Custom T-Shirt from The Bellingham Baby Company Giveaway!!

Have you guys heard of The Bellingham Baby Company?

 

In 2005 Shelly and Jeremy Allen started a Mom and Pop online shop of fresh fun gifts and gear for babies, toddlers and parents.  They carefully selected each item they offered with safety, functionality and uniqueness in mind.  One thing they tried to make sure of was that their stock comprised mostly of products that are handmade by a mom, invented by a mom, or come from a mom-run company.

 

In 2008 they opened their first brick and mortar store in Bellingham, Washington. Doing this allowed them to expand their inventory and sell even more awesome products, always keeping in mind that customer service and satisfaction was key. 

 

And trust me when I say this, you will not get better customer service than with this company. Or a better selection of reasonably priced unique and customizable baby products.

 

When I first started talking to Shelly she reminded me of the kind of shop owner that would go around with you explaining all of the products if you needed help- and come on, you can't get service like that from a big box store.  They sell everything from shopping cart covers, teething bling,  handmade baby booties, diaper bags that are gorgeous and oh so much more.

 

 

One of the best sellers in the store are the personalized t-shirts, onsies and bibs that they offer in store and online. They offer tons of different pre-made designs and they even give you the option to work with them to upload your own custom design if there is something you have in mind at no extra cost. They really do want to help you to create your own special gift for someone, and if they cant create something you love you are not obligated to buy it.  All designs ship within 48 hours of order placement and the quality can not be beat.

 

 

 

 I immediately fell in love with this design, and when it arrived on my door step a few days later I could not have been happier with it.  The shirt is nice and thick, and its super soft. Even where it has been printed the design doesn't make the shirt stiff or wonky.  It washes beautifully-  just turn it inside out before tossing it in the wash. I have purchased these as gifts for friends before, and I can tell you that even after standing up to the roughness of a toddler and multiple washings they look as good as when they arrive.

 

 

Lovelies, seriously? This is like everything I love about Christmas in one shirt. A tree, lights, AND Rudolph? PLUS its personalized? Uh, sign me up!

 

Mr. Man will be sporting this next weekend when we go cut down our own Christmas tree, and if I could get one big enough to fit the hubs and me- well we would all match.
Maybe I need to give Shelly a call back on that one...hmm.

But here's the best part- the amazing Shelly has graciously offered not one but TWO of you lovelies your own awesome shirt!!  She's giving you the option to choose either a short or long sleeved bodysuit or t-shirt in one of their custom designs, or she can work with you to create one of your own, from size 0-3 months up to size 6!

So what are you waiting for, enter now!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway


****DISCLAIMER- I was gifted a product to review and two to giveaway, but all opinions and thoughts are, as always, my own****



 

 

Keeping things safe with Memory Keepers

Its no surprise I'm a sentimental sucker. I save lots of things, like ticket stubs, cards, mementos- usually in old shoe boxes because that's what I have laying around. Not the best system in the world. I knew when it came to saving stuff for Grayson, I wanted a little bit of a better system. So I hit the interwebs and found Paper Coterie and their freaking adorable Memory Keepers. A fully customizable box to neatly tuck away my treasures to display on a book shelf, rather than in a Nike box hidden under my bed. Well, this was a no brainer.

 

The whole process was super easy, it took me about five minutes to upload my pictures and customize my box and then just a few days later this super cute package arrived on my porch.

 

 

Seriously? If the packaging was that cute, I couldn't wait to see inside.

 

 

Yep. I was officially in love.

 

Not only because this thing LOOKED amazing, but it was solid and sturdy too boot. The linen box made of recycled fiber board, making it durable while still being very eco friendly.  I knew that when I had my treasures safely tucked inside the box, they wouldn't be crushed or damaged.  

 

The box is 10 X 10 X 2, so there is plenty of room to stash cards, birthday keepsakes and other things that Mommy just cant bear to part with.  They also offer a bigger 10 X 13 size as well for even more storage. That size would be perfect for art projects and school papers, as well as things like coming home from the hospital outfit.

