mommy's firsts

Upcoming: Black Friday, JewelMint, ShoeMint, and More!

2011-11-21T14:36:00.001-07:00

What in the heck happened to this blog?

The short answer is that I got a full time job and still had to continue with some of the responsibilities of my part time job, at least for the fall semester. So I have been super busy.

But I haven't forgotten about my blog. I still have some reviews planned. I'll be doing another JewelMint review and giveaway very soon (look for it this week), and I'm planning a Black Friday sales post.

And the company that brings us JewelMint is launching a new shoe service called ShoeMint, a collaboration among actress Rachel Bilson, celebrity stylist Nicole Chavez, and shoe guru Steve Madden.

You know I'm so excited about this! I'd love it if you'd use my referral link to sign up now for early access and discounts!

thredUP Eco-Monday Flash Sale--20% Off

2011-11-21T14:17:00.001-07:00

thredUP is having an Eco-Monday flash sale today. All boxes are 20% off! If you haven't signed up for thredUP yet, please use my referral link. thredUP is an amazing swap service for kids' clothes, books, and toys.

And if you're in the market for boys' winter clothes in 18-24 months/2T, I've got a great box listed!

Photo Card

2011-11-12T20:25:00.001-07:00

Oh So Holly Holiday

Click here to browse Shutterfly's holiday card collection.

View the entire collection of cards.

Fashion Friday 6/24: Shoe Shopportunities!

2011-06-24T15:46:00.003-07:00

Wow, I've been a lazy blogger. I'm up to my eyeballs in unfinished product reviews, and it's been almost a month since I posted! I've had a unique opportunity to teach full time this summer for a five week session, so I have been devoting my days to English composition. Next week is the last week though!

I'm taking a break from paper grading right now to share with you a couple great fashion shopportunities available right now for a couple of my favorite subscription websites.

There's a ShoeDazzle Groupon available starting today. For $19 you get a ShoeDazzle credit, which is good toward a pair of shoes, a handbag, or a jewelry set of your choice for half the usual price of $39.95. It's good for new accounts only, but you can use it if you've previously signed up for ShoeDazzle but have never made a purchase (or used a previous Groupon). If you haven't signed up for ShoeDazzle, please use my referral link so I can get style points toward a free credit! Read my ShoeDazzle review if you're on the fence.

Here are a couple of my recent ShoeDazzle purchases I'm enjoying:

If you're a veteran like me, ShoeDazzle has something going on for you too--double style points! Normally you get 100 points per purchase and 200 points for referring a friend who purchases, but right now that's doubled to 200 and 400! A thousand points gets you a free credit. That's just two friend referrals and on purchase. (Unfortunately, you don't get style points for purchases made with a Groupon).

Sole Society (which I wrote about here but haven't fully reviewed yet) also has a special going this weekend: $15 of your first purchase with code 15FORYOU. This deal is good through 6/26. Their shoes are $10 more expensive than ShoeDazzle's, but they are generally higher quality (some even real leather *gasp*). If you haven't signed up for Sole Society, please use my referral link too!

I love the ones in this photo; they're called Madeline, and they come in black or taupe. I don't have them yet, but they're on my wishlist!

Have a great weekend!

ETA: I can't believe I almost forgot that there's a JewelMint Groupon too! You can get 2 pieces of awesome fashion jewelry for $25 (regularly $29.99 each)! Read my JewelMint review and take a look at my collection. I would love it if you'd use my referral link to sign up for JewelMint too!

Check out more Fashion Friday fun.

Memorial Day Weekend Sales

2011-05-27T23:26:00.004-07:00

Here's my list of great Memorial Day weekend sales, organized by category. I'll be updating throughout the weekend.

Green Stuff
Green Virgin Products: 20% off with code 20%off through 6/30.

Cloth Diapers and Baby Stuff
BabyLegs: 30-50% off select items through Monday
Go Go Natural: 10% off with code MEMORIAL (good through 5/31)
The Mini Social: Free shipping on orders of $50 or more with code MEMSHIP plus warehouse sale.
Totsy: Free shipping on orders of $50 or more with code MEMDAY through 11:59 pm EST on 5/30.
Zulily: Memorial Day Blowout Sale starts at 6 am PDT Monday.

Children's Fashion
Children's Place: $5 days. Free shipping on all orders (through 5/30) plus 15% off with code W7D2011 (through 6/19).

Women's Fashion
Down East Basics & Modbe: Save an extra 30% off clearance with code May30.
Modnique: $10 off an order of $50 or more with code RATE052
Moxsie.com (indie fashion) 60% off with code BLOWOUT60 (ongoing, not sure when it expires)
Ruche: 15% off with code MEMORIAL15 through Monday (EST)
ShoeGlamm (shoes and accessories) 30% off with code MEMOGLAMM30 (expires 5/30 11:59 PST).

And don't forget you can get 50% off your first piece from JewelMint with code Mommy'sFirst50 through June 1!

Happy Memorial Day and happy shopping! Thanks to our troops and their families, past and present, for their service to our country.

Fashion Friday 5/27: JewelMint Review and Promo Code

2011-05-27T23:10:00.000-07:00

As always, all the opinions expressed below are my own. Although JewelMint has offered to send me complimentary pieces, my review is based on the pieces I purchased myself.

I am so excited to tell you about another one of my new favorite fashion sites, JewelMint. A collaboration between actress Kate Bosworth and celebrity stylish Cher Coulter, JewelMint is a monthly subscription service similar to the shoe sites I've been telling you about, only JewelMint specializes in high end fashion jewelry.

Here's how JewelMint works:
JewelMint is the new and personalized way to shop for designer jewelry! As a member you get access to exclusive jewelry collections designed by actress Kate Bosworth and her stylist Cher Coulter. Each month you’ll receive personalized jewelry recommendations and style advice. Membership is just $29.99 per month. Shipping is FREE, returns are hassle free and if you don't find something you love, SKIP THE MONTH within the first five days FOR NO CHARGE. There’s no obligation ever.

Sounds great, right? But the proof is in the pudding. Here are a couple of May's selections that are still available.


The Calypso Necklace. (I have this one and love it!)

Sea Breeze Earrings

JewelMint has been around for several months, but I think it's about to explode in popularity (if it hasn't already). The new pieces available each month are selling out quickly, and JewelMint has brought back some pieces from previous months by popular demand. The Facebook fan page is growing into quite a community, and many people are looking a JewelMint pieces as collectible items.

I admit that I've turned into a JewelMint junkie. Since a friend turned me on to it in March, I've accumulated quite a collection. I was really skeptical at first. I am particular about quality because I make my own jewelry and because I have sensitive skin. My usual standard is that I wouldn't buy it if I could make it for less or if it's likely to turn my skin green or make my ears itch, but I haven't run into any of those problems with my JewelMint pieces.

My JewelMint collection as of 5/14. Uh, yeah, it's grown by 4 more pieces since then.

I also love the way each piece is presented. You get to see several photographs of the piece by itself and on a model, and the photographs are accompanied by a video narrated by Cher Coulter and style tips on what to wear with the piece. Here's a screenshot of one of the pieces still currently available, the Rachel earrings:

Let's get down to brass tacks. You all know I am a bargain hunter, and I'm a mom. I love to shop, but I don't have the time or patience to do it. The terrible twos have descended upon us early, and I can hardly stand to take Fin anywhere public. Let me paint a picture for you: this afternoon I took my mom to her favorite outlet store. Finl discovered the many carousel jewelry racks in the store and proceeded to throw all the earrings, necklaces and rings he could reach onto the floor. And the racks were stuffed so full that each time my mom or I tried to put something back he'd knocked down, something else would fall down. This was incredibly frustrating.

With JewelMint, I have a selection already whittled down for me. I can choose what I want (or nothing at all), and it ships free. I can return it for a credit if I don't like it. It just takes a few minutes at the computer, which I can thankfully still steal during naptime.

Shopping with JewelMint has helped me get my fashion mojo back. Instead of slopping on gauchos and a t-shirt (my mommy uniform), I'm taking a little more care in my appearance, choosing outfits that I can pair with a great JewelMint piece. I'm feeling more polished and put together--a little more me--than I have since before I was pregnant with Finley. And that feels good. I also like the excitement of seeing what's new on the first of the month.

I can't believe I almost forgot to show you the packaging! Each JewelMint piece is packaged beautifully. I knew as soon as I opened up my first item that I'd be relying on JewelMint for gifts in the future. In fact, I sent my sister a gift credit for her birthday at the end of March!

If $29.99 sounds a bit pricy for fashion jewelry, I invite you to take the style quiz and examine the quality yourself. Many of the pieces are silver or gold plated with semi-precious stones. This isn't your cheap junk jewelry you might buy in the accessories section of your favorite clothing store. And one of the best things about JewelMint is that they do run promotions for both new and existing customers. I often find promo codes for various dollar amounts off in my email and on the JewelMint Facebook page (which right now is featuring Bring It Back, in which fans can vote for their favorite past pieces to be offered again and get a nifty promo code). And occasionally you may find 2 for 1 deals, where you can get a set of two pieces for the price of one!

The best part is that if you see something you like, you can get it for half price! JewelMint is offering a discount code for my readers who have never purchased from JewelMint. Click on this link and use code Mommy'sFirst50. This will get you your first JewelMint piece for $14.99. The code is good through June 1. Be sure to use the link above here on the blog to make sure your promo code will work! Happy shopping!

Mother's Day Sales

2011-05-08T16:51:00.001-07:00

I'm a little late this weekend, but I thought I'd continue my tradition of posting great mommy and kid related sales for the holiday weekend.

The Children's Place: 20% off through today with code MOM2011

GoGo Natural: 10% off with code MOMMY

Lolli Doo: Take 15% off all LolliDoo™ eco-pockets™ with organic cotton liners at LolliPlace.com. Use the code: LolliMom. Offer expires 5-9-11

My Baby Pumpkin: All orders today receive 10% off with coupon mom2011, plus you will receive a sample of CJ's butter in your order! Orders over $100 receive a bonus discount as well! (excludes bg, fliip and econobum)

The Mini Social: Free shipping with no minimum, use code momday (thanks to The Budget Mommy)

Totsy: Free shipping with $50 purchase, use code MOMSDAY.

Zulily: Free shipping with $50 minimum, no code needed.

Bare Escentuals: Any Mineral Veil finishing powder plus a Flawless Application Face Brush for $30 ($41 value). Use coupon code MVB at checkout
OR Your choice of Original or MATTE SPF 15 Foundation and your choice of Naturally Luminous Daily Duo for Combination or Dry Skin for $40 (up to a $51 value).
Use coupon code PERFECT at checkout (both good through 11:59 PDT)

Vera Bradley: Free shipping with $50 purchase, today only (no coupon needed).

Baboosh Baby: (These are ongoing and not limited to this weekend.)
10% off of your entire order! Code: LETSSAVE

$5 off of any Baboosh Body Product Code: BBSHRINK

$5 off of any Baboosh Body Product Code: BBODYVIP

$5 off of any Baboosh Body Product Code: BBSWEATS

$5 off of any Tauts Product Code: BBTUMMY5
Free shipping on $70+ Code FSD70

Fashion Friday 4/29: My ShoeDazzle Review

2011-04-29T23:59:00.001-07:00

Several weeks ago, I mentioned that I'd bitten the bullet and ordered from ShoeDazzle with their 20% off introductory offer. I chose the Nadine clog:

One of the reasons I was so excited when I saw this pair was that I had a similar (and much more expensive) style marked in my favorites list with the ShopStyle app. Okay, really similar:

Mojo Moxy Monet Clog, currenty $94.95 at endless.com

So I thought these would be a good deal for the ShoeDazzle price of $39.95 (or $31.96 with the first purchase discount). I also thought they'd be a good transition shoe from winter to spring (or spring to summer, as the case tends to be here in Arizona).

I received them in just a few days, and I am pretty pleased. They are packaged beautifully, with a ShoeDazzle box and dust bag:

They are very tall. According to ShoeDazzle, the heel is 3.5" and the platform is 1.25", but they apparently measure from the inside of the heel because they seem a lot taller. I'm no stranger to high heels, but even I felt a little more inclined than usual. That being said, they are fairly comfortable. I've worn them to work (I generally teach at about a 3 hour stretch with some standing, walking, and sitting) and to midweek Bible study.

As far as quality goes, they're okay. I chose this denim style consciously to shy away from faux leather, but unfortunately these are lined with faux leather, which means my feet were super sweaty. And the materials aren't as high quality as the shoe it's made to look like (the Mojo Moxy clog says it has a leather sole, and the heel and platform appear to be wooden, whereas the Nadine has a plasticy sole), but darn it if the upper doesn't look exactly the same.

Here's a photo of my Nadines:

Fairly pleased with my first selection, I've gone on to purchase a few more. One was a very high quality shoe that sold out quite quickly. Two were faux patent leather, which I sent back promptly and vowed never to purchase again because faux patent looks so cheap. And then I picked up these babies from the new casual line. I'm going to have to send them back for a smaller size though.

Twirl, a Converse All Stars shoe

So. From my limited experience, here are the great things about ShoeDazzle:

It's a lot of fun.
They have some pretty unique shoes.
They also have many designer-inspired shoes for a much lower price.
With their new casual line, they have a great variety of shoe styles (not just impractical stilettos, although there are plenty of those too).
Everything is the same price ($39.95) with free shipping and returns (although if you want a refund, you'll have to pay a restocking fee).
You're not just buying shoes; you're getting the stylist service. So someone behind the scenes is choosing shoes for your showroom. You also get suggestions for what to wear with each shoe, plus a full length photo of a model wearing the shoe.
They have great networking features with Facebook, including a very active Facebook fan page plus the ability to share showrooms with your Facebook friends and comment on shoes in one another's showrooms. Many ladies (such as myself) have created FB profiles just for shoe talk.
You can keep track of shoes you like with the My Favorites feature, which allows you to quickly check the stock of shoes you like in your size.
Many sold out styles do have a waitlist feature, by which you can sign up to be notified if ShoeDazzle reorders the style (but it doesn't notify you of returns in your size).
Since ShoeDazzle is the first of its kind, they have a huge inventory of shoe styles that you can access through friends' showrooms or with the help of Client Services.
Although most new styles are released at the beginning of the month for new showrooms, ShoeDazzle does release some new styles throughout the month to keep you interested.
They have a wonderful Client Services team who interacts with customers by phone and Facebook.
They also offer handbags and jewelry.
Occasionally you can find deals on Living Social or Groupon for credits for half price, although they usually stipulate that they are for new customers only.
ShoeDazzle offers a new celebrity designed shoe every month, the proceeds of which go to charity (April's celebrity shoe is the Fearless by Jenny McCarthy, benefiting Generation Rescue; it's already sold out in most sizes).
ShoeDazzle has a rewards program called Style Points. Generally you'll get 100 points for each item purchased and 200 points for each friend you refer who makes a purchase. You get a free credit at 1000 points (although you do have to wait the 30 day return period for points to be released).

The not so greats:

If you're a bargain-hunter like me, $39.95 is a lot to pay for a pair of shoes.
Most of their shoes are not worth that price, in my opinion. I ask myself, would I pay this price for this shoe in a brick and mortar store? The answer is usually no. But then again, I always buy on sale.
Most of the styles are not unique to ShoeDazzle and can be found elsewhere (although generally for a higher price). ShoeDazzle carries brands such as Michael Antonio and Chinese Laundry, and they have just added Converse with their casual line.
Once you've made a purchase with your credit card, you have to remember to "skip the month" by the 5th day of the month, or else your card will be charged $39.95, and you'll receive one credit in your account. If you're on a budget or forgetful, this could get you into trouble.
It's really easy to get caught up in the Facebook excitement and spend too much money. Most of the styles are not restocked once they're sold out, so your chances to get a style in your size may be limited. If you're an impulse buyer, it's definitely bad news.
I've seen a lot of complaints about defects and flaws in the shoes in the past few weeks (although CS seems very good about taking care of these problems).

