2010 January | Theta Mom®

01.22.10

Parazul Review and Giveaway

***This contest is now closed. Thank you for all who entered, making this the biggest response to a giveaway @Theta Mom! And congratulations to GeorgiaMist! An email has been sent.***

Parazul is a company that was developed and inspired by beautiful vacation destinations. Parazul carries a full line of handbags and accessories that immediately has women asking the question, “What’s your Parazul personality?”

You will find The Alaskan Collection and The Caribbean Collection on their full website, each containing gorgeous designs. Whether it’s sporty chic, a night out on the town, flirty and fun, or even a high-tech style you are seeking, you will find the right look you are craving at Parazul. This company has created a line of handbags that each come with a 100% silk scarf as well as the Parazul logo charm. Although they add charm and style to each bag, you can purchase the scarves and charms separately. To view their full line of scarves, click here and for the full line of charms and accessories, click here. You can even build your own bag at Parazul, choosing your own style, color, scarf and charm! So there really is a Parazul look for all personality types. You can view their full line of handbags, including both Collections here.

I reviewed The Pink Scarf Bag with Pink Logo Scarf that retails for $340.00. I was so excited when my bag arrived! I took it out of the box and it was packaged beautifully in a Parazul signature logo bag. Seriously ladies, this bag is stunning.

Parazul

Many of you already know I am a handbag freak and I love a good bag. This Parazul design certainly does not disappoint! What I love most about this bag is the attractive 100% silk scarf and elegant Parazul charm that give it its own unique look. The scarf contains the Parazul logo and the colors are striking. This bag is also the perfect size for me. I am still in that stage where I need enough room in a bag for all of the things I cart around for my kids. So not only do I want style, I need functionality. The bag is made with a sturdy modern canvas and it’s trimmed with brown leather. The inside of the bag is lined with that signature blue Parazul color and appears easy to maintain.

You can purchase The Pink Scarf Bag with Pink Logo Scarf for $340.00 here or The Beige Classic Bag with Beige/Black Logo Slim Scarf (pictured below) for $250.00 here OR you can enter to win because Parazul is giving one lucky Theta Mom reader this bag (pictured below) The Beige Classic Bag with Beige/Black Logo Slim Scarf, retail of $250.00!!! Is this an amazing giveaway or what?

How to Enter The Parazul Giveaway:

Required Entry: Follow my blog publicly and tell me you are.

Extra Entries: (You must leave a separate entry for each extra entry to count and extra entries won’t count unless the required entry is done)

1. Follow Theta Mom on Twitter here and leave me your twitter name. (1 entry)

2. Become a Fan of Theta Mom on Facebook here and leave me your FB name. (1 entry)

3. Subscribe to Theta Mom via email. You must activate the subscription for this entry to count. (2 entries)

4. Subscribe to Theta Mom any other way. (1 entry)

5. Grab one of my cute buttons and add it to your website. (2 entries per button)

6. Click to vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs. Just click the banner on the right side bar and tell me you clicked. (2 entries)

7. Tweet this giveaway! Just copy/paste the following: Enter to win The Parazul handbag #giveaway retail value: $250 @ThetaMom http://tinyurl.com/y9ypsl9 PleaseRT (1 entry per daily tweet)

8. Post about this giveaway on your blog and link back to me. Leave me your link to show the post. (2 entries)

9. Add Theta Mom to your blogroll. (2 entries)

Giveaway Rules:

This giveaway is open to US residents only. It begins on January 22, 2010 and will end on February 4, 2010 at 9 pm. 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!

I was provided The Pink Scarf Bag with Pink Logo Scarf from Parazul. I was not compensated for this review. These are my own honest opinions and experience with the product.

{ 1,285 Comments }

01.20.10

Blogging Like a Rockstar

I wrote a post in September that explains why I emailed Handi-Craft, the company that manufactures Dr. Brown’s products. I was horrified to find out that the sippy cups my daughter was using at the time nearly had the rubber coming off at the top of the spout. As a parent, I feared it was a serious choking hazard.

Dr.Brown

At Theta Mom, I always write honest posts and product reviews. Even though I wasn’t reviewing this particular product, I used my blog as a platform to share my concerns about a product that I thought (in my opinion and experience) to be defective. After that post was published and my email was responded to from a company representative, I ended up speaking with another representative directly over the phone and I was sent replacement cups. These cups were an improved design from the “original” sippy cups my daughter was using. You can read that full follow-up post here.

