Minky Couture Review and Giveaway

You will undoubtedly enjoy the irresistible softness and luxury of your very own Minky Couture blanket.  We are proud to offer you an original creative product that speaks highly for itself.  Whether you're snuggling with your new born infant, off to grandma's for the weekend, packing your bags for college, or just cuddling by the fire with your favorite book, a Minky Couture blanket is your escape to luxury.

... Info taken from Minky Couture Website...

Recently our family received a Minky Couture blanket for review. I loved that we were able to go online and pick out colors and patterns that we wanted. We just clicked on Custom Blankets and selected a print, solid and then the ruffle. It was super easy and it even showed me what it would look like. That is always a plus. We picked out the Elle print, hot pink solid and a dark brown ruffle. We couldn't be happier. It is beautiful and so cuddly. The week we got it, we were babysitting a friends granddaughter. She loved it so much, she wanted to take it home. ;o) And she is a little lover of blankets and has 4 favorites she keeps with her all the time. She wanted to make this her 5th. These blankets would make the perfect gift for someone who loves soft, cuddly blankets. I know a few people that we can buy them for. LOL 

Get 20% off your entire purchase of minkys today!  Now is a great time to get a minky for the cool breeze that is right around the corner, and the upcoming football season! Enter the coupon code MC062011 at checkout.

Don't forget to go by and see all the great gift ideas that Minky Couture has!

Head on over to Minky Couture and check out all their adorable blankets. Here are just a few blankets that you will fall in love with.

There are so many adorable combinations that are either pre-made or to customize. And its great to include the kids when picking out the colors and prints.

You can win a Minky Couture for yourself! 

They have generously offered an Infant size (36x30) blanket for one of my readers.

... How to enter ...

GIVEAWAY CLOSED
Winner STEPHD

You will have until  Oct 14 @ 9:00 p.m. Pacific Standard time to enter this giveaway. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here. If the winner has provided an email address I will contact you. If you don't provide your email, you will want to check back here and see if you are the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to those living in the US. You must be 18 years or older to enter. Thanks for entering at Trendy Treehouse. Good Luck and Have Fun!

The featured product {s} in this post were provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or pr company representing the company. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. By entering this giveaway you agree to Trendy Treehouse Disclaimer/Terms of use.


...Don't forget to enter our other giveaways below too!...

Gifts for twins

Quick post today...busy time, as I'm sure you all understand.

Just wanted to share some photos of a gift I just sent to a good friend of mine who had twins about two months ago. I'm finally getting around to getting their gift done. I hope she sends me pics of them wearing their outfits.

I also made this for one of my etsy clients. It was fun to make but a little challenging to get the burp rags just right on top!

What do you make for twins? I think it would be fun to have twins...but then again, I think I'm made to only handle one baby at a time, and I can obviously dress my kids alike even if they weren't born on the same day! :) Have a great weekend!

My little lady

Hello friends!
I am so excited to introduce you to my sweet little lady.
Little Hannah Joy was born on Tuesday.
She weighed 7lbs 5oz and is 20 inches long.

We are so blessed to have her as part of our family.
I was afforded the luxury of some time alone with Hannah
and took the opportunity for her first photo session!












And here are my big kids with sweet little Hannah.
Isn't it crazy how my "little" two year old all of a sudden seems HUGE!!??!!




I'm sure I'll be sharing more photos and stories later,
but for now I need to go cuddle with my sweet little lady.
She won't stay little for very long.

And in case you were wondering...
Angela C from Love Being A Nonny guessed the date and gender correctly!!!
Angela, send me an email with your address and I'll get you your little prize!

What's your guess?

Well, I've made it to 37 weeks and 3 days pregnant.
I've only got 18 days to go.
I really thought I was going to have this baby yesterday...
but that did not happen.

So, here are some recent photos of the baby belly for you!

The top view makes it look much bigger don't you think?

I've been busy crafting, sewing and cleaning.
The nesting bug has hit me hard...and my home thanks me!
Although my house is far from clean many things that
haven't been cleaned in a while are now clean.

I love to make things for my kids.
So I thought it would be great to make some shirts for them to wear.
I'm almost done with them
(still have to do a little sewing on the boys shirts)
and plan to have them done before the baby comes.
Here they are.
I used a little steam-a-seam 2
which is a double sided fusible interfacing.
That stuff is amazing!!!!
Once ironed on it's permanent, but I chose to sew the letters down too,
to add a little more character and stability.







