I love when I get to review skin care products. I’m kind of a skin care junkie (not as much as a jeans or shoes junkie, but close). When I read about Terralina’s natural skin care products on Cool Mom Picks, I wanted to give this skin care line a test run for our readers. I’m always on the lookout for natural-yet-effective skin care products because I still lean toward your higher end, over-the-counter skin care lines.

First a bit about Terralina:

At Terralina, we believe that what goes onto your skin, goes into your body. ... We bring you the most luxurious and effective skincare, without the use of harsh or harmful ingredients, such as parabens, PEGs, silicone, mineral oils, ethoxylates, glycols, acrylates, or artificial fragrance. ... All of our products are at least 98.65% natural. Instead of using silicone, we created a natural emulsification process based on the wonders of olive oil. We used botanical extracts and witch hazel instead of detergents and sulfates.

But what you really want to know is what I thought of Terralina’s cleanser, toner, exfoliator and moisturizer, right? That’s what I thought! Well, after trying the skin regimen for a couple weeks I will say my skin felt healthier overall. The moisturizer was really light, which I like, and the toner was refreshing. The exfoliator was gentle yet did the trick of buffing and polishing. I only had two hangups: one, the cleanser didn’t do a great job of removing eye makeup. I often had to wash two or three times—gently of course—to remove my eyeliner and mascara. And two, without my morning ritual of Aveeno Clear Complexion cleanser I did breakout just a little bit around hormone time (more so than usual).

But for an all-natural line of skin care, Terralina is not only a great option but also an affordable one. At around $20 for the cleanser, toner and exfoliator and $40 for the moisturizer, it’s a great deal for something your skin will love. Plus I did notice Terralina products go really far—a little dab will do ya!—Emily

P.S. Right now Terralina is offering a buy one get one free special on their site. Buy one product and get a second identical product FREE!

P.P.S. Terralina is offering Daily Dish readers 10% off their orders plus free shipping with code BOUTIQUECAFE10 at checkout!

***Giveaway! Terralina is giving away one Ultimate Collection gift set ($100 value)!***

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 Terralina.com and tell us what most impressed you about the company and/or its products.
•  ”Like” Terralina on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did.
•  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: October 7, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

• Congratulations to Lisa L., the winner of the Terralina 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!

Nothing says “Autumn” like pumpkins, and my amazing friend (and Mompreneur) Sandi Henderson is selling her downloadable Pumpkin pattern on her beautiful website right now!

Sandi is a Queen of design, she createseverything from fabric to patterns to gift boxes…she even has a BOOK! That’s right, she’s amazing and now we can all have a little piece of Sandi’s style in our own homes. I am totally in love with these pumpkins. If you make one please blog about it and then post the linky here so we can come by and marvel at the Fall cuteness!!

Celebrate by lighting a spicy candle and sewing a little pumpkin patch. Included are the pattern and instructions for the Small Sculpted Pumpkin, Medium Sculpted Pumpkin and Large Sculpted Gourd. Also included are the instructions to make any size Tufted Pumpkin.

This pattern is available as a PDF download. The file will be emailed when your order is complete.

Our Annual Holiday Gift Guide is just about ready to make it’s Grand Appearance once again! We love hosting this guide each holiday shopping season for our eager shoppers as well as offering this venue to sell for our outstanding friends in business. If you have a shop or website that would like to be included in the Gift Guide this year please email me directly at: daria@boutiquecafe.com for details and put “Holiday Gift Guide” in the subject line.

We make inclusion easy, affordable and fun for small business owners! After all, that’s what we love more than anything at Boutique Cafe, helping businesses get noticed and doing so shouldn’t cost a fortune. We’re here to help and we love supporting you.

Let’s make it an outstanding year once again! – Daria

Have you begun your Holiday shopping? Whether you have or haven’t, add Naked Tree Toys to your list because if you’re like me, you love wonderful, natural toys for your children (or grandchildren!).

Naked Tree Toys makes heirloom quality blocks that are “naked” meaning there’s nothing on them. No varnish, no paint, no dyes, no lead, nada. Just their beech wood beauty shining and untouched. Obviously, they’ve been sanded and their edges aren’t sharp. When the packaged arrived, my husband, daughter and I gathered round to open it up and then we all played together. Any toy that can bring my entire family together and encourage play receives 5 gold stars in my books! And, not only does my one year-old happily play with the blocks but my friend’s 11 year-old son quite enjoyed building a big ol’ city. And Holly, my daughter, enjoyed playing Godzilla when he was done!

