MOMday Morning December

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who entered! We will post a winner  soon! Have a wonderful Christmas! xo The ladies at MOMday Morning~

 Happy MOMday Morning!

Due to tech difficulties....we are extending this giveaway until this Friday December 17th at 12:00pm PST. For those who entered already, you will automatically receive 2 extra entries.

                Did you hear the good news last month over at Eli's Lids? MOMday is growing and we've added a new friend to our team; Soni from Stringbean Co. So glad to have you Soni....

MOMday Morning was developed to nurture you and give back to the MOM blog community who has loved and nurtured our companies throughout the years.

Meet the ladies behind MOMday Morning.  Andrea from B.Y.O.G, Heather and Donna from Blessed Nest, Kara Noel fom Elis' Lids, & Soni from Stiring Bean co.

We made it simple this month because we know you already have a big to do list and after all our goal is to nurture you during this holiday season....

                              The Giveaway

So, are you wondering what we are giving away this December?

 $100.00 cash........

A Blessed Nest Nesting Pillow......

AND goodies from our friend in business

Peek a Green

 Alex has donated amazing products for MOMday but first let me tell you about her company!   

Peek a green has handpicked the most baby-friendly and eco-friendly products and created unique gift sets for all occasions: baby showers, birthdays, holidays and every day gifts for babies and their older brothers & sisters. Peek a green is a wonderful place to do your holiday shopping; for each item you purchase, they will have a tree planted, thanks to their partnership with Trees for the Future.

From Peek a Green one winner will have a chance to win......

 

 Enter to win:

1) Visit Peek a Green and tell us in the comments what your favorite product is other then the giveaway items (mandatory to qualify for a win)

2) FOR EXTRA ENTRIES: because we know you really want to win!

Tweet this: and tell us in the comment you did so... you can do this daily!

"Win $100 & organic baby products http://tinyurl.com/244ctox #MOMdayMorning  @BlessedNest @BYOG & @ElisLids @StringbeanCo"

Face book this post  ( up to 1 per day)

blog about this post ( up to 1 per day)

So...1 of you will win a Blessed Nest Nesting Pillow + the $100.00 cash

and...1 of you will win the goodies from Peek a Green. Organic Nursing Pads + Bamboo Bag

Giveaway closes Monday December 13th 12:00pm PST

Have fun!

The girls from MOMday Morning

Heather, Donna, Andrea, Kara-Noel & Soni

MOMday Morning Giveaway September

 Giveaway closed! Thank you to all who entered. We will post the winner by Wednesday 9/15/10

The 1st Monday of every month Blessed Nest, B.Y.O.G. and Eli's Lids will be hosting a giveaway. Last month our friends at B.Y.O.G were hosting and giving away one of their beautiful Maternity gowns!

If you missed it don't worry, we're at it again!

The prize this month is a Nesting Pillow by Blessed Nest &

                 $75.00 cash

We created MoMday Morning to serve, love & nurture mom bloggers, the women/men who support them, & their readers. Why not have something to look forward to on Monday morning? You don't have to be a Mom or write a blog to enter.
   Grab your coffee, sit back and watch the video with all the scoop here

It's labor day! Why does that make me think of labor pain? Maybe because the joyous experience of giving birth is work or maybe it's because we all make baby products everyday!  B.Y.O.G is known for their amazing labor and delivery gowns. Eli's Lids have creative Lids for baby on up and you know us at Blessed Nest for our Nesting Pillow great for breastfeeding, resting your head or your lap top. We work hard every day to give you the best of us and the best of the world around YOU!

MOMday is our way of giving back to you, the blog community! Thank you for giving us your best everyday.

Now......

How to enter... 

open to USA residents only

1. 1 entry (required) VISIT Blessednest.com & tell us what your favorite print is for the Nesting Pillow OR Tell us a back to school tip for making the transition from summer to school fun & exciting.

*Your tip will be tweeted so leave your Twitter @name in the comment area along with your tip if you want it tweeted.

leave a separate comment for each follow, like, etc on FB and Twitter!

