Accomplished Goals and BIG Thank yous for my Jimmy Fund Walk fundraiser partners!

I participated in an Ambassador Activation on behalf of Influence Central for the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

At the beginning of July I posted a big announcement on the blog - I am participating as a virtual walker for the Jimmy Fund Walk, a cancer research fundraiser for the Jimmy Fund Clinic and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA. I was chosen as a blogger ambassador for the event and I had a big personal story to share about why I wanted to participate too. 

My dad battled GIST (gastro-intestinal stromal tumor) for 9 years. He received a big part of his treatment from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and I visited the clinic with him while I was in high school. I met with his oncologists, surgeon and the care specialists that he had come to know very well. He traveled from Seattle to Boston 3 times during an 8 week period for over 2 years to receive care.

The Jimmy Fund Walk has raised over $100 million in support of the mission to help find cures for cancer in children and adults. Both the Jimmy Fund Clinic and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute are leaders in their field for research; and I couldn't think of a better place to send my support to. You see, my dad owed huge thanks to cancer research and clinical trials for prolonging his life in his fight against cancer. He took a risk and joined clinical trials when traditional care was no longer an option. His participation in clinical trials led to FDA approval of the cancer fighting drug, GLEEVEC.

Today I'm proud to announce that through The Pierogie Mama, I have raised $541 in support of cancer research! My initial goal was to raise $500 and that was quickly reached by the help of friends and several very awesome Pierogie Mama sponsors! Today I'd love to highlight those sponsors so that you can be sure to check them out too!

Over the last month I've shared three very special stories with you on why supporting cancer research is important. If you've missed out, here's a recap:

Candice shares her story on A 911 call receiver's reason to support cancer research. Candice is also the owner of Comfort Chickens Homestead, where she pours her own All-American Soy candles that are inspired by the simple and heartwarming smells of home. Her candles are by far my favorite because they smell true and her commitment to using non-gmo soy and the highest quality materials possible. 

Theresa was the glue, an anchor and the matriarch to Sheila's family. The memory and of her beloved grandmother is why Sheila wrote about the importance of cancer research, because she doesn't want anyone else's family to be robbed of their loved ones by cancer either. Sheila and her husband are the owners of the new Just Between Friends Marysville/ Mt. Vernon children's consignment event. I am excited to share about this event in the coming weeks! 

As a health care professional, Eunice has seen many practical applications for seeking alternative medicines to help with the side effects of traditional cancer treatments. When her father-in-law, Diony, was diagnosed with a very serious and aggressive prognosis of liver cancer, he was encouraged to research the benefits of Chinese herbal medicine and naturopathic treatments. "The simple act of helping him feel better emotionally and physically through these treatments gave him the hope and strength to continue on," and through these additional treatments he survived an additional two and a half years. Eunice is the owner of Just Between Friends Everett/Monroe, a longtime partner of The Pierogie Mama and you'll find more info on her upcoming fall sale in a few days.

Three of the Just Between Friends Sales in my local area committed to partnering with me in my goal to fund raise for this special event. Just Between Friends is a nation wide consignment event for children and maternity and I have shopped at each of these events for the last three years! I can't even begin to tell you how much money I have saved on my children's clothes and toys. In the last year I've also started to consign our unused items and I have made over $1,000 in CASH. There is literally no easier way to make money back on your children's items and to save on the new sizes each season. I encourage you to check out Just Between Friends of Everett/Monroe, Just Between Friends of Lynnwood and the BRAND NEW Just Between Friends of Marysville/Mount Vernon!

Create with Coco

Based in Bellingham, Washington, Create with Coco offers handmade designs to accessorize your home and lifestyle. All pieces are original designs, and many are one-of-a kind works featuring vintage accents or precious stones. Each piece is lovingly handmade by owner and designer, Courtney, "Coco", who blends colors and textures to achieve a unique modern bohemian aesthetic. Courtney wanted to honor the memory of her grandfather, Eldon, who battled esophagael cancer and taught her the strength and honesty throughout his fight.  Follow Create with Coco to keep up with her adventures and beautiful pieces!

Grow With Me Boutique, Monroe WA: My favorite local mama and baby boutique and consignment store has partnered with The Pierogie Mama again! We've worked together in spreading the word on cloth diapers and helping set a World Record in this past year and I've been blessed to get to work intimately with Janae's awesome business. In addition to finding some of the most darling children's outfits (my favorite has been the very dapper suspender and bowtie set that I got for my nephew), I love that I'm able to get awesome mama styles for very fair prices. If you're in Snohomish County, check out my upcoming Cloth Diaper Basics + Fluffy Meet Up at Grow With Me Boutique in Monroe, WA!

