When I first heard about Kiwi Crate I was skeptical. I’m just not a craft-kit kind of person. I love crafts but I like to invent my own crafts and nothing steams me up more than seeing something I could have invented myself all wrapped up in a box for sale. I know, it’s stupid but I have a thing about kits. Most of them out there are lame. Cheap wooden parts that you color with crappy marker pens that run out…don’t even get me started. The end result is just trash that you don’t know where to put and by the time you complete a project your kid is soooo attached to it that you’re forced to let it sit on some shelf for half a year mocking you. I’m sorry. I just don’t like the stuff. It’s cheap crap.

Kiwi Crate is different. I clicked around on their website and right away I was impressed with the quality of images, the thought that went into their design and concept. They explain it well and I was sold. It’s a grade A product that even a craft snob like me has give credit to. It’s a really great concept. I’ve had people tell me I ought to do something like this for years and the truth is I never got around to it. I tried to but I just never had all the supplies ready with nice instructions etc etc etc.

Basically, Kiwi Crate is a monthly subscription service for kids. Every month your kid will get a small shoe-box sized package in the mail (addressed to them) filled with two or three hands-on craft projects. Sometimes they are science related, sometimes just art, sometimes imaginative play. They are dedicated to sparking childrenís natural creativity and curiosity. Each project is designed by moms, reviewed by child development experts, and, of course, tested by kids. Color me impressed.

As a designer I love the packaging. It’s clean and simple. It’s easy enough for a five-year-old to understand but I found myself hovering with just as much anticipation as Bug as she unwrapped the box. I love the logo. So cute!

It was like Christmas unpacking all the fun stuff.

Bug was jazzed. She even got her own pair of kid-scissors that actually work and don’t hurt her fingers.

As you can see the instructions are super fun and easy to read. They also include little prompts to get your little one’s brain asking questions. This would be excellent for homeschooling.

The first craft was a stained glass frame using contact paper, a cardboard frame and small squares of colored tissue. I didn’t have to do a thing. I just helped her unwrap the packages and sat back and watched. That’s not how the crafts I usually invent work. No, I’m usually up to my elbows in glue helping and she’s either jumping up and down shouting that she wants to do it all by herself or she’s off somewhere else in the house while I micro-manage a project that was supposed to be for kids but ended up being for me.

It really made me happy to see her puttering away so contentedly.

And of course the end result was pretty cute.

But that wasn’t all. There were THREE crafts in this box! Three! Of course we had to do all three of them in one day because we are crazy crafting freaks but I imagine this would be something nice to savor over the months. Perhaps even something to use as bribery when certain children don’t want to get their chores done in a timely manner.

The second craft was a spinning top with interchangeable paper tops. It was a fun little lesson in color and how you can make different shapes spin into a blur of a completely different color.

I’m partial to the rainbow one she made.

The third craft was a little color-dye tote project. Using the leftover tissue squares (which I loved, waste not want not and all that) Bug arranged a cute little heart and then added water with a dropper that was provided.

Bug loved this craft. Water always steps things up a notch or two in the fun category. And it was surprisingly not that messy even though instructions warned that the tissue could potentially stain clothing. We didn’t stain anything. This was the most tame “messy” craft I’ve ever done. Which was great. No mess! No fuss! And when you’re done you just put all the leftover supplies back the box and close it up. Throw it away or keep it around for another day. I love this.

And the tote came out pretty good too! So that’s the story. I think this would be really cool as a gift from a grandparent or even just supplemental educational activities for home. I’m actually probably going to sign up for this myself. It’s twenty dollars a month which is a tad on the expensive side for my budget but I think I can spring for it. The products are quality and I can totally see Bug counting down the days until the next box comes. It’s sweet. Subscriptions can be ordered month-to-month, annual, or gifted to others at www.kiwicrate.com. Also, additional materials can be purchased for siblings. Check it out!

I am the worst reviewer ever. Bug received this beautiful dress from the Tea Collection almost a year ago and I never got around to taking photos of it and writing about it here. Part of it was my fault for ordering the dress a size too large and waiting for Bug to grow into it…and then there was the weather and the fact that this review had no deadline. I just never got around to it! I am the worst when it comes to deadlines. If you want me to get something done, give me a deadline.

Look at this dress! Isn’t it the cutest?!! Of course Bug is a well-trained model and looks good in everything but really, everything from the Tea Collection is darling and beautiful. I urge you to click over and peruse.

I’m sad to say that because I waited so long to write about this dress it is no longer available. They’ve moved onto Bali. Which is very pretty also and I may just order Bug a few things from their latest collection. This dress was from their Mexico collection.

It’s super well-made and durable. You could wear it to church or play rugby in it, it could handle both. Not that Bug is into Rugby or anything but she does play hard and she likes to be feminine so this dress is perfect for her.

