Minted Mommy Calling Cards

If you have never heard of Minted, now is the perfect time to discover them!  Minted is a top quality stationary store that uses designers from all over the world to create the most modern and unique business cards, invitations for parties, wedding invitations, holiday cards, and, my favorite, Mommy Cards!

What is a Mommy Card, you ask?  A Mommy Calling Card is the perfect solution for play date planning on the go!  Like a business card, a Mommy Card lists all of your contact information, including your email, phone number, and website.  This makes setting up a play-date while chasing your child around the bus stop, playground, or school yard, super easy!

Wait...it gets better...  Right now, Minted is giving Mamas everywhere 25 FREE (yes, free!) Mommy Calling Cards.  You choose your favorite style, customize it, and add it to your cart for FREE!  Just pay shipping...that's a $30 value!  Plus they come in a really sweet carrying case :)

Check my Mommy Cards out...

And how about this sweet case they came in...

Minted already has their Holiday line of cards out, and if you're anything like me, you are already thinking about yours!  I love to send a quality photo card that I know will last my friends and family for a long time, and the thick card stock that Minted uses, can't be beat!

Want a sneak peak at what our holiday cards might be??  Okay, here's a few of my front runners :)  (You twisted my arm! Ha!)



Love the banner effect, but would definitely need the right picture...(Uncle Dan?!?  Are you reading?!? ;) )

This one has two of my favorite things going for it...multiple pictures, and it's square :)

Simple, but in Minted's pearlescent paper, this would be sooooooo gorgeous!

So right now those are at the top of my list.  I love Minted because their cards have customizable fronts and backs, or you can even make a folded card with pics inside and out!  It makes it so much more personal and your friends and family will be uber impressed ;)

Oh, and one more...for my BFF who just got married, so right now her sweet pup is the baby in the house, I LOVE these! 

I can see her precious puppy's face on this card!  (She was after all a calendar girl for her shelter ;) )

So head over to Minted and get your free Mommy Cards while you can!  As they say, this deal won't last forever!

Oh, and keep your eye out for that giveaway I mentioned.  The deal has gotten even sweeter...3 lucky ladies will be winning this prize, but Irene has caused a delay...stay tuned!  Should be live by this time next week at the latest!



Tornados, Earthquakes, & Hurricanes! Oh My!

I could have sworn that I lived in New England.  You know, the place of pleasantly warm Springs, hot, sunny Summers, cool Falls, and blustery Winters.  I thought I knew what to expect for the worst, weather-wise.  A blizzard a few times a year, some thunderstorms in the summer, but that was about it.  Apparently that has all changed.  This year we have experienced a tornado, an earthquake, and now we are all on Hurricane Irene watch.

Of course, I am a wreck.  That's me.  I panic.  And the fact that the hubs is off partying it up with his buddies for the weekend does. not. help.

So, how do I protect my kids in this kind of weather?  Do we all go hide in our cedar closet...literally the one room in our house without windows?  Or more realistically, how am I supposed to keep them entertained for 4 days if the electricity goes out?!  And what should I feed them if everything in our fridge goes bad?  (This is just my publishable list of worries - trust me, I'm crazy and have all kinds of things going through my head!)

NBC New York posted this article on how to be prepared should Irene grace us with her presence, but seriously, that just made me even more nervous!  I have some serious preparing to do...starting with finding a flashlight in this house!  (And then filling the tub so we can flush the toilet!  I am NOT cool with the whole "let it mellow" thing.)

How are you preparing?  Do you think the meteorologist actually know what's going on yet or are we likely to see a little rain and nothing more?  Either way, this ought to be a fun weekend.  :/  Start charging your electronics, people!

Class of 2027

As Fall quickly approaches, I've been thinking about my little ones and when I will watch them board the bus for the first time.  Luckily I have a few years before I have to deal with the anxiety of that, but while I was thinking about it, I realized that Bean will be a part of the class of 2028.  Wow.  That means P will be a part of the class of 2026.  Mind boggling, I tell you!

Baby Talk magazine recently had an article showing off the cutest baby clothes that fit the personalities of the class of 2028, which got me thinking, which of those awards would suit my babes. 

Bean is definitely on the road to class fashionista.  Even at 1, she is in love with her purses, hairbrushes, and shoes.  (A girl after my own heart!)  We all know that being a fashionista means setting trends, and Baby Talk has has introduced me to the company Seven Smooches, which Bean is going to need to become familiar with. ;)  I mean, seriously, just check out these purses.

How incredibly sweet would my little Bean look carrying this little Birdie around with her?!?  And to top it off, this gorgeous headband made of kool-aid dyed cashmere...



Ah-mazing!  One of my favorite things about this company is that everything is handmade, and therefore, one of a kind and customizable. 

I am crazy about finding quirky, original gifts, and Seven Smooches has a ton of precious, child friendly gifts that I may have to purchase in the very near future.

P on the other hand is a little harder to figure out, but I'm thinking he might be on the road to class rocker.  Check him out on the drums...