Finally, a very special thank you to the friends and family who have also contributed to this very important fund. I've been touched by the stories that everyone has shared with me about their loved ones who are battling or have battled cancer.

There's still time to donate 

to meet the new goal of $750 towards cancer research! 

 You can help me reach my goal by donating on my personal fundraising page and if you have a story like mine, you can sign up to walk too! Virtual walkers are free, but if you are in the Boston area and want to physically walk on September 27 - use the discount code BLOG to get $5 off your registration.

Doodle Pants Galore!

I love me some Doodle Pants! I've been using these as my go-to for when it comes to how to dress my cloth diapered girls, and now Doodle Pants keeps rolling out the new accessorizing t-shirts, sweat-shirts, body suits (onesies) dresses and even more leggings designs.. I'm pretty much in Doodle heaven over here.

Elephant Bodysuit

Can't you just eat up this delicious sweetness? I am so in love with my squishy baby!

I love dressing my girls in their Doodle Pants outfits because Lorain's designs are adorable, the quality of the printing is great, and I love how well the leggings withstand washing too. You don't get "runs" in the legs like you do in other brands.

Pink Monster T-Shirt

Pink Monster Dress

The Pink Monster line has been Penny's favorite, though we also do rock the pink fox leggings, rainbow leggings, and even have matching sister piggy leggings for big and little sis. With the holidays around the corner (uhm like 12 weekends to go until Thanksgiving!), I've gotten the chance to bring some holiday cheer a little early and got these cuties to try out!

Moose // Penguin

Penny calls her moose pants her "Sven pants," because...well, you know. Can't really escape Frozen from any aspect of our life these days. :)

Connect with Doodle Pants

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Get free shipping + 15% off your order here

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I received product to try out in exchange for my honest review, though all opinions are my own. I love Doodle Pants!

Newborn Fitted Cloth Diaper Hen and Chick

Cloth diapering can seem like a big pool of unknown to jump into; but newborn diapering? That seems even harder! 

As we began preparing for the arrival of our second baby, Ruby, I knew that I would definitely want to continue with our investment of cloth diapering our children. I had started Penny in cloth at about 3 weeks using a cloth diaper service. But this time around, as a seasoned cloth mama, I knew that we can handle the newborn phase too. But finding the perfect fit is an extremely difficult task, and the best I could do was guess on sizing based on what we experienced with Penny - which was an extremely small tush.

I contacted Heather from Heather's Green Home Goods about her very unique style of fitted diapers (which come in all sizes, but I specifically saw a great possibility with her preemie/newborn line) and waited patiently for my diapers to arrive :)

A "fitted" cloth diaper means that it requires the use of a cover. They can be a specific size; such as small, medium, large or by approximate weight range, or the currently very popular "one size" option that most cloth diaper manufacturers offer. The benefit of a sized cloth diaper is that it is more closely tailored to the size of diaper that your child currently needs; which is extremely important in the newborn phase, especially if your babies run small.

Hen and Chick fitted cloth diapers have a unique feature because of their foldable wings. They add that extra absorbent layer that an insert would provide in a pocket diaper, but are attached so it makes for a very easy wash, dry and prep for the next use. This has been a lifesaver for me! As you can imagine, the life of a mama with a newborn is already running on steam (and coffee), and when you add in that this specific mama has two under two then efficiency requirements skyrocket! Not having to really "prep" these diapers for their next use has been of great benefit to us.

The diapers are made from 2 layers of flannel, but with the wings folded in you now have 6 layers. To some this might seem like not that much; but remember - you've got a newborn. They need diaper changes like every 15 minutes because of how quickly they are processing breastmilk. You don't need a super fluffy diaper for the little ones and having a quick drying diaper in the early stages is so important. One way to add additional absorbency is to add another layer, such as a newborn microfiber insert that typically comes with Bum Genius diapers.

Ruby fit in these from birth (7 lbs 15 oz) to 9 weeks (12 lbs 10 oz) - so they fit a great range of weights for newborns.

These diapers do require a diaper cover, as they don't have a waterproof layer. We tried them out with a Thirsties cover, Blueberry and Buttons cover. Our favorite fit for Ruby has been the Blueberry Weehuggers cover. 

