I Caught Santa & you can too!!!! 5 lucky winners

I'm so excited about this Giveaway!!! I just found out about it today, but I'm such a kid at heart that I can't resist putting this last minute Christmas Giveaway up! It's open worldwide to anyone over 18, & will end Dec 24 at midnight (so technically the day before Christmas Eve). The 5 lucky winners can upload a picture of the inside of their house & choose which Santa pose they want to place where. The winners will be supplied with a code that will allow them to download the digital image of Santa being "caught" at their house for FREE. That's not all!!! They'll also get 5 different videos of Santa in their house to share with their excited children for FREE!!!

My Experience:

I literally just completed my picture at the I Caught Santa website. It was super easy to do. The hardest part about the process was deciding on which Santa pose I wanted & which border! It's very self explanatory, but if by chance you do get easily confused by technology, there are 2 different tutorials - 1 in video format & another with pictures & text.

The first step is to take a picture of the inside of your house - either your tree or maybe even your fireplace (if you have one).

Here is my tree picture.

And here is what the I Caught Santa website did!

I've just got to share the 5 videos with you! These are the cutest things ever!!!!

1) The "ssshhh" video

2) The "milk & cookies" video

3) Santa digging the Christmas music!

4) Checking out the "Naughty or Nice List"

5) Thank Goodness this is my last stop!

I literally squealed with delight when I saw these. I called my 13 year old daughter in the room to watch them with me & she was grinning ear to ear. We both wondered where this was when she was still a Santa believer!

Plus, you can get a 25% discount on orders! Simply use this code: SAVE25


Come on Moms; you know you want to enter! :o) Just imagine the huge smile on your child's face!

The Giveaway:

Ends at midnight on Christmas Eve (so technically the night before Christmas Eve), so that you'll have your "proof" before Christmas morning.  5 lucky winners will get coupon codes from me via email upon winning, so make certain you check your email!

Win a Leather Pouch with Branded Design by LovejoyCreations

One lucky winner will win the beautiful, hand crafted, leather pouch with a floral design pictured above. LovejoyCreations hand cuts & brands or burns their design onto the leather. There's a beautiful floral design on both the front & the back & the pouch measures 6" wide x 4" tall. This giveaway is open worldwide to anyone over the age of 18.

About LovejoyCreations:

LovejoyCreations is a husband & wife team (Brenda & John) who make custom, hand tooled leather goods. Examples include: purses, clutches, wallets, belts, jewelry, portraits, and scrapbook albums. They even do baby booties! They do other items as well, so don't be shy about asking! They're located in Phoenix, Arizona.

Brenda is a native Arizonan, and she's always been creative. She was constantly drawing, with horses being her absolute obsession. Brenda says she had a great High School art teacher who really laid the foundation for her art today. She began doing leatherwork in the early 1980s and didn't do it again for many years. About three years ago Brenda's mother brought her a clutch she had made years ago, and asked if she would relace it. She saw a beginner class at Tandy leather, and that began her on a course with leather again. Brenda loves the feel of "beautifully finished vegetable tanned leather" and never ceases to be amazed at what can be done with it. She's also done children's and animal portraits over the years, as well as illustrated quite a few children's books! To top it all off, Brenda is a survivor! She had a heart transplant in 1990! She says "I am many years later, by God's merciful grace!"

John is a very talented songwriter. He also enjoys drawing old trucks and cartoon characters. He is the organized one in the duo. 

LovejoyCreations is a member of Team CaC, Whoa Team and Createability team

You can also check LovejoyCreations out on Facebook.

My Experience With LovejoyCreations:

LovejoyCreations gave me the option of almost any design I wanted on a leather pouch. I chose a howling wolf design because my 13 year old daughter loves wolves. She's the biggest Jacob Black (Twilight Saga) fan you could ever meet! I thought I'd wrap it up & give it to her for one of her Christmas presents, after examining it thoroughly for the blog. My daughter follows this blog, but doesn't normally pay much attention to what I type because she thinks it's boring, so I'm counting on that to remain the case this time! :o) Please don't get me Murphy's Law!

Paw print, complete with claws.

 A view of the inside of the snap.

A view of the inside of the pouch

It will easily hold my smart phone!

This will give you a better idea of the size.

