Winners and some disappointing news...

Well, it looks like only two people entered my giveaway for Marmee's Favorites Bundle.  TWO! Considering that there were supposed to be three winners, it looks like both of the entrants won!

So, congrats Jamie and ButterflyWishes!

However, in light of this disappointing turn out, Marmee and I have decided that the raffle for the Bosch Universal Mixer is just too risky for her to go ahead with.  I am seriously bummed to not be able to offer this opportunity to my readers, but since Marmee already sent me one mixer for review we just cannot move forward with the raffle without a more promising response.

So, if you want to see this wonderful opportunity come back, then you need to 

LET US KNOW!!

Also, I did want to address a comment that was made in regards to the raffle, in which someone compared the raffle to gambling.  I could not disagree more with this perspective.  The raffle was going to be offered in such a way that each ticket would come with a plethora of downloadable items.  The top package was only going to be $7.99, worth 8 entries and come with nearly $40 worth of valuable downloads.  I consider gambling to be any time that you are putting money towards a chance at something and receiving nothing in return except the chance.  I just wanted to clarify that.

Be sure to visit my sponsor- Marmee's Bread Market- for recipes and everything else you need to easily make fresh baked goods for your family!

Overnight Cinnamon Buns and A GIVEAWAY!

Mmmmm... heaven on a plate!

These warm cinnamon buns filled our house with such a wonderful aroma on Sunday morning and do you want to know the best part?  I made them the night before and all I had to do was stick them in the oven on Sunday morning!  Now you know I am all about prep-ahead meals, so these were right up my alley!

Perfectly sweet with a generous helping of whole wheat flour- what more could you want?!

My family had requested cinnamon rolls before, but I of course was always a little intimidated by them.  The kneading and the time it would take and blah, blah, blah!  But then I got my BOSCH!  I'm so in love!  I use it almost every day in some capacity or another!  Seriously girls- you've got to get one!  (And you can always enter to win one in my upcoming raffle!)

So to kick off my little giveaway season Marmee has offered to giveaway 3 (yes, t-h-r-e-e) of her favorite's bundles!  This downloadable bundle includes:

• A 3 Page Feature recipe for an incredibly delicious soft and fluffy bread!  This featured recipe has a surprise ingredient of over‐ripe bananas along with nutritious freshly milled golden wheat, golden honey, and a sprinkling of poppy seeds. It makes a soft, lightly sweet yeast bread with no resemblance to a cake‐like banana bread. This recipe makes 4 nice‐sized loaves for slicing and makes a superb toast for breakfast slathered with butter and fruit preserves or a marvelously yummy PBJ sandwich!

• Sizzlin' Summer Recipes and Menu from Marmee including Chicken Strips, Dippin’ Sauces, Soft Buns in a BOSCH mixer (which I will be making this weekend!) and more.....

• 5 pages of printable pantry labels to organize your containers of baking goods in your pantry - exclusive of Marmee's Bread Market

• Marmee's Mornin' Favorites featuring the overnight cinnamon rolls I made this last weekend and endless hot cocoa!

• Family Table Courtesies- An exclusive Poster for your family from Marmee.

Sound good?  Here is how you can enter!

Mandatory Entry: Hope on over to Marmee's Bread Market and tell me what product you would most want to get!


Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each!  And PLEASE be honest!): 

• Sign up for the Marmee's Bread Market newsletter (upper right sidebar on the site).
• Add a BOSCH Raffle button to your blog (in my right sidebar).
• Blog about this giveaway AND the BOSCH Raffle (link to each- worth 3 entries!).
• Follow or Subscribe to The Mama Kenz Studio.
• Become a fan of The Mama Kenz Studio on Facebook.
• Visit Marmee's Bread Market and tell me which recipe sounds the yummiest to you!
• Tweet about this giveaway OR the upcoming BOSCH Raffle (can be done daily- 1 extra entry per tweet).  You may use these as your tweets if you like:

@Chic_Mama is hosting a giveaway for a YUMMY download package w/3 Winners! http://tinyurl.com/28mrx65

@Chic_Mama is gearing up to raffle a BOSCH Universal Mixer!  You WANT to see this! http://tinyurl.com/2fzlh2r

Giveaway will run from August 24, 2010 to September 6, 2010 at 8:00PST.  Winners will be notified within 24 hours and must respond within 48 hours to claim prize.  Downloads were supplied to me by Marmee's Bread Market for honest review- all opinions are solely mine and based on my experiences.  For other disclosures and additional contest rules and terms please go here.

