Merry Fluffy Christmas #clothdiaper giveaway! #fluffyxmas

This post was originally published as a part of the Merry Fluffy Christmas Giveaway Hop.

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Oh man - I may have gone overboard this month.

Christmas time is a time of giving and I am so excited to work with these awesome sponsors to get you these fluffy themed gifts just in time for the holidays.

Win a set of DoodlePants, to keep your cloth diapered cutie's legs warm this winter. You know you have a cloth diapered child when kids who aren't used to cloth diapers point and say "mama, she went potty."  ...Because butts that PUFFY normally mean they need a change. Am I right? DoodlePants have become a staple in our house when going out and attempting to keep Penny's really fluffy bum at bay. There are tons of styles, all of which are hard to choose from, but the fact of the matter is that they are perfectly fit for cloth diapered children.

So have you gone "full cloth" and use cloth wipes as well? You can win a prize pack of Planet Wise's own flannel wipes and a wipe pouch that is made just like their high quality wet bags. Read my review of their sport and travel bags as well as read about the time I got covered in hippo poop.

And who doesn't like miniature versions of every day things? My husband may have rolled his eyes at me when I told him that I got a cloth diaper for our Christmas tree (he and our bank account know all too well of my fluff obsession), but a little smile did creep across his face when he saw that it was a teeny tiny ornament that has working snaps and all! Even Penny asks for the "pa-da" (diaper/potty) ornament when she spies it. Check out my DIY Christmas Wreath that lets everyone know who comes to our door exactly how much I love fluff.

And finally - many of us are already familiar with what Shutterfly is and what they offer. As a part of this very fluffy prize pack, you'll get a promo code for a FREE 20-page 8x8 had cover photo book. Use it to create a FLUFFY BRAG BOOK! Immortalize those delicious baby rolls in a photo book along with sweet cloth diapers that you've been unabashedly flaunting. You know you do! (Discount code is valid until 12/27)

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.

Disclosure: Thank you to my wonderful sponsors for hosting this giveaway with me. The Pierogie Mama is not responsible for prize fulfilment. This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Shutterfly, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Open to US residents only, 18+. Shutterfly discount code must be used by 12/27. Unused codes at that time will expire and are not the responsibility of The Pierogie Mama. Use it or lose it!

DIY Christmas Wreath

This year I've been going through all of our home decor and deciding between what we want to keep and not keep. A lot of what we have is from college and one thing in particular that I pulled out was a plastic wreath. It had seen better days and honestly, I was in a crafty mood so I decided to make our own wreath this year.

Now before you start thinking that I'm this closet-crafter, I must warn you - this wreath tutorial is very simple in effort and in presentation. But it also cost me less than $10 total!

I was inspired by this pin a few weeks ago-

source

Just follow these 3 (in reality, 2!) easy steps.

Could it be really any easier? Please keep in mind that I'm not a professional ribbon-tier, I even spent 15 minutes youtubinng different videos and I just don't have the talent to mold a piece of string into a pretty shape. But I bet some of you out there do!

So from there on you can customize your easy wreath with ornaments and jingle bells.

I picked up a pack of jingle bells from Grocery Outlet for $2 and being the absolute dork that I am, I felt that my wreath needed a little bit of pizazz that I bet you won't be finding on any other wreath out there.

Isn't it absolutely precious? The hubs thought I was pretty silly when I told him that I had a cloth diaper ornament, but when he saw it on the wreath, even he couldn't help but crack a little smile.

Find cloth diaper ornaments and other cuteness from Weensy Baby.

Disclosure: I received product for review. No other compensation was provided. 

All opinions are my own.

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower (A 20 minute recipe!): Guest Post on MishMash Mama Blog

Just in time for Thanksgiving - need an extra veggie side dish to serve? Try my tried and true, battle tested and family approved garlic roasted cauliflower recipe. It'll take about 20 minutes to bake and is so worth it.

Guest post on MishMashMama Blog: 20 Minute Garlic Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

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!

Follow along via

facebook // twitter // bloglovin' // pinterest // email

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.

