Cradle Thread Affordable Fine Baby Clothes Review & Giveaway, Ends 9/12/13

Baby

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Wondering why this pretty little six month-old baby girl is so happy? Baby Emelie is smiling because she's wearing the softest and most comfortable baby wear she's ever tried on.

Emelie models her new outfit from Cradle & Thread, MommyBlogExpert.com

Pictured above is Emelie wearing Cradle & Threads Short-Sleeved Body Suit in green, Little Sumpin Cardigan Sweater in pink and Knotty Hat in yellow with the ultra thick C&T Lemon Meringue Biggie Blanket.

These 100% premium cotton fiber clothes and accessories from Cradle & Thread are the same classic quality found in better boutiques, but what really sets them apart is that they're not overpriced and are made right here in the USA. The fact that this online marketplace thinks green when it comes to the minimalistic packaging that's used for all their products is icing on the cake (more about icing further down in this post).

All C&T products are pretty and soft, MommyBlogExpert.com

In addition to being able to buy items individually in sizes 3-6 months, 6-12 months, 12-18 months, and 18-24 months ($9.99-$34.99), there are six Cradle & Thread Bundles to choose from starting at just $50.99 for a set that includes a Short-Sleeved Bodysuit, Giggle Pose Yoga Pants and Little Sumpin' Cardigan Sweater. There is a larger coordinated set offered, too, that features those three items plus a Long-Sleeved Bodysuit, Knotty Hat, Bib, Blanket, and Burp Cloth.

Who says babies can't wear C&T Yoga Pants? MommyBlogExpert.com

Additionally, there are several other combination sets you can purchase that consist of multiples of various baby wardrobe pieces and accessories that would be great for your own new baby or to give as a gift to a new mother. 

Pastel cupcakes inform the hues of the brand's line, MommyBlogExpert.com

Depending on the item, products are available in the following mix-and-match cupcake icing inspired colors: light blue, light pink, light green, light yellow, fungi brown, natural and white.

Signature Gift Wrap, Image from Cradle & Thread

A pretty eco-friendly Signature Gift Wrap option featuring a 100% recycled kraft box is available for $4.99. Free shipping is always included on all orders over $25.

Cradle & Thread's Knotty Hat is super cute, MommyBlogExpert.com

Really, this hat is so fun & cozy, MommyBlogExpert.com

Among my favorites in the infant, baby and toddler collection are the absolutely adorable Knotty Hat, sweet little cardigan, and short-sleeved bodysuit with tailored contrasting trim that you see on our dainty model.

Image from Cradle & Thread

This isn't just about having access to buying some beautiful baby outfits for someone you love, either. It's also about partnering with customers, together giving back to the community through the brand's Giving Sewn In program. For every $100 in Cradle & Thread sales, this generous company will send a ThreadBox, filled with an entire set of clothing, to a child in need right here in America. Purchases from customers are combined, so matter what size your order is, even less than $100, you are still contributing to one of these packed with love ThreadBoxes.

Budding philanthropist Emelie loves Giving Sewn In, MommyBlogExpert.com

The good news doesn't end there. Thanks to the brand, I'm hosting a Cradle & Thread Baby Clothes Bundle Giveaway. Read on to enter daily until the contest ends.

Cradle & Thread 
Baby Clothes Bundle

Giveaway

Ends 9/12/13

Image from Cradle & Thread

MommyBlogExpert's Cradle & Thread Giveaway ends September 12, 2013 at 12 am PT and is open to legal residents of the U.S. only. C&T will award one A Perfect Gift Bundle valued at $51 in the winner's choice of color and size. Winner of this MBE contest will be selected at random from all entries and will be notified via email and must respond within 48 hours to claim their prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck, I hope you win! MommyBlogExpert.com

More Family-Friendly
Mommy Blog Expert Giveaways

ENTER Them All HERE

Thanks to Online-Sweepstakes.com for including this contest in their directory of current giveaways.

About Cradle & Thread

Cradle & Thread is a family business founded by dad and mom team Jarrett and Christina Helms, parents of two young girls. The company, offering better baby clothes and accessories that are reasonably priced and made in the U.S., is committed to giving back to the community and is active in environmentally friendly business practices. The brand's newly redesigned site offers an easily navigatable consumer marketplace to shop for young children as well as a gift registry.

For more information and stay up on the latest news visit CradleandThread.com or stop by and say hi on Facebook and Twitter.