So, here's my question...
will we need THIS combination of shirts...

or THIS combination of shirts?


Let's have a little contest!!! Shall we???
Leave a comment with your guess as to the gender of the baby
and when the baby will make its appearance.

I obviously have two kids already, a girl and a boy.
They were both born a week before their due date.
My actual due date for this baby is October 13th.
I do not know the gender of the baby.

Whoever guesses the closest to the actual birthday
and time of day (approximate) and gender
will get a small prize from me!
And when I say small I mean it, I have something fun,
but it's nothing huge or elaborate...
I will have just had a baby so you gotta cut me some slack!

Oh and whichever onesie we don't end up needing will be in my etsy store later!
Check out my blog for some photos from our maternity session!!
Guess away!!!

Planning for Baby: on a personal note

Well my post is better late than never right?
Well, I'm currently 34 weeks and 3 days pregnant...
I'm ready...well sort of.
I've been having contractions lately
and it's got me thinking...am I really ready for baby #3?

Nope!
But today my husband and I got me to a place where I feel more ready.
We cleaned and organized the shed. What does that have to do with a baby?
Well, now I know where all the baby clothes are.
They were all sorted and in bins by age and gender
but they were not easy to get to. That's all changed now.
I grabbed all the gender neutral NB and 0-3 months clothes
and a few boy outfits and a few girl outfits
(since we don't know what we're having)
and they are currently in the wash.
That makes me feel a little more ready.

But there's still lots to do.
Here's just a glimpse at my ever growing list...

We need to get a new infant car seat
the one we had was from Naomi and is 4 years old
and only has a three point harness.
I need to pack my hospital bag and one for hubby.
I need to make my "big kid" plan and figure out who
will watch them when I go to the hospital since my mom
probably won't be here till after the baby comes.
I need to get some new BPA-free bottles.
(not too worried about that since I plan on nursing the babe)
There are lots of other little things to do to get ready...
but I'm trying not to think too much about it and just
enjoy my time with the two kiddos who are out in the world already.

I'm super excited to have a photo session (almost) scheduled.
But in the mean time I busted out my tripod and got some photos of the kids and I.

And some of just them...



Now we just need to get this little guy out of the crib...
into a big boy bed sharing a room with sister...
harder than we first thought.
He loves his crib!
Any suggestions?
I'm all ears!

Oh and what else do I need to do before baby #3 comes?
I have serious mommy brain and sometimes forget the simple things!

★ I was contacted by Safety 1st to review their new line of Nature Next Bio-Plastic products. I was definitely interested because I know a lot of our readers are moms who would greatly benefit this information. Especially if your are eco-concious. I received the Bio-Plastic booster seat, potty seat and step stool for review. First, I was very impressed with the color and quality. My kids however are not exactly the age to use these so I enlisted a few friends to review these products for me. They were very happy to help. 

First, the potty seat... my girlfriend is in the beginning stages of potty training so she was happy to take on the task of reviewing this new Bio-Plastic Potty Chair. She loved that not only was it a potty trainer seat, but that you can remove the seat and transition over to the family toilet while still being able to use the body of the seat as a step stool. She was also happy that during the potty training, the seat was easily removable for cleaning. This potty seat is great!

Second, the booster seat... now this one I sent on to my girlfriend with a toddler. They were ready to go from high chair to big kid chair.  This seat was great for adding to the family table and took up no room at all. She loved that it had a 3 point harness to keep her lil one safely in the booster. There is also a non-slip rubber feet that keep it in place on the chair. So no slipping babies! The thing I thought was great was when your child is older they can still use this without the harness. It makes a great booster to take to the movies too if you don't like using those icky seats they have there. Great product for for lil ones up to small age children! 

Third, the step stool... I kept this one for me. Hee! I still have young ones that need a little extra help reaching so I knew I would get use out of this. This step stool has the non-slip rubber feet too and is 7" high. Perfect for kids who need that extra boost. I like that it is very durable and strong. Some step stools are flimsy. This one is great! We have used it for many things.... washing hands, helping reach counters to help cook, reaching the top level of their doll house, helped the bigger kids when putting away dishes ;-), we took it to the park so they could easily use it for the drinking fountain,  and they have even taken this outside to help them get up on their swings. The Bio-Plastic Step Stool is perfect for many uses. I definitely recommend it!  

