Noah Baby Boutique is a great little baby shop on Etsy full of sweet and sassy burp cloths, blankets and onesies. Noah’s mom and the creative woman behind the boutique, Lesley, is an Air Force wife.

TSM: When did you start making baby goods?
I started making my products really during my husbands first deployment in 2008. My son was a newborn and at night found myself bored and even a little lonely. I LOVED baby things and started making things for my son and it just blossomed from there.
TSM: It so helps to have a hobby or something to keep you busy at night when the husband is out of town and the kids are sleeping. For me, it’s the blog.

TSM: When did you start selling?
I opened my Etsy shop in Sept 2008 but found during that time that I hadn’t found my niche or wasn’t in the zone. From Nov 2008 to March 2009 I really didn’t have any products available. It wasn’t until after relaunching in March, that I have found I’ve had some better interest and the creative juices are now flowing.

TSM: What is the inspiration behind your work?
It’s a complicated answer, as I said before, I LOVE baby things. At one time in my life I managed the children’s department at Nordstrom, and found myself falling in love with all the boutique baby items. I also have a deep love for vintage and keepsake items and, of course, a love for my son. All three together have formed my shop and my ideas.

TSM: What is your favorite item to make/and or sell?
I Love it all. I don’t make anything that I isn’t my favorite at the time I make it. I have to say right now, the tattoo baby mini blanket though is pretty fab. I have a feeling this may be the direction I will be heading to more.

TSM: What is the Best part of owning your own business?
It’s really two fold: the ability to make my own hours (working 50-60 hours a week with no weekends or holidays off for years kind of made me jaded and once my son was born the shift in priorities was instantaneous) and all the creative license is a huge benefit. I am able to use some of that creative juice that I couldn’t use in the corporate world.

TSM: How long have you/your husband been in the military?
Well I feel like I’ve been in it my whole life. I grew up with my father as a Lt. Col in the Army reserves and my uncle as a Brigadier General in the Army. I often think it was growing up with them that made me have this idea of what my perfect man is. My dad always wanted me to join the service, but I loved fashion and as I told the recruiter who he had call me throughout high school, “I don’t think you have a job for me.”

My husband has been in the Air Force for almost 8 years now and we’ve been married now for almost 3 and it has been amazing.

TSM: What is your favorite thing about being a “military mom”?
I’ve really had to think about this one. Really the excitement at the experience my child(ren) will have…meeting other military moms…having that common connection…the larger family…how proud I am when my husband takes my son with him…and shows him his plane…even though my son has NO idea what it is yet….I guess the morals, values and ethics that come along with being a part of the military…even in my role…

TSM: What is the biggest adjustment to military life?
Having to change my idea of the perfect marriage. My husband flies…a lot…and is deployed 2 times a year for 77 days each time so adapting to that.
Lesley’s husband just deployed last Wednesday. Please keep her and her family in your thoughts.

Connect! Lesley has two blogs. Keep up with her at http://projectmommyhood.blogspot.com/and check out her latest creations at http://noahbabyboutique.blogspot.com/.

Shop! Check out all the great baby products at Noah’s Baby Boutique.

Shop for a cause! Lesley is donating all the proceeds from the sale of this set of 3 burp cloths to Snowball Express.

Win! Three piece Burp Cloth Set and Matching Sailboat Onesie.
** Big thanks to Cindy over at The Grass is Always Greener for donating the onesie! Cindy is a proud Army Mom who’s son is currently in Basic Training. **

How to Enter: Visit Noah Baby Boutique and comment here with your favorite item.

Bonus Entries:
* Donate to one of the participating charities. Leave one comment for every dollar you donate.
* Purchase something from Noah Baby Boutique Etsy store. Leave five comments.
* Post the Support Military Moms button on your blog.
* Follow Project Mommyhood blog.
* Follow the Noah Baby Boutique blog.
* Follow The Shopping Mama blog.
* Subscribe to The Shopping Mama in email or a reader.

Fine Print: Be sure to have your email address visible in your profile or included in your comments. (You may email me if you prefer.) If you subscribe via email, be sure to validate it through the confirmation email you’ll receive. Winner will be chosen via random.org and emailed. Winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected. Open to US mailing addresses. Contest ends 11:59 pm June 6.

Build-A-Bear Workshop has generously provided a $25 gift certificate up for grabs during the Support Military Moms event.

