AND THE WINNER IS....

Congratulations STEFANY! You've won the print of your choice from lindasolovic!

Please e-mail me at afomft@gmail.com by end of day Friday, September 25th to claim your prize. If I do not hear from you by then, a new winner will be chosen.

YOU TAKEOVER TUESDAY: A Cut Above {GIVEAWAY & DISCOUNT}

First off, I'd like to thank everyone who has sent in questions and written in to share their favorite baby products!  I love reading all of the e-mails and have lots of great features for upcoming YOU TAKEOVER TUESDAY posts.  Keep 'em coming!

Today's question was sent in by eight different readers after I posted this picture of Gabrielle & Alaina's nursery in the Tree Envy piece:

Megan, Alyssa, Janie, Pamela, Kirsten, Jenny, Michelle and Alicia all wanted to know where I got the butterflies that decorate the wall behind the cribs.  Well ladies, here's the scoop.

I first saw 3D butterflies in a high end baby catalog which shall remain nameless, and I fell in love with the idea of them at first sight.  But not only were the ones in the catalog WAY overpriced, the colors were totally wrong for the nursery.  So I immediately checked Etsy where I was overjoyed to find Almost Sunday had almost the exact same thing in stock.

 

The store's owner, Karen, was amazing to work with.  She customized the butterflies in colors that matched our room and also made larger sizes for me since we had such a large wall to work with.  The result is exactly what I wanted, and my girls love to watch their butterflies' wings flap when the air in the room blows.  Best of all, I got them for a fraction of the cost of the overpriced catalog.  Yippee!

Besides butterflies, Almost Sunday also sells these funky 3D birds:

And the store's paper mobiles are beautiful!  They can be made with butterflies, birds, fish or owls:

What more can I say?  I love the stylish simplicity of Almost Sunday's nursery decor and I know your little one will too.  Mine certainly do!

Want something from Almost Sunday for your nursery?  You're in luck because AFOMFT is giving away a set of her wall art to one of our readers!  To enter, visit Almost Sunday and post a comment here telling us which set of wall art you'd like to win - the birds or the butterflies.

For additional entries:

• Subscribe to AFOMFT or let us know you are a subscriber.
  
  
• Become a fan of AFOMFT on Facebook -- http://tinyurl.com/AFOMFTFBFAN -- leave a message on our wall telling us whether you'd like to win the butterflies or the birds. 
  
  
• Follow AFOMFT on FB by clicking the link on the right side of the blog.
  
  
• Follow AFOMFT on Twitter and tweet this: Win a great set of 3D wall art for your nursery at A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS @AFOMFT - http://tinyurl.com/AFOMFT RT Please!
  
  
• Grab our button and put it on your blog or website and post a link here showing us.
  
  
• Blog about AFOMFT or this giveaway (worth 2 entries) and post a link to the post.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry and make sure to include a link to your tweet, blog post, etc. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada and ends September 29th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and announced on AFOMFT on September 30th. If the winner doesn't contact AFOMFT within 48 hours, a new drawing will be held so be sure to check back to see if you've won!

Too impatient to wait to see if you're the winner?  It's a good thing Karen has graciously offered all readers of AFOMFT 15% off purchases from her store.  Enter coupon code "FAVES" in the message to seller box when you checkout and the discount will be refunded to you via Paypal. This offer is good until October 22nd so don't miss out!


Want to get your say on A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS? You're in luck because every Tuesday, our readers are in the driver's seat! Each week, I'll be featuring your favorite things, helping you solve your decorating dilemmas and more. So shoot me an e-mail at afomft@gmail.com if there's something you love that you want to share or if you're on the hunt for the perfect product and just can't find it. And every reader featured on YOU TAKEOVER TUESDAY will receive a special gift from AFOMFT. What are you waiting for? Hit us up!


Images: AFOMFT & Almost Sunday

AND THE WINNER IS....

Congratulations BASSBUNCH! You've won the TW-IN set from Baby's Language. 

I can't wait to see how cute your little ones look in those onesies! Please e-mail me at afomft@gmail.com by end of day Thursday, September 24th to claim your prize. If I do not hear from you by then, a new winner will be chosen.

AND THE WINNER IS.... (TAKE TWO)

Congratulations EmpwrElliek! Our first winner never claimed the prize so you've won the World According To.... book from I See Me.

 

I hope you love the book! Please e-mail me at afomft@gmail.com by end of day Thursday, September 24th to claim your prize. If I do not hear from you by then, a new winner will be chosen.

