Product Review

Sending out My Love: A Tiny Prints Valentine Review

January 30, 2012 2 Comments

Do you have your kid’s valentines ready for school yet? I love to shop the clearance section of stores when all the valentines are on discount to have them for the next year. The problem with this strategy is that my oldest daughter’s interests tend to change at a fairly quick pace. So even though I may have bought valentines that she loved the year I bought them, she may think they are “babyish” the next year.

So this year I have been perusing the Valentine card offerings at Tiny Print. You may be surprised to know that Tiny Prints is more than baby announcements and Christmas cards. They have all your holidays covered as well. Here are some of their cute offerings for this Valentine season:

You can get the traditional…

Or the unique ones…

I love the fact that they offer all of your kid’s favorites…trains, dinosaurs, Dora, Blue’s Clues, superheroes, princesses. You name it, Tiny Prints probably has a Valentine for it! What is especially nice is that you can have them personalize the cards and simply hand them out in class. This is so wonderful for the younger sect that hasn’t mastered writing their name yet! (Also, Free Shipping on ALL Orders with Code: FREESHIP12).

I think out of the choices above, the one I would pick is the Be Mine valentine. I love the simplicity of the message. (I may be a tiny bit swayed by the picture of the cute girl eating the cupcake too!) It would be neat to have a photo message card that my daughters could give out. This factor would definitely make them unique from the standard Star Wars, etc. ones.

In case you were wondering, the Tiny Prints Valentines aren’t just for kids, either! They also offer lovely Valentine cards to give to the sweetheart in your life..

If you order a card today (1/30) they are 99¢ each! Simply enter the code: vday99.

Interested on how to find Tiny Prints? They are everywhere you are on the interwebs.

Please check them out and follow then on:

Full Disclosure: While I was asked to write to this post for free 50 classroom valentines from Tiny Prints, I freely chose to do it and the opinion here within is completely mine and mine alone. Cause I just love their cute cards!

Filed Under: cards, kid_valentines, Product Review, Tiny_Prints, Valentines

Get Thee to the Mailbox! A Tiny Prints Review

November 29, 2011 1 Comment

Do you still send out Christmas cards? We do, but I have the sneaky feeling we are in the minority. I don’t know if it is due to cost or just the fact that everyone already knows what everyone else is already doing due to Facebook or whatever, but the amount of Christmas cards that arrive in our mailbox has been on the decline for the last few years. I also think it is a generational thing. My mother has not seen a change in her Christmas card bounty. Then again she is, and has always been, more popular than me.

Anyway…I do love me some Christmas cards. Especially ones that have photos. For this year, I have been perusing the online selections at Tiny Prints. I love their selection this year! I swear each year it gets better and better and thus harder for me to settle on just one card. Here are the choices I am currently mulling over. Perhaps you can help me choose.

I really like the overall message in this one.

I love the colors in this one. Will go with our family photo.

How unique would this be? An ornament as a card! Too cool.

See how hard it is? So many great choices! I hope that more will be inspired to take the time to send out holiday greetings this year. It means so much to get that special piece of mail that contains a hand written note and/or photo. You never grow tired of that thrill.

Full Disclosure: I was asked to write about Tiny Prints current holiday cards collection in exchange for 50 free cards. This compensation, while a nice bonus, in no way influenced my opinion of their product.

Filed Under: Christmas Cards, Product Review, Tiny_Prints

Time Island Virtual World: A review

August 10, 2011 Leave a Comment

Miss M and I were recently given the opportunity to explore the virtual game Time Island. In not so many words, Miss M loved it! What is Time Island? It is a Survivor type game that tests your skills to outwit, outlast and out maneuver the creepy creatures show above, the Goggs.

There are so many things to explore and do in this virtual world. Time literally flies when you are on it and that can be a good thing and a not so good thing! One thing that Miss M love to do was the Fashion Passion area where she could dress a character any way she wanted in a wide array of choices. From hair style to clothes to accessories, the decisions to be made were seemingly endless and right up a six year olds alley.

I think Miss M would get even more out of this game as she gets older. You can form tribes and really use strategy to beat those Goggs. This is a skill that she really doesn’t have yet but perhaps when she is 8 or 10 will really get into.

