GIVEAWAY! Rodan & Fields, rockin' the skin care and building futures for women (and men!) everywhere!

Hey all! I've got a great person AND product to introduce to you today. Tara and I have been pals for awhile now, we go waaaay back to the old college days when we were sorority sisters so I am so excited to be sharing her new business with you all today!

* from the makers of Proactiv *

First, I would like to let Tara share her story with you, then we'll share her awesome giveaway with you. I am so inspired by what Tara is doing for herself and her family! Go for it, girlie!

Hey there birdies! My name is Tara, and I'm a registered nurse working two days a week; and because it works better for our family, I work at night.  Not having family close to us makes it hard and we have done our best not to put our kiddos into daycare.  I've managed to see all of my babies "firsts" which is what I have always wanted.  Even though my husband has a very lucrative career, we just can't seem to get ahead.  The debt just doesn't go away.  Right when we think we might be headed in the right direction something slaps us back down financially.  We want to be able to provide for our children and be comfortable in retirement. Yet on the path we are on, it seems so far fetched.  

While I was on maternity leave with my second baby, Mason, I got a congratulatory message on facebook from our friend, Beth.  She wanted to be sure I knew how strong I was to be coping with the 2 kiddos at home by myself - especially since we were in week 4 of the newborn, and the middle of the summer, which meant Kelsi wasn't in school.  She also wanted to make sure I knew about Rodan + Fields Dermatologists before I heard about it from anybody else.  I had seen some of Beth’s posts on facebook but never really questioned them.  She told me she partnered with the makers of ProActiv - this caught my interest.  She mentioned it was a ground floor opportunity - I became intrigued. She told me they don't have to stock product - I was even more intrigued. She then mentioned they don't have to have home parties – I was definitely intrigued.  Hearing all this new information about this new company, I just couldn't stop thinking about what it could do for our family; yet I was worried about what my husband would think.  Once I brought it up with him, he saw that it was a no-brainer…get in NOW while the gettin’ is good.

My goal with the money I make through my new Rodan + Fields business is to start paying down the credit card debt we have and make our lives more financially stable.  Once that's completed I'd love to stay home with my kids, but not completely quit my nursing job (just drop to PRN). Finally, since I won't be working as much helping the premature babies I love so dearly, I'd love to give my share to March of Dimes so I can continue to help make a difference in those special little lives.

Tara and her precious little family! Our boys were born only weeks apart! :)

I am always so happy to see moms working so hard for their families. For me, it is such a great reward to be able to stay home with my little ones, and I can't help but share my excitement when another mom I know steps out there to make it happen for herself too! 

So, Tara, what else can you share with us about this company and their amazing products?  

#1. I cannot say this enough: GROUND FLOOR!!!
- Rodan and Fields has only been in direct sales for ~ 3 years. Why is this such a big deal? Ok, take Mary Kay, which has been around since the 60s. They have over 1,000,000 consultants nationwide so basically anyone who joins now will never be the first in their market. R+F, on the other hand, only has ~15,000 consultants so pretty much everyone that joins will be the FIRST to introduce this company to their market. This is HUGE!! Because anti-aging is such a booming industry, Rodan and Fields has the potential to explode and if you are in from the beginning, you will be sitting pretty when the explosion occurs:)

#2. Name-brand recognition: Because the company was founded by the doctors who created Proactiv, they have instant credibility and name-brand recognition. They receive more free press than any other skincare company and this makes our job as consultant easy. I never have to worry about how to market the products- beauty magazines do that for me- and I simply post the free press on facebook, generating instant interest effortlessly. 

INCREDIBLE Anti-Aging products that get amazing results from Rodan & Fields, the makers of Proactiv.
Product Disclaimer: Results from the use of Rodan + Fields Products may vary depending upon the individual, and Rodan + Fields makes no guarantee as to the results that you may you experience. Rodan + Fields recommends that you consult with your physician or other qualified health care provider before beginning any product regimen or treatment.

#3. Virtual-based biz: This sealed the deal for me. We are NOT a home parties company and we DO NOT stock product!! I am never worried about who will host my next event or how I am going to get rid of a closet full of moisturizer. All of our sales are through our personal websites so it only takes about 2 minutes of your time to enter a new order. Not only is this efficient but it also means you can take your biz with you wherever you go: vacay, playdates, dance class, etc... without having to lug around a bunch of product. 

