Sanity-Savers for Busy Moms (or just anyone really!)

The holidays are over and we’re all sighing with relief… hmm… and maybe with a little bit of letdown. I always feel this way a tiny bit after the holidays are over. It seems like such a long, drawn out build up and then poof! it’s over in a few hours! My 5-year-old son said the day after Christmas this year, “Mom, I wish it could be Christmas every day!” Okay… I DO NOT wish it was Christmas everyday… that would be way too much… but you get the idea.

But the holidays are tiring and aren't we all looking for ways to make our lives a tiny bit easier – for things to run smoother about now? I know I am.

My husband came to me a bit ago with some ad that had come up on Facebook for The Dollar Shave Club. WHAT?! A service for razors? How awesome is that? And why not?! Don’t I subscribe to other make-my-life-easier services?

• I love my Amazon Prime because it delivers me books and music right to my email. Not to mention the wonderfulness of never paying for shipping again….
• Who hasn't tried StitchFix yet? I feel like everyone in the world has heard about this, but what a fun way to try out new clothes! I've had limited success with this and I wish I had a little more of a clothes budget for what they send me… but it’s fun nonetheless. =)
• And my ultimate sanity-saver The Honest Company’s diaper bundles! There’s something wonderful about not having to run out to the store to buy diapers. They come delivered to my door every couple months – hooray!

Can I be honest? I thought the razor thing was a little crazy at first until my husband reminded me about our current razor situation. We both have multiple razors – bought depending on sales, coupons, etc. We can never remember which blades to buy when we’re at the store because there are so many and so expensive and we can’t remember which ones we have…. it’s a mess really. So what ends up happening? We just don’t buy new razors until they are scary….

So my new life-saver - $6 a month, 4 cartridge. My husband and I will use the same handle (different blades of course!) and they are delivered to our door! And only $6! They have plans as low as one dollar a month. I will never have to remember to buy razors again – or stand in the shaving aisle at the grocery store trying to rack my brain for which type to buy! Hooray!

What can I say? It’s the little things that make a huge difference. Want to try the Dollar Shave Club for yourself? Hop on over there and check it out!

Are there other sanity-saving services out there I haven't heard about? Tell me about them!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, but I received no compensation whatsoever for this post. I really do think all these things are great! 

Guest Post: 5 Easy Weekend Home Projects

Heather from Shutterfly contacted me recently about doing a guest post here. Of course I took her up on it because don't we all love Shutterfly?? I love her ideas for simple home projects. I was just thinking earlier today of a home decor sign I want to try making to add to my Christmas decorations!

The weekend is a sacred time – time to take a break from the demands of the workweek, hopefully relax, spend time with family, and get chores done around the house. Weekends are also a great time to tackle a simple home project. Here are five fairly easy projects you can accomplish in one weekend that will improve the look and feel of your home without a long involved effort:

Create storage space in your entryway. From the moment you enter your home, it’s likely that chaos ensues – especially if you have kids or animals. It’s common to set down your mail and anything else you’re holding on the nearest surface, which often ends up being your kitchen counter or table. Those items are then pushed aside and forgotten or lost. By placing a decorative desk or hutch in your entryway, you create a place to keep mail, keys, your purse, grocery ads, and anything else that doesn’t have a proper space. Use baskets, shelves, and file holders to organize the desk.

Design custom home décor. There are probably several spots in your home that could use some accents or throws. Find a reputable online site and spend the weekend creating personalized home décor such as blankets, table runners, wall art, cups, iPad cases, coasters, and more. This is a fun project even the kiddos will enjoy and it can all be accomplished without leaving your home for supplies.

Paint. There’s no better – or easier – way to liven up a room than to paint something. Whether it be an accent wall, a piece of furniture such as a chair or hutch, or something else, paint can change the entire look and feel of a room. Plus, painting is fairly cheap compared with other home project ideas.

Strip and stain wood cabinets. Does your kitchen need a facelift? If you’ve got wood cabinets, create a whole new look with this basic home project. All you need is a stripping agent, sandpaper, a pretty stain, a sponge brush, and polyurethane for sealing. 

