Easter Special

Did you see that The Shop has quite the little handful of fun dainty goodness? What's even cooler is that I'm such a nice person, I thought I would offer these delightful beauties at 40% off for Easter. Use coupon code "EASTER2011". Just thought you might like to know.

And Then She Opened an Etsy Shop

With one cute little item listed

Check it out :: Pinkish Petals Baby Headband :: and know there's more to come! Heaven knows I have a whole wad of these unique pops of cuteness in my pantry waiting to be photographed and listed.

You Think You Know, Huh, Stranger?

In a random blog-perusing-nursing-session this morning, I had to chuckle at this post by kojo designs -- The Universal "Baby Girl" Symbol. Ah yes, every mom's frustration with the stranger gender specifying syndrome, which this mom of a cute little girl knows the solution for.

But I'm a mom of a baby BOY. 

One of the reasons I wanted to find out what we were having while I was pregnant was so that I wouldn't acquire a host of yellows and greens and other such neutrals that shout "Guess what! I'm cute and I could be a boy, or I could be a girl! Guess again!" and therefore have to create signs that declare "I'M A BOY" to hang obnoxiously above his head so that my you-offended-me-because-you-think-you-can-tell-a-girl-apart-from-a-boy-and-you-suck-at-it vein wouldn't start throbbing in my forehead.

So the greens and yellows and neutrals that did end up in Jimmy's wardrobe are only worn around close friends and family who know he's a boy and will never ever doubt it.

But there are still those know-it-all's who can't notice the blues or the camo or the planes and cars or the duh-look-at-those-big-boyish-hands, not to mention the lack of pinks, ruffles and bows that this mom would dress her baby girl in if she had one. The worst was the friendly lady who boasted of her four grandchildren who stopped me and my cute baby in a hotel lobby. She gently tickled and gushed over his cuteness and inflated my mommy ego.

(Confession: I take a lot of pride in being this baby's mommy, so I immediately fall in love with anyone who is charmed by my baby boy.)

"Boy or girl?" She asked with a smile.

I gulped in shock; staring at the train running across the bib of the baby-boy-in-my-arms' overalls; you did not just seriously ask that, did you?

And before I could respond she gently stroked his fuzzy red head and declared, "You're just too pretty to be a boy aren't you? Yes you are!"

"Maam, I truly am so sorry your grandsons are ugly," I replied while the words that came out of my mouth were actually; "No, you tell her that you really are a boy!"

So anyway. With all these baby girls that all my friends and family are having, I think I shall do them a favor and learn how to create these super cute bows and such so at least people will know what a baby girl looks like. And in the mean time I guess the little Jimmy boy will just have to continue sucking on blue pacifiers and wearing his shirt that declares, "daddy's happy I'M A BOY".

Do You Swagbucks?

Swagbucks is a search engine much like Google, but you are rewarded in points --er, Swagbucks, that are redeemable for a huge number of things. Gift cards are among the most popular and there's a huge assortment available for restaurants, hotels, Starbucks, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Target, Overstock, cash in PayPal, or my personal favorite: Amazon.com.

It is simple to use. Everything you would normally "Google", "Swagbucks" it. I now have the habit of taking an extra second to just type in my swagbucks toolbar the site I want to go to in their search engine (i.e., "blogger", "gmail", "facebook", etc.). Swagbucks are randomly awarded. Sometimes just a few (like, 4 or so), sometimes a lot (the other day I got 53). There are also numerous optional offers you can participate in that will award you oodles (I signed up for a free trial of Netflix and got 1,000 SB).

Last night I realized just how advantageous my Swagbuck involvement has been. I was adding the gift cards to my Amazon account, and there sits $40 just waiting to go towards my next purchase (I'm thinking a lens, or maybe lighting equipment?). And then I decided to count up my used gift cards to see how much "money" I have actually made with Swagbucks. To date -- including the ones I have yet to use -- it came to $270.

Two-hundred and SEVENTY dollars!

Granted, I can't feed my family off of it... But it's sweet to think there's an extra $270 in my checking account at the bank because I got to use Swagbucks. What could YOU do with $270 at Amazon? (Or Paypal, or Target, or Starbucks, or...?)

So folks, I am here to tell you that Swagbucks is not a scam. It requires patience, and the habit of Swagbucks searching. But it does eventually pay off. And really, who would complain about $270?

Click on the link to sign up today. 

Praise and Coffee

If the title caught your attention then you're really going to love where I'm going to send you now. But first a sweet little story.

Once upon a time (I know not when or how) I stumbled across a blog bearing that title. Praise and Coffee. I loved the sound of it. What's more, the author had a fun writing style and her encouragement to women was so inspiring. I loved her challenges to wives for their marriages. I loved, loved, loved her passion; which means I love her website, I love her ministry... yeah, I pretty much love her.

Our paths managed to cross somehow on that lovely social networking site known to the world as Facebook (once again, I know not when or how). I soon learned this dear gal had a patriotic heart as she offered her support and prayers to me as I struggled with the loneliness of my husband's absence.

One such way she demonstrated that was when I commented on how cute, cute, CUTE! the coffee mugs she had designed for her ministry were. The next thing I knew, there was one delivered to my door step along with a packet of coffee and a sweet little note. Her kindness meant so much to me. She is who she says she is.

{And they all lived happily ever after. The end.}

So take a moment and visit what must be the most welcoming site on planet earth -- Praise and Coffee -- and be inspired to be the woman God created you to be. You won't leave without a good heart-warming. (For best results, enjoy a cup of coffee while there.)

[Insert disclaimer about this not being a really-super-cute-coffee-mug give-away site.]

{Oh. Hello, Me! #badphotographer}

Some day I'm going to go to one of her Praise and Coffee nights.