Sweet Monograms Review and Giveaway

The winner is Leslie R! If you didn't win but you still want something awesome from Sweet Monograms, you can use the code SHIPSWEET for free shipping on your entire order! Discount code expires 6/30/2014.

For the past few months, I've been browsing on Etsy and Pinterest for a piece of monogrammed jewelry, but I just couldn't quite make up my mind. Then Jennifer from Sweet Monograms contacted me and asked if I'd be interested in doing a review and giveaway, so before I committed to anything, I immediately checked out the jewelry section of her site to see if there was anything cute that I'd want to wear. And.... I finally own an adorable piece of monogrammed jewelry!!!

(When I took this picture, it totally reminded me of the movie Zoolander. And I was like, "Dan! Do you remember that scene in Zoolander with the world's greatest hand model??" And he said, "No."
I hope this story has enriched your life.)

This cuff bracelet comes in a bunch of different colors and patterns...

...and it will make a great statement piece with your short-sleeved and sleeveless shirts this summer.

Plus, it looks really cute over long-sleeved shirts. (Which kind of softened the blow when it was so chilly that I had to wear a hoodie all day the day after I was wearing a tank top.)

The bracelet is made of aluminum, so it's not going to snap in half if you have a toddler who likes to pull on your jewelry and has already broken the chains on two of your necklaces. (I mean, just as an example. Not that I have a child like that or anything.) You can buy one of the bracelets here for only $16, OR you can enter below to win one of your very own!

Sweet Monograms has a lot of other products that you can have monogrammed or personalized with your name, including bags and luggage, hats, and keychains. (There's even a hunting bag for guys!) So for the "Leave a Comment" entry option, visit Sweet Monograms and then leave a comment on this post telling me at least one other product from Sweet Monograms that you love!

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Open to U.S. residents 18 years and older. I received a free cuff bracelet in exchange for my honest opinion.

Ginger Mail: Review and Giveaway!

Specialty subscription services have come a long way since Clark Griswald got a subscription to the Jelly of the Month Club as a Christmas gift from his boss. (Please tell me you all know what I'm talking about. If not, click here.)

Anyway... the more that we communicate electronically, the more fun it is to get something in the mail that's not a bill or a catalog (or, in my case, mail that is actually supposed to be for my neighbor.) And if you like to get mail and you like to send mail (or if you scrapbook, or if you think you really should send more mail, or if you always put off buying greeting cards until the last minute, or if you just like paper...) Ginger Mail by Ginger P Designs is for you! Every six weeks, subscribers get a package stuffed with greeting cards, stationary, and other paper-y fabulousness (I made up that last part of the description myself, but they're welcome to use it in their marketing if they want to.) It only costs $15 per six weeks, and when you consider that one greeting card in the store can cost you more than $5, this is a really great deal! Each mailing revolves around a specific theme and has a card that tells you a little more about each item. You can sign up for one mailing, for a whole year, or for something in between.

When Ginger P Designs asked if I'd be interested in doing a review and giveaway of their new Ginger Mail service, I said, um, definitely yes. (Except I maybe said it more eloquently than that. Hopefully.) Because A- I never remember to buy cards or stationary for any event, ever, B - shopping for greeting cards with a toddler is not fun, and C- Dan and I sponsor three kids through Compassion International, and the only things we can mail to them (besides letters) are items made of paper, so I'm always on the lookout for awesome paper things I can mail to them.

The December Ginger Mail package showed up in this fun envelope:

And contained all of this exciting, paper-y goodness:

Greeting cards, gift tags, a December and January calendar,
a recipe for candied pecans (Ginger's mom's own recipe,) and a note pad.

My favorite thing in the package was this adorable little note pad:

"Making a list and checking it twice"

Everything in the envelope was well-made and really elegant; there weren't any throw-away items. I'm planning to use the little December calendar for a scrapbook page...

...and we already used some of the greeting cards (I told you I never remember to buy greeting cards.)

