Chic Snap Clips Now At MarieLynn Boutique

I love these Snap Clips so much! I have been meaning to make them for over a year now. But, they were pushed aside, as is the case with many of my projects, and put on my to-do list.

Well I have finally gotten around to making them, and not to toot my own horn or anything, but they are FAB! They passed the "K Seal Of Approval" as well! After I made them, I showed them to her, and she squealed in delight. Took them from me and ran away with them!

What I love about them, is they are so easy to put in her hair. Just snap it in and voila!





You can find these Über gorgeous snap clips at MarieLynn Boutique. Currently, I have them available in Pink, White, Brown, Emerald Green, and Black. But I plan on adding more colors in the future. Can't wait? Customize your snap clip today!

Milo's Creations

Are you looking for quality dress-up clothing for your children? Maybe your shopping around for something for yourself? Whomever you are shopping for, you are sure to find it at Milo's Creations!

Milo's Creations was founded in May 2007, after owner, Cheryl, was tired of seeing only Princess style costumes for girls, and cheap lame dress ups for boys. Milo's Creations offers quality dress up costumes for children and adults. Looking for a cute family themed costume for your family? Milo's Creations has you covered! Sizes range from 6months up to Large Adult sizes. Now, I know you're thinking, 'it's only February...Halloween isn't for another 8months!' But Milo's Creations costumes aren't just for Halloween! We all know how children love to play dress-up, so buy your kids a few costumes and put on a family play!

Milo's Creations doesn't just offer costumes, they have a whole line of Children's Apparel and Accessories. And they are ever growing, Milo's Creations has a Gift Category coming this fall, which will include handmade ornaments. Be sure to bookmark their site!

Here's a preview of just some of the goodies Milo's Creations has to offer:



Deluxe Adult Snow White Dress Up Costume




NASA Astronaut Dress Up Space Suit Costume




Cinderella Princess Dress Up Costume

So now that you've had a quick peek at what Milo's Creations has to offer, head on over there and check it out for youself! Don't forget to accessorize!

St. Patty's Day Giveaway!

St. Patrick's Day is March 17th and to get you all ready for the holiday, MarieLynn Boutique is hosting another giveaway!

This time around, the winner will win their choice of any St. Patrick's Day Hair Accessory!





This giveaway ends 11:59pmCST Saturday, February 28th, 2009. Please read below on how you can enter to win!

How Do I Enter? Visit MarieLynn Boutique and choose your favorite St. Patrick's Day Hair Accessory.

Come back to the blog, and post your choice in a comment. Please be sure to include your email address.

How Can I Earn Extra Entries?
Receive One Entry For Following This Blog-Please Leave A Comment Below That You Are Following; include your email address.

Receive One Entry For Following Us On Twitter-Please Leave A Comment Below, don't forget to include your email address.

Fan Our Facebook Page-Please Leave A Comment Below, don't forget to include your email address.

Receive One Entry For Signing Up For Our Newsletter-Please Leave A Comment Below; don't forget to include your email address.

Receive One Entry Each Time You Vote For Our Site In The 2009 Leading Moms In Business Competition(You Can Only Vote Once Each Day)-Please leave a comment below each time you vote, don't forget to include your email address. While you are there, don't forget to check out the other awesome Mom Owned Businesses!

Receive One Entry For Each Time You Tweet About Our Giveaway On Twitter-Please leave a comment below for each tweet, don't forget to include your email address.

Receive Three Entries When You Post About This Giveaway on Myspace or Facebook-Please Leave Three Comments Below, don't forget to include your email address.

Receive Five Entries When You Post About This Giveaway On Your Blog- Please Leave Five Comments Below, don't forget to include your email address.

Receive Ten Entries When You Purchase Any MLB Item-Please Leave Ten Comments Below, don't forget to include your email address.

Winner will be randomly selected using a third party number generator. Good luck everyone!

Vote For Us!

Start Up Nation has started their Leading Moms in Business Competition. MarieLynn Boutique is now a contestant, and you can vote for us!

Just click *here*, and your vote is counted! You can only vote one time each day.

While you are there, browse through the other Mom Owned sites and vote for the ones you like!

Thanks for voting!

Make Em Green With Envy!

I am so excited about these super cute Hair Accessories from MarieLynn Boutique! There are perfect for St. Patrick's Day!

Here are just a few of the items I have added:





Emerald Green Shamrock Deluxe Bow





Green Polka Layered Bow






Multi Green Shamrock Pinwheel





Emerald Green Shamrock Infants Bow






Shamrock Cutie Bow





To view the whole MarieLynn Boutique St. Patrick's Day Collection, please visit our website!

