thredUP and a FREE BOX OF SWAP! Don't wait!

DUDE!~

Do you know about thredUP?

Here is a COOL INVITE for my readers:

http://kids.thredup.com/dooblehvay

The first 1,000 boxes of kids clothes listed on the site will earn parents free swaps (up to $65 in swaps). Once we hit 1,000 boxes of kids clothes on the site, the swapping will commence...

FREE PEOPLE! free!

The Problem

Did you know that kids grow out of a set of new clothes every 6 months? That by age 17, kids have outgrown over 1,300 items and parents have spent nearly $20,000 on their clothing? Kids are expensive and they grow fast! Yet one of the most valuable things any kid has – clothing – typically gets given away when it’s outgrown because no great option exists to swap out the old for the new.

We also know that coordinating clothing swaps is hard – especially among your closest friends who live all over the place. Getting parents together and getting all the sizes right is always a challenge. Hand-me-downs always leave someone empty handed!

What is thredUP kids?

thredUP is where America’s busiest parents exchange boxes of clothes that no longer fit their kids for stylish ones that will. We coordinate swaps among a group of your closest friends or connect you with thousands of families nationwide. There’s no bidding, no auction lots, no rifling through consignment racks, and absolutely no trips to the post office. All swaps are done online, with scheduled home pick-up and delivery. thredUP is the next generation of swapping - a kids clothing revolution!

So what can I do on thredUP? Pick. Pay. Prepare and Send.

· Pick a box of gently used clothes you’d love to receive for your child.

· Pay for shipping

· Prepare and list a box of clothes your child has outgrown

· When someone picks your box, send it free of charge (we even have the Postal Service pick-up the box at your house).

We manage the quality control and review process and take care of all the details to make sure you get a quality exchange.

thredUP is green

Americans discard two quadrillion pounds (that’s a two with fifteen zeros!) of used clothes and textiles into landfills each year. thredUP lets you GO GREEN by swapping with like-minded moms and dads. By sharing what we already have, parents can make a huge step towards sustainability. Create a “thredbank” – the place for kids to save outgrown clothes to exchange when the time is right. thredUP allows you to teach your kids the importance of green living and lighten your family's overall eco-footprint.

“Together they make perfect scents”

This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Gain.

Me and my JOE.
We are a great team because we compliment each other.
I am so glad I married someone who keeps me grounded
but also makes me laugh until I cry on a daily basis.

Joe and I are better together because
we lean on one another and make each other believe
in the dreams and schemes we have.
We PUSH each other. We hold each other up. We stand on each others shoulders. We see the world together from vantage points we might have been fearful of without each other.
It's always the best when you find a person you can be 100% yourself with at all times.
That Cheesy Jerry McGuire movie really did capture it all though in one sentence:

YOU COMPLETE ME

Like for sure ever single day

I have this partner in my life that I can say anything to.

who will dance with me in shop isles without flinching who will stand in the rain and kiss me who will work side by side with me in our family business who will parent with me through thick and thin who will thrill me who will love me for me (the real messy me)

We fit.
We make sense.
Who do you fit with?
Tell me in the comments and you can WIN:

$100 visa gift card
AND Gain laundry detergent!
OH YEAH!
GO!

More info

· There are six other chances to win $100 from your fellow review bloggers individual sweeps

· There is a GRAND PRIZE of $300 to win on the BlogHer round-up page!

Please check out the other COOL posts here: HERE
Thanks guys xo Amy

aden & anais GIVEAWAY

I love aden+anais!
I used the muslin swaddles with Finnian and I LOVED them.
The company is cool and easy to contact and communicate with and I love their charity work.

I am giving away PRIZE package for you of over $100.00 in products.
(like the gorgeous items above! Squuuueeeeeee!)
If you are expecting how exciting!
If not!
These make wonderful gifts for the babies in your life!
(you will be the hit of the next baby shower)


So. Leave a comment telling us what product you like best from the WEBSITE.
Follow aden & anais on TWITTER for a second chance!
Good luck and thanks for celebrating today!

xo Amy

I will use random.org to pick a winner on FRIDAY! xo thanks!

Staying in Touch with Family ideas this 2010- THE TOP TEN IDEAS

WINNER WINNER: happyenchilada THANKS! xoxo

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Sprint

We are all busy.
BUSY is a word that we throw around without much thought in life...
It is important to find the time for family no matter how BUSY we are.
It is important to connect and feel tethered to our lives.
How do you do it?
Here are some cool ways we are trying to stay connected
and some awesome ideas I have noticed in the blogosphere:

The family meeting:
Seriously. We need a come to each other night once a week. Family dinners are ace but I think one night a week as a family is so important. Make it a movie night or a round table meeting with ice cream at the end. Just do it.

