This is part 2 of our summer DIY series for your American Girl Dolls. This one is a video from Felicity Merriman (felicitymerriman) on YouTube. She shares some tips on how to style your doll’s hair for the summer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K00e1rUlEXI 
Enjoy!
-Nina

We want you to suggest new 18 inch doll clothing designs for our 2011 line! What would you like to see us include in our store? Comment below and let us know.

Here are our new designs arriving in September for your favorite 18 inch doll!

www.babyblues.com

I love this comic strip! For more Baby Blues comics, visit www.babyblues.com

What my 5 year-old nephew sees when he sees a bunch or markers.  

 For more Wordless Wednesday fun, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

Hi all…Lisa-Marie here. So I spent the last couple of days making personal phone calls to the few folks who signed up for more information on the Emily Rose @Home – Home Party business for Mom/Daughter entrepreneurs but didn’t join us. I wanted to understand if there was anything we were missing. The unanimous response I got from those calls was – “I’d love to do it – but I don’t have the money to invest right now”. It made me worry about all of those fabulous Mom entrepreneurs who are out there itching to get started but just weren’t in the financial position to do so.

Here’s what I decided to do… I am going to give away 2 Economy Starter Packages and 3 months of websites fees to 2 Moms who really want to start their own businesses. The two winners will receive the following:

The exclusive Emily Rose @ Home 30 Day ‘Good Start’ Business Builder Program. Daily lessons with guided action plans for your first 30 days in business. It’s like having your own personal business coach! – ($349 retail value)

20 – @Home Catalogs ($12 retail value)

3 Sample Outfits
INS795 – Cool Ballerina ($17.99 retail value)
INS897 – Satin Jewel Dress & Hat ($18.99 retail value)
INS826 – Candy Cane PJs and Teddy ($15.99 retail value)
100 Order Forms ($25 retail value)

3 Months of a Personalized Website with shopping cart functionality ($34.99/month retail value)

Home Party Scheduling and Customer Management System ($24.99/month retail value)

Extensive training database

FREE downloadable marketing materials (including professional designed templates for business cards, t-shirts, car magnets and more)

Private and exclusive access to @Home online community

How To Enter:

Comment below letting us know why you would be a fabulous consultant… that’s it!*

We will choose randomly from all entries on August 30th (contest closes at midnight on the 29th) and announce the winners here and on our Facebook Fan Page.

That’s NOT ALL…

If we can get the word out about Emily Rose @Home we can give away even more. If the Emily Rose @Home Facebook pagehas 1,000 “likes” by August 30th we will give away TWO MORE FREE STARTER PACKAGES.

So please click the share button above, tweet it, blog about it – and you will even have more chances to win!

*Legal Stuff – This contest is open to US residents only. Website membership fees are mandatory for continued membership in the @Home program – we will contact you after the initial 3 month period and you can let us know if you want to continue.

In a few weeks I will be attending an event that I have never been to before. I will be attending this event alone. I don’t know anyone who will be there. There will be thousands. Most of the people who are going already know each other – in fact from what I have heard there is a definite social hierarchy amongst the attendees and even (I cringe just using the word), cliques. I’m terrified.

It got me thinking about my social experience during school. The social complexity of high-school hallways is frightening – and as far as I can tell that complexity is starting much, much younger. A friend of mine’s daughter explained it me like this. School is like the royal court during the time of Henry the Eighth. You have the king and the queen, who are obviously at the top, then you have extremely high ranking nobles, then you have the ladies in waiting, then you have the merchants, then you have the farmers and lower class citizens – and then finally at the bottom you have the plebs. Please keep in mind that she was 11 years old when she explained this to me…11.

When I was in the midst of this social nightmare I swore to myself that when I had a child I would do everything in my power to make sure that my kid was popular. I would buy her the right clothes, make friends with the right parents, etc… That is how important it all seemed at the time. But guess what? I don’t feel that way anymore. The most popular kids from my school days seem to me to be the most unhappy in adulthood. The least popular are successful, independent and confident.

Now I’m not sure I have a role in any of this for my daughter. What do you think? How do you prepare your daughter for the mean girls, the cliques, the feeling that the world is going to end when your friends decide not to speak to you anymore?

And while you’re at it give me some tips for the conference

A guest post from my fabulous assistant, Nina:

While everyone I know love summer, I don’t. I don’t like the uncomfortable feeling of being sweaty. While most of the time, it’s sunny and warm from my side of the globe – Philippines is, after all, a tropical country – I love when the rainy season comes.

It’s now starting to rain here in the Philippines. As much as I do miss open-footwear weather, I just love the peace I feel when it rains. I love spending my weekends in bed, with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate.  I love the “relax-ness” of it – no one is rushing to get to their dream summer destination, you don’t feel the need to always be in an air conditioned room. Some might say its “lazy weather”, but I say it’s the weather that is most conducive for you to get to know yourself better. Summer inspires you to go out, go to the beach with friends, the rainy season gives you a chance to take a breath, look into yourself and have a better relationship with yourself.

Other pro’s of the rainy weather? Well for one thing, lower electricity bills. You don’t have to turn on the AC all the time. You save on water because you don’t feel the need to take a shower every 20 minutes. You save on clothes and laundry because you don’t always have to go and get changed. See, lots of perks!!!

Ahhh rain, oh how I love you so.

XOXO,

Nina

*Photo from www.HugYourBaby.Org*

If I had my Child to Raise Over Again

Diane Loomans

If I had my child to raise over again
I’d build self-esteem first and the house later
I’d finger paint more and point the finger less
I would do less correcting and more connecting
I’d take my eyes off my watch and watch with my eyes
I would care to know less and know to care more
I’d take more hikes and fly more kites
I’d stop playing serious and seriously play
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars
I’d do more hugging and less tugging
I’d see the oak tree in the acorn more often
I would be firm less often and affirm much more
I’d model less about the love of power
And more about the power of love.

Here is part 1 of our summer DIY series for your American Girl Dolls. This one is also from Felicity Merriman (felicitymerriman). In this video, she will teach us how to make flip flops for our 18 inch dolls.

This craft project is quite easy, and I am sure your little girls would love to do this!

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4S8HVg60w4

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM1mcNkGB-M

Enjoy!

-Nina