About Build-A-Bear
At Build-A-Bear Workshop, our mission is to bring the Teddy Bear to life. An American icon, the Teddy Bear brings to mind warm thoughts about our childhood, about friendship, about trust and comfort, and also about love. Build-A-Bear Workshop embodies those thoughts in how we run our business everyday.

If you’ve never been to a Build-A-Bear Workshop, what are you waiting for? I am only slightly embarrassed to admit that even before I had kids, I built a bear or two for myself. It’s just too fun. You get to pick out a special bear or any of the other adorable little animals or dolls they have and you “build it” with a heart, optional sound effect and then it’s stuffed full of fluff.

Build-A-Bear Workshop has a number of military bears you can order online, and if you go to the store you can probably put one of these uniforms on a different animal, too. Can you think of a sweeter gift for your little one before a parent deploys? I get a little teary just thinking about it!

Shop! Check the Build-A-Bear Workshop website to find a location near you or build your own bear online.

Win! $25 Gift Certificate to Build-A-Bear!

How to Enter: Check out the Build-A-Bear Workshop website. What will you build? Leave a comment.

Bonus Entries:

Soap Creek Designs is an Etsy shop full of beautifully handcrafted stained glass. Rickie, the creative artist, is the proud mom of two daughters who serve in the military. Let’s learn a bit more about what’s it’s like to be the mom of an active duty member before getting to the crafty stuff.

TSM: How long have your daughters been in the military?
My oldest daughter joined in Army after she graduated from high school in 2000. She put in her 4 years and was Honorably discharged in 2004. In July 2007 she signed up for the Army Reserves and almost immediately began training for a deployment in Kuwait. She was in Kuwait for a year. While there she did missions into Afghanistan for three months and just came home a few weeks ago.

My youngest daughter joined the Navy in 2007. She did a 6 month deployment to the Persian Gulf – serving aboard the USS Pelelui. While there her ship was shadowed by the Iranian Navy for several days. Later they had a hand in chasing Somali pirates away from cargo ships. She is currently in San Diego, CA.
TSM: Even though my husband is active duty, I can’t imagine what it feels like to be the mom of someone going to war.

TSM: What is your favorite part about being a “military mom”?
The pride I feel in my children. The thought that they are contributing and serving our country.

TSM: What has been the biggest adjustment for you having children serve?
The fear and the worry about them. When they have been deployed, the thought of them being so far away, and in a dangerous place, has been like ice on my heart. Not being able to just talk to them when I want.
TSM: That is one way I’ve been very lucky… when my husband has deployed I’ve usually been able to speak to him fairly frequently.

TSM: What’s the most common misconception about life in the military?
That all military people are cold-blooded killers. They are not. They are just regular people with a slightly different kind of job. But a job that most people, even myself, cannot understand. This job can take them to horrible places. In this job they could be killed while out on patrol or while in the chow line getting breakfast. They could face being kidnapped and tortured just because they wear a US flag on their shoulder. This is a fear that weighs heavily.

Okay, we’re going to switch gears big time and focus on the beautiful stained glass art Rickie makes for her Etsy shop, Soap Creek Designs.

About Soap Creek:
Hand crafted in the Hollar in the hills of West Virginia, I use the Tiffany style of stained glass – each piece of glass is carefully cut by hand and the edges ground smooth. Each is then wrapped in copper foil and soldered together. Due to the nature of stained glass and hand made items, no two pieces are alike even when cut from the same sheet of glass. I believe that each and every item is a unique artistic creation, no matter how large or small.

TSM: When did you start making your goods? When did you start selling them?
Back in the early 1980’s I began working on stained glass as a hobby. I began seriously selling in 2005.

TSM: What is the inspiration behind your work?
Generally my children, nature, other ideas that pop into my head. Things that I would like to have myself. Sometimes I will get an idea just from looking at a sheet of stained glass. I’ll “see” something in it that I think I can make.

TSM: What is your favorite item to make and/or sell?
My favorite item to make is something new I just thought of! And my Puppy Toes dog paw prints.

TSM: What is the best part about owning your own business?
Working for myself and creating things to make someone’s life a bit happier – add a bit of color to someone else’s life.

Shop! You can browse Rickie’s stained glass art at her Etsy shop. In addition to patriotic pieces, Soap Creek Designs also has holiday, seasonal and fun whimsical art. (How cute would those butterflies be in a little girl’s room?)

Win! Soap Creek Designs is generously offering a Primitive Star with Beads!

