SHMILY Coin Review + 5 Day Giveaway

February 3, 2011 by Brooke Anna 57 Comments

Have you ever read the

Well, if not you should head on over to

SHMILY coins and check it out!

Maybe you have a loved one, who lives far away, or maybe you want to tell that special someone you love them, or remind your children the same thing. SHMILY Coins are for you!

Where can you put a SHMILY coin? Well, there’s lots of places: a purse, jacket pocket, a backpack, or you can put it where I did! In a letter to my Nuderma, and in B’s lunch box. It was great to get a call from him half-way through the day saying “What’s this thing you put in here.” And I was able to tell him about Laura Hammonds story. I can only hope that B and I have a bond such as Laura’s Grand-Parent’s did. I love that Scott & Jennifer Ertl were inspired enough by The SHMILY Story to she it with us all.

When Scott contacted me about reviewing SHMILY coins I gladly accepted. I always try to leave little “love notes” for B to find. Whether it be in the truck, his lunch box, or in his wallet. (I’m sentimental, what can I say?) I love that my Nuderma enjoyed the story I sent along with her coin.

Here are just a few ways you can incorporate SHMILY coins into your daily lives.

-Send them to a loved one over seas.

- Stick one in the luggage of a loved one who works offshore.

-Allowing children to hide them for a parent.

-Sending one in a letter to a loved one.

Or, just handing one to a dear friend and telling them about the SHMILY Story.

Another great quality of SHMILY Coins is that they can be used over, and over again. Meaning, the SHMILY Story will live on as long as the coin makes it around to those you love.

What do I think about SHMILY Coins?

“A SHMILY Coin you pass on today, may find itself in the hand of someone who needs to…

See How Much I Love You… tomorrow.”

It just might make someones day better.

Taken from their website…

“Good news about SHMILY coins:

All SHMILY coins are made in the USA.

SHMILY coins are 100% wooden and don’t contain any MSG or BPA.

No assembly is required. All SHMILY coins come fully assembled.

SHMILY coins are guaranteed to last without having to install any batteries.”

Guess what?

Scott & Jennifer are offering one of you, a Mommy Does…

reader a chance to win

10 SHMILY Coins

of your own!

Just in Time for Valentine’s Day!

*Buy It*

The Cost is just

$7.90 for a ten-pack of

SHMILY Coins

that’s less money than you can buy a bouquet of flowers for!

SHMILY Coins can last forever, and you can have a Valentine’s gift for 10 people, for less than $10!

*Win It*

(Make the most of your chances

if the entry says +2 leave 2 comments)

~Mandatory~

(+1)Go to SHMILY Coins,

look around and tell me one place they suggest SHMILY Coins can be hidden.

Let me know which suggestion you like the most, or let me know where

you would hide one instead.

(this entry must be submitted first or no other entries will be considered)

*Extra Entries*

(+1) Follow Mommy Does… via GFC.

(+2) “Like” SHMILY Coins on Facebook, and let them know Mommy Does… sent you!

Leave a comment letting me know you did.

(+2) Blog about this Giveaway linking back to Mommy Does… and SHMILY Coins

*BONUS ENTRIES*

(+5)Purchase an item from SHMILY Coins and leave me a comment telling me what you bought.

(Items start at 99 cents)

then

forward the invoice to

brookeannaroberts(at)yahoo(dot)com

(+4) Enter this giveaway into a Giveaway Linky using this pages URL and leave a comment with a link to where you added it!

This can be used as the NAME of the Linky submission: SHMILY Coin Giveaway 2/7

So, there’s a total of 15 possible Entries you can submit!

This will be a quick-turnaround giveaway so it will end on Monday February 7th, 2011 @ 8AM CST.

If you or your company would like to sponsor a Review and/or Giveaway here on Mommy Does… please e-mail me anytime at brookeannaroberts(at)yahoo(dot)com, subject line: Sponsorship.

Filed Under: giveaway, SHMILY Coins, sponsor, Spotlight, Valentine's Day

Mommy Does… a Valentine’s Re-Vamp Exchange!!!!