If you've never signed up for ShoeDazzle and want to, please use my referral link! You'll get 20% off your first purchase. If you're already a ShoeDazzle customer, use code STYLEME20 to get 20% off (I have no idea what the expiration date for this code might be).

I'm IUD Free!

2011-04-26T15:37:00.001-07:00

I had my IUD removed last week. It was like a giant weight was lifted from my shoulders. The moment it came out my cramps stopped. I've since gotten my period though, and it's the same as it has been while using the Paragard, super heavy with pretty severe cramps. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my uterus needs to recover and that I'll get some relief next month.

In case you're wondering, no, we are not planning to start on another baby! I'm happy being a mommy of one for now (maybe even forever).

Another Chance to Try ShoeDazzle for $19

2011-04-25T15:13:00.000-07:00

Today's Groupon for NYC is a ShoeDazzle credit for $19. This is the same deal Living Social had on Saturday. The restrictions for the Groupon say it's good for new clients only, so if you've never purchased from ShoeDazzle, you can definitely use it. The rumor on Facebook is that it may also work for existing customers, but I can't guarantee that.

With this deal, you'll get one credit to use at ShoeDazzle for any pair of shoes, handbag, or jewelry set ($39.95 value). Shipping and returns are free in the U.S.! You'd be creating a guest account, so you're under no obligation to pay the monthly subscription fee (that only happens when you make a purchase with a credit card, and even then you can skip the month and not be charged). (Read more here.)

I've got this cute wedge called Vivica on the way to me now:

If you decide to sign up for ShoeDazzle, I'd love it if you'd use my referral link!

Weaning Update

2011-04-23T09:03:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to say that I believe I have weaned Finley. You know I've been thinking about it for awhile, but I was afraid it would be a nightmare. I suppose it might have been, but I had to wean him out of necessity: he came down with the stomach flu, and every time I breastfed him, he threw it up. And then I came down with the stomach flu, and he stayed with my parents for two nights. So I decided to take that opportunity to try to wean him.

It's been 10 days since he nursed. He still tries occasionally though. I plan on posting a more detailed description of our process soon.

Try ShoeDazzle for Half Price, Today Only!

2011-04-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

Mommies, I'm still working on my ShoeDazzle review, but I wanted to let you know that Living Social has a deal right now where you can get a ShoeDazzle credit for only $19 (half price)! It's for new customers only, and I know many of you signed up for ShoeDazzle but haven't made a purchase yet. This is a great no obligation way to try ShoeDazzle--with the Living Social credit, you won't have to give ShoeDazzle your credit card info and be charged the monthly subscription fee.

If you haven't checked out ShoeDazzle in a while, you might be pleasantly surprised. They've just introduced a new line of casual shoes, which includes Converse sneakers! I chose these this month:

Definitely Mommy-friendly!

Even if you've signed up for ShoeDazzle, you can still use the Living Social deal if you haven't made a purchase yet. If you haven't signed up for ShoeDazzle, please use my referral link. Enjoy!

(For a refresher on how ShoeDazzle works, check out my previous posts).

Fashion Friday 4/15: ShopStyle

2011-04-15T23:26:00.000-07:00

This week's Fashion Friday will be brief. We've been battling the stomach flu in our household this week, but I already missed the last two weeks of Fashion Friday and don't want to miss another one!

Today I want to tell you about a site that puts out one my absolute favorite iPhone apps, ShopStyle. ShopStyle is a pretty amazing fashion site with a ton of features. To tell you the truth, I haven't even scratched the surface of it yet. You can create your own style boards, which pull together items from all kinds of stores and designers to create your own look. Here's a quick and not very artful one I created called "Weekend Mommy":

Cardigans by Old Navy
Flats by Bloch

And you can get sale alerts by email from your favorite stores and brands, which I love. But my favorite part is the iPhone app. The app allows you to shop and search hundreds of stores from your iPhone. And you can save your favorites from different stores, so it's kind of like a universal wish list. Plus you can get sale alerts on your phone for particular items, brands, and categories. It's an awesome app!

I told you it'd be short and sweet. Go explore ShopStyle for yourself!

I still have lots of dish on the subscription shoe sites coming up, and I hope I'll soon have a weaning update for you!

Fashion Friday 3/25 Shoe Privee: Yet Another Shoe Subscription Site

2011-03-25T22:14:00.002-07:00

I found one more subscription shoe site: this one is called ShoePrivee, and it operates the saw way as the others: complete the style quiz, receive a personalized selection of shoes, purchase a pair, skip the month, or be charged and receive a credit. Shipping and returns are free. The monthly subscription fee for Shoe Privee is $39.95, like ShoeDazzle and JustFabulous. Like ShoeDazzle, they also give you a selection of fashion jewelry in your showroom that's available for the same price.

My main concern with all of these sites has been the quality. I'll be honest with you: I rarely pay more than $40 for a pair of shoes, and even then it's going to be a pretty nice brand or designer on sale. The most recent pair of non-subscription shoes I bought were a pair satin and sequin pumps that I found at Ross for $5.49. So when I look at these shoes in my "showroom" or "closet," I ask myself: would I pay the subscription price for these shoes at one of the stores I normally shop at (Ross, Macy's, TJ Maxx, Piperlime). The answer is usually no.

One of my ShoeDazzle Facebook friends mentioned ShoePrivee to me, but she indicated that it didn't have a great reputation. For the sake of being thorough in this feature I've been doing on the subscription shoe sites, I decided to check it out. The quality is a bit difficult to determine.

Here's my ShoePrivee showroom for March:

All except Cecile, I added that one from the additional selections I was given. Cecile and Cecilla are my favorites, but neither are very practical for the mom of an overactive and ornery toddler. The styles are pretty unique though (although I have seen at least one of the styles they offer at another shoe club).

Like some of the other sites, ShoePrivee is also offering a first purchase discount. When I click on each of the styles in my showroom, the price comes up as $29.95. I might pay that for one of my two faves. But one thing I don't like about ShoePrivee is that the shoe descriptions do not describe the materials of the shoe. So the description of Cecile says it's suede, but there's nothing saying that it's a genuine suede or faux suede upper. Some of the others are even less specific. Some are downright deceptive, such as the description for the Boardwalk clog, which says it's leather with a wood heel; if you zoom in, it's obvious that it's faux leather and faux wood.

However, I posted my question about Cecile on the ShoePrivee Facebook page and got an answer right away: faux suede. This was disappointing, but I also learned that ShoePrivee will be coming out with another price tier of shoes that does include ones made of leather. Hurrah for that!

I haven't ordered from ShoePrivee, so I can't do a side by side comparison with the other sites. It's a fairly new program though (maybe a few months old), and features are limited. You can login with Facebook and like individual styles with FB, but there isn't much else to do. Just this week, ShoePrivee created a new feature that suggests more styles you might like because so many people wanted to see more, which shows that they're responsive to their customers. Unlike the other three subscription sites though, there doesn't seem to be a rewards program for referring friends.

All in all, I haven't been compelled to order from ShoePrivee, but I will definitely keep checking it out to see what improvements are made in the future.

Next week, I'll try to stop obsessing about shoes and write something else for Fashion Friday. But in two weeks, I'm planning a side by side review of the three shoe subscription sites I have ordered from: ShoeDazzle, JustFabulous, and Sole Society.

Severe PMS: This Can't Be Normal, Can It?

2011-03-23T16:31:00.002-07:00

I know I have a few male readers, so I'll post my warning: this post is about MENSTRUATION.

When I started my first period after having Fin back in September, I wrote about how yucky it was. I'm sorry to say it has not gotten any better. I've been having some pretty serious PMS symptoms, bad enough to miss work and church. It's not bad enough to head to the ER, but it's seriously starting to cramp my style--pun intended.

Poor Mommy.

It's funny, sometimes I think everyone thinks they have really bad PMS. I thought I did before I had Fin. It had even occurred to me that I might have PMDD. I had some pretty serious mood swings, terrible cramps for a day or two with diarrhea, and migraines. But except for the migraines, everything has gotten much worse.

The cramps are bad for several days--it seems like the cramping period of time keeps getting longer and longer. My uterus is super sore and tender a week before I start, and then the severe cramps start in on the first day of my period. I started my period Thursday night, made it through Friday pretty well, and then things started downhill Saturday. I missed church Sunday and work Monday. When I worked full time before I had Fin, I used to keep a stash of pain relievers and my heating pad in my office, so I'm no stranger to cramps. But this just doesn't seem to end.

And I have had some major mood swings. This month hasn't been terrible, but the last few months, I knew my period was coming because I plunged into a terrible depression a couple of days before. Like I thought I would have to be committed. I already take anti-depressants and have to stay very vigilant about my mental health. The first time, it really scared me, until my period started and suddenly I felt a little more normal.

I can't help but wonder if my Paragrad IUD has something to do with this. I had a lot of spotting and similar pain after it was inserted. According to clinical studies cited on the FDA website, the most common reason women have had the Paragard removed is bleeding and pain. My sister says that she had pretty severe PMS after she had her first child, and she didn't have an IUD. She did get one after her second and still has bad PMS. I'm overdue for an exam, so I guess I should hit the GYN to get a professional opinion. I have to find a new doc though because mine left the practice I was going to and disappeared.

Seriously, it sucks. I am blessed that my migraines have not returned with the periods, but I think that's because I'm still nursing. Anyone have similar post-baby period troubles?

Fashion Friday 3/18: More on Shoe Subscription Sites

2011-03-18T23:37:00.002-07:00

Last week I wrote a post about two shoe subscription sites I'd signed up for, ShoeDazzle and Sole Society. Not having purchased from either, my main critique was that most if not all of the shoe selections are not leather. Great for vegans, not great for those of us with sweaty feet. I really didn't envision purchasing from either at that time.

Just a couple of days later, I had to eat a little crow. Less than thrilled with my showroom at ShoeDazzle, I found some new ways to see more shoes. I found out that ShoeDazzle has a pretty active Facebook page where members share photos and links, and you can see your Facebook friends' showrooms from the ShoeDazzle site (add me as a friend on FB if you want to share showrooms). I stumbled upon this beauty called Nadine in the showroom of Heather Zweigel, one of the featured stylists.

Nadine

ShoeDazzle was offering me 20% off my first purchase, so I took the leap. That works out to $31.96 as the total. I'm not entirely sure, but I think you still may be able to get the same discount if you sign up with my referral link. You're not actually subscribed until you make your first purchase, thus the discount to encourage you to purchase, after which you'll be charged $39.95 a month for one credit redeemable for one pair of shoes (unless you skip the month by the 5th, in which case you won't be charged). I just received them yesterday and plan to wear them to class tonight, so I'll let you know how it goes in next week's Fashion Friday.

Today I found yet another shoe subscription site, JustFabulous. I'm loving what I see so far, although I liked the styles I was given to preview while waiting for my personalized selections more than the actual selections themselves. As soon as I signed up, they offered me 50% off my first item, valid today only, which is pretty cool. Their price is the same as ShoeDazzle's, just under $40 with free shipping. I have the same criticism of JustFab though: faux leather shoes out the yin yang. But I like the styles, and I like the ratings and review features. I don't know about you, but I rely heavily on product reviews for most non-grocery purchases.

Here's a screenshot of my "boutique," the six styles selected for me:

I was tempted by Tenley in the gunmetal color but found something more spectacular in the "Shoe Therapy" section of my JustFabulous boutique, the section that includes three styles that didn't make the top six to be in my boutique. This was a little risky since they run big and were available only in my size and not the next size smaller, but these shoes are just too unique to pass up. Behold Dominique:

Did someone say purple, bejeweled peeptoe pump? It's like you read my mind!

Not leather, of course, but I'm hoping they'll be more velvety than faux suede. And winter is basically over here in Arizona, but I don't care. I had to have these for $19.96 (with the half off special). I have no idea how I got the 50% off or how long they're doing it, but if you haven't registered yet, go sign up for JustFabulous and see if you can get it too!

I still haven't purchased from Sole Society, but I heard a little rumor that you can get $10 off your first purchase with code SS10 through March 31.

So what's the point? Why might these shoe sites be good for Mom? You get to pick a fabulous pair of shoes each month for a fixed price, and you don't have to haul a crying baby/screaming toddler/whining kid around with you to find them. Are they worth it? Eh. The verdict is still out on the quality of the shoes, but one thing you have to consider is that you're paying for the experience in addition to the product. And it's pretty easy to get caught up in the excitement.

More Reviews and Giveaways Coming Soon!

2011-03-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

I know. What's up with all these posts on fashion all of the sudden? Fin's getting bigger, so Mommy's Firsts is changing. I knew this would happen. I'm a little more comfortable in the mommy role. Fin has all his teeth for his age, so teething isn't a major concern right now. We've got tons of cloth diapers. So I'm trying to incorporate a little more "mommy time" into my blog. I've always been interested in fashion, but it becomes more difficult to stay on trend as a mom because leisure time and funds are limited. So I want to continue sharing my tips and tricks with you. I haven't received much feedback on the Fashion Friday feature though, so I'd love to hear from you.

I'm still planning product reviews and giveaways for you! I've got three products to review right now and more on the way. I know many of you followed me because of giveaways, so I want you to know they'll still be happening.

And I haven't abandoned cloth diapering as a theme; I have lots of diapers still to review. Plus I am on the lookout for new diapers to review for bigger babies. At 18 months, Fin is on the highest rise/hip settings of all his diapers. That scares me a little bit, since I know we'll have at least six more months in cloth diapers.

Fashion Friday will be short and sweet because I'm teaching an 8 week class that starts tonight, but it's on the way!

Fashion Friday 3/11: ShoeDazzle and Sole Society

2011-03-11T18:11:00.003-07:00

Maybe I should change the name of Fashion Friday to Footwear Friday. It seems all I'm interested in blogging about is shoes. This week I want to report on two membership shoe shopping sites, ShoeDazzle and Sole Society. I just found Sole Society this week, but I signed up for ShoeDazzle a while ago. They do have referral programs, so I'll be using my referral links throughout this post.

Let me make this clear first: I haven't actually purchased from either one, but I've gone through the steps of filling out the style profile and looking at my "closet." If you haven't checked out a site like this before, this is how it works. You fill out a style profile, usually by choosing among a series of runway looks or celebrity photos. Then some behind-the-scenes stylists pick out shoes for you (this seems legit because it usually takes 24 hours before your selection is ready. Then you get an email notification that your "closet" or "showroom" is ready to view. The shoes are all a reasonable, set price, and then if you buy, you'll get a new selection each month.

I'll start with the one I knew about first, which is ShoeDazzle. ShoeDazzle was started by Kim Kardashian and other celebrity stylists. This is appealing to me because although I don't care much for Kim Kardashian, she always has great shoes. Here's what she says on the ShoeDazzle "About Us" page:

Wearing the perfect outfit makes every woman feel special. I want every woman, not just celebrities, to feel as if she is getting red carpet treatment. That's why I started ShoeDazzle.

The shoes are priced at $39.95 each with free shipping in the contiguous U.S. Since its inception, ShoeDazzle has also branched out into handbags and costume jewelry. So each month's "showroom" contains a selection chosen especially for you plus styles featured on the site and its Facebook page. I get five shoes selected just for me, plus I can see the ones that didn't make the top five, plus all the featured styles of the month.

