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.**

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.

A Little MORE About Me...

I figured that I'd kick off the working mom features by telling you a little bit more about me. So...I answered the interview questions in order to give you a better idea of where I'm coming from and who I am. I have received several completed interview forms and can't wait to start featuring you guys! It's amazing the many different jobs, experiences, etc. that we all have! I hope that we can all learn from each other and that this will be of great benefit to all of us. So without further delay...my interview of ME...

Name:
Jess

Website:
This one! LOL

How many children:
1

Children's Names/Ages:
EG - 19 months

Work status:
Full Time

About my job:
I am a sixth grade public school special education teacher. Our school implements full inclusion, meaning that all special education students are taught in the regular classroom with a regular and special education teacher (for the subjects in which they have a need). I work with the Reading and English teachers (4 different teachers) and travel from class to class. It keeps me on my toes for sure! We share the teaching duties, so most students think they've just lucked out and have two teachers in their class (we tell them that the bigger classes needed an extra teacher...lol). I love what I do and enjoy working with the kids each day. Sure it's super stressful at times, but the job is rewarding and the schedule has allowed me to have more time at home than I might have with another profession.

My return to work:
Let me say first, that I would never want to repeat that experience! My husband and I decided to go ahead and try for a baby, understanding that our financial situation was not going to make a drastic change in a few years. I understood that I would have to continue to work, even though I've always dreamed of being a SAHM. Our financial situation just wouldn't allow that. Luckily, I was able to take the full 12 weeks of FMLA leave, and actually had some extra time built in. Because of when EG was born (September 18...EXACTLY 60 days/12 weeks of work days until the end of Christmas break...a miracle it happend that way!), I had about 15 weeks of leave. Our Fall Break, Thanksgiving Break, and Christmas Break were all during my leave time and don't count against my FMLA leave days. About a week before I returned to work, I started taking EG to daycare (a home daycare around the corner from my school) for just an hour or so to get her used to Ms. Tammie. The first time I took her, for just an hour, I went to my moms and cried the whole time. Long story short, it took me about three weeks before I stopped sobbing uncontrollably when I dropped her off. The first day I actually returned to work was a nightmare! My co-workers still joke about how "fragile" I was those first few weeks. My principal said "good morning" to me (rather than asking how I was...that was obvious), and I burst into tears again. It was rough, but EG settled in nicely at daycare and LOVES being there.

Advice for new moms returning to work:
My best advice for moms preparing to return to work is just to say "hang in there" and understand that, no matter what people say, you are simply trying to do the best you can do for your family. I still can't wait to pick EG up every day, and get antsy when I leave her in the morning. But, it's definitely easier than those first days (and believe me I NEVER thought it would get easier), and your child will still love you just the same :) I have found, too, that the time I spend with EG is so precious, and I don't take any second for granted. I'm not sure that I would understand just HOW precious it is if I didn't work. Maybe I would, but I know that it's always in the forefront of my mind, and that can't be a bad thing at all!

Come back next week for our next working mom feature!

Working Mom Features

Yay! I've had several working moms agree to be featured and I am so excited. Starting this Friday, I will feature a new working mom each week. They will be sharing their best advice, tips, etc.! I am still in need of several more moms to participate and any working moms are welcome. If you are interested in participating, please click the link on my right sidebar under "Blog Events" to fill out the interview questions. Thanks in advance!

Working Moms: Want to be featured? I'd love to hear your story!

Are you a mom who works outside the home, full or part time? If so, then I'd love to hear your story! I would simply like to find out how other moms out there handle every day life, and I figure we can all learn from and encourage each other. I am looking to feature one working mom a week right here on my blog. ALL working moms are elgibile to participate, as working outside of the home is the only requirement. You don't have to have an "interesting" job, be a blogger, have a website, etc. If you would be willing to participate, please leave me a comment below and I'll be in touch soon! I'd love to have some participation from and learn more about my fabulous readers out there. Thanks to all of you!