I’m back from vacation but I was at a loss today for listings to share with you, somehow coming back from a relaxing holiday can set you back a bit. Then I had a brainstorm to place a post on my facebook account and ask my designer buddies to share a few of the current listings they have for sale. Right away 6 incredible gals shared their links with me, and in turn I want to feature them ALL for you! Thanks ladies for making my finds a lot easier today, and full of great great stuff!! (L to R, top to bottom)

Beanie Crochet Hat Pattern from Jaybird Designs on Etsy

Ni Hao Kai Lan Applique Embroidery Designs from divas*doodles

CUPCAKE girls hair clippies from xoxotova on Etsy

Boutique Smurf Feliz Dress custom ABSD 1-6! By gumdropshopboutique on Etsy here >>

Aqua & Pink Zebra Personalized Tee by Tote and Tee.com

“Charm Bracelet” dress from BluMoon Design + 15% off sale (use code “Fall”)

My talented and beautiful Sis-in-Law Elizabeth is hosting a fab GIVEAWAY on her blog. You can win a Mommy/Daughter baby sling set, made by Liz (her slings are fantastic!!).

Help her celebrate her 200th Blog Post by joining in! Leave a comment on her blog here>> to enter the drawing. She’s drawing a random winner on Aug. 31st!

If you’re interested in purchasing a sling, she makes them in various delicious fabrics $25 Adult size or $18 kids size.

When I hear the word “Mustela” the first thing that comes to mind is pregnancy products for women. I’m not sure why; perhaps I had a sample of their nursing comfort balm in my standard-issue diaper bag upon release from the hospital. Whatever the reason I had no idea Mustela had such a serious line of products for babies as well as moms.

Mustela’s Bébé line, which includes daily hygiene, bath time, diaper change and skin protection products, is designed specifically for your baby’s delicate skin. To introduce me to the line the company sent me a handful of travel-size product samples from their Dermo-Pediatrics line and a small tube of their High Protection Sun Lotion (SPF 50). Granted, a tablespoon of product isn’t much to review but it was enough to get me interested in learning more, and here’s what I discovered about Mustela’s Dermo-Pediatrics infant care products. They are:

• created with the collaboration of healthcare professionals;


• for children prone to problems such as eczema, irritations, rashes and sensitive to intolerant skin;


• hypoallergenic, non-irritating, fragrance-free, paraben-free and have no artificial colorants;


• tested under dermatological and pediatric supervision (not sure what that means but it sounds impressive);


• composed of “specific ingredients of natural origin.”

We tested the body milk (lotion) from the Stelatopia line, which is designed to help with eczema, and though we couldn’t give it a thorough review due to the amount that was sent, I can say it went on smoothly, absorbed quickly and didn’t have a greasy feeling at all. Those are all important qualities I look for in a lotion, especially one whose purpose is to relieve the symptoms of eczema. As far is its powers of moisturization, the jury’s still out on that (i.e. it will take more than a tablespoon to test for that!). We didn’t have a chance to test the cream cleanser…I always forget to grab it before putting the little ones in the bath and I can’t leave them once they’re in water. Dang!

But we were able to give the sun protection lotion a good test run and taking my kids’ opinions into consideration, it received a mixed review. Mustela’s High Protection Sun Lotion (SPF 50) is a 100% mineral sunscreen, which often makes for a thicker sunscreen. In this case it was definitely thicker than my kids are used to slathering on their skin. The oldest two complained it was hard to apply and the youngest two complained because it was hard for Mom to apply. With two squirmy little ones I need something that goes on quickly and easily, but this sunscreen gets one vote in its favor due to it being made from minerals (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide). That’s some of the best sun protection you’ll find!

Mustela’s sun protection lotion is also hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, water-resistant, extra-broad spectrum (IR & long and short UVA/UVB rays). It also has a unique combination of zinc salts and natural plant active ingredients (aloe vera and soy phytosterols containing Vitamin E) that provide protection against free radicals. It also costs about $15 for 1.6 fluid ounces, a price I’m a bit hesitant to pay just so I can hear more whining from my kids during those long summer days. I guess the jury’s still out on this one too since it looks great on paper and does a great job preventing sun damage (no sunburns while my kids had it on) but is a pain to apply and a pain in the budget.

