Little Love-y Sessions with Amy McMullen Feb 6

Amy McMullen at bella stella

Valentines has always been a crummy holiday in my opinion.  An awkward child with “off” social skills, I  was the recipient of some very non-committed valentines from classmates under duress to provide a card to everyone in the class.  As a romantic holiday, it never quite worked out.  It could just be me, but I tended to have dramatic breakups in late January.  Most of my life I have feared, worried about or righteously ignored Valentines Day.  Until I had kids.

Being a parent is crazy hard, but it does have its perks.  For one, you’ve got yourself a built in Valentine.  A really cute one.  “Be Mine Forever” on a candy heart seems perfectly appropriate.  Finally.

So in that spirit, bella stella is going to be celebrating this much-more-awesome kind of valentine.  On Saturday, February 6 from 12-4 Amy McMullen will be at the baby store (2751 NE Broadway) to photograph your little love with their special love-y.  We will have a free craft table in case they would prefer to craft a valentine to hold instead.  Prints will be available for purchase on the Amy McMullen website should you want one.  If you have seen Amy’s work before, you know you will surely want one.  And then you, like me, shall finally have the Valentine of your dreams- suitable for framing, and keeping. Forever.

Portland Businesses Help You Help Haiti

We have joined an effort spearheaded by Milagros to reaise some cash to bring relief to the victims of the Haiti earthquake.  Want to help your favorite local businesses and Haiti at the same time? Time to shop this weekend Portland!

• Black Wagon – Donating 10 percent of all sales through Monday.
• Bella Stella – Donating 10 percent of all sales through Monday.
• Townsend’s Tea – Donating 10 percent of all sales through Sunday MONDAY! Yay!
• Clementine NW – Donating 10 percent of all sales Monday.
• Löyly Sauna -Donating $10 for any massage booked through Sunday.
• Buttons and Bows – Donating 10 percent of  all consigned clothing sales through Monday.
• Clever Cycles – Donating 10 percent of all sales through Monday.
• Green Bean Books – Donating 10 percent of all sales through Monday.
• AM-Living – Donate 10 percent of all sales through Sunday.
• Mother Nature’s – Donating 10 percent of all sales through Monday.
• Back to Eden Boutique Bakery – Donating 10 percent of all sales through Sunday.
• Cellar Door Coffee has joined us! They are donating 10 percent of all sales through Sunday!
• Butterscotch is donating 10 percent of all sales today (Thursday, 1/14)
• Alma Chocolate is donating 10 percent of all sales through Monday!
• Spielwerk Toys is donating 10 percent of all sales Fri-Monday.
• Baby Star is donating 10 percent of all sales through the end of January.
• Munchkin Designs is donating 10 percent of all sales through next Thursday (1/21)
• Parenting Unplugged Radio is making a donation and will be talking about Haiti on their show tomorrow (Laura has spent a lot of time in Haiti, it should be an interesting show.)
• Urban Bliss will donate 10 percent of all sales through Monday.
• Spirit Body Massage has joined in! They are donating 10% of all sales this next week!

Portland-based Mercy Corps works to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression throughout the world by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. We have been proud supporters of Mercy Corps work around the globe for years.

We encourage you to provide direct support to Mercy Corps for their emergency response to the earthquake in Haiti.

Clearance Sale!

bella stella anniversary sale

It’s that time of year again! Now we are seven and everything everything (escept for baby carriers and crafters goods) is 40% off.  So what is on sale?   Resale children’s clothing! Resale maternity clothing! Resale baby clothing! Sophir the Giraffe! Aden and Anias Swaddle Blankets! Plan Toys! Melissa and Doug Toys! Books! Art! Crafts! You get the picture!

Affordable Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture in Portland

My first child was late. Two weeks late and born ten pounds, and I really, really didn’t want that to happen again.  Five days before my son’s due date I went to Brooklyn Community Acupuncture to have my labor induced.  It didn’t hurt.  In fact, I couldn’t stop laughing.  Could NOT stop laughing.  I laughed uncontrollably for an hour, and went home.  My “show” came out an hour later.  The next day I went in for another hour long giggle fest.  At home that night, my labor started, progressed and seven hours later, my son was born.  All I can say is, it beat pitocin hands down.  Furthermore, it was cheap.  Two sessions cost me under $45.  Also cheaper than the pitocin drip!

Chinese medicine is an excellent adjunct to your prenatal, labor, and postpartum care.  It can help you have
a healthy pregnancy: rid you of common aches and pains including sciatica,

Sliding Scale Community Acupuncture

ease nausea and fatigue, stop heartburn, constipation, and other digestive
upsets, and help manage gestational diabetes and hypertension. Acupuncture
is extremely effective at turning breech babies, inducing labor, and
helping you work through labor pains. After your baby is born, Chinese
medicine is an excellent choice for helping over-/under-lactation,
mastitis, general energy and blood building, post-partum anemia,
post-partum depression, and many other conditions!