Be sure to visit my sponsor- Marmee's Bread Market- for recipes and everything else you need to easily make fresh baked goods for your family!

The BIG Announcement!!

Alright ladies- here is the big doozy I have been dying to share with you!!  Along with all the other awesome giveaways that Marmee from Marmee's Bread Market is partnering with me to bring you, I will be hosting a raffle for a Bosch Universal Pluss Mixer from October 19- November 16, 2010!!!

And this isn't just any old raffle where you fork out your money for a ticket and just hope you get the grand prize!  NOPE!  EVERYONE gets something!  Marmee will actually be offering 3 different raffle download packages, chocked full of goodies!!  Our top tier raffle package will be $7.99 and is worth 8 entries in the raffle!  The second tier raffle package will be $5.79 and worth 6 entries, and the final tier will be $3.59 and worth 4 entries!  These packages will be so packed full of awesome recipes and ideas for your kitchen and family you just won't believe it!  It is a total win/win!

So, why am I announcing the raffle so early?  Well, I wanted to get these raffle buttons and banners out to all of you because if you have them on your blog they will help get you extra entries into the other giveaways I will be running with Marmee between now and then!  So snag them now and start spreading the word!  And remember, tomorrow starts the first giveaway!

<a border="0" href="http://mamakenzstudio.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src=<a href="http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q153/Chic_Mama/Picture18.png"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000099">http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q153/Chic_Mama/Picture18.png</span></a>></a>

<a border="0" href="<a href="http://mamakenzstudio.blogspot.com"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000099">http://mamakenzstudio.blogspot.com</span></a>" target="_blank"><img src=http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q153/Chic_Mama/Picture16.png></a>

Be sure to visit my sponsor- Marmee's Bread Market- for recipes and everything else you need to easily make fresh baked goods for your family!

Postponed but still making an announcement!

Well, a bit of a bummer- BOTH the sites I was affiliating with for tomorrow's post are either backlogged or having technical issues!  So, I won't be guest posting on HannahKeeley.com until next week and the great little giveaway I am hosting for Marmee's Bread Market won't be up until Tuesday (hopefully!  Her servers are down- a horrible hit, so you can be praying for her!).

However, I will still be making my big BOSCH announcement tomorrow and plan to get a super cute printable up later this week that I bet you are all going to want to see!  So, hang in there with me!  Have a wonderful evening!

Be sure to visit my sponsor- Marmee's Bread Market- for recipes and everything else you need to easily make fresh baked goods for your family!

Lots up for grabs!!!

There is a LOT going on in my blogging world lately, so I just wanted to bring you all up to speed and let you in on some fun giveaways!

Right now over at The World According to Them I am hosting a giveaway for The Hands on Bible!  This is such a great tool for kiddos and families- don't miss this one!

Also over at The World According to Them I have started posting about the Raising Rockstars Curriculum we are using (and loving) as our core this year and will be starting our Tiny Tot School posts about how I am working with (or rather, keeping busy) Lion Cub!  Be sure to check back there on Monday to read more about our new routine and how it is working for us!  I hope to include some printables as well!

Monday I will be guest posting over at HannahKeeley.com all about getting one step ahead!  I am very excited to be sharing with Hannah's readers and think you all will probably enjoy all the wonderful information and freebies on her site as well!  She is a Christian mom of 7 who has her act together and helps you do it too!

And last, but not least, I will be making a BIG announcement on Monday about my upcoming Bosch Raffle with Marmee's Bread Market AND will be hosting an AWESOME giveaway from her shop with MORE THAN ONE WINNER!  You are not going to want to miss this!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Be sure to visit my sponsor- Marmee's Bread Market- for recipes and everything else you need to easily make fresh baked goods for your family!

Announcing my First Official Sponsor- Marmee's Bread Market!

I am thrilled and honored to introduce you to my first official sponsor- Martha Greene (or Marmee, as her patrons affectionately know her) of Marmee's Bread Market!  I am so excited to be embarking on this partnership with Marmee and am even more excited by what it is going to allow me to pass on to you, my lovely readers!  Over the next 6 months every Tuesday I will be posting reviews, how-tos, videos, recipes and LOTS of giveaways (including an awesome raffle for a Bosch Universal Mixer Plus coming in October- you won't want to miss this!)!!!  It is seriously going to be so much fun and I think we are all going to learn a ton!

