Paper Culture - Classy and Eco-Friendly Birth Announcements

One of the most exciting moments after having a baby is ordering the Baby Announcements.

I chose, Paper Culture to order my baby announcements from and was thrilled with the results.

The birth announcements were easy to find on their website and categorized by many options, including baby girl, baby boy, gender neutral and more.

There were so many options to choose from, it was hard to narrow down the design I wanted, but finally chose this design:

Photo courtesy of: paperculture.com

Now, as you can see...this design is cute. However, the product I received was SO MUCH BETTER than it looks here!

The cards arrived in a chic, keepsake recycled paper box that could be used again.  I was happy to find that the actual cards were made from a sturdy and beautiful linen-like, matte, 100% recycled paper material with classy rounded corners.

There was an option to add an additional photo and message on the back of the announcement, FREE of charge, which is pretty much unheard of in other birth announcements I've seen.

I received my birth announcements from Paper Culture in just a few days, so my family and friends didn't have to wait forever to hear our good news. Ordering from Paper Culture was a start to finish, perfect experience.

PLUS, just for ordering, they planted a TREE in my child's honor. What's cooler than that?

More Reasons to Choose Paper Culture

• All cards and envelopes are made from 100% recycled material
• They'll address and mail your announcements for only the cost of the stamp - $.44
• They plant a tree (in anyone's name you choose) with every order
•  FREE custom message and/or photo on the back of each card
• They have modern designs for birthday invitations, graduation, save the date cards, and  stationary

If that's not reason enough to choose Paper Culture for your next printing job, they also offer a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and have professional designers work on every order that's placed!

What's not to love at Paper Culture?! 

Jamba Juice - Only $2 Printable Coupon

Need a cool summer refresher?

Print out this Jamba Juice coupon for a 16oz smoothie for only $2 BUCKS!

ENJOY your SUMMER!

Calma® Breastfeeding Bottle by Medela - Review & Giveaway - ends 8/31

Most of my readers probably know that I just had my second little girl a few weeks ago. Right?

If you haven't seen her already, here's her cute little mug for you to "oooh and ahh" over:

I am breastfeeding Baby O., just like I did with my first little girl, only 18 months ago and things are going quite well so far. However, Baby O. seems to swallow a lot of air for some reason and doesn't really love the whole burping process so often is a bit on the fussy side. We'll keep working on that.

With our first girl, I wanted to give my husband the opportunity to bond with her during feeding time.  With both babies now, we have introduced a bottle in the first month, for that reason.

Medela sent me a sample of their new bottle Calma® to try out with Baby O., which we did last night for the first time.  We were practicing for when we leave Baby O. with the grandparents for our anniversary dinner (tonight)!

Calma® is a research-based nipple used with a BPA-free breastmilk bottle that is designed to allow transition from the breast to the bottle and back again.  This is one of the first bottles I know of that is exclusively designed for breastmilk fed babies. 

  

I was expecting some resistance last night, when I gave my 3 week old her milk in the Calma® for the first time.  However, she took to the bottle so well and drank 2 ounces without any fussing.  In fact, she fell asleep and didn't even need a burp after drinking from this bottle. 

I was shocked. 

 

I have to say, I've never seen a nipple work quite like this.  The milk will only come out if the baby creates a natural vacuum just the same as how they work the natural breastmilk.  That means, the baby controls the flow, not the bottle - which means the baby shouldn't start to prefer the bottle over the breast.  

This means that the Calma® is perfect for a breastfeeding mother who needs to use the bottle once in awhile, but wants to also continue to breastfeed naturally!

I am so happy that I found a bottle that worked the first time for my breastfed baby.  You'll also be happy to know that she went back to nursing naturally the feeding after her bottle with no issues at all!

I'd definitely recommend the Calma® to other breastfeeding mothers, like me, who also need to use a bottle on occasion without wanting to cause their baby any "nipple confusion." 

It worked for me..............and Baby O. of course!

Resources for Breastfeeding Mothers

• Benefits of Breastfeeding
• What You Need
• Tips & Solutions
• Ask the Lactation Consultant
• iBreastfeed App - FREE

 BUY IT

• Click here to buy Calma® online at selected retailers

WIN IT

PRIZE:  (1) Calma Bottle from Medela - Retail Value $20

- To enter: Complete Rafflecopter Form below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was given a Calma by Medela for my review. I was allowed to keep the product, but the opinion I am sharing remains my own.”





 

eVitamins.com Makes Shopping for Supplements Stress-Free!

Just the other day, I ran out of a few of my staple vitamins.  So, I ran to the closest store, which happens to be a major retailer, to stock up.

I found myself, in the vitamin aisle, staring at the bottles, overwhelmed by the choices available.