Christmas Candy and Mama/Daughter Cupcake Provacateur Aprons! #santaslilhelper

The for the last 4 years the women on my husband's side of the family have gotten together to make Christmas candy together. Normally we try to have it the day after Thanksgiving (we call it "Candy Friday") but this year it worked out to be a week earlier. But this preggy doesn't mind - that means I get my fudge a week earlier!

This year we have 5 bakers (and 3 mini bakers). We traditionally make

• Peppermint Bark
• Tiger Butter
• Fudge
• Chocolate covered pretzels (my favorite!)
• Peanut Brittle
• Salted Caramels
• Monster Cookies
• Crockpot Apple Cider
  --so easy! pour apple cider (or juice) into a crockpot, add a clove studded orange and heat. Top with whipped cream in a Santa mug :) --

Besides the sugary part, I'm really looking forward to the upcoming years when I'll get my girls involved. Last year I wore Penny, this year she spent most of her time wreaking havoc through Grandma's nicknacks (with a few visits to the kitchen for goodies). Next year I'm positive she'll be under the watchful tutelage my 6 year old niece while they take over the sprinkling station. I am in a little bit of a shock that next year I'll be wearing Ruby!


This year I thought it would be fun to have an apron fashion show. Each apron has a story and we had a few heirloom aprons featured.

To be honest - part of me just wanted an excuse to take pictures of Penny and I in our matching mama-daughter apron set from Cupcake Provacateur.

Cynthia, the designer and owner of Cupcake Provacateur, handmakes each of her aprons and mine are one of a kind. She features several different styles - from the very utilitarian/no frills style, half aprons to something that you can use for home photoshoot of yourself as a sexy pin up, which is what she's known for.

Cynthia created her line of aprons from her love of baking and the need to be fashionable in the kitchen. A good combination, if you ask me! The prints she chooses and apron patterns are a healthy mix of vintage, modern, wholesome housewife with a dash of sex kitten.

It was very clear that Penny felt very special in her own apron. She pranced and strutted around with the pomp of importance. She was caught hiding some chocolate pretzels in her cute little pockets too.

Her child sized aprons fit sizes 4-6x, and you can see that it was pretty long on my VERY short girl. She's 21 months old and in the 15th percentile. I really loved that the neck straps can be adjusted too, because now I know I'll be able to keep this apron around for years without her outgrowing it too soon. You can find Penny's child sized retro-ornament themed Hedy apron online. This pregnant mama loved the neckline being adjustable on hers too because I know the apron will fit differently once there isn't a bump in the way.

Cupcake Provacateur also offers custom orders, so you can work together to find a print that fits your own style or come up with a coordinating theme for yourself and your children. 

And if fancy aprons weren't enough, she offers a range of cupcake options - from fresh ones in the NY & Long Island area, cupcake in a cup or cupcake mixes.

Love Cupcake Provacateur aprons? Keep in touch via

online // facebook // twitter // blog

Enter to win a matching Cupcake Provacatuer mama - child apron set as a part of my Santa's Little Helper Giveaway Prize Pack! Included is a custom lettered ornament from Chalk Treatment and homemade vanilla extract infusion kit from Beanilla. 

Update: Cynthia shared with me that she is currently working on a boy specific line!

Visit Cupcake Provacateur and tell me which apron you think is the sweetest!

Disclosure: Thank you, Cupcake Provacateur, for providing me with product to review. 

No other compensation was provided. All opinions are my own.

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 :)

Just Between Friends Lynnwood Toy Sale and Holiday Bazaar Recap

Keep up with The Pierogie Mama updates via
facebook /// twitter // bloglovin' // email

Because there will be more JBF fun in the Spring
and you don't want to miss out!

Last night I got all of my Christmas shopping done for the kids. In 2 hours. For under $100.

In case you missed out, I've been pretty excited for the Just Between Friends Lynnwood Toy Sale and Holiday Bazaar is going on this weekend and if you are in the Seattle area and have children to shop for this holiday season, you definitely want to be there.

Here's a recap of what you might find at the sale...

and don't forget to check out the 20+ vendors who also will have great ideas for holiday gifts.

