Saturday, May 18, 2013

Blessed Life Boutique Giveaway! FOUR PRIZES!




  I've been talking about my new Kitsy Lane accessories shop, Blessed Life Boutique, for a while now and I figured it's about time I give you the chance to win a few items.  

Blessed Life Boutique is full of beautiful and affordable Kitsy Lane jewelry, scarves, and hair accessories that I handpick for my customers.  Every week, I pick items for additional discounts in a flash sale.  Here are a few of my favorites from this week's flash sale:


 

P.S. That little birdie you can customize with one, two, or three chicks to represent your kids.  How cute is that!  Of course, I know many of you have more than three...

One of the reasons I started my boutique is because I love to support causes that are important to me.  Currently, 10% of all sales are going toward Kaia’s adoption fund.  Kaia is a sweet orphan girl who has a family waiting to adopt her but they need help raising the funds.  You can read more about Kaia and her family here.

I believe the purpose of fashion is to enhance the beauty that God gives every woman. As a busy mom, I find accessories to be a quick and easy way to step up any outfit and feel instantly put together.

I’d love to have you stop by the boutique and see what I have to offer! Before you make a purchase, contact me first!  I can let you know what promotions and deals I have going at the moment.  I currently have several free shipping codes that will expire this week AND a $25 off $75 purchase coupon that expires on the 21st (available to only one customer, first come, first served)!  Kitsy Lane always has a free item with a $50 purchase.  Right now, it's the Elyse scarf.


You can see me wearing mine on Easter here.  

Kitsy Lane is new jewelry company that sells through consultants but unlike other companies, it's completely online.   I'm fairly shy so I know I could never be a consultant for companies that require in-person shows.  If you are interested in become a seller, let me know!  You can sign up by registering at my boutique as a seller.


Ok, now on to the good stuff.  Here are the prizes:

1 $50 credit
2 $25 credits
1 Elyse scarf
4 winners!

 Here's the catch: I have to put your order in by Tuesday night, so the contest ends Monday night, I'll be emailing winners first thing Tuesday morning, and they'll have to get back to me by 8pm EST Tuesday night with the products they'd like with the credit they won!  Make sure you check your email Tuesday morning!

U.S. residents only please.  At this time Kitsy Lane only ships in the U.S.  Enter below on the PromoSimple widget.

GOOD LUCK!


Blessed Life Boutique Accessories (4 winners) 1 $50 credit 2 $25 credits 1 Elyse Scarf





Friday, May 17, 2013

7 Quick Takes Friday (89)



--- 1 ---

David has a job interview on Tuesday.  It's in North Carolina, so he'll be flying out for it on Monday and coming back on Wednesday.  Please say a prayer that it goes well and that he is offered the position if it's God's will?  Thanks!

--- 2 ---

How did I not discover Etsy before?  I mean, I've known about it for a while and I've even bought a few things from it, but I didn't really "get" it before.  Let me explain.  Before Lucia was born, I searched high and low for rocking chair cushions.  It was so hard to find a set of both the bottom and back cushion.  (I could find tons of bottom cushions.  Seriously?  What mom wants to rock her baby for hours without a back cushion?)  I finally found a store that sold them, but they only came in boring solid colors.  What did I stumble upon this week?  These gorgeous reversible rocking chair cushions in gorgeous patterns on Etsy.  In addition to being more of what I want, I would have preferred to buy from a small business/individual than a big box store.  And they are the same exact price as the boring black cushions I bought.  It never occurred to me to look on Etsy!  Boo.  That shop was around before Lucia was born, and had I just hopped onto Etsy and searched "rocking chair cushions", Lucia's nursery would have been a little more rockin'!

--- 3 ---

We are going to a baseball game this weekend and will be watching it from a suite thanks to my dad's work!  I love baseball games and am so excited for our first game of the year.  Lucia also has a great time planned as she will be staying the night with her auntie & uncle for the first time.

--- 4 ---

Only five teaching days left! I'm looking forward to a little break before diving into summer job hunting.  I know I should be looking now, but I'm just a bit too overwhelmed at the moment to even attempt it!
--- 5 ---


I have a $25 off $75 coupon available for my boutiqueIt can only be used once for one customer, so speak up now if you want it.  If you spend $50 (which you would with the coupon), you also get a free Elyse scarf.  Maybe you can stock up on gifts for the next few birthdays?  (P.S. See that cute little birdie necklace above?  You can order it with one, two, or three little chicks for moms of one, two, or three. I love it!)