I wish I had more personal feedback to offer you on their other products, but Mustela’s reputation alone makes their products worth a try, especially if you’re looking for a daily regimen designed specifically for delicate newborn skin. Oh, and don’t forget about their products for moms!—Emily

So far our family hasn’t had to deal with any food-related allergies. The closest we’ve come is Livi being sensitive to peanut butter while younger but since about the age of 18 months she’s been just fine. But food allergies are a part of life for many families and though allergen-free food is easier to come by these days, allergen-free treats that taste good can be a bit harder to find. That’s why I’m a big fan of companies like Enjoy Life Foods and today’s reviewee, HomeFree. HomeFree offers a line of kid-friendly treats free of peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, wheat and dairy. You will also be hard pressed to find soy in their products (except soy lecithin, which is tolerated by most people with soy allergies). Not only is their food free of the aforementioned ingredients but their kitchen as well: “No peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, wheat or dairy are permitted in our facility for any reason at any time.” And HomeFree goes even further; their selection of ingredients are chosen for quality but also how they are processed and packaged to help prevent allergen cross-contamination. HomeFree even “conduct[s] allergen testing for peanut, almond, egg, and milk proteins on incoming ingredient batches and on random product batches as well.” This attention to detail is no surprise when you learn a mom is behind HomeFree. I love her philosophy about why she started the company:

As a mom, and a clinical psychologist, I realize how important it is for kids with food allergies to feel included at social occasions, where a sweet treat is often part of the fun. I created HomeFree™ bakery, with a line of delicious, wholesome cookies and cakes, as well as a cook book full of easy to make allergen-free recipes, so that kids with food allergies can enjoy treats along with everyone else. Seeing the smiles on the faces of kids eating HomeFree cookies and cakes, you’ll feel good knowing that these really are treats you can trust.

We received a sampling of HomeFree’s cookies, which included their organic chocolate chip cookie, organic oatmeal raisin cookie and organic mini chocolate chip cookies. Though they weren’t nearly as decadent as, say, a Mrs. Field’s cookie, for a healthy, allergen-free, organic, whole grain treat they were definitely a hit! My kids devoured the mini chocolate chips in one sitting and asked for more, so you know they tasted good! (My kids are pretty discerning when it comes to goodies.) It’s hard to believe a treat can taste this good when it’s also free of corn sweeteners, artificial colors, artificial flavors, MSG, cholesterol and trans fat. The start of the school year is all about new backpacks, school supplies and lunchboxes, but for kids with food-related allergies, it’s probably the same ol’ school lunch. Start the school year—and their lunch hour—off right with a tasty treat from the HomeFree bakeries.

** Giveaway! HomeFree is giving away five boxes of their yummy cookies (1 box to each of 5 winners)! Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like; each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:

• Visit HomeFreeTreats.com and leave a comment telling us which product you’d most like to try.


• Follow HomeFreeTreats on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.


• Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.


• Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post. Include a valid email address for our drawing.

We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: September 1, 2009 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

• Congratulations to lise and Tricia Z, the winners of the HomeFree giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

...or was so good for the environment! Rebel Green is a company all about eco-conscious fashion that is “chic, edgy, rebellious and eco-friendly” and their products are not only made in the USA but also “specifically designed to minimize waste and motivate a fundamental shift in thinking about our impact on the planet we share.” I love that last part—there’s a power behind the words “motivate a fundamental shift in thinking” and if any company can do it, and fashionably to boot, it’s Rebel Green.

Rebel Green’s product line includes apparel for men, women and children, reusable shopping and produce bags, reusable lunch bags, zipper totes and even a fruit and veggie wash. They offer a variety of designs that make becoming a “green” rebel a heck of a lot of fun! The company sent us a sampling of their tees and though the ones for George and Livi were a bit too big for them to wear, my girls and I have totally loved ours! I feel super cool going for runs while sporting my Peace Girl tank and Lauren’s Bubble Girl short-sleeve tee is now her favorite shirt. Even at her age I have to remind her to wash it once in a while—she wears it as often as she can!

For some of you school has already started and your school shopping is done, but is it ever really done? Did you check off “eco-friendly lunch bag” off the list? Waste-free lunch kits are the newest, greenest trend for school. It’s all about learning your letters and everyone should know about the three “R’s” (reduce, reuse, recycle). Rebel Green has taken the boring organic cotton lunch bag and made it super cool with designs that appeal to both kids and adults.