Smartphones:
For reals. Mom and Dad can stay wicked in touch with what is going on with smartphones. If We did not have blackberries in our house we would not be as in touch as we are.
Life is easier with the technology we have.
For real.

The family notebook or sketchbook:
Love the idea of a family notebook to write to each other- leave messages, ideas, problems. Questions...OR just cool art like this family.
Ownership is a big thing here. Buy in comes from use.
It is awesome.

The calendar of Life
Buy a gorgeous calendar and display it prominently in your home.
Even little ones can see their names and start to understand the concept.
Busy Body Books are great because they separate everyone
and make it a at a glance station for the family.

Little Love notes in lunches
Don't forget to woo your mate. Woo your kids too. Love. Spread it around in wee notes tucked in lunches or pockets. It means the world to them. Leave a word of the day written on lunch bags. Tell a joke on a napkin. Tell yr spouse little saucy sentences on a tiny slip of paper. GO!

Blog it baby!
The big and small parts of life can be documented and shared with loved ones near and far.
We all know the power of the blog. This year let younger members of the family start a blog or teach grandparents how to blog to tell the history of their lives to the family. Blogging is powerful.
Harness it.

Staycations local love affairs:
Explore the local amazing place you live together! Make memories by visiting one new place nearby each month. Make a scrapbook or take photos and make memories. Stimulate the economy where you live. Learn! Live!

The family that gives back together:
Find a charity and work it in 2010.
You will bond over giving back.
There are so many charities that need you!

Sykpe Time:
Faraway family no longer means huge phone bills and stress.
We skype all the time to our UK family and love it! It is simple and so MUCH FUN!

Hobby Time:
Take a leap into a new year of learning.
Photography is a great hobby for kids and adults.
Try something new together! Sushi making? Art? Sports?



Check out the Family Connections Group at BlogHer for more ideas!

OK Wanna WIN a $200 Visa gift card?

To enter, leave me a comment below and tell me What are your best tips for keeping your family connected in the New Year? - or you may leave a link to your post on your own blog in the comments below. The contest will begin at 1/13/2010` and will end 2/9/2010. Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct.

Rules:

• No duplicate comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
• This giveaway is open to US-residents, aged 18 and older
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
• You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• Please see the official rules here: Official rules
  
  

We will use the awesome random dot org to draw a winner!

All Modern GIVEAWAY

I am so excited to send you to this amazing place.

All Modern is giving a lucky reader a beautiful modern kitchen accessory!
I chose this funky large kitchen jar to giveaway!
(It reminds me of those gorgeous coral hooks and such that were out a few years back! swoon!)

I am going to do some reviews for this site and I thought it was only fair to give readers something from the site too.
All Modern is super pleasant to work with and I am kinda swooning over some things on their site like the kitchen accessories!

The jar is bold and fresh and measures: 6.22" H x 4.13" Diameter, holds 33.81 oz.

Please leave a comment and tell me something you love
over at the kitchen accessories page?!

Twitter it and get an additional chance.
Blog about it and get another!
Just leave a new comment with link!

HomeGoods and Blogher

CONGRATS to our winner~
♡DIANE TAYLOR
Thanks to Homegoods, blogher, & YOU! xoxox


This is a compensated review from BlogHer and HomeGoods


We buy the house on the block no one wants. We have done it three times now. We buy that sad old wreck of a house and we put it back together again. It is thrilling when it is all finished, but the middle of the matter can be difficult.

I am living through a rehab right now and one of the most thrilling times is when a room gets finished. I felt this way about my nearly "done" living area in this home. We are insanely busy with our small business and have not put much time into the true finishing of any room in this house. We were happy to have new walls, floors, and paint!
So when I was offered by HomeGoods and Blogher to be a part of the amazing HomeGoods Review Program I jumped at it! I know from experience how amazing HomeGoods stores are and I was dying to try and use $500.00 to redo our living area.

I used a quiz to help me figure out my style:

StyleScope Quiz

I knew my issues were:
I have old furniture and must make it look fresh again.
I have little storage.
I have no color drama.
I have little lighting in the room.
I need space for kids toys and relaxing.
I need space for adults.

Check out Open House - HomeGoods' blog "for anyone that loves their home."

The morning I shopped at HomeGoods I prepped myself with loads of coffee, measurements, and a notebook of ideas. The thing with HomeGoods is there is so much stuff that it can be a bit overwhelming if you are not prepared. I found myself drifting off to other parts of the store quite easily. I spent two hours in the store and was helped numerous times by clerks and by the handsome and super strong young man that appeared to be a stocker and heavy goods lifter.
I honestly found most everything I was looking for in the store.
Two items I wish they would carry:
curtains and sofa covers.
I like the idea of changing the look of a room on the cheap with covers and window treatments. I did find alternatives though with my creative brain!

