Sales and $5 shipping at CWD Kids

One of my favorite sites for clothes for both my daughter and son is CWD Kids. They have fantastic fall sales now plus $5 flat-rate shipping (which they rarely offer). I took advantage of this and scooped up the following deals on clothes I'd had my eye on all season:

Circle Print Tiered Dress and Dot Tights by One Kid (Dress on sale for $19.99, reduced from $56; Tights on sale for $14.99, reduced from $32).


Sibling Shirts by CWD Kids (all four available- Big Brother/Sister, Little Brother/sister, on sale for $7.99 each, reduced from $20)

Double Decker Tee by SPUDZ. On sale for $14.99, reduced from $29.


Use code CFYBCK for flat-rate $5 shipping at CWD Kids now through Christmas.

Demby & Solomon Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to the winners:

Gift Stickers: Heather G, who wrote, "You always seem to know what I need just when I need it! Out of stock on my gift stickers...the Family Presents Large Round Gift Stickers would do the trick...!"

Address Labels: Todd, who wrote, "Cute stuff! I love how modern the designs! I love the Circle Grid labels...I would love to win either item."

Winners, please e-mail me to claim your prize. Everyone else, stay tuned for more holiday giveaways! Need a reminder when to check in? E-mail me with "newsletter" in the subject line.

Holiday Gift Picks: Hanukkah Gifts

My older child, at age 6, has begun to realize that Hanukkah (which starts 3 weeks from tonight) has been commercialized to "keep up" with Christmas, but, of course, she's nonetheless quite glad to get presents. I like to make sure that my kids get at least a few Hanukkah gifts that are actually related to that holiday- or to Judaism. Here are several new ones I've found, as well as some that I featured in years past:

My First Hanukkah Frame ($19.95 to $24.95) from Personal Creations. A very sweet, simple gift to commemorate baby's first Hanukkah.


Happy Hanukkah Socks ($5.95) from The Land of Nod. These Trumpette socks are super cute and supposedly fit infants age 0-12 months, though I found they run small (my kids could only wear them up to 5 or 6 months).

Hanukkah Menorah ($49) by Pottery Barn Kids. New this season, this menorah is one that your kids can safely "light"- they just turn the blocks to reveal a flame for each successive candle.


Personalized Hanukkah Tee ($54) at Chasing Fireflies. Yes, the price is crazy, but it sure looks nice. If you want to find something cheaper at Chasing Fireflies, check out the tzedakah box ($10) I posted recently.

Hebrew Alphabet Blocks ($40) by Chasing Fireflies. My daughter, who is learning to read, speak and write Hebrew, would love these.

OyBaby DVD ($24.95) from Amazon.com. We got our "OyBaby" DVD three years ago, and my kids still request it all the time. Think of it as a Judaica-themed version of the Baby Einstein series.


Fisher Price Little People Hanukkah Set ($34.99) from Amazon.com. I gave this to my kids last year and it still is in regular circulation in their toybox, year-round. They love singing along to the Hanukkah songs that it plays, and they use the Little People in their other playsets, too.


Wooden Hanukkah Playset ($32.95) by KidKraft, from Discount School Supply. You;ll find these on several gift sites, but the price is lowest here. Kids have fun frying the pretend latkes and "lighting" each candle.


Need more ideas? Check out all my past Hanukkah gift picks.

Holiday Sponsor: Umberleaf

Our latest holiday sponsor, Umberleaf, is a brand new online boutique with spare but stylish eco-conscious products. Think of organic baby clothing in subtle colors, cardboard playhouses, and the like. While browsing Umberleaf's site, I recognized a few designers and products that I first saw at Bubble shows, the place for new, under-the-radar eco-friendly kids' designers to first make their mark. Here are my picks:

Cardboard Castle ($50) by CardboardDesign. Two drawbridges and four turrets for lots of creative play, yet it still folds away when the kids are done. Nifty.


"J'adore" Top & Pant Set: Silver Star ($48) by Atsuyo et Akiko. I saw A&A's booth at Bubble and fell in love with most of their line. This hand-silkscreened set makes a great unisex baby gift.


"Je T'Aime New York" Hearts Tee ($30) also by Atsuyo et Akiko. I would've loved to put my own kids in this.

