CLOSED: Handmade Feature/Giveaway: Kira Kids

We are super excited about this week's giveaway from a quirky and cute, Kira Kids--a shop featuring "hip, modern baby and kids clothes."  The designer/owner, Christine creates the most clever little onesies for your little guy or gal.

Meet Christine of Kira Kids:

What does your life outside of your work/business look like?

My family and I are extremely close. Without their influence and support Kira would not be possible. I also work full time in design and product development for a manufacturing company. This background definitely gave me insight into creating my own line.

Christine of Kira Kids

Describe yourself (or ask someone else to do it!) in three words.

Happy, Silly, Open-minded

Fall piece you can’t live without:

My black leather ankle boots - I could hitchhike across the country in those bad boys!

Most recent fashion-related purchase:

My coral one shoulder dress by American made label Audrey 3+1. Its super comfortable and I always get tons of compliments!

Christine's nephew and a friend

Do you craft/make anything else outside of what’s in your shop?

I love making stuffed toys for my cousin’s pup (a.k.a. Kira’s mascot), Peyton.

Any pet peeves?

The rainbow wheel (mac spinning wait cursor)....

Bad habits?

Texting while walking.

Desert-island food?

527 Cafe’s sweet potato fries with plum seasoning and Andy’s frozen custard!

Three bands/singers you can’t get enough of:

The Black Keys, Lauryn Hill and The Strokes are in constant rotation.

Another blog you follow regularly (link us!):

www.smittenkitchen.com - Yum!

Oh and of course Kira’s blog www.kirakids.blogspot.com !

What made you decide to start a shop?

I started Kira when I met my first nephew Ethan. Spending time with him inspired me to follow my passion and create products that make kids happy.

Significance of your shop name?

Kira has a similar meaning in many languages (Latin, Japanese, Persian): “ray of sun”. This represents my line perfectly because kids light up our world!

Favorite item in your shop right now?

My favorite item in the store right now is the “Party Like a T-Rex” toddler tee. 

It’s inspired by the imagination of kids and their rebellion against reality. Who said a T-Rex can’t wear a top hat? ...maybe he’s going to a party! By blending different elements, I hope to inspire cleverness in kids and remind parents to nourish their children’s limitless creativity.

Christine is giving away one of her signature pieces to one lucky reader!  Winner will have the choice between:

Here's how to enter:

Mandatory Entry- 

1. Follow our blog! Once you become a follower, just leave a comment below, telling what your favorite item from Kira Kids is.  If you’re already following the blog and our twitter—simply leave a comment, telling us what your favorite item from Kira Kids is!

Additional Entries-
2. Follow Miskabelly (@miskabelly) on twitter…and again, just a quick comment to let us know you did (with your twitter user name) and share what your favorite item from Kira Kids is.

3. Once we tweet about the giveaway, you can re-tweet to gain an extra entry!

4. HEART  Miskabelly on Etsy (leave us a comment to let us know!)

5.  HEART Kira Kids on Etsy (leave us a comment again!)

6. 

"Like" Kira Kids on facebook (www.facebook.com/welovekira) (leave us a comment!)

This contest will run until next Wednesday, February 16th.  The winner will be chosen through a random number generator. 

Good Luck!!

Manda &Jayme

WINNER: My Little Critterz Giveaway

Thanks to all who checked out Lindsay's shop--My Little Critterz, and entered to win the adorable owl hat!  The lucky winner is....number 58 (chosen by random.org--sorry, I closed out the window with the image before I remembered to paste it here!):

 Kerrie said...

I Follow Miskabelly (@miskabelly) on twitter @36momma
my favorite is the Sock Monkey Hat With Pom Pom

kerriekg@yahoo.com

February 3, 2011 4:41 PM

Congrats Kerrie!!  We'll email you shortly with details on how to claim your prize. :)

Stay tuned for our next giveaway coming later today!

xo

Manda & Jayme

Oh, those baby weight blues.

So I'm sure you thought it was Jayme about to write this post, and you were all, "Oh, you just had a baby a month ago!"  But no, it's not Jayme.  She's already back to pre-prego weight...maybe even less.  It's me, Amanda, just 4 days away from Aurora's first birthday and wondering why those pounds didn't just "melt off."

I breastfed for six months.  I exercise (not as regularly as I'd like).  I wasn't eating great--I was eating for comfort and convenience, which is really all a new mom can do until you figure out how to make a dinner with vegetables and lean meats and take care of feeding a child at the same time.

