TMBTC: I have ants in my pants 🐜 and I'm sending this at 1:07am

Issue 11 • August 20th, 2026

If adults can have ants in their pants like kids do, then well, that’s me right now. Y'all should take a peek in my BRAIN. It’s like a pinball machine. Wild, chaotic, and absolutely unpredictable.

I had already written a rough draft of The Mom Behind the Counter (that’s this, the email you are reading, as in “TMBTC”) back in mid-July, sooo about a month ago. BUT…I wasn’t sure I was going to use that first draft or not. So here I am, writing a new version of it.

And as I’m sitting here, trying to put my pinball thoughts into a Google doc, I keep reaching over for the leftover Qdoba guac I put in the freezer, along with the leftover chips from a few days ago. Hannah, who works here at the store, taught me this awesome hack of throwing leftover tortilla chips in the freezer for a few days to keep them from getting stale—and it WORKS!! Well, I had leftover guac too, so I threw it in there…because I have found that also works. Such a hack.

But the guac is like…really frozen. I really want to eat it right now, but I also don’t feel like eating guac ice cream with chips. That seems odd. So I keep stirring it in hopes it’ll thaw faster. Thermodynamics, right? Isn’t that the way it works?

stirs guac

turns back to the keyboard

So my first pass at this email a month ago was:

Man. It was so good.

But.

I’m gonna have to shelve it for a future issue. And probably make a few adjustments to it. Because, well, I went a little off the rails with it.

A situation really, really set me off. And if you know me…not much pushes me over the edge. Things like shady billing practices of a local hospital that have dragged on for over a year in my personal life; printers, barcode scanners, and card readers that won’t hold a Bluetooth connection in Colorado Baby (see the previous TMBTC issue); or a customer with absolutely unfounded demands and snark…those are the short list of things that will push me over the edge. Don’t be one of those three things and I can probably hang pretty well indefinitely with yuh.

leans over to perform a thaw check on the guac ice

sigh—still icy

Sooooo I decided that the story in my first draft needs to cool for a while before I consider actually sharing it in a newsletter. Kind of like my guac needs to thaw, but the opposite, yeah? Get it? Same difference.

The Ants-in-the-Pants Docket

Meanwhile, pinball brain over here is going 1,000 different directions. I think I must just thrive in chaos? That’s gotta be it. Because who else would have 8 kids, keep them home out of the traditional school format (not pointing fingers—my husband is literally a teacher in D51, our local school district for the non-locals that read this), run a retail shop with staff, be involved in downtown politics when given the opportunity (you should have heard the SPEECH I gave last fall in regards to parking for my employees downtown), help spearhead a mural project that is taking place on the side of our building, AND always be trying to think of ways to impact positive change for local families—especially mothers—whether through childcare, healthcare, or other community impact opportunities?

On top of all of that just regular stuff, I’m currently planning my 2026 garden at home and doing a massive overhaul of the 900 sq ft I have dedicated to growing food for the fam, trying to tackle small home projects in-between my work days, arm-wrestling hospital billing departments, trying to do the best I can to raise my kids the way I want them to grow up, oh yeah, AND planning my 6th child’s upcoming 10th birthday party (they get a “friend birthday” when they turn 10—it’s a big deal), while simultaneously prepping for my 2nd son’s high school graduation, which we decided to do in October instead of May…because why not? Everyone graduates in May. We’re homeschoolers—we’ll graduate when we want, and he liked the idea of October. Plus, the timing works out better for family to visit from out of town, state, and country.

tests the guac…

YES! It just tastes like really chilled guac now. I could post that gif again from above. It is CHEF’S KISS.

Qdoba chips and very chilled guac really slaps at 10:30pm [12:42am on the final pass through edits of this entry]. Yummm.

Ok, so now that I got some of the pinball-ness out above…I’ve got to tell you. There is just so much moving and shaking right now. We got a new product line in the store in recent weeks and just finished out the display for it. I am ridiculously excited about this line. I wrote all about it in the first draft of this email, so I will be bringing that content over to this second draft.

If you’ve been in the store recently, and I was here, I may have subjected you to hearing my spiel (wow, autocorrect just fixed that word for me…I literally spelled it “schpeel” hahahahahhaah. I guess I say that word wrong. Wow, that is SO FUNNY). So hang tight and I’ll get to that new product line here in a minute. I really want you to hear about it!

Also going on—well, actually, it’s something I can’t tell you about just yet. I’m waiting on some official paperwork to be signed and taken care of, and THEN you better believe I’ll be in your inbox again. No teasers though. Just don’t miss the next TMBTC that hits your inbox. (Truthfully, you shouldn’t ever miss one—these are just too good to pass up.)

