GIVEAWAY DAY!

Christmas shmishmas!  Who cares about that boring old holiday when there's Sew Mama Sew's giveaway day?!?!  Ok just kidding, but seriously this ranks up there in my book!

So I get that this giveaway is a little late for what it is, but I really love the idea and wanted to share it with you.  It's a felt advent chain countdown to Christmas.  Time was a really hard concept for my now 6 year old to grasp and having this visual representation helped it make more sense to her.  The links are felt with velcro closures, "Merry Christmas" is embroidered on the last solid red link, and I'll send it to you in this cute storage box so you can keep it safe until next year.

Putting the chain together and removing a link every morning has become a family tradition for us.  Want to start a tradition for your family too? Here's how you can win it:

• One entry for leaving a comment about one of your family's holiday traditions.  It could be any holiday!
• For a second entry, if you have a sec to look through my blog or if you like this chain idea well enough to want to see what else I'm up to, follow my blog and leave a second comment to let me know.  Existing followers, you get a 2nd entry too!

You have until midnight EST Dec. 16th to enter. I'll pick a winner at random from the comments and email them on Dec. 17th.  (if your email address isn't part of your profile, you'll need to leave it in your comment so I can find you if you win). I'll ship the chain to you within a day or receiving your mailing address.  Contest open to international residents as well. 

Good Luck!

 

Review & Giveaway

We live in sunny Florida = my children are slathered in sunscreen on an almost daily basis! I can hardly bring myself to even read about the damaging effects the sun has on children’s delicate skin and the impact even just one sun burn can have on them. Eco-friendly baby products by EcoMom, has my girls covered though, with Dr T’s SuperGoop SPF 30 Everyday lotion spray. I’ll tell you all about it below and give you a chance to win a $15 gift certificate for anything on EcoMom.com! Oh, AND if you’re not feeling particularly lucky, you don’t have to pout about never winning these things, you can just use a discount code I have for you!

First things first though, you need to hear about this great sunscreen EcoMom.com sent me! Sunscreen is a part of our every day routine, for that reason, the “super green” eco-friendly ingredients and the absence of the not friendly ingredients (have you ever Googled “harmful sunscreen ingredients”? Give it a try one day & test the ignorance is bliss theory) are reason enough for us to be loyal Dr T’s sunscreen users! It’s also packed with powerful antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, and is Aloe Vera based so it’s calming and soothing on sensitive skin. The PABA, Oil and Alcohol-Free formula acts as an anti-irritant.  All that goodness means everyone in the family can use just one product. We put it to the test with an afternoon in the pool. Adults, kiddos, and babies alike were sprayed (ooooh I LOVE spray sunscreen… so much less mess and easier too! AND the Dr T’s pump is refillable) there wasn’t a pink cheek in sight! 

This amazing lotion is just the tip of the iceburg for ecomom.com They offer a wide variety of products from a pretty amazing high chair to a super chic, perfect for bento, lunch box… way more goodies than ecomom could have possibly sent me… not that I would’ve complained! And EcoMom has an awesome program called EcoPass where members get 15% off and free shipping on EVERYTHING they buy from ecomom.com, with no minimum requirement. It’s $99 for a one year membership, but as of today when I’m posting this, you get a LIFETIME pass for the price of the one year pass!

Did you check out the EcoMom site yet? Do you want to win the $15 gift certificate? Here’s how (get one entry for each of the following, just leave me a separate comment for each one that you do):

1) If you want to keep up with what I’ve got going on here in my little piece of the blogosphere (or if you’re already one of my most favorite people ever a.k.a. my blog followers) you can get an entry for following my blog.

2) Check out ecomom.com and join their newsletter

3) Follow EcoMom on twitter

4) Become a fan of EcoMom on facebook

I’ll pick a winner, at random, on July 24th. Residents of US and Canada are eligible to win.

If you can’t wait to see if you won the $15 gift certificate or if you want to buy any of the other great stuff on EcoMom.com you can use this 15% discount code through July 30, 2010: SSBBL459

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog does not accept any form of cash advertising, sponsorship, or paid topic insertions. However, we will and do accept and keep free products, services, travel, event tickets, and other forms of compensation from companies and organizations.
The owner(s) of this blog does not receive compensation in any way from this blog.
The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners. If we claim or appear to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area, we will only endorse products or services that we believe, based on our expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.