Heather also loves to customize her Hen and Chick cloth diapers! I opted for teal serging with a candy red snap - this kept it gender neutral but also pretty fun. Her Etsy shoppe features a ton of other options, such as prints instead of plain white and over 20 color options for thread or snaps.

Want to try some of your own? 

Check out Hen and Chick Cloth on Etsy to see all of what Heather has to offer - including nursing pads, wet bags, baby dresses and so much more!

Disclosure: I received product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Learning about Natural, Handmade Soaps from Stargazer Soaps

I've written about Stargazer Soaps several times in the past, and during my maternity leave I've asked the owner, Nicole, to share her testimony on why soap making became her business. I've been in love with these soaps since first trying them out almost a year ago and Nicole continues to impress with her new batches! 

-Bianca

----

As a stay at home mom to four, I have made it my quest to eliminate chemicals from our home. While at first I focused on cleaners, I realized I was missing something even bigger. What we put on our skin every day. 

Have you ever stopped and read your soap labels? If you have, you will see ingredients like Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, & Tetrasodium EDTA. I don’t know about you, but I can’t even pronounce these ingredients! And when you investigate what they are, you will uncover even more ingredients that you can’t pronounce. But as you dig, you may discover some scary things are hidden in these big ingredients. For example, formaldehyde. Yes, that is right! Most commercial soaps, (and I use the word 
“soap” loosely), have formaldehyde in them! They aren’t going to label the product with formaldehyde. Why? Because consumers wouldn’t buy it if they knew what was in it. Why is this so scary? Because it only takes seconds for our skin – our largest organ and our first line of defense – to absorb these dangerous chemicals. 

Bottom line, these products are not soap, but detergents. If you look at your body wash or bar soap, most of them do not use the term “soap” on the label. In fact, one large company is currently running a campaign claiming soap is drying. Their argument is they add products to make their body bar, aka detergent, moisturizing. Again, when reading the labels you will discover there is not one moisturizing ingredient listed. It is still a detergent, which is designed to clean your shower and strip your skin of its natural oils.

Purely Natural Oatmeal and Honey. Creamy & gentle, this Purely Natural soap is made with local Honey & Goats milk.  No fragrance is added, so this is gentle enough for those with allergies and sweet babies.

When I first discovered what was really in my shower, I started researching natural products. I headed to my natural grocery store, and bought expensive, organic natural products. Only to discover that even though they claimed to be natural & organic, they were still detergents. 

In addition to all of the scary chemicals, I learned commercial products contained animal products, such as crushed bugs for color, (it’s in food too!), and animal fat. Personally, I was disgusted by these things. I did not want to lather my body up in fat – I have enough of my own! (It’s important to note that many handmade soaps are made with tallow or lard – and I hear are quite wonderful! I chose to not use products made with these ingredients.)

This began my quest for change. There had to be something better! My family has horribly sensitive skin. One of my children has horrible eczema – her skin feels like a lizard and bleeds. It makes me wonder – it seems we hear more and more about skin conditions like eczema. Is it because of all of the chemicals allowed on the market? The foods we eat? There are some scary things out there that we have been told are okay for us – but I have trouble believing that! 

Get Cygnus: Coconut, Lime Verbena. Fruity & wonderful!
This soap will be completely cured by March 4, 2014.

While during my research, I learned that eczema may actually be an allergic reaction to formaldehyde found in our cosmetic products. Though I was scared to death, I decided making my own soap was the answer for my family. I can read every ingredient, have control of what I use, and can eat most of it! (See me make soap on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/StargazerSoaps) Since it has to cure, it took 6 long weeks before we could use my first batch. But it was worth the wait. Now, more than a year later, our dry skin is gone, my daughter hasn’t had an eczema break out once, and we have thrown out all of our commercial face & body soaps, body washes and shampoos. Yes, even shampoo! Read more about shampoo bars on my blog. In addition to soap, we use handmade lotions, scrubs, bath bombs and lip balms. 

I will be rolling out many new products this year! Be sure to follow me on Twitter & Facebook to learn about my new products and specials! 

Take control of what is in your products! I offer vegetarian & vegan handmade luxury soaps. Try handmade soap today and see how it can change your skin. 

Use code Natural15 for 15% off your order 

until the end of March at Stargazer Soaps

~Nicole Farrell
Owner & Creator Stargazer Soaps

Monthly Its: February (oops! A little late!)

