a la mama

“Kimochis, Toys with Feelings Inside,” Giveaway!

We’re giving away

1 Cat and 1 Mixed Feelings Pack

AND

1 Cloud and 1 Mixed Feelings Pack

Kimochis…Toys with Feelings Inside® are unique, fun, educational plush characters that help facilitate positive communication between children and their parents, caregivers, and peers and help cultivate social and emotional learning.

Feelings can be messy, especially during the holidays, and Kimochis™ can help kids and parents cope and handle their feelings! Using Kimochis™ is a playful, safe, and effective way for children (and adults!) to learn how to identify and communicate feelings in positive ways. When kids can communicate their feelings, they gain confidence and self-esteem, and they stay connected—even during emotional moments.

For younger kids, Kimochis™ help teach how to identify feelings. For older kids, they help teach positive ways of expressing their feelings and communicating with parents, friends and family.

My children LOVE their Kimochis. My 9-year-old daughter has Cat and Cloud, and my 6-year-old son has Bug and Huggtopus. I first became aware of Kimochis when my son was 3; he was having a lot of trouble with big, overwhelming feelings, and I was confronted with my own powerlessness when I tried to help. Learning to identify feelings, to choose them, and to be reminded of their fleeting nature, helped Nathaniel SO much.He loves his “Buggy” and sleeps with him every night. We’ve come a long way since then.

Mom confession: I have learned along with the kids. Nobody taught me how to navigate my feelings when I was a kid–they only told me to “Cheer up” or “don’t make such a big deal out of …” or “shake it off.” I was also punished for having the feelings that I had, and intimidated into disowning them, which (hello!) reliably leads to confusion, depression, and overwhelm. Giving my kids the gift of validation and acceptance has helped them to weather the emotional storms of childhood.

To enter this giveaway, please like the Kimochis facebook page, and leave a comment below with your preference: Cloud or Cat prize pack. I also welcome tips on how you help your kids to navigate their experience of strong feelings.

Rosie Hippo is giving one lucky A la Mama reader a beautiful handmade piece from their Amish wooden kitchen collection: the sink/stove combination.

(Accessories not included)

Give your busy little chef all he or she needs to whip up some pretend play kitchen fun! The sink/stove is beautifully handcrafted of solid pine by Amish craftsman. Faucet and stove knobs turn on sink/stove combo. Solidly built for years of fun. Non-toxic, child-safe finish. Made in the USA. 2+

Rosie Hippo also has beautiful Amish doll furniture, great for children expecting a new sibling.

Doll Bed

Additionally, 5% of RosieHippo.com profits go to RosiePinkPackage.org. (Rosie Pink Package was developed as a way for moms fighting breast cancer to create and stay connected with their children through play, art and music.

“We really try to be a toy company with a conscience…in what we stand for, in what we sell, and in what we support. We partner with like-minded organizations dedicated to trying to make a difference…for children…for parents…. and for our planet.” Kim, Rosie Hippo.

Here’s how you enter the giveaway:

Like Rosie Hippo’s facebook page, and leave a comment below with an answer to one of the following questions:
What is your favorite RosieHippo toy?
What do you like about the new RosieHippo website?
What else would you like to see at RosieHippo?

We may be thinking about gifts, but the babies in our lives still need their cute booties wrapped in the best cloth diapers available, day and night. Right? Here’s where this fantastic BabyBunz giveaway comes in. BabyBunz has supported Mothering for years; the mama-owned company was and continues to be a pioneer in the cloth diapering world. And now BabyBunz wants to bless you with a beautiful selection of cloth diaper items.

Given that it’s gift-giving time, BabyBunz is also offering a Flash Sale (for 3 days only) on a trio of Mini Discovery puzzles, usually $7.95 each, or a Set of 3 for $17.95 (Cat, Bird, & Butterfly). But BabyBunz is taking an additional $5 off to make the total $12.95 for a set of 3. To get the discount, use this code at checkout: FSDP.

and a book: Mother’s Nature…Timeless Wisdom for the Journey into Motherhood ~ Regular Price: $17.95; Flash Sale price: $12.95. You get $5 off at checkout when ordering this item with promo code FSMN. Order these items 12/9, 12/10, or 12/11, but after that, the codes will expire.
.