Did you know the average school age child generates more than 70 pounds of trash a year when he packs a disposable lunch? Each Rebel Green reusable lunch bag comes with a reusable, organic cotton napkin with a coordinating design that can be tucked into the bag’s outer pocket and the bag rolls up easily to fit in your child’s backpack when he’s done with lunch. And get this: all the designs are numbered so if you have a child who’s as into collecting as my daughter, you’ve just taken the cool factor up a notch! Throw in a couple Rebel Green organic cotton, small produce bags and you now have sustainable sandwich and snack bags.

Style has power and our goal is to get people to become fashionably eco-conscious. ... Let’s start with the simple reusable shopping bag. We are not convinced the whole world wants cutsie bags with polka dots, hempy looking sacks with preachy green slogans, or worse, the dreaded polypropylene bag shouting ‘Buy Local’ though the inner tag says it’s made across the ocean. We wouldn’t carry any of those and we think we’re not alone. ~Ali Ruvin and Melina Marcus, Co-creators of Rebel Green

No, Rebel Green, you’re not alone. I believe there’s an eco-conscious rebel inside each of us and now we have a perfectly edgy, hip, cool way to let our greener side show. Being a rebel truly never looked so good!—Emily

** Giveaway! Rebel Green is giving away one lunch tote and one tee, winner’s choice! Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:

• Visit RebelGreen.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite product.


• Join the I Love Rebel Green group on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.


• Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.


• Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: August 28, 2009 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

• Congratulations to Kristen C., the winner of the Rebel Green giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

If I told you the lip gloss assortment I carry around in my purse isn’t my full collection, you’d probably think I have a problem and you’d probably put me in some sort of 12-step program. I love a good lip gloss and I’ll keep loving it long after even my most favorite lipstick loses its color. (Does lipstick ever lose its color? My grandma owned lipsticks that were eons old, but of the sake of this review let’s say they do eventually fade…)

My enjoyment of all things gloss, and yes, the occasional lipstick, came in handy when Avon wanted to send me samples from their new Summer Lip Sensations. The new collection includes Ultra Color Rich Extra Plump Lipstick; SpectraColor Lipstick (I’d call this one a lip gloss); and Pro 3-in-1 Lip Wand (a combo liner, lipstick and gloss). I tested all three and I have to say my favorite was the Pro 3-in-1 Lip Wand, but let me tell you briefly about all three.

The Ultra Color Rich Extra Plump Lipstick instantly plumps and like most plumping glosses and lipsticks, makes your lips feel tingly all over. This lipstick promises not to feather and it has a center core “packed with plumping power & hydrating moisturizers.” The only reason this is at the bottom of the list is because I don’t use lipstick that often…and the color they sent was so not for me! Of course, I’m not holding that against Avon, but it is hard to see past a pink that makes me look paler than my skin in February!

The SpectraColor Gloss Lipstick actually lets you customize your color. It contains two coordinating colors, a light and dark version. At the bottom you’ll find a dial where you can go from light to dark with a simple turn-and-click action. You actually get seven lip colors and sheer-to-medium coverage in one lipstick. While I totally love the concept—I’m all about more bang for your buck—I didn’t love the texture of the gloss or its staying power. It didn’t last as long as other lip glosses and again, the color they sent was way too pink for my taste. It was reminiscent of sixth grade: the pinker the lipstick the better.

I am a girl who’s all about multitasking and that’s why I love the Pro 3-in-1 Lip Wand the best. You get your liner, lipstick and gloss in one shot! Avon has already put together ten Lip Wands with pre-coordinated shades, which helps take out some of the guesswork for those of you still using liner three shades darker than your lipstick. Avon didn’t know I was more of a Vamp than a Rose, so I had to look past the color, but overall this was my favorite of the three. It has gloss and it has multitasking skills…need I say more?—Emily

Greetings Boutique Cafe viewers! I’ll be basking in the summer sun of California with my family for the next few days. If you have inquiries feel free to send them through, I will have my laptop and will check in intermittently. Emily will still be here posting Daily Dish reviews, so stop by often. I’m hoping to capture some fun footage for Boutique Cafe while I’m there, as well as have some baby gender news this coming Saturday. We’ll be heading to an ultrasound while on our vacation and will let you know if this bundle is our 5th boy or 1st girl! Stay tuned for that news.

Have a wonderful week with your families. I know some of you are already back to school, and some are just about ready to go back. We’ll have some fun things coming up on the site soon, it’s going to be GREAT! – XO Daria

I’m not one to pass up the chance to review a new handbag or other accessory, especially if it’s from a company new to me. If it’s new to me then there’s a good chance it’s also new to some of our readers and all the more reason to feature it on the Daily Dish!