The month of February flew by and I'm very guilty of completely forgetting to post this! I've been on baby-watch for the last two weeks, busy preparing the house for our addition, battled the crud for the entire family, adjusted to becoming a 'backyard chicken family' and fitting in last minute one-on-one snuggles with Penny. Lord only knows just how busy March will be - with Penny graduating to being a 2 year old today and I'm dying to know when her little sister is planning on making her arrival, as tomorrow is her estimated due date.

This month's premier Pierogie Mama sponsor is Heather's Green Home Goods. Heather has been kind enough to send over some newborn cloth diapers that I will be reviewing next month for Ruby, but in the meantime check out her really unique and extremely quick drying design on fitted cloth diapers. She offers custom color combinations too! A few other items that you'll find dispersed throughout her Etsy and website are cloth Swiffer style replacements (what an AWESOME idea!), wool dryer balls, and un-paper towels with super cute designs. She also shares a ton of tutorials on her blog so be sure to bookmark her for fun projects. If you click on the Heather's Green Home Goods ad on my sidebar you'll get an automatic 15% discount, or just send her a message and let her know The Pierogie Mama sent ya ;)

Sankofa Diapers has brought back unrefined organic shea butter onto their site! Yum. I've cruised around and found a pretty easy recipe for a body butter recipe that uses shea butter and coconut oil and am pretty positive that in a couple weeks this mama could definitely use a delicious foot rub after the marathon of birth and nursing a newborn (hint hint hubby!). Don't forget to get 15% off with the code PIEROGIEMAMA for any of Sankofa Diaper's cloth diapers!

Pssst, if you are a Stargazer Soaps fan on facebook, you probably already know...but if not...she is coming out with lip balms, lotion bars, bath bombs (!!!) and sugar scrubs in addition to her already amazing line of soaps. They're not available on her store just yet but that was just a little insider information from me to you. Her scent combinations in her soaps (like teakwood + cardamom or vegan lemon basil) are always a winner so I can't wait to see what else I can smear on my body that comes from Stargazer Soaps! ;) Promocode PIER10 will get you 10% off your order!

"Mama - Penny Moster Shuuuuuuuuuuurt?"
"Mama - Penny Moster Sweeeeeeeeat Shuuuuuuuuuuuurt?" (in increasingly distressed tone)
That's been the main request when it's time to get dressed around here. Penny LOVES her Pink Monster coordinating outfit from Doodle Pants and I can't keep it cycled through the wash fast enough, lol! The great news is that even though her Doodle Pants leggings have been washed numerous times we have yet to get any runs or bare threads. I seriously can't keep up with all the new designs that are rolling out so be sure to take advantage of another really awesome Pierogie Mama sponsor discount of 15% with the code PIEROGIE15

Follow along via

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Do you have a family friendly business or event that you'd like to have featured on
The Pierogie Mama? Please email me for details.

Doodle Pants Sweats and Tshirts: Little Monster Missy

Kids in sweatshirts: adorable and a little sad at the same time... they look so grown up!

We've had the opportunity to review Doodle Pants childrens leggings in the past and have found that they are our #1 go-to for pants because they leave tons of room for a cloth diapered bum. I feel like cloth diapered little girls especially suffer from the borderline hilarious but mostly horrifying badonkadonk that regular kid clothes give them. I've had parents ask me if my daughter's diaper needs to be changed because it's so puffy looking! So we found that Doodle Pants leggings fix that problem perfectly and keep my princess's legs warm at the same time. Both her and my dignity have been saved. Win-win! Thanks Doodle Pants :)

Now the big news is that Doodle Pants is rolling out coordinating t-shirts and sweatshirts for their most popular leggings too! We got to accessorize Miss Penny with the Pink Monster line, with a toddler sized sweatshirt and t-shirt to match her adorably monstrous leggings!

Sizing: Penny is wearing a 2T sweatshirt, 12m t-shirt and 24m leggings. 

The little miss has loved this outfit so much that she has worn at least one piece of it almost daily and asks for her "wet shurt" whenever there is a chance we may be going outside. 

Lusting to add these cuties to your collection? You're in luck - my readers get an exclusive 15% off deal - use the coupon code PIEROGIE15 and you're in business.

BTW, did you miss my original review of Doodle Pants' cloth diaper friendly leggings?