Hmm, what else. Oh! This is relevant only if you read this email in a timely fashion. Which, no judgement if you save these for later when you know you have 30 minutes to burn reading Megan’s antics at Colorado Baby. But for those of you who sit there staring at your empty inbox (my kids when they get their first email address set up), waiting for this email to be delivered…YOU will get this info in time.

TONIGHT! Tonight, 8/20, is the GJ Farmer’s Market (every Thursday through Sept from 5:30–8:30), and during the first part of the market (tonight only), we are hosting a pop-up shop owned by one of our local moms! She bakes sweet treats—cookies, mini cakes, and other goodies. I asked her to make a graphic explaining what makes her treats different than the next guy, and here’s what she shared:

So, swing by tonight from 5–7pm and check out what she has to offer! She will be right at our entrance with the goods. Tell her you came because of the Colorado Baby newsletter! Just because…I want to see how many of you read this and then ACTUALLY show up.

It’s for science.

“Helllloooo…does anyone read these????”

Next up on my ants in the pants docket: the Mural Project. Actually, truth be told, I’m not sure how much I can share about this yet. So I’ll just give you some teasers for now, and then I’ll probably cover that ALSO in the next issue. (Wow, it’s going to be a real banger. Don’t miss it!)

We have been chosen to have a mural painted on the east wall of our building. I got to be on the committee that chose the muralist, which was quite the experience. I may have cried during the interview process. I’m excited to work with the muralist to bring a piece to GJ that will be for the childrens.

I’m really hoping to see some interactive elements intertwined with the mural. GUYS. I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS. Ahhhhhh!!!! I can’t wait to share the whole story with you at some point. What an honor to be a part of this.

I Said Yes

Ok ok…let me tell you about this new product line. Please, hang with me. Hear me out. Because I’m just, you know, ants in the pants about everything right now. This being one of the things.

SooOOOooOoO a made-in-the-USA brand reached out to me last fall. They sent me a catalog. They followed up with emails. I was actually intrigued. Both the catalog and the emails pushed me to pause and consider.

If I’m being honest, I get a lot of catalogs and emails that I regularly throw away or delete. I can quickly tell when scanning a catalog if a product is a fit for us. But this brand, though it was a category I’ve always said no to for the store, actually got me to stop and just dream a little.

I replied to one of the emails and let Julie, the owner, know that the answer was likely “no,” simply due to space. However, I was willing to hear her out on her pitch because, quite frankly, I was intrigued. The catalog was BEAUTIFUL, and it had the feeling of Colorado Baby throughout it.

Julie and I proceeded to have a couple of long conversations over Zoom, trying to see how this could possibly work. I learned all about this nursery furniture line she had set out to create. She’d been in the nursery furniture business in different ways for years (like, for example, she worked for Pottery Barn), and she had grown tired of the low quality options for baby furniture on the market. Sure, you can buy exquisite furniture for your home with incredible quality and craftsmanship, but in the baby furniture category? The choices were abysmal.

So she set out to change that.

She used the contacts she had built over the years and created a partnership with a small craftsman in the midwest. He had the skill set you see in the Amish furniture world. She worked with him to source all the wood from USA-grown trees. The furniture is made to last for generations. It’s also GREENGUARD Gold certified, which is a certification worth noting.

Every crib, dresser, nightstand, changing tray, and conversion kit is handcrafted and made to order. The customer picks the wood species, finish, and hardware. These pieces are absolutely stunning. I personally want to buy some of the dressers for my own home. I may not need a crib at this time, but wow…the dressers are TO DIE FOR, even for those outside of the baby world.

The cribs are made to last through all the stages of growth. The crib can convert to a toddler bed, then to a daybed or bench seat, and finally end as a full-size adult bed. I’m going to include a few pictures of just one example for you because I think it’s absolutely beautiful. And I love when a product has longevity and is made with quality—and better yet, made in the USA. Employing my very neighbors (figuratively). It gives me goosebumps.

This is the Tiegen crib, which we now have in the store as a display so you can see the quality of this line in person:

And here you can see it converted into a toddler bed:

And then look at this magic…it turned into a full-size bed:

We’ve made space in the store for a floor sample of the Tiegen crib and the 3-drawer dresser with a changing tray (which makes the dresser top into a changing table). I see enough value in this line to dedicate floor space to it. In retail, every inch of the sales floor is highly valuable because that is how the store makes money—by filling it with products that make sense. I truly believe this line is a perfect fit for the store and the people who frequent our shop.

