BLOG DEAL DAY

Blog Deal Day

Sunday, February 27

Buy a pair of shoes

Get a pair of socks for free!

Just let us know you saw it on the blog

BLOG DEAL DAY

Blog Deal Day

We are still overflowing in books, puzzles and games, so

Buy 1 Gently-used Book, Puzzle, or Game

Get 1 for 50% Off

Meet Our Employees

I did introduce our hard-working staff about a year ago, and you can check those out under November of 2009, but employees have left and we have new staff members, so I thought I'd give it another go.

If you are a regular customer then you probably know the two owners, Elyssa Mount and Marni Hochman. Elyssa does a majority of our buying, and I (Marni) take care of most of the emails, Facebook updates, and blog entries. Of course we do one or two other things here at the store, but we spend a lot of our time taking care of those duties.

I have also already introduced Gina and Debby. But now Gina does a fabulous job managing our Second Bloom Room and our donations. She spends most of her time here going through donations and tagging and hanging stuff for our $1 room. She's here most weekday evenings. And you can't miss Debby--she's always busy and constantly in motion. She's easy to spot if you need help--just look for the red hair! Debby works all day Sunday, Monday afternoons, and Wednesday and Friday mornings.

Our two sisters, Stephanie and Erica, are super-hard workers and work as a great team. Stephanie is studying Art in college and Erica is a high-school senior who's very much looking forward to entering college in the fall. They hail from a large family in Ypsilanti, so maybe we will get a new Wells family member working here after they graduate! Stephanie is here Wednesday evenings, Erica is here Tuesday evenings, and they work together Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons.

Besides Elyssa, and a little buying here and there by some of our other employees, Anastacia is our other main buyer. Anastacia has to be one of the kindest people I have ever met and is always eager to help out a customer. She has three children, all boys, so it's a good thing she's also so very patient! And she is somehow managing to take a full-course load of classes as well. I'm not sure how she does it all. Anastacia is here at the store Monday and Thursday evenings, and most of the day on Saturday.

Susan has been with us since this fall. She is extra-friendly and outgoing, so if you are in need of some conversation, come on in and look for Susan. She works Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday mornings, and Sundays. Susan has two children, a boy and a girl, and her oldest will be having his Bar Mitzvah in May. If you have any questions concerning party planning, Susan is the one to ask! She knows everything there is to know on the subject!

And our newest member of the Grow With Me family is Toni. Toni just started working at the store last week, so come and welcome her and be a little patient as she's learning the ropes. Toni is also very friendly and just seems to be an extraorinarily happy person. Just listen for her great laugh. She has three children, 2 girls and a boy. And she is a big music fan.

We were sad to see Tracy leave this fall. If you were ever in the store when Tracy was working, I am fairly certain you were aquainted with her because she had a definite presence at the store and excelled at customer service. Tracy left to work full-time on her book and we all miss her but wish her the best in her new endeavours.

As a local business, we want your family to know ours. So don't be afraid to call us by name and strike up a conversation. We hope you get to know us, and we would love to get to know you!

BLOG DEAL DAY

Blog Deal Day

Wednesday, December 29th

We are overflowing in big kids' clothing, so

Buy 3, Get 1 Free

for all items in our Tween & Teen room

Your Comments

Yesterday a mom called and said that her 5 year old daughter wanted to donate some of her old things to our Autism Account. How fabulous! And today a grandma shopping here took the time to tell us how much she loved our store and recommends us to all the other grandmas she knows. We get so many nice comments and compliments and appreciate them all! Here's some of what you had to say on our comment sheets:

"You're doing a great job. I'll be back."

"The bathroom is nice & my son loves to visit the train table while I look. I also like the calendar idea--different sales on different days. And I love the bin sales!"

"I tell everyone about you guys!!"

"Always friendly help."

"Loved the changing room. Thanks for having diapers and wipes!"

"First time here. Love it!!"

"Customer service reps are always helpful and friendly! Always clean or new items, just love 'em! I get off at 6:30 and they're always open!"

"This store is awesome!"

We also read your suggestions and we do hear you. That's one reason we are now posting some of the best stuff we get in each day. And we are trying our darndest to get in more big boys clothing!

So keep those comments, complements, and suggestions coming. And thanks!

