ZooZatz Review & Giveaway

Indiana weather is so much fun, no sarcasm at all. I mean really, today is in the high 60's, tomorrow the high is supposed to be in the 70's, and in the 40's by Friday. Last week it ranged from a low of 30 degrees to a high of 71 degrees. Welcome to Indiana Fall!

Last week, we pulled out some of our winter gear and added a few new pieces in. A few of these new pieces came from a company called ZooZatz. I worked with Katie, who is super helpful and had some great recommendations. Thanks Katie!

ZooZatz is hat company, a really cool hat company, started in 2009, up in Minnesota. They carry adult and kid sized hats in many different styles-famous characters, animals, and college mascot (our favorite category). These are knit hats, lined with polar fleece and are all machine washable and line or tumble dry-able.

My kids had an awesome time looking at all the choices online and picking their favorite. Scarlett, of course, wanted something pink. Beckett, on the other hand took a little more thought. See below for our dilemma and final choices.

The day they came in the mail, you might have thought it was Christmas or something. Both kids tore into the bag and immediately put on their hats, this is where they remained for the rest of the day, even through naps and playing. They are being worn in the house as much as outside.

These hats are super warm and snuggly, we put them to good use last week while out running errands in the rain and cold weather. They kept the kiddos toasty warm, ears were fully covered, and nobody complained they were cold. They also received a TON of compliments on their headgear and many people asked where they came from. My kids could not have been any prouder of their ZooZatz hats!

Our choices:

Scarlett chose the Infant Pink Sock Monkey

 

My little pink monkey!

Beckett requested to do an elimination to figure his choice out. He had picked out 10 that he liked and narrowed it down, here are some that we loved, but did not make the final cut.

University of Iowa Hawkeyes (Made Beckett's Final 2)

University of Florida Gators

University of Arkansas Razorbacks

University of Oregon Ducks

Duke Blue Devils

And the winner is...

The University of Southern California-USC Trojans!

 

We only wish ZooZatz would have been licensed to create Beckett's favorite college-Purdue.

Here is to hoping maybe someday, I know who will be first in line!

The weather may have warmed up a bit from hat weather, but guaranteed to be pulled out again later this week for another run and as Beckett has already claimed "these will be great in all the snow". I am positive we will have more compliments and questions about where I found them, I will be sure to let them know how much we are loving our ZooZatz!

Want It? Buy It!

You can pick up a ZooZatz hat of your very own. They have a large selection of kids and adult character hats. The College Mascot hats are not available online but can be purchased in campus retailers, larger retailers, sporting good stores, and other online retailers.

Want It? Win It!

Two lucky Mommy Blog followers will win an incredibly unique and adorable ZooZatz hat!

Just use the handy entry form below to enter to win!

Curious George

Adult, Unisex, One size fits most

Recommended ages 5 and up, 24-25" circumference

Machine Washable

Polar Fleece Lined

University of Wisconsin Badgers

Adult, Unisex, One size fits most

Recommended ages 5 and up, 24-25" circumference

Machine Washable

Polar Fleece Lined

You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, or their own Blog!

Special thanks to Katie Ross from ZooZatz for providing such a great piece of fall/winter gear for my kiddos, and for offering this wonderful giveaway to all our followers!

Best of Luck!

~Steph~

Disclosure: I was sent the above featured products directly from the company. I was not monetarily compensated for facilitating this review. All opinions expressed are my own. Your experience with these products may differ

The Eco Purse Project Review & Giveaway

 ~Proud Sponsor of Balian's 1st Birthday Bash~

The opportunity to recycle is just about everywhere- commercials, billboards, print and online media, etc. We recycle as much as possible at the Witt house. To be brutally honest, I wasn't much into recycling until I got married. Now that I've been recycling for a few years, I can't imagine not recycling! We recycle everything from boxes to cans and plastic containers. What the local recycling truck picks up, we put out on the curb, and everything else gets sorted in bins on our back porch and taken to the county recycling center.

 When I started seeking out sponsors for Balian's birthday bash a couple of months ago, Angela Scott of The Eco Purse Project contacted me and asked if she could send in some items for our review. I gladly accepted the opportunity, because recycling is important to me, and I was completely intrigued by what I found on The Eco Purse Project website, and astonished by some of the facts stated on the site.

