Ella Bella Photography Backgrounds Review and Giveaway!

I've been using cloth backdrops for my indoor photography since before I even had a backdrop stand or 'real' backdrops.  They work fine- some better than others.  But still, I've been very interested in trying a paper backdrop.  I love how they look in pictures- so smooth, crisp, and clean.

To my delight, I was given the opportunity to do a product review of Pacon's Ella Bella Photography Backgrounds.  Ella Bella is an up and coming photo backdrop product that offers nice, affordable backdrops suitable for both amateur and professional photographers.  You can find out more about it, giveaways being offered, and get awesome photo tips by liking their Facebook page: Ella Bella's Facebook Page.

I received four different designs to try: Vintage Wood, Classic Damask, Dots- Soft Pink, and Dots- Soft Blue.  I really like them all.  Each would work wonderfully for different applications.  Pacon encourages the backdrops to be used for infant, child, and product photography or even video backdrops, etc.  They would also be great for any sort of close up photo or head shot, as well.  The Classic Damask would would be stunning for a young lady's senior pictures!

Set up was quite easy.  I just slid the tube onto my backdrop stand and used a clamp to hold the paper against the top bar so that it couldn't unroll. I laid another one of the backdrops on the floor, going under the other vertical one.  Then I set a piece of white baseboard that I had along the bottom to hide where the backdrops met.  I used another clamp on each end of the baseboard to hold the paper nice and tight against it.  All set up it looked beautiful!  I took a picture to show you how simple the set up really is.  You don't even need a backdrop stand to use this paper.  Just tape it up to a wall and shoot away.

My almost 4 year old son was anxious to help me try out the new set up.  He isn't always a huge fan of getting pictures taken, but the newness really helped.  Plus, he was pretty sure his dinosaurs wanted their pictures taken, too.

Here's what we got!

My daughter was up next.  She was wiggly and not real cooperative, but I got a few good shots of her, too.  One is frame-worthy.  I just need to decide where to put it!

The paper is pretty durable.  Of course, it is paper, so it can tear and wrinkle, but it seems like it takes a lot to make it do so.  I got a couple little tears on the bottom of the hanging background where I had the clamps on the baseboard, but only because my daughter dove into it before I could grab her!  But even with that dive, it made no creases in the paper.

Besides the gorgeous prints, the thing that impressed me the very most about this backdrop paper is how non-see-through it is!  That is one of the things that frustrates me most about using my fabric backdrops.  You can always see light through them.  I could see NOTHING through the paper. It was wonderful.  Actually there was a window behind part of the backdrop and you couldn't make it out at all!

The price of the paper is also great!  You can pick up a roll of backdrop paper at Hobby Lobby for only $11.99.  Use one of their 40% off coupons and pick that same roll up for only $7.19!  Yeah!  This product is definitely a winner!  For that price, everyone should keep a roll around.  What an easy way to improve the look of the snapshot you take of your kids, pets, products you are selling on eBay, etc!

Pacon has generously offered to give away another 4 rolls of backdrop paper to one lucky winner!  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

*I was given this product for review purposes.  All of my opinions about this product are solely my own.  Your opinions may differ.  I was not compensated to write this post in any way.*

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The Lovely Crow- Boot Scoot'n Cowboy Boots and Hat Set Crochet Pattern Review and Giveaway!

Thanks for stopping by!

One of the many things I did during my recent blogging hiatus was work on crocheting whenever I had a spare moment!

We are expecting a new Texan niece soon and so I thought that The Lovely Crow's Boot Scoot'n Boots and Cowboy Hat Set would be the perfect crochet pattern to review!

Elizabeth is the creator of The Lovely Crow and boy oh boy has she created some BEAUTIFUL patterns!  Any of the projects you could create with her crochet patterns would definitely provide that 'AWWWW!' factor for baby photos or just everyday wearing!  They would also make fantastic baby shower or new baby gifts!

Here are a few of my favorites!  How can  you resist adorable patterns like this??

 

 

Besides just having cute stuff, The Lovely Crow also has a fantastic track record to go with it.  The Lovely Crow Etsy shop has been open since March 2011, is coming up on 10,000 sales and has 100% positive feedback.  That's awesome.  Be sure to check out her shops on Ravelry and Etsy as well as 'like' her Facebook page for more cool patterns and discounts!

So, here's what I was able to make with the adorable pattern I was sent to try out!

 

I am really happy with how the set turned out!  The pattern was pretty easy to follow, complete with pictures and very good instructions.  I think that anyone with any past crocheting experience would probably be able to get through the instructions just fine.  One other really nice thing about buying patterns from The Lovely Crow is that you can always get help if you need it.  If you have questions you can check out The Lovely Crow's Forum or even watch helpful videos explaining trickier steps.