Yup, that's a removable tattoo on his arm.  And, yes, I will be encouraging the removable kind for a VERY long time.  (Like...forever!)  This grainy cell phone pick is from one of my favorite kids stores, 77 Kids by American Eagle.  I love this store because of their adorable, well-made clothes, and my kids love it because of the free candy bar, chalk boards, drum set, and bean bag games that are scattered throughout the store. 

Oh my, maybe I need to rethink Bean's path...because I spent five minutes trying to blog, she has decided she should be the class artist...here's what she did while I stared at the computer screen...

Fabulous.  Well, guess we will find out how the Bon Ami products work on crayon...

And the Winner is...

Commentor #10...Ashley Hunt!! Congrats Ashley! I'll be contacting you about your gift certificate!

Stay tuned...I'll have another giveaway this week just for you, mommies!

The winner was chosen using www.random.org.

Last Day to Enter the Giveaway!

Today is the last day that you can enter to win a $35 gift card to EcoMom! It's super easy to win. Check out my post here to enter. The odds are looking really good right now!  Good luck!!!!

Friends Don't Let Friends Drink Friends.

Every mommy deserves a little eye-candy now and again, don't you think?  That's why I'm giving you all a little piece to last you through the weekend...

You all can thank my friend Jen, over at A Daily Dose of Davis.  I saw this on her page and had to share!  (It's a good thing the hubs rarely checks my blog out...I think. :/  Oh well, my Eric Northman addiction is no secret. ;) )

Don't forget to enter my giveaway!  The odds are looking good right now and that gift certificate can get you a lot of eco-friendly products for the whole fam! :)

EcoMom Gift Certificate Giveaway!

That's right!  I'm giving away a $35 gift certificate to EcoMom to one lucky reader so that they can try the new line of Bon Ami cleaning products that I was lucky enough to test this week!

Bon Ami products feature simple and natural ingredients.  They are free of chlorine and phosphates, and instead use cleaning agents derived from corn, coconut and palm, along with feldspar and baking soda to effectively clean your house without any harsh chemicals.

In addition to having an ingredient list that I can read, and that includes only things I've heard of, Bon Ami products work! 

I was able to test the All-Purpose Cleaner in a spray bottle, the Powder Cleanser, the Liquid Cleanser, and the Dish Soap.  With the exception of the Powder Cleanser, I tested the Tangerine Thyme scent.  Instead of using artificial ingredients to add the fragrance to these products, Bon Ami uses natural essential oils to give their cleansers a light, fresh scent.  And, as a bonus, these citrus oils provide a natural grease cutting boost!  I love that when I wipe down the baby's high chair, or our kitchen counters, I don't feel like my kids will be eating chemicals along with their meals.  Especially because Bean's highchair requires frequent cleanings, and most of her food is eaten directly from the tray after she dumps her plate.  :/

The powder cleaner made my sink sparkle, and I didn't feel bad about the ingredients being in a place where I put my family's dishes and utensils, and where Bean sometimes gets a bath ;)  It even cleaned the inside of the drain where it sometimes gets a little rusty when I neglect forget to do the dishes at night.

A lot of companies claim to be "green" or "natural" but Bon Ami really walks the walk.  Not only are the ingredients actually ALL natural, but their packaging is made from 100% post-consumer recycled PET plastic.  Even their labels are and adhesive are the most compatible with the recycle stream.  Sometimes their bottles are a little foggy but this is only because they do not add anything to the recycled plastic. 

So, why buy these products from EcoMom?  Well, for one thing the price can't be beat!  The All-Purpose Cleaner comes in a 25 fl. oz. container for only $3.29.  Not only is this less expensive that the popular brand I have under my sink from the grocery store, but it has more cleaner!  Yup, the chemical filled spray in my kitchen is only 22 fl. oz.  And trust me folks, it was at least $1.00 more.

In addition, everything that is offered from EcoMom has been evaluated so that you are only getting the safest and healthiest products for your family.  Eco mom has a discriminating team of doctors, scientists, moms, dads, babies, and kids who work with them as their research partners.  They also enlist the help of organizations such as Healthy Child Healthy World, and Environmental Working Group to be sure that you are getting only the best.

EcoMom does not just sell cleaning products.  They sell everything from strollers and highchairs, to diapers and skin care.  Plus they have a pretty sweet new website.

So, now what you've all been waiting for.  Here's how to enter...

How to Win a $35 Gift Certificate to EcoMom.com

Each of the following is worth 1 Entry.

1.  Become a follower and leave me a comment saying that you are a follower.  (If you are already a follower, leave a comment letting me know.)

2.  Share a link to this post on your blog, then come back and leave a comment with a link to your post.

3.  Share a link to this post on your facebook page, and again, leave a comment telling me you did so.

4.  "Like"  Ecomom on facebook here.  Then (you guessed it!) leave a comment.

This contest will close Sunday 8.21.2011 at 9pm and a winner will be announced Monday 8.22.2011.

Good Luck! 

EcoMom is sponsoring this fantastic giveaway will which more than cover the full line of Bon Ami cleaning products and shipping!