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!

Happy Plop Winner {and more information than you wanted to know}

First of all, I'd like to finally announce the winner of the Happy Plop...drum roll please...

Congratulations to The McDougles!

I apologize for the super long delay! Tina was out of town and then I feel like I've fallen off the face of the earth for the last couple of weeks, but we were finally able to get our heads together and decide. After much deliberation for sure! There were several entries that won our hearts, but unfortunately we could only choose one. It was a very tough decision but The McDougles entry was one that was at the top of both of our lists. Tina and I love the idea of the Happy Plop being something special for an older sibling. I wish we could have given one away to every entrant as there were so many terrific entries and everyone seems so deserving. Thank you all for sharing your stories with us!

And now for a little more information...do hang in there for more awesome Disney giveaways this month! I have 14 more, yes 14, fabulous items to share with you that are Disney related between now and the end of the month. I had anticipated spreading them out a little more, but that just means the next few weeks will be jam packed with all of the goodies! Be on the lookout for items from Bella Love Boutique, Head 2 Toe Designs, The One, Two, Three Shop, Lovable Labels, Bitty Bits and so much more!

I had apparently forgotten throughout my wonderful summer just how hectic, trying, stressful, and crazy the beginning of the school year can be. Though I feel like this school year was markedly more stressful than in years past. I am the head of my department and there were a lot of items that needed taking care of left over from the end of last year. Not a good start to the year, but things seem to have settled down this week (less me having a fever virus and a temp of 104 last night...luckily only a 24 hour deal...lol) and I've gotten into a good routine at school. EG did not have a good transition back into daycare after having a nice long summer with Mommy, and it wasn't an easy transition for me either. Needless to say, I couldn't find the time to think, much less get in the needed time for blogging. Anyhow, I'll be blogging like crazy to get all of these Disney reviews and giveaways in! Thanks to all of my faithful readers :)

Happy Plop Winner...almost!

Okay, I know many of you have been anxiously awaiting the name of the Happy Plop winner and it has taken a little longer than I anticipated! Tina and I are finalizing our decision and will announce a winner this Wednesday!! Thanks so much for your patience, it will definitely be worth the wait!

Planning a Disney Vacation? Love everything Disney? Then Stick Around for Disney Delights! BIGGEST Event Yet!

My family is taking our first Disney vacation in October! Woohoo! And, in honor of this vacation, I set out to find the most unique, fun, beautiful, essential, and awesome Disney inspired accessories, clothing, and items. If you love everything Disney then this is the event for you! There is nearly an item for every day of the month including adorable Disney wear, character inspired clothing, beautiful bows, autograph books, scrapbooks, bedding, safety items and more! I set out to find items that were truly unique and captured the authentic "magic" that is Disney. I hope that you will come back often and see what's new. There will also be other fun stuff for those of you who could pass on the Disney stuff :) And, many of the "Disney" items are not in fact Disney at all, but I have found them to be awesome for any vacation...including Disney!

So, what are you waiting for? Grab the new button (left sidebar) and spread some Disney magic by spreading the word! The "Disney Delights" button on your site will also get you 2 extra entries in any giveaway.

Mommy Works Blog on Facebook! {Become a Fan for Extra Giveaway Entries!}

Mommy Works Blog has finally arrived on Facebook! Become a fan by clicking the link on the left sidebar (or click here) and be the first to know about everything happening here at Mommy Works. Also, if you become a fan it will be good for *2* extra entries into any contest...so become a fan and leave those extra comments! I look forward to connecting with all of you :)

My Top Five Working "Momfinitions"

Okay, so Twitter Moms had another crazy fun contest that I just had to enter. This one is from Parents Connect and challenged moms to come up with their craziest Momfinitions, or mom definitions. I figured that since this blog is geared toward working moms that I would do my top five "working momfinitions". I hope you all enjoy, and you can see the Momfinitions article on ParentsConnect by clicking here! All of these totally apply to me as a working mom and I think you'll find that many apply to you as well. I encourage you to share your own Momfinitions with me as well! Enjoy!

1. Working Momory - noun: the amazing ability bestowed upon working moms that engages key memory items and allows working moms to somehow remember the ten thousand things that have to be taken with them each morning all while running out the door five minutes late

Ex. Luckily my working momory kicked in this morning when making sure I had everything ready for EG's first day of daycare.