I've filled out the profile for ShoeDazzle a couple of times but was never thrilled with the selections. You all know I am a bargain shopper, and although $39.95 may be pretty cheap to Kim Kardashian strutting around in her Louboutins, it's still a good sum for me. For forty bucks, I want quality shoes. I have yet to see pair of leather shoes come up for me at ShoeDazzle, and that's one thing I insist on (sorry, vegans). I might go for a pair of satin or other fabric shoes once in a while, but I will not pay good money for "faux leather" shoes. They make my feet sweat and are usually uncomfortable. I'm not going to pay $40 for costume jewelry either. I have seen a couple of somewhat tempting handbags, though, like this style, named "Kiev":

Here's a screenshot of my top 5 personalized selections:

I wasn't crazy about them, so I clicked a link to get more and am waiting on those. I did like the style of some of the featured selections, but again, the quality just wasn't high enough for me.

This week I also discovered Sole Society and decided to give it a shot. I'm a little happier with the shoe selections I received in my "closet" there. Sole Society gives me six selections, but Sole Society is a bit more expensive--the set price is $49.95, also with free shipping.

Here's a screenshot of the six styles chosen for me at Sole Society:

I can honestly say I'd probably choose to try on all of these at a shoe or department store. I like them a lot. Some come in other colors in addition to the ones shown. Only one is leather (actually suede), but they're my favorite color, purple (top left). They actually remind me of a pair of kensie shoes I saw at Macy's a couple of years ago. I can't see myself forking over the fifty bucks though for shoes I probably wouldn't wear too often.

I might actually pay $50 for the black wedges, but they're "faux leather." I just can't do it, y'all.

So that's my run down on the subscription shoe sites. They do have more interactive and networking features that are pretty cool that I didn't discuss. If you know of any other shoe sites like these, let me know so I can check them out!

When to Wean

2011-03-08T05:28:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about writing this post for months now. How do you know when it's time to wean your little one?

I played it by ear with my breastfeeding goals. First, I hoped I could make enough milk. Then I wanted to make it past the engorgement period. When it started to come more easily, I wanted to make it through teething. When I managed to get through the first few painful teeth, I wanted to make it to a year.

Just born!

At 10 months.

Now Fin is 18 months old. He has all his teeth. He eats solid foods. He even uses a fork if I load it up for him. He can go six hours or more without nursing but still wants to nurse when I'm around. He can go to sleep without nursing, in his own bed even (although only for his daddy). He wakes in the night wanting to nurse. I take him to bed with us when that happens, and I often end up nursing him six or eight times during the rest of the night.

As a result, I feel like I've been beaten up every morning. He rolls over me all night to switch breasts. I'm always tired, maybe even more than I was when he was a newborn. I'm starting to think I'm ready to wean, but I know he's not.

I'm curious what you think, especially if you've been through this before. How do you know when it's time?

Green Virgin Products Discount Code

2011-02-13T19:22:00.000-07:00

Now through 2/21/11, you can get 20% off anything from Green Virgin Products! Use code 20%off. Read my reviews of their products here, here and here.

I think I'm going to grab me some Soap Nuts because we're running low!

Monday Bums Suspended

2011-02-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

I don't want to say I'm canceling the Monday Bums cloth diaper giveaway link up, but let's say it's on hold indefinitely. Since Linky Tools went subscription this week and I haven't found another free service, I'm not sure if I want to pay to continue doing it. It doesn't really draw very many people to my site, so I'm not sure it's worth a monetary investment. Perhaps I can just post and allow people to comment with their links. Would you still want to use it that way?

Fashion Friday 2/11: Clogs

2011-02-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

I'm on shoes again this week, probably because I haven't received my new boots yet! Winter is winding down here in Arizona, and I'm reminded that clearance sale shopping (which is my favorite kind) isn't much fun here in the winter because you don't get to wear clearance finds very long before the weather warms up.

One of my mommy fashion goals is to appear more stylish and put together on an every day basis while also being comfortable. For work, I have no problem putting together a snazzy outfit. For grocery shopping, this is another story. People in my town go to the grocery store in their fuzzy slippers, which is a phenomenon I don't understand. But invariably I see someone I know at the store, and I'd like to look a little better (and thereby feel better) when I leave the house.

Which brings me to my current shoes preoccupation: clogs. I have a few pairs of low wedge, round toe clogs I bought a few years ago from J. Crew, which aren't exactly in style, but I wear them anyway. As a mom, I need comfortable, casual shoes that aren't Birkenstocks. (I love my Birks, but they're not right for every outfit.) I love clogs because they're so easy to wear--slip on and still look good. To bring my look up to date, I've been hunting for a pair of heeled clogs. I actually prefer heels to flat shoes for comfort's sake. My current crush is on these babies from Juicy Couture:

Juicy Couture Colette Double Buckle Clog, Biscuit

I think black would be more versatile, and they've definitely go to come down in price. Ssense.com has them for a better price, and I've been circling their site for weeks trying to commit.

What shoes do you wear for cute but comfy casual?

Fashion Friday: New Feature

2011-02-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

To get myself back into the blogging zone, I've decided to start a new feature at Mommy's Firsts called Fashion Friday. Months ago, my bloggy and real life friend at A Wondering Spirit did a series of posts about personal style. I think this is a pretty important mommy issue, so I'm taking up the torch.

I never thought much about defining my own style before I had Fin. It's not that I didn't care about looking stylish. I did, but I just wore what I liked. I like crazy, loud prints, and I like comfy, solid color cottons. I own eight pairs of Birkenstocks, but I own at least as many pairs of stilettos. If I had to name my style, maybe I'd call it "Granola Glam."

But now I'm a mom. I understand the appeal of mom jeans. Even though I'm much thinner than I was before I had Fin, I still have the belly fat of a much larger woman. And I've had to face the fact that I entered the dreaded decade of my thirties last year. When I shop, I am constantly asking myself, "Is this too young for me? Too old?" I don't want to be the kind of woman who dresses inappropriately for her age. As a Christian woman, I've been thinking a lot about what it means to dress modestly, and part of that includes appropriateness.

So I'm trying to be fashionably classy, but I'm not sure I'm pulling it off. I spent a small fortune on a nice wardrobe in my early twenties when I first started teaching, and now that I fit back into it, I realize that not all of it is still in style. And I zoomed right past all of my size 14s into a size 12, so I've had to start on yet another new wardrobe.

Fashion Friday may not be the same every week, but it will have something to do with being fashionable and being a mom. Probably I will often write about shoes because they are my fashion passion. Case in point:

Carousel by Poetic Licence

I've been obsessed with boots this winter, and I've always loved red shoes. Over the past couple of weeks I've been on the hunt for a pair of brown boots to augment my shoedrobe, but I found these red leather and suede boots (Carousel by Poetic Licence) for a steal on ebay, so I went for them. I got them for 70% off; Amazon has almost as good a deal on them at $79.60. Oh, and they also come in gray, black, and sandstone. I'm excited to get them, but what in the world do I wear with them?

Monday Bums Cloth Diaper Giveaways 1/31

2011-01-31T17:41:00.000-07:00

Monday Bums is a little late today, but better late than never! The linky service I'm using will become a paid service next week, so I'm not sure if Monday Bums will continue after this week. Do you know of any free link up services?

Enter your links below in the following format:

Blog Title - Product - End Date

ex. Mommy's Firsts Bummas Cloth Wipes 10/14

Any current giveaways are fine, as long as they're for cloth diapers, cloth diaper accessories, or gift certificates that can be used on cloth diapers. Links to giveaways for other products will be deleted. (But here's a good place to find other linkies to enter your non-cloth giveaways!) The linky will remain open until 2/7 at 12:00 AM MST.

Monday Bums Cloth Diaper Giveaways 1/24

2011-01-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

As promised, Monday Bums is back!

Enter your links below in the following format:

Blog Title - Product - End Date

ex. Mommy's Firsts Bummas Cloth Wipes 10/14

Sigh: Yes, I'm Lurking

2011-01-19T15:36:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is, but I am having trouble hopping back on the blogging train since the holidays. Actually that's not true; I do know what it is. Fin has become even more active, if that's possible. We're down to one nap a day. I'm not keeping up with housework either, and to top it off, the semester started this week, so I'm back to teaching as well. Plus I am doing more Internet stuff on my iPhone, so I spend almost no time at the computer. I wish Blogger had a great iPhone app because I just can't get the hang of composing on my phone.

So it's not that I'm out of ideas; I have tons. Just out of time. If you're a mom blogger, how do you make time to do it?

Next week I promise Monday Bums will be back up. It's already set up and scheduled to post automatically!

I'm Back!

2011-01-04T15:16:00.000-07:00

Phew! I took an accidental vacation from blogging--we were out of town for two weeks! I had fully intended to at least keep up with Monday Bums if not post more, but the computer I had access to was so slow. I checked my mail on my phone, but posting to my blog on my phone is too frustrating. I'm not a very fast texter.

But now I'm back! Monday Bums will resume next week, and I will be doing a Beech Nut review very soon. I hope your holidays were happy!

Monday Bums Cloth Diaper Giveaways 12/13

2010-12-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

I was so exhausted from AMFC that I completely forgot Monday Bums last week, but here's this week's linky.

Enter your links below in the following format:

Blog Title - Product - End Date

ex. Mommy's Firsts Bummas Cloth Wipes 10/14

A Merry Fluffy Christmas Winners!

2010-12-08T21:40:00.001-07:00

Sorry to make you wait so long for the winners list! I've been trying to verify the entries. I've emailed the winners, so check your email, ladies!

Day 1 BabyLegsWinner

Comment 247
becky huss

Day 2 GoGo Natural and Hiney Lineys Winner

Comment 42
Cassie

Day 3 Winner

Comment 357
Kelly McCormick

Day 4 Green Virgin Products Winner

Comment 89
Hannah VW

Day 5 4Princess Boutique, Love Bugz Boutique, and Scrapped Silly Winner

Comment 202
Kristina C

Thank you to all my readers, new and old, for making A Merry Fluffy Christmas such a great success!

If you'd like to see a list of all the winners from all 19 blogs, check out this post at Fitteds, Pockets, and Snappis, Oh My!

AMFC Day 5: 4Princess Boutique, Baby Bugz Boutique, and Scrapped Silly ENDED

2010-12-04T22:01:00.003-07:00

This giveaway has ended.

It's Day 5 of A Merry Fluffy Christmas!

(the last day!)

The fluffy madness must come to an end,
and this is my last giveaway for the event.

How A Merry Fluffy Christmas works:

Each of the 5 days of this event, there will be one post up on each blog. In each post, there will be one or more items to be won! Each day is ONE prize package, so there will only be ONE winner for each day for each blog. Each giveaway is open for 3 days.

You MUST do the Mandatory Entry to enter the giveaways! If you do not do the Mandatory Entry, all your other entries will be deleted.

Please remember to read ALL instructions on each blog. We are all a part of the Merry Fluffy Christmas event, but we are each doing different ways to enter. Please read ALL instructions or you might miss something and your entries won't count.

The Extra Entries are just that, extra and optional! You can, if you'd like, enter only the Mandatory Entry and call it a day. But entering ALL Extra Entries as well will provide you with a greater chance at winning! :)

And don't forget to visit ALL 19 BLOGS! You can find the Linky at the bottom of each giveaway post.

So the point...? Just make sure to read ALL the instructions on each blog before entering and get out there and HAVE FUN!!!

Day 5 SPONSORS for Mommy's Firsts are...

4 Princess Boutique

Mommy's Firsts Sponsor Spotlight

Love Bugz Boutique

Mommy's Firsts Sponsor Spotlight

Scrapped Silly

One lucky winner will receive

Fleece wet bag and 12 pack of wipes from 4 Princess Boutique ($12 value)

4 Princess Boutique Wipes

4 Princess Boutique Fleece Wet Bag

$10 gift certificate to Love Bugz Baby Boutique

You could get some Wool Longies from Love Bugz Boutique!

And my own personal invention, a custom cloth diaper laundry clock ($10 value)
from Scrapped Silly , a new scrapbook shop run by my sister and me!

(Total Day 5 Prize Package Value $32)

How to enter:

Again, please read ALL instructions before entering! You'll be using the form below to record all your entries at once; you won't be able to come back and enter again (duplicate submissions will be deleted).

Mandatory Entries:

You must do BOTH mandatory entries for any of your optional entries to count!

Visit 4Princess Boutique and choose your favorite item to list in the form below.
Visit Love Bugz Boutique on Etsy or Hyena Cart and choose your favorite item to list in the form below.

Optional Entries:

Like 4Princess Boutique on Facebook.
Like Love Bugz Boutique on Facebook.
List your favorite item from Love Bugz Boutique on Facebook.
Add Scrapped Silly to your Etsy favorites.
Follow the Scrapped Silly blog with Google Friend Connect.
Follow Mommy's Firsts on Twitter.
Follow Mommy's Firsts with Google Friend Connect (left sidebar)
Follow Mommy's Firsts with Networked Blogs (left sidebar).
Like Mommy's Firsts on Facebook.
Tweet about this giveaway and tag @hannahcookcross.
Post my button (left sidebar) on your main blog page.
Post the A Merry Fluffy Christmas button (right sidebar) on your main blog page.

AMFC Day 4: Green Virgin Products ENDED

2010-12-03T22:01:00.008-07:00

This giveaway has ended.

It's Day 4 of A Merry Fluffy Christmas!

The fluffy madness continues!

How A Merry Fluffy Christmas works:

You MUST do the Mandatory Entry to enter the giveaways! If you do not do the Mandatory Entry, all your other entries will be deleted.

And don't forget to visit ALL 19 BLOGS! You can find the Linky at the bottom of each giveaway post.

So the point...? Just make sure to read ALL the instructions on each blog before entering and get out there and HAVE FUN!!!

Day 4 SPONSOR for Mommy's Firsts is...

Mommy's Firsts Sponsor Spotlight

The winner of today's giveaway will receive a huge prize package from GVP, including:

one kilo of Soap Nuts for cloth diaper washing
(read my review)

plus a stainless steel baby bottle with choice of cap and an insulated cover and dome dust cover

a mineral salts deodorant stone
(which you can read my review of)

and a quart of GVP Formula 433, the totally non-toxic all purpose cleaner!
(which I reviewed in the Spotlight post)

all from Green Virgin Products

Today's prize package is worth $80.60!

How to enter:

Mandatory Entries:

You must do BOTH mandatory entries for any of your optional entries to count!

Follow Mommy's Firsts with Google Friend Connect (left sidebar).
Visit Green Virgin Products and tell me one thing you learned about one product.

Optional Entries:

Follow Mommy's Firsts on Twitter.
Follow Mommy's Firsts with Google Friend Connect (left sidebar)
Follow Mommy's Firsts with Networked Blogs (left sidebar).
Like Mommy's Firsts on Facebook.
Tweet about this giveaway and tag @hannahcookcross.
Post my button (left sidebar) on your main blog page.
Post the A Merry Fluffy Christmas button (right sidebar) on your main blog page.

63 entries as of 11:56 AM MST on 12/4

19 blogs are participating with giveaways each day, so be sure to visit as many as you can to increase your chances of winning a prize!

Green Virgin Products: A Merry Fluffy Christmas Sponsor Spotlight

2010-12-03T19:10:00.002-07:00

It's time to spotlight another A Merry Fluffy Christmas sponsor!

If you've been a reader of Mommy's Firsts for the past couple of months, you may have noticed that I've been reviewing some items from Green Virgin Products. In October I reviewed my new favorite deodorant, the Mineral Salts Deodorant Stone. More to the point (the cloth diapering point, that is), last month I reviewed their Soap Nuts, which are great for washing cloth diapers or any other laundry.

Green Virgin Products specializes in safe, green products that won't break the bank. They believe going green doesn't have to mean spending all your green, which is great news to a penny pincher like me.

I want to tell you about one more product from Green Virgin Products that they sent me to review: GVP Formula 433, a non-toxic, eco-friendly all purpose cleaning concentrate. You can purchase the concentrate in either a quart size for $35.95 or a gallon for $73.95. If that sounds like a lot of money for a cleaning product, remember that it's a concentrate, so depending on how you want to use it, you're going to get 5-10 times the volume you purchase. Plus it's all purpose, so you can use substitute it for practically all your other household cleaners.