Don't miss your chance to win 2 sets of leggings from Doodle Pants in my Favorite Things Giveaway! 

Which leggings design would you like to see in a sweatshirt?

Disclosure: I received product to try out in exchange for my honest review, though all opinions are my own. I love Doodle Pants!

Monthly Its: January

Welcome to 2014, y'all! This last year flew by, didn't it? I can't believe that I'm 33 weeks and that my little girl is almost 2 years old. Pretty soon I'll be calling her 'my eldest.' Where has the time gone?

This weekend was packed full of fun family stuff - my mother in law's 50th birthday party, visiting with my parents and our 3rd trimester babymoon at Salish Lodge and Spa (I can't wait to share about it with you!). But in all honesty I'm hoping it's the last exciting weekend before Ruby arrives. I've reached the stage in my pregnancy where I'm in full nesting mode - I've got my dresser project, I've pulled out all the totes of Penny's newborn clothes and gear (just need to wash everything), we have the second half of our kitchen renovation to finish, and I just plain want to relax and have quiet family time until my little girl makes her arrival.

Bloggers and website owners: if the new year means a new look for you, I highly recommend Fantastique Designs! She is offering free blogger to word press conversions when you purchase her Wordpress design package. As you know, she's done a great job in my blog revamp and I can count on her for support when it is necessary. Lauren from The Median Mommy was the winner to my giveaway of a blog redesign package and it's just another example of Monique's great design work. Check out her personal blog about homeschooling at Living Life and Learning for a ton of resources.


Have you heard about Doodle Pants? These are leggings for both boys and girls, with cloth diapered bums in mind. Penny pulls out one of her two pairs (Pink Fox or Blue Rainbow) at least once a week when we go to pick out her daily outfit. Adorable! These have also been spotted on celeb babies such as Maxwell Johnson (aka: Jessica Simpson's daughter!). Get your littles into Doodle Pants with the 15% off coupon code PIEROGIE15.

Do you treat yourself on Valentine's Day? Does it always have to be chocolate? Why not gorgeous handmade soap? StarGazer Soaps' 2014 Valentine soap line includes Merope, Capella & Electra. They will be ready to ship on January 26th. If you want to be sure to get them by Valentines Day place your order by February 11 (with priority shipping). Don't forget to use discount code PIER10 for 10% off! I'm excited to share a $25 gift certificate to StarGazer Soaps with one lucky reader starting January 23rd as well!

Sankofa Diapers is the newest diaper that Penny has been wearing and is by far her favorite print. Why? Her nickname from her Polish babcia (my mom) is Zabka, which means froggy. Consider that your hint - I've got our review & giveaway for a 3 pack cloth diapers from Sankofa Diapers going live this week so keep your eyes peeled!

Check out my current giveaways - we've got cloth diapers and organic baby food pouches!

Follow along via

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Do you have a family friendly business or event that you'd like to have featured on
The Pierogie Mama? Please email me for details.

Monthly Its December

Seriously, November and December have flown by. Pretty soon it will be January and I'll be approximately 8 weeks (pleaaaaaaaaaase no longer than 10 weeks!) away from delivering my sweet little Ruby. Yowza!

I'm sure you've noticed that there has been an increased number of "sponsored" posts on the blog this past month. I've been very blessed with the amazing growth of the blog (thanks to YOU!) and many doors have been opened for me recently. "Sponsored" posts mean that I work with a business in exchange for compensation (sometimes it's monetary, other times it comes in the form of gift cards). You'll also notice that further down on my sidebar that I've got a couple affiliate programs that I'm a part of - Amazon, Pretty Mommies and Diaper Safari are a few that I'm currently trying out. When you click on these links, I get a little kickback (because I'm providing ad space on my blog) but the costs are no different to you. I'd love it if you considered that when making future purchases from these companies :)

With all that being said, I do my best to ensure that every connection that I take part in is relevant to the blog and not 'spammy.' A couple have opened up new ideas for me to write about, so I'm thankful for the fresh content. The point that I'm getting at is that I am always working on the balance between writing personal content with sharing about deals or products that I think you might enjoy. If you feel like The Pierogie Mama has gone in a direction where you aren't finding a connection with anymore, please please please send me an email. I write for me and for you! 

Sadly my busyness has kept me from really keeping track of all my favorite posts throughout the month! So this time around I'm going to focus on my wonderful December sponsors. Please check them out as they are not only really great businesses to work with but also are a big part of why I'm able to keep The Pierogie Mama going.