--- 6 ---





Lucia is so grown up now.  She definitely doesn't look like a baby anymore.  And her attitude is aaaaaaall toddler.  We're loving it!

--- 7 ---

Won't you check out my newest sponsor, Megan of Purity of HeartShe has a beautiful blog whose purpose is "to inspire and encourage women of all ages to know who God truly made women to be." You can find her ad over on my sidebar -------------->



For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!




Thursday, May 16, 2013

QandA: How do you pronounce "Lucia"? & other random facts you wanted to know


(Did you know you can't use an ampersand in a blog title, at least not on Blogger?  The title was meant to read Q&A, but my lack of computing/internet knowledge and underability to self-host has foiled me again.)

I recently asked readers to ask me any questions they might have had about me.  I've had this blog for going on three years and would you believe me when I said that I am still amazed that anyone reads it or actually cares enough about me to want to know more about my super interesting life.  That was facetious. (The super interesting life bit, not the amazed bit - I seriously am dumbfounded that anyone reads this blog.  Maybe you just haven't discovered actually interesting blogs like Grace's or Dwija's.  If you just clicked over and are exploring their blogs now never to return to little ol' Messy Wife, Blessed Life, don't worry, I totally understand.) 

Anyway, here are the answers.  You might just learn something.  (P.S. If you asked a question and it's not answered here, that means I decided to make your question into an entire post.  Be on the lookout for the answer.  Although it might not show up for months.  I'm that prompt.)


Rochelle asked:
What did you and your husband take in college? I was a Spanish liberal arts and history secondary education double major and I also got an endorsement (similar to a minor) in English as a Second Language.  David was a chemical engineering major in undergrad with a minor in bioengineering.  His Ph.D. is in biomedical engineering. 

What college did you attend? I went to the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado. Greeley always gets a bad rep. (It's a small agricultural city that often smells like, um, cow poo and has also interestingly had some gang problems.)  While I can't say I loved Greeley, I liked it well enough and I though the university and education I received there were excellent.  I should probably write a post sometime about my college experience. 

Is your husband looking for a job in Colorado or will you look in other states/ countries? David hasn't applied for any out of the country (as far as I know) but he is applying for any job he comes across or hears about in the US.  We're concentrating on ones in Colorado, but he's applied in many other states as well (some I'd prefer to live in over others).  I'm not sure if he would apply for ones of out country or not.  I'm up for an adventure!

When your husband find work in his field will you stay at home with Lucia or will you continue teaching? I would love to stay home with Lucia again, but we won't make that decision until he does find a job.  It will definitely depend on what he makes, childcare options, and if I could even find a teaching job in the area (if we have to move). 

How do you pronounce Lucia (Lu-chi-a) (Lu-sha)? Actually, neither of those ways!  It's pronounced Loo-see-uh.  Kind of like Lucy with an "uh" at the end.  It's the Spanish way of pronouncing it.  (In 2009, Lucia was the most popular girl's name in Spain.)  I'm glad you asked because it seems so obvious to me, but it certainly isn't.  In fact, when we are out and about and someone sees her name, it's pronounced "correctly" maybe half the time.  Obviously, there is no "correct" way to say it, just our preference.


Natalia asked:
Favorite Catholic artist / speaker? I've had the pleasure of hearing many great Catholic speakers over the years.  Currently, I would say Barbara Nicolosi is my favorite speaker.  I saw her speak last month and she was phenomenal.  She speaks about the relationship between Catholicism and the arts (or the lack of relationship) and the need for the Church to step us as the Patron of the Arts once again.  The topic is refreshing and thought-provoking.  I saw her at a conference that my entire school faculty attended and I had a nearly two hour conversation with other teachers about her talk afterward.  And then shared it with my husband and parents later that evening.  I can't remember the last time a speech has had a lasting impression on me like that!

As for artist, I can't say that I really know of any contemporary Catholic artists (I'm sure Barbara Nicolosi would have something to say about that).  I am acquainted with many of the great Catholic artists throughout history and some of my favorites include Cézanne, Dalí, and the at least nominally Catholic Picasso.  I'm also a huge fan of the architect Gaudí.  (Can you tell that I am particularly biased toward the Spanish?)

