Tie those Tap Shoes (or your hair!) in Style with Custom Tap Ties from No-Plain-Jane {Review and Giveaway}

What is cuter than a toddler in a tutu and tap shoes? Not much, in my opinion! That is unless her tap shoes have her monogram! I love everything monogrammed because it adds that little personal touch that makes you just feel special. As I said before, like it was made just for you! EG started dance class last month and they requested that she use elastic tap ties rather than

the ribbon ties that came with the shoes. I wonder why that is? What, do they think that 2 year olds will play with the ribbons? Never! LOL (It's not like they wont play with the elastic ones either... :) Anyhow, of course, I had the find the cutest tap ties out there. Thus, the reason I stumbled upon No-Plain-Jane. I knew I wanted some super cute, custom tap ties with EG's initial, and that's exactly what they offer...plus a whole lot more! No-Plain-Jane has a plethora of fabrics for the ties so that you can coordinate with any dance outfit.

The little ties are fabric covered buttons monogrammed with the initial of your choice (in your choice of color!). They look so cute and professionally created when they are done! These ties add fun and pizzazz to your, already precious, little one's outfit. She certainly wont be a "Plain Jane"!

Don't have a tapper in the house? You can use these cuties in their original form as a hair tie! They would be adorable on your little one or

even in your own hair. They are just the right size for everyone to be able to wear!

As a bonus, Carrie was so sweet and made me a matching bow for EG's little tap ties. The bow is absolutely gorgeous and has a matching button in the middle with EG's first initial. It is beautifully crafted and so adorable in her hair. Check out the other bows No-Plain-Jane offers here. I love the pom pon bow sets, and at only $8 they really are a steal. Other great items from No-Plain-Jane include custom Crocs bows (ADORABLE...monogrammed with your initial, $12), super cute tutus and costumes (great for Halloween!, $15-$80), and precious headbands ($6-$10) to name a few. Love the adorable items she offers? You can purchase any of these items by clicking the links above, or head straight to No-Plain-Jane to look around. And don't forget to enter below to win your own custom set of tap ties/ponytail holders!

To enter this giveaway follow the rules and entry guidelines below (US ONLY):

1. REQUIRED: Visit No-Plain-Jane, check out the shop, then leave me a comment telling me your favorite item she offers (I know, it's so hard to choose...).

To earn extra entries you may do one or more of the following and leave me additional comment here telling me which you have done:

2. Follow me on Twitter and tweet (be sure to leave me your Twitter name and a link).

3. Blog about this contest and leave the link.

4. Follow.

5. Subscribe.

6. Grab my button and let me know where I can find it on your site.

7. Become a fan of Mommy Works on Facebook.

**Be sure to leave me your e-mail address, if there is not a visible one in your profile, so that I can contact you in the event that you are the winner. This contest will end at 11:59 PM CST on Tuesday, October 13. The winner will be randomly chosen viarandom.org and will have 48 hours to respond after being notified of win or another winner will be chosen.**

Beautiful Accessories and Clothing from Bitty Bits {Review and Giveaway}

Want a beautiful acessory for your little girl's bedroom? I found an awesome one for my Disney reviews in this sweet Minnie pillow from Bitty Bits. A perfect size for a toddler bed, this pillow is beautifully crafted to look fabulous in your little one's favorite space. Comfy enough to nap on (and without any small buttons or beads), and also the perfect accessory for your little Disney fan! Another great use? A travel pillow on your way to WDW!

I have reviewed many hand made items, and the quality of this little pillow is truly second to none! It has a variety of fabrics and materials including pink gingham ruffles, pink piping, the signature Minnie polka dots, and a sweet Minnie applique. The added details all together (shown below) create the perfect combination. The final touch? Your little one's name. I love anything that is personalized, as it makes you feel like something was made just for you...and it was. The quality of the items offered by Bitty Bits ensures that they will last for years. EG's minnie pillow will not only be on dislply in her room, but it will most certainly be a favorite keepsake.