I started Weight Watchers a little before Thanksgiving.  The weight loss was steady at first.  Then, I had a pretty icky holiday gain.  Then it's been up and down, in little increments.  I feel like I'm in pudge purgatory.  It's too cold to motivate me to do the exercise I want to do (jogging, biking, longer walks).  But slow is better than nothing, I guess.  I am down 13 pounds as of Sunday.  The slowest 13 pounds ever.  My initial goal was to lose 19 pounds by this birthday (and my own 29th birthday next week), but I'll be happy with 15.

I know I've made progress based on my clothes.  I can wear some pre-pregnancy jeans and fit into things I couldn't.  I am trying to look at these photos and see the progress, but I'm blind to my own body (I thought I looked "okay" 15 pounds ago)...can you see a difference (besides the obvious haircut)?


I still have a long way to go.  I haven't talked a lot about it with anyone because...it's kind of embarrassing.  Embarrassing to say I let myself go.  Embarrassing not being able to eat or wear whatever I want.  I believe women of all shapes and sizes are beautiful, but for me, my body and self are not comfortable where I am.  So I work...and look to y'all to encourage and hold me accountable!  Hopefully, my struggles can motivate you to stick with those goals you have for your physical health post-baby as well.

Thanks for listening,
Amanda

Look-a-likes

I talked a little before about how when I found out I was having a baby girl (rather than the boy that I thought for SURE was swimming around in my tummy) I was kinda sad--because I wanted a mini-Andrew running around.  Well, turns out I got my wish after all, sort of.  Lyla has an uncanny resemblance to her daddy!  I can't help but look at her and see him.  Especially the other day when she had a terrible case of bed head which left her with even the same hairdo as her adorable daddy:

Love those two SO much!  

By the way--have you entered our giveaway from My Little Critterz yet?  If not, click HERE!

xo

Jayme

Being a mom is HARD.

Recently I came across a blog entry on The Wonder Love (written by Indiana Adams of Adored Austin) that sort of hit home.  The resounding message:  Being a mom is HARD.  It was such a relief to hear someone else say it.  Such a rare occurrence in the world of mommy-blogging.  I mean....there are the occasional "I'm having a bad day" or "My kid is annoying me" confessions, but it's not often that moms admit the struggle.  The feelings of failure.  

So this is me admitting it too.   I'm struggling.

This past week was a rough one.  Lyla seemed to be crying (I'm talking red-in-the-face, can't-catch-her-breath kind of crying) every evening, allllll evening.  Not gonna lie, it sucked.  It is so frustrating not knowing what is wrong when your baby is crying.  Thankfully Amanda shared with me the "5 S's" (swaddling, side/stomach lying, shhhh, swinging, sucking) and they were a quick fix for a moment of relief during a crying spell, but I couldn't help but think there was something else I was doing wrong.

Sunday night (after much prayer and contemplation) I figured it out.  

I had been worried that I wasn't producing enough breast milk and had started taking a herbal supplement, fenugreek, that supposedly helps increase milk production. I googled "fenugreek, fussy baby" and sure enough, a slew of results showed up.  A definite correlation between the supplement and adverse reactions in babies.  So.  We're done with that.  Yesterday I had my pleasant baby back and I felt like super mom.  

Today she is throwing fits again.

Being a mom is HARD.

But then she curls on my chest after I've nursed her, and nuzzles her head under my chin.  Moments like that make it all worth it.

xo

Jayme

WINNER: Six Little Hands Giveaway

Thanks to all who entered our giveaway from Six Little Hands!  
The lucky winner is:

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:106Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Nikki said... 

I am following. I would love to try the Invigorating Organic Orange Vanilla Sugar Scrub, it sounds awesome!

January 30, 2011 9:42 PM

Congrats Nikki!!  We'll email you shortly with details on how to get your prize. : )

Don't forget to enter this week's giveaway from My Little Critterz!

xo

Manda & Jayme

CLOSED: Handmade Feature/Giveaway: My Little Critterz

We are super excited to share with you this fun and colorful etsy shop as our second feature for 2011!

My Little Critterz is full of crocheted and handmade hats, headbands and more!  We love all the bright colors and playful designs that shop owner/designer, Lindsay uses.  

Meet LINDSAY of My Little Critterz:

What does your life outside of Etsy/blogging look like?

When I am not working on listing items, renewing, photographing or shipping purchases for my shop, MyLittleCritterz, I spend hours at night crocheting my handmade hats, headbands and toys. What I sell in my shop is not made on a machine, so it becomes very personal to me when I am fulfilling my orders. During the day, I am a substitute teacher for my school district in southern California until they are able to start hiring full-time teachers. I enjoy going to different classrooms because I get a lot of great ideas and I love working with the various grade levels. When I’m not at school or “working” for my shop, I enjoy spending time with my loving husband (of almost two years) and my wonderful family. My niece and nephew give me a lot of inspiration through the television shows that they watch, and what I think they would enjoy wearing. I am a book enthusiast (just like some people are wine enthusiasts); I love reading!! I read all different genres and authors. Anything that is suggested to me I read, and I could spend hundreds of dollars at the bookstore if my husband would let me. I am also trying to enjoy working out and getting in shape, but it is difficult to say the least…(torturous, horrendous, time-consuming, exhausting, just a few more words to describe those experiences!!!) In the future, I would love to own a home with my husband, start my family, become a full-time teacher and continue to grow my shops while doing what I love.