"Smiling World" Plate ($14) by Smiling Planet. I met the creators of these plates at Bubble and was very impressed. The plates are BPA-free and phthalate-free and made from 100% recycled high grade plastic. The illustrations are placed subsurface, so the plates won't scratch.


Check out the growing selection of eco-friendly goods at Umberleaf.


Please note: holiday sponsors pay a small fee for their products to be reviewed. We only accept sponsors whose products we would recommend to our readers.

Make-Your-Own Tooth Fairy Box

I found a cute new birthday gift for 5 and 6-year-olds at a school book fair this week- this Make Your Own Tooth Fairy Keepsake Box by Toysmith. Kids can mold, paint, and decorate their own box to store newly lost teeth- or other trinkets in between visits from the Tooth Fairy. It costs $12.95 at our affiliate Amazon.com.

Hollywood Glam for Less

If you've got a little boy, I highly encourage you to check out the website for Little Maven by Tori Spelling, Tori's line of clothing for girls and boys up to size 4T. Right now they are having a 30% off sale on some of their signature items like the Liam Jean ($28-$33.60 on sale), which is in almost daily rotation in my son's wardrobe. These are the only jeans that fit my big boy (41 lbs and 41 inches at his 3 year checkup!) really well. And they look great, too. We pair it with this top which is another current favorite of ours. Check out the "Signature Sale" at Little Maven- this is one of those sites where the boys' clothes actually exceed the girls' in cuteness.

Holiday Gift Picks: Frecklebox

Frecklebox.com is my go-to site for personalized gifts for kids ages 3 and up. I've bought several of their topsellers (books, puzzles, and stickers) for my own kids, so I can attest to the high quality and the squeals of glee that come from the kids seeing their own names in print. For the 2009 holiday season, Frecklebox has introduced some great new products:

First up is personalized holiday stickers- my favorites are the Hanukkah Sticker Set, Santa and Friends Sticker Set and Gingerbread Sticker Set. Each set contains 12 personalized stickers (3 each of four designs) and costs just $3.95 per set.


Next is Frecklebox's Christmas Personalized Coloring Book ($6.95 each). Buy a bunch of them to give out to the kids on your Christmas list- everyone gets the same one, so they'll be no arguing!


I've always loved Frecklebox's personalized puzzles and for the holidays my top choices are the Santa's Village Puzzle and the Menorah Moose Puzzle. Each has 20 pieces and costs $12.95.

Finally, here's a gift that can be used round-the-clock during holiday season- personalized holiday placemats ($9.95 each). I'm partial to those that can also be used year-round like the Argyle & Pink Personalized Placemat.


Get started shopping for personalized gifts for kids at Frecklebox.com .

Breaking News! Enter promo code WISH10 at checkout at Frecklebox now through December 25th. You will receive 10% off your entire order, and Frecklebox will also donate 10% of the total order amount to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Holiday Sponsor: Sunshine Paperie

Sunshine Paperie is an online stationery boutique started by a Dallas mom. It offers what you might imagine- personalized stationery, invitations, and holiday cards- but also some more unique items which I'm featuring here. Customer service is excellent with quick turn around times and personal attention you won't get at some of the bigger sites. Here are some of my top picks:

Christmas Packages Fill in Thank You Notes (starts at $11 for a pack of 10) by Kelly Hughes Designs. Do you have a tough time getting your kids to write thank you notes for their holiday loot? These cute fill-in notes might make the battle easier.

Custom Hanukkah Stamper ($40). I am a big fan of the custom ink stamps by Three Designing Women. At holiday season they are practically a necessity for all the mail you're sending. See all the designs here.


Clover Platter ($35) by Kelly Hughes Designs. These personalized 10 x 14 melamine trays are a perfect hostess gift during holiday season- several other patterns are available too.


Enjoy a 20% discount on any order at Sunshine Paperie with code "MMS20".


Please note: holiday sponsors pay a small fee for their products to be reviewed. We only accept sponsors whose products we would recommend to our readers.

Hanukkah Hosting

Every year when the holiday catalogs arrive in the mail, I'm disappointed at the meager selection of items for Hanukkah entertaining (Crate & Barrel, I'm talking to you). I was happy to find these festive Hanukkah Cotton Cloth Dinner Napkins on Etsy. Each set of eight 12" square, machine washable napkins costs just $24 (not bad) and is pre-shrunk. These could definitely become a family favorite year after year. Buy a set for $24 at the Etsy storefront of Mary Littfin.