Items like this are intended to be saved rather than be sold for 50 cents at a garage sale in 10 years! I feel confident in saying that Bitty Bits truly puts a lot of time, energy, and love into everything that she creates. Even if you're not a Disney lover, you will be able to find soemthing special in her shop. Other items you can find in the Bitty Bits shop include adorable twirl outfits for birthdays, your favorite team, and Mickey and Minnie of course; team pillows; and this sweet little girl's petticoat (to be worn under skirts, dresses, or by itself!).

Go now and take a look at the gorgeous creations she has to offer. You'll be so happy you did! Enter below to win a pillow of your own!!

To enter this giveaway follow the rules and entry guidelines below (US ONLY):

1. REQUIRED: Visit Bitty Bits, check out the shop, then leave me a comment telling me your favorite item in the shop (difficult to do, I know...pick 5 if you like!).

To earn extra entries you may do one or more of the following and leave me additional comment here telling me which you have done:

2. Follow me on Twitter and tweet (be sure to leave me your Twitter name and a link).

3. Blog about this contest and leave the link.

4. Follow.

5. Subscribe.

6. Grab my button and let me know where I can find it on your site.

7. Become a fan of Mommy Works on Facebook.

**Be sure to leave me your e-mail address, if there is not a visible one in your profile, so that I can contact you in the event that you are the winner. This contest will end at 11:59 PM CST on Tuesday, October 13. The winner will be randomly chosen via random.org and will have 48 hours to respond after being notified of win or another winner will be chosen.**

Beautiful, Clever Child ID and Other Handstamped Pieces from By Hannah Design {Review and Giveaway} **CLOSED**

Congratulations to the winner, Bombtastic Belle!

Result: 29 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

In a previous post I discussed the importance of a small child having some kind of contact and identification information with them at all times. Especially important at Disney World, but essential everywhere else as well. Unfortunately, many child IDs intended for every day wear are very obvious or unattractive, at least not for every day wear with any outfit, etc...or so I thought. By accident I stumbled upon this beautiful ID necklace from By Hannah Design which is not only a basic ID, but a beautiful accessory as well! This ID is a gorgeous piece of handstamped jewelry with your child's name and telephone number "hidden" inside. It is actually two handstamped dome shaped discs that lay on top of each other to look like a single charm. The outer disc has a handstamped heart, and the inner disc has your child's name and number stamped inside. I think this is such an awesome idea! I love that it looks like a sweet, simple necklace just looking from the outside, but when you shift the top part of the charm it's an invaluable safety item. Here is what Hannah has to say about this necklace :

"I teach young children and also a mom to a 3 1/2 year old and I know that safety is number one priority for every child. Yesterday, as I was strolling the neighborhood with my son, I saw a police officer with a child who was wandering around the street alone! Then I thought, if this child had some sort of identification with him, the police would find the child's parents without a doubt."

I believe that identification for small children is extremely important as they have no way of telling anyone who they are, where they live, a phone number to call....and that's pretty scary. However, it's also very important for any child. If your child was ever in a situation (i.e. injured) where they could not speak for themselves, wouldn't you want someone to know immediately how to get in touch with you? That is what child IDs are there for. I truly believe in their relevance and importance for the safety of our children.

And, as always, anything everyday, useful, and relevant that can be made beautiful is a plus in my book. The Child's ID Tag is a super cute little piece of jewelry all on it's own, with a great little jewel hidden inside. I love everything hand stamped because it creates that "one of a kind" feel. Nothing is aligned perfectly, and you know that a lot of time and effort went into creating it. Each piece from By Hannah Design is lovingly created by Hannah, comes packaged nicely in a reusable tin, and includes a miniature polishing cloth to keep your jewelry nice and shiny. In addition to the gorgeous Child's ID Tag, By Hannah Design also creates many other styles of handstamped necklaces and jewelry including great bridesmaid gifts and super sweet teacher necklaces (definitely near and dear to my heart).