From The Eco Purse Project website

500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used each year worldwide.
The United States goes through 100 billion single-use plastic bags, costing retailers $4 billion a year.
Only 1 to 3% of plastic bags get recycled.

I don't know about you, but I want to be environmentally responsible. I'm not talking about doing anything extreme here... just making a few simple changes to my every day routine to make this world a better place for my son, all of the other children and those yet to come. The Eco Purse Project is certainly doing their part to help raise awareness and make a difference. They take plastic bags and upcycle and recycle them- turning someone's mere trash into unique, practical items.

Angela was kind enough to send us a baby bib, carry purse and flower hair clip (see hair clip review below from Steph). That's right- these products were all made from recycled plastic bags and plastic packaging! How cool is that?

I love the baby bib that Angela sent to us. Balian is really fussy about wearing a bib while eating, but he didn't seem to mind this one. I love the stiffness of this bib, and because it's made from recycled plastic, it's waterproof and virtually wipes clean! It holds together with small pieces of velcro, and it does not irritate Balian's neck, which is awesome for him, and for this momma! I love the yellow color, too! This bib can easily be used again and again by a boy or a girl!

Balian in his new Baby Bib from Eco Purse...

Glad he had this bib on- the juice was really messy...

Angela also sent a Carry Cube for me to try out! I was absolutely impressed by the intricate design of this reusable bag. This cube is made of plastic bags that have been woven together. Because so many bags are used in this Carry Cube, the cube is very sturdy and durable. I always try to take my own bags with me when grocery shopping, and many stores now charge you a few cents per bag if you don't bring your own. I shop at Aldi's a lot, and I can load the Carry Cube with all of my groceries and easily get the groceries and Balian out of the car and into the house, all in one trip. I got a lot of curious stares when I first used the bag, and even had some folks ask me about it. My husband thinks The Eco Purse Project is totally awesome, and that more people should make an effort to upcycle and recycle all of their plastic bags.

Unique and functional Carry Cube...

I can't thank Angela with The Eco Purse Project enough for allowing us to review these items and introducing us to this amazing project. I have learned a lot from this review, and will make it a personal mission of mine to see that my friends and family members RECYCLE their plastic bags, and all other items that can be recycled. It's so important, and it's a little thing that we can do to make a big difference in this world!

Please take a minute to watch this video on The Eco Purse Project website.
 
Keeping reading for Steph's review of an adorable hair clip from The Eco Purse Project...

We try to recycle as much as possible at our house. We have the big orange bin sitting in the garage to collect all our plastics, cans, and whatnot, a box for all magazines and newspapers, and an area in our pantry for the gazillion plastic bags we manage to accumulate from different stores around town.

Every few weeks I take the large quantity of plastic bags back to one of the stores for their plastic bag recycling program. I have long wondered what all of my "recycled trash" will eventually become. Now I have a small idea of where some of it landed...The EcoPurse Project!

Ondria passed on a cute blue hairclip for Scarlett to try from The EcoPurse Project.

It looks just like this-the Blue Flower Clip.

Our clip is made from the recycled plastic bags that I (and hopefully all of you) are returning back to the stores. Ours has a blue jewel in the center, to make it extra girly. It is a four layered flower, measuring about 3" diameter on the largest flower and 1.5" on the smallest.  On the back is an unlined alligator clip and a small safety pin for brooch wearing. On the back of the Blue Flower Clip's tag, it says "Congratulations! Your clip has just saved 1 plastic bag from landfills!"

Here is Scarlett with her EcoPurse Project hairclip...

(Notice the girl's cat in the picture is just as curious as to what is outside.)

Scarlett has some fairly thin hair, so the clip by itself was too heavy for her hair to hold. I easily attached the Blue Flower Clip to a headband and viola! This clip is really an eye catcher as well. We have had tons of compliments and people ask us what it is made of. I am proud to tell them it is from The EcoPurse Project and made of recycled plastic bags. Scarlett loves the "sparkly" jewel on her hairclip as well, she is a true girl!

Thanks Ondria for sharing the hair clip from The EcoPurse Project!

