EcoMom: Review + Giveaway {CLOSED}

I've partnered with the great people over at EcoMom again to bring you another product review + giveaway! They generously sent me the Earth Mama-Angel Baby Organics Pregnancy Pampering Kit. I was so excited to receive it as with my previous pregnancy I rarely indulged in special products made just for expecting mamas. 

The Review

The kit includes:

Earth Mama Body Butter

Natural Stretch Oil

Happy Feet Soak

Earth Mama Balm

Mama-To-Be Tea Sampler

I tried the body butter first. It's supposed to encourage elasticity in itchy expanding skin. It has a light lemony scent which wasn't too offensive to my sensitive nose. It also goes on smoothly and doesn't leave a waxy residue behind like other body butter products I've used before. 

At about 7 weeks pregnant I started to feel nauseated and shortly thereafter came the heartburn (quite by surprise). I decided to try the tea sampler. It has teas for all stages of pregnancy. I tried the morning wellness tea first and although I don't typically like spearmint it was very soothing to my queasy stomach. I also tried the heartburn tea which did seem to calm it a bit. They both worked well as I was drinking them, but I think both my nausea and heartburn were a bit too strong for the tea to have a lasting effect. 

I tried the natural stretch oil alternately to the body butter. It has a similar scent and also was non-greasy and quickly absorbing. It's also supposed to be good for use in preparation for labor + delivery. 

I haven't yet tried the other products as they're formulated for some of the aches + pains of mid to late pregnancy that I have yet to experience. Based on my success with the other products, I'm sure they will come in handy. I'll keep you posted!

The Giveaway

EcoMom wants to give one reader of Breaking New Ground a $15 gift card to their online store. There are so many things that you can try from organic foods, to toys, to skin and hygiene products. We are especially fond of the Plum Organics foods around here, especially for travel!

Mandatory Entry (must be fulfilled before other entries count): 

~ visit EcoMom's store to tell me what you'd use the gift card towards if you win. 

Extra Entries (1 entry each - 1 comment each): 

~ "like" EcoMom on Facebook and/or follow EcoMom on Twitter.

~ share this giveaway on twitter or facebook , leave a link to your tweet or status in your comment. 

~ follow Breaking New Ground via Google Friend Connect, or tell me if you already do.

And if you can't wait to get your hands on EcoMom's products they're also offering a 15% discount for first time orders. Just use the code SBBL747 which is good until July 2011!

Ready, set, ENTER!

please, oh please be sure that your email address is in your blogger profile, on your site linked to your open ID or within your comment (format shanleann1 at gmail dot com) so I can notify you if you win. Otherwise, you forfeit your chances.

This giveaway will end Tuesday March 29th  2011 at 11pm PDT. Winner will be selected at random via random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to an email in order to claim the prize or it will be awarded to an alternate. 

Open to U.S. + Canadian residents only. All comments will be verified. Comments subject to removal without notification based on their relevance to contest. All comments will be verified. So, please be sure to follow instructions carefully. 

Questions? As always click on the "email me" button to send me a message. Please do not leave a comment here that isn't intended to be an entry into the giveaway. 

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this giveaway. All opinions are my own. Click for additional disclosures and PR policies.

I can't believe it!

People- Thank you! Some of you lovelies out there nominated me for The Bump's 2nd Annual Mommy Blog Awards. I was so honored.

Today Ben texted me that I made it to the next round for voting and I. am. shocked.

SHOCKED!

If you want to share the love (I'm totally feeling it right now) please vote for me in the Stay at Home Mom category each day this week through Monday Nov. 15th at midnight.

You don't have to sign up for an account or anything, just click on the button next to Breaking New Ground and hit submit. Super simple.

Here's how to get there

I added this handy little button above as you can see. It'll stay there through Monday as a reminder :)

Again, thank you!

Featured {ETSY!} retailer, review, + GIVEAWAY! {CLOSED}

This is my first review + giveaway featuring an Etsy shop and I'm so excited to introduce you Red Baby by Redrane. This lovely shop is run by Katrina, mama of Luca. 

While lining up Etsy sellers to introduce you to I came across Katrina's shop. First, because I was browsing baby wraps and slings but I also fell in love with her hand made shoes, blankets, burp cloths and more!


One of the great things about Etsy is that more often than not you can contact the person who is making the item you want, I just love the personal connection and I've really enjoyed meeting new people this way. Katrina is so sweet and I've loved working with her during this process. 

Well enough from me, here's a little bit more about Katrina of Red Baby in her own words...

Where are you located + are you from there originally?

We live in Longueuil ( pron: Long-gay ) which is more or less a suburb of Montreal in Quebec Canada. My husband is a Montreal native but I moved here 8 years ago from Ontario when I came to study Art and Psychology at Concordia University.

How did you come up with your shop name?

My middle name is Rane and red is my favourite colour! But really there is a bit more to it than that. For some years I've been a hobby photographer and after doing some self portraits with a friend using red lighting ages ago we came up with the name Redrane- it seemed like a good photographer / business name, and it has just kind of stuck since then.

How long have you had your shop?
I opened my shop just before my son was born in March 2009. 
A group of friends who had seen all the things I was making in preparation for my son's arrival suggested I start selling similar items and suggested Etsy as a great venue to do so. 
I dipped my toe into the water and listed a few items. I made a few sales in those first months but I certainly wasnt devoting much time to the shop after Luca arrived in the middle of April. I would say that things started to take off in September when I launched the "Moo Shoes", a limited edition fall "Luca Wrap" and then the fleece Owl hats.