Jumeau is a new-to-me collection of unique, stylish, professional, trendy, hip handbags and belts. The company’s focus may be on “premium function with exceptional materials” but the line is also all about design that “complements your body.” Have you ever known a company creating its designs with your body’s contours in mind? Didn’t think so.

Jumeau sent me the Zoe handbag and Hip P belt from their Institution Collection. This is by far my favorite collection, but I tend to lean more towards a professional look than hip and trendy. Yes, totally boring but what can I say? I can say the Zoe handbag is even better in person. The “razberry” color is rich and yummy while the rip-stop fabric adds a bit of fun. I love the “Better than Leather” abrasian-resistant material used in the trim—my bags can take a beating when hauling four kids around! Though it looks on the small side, this little bag is really rather roomy with pockets inside and out, including two magnetic easy-access pockets, something I think every handbag should have. The only thing this magnificent little bag is missing is a matching pair of shoes. (Don’t worry, I’ll get on that right away!)

As for the Hip P belt, those little floral etchings turn what could be a very masculine belt into something wonderfully feminine. Unfortunately the size they sent was a little too large for how tight I like to wear my jeans so I haven’t been able to wear it, but I still pull it out and look at it so I can check out those super sweet etchings. Right now it’s only available in two sizes, large and extra large. Jumeau seriously needs to add two smaller sizes to the mix unless their target customer wears her pants below her butt cheeks. Perhaps I should try that…Hmmm…

Jumeau has five collections: Deft, Now (very trendy), Institution, Green (focuses on natural materials) and Commando (go, camo!). Not every collection offers belts but they all offer some truly unique styles. By the way, Jumeau also incorporates sustainable and recycled materials and offers a 45-day, no questions asked, satisfaction guarantee AND a 5-year replacement warranty. Okay, I’ve NEVER heard of any kind of warranty on any handbag I’ve purchased. That’s gotta make you feel good…almost as good as you feel when toting around a bag that complements your body…—Emily

Adagio Bleu Studios is bringing the most awesome autumn fashions and back to school gear for you and your children! Even though the slightest hint of fall hasn’t been seen in most parts of the country yet, our designers are thinking ahead and offering so many trendy and fashionable handmade items in their Etsy shops. We stay ahead of the crowd and pride ourselves on fresh, fun and wearable clothing for children and the moms who love them.
Our collective of indie designers works very hard to bring top quality boutique items to the market through the Etsy venue and our own websites as well. You can easily find over 400 items handcrafted with the utmost skill and care, and of superior quality by searching our search term on Etsy, Search: “ABSD” (Adagio Bleu Studio Designers)and prepare to fall in love!

We have several designers with a focus on babies and adorable items such as hats, personalized onesies, burps, bibs, diaper bags and car seat/stroller cozies. We are pleased to have designers which specialize in couture clothing for boys as well as girls. Adagio Bleu also has some awesome accessory designers who make gorgeous bows, footwear, wallets, cell phone cozies, purses, handbags, backpacks, key fobs and even pet items such as designer fabric collars and leashes!
Come and see what Adagio Bleu Studios is all about, and search our items on Etsy.Com >>

Oh Yummy! These gorgeous carpeting options are now available from our dear friend Amy Butler! Here’s her email:

“I have been keeping busy the last few months with many new projects; one of the most fun has been my new hand made rugs. I have been lucky to work with my friends at Chandra and come up with 19 amazing rugs for you. Some of the designs you will recognize from my fabric and bedding lines and there are a few new ones too! After designing the rugs I was lucky enough to visit India and watch the entire rug making process, I had such a blast and learned so much. The process is truly amazing to watch and see the final product appear before your eyes.

My new rugs are made from 100% New Zealand Wool, hand made and even semi-sustainable – using no harsh chemical washes, the industries safest chrome dyes and natural latex adhesive. It took me a long time to decide but I finally picked one for my living room and I love it, it’s the cat’s new favorite hangout too! I put together a great slideshow of photos for you to review and you can get all the details on my website; I can’t wait to hear what you think! For wholesale information you can contact info@chandrarugs.com. Thanks for spending time with me today, keep in touch!

All my best,
xoxo Amy”

WildbyDesign has wowed me this morning! I’m adoring the friendly Halloween Witch dress with oodles of beautiful applique. This dress is a sure winner for all those fun October parties and school events! I’m also in love with the striped leg warmers (sold separately). Dress is custom sized 2t-8!