February 3, 2011 by Brooke Anna 6 Comments

Last week or so, Wendy over at Craft Goodies, posted information about looking for Valentine’s Exchange participants.

I replied back right in the nick of time (I procrastinate, remember?), securing myself a partner who’s name is Giana. The whole idea of the exchange is to basically take something, and to make it into something else, as long as you make it yourself. Wendy now has a linky for the participants (I’m feeling like a star now,) and I want to share with you all, my gifts I made for Giana. (I know this goes against secrecy of gift-giving, but if she peeks I hope she likes it enough to really want to receive them.) This “tutorial” if you want to call it that will mostly be in pictures… Here goes…
*Supplies Needed*Anything you have on hand! This is what I had.(Wooden Blocks courtesy of my step-father.)Antique White and two colors of purple paint.

First coat of antique white paint.

While that dried, I took a shirt sleeve and cut it out.

Cut circles, and fold in half.

Fold it in half (like above) tack it with glue (I used tacky glue.)

Fold in half again and tack it also.

Now squeeze glue onto another circle. Like so.

Attach one of the petals to it, and lay flat. Keep making the “petals” and laying them in the glue.

Until it looks like this. (I cut two circles for the top.)

Now, back to the blocks. Keep layering the white until it doesn’t look like wood beneath. I also “whipped” light purple paint onto it with the brush you see in the background. I liked it like it was, but thought it needed more.

So, I did the same with a deep purple. I liked it even more.

Remember those Big Lot’s unfinished stamps I bought?

Here’s what I did.

Then This.

For each side.

Then, I took this clay pot from a pack I had on hand.

And painted a styrofoam ball I had in a box.

Then I used this Elmer’s multi-purpose Glue-All that said it was great for crafting, and had a stronger formula.

I really liked it. It has held up nicely since,

I glued my Styrofoam ball into the pot with it.

Oh! You see the black stamping and letters?

(I didn’t say this tutorial would be in exact sequence, forgive me.)

Side view.

Then I remembered I had some clothespins from a past purchase. So I took my nail polish, and painted them.

Then I used these X-ACTO Precision Scissors and Elmer’s Extra Strength Glue Sticks and made a card.

I also used some packing paper to make a rosette, which I used glue to attach a fabric rosette on top of that. Then I cut some card stock and glued that onto it. I finished the pins by “whipping” more black paint onto them and gluing some rhinestones on the tops. I used the nail polish to distress the fabric flower I attached to the Styrofoam ball. The card I hand made also. I made four-four letter phrases and painted them onto the blocks. You can see the love and hugs below.

So, what do you…..

about what I made?

I love that I came up with this little extra!

It’s not a matchbook silly!

It’s a mini-notebook

Giana, if your peeking, are you excited for what’s going to be on it way soon?

Let me know what you think!

You know I LOVE comments!

Join us Saturdays at tatertotsandjello.com for the weekend wrap<br />
up party!

If you or your company would like to sponsor a Review and/or Giveaway here on Mommy Does… please e-mail me anytime at brookeannaroberts(at)yahoo(dot)com, subject line: Sponsorship.

Filed Under: craft, craft link-ups, DIY, Easy, gift, link-up, Party, tutorial, Valentine's Day, Well Good

Bows, Bows, and Bows, Oh! My!

January 31, 2011 by Brooke Anna 5 Comments

So, you may have seen this post where I offer instructions for a Boutique Bow how-to. I just wanted to share a few of the bows I have made using this method. I will use any type of ribbon that I can “work” with. If it’s not the most expensive or “perfect” I don’t mind. I just like to make Little Girl something she is proud of and it gives me a way to unwind. I love to share my bows with friends and family if they are interested. My sister-in-law makes Little Girl’s cousin bows, and let me tell ya! She’s a sewer and does a great job, since I’m not a sewer; I rely on a glue gun, and my two hands

These two pictures are from a special order for my best-friend’s cousins daughter.

She asked if I would mind making some, and she would pay me since she knew it would take some time between courses and kids.

I made the bow holder to go along with it.

These two bows were made for another close friends daughter’s Birthday gift from my family.