'Tis the Season, Again, for Tiny Prints

Tiny Prints has introduced a fabulous new category of vintage-style holiday photo cards. I think these may be my favorite Tiny Prints designs of the past few years. Each design starts at $1.34 per card. Keep in mind that several of these are available in different colors, too.

Bright Noel - Holiday Greeting Card


Vintage Santa - Holiday Greeting Card


Snowy Season - Holiday Greeting Card


Merry Diamonds - Holiday Greeting Card


Wishing Notice - Holiday Greeting Card

Check out the entire selection of 2009 Tiny Prints Holiday Cards.


Psst! Through 11/19/09 only, enjoy 10% off Tiny Prints holiday card orders of $99 or more, 15% off holiday card orders of $149 or more or 20% off holiday card orders of $199 or more using the coupon code NOVHOLSALE.

After November 19th, use code "AFL10" instead for $10 off orders of $99 or more.

I'm on Cuteable.com!

I am really honored that one of my favorite blogs, Cuteable, featured my Winter in Central Park foldover photo card in their selection of cute finds today. I posted this card in my Etsy shop Brown Eye Blue recently along with some other new cards which I will show you in a separate post. The "Winter in Central Park" card ($3.75, shipping is free) shown here is one of my favorites and holds special meaning for me- I took the photo in late 2005, the same week I learned I was expecting my 2nd baby. The scene is magical and full of anticipation for the coming year, just like I felt at that time. Take a look at all of my other photo cards at Brown Eye Blue- my popular autumn cards are on sale, and I'll be adding more 3-card sets that make great teacher gifts or holiday hostess gifts. They are all signed and dated by me, and arrive in a protective cello sleeve, tied with a pretty raffia ribbon, ready for gift-giving.

Thanks so much, Cuteable, for featuring my work!

Holiday Sponsor: Wild Dill

Our latest holiday sponsor, Wild Dill, is the kind of site that makes you feel very good about shopping for your kids. It's an online boutique with carefully chosen organic, natural and fair trade items from the U.S. and Europe, ranging from clothing and bedding to toys and gifts. Every product represents something good, pure and simple. And it's stuff your kids will love to wear- or play with.

Here are my top holiday picks from Wild Dill:

Aminals Organic Momey ($22). A company I'd never heard of before, Aminals makes these huggable eco-friendly pals based on children's drawings (in fact, this one bears a striking resemblance to my 6-year-old's recent drawings of me). The stuffing is also safe, made from 100% unbleached and unprocessed ortanic cotton. Made using fair labor practices, too. Add the "Dady" ($22) for a matched set.

Plan Toys Eco Home ($64). How's this for a forward-thinking toy? One of my favorite eco-friendly European toy manufacturers, Plan Toys, created this minimalist dollhouse featuring wind turbines, solar panels, gray water tank, electric scooter, and more. The house itself is made from sustainable rubber wood and is decorated with safe, non-toxic water-based dyes. Includes furniture and 2 eco-minded inhabitants.


Bacche Organic Long Sleeve Tee ($28, sizes up to 3/4 years). Bacche clothes (another new discovery for me) are produced responsibly in India using 100% organic cotton with eco-friendly dyes. A portion of their profits are given to charities for women and children. I love this tee too.


Do some eco-friendly, feel-good holiday shopping for your kids at Wild Dill. **Breaking news- you MUST also check out the Global Green Pals Organic Dolls which have just arrived at Wild Dill from London. With names like "Carbon Offset Chet", they are pretty adorable!

Please note: holiday sponsors pay a small fee for their products to be reviewed. We only accept sponsors whose products we would recommend to our readers.

MyMomShops Giveaway: Demby and Solomon

As a busy mom, I've come to appreciate the convenience of gift and address labels pretty much year-round, but especially during holiday season. Of course, for a stationery addict like me, there is the extra fun of choosing these labels in addition to picking out this year's holiday cards. One site whose labels I adore is Demby and Solomon. Designer/owner Lysa Goodman Poore has a talent for making stationery products with fun (not fussy), mid-century retro designs.

This week's giveaway will have 2 winners of products from Demby and Solomon- 1 will receive a set of 24 personalized gift stickers, and the other will receive a set of personalized return address labels. Perfect for the holidays, and probably a lot snazzier than what you're currently using.

