Meet the Psychobaby Brick and Mortar Holiday Crew!

Well, a few weeks back, we introduced you to our crew members that were workin' round the clock for Cyber Monday, and now we would like you to meet, if you haven't in person already, the Psychobaby brick and mortar gang - the ladies who wrap those gifts, throw dance parties with the kids, merchandise like elves on a Holiday cookie sugar high, never get tired of answering the question "why?" and always have a smile and an awesome gift idea for our cool, crazy clients. With no further ado, please meet the Chicago brick and mortar crew:

Katy: (assistant manager, obsessive scarf wearer, Hall and Oates fan)Always joking and always speaking in abbreviations to the point of where her peeps have to have group meetings to deicifer, KT (Katy) is the AM (assistant manager) of PB (Psychobaby). Basically born in a retail store in SL (St. Louis) herself, Katy loves to play with the k's (kids) that come in and figure out what makes 'em laugh, and is known throughout the land as the CSL (Crazy Sticker Lady). KT is on a RAR (monster) kick right now and so she would like to recommend the new custom Monster tee from the Psychobaby Brand and the Manhattan Monster Puppets as they make her LOL. Katy is currently the TC (Team Captain) of the PBWC (Psychobaby Wrapping Crew) which will be entering the next Olympics in the curling competition - the ribbon curling competition that is, where they will win in with an abbreviated time!


Natalia: (warehouse organizer, Crazy Cat Lady, the Riddler)
Natalia loves a question, which is why she is so thorough, and why she is in charge of keeping all the rest of us and our stock levels, in line and online. She's super fast, and we actually had to install a stoplight in the store to get that fancy photo you see to the left. To make matters faster, she's also an inline skating champion of sorts, which get her to her online work on time, and also make all that warehouse-y stuff much cooler and crazier - especially if you're not looking and she comes zooming by! Natalia makes work far more like a fast skate roller dome party but without the Debbie Gibson music playing, cos she prefers Chris Isaac! Natalia would like to recommend the Jellycat pull along dog (even though she likes cats) because they're inline/online as well, and the Melissa and Doug shopping cart, because, like Maverick and Goose, shefeelstheneedtheneedforspeed!


Jessica: (Crafty McGee, Vintage Hunter, Wrap Master DC)
When not on the sales floor of Psychobaby, Jessica can be found hunting for vintage treasure like a Chanel-inspired pirate (ahoy, quilting!), or taking cool photos in her hometown of Chicago. Ever the charming and convincing Accessorizor, if you meet Jessica, you too will soon think Every Outfit Needs A Belt and that Leggings Are The Way Of The Future. We think Jessica is who the Beastie Boys were talking about, as she is crafty and just our type, and so if you see a wonderful store display made of recycled parts and done up with calligraphy, you'll know who's behind it. Jessica would like to share all the Sesame Street puppets and plush with you because of their vintage appeal, the Melissa and Doug Pretty Purse Fill and Spill to start your gal's handbag collection off right, and anything from Alex Toys that involves googly eyes, sticky tissue and lots and lots of glitter.

Teresa: (Skinny Jean/Ballet Flat Enthusiast, Merchandising Maven, Barrette Queen)
The newest member of the Psychobaby crew, Teresa is loving to be surrounded by all the pretty, fun, flowery, glittery, sparkly-warkly cool, crazy girls' stuff at Psychobaby! Teresa loves everything in its place, and is The Merchandising Maven at Psychobaby - coming up with different folds for those denim and tees, and wowing guests with her themed combinations. Teresa would like to recommend the Melissa and Doug Mini Princess Castle, which she has magically, with a wave of her wand, turned into her other favorite holiday gifts, the Wooden Cupcake Decorating Kit, and the Schylling Musical Tea Set.

To see everything the crew loves, visit psychobaby, and if you are ever in our happenin' hood, stop in and say hi!

How Many Gifts Fit In A Yaris?

Well, we are speechless.

Many, many gifts for the kids of Association House fit into that lil Yaris - but not enough! The response to our Toy Drive for the Association House was unbelievable this year - and all in this year where many are struggling- so much so that we had to go get another car to fit in all the warm clothes, toys, books and presents for the kids!

To everyone who participated in the Toy Drive this year, we would like to send you a big, vivid bouquet of thanks through this here humble blog post. The feeling of the true meaning of the holiday spirit was zooming through our store front every time someone picked a child or children from the tree, explained to their own children that they were going to go shopping for another little one, or brought back a big bag of goodies for these children, who otherwise would have no other presents. You just can never know the full impact of that anonymous gift you gave - please know it warmed the hearts of a small child and their family, and that we are pretty darn sure a future leader of tomorrow will be reading those books and playing with those toys. You have made a giant difference in the world, and we would like to say thank you.