This stuff has a zillion uses. Diluted with water in a 5:1 ratio, you can use GVP Formula 433 for medium duty cleaning around the house, washing the car, dish soap, and so many other uses. Diluted at 10:1, you can use it to wash your baby!

My husband was very skeptical about GVP Formula 433. I try to buy safe and green cleaning products, but they don't always get the job done. And they are expensive. So he didn't think this was going to work. But after using it to clean our kitchen, he was a believer. He said it cleans just as well as or better than more expensive non-toxic, eco-friendly cleaning products. Not only that, but it cleans just as well as its toxic counterparts! How's that for a testimony? I agree. I think it cleans very well. As a degreaser, I think it works faster than other cleaners. I don't have to let it set as long to get the dried on or baked on stuff off (especially on top of the stove).

Of course you'll want to know how it's related to cloth diapers. You can use the 10x diluted formula as a laundry spot remover, and you can use it on cloth diapers! There are not many spot treatments that are cloth diaper safe, but I've used it on diapers and clothes (washing with Soap Nuts, of course) with great results. We've used it as foaming hand soap and baby wash too!

GVP also sells a variety of inexpensive accessories to go with the Formula 433 concentrate, including bottles specifically labeled for mixing 10:1 and 5:1 and a foaming pump dispenser (great for hand soap or baby wash).

Green Virgin Products is sponsoring A Merry Fluffy Christmas with a huge giveaway on Saturday. Stay tuned!

AMFC Day 3: Hiney Lineys and Turtles R Us Giveaway ENDED

2010-12-02T22:01:00.010-07:00

This giveaway has ended.

It's Day 3 of A Merry Fluffy Christmas!

The fluffy madness continues!

How A Merry Fluffy Christmas works:

You MUST do the Mandatory Entry to enter the giveaways! If you do not do the Mandatory Entry, all your other entries will be deleted.

And don't forget to visit ALL 19 BLOGS! You can find the Linky at the bottom of each giveaway post.

So the point...? Just make sure to read ALL the instructions on each blog before entering and get out there and HAVE FUN!!!

Day 3 SPONSORS for Mommy's Firsts are...

Mommy's Firsts Sponsor Spotlight

Cloth diaper cover and set of lineys from Hiney Lineys ($22 value)

Mommy's Firsts Sponsor Spotlight

DISCOUNT CODE ALERT! Turtles R Us has a discount code for my readers! You can save 10% on any order at Turtles R Us through 12/24 with code MERRYFLUFF10. Happy shopping!

One lucky winner will receive a Hiney Lineys cloth diaper cover and set of lineys

PLUS a dozen cloth wipes in choice of Christmas theme from Turtles R Us ($5.50 value)

(Total Day 3 Prize Package Value $27.50)

How to enter:

Mandatory Entries:

You must do BOTH mandatory entries for any of your optional entries to count!

Like Hiney Lineys on Facebook.
Like Turtles R Us on Facebook.

Optional Entries:

Visit Turtles R Us and tell me your favorite item.
Visit Hiney Lineys and tell me your favorite feature of this patent pending diaper!
Follow Mommy's Firsts on Twitter.
Follow Mommy's Firsts with Google Friend Connect (left sidebar)
Follow Mommy's Firsts with Networked Blogs (left sidebar).
Like Mommy's Firsts on Facebook.
Tweet about this giveaway and tag @hannahcookcross.
Post my button (left sidebar) on your main blog page.
Post the A Merry Fluffy Christmas button (right sidebar) on your main blog page.

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Feel free to leave a comment reminding yourself that you entered.

152 Entries as of 6:04 MST 12/3.

AMFC Day 2: GoGo Natural and My Bella Baby ENDED

2010-12-01T22:01:00.013-07:00

This giveaway has ended.

It's Day 2 of A Merry Fluffy Christmas!

The fluffy madness continues!

How A Merry Fluffy Christmas works:

You MUST do the Mandatory Entry to enter the giveaways! If you do not do the Mandatory Entry, all your other entries will be deleted.

And don't forget to visit ALL 19 BLOGS! You can find the Linky at the bottom of each giveaway post.

So the point...? Just make sure to read ALL the instructions on each blog before entering and get out there and HAVE FUN!!!

Day 2 SPONSORS for Mommy's Firsts are...

Check out the GoGo Natural Spotlight

Check out the My Bella Baby Sponsor Spotlight

The winner of today's giveaway will receive a Dinkledooz cloth diaper ($18 value) from GoGo Natural

and a set of Little Washies from My Bella Baby ($7.95 value).

Today's prize package is worth $25.95!

How to enter:

Mandatory Entries:

You must do BOTH mandatory entries for any of your optional entries to count!

Visit GoGo Natural and tell me your favorite Dinkledooz color.
Visit My Bella Baby and choose your favorite item to leave in the blank in the form below.

Optional Entries:

Follow GoGo Natural on Twitter
Like GoGo Natural on Facebook.
Follow My Bella Baby on Twitter.
Like My Bella Baby on Facebook.
Follow the My Bella Baby blog.
Follow Mommy's Firsts on Twitter.
Follow Mommy's Firsts with Google Friend Connect (left sidebar)
Follow Mommy's Firsts with Networked Blogs (left sidebar).
Like Mommy's Firsts on Facebook.
Tweet about this giveaway and tag @hannahcookcross, @GoGoNatural, and @mybellababyshop.
Post my button (left sidebar) on your main blog page.
Post the A Merry Fluffy Christmas button (right sidebar) on your main blog page.

AMFC Day 1: BabyLegs Giveaway! (12/1-12/3) ENDED

2010-11-30T22:01:00.018-07:00

This giveaway has ended.

It's Day 1 of A Merry Fluffy Christmas!

Let the fluffy madness begin!

How A Merry Fluffy Christmas works:

You MUST do the Mandatory Entry to enter the giveaways! If you do not do the Mandatory Entry, all your other entries will be deleted.

And don't forget to visit ALL 19 BLOGS! You can find the Linky at the bottom of each giveaway post.

So the point...? Just make sure to read ALL the instructions on each blog before entering and get out there and HAVE FUN!!!

Day 1 SPONSOR for Mommy's Firsts is...

Check out the BabyLegs sponsor spotlight.

The winner of today's giveaway will receive a grab bag from BabyLegs worth $50 containing 2 pairs of leg warmers, 1 pair of socks, and 1 pair of girls' tights (or another pair of socks if it's for a boy)!

How to enter:

Mandatory Entries:

You must do BOTH mandatory entries for any of your optional entries to count!

Follow Mommy's Firsts with Google Friend Connect (left sidebar).
"Like" BabyLegs on Facebook.

Optional Entries:

Follow BabyLegs on Twitter.
Follow Mommy's Firsts on Twitter.
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Don't forget to visit the other 18 awesome blogs participating in A Merry Fluffy Christmas to enter their giveaways!

Feel free to leave a comment reminding yourself that you entered.

482 Entries as of 5:48 PM MST 12/3

LoveBugz Boutique: A Merry Fluffy Christmas Sponsor Spotlight

2010-11-30T22:00:00.001-07:00

Let me introduce to you Love Bugz Boutique, one of the sponsors of Sunday's giveaway for A Merry Fluffy Christmas!

Love Bugz Boutique has both an Etsy store and a Hyena Cart store run by WAHM Christy that specializes in trendy craft items for people on a budget. Love Bugz Boutique offers wool shorties and longies, as well as monogrammed bibs, pacifier holders, nursing covers, and custom items. You can see examples of items she can custom make at her Hyena Cart store and in stock shorties and longies at her Etsy Store plus many more photos on her Facebook page.

Check out these adorable shorties in the Etsy shop for $15:

and these cute cow print pacifier clip on sale for $3.60 through her Facebook page:

How cute would this be with a cow print diaper?

As a SAHM, Christy started making items for her own children and then decided to open a shop to share her creations with us. Here's what she has to say about Love Bugz Boutique:

"I take pride in all the things I make, and I would much rather buy from a WAHM than a large retailer and hope that your readers do too. I love making and selling items and being overall crafty and am always open to new ideas."

Of course we love supporting WAHMs!

The winner of Sunday's giveaway will receive a $10 gift certificate to Love Bugz Boutique as part of that day's prize package!

It's Almost... A Merry Fluffy Christmas!

2010-11-30T21:58:00.001-07:00

A Merry Fluffy Christmas is just a few minutes away, so I'd like to reveal the giveaways for each day. Each giveaway will begin at 12:01 AM EST (that's 10:01 PM MST) and will last for 3 days.

Wednesday, December 1 (Total value $50)
BabyLegs Grab Bag: 2 pairs of legwarmers, 1 pair of socks, plus 1 pair of tights (for girls) or an additional pair of socks (for boys)

Thursday, December 2 (Total value $25.95)
Dinkledooz cloth diaper from GoGo Natural ($18 value)
Set of Little Washies from My Bella Baby ($7.95 value)

Friday, December 3 (Total value $27.50)
Cloth diaper cover and set of lineys from Hiney Lineys ($22 value)
Dozen cloth wipes in Christmas theme from Turtles R Us ($5.50 value)

Saturday, December 4 (Total value $80.60)
One kilo of Soap Nuts for cloth diaper washing, plus a baby bottle with choice of cap and an insulated cover and dome dust cover, a mineral salts deodorant stone and a quart of GVP Formula 433, all from Green Virgin Products

Sunday, December 5 (Total value $32)

Fleece wet bag and 12 pack of wipes from 4 Princess Boutique ($12 value)
$10 gift certificate to Love Bugz Baby Boutique
Cloth diaper laundry clock from Scrapped Silly ($10 value)

Happy entering!

4 Princess Boutique: A Merry Fluffy Christmas Sponsor Spotlight

2010-11-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

I've got another great Etsy shop to introduce to you as a sponsor for A Merry Fluffy Christmas, 4 Princess Boutique!

4 Princess Boutique is a one stop shop for infants through pre-teens, specializing in hair wreaths, girls dresses, baby sweatpants and appliqued hoodie sets, tutus, bow holders and bows (coming soon), bags, and crayon rolls. For cloth diapering folk, 4 Princess offers fleece wetbags, PUL wetbags, cloth wipes, and fleece longies and shorties.

Here's what Natasha of 4 Princess Boutique has to say about her shop:

"I was inspired by my daughters. I have 4 girls (hence the 4 Princess). They love to look pretty, and I hated buying dresses from Target for $20 or $30 and them going to school and wearing the exact same thing as everyone else! I wanted to offer affordable, yet unique items that I know girls will love. Since I have 4 little critics, I am able to get their opinions on things and what they like and don't like. Currently, 4 Princess Boutique supplements my income. I am an elementary school teacher by day. I work almost full time, but use my boutique to supplement my income so that I can have 2 short days a week. The boutique is brand new, but it has already been pretty successful, and I am looking forward to where it will take me!"

I'm so excited to be introducing you to this new WAHM business, which is sure to be a success! Natasha has a special message for A Merry Fluffy Christmas readers:

"Since I am just starting out, my prices are low and I am doing this to start getting a clientele going. So make sure you get in on the deals. Most of my work thus far has been custom orders. Tell me what you want, and I'll do it, and I'll beat anyone else's price. That's my guarantee!"

For a Merry Fluffy Christmas, 4 Princess Boutique will be offering a giveaway of a 12 pack of 2 layer flannel cloth wipes plus a 4 layer fleece wetbag. Here are some samples from the shop:

4 Princess Boutique Wipes

4 Princess Boutique Fleece Wet Bag

In addition to carrying these handy cloth diapering items, 4 Princess Boutique specializes in custom hair wreaths, which are great for weddings, first communions, or fairy dress up time!

Join me in welcoming 4 Princess Boutique to the lineup of sponsors for A Merry Fluffy Christmas!

BabyLegs: A Merry Fluffy Christmas Sponsor Spotlight with Discount!

2010-11-30T11:57:00.002-07:00

BabyLegs, one of my favorite companies, has been kind and generous enough to sponsor the entire A Merry Fluffy Christmas event! That's right, you've got 19 chances to win a fabulous BabyLegs prize pack.

I've already tooted the BabyLegs horn in my review back in June. I love BabyLegs to keep little baby legs (and arms!) warm. They make diaper changing easier too. When the weather is nice (which is most of the time here in Arizona, except today!), I send him to Grandma's house in just a t-shirt or onesie and BabyLegs. It's so much easier for her to change him when she doesn't have to yank his pants on and off each time. Fin is almost 15 months old, but many of his clothes are size 2T, which means most of his pants are big boy pants (no snaps for changing), which is tough for Grandma to maneuver. I often find him wearing no pants at all at Grandma's, which is why I try to keep a pair of BabyLegs in the diaper bag at all times! I know they're going to be a lifesaver when potty training comes around too.

Here are a couple of my favorite pictures of Fin in his BabyLegs.

9 months old

1 Year

I have ordered from BabyLegs many times. We own many pairs of legwarmers and some socks too! In fact, my husband recently asked me to order our favorite Turf Baby socks again in a bigger size because Finley outgrew them!

BabyLegs also makes girls' tights, which of course we have not had the opportunity to use.

BabyLegs has great sales and super fast shipping, plus shipping is always free! To be updated on the latest sales, follow BabyLegs on Twitter and Facebook and sign up for their newsletter.

DISCOUNT ALERT! BabyLegs has a special discount code just for A Merry Fluffy Christmas: FLUFFY20 is good for 20% off your order through Dec. 24th!

For A Merry Fluffy Christmas at Mommy's Firsts, BabyLegs is offering an amazing giveaway package worth $50! Enter now until 12/3 at this giveaway post.

Extra Entries at Other Blogs

2010-11-29T23:22:00.000-07:00

Here at Mommy's Firsts, you'll be entering each giveaway for A Merry Fluffy Christmas on the days it runs. But some blogs are doing extra entries for their giveaways! Head over to And Then There Were 4 to see a list of blogs with early entries!

My Bella Baby: A Merry Fluffy Christmas Sponsor Spotlight

2010-11-29T23:14:00.002-07:00

I'm so happy to introduce to you another A Merry Fluffy Christmas sponsor, My Bella Baby! This Etsy shop features beautiful handmade baby things, including baby booties, bibs, burp cloths, car seat strap covers and more to come! I found My Bella Baby through a blog giveaway that I actually won. I was so glad I did!

I won a set of Little Washies from My Bella Baby through a giveaway from Second Time Around. Little Washies are a novel concept in baby bathing. They're round with a fabric-covered elastic strap on one side and minky or terry cloth on the other. The strap is great for little hands to hold on to. Fin isn't quite that advanced yet, but I like the strap because I can keep a good grip on it. Fin loves to steal wash cloths from me while I'm trying to wash him (he likes to suck on them). But I don't have that problem with Little Washies!

Ok, so I let him have one just this once.

Little Washies are perfect for cleaning up baby after cloth diapering. You can use them as wipes or for bathing. I like to carry a dry one in my diaper bag for those out and about messes. You know the ones I mean--the big poop that would normally be followed by a bath at home! Wet with water or squirt some wipe solution on a Little Washie, and you have a soft and gentle clean up for baby's bottom. One lucky winner from A Merry Fluffy Christmas at Mommy's Firsts will win a set of Little Washies!

O Christmas Tree Little Washies

Little Monkey Little Washies

My Bella Baby carries some other handmade baby products as well, including booties:

Green Elephant Playday Bella Booties

and contoured burp cloths:

Baby Girl Contoured Burp Cloth

This is what Kayla of My Bella Baby has to say about her Etsy shop:
"My Bella Baby was created to offer moms stylish and comfortable baby products at an affordable price. I started my business out of my love for babies. They are such precious blessings and I love to imagine all of the babies and mommas that are enjoying my handmade products. I put a lot of time and love into what I do, so My Bella Baby gifts are something special to give and receive."

