I found Babylicious Divas while looking for some shabby headbands to mix and match with Layla's Holiday dresses. Something I could easily swap in and out to match just about anything. Since shabby headbands are a very new addition to our collection I was excited at all the choices Janice and Jess had to offer. I've come across a lot of friends co-owning hair accessorie boutiques on etsy but Babylicious Divas is my first find of a Mother & Daughter Duo! 

They were both extremely generous and offered us a Tutu and matching headband to try out! They took my Daughters size and had it out super quick! The Tutu is of excellent quality! Unlike the tutus I've made over the last three years, The one from Babylisous Divas did not tangle up one bit while she wore it! The tulle (leopard print, black and brown) was cut evenly and knotted on a waffle style headband type of elastic! This one is nice and stretchy! She will easily be able to wear this for a long time! There are so many colors and styles to choose from! The tutu's are only offered in 0-3 on their etsy shop, but I'm sure if you contact them needing a larger size they can accomidate as they did for us! :)  

Also sent was a matching leopard print shabby flower on a white skinny headband! Now that my daughter is 3, she's kind of got that in between funky stage of hair. It's nice and long in the back, and long in front, but not quite on the sides and she's gotta major cow lick in front, I feel like the bigger headbands seem to slip all over the place and make everything look a little more messy. These tiny skinny headbands hold everything so perfect. There's a little grip to them unlike the slip of the waffle headbands and they get a more snug fit. Plus she's less likely to tug at them behind her ears! Very well made & we love them! There are many other styles of flower headbands and bow headbands to choose from! 

They also make  infant barefoot sandals! We never had the opportunity to use these as they weren't very easy to find when Layla was a small infant. I think barefoot sandals are super cute for newborn portraits and have fingers crossed for a little girl in the near future!! I love this shop. It's super cute! Perfect for the mini diva in your life & there is a lot to choose from! Janice and Jess are extremely quick to respond and very eager to help make your idea come to life! 

A little about this Mama Daughter Duo! 

What got you interested in making tutus and headbands? How long have you been doing so? Well its my mom and I in business together & I Just had a baby 6 months ago... I decided to not find out what I was having (and my mom and i hoped and prayed the whole time it was a girl so we could dress her up in tutus and headbands) In the meantime my mom began experimenting with tutus and headbands and started making and buying all sorts of girl things, in hopes of her being a girl. The day came- and baby was a girl! :) Needless to say we went overboard on the accessories and cuteness and eventually people began to ask where we got the items, and told us we should sell them, We looked into etsy and began our shop while I was on maternity leave in April. We had our first sale in June!

Typically this starts as a hobby.. but it's become more for you. Is it just a hobby that provides that's just a bonus w. extra income or has it become full-time? My mom watches my daughter for me while i work full time,. She recently quit her job to take care of the baby exclusively and work on our online baby boutique. Most of my hours are put in while baby is asleep, and after my work day. My mom and I each do portions of the shop which come together full circle. So fun to work with my best friend everyday!

What is your favorite thing to craft? Probably the headbands, tutus and sandals. we love to have matching sets so babies can match every outfit and be a complete diva. There is always a new color, or style or trend, so its so fun to always experiment and come up with new ideas! A tutu or headband is always a must! :) And the best part is each item is custom made for the baby! So the size and colors, etc are an exact fit to your baby! Our products are perfect for photo shoots as we can do custom orders and our accessories typically cant be found in traditional stores! 

Where do you get your inspiration? From our little princess Emerson. She is the whole reason we started and continue this business! She has one of everything we make! ;))

Tell us a little about yourselves!!
My name is Jessica, and my moms name is Janice. Aside from being mother and daughter we are also best friends! We both love all things pink and girly, and love to make every little girl feel like a princess! My husband and I have one little girl named Emerson who is truly the inspiration behind all of this! I work full time handling marketing for a large local company and i am so fortunate to be able to have my mom watch my little girl. Janice is married & fortunate enough to be a stay at home mom with a son in 10th grade. Between life and our business, we always keep busy doing something! We feel so blessed to have our products be such an important part in so many little diva's lives! From first photo shoots, and birthdays, to pageants and recitals. We love what we do- Accessorizing the world one Diva at a time!