Naked Tree Toys is a husband and wife run company based out of Utah. Their imaginations started rolling when they say how much their 6 children enjoyed the block set that their father played with as a child. Naked Tree Toys have kept their manufacturing local and they package their blocks in brown paper and a string, reducing their waste.

On their website, Naked Tree Toys has the funnest description of themselves. I dare you not to giggle, even just a little:

Was that a gasp? We know. It’s hard not to stare. I mean, really. How often do you come across something 100% naked? The thing is, when you look this good- it’s hard to cover up. So we don’t.

You know what they say, when you’ve got it, flaunt it. And we do. We just can’t help it. We love our flaws…they mean we are real. A knot here, a vein there. It’s all good. And hey, we get smoother with age and handling- we all know not everyone can say that.

So stare away friends, stare away. And then, when the staring just isn’t enough, bring us into your home & pass us around. Build us up, knock us down. Even chew on us if you feel like it. We won’t mind. It just adds character.

The blocks really, truly are beautifully made. And I honestly believe that one day, my grandchildren will enjoy playing with them. In the meantime, my children will be developing as they play with these blocks, starting with sucking on the little blocks, then banging them together and then, one day, building cities. I highly recommend you pick up a set for your children. You can purchase the blocks on Etsy or from Naked Tree Toy’s website. The sets start at $89. And if you’d like to learn a little bit more about this company there was an article written about them in the Deseret News. -Katie

I love love love seeing all these adorable children in their boutique clothing and accessories! In Who’s Wearing Boutique? this week we’re spotlighting Kaitlin in Kait Emerson Designs, Matilda wearing Way Cool Kid, a darling baby girl wearing Pierce Street boutique, and two darling kiddos in CutiePies Couture! Thanks to our active and awesome Facebook Group members for sending in these fantastic photos of your kids sporting their boutique finery!

Kaitlin 5yr (see right image)
Wearing -Kait Emerson Designs “Sweet Clothing for Modern Kids”
Facebook Fan Page
Submitted by her proud Mom: Feanna Otta

Here’s sweet little Matilda wearing an upcycled chic jacket and darling shirt dress from WayCoolKid.com(see left image)
Submitted by her proud Dad: Thomas

Hee Hee! Oh this darling little baby wearing her Tutu and hairbow by Pierce Street Boutique
Submitted by her proud mom: Melissa

And finally these two sweet kiddos wearing their warm and wonderful fall/winter clothing from Cutiepies Couture!
Submitted by proud mom: Kori

I love it when I find children’s CDs that keep my kids entertained in the car and at the same time keep me from wanting to pull my hair out. We mostly need these awesome CDs when driving around town running errand after errand because that seems to make everyone grumpy.

This summer I found my kids becoming repeat listeners (much better than repeat offenders) of Take It Outside by the Okee Dokee Brothers and The best Candy in the Whole World by Bill Harley. One is a lot country and bluegrass with some pop mixed in, while the other is an enchanting collection of stories and song.

The Okee Dokee Brothers (Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing) have done a great job combining some downright catchy bluegrass music with make-you-smile lyrics for a CD that has our entire family singing. We know the words to our faves like “Bluegrass for Breakfast” and “Neighbors” (Lauren’s favorite line is about the women who only eats meat because killing vegetables is cruel) and sing along every time they’re played. I love the songs that do a little teaching amidst the lyrics like “Antidisestablishmentarianism” and “What We Got.”

The only thing Take It Outside is lacking is a local live performance by the Okee Dokee Brothers. Looking at pictures and videos on their site and hearing the music in the car makes me really wish we could take a trip to their hometown in Colorado and see them in person. I guarantee we’d be singing right along with them!

As for a great storyteller, look no further than Bill Harley, the Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, storyteller, author and playwright. Called “the Mark Twain of contemporary children’s music” by Entertainment Weekly, he also ought to be called the Mark Twain of children’s storytelling. His storytelling skills are in full force in The Best Candy in the Whole World. I was honestly surprised when my kids—all ages—sat quietly while Harley weaved his tale about a boy and a magic piece of candy and the chaos that ensued at his school. They listened to the entire thing and then begged for more. For the most part my kids listened to that 67-minute CD from start to finish without a peep. And they’ve listened to it many time since then. It is heaven when Harley’s telling his stories.