So true! I know I'll be ordering a set for my friend who is expecting in the Spring. In fact, I just ordered another set (for us) tonight. For my night owl moms, the Black Friday sale at My Bella Baby ends tonight--right now you can grab a set of Little Washies for just $5 (regular $7.95)! Also on sale are contoured burp cloths for $5 and baby booties for $10.

To keep up with the latest sales, (new ones every month!) follow My Bella Baby on Twitter, like My Bella Baby on Facebook, and follow the My Bella Baby blog!

Hiney Lineys: A Merry Fluffy Christmas Sponsor Spotlight

2010-11-29T18:00:00.003-07:00

Please welcome Hiney Lineys to the A Merry Fluffy Christmas sponsor spotlight!

Hiney Lineys is a small WAHM cloth diaper company that aims to keep their diapers made in the USA and still be competitive. Hiney Lineys offers wipeable diaper covers specifically designed to hold a tri-folded prefold, along with stay-dry liners that snap into the diaper cover to help prevent shifting and bunching when baby wiggles around. The liners are elasticized in the legs and back to catch baby's poo!

Here's what Sheila of Hiney Lineys said about why she started the business:

"Hiney Lineys was started because I had a need that I wanted to fill when my daughter was a baby. I liked the idea of pocket diapers because of the stay dry layer, but i really didn't like the one time use factor. I came up with the Liney to snap into the diaper cover so that I could continue using my prefolds and reusing my covers until they were soiled. I felt like there was a need out there for this style of diaper, so I decided to open up shop and share this great diaper with the world."

I agree! When I was a new cloth-diapering mama, I shied away from prefolds with covers because I thought they were too difficult to put on and wouldn't work well for overnight. What I really needed was a versatile diaper like Hiney Lineys that I could use with both prefolds and inserts. I guess that's why they're called "the pocket lover's cover!"

Hiney Lineys come in four sizes (newborn, small, medium, large, and extra large) and two closure choices (Velcro and side-snapping).

You won't believe your eyes when you see the prices at Hiney Lineys because right now all diaper covers are discounted at 50% off to clear out discontinued colors and make way for new ones! Seriously, Velcro covers are only $6 and side snapping are only $7. You can't beat that. And a set of 3 lineys is just $10!

I think Hiney Lineys are a unique diaper and am so happy to feature this company at Mommy's Firsts. Plus I just like the word "hiney."

Stay tuned for your chance to win a Hiney Lineys cloth diaper cover with a set of lineys during A Merry Fluffy Christmas!

GoGo Natural: A Merry Fluffy Christmas Sponsor Spotlight

2010-11-29T15:52:00.001-07:00

When I decided to participate in A Merry Fluffy Christmas, I wanted to promote local businesses as well as businesses I've actually patronized. So one of the first shops I contacted was GoGo Natural, a cloth diaper shop in Chandler, Arizona, with great service and a huge selection of products.

GoGo Natural is a cloth diaper store that strives to carry all your cloth diapering needs (and wants!) from the biggest brands: cloth diapers, pail liners and wet bags, and reusable and flushable inserts from FuzziBunz, bumGenius, Happy Heinys, Knickernappies, Gro-Via, Rumparooz and more! They also carry nursing covers by Hooter Hiders, Diaper Bags, Babylegs, detergent (Rockin Green, Charlie's, bumGenius), Maya Wrap, Moby Wrap, wool care, and swim diapers, to name a few! Every order over $75 ships free, and if you're in the Phoenix area, you can choose local pick up.

All the work is done by Meredith, a work at home mom, and her three tiny helpers (her kids, y'all). I so admire the set up she has going, but I know it has to be a lot of work to keep all that inventory organized and to have people dropping by to pick up orders all the time!

Let me tell you a funny little story about when I picked up my first order at her house. When I got to Chandler, I realized that I had the address of GoGo Natural's mailbox service, not the house! So I had to call Meredith and ask her for her address! Thank goodness for my sister's iPhone (which also convinced me to get one for myself). Meredith was very gracious too.

GoGo Natural is offering a Dinkledooz cloth diaper for A Merry Fluffy Christmas!

Dinkledooz is a one size diaper that fits most babies from birth to potty training and comes with two microfiber inserts. Right now GoGo Natural is offering introductory pricing on Dinkledooz. A single diaper is $12.56, a 3 pack is $37.17, a 6 pack is $73.29, and a 12 pack is $142.38! I haven't tried these out yet, but I look forward to doing so!

GoGo Natural also carries the FuzziBunz One Size Cloth Diaper, which is one of my favorites.

and the GroVia Diapering System Line.

You can find out about specials at GoGo Natural by following on Twitter or Facebook or by signing up for the shop's newsletter (at the top of their homepage).

Turtles R Us: A Merry Fluffy Christmas Sponsor Spotlight

2010-11-29T14:23:00.090-07:00

I'd like to introduce you to another awesome sponsor of A Merry Fluffy Christmas, Turtles R Us!

Turtles R Us is "a turtle-ly unique children's boutique" on Etsy run by Kayla, a very busy WAHM who loves to sew. She makes and sells cloth wipes, lovies, quilts, blankets, clothing, tote bags and much more! She buys quality fabrics and pays close attention to detail. Above all else, she aim to please her customers. She loves custom orders for anything that can be made with a sewing machine.

Here's what Kayla has to say about Turtles R Us:
"I have been sewing since I was 12! I've been blessed to stay home with my two boys since they were born. We are teaching our boys that they can be anything they want to be and that they should make money someday doing what they love or were born to do. I decided to start practicing that philosophy myself about 3 years ago. So far it's been going great! I'm happy doing what I love and even more thrilled that I can work from home and still be free to be there for my kids and family! When moma's happy, everbody's happy!

Why "turtles"?
"After building up my etsy reputation at kcarter.etsy.com (my first etsy shop), I named the second shop "TurtlesRUs" after my two sisters and I. We three sisters are all a little crafty and we also have a little thing about turtles. As a joke I told them that I was going to name the shop TurtlesRUs and sale my sewing wares. The shop took off immediately and I've been busy ever since! As you can see from the shop, I sale a little more than turtle-themed items, but if I happen to see a cute turtle fabric, it'll certainly appear in the shop one way or another!"

One of the most special items Turtles R Us carries is Kayla's own invention, this adorable sensory blanket turtle lovie, which is personalized and sells for $20.

I have personally purchased wipes from Turtles R Us, and they are great quality, especially for the price! I have spent quite a bit of time pricing wipes, and these are a real bargain--24 for only $10.99! I ordered this adorable set with a robot print and coordinating solids:

I am obsessed with robots! But that's beside the point. These wipes are made of the softest flannel, and the stitching is perfect. (Okay, I'm no seamstress, but I've seen commercially produced stuff that isn't as high quality as these!)

These cloth wipes are perfectly sized for easy baby or toddler cleanups, including diaper changing, bath time, wiping dirty hands or faces, all the while reducing, reusing, and recycling! They fold neatly into your baby wipe case, and you can use them with warm water or your own baby wipe solution.

One lucky winner during A Merry Fluffy Christmas will receive a dozen Turtles R Us Christmas themed wipes! Here are a couple of the options she has available:

Too cute!

DISCOUNT CODE ALERT! Turtles R Us has a discount code for my readers! You can save 10% on any order at Turtles R Us through 12/24 with code MERRYFLUFF10. Happy shopping!

Look for the giveaway from Turtles R Us coming soon during A Merry Fluffy Christmas!

A Merry Fluffy Christmas Sponsors

2010-11-29T13:13:00.002-07:00

Today and tomorrow I'll be introducing you to my sponsors for A Merry Fluffy Christmass, the 5 day cloth diaper giveaway event that begins Dec. 1. We'll be having giveaways for over $125 in prizes, with each day's prize package valued at $25! Here are the sponsors so far:

I have a few more tricks up my sleeve, so stay tuned!

Monday Bums Cloth Diaper Giveaways 11/29

2010-11-29T12:59:00.001-07:00

We had some Internet troubles last night, so I couldn't get this up until today!

It's time for Monday Bums, where you can link up your cloth diaper and accessories giveaways! I hope we'll have tons of entries this week for A Merry Fluffy Christmas, which starts Wednesday!

Enter your links below in the following format:

Blog Title - Product - End Date

ex. Mommy's Firsts Bummas Cloth Wipes 10/14

Huge 8 Store Baby Cyber Monday Sale!

2010-11-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

I'm continuing to update my Thanksgiving post with sales, but when I discovered this sale, I knew it deserved a post all its own! Save 25% at the following stores with code cyber8.

BabyLegs
Baby Frenzy
Chico Bag
Earth Mama Angel Baby
GoGagaLife
Happy Heiny Store
KateQuinnOrganics.com
MobyWrap.com

The discount code can't be combined with the BabyLegs Cyber Monday bundles. There may be other exclusions as well.

Holiday Cards from Shutterfly

2010-11-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving is over, and now it's time to start thinking about holiday cards! We've printed our holiday cards with Shutterfly the last two years, and I am always pleased with the quality. Shutterfly has a variety of photo Christmas cards to choose from with plenty of customization options. We don't celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, so it's important to me to be able to put a non-religious message like "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings," and I love that I can customize the text on these cards.

I also love the variety of designs. I always feel weird choosing a design with snowflakes since we live in the desert and never see snow, and Shutterfly has plenty of options to accomodate me! In fact, I'm thinking about using this design this year:

Pretty cute, huh?

Two years ago I made calendars with all my family's birthdays on them; I might do that again this year. Last year I had matching address labels printed to go with our holiday cards. Shutterfly has many more customizable holiday products like party invitations, Christmas gift tags, and photo gifts.

This is a compensated post by me on behalf of Shutterfly. If you have a blog and would like to get 50 free holiday cards for promoting Shutterfly, click here.

Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday Sales

2010-11-25T08:56:00.026-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm going to make one holiday sales post and keep it updated throughout the weekend. I'll list online sales for baby and kids stuff, especially cloth diapers! If you see any I've missed, please leave a comment!

I thought about organizing by day, but I think I'm going to organize by store to save time. If you're looking for a particular day, do a search (Ctrl+F for Windows) for Thanksgiving, Black Friday, or Cyber Monday.

Baboosh Baby (Brooke Burke's Post Pregnancy Belly Wrap store)
Black Friday: Free shipping, no code needed.
Cyber Monday: 25% off everything in the store, no code needed.
Plus buy two Baboosh Body items get one FREE! Simply add three Baboosh Body items to your cart and one of them will ring up as FREE! No Code Needed! Valid through 11/30/2010.
Here are some additional coupons. I don't know if they'll work with the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, but you can try!
10% off of your entire order! Code: LETSSAVE

$5 off of any Baboosh Body Product Code: BBSHRINK

$5 off of any Baboosh Body Product Code: BBODYVIP

$5 off of any Baboosh Body Product Code: BBSWEATS

$5 off of any Tauts Product Code: BBTUMMY5

Baby Half Off
Cyber Monday: Happy Heinys sized diapers (S, M, L) for $8 each plus 50% off Pink Axle Hats.

BabyLegs
All Weekend: Cyber Monday bundles (3 pairs for $10)

Boden
30% off plus free shipping (not sure how long this one lasts)

The Children's Place
Thanksgiving Day: 20% off online through Friday, Nov. 26 with code THANKS.
Black Friday: 30% off in stores 4 am to noon.
Cyber Monday: 25% off everything online with code CYBER.

Cotton Babies
Thanksgiving Day: free package of bumGenius Flannel Baby Wipes (an $11.95 value) or a free pair of bumGenius Baby Legs (an $11.95) value with $30 purchase. One code per order. You must add the product to your cart and use the code "FREEBABYLEGS" or "FREEBABYWIPES to get the discount during checkout. As always, every single order ships free.
Black Friday: Cloth diaper packages with savings of 30-35%.
Cyber Monday: TBA.

Diaper Junction
Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday: Free shipping on orders over $25. Free $28.95 accessory pack with orders over $75. Many brands of cloth diapers 15-20% off (click here to see the list). Plus earn double rewards points.
Black Friday: 25% off GroVia.

EcoMom
Save 33% storewide through Monday, Nov. 29, with code 33OFF.

Elegant Mommy (preowned maternity clothes)
Thanksgiving Day: 25% off with code "Grateful"

Eversave
Cyber Monday: Additional $5 off any save with promo code CYBERMONDAY.

Fluff Envy
(Free shipping all weekend; FuzziBunz and Katydid on sale plus buy 5 get 1 free BumGenius 4.0)
Black Friday through Cyber Monday: I can't even reproduce all the freebie specials, there are so many. Click here to see the list.
Cyber Monday only: But 2 get 1 free Bum Essentials Bumbino cloth diapers.

The Foundary
Cyber Monday: Great deals on KidKraft play sets.

GoGo Natural
Black Friday: 20% off with code THANKS through Sunday, 11/28. Orders over $50 will receive a free FuzziBunz Perfect Size cloth diaper. Always free shipping over $75.

Granola Babies
Black Friday: Until 6AM, orders over $35 receive a free Under the Nile Onesie using code FREEUTN

From 6am - 10am, orders over $99 receive a free Klean Kanteen 12oz Sport Cap using code FREEKK

From 10am - 1pm, order over $20 receive a free Badger Lip Balm (great stocking item!) using code FREELIP

From 1pm - 5pm, orders over $200 receive a free $15 gift certificate to Granola Babies using code FREEGC

From 5pm - 8pm, orders over $45 receive a free FuzziBunz Pocket Diaper with code FREEFB

From 8pm - 12am (Saturday), orders over $35 receive a free Naturally Luxe Wool Soap with code FREELUXE
Plus many baby carriers and cloth diapers on final sale clearance.

Green Baby Bargains

Cyber Monday: Paddle & Quack Diaper Pail Bags + Wipes Bags - 50% off! $14 for hanging wet bags and $4 for wipes bags.

Gymboree
Thanksgiving Day: 30% off everything online through Friday, Nov. 26, 3 pm ET. No code needed.
Black Friday: 30% off everything in store until noon. 25% off after noon in store and after 3 pm online through Sunday. No code needed.
Cyber Monday: 20% off everything online plus free shipping over $50.

Ideeli
Cyber Monday: $74 for Rockabye Plush Character Rockers plus Primigi shoes and boots and Melissa and Doug toys.

KatyDid Cloth Diapers
Black Friday through Cyber Monday: Buy two get one FREE plus FREE SHIPPING on every order!For every two diapers you purchase, leave a comment at checkout with a color choice for your free diaper.

Kelly's Closet
Cyber Monday: Free shipping (no code needed). First 20 orders receive a free one size diaper of Kelly's Closet's choice, plus earn triple rewards points!
See sale items here.

Lolliplace (LolliDoo Diapers)
Black Friday: 40% off entire store from 8-10 am MST. PLUS All Day Specials: Spend $100 or more and receive a free Lolli Doo eco pocket with FLAIR (you'll have to click here and add it to your cart). PLUS take 25% off all Overnight Diapers including Overnight Recycled Outties. (Click here to see entire ad)

Mini Bargainz
All Weekend: Free combined shipping. New deals at 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm starting Friday.

The Mini Social
All Weekend: $10 off $100 order with code BLACK10 or $20 off a $250 order with code BLACK20 (until 11/28 11:59 PT).

momAgenda
Black Friday: 20% off storewide, no code needed.
Cyber Monday: 20% off storewide
Ongoing coupons:
Take 10% off all orders of $65+ at momAgenda! Code: MOM10OFF65 Offer Expires 11.30
Take $10 off all orders of $75+ at momAgenda! Code: MOM10OFF75 Offer Expires 11.30

Mom's Milk Boutique
Black Friday: Stackable Freebies (see details here), plus gift certificates with purchase.