Ginger P Designs also has an Etsy shop, and when I went to check it out in order to write this post, I realized that I'd already shopped there, because almost a year ago, I purchased this card from Ginger P Designs to give to Dan for Valentine's Day:

"I am so glad we're stuck with each other for the rest of our lives!"

(Perfect for a man who's not particularly mushy.)

You can buy a Ginger Mail subscription for yourself or for someone else, and then you're guaranteed to get something in the mail that's not boring. And one lucky reader will win the newest packet of Ginger Mail for your very own! Enter below! (For the blog comment entry option, make sure you check out the Ginger P Designs Etsy shop and then comment letting me know which item in the shop is your favorite.)

Open to US residents, 18+

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Great Non-Toy Christmas Gift Giveaway #8 - Chalkboard!

It's the last non-toy gift giveaway (for now!), and it's my birthday!! (I'll pause for a moment, because I can only assume that you're all singing "Happy Birthday" to your computer screens... Thank you! That was beautiful.) And now onto the business at hand...

Lucas loves to color. So we often have crayons and paper strewn about our kitchen (and we have some crayon marks on our kitchen floor.) When we were at a friend's house, Lucas discovered the joy of drawing outside with sidewalk chalk, and I thought that a chalkboard would be perfect for him (and me, because chalk is easier to clean up than crayon.) Unfortunately, he likes to throw things, and I wasn't sure a chalkboard would stand up too well to being whipped across the room. And then I found fabric chalkboard mats from Tammy's Sewing!!

Each chalkboard comes with chalk and a little sponge in the built-in zippered pouch!

I wasn't sure what to expect when I read on the Etsy page that the chalkboard needed to be seasoned before use, but it turns out that all that involves is running a piece of chalk on its side over the whole thing and then wiping it off. Even I can handle that!

Let's all admire my chalk skills. Ooo. Ahh!

After I "prepped" the chalkboard mat, I gave it to Lucas and...

He loves it!!

I can't say enough good things about this chalkboard mat! It's quilted, so it's definitely designed to stand up well to little kids. And since it's heavier than a piece of paper or small coloring book, it's perfect for young toddlers who haven't yet mastered the skill of holding the paper still with one hand while coloring with the other.

Lucas thinks erasing it with the damp sponge is every bit as fun as drawing on it. And when it inevitably ended up on the floor and was subsequently jumped on (jumping is one of Lucas's favorite activities), it didn't crack or shatter like a regular chalkboard would've. After only the first day of using it, he switched his normal request of "Cowor? Cowor?" (Lucas for "color") to "Chock? Chock?" (which I first thought meant truck and then Chuck, which was confusing because he doesn't know anyone named Chuck, but it ended up being "chalk.")

Lucas really likes putting the chalk back into the little zippered pouch, too. He's not exactly gentle (he's a toddler boy, after all), so I was a little worried that he would tear the plastic of the pouch, but so far it's holding up really well!

This would be perfect for kids of any age on a long car trip (or flight); it's soft and light, and if some chalk ends up on the car windows, doors or seats, it's much easier to clean up than crayons or markers. (I think it would also be great for homeschooling moms who have younger, non-school-aged kids at home, too, especially if the older kids are using dry erase boards and/or markers, and you want the littles to feel included without you having to clean marker off of anyone's face.)

The chalkboard mats come in a variety of fabric colors and patterns, and they sell for only $12, so they're an inexpensive (and seriously awesome) gift for your own kids or for nieces, nephews, grandchildren, or any other child for whom you want to buy a nice gift without breaking the bank. And Tammy's Sewing is offering free shipping now through December 31 with the coupon code CHRISTMAS2013. 

And one of my great readers is going to win a chalkboard mat of his/her very own! (Although I imagine they'll probably want to share it with a child.) After you enter, remember to enter my seven other giveaways that are currently running!

Enter below the smiling lady, but if you want to click her first, go for it!

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I was provided with a free chalkboard mat in exchange for my honest opinion.

Great Non-Toy Christmas Gift Giveaway #7 - Hats!

Guys, I just want to say two words...


MINION HAT!!!