I’m a happy customer! I think I’ll be buying dresses from the Tea Collection for many years to come. By the way, they make clothes for moms too! And boys and babies…Check ‘em out!

Being the artsty fartsy mom is great but sometimes I just want to take a break and not be so artsy fartsy. I hate to admit that but it’s true. Sometimes kids come over to my house and they look at me with these big eyes as if they expect me to bust out some kind of super-fun project at the drop of a hat. If I don’t start something they start crafting by themselves with glue and post-it notes and before I know it there is a mess on my dining room table because my house is the crafting house and that’s what we do here!! Don’t you know?

But secretly, between you and me, I don’t always feel like it. I get tired of cleaning up messes, I get tired of shopping for supplies. I don’t always have the best ideas. GASP! And I’ll admit that but I’m not always 100% on. You know? Sometimes I’m buried under my own deadlines and worries and sometimes I’m just tired. Sometimes I’m NOT the fun mom. It sucks.

I’ve never bought a craft book before because that would be cheating right? Just like I can’t buy cute greeting cards at Target because I know I could make them (but I never do. blaah.) But when I heard my friend Marie Le Baron had a book out and she offered to give me a free copy if I reviewed it, I jumped at the chance. And now I know why other moms buy these sorts of books!! It’s awesome!!! Seriously, every craft in this book was super simple, didn’t require any crazy trips to the craft or hardware store and I could pretty much give the kids the book let them go!

It was actually really nice.

This book is divided up by months and each month has four seasonal crafts. The photography is beautiful and very helpful for explaining each step. This is great because children can really do it all by themselves instead of hollering for me every five seconds. Though I admit I was hovering because I can barely stand any crafting going on and not be in the middle of it too.

Bug made the Rainbow-Colored Cooling Fan all by herself the first day we got this book.

She thought that was the bomb.

And then later the neighborhood kids came over and made Snowman Smoothies.

So simple and so yummy!

My reputation as the funnest-crafting-mom-in-the neighborhood is still intact and I didn’t have to do any work!! In fact, I think the kids really enjoyed that I let them pick what craft they wanted to do instead of setting them up with something I had already master-minded. It was a win-win!

So if you are looking for some simple crafts to get you and your kids through those long afternoons, I recommend this book. I love it. I think you will too!

Congratulations Brea! Looks like you’ve won a pink Blooming Bath Flower for your little girl! Watch your email box.

“Secret Agent Josephine, you seem to have some hair growing on your upper lip.” What?!! Gasp! How did you know! How could you say such a thing?!! Shocking!

The truth is I do have mustache hair on my upper lip. Not a lot, just a little. But I am a brunette after all, and such things cannot be ignored. Or maybe they could, but a long time ago a friend in high school introduced me to facial bleach, and I have never let a little hair go unnoticed since then.

Part of me wonders how my life might have turned out if she had never shared her dark secret with me.

So what does one do when one is faced with unwanted facial hair? Well, I’ll tell you!

I bleached for years. It was a pain. I hated hiding out in the bathroom while I waited for the chemicals to work. The excuses I’d make when someone would knock wondering why I was taking so long…that was fun. Then there was the burning and skin irritation. It was such a pain.

Speaking of pain, I tried waxing. That was REAL pain. Ugh. I’ve tried it all. Over the years my vanity has taken a backseat to the rest of my life, and I’ve turned to using one of those tiny battery operated nose-hair shavers on my upper lip. It doesn’t do the best job, but it’s quick and efficient, and I don’t have to think about it that much. But no, it doesn’t make me feel very feminine. Honestly? I feel like a man using a razor and I hate it.

So you can imagine my interest when Olay came out with their New Smooth Finish Facial Hair Removal Duo. I was intrigued.

I’ve been a fan of Olay forever. My mom used Olay all her life, and so have I. I think I started using their face moisturizer when I was thirteen, and I still use it to this day. I’m not a huge multi-step-beauty-routine kinda girl, but this is one product I swear by. It’s gentle, it’s pretty, and it works. Believe me. I live in the desert; if I didn’t use it my face would crack off. I decided I would do this review in photos to show you how easy it really was.

First you apply a thin layer of Skin Guarding Balm. It feels like chapstick.

Then you massage it in for twenty seconds in a circular motion.

Massage, massage, massage…

Now it’s time for the chemicals. I’m skeptical. Will it burn?

Apply a “small grape-sized dollop” of Hair Removal Cream, the directions say. Does this look like a small grape?

Done. Bug stops by to admire…

I set the timer for eight minutes. Eight minutes is kind of a long time. Time for some Groucho Marx impressions.

Hmmm…hmmm…hmmm…so far no burning!

How about we make up a rap while we wait for this mustache-ridder to work?

