Chloe + Isabel Jewelry Review and #Giveaway

Our author Liz is a merchandiser for Chloe + Isabel, a company that creates beautiful jewelry and fragrances for women of all personalities and jewelry loves. “Chloe” jewelry is fashion forward and trendy. “Isabel” pieces are timeless and understated. Are you a Chloe, an Isabel, or a Chloe-bel (a combination of the two)?

From Liz: The company focuses on a girlfriend philosophy – the merchandisers are here to help you choose pieces that fit your style just as a great girl friend would. We want you to be excited about your purchases and feel the C+I love, just as we do. In order to introduce you to my passion for C+I, I want to show you some of the pieces I have so you can see just how beautiful they are and how versatile they can be. After I show you some of the fantastic options Chloe + Isabel offers, I’m going to post a give away, so get ready to be excited!

Jewels come in all price ranges, starting at $18 and going all the way up to $188 (for these gorgeous torsade necklaces that are major statement pieces that bring out all the compliments when you wear them). Most recently the Moroccan Summer collection of jewelry was released and it is pretty hot. Lots of turquoise, lots of color, but also some amazing statement pieces from the Isabel side that you’ll love just as much as I do.

So what do you have coming up? A dinner party you want to flash your jewels at? A graduation? A date night out with your love? I can help you find something that fits for any occasion – just ask! Husbands and boyfriends – I can help you find a fantastic little something for your love that can make her smile as well. Email me or contact me on Facebook and we can chat.

So let’s see some flash, some color, and some beautiful pieces…

Everyday pieces on Liz

Just going to the grocery store is all...

Like what you see? View my online boutique and let me know what jumps out at you. There’s so much to look at. My personal wish list is pages long. And I’ve found that wearing my C+I jewels makes me more excited about getting ready for work or that trip to the store because I get to match my jewelry to my clothes (and my makeup to complement the look). These pieces can pair with jeans and a t-shirt just as well as they can pair with a work shirt, dress, or party ensemble.

Now for the giveaway! One lucky winner will receive a free pair of earrings of their choice (up to a $30 value). So scope through the online catalog and decide which you would choose if you were to win. Once the giveaway is over, I will email you for your shipping info and send you your lovelies! Keep in mind that something may sell out between then and now, so you might want to come up with two favorites just in case. The giveaway runs from Thursday, May 22 at 12:01 a.m. Central to Thursday, June 5 at 11:59 p.m. Be sure to enter and share!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Maggie Bag Campus Tote Giveaway Ends June 2

Sponsored by:

Maggie Bags

Hosted by:

NYSavingSpecials

Co-hosted by:

Barbara's Beat, What's Up? - Reviews and Giveaways, Thrifty 4nsic Gal, Michigan Savings and More, Hope in the Healing, Simply Sherryl, My Silly Little Gang, Life With My Two Kids, Sweet Sensible Scents, Frugal Mommy Christine, Enter Online Sweeps, Tabbys Pantry, Libby's Library, Brooke Blogs and Love, Iris

One lucky winner will win:

Maggie Bag Campus Tote

Value $85

Date: May 19   12:01am - June 2 11:59pm

Valid only in the Continental United States

Void where prohibited

18 years or older to enter/only 1 entrant per household

 Winner is chosen through random.org

All entries are optional.

All winning entries will be verified.

Have you seen these fantastic bags? Maggie Bags are purses made from repurposed seat belts and they have amazing and beautiful designs. Enter to win one for yourself or for a gift! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway




Disclaimer: Mamas Around the House is not responsible for the awarding of the prize.  If you have any questions about this giveaway, please email the host at nysavingspecials@gmail.com.  This blog, Facebook, Twitter or any other social media network is not associated with this giveaway.

EZLeaps Shoe Tying Tool Review

Today our own Mama Lisa reviews a product that she received for free to review to help her girls learn to tie their shoes. The views and experiences here are her own.