2. Follow us on Twitter. Leave a comment here telling us you did so.

For 1 extra entry follow:

Blessed Nest on Twitter

BYOG on Twitter

Eli's Lids on Twitter

3. 1 extra entryTweet about MoMday Morningusing the hashtag #MOMdayMorning @blessednest @B.Y.O.G. @ElisLids in the tweet (One entry every day!) So Tweet and Re-Tweet! (tell us in the comments that you did so!) example:win a Nesting Pillow & $75.00 cash sponsored by @blessednest @B.Y.O.G. @ElisLids #MOMdayMorning.

( get creative with your own tweet too so we don't seem too spammy. Ya know what I mean?! but either way is fine with us..really.)

4.  1 extra entry per "like" Tell us you like us on Facebook. It makes us feel important and it gives you ANOTHER entry in the giveaway!

Blessed Nest

B.Y.O.G.

Eli's Lids

5. 10 extra entries: We know you really want to win & you're generous too! September is birthday month for our favorite CEO (Heather at Blessed Nest) & our favorite charity (Charity:Water). Heather gave up birthday presents and asked for clean drinking water instead. For 10 extra entries, donate $39.00 to Heather's Charity:Water page and tell us you did so here in the comments. (Tell us the name you donated under).

 Mom bloggers in the spotlight this month....fun story

I asked on Twitter if there where any mom bloggers with birthdays in September. I received two tweets. I've decided to highlight both bloggers. Here's why. One blogger is from OC, CA where Donna spends her time in the sales studio and the other blogger is from Lawrence, KS where Heather creates our Nesting Pillows in our main Nest at Blessed Nest!

 Meet these amazing bloggers, Happy Birthday Erin and Megan

Erin blogging from Lawrence, KS (home of Blessed Nest)

@FitMamaTraining her Twitter bio reads:

“reformed fat girl. still eats bacon. downright enjoyable. personal training. distance training. nutrition education. wellness programing. life coaching.”

  *read more about Erin at Fit Mama Training here

 

Megan blogging from OC, CA (home of the sales studio at Blessed Nest)

@mamabub her bio reads

“Wife. Mom to Bub and Bubette. Cupcake connoisseur. Living in domestic bliss in Orange County.”

*read more about Megan at Mama Bub

Thank you for joining us this MOMday Morning!

Remember...one winner (U.S. residents only) will receive a Nesting Pillow (of your choice) and $75.00 cash to be paid via PayPal transfer only.

Contest closes Monday September 13^th 9:00pm PST

Happy MOMday Morning!

 MOMday Morning guidelines available for your reading pleasure here

A little goes a long way… Easter Baskets

Today's post by Kara- Noel

It’s easy to use holidays as an excuse to splurge. But if you are in the red, you can’t. Well… you can, but you shouldn’t! Holidays can still be memorable without spending loads of dough. I bet when your kiddos grow up, they will remember the fun traditions more than what was filling their baskets!

I only spend $2-6 total on awesome Easter baskets.

Kind of. I’ll be more specific…

I only spend $2-6 on “extra” stuff for awesome Easter baskets.

Let me break down this year’s Easter Baskets for you:

• My biggest trick is to use holidays as a way to give your kiddos something they were already going to get. Spring/Easter marks the beginning of swimsuit season so the kiddos get new bathing suits in their Easter baskets. I would have had to get them new suits anyway so why not make it into a giftie AND a tradition I can use all the way into their teen years? We also just transitioned from sippy cups to big boy/girl cups. The kiddos needed a reusable water bottle for car trips. I picked up some adorable ones at Old Navy for only $5!
• Save hand-me-downs and gifts for Easter baskets. Last year Eli was given swim trunks that were too big and Cora has a hand me down suit for her new size so this year’s bathing suits are FREE! Also my friend Soni from the Stringbean Company gave the kiddos some adorable super hero capes.  I saved those suckers for some free Easter basket fun!

