I’ve written before how I love sending out Christmas cards each year and how websites like Tiny Prints makes it easy for me.  But, I also love some coordination while I’m at it.  Tiny Prints offered address labels to match the Christmas cards I picked out a few weeks ago, but Picture It Postage helped my cards go above and beyond.

It literally took me less than a minute to create the postage.  I just found a red tree I liked using google images, saved it, and uploaded it onto to Picture It Postage’s front page, chose a coordinating green, and ordered.  You can use regular photos of your family, your dog or whatever as well, but since our cards had our photos already I just wanted something Christmasy.  I tend to use Picture It Postage for Christmas cards (we used them last year as well) but they’d be excellent for any occasion from everyday use to birthdays or weddings.

It adds a great touch, doesn’t?  I just need to make an family update letter to accompany the cards and address the envelopes!

Picture It Postage is offering you readers a discount as well:

Coupon Code: Sale
Discount: $4 off 1 pack (20 stamps), $8 off 2 packs (40 stamps),  $10 off 3 packs (60 stamps)
Expires: Dec 31, 2009

Random.org pulled #7- Jen for the Fresh Organics Winner

Congrats!  I’ll be sending an email to you shortly to get your information.

I love trying new bath products, especially organic ones since it gives the promise of cleaning without the nasty chemicals found in typical products.  We received the Conditioning Shampoo and Wash as well as the Calming Bubble Bath from Fresh Organic Baby to try and we are loving them! Thanks to organic oils like lavender or grapefuit seed extract, Savannah has been smelling fresh and clean without the chemicals. I love that the Shampoo and Wash is one product, making my life easier (especially to travel with) and creates less clutter in our bathroom. Both products are also truly tear-free, the last Organic product we used did burn her eyes and made her fearful of getting her hair washed and rinsed. Switching to Fresh Organics has solved that problem and we haven’t had a crying fit in the bath tub since.

Switching to organic in general in the past year has also helped a lot with Savannah’s sensitivity to bath products but in our months of using other organic products I’ve never seen bubbles like this!  The Calming Bubble Bath is not only, well, calming with lavender but also a tub full of fun.  It creates a huge amount of bubbles with just a tiny bit of product, Savannah has a blast making little bubble beards with it

And like I mentioned before, no chemicals! No Sodium Lauryl or Laureth Sulfates, Parabens, DEA, TEA & MEA, Petroleum or Mineral Oils, Phthalates, Artificial Colors, Artificial Fragrances, Nut Oils, Gluten, Soy or Dairy. That’s comforting as a Mom, knowing that I’m not adding crap to her little body that could add up to being harmful in the future.  Want to know why these chemicals should be avoided? They’ve got answers for that on their website. I love that their website even has a glossary for what is in their products, clearly displaying what is really in them without hiding  the bad stuff under “fragrance” like other products I know.

Also, compared to other organic kids products the packaging is much better, meaning, the lids actually shut closed so things don’t leak, or doesn’t take forever trying to open the lid, and the product comes out easily. The down side is the Calming Bubble Bath comes out a little too quickly since it’s a runnier consistency, so I have to make sure to go slow and only use a tiny bit.  And, the bottles are 100% recyclable (I love that they actually print that on their bottles so people know, some times it’s hard to tell with a squeeze tub type of package if it can be recycled).

Unfortunately, Fresh Organics is mainly only available online but it’s worth the extra shipping in my opinion to get  quality (chemical free!) products. They have other items as well like Lotion, Bottom Balm, a travel pack that includes one of everything to try, and even bath products for Mom and Dad too.

However, you can also win the Conditioning Shampoo and Wash as well as the Calming Bubble Bath right here!  I’m giving away both to one reader to try themselves these great kids products.  What do you need to do? Simply comment on this post. That’s it, I’m not even requiring to answer a question!  Comment by Sunday November 28th, and the winner will be announced Monday November 30th.

This post was written as part of a program for Family Review Network and Fresh Organic Baby, who provided the products for review & giveaway. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary product.

Okay, by now yall should know we love us some Veggie Tales. This is the third movie we’ve received and once again, it’s a hit.  Not just because it’s the same characters, silly songs, and wholesome godly message that we like, but also because my daughter thinks Santa Clause is one of the coolest people in the world.

Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving is a Christmas movie that helps kids know who St. Nicholas (aka Santa Clause) really was about: “‘Tis better to give than receive!”  The story tells how gift giving came about for Christmas time and encourages kids (and parents!) to reconsider their priorities during the holidays. Is it to consume more and more stuff, or to give and help others?