Bid on the cuteness right here >>

For Additional Halloween Listings – don’t miss out on HANDMADE Search here:

If you were to grade my pantry on how healthy it is it would probably get about a B. We have lots of healthy food in there like all-natural peanut butter, almonds, olive oil, rolled oats but we also have a few not-so-healthy selections like Cocoa Puffs and the occasional box of  Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies. But our pantry just got a whole lot healthier with the addtion of family meal kits from The Healthy Pantry.

The Healthy Pantry believes that “many common lifestyle illnesses resulting from eating the Standard American Diet (high calorie/low nutrient density foods) can be prevented, remediated or reversed with four fundamental dietary changes:

1. Reducing overall glycemic load of diet


2. Upgrading quality of dietary fats


3. Avoiding chemical, artificial and highly processed food products, ingredients or additives


4. Increasing micronutrient content and variety in diet

I would love to give you the complete lowdown on how they do this with their pre-packaged meal kits but it would take the entire page. Believe me, their nutritional philosophy is worth the read. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll learn about nutrition and how your food choices could be affecting your family’s lifestyle.

I’m all for improving the quality of food I feed my family but it has always seemed a task requiring more work than I have time or energy for. That’s why I love The Healthy Pantry—their meal kits take very little time to prepare, use quality, natural whole foods and are backed by sound nutrition. Their meal kits are basically simple bags (and an applesauce cup or jar of chutney once in a while) you open and mix with an ingredient or two from your fridge. They have a huge selection of meals, from whole grain apple cinnamon pancakes to chicken tenders with apple-baked beans to oatmeal raisin cookies. And customers can review each meal so you know what others thought of the recipe before trying it. Though some of the prices may seem a bit high for a mix, take into account someone else is buying, measuring, chopping those all-natural, healthy, good-for-you ingredients so you don’t have to. That’s definitely worth it, especially when school is back in session and weeknights get crazy!

The Healthy Pantry sent us a few of their meal kits to test, and though I didn’t have time to test as many as I’d like, we did try out their whole grain oatmeal raisin cookies (a bestseller) and pineapple meatloaf. The oatmeal raisin cookies were a cinch for my 11-year-old to make even with the “help” of her little brother and sister, and they were super tasty even for a “healthy” cookie. The dough was a bit trick to work with when it came to scooping it onto a cookie sheet (a little on the dry/crumbly side so we had some runaway raisins) and we found the baking time was way off for our oven and size of cookies (about 11 minutes instead of 18). But I’ve managed to eat about half a dozen a day, so it’s a good thing it made a lot!

 

The pineapple meatloaf was quite possibly the easiest dinner I’ve made in weeks (except for the Stouffer’s enchiladas I baked the other night…but those are definitely not the healthiest meal!). A spice mix, a jar of chutney, three eggs and two pounds of ground turkey. I had been looking for a way to incorporate ground turkey into meatloaf but was scared to do so ever since my grandmother made a “turkey loaf” once. It scared me off ground turkey meatloaf for years! But this changed my whole perspective! The Healthy Pantry’s pineapple meatloaf had a wonderful blend of peppery spices and pineapple chutney, which made for a sweet and spicy meatloaf that was super moist and full of flavor. You couldn’t even tell it was ground turkey! I totally loved this new take on our traditional recipe, though two of my kids stayed true to Grandma’s version and turned up their noses at this one. What can I say? They love Grandma’s meatloaf!

 

I am anxious to try more of The Healthy Pantry’s meal kits and not just because they make meal prep easier. It’s about time I paid a little more attention to what I feed my family and The Healthy Pantry makes it easy to do so&mdashand with my life as it is now, I’m all about healthy and easy!—Emily

*** Giveaway The Healthy Pantry is giving away a $100 gift certificate for use in their online store! To enter to win you can do a few things:

• Become a fan of The Healthy Pantry on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you’re their newest fan.


• Visit their site and tell us which meal kit you would like to try.


• Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.


• Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with a link to your blog post.

We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: August 20, 2009 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

• Congratulations to Bonnie Walker, the winner of The Healthy Pantry giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

At least when it comes to Putumayo Kids and their collection of Playground CDs! We’ve reviewed quite a few Putumayo Kids CDs and the reason I keep featuring them on the Daily Dish is because I truly enjoy each and every one. But it’s not just about how parent-friendly I find these children’s CDs; it’s about how much I enjoy introducing my kids to fun, danceable, multicultural music.

