Personalized Gifts with Piczzle Picture Puzzles {#Giveaway} US/CAN, 5/21

The Kids love puzzles.

LOVE.

Seeing a three-years old reaction to having their picture on a puzzle really is hilarious. Think Thomas the Tank Engine.

But the puzzles aren't only a kids toy...

Piczzle Photo Puzzles Make Wonderful Memories!

For our review, I chose a basic design, medium sized cardboard picture puzzle with 48 pieces. There were ten piece size options ranging from 6-3,000 pieces! A puzzle for all ages.

The puzzles are constructed of a premium grade cardboard that has been laminated with a glossy finish. Piczzle's cardboard puzzles are precision press cut so that all pieces will be perfectly separated from one another. They are printed using an advanced digital printing technique that results in sharp, multicolored prints that achieve real-life Puzzle pictures.

As for the picture, I selected the same one from last years Christmas cards because I liked it. I didn't give any consideration to whether or not it would make a good puzzle for three year olds. Fortunately, there was some variance in colouring (although there was a lot of grey and flesh colours) and didn't prove too difficult for the kids. If you're planning on getting a puzzle as a keepsake then this is not an issue.

The final design step was to select the text. While they clearly state that "...for optimal results; font, color, size and position of your personal puzzle text will be determined by our professional graphic designers", I wish that I could have picked the font as I'm not big on italics. However, I was fine with the colour, size and position and it didn't detract from the enjoyment of the puzzle at all.

The puzzle arrived standard delivery within six business days and was packaged in it's own "personalized puzzle box".

Not only did that add to the cool factor but it proved very functional as Artemis referenced the picture on the box many times to find out where a piece went.

The picture I took shows that the not all the pieces lay completely flat on the top (they do on the bottom), however, my picture is exaggerated as you can hardly feel the raise with your hand. The thickness of each piece is measurable (1/16"), the cuts are clean and when compared to the original, the picture of the original on a cardboard puzzle is an excellent reproduction.

The kids have tons of cardboard puzzles that are already peeling, warped or broken before they're even out of the box. What a waste of money. While I understand that "the others" don't cost $14.95, I think that these puzzles are worth their value not only for the quality but the fact that you can't put a price on Grandma Joy's face when she receives such a unique gift.

Personalize Your Gift with Piczzle Photo Puzzles!

Connect with Piczzle Photo Puzzles on Facebook and Piczzle Photo Puzzles on YouTube.

Win a Piczzle Puzzle for Yourself Below!

Never too Late to Say "Thank You" with Grace Announcements.

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.

What's in The Zoo's Mailbox for June 26, 2012

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).

Seriously Adorable

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).

  Besos, The Zoo

Much Anticipated Review of my Mailbox Contents

Here's another installment of the much anticipated, never duplicated (but often attempted) insanity that is our mailbox.

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.

Want to look like the consummate professional? Check out all the different colours and sizes of journals and other business-like things in Shirley's Shop. Support Canadian!

Thank you So Much!

  Besos, The Zoo

Pip and Bean Super Hero Gear for Kids {Review}

I've mentioned before that I'm currently all about "The Monogram". When I found out what Brian and Alyssa from Pip and Bean were gifting me, I could hardly contain my excitement.

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!

Picture obtained from Pip and Bean's etsy shop

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!

"Up, up and away!".
In the end, it was love at first sight. Fierce!

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

What Winnings are in The Zoo's Mailbox #1? {Canadian}

Now for our first latest installment of "What's in The Zoo's Mailbox". Besides the usual menagerie of bills and people trying to sell us homes (silly them, we already have a house) so far this week we received the following four items.

1. Splash N' Boots ~ Act Two DVD

There's no secret that the big purple dinosaur reigned supreme (past tense) in this house (not so in these people's homes). But there might just be a new Sheriff in town (as far as I'm concerned). Who am I talking about you ask? Well, the trio of "Splash N’ Boots", herein referred to as "Splash", "Boots" and their dog "Lily".


As part of my extracurricular activities, I won their latest DVD, "Act Two".