MULTIPLES MONDAY: Letter Perfect {GIVEAWAY}

Being a mom of girl twins, I get asked "Which one is which?" ALL THE TIME.  Gabrielle and Alaina don't really look that much alike so I can only imagine what it must be like for mommies of identical twins.  So when a fellow MoM posted this picture online of her adorable twins Bennett and Kendyll wearing initial applique onesies from Savvy Sarah Designs:

I knew I had to get a set for my girls too.  In their very own G & A outfits, no one would ask who was who again!

These shirts are great for photos and also make terrific gifts.  The letters are cut from felt and sewed with contrasting stitching and you can choose the colors that best suit your little one's personality.  I went with hot pink with green stitching for Gaby and orange with teal for Alaina and I just love the result:

Whether you have multiples or not, I bet Savvy Sarah Designs has the perfect personalized style for your child.  From initials to names, there are a ton of options to choose from, and if you don't see one that strikes your fancy, Sarah will work with you to customize something just for you. 

If you're looking for something unique for your little one to wear on their birthday, Savvy Sarah Designs has you covered! This personalized age shirt is so fun:

Sarah designed this onesie for a ladybug-themed first birthday party:

And here are Bennett and Kendyll on their first birthday, wearing their bumblebee and ladybug inspired "one"sies:

You can check out more personalized baby wear from Savvy Sarah Designs on her blog and in her Etsy store.  And guess what?  We're giving away one of Sarah's initial designs right here on AFOMFT!

To enter, post a comment telling us which initial you'd want on a onesie or t-shirt and in what color combination.  Have multiples?  If you win, Sarah has graciously offered to make shirts for all of them so let us know which letters and colors you'd choose for each of your little ones. 

For additional entries:

• Subscribe to AFOMFT or let us know you are a subscriber.
• Become a follower of Savvy Sarah Designs and post here telling us you did.
  
• Become a fan of AFOMFT on Facebook -- http://tinyurl.com/AFOMFTFBFAN -- and leave a message on our wall telling us which initial(s) you want on your shirt(s) if you win.
  
• Follow AFOMFT on FB by clicking the link on the right side of the blog.
  
• Follow AFOMFT on Twitter and tweet this giveaway: Enter to win an adorable personalized onesie from Savvy Sarah Designs at A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS @AFOMFT - http://tinyurl.com/AFOMFT
  
• Grab our button and put it on your blog or website and post a link here showing us.
  
• Blog about AFOMFT or this giveaway (worth 2 entries) and post a link to the post.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry and make sure to include a link to your tweet, blog post, etc. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada and ends September 28th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and announced on AFOMFT on September 29th. If the winner doesn't contact AFOMFT within 48 hours, a new drawing will be held so be sure to check back to see if you've won!



Images: AFOMFT, & Savvy Sarah Designs

CRAFTASTIC UPDATE: Recycled Chunky Crayons

Okay, I know I said I was going to attempt the fabric hoop art project from Sew 4 Home over the weekend but I didn't get to it. And it wasn't because I was being lazy! Gabrielle and Alaina's first birthday party is on Saturday so I decided to make some of the recycled crayons from Makes & Takes as favors instead. Their party theme is butterflies so I broke out a butterfly cookie mold and 8 boxes of crayons and got to work.

The hardest part of this project is peeling the paper off of the crayons. It wasn't long before I realized that I should have gotten the cheapies from the Dollar Store instead of the swanky Crayolas. The cheapie crayon labels come right off - obviously, they're not nearly as worried about choking hazards as the folks at Crayola are. Some of those suckers just wouldn't budge (I'm looking at you, Blue Violet and Scarlet!). But I peeled and peeled and peeled until I just couldn't peel anymore. My nails were a disaster by the time I was done, but it was all worth it when I saw the finished product:

My butterfly molds were pretty big so it took about 8 crayons to make each one and if I do this project again, I'll definitely get smaller ones.  My plan is to put each butterfly in a cellophane bag with the shredded crayon labels at the bottom like grass.  I'll post pictures of them all wrapped along with all of the other fun crafts from the girls' birthday bash next week.  And the moral of this story?  If I can do this, you can too!

Images: AFOMFT

FABULOUS MOM FRIDAY: Glamajama {GIVEAWAY & DISCOUNT}

Every Friday, I'll be featuring products made by fabulous moms. Up first is Heather Nolte's fantastic mommy and baby clothing line, Glamajama.

After the birth of her first son, Heather had a hard time finding unique clothes for him so she took matters into her own hands and started designing some things herself. Soon, she was being stopped on the street by other moms asking where she had gotten them and her business was born. Five years and three children later, Glamajama is available in more than 500 stores and celebrities like Demi Moore, Britney Spears, Lisa Rinna and Brooke Burke all own pieces from her line.

Heather's glam studded designs truly embody the Glamajama tagline "From the crib to the catwalk." I love this Rock Star onesie and it's one of my favorite baby gifts to give.