Blog Deal Day

Blog Deal Day

Monday, November 22nd

Take your pick of any 2 Second Bloom Room items ($1 items)

With any purchase of $10 or more

Just let us know you saw it on the blog!

Westgate Plaza

Besides coming to Grow with Me, have you shopped around at Westgate lately? You could easily make a day of it if you are shopping alone, and at least a good half-day with the kids.

So here's the plan: while you are checking what fits and what doesn't for winter, put the best aside to sell at Grow With Me. Then come on in and drop it off right before lunch. While you are waiting for us to go through your things, take the kids for something to eat at Barry's Bagels, or over to Star's Cafe or The Old Siam if they are more adventurous. When you are done with lunch, head over to Just Baked to get cupcake desserts. Now that the kids' tummies are full and they are on that sugar high, let them frolic with the kittens over at University Aquarium. And you might as well pick up a treat for your furry critter at home. When the sugar has worn off, spend some quiet time reading at the library and pick up a few books for home. Run a few of your own errands at Rite Aid or Staples or Hallmark. Dare you try TJ Maxx? Well, they've behaved so well, go ahead and take them into Learning Express so they can pick out some items to put on your holiday shopping list. Then head on back to Grow With Me, and use some of the store credit you just earned.

Voila! Half the day is gone and what a fabulous afternoon you've all just had! Hope to see you soon.

Happy Holidays

So the holiday season has begun. Halloween is over, Thanksgiving is on it's way, and before you know it the winter holidays will be upon us. And apparently snow is predicted for Friday (glad I'll be in Texas for the weekend!).

Are you ready? Why not reduce your stress level and start buying early. I actually squirrel things away in my closet all year long and then see what else I need about this time of year--those new "likes" and big buys. And I would say that a good portion of what I buy comes from resale stores, some of it still brand new. Of course, the younger kids don't know the difference between new and used, and the older kids don't really care as long as it is something they like. If you start early and put your name on the Wish List, you can save a bundle of money.

We're getting ready for the holidays as well. All our holiday-wear is going out on the floor. We have put some absolutely adorable dresses on the racks! And we have all sorts of really cute stocking stuffers, including wood pencil sharpeners and matching pencils, wind-up toys, tops, mini-Slinkys, Silly Putty, and Christmas Duckies (the old-fashioned real rubber kind).

So why wait? Come on in for some holiday shopping, put your name on our Wish List if there's something in particular you are looking for, and then you can relax and enjoy the holiday season!

BLOG DEAL DAY

Blog Deal Day

Thursday, October 28th

Get the deal a couple of days early:

$5 off any purchase of $25 or more

Just let us know you saw it on the blog!

Local Suppliers

Did you know that some of our new items are made by local moms? We are happy to be able to offer our customers home-grown merchandise. Here are the local items we currently have in stock:

We are now proud to carry the book Ecofrugal Baby: How to Save 70% Off Baby's First Year by Laura K. Cowan. When Laura decided to become a stay-at-home mom and was concerned about spending the average $10,000 for baby's first year, she worked hard to cut costs. This book is the fruit of her efforts. She shares with readers all her tips for saving money without sacrificing quality or safety. The book includes cheat sheets after each chapter, baby gear checklist, and cost calculator. The cost of the book is $19.99, which seems a small sum to pay for information that could save a new parent up to $7,000!

Sheila Tidwell makes our Bowlicious Bows that are displayed at our counter. Her bows and ponytail holders come in all colors and sizes and run $2.99 for the itty bitty baby hair clips to $6.99 for the larger, more complicated big girl clips. She is so creative in how she combines patterns and textures. You could find something to match any outfit, and if you don't see what you want, she is happy to make custom clip.

Blossoms bows by Megan Traynor are unique hand-made bows that are designed to either be worn directly in the hair or on a headband. The headbands are $4.00. Baby clips are $5.oo for a pair and a pair of big girl bows are $6.99. Her round, button bows are $6.oo and the other bows that work with the headbands are $5.oo.

Janie Richardson has created adorable Felt Clips in a variety of colors and for various occasions. Right now we have Halloween and Apple Clips displayed. There are also cupcakes, butterflies, and flowers. Who can resist when small clips are only $1.99 and bigger clips are $2.99.

And one of our newest consignors, Andrea Klooster, makes Precious Impressions hair clips. They are for sure absolutely precious. The tiny, detailed clips are perfect for babies run $2.49 to $3.49.