Initially, I was under the impression that I had won a Children's DVD. However, I started to question what this DVD was all about after reading the cover. You see, it kept mentioning how "hilarious" it was so I thought that it must be a comedy (for adults) because what kid's movies are called hilarious and have a warning that it "May cause laughing..."? Turns out I was right on both fronts (Once I thought that I was wrong...).

This was the "funniest, made my smile hurt and left me laughing through my tears" kid’s movie I have ever seen or even thought existed. Yes, it was that funny. It could have been because I watched it on my new 47" LED TV (had to get that in somehow, smile) but most likely it was because (just like the cover says) it was...

"A Whole Lot of Awesome".

I'm not sure what age their intended audience is but I'm pretty sure that it’s older than two. Don't get me wrong, the kids were stuck to the TV like two drooling dogs to a bone but I know that they didn't get most of the humour. Like the Chinley's and Fruit Explosion skits which are absolutely brilliant. I'm pretty sure that all the songs are their own and they fit the skits perfectly (as opposed to the skits fitting the songs). A really creative pair.

No matter, Artemis spent the entire time looking for scenes with Lily the Dog, herein referred to as "My Dog" and Max loved all the music especially the scene where a young boy (maybe 5 or 6, I'm not good with ages) was playing the drums like a pro. I'm sure that in no time at all they'll be yelling "Shish Kabob" and singing/dancing to the music.

By my estimate, the movie was around one hour long which is just perfect because right around the 55 minute mark was when the kids were done. The last skit, "Fransico Fransico" had me scratching my head. Not in a bad way just in a "what were they going for" way as the skit is all about toilets. So, in order to be true to my readership and integrity (I can totally be bought, smile), I sent them an email asking just that.

This morning, I received the following reply from Splash...

"...Really appreciate you posting the review on your blog (which I was really enjoying this morning). We are 100% independent (no labels, distribution, financial backing etc. so word of mouth has been our fuel since we started full-time 7 years ago.

Now to answer your question. We were also wondering what we were going for after we saw the final cut of the Toilet Skit. HA. The idea came from listening to my nephew talk about his latest obsession/new funny word "Toilets". From there we came up with a concept of what it would look like to put toilets in different rooms of the house. As random of an idea as it was it seemed to somehow fit the "Saturday Night Live for Kids" vibe this DVD had taken. Hope that sheds some light on the situation :)

Thanks again! Send us your address and we will send you Act 1. (Be warned this was made 4 years ago with zero budget and mostly filmed in my dad's chicken barn).

Hope you can catch a show sometime :)"

Splash hit the nail on the head when he wrote "Saturday Night Live for Kids Vibe". Couldn’t have said it better myself. For the sake of integrity (again, I can totally be bought), I should mention that in my email to them, I might have totally begged mentioned that I would like to have Act One. Chicken barn + Splash N' Boots = More Awesomeness! I can’t wait to tell you all about it. I haven’t been this excited since I found that FPC for Nordica Cottage Cheese (Google it, I think that it’s still available). I need to get out more.

In closing, in my opinion, this is exactly what the Children’s movie scene needs. The icing on the cake is that they’re Canadian (from Toronto).

I Canada.

You can see what they’re all about on their website (www.splashnboots.com) which amongst many things includes their Show Schedule and Free MP3 Download. I would definitely be interested in attending a show but I think that I’ll leave the kids at home.

Looking forward to having this on replay for many years to come. Thanks for your generous gift(s) Splash N' Boots!

2. Zaida Baby First Keepsake

Now, if you are related and/or know me and are planning on having a child, act surprised when I give this to you. Or, try not to look disappointed when I hand you a Geranium. Allergic to flowers? All is not lost because you or someone who loves you (more than me, smile) can buy you one of these.

When I opened the envelope, it was evident (even from the packaging) that Zaida Baby cared; about their product and their clients. The keepsake came in a protective bubble envelope and was wrapped in red tissue paper, with a white satin ribbon and customized "Zaida Baby" sticker. It also came with an overview handout. A really formal presentation.