2. The Pumpinator - noun: the superhero that nursing moms become when returning to work while trying to balance normal work activities and discreet, sometimes lightning fast, pumping sessions twice a day (or more) in their office, bathroom, classroom, etc.

Ex. Every day at 10 and 12 Mommy turns into The Pumpinator by locking the door, whisking out her equipment, and pumping like a mad woman so quickly that no one notices she is missing.

3. Five O'prayathon - noun: the marathon time between leaving work, picking up your child, running errands, getting home, and cooking dinner by 6:00...all while praying your child is in a happy mood and doesn't have a meltdown

Ex. On Wednesdays hubby helps me avoid the five o'prayathon by running errands himself.

4. Transcelation - the amazing feeling of elation you instantly have, that transcends any negative energy accumulated throughout the day, when picking your child up from daycare, etc. at the day's end

Ex. The transcelation I feel when seeing EG each afternoon makes everything worthwhile.

5. Check up call - noun: the call(s) made each day to childcare to check up on your child

Ex. Tammie knows to expect my daily check up calls around noon.

Your Little One will find their Happy Place in this Luxurious Beanbag by Happy Plop {Review and Giveaway}

My journey to find the Happy Plop started with my daughter's love for our dog, Maddy's, bed. As soon as EG started crawling I would often turn around and find her curled up in all the dog hair and slobber (okay so it wasn't that bad but that's what I immediately thought of...lol). I guess it was just that comfy...but it grossed me out and I had to find a way to keep her out of it! Our first solution was to but EG a dog bed of her own. That worked awesome for a while and then Maddy realized that there were two "dog" beds and she wanted both. Well, I guess I should have figured a dog isn't really able to tell one dog bed from another. EG's bed quickly became dog hair, slobber bed number two. This was certainly not a solution so I had to find something else that EG could curl up, snuggle, and just be comfortable in. I searched all of the local stores and everywhere online, and there just wasn't anything that would do the trick. Traditional beanbags aren't nearly as plush and comfortable, and they lose their shape way too easily. I was afraid a big pillow wouldn't really deter Maddy from thinking that it was also hers. But I had to find something. Luckily I stumbled across the Happy Plop website while searching online again one day. I immediately loved the name; who wouldn't? It just sounds so kid friendly and, well, happy. After browsing around the site some more, I knew I had to try it. Some reasons I fell in love...it is mom-created and designed specifically with babies and toddlers in mind. The Happy Plop is the one and only cotton ball beanbag, and supposedly the most luxurious baby seat available. They come in a variety of fabrics that are machine washable AND super cute. What's not to love about it right? It seemed like the perfect solution, and it has turned out to be! Here is a little more information about the Happy Plop and it's creator, Tina:

"Having a newborn every two years, Tina Trumeter experimented with all available baby seats trying to find a product that was appropriately appointed for comfort and design. Each baby would present a new dilemma, until she placed her youngest son in a convenient beanbag. While the beanbag was an instant satisfier, its lackluster composition with synthetic flattening pellets and less than luxurious fabrics was unsuitable for a baby. Thus, Happy Plop was created to perfect the beanbag chair and offer a natural and posh baby lounger.

Happy Plop is patent pending as the one and only cotton ball beanbag. Each Happy Plop is custom made and Austin Authentic guaranteed to stay fluffy and snuggle your baby through the toddler years."

Everything advertised about the Happy Plop has turned out to be true. We were provided a Lovely Leopard Happy Plop to review, and it has thrilled EG since the moment it arrived on our doorstep. It truly is quite fluffy and incredibly soft. The cheetah print is adorable, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that the cover can be thrown into the washing machine! As for the size, it is perfect also. EG is almost two and it is plenty big enough for her to lounge around in. However, it's a little too small for our dog, and sits up quite a bit higher than her beds (watch out for small dogs though, they'd love it...haha). Thus, Maddy pretty much stays away from it. The cotton balls inside the Happy Plop help it to maintain its shape and we can fluff it and "mold" it however we like. Sometimes EG likes to use it like a chair and we kind of scoop out a little "seat" and fluff up the back. Other times she kind of flattens it out and snuggles up in it (and often falls asleep). And, lately her favorite thing has been to sit in my lap and fall backwards into it (probably not the best thing, but oh well)...she affectionately calls this "popping" (plopping). She always wants to sit in her "pop", and to be honest I sometimes wish it was big enough for me! It definitely lives up to its name as it has brought nothing but happiness to EG. I think that with a little baby, this would be an excellent seat also. They would snuggle right in and feel so secure. The cotton balls also add enough loft so that a baby would not sink in so far that they would be in danger (of course you watch your child at all times anyway). This would definitely not be the case with a traditional beanbag! We've had so much fun with our Happy Plop and it is definitely well loved in our home. I know EG will enjoy it for a long time! If you'd like to enjoy your own Happy Plop, you can purchase directly from their site. They have tons to choose from and most are $145 (down from $185). Organic Happy Plops are also one their way very soon!

