Wednesday, December 28, 2011

NPN Giveaway: Custom Nursing Necklace from Monkey Mama Necklaces $19 ARV {1.3, Worldwide}

Monkey Mama Necklaces is offering NPN readers a giveaway of a custom nursing necklace, a value of $19.

Monkey Mama nursing necklaces are made with beautiful, fairly traded, and nontoxic handmade resin beads. This sophisticated and safe jewelry is perfect for busting twiddling while feeding babies or toddlers.

From our reviewer, Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction:

The brilliance of the Monkey Mama necklaces is the "twiddle busters" - the beads that little fingers can turn and fiddle with while they nurse or snuggle. My son was immediately drawn to the big, colorful beads and immediately took to the task of turning them, examining them, and, well, "twiddling" them.

Read more and enter to win at Natural Parents Network!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

75% off $75 at BabyLegs!



Holy moly! Can you believe this deal? That's 75% OFF, not 25% off, as your mind might trick you into thinking.

All you have to do is put $75 or more into your cart. Then pop in the discount code — JOLLY75 — and your order will be only 1/4 of what it once was ($18.75 if you had exactly $75 to start with).

After the discount, if your order is at least $30 (aim for $120 original in that case), then you get free shipping. If not, shipping is just $3.95 flat rate.

I just bought 10 pairs of BabyLegs leg warmers for $3 each! I'm going to stash them away for baby gifts. Yea!

Details:
What: 75% off $75 or more sale
Sale: Customer must have $75 in merchandise BEFORE discount for code to apply. FREE Shipping on orders $30 or more after discount. Need it by Christmas? Order by 12:00pm PST on 12/21 for 2-Day or 12/22 for Overnight.
When: Starts 12/20/11 and ends 12/28/11
Coupon code: JOLLY75
Where: www.BabyLegs.com

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

NPN Giveaway: The No-Cry Picky Eater Solution $17 ARV {12.26; Worldwide}

Elizabeth Pantley is offering NPN readers a giveaway of The No-Cry Picky Eater Solution, a value of $17.

From our reviewer, Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama:

Parenting expert Elizabeth Pantley is back with her newest book, The No-Cry Picky Eater Solution. This book is designed to provide parents with ways to get their children of all ages to eat a healthy, balanced diet as often as possible without battles, threats, or tears. Elizabeth draws ideas from her readers around the world for getting children to eat nutritious food. She then had hundreds of parents test the ideas, so you can trust that one of these solutions that fits your situation best will work for you too. With Elizabeth's advice, you can help your fussy eater have nutritious meals and bring peace back to the dining table.

Read more and enter to win at Natural Parents Network!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Buy Poetry of a Hobo Mama — last day for free shipping by Christmas!

Poetry of a Hobo Mama: The First Three Years


My book of parenting poetry, Poetry of a Hobo Mama: The First Three Years, would make a thoughtful holiday gift for a fellow mama. Today is the last day for FREE Super-Saver Shipping if you order the book on Amazon — you can have it shipped directly to your lucky recipient.

I compiled all my parenting-related poetry, from my first pregnancy and miscarriage, then Mikko's story from conception through pregnancy through the newborn phase and all the way up to toddlerhood.

If you're a fan of attachment-style parenting, you'll enjoy reading poems written for your experience: breastfeeding, babywearing, cosleeping, gentle discipline, and more. And if you're a fan of truth in parenting, you'll appreciate my honesty as I detail the highs and the lows of three years of getting used to this roller coaster ride.

Where to find free Christmas music

I'm a fan of nonstop holiday music from Thanksgiving on, especially when I can get it for free! Here are some of the resources I'm using this year. Enjoy it for the rest of the season, and then rest easy in the knowledge that you'll have a sizable stash for next year as well!

Amazon MP3s

Amazon's 25 days of free Christmas music download mp3s

Amazon is once more sponsoring its 25 Days of Free, for a new free holiday mp3 every day in December through Christmas. They vary in style and quality, so read reviews if you're a beggar who's also a chooser. When it's free, I tend to download first and ask questions later.