Did I want 50 tablets of Calcium in 250mg tabs or 100 tablets in 1000mgs?

Plus, which brand was best?

I found myself taking what seemed like forever, reading labels, having to move out of the way for this or that customer and generally feeling hurried and stressed.

eVitamins.com is a simple solution for people like me who hate to waste time in the store choosing their supplements.  Vitamins are searchable by type, pkg/count, brand, and price at eVitamins, so you don't have to fumble through tons of bottles on the shelf to find what you're looking for.

My husband recently ran his first marathon, and experienced some knee joint pain afterward.  Glucosamine was recommended to help rebuild natural cartilage and maintain healthy joints.

So, I went to eVitamins.com and searched for Glucosamine, and sorted the results by highest reviews. Glucosamine Chondroitin Complex by Solgar was the best result that turned up. Another great feature at eVitamins, is that you can compare the features of multiple brands of vitamins without opening and closing a bunch of tabs or windows.

Glucosamine Chondroitin Complex by Solgar

Our order arrived within days, and was packaged securely - no spills or breaks.  My husband has been taking this Glucosamine Chondroitin Complex regularly and has noticed some relief in his joint pain.  No digestive issues or icky side effects. I know, when I had a shoulder injury I took the same supplement and very quickly began to find the pain and stiffness slowly going away.

So, the next time you are in the market for some vitamins or supplements - check out eVitamins.com and see how you can save on time and money!

Please remember, I'm not a medical professional so as always, please check with your doctor or medical care provider before taking any new supplements.

*Disclosure: This was not a paid post. The products used to facilitate this review were given to me free of cost by the company.  However, all opinions are 100% my own and were not influenced by the complimentary product received. As I am under no obligation to post a positive review if I feel it is not warranted.  

Hoover TwinTank™ Steam Mop - Does the Job and in Record Time!

The Hoover TwinTank™ Steam Mop took me only minutes to set up from the box. All the directions were straightforward and easy to understand. 

There weren't many pieces to put together, which made for a stress free set-up for a busy mom like me. The only prep work once the mop is put together is to fill two reservoirs – one with water and one with a cleaning solution and choose which cleaning pad you need (hard wood or tile). 

Photo courtesy of hoover.com

At first glance, I thought there was a chance these reservoirs were too small and would require numerous refills during one mopping job. I'm happy to say, I was wrong. I never had to refill the reservoirs and steam mopped my entire house (including my living room and den, tile kitchen, dining room, bathroom and all the hallways).

It only took a few seconds to heat up and was ready to go before you know it. No waiting - I like that! The lightweight design didn't strain my shoulders after cleaning all my floors, and the handle and steam trigger were easy to use. 

I was happy to find that the Hoover cleaning solution is 100% biodegradable and gave my hardwood floors a nice shine. Plus, the shape of the head is perfect for getting into into corners that regular mops tend to miss.

I'm very happy with the Hoover TwinTank™ Steam Mop and have already started recommending it to my family and friends that have laminate, tile or hardwood floors. 

This Hoover TwinTank™ Steam Mop could easily become this mom's best friend!

Disclosure: I received a sample of this product to facilitate my review, but my opinions are entirely my own.

Have a Cute Kid? You could win $25,000

Question: Do you have a CUTE KID?

Answer: Of course you do! 

Question: Would you like to win $25,000?

Answer: Of course you would!

The Cute Kid is judged by Entertainment Industry Professionals, top Talent Scouts and Casting Agents.

PLUS when you enter, you get a FREE 1 year subscription to Parents Magazine + a FREE 11 x 14 Canvas of YOUR CuteKid!  

Not too shabby! 

Keep the Summer Allergies at Bay with Children's Claritin Tips

As you may know, I am proud to be a 

If you or your little ones suffer from seasonal allergies.....

Here are some great tips for beating the summer allergy blues:

Summer Allergy Tips from Children's Claritin


During the summer months, grass pollen fills the air across much of North America. There are many types of grasses, and several of them have long seasons. In the southern United States, Bermuda grass is found nearly year-round. When taking care of your entire family, consider these pointers for people whose everyday schedules change in the summer:

• Take Claritin® allergy products as soon as you begin to have symptoms.
• Having medication with you will help you control your allergy symptoms before they control your lifestyle.
• Avoid yard work that may increase your exposure to pollen and molds, such as mowing, raking and weeding.
• Post reminders to take medication.
• Take medication at the same time each day.
• If you need to take medication during the day, carry it with you.
• Buy a watch with an alarm and set it to go off every day when it's time to take your medicine.
• Use Claritin products as directed.

 This summer be FREE to PLAY!

CLICK HERE to discover 24 ways to enjoy your SUMMER both indoors and out!