Yo yo yo! Mustache you gotta go! Drop to the flo and give me fo! Uh…I think I’ll keep my day job.

I’m much better at making faces.

Heh heh heeh heeh heeh..

Finally! I hear a timer ringing!

Wipe it off with a tissue and tah dah! No hair! What? Still ugly you say?

There. Much better with lipstick.

Mwa! Totally kissable. I mean, if I had anyone to kiss that is.

I’m ready for my close-up! Except I’m not very good at taking hand-held close-ups with my 50mm lens.

Here’s my shot. You can’t really tell because my freckles kinda make my face busy but my upper lip is as smooth as a baby’s butt. Trust me.

Or ask Bug. She’ll vouch for me.

And that’s all! I’m happy to report that this Olay product does not dissappoint. Just like my old favorite face moisturizer, I feel fresh and feminine, and it was easy. No mess, no fuss, and best of all, no irritation. I’ll probably use this from now on, and maybe I’ll even pass it on to Bug someday.

So who’s brave enough to admit they have a mustache too? Anyone? Anyone?

Don’t worry I’m not going to make you admit it in the comments, but if you would like to be entered for a chance to win an easy $50 gift card, courtesy of BlogHer and Olay, leave a comment below telling me who your favorite mustachioed character is OR maybe a beauty routine that your mom passed onto you like my mom passed on her love of Olay to me. I’d love to hear your story.

Rules: This sweepstakes runs from 1/3/2012 – 2/3/2012. No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods: a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry. This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here.

Be sure to visit the Promotions & Prizes page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers reviews and find more chances to win!

While we’re on the subject of looking good, you might want to check out the Looking Your Best posts in the Life Well Lived section of BlogHer.com. There are some great tips and expert posts!

Here’s a fun thing! I haven’t actually received this product so this is not an official review but I thought I’d go ahead and write about it because how cool is this thing?!! I don’t even know what to call it. It’s a soft tricot mesh flower that you can put in your sink and bathe your baby in! Then when you’re done you just rinse it and pop it in the dryer. So much better than that awful plastic bathtub I had when Bug was a baby. And so much easier to store!

It comes in pink, yellow and blue and when your baby gets too big for the sink you can use it in the tub too! You can get more deets here.

I tried to get them to send me one that I could use as a cat bed but they didn’t think that was very funny. However! I do get to give one away to one lucky commenter. Do you need something fun and colorful like this for your baby? Just leave me a comment below saying what color you’d like and I’ll pick one winner on Friday January 6th!

Congratulations Stacy! Watch your email box!

Remember those really super cute clothes from American Living and JC Penney? I love those clothes. So classic! So tasteful! But you know what? My kid has a mind of her own. I think she’s worn the jumper once. I try to get her to wear them. I do. I set them out, coordinating with her favorite tacky blinged out t-shirt and every morning she goes and conjures up some other outfit.

Like this:

Or this:

Or this:

Sure, the blue wings are cute but the dress is a hand-me-down that she’s worn for TWO years now! My kid loves hand-me-downs. I have no idea why. She has new clothes coming out her ears (thanks to a loving grandma who loves to take her shopping and a few sponsored jobs I’ve had in the past months) and she chooses to wear the old clothes. What gives?!!

I could post more photos. In fact, I think every photo I have taken of her this month is in a hand-me-down but you get the point. New clothes, while very cute, are wasted on her.

And this brings me to you. How would YOU like a $25 gift certificate for some new clothes for your kid! Maybe they are more appreciative than mine. Or maybe you’re just the boss in your home and your kids wear what you tell them to.

That’s what my mom always tells me. “When you were a kid, you didn’t get a choice about what you wore,” Right. I also was the one who was called Hazel because I wore jumpers and two-toned leather oxfords in six grade. Anyway! This is not about me and my kid. This is about YOU!! Comment below with your two cents and I’ll enter you to win a drawing for a $25 gift certificate from JC Penney and American Living!

Also, check out their facebook page for other fun offers while you’re at it.

P.S. Giveaway ends on the 30th. I’ll pick a winner at midnight via random number generator and announce the winner the next day!

You all know I was a HUGE Tassimo fan, right? I loved the Tassimo. I could write sonnets to the Tassimo.  Well guess what?  As of March of this year, Starbucks no longer makes t-discs for the Tassimo.  I hate to admit it but I think those Starbucks t-discs are the real reason I loved the Tassimo so much. Sure, the Tassimo machine had sleek lines and it was small and fit on my counter nicely but without those frothy latte primos it wasn’t that special.  The Gevalia coffee they sent me was awful and sometimes the cream capsules leaked. Not very often but sometimes.  

It’s true, I was beginning to fall out of love with the Tassimo. Sigh.
 
