Penelope's Pitstop » The Woodlands, TX: Local

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!

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!

Oh My Gluestick

Penelope — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:45:40 +0000

Oh my word! I mean gluestick. I set about to find a great theme for my precious one-year-old’s birthday. Having three boys, we have already had a whole lot of great boy parties to date. But, I wanted something special for #3, yet something still “baby-ish”. As I perused the Internet, I decided a monkey party would be fun. Then, I landed on Oh My Gluestick’s Sock Monkey Party page and my decision was made. #3 would have a Sock Monkey Party! Not only are sock monkeys cute, but my husband’s “lovey” as a child was his sock monkey. He carried it over his shoulder by the tail, thus why the poor monkey’s tail is 2 feet long. I knew my husband would love the idea as well.

When I contacted Tommie, at Oh My Gluestick, she was wonderful to work with. I found a card I liked and she worked with me on customizing it and “Voila!!” Her cards are darling…even beyond the Sock Monkey theme. The best part was that she sent me the PDF and I had it printed myself. No worrying about shipping and arriving on time…especially since I was already running late with getting the invitations out. You just order from her Etsy shop and a couple days later, your design is in your inbox. What a breeze! It just might have been my easiest invitations, yet. Not only does she make cute invitations, but all the accessories to go along with a great party…party hats, thank-you notes and more!

More exciting to me is that Oh My Gluestick is based in the Houston, Texas area. On September 11, 18, and 25th, she will be at Arts in the Park in The Woodlands, Creekside with all her cute things. If you are local, come out and support her and all the local artists!

Just because I worked hard on my Sock Monkey cake, inspired by Oh My Gluestick, I am sharing it with you here…

The things I make myself do! I can appreciate a good challenge, but sometimes things are just out of my reach. This one was borderline, but I feel a sense of accomplishment. At least it’s identifiable…right?

E B-Dazzled

Penelope — Wed, 19 May 2010 17:12:07 +0000

I discovered these great ladies the first season my son started playing Little League in The Woodlands. They are a local company, but will ship anywhere. I noticed all the mom’s wearing cute baseball shirts with lots of bling to the games and soon figured out E B-Dazzled was the place to go. Here, the boys play on teams named after the American and National League Baseball Teams. So, each season, the moms order a new shirt with a new team logo on it. My thinking was that by the time I had three boys in baseball, I would have a shirt for every team! So, I went with a “Baseball Mom” shirt that they designed for me until we get on a team I have some personal loyalty to. They will design anything you want!

Here’s a little hometeam pride…

Texas Rangers…

While baseball is OUR thing, they do all sports, all teams, high school, college, professional. They even have “Dance Mom” items (I will never fill THOSE shoes)…

Their ideas go well beyond the sporting world to seasonal shirts, girls weekends, wine lovers, T-shirts, hats, belts…you just gotta go check them out to see all the choices! Their website is the best way to get in touch with them, but because they have SO many items, I have found that their Facebook Fan Page is the best resource to see what they have. Have fun!

Buc-ees

Penelope — Wed, 12 May 2010 17:18:12 +0000

If you are from the Houston area, then yes, it’s true. I am blogging on a gas station. But this is no ordinary gas station, my friends. When we moved to the Houston area two years ago, I immediately started noticing people wearing shirts with a big beaver on the front. Adults and kids alike. THEN, I noticed cars with the same beaver sticker on them. I finally figured out there was a true following, possibly cultic following of Buc-ees gas stations.

There are currently 18 locations in and around the Houston area. We pass one on our way to Oklahoma about 45 minutes after we leave our house. Because it is so close, we have never stopped there simply because at 45 minutes, the kids are finally settling in and getting quiet for our long ride home. However, people love Buc-ees. Friends from Houston make Buc-ees their first stop on a road trip north. So, I had to find out what the fuss was all about.