The Best Candy in the Whole World has a total of 5 stories, a couple of which are songs. I’d say my favorite two are “A Walk Around the Block” and “Jack and the Singing Leaves.” That last one even had my husband chuckling in places throughout the story. I can see why Harley has been a long-time contributor to NPR’s “All Things Considered” and performs nationally at venues ranging from concert halls to classrooms.

Summer road trips may be nearing their end but the holidays (and Grandma’s house) are just around the corner. I’d stock up now on these two little goodies so you can preserve a little of your sanity as you head over the river and through the woods this winter.—Emily

*** Giveaway! We’re giving away one (1) set of Take It Outside and The Best Candy in the Whole World (one CD of each)! ***

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; please leave a separate comment for each one you do:

•   Tell us your favorite road trip of 2010 so far.
•   ”Like” BOTH the Okee Dokee Brothers (here) AND Bill Harley (here) on Facebook.
•   Follow the Okee Dokee Brothers 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 30, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

• Congratulations to Lisa L., the winner of the CD gift set 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!

...as long as the Nutrimeal shake is Dutch Chocolate. At least that’s the case in our home.

USANA sent us samples of their Nutrimeal shakes in Dutch Chocolate, Wild Strawberry and French Vanilla for a review on Boutique Cafe’s Daily Dish. My daughter, who loves a good protein shake, opted to be the official reviewer and I was more than happy to let her have a go at it.

First, a bit about USANA’s new meal replacement shakes. The newly reformulated Nutrimeal is a low-GI nutritional drink mix that contains 12 grams of high-quality soy protein in every serving. It also has guaranteed levels of naturally occurring isoflavones, which help retain calcium, and provides 8 grams of dietary fiber per serving. Sounds like a fabulous meal replacement, but the usual question is, does it taste good?

Well, Lauren started with the Dutch Chocolate. She added some water to our awesome Blender Bottle (see our review on that here), threw in the couple scoops of protein powder…

...and gave it a good shake!

After a little shimmying and shaking, it was all mixed and ready to go.

The verdict? The Dutch Chocolate was yummy, though she tried it with milk the next time for an even creamier and tastier concoction. The Wild Strawberry, which she tried the next day, was her second favorite and the French Vanilla was a no go. It hasn’t been touched since her first sip. I’d have to agree, but I’m a chocolate lover through and through!

Lauren went through USANA’s Nutrimeal in Dutch Chocolate pretty quickly while the bag of whey protein we purchased elsewhere has just sat on the pantry shelf. And there it still sits. The only thing keeping me from picking up another bag of Nutrimeal is the price. At around $50 a bag for 9 servings (almost $6/serving), it’s a bit out of my budget.

Of course, if you are going to do the Nutrimeal thing, be sure and pick up a Blender Bottle to go with it. They do make the perfect pair!—Emily

*** Giveaway! USANA is giving away one Blender Bottle with a shake packet and nutrition bar! ***

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; please leave a separate comment for each one you do:

•  Leave a comment telling us your favorite flavor of protein shake, and if you don’t do protein shakes, your favorite meal replacement option.
•  ”Like” USANA on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did.
•  Follow USANA 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 28, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

• Congratulations to Nancy D., the winner of the Nutrimeal 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’ve recently discovered the beauty of a good quality backpack carrier. I’ve had the chance to try out Kokopax’s Eco-classic carrier (in the sprouts print – isn’t so cute?!) Folks, it’s great. It makes me want to hike, which is definitely sayin’ something!

The first time I used it, I used it because I needed to do some serious floor mopping. So into the carrier Holly went and away I went on my housework mission. It was a bit uncomfortable, but that wasn’t the carrier’s fault. That was due to being bent at 120 degree angle with a 20 lb baby on my back. The point is, I was able to get this chore done and at the time, it was really important that I finished it.