Janice and Jessica from BabyLicious Divas were beyond generous in their giveaway offering! TWO WINNERS will be chosen! One will win a Tutu in their size and color choice! The other winner will win a 8pack of shabby headbands in their size color choices! Lucky baby divas!! 

To enter you MUST already be a MMR subber & be atleast 18 yrs old. 

Leave a comment telling me your favorite item in the Babylicious Divas etsy shop & what you would choose if you won! ( 2 entries ) 

Add Babylicious Divas to your etsy favorites ( 1 entry ) 

"Like" Babylicious Davas on Facebook & tell them MMR sent you!

Share this giveaway on facebook once a day for an 1 extra entry each day, plus 1 entry for each person who mentions you sent them! ( Leave link! Must be active when I check!)

Giveaway will remain open for 2 weeks! 

Good luck!! 

Skinny Minnie Bowtique review and GIVEAWAY

This summer we started potty training our little girl & on the Pull-Ups package there was some info on how to get a phone call from Disney Princess, Cinderella. It was a very cool (recording) from Cinderella herself! Layla was so excited and talked about it for weeks. She still remembers and lights up when you remind her of it. She is now OBSESSED with Cinderella, since they are personal friends and all now! ;-)

So, when I found Skinny Minnie Bowtique on Etsy and saw the most adorable Cinderella stacked boutique bow I knew I just had  to have it for Layla!




             I spoke with Diana who co-owns the shop with her bestie, Francesca(how cool!) She was so sweet, and very quick to reply, which I love! They are also based out of Canada! I love getting mail from other countries. There's just something extra fun about knowing it crossed the border!! Even, though it was coming from Calgary, it still made it here, to NY, super fast! The packaging was perfect and not one bow was smooshed during travel! The bows were wrapped up super cute in pink tissue paper with a black tie and gift tag attached. Pictured are three bows, the Cinderella one I purchased for my Disney Princess obsessed little girl, a medium-sized layered froggy boutique bow & a small pink layered bow with pink feathers! One lucky reader will win the pink layered hairbow! :) The bows are super well made with high quality ribbon and aligator clips that were lined with no slip grips (of all the bows in our collection, I have no clue how not one has ever had a no slip grippy!) I just love that little feature! 

 Their inspiration comes from the three Daughter's Diana and Francesca have between them (Diana's little girl is 4 & Francesca's are 5 & 2!) Such fun ages. They began making hair bows for their girls for a few years then decided to open up shop. SkinnyMinnieBowtique just celebrated their one year since opening. Diana has a full-time job as a merchandiser for a marketing company, so it's still more of a hobby for her! :) 

I love this little shop. I love the way the bows are made. They are very full & not floppy! The grippys are wonderful. I might just have to find grippys for the rest of our bow collection!  They have lots of designer inspired bows such as Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Gucci,Louis Vuitton & Juicy! Also are M2M Gymboree bows, baby boy Bowties & Bow Boards! 

To enter the giveaway you must be a MMR follower, be atleast 18 yrs & be a US OR Canadian resident! (Not an entry)

Add Skinny Minnie Bowtique to your etsy favorites! ( 1 entry ) 
"Like" Skinny Minnie Bowtique on Facebook and thank her for the MMR Giveaway! (2 entries!) 
Go to Skinny Minnie Bowtique's Etsy shop and tell me what your favorite item is! (1 entries)
Share this giveaway on facebook & leave me the link. ( 3 entries ) ** If the status gets deleted and I cannot view it, it wont count!
Make a purchase and in the notes let her know Modern Mama sent you. Leave me the order number ( 10 entries ) 

Giveaway will run for 2 weeks! GOOD LUCK!

ReilynnDesigns Review&Giveaway!!