Brenda was super nice & helpful all through the process. I was impressed with the quality of the work on the pouch! It was beautifully done. The pouches can be used for almost anything - to hold money, cards, cell phones, cosmetics, keys, cash, or even a secure way to store vehicle papers.They can be used for virtually anything! The pouch measures 6" wide x 4" tall.

The Giveaway:

LovejoyCreations has opened the giveaway to anyone worldwide who is 18 & older. The Giveaway will end on January 3, 2012 at midnight.

Pad Review/Giveaway by WAHM Pug Love by persifunctant!

One lucky reader will win a pad or pantyliner by Pug Love by persifunctant! The winner can choose a pad in any size in the mermaid OR baby sea turtles print. The Giveaway is open to residents of ALL countries who are 18+! 

Before I go on with the review, let me tell you about a GREAT sale that Pug Love by persifunctant has going on right now for the holidays! You can get 50% off all of her items by entering the code "GET50" at her etsy shop.

About Pug Love by persifunctant: 

Allow me to introduce you to Amanda Lantz. She's a SAHM to a beautiful baby girl, & lives in Canada. Being a SAHM is her "dream come true". She's yet another talented Mom from my Due Date Group! She began her home based business in October of this year, & she specializes in cloth menstrual products, wool dryer balls, & cloth nursing pads. Everything is hand-sewn, eco friendly, & vegan. The cloth menstrual products come in various sizes, & she even has cute little cloth menstrual pad bags! 

Amanda always liked sewing and being crafty and creative. Amanda says "Since there is only so much I can make for myself, I thought I could make and sell some of the pads and stuff as a hobby."  Amanda's been sewing since junior high, and is self taught.

Amanda is multi-talented! She loves sewing, painting, and all things crafty. She's been drawing since she was 2 years old, painting since 7th grade, &  sewing since 7th grade. She think that everybody could use a little dose of glitter in their lives. 

My Experience with Pug Love by persifunctant:

Let me begin by saying that I'm a die hard tampon user. I CAN'T STAND traditional pads! Keep that in mind as you read this review. 

I'd never tried Mama cloth before & was very curious. I figured if my baby deserved to be pampered with soft cloth on her tushy, than maybe I do too. I received my pad at the beginning of November. I chose the mermaid print, so that I could match my baby girl's diaper that was made by Zippy Doo Diapers (see my review). I received a size large pad. For the first time in my life I was eagerly awaiting my period to start! I couldn't wait to try it out. 

I had a lot of questions for Amanda while waiting for AF, & she happily answered them. 

1) I wondered if the pads would leak - Nope; because the pad is made up of two layers of printed cotton, one hidden layer of breathable nylon, and then two layers of cotton fleece. So its slightly waterproof, but not quite the same caliber as pul. Amanda said that she's NEVER had a pad leak through ever - not even during her heaviest flow while sleeping.

2) I wondered about blood staining the pad - She said that I could use something like Shout or Spray And Wash for stains, but since the inside was black it shouldn't (in theory) show stains. She said to wash them with regular clothes, such as with my socks and underwear.

3) I worried that washing the pads with my whites (underwear & socks) would stain the whites - Nope;  the blood usually dries during the wait to be washed, so its no big deal. She said I could also soak or rinse them prior to washing too.

4) I asked about storing the dirty pads while waiting for them to be washed - Amanda said that's what the bags are for. They're like little wetbags for diapers, complete with a PUL inner. The strap even has a snap, so you can hang it from your towel rack!  

As soon as I started spotting I snapped her pad in my panties, & all I can say is OMG was it comfy!!!! I'm so used to those horrible paper pads that I didn't know what to expect. Her pads are super, super, super soft against your lady parts! I only had the opportunity to test the pad twice - once while spotting & again with a normal flow, with one washing in between. It performed beautifully. There were no leaks & most importantly I couldn't even tell that I was wearing a pad. I would say that it felt just like my panties except that my panties aren't this soft! Oh how I wish I'd had these after having my baby, when everything was so sore! (note: I didn't use a tampon either time that I tested these.)

Surprisingly, they actually do stay in place while wearing them! I was afraid that the pad would slide around, but it really doesn't during wear. When you pull your panties down to use the bathroom they do slide out of place, but it's easy to fix - just slide them back into place!

This might not be an attractive picture, but here's the inside of the clean pad snapped to my panties.

 And here's a pic of the print side, showing how the pad remains held in place with the snap.