We also would like to take the time to thank the women and men of Association House, who dedicate their lives to helping Chicago families help themselves. You are the best.

Thank you.

To learn more about the Association House, please visit www.associationhouse.org

Holiday Gift Guide: Spice Up Your Holiday!

We're back Spicing It Up with cool gifts from our Holiday Gift Guide! Check out gift ideas below for those nearest and dearest!

Gifts for Babies and Kids:

(candy jar fill 'n spill, $19.99. psychobaby) The cutie little spiced gingerbread man is only one fifth of the fun for baby, who will enjoy shaking, rattling, squeaking, filling and spilling this delightful plush toy set!





(mini sizzlin' kitchen, $85. psychobaby) Your little ones will love to grill and chill with this retro sizzlin' kitchen, whose folding fun can be toted to grandma's to spice up their playdate!





(tummy tee, $28. psychobaby) This yummy tee has cool food graphics that are a ton of fun!






For Mom and Dad:

(iKaraoke, $60. fred flare)
Let's face it - there's no more wailing to "Livin' on a Prayer" at your favorite karaoke bar once you've got little ones. Once the kiddies are in bed, Mom and Dad can croon their love song together like the Captain and Tennille with the latest accessory for the iPod - the iKaraoke!




For the Holiday Chef:

(momofuku cookbook, $40. barnes and noble)
If they can't get to the Big Apple because they are busy making the Holiday desserts, spice up their present with David Chang's first cookbook, named after his super awesome restaurants. This one is double the fun because it reads like a book, and you can make those yummy pork buns....mmmmm.




For everybody with a sweet (and spicy!) tooth....so , okay, for everybody!



(bon bon assortment, $52. jacques torres)
Just trust us- yummy and pretty and pretty darn yummy. We can't type anymore, we need to go order a box!

Holiday Gift Guide: Give Me Some Sugar!

Welcome to our Holiday Gift Guide, where you'll find something sugary, spicy, naughty or nice-y for everyone on your list! Each day we will release a new theme to help you gift through the holiday season! To start, we will now sweeten your day with gifts that give ya a little sugar!

Gifts for Girls:

(give me some sugar tee, $28. psychobaby)
Well, we'll start with literal cuteness - this pink and white raglan from the Psychobaby brand with its cutie-candy font will sweeten an a.m. 'get ready for school!' deal you are currently negotiating.




(biofino black forest cake, $17. psychobaby)
No tea party is complete without something yummy to serve her guests, and she will love to 'slice' this plush and richly decorated cake and deliver to Grandma while they have their special Girls' Day In.



Stocking Stuffer Alert! (angel pacifier, $7. psychobaby)
Even though your little one doesn't know why that red thing is hanging from the mantle and not on someone's foot, she'll love that her stocking stuffer is so sweet and soothing!

Gifts for Boys:


(pop the pig game, $31. psychobaby)
We know its not ooey-gooey sugarness, but this game, which has you feed that lil pigge 'til he pops, is totally sweet!




(harley saddle bear chair, $62. psychobaby)
Who doesn't think a bear hug is sweet? Kids can get on while they read with this cool Saddle Bear Chair from Harley Davidson!




Stocking Stuffer Alert!
(fairytale wishes 'go away monster' aromatherapy, $10. psychobaby)
So, the word on the street is that monsters fear this yummy bubblegum-scented spray from Fairytale Wishes! Bubblegum can get caught in a monster's fur, so, no reason to fear- just spray away and everyone in the house will get a good night's sleep, which is better than having your very own chocolate factory.



Gift for Dad:
(math clock, $25. uncommon goods)
Those lovely moments when Daddy embraces his inner geek while helping with the homework are super sweet. Get him this cool gift so he can rock around the clock!




Gifts for Mom:
(heart to heart spiral tree, $39.95, things remembered)
Nothing is sweeter than having the entire family home for the Holidays! This spiral photo tree lets Mom hang with those she's close to during this special season!





For Your Babysitter:
(giant gummy bear, $29.95, vat19)
After you rig that Christmas bonus for your sitter, add some fun by heading straight for the grandaddy of all Gummy Bears! Equal to 1,400 regular bears, this 5 lb bad boy will pep your sitter up even after she's run after your kids at the park for hours!

Holiday Pictures with Frosty!

Week 4 of the Psychobaby Custom Shop Giveaway!

