Holiday Helpers: The Stationery Studio

I am the WORST at holidays. I am not a big fan of festive holiday home decor, at least in our house, and I seldom manage to get holiday cards out on time. This year, though, I've got an ace up my sleeve. The Stationery Studio has a great selection of  christmas-cards that can be personalized to fit any family… even ours! Their designs range from simple and casual to elegant and foil-embellished.

We don't really do the formal family portrait thing (are you really surprised?), so I decided to use one of the first day of school candid shots I took of the kids this year. The design I chose was the Red Pine Trees Holiday Personalized Photo Card, which features a single family photo on one side, with a bold geometric pattern reminiscent of a Christmas tree forest on the reverse.

Much to my surprise and delight, the quality card stock and lustrous matte finish of the printing made my iPhone snapshot look almost… professional. Certainly intentional, at the very least! The cards and envelopes arrive in a heavy weight linen-textured keepsake box that makes it easy to keep everything in one place.

It's not even Thanksgiving and I have the holiday cards ready to be stuffed with this year's school portraits. Thanks to The Stationery Studio for kicking our holiday season into high gear.

Disclosure: In accordance to the FTC Guidelines, I am disclosing that I have received product samples to facilitate this review but all opinions here are decidedly my own.

#Write_On This April!

Remember last year's #Write_On campaign? Well, April is almost upon us again and #Write_On is back, bigger and better than ever!

This year, Egg Press and Hello!Lucky are teaming up with Paper Source and Sakura to challenge friends, families, and fans alike to write 30 letters in 30 days over the month of April, National Letter-writing Month. As a special incentive, free letter writing starter kits are available to get your writing hand in gear: each includes four letterpress cards and a Gelly Roll pen!

Isn't there someone special you've been meaning to jot a note to? What are you waiting for? Sign up now!

#Write_On - 30 Days, 30 Letters this April

Back in the day, I was an awesome pen pal. I'd write long, rambling letters with scribbly drawings and ephemera tucked into envelopes like precious treasures. I went through a particularly pretentious period where I wrote letters on black stationery with an old fashioned stylus pen dipped into opaque white ink. 

Nowadays, I am much more inclined to hit return than fumble for a stamp but I do miss the days when my handwriting wasn't a pathetic chickenscratched scrawl. My English penpal, who I "met" via a classified ad about his fanzine in the back of NME when I was in high school, recently sent me a copy of Patti Smith's Just Kids that he had her sign at a book reading. A thoughtful gift and a surprise, even though he had to get my mailing address via Facebook so I knew he was sending something. What was best, though, was a note with his still-familiar handwriting. I owe him a long letter!

One of my favorite stationers, Egg Press, is launching a call to action this April. The Write_On campaign is a collaboration with Hello!Lucky in honor of National Letter Writing Month. The dynamic letterpress duo are offering a free 4-card Write_On starter kit while supplies last. 

You'd better bet I signed up! And I know just who the first card will be addressed to…

Valentines from Egg Press

As many of you doubtless are aware, Valentine's Day is coming up soon. I am usually not a big fan of the holiday (Bob asked me if it was on the 15th, which I took as a very bad sign.) but I do like all of the stationery options it provokes. I have been a big fan of Portland-based Egg Press and their sweet and occasionally silly letterpress printed cards. This year's Valentine's Day selection is stellar:

Prices range from $2.50 - $6, depending on printing and die-cutting, and include fancy color-coordinated or glassine envelopes. If you really want to impress, shell out the big money for the love collection which features 8 of the cutest designs to lovebomb your valentine:

My all-time favorite? Underwear Bear. Who could resist his charm– or his tighty whities?

Get 20% off regular priced purchases (plus a mystery token of affection!) before Feb. 14th by using code valentine2013 at checkout online.

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.

Free Holiday Printables from Thank You Cards

My kids have their last day of school tomorrow, before the impending doom holiday vacation. Naturally, I haven't gotten any gifts in order, so I will throw together the awesome homemade presents that I've had in mind for weeks overnight. I am awesome, I tell you.