Your little one can proclaim his or her love for mom in this Tattoo Onesie:

And the Glamajama Couture Ruffled Onesies are just to die for. How cute would this be for a pint-sized fashionista's first birthday party?

And there are mommy must haves too. Whether you wear one of the tees alone or pair it with a onesie for a mommy and me set, Glamajama's women's line is perfect for the stylish mommy in all of us.

Are you ready to get Glam with Glamajama? Well, I have good news for you!

Heather has generously offered all readers of AFOMFT 40% off purchases at Glamajama! Just enter coupon code "MAKEROOM" at checkout to get the discount. This offer is good until September 30th so hurry up and get your shop on!

But that's not all. All of you mommies out there deserve a treat so Glamajama is giving away one of their Mommy tees to an AFOMFT reader. To enter, visit Glamajama and post a comment here telling us which Mommy tee you'd like to win and what your favorite thing is about being a mother.

For additional entries:

• Subscribe to AFOMFT or let us know you are a subscriber.
  
  
• Become a fan of AFOMFT on Facebook -- http://tinyurl.com/AFOMFTFBFAN -- leave a message on our wall telling us which Mommy tee from Glamajama you'd like to win.
  
  
• Follow AFOMFT on FB by clicking the link on the right side of the blog.
  
  
• Follow AFOMFT and glamajama on Twitter and tweet this: Win a studded Mommy tee from @glamajama at A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS @AFOMFT - http://tinyurl.com/AFOMFT RT Please!
  
  
• Grab our button and put it on your blog or website and post a link here showing us.
  
  
• Blog about AFOMFT or this giveaway (worth 2 entries) and post a link to the post.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry and make sure to include a link to your tweet, blog post, etc. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada and ends September 22nd at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and announced on AFOMFT on September 23rd. If the winner doesn't contact AFOMFT within 48 hours, a new drawing will be held so be sure to check back to see if you've won!


Images: Glamajama

CRAFTASTIC: Recycled Chunky Crayons

Anyone who has kids who draw also has a ton of broken and stubby crayons.  Hate to throw them out?  Super crafty mom Marie of Makes & Takes has the perfect solution for what to do with all of those unwanted pieces. 


First, she took all of the crayon scraps and put them into muffin tins, sorted by color.

Then she baked them.

And presto!  Brand new chunky crayons!

How fun is that?  You can make all solid ones or get creative with the colors like Marie did.  You can even get really crazy and use cookie molds instead of muffins tins so the crayons come out in fun shapes.  This is such an easy project to do with your kids and I just love how perfectly the new chunky crayons fit in little hands.

For the full instructions on how to make your own Recycled Chunky Crayons and lots of other fun craft ideas, go to Makes & Takes.

Images: Makes & Takes

Something to Chew On {DISCOUNT}

For the past three months, we've been going through the oh so joyful teething process with Gabrielle and Alaina. In that time, we've managed to amass more teething toys than you can possibly imagine. A few seem to soothe them -- Sophie the Giraffe and the RaZbaby RaZberry are two favorites -- but most of them were used once and are now collecting dust in the kitchen cabinet. But there's one teether that gets huge thumbs up from the girls and their mama -- the Organic Teething Rings from Etsy seller locoMOmomma.

Gee, can you tell Gabrielle & Alaina love them?

What I love about these rings is that the links are crocheted with a double layer of 100% organic cotton that has been grown, spun and dyed according to the Global Organic Textile Standard. After the whole BPA drama, it's a relief to find something for the girls to chew on that isn't plastic like all the other teething toys out there. I also like that the rings can be soaked in water and chilled which is great for when the pain really kicks in. And locoMOmomma sells a Baby Linker which allows you to attach the rings to a stroller or car seat (I can't tell you how many times I've roamed the streets of New York City looking for a something that's been tossed out of our stroller!) or to another toy.

What toy would you connect the rings to? I'm a huge fan of locoMOmomma's coordinating organic animal rattles, another great eco-friendly crocheted product she has listed in her store.

And not only are the Organic Teething Rings eco-friendly, they're totally customizable. You choose how many links you want and design your set from the 13 color options. And best of all, the prices start at just $7. Less than $10 to save your sanity during teething time? That's my kind of bargain!

And the bargain is about to get better! locoMOmomma has graciously offered readers of AFOMFT 15% off of anything in her shop. Just enter "mybabyfaves" in the message to seller when you checkout and the discount will be refunded to you. This coupon code does not apply to shipping costs and cannot be combined with any other offer. I'm planning on stocking up on her adorable animal rattles and teething rings for shower and baby gifts. How about you?


Images: AFOMFT & locoMOmomma