First Anniversary Day Four: Mystery Prize

What could it be?? Leave your first name and email address in the comment section on this post and one winner will find out what you've won this Friday, March 7th.

Here's a hint: It's a "Sweet" treat!

Good luck!

First Anniversary Bash Day Four: Kaboost






This is your chance to enter to win a Kaboost! Kaboost is awesome, we've been using ours for close to a year now. It's for the independent kids who want to sit at the "grown-up" table but are just a little to small yet. Kaboost fits snuggly under your dining room or kitchen chair.

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment on this post INCLUDING your first name and email address.

As all of our other anniversary contests, a winner will be drawn and announced on March 7th.

Good luck!

***ALSO: Don't forget to enter to win both our MYSTERY GIVEAWAYS (click HERE and HERE)! We're pretty sure you'll like the prizes, they're sweet.

Extra chance to enter - Zutano Giveaway!








Ok, here is your 2nd chance to enter for your chance to win the $250 gift certificate to Zutano's eBoutique!

For this entry, please email us your answer to the following question:

The 2nd Chance Zutano entry is now closed. Look for another chance to win soon!

*2nd chance Zutano entries will be accepted all day 2/28/08. 2nd chance entries received after today's date will not be counted. Don't worry, you can still enter Day One: Zutano (if you haven't already) and we will be offering more chances to enter throughout the next week!

Good luck!

*ALSO: Don't forget to enter to win both our MYSTERY GIVEAWAYS (click HERE and HERE)! We're pretty sure you'll like the prizes, they're sweet.

First Anniversary Bash: Day Three - Natural Pod









Whenever I think about all of the recent toy recalls and the safety of my toddler, Natural Pod always comes to mind. I never have to blink an eye or worry when I see her playing with something from this conscientious boutique out of Vancouver BC. Bridgitte (Natural Pod founder) has got something really good going here and we're lucky to have them around.

Natural Pod has quite a few new products to offer. It's hard to just pick a few of them to feature here but here are some of my favorites:









Farm yard knob puzzle - Help your children learn to recognize shapes.









Organic Play Dough - Contains 100% certified organic ingredients.








Natural barn - Excellent for imaginative play!

We have such a fantastic relationship with the folks at Natural Pod and that is because we both have the same goal in mind for our children: letting them play with safe, quality products. This company is by far one of the best natural product companies out there.

Natural Pod would like to offer one lucky MumsTheWurd reader a $200 gift certificate to their eBoutique! You can choose from a huge variety of safe and unique products from their online boutique.

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY:

Leave a COMMENT on this post INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

  • First name
  • Email address
The comment section is located at the bottom of this post, just under the three little buttons (sk*rt this/vote for me/digg it). (For those of you who are receiving this post in your inbox or via RSS feed, you must visit this post on our site to leave your giveaway entry comment).

*YOU MUST LEAVE CONTACT INFO IN YOUR COMMENT. I can't stress that enough. Even if you have a blog, please leave your first name and email address in your comment. We always feel bad if we pick a winner that ends up being unreachable. We need to be able to reach you via email if you win. You can even type your email address in this fashion: name at yahoo dot com, in case you're worried about the spam robots. We hate them too.

Check out THIS post for more official anniversary bash news and rules (don't let the words "official" and "rules" scare you. We're really nice people, I swear). New prizes have been added, even a couple of "mystery" prizes!

GOOD LUCK!

First Anniversary Bash: Day Two - Boon










I'm a picky mom when it comes to toy storage in my house. I don't want too many storage bins or toy boxes lying around with toys hanging out of them. One little predicament we managed to get ourselves into was too many of those furry friends piling up, also known as "stuffed animals". The more we weed out, the more we accumulate. I know that we will have a never-ending supply of stuffed animals for years to come.

A unique manufacturer of baby, kid and parenting products by the name of Boon has a sensible solution to your stuffed friend pile-up. It's called the Animal Bag. The Animal Bag is a Godsend. I have freed up so many shelves and toy boxes because of this fabulous invention.

Animal Bags are available in different sizes and colors. Not only are they a perfect storage solution, they are a great option for extra seating. Your child's precious softies are easy to get in and out of the bag thanks to the over sized zippers and mesh windows.

