TMBTC: Okay, I’ve been keeping TWO secrets
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Issue 12 • September 9th, 2026 Apparently, I'm Still PlayingMy emails seem to always start off so chaotic, and well, maintain that chaos throughout. So I’m tryyyyinngggg to write this one with a little more poise. I’ve got news to share. The news actually feels kind of small, but it’s mighty. And I want to make sure you see it and you read it and I don’t lose you in the haphazardness of my writing. I’ve got two main small-but-mighty points for this newsletter, soooo…let’s jump in. My brain is constantly coming up with new ideas or new things to try. The store is a great outlet for me to funnel that creativity. It’s like playing in an unending sandbox. Constant new things to build, tear down, reconfigure, and convince others to come join me in the sandbox. I had a wild realization around 2016. We were hosting one of our Belly Resource Nights at the store (maybe one day we will bring those back—wow, they were so fun!). They were an opportunity for expecting couples to learn about different resources we offer at Colorado Baby, meet other expecting parents, enjoy some yummy appetizers, and win some really, really cool prizes. We’d host one or two of them a year. They took a LOT of effort from a lot of different people to make happen. But it was during one of those Belly Resource Nights that it really hit me…running Colorado Baby feels like a game to me. You know when you’re at the playground and a kid or two kind of naturally steps up as the leader and gets the group of random kids playing different games? I feel like that kid. Somehow, I’ve just gotten all of you to come along and play the game with me. And it’s SO MUCH FUN! Implementing ideas, making sure everyone gets a chance to participate, no bullies allowed. Are we having fun? Let’s try something different now. Can we get more kids to play? What could we do better with this game? And so on. That Belly Resource Night took me back in time to a very specific event in my childhood. I had rounded up the neighborhood kids and told them we were going to put on a carnival in my front yard and invite all of the parents to it. I assigned kids to booths that we cobbled together, and then we invited the parents to come check out our carnival. I was probably around 10 years old. Standing there in the middle of the store, with Belly Resource Night swirling around me, I instantly felt like I was standing in my front yard in the middle of that carnival. The difference was that I was now 30 years old…but that felt like the only difference. Everything else felt so similar. I felt like I was playing a game. And I had somehow tricked all of these adults into playing my game with me. So with all of that said, I’m constantly thinking about how to make my game better. Better for those who are unknowingly playing it. How can Colorado Baby better serve the community? How can it reach more people? How can it show up for people in all the different roles and moments surrounding a growing family?
You see, it’s never just been about the products. It’s about seeing people. Coming alongside them in their journey. Equipping them as they navigate new paths. The products are just one piece of the equation. Something Big Is Going on the WallOne small-but-mighty thing I’ve wanted to incorporate into Colorado Baby for years is something interactive outside the store. I absolutely love our rocking horse that sits out front. Those of us who work in the store get to watch kids (and teens, and adults) ride that horse every single day. I just LOVE that it has become imprinted into so many kids’ core childhood memories at this point. I have memories like that from my own childhood, and it’s absolutely magical to think back on them. To realize that I was just playing in someone else’s game. And I’m so thankful for their game! What special memories I hold because of it. That rocking horse has become that for so many kids, and I’m absolutely honored. But I’ve wanted to create more opportunities for memories like those. Maybe someday a kid will walk past Colorado Baby as an adult and remember something else that was part of their childhood here, just like I can look back and remember the little things other people created for me. And there has been one very big, very blank opportunity staring at me for years. The wall of Colorado Baby that runs along 6th Street is wide open, and for years I’ve dreamed about putting something there. I’m sooooo excited to finally share that it’s happening. Last October, Downtown Grand Junction reached out to me about an opportunity to have a mural painted on the side of our building. A nonprofit from Denver had contacted them to say they “had received grant money to install murals around the state specifically related to the impact of generational caregiving and rural childcare.” Hmmm…I was intrigued, but I was also unsure of what it would all entail. I had to shelve the idea temporarily while I worked through some massive hurdles in my personal life at the time, while also heading straight into the busy holiday season. In January, I reconnected with Downtown Grand Junction and said I was interested. Let’s talk. And now, here we are nine months later, with a mural being painted. What an incredible experience this has been. I was able to serve on the committee that interviewed the muralists who applied for the opportunity. We had incredible submissions, and I’d be lying if I said the choice was easy. The decision came down to two muralists who both would have been phenomenal for the piece. In the end, the final decision was left to me since the mural would be going on “my wall.” One thing I expressed to the artist was how much I wanted the finished piece to include interactive elements for children. Because, in my opinion, the mural really should be for them. We can all appreciate it, of course, but if it was going on the side of Colorado Baby, I wanted kids to be able to do more than just look at it. I’m absolutely over the moon with the final concept she’ll be painting. The muralist, Hilary Williams, is a mom herself. She’s even had her kids “on the job” with her while painting before. It just feels so right to have her be the one painting a mural on our building. And the reason I wanted to get this email out to you NOW is because she is painting it LIVE this week! What a fun experience to come watch it take shape. You can literally watch this wall come to life! She began painting yesterday (Tuesday) and will be painting throughout the day today and tomorrow—or until it’s complete. Then, on Friday, we’re having an actual mural reveal party from 1–3 p.m., with yummy local refreshments (shout out to Nibbles & Sips and KCNJ Co.