 

 

While tooling around their site some more, I realized they also have some of the cutest cards, planners, and moment documenters I've seen! I may already have a Moment Memory Documenter in my shopping cart, so that I can jot down a daily moment every day so I always can remember what was going on with Grayson when he was two. (See, told you sentimental sucker right here.)

 

 

The best part? The amazing people over at Paper Coterie have graciously decided to give all of you lovelies 40% off their ENTIRE SITE for the next 14 days using the code INTHISCRAZYLIFE.  It can not be combined with other coupon codes, and standard shipping applies. But, that makes personalized quotable books like these only $15.

 

So head on over to Paper Coterie and see all of the super cute things they have to offer!  You can also find them on Twitter, and Facebook!

 

***Disclaimer, I was given a memory keeper to review, however all opinions are 100% my own***

 

 

 



Snacking Done Right!

Its a favorite time of year here in our house, the start of football season. That means on any given Sunday you can find us crowded on the sofa watching the Steelers- and eating lots of snacks, of course! This year we decided that we wanted to try to eat a little bit healthier, since Grayson wants to eat everything we're eating. So when I was presented the opportunity to try out Green Giant Veggie Snack Chips, I jumped at the chance.

 

 

When I saw the slogan, bite into giant flavor I was a bit skeptical. I've had different veggie chips before, and most of them needed dip to cover up the taste of the actual chip.  Let me say right now, these are not those chips.

 

 

 

 

I first tried out the Garden Ranch Veggie Tortilla Chips, and they were easily my favorite. Why? Because they taste EXACTLY like Cool Ranch Doritos, but better.  Now, I know you may be skeptical. But this isn't like when someone tells you cauliflower sauce tastes exactly like Alfredo sauce- that is complete crap, and I'm telling the truth.  These chips are the perfect thickness and have a great amount of tang that keeps you going back for more.  But, they come without the greasy feeling and guilt- because even though they are chips, they are made with veggies. Its a great snack swap that I don't mind my kiddo sticking his hand out to snag a chip or two.

 

Now my husband is probably the one person on the planet that doesn't like ranch, so he much preferred the Multi Grain Sweet Potato Barbecue Chips.  He's a big barbecue chip fan, and his first comment was that these chips were not greasy like regular chips. The flavor-packed crunch wasn't overpowering, and they were just a bit thicker than regular chips making them just a bit more satisfying in my opinion. They were definitely delicious.  What you cant see in the above picture is the fact that between my almost two year old and my husband, they nearly killed the bag of chips before I even got to take the pictures for this post. 

 

The chip snatcher himself, hard at work taste testing. 

 

A healthy snack option that is toddler, husband and Momma approved? You better bet I'll be stocking my cupboard with these chips for football Sundays and all the days in between.  Green Giant also offers a Zesty Cheddar and Sea Salt variety- which I can not wait to try.  I'm thinking that the Zesty Cheddar will be an awesome replacement for the usual chips I use to make my Cheesy Chicken Dorito Casserole.

 

Happy Snacking!
 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

How to give one of the best baby gifts ever- custom bedding!!

Seriously, its in the water where I work- everyone is having them some babies. Nine beans were born/will be born in the coming months.  Needless to say, I'm avoiding that water for a few more years and I'm up to my eyeballs in baby shower gifts.  Even the Mama's who are on baby number two still get a little spoiling where I work. The problem? I'm running out of different unique items to gift...and I HATE being the chick who shows up with a totally generic present with no thought.

 

As I was sitting here musing what to get the next lucky lady up to get promoted to Mama I received the best email from a bloggy friend of mine, Olivia from over at Mad Lib offering up a free sample to her shop.  Olivia is a single Momma to one of the most adorable baby boys ever, Cooper. In order to support herself and Cooper she started a business called Lou Lou Made where she hand crafts custom baby bedding at a ridiculously wonderful price with The Coop at her side.  Seriously, I never thought I would be able to afford to give custom bedding- but Lou Lou Made makes it affordable! Oh yeah, its adorable too- which only makes the price tag even better. I couldn't wait to get shopping.