As a part of our First Anniversary Bash, Boon is giving our readers a chance to win an Oval Animal Bag (a $60 retail value)! The winner may choose from two colors, pink or green.

TO ENTER THE BOON ANIMAL BAG GIVEAWAY:

Leave a COMMENT on this post INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

  • First name
  • Email address
  • Your Animal Bag color choice (pink or green)
The comment section is located just under the three little buttons (sk*rt this/vote for me/digg it) at the bottom of this post.

YOU MUST LEAVE CONTACT INFO IN YOUR COMMENT. I can't stress that enough. Even if you have a blog, please leave your first name and email address in your comment. We always feel bad if we pick a winner that ends up being unreachable. We need to be able to reach you via email if you win. You can even type your email address in this fashion: name at yahoo dot com, in case you're worried about the spam robots. We hate them too.

Check out THIS post for more official anniversary bash news and rules (don't let the words "official" and "rules" scare you. We're really nice people, I swear).

GOOD LUCK!

..and don't forget, there are going to be MORE prizes offered each day this week. Visit THIS POST to find the links to enter them all! A new, active giveaway will be announced each day.

Check out all that Boon has to offer related to feeding, storage, bath/potty, newborn/toddler jewelry and their newest product, Boon Layette (coming Spring 2008!

*PS: Want up-to-date email notifications when we post something? Subscribe to us over at the top of the left-hand sidebar. You'll only get an email when we post something on our site!

Gratuitous Picture of the Newest Product Tester

Here he is! I might be a little biased, but I think he's pretty awesome. :)

The Cool Kids Wear Tomat

Tomat is a fresh new store that will have your kids looking their coolest. Using only cotton made in a sweat shop free environment, you can deck out your baby or toddler in some super sweet duds! Started by a graphic designer, Efi knows how to combine comfort and fashion.

Tomat's onesies for infants are simple and groove-a-licious. This line includes organic choices, like the casette, and 100% cotton choices, like under the influence. I could definitely drop a pretty penny on Lennon in this department, but since I have a closet and dresser full of baby clothes, I'm going to try to contain myself.

The toddler line could not be more perfect for our little rockers, Noel and Hailey. Noel is prepared to head to the disco in his future dj shirt, and Hailey is jammin' to her favorite tunes in her Tomat logo tee (on sale!).

If you love unique, simple design and want your kids dressed in the best, head over to Tomat!

First Anniversary Bash: Day One - Zutano

*After emailing your Day One entry, click HERE for an extra chance to enter before this contest ends on 3/6/08!








Day one of The Mums Anniversary Bash is here! So glad you could join us. :) If you've been coming around you'll know that recently I posted about Zutano's HALF OFF sale going on right now. Seriously people, this boutique's clothing is excellent quality and long-lasting. The colors are so vibrant and funky and that's why we love them, not to mention they are so good to us and our readers.

Zutano is giving away a $250 gift certificate to their eBoutique!

Now, if you read our post that irons out some of our anniversary giveaway details, you'll know that each giveaway this week may be a little different. What's different about our Zutano giveaway is that we're giving you MULTIPLE chances to enter!

Here's the skinny:

To enter to win this $250 gift certificate, email us at mumsthewurd[at]gmail[dot]com. Your subject line for Day One's entry should read: "Zutano - Day One". In the body of your message, let us know what you did for Valentine's Day. (Cute, huh?)

Certain days between now and March 6th, you will have more chances to enter to win this prize (yes, multiple entries!). The catch is, you'll just have to keep checking back for the next opportunity to enter for this prize.

We will notify you by posting and specifying that there is another chance for entry. Don't forget to scroll down past the static post on the site to check for new reviews/chances to enter.

Day One's single entry will be accepted any day throughout the duration of this giveaway, which will end on March 6th at midnight CST. So, you'll have at least one opportunity to enter for this prize. Any other entries for this Zutano giveaway will only be accepted on the date and time frame that the chance is given.

Confused? Don't worry, we'll explain this again in the next chance-to-win post for the Zutano prize. Just EMAIL US to get your Zutano - Day One entry in!

GOOD LUCK!

..and don't forget, there are going to be MORE prizes offered each day this week. Enter them all!

*PS: Want up-to-date email notifications when we post something? Subscribe to us over at the top of the left-hand sidebar. You'll only get an email when we post something on our site!