Organize your closet. Organization and getting rid of the junk aren’t just for spring cleaning anymore! Take time to rifle through your closet and find items you no longer need. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself if you’ve worn or used the item within the last year. If not, donate or sell it. Use shelves, tubs, hangers, and racks to organize the closet so it’s convenient and functional.

Author Bio: Heather Hewitt is a seasoned writer and guest author who enjoys connecting people with thoughtful products, services and ideas as they relate to crafting, photography, gift giving and personal expression.

Product Reviews: Crazy Cups Single Serve Coffees

Today it is a very cold day in the Pacific Northwest. We aren't too used to below freezing weather here - even most of the winter, but this has been a frigid week with last night in the 20s! Eek!

It's a perfect day to curl up on the couch with a book and a yummy cup of coffee! A fun company contacted me to sample some of their flavored coffee and today seems like a good day to talk about them. 

Crazy Cups produces a HUGE variety of flavored coffees packaged that are Keurig K Cup compatible! They currently have 20 flavors of coffee including  Banana Foster Flambe, Salted Caramel, Death by Chocolate Cinnamon Churro and many, many more!
Crazy Cups coffees each have 13g of pre-ground coffee which is 30% more than k cups for an extra flavorful cup! Also, all flavors are sugar free with zero calories!

In addition to flavored coffees, Crazy Cups also have four yummy hot chocolate flavors and a hot apple cider! Yum! Perfect for the upcoming holidays, right?

An awesome feature of Crazy Cups is that the packaging is recyclable! Ever feel bad that you're filling up the landfills with millions of little plastic single-serve coffee containers (one of the reason I tend to use my reusable one most days!) Crazy Cups Cool, Peel, Recycle technology allows for a more responsible and eco-friendly alternative for those days when you just want to brew yourself a quick cup!

Crazy Cups sent me an awesome sampler of coffees to try out! I have to admit, I don't think flavored coffee is really my thing. I guess I'm a little boring in my half-and-half and coconut sugar each morning. I really enjoyed the yummy hot chocolate flavors though! Each cup of coffee or hot chocolate is full of flavor and is very sweet! You can smell the flavors coming from your cup even before you take your first sip!

Want to win your own sampler of Crazy Cups??? Just download their app and get entered in the giveaway where they're giving a box to a lucky winner every day until the 15th!

Click here to link to the android app! The iPhone app should be launching soon.

Please visit the Crazy Cups website for more information and to view all the yummy products!

Disclosure: I received a free sampler pack of Crazy Cups coffees to test in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received and all thoughts are opinions are strictly my own.

My First Adult Sized Hat

This may be hard to believe, but I don't think I've ever knitted an adult-sized hat...

At least I can't think of any.

For a couple months now, my husband has been complaining that I've never made him a hat.

Now... this is not because he's never gotten a hand-knit hat. 

My mom has made him quite a few over the years.... but apparently it wasn't fair because I had never made him one.

So... I finally got some yarn, tracked down a suitable looking pattern and FINALLY made him one. I'm pretty proud... it was too short the first time I knit it (even though I made it 1/2 longer than the pattern called for), so my mom graciously ripped out the crown so I could re-knit the rest of it and make it longer. I'm hoping it's not too long now!

Here's the finished product:

Yarn:  

City Tweed DK Yarn in Toad by KnitPicks ($4.29/ball)

55% Merino wool, 25% Superfine alpaca, 20% Donegal tweed

Pattern: 

Wasatch Backcountry Hat (free Ravelry download)

So... I'm hoping it fits (he's on a hunting trip for the weekend right now.

But if it's too long I guess that's too bad for him because I'm not re-doing it again.

I have another ball of this yarn and I want to make a matching beanie for the Little Guy! I just have to sit down and figure out how much to reduce the pattern to fit.....

Finding the right Christmas Card - You, Shared + Giveaway

Are you looking for a fun way to share your family via Christmas cards this year?

Pear Tree Greetings has some wonderful options in their new holiday line.

They sent me a card to review and allowed me to create my own personalized card!

It's fun to make and I'm super excited about a few aspects, like:

100 lb cardstock

Affordability

Amazing options for personalizing your cards

They have Magnet Cards, Personalized Gift Tags, Ornament Cards and More!