Want It? Buy It!
You can buy these featured items and many more cool and unique products from The Eco Purse Project website! There are so many items to choose from, and they all make wonderful gifts. If you're thinking about starting your holiday shopping, start here!

Want It? Win It!
One lucky Mommy Blog follower will win a $25.00 Gift Certificate to The Eco Purse Project! Just use our handy entry form below to enter to win!

Special thanks to Angela Scott for helping to make Balian's birthday so special and for offering this awesome giveaway for our readers!

Good luck, everyone!

~Ondria~

Creative Banners & Cupcake Toppers Review & Giveaway

~Proud Sponsor of Balian's 1st Birthday Bash~

I wanted the whole world to know it was Balian's 1st birthday- and why wouldn't I? I am one proud momma! As I started thinking through birthday party decor, I knew I wanted some kind of birthday banner. I thought about making one myself, but let's be real... I don't have that kind of time. I looked around at banners in some of the general party stores around town, and they all looked so commercial. I wanted a banner with that extra something special for my sweet son, and I just wasn't finding it.

I decided to start from scratch and begin a search on Etsy, because there are a lot of excellent crafters selling their awesome handmade goods out there, and if you're looking for something specific, Etsy is usually the place to find it. I came across a cute shop- Creative Banners and Cupcake Toppers (for all your party needs). This shop is owned by Sarah J Hanifan, and is just amazing! I think I spent close to an hour looking through all of the adorable and gorgeous handmade banners in Sarah's shop! I contacted Sarah about Balian's party, and she was excited to participate by making him a custom jungle safari themed 1st year photo tag banner! I told her the colors we were using, and let her creative mind and talented hands get to work.

The banner arrived at my house in a matter of mere days. I couldn't believe the quick turnaround! It was packaged very neatly in its own cello/plastic bag and sealed with a personalized shop sticker. I unfolded the banner and laid it out so I could see the entire thing. It was much longer than I expected it to be, which was perfect, because that meant that I would be able to hang it across my parents fireplace! The banner is made from cardstock and decorative paper, everything cut to the exact same shape and size. There are scalloped circles from newborn to twelve months, each displaying the number of each month of life. On each end is a little paper jungle friend- a lion on the left and a money on the right. These heavy weight paper pieces are strung across an orange ribbon for hanging easily.

Check out some of these pics of Balian's 1st Year Photo Tag Banner...

Banner laid out across my dining table...

Left side of the banner...

Right side of the banner...


The idea with this banner is to cut and paste photos of your child onto the banner- one for each month. I decided to use it a little bit differently, though. Since we were hanging the banner across the fireplace mantle, I chose to display a full size photo for each month directly above the banner on the mantle.

This was taken before I put the pictures across the mantle...

It ended up working just beautifully for the party! The banner hung right above the table that all of the presents were on, so everyone got a good look at it and had fun looking at all of the photos of Balian. I received many compliments on having such an original party banner instead of a plastic strip with 'happy birthday' printed on it. I was so pleased with the way the banner turned out. It was easy to adjust the spacing and it was incredibly easy to hang, just using scotch tape. The banner added that extra something special to the party!

Along with birthday banners, Sarah makes a variety of other banners and paper crafts.
Take a look at some of the things she has to offer...

Let It Snow Banner/Garland (Love this!)...

It's a Girl Baby Shower Banner...

Ladybug Cupcake Toppers...

Mini Boo Door Hanger...

As a special surprise, Sarah sent me the Mini Boo sign (pictured above) as an added bonus! It's so cute, and I keep moving it around the house. One day it'll be hanging from a doorknob, today it's hanging from a lamp... who knows where I'll put it tomorrow?

Want It? Buy It!
Creative Party Banners is your one stop shop for special party banners and accessories! There are so many banners already made and ready to ship in Sarah's shop, but if you can't find what you're looking for, just use the contact button and send her a message. She'll be more than happy to work with you to create just what you're looking for!

Want It? Win It!
One lucky Mommy Blog follower will win a $10.00 credit to Creative Party Banners! Just use the handy entry form at the bottom of this post to enter to win!
What will you use your $10.00 for?

Special thanks to Sarah H. for helping to make Balian's 1st birthday party so special and for offering this giveaway for our readers!

Good luck, everyone!

