TMBTC: What I’m definitely not selling this Christmas

Issue 6 • November 25th, 2025

Before we dive in…do yourself a favor and grab a peppermint mocha, a gingerbread cookie, or whatever your holiday vice is—because this newsletter is a whole SNACK. Think of it as your cozy, curl-up-by-the-tree email for the season.

Here’s what’s inside:

• A hilarious toy story involving plushies and one very literal 3-year-old
• My top holiday gift picks (the ones that won’t get regifted)
• What’s happening for Black Friday → Small Biz Saturday → Cyber Monday
• Perks you don’t want to miss (free gift wrap + free coffee!)

When You See My Name in Your Inbox 👀

Ohhhhh ho ho ho…I’m STOKED for this email. I get such a kick out of writing these. Honestly, nothing delights me more than people stopping me in public to say they read these newsletters and literally laugh out loud. I mean…is there any higher praise than that? NO!

Well—okay—yes. The highest praise is when you reward me (and by me I mean WE…COLORADO BABY) with those green pieces of paper that somehow still hold value...though it feels like less value with each passing day. 😂

I’ve been thinking about what angle to take with this email and, OBVS, the comedic angle won. It’s what keeps you coming back. I know you did a little skip when you saw this hit your inbox. Don’t lie to yourself. You’ve probably been checking your inbox daily…dare I say hourly…waiting for the next Colorado Baby Newsletter. Well, alas, here it is. I hope it measures up to your ridiculously high expectations.

A couple of weeks ago, I ran into a faithful newsletter reader who was still talking about the August newsletter where my van tire blew on the interstate and my six kids set up camp in the median like we were auditioning for Survivor: I-70 Edition. She told me she laughed so hard reading it in the middle of the night that she had to leave the bedroom so she wouldn’t wake her husband. I mean…what does she even tell him? “Sorry babe, Megan unleashed another comedy and I forgot time existed.”

She’s one of my bold ones though—she reads this newsletter and my raw (gag), sometimes funny, often heavy, insightful, inspirational series called Just Me. Don’t click that unless you want to join my more intimate readership that maintains an 80% open rate. EIGHTY. PERCENT. For context, the marketing world considers above 40% “excellent” and above 55% as “World Class.” 💅

The Messages That Make Me Hit "Publish" Every Week

So yeah…Just Me is HITTING. Enter only if you dare. I’m not kidding. It’s RAW. It makes me squirm every week when I hit publish. But the readership is so dear to me as they've walked some rough paths with me recently.

If you want to dip a toe in before cannonballing, go browse a few archives and getchurself a feel for the Just Me vibe. And please — don’t sign up and then ghost me. My 80% open rate is my Roman Empire.

And honestly, I keep writing the Just Me entries because of messages like these:

Let Me Set the Scene…Denver, Gammi, and Zero Agenda

ANYWHO. Enough about [Just] Me…

Let’s get into this. You might’ve opened this email because I teased a product I will definitely NOT be bringing into Colorado Baby this holiday season. A weird way to start an email, I know—but trust me. I’m doing you a solid (Boomers, that means “a favor”).

To explain, we need to rewind to this spring when I went to Denver with my mom, my daughter, and my freshly-turned-three-year-old son.

We went for a little getaway—courtesy of the madre. Gotta love a Suga’ Mama. Anytime she offers an all-expense-paid trip in exchange for me being her chauffeur, it’s a quick: DUH, SIGN. ME. UP. She rolled out the red carpet with a Nissan Altima rental (nothing screams “mid-60-year-old energy” quite like a full-size sedan) and a few nights at her cousin’s apartment. He was out of town and generously extended his palace to us (autocorrect changed “place” to “palace,” so I’m gonna run with it, sounds fancy).

We had no agenda. Just hang out, eat good food, hit the Nature & Science Museum with my brother, sister-in-law (hi Sam!), and their girls, and pop into a few shops. This is always one of my travel requirements. I call it R&D—rip off and duplicate (or not, if the store is a disaster). I need to see how other shops do things.

• How do they greet customers?
• What brands do they carry?
• How do they display products?
• What’s their checkout process?
• How do they handle a customer who flies off the handle?