So, for our first week I thought it would be nice for you all to get to know Marmee and her business a little bit better.  For starters, she hosts three wonderful websites that are just perfect for the homemaker in all of us:

Marmee's Bread Market- 

Where she sells pretty much everything you could ever need to make your own, fresh bread easily and realistically!

The Homemaker's Mentor- 

Where she offers monthly lessons to help you become the best homemaker you can be!

Marmee Dear- 

Where she offers a wide variety of items that she has used in her own home and has found to be either useful, delightful or both!

You can read a cute little story about Marmee, her family and how her business developed, on her About Us Page at Marmee's Bread Market.  It is sweet and fun- definitely worth the read!

To round out this intro I thought it would also be fun to include a little interview I had with Marmee-

So Marmee, how did it all begin?  What inspired you to start passing on your homemaking knowledge and offering products to other homemakers?

I've always loved to share....I think it is a gift that I have been given and it just thrills and delights me to share things that help and inspire me with others.  I also hold a firm conviction that the role of woman is to be in the home but definitely

not sitting around eating bon-bons - I love to work at home! Since my early years of marriage I have thot up ways to supplement the family piggy bank by using my talents from home.  So the love of sharing what I love and use in my home was a natural fit

for me to have a shoppe where I could promote and encourage homemaking and offer quality products that I already use and love in my home.

What is your favorite thing to bake?

Homemade breads and of course the favorite of favorites....cinnamon buns!

What is your number one tip to mothers of young children and/or homemakers?

Life is in seasons and if you are in a hard season right now - this too shall pass!  I'm always thankful for a new day where we can start fresh! 

Did you grow up being taught homemaking skills or did you learn them after you got married?

This could be a very very long answer so I am not sure how to make it short....I was born in East Pakistan as my parents were pioneer missionaries to that 3rd world country. I spent the majority of my life there until I was 14. My mother was a marvelous homemaker but due to the situation in that country I grew up with full time servants that did everything for us including mopping the floors, serving us our meals, doing the dishes, laundry and all the household duties.  So my first experience in really learning to keep "my place" tidy was in the dormitory for boarding school (age 14) as we had room check daily and got demerits for anything out of place.  The Lord just gave me a great desire for home, a husband and turned my heart towards those things in my highschool years. I took every single home ec, sewing, foods and nutrition class offered as electives.  I was married right after high school at the age of 18 and then the journey began - me in my own home - and wow have I learned each step of the way.  I think that is part of the reason I have such a passion for teaching my girls everything they need to be the keepers of their own homes and love to share it with younger women who are a few steps behind me in their journeys.

And just for fun, what is your favorite past-time?

I love love love to sew.  I love to garden. I love to decorate and make a blank room full of love and beautify it with well loved things. I love graphic design / layout and to create publications and have self published 9 titles so far.  I love to spend time with my family and children and grandchildren.  I guess I just wish we had more time in every day! 

I feel so blessed to have health, family, the Lord as the King of my life, and a wonderful husband to guide me and love me.  So I guess my favorite past time would be living life.  I want to be an old lady with NO regrets.

What a cool lady with a crazy life, huh?  I sincerely hope that you all will enjoy getting to know her and her businesses as much as I know I will over the following months!  Just to make sure you don't miss out on any of the action, make sure you follow or subscribe to my blog (over there on the right sidebar) and you can also look for lots of updates on twitter and Facebook!  Hey- and while you're at it, why don't you buzz on over and give Marmee's Bread Market a little visit?  I would love to hear what you all think!

Make your bread with Bosch!

Alright- I have SERIOUSLY been wanting to get a Bosch mixer for 2 1/2 years now so that I can start making our own bread for my family.  I received a grain mill for Christmas but have yet to get the mixer and let's face it, with young kids I NEED the mixer to make this goal a reality- I simply can't do it by hand every week!  With a Bosch though- I think it is totally possible! 

Bosch mixers are the go-to mixers in the homemade bread making world because they have a large mixing bowl to accommodate enough dough to make multiple loaves AND they have the most heavy-duty motor so they don't burn out quickly with the stress of mixing dense dough.

Well, guess what- Deals to Meals is giving one away!!  I want NEED this mixer!  It would make such a difference in the way our family eats, thus making me feel like a better wife and mom!  See- it isn't just about bread- this mixer would change my life!  Okay, maybe that is a little overboard, regardless, I want this mixer!