What inspires you?
SO so many things inspire me! I would have to say that a lot of my inspiration
comes from need, practicality and functionality - thats why I like to make things that are reversible, or have pockets or duel purposes whenever possible. 
Of course the colours,textures and patterns of fabrics inspire me as well. I love to drift through fabric stores running my hands over the bolts of fabric imagining what they would be good for, or how they would look with something else I have hidden away in my collection!

What is your favorite item in your shop?
I have a special fondness for the Moo Shoes and Owl Hats, probably because I made each of them originally for my son. I love the swaddling blankets and Luca wraps for their practicality but I'm coming to love the ring slings more and more as Luca has reached a weight where my biceps just can't hold him for long!

Do you have any other jobs or hobbies?
I teach art and dance at a high school in another town just outside of Montreal and I love to dance, take photos, play games with my son and husband, and once upon a time I loved to run but its a passion I havent managed to rekindle since Luca was born.

Share an interesting fact about yourself.
Even though Im coordinated person who danced and figure skated for years without any major injuries I am ridiculously clumsy on a day to day basis - dancing in 3" heels- no problem! walking down the street in running shoes- forget it! I trip all over! My husband cant understand how I possibly made it through childhood without any broken bones =)


What do you hope your future holds?
My hopes for the future are simiple - I would love to keep teaching but on a part time basis so I could devote more time to my business while still having a minute to myself and time to spend with my family. 
I want to go on a belated honeymoon with my husband and build a "container cottage" together as a family project, and at some point finish all the little renovations around the house.

~~~~~~~

Shandell's Review

Katrina is so awesome that when I contacted her about a review she sent me TWO of her gorgeous XL  cotton gauze swaddling blankets. These blankets are so beautiful and functional. 

Within days of receiving them we already put them to many uses. We went on a walk and used the seascape {blue + green} one to cover the stroller and it did a great job of keeping out the sun while letting the breeze through the lightweight fabric. It's the perfect size for our big stroller. 


Malakai loved playing with the blankets. We played peek-a-boo and even made a fort with them!

I really wish we would have had these extra-large blankets when Malakai was in the swaddling stage. I know that they'll surely get a lot of use with our future little ones.

~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY!

Want one yet? Of course you do! Well Katrina of Red Baby is offering one of my lucky readers not one, but TWO of these lovely cotton gauze blankets in the colors of their choice...and there are a lot to choose from!

Please leave ONE comment for each entry and be sure to link your email to your blogger/google profile or include it in the comment so I can contact you if you're the lucky winner.

Giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada. Contest ends on Tuesday July 6th 2010, 9pm PST. Winner will be announced on Wednesday July 7th, 2010 {my anniversary!}. 

Mandatory entry: 

~ Please become a public follower of Breaking New Ground {google friend connect on the upper left} then visit Red Baby by Redrane on Etsy and come back to tell me your favorite item. 

Additional entries:

~Become a fan of Red Baby by Redrane on Facebook. Leave a comment with your facebook name as we will verify each entry.  

~Follow me on twitter and tweet: "win 2 XL cotton gauze baby blankets from Redrane + @ShanLeAnn at http://bit.ly/cT9Tbc" Leave a comment with your twitter username. This can be done once per day.

~Purchase any item from Red Baby by Tuesday July 5th, 2010 9pm PST and leave a comment to tell me what you bought. 

All comments will be verified. Any comments that do not complete the requirements listed will be removed without notification, so please be sure to read the instructions carefully!

Disclosure: I was sent 2 XL cotton gauze swaddling blankets by Redrane for the purpose of the review. I received no other compensation. All opinions are my own. Click for additional disclosures and PR policies.

oh yeah, I almost forgot!

Malakai made it from the Top 50 to the Top 25.

Another week of voting, please vote for Malakai P to get into the Top 10! After that I do believe that judges will make the final call.

baby contests

Recently I posted about a photo contest in which Malakai was a finalist. Well I was pretty excited about it until I realized that he was 1 out of thousands to vote on that week. He was in 26th place at one point, but finished at 108th. Not surprising since I don't have hundreds of people to vote for him daily.

Then yesterday a friend of mine heard Malakai's name on the radio when they were announcing the Top 50 in a local baby photo contest. I had no idea, so I checked on their website and there he was "Malakai P"
I emailed the station to ask why I wasn't notified and they said they don't notify other than the radio announcement. Weird.

Anyway, I'm not about to start entering Malakai's photo all over the internet to exploit his cuteness for cash or prizes. I just casually entered him in 2 contests and didn't really think anything would come of either. The prize for this local contest is a $1000 Savings Bond in his name. What a great thing to have for his future! So, if you feel so inclined feel free to go on over to KDUK's website and cast a vote for my Malakai P to move on to the Top 25 next week. Votes can be entered once per day until May 17th.

Vote for Malakai!

Just got an email that Malakai's photo is in the running this week for the cover contest over at Parent's Magazine. If you have a second, vote for him here!

And if you have 2 seconds, leave me a comment to let me know you voted :)

EDIT: you can vote once a day until 5/9!