August/September Giveaways

So I have several giveaways that will be running in August and September.  The start dates and end dates of each giveaway will be posted here as well.

8/9-8/31--

Love1111--$15 gift certificate for cute hippie momma clothing and adorable necklaces

Ergo is giving away a carrier a day at their Facebook page check it out!


8/15-9/5--

Happy Green Bee--your choice of items from their clearance shop!

8/18-9/8--

Firegypsy Vintage--$20 gift card to use as you wish in the awesome vintage Etsy shop!! 

Killed My Laptop, Well Sort Of

So as you have probably all noticed, I have not really be on here as often as I typically am.  I am super crazy and bummed because my laptop has basically bit the dust.  The screen no longer works so it is set up like a home based computer.  This set up is driving me crazy because it means no working from the living room while the kiddos are running around playing.  Instead I have to actually go off by myself and work.  I will be really ready to get that new laptop after the new year.  Sadly I just can not afford it until then.  Anyways I just wanted to let you all in on what was going on.

Review Tea Collection

Tea Collection is one of those companies that I have recently found and fallen in love with.  They make some of the most adorable children's clothing that I have ever seen.  What's even better is that they have clothes for my youngest, Adeline, who is nine months old as well as my oldest, Andrew, who is nine years old.  This does not happen often and if it does then generally the company does not have clothes that Andrew loves.  However with Tea Collection all of my children have been happy with their clothes and they are quickly becoming some of my favorite pieces.

I have owned some Tea Collection clothes for my girls recently.  I had bought both of them a dress and a pair of leggings.  Then I was lucky enough to get in contact with them and they offered me some items for each of my children for review.  Their offer was very generous considering that I have four children.

I received the Peli Stripe Hoddie (retail $30) and the Sejong Dragon Pants (retail $49.50) for my oldest Andrew.  The quality of the clothing is amazing and the embroidery is very high quality.  I was very impressed with the quality of all of the items but the embroidery really impressed me.  Plus as an added bonus, Andrew thinks that the embroidery is awesome so that means that it will be easier for me to get him to actually put on something that I like.

 

 

Then it was as if the company knew my children.  They sent my little Princess, Althea, the Mikko Floral Bubble Dress (retail price of $35).  This is perfect since she loves dresses more than anything else. Plus the leggings that I had already bought match perfectly so that was an added bonus.

 

For Huxley I received the Carlclops tee (retail value $30) and the Super Side Stripe Pants (retail value $30).  This outfit really reminds me of Huxley and he LOVES it.  Everyday he tries to get me to let him wear the shirt but it is being saved for family pictures so he has to wait until after next Sunday.

 

 

Finally I recieved an adorable outfit for Miss Adeline.  The Pikku Kani Stripe baby top (retail value $26) and the Cargo  Gypsy baby pants (retail value $22) were sent to me.  I love both of these and honestly from looking at the pictures online I would not have picked them but I know that in the future these little things will not be overlooked because I like them so much.

 

 

Of course you might all be wondering why there are no pictures with my kiddos in these adorable clothes.  Well the reason is that they are something that I am saving for family or individual pictures that will be posted in the next few weeks.  I just knew that the photographer would get better pictures than I could so I figured I could wait to show them off on my little cuties.

Now for another of my favorite things to do.  I'm going to show you some favorites that I have from Tea at this time.  To be completely honest these are probably going to be my kiddo's Christmas outfits this year.  I always get them a new outfit or two (as in this case) and these are the ones that I'm going to pick up for this year.

For Althea and Adeline

The Winter Wildflower dress (retail value $29) is just too cute for words.  I love this one!  There is also the Winter Wildflower Layer Dress (retail value $35) that I also really like!  I love that these dresses coordinate but are not too matchy matchy.  I love to dress my girls the same but I hate for them to be exact matches of each other.

 

The other dress that I plan on picking up for them is the Stockholm Border Dress (retail value $39).  It comes in two different colors so they can match but not match all at the same time.

 



There are many others that I simply love but none that I feel will be as appropriate for the holidays as these two will. 

Of course I will be picking up some leggings to be worn underneath these.  The Skinny Stretch Leggings (retail value $22) come in the perefect shades to be worn under the Winter Wildflower dresses.  There is one the darker color of trim and one the lighter color of the trim.  I do notice that for some reason the two colors do not look at that different on here but they are on the website when you see them next to each other.  Then there are the Skinny Stripe Leggings (retail value $22) that would look great under the Stockholm Border dresses.