* Donate to one of the participating charities. Leave one comment for every dollar you donate.
* Purchase something from Soap Creek Designs before the end of the giveaway and leave five comments.
* Post the Support Military Moms button on your blog.
* Follow The Shopping Mama blog.
* Subscribe to The Shopping Mama in email or a reader.

Fine Print: Be sure to have your email address visible in your profile or included in your comments. (You may email me if you prefer.) If you subscribe via email, be sure to validate it through the confirmation email you’ll receive. Winner will be chosen via random.org and emailed. Winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected. Open to US mailing addresses. Contest ends 11:59 pm June 6.

All right, it’s that time again… get your link on. But, before you do, check out some of the great giveaways right here on The Shopping Mama.

The final three “It’s In the Bag” giveaways end Sunday night, so make sure you’ve entered!

The Support Military Moms Event is in full swing with great giveaways announced every daily through Monday.

I look forward to checking out your giveaways!

Updated at 11:00 AM: Sorry, I had to take Mr. Linky down… it’s not working. Again. I’ll try again later.

Shortly after Baby Girl was born we received the most adorable Air Force-themed onesies by Soaring Pride Designs as a gift. When I began planning the Military Moms Event, the first person I contacted to participate was Jennifer of Soaring Pride Designs. I just love the onesies we have and was eager to share this military mom owned business with you.

Soaring Pride Designs started in 2003 when Jennifer made a onesie for a friend’s baby shower. The business began to expland as Jennifer applied her art and design background designing onesies on her computer and then drawing them by hand.

TSM: What is the inspiration behind your work?
Military families have a unique set of experiences and my designs are meant to be both humorous and prideful reflections of those experiences and dedication to one’s country. However, now my line has expanded to include many civilian and highly individualized designs for anyone and everyone- including adult T-shirt designs.
I just love the recently launched “Sweet & Hip” collection of fresh, graphic designs for everyone. They are so unique and just adorable.

TSM: What is your favorite item to make and/or sell?
I really enjoy doing individualized designs for a specific person or squadron- such as a personalized design celebrating a child’s birthday and the theme of her party, or a design to be used for an entire unit, making a “child” version of their squadron/unit patch.

Our two onesies are so sweet. The “Daddy’s Little Wingman” onesie is pink, which I love, because girls can be pilots, too! The yellow onesie says, “My daddy, my hero”. If my husband is having a bad day, seeing Baby Girl in that onesie is sure to cheer him up! The designs are are created on sturdy Gerber brand onesies which are dyed to order.

Before we get to the giveaway details, let’s learn more about Jennifer’s take on life as an Air Force wife.

TSM: How long have you been a military family?
This fall will be 10 years in the Air Force!

TSM: What is your favorite part about being a “military mom”?
I love the way your fellow unit members become your extended family. They way we take care of each and are there for each other- the built in friendships and social network.

TSM: What is the biggest adjustment to military life?
Not always being able to plan far into the future… you never know what the next assignment will bring.

TSM: What’s the most common misconception about life in the military?
That a military spouse cannot have her own successful career and that her life revolves around her husband’s career. Yes- it’s much tougher for us than it is for our civilian counterparts, but ingenuity and dedication, a military spouse can be successful in her own right.

Jennifer made a generous donation to the National Military Family Association. She explains why and shares more about the great work of this organization: “The uniformed service member is not the only one who makes sacrifices and a commitment to his country. This organization acknowledges the dedication of and costs to the spouses and children as well. It provides advocacy and programs which help to sustain our families and make hardships just a bit easier to sustain.”

Shop! Soaring Pride Designs offers great gifts for military and non-millitary alike at super affordable prices – onesies are only . Check out the catalog of designs and the totally adorable Sweet & Hip catalog.

Win! Your choice of onesie from the Soaring Pride Designs or Sweet & Hip collection!
How to Enter: Check out the Soaring Pride and Sweet & Hip designs and leave a comment here with your favorite.

Bonus Entries:
* Donate to one of the participating charities. Leave one comment for every dollar you donate.
* Post the Support Military Moms button on your blog.
* Follow The Shopping Mama.
* Subscribe to The Shopping Mama in email or a reader.
* Favorite The Shopping Mama on Technorati.

Fine Print: Be sure to have your email address visible in your profile or included in your comments. (You may email me if you prefer.) If you subscribe via email, be sure to validate it through the confirmation email you’ll receive. Winner will be chosen via random.org and emailed. Winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected. Open to US mailing addresses. Contest ends 11:59 pm June 6.