Time Island is still in the beta form so it is working out all the kinks, etc. Still, I encourage you to check it out with your kids. It is not mindless internet entertainment and is a fun thing to explore as a family.

Disclaimer: I was given the opportunity to review this website via Mom Select and BSM Media. I was not compensated in any shape or form for my honest opinion.

Filed Under: Product Review, Time_Island

Are You In Need of a Survival Guide for Your Tween? A Review

June 21, 2011 Leave a Comment

The Discovery Girls Magazine’s Survival Guide, a collector’s edition of the past ten years of the magazine, is about to hit the newsstand a week from today! I was lucky enough to be given an advance copy to aid in my giveaway going on now. As you can see from the photo above, Miss M. couldn’t wait to get her hands on the magazine as well! This edition is chock full of advice, quizzes, embarrassing moments, and everything else that the tween in your life loves to read and talk about. It is very well organized into the sections that Discovery Girls is known for and neatly shows how girls questions and concerns haven’t really changed over the ten years.

What I really appreciated is the background story of Discovery Girls in the making. It is a truly inspiring story of one mom’s quest to find something better and more meaningful for her daughter to read. The other part of this edition that I really enjoyed reading was the “Girls Changing the World: Role Model Contest Winners” pages. These girls are your average girl doing extraordinary things. What an inspiration for not just a tween to read but truly anyone. I love that! Lastly, I loved the lack of ads blasting a counter message to what Discovery Girls is preaching. If there are any ads, they are truly understated and fit right in.

With this special edition, come two FREE gifts! One is a style guide booklet and the other are stickers. Miss M ran off with the stickers shortly after I had her pose for her picture! I remember loving stickers at this age and older so I am sure they won’t last long in any household. The style guide is a neat item that girls can put in their purse and take with them shopping, etc. It provides photos of real life girls modeling different “looks” and then shows the different clothes that make up that outfit. Some of the looks are “Preppy Perfect” “Beachy Chic” and “Boho Beat.” This guide is really like having your own stylist in your pocket!

Overall, I really liked the Survival Guide and recommend it especially to anyone that may be curious about Discovery Girls Magazine but not quite ready to comment to a subscription. It really is the best of what Discovery Girls has to offer.

Check it out!

Buy It! Available everywhere next Tuesday, June 28th for $9.95!

Win It! Go to my giveaway here and you could win it along with a full year subscription and Fab Girls book series.

Disclaimer: I received the above item free of charge from the magazine but the thoughts are all mine.

Filed Under: Discovery_Girls_Magazine, Product Review

BabyBond: A Nursing Mom’s Dream (Review & GIVEAWAY!!) NOW CLOSED!

April 7, 2011 109 Comments

With both of my girls, I was able to breastfeed them for the first full year of their lives. I was happy to do this and was thankful I was able to (and didn’t have the added expense of formula, etc). With Miss M, I never breastfed her in public. She was an October baby so we spent the greater part of that winter indoors anyway. If we were out, I would feed her in the car or just wait until we reached our destination. I would always go into another room if we were not at home. As a new mom, I was most comfortable nursing her this way and it worked fine.

When C arrived, I did not have the same luxury of staying indoors as I did with M. Now I had a 4 1/2 year old and it was summertime. My sister-in-law had bought me a nursing cover and I used that anytime we were at the park, etc. and C was hungry. I don’t remember there even being nursing covers when M was a baby. The cover was okay. C would get hot under it and sometimes bat at it instead of concentrating on eating. I was glad I had it but wasn’t completely satisfied using it.

When I was given the opportunity to review BabyBond, I jumped at the chance. It is a nursing cover, but one that doesn’t cover the baby! What a great idea! Even though my nursing days are very much behind me, I still wanted to see how the BabyBond would work. I even had a worthwhile accomplice to help me in my review, my niece Caley. She just became a new mom to a ten pound baby girl, “J”, a little over a month ago!

