Penelope's Pitstop » Pitstop

Back To School!!

Penelope — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:26:18 +0000

Forgive my absence, my friends! I am still here and still tied to Penelope’s Pitstop. Not only am I working hard on getting Tippie Toads going and keeping up with those orders, I am juggling 3 kids, a husband, and a sick doggy . And I thought I would have MORE time this summer to work…ha! I just wanted to let you know that Tippie Toads is growing and I am so excited about it. I am adding new products every week. This week, I added:

Darling aluminum water bottles in 4 different styles:

Memo Pads…

Binders (cutomized front, back and spine)…

Trivets/Large Coasters…

And acrylic rulers…

All designs can be customized in any design on the site. Click on over to www.TippieToads.com and check out all the fun things! Still working on new projects so keep checking back, as well!

A final plea..I am trying to grow my fans on Facebook and I am stuck at 92. I would love to top 100 and more. Would you please fan Tippie Toads on Facebook? Thanks so much!

Sports Invitations

Penelope — Sun, 22 May 2011 15:44:43 +0000

My sweet middle child just turned 5 last week. He is absolutely obsessed with baseball, so I opted for a new birthday idea and we had our party at Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros. I thought it would be fun and definitely more fun for the parents. It was beyond our expectations. Everyone had a blast. While I was searching on-line for the perfect party invitations, I landed on QTPieWrappers. They have a variety of ticket-related invitations, but I was thrilled to discover invitations that looked like Houston Astros Game tickets. I ordered them immediately. Seeing as how I am usually running a bit late in the invitation department, I was thrilled when they arrived just a few days later. AND, they were perfect.

Since the party was a good 30-45 minutes away, I knew the parents would want to come, too. So, everyone received enough invitations for everyone in their family…just like game tickets. They were so believable that guests even arrived with their tickets in hand! These are not only awesome for birthday parties, but tailgates, kids (and adults) sporting events. We loved them and I was perfectly pleased with QTPie Wrappers.

Tippie Toads Blog

Penelope — Tue, 17 May 2011 18:54:29 +0000

Hey there Pitstop Fans! As you may know, the little time I have during the day has been greatly focused on opening my new on-line store, Tippie Toads. I am having so much fun with it and promise not to forsake Penelope’s Pitstop forever. I still plan on posting great things I find (and things you find, too!) right here. I, of course, think most of the things at Tippie Toads are fantastic, too. Many of them I found by way of Penelope’s Pitstop to begin with.

Today, I launched my Tippie Toads Blog. And I also have a Facebook page. You have been so faithful to Penelope’s Pitstop, I think you will enjoy Tippie Toads as much! I invite you to check out my new blog, my new store and my Facebook page. You can become a fan if you like, too Thank you so much!

Lunch Boxes

Penelope — Mon, 16 May 2011 18:47:38 +0000

I have gradually worked my way into this crazy world of Tippie Toads. I am having so much fun doing it! Today, Tippie Toads is officially in the lunchbox business! I am so nervous wondering, “What if?” What if people don’t like them? What if the designs aren’t cute? I am over-thinking it, but mostly nervous because these are my own…I hope you will hop over to Tippie Toads and check out the new lunchbox designs and get a jump on lunchbox purchases for the fall. If you use LUNCHBOX20, you will receive 20% off lunchboxes if you order by Wednesday the 18th.

If you click over to Facebook, you can enter to win a lunchbox of your choice…And if you share it with your friends, you can enter again! Thanks friends, for all your fabulous support! New designs and new products are still in the works!

Tippie Toads

Penelope — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:55:41 +0000

Today, I launched Tippie Toads, my first ever online store with custom tees and personalized stationery to start! I have big dreams and plans for many more cute things, providing my one-year-old will take good naps Please check it out and let me know what you think! I always love to hear suggestions and compliments, too.

I started selling paper and tee’s on a whim last year and had no idea what it would lead to. I sold them out of my house for fun and, understandably, everyone wants a website. I am, of course, an avid online shopper and knew I had to figure out how to create an online store. My background is in the medical field and I find it a great challenge and lots of fun to figure this whole computer world out…albeit slowly. I am really excited about Tippie Toads (in honor of my TCU Horned Frogs!) and have plans to add many more cute gifts and accessories as I grow.

Feel free to “Like” Tippie Toads on Facebook and share it with your friends.

Cutting Glove

Penelope — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 14:25:22 +0000

Last week, my mom had a health scare when she discovered she had a very large blood clot in her leg. It was a miracle that they found it before anything devastating happened. Since then, she is facing the inevitable 6 months of Coumadin to keep her blood thin to allow the clot to heal. This is not something any of us are thrilled about, but at the same time, we are grateful that there is a solution to remedy her problem. Because Coumadin keeps her blood thin, she can’t have any sort of bleeding event…none. If so, her blood won’t clot and she will bleed out. This includes cutting her fingers with a knife while cooking. This is a skill I acquired from my mom. I have several scars on my fingers from cutting them while chopping onions or whatnot. We cut our fingers a lot.