Jk…I don’t do that. I would never. I COULD never.

For my R&D assignment, we ended up in Golden, CO. Turns out they have a decent little downtown (not as cute as ours—tourists tell me ours is better, so I’m just reporting the facts). We wandered into this one store that was a total mishmash of everything. Picture Colorado Baby turned toy store, turned general store, turned candy shop, turned gift shop, turned plushie thirst trap. And the building was literally pieced together like that—random steps up into the next section (don’t trip!), sharp turns down tiny corridors, and new rooms popping out of nowhere.

And listen, I’m not knocking them—I’m spicing this newsletter up for you. In reality, I’m proud of them. They’re clearly thriving and expanding, and any retail small business doing that these days is a real CHAMPION. (Fun fact: the word for mushroom in Spanish is champiñón. Has nothing to do with anything, but it makes me laugh because it kind of sounds like “champion.”)

So basically, this store?

THE MUSHROOM.

Welcome to the Plushie Thirst Trap

As we made our way through this store, my children got trapped in the plushies section (stuffed animals…plushies…whatever cutesy word you prefer). Every parent knows the internal scream: NOOOOO, NOT THE PLUSHIES.

(Although at Colorado Baby, you don’t say that—we have the best plushies. I even let my kids bring them home.)

But I could feel your anxiety rising for me…because you already know how this ends: GRANDMA IS WITH US.

I will absolutely be the caretaker of two new plush creatures before we leave.

Quick note: from here on, my mom will be referred to by her grandma name—Gammi. Keep up.

As the kids squealed their way down the wall of plush (and trust me, “animals” wasn’t an accurate descriptor for many of these things), my daughter spotted one of those creepy Ty critters with the giant eyeballs.

(Side rant: Ty…why did you do us 90s kids dirty like this? We faithfully collected Beanie Babies—mint tags, protective cases, the works—and then you unleashed these big-eyed horrors. Why? WHY?! It cannot just be me that feels this way. And yes, I still have my Beanie Baby collection…pristine condition…waiting for my big break.)

My daughter grabs this wide-eyed Ty creature and goes, “MOM, I HAVE THE GIRL ONE! THIS IS THE MATCH. AND LOOK AT HIS NAME!!!”

His name…is LINUS.

Which, for those new here, is also the name of my three-year-old—the one on this very trip. So now everyone is freaking out because what are the odds?

Gammi immediately swoops in: “I’ll buy it for Linus.” 🫠 Wonderful. Creepy Lemur Linus is officially coming home with us.

But then my daughter goes, “Nooo, I want it so it can be friends with mine.” Linus, meanwhile, does not care. Not even a little.

So Gammi turns to him and says, “Okay, Linus, you can pick out a stuffed animal too!”

And in classic 3-year-old fashion—impulsive, chaotic, zero forethought—he reaches out and grabs the absolute ugliest thing on the wall. So ugly I literally thought:

WHAT. IS. THAT.
WHYYYYY IS THAT WHAT HE PICKED?
IT’S SO UGLY.

Then Linus holds it up proudly and asks, “What’s his name?!”

He was SO excited. Like, eyes-sparkling, pure-3-year-old-joy excited. And I—being me—answered on instinct:

“Put me back.”

I said it dryly. Sarcastically. As a joke.

Linus stared at this unfortunate creature, looked confused…and then literally put it back.

Mission accomplished.

He immediately grabbed the next thing his hand brushed past—0.42 seconds later—and THIS is who came home with us:

Boba.

Yes, the drink. Turned into a little Palm Pal stuffed animal. Whatever. 🙄 At least it’s kind of cute. Dumb. But cute.

​​How One Sarcastic Comment Became Canon

Fast forward a week later. Lydia and I are telling the whole saga to my husband and the rest of the kids. We’re dying laughing as we describe how Lydia’s plush ended up being named Linus…and how our Linus chose the worst possible stuffed animal in the entire lineup.

The kids ask to see a picture of the one he originally grabbed, so I pull it up on good ol’ trusty Google.

Sorry, you can’t unsee this:

Linus runs over, sees the screen, and immediately shouts:

“It’s PUT ME BACK!”