Here is her review of the Flex cover:

I think it is a really great concept. The thing that I like best about it is that the baby is not covered and you can have eye contact with the baby but you still are covered. The fabric is nice and soft compared to some of the other nursing covers I have seen, and it is smaller then most nursing covers so it would be easy to take with you all the time without having to worry about space. The detachable burp cloth is also really nice because it attaches and when you are out you won’t have to worry about dropping the burp cloth or anything like that. The only things I find negative would be that when you are getting baby to latch on it is less modest. Also you need to be sure you are wearing a nursing shirt for it to work or else your stomach will be exposed. I would definitely try it out, probably more in the house when I don’t want to be around people then in public because of the fact that I wouldn’t want the extra expense of buying a whole nursing wardrobe to be able to use this.

One thing that I would add to Caley’s review is that if you have shirts that will button open or a low v-neck, then you do not have to use a nursing shirt with it. Overall, I really wish I had known about BabyBond a couple of years ago, but I am glad that it is a real option for those moms that have to be on the go and those babies that hate being covered up.

Buy it! Go to BabyBond and get your own cover for $35! Enter coupon code QSP and get 25% off your order!!

Note: the sash should actually be on the left shoulder

and not the right as shown in order

for the cover to be used properly.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! THANKS!

Win it! Baby Bond has graciously offered one of my readers their choice of either the Original, Flex or Couture models.

Mandatory Entry: Visit BabyBond’s website and come back and leave a comment on which of three models (Original, Flex or Couture) you would choose AND in what color. You MUST do this first or no entries will count! Please leave your email address with this comment.

Extra Entries:

Like BabyBond on Facebook (leave your Facebook name).
Follow Queen of the Snot Princesses on Google Friend Connect (side bar — click Follow) (leave GFC name)
Follow me on twitter and tweet this: #Win a @babybond nursing cover from @yeahhappy! #breastfeeding #bfcafe LOW ENTRIES #giveaway. Include link in your comment. This can be done only ONCE.

This giveaway is offered worldwide 18+ and will end on April 14th 11:59pmCST. Winner will be chosen through random.org. Winner will be notified via e-mail. If they fail to respond within 48 hours then a new winner will be picked. Please leave your e-mail address in all your comments so that I can contact you. I will not share your e-mail with anyone, it is strictly for me to notify you if you win. GOOD LUCK!
Full Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Filed Under: Breastfeeding, C, Caley, Giveaways, Miss M, Nursing, Product Review

Review of That’s A Wrap! Cloth Diaper

February 22, 2011 3 Comments

I have been cloth diapering Little C for about 20 months now and love it! It is such a normal part of our everyday routine that I don’t even think of it as being “different.” In fact, when I see a toddler at the library or gym class and their disposable is sticking out, I think to myself, “that’s odd, they don’t use cloth.”

I have always thought that if more people got to see an actual modern cloth diaper (and no, it doesn’t require pins and rubber pants) their minds would be opened. I was excited to then learn that a cloth diaper company was going to begin selling one type of their diapers in select grocery stores. What a great way to showcase the product and perhaps make people think twice about that disposable diaper they were about to purchase.

That company is Cutey Baby and that particular diaper is That’s a Wrap! I was given the great opportunity to review this diaper and see how it fits and wears on Little C. When I first received the product, which included the diaper cover, two inserts and a roll of disposable liners, I was impressed with the color and cuteness of the cover. It is a vibrant pink and white checkerboard pattern with the label “Cutey Baby” sewn on the back of the baby’s diaper as seen here:

The front has a velcro enclosure and the inserts sit inside the cover. The inserts lay securely within the lining of the cover. This is nice for those times that the insert is the only thing that is soiled and the cover is still dry. Then you can simply take out the insert to be washed and put in a new one and reuse the cover. Here is a view of the front:

Another plus with this type of diaper is the leg gussets. This helps to keep all that yucky stuff off of your baby’s clothes. It really helps to ensure a tight fit (but not so tight that it leaves marks) in those important areas, as shown here:

Besides the diaper cover and insert, I also received a roll of their disposable liners. Before trying these I was never a big fan of liners because they would always bunch up and not really do the job for me. These liners have changed my opinion. They work well at containing the messes so that all you have to do is dump it in the toilet with the mess and flush. I have also used them when I need to put diaper rash cream on my child and I don’t want the residue to get on my diaper. Overall, these work great!

