10.10.09

Campus Quilt Review and $150 Gift Card Giveaway!

***Contest is Now Closed: Congratulations to Laurie C!***

The Campus Quilt Company has been seen on NBC’s Today Show and The Rachel Ray Show and I had the honor of working with the Campus Quilt Company recently! I can’t wait to share this exciting review and amazing giveaway with all of you!

Leigh Lowe, President of The Campus Quilt Company, began this company in 2000 based on a thesis project for her MBA which she turned into a company dedicated to turning old clothes into lasting memories. I know many of you have a pile of old t-shirts, jeans, or baby clothes that you just can’t seem to throw away, and this is how you can turn those clothes into treasured memories! If you have a husband who is a sports fanatic, you can easily create a customized quilt based on his favorite team. If you have a child who plays a sport, all of his/her t-shirts and sports memories can be turned into a quilt. The possibilities are endless…which is why I am so thrilled to host this giveaway!

Although t-shirts are typically sewn onto the fabric to make these beautiful quilts, the company didn’t even bat an eye when I shared my “out of the box” idea. I wanted to preserve my baby girl’s “first” things, so I opted to create a customized Wee Quilt. They worked with me and said, “If we can get a needle through it, we can quilt it.” Here are some pictures of my gorgeous Wee Quilt:

You will find I included my daughter’s first gown, pacifier, doll, ballet slippers, bib, hat, shirt and Jersey Girl onesie. My daughter’s name is also embroidered on the bottom middle square (I covered her name in the picture for confidentiality purposes) along with the year.

I could certainly use this quilt, but since it is such a beautiful show piece, I have decided to hang it in my daughter’s bedroom. All of those “first” things would have ended up being boxed up and placed in my attic. Instead, I have now turned those precious items into a beautiful quilt for all to see. And the best part is that my daughter will have it for life!

I took these pictures close up so you can see the detail and workmanship of this quilt. From every seam down to each square, this is truly a beautifully made product of high durability and quality, something that will remain in my family for years to come.

There are so many different ways you can personalize these quilts and there are so many options available; you have choices in fabric, colors, sashing, size of each square, etc. The customer service department did a fantastic job turning my vision into a reality. Take it from me, nothing is impossible at Campus Quilts! If you have an idea, they’ll make it happen. They even create photo quilts, based on your own digital photos. How awesome is that? You can find a bunch of ideas from this page here.

So, here’s the exciting giveaway: The Campus Quilt Company is giving one of my lucky readers a $150 gift card to purchase their very own custom made quilt! Can you believe this giveaway? I know, it’s incredible! Think holidays Theta Moms! This would make a perfect gift for anyone in your family!!!

How to Enter the Campus Quilt $150 Gift Card Giveaway:

Required Entry: Visit Campus Quilt Company and check out their website. Come back and tell me what kind of quilt you would create. Be sure you include your email in the required entry if it is not found in your profile.

Extra Entries (Be Sure to Leave a Separate Entry for Each to Count):
1. Follow my blog publicly and tell me you do. (1 entry)
2. Follow me on Twitter and leave me your twitter name. (1 entry)
3. Grab one of my cute buttons and add it to your website. (2 entries per button)
4. Subscribe to my Blog. (1 entry)
5. Tweet this giveaway! Just copy/paste the following:
#Giveaway Enter to win a $150 Gift Card to Campus Quilt Company @ThetaMom http://tinyurl.com/ybh77bq Please RT (1 entry per daily tweet)
6. Fave my blog to Technorati (1 entry)
7. Post about this giveaway on your blog and link back to me. Leave me your link to show the post. (2 entries)

Giveaway Rules:

This giveaway is open to US residents only. It begins on October 9, 2009 and will end at 11 PM on October 22, 2009. One winner with a valid entry will be selected at random using random.org. The winner will be announced and must respond with a current email address within 48 hours to claim. Otherwise, another eligible entry will be chosen.

Enter as many extra entries as you would like Theta Moms and good luck!

{ 364 Comments }
10.8.09

Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday

It’s Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday! For those of you visiting for the first time, the goal is to grab one hour of time within one week to do whatever you want…without the kids. It’s such an amazing proposition, I know! On Thursdays, post how you spent your “time out” (add my button from the right side bar or link to me) and be sure to stop here to link up and meet other Theta Moms to see how they spent their time out!

After my big brew ha ha of last week’s totally lame time out, (including my recent post about how time is a thief), you better believe that I made every last effort to get some freakin “me” time!

