Elizabeth Todd is one of the best marketers I know. The woman knows how to make a splash and create a wonderful customer experience. Her Men’s Night party during the holidays is freaking genius, and I wish I had thought of it. Mostly I wish I had thought of a lot of the things she does. As you know imitation is the highest form of flattery, so we are taking a page from Elizabeth’s book. Instead of bourbon and brats for men to shop for the women in their lives, we are doing milk and cookies for kids to shop for the mothers in their lives. It’s a kiddos-only party!

One of the things I did not do well as a parent is instill the thoughtfulness of gift giving in my children. I did all the work for them when it came to giving presents to family and each other – which is a totally wasted opportunity for someone who owns a card store and a gift store. Ugh. With this party we are hoping to remedy that for the next generation. We want to give kids the opportunity to practice kindness and generosity. If it’s in service of a mom or mom-like person, then all the better!

From 10am to 12pm on Sunday, May 5, bring your kiddos (or send someone with them!) to Red Barn Mercantile to do a little shopping for Mom, Grandma, or anyone that serves that motherly role in their lives. We will have crafts, a snack (so maybe not quite milk & cookies), and $5 in Red Barn bucks that they can spend toward a wonderful Mother’s Day gift. It will be fun for kids and painless for parents!

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