What I think about...Princess Couture Designs- Giveaway!

I know it has been forever since I have posted anything but hopefully having a giveaway will redeem myself in y'alls eyes!  :)


A little while back I was super blessed to win $15 dollars to Princess Couture Designs from Mommy's Memorandum!  I was so excited to pick out some hair clips for Little L!  Michellene was SO great to work with and after much debating I choose a 4th of July set she had already made and then had her custom design a monogramed clip and a set of 3 clips.  

Here's the Miss America Set I choose!

For the monogramed clip I just told her I wanted the letter L with hearts and that she could pick the color scheme.  I'm so glad I just let Michellene be creative because look at how cute this turned out!

It is AMAZING how many outfits this matches!

I think I was most impressed with Michellene when it came to designing my set of 3 clips.  I had seen this Rock Star Bow and was in love with the colors but I knew Little L would NOT be interested in keeping a headband on!  

I was also head over heals for this set so I asked Michellene to make me something like this set in the Rock Star colors and here is what she sent me:

 Seriously this set is just TOO CUTE and exactly what I had imagined!  I was just so blown away by Michellene's ability to create exactly what I asked for!

The workmanship on the bows is something else I was really impressed with.  Everything is lined up perfectly and feels very solid.  I know these are bows Little L will be wearing for years!  Also, they all have no slip grip on them which really helps keep them in place in Little L's fine hair.

So what do I really think about Princess Couture Designs?  I think they're FABULOUS!  I loved them so much I emailed Michellene and asked her if she would sponsor a giveaway so I can share with you how great I think her products are!

Michellene said yes and has allowed me to do a giveaway so one of you can win your choice of a customized monogrammed clip or a set of three clips similar to what I got!

This giveaway will close on July 16th at 10pm CST.  I will use random.org to pick the winner on July 17th.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email I send before I select a different winner!  Make sure to include your email in at least one of your comments so I can be sure to contact you!

So here's how you can win:

Mandatory Entry (this must be done first for the other entries to count)

Head on over to Princess Couture Designs and tell me something she's got that you would love to have or what you would have her design for you if you win!

Extra Entries (Do any or all of these but please leave a separate comment for each so they all count!)

1. Publicly follow Princess Couture Designs on Google Friend Connect

2. Like Princess Couture Designs on Facebook and tell her I sent you!

3. Publicly follow me on Google Friend connect (2 entries - make sure you leave 2 separate comments)

4. Follow me on Twitter

5. Blog about this giveaway and make sure to link back to this page (3 entries - make sure you leave 3 separate comments)

6. Tweet about this giveaway and then leave a comment with the link to your tweet!  Make sure you use @mommyericae and include a link back to this post.  You can use the tweet below if you want.  (Tweet once each day for extra entries)

Win a handmade bow for your little one from Princess Couture Designs and @mommyericae! Enter here http://bit.ly/9RJw0w #giveaway ends 7/16 

Happy winnings to you all!  :)

I was awarded all products reviewed as a prize from a blog giveaway.  All opinions stated are my own and were in no way influenced by anyone!

EcoMom Review and Giveaway!

WooHoo!  My long awaited first giveaway is here!  Sorry it took so long but I wanted to make sure I did my best on this since it is my first of many (I hope)!

EcoMom was so gracious to send me a Plum Organics Sampler for Little L to try out!  Now, I don't really consider my self to be very "crunchy" or "green" but I do like to make sure that my babe gets the best foods to help her grow (not to say that she hasn't sampled such fabulous food offerings as the pop tart and bologna but lets not focus on that right now...).  Needless to say I was really excited for the chance to try out some healthy snack options for Little L and share my thoughts with you!  The sampler I received had a box of Plum Organics Apple Carrot Fiddlesticks and a couple Plum Organics Strawberry Mish Mash and Plum Organics Peach Mish Mash.

Little L was excited to see what was in the box when I opened it up and the first thing she wanted me to do was open up the Fiddlesticks!  She seemed to like them well enough and I really like the fact that they have veggies in them.  They are shaped like sticks which is fun and not like any of the other snacks I have gotten for her before.  The texture is perfect since they aren't to hard but they aren't too mushy or crumbly either!

What a look!