There's something really special about ReiLynnDesigns. I came upon Karie's store on Etsy while searching for bottle-cap monogrammed hair bows. Once I got here, what I wanted from her was much different. Bottle caps bows are easy to come by, but Kanzashi Flowers are something new to me. They are so unique and pretty and Karie specializes in making them! Something even more awesome..? She totally cares about your kids.. "I use foil back rhinestones instead of Swarovski crystals because of the lead content in the crystals. Swarovski crystals are not approved for children's items and it is very important to me to comply with children's lead laws." Until I spoke with Karie, I did not know this. I always thought swarovski crystals were the better choice, because, Ohhhh I don't know, they're more expensive? I appreciate that she uses caution when making items for my child & all of her customers.

 Want to know more about these beautiful flowers? "Kanzashi flowers originated from Japan- it was an art form created to wear in Geisha's elaborate hair. In Japan it takes 5-10 years of apprenticeship to learn the art of Kanzashi. These flowers are a fun spin on that tradition.  Each petal is a one inch square piece of ribbon folded over and over again with pliers and tweezers." 

I was sent two of these. One to put in my little one's hair and review... and one for a lucky reader! See this showcase is getting more fun each day.. huh? The flowers are super cute!

 I actually won a grab bag/jar (photo to right*bottom. Also shown to right is what was in the jar*top) in an auction Karie did on her Facebook page!  Like I said before, I love when shops have fun things going on on their facebook pages! :) for $6 I got a mix of 6 bows and 1 Kanzashi flower! I love them so much! Very, very well made! Everything was on an alligator clip. Karie also did a super sweet deal in September where when you referred a friend as long as you BOTH made a purchase and mentioned eachother's names you got your entire order for 50% off! I've never seen a deal that good on Etsy! :)

 Thank you Karie! Since I don't have them yet to photograph, here is Karie's shop photo of what I ordered!  (The black/pink/white bow, The initial bow, and the rainbow Kanzashi flower clips! I cant wait to get them! :) 

I love this shop, it's just fun looking, Karie is super sweet & she's got a nice selection! Plus, I love shops that interact with their customers on facebook and do fan only coupons! All around, Great Shop and I will be back for many more accessories for my little girl! :)

Now onto the giveaway! One reader is going to win their own Kanzashi Flower Clip!

To Enter You must be a MMR follower, be 18 yrs or older and live in the US. (this does not count as an entry)

"Like" ReiLynn Designs Facebook page & leave a comment there telling her you entered the giveaway at MMR and thank her! :o)  (1 entry)
Visit ReiLynn Designs Etsy shop pick your favorite item, come back here and tell me what it is. (2 entries)
Add ReiLynn Designs Etsy page to your favorites (2 entries)
Share this giveaway on facebook (can be done once a day) then leave me the link to your status update! (3 entries!) 

This giveaway will run for 2 weeks and will end on Halloween!:) Trick or Treat!! 

Cute-E Shop Review&GIVEAWAY

 I found my way to Cute-E-Shop while searching for a Minnie Mouse hair bow to match the TuTu I made for Layla's 3rd birthday! I got to talking with Erin and she let me review the Minnie Mouse bow & will also offer one to a Lucky MMR reader!! :) 

It's beautiful. The bow was made so well, it's sure to last a long time. All ends were heat sealed so they wont fray. Believe it or not, I have PURCHASED bows before that were NOT heat sealed and they were already fraying the first day we had them!  Placed on an alligator clip (my favorite for Layla's super fine hair!) The ribbon is high quality & so was the bottle cap!! I bought (not from Cute-E-Shop) around 6 bottle caps bows for our favorite sports teams (Syracuse and Pittsburgh Penguins!) The picture on the front of the bottle cap kept falling off. I don't envision this happening with the type of caps used on our Minnie Mouse Bow! The bottle cap is also reversed. So the little picture is actually sitting on the inside. This is wonderful because it makes it more difficult for my little one to try to play with the little bubble that covers it. And just in case your were concerned, Nope, the edges on the bottle cap are not sharp! :) 

While browsing around I realized she had so much to offer! Among hair bows & headbands, Erin also makes dresses, ruffle pants,shorts & shirts (for girls and BOYS, too!) I love when you can get more than one item from the same shop! It helps build a relationship and the seller can really learn what you like and help you come up with something to fit your style that is truly unique and made just for you!    