They have some wonderful photo cards that also allow you to add your Christmas letter! How awesome is that?? How is it that our Christmas card can stand out? That the person who opens it actually wants to read the words I've chosen to take the time to write. How can I share our lives with those friends and family who are no longer living near us? Us, Shared.

I never write a Christmas letter because I don't want to bother with both the card AND a separate letter. But Pear Tree Greetings has solved that dilemma with combining the two! The Modern Christmas Letter

Here's the one I chose:

(click on the image for a bigger image)

Fun, right??

I wrote a little blurb at the top about what our family is up to this year and the memories we've made. I think it's fun that I can share a little something about us and then share several photos of what those memories are!

Pear Tree's new personalizing tool is super easy to use and makes the process fun!

This post is sponsored by Pear Tree Greetings. Pear Tree Greetings has helped tens of thousands of customers celebrate life’s shareable moments with a collection of uniquely personal, high-quality greetings and stationery.  Pear Tree Greetings offers a full line of photo cards like Christmas cards, invitations, announcements, address labels, save-the-date cards and dozens of other high-quality paper products, so you can seize every opportunity to connect with others. Custom greetings made simple, affordable, and absolutely keep-worthy.

The Giveaway:
Please use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.

Pear Tree Greetings - Sticker Gift Tags

Pear Tree Greetings has some adorable new stickers!

They sent me a sample of some of their Sticker Gift Tags in the mail to review

and I am already trying to figure out how I could use them for my 

Etsy shop or Christmas gifts!

Here are some examples:

1. Two that I've yet to use... I'm brainstorming ideas for using the Garden one next year though...

2. Property Of... using this one as a bookplate in one of my favorite books.

3. Made with Love - used this one on an Etsy package I shipped out.

4. From the Kitchen Of - homemade applesauce to giveaway!

There are so many creative things you could use these little tags for!

Birthdays, holidays, crafts, etc!

Follow Pear Tree Greetings!

Facebook

Twitter

Website

The Post I Didn't Want to Write - When Companies Don't Follow Through

Well, I'm very sorry I'm having to write this post.

I have delayed, procrastinated and debated

about whether I should write it at all.

But, I find it a little ridiculous when large companies

use us bloggers as part of their PR strategy and then don't follow

through on their end of the bargain.

Who am I talking about here?

Tassimo.

Way back on March 3rd, I got an email from a fellow blogger that

I'd won her giveaway for a Tassimo T20 Brewing System.

(I even blogged about it HERE!)

As you can imagine I was pretty excited! That was a $129 value!

My mom and aunt both have Kerig's and I was interested to see

how the Tassimo system compared to theirs.

I waited.

April 28th I sent the blog owner an email saying I hadn't

received it yet and was wondering if she'd heard anything.

She replied that she would attempt to follow up with them.

On May 24th the blog owner emailed me asking if I'd

received the product yet.

I said that I hadn't.

This is the response from her,

"I haven't received a response from them,

its weird, like they are ignoring me.

 I'll try to see if I can get another email contact from

some blogger friends. I'll keep you posted."

Well, it is almost August and I've yet to see my Tassimo.

This is unfortunate on several levels.

Obviously, I'd like to get my winnings! =)

AND in anticipation of receiving my Tassimo,

I'd purchased some coffee pods to use in it - wasted money on my part.

But even worse than that, I think, is that they wasted

that bloggers time and blog space for their advertising

and then made her look bad in the end.

Having done reviews and giveaway's for companies myself,

I'd be pretty upset if they failed to send the product -

and then ignored me when I tried to contact them about it!

Yes, she got a Tassimo system out of the deal,

but she spent time writing a review, hosting a giveaway,

and using up valuable blog space on a company who

didn't follow through on their end of the deal.

Shame on you Tassimo!

I'd love some feedback on this.

What do you think about this situation?

Has this ever happened to anyone else?

(Blogger or winner)

Disclaimer: I've purposely not revealed the name of the blog I won this product from.

I feel her blog is reputable and she doesn't have control over a company's actions.

Photo Card Creations Review & Giveaway

I've had the pleasure of reviewing some

beautiful products from Photo Card Creations.

Photo Card Creations is a leading online retailer of custom

photo cards, invitations and announcements.