Also, I was thrilled to learn that Matthew West recorded a song with Amy Grant for this DVD!  I grew up with Amy Grant always on when we decorated our Christmas tree or driving through the neighborhoods looking at lights, and Matthew West is a fantastic music artist as well. Their song is a great one that also reflects the gift giving message, even in it’s title: “Give This Christmas Away.” Love it!

And as if Veggie Tales doesn’t do enough good in people’s lives, they’ve partnered with Operational Christmas Child to spread the gift giving and meaning of Christmas to other not-as-fortunate countries.  We’ve participated several times growing up and it definitely a great cause to be apart of.

Like I said, another great movie from Veggie Tales with another great message. At two years old Savannah is filled with the “I want, I want, I wants” and this movie will help us introduce a different and truer meaning of Christmas. The Veggie Tales website also has this cool gift giving guide for parents that shows little ways (and inexpensive!) that can make a big difference in not just our kid’s lives but others around us.

A sneak peak can be see here, and right now the movie is on sale on Amazon.com right now for $9.99 if you want to give it as a gift to some one this Christmas!

“This post was written as part of a program for Family Review Network and Big Idea, Inc., who provided the product for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary product.”

Can you believe it’s already November already? The holidays are quickly approaching and like I said last year, sending out Holiday cards is one of my favorite ways to kick of the holiday season.  This year, we’re again using Tiny Prints for our cards (this was our card last year). I simply love this company, and not just because we have a business/blog relationship, but also because of the awesome customer support and the quality stylish cards for any reason throughout the year. I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with them!

They have a lot going on right now to benefit you guys and lots of new products! One being a Talent contest where the winners will be one of the faces on their sample cards, Tiny Prints products, and a $1,000! (You bet we entered that one).  They’ve added new products from photobooks (a a code for 25% off is available for that) to beautiful wall art, pop-up cards, and even cards that benefit charities. The options are endless and all gorgeous!

Don’t have time to sort through all the card options and family pictures to make your own card? Try their Personal Shopper Service (free until November 15th).  I also noticed while designing our card that now Tiny Prints has a feature that lets you upload pictures straight from Flickr, Piscasa, and Smug Mug if you have an account with them. I use Flickr and that feature made life much easier since that is where I edit most of my pictures anyway.  It took just a few minutes to create this card because I already had pictures in mind (ones that involved us not having to attempt a family picture!) and I knew I wanted two photos so that narrowed down my selection a lot:

Looking forward for them to arrive in a few weeks and sending out our greetings

What’s your favorite way to kick of the holiday season?

Remember Prima Princessa?  She’s back again!  I was thrilled to find the new Nutcracker DVD unexpectedly in my mail box one day, as was Savannah.  I grew up with the Nutcracker, watched several performances, and it by far is one of my favorite ballets.  So, it was neat to be able to now share that story with her without having to brave taking a 2.5 year old to an uptown theater.  She loved the first Prima Princessa DVD that told the story of Swan Lake and introduced basic ballet steps (see that review here).  It introduced a love of dancing for her, and we since have started dance classes to help learn and have even more fun.

Just as with Swan Lake, this DVD is broken down into different segments alternating between the Nutcracker performance and learning ballet steps.  Once again, this movie gets Savannah up and moving and interacting, which I love. The extras include the different beginning arm positions that they cleverly describe looks like a flower blooming.  Savannah absolutely loves these movies, and we enjoy them as adults as well. These movies are top favorites at our house

A clip of the new video can be found on their website and can be purchased through Amazon. It would make a perfect Christmas gift!

Thank you to Prima Princessa team for sending me a complimentary DVD to review!

The lovable and silly Veggie Tales are at it again in another fantastic DVD for kids: Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah’s Umbrella. Having an “Indiana Jones” feel to this movie, Minnesota Cuke (aka Larry the Cucumber) goes on a mission to find Noah’s lost arc, face enemies, and learns an important lesson along the way about confidence.  Prior to viewing this DVD I didn’t know what the message was about other than a search for the arc, but this lesson is definitely a good one to learn (but what Veggie Tales movie doesn’t have a great message?)! Minnesota Cuke’s worse fear is being laughed at by others, but he learns by the end that if you are doing the right thing and what God tells you to do, it doesn’t matter what others think . As usual, I love how Veggie Tales takes an interesting story, includes a Bible story within it, along with important life and God lessons, but still make it entertaining for both parents and kids. And as a bonus?  The Sippy Cup song is hilarious!  Though Savannah is only 2.5 and this movie has a deeper meaning than she can grasp just yet, it still is a movie that is not just entertaining but has no-worries-family-quality to it. And if she starts learning about confidence now? Even better!