We love the Happy Plop so much that I asked Tina if she would be willing to do a giveaway to one of the Mommy Works readers. She so generously agreed to host a contest for a free Happy Plop, and also offered a great way to help the St. Jude Children's Hospital, a charity we decided upon together. It is obvious that Tina has a caring and giving heart as she has offered a special code that will donate $25 to St. Jude for each Happy Plop that is purchased with the code "MWB09". Thank you so much Tina! See details below for more information on how to purchase your Happy Plop and enter to WIN one!

TO BUY: Go to the Happy Plop website and purchase using the code MWB09. For every Happy Plop purchased with that code $25 will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Definitely share the code with your friends; it's for a great cause!

TO WIN: Follow the contest guidelines below. Best of luck!

Contest Details:

To enter to win the Happy Plop you simply have to comment and answer the following questions:

1. If you win, who would be the recipient of the Happy Plop (i.e. a friend, sister, your little one, etc.) and why?

2. What makes you (or your intended recipient) interested in the Happy Plop?

3. Why should you be the winner!?

All entries will be judged on creativity and the most creative entry will win, as judged by Tina and myself! I know others of you out there have to have a "dog bed-like" story! Share it!

***The contest will end at 11:59 PM on Wednesday, July 22 and the winner will be posted soon after, after all entries have been reviewed and judged. Winner will receive a Happy Plop of Tina's choice and will be required to "tweet" about their Happy Plop on Twitter after receiving it. All Happy Plops come with Twitter instructions and all owners are encouraged to tweet!***

Personalize Your "Cutey's" Room with Beautiful Decals from CuteyBaby {Review, Giveaway, and Coupon Code...WOW} **CLOSED**

Congratulations to the winner, Pam!

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I am so thrilled that Ada at CuteyBaby contacted me about hosting a review and giveaway of CuteyBaby decals! I just love decorating and changing things up around the house, but many times I don't do it because it just takes too much time (and effort...but that's another story...). Luckily with the CuteyBaby decals all I had to do was stick them up on the wall, and they were ready to go! No need to worry about measuring or finding the "perfect" spot either because I could simply peel them off and try again if I didn't like where I placed them. A little about CuteyBaby before I get in to how much we LOVE LOVE LOVE the decals:

"Ada Vaughan founded CuteyBaby in early 2009 in response to her own desire to bring more fun design to her daughter’s environment. Ada’s experience in graphic and interior design, combined with a new baby in 2007, made her keenly interested in children’s and baby’s rooms. She wanted to come up with an affordable and fast way to bring bold graphic design to the nursery. CuteyBaby Wall Decals are the result! For parents who want to be creative, but hesitate to paint a mural due to its permanence, Wall Decals are ideal. CuteyBaby has original designs that bring a fun, graphic, and modern look to your child’s room. Plus - you can remove and reuse them without damaging your walls or furniture."