Brooklyn Community Acupuncture is committed to bringing accessible,
affordable acupuncture to Portland.  They offer a sliding scale of $15-$35
per treatment, so that you can get treatment as often as you need to
really stay well. They are located at 1212 SE Powell Blvd. (in the same
complex as Subway Sandwich Shop), and their phone number is (503)
233-4341. They are open 7 days a week, so call them to make an
appointment!

Who Cares about Black Friday? Celebrate Your Neighborhood at “Lights on Broadway”

Lights on Broadway '09

I, myself, don’t like to go anywhere NEAR a store on the day after Thanksgiving.  Even for a sale, and especially not at a big box store where one might possible trample/be trampled.  A bargain is a good thing though…and so is community and supporting local businesses.  That is why bella stella is sponsoring “Lights On Broadway” this year- a celebration of the fantastic variety of businesses we have right here in the hood.

Friday Dec 4- Sunday Dec 6, all toys, art supplies, crafts, kits and science projects are 20% off, at both stores.  Check out the other deals offered by NE Broadway businesses at www.broadwaymerchants.com .

We always appreciate your business.  Small local businesses depend on the patronage and loyalty of the neighbors, it’s no secret.  As times get tight and tighter, we know that “shopping local” can seem like an extravegance.  On behalf of my own and all the little neighborhood like mine, I want to thank you for doing it anyway.  It’s why we open the doors in the morning, and it means the world.

Are you ready for ‘Green’ Friday?

Spend this friday green, not black. By shopping locally and supporting our neighbors we can spend this friday making everything alittle greener. At both Bella Stella stores we are offering 20% off of all toys, crafts, art and sciencey things. Anything your kid can ‘do’, you get for 20% off! Have a happy and yummy holiday and we will see you on friday!

H1N1 be gone! Also, nasty hand-sanitizer be gone!

Cleanwell Natural Hand Sanitizer

We’ve been sick.  So has the whole kids school.  Of course.  But now I’m starting to get disturbed about the amount of disgusting, harsh, chemically alcohol handsanitizer my kid is slathering on in the course of a school day.  REsponse? I bought a case of Cleanwell Natural Hand Sanitzer for her class, a few bottles for the house, and of course a ton for the store. Why Cleanwell?  Well, firstly, it smells like a creamsickle, so it gets used.  More importantly, though, CleanWell hand sanitizers are made with a patented formulation of essential plant oils lab proven to kill 99.99 percent of the harmful germs. CleanWell is the only hand sanitizer that is all-natural and alcohol-free. The ingredients in CleanWell are safe for kids, non-toxic, and come from rapidly renewable resources that grow abundantly worldwide.  And it isn’t too spendy.  We have the whole hand sanitizer line available, at both stores.

BoogieWipes

What else? BoogieWipes! Not for diaper changes (though they will work in a pinch) these guys (invented by a couple local Portland moms!) are soaked in saline and really get the crusted on boogs off.  We have the big packs as well as the individual packs (send one in your kids pocket, their teacher will be glad they have something to use other than a sleeve) at both stores.

But wait! We have one more weapon in our fight against the crud.  It isn’t bleacj, either.  You’ve hear the stories about the towns in Southern France that avoided the plague because of all the lavender and thyme they were growing.  Well, it has a lot of scientific basis.  Essential oils, particularly Thyme, Oregano and Eucalyptus

White Thyme Oil

are anti-bacterial and…antiviral! Put down the Clorox.  Fill a spray bottle with water, vinegar and some Thyme oil and you are in business.  Put a few drops of Oregano oil in a diffuser, and not only will the room smell like youv’e been cooking some awesome Italian food, it’ll kill the crud-bugs in the air.  As always, check with your doctor if you are pregnant, as essential oils are potent and can have unwanted effects for pregnant women.  Good luck and drink your water.  It’s ugly out there.

2009 Winter Special

Now at both Bella Stella Baby and Bella Stella Big Kids when you buy a $100.00 gift certificate we want to give you a $20.00 gift certificate as our gift to you. They say that it’s the season of giving, well a little receiving ain’t so bad either! This special is going on between now and December 1st.

Cool New Stuff at the Big Kids store!

We just got in this amazing book, it’s call ‘Stencil 101′ by Ed Roth. It contains 25 reusable stencils for any kind of project that you can think of. Shirts, furniture, walls, pillowcases, anything! And did I mention how cool these stencils are? There is everything from Mexican Luchador masks, to deers, to sumo wrestlers, to turntables. It’s even got a nifty little pocket in the back to store your stencils. This book is awesome, hours of fun. Your own custom creations are boundless!

Winter Warm-Up 2009

From October 28th to November 13th Bella Stella will be collecting donations for Portlands Winter Warm-Up and YOU can help. Bring in your warm winter baby/children and maternity clothes to one of our stores and whatever we cannot take at the store you can donate to a great cause. The Winter Warm-Up is a clothes give away for Mamas’ and Kids’ alike thrown by the ICTC of Portland. The give away is happening Saturday November 14th at 2:30-4:30 at the ICTC (N.Rosa Parks Way, Portland OR 97217). There will also be lead testing available for you children and their toys (one toy per child, please). This is a great way to help a awesome cause. Hope to see you soon.