Introducing embroidered Spanish infant onesie, and a big screaming sale

Sweet and glorious Luca, 5-months, is wearing our latest design: embroidered "Los Pollitos Dicen Pio Pio Pio" onesies in our vibrant yellow and red.
They're so new they aren't even on our website yet.
I can't even properly describe just how amazingly cute these are.

If you want one now, you can e-mail me (mamahen at los pollitos dicen dot biz) or you can purchase them on our site very soon. $18. Size 6 months.
They're a great newborn gift.
No egg box, but each one comes with the lyrics to Los Pollitos.

In the only act of "de madre" Luca ever has displayed, he models our Feliz Cumpleaños onesie and announces that these guys, festive as they are, must go.
They're on super clearance - $7 dolores.
Get yours while they last. Some 4T are available.

Time to make room for new designs at Los Pollitos Dicen.
Pa'lante, my people, Pa'lante.

Oh, and hey, if you order a regularly priced t-shirt or onesie before May 31, you get a free bib. Designs include Candela, Gordito, Gordita and Los Pollitos Dicen.

Loving what we do and links you'll love

When Oscar, my Pollitos partner, and I worked together in the newsroom we cracked each other up with the silliest of things – cubanisms, stuff our padres said, things non-Latin Southern friends said to us about Latins. We were, for a time, the only Latins in the editorial department, and perhaps the entire building of 2,000 people. Of course, we bonded.

When he moved to Philadelphia, it was as if my little brother had left home. I give regular thanks to Ma Bell and Al Gore for allowing us to stay in touch via phone and long cable. We are on the phone and on-line together a lot and we still crack each other up. It can get absurdly silly and giddy when we talk about future designs and big plans.

We love this. We love what we do. We love that we produce a sweet gift, a colorful slice of culture, available to all Latins and the people who love them and la cultura. (That’s a lot of people, despite what the news says about long walls and raids.)

So, my days are made especially joyful when a customer writes and shows us their pollitos in Pollitos. (Makes us realize we’re not just giddy, crazy people.)

This came last week from my Miami friend Amanda. Her beautiful cubanito wears the Fo!/Stinky tee well.

This week another customer wrote to share what she posted on her blog about her three children in Los Pollitos Dicen t-shirts. What I found was not only a lovely tribute, but a gifted writer whose work I will be reading regularly.

Meet Violeta Garcia-Mendoza, who writes at Multi-Culti Mami and whose new column will launch Sunday May 11 at Literary Mama. Here is a beautiful and moving column she wrote last year about adopting her babies.

So, now you see why I'm a giddy, crazy person who loves what she does?

Our customers are the best, the coolest, lo mejor.

Thank you for going on this ride with us.

Candela: Get your Latin on in Miami and Austin

Meet Z! The darling Nena personifies Candela, or so I am told. Pero no lo creo!
You can meet her lovely and talented mother, Marirosa, here.

In Pollito news, we've added two new stores:

In Miami: Sentir Cubano, 3100 S.W. 8th Street. 305-644-8829. It was at Sentir Cubano where my mom bought an infant Maria "Mis abuelitos son cubano'' and "Mi abuelita es oriental'' t-shirts. So, it means an extra lot to me that one can now buy Los Pollitos Dicen tees, hats and bibs there. The lovely Maria and Miguel own the place.

In Austin: Mexic-Arte Museum, a beautiful fine art museum with an inspiring gift shop. The museum is located at 419 Congress Ave. The number, 512-480-9373. If you go, say hey to the charming gift shop manager, Angela.

We've been a busy little hen.

Sweetness in an Upa tee

The latest baby picture e-mailed to
Los Pollitos Dicen's World Wide Headquarters
in Tiny Town Tennessee.
Que nino tan rico!

In other deliciousness, we got ourselves a sales rep to join us in the effort of clothing all the children of the world in little Spanish chicken t-shirts.

It's a good day here.
Hope it's a good day there.

Oh, and the peanut free chocolate Easter Bunny from Divvies I wrote about a few posts back is on sale again. I just ordered one. Whew!

Easter basket chic chicks

The Easter I was 5, my aunt gave me a giant plastic purple blow-up bunny. I can almost still smell the plastic. I loved it so much. So not a gift for our green-era children, but I have to say I'm glad I lived a childhood where a little bad wasn't so bad. Not that I am giving my own kid toxic, plastic bunnies.

As I plan Maria's Easter basket -- and this is the first year she's really getting one -- and as I work my way around the her peanut allergy and my allergy to too much, I went hunting on the Web for Easter basket gift ideas.