I stared at him, completely bewildered.

Put Me Back…what?

Put me—oh.

OH.

Lydia and I locked eyes and absolutely lost it.

He thought the plushie’s NAME was “Put Me Back.” The sarcasm sailed right over his three-year-old head and landed as canon truth.

And now, in his little three-year-old mind, that horrifying chameleon-thing is actually named “Put Me Back.”

We laughed about it for days.

So…you’re welcome. I will never, EVER carry this “chameleon” 🥴 at Colorado Baby. You’re safe. Your child is safe. Everyone is SAFE. (Although, full confession: I did see on the Palm Pal website that this little creep is “Going Away,” and I weirdly feel like I need to buy one just so this story can live forever.)

Now Let’s Talk About Things I Will Actually Sell You

Moving on…let’s talk about what we do carry at Colorado Baby, because the holidays are upon us. You need Christmas gifts—but not junk. Not “just spending money.” Not something that’ll break before New Year’s. And definitely nothing that will worsen an already wobbly relationship with the “picky” daughter-in-law (hi, she’s our customer, and we LOVE her).

Friend…We are HERE FOR YOU. This is YOUR moment. This is OUR moment.

Let’s unite our moments for the perfect outcome: you being the holiday hero who brings a gift mom is actually excited to receive.

Your Daughter-in-Law’s Happy Place (You’re Welcome)

Come, come…Grandma Sue, imagine you’re Simba, and I’m Mufasa, and we’re looking out across Colorado Baby.

“Look, Simba: Everything the light touches is our kingdom…”

Basically, what I’m trying to say is: if it’s inside Colorado Baby, it’s part of the kingdom your daughter-in-law relishes in.

Daughters-in-law, back me up here: reply and confirm so I can anonymously quote you in a future email. Don’t leave me out to dry—I’m really trying for you. 💪

So, let me show you a few things this holiday season. And don’t worry—I’ll close out this email with all the holiday shenanigans we’ve got going on, too, in case you need extra incentive to shop with us. (As if this email isn’t incentive enough. I feel like that clapping monkey: “Give me money and I’ll keep clapping for you.”)

OH MY WORD. That is not the analogy I wanted. 😂 I just Googled it so I could drop in a picture for you. UM, WHAT. Pure nightmare fuel. If you want to see it (don't dooooo itttt), click here. Otherwise, here’s a cute image that’s closer to what I pictured:

​

Holiday Finds So Good…They Might Go Permanent

Every holiday season, I bring in products we don’t carry year-round (space is limited…). But every now and then, one of those items is SUCH a hit it practically begs to stay forever. And honestly? I’d be foolish to say no. You’d fall in love, then buy it somewhere else, and well…that’s how small shops die dramatic deaths.

Case in point: Air Toobz, from Fat Brain Toy Co.

Side note: Is that not the grossest brand name? I avoided them for years because of it. But the toys are phenomenal—sensory-forward, out-of-the-box, clearly engineered by people who know their stuff.

Air Toobz are basically a marble run on st-AIR-oids (sorry, couldn’t resist). We have it set up in the store, and it’s a blast. Configure it in tons of ways, add accessories, adjust air pressure—hello, cause and effect heaven.

If you need proof this toy is magical, click here to watch two different Colorado Baby kids playing with it. Tell me you don’t want to try it after that.

The box says “3 to ADULT,” which is spot-on. Buy it for your grandkid or for Grandpa John—everyone gets in on this one. I’d say the sweet spot is ages 3–7, but honestly, all ages will have a blast (we had multiple dads this week pretending to “supervise” and then whispering that THEY want one for themselves 😂).

​Saranoni Animal Rockers - Look at these beauts 😍

(“Beauts” = “byoo-ts,” plural of “beaut,” meaning something beautiful or remarkable.)

These cuties come from our most favorite luxuriously-soft blanket brand, Saranoni — which means they are Saranoni-level soft. Like, the same buttery, melt-in-your-hand softness as the blankets. The rockers have a wooden handle and base and are perfect for ages 1–4. They’ll bring CLASS to your house instead of clutter. WINNING.