An excerpt from their website under "15 Reasons to Love My First Keepsake" reads, "It's one-of-a-kind! Zaida Baby - My First Keepsake is in a class of its own! It is the first baby book to include a storybook for your belly. The first 95 pages of this keepsake begin your journey of positive pregnancy."

While you'll have to wait for the arrival of your child to see pictures of the journal (because I don’t want to ruin the surprise), I can tell you that I'm really excited to gift it to one of you!



I don't know what it is with me and winning contests from Canadian hosts (I won yet another one yesterday) but Zaida Baby is Canadian (Burlington, Ontario). Did I mention that...

Canadians Rock!

3. LeeLee Labels

In my obsession flare for entering contests, I've focused on a few areas in which I'd like to win. 1. A Tablet/Kindle Fire/Kindle, 2. All Things Kids, 3. Crafty Things, 4. Stationery (more on that below) and 5. Labels. Thinking of birthday gifts (I know you all are), feel free to pick something from the above list. Note that Staples is having a 20% off sale on tablets right now. In case you were wondering… But seriously, don’t buy me one because I'm.going.to.win.one.all.by.myself.with.no.help.if.it.takes.me.two.years.

Where was I?

If I’m anything like my mother, I like to be organized and labels fit the bill. What warms the cockles of my heart even more is Personalized Labels.

Yep, you guessed it, I won a Two Name Pack of personalized labels from LeeLee Labels.

What's great about this pack is that they split the order (54 labels per name in three different sizes) and let you have two names. How great is that!? The order process was really easy. You got to pick the font, background design, colour and if you wanted an icon or not. Even those not so computer savvy people could figure it out. We chose "The Zoo" and "The [My Last Name]'s" as we think that we’ll get the most use out of them this summer.

While they had tons of icons to choose from, and might have been able to accommodate me and/or even provided the service (I didn’t ask), I would have liked to have used my own "Zoo" logo.

The packaging is also worth mentioning. Ed and I were talking about all the uses for the clear plastic protective sleeve (that the labels came in) and their cardstock advertising in the front which can double as a bookmark (probably their intention as it has writing on the back). I always appreciate companies that try to “Reduce, Reuse or Recycle” their products, especially packaging which is an necessary evil.

Not to be fooled by false advertising (smile), I went around finding things to label and trying to test out their "claim" that the labels are Dishwasher, Laundry and Waterproof/UV resistant. After running their sippy cups through (on the top shelf of our new dishwasher), it appears that all is still in order. I’ll have to test their UV claim this summer (although I know that you don’t need sun to be affected by UV rays, you do need to venture outside to stick said labels to something and the weather has been less than stellar). Regardless, they have my seal of approval.

I’m looking forward to the next time (one has to think positively) when I’ll get some with each of the kid’s names on it.

4. Set of Four Notecards from Hans My Hedgehog
And last but not least (for this post anyways), I managed to add to my stationery obsession stash with this four pack from Hans My Hedgehog.

It was one joyous surprise after another.

The notecards had a long piece of white ribbon (tied in a bow) attached to them so as to keep the personalized notecard contained (more on that later). Of course I kept the ribbon for my craft stash.

The drawings were more detailed and "alive" than I remembered seeing in her Etsy shop. I originally thought that they were on white cardstock with yellow envelopes and wouldn’t have still had a rave review but it turns out that the notecards are mounted on yellow cardstock (I love yellow). It really makes them popout.

But let’s forget about the notecards for a minute because it’s also about the envelopes. As you can see from the picture (I don’t do them justice), they too have drawings on them. Let’s just say that if you receive an empty envelope, you won’t be disappointed.

It was really nice to receive a personalized, handwritten note from Jessica (on the beautiful kangaroo card). The kind of special touch that makes a company stand out.

I have a few people that I will be sending “thank you/you rock” notes to and I’m sending these. When all this beauty has been shared with others, I’ll definitely be checking out her "Zoo" themed ones.

If you’re looking for something with the "Wow" factor, check out her shop at: Hans My Hedgehog

Besos, The Zoo