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Funshine Event! Hapari Swimwear ~ Giveaway

Published April 26, 2012 | By Julie Kieras

A mom’s least favorite get-ready-for-summer job? Finding a swimsuit… am I right?

Last year I shared the mom-fabulous Hapari Swimwear with you. And I’m happy to say that a year later, I continue to think they have the cutest tankinis and am featuring them again! Here’s my new pick for 2012 – there’s even cute little turtles hidden in this print:

I have THREE suits from Hapari – all ordered online, all fit perfectly when they arrived. Now, come on… how many times does the FIRST suit you take into the dressing room fit great??

What makes Hapari suits amazing is their styles give you good coverage, so you aren’t always fighting to pull this part down and that part up. I really have found their tankinis to be some of the most modest you can find (when talking about just the suit itself).

Most of the tankini tops are versatile – wear it three different ways – halter, criss-cross, or tank – so you can fit your body type.

And, because the brilliant, beautiful printed tops coordinate with the solid and dotted bottoms, you can mix/match to find the right look! Bottoms come in a good variety – Tummy Tuck brief, bikini, sarong, boy short, and skirty.

Best of all… you order each piece separately, which for me is key, because I need one size on top, and a different size on the bottom (you know how that goes??). This is why I think Hapari has the perfect swimwear for your body that fit great right out of the mailbox – there is just so much customization!

BUY IT: Hapari Swimwear has excellent customer service – and a huge selection of 2012 suit prints and styles!

WIN IT: One lucky reader wins an $85 gift card to Hapari.com (which covers a top/bottom and shipping!) or something else that catches your eye! Enter in the Rafflecopter form below:
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Posted in clothing, fashion, Giveaways, outdoor, review, shopping, summer | 4 Comments

Mother’s Day Gift Guide: Uncommon Goods $50 Gift Card Giveaway *CLOSED

Published April 22, 2012 | By Julie Kieras

I think most moms reach a point in life where giving them gifts becomes difficult. Unless they have a hobby or specific passion, it’s hard to find just the right item to give on Mother’s Day, anniversaries, birthdays…

But I think I’ve found just the place to go for unique mother’s day gift ideas!

Uncommon Goods has a collection of fine household, personal, and humorous items for gift-giving! From wall art to jewelry, garden items to glassware, even games, puzzles, office items… the eye candy in their online store is amazing! I have a few unusual new kitchen gadgets from Uncommon Goods that will make you smile!

The OCD Cutting Board is perfect for an unseasoned cook like myself - now I can get perfect cuts and lengths of veggies, fruit, baked goods and more. Fine lines, a ruler and a grid are printed on the cutting board show you just how small to dice, mince, julienne – and several other words I’m now pretending to know! The board meaures just 9×12″ so it’s just larger than a sheet of printer paper – but perfect for chopping up veggies and small items. My crudite platter will be absurdly perfect next time we have company!

And, Friday night pizza night has gotten more interesting with this handforged, recycled steel pizza cutter (I call it our pizza sythe!). I’ve never seen anything like its dramatically curved blade and rustic design. There’s a curlique at the end of the handle and a signature stamp from artist Al Stephens. Stephens uses traditional blacksmithing techniques to create each cutter! It’s got a good edge for gliding through crunchy crusts and cheesy toppings!

My only two wishes are that the blade had a protective cover, and that it were easier to store – the handle (while beautiful and perfect for holding while slicing pizza!) sticks out too much to hang on a wall or put in a drawer without the blade being exposed. I’d love to safely display this conversation-starting item in full view (I am open to suggestions!).

I seriously LOVE both my products from Uncommon Goods…What Uncommon Goods gifts for mother’s day would you enjoy giving or receiving? You simply must spend time browsing their vast array of goods! Why? Because…

WIN IT: One lucky reader will win a $50 GC to Uncommon Goods – spend it on yourself, spend it on your mother… just have FUN! Enter in the Rafflcopter form below!
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Posted in gifts, Giveaways, household, review, shopping | 4 Comments

Mother’s Day Gift Guide: The Vintage Pearl Jewelry ~ $100 Gift Card Giveaway *CLOSED

Published April 21, 2012 | By Julie Kieras

Shhh. Don’t tell… I got myself a Mother’s Day gift early!

This Mother’s Day I’ll be wearing some lovely handstamped and crafted silver jewelry from The Vintage Pearl.

These simple and unique handcrafted pieces are the perfectly thoughtful gift to give any mom. Customize bracelets, charms, rings with initials, letters, or a special thought. Add pearls and birthstones to personalize even further!

Since I won a gift certificate last year, I got myself a square initials on a chain necklace with a letter for my son (I’ll add another charm once our second son is born and we figure out what to name him!).