And I'm pretty pleased with my haul for the season.

I love JBF sales because you just never know what you can find. A super cute picnic table for our backyard and then blasts from the past a 30+ year old Dumbo book and those cardboard 'bricks' that I remember from kindergarten. Stay tuned for Penny-zilla pictures on Christmas Day.

The public sale schedule is:

Friday Nov 22- 9am to 7pm- $2 admission, free admission pass or canned food for food drive
Sat Nov 23- 8am to 3pm- free admission (half priced sale on Sat from 12-3pm)

Gold Creek Church, 4326 148th St SE Mill Creek WA

Be sure to follow online and on facebook to get the details on the next event at the end of March.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Just Between Friends of Lynnwood. 

If you couldn't already tell, I absolutely love these sales so I couldn't wait to share this opportunity with you.

#RadioShak Name your Deal #BlackFriday #mc #sponsored

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for RadioShack. I received a gift card to facilitate a shopping trip and promotional item as a thank you for participating.

I've pretty much been ready for Christmas since Halloween. Penny didn't dress up and I just wasn't into it - I've been seriously looking forward to the season of giving and spending time with family. Cozying up in front of the TV with a good holiday classic and a cup of hot cocoa. With a super snuggly blanket. 

Being a single income family does change our holiday spendings, though, and I have been on the lookout for the best deals while also making sure that what I buy is a quality product and something that the recipient will actually like. 

RadioShak is one of my main stops for shopping for the adults in my family - mainly because the kids toys will be bought at my local Just Between Friends of Lynnwood Toy Sale and Holiday Bazaar. But the adults are getting grown up toys from RadioShak!

A few deets about RadioShak this holiday season:

The Name Your Deal promotion!Through November 22nd, RadioShack gives shoppers the power to name their own deals with an interactive application on the RadioShack Holiday Hub where they can select the product and pricing, vote on and share the hot deals. You'll be able to vote on a preexisting deal or pick the product and discount that you would most like to see coupons offered for. Be sure the share about this promotion because the top 5 deals with the most votes will be the ones given. Check back on November 27^th to see which deals received the most votes and try to be the first to grab a coupon code for a hot deal.

Black Friday:RadioShack stores will open at 8 a.m. on November 29th (though check with mall hours if you're going to a location that's in a mall). The Black Friday deals will start online on Thanksgiving Day on RadioShack.com.

Cyber Monday:RadioShack Cyber Monday begins December 2nd at 12 a.m.

I'm the kind of person who prefers to shop online so I know I'll be checking out the deals on RadioShak.com first. Here are a few gift ideas that I've pulled for the husband:

SOL REPUBLIC Amps HD In-Ear Headphones //
Tasco® Spacestation® 70AZ Refractor Telescope // Corvette RC Racing Pack

What is on your holiday wish list that you can find at RadioShak?

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Mom Central Consulting and RadioShak.  I received a gift card to facilitate a shopping trip and promotional item as a thank you for participating. 

All opinions are 100% my own!

Cardstore Holiday Deal #mc #TopoftheMantel #sponsored

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Cardstore. 

I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Which is your preference; holiday cards or newsletters? Depending on the year, both have their bonuses! This year we've had a lot going on (a new pregnancy, a new house, renovating that new house...) so a newsletter just might be up our alley at the start of the new year.

But drafting up a newsletter is tough work when you don't have whatever program it is that makes it easy. I alternated between Word and PicMonkey last year and I can't say that I was too excited to try doing it again. 

not too snazzy...

When I learned that Cardstore helps you design a customized newsletter, I was sold! 

Now through November 20th, they’re offering $20 off orders of $50 or more!
Then from November 21 through 26th Cardstore is offering 30% off their holiday cards! 

Log on and make your holiday newsletter or card today.

#WordlessWednesday: Santa Baby

Grumpy babies are sad, but I couldn't resist sharing the irony of the yogurt beard and Santa jammies.

Have you pulled out holiday clothes for your littles (or yourself??) yet?