If you were referring to musical artists, I adore the music of Matt Maher.

asked: 
As a fellow Catholic, I'm curious if/what areas or teachings of the Church you struggle or disagree with.  Would you believe me if I said none?  It seems rare that people agree with any religion 100%, but I truly believe in all the teachings of the Church.  I believe that the Catholic Church was started by Christ and while it's members and leaders are flawed (we're all sinners, right), its doctrine is not.  There was a time when I was in my early years of college that I didn't necessarily follow all the Church's teachings, but I didn't believe they were wrong, I just chose to ignore them anyway.  It seems one of the biggest topics that Catholics disagree with the Church on in modernity is its stance on birth control, but I was well catechized on the Church's teaching when I was in high school and I've always recognized the wisdom of it. 

Rita asked:
How did becoming a parent change how you view/participate in your Catholic faith? My parents raised me Catholic (even though my father isn't Catholic, he was very supportive), but we didn't really have any Catholic traditions in the house.  Now that I'm a parent, I want to incorporate more traditions into our family life - celebrating feast days, Catholic images in the house, family prayer, etc.  I'm learning so much more about faith traditions outside of the obligatory Sunday Mass and Holy Days of Obligation.  I'm learning to incorporate Catholic CULTURE into our lives.  And I love it.  It's so enriching and helps me to focus more on Christ and to make faith a family thing. 

What do you love most about your parish? There are so many things.  It's where we married, where Lucia was baptized, and where my grandfather was baptized, confirmed and had his first communion (all in one day).  Well technically, my grandfather's Mass happened in the rectory next door, but you know what I mean.  But by far, my favorite thing about the parish is the priest (who is also my boss).  He is a good and holy man, and an exceptional speaker.   He really went out of his way to get a dispensation to bring my grandfather into the Church without having taken RCIA classes (he was going through chemo at the time and couldn't leave home and be around a large group of people because of his weak immune system).  I also really enjoy seeing some of my students at Mass every Sunday. 


Have these titillating answers sparked new questions?  Finally brave enough to ask what you've always wanted to know?  Leave more questions below and you just might get lucky enough for another of these fascinating posts.



Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Babywearing 101: Find a Carrier you LOVE (Boba review)


Before Lucia was born, I knew I wanted to babywear.  I bought a wrap carrier a few months before she was born and she spent much of her waking hours in it until about six months.  I loved being able to take her anywhere without a bulky stroller (the jogging stroller they my husband had to have doesn't even fit into my trunk) and being able to keep her close to me while keeping my hand free to get things done.  After about six months though, the wrap just didn't work as well for us.

Looking back, I should have bought another carrier right away, but I stalled for a variety of reasons: there were a million carrier options and I couldn't decide on which would be best for us, we didn't have the money to invest in a good carrier, Lucia was crawling and I wasn't sure she would want to be in a carrier, etc., etc., etc.  There were good, easy solutions to each of those issues but at the time, it all seemed overwhelming.  I'm convinced that the main reason more women don't babywear is because they don't know where to start.  I've never heard of mom who, after finding a carrier that worked well for her, decided that she didn't like babywearing after all. 

Two months ago, Boba sent me a Boba Carrier 3G to review.  After about nine months of rarely using a carrier, I wasn't sure that Lucia would still like to be worn.  In fact, the first two or three times I put her in the Boba, she was not thrilled.  But after those initial "warm ups", she's been a happy camper with her Boba.  And so have I.  I cannot tell you how much a difference it makes to have a carrier that both mama and baby (toddler!) love.  Our wrap worked really well for us in the beginning, but as she got heavier, it just wasn't doing it for us.  I slowly stopped babywearing and didn't even realize that it was the discomfort of the carrier that was causing it.  I thought it had just become less useful as she got older and started moving and crawling.  Now I realize that I would have never stopped babywearing had I had the proper carrier at every stage.

What do I love most about my Boba?  
  • size It's so small that is can easily be taken along anywhere, stuffed in the diaper bag, etc. 
  • ease It's really easy to put on and adjust.  I've worn it, David's worn it, and my dad has worn it (how cute are baby wearing grandpas?) and it took very little time to adjust it for each of us.
  • comfort My dad, husband, and I are three very different sizes, but we all we able to adjust it to be comfortable for us (and Lulu).  I know I'm 
  • versatile Can be worn on the front or back! And is comfortable both ways.  It can also be used with newborns through toddlers, which is so nice.  I can't speak to the ease of using it with newborns/infants, but I look forward to trying it out myself in the future.
  • cool This may not make sense to those of you who haven't used wraps but take my word for it, wrapping thick material around you several times gets hot.  Of course, where baby comes in contact with your front/back, it can get toasty, but the rest if you stays cool!  
  • purse straps This is just a little thing but the Boba has clasps to keep your purse/diaper bag attached to the carrier and from slipping off your shoulder. 

