There’s something extra special about the designs of Jodie from Ruffles & Ribbons, perhaps it’s her expert construction coupled with a flair for fabric combination. Whatever “it” is, Jodie’s creations definitely have that “it” factor. We’re thrilled that she won an opportunity to showcase her clothing on Boutique Cafe this week. Enjoy!

“I have had a love of designing and sewing for almost as long as I can remember. When I discovered the boutique world on Ebay in 2002, I realized there was a great opportunity to do something I have always loved: working with all the sweet elements involved in boutique clothing for little girls, while being a mom to three wonderful boys who are full of life & adventure. I am thrilled and happy with what I do, and look forward to the time I spend each day creating & sewing for my Ruffles & Ribbons label.” – Jodie

You can learn more about the incredible KJNCM (or Ruffles & Ribbons) on her About Me page and shop her current auctions on eBay.
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Peanut Shell by Goo Ga features a product review by Daria and the Daily Dish on their popular baby sling website! Thanks so much for the link and quoted review.

If I could read my 6-month-old’s mind, he would probably be thinking something like, “You know, it really gets old staring at the ceiling, and the floor isn’t very interesting either. With my lack of coordination it’s going to be forever before I can sit up and check out what’s really going on. Dang, it sucks to be me sometimes.” Well, maybe he wouldn’t use the word “sucks,” but you catch my drift.

If you have a baby who thinks along the same lines, he can now rest, or rather sit, easy. Introducing the Bumbo Baby sitter, “uniquely designed according to the baby’s posture to seat babies independently in an upright sitting position, from as young as 3 months up to approximately 14 months”¦” I wouldn’t have done it justice if I had tried to describe it. The Bumbo Baby Sitter looks like it’s made of plastic, but it’s actually made from a low-density foam material that is very lightweight and comfortable. My son has enjoyed his new point of view, I have enjoyed being able to use both hands to interact with him, and his big sister has enjoyed pushing him around the tile floor. (This is probably where I say, “Don’t try this at home.”)

I couldn’t find anything I didn’t like about the Bumbo Baby Sitter. Even my friend’s 1-year-old enjoyed his turn in the hot seat. Oh, and did I mention it’s easy to clean? A very important feature for those of us with born spit-uppers. – Emily

With baby slings and baby wearing these days the proof is really in the pudding, for a novice like myself all those buckles, straps, loops and long pieces of draped fabric were daunting at best. That’s what I loved about The Peanut Shell carrier, it’s simple! Just swing it over your head and under one arm and go (don’t forget the baby). But the wonders of this carrier go beyond simplicity. I absolutely loved the fabric””a vibrant wave microfleece that was butter soft to the touch and stretched a bit with baby. If microfleece isn’t your thing, don’t worry, because The Peanut Shell comes in so many colors and fabrics that you’ll want to pick up several for your stash. Other features I adore are the brilliant little “sanity saver” hook and smartly placed pocket””now your keys (or a toy for baby) are right within reach.

I tested my Peanut Shell sling out with my 19 month old Noah who’s never been “worn” before. I’ve had other contraptions and holders but he never took to them and I always ended up with a sore back because of a poor fit. To my elation The Peanut Shell tamed my little wild man in seconds and he snuggled right in like he was born to it. Even in Noah’s joy I still was waiting for my back to start aching but honestly it was a pain free, if not comfortable and supported ride.

With The Peanut Shell by Goo Ga you’ll not only have a content and happy baby, but you’ll look like a million bucks while carrying them too. -Daria

**GIVEAWAY – Goo-Ga has provided us with 2 beautiful slings as giveaways. We have one large and one medium to giveaway to two very lucky Mommy’s. We’ll draw the winners from the visitors who post comments in the Peanut Shell review notes this week. When you leave your comment please put an (L) for large or (M) for medium to indicate your preference should you win.

This week marks our 30th episode of Boutique Cafe and in celebration we will be featuring messages and emails from some of our fave guests and fans of the show! If you love your cup of couture make sure you call in today and leave a quick and clear howdy for us to play this week.

Things to include would be your name, why you love Boutique Cafe and of course congratulations would be cool too! L!

Depending on the amount of messages left we may not be able to play them all so get yours in soon. You have 30 seconds…GO!

