Bugaboo's Closet Etsy Shop Giveaway

I'm so excited to share this fun giveaway with you! And yes, this is me shamelessly self-promoting my very own Etsy Shop, Bugaboo's Closet.

A little about my shop: I try to create timeless styles that can be worn for multiple seasons and years. The dresses I feature in my shop are designed to last. I use high-quality fabrics, and notions, and each item is handmade with lots of love.

My friends and family have been working hard to support me and spread the word about my latest business venture, and to show my enthusiasm and appreciation I'm ready to host my first giveaway. This giveaway requires a little more work on your part than my usual blog giveaways, as you have to go on Facebook to enter. But the lucky winner will be able to select their own fabric and size for a FREE pair of kids lounge pants!  How's that for a prize?  Win a pair of PJ pants made to order! So here's how to enter:

1. Go to www.facebook.com/bugaboosclosetnc -click the "like" button..
2. Once there, Share the giveaway picture on your Facebook page. -click the "share" button, write a little something if you want, and click post.  It will post to your timeline.
3. Leave a comment on the giveaway picture to be entered to WIN! -this is important.  Sharing or liking without commenting won't count as an entry.  So make sure you let me know!

That's it... 3 little steps and you're on your way to a free pair of comfy adorable pants like these:

And here's a few fabric samples that I have in stock.  You can see all the choices in the "Flannel" album on my FB page.  Seriously... I only sew with the cutest stuff.  Who wouldn't love to win these?  Now GO ENTER!

Crayola Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to post #4, Brittney who said, "my daughter would love these!! we have a ton of crayola stuff and it all gets used."  I've sent you an email, please get your shipping info to me ASAP. I hope you and your daughter love the new Crayola products!

*Sorry for no Random.org picture... Blogger isn't letting me upload this AM.*

Crayola Review and Giveaway

Over the holidays, my family and I had the opportunity to try out some great new products by Crayola.  With 3 young children, Crayola is a household name in this house.  In my opinion, they make great age-appropriate products that keep moms in mind.  (i.e. not so messy!)

The products we got to try were the Digital Light Designer and Marker Airbrush.  Both of these products state for ages 6+, so my 5 1/2 year old son and I worked with these together.  He absolutely loved these new products, and since he's still young I think he'll get lots of use out of these for years to come.

Joey is huge fan of stuff that glows and lights up in the dark, so the Digital Light Designer was right up his alley.  What we loved the most was that we were able to create art and projects with the lights off. -It doesn't have to be played with in the dark... my kid just happens to think that is the best way to use anything that glows or lights up!  A great feature of this product is its' ability to save your favorite drawings and creations.  The interactive game mode was a lot of fun, with mazes and funny faces to keep Joey entertained for hours.

The Marker Airbrush is a more advanced toy that allows kids to create cool airbrush effects on lots of different surfaces.  We only used it on paper for now.  This toy is also recommended for ages 6 and up, so Joey was still a bit young to appreciate all that it can do.  What I love about it is that you can attach any Crayola marker to the sprayer, and use it however you like.  We will use this a lot as my kids get older.  I'm sure they will even have fun spraying the driveway outside.  It is a two-handed operation, which may be why its recommended for older kids, but with assistance Joey was able to make lots of fun airbrushed designs.

Both of these products are innovative and unique.  They help kids express their individuality and can keep them engaged for hours.  With so many different modes and applications I don't see my children getting bored with these anytime soon.  And a huge plus in my book is that there is not a ton of mess!  I stress about messy toys, and am always happy to find something that can ease that stress for me.

Unwrap the gift of imagination with Crayola by visiting Crayola’s Holiday Gift Guide at www.crayola.com/gifts, where you can find the perfect gift to unleash your kids’ creativity. And don’t forget to “Like” Crayola on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter to keep up with the latest Crayola news and updates!

Want to try out these fantastic new Crayola products with your kids?  Leave a comment for a chance to win a gift pack with the Crayola Marker Airbrush and Crayola Digital Light Designer.  But hurry!  This giveaway starts now and will end tomorrow, Wednesday, January 9th, 2013 at 11:59pm EST.  Winner will be selected via Random.org and will have 24 hours to respond with shipping info.  Good luck!