The two newest additions to Putumayo Kids’ Playground collection is European Playground and Picnic Playground. European Playground is a fun romp across Europe with stops in places like Switzerland, France, Germany, England and Sweden…and the trip doesn’t stop there. I mentioned 15 songs so you’ll be transported to 15 different countries with their own unique sounds. My favorites are “Den Kanei Krio” from Greece, “Trampolin” from Finland and “Tudom Én Már Mit Csinálok” from Hungary.

Here is a wonderful video from London-based Herbie Treehead, who is featured on European Playground. His “Change Song” “explores a universal theme in a fresh, new way … notingm ‘We all have to change sometimes!’”

Herbie Treehead – “Change Song” from Putumayo World Music on Vimeo.

As much as I love European Playground I prefer to sink my teeth into Picnic Playground. Anything that involves music, fun and food from a variety of countries is super sweet to my ears! From the first song (“Eat Like a Rainbow”) to the last (“Milch”) you and your kids will be movin’ and groovin’ to songs from all over the world all about healthy eating. Usually on a CD there’s a song or two you don’t mind skipping but on this one, you’ll want to eat up each and every one. It’s all very picnic-y, and with a few weeks of summer still left, that means you still have some time to head outdoors with some cold chicken, potato salad and the sounds of Picnic Playground. Of course, with the long winter months we have in Utah we’ll be bustin’ out this CD in January for an indoor picnic so we can chase away those wintertime blues!

Right now Putumayo Kids is having a contest to celebrate the release of Picnic Playground! You can submit your favorite recipes here for the Picnic Playground Recipe Contest. The contest ends August 25th so hurry! Entries will be judged on 1) Originality 2) Cultural relevance 3) Kid-friendly appeal. The top 3 recipe winners will receive the Putumayo Kids CD collection and the winning recipes will be featured here on putumayokids.com!—Emily

*** Giveaway Putumayo Kids is giving away two sets of their European and Picnic Playground CDs! Please visit the Putumayo Kids website and listen to a few of their catchy tunes. Leave a comment telling us your favorite song from either European Playground or Picnic Playground; include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winners from the comments and contact them via email. Deadline: August 18, 2009 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

** For an extra entry, tweet about this giveaway and leave a separate comment with the URL to your tweet!

** For another extra entry, blog about this giveaway and leave a separate comment with a link to your blog!

• Congratulations to Sky and Jen, the winners of the Putumayo Kids giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

The Apronista is having the sweetest festival on her popular blog and you still have time to be a part of it!! Simply visit this link and enter your blog address. Now you’re signed up in the Linky directory to recieve all kinds of blog attention. Don’t forget to host a Giveaway of your own, prizes are a BEAUTIFUL thing!!

**Giveaway:For our own little contribution we’re going to offer one lucky commenter a FEATURE article on ApronADay!! That’s right, if you’ve been hankering to get noticed, we’ll share your (handmade or apron related) blog or shop with our readers and give you a little boost of attention. All you have to do is leave a comment here along with your url and email address. We’ll draw the winner at Midnight on August 7th!!

Good Luck and have fun visiting all the lovely blogs participating in Apronfest this year! Loads to see and win – its a feast for the eyes!

jennaclaireboutique on eBay has designed this incredible Halloween Minnie set for your little mouse lover.

“It looks like Minnie has a hard time deciding on her Halloween costume! Minnie is all dressed up five times on this appliqued dress. Perfect for a special fall trip to Disney, or anytime! The bodice also has a mouse pumpkin head with red polka dot leaves. The peasant top is included and the dress can of course be worn without a top underneath in very warm weather. Sizes available are 18 months to 8. We will need 3 weeks to finish your set.”
Click to Bid on this incredible Halloween set here >>

For Additional Halloween Listings – don’t miss out on HANDMADE Search here:

I haven’t purchased a lunchbox for my kids in a really long time. I was tired of en ever-growing collection of lunchboxes in various shades of pink and it seemed a waste to buy a new one every year when last year’s model still in perfect condition. Other than our newer Kids Konserve lunch bag, our current selection of lunchboxes don’t come with any sort of containers for food and snacks, which means we go through quite a few plastic bags, and in a world where we need to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible, it seems there are better alternatives out there. Fortunately I found one…and it’s stylish to boot!