Cheers and thanks for joining in our excitement.
Daria

As a little girl getting a new dress was not just exciting, it was an event! I remember the thrill of the color, the fabrics, the little details and of course the all important “twirl factor.” I relished the way a swooshy dress sounded when I walked, the taffeta shifting and making that crisp lovely sound. This week I’ve recaptured some of that magic yet again, not in a dress for me, but through a gorgeous sample lovingly made by Susan Whitt of Paige’s Place. At Paige’s Place each gown is given a special name. I had the great honor of receiving a Michelle, their new style in periwinkle silk. From start to finish this dress impressed with layer upon layer of full skirted fun. The fanciful polka-dot sash and precious buttons were charming. In fact I loved this dress so much I wanted to ditch my birth control and try for a girl on the spot!

If you have a wedding to attend, a blessing, communion or baptism, Paige’s Place has the perfect frock for your little girl. The scrumptious textiles and professional craftsmanship make each dress a treat. Sizes range from 2t-14 and I admire that they offer gowns that are classically beautiful in style. As an added touch each dress boasts a full crinoline lined with Spechler-Vogel Batiste, and Paige’s initials hidden within each dress. I still haven’t found the ones in mine, but I haven’t given up.

When you have a special date and want your little lady dressed in sophisticated sweetness contact Paige’s Place…and be sure to twirl twirl twirl with your little girl. – Daria

Oh the sweetness of Blue Bottle Designs! You must check out Blue Bottle’s portfolio of scrumptious designs for formal to fun! Of their place in the boutique Universe Kristen says “Some do cannonballs, others enter with a graceful dive. A few manage to bellyflop, and many are content to watch from the beach. Not us! Mom and I have gently waded into the sparkling waters of the boutique world. After the first dip of our toes we knew that we had encountered a unique and magical place. There is nothing quite like knowing that you are creating outfits that are uniquely chosen and destined to be cherished. What a joy! We strive to design with flair, create with passion and meet new friends along the way. Our advice to those who are walking along the sand? C’mon in! The water’s fine!”

You can learn more about the incredible Blue Bottle Designs on their Me Page. Be sure to shop Blue Bottle Designs auctions on eBay.
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Momtreprenuer and founder of Funny Friends Jennifer Becker joins Daria for an interview about the art & whimsy of her loveable soft sculpture characters. Party time!! Show #30 is next week, if you want to tape a fun message to be played on the show email us at info@boutiquecafe.com and send us your phone number. Funny Friends Giveaways – if you would like to win some of the incredible Funny Friends characters for your child all you have to do is leave a comment. We’ll draw several winners from all the comments left so get typing. Song played in this show by Jason Silver. The Auction Scrambles are back! This weeks Auction Scramble features the perfect props for photo sessions with your little fairy princess. The Accessory Scramble will take you out to the ball game with these cute ball park hair bows.

We have a mountain of giveaways to award for the Daily Dish!! It’s been soo hectic around here but we’re excited now to announce some LUCKY LUCKY winners of these awesome products.

Good Fortune – fortune cookie and shipping to anywhere in the U.S. (winner Tanya at SquirrelCheeksBoutique)

Words2walls - $25 gift certificate (winner Lauren Howitt)

Little Packrats – 2 back packs (winners 1 pack to Payton (lovemonkey), 1 pack to Amy Demmy)

Pineapple Cove – Diaper Wallet ( winner Mothergooseberry)

Patemm Pad – (winner Charlotte R.)

2 Arm Candy Tees – (winners – Nicole Larsen & Liz C.)

Container Store – Child’s Suitcase (winner Mary Wilson)

Swaddle Designs – 2 blankets ( winners Heather Flottman, Erica Owens)

ProMom – tee winners choice (Bethany Montella)

And more to be announced on Saturday for this weeks prizes too!
Cheers and congratulations to our winners.
Daria
and Emily

Please go back and check out all of these amazing reviews – post your comments and join in the Dish

Today is your lucky day. I’m going to make shopping for this year’s Father’s Day gift a whole lot easier. How? By telling you about the Messenger Bag by DadGear, a must-have for any dad who’s all about looking cool even when he’s changing a diaper.

