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Magnificent Holiday Cards at Minted.Com {Coupon Code}

November 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

It seems like every year, stores put out the holiday items earlier and earlier.  This gets me excited and nervous at the same time!  One of things I always love to get crossed off my to-do list is our Christmas cards! Luckily, a talented friend of mine just took some great pictures of my kids for me, so when I got the chance to get my cards from Minted.com, I was jumping for joy!

Minted.com is the top-notch website to get your Holiday cards without paying a mint!  Not only do they have the best designs in town, but from now until November 28th, Minted.com is offering Experimental Mommy Readers 15% off of your orders by entering the code READERS when prompted at checkout!

I love cards like this that are full-photo! This one is really tasteful and timeless!

Ordering from Minted.com is a snap.  Once you decide on a design (and this is the hardest part because they are all fabulous), you simply upload your photo, type in your text, and you’re all set!  Minted.com offers the “Find it fast!” option so that you can view your photo in many cards at once to help narrow down your decision as quickly as possible.  Card choices vary from the traditional to the whimsical, and offer styles for one, two, or three or more photos.  You can even select your choices down by format or style.  I finally settled on the Holiday Dot Christmas Photo Cards and I love them!

Worried that even if it’s this simple your holiday-crazed brain will botch it up?  No worries!  Minted.com will send you via email a sample within a day or so for you to proof!  Once that’s done, you will get notification that your cards are on the way!  The timeline from project to print is so fast, blink and you’ll miss it!

Don’t forget to check out Minted.com for Holiday gifts too!  From stationery to journals and notebooks, they have got many beautiful and customizable options for everyone on your list.  Even better, Minted.com offers a referral program that can’t be beat!  Follow them on Facebook and Twitter for more news that’s really worth a mint!

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Cardstore.com Photo Holiday Tags: Review and Giveaway

December 5, 2010 By

After all the gifts have been purchased, the wrapping begins.  I try to buy wrapping paper and bows well ahead of time to avoid the last minute panic and run to the local corner store.  However, it never fails that I forget something and 9 times out of 10 it is either boxes or gift tags.

PhotobucketI was relieved to have the opportunity to review the personalized photo gifts tags from Cardstore.com because it solidified the fact that I would indeed be prepared this year.  But what I was not prepared for was how much I would LOVE this product!  Shortly after taking our Christmas photos, I uploaded my favorite to the Cardstore.com website and began choosing a template.  There are many styles of holiday tags to choose from and I quickly found one that coordinated with the girls’ outfits.

We chose the Red Christmas Photo gift tags which can be purchased for $15 for a set of 25.  Uploading the picture was a piece of cake and personalizing the back was fool proof as well.  Before ordering, you can see your proof real time to make sure you have exactly what you want.  The check out process was simple as well and my cards arrived quickly.

The gift tags were packaged beautifully in a stylish storage case which will allow me to store the tags without bending them.  The tags are printed on a nice quality card stock (130 lb matte recycled cardstock to be exact).  The colors of my image are crisp and clear, too.  I can’t wait to place these personalized tags on our Christmas gifts this year!

If you haven’t sent your holiday cards just yet, check out the selection of holiday cards and photo cards.  I am also in love with the photo notebooks!  At just $18.00, wouldn’t these make adorable teacher gifts?

GIVEAWAY

Do you need some gift tags to complete the wrapping of your holiday gifts?  Cardstore.com has generously donated one set of photo gift tags to one lucky reader!

How to enter:

1. Check out the Cardstore.com photo gift tags and let me know which ones you like the best!

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog and Cardstore.com (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) and @cardstyle 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 Cardstore on Facebook.

5. Place my blog banner on your sidebar.

6. Subscribe to my Feed.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on December 13th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This product review is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy. Others may have a different experience. Cardstore.com supplied me with a sample for review, but all opinions are 100% mine.
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Holiday Photo Cards from Urbanity Studios: Review and Coupon Code!

November 28, 2010 By 1 Comment

First on the agenda after the turkey is finished:  getting the Christmas card picture.  I love it and stress over it all at once.  The stress comes from getting an 8 and 6 year old bathed, dressed, still, and smiling.  Once that’s over, I get to do the fun part….picking out the card.  This year I was thrilled to test out Urbanity Studios!