Plum Organics and Revolution Foods Giveaway!

I’m practicing my best “sunday SUNDAY SuNdAy” crazy car dealership commercial voice to announce that I have yet another giveaway for you! AND if you’re not feeling particularly lucky, you don’t have to pout about never winning these things, you can just use a discount code I have for you! So come on down, don’t delay, act now, cuz we’re going CRAZY!

Alright enough of that… just thinking about those ads is annoying. Want to know what you can win? Peace of mind in the fact that you’re making a healthy choice for your little one, by the way of eco-friendly baby products by EcoMom. EcoMom sent me a Plum Organics & Revolution Food sampler for Liv to try out.

I’ve mentioned here before, about my quest to find healthy organic foods that will not only be great nutrition (simple organic ingredients are all you’ll find on these labels), but also help develop a palate and preference for a wide variety of food. I love that Liv opens her mouth, wide as can be, for flavors like pumpkin/banana, spinach/peas/pears, and peach/apricot/banana! Check out that packaging. You know how much I love the pouches because they’re so easy to toss in a diaper bag, but these brands take it to the next level with those tops. You just twist off the cap, and it’s like a straw sealed to the top of the bag. You can squeeze the food into a bowl, use a nifty spoon you can get specifically designed to attach to the bag, or squeeze it directly into a baby spoon. We went to a busy birthday party where there wasn’t space at a table for us to sit at, let alone a highchair available; Liv sat in my lap while I squeezed the food into a baby spoon and fed it to her without a bit of a mess. It was so convenient and I got accolades from the other Moms for being so resourceful ;)

This amazing food is just the tip of the iceburg for Plum & Revolution and also for ecomom.com Plum & Revolution offer a wide variety of products from the high chair to the lunch box… way more goodies than ecomom could have possibly sent me… not that I would’ve complained! And EcoMom has an awesome program called EcoPass where members get 15% off and free shipping on EVERYTHING they buy from ecomom.com, with no minimum requirement. It’s $99 for a one year membership, but as of today when I’m posting this, you get a $50 gift card for signing up! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have wholesome organic baby foods shipped directly to you instead of having to run out to the store with a fussy baby in tow when you realize that you sent the last pouch to the sitter?!

Did you guess that we’re giving away some Plum and/or Revolution foods? You’re right… $20 worth + free shipping… you’ll get to pick the flavors you want to try out! Here’s how you can win:

Get one entry for each of the following (just leave me a separate comment for each one that you do):

1) If you want to keep up with what I’ve got going on here in my little piece of the blogosphere (or if you’re already one of my most favorite people ever a.k.a. my blog followers) you can get an entry for following my blog.

2) Check out ecomom.com and join their newsletter

3) Follow the fabulous CEO & Co-Founder of EcoMom, Jody, on twitter
4) Become a fan of EcoMom on facebook

I’ll pick a winner, at random, on June 15th. Residents of US and Canada are eligible to win.

If you can’t wait to see if you won the $20 of Plum & Revolution foods or if you want to buy any of the other great stuff on EcoMom.com you can use this 15% discount code through June 30, 2010: SBBL395

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog does not accept any form of cash advertising, sponsorship, or paid topic insertions. However, we will and do accept and keep free products, services, travel, event tickets, and other forms of compensation from companies and organizations.
The owner(s) of this blog does not receive compensation in any way from this blog.
The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners. If we claim or appear to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area, we will only endorse products or services that we believe, based on our expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org
(I did the disclosure in super small font as a homage to the car dealership ads... sometimes I crack myself up!)

Giveaway... yep another one!

Welcome Sew Mama Sew Giveaway peeps! I'll make this quick so you get right to it. I'm giving away a crinkle rattle tag ball in blue & green or pink & purple, if you win you can choose the one you prefer:

There are two ways to enter:
1) Check out my Etsy shop and leave a comment telling me what your favorite item is.

2) If you have a minute to take a look around here on my blog, and like what you see (or if you're already one of my most favorite people in the world a.k.a. my blog followers) you can get a second entry for following my blog.

Giveaway for US residents only... if only shipping weren't so stinkin' expensive!  I'll draw a winner Thursday night.

