Hey Little Birdie | Shopping Blog

It’s time for another fabulous giveaway here at HLB. This month we have a $25 gift certificate towards a purchase from the super sweet, super creative Slice of Lime Designs etsy shop. They make fun customized bibs and tees for kids. However, I am completely smitten with their personalized superhero sets:

How over the top adorable is that?! They have lots of designs and colors to choose from and can even do custom orders for you. Also, check out their website and facebook page for even more cuteness! Thanks Slice of Lime Designs!

How to Enter:

1.  Click on Comments and leave one on this post.

Then, earn 2 extra entries by:

2.  Sharing this Giveaway on Facebook!

3.  Tweeting about it on Twitter.

If you do anything on FB or Twitter, let us know in the comments, so we can give you extra chances.

You will have until Midnight on Wednesday to enter. Next Thursday we will reveal the winner!

Love party planning and DIY? Then why aren’t we best friends? Those rank extremely high on my Nicky’s favorites list (slightly behind espresso and cupcakes but you know how it is with priorities!) Anyway, now that we have that established, get ready to jump up and shout for a new website, Hip Hip Hooray!

I got the scoop from a blogger I admire, Jordan Ferney (she is a contributor to the new site) and I have already bookmarked it as a must read. I like that they are focusing on creativity and style when it comes to childrens’ parties because lets be honest… there is a lot of cheeseballness (new word) out there. Plus, they keep affordability in mind which is always welcome! There are only a few posts since they are just starting out, but trust me- you will already like what you see. I cannot wait for more party planning inspiration to drop in the coming months!

So, you probably don’t know this, but out of nowhere I’ve found myself on an embroidery kick.  I’ve been looking for non-cheesy modern designs.  I thought for sure there would be hundreds of sellers out there who would be stitching to their heart’s content, creating vintage-inspired, modern pieces.  Not so much.  Surprisingly, I found them a little hard to find!

Thank goodness for a.e. wilder’s little shop of embroidery goodness. (I added that last part to the name. )

I was about to lose all hope!

Absolutely love the breath of fresh air she brings that I was hoping to find!  Check out her shop for more sweet designs.

I may have an almost two year old, but I’ve never had to think much about baby proofing or toy storage. Until now. My little Claire Bear has learned to do multiple rolls across the floor (yippee!) and is amassing quite a collection of therapy toys. It makes me smile. And feel somewhat like a normal mom.

These welcome changes are creating a need for kid friendly, easily accessible bins that I can hide crap in (to be blunt). I hate clutter and I hate ugly plastic kid stuff almost as much. When it’s not in use, I want it out of sight and there is no way in h. e. double hockey sticks that I am storing it all in those primary color, plastic monstrosities you find in most stores. I know that Pottery Barn Kids has a few canvas options but they are all mostly in pastel shades and a little more than I would like to spend. My favorite solution so far is these stylish fabric bins from SewingMomma on etsy. With 58 fabric choices, I am bound to find a perfect fit for my living room. I think I just may have to get one for Lily’s dog toys too. And if you really think about it, you could use them everywhere around the house- to store TP, magazines, craft supplies, closet organization, you name it!

Complicated name for a simply wonderous cream.

Back story: Claire has experienced eczema patches her entire little life. No matter what lotion I try, it never seems to completely heal them. And because of her epilepsy, I am wary of anything chemical laden or prescription. I spotted this tiny jar in the natural section of baby aisle at Target and decided to give it a go. I wasn’t expecting much but I was very pleased with the fresh lavender scent and very descriptive label. California Baby is a tried and true organic brand and I felt very safe using it on Claire. You can’t begin to know how excited I was when after only four days, her normally rough, scratchy areas were soft and smooth! I am completely amazed. This product may be a bit pricier ($12) then I would normally want to buy, but if I purchased this first instead of working my way through a handful of other lotions, I would have saved money. If you or your children deal with overly dry, eczema prone skin then try this!

I think you know that I am infatuated with pendant lights. If you didn’t know, let me introduce myself. My name is Jina, and I have an unhealthy affection for pendant light fixtures. (Cue: “Hi Jina” in unison.) Okay… so unknowingly I have passed this addiction on to unsuspecting family members (pawns in my hands). Yes, when decorating my soon-to-come niece’s room, my sister declared that she was set on a stylish pendant light. Needless to say, at that proclamation, the heavens opened up and angels started singing. Now I can’t tell you what they were singing, but I think it was evident by the rays of light shining from their halos that it was in honor of the pendant lamp.