FTC Disclosure: I received the Cradle & Thread products featured to facilitate this review. In addition, the brand is providing the prizes for the giveaway. However, I did not receive any payment.  Thoughts here are my own. See complete FTC Discloosure information that appears at the bottom on MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual page, including this one.

Gluten Free Egg White Corn Chips Protein Loaded Health Snack For Kids & Adults

Good Food

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The iPS All Natural Egg White Chips featured in this post win hands down as the most unusual healthy food I tasted while in Chicago for BlogHer 2013 a few weeks ago.

MommyBlogExpert.com

Admitedly, I wasn't too eager to give this odd-sounding new snack a try as I made my way through the Mom Select Swag Suite, a private invitation only event I've attended for three years now to connect with family-friendly brands. But, as a mom blogger always on the lookout for new good-for-you products for my kids and readers to enjoy, I decided to take the plunge in the name of research. From the first crunchy delish bite of this new kind of corn chip, I wasn't dissapointed and neither likely will you be when you taste these.

MommyBlogExpert.com

iPS (short for Intelligent Protein Snacks), come in a range of savory, spicy, cheesy and sweet flavors: Sea Salt & Black Pepper, Barbeque, Aged White Cheddar, and Cinnamon Sugar. Each single 1 ounce bag serving is made with yellow corn flour as well as other healthful ingredients with a base of two egg whites, delivering the power and nutrition of a full 7 grams of protein.

MommyBlogExpert.com

Pressure puffed and never fried, these tasty treats are all natural, gluten free, non-GMO, and are certified kosher. They are also relatively low in fat and are only 130 calories per serving. No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives are ever used, either, making these palatable to a wide audience of health-conscious eaters and consumers with various dietary needs.

MommyBlogExpert.com

With such a nutritious product now available, I wasn't surprised to learn from talking at Mom Select's event to Sean Olson, the company's founder and inventor, that he was a dad. And that he originally got the idea for the product because he simply wanted his own kids to avoid junky, empty calories and eat better food.

MommyBlogExpert.com

Olson says, "iPS was first hatched in my own kitchen when I was cooking breakfast for my children. I've always sought out healthier foods to feed them and I noticed how much they enjoyed the crispy edges of the eggs I'd prepare for them. So, I thought why not turn that crunchy egg wonderful taste into a snack that others would like and market it? That's how the product, which is the cornerstone of my company, was launched."

These are great to have on hand when anyone young or old in your family gets hunger pangs. They'd also be perfect to pack in your children's lunch boxes as they go back to school this fall. Come to think of it, you might even want to bring some to the office to stash at your desk for a healthy snack at work. Make sure you hide them, though, because they're really good and someone might eat them when you're not looking! 

Image from iPS All Natural

Reasonably priced these are available in select stores in individual bags, so check the store locator at ipsallnatural.com to see if you can get them near you. They can also be purchased online with a 24-bag case of any individual flavor or a variety pack selling for $31.99 plus $10 shipping. Stay up on the latest news from iPS All Natural by visiting the website and following them on Twitter and Facebook.

FTC Disclosure: I attended the Mom Select Swag Suite and received the products featured from iPS All Natural to facilitate this review. However, I did not receive any payment and thoughts here are my own. See complete FTC Discloosure information that appears at the bottom on MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual page, including this one.

What I'm Going to Miss Most About Summer Camp - Teen Tuesday Post by Rebecca Elspas

Teen Tuesday
by Rebecca Elspas, Teen Blogger

It's already August! Where has the summer gone? That's what everyone is thinking, I bet. I know it's on my mind right now. As regular readers know for the last six weeks I've been working at a sleepaway summer camp near San Diego. However, exactly a week from today I will be going home. Don't get me wrong, I miss all the comforts of home like my mom's cooking and I can't wait to be in my own room again. At the same time, though, when I leave this beautiful area I know I'm not only going to miss my friends -- both old and new, fellow counselors and campers.

L to R: My sister, 2 friends & me, all camp counselors 

When I head back to smoggy Los Angeles, I'm also going to miss all the nature and fresh air I've been enjoying for the past month and a half and the camp memories it all created. Keep in mind that it is very hot and sunny here most of the time in July and August. The mountains above San Diego are especially dry right now and the hills are still scarred from the tragic fire that burned here for weeks in 2003. In fact, even though ten years have passed since that massive blaze, the landscape is only now starting to come back to life.