I sent my completed set down to Dallas where one expectant mom was super excited to receive them!  They should make for some awesome Newborn photos!

Of course, my little Cowgirl needed to give the hat a try before I put it in the mailbox. :)

Are you falling in love (or already fallen!) with The Lovely Crow's patterns?  Good news!  You have a chance to win FOUR patterns of your choice!  It's easy.  Just fill out the form below and make sure to come back daily for extra entries.  Good luck!  P.S.  I'm sure Elizabeth would love it if you dropped by her Facebook page and left a quick note to say thanks!
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Simply Perfect Kids Shirt Review and Giveaway!

I've been given the pleasure of doing a review for another cool shop- Simply Perfect Kids!  This time, Brennan is my little test dummy.  He's been wearing the review item- a monster birthday shirt to commemorate his 3rd birthday!  Where did the time go?

Here's a little background info on Simply Perfect Kids.  Opened in August 2011, Simply Perfect Kids has a great track record with 100% positive feedback.  They have excellent communication and are very accommodating!  They also have a lot of very awesome shirt designs for any kid!  Here are a few of my favorites.

Brennan was pretty excited to receive a monster shirt with his name and I was happy that the design made him smile.  The shirt was soft, about average thickness, and the size I chose for him (2T) fit true to size.  The design was cute and very child-friendly.  There were easy-to-follow care instructions included with the shirt, as well.  The only thing that surprised me a little was that I had assumed that the design to be printed on somehow, because the item description hadn't specified how it was applied.  It is actually heat pressed on.  I have noticed that this is stated on many item listings now.  This definitely isn't a big deal, just something to note.

Here are a few pictures of my little model in his shirt!

Simply Perfect Kids has one huge advantage over many competing shops- their price point is much lower than that of many of their competitors!  I've seen many personalized kids' shirts selling for easily more than twice as much as Simply Perfect Kids.  Their shirts (at least most of them) sell for $14, which is a steal in the personalized shirt market.  I really hope you'll check them out!

Who wants a chance to win one personalized shirt from Simply Perfect Kids for a special kid in their life?  Just fill out this form to enter!  I'd love it if you would be sure to swing by Simply Perfect Kids Facebook page and say thanks, too!

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Adorable Personalized Shirt Review and Giveaway by Monogramme Maison

I'm a huge fan of personalized clothing for kids.  I think it is so cute, and once they are old enough to understand it, they feel very special having a shirt with their name, too!  Brennan has has a few shirts with his name including a birthday shirt and a couple of big brother shirts.  But even though Bryleigh had a little sister shirt, it wasn't personalized because we wanted it to fit her in the hospital and I don't 'pre-name' my kids! :)  It is time for her to have her first personalized shirt!!!

 Monogramme Maison has generously provided one of their shirts for me to review for Bryleigh!  Valentine's Day isn't far away, so we thought that a personalized Valentine's shirt would be cute for her.  I picked out a ridiculously cute heart cupcake shirt.  I really like this style because it will not only look super cute for Valentine's, but it is adorable for anytime of the year.  It is a simple design with only Bryleigh's name and the cupcake applique, which is sparkly by the way. :)  We love it!

There are so many other adorable designs available from Monogramme Maison that I HAVE to show you a few of my favorites!

Studly Boy's Valentine's shirt!

Boy's monogrammed shirt!

For NEXT Christmas- Monogrammed Rudolph shirt!

Girly owl shirt!

Princess birthday shirt!

This is only a small sampling of what they have available now.  You really need to go check out the rest!  I especially love their selection of boyish shirts.  Having both a boy and a girl, I find that it is typically much easier to find clothing I like for my daughter, and more of a challenge for my son.  Monogramme Maison has tackled this issue well!  Their boy (and girl) designs are great.

Monogramme Maison's shirts are more than cute, they are also high quality and carefully made.  Bryleigh's shirt is soft and thick compared to many other shirts she has.  The stitching is precise and looks perfectly centered and even.  I really appreciated the included product care card.  It gave very clear care instructions to make sure that Bryleigh's shirt stays in the best shape possible.  The packaging was so cute, too!  Each shirt comes wrapped in a cellophane bag tied with 2 colors of raffia.  You wouldn't need to gift wrap these before giving them to someone. 