Nothing earth shattering, nothing crazy, but still considered a successful hour of uninterrupted time for moi.

So what did I do?

I know, you are just dying to know after all of the fuss I made last week…

Well, I whipped out my latest edition of In Style since I haven’t picked it up in months. It’s a wonder why I even pay to subscribe to this magazine because I haven’t been able to catch up on an issue yet…well, until now.

I also grabbed my favorite nail polish and decided to give my nails an upscale at-home manicure. If you didn’t know, The Gap actually sells some really cute nail polish that seems to last forever. I chose a sparkling pink color since I thought it would give me that girlie lift I am in such desperate need of lately.

And what better way to complete my hour but to sip a glass of my father-in-law’s best homemade Sicilian wine? It is so ridiculously good, he bottles it up for me and I enjoy it every single time I drink it. Every time.

So, there you have it. A good old magazine I totally adore, getting the opportunity to paint my neglected nails and sip some ever oh-so-good vino while I relaxed…uninterrupted…for an entire hour.

Peace at last Theta Moms! Now that’s what I call some QT for me!!!

How did you spend your one hour? If you are participating in Theta Mom Thursday, link up and share your time out with other Theta Moms!

{ 70 Comments }
10.6.09

Time is a Thief

I was talking to a good friend of mine recently. She just had her second child and she is reeling from the fact that it is much harder going from mommy of one to mommy of two. I know this all so well…

Before I became pregnant with my first, I was newly married and living in a condo. At the time, this was all we could afford and it was our own little place.

The sad part is that I didn’t realize how good I had it when I lived there. Instead of marveling at less house to clean and children to chase, the entire time I lived there I was wishing for the next phase in our lives. I was too busy dreaming of buying a “real” house with a garage, yard and white picket fence, including the 2+ children running around to realize how good I really had it. I could kick myself now for wishing that part of my life away.

Back then, I was able to work out religiously every single morning at the gym because I had the time.

I was already finished with graduate school, so I took a pottery class just for fun because I had the time.

Shopping used to be a daily excursion and a fun one at that. I could try on clothes and browse a million stores because I had the time.

I could take a long shower, get a manicure, pedicure, my hair done, all of the above because I had the time.

Back then, I didn’t have children to raise. There wasn’t a lawn to mow, a pool to clean or a bigger home to maintain. Nope, it was just my hubs and I and our 900 sq. ft. condo that really was every square inch of perfect for us. Life was so much easier, simpler. Forgiving.

Fast-forward seven years later and after the selling & purchase of two more homes and the birth of two children, here we are.

To me, this part of my life has been a rebirth of our relationship in so many ways. Children will do that to you, and nobody ever told me how much the Earth would shift when I had children of my own. Nobody ever spelled out the whole “you-won’t-have-much-time-to-yourself” reality. Sounds quite selfish, but that’s the truth.

Where were my Theta Moms back then to fill me in on the real deal?

You know I love my family more than anything and I am so grateful for them. My life is so much fuller now and I do know how blessed I am to be living this beautiful life. If you missed that post you can read it here. However, I do recognize the fact that it IS so important to find some time for myself. No matter what anyone says, I know I am a better mother to my kids when I get some “me” time. I have more energy and definitely more patience. That whole time out thing was a wake up call for me this week, when I was such a lame hostess of my own party!

As I often find myself blogging, I’m trying to make sense of it all. I’m navigating my way to get to what’s really important in this thing called motherhood. I have since come to acknowledge that one of the many realities of motherhood is that time is a thief. So going forward, it’s how I choose to manage and juggle it all that will make the difference.

{ 85 Comments }
10.2.09

Fine Silver Charm Bracelet Review and Giveaway!

Contest Closed: The winner is Jennifer from Blogging It Out! Thank you for all who entered!

Lauren Nicole Gifts specializes in personalized jewelry and monogrammed gifts. I had the honor of reviewing one of her bracelets since she is currently adding new jewelry designs.

All of the jewelry is hand made to order. The bracelets (just like the one in this giveaway) is designed in their studio using hand-casting fine silver (which is better than sterling)! This bracelet is personalized to order by choosing the length as well as two beads. For this review, I chose an 8 inch bracelet because I wanted it to hang on my wrist. I also wanted it to be super girly, so I chose the amethyst and light pink beads. The fine silver charm also adds so much character, measuring 1/2″ in diameter.