I was alone and driving back home and decided to make a dash to Buc-ees. First, there is no dash. Buc-ees is amazing…cue the Wally World music. At first notice, you see an impeccably clean and organized gas station despite the hundreds, and I mean hundreds of people filtering in and out. As I walked around the store, I saw food and gifts of great varieties.

The food. Oh, the food….homemade fudge behind a deli bar with at least 50 choices of flavors. The same goes for homemade beef jerky. I am not a jerky girl, but the assortment and freshness of beef jerky made even me want to try it.

They have fresh deli sandwiches, desserts, and the standard cokes, candy, etc. But who sees that stuff when “fresh” is everywhere you turn?

The gifts…a baby section with darling clothes, toys and books… A native Texan section with everything you can think of with a Texas flag or the state of Texas on it… A Texas College section with college paraphernalia and clothing. There is even a cooking section with cookbooks and kitchen items…CUTE kitchen items.

Everyone that works there is friendly, dressed nice, have all their teeth and not covered in tats. That is a rule for hire…no outward piercings, tats and no criminal history. The people that work there are upstanding citizens and they appear to really enjoy their job.

Next door to this amazing wonder store is the Outdoor Store.

In the Outdoor Store, they sell furniture, gifts, clothing, cookware…all of the rustic sort.

An outdoorsman’s kind of store. Antlers are a-plenty. I was amazed at what they had to offer and was thinking that I should of brought a U-Haul with me to the middle of nowhere on I-45!

After being at Buc-ees for at least an hour, I came home with a T-shirt for everyone in my family (we had to conform!), a few gifts, and a few pieces of Texas paraphernalia. If you are anywhere near any of the Buc-ees locations, run, don’t walk. It will certainly be one of the best potty stops you will make in the Houston area. I can only hope that Buc-ees continues to grow and spread north…all the way to Oklahoma so I can make every stop a Buc-ees stop!

Bake at 350

Penelope — Mon, 03 May 2010 17:02:41 +0000

My friends, every once in awhile I find a foodie blog that I think is particularly exceptional. Sometimes I like the author, the pictures, the recipes. In the case of Bake at 350, I love it all. I found Bridgett at Bake at 350 via The Pioneer Woman’s recipe site, The Tasty Kitchen. Once I started stalking Bake at 350, I quickly discovered this amazing girl lives in my town! Seriously!

Bake at 350 has the CUTEST cookies I have ever seen. She is clearly an artist with A LOT of patience. My level of commitment to icing a cookie would be much more of a “slap it on” kind of a job than her beautiful artwork. The great part is, she ships those cookies anywhere you are! However, she is one popular girl, so do plan ahead and get your order in ahead of time. I typically think a week in advance…I would start thinking a month. Her cookies are adorable, plus she has some great treats she throws in every once in awhile to make with kids. She is definitely a kid-friendly blogger. Check her out. Add her to your Blog Roll, Blog Reader…you won’t be disappointed in Bridget at Bake at 350. I love it!

I have boys, so I was first drawn to these…

I absolutely love Hostess cupcakes, so check these out…and they have the creamy middle!!

Pickles and ice cream for the baby shower…how cute is that?

You are guaranteed to swoon over every cookie you find. Not to mention, if you want something special, all you gotta do is ask! The girl is creative and I think it’s possible that she can do absolutely anything…

Woodlands Family Magazine

Penelope — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:06:35 +0000

Here at Penelope’s Pitstop, we have given props to some Tulsa locals and it’s time to give some Woodlands props! A well-deserved praise at that.

I ”got to know” Cindy at The Woodlands Family Magazine (click for a digital version) a little over a year ago. We are cyber friends, hopefully to meet someday soon. She was interested in K-Life (my Cause) and generously supported our cause through her brand new magazine, The Woodlands Family Magazine. If you are from The Woodlands you know that there are at least five monthly local magazines about houses, real estate, physicians, and local events. While they are each great resources, there are just enough magazines that pertain to similar subjects that they don’t all get read in my house every month. The Woodlands Family Magazine is a different story.