I'm currently in the process of slowly putting together a stash of these. I just took advantage of Amanda's 50% off Christmas sale at her etsy shop to buy a pad bag & a few different size pads to try out. I'll continue to buy a few a month until I have a full supply. Remember that I said I was a die hard tampon user? Pug Love by persifunctant has converted me.

I'm also going to try to get my 13 year old daughter to give them a try. She'd be mortified if she knew that I was discussing her period online, but she's very irregular since it began. She started her period last year around Thanksgiving & has only had it twice since that time. Because she never knows when to expect it, & because her school doesn't allow them to go to the bathroom during class, & she doesn't want to be embarrassed by a leak, she's been wearing paper pads to school every day for the past year. That can't be comfy or healthy - not to mention unkind to our environment. I think once she tries these & sees how comfy the are she'll be hooked. I've discussed this issue with Amanda, & she recommends getting her the pantyliners for times when she isn't menstruating because they don't have the nylon layer, so are breathable.

Pros:

1) Cheaper! The price of one pad may be more at the outset, but because you reuse them it will save you a ton in the long run - just like with cloth dipes!

2) So comfortable! They really are soft & comfy. I highly recommend these for anyone who hates being chafed by paper products. They would be especially ideal post partum! I don't know about you, but I needed pads for roughly 9 week straight with both of my girls! Sorry, but talk about chapped lips! 

3) Cute...well as cute as a product like this can be. :o) Just like cloth diapers, you can customize to your own personal taste or mood. 

4) Healthier - these are more breathable than traditional paper products (so less likely to encourage the growth of yeast), plus you aren't exposed to all of those chemicals they use to make them. If you're using cloth diapers on your baby because you don't want to expose them to chemicals, than why wouldn't you feel the same way about yourself?

Cons:

None! Except maybe the start up cost, but if you take advantage of Amanda's sales that's not as much of an issue. Plus, this really will save you money in the long run.

The Giveaway:

Amanda has been very generous! She's opening this Giveaway WORLDWIDE to anyone over 18. It will end on Dec 28.

I'm Nuts About Plain Jane Granola from Nuts About Granola! Review/Giveaway

 One lucky winner will a $10 gift certificate to use at their online store!

About Nuts About Granola:

Nuts About Granola was started by a mother & daughter who enjoyed cooking together. Gayle and Sarah’s love for cooking and knowledge about nutrition led to the development of a granola treat to help them refuel during athletic events. Their granola snack was made fresh, using local ingredients from the Pennsylvania farm belt. Sarah decided to package and sell their granola on campus as a team fundraiser. The original flavors (Plain Jane, Lovers Combo, & College Staple) were so popular that Nuts About Granola, llc. was incorporated in the Spring of 2008. Nuts About Granola remains a small mother/daughter owned company dedicated to providing the freshest granola served straight from the oven of their home.

My Experience With Nuts About Granola:

Last week I received a sample of Plain Jane from Nuts About Granola. It was a yummy peanut butter flavor. I LOVE peanut butter, so I literally sat at my desk & inhaled the 2 oz bag. My 13 year old daughter tasted it too & we both agreed that it was the BEST granola that we've ever had! I was so impressed that I had a look at their website, & my mouth has been watering ever since.

I think this granola is great straight out of the bag, but I'd also like to try baking with it, putting it in yogurt, & eating it as cereal. I inhaled it so enthusiastically that I forgot to take pictures! That should give you an idea of just how good it is. If you follow my blog, you know that I always take plenty of pictures!

Here are the flavors they offer:

4 Pack - One 12oz. bag of their four original flavors

Plain Jane - peanut butter

Lover's Combo - Peanut Butter & Chocolate Granola

College Staple - Peanut Butter & Jelly Granola

Off Road Edition -Trail Mix Granola (Vegan)

Warrior Crunch - Nuts About Granola® and Cancer Warrior have teamed up to launch Warrior Crunch™ in an effort to raise money for cancer research.

E-Town Carrot Cake - A portion of the proceeds fund the Nuts About Granola Innovation Scholarship. (Low Fat)

Mexican Hot Chocolate - Mexican Hot Chocolate Granola- dark chocolate infused with cinnamon & a touch of cayenne pepper for a surprise kick at the end. (Vegan)

Johnny Appleseed - Apple Cinnamon Granola (Low Fat & Vegan)

Gluten Free Plain Jane - Gluten Free Original Granola.