I was able to review the slate blue Retro Stripe Messenger Bags along with the olive green Retro Strip–no, not two separate bags but rather one bag with a removable front panel. How cool is that? My diaper bag has been the same boring black since I bought it. If a diaper bag gets style options it should be mine! (Removable panel is sold separately.)

DadGear claims their messenger bags offer a “hands free” approach. You can “change, feed, and entertain your child without ever having to set the bag down.” I can pretty much do that already, but my husband has nowhere near the skills I do. He needs all the help he can get, and DadGear gives it to him. Ingenious features include a quick-access wipes window (under the front panel) and two bottle pockets accessible from either the exterior or interior. Yes, you can get to the bottles from inside our outside the bag! Dad will be impressed with the oversized side release buckles and heavy-duty hardware. The strap is even manly with an oversize cam buckle and optional three-point harness.

You know, I don’t think I’m giving my husband this bag for Father’s Day. I think I’m claiming it for myself. I’ll give him my old black one and throw in a nice soap-on-a-rope (because he’s worth it).

* Giveaway! DadGear is giving away one of their awesome backpacks. We’ll draw the winner by the end of the week and contact her via email. The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

Picture this, a crowded hospital emergency room. A worried mother checking in her young son at the desk. The nurse asks “What is the child’s birthdate?” and suddenly the mommy draws a blank. “August 28th” she says with confidence, then receives a nudge under the chair from her husband whispering “Honey no, it’s August 21st ““ you’re getting the kids mixed up.” The horror. Let me tell you I was one embarrassed mommy, that night. But no more! Now that I have my own custom set of gorgeous Mommy Tags my children’s birthdates are close to my heart and ready for my next momentary lapse of memory.

The Mommy Tags company takes recycled silver and transforms it into the most chic and stylish necklace you’ll want to wear and cherish. The silver tags are a beautiful quality and come in a variety of styles from Moms to tots, and yes, even Dad is covered with his own Daddy Tags “¦ the perfect Father’s Day gift. The feature I personally adore about Mommy Tags are the customizable tags for each child in your family. They allow you to proudly sport some bling complete with your child’s name and birthday””the perfect lead in for bragging parents. Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t know how many of you travel with a formula-fed baby, but I do. And if I’m gone longer than the allotted two- to three-hour window, I bring along not only a bottle but a container of formula as well. I have a limited amount of space in my diaper bag, so anything that helps out in that department is something worth checking out.

The U-Mix travel bottle from Sunshine Kids is truly an ingenious invention. I actually had two of these bottles years ago for my now eight-year-old daughter. The design wasn’t as sleek but the concept was the same: Keep water and powdered formula separate until you’re ready to mix. I soon wondered how I ever lived without it. When I saw the U-Mix in a recent One Step Ahead catalog, I did a little dance of joy””after eight years they’re still making them! Read the rest of this entry »

The light:night by emphasis products proves that good things come in small packages. I wasn’t sure just how nifty this product was until I tested it for myself. I’m totally sold.

First the basics. The light:night is portable and rechargeable and emits just the right amount of light for use in a nursery, child’s room, or any room where you’d normally kill yourself tripping over toys or furniture (that’s every room in my home). The IDSA award-winning design includes a cradle with a three-foot cord. When removed from its cradle (e.g. in the event of a power failure) the light:night automatically emits a non-blinding white light. How many of your rechargeable flashlights do that? When fully charged, the light:night will provide up to 12 hours of white light or 14 hours of colored light–long enough to survive any backyard campout! And by using the toggle button at the top you can switch between ambient color (red, in this case), white light, and no light at all. Read the rest of this entry »

The PeaPod travel bed from KidCo is one product I have seriously looked forward to reviewing, and that’s not just because it’s red. I received the PeaPod just before heading out on our family trip to Orlando. We stayed for 11 nights, four of which were with friends. While at their home we had to find sleeping arrangements for a total of four adults and seven children, two of which were infants. The kids looked forward to the sleepover; the adults looked forward to the Costco-size bottle of ibuprofen. Thanks to KidCo’s PeaPod no ibuprofen was needed.

