If you’ve been looking at the online shop this winter, you’ve probably noticed the growing selection of fun and trendy clothing!
Little Luxuries will never be a clothing store, but we do like to carry a selection of stylish sweaters, cute t-shirts and similar accessories. Since we don’t have a dressing room, we work to provide you with clothing selections where you don’t need to try something on - and if you do, it can simply slip over what you are wearing.
Here’s a round up of some of the new pieces that have entered the shop!
- The Dani T-Shirt: Rayon spandex t-shirt features V-neckline, short sleeves, side slits and curved hem. This stylish t-shirt comes in four different designs!
- Greer Striped Hoodie: French terry hoodie features drawstring neckline, cotton ribbed sleeve openings and curved hem.
- Memphis Cocoon Cardigan: Comfy acrylic knit cardigan features dolman sleeves with ribbed cuffs and curved cocoon hem. It comes in three different colors: blue, cream and gray.
- Noah Jersey Top: Viscose jersey knit top features long sleeves, front chest pocket, high-low hem with side vents and back pleat channel.
- Dixon T-Shirt: Super soft French terry t-shirt features cuffed short sleeves and side slits at hem. It comes in three different designs!
We are so excited about these new offerings that are now live in the shop and will be available in the storefront when we open in May!
Hey guys! I hope your getting through the winter blues okay. I know February can be a tough month, especially in Michigan with not many sunny days. Our family is trying to stay healthy. I've been working hard at that. Baths with Epsom salt almost every night, I diffuse Doterra Breathe oil for Louie and Tommy and I run humidifiers in both of their rooms. The humidifiers really make a difference! Louis, our oldest gets cold easily, like myself. I try to keep away from dairy as much as possible as that causes inflammation and I try to cook at home most of the time. As well as diffusing Doterra's On Guard oil in the kitchen area and disinfecting tables and chairs and the bathrooms often. What kinds of things do you do this time of year to stay healthy? We also drink lots of water! I don't let the boys drink anything else. Call me crazy, haha, but the extra sugar isn't needed, especially for growing little ones.
I wanted to get a little personal in this blog post. During the winter months, it can be a big transition from working non-stop April-October. You really have to stay focused and motivated. I also have time to think. I think about my vision of the stores, I wonder sometimes if staying home with the boys is a better option. I almost have too much time to think!
Retail can be sticky, anywhere. I've learned over the last 12 years, whether you are in high school or you are middle aged, the unkindness doesn't go away. That is one big thing that I am very surprised by as I get older. Looking back to my high school days, I never imagined the drama that exists the older you get. It's in the work place, friendships, marriages, and so on. This makes me really sad to see this in our world. For me, I have to have a positive outlet. I can only surround myself with positive people, I can only hire people that are hard working and kind, and I turn to motivational quotes or podcasts to keep myself in the right lane, the happy lane.
I opened Little Luxuries when I was 23 years old. I'm sure this did not make other island business owners very happy. The new girl to Mackinac opening a gift shop on Main Street. I tried not to pay attention to the side chatter, I put my head down and I did the work. Andrew as my support team and yes, he was nervous about me opening a business on my own; I reassured him everything will be fine. I never once felt like I wasn't going to make it. I just worked and did what I knew I had to do to make customers happy and made sure bills were paid. In the business world, there is a lot of competition, which is normal, especially on a tiny island. I truly believe if you work hard, stay focused on your dreams and not anyone else's, good things will happen.
You probably wonder why I am writing about this today...I guess it just makes me sad to think about all the negativity in this world and the unique ideas that are taken so often and used again by someone else. I hope my blog post today makes you think about kindness (as it is Kindness Month) and being true to yourself. So many of us assume so much about other people. Nobody knows what anyone is going through behind closed doors. We are all trying to make life work. My advice from my own personal experience in business and living in a small town, is to stay true to YOU, follow your dreams, work hard and stay unique.
I hope your week is a happy, healthy and productive one.
Nicole
xoxo.
Happy Weekend! I can’t believe how quickly the weeks seem to fly by - before too long, we will be heading back to Mackinac for a new season!
