100 Columbia Basin Herald • May, 2011 New children’s clothing store opens in Moses Lake Offers parents selection to choose from BY LYNNE LYNCH Herald staff writer MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake’s Mindy Robins was quietly browsing over the children’s shoes, photos and clothing at Bella Boo and Livi Lou’s. She was looking for a gift for her friend’s baby girl. “There’s a lot of really cute stuff in here,” Robins commented. The new children’s store opened in April at 123 W. Third Ave., in Moses Lake, with a grand opening during the weekend. The store sells children’s clothing, shoes, toys and accessories for infants to age 7. The store is located inside the former Baby Naturally building. The store’s owner, Emily Leavitt, said she was inspired to open the business because of the challenge of finding clothes for her three children - daughters Isabella and Olivia, both 7, and son, Liam, 2. She later used her daughters’ nicknames for the store’s name. “I know how hard it is to find anything in this town,” Leavitt said. “Really, Walmart is what we have for kids that is new.” What sets her store apart is having variety and something that’s not the norm, she explained. Brands offered include Manhattan Toy, mudpie, Melissa & Doug, Cutie patootie, SOZO, Trumpette, BabyLegs, Robeez, gibsonbaby and JOSMO. She found much of the store’s clothing at shows in Las Vegas and Dallas. The store’s grand opening went well, but more customers visited the store earlier this week, she said. Leavitt and her husband, Todd, owner of Miller’s Fine Jewelers, first considered opening a business in January. At the time, they didn’t know what they would sell daughters from school. or many of the details. She has a play area for her son in She needed a situation where she the store, as well as for customers’ could work and keep her son with children. her, while being able to pick up her “I know that’s huge for me, to Photos by Lynne Lynch Columbia Basin Herald Mindy Robins, of Moses Lake, above, looks at albums at the new Moses Lake business, Bella Boo & Livi Lou’s. Bella Boo & Livi Lou’s owner Emily Leavitt, left, helps a customer over the phone. have my kids play where I can look and not be interrupted,” she commented. An employee works from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., providing Emily Leavitt time to break away for her family. She worked as a cabinet maker before she started having kids and credits her husband for helping her with the new store. “Todd helped a lot with the business end of that, since he obviously knows how to run a business,” she commented. “He’s been a huge help.”