#4. Consumable product: Alright so I didn't know a whole lot about residual income when I started this whole thing. Like I said, I have absolutely no background in sales, but this is one of the reasons our earning potential is so great with R+F. Basically, we aim to enroll new customers in a program where they receive product every 60 days. This replenishment program is great for our customers b/c they receive 10% off and free shipping, usually around the time their products run out but its also great for us b/c we earn commission each time they receive an order. You can see how this can start adding up quickly: month 1: add 3 new customers, month 2: 3 new, month 3: 3 new + 3 from month 1, and so on...

I never thought I would go into direct sales but after my friend presented me with the opportunity, I knew I would be kicking myself down the road if I passed.  This is not a "get rich quick" scheme but I honestly believe that the potential is there for fully replacing any salary in a few years with just 10-15 hours per week. Seriously, my direct is working on earning her trip to Napa and her upline has already earned her FREE Lexus and a trip to BORA BORA!  She’s only been in this about 19 months! CRAZY!

Wow, that's pretty amazing! So you've got a couple of great offers for my readers, right?

RFx Express Business Kit, one of three startup options for your R+F business

Yes! Anyone that comes to me through The Little Birdie and wants to become a Consultant, I will put $100 towards initial their start up kit.  

Wow, $100?? That's generous! Ok guys, interested in being a consultant yourself? 

Email miss Tara Klein, Independent Consultant at: nursetara810@gmail.com for your $100 discount! *Offer good through the end of the year, December 31, 2012*

What if someone doesn't want to be a consultant, but would like to check out these amazing products for themselves?

If consulting isn’t right for them, but products is something they’d prefer to check out.  They can become a Preferred Customer, get 10% of their products and free shipping.  For these people who mention seeing me on your blog I will pay their Preferred Customer start up fee for the first 20 Customers!

That's awesome! Ok guys, you heard the lady... the FIRST 20 PEOPLE to email Tara Klein, Independent Consultant (nursetara810@gmail.com) and let her know you found R+F through The Little Birdie will get FREE enrollment into the Preferred Customer Program, earning you 10% off product purchases and FREE shipping! 

Even if you're not one of the lucky first 20, be sure to ask Tara about the Preferred Customer program, as there are LOTS of really great perks!

And be sure to check out Tara's Rodan + Fields product website here:

 https://tklein.myrandf.com/

If you have more questions about the business end of R+F, check out Tara's business website here for Q&A, testimonials, and other important details:

https://tklein.myrandf.biz

Thanks so much to Tara and Rodan + Fields for sharing this amazing company with us, and offering my readers some really awesome deals! Take care!

XOXO

***GIVEAWAY Winner!!*** Merchandise Monday 10/17/11

Good morning bloggers! 

Last night marked the end of the 10/3 giveaway from Bows & Caps by princESS, so that means...

 WE HAVE A WINNER!! :)

Using www.random.org, our random comment number selected was:

#2 - Chrissy Barile

who said, 

"I'm your newest follower! Chrissy @ ForMamas"

Ok Chrissy, shoot me an email and I'll get you all hooked up with Erica for your prize!

littlebirdiebaby {at} gmail {dot} com

. . . . . . .

We still have open giveaways!!

{Organo Gold all-natural, premium, gourmet coffees}

If you haven't entered to win the giveaway from Organo Gold Coffee, you still have time to get your entries in there. The Organo Gold Giveaway will be open until this Sunday, October 23rd at 8pm. Click HERE to go straight to the entry page!

Stay tuned for Tutorial Tuesday & Linky Party tomorrow morning!!

Have a great week!

XOXO

Homeschooling? Class Dismissed.

Good morning all!! I just wanted to pop in and share this video with you all. I know so many of you are homeschooling your kids, and many more plan to (as do I). So naturally, when I heard about this documentary being made all about the benefits of homeschooling I had to share!

Class Dismissed

a documentary about homeschooling

by 3 Story Films

It's so wonderful to see such an honest, practical take on homeschooling with real interviews with actual homeschooling families. I'm sure (as most documentaries do) they will be examining both sides, but I've never seen something with such positive energy representing this lifestyle.