You can also run a search for "free Christmas music" and come across whole downloadable sampler albums as well as individual tracks. Here are a few with decent reviews:

If you like the sound of a free album or track, look down under "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" for other ideas. Some of them aren't holiday-specific, but that doesn't matter in the long run.

iTunes Store MP3s

ONLY TO BE USED WITH FREE CONTENTIf you're an iTunes user, the iTunes Store also regularly has free downloads available. Not all of them are holiday-themed, but some are right now. Scroll to the bottom where it says "Free On iTunes."

Sunday, December 18, 2011

1 day left for FREE Super Saver Shipping at Amazon!

Got some last-minute holiday gifts to buy? If you want your presents to arrive by Christmas, you can still order at Amazon.com — but hurry!

Shipping deadlines:

Monday, December 19:

FREE Super Saver Shipping (on $25 or more, restrictions apply): Last day to order
Standard Shipping: Last full day to order

Wednesday, December 21:

Two-Day Shipping (FREE with Amazon Prime): Order as late as 8 p.m. PST (varies by item)
One-Day Shipping: Last full day to order

Thursday, December 22:

One-Day Shipping: Order as late as 4:30 p.m. PST (varies by item)

Saturday, December 24:

Local Express Delivery: While available (select cities, varies by item)

Sunday, December 25:

Christmas Day: E-mail and printable gift cards can be sent immediately, at any time

Gift ideas:

Newborn:





Baby:




Toddler:




Preschooler:




Child:




Tween/Teen:




New Mama:




Parents:




Remember, at Amazon you can ship directly to your recipient. You can even include gift wrapping on many items for an additional charge. And the familiar box will be gift wrap in itself!

NPN Giveaway: LuSa Organics Set — ends TOMORROW — $37 ARV {12.19; US/Can}

This is a giveaway of an incredible set of mama care products by LuSa Organics: Mama Massage Oil ($8.75), Belly Balm ($9.75), Cranky Pants Essential Oil Blend ($9.10), Lullaby Soap ($5.50), and Herbal Lip Balm ($3.35). One lucky reader will receive all five products, making this giveaway's total value $36.45!

From our reviewer, Dionna at Code Name: Mama:

Simply put, I am in love with every single product Rachel sent to me for review. And an added bonus? The 49 products available for review at the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database all score in the 0-2 range. That's a good thing.

Read more and enter to win at Natural Parents Network!

Giveaway: Tea Collection Children's Clothing $100 GC {1.18; US} CLOSED

This is a joint giveaway with Hobo Mama and Natural Parents Network. I'm cross-posting it here at Hobo Mama Reviews as well. You may enter at one site only. Please find the section marked "Win it!" for the mandatory main entry and optional bonus entries.

baby and boy at Christmas tree in Diego striped shirts — Tea Collection giveawayTea Collection is offering our readers a giveaway of a $100 Gift Certificate.

Tea Collection offers high-quality, modern children's clothes that are internationally inspired, wearable, and unique.


I'm a little bit drooly when it comes to Tea Collection children's clothing. I admired them from afar for a couple years before finally getting my greedy paws on some pieces. I entered giveaways like this (but didn't win, sigh). I was nearly giddy when Tea offered to let me do a review and giveaway of their precious boys' clothing. (Clothes for girls, women, and babies are also available.)

Tea Collection: The Story

Tea Collection picks a particular global region to inspire the clothing line each year: from Japan to West Africa to Hungary. Right now it's Modern Mexico, and I love the south-of-the-border details. The inspiration often turns toward the graphic and the colorful, lending a stylistic and unique touch to your kids' clothes you don't usually find.

The tagline for Tea is "for little citizens of the world." I admire the "fusion of worldwide cultures and modern design," as the About page puts it.

Decorate the Kids: Get Colorful

Let me admit that I'm not a little green when I look at the girls' clothing that Tea offers. As with most children's clothing, it's even cuter. But, I have two boys, and fortunately, Tea has got them covered with delectable options as well.

smiling boy in Fuerte polo shirt and Fiesta plaid shirt — Tea Collection giveaway


One thing that often depresses me about boys' clothing is how drab it can be. Tea says no way to boring and came through with not one but two purple shirts for my four-year-old! Mikko loves purple, and it's incredibly hard to find boys' shirts in that color. Yea for Tea!