~Ondria~

Disclosure: I was sent the above featured product directly from this shop owner. I was not monetarily compensated for facilitating this review. All opinions expressed are my own. Your experience with this product may differ.

Two Months 'til Christmas...

It's officially two months until Christmas! I can't believe how quickly the summer came and went. Now here we are, enjoying the changing leaves, watching them fall and breathing in the sheer crispness of the air. The holidays will arrive whether or not we are ready for them, and I would rather be a little bit ready than completely unprepared. My hubby and I started a little bit of Christmas shopping over the weekend. Normally, I love shopping, but we live in a small city and have to travel at least twenty miles to shop anywhere good... and it's even further to the really good stores. Our weekend shopping affair ended up being an all day thing, and it was much more of a big to do than I expected. Shopping with a baby isn't easy- managing a stroller in a mall with tight spaces, and a little one who likes to grab at clothes and pull them all off the hangers is exhausting. And let's face it- fitting in diaper changes in a restroom stall isn't fun for anyone. With so many options to shop online, I think I'll just opt to do the rest of my holiday shopping from the comfort of my own home.

I started looking around for great deals and bargains the other day and got to thinking about what people buy for Christmas gifts. Some couples decide to buy new furniture, and that's their Christmas present to each other. That's something I would love to do, if my husband would ever agree to it! I've been reading a lot about click-clack futons or sofas, which easily convert from a sofa to a lounge position, or to a bed. If we ever move to a bigger house and I get my guest room back, I'm thinking this might be a good way to go! It would free up space when not being used by guests, but would provide them with a comfy bed when needed.

I like this one...

Maybe I'd like to go in a different direction, though. My husband and I love home improvement projects, and we are often looking at and talking about a new sink for the bathroom. We sort of have a shabby beach theme going on in our light blue bathroom, and a new sink would certainly give it a whole new look! We mostly look at vessel sinks when we're out 'dreaming and browsing' as we like to call it. I'm already thinking about what our bathroom could look like if we had a new sink like this one...

This vessel sink would look awesome in my bathroom...

Branching out beyond what I'd like to have for myself for Christmas, though, I need to come up with some great gifts for some family members that are really hard to shop for. I kept drawing blanks, until I had a light bulb go on above my head. Everyone sleeps, so why not give a nice set of percale sheets as a Christmas gift? I love getting new sheets, especially the expensive ones, but I like to have a variety of sheet sets in my home. Sometimes I just feel like changing them, because I am bored and want something different. I also like different sheets in the summer months than I do in the winter months, as many people do. Sheets would make a great gift for adults or even kids!

Aren't these sheets gorgeous?

These are just some ideas that have been floating around in my head. I am tired of wasting money on stupid little gifts like ice scrapers and gloves that end up in someone's closet or drawer, never to see the light of day again! I'll have some more gift ideas through out the weeks leading up to the holidays, but I think these picks are stellar and definitely worth a look!

Happy holiday shopping!

~Ondria~

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post from our friends at Blogsvertise.

Cozy Quilts by Leslie Review & Giveaway

~Proud Sponsor of Balian's 1st Birthday Bash~

When thinking of all of the fun things I could have Balian wear for his birthday and party, I knew it would be pointless to try to find a party hat. Balian loves to say 'hat,' and loves to play with pretend mixing bowl hats, but getting him to wear an actual hat is usually a challenge. So, I scrapped that idea, and started looking for a different accessory that would be practical and would fit with the party theme.

My mom owns an adorable Etsy shop, called Cozy Quilts by Leslie. She is always on the hunt for adorable things to make for Balian and other little ones, and she suggested that she make him a birthday bib to go with his party theme. I figured a bib would come in handy during the cake smashing, and Leslie is super creative, so I knew her bib creation would be awesome.

We decided together on a crocodile face bib, and Leslie let me select the fabric I thought would work best. I saw the bib piece by piece, but I had a party to plan, and left it in Leslie's hands, and was not to see the finished bib until the day of the party.

On the day of the party, Leslie had the bib all finished and ready for Balian to wear. She had it laid in the area the birthday presents were being displayed, and I rushed over to see it.

Just look at how adorable this bib is...