 They offer a variety of lovely products for weddings,

thank yous, birth announcements, parties, and holidays!

I got to review a packet of cards, in which I can say,

the photos were clear, the variety of papers amazing

(my favorite was the pearl card stock)

and the overall quality was excellent!

More Info:

• They offer hundreds of Card Designs & a variety of Paper Types to choose from, many of which are hard to find elsewhere. 
• Their cards are printed on the highest quality paper using leading edge printing technologies.  
• With a professional graphic designer personally handling each order, they offer a more hands-on approach to customer service than many of their competitors. 
• This Fall, they will be adding over 50 new products & introducing a new user-friendly, online card preview system, which will allow customers to upload their photos & customize & view their cards online before placing their order! 

Want a look at some of the
AMAZING NEW DESIGNS?

Click the link to check them out!

Photo Card Creations is also very
excited about their NEW Website Feature!

This feature will allow customers to
completely customize, view and approve
their cards online before ordering!

On to the Giveaway!

Allison at Photo Card Creations has generously offered
one Little Sprout Growing reader
a gift card for $50 to towards the purchase of custom cards! Yay!

She has expressed an interest in our help in determining

which are their most popular products & which should be

discontinued in the Fall.

To Enter - please follow the instructions and fill out the form below!

Helpful Links for entering: 

Photo Card Creations site

Photo Card Creations on Facebook

Photo Card Creations on Twitter

Little Sprout Growing on Facebook

Giveaway ends on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at 11:59 pm PST.

Open to US residents.
The winner will be drawn from Random.Org
and announced on July 3rd by email.

The winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

Disclaimer: A packet of Photo Cards were provided to me free of charge by Photo Card Creations for my honest review along with a $50 coupon code. All opinions in this post are strictly mine and are my honest thoughts on the product.

Two Sweet Potatoes Cloth Wipes Review & Giveaway

I had the privilege of being contacted by Nikki of Two Sweet Potatoes to do a review and giveaway of her cloth baby wipes.


Nikki has two little  boys who have inspired her to make healthy products for her family - including things like cloth wipes made from organic bamboo velour like the ones I tried out!


Everything in Two Sweet Potatoes shop is lovely as well as functional, which I think we can appreciate as parents. Not only does she carry organic cloth wipes, but burp cloths, bibs and clothing.


The Review:
I received a set of Organic Bamboo Velour Wipes in apple and turquoise. 
The first thing I loved was the packaging. As soon as I pulled them out of the package I was impressed with how they were tissue-wrapped with a logo sticker. 
Next, I opened the tissue and there was a tag with the fiber content (80% organic bamboo, 20% organic cotton) and washing instructions.

Then the real test - actual use. These wipes are a great size measuring 7.25x4.25 inches. They will fit into a warmer or container without needing to be folded. I tend to just leave mine out on the changing table with my dipes because I'm lazy. They are the perfect size for avoiding sprays (those with boys understand that statement) or wiping damp bottoms. 


My son grabbed a wipe one day and started rubbing his face and saying, "mmm.....!" These wipes are the softest things you've ever felt! Perfect for little, sensitive bottoms or noses! He had a cold while we were reviewing these wipes and they were perfect for wiping his runny nose and I wasn't worried about the wipe irritating his sensitive skin. 


AND they come in a lovely array of colors!
Natural, orange, turquoise, apple, orchid or fuchsia - and you can custom order color combinations!

A few other Fast Facts about these wipes from Nikki's etsy shop:

*2 Ply, Double-sided organic bamboo velour
*Ultra soft for sensitive skin
*Eco-friendly diaper wipes
*Washcloths
*Removing makeup
*Works well just with water or with your favorite wipes solution
*These wipes are hand finished. I do not use chemical fray block

To top it off, the owner of Two Sweet Potatoes, Nikki, is wonderful to work with and I can just imagine how great her customer service is to her customers.

The Giveaway!

Nikki is giving away one set of her cloth wipes

to one Little Sprout Growing reader!

To ENTER - please fill out the form below. Comments on this post are welcome, but WILL NOT COUNT as entries.

Helpful Links:

Two Sweet Potatoes Etsy Shop

Two Sweet Potatoes Facebook Page

Giveaway ends on Friday, June 10, 2011 at 11:59 pm PST. 