Matchy Matchy: Range of Children's Sizes

Even better? Mikko loves to match clothing with his new little brother, Alrik, who's six months old. I figure that agreeableness won't last forever, so I try to indulge it as I can. Unfortunately, Mikko wears a size 6 or 7 now, and Alrik is still in baby sizes, of course. This makes finding coordinating clothing very challenging.

boy and baby in Fuerte polo shirts, Fiesta plaid shirt, Surplus Playwear Pants — Tea Collection giveaway


Tea to the rescue! Nearly all of the clothing options at Tea Collection start at baby sizes (a Small is 6-12 months) and go up through children's sizes, most up to a size 12. Yup, you could get a baby a romper, big sister a coordinating shirt, and even bigger sister the same one! I can't tell you how excited this makes me.

baby and boy licking cookie decorations in Diego striped shirts — Tea Collection giveaway


(They also have newborn size clothing for smaller babies, beginning at 0-3 months up through 6-9 months.)

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Giveaway: EasyLunchboxes Waste-Free Lunch Box Set $22 ARV {1.11; US/Can} CLOSED

This is a joint giveaway with Hobo Mama and Natural Parents Network. I am cross-posting it also at Hobo Mama Reviews. You may enter at one site only. Please find the section marked "Win it!" for the mandatory main entry and optional bonus entries.

EasyLunchboxes in coolerEasyLunchboxes is offering our readers a giveaway of a Bento Lunch Box System: a container set and one cooler lunch bag (winner chooses color), a value of $21.90.

This system is a sustainable and eco-friendly way to carry meals and snacks on the go! EasyLunchboxes are the perfect solution for packing lunches and snacks for school, preschool, daycare, work, playdates, family outings, or any time you need to bring your own healthy meal — without a lot of waste.

Get a jump on your New Year's resolution to stop brown bagging it or paying too much for lunch out, and enter to win one of these fun and environmentally conscious bento lunch box sets!

boy playing with containers — EasyLunchboxes giveaway


We actually won a set of EasyLunchboxes in a giveaway (so I'm here to tell you it can be done!), and Mikko was excited to immediately put them to use for picnics and snacks out. Since Mikko was three at the time and in only a half-day preschool twice a week, and since Sam and I worked exclusively from home, we didn't need them for traditional purposes perhaps, but they still came in handy, and do even more so now.

Sam now works part of the time from an outside office and has to bring his own sustenance since there's no other possibility within walking distance. We also take turns bringing our (now) two boys out for excursions, and it works well to bring along healthy and kid-approved food to eat.

I can see EasyLunchboxes being ideal for whenever you or someone in your family would otherwise pack a meal or eat out:
  • School lunches
  • Preschool or daycare snacks and meals
  • Allergy-friendly foods
  • Playdates
  • Running errands
  • Working in an office

boy dipping chip into salsa at ZooTunes — EasyLunchboxes giveaway

boy eating chips & salsa at ZooTunes — EasyLunchboxes giveaway

boy eating chip at ZooTunes — EasyLunchboxes giveaway


The containers are so much better quality than those disposable brands (read bento bloggers' unsolicited opinions here!) – a very sturdy polypropylene. Each is subdivided into three compartments, so you can get your bento on.

bento compartments filled with cheese hummus and crackers — EasyLunchboxes giveaway


We don't get all that fancy — here are some crackers, hummus to dip, and some yummy cheese slices.

But other people have gotten way creative, as seen from fan bento lunch pics on the EasyLunchboxes site:

EasyLunchboxes lunches grid


I like that the compartments separate the meal or snack components, giving you options for making fun combinations (and forgoing gross ones!).

No matter what you put in them, you'll know you're giving your family the benefit of your healthy, homemade meals — and saving money to boot! You're also creating less waste by opting for a reusable lunch container over plastic baggies, and portioning out your own family-size foods and leftovers over store-bought single-serve items.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Holiday savings at Robeez baby shoes!

Our favorite baby shoes are Robeez. Robeez shoes make great holiday gifts for babies and toddlers!

Shop the cute styles now:


Robeez Baby Shoes


Save up to 40% on baby shoes & apparel at Robeez.com!

FREE Standard Shipping on 2+ pairs of footwear or apparel on Robeez.com -