Bare Necessities $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway

by Kate on April 25th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Giveaways, Spring Into Spring

I recently learned about BareNecessities.com and I actually had to drag myself away from shopping to write this post. I’m loving all the options. The up and down of pregnancy and post-baby have left me slightly (um, very) frustrated with my current bras. And then there is the belly that soon I will have to subject to bathing suit season. BareNecessities.com looks to have me completely covered from bras, to bathing suits, to baby pooch hiding shape wear.

Bare Necessities

BareNecessities.com is the largest online specialty retailer of women & men’s branded and designer intimate apparel and underwear. We’ve got more online than ever: The best shapewear selection online, Shaping Clothing, footwear, hosiery, casual t-shirts, swimwear for women and men. You’ll find bras in over 200 sizes: with band sizes ranging from 32 to 56, and cup sizes ranging A to M.

Walcoal Bras

Wacoal focuses on understanding and meeting women’s intimate apparel needs. Wacoal Bras are available from a size 32AA to 44G. With a size range like that and super cute bras who couldn’t find the perfect bra? And Bare Necessities has free shipping both ways on exchanges right now, just in case the bra you thought was perfect turns out not to be so perfect.

Shapewear

Okay, those of you who don’t have something you’d like to be a little tighter, a little less bulging out, or a little perkier can just move along now. For the rest of us who are desperately sucking in our baby gut and sighing at our extra padding, the Shapewear department is calling our name. Check out the Top Secret Problem Solvers for top recommendations for taming your problem area from back fat to jiggly thighs.

Swimsuits

I’ve spent most of my life in some version of a string bikini. Post baby, I’m having to seriously reassess my wardrobe selection, mostly because the girls need a little more support but that post baby belly isn’t so kind either. I love that Bare Necessities has a huge range of bathing suits from figure slimming Spanx to cup sized swimwear offering the perfect fit. They even have some really cute options in plus sizes.

Shop! Visit BareNecessities.com for a great selection of bras, shapewear and swimsuits for mama figures of all shapes and sizes.

Win! A $50 Gift Certificate to Bare Necessities!

How to Enter: Visit BareNecessities.com and tell us something that catches your eye.

Bonus Entries – valid only after completing the first required entry. Please leave a separate comment for each you do.

Giveaway ends May 9. Open to US mailing addresses only.

This is a sponsored giveaway by BareNecessities.com. Opinions and my need for a good bra and a tummy tuck were not affected by payment.

Mother's Day Gifts for the Blog at Home Mama

by Kate on April 22nd, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Shopping

Whether you’re a professional blogger, maintain a private family blog or focus on Facebook updates, here’s a collection of gifts to add to your wish list. They’ll brighten your Mother’s Day and every day throughout the year.

We’re always on the go. Connect and blog from anywhere with an HP Mini Netbook - in pink, of course. ($329)

eRead in style with a Gussy Sews Kindle / Nook Ruffled Cover. Girly goodness on the outside and padding on the inside for the perfect mix of style and function. ($31)

Connect with flair with Silhouette Calling Cards from Le Papier Studio. Show off your kids or focus on your business with a selection of beautiful, classic styles. ($17)

Stake your claim on your iPhone with a personalized iPhone Case from The Funky Bee. No matter how much your kids use it, everyone will know its all yours. ($60, Save 15% with code MAMA.)

Make “To-Do” lists with pizazz on the Rococo Chalkboard Wall Sticker from WallCandy Arts. ($36, Save 10% with code MOM10 through April 28.)

Combine comfort and, well, comfort in  EMU Australia Women’s Jolie Slip-On. The shearling slippers are part of EMU’s water-resistant collection. Pull off that clean, cool look effortlessly while staying dry and stain free. ($59)

My very favorite-can’t live without it-beauty product: Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Plum. It might be a splurge, but it’s totally worth it. ($22.50)

***

Want more gift ideas for mom? Check out our 2010 Mother’s Day Shopping Guide.

Pampers Miracles Campaign – Will You Pledge a Little Miracle Mission?

by Kate on April 21st, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Blogging, Parenting

I am so delighted to have a small part in the Pampers Miracles Campaign. When you learn more about it – and watch the tear-jerker video below – I think you’ll understand why. And, the good news is you can participate, too.

Pampers Miracles Campaign

Pampers is celebrating its 50th birthday this year and is taking a look back at how much parenting has changed over the last five decades. Families today come in all forms, as there has been a tremendous cultural shift, filled with scientific advancements and new options that give people the wonderful opportunity to become a family. Pampers embraces these changes and believes all babies are little miracles that deserve to be celebrated, supported and protected, without judgment.

Little Miracle Mission

Your mission, should you chose to accept it, is to join Pampers on Facebook and pledge to complete a little miracle for parents. The idea is to commit to a small act of kindness, encourage friends to pay it forward and Pampers will commit to helping parents as the campaign grows. For example, the first Miracle Mission is to “help make Mother’s Day special by congratulating an expectant or new mom on her little miracle. Give a mom a smile, offer her your seat, buy flowers for a mom-to-be, send her a gift or surprise her with a hand-written note; something to remind her that it’s her special day.” Simple enough, right? And, if Pampers gets 2,500 commitments to complete the mission, they will throw over 1,000 baby showers across the country for expectant mothers!