Here are a sample of the gift stickers you can choose from (note: Demby and Solomon does not sell its products at its own website, check out their products at The Stationery Studio or The Paper Concierge instead:

"Open Me" Large Gift Stickers (22 for $24)


Hanukkah Pop Gift Stickers (22 for $24)


Ahoy Mateys Gift Stickers (22 for $24)

And here are some of my favorite address labels:
Wreath Address Labels (30 for $20)


Gingerbread Address Labels (30 for $20)


From My Crib Address Labels (30 for $20)


Win it! Two MyMomShops readers will win prizes from Demby and Solomon- one will win a set of custom gift labels of choice ($24) and one will win a set of custom address labels of choice ($20). Here are the contest rules:

1) To enter, please comment on THIS post (click on "comments" below), indicating what your favorite item from Demby and Solomon is (it does not have to be items shown here). You can visit The Stationery Studio and The Paper Concierge to see most of the products, Please include whether you wish to be considered for the gift labels, the address labels, or both.
2) Post your comment by 11:59pm EST, Thursday, November 19th. One entry per person, please. US addresses only.
3) Two winners will be chosen at random and announced on Friday morning, November 20th.
4) NOTE: If you wish to be contacted by e-mail if you win, please include your e-mail address in your comment. Otherwise you must check back on Friday to see if you won. Unclaimed prizes are forfeited after 72 hours.

Good luck!

A through Z tee by Eric Carle

I love alphabet graphic clothing for kids like this Eric Carle Print Tee by Awake at the Nordstrom website. The long-sleeve tee has a subtle white-on-white layered look, decorated with typography in the style of Carle's famous children's book illustrations. It's available in sizes 4-6x for $34 at Nordstrom.

I'll Warm You Up

Can you handle the cuteness? Oeuf's Squeeze Me Mittens are actually two pairs of mittens in one; one for mom (or dad) to wear, the other is a sewn-in pair to keep your little one's hands warm. They are handmade of 100% Alpaca by indigenous women in Bolivia (read about them here). Choose your mittens from a variety of colors. They cost $60 a pair at Oeuf.

Take That Jackson Pollock

I know, you'll say "my kid could do that themselves, why should i pay $68?" and, for the record, I agree. But I still liked stumbling onto this Paint Fight Hoodie at NYC shop Estella. The designer is Munster, an Australian brand that makes fresh, edgy play clothes for boys. Even though this sweatshirt screams "mess", it has an extra thoughtful detail- thumb holes cut into the cuff to keep his fingers warm on cold days. It remains available in sizes 2-3 years only for $68 at Estella.

Holiday Gift Picks: Back to Basics Toys

Over the next several weeks, I'll give you lots of suggestions for holiday gifts- some grouped by theme or age, others picked from particular sites. The first site I'll mention is Back to Basics Toys. Their tagline "They do make them like they used to" says it all. If you'd like to introduce your kids to some of your favorite childhood toys, this is the place for you. Here's what I like:

Wood Block Cube Puzzle ($9.99). This is actually six puzzles in one- each 1 1/2" side is part of a 1950s vintage children's illustration ($9.99). I had a set just like this when I was a kid.


Fisher Price Two Tune TV ($32.99). A sweet gift for toddlers, this classic 1966 Fisher Price Toy is primitive by today's standards, but never fails to captivate kids as "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and "London Bridge" scenes scroll along to the music.


Classic Labyrinth ($19.99). Another toy I remember from my own childhood, this is just as much fun for adults as for (older) kids.

Check out more "old" and "new" classics at Back to Basics Toys.

Want to see more of my holiday gift picks? Click here.

Christmas Greetings, Mad-Men Style

These mid-century style holiday cards by Fabulous Stationery reminded me so much of Mad Men even before I saw that the sample was from the "Whitmans" (apologies to those who don't watch my favorite show). Couldn't you just picture Betty sitting with her wine glass by the fire, staring at the tree? Hopefully your own holiday season is a happier one though! 20 notecards with envelopes cost $45 at Fabulous Stationery.