In business on Etsy for just a short while, By Hannah Design has already seen much success! She is so easy to work with and has a super fast turn around time for her hand created jewelry (like...1-5 days...wow!). Definitely check out By Hannah Design if your looking for a great personalized gift for anyone in your life. Want to get a head start for you or a special someone? You can enter below to win an Initial Necklace w/ Freshwater Pearl (shown below)...so enter away!

To enter this giveaway follow the rules and entry guidelines below (US ONLY):

1. REQUIRED: Visit By Hannah Design, check out the shop, then leave me a comment telling me your favorite piece of jewelry she offers.

To earn extra entries you may do one or more of the following and leave me additional comment here telling me which you have done:

2. Follow me on Twitter and tweet (be sure to leave me your Twitter name and a link).

3. Blog about this contest and leave the link.

4. Follow.

5. Subscribe.

6. Grab my button and let me know where I can find it on your site.

7. Become a fan of Mommy Works on Facebook.

**Be sure to leave me your e-mail address, if there is not a visible one in your profile, so that I can contact you in the event that you are the winner. This contest will end at 11:59 PM CST on Sunday, September 27. The winner will be randomly chosen via random.org and will have 48 hours to respond after being notified of win or another winner will be chosen.**

GAP Outlet Sale and Contest: High Fashion and Affordability

This picture is one of my favorite outfits EG has ever had in her wardrobe, in fact, I actually used it in another post talking about great fashion. The reason I mention it and posted again is because it came from Gap Outlet, one of my very stores for adorable clothing paired with fantastic prices! I speak from experience when I say that Gap clothes are meant to last, and you can see that they are precious. It is apparent that I am in love with clothes for EG, and it actually works out really nice that children grow so fast because I can buy clothes all the time...LOL. But, on a more serious note, it can definitely not be friendly on the wallet having to buy a new wardrobe every season. The way I plan for each season is to only shop sales and hit the outlet malls. Every awesome outlet mall I know has a Gap Outlet, and that's always my first stop. Truly. Another great tip for clothes shopping is that I sign up for the e-mail lists of all my favorite stores so that I can be first to know of any coupons or great sales they will have going on. I actually save a lot this way. Shopping for toddlers is so much fun and EG is at the age where she kind of enjoys it too. We'll go through a store and she loves to pick things up and say, "this cute Mommy". Adorable! I always go in with a budget in mind, and at stores like Gap Outlet you can really stretch your dollar a long way. Outlet stores not only have low prices to begin with, but also have great sales. A lot of times they are on current season items too. Ready to get shopping for your little one? Then Twittermoms has an awesome opportunity for you! Check out the contest information here, check out the Gap Outlet Semiannual Baby Sale with the new widget on my sidebar, and this link to Gap Outlet/Twittermoms for an extra 10% discount...wow! So many great, easy ways to get your child's wardrobe started off right! Happy shopping!

Crazy, Crazy, Crazy!

I let you guys in on a little bit of the craziness going on a couple of weeks ago. I thought it had slowed down a little, but it seemed like more craziness just kept piling on. In fairness to my family I had to take a little bit of a blogging break for a couple weeks. It was just too much at the time. Luckily, things have actually settled down at work, home, etc. so that we are back to a somewhat normal life! LOL Which is not what the last several weeks have felt like, so that's awesome!

I will hopefully be back on a regular schedule now, and will continue the Disney reviews and giveaways until we actually get going on our trip the beginning of October. Yippee! A vacation is much needed about right...NOW! In addition to the Disney items continuing for the next few weeks I also have some adorable dance-related items in honor of EG starting dance this year. There are some really cute things including customized frames, funky leotards, monogrammed tap ties, and more! Starting after our trip, about mid October, I have some great fall fashions for little ones. You will not want to miss these adorable giveaways!

Finally, there are two giveaways scheduled to end today, but due to my blogging vacation I am going to extend these through the weekend. So...the Bella Love Boutique and McKenna Layne Designs giveaways will now end on Sunday, September 13. I have also made this change on both postings and the sidebar.