Seeing as the holidays are upon us, I feel like I should mention that they have a Gift Section! Please check it out. They have some wonderful things - gift jars & boxes, sampler sets, & gift certificate.

The Giveaway:

It's open to residents of the US who are 18 & older. It will end at midnight on December 23.

Unique & Healthy Snack - Seasnax Review & Giveaway

One lucky winner will win their choice of any flavor case of  SeaSnax Grab & Go's (12/cs) or 4 packs of our full sheet singles in any flavor. They come in the following flavors: Classic Olive, Toasty Onion, Chipotle.

About Seasnax:

It's a 100% all natural snack - no GMO (1st ever Non-GMO Project Verified), roasted seaweed snack which is Vegan and Gluten-Free and made using 100% olive oil and a little sea salt. There are no artificial flavors, no Trans Fat, no artificial colors, no preservatives, no Cholesterol, no MSG, & no sugar. They're made only of Mother Nature's natural ingredients. Seasnax is a socially conscious family business that focuses on making healthy snacks that their own kids eat!

They contribute 10% of their annual net profit to non-profit groups who help make the world a better & gentler place for our children & the earth.

Seasnax are made of seaweed - yes, seaweed.  It's incredibly nutritious - loaded with vitamins A & C, & small amounts of calcium & iron. It's also a great snack for diabetics because the carb count is negligible 0.3 g or 0% daily value.

My Experience With This Unusual Snack:

I'm slowly munching on the Chipotle flavor as I type this. Last week I received a care package with a few different flavors to try - Classic Olive, Toasty Onion, & Chipotle. Seasnax sent me both the Grab & Go size, which is a snack size that would be perfect for a lunch box (0.21 oz) & the full sheets (0.54 oz) to try. I started out with the Toasty Onion in the Grab & Go size. I have to be honest & say that at first I wasn't a huge fan. It's not that I disliked it, but that I wasn't in love with it either. However, the strangest thing happened! The next day I found myself wanting to try more. I opened up the Classic Olive flavor & quickly decided that it was my favorite. The very next day I tried the Chipotle. I found the Chipotle to be very hot & intense! I'm a New Orleans lady, & I love spicy food, so for me to say that you know it packs some heat! As in run to the kitchen to get milk to put out the fire on your lips & tongue kind of heat!

In 3 days time I was done with the Snack & Goes. It was the oddest thing; I found myself craving these very unique snacks. I was extremely happy that Seasnax sent me the full sheets to try also. The full sheet packs come with 5 sheets. I went straight to the Classic Olive flavor & even shared a small bite with my 9 month old baby. She seemed to enjoy it! 

It's difficult to describe. It has a slightly crunchy texture, but melts in your mouth. It's slightly salty, & you do taste a hint of fishy flavor, but mostly it reminds me of spinach. In fact, I even tricked my extremely finicky husband into tasting it. He truly thought that he was eating some sort of spinach snack. 

Each day I've craved Seasnax more & more. I'm not sure if it's the taste that has grown on me or if my body needs something that this incredibly nutritious snack is providing. Whatever the case may be, I genuinely like it now. 

I saved the last Chipotle for the very last taste. I still find it mega hot - so hot that I have milk sitting nearby to put out the fire. I sit here sniffling as I type - yet I still keep munching on it. The packaging doesn't lie! It says "Seasnax; Strangely addictive!" It truly is.

The appearance of it surprised me. I wasn't sure what it would look like when I removed it from the wrapper. It was a super thin & crunchy sheet of seaweed.

 

Health Benefits of Seaweed:

I won't type them all out because your eyes would tire, but I'll list some of the most important health benefits.

1. It's a natural weight loss and anti-aging agents. Scientists have proved that seaweed has a very positive effect on the human body. 
2. Seaweed contains key minerals not found anywhere else in plant form & the body more easily absorbs the protein found in seaweed than meat protein.
3. Shiny & healthy hair
4. Keeps the mind sharp.
5. Clear/healthy skin.
6. Good for the eyes & the gums.
7. Strengthens teeth.
8. Maintains thyroid function.
9. Improves immune system.
10. Reduces cancer risks & stunts tumor growth.

 and on & on...

The Giveaway:

The giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18 & older.

Review/Giveaway for a Christmas Print AI2 Diaper by Howler Monkey Bums - a new WAHM Diaper!

One lucky reader will win the cute Ooga Booga Christmas print AI2 diaper pictured above by Howler Monkey Bums. You can also find Howler Monkey Bums on Facebook.