So I have been scouring the internet for the perfect pendant. No sooner than I found this, did my amazing resourceful sister find this… from Land of Nod no less. Why oh why had I not looked there yet! To maintain my internet cred, I will imply that Land of Nod was the next site on my list. But really it’s neither here nor there, right? (The correct answer is, “Right, Jina”… You could be a little more convincing, but I’ll take it.) The point is as soon as my sister clicked “Add to Cart”, my unborn niece instantly became more fashionable in response.

Moving on (quiet on the snarky, under-your-breath comments), I love love love that Land of Nod has a feature where you can shop by room. I mean, look at this one.

How cute is that for a little girl! Bright colors and fun prints, all while giving this fictional girl a place to mature. No cartoon characters that she might outgrow in a year or two. Yay! I can already see these curtains in Lyla’s room. Plus they look beautiful next to a neutral wall, which may become our reality when we soon move to a rental. We’ll see.

But let’s recap for those of you who found this post a bit longer than your attention span (and I don’t mean that disparaging; I am your equal, and your twin): infatuation, pendant lights, heavens, angels, Land of Nod, unborn niece, shop by room, cartoon characters, Lyla. There you go.

The winner for this month’s giveaway is Alex!  Congratulations! Enjoy your super cute bib! Lyla will be bummed I couldn’t rig this contest for her; I saw her “eyeing it” the other day. Oh, and don’t worry, I will get this cuteness in the mail to you ASAP.  

Thanks to everyone for being a part. Enjoy your Monday, and mark your calendars… more HLB giveaways to come each month!

One of my favorite books as a wee little Jina was the Velveteen Rabbit. It’s a magical story that percolates purity and an abundance of heart. There was no way around it; I was a believer from the first read through. And now, this handmade, eco-friendly bunny from Buttercup Bloom takes me back to that wonderful childhood memory where the idea of loving a treasured toy to pieces was an outward sign of ownership and affection.

Maybe, just maybe, this little one could be your little one’s Velveteen Rabbit.

So we are back with a fun giveaway for you all. I know, I know, just call us givers…

Yep, that’s it. Super cute, right? It comes to us from Modern Thread.

Do you have a baby in your life? Or are you soon to? Or do you know someone who does? Well, this giveaway is for all of you. Babies these days get all the good stuff! I don’t remember pictures of me in the 70’s with bibs this stylish. So in an attempt to right the wrongs of the disco decade, I think this should get us on the right track. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not delusional enough to think that I can correct plaid bell bottoms and waterbeds. But as a giver, I want your baby to have better photographic memories than I do. Here’s your start.

How to Enter:

1.  Click on Comments and leave one on this post.

Then, earn 2 extra entries by:

2.  Sharing this Giveaway on Facebook!

3.  Tweeting about it on Twitter.

If you do anything on FB or Twitter, let us know in the comments, so we can give you extra chances.

You will have until Midnight on Sunday to enter. Next Monday we will reveal the winner!

Good luck to you, and your baby!

I think it might be safe to say there is a baby boom around me.  It feels like every other week I hear about another friend or family member who is “with child”.  And now that my little Lyla is moving in to full-on toddler-dom (see: temper tantrums, climbing on EVERYthing, and an upcoming absence of the pacifier), I am anxious to snuggle with these soon-to-be loved ones.

So for those of you who are expecting or close to one who is, I present to you … (drum roll) … birth announcements.  Ah, the obligatory piece of mail that proclaims to the world that your little bean is now visible to more than just the ultrasound tech.

With the options online, these declarations of the “miracle of life” can be creative, hip, clever, and stylish.  Two of my favorite sites for said purpose are Paper Culture and Minted.  See what I mean…

Even as I was typing up this post, I called my sister (who is expecting in September) and told her that I had some sites to show her.  She said I could pick out her announcements for Baby Not-Yet-Named.  I’m not sure if she was serious, but if she was… Jennifir, here is my choice:

(This one screams my sister.)

Of course it would herald a photo of baby niece what’s-her-name, taken courtesy of my photographer husband, but I digress.

More importantly, which would you choose?