The PeaPod travel bed comes with an inflatable air mattress with washable sleeping pad and a windscreen, which provides UV protection when using the bed outdoors. It also has zippered panels that allowed us easy access to our little one. I’m not exaggerating when I say I would not have survived our trip without this awesome bed. We took it from our friends’ home, to the beach, back to their home, to the condo, and back home to Utah. It took only minutes to set the bed up and take it down, and our little one adjusted quickly to sleeping in his new bed. I skipped using the included hand pump to inflate the mattress. Read the rest of this entry »

Cali Lewis host of the popular Geek news podcast Geek Brief is interviewed on Boutique Cafe. Cali brings great mom and child tech products to enjoy.

Canada (PRWEB) May 19, 2006 — Boutique Café© (www.boutiquecafe.com), which hosts weekly podcasts featuring topics of interest for fashion-savvy moms and must-have product reviews each weekday through the Daily Dish, is seeing some exceptional guests this month including Cali Lewis host of the popular podcast Geek Brief (www.geekbrief.tv).

In Boutique Cafe’s first video podcast Daria will interview Cali Lewis about tech gear and products for moms and their children, Cali’s recent interview of Podfather Adam Curry (www.podshow.com), and all about Geek Brief’s beginnings. You can catch the interview on Thursday, May 18th at BoutiqueCafe.com.

Boutique Cafe has also interviewed Jessica Denay founder of Hot Moms Club (www.hotmomsclub.com) this month. The May 12th show remains available on the Boutique Cafe Web site. Boutique Cafe continues to attract exciting guest interviews and is only just heating up.

If it’s about boutique, if it’s about kids, if it’s about moms, if it’s about you, it’s on Boutique Café©.

About Boutique Café©:
Boutique Cafe is the world’s first boutique podcast. Our weekly shows feature all things couture, highlighting topics of interest to fashion savvy moms around the world. Our goal: to give today’s woman a break from reality, and voila, inspire her for when she returns. Each weekday we present the Daily Dish, featuring our favorite discoveries for making life more pleasant. Whether it’s a new muse, shopping for a trendy outfit or accessory, or even organizing your home, Boutique Cafe is here to help. Besides being a free, highly portable and downloadable radio show, we also support a community forum of buyers, designers, moms and professionals who have similar interests. If it’s about Boutique, if it’s about kids, if it’s about Mom’s, if it’s about you ““ it’s on Boutique Cafe. Boutique Café© has experienced great success in its first seven months of operation and has gained thousands of subscribers to the show, as well as many thousands of visitors to our site each day. For more information, please visit BoutiqueCafe.com.

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I first came across little twig while reading a recent issue of Life & Style Weekly. The name and the claim of being all-natural and organic sparked my interest and I went online to check it out. Needless to say I was thoroughly impressed. Little twig offer a great line of bath products, from baby wash to baby powder to diaper cré¨me, all free of ingredients like mineral oil, talcum, sulfates, TEA, MEA, and DEA that can be harmful to baby’s skin. Instead they use time-tested 100% natural and organic ingredients like aloe vera, vitamin E, shea butter, and jojoba oil. And the company’s philosophy really struck a chord as a mom. Here’s a small excerpt. (I suggest you go online and read more.)

Children mean the world to us. And the world means everything to our children. That is why little twig is committed to family, community and the environment. We believe in protecting these foundations so our little ones can grow up healthy, happy and full of potential. Read the rest of this entry »

In our very First video podcast Daria interviews Cali Lewis from Geek Brief. The ladies chat about cool tech products for moms and kids that you’ll want to try. Cali shares info about her recent interview with the Podfather Adam Curry, and all about their popular tech show Geek Brief. Giveaway of a Nikkiknits $50 gift certificate. Products reviewed include: Firefly Mobile Phone , CEIVA Digital Photo Receiver , Apple iPods , Why Cry Adapter, and FLY Pentop Computer, from Leap Frog.

Personally, I love a great tee that makes me feel gorgeous every time I put it on. It must be the right fit, the right style and of course comfy for wearing through all the mommy madness in my house. I was elated to find not only t-shirts that fit the bill, but actually have empowering messages for my “Mom-ness” such as Happy Mom, Knock-out Mom, Carpool Candy, Grateful Mom, Lucky Mom, Balanced Mom and many more. Whether you are running errands, playing hopscotch at the park, or grocery shopping for the only vegetable your 3 year old will eat, you can be positive and proud to be a Promom.

