Gift Guide Part 1: Tweens

Today we are kicking off a week of gift guides. As we have mentioned before, only a small part of what we sell is on our website. Grove Gal E has had an insanely busy day job for the past

two years and the web updates are usually done by both us while most of you are in dreamland. Our goal for 2011 is a webstore that offers you everything! So if you see something in this week that you want, PLEASE just email us. We do our best work on special orders and requests. Also if you see something and you want us to drop the hint, just email us the item and who needs a little hint in the gift giving and we will take care of the rest.

Everyone has a certain someone on the list that always leaves you scratching your head for the perfect gift. For me it is my neices who range in age from 7-11. They aren't quite tweens, but they most certainly little girls. I also have a NO toy policy. I never give toys to other people's children, because I figure their house looks like mine, way too many toys, most of which are rarely used.

We just started carrying these headbands and I adore them. We can customize them to your team, sport or school colors and can substitute a design for a name or 3 letter monogram. The headbands are $15 each. My plan is to add some fun girlie lip gloss, a cello bag and a preppy grosgrain bow and viola, gift complete!

Door hangers. This may sound weird, but I love the idea. The possibilities are endless...start with a name or 3 letter monogram and add a phrase:

Emily is studying

No boys allowed

Glee Fans Only

Big Sister Only

Whatever...

These are not on our site but send us an email with the colors you want or an animal print and we will get to work. The door hangers are $18 and I think they make a great gift on their own

or pair them up with a fun pair of fleece pj pants, some cool pens or pencils.

Water Water! The Grove house can never have too many water bottles! It seems Mini K has a different activity after school everyday and part of her "chores" each morning is to fill her water bottle that lives in her backpack! The new Lilly P water bottles are great to give as gifts, and a lot of our clients keep some extra on hand to use as last minute gifts. They come in 2 sizes: small and large. The small retail for $16.00 and the large for $19. Give them alone or pair them with a fun beach towel or pair of yoga pants for the sporty girls on your list!

A little bling. The holidays always need a little bling. Our magnolia silk cord bracelets are a big statement for a tiny price! At only $18, the silver interlocking magnolias come on a white or pink cord bracelet. We have sold these to little girls, tweens and moms and everyone loves them!

We also have matching necklace that is on a silver chain for $24. Full disclosure these are not sterling silver they are silverplate, but they don't tarnish and they are stunning!

Happy Shopping!

Ornaments WInner

I realized I drew the winner and forgot to post! Yikes these time changes are not being kind to my brain!

Preppy 101 is the winner of our Sew Girlie ornament give away! Congrats. Just email me your order and shipping address and we will get it handled for you. I need:

your fabric choices, monograms and thread colors

Your giftcards will be given in preppy style this year!

Live From San Diego!

In an effort to confuse my body as much as possible...I am now in San Diego for my day job and Grove Gal E and I are processing orders via mac book!

I did get to sneak in a fabulous lunch yesterday with Kappa Prep and enjoyed every moment of it! She is such a class act

This will be the longest I have been away from Mini K in awhile and the longest I have been away from Baby C since he was born. I am keeping them both around my neck. I am sporting our new Magnolia mom and me charm necklace...my monogram on the large charm, and thei names on two smaller charms. This will be on our website later this week. Front and back engraving is included in the price of the charms and they come in sterling silver or 14k yellow or rose gold vermeil. You will be seeing this on our gift guide later this week!

Greetings from Big D

Seriously, the last time I posted was Tuesday? This means I still haven't figured out the scheduled posts feature, because I wrote a post on stocking stuffers and another on grab and go gifts.

The past week has been a blur. Nonstop orders, birthday parties, meetings and today I left on a jetplane for as Mini K calls it 5 sleeps! Mr. Grove is holding down the fort with our real boss Nanny J!

I am home in Dallas for events over the next two days, and quite frankly, am too lazy to dig out my laptop so I am posting from my mother's PC. Let's just say this has made me realize that I will always be a Mac girl...I cannot figure out how to add in photos so please forgive for a somewhat boring post. I promise a full event report from my mac tomorrow.

Now don't forget to enter how fabulous Sew Girlie giveaway for the set of 4 monogrammed gift card/money holder ornaments. You could use them for your own tree or personalize them for friends, coworkers or teachers to "wrap" giftcards.

Get ready for a week of gift giving posts..I love giving gifts this time of year...it is like baking without the calories!

I am signing off to enjoy a cup of tea and one of momma's cookies straight out of the oven!

Tuesday Tidings: Sew It Up

The Grove is swamped this week so we open our doors to a friend: Sew Girlie.

One of the only things I do not like about Christmas is feeling like I haven't given someone a gift: read handing over a plastic giftcard. It never fails that we place giftcards in the tree and don't find them until we take the tree down. The moment I opened Sew Girlie's email and saw these ornaments I knew I had found a solution to my tree problem. A preppy solution, monogrammed of course.

You can pick your fabric, your thread color, your monogram and they come ready to hang on your tree. I love that instead of just hiding money or giftcards in the tree you can slip them into the pocket of these personalized ornaments. The best part they are $14.

Sew Girlie is offering a 20% discount on all purchases with code: thanks

Sew Girlie is giving away a set of 4 personalized ornaments (they don't all have to match, each can be different) to one lucky reader.

1 Entry For Each of the Following:

1. Follow the blog

2. Follow us on twitter: Grove Gifts

3. Be a fan on Facebook

4. Leave a comment with your go to stocking stuffer

A Step In Time

Grove Gal E and I are in our busy season. The Grove is buzzing with out favorite clients: the ones who just send us their list and allow us to be creative and send them ideas and photos.

We have hit one hurdle...it seems I broke a bone in my foot while I was pregnant with Baby C. I never felt any pain, but the first clue was a bump on the top of my foot that wouldn't go away. So in the midst of holiday season I am interviewing surgeons....and maybe buying a few pairs of flats.

I didn't want you to think I had disappeared again. I promise to be back tomorrow with Tuesday Tidings.

Now back to cello bags, ribbon and treats galore!

Baby It's Cold Outside

So my resident blog expert has been out of town, but I thought I had figured out this whole post scheduling thing, but since the last post I can see is from Sunday night, not so much. I tried to be prepared, always the working mom's goal, so I had a Monday and Tuesday post, yet tonight I realized they never posted and now I can't find them. Stand by.

Now pull up a chair and grab a warm cup of cocoa or tea because I am going to share one of my favorite winter treats. The best part it is calorie free. Baby Knits personalized hats.

When Mini K was born, she lost of weight and her head was tiny. A friend gave us one of these hats and I was in love. She wore the hat in the hospital, to the store and as she has grown I keep ordering them in her size. Well now that Baby C is here I have had to change the color scheme and the name, but his should be arriving soon. I love that you pick the colors, Mini K's have always been bubblegum pink and lime (that combo made me smile when she was sick) and every girl needs a dose of Lilly in the cold!), but just think of your options: school colors, holiday themed, classic red, white or navy, the choices are endless.

The best part, after you stop drooling about the color choices and the price, is from now until November 15th if you spend $75 and use code: earlybird you save 15%.

Here are some of my favorites: