Create Beautiful Vacation Keepsakes in a Flash with Pre-Made Disney Scrapbooks by Jan {Review and Giveaway}

Congratulations to the winner, Abby!

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One thing I really wish I had more time for is scrapbooking. I have a room full of supplies and no time to use them! I feel confident that they won't go to waste and some day I will be able to use them again, but right now there's just no time. By the time I get everything out and begin, EG is waking up from a nap, already tired of me scrapbooking, trying to "help" me (LOL), etc. One solution I have found for this problem is the wonderful world of digital scrapbooking. I don't have to pull out my supplies or cut out the shapes I need, etc. I can just sit at the computer, work a little while, and save. But to me, though I have become quite fond of digital scrapbooking, there is just nothing like your traditional scrapbooks. I love the embellishments, the 3- D quality, and the fact that it just looks so "handmade" like you spent hours and hours on making it look just right (as you probably did!). I'm behind on scrapbooking as it is, but I knew I wanted something special for our trip to Disney World. Knowing I would probably not get to actually making a scrapbook until EG is in college (LOL), I began looking for alternatives. Thus, how I stumbled across Jan's Etsy shop, Sweet Southern Belle, and her beautiful pre-made Disney scrapbooks.

I am so thrilled that she agreed to do the review and giveaway, and even more thrilled that my Disney scrapbook is nearly ready to go...and we haven't even left yet!!

I was able to review one of the 12x12

scrapbooks (2 pages pictured above), and I am so pleased with how nice it is. Jan uses well known, very nice scrapbook papers and embellishments (also many that are hand created!) to create some really beautiful pages. All I will have to do is add pictures and, voila, a beautiful Disney scrapbook to document our vacation! Jan has included many different aspects of a Disney trip including various characters (including a special page for my Ariel lover :), park specific pages, pages for different rides, etc. All of the Disney embellishments used are licensed products and stamps (hand painted by Jan), and all supplies are acid free. It is obvious that she puts a lot of time and effort into making these scrapbooks, just as she would her own. No two scrapbooks are alike, and they can be personalized if you have any special requests! The idea of a pre-made scrapbook is genius, especially for those of us who aren't so creatively inclined, and those of us who always seem to run short on time (probably most of us!). Another great thing about Jan's scrapbooks is that they allow you the ability to add extra elements and information if you want to (though you certainly wouldn't need to!). "Pre-made" doesn't necessarily mean that you can't put your own spin on it. Jan simply gives you a really nice head start! Basically, she does most of the work for you and puts it all together in a beautiful scrapbook that your family will treasure for years to come.

She makes gorgeous Disney scrapbooks in all sizes from 6x6 to 12x12 (which means there are a variety of prices as well), and also offers them in different styles such as acrylic, what she calls "eclectic" (clear with lots of fun embellishments!), and even decoupaged (like the one you can win!). I think all of the scrapbooks in Jan's shop are beautiful, and you can tell that a lot of time and effort went into their creation. I find that you will often see pre-made scrapbooks where it is obvious that the minimum amount of effort went into it. Not the case with these, and one reader will be so lucky as to win a beautiful 8x8 Disney scrapbook of their own! So whether you have already been to Disney or plan to go in the future, this would be an awesome way to display some of the pictures from your trip. No Disney pictures to scrapbook? Sweet Southern Belle also offers other beautiful scrapbooks and items including pregnancy scrapbooks, princess scrapbooks, hand made cards, board books, and autograph books. Go check out Sweet Southern Belle now, and be delighted by the wonderful surprises you will find (and pick what you like best so you can enter the giveaway for a Disney 8x8 scrapbook :)!

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

1. REQUIRED: Visit Sweet Southern Belle, check out the shop, then leave me a comment telling me your favorite items in her shop.

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, August 18. The winner will be randomly chosen via random.org and notified on or around Wednesday, August 19.**

Collect Memories in Style With These Beautiful Autograph Books from Nucchi Digital Boutique {Review and Giveaway} **CLOSED**

Congratulations to the winner, Candy!

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An autograph book is one of the absolutely essential items for anyone planning a trip to a Disney park. Thus, I felt it only right to kick off our month of Disney with these beautiful autograph books from Nucchi Digital Boutique. The premise of an autograph book is very simple - a book full of pages that park characters can "autograph" for you. But, what if it could be more than just a pretty cover with blank pages? That is what Keri of Nucchi Digital Boutique has set out to design. Her beautiful autograph books are filled with 75 plus cardstock pages, with a different character printed on each, and a heavy laminated custom cover (front and back). The book as assembled using two large jump rings to hold everything together, which makes it very easy to flip the pages for characters to sign. I am so thrilled to have been able to review these beautiful books, and I got to see first hand how customized they actually are!

My little girl is obsessed with Playhouse Disney's The Little Einsteins, particularly June. So, I knew that June had to be on the cover of our book! Keri agreed to make EG a book, and she made up a custom design with June for the front and back in coordinating colors and with personalized information on the front. When the book arrived I was initially very impressed at how thick and sturdy it was. There are A LOT of pages, and each of them, being cardstock, are nice and sturdy on their own. As I mentioned above, each page has it's own Disney character in the bottom right hand corner, and I was thrilled that the characters on the pages were nicely organized by movie and/or type (i.e. all of the princesses are together, Little Einsteins are together, Mickey and friends together, etc.). This will surely minimize frantically flipping pages when visiting the characters at Disney World seeing as how they are usually group by movie! I absolutely LOVE that each page has a character because just about every character will have his or her very own page to sign. How cool is that? And, if you have any characters you just HAVE to have in your book, Keri is happy to customize the books any way you like.

Another great thing about these autograph books? The jump rings easily come apart so that you can take pages out to add them to any scrapbooks, memory books, the refrigerator, or wherever you want. How cute would it be to have in a scrapbook your child's Mickey autograph page next to a picture of them with Mickey? The same goes for every other character they'll meet. That would make an awesome, simple (READ: super fast and cheap) scrapbook of your vacation in an of itself. And, for only $10 these custom autograph books will only run you about the same amount as your "traditional" autograph books. Same price and triple the features...you can't beat that! These books are so cute, have uses beyond the parks, and are completely customizable to your liking. The end product is an extremely professional looking, not to mention adorable, book that you will be thrilled to take and use on your vacation! I can't wait to use ours!! I know June will be so thrilled when she sees herself on the cover of EG's book when we eat breakfast with her ;)

Want a custom one of your own? Then see details below for how you can win one just for you! Thanks Keri for such a great idea and an awesome giveaway! Nucchi Digital Boutique also offers all sorts of digital creations, and welcomes customs, if an autograph book is not your thing. Be sure to check out the shop!

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

1. REQUIRED: Visit Nucchi Digital Boutique, check out the shop, then leave me a comment telling me how you will personalize your book if you win.

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 Saturday, August 15. The winner will be randomly chosen via random.org and notified on or around Sunday, August 16.**