Plus I want to give you a heads up on a great sale! Today only (Monday, 11/28/11) there's a cyber sale. Use the code CYBERMONDAY10 for 10% off your total order!!!

About Howler Monkey Bums:

Howler Monkey Bums is a brand new WAHM run business by Callie Eddy Burton, located in Layton, Utah. Callie is another talented lady from my due date group! Callie is also a 1st grade teacher & Mom of 2 beautiful girls. Callie was inspired to try cloth diapers by Sarah West of Wee Bonnie Botts in April 2011. She was confused about where to begin and extremely frightened with the start up cost. Sarah sent her a few different types to try and gave her some time to decide on which she liked the best. She decided to venture into sewing and selling them herself. Callie's absolute favorite diaper is the AI2. She loves that the shell can be reused throughout the day minimizing the amount of laundry. This also allows her to coordinate her baby's clothes with the cute diaper print. She's a licensed La Di Da seamstress. She sells both AIO & AI2 diapers with PUL. She also makes one size & sized La Di Da Diapers. In addition, she can make the One Size Sprout Snap if you like that fit for your baby's bum. All of her diapers meet and exceed all CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act) Regulations.


She offers discounts for starter packages, which will be personalized through her etsy shop.

Callie is super sweet & helpful. She understands feeling confused & overwhelmed since she felt that way herself when first starting out with cloth diapers. She's open to answering any questions that you might have.  

What's an AI2?

By now I'm sure all of you are familiar with AIO's & pocket diapers, but do you know what an AI2 is? It's very similar to an AIO because it has an outer shell, complete with waterproof layer, but the absorbent portion usually snaps in or just lays inside the shell. What makes this so nice is that you can remove the absorbent portion & reuse the shell! This works better with some AI2's than others. I've tested other AI2's & ended up using them like AIO's because the shell became wet as well & I didn't like the thought of putting my baby back in a wet shell with a new liner. I think because Callie's liner is so super long & made of ultra absorbent Zorb, you could actually use this one that way! I will be ordering some extra liners from her once we get past the holidays to see how that works out. I feel pretty certain that if I had a spare when I tested my Ooga Booga Christmas print, & if I'd changed her at 2 or 3 hrs instead of closer to 5, I could've gotten away with reusing the shell & just putting a new liner in.

This brings me to...

My Experience with Howler Monkey Bums:

I just received my AI2 from Howler Monkey Bums in the mail a couple of days ago. My 1st impression? CUTE & very well made! I was unfamiliar with the La Di Da diapers, but I have to say that I'm impressed. It's a nice trim diaper that adjusts to various sizes easily. There's a very long snake like, snap in liner/soaker that you can fold to add extra absorption where needed for your baby.

 Fresh out of the package, snapped down to it's smallest size.

View of the back

 

  

Diaper opened up, exposing the red suedecloth inner.

The very long snap in liner, tri-folded.

This pic shows the super long, snake like, snap in liner. You can fold this in any configuration that works best for your baby.

Callie suggested that I wash the diaper on hot 3 times & dry it in the dryer 3 times to make sure that the holes from her sewing through the PUL were sealed. I don't ever wash my dipes on hot - I always use warm. Plus, I was impatient to try this cute dipe out on my baby, so I kind of cheated in the pre-wash process. I did a warm wash with 2 warm rinses, & dried it twice in the dryer.

As soon as it came out of the dryer I put it on my baby. I nursed her, & she fell asleep in my arms. She slept for a good hour in my arms, & there was absolutely no leakage at all. When she woke up I let her play in her activity center for a while, on the floor for a while, etc. She normally cries when she wets, but she didn't even complain! She wore this diaper from about 4:00 pm to around 8:30 or 9:00 pm before she started to complain. Normally I change her every 2 or 3 hrs, but I was just curious to see if it would leak since I didn't exactly follow Callie's advice about sealing the holes in the PUL. Guess what? Not even a small leak! I was very impressed that she didn't seem to be uncomfortable with a wet diaper until almost 5 hrs went by!

My husband changed her diaper when he came home from work. He's extremely intimidated by cloth diapers for some strange reason, but he managed to get it off easily. I asked him if she was very wet, & he said that he couldn't tell. I know that she was wet based on her behavior before & after the change, but the fact that he couldn't tell means that the Zorb really does absorb liquid well. I've tested diapers with Zorb in the past & they really do perform outstandingly well! Based on this, I haven't even tested the diaper for night use. I know that it will definitely last all night - at least based on my breast fed baby's version of all night, which is anywhere from 5 to 8 hrs of consecutive sleep before waking to nurse.