The sizing, in my opinion, seems to run a bit big.  Bryleigh is kind of between sizes right now, so we figured we would rather be safe than sorry and request the bigger size, 12-18 months, instead of 6-12 months.  These shirts are 100% cotton so we expected some shrinking, as well.  When the shirt arrived, I was a little surprised to see that the 18 month size looked a lot more like a 2T.  I held it up to a couple of Brennan's 2T shirts and they were the same size.  When I washed it, I dried it on high and hoped for some shrinking.  Sure enough, it did shrink down about a size and ended up being a lot closer to what I would consider an 18 month size shirt.  Bryleigh's shirt is one of the ruffled ones, so I can't speak for how the sizes are on the onesies.  I don't find this to be too big of a deal either.  This shirt has plenty of growing room.  This is just something I would want people to know when choosing a size.

This is a fairly new shop, but they are off to a great start!  They have 100% positive feedback with great, encouraging comments left by many happy customers.  They are accommodating and here to please!  The turn around time is fairly quick, too.  They also let me know that they are introducing a brand new line of premium shirts made with Peruvian Pima cotton.  This is the same cotton that many popular boutique brands use.

Monogramme Maison has been a pleasure to work with and I expect nothing but good things for them!  Two Thumbs up from this Five Foot Mama!

Alright lucky duckies!  Monogramme Maison has generously offered to give away a $25 store credit to one lucky winner!  Just use the form below to enter (US only, please).  Maybe you could stop by their shop at Etsy or their Facebook page to say thanks, too!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

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$100 Walmart Gift Card Giveaway!

Want a chance to win back some of the money you spent this holiday season?  I've teamed up with Tiphero.com and nearly 150 other bloggers to bring you this giveaway for a $100 Walmart gift card!  Just use the form below to enter!  Good luck!

Details: 
The giveaway runs from Dec 19th until Jan 2nd 11:59 Eastern Time. The prize is a $100 Walmart Gift Card delivered electronically or via snail mail. It is open to the United States, 18 years or older.

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Hyland's Homeopathic Products Review and Giveaway

Having a sick or uncomfortable baby is miserable!  When they aren't happy, YOU aren't happy.  That's just the nature of kids.  You want to help them feel better, but sometimes it seems like your options are limited.  Many of the medicines available aren't the safest, especially for little kids and if you are like me, you try to avoid giving them whenever possible.  That means your poor baby has to feel pretty bad before you use a medication.  Well, I've got great news for you!  You can get homeopathic products that are safe for your baby and will help them feel so much better!

Hyland's Homeopathic Products are 100% natural and are safe for your child (and you...  There is an entire line of products for adults, too).  There is a product available for a huge variety of ailments from sicknesses, to restlessness, to teething.  The remedies that come in tablet form quickly dissolve, making it easy to treat babies and kids.  Some remedies also come in liquid form.

I was sent a wonderful package of Hyland's products to review with my kids.  It included Allergy Relief, Calms Forte 4 Kids, Flu Care, Sniffles & Sneezes, Cold 'n Cough, Cough Syrup, Colic Tablets, and the popular Teething Tablets.  What a great variety of products!

I wasn't able to try all of these products as I typically have pretty healthy kids, but I did try some of them.

One of the products I was most excited about was the Calms Forte 4 Kids.  Sometimes Brennan has a hard time settling down at night and falling asleep.  It isn't every night, but just here and there.  Most of the time we can tell by evening whether or not it is going to be 'one of those nights'.  On those nights, we'll give him one does of Calms Forte 4 Kids- his 'calm down' medicine.  He really likes it and takes it happily.  He'll even say it is yummy.  Shortly after we give it to him, sure enough, we notice him beginning to settle down.  He'll typically choose a less crazy activity like blocks or books and begin to wind down.  Bedtime on his crazy nights has become so much easier.  Now he can fall asleep with ease.  I'm very satisfied with this product.

We tried the Cold 'n Cough liquid and the Sniffles 'n Sneezes on Brennan as well, when he came down with a cold.  I'm not quite as sure of the results with this one.  Brennan is extremely tough when it comes to getting sick.  Normally we don't even notice that he is sick until his nose starts running like crazy.  He rarely slows down or gets whiny because of sickness... just naughtier!  So, this time we tried using Hyland's cold remedies.  He was mostly congested.  His nose wasn't running much. He took the medicines easily (at different times, of course) and liked the taste.   We didn't notice a huge difference in his attitude or symptoms.  Though they may have made him feel better, it was hard to tell with his ridiculously high tolerance to discomfort.

Neither of my kids have Allergies or got the Flu (thank God!) so we haven't tried either of those yet.

Bryleigh was my test subject for the Colic Tablets and the Teething Tablets.  We gave her the Colic Tablets when she was really crying and upset, but we didn't know why.  We also tried them when she was gassy, since one of the ingredients is supposed to help with gas pain.  They did seem to help her settle down some.  The didn't cure the crying completely, but definitely helped.

