Mother's Day Review & Giveaway: Zookies #clothdiapers

If you hadn't realized that I have an addiction to cloth diapering by now, it should be starting to become very clear! Sure, Mother's Day is about mom but trust me when I say that any new cloth diapering item is like gold to a cloth diapering mother which is why I am so thrilled to have Zookies Diaper Covers & More sponsoring a giveaway as part of my Mother's Day celebration!

When I first discovered Zookies, her amazing prints for her diaper covers caught my eye. It seems like most of the amazing prints come from WAHM and Zookies is no exception! Another great feature of the Zookies covers are that they are available sized (XS - L) or in a One Size version as well. I love the variety available from Zookies!

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to try a medium Zookies cover in the Fish in the Sea print shown below.

Mother's Day Review & Giveaway: Pooters Diapers #clothdiapers

In honor of all the cloth diapering mamas on this Mother's Day, Pooters has generously provided me with a Pooters One Size Hemp Fitted Diaper to try with W and a Pooters One Size Bamboo Fitted Diaper with a Gen-Y Minkee Diaper Cover!

Now let me tell you that Pooters is not just another cloth diaper retailer. The Pooters website is also a great information resource! On the site there is a wonderful How-To section that has information on getting started with cloth and figuring out what to buy. You can also read cleaning tips and find troubleshooting suggestions! I was first interested in Pooters after reading about the diapers on a blog I follow but was very excited to find such a wonderful information resource as well!

Pooters is run by a stay-at-home mom who is extremely friendly! That is something I appreciate in my customer service experience, so I had to mention it. She first began her journey into cloth diapering for green reasons and then discovered the wide variety of benefits! Pooters was launched as a way to help other parents and provide a great information resource.

Now, back to the diaper! When the diaper I arrived, I was impressed by how soft it felt. The Pooters One Size Hemp Fitted Diaper is my first hemp fitted. I have used some hemp inserts in our pockets before and was pleased with how they have helped with absorbency but I had never used a hemp fitted. The Pooters One Size Fitted Diapers are made of 6 layers of soft, organic bamboo or hemp - providing extra absorbency beyond your average cotton fitted diaper. After reading that information I was worried some diaper would arrive that felt like a bunch of sticks or something. Yes, I admit that the words hemp and organic in the same sentence gave me that visual. Sometimes my mind is a strange place!

After prepping it, by washing it 5 times (not the full 8 to increase to full absorbency) I was ready to see how it fit on W. Now, as you know, I'm not the biggest snaps fan but that is only because it has been challenging to get a good fit on W with snaps. Many of them never seem to be quite where I need them to be to get a good fit. This was not the case with our Pooters One Size Hemp Fitted Diaper!

I Love My Mommy Mother's Day Giveaway Event! Over $315 in prizes! #win4mom

The day has finally arrived! The I Love My Mommy Mother's Day Giveaway Blog Hop has begun! You have until Tuesday, May 10th, 2011 at 10:59pm CST to enter for a chance to win the FormulaMom Welcome to Motherhood prize pack.

This is a sticky post and will remain at the top of the blog until the event ends on Tuesday, May 10th, 2011 at 10:59pm CST. Please scroll down for other giveaways and new posts!)

I am also offering two giveaways in honor of cloth diapering mamas everywhere! Please check out the Pooters and Zookies giveaways for your chance to win some great cloth diapering products! There will be three winners this Mother's Day! Please read the details of each giveaway! The Welcome to Motherhood and Pooters giveaways are open to the US only. The Zookies giveaway is open to readers worldwide!

Now on to the big prize!


Welcome to Motherhood Prize PackThe Welcome to Motherhood prize pack includes the following prizes:

babybindle: SeatPak (Sponsor Spotlight)
BagsandBabes: Choice of Baby Bow Tie or Leg Warmers (Sponsor Spotlight)
Infantaisle: Bib & Burp Cloth set (Sponsor Spotlight)
ITZBEEN: ITZBEEN Baby Care Timer (Sponsor Spotlight)
Kidsbooks: Children's book package: Puppies Count, Rise & Shine, Search & Find: People, Places, & Things, & Search & Find: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall (Sponsor Spotlight)
Lychee Baby: $10 gift certificate (Sponsor Spotlight)
MamaLittleHelper: $25 gift certificate (Sponsor Spotlight)
Maternitique: 4 oz. Sugar Scrub (Sponsor Spotlight)
Meeno Babies: "Cool Mee" Stroller Liner (Sponsor Spotlight)
SoftPlay: Snuggle Up Elmo — Elmo Loves the Bears plush book (Sponsor Spotlight)
ThanksMama: $10 gift certificate to ThanksMama.com (Sponsor Spotlight)
The Good On Ya Bar: The Good on Ya Bar sample pack (3 bars) (Sponsor Spotlight)
Tommee Tippee: Closer to Nature 5oz bottle set (Sponsor Spotlight)
Woombie: The Organic Woombie (Sponsor Spotlight)