Urbanity Studios is an online stationery company offering one of a kind designs for your Christmas Card, Birthday Invitation, Birth Announcement, and Thank You Card needs. The company was established in  2006, and have continued to offer new, fresh designs alongside modern technology innovations.  Their designs are printed on your choice of matte heavy cardstock, ultra-fancy shimmer paper or archival photo paper. You can also utilize their color-changing service (it’s FREE) to change the design colors to anything you’d like.  I loved the Snowflake Photo Christmas Card and personalizing it was a snap.  I loved how this card enabled me to pick the best photo of my son and the best one of my daughter since the ones of them together weren’t quite to my liking.   While you take the wheel at personalizing your card and getting the photos inserted, it’s one of the easiest sites I have dealt with! Don’t worry if you’re not an expert - an Urbanity Studios designer will look over your work and send you a final proof before ordering.  My cards arrived at lightning speed!  I am thrilled with the finished product and love the weight and feel of the photo paper.  Can I just get a volunteer to address them for me?  :)

Love this card too! Simple and pretty.

Need more to love?  If you are in a jam, Urbanity Studios has a live chat feature for help.  And, because Santa is pinching pennies these days you’ll be thrilled to see that some of the gorgeous cards offered are as low as $0.59!  You can check out their Christmas and Holiday Designs today and you can also find them on Facebook.

COUPON CODE

Thanks to Urbanity Studios, The Not So Blog is able to offer our readers  10% OFF ANY ORDER! Use  the code NOTSOBLOGHOL during checkout. This promotion is applicable site wide towards any Urbanity Studios’ products. Offer is not applicable to previously placed orders. Urbanity reserves the right to discontinue or modify this offer at any time without notice. Valid until 12:00am MST 12/31/10.

Pull your cameras out and check out Urbanity Studios! Personalizing a one of a kind Holiday card couldn’t be easier!

This review is the opinion of Jennifer, a reviewer for Experimental Mommy.  Others may have a differing opinion of the product.  No compensation was received other than a complimentary product to facilitate this review.
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Adorable Notecards from SanLori: Review and Giveaway

October 14, 2010 By

I am a paper junkie.  I love all kinds of stationery and cards.  My favorite part of planning events is picking out the invitations. My desk drawers overflow with notecards for me and the children.   I recently discovered SanLori and I am in love!  With the holidays right around the corner, SanLori is the perfect place to shop for Holiday Cards, Birth Announcements, Invitations, and Gifts!

SanLori kindly sent me a boxed set of personalized notecards and one of their Hot Chicks candles with the “Cosmo Compatible” scent.   The notecards were bright and cheerful and a nice weight.  The perfect thing to drop a note to a friend to say thank you or say a few words of encouragement.  The candle comes in an adorable gift box and has a great scent that is not too overpowering but noticeable enough!

I am already thinking about what to do for Holiday cards this year and if you are like me and want to get them done early you can surely find what you need at SanLori.  They have tons of options from classic to whimsical and it’s a breeze to upload your photo and customize your card.  My favorite is this one:

Don't you love this? Different and classically beautiful.

With the power of text, e mail, and fax, handwritten notes are unfortunately forgotten about.  But think about how you feel when you get something in the mail that’s personal and just for you?  I know you’re happy to get anything that’s not a bill, right!  :)   Make someone’s day with a note from SanLori!

GIVEAWAY

One Experimental Mommy reader will win a set of personalized notecards from SanLori!

How to enter:

1. Check out San Lori’s selection of holiday cards and tell me which is your favorite?

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) and @SanLori 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 button on your sidebar.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on November 1st. 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 San Lori who provided the product for review.  This post contains affiliate links.
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PrintArtKids: Review

September 3, 2010 By 1 Comment

hypothesis The customized notepads from PrintArtKids will be a great holiday gift for my daughter’s school teachers as well as adorable Grandparent gifts as well!

materials

One pack of notepads (5.5 x 8.5) containing four pads with 50 sheets each and one excited Mom ready to show off her favorite photos! About PrintArtKids:

“PrintArtKids will transform your kid’s vibrant flower painting into Notepads, handy for writing notes to teachers or for making to-do lists. The favorite Christmas ornament that your son made in 3rd grade can be made into this year’s Holiday Card. Your daughter’s finger painting from kindergarten can become a one-of-a-kind Note Card. Imagine the excitement and pride your children will feel when seeing their artwork celebrated and enjoyed by family and friends!