 

Once I had logged onto her sweet site and made my selection it only took a few days for the item to reach my door, and Olivia told me she also rushes custom orders so you should receive your item within one to two weeks! Seriously, its just crazy to me how she manages to make such awesome pieces with a toddler hanging at her side. Mine would have the house destroyed before I could say fabric scissors.

 

Just take a look at the cute options I had to choose from.

 

 

Lou Lou Made offers custom crib sheets, changing pad covers, crib skirts, pillow cases, quilts and pillows- all in the cutest most trendy fabrics.  One piece that I have my eye on for the next baby is this custom bedding set that includes crib bumper, skirt, and sheet in these dreamy fabrics.

 

 

Who doesn't love them some mint and coral?

 

I love the modern look of this custom triangle quilt- and it can be custom made to match any assortment of fabrics at no extra charge. Olivia is super excited to work with Mommas to be to create the absolutely perfect dream nursery, so she can do almost anything your heart desires. 

 

I received one of her amazing crib sheets and cloud pillow, which I haven't posted pictures of here because I don't want someone special who may or may not read this blog..ahem...to see the gift they will receive at a shower in the near future.

When I got the package it was tied up with the cutest presentation.  I carefully un-did it so I could check out the quality and I was amazing. The elastic went the whole way around, not just at the corners. The French seams were so neat and clean looking, I could not tell it was a handmade item. Let alone the fact that it was handmade in a home with a toddler. Gotta say, I'm a bit jealous of the sewing ability, Olivia!

Overall, if you're looking for a custom made product at a VERY reasonable price- Lou Lou Made is the place to find it. Head on over to her etsy shop and tell her sent you!

***This is not a paid or sponsored post. I was simply provided a product to review and all opinions and thoughts states in this post are that of my own***

 

 

 

 



Graeter's Ice Cream > Anything else that calls itself ice cream

Last Friday, a beautiful box arrived on my doorstep.

 

 

What does that say? This box contains ice cream? Why yes, yes it does.  However what it should say is it contains the best freaking ice cream I have ever eaten. Now I consider myself somewhat of an ice cream connoisseur. You don't get a tush my size without your spoon seeing the better part of a pint every now and then- and I thought I knew good ice cream.  I'm here to admit, I knew NOTHING about good ice cream.

 

  Graeter's started making French Pot Ice Cream in Cincinnati way back in 1870. Back then, things were different and they didn't mass produce the product but rather used the method to make just two gallons at a time- and that's the way they still make it. They say the result is a creaminess that can't be matched- but I must admit I was skeptical, because all ice creams claim to be super creamy.

 

Two pints of Salted Caramel, Black Raspberry Chip and Black Cherry Chocolate Chip were in that magic box and I could not wait to dig in. The first thing I noticed? Each pint weighed almost a full POUND. Seriously, when I went to Giant Eagle today I pulled a pint of Graeter's out of the freezer and half gallon of another brand and the pint easily outweighed the half gallon.

 

Graeter's uses fresh cream and egg custard as a base and then chills it in the special French Pot Freezer. They fold in the ingredients and when they are done they are left with an extremely dense product that needs to be packed by hand to get it into that little container.

 

Of course I had to try the Salted Carmel right away- because that just sounded like heaven on a spoon.

 

 

When I peeled the lid off it just came out of the deep freeze, so I was expecting the ice cream to be a little hard. Nope. My spoon went through it like butter- and it was so rich and creamy that it actually did the ice cream curl on my spoon.

 

Now, I would love to show you beautiful pictures of it in the bowl, looking perfect. But you want the truth? After one bite, this stuff was far too good to put in a bowl. It's eat-it-right-from-the-pint-because-Im-not-sharing-with-anyone-good. I have never tasted ice cream so creamy, and the caramel flavor was full but subtle so it didn't overwhelm you with sweetness.  Plus the little salty aftertaste to balance out the sweet and cream- I drool a little just thinking about it.