Open to US residents only.

Winner will be selected by Random.Org 

and will be emailed on Saturday, June 11th.

The winner will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is drawn.

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Cloth Review: Trimsies Diapers and Trainers (& Giveaway!)

This is a very unique review/giveaway post! I'm pretty excited about it! I will have 3 reviews in this post - a Trimsies Diaper review, a Trimsies Trainer review and a Trimsies Pattern reivew.


I first heard about a Trimsies diaper on one of the mommy blogs that I read. I was intrigued by the mom's review, so I Googled Trimsies and found the Trimsies website where I discovered that you can buy a pattern to make your own Trimsies diaper! Awesome!


You can either buy the Trimsies Diaper pattern for $8.00 for your personal use OR you can purchase a 12-month Trimsies license for $50 (Go here for more information on the licensing process)


My mom and I decided we'd try it out. She was already sewing some diapers for me, so she had most of the materials on hand. She downloaded the 18-page pattern and tried it out.


The Diaper Review: 
My Trimsies diaper is very trim. The waist dips under the belly and is side-snapping. My mom has also modified her Trimsies diaper to use Aplix tabs instead of snaps and I like it  both ways. This particular one below has the PUL sandwiched between the lining and a cute flannel fabric. The exciting part about being able to make your own is all the creative things you can do with your diapers. Go to the Gallery on the Trimsies website to see some great examples.

The pattern includes a small, medium and large sizes. My son is 30lb and currently wearing the large size. I would say that in general, these diapers run slightly smaller than other brands we've tried, but that also helps with the trimness factor.

This is an All-in-One (AIO) diaper, meaning the cover and soakers are all one piece. This is very easy AND the way it is designed allows for clean washing and quick drying times. I have no problem drying these diapers with my pocket diapers and pull-out inserts and having them come out dry together. As you can see the soaker is attached at the front of the diaper only, allowing it to come away from the diaper during washing and drying while still staying in one piece.

Pros: Overall this is a great diaper - it has good absorbency and it fits nicely under clothes because it's not bulky. The side snaps allow you to adjust the waist and legs separately. The design makes for easy washing and drying.
Cons: Smaller fit - may not fit babies as long as other brands.

The Trainer Review: 
Trimsies also sells a pattern for a cloth trainer for $8.00! Now this is something we are going to be needing in the near future. My son just turned two and we are starting to think about potty training. Monique from Trimsies graciously offered me the Trimsies trainer pattern, so I could do a review on it!

The trainer pattern is a 54-page document and sizes include Extra Small, Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large. Pattern pieces and instructions are provided for making basic style trainers, low-rise, overnight, snapping, and trainers bound using fold-over elastic.


My mom made me up a trainer.

This is a Medium size, which fits my 30lb toddler pretty well. Medium is supposed to be about the size of 2T, which is what he wears, so I think that's just about right on.

As you can see there is elastic around the waistband and leg openings, and it's still a pretty trim fit. His clothes fit great over it. We aren't actually potty-training quite yet, so I didn't leave it on long enough to find out how it absorbed, but I can't see that there would be any leaking issues; it looks pretty leak-proof to me.

My mom had some different colored PUL left over, so she made the side panels a different color, which is kind of fun. Another example of why it's kind of fun to make your own!

Here's a look at it from the inside and without being on a child.

Overall, I'm excited about using it. It looks like it'll be a great trainer for potty-training and my son kind of liked  getting to pull it on himself! AND I think it seems more like "underwear" than a Pull-Up would.

Want to buy a ready-to-wear Trimsies Diaper or Trainer?

Find a shop with a certified Trimsies licensee!

The Pattern Review:
I didn't personally sew these up - my mom did. So I asked her to write up a little review on what she thought of the patterns, instructions, etc.

I’ve made both the diaper pattern and the trainer.  Both patterns were well-drafted and had good instructions.   After making the diaper, I feel the pattern runs a little small.  I made it both with the snaps as designed and one that had an Aplix closure.  

