Ten Dollar Tuesday | The Shopping Mama

Shopping, Ten Dollar Tuesday, Weekly Features

Make Sandwiches Fun: Sandwich Cutters for Kids

2 Comments 24 August 2010

I almost always pack sandwiches for my kids’ lunches because it’s quick, easy and practical. And, it’s one food they will always eat. But, they I’m excited to buy some sandwich cutters to make their lunches a little more exciting – while keeping it simple for me.

Now, The purpose of Ten Dollar Tuesday is to highlight affordable ways to get your shop up for $10 and under. I wanted to share some fun sandwich cutters and most are sold in packs that total over $10 – but I figure you are really getting a set so this post can still qualify, right? Good. Here’s an assortment of some of the sandwich cutters to make lunch fun.

Love the sweet and simple heart shapes from the SweetBytes Sandwich Crust Cutter ($3.79 on Amazon).

The same company offers roar-ful sandwich dinosaur shapes in the DynoBytes Sandwich Crust Cutter ($4.50 on Amazon).

The set of four Animal Lunch Punch ($14.00 on The Land of Nod) offers a variety of fun for little ones. I love the shapes within the shapes – like the mini elephant and mama elephant.

And new from Lunch Punch, the vrrrRMM!! Lunch Punch ($13.95 on fawn&forest) set has car, airplane, truck and train and is designed for larger sized bread. Love this set!

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For Mama, Giveaways, Reviews, Ten Dollar Tuesday, Weekly Features

Go Green At Lunch with Bebeloosh Mini Review + Giveaway

138 Comments 17 August 2010

Bebeloosh Mini reusable snack bags and lunch totes are a fun way for kids to go green at lunch and have fun doing it. Not only are they better for the environment than using plastic baggies, but you’ll save money using these in place of baggies, containers, and brown bags.

Construction of the Bags and Totes

Each Bebeloosh Mini bag and tote is constructed using 55% recycled hemp and 45% organic unbleached cotton and is beautifully decorated. The mix of hemp gives the sack enhanced durability and wearability. It features a velcro enclosure to keep small pieces inside. Finished size is approx. 7.5″x7.5″ for snack bags, and the totes are 8.5″ wide x 9″ tall.

Reusable Snack Bag Review

We received the adorable Blue Bird snack bag for review. There are two features that this bag possesses that set it apart from other handmade snack bags: Its generous size, and the outstanding quality of fabric of which it’s constructed. This bag easily fits a sandwich, but more importantly it fits lots and lots of crunchy snacks, even four medium-sized apples!

The design of the bag is clean and simple, featuring a single beautiful blue bird on the front. My older daughter was delighted to see the snack bag in her lunch on her first day at camp, and apparently her friends were, too. Any child would love to carry the Bebeloosh Mini lunch tote along with a coordinating snack bag! Bebeloosh Mini offers all sorts of designs for both boys and girls from dinosaurs to butterflies, as well as plain snack bags and totes.

My experience with other handmade bags has been that they tend to unravel after weeks of washing, but the Bebeloosh Mini is still going strong after a full month of use. The velcro closure in still intact, and the overall construction of the bag is exactly as it was on day one. Our family could use about 5 of the Bebeloosh Mini snack bags to keep in rotation for school, days at the park, or to throw in my bag for an afternoon snack on-the-go.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… Each bag is organic, well-constructed, and the designs are completely adorable. A set of 5 would be perfect for back to school – you can’t go wrong with these!

Or Not to Buy… The designs at Bebeloosh Mini are simply beautiful, but I’m a sucker for anything personalized. I would love to have a few of these with my girls’ names on them.

Shop! The Bebeloosh Mini snack bags are affordably priced at $6.99 each, or save some dough and buy 3 for $19.50 or 5 for $30. The totes are $15.99.

Win! Your Choice of THREE Mix & Match Reusable Snack Bags by Bebeloosh Mini!

How to enter: Visit Bebeloosh Mini and tell us which three snack bag designs you would choose if you won.

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

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Giveaway ends August 31 and is open to US mailing addresses only.

Disclosure: Thanks to Bebeloosh Mini for providing a sample product for the purpose of this review and the giveaway prize. Opinions here are my own and uninfluenced by receipt of product.

Ten Dollar Tuesday, Weekly Features

Old Navy School Uniform Sale

2 Comments 03 August 2010

Shopping for back to school clothes was (not surprisingly) one of my favorite things about going back to school. Now that many schools have adopted uniforms, stocking up on solid colored basics is the back to school clothing rite of passage. Thankfully, many popular children’s clothing stores have picked up on school uniforms, including Old Navy.

Old Navy “You-Niform” Event

While supplies last (and not past August 5), Old Navy You-Niform event is a great way to stock up on school uniform essentials. And, frankly, even if your child doesn’t wear a uniform, with everything under $10 these are some great buys.