Add that extra-special touch to any gift. Jeralyn Grossman has handmade some of the cutest Gift Cards I have ever seen. They are perfect for occasions such as baby showers, birthdays, and graduations. And so you can write your own, personal message, the inside is blank. the cards are $3.95 each.

Trying Something New

We're always looking for new ways to help our customers here at Grow With Me. And we do listen to what you have to say. So here are a couple of ideas we are going to give a try:

We are going to start posting more regularly on our Facebook site. Unless it gets overwhelmingly busy, which does occasionally happen, we're going to let you know what great stuff is coming in as we're receiving it. Feel free to post on our page or email us or give us a call if you want to put an item on hold. We can hold things for up to 48 hrs. We may even try some last minute Facebook Deals. So stay tuned!

And we heard you. You all love coupons! So for those of you on our email list, we will be including coupons from time to time. So keep a look out for those as well.

If you haven't put in your two cents about a meeting space for mom's groups here in the store, make sure you head over to our facebook page and give us your thoughts!

We're really excited about these new developments and we hope you will be too. Always free to let us know what you think. You can leave us comments on our Facebook page or on our Blog or you can send us an email. We love to hear from you!

Fabulous New Finds

It must be time to start thinking about Halloween because we have been getting a lot of new costumes in this week. If you don't want to make the trip in to check for a particular costume, feel free to give us a call. We'll be happy to take a look for you. And besides costumes, here's some of the new stuff we have in right now:

*Jeep Overland Jogging Stroller

*Jeep Wagoneer Tandem Stroller

*Evenflo Exersaucer

*Ikea Toddler Bed

*Graco Travel Lite Pack & Play

*Fisher Price Aquarium Cradle Swing

*Germ Guardian Nursery Sanitizer

*Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder (new in package)

*Hearthsong Dollhouse Mansion

*Thomas Train Tracks and Trains

*Playskool Clipo Creativity Table

*Fisher Price Toy Washer

*Gross Out Doodle Monster

*Designer Girl Doll

*Wood Easel Paper Roller

*idog with Case

Homemade Halloween Costumes

We have a great assortment of Halloween costumes to choose from, although they've been going fast. But have you considered trying to make your own this year? Of course some costumes are more difficult than others to create from scratch, but here's what we get out of making our own costumes in our house:

*It's a great way to spend some time together

*When the kids help out it really gets their creative juices flowing

*And then they feel so proud of themselves when they get to wear the costume that they helped to create

*It can be much cheaper than buying a costume

*Buying used items to make costumes is Green

*It is just plain fun!

Some of the easiest costumes to make include ghost (of course), clown, cowboy, princess, ballerina, fairy, witch, train engineer, scarecrow, cat, bunny, spider, bee, 60's, 70's, or 80's outfit, geek (no offense), or snowman. But what you can come up with is really endless. Last year we managed to put together a Jo from Little Women costume and a very scary monster. The coolest thing about making your own costumes is that if you do it year after year, eventually your kids will think up all kinds of interesting ideas on their own as they get older. Although a little gruesome, a couple of years ago my daughter decided she was going to be some kind of drowned ghost and instructed me to buy a white dress. I found the dress at a resale shop for a few dollars. She rolled around in the mud in the dress, put leaves and fake seaweed in her hair and painted her face white. And we were both happy.

So google "making your own Halloween costume" and then come on by for some of your materials. You can find some fabulously cheap clothing to cut up or roll in the mud in our Second Bloom Room where everything is $1!

New Stuff

So I'll get right to the point this week--we have some great new stuff right now! Here are some of the items you might be interested in:

*Peg Perego Prima Papa High Chair
*Combi Trevi High Chair

*Kolcraft Cuddle N Care Rocking Bassinet

*Tiny Love Gymini Activity Mat

*Munchkin Fresh Feeding Set

*Summer Positioner with Heartbeat

*Born Free The Smart Glass Bottle

*Summer Bed Rails

*Infantino Mobile

*Cars Ride-On Car

*Schylling Junior Chef Set

*Summer Fun Jr. Skateboard

*Little People Circus Set

*Tonka Race Track

*Franklin Foam Teeball Set

*Fisher Price Activity Table

*Wooden Rocking Horse

Two Great Community Events

Grow With Me loves to back community projects that support wonderful causes. Here are two upcoming events that we think you'll be interested in:

HUGE Mom-2-Mom Sale this Saturday, September 18th from 9:00-2:00 at the Clinton United Methodist Church (10990 Tecumseh-Clinton Rd., Clinton). Admission is only $1 ($2 early admission). And proceeds will benefit Autism H.O.P.E. of Lenawee. Call Jennifer at 517-918-1516 or email at jennifer@autismhopeoflenawee.org for more details.