                                     

I also love when Etsy shops have facebook pages! Even more so when they update them with their newest listings, BONUS for Facebook only sales or coupon codes! Cute-E-Shop's Facebook is pretty active and she does post giveaways! So make sure you head over and "like" the page so you don't miss out! 

Erin was such a pleasure to talk. She's so kind and it just leaps off the screen when I read her emails. That can be difficult to find & I truly appreciate that from business' big and small!  I'll definitely be a long time customer of hers!

All in all, Wonderful shop, Wonderful owner! Definitely take a moment to check it out & enter to win your very own Minnie Mouse bow from Cute-E-Shop!!!

A little bit about Erin..(Thank you for your time!!)
Here is my try at the questions:
I have been married for the past 11 years to a man that I met in college at Texas A&M. We have 3 beautiful children, and I have been blessed with being able to stay at home with them. 
I have always loved to do crafts and found so much joy in creating something new with my hands. In college, I had a job at a bow making counter in a craft store and learned the basics of bow making. I didn't start making hair bows until I had kids of my own. I started by just buying a spool of ribbon and making some hair bows for my daughter and some of my friends' little girls.
I learned how to sew right before my 3rd child (Alissa) was born and started making custom outfits and matching hair bows for her and for gifts. The more I gave, the more people told me that I should start a shop. When my daughter, Alissa was born, she had a few medical problems and ended up in the NICU for about a week. Even with insurance, we still had extra medical bills to pay. I started my shop to help pay off those bills.
With three kids and a husband that works hard so that I can be home with them, my top priority is my family. I work hard to keep my shop time for times when they are asleep...sometimes that doesn't work out, but that is what I aim to do. My older two kids, Abby and Caleb have started back at school, and I figure as Alissa gets older, I will be able to work more and more with my shop. I really love having a creative outlet and creating things for people that they will really enjoy...I guess that is why I really do love when people ask me to create custom items for them! : ) As a mother of three, I really do want to treat each customer as I would want to be treated. When you are buying something special for your little one or as a gift, I want each person to be pleased with the product and the service. I really do mean it when I say that I want people to let me know if they are disappointed...I really would want to what I could to make it right for them! : )
My inspiration comes from lots of different places...sometimes it is from a certain fabric that I see or spool of ribbon makes me think of something...sometimes it comes from my kids...what they like and what they are in to! I have also had people ask me to create custom items to coordinate with party invitations or a child's favorite colors. It is so much fun to me!
My favorite things to create are custom outfits and hair accessories. I have tried painting things and sewing larger home items or bags, but I really love children's clothes and accessories!!
Thanks for asking! : )

--Now on to the Giveaway-- 
To Enter you must be a MMR follower (this is not an entry)
Leave your name and email address so I can contact you.
Be 18 or older :)

You must "Like" Cute-E-Shop on Facebook tell her who sent you(1 entry)
Check out her Shop & tell me what your favorite item is! (1 entry)
Add her shop to your favorites on etsy (2 entries)
"like" her Etsy Shop (2 Entries) 
Share this giveaway on your wall (2 entries, can be done once a day) Leave me the permalink

This giveaway will be open for 2 weeks! Will End on October 30. 
Goodluck! 

Bunnys Bows Review&GIVEAWAY

My quest to find some really unique, "Funky Loopy," over the top style hair bows came to a hault when I discovered BunnysBows on Etsy! I made my decision to place an order for a surprise 6 pack within a few short minutes of looking at the photos and reading a couple customer reviews. Some of which said 

-"  Soooooo cute! Deb is so talented and her bows are georgous !"

-" Deb is unbelievably talented! They far exceeded my expectations! More than a bow, they are a work of art! Plan to buy many more...absolutely LOVE them! Thanks so much!"