I also know that there are quite a few Moms out there who would appreciate winning this before Christmas comes & goes, so I want to get the giveaway up! :o) Trust me when I tell you that there was absolutely no leaks at all during the extended time frame that I had her in the diaper!

Look how cute!

 

Look at the great fit!

She can move easily in it (too easily - she almost rolled off the table!).

A closeup of the rear fit.

Callie surprised me with a little bonus! She sent me an extremely cute miniature version of her diaper for a doll. :o) It has decorative snaps, but closes with Velcro to make it easier for little hands to manipulate. Of course, my baby girl is too little for it yet. She won't be ready for it until she's 3 for safety reasons (snaps), but I'll definitely hang on to it for her! It's absolutely precious! Be sure to check out Howler Monkey Bums on Facebook or the etsy shop to see samples of everything she offers, including these adorable doll diapers. 

Look at the cute little doll diaper!

 Tips From Callie:

Callie was nice enough to offer some tips! She says that if baby poops you shouldn't reuse the shell, even it appears to be clean because the smell lingers.

There's a trick to cleaning the snake soaker if you are a Mom that sprays poop off into the toilet. Be sure to leave it tri-folded while spraying it off. Callie said "Maybe I'm just slow but the length of them used to really bother me until I realized that you can keep it folded."

Pros:

1. Fit
2. Function - super absorbent!
3. Cute!!!
4. Ability to customize the shell lining with your choice of suedecloth or velour. 

Cons: 

I really can't think of any.  The snake like liner/soaker might be a little difficult for some to adjust to at first, but I didn't have a problem.

Attention Moms of girls! Please check out this cute, pink, sparkly, flower headband by GiggleBox Boutique! It would make a nice stocking stuffer, & would be super cute in those Santa pictures coming up! The headband giveaway ends on Dec 4 at midnight.

The Giveaway:

This giveaway is slightly different because we're so close to the holidays! Callie wants to make sure that the winner receives their Christmas print AI2 prior to Christmas. Because of that, she's asking the winning bidder to please pay $5.80 for priority mail. She's offering the winner a great bargain too - free shipping if they purchase a diaper in the Howler Monkey Bums Etsy Shop at the same time! You'll just have to contact her for the free shipping code prior to placing an order. The giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18 & older. It ends Dec 12 at midnight.

Win a pretty pink flower headband by GiggleBox Boutique!

One lucky winner will win the pink flower headband pictured above, made by GiggleBox Boutique. This is a Rafflecopter giveaway, & will end at midnight on Dec 4, so you should receive your beautiful headband just in time for Christmas!

About GiggleBox Boutique:

Allow me to introduce you to GiggleBox Boutique! It's a Mom owned business by Samantha Fryer, another talented Mom from my due date group. :o) GiggleBox Boutique is a brand new business - only open about 4 months now! She says that she's become slightly obsessed & has way too many supplies now, but that can only be a good thing for customers!

I asked Samantha how she got started making her pretty hair accessories, & this was her reply "It was kind of a culmination of things. I am a photographer and have always loved all of the beautiful newborn headbands. Then I had my daughter who has no hair and cannot wear clips. I was obsessed with finding a matching headband for each outfit, so I decided to start making my own. I have so much fun with it and being creative, that I decided to start selling them."

Samantha makes pretty elastic headbands for babies who are a little shy on hair (like my little girl) or those who just want a delicate look, but she also makes traditional hard headbands, as well as clips. She has every style & color you could possibly imagine - all handmade by her.

My Experience With GiggleBox Boutique: 

I was sent the exact same headband that the winner will receive, so I can tell you that pictures just don't do it justice! It's made of pink felt & what appears to be pink organza with little sparkly pink stones & clear glitter all over it. It's done in layers, so it has dimension & isn't just a flat flower. There's a large round piece of felt that covers the elastic & holds the flower to it, but also means that your baby will have a nice soft piece of felt against the forehead area rather than the flower coming in direct contact with delicate skin.

The day that the headband arrived I couldn't wait to put it on my daughter. We had errands to run, & everywhere we went she received compliments.

 Just look how cute it is!