Great movie, great message!  We’ll continue to be Veggie Tales fan at the O house

This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program for Big Idea, who supplied the DVD for review. Thank you guys!

Sorry I forgot to post on the 4th with the winners. But, chances are you guys were busy with 4th of July stuff anyway to notice, right? Well, here are the two winners!

First Prize: Sara

Second Prize: Renee

I will email you both shortly and get mailing information. Thanks everyone for entering!

One of the scary-nerve-wracking parts of being a parent is knowing that accidents happen. Despite what precautions we might take keeping medicine out of reach, despite making sure she wears a helmet while on her bike, or making sure he doesn’t eat the peanuts he’s allergic to, things happen. The even scary part is that we as parents are supposed to know what to do when things happen. I mean, I don’t know about you but if I know something major has happened, I tend to freak out a little bit!  Thankfully, we have not had anything serious happen that needed the attention of 911 or a trip to the ER, but I did have to call Poison Control twice.  Like I said, things happen, but the important thing is to know what to do.

Enter this amazing know-it-all book: “If Your Kid Eats This Book, Everything Will Still Be Okay” by Lara Zibners, MD. Dr. Zibners is an emergency room pediatrician that has taken her experience in the field and put it in a usable book format.  She realized that 50% of ER trips were not needed, so she wrote this book to help parents know when medical service is needed and when we can do something about it at home. I love this book.  It covers everything you can think of from baby vomit and poops to broken bones and even when they shove things up their nose, and it’s all written in a humorous way. Each chapter is divided by body parts and situations like “The Plumbing,” “The Noggin and Nervous System,” or “Allergies, Bites, and Stings” and there is a content page that makes specific issues easy to find in a hurry.   Dr. Zibner addresses each issue  with descriptive details, measures that can be done at home, when to call the doctor, and reminders, of course, to remain calm.

I love that she also includes little knowledgeable tidbits throughout the book like “Is it sprained or broken?” and even has a chapter on prevention.  She obviously has the knowledge and experience, but breaks the material down in such a way that even a mom under stress can understand what action to take and even can cause a chuckle or two with her choice of words. It’s fun book to read even if you aren’t experiencing a possible emergency.

Absolutely, this is definitely a must have book for any parent, parent-to-be, or even a babysitter!

P.S. If you head over to Amazon you can get an inside look at the contents and check out Dr. Zibners’ website for more information.

A mountain of laundry is one the beasts of daily life, isn’t it?  I know I’m not alone, right?  But, we know it has to be done so we do it. Day after day. It gets done. It might not get put away instantly, but we have clean clothes!

Being a young student Mom, I also value saving money. So, while it is a necessity to get those  baskets of laundry done, I do not like to spend a fortune in the process.  I also have to be aware of my family’s needs to better fit Savannah’s sensitive baby skin, as well as my own sudden allergy to scents.  We’ve used All Free and Clear for the past two years to meet those needs: Save money, no extra “stuff” added (id. perfume, dyes, etc.), and  clean clothes.  It’s hypoallergenic and still promises to fight stains for me (which, we use a little extra help on top as well)

Recently though, I began purchasing the bulk size in hopes of saving even more money (it does! It has lasted well over 2 months for us).  But boy, that jug is heavy and takes up space in our laundry area.  However, now All has a new “small and mighty” container that washes the same amount of loads (96!) but at 3 times the concentrate which entails smaller packaging to save you space, your arm muscles as you tote it home from the store, and less room in your recycle bin when you’re done.

All also has four other detergents at the big 3x level: Stainlifter, Wild & Fresh, Relax, and Fresh Rain HE.  Something for everyone’s laundry needs!

Now for the good part to pass savings onto you: TWO Giveaways!

First Prize: A coupon for any free All Small and Mighty 3x Concentrate and a Hayden Harnett Bag (worth $198!).

The HH bag is a large tote style that has lots of room for women on the go, including lots of pockets and zippers for organization. It also can be folded half it’s size to make a smaller purse. Includes a laundry bag as well.

Second Prize: A coupon for any free All Small and Mighty 3x Concentrate.

The Rules: Comment on this post before Friday July 3rd. Winner will be chosen at random and announced on July 4th!