​Kaloo Dolls​

These are an oldie (as in, we’ve carried them for years) but a goodie around here. Many a child in town has one of these little dollies in their collection. They’re the PERFECT clutching size and ridiculously soft. Made by a French company that’s been designing soft, enchanting toys since 1998. We love the French.

(Although full disclosure: my entire French knowledge base is French fries, French dips, and French toast — which, turns out, are about as French as I am.)

​Hey Clay​

Brought to you by Fat Brain Toy Co. once again. I’m telling ya…they’re geniuses.

Hey Clay is air-dry clay—not the wet, sticky, tacky stuff. It comes with a super easy app (and trust me, I’m as averse to extra apps on my phone as I am to extra kitchen gadgets on my counter). But this app? SO easy. And you can delete it when you’re done.

The app walks your child (or you!) step-by-step through the creations. Last year, one family bought a couple sets “to take up to the cabin” for Christmas Day — and let me clarify, this was a cabin full of grown adults who made Hey Clay their holiday activity. They told me and I thought, “Yes. They're doing Cabin Christmas right.”

​Super Petit Mini Play Mat​

Not a toy per se, but such a cool (and practical!), out-of-the-box gift. It’s a food-grade silicone placemat with a design to color on one side (wipes clean) and a blank side on the back for drawing.

Take it to restaurants. Use it at Grandma’s. Grandma Carol — buy this for your house! My grandma had kids’ plates and cups (that played music??? 😂) when we visited, and we always felt so special. I would’ve LOVED a reusable placemat like this back in the 90s.

​Egmont​

Not one toy — the whole brand. We brought Egmont in last Christmas and it was an instant hit. Their look is SO classic and timeless. Moms LOVE it. It’s nostalgic in the best way, and we are HERE FOR IT.

Grandma Nancy, click that link and peep the ADORABLE Tin Tea Sets. We only brought in two because they’re on the pricier side, but a couple of grandmas out there will appreciate this timeless gift. I played with tin dishes as a kid — these take me right back. Truly presh’ (ie. precious).

A Few More Christmas-y Things

I’d be remiss if I blew past our cute Christmas jammies, holiday outfits, and Santa plate…

Every year we bring in organic cotton PJs by Lovedbaby — newborn through 3T. You can outfit any size of small child in your life.

Also check out our newest Quincy Mae collection, which is our “Holiday Wear” this year. Look for the Forest Check and Holly Berry pieces. And please don’t skip the matching tights — they pair perfectly with the Holly Berry dress and the Forest Check Callie Romper.​

Now…Grandma Cheryl, a little PSA. Santa hasn’t been as wildly embraced by moms of today, so before you grab the adorable Santa plate set we brought in*, make sure the family does the Santa tradition. And for our moms who do — LOOK HOW CUTE this plate set is! And that price point! Like…whaaaaat??? I couldn’t pass it up.

*This plate set is on order and we are hoping for a delivery between 11/28-11/30. Order online now to guarantee you get one (we only ordered a few).

Ok folks, I could talk your ear off (clearly) about all the holiday items. But I’ll keep it simple: if it’s in the store, we chose it carefully. Come browse or ask for ideas—we’re here for you.

Gift Wrapping, Shipping, and Saving Your Sanity

DON’T FORGET…we offer free gift wrapping!

We do it all year, but at Christmas we turn into full-on wrapping elves. Please be patient as we wrap gifts and ring everyone up—this is our busiest time of year, and your kindness means so much. It’s also the one time we put out a tip jar. Your tips fuel our Kiln Coffee Bar + Main Street Bagels runs. Thank you for letting us be part of your holiday.

One more thing—we can ship gifts for you, too.

Skip the post office lines, skip the packing supplies, and we’ll email your tracking info.

With the holiday rush (and carriers raising rates), we’re adding a small seasonal send-off fee of $5 per package (for in-store purchases), plus our regular shipping rates (starting at $7.95).

Tiny disclaimer: once your package leaves our shop, it’s fully at the mercy of the postal system…which makes me want to go postal every year. If your package is delayed, punted, dropped, launched, or rerouted to Albuquerque, please don’t blame us. We can ship it—we just can’t babysit it.