Support the Lamaze Family Center Team in the Big House Big Heart Run (www.thebighousebigheart.org), which will take place on October 3rd in downtown Ann Arbor. Go to www.lamazefamilycenter.org to sponsor a Lamaze Family Center Team member. As a nonprofit participating in the run, 100% of funds raised will go to Lamaze and help the organization to continue to provide their great programming and support of local parenting families!

In Stock

It's back-to-school time and our busy season. We can hardly keep up with all the fabulous stuff coming in and we are trying to get it all out on the floor as fast as we can. Here's some of the great items we have available right now:

*Chicco Trevi Stroller

*Fisher Price Jumperoo

*Fisher Price Nature's Touch Cradle Swing

*Sesame Street Elmo Potty Chair

*Eddie Bauer Infant Travel Bed

*Moby Wrap

*Doll House Dresser

*Computer Desk

*Wood-base Toy Bins

*Malibu Girl's Bike

*12 inch Diego Bike

*Bella Dancerella Home Ballerina Dance Studio

*Rescue Heroes Control Center

*Tinker Toys Set

*Leap Frog Learning Center

*Vtech Vsmile Learning System

*Fisher Price Castle Set

*Groovy Girls

*Cars Play Rug

*Ello Creation System

Blog Deal Day

Blog Deal Day

Tuesday, August 31st

One more time for our Bloggers--$5 off any purchase of $30 or more

Just let us know you saw it on the Blog!

Westgate Festival!

Tomrrow is the Westgate Festival! All kinds of family-friendly activities will be going on for FREE from noon until 7 p.m. There will be Live music all day, a Moon Walk and Face Painting. Just Baked will have a Cupcake Walk. Leslie Science Center will be there with their cool Birds of Prey all day, with a show at 3:00. A Kid's Clown Show is scheduled for 12:30. Then participate in the Scavenger Hunt for a chance to win some great prizes. And you can even bring the dog along and enter the Pooch Contest! Of course Grow With Me will be participating as well. Come on by and shop while your kiddos work on an Art Project. And help out those in need while you are having fun by helping to fill up the SOS van with food and school supplies. Hope to see you all tomorrow!

What's New?

There's plenty new here at Grow With Me! We are busy getting fall clothing and winterwear out on the floor, although it's been difficult to keep up with them going out the door! If you are looking for a particular size coat or boots, feel free to give us a call and we'll be happy to check for you. And here's some of what's new in toys and equipment:

*In-step Bike Trailer

*Rocking Moses Basket

*Combi Cosmo EX Stroller

*Graco Travel Lite Pack & Play

*Kolcraft Tender Vibes Travel Bassinet

*Bumbo Seats

*Baby Trend Jogging Stroller Rain Hood

*Baby Bjorn Potty Seat

*Fisher Price Rainforest Mobile

*Nap Mats

*Step 2 Kitchen

*Fisher Price Learning Home

*Hedstrom Spring Horse

*Fisher Price Infant to Toddler Swing

*Plan Toys Fire Engine

*Childcraft Doorway Puppet Theater

*Playskool Sit N Spin

*American Girl Doll

*Parents Activity Cube

*Fisher Price Popper

*Mr. Potato Head Set

*Girl's Twin Bed Tent

Stuff-A-Bag Sale!

It's time once again for our semi-annual stuff-a-bag sale:

This Saturday, August 14th
9:30 - 4:00

Stuff as many items as you can from our clearance bins into one of our bags for one low price! Pricing will be as follows:

9:30 - 11:30: $9.99 per bag
11:30 - 4:00: $5.99 per bag

We are also now hiring. We are looking for someone who preferrably has some buying experience, a good eye for detail, and has a somwhat flexible schedule. The position will include buying, customer service, and other general store duties. If you or someone you know is interested, please call or stop by for more information and to fill out an application.