The Kids love to accessorize; glasses, capes, tutus, hats, you name it.
When I found Amy's Etsy Shop, I knew that we had to add some of her handmade creations to our collection.
Not only because they're animal related, functional, and adorable but because they're...
As of Tuesday, Max decided that he was done with diapers.
Not only during the day but at night too.
Eck!
While I support him in this major milestone, I also want to minimize laundry and the need to change his bed. Especially at night.
That's why, the package from Baby Bug Shop couldn't have come at a better time.
Those are a few of the words that come to mind when I think of Lil' Alice.
That and "Kid in a Candy Shop" because that's what I felt like when I started looking around her Etsy Shop. Just you wait.
It's been a while since we told you what's in The Zoo's mailbox. Seeing as Christmas is only three-ish weeks away, we thought we'd share with you some of the unique and affordable gifts ideas for Mom and Kids that we've found.
Before we go any farther, I should let you know that Journeys of The Zoo doesn't actually have a Christmas tree. Well, we do but it's in a box in the basement and it hasn't seen the light of day since I took it down March 23, 2003 in preparation for my move. Up until that point, it had been a permanent fixture in my living room since November 2000.
Yes, you read that correctly.
I was known as "The lady with the Christmas tree". I would turn the lights on every quarter December, March, June, September and the neighbours would come over for a chat.
If you're surprized then you need to read my blog more.
Here are some of the goodies that will be under our tree, if we had one.
It seems that everywhere I turn, someone I know is having a baby and I'm in need of a shower gift. Perhaps it's something in the water.
Fortunately for The Zoo, we found Laurel and her Bloomin Creative Baby shop just in the nick of time. Funny thing is, her need for baby shower gifts was also the reason why she started her shop.
Laurel's shop has a variety of different fabrics and products to choose from such as; teethers, snuggle blankets, bibs (for all occasions), feeding covers, soother savers, and breast pads. Something for everyone. She kindly sent me a teether, snuggle blanket and bib to try out.
It hasn't been that long since the kids were babies and but I'd never seen a teether ring like this.
The ring contains six, 1" natural wood balls enclosed in fabric and each tied off with a knot. The ends are double stitched for safety but the knots were so tight that I couldn't get them undone.
My parents have always taught me to be polite. That included saying "please and thank you", behaving when out in public and sending out thank you notes. There was probably a whole lot more...
Sending out thank you notes was just as important as the others and started before I could even write. At that time, my parents would either sign my name or trace my hand and let me draw a picture.
Once I learned to write, I would send out my own cards, usually handmade. Nanna kept a bunch and it's fun to try and decipher them.
As I grew, my days were filled with teenage pursuits which lead me to procrastinate. Sometimes I would delay writing a note for several months.
Nanna would remind me that it was "Never too late to say Thank you".
Never.
To this day, I send out thank you notes. Maybe not as many as I should but I know what it feels like to receive one so I try my best.
When I found Lindsay's Company, Grace Announcements on Pinterest, I knew that her personalized cards were perfect for The Zoo.
1. Smuckers Gift Basket
Every summer, we load up The Zoo and spend the day on the St. Lawrence River enjoying the breeze, playing in the shallow waters and watching the boats go by. Every year, I manage to forget half the items necessary for us to eat. No more!
The Zoo won a really sturdy and family-sized picnic basket with all the fixings for two adults; wine opener, forks, knives, spoons, plates and even real wine glasses. The Adult Zoo will now be eating in style.
The prize package also included three x 390g jars of jam; fieldberry, summer fruit and wild berry. I like that the jam is made with all natural ingredients so I don't need to worry about feeding it to the kids (if there's any left). Even though we already had a Smuckers open (it's our brand), Ed insisted that for the sake of integrity that we open one up so that he could give you his opinion. I'll let you know what he thinks when he's done (he's on his third sandwich).
2. Facebook Giveaway Wall.
Don't forget that our
Tuesday Facebook Giveaway Wall is Open and Everyone is Welcome. Please hop on over and post your Canadian and Family Friendly giveaways or Enter to Win!