I found these lovely items:
3small/medium/large wood nesting tables, candles, amazing lamps, ginormous solid wood mirror, rug, two quilts, two throws, accessories, many pillows, and storage baskets galore.
I got a lot for $500.00.
I could have easily bought one large item there as they have big ticket gorgeous swoony things, but it was much more practical for me to spread the love throughout my large room and really make the biggest bang for my buck.

The thing I like most about HomeGoods is that even for $100.00 someone could walk in with some ideas and issues and be inspired and really make a change for 100.00.
The store is loaded with low price amazing things.
They have a clearance area that was awesome and if I had been bathroom or kitchen shopping I would have been in trouble.
OK. So are you ready to see what happened?
I had a blah room.
I took the quiz and found out what I already knew inside of my gut:
Amy Turn Sharp, you are a Global Modern!

Here is the scary before:

(it is truly frightening how we adapt to a way of life so easily- ah the life of a wife of a carpenter. It is almost like the cobbler's children. they have no shoes.)




Well, this is embarrassing- but the before is really so much better than the way we found the house. It was a large dirty carpet, drywall mess with low ceilings and two crazy dark wood type beams mess. The beams were scratchy like coconut shells and the whole place felt like a nightmare. I am really happy with the HomeGoods opportunity to make my large living area feel like a home. I was able to make two distinct areas (children play and sitting/TV) for us to actually use and enjoy. Functional and beautiful. It has not been this way for a long time. Thanks.

And here is the reveal:





I just love how our room has use now- We have a family TV room and a big area for the children to play. Storage baskets from Homegoods make things tidy and neat. We had our TV on the floor for over a year!




The mirror makes the room come alive. We had lived so long with a blank wall and now the room opens right up. It is huge and heavy and I was so thankful to HomeGoods for wrapping it and helping me load it in my truck. Great customer service.





We made a reading nook corner with comfy big pillows and the kids love it.







DO YOU WANT A HUNDRED BUCKS to spend too?
Come on! You want to make a change? Yes!

Check out what the rest of the BlogHer Reviewers found at HomeGoods - you've got 8 chances to win a $100 HomeGoods gift card.


To enter to win a $100 HomeGoods gift card - take the StyleScope Quiz
(StyleScope Quiz) and tell me what your style is in the comments below - or you may leave a link to your post on your own blog in the comments below. The contest will begin at September 14th and will end October 14th. Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct.

Rules:
* No duplicate comments.
* You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
* You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
* This giveaway is open to US residents, aged 18 and over
* Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
* You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
* Please see the official rules here:

I will use the Random Number Generator to pick a winner!
Good Luck! Please Play!!!!

RULES ARE HERE

Check out what other bloggers did to their spaces here!

I would stroke my Trapper Keeper with love

Listen up. My son Finn starts Kindergarten in one week and as excited as I am for the world of school to enter all of our lives I nearly passed out as I took a gander at the school supply list.
Geez.

Schools nowadays are really hurting because when I was a kiddo in the elementary period of life we had to bring PENCILS... and that was about it.

I know my parents bought me new crayons and a trapper keeper and such, but they really didn't have to. Things are so different now. I had a 50.00 list of items to bring. I even have to buy hand sanitizer and Ziplock bags for the classroom.

Geez.

So I started to think about how the school shopping adventure was going to go down. I wasn't sure what kind of kid Finnian was going to be as there are two kinds:

The kid who is seduced and titillated by the back to school isle at Target and screams and holds hands towards the dizzying array of gorgeous trinkets lined ever so pleasingly
OR
The kid who really doesn't get too jazzed about that kind of stuff and is instead focused on the fact that he is certain this is the store where Power Rangers hang from shelving.

Lucky for me he is a Power Ranger freak.

But still- I wanted him to know what all of these items cost.
We are very luck as Grandma was kind this year and bought 90% of his back to school needs,
but I made the whole experience some sort of learning for him.
I took the Target newspaper ad and book they sent and circled items and talked to him about how much these items cost. I tried to break it down to his level.

Dude. These crayons and this pack of markers cost the same as Power Ranger Fury Red guy.
OK?
He totally got it because he was saving for like forever (um- three weeks) for that one.

Dude. These left handed scissors and this here art smock cost the same as Spiderman figurines.
OK?

Yes- he started to understand.

I wanted him to realize that these things costs money and we need to be thankful to grandma and responsible with them as I am not Mama Moneybags as of late.
Do you know how long it has been since I stepped into Church? I mean, Nordstrom?!

Seriously. Taking care of personal belongings is something that we must teach our children and if we are able to attach meaning and start the dialogue of money and responsibility at a young age I think we will benefit.
I was a spoiled only child and it hurt me in the long run.
Honestly. I did not have a good framework and it was a major learning curve for me.
I don't want my children to have to deal with that.

Check out This site for some ideas on how to talk to kids about budgeting and finances.
PBN will also have some cool tips and tricks!