The Lang Company Silver Jewelry

As women, we often fail to pamper ourselves. Ever since I got pregnant with K, all I could think about were kids clothes, diapers, strollers, etc. Now that she is 17 months old, I am finally learning to pamper myself. What better way than jewelry! Just think... a facial lasts 60 minutes, a manicure lasts 2-4 weeks, but jewelry lasts a lifetime!

The Lang Company Silver Jewelry has great timeless items. Owner, Tracy, started TLC Jewelery in January 2007. Her goal was to 'work for herself so she would never have to work for anyone else, and to stay home with her son.'

TLC Jewelry offers silver beaded gemstone and glass jewelry. Their most popular product is their large selection of new and vintage style jewelry ring holders.

A few of my favorite items from TLC Jewelry are:



Labradorite Pendant Sterling Silver Jewelry Turquoise Peridot Garnet Gemstone



Amethyst Bracelets Beaded Sterling Silver Handcrafted Jewelry 7 1/4




Bead Bracelet Sterling Silver Swarovski Crystal & Magnesite Handcrafted Jewelry

While you are browsing TLC Jewelry be sure to enter their contest. Don't forget to sign up for their newsletter as well! Happy shopping...you deserve it!

And The Winner Is...

Our first ever blog giveaway was a hit! I am so thankful to all of you who entered to win. Please follow this blog or bookmark it, I have tons of new ideas for future giveaways!

I used Random.org to randomly select one number out of the 113 entries that we had. The number that was randomly selected was lucky number 67.

And the winner is...
Anonymous said...
I love your layered bowsI need more for Chloe. Thnx 4 the giveaway!

Shawna

February 10, 2009 6:30 AM


I have contacted the winner via email and she has three days to respond. If I do not receive a response, I will go back to random.org and have them randomly select another winner.

Thank you again for making this giveaway a huge success! I have a few more giveaways up my sleeve, with lots of new ways for you to earn extra entries!

Don't forget to visit PST Designs for your chance to win a Zebra Dress!

I've Been Tagged!

Sarah of http://soaprehab.blogspot.com/ just tagged me!!

Rules of tagging:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post these Rules in your Blog.
3. Write 7 Random things about yourself.
4. Tag random people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each Person know they've been tagged.


Some random things about me:
1. I am repulsed by feet! I will sceam like a maniac if someone touches me with their bare feet!
2. I am SO not a morning person. Hence, my crazy work hours.
3. I am a book worm and a self-proclaimed nerd.
4. I am a reality tv junkie.
5. I am fanatical about the cleanliness of my house.
6. I consume massive amounts of Rockstar (an energy drink) and Chai Tea Lattes from Starbucks.
7. I am a total beach bum and used to spend hours at the beach.

Blog I am Tagging:
http://dreamscapesbaby.blogspot.com/
http://extraordinaryornaments.blogspot.com/
http://miloscreations.blogspot.com/

OUCH! My poor foot!

So the other day was business as usual. K was busy playing in her play room, D was cleaning the house...ok maybe NOT business as usual! But I decided to sneak off and check my email and check out what everyone was talking about on Twitter. Yep, I'm a Twitter addict, I admit it.

I was enjoying the peace and quiet and I guess I was on the computer longer than I expected. Then I realize, "Oh crap! It's REALLY quiet in K's playroom!" So I jump up, not realizing that my foot was asleep, and BAM! I hit the floor. It was all in slow motion really.

I tried to catch myself, with my foot being asleep, I twisted it and landed on my ankle. I fall to the ground, grabbing K's Zebra bouncing toy (that toy is SO annoying BTW) to try and break my fall. Instead, I land halfway on the darn thing and half way on the floor.

I can't feel my foot, my knee hurts, I scraped my hand, K is laughing, D is yelling from the other room asking if I'm ok. I still can't feel my foot. And I think, "OMG, this is SO embarressing! It better not be broken, how will I explain this to the Dr??"

Five minutes later, I manage to crawl...yes, crawl to the recliner. D iced my foot and I get a good look at my ankle. If that is what you call that big swollen mass on the side of my leg. My whole foot is swollen.

After a day of limping around, I finally called the hospital for an appt. I wasn't able to get into the clinic on base, so they sent me off base.

An hour after my scheduled appt, we are ushered into the Dr's office. German Dr's are so different than American Dr's. First off, the shelf is open, no door...no lock, with medications and needles all over. Then, I'm looking around the room and spot a half filled bottle of wine! Yea, I know! Now, I love my wine...it's so much sweeter and bubblier over here. But I don't want my Dr. intoxicated while examining me!