My Baby Pumpkin
Black Friday: Use coupon BLACK to receive 10% off your order! (coupon valid until Monday November 29th, excludes bumgenius, flip, econobum and Tiny Tush Buy 5, Get 1 Free Deal)
PLUS
10% off all Bottombumpers

5% off all Bummis
10% off Baby Bear and Wooltopia Dryer Balls
10% off Applecheeks
5% off FuzziBunz OS
5% off Happy Heinys Organic and Covers
10% off Knickernappies OS
5% off all LuSa Organics Products
5% off Planetwise
10% off Rocky Mountain Diapers
5% off all Thirsties
5% off all Tiny Tush (excludes OS)
10% off Under the Nile
Plus all orders over $50 will receive 2 packets of RLR!

Nicki's Diapers
10% off online sales with code BLACK
PLUS a chance to win prizes with orders (see details here). Free shipping on orders over $75.
Sew Crafty Baby Cloth Diapers
Black Friday: 20% off storewide from 12:01 am to 8:00 am ET, then 15% off until midnight Saturday with code BLACKFRIDAY10
PLUS raffles, store credits, and giveaways--details here.

Robeez
Cyber Monday: 25% off with code GIFT25. Thanks, Baby Deals Dujour!

Sweet Bottoms Baby Boutique
Black Friday: Use code BLACKFRIDAY for 20% off storewide from 12 am - 2 am ET, 15% off from 2:01 am - 12 pm, 10% from 12:01 pm Friday to 11:59 pm Sunday.
PLUS freebies with every order (click here to see the list).

Stride Rite
Cyber Monday: 25% off with code CYBERMONDAY. Thanks, Baby Deals Dujour!

Thanks Mama
Black Friday: 10% off storewide with code BFRIDAY (And it looks like maybe a free diaper with purchases over $100?) I think the sale is through Sunday.

thredUP
Black Friday: Get 20% off all picks made on Black Friday by using promo code: GREENFRIDAY plus
get a $2 thredUP credit for every box of clothes you list on Black Friday. Credit is applied when your box is picked by another member and sent by you!

Wee Little Changes (Always free shipping!)
Black Friday: $10 for a surprise scent of Rockin' Green Soap
Cyber Monday: 20% off your entire order (some exclusions apply)

Zulily
All Weekend: Free shipping on orders over $50 and guaranteed delivery by Christmas.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links.

thredUP Black Friday Deals

2010-11-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

Have you visited thredUP lately? (If you don't know about thredUP, it's an online swap for kids clothes. You can read my review here.) I just renewed my PRO membership and found that they have added a lot of new features! There's now a comment feature where you can ask questions about the boxes of clothes. There are also options to search for specialty items like Halloween costumes and dress clothes. Quite a few people are taking it upon themselves to put photos up on Facebook of the contents of the boxes they list too, which is pretty cool.

And thredUP is getting into the holiday shopping spirit with Black Friday specials!

Get 20% off all picks made on Black Friday by using promo code: GREENFRIDAY
Get a $2 thredUP credit for every box of clothes you list on Black Friday. Credit is applied when your box is picked by another member & sent by you!

For more swapping fun, check out the thredUP Facebook page, where swappers are busy requesting and promoting boxes!

The links to thredUP in this post point to my referral page. I'd love it if you use it to sign up for thredUP if you haven't already. If you're already a thredUP member, the links should take you directly to your account, or you should be able to sign in there.

Monday Bums Cloth Diaper Giveaways 11/22

2010-11-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

It's time for Monday Bums, where you can link up your cloth diaper and accessories giveaways!

Enter your links below in the following format:

Blog Title - Product - End Date

ex. Mommy's Firsts Bummas Cloth Wipes 10/14

A Merry Fluffy Christmas: Sponsorship Opportunity!

2010-11-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

It's been a bit quiet around here, but that's because I've been working behind the scenes...

You've probably read about it on other blogs: A Merry Fluffy Christmas, a blog mania style event with five days of giveaways just for cloth diapering products. I'm excited to announce that Mommy's Firsts is participating!

I'm still lining up sponsors, so if you have a business that sells cloth diapering products and would like to sponsor a giveaway as part of the event, please contact me. The giveaway can be for anything remotely cloth diapering related. I'm especially interested in promoting WaHMs!

Monday Bums Cloth Diaper Giveaways 11/15

2010-11-15T00:00:00.002-07:00

I finally got smart and set this to post automatically at midnight, but then I forgot to put in the instructions! Sheesh.

It's time for Monday Bums, where you can link up your cloth diaper and accessories giveaways!

Enter your links below in the following format:

Blog Title - Product - End Date

ex. Mommy's Firsts Bummas Cloth Wipes 10/14

Zulily Coupon Code Today: 10% Off

2010-11-14T17:23:00.000-07:00

Head on over to The Budget Mommy, where she has a 10% off coupon code for Zulily, good through today! Zulily has some adorable clothes right now and some great Combi baby gear.

Monday Bums Cloth Diaper Giveaways 11/8

2010-11-08T10:17:00.002-07:00

It's time for Monday Bums, where you can link up your cloth diaper and accessories giveaways!

Enter your links below in the following format:

Blog Title - Product - End Date

ex. Mommy's Firsts Bummas Cloth Wipes 10/14

Any current giveaways are fine, as long as they're for cloth diapers, cloth diaper accessories, or gift certificates that can be used on cloth diapers. If your blog is participating in the SoftBums giveaway event as well, you're welcome to link up your giveaway post here. Links to giveaways for other products will be deleted. (But here's a good place to find other linkies to enter your non-cloth giveaways!) The linky will remain open until 11/8 at 12:00 MST.

Boogie Wipes and Anna Carrie Baby Winners

2010-11-06T11:50:00.001-07:00

I am a terrible poster of winners! I have two winners to share with you today though:

Boogie Wipes Winner is Entry #5:

Heather Castillo for liking Mommy's Firsts on Facebook!

Anna Carrie Baby winner is entry #23

Linda Stewart for the mandatory entry

Congrats, ladies! I've sent you both an email.

Mommy's First Halloween: Waxing Nostalgic

2010-11-03T16:03:00.000-07:00

Just one year ago on Halloween, I had a six week old baby. I was barely recovered from an emergency c-section, and I was trying to learn how to be a mom. Fin was finally starting to develop into a little person instead of a squalling baby bird.

At the end of October 2009, I think I finally started to feel happy after 10 months of feeling miserable. My sister took some photos of Fin and me together in the park that turned out so well. I got so many compliments on them; people said I looked radiant! I felt it for the first time in a very long time too.

We strolled around the neighborhood with my nephew and niece while they trick-or-treated. Fin was dressed as Casper the Friendly Ghost.

Looking at this little chunky baby is almost enough to make me consider having another one. Almost.

I hope you enjoyed strolling down memory lane with me as part of my participation in The SITS Girls Halloween Party. If you're not familiar with SITS, you definitely need to check it out!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-03T15:18:00.002-07:00

Halloween is over, and although it's tough to go all out for Halloween with a one year old, I bought him a costume and we knocked on a few doors. Mainly we wanted to make sure we got to Grandma's house! Fin ate a couple of tiny bites of a Heath bar and then licked a few suckers before dropping them in various places in the house.

Here he is in his Elmo costume.

He didn't care much for the hood. By the end of the night, his costume was "Elmo Eats Finley."

Now that it's all said and done, I know we could have skipped the trick or treating and just let him answer the door. Next year might be more fun!

I'm late jumping on the bandwagon, but I'm posting this for a SITS Girls event. Check out more fun Halloween posts from The SITS Girls Halloween Party.

I'm Featured at Sippy Cups and Cloth Bums!

2010-11-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

Another awesome blog by a cloth diapering mama is featuring me as this week's cloth bum addict! Check out the feature on Mommy's Firsts, and be sure to take a look around Sippy Cups and Cloth Bums, which is an amazing blog.

Green Virgin Products Reviews: Soap Nuts

2010-11-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

Green Virgin Products provided me with complimentary products to review. As always, the opinions and experiences are mine.

When I first heard of Soap Nuts, I was intrigued. A natural "nut" that you throw in the wash with your clothes? And it's cloth diaper safe? I really wanted to try this out, but I was a little apprehensive. Both Fin and I are very fair, so we break out easily. I have been using the same detergent and fabric softener for at least 10 years because others tend to make me itch if not break out in a rash.

But with Soap Nuts, I had no reason to fear. After all, why would I be more likely to be irritated with a natural, plant-derived laundry alternative than with a chemical detergent? I am pleased to report that we have been using Soap Nuts for more than a month with absolutely no break outs. I've used them to wash Fin's clothes, hubby's and my clothes, towels, sheets, and of course, cloth diapers.

Let me tell you a little about my Soap Nuts experience. I received a 250 g bag (83 wash loads) from Green Virgin Products with detailed instructions on how to use them. You put a handful of Soap Nuts in the included wash bag and toss them in the washer with your clothes, and that's it. When the wash is finished, take the Soap Nuts out and transfer the clothes to the dryer, no fabric softener needed. And that's the truth. I don't think I've had one load come out of the dryer with any static, which to me is just as important as my laundry being soft.

As for cloth diaper washing, washing with Soap Nuts is a piece of cake too. My regular washing cycle goes like this:

1. cold rinse
2. hot wash with detergent and automatic cold rinse and spin
3. extra cold rinse and spin
4. extra spin

I ordinarily put the detergent in at the start of the hot wash (step 2). I do the same with the Soap Nuts and then take them out before the extra cold rinse (step 3).

For washing clothes, I feel like Soap Nuts are as effective at getting out stains as any other detergent I've tried, which is to say that tough stains require a spot treatment (Green Virgin Products has a great product for that too, their all-purpose concentrate GVP Formula 433). For cloth diapers, I think Soap Nuts are about as effective on tough stains as the three other "cloth diaper safe" natural detergents I've tried, but maybe not as effective as my previous detergent (which most would say isn't "cloth diaper safe").

The only problem I've had is with some Soap Nut bits getting stuck to microfiber inserts, which I think I could have easily prevented by replacing the wash bag for $0.60, which had come unsewn a little and let some tiny pieces out. But this hasn't caused any problems with the diapers themselves.

I should say we have a traditional top loading machine and front loading dryer.

Now let's get to the nitty gritty: price. I've already told you that Green Virgin Products carries green products that don't break the bank, which is very important to me. You can read their price comparisons on their site, but I wanted to do my own.

Soap Nuts come in 3 size options:
250 g (83 wash loads) for $10.95 = 13 cents per load
500 g (165 wash loads) for $16.95 = 10 cents per load
1 kg (330 wash loads) for $25.95 = not even 8 cents per load

Last time I bought my previous detergent, I paid about $13 for a 96 load container. That's about 13.5 cents per load. But of course that doesn't include fabric softener. And I wasn't using a natural detergent either. You do want to factor in shipping costs though; for a 1 kg bag shipped to me in AZ, shipping was going to run roughly $10.

You can also purchase a sample of Soap Nuts for $1.89 plus reasonable First Class shipping. Green Virgin Products also has some money-saving combo deals that come with Soap Nuts and some of their other products. And stay tuned to Mommy's Firsts for a great giveaway from GVP coming soon!

Monday Bums Cloth Diaper Giveaways 11/1

2010-11-01T12:12:00.000-07:00

It's time for Monday Bums, where you can link up your cloth diaper and accessories giveaway!

Enter your links below in the following format:

Blog Title - Product - End Date

ex. Mommy's Firsts Bummas Cloth Wipes 10/14

Green Virgin Products Reviews: Mineral Salts Deodorant

2010-10-29T22:26:00.001-07:00

Green Virgin Products provided me with complimentary products to review. As always, the opinions and experiences are mine.

If you're like me, you're familiar with the constant struggle between going green and being thrifty. Yes, I'd like to go green in every aspect of my life, but often green products are priced out of my range. If that's a familiar feeling to you, I'm so excited to tell you about Green Virgin Products, a company that provides green products and a great value.

I contacted GVP about reviewing their Soap Nuts for cloth diaper washing, and they sent me a variety of products to review for you. You'll see the reviews for the Soap Nuts and the other products soon plus an awesome giveaway, but for the first review in this series, I want to tell you about the Mineral Salts Deodorant Stone, which is my absolute favorite of their products.

Why, you might ask, am I so excited about a deodorant? We've probably all heard the suggestion that underarm deodorants can cause breast cancer, and although studies are inconclusive, I'd prefer to use a natural deodorant that doesn't break the bank. I probably only buy a stick of deodorant twice a year, but my husband goes through about one a month. Plus he has deodorant residue in the underams of his shirts, so I go through a big bottle of stain remover every couple of months too.

Our deo problems are solved by the Mineral Salts Deodorant Stone. Seriously. I love this thing. I've been using it for a little over a month, and I finally talked my husband into using it a couple of weeks ago. I'm never looking back. I have several times in the past month gone without taking a shower for 2 WHOLE DAYS without stinking, which is something I've never been able to do (also very nice when you have a toddler who won't let you alone to take a shower). My husband has no more pit stains in his shirts. And unlike other natural deodorants I've tried, it doesn't burn when I put it on after shaving. (Okay, it did once, but that was because my razor blade was dull and needed to be changed anyway.)

The best part is that the Mineral Salts Deodorant Stone costs $4.95. A little more than you pay for deodorant? Does yours last a whole year? That's right, this one can last a year. Here's what ours looks like after a month:

You can barely tell we've used it. You just wet the stone and apply to underams, and voila! It has no scent, which is awesome, because you know it's not covering up any bad odors. There just aren't any! You don't have to worry about letting it dry or it staining your clothes either. (Hello, dry clean only black sleeveless blouse. I've missed you.) You can use it on your feet too, although I haven't had occasion to try it yet.

Did I mention we live in the Arizona desert and that it's hot as Hades here? Even though it doesn't claim to be an antiperspirant, I sweat very little wearing it, even on 100+ degree days (and yes, we have had them in the last month).

So I am completely, 100% sold on this deodorant, and so is my hubby. It's weird that we use the same deodorant, but since it's a mineral salt, his icky underarm hairs don't stick to it. I'm happy I found a new, safe, non-toxic, natural deodorant for us to use that will save us money not only on deodorant but on laundry too. Plus I finally learned how to spell deodorant.

Don't Forget the Boogie Wipes! w/ Coupon

2010-10-29T21:51:00.000-07:00

The Boogie Wipes giveaway ends Sunday and has super low entries!

And if you need Boogie Wipes right away, head over to The Budget Mommy for a link to a printable coupon for $2 off a 30 count package of Boogie Wipes! But hurry; it expires 11/1! They'll be handy to have Sunday night for cold weather trick or treating.

Fin's First Event Extended to 10/31 Plus Green Blog Hop

2010-10-26T22:16:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you all know that I am extending the Fin's First event to 10/31. I still have a couple of giveaways to post and should have them up by the end of the month. So keep your buttons up and keep checking back! I don't know how these ladies do it who host dozens of giveaways on their blogs. To be fair, I do have a part-time job outside the home, so I suppose I might have more time if I were a full time SAHM.

We've just passed the midterm of the semester, which means I have a lot of grading to do, which in turn means that I overestimated the number of giveaways I could host in a month! So watch out for a couple more giveaways this month. Then I hope to focus on more content rich posts until A Merry Fluffy Christmas begins (which is a hint that I'll be participating!).

Also, this week I'm participating in the Green Blog Hop! I joined this hop months ago but then lost track of it. I'm happy to say I found it again!

Momma's Mix Tape Volume 1--Free Music Download!