It is the final weekend of a month of giveaways for our newest selection of cool, crazy kids' stuff, and we are super jazzed! Every Friday - Monday on our blog, you can enter to win your choice of Psychobaby Custom Shop T-shirts! 5 Tees will be given out each weekend to lucky winners, who will get to personalize their style with their choice of 18 new designs:

The Flame Monogram (above)- one initial per tee
Flame Name tee on white/black layered tee - ten character maximum
The Tattoo heart in pink/black (above) or white/black- ten character maximum
I love my.... in white/black- ten character maximum
I love... in white/black- ten character maximum
Hello my name is... on black in red, blue or pink- ten character maximum
Princess Tiara on a white/pink raglan - ten character maximum
Cupcake Tee on pink/brown- ten character maximum
Candy Monogram on white/pink raglan - one initial per tee
Candy Custom Name on white/pink raglan - ten character maximum
Fuchsia Superstar or Red Superstar Name tees- ten character maximum
Graffiti Name Tee on white/black layered - ten character maximum
Custom Age Tees in Chocolate or Pink - one number per shirt (1y - 6y)

To enter, just leave a comment with which tee you'll pick if you are one of the lucky winners! As a special bonus, double entries will be given to our followers on twitter and fans on facebook (twitter followers, leave @name in the comments with your choice, facebook fans, please write fan after your selection.) Comments will be accepted through 11:59 pm CST on Monday. All winners will be chosen at random, announced on Tuesday, and will have three days to claim their cosy cotton goodness, which will be made especially for them by Psychobaby. We hope you enjoy the launch of the Psychobaby Custom Shop!

Psychobaby Friends & Family Holiday Shop + Pictures With Frosty

You're invited to the Psychobaby Friends & Family Holiday Hits Party in our brick and mortar store! We know y'all are busy making gingerbread houses and walking uphill in the snow to Grandma's and creating that Holiday Goodness, which is why this year, our brick and mortar is extending the party and making it three full days of fun for you and the kids! From Friday, December 4 - Sunday, December 6 enjoy 20% off everything in stock, with the added bonus of getting to shop late before dinner on Saturday and Sunday, 'cos we're staying open 'til 8! We'll have cool crafts all weekend for the kids, and if you stop in on Sunday from 12 - 4, Frosty the Snowman will be taking complimentary photos with everyone, because, as rumored, he is indeed a jolly, happy soul! If for some reason you can't make the shindig, we'll cry... just kidding- you can shop like a crazy elf online on Friday, using code HOLIDAY20 to get 20% off your purchases from the wee hours of the morn 'til 11:59 CST (we will tear up a little because we'll miss you, but we get it). Have fun and have a happy, happy start to the Holiday season!

About Town: Rockin' Auction, Sample Sale and Smart Art!

Well, we are feelin' the Holiday cheer over here at Psychobaby, and getting ready for our pictures with that jolly, happy soul Frosty on Sunday, December 4th from 12 -4. As we were getting ready, we hear about a bunch of cool events going on about town and wanted to share our top three:

Rock for Kids 21st Annual Rock 'n Roll Charity Auction:

Score items from Led Zeppelin, Barack Obama, Wilco, Bruce Springsteen AC/DC and more at the most rockin' charity event in Chicago! Visit the Park West December 4th, 2009 for all the festivities - 6PM (VIP Bash), 7PM (Auction) and the After party with DJ LA Jesus! All proceeds benefit Rock for Kids, a non-profit that provides free, year-round music lessons for children in need. To learn more about Rock for Kids and to purchase tickets for the event, visit rockforkids.org





Preview the Wicker Park Bucktown Holiday Smart Show!

We are so lucky to reside in the artist's haven of Wicker Park and Bucktown! As part of the Flat Iron's First Friday Program, on December 4th from 6 - 10 pm, you can have a sneak peek at the Holiday Smart Show! To get more info on participating artists like Kevin Lahvic and JoJo Baby, visit smartshow.org



Beta Boutique's Infant and Kids' Sample Sale!


Our coolio neighbors at Beta Boutique are throwing their first ever kids' sample sale this weekend, December 4 - 6. Stock up on yumminess from infant to tween at their not-to-miss sale! To learn more about Beta's happening, visit betaboutique.

Do you live in the Chicagoland area and know an event you want to share with our readers? If so, get to commenting, and spread that Holiday Cheer!

Join Our Association House Present Drive!

If you live in the Chicagoland area, please stop by our brick and mortar store and make the world a brighter place by picking an Angel off our tree and shopping for a little one from Association House. The need is so great this winter, so, if you can, please give a child a Happy and warm Holiday.