However, after reading through all of your comments again on that follow-up post, I was still really upset. I knew that if the rubber was easily coming off of the “original” sippy cups for my daughter, it had to be happening to other babies. There was no way I could have been the only one to experience this. My gut was telling me that this product needed to be taken off the market and I needed to do something more…

Amidst my chaotic thinking of what to do next in pursuit of this issue, the new cups arrived and my daughter actually did beautifully with them. Was it because the spout was indeed stronger in this different design? Maybe. Was it because my daughter was (at the time) now 3 months older so she wasn’t chewing on them quite as hard? Probably. Were these cups safer compared to the original design? I do believe so. You can get a good look at the new design of these training cups here.

Dr.Brown2

But, I still had that unsettling feeling that my serious concern was not totally being heard (since those “original” cups were still available on shelves). As a mother, I needed this issue needed to be escalated…

While I was still testing out these new replacement cups and had numerous telephone conversations with various reps over at Handi-Craft, I soon received an email from the Vice-President of Handi-Craft. Apparently, he wanted to talk with me over the phone.

Can you believe that? The Vice-President of a major corporation actually wanted to take time out of his busy day to converse with me! This would be the perfect opportunity to reiterate my concerns with the company, knowing I would be speaking directly with someone who may be able to make a change.

So there I was, bent over in my kitchen cleaning up spilled applesauce off the floor, then picking up my daughter to change her diaper while Yo Gabba Gabba was playing in the background. Among this routine of “just another day in the life” of a Theta Mom, I was about to speak with the VP of Handi-Craft himself.

I pictured him on the other line dressed in a perfect suit, sitting behind a large uncluttered desk in a spacious office in a major city. And he was talking to Theta Mom, who happened to answer the phone wearing yoga pants and an applesauce splattered t-shirt, holding her daughter in one hand and wipes in the other.

After some introductions, we briefly made some small talk and then we got down to the issue. He was following up with me to see how my daughter was doing with the new replacement cups. We spoke about my concern at length and then he finally shared the news that the “other” sippy cups had been taken off the market.

They were taken off the market.

Can I honestly say that Theta Mom was the reason these cups were removed? No. In my mind, do I think I had a little something to do with it? I would like to believe, maybe.

With all of my emails, phone conversations, and ultimately a chat with the VP himself, I would like to think I had a little something to do with the “original” cups being removed so that they could not potentially harm a baby…and that in itself is pretty amazing stuff.

To think that in this instance, my blog became a platform for my voice to be heard. In the end, with some effective blogging and persistence, it made a difference.

Actually, it made a big difference.

If my daughter could talk right now, I know she would be thanking Handi-Craft for listening to her mommy…

And the best part?

I know she is so damn proud of me.

And so am I.

{ 121 Comments }

01.18.10

Are You In at Theta Mom?

So what exactly is Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday? It’s a party that I host once a month where we get together and dish about the fabulous way we spent some time without the kids! That’s right, we need to find at least one hour in one month to do something that we find enjoyable. The only hitch? It must be time spent without the kids.

Do something for yourself ladies! Treat yourself to a manicure, begin reading that book you’ve been meaning to start, shop for something totally new, get back on that treadmill again, have lunch with a good friend, pour yourself a glass of wine, have a date-night with your significant other, blog to your heart’s content, sip a White Chocolate Mocha at Starbucks while you tweet… whatever floats your boat as long as you are taking time for yourself without the kids.

Carve out some time for you because you deserve it!

By joining me in Theta Mom Thursday, what do you get out of this besides some quality time to yourself without having to worry about x, y, and z? You get the chance to link up and meet some new bloggy friends, that’s what!

How It Works:

On the last Thursday of every month, I will post my own Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday, describing how I spent my time out. At the end of my post, I will have a linky set up where you can link up your own Theta Mom Thursday post (describing how you spent your time out) so we can come visit you! Grab my cute Time Out button and add it to your post (or link back to me).

Grab My Button:

It’s on the right sidebar “Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday!”

Use Twitter:

Copy and paste this tweet as often as you like: Looking for a time out & the chance to meet new bloggers? Post & link up April 29th @ThetaMom Details: http://ow.ly/1ncWJN Please RT

Retweet This Post:

Click to retweet this post. Remember, the idea is to spread the word so that we get some new bloggy friends to join us! The more the merrier!