Movie Date Night with Kukuruza Popcorn

The hubs and I have been making it a point to sit down and relax together in the evenings as a midweek 'date night.' We've gotten to the point in the renovation where he feels like he can take a breather during the week. I'm becoming more content with settling in with a movie for the evening as my belly grows bigger and braxton hicks contractions seem to happen most often between dinner and bedtime. Plus, Penny has been sleeping like a champ! Now is the perfect time for us to work on quality relationship time.

Most of the time that means simply snuggling closer together on the couch and looking forward to the couple evenings per week where we sit down and watch our new favorite shows that we had set to record.

The other night I set us up with the movie "The Campaign" and surprised Adam with a tasting 'flight' of Kukuruza Popcorn. Kukuruza is a Seattle based company and has 3 locations in the Seattle area - but will ship their delicious popcorn to almost where ever your heart desires :)

We got to taste Chicago, Brown Butter & Sea Salt, Hawaiian Salted Caramel, Maple Bacon, Cinnamon Bun, Pumpkin Spice and Cashew Caramel. They have almost 30 flavors to choose from, so it was hard to narrow it down!

Each flavor was a delicious hit, but the Brown Butter & Sea Salt stood out for me, Adam liked the Hawaiian Salted Caramel and Miss Penny (who got her hands into our snacks unauthorized!) chowed down on Maple Bacon.

Check them out for holiday tins or different sized packages for home...and of course, if you are in the Seattle area check out any of their 3 locations. Oh, you can also find them in Saudi Arabia, Japan and Egypt but I'm not sure I have too many readers out there :) But definitely give me a shout out if you are, lol!

Disclosure: Thank you, Kukuruza for helping set the mood for our movie date night :) Product was provided to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided. 

All opinions expressed are my own.

Under Construction: The Shop

Don't want to miss out on any of our renovation shenanagins? 

Click here for a full list of my posts on it!

Not too much has been going on inside the house (with the exception of me starting my nesting phase and going through ALL of our moving boxes and deciding what to keep, donate or throw away), but this post is mainly for the guys ;) Well, and a little bit for the girls. I think some of you might appreciate a part of it.

One of the big selling points to my husband in buying this house was the shop in the backyard. It's 26' x 36', 15' tall and is pretty much a match made in heaven for my car / house project obsessed spouse. Every time someone comes over to the house for the first time he leads them through a very quick tour of the inside and then promptly says "but you've got to see my shop!" and most men drool. 

Being renovators and keeping up with his passion for cars means we need a good amount of work space. So this shop fits the bill for him quite nicely, but he's been itching for the last 3 months to get that shop in order. Until now it's mostly been one of the storage areas for our extra furniture, random boxes and all of his tools. His goal for his Christmas holiday is to get my Duraburb project finished, so that means he's got to get the place organized. Which led to him deciding to build our loft and the designated mama-baby area.

For those of you who are asking yourselves 'what the hay is a duraburb?' it's Adam's current automotive project in converting a gas guzzling Suburban into a diesel monster. It allows us to have the space that our growing family needs but not have to pay the premium of 7 mpg (instead we are expecting a more comfortable mid twenties). The name "duraburb" comes from the combination of a Duramax engine with a Suburban. It's affectionately called my "rig."

You see, even when the renovation is complete, this man's work will never be done. He thrives on projects (have I made that obvious enough yet??) and even when the Duraburb is done he's got an old BMW project waiting in the wings. It's set up for a lot of garage time for Daddy and although it's his passion and he loves doing it, he obviously misses his family while he's out there. So he graciously has set aside space in the shop that will be sectioned off as a safe, comfortable play area for myself and the kids.

This weekend he got the framing up for the loft and the plywood platform laid down. 

Our plans for this mama-baby area is to lay down the extra carpet that we have left over from our install, a couch, perhaps a small tv, toys and I've suggested that maybe he can build a little playhouse in there when he has some spare time. I've been trolling ideas on Pinterest for some really awesome playhouses lately and I know he will be able to deliver :) 

The mommy-baby area will have a half wall surrounding it with a gate to enter in through, so I'll be able to stand up and talk to Adam while he's working, without having to worry about kids getting into the shop area.