California wild flowers, MommyBlogExpert.com

The hills near camp, MommyBlogExpert.com

One day this summer I was really surprised when out of the blue it suddenly became very overcast and a few minutes later, started drizzling. Then we heard a loud boom of thunder and saw a bolt of lightning flash, immediately followed by a huge stream of heavy rain pouring down. So in our t-shirts and shorts my friends and I ran joyfully around camp in the lukewarm summer rain. We were yelling and ended up dancing in the rain because we were so happy that we finally would have some grass growing in our grassless camp!

Storm clouds, MommyBlogExpert.com

From the night nature here -- like the raccoons who scare us by coming near our bunks at night, the random bat that lives in one of the rooms, and the starry planetarium-like sky-- to the day nature that includes blue jays, cottontail rabbits and crazy squirrels prancing around all day, it's going to be hard going back to urban life at home. But hey, L.A. still has nature too, right?

Being outside so much every day among the hills, trees and wildlife over the past weeks has been amazing. I just hope I don't suffer from too much nature-withdrawal come this time next week when I return to the city. But then again, I'll have all these fond camp memories of wild creatures, mountains, grass and dancing in the rain to draw some positive energy from!

New grass after the rain, MommyBlogExpert.com

Shoutout to all other teens who are heading home from working at summer camps this summer!

Comment & Connect
Have a question for me about my back to nature camp experience? Even better, I hope you'll leave a comment on this post or Tweet me @RebElspas and share some of your own summer experiences outdoors. If you're not already, I invite you to follow me on Twitter and on Pinterest.

FTC Disclosure: No payment or other compensation was exchanged in association with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.

Life Reimagined $10,000 Sweepstakes What's Next Contest - What are Your Dreams & Goals?

Sweepstakes
Contest ends 10/26/13

This is a compensated post

As we go through life everyone has dreams both big and small. Sometimes our dreams remain just dreams but other times our wishes and hopes become realities. Here's a fun contest that will really get you thinking introspectively -- if you're lucky you could even win a really great cash prize of $1,000 or even $10,000!

I dream of skiing at resorts around the world, MommyBlogExpert.com

What goal or dream have you always wanted to achieve? Tell us to be entered in the Life Reimagined What's Next Contest. One lucky winner will receive the grand prize of $10,000 and three finalists will win $1,000 each to help make their next moments a reality.

Enter by Clicking on
The What's Next Contest Graphic Below

FTC Disclosure: This is a compensated post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.

Vote for Zorbits Math Contest Winners for Chance to Get $100 Giftcard Just for Voting

Giveaway
Voting ends 8/9/13

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The big news is that early education specialists at Zorbit's Math Adventure have selected the finalists for the Zorbit's Home Learning Ideas Contest. There were so many creative entries received for this competition elaborating on ideas on how to teach math to preschoolers in fun and innovative ways.  Activities like counting, identifying shapes, recognizing colors and comparing amounts that are truly out-of-the-box and inspiring toddlers to learn.  The concepts submitted are definitely the cream of the crop. Which is where you come in -- Zorbit's needs your help to pick the winners by voting for the entries you like to best.

My kids when they were toddlers, Vintage Family Photo

What's cool is not only are you going to be picking your favorites who will win great prizes like an iPad (First Place), iPad Mini (Second Place) or $200 giftcard (Third Place). YOU also have a chance to win one of three $100 gift cards just by casting your vote so this is a win-win for everyone! Vote daily until the contest ends on August 9, 2013 to increase your chances of getting one of the $100 GCs that will be given away chosen at random from all who cast their ballots.

How to Vote

You are invited to vote daily (once a day maximum) from now till the Zorbit's Home Learning Ideas Contest ends on Friday, August 9, 2013 to be entered in the random drawing to win a $100 gift card. A total of three voters who participate will each win a $100 giftcard.

Image from ZorbitsMath.com

Click HERE to Vote

Don't forget to help spread the word about voting for the winners by Tweeting to share the opportunity with your own following:

Pick most creative #ZorbitsMath #Contest winners & YOU will be entered to WIN $100 giftcard JUST for Voting! http://tinyurl.com/l7l4cmh

Image from ZorbitsMath.com

About the Contest and Brand

The purpose of this contest is to get those with kids thinking about the importance of early childhood learning.  Best Boy Entertainment, will be introducing an iOS app for children age 3 - 5 in mid-August called Zorbit’s Math Adventure and will be posting the best ideas on creative home learning as part of the contest as well as sharing ideas from real moms for encouraging learning all year long.

You can learn more and stay up on the latest news about Zorbit's Math Adventure on the official site and by following the brand on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

FTC Disclosure: The content for this post was sourced from Best Boy Entertainment, onlineresources and family traditions and I was compensated for this post. However, opinions here are my own. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.