If you haven't heard about Deals to Meals yet you should go check them out!  It is a pretty cool blog where they not only blog about current deals of food, but they create a menu out of them so that you can actually use the food you purchase!  I love anything that takes a little of the work of being frugal and meal planning for me!  Head on over and give them a gander!

Things to Share!

First off, for all of you who, like me, are going to have a very budget-conscious Christmas this year, I wanted to pass along a great blog I found called Skip To My Lou!  There is an entire handmade gift guide with the best and most affordable gifts!  I am definitely adding some of these to my list to tackle!




I also just have to mention the giveaway going on this week at The Cloth Diaper Whisperer!  Check this out:

This week's giveaway includes (a $260.00 + retail value!):

1-Flip Stay-Dry Day Pack

1-bumGenius one size diaper sample Pak

1-Flip Video Camcorder! (model to be posted soon)

I would LOVE that camera!!!  So, that is what I have to share for now!  Have a wonderful weekend all!

Winner of One Baby One Earth Dipe

The winner of the One Baby One Earth Giveaway is

fancygrlnancy

Be sure to contact me by Thursday to claim your prize!

Little Bear Bums Diaper Review & Giveaway

Just before Lion Cub was born I was sent a fun little package in the mail for review from Little Bear Bums (you may remember their mama cloth I featured last month). Inside were three prefitteds to try out on my little man! In addition, since Little Bear Bums does not make their own covers, they have collaborated with Loveybums to recommend their wool covers for their dipes, so I got to try out a Loveybums wool crepe cover as well! Woohoo!!


As you can imagine, I was thrilled, and it only got better once Lion Cub was big enough to actually try out the dipes! For those of you who aren't familiar, a prefitted is simply a prefold that has been sewn into the shape of a fitted diaper, but generally still requires a Snappi to close. Little Bear Bums prefitteds are expertly sewn and very durable.

As with any prefold-style diaper (in my opinion, anyway) there was a bit of a learning curve to discover the perfect way to secure the diaper so that I would not have a leak, but past that point we have been using these prefitteds with great success. The way the extra fabric is sewn to the center gives a breathable open loop which speeds drying time considerably and the elastic in the leg casings insures a snug fit. The prefitteds are also incredibly trim and fit easily into nearly any cover.


The Loveybums cover is also beautifully made and packaged. I received a size small wool crepe cover that snaps in the front and we really like it. We are still waiting for it to fit snugly around the legs, but even still, it works pretty well most of time. I know that once Lion Cub fits into it completely it will work like a charm (I used one of their wool jersey covers on R-Man and it worked beautifully and fit very trim)! The wool crepe is very soft and makes for a nice trim fit under clothes, and of course you just can't beat wool for breathability in a cover! As soon as we can afford it I would love to be able to purchase anther one or two of the Loveybums covers.


Would you like to win a set of 3 prefitteds from Little Bear Bums? Just pop on over to the Little Bear Bums site and then come back here and tell me what your favorite product is and why!

Additional entries will be granted for all of the following (leave a separate comment for each)- these entries only count AFTER you complete the above entry:

• Become a fan of Little Bear Bums on Facebook
• Visiting Loveybums and telling me what your favorite cover is
  
• Being a follower of my blog (right sidebar)
• Being a subscriber of my blog- via feed or e-mail (left sidebar)
• Having the Mama Kenz Studio button on your blog (also in left sidebar)
• Blogging about the giveaway (leave the link to your direct post)
• Following on Twitter and tweeting about the giveaway (leave your screen name and the time you tweeted)
• Participating in any meme during this giveaway (leave the direct link to your meme post)

The giveaway will end Friday, September 4, 2009 @ 9:00 PST. Winner will be posted and notified by the end of the week. For full details and rules about the Summer of Baby Love Blog Party, please visit this post.

One Baby, One Earth Review and Giveaway

This week's review and giveaway is for a beautiful fitted dipe from:

The mama behind One Baby, One Earth makes all sorts of adorable things for moms and babes, including diapers, booties, carriers and more! We were sent a flannel fitted diaper to review and think it is just so cute-

For flannel, I was surprised that it really absorbed pretty well! Very soft and washed up great! The dipe fit Lion cub great around the legs but we are still waiting for it to be a little more snug around the belly. However, even with a bit of gapping in the front it hasn't influenced the functionality of the dipe- we have never had a leak!