Right now it's still in the development stages and they still need some funding. If you're so inclined, you can visit the 3 Story Films site and leave them a donation. www.3storyfilms.com I'm sure they would appreciate it!

I know everyone has a different take on this subject, especially in the mainstream, but I think it's a wonderful opportunity to provide my children with a diverse and well-rounded education based on truth, creativity, life experiences, and discovery rather than the pre-packaged "one-size-fits-all" method the public school system seems to be pushing these days.

How does your family approach schooling? What brought you to those decisions?

XOXO

P.S. Don't forget to enter our current giveaways before time runs out!! Click the photos to go straight to the entry pages!!

We've got Erica from Bows & Caps by princESS on Etsy giving away 

a custom pack of bottle cap magnets, clips, or push pins. 

Giveaway ends Sunday, so get your entries in soon!

We've also got Mary from Organo Gold coffee giving away an ENTIRE box 

of gourmet, all-natural coffee in your choice of flavor! 

This giveaway ends Sunday 10/23, so spread the word and don't forget to get your entries in, too!

Giveaway Monday!! Who needs a whole box of perk??

Hello friends!! My apologies for the delayed post today, I have been experiencing some serious technical difficulties with my blog today. But no worries, everything seems to finally be working, so we can get down to business!

It's Monday, so you know what that means, right? This week we've got a product I KNOW you're all going to love. I mean, it's the only way to start the day, right?

{brought to you by...}

. . . . . . .

Did you know that coffee is the second most consumed beverage on the planet after water? Wow, right? Maybe not news for those of you who have 6 cups before noon, but still! It's the second most traded commodity after oil. People drink coffee all day every day, in almost every country around the world.

Organo Gold Coffee company is brewing up some of the best coffee out there right now. It's rich, flavorful, and smooth. And, the kicker is... it's healthy! Soak that up for a minute. Organo Gold searches the globe far and wide to procure the best ingredients out there and couples them with Japanese herb Ganoderma to produce some of the most amazingly delicious, healthy coffee you can get. The Gandoderma herb has been used in the Japanese culture for centuries to promote good health, and well-being. Some of it's benefits include:

• Supports and builds the Immune System.
• Oxygenates the Body
• Boosts stamina
• Packed with over 150 all-natural antioxidants that fight free radicals
• Improves blood circulation
• Promotes younger skin
• Promotes cell rejuvenation
• More energy
• A powerful detoxifyer for the body
• Promotes deeper and more enjoyable sleep

But, the benefits aren't just for coffee drinkers. Looking to curl up by the fire this fall with a cozy cup of hot chocolate or tea? No problem! Organo Gold has hot chocolate, tea, herbal supplements and lots of other incredible products as well. Check out the website for for information and other products!!

Now, for the fun part...

{WIN IT!!}

Our lovely Organo Gold Coffee rep, Mary, is generously offering one lucky Little Birdie reader a whole box of your choice of their most popular coffees: Black, Mocha, or Latte, shipping included!! Mary was nice enough to send me one of each, and I'll tell you: you can't go wrong with any of the three!!

Enter to WIN:

• Leave a separate comment for each entry, so they all get counted!
• The giveaway will be open from now until Sunday, October 23rd!
• Winner will be chosen via random.org and posted here Monday, October 24th!!

Mandatory Entry:

• Be or become a follower of The Little Birdie. (Easy, right? I know you already are anyway... wink, wink.)

Extra Entries:

• Be or become a follower of @Mary_ABQ on Twitter
• Subscribe to The Coffee Blog
• Be or become a follower of @lilbirdielady on Twitter (That's me!! And it's a great way to keep up with new giveaways, tutorials, and special offers!)
• Be or become a follower of The Little Birdie on Facebook

Be sure to leave each entry in a separate comment below, 

and good luck to you all!!

XOXO

P.S. If you haven't entered to WIN the custom bottle cap set from Bows & Caps by princESS on Etsy, click HERE and get your entries in before the end of the week!!

