MOM Reviews - Boppy Total Body Pillow

One of my favorite shower gifts I received was this Total Body Pillow by Boppy. I kept looking at them at the store while I was pregnant because I was having a lot of back pain when I would lay down in bed. Yet, I kept walking away from it because the price was a bit steep for what I was willing to pay on a pillow. Would it be worth the money? Would it be comfortable? How long would I really be able to use it? Is it soft?  You get point.

So the day came that I had to go in for a c-section, had our new baby boy, and in walks my mom with this Boppy Pillow. Thanks, mom!!! This is the best body pillow ever! They advertise this pillow for pregnant women, however it is great for anyone. My son is 5 months old and I still use it. Great for sleeping, feeding, lounging, propping up asthmatic kids in bed (yes I have used it for this and works great!), and so much more!

Picture from Boppy website to show sleeping position with pillow.

I definitely recommend this pillow for any MOM. You are worth it... treat yourself to a restful nights sleep.

MOM Reviews - WubbaNub

One of the things I hated the most when my older two kids were born were the constant falling pacifiers. They would fall onto the floor... lord only knows what has been on those dirty floors everywhere you go. Ewww! Or fall in the bottom of your diaper bag... that bottomless pit you put the whole baby room into.

Pacifiers used to be a pain to keep up with and not to mention the creative ways, you know we have all done, to clean them off before putting them back in baby's mouth. Come on, you know you have put those little biscuits in your mouth to clean it off when you have absolutely no other source nearby just so you could quiet those screams.

Thank you Schneider family for making these adorable little WubbaNubs! I first learned about these when I saw a friend of mine had a pink bear for her little girl. I was pregnant with Roman and immediately added them to my baby registry.  These are a must have for every mom.  They are so cute and they come in many animals and colors.  The part I really liked about these before I even used them, were the type of pacifier they designed these plush animals to attach to. The Soothie brand pacifiers that most hospitals use when baby is born. They are the best pacifiers and now even better!

Roman loves his WubbaNubs. He has a bear, frog and red dog. If he lets go of his pacifier from his mouth, the WubbaNub stays put. It does not roll away, and he can easily grab onto the little animal and put the pacifier in his mouth by himself. It is very easy to catch the plush animal if it starts to fall away, than to fumble around with just a pacifier in a juggling act.  LOVE, Love. love this product!  They are definitely worth the money.

A Shabby Apple Dress

If you are ever looking for a dress for going out, to work, or simply for a casual occasion, you must check out Shabby Apple!  I am in love with their dresses.  The dresses made by Shabby Apple are made for real women.  You may have seen a post before I got pregnant about a dress I purchased to wear for Easter. Tailored with simple, clean lines that are flattering to any body type. So you could just imagine how ecstatic I was to find out that they also have maternity dresses! 

 

Most dresses made for maternity are very baggy and feel like you are wearing a sack. Not their dresses... the fit is perfect and makes you feel absolutely beautiful! 

 

Pictures courtesy of Shabby Apple, http://www.shabbyapple.com

 

I have the Aphrodite Maternity Dress and absolutely love it! It is made from poly/rayon/spandex jersey blend fabric and is stylish and comfortable. The eggplant color is absolutely gorgeous and is also available in a dark teal color, the Odyssey dress {shown above}. I especially love the details in this dress with a long tie beneath the bust line that wraps around the waist several time and can be easily tied in the front or back. 

 

 

Shabby Apple also focuses on helping women worldwide. Through their charitable work with women throughout Asia and Africa, they are able to convert dress sales into lifestyle changes for women and children.

 

The children dresses are especially cute and well made as well.  My daughter has this dress from the Shabby Apple line and she loves to wear it!

Pictures courtesy of Shabby Apple, http://www.shabbyapple.com

Best of all... Shabby Apple is offering all my readers a special 10% off discount!  How great is that!

Simply enter angelayosten10off in the discount code when you checkout. Hurry... This offer expires at the end of September!  Great time to buy your holiday dresses for Thanksgiving and Christmas parties.

Also, be sure to "Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook to stay up to date with their latest styles and promotions.