I’m also honored to say we are the first, and for now, the only retailer to carry this line in all of Colorado. We’ve already had our first Denver customer place an order for an entire nursery set! She went with the Mira line.

And just to help you understand how this process works, we do not carry stock of these in the store (hello, no space). Even if we had the space, we likely still wouldn’t. Part of the “magic” of this brand is that the furniture is truly built for you. As I mentioned above, you choose your wood species, finish, and hardware. Then we send the order in to begin production.

It takes about 10–12 weeks to complete your order. At that time, the delivery team that works with the company will reach out to you to coordinate the delivery of your furniture. You pay the delivery company directly (not Colorado Baby), and then they “white glove” deliver it to your house. As in, they deliver it, they build it, and then you inspect it to make sure everything is tip-top! Phenomenal service. And trust…when you’re 9 months pregnant or 3 months postpartum, having someone come in and assemble the furniture for you, well, you’ll be thanking yourself for that choice.

Let me tell you really briefly about each of the four lines. Essentially, there are four different “styles” available. They each have their own flair.

First up, the Mira:

MINIMALIST — streamlined, functional, bright

Mira is all about strong lines and flat surfaces. It’s the most minimalist of the four collections, with a clean, urban feel that would work beautifully in a smaller space. I can see this one fitting into so many different homes—eclectic, contemporary, bohemian. This is also the collection our first Denver customer chose for her nursery!

Next up, the Sage:

SCANDINAVIAN — subtle, purposeful, earthy

Sage has more curves and detail than Mira, but still has that beautiful simplicity you expect from Scandinavian design. It’s subtle, stately, and just a little regal without being over the top. There’s something about the proportions and curved profiles that makes this collection feel really special.

Then we have the Tiegen, which is what we have in the store:

MODERN FARMHOUSE — relaxed, refined, natural

This collection really lets the wood itself be the star. It uses huge slabs of wormy maple with a manufactured live edge, giving it that raw, organic feel while still looking refined and contemporary. This is the one you can come touch and see for yourself in the store.

And last, the Noelani:

MID-CENTURY — iconic, future-forward, sculptural

Noelani mixes materials and styles in a really beautiful way. Cane is paired with more traditional profiles and moldings, giving it a bit of an Old World feel while still looking contemporary. It’s elegant and classic, but definitely has its own personality.

While I’m not personally in the market for a crib, or bed, at this time, I knew it was important to me to own something by this company myself. I do not carry things in the store that I would not personally invest my hard-earned dollars in…especially knowing I’m asking you to do so.

I reached out to the company to see if they could make me a custom dining table for my family. We’ve been in need of a table for a few years. Our hand-me-down table has served us well, but it just doesn’t meet our family’s needs anymore. So—it’s happening. I’m investing some serious dough into a new table for my family, and I’m absolutely giddy in the waiting period for it to be made. I cannot wait!

This is a table that my family will have for decades, no doubt. Now THAT’S what I want to invest my money into. A table that not only will my kids eat at, but my future grandkids. Amazing.

One last ask regarding this new line…will you stop by the store and come swoon over this furniture with us?! Just come see it. Feel the quality of it. It’s an absolute work of art.

I just love…when people use their talents to contribute to the rest of the world. That is art to me, and art is everywhere and in everything.

Around the Shop

A few last things to note. Our Fall/Winter clothes are starting to arrive! Our first shipment is in, on the floor, and already selling. More will follow. Come in sooner rather than later to get the cream-of-the-crop pickins’ of our selection. We know, though, that plenty of hot weeks still follow here on the Western Slope of Colorado, so don’t dismay. We still have plenty of sun hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, swim diapers, water shoes, and even a few swimsuits and rashguards left in stock (psst, you may want to grab a swimsuit for the winter for the new rec center, before we run out!).

We also recently got a large restock of Green Toys back in the store. This is a brand we’ve carried for yearssssss (at least 11). I like to tell people that when we carry a brand for that long, you know it’s a good one.

Green Toys has expanded some of their manufacturing (to my dismay, but I know a business has to do what a business has to do) to China. Previously, ALL Green Toys were made in the USA. If this is an important factor to you, I’d suggest being careful when ordering Green Toys online because they aren’t all made in the USA anymore. You’ve got to read the packaging closely. WITH THAT SAID, we’ve already done the homework on the ones in the store. We are only stocking Made in the USA Green Toys, and it will remain that way.

Why do I love this brand so much? I’ll be honest, plastic toys are not my first consideration when bringing something into the store (you can go find plenty at Walmart, Target, and Amazon). BUT Green Toys are different, and that’s why they get shelf space.