- "AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!!!! GEORGOUS GEORGOUS GEORGOUS!!!!! THESE ARE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOWS I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!! THEY ARE AMAZING AND TOTALLY AWESOME! DEB IS THE SWEETEST PERSON EVER SHE MADE ALL THE BOWS PERFECTLY AND WORKED WITH ME THE WHOLE TIME! THIS IS THE BEST SHOP ON ETSY! BEST EVER! I WILL ALWAYS ORDER FROM HER!!! AND THANKS SOOOOOO MUCH FOR THE EXTRAS!"

Deb truly is something special. What a treasure to find on etsy. I put in my notes to seller a request for one of the bows in the sample photos ( the cupcake one seen above!) and also for a Christmas bow and fall themed bow. She QUICKLY replied back telling me she would be able to do so! Her turn around time is FAST, about 2-3 business days but she waited a couple extra days for a really cute fall themed ribbon to come in and then paid the extra money to get it delivered to me faster since she wanted to use that ribbon. Service and communication are top notch with Deb at bunny bows! 

Her bows arrived to me quickly! Upon opening the box I was blown away by the detail, beauty and uniqueness. My little girl was in love with them! There was so much for her to look at and talk about! Deb does not skimp on stuffing her funky loopy bows! These bad boys are jam packed with all sorts of flat backs and ostrich feathers, korker ribbon, gems & jewels and all sorts of doodads! All 7 of the bows I received are made with high quality ribbon and secured with wire & attached to a barrette style clip to be sure to last! My favorite is probably the Barbie bow! 

Deb was generous enough to offer one of my wonderful readers the chance to WIN one of her beautiful bows! A Christmas themed funky loopy bow! But before we get to that, let me please share with you the mini interview I had with her. 

What got you interested in making hairbows & how long have you been doing so?

- I have been makeing hairbows for about 3 years now. I Love to make them. I kept on seing  the same hairbows around and I thought let me spice it up! Its like art to me.

I know bow making starts as a hobby. Is it just a hobby to have a little extra income or has it become full-time?

- It started as extra money but now it has become fulltime and I love it. I love to make a hairbow from start to finish.

What is your favorite thing to craft? 

My favorite thing to craft is handmade gift tags. i Love all the colors and to Punch them out to see what i can come up with.

Where do you get your inspiration? 

My inspiration comes from colors and from when I was a child ..I just think of alll the pink and sparkly things I had growing up. I love colors, I also try to think of it as what would I liked in a hairbow when i was a child.

Tell us a little about yourself!! 

 My Name is Deb, I love the color Pink,I collect hello Kitty stuff and  I Love to Bake! Iam a person with a big love for pets. I try to help with them as much as I can in my spare time! 

Thank you Deb! I've had so much fun getting to know you. You're a wonderful friend! :)  As long as my little girl is letting me put bows in her hair, I'll be your customer!

Now... on to the giveaway! Like I said Deb generously provided a Christmas themed Funky loopy bow! It's super detailed and nice a big! Secured on a French Clip! 

 To enter- You must be a MMR follower & have an Etsy account (Free and easy to  sign up) 

Entries- 

Go to Bunnys Bows & in the lower left hand column click "Like" then leave your permalink (right after you "like" it, on your facebook wall you will see it. click the timestamp below and it will bring up a page copy and paste the url in the search box and paste it here!) Easier than it sounds! ( 1 entry- leave comment)

Go to Bunnys Bows, take a look around then come back here and tell me what your favorite item is! (1 entry- leave comment)

For additional entries (5) - place an order and leave me your order number! 
Share this giveaway however you wish (can be done once daily) Just share the link to your, status update, tweet or whatever! (3 entries!)

Giveaway will run for 2 weeks and a winner will be chosen by random.org. Good-luck! 

Get ready....

"Little girls are precious gifts like birds and brooks and streams...their hair is tied up with ribbons and bows...their hearts are tied up with dreams."