Moda Towel Pack Apron Tutorial

For those of you that have ever purchased a towel pack produced by Moda Home, you will know that they come packaged in this adorable little fabric envelope.  Well, I have been saving my little envelopes from my towels for whatever reason... because they were so darn cute!

I came up with an idea on using these cute little fabric envelopes {besides sitting in your drawer}... A cute little apron!

What you will need:
Moda towel pack with fabric envelope {I used the Flour Sack Towel envelope 961-12}
2 yards of coordinating ribbon
Coordinating thread
Ruler
Marking Pencil

Instructions:

Be sure your fabric envelope is pressed nice and flat.

Using a ruler and marking pencil, draw a line 5" from each side.  Your middle pocket will be the largest.

Stitch down your envelope on the lines drawn creating 3 pockets.

With your 2 yards of ribbon, fold the ribbon in half to find the center, place the center of the ribbon on the center of your envelope just above the pockets.

Pin the center in place.

Pin down the rest of the ribbon along the top of the pockets.  Be sure not to overlap your pockets so you do not stitch closed the opening.

Stitch your ribbon down along both sides of your ribbon from one end of the envelope to the other.  Be sure to backstitch at each end to reinforce your stitch.

That is it!  Tie it around your waist and you now have a cute little apron to hold craft supplies, money, and more!



All Moda towel packs with envelopes can be purchased from Home a la mode. 

Broken Record.

Vinyl Records are making a comeback... and I am not talking about to just be listened to.

GET Broken Record has some fantastic modern art all painted on vinyl records. Kevin J. Kelly is the master artist behind this creative endeavor and I am so amazed by his art. He started painting these on a street corner in Union Square and now they're International.  He has a Master of Fine Arts {MFA} in Printmaking and has recently been featured on Groupon. He has taken the terms, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse to a whole new level... to an artistic level!

Just look at some of these records he has painted... UN-BELIEVABLE!

Something even more un-believable is GETBrokenRecord.com is offering all of my readers HALF-OFF Any Artist. Any Album.! All you have to do is mention my name, Angela Yosten, or my blog... that is it!

All records are Hand Painted and Framed. Turnaround time is usually a week.

I love hand painted art... unique. original. HANDMADE.

How great would it be to receive an original piece of art on a RECORD!!! Completely Awesome!

It's Not Just Art. It's an Era.
http://www.getbrokenrecord.com/

Get a "glympse"

Have you seen or used this application?  It is super cool!

Richie sends me a glympse every day when he leaves the office. {Since we do live 45+ miles from his office.} 

No more wondering when should I start fixing dinner. {on those rare occasions I cook.} or more like it... how close is he to Pizza Hut, or our new favorite Palios Pizza.

No more kids asking when is daddy going to be home... they can watch it themselves.  LOVE IT!

Go check it out... http://www.glympse.com/what_is_glympse

A few of my favorite things...

Lately, I have been drawn to products with typography on them.  Here are a few of the items I have found that I {heart}!

Numeric Canisters by Sapota

Vintage Ruber Stamps by Cavallini & Co

Numbered Bowls by Wisteria

Deep Dish Alphabet Plate by Sugarbooger

Metal Index Numbers by 7Gypsies

Typewriter Key Necklace by Buster and boo

 What great excuses to have some really cool accessories in my house and at the same time for them to help the kiddos learn their alphabet and numbers.

Product Review: Luna Quilt Batting by Moda

I have been using Luna batting for over a year now and realized there are some people that still have not tried this wonderful batting.  I LOVE IT! It is a must have batting when making any and all my quilts.  It is the only brand I use now for my batting. 

What is Luna Quilt Batting?
Luna Quilt batting is a Moda Fabrics brand of batting that is made from natural fibers such as bamboo, cotton,  and soybeans.  Because of the needle-punch technology used, it enables them to avoid the use of any binders or resins. Therefore all the battings are chemical free so they are safe for all walks of life.  I especially love the softness of the batting and the wonderfully hand sewn look the quilts have once washed.  Luna batting is great for the machine quilter and the traditional hand quilter.  Currently, there are three types of Luna Batting, Kyoto, Soy Soft, and Luna Loft.