I first discovered OOTS! when I reviewed their bbib back in October of 2006. It’s almost three years later and we’re still using our bbib—it’s one of our favorites because of it’s nearly full-coverage design. (I kind of wish they had a size that would fit my nine-year-old…) Because I’m already an OOTS! fan it was an easy decision (okay, I jumped at the chance) to review their newest product line consisting of super functional yet coolly modern lunchboxes.

We received the Deluxe version of the OOTS! Lunchbox in green, deluxe meaning it includes one large and four small containers. I love that those containers will cut down on our use of plastic bags so we can do our part to keep our carbon footprint in check. I love that the design offers a wide elastic strap that doubles as a placeholder for water bottle—a reusable one, of course! With your children’s health in mind, OOTS!’ lunchboxes uses materials that are food safe and kid-friendly; they’re made from BPA-free and phthalate-free polypropylene and safety tested for lead. Everything is dishwasher safe (hooray!) and even the containers are microwaveable.

When my son first caught hold of his new Lunchbox we had a lot of fun taking out and putting back the containers. Anything that entertains my son gets a thumbs-up in my book! The upright design proved pretty darn stable during playtime, which means it should do a great job keeping food from being tossed around. I hate when things get all mushed in a lunchbox! Here are a couple photos of George all excited about his new OOTS! Lunchbox:

I suggested washing the Lunchbox and its containers before using and George was all over that idea!

The Lunchbox comes in three different color combos: blue, green and orange. They are sold without the containers or as the Deluxe version, which is what we reviewed. (I recommend the Deluxe version; if you purchase the other you’re going to wish you had those containers!) What I love about the OOTS! lunchbox is that it’s kid friendly yet would make the perfect container for adults who enjoy packing their lunch for work or school. No hot pink stripes, polka dots or Barbie faces on these Dutch-designed, stylish-yet-functional lunchboxes!

*** Giveaway! OOTS! is giving away one Lunchbox Deluxe, winner’s choice! Please visit the OOTS! website and leave a comment telling us what other product you love. Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: August 13, 2009 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

** For a second entry tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.

** For a third entry blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

* PROMOTION! OOTS! is offering Daily Dish readers 30% off their dishes and bbibs! Simply use coupon code “oots30” (without the quotes) when checking out. Offer expires September 30, 2009.

• Congratulations to Eloise C., the winner of the OOTS! giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

I can’t get enough of momAgenda. I’ve reviewed a few of their items and I continue to sing the company’s praises. Their momAgenda planners are a lifesaver (my leopard-print one is sprawled open in front of me as I type) as is the Kitchen Folio (I can see it sitting next to my bread machine chock full of coupons, schedules and important info). So how could I resist a review of one of their newest products, the School Years organizer?

I’m not one to keep a lot of my children’s school work. Call me unsentimental or opposed to extra file cabinets, whatever the reason I’m big on keeping only the most important things from each school year. But even with the smaller collection I have it is still a bit disorganized, with pictures here, report cards there and masterpieces thrown into the mix. momAgenda’s School Years is a simple (yay, simple!) way to keep track of all the important info from each year of your child’s education, from Pre-K through 12th grade.

I received the School Years planner in aqua, the perfect color for George. Because he’s not yet in his Pre-K years I have yet to start filling it out, but I did browse through it and was amazed at how concise yet complete the information is. You have a separate 7” by 9” folder for each year of school, which holds a report card, class picture and even a writing sample or art sample. Similar to a baby book you have space to write interesting and pertinent info like age, height, weight and the all-important info like friends, activities and sports. I love that everything for every year is in one place—and it’s not a file cabinet or plastic crate. In typical momAgenda style, the School Years folder is designed to last all 13 years and then some. That means it will still be in perfect condition when you need to pull it out and show your son’s fiance his gap-toothed first-grade picture.

While you’re picking up a School Years organizer for each of your children, check out momAgenda’s other products, including their desk pads and family planners. Don’t wait until January 1st, 2010 to get organized when there’s no better time than now!—Emily

*** Giveaway! momAgenda is giving away one School Years folder, winner’s choice! Please visit the momAgenda site and leave a comment telling us what other momAgenda product(s) you love. Leave a comment with a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: August 11, 2009 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

* For second entry tweet about this giveaway and leave a separate comment with the tweet’s URL.

* For a third entry blog about this giveaway and leave a separate comment with a link to your blog post.

• Congratulations to lise, the winner of the momAgenda giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

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