Monique of Fantastique Designs is the lovely gal who's re-done my blog in the last month or so. I'm still so absolutely in love and was excited to share her talent with the two bloggers who won my giveaway last month! If you haven't checked her work out yet (besides what you see here), you really need to.

Not a blogger or business owner? No worries. She'll craft a new cover image for your personal social media accounts too. Check out her a la carte.

If you're a homeschooling parent (or hey, a parent of any kind!) be sure to check out her blog Living Life and Learning.  Check out her post on the importance of physical activity while homeschooling.  Keep up with Monique on Facebook.

Now truth be told, Nicole from StarGazer Soaps is one busy gal. Between homeschooling 3 girls and continually coming out with soaps - I don't know how she finds time to email back and forth with me ;) Her soaps are natural, handmade and beautifully crafted. I always like to check out her pre-orders page to see what she's got in store as well as her youtube channel to see her big reveals when she cuts into her soap bars for the first time.  Be sure to look to the right sidebar for a StarGazer Soaps discount (think "stocking stuffer") and I'll be hosting a giveaway in January!

Maggie from Chalk Treatment is another artsy gal who's work I've fallen in love with. This past week I just ended a giveaway for a custom ornament and I hope I get to see what the winner chooses to do in the end. When you look through her shoppe you can see that the world is your oyster when it comes to designing an ornament or chalk board. I asked her what has been a really unique project that she's recently worked on and she told me about a family chalkboard that she made for a cattle ranching family. The mom gave her a list of words that represent their family and Maggie took this as an "adventure" to gather all the info (like find out what a steer head looked like) as well as incorporate their family brand. There's still time to get a 10% discount (info on right sidebar), and get some inspiration from creations this season on facebook!

A new diaper that I'm trying out over the next couple weeks comes from Sankofa Diapers, based out of Utah. Winnie's story on starting her own diaper brand is so interesting - born and raised in Ghana, she was shocked at the difference in diapering mentality between her home and America. Cloth diapering isn't a lifestyle choice - it's the only option. She also found that cloth diapering is way easier over here, as modern cloth is in many ways designed similarly to disposable ones, and she wanted to put her own spin on it. Check out her December special on the right sidebar and stay tuned for a review and giveaway of Sankofa Diapers in the new year too!

Are you a business or blog looking for some additional exposure?

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Monthly Its: November

Happy November everyone! This month's installment of Monthly Its includes 3 discounts and as always, my favorite reads from this month.

In case you haven't noticed, things have started looking a lot prettier around here. And I owe it all to Monique from Fantastique Designs. Monique took my blog from the haphazard mess that it's been for the last few months and turned it into a place where I really like to hang out. I hope you do too! Monique offers a variety of design assistance - blogs, websites and website maintenance. In addition to full on renovation packages she also offers a la carte, so let's say that you just want a social media facelift. BOOM. Done. Check out my review of her work as well as enter her fabulous giveaway - where 2 winners will be chosen!

WIN HERE

What's even better is that between now and December 2, 2013 Monique is offering $20 off all custom blog design orders! Fill out her getting started questionnaire by that date in order to obtain the discount. 

Nicole from StarGazer Soaps has been busy these last couple weeks! She's always coming out with fresh scents kind of make me wish I could wash my hands all day. Her facebook page gives you a sneak preview of what is curing in her shoppe so check her out. Also - Pierogie Mama readers get a special 10% off discount using the code "PIER10" on StarGazer Soap's website. Read about my personal experience with StarGazer Soaps.

I'm proud to welcome Chalk Treatment as a new sponsor to The Pierogie Mama. Maggie is a very talented graphic artist who knows how to put words together and make them look pretty. Enough said. I'm very excited to share the awesome ornaments that she's crafted for our tree (and the grandparents' tree too!) in the next couple weeks. In the meantime, check out Chalk Treatment on Etsy and take advantage of another special Pierogie Mama discount for 10% off: "CHALK4YOU." Ornament orders must be placed by December 15th in order to make it to your tree by Christmas!!

So besides all that wonderfulness, I've got a lot in store for you in December. I've got 2 huge giveaways in the works - each featuring a prize pack of $80 - 90. Don't miss out on my announcement post for the Merry Fluffy Christmas and Santa's Little Helper giveaways 

with the prize information. 