Next we tried out the Mish Mash, which is basically fruit puree in a pouch.  The first one Little L tried went FAST!  She basically sucked the whole thing down and didn't even make a mess (which I have to admit I was expecting it to be pretty messy).  She has since eaten the other samples we got and unfortunately our no mess run didn't last very long...but I have to say they are super yummy!  (Yes I steal my babe's snacks sometimes...I'm not afraid to admit it!)  I think what I like the most about these is their packaging.  They don't require refrigeration before opening so they would be great to throw in the diaper bag for those much needed snacks-before-a-meltdown-happens moments!  Another bonus is the fact that you can close them up again with the screw on cap in case your little one doesn't finish the whole thing.


About EcoMom
EcoMom is a web based store that helps you take small steps to healthier living.  It was "founded to address the connection between the health of our environment and the health of our children, EcoMom is committed to making eco-conscious living easy, affordable, and rewarding with education, support, tools and products." (from their website)  They don't just carry yummy foods!  You will find everything from high chairs to puzzles at EcoMom!

A new program they are currently offering is called EcoPass.  For a $99 annual membership you get a 15% discount on every order, as well as free shipping with no $75 minimum requirement!


Now onto the giveaway!  EcoMom has generously offered one of you guys $20 worth of Plum and/or Revolution Foods!  This giveaway closes on June 11th at 10:00pm CST.  I will use random.org to pick the winner on June 12th.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email I send before I select a different winner!  Make sure to include your email in at least one of your comments so I can easily contact you.

I know you really want to win so here's what'cha gotta do:

Mandatory Entry (This must be done for the extra entries to count)
Check out EcoMom and then come back and leave me a comment letting me know which of the snacks you think looks the yummiest!

Extra Entries (Do any or all of these but please leave a separate comment for each to make sure they all count!)
1. Follow EcoMom on Twitter
2. "Like" EcoMom on Facebook
3. Join EcoMom's newsletter
4. Publicly follow me on Google Friend Connect (2 entries - make sure you leave 2 separate comments!)
5. Follow me on Twitter
6. Blog about this giveaway with a link back here (2 entries - make sure you leave 2 separate comments and the link to your post!)
7. Tweet about this giveaway then leave a comment with the link to your tweet!  Make sure you include @mommyericae and a link back to this giveaway.  You can use the tweet below if you want!  (Tweet once each day for extra entries!)

Win $20 worth of #organic toddler food from @mommyerice!  Enter Here: http://bit.ly/dl4UCu #giveaway ends 6/11


I wish you could all win but I can only pick one!  However, EcoMom is giving you all a 15% discount off your first order!  Just use SBBL352 as your code and it will be good through June 30th, 2010 at
Eco-friendly Baby Products-EcoMom.

The featured product{s} in this post were provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or pr company representing the company. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. Please view The Elwells' Weekly Disclosure Policy for more information.

Little L's 15 month photos by Creative Connections Photography

At the beginning of the month I had the privilege of getting Little L's 15 month pictures taken by Christy at Creative Connections Photography!  It was great because I was able to get a super special facebook deal with her where it was a 30 min sitting and 5 digital images on a cd for free!  Seriously such an amazing blessing!  We first had Little L's pictures taken with Christy back in November when she was 9 months old (Little L, not the photographer!).  Those pictures turned out fabulous so I was really excited to see what kind of shots we would get with the spring colors and Little L being so much more mobile!

Thankfully it had been warm really early so there was LOTS of green!  And Little L was definitely mobile!  She was acting like the little toddler she is and she wanted to do what she wanted to do.  No questions asked!  You can see how serious she is when we are in a new setting but thankfully we got some great smiles in as well!

My absolute favorite is picture #7 where she is on the bridge with the petticoat!  Really though, I love them all and so it was, of course, hard to choose which 5 to get for our CD.  Since we aren't very good at narrowing them down and the grandparents couldn't bear to part with some of the shots, Christy gave us a great deal on one of her packages so we ended up getting 11 of the digital copies, the grandparents got some prints and I got a proof book with every picture in it.

One of the things I love the most about Christy is the special touches she puts on the product she sells.  First off, she hand delivered the cd and proof book to our house!  (Well, actually her little helper, her daughter, handed them to me!)  Everything was in a simple brown paper bag with a Creative Connections Photography sticker.  There was a personal note on the box containing the cd and proof book thanking me and letting me know she had included 8 free wallets!  What a nice surprise!  There was even a pretty green ribbon tied around the wallets to keep them together.  Such a nice touch!  