The Crocodile Bib is made from cotton fabrics and is embellished with buttons for the eyes and nose, and yellow ric rac around the outside for the teeth! There are ties in the back, so this can be adjusted for a younger baby or an older babe like my little man!

Balian had a blast with his new bib. He mostly wanted to play with it- and who wouldn't? Our party guests were super impressed by the bib and thought it was just the cutest thing they'd ever seen! We still use the Crocodile Bib at our house- it's a favorite of my little animal. This bib is available in other styles, such as a giraffe, bumble bee, puppy, bug, crab, ladybug and others!

 Here's the birthday boy in his giraffe jammies and Crocodile Bib!

Along with adorable quilted items for babies like bibs, crib quilts, play mats and burp cloths, Leslie makes beautiful quilted handbags, quilts, table runners, placemats, wall hangings and more!


Check out some of the items from Leslie's shop...

A Day Without Chocolate Wall Hanging...

 Sea shell Table Runner...

 Large Quilted Tote Bag (would make a great diaper bag!)...

Beautiful Shoulder Bag...

I know that I am biased, because Leslie is my mom, and Balian's Grammy, but she really does make beautiful quilted items. She made me a beautiful black and white quilt a few years ago, which I am proudly using as my duvet cover these days. Leslie spends a lot of time perfecting her designs and pouring her heart into her handiwork. Cozy Quilts by Leslie is a great place to check in and look around if you're searching for a gift! Leslie is currently working on putting together a guest book quilt from a recent wedding, where the couple had guests sign fabric squares! How cool is that!?

Want It? Buy It!
You can order this adorable Crocodile Bib or any of the other animal face bibs mentioned by contacting Leslie through her Etsy Shop. Leslie is happy to take custom orders, so if you can't find quite what you're looking for, just submit an inquiry- she can make just about anything!

Want It? Win It!
One lucky Mommy Blog follower will win their very own Giraffe Face Animal Bib for a special little one in their life! This bib will feature oranges, yellows and browns. Use the handy entry form below to enter to win!

Special thanks to Cozy Quilts by Leslie for helping to make Balian's birthday so special and for offering this super adorable giveaway for our readers!

Good luck, everyone!

~Ondria~

Harper Rae WINNER!

You have a great little gift from Harper Rae coming your way---

MELISSA C!

You are now the proud owner of  a small Layered Fabric Bow and one set of 2 Tiny Tails Down Bows from Harper Rae!

Check your email and you have 48 hours to respond to me, CONGRATS!!

Sweet'n Treats Review & Giveaway

~Proud Sponsor of Balian's 1st Birthday Bash~

 What's the most important element of a birthday party (second to the guest of honor)? The birthday cake, of course! I began dreaming of Balian's first birthday cake way back during the early summer months. I knew his cake would have to be cute. I knew I wouldn't have a lot of extra buckaroos to shell out for someone else to make an elaborate cake, and something kept pulling for me to make the cake myself. I am not a good baker, by any means. I can cook like there's no tomorrow, but baking is more my husband's forte. He was busy playing shows during the evenings leading up to Balian's party, but my mother assured me that she could help me make a great cake... after all, she made great cakes for my sister and me when we were little.

The possibilities seem endless when trying to decide on a birthday cake for little ones. We were doing a safari party, but we could have baked a giant number one, or a specific animal shape, and I even thought about just making cake pops, but decided that might take too much time. I was being extremely indecisive about the cake, and the birthday party was merely just weeks away when I was contacted by Bonnie Sweeten of Sweet'n Treats, which specializes in edible cake and cupcake toppers and other items, as well. Bonnie came across our blog and offered to be a sponsor of Balian's Birthday Bash. She couldn't have reached out at a more perfect time! She asked me about the party theme, and then encouraged me to look around at the designs on her website and pick out the things I liked.

I was immediately drawn to this particular topper...

Baby Safari- round or rectangular, $8.00...