Stardust Kids Rock






I grew up listening to music, almost any kind, which eventually evolved into punk rock. I loved the music and the lifestyle. Here I am, 30 years old and I still love me some good punk rock music. My tastes are now rubbing off on my two year old. Ok, ok, I dress her but I can only hope that she appreciates the kind of indie lifestyle that I do.

Cue Stardust. Stardust has been around since 1998 and located in the UK. Owner Geraldine Bedford started out her company by selling greeting cards and cuff links but over time and with the addition of her child, she was inspired to branch out and sell unique clothes (for adults and children), kid's instruments, toys and more.

I am particularly fond of the two shirts you see pictured on my daughter to the left. Her "Hailey is a punk" tee (16.50 GBP) is quite fitting, as is her "Pixie" long sleeve tee (15.00 GBP). Both shirts are great quality.

Stardust has a physical store location in London (294 Milkwood Road, Herne Hill, London, SE24 0EZ. Tel: 020 7737 0199) and even has the option of becoming a Party Agent (host your own parties and sell Stardust items).

Check out their online store, there are tons of rockin' items for mums and tots! Stardust is offering a special discount to MumsTheWurd readers. Enter code "MUMSTHEWURD" in the coupon code box at checkout for 25% off of your order.

Zutano is having a sale!






One of our most favorite boutiques is having a sale on their Winter Collectibles line of children's fashion - 50% off! Zutano's apparel is available in sizes 12 months to size 4 and your eyes are going to pop when you get a load of all of the bright, bold and beautiful colors they have to offer.

You can get the entire outfit that Hailey is wearing in this picture for HALF OFF. She's wearing the Wonderland Jumper Dress ($19.50-$20.50) with the Aqua Solid Crewneck (now only $8) and these Pink Tights (now only $7).

I could go on and on about all of the adorable girl's ensembles at Zutano but I'm sure you can see for yourself when you visit their online boutique.




There are quite a few charming boy's Winter Collectible fashions to choose from as well. Noel has on his Pool Henley "Kismet" (now only $19) or the Cozie Hoodie (now $18).

The Good News Caps (available for boys and girls), are also marked down to $12.00 each and I must rave about this cap...she looks so hip in it!

From corduroy to cable knit and flowers to brushed French rib, there is sure to be something at Zutano to keep your little guy (or gal) warm the rest of this winter season. Hey, why not stock up for next winter with these great prices?

It's the real deal folks, so get over to ZUTANO's eBoutique and get shopping!

*Come back soon, as Zutano will be a part of our big anniversary week of giveaways! More details about how to play on the way...

Last day to enter: Star 50 Handbag Giveaway!

Just a reminder, tonight at 10:00 pm is the cut-off for our Star 50 Handbag (New Hampshire Messenger Bag) giveaway. Don't forget to ENTER!

Also, Christine over at From Dates to Diapers, and Beyond! has a couple of great giveaways going on, so stop over there and check out the goodies.

DON'T FORGET! MumsTheWurd's one year anniversary is fast approaching! Starting next week, we'll be kicking off some pretty fab giveaways! More details coming soon...

One last note...Laura and family are getting all settled in with new baby Lennon and Noel has already taken the lead on his new big brother responsibilities which at this point, includes lots of smooches on new baby Lennon's soft little head. : ) We're going crazy waiting for pictures!

A Tu Attached to the Tee!





I'm head over heels for all things cutsie for little girls, since I have one of my own as you know. Tu for Tee has made a pretty big impression on me. This three women owned boutique offers tanks, short sleeve and long sleeve tees with a piece of tulle attached at the bottom. The second I put the Tu for Tee on my toddler, she was spinning around and saying, "Look-a-meeee, I'm beauOOOtiful!" If something this simple and adorable can set off the sparkle in my baby's eyes, then color me sold.

The long sleeve, thermal tee is extremely soft, light-weight and stretchy and she gets to wear her tutu all day long. I'll find her stopping in mid-play to look down and admire it. I figured I'd end up with a girlie-girl.

The tanks, perfect for summer frolicking, retail for $39.99. The tees retail for $44.00 and the long sleeve tees retail for $49.99.

If you have a little ballerina-in-the-making like I do, head over to Tu for Tee and browse through their line of adorable tees!

Welcome, Lennon!

CONGRATULATIONS!