My brother, John, recently used it when he came to visit. He, Holly and I went to the Red Rocks Amplitheatre just west of Denver. If you’ve been there, you know how many steps there are. John carried Holly and he found it to be totally comfortable and easy as long as she wasn’t kicking him in the bum! It was the perfect solution. Holly could see everything we could see and she really enjoyed herself! Who doesn’t love a new perspective?

I think my favourite part about the eco-classic carrier, is that the fabric is printed with a combination of Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and GOTS certified dyes. Let me translate, I don’t have to worry about my child sucking on the fabric because the dyes aren’t harmful. And we all know that babies especially are going to suck on their backpack carriers! Add to that the durable 100% cotton canvas and we’ve found ourselves a safe, wonderful product that will withstand many, many children! Oh, and it only weighs 3 lbs. So even the wimpiest of Moms (like me) can handle the carrier, easily.

One thing I do feel that this is missing is an attached shade provider, but I guess a good wide-brimmed hat solves that problem and Kokopax also makes baby sunhats. They also make totes and organic accessories.

Overall, I found this product to be excellent and I highly recommend it. It’s great for hiking or for just getting things done around the house. The founder, Sarah, made this product because she and her husband used an outdated backpack carrier for everything – cooking, travelling, attending school activities…!

Make sure you sign up for Kokopax’s Twitter feed as well as “like” them on facebook to receive news and special promotions! – Katie

****Kokopax has offered a special promotion code to our Readers. Enter code “boutiquecafe2010” to get 10% off any order! Expires October 4, 2010****

I must tell you I’m quite honoured to be asked to play Mad Libs with all the “cool kids” on Emily’s blog “Is This Really My Life” today! I’ve never played Mad Libs before in my life, and it’s been excruciating waiting to see how my answered filled in those blanks. LOL! I must admit that it’s taking ALL of my self control not to request a “DO OVER” and send new words now. I’ll try to control myself though. Emily sent over on the request for a certain number of NOUNS, ADJECTIVES etc. and filled them all in.

I definitely laughed at the end when it asked for someone else in the room. All I could think of was Mindy Gledhill because her music has been filling my studio non-stop. That TOTALLY counts right?!!

Thanks for the fun Emily and for featuring a bit about my life too – I sure do love you! XOXO Daria

Please swing over to “Is This Really My Life” and check out my feature

It’s always a joy for me to share news or an interview with designer and friend Amy Butler. Spring Market 2010 brought many exciting things for Amy to share with us, especially Soul Blossoms her gorgeous new colour rich fabric line. (Amy’s Honey Bun Poufs, Yarn, Wallpaper and more are also featured in this video interview).

Stepping up to the mic once again for us is our incredible Star Correspondent, the beautiful Bari J. Ackerman. Bari took Quilt Market by storm, and we had the privilege of seeing much of it through her eyes. Thank you so much Bari for stepping in and interviewing so many designers for Boutique Cafe!!

Amy Butler Wall Paper Collection available online through Graham & Brown>>

** Click button below to view video coverage, or view it on our YouTube channel right here>>

I don’t know how many sippy cups we’ve purchased/used/lost/found but it’s a lot—more than I’d probably care to admit. Through the sippy cup adventure I’ve definitely figured out which ones are my favorite, and they usually involve a valve-less design because my little ones can get nearly all the liquid out (decreasing the occurrences of fermented OJ). Any cup that does that is a friend of mine, and that’s why ZoLi’s BOT cup and I are friends.

ZoLi’s BOT uses this super cool straw technology (sort of a weighted ball at the end of the straw) that moves toward the liquid when your child tilts her cup. That means she can sip every single drop and you won’t be holding your nose when you find that cup under the passenger seat of your car. While the ZoLi BOT has your sanity in mind, it also has your child’s health in mind. The cup is BPA-free and phthalate-free and made of polypropylene; the straw is made from food-grade silicone and a stainless steel weighted ball.

ZoLi sent us the BOT cup in green (it is now available in orange and a yummy hot pink) and my two little ones of course fought over who got to use it first. George won that mini battle but Livi won the war because she’s used it ever since. And yes, she got every last drop of liquid out of that cup. I also found it didn’t leak and was easy to clean (dishwasher safe—yay!). The only thing I wish ZoLi offered with the BOT is a larger size. At three years old, it wasn’t nearly big enough for Livi or George and I’m too lazy to keep filling it up as the drain it.