Describe yourself (or ask someone else to do it!) in three words.

Loved, Creative and Intelligent (from my husband)

Beautiful, Patient and Giving (from my mom)

Fall piece you can’t live without:

This winter, I can’t live without my comfy boots and scarves. Even though it doesn’t get very cold in southern California, it is wonderful to get bundled up to go out!

Most recent fashion-related purchase:

I haven’t bought anything fashion related for a long time, but I can’t wait for Spring to come so I can go shopping for my trip to Hawaii in April!! I will be looking for light fabrics in great colors. Shorts, skirts, tank tops, summer dresses, swimsuits, sandals and so many more fun things to get…

Do you craft/make anything else outside of what’s in your shop?

 I am an endless crafter! Besides crocheting, I do needlepoint, sewing, quilting, I make my own jewelry (and sell it), and being a teacher allows me to share my creative side with the students I work with. As I mentioned, I have another Etsy shop, houseofjewelry.etsy.com where I sell my handmade and one-of-a-kind jewelry.

Any Pet Peeves?

 My biggest pet peeves are people who are late (my husband is notorious for this), being interrupted when I’m talking (it’s a teacher thing), and people who don’t know how to drive in California.

Bad Habits?

 Trying to take on to much at once and stressing myself out. I’m working on not sweating the small stuff.

Desert-Island food?

 Chocolate!!! (anything.) This is my down fall…..LOL.

Three bands/ singers you can’t get enough of:

 My musical choices vary greatly! I honestly like almost all music depending on what kind of mood I am in. I can’t pick just three…..so, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Sugarland (my country favorites), Armin Van Buuren, Cascada, Groove Coverage (my techno favorites), Evanescence, Linkin Park and Ill Nino (my other music favorites).

Another blog you follow regularly?

Unfortunately, I don’t follow blogs as much as I would like to, but I would like to create my own so that I can share my process of creating, my ideas and my stream of thought to my shoppers/buyers and whoever wants to read about it.

What made you decide to start a shop?

 I started my shops (both HouseOfJewelry and MyLittleCritterz) because I love making items for myself, but most importantly, I wanted to be able to share them with other people. I have always loved looking on Etsy because of the great handmade or vintage items that are available. So this was a natural progression for me. I will admit that it is stressful at first because you’re not sure as a seller what people will think of your products. However, with My Little Critterz, I have gained confidence in my creations.

Significance of your shop name?

Lindsay's Hoot! The Owl Hat

My Little Critterz has two significances for me. First, the Little Critters books were my favorite children’s books growing up, so I just adapted the name a little for my shop. Secondly, I think of my hats as my little critterz, my creations that children and adults alike will fall in love with and treasure as much as I do. Someday, I will be making them for my own children and grandchildren to enjoy.

Favorite item in your shop right now?

 My favorite item right now is my Hoot! The Owl Hat. It is available in three sizes:

 Newborn/Infants 0-12 Months

Toddlers/Kids 1-10 Years

Preteens/Teens/Adults

This hat is adorable with the big eyes; it is warm and practical with the earflaps and ties and can be customized with yours or your child’s favorite colors!!

Lindsay is offering a Hoot! The Owl Hat to one of our lucky readers!  

The winner will get to choose between the Newborn/Infants 0-12 Months size or the Toddlers/Kids 1-10 Years size and will be able to choose their child’s favorite colors to customize this hat (we will email the winner a color chart to select from)!  

Here's how to enter:

Mandatory Entry 

1. Follow our blog! Once you become a follower, just leave a comment below, telling what your favorite item from My Little Critterz is.  If you’re already following the blog and our twitter—simply leave a comment, telling us what your favorite item from My Little Critterz is!

Additional Entries
2. Follow Miskabelly (@miskabelly) on twitter…and again, just a quick comment to let us know you did (with your twitter user name) and share what your favorite item from My Little Critterz is.

3. Once we tweet about the giveaway, you can re-tweet to gain an extra entry!

4. HEART  Miskabelly on Etsy (leave us a comment to let us know!)

5.  HEART My Little Critterz on Etsy (leave us a comment again!)

 This contest will run until next Monday, February 7th.  The winner will be chosen through a random number generator. 

Good Luck!!

Manda &Jayme