Layla's turning 3!! Where oh where has the time gone? I can remember writing THIS & now she's a "pre-schooler!" Whatt?!
While searching around on Pinterest for some Minnie Mouse themed ideas, the wheels got turning. I got in planning mode and started checking around on http://www.etsy.com/, where I usually order invitations and other doodads. I found some really cute tutu&bow sets and remembered how easy it was to make the tu-tus like I did for her first christmas (7 weeks) and her first birthday! Tutorial anyone? So I just needed a matching bow!  I found some super cute ones...among other bows. I haven't ordered any in so long and one of my favorites, Tosweetpeafromme was having a flash 40% sale. I needed just a few more & ordered from some  new sellers & got chatting with them about helping me out with a little "showcase" for little girl hair accessories!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BunnysBows

Sooo... Get ready, get set, because there's a lot to happen next month! Just a couple of the sellers being featured and giving items away are...

BunnysBows - Etsy
Sugar and Spice Boutique -Etsy
SkinnyMinnieBowtique-Etsy
Cute-E-Shop - Esty
ReiLynn Designs- Etsy

& moreee!

Expectant Mothers Parking

I so need to rant about this. It's something that really really bugs me! I can' t count the number of times I've pulled into the grocery store or shopping mall and as I'm walking past the "Expectant Mothers" parking spot, I see an elderly woman, whose well past her child bearing years climb out of the car and gracefully walk up to the entrance  Sometimes it's a teenage boy, an elderly man who are not shopping with an expectant Mom & clearing they're not expecting either!

When I was pregnant I loved this space. It was a nice little thing that grocery store and shopping plazas did just to honor us as a courtesy during our nine months. After my Daughter was born (a Winter baby,) I stopped using them unless it was clearly very icy and I was alone. Otherwise, my new favorite spot is next to the cart corral.

Some might think, well if she's got enough energy to walk around the mall, then why does she need to park so close? Well, for starters, She's pregnant! The spot was made for people like her. Just because you're an elderly person doesn't give you the right to take it. If you weren't given a handicap sticker & can't park there you are also capable then of walking. Or, maybe it's the middle of winter and while the inside of the shopping mall is dry and ice-free, the parking lot is covered in ice and slush! Maybe she's not at the mall and at the grocery store, in which case she might actually need to put food in her house and has no other choice but to be there! 

Today, I had enough of this! While I was loading two children under three in the car, I watched a man in his 60s-70s sit in not one, but BOTH "Stork Parking" spots while his wife walked into the mall, you guessed it, not pregnant!  I got into my seat, and phoned the mall just to ask what they can do to enforce such behavior. I KNOW they can't issue a ticket or call the Police and I totally get that but it's flat out rude and disrespectful to think it's owed to you just because you are elderly. Even more rude when you're a male who isn't helping your pregnant partner by parking there & only doing so because it's the closest available spot! Ugh! 

I was told by both security people at the mall how much it also aggravates them & that they wish something could be done but obviously, since you don't need a special tag to park there that they couldn't do anything but attempt to talk to the person and hope they understand (COMMON COURTESY) and move. I absolutely understood, and knew before hand they wouldn't be able to issue tickets but inside I was just hoping to witness somebody make this Man look like the fool he was being! 

Rant ended. :)

How many of you are also bothered by this? My mom is needs a handicap sticker when she goes places, that doesn't mean that just since she's going to the mall, she should be considered lazy as I read somewhere about these spots. When it comes to the handicap spots, I have been known to call people out on using them ILLEGALLY. I once watched a late teen-early 20-something  squeal his tires into the spot, park crooked and RUN in with a red-box movie in hand. I asked him if the Dr. denied his sticker for the space because he could run just fine. 

Almost farewell to summer.. Freezing comfort foods!

I'm a huge lover of comfort foods. My only problem is that I love them all year long and I am a failure at only cooking enough to feed our family of three for one night. In stead, we tend to eat chili or scalloped potatoes & ham for lunch for 3 days following. Portion control is not one of my strong suits either. My eyes are bigger than my stomach 9 times out of 10. This leaves a lot more to be saved than planned. Until recently I never froze anything because every time I freeze something as simple as hamburgers, they get freezer burn.