The Shopping Mama’s Miracle Mission

I am so excited to be teaming with Pampers to bring small acts of kindness to a local NICU. I’ll be putting together care packages to assist the families as they bring their little miracles home. I’ll obviously include Pampers Swaddlers (my kids both wore them!) in the care packages, but what products, gift cards, books, etc do you think I should include in the care packages? I’d love your help and advice!

Get Involved! Like Pampers on Facebook and join me in pledging to perform little miracles for parents.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Pampers Baby Board. I was not compensated for this post.

Quick & Easy Grown Up Easter Basket Gift

by Shannon on April 21st, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Crafts with Kids

Want to give Mom a special Easter basket? How about Grandma? They might really appreciate this Easter basket made from a ceramic bowl that can be used for many years to come.

All you need for this basket is a bowl with two handles formed in (very popular right now) and ribbon. I found this beautiful bowl at my local Marshall’s for $6.99. Because it is white, I could use any color ribbon and it will go in any kitchen.

To make the handle, cut a 5 ft. length of ribbon (give or take, I had plenty for trimming) and double it over.

Run one side of the ribbon through one of the handles of the bowl, so that the mid-point of the ribbon forms a loop around one handle.

Even up the ribbon and keep the two ends of ribbon together as you feed it through the other handle of the bowl.

Then, keeping the two lengths of ribbon together, loop around the ribbon feeding into the handle and tie a knot.

Then simply tie a bow and fill the “basket” with whatever goodies fit your recipient. I made several of these for my children’s preschool teachers and they are filled with Easter candy, socks, bubbles and lip balm. And of course, the bowl is the big gift!

CoffeeCow.com – Great Selection & Price for Your Coffee Needs (Giveaway)

by Kate on April 21st, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Giveaways, Reviews, Spring Into Spring

I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before, and this certainly won’t be the last time I say: my Keurig coffee brewer changed my life. It single-handedly (single-brewerly?) changed me into an every day coffee drinker. And, there is nothing better in the morning than the sound of the brewer turning on to heat water for my first cup. If you’ve not already entered the world of single cup coffee brewer addiction or need to stock up on java like me, CoffeeCow.com is an excellent online retailer for all things delicious coffee.

Since I started using a Keurig brewer over a year and a half ago (and subsequently got all of my family using one), I’ve shopped around a lot for the best selection and prices for Keurig K-Cups. I have not found any brick and mortar store near me that has a great selection – Wolfgang Puck, Emeril’s, Coffee People, Green Mountain and much more. Plus, the prices are very competitive – a pack of 22 K-Cups is $12.99. (When you include the awesome exclusive discount code, the deal can’t be beat!)

Shopping CoffeeCow.com

When you shop at CoffeeCow.com you get free shipping on orders of $65 or more. In addition, you can build “cow bucks” credits when you make a purchase. You can use the “cow bucks” you earn towards future purchases and save even more money.

I love to try different flavors of coffee – and CoffeeCow.com has a great selection – but if you have a usual order, you can save your favorites for easy ordering every time. You can even get monthly reminders to stock up so you never run out of your favorite java.

K-Cups and More!

CoffeeCow.com has more than Keurig products. A lot more. If you’re shopping for single brewer coffee pods, CoffeeCow.com offers K-Cups, T-Discs for Tassimo Brewers, Pod Coffees for Pod Brewers, and coffee for Lavazza and Nescafe Dolce Gusto. You can even get traditional drip coffee.

If you want to make your kitchen all Starbucks- y, you can shop the full menu that includes flavor syrups, creamers and sweeteners. I have loved using the Caramel Creme cafe flavoring to make my morning coffee extra delish.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… CoffeeCow.com is a great source for coffee goodies.The price is right and the selection is great. Use the discount code below and you can try some new flavors without a huge risk.

Or Not to Buy… I have a little trouble navigating the site and tracking down what I’m looking for. Hopefully using the Favorites will help for next time.

Shop + Discount! Check out CoffeeCow.com to shop for brewers, coffee and java accessories. Use the code TSM2011 for for 20% off your order through May 31.

Win! $30 to CoffeeCow.com!

How to Enter: Visit CoffeeCow.com and leave a comment with a coffee variety you’d like to brew.

Bonus Entries – valid only after completing the first required entry. Please leave a separate comment for each you do.

[table id=51 /]

Giveaway ends May 12. Open to US residents only.

Thanks to CoffeeCow.com for providing samples and being a Spring into Spring sponsor. Opinions are my own.