That's 14 prizes valued at over $275 and one lucky winner takes it all! You can learn more about all of these wonderful sponsors by visiting the Sponsor Spotlights! The Sponsor Spotlight posts feature reviews and highlights from all of my sponsors!


How To Win
You have a chance to win the Welcome to Motherhood prize pack by completing one simple entry! Please leave an email address with your comments so I can contact you if you are the winner! Please note: due to certain sponsors only shipping to the US, this giveaway is only open to the US.

Mother's Day Event 2011: Early Entry Opportunities

I Love My Mommy
Mother's Day Event 2011
Early Entry Opportunities

Form is now closed.
Here is your opportunity to earn early entries into the Mother's Day Giveaway Event! The Early Entry form will be available for submission until Tuesday, May 3rd at 8:59pm CST. This will give me a day to tally the early entries prior to the beginning of the event. You will then be able to use the early entries on any of the giveaways being offered at FormulaMom during the event (both the major prize pack and the cloth). Please note that these early entries will only be valid on FormulaMom event giveaways and will only be valid if you return during the event to complete the mandatory entry for each giveaway!

Earn Early Entries!
There are many ways to earn early entries, you can do as many as you would like and submit them on the form below. I will continue to update this post as I post Sponsor Spotlights! There are 83 early entry opportunities available, not including daily tweets!

Connect to FormulaMom
(Maximum 26 early entries, not including the daily tweets)

• Become a public GFC follower of FormulaMom (if you already follow, just remind me!) (+1 early entry)
• Sign up for the FormulaMom RSS feed (right side bar) (+3 early entries)
• Sign up (and confirm subscription) to FormulaMom email updates (right side bar) (+3 early entries)
• Follow @FormulaMom on Twitter and leave your handle so I know who you are! (+1 early entry)
• Like FormulaMom on Facebook and leave your name so I know who you are! (+3 early entries)
• Tweet this giveaway and leave permalink - RT @formulamom #Win $315+ in prizes in I Love My Mommy Event! Get early entries now! http://tinyurl.com/3st3sfw #win4mom #newmom #momhood (can be done up to 4 times daily, at least an hour between each tweet please)
• Grab the button below and post it on your blog. Let me know where I can find it and please keep it posted until the winners are announced. (+5 early entries)
  
  
  <a href="http://www.formulamom.com/search/label/mother%27s%20day%20event%202011"> <img src="http://i1036.photobucket.com/albums/a447/salicestar/Ilovemommy-1.jpg" source="blank" /></a>
• Blog about this event and provide a link to your post. (+5 early entries)
• Post about this event on a message board or other public arena and provide the link to your post. Please be sure that you are not breaking any rules for the board! (+5 early entries)

Follow our Sponsors on Twitter!
You earn 1 extra entry for each sponsor you follow! Please leave your Twitter handle for verification. (Maximum of 8 early entries)

• BabyBindle
• Kidsbooks
• MamaLittleHelper
• Maternitique
• SoftPlay
• Thanks Mama
• The GoodOnYaBar
• Tommee Tippee
• Woombie
• Zookies

Like our Sponsors on Facebook!
You earn 1 extra entry for each sponsor you follow! Please leave your Facebook name for verification. (Maximum of 11 early entries)

• BabyBindle
• Bags and Babes
• Infantaisle
• Kidsbooks
• MamaLittleHelper
• Maternitique
• Pooters Diapers
• SoftPlay
• Thanks Mama
• The GoodOnYaBar
• Tommee Tippee
• Woombie
• Zookies

Show Some Facebook Love!
Visit each sponsor on Facebook and leave some love! Tag @formulamom in your comment and you earn 2 extra entries for each sponsor you visit! Please leave permalinks for verification. (Maximum of 22 early entries)

Visit the Sponsors!