Would you like to try a One Baby, One Earth fitted? You can enter to win one by visiting the One Baby, One Earth, then coming back and telling me what your favorite product is and why!

Additional entries will be granted for all of the following (leave a separate comment for each)- these entries only count AFTER you complete the above entry:

• Being a follower (right sidebar)
• Being a subscriber via e-mail (left sidebar)
• Having the Summer of Baby Love or Mama Kenz Studio button on your blog (also in left sidebar)
• Blogging about the giveaway (leave the link to your direct post)
• Following on Twitter and tweeting about the giveaway (leave your screen name and the time you tweeted- this can be done daily)
• 2 extra entries for participating in any meme during this giveaway (leave the direct link to your meme post)

The giveaway will end Friday, August 28, 2009 @ 9:00 PST. Winner will be posted and notified that weekend. For full details and rules about the Sumer of Baby Love Blog Party, please visit this post.

Rocky Mountain One-Size Review and Giveaway

Have you all heard of these fabulous little diapers? Well, if you haven't, prepare yourselves, because they are pretty darn cool! Rocky Mountain Diapers are one of the first one-size diapers that have their size-ability in the leg elastic, instead of snaps in the front (such as a BumGenius). This leg elastic sizing gives them a wonderful range of sizes and really reduces on the bulk of the diaper, allowing it to be a fairly trim fit. There is also a serious cuteness factor with their wide range of pastel color mixes in the outer PUL and inner suede cloth!

We were generously sent one Rocky Mountain Diaper to try over the past couple of months that Lion Cub has been around. At first we did have some issues finding exactly the right fit and absorbency (it doesn't come with an insert), but once I got the legs adjusted to fit him just right and paired the dipe with a Fuzzibunz insert (although I am sure many others would work equally as well) we were in business! This has been a fantastic little dipe and I really appreciate that it is made in the US by a mom who just had a great idea and is getting it out there on the forefront of the diapering scene!

Want to win a Lime and Lemon dipe of your very own to wrap around your little one's bum? Visit the Rocky Mountain Diapers site and tell me which of their "Instock" dipes you think is the cutest!

Additional entries will be granted for all of the following (leave a separate comment for each)- these entries only count AFTER you complete the above challenge:

• Become a fan of Rocky Mountain Diapers on Facebook
• Being a follower (right sidebar)
• Being a subscriber via e-mail (left sidebar)
• Having the Summer of Baby Love or Mama Kenz Studio button on your blog (also in left sidebar)
• Blogging about the giveaway (leave the link to your direct post)
• Following on Twitter and tweeting about the giveaway (leave your screen name and the time you tweeted- this can be done daily)
• 2 extra entries for participating in any meme during this giveaway (leave the direct link to your meme post)

The giveaway will end Friday, August 21, 2009 @ 9:00 PST. Winner will be posted and notified that weekend. For full details and rules about the Sumer of Baby Love Blog Party, please visit this post.

Thirsties Review and Giveaway by Earth Angels Diaper Co.

Over the past couple of years I have become friends with the wonderful mama behind Earth Angels Diaper Co, and so, when putting together my Summer of Baby Love Blog Party I could think of few companies that I would want to support and promote more than hers!

If you haven't ever heard of Earth Angels Diaper Co then you seriously need to check them out! They offer nothing but the best lines of cloth diapers and accessories, not to mention fantastic deals and incomparable customer service! Free shipping on any order over $50 and tons of great cloth diapering articles round out the Earth Angels Diaper Co site to be more than just a store, but an all-around source for your cloth diapering needs, both physical and informational. You really can't go wrong when you purchase from Earth Angels Diaper Co.


For my Summer of Baby Love Blog Party, Earth Angels Diaper Co generously sent me a Thirsties Fab Fitted and Diaper Cover to review. I can honestly say that this is one of my all-time favorite diaper combinations and the first fitted a grab for during a diaper change! They are so trim and contain everything so well! Plus, the ease of use they offer with their aplix closure allows even my husband to be able to change a diaper now and again! The V2 diaper cover also fits wonderful over all our other fitteds and prefolds, and the leg gussets do a fantastic job of containing messes! I have never had a leak when using this Thirsties cover!

So, would you like to win a Thirsties Fab Fitted with a V2 Cover to try out for yourself? Just hop on over to the Earth Angels Diaper Co site and sign-up for their newsletter! It's that easy!