The Dr comes in and pokes and prods and almost makes me cry! Then, I'm taken to an X Ray room. Well, that is what they said it was. It was some huge, ginormous machine from the 20's. The technician actually had to crank it up to turn it on. Seriously, she had to wind it up! Then it made some really weird grumbling noises that you only expect to hear in a horror flick.

After I have my X Rays done, I hobble my way back to my room. The Dr. comes in and shows me my X Ray. It was pretty cool. I've never seen MY bones before. I've see X Rays on T.V and all, but it was weird seeing all the bones in my foot.

Apparently, when I fell, I twisted and strained all of the muscles in my middle foot. Hence, the swelling and pain. So he prescribes me the highest mg of Motrin (the good stuff) that will work as an anti inflamatory to bring down the swelling. Then they wrap my foot up in this gauze stuff, that I cannot take off for a week. Luckily, it's only a week because this thing itches like crazy!

So good news, it's NOT broken...and I can't change diapers. How does my foot get me out of diaper duty you ask? Well, I can't hobble up the stairs holding K at the same time. So D is on diaper duty for a full week. -Insert evil laugh-

In case your wondering, I snagged the X Rays as a souvenir!

PST Designs Giveaway

MarieLynn Boutique recently partnered with PST Designs to bring you luxurious Children's Boutique Clothing!

PST Designs is currently holding a giveaway!

Now is your chance to win this adorable Zebra dress, no strings attached!






Giveaway ends February 28, 2009! So hurry and enter! Don't forget to tell all of your friends and family.

Cant wait to find out if you are the winner? Order your Zebra dress, or choose from a wide variety of adorable dresses at MarieLynn Boutique or PST Designs!

I Am The Princess

"I Am The Princess", that is exactly what my daughter would say if she could talk! This site not only has a catchy name, but everything your little Princess needs!

I Am The Princess is a high end all girls website. At I Am The Princess, you will find everything from Baby Accessories to Pet Princess items!

I Am The Princess opened two years ago, when owner, Karen decided to combine her love of party planning for her two daughters and her business Country Haven Creations. She tweaked some of the items for Country Haven Creations, to make them more appealing to the tween and teen crowd. It was then, that I Am The Princess was born!

Things I Love At I Am The Princess:


Princess Tiara
Large Tea Set



White L/S Heart and Wings Tattooed Designer T Shirts



A Dream Come True Kit


As you can see, I Am The Princess has great items that are perfect for your Princess or Diva In Training! Are you shopping for a Prince? Don't stress, I Am The Princess has you covered with their My Little Prince items!

MarieLynn Boutique's First Blog Giveaway!

I have always wanted to host a giveaway, so I thought, why not give one lucky winner a chance to win their favorite MLB product!

Most giveaways are limited to a certain item, but since this is my first giveaway, I thought, why not let you choose?

How does it work? Visit MarieLynn Boutique and browse through our products. Pick your absolute fave item, yes...just one! Come back here and post a comment telling me which one you just have to have! Each person is only allowed one post. Read below to find out how you can earn more entries.

When does the giveaway end? This giveaway will close on Friday, February 13th.

How is the winner chosen? The winner will be chosen at random. I will use a 3rd party number generator.

Winner will be emailed when the giveaway ends. Please submit your email address on your comment post or by email. You will have three days to claim your prize.
I will also post the winner on my blog.

How can I earn more entries?
Earn 1 entry each time you tweet-"Check Out www.marielynnboutique.blogspot.com For Your Chance To Win An Item Of Your Choice!" on twitter.

Earn 1 entry each time you post about the MLB giveaway on your myspace bulletin or on facebook.

Earn 5 entries each time you post about the MLB giveaway on your blog!

I will have to verify that you have posted or tweeted about the blog, so please email me at marielynnboutique(at)gmail(dot)com, and let me know that you posted.

Yummy Caribbean Cooler

K is 3lbs under weight, I was told by her Dr., to add one glass of milk to her diet every day and that should help. Problem is, I can't seem to find a way to get another glass of milk into her diet!
So I decided to try out this recipe. I was addicted to it when I was pregnant. It's a great source of Vitamin D and C, and it's healthy. Did I mention it's super yummy, so your kids won't even know it's good for them!

2 Cups Of Skim Milk (I use Whole For K)
2 Cups Of Pineapple Juice
1 tblsp Coconut Extract
1 tblsp Vanilla Extract
2 tblsp Sugar
Ice Cubes
Mint Sprigs (optional)


Combine all ingredients except for the ice cubes and mint sprigs in a blender. Blend until frothy.
Pour into glass, add ice cubes. Garnish with sprigs of mint.