3. BK Inspired.
If you're looking for something truly unique look no further then the artistry of BK Inspired.
Not only is Maya a friend and big supporter of The Zoo but she is also Canadian. You might remember her work from her participation in the Great Canadian Blog Bash in honour of Canada's birthday.
If you live in or around Toronto, check out BK Inspired wares at the Durham Craft and Gift Show (Ontario, Canada) the weekend of October 19-21 and add some style to your life. She has much more than bookmarks but regardless, your books will thank you!
P.S. I am the proud owner of the bookmark pictured.
4. And the Winners of our last bunch of giveaways are:
This giveaway will showcase five Canadian Sponsors and their Handiwork including prizes totalling $100! To top it off, there will be not one but FIVE winners.
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1. Kari from Little Sweetie Clips.
My name is Kari and I'm a stay-at-home mom with two beautiful daughters and a wonderful husband who is my biggest fan and supporter!
My girls, Shayla and Kelsie are the inspiration behind Little Sweetie Clips. I started making hair pretties for Shayla as I found it hard to find cute hair accessories that would stay in the little amount of hair she had (neither daughter had any hair until their first birthday!). This became so much fun that I started selling them online and Little Sweetie Clips was born.
Everything I make, I make as if it were for my own daughter. We don't just make products for babies, we have a range of items for girls of all ages, including wedding and grad hair pieces as well as maternity sashes. I'm always looking to try new things and experiment with different fabric or ribbon. I love making custom designs and can create something special for you for a specific event.
Prize: Kari is giving away a set of three (3) shabby chic flower headbands valued at $24 ($8 each headband)! Winner can choose colors (based upon availability).
Freebie: *Free shabby chic flower hair clip with every purchase! Enter the 'secret code': JourneysofTheZoo at checkout with your choice of color*
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2. Shery from Shery K Designs.
My name is Shery K and I have been designing patterns for commercial use since 2002. In 2009, I moved to Canada with my Canadian husband (I'm from Egypt) and soon found my niche in scrapbooking design and paper crafting. After working with different design businesses my entrepreneurial spirit evolved and I started my own home-based business: "SHERY K DESIGNS".
Prize: Shery is giving away three printable digital paper packs from her shop valued at up to $12!
Discount: For the duration of the contest, all purchases will receive a 40% discount (yes, 40%) with the coupon code JSZOODIC40OFF.
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3. Kyra from GhostShip
GhostShip represents much more than an on-line jewelry store to me. It is my passion for life, nature and all things creative. The jewelry line is romantic and beautifully delicate, all lovingly hand crafted with care and attention to detail.
Since we all have worries, I created a Worry Locket line, which captures all of our worries and stores them into the silver filigree for safekeeping. The worry stones are semi-precious gemstones, representing each birthmonth, with specific healing properties. In ancient Greek times, worry beads were carried around to relieve stress and anxiety. The beads were often found objects and strung together to be lovingly counted in meditation. This modern day worry locket is filled with gorgeous nuggets of genuine peridot gemstones, strung on a long sterling silver chain. GhostShip also carries vintage seaglass and freshwater pearl treasures that will last forever.
Prize: Kyra is giving away a Beautiful Worry Locket with peridot gemstones valued at $29!
Note: Each week Kyra hosts a giveaway on her Facebook page. Liking her Facebook Page is a giveaway entry so be sure to do it to double your chances of winning!
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4. Julie from HandMade Treasures.
This pendant is handmade with non-tarnish silver wire, hugging three precious "eggs". Perfect for the Mom with three children. We can customize the number and color of "eggs" and wire type to suit your needs. Each piece is lovingly and uniquely made which means each piece may be slightly different than the picture but just as lovely.
Prize: Julie is giving away a Handmade Bird's Nest Pendant valued at $20!
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5. Kelly from Candy Coated.
Candy Coated is a proud Canadian company who takes pride in providing a personalized service that reflects your vision and style.
Together we will integrate a theme and colour scheme that inspires you. By combining hand crafted creations and mouthwatering confections we will design a one of a kind Sweet Table that is sure to impress your Guest of Honour, Friends and Family alike. Candy Coated will take care of the finer details and allow you to "Wow" your guests without the stress.