 

 

Next up was the Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip.  They should call it chocolate chunk, because seriously the chips in this were amazing sized.  There was no itty bitty pieces here, they were all perfect mouthful sized bites of dark chocolate.  Again, the creaminess and flavor cant be beat. Absolutely delish- and perfect on a summer night because even though its so rich, it doesn't feel heavy with the light raspberry flavor.  So really when you think about it, its dark chocolate and fruit- so its ice cream that's good for you!

 

Check out those chunks! Again- it didn't make it into a bowl.  (Hey, it was 89 and we don't have air conditioning. Don't judge.)

 

The last flavor I indulged in was the Black Cherry Chocolate Chip.  It was so smooth, even with all of the bits of real cherry pieces and chocolate. I actually shared this one with my neighbor- meaning she came over and stole the pint out of my hand after I had my first bite.  Ten minutes later and she had devoured half the pint and was heading to Giant Eagle to get some of her own. So easy to say, this one's another winner.  

 

The best part? They just started selling these flavors at my local Giant Eagle. But if you don't live close, don't fret- they ship their ice cream anywhere from their website! They also come in a ton of other flavors, and I cant imagine that any of them are anything but amaze-balls. In fact, I'm pretty sure Graeter's could make green bean ice cream taste scrumptious.

 

Visit them here to have a pint of cookies and cream, chocolate, peanut butter cup and salted caramel sent to me and we'll be best friends.  No seriously, if I can't find these flavors in store I will accept mail in donations!!  Either that, or Cincinnati is on the way to the in-laws house and Ill pack my cooler full of dry ice and Ill be headed that way.  At least then Ill have two willing baby sitters to keep Grayson busy as I eat my ice cream :)

 

***This is not a paid or sponsored post. I was simply provided a product to review and all opinions and thoughts states in this post are that of my own***

 



Sweet Baby Jean Hair Accessories- I so need a girl.

A few weeks ago, I needed a little girl baby shower present for a co-worker. I knew I wanted something fun and super girly- since those are things I never get to purchase 'round these parts.

 

Enter Sweet Baby Jean Hair Accessories.

 

 

 

 

Stephanie Jean, the wonderfully talented Mama behind Sweet Baby Jean, is an immensely creative and crafty lady. She was inspired to start making hair accessories once her sweet little nugget, Adina, came into the world and she hasn't stopped since. She has even branched out to making tutus, adult headbands, toddler bows and ear warmers.

 

I looked all over Etsy, and I couldn't find a better price on headbands that were as cute and detailed as Sweet Baby Jean. I saw alot that I liked, but I didn't see exactly what I wanted so I took a chance and reached out to her for a custom order. I told her that I knew I wanted something pink and extremely girlie, but that was all (hey, I'm a boy Mama, I may never get to buy pink and frilly!). She came up with the design and when she described it to me, it was perfect. I knew I couldn't wait to get it.  Stephanie was so easy to work with, and when I told her I needed it in a rush she didn't miss a beat. I placed my order on Monday and it was in my mailbox on Thursday- at no extra charge for a rush order!

 

When it arrived, I was SO impressed with the quality of the piece. I paid $10.00- and she could have EASILY charged $20. Each flower was hand sewn, and in the softest fabric ever. The liner on the back was soft felt and kept all of the stitches and rough edges hidden. She even put the time in to place a gem in the center of each flower, adding that little bit of sparkle.

 

 

I was so tempted to make Grayson wear this. I was that in love. Luckily, my kid wont hold still long enough for me to even have attempted getting this on his head. Stephanie was kind enough to share a photo of her little Adina (gah, how cute is she?!?) modeling the headband so I could see how it will look on the new bean-to be. My co-worker loved it, and even asked for Stephanie's card so she could order more

 

 

 If you're looking for some Christmas gifts you really want to check her out.  Ive been all over Etsy (just ask my credit card) and Stephanie is one of the absolute best sellers I have come across! I already intend to order some custom ear warmers for some big girls on my shopping list, and possibly for myself as well!

 

Check out her Facebook page HERE and her Etsy Site HERE!!