Makes 4 servings.

My Birthday Surprise!

Yesterday was my birthday and D had a great day planned for me. I knew he was up to something, but he wouldn't even give me a hint as to what he had planned. All of my friends and family knew...except me! I am SO not a big fan of surprises, maybe it's the control freak in me.

So, D and K made me a birthday cake and presented it to me right at midnight. How sweet! D was bummed because he only had 1 of the 3 eggs that were needed for the recipe, but he made do with what he had. Note to self-3 eggs really are needed, 1 will not do. The cake completely fell apart! Poor guy, but I ate it anyway, it's the thought and effort that count.

My Birthday Cake

After we woke up, D told me to pack some clothes for overnight, because we wouldn't be coming back home. I thought, 'oh great, we are going camping!' D is an outdoorsy kind of guy, and while I like to camp...sometimes. I'm not the type of girl who does well 'roughing it.' So D starts packing food and drinks, and I'm really starting to dread this surprise! I ask him if this is going to be a long car ride and he states, 'Oh yea, it's a long drive!' You can imagine my excitement.

So we get into the car and he plugs the address into the GPS. We turn off of our street and drive up the next street. We just moved into this neighborhood and we've never been up this street before. Five minutes later, we arrive at this old castle, turned hotel. D looks at me and says 'Surprise, you're sleeping in a hotel tonight!'


Castle Turned Hotel

We checked into our hotel and then ventured out back, where they have a Wild Park. It was freezing and K wasn't too happy about being outside. But I think we all enjoyed the fresh air and watching the animals.


D and K Viewing The Horses From The Room

For dinner, D arranged for friends of ours to take K. Actually, they were going to take her for the night...but I was hesitant. It would have been really great, but I don't think I would have enjoyed myself. I would have been worrying about her all night.
So we had a great candlelit dinner, just the two of us. It was really nice to eat dinner and not feel rushed. Or have to worry about entertaining her so that she didn't act like a maniac! At first, we both just sat there, confused. What do we talk about? After appetizers, we were deep in conversation, laughing and joking with each other. Just like old times, before our conversations were full of talk about boogers, diapers, and discipline.

After three short hours, we picked up K. When we arrived back at the castle, we were surprised to see that all of the lights were off. It was only 11pm. So we go to the front door, only to find that it is locked. There is a sign on the door, in German. After thirty minutes of trying each and every door, we find one that is open. But how do we find our room? If you've ever been in a castle, you know how confusing they can be. It was a maze of doors, windows, narrow hallways and stairs. To make things worse, K was crying because it was cold and dark. It seemed like almost every door was locked, and the ones that were open led to dark narrow halls.

Finally, after an hour we found our way to our room. Vowing not to leave again until morning. By this time, we are exhausted and K is wide awake. We found out last night that she does NOT like castles! She finally fell asleep at 6am, just in time for us to get a few hours of sleep before our long drive home. It was definetly a birthday I will never forget. How many people can say that they slept in a castle? Even if it was just for a few short hours.

Swimming

We took K swimming today. Usually she LOVES the water and screams when it is time to go. But today, she just wasn't having it! Originally, a few friends and I had planned to take the kids to the indoor pool Well two of my friends cancelled, so it was just us and my friend Karla and her family that went. We had a great time!

I didn't plan on getting in the water because I was hoping to go grocery shopping afterwards. But we ended up staying at the pool a lot longer than expected. K cried at first, she just wanted to sit with me. I was able to roll up my jeans and walk in the baby pool with her, but D took her in the bigger pool.

This pool was pretty neat, when you walk in, there are tons of palm trees and greenery. It's pretty dark and the ceiling is lit with those fiber optic lights that change colors. It's pretty neat. There is one big pool that has waves every 20 minutes, there is a kiddie area, a lazy river, and 3 jacuzzis in each of the areas. There is also a way for you to swim outside, but it's too cold for that! Oh, and they have huge slides too!

Just getting it was pretty confusing, you pay at the desk and you get a plastic coin. You insert the coin into a turnstile to get in. Kind of like at the subway. Then you go down some stairs and into this locker room. You put the coin into the locker and it opens and the knob is a bracelet, where you keep your coin inside. Then you use your bracelet on this machine thingy to get through another turnstile to get into the pool area. It is just WAY too much. Even worse when everything is in German! We got lost and had to be escorted to the pool!


Big Pool Area-Kind of Dark


K Getting Used To The Water


Mad At Mommy For Not Swimming-She Wouldn't Even Smile For The Camera!