On to some reading material for you -

This has been floating around on my facebook feed for the last week and it has struck a chord in me. How many of you just get plain old frustrated when your child gets up too often during the night, seemingly only for the sole purpose of waking you up? Well, in reality...maybe your two year old just needs you. I'm pretty lucky that our night time routine really only takes 20 minutes of snuggles and rocking (though yes, some nights it takes a lot more than that), but who am I to complain? My child wants me to love on her and protect her from the monsters in the corners.

On the topic of giveaways, if you follow The Pierogie Mama on Twitter you probably see that I share about a ton of them. That's because I read a lot of blogs and I also love winning. Winning. Winning. Who doesn't? I've been pretty lucky lately and have won 2 fabulous cloth diapers that I haven't gotten to try out before and it's opened my eyes to a couple new brands that otherwise I probably wouldn't have tried. And so, Cloth Diaper Guru shares a few secrets to winning cloth diaper giveaways - easily adaptable to other kinds too :)

Have you seen my easy crockpot recipe for bone broth? Here's 5 ways that bone broth actually benefits you.

The holidays = travel for a lot of us. Some of us will road trip, some of us will fly. Here are two resources on how to keep a toddler busy on a plane and sanity saving car ride ideas for kids. My newest tip - peel an apple (don't slice it) and give it to your toddler for 20 minutes of quiet time. And I love hearing her little teeth scrape away at the apple - it's so cute! (Of course, use your best judgement if your child is ready to eat an apple more or less unattended)

Two awesome posts from That Mama Gretchen, pretty much my favorite blog of all time. She talks about baby-led weaning (and how she introduced solids to her still exclusively breastfeeding son), which we did with Penny as well, and a really awesome gift guide for brothers and sisters.

Finally, I'm not too worried about the zombie apocalypse or anything, but natural disasters are not something to shake a stick at. Living in the Pacific Northwest, we have fairly common earth quakes and several active volcanoes. So you should think about how you are going to feed your family in case of an emergency. How many of you watch the National Geographic show "DoomsDay Preppers?" There are some pretty crazy wackies out there, but sometimes you can learn a thing or two from them. This tip came from a Russian Zombie Prepper- how to open a can without a can opener. All you need is a can and concrete. Fast forward at least a minute into the video and then you'll see how they do it - very easy. I'll be keeping this in mind for our next camping trip.

Thanks for stopping by!

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Do you have a family friendly business or event that you'd like to have featured on
The Pierogie Mama? Please email me for details.

2 #Christmas Themed #Giveaways in December!

In just a few short weeks I'll be kicking off two really awesome giveaways 

that help us ring in the most special time of year.

Want to win a prize pack of DoodlePants, Planet Wise, Weensy Baby

and a giftcode to make a Shutterfly "Fluff Brag Book"?

Or how about a matching mama & child apron set from Cupcake Provacateur,

a customized ornament from Chalk Treatment and a Beanilla Homemade Vanilla Extract Infusion Kit?

It all kicks off on December 1st and 2nd

so be sure you're following along via Facebook, Twitter and BlogLovin'.

See you then :)

Blog Designs by Fantastique Designs and a huge #blogger Giveaway!

You may have noticed some changes around here recently. 

It's all thanks to Monique of Fantastique Designs! Isn't the transformation pretty awesome?!

Working with Monique has been an absolute pleasure. The process is easy, she's super accommodating and somehow had a way of figuring out what I was looking for in a new look. From start to finish, I began with a blah-blog to a wow-blog in about 2 weeks time.  You fill out a questionnaire that helps her get an idea of what you are looking for. Be sure to give her links of other blogs that you like and tell her about what elements from it you would like to see on yours. Each step of the way Monique comes up with several options and variations of your design, with specific questions on what you like and don't like. Feel free to pick and choose elements from each design that you like and she weaves it all together in the end.

Then the day comes where she says "Ok, I've got it done - when are you available to let me in your blog?"

That was seriously my favorite part of the whole process - the anticipation of seeing my new design on my site and being so excited to share it with my readers :)

A little bit about Monique and her business:

Monique is a homeschooling mama to 2 boys and a little princess.  She's been homeschooling for 6 years and has enjoyed every minute of it (well most of it). She is a SAHM who desires to support her curriculum purchases by  creating a unique space  on the internet for other mothers. Blog design is her creative outlet and lets her make other mamas happy as well. She can design Blogger, Wordpress blogs and websites and can be found blogging about homeschooling at Living Life and Learning.

