Fabulous Finds For Hip Moms!

Who doesn't love a great giveaway? How about an awesome sale? Informative articles? Daily product blog? No one! Let's be honest though, aren't there a million websites that offer those very things? A million and one, perhaps? Probably. So, with all of those websites out there, what makes one stand out of the others? It has got to be the person behind the curtain, right? The proverbial wizard in the land of Oz.

Meet Megan Thomas, founder, owner, and chief puppet master of Peekaboo Picks Magazine. I had the privilege of having my first experience with Megan shortly after I launched Spoiled Rotten Baby. After submitting one of our brand new gift sets to her incredibly professional and informative online magazine, I received one of the best written reviews I have had to date.(Check it out here) Megan has an unbelievable talent for writing. Honestly. Not only did she write a great review, but she promptly replied to all of my e-mails. (Gasp!) Anyone who has ever tried to submit information to a busy editor knows how difficult it can be to get any sort of a response at all.

After starting Plein de Vie, I knew that one of the first media sources I wanted to contact about the launch was Peekaboo Picks. After an e-mail or two, I learned that Megan had moved up here to the Seattle area, and a meeting at Starbucks (where else?) was in order. During our meeting, I discovered that Megan is not only a savvy writer and entrepreneur, but an incredible woman as well!

What started as a smaller online magazine mostly focusing on product reviews for kids and babies has turned in to a wealth of information coming from a wide variety of talented women. From a Southern California NICU nurse to a newspaper reporter in New York, Megan's staff bring a lot to the table. The giveaways on the site are always for very cool, sought-after finds. Megan seems to know everyone, yet never name drops. She is a stay-at-home mother of two, yet finds time to run Peekaboo. Fiercely independent, yet devoted to her cute (see above)husband. Incredibly busy, yet generous with her time, this girl has got it together!

In a sea of women struggling to do it all, it is nice to meet someone who does it with such grace.

Peekaboo Picks is truly a 'fabulous find for hip Moms' and Megan is a fabulous inspiration for anyone.

Who do you know that serves as an inspiration for others?



Shelly

p.s. That awesome magazine cover is courtesy of Peekaboo Picks and Erin Palos of Sweet Baby Photo.

Spoiled Rotten Baby is FOR SALE!!

After a lot of soul searching and contemplation, I have decided to put Spoiled Rotten Baby up for sale. The idea crossed my mind last November as I realized that I have not been giving it the 'love' it deserved. The thought of someone else owning it was a lot to bear (as any of you who have their own company know), but I finally resigned to the fact that I cannot run both companies well, and I am not the type to do things half-hearted.

Last November, on a whim, I posted it for sale on Craigslist. I wasn't even sure I wanted to sell! Within an hour of posting, I had a very interested buyer. A few meetings and negotiating later, the company (almost) had a new owner! A few weeks later, the financing fell through and the deal couldn't go through. Darn it!

Now that my health is on the upswing, I have decided to go for it. For those of you who have ever been in my position, you know how scary it can be to sell something that you have dedicated endless hours, days, weeks, and months of your life to. It is a HUGE decision!

After all, in the short time I have had and have been actively working it, I managed to secure ownership of the trademarked name, be featured in many well-known publications, and even had Amazon.com seek ME out for a contract! Am I crazy for selling??

So, it is with a somewhat heavy heart, that I officially announce that Spoiled Rotten Baby is FOR SALE. If you know anyone who may be interested in this little gem of a company, please send them my way: shelly@mysrbb.com.

If you have ever posted a company for sale, I welcome your advice!

And remember . . . 'Every Baby Deserves to be Spoiled Rotten!'



Cheers,

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

In my opinion, the main goal of a 'Spoiled Rotten Baby' blog is simply for us to get acquainted. I have been asked by many people (friends and customers alike) to start a blog because they know it is my passion and goal to provide the best and most personal service I can as the owner of Spoiled Rotten Baby. By blogging, I am able to (hopefully) share my personality and love for what I do with you, and in turn, give you the opportunity to share your wishes/needs/thoughts with me.


So, please feel free to add comments to the posts or e-mail me directly (shelly@mysrbb.com)with ideas or requests, and welcome to my first blog!

Shelly