These were made from ribbon I found in the dollar bin at Target. The clips were re purposed from Little Girl’s hair stuff bin. The pink plaid was lined with a pink stitched coordinating color from the same pack. The plaid was white on the inside and I wanted it to look nice. The blue and yellow in the top left corner is just a simple folding style I used in this tutorial. There was enough of the blue stitched ribbon for two pig-tail bows which I really like. The smaller, twisty-type is made from scrap pieces I didn’t want to waste. Again all the clips are re purposed from what I had on hand.

This set is one I made for Little Girl. I made the bow holder. The Teal, Black and Yellow ribbon I found at Dollar Tree during the summer. The Pink/Brown/Khaki and Zebra print from Wal-Mart, and the Pink satin was re purposed from the bow Little Girls coming home bag(She’s been home for a while.)

Top, again with the folding technique, I just made 2 of each color, hot glued together, re purposed clippie, and an embellishment. The second from top is ribbon I found at Dollar Tree, as is the bubble gum pink and yellow. The Blue is ribbon my mom found on sale at Micheal’s. The orange and black, Dollar Tree, and the Pink Paisley satin print from Wal-Mart.

This is just some of Little Girl’s collection including the special order mentioned above and friend’s birthday set. The barrette in the top left corner is just craft foam lining a barrette with buttons hot glued on. Be careful with the foam and the glue gun. A high-temp (like mine) melt the foam if you squeeze too much hot glue on! I’m sure felt wouldn’t have this problem. But keep in mind. I made bows before I crafted because, well, because that stack of books in the upper-left-hand corner… Boo! Too.Much.Course work.

This is a bow I made from a sheer ribbon. Little Girl liked the ribbon and I needed a quick break from coursework, so I whipped it up while making these.

This is my newest set, You might have seen it in some other posts, but I wanted to share these again.

The lady bug print from Micheal’s, Bubble Gum Pink from Dollar Tree, Heart (floral ribbon from Dollar Tree.

If you or your company would like to sponsor a Review and/or Giveaway here on Mommy Does… please e-mail me anytime at brookeannaroberts(at)yahoo(dot)com, subject line: Sponsorship.

Filed Under: craft, craft link-ups, DIY, Easy, family, frugal, gift, ideas, link-up, Little Girl, Monday, Valentine's Day

Well Good… its an Itty Bitty Bakers Line Review!

January 28, 2011 by Brooke Anna 1 Comment

Back when I was new to blogging (November 2010 feels like forever ago) I loved entering giveaways and find some pretty awesome blogs (still do.) I came across Wendy from Craft Goodies. I fell in love instantly. I followed her through GFC and was so excited to explore what she had to offer, needless to say; I wasn’t disappointed at all!

I enjoyed reading her tutorials and looking at all her creations. I really fell for her Paint Stick Toy Soldier and have filed that in my someday crafts list!
She is also one of my inspirations to learn how to sew! I received a Project Runway Edition sewing machine from my mother for Christmas, and also have Wendy’s Pottery Barn Knock-off hand towels and her Ruffled Christmas Tee on my someday crafts list! Oh? And the hand towels I mentioned above? They would be AWESOME gifts for Valentine’s Day! Don’t believe me, well check them out…

While checking her out back in November, I ran across a giveaway she was having. It was for her Itty Bitty Bakers Line. I decided to try my hand at entering her Itty Bitty Baker’s Delight giveaway (one of my first.)And.I.Won.Seriously? Me?I was so excited for Little Girl, since this would become part of her Christmas gifts.This is what I won:

Itty Bitty Baker Line

One apron choice of size and fabric ( I chose a brown polka dot fabric)

1 box of cinnamon buns

1 package of “iced” sugar cookies.

( I liked the ones pictured.)

Some information about the inspiration behind line

directly from Wendy’s Craft Goodies blog.

Itty Bitty Baker!

line of children’s wood and fabric toys. As a mom, I want the best for my kids. I want to give them an opportunity to learn and grow in any situation-even when they’re playing. And, I want them to learn about everyday experiences in a fun and safe manner.

My girls love to “help out” in the kitchen. They were always helping themselves to my cooking utensils and aprons. After one too many times of ruining my shirt-I decided they needed some of their own. That’s where this all started, the need for a cute and fun child-size apron.