Drawbacks?
  • I got mine free of cost to review, but the price might have prevented me from buying one.  $120 looks like a steep price tag, but considering that I use it much more than I use our stroller which was around that price, it's definitely worth it.  If I had to do it over again, I probably would have gotten a cheaper stroller and Boba that could have been used from birth.  It's comparable to other big name baby carriers on the market. 
  • It's a bit difficult to put Lucia on my back by myself.  I've been able to do it, but it's tricky.  It's super simple if I have someone to help me and putting her on the front is a piece of cake.  
  • There are so many hanging straps.  Since the carrier is one size fits all (not all are, and it would be a waste of money if my hubby and other family couldn't use it!), the straps are very long to be able to adjust for larger people.  When I wear it, the straps are pulled pretty tight and there are long pieces hanging.  It's kind of annoying and not really attractive, but also not a big deal.  In the comments, a reader just informed me that Bobas have elastic on the ends of the straps to be able to roll them up.  Oops, how did I not realize that!  Feeling sheepish.

All in all, I adore my Boba and the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks.  Finding a carrier that works for me has made all the difference in babywearing and my ability to get out of the house with my toddler in general.  Lucia doesn't like sitting in strollers or shopping carts and, when held, whines to be put down so she can walk (and get into everything).  But she's a contented little girl in her Boba.  (I think she enjoys being up high enough to flirt with everyone in the store!) 

Where I've worn my Boba:
grocery store
mall
airport (absolute lifesaver here!)
on walks & hikes
around the house

Do you have a babywear?  Where is the strangest place you've worn your baby?  What do you love about baby wearing?  Have you tried a Boba?




I received a Boba Carrier 3G free of cost to facilitate this review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  Opinions are 100% my own.  See disclosure policy.



Monday, May 13, 2013

DIY Hair Accessories Organizer


I'm sure most girl mommies have the same issue I have: an overabundance of hair accessories.  Everywhere.  About six weeks ago, I finally decided I had had enough.  I found my way to Hobby Lobby and picked up the supplies to make a hair organizer for Lucia.  (At the same time I picked up the supplies for my earring holder.) I love the way it turned out and it was super simple to make.  And cheap, that's always my biggest selling point!  I'm practical in that I don't see any point spending the time on a DIY if it's going to be more expensive or even the same price.

You will need:
unfinished wooden plaque ($1.67)
cup hooks ($1.99 for 8)
 sandpaper (had it)
spray paint (had it)
drill (had it)
ribbon (had it)
hot glue gun (had it)

my cost: $3.66
time: about an hour, with several large time gaps to let paint dry

 Directions: Drill a hole in the back of the plaque where you'll want to hang it on a nail.  Then drill small holes in the bottom of the plaque where you'll want to put in the hooks.  Sand the plaque until smooth.  Spray paint, then wait a day or so for it to dry.  Repeat if necessary. (I spray painted mine three times.)  Screw in the hooks.  Cut the ribbons long enough to be able to wrap around to the back of the plaque.  Hot glue them in place on the back side making sure to leave a little a little slack to be able to clip hair accessories to.  Hang on your wall and organize. 


My original inspiration for the project showed the ribbon glued onto an old picture frame without the glass/backing.  We didn't have one laying around and this plaque was cheaper than any of the decent quality unfinithed frames or even those at many thrift stores (when did thrift stores get to be so expensive?).  But if you do have an old frame like that, you can definitely go that route.  

I'm thinking of making another little hanger just for headbands and maybe another one for purses/bags since Lucia has so many - maybe just a long thin board with hooks painted to match and hanging below this one???  

If you have made or plan to make a hair accessory organizer, I'd love to see a picture of the finished product!  Leave me the link in comments or tweet me the picture to @Messy_Wife.


Another project down in my 30 Before 30 goal of 48 craft projects (one per month) before I turn 30.  Check out the full list here.



Linking up to Craft-O-Maniac Monday
 
 
 

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