• The extras should be minimal & cheap. I do pick up 2 or 3 little things to put in each basket. This year they are getting pool noodles from The Dollar Tree. Dollar stores are great for little things like this. Remember to be picky, just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean you should get 20 things! Go in with the goal to only get 3 items maximum and pass on toys that will fall apart in seconds.
• Buy at the after Easter clearance sales. This tip is easier said than done! You have to be organized. I pack anything I get from the clearance sales in my Easter decorations box so it won’t get lost in the garage or in some random bag under the bed. This tip is great if you want to get something Easter specific like a book or DVD about the holiday. If you got something last year for this year, don’t be tempted to buy more!
• We use the same Easter baskets and plastic eggs every year. No cost there! (I’m sure I’ll have to cycle out eggs as the years pass but I’ll pick them up at after Easter clearance sales for cheap) Our tradition is to leave the empty baskets and eggs out the night before for the Easter Bunny to fill up.
• We fill the eggs with candy (which I most likely saved from St Patty’s Day!) and money. Yes folks, money!! An egg might have a quarter or 3 pennies (if your kiddos are older you should up the $$ a bit). They will get to save a bit and donate some to our sponsored children in Africa.  We are teaching the kiddos young about saving and giving money to charity. I’m sure they will figure out how to spend it on their own!
• Use the family! If family members give Easter baskets, don’t be afraid to let them know things you need. I gave my mom a call 2 weeks ago to tell her the kiddos needed Band-Aids and beach towels. Two fun things for the kiddos to get in their baskets and two things we are saving money by NOT having to buy!
• Focus on the meaning of the holiday! Easter isn’t about baskets…

Yep, we are a Easter matching family  … this year we’ll be in blue!!

Find Kara-Noel at Eli's Lids.com

She blogs here

follower her on Twitter

Fan her on Facebook

and get crafty with her at OC Family

A Little Goes a Long Way… Buy used via the Net

Has the amount on your credit card statement ever taken your breath away?

 “There must be some mistake!” (you’re thinking)

“We didn’t buy anything this month!”

You painstakingly go through every purchase only to notice there is nothing on the bill over $50 or even $20!

Yes folks, it’s the little things that add up; the night you didn’t have time for dinner and ordered pizza or all the craft supplies you “needed” for the classroom Valentine’s Day party or wedding gifts or… the list goes on and on and on!

Stop!

If you’re living in debt or feel like you are living paycheck to paycheck small simple changes can get you back in the black.

Blessed Nest has given me the chance to share simple money saving tips with you because a little goes a LONG way.

Today’s Tip is to utilize the good ole’ Internet to buy and sell used products locally. You’ll save green ($$) and be Green!

• My favorite buy-local site is Craig’s List  . I have sold  and bought  loads of things and haven’t had a bad experience yet. Craig’s List allows folks just like you and me to post things they want to sell or giveaway (There is FREE section! ). It’s divided out by city and every major city has its own Craig’s List hub. Just search for what you want, browse the list, contact the seller via email or phone then pick it up! The best part? No shipping… but you may have to call your cousin with a truck!
• Only want to look for free items? Try Freecycle  ! Their “mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community.” Talk about feeling noble for getting a free pack n’ play! You need to join Freecycle (membership is free) or a Yahoo group to see any of the posts. Groups are divided by city and members can post things they want to giveaway AND things they want! I’m in love with their instructional video. 
• Book lover? Me too!! I get almost all my books from Half.com  . The books are used and CHEAP! I’m talking .75 cents. You do have to pay shipping which runs about $3.50. Search for a book, then choose the quality (new, like new, very good, good or acceptable) then buy. I usually choose from the “good” category because the prices are SO low and the books have all been just fine.
• I’ve just discovered SwapTree.  You can swap books, music, DVDs and video games, you just have to pay shipping. And they make the whole shipping super easy by allowing you to print it from their site so you don’t have to worry about stamps, weights or going to the post office. First you list what you have, then you list what you want. Connections are made and the swapping begins! I haven’t done it yet but I’m going to give it a try soon!
• Of course, we all know about eBay!  (If you don’t, crawl out of that cave and read this.)  We have bought and sold on ebay and it’s not my favorite but, as my friend Soni from the Stringbean Company says “Ebay is only a click away!”

I'm excited to share theses sites with you and I hope you’ll try some of them, if you haven’t already. If you know of any Internet-swapping-free-inexpensive sites please let me know in the comments section!