It’s only grown from there. I decided that the play food my girls had, wasn’t fun. Plastic molded forms that were easily misshapen and well, plastic. I wanted something more durable, more interactive, but still easy to keep clean. I found cute sets at the store, but didn’t like the price. And, I wanted something more personal, something more me, and now, I want to share it with you…

Cookie and Sweet Roll sets are sewn from felt with hand stitched details and bead work. Cookies arrive bagged in a set of 6, you choose rainbow or pink sprinkles! Sweet Rolls come boxed and tied in a set of 4.

I read the above information before entering the giveaway and thought, I HATE those plastic “food” toys I keep buying only to find that Little Boy and Little Girl chew on them, “cook” with them and tear them apart, in general. This is why I chose to enter, and am so happy I did!

So? Did Little Girl like them?

Heck yes she did!

Christmas morning was filled with Tea Parties and “cooking.”

I was unable to get pictures of my packages but I’m not kidding when I say that they look exactly like Wendy’s image above.

This is the photo I managed to snap in between Little Girl setting up for her first tea party.

This was my “snack” little girl “cooked.”

Even B and Little Boy enjoyed having tea with Little Girl.

(Little Boy brought his dinosaurs and dump trucks to the party

and I think we all know how that turned out.)

I really like that the cinnamon bun is crafted well. It is not flimsy, it is tightly rolled and securely crafted. Mine has withstood more than a month of play from both children and has yet to unroll, the “glaze” is still intact and the cookies are so fluffy. The only caution I put forth is that since the “sprinkles” on the cookies are sewn on it could pose a choking hazard for very small children and infants. Little Girl will be 3 next month and has no curiosity to bite the beading/sprinkles from the cinnamon bun, or cookies. Little Boy is only 17 months old and loves the bite and chew the beading off. While I’ve caught him a few times invading Little Girls tea parties and trying to actually eat the beading, he has yet to choke, but I have had him spit the beads out. This is expected since he is still curious so I just make sure to watch the party closely while he attends.

The apron is simply adorable, the cupcake on the front of it is a little pocket and Little Girl loved to stick her “recipes” into it while “cooking. I chose a bigger size so she may grow into it and enjoy for a longer amount of time. The fabric I chose is soft and I have even washed it once when Little Boy smeared banana on it. I just used a gentle cycle and let it hang-dry. Overall I love the Itty Bitty Bakers line and would recommend it to mothers who want their children to have quality play-things. She offers an assortment of items to fit many budgets, whether you are looking for an addition to your child’s make-believe collection or need a gift for an upcoming celebration. Wendy is super easy to communicate with and ships the items in a timely manner. Since the items are already packaged beautifully, there really is no need to “wrap” them if giving as a gift, in my opinion.

I know many of you like play-things for your children that are actually worth the money you pay for them. Wendy creates some other pretty awesome make-believe goodies for children. This is another line she offers. I also took this from her site (so the description and pictures do justice to her talent.)

Itty Bitty Wood Line

This line features wood and velcro play sets similar to those you’d find at Land of Nod or from Doug and Melissa.

So, what’s the difference? My sets come unfinished, ready to give your own special touch to. Paper cover or paint, the choice is yours. And, you get more pieces in each play set for less money!

Sugar Cookie set includes:

6 cookie cutouts

6 frosting toppers

1 frosting container

1 sprinkles container

Frosting spreader

Serving tray

Labels and Velcro pieces

Sandwich Set includes:

4 bread slices

2 lettuce cutouts

2 cheese cutouts

2 tomato cutouts

2 meat cutouts

1 mustard container

1 mayo container

1 butter knife

1 cutting board

Labels and Velcro pieces

I really like the Sandwich kit. I know Little Girl loves to make lunch with me and think this would be a pretty awesome set to get for her. I can also see myself incorporating the items into my classroom after she and Little Boy outgrow them. It would be a great set to offer as a hand-me-down, and we all know I love me some hand-me-downs

Wendy even has an ETSY Shop named…

Her shop has some pretty little somethings such as this

SWEET HEART letter set

And I’m loving her

LOVE BUG letter set

If you want to Celebrate in style, she’s even got THAT covered with her

CELEBATE letter set

I’m loving the letter set along with balloons, and it would be great to reuse for any celebration!