Whether your throwing a birthday bash or a bridal shower, Candy Coated will provide sweets, décor and a unique touch to make your event fabulous and virtually effortless.
Prize: Candy Coated is giving away a set of 12 personalized cupcake wrappers and toppers valued at $16!
Discount: For the duration of the contest, all purchases will receive a 15% discount on all A-la-carte and Sweet Table orders with the coupon code "ZOO2012"(at checkout).
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Winners: There will be five winners for this giveaway. One for each prize. Awesome, I know!
Eligibility:: Open to the USA and Canada.
Duration: The contest will run from Monday, September 17 until Monday, October 1, 2012, inclusive.
Notes: Free shipping within the USA and Canada is included in each of the prizes (where applicable).
Entry Method: Rafflecopter Form. See below.
This giveaway was posted to Canadian Free Stuff, Blog Giveaways, Contest Canada and Linkies Contest Linkies.
Journeys of The Zoo is pleased to introduce you to the first "I Am Canadian" Linky and Feature Recipient...
Jennifer, the Owner of Current Works of Glass and I first "met" when we worked together on "The Great Canadian Blog Bash 2012" giveaway back in June. Her creativity and talent speaks for itself but it's her kindness that makes her stand out. From the very beginning she has been a huge support in my blogging endeavours and even created a pendant just for me (pictured below). It turns out that we only live one hour from each other. Small World.
Seeing as Jennifer is the professionally trained artist, I will allow her to describe what makes her tick in her own words...
I love creating jewelry as it is like little art sculptures that make people smile. I get the same satisfaction from a unique necklace as from one of my bigger sculptures. Going between jewelry and glass sculpture keeps my mind focused on the smallest detail and the overall mood of every piece.The dance of light and glass is a reminder of sunlight on water. My work tends to focus on optimism with a nod to the struggles of humans and nature. This is glass work that is contemporary and original; all designs and patterns are my own creation. No two pieces are ever the same as my creativity comes from my admiration for the unique and fresh.
I am happiest singing in my studio while cutting glass and creating new designs from my imagination. Following my passion makes me smile. When people like what I create it makes me smile even more.
Recently, Current Works was placed on the prestigious "Crown and Pumpkin Studio Tour" taking place Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend in Clayton, Blakeney, and Almonte Mississippi Mills. Detailed information is available on their site (see Step 4b). Or, stay updated on this and two upcoming events (in November) by liking Current Works Facebook Page.
As mentioned, I am the fortunate owner of one of Jennifer's pieces of art. As luck would have it, the necklace arrived the morning that we were leaving for our annual summer camping trip in Algonquin Park (post to follow shortly).
When she originally asked me what colour I wanted, I told her to surprize me and she sure did, by reading my mind! My favourite colours are yellow, orange and red and my passion for the outdoors began when I was a child. So you can imagine how pleased I was to find that this was all mine.
I put it on right away but thought that I wouldn't keep it on because it would bother me or I would fear that it would get damaged. That time never came as I didn't even realize that I was wearing it until the compliments started rolling in...
The fused glass pendant comes on a silver plate bail with a ribbon and raffia necklace and each one is initialled on the back. Note that Jennifer sent me two necklaces so that I could switch things up depending on the occasion. Red for day, Black for night or the other way around?
Be sure to visit the Current Works of Glass Etsy Shop for details and
And just because it's September, one of you will be the lucky winner of a glass pendent by Jennifer.
Watch for the giveaway post tomorrow, Thursday, September 13!
Don't forget to contact me regarding YOUR Feature. Read this post or click the "I Am Canadian" logo in my left sidebar for additional information.
And Now for The "I Am Canadian" Linky...
If you are Canadian or have a Canadian Product, Cause, Blog, or other Canadian related item, then you are officially invited to add yourself to this Linky. Please leave a comment or email me (journeysofthezoo at hotmail dot com) if you have any questions.
If you notice a link that was entered in error (for example, not a Canadian or not Family Friendly), please let me know.
