Giving Back this Holiday Season: A Good Example from Robeez and Reflection

There are a multitude of ways that we can "give back" a little of what we have during the holiday season and beyond. We all know that there is always someone less fortunate than us and that we should do what we can to help. However, it is usually during this time of year that we are made more aware of the troubles of the world and are asked to help. Yet, even during this 'season of giving' somehow the majority of our senses are constantly overloaded wtih ways that we can further please and give to ourselves rather than to those who truly need. And, by ourselves, I mean those of us who are already more than blessed by having a roof over our heads and food to eat each night. We are often all but lost to the fact that there are people out there in our world who have next to nothing. I too am often consumed by sale papers and inviting signs in store windows that seem to be shouting "JUST BUY ONE MORE THING!" when that one more thing will go unnoticed in the piles of gifts that have already been purchased. In the blessed world of plenty that most of us are a part of it is so easy to forget that there are families out there literally living on the streets, families that have to wonder where there next meal will come from (or if they will even have one), and children who don't even have shoes to cover their feet. Unless we make a conscious effort to really sit back and think about these people who are less fortunate than ourselves, they are forgotten. And, though the 'season of giving' it may be, in the hustle and bustle of the holidays it's easier than ever to forget the real reason for the season.

Because of this, my family tries each year to make a conscious effort to remember those less fortunate than ourselves. It's easy to say that we don't have this and we don't have that, but more important than focusing on what we don't have is to really sit back and think about what we do have. Having this perspective is especially important during the holidays when all we can seem to think about is what we want for Christmas! Now that EG, our two year old, is getting older and is starting to understand everything much, much more it is more important than ever to help her to have a giving heart and an understanding of what this season is really about. One special thing we started as a family the year she was born is to have one special "giving" gift on the tree each year. This special gift is some sort of contribution to a charity or cause of our choice in honor of each member of our family. The first year we did it, I chose something for my husband, he for me, and we decided together a charity for EG. We searched for organizations and causes that would be near and dear to each other's hearts and made a donation in each other's names. As soon as the contribution is made we usually type up a note on the computer and wrap it up, or stick it in an ornament on the tree, or simply put it in an envelope on the tree. We saved these gifts for last, and they have honestly become the most special. It is a great way to research and find out about organization and charities out there that we may not have otherwise known about, and it is a conscious way to pay it forward to those less fortunate than us. We can't afford to give as much as some, but the message I want to send to my daughter is that there is always someone less fortunate than us and it is our responsibility to do what we can to help. This will be our third Christmas with this tradition and I am more anxious to see what's in the little envelope on the tree than I am to see any of the wrapped packages below. There is always something more you can do, but every little bit helps. I hope that this tradition will continue in our family long after my husband and I are gone and that we are teaching our daughter a valuable lesson about the meaning of this season of giving.

I say all of this and tell you these stories to draw your attention to and applaud a special partnership that Robeez has this year with Kids in Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.) through their Season of Giving (you can find out more here). Robeez is a well-known and loved chilren's shoe company that is working with K.I.D.S. by providing a pair of soft-soled Robeez shoes to the K.I.D.S. organization for each pair that is purchased through December 23. The K.I.D.S. organization "brings hope and self-esteem to children in need and their families by providing new clothes, shoes, toys, furniture, books and juvenile products donated by leading manufacturers and retailers. The donations move through their network of community social service agencies in the U.S. and abroad to reach children who are ill, living in poverty, or are the victims of natural disasters." This is a very worthy cause that benefits children who are truly in need this holiday season. So, as you are making your Robeez purchases this Christmas, know that you are really purchasing two pairs - one for you and one for a child in need who may only have this pair of shoes to wear, and quite possibly may have never owned a brand new pair. There are tons to choose from on the Robeez website including, my favorite for those beautiful Christmas outfits, these black Mini Shoez Patent Mary Janes. It's a great way to give and thank you to Robeez for truly providing us with a good example to follow.

I invite you to share your story of giving and about the Robeez Season of Giving. By doing so, you may also be eligible to receive some wonderful Robeez to gift, donate, or keep. You can find out more information here. Thank you to all of you who truly commit to making this a "season of giving"!

Long Time, No Blog - But back to stay!

Long time, no blog. For my family and other reasons I had to take a break for a little while. However, I am happy to be back and have some great things to share with you got that delayed a little more than expected! My apologies for that, and thank you to all of the wonderful people I am working with that have been so understanding! It's good to be back and I hope everyone is having and continues to have a wonderful and blessed holiday season!

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