Posts filed under 'holiday'
A little bird, who is in the know, alerted me to the amazing Adorable Kinders. Handmade in the US, these classic rag dolls are also culturally diverse – available in a wide variety of nationalities. My husband and I recently adopted an amazing little 11 month old boy from Ethiopia, so representation of other races and cultures in our household just became even more important than it already was.When I saw Adorable Kinders, I got excited. And I was right to be… Zachary arrived under our tree this year, and is a welcome addition! The craftsmanship of this handmade doll is awe-inspiring. Its sure to be an heirloom passed down through generations.This fantastic mom-owned business is absolutely amazing and has been a long time in the making. Originally, Aranza, the mother who makes the dolls, began the company and it’s vision with her son Ivan after he graduated highschool. Unfortunately, Ivan passed away unexpectedly. Understandably, Aranza ceased to work on the handmade dolls.Years later, Aranza decided to make Adorable Kinders Ivan’s legacy while creating local jobs and helping the US economy.The rag dolls are vintage looking and absolutely beautiful. It doesn’t end there…part of Ivan and Aranza’s vison to have the dolls be educational has also come to fruition. Your child can take their new doll to “eSchool” with the unique code that comes with your doll. The eSchool is fantastic!!!!Education, imagination, handmade and local? Perfect.Mama Jen
January 4th, 2010
Happy Holidays
Last Chance to Save Before the Holidays
If you are looking for something for someone small in your life and also want to support a small business, Funky Monkey Baby Boutique is offering a special holiday deal for you…Check out the uber-snuggly Baby Legs and the amazing clothing from the ever-so-hip Tea Collection, and the wonderful Automoblox that allow the little one in your life to build a very hip looking vehicle!!
From December 1st until December 15th:
Shop online:
Coupon Code: HOLIDAY2008 and SAVE 20%
on all your purchases (Some restrictions apply. See website for details.)
December 10th, 2008
I am a SmartWool junkie — I have drawers jammed with these snuggly socks and I wear them religiously, whether working out, hanging out, going out or sleeping. (Yup, Queen of Cold Feet here, I wear socks to bed even in summer.) And, they’re gloriously itch-free. So, it’s no wonder that I’m smitten with the darling SmartWool booties and socks for babes. The booties come in pairs: Gift them to one tiny, or split them up as part of gifts for two (or twins!). And, the patterns and colors are simply fun. Might as well top it all off with a hat at mitt set to keep them extra warm and dry.
The company itself is also something for conscientious moms to love. Sustainable business practices are important and, well, the product is made from a renewable resource: wool. Ten percent of every Web site purchase goes toward the company’s SmartPrint Advocacy Fund, through which it gives to nonprofit orgs dedicated to stewardship of the environment, healthy lifestyles, youth and responsible outdoors activity. SmartWool’s Breast Cancer Fund donates two percent of sales of its “Pink Ribbon” socks to to nonprofit orgs advocating breast cancer prevention and cure. SmartWool employees also get paid for up to 40 hours annually of nonprofit volunteer time. How smart is all that?
— Mama Kate
November 3rd, 2008
The most important skin cream you can use is SUNSCREEN! The sunny time of year is here or approaching, depending where you live, and the Environmental Working Group conducted the first-ever study on the efficacy and safety of sunscreens out on the market.. Those found to be effective and safe might as well be considered samples from the “Fountain of Youth.”
EWG stepped up because, “After 29 years of debate, the government has failed to set mandatory sunscreen safety standards. In August 2007 FDA proposed first-ever UVA standards for sunscreen, but the rules are not yet finalized. In the meantime, companies are free to make claims about product quality.” Scary!
To see how your sunscreen stacks up, which is healthiest and most effective, visit EWG’s Skin Deep. While you’re there, check out any of your products for their safety as well as this handy-dandy parents’ buying guide. Parenthood is so busy that it is wonderful that this site has sussed out the good, bad and the ugly for us! I love this site!
Mama Jen
April 21st, 2008
OK. So I’ve often thought I could make my own gift bags — just some cool fabric and a few zigzags on the sewing machine, right? Well, that means that I actually have to get out my sewing machine and go to the store to pick out fabric, iron it, make sure the kids are outta they way before I try to run the sewing machine, etc. etc. So, pretty much, my little spurt of craftiness is not gonna happen.
Enter Lucky Crow fabric bags, owned by Green Approach LLC in Portland, OR. Though I’m a fine papers fanatic, the sustainable/green aspects of our MomAppeal personas LOVE these. By design, they are reusable and, made of fabric, are much sturdier than any of the old paper gift bags, wraps and trimmings I have filling up two bins in my basement. And, the ribbons are attached and the fabric are cool: From the Retro-Rocket Rascals and the Sock Monkey patterns to some ’60s flashback prints (Carnival, Free Spirit and Happy Tree) and even holiday and hip organic prints, you’ll find a design that matches your gifting style and theme.
Lucky Crow bags are sold individually in a range of sizes ($4.50-$13.50), including those that just the right fit for tiny bling boxes, wine bottles, CDs, books and even bigger gifts. The largest size almost fit a Rody bounce-on toy; two extra large bags would work better, and allow you to wrap other similarly sized assembled gifts (we all know wrapping those well with paper is just about impossible).
Or, make your life really easy and choose from one of five collections ($17.99-$115.99) that include bags of assorted sizes and patterns. We love that the Lucky Crow tells you how much purchasing by collection saves vs. ordering oodles of individual bags, and that the company has some fun and free gift tags you can print from your browser window.
Here’s something else we like: Lucky Crow is a member of 1% for the Planet, an international group of businesses that donates one percent of their sales to nonprofit environmental organizations.
Lucky Crow has created a special promotion code for MomAppeal readers — so you can stock up now and be set for birthday parties, house warmings and holidays for the rest of the year. Type in the promotional code MomAppeal at checkout and you’ll receive 20% off any order of $50 or more. Thanks Lucky Crow!
Mama Kate
March 24th, 2008
If you are looking for a fun Valentine’s Day gift for your husband, check out what Planet Mom has to offer! These hip “mompreneurs” have these great personalized underwear that are sure to entertain! They state on their website that “Planet Mom is where apparel with a sexy fit and irreverent wit is our domain.” And they are right!!
Looking for something different?—Get him something that is a gift to both of you—like this sweet little nighty!
Very clever! Thanks Planet Mom!!
Oh yes…the celebrity moms that flock to PlanetMomTshirts are Julia Roberts, Cindy Crawford, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kelly Ripa and Brooke Sheilds…in case you were wondering 
They are that cute!
Mama Jen
January 29th, 2008
Mahar Drygoods has some of the most unique, fabulous hand-crafted items you’ll find. If you are looking for an artisan gift for your child, or a special child in your life, this is a great place to start!!
Look at these adorable Crabby Pants!!!!! They say it all with loads of charm! I wish I had these for my daughter when she had colic….
Take a look at this storybook-like elephant teapot. This is a truly unique and beautiful collectible.
Knitting kit for kids? Check this adorable kid-friendly knotting kit out!! Now you can share your love of knitting with your child! Mama Jen
October 30th, 2007
With the holiday season coming up, Mama Jess and I will begin every week with a gift idea for parents and/or their kids. In the meantime, I came across a wonderful collection of links to toys made in the USA which may come in handy while shopping this year if all the recent recalls from toys made overseas has you bummed out. Check it out at this fellow mom’s site http://journeytocrunchville.wordpress.com/2007/08/28/toys-made-in-america-part-two/. Mama Jen
October 25th, 2007