Note that this Linky is not intended as a Giveaway Linky. While you are free to link up once and can link to a giveaway, I would appreciate it if you added all your giveaways to my Weekly Facebook Giveaway Wall, Tuesday, September 11 to Monday, September 17. All welcome. No limit. No invite. Must be Family Friendly and Open to Canadians. Just look for the post!
Besos, The Zoo
Uncle Andrew has been visiting since Wednesday, Marcella arrives on Tuesday and then Nanna on Sunday. Before you know it, we'll be leaving for Mexico.
While I get caught up, I thought that I'd thank a few companies that have kindly sent items to The Zoo.
"The Smart Mother's Guide to a Better Pregnancy" from Dr. Linda Burke-Galloway is a great resource for any pregnancy. I could personally relate to the high-risk problems chapter and really appreciated her appendix on High Order Multiple Support. I was pleased to see the "Triplet Connection" mentioned as it was and has been a great resource and place of support. While the groups were all based out of the USA, these topics know no borders and support is only an email away. Linda even wrote me a little personalized note. A nice touch. Once I'm done reading the book, I will be donating it to our local library.
Dr. Linda can be reached on her website (http://www.smartmothersguide.com/) or via Twitter (https://twitter.com/YourObGyn).
Crystal from Krafters Korner sent me this beautiful picture of daisies on embossed card stock. In case I've never told you, I LOVE Daisies. White ones with yellow centres are my favourite by far. In corresponding with Crystal, I might have mentioned that I wanted to put the card up on my craft wall. In turn, she sent an extra photo for just that purpose. Talk about kind.
The Zoo received three beautiful Princess Parables hardcover books from Zondervan. The titles are; Princess Faith's Mysterious Garden, Princess Charity's Courageous Heart, and Princess Hope and the Hidden Treasure. The illustrations are beautiful and so are the stories. The kids loved touching the embossed pictures on the cover leaflets.
Zondervan can be reached on their website (http://zondervan.com/) or via Twitter (https://twitter.com/zondervan).
Don't forget, only two days left to enter the Empire Reel Babies Movie Tickets Giveaway! Be sure to check back often this month as we have a bunch of great giveaways for you to enter and WIN!
I received this leather "Moustache Necklace" in the mail from
Yummy Pocket (a Canadian Company). Note the cute little red heart hanging off the end.
It came in a pretty red bag and recycled paper with green frogs. I like recycling. And the best part, the stamp wasn't stamped. Not that I'd reuse it because that probably isn't allowed...
Check out her Yummy Pocket Etsy Shop as she has some really cool iPad covers. Hello Commodore 64. Do you think they "tried" to make it rhyme?
Besos, The Zoo
1. BowTie from Sunny Vanilla
Jen sent me the most adorable bowtie EVER. Seriously, look at Max sporting it (minus the ketchup smeared all over his face, I always swore that I'd never be one of THOSE mothers, back to the tie).
I ordered the plaid, seersucker, blue/green (size two yrs). It's plenty big enough and you can't even tell that it's handmade (although that's the best part!). In addition, it will go with almost everything (note to Nanna, perhaps I should have changed his shirt, you know, to maximize the "matching factor", I'll know for next time).
If you know a boy, he needs a tie. If he already has one, he needs another. Don't know a boy, check out the bags and purses that Sunny Vanilla has to offer.
2. Cloth Diaper from Sew Silly
Kammie graciously gave me one of her cloth diapers.
Problem. I don't know anything about cloth diapers (I know what you were going to ask, don't).
I got my choice of fabric and I picked this one. So pretty!
Problem. It didn't come with any care instructions.
I emailed Kammie a few questions.
Problem Solved. She emailed me the following,
For Washing. Wash on normal cycle with cloth diaper friendly detergent. Hot water/cold rinse.
For Drying. High heat dry or line/sun dry.
For General Care. About once a month you will need to strip your diapers. After regular wash but before the dry cycle wash again this time with 5 drops of Tea tree oil. Then dry.
Insert. The insert is made to be folded in half with the free side against baby's skin. You could triple it if needed but I think it would be too skinny that way.
More Information. Diaperpin.com.