Promom Couture is all about celebrating motherhood with style! Founding moms Vicki, Lori, Suzanne and Karen wanted to get their message across that “Motherhood Does Not define you… You define it!” I love that idea and will now be sporting my Happy Mom tee around town with pride. Do you have an inner hottie just bursting to get out? Promom Couture will save the day with comfortable and stylish 100% cotton tees that make mommy’s feel like a million bucks.

And hey, if you’re like me and the kids are going crazy, the house is a mess and you don’t have enough hours in the day to get everything done you can still “look” like you’ve got it all together by wearing your Balanced Mom tee. After all first impressions are everything. – Daria

**Discount for Boutique Cafe listeners – Promom Couture is offering 15% off your purchases from promom’s web shop (does not discount shipping costs). Use code BOUTIQUE (in all caps) to receive this fabulous discount. Offer expires June 19th, 2006.

** Giveaway – Promom Couture is offering one tee of the winners choice this week. Be sure to sign up for our Boutique Cafe mailing list. We’ll draw for this prize at the end of the week and contact the winner via email. The winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize or a new winner will be drawn.

Boutique Cafe’s logo is now proudly being sported on the Hot Moms Club press page for our May 12th interview with Jessica Denay. Jessica and Daria chatted about the Hot Moms Club movement, Jessica’s new book and how any mom can be a HOT mom! Be sure to listen in, the interview was a hit! Please continue to leave your comments and thoughts on the show, we love hearing them and Jessica does as well!

Boutique Cafe’s logo is now proudly being sported on the Hot Moms Club press page for our May 12th interview with Jessica Denay. Jessica and Daria chatted about the Hot Moms Club movement, Jessica’s new book and how any mom can be a HOT mom! Be sure to listen in. the interview was a Hit!
Interview

“Swaddled babies sleep better.” It wasn’t until my third child that I realized the power in those four little words. My son loved to be swaddled, but it seemed only the nurses at the hospital knew the trick for making the perfect “baby burrito.” The shape of most receiving blankets made it tricky to achieve maximum swaddling. If I had only known about SwaddleDesigns Ultimate Swaddling Blanket I may not have felt so inferior to those burrito-making nurses.

Lynette Damir, founder of SwaddleDesigns, is an RN and a mother of two young children. Through experiences with friends and family she was inspired to create beautiful blankets perfect for swaddling. She even consulted with PHDs in infant research to ensure the award-winning design was optimized for effective swaddling. But she didn’t sacrifice form for function. The Ultimate Swaddling Blanket is a generous size at 42″ square and comes in everything from polka dots to stars and even includes a line of organic fabrics. Read the rest of this entry »

Over eight years ago I purchased a body pillow so I could actually get some sleep during my pregnancy. My husband soon discovered its magical powers for granting a good night’s rest and I’ve had to fight him for it ever since. Now thanks to DreamKuddle by Pippen Hill Designs my girls are fighting over their own body pillow, but the fight is well worth it.

According to the DreamKuddle site, the DreamKuddle pillow, “made of soft, cozy fleece with a “˜cocooning shape’ and whimsical animal design “¦ is an innovative child sized body pillow and huggable buddy in one! Designed for kids ages 2 and up to provide healthy body support and emotional comfort and invite sleep and relaxation, parents tell us it’s a real problem-solver!” Read the rest of this entry »

My girls’ room is full of plastic storage containers. It’s the only way to keep the “Wide World of Toys” organized. From Rubbermaid to Sterilite, they’ve got one in almost every size and color, even sparkly pink. But even I, who love the smell of Rubbermaid containers, thought it was time for something new. Say hello to the Container Store’s line of children’s suitcases.

Suitcases? Yes, suitcases! These children’s cases are just the thing for adding some fun, and some organization, to your child’s room. Right after the girls decided who got the kiwi set and who got the aqua, the girls and their suitcases disappeared. Later I found them stacked neatly under their bunk bed, one set full of Groovy Girl dolls and accessories and the other full of Polly Pockets and Barbie clothes. (Well, I actually stacked them neatly under the bed, but they did a great job filling them!) The only problem I foresaw was trying to remember what was inside the suitcases. With clear plastic you don’t have that problem. Then I had a fantastic idea! Fill out some little suitcase tags with what’s inside and attach them to the handles. Problem solved!