• Visit Bags and Babes and tell me about your favorite item! (+1 early entry)
• Visit Infantaisle and tell me which bib and burp cloth set you would choose! (+1 early entry)
• Visit Thanks Mama and tell me what you would use your gift certificate towards! (+1 early entry)
• Visit Woombie and tell me what size Organic Woombie you would need! (+1 early entry)
• Visit MamaLittleHelper and tell me you would buy with your gift certificate if you won! (+1 early entry)
• Visit Maternitique and tell me which scent you would get! (+1 early entry)
• Visit Zookies and tell me which print you would get for your cover! (+1 early entry)
• Visit Pooters and tell me about your favorite product! (+1 early entry)
• Visit Meeno Babies and tell me which color liner you would choose! (+1 early entry)
• Visit babybindle and tell me which color SeatPak you would choose! (+1 early entry)
• Visit ITZBEEN and tell me about your favorite feature! (+1 early entry)
• Visit SoftPlay and tell me about your favorite book! (+1 early entry)
• Visit Kidsbooks and tell me about your favorite book! (+1 early entry)

Mother's Day Event 2011: Sponsor Spotlight - Woombie

I Love My Mommy
Mother's Day Event 2011
Sponsor Spotlight:
Woombie


The Woombie is a safe and natural way to swaddle as it encourages the baby to stretch as needed just as in the womb. The Woombie helps prevent startling, scratching, and overheating while also protecting baby from loose bedding!

Review & Giveaway: Hayley's Stitchery (Etsy)

Giveaway is Closed.
I should probably have an Etsy blog event considering how much I love the shops there! I can browse for hours and could probably spend my life savings on Etsy! It's dangerous, I tell you!

Hayley's Stitchery is an Etsy shop featuring some of the cutest burp cloths around! Hayley has some amazing fabrics, many of which I haven't seen in other shops. One thing I've noticed around Etsy is that many shops have the same fabrics, but Hayley's Stitchery breaks out of those fabrics! Hayley is a mom to a 4 year old little boy and enjoy sewings, so she started making burp cloths for her friends and family as gifts. She got many compliments on them, so the idea for her Etsy shop was born!

Check out these fabrics!


And a great variety of boy fabrics!


Hayley sent me a set of 3 burp cloths in Stripes and Polka Dots. Both fabrics can be seen in the photo of the boy fabrics above and they were perfect for me because I love polka dots! When the stripes arrived, I fell in love with too! So cute and completely gender neutral!

The sewing quality was superb and I believe they are made on some of our favorite types of burp cloths so I was even more pleased! The burp cloths are padded and have coordinating fabrics sewn down the center of the cloth. W has taken to holding a burp cloth as a lovey throughout the day and he was more than happy to hold (and chew on) these burp cloths. Plus, I feel all cute and special when I pull one out of our diaper bag when we are out somewhere. Yes, these are great for diaper bags when you want someone to notice your burp cloth and tell you how cute it is!

As you know, customer service is a big deal to me and Hayley of Hayley's Stitchery is amazing in that area. Communication with her was a breeze and her shipping was very quick. I also loved the simple but attractive packaging of the burp cloths. Hayley's Stitchery is another Etsy shop I give two thumbs up and would gladly do business with!

Buy It!
You can visit Hayley's Stitchery on Etsy to see the great variety of fabrics offered and to browse Hayley's in-stock burp cloth sets. Sets of 3 burp cloths are available for $12. You can also place a custom order with up to two fabrics of your choice. Sets of 3 padded burp cloths are $12, sets of 2 are $8, and 1 burp cloth is $4. Hayley's Stitchery is also offering free shipping throughout the month of April! In addition, she is offering FormulaMom readers a 10% discount with the code FMB10OFF!

Win It!
Hayley has graciously offered a set of Hayley's Stitchery burp cloths to one lucky reader! They will be made with two of my favorite fabrics (and yes it was difficult to choose) -- green flannel animals and green houndstooth!

Mandatory Entry (must be completed for additional entries to count)
You must be a GFC follower of Formula Mom to win. Then visit Hayley's Stitchery and tell me about your favorite fabric! Leave a comment and let me know!

Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each additional entry)

• Like Formula Mom on Facebook (+2 entries)
• Like Hayley's Stitchery on Facebook
• Heart Hayley's Stitchery on Etsy
• Follow @FormulaMom and @hayleystitch on Twitter
• Tweet this giveaway and leave permalink - #Win 3-pack burp cloths from @hayleystitch & @formulamom!! http://bit.ly/hrOeur Ends 5/2 #baby #giveaway #etsy (+1 for each tweet, maximum 2 tweets per day)
• Vote for FormulaMom on Picket Fences (left sidebar, can be done daily, +1 daily)
• Vote for FormulaMom on Top Mommy Bloggers (left sidebar, can be done daily, +1 daily)

This giveaway ends on May 2nd, 2011 at 11:59 pm CST. Random.org will be used to determine a winner who will have 48 hours to confirm their win or another winner will be chosen. Open to US and Canada. Good luck!

Disclosure: I was sent a set of burp cloths to review and Hayley's Stitchery is providing the giveaway prize. I was not compensated in any other way for this review and all opinions are my own. FormulaMom’s full disclosure can be found here.

Mother's Day Event 2011: Sponsor Spotlight & Review - TheGoodOnYaBar

I Love My Mommy
Mother's Day Event 2011
Sponsor Spotlight & Review:
The GoodOnYaBar


According to the makers of the GoodOnYa bar, The GoodOnYa Bar is a bar gone rogue. Not afraid to use real food with healthy fats. This is not just an energy bar, but an organic nutrition bar that offers you real value for your money. Organic, dehydrated and full of flavor. This is what you should you be eating.

The GoodOnYa Bar is one of the marvelous sponsors for my Welcome to Motherhood prize pack and they are offering one lucky reader a sample pack of their organic nutrition bars!

Mother's Day Event 2011: Sponsor Spotlight - Thanks Mama

I Love My Mommy
Mother's Day Event 2011
Sponsor Spotlight:
Thanks Mama


Thanks Mama is a wonderful retailer that offers a variety of cloth diapers and cloth diapering products as well as toys, slings, and a variety of other baby gear! In addition to a great variety of products for baby, Thanks Mama also offers a number of products for mothers including mama cloth and nursing pads!

Mother's Day Giveaway Extravaganza!

I Love My Mommy Mother's Day
Blog Giveaway Extravaganza!


As I mentioned before, I am participating in the I Love My Mommy Blog Hop co-hosted by Makobi Scribe, I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, Bree’s: What Matter’s Most!, and Simply Stacie. Nearly 100 blogs are participating!

Beginning on May 5th, you will have until May 10th at 11:59pm EST to hop from blog to blog and enter the giveaways. Beginning on May 5th, I will be offering my readers the opportunity to win an amazing prize pack (valued at over $300). The theme for my prize pack is Welcome to Motherhood and is in honor of the fact that this is my very first Mother's Day!

As you know, I'm a cloth diapering mommy and in honor of that, I will also be offering two additional giveaways featuring cloth! These will run like my regular giveaways (lasting two weeks) but will begin on May 5th as well.

How the Event Will Work
Beginning this week, I will be offering opportunities to earn extra early entries into the giveaways. This will give my followers a chance to learn more about the sponsors and the items available to win while increasing your chance to win!

How the Extra Early Entries Will Work
I will be featuring each sponsor in a "Sponsor Spotlight" post and readers will have the opportunity to complete the early extra entry opportunities. Early entry opportunities will most likely involve spreading the buzz about the event, but please read each post carefully for details!

Readers will have until Tuesday, May 3rd at 11:59pm EST to submit their extra entries. This will give me a day to tally the totals before the start of the event on Thursday, May 5th.

Want To Be a Sponsor?
I am still accepting sponsors for this event and more information can be found here or by emailing me at formulamom (at) gmail (dot) com.

Now on to the Sponsors!


Prize: SeatPak


Prize: Choice of Baby Bow Tie or Leg Warmers


Prize: Bib & Burp Cloth set


Prize: ITZBEEN Baby Care Timer


Prize: Children's book package: Puppies Count, Rise & Shine, Sleep Tight, Baby Rhino, & Search & Find: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall


Prize: $10 gift certificate


Prize: $25 gift certificate


Prize: 4 oz. Sugar Scrub


Prize: Stroller Cool Mee


Prize: Snuggle Up Elmo — Elmo Loves the Bears plush book


Prize: $10 gift certificate to ThanksMama.com


Prize: The Good on Ya Bar sample pack (3 bars)


Prize: Closer to Nature 5oz bottle set


Prize: The Organic Woombie


And Featuring Cloth!