Laundry Detergent Chart available at www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html or you can make your own detergent for super cheap (that's what I do).
I can't comment on quality or function because they're the first cloth diaper that I've ever owned. But, all the seams are really neat and finished, the snaps are solid (I know enough that I like snaps better than velcro!) and I gave the elastic around the leg a good workout and everything looks in great working order!
Check out all the amazing fabrics, cloth diapers, slings and pouches that Sew Silly has to offer. You won't be disappointed by the quality, price or customer service that you receive.
3. Red Cabochon Flower and White Pearl Necklace from Sodapop Designs.
Dana is a mind reader. She must be because she sent me a necklace with my favourite accent colour... red.
The flower is very intricate, or so it appears, not that I'd really know. You see, Artemis has taken ownership of the necklace, and won't let anyone near it. Not an issue for this review because that girl knows her stuff. She loves the feeling of the pearls and keeps asking to look at herself in the mirror (note that this symptom may not be attributed to the new necklace...).
Red isn't your colour (really, it should be)? No worries, Dana has tons of other items to wet your appetite. Check out Sodapop Designs for all your "I want to look fantastic" needs!
4. Princess Revolution CD from Moey
This is Moey's third album and it's all about "The Princess". The kids (read: Max) are young enough that they couldn't care less if Moey was singing about Princesses or Olympic Highjumping. The important part is that they love the beat and the songs don't annoy the crap out of you as a parent that has to listen to it 1,231 times a day are catchy and even teach concepts such as counting and sharing.
One song even talks about having the courage to sing off key something that I totally have no idea about. I'm pretty sure that all the songs are original. If not, I was never a child.
Check out Moey's website to learn about her previous two CD's and "All Things Moey".
5. Monogrammed Luggage Tags from Birds on a Line
I LOVE ALL THINGS MONOGRAMMED. Have I made myself clear?
When Sandra told me that I'd won personalized luggage tags, I was thrilled to be able to cross luggage tags off my list. When she offered to take my logo and completely "Zooify" the tag, I was awed. Talk about a happy customer!
Both sides of the tags were personalized (the back contains my name and blog coordinates) and came with plastic and black leather straps. I can't wait to go somewhere so that I can use them. Won't be hard to find my bags in a crowd.
Don't travel, no problem. Birds on a Line offers gift labels and notepads as well. Besides, you could always get something for me the kids.
6. Necklace Leaf Buddy from GermanDolls
Ulla is the owner of GermanDolls and uses her German heritage as her inspiration. Her little Leafbuddies (as well as other products) are made from roving wool.
I don't know how she does it but the colours are so vibrant. I decided to use her photograph as I couldn't do the doll justice. The doll came with care instructions as well as a warning that "The dolls are handsewn and do have small heads" so to beware. Note that I already knew that because Ulla realized that I had young kids and sent me an email beforehand. Better to be safe than sorry.
Artemis and Max have enjoyed carrying their doll around and even had her sitting (on a chair) for their daily tea party. Visit GermanDolls and give the gift of "nothing says I love you like a toy made by a real person" (quoted by Ulla herself).
My prize, two legwarmers knitted by Melissa herself. The yarn (colours) were so beautiful and unique that it was difficult to pick. But, sacrifice myself I did and chose green and reeces pieces.
Each of the legwarmers came in their own owl "burlap like" drawstring bag (with logo/name stamped on the front) and a shipping tag attached (with removable string) that contained her name on one side and washing instructions/material content on the back.
Seeing as these are 75% wool and 25% nylon, she suggests machine wash cold and dry low. I love that it's so easy. I don't know about you but if something says "dry clean only or hand wash" I either don't buy it or throw it in the washing machine anyways and hope for the best.
Also included was a business card with an owl on it (I'm sensing a theme), one of her creations on the front (an owl) and balls of yarns on the back. The little personalized note came on card stock (love that too) with an owl stamp and a little strip of (wallpaper like) paper.
I absolutely loved the owl theme and DIY-like feel throughout.
Summer might be just around the corner, but around here, we can wear leg warmers all but two months of the year. Besides, it's a fashion statement and we know our fashion (tee, hee).