My baby girl was born with hair, but very little of it. Much of it fell off in the newborn phase, so I was unable to use cute little hair bows on her. Many flowery headbands that you see are just too overpowering for a baby. However, GiggleBox Boutique is just the right size!Samantha is open to answering any questions that you might have. You can contact her at GiggleBoxBoutique@gmail.com

*Note* This is unrelated, but if you're the Mom of a little girl you might want to enter the Christmas Tutu giveaway that's running through midnight on Nov 23. It really is beautiful! Click here to check it out.

The Giveaway:

This is a Rafflecopter giveaway, open to residents of the US who are 18 or older. It will end at midnight on December 4! The winner will have 48 hrs to respond to my email notification with their details or else I'll have to select another winner.

Win a BEAUTIFUL Christmas TuTu for your little Christmas Angel

 One lucky winner will win the beautiful Christmas tutu pictured above, in a size 3- 9 months, made by Precious Pitter Patter! Giveaway open to residents of the US who are 18 or older. Giveaway ends at midnight Nov 23!

About Precious Pitter Patter

I'm a huge Facebook fan & I was very happy to find out about Precious Pitter Patter on Facebook. Precious Pitter Patter is a home based business run by Amy Grey. She makes the most beautiful tutu's you'll ever see! Amy started making tutus when she saw a picture on the Internet and decided to make one as a gift for a gift exchange she was in.  It just sort of snowballed after that.  People saw the pictures and wanted one, and one of Amy's friends convinced her to make a Facebook page to start making them for everyone that wanted one!  She taught herself how to make all the great things she makes - such as crocheted hats & headbands adorned with flowers, onesies with your baby's age, wreaths, party decorations, & more! She seems to love a challenge, & will try to make dreams come true with her beautiful creations.

My experience with Precious Pitter Patter

I found Amy through a fan page on Facebook called Katie's Fighters. Katie is a sweet little angel born with anencephaly. Katie is truly one of God's miracles. She defied the odds & her Dr's expectations & has survived to three months & is still going strong! Katie's Mom wanted to help other families with babies who have anencephaly, so Katie's Facebook page held a fundraising auction. I bid on & won a sweet little pink crocheted hat with a big daisy on it that was made by Precious Pitter Patter. The sweet little hat arrived very quickly - within days of winning it. (By the way, Katie's Fighters is currently holding another auction. Please check it out!)

Wearing the sweet little crocheted hat

It was so cute on her that I quickly decided that I wanted a tutu to match it for Halloween. As you've probably guessed by the theme of my blog, I LOVE fairies! In fact, my daughter's nursery is decorated in a fairy theme. Therefore, it seemed only natural that I'd dress her as a fairy for her very first Halloween. However, I couldn't make up my mind on the type of tutu to choose - 2 toned petti tutu (the kind with little knots at the ends) or a basic 2 toned tutu with daisies all over it to match her hat. I agonized over my choices & emailed poor Amy over & over again asking a million questions. Amy was ever so patient with me, & offered useful advice on possible color combinations. She told me what she thought would look best & what she wouldn't advise - much appreciated advice since I was having difficulty visualising the end result. 

She outgrew her hat before I decided on what I wanted the tutu to look like, so I asked Amy to make her a headband as well. I stalked Amy's Facebook page while she was making them, & was delighted to see these pictures posted! I got a little preview before they arrived! :o)

 Stunningly beautiful 2 toned pink & ivory tutu with daisies, & a pink crocheted headband with large daisy that has a rhinestone center.

Amy was about to go on a trip to visit family, so I wasn't expecting the tutu right away. However, it was made & put in the mail within a week & a half of me ordering it! When I opened the box up I was very impressed with how she had it packed. Tulle will wrinkle, but it was packed so carefully that could never happen in transit. The waistband was down, with the skirt of the tutu up.

The wonderful packing job

I couldn't wait to play dress up with my baby! I looked for a pair of small wings, & sat her in our front yard to take a few pics.

 My beautiful little fairy

I can't say enough good things about Precious Pitter Patter! Please check her out. She's incredibly creative & does absolutely beautiful work - as you can see. You won't regret giving her your business.

*NOTE* Attention Moms of girls; you might want to enter to win a sweet pink flower headband for your baby. It's super cute! The headband giveaway ends Dec 4. 