Last weekend, our family loaded up and headed to Forbush Corner Nordic Ski Center in Fredric, Michigan for a day of fun in the snow! We were able to meet up with our friend Susan for our winter adventure!
This cross country ski area in 2019 and is known for its trail system. There are trails for skating and skiing and snowshoeing. Forbush has rentals available, which makes the trip a lot easier! They also have a warming room, where the boys loved warming up with some hot chocolate!
The snow was coming down good and it was just beautiful! I had a feeling our boys wouldn't last long in the cold and trekking through it. I was wrong! Tommy led the way and little Johnny did not want to be carried! He went face first in the snow a few times even and got right back up and wanted to keep walking. It was adorable! All three boys were so tired from the fresh air that they slept the entire way home!
We had such a great experience at Forbush Corner - I can’t recommend it enough for families to go visit!
With Valentine’s Day less than a week away, I wanted to write a quick note on the festivities that happen in our home for this lovely holiday!
I love decorating a little bit here and there for the holidays, especially the “small” holidays, too! The boys realize the importance of each holiday and decorating, even in little ways, brings me so much joy!
Our decorations come from various places. The paper napkins are usually from Hobby Lobby or the dollar store! The peppa pig valentine box is Tommy’s and Louie made his valentine box out of a tissue box last year!
I always put up a new banner for each holiday! The stitched felt heart banner and the sparkles banner are both from Etsy - I love to shop small when I can! The tie died heart banner hanging from the mantle the boys made. I found little red hearts to spread around the candle on our kitchen table. I love to visit antique stores and that’s where I found the cute scrabble Valentine’s sign!
Of course, I have to make snacks that are holiday themed as well! Two new recipes that I found on Pinterest for this Valentine’s Day season are Valentine’s Day popcorn and Heart Shaped Quesadillas.
Valentine’s Day Popcorn from here. This recipe is super easy and super sweet!
- 10 Cups of Popped Popcorn (I usually make our popcorn the old fashioned way over the stove top!)
- 3 tbsp. Butter (Sweet Cream, Salted)
- 3 cups Mini Marshmallows
- Pretzel M&M's – Red
- Valentine's Mix M&M's
- Valentine’s Day Sprinkles
- Confetti Heart Sprinkles
Mix & Enjoy! I bet the boys will always ask for popcorn this sweet from now on!
When the boys get home from school on Valentine’s Day, I plan to make them Heart Shaped Quesadilla’s!
If you have a heart shaped cookie cutter, use it to cut your tortilla into the perfect heart! If you don’t have one, scissors will do!
Place one heart on a greased cookie sheet, sprinkle with love and shredded cheese, then place the second heart on top! Cook in the oven at 350 for about 3 minutes - but keep your eye on it, just in case. Then, enjoy!
What are your Valentine’s Day traditions? I’d love to hear all about them and maybe add an idea or two to our fun plans!
The first month of 2020 is almost over with and thankfully I have had some time to think about 'my word' for the new year. I prefer choosing a word vs. a resolution because by choosing one word it is a quick reminder to yourself and helps make sure you are on track. My word for 2020 is FOCUS. It seems pretty general, but for me, I wear many hats and I really need to focus! I easily get side tracked and off task doing something else. It's so crazy how our brains all function so differently. For example, before I leave for a trip, my brain says 'clean and organize the entire house!' Andrew thinks I am crazy when this happens.
For me to FOCUS, I have to get little things out of the way before my important, larger goals. For example, I am going through boxes from grade school and high school my mom has given me...it seems never ending, but I have to get this out of my way so I can really focus on my work. Anyone else like this?
A good friend of mine recently surprised me with a sweet gift. It is a bracelet with the word FOCUS engraved on it. It was so thoughtful of her and I am wearing it every day of course. Having the word right on my wrist is an awesome reminder for me.
If you chose a word for 2020, I hope it helps you accomplish your goals and stay on track. Thank you for being here and reading my blog posts. I really appreciate it! I hope the month of February is amazing for you!
Nicole
xo.