The shop already has a pellet stove in it (which will be outside of mama-baby land) so even during the colder months we'll all be cozy and get to hang out as a family together.

He still needs to build a permanent ladder and eventually will devise a pulley / elevator system to help get totes up and down without having to carry them up. Basically that means that I'll have no excuse that I can't go out to the stop to get the Christmas decorations down... ;)

Win a $75 Nicki's Diapers Giftcard

Welcome to the Happy Holidays Nicki's Diapers $75 Gift Card Giveaway sponsored by the Daily Globe and hosted by The Parenting Patch!

With the holidays approaching, how would you like to win a $75 gift card to Nicki's Diapers? Nicki's Diapers is a business founded and run by a mom. The small business was started to fill a gap in the cloth diapering services available within a local community and has since grown into a website helping parents around the United States and world.

One lucky reader of The Parenting Patch will win one (1) $75 gift card to Nicki's Diapers. To enter for your chance to win the Happy Holidays Nicki's Diapers $75 Gift Card Giveaway, simply use the following Rafflecopter form. Good luck! Happy holidays!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


The Happy Holidays Nicki's Diapers $75 Gift Card Giveaway is open worldwide. An international winner will receive $75 via PayPal in lieu of the specified prize. The Happy Holidays Nicki's Diapers $75 Gift Card Giveaway ends at midnight CST on December 2, 2013. One winner will be chosen at random via Rafflecopter. The winner will be sent an email and will have forty-eight hours to respond. If no response is received within forty-eight hours, another winner will be chosen. The Pierogie Mama, The Parenting Patch and other participating blogs are not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Maytag Dependable Leader Award Voting is open! #mc

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Maytag.
I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Maytag needs your help to select the best candidate for the 2013 Maytag Dependable Leader Award – an award to recognize someone committed to making a difference in the lives of youth - through America’s Vote competition. From November 12th through November 29th, visit www.bgca.org/Maytag to learn about the finalists and the exemplary work they do in their communities to help make a difference. You can vote once a day!

Learn more about community leaders like Nate Ford from the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco: For 25 years, Nate has modeled the philosophy “Learning to Play and Playing to Learn.”  He runs the athletic programs at nine Clubs, and understands the power of athletics. He mentors young athletes across gang lines, helping downplay rivalries while focusing on athletic and academic potential.
The other finalists are:Albert Hernandez – Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena
Ethan Harris – Boys & Girls Club of Bryant
Nate Ford – Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco
Ricky Gallon – Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay
Steve Hixson – Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland

The winner will join 24 of this year’s other Dependable Leaders across the country and receive a $20,000 financial grant to help his Club continue to improve its impact in its community. The Maytag Dependable Leader Award gives back to Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s professionals and volunteers who continuously give their days to help better the world of youth with whom they work. America’s Vote is an extension of the Awards, inviting Americans to select the final Maytag Dependable Leader Award winner in 2013 by voting online atwww.bgca.org/Maytag"

Nuby Tub Time Turtle Review

Penny has grown into having a totally new appreciations for baths. She absolutely loves bath time!

This girl is definitely my husband's offspring - he has a very analytic mind (which comes in handy since he's an engineer) and I can see those same cogs churning in her head when she inspects something new. 

When I brought the Nuby Tub Time Turtle out for the first time, she went nuts over the waterfall effect. The turtle's shell has holes that allow water to pass through, and she's had fun making waterfalls by herself or squeals with glee when she gets a shower from one of us.

In the rare moment that we aren't playing waterfall, she turns him over and inspects all of his different parts. He's got a squishy head, rubbery fins (great for gnawing on) and she experiments with the water flow when she puts other things inside the shell. 

The Nuby Tub Time Turtle can be found on Amazon, Diapers.com, buybuyBaby, Cookie's Kids and Tuesday Morning. 

Make sure you follow along with Nuby on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram to keep up with all the latest products and promotions!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I am writing this post as part of the NUBY Mommy Blogger Program.  I did not receive compensation for this post, although as part of the program I may receive items to sample or review.  All opinions are my own.