Kara- Noel is a writer for the Blessed Nest Perch in the area of healthy living, finance, budgeting, and everything Mom. We are so excited to have Kara-Noel sharing her tips on budgeting and living debt free.

Find Kara-Noel at Eli's Lids.com

She blogs here

follower her on Twitter

Fan her on Facebook

and get crafty with her at OC Family

Eli's Lids.com~Meet Kara-Noel ~A Lid giveaway

Giveaway closed~ Winner will be posted soon! 12/5/09

Thankful November~ A month of thankfulness!

Meet yet another amazing momma. Today we are bragging about Kara-Noel from Eli’s Lids.com! Kara-Noel has been an inspiration from the first time we met. This gal is beautiful, witty, crafty and a sweet friend. We both lead very crazy, busy lives and don’t get to meet up on the playground as much as we’d like; but when I see Kara-Noel she brings sunshine and laughter to my day! She is the momma of two sweet kids, owner of Eli’s Lids.com and one crafty girl! Thank you Kara-Noel for being a word of inspiration into my life!

Enjoy our interview and giveaway:

<Donna>You are the designer/owner of Elislids.com. Your son Eli was your original inspiration. Your children and Lid line are beautiful! What continues to inspire you when you have tough days?

<Kara-Noel>Eli is still my greatest inspiration… especially on tough days! We’ll have some new Trucker inspired Lids coming out in the new year with something he told me while he was having a fit… but you have to wait to find out what it was!

Nap time is pretty inspiring too… zzzzzzzzz…

  <Donna>Your style of blogging is unique and fun. Does your silliness, quick wit and beauty come naturally or do you have to work at it?

<Kara-Noel> HA! Thank you!! I would say it comes pretty naturally! My parents say my sense of humor is from my dad’s mom… who was known to tell a (dirty) joke anywhere and often! I also taught aerobics at 24 Hour Fitness for 8 years. I noticed that by being silly and making fun of stuff (usually myself) I cultivated a fun genuine community in my classes. I hope that I’m cultivating the same thing on my blog by sharing our fun times. Being a mom is the most important thing anyone can do and it can be FUN, but we have to be intentional about the fun-ness!

  <Donna>You are a crafty girl. Can you tell us what your favorite Thanksgiving season craft is?

<Kara-Noel> I do LOVE crafts!! This year my favorite craft are these sewn handprint turkeys. ( as seen on O.C. Family.com ~ hear me bragging about kara-Noel who is now a momma writer at OC family..yeh I know her..hehe) Take time to watch her video "she's Crafty" they are just simply cool!

  <Donna> Who is the most inspirational women in your life and why?

<Kara-Noel> Most definitely my mom! She is REALLY funny (but don’t tell her I said that), easy to talk to and EVERYBODY likes her. She (and my dad) made a conscious effort to make my childhood magical… and it was!  I grew up without much money and I never knew what a brand name was. My mom made most of my clothes (back when it was cheaper to make your own clothes) and I remember us sitting at dinner and her bragging that our huge meal only cost a $1.00 because of her coupon clipping and sale shopping! She taught me that you don’t have to have loads of money to be a gracious hostess or to give to those in need. She worked with what God provided to our family and gave me a childhood that kids dream about. I hope to be a mom that doesn’t get caught up in the world always striving for more “stuff,” but instead gets caught up being a wife (my husband is hot, so that isn’t hard) and a mommy that my kids will respect (and hopefully still like) when they grow up.

Kara-Noel is giving you a chance to win Lid of your choice!

 

Eli’s Lids are the best So just "put a Lid on it" My girls love theirs!

Enter to win a Lid!

1)    Visit Eli’s Lids.com and tell us in the comments what style/print you will choose if you win.

2)    For a extra entry, become a fan of Eli’s Lids on FaceBook

3)    For a extra entry follow Eli’s Lids on Twitter

4)    For a extra entry Twitter this giveaway.

5)    For a extra entry become a fan of Blessed Nest.com on FaceBook.

Wow, I think that’s it!

Giveaway closes December 5th 12:00pm EST

 Enter our other Thankful giveaways:

Win a bundle of Thankfulness value $106.00

Purse*nal Creations

 Love to the moon and back,