Of course, I am here to pitch that you, dear reader, get yourself a little Pollito tee, tuck it into an Easter basket and present it to your favorite toddler or a mom-to-be at her baby shower. The egg is made of wood and can be decorated and kept as a treasure box. (Imagine it with a little green Easter grass and tiny little jelly beans. Sweet!) If you're game, here's a 20% off discount code: Easter08.

OK, so moving beyond the obvious, below are some lovely ideas to help you -- to help me -- fill the Easter basket.

No plastic purple bunnies.

Sweet, sweet, sweet little Pio Pio Pio onesie. Even sweeter wrapped in tulle.
Perfect idea for Easter, baby shower or birthday gift.

A baby chick costume!

Felted little chick toy.

A baby chick cookie cutter from CopperGifts.com.
They've got a couple of egg-shaped cutters too.

Beautiful little hair pins by siiri.

Allergen-free candy from Divvies, where unfortunately, the chocolate bunny has been sold out. But, they have bright jelly beans and gum balls.

Spring is Here/Llego la Primavera, a sweet bilingual book by Taro Gomi in English and Spanish.

Mother Hen and baby chicks picnic and tea set.

My credit card is going to hurt later.

Work, 0; Pants-off, 1

When the house was quiet last night, I grabbed the laptop and zoomed into research mode: looking for new suppliers, researching hot colors, reading business inspiration.

All good and worthy ways to spend a Saturday night. Ahem. When you're 40.

The problem was that my research was done in front of the TV and there was a Pants-Off Dance -Off marathon. It was like watching a train wreck. Repelled, but yet not. Ashamed, but here I am admitting it.

Maybe I need to get rid of the cable.

Keep an eye here for news about the Los Pollitos Dicen limited-edition Spanish Holiday onesies and t-shirts. (Hence, color research)

No elves, no ornaments.

Just chicken.

Pants-less chickens.

It is Twins Week at Los Pollitos Dicen

These photographs and a note arrived a few days ago. Their cool mama and I exchanged a few lovely e-mails about tees, work, and babies before she ordered. Here are three of the pictures of her sweet little chickies in their Pio Pio Pio tees.

See why I love my job?

"I tried so hard to get a great picture of the girls together in their shirts for you. As you can see, all I ended up with is hilarity. The first couple are what happens now when I say 'smile for the camera.' The last one is the best I could manage. But I swear they really love the shirts and they walk around saying "pio pio pio!" Thanks for making such awesome shirts. I love the little boxes, too - just the right size for crayons and stuff!''

World Wide Pollitos

So, I am over here measuring and weighing packaging boxes, measuring the depth of a bib (yes, they want to know these things) and filling out more paperwork than required for a multi-million dollar real estate transaction. But, whatever. I'll tattoo their logo on my bottom if they ask, as I am insanely happy that the e-mail I got several weeks ago from Gigantic National Retailer was neither fake, nor false start.

If all continues to move as expected Los Pollitos Dicen, our very own cha cha children's t-shirts en espanol, will be on a national retail website before the end of the month.

Holy pio pio.

So, stay tuned for the announcement and gigantic link.

In other news, when I am not packaging and pureeing, I am listening to Maria sing new songs in Spanish, songs learned at her new school. A favorite seems to be Itsy Bitsy Spider.

La arana pequenita subio, subio, subio
Vino la lluvia y se la llevo
Salio el sol y pronto la seco
Y la arana pequenita subio, subio, y subio

Yesterday, she also made us play "Veo, veo'' -- a game in which she says something like "I see the color green'' and then we guess which item. The whole event was conducted in Spanish and her father and I giggled with joy the entire time. It's rare she is so fluid with her lengua.

And perhaps the most fun of all was when I asked her something in English and she shrugged and said: "No se.''

Ah grasshopper, but you do...

Adding on to the resume

I have a lot of jobs: Wife, mother, cook, driver, sock finder, cat litter cleaner upper...You know them all, I am sure, because you have your own countless, often thankless, jobs.

In the last few days, I have added a couple of more: Seamstress and Viral Marketer. (I am a bit of a masochist.)

First, the sewing. There's a shiny new Singer, a cheap one, in my office and it was purchased for the sole purpose of sewing in the care labels on each of our tees and onesies. I usually outsource this, but it causes me great consternation and constipation. It isn't cheap and it is very easy, so I finally am doing it myself.

Add one more job to the hen's chore list. Before yesterday, I had used a sewing machine just once. So far, I've only had to rip out one horrifically sewn label. Vamos a ver how this all goes. You may find the machine on eBay soon.

And about the viral marketing. My best friend, a smart former reporter herself, insists I need to add some schtick to YouTube to get the word out on the business. All the cool kids are doing it. Look here and here if you want to see.

So, the above video is a 20-minute effort and the slow beginning of more videos to come.

Soon.

I will attempt not to bore the hell out of you.