I knew that when personalized with Balian's name, this topper would be perfect! It meant that all I would have to do would be to bake an 8 inch round cake, ice and decorate it, put the topper on, and be done with it! The giraffe and the colors perfectly matched the jungle safari party theme, and I couldn't get over how adorable it looked on the Sweet'n Treats website! I e-mailed Bonnie with my selection, and she got right to work on getting the topper ready and shipping it out to me. It arrived very quickly. Bonnie sent me a detailed e-mail with instructions and a tracking number for my order. When the topper arrived, and I opened it just to inspect it, I noticed that Bonnie included a personal note card. She expressed her excitement in working with me, and also included some extra instructions. I was so impressed that she took the time to send a personal note with the cake topper. Bonnie is a mom, too, and her sweet little babe just recently turned a year old. With running her own business and being a mommy, I can only imagine how busy she must be, and her personal note really was 'the icing on the cake.'

Balian's 1st Birthday Cake...

My mom ended up making the majority of Balian's birthday cake, simply because I spent so much time decorating for the party, I was running out of time to spend on the cake! She graciously took over, and baked, iced and decorated the cake. She even applied the topper, which she said was a breeze. She followed the instructions carefully, and laid the edible image topper over the top layer of the cake. I couldn't believe how great the cake turned out! The image just looked like it was almost painted right onto the cake or something. You couldn't tell that there was a paper thin layer atop that cake. There were no bubbles or buckles in the image layer, it centered perfectly and looked amazing!

 Look how the topper just melts right into the cake!

I couldn't have been happier with the way the cake turned out. The edible image topper was easy as cake to apply, and my mom really enjoyed using it. The party guests were impressed by the topper and really loved the idea of a personalized cake that went with the party theme! I was happy to tell them about Bonnie and Sweet'n Treats! The cake topper was a huge hit, and really added something special to Balian's big day!

Sweet'n Treats offers all kinds of edible image cake and cupcake toppers! Bonnie can help you get ready for just about any occasion with her edible images. Her designs are perfect for birthdays, weddings, baby showers and lots of other special events! You can even create your own edible image by adding a personal photo! Sweet'n Treats can add pizazz to your party by providing you with musical toppers, adult toppers, cartoon toppers, custom toppers, movie themed toppers, and more!


Check out these fun edible image toppers...

And as if the toppers weren't enough, Sweet'n Treats offers an entire section of printables on their website, for the DIY savvy party planner! You can download a package of 12 images for one price, receive the file within 24 hours, download the PDF and then it's yours to use as you like!

Printables from Sweet'n Treats...


There's even a FREEBIES section on the Sweet'n Treats website! Bonnie graciously shares some of her designs as free printables. A few of them are designs that she created for her own daughter's first birthday party, and they are adorable! Be sure to check them out!

Want It? Buy It!
You can purchase these amazing featured items and more from the Sweet'n Treats website! There are a ton of wonderful images to choose from, but it you can't find what you're looking for, just contact Bonnie and she'll help you with a custom order. While you're there, be sure to check out Bonnie's blog, and her new venture Sweet'n Tots!

Want It? Win It!
One lucky Mommy Blog follower will win a $25 Gift Certificate to the Sweet'n Treats online shop! Just use out handy entry form below to enter to win! How would you spend $25.00 to Sweet'n Treats?

Special thanks to Bonnie S. of Sweet'n Treats for helping to make Balian's 1st birthday party so very special, and for offering this wonderful giveaway for our readers!

Good luck, everyone!

~Ondria~


Disclosure: I was sent the above featured product directly from the business owner. I was not monetarily compensated for facilitating this review. All opinions expressed are my own. Your experience with this product may differ.

Weekend Winners...

We have some winners to announce for a few giveaways, so get those reading glasses (I think I need some!) out and see if you're one of them!

Always in Season Sitting Turkey Winner: Entry #23, Amanda K.

Stella and Dot Earrings Winner: Entry #8, Susan J.

 Meg's Discovery Toys Caterpillar Shape Sorter Winner: Entry #55, Allie F.

Hannah Creates Balloon Wreath Winner: Entry #36, Holly F.

You'll all be e-mailed sometime today and will have 48 hours to respond to claim your prize. Of course, you are welcome to e-mail me at themommyblog83@gmail.com if you see this post!

Congratulations to all of our winners and thank you to all of our amazing sponsors!

We have tons more giveaways and fantastic reviews coming up this week, and don't forget about the six giveaways we have going on right now! There will probably be a new giveaway added later today, as well! Head to the right sidebar on the homepage and click the individual giveaway links to enter to win these great prizes from our sponsors! Please remember that you are only eligible to win if you have not won a giveaway on TMB in the past 30 days.