Laura and her family have welcomed a brand new baby boy into their family today!

We wish you lots of health and rest. Congratulations to Noel too, the brand new BIG BROTHER!

:)

Star 50 Handbags and Make it Right Foundation










We recently reviewed Star 50 Handbags and just wanted to let you know what else makes them such a fine company besides having fabulous handbags.

Star 50 Handbags has graciously offered to donate 5% of all sales from the Louisiana Market Sac (pictured to the left) to the Make it Right Foundation (MIR9).

For those of you who are not familiar with the MIR9 project and foundation, here is a summary:

- "Make It Right" was created by Brad Pitt in December of 2006.
- The foundation is inspired by the courage and hope of the residents of the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans.
- The initial goal is to construct 150 eco-friendly homes on 14 square blocks of New Orleans Lower 9th Ward using sustainable materials that are healthy for families and the environment.
- The concept of "The Pink Project" is to reflect the progress of the rebuild in real time.
- The individual pink "components" or "volumes" lay at the site and are assembled as progress is made. When enough donations have been raised to cover one house, 3-4 "volumes" are pieced together to show a placeholder for a house.
- The ultimate goal of the Make It Right project is to build these eco-friendly homes throughout New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
- As of Sunday, February 17, 2008, the money for 78 of the 150 houses has been donated and over 3/4 of the funds for the 79th house have been raised.

I fully encourage you to head over to the Make It Right website and check out the full details of this project. I spent a good four hours or so clicking through the site the other day and familiarizing myself with what is going on down there. I'm actually in contact with the folks at MIR9 to possibly set up a "Team House", so that when you donate, you can donate through our house and show your support in re-building this devastated area of New Orleans.

Here are some details regarding making donations:

-You can make cash donations or donations of products and/or services.
-You can purchase items for the Donation House (from $5 for faucet aerators to $150,000 for the entire house)
-You can purchase merchandise and the all proceeds will be applied toward building new Make It Right homes
-Donations are tax-deductible

We'd love to read your comments regarding the MIR9 project! Please be sure to let us know if you'd be interested in making a donation (even if it's only $5!) to the foundation through a "mums" team house. We're working on getting that set up asap and will contact you with more details if you provide your contact info in you comment.

In the meantime, kudos goes to Star 50 Handbags for supporting this fantastic cause!

WIN IT!

Last but not least, here's your chance to snag a Star 50 Handbag of your own! We have a New Hampshire Messenger Bag to give away to one lucky MTW reader! This is a very sassy, durable bag that you'll want to show off while you're out and about.

To enter, send an email to mumsthewurd[at]gmail[dot]com with "Make It Right" in the subject line. In the body of your email, we'd love to hear your thoughts on the Make It Right project.

Contest ends on Friday, February 22nd at 10PM CST. A winner will be chosen at random and notified via email.

Good luck!

Baby Showers? No Problem.

Want to know a secret? I have never planned a baby shower. I probably never will. I'm just not a good planner. I never give gifts on time, I'm always forgetting birthdays...that's just how it is. I don't think after 30+ years of being this way, that I will ever recover. However, I am sure that most of you out there are awesome hostesses and hosts and love throwing parties.

With the current "baby trend" I've been seeing (I know approximately 20 people personally that are having or have had babies since December & will continue through August!), I know this site will come in handy for those of you that aren't like me.

Bliss Wedding Market has gazillions of wedding favors, and billions of baby shower favors! With about 100 items to choose from in the baby shower department alone, you're sure to find something pleasing for any parents-to-be, and all of their friends. What I like about the gifts Bliss offers, is that a lot of them, you will be able to actually use.

I got several items from Bliss to review, and they were almost all useful outside of the shower environment, and unique in general (at least as far as what I've seen at showers). As someone who loves taking pictures, I think these picture coasters are a superb idea. I also like these little bottle candles. Cute for the shower, then take them home and your house will smell great! Who couldn't use a new candle? I know I always enjoy them, and these really do smell lovely! My favorite though, are the plant-able wild flower favors. These come in several different styles-bears, prams, and hearts. You actually plant the "bear", etc.! What a cool reminder of your friends, family members, or your own new baby and the special day you celebrated with those who love you.