The Teething Tablets were even better.  They really seem to help ease her pain.  They work the best in the daytime when she can naturally tolerate the pain better, and they help at night, but at night I do still occasionally give her acetaminophen. Overall, I am pleased with both the Colic and Teething Tablets.

The only thing that I could even come up with for Hyland's to improve upon is the actual appearance of the tablets.  They all look identical- small, round, and white.  It would be nice if they were different shapes or colors so that they could be easier to tell apart, in case of a mix up or something.  This is pretty minor, though, considering that you should be able to keep them straight in their own, clearly labeled bottles.

I've got to give Hyland's a big two thumbs up on their products.  What a great alternative to traditional medications!

Wanna win the same Hyland's gift package that I reviewed?   Hyland's is generously providing one winner the exact same package that I reviewed!  Just fill out the form to enter! (US only, please)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I was given this product for review purposes. All of my opinions about this product are solely my own. Your opinions may differ. I was not compensated to write this post in any way.*

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My Memories Suite Software Review and Giveaway

Use code 'STMMMS30134' for $10 off & a $10 store credit!

I love editing photos and creating projects with my photos, so when I was contacted about a review opportunity from MyMemories.com, I was pretty excited.  My Memories Suite is a digital scrapbooking software program that enables you to creatively archive your memories!  This is the description given on the website.

MyMemories Suite v3 software is a complete digital scrapbooking solution that provides a comprehensive powerful set of creative tools no other scrapbook software can offer. With its intuitive workspace and enhanced time-saving features, this application is perfect for a beginner to create a complete album in minutes, or to empower the design pro to build a scrapbook album masterpiece.

Making a Scrapbook

MyMemories Suite will help you create your beautiful pages from scratch or build an entire album using one of the many professionally-designed scrapbook templates provided within the scrapbook software. A large collection of papers and embellishments are also included and available at your fingertips to help you make each page uniquely your own.

If this were any other scrapbooking software, you might be finished. But with My Memories Suite, the real power-and fun-of this software is just beginning. There are so many ways to save and share your memories, you will wonder how you ever got along without it.

Affordable

With over 1,500 papers, over 1,000 page elements, and over 30 album templates (including 10 new for v3), MyMemories Suite lets you hit the ground running with your very own scrapbook or photo album in a matter of minutes. It’s easy-to-use and affordable—and compatible with both Windows and Mac computers. Don’t put off your important memories any longer, add MyMemories Suite to your shopping cart now.

You can make a beautiful scrapbook an interactive memory experience for anyone who sees it. Use simple one-click options to enhance your scrapbooks, with music, narration, video, and even the Internet. Go beyond pictures by showing off video of the birthday party, or record a narration to capture the memories that pictures alone cannot. With My Memories Suite you simply don't look at a scrapbook-you experience it!

I downloaded the software quickly and easily, along with a few extra design packs.  It was simple to register and install and I was able to get playing with it right away.  (Install any design packs without the software running so that they show up next time you start the software.)  I'll admit, at first I was a little overwhelmed by the complexity of the software.  There are so many options and buttons, which really is a good thing!

The background papers and embellishments that are included are so cute and very practical.  There is a wide variety and I believe that you could accomplish most any project that you want to with these.  However, if you like even more variety, there is a massive amount of online content available for download.  You can even find a good amount of free content to use with your software.

After a little bit of time playing with the program, I began to understand how to get it to do exactly what I wanted it to.  And actually, just this morning, I checked out My Memories blog and stumbled upon this great tutorial.  It is a get-started-guide to help you get going with the software.  There are several other great tutorials on the blog, as well.  If you do run into questions, you can always email or check out the My Memories Suite Facebook Page for help!

I like the flexibility of being able to use a ready-made template or create your own.  Using the templates speed the creative process up quite a bit.  Let me show you a few examples of what I've been able to make so far!

With Thanksgiving on the brain, I created this for my Facebook cover photo.

A few of our fall family photos and a beautiful 'Harvest' embellishment.

 In this last example, I put together an entire mini-album with pictures from last Christmas.

Overall, I think this a great piece of software with a huge support network behind it.  The ease of use in comparison to using a program like Adobe Photoshop to do the same projects is obvious, especially when using the pre-made templates.  I believe that it is worth the normal retail price of $39.97.  It is definitely worth the discounted price of $29.97 that you would get when using my code- STMMMS30134.  Not only does this code take $10 off of the price, but it includes $10 to use in the mymemories.com store!  

If you'd like to have your own free copy of mymemories.com,  you're in luck!  MyMemories.com has generously offered to give a copy away!  Take some time to enter my giveaway and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I was given this product for review purposes.  All of my opinions about this product are solely my own.  Your opinions may differ.  I was not compensated to write this post in any way.* 

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