Pixy has been after me to teach her to tie her shoes. Honestly, I hated when I had to learn because it was tough! I attended private Catholic school and they needed those laces done a certain way. Le sigh!! Enter EZLeaps Shoe Tying Tool!!!

EZ Leaps Shoe Tying Tool

Aren't they cute?! I loved the colorful prints, which will make it easy to identify for a child. The prints do come in sports themes, horses, animals...in short, every theme that children like. The tools have a spot on the back for your child's name and date, so you can remember when they first tied their shoes. They also come equipped with a hole on the upper left corner to stick a carabiner clip in, so they can take it to school with them! Recipe for success, huh? Now, at first glance they look delicate but they are made for hearty use and can bend with the movements of the laces, in order to make a perfect tying job each time. In addition, EZ Leaps has a video tutorial that you can watch with your child in order to get the steps right! Easy peasy.

Seems we have success on sunny days here when trying new things so, here is what we did:


Pixy is using my kicks because she needs to strengthen up her hands (we play copious amounts of Operation to get those fine motor skills going). The grin is indicative of how proud this tool is making her feel. It really does drive home the fact that they are doing it by themselves!

What a grin!

Pixy got the bunny ears going on her own. She needed a reminder to keep them pinched tight for her next step. No frustration noted in her, she really was trying hard to concentrate and do it.

Bunny ears

This was probably the hardest part! Pixy has been practicing and has been getting better and better, but making the knot was a little difficult. No frustration noted though. She started squealing that she got it!

The knot

Here's the final step! Pull up the tool and the laces with a perfect tie go right through. She did it!! Pixy did twenty some laps around the backyard squealing because she did it with minimal help. She was so proud she could bust!

Finished!

Tah-dah!!!

 As a mama, I have been having fun with these lessons. Not frustrating, a couple minutes practice each time. What's not to love? I also think that this tool will be helpful for Banshee when she requests to tie her own shoes. We're all for that!  Pretty soon, Pixy won't ask me for help with tying her shoes and will feel independent. We love strong independent chicks here...although, we're a little sad that growing up is happening faster and faster every day. Notice her tooth gap there? Sigh!


Good luck and if you visit the EZ Leaps website for more shoe-tying goodness (they make a  'stop thumb sucking' tool too called Thumbkin), tell them the MATHs sent you!!

Do you have questions about how it works? Learn more about the product and how it was developed here from founder Eileen Sloan and on their blog.

Happy shoe tying everyone!

What We Learned (May 18, 2014 edition)

How can we already be into May? Time flies by so fast. What did you learn or experience this week that stood out? Every Sunday the Mamas share their experiences with you - be sure to share with us in the Comments.

Robyn:
1. I have learned what outstanding BBQ is like! Being from Texas, I know my beef and sausage. I've had some good ones before, but nothing beats 'Hard Eight' in Stephenville, Texas. Their brisket fell apart when I tried to pick it up with my fork. An hour later, the food coma was totally worth it!

2. Some people cannot be reasoned with. "Lime of my light with pops and orchids to the angry peddler"
WHAT?!
Exactly, I don't get them either.

3. I've learned that it is now the time to search for a bigger vehicle, considering only one of our cars fits all 6 of us! Nothing new, no payments, and it has to have a third row. Not too much to ask, right?! Thankfully, the hubs is super patient and a good deal finder. Now if only he can please the queen bee. Hmmm. Only time will tell.

Lisa:

1. Unexpected surprise at Hippotherapy!! Turns out Banshee's horse was pregnant! Here is Beauty with her unnamed baby girl:

Beauty and her baby girl

2. This awesomeness happened!! Banshee is carrying her baby brother and using him as a compression vest. It was a really cute sight to see. She was very proud of herself and he was super comfy.