The trainer was easy to make.  I would have appreciated a little more information on choice of inner fabrics and suggestions for the soaker.  I made it with a suede cloth inner and a couple layers of warm and natural for the soaker, but the next one I think I’ll use either Zorb or micro terry for the soaker, a PUL outside, and a flannel or knit fabric for the liner.  I think using the suede cloth defeats the purpose of the child feeling wet.

My mom said there wasn't much in the way of fabric suggestions on the pattern, but after a little searching, I realized that there is more pattern info on the Trimsies website. There is a whole page on Fabric Recommendations. 

Also, in Monique's Etsy shop, SewMeAGarden, she sells fun things like these labels and clear elastic that may be harder to find other places. 


So there you go! Are you a mom who can sew? Be creative and make your own cloth diapers with a Trimsies pattern!

Giveaway!

Are you a sewing mama? 

Want to sew your own Trimsies Diaper or Trainer?

Monique from Trimsies has offered a 

Little Sprout Growing reader a FREE Trimsies PATTERN

Winners choice of either a Diaper pattern OR Trainer pattern.

TO ENTER - Please fill out the form below. 

Comments on this post are welcome, but WILL NOT COUNT as entries.

# of entries as of 4/16/11 at 1:48 pm PST: 90

Helpful Links for entering:

Trimsies Website

Trimsies Facebook Page

Trimsies/SewMeAGarden Etsy site

Trimies/SewMeAGarden Hyenacart site

Giveaway ends on Monday, April 16, 2011 at 11:59 pm PST. Open to US and International residents. The winner will be drawn from Random.Org and annouced on April 17th by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

Disclaimer: A copy of the Trimsies Trainer Pattern was provided to me free of charge by Trimsies owner Monique for my honest review. All opinions in this post are strictly mine and are my honest thoughts on the product.









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Cloth Review: Sweet Cheeks Diaper Wash & Pail Powder

Becca from My Posh Nest was nice enough to take some time out of her busy schedule to mail me a sample of her awesome Sweet Cheeks Pail Powder and Sweet Cheeks Cloth Diaper Wash for review!


I was really impressed by both of these products. First of all they came in cheery packaging, which is always a bonus when you're going to be using it for something as un-fun as diaper laundry.

Second of all, IT WORKS GREAT! I would say I like this stuff better than I liked my trial of Rockin' Green.
On the back of this postcard, Becca send some washing instructions. I followed them exactly and my wash came out wonderful - no stink and a little sweet smelling!

One little Tablespoon of Sweet Cheeks Cloth Laundry Wash does it - which means it is a great deal. It's only $7.00 for a 45/90 bag of detergent. 

More great things about this Sweet Cheeks:

• It is handmade from all natural, vegan - friendly, super wonderful ingredients that will get your diapers nice and clean and keep them smelling fresh. 
• It is free of enzymes, dyes and optical brighteners
• It is clean rinsing, which helps save water on extra rinsing.
• It comes in a bunch of awesome scents like: Naked Baby (Unscented), Peppermint Forest, Sleepytime, Monkey Farts, Apple Mango Tango, Sweet Clementine, Cotton & Blossoms, Buttercream Cupcake, Cucumber Melon, Baby Bee & Pink Sugar

I got a sample of Buttercream Cupcake, which as I said, left a nice sweet smell to my diapers. I didn't know my diapers could smell like that!

Sweet Cheeks Pail Powder is also a great product. I had never used a pail powder before and I was pleased with how this worked. I just sprinkle in a little powder out of the shaker onto my dirty diapers every time I throw I diaper in the pail and it helps keep down the stink.

It comes in a 8oz refillable shaker for $4.00 and is available in 5 different scents. I received a 

sample of Baby Bee, which had a nice clean and slightly sweet scent.

You can also purchase a Cloth Diaper Laundry Package for $14.00, which includes a full size bag of Diaper Wash, 8oz shaker of Pail Powder, a handmade wool dryer ball and a little wooden scoop for your diaper washing! 

I think this would make an awesome starter package for someone - or maybe as a gift to a new cloth diapering mama?

Check out more from MyPostNest here on her website or 
check her out on Facebook!

Disclaimer: I received a sample of Sweet Cheeks Diaper Wash and Pail Powder from MyPostNest for review. I did not receive any other compensation and I have given my honest opinion in this review.

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