By Guest Blogger Margaret White, owner of Polliwogs Children’s Boutique 

I think we all can agree that these days are full of uncharted territories for all of us… stay-at-home orders, homeschooling, social distancing, Easter at home, no more play dates, restaurant dinners, sporting events …the list goes on and on. I know we are all wanting to get back to a somewhat “normal” life, whatever that will look like in these next few months.

As you can imagine, spring is a very busy time at Polliwogs Children’s Boutique!  We officially closed our doors on March 23rd to keep everyone safe. This was hard- we missed seeing everyone getting ready for Easter, hosting the Easter bunny and seeing all of our sweet customer’s faces excited for spring. We were saddened by our beloved seniors (both high school and college) learning they would not have an official graduation this spring. We miss seeing our favorite UPS man daily, our neighbors in the plaza and our sweet customers swirling in new dresses, just to mention a few!

We could continue to name many things that we are just wanting back! However, we have been so blown away from the love and support from our community- local and beyond – that we cannot remain in this sad place. Nor can we stay silent. From everyone at Polliwogs, we say THANK YOU!!  It has definitely been an adaption of a new shopping experience, but it has worked!  We have been able to continue to fulfill orders daily through our website, Facebook and Instagram orders.  We have always offered curb-side pickup and free local delivery, so it was nice that this policy was already in place.

Many of you know and love Personal Polli as she is your go-to for picture coordination, birthday gifts, baby presents and many other needs.  But, Personal Polli took on a new role for many of you at the end of March and first of April as she became the official Easter Basket Stuffer! We are grateful for Personal Polli’s commitment to customers during this time and she is here to continue to serve your shopping needs at any time.  During the quarantine, she has held numerous facetime appointments with clients, and will be happy to continue these, even once the restrictions are lifted.  She is also hosting Personal Polli Zoom calls.  This is a fun way to connect with your friends, host a baby shower and connect with out of town family members who want to shop for your little ones. Reach out to Polli today to find out details! You can email her at personalpolli@polliwogs.com or call/text her 336-455-2794.  Don’t forget, she is free for you!

Recently, The Beaufort Bonnet Company created virtual “Sip ‘N Sees” and Polliwogs was able to host one. We had so much fun with this event and it was a great way to interact with customers. This got us thinking! My kids have really wanted get involved during this time, and after a few brainstorming sessions, “Our Picking with Polli” series evolved! This series will feature a few guitar-led preschool sing-along songs for your kids, hosted by my son Tripp and Mr. Riley from Holy Trinity. After the singing each week, we will announce the theme of our shopping series for that week. Stay tuned for focuses on toddler play clothes, tweens, accessories and many more. We plan to continue the series indefinitely because we know many of you may feel safer at home for a while.

One of my most favorite memories of covid-19 will always be the Easter Bunny of 2020. We were heartbroken not to host the Easter Bunny in our store, so we decided to drive him around neighborhoods on the days leading up to the Easter holiday. The sweet responses from children and families could warm any heart! It was such a treat to see the happiness this brought.

Through this I have learned what an amazing strong community we are and will continue to be. I feel beyond blessed to be a part of Polliwogs which has been dressing childhood in Greensboro for 15 years. We are hoping to open our doors Friday, May 8th as long as Governor Cooper’s orders are lifted. We have face masks and gloves for all staff and markers for 6 feet distancing. We are taking precautions for extra cleaning and we’ll also have disposable masks and gloves for our customers if you need them. We will stay safe and strong together! I know we have all learned many things through this time. I will always remember the resilience and positivity of my Polliwogs family and the loyalty and kindness from our customers and community. Thank you! I look forward to seeing you face-to-face soon.

Stay well,

*Sponsored by Polliwogs Children’s Boutique