So with Fall quickly approaching, our money being tight & Chris having weird schedules while in nursing school, I decided I'm not going to waste a single thing anymore. Lunches wont be leftover meals, they will be regular lunches & everything leftover will be frozen. As I mentioned, I cook large amounts. I don't know why, but I do. Last weekend I bought a 6.5 pound package of ground round with the intentions to make my version of Speedy Spaghetti (recipe to follow) & Chili! I also pulled 8 boneless skinless chicken breasts out of the freezer and made my version of Auto Parts Chicken .(recipe to follow)

I spent an entire day devoted to cooking these meals from scratch so they could be frozen for our busy days. I did a little research so I was sure I would freeze them correctly. Aside from making sure it's cool enough to not melt through a freezer bag, I was unaware of if it should be completely cooled or if slightly warm was OK. It SHOULD be completely cooled. I found the fasted, easiest way was to fill a large bowl with ice water and set your freezer bag in to rest for 20 minutes or so. Make sure all the air is pressed out and try to avoid making the bag when laid flat more than 3/4- 1 inches thick. Remember that food expands when frozen, so don't overfill. Lay them flat in the freezer, let freeze for at least 2 hours before rearranging.

I found the whole process to be very easy! One day of cooking (1 crock pot meal & two quick , easy electric skillet meals!) For a few nights  to have a home cooked meal that would have felt like such a chore to complete after a long day of work (home daycare!) & running my own household. It's sure to feel like a treat when I can just grab, quick defrost and heat!! :) 

Showing my love for EdenFantasys . . . again :)

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Zuvo Water Filtration System (Under the Sink) Review

FedEx dropped off a wonderful package this morning from the great people at Zuvo! I've been lucky enough to receive this amazing under the sink water filtration system to review for you all.

We all know how tainted our unfiltered water has become over the years! Chlorine, lead, parasites and so much more are in our everyday tap water. So, we think that the plastic bottled water is so much safer, but that's not true at all. Chemicals from the plastic seep into the water that sits inside them. I cannot begin to say how much bottled water we drink here. My 2 and a half year old Daughter wont drink anything but, and has recently figured out that her Father is drinking her favorite icey drink in those plastic bottles he always has to have. Now, I can't get her to drink from her beloved sippy cups that she used to do so well with! Needless to say, we go through a 36 pack of water each week. Blehhh! And, although we do our best to recycle, I still hate spending our money on them knowing how dangerous they could potentially be.  I just hate thinking of what is going into my families body everytime we sip the tap water or bottled water, so I'm glad to have the opportunity to use this system and share it's benefits! 

President's anti-cancer panel recommends home filtered water systems as a way of reducing ones risk of harmful carcinogens.  

Zuvo filtration system offers something unique, biomimicry to purify tap water!
 "UV/Ozone filtration system reproduces nature’s photo-oxidation cleansing process, filtering impurities and reduces microorganisms to filter out harmful contaminates while preserving waters healthy mineral content and adding fresh oxygen, giving it a delicious pop".

     

We were sent the under the counter system due to the type of sink we have! It installed easily, in just under 10 minutes. The instructions were simple enough that I *could* have done it, but my husband was sweet enough to do it for me! :) There is the option of having the above the sink system, which I have heard is just as easy if not easier!

What's really neat about this, is that you can actually WATCH your water be filtered. Basically the same enjoyment I get out of watching my clothes wash & dry in a front loading machine! ;) The water tastes amazing, much better than tap, or bottled water. It's just pure, clean water!

Here's the 5 part process breakdown from the website! The Zuvo^® Water Filtration System uses a patented five-step process to produce clean, healthy, great-tasting water just the way nature intended!

Step 1: Ozonation

In nature, ozone is generated by lightning and cleans the air where rainwater forms. The Zuvo Water Filtration System mixes ozone with incoming tap water to treat taste and odor contaminants and improve taste. Like chlorine, ozone is a powerful oxidizer. Unlike chlorine, ozone leaves no chemical residue.

Step 2: Ultraviolet Light

The ozone saturated water is flooded with high-intensity UV light - the same as the solar energy that cleans water in the upper atmosphere.

Step 3: Photo-oxidation

The Zuvo Water Filtration System combines UV and ozone in a patented process known as photo-oxidation which releases powerful oxidizers to further treat the water.