Between now and December 2, 2013 Monique is offering $20 off all custom blog design orders! Fill out her getting started questionnaire by that date in order to obtain the discount.

Monique would love to transform your blog too! She is offering 2 bloggers the awesome chance to breathe some new life into their website with 2 awesome prize packages.

*Note: Wordpress sites must be self-hosted, not the free version.

This giveaway has ended. Thank you to everyone who entered!

Are you interested in having your product, service or business featured on The Pierogie Mama? Contact me here.

Pssst, leave a comment with your blog link 

so that I can come visit you :)

Disclosure: I received services in exchange for this review and giveaway, though all opinions are my own.

Monthly Its: October

So over the last 3 months I've been sharing some of my experiences with handmade soaps by StarGazer Soaps. Today Nicole will be sharing with you a boiled down explanation of how she makes her soaps! Read through to the end, because there's a surprise in store for you :)

Pre-Order here!

It took a long time to develop my soap recipes.  I have several tried and true that are a part of my main lines, but I am always looking for ways to improve them.  In fact, recently I added cream and cocoa butter to my silk soap, and LOVE the change!  My soap is even silkier than before!  So why cream?  Why do I use the ingredients I do?  I can't make claims about what my soap or any of my ingredients in my soap will do for a person.  But I use pure oils like olive, coconut, avocado, and butters like shea, cocoa, mango.  I also use silk & cream.  Each ingredient has a benefit, and adds to the luxury feel of the soap.  I choose each ingredient with great care, and test everything extensively before offering it to you.

When I make soap, I sit with my children and we smell my fragrance supply.  We chose which one inspires us, and then choose the color scheme.  Sometimes we decide on a design, but usually I have no idea what I am going to do until I am ready to pour my batter in the mold!  All soap starts the same way – Lye solution and oils.  When the Lye solution and oils meet, the magic begins.  I have some time to play with scent, color, and design.  Then the next 24 hours saponification takes place. This is the process where the Lye solution and the oils work together to make soap!  Within 24 hours, the Lye disappears, and glycerin is formed.  While safe to handle and use at this point, it really takes 6 weeks for the soap to fully cure.  Soap is like wine – it gets better with time!

If you haven’t tried handmade soap yet, now is the time!  
Visit StarGazerSoaps.com and use coupon code NATURAL
for 10% off your order until November 30th.  
Feel the difference.  
Handmade soap has honestly changed the lives of my family in more ways than one.  
I for one will never have commercial soap in my home again. 

Thank you Nicole for sharing that awesome discount with Pierogie Mama readers! Don't forget to check out my review of StarGazer soaps (my favorite has been pure and natural grapefruit, but I've definitely got my eye on a few to check out this holiday season!)

And now on to some more awesome reads :)

This Pierogie family loves their pooches, Romeo and Squirt. Though when we first had Penelope, we were a little anxious to see how the dogs would react to the new baby. Green Mommas outlines a few important points on your child's safety as well as your pet's comfort in mind when introducing each other.

I didn't give Penny a bath for a week after she was born. Yup. The vernix that covers a newborn is extremely moisturizing and goes along with my belief that a healthy body wouldn't produce something 'gross' or harmful for the baby. The result? Never any skin issues, cradle cap and oh my gosh the most intoxicating smell in the world resting upon my newborn daughter's head. Here's some more scientific reasons on why not to wash the vernix off your newborn, by Raising Natural Kids.

How to be a Supermom pretty much took away any guilt I had with my toddler and her level of screen time.

I read this the day of our ultrasound. I had a case of the mommy-worries, which are so destructive. This post came on a day I needed it. Trusting our children to God is not an easy feat.

Doesn't Pioneer Woman have a way with making you eat a bunch of stuff that is so freaking delicious but you know is just so bad for you? Well, in this case, she puts together a 'carb buster' breakfast that for all intents and purposes covers some pretty important food groups. It's on my to-do list for one of these weekend mornings.

Want an easy, fun and educational way to keep your toddler entertained for hours? That Mama Gretchen shares a water pouring activity.

And finally.. this one resonated deeply with me. I'd like to call myself a 'natural' and 'attachment' parent but Lord knows there has never been such thing as 'the perfect parent,' well except for the Lord himself ;) LOL! So this made me feel better one day when I was at my very own wits end and just wanted Penny to nap, and was on the verge of losing my own shit.