The only negative thing I have to say about this diaper concerns the velcro enclosure. Don’t get me wrong, it does it’s job in holding the diaper secure around the child. My problem is when it is time to wash the diaper. There is nowhere for the velcro to adhere to without it becoming a huge diaper chain with the other diapers in my wash! I guess you could wash the diaper with it remaining fully fastened as shown above, but I like to have mine open to make sure the water gets to where it needs to in order to fully clean the diaper.

Overall, I definitely recommend this diaper! It does the job and offers a lot of neat features for an item that you wouldn’t normally find at your local grocery store. I highly encourage you to check them out and perhaps pick some up whenever you at your local Jewel/Albertson stores. If there is not a store in your area, they are also available on Amazon.

Disclaimer: I received this diaper plus disposable liners at no cost, but it in no way shaped or influenced my review. All opinions are strictly my own and your results may be different upon using this product.

Filed Under: Cloth Diapers, Cutey Baby, Disposable Liners, Little C, Product Review

Eco Sprout Laundry Soap – Review & GIVEAWAY!! CLOSED!

December 30, 2010 172 Comments

What (or who) is Eco Sprout? It was started by a WAHD (that’s right, a work at home dad!) who wanted to find a detergent that would not just clean cloth diapers, but also his family’s laundry. Jared wanted a soap that was “free from enzymes, phosphates and is 100% biodegradable” and set out to make that happen himself. He takes great care in his product and even manufactures it himself.

Eco Sprout detergent is available in the following scents: Lavender Chamomile, Warm Vanilla Sugar, Fresh Linen, Vanilla Sandalwood, In the Buff (unscented) and a seasonal scent, which is currently Cinnamon Sticks. Eco Sprout promises that the scent is purely for your enjoyment and will not transfer into the smell of your clothes. I was sent a large sample bag of the Lavender Chamomile laundry detergent.

What did I think? First thing I noticed was the scent! So pleasant. Just having the bag sit on the shelf gave my laundry room a great aroma. It definitely made dumping those dirty diapers into the washer a slightly more tolerable experience! After I washed and dried my diapers and cloth wipes, I did notice a slight scent linger on the wipes. No scent was detected on the diapers and the scent on the wipes was not strong and did not last into the next day. I also used the detergent on my regular clothes using both a warm and cold wash. The clothes came out clean and had no underlying scent or odor. One thing I especially noticed was that with my regular laundry soap, the undershirts would sometimes hold their odor even after a wash. This was NOT the case with Eco Sprout. It worked GREAT!

After my daughter peed on her diaper, I did notice that it had a slight ammonia smell. I quickly went on Eco Sprout’s Facebook page and noticed that I had not followed their instructions fully. They advise that whenever you start a new detergent you should first soak them in hot water with 3 tablespoons of their detergent and soak for at least 3 hours or overnight if possible. Then after draining the tub, wash again with 2 full hot washes/cold water rinses but do not use any more detergent. Upon reading this, I washed all of my diapers as they instructed and did not encounter any more ammonia scent nor was the scent of the detergent found on my wipes any more.

I give this detergent a THUMBS UP! It worked as it said it would and made my laundry room smell great, too! I was especially impressed to find a detergent that would work for ALL my laundry needs!

BUY IT: You can buy your own bag of Eco Sprout detergent in your choice of scent for only $13.98 and right now shipping is just $3.00!

WIN IT: You can win your very own large sample bag (cleans about 6 loads) in the Sandalwood Vanilla scent shown here! (Cute toddler not included).

MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit EcoSprout’s website and come back and leave me a comment on what your favorite scent is. You must do this first or no entries will count! Please leave your email address with this entry.

Extra Entries:

Like Eco Sprout on Facebook (leave your Facebook name).
Follow Queen of the Snot Princesses on Google Friend Connect (side bar — click Follow) (leave GFC name).
Follow me on twitter (leave your Twitter name)

This giveaway is offered to US residents 18+ and will end on January 13th 11:59pmCST. Winner will be chosen through random.org. Winner will be notified via e-mail. If they fail to respond within 48 hours then a new winner will be picked. Please leave your e-mail address in all your comments so that I can contact you. I will not share your e-mail with anyone, it is strictly for me to notify you if you win. GOOD LUCK!
Full Disclosure: I was given this product by the supplier at no cost to me but the opinion here within is entirely my own. You may experience a different result upon using this product.