Step 4: filtration with lead removal

Pure spring water is created by passing through fine particles in the earth. Zuvo uses the same principle by passing water through a Class 1 Particulate Reduction Filter, reducing chlorine taste and odor, lead, and tiny particulates.

Step 5: post-filtration UV

The filtered water is again exposed to high-intensity UV light as it leaves the Zuvo Water Filtration System, ensuring that you get clean, healthy, great tasting water...just the way nature intended!

* Above is taken directly from the ZUVO website* 

This filtration system retails for $179.99 on Amazonbut can be found at these other retailers! There are other styles to fit your needs! :) Head over to their facebook & show them some love for this review and for all the latest updates on Zuvo products!

Overall- I LOVE our new Zuvo system! I can now offer my family SAFE, CLEAN water. My daughter loves watching the filter turn on when I fill her cup and my Husband was blown away by the taste of the water. It's amazing! I, myself am not a water drinker, but now, I just might be! It's THAT good!

Big backyard playground set

SANDY COVE WOODEN GYMSET!

Our Daughter is two and a half now and last summer we spent a lot of our time heading to playgrounds at various schools and parks so this year we decided we were going to put a playground in our own backyard and headed to Toys R Us for a swingset she would love.

When I was little we had a metal set that was a bees nest magnet and rusted very quickly. The plastic in certain parts cracked and I remember getting numerous cuts from it. So we agreed to get a wooden set.

 Sandy Cove from Big Backyard is what we landed on! It retails for 699.99 but we got it for a little over $500! Would I spend that kind of money on this set again? Definitely not full price and probably not on sale either. Putting this set together was seriously a pain in the butt. While it wasn't really difficult, the directions were confusing, parts were labeled funny and the wood isn't the best quality. I'm sure we could have waited a little longer to get a little nicer of a set for about the same price. Although, it probably would have had to wait till the end of the season.

Now, for the one who uses it ALL THE TIME... Our little girl loves this set. She spends most of the time playing in the sand box or climbing up to the play fort on top! She's still too little for the monkey bars, though even if she wasn't they don't look like they offer much fun! Three rails and the bottom step is much too low for a child that would be small enough to use it without their feet touching the ground! The flower box is precious. We filled it with faux flower foam and glued moss to the top and stuck in small flowers from the Dollar store!

Overall, the swingset does exactly what we wanted it to, entertain our Daughter. I only wish the wood was more durable and that the swingset was as large as it appears to be in the photo!

This can be purchased at ToysRus or ToysRus.com

Blog moving & reviews!!

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EdenFantasys!

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AlphaBeasts Review

This review has been long awaited. The post was lingering alone in my edits and never was posted. A huge apology to Alphabeasts! 

The Alphabeasts are some pretty cool characters! Over the summer I was sent two simply adorable beasts, Pogey "P" & Flika "F!" Why those two letters for Layla? She chose them and has loved them since she tore them out of the box they came in! :) 

Alphabeats are not only super cute stuffed monsters! They are an excellent learning tool! Obviously, learning the alphabet but also pronunciation & letter recognition (upper and lower case are on each beast!) 

There are many ways to teach lessons and skills with the Alphabeasts:

- Home schooling lessons
- Classroom lessons
- Daycare activities
- Imaginative play
- Spelling and/or word games
- Parental coaching
- Group activities with friends and family

When I was pregnant with my Daughter, I totally jumped on the bandwagon for doing the wooden letters on the wall to spell out her name! What I really would love to do with my second child would be to place these adorable little guys on a shelf above the changing table to spell out his or her name! Very unique and at changing time from very early on you can reach up for easy access to any upper and lower case letter to occupy your little squirmer and get a head start on letters!

A recent price change has been made bringing these brightly colored, snuggly, lovable monsters to a super affordable price @ just 15.99/each! :) They also offer a 26 pc. ABC book set which features each letter in their own book for just 15.99 

I would highly recommend the Alphabeasts to anyone I know and am sure to pick a few up for our best friends second son due this June! 

Thank you again to Alphabeasts for sponsoring this review! I will be a long time customer for sure!!