I hope everyone has a great rest of the week! I've really been thinking about ways to improve and excite you guys with my blog, and I am looking forward to sharing those with you in the coming weeks and months. I can't believe it's nearing 1 year, and I couldn't have done it without all of your support! Finally, thank you so much for your e-mails with your thoughts and prayers. It's just been a wild couple of months and I appreciate you hanging in there :)

Recent winners:

Head 2 Toe Designs - Candy

Lounge Pants - Vanessa

Image from http://cammib.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/crazymom.jpg

Practical and Fun Character Clothing and Accessories from Bella Love Boutique {Review and Giveaway} **CLOSED**

Congratulations to the winner, Brea's Mommy!

Result: 30 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

My favorite Disney character by far has always been Cinderella. I was never much for princesses in general, but who can resist such a sweet fairy tale as Cinderella? On our trip to Disney World I am most looking forward to the character meet and greets and character dining experiences, and of course that will include Cinderella. We've been trying to introduce EG to some of the chracters she may encounter on our trip, and I can't wait to see her face light up when she gets to see them in person (she may not want them to touch her, but I think she'll enjoy at least seeing them!). Naturally, these magical experiences will also create some really special photo opportunities. With all of these things in mind, I wanted a few special outfits that are character inspired for just these occasions. I am so thrilled that I was able to find many adorable outfits that fit the bill perfectly!

One such outfit is this gorgeous Cinderella dress from Bella Love Boutique. Designed to be strikingly similar to Cinderella's own light blue ball gown, as well as comfortable, it is an ideal outfit for wearing to Walt Disney World.

My plan for this particular dress is for EG to wear it to the parks and to our Cinderella's Happily Ever After character dinner. So excited!! I can't wait to get a picture of my little Cinderella with the "real" Cinderella.

Now as for this precious little dress...Kellie at Bella Love Boutique custom designs and makes each of her items just for you using your provided measurements. The fit is perfect! On the Cinderella dress, the light blue fabric is made of a lightweight cotton, and the accents are a white satin. The waist is elastic for comfort - no ties to keep tying all day or to be uncomfortable for little ones in the stroller, but still provides for a great fit. In my case, I wanted the outfit to fit more like a dress on EG, so I ordered it a little longer. It can be made to your specifications and can certainly be shorter to fit more like a top. Great versatility there. It is beautifully made, unlike many character costumes and outfits that, frankly, are not deisnged to last. This gorgeous dress/top is certainly made to last, as are the other items that Bella Love Boutique offers. It would be perfect for anything at Disney World whether it be shopping, dining, strolling the parks, riding rides, etc. as well as perfect for parties, dress up, or just for fun! I will definitely post a picture of my little one wtih Cinderella because this dress is designed to be a mini likeness.

Though simple and comfortable in design, all of the features that make Cinderella's dress truly "Cinderella" are unmistakable and are included in the design of this dress. The colors are spot on, the puffy sleeves, and peplums (fluffy parts on the hips...lol) are all part of the design.

And if Cinderella isn't your favorite princess, or you just can't get enough of these character tops, Bella Love Boutique also offers other beautiful tops to resemble the most popular dresses of Snow White and Belle. Your little princess lover would not be disappointed! The dress is beautiful and, as I've already said, I just can't wait for EG to wear it on our trip! In addition to the beautiful tops, Bella Love also offers other great items including these handy Mickey and Minnie drawstring backpacks. There is no cuter way to tote around all of your park necessities than in one of these. The backpacks come in either pink or red polka dots and feature either Minnie (with bow) or Mickey. They can also be personalized with a name or initial.

I opted for the initial so that my child's whole name wouldn't be visible for a stranger to see and call her (Heaven forbid something like that would happen, but better safe than sorry). The bags are nicely made and cute as can be. And at $10 it's a cheap and practical way to add a little Disney fun to your park supplies! Another great thing about these bags?

Their use doesn't have to end when you leave Walt Disney World. You can use them for sleepovers, dance accessories, baby dolls...whatever! There is always a use for a bag. Enter to win one of these adorable bags below...and be sure to check out Bella Love Boutique for some adorable custom items for your little ones!