New Jersey Never Looked So Beautiful

Oooh, this is my favorite jewelry discovery in a while. These state necklaces by Maya Brenner are pretty awesome, aren't they? They're becoming a celeb favorite (they've been spotted on Jessica Simpson, Rachel Bilson, and Eva Longoria Parker). They're available in silver or gold, with or without a little diamond which you can ask to have placed at a specific location. Prices start at $120 for the plain silver version and go up to $300 for the gold version with diamond- out of my price range, but not exorbitant. I love these. Show your homestate pride and buy one at Maya Brenner.

Psst! Any husbands reading? This makes a nice holiday gift for the missus.

Today Only: 25% Off plus Free Shipping at Lands End

If you like Lands End, you should shop there today. You'll get a 25% discount plus free shipping with promo code "LESHOP" and pin "7142". You can stock up on personalized holiday gifts like their popular Open Top Canvas Tote Bags ($17.50 and up) shown here. These tote bags also happen to make great personalized baby gifts if you order them in pink or light blue. It's also a good time to stock up on Lands End kids' outerwear; many of the items are already reduced and you'll get the additional 25% discount.

Use promo code "LESHOP" and pin "7142" for 25% off plus free shipping at Lands End, today only.

Baby Star Rock the Tote Winner

Congratulations to The Andiarena Family, who wrote, "With winter right around the corner I am always looking for a great baby blankets for the kiddos...that said I love the baby girl diamond blanket." Please e-mail me to claim your prize.

Holiday Sponsor: Quote the Walls

If one of your New Year's resolutions is to spiff up your home a bit (within a budget), check out our latest holiday sponsor, Quote the Walls. It's a one-stop shop for semi-permanent vinyl wall letters, monograms, sayings, and quotes. There are suggestions for just about every room in the house from the baby's room to the laundry room. Check out the customer photo gallery to get your creative juices going. Quote the Walls does custom orders on a regular basis, so if have a particular quote in mind or want something in a different size, color, or font, just ask- most likely, they will be able to create it for you. The finished product is super easy to apply to the walls and looks like it was hand-painted by a professional- I can say this with certainty because I have a Quote the Walls quote in my own son's room (see the photo above showing it above his crib- now replaced by a bed- but the quote remains). Many people think I must've paid an artist to do it, but in reality it was much cheaper (about $30) and I did it myself. The toughest part will be deciding what exactly to order! Visit Quote the Walls.

Please note: holiday sponsors pay a small fee for their products to be reviewed. We only accept sponsors whose products we would recommend to our readers.

If Lloyd Dobler Had Kids Today

Speaking of the anniversary of Lloyd Dobler and his musical tribute in Say Anything, check out this updated-for-today's kids LEGO Brick Boombox with CD Player. It's 10 times the size of an original LEGO brick and has knobs that work for volume and control tuners. A great gift for elementary-age kids, it costs $34.99 at Toys R Us.

We Love Lloyd

Get ready to feel old(er). This year marks the 20th anniversary of the movie Say Anything (cue "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel) starring John Cusack and Ione Sky. Oh, how I loved that movie. They don't make guys like Lloyd Dobler anymore, do they? Relive all the sweet moments ("I gave her my heart, she gives me a pen") with Say Anything on Blu-ray (on sale for $17.49, reduced from $34.99) at our affiliate Amazon.com.

Hanukkah Greetings- Hurry!

We're fully into holiday card season now, and if you celebrate Hanukkah like I do, perhaps you are even more in a rush to find cards that you love (Hanukkah starts this year on Friday night, December 11th). My favorite Hanukkah photo card this year (I'm biased- I ordered some for myself) are these Very Happy Hanukkah photo cards from Paperspring, a new affiliate to this site. I love that these cards let you incorporate three different photos, and that it has a Hanukkah vibe from the color (and obviousy the text) but doesn't go overboard with dreidels and menorahs like some other Hanukkah cards do. You can order the cards on 100% recycled cardstock or Paperspring's special "Stickystock" which allows you to affix your card anywhere like a post-it. Prices start at $1.69 per card for 25 cards, and shipping is always free. Turnaround time is very quick, too...I received my order in just a few days. And, Hanukkah cards are just one type of item that Paperspring offers- you can also buy Christmas cards, baby announcements, invitations, and personalized stationery. So take some time browsing at Paperspring.

Now through November 22nd, enjoy an exclusive 20% discount on any order at Paperspring with code "MMSHOPS20".