm shirt and short set available for boys in sizes 3 months to 4 toddler. E-I-E-I OH BOY!

Amber was telling me all about her two little gentlemen and how she can’t wait to get her hands on the le•top Sunnyhill Farm shirt and short set. Her two year old loves farms and farm animals (hello! they live in Texas — what a perfect place for a boy who loves farms!), so she is sure that he is just going to go wild for the short set, and so are we! I guess he will really have mommy to thank for this one, and we thank you, too, Amber, for your delicious Chocolate Cake-in-a-Cup recipe. I tried it myself, and it was nothing short of delightful, not to mention easy!

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$2000 Contest for Fabulous Baby and Children’s Clothes

A popular favorite for girls: My Little Garden

Are you the second le•top playwear and rabbit moon Favorites Contest winner? Our first winner, Annika D. chose her favorites, and now her adorable nephew and the children of her friends will be getting their new outfits very soon!

Even though we’re delivering our Spring ’09 collections to stores now, it’s still pretty darn cold out there! So, for your chance to win $500 (retail value) worth of fabulous (and warm!) baby and kid’s clothes from le•top and rabbit moon Fall/Winter Collections, just go here, and tell us what your faves are.

Whether it’s for your own kids, grandkids, gifts for future baby showers (it’s been a cold, long winter!), or gifts for all your nieces, nephews and other darlings (like Annika!), just choose your le·top playwear and rabbit moon favorites, and you might win them! Share…tell your friends, because there are THREE more winners still to be named! One winner will be announced each Wednesday, ending with our final winner on February 18th. Enter to win and check back here at le•top blog to see if you’re the winner. Good luck!

A popular favorite for boys: Railway

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Mom. Mom! Mom!! You Won $500 Worth of Your Favorite le•top and rabbitmoon Children’s Clothes!

You are le•top blog’s first Favorites Contest winner, Annika D.! Congratulations! (Check your inbox for an email from the editor!) Below are some outfits from the collections Annika chose as her favorites. We can’t wait to see what her final selections will be from each collection!

Annika's favorite le•top collections: Zebra and Vintage Flight

Three outfits from Annika's favorite rabbit moon collections: Flight, Orchid and Bougainvillea

If you have entered our Favorites Contest, you still have three more chances to win your favorite le•top and rabbit moon exclusively-designed children’s clothes. For those who have yet to enter, get your favorites in now for your chances to win our fashionable children’s clothes…then, stay tuned…every Wednesday, from now to February 18th, a new winner will be announced! This contest isn’t just for moms…c’mon dads and grammies and grampas and aunts and uncles…you’re all welcome, too! 🙂 Enter now, and good luck!

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Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys…

Round 'Em Up!! Cast your favorites, 'cuz the first contest winner gets "branded" tomorrow!

But let ’em dress in le•top cowboy and cowgirl-inspired clothes…Round ‘Em Up (pictured right) is just one of many favorites you can choose in our Favorites Contest!

For your chance to win $500 (retail value) worth of fashionable baby and children’s clothes from le•top and rabbit moon, just go here, and tell us what your faves are. Round up your faves, because the first $500 winner will be announced tomorrow!

Whether it’s for your own kids, grandchildren, gifts for future baby showers (it’s been a cold, long winter!), or gifts for all your nieces, nephews and other darlings, just choose your le·top playwear and rabbit moon favorites, and you might win them! Share…tell your friends!

P.S. For more contest rules, go here. And apologies to cowboys and cowgirls…we love you…we don’t know why Willie Nelson sings that! 😉

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