ZoLi is known for innovative children’s products, from reusable silicone placemats to super cool teethers and on-the-go snack cups. They’re all about your baby’s health and making parents’ lives easier:

Through a dedication to environmentally friendly manufacturing, we provide parents with premium products made from the safest and best possible materials, ensuring a healthier future for your baby.

ZoLi’s products blend substance, sustainability, and style for a modern design that both reflects and enhances it’s utility. Creating products to make parent’s lives easier while growing a greener future for their children.

This was my first summer venturing into the world of sprint triathlons and I quickly learned the importance of staying hydrated. The same went for my start in spin class—I must sweat about two full gallons every class! Because most sport drinks were too sweet for me, I pretty much stuck with water. The couple times I tried a packet of powdered electrolyte drink mix, I ended up with half of it on the counter or all over my backpack and the taste left something to be desired. (No surprise there.)

When I discovered nuun at our local REI store, I was intrigued by the tiny container filled with calorie-free electrolyte tablets about twice the size of a typical Tums. Plus the flavor selection was pretty impressive: banana, orange ginger, tri-berry, tropical and kona colada to name a few. I immediately contacted nuun and they were happy to send me a couple tubes and a nuun reusable water bottle so I could try out this tablet of fun for Daily Dish readers.

Before my take on nuun tabs, here’s a little info:

• nuun comes in a tough tube that is water resistant and perfect for carrying in your hand, bike jersey, pack…wherever. 1 tube = 6 litres (~1.5 gallons).


• nuun is an effervescent so that it dissolves quickly and ends up properly mixed (no need for you to shake). Once dissolved, it’s not fizzy.


• nuun produces a hypotonic solution so that your body will absorb nuun faster than the leading “sports drinks” or even water alone. Your body is able to restore optimal water and electrolyte balance more quickly.


• nuun provides 700mg of sodium for every litre of drink . This amount, in addition to the other critical electrolytes contained in every nuun tablet, ensures that you are adequately replenishing your body’s stores to help you perform at your best and stay healthy.

Plus I’ve also read in more than a few places that nuun helped prevent cramping, headaches and other side effects of serious training and intense activity. Now that’s cool.

I dropped a tri-berry nuun tab into my water bottle before spin class one morning and I will say I wasn’t a huge fan at first. The berry taste was good but it still had some fizziness going on—and I don’t do fizzy unless it’s Diet Coke in the afternoon. It took a lot longer for that tab to stop effervescing than I thought it would, but once it did (about mid spin class) I really did enjoy the taste. It was not overpowering like that Gator stuff and it was a nice change from plain ol’ water. Plus I knew those two gallons of sweat I lost in positions two and three on that bike meant my body needed some electrolyte action…and nuun had that and more.

I later tried the lemon lime flavor and found it too took a little while to de-fizz. I did prefer the berry, but I prefer berry in general when it comes to flavored water. I was not brave enough to try the banana even though I love bananas. I banana-flavored drink just didn’t sound appealing, but I should give it a try because I’ll probably be pleasantly surprised.

(Note: I tried the banana flavor today. Dropped it in my water bottle, added some ice and within a half hour it was no longer fizzy. And surprise, surprise, I really liked this flavor! I might even like it more than the tri-berry!)

I do love the portability of nuun, especially when you’re doing all-day activities like 100-mile bike rides (I have yet to do that but may some day!), hiking, camping and crazy things like Iron Man triathlons. Another great thing about nuun’s product is its eco-friendliness. Just one of those recyclable tubes represents 12 less plastic bottles ever being made or used. Oh, and another nifty thing? “nuun turns every water source into optimal hydration.” Just fill, drop and go!

If you’re tired of watering down your sports drink or sneezing every time you open one of those powdered drink packets (or are uncoordinated like myself and need something that’s easy to add to your water bottle), nuun is a must-have addition to your active lifestyle. Your body—and your backpack—will thank you for switching to nuun. Promise.