PrintArtKids products make great gifts for grandparents, teachers, friends, aunts, uncles, moms and dads. Best of all, these products can be used again and again throughout the year. In addition to Notepads and Note Cards, your child’s art (or your own artwork or favorite photographs) can be used to create Notebooks, Journals, Invitations, Thank-You Notes, Birthday Cards, Holiday Cards, Postcards from camp, and Cards for just about any occasion.”

results

With one daughter in Kindergarten and one in daycare, art work consumes my home.  Of course, they are ALL masterpieces, but some just really stand out from the rest.  I save these in a plastic box to pass on to my kids when they are grown.  But, wouldn’t it be great to continue enjoying these treasured art projects time and time again?

I was excited to learn about PrintArtKids and immediately thought it was a unique idea to transfer your child’s artwork onto a holiday card, address label, or notepad.  I decided to use some family photos from our recent beach vacation to create some irresistible notepads.  Uploading my photos (you can choose up to 4!) was incredibly easy.  I did not run into one single glitch when using the PrintArtKids website.  You can see an online proof before ordering and make any necessary adjustments.

Photobucket

In just a few days, my order arrived.  I was thrilled with the outcome!  Seriously, the cutest notepads ever (I mean, my kids are ON THEM! How can they NOT be cute, right? LOL!).  The paper is a good quality and you get four notepads for $28.95 which is a great deal.

For teacher holiday gifts, I am going to have my kids draw a picture of their schools, teachers and classmates and use them to create notepads for their teachers!  By attaching a pretty pen and some colorful ribbon, I think it will make a unique gift!

summary

I was impressed with the ease of use, quality and customer service at PrintArtKids.  My product arrived quickly and was adorable.  Check out their line of personalized holiday cards and matching return address labels!

This review is the opinion of The Experimental Mommy. Other may have a different experience with the product. Thank you to PrintArtKids for supplying the product for review.
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Send a Smile with CardsDirect!

July 13, 2010 By 1 Comment

Can you believe that Christmas is only a little over 5 months away?  Each year it seems to sneak up on me and before I know it, the time has come for our annual family photo session (thanks, April!) for our Christmas card.  We generally take our picture in late October and select our card design no later than mid-November which is all closer than I want to think about right now!  Fortunately, I found a great site, Cards Direct, which features a HUGE selection of holiday cards!  About CardsDirect:

cardsdirect“CardsDirect is quite simply passionate about greeting cards. In our electronic world where millions of emails, texts, and instant messages are exchanged daily, we know that a traditional hand signed Greeting Card can grab someone’s attention unlike most other forms of communication. Think back to the last time you received an unexpected card from a friend or associate . . . the appreciation you felt that someone put the time and thought into sending you a card. CardsDirect knows that a quality card, professionally printed with your personal message or brand, at the best value, is an effective way to promote yourself or company with others.“cardsdirect4

Looking around the site, I instantly fell in love with the unique Christmas card designs.  There is even a whole section dedicated to Professional holiday cards which are perfect for Doctors, Legal Offices and a ton of other professions!  My Mom is a Realtor and this one would be great for her clients (what do you think, Mom?).

cardsdirect5In just a few weeks, my sister in law is expecting a baby girl, so I was checking out the birth announcements and photo cards.  How can you resist the sweet baby faces in these baby announcements?!?  I love the unique designs and the fact that you can order as little as 25 cards (envelopes are included).  And the price is great, too!  Many of the Christmas Photo Cards I have my eye on for this year are available as low as $0.84 a piece.  Not bad at all!

Before the holiday season sneaks up on you, check out CardsDirect for this year’s inspiration!

A stipend was received for this post from CardsDirect.  All opinions remain 100% mine.
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Paperspring Holiday Cards: Review and Giveaway

November 27, 2009 By 64 Comments
I love Christmas for many reasons, but one of the main reasons I love Christmas is getting Christmas cards.  I love to see how our friends’ children have grown, and I proudly display the cards we receive so everyone who visits can admire the people we love.