Now, I’m sure The Container Store intended these for travel, and I will agree they’re perfectly-sized for the pint-sized traveler. The set has enough room for toting a couple pairs of clothes, toys, books or games during vacations or road trips. The large one may even handle an overnight stay at Grandma’s. But for now my girls are happy enjoying them from the comforts of home. (And I enjoy the way the cases hide the fact my girls quite possibly own every Polly Pocket possible.) – Emily

** Giveaway!! The Container Store has provided a childs suitcase for one lucky listener. We’ll draw for this prizes at the end of the week and contact the winners via email. The winners will have 24 hours to claim their prize or a new winner will be drawn.

The online source for Celebrity News has published our Boutique Cafe press release today. Celebrity News also linked to us through the individual celebrities mentioned including Holly Robinson Peete.
Press Release mentioned : The Daily Dish Serves up Enticing Reviews of Hot Products

e-maginativegifts.com has featured our Boutique Cafe press release in their Home and Garden News section today. e-maginativegifts.com

Press Release mentioned: Boutique Cafe’s Daily Dish Serves Enticing Hot Product Reviews

The undercover Designing Minds blog wrote a review of our Mother’s Day show featuring Jessica Denay from Hot Moms Club. Review Date: Friday, May 12, 2006
My Cup of Couture – Just had my “cup of couture”
What I feared would be a boring cup of folgers robust…(an annoying conversation about hot celeb moms)
Was a surprised cup of Chai Latte…a spiritual message about the hot mom in all of us, enjoying our kids and enjoying life… a nice start to the mom’s day weekend.

The Uptowngirls are known for their high quality boutique items and exceptional service. Boutique Cafe is delighted to showcase a cross section of their avant-garde designs this week. The gals of UTG are taking a Road Trip and launching a special theme next week. Be sure to check it out!

You can learn more about the incredible Uptowngirls group and their individual sellers on their Website. Be sure to shop Uptowngirls auctions on eBay.
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This week our most recent Boutique Cafe press release was picked up by Designing Online an online publication offering “Home and Garden news for truly creative people”. We’d like to thank Designing Online for promoting Boutique Cafe and our new Daily Dish feature on their great website. Be sure to check it out here.

Press Release featured: Boutique Café©’s Daily Dish Serves Enticing Hot Product Reviews

I’ve learned a little Arm Candy can go a long way. Why not spoil that little sweetie of yours with a baby tee or body suit that will be sure to cause an instant sugar rush? Arm Candy Baby offers an adorable line of scrumptious tees to keep your baby in candy coated cuteness. With such sayings as Chocolate Meltdown, Angel Cake and One Smart Cookie the designers of Arm Candy Baby have cornered the sweet tooth market with fashionable onesies you’ll love to dress your baby in. If BLING is your thing then Arm Candy has you covered, many of their yummy styles come embellished with beautiful Swarovski crystals so you can nurture that inner diva from babyhood and beyond. The darling tees are 100% cotton and are attractively packaged in clear plastic boxes – adding to their candied appeal. Personally, they looked so good I got really hungry and had to indulge in a little chocolate meltdown for myself. Goody-Gumdrops you won’t need to visit the dentist after this little indulgence. – Daria

** Giveaway!! Arm Candy Baby has provided a few sugar sweet little onesies for some lucky listeners. We’ll draw for these prizes at the end of the week and contact the winners via email. The winners will have 24 hours to claim their prize or a new winner will be drawn.

Jessica Denay co-founder of Hot Moms Club joins Daria to chat about how to become a “Hot Mom”, and be your best you. Check out her new book The Hot Mom’s Handbook. Daria also talks about our new feature the Daily Dish which is now available in it’s own RSS feed, if you subscribe to an RSS reader you can have the Daily Dish refreshed each morning and enjoy the must-have product reviews for you, your children and your home. Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at Boutique Cafe to all of our own Hot Mommy listeners! Leave your comments, we have a listener comment show coming up soon and would love to feature your thoughts on Boutique Cafe. ** Giveaway – Jessica Denay and the girls at Hot Moms Club have supplied us with some wonderful HMC tanks and books for a few lucky listeners, be sure to sign up for our Boutique Cafe mailing list and we will draw the winners on Mother’s Day. Winners to be announced next show.