I would also recommend any of the Bio-Plastic products for any family. They would make excellent gifts too! ★

...Some info from Nature Next about Bio-Plastic...

Bio-plastic. It may sound like a rock group, but it is actually a new way of producing products that use renewable resources in place of fossil fuels. The bio portion of the material comes from common starches found in plants ranging from corn to tapioca.

A natural concern for many consumers is whether or not bio-plastics are using crops that could be destined for someone’s dinner table. The fact is that the starches used by Nature Next™ are all by-products. None of the starches we use were ever meant to be used as a food source.

Our new line of Nature Next™ bio-plastic products is currently being manufactured in California, but will soon be moving to a plant closer to our Columbus, Indiana facility. By cutting down the distance between the plant and storage warehouse, we will greatly reduce the amount of fuel needed to transport the products. A central U.S. location is also ideal for transporting the finished products to retail outlets all across the country. The above information was found on Safety First Bio Plastic Nature Next Site! 

...More info on the Products sent to me for review ...

The Safety 1st® Nature Next™ Bio-Plastic 3-in-1 Potty is made from 50%  bio-plastic, a new generation of durable plastics developed from renewable plant resources.  The potty features a removable bowl that makes cleanup easy.  After your child masters the skills, the seat converts to a trainer which helps ease the transition to the family toilet.  Use the step stool mode to give your little one a boost when washing hands or brushing teeth.
- Potty, trainer seat and step stool
- Removable bowl makes cleanup easy

The Safety 1st® Nature Next™ Bio-Plastic Booster Seat is made from 50% bio-plastic, a new generation of durable plastics developed from renewable plant resources. The booster seat includes adjustable chair straps and non-slip rubber feet to help keep the seat steady. With the 3-point harness, it's easy to keep your child secure during meal times.
- 3-point harness keeps child secure
- Non-slip rubber feet keep seat steady
- Adjustable chair straps
- Fun leaf design on seat

Give your child an eco-conscious boost with the Safety 1st® Nature Next™ Bio-Plastic Step Stool. Made from 50% bio-plastic, a new generation of durable plastics developed from renewable plant resources, our step stool features non-slip feet and is sized just right to give your toddler a little extra height whenever needed.
- Textured top with fun leaf design for added safety
- Non-slip feet
- 7 inches tall

...Some Fun Things You Might Want to Know...

Tour their Virtual Home to learn more about products and tips on how you can live a more eco-concious lifestyle.

Take the Eco-Concious Quiz

...Make sure you stop by and...

Sign up for the Nature Next Newsletter

Like Nature Next (Cereplast) on Facebook

Follow Nature Next (Cereplast Inc) on Twitter

The Cereplast Inc Home Website

The featured product {s} in this post were provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or pr company representing the company. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. Trendy Treehouse Disclaimer/Terms of use.

Sock Corsage Tutorial

Last week I showed you how I make my diaper cakes.
There are TONS of great ideas out there for diapers cake.
My way just happens to be one of many.

Well, here is my version of the sock corsage.
The first one I made I made for a friend having a boy,
so it was pretty simple and only had two flowers.
I made this one for a friend having a girl,
and I wanted to make it a little more realistic,
so I added extra leaves and flowers!

What you need:
baby socks (2 or 3 pairs)
floral wire
floral tape
scissors
fake flowers/leaves
pins
ribbon

Start by rolling the pair of socks from the toe to the top,
roll at a little bit of an angle.
Then I sorta cuffed the end over to make more "leaves"
then put the wire around the bottom of what you just made.Then wrap each "rose" individually with
floral tape just to make it secure.Then start wrapping them together and start including
the leaves and extra flowers...
wrap, wrap and wrap some more.Make sure the end is sorta pretty,
then tie a ribbon around the base of the roses,
figure out how to attach it to the person
and you're all set.This corsage ended up being a little heavy,
pins would have worked but the mom-to-be
had a lightweight shirt on so it wouldn't stay up...
she ended up putting it in her hair...
but it still looked cute!Would love to see your take on the sock corsage!