Prize: One Size Bamboo Fitted & Gen-Y cover (size medium)


Prize: Zookies diaper cover


Open to US only unless otherwise noted. Please note that neither FormulaMom nor the "I Love My Mommy" bloggers are responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. I have represented each sponsor with the expectation they will fulfill their prize in a timely manner. I will provide the winners' contact information to the appropriate sponsors but in most cases the sponsors are shipping their items directly to the winners. I will make every effort to assist you in obtaining your prize. If there is an issue with a sponsor please notify FormulaMom within 30 days for assistance. After that I may be unable to assist you.

Review & Giveaway: Baby Penelope (Etsy)

CLOSED
Baby Penelope is a baby shop on Etsy that offers some very cute baby items at affordable prices. The Baby Penelope diaper and wipes case holders are what originally caught my eye. I love all of the fabrics that are offered and the price was nice ($9-11 depending on the print). While the items in a shop are what usually catch my eye first, I am even happier when I discover that the designer is one of the good ones! Faviola is wonderful to communicate with and I would recommend her to anyone!

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to try out one of her diaper and wipes cases as well as a (surprise) bib from her shop! Faviola knew that we used cloth diapers and offered to make a case that was a bit bigger in size to try and accommodate the cloth! That suggestion alone had me very excited! She also allowed me to choose the fabric I would prefer. She offers a number of great fabrics so it was a tough decision!

I selected the first fabric on the Baby Penelope chart with gray and brown elephants.The package from Baby Penelope arrived a few days after it was shipped and was wrapped very nicely in white tissue paper and a Baby Penelope label. Inside was the diaper and wipes case as well as a coordinating bib!

The sewing quality on both pieces is excellent and I immediately broke out our diaper bag supplies to see what would fit in the holder! Our package of wipes and one stuffed bumGenius one size 3.0 fit nicely in the holder. It was definitely exciting to see how it fit. I also filled it with wipes and a few disposables and still had room for a disposable changing pad and a plastic bag for messy clean ups. I must say that I love the size of the diaper and wipes case holder!

One aspect of the diaper and wipes case that I have mixed feelings about is the velcro closure. I like the way the velcro is lined up going opposite directions because it allowed me to close the holder if it was more full because of the cloth or less full with the disposables. On the other hand, I feel that it might close more securely if both pieces went in the same direction. I haven't had any trouble with it not staying closed though so it really doesn't seem to be a big deal.

I really enjoy having a lot of our diaper supplies organized in one place in our diaper bag instead of just floating around. Yesterday we were at a family birthday party all day and it was great to just pull the holder out of the diaper bag when we needed to change W. So convenient!

While the diaper holders on the Baby Penelope etsy shop are made with measurements that are smaller than the custom holder that Faviola

I'm also so thankful to have gotten to try the diaper holder since it worked so well. The bib has been just as wonderful! The bib washed up well the first time and has washed well throughout subsequent washes. The back is a blue minky that coordinates with the diaper holder print. It is very absorbent and W has gone for an entire morning wearing it and his clothes are still dry underneath. This is pretty amazing with the way he is drooling right now! The size is also wonderful! So many of our bibs seem just too small, especially because drool drips when W is being held or is working on sitting up. But this is not a problem with his Baby Penelope bib!

If you're looking for a great Etsy seller, I would definitely recommend Faviola and her Baby Penelope shop! Friendly designer, great communication, quick shipping, and wonderful items! There is nothing better! Be sure to check out her shop and stop by the Baby Penelope Facebook page as well!

Buy It!
You can visit Baby Penelope on Etsy to see the great variety of diaper holders and bibs that are available! Diaper and wipes case holders are available for $9 - $11 and bibs are $7. Faviola also offers security blankets, burp cloths, car seat strap covers, and wipes cases!

Win It!
Faviola of Baby Penelope has offered one lucky reader their choice of a diaper and wipes case holder or bib! The winner will receive either a diaper and wipes holder or a bib from the in-stock items at Baby Penelope.

Mandatory Entry (must be completed for additional entries to count)
You must be a GFC follower of Formula Mom to win. Then visit Baby Penelope and tell me what you would choose if you won. Leave a comment letting me know you're a follower (new or old!) and what you would pick!

Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each additional entry)

• Like Formula Mom on Facebook (+2 entries)
• Like Baby Penelope on Facebook
• Follow @FormulaMom on Twitter
• Tweet this giveaway and leave permalink - #Win diaper case or bib from Penelope Baby & @formulamom!! http://bit.ly/g5A8lm Ends 4/18 #baby #giveaway #etsy (+1 for each tweet, maximum 2 tweets per day)
• Vote for FormulaMom on Picket Fences (left sidebar, can be done daily, +1 daily)
• Vote for FormulaMom on Top Mommy Bloggers (left sidebar, can be done daily, +1 daily)

This giveaway ends on April 18th, 2011 at 11:59 pm CST. Random.org will be used to determine a winner who will have 48 hours to confirm their win or another winner will be chosen. Open to US and Canada. Good luck!

Disclosure: I was sent a diaper & wipes holder and bib to review and Baby Penelope is providing the giveaway prize. I was not compensated in any other way for this review and all opinions are my own. FormulaMom’s full disclosure can be found here.

Mother's Day Event Sponsorship

I am going to be participating in the I Love My Mommy Mother's Day giveaway blog hop this year. It is my first official Mother's Day as a mother and I want to give back to my wonderful readers! The event will be held from May 5-10 and readers will be able to hop from blog to blog and explore the giveaways! Over 90 blogs are participating (with a total following of over 90,000)! Check out the list of participating blogs!



I have chosen two themes for the event: When Mommy Goes Green! and Welcome to Motherhood! Both are in honor of the fact that it is my first Mother's Day and that I am trying to make as many green choices as I can (and boy can it be tough!)

If you are interested in sponsoring a giveaway for this event, please email me at formulamom (at) gmail (dot) com for more information! Items/gift certificates of all values will be accepted as part of the prize packs offered if you want to participate!

Sponsors with items valued at $30 or greater are eligible for a dedicated giveaway that begins with the event but can last up to two weeks following the event. They will also receive advertisement throughout the event and up to two weeks following the conclusion of the dedicated giveaway.

Giveaway: My Baby Clothes Boutique $25 gc

Giveaway now closed.
A few weeks ago when I was browsing the internet while W napped, I came across My Baby Clothes Boutique and fell in love with all of the adorable headbands, hats, and hair bows. While I don't plan on putting any bows or headbands on W, I do like to look at all of the cute things that are out there.

At MyBabyClothesBoutique.com they strive to bring you the most fashion forward and unique baby clothes on the web, all at a Guaranteed Lowest Price! Their team searches to find the cutest, most comfortable, and highest quality clothes and accessories available. Their goal is to offer these unique and trendy boutique style clothes at affordable prices. I would say that they have succeeded!

From tutus and other clothing to headbands and hats, there is something for everyone to fall in love with at My Baby Clothes Boutique! Here are a few of my favorite things:


Rock 'n' Roll Plaid Short Set


Wally the Doggy Hat and Mitten Set

Yes, I limited myself to posting items that W could actually use! It's nice to find a good collection of items for boys as I've discovered that the choices are usually much more limited than the choices for girls. It's a great place to pick up something cute for any baby and I'm pleased to announce that My Baby Clothes Boutique is offering one of my readers a $25 gift certificate!

Giveaway
One lucky winner will win a $25 gift certificate to My Baby Clothes Boutique!

Mandatory Entry (please include your email address when you enter!)
Follow Formula Mom on GFC and leave a comment letting me know that you're a follower -- new or old!!

Extra Entries: (leave 1 comment for each additional entry)

• Visit My Baby Clothes Boutique and tell me what you would get if you won!
• Follow My Baby Clothes Boutique Blog
• Like Formula Mom on Facebook (+2 entries)
• Like My Baby Clothes Boutique on Facebook (Let them know that Formula Mom sent you!)
• Follow @FormulaMom and/or @MyBabyClothes on Twitter (+1 entry for each)
• Tweet this giveaway - #Win a $25 gift certificate from @mybabyclothes & @formulamom! http://bit.ly/f2yGhE ENDS 4/6!! #baby #giveaway (+1 for each tweet, maximum 2 tweets per day)
• Subscribe to the My Baby Clothes Boutique newsletter (left column on website)
• Vote for FormulaMom on Picket Fences (left sidebar, can be done daily, +1 daily)
• Vote for FormulaMom on Top Mommy Bloggers (left sidebar, can be done daily, +1 daily)
• Grab my button for your blog and leave me a link to where I can find it! (+3 entries)
• Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link to your post! (+5 entries)

This giveaway ends on April 6th, 2011 at 11:59 pm CST. Random.org will be used to determine a winner who will have 48 hours to respond to my email or another winner will be chosen. Open to US residents only. Good luck!