Your Holiday Card will stand out with Simply To Impress

For the last few years we've been sending out a digital newsletter or card around the holidays. Our living situation sort of demanded it, as we've moved 4 times in the last 2 years. Yea. The holidays in 2010 was the last time we sent out a Christmas card and seriously... I want to send some snail mail again!

Do you save cards from the mail? I do, and have been since our engagement in 2008. Every once in a while I find my special box and actually go through those cards again. Am I weird or just sentimental? It's just so fun to go back and read about what our friends were up to that year or reminisce about how unbelievably uncanny the similarity is between Penny and my now 6 year old niece, Pammy.

There's been one thing I've started to notice over the years though. You know how there's the top 3 or 4 photo card websites that most people choose from every year? Nothing wrong with that - but doesn't it get a little old after a while? That's why I checked out Simply To Impress for our holiday card this year.

Simply To Impress offers a wide variety of shapes, sizes, cut outs, finishes and layouts for your cards. Best of all, they're pretty affordable :) Fancy looking cards for not a super fancy price. Just my style!

And guess what? (cue Oprah voice)
All of my Pierogie Mama readers get 10 cards for FREE!!
Click here:  Simply To Impress 10 Free Holiday CardsDiscount code: 10FREE4ME

We'll be taking our holiday picture soon (I really want that baby belly to pop!) so I'll be sharing our card with you in the very near future :)

Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.

JBF Lynnwood Toy Sale and Holiday Bazaar Presale Pass #giveaway #seattle

Don't you know about Just Between Friends? 

Just Between Friends Consignment Sale hosts several events throughout the year (typically a Spring, Fall and some locations do Holiday Toy Sales, like JBF Lynnwood). There's tons of sales nation wide and Washington State alone has 9 locations. You can shop for almost anything in the family - baby through teenage sizes, maternity, baby gear, TOYS, shoes, strollers/bikes, furniture, cloth diapers, car seats, you name it! It's always so fun to see what kind of treasure you can uncover at a JBF sale.

This year I'll be buying our Christmas presents at JBF Lynwood's Toy Sale and Holiday Bazaar. The Toy Sale and Holiday Bazaar is a little different from the other JBF seasonal sales because this time around the main focus is on toys, gifts and holiday/winter clothes.

My favorite part about shopping at JBF sales is simply the quality of items that they allow to be consigned. Literally everything that I've ever bought at a JBF sale looks brand new. There's never any peeled stickers or excessive scratching in plastic toys. The books come untorn and unchewed (mothers of toddlers, I know you hear me on this one!). 

But JBF wouldn't be what it is if it was only for the shoppers. So many of us hoard our baby/kid clothes, not sure what to do with them, for years and years and all it does is take up space. Turn that space back into cash by consigning at JBF. You can learn more about consigning here and there's still time to sign up and drop off! Consignors receive 60-75% of their sales back! JBF Lynwood's Toy Sale and Holiday Bazaar will also be featuring over two dozen vendors; such as 31, Miche, Francis Grace Salon - each with their own holiday specials and deals.

Now are you ready for the awesome part? Just Between Friends of Lynnwood  is offering 5 Pierogie Mama readers each a pass to their PRESALE PAR-TAY!! The pass is valid for you (and a friend!) to come to the JBF Toy Sale & Holiday Bazaar on Thursday November 21 between 6-9pm. That is the night before the sale is open to the public! Cha-CHING!

Even if you don't win a pass, this is a sale you don't want to miss out on. The public sale schedule is:

Friday Nov 22- 9am to 7pm- $2 admission, free admission pass or canned food for food drive
Sat Nov 23- 8am to 3pm- free admission (half priced sale on Sat from 12-3pm)

Gold Creek Church, 4326 148th St SE Mill Creek WA

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Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Just Between Friends of Lynnwood. 

If you couldn't already tell, I absolutely love these sales so I couldn't wait to share this opportunity with you. The winner will be notified via email on Thursday 11/20 and will have their pre-sale passes waiting for them at check-in at the sale.