While Tea offers so many things that I love for my girls that I could just keep shopping, there are also things that will be great on my little men.  I love the Hinderland Plaid Shirt (retail $39).  For my modern boys I plan on pairing this with the Wanderer Tee (retail $30) and Forest Fox Tee (retail $30).  So again matching but not too matchy matchy!  I also like the Hikers Stripe Henley (retail $36).  Andrew has the most beautiful brown eyes and Huxley has some gorgeous baby blues so the colors are even perfect to compliment their eyes.



As far as pants are concerned.  I like the Awesome Cords (retail $39) and the Just Jeans (retail $49).



Remember Tea Collection for any clothing needs that you have in the future for your kiddos.  Also remember that I will be featuring a giveaway from Tea as part of my huge Black Friday giveaway.

 





 

Black Friday Giveaway In the Works and First Announcement

So  I am a huge fan of Black Friday and I love the holidays as well.  I am organizing a huge giveaway for you all to help you get some of your holiday shopping out of the way.  The giveaway winner will be drawn and notified on Black Friday.  I have huge goals for myself to be able to giveaway some great products.  So far the following are on the table:

1.  Initials Inc (I loved their products so much that I started selling them myself!!)  I will be sponsoring this giveaway item and am not yet sure what it will be.
2.  Mad K's Creations--hat
3.  Love1111--$10 GC
4.  Tea Company--(I am super excited about this one because they are my FAVORITE children's clothing!!!)
5.  Homespun Soaps
6.  Tupperware (through rep Kristi Boylan)
7.  Passions
8.  Shabby Girls Boutique (this is another one that I am super excited about)

I am hoping to keep getting more sponsors.  Wish me luck and I will keep you updated as more sponsors sign on and as they add their prizes if they have not announced them yet.
 

Curious About Labor Day, I Was

So I know that most people know that today was Labor Day.  The odd thing to me was that I really didn't know much about labor day when I started thinking about it.  I mean, I knew the basics, I knew what it was for and I knew what it meant but I was not sure about the rest.  I did not know the exacts as to how it was started or why, so I set out on a mision to find out more information.

Of course I knew that the labor movement was behind the start of Labor Day and that it falls on the first Monday in September.  I learned that the meaning was to celebrate both the economic and social achievements of workers in America.  I knew that it was celebrating the economic achievements but I was not sure that it was about the social contributions of Americans in the workforce.  What do you think about this?  As a freelance writer I get to celebrate being an employee as far as the eonomy goes but I really do not get to celebrate the social aspects of having a job.  Sometimes I miss these and today I spent some time reflecting what I missed about them.

There is no accurate record of who started the first Labor Day. There are speculations but no one gets credit becaue the records just are not that clear.  Although Labor Day had been celebrated before it was not officially considered to be a holiday until between 1885 and 1886. 

Today we celebrate Labor Day nation wide giving employees in most positions with a day off of work to celebrate.  There are still a lot of employees who find themselves working but no union labor jobs are working unless for overtime.  Plus most professionals have the day off unless called in for an emergency of one type or another.

So what are your thoughts on Labor Day??

Mine are that I think that it is a great thing for employees to be celebrated.  It really does not matter what job someone has as we are all contributing to society.  Some people might choose to look down on one career or another but instead of doing this you should be looking at those employees and thinking about the contributions that they are making to your society.  In stating your society I am simply referring to what you think about the different aspects of how each of these jobs affects you.  I am thankful for all employees around the US that help to make my amazing life possible and I would love to hear what you are thankful for today as well.

Review Tupperware

Today Tupperware has come a long way from where it was when you probably most remember it.  One of the things that I love the most about today's Tupperware is that it offers you the ability to do everything that you could ever imagine.  You can easily get yourself organized or even help yourself to more easily prepare meals.  There are so many products that I love from Tupperware that I would love to share a few with you.

Kristi Boylan is one amazing Tupperware lady and someone who has become a good friend of mine.  I love the idea of supporting this mom of six's home based business because I know that the money that I spend is helping this like minded mommy to take care of her family. 

Today's Tupperware has products for everyone's budget and when you shop online there are a variety of exclusive gifts for you to choose from. 

The Classics are all of those things from Tupperware that you probably remember from when you were a kid.  These are the items that made Tupperware popular and are something that you will enjoy being able to use.