Right now, Bliss does not offer a Baby Shower planner, but they do offer a quite extensive on-line Wedding Planner. Take a look, or tell a friend getting hitched! Next time you're stuck in a shower planning rut, check out Bliss Wedding Market and get some fun and versatile ideas for party favors!

Decorating is Easy

Although I have grand ideas, they don't always become realities, and I am sure a lot of parents out there can agree. There are great plans, then there is a little thing we call life and raising children that can keep even the simplest of tasks from happening. That is where Fun To See can help! Fun To See is a simple way to make your children's rooms go from a boring, indistinct paint job, into something unique and cool!

I received the Outer Space pack, and it has really jazzed up Noel's room! I had painted his room before he was born, and I love the design, but this has added a whole new element of interesting things for him to discover-the "noom" and "stahs" are his favorites! It also fits in well with the night-time theme I had already created. Unfortunately, my computer is acting squirrelly, and the pictures won't load, so you can't see exactly how great Fun to See looks.

Fun To See offers lots of different designs, including the ever-popular "Cars" and "Disney Princesses", along with groovy flowers, and jungles. Fun To See is also incredibly easy to use. We had the whole shebang done in about an hour. It also comes with plenty of big, easily adhered stickers, so the room promises to not look one bit sparse.

Parents and kids alike are digging the ease and function of Fun To See. If you've got good ideas, but no time to put them into action, consider an easy and cool decorating solution...check out Fun to See!

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Love and popsicles,

The Mums

Diapers Galore!

I've got so much I need to catch up on review-wise. I am just too tired at the end of the day to sit on the computer in an uncomfortable chair (anything aside from the soft couch at this point is like sitting in a torture devise). However, very soon, I'll be doing some posts, including a review of three new cloth diapers I'm using. I'm excited to get to try out some new ones, as we've been with the same type and style for a while now.

With a new baby on the way, we thought it would be good to get some more diapers, and we threw our support to a small eBay business owner, Five Stitches Embroidery. Today is our first day with the diapers, and I can tell already that we're going to like these. They are all custom made to order and arrived in about 2 weeks time (I had a big order of 11 diapers too!). In the past, my experience with this was waiting over 3 months for my custom diapers to arrive when I was told it was going to be 1 month (long enough if you ask me!).

We have received a couple others for review, the Bum Genius 3.0 One Size, which I am crazy about, and a Bummis Bamboozle with a Super Brite and Super Whisper Wrap, which I just received today and is currently getting washed.

I'll tell you more about all of these great diapers very soon. In the meantime, I just ask that you have patience with this reviewer who is in her LAST week of this pregnancy! Yahoo!

Boon: They've done it again!








Laura and I have much love for Boon products and the individuals who bring them to us. You've heard us talk about the Frog Pod and the Potty Bench already. Now it's time to focus on Boon's new feeding line, made available to the world in November 2007. Seriously, this stuff makes me want to have another baby just so I have an excuse to use these products! One item in particular that I would have loved to have had the opportunity to use is Squirt (retail $7.99). Squirt is an all-in-one feeding spoon. You fill the "handle" of the spoon with baby food (up to 3 oz.) and just squeeze to dispense just the right amount of food onto the spoon. I may just use it with my toddler anyway because it's so freaking awesome. Another new feeding tool that I think is the cat's meow is the Benders spoon and fork set (retail $5.99). You can "bend" the utensils in a way that is comfortable for your eater-in-training. They assist in making the transition to regular utensils. Here's another new favorite, the no-spill toddler cup called Fluid (retail $5.99). Fluid is BPA FREE. You know that the discussion about BPA in our bottles and sippy cups has been all over the news recently. Well, ease your mind and pick up Fluid from Boon. The toddler cup holds up to 9 oz. of liquid and is easy to grip because of it's ergonomic, two-handed design.

The rest of the new feeding line can be viewed by clicking HERE. If you have a baby shower to attend, be the one with the most unique and affordable gift there, give items from Boon's new feeding line!

BRAND NEW in 2008, Boon will introduce their Layette line. There is some seriously cute apparel in this line! We can't wait until it's released this spring so we can talk it up even more. Also, check out Boon's new line of handcrafted, solid sterling silver bracelets for newborns and toddlers. Attention Grandparents and Godparents: Gift alert! Gift alert! =)

Boon products can be purchased at select boutiques and online. The Frog Pod can generally be purchased at a Target store near you.