Thursday Giveaway Linky

by Kate on April 21st, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Giveaway Linky

Happy Thursday. Thanks for stopping by to link up and browse giveaways. Before you take off, check out some of the great giveaways here at The Shopping Mama. Here are a few that end soon:

Step2 Fun Farm Sand & Water Table * Mohawk Rug * LUG Cartwheel Bag

Head over to Baby Loving Mama to link up your giveaways there, too. Make sure you enter the Frecklebox gift card giveaway and all the fantastic Spring into Spring giveaways.

{handmade} Mother's Day gift ideas

by Kate on April 20th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Shopping

I’m on the look out for Mother’s Day gifts for myself 365 days a year. Take a look at some of my top picks for mother’s day 2011, with something for every budget.  (Confession: I may or may not have purchased some of these for myself, pre-Mother’s Day.)


Felicity Necklace by Edor, $24

***


Blue Feather Moccasin by darlingtonia. available at magpie lovely, $129

***


Little Leather Basket Bag by smadar shani, $89

***


Set of 4 Fabric Ruffle Notecards by Elliven, $8

***


Floral Berry Bowl by vessels and wares, $64

With Easter on the late side this year, Mother’s Day is going to be here before we know it!

***

Want more gift ideas for mom? Check out our 2010 Mother’s Day Shopping Guide.

thredUp for Earth Day with Giveaway

by Kate on April 20th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Clothes, Giveaways, Reviews, Spring Into Spring

Earth Day is just around the corner and it has me thinking about how my family can be better about the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. There’s a lot of emphasis out there on recycling and, let’s be honest, it’s the easiest one. Just take your plastic water bottles and toss them in the recycle bin instead of the trash and suddenly you are doing wonders for the earth. Don’t get me wrong, recycling is great, but it doesn’t help the earth (or our pocketbooks) nearly as much as reducing and reusing. But sometime (always?) reducing and reusing takes more work or at least more will power. Which is why I love the idea of ThredUp. They take all the work out of passing on gently worn clothes, books or toys.

ThredUp

thredUP.com is where moms like you swap kids clothes toys and books online. Sign up on Earth Day (April 22) to receive a $13.95 swapping credit! Use that money for 90% off your first box of kids clothes, toys or books. Since thredUP is a swapping community, you can also de-clutter by sending a boxes of your kids pre-loved stuff to other moms for free – all without leaving the house. Lighten your family’s eco-thumbprint this earth day without lifting a finger.

How it Works

  1. Sign up at thredUp.com (it’s always free to sign up). Sign up on Earth Day (Friday, April 22nd) and get a $13.95 credit, which means your first box will be $2 shipped.
  2. Browse the boxes and select one that matches your child for $5 plus shipping. (Total $15.95 which is still great for a box stuffed with clothes.)
  3. List a box of clothes, toys or books that you are ready to pass on. When your box gets picked you print the label and the mail carrier picks it up, all at no charge to you.
  4. And repeat. (You have to send boxes to keep getting boxes, it’s called thredUp after all.)
  5. Military Members have some extra benefits (yest they ship APO/FPO) and you can donate a “pick” to a military family.

What Will I Get?

For your money you’ll get a medium sized priority mail box stuffed full of gently used clothes. The thredUp golden rule is “Send only what you’d be willing to receive.” And they promise that if you, “Send an unacceptable item and you’ll be warned once. Repeat offenders are banned from thredUP. We also conduct random quality assurance checks to ensure all senders are abiding by the Golden thredUP Rule.” So while you can’t be sure that everyone who joins thredUp will be a good person, you can be sure that thredUp will do something about it.

I received my first box last week and I’m so so about it. Everything is fine quality, just not the colors or patterns I might have picked out myself. Admittedly I was trying to get an order off ASAP so I could tell you all about it, so I may not have found the best match to my personal taste. And for $2 or even the full $15.95 I feel I got my money’s worth. I will definitely thredUp again and plan to pass a good amount of our outgrown clothes and toys along in the future.

If you are very into high end, brand name clothing and putting together the perfect outfits, thredUp might not be for you. On the other hand, you can search by brand name and, since there’s no sign up fee, you can always just keep searching until you find the perfect box. Chances are there’s a mama out there with you same taste whose child just grew out of something you’d love.

PRO Memberships

For a $29.99 annual fee thredUp offers PRO Memberships. As a PRO member you get first dibs on new boxes, email notifications of box recommendations, the ability to compare 3 boxes on-line and access to Golden Threds. These Golden Threds are boxes of brand new clothing from a retail sponsor and still only cost $5 plus shipping.

Win! Celebrate Earth Day and thredUp’s 1 Year Anniversary with a giveaway for 10 PRO Memberships ($29.99 value each)!

Also, don’t forget, if you sign up on April 22nd you get a $13.95 credit.

How to Enter: Visit thredUp.com and look around. Let us know what you like about thredUp.

Bonus Entries – valid only after completing the first required entry. Please leave a separate comment for each you do.

[table id=51 /]

Giveaway ends May 4. Open to US residents (or military living overseas) only.

Thanks to thredUp for providing the giveaway prizes.
« Older Entries