The only problem was that the package arrived when Nanna was here (I'll have to time things better) and the leg warmers were too cute (totally Melissa's fault!). In turn, one pair was stolen traded (for a not so nice pair). Before you go and feel sorry for me, did I mention that Melissa threw in an extra pair of warmers. Yes, that makes three pairs in total. Her excuse was that I'd had to wait too long to receive them. I think that she's just like that. Truth be told, I can't even remember how long they took to arrive (maybe a few weeks) and besides, I'd told her that there wasn't any rush (apparently that was my fault, smile).
To top it off, Melissa is Canadian and you all know how I heart Canadians. Save yourself the hassle of searching for the perfect gift and just check out Melissa's shop, Vintage Baby Revival. There's something for everyone and if you have a baby in your future, she has some one-of-a-kind items for your little nugget!
1. JustBYou
This story of compassion starts with a "win by default". Some things are not a coincidence.
My prize, one personalized dog tag! Note that personalized/monogrammed items are currently right up there with my love of collecting buttons and sewing machines (note to self, give up the sewing machine obsession and exchange it for something smaller). Anyways, a lovely, personalized dog tag. What to put on it?
I hummed and hawed and finally, I decided to ask the artist herself, Kim (well actually, her daughter is the artist but work with me here). Kim made things a lot easier (or tougher depending on how you look at it) by offering me THREE dog tags. Wow! I immediately knew that I wanted a "Zoo" themed one and one for Alexander.
With the help of Kim and her daughter, they designed and hand-stamped (how neat is that) the following two tags (in the end I felt that three would be too many). Sorry about the poor picture quality (I think I've lost my credibility as I've blamed the problem on the camera too many times).
When I received them, I knew right away that I wanted to put them on my keychain. To have them with me all the time. I shared this sentiment with Kim as I wanted her to know how important they were to me. Her response; so as not to minimize any heartache over possibly losing my tags, her daughter would make me a second set for safe keeping (on Alexander's shelf). Meeting these kind souls was no coincidence!
For those of you that don't know the quote reference, it was on Alexander's baptism certificate. We didn't choose it ourselves but it has come to mean so much.
You'd think that having the tags rubbing up against my keys and purse items would make them all scratched but they're holding up nicely. Besides, I want them to look and feel loved (yes, I just wrote that, see, I'm a softie).
If you have any need for anything, you should check out Kim's etsy shop, Just By U as they sell everything but the kitchen sink including Candy (hello, Praline Cashews, yum), cards and suncatchers. Something for everyone!
2. Tweet Heart
I’m sure you've noticed the prominent use of our "Z" logo. I made it myself. I know hard to believe that it wasn't made by a professional (I get that all the time, smile). When I won a $25 gift certificate for wall art, I knew that something "Zoo themed" was in our future.
With the patience of a giant, Sunny worked with me to create a custom piece of genius. The purpose behind the greatness was that I will mount the vinyl lettering on particle board, frame it and hang in on the wall. The advantage of this is that I can take it with us when we move. No plans yet but it’s inevitable, we're "The Zoo"...
So, pretend that what I described above has been done. Doesn't it look great! If I waited for my vision to be complete, I wouldn't get out this post. Ed just suggested that we put it on our front door (that has a large glass panel), it would fit perfectly...
Bare walls? Need a simple and affordable change on a budget? Don’t know what you want but know you want something? Stop by Sunny’s shop, Tweet Heart and look around. You will not be disappointed with the process, price or quality (I got all this for $25 and it included shipping!).
3. Brandy Cattoor
When Brandy a.k.a. Artist Extraordinaire told me that I had won a 3.5" x 2.5" oil on canvas portrait, I knew exactly which picture I would pick.
We have a bunch of pictures of Alexander but the one (in the middle) stands out as our favourite. The really neat thing is that we have the exact same pose and proportion of one of Max. Don’t they look identical (note to readers, they are identical).
I emailed Brandy the picture with a request to make it look like he didn't have tubes/was in the hospital. I felt badly asking her to paint a picture of a child that had passed away (although not in this picture) and I told her so. She was compassionate but did not seem concerned that she wasn't up to the challenge.