Here are some of my favorite classics:

The Midgets which cost you just $15.



The Bell Tumblers with Sipper Seal Domed Lids that will cost you $24.  Right now there is an online special on these for just $14.50.


Classic Rattle Shape Sorter and Counting Toy is just $29! 



The Cook's Tools are all of the things that you need to help you cook and prepare your meals.

I love how the Ice Cream Scoop actually cuts through even the most solid frozen ice cream.



The Freezer section will give you products that you can use in your freezer.

 I love the new ice cube trays with lids and think that they would double as one of the best ways to freeze your extra baby food into one ounce cubes for your little one to eat.  The cost is $29 for two and you will never have funky smelling ice again because they offer a specail odor seal.



The Cutlery and Cook-Ware section is one that you might not be familiar with when you are thinking of the Tupperware brand.

I would love to have the Universal Series Kitchen Knives Complete 7 Piece Set, it looks awesome and in particular I love how each knife is stored in its own little blade protecting case.  The price is really good when you consider that Tupperware still offers the lifetime warranty on all of their products.  The cost for the complete set is $189.



Today there are more products offered in the Kids section than ever before.

I am a big fan of the Early Ages Eco Complete Baby Set for $39,



the Boys Eco Lunch Set for $45,



the Hello Kitty Lunch Solutions Set for $49,



and the Kids in the Kitchen Baking Set for $45.



There are Kitchen Compliments that will add to anyone's kitchen no matter what level you enjoy cooking on.

A beginner cook will appreciate the step by step instructions of the cookbooks, like the Smart Meals Recipe Book for $15,



while the more experienced chef is sure to appreciate things like the Tupperware Fresh Herb Planter System for just $19.50.



The Lunch Solutions will show you some of the above choices for kids while there are additional choices for adults like the Healthy Salad on the Go Set for $25.



The Microwave area is going to feature all of the products that you can use in the microwave.

The Micro Steamer is one of my most favorite kitchen tools.  I love that you can cook rice in the bottom while steaming your veggies right on top.  Plus at $29, it is a very affordable option as well.




The area labeled On the Go is the area in which you would find everything that you need to travel and be on the go.

The Mega Tumbler is on my shopping list because I know that I will be able to get the water that I should be drinking in when I use it.



The Preparation section is where you will go to find all of the tools that will help you prep your foods for meals.

The Smooth Chopper is what I had the priviledge of reviewing.  I say priviledge because this handy tool that costs $59 and is currently on special for $35 is awesome.  It does a variety of things and I have found that I use mine much more than I would have thought.  Not only do I use it to chop but I also use it to whip.  I made whipped cream for our strawberries the other night with this awesome tool.  I have also made smoothies in it with frozen fruit and juice.  The smoothies were a bit chunky for my taste so I think that I should have kept chopping them for a bit longer.  My kids even love helping with this tool although I did discover that they did not pull the cord straight but down instead.  It actually wore a small groove into the plastic where they were pulling it so this is something for you to watch for if you are using it.  Make sure that you are able to pull the cord straight out and I am sure that you can avoid this one.

I thought that I had taken pictures of the completed products, I made salsa one day in it and I made the smoothie and whipped cream but I could not find them on my card.  I am not sure if my kiddos accidentally deleted them or what. 

The Refridgerate section provides an area where you can find all of the solutions for your refrigerator. 

I love the idea that they now feature a Water Filter Pitcher for just $49.  So comparable to the price of other water filter pitchers and actually something that you can have the full lifetime warranty on as well.



The Serve section features all of the products that you can use to serve your guests food and beverages.  There are new items that are more classy than the plastic ones from before.

I love the Serving Center Set and could see using it for a variety of different items.  It costs $45.



Then there is the Tupperware Chic Dining Cocktail Collection with Wine Charms and you can get them all for $149.



The Storage area features all of the storage solutions that you could use in your home.  If I had a million dollars all of my pantry and cabinet shelves would be lined with these containers.

The Super Cereal Storer is just $19 and a great way to get more life out of your cereal if you are slow cereal eaters. 



The Gift Sets collection has a variety of gift sets that you can use.

The Pasta Party Basics Set includes a variety of items that are needed for you to be able to make a great pasta dish, there are three different sets to choose from that range in price from $44-$99.



As you can see I love me some Tupperware and I know that you will too.  The best part is knowing that you are buying something that is going to last you a lifetime.  It is replaceable and something that you will definitely be able to get your money worth.