If you would like to learn more about Wendy you can visit her

Blog

and

ETSY shop.

Disclaimer:

While I did win an Itty Bitty Bakers Delight set featured above from Craft Goodies, I was in no way paid for my honest opinions given above. I simply offered Wendy a review and she accepted.”

If you or your company would like to sponsor a Review and/or Giveaway here on Mommy Does… please e-mail me anytime at brookeannaroberts(at)yahoo(dot)com, subject line: Sponsorship.

Filed Under: baking, Christmas, family, feature, friday, gift, ideas, Learning, Little Boy, Little Girl, Spotlight, Teaching, toys, tutorial, Valentine's Day, Well Good

DIY Valentine’s Wreath

January 25, 2011 by Brooke Anna 4 Comments

Valentine’s Day is knocking on the door

and so are my homework assignments…

That’s not as fun so I decided to spice my days up and make this beauty…

A DIY Valentine’s wreath- with an affordable budget.

If you want to make one, don’t spend a fortune.

That ruins the frugality of it.

I used what I could find or buy for, well, cheap.

*Supplies Needed*

Foam Floral Wreath

(Dollar Tree)

Heart Shaped Table Scatter

(Dollar Tree)

Red and Pin Heart Picks

(Dollar Tree)

Glue Gun and Sticks

(On hand)

Garland

(50 cents each @ CVS’s Clearance section.)

Total:

$2.50

(since I didn’t use all the scatter, picks or white garland.)

I’ll admit, I was impatient broke down and used my Christmas wreath’s scrap tablecloth to cover

the floral wreath instead of painting it and waiting for it to dry.

It’s free since I had it on hand, but you can paint and wait if you have the patience time.

To begin:

Paint or wrap your wreath.

I “tacked” the tablecloth with hot glue towards the back to not be seen.

It should look like this.

It doesn’t have to be perfect since it won’t be seen.

Now, begin by tacking the garland to the underside of the wreath like so…

Wrap and tack until you run out of red garland like the fullness.

I underestimated the size of my wreath, oh well. I made it work!

Now take the picks out of your glittery foam hearts.

Apply a puddle of hot glue to the side your don’t want seen.

And stick it to the garland to form a seal, wait till set

then move on until you add all the embellishments you want.

I added the table scatter with a little squeeze of hot glue while I was at it!

This is how it turned out…

Leave me a comment and tell me what you think!

Sorry this isn’t more detailed.

I have lots of homework so my posts might be erratic till I get a bunch scheduled

???

If you or your company would like to sponsor a Review and/or Giveaway here on Mommy Does… please e-mail me anytime at brookeannaroberts(at)yahoo(dot)com, subject line: Sponsorship.

Filed Under: craft, craft link-ups, Decor, DIY, Easy, family, frugal, Glitter, ideas, link-up, save, tutorial, Valentine's Day, wreath

Mommy Does… a Valentine’s Re-Vamp Exchange!!!!

Bows, Bows, and Bows, Oh! My!

Well Good… its an Itty Bitty Bakers Line Review!

SWEET HEART letter set

LOVE BUG letter set

CELEBATE letter set

DIY Valentine’s Wreath

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SHMILY Coin Review + 5 Day Giveaway

Share with Friends and Family:

Mommy Does… a Valentine’s Re-Vamp Exchange!!!!

Share with Friends and Family:

Bows, Bows, and Bows, Oh! My!

Share with Friends and Family:

Well Good… its an Itty Bitty Bakers Line Review!

SWEET HEART letter set

LOVE BUG letter set

CELEBATE letter set

Share with Friends and Family:

DIY Valentine’s Wreath

Share with Friends and Family:

Current & Upcoming Giveaways

Sponsors

Networks

Buttons

Post Archives

Pages

Designed By

Brooke Anna @ Mommy Does

Search for Posts:

PR Friendly

E-Mails Delivered by Mail Chimp

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