Holly and I have been playing with Grimm’s Wooden Horse and Pull-Along Wagon. We’ve really enjoyed. Holly’s just now beginning to understand that things with wheels can roll on the floor so I anticipate many more years of fun with this toy. I really like that the toys are so light weight. They’re easy for Holly to pick up and handle and I don’t have to worry too much about her dropping them on her foot and hurting herself. They seem to be lightweight because of softer wood so dents can happen, but I think that that kind of thing just adds to the charm of a toy. The wagon is a beautiful, vibrant red. I’ve found that it’s not super common to have colorful wooden toys, so I’ve enjoyed this little perk. I think it’s wonderful to have some solid-colored toys so that I may help Holly learn her colors at a young age. And the dyes used by Grimm’s are completely harmless. And did you know that bacteria cannot reproduce on wood? I sure didn’t!

Here’s what Grimms stands for:

Our intend is to develop long-lasting toys, whose simple and reduced shape together with its beautiful coloring and inviting surface feel can be used for all ages – Products that want to be touched, again and again and which communicate our credo: Joy through color!

I love, love, love Eleven Collection children’s shoes. Don’t believe me? Check out this review or this review. The shoes are fun and fashionable and perfect for growing feet. The pairs we’ve reviewed in the past are still going strong. These babies last forever, or at least through two kids so far!

Eleven Collection’s Fall line is chock full of yummy colors and styles. From ruffly red Mary Janes to handsome black suede boots, your child can go back to school (or to holiday parties) in style. Here’s a little tidbit about Eleven from a past review:

Eleven shoes feature soft leather uppers and flexible, durable rubber soles for traction. With a cushioned insole and easy on-and-off Velcro or zipper closures, the shoes are just as child friendly as they are style friendly. Plus they are low maintenance (wish my kids were too) because the high-quality leather makes them naturally water resistant. You only need to use a mild detergent or leather cleaner to and damp rag to keep them looking their Sunday best.

Designed for children ages 3 to 8 years, Eleven Collection shoes are a must for your little one’s shoe bucket (or shelf or basket or whatever you use to hold them all). Though a bit higher priced, these babies last so long and through so many little feet you’ll definitely earn back your original investment. Of course if you’re like me and love every single design, you may buy far too many to do so.—Emily

*** Giveaway! Eleven Collection is giving away one pair of shoes, 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; please leave a separate comment for each one you do:

•  Visit ElevenCollection.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite shoe.
•  ”Like” Eleven Collection on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.
•  Follow Eleven Collection 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 17, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

• Congratulations to Meredith A., the winner of the Eleven Collection 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!

Nowadays you’ll find a lot of ways to do announcements and invitations, from high-end, super custom (pricey) to low-end, DIY (a lot less pricey). No matter the company, large or small, online or off, I have a feeling only a small percentage of them are eco-friendly and an even smaller number are as eco-friendly as Paper Culture.

The more I learn about Paper Culture’s eco-friendly collection and the company itself, the more impressed I am. Take this excerpt from their site:

Paper Culture cards aren’t just made from recycled paper, they are made from 100% post consumer recycled paper, so no new trees are ever cut down to produce your cards. Our Cards to Trees program plants a tree in a U.S. National Forest for every order placed. And we’ve donated a portion of all sales to Paper Culture Cares, our foundation that promotes sustainability, family and education.

I bet you’re just as impressed as I am and you haven’t even seen the designs yet. Here, let me show you a few:

Super fun, huh? And guess what else is super fun? Comparing them to other companies using this handy comparison chart on their site. Unlike other companies, Paper Culture’s designers personally review every order and will work with you to make sure the layout’s just right. They will also address and mail your envelopes for free (you just pay the cost of the stamps—no hidden fees). Oh, and they use 130lb paper and offer rounded corners on every order at no extra charge. Gotta love that!

I also love reminding you of Paper Culture’s super eco-friendliness:

Don’t get me wrong. I love websites like Shutterfly, but I think I’ll be using them mainly for prints and photo books from now on. When it comes to invites, announcements or greeting cards, I’m going with Paper Culture—and planting trees.—Emily

*** Giveaway! Paper Culture is giving away one (1) $50 gift certificate! ***

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; please leave a separate comment for each one you do:

•  Visit PaperCulture.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite design or for what event you’d most likely use them.
•   “Like” Paper Culture on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did.
•  Follow Paper Culture 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 16, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

• Congratulations to Kim L., the winner of the Paper Culture 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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tags Baby Toys, Gifts, Holiday Ideas, north star toys, toys, wooden toy