Good luck!

Giveaway!

So I posted a while ago about the stool pictured above & asked for some suggestions on how I could embellish it in some way… spruce it up. I said I would giveaway a handmade surprise to one of the entrants, but surprises are overrated dontcha think? I’ve decided the anticipation is more fun. So I’m gonna keep the giveaway going and let you know what’s up for grabs - The beach towel bag from the One Yard Wonders book!

I made this bag with a décor weight IKEA print and a pink stripe beach towel. It has a deep zipper pocket for all your beach or pool goodies. If I lived on the beach, I totally would have set up a little scene for you of a lounge chair with a cold drink nestled in the sand next to it and this super cute bag hung over the top of the chair with the towel unfolded just waiting for you to claim it. Alas, I live at least 10 minutes from the beach (I can feel your sympathy from here), so you’ll have to make do with this picture of it hung over the top of my dining room chair.

So here are the new rules… the handful of you who commented on the original post totally rock and you get three entries each. Everyone else:

1) Leave me a comment with your suggestions for how to spruce up the stool (this one is mandatory to be entered for the giveaway).
2) Get a second entry for following my blog.

I’ll draw a random winner from all the entrants on midnight (EST) Thursday 5/14. Then I’ll work a little crafty magic on the stool & post a picture of the completed project when I announce the winner. Good luck!

A Kid Essential

A good stool is an absolute MUST in a household with kiddos! A little piece of furniture just their size facilitates independence and is a spot to call their own. A stool gives them somewhere to sit in front of entertainment centers, a boost up to the bathroom sink, a resting spot while you do their hair, a way to reach the counter to help with dinner, and even a quite place to sit and "think about their actions" as we call it in our house ;)

A little handmade wooden stool was one of my very first purchases on Etsy. 3 years later, it's pretty beat up and in need of some TLC... which it will get, but that's a post for some other time. While looking for a replacement, I came across this KidKraft step and store stool.

Okay, so here's the thing. I need your help! I'm totally loving this stool, the storage will be great, and it'll be even cuter since I'm having Elle's name put on it in a pretty script font in lime green (just below the cut out on the front of the stool). BUT, it could still use a little sprucing up. What do you think... do you have any ideas of how I could add a little something to the stool? Leave me a comment and if I use your idea I'll send you a handmade surprise in the mail!

No Break No Roll Recycled Crayon Giveaway

Head on over to the Florida Etsy Street Team's blog to win a set of my No Break No Roll Recycled Crayons and/or pretty little shell earings.

I made a bag for you: Scrunchie Bag Giveaway!!

OK so I made the “scrunchie bag” from the One Yard Wonders book. It came together pretty quickly and the pattern was easy to follow. I absolutely love the IKEA décor weight print I used for the outside and the black print on the inside pops up in my projects quite often.
It’s a nice bag, a great size, and it turned out perfectly, but here’s the thing… the fabric I chose made it just too happy for me. I made a beach bag with this fabric as well and I love it for that purpose, but I’m not cheery enough to incorporate this bag into my day to day wear. Sooooo, if you’re the happy, cheery, friendly type, I’d probably like to be your friend… it’s true, I’m not terribly cheery but I have lots of other redeeming qualities ;)… and not only that, I’d like to give you this bag! Isn’t that friendly of me?!

All you have to do is tell me what your favorite thing in my shop is.

You can also get 2 extra entries for following my blog.

Leave your comment(s) by midnight Jan 15th I’ll announce the winner on the 16th.
Good Luck!

Giveaway Winner!

The winner by random draw is AStarrA!

True Random Number Generator
Min: 1
Max: 22
Result: 15

Thank you to everyone who left a comment to win!

Celebration Giveaway!

Tiny toes, pudgy cheeks, sweet cries, wrist rolls, and finger squeezes have filled my days of late and been a distraction (although a pleasant one) from sewing/crafting/Elle Belle and pretty much everything else. But some semblance of a routine is emerging and I’ve eagerly returned to my sewing machine and blog. I’m happy to be back and have lots of fun stuff to post about but first, a celebration is in order. Let’s celebrating the return of my creative outlet, my guilty pleasure, and all Mommies who have something they’re passionate about in addition to their families! What better way to celebrate blog style than with a giveaway?!