Banshee carrying Cubby

3. We had an interesting but busy week here! We decided to make plans for summer and think about things we want to do. The girls want to plant more flowers in the yard. Cubby just wants food. Sailor wants the moss in the yard to go away. I want to just read without stopping. The wolves want to eat the groundhogs that visit our yard and I've saved a zillion times. It's so hard to stop nature from doing her thing but I NEED to intervene. Sometimes being cruel is a sport, Mother Nature. Take some Midol and relax! ;)

Liz:
1. Classes are over for the semester which is nice for both the students and for the faculty. This year I signed up to teach Maymester, which starts Monday (the Monday after finals end for the regular spring semester). I'm not sure what I was thinking. Actually, I am sure - my parents are coming to visit in June and I didn't want to be teaching face-to-face classes while they were here, so I got it done during Maymester (which ends the day before they get here). This is the first year I've actually realized I need a break from teaching though. I am officially tired. Not like "need a new job" tired, but just..."need a vacation" tired.

2. I was awarded tenure this week which is a great accomplishment. There's a rigorous process we go through at our school where we're reviewed by other faculty and administrators for the 5 years prior to tenure and then the November before tenure all our "stuff" (tests, syllabi, student evaluations, participation on campus/volunteer work, etc.) is evaluated. I'm glad the process is over. And it doesn't mean I can sit back and do nothing, which is what some people think "tenure" means. It simply means I'm "vested" with my company, so to speak.

3. I am loving working as a merchandiser for Chloe + Isabel - their products are great and people seem to really enjoy them when they buy and receive them. I have to keep myself from buying too much product myself though! But can you ever have too much nice jewelry? Really?

Now you - comment below in the Comments area and let us know one thing that you learned or that was exciting or different this week.

Why do I do this to myself?

Sunday: I ate way too much this weekend and drank too much beer. Come tomorrow, I'm going soda, gluten, and sugar free. No wait, Robyn, be real. Forever leave the threat of chocolate alone!

Thats it! I've had it. This week, starting Monday I'm starting a different eating lifestyle. There will be protein shakes when I get hungry and it's not a mealtime, and chugging glasses of water in between meals to stay full. 

...Monday ends...I feel great! Not ingesting GMO food into my body makes me feel like a working machine. I've successfully been supermom. Grocery shopping is done, dishes are clean, the kids are in bed, the husband and I got some alone time, and it seems I've satisfied everyone today. 

...Tuesday begins...waking up even 15 minutes later than usual adds a little stress, and who wants a stressful morning? Green tea + extra sugar, check! By lunch, I'm dragging ass and find myself in the McDonald's. 

"Can I have a large coke please?"

"Yes, would you also like 2 chocolate chip cookies for a dollar?"

(Fuck) "Yes please, and that's all"

After picking kids up, running to the grocery store for stuff I forgot yesterday,  taking kids to practice, and normal dinner/clean up, I find a beer in my hand. 

"How did that Shiner get there? Does it really matter? oh well, I've already broken the gluten rule with cookies today. Screw it." Gulp gulp! 

You get the trend, right? It's more of a 'holding myself to something strict that I know I'm not really going to follow' thing. So, why? Why do I do that? 

Here's why:

I try to be supermom. ALL THE TIME. (It never pans out the way I have visions in my head.) I have expectations that are rarely met. I expect my kids to sit down in chairs in the doctors office without being reminded. I expect that no matter what, I will have the willpower to say no to sugar, chocolate and alcohol all at once. I expect myself to be a machine, just taking care of business, and not react emotionally during the day. When all of those things don't happen, that lone piece of sugar will always be there.

 I call it a 'Mommy moment of future regret' and it's those moments (no matter what form) that make me normal and happy. That moment, where a break takes a couple of minutes, so that I can recharge my batteries and regroup my thoughts. 

Never feel guilty for taking time for yourself. You are the foundation for your family. If you crack, the whole structure will break, and what's left will never be aligned correctly ('Mommy is going to run away to Barbados and just leave all of you!) It doesn't mean that the foundation can't be chipped away by wear and tear over the years (I hate you, Mom -adolscent kid) But, it's important to make necessary repairs (Botox my friends!) fix what is broken (chop those split ends off) and maintain the base (having dinner with friends on a monthly basis to remember who you are) of what holds the family together.