But that’s not the end of the story of course.  
 
There’s a new girl in town who is now married to Starbucks: Keurig.  They don’t have Starbucks K-Cup Portion Packs out yet but I’ve googled it and they are due to come out in the fall of this year.  So you know what I was thinking: Goodbye Tassimo, Hello Keurig!  I’m not that loyal. Except I don’t really have the money to be buying expensive coffee machines.  So I bummed it for a while with my trusty French press and thought about getting a Keurig.

Then I got lucky. Maybe being the self-proclaimed coffee expert had something to do with it but probably not.  
 
Green Mountain Coffee asked me to review their Fair Trade coffees and they offered to send me a free Keurig coffee machine. Score!  Sign me up, I said, knowing next to nothing about Fair Trade coffee.
 
So I did my research.  And I sampled the Fair Trade Green Mountain Coffee.
 

 
Lots and lots of sampling. (It’s a dirty job but some-very-caffeinated-body’s gotta do it.)
 

 
And you know what?  
 

 
I wasn’t all that fond of the lighter blends (I never am. I like my coffee tall, dark and burnt.) but the Sumatran Reserve Extra Bold is pretty good! It doesn’t come with a capsule of frothy milk (and why not?!!) but it is pretty tasty coffee.  Slosh in some cream and sugar and I’m a happily caffeinated girl.  
 
So if you are the type who enjoys using a single-serve coffee machine (Admit it, they are so handy and clean. No more coffee grounds all over!) this is good news!  

Green Mountain Coffee is known for its award-winning coffees, innovative brewing technology and social responsibility. They offer a lot of fancy coffees on their website (and free samples too!) and several of them are Fair Trade Certified™ coffees:
 

 
That basically means that by buying these coffees your dollars are going to growers who meet a stringent set of requirements, including “democratic voting among members, fair labor practices, and the exclusion of using certain chemicals. 

“Growers are guaranteed a minimum price for their coffee. If market prices exceed the minimum, they receive current market prices plus a per pound premium for community development and an additional premium for organic coffee. The co-op members vote to determine how to invest the Fair Trade premiums. They might fund community projects such as schools, health clinics, safe drinking water or new roads.”   

Fair Trade means better quality coffee for you and a better a better quality of life for farmers. Fair trade Coffee is better quality for all.  You can learn more about the details of Green Mountain’s Fair Trade certification on their Facebook page and sign up for some free samples or coupons for your own taste test while you’re at it!
 

 
But you might need to win a free Keurig coffee machine first, right? Well you can!  Just leave a comment below in my comment box between now and September 24th and one winner will be selected to win a Keurig coffee machine and Green Mountain Coffee K-Cup Portion Packs, provided by BlogHer. Go ahead. Feel lucky. Just tell me what kind of coffee you like. Are you a dark roast like me or do you prefer the lighter blends. Tell me all about it. Coffee snobs want to know.

And if you’re really serious about winning, you might want to check out BlogHer’s round-up page to see what all the other bloggers are saying about this.
 
No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry
methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment
on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on
this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about
an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be
selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for JCPenney. Probably because I grew up there. It seemed like I spent half of my childhood hiding in the clothing racks and giving my mom a fright because she couldn’t find me. I know this dates me but I remember so clearly waiting in that catalogue book line at the back of the store and getting drinks from that noisy old drinking fountain that spewed ice water in an arc over my head onto the floor. JCPenney is a piece of my childhood and I’m so amazed and happy that they still exist!

When I was given the opportunity to review some clothing for Bug for back to school from their American Living line I was happy to. It was like getting a ticket back to my own childhood but for Bug just in time for school.

I love the classic styles. I think I had a jumper just like that when I went to kindergarten. It’s like the kindergarten uniform! Of course I’ll let Bug wear her Hello Kitty sequined t-shirts and her crazy Hannah Montana screen-printed socks but it makes me happy deep down when I see her wearing classic pieces like this. This is what little girls should wear. It makes me feel like maybe being an American isn’t so embarrassing after all.

Some things do stand the test of time. This could have been a picture of me if my eyes were as wide-set as Bug’s and my mom didn’t mind me wearing a temporary tattoo of a fairy on my bicep as big as my face. I love that.

I love that she loves this jumper as much as I do. Maybe she’ll have adventures in it just like I had in mine. And her’s even has pockets! No fair!!

Just kidding. I’m not jealous of her pockets (well, maybe a little). I’m just happy in so many ways that Bug is getting to have a childhood just like I did. Here we are out in the sticks, she’s scootering around a cul-de-sac with kids from the neighborhood, she’s wearing clothes from JCPenney that look just like what I wore… I feel like I’m back in time. For a little while anyway.

Be sure to check out their facebook page and come back here at the end of the month for another post with a giveaway!