Additional entries will be granted for all of the following (leave a separate comment for each)- these entries only count AFTER you complete the above challenge:

• Become a fan of Earth Angels Diaper Co on Facebook (3 extra entires!!!)
• Following Earth Angels Diaper Co on Twitter
  
• Being a follower of my blog (right sidebar)
• Being a subscriber of my blog via e-mail (left sidebar)
• Having the Summer of Baby Love or Mama Kenz Studio button on your blog (also in left sidebar)
• Blogging about the giveaway (leave the link to your direct post)
• Following on Twitter and tweeting about the giveaway (leave your screen name and the time you tweeted)
• 2 extra entries for participating in any meme during this giveaway (leave the direct link to your meme post)

The giveaway will end Friday, August 21, 2009 @ 9:00 PST. Winner will be posted and notified that weekend. For full details and rules about the Sumer of Baby Love Blog Party, please visit this post.

Little Bear Bums Winner!

The winner of the Little Bear Bums Mama Cloth Sampler is

TwentySomethingMomma

Congrats! I will be e-mailing you right away!

Petit Mouton Review & Giveaway!

If you are looking for beautiful and functional wool soakers for your babe, look no further! Petit Mouton is the answer to your search! Marie at Petit Mouton makes the most adorable crocheted soakers you have ever seen! Just take a look at the one I received to test:


We found this little soaker to be incredibly well constructed and trim, not to mention simply precious and cute! It kept all wetness at bay while keeping my little man stylish! We couldn't have been happier with this soaker! It fit really well from about 1 week old to about a month and a half old, which was right when I was in need of an extra soaker (first time CDing a newborn, so I didn't get nearly as many small covers as I needed!).

If you would like to purchase one of Marie's beautiful creations then just head on over to Petit Mouton and look at all the cute stuff she has to offer!

Want to win this adorable, size small soaker?

If you think this is just about the cutest thing you have ever seen and have a new baby on the way, then head over to Petit Mouton, have a look around, then come back here and tell me which other Petit Mouton product you love! I am sure you will find many other soakers and accessories that you won't be able to resist!

Additional entries will be granted for all of the following (leave a separate comment for each)- these entries only count AFTER you complete the above challenge:

• Visit Petit Mouton and tell me where the company is located (the About Us section)
• Being a follower (right sidebar)
• Being a subscriber via e-mail (left sidebar)
• Having the Summer of Baby Love or Mama Kenz Studio button on your blog (also in left sidebar)
• Blogging about the giveaway (leave the link to your direct post)
• Following on Twitter and tweeting about the giveaway (leave your screen name and the time you tweeted)
• 2 extra entries for participating in any meme during this giveaway (leave the direct link to your meme post)

The giveaway will end Friday, August 15, 2009 @ 9:00 PST. Winner will be posted and notified that weekend. For full details and rules about the Sumer of Baby Love Blog Party, please visit this post.

And the winners are...

The winner of the Earth Mama Angel Baby Postpartum Herbs is:
Momof3dolls

The winner of Blue Like Playdough is:
{lauren}
(haha- you do well on my blog!)

Congrats ladies! I will be contacting you through your blogs and will need to hear back from you by Tuesday in order for you to claim your prize!

Montana Mama, Mama Cloth Review & Giveaway!

Well, as many of you know from my post last week, in recent years I have become a mama cloth convert! I was the last person on the earth to ever make this switch but the differences are undeniable and I can never go back to sposies!

With that I would like to introduce you to the new company, Little Bear Bums, and their fantastic Mama Cloth! Their pads feature a stay-dry top micro-fleece layer and a PUL backing to insure that you never have a leak! I loved using these postpartum for times when I was going out of the house and wanted to make sure I had a little extra protection, and they worked like a charm! So comfy and they stay place well with their snap wings! Check out the lovely selection I was sent:
So, want to get in on some of the Mama Cloth action- try it out for the first time or add to your stash?! Enter my giveaway for a sample pack just like the one I tried- 2 of each size! 6 pads total!!

All you have to do to enter is visit Little Bear Bums then come back here and tell me what your favorite feature of their pads is! It's that easy!