When Bonnie contacted me about sending Lucas a hat for the giveaway, she gave me several different options for the style of hat. I spent an abnormally long time trying to decide between a few different hats. So finally I asked Dan, and he immediately voted for the minion. And I would just like to say publicly that he made an excellent choice (and that Bonnie made an EXCELLENT hat.) Because look!!

Seriously? Can you handle the cute? When we first put the hat on him, we couldn't get a good picture, because he kept wanting to take it off to look at it. But after he had a chance to look at himself in the mirror and see how cute it was on his head, he didn't want to take it off. We went to a dinner party, and he wouldn't let us take his hat off for at least an hour, so he elicited a lot of "aww"s running around wearing his hat. Also, the hosts had a toy minion...

They match!

Every time Lucas wears the hat, people comment on how much they love it. (And then I'm like, "Oh thank you! I'm giving it away! On my blog! I mean, not this one. A different one. And I'm not really giving it away. I mean, someone else is..." And then they inch slowly away from me, because apparently I make more sense when I type than when I speak.)

The hat is really well made, and it's even cuter in real life than in pictures! Bonnie can make this hat in sizes infant to large adult, and she sells them for $15 plus shipping. But for the awesome readers of my blog, because you clearly have such great taste, she's offering free shipping! And this isn't the only hat she makes.

These are all hats. Made by Bonnie. And look, you guys... beard hats!!!

You can see the hats available for custom order (in any size) here, and you can see some of the items she currently has available to ship out the door right this very minute here. (Bonnie also makes hats, clothes and accessories for American Girl-sized dolls, which you can see here.) You can also check out her other public photo albums for some other great things that she sells! Want to buy a hat?? (Of course you do!) You can contact her through Facebook or email her at bonniemaematthews@gmail.com. And don't forget to tell her you heard about her from my blog for free shipping!

And (you knew this was coming!) one reader will win a free minion hat (or hat of your choice from this album) in whatever size you need!! Yahoo! And don't forget to check out the six other giveaways that are currently running and come back tomorrow for the eighth giveaway!

If you click this, I will smile. I will also smile if you bring me chocolate.

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Great Non-Toy Christmas Gift Giveaway #6 - Super Hero Capes!

In my last non-toy gift list, I mentioned dress-up clothes. Like I said then, playing dress up isn't just for girls. And here is a perfect example of that!

Kristen and Nichole of Pipsqueek Bowtique sent me a Batman cape and mask for my little man, and holy fantastic costume, Batman - my child makes an incredibly adorable tiny superhero!

Please note his super-serious face in the middle.  Being the Little Dark Knight is serious business.

He wasn't so sure about the mask at first, but his little friend Tommy (who was at our house when the cape came in the mail, and who is four months older and therefore more aware of the inherent coolness of masks) was all about wearing it.

The back of the mask is soft, so it's comfortable for them to wear and doesn't irritate their skin. The logo on the cape is made of a reflective/shiny material, and the cape attaches at the neck with velcro. And most importantly, the cape billows perfectly when worn by a tiny, running superhero.

The neck of the cape was pretty loose on both of them, which I imagine means they'll be able to wear it for years and years before it's too small. Pipsqueek Bowtique sells capes from all of the popular caped superheroes, and they also make personalized capes with your child's initials on them! Their shop even has capes in more "girly" colors if you have a child who won't wear anything that's not pink. (They also make capes for adults, so if you're heading to a costume party or, you know, need some extra super powers to cope with a random Tuesday, you now know where to look.) 

If you're still trying to decide if this would make a good Christmas gift for your kid, picture this: Christmas morning, your child opens a present and becomes Superman. (I probably wouldn't let Santa take credit for that awesomeness.)

Most of the capes are $20 or less, and now through November 1, 2014, you can get 10% off any purchase from Pipsqueek Bowtique using the coupon code MORENAPS10. (Woo hoo!)

And one of you lovely, lovely people will win a cape and mask of your choice ($20 value or less)! So enter below, and may the best superhero win! (And don't forget to check out my previous five giveaways that are still looking for entries from clever folks like you!)