And I updated my earring selection with antique teardrop silver earrings (they have a great textured look!) and slender silver and mother-of-pearl earrings!

Each piece at The Vintage Pearl is handcrafted from start to finish. Even the stamping is individually done by hand, not machine, so every piece has a slightly different look. Choose from designs ranging from simple to unique to vintage. Then select from several font choices (their online store will recommend the best look for the style you’re purchasing, but you can still pick your own).

Not only do they carry all the customizeable pieces for women, The Vintage Pearl also has a selection for men (love the cufflinks!) and keepsake items like silver baby spoons and other gifts!

I’ve always been a fan of silver jewelry, and of handmade jewelry, so The Vintage Pearl is the perfect marraige of the two! The quality of craftsmanship is good. The pieces are delicately made and just as pretty as their photographs on online! And the prices were very reasonable, in my opinion.

BUY IT: You’ll find a nice range of designs at The Vintage Pearl - but if you’re ordering for Mother’s Day, you’ll need to decide fast, because they need your order by April 24th to get it shipped to you on time!

WIN IT: One lucky reader will receive a $100 Gift Certificate to The Vintage Pearl – you will have SO much fun shopping! Enter in the Rafflecopter form below!
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Posted in fashion, Giveaways, handmade, motherhood, review, shopping | 146 Comments

Cloth Diaper Friday :: Featuring Jack Be Natural

Published April 6, 2012 | By Julie Kieras

I love hearing how small business owners live out life philosophies through their companies! Today I bring you a feature on Jack Be Natural! John and Stacy Shinas started Jack Be Natural about a year and a half ago – here’s my interview about their company!

AYWMD: What inspired you to start a natural online store?
Jack Be Natural: Stacy, my wife and business partner, was interested in CD’ing, but family and friends talked her out of it with our first child. After our second child came along, she was changing our boy’s diaper and noticed gel-like beads all over his private area. After doing research she was horrified at what she learned about absorbency gels and disposable diapers. Her mind was made up, and I quickly got on board. Since there wasn’t a place for us locally to get started with cloth, she learned all she could about CD’ing, started using them and then started Jack Be Natural as a resource for interested parents.

AYWMD: What makes your store stand out from other natural product retailers?
JBN: We always ask ourselves what is the right thing to do, and not what is the right thing to do for our business. So, what may set us apart, … is our emphasis on customer service. We try to handle every situation with the goal to always do what is right.

We’ve been in business for 1-1/2 years and take pride in what we do. I think anyone who gives us a chance to help them navigate natural parenting/living will view us as one of their favorite destinations. There are other stores, online or otherwise, that do a good job and we look at them as co-opetition instead of competition. The market is big enough for all of us to succeed from a business sense. The market of spreading the word for doing what’s best for our health and environment is bigger and under served, so we welcome stores like ours to help spread the word about natural parenting/living and being good stewards.

AYWMD: How do you select the items you carry?
JBN: Just about all the items we carry have been used or are currently used by [our family]. Since our boys are out of cloth diapers, the diaper lines we added since September 2011 [are the] result of listening to customers. We do our research and give sample products to existing customers for review before we decide to carry a product. Other products, such as probiotics and natural health remedies we use ourselves, so we know first hand they are good products.

AYWMD: What are you most excited about right now that you’re offering/carrying in your store?
JBN: It’s hard to pick a favorite, but we are excited about the amber necklaces, probiotics and Plum Organics snacks we started carrying. [Plum Organics] are great snacks for our little ones and we’re glad to offer them. We get excited about natural and/or organically made products – that’s the type of products we strive to offer while saving everyone money.

AYWMD: What’s the best advice you can give to families just starting to become more natural in their lifestyle?
JBN: Do your research and separate fact/opinion from fiction. A lot of products say they are natural /organic, but when you read the fine print they’re not. Also, there is a lot of debate on whether organic products are better for our health and well-being and there are two sides to the debate. It’s good to ask why [you] choose a natural alternative in any product, research facts and weigh pros and cons. Even though natural and organic is more expensive, we felt the extra money was worth peace of mind when it comes to our and our children’s health. This goes beyond products we carry in store – we try to live as natural and environmentally sound as we can.

**Thanks, John & Stacy @ Jack Be Natural!**

I personally have been checking out the Jack Be Natural selection of herbal remedies for children – a fascinating lineup!

Jack Be Natural offers free shipping on MOST items, and you can earn customer rewards as you shop, with Jack’s Cash! Visit Jack Be Natural online next time you need diapers, detergent, or natural products. And follow them on Facebook and Twitter!

Do you have any questions for Jack Be Natural? What do you like most about what Jack Be Natural carries in store?

Be on the lookout for a review and giveaway of a GroVia trainer from Jack Be Natural – coming soon!