BabyBunz & Co. is giving away the following cloth diapering pot o’ gold to one lucky A la Mama reader:

-FIVE Easy Fit diapers,* hybrid one-piece/one-size/pocket diaper from Tots Bots in Scotland. They come in a variety of solids and prints–you, the winner, get to choose your fave five (depending on availability). Here are some of my faves:

-ONE Snugglebottom fitted cloth diaper

-ONE Nikky Diaper Cover (any style/size)

-ONE Bummis Super Whisper Wrap Print (any size, in one of their brand NEW prints)

Please read more about BabyBunz & Co. here.

Okay! So how do you enter this fantabulous giveaway?

1. Click here and Like BabyBunz’ Facebook page!

2. If you’re on Twitter, follow BabyBunz on Twitter.

3. Leave a comment below stating that you liked BabyBunz on Facebook and and followed them on Twitter (no penalty for not being a Tweeter, by the way).

4. For extra credit (i.e., the chance to leave another comment and have another chance to win), share a bit of trivia you gathered from the BabyBunz website, i.e., what year their business began, some great aspect to one of their products…in a second comment.

GOOD LUCK! : )

The BabyGardner is one of my absolute favorite toy shops; they have a collection of the most precious, enchanting, handmade goods. They’re partnering with A la Mama to make this holiday season a little sweeter with the following great opportunities…

GIVEAWAY: Ice Cream Beanbag Memory Match Game

I fell in such deep love with this game that I featured it in the Mothering annual natural toy feature. Can you believe each ice cream cone in this adorable game is stitched by hand? Exceptional quality craftsmanship and materials make this set durable enough for play and yet also fabulous as a keepsake for years to come. Provides hours of play. Game includes 16 bean bags with 8 matching “flavors” of ice cream. Comes with a handy drawstring bag. Ages 3 and up. Retail price: $52

FLASH SALE on: Snips & Snails Crib Shoes

Hand-embroidered puppies sit playfully on the toes of these wool felt crib shoes. Handstitched and one-of-a-kind, they’ll be the topic of conversation wherever baby goes.

Regular Price: $29 One-Day Price: $19. In order for A La Mama readers to receive this price, they will need to enter promotion code SNIPSMAMA. Valid only on orders placed 12/7/10.

FREE SHIPPING: And the BabyGardner is also offering a shipping discount: Free Shipping on Orders Over $100 with promotion code MAMA100. Valid through 12/31/10.

Here’s how you enter the giveaway: sign up for The BabyGardner newsletter (accessible via their homepage), and “like” their Facebook page. Then leave a comment below letting me know that you did!

I love EO: the name stands for “essential oils,” which I rely on daily. This holiday season, EO is giving one lucky Mothering reader a sweet stash of limited edition personal care products.

The EO Luxury Bath Gift Set ‘Serenity’ with French Lavender provides the perfect spa experience and is the ideal gift for anyone and everyone on your gift list. This gift set includes a 12oz French Lavender Serenity Bubble Bath and a 22oz French Lavender Serenity Bath Salt, all encased in a beautiful gift box, ready to give. The richly foaming EO French Lavender Serenity soothing Bubble Bath gently cleanses with pure essential oils. EO French Lavender Bath Salts soothe and detoxify with key active ingredients and pure essential oils.

Limited Edition Hand Soaps
The EO Limited Edition Holiday Hand Soaps offer the sweet fragrant gift of citrus. EO has captured the essence of Meyer Lemon and Mandarin with these fragrant Hand Soaps. Like the citrus fruits for which they are named, these are limited in number and available only during the fall and winter of 2010.

Mandarin Spice Hand Soap is a true gift of the fall season with bright sunbursts of citrus. Sweet and Fragrant Mandarin Essential Oil is blended with warming Cinnamon and Clove in this rich blend. The Meyer Lemon & Sage Hand Soap is a wonderful winter blend that includes the coveted Meyer Lemon scent. Tart and fragrant citrus oils are the heart and soul of this signature Meyer Lemon blend.

All of the products are free of artificial colorants, fragrances, parabens, sodium laureth/ lauryl sulfates and harsh synthetic ingredients.

According to Emma Mann, Director of Marketing, “we really wanted to offer consumers a natural alternative for giving this holiday season, one that was free of harsh synthetic ingredients such as parabens, phthalates and 1,4 dioxane. Worrying about what might be in your personal care is not the ideal way to spend the holidays, so we take the guesswork out by letting our customers know on each and every label exactly what they can expect from EO products. It’s a bold step but one we believe should be standard industry practice.”