In a stroke of (super) dumb luck, I got an email today from Amy at Thank You Cards telling me about the Free Holiday Printables on their blog. You'd better believe I checked them out in a hot minute and they are really, really cute. Here's a peek:

I highly suggest you take a gander for any gift tagging or recipe card needs you might have. And while you're at it, take a look at the Thank You Cards shop. If you've been good, you'll probably want to take advantage of their special discount offer to order some lovely printed gratitude for all those fantastic gifts you're expecting!

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.

Hallmark: Life is a Special Occasion

Hallmark has been the, uh, hallmark of quality in the world of greeting cards since I can remember. Getting the mail and seeing the familiar gold crown seal was usually the precursor to something awesome, like a birthday or holiday, and it amplified the excitement.

Hallmark's kid encouragement products at the beginning of the school year but, to me, they're even more meaningful now that classes are in full swing. I love their motto: Life is a Special Occasion It's easy to get caught up in the grind of everyday life and everyone, even kids, can use a little pick-me-up. Roo has really loved finding a special note in her lunchbox every day. Sometimes I'll add a handwritten post script or silly doodle but it's ridiculously simple to tear one off of the pad on days we're running late. Several even have check-off boxes to personalize, which Roo finds hilarious. The current in-store version, If You Love 'Em, Bug 'Em - Fun Notes for Kids, features cute bugs and sweet sentiments to brighten up the lunchbox.

I'm also crazy about Hallmark's huge selection of recordable books and keepsakes, which take personalization to a whole new level. These are so sentimental without being syrupy sweet and are perfect for holidays when you can't be with far-away loved ones. I especially like the idea of new readers recording themselves reading the book as a keepsake for posterity. Wouldn't it be cool to hear yourself or your spouse, as a child, reading a favorite story?!

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that we received the lunchbox notes pictured in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are, as usual, strictly my own.

Hallmark Giveaway

***WINNER PICKED 12/27 WITH RANDOM.ORG***

***CONGRATULATIONS, #22 Julie !!!***

her comment...
Bastin Birds on Branch cards
thanks for the giveaway


Hallmark threw a heck of a Christmas party at BlogHer last summer, with a roaring fire and a sneak preview of all the good things they had in store for this holiday season. Leave it to me to still be running late on ordering holiday cards and ornaments, even though I had six months to prepare… sigh. If you're anything like me, you will be happy to know that you can still order Christmas cards and even have them personalized, addressed and sent for you. At this late date, though, perhaps New Year's cards would be a safer option since delivery won't be guaranteed for Saturday. Use promo code HOLIDAY30 through Christmas Day to get 30% off all online Hallmark purchases. You can also send e-cards all year for one flat fee of $9.99.

Of course, a big part of the Hallmark tradition is visiting your local Hallmark Gold Crown store to check out the latest in collectible keepsake ornaments, memory keeping supplies and gifts. Click here to find the location nearest you. Kids love the popular characters (Star Wars, Ben-10, Harry Potter…) and musical ornaments– the Jingle Jamboree ornament shown above plays a banjo rendition of Deck The Halls that is hard to resist.  Now through Christmas Eve, all of their recordable storybooks are on sale for $19.95- a $10 savings! We have the Frosty the Snowman recordable storybook and it's absolutely adorable, especially with Roo reading it aloud.

My favorite new discovery at Hallmark online is personalized paper plates. You put your own image and/or text onto a stock design for table settings you won't find at party supply stores. You can even mix and match with coordinating solid colored napkins, cups and utensils. I love this idea! And my kids are going to love the plates I've ordered for them: Star Wars for Jasper and Hannah Montana for Roo. I can't wait to see how they turn out!

For more information, like Hallmark on Facebook, follow Hallmark on Twitter, or download the free Hallmark iPhone app.

Disclosure: In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received product samples from Hallmark and they are also providing the prize for this giveaway. All opinions, however, are entirely my own.