Wanna click here? Well, if you insist...

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I was provided with a free cape and mask in exchange for my honest opinion.

Great Non-Toy Christmas Gift Giveaway #5 - Bookplates!

Lucas has a lot of books. Like, a whole, whole lot. And at some point I decided that I should give him a book for every major holiday. So he will continue to get a lot MORE books. Someday when he has a sibling, most of the books won't belong to either child but will be shared, but I thought it would be nice to label the books that were given as a gift to one child so that he (or maybe someday she) could have his own library of special books. And then I found these personalized bookplates from Strawberry Street Designs.

Laura from Strawberry Street Designs sent me two sets of personalized bookplates for Lucas: trains and rockets.

They're printed on a slightly glossy paper, so they're a little more liquid (ie, drool) resistant than if they were printed on a matte label. They're small enough to fit in the smaller board books, but large enough to cover up the name of a book's previous owner. (Can you tell I buy a lot of used books?) They come in a lot of different cute designs, too! In addition to the ones in the picture at the top of this page, there are at least 13 more designs on her page (you can check them out here.) They're only $6 for a set of 12 (plus s&h.) You can save them to put in every book you give to your child/grandchild/niece/nephew/whoever, or you can give the whole set as a gift so they can label their own books!

From now through December 8, you can get 15% off your entire order from Strawberry Street Designs by using the coupon code HOLIDAY2013. She also sells personalized gift tags, party invitations, thank you notes and some other fabulous products! 

You can see all of her awesome stuff here. 

And one lucky reader will win two sets of personalized bookplates of your choice (or another product of equal or lesser value.) You can enter under the smiling mommy below (but could you please click on her first?) Don't forget to check out my past four days of giveaways, and come back all week for more giveaways!

If you're a fan of the giveaways I've been hosting this week, please click this!

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I was provided with free bookplates in exchange for my honest opinion.

Great Non-Toy Christmas Gift Giveaway #4 - Personalized Books!

I've said repeatedly that I love, love, love books. And I've been determined from day one to get Lucas to love books, too. (So far, so good!) So when Regina from Let's Read About Me contacted me about checking out the customizable books for kids on her website, I was obviously interested! I selected and uploaded a bunch of pictures of Lucas to the website, which was incredibly easy (ok, actually... the uploading part was incredibly easy, but the "choosing eleven pictures of Lucas out of the approximately 90 million on my computer" was a little more difficult.) I've actually created books online on different websites a few times before, and this was by far the easiest and fastest of the books I've created.

There are currently 11 different book options on the site (plus one "design your own" option, so really I guess the options are unlimited,) and I decided on the "Favorite Things" book.

And before anyone questions it: yes, "Lucas's" is the correct way to make "Lucas" possessive. :)

I received one of the hardback "Memory" books (which sell for $19.89) and one paperback "Just My Size" book printed on tear-resistant, water-resistant paper (which sell for $10.89.) (I'm fairly certain that no one who knows me in real life will be shocked to know that I actually tried to tear one of the pages just to see if it was really tear-resistant. Answer: Yes! I mean, I probably could've ripped it if I'd tried hard enough, but the paper isn't going to tear from the pages being turned too vigorously or handled by toddlers.) The Just My Size book is small enough to fit in a purse or diaper bag, while the Memory Book is larger.

This picture is just to show you the size difference and not for you to critique my photography skills. Which are bad. Those giant white spots are reflections. I'm a terrible photographer.

There's also an e-book version ($9.89) that can be viewed on your iPad or smart phone using an ebook app, and you can send the link for it to as many people as you want.

Lucas LOVES the books. Pictures of him, pictures of his favorite things, pictures of Dan and me... what's not to love?? He calls himself "Ducas," and so he will point to each page and say, "Ducas! Kitty! Ducas! Tractor! Ducas! Mommy!" It's kind of adorable.

Obviously.