2010-10-26T22:01:00.000-07:00

In September I reviewed and hosted a giveaway for the new CD from The Rattles, a sixties and seventies style animated band for kids. Last week, the folks at The MuseBox, who brought us The Rattles, contacted me about a offering a free download of a compilation of music from some of their amazing Canadian female artists. You can download the songs below or click this link.

MuseBox Momma Mix Vol 1 by musebox

And if you find a favorite, here are the artists and their webpages:

1. We Were Lovers - "Partners In Crime" (www.myspace.com/wewereloversmusic)
2. Data Romance - "Swept Away" (www.myspace.com/dataromancemusic)
3. Allie Hughes - "Not The Stars" (www.myspace.com/alliehughes)
4. Megan Bonnell - "The Wind" (www.myspace.com/meganbonnell)
5. Ingrid Gatin - "How Did I Get So" (www.myspace.com/ingridgatin)
6. The Consonance - "Come The Day" (www.myspace.com/theconsonancegroove)
7. Nadia Von Hahn - "Love Maker" (www.myspace.com/nadiavonhahn)
8. Megan Bonnell - "Anaheim" (www.myspace.com/meganbonnell)
9. Allie Hughes - "Rolling Days" (www.myspace.com/alliehughes)
10. Sue Foley & Peter Karp - "So Far So Fast" (www.myspace.com/thehesaidshesaidproject)

Enjoy! And if you download, leave me a comment so I'll know whether to keep passing along opportunities like this.

Monday Bums Cloth Diaper Giveaways 10/25

2010-10-25T12:34:00.002-07:00

It's time for Monday Bums, where you can link up your cloth diaper and accessories giveaway!

I don't have any cloth diaper giveaways this week, but I will have a giveaway for some Soap Nuts and other goodies from Green Virgin Products later this week! In the meantime, here are my active giveaways:

Boogie Wipes 2 30 Count Packs (extended to 10/31!)

Anna Carrie Baby Mei Tai Baby Carrier (10/27)

Enter your links below in the following format:

Blog Title - Product - End Date

ex. Mommy's Firsts Bummas Cloth Wipes 10/14

More Fin's First Winners!

2010-10-23T12:18:00.001-07:00

I got this ready to post on Wednesday, hit the save button, and the forgot to post it! Sorry about that.

Winners a la Random.org:

The winner of the Tropical Ones Bummas is...

No. 90
KaeliH said... 90
like MF's on FB

The winner of the FunkyShapes booties is...

No. 100
ahcastillo said... 100
I follow Mommy's firsts with Networked Blogs.

The winner of the Inspired by Finn Amber Teething Necklace is...

No. 50
KaeliH said... 50 entered bummas



How about that? I definitely did not expect one person to win more than one giveaway! That's the way the dice landed though. Congrats ladies, and check your email!

I'm Featured!

2010-10-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

Mommy's Firsts is one of the featured blogs today for Baby Blogger Thursday at Cookies and Clogs! This is a blog hop for bloggers who've been at it for less than a year. Go check out the other featured blogs and add your link if you're a new blogger.

Thanks to TerriAnn for the great feature!

SoftBums Giveaway Event Winners Posted!

2010-10-20T15:19:00.000-07:00

The winners of the SoftBums Giveaway Event have been posted at their blog! Did any of my readers win? I know I recognized at least one email address.

I'll be posting more Fin's Firsts winners later today!

Monday Bums Cloth Diaper Giveaways 10/18

2010-10-18T22:38:00.000-07:00

It's time for the second installment of Monday Bums, where you can link up your cloth diaper and accessories giveaways here.

The only giveaway I have to contribute is the SoftBums Omni Diaper Mystery Event Giveaway, which ends today!

And the rest of the current Fin's First giveaways:

Inspired by Finn Amber Teething Necklace (10/18)

Boogie Wipes 2 30 Count Packs (10/24)

Anna Carrie Baby Mei Tai Baby Carrier (10/27)

I have more giveaways in the works from Fresh Baby and some great Etsy sellers, so I hope you'll follow me!

Enter your links below in the following format:

Blog Title - Product - End Date

ex. Mommy's Firsts Bummas Cloth Wipes 10/14

Mini-Vaction--Be Back Sundayish

2010-10-14T08:00:00.001-07:00

Fin and I are taking an unplanned mini-vacation to Mexico with my parents again this week. We will be taking our Boogie Wipes again of course--don't forget to enter that giveaway!

I still have more reviews and giveaways for Fin's First, but I may not be able to post them until Sunday after we return because I'm not sure if we'll have Internet access. I'll get the winners of the giveaways that end while I'm gone up too at that time, as well as any comments that need to be published.

Thanks for hanging out with Fin and me!

Fin's First: Anna Carrie Baby Mei Tai Baby Carrier Review and Giveaway (10/27)

2010-10-13T21:54:00.007-07:00

I purchased my own Mei Tai baby carrier from Anna Carrie Baby, and since I loved it so much, Anna Carrie Baby agreed to sponsor a giveaway! As always, the experiences and opinions are my own.

Fin outgrew the baby carrier my sister handed down to me pretty quickly. I believe it was rated up to 20 pounds, but he was just too big to fit into it comfortably even before he hit that weight. I was also having some trouble with my back hurting when I carried him in it. So I set out on a quest to find a new, inexpensive carrier.

I asked my mommy friends on Facebook, and a friend from college said she had purchased a Mei Tai style carrier from an Etsy seller. It had never occurred to me to look on Etsy, so I went on an Etsy hunt and found Anna Carrie Baby.

The carrier I chose.

Since I was already looking for the Mei Tai style, two things attracted me to Anna Carrie Baby's baby carriers. The first was the price ($29.99!) and the second was the adorable Michael Miller print Zoology she had available. I was a little intrepid about buying a handmade carrier, but I figured $30 wasn't a big risk. I also wanted something that he wouldn't outgrow quickly, and Anna Carry Baby's carriers are designed to hold children up to 35 lbs.

I was quite comforted when I received my carrier. Delivery was super quick, and included in the box was a sheet of instructions about the many ways to use the Mei Tai carrier. Finley was about 4 months old when I started using it. I wanted to be able to carry him on the front, and I really preferred front facing, although there is some controversy about whether this is harmful for baby. At any rate, I found he was comfortable facing me. I did try the back carry position, but he wasn't holding his head up well enough and was too big to be supported by the rounded top of the carrier that way. He's fine in the back carry position now though!

Fin (at about 6 months) and Me in the Anna Carrie Baby carrier, plus my suitcase-sized diaper bag.

Up close and personal.

One of the things I love about this carrier is that I can use it by myself, even with a young baby. And you don't have to be super skinny or order by size to get it to work (although you can get extra long straps if you need them). I also love the super comfy straps. If you're not familiar with the Mei Tai style carrier, it's a pretty simple and easy to use style. One pair of straps ties around your waist, and the other goes over the shoulders, crosses in back (for front carry, or front for back carry), goes around the body and ties under baby's bottom.

SHOP

Buy baby carriers, booties, and minky blankets from the Anna Carrie Baby Etsy shop or eBay store.

WIN

Anna Carrie Baby has generously offered one baby carrier in stock in the Etsy shop to a lucky reader of Mommy's Firsts! You'll use the Google Docs form below to enter, but here's a rundown of the ways to enter so you can complete them all at once.

MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit Anna Carrie Baby's Etsy store and find a favorite item to list in the form below.

OPTIONAL ENTRIES:
1. "Like" Anna Carrie Baby on Facebook.
2. Make a purchase from Anna Carrie Baby and leave your order number (5 entries!)
3. Follow Mommy's Firsts publicly with Google Friend Connect (left sidebar).
4. Follow Mommy's Firsts with Networked Blogs (left sidebar).
5. Like Mommy's Firsts on Facebook.
6. Follow Mommy's Firsts on Twitter.
7. Enter one of my other Fin's Firsts giveaways (list at the top of the right sidebar. Check the box next to each giveaway you've entered.
8. Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs.
9. Post my button (left sidebar) on your main blog page.
10. Post the Fin's First event button (right sidebar) on your main blog page.

60 entries as of 10:20 PM MST 10/18

Comments are moderated, so if you have questions, leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you. Also, feel free to leave a comment to remind yourself you've entered this giveaway.

Now Using GoogleDocs for Giveaway Entries!

2010-10-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

If you've already entered the Boogie Wipes giveaway, you know that I just started using Google Docs for giveaway entries. This is to help preserve your privacy and to help me manage my giveaway entries. I was inspired by Maria of Fitteds and Pockets and Snappis, Oh My! to try it out, and so far I like it. I think it's much easier for you all to enter as well.

The only thing I haven't figured out yet is how to incorporate a daily tweet option, which I would like to have because I do get a fair amount of visitors referred by my Tweet peeps. Any ideas from those of you who use Google Docs?

Also, I'll have my first ever babywearing giveaway up later today! Technically, Fin's First Birthday Celebration ends 10/15, and I do plan to have the rest of the giveaways posted by then, but they will obviously last beyond that date.

Zulily Infant and Toddler Fall Blowout Sale--Use Your Coupon

2010-10-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

Today and tomorrow only, Zulily is having an infant and toddler Fall Blowout Sale! Don't forget to use the coupon I posted yesterday: ZUBDGS10 gets you $10 off a $50 purchase through 10/13. If you haven't signed up for Zulily, please use my referral link.

I'm thinking of snagging the monkey plush harness for Fin.

Monday Bums Cloth Diaper Giveaways (10/11)

2010-10-11T00:01:00.003-07:00

It's time for the second installment of Monday Bums, where you can link up your cloth diaper and accessories giveaways here. And I created a button!

Right now, as part of my Fin's First event, I have one cloth diaper-related giveaway for a set of Tropical Ones Bummas cloth wipes, open to US and Canada residents and ending 10/14.

Plus I'm participating in the SoftBums Omni Diaper Mystery Event Giveaway, which ends 10/18.

And the rest of the current Fin's First giveaways:

FunkyShapes Baby Girl Frog Booties (10/15)

Inspired by Finn Amber Teething Necklace (10/18)

Boogie Wipes 2 30 Count Packs (10/24)

I have more giveaways in the works from Fresh Baby, and some great Etsy sellers, so I hope you'll follow me!

Enter your links below in the following format

Blog Title - Product - End Date

ex. Mommy's Firsts Bummas Cloth Wipes 10/14

Boogie Wipes Review and Giveaway (10/31)

2010-10-10T21:38:00.002-07:00

This giveaway has been extended to 10/31.

I received a review package from Boogie Wipes in order to complete this review. As always, the opinions and experiences described are my own.

We're heading into cold and flu season, and that means it's time to talk about Boogie Wipes! The first time I heard of Boogie Wipes was at a baby superstore. I overhead a mom asking for them. I started reading about them on blogs, so when my little one started getting a runny nose, I went straight to my local grocery store and picked some up.

So what are Boogie Wipes? They are extra soft wipes made with natural saline. They do not contain alcohol, phthalates, or parabens. They come in a diaper bag size pack of 30 for $3.99 or boxes of 10 individually wrapped (and purse and backpack size) wipes for $2.99. They are available in three scents (Fresh, Grape, and Magic Menthol) as well as unscented.

Why do you need to buy special wipes for noses? Can't you just use tissue? Sure, you can. But if your kid has a cold or allergies, you know that you'll be wiping their noses over and over, which can make for a red nose. Boogie Wipes eliminates red nose and is even more gentle than tissues with lotion.

I had already purchased and used up several packages on my own, but I received the unscented wipes as part of the review package. These are new, and I had not seen these locally. These are great for extra sensitive noses (and adults!). We had previously used Grape and Fresh. I think Grape is my favorite!

Let me tell you that Fin hates having his nose wiped. Of course he is too little to blow his own nose though, so I have to keep wiping it. Right now he's dry, but last month he continually had a runny nose. This might have been from teething, a cold, or allergies. (Our pediatrician said he was too young to have seasonal allergies when I first complained of his symptoms at about six months, but I am convinced that he suffers from them.) Boogie Wipes make that wiping a little easier on both of us.

I won't lie to you--he still hates having his nose wiped, even with the Boogie Wipes. But I'm happy knowing that his nose won't be wearing raw from regular tissues. That makes them worth the price of admission to me! Plus I know that when he gets older, the scented wipes will be more of an incentive to get him to blow his own nose.

One other reason I love Boogie Wipes: he had a terrible runny nose when we went to Mexico in August. Of course I brought along the Boogie Wipes (and tissues too), and I was so glad to have the Boogie Wipes poolside so I could wipe his continually boogery nose. I'm sure no one would have appreciated snot in the pool, and let's face it, tissues were not going to hold up to nose wiping in the pool.

Same goes for the bathtub. Boogie Wipes are durable too, and I believe that if they can handle Fin's boogers, they can handle any kid's. Fin has some gigantic boogs. Case in point:

I also received a couple of samples of Achooz, which are like Boogie Wipes for adults (without the fun scents and colorful packaging). There's no reason adults can't benefit from natural saline wipes too!

If you join the Boogie Bunch for email updates, you'll get a $.50 off coupon for Boogie Wipes. Or you can enter two win two packages, compliments of Boogie Wipes!

SHOP

Buy directly from Boogie Wipes or from a local retailer.

WIN

Win two 30 count packs of Boogie Wipes right here at Mommy's Firsts!

I'm going to try something a little different--this giveaway will use Google Docs to keep track of your entries. This should save you time and effort! I've listed all the possible entries before the form so you can go ahead and choose which items you'd like to complete and then fill out the form. Make sure you complete the mandatory entry or none of your entries will count.

MANDATORY ENTRY: "Like" Boogie Wipes on Facebook

OPTIONAL ENTRIES:
1. Follow Boogie Wipes on Twitter.
2. Follow Mommy's Firsts publicly with Google Friend Connect (left sidebar).
3. Follow Mommy's Firsts with Networked Blogs (left sidebar).
4. Like Mommy's Firsts on Facebook.
5. Follow Mommy's Firsts on Twitter.
6. Enter one of my other Fin's Firsts giveaways (list at the top of the right sidebar) and leave a comment for each giveaway you entered.
7. Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs. You can vote once per day and leave a comment for each vote.
8. Post my button (left sidebar) on your main blog page.
9. Post the Fin's First event button (right sidebar) on your main blog page.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;
9 Entries as of 9 am MST 10/11

Comments are moderated, so if you have questions, leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you. Also, feel free to leave a comment to remind yourself you've entered this giveaway.

FunkyShapes Giveaway Extended to 10/15

2010-10-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

I've had quite a few people who wanted to enter the FunkyShapes giveaway for the adorable frog booties after the giveaway ended, so I'm going to extend it to Friday, 10/15.

Zulily Coupon for My Readers: $10 off $50

2010-10-10T15:03:00.000-07:00

I have a special Zulily coupon for my readers! Through 10/13, use code ZUBDGS10 to get $10 off a $50 purchase. You do have to be a member of Zulily to shop (it's an invitation only site), so if you haven't signed up yet, please use my referral link.

Today, Zulily sales include Laura Dare tutu skirts, P'kolino, Ed Hardy baby, S. Rothschild coats, Heart to Heart fairy apparel, See You in Miami maternity wear, Sage Creek Organics, Little Diva holiday wear and accessories, Fantaisie Kids holiday wear, Early Rider Bikes, JoJo Designs, Bumkins diaper bags and Dr. Seuss clothing, Cocalo nursery bedding, Chic Canvas, and more.

Plus here's a sneak peak at what's to come this week:

Monday 10/11:

Dexton Kids: All about play, this great brand is offering fun playtime teepees in a variety of great styles! Set up a teepee in the middle of the living room or outside in the yard, and let the kids’ imaginations run from there!