Just in time for Halloween, I’m giving away a trick-or-treat tote bag! This isn’t just any trick-or-treat bag; it’s constructed with felt and has sturdy felt handles. A cutesy punkin face is appliquéd on the front with sheer black fabric … “why sheer?” you ask… because it GLOWS! There’s a pocket behind the pumpkin face for a glow stick.

So here’s how you win this bag + glow stick for yourself or a little punkin you know:
Required entry: Check out my Etsy shop (it’s sort of slim pickin’ right now, due to that little distraction I mentioned) and leave a comment about your favorite item.

Get extra chances to win by leaving comments about the following (1 additional entry per comment):

• Give me a suggestion for Halloween costumes I could dress my girls in this year… I’m thinking they should go together in some way like Bo Peep and a sheep… they’re 4yrs and 8weeks old.
• Follow my blog
• Follow me on twitter

Leave your comment(s) by midnight EST Oct. 15th, the winner will be contacted and announced on the 16th.

Tag Blanket Give Away!

Thank you everyone who stopped by to comment on my giveaway and especially to those of you who decided to follow my little diary of crafty endeavors (a.k.a. my blog)! Without further ado... random.org picked our winner... DESIREE. Come on down Desiree and claim your Elle Belle tag blanket!

Welcome Sew Mama Sew visitors (and my usuals of course too)! I'm hoping to make it a bit easier to add some handmade goodness to your day, so I'm participating in the Give Away Day and giving away a boy or girl Minky and satin crinkle corner tag blanket. All you have to do is check out my Etsy shop and leave a comment here on my blog about your favorite Elle Belle item. I’ll give you an additional entry if you like my blog enough to follow. Just click on the “follow” button on the right and leave a 2nd comment on this post to indicate that you follow. I'll use a random # generator thingie to pick a winner midnight Saturday May 30th. Good Luck! Hidden crinkle material gives one corner a curious crunchy sound & feel • Built with unbeatably super soft genuine Minky and satin, they are oh so snuggly • 12 distinct ribbons compliment the fabric and add a variety of texture and color • At approximately 14x14 inches square (not including the ribbon), they’re just the right size for the diaper bag and convenient for car seat playtime.


Elle Belle tag blankets are designed to sooth little ones while engaging them in tactile, auditory, and visual, exploration. They are the perfect cozy alternative to the larger crib sized comforts they know and love. Will they be jealous of your super cute handmade gift at the next shower? ©

*I'll spread the handmade love across the world... international entries welcome too!

Gotta love Blog Giveaways!

Check out this blog giveaway to win an ipod shuffle http://blog.alice.com/2009/03/16/spring-cleaning-giveaway-ipod-shuffle/
Contest ends tomorrow, the 19th!

First EVER Elle Belle Blog Give Away!

BROOKE OF THE "LIVING MY DREAM" BLOG, COME ON DOWN!

I used a random number generator thingie and it picked the comment # that matched with Brooke's comment. Congratulations Brooke, you won the Elle Belle Original Tag Blanket!

Thank you all for stopping by to leave a comment. I know there were a ton of blogs to visit and I appreciate that you took that extra effort to check out my shop! I hope you'll be back when you need something for the little ones in your life and that you'll visit my blog every now and then.

Welcome Sew Mama Sew visitors (and my usuals of course too)! I'm hoping to make it a bit easier to add some handmade goodness to your holiday, so I'm participating in the Give Away Day and giving away this Minky satin crinkle corner tag blanket. All you have to do is check out my Etsy shop and leave a comment here on my blog about your favorite Elle Belle item. I'll pick a winner at midnight tonight and post it here. Good Luck!
• Hidden crinkle material gives one corner a curious crunchy sound & feel • Built with unbeatably super soft genuine Minky and satin, they are oh so snuggly • 12 distinct ribbons compliment the fabric and add a variety of texture and color • At approximately 14x14 inches square (not including the ribbon), they’re just the right size for the diaper bag and convenient for car seat playtime

Elle Belle tag blankets are designed to sooth little ones while engaging them in tactile, auditory, and visual, exploration. They are the perfect cozy alternative to the larger crib sized comforts they know and love. Will they be jealous of your super cute handmade gift at the next shower? ©