The only thing I don’t like about Christmas cards is doing my own!  However, my attitude changed this year when I was lucky enough to be able to review Paperspring Cards! After getting my kids to cooperate for a photo (read:  bribe them) I went to the Paperspring site and checked out what they had to offer.  No cheesy snowmen here!  Their photo holiday cards are elegant and classic.  In other words, to die for.  I spent forever looking and could not make up my mind with so many beautiful choices.  I finally settled on one, and uploading my photo and personalizing my text was a snap!  Shipping was lightning fast and just a few days later I had my cards.  I have card-hopped for the last few years, trying out different services but I can tell you that the Paperspring cards are by far the nicest in quality I have ever gotten.  I cannot wait to send them out this year!

I love this one. No, that's not me and my family!

I love this one. No, that's not me and my family!

This was another one I loved. Precious!

This was another one I loved. Precious!

Holiday cards are not all Paperspring has to offer!  You can announce your new baby,  invite your friends to a graduation, baptism, or shower, and more!  Paperspring even offers personalized stationery.  One of the really cool things that Paperspring has to offer is Sticky Stock! Similar to a post-it, you can decorate your fridge or other surfaces like never before, leaving no residue behind!  How cool is that!  Want to know something even better?  Paperspring offers FREE shipping, and is a green company!  Thanks, Paperspring!

Need to get cracking on your Holiday cards?  Paperspring has generously offered a  $50 gift card to one lucky Not So Blog reader!

How to enter:

1. Visit Paper Spring and tell me which product you would choose if you won!

Additional entries

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) and Paper Spring 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 Paper Spring on Facebook.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on December 11th.  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 PaperSpring who provided the product for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary product.
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Oh So Spoiled: Birthday Banner Review and Giveaway

November 3, 2009 By 116 Comments

hypothesis The hand painted birthday banner from Oh So Spoiled will be a unique and adorable way to decorate for Aubrie’s second birthday.

materialsOne large (2×3) personalized, hand painted birthday banner from Oh So Spoiled,  and a reason to celebrate! About Oh So Spoiled:

door+hanger“As any first time mommy does, I spent endless hours searching and searching for the perfect finishing touches for his room. Well, if you’ve ever shopped for a child before, you know that there’s always something you’re looking for, but you just can’t find anywhere. So, I abandoned the search and started painting pieces for his room myself!

After taking a door hanger to the hospital with us to announce my son’s birth upon arrival, I decided that maybe it was time to pursue painting a little bit more. Several nurses wanted to know where they could place an order for their own door hangers. I’m now excited to say that these are my absolute best sellers and my most favorite thing to create!

While I originally intended to create custom art pieces for little kids, I expanded my creations to include the big kids too! I can create anything for any room of your house, something for your office, cute keepsakes for the kiddos, and special little somethings for teachers.”
results Aubrie is officially 20 months old!  Where did the time go?  In just 4 short months, my baby will be two!  So, when I was approached by Oh So Spoiled, the birthday banners immediately caught my eye.  I picked my favorite and figured it would be a cute way to decorate for Aubrie’s party.  What arrived in the mail left me speechless!  Over the past year of doing reviews for various companies, there are a few that stand out as stellar and Oh So Spoiled has claimed it’s spot in my top ten!  Aubrie’s birthday banner is beyond gorgeous!

038

The large celebration banners are painted on a double primed canvas, protected with quality sealer, measure 2′x3′, and are ready to be hung in your home by its coordinating ribbon.  I love the fact that this decoration will be able to be displayed for many birthdays because the quality is wonderful.

summary

I absolutely love Aubrie’s large birthday banner which retails for $87.  Smaller banners can be purchased and designs are available for both boys and girls.  In addition to these adorable banners, Oh So Spoiled offers wall letters, Holiday card holders, and even holiday cards!

Oh So Spoiled has generously offered one Not-So-Blog reader a $25 gift certificate to spoil that special someone in your life!

How to enter:

1. Visit Oh So Spoiled and tell me how you would spend your gift card!

Additional entries

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) 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. Favorite me in Technorati!

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on November 24th. 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 Oh So Spoiled for supplying the product for review.
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