Tutorial Tuesday & Linky Party - A Trio of Favorite Recipes

Good morning everyone! I am super-duper busy with a rather large order right now, so you'll have to forgive me for cheating out a little bit this week with recipes rather than sewing, etc. ;)

However, these ARE 3 recipes that I have had earmarked to share with you all since they were ones that I found shortly after moving. Things were hectic, but I knew they would be great ones to share! So here are three of our new favorite recipes from this summer...

Bird's Nest Breakfast Cups

Salad-in-a-Jar

&

Homemade Cheese Crackers (a.k.a. Cheez-Its)

Bird's Nest Breakfast Cups:

These have quickly become a weekend favorite. I make an entire pan full and then the hubby has a yummy, wholesome breakfast to grab and take with him as he's running out the door at the crack of dawn. Yay for cooking once a week!  ;)

1 24 oz. bag of shredded hash browns
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbs oil (I use olive oil)
1/3 cup shredded cheddar
Bacon bits or 8=10 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled
Eggs
Extra shredded cheddar
Muffin tin

1. Take your bag of hash browns and mix in the salt, pepper, oil and 1/3 cup shredded cheese.
2. Divide amongst the cups in your muffin tin, making sure to grease tin beforehand.
3. Bake hash browns at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until toasty.
4. Once they're finished, take them out and lower the temp of the oven to 350 degrees.
5. Crack an egg into each of the cups
6. Top with bacon and a sprinkle of extra cheese
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 13-16 minutes (or until the eggs are as firm as you like them).
8. Slide a knife along the edges to remove from pan when cooled.

Notes:

• I like to break the yolks in my eggs a bit once I put them into the hash brown cups
• When I cheat on these, I use the Oscar Meyer Bacon pieces found in the "salad dressing" section of the grocery store. They're the closest thing to fresh bacon I can find, and all-natural. :)
• You can also experiment with ham, sausage, and veggies to make them your own!

Salad-In-A-Jar:

Now, these aren't so much of a recipe as a technique. I had been seeing this idea all over the place for awhile, and thought I should give it a try for keeping my lettuce fresh. It WORKS.

1 Head (or bag) of lettuce
12 oz. to 16 oz. mason jars (depending on how large you like your salad, or if you like to share!)
Paper towels or paper napkins
Salad toppings of your choice

1. Wash jars and set them out to dry
2. Wash and chop head of lettuce
3. Stuff jars with lettuce (the fuller, the better)
4. Dampen a paper towel and fold it up small enough to fit into the mouth of the jar.
5. Lay paper towel over the top of lettuce and secure lid.
6. Turn upside down and store in the fridge for up to a month!!
7. When you're ready to eat, throw out the paper towel and prep as you like!

Notes:

• If you have enough space in your jars you can top your salad while still in the jar and have an easy lunch to-go, or great solution to salad at parties!

Homemade Cheese Crackers:

From goldfish to cheez-its and everything in between, cheese crackers are always a hit with kids and adults alike. Why not make some fresh that are filled with all-natural ingredients instead of preservatives and chemicals like the store bought kind?

1½ cups (6 oz) grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
¾ cup flour, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon milk

1. Preheat oven to 350˚.
2. Put everything except the milk in a food processor. Pulse the processor, 5 seconds at a time, for about 5 or 6 times, until the dough is in coarse crumbs.
3. Add the milk and process until the dough gathers together in a ball.
4. Roll the dough out on a floured board with a rolling pin that has been floured until it is about 1/8 inch thick.
5. Cut the dough into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. You can put a bit of flour on the blade of the knife to keep it from sticking. Use a toothpick or skewer to poke a hole in the center of each cracker.
6. Place the crackers at least ¼ inch apart on parchment paper on a baking sheet.
7. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until the edges are just starting to brown.
8. Put the baking sheet on a rack and let the crackers cool completely.
9. Eat! Or store in a covered container or ziploc to eat within a few days.

Notes:

• Substitute other cheeses for the cheddar for a different snack every time! I've used swiss (Jarlsberg seems to work best) and colby jack, both with great results!
• I have a gas oven and it seems to take a little longer to get them nice and toasty around the edges. Mine usually take about 18 minutes.

Now it's your turn! 

Link up your projects below for this week's linky party!

Linky Guidelines:

1. Please feel free to link up as many projects as you would like!
2. Please link directly to your project post, it makes them much easier for everyone to find.
3. Please no etsy