We LOVE being able to offer you wonderful reviews and fantastic giveaways! We know that things are tight for a lot of families, so that's why we work hard to bring you these giveaways... we know these are things you probably wouldn't normally be able to buy for yourself or your little ones. We certainly know how that goes here at my house, and our sponsors know how that goes, too! Please check our Facebook page often and interact with us there. We have a wonderful, loving community of moms, sponsors and friends sharing coupons, tips, advice, special sales, and more! Find us here.

We heart mommies and our our TMB friends and fam! 

Thanks for being such wonderful followers and supporters!

And on a personal note, thanks to all of you who sent messages or left comments and lifted us up in prayer while our dad was in the hospital last week. He is home now, and adjusting to new meds and a low sodium diet (for the second time). We'll keep you posted on how he's doing.

~Ondria~

InchBug

If you opened up my kitchen cabinets, and probably any other household with children, you would find a bunch of sippy cups and child sized drink containers. These cups, while cute and so easy to use, are owned by everyone and their mother (literally). With only so many brands, colors, and styles to choose from, you can always find someone else with the exact same thing.

So with my kids now involved with sports and school and playdates, how am I supposed to remember which drink cups are ours and keep our germs to ourselves? I could write on them with magic marker, which I have come to find does wash off eventually. I could put a piece of tape on them, which then will leave a funky mark. I could buy only the cups that are personalized already, but that would get expensive. Or I could use something just like this...

These are Orbit Labels.

I was sent a package of Orbit Labels from a great company called InchBug. InchBug is a company started in 2004 by, yep you guessed it, parents. I swear, parents can have the best company ideas, because they know what works for them and probably other families as well.

Orbit Labels from InchBug are a non-adhesive, reusable way to label all those drink cups in your cabinets. This helps prevent the accidental sharing of drink cups and also germs.

I worked with Emily from InchBug on getting our Orbit Labels. You can either choose the Custom Route or the Pre-Printed Route. We chose a set of Pumpkin Orange labels, both boy and girl friendly. They are personalized with your child's name, or in our case, our last name so that both kiddos can share. You can also add a second line for allergies, phone numbers, or anything else really, I chose to keep it with just our name, but love that you can add some important info for extra safety. All of the labels also have Braille (custom labels read InchBug), this is great for kids who have a visual impairment or school/teammates with one as well.

Our Orbit Labels arrived quickly and in a cute little clear plastic box. They are very securely packaged inside the box as well. The box has very clear directions for use, uses, and photos of the labels being used correctly. I immediately got our Orbit Labels around some sippys because we were heading to a friend's house. They fit snuggly around the insulated cups we were taking. Our name was still clearly readable and did not seem to have any problem stretching farther if we needed it to. When we got home, I popped them into the dishwasher and they came out exactly as they went in.

We have used and washed many times since, still with the same result. I love that Beckett and Scarlett can clearly see and remember which cup is theirs. They also work great on snack containers!

Here is Beckett's water among his friends' at soccer

InchBug also carries a few different types of adhesive labels. They have personalized and non-personalized allergy adhesive labels. With so many friends and classmates with allergies, it is great to have an additional way to protect these children from being in contact with something harmful. InchBug also has adhesive photo and personalized labels in different shapes and sizes.

I would love to grab some of these-Date stickers

These Bag Tags would be perfect for lunch boxes and backpacks at preschool

Want It? Buy It!

If you want to have a great, super easy way to label your kiddos things, this is it! Dishwasher and microwave safe, these personalized labels are great for keeping your germs yours. Head over to InchBug to pick up some labels of your own.

Want It? Win It!

One lucky winner will recieve a set of Custom Orbit Labels from InchBug. Remember- you have to be a GFC follower of our blog to qualify to win this great prize! Use the super easy entry form below for your chance to win.

Special thanks goes to Emily from InchBug for working with us and helping us discover a great way to label our sippys!

~Steph~

Disclosure: I was sent the above mentioned products directly from this representative. I was not monetarily compensated for facilitating this review. All opinions expressed are my own. Your experience with these products may differ