Kyoto is a bamboo blend batting. {50/50 Bamboo Cotton Blend}
It is naturally anti-bacterial and eco-friendly.  Bamboo is softer than cotton, biodegradable and hypo-allergenic.  Blended with cotton makes the perfect natural quilt batting. Stitches can be up to 8" apart with the Kyoto batting and will withstand repeated use and multiple washings becuase of the super durable substrate contained in the middle of the batting. 

Soy Soft is a soybean blend batting. {50/50 Soy Organic Cotton Blend} 

It is naturally anti-microbial and eco-friendly.  Soybean protein fiber has the luster of silk and the feel of cashmere.  The breaking strength of soybean protein fiber is higher than wool, plain cotton and silk. Stitches can be up to 8" apart with the Soy Soft batting as well and withstand repeated use and multiple washings because of the super durable substrate contained in the middle of the batting. 

Luna Loft is a soft comfort blend. {80/20 Cotton Polyester Blend}
Luna Loft is made with long staple cotton and the softest polyester which makes this the softest cotton-poly blend batting I have ever felt. It is also made without bleaching or harsh chemicals. You can actually stitch up to 10" apart with this batting because of the ultralight and super strong substrate contained in the middle.






I do have to say although I love using all three of the battings by Luna, Soy Soft has got to be my absolute favorite one to quilt with.

Try some today and let me know which one is your favorite!

Verna Tableware

If you have not been to Target recently and seen this tableware... then you must go, now and get some for your upcoming spring events. 

I bought a ton of these things for our Easter party on Sunday.

I love everything that Kate Spain designs.  This tableware collection just so happens to match the latest Verna fabric collection by Moda. 

Look how well they match my Bunny Eggs....

Okay, enough talking... just go buy!

Pattern Designer Crush

Okay... so I confess, I have a few pattern designer crushes that I must share with you all. If you are looking for a great new pattern that is well writtern and CUTE... here are a few of my favorite pattern designers that you must absolutely own at least 1, 2, or all of their patterns.  I personally want to own ALL of their patterns.

Melly and Me
I own this book {signed by Melly herself!} and LOVE IT!!!  I hope to make something out of it very very soon for my kiddos.

My daughter is very much into horses at the moment and plan to make her this cutie for her easter basket.

Izzy and Ivy Designs
I met the lovely Izzy and Ivy girls at Market last Spring and was immediately attracted to their patterns... every single one!  I want to own every single one of their patterns... but for now... I think I will be making this cute little bag in the next week or two.  Have my fabrics picked out... pattern purchased... supplies ready... now just need a free day to make it. Hmmm... maybe this weekend.

Thimble Blossoms
Simple, beautiful designs come from this talented designer, Camille.  I have a couple of Camille's patterns and have recently made a quilt from one of her patterns.  Must make another!  Maybe I shall give this pattern a try next...

Amy Butler
I have been making things from Amy Butler's patterns from the time she was designing through Country Living Patterns.  Love all her designs, very easy to follow, amazing product outcome when completed.  I think the majority of the patterns I own at the moment are by Amy Butler.  I have all her books and even have one of them signed.  I have recently made a few bags from her patterns and plan to make more in the very near future.  AMAZING patterns! Going to make this pattern next...

Anka's Treasures
Heather was such a wonderful and sweet lady to meet last Spring at Market. She has designed some of the most beautiful quilts in her books and looking forward to make a quilt from this book...

Bananafana Designs
Jess Goldman is the designer for Bananfana Designs and I have made several of her pattern designs, including a skirt for my daughter {LOVE this skirt}, a skirt for myself {so CUTE!}, and a Bag {very creative}. I hope to make another one of her patterns sometime... maybe this one...

I think I could actually continue to list all my favorite designers, but I'll save the others for another post.

Thank you to all you pattern designers for taking the time to create such wonderful designs and writing very clear and easy to follow instructions.  It makes a difference!  I believe the way a pattern is written can either make or break the future sales of your patterns and you all have done an outstanding job with your instructions!  Thank you!

Who is your favorite pattern designer?