We are so pleased with the results. Can you believe that this picture was painted by hand! I can't put into words how much it means to have a tangible picture of Alexander looking back at me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
If you have any portrait requirements or would love a beautiful piece of art, please stop by Brandy's Shop and take a look around.
4. The Orange WindMill
I'm running a social experiment. It's a surprise.
What I can tell you is that you should get a good look at this journal because you might not see it again for a long time (if ever).
Why get all excited about a journal? Well, this isn't any ordinary journal. Besides the fact that it's going to change the world as we know it (okay, maybe not but I like to think BIG), it's made from leather and was hand stiched by Shirley in Hamilton (yah, another Canadian)! See, no ordinary journal.
You get three guesses and the first two don't count.
Still stumped, I have a new web design and the person responsible is Emily from The Crafty Bees!
Before I get into how awesome and talented Emily is, I should start out by saying that I originally won one of her "Premade Blogger Templates". However, I told Emily what I wanted and she zoo-weaked things (that's tweaked in zoo language). In addition, in all her awesomeness, Emily made me a custom header for no extra fee (although she didn’t mention anything, I know she did). And they say that nothing in life is free.
Did I tell you how great it was working with Emily? I wish that I could say the same for her (poor girl, smile). I've never had a blog design done before (my previous two were free templates off the web) but I was really impressed with her professionalism and systematic approach to design. She knew what needed to be done in which order and although I'm bossy a Project Manager by trade, I let her take the lead. Sure glad that I did.
Did I mention that she just had a little nugget. Even so, she responded to my 3,298 emails almost immediately and showed me proofs throughout the process.
As for the design, it's so "Zoo-like"! Can you name all the Zoo members in the header? Notice our "Z" icon in the Header Text? Isn't that smart (Emily’s idea). I have buttons. I love buttons! The background is in orange. I love orange!
I think it's pretty clear to say that I am really excited about this new look.
It shouldn't affect all of you very much except for the addition of "pages" under the new header. The "Home" page is the default page. When you type in www.journeysofthezoo.blogspot.com, you are on the home page. The "About" page is all about The Zoo. Lots of great pictures and boring tidbits of information that you might not have known about us. The "Contact" page has all the information for getting in touch with us. Finally, the "Giveaway" page will collect all my giveaway posts and centralize them in one simple location.
The new design has caused some of my post formatting to go wonky so please give me some time to make the changes. Other than that, it's life as usual at "The Zoo"!
Does your blog need a pick-me-up? Emily’s Blogger templates start at less than $30. Do you realize that's like getting 50% off your morning coffee for a WHOLE MONTH. Even more if you get the fancy one. And you can't show your friends how pretty those are.
Did you know that she has ten new designs coming out in the next two weeks (like there isn't a ton to choose from already) and another giveaway that will be hosted right here in early July!
Stop by her shop, The Crafty Bees and check out what she can do for you.
Besos, The Zoo
Monograms and Super Hero outfits, hello Batman.
The package included a monogrammed cape, arm bands and a mask. The best part was that although I had more choices than I can even remember (both for the cape colour and circle), I'm demanding I didn’t see the "Zoo colours" of orange with white. What to do? I mentioned my dilemma (if everyone had my problems) to Brian and he immediately responded that they could accommodate my request. Awesomeness of the Super kind!
In a flash, it arrived. I knew that the cape would be a success (we have several others but none are monogrammed) but I was a bit worried that the kids would be afraid of the mask and/or not want to wear the arm bands. Let's just say that Artemis has being wearing the outfit for two days straight.
At first, there was some trepidation. Either that or a Super Hero can't let you see them crack a smile.
Within minutes they had undressed and were doing it all over again. The great thing is that even at 2.5 years old, the costume is simple enough that they can dress themselves!
Check out their shop, everybody (big or small) wants to be a super hero if even for one day. And yes, they have capes for BIG kids!
I received product from Pip and Bean that enabled me to conduct this review. All opinions are my own.
Besos, The Zoo
Besos, The Zoo