To enter and win a $40 one-time use online gift code, please comment on this post with your favorite Hallmark memory or item from their website.


Entries will be accepted through December 26th and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US readers are eligible.


For an additional entry, post my button on your blog (see code on sidebar), follow my blog, follow me on Twitter, fan me on Facebook, fave me on Technorati or subscribe via email or subscribe via reader. Leave an extra comment letting me know what you did for each additional entry.


Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win!


***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***

Orange Circle Studio Giveaway

***WINNER PICKED 11/19 WITH RANDOM.ORG***

***CONGRATULATIONS, #31 Kathleen!!!***

her comment...
The Your First Year calendar would be a nice addition to 2011. Cute designs!

Orange Circle Studio is a publishing company that creates gorgeous planners and calendars to help you stay organized. They're not just pretty, either- all Orange Circle Studio products are recyclable and printed with soy-based inks on FSC-certified paper. Their daily desk calendars are also entirely plastic-free! They offer a wide variety of traditional wall and desk calendars, plus some nifty planners and unusual designs, too.

I received three different Orange Circle Studio calendars to try out. The colors are gorgeous and the printing is really outstanding on all three. The Bold Blossoms Planner is a great size to toss in your bag. It features a storage pocket built into the cover, stickers to mark special events, tear-out notes for shopping and to-do lists, and shows one week across two pages with plenty of space to scribble in your info.

I'm constantly trying to update my paper calendars with my iCal so this is a great back up to have with me at parents group and volunteer meetings. The Bold Blossoms Planner makes it easy to cross-reference my weekly schedule with dates in the future.

The Mom's 24/7 Calendar can be wall-mounted or hung on the refrigerator with the attached magnetic strip. The top portion is a monthly calendar with big spaces to write in important dates and the bottom portion features undated weekly planning pages with tear-off lists. There is space for Mom's activities and up to four other family members, as well. 

We're just starting to have a bunch of extracurricular activities for Roo and Jasper so I can see how the multiple family member scheduling would be handy for older kids. I also really like how the Mom's 24/7 Calendar can be a central location for everyone in the household to add their info to. If our fridge were magnetic, I would totally post ours there to keep my husband informed of what's going on each week. As it is, he has to come into my office to check it out. We haven't gotten into the swing of it yet but I hope it will become a natural, everyday habit.

The third calendar I received is the Birds & Flowers Pockets Plus. The printing on this one is really lovely, with almost a vintage feel. My husband asked if it was Martha Stewart brand, I think because of the color scheme. It definitely could be! I haven't actually used this one yet since it's not 2011 yet but I can see it being handy for bills, event tickets, etc. I also think it would make an ideal holiday gift for teachers or family members.

To enter and win your own set of the three calendars reviewed here (a $45 value!), please comment on this post with your favorite item from Orange Circle Studio.


Entries will be accepted through November 17th and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US readers are eligible.


For an additional entry, follow Orange Circle Studio on Twitter, like them on Facebook, post my button on your blog (see code on sidebar), follow my blog, follow me on Twitter, fan me on Facebook, fave me on Technorati or subscribe via email or subscribe via reader. Leave an extra comment letting me know what you did for each additional entry.


Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win!


***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***

Shutterfly Holiday- My Top Three Designs

I am not known for my punctuality or organizational skills. I know you are absolutely shocked. Still, since knew I was going to be too late to get holiday cards printed and mailed off before Christmas or Hanukkah last year, I took a slightly unconventional step and made awesome New Year’s cards. Unfortunately, they're still sitting here in my office, under a stack of books. Whoops.

This year is going to be different. This year, I will solemnly swear to design, print and mail holiday photo cards before the holidays. Shutterfly has lots options for personalizing the right card for your family. Personally, I lean toward the non-denominational cards since our family is all over the religious spectrum. This does create a little bit of mailing spread: Hanukkah cards need to be sent out before December 1st this year and we're already under the gun for Diwali, which starts on November 5th. If you're making Kwanzaa or Christmas cards you have a little more of a window since they happen in late December.