To enter this giveaway follow the rules and entry guidelines below (US ONLY):

1. REQUIRED: Visit Bella Love Boutique, check out the shop, then leave me a comment telling me your favorite product.

To earn extra entries you may do one or more of the following and leave me additional comment here telling me which you have done:

2. Follow me on Twitter and tweet (be sure to leave me your Twitter name and a link).

3. Blog about this contest and leave the link.

4. Follow.

5. Subscribe.

6. Grab my button and let me know where I can find it on your site.

7. Become a fan of Mommy Works on Facebook.

**Be sure to leave me your e-mail address, if there is not a visible one in your profile, so that I can contact you in the event that you are the winner. This contest will end at 11:59 PM CST on Sunday, September 13. The winner will be randomly chosen via random.org and will have 48 hours to respond after being notified of win or another winner will be chosen.**

Simple Safety - Lost Child ID Tags from McKenna Layne Designs {Review and Giveaway} **CLOSED**

Congratulations to the winner, Xenia!

Result: 8 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

One of the first concerns I had when considering taking a 2 year old to Disney World was safety. I know that EG, like most 2 year olds, is easily distracted and impulsive. If she wants something she'll go after it. In a huge place like Disney World this is an even bigger concern than usual. I knew that should we decide to go, I wanted EG to have something with her all the time that would have emergency information in the event that, Heaven forbid, she were lost. We would need something that she could keep attached to her somehow at all times. I found a great solution from McKenna Layne Designs with their personalized lost child emergency ID cards and lanyards (one of many things McKenna Layne Designs sells - mostly known for beautiful custom invitations and announcements). The cards have all of the information someone would need to know, including allergies. And, not only do they have all of the important information, but they are very sturdy and, of course, come in such cute Disney themes! McKenna Layne Designs sent me several different examples of the card including different personalization and "attachment" options. They are laminated with very thick laminate, can be personalized however you wish, and have a couple of options for wear.

You can choose either a lanyard or luggage tag type loop (to go around belt loops), and either way you choose they are perfect to be worn for the duration of the time you are at the parks (or any other place with crowds!).

My suggestion would be to definitely wear it under clothing so that no personal information is easily viewed from the outside. And, please use common sense when having little ones wear something around their neck. These lost child IDs are a great solution for anyone planning to travel someplace crowded or somewhere a child may be easily lost. How valuable for a police officer or stranger to have your child's name, emergency contacts, and allergy information all in one place? All in all, $4 is a very small price to pay for such an essential safety item. Just imagine if your child somehow got away from you and had no words or way to tell anyone who they were, who they belonged to, or how to contact any parents. That's a really scary thought! I will definitely be using this safety ID card on our trip, and likely before and after our trip as well. Thanks to McKenna Layne Designs for creating such a thoughtful product.

See details below on how you can win your own ID card for your child! Do also check out the other great items offered by McKenna Layne Designs as well. I feel confident in saying that their items are of high quality and you will be pleased with your purchase. They focus primarily on custom invitations and announcements, and have a wonderful array of designs!

To enter this giveaway follow the rules and entry guidelines below (US ONLY):

1. REQUIRED: Visit McKenna Layne Designs, check out the shop, then leave me a comment telling me your favorite product.

To earn extra entries you may do one or more of the following and leave me additional comment here telling me which you have done:

2. Follow me on Twitter and tweet (be sure to leave me your Twitter name and a link).

3. Blog about this contest and leave the link.

4. Follow.

5. Subscribe.

6. Grab my button and let me know where I can find it on your site.

7. Become a fan of Mommy Works on Facebook.

**Be sure to leave me your e-mail address, if there is not a visible one in your profile, so that I can contact you in the event that you are the winner. This contest will end at 11:59 PM CST on Sunday, September 13. The winner will be randomly chosen via random.org and will have 48 hours to respond after being notified of win or another winner will be chosen.**