Disclaimer: The Crayola product to try, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by Crayola free of charge to me and the giveaway winner.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Announcing: Bugaboo's Closet, my New Etsy Shop

Sadly, this blog has been quiet for about a month.  Did I give up on the C25K?  Maybe I did, maybe I didn't.  OK. Yes. I did.  Running freaking sucks people, and if you say it doesn't, you're lying.  Do you hear me?  LYING.

I honestly did not intend to give up on the whole "I'm gonna be a runner" thing -even though it does totally suck, it just kinda happened.  Actually, during my last run I was so sick, and having so much trouble breathing I just never did it again.  2 days after the run I went to the doctor and was told not to run again until my cough was cleared up.  I just cleared my throat.  That's considered coughing, right?  Just following doctor's orders...

It's not like I haven't been busy though.  See, I thrive on being extra busy.  It makes me feel like I have more control over my life when I fill it with more stuff to do.  And when I actually get stuff done I feel that much more accomplished.  So since I am not running, I decided to give my sewing machine a workout instead by making this:

this:

this:

 

this:

and this:

 

 

What on earth am I sewing for?  My new Etsy Shop, obviously.  Owning my own business, however modest or small it may be, has been a dream of mine for a while.  When I discovered just how much I love creating adorable clothing and accessories for my own children, I knew that eventually it would come to this and I would be sewing for other peoples' children as well.  Now I am creating and selling something that I really love and believe in, and what could be better than that?  And while there are about a gazillion other Etsy owners out there making a name for themselves, I do hope that some of you will take the time to check out my shop (please, please!) and help me make my dream come true!

I still plan to use this blog as my place to vent, share a funny story about my crazy family, discuss one of the many ways I continue to try to lose weight, share a product or experience that I've been lucky enough to receive.  And hopefully you all won't mind me sharing my Etsy items and experiences on here as well!

Visit my Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/BugaboosCloset

Like my shop on Facebook for exclusive sneak-peeks, sales, fabric selections, and more: https://www.facebook.com/bugaboosclosetnc

Pinypon Party Sponsored by MommyParties

Recently I was chosen to host a party featuring some great new toys for little girls.  Pinypon toys are so much fun to play with, and come with lots of neat little accessories to mix and match.  I am not exaggerating when I say that my children have played with their new Pinypon set and dolls for hours, long after the party was over.  Here are some (not so great cell phone pictures) of them mixing and matching the dolls, discovering how to customize each doll to wear it's own individual style, and playing with the very cool Caravan set.

 

 

 

Yes, even the boys played!

 

 

One VERY excited party guest got to leave with a Pinypon Caravan of her own as part of our raffle.  And I was told later by her mom that she and her brothers had hours of fun with this set.  Definitely kid-approved.

 

 

My perspective on these toys as a mom:  They are great for strengthening fine motor skills, as each doll comes apart in many different ways, and children have to grasp, pinch, and rotate items to put them together and change their accessories.  The Caravan has many different compartments, doors, drawers, and windows that made it fun for the kids to use in lots of different ways.  In an afternoon they used it as a camper, ice cream truck, and flying spaceship.  The roof even doubles as a raft with surf boards.  I felt like we got a few different toys all in one package.  The only negative I found with the Pinypon toys is the MANY little tiny pieces.  This can be stressful for a mom like me that likes to have everything in one place and in one piece.  But I also think that the reason this entertained the kids for so long is because there ARE so many little pieces.  So it's not really a negative.  We just made sure to clean up really well, and everything went in one extra-large size Ziploc!

 

Overall, we had a great time playing with our friends and the Pinypon toys.  The kids enjoyed the figures and play sets, and the moms enjoyed the kids playing without argument so we could socialize.  And everyone left with valuable coupons in addition to their own Pinypon figures.  Thanks MommyParties and Pinypon for a great afternoon of fun!

 

Want to discover more about Pinypon and what they have to offer:  Vist their Website, or Facebook Page!

 

Disclaimer: The party kit with Pinypon products was provided to me free of charge in exchange for sharing my honest party experience and thoughts.  All opinions expressed are my own.