My bracelet arrived in this adorable tin with an upholstered top packaged in a light pink organza bag. Can you get any cuter than that ladies?

I was so excited to open the tin! What I love most about this bracelet is the fact that it is hand made. There is so much detail that goes into this process and it is evident by the strength and feel of this design. It hangs on my wrist beautifully and it certainly adds the perfect sparkle to any outfit I wear. I also love the high heel on the charm. It totally ignites my inner diva!

But here’s the best part…Lauren Nicole Gifts is offering one of my lucky readers the opportunity to win this Fine Silver Wax Seal Shoe Charm Bracelet!!! It doesn’t get better than that Theta Moms! Enter now to win it for yourself or someone you love. It would make the perfect gift for any diva!

How to Enter the Lauren Nicole Giveaway:

Required Entry: Visit Lauren Nicole Gifts and check out her website. Find something you adore other than the awesome bracelet that’s up for grabs on my blog. Come back and tell me what item you loved and if you would personalize it. Be sure you include your email in the required entry if it is not found in your profile.

Extra Entries (leave each entry separately):
1. Follow my blog publicly and tell me you do. (1 entry)
2. Follow me on Twitter and leave me your twitter name. (1 entry)
3. Grab one of my cute buttons and add it to your website. (2 entries per button)
4. Subscribe to my Blog. (1 entry)
5. Tweet this giveaway! Just copy/paste the following:
#Giveaway Enter to win a Fine Silver Charm Bracelet from Lauren Nicole Gifts @ThetaMom http://tinyurl.com/ycp2vg9 Please RT (1 entry per daily tweet)
6. Fave my blog to Technorati (1 entry)
7. Post about this giveaway on your blog and link back to me. Leave me your link to show the post. (2 entries)

Giveaway Rules:

This giveaway is open to residents in US and Canada. It begins on October 3, 2009 and will end at 11 PM on October 15, 2009. One winner with a valid entry will be selected at random using random.org. The winner will be announced and must respond with a current email address within 48 hours to claim. Otherwise, another eligible entry will be chosen.

Enter as many extra entries as you would like Theta Moms and good luck divas!

{ 440 Comments }
10.1.09

Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday

It’s Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday! For those of you visiting for the first time, the goal is to grab one hour of time within one week to do whatever you want…without the kids. It’s such an amazing proposition, I know! On Thursdays, post how you spent your “time out” (add my button from the right side bar or link to me) and be sure to stop here to link up and meet other Theta Moms to see how they spent their time out!

Well, I have to be honest.

I didn’t have a time out this week.

I know, I am so lame. I spent a few hours in the evening blogging, blogging, blogging, but I really can’t count that as “me” time. That would be totally cheating. So, I’m the big L-A-M-O who didn’t get a time out. What makes matters worse is that I’m the girl hosting this party, so I guess that makes me a terrible hostess! Ugh, such pressure!!!

But, in my defense, this past week was super crazy for me. I was running around like a girl on speed planning and throwing the kids’ birthday party, my baby girl has this ridiculous runny nose-cough-fever-ear infection thing that doesn’t want to go away (which has been totally stressing me out)…take that in combination with running the show around here (on the home front), raising two kids (while working from home), as well as maintaining this little blog of mine, which on all accounts is quite labor intensive…but hey, who’s complaining? I actually love the fact that I am so busy and that’s a guarantee around here because there is never a dull moment. I’ve also been organizing some upcoming reviews/giveaways that totally rock, so be sure to come back this weekend when I roll out the first one…something every Theta Mom would want! So exciting!

In the midst of all of this, I was thinking the other day how funny it sounds to me, the idea that I actually have to “plan” my one hour time out. When my hubby needs to take a break, he just takes one. When I take mine, I have to punch a clock and have arrangements made for the children in advance.

In this sense, I certainly got the raw end of the deal.

Having said that, the bottom line is I have to work a little harder at carving out time for myself. Maybe I need to take a break from the computer…alright, that’s not realistic, so maybe I just need to pencil myself in. As Oprah says, I need to “Put myself on the calendar.” So next week ladies, I’m hopeful that I’ll be posting about a slammin’ time out that will totally make up for my lame appearance this week!

But enough about me, please do tell! How did you spend your one hour? If you are participating in Theta Mom Thursday, link up and share your time out with other Theta Moms, that’s if you weren’t lame like me this week!

{ 72 Comments }
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