We've all had one of these days, right?!?
Tie Buddies: Review and Giveaway
August 2, 2010 By
Tie Buddies will help my daughter learn to tie her school shoes before she enters kindergarten in a fun, non-frustrating way.
One Fairy and Magic Wand Tie Buddies and one five year old girl who has to learn to tie her new school shoes before the first day of school. About the Tie Buddies:
“Tie Buddies® will revolutionize when and how children learn to tie their shoes. With Velcro and slip-ons the average age of children learning to tie has increased with some children learning as late as 9 or 10.
Tie Buddies® offer children ages 3-9 the independence of tying their own shoes while quickly teaching them a method which is based around characters and stories depicted on the Tie Buddies® themselves. Tie Buddies® first offering includes one design each for boys and girls but rest assured more great characters are to come!”
My oldest daughter will be heading off to Kindergarten in two weeks (it’s a little bittersweet, right?). Up until now, her school uniform consisted of Velcro shoes, but for Kindergarten she is required to wear black lace up shoes. She is beyond excited about wearing the “big girl” shoes, but the letter we received from her school made Mom a bit nervous. “All children MUST be able to tie their own shoes.” Yikes. I hadn’t even though to teach Lily how to tie her own shoes yet!
After reviewing the products at Tie Buddies, I knew this was the way to go, after all, they ARE pink so Lily would LOVE them. And I was right! Lily couldn’t wait to get the “decorations” on her new shoes. I explained how to make the magic wand cross in front of the fairy and fall through the loop. Her eyes lit up and she totally got it. After only a few minutes of practicing, she was tying her own shoes! Whew. Hurdle passed.
I think the Tie Buddies are fabulous for a child learning to tie their shoes. My daughter thought they were a cool decoration for her shoes and didn’t even make the connection that they were really a learning aid. In a matter of 10 minutes, she had tied her first shoe and has gotten progressively better since. The Tie Buddies are available in blue or pink and sell for $8.99. Well worth the price!
GIVEAWAY
Back to school time is HERE! Help your little ones learn to tie their shoes with Tie Buddies. One lucky winner will receive their choice of blue or pink tie buddies!
How to enter:
1. Visit Tie Buddies and tell me which set you would pick!
Additional entries:
1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog and Tie Buddies (10 extra entries).
2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) and @tiebuddies on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)
3. Subscribe to my blog.
4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog on Facebook.
5. Place my blog button on your sidebar.
Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on August 23rd. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.
This review is the opinion of The Experimental Mommy. Other may have a different experience with the product. Thank you to Tie Buddies for supplying the product for review.
The Organization of Moms: Avery Review
August 2, 2010 By 1 Comment
Can you believe that summer is just about over? It’s time to start thinking about Back to School and to me, that means chaos! I will admit that I love summer because my husband is a teacher and stays home with my girls during the summer months. Things just seem more relaxed and organized when he is home! The dreaded day where he goes back to school is quickly approaching which means Mom better get organized!
I am a major list maker. Lists make me feel more in control of my life and give me a sense of accomplishment when I am able to cross things off. And there is just something about writing lists on pretty paper with cute gadgets that makes my list seem less daunting. Enter Avery and the Organization of Moms.
When I received a package of goodies from Avery, I didn’t know where to look first! There were so many great things to help me get organized starting with an adorable tote bag. From labels to sticky notes, Avery sent it all! But, my favorite items are the ones shown in the picture below.
The sticky transparent envelopes called Avery PocketTabs are fa-bu-lous. They are described as:
“Available in two sizes, Avery PocketTabs are perfect for storing CDs and DVDs, receipts, coupons, gift cards, library cards, tickets or even a little extra cash. The durable, repositionable pocket has a closeable flap to keep your stuff safe and sound.”
I am in the process of organizing a conference for review bloggers and many of these items will come in handy as I prepare packets for potential sponsors! And the Avery NoteTabs have been a godsend for editing our documents and proposals! So professional! I am very excited about attending the Avery Social Luxe Lounge this week at BlogHer ’10 and learning about the new products to put to use.
Make sure you don’t miss any of Avery’s back to school tips! Follow the Organization of Moms on Facebook and Twitter!
Orange Circle Studio: Review and Giveaway
August 1, 2010 By
The organizational products including the Bold Blossoms Planner and Mom’s 24/7 Calendars will make organizing our hectic schedules a breeze.
One Bold Blossoms Planner , one Mom’s 24/7 Calendar and one Mom looking to get her family organized before the back to school craziness begins. About the Orange Circle Studio:
“In 2009, a group of friends made it a habit to meet for lunch and coffee at The Circle in Orange County, California. They daydreamed about art, innovation, and unique product design. It wasn’t long until Orange Circle Studio was born, a publishing company that puts thought, passion, and amazing designs into every product it creates.
You want a beautiful art calendar to adorn your bare walls? We’ve got that. Your life is a whirlwind? There’s products loaded with super functional planning features that will bring you organizational bliss. You’re looking for stationery that moves you, and journals that inspire? They’re here. We’re still new, and our ever-expanding line of products has us jazzed. We hope it gets you pretty excited, too.”
Because both my husband and I work full time, it is crucial that we plan our weeks in order to avoid the unexpected last minute hassle. We like to have a wall calendar that easily displays both of our schedules as well as the weekly activities for the kids. So, when I was asked to check out the Mom’s 24/7 Calendar from Orange Circle Studios, I was thrilled!
This magnetic calendar is the perfect size for my refrigerator keeping it at eye level for both my husband and I. I love the month at a glance view where I can write all of the activities, birthday parties and appointments. The bottom section is like a tear-out notepad with plenty of room to write a to-do list for the week. The notepad is divided so each member of the family has their own section which makes organizing our life a breeze!
I also had the pleasure of trying out the Bold Blossoms Planner for on the go organization! It is small enough to slip in my tote bag, but big enough to carry it all! My favorite part of the planner? STICKERS! It’s the little things in life that amuse me! There’s just something fun about organizing your professional life with stickers, right?
There are a couple of things that I absolutely love about this planner. First, the design is playful and fun while not looking too young to carry in my office. Secondly, I love the tear out grocery lists! I can jot down things I need throughout the week and on Saturday, rip the sheet out and carry it to the store in my pocket! The one thing I would change about this calendar would be that I would make the monthly view larger. Currently, you see two months on one page which doesn’t give me a ton of room to write. However, the space for weekly planning is more than sufficient (and of course fun with the stickers!).
Overall, I love my new calendar and planner from Orange Circle Studio. The quality of both products is excellent and the price is right, too! Both items sell for $14.99 each. The tear out grocery list is a feature I have not seen in most planners and one I can now not live without. While the weekly notepad feature on the calendar makes organizing my family’s schedule easy while keeping it visible at all times.
COUPON CODE
Take 25% off of your total purchase with the code NOTSOBLOG. Plus FREE shipping on orders over $30!
GIVEAWAY
Back to school time is HERE! Orange Circle Studio wants to help organize your life by giving one lucky reader a $50 gift card!
How to enter:
1. Visit Orange Circle Studio and tell me how you would spend your gift card!
Additional entries:
1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog and Orange Circle Studios(10 extra entries).
2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) and Orange Circle Studios on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)
3. Subscribe to my blog.
4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog and Orange Circle on Facebook.
5. Place my blog button on your sidebar.
Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on August 20th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.