Additional entries will be granted for all of the following (leave a separate comment for each)- these entries only count AFTER you complete the above challenge:

• Visit Little Bear Bums and tell me where the company is located (the About Us section)
• Being a follower (right sidebar)
• Being a subscriber via e-mail (left sidebar)
• Having the Summer of Baby Love or Mama Kenz Studio button on your blog (also in left sidebar)
• Blogging about the giveaway (leave the link to your direct post)
• Following on Twitter and tweeting about the giveaway (leave your screen name and the time you tweeted)
• Participating in any meme during this giveaway (leave the direct link to your meme post)

The giveaway will end Monday, August 10, 2009 @ 9:00 PST. Winner will be posted and notified by the end of the week.

Blue Like Playdough- Review & Giveaway

I hardly even know where to begin to tell you all what I think of this book- it has changed me. I wish I had a copy for each and every one of you- it is that good! From the very first chapter I could hardly put it down and finished it in a mere 4 days (which is really saying something for a mama with a 3-year-old and a 4-week-old at the time I read it!).

Tricia Goyer does such an amazing job of connecting with moms through this book- whatever stage of motherhood you're in! The thing that hit me the most was that God truly meets me where I am at in the midst of my crazy mothering life- something that can be very difficult to reconcile. Many times, the little snippets of time that I am able to give Him just don't seem like enough, but Tricia emphasizes that God just wants us to want to be with Him and seek Him and He understands what we are dealing with. How refreshing- soothing to the soul!

My copy of Blue Like Playdough is dog-eared and underlined nearly beyond recognition- there were just so many things that spoke directly to my heart, I knew I didn't want to loose them! In fact, I am reading through it for a second time, just to absorb it all! Here are just a few of my favorite quotes:

Still, I struggle with feeling as if I have to clean up before I approach God. Organize my closets. Transform my kids. Rearrange my priotities. Renew my heart. I forget that God wants me just as I am. That belonging to Him is enough. Page 6

The problem isn't whether God will show up. It's all about me not being aware that God is already here... that He has been in my life all along. And that He doesn't care about my mess. Page 6

I don't have to find my way alone. Not only is God with me, but He can be trusted to provide the protection, love, and answers I need every step of this parenitng journey. Page 17

And those are just skimming the surface! You really need to read this book yourself to fully appreciate it and receive its full impact! So, head on over to Random House and snag a copy!

Better yet, why not try winning one for free right here and right now?! All you have to do to enter is visit Tricia Goyer's website, watch the Blue Like Playdough intro video at the bottom of the page, and then come back here and tell me what your favorite part was! It's that easy!

Additional entries will be granted for all of the following (leave a separate comment for each)- these entries only count AFTER you complete the above challenge:

• Being a follower (right sidebar)
• Being a subscriber via e-mail (left sidebar)
• Having the Mama Kenz Studio button on your blog (also in left sidebar)
• Blogging about the giveaway (leave the link to your direct post)
• Following on Twitter and tweeting about the giveaway (leave your screen name and the time you tweeted)
• Participating in any meme during this giveaway (leave the direct link to your meme post)

The giveaway will end Friday, July 31, 2009 @ 9:00 PST. Winner will be posted and notified by the next week.

Would you like to become a book reviewer for Waterbrook Press too? Just visit this site!

Happy Mama Originals Review & Giveaway

Okay- first of all, hear me out, because I know this one will probably be pushing the envelope for a lot of you! Let me begin with my experience. After R-Man was born I had postpartum bleeding for 8 whole weeks! By the end of that time I was so raw and chafed I could hardly stand it! I couldn't wait to let my bits breathe a bit and no longer be wrapped in plastic!

It wasn't until 6 months later when I started doing research on cloth diapers, and made the switch for R-Man, that I began looking into my cloth options as well. This had always been a step that I hadn't thought I would ever make, but still being tainted by my postpartum experience I began to give it some consideration. After all, the same nasty chemicals from sposie diapers were in my feminine care products too, so why shouldn't I try to avoid them as well?!I made a few of my own pads that pretty much got me through until I got pregnant again, but they weren't great and shifted around a lot. I decided once I got pregnant again that I definitely wanted to get some good quality mama cloth for my postpartum recovery. Oh boy, do Happy Mama Originals mama cloth pads ever fit the bill!! Sabrina's pads are soooo luxurious and wonderful! Not to mention completely effective- I never had a single link and my feminine bits felt truly pampered in the days and weeks after I gave birth (quite the accomplishment if you ask me!)! She uses the highest quality fabrics- everything from adorable patterned cottons to the softest velour, and she also has a wide range of sizes to accomodate any flow. I can't recommend them enough!


