Tricky Peanut: Aspiring to a small business that does what it does very well is a noble pursuit. -Narenda Rocherolle

So I'm sure it must seem like I'm getting kickbacks or payola from the various deal-a-day Web sites I've posted about this week, but with the holidays looming nearer by the minute (well that's certainly not the Christmas spirit, Erin!), I thought sharing good deals on super-cute baby bits would be beneficial for everyone involved. I will return to non-retail postings soon, but if I find something my kiddos and your kiddos can't live without, I'm going to let you know about it! Case in point...

A couple of weekends ago, my mom, the girls and I went to the 29th-Annual Loveland High School Art & Craft Expo in an effort to escape Dad and Pat's lamp-repair shenanigans. It was an amazingly organized, well-thought-out event and we found some wonderful items for our friends and family alike--Ella even received some homemade dog biscuits that were made/sold by a local Girl Scout troop. Go Girl Scouts!

Out of more than 200 artists and crafters, there were two vendors that really stood out to us and I wanted to tell you about them in case their wares might make ideal holiday gifts for someone on your list. First was Weber Farms of Verona, Kentucky. A small family-run farm, the Webers grow produce, raise goats and other animals, keep bees, and produce some amazing natural skin care products. We'd never heard of Weber Farms or their lotions/soaps/balms/butters/etc., but the line at their booth was a pretty good indication that they were offering products worth taking a look at.

Suffering from a wicked case of cracked knuckles brought on by the change of the season (and about three loads of laundry every day), I asked Mrs. Weber what she'd recommend for my beyond-dish-pan-hands. She quickly placed one of their lotion bars in my hands and within a matter of minutes, my knuckles stopped throbbing and lost their oh-so-sexy sandpaper texture. So sad, I know! ;-) Needless to say, I picked up a couple of the bars, as well as some of their all-natural baby wash, a few cakes of their goat's milk soap and a brochure so I could reorder as necessary. And though you'd think I must have broken the bank to afford so many natural, handmade goodies, I didn't even reach the $25 mark. Take that, Whole Foods! If nothing else came from our visit to the LHS Expo, I am beyond thrilled to have found such a gem of a product/vendor and to have the opportunity to support such an amazing way of life. To explore the Weber family's complete product line, be sure to visit their online store.

The other booth we fell in love with was of a different ilk than the Webers', but it also offered some absolutely wonderful handmade items. According to their Etsy profile, Bloom~N~Bows is a two-woman operation (based just down the road from us) dedicated to creating personalized gifts and apparel for infants, toddlers and adults.Of course, what really caught our attention were their ADORABLE tutu ensembles and one of my all-time-favorite baby bits, fancy fanny bloomers! These extremely talented ladies have created an amazing line of custom-made, personalized gifts/apparel that is as extensive as it is darling. Plus, being a small-business-owning mom myself, I jump at the chance to support other women who are setting their own course in the professional world. So, if you'd like to take a look at what Bloom~N~Bows has to offer, click on over to their Etsy store.

All-in-all, our trip to the LHS Expo was a very worthwhile endeavor. If you're a tri-stater, I'd definitely recommend your own outing next year--if nothing else, go for the fresh-made kettle corn! Plus, by the time we got home from our excursion, the dodgy lamp was fixed and the boys were ready to take their beautiful girls--all four of us--out to lunch! Not a bad day by any stretch!

I guess that's all I've got for today. I hope the final hours of your weekend are full of fun and sunshine--and if sunshine isn't an option, may they be even more chock-full of fun!