Like I said, first off: made in the USA. Second, they are made from recycled milk jugs. I love that if they are going to use plastic, they are reusing plastic that’s already been made. Third, for a plastic toy, they are SOLID. Most plastic toys break, and they break quickly. Not Green Toys. They’re built to last through kids. If you’re going to have something made from plastic—which doesn’t really ever break down and go away, allegedly—then you might as well have something that will stay functional.

Man…I hate gimmicky plastic junk toys. Like the dollar store ones. They’re broken within a day, and then I am reluctantly throwing them in the trash, knowing they’re going to just sit out there in the landfill indefinitely. What purpose did that little toy serve? It makes my skin crawl. We can do better.

Those cheap little plastic toys are like the equivalent of what our attention spans have become. Just feasting on YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikToks, and anything else that can hold our attention for a mere 15 seconds. Yuck.

Who’s with me on reclaiming our attention spans? Our quality of goods? This list could go on and on—places where we’ve traded quality, care, and experience for convenience, speed and ease.

Welp, guess I’m going on a mini-rant.

Enjoy that home-cooked meal that took someone’s time to put together.

Enjoy those fresh veggies from the garden or farmer’s market that someone invested their time and care in growing.

Invest in clothing that wasn’t manufactured to be worn for a few months and then tossed aside when the current fashion changes again.

Buy fewer toys, and better quality ones, for your kids (or grandkids!) so they can spend more time exploring and using their imagination and less time being entertained by cheap junk.

Shop in the small shops, both local and online, and appreciate the tender care another person put into creating an entire experience for you.

When you ask someone for their opinion or information, don’t just discard it. They just shared with you something that maybe they’ve dedicated their life to learning. Do something with it.

Read, read, read. Someone took time (likely months or years) to write that book. Get off the short-attention-span-driving algorithms.

Sit down and write a note to someone. Put a stamp on it and mail it. What an absolute novelty to receive a handwritten letter from someone.

Join a community that you have a regular touch point with. For my family, that’s church. The consistency of meeting with the same people, week after week, runs deep when done year after year after year.

Do you know what the common thread is above with all of those things?

Time.

They’re all a form of someone giving you their time. What an incredible gift for anyone to give their time to something, as we all have a finite amount of it. Why not invest in things that were made as a literal gift from someone else’s talents, within the bounds of their own limited time?

Well…I waxed a little eloquent there.

In return, I’d like to thank you for YOUR time to read this writing that I have taken hours to type out, edit, make readable, format into an email, connect links, and send your way.

Your time, in gratitude for my time, is seen.

Speaking of Quality...

One last thing I just thought of that feels relevant to the direction this email went. My sister-in-law, her husband, and their four kids recently visited us for about a week from Mexico. For those of you who don’t know, my husband is Mexican. We lived in Mexico for a few years early in our marriage, and while he eventually became a US citizen, his family is still Mexican and living in Mexico.

It’s been really nice to have his sister and her family visit us these last couple of years now that they’re able to travel here. My sister-in-law always enjoys visiting the store. She’s shopped with me for many years as she’s been raising her children, and she’s made this observation before. She said it again while she was here:

“I honestly don’t know why everyone doesn’t shop at your store. Americans don’t realize the quality of goods they have right at their fingertips. There are so many incredible, high-quality options available here. In Mexico, we just can’t easily find things of this quality. And when we do find them, they’re usually much more expensive because of everything involved in importing them into Mexico.”

I’m always blown away by her observation of this. I lived in Mexico for a few years, and what she says is true. But I also know that we lived on a Mexican salary, which was significantly lower than an American salary. And yet, when she comes here to visit, she would rather invest her very hard-earned pesos (converted to USD) in quality items from the US. Even though it’s costing her A LOT more, she understands the long-term value.

Thanks for Your TIME

And with that…I’ve got a gift for you today, a little different than other newsletters.

I’ve created a limited number of $20-off discounts. I truly appreciate that you take the time to read these. Also, if you just skipped the whole newsletter and didn’t read it, just to get to here (the discount), then you’re a bum. 😂 Don’t take this discount from someone else. Go back and read the homework.

For the discount to work, you need to have a minimum of $60 of product in your cart. You can use the code in the store or online. But there’s a limited number available, so if it doesn’t work for you, then either you don’t have $60 of things in your cart OR the coupon has already been claimed the number of times it was set for.

The code?

TIME

Kk, I’m done yapping your ear off. I appreciate you!

From Behind the Counter,

Megan

PS — Enjoy my writing? I’ve recently joined Substack and am writing weekly over there. You don’t have to download or even join Substack to get my writing. Simply click here to subscribe, and the emails will be delivered to your inbox weekly…every Tuesday!