The Giveaway:

This giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18 & older. It ends on November 23, so you'll have this in plenty of time for Christmas! This would make a wonderful gift! Please keep your eyes open for my email notifying you that you've won. You'll have 48 hrs to respond to claim your prize or else I'll have to select a new winner.

Girls just want to have fun, which can be messy. Thankfully Clorox came to the rescue!

Spending time with friends and family can lead to fun and memorable moments, but also some very messy ones. The messiest moment I'll always remember is with my Girl Scout Troop. About two years ago we were in the process of moving into our house. While the house was still mostly empty I invited a couple of girls from my Troop of Junior Girl Scouts over to make homemade Twilight New Moon T-shirts because they missed our last meeting. We did the 1st round of the T-shirts at my church's fellowship hall where we held our meetings, but a couple of girls couldn't make that meeting so we finished them at my house. As it turns out, it was a good thing we finished the T-shirts at my house! It was a lot of fun, but verrrrry messy! 

I received information about Clorox’s Bleach It Away campaign and am sharing my messy moment for the chance to win prizes from The SITS Girls. To learn more about the messy moment program, check out www.BleachItAway.com.  Sharing your story on the Clorox fan page gets you entered for the chance to win $25,000 and daily prizes, and you can grab a coupon for Clorox® Regular Bleach.

As you've probably learned from reading my blog posts, I don't go far without my camera! I always take plenty of pictures, so fortunately I have some to show of the messy fun we had - though not of the mess itself (unfortunately). 

Note to self: This is how NOT to make a mess:

My daughter & my T-shirts (done at Church). We were super careful there & put a plastic table cloth down, & placed cardboard in between the 2 sides of the T-shirts. The other shirts were done the same way, so there wasn't a mess.


Note to self: This is a SURE FIRE way to make a mess (& memories):

 2 of the girls at my house. Unfortunately, this was very last minute so I forgot the plastic table cloth & cardboard. MAJOR oops!

 The paint was already starting to get on the counter. See it to the left?

 The paint was going on thicker & thicker. The girls were having lots of fun, & I wasn't thinking about the fact that there wasn't cardboard in the middle of each shirt.

As you can see, LOTS of paint! (Even more was on the counter underneath the shirt!)

Blood, blood, & more blood! (And a big red spot on the counter underneath).

They each had to buy their own T-shirts, & I supplied the fabric paint. They came up with their own designs & used my kitchen counter to paint their T-shirts, which we later used to wear on a field trip to watch the movie together. 

It took several days for the T-shirts to dry because our gas hadn't been turned on yet & the house was cold. The T-shirts sat for about 3 days drying. Once they were completely dry, I lifted them up to fold them....... that's when I noticed the paint caked on the counter. I tried scraping it off & for the most part it worked. It was the red paint that was particularly troublesome. Even after the paint was scraped off, a red stain remained. That's when I reached for the Clorox. Success! It vanished before my eyes. I'm only sorry that I didn't take pictures of that. The Twilight New Moon messy fun didn't end there.

I'm a HUGE Twilight Saga fan, as is my daughter, & almost every other tween & teen. The Troop New Moon T-shirts were part of a huge circle of events I had planned around the movie. My daughter's 12th birthday was going to be a New Moon party, complete with Bella's Birthday cake, "blood" in bottles to drink, mushroom ravioli for dinner, & Twilight shown on a big screen with a projector. The girls played pin the kiss on Edward (blood red lipstick was applied, a scarf was tied on their head, they were spun in circles, & then had to kiss a plastic covered Edward poster. The girl who kissed closest to his mouth won the poster. I hadn't counted on the red lipstick kisses on my wall though! LOL. We also had some non messy games - trivia about the movies, a wolf pack race, & more.

More messes came at the party. What was I thinking with all of the "blood" in my theme?!? 

All of these pretty bottles of "blood" to drink were spilled & left a sticky, nasty, red mess.

Not a very good picture, but this was the buttered blood popcorn we ate during the movie. Do you want to guess what the girls wiped their greasy red fingers on? I'll give you a hint - it WAS NOT one of the New Moon napkins! 

You see the girls pointing to their kisses, but what you don't see are the couple of kisses that missed the poster & hit the wall. :o) 

With all of that red, I didn't even bother with other household cleaners. I went straight to the Clorox because I needed bleaching power! It didn't let me down.

I won't even get into the apple fight the girls got into after my husband & I went to bed........... Let's just say that our coffee pot & ceiling lost the fight.