Available nationwide this holiday season at Whole Foods Market and other fine Natural Food Stores. For additional information, visit EO Products.

Here’s how you enter this giveaway:

1. “Like” the EO facebook page, and leave a comment below letting me know that you did. Also, if you have a minute, let me know your favorite essential oil and how you use it.

This holiday season, GoldenRest, the affordable adjustable bed company, wants to help you out and make sure you get the good night’s sleep that you deserve during the holidays.

 They’re giving away a pair of GoldenRest Eurofeather pillows to one lucky A la Mama reader.

The Eurofeather™ from Pacific Coast® is filled with tightly curled duck feathers with no quills.
• 230 thread count, 100% cotton cover
• Double needle corded edge
• 4-year limited warranty included with purchase

To enter the giveaway:

1. Leave your best sleep tip in a comment below.

2. For a second chance to win, “like” the GoldenRest page on facebook, and leave a second comment noting that you did.

3. For a third chance to win, follow GoldenRest on Twitter, and leave a third comment noting that you did.



If you are not familiar with GoldenRest, please visit their website now. Use the promo code MOTHERING to get $100 off your bedding or accessory purchase when you buy a GoldenRest Adjustable Bed.”

The Eurofeather™ from Pacific Coast® is filled with tightly curled duck feathers with no quills.
• 230 thread count, 100% cotton cover
• Double needle corded edge
• 4-year limited warranty included with purchase

MiYim Organics is giving away 20 sets of sensory balls to 20 A la Mama readers! Each set has two balls: one with loops and one with shapes.

Here’s the product description:

“Sensory Balls are perfect to help your little one stimulate motor skills and socialize with others.

The loops are the perfect size for tiny hands to grip and shake to hear the chime sound inside.

The shapes are the perfect size for tiny hands to pull and grip to hear the chime sound and feel the crunchy crinkle paper inside.

Watch as your child grows and uses this ball in different stages of development. Sound and touch will grab attention as an infant, and later take a turn and transform into a toy that your toddler will roll, and then soon after that toss to others!”

To enter to win this giveaway, leave a comment below, and mention your favorite item from the MiYim website.

For one day only, Yellow Label Kids is offering half off their hats. Regularly $27.99, they’re now $13.99. Go to their website, www.yellowlabelkids.com, and use code HAT50 at checkout. They’re also offering FREE SHIPPING on orders over $100.

And back to that free shipping. Given that their beautiful fair trade toys, clothing and accessories are irresistible, it’s a great way to cross a lot of names off your holiday shopping list. Here are some of my favorites:

Just the Right Book! is a wonderful service that provides book-of-the-month gifting options. Perhaps the best part of it is that the experts over there take information about the recipient’s tastes and choose books based on what they are most likely to enjoy. Kind of like a real live Pandora for book gifting. As a very picky, exacting reader, I was skeptical, but when I signed up for the service, I was shocked at how spot-on these folks’ choices were. Grandparents of the world, rejoice–they also hand-pick books for kids and teens.

Just the Right Book! would like to give away one copy of The Book That Changed My Life: 71 Remarkable Writers Celebrate the Books That Matter Most to Them by Roxanne Coady and Joy Johannessen.

An anthology that includes authors, journalists, and other published professionals, who have written about how their lives were affected by everything from The Little Engine that Could, to The Catcher in the Rye, to The Count of Monte Cristo. It’s a book that will pique your interest and entertain as you read through essays from notable authors like Amy Bloom, Carol Higgins Clark and Wally Lamb. You’re likely to discover a number of books that you’ll want to add to your own personal reading list!

Additionally, they’re also having a special for Mothering.com readers:

Give a Gift. Get a Gift. From Just the Right Book!
Make a purchase at Justtherightbook.com and experience the Just the Right Book service for yourself! We’ll send you a complimentary gift-wrapped book chosen based on your reading interests and tastes. Just enter the promo code at checkout.

Promo Code: JTRBMAMA
Expires on 12/15/10. Cannot be combined with any other promotions.
(Complimentary book may be hardcover or paperback.)

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below. Feel free to mention the best book you’ve read recently; I’m looking for some good winter holiday reading! : )