I think what I love the most though would have to be the cd holder.  It is a tri-fold that holds the cd in the center and there are some beautiful shots and information about Creative Connections and the best part is that the usage license is on one flap!  That way I don't have to worry about where I stuck my copy of it!  (I was going to include some shots of the packaging and such but I'm not a photographer, hence the reason I rave about Christy, and I figured I wouldn't want to take away from her great shots! You can believe me that everything arrives like a cute little present from a boutique!)

I know there are a LOT of great photographers in this world (and I know some of you personally!) but if you are in the Twin Cities area and are looking for a fabulous family photographer than be sure to check out Creative Connections Photography!  (and tell Christy I sent you!)  :)

Now on to the pictures!  Feel free to talk about how cute my baby is!  (Oh, and I know...she needs a haircut...believe me it will happen soon!)

What I think about...Read and Share DVD Bible: The Jesus Series, Life and Miracles

I love having DVDs for Little L to watch when mommy "just needs a minute"!  When I am picking something for her to watch, though,  I prefer that it have content that will feed her spirit.  Right now she is just like a little sponge soaking up everything she watches so I am really mindful of what I put on for her.  That is why I jumped at the chance to review the Read and Share DVD Bible: The Jesus Series, Life and Miracles!  I was already familiar with the Read and Share Bible series of books so I knew that this DVD would be full of the Word of God in a way that Little L could understand and enjoy!

This video focuses on the ministry of Jesus from the calling of his disciples to the Last Supper.  And unlike the 3-minute, bite-size story format of the Read and Share DVD Bible Volumes 1-4, this DVD is an uninterrupted half hour presentation.  However, each individual message or story (i.e. Jesus feeding the 5,000 or Jesus walking on water) is only a few minutes long and easy for a little one to follow.  I would say that little ones as young as 12 months all the way up to 5 year olds can enjoy watching this DVD.

While Little L is only 16 months old she still sat and watched the 30 min show almost in it's entirety!  She seemed to like the animation and was often pointing at the screen to show me things!  I enjoyed the animation as well and the way the passages of the Bible came to life.  I even learned something new!  I remember Jesus healing quite a few people but for some reason didn't realize that he had healed Simon Peter's mother in law.  Most importantly the rendering of each Bible passage is true to the actual verses while being simplified for a little one to understand.  This is definitely a DVD that will be in rotation at our home!

Title: Read and Share Bible: The Jesus Series, Life and Miracles
Categories: Children's, Christian, Animated
Format: DVD
For: Children (1-5 years old)
Summary: 30 min long presentation of Jesus' ministry including Jesus calling His disciples, feeding 5,000 people, healing the sick, teaching about God's kingdom and introducing the Lord's Supper.
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Purchase: amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, Christianbook.com


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

What I think about...ISpy bags from Baby Love Blankies

Just recently I was blessed to win an itsy bitsy ispy bag made by Baby Love Blankies from Take it From Me's giveaway.  It was the first blog giveaway I won and I was SO excited!

When it came in the mail I couldn't wait to open the package and let Little L play with it! She was definitely intrigued  and I think she really liked the way all of the beads felt inside.  She is still too young to really search for something in particular but she still has a good time just looking in the window and moving the stuff around.

The hubby and I on the other had were hooked!  We both had to find everything on the list and we wouldn't stop until we did!  I know that this will definitely be a go to diaper bag toy for years to come!

The ispy bag we got had a super cute pattern of jungle animals.  (I choose that pattern since I figured it would be a good gender neutral option since we are hoping Baby #2 will be a boy...and NO I am not pregnant but I do like to plan ahead!)  It came nicely wrapped in tissue paper with a business card and a code for 10% off my next purchase.  The ispy bag itself has really great stitching and it looks like it will hold up for years to come.  I am always impressed by what some people can do at home since I am not overly crafty myself!

I would most definitely think about purchasing one of these for a birthday gift for a toddler.  It is fun to play with, nicely made, and a great size for throwing in the diaper bag or purse!

Thanks again Baby Loves Blankies and Take it From Me!

Here's one more picture of Little L having fun with the ispy bag!