Of course, after I stop ripping out seams.

Romancing the store

Speaking metaphorically, Los Pollitos has gone to first base with a major national retailer.

The kiss came yesterday afternoon. They tell us they will be ordering a decent amount of “units’’ and will sell them on their Web site. I am shaky and sweaty as I write this. We did not go looking for them, as major retailers scare the stink out of me. They found us through the holy power of Google.

Now, this is big. Very big. And we are grateful they even took a first look.

Our elation is tempered a bit because last year we let a major manufacturer get completely up our skirt – the promise of licensing – and then we got the equivalent of “Yeah babe, it was great. I’ll call you.’’ Y nada.

It was, to the say the least, a learning experience. While it was a letdown, it showed us we are on the right road and we ended up with a kick-butt revised business plan.

I have to tell you, running this business is a delight. I love sending the tees and onesies across the country and the thrill is even bigger when customers write a note of thanks, or send a picture of their pollito wearing our designs. Melts.my.heart.

Plus, I get to use skills I learned as a reporter: persistence, deadline, detail, follow-through. And this makes me believe all those years reporting on fires and freaks was training for a new path. (And, I get to work with the most talented, funniest and dearest friend, Oscar.)

This is not to say I don’t have days when I am completely exhausted and freaked. We ride a roller coaster often. Like, hey five people asked for wholesale information this week and like hey, no one has ordered yet. Or, hell it is July…time to start the Christmas push.

So, it is possible that working with this chain will give us exposure in the equivalent of gazillions of dollars in marketing and advertising. The roller coaster would climb very high. Very high, indeed.

When our first kiss with this national chain turns hot and heavy (like when we actually ship out the goods) you all will be the first to know for whom we are waiting anxiously by the phones.

And then maybe please go buy some over there.

We want these people to love us long time.

Sweetness in a Tocororo tee

A little girl Maria has known since they were both just weeks old served as a model for our Summer newsletter. They're a month apart, almost to the day, and they love one another mucho, mucho, mucho.

She humored me while I pointed the camera at her. Probably because she's used to her Shutterbug mother.

And then she let me know when it was time to put on the lens cap.

Who says Southern girls are not direct?

If you want to see the Los Pollitos' summer offerings, (which are not on the Web site) it's not too late to get the newsletter. Sign up here.

And now, a word from our sponsor

Over here in the Hen House, we're putting together our summer newsletter. In it, we'll announce the sale of women's tees, children's hats and bibs, and children's white tees and tanks in our most popular designs (like Candela and Gordito) and three new ones: Coco, Merenguito and Tocororo. (The Tocororo, by the way, is the Cuban national bird.) Everything is $20 and under.

If you're interested in these newly hatched additions, sign up for our newsletter here. These items likely will not be put up on the website until late summer.

And, who's the model with the chicken neck? It's un secretico.

So you know you're back home when...

...some guy toots his horn and out blares La Cucaracha.

La loqueria has officially begun: Cuba Nostalgia has kicked off. If you want to see what the fun and crazy is about you can soon find pictures at Babalu Blog and at My Big Fat Cuban Family. My own pictures won't be up for a while, as I am on Mami's dial-up.

In other Cuban-American news, CBS announced a fall show called Cane, about a wealthy Cuban-American family in Miami. The talented Rita Moreno, Jimmy Smits and Hector Elizondo will star. The Miami Herald story in this morning's paper says it is about "fraticidal tensions as its sugar and rum businesses are passed down to the next generation.''

I'm excited about adding this to my weekly TV addiction, but it won't be authentic Cuban unless the Mami matriarch still makes her grown son's bed and the daddy still complains about how tight his grown daughter's clothes are. And since it is set in Miami, they must show someone stuck on the Palmetto at least once an episode.

Eh well. Also on the CBS schedule dramas about vampires and wife swappers.

Que compania.

The Tocororo tee and who you'll see

In this final post before I fly my own coop, let me introduce the Tocororo. It's available in white for kids and red and white for women. We think this is the guy who is going to fly out of our booth, so if you're coming to the show I must warn you we don't have many. The women's designs we have done are pretty limited in number, as we're basically just testing them out. But, we'll be doing pre-orders at the show, should we sell out. (If you're not coming to the show and want one, sign up for our newsletter for future ordering information.)

By the way, the Tocororo is the Cuban national bird, a glorious creature of red, white and blue, which lent its colors to the nation's flag.

Cuba Nostalgia starts Thursday night with a VIP party and officially opens Friday morning. If you come Thursday and Friday, you'll meet me, my Papi and the lovely Marta from My Big Fat Cuban Family and Cuba to Go and her talented daughter, Amy. If you come Saturday and Sunday, you'll meet Oscar, the Pollitos chicken scratcher and creative genius, my parents, his sisters, my cousins ...in other words, the whole crazy familia!