To Sum It Up:

Take your time out, post about it on your blog with my cute Thursday button, and on the last Thursday of each month swing by Theta Mom and link up your post. Then be sure to check out other bloggers who have done the same.

Thursday – April 29th

Are you in?

{ 83 Comments }

01.17.10

My Son Has Two Words for You J. Crew

Jcrew4

Call me.

{ 66 Comments }

01.15.10

The Brag Company Review and Giveaway

***This contest is now closed. Congratulations Tara Kelly! An email has been sent.***

The Brag Company was launched a few years ago by Jane Webb, a stay-at-home mother of 2 girls. The idea of starting this business came about when Jane spent some time traveling. She always noticed her expensive bras would get crushed, dented and creased within her suitcase no matter how well she packed them. This was really frustrating and she knew there had to be a better way to keep her delicates protected.

After chasing the idea to create a product that would protect her bras, she was met with months of failed product designs. But she soon developed the one that truly worked and that’s the moment The Bra Bag was born! The world-wide success of The Bra Bag quickly turned into the development of the newly launched Panty Pak, a place to keep your “clean” and “not so clean” panties in their proper place! Riding on her success, she’s worked with the famed Spanx Company and new product ideas are already in the works for 2010. The Brag Company has been featured on The Today Show and The Rachel Ray Show, and there is no question why because this product is fabulous! I reviewed both The Bra Bag and The Panty Pack in the Emily design.

The Bra Bag:

BraBag1

The Bra Bag holds up to six bras beautifully. Inside, you’ll find it to be quite spacious and the bag itself is very sturdy. It has two snap enclosures on the top and a handle for easy carrying. With The Bra Bag, you will travel in style! Whether you are flying across the country or staying overnight somewhere local, you know your bras will be safely kept in the fashionable Bra Bag! There are many designs to choose from, so check them out here. This is an inside look at the Bra Bag:

BraBaginside

The Panty Pak:

PantyPak3

The Panty Pak is divided into two compartments inside, one for “clean” panties and one for “not so clean” panties. There is a mesh zippered bag for easy access. Ladies, how many times have you traveled and found yourself resorting to some plastic bags for holding your delicates? The Panty Pak will not only save you room in your suitcase, but all panties will have its proper place! The Panty Pak is a quality design that meets both fashion and function. How perfect? There many designs to choose from, so check out all Panty Paks here. This is an inside look at The Panty Pak:

PantyPakinside

The Brag Company also offers other products such as The Mini Clutch and Bra Tags, so be sure to check out their full website! You can purchase the Brag Bag for $49.95 here and the Panty Pak for $29.95 here OR you can enter to win because The Brag Company is giving both The Bra Bag AND The Panty Pak to one lucky Theta Mom reader!!! How awesome is that???

How to Enter The Brag Company Giveaway:

Required Entry: Follow my blog publicly and tell me you are.

Extra Entries: (You must leave a separate entry for each extra entry to count and extra entries won’t count unless the required entry is done)

1. Follow Theta Mom on Twitter here and leave me your twitter name. (1 entry)

2. Become a fan of Theta Mom on Facebook here and leave me your FB name. (1 entry)

3. Subscribe to Theta Mom via email. You must activate the subscription for this entry to count. (2 entries)

4. Subscribe to Theta Mom any other way. (1 entry)

5. Grab one of my cute buttons and add it to your website. (2 entries per button)

6. Click to vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs. Just click the banner on the right side bar and tell me you clicked. (2 entries)

7. Tweet this giveaway! Just copy/paste the following: Enter to win The Brag Company #giveaway (retail $79.90) @ThetaMom http://tinyurl.com/yb2lzgh Please RT (1 entry per daily tweet)

8. Post about this giveaway on your blog and link back to me. Leave me your link to show the post. (2 entries)

9. Add Theta Mom to your blogroll. (2 entries)

Giveaway Rules:

This giveaway is open to US residents only. It begins on January 15, 2010 and will end on January 28, 2010 at 9 pm. 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!

I was provided The Bra Bag and The Panty Pak in the Emily Design from The Brag Company. I was not compensated for this review. These are my own honest opinions and experience with the product.

{ 556 Comments }