Me and K

Kitchen Wisdom-Thought This Was Funny!

Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of an ice cream cone to prevent ice cream drips.



Just suck the ice cream out of the bottom of the cone, for Pete's sake! You are probably lying on the couch with your feet up eating it anyway!




To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.



Buy Hungry Jack mashed potato mix. Keeps in the pantry for up to a year.




When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake.



Go to the bakery! Hell, they'll even decorate it for you!



If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant 'fix-me-up.'


If you over-salt a dish while you are cooking, that's too bad. Please recite with me the real woman's motto: 'I made it, you will eat it and I don't care how bad it tastes!'


Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.



Celery? Never heard of it!



Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.




The Mrs. Smith frozen pie directions do not include brushing egg whites over the crust, so I don't.



Cure for headaches: take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.




Take a lime, mix it with tequila, chill and drink! All your pains go away!



If you have a problem opening jars, try using latex dish washing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.


Go ask that very cute neighbor if he can open it for you.



Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.


Leftover wine??????????? HELLO!!!!!!!

Hawaii

So we leave Germany in October--cue the music! At the moment, we still do not know where we are headed. With the military, you NEVER know where you are headed, you could have plane tickets to one place and at the last minute, you are told that you are moving someplace else.

Usually, a few months before you move, a listing comes out with bases that are available for you to move to. The base you go to is determined by your career field and rank. An overseas listing comes out first, then later a listing of bases available stateside.

With all of that said, our overseas listing came out today! Woohoo! So D goes into work and checks the list and calls me with excitement. There are only 3 bases available for us, two in South Korea and one in Hawaii. Originally, we had hoped to move back to Guam. We just love it there. Most of my family is there, we miss the beach, the food, everything. Hawaii is our next best thing. It's close to Guam and close to California. In a way, I was sort of set on going stateside. Guam and Hawaii are considered overseas because of their location.

Being in the states would be the best thing for me, business wise. I even wouldn't mind going to Arkansas. Gasp! I know. No offense to D's fellow Arkansans, but I'm a big city kinda girl and Arkansas is a bit too much country for me. But our parents are in Arkansas, and now that we have K, we would like to be close to family...I say that now, but I'm sure I would think otherwise if we actually lived there.

So Hawaii is good. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, I mean we have a small chance of going there. But my sister is there and I have other friends and family there. Oahu, has some really great shops...not to mention the beach! I'm a bit of a beach bum and K is my little water baby...so Hawaii is a natural fit.

D on the other hand is already checking out houses. Oh my husband! He tells me on the phone,

Don't get your hopes up about moving to Hawaii.

Then two hours later he sends me an email to check out this house he found. Go ahead, check it out! It is an AMAZING house. I'm still trying to figure out how he plans to pay $23,755 each month for it. Well, just keep your fingers crossed for us. We should find out sometime this month if we are in fact headed to Hawaii!

Fairy Wings

MarieLynn Boutique now has Fairy Wings! These are absolutely adorable!

Each Fairy Wing is made with elastic hoops for your daughter to just slip her arms through. Fairy Wings fit most infants and toddlers, and because the hoops stretch, they are even great for tweens!

Cutie Pies Custom Creations

Cutie Pies Custom Creations specializes in Invitations, Announcements, Thank You Cards, Holiday Cards, and Stationery. Cutie Pies Custom Creations prides themselves on fresh and original designs that can be customized to suit your needs. You can organize your home or office with Cutie Pies Custom Creations, all for an affordble price!

Cutie Pies Custom Creations was created in 2004. After owner, Jennifer, a former elementary school teacher, had her second son, she felt her heart tugging at her to stay at home with her two boys. Jennifer needed to create a plan that would allow her to stay at home with her children and still contribute to her family financially. She then decided to turn her passion of creating stationery for friends and family into reality when she started selling her creations on Ebay. After a year of selling on Ebay, Jennifer branched out and opened up a website.

Cutie Pies Custom Creations offers a wide variety of Stationery and Cards. Some of my faves are:



Save The Date Photo Card Damask Sage and Brown





Kiddie Calling Card Brown and Pink Multi Dots




Personalized Teacher NoteCards-Teacher With Kids


As you can see, whatever your needs are, Cutie Pies Custom Creations has something for you! How cute are their items? With Valentine's Day on the way, head on over to Cutie Pies Custom Creations for your children's Valentines Day Cards. Your child will be the envy of the class when his classmates receive a personalized Valentines Day card from him!

Be sure to sign up for the Cutie Pies Custom Creations free Mailing List to receive Monthy Coupons and Specials. And be the first to know about Special Giveaways and Promotions!