Sabrina sent me one of each of the types of fabrics she offers and one of every size she makes (above pic)! My favorite were the velour and organic velour, but they were all wonderful! I was especially impressed by how trim they were- not bulky at all, and they washed so clean!

Sabrina has generously agreed to offer a velour pad sampler with a heavy pad, regular pad and panty liner! All you have to do to enter is visit Happy Mama Originals and tell me in a comment what your favorite thing is about her pads!

Additional entries will be granted for all of the following (leave a separate comment for each)- these entries only count AFTER you complete the above challenge:

• Being a follower (right sidebar)
• Being a subscriber via e-mail (left sidebar)
• Having the Summer of Baby Love button on your blog (also in left sidebar)
• Blogging about the giveaway (leave the link to your direct post)
• Following on Twitter and tweeting about the giveaway (leave your screen name and the time you tweeted)
• Get 3 extra entries for participating in any of the Mama Kenz Studio memes (I Was Here... Breastfeeding, Where I Babywear, Mama Time or Chic Cheeks) during this giveaway (leave the direct link to your meme post)!!! Yes, Count 'em- 3!

The giveaway will end Monday, August 3, 2009 @ 9:00 PST. Winner will be posted and notified later that week. For full details and rules about the Sumer of Baby Love Blog Party, please visit this post.

Earth Mama Angel Baby Review & Giveaway!!

A couple of months ago I was contacted by Earth Mama Angel Baby with a challenge- gather the products I use on my skin and find out my toxicity score in the Skin Deep Cosmetic Database. About three years ago I went through all my body care products, did a LOT of research, and tried to find the safest options available- so I was fairly confidant that my score would be pretty low. Luckily, it was! Although my shampoo did rank higher than I expected at a 4 (out of 10), my overall score for the products I shower with came out to an 8. I also tallied up the score for the products I use on my boys, including Shampoo/bodywash, lotion, diaper cream and sunscreen. They came out to an 8 as well, which was actually more surprising for me, as I have tried to be especially diligent in choosing safe products for them!

The good news is, Earth Mama Angel Baby just announced that the score on all of their products is.... ZERO!! Nada! Zip! Zilch! Nothing nasty in ANY of their products! I didn't even think this was possible but they have done it! As soon as we run out of our care products you better believe that I will be investing in some Earth Mama Angel baby products for sure!

In addition to their little challenge, Earth Mama Angel Baby also sent me some of their Postpartum Bath Herbs to try out- heavenly! They were so healing and soothing in those initials days after birth! I know they definitely helped me get back to my old self much quicker! Best of all- they are offering some of these herbs to one of my lucky readers as well!!

Would you like to win some of these wonderful bath herbs to try for yourself and help promote healing after birth? Just take the same challenge that I did from Earth Mama Angel Baby:

• Gather some of the most common personal care products you use regularly on yourself or on your baby. Personal care products include shampoo, lotions, soaps, diaper cream, stretch mark oil, etc.

• Go to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics’ Skin Deep database and enter a product name in the search field. http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php Add up the Skin Deep toxicity rating for all the personal care products that you use on a daily basis on your pregnant or nursing body, or on your baby, to find out what your score is.

• When you have your score, post your answer to three quick questions (below) in the comments area. Your post in the comments section with your three answers is one entry into the contest. Don’t worry – there are no right or wrong answers, but we think you’ll be surprised at how high the toxin score is for those products you are using that are labeled natural or even organic.

• 1. What was your Skin Deep toxicity rating score?
• 2. Were you surprised with the score and/or ingredients?
• 3. What would you like your score to be?

Additional entries will be granted for all of the following (leave a separate comment for each)- these entries only count AFTER you complete the above challenge:

• Being a follower (right sidebar)
• Being a subscriber via e-mail (left sidebar)
• Having the Summer of Baby Love button on your blog (also in left sidebar)
• Blogging about the giveaway (leave the link to your direct post)
• Following on Twitter and tweeting about the giveaway (leave your screen name and the time you tweeted)
• Participating in any meme during this giveaway (leave the direct link to your meme post)

The giveaway will end Friday, July 31, 2009 @ 9:00 PST. Winner will be posted and notified later that week. For full details and rules about the Sumer of Baby Love Blog Party, please visit this post.