 



Porch Beautification with Thompsons Water Seal

Our house has a pretty awesome front porch. It spans the whole width of the house, and gives us a great view of the street.  In our neighborhood we tend to spend alot of time talking to neighbors on porches...esp since our house doesn't have AC...the breeze out there feels great at night.

The only problem? Our porch was UGLY.

It looked old, dirty and tired. However, in a house built in 1890 it was really low on the list of projects to tackle (yay for having plaster that cracks off the wall at random times!). So imagine my delight when I checked my email one day to see an offer from Thomposons WaterSeal to review some of their products.  Looks like the old porch just got a violent shove to the front of the to-do list.

After talking with Karla- who was the sweetest lady ever- she let us know that before we stained we would need to use the Heavy Duty Deck Cleaner to get rid of the gunk before applying the new stain.

 

 

This stuff is pure awesome in a jug. No lie.

 

 

All we had to do was put it on with a rag, let it sit for 15 minutes then power wash it off.  Seriously, it made the wood like new again.

 

 

Doesn't he look good with a power washer?

 

It took us a total of about 3 hours to clean the whole porch and the adjoining fence, which is a pretty big job.  After it dried, you could totally see the difference.  We let it dry for a full 24 hours before getting to work with the stain.

 

 

Holy cow- its clean!

 

The instructions said to thoroughly spray down any plants this product may come in contact with before you start, cover them to protect from over spray, then spray them again after you finish. We sprayed before and after, but didn't cover them...hubs claims that was my job, and I forgot. It didn't really matter though, because they turned out just fine.  Beneath our porch in the flower beds we have hydrangeas, lilies and roses and not one was harmed by any chemicals in the product.  

 

 

We used the Thompsons WaterSeal Deck and House Latex Semi Transparent Waterproofing Stain, which we had tinted at Sherwin Williams to a color called Banyan Brown.

 

While at the store we asked the guy working the counter which brush would be the best, and he suggested this guy.

 

 

The brush is super thick, and made the stain go on super easy. Once we had all of the tools, then it was time to paint. I have used other stains in the past, and with this one I must say it was SO easy to maintain a solid color.  No blotchy spots to be found, it glided on so super smooth and thick. We had absolutely NO problems with puddles or drips, and I'm a horrible painter so that in itself was a small miracle.  Although I did have a *minor* freak out moment.  I had labored over the color choice for days, and when we started to paint I noticed that the color did not look like it was supposed to.  Then my hubs pointed out that as it dried it turned into the color it was supposed to be- just like latex paint, it changed as it dried.  Once it dried it looked perfect. (You can see my complementary brown color on the side back there- sneak peak of the porch saga part 2!)

 

 

All told it took maybe three hours to paint, mostly because of all of the spindles on the railings. Within an hour of it being done, five of our neighbors walked up to see it- because it made such a difference from the street view.

 

Seriously, it was so easy to do.  I hate painting with a passion, but this was so quick and easy.  The porch measures 30 feet by 8 feet, plus the fence and railings.  Total of work time was maybe six hours- which is nothing when you consider it looks like a brand new porch.  Now the when it rains you can see the water bead up, which lets us know the wood is truly protected- not just painted.  That's really a relief, because in a climate where it rains and snows a fair amount we're no longer worried that it is going to rot and need replaced in a few years.  Plus, with the stain being semi transparent you can actually see the wood grain- which I love.

Clean up was so simple, it was just soap and water.  Typically stains are horrendous to clean up after, because you need a chemical solvent- but not this time.  The paint brush and paint cup were clean and set out to dry in less than 10 minutes.

I'm so super grateful to Thompsons for sending us this amazing product- the hubs has already gone out to buy more to stain our back fence to match.  Plus the neighbors a few doors down have decided that they will be re staining their porch as well.  If you are thinking about re-staining or staining any wood product, I HIGHLY recommend these two products. I know that after using them I will never use anything but Thompsons products for staining again- they made the process so easy and user friendly.

 

Next up is to paint that u-g-l-y green that is chipping off and get some new porch furniture out there! Even the hubs is excited to get it finished...and that never happens!