Etsy Love

I'm sure I'm not alone in my love for Etsy. I could spend hours browsing the shops and all of the amazing items. I have always had a strong desire to be crafty but I never seem to find the time to sit down and do it. I don't know if I'm creative enough in that way to be a very crafty person.

While I was pregnant with W, I purchased a few items for him and I loved them all. Almost all of my transactions were wonderful. The first thing I fell in love with for W was the sweetest little stuffed elephant.

He was purchased from Leahkl's Etsy Shop. Considering she is in Australia, the shipping was quick and the elephant arrived in perfect condition. He now sits on a shelf in W's room and I still adore him!

The second Etsy purchase I made for W were prints for his nursery. After many hours of searching (and finding so many things I loved) I decided to go with these prints:

These were purchased from Nestkids Etsy Shop and the transaction went fairly smoothly. They were shipped from Canada and the speed of shipping was acceptable. I was slightly disappointed by how they were shipped as the prints got bent in shipping. Luckily, they were still usable and they look wonderful hanging about W's changing table/dresser.

I may be making another purchase from Nestkids because she offers prints using the birth information, but I have concerns over how it would be shipped so I may end up going with a different shop even though she has designs that coordinate with my current prints.

My third purchase from Etsy for W was the Purple Cotton Sherpa Sugar Plum Baby Newborn Diaper I reviewed from my newborn stash. I purchased it from Monkey Toe Diapers. The price was amazing (she was having a sale) and the shipping was extremely quick. It was a great transaction and I wish W had used the diaper but I will save it for when #2 arrives (which will not be for awhile).

My last purchase for W from Etsy is one of my favorites. I purchased his baby book from Ruby Love Designs. After searching for a long time for something that appealed to me, I decided to take the plunge and make the investment in one of her baby books. This is the design I purchased, although it was personalized for W:

The shipping was extremely quick and I love the book. It fits my style perfectly and I even remembered to take the page for his footprints to the birthing center with me! That pages was extra but it was worth it. I also ordered the holiday page pack and an extra baby shower page since I had more than one shower.

Although I'm realizing now that I may not have needed this book because I'm really into making photo books on the web instead, I am still in love with it. I just have to stay focused and make sure I stay on top of filling it out! One of my favorite features is the calendar in the back that has little stickers you put on the days for the milestones!

So, as you can see, I'm in love with Etsy and if W had been a girl I would be in so much trouble! Although there are a lot of cute things for boys, there is much more for girls. Lately I've been on the hunt for some good drool bibs and burp cloths. I'm also always on the hunt for cloth diapers as I would love to find some good ones that would also support an Etsy seller.

On the topic of Etsy love, I'm excited to mention that I am working on setting up some reviews and giveaways with a few Etsy shops! I have discovered some wonderful new shops and I'm looking forward to passing on the chance for my readers to discover them too! Stay tuned!

Giveaway: Bright Star Baby

I'm always on the hunt for new diapers to try. My current stash is fairly solid with 10 One Size BumGenius 3.0s and 4 small BG AIOs. These are all aplix, but we also have a few snap diapers that are tucked away right now as I prefer aplix for getting the best fit on W's chubby little belly. But I'm always looking for new options, especially when they claim to be slim! I ran across a nice giveaway as I was blog hopping this weekend.

The Small Town Mom has done a review of the Bright Star Baby Ultimate Trim Fit diaper and is offering a giveaway from Bright Star Baby. This is the first time I've come across Bright Star Baby and I might be in love! The prints are adorable and SO tempting! Yes, there are even cute prints for boys! I wouldn't even know which to pick for W. Baby Pirates, Turtle Friends, Ooga Booga Blueberry, Retro Owls? This is dangerous territory!

One lucky reader of The Small Town Mom will win a $25 gift certificate to Bright Star Baby. The giveaway closes on 3/20 at 9pm cst.