I love Fall! The crispness of the air, pumpkin picking in our new sweaters at the South 47, going trick-or-treating and showing off our costumes... what could be better? (Besides stealing Nate's candy!) We are open on Halloween from 9-4 so please come by in costume!

Carolyn Douglas from King 5 News will be here at 9am on Wednesday, October 22nd to interview me and shoot footage of the Café... if you want to see your Little One on TV; this is the time to come to Tot Spot! I know I'm going to try to squeeze in a haircut... for me and Nate! Anybody know how to lose 20lbs in 3 weeks?!?

I know a bunch of you have been asking for crafty things at the Tot Spot and I finally found the right people for the job! The three crafty creators of the Little Birdie Secrets blog are coming to Tot Spot Cafe to offer moms chic craft classes. They take the guess work out of trying a new craft, providing all the supplies, tools, and instructions to make some of the hottest handmade trends. Plus, you can work uninterrupted while your child plays in the monitored play area (or help if they like!). October classes include crafts that make perfect Christmas gifts.

Class Policies: Classes are $32 per person and include child care (up to three children), all supplies, and instruction from our experienced teachers. There is a $10 cancellation fee for all classes. Classes are limited to 15 students per session.

Class projects can be seen on display at Tot Spot Café, or at http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com. Sign up at Tot Spot or by e-mailing us at littlebirdiesecrets@gmail.com. Please include your name, e-mail address, phone number (in case of class changes or cancellation), and which class you'll attend. We will confirm your registration by sending a PayPal invoice that must be paid within two days of receipt to hold your spot.

Holli Dunn, the amazing photographer featured here at the cafe, will be hosting Mini-Portrait Sessions at the cafe on October 23rd. This is a great opportunity to get high quality shots of your little one with one of the most talented photographers on the Eastside. You can check out her work at www.hollidunn.com or come by the café and see how amazing they are!

You can view more info on the available packages at: http://hollidunn.com/blog/

Mini-session pricing is offered for this event only and other discounts or coupons do not apply. Reservations are required for this event!

A fellow Mom sent me this great article on the inherent nature of children. As an extrovert raising an introvert, it was quite eye-opening to me and I think it's important to remember that our little ones have opinions, too!

Check out the article here.

I am also currently reading "Raising An Emotionally Intelligent Child" by John Gottman and am loving it. If any of you want to pick up a copy and have a mini-book club/discussion, please let me know! I am happy to host it here at the Café during hours, or even better, away from home at a restaurant!

I wanted to remind everyone that we do offer discounts to Playgroups of 8 or more Moms. We tailor the discounts based on the age-range of your group so email me for more specific info. Playgroups can happen any time during drop-in play and we also offer off-hours playgroups if you want to host a Happy Hour here at the Café.

We are also continuing with our Family Nights on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays (the 9th and the 23rd) from 5-8pm. RSVP and pre-pay for $1.00 off the $8.00 Admission!

Come sing, dance, learn and play with the fabulous Miss Allison of Studio3Music Kindermusik! Kindermusik introduces your child to the joy and adventure of music and then moves at his pace, pausing to engage his interests, nurture her gifts, and celebrate her discoveries. Normal Tot Spot admission charges apply, but this class is free!

The owners of this new school stopped by Tot Spot, and it sounds great! The offer drop-off Preschool combined with gym activities and I know fellow moms of boys will be interested in this! I'll be swinging by with Nate (and his new best bud, Mason) to check it out. Here are the details:

I realized the other day that I haven't parted with one stitch of Nate's clothes or equipment in his almost two and a half years on the planet! I shop almost exclusively at Children's Place and get a lot of Ralph Lauren from my sister. A lot of clothes have never been worn since Nate grew so fast! I decided I'm just going to haul it over to the Café and sell it. I have a ton of winter clothes from last year and the year before, so if your guy is in the 9 -24 month range, this is the sale for you! I have a lot of jeans, PJs, sweaters, etc and they're all in excellent condition. I also have his crib and bedding I am looking to offload, a wood bassinet and other items that cannot be used at Tot Spot. Please email me if you want in on the private showing... The sale starts Friday October 17th and continues Saturday the 18th during business hours. A special preview will be available on Thursday the 16th during Family Night from 5-8pm.