Filed Under: C, Detergent, Eco-Friendly, Giveaways, Laundry, Product Review

Once Upon a Mattress (a review)

December 3, 2010 3 Comments

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Princess Miss M who had to sleep on a crib mattress that had belonged to her lovely cousin, Princess Caley and her siblings. Now the mattress was fine and sturdy since it had lasted for many many MANY years. But it was beginning to show its age. You see, Princess Caley is fifteen years older than Princess Miss M. Nevertheless, Miss M slumbered with no problems for three years on said mattress. Then her sister was born. Princess Baby C also acquired the slumbering aid. By this time, their mother, the Queen, had discovered the wonders of the internet and all that it can behold. She found a website, Go Green Street, that was having a giveaway for a crib mattress. Oh, what joy it would be if she would win this. Perhaps Baby C would sleep longer and more restful if this dream would come true! So the Queen entered said contest and crossed her fingers and waited.

Then, one day, she was checking her email and behold…she had won! Fanfare and trumpets were heard throughout the land as the good word was heard. After a bit of a wait, the magical mattress finally appeared at the Queen’s doorstep! Hooray! The Queen quickly set to work at placing the new mattress into the crib and taking out the old. She immediately could see a difference. There were no spaces from the mattress to the crib railings. It was a solid well-made mattress that was constructed out of coconut husks and wrapped in lambswool. Sweet slumber would quickly come to the Princess Baby C!

Alas, many slumber filled nights have be felled the land since that joyful day and although Princess C is definitely now a fine sleeper, one can not be confident that it is because of the fine mattress. Do not get me wrong, my lovely reader, it is a top of the line mattress and full of organic natural goodness. High recommendations abound, but be forewarned of the cost of this piece of wonder. That is the sad part of this tale but one the Queen did not have to pay. Hip Hip Hooray!

——-
Side Note: When Miss M saw me downloading these pictures, she said, “Those are just pictures of a mattress. No one is going to want to read about that!” Is she right?…

Filed Under: Baby C, Crib Mattress, Miss M, Organic, Product Review, Winnings

Miss M’s Twin! A My Twinn Review.

November 4, 2010 2 Comments

As some of you know, I love to enter giveaways that I find online. I have decided to start to review those products that I have been lucky enough to win. Here is the first of a hopefully weekly series.

As part of Miss M’s present from us, she received a My Twinn doll that I had won from the Happily Domestic blog. If you are not familiar with My Twinn, it is a doll like an American Girl doll. The biggest difference is that My Twinn is made to look like your child! This “magically” happens after you full out their extensive questionnaire and submit a picture of your special child. What most impressed me about the questionnaire was how detailed it was. It even asked if she had any freckles (how many and where) so that they could replicate. After that is received, their artisans go to work to create a truly one of a kind doll.

Miss M on her b-day with her Twinn.

The doll takes about 4 weeks to be handcrafted and shipped to your home. When I first opened the box, I was a bit amazed. It was almost like looking at Miss M in the future, say when she is 8 or so. I was impressed by the craftsmanship and detail they put into this doll. M has a few freckles on the bridge of her nose and so does her twin! Also, M wears a barrette on the left side of her hair. Her twin was delivered with a ponytail and a bow on her left side as well.

C showing how big the doll is. Almost as big as her!

The only negative thing about this doll is the cost of her clothes. She comes in one outfit (you choose from 3 or 4 options). Of course, after receiving her doll, Miss M wanted more clothes…especially ones for herself that would match her doll. Well, to get an outfit for both the doll and your child, it will cost over 50 bucks! To get just another outfit for the doll will cost you from twenty to thirty dollars. A bit pricey for me for doll clothes.

Overall, if you are looking for an unique gift for that special girl in your life, then you might want to consider My Twinn. As for the doll’s clothes, perhaps make your own or find someone who can!

A special thanks to Happily Domestic & My Twinn for the giveway that I won!

P.S. Check out Happily Domestic’s site today (11/4) for a special post about someone you might know…