Classroom Valentines from Minted

Card and gift-giving occasions are always such a challenge. Remember how I totally dropped the ball on holiday cards this year? I have such great intentions of making beautiful handcrafted goodies for Roo and Jasper to pass out too all their friends, basking in the glow of love and admiration from other parents and teachers… but that seldom happens. We are ALWAYS doing stuff last-minute, although I must admit it does usually turn out okay.

Friends and longtime readers know my fatal flaw: I am a tardy girl, always have been. I know this is not something to be proud of and I am trying to instill a fear of lateness to my kids as best as I can. They are both natural-born dawdlers, preferring to "go with the flow," as they say. In a way, I like the fact that they get so rapt in their imaginations that they lose all track of time; their creativity is truly boundless. But when mommy's constantly fighting the clock, having two stragglers in tow has a tendency to make our tardiness even more palpable, especially when we have to come up with something in a hurry. So, what are we going to do for Valentine's Day this year?

In lieu of spending the night before V-Day cutting out thousands of tiny construction paper hearts and having the kids decorate stacks of cards, we'll be ordering our classroom Valentine's Day cards from Minted. I like the fact that you can customize them with your kids' names and photos, change the colors, etc. And I'm still going to make Roo and Jasper sign all of them– 40 each. Better them than me…

Here are our top contenders:

Work of Art, Robot Friends, Chatter

Which design would your kids like best?

Remember:  You must order personalized classroom Valentine's Day Cards by February 7th to receive them in time for your kiddos to hand out on February 14th!

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received a gift code to facilitate this review. All opinions are, as usual, strictly my own.

It's Not Too Late For Holiday Greetings with Minted #HGG2011

I have become a notoriously crummy correspondent via snail mail. This is especially embarrassing given what a fantastic pen pal I was through high school. I've always been lousy on the phone but I used to write voluminous letters, waxing poetic on punk rock, existential philosophers and, uh, how totally sucky my so-called life was. Oh, youth!

Anyway, my lameness is particularly opulent in the realm of Christmas cards. Envision me blushing as I tell you that I still have last year's cards sitting beside me right now. Whoops. They're really cool, too, so I have no excuse. This year's are going to be awesome, too, although I'm waffling over the tremendous selection of indie designs at Minted: which do you like the best?

Thankfully, you can design your custom photo holiday cards online through this Friday, December 16th and receive them by December 23rd, just in time for Christmas. Phew! I just need to get them physically mailed out this year…or should I just go ahead and make New Year's cards? Hmm…

Enjoy 15% off when you buy a combination of 3 gift items* with coupon code GIFTS15 through 12/16. This promotion may not be combined with any other offer. Limit one coupon code per order. 

Order gifts by Friday December 16th for delivery by 12/23!

Extra special bonus: TODAY ONLY (12/12), receive free upgrade to 2-Day shipping on holiday card orders (excluding minibooks, sorry).

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received a gift code to facilitate this review although I have been the happy recipient of quite a few cards from Minted in the past and have oohed and aahed over their gorgeousness– not just the cuteness of my friends' kids. All opinions are, as usual, strictly my own.

Free Father's Day Cards from Company Kids

If you haven't already lined up a kid-produced masterpiece for next weekend, Company Kids is offering free downloadable Father's Day cards on their Facebook page. They're blank so your kiddos can customize them to their hearts' content. I recommend plenty of glitter and glue, perhaps a finger-painted portrait or a handprint.

By the way, you might also want to check out Company Kids' Clearance Sale for great bargains on clothing, furniture and bedding- all made from the high quality natural fibers that are a Company Store tradition. My current wish list: the jersey/tulle ruffle skirt and fair isle knit sidecar boots for Roo and the military-ish terry knit jacket and long sleeved tie tee for Jasper. There are some amazing deals on holiday finery and winter gear, too, if you are good at planning ahead.

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I have received complimentary merchandise in the past from Company Kids but chose to share this information with you on my own volition because I like their stuff!