Black Friday → Small Biz Saturday → Cyber Monday

Let’s wrap this up with what’s happening for the busiest weekend of the year.

This year, I’m trying something new. We added amazing new staff—now a team of 8 moms (one grandma!). My family walked through some curveballs, and it pushed me to lean on my team more and give them more ownership. That’s leadership: equipping your people.

And wow—they crushed it. They planned a whole holiday promotion, designed graphics, ordered product, brainstormed together… all the things. Proud mama hen moment.

Here’s what they created:

A Colorado Baby Bingo game running from Black Friday (11/28) through December 24th! Grab a card in-store. Each time you shop, get stamps—each stamp = an entry for prizes.

Several prizes, but here are two key ones:

• Coffee with yours truly 💁🏻‍♀️ (60 min to pick my brain)
• A $100 Colorado Baby gift card

More ways to earn entries: get a BINGO, get a blackout, or buy select stocking stuffers. Details will be in-store and on socials. LET’S HAVE FUN!

Now—those promotions run through the whole holiday season. Here’s what’s specific to this coming weekend:

Black Friday (11/28/25)

• 20% off all items here
• 30% off all items here​
• 50% off all items here​

(Sale prices will appear at the designated time once items are added to your cart.)

• FREE high fives from Megan at the door (we open at 10am). Tell me you read the newsletter and you get a complimentary high five. 🖐

Timing for these Deals:

• Online deals run 10am–11:59pm MST
• In-store deals run 10am–5pm

(If you show up at 9:58am…I will wave at you through the glass like it’s a zoo.)

Small Business Saturday (11/29/25)

• Spend $75+, and snag a free gift (we chose eco-friendly options, valued at $15–$18). Want to know what it is? You’ll have to come in Saturday.
• FREE high fives from Megan at the door (we open at 10am). Tell me you read the newsletter and you get a complimentary high five. 🖐

Cyber Monday (12/1/25)

Still deciding how far I want to take this one. For the past 6 or 7 (BAHAHAHAH 🤪 IYKYK) years I’ve done live videos on Instagram throughout the day—deep discounts, games, giveaways, chaos, FUN.

If this is something you’d show up for AND SHOP, click here (this is how you cast a vote for yes). DON'T CLICK THAT IF YOU AREN'T GOING TO PARTICIPATE.

If there’s enough interest, I’ll run Cyber Monday just like we always do—with the annual after-party too. I’ll make the decision based on the responses from this newsletter.

Specials all weekend (Black Friday–Cyber Monday)

• ​Last Chance Items: extra 20% off already reduced prices
• Veer Wagons: free foldable basket with wagon purchase ($80 value)
• Products marked with our bear (in-store) are 25% off

*Online customers: discounts will be automatically applied at checkout for Black Friday and the further discounted Last Chance Items. NO CODE NEEDED.

You’re the MVP (Seriously) So Here’s Some Coffee

This newsletter feels like Thanksgiving dinner.
​Me: spending 8–10 hours prepping, cooking, editing, plating.
You: done in 15–20 minutes and asking, “What’s next?”
Duh…you come into Colorado Baby, rave about the “meal,” and casually grab a few holiday gifts while you’re at it.

You are the real MVP.

As a thank you, I strong-armed Kiln into another little promo (not the first time, won’t be the last). We’ve got 30 free Kiln drink cards sitting here like tiny caffeine soldiers waiting to serve you.

Come snag one today (Tuesday) or Wednesday. Redeem anytime — but pickup is only during those two days. If you show up after they’re gone…tough luck, homie. Your free coffee will be on YOU, not me.

To unlock the sacred drink card from my staff, you must confidently say the password:

PUT ME BACK

Thank you for supporting local this holiday season—it truly makes a difference in our community.

Where moms become who they aspire to be…Colorado Baby.​
​

Cheers,

Megan

PS: Moms! Don’t forget our Annual Moms Night Out: Wrap n Yap on Monday, December 22nd from 7–9pm. Bring your gifts and scissors—we’ll hang out on the floor, chat, and wrap together. We supply all the wrap; you bring the yap. Space is limited, so grab your spot!