The company was started by former kindergarten and first grade teachers who used to make individual books for each of their students using Polaroid pictures. They would make multiple books for each child throughout the year so that by the end of the year, each child had a library of books about themselves to take home to their parents. How sweet is that?? (Also, um, does anyone remember how Polaroid film used to cost like a dollar per picture?? That's some serious love on the part of those teachers. That couldn't have been cheap!) Let's Read About Me was created after the teachers saw how much their students loved to see the books about themselves and how it encouraged them to want to read.

These books would make GREAT Christmas gifts, and right now they are 10% off for new customers. And you can enter here to win your own customized book in both a Memory book and a Just My Size book! Don't forget to check out my other current giveaways and come back all week for four more giveaways!

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I was provided with a free Memory book and Just My Size book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Great Non-Toy Christmas Gift Giveaway # 3 - Christmas Ornaments!

Dan and I decided to start a tradition (and by that I mean that I said, "Hey! Let's make this a tradition for our kids!" and Dan said ok, because he knew I'd be the one making the Christmas purchases anyway) of getting Lucas a new Christmas ornament every year and giving it to him on Christmas Eve (along with a new pair of pajamas, which has nothing to do with this post.) My plan is that by the time he's ready for a place of his own, he'll have a good start on decorating his first Christmas tree. Last year I got him about 14 "Baby's First Christmas" ornaments, but I thought that for every year after that, it would be cool to buy an ornament that represented something he accomplished or really liked that year. And this year, the boy loves cats. LOVES them. So I started looking on Etsy for cute cat Christmas ornaments, and I found Heart of Clay Girl, Christy.

The ornaments she makes are ridiculously adorable. And trust me, they're even cuter in person than in the pictures!

She sent me a gray tabby cat for Lucas...

...and a black and white cat for one of you lucky folks to win!

Each of her ornaments is one-of-a-kind and handcrafted from polymer clay. While they're a great gift for kids, they're not toys (hence the title of the post), and they can break if they're dropped or handled really roughly. So only give them to kids who can be careful (or, you know, do like me and tell your toddler "this is for you!" and then hang it on the tree and let him play with the gift wrap and the box.) These are fantastic stocking stuffers, gift toppers, or just plain gifts. And although this post is about gifts for kids, these are great for adult animal-lovers, too.

Your kid's not into cats? No problem. She sells ornaments of all different breeds of dogs in her shop along with a bunch of other animals. (I am seriously considering trying to get Lucas really fascinated with raccoons next year so I have an excuse to buy one of her raccoon ornaments.) She even does custom orders if you want a cat or dog in the color/breed to match your pet.

The last day to order an ornament in time for Christmas is December 20 (December 1 if you live outside of the U.S.), so don't wait! Order yours now!

And... enter now to win the adorable black and white cat pictured above! (And don't forget to check out my other current giveaways and come back for the giveaways happening for the next five days!)

If you want to vote for me, I will allow it. You're welcome.

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Great Non-Toy Christmas Gift Giveaway #2 - Stuff for their walls!

Also knows as art.

This is a gift that can work for any age. Bright prints are perfect for a nursery or a toddler's room, and older kids like to put favorite teams, sports, quotes or verses on their walls. And The Meek Boutique has all of that and then some.

Your child's name as a super hero logo?

Check.

The words to "You are my sunshine" for a baby or toddler's room?

Check and check.

Darth Vader reminding your child to wash his hands?

Um, obviously.

The art from The Meek Boutique is sold as digital downloads, so it's emailed to you pretty much instantly (unless it needs to be personalized, of course.) Then you just have it printed wherever you normally get pictures printed (Walmart, CVS, Shutterfly, etc.,) buy a frame (or rummage around in your closet until you find one) and voila! Art worthy of your child's walls! All of the art is designed to be printed as an 8x10, but she can change the sizes for you, too. (I shouldn't even mention this, because this is a post about gifts for your kids, but she does stuff for the rest of your house, too. Like the poem I have hanging in my entryway.)

You can buy The Meek Boutique's awesome stuff here. Most of it is only $5, so it's really inexpensive to give your child's room a little face lift.