—both mom-owned businesses providing us with the goods!) and a couple of short speeches about the project. I would be honored if you came to see the mural and support all of the effort that has gone into this endeavor. You’re absolutely welcome to just show up, but if you can RSVP, that’ll help us have an idea of how many people to expect. The RSVP is completely optional. Click here to RSVP by September 10. I’m sharing some teasers of the mural over in our Instagram Stories if you hang out there, and I’ll include one here for you too. But really, just come walk by and watch it come to life. It’s PHENOMENAL. I cannot believe this is actually happening. PINCH ME! This is real life! Hilary invited my kids to help paint the butterflies 🥹 We're Making the Playground BiggerAnd as if the mural isn’t enough excitement for one email, I’ve got a little teaser for you about even more excitement coming down the pipeline. Another email will be dedicated to this other small-but-mighty announcement, but for now, I wanted to at least throw a teaser in here. We’ve been asked variations of the following for years: “What am I going to do when she outgrows your store?” To which my answers have been: “My best solution when you age out is to have another baby. 😂” But guyyyyyssssssssss. A “small but mighty” opportunity, as I’m calling it, came up within the past four weeks. Seriously, just four weeks ago. And within 48 hours, I had made a handshake deal on it. It took another couple of weeks for everything to become official. You may or may not know that my husband teaches Spanish classes and has for years. He’s from Mexico and is a certified language teacher. He’s been teaching languages now for 25 years (wow…HOW ARE WE THIS OLD?!?!?!). When we moved into our location on Main Street, we had a classroom built within the store. That way, he could continue teaching his private group Spanish lessons, but we could consolidate everything under one rent. The classroom would also double as a space for Colorado Baby classes, and it serves as my office. His classes have continued all these years, even after he took a full-time Spanish teaching position at a local charter school. A few weeks back, my landlord came and sought me out at my beloved hiding place, Kiln Coffee Bar. He was evidently quite determined to find me. 😆 He wanted to let me know that the small unit directly next to/behind Colorado Baby was going to be opening up. If you’ve ever paid close attention to our building, it’s like many of the buildings on Main Street in that it stretches all the way from Main to the alley. Our building, however, is subdivided into five units. Colorado Baby occupies the front half, while the back half is divided into four small units. Currently, those spaces house two offices and two small hair salons. My landlord wanted to see if we would be interested in taking over the space that was opening up. It’s a conversation he and I have had over the years, but the timing was never quite right. But this time…the timing was right. My husband will be moving his Spanish teaching business, Spanish Now, out of Colorado Baby and into his own space directly behind the store. If you come see the mural, you’ll notice that Spanish Now will be going into that first spot just after the mural. And by moving Spanish Now out, Colorado Baby gets to take over the classroom. We’re converting it into additional retail space. And before anyone panics—Colorado Baby classes aren’t going anywhere! We’ll still be offering classes; they just won’t happen in that dedicated classroom anymore. I’ll share more about what that will look like as we get everything settled. But that classroom space? It’s becoming a mini-shop within the shop. What exactly is going into that mini-shop? Well, I am just BESIDE MYSELF with excitement… A BIG KIDS SECTION! Imagine this: more organic clothing options for ages 4–7, toys for ages 4–8+, toys with a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) focus, outdoor toys, arts and crafts, quality dress-up clothes, and hopefully even some outdoor gear for all the Colorado KIDS! When I say I am absolutely giddy about this, that is nearly an understatement. I’m struggling to find words to express how excited I am about this opportunity. AND this is happening fast. We’re hoping to have the expansion complete by early October. It will for sure be in place in time for you to do all of your holiday shopping in the coming months. I’m going to share much more about the expansion project in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for the next email. For now…I wanted my faithful email readers to hear the news first. I give you permission to go spread this hot news (good gossip) around town and help us get the hype up! And now that I think about it, maybe my game analogy at the beginning of this email was more fitting than I realized. For years, you’ve been telling me that eventually your kids get too big to keep playing with us. And apparently my solution is not, in fact, to open an entire second store. We’re just making the playground a little bigger. A mural for kids to play with. A little more room for the kids who aren’t so little anymore. A few more ways for Colorado Baby to keep showing up for the families who have grown up alongside us. Small but mighty. I told you. 😉 From Behind the Counter, -Megan PPS - reply back and tell me what you think of the news in this email! PPS - Speaking of muralists and expansion projects…we might be looking for someone talented enough to do some painting on the interior walls of our new big-kids space. If you’re reading this thinking, “Ummm, ME!” hit reply and tell me why, what kind of experience you have, and maybe send me a few examples of your work. I’d love to see it! |