My top three contenders at Shutterfly right now are Mod Snowflakes flat card, with its stark black background and bright snowflakes. It reminds me rather nostalgically of Colorforms.

I'm also quite fond of the Vintage Plaid folded card. I love the faux engraved "Merry Merry!" and have always been a sucker for a red tartan. Very Alexander McQueen, RIP.

My final top pick is the Little Tree folded card. I think this one combines modern and vintage really well. I also like the fact that the interior allows for many, many different layout options. You could print a couple of extra pictures to spotlight individual kids or pets, or even include a couple of paragraphs as sort of a de facto annual newsletter. The possibilities are pretty mind-bogglingly varied… Okay, maybe I need to stick to something simpler, personally. 

Are you a blogger, organized or not -so-organized? (I won't tell!) Do you want 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly? Click here to go to Shutterfly for information on how you can get 50 free cards this holiday season, and make sure to select Clever 1000 as the referral source.

This post is part of a series sponsored by Shutterfly. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Tiny Prints Halloween Twitter Party

Tiny Prints provides simple, modern and unique stationery from photo cards to personalized greeting cards to thank you cards and business cards. Offering exclusive designs from the nation's top designers, easy card personalization, a powerful preview engine and top-notch customer service and paper quality, their designs have been lauded by numerous television networks, publications and celebrities. With Tiny Prints by your side the Holidays will be a cinch! They offer adorable Halloween Cards, Thanksgiving Cards, Christmas Cards, Hanukkah Cards,  and even New Years Cards. All fully customizable and personalizable.

Global Influence is partnering with Tiny Prints to spread the word about their Twitter party on Monday, October 4th from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. ET/1:00 to 2:00 p.m. PT.

Disclosure: I will be entered into a contest to win a Tiny Prints gift card in exchange for spreading the word.

Tiny Prints Twitter Party and Giveaway

***WINNER PICKED 6/12 WITH RANDOM.ORG***

***CONGRATULATIONS, Domestic Diva!!!***

her comment...
I like the Japanese Garden card. I'd send it to my friend as a thank you.

Tiny Prints already makes sending personalized invitations, announcements and holiday cards easy, even for me. Now they're upping the ante with Tiny Prints Greeting Cards, individual cards which can be personalized and then scheduled in advance to be mailed directly to special people in your life. So you never have to send a "belated" card again!



If you're actually organized, you can have them sent to your home address to be signed and mailed at your own discretion. In my case, the former is MUCH more practical. (Happy birthday today, cousin Lauren! Yes, I should have sent you a card…) Tiny Prints Greetings will also send you reminder notices for big holidays and special occasions to give you a heads-up. If you're super anal-retentive or incredibly forgetful, you can even schedule a queue of personalized greeting cards to be sent automatically up to a year in advance. No one will ever know you can't remember what day of the week it is! Right now, you'll receive three free cards just for registering with Tiny Prints Greetings and the first year's membership fee has been waived.



Tiny Prints is having its first-ever Twitter Party celebrating the launch of their greeting card program tomorrow night, Friday April 23rd at 9 pm ET/8 PM CST. There will be tons of prizes awarded, including:
• 4 sets of Address Labels
• 4 sets of Personalized Note Cards and matching address labels
• 4 sets of 50 Business Cards, perfect for blog conferences!
• 10 Greeting Card Packs - sample packs of 10 essential greeting cards covering all your basic emergency greeting card needs - birthdays, mother's day, father's day, graduations, congratulations. etc.
• 4 Sets of 10 personalized greeting cards.
• 4 Tiny Prints $25 Gift Certificates
• 2 $50 Visa cards

Follow Tiny Prints and RSVP for the Twitter Party today! Use hashtag #makeitpersonal to join the party.

To enter and 25 FREE Tiny Prints Greeting Cards, please comment on this post with your favorite card design and who you would send it to.