I just cannot say anything negative about the CuteyBaby decals...truly! I was given the Bright Fairy set to try and had so much fun mixing and matching all of the different decals. The fairy set came with three large fairies and a TON of different flowers in all sizes and matching colors. The large flowers were separated into individual parts (i.e. stems, leaves, centers, etc.) for even more customization options! EG's room is pretty "wild" as far as colors and patterns go (solid dark brown bottom, white border with different polka dot patterns, matte/satin pink stripes on top), so I knew it might be difficult to find some decals to match her room exactly. I settled on the Bright Fairy decals because they were the closest match. When I first received the decals I was amazed at how many were actually included! The sheet was HUGE (12"x48" to be exact)! I was also amazed at how easy they were to use...literally just peel and stick (just make sure the wall you are applying them too is clean). The design I finally settled on for EG's room (for now anyway...we haven't even gotten into all of the flowers yet!) is what we call the "dancing fairies"...lol. I've positioned them together lined up with EG's border so that it looks like they are balancing on the border (see picture below). I think it's cute, and it definitely makes me smile when I go into her room. When I get a free second one day I'm going to add some more flowers and decorations from the decal sheet...there are just so many! Like I said before, EG's room already has a lot going on so too much more would be, well, too much. However, I definitely found a place for these decals on her wall and they have been up for a few weeks now. All of them have stayed in place great and I haven't had to re-apply them. Every now and then the ends will curl a little (I attribute some of that to our crazy Alabama weather), but they are super easy to smooth down. All in all, I think the decals are very well made, you get a kazillion for the price that you pay (so well worth it), and it's the easiest way I know of to decorate and spice up your little one's room. They get an A+ in my book!

If you are looking for a relatively inexpensive way to completely change, liven, or spruce up your little one's room these are perfect! They are simple to use, high quality, can be mixed and matched in countless ways, are easy to change, are excellent for letting kids help decorate their room (without risk of permanent "decoration" to carpets, furniture, etc.), and are just plain practical. These would be particularly great for families who may be renting a home or living in an apartment where they are not allowed to paint the walls. No need to paint when you have enough decals to decorate an entire room! Like I said, there really is now "down side" to the CuteyBaby decals. Make your child's room as cute as your child already is! And, finally, since the time I received the Bright Fairy decals to try, CuteyBaby has come out with TONS of new decal sheets for you to choose from. My personal favorite are the Parisian Poodles (pictured above) that will be coming out next week. Check out CuteyBaby and pick the ones that you would love to have! Think you have a CuteyBaby who would love some decals for his or her room? Then see the details below for how you can win a set of decals, and even have them personalized with your child's name! If you enter the contest you will also automatically receive a 50% off coupon. You can't lose! Thanks so much to CuteyBaby for a great product and contest!

To win a decal set of your choosing (including name personalization) follow the contest guidelines below. Winner will be chosen at random after the contest period. I can't wait to see all of your CuteyBabies!!

CuteyBaby is putting together an online gallery of cute babies (and kids, too)! If you like decorating, this is the promo for you! Just for submitting a photo and comment, you'll get a coupon for 50% off wall decals - plus a chance to win a customized BIG sheet of wall decals for your child's room.

Every entrant will receive a coupon for 50% off a wall decal - good for a limited time.
One entrant - selected at random - will receive a sheet of wall decals ($60 value with shipping). The winner may have the decal sheet customized with their child's name, if desired.

In order to enter, you must do 2 things:

1. email a photo (jpeg) of your child to photos@cuteybaby.com - include the child's first name and age in e-mail.
2. post a comment right here saying which CuteyBaby wall decal design you like best.

Note: submitting a photo grants CuteyBaby the right to publish photos on the www.cuteybaby.com website.

**Contest will run until June 17**

That's it! I can't wait to see all of your great photos and hear which decals you like the best!

My Stylish Tot and a $50 Children's Place Gift Card...A Match Made in Heaven!

When I heard that TwitterMoms and The Children's Place were giving away a $50 gift card to the blogger with the most stylish kid, I knew I had her! EG is the most fashion forward toddler that you will find. Just look at all of the clothing posts I've had in the last few weeks! You can tell that we both love awesome clothes! She has always been the "fashion diva" at daycare, as you know she never wears your typical "daycare clothes". And, I am always being asked "where did you get that?" Truth is, EG is just too cute to put in boring clothes, and I love to dress her up. She loves to be dressed up too! She even asks me, now that she can talk, "where's my bow bow?" She's always matching and has an outfit for just about every day. She also wears all kinds of different styles, and wears them all fabulously. Her toddler style is certainly unique! I'd love to add to her collection with a $50 The Children's Place gift card. She'd look great in some of the new, adorable summer toddler fashions they have. Here she is showing off just a few of her stylish duds:

Sweet, Carefree EG Sitting Pretty in a Cute, Comfortable Play Dress:

Flashing her sly grin in this rockin' Vintage-Inspired outfit:

Practicing her catwalk stroll in this super cute casual ensemble:

I'd love to hear your toddler's fashion story! Please leave me a comment below! You can also enter to win too by heading over to the TwitterMoms and The Children's Place contest here.