Our booth is in the second building, just across from the folks at Babalu Blog and the guys from Latin Laundry.

Come to party and of course, merengue.

Mas for Cuba Nostalgia

Merenguito
On baby tees, bibs and in Mami sizes too.

Los Pollitos white tees are in

A sneak peak at the white T-shirts for Cuba Nostalgia.
They're sweet and delicious.
Click on the image to enlarge.
More pictures to come.

Cuba Nostalgia: New Designs on the way

So, I was standing in our Cuba Nostalgia booth last year when a viejita – purse dangling from crook of her arm, auburn hair perfectly coifed -- picked up a tee in the egg box and asked:

“¿Cuanto?’’
“Vente,’’ I said.

She looked at me as if I was rowing the wrong way on the Florida Straits. She dropped that box. And Fast.

Esa señora’s hilariously sour face has stayed with me. I laugh at the brutal honesty of our people, even when they don’t say a word. I laugh at the gap between some of the older ones who couldn’t see spending $20 on a kid’s tee, and the young ones who bought three and four and, in a few cases, came back for more.

So, señora…this one is for you:

At this year’s Cuba Nostalgia, we are debuting our collection on white 100% cotton T-shirts, sizes 6 months to 6. No box. Same great quality, less fula. We’ve even added some non-Pollitos children’s designs. No chicken, but same great taste.

Plus, for the first time, we’ve got three que caliente designs for women, including the much-requested “Candela,” which only will be available at the show.

Of course, our classic Los Pollitos baby tees in vibrant colors and nestled in fab gift box, also will be available....yes, for $20.

I will post some pictures and new details here as the show date edges closer.

So oye, if you’re in South Florida, pass this along, por favor. And come see us!

It is my hope the viejita of my inspiration comes back to the booth this year. I want to give her a free T-shirt.

Los Pollitos in the news

It's media week over here at Los Pollitos Dicen.

Los Pollitos is featured in Find It! Source Book for Parents, published by the Meredith Corporation. It just hit bookstores. Inside, are lists and pictures of companies, big and small, hawking cute baby stuff. A lot of cute baby stuff. The book stays on the shelves for a year. Meredith, by the way, publishes Child, Parents, and Ser Padres, among many other great magazines.

The in-box also brought a nice surprise from the fine folks at Hispanic.com. They're featuring the Boonie Blog here and they have a running list of other Latino blogs worth a miradita.

I got back to my writer roots and wrote a column for the March/April issue of Multilingual Living magazine. If you are raising a child to speak more than one language, the magazine is a source of inspiration and the site, Bilingual/Bicultural Family, is wonderful.

Finally, the chicks are expected to be in the April issue of Tu Ciudad, the city mag in Los Angeles. You can read a great letter from the editor, Oscar Garza, here, and about the magazine as featured in the New York Times.

We will return to stories about my genius child after the break.

Gracias.

Inventory Schminventory

If my 10th grade math teacher were to read that I am currently involved in Los Pollitos inventory, he would roll onto the floor and laugh until he peed. Evil man that he was.

Just coming up for breath to say that I am counting and counting and re-counting and thanking goodness that we sold as many as we did in 2006, because really, this assembly line stuff is de madre and my math skills are less than accountant-like.

Ah, si...And we're planning a big on-line sale in February and looking at new designs and colors. (If anyone has any design, Latino-isms suggestions, feel free to e-mail them. We aim to please here in the hen house).

All this in between filling out Maria's zillion-page Spanish immersion pre-school application. Amazing.

A Hen House Happening

Saturday morning was spent selling Los Pollitos t-shirts at a holiday sale.
The sale, put on by crafty mamas, was just four hours, but my getting ready was four days in fits and starts – folding, boxing, counting, packing, hauling. Worth it though. The long hours of work on this business – and the moments of “Ay Dios Mio, what did we do?’’ – melt away when a new mom, or a sweet grandma grab a little egg box and laugh and coo. It feels even better when they say we are geniuses, but I’ll take what I can get.
The best part of Saturday was meeting two elegant and great-smelling Latinas who came to the show. They were so gracious and charming and so very much a reminder of home. One was from L.A. and visiting a son who lives here, while the other has lived in nearby Kentucky for a few decades. Kentucky, people. And she still has that unmistakable chispa and cache.
The Kentucky mama said she didn’t speak Spanish to her children, now grown, because you just didn’t do that then. You blended, you passed. She congratulated me for trying with my own.
“Yo trato,’’ I told her.
Keep trying, she said.
A “Pachanga’’ tee is now in Kentucky, in the possession her little granddaughter.
So worth it.