Entries will be accepted through May 5th and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US readers are eligible.


For an additional entry, follow Tiny Prints on Twitter, like Tiny Prints on Facebook, post my button on your blog (see code on sidebar), follow my blog, follow me on Twitter, fan me on Facebook, fave me on Technorati or subscribe via email or subscribe via reader. Leave an extra comment letting me know what you did for each additional entry.


Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win!


***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***

Tukaiz Personalized Calendars

I am not the world's most organized person, so when Tukaiz contacted me about reviewing one of their personalized calendars, I jumped at the chance. Even though the new year had already begun, I still hadn't gotten around to buying a 2010 calendar yet. Sad but true! Anyway, Tukaiz specializes in personalized printed goods- wall and desk calendars, greeting cards and invitations all customized with full-color photographs that sneakily feature your specified name or word.



You can experiment with different names or phrases to see what the end product will look like. It's oddly addictive, especially if you have the sense of humor of a twelve year old boy. I decided to get one with my blog name. The paper quality is very nice and thick, with a smooth, satiny finish and there is enough room to jot notes for each day. This is my favorite image:



I was always bummed that personalized things didn't come with my name on them when I was little, so I can imagine how excited kids with uncommon or unusually-spelled names would be to have a calendar like this! Very cool.

Disclosure: I received a Tukaiz calendar free of charge to facilitate this review.

When You Care Enough to Send the Very Funny

If you're overwhelmed by the chaos that your life has turned into since becoming a mom, the best thing to do is laugh about it. Preferably with other mommies. Hallmark feels your pain and laughs with you in their new Edge of Motherhood line of greeting cards. These little bits of funny shows just how universal the carpool angst is… perfect for the pals you wish you could spend more time with (but her kid or your kid is always coming down with something) and also for moms-to-be who do not yet know what they are getting themselves into. Go ahead, give them a heads-up.



*I received several complimentary Hallmark Edge of Motherhood cards to determine whether they were funny enough to spend my own money on. Yes, I do believe they are. Knee-slappers, in fact.

Happeez Together

We have a way nicer refrigerator than we probably should because it was a floor model. It's a super energy efficient beauty with plenty of storage and a wooden panel that perfectly matches our kitchen cabinetry. The only negative thing I can say about it is that it is not magnetic. So what? you might be thinking. Why would you want to stick crap all over your beautiful refrigerator, anyway? Umm, two reasons: Roo and Jasper. It sucks to have a refrigerator that magnets won't work on when you have kids. All that artwork needs to be displayed! Prominently! Smack dab on your beautiful refrigerator, for all the world to enjoy. So our fridge is littered not only with pint-size masterpieces, but also an avalanche of scotch tape.

Mayfair Lane cares about this crisis. They have an entire line of products, Happeez, that stick to any smooth surface (varnished wood, glass, stainless, plastic, vinyl, granite, etc.) without leaving a residue or mark. Happeez clippers might just be my new best friend! Available in singles, three-packs or trios of coordinated designs, they allow you to clip notes, photos, drawings, etc. anywhere you might need them.



Isn't this Happeez Clipper Trio a cute way to organize to-do lists?



I have assembled a bunch of Happeez clippers on the fridge, ready for Roo's kindergarten debut:



If you like to make lists, keep Happeez List Pads anywhere you might jot something down. This one is next to the stove, so I can keep track of grocery needs as we use things up. Note the printed recipe posted with a Happeez Clipper for easy reference, too.



Mayfair Lane also offers a variety of photo frames and white boards in their signature prints. I am hoping they will come out with hooks so I can stop hanging my potholders and dish towels from my cabinet pulls…

All-American Moo

Moo Cards are now being printed in the US! Same beautiful printing and quality paper stock, but you'll get your order faster and for less money. Sweet!




Now through May 6th, get free standard shipping when you spend $20 (USD) or more at Moo Cards: just enter code W8QA7Q at checkout. You know you need some flashy handouts for BlogHer…