When I received my first issue I was a little nervous as Cindy had asked to feature our family as the Family of the Month. Oh dear! I was enamored from page one. It truly is a family magazine. They focus on local kid activities, general kid ideas like art projects and fun activities to do with your kids. She has a baby announcement section (which my sweet baby co-starred in one month). Everything about the magazine is darling and really feels like a local magazine for families. I love it!

The Woodlands Family Magazine is free if you pick it up in local doctor’s offices or Kroger’s. However, you can also subscribe with the luxury of having it delivered to your doorstep…or postal box if you are a local. I look forward to it every month.

So spread the word all you local fans. Pick up your issue now, or subscribe online. You won’t be disappointed!

Texas Tables

Penelope — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:41:23 +0000

Texas Tables is yet, another fabulous cookbook that would be a great last minute Christmas gift! I love Junior League Cookbooks not only because they have great recipes, but they are getting prettier and prettier. This cookbook is beautiful! So for the pretty cookbook collector, this cookbook is as much of a “must-have” as it is for the cook. The book itself has beautiful photography and fantastic recipes. Even my mom, who is a fabulous cook, but not a die-hard cookbook connoisseur decided to buy one after looking through it, commenting that it had a lot of really good and useable recipes! Enough said. If my momma likes it, you will, too!

If you purchase via the link above, it is also available for FREE shipping! Last minute gift…check!

For the record, The Junior League of North Harris and South Montgomery County is just a mouthful for the Junior League of The Woodlands, Texas.

One Hip Mom

Penelope — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:52:00 +0000

The past two weekends I have made it to two of my very favorite places to shop…Holiday Markets. I love the boutique shops, I love the feel, I love the spirit of Christmas, I love it all! My sweet friend, Liz, who made it to one of the markets, sent me the website for one of her favorite booths at The Woodlands Junior League Holiday Market. As it turns out, it was my favorite, too. At least, it was where I spent the most money and again the next weekend at the Nutcracker Market in Houston. Drum roll, please…… One Hip Mom. She is actually from Spring, Texas which, officially, is the city I live in. This is all the more exciting so I can just hop on over and knock on her door anytime I want something, right?

Let’s start with the awesome belt buckles. I got the cutest jeweled buckle. Unfortunately, a lot of her things aren’t on-line. Not sure if they will be or not. I am sure she sells out so fast at the markets that it is hard to keep it all up-to-date on-line. I love the interchangeable buckles, so I splurged on a new one for me. Don’t you think it’s cute? I almost bought this for my sister…but I didn’t.

Her T-shirts were to die for. There is nothing that I am more excited about than the fact that T-shirts are completely in style now. My day has finally come! In fact, almost every booth had cute T’s. I fell in love with the “boymom” T-shirt myself. I passed it up at first, then I saw everyone else wearing it the next day, so I had to have one, too.

If you peruse One Hip Mom’s website you might see that we have bit in common….Yellow Box Shoes, Peace Love Mom shirts, the Clinging Cross.

Someone’s got great taste

Texas Ties Cookbook

Penelope — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:16:00 +0000

Anybody like to cook? I have discovered a fabulous cookbook…a Junior League Cookbook, at that! I think Junior League cookbooks are some of the best. Texas Ties is the cookbook for the North Harris County and South Montgomery County Junior League (aka The Woodlands, TX area). It is a hardcover book with over 350 wonderful recipes. I haven’t cooked them all, but I have made a few and they are delicious! You don’t just have to believe me, as it won the Regional Tabasco Community Cookbook Award when it was published. That speaks for itself.

Texas Ties has 7 sections, which a special “Comfort Foods” section…my kind of section, baby! For all you cookbook collectors, this is your kind of cookbook. If you would like one, you can email me at penelopesstop@gmail.com or find it in the Paraphernalia store to the left. Cookbooks are $19.95 plus shipping. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am!