What I should get her is a knife cutting class at the Viking Store…and I should join her. However, time is of the essence and I set out to buy her a cutting glove. This little glove feels pretty soft, but it is made from stainless steel fibers to prevent slicing of her fingers. I was expecting it to be like a suit of armour, but it’s a rather comfortable little glove. In hindsight, I should have purchased one for me as well.

Grammy is excited about her new gift. Should you surprise her in the kitchen, she will be chopping away with a silver glove on her left hand resembling the likes of Michael Jackson. Hopefully, it will save her the trauma of a small cut that could turn ugly. The next step is to buy her that suit of armour to protect the rest of her body while simply walking down the street…

Star Wars for Easter!

Penelope — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 20:27:34 +0000

I have a hard time finding something for my boys’ Easter baskets every year they get older. I find so many cute and pink and fluffy and girly things…but not for three boys. This year, I just struck it rich at Williams-Sonoma. Darth Vader and Storm Trooper spatulas (for Easter morning pancakes) with embroidered Star Wars Aprons and those yummy Star Wars Cookies to boot! They have so many cute Star Wars things at Williams-Sonoma and they just helped me fill the boys’ Easter baskets with things they will love.

I hope it isn’t sacriligious to give “Dark Side” gifts on the day we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection! Easter baskets and bunnies aren’t exactly spiritual anyway, right?

Valentine Cards at Write Away

Penelope — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 04:10:44 +0000

I LOVE sending out Valentine’s Cards…as long as I can get a picture snapped in time:) Write Away has some darling Valentine ideas. We are doing more custom cards, as well, so feel free to contact me for a more customized card for your family!

Contact pennysampler(at)yahoo(dot)com to place a personal order. Or, order via www.writeaway.com and select “Penny Sampler” as your rep. Thank you!

Heaven Is for Real

Penelope — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 12:01:09 +0000

My mom introduced me to this book this past weekend while I was in the hospital. This young boy, Colton, is related to someone from my hometown. I called the bookstore, had it held, and my mom brought it to me in my bed. I read it in a day. I am a Christian, and I love hearing stories about Heaven and angels and miracles. I love to hear how God works in people’s lives. This book was different, though. For the skeptic, the cynic, or the non-believer, this book could be just for you. Heaven is For Realis about a 4 year-old boy who was very sick after his appendix burst. Using all medical logic, he should have died. Months after his miraculous recovery he mentioned in conversation with his parents that “angels sang to him” when he was in the hospital. As his parents probed, not wanting to plant any pre-conceived thoughts in his head, this 4 year-old boys reported things about heaven that even many adults don’t know. He couldn’t read and his parents were certain the depth of his knowledge was never covered in any 4-year-old Sunday School class he attended. Over the course of several years, information slowly came forth, allowing Colton to disclose his experience at his own pace. He met his great grand father in Heaven, “Pop.” He had never met him here on earth, but told his Dad how nice he was. One day, his Dad ran across a picture of “Pop” and Colton said that no one is Heaven was old and no one wore glasses (like the older picture of Pop.) A few weeks later, Colton’s dad had his mom mail him a picture of “Pop” as a young boy. When Colton saw it he said, “Yeah! That’s him!”

The details that Colton knew were amazing and even more amazing is how those details match scripture and the small taste of Heaven we receive in the Bible. There were many things he didn’t have names for like “sash” and “crown”, but he described them perfectly.

This is a great read. An easy read. A fresh take on Heaven from an untainted and child-like perspective. There is no way this little boy could know the things he knew without having some sort of heavenly experience. It will definitely make you think…

Recordable Storybooks

Penelope — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:06:43 +0000

These are fabulous! My mom and dad just gave one of these books to my boys and they love it…I love it! They are recordable Storybooks from Hallmark. When you go to the site, you can choose a book by occasion or you can choose from any number of your favorite children’s books. Once you purchase the book, it gives you step-by-step instructions for how to read and record your very own storybook.

Anyone can record at book…so your children can read over and over and have it read to them by you without having to read it over and over again Or, for us, we love having this sweet book that Grammy and Big Daddy read to my boys when they don’t live close to us at all. The boys can open their book and hear their voices anytime of day and they love it. Of course, Babe, who loves my mom and dad, jokes every time he hears the book, “There they are again!”

Everyone will love this sweet gift…great for Valentine’s Day! The best part is that you don’t have to stop at one. There are so many great books to choose from, have all your relatives near and far record a book for you and your little ones to treasure for years to come.