Tuesday 10/12:

Jamie Rae Hats : These 100% glamour girl hats and accessories are absolutely stunning. Jamie Rae manufactures the most beautiful embellishments and softest ribbed cottons. Each Jamie Rae creation is hand crafted with care and made with your child's comfort in mind. With over six years in the business they understand the importance of fashion, function, and unbeatable quality. That's why we're excited to offer this wonderful selection of hats and headbands your child will love!

Wednesday 10/13:

Primigi shoes: A huge Zulily event with over 100 styles for boys and girls. First steps. Skipping rope. Playing hopscotch. These are the reasons she need great shoes, and that's what Primigi is all about. Italian design, beautiful materials, bright colors, and comfort technologies combine to create footwear that's perfectly suited for childhood fun. With more than thirty years of experience, Primigi is a trustworthy brand that adapts to modern trends.

Thursday 10/14:

SLEEPOVER SPECTACULAR! Zulily’s first appearance on the Martha Stewart Show and to celebrate, we are hosting special sleepover events! PJs by BeePosh, cool sleeping bags by Bazoongi, games and activities by Discovery Games, Milo & Gabby pillows and bedding! Lots of comfy, cushy clothes and accessories to giggle the night away!

Friday 10/15:

Polarn O. Pyret: Polarn O. Pyret's philosophy has not changed since their first striped tee shirt. They believe in good looking clothes that let children be children. Clothes should withstand wear-and-tear and become part of your family; from brother to sister, cousin to cousin. Our current event features crisp, classic pieces that will never go out of style.

FunkyShapes Giveaway Ends Tonight (Extra Entry!); Friday Follow 10/8

2010-10-08T20:07:00.001-07:00

Hey new friends and old! Thanks for stopping by. I hope you'll enter my current giveaways.

The giveaway for these adorable booties from FunkyShapes ends tonight!

Plus check out my other awesome giveaways:

Bummas Cloth Baby Wipes, ending 10/14

Inspired by Finn Amber Teething Necklace, ending 10/18

SoftBums Mystery Diaper Giveaway Event, ending 10/18

You can get an extra entry for any of the Fin's Firsts giveaways (any but the SoftBums giveaway event) by leaving a comment on the giveaway post that says Friday Follow 10/8.

And if you have giveaways for cloth diapers and accessories on your blog, link them with Monday Bums, my cloth diaper giveaway linky!

300 Followers!

2010-10-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

It's been close for a couple of days now, so I was super excited to see today that Mommy's Firsts made it to 300 followers in Google Friend Connect! Yay!

More reviews and giveaways are coming soon this weekend to wrap up the Fin's First event. Don't forget to enter the giveaway for the adorable booties from FunkyShapes, which ends tomorrow (Friday, 10/8).

Winner: thredUP PRO Membership

2010-10-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

Per Random.org, the winner of the thredUP PRO Membership is comment number 64...

Jill and Mike said...: I'm a PRO member (#1)

Congrats Jill & Mike! Check your email.

Monday Bums--New Cloth Diaper Giveaway Link-Up (10/4)

2010-10-04T11:41:00.003-07:00

I'm going to try something new this week--a cloth diaper giveaway link-up! I have been trying to break into the world of hosting cloth diaper giveaways, and this is the first week I've had anything cloth related for a giveaway. And of course, I want to enter your giveaways! So link up your cloth diaper and accessories giveaways here.

Right now, as part of my Fin's First event, I have one cloth diaper-related giveaway for a set of Tropical Ones Bummas cloth wipes, open to US and Canada residents and ending 10/14.

Plus I'm participating in the SoftBums Omni Diaper Mystery Event Giveaway, which ends 10/18.

And the rest of the current Fin's First giveaways:

FunkyShapes Baby Girl Frog Booties (10/8)

Inspired by Finn Amber Teething Necklace (10/18)

I have more giveaways in the works from Boogie Wipes, Fresh Baby, and some great Etsy sellers, so I hope you'll follow me!

Enter your links below in the following format

Blog Title - Product - End Date

ex. Mommy's Firsts Bummas Cloth Wipes 10/14

Fin's First: Inspired by Finn Amber Teething Necklace Review, Discount and Giveaway (10/18)

2010-10-03T22:21:00.004-07:00

Inspired by Finn provided me with a necklace to review and will provide one to the winner of this giveaway. As always, the opinions and experiences expressed are my own. I would also like to note that Inspired by Finn recommends that their teething necklaces be used on children ages three years and up.

Our house has been teething h-e-double hockey sticks for about seven months now. Fin started showing signs of teething at three months, cut his first tooth at five and a half months, and now at one year has twelve teeth, including one molar that I just felt today. He has had pain, swelling, and blood blisters, and hasn't slept all night in months. We have tried everything for teething relief without much success. So I can't tell you how excited I was when I received the Inspired by Finn Baltic Amber Teething Necklace for my own little Fin!

First, let me explain what this is all about so you don't think it's a bunch of hoodoo. When I first heard of amber being used as a teething necklace, I automatically assumed that the child would bite on the amber. Not so! The amber should actually lie next to the skin. When the amber warms, it releases succinic acid, a natural pain reliever which can also help with inflammation. You can read all about it here at the Inspired by Finn shop. Prices for the teething necklaces start at $17.95 and vary according to length and color and shape of beads.

Yellow round teething necklace (price starts at $19.95).

We received the Light Mix necklace to review. I was hoping it would work, but I was a bit skeptical. How likely is a necklace to work when medication and teething oil applied directly to the gums don't help much? But honestly, I do think it's helped a lot. In addition to the twelve teeth he already has, you can see all the others trying to work their way through. Seriously. And since he's been wearing the necklace, I've noticed the swelling has gone down a lot. All but one of his blood blisters has gone away. And he seems to be less frustrated overall. To be fair, he also went on antibiotics for ear infections about the time he started wearing the necklace, so that might be responsible for some of the improvement in his disposition. But the best part is that he has stopped biting me, especially while nursing. I really thought I was going to have to wean him because he was intentionally biting me so often. And now he has stopped!

Fin wearing his amber teething necklace.

One more thing that I should add for all you DIY-ers out there like me: I briefly entertained the thought of making an amber teething necklace myself. I have made a lot of beaded jewelry, and I thought I could pull it off. But I'm glad I didn't try. The necklaces from Inspired by Finn are knotted between each bead, and even the clasp is covered in amber! Even if I could reproduce the necklace (which I doubt I could), it wouldn't have been worth the time.

Clasp on our necklace.

Now you have a chance to own an Inspired by Finn amber teething necklace! The winner will get to choose any in stock necklace 16" or smaller.

MANDATORY ENTRY: "Like" Inspired by Finn on Facebook and let them know Mommy's Firsts sent you. Leave a comment on this post stating that you have done so, and be sure to include your email address.

And I have discounts for you once you have completed the mandatory entry!

Once you have "liked" Inspired by Finn, you can save 20% with code FB20

Or you can save 25% by both "liking" Inspired by Finn on Facebook and suggesting it to your friends (use the "Suggest to Friends" link near the top left of this "Wall" tab to suggest the Inspired by Finn page to your Facebook friends). To save 25% use code FB25

The discount code is entered/applied during checkout, and the discount is given off of prices on the website - www.InspiredByFinn.com

OPTIONAL ENTRIES: (also be sure to include your email address with each comment)

1. Visit the Inspired by Finn website and and leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite style of amber necklace.

2. Follow Mommy's Firsts publicly with Google Friend Connect (left sidebar).

3. Follow Mommy's Firsts with Networked Blogs (left sidebar).

4. Like Mommy's Firsts on Facebook.

5. Follow Mommy's Firsts on Twitter.

6. Blog about this giveaway. Leave the link to your blog post in your comment (5 entries; leave 5 separate comments).

7. Tweet about the giveaway @hannahcookcross up to 2x a day, at least 2 hours apart (or use the Twitter share button at the bottom of this post). Leave the permalink to your tweet in your comment.

8. Post my button (left sidebar) on your main blog page. (2 entries; leave 2 separate comments).

9. Post the Fin's First event button (right sidebar) on your main blog page. (2 entries; leave 2 separate comments).

10. Enter one of my other Fin's Firsts giveaways (list at the top of the right sidebar) and leave a comment for each giveaway you entered.

11. Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs. You can vote once per day and leave a comment for each vote.

Comments are moderated, so if you have questions, leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you. Mandatory entry must be completed for optional entries to be approved. Giveaway is open to US and Canada residents and will be open until October 18, 2010, at 11:59 pm MST. Winner will be chosen via Random.org. Winning entry must include email address and will be verified.

Introducing SoftBums Omni with Giveaway Event (10/18)

2010-10-02T00:11:00.002-07:00

This giveaway has ended.

Navigating the world of cloth diapers can be confusing. There are pocket diapers, diaper covers, prefolds, fitted and contour diapers, all-in-ones and all-in-twos--how do you choose?

SoftBums has decided that you don't have to, and that's where the new SoftBums Omni diaper comes in. You can use the Omni diaper in one of three ways:

How cool is that?

Here's a run down of the Omni Diaper Features:

- Stuff it! Snap it! Cover it!
- The first Muti-Purpose Pocket Ever! It's a Pocket Diaper AND an All-In-2 AND a Cover!
- Huge pocket opening is easy to stuff
- Larger size means it fits even BIGGER toddlers up to 40 lbs, yet still fits a tiny Newborn with Slide²Size
- Compatible with the same Pods as the Echo, as well as almost any other diaper insert!
- Choice of DryTouch or Organic
- Use as an all-in-2 for the most economical diapering system available!
- Use as a pocket for a super absorbent and bulletproof diaper so easy your daycare can use it!
- Use as a cover over flats, prefolds or nearly anything else you already have for a worry-free night!

Check out this great YouTube video about the Softbums Omni!

I'm pleased to be participating in the SoftBums Omni Diaper Giveaway Event.

PRIZES:

Grand Prize: A Brand New iPad

First Prize: Complete Birth to Potty Package of SoftBums NEW Omni Diapers!!

Second Prize: Win a gift certificate for $75to www.softbums.com

Third Prize: Amazon Gift Card worth $50

PLUS: 1 SoftBums Mystery Omni! Diaper given out to winners #5-#20

PLUS: Baby Legs to winners #21-#23

PLUS: the lucky blogger who's blog hosted the iPad winner, gets an Amazon Gift Card too!

Here at Mommy's Firsts, you can enter to win all prizes except the Grand Prize iPad (sorry folks, I wish too!). You can choose to enter only one Participating Blog, or bounce around and enter on ALL the BLOGS!

Here's how to enter:

Post, blog or Tweet about the SoftBums Mystery Event and comment here to enter your entry.

Plus Extra entries available for:

Going to other SoftBums Mystery Event Blogs, listed at the SoftBums blog
Follow the SoftBums "Love Cloth Diapers" Blog
Follow and tweet this giveaway.
Follow SoftBums on twitter. Leave a comment.
"Like" SoftBums on Facebook. Leave a comment
Tell why you are excited to try the new diaper!
Share this Mystery Event as your status on Facebook
Leave a review on www.softbums.com
Follow Mommy's Firsts with Networked Blogs. Leave a comment.
Follow Mommy's Firsts through Google Friend Connect . Leave a comment.
Grab my button and post it on your blog. Leave a comment.
Blog about this giveaway. Post a link in the comment.

Leave a comment with a link to your status. You can tweet every day until the giveaway ends

This giveaway is open to US Residents! Past winners of any SoftBums giveaways please give others a chance, thanks! Winners will be drawn using random.org. Winner has 48 hours to get back to me after being contacted or a new winner will be drawn. Ends October 18th, 2010 at 8 pm!

Fin's First: Bummas Review and Giveaway (10/14)

2010-09-30T22:36:00.003-07:00

This giveaway has ended.

As part of the Fin's First event, I recently had the opportunity to review Bummas eco-friendly baby wipes. Let me tell you, calling these little rectangles of soft goodness "wipes" is an understatement.

I received the Tropical Ones.

When it comes to caring for babies, it seems like every solution is followed by another problem. Not too long after I switched to cloth diapering Fin, he got a terrible case of diaper rash. So I went back to disposables for awhile and used corn starch baby powder. But of course baby powder can promote yeast infections, and it's not good to have that stuff floating in the air for baby (or you) to breathe in.

My go-to method of drying Finley off after a diaper change had been to air dry, but lately it seems like this kid pees immediately after I take his diaper off! Just in the last week he's peed in front of the TV, against the outside of the bathtub, and on his walker. So airing out is out!

Bummas are designed to dry off baby bottoms after they've been cleaned up. I love Bummas for this purpose! The cotton velour side is so luxuriously soft, and I just pat my little dude dry after I've cleaned him up. You can also use water or wipe solution to actually use Bummas as baby wipes, but I prefer to keep them dry for patting duty.

I also use them as washcloths. I don't think you can find a softer baby washcloth than Bummas. On the opposite side of the velour is terry cloth, so you can still get some lather.

Each wipe is 5" x 7" and very thick. So you can get an idea of the size, here's one next to a FuzziBunz Perfect Size diaper in medium.

I've been trying to remember to wash them with Fin's laundry, but a few have escaped into the diaper pail and been washed with diapers. They came out of the washer and dryer just fine either way.

Bummas retail for $16.95 for a package of 10. If you had asked me before I actually used Bummas if I would pay that price for a package of wipes, I probably would have laughed. But then I used them and found out how wonderful they are! They are scattered all over the house now so I can have one within reach when I change Fin's diaper (there's no holding this kid down). They would be a great shower gift, especially for that mommy-to-be who already seems to have everything. It doesn't matter if she's using cloth or disposables--baby still needs to get dry!

SHOP

You can buy directly from Bummas or see if a store near you carries them.

WIN

Bummas has graciously offered one of my readers a set of the Tropical Ones, the newest color set, which is the same set I received! Here's how to enter.

Giveaway is open to US and Canada residents. Make sure you complete the mandatory entry first. Optional entries will not count unless the mandatory entry is submitted. Leave a comment for each entry, and please leave your email address with each comment. If I can't contact you, you can't win!

MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit the Bummas website and and leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite use for Bummas. Be sure to include your email address.

OPTIONAL ENTRIES: (also be sure to include your email address with each comment)

1."Like" Bummas on Facebook.

2. Follow Mommy's Firsts publicly with Google Friend Connect (left sidebar).

3. Follow Mommy's Firsts with Networked Blogs (left sidebar).

4. Like Mommy's Firsts on Facebook.

5. Follow Mommy's Firsts on Twitter.

6. Blog about this giveaway. Leave the link to your blog post in your comment (5 entries; leave 5 separate comments).

7. Tweet about the giveaway @hannahcookcross and @bummas up to 2x a day, at least 2 hours apart (or use the Twitter share button at the bottom of this post). Leave the permalink to your tweet in your comment.

8. Post my button (left sidebar) on your main blog page. (2 entries; leave 2 separate comments).

9. Post the Fin's First event button (right sidebar) on your main blog page. (2 entries; leave 2 separate comments).

10. Enter one of my other Fin's Firsts giveaways (list at the top of the right sidebar) and leave a comment for each giveaway you entered.

11. Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs. You can vote once per day and leave a comment for each vote.

Comments are moderated, so if you have questions, leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you. Giveaway is open to US and Canada residents and will be open until October 14, 2010, at 11:59 pm MST. Winner will be chosen via Random.org. Winning entry must include email address and will be verified.

Shutterfly Winners

2010-09-27T06:02:00.001-07:00

Without further ado, here are the winners of the Shutterfly giveaway!

Comment #6
I♥thesecrazykids said...I am a follower. I would use the code to make Christmas cards!

Comment #8
LStewart said...
I love the Sumptuous Script Blue Birth Announcement found in the Baby Boy birth announcement section.

Comment #4
Amber@Nater Tot said...
I LOVE making picture cards for the holidays! I'm a new follower on GFC and Networked Blogs :)

Check your email for the code, ladies!