Shop! Short Sleeve Polos are $5, Long Sleeve Polos are $10, Poplin Shirts are $10, and Pants, Shorts and Skorts are $10. Check out the Girls and Boys Old Navy School Uniform collection online. Most uniform pieces are available in multiple fits, including slim, plus and husky.

Shopping, Ten Dollar Tuesday, Weekly Features

Christmas in July for $10 or Less

10 Comments 20 July 2010

Every year Etsy has a Christmas In July sale, and it’s going on right now! From July 15-25, participating shops offer all sorts of discounts, from a percentage off to free shipping. To find the sweet deals, visit Etsy and search using “christmas in july.” (Pictured at left: Santa & Rudolph Finger Puppets by Sweet Melly Jane.)

Now’s the time to revisit some of your favorite shops and to find a few new faves. Check out some of my top Christmas in July picks for $10 or less…

Row 1, left to right: Flower Hairclip by Sweet Daisymay, Reversible Cotton Boutique Baby Bib by Our Little Messes, Blue Whale Bodysuit by CollieOllieDesigns.
Row 2, left to right: Felt Chocolate Chip Cookies by Littlepicklepotamus, Artote Mini by Bells & Whistles, Newborn Hat Baby Beanie by Cupcake Card Company photo by Sissy Starr.

Happy Shopping!

Shopping, Ten Dollar Tuesday, Weekly Features

Best Sippy Cups

4 Comments 29 June 2010

After two and a half years of sippy cups in the house, we’ve used our fair share of cups. Every price range, every feature… you name it, we’ve tried it. Here’s a round up of our favorite cups for different milestones and the wallet.

Best Cup for Transitioning from Breast or Bottle

The thinkbaby Trainer Cup is a set comprised of a thinkbaby bottle and conversion kit to put easy to use handles on the bottle. $8.49 for 1 cup.

To Buy… The soft silicone spout is perfect for transitioning from bottle feeding or breastfeeding. Like all thinkbaby products, the cup is BPA free and is made of polypropylene so it can be recycled when your child outgrows it.

Or Not to Buy… It’s more expensive than many other cups we’ve used and isn”t entirely leak-free.

Read the full thinkbaby Trainer Cup Review.

Best Cup for Toddlers

A popular brand in England, Tommee Tippee entered the US market a few months ago and we’re already smitten. The unusual valve design really does create a nearly leak-proof cup and there is a wide variety of sizes to find the right fit for your child. We like the Tommee Tippee Explora Trainer. 1 cup is 4.99, set of 2, $7.99 (available exclusively at Babies R Us)

To Buy… The Tommee Tippee unique, albeit slightly complex, valve prevents leaks but remains easy to drink. The flip hygiene cap is perfect for tossing the cup in the diaper bag and the variety in sizes and handle options is a big plus.

Or Not to Buy… We’ve had slight leak issues at the seam of the cup and the lid (and have read about this problem elsewhere online.

Read the full Tommee Tippee Review.

Best Cup for Older Toddlers & Preschoolers

We love the Playtex Insulator Cupsfor older kids. They keep drinks cooler longer and are leak-proof. And, your kids will love the wide variety of characters and colors available. Set of 2 9 oz cups is $7.99.

To Buy… The large size, characters available and leak-proof valve make it a winner for kids and moms alike.

Or Not to Buy… The spout is rigid and not good for little ones making the transition to sippy cups.

Best Bargain

Gerber sippy cups (or NUK Gerber) are great and you can’t beat the price. We love that the valve is easy to use – actually works and can be purchased separatelyfrom the cup. In our experience, these cups will survive long after you lose a valve or two.

To Buy… When you can buy a set of 2 for $7, what’s not to love? The cups are pretty leak-proof and will outlast your child. The cups are also now BPA free.

Or Not to Buy… The spout is rather stiff so it’s not the best transition cup for younger toddlers.

What’s your favorite sippy cup?

Ten Dollar Tuesday

Dessert First with Miss Mop Top

7 Comments 22 June 2010

For this week’s $10 Tuesday pick, I went in search of the ultimate summer-inspired hair clippie, and looked no further than the Dessert First Chocolate Ice Cream Bar Clip from Miss Mop Top. At $5 each, this clippie is perfect for summer parties, picnics, or a day at the beach. Any little girl would get a kick out of wearing something so scrumptious!

Top summer-inspired picks by Miss Mop Top

Inside scoop: Having a summer party? These make sweet party favors that the girls will enjoy wearing over and over again. Even sweeter is Miss Mop Top’s promo going on now through July 2nd: buy 4 clippies or ponytail holders, get the 5th free!

Shop! Head over to Miss Mop Top to purchase any of these deliciously adorable clippies, and be sure to enter “HAIR BRAINED EVENT” in the notes to seller section at checkout to qualify for the promo. Refunds for the clip or ponytail holder of equal/lesser value will be given promptly via PayPal.

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