Terri of The Meek Boutique emailed me this awesome bird/ balloon art for Lucas's room, and I love it a ridiculous amount! I've been wanting to get more stuff to hang on Lucas's walls for at least a year, and the colors on this match his room splendidly. Plus, when he's older and learns to read, the verse on it will be perfect for any middle-of-the-night fears he might have inherited from his mom. (True story - I shared a room with my older sister when I was little, and I used to wake her up to go with me to the bathroom... directly across the hall.)

Apparently I don't know how to take a picture of something shiny without the flash reflecting off of it.

For a chance to win $20 in digital art downloads from The Meek Boutique, enter below! Don't forget to follow this blog and come back for the next six days for more awesome non-toy gift giveaways! (And check out yesterday's giveaway, too!)

If you could click this as a personal favor to me, that'd be swell. ;)

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Great Non-Toy Christmas Gift Giveaway #1 - Pillows!!

When I wrote my first Non-Toy Gift List back in April, I included blankets, sheets and sleeping bags, but not pillows. Lucas was still too young to sleep with one, so pillows were not on my gift radar at the time. But now that Lucas is 20 months old (and because even though we have a house filled with toys, Lucas still periodically chooses to play with the decorative throw pillows on the couch,) I figured it was time to start looking for a great pillow for Lucas. And man, did I ever find a great pillow!

Cinnamon from the Etsy shop Sew Cinnamon is the creator, maker, and awesome seller of The Perfect Toddler Pillow. She sent one for Lucas, and sweet mercy, the child loves his pillow. (True story - when he wakes up in the morning, I can often see him in the video monitor talking to the pillow.) Here's the video of Lucas seeing the pillow for the first time. It was love at first sight. Don't think pillows are an exciting and fun gift for a kid? Lucas begs to differ...



There are a bunch of different adorable fabric options for the pillowcase, so you can definitely find one that your child will love. Both the pillow and the case are machine washable and dryable (is that a word? Let's say it is,) and the pillow doesn't get all weird and lumpy in the washer and dryer. (And if you've ever had a child who coughed so hard while in bed that they threw up all over their bedding, you know how important it is that everything in the bed is machine washable. I mean, not that I'd know from experience or anything...)

The pillow before the washer and dryer (left) and after (right.) See? Not lumpy and weird!

It's flatter than a regular pillow so that your toddler or young child's neck won't be at a weird angle, even while sleeping on his/her belly, and it's small enough to not take up half of a crib or toddler bed.

Yes, he was really sleeping!

It's also a great size for older kids to take in the car on road trips, to daycare for naptime, or for sleepovers. The pillowcase is designed with an extra long flap so that your child can't easily remove the pillow from the case, and there are cases available in both flannel and smooth cotton. Every pillow comes with a case, and you can also buy extra cases so that you have a spare for a quick change after a random middle-of-the-night coughing fit. (Oh, is that still just my child?)

The Perfect Toddler Pillow sells for $33 (plus S&H), but from now through December 12, Sew Cinnamon is offering 10% off of any purchase of $33 or more* with the coupon code MORENAPS. Woo hoo! (The last day to order with guaranteed delivery before Christmas is December 12, so don't wait too long to order.)

ANNDD... one lucky reader will win a Perfect Toddler Pillow of your choice! (You'll get to choose from the pillows that are available in the shop when you claim your prize.)

Check out Sew Cinnamon, and then enter using Rafflecopter below. (If you don't already have a Rafflecopter account, you'll have to create one. But that's easy to do, I promise.) For the first entry, let me know which kid(s) in your life would love to get The Perfect Toddler Pillow for Christmas. (You don't have to tell me their names if you don't want to. "My unbelievably adorable daughter" is a perfectly acceptable answer.) And make sure to come back for the next seven days for more great non-toy gift giveaways!

(Before you enter, would you mind clicking this? Pretty please?)

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*10% off of total price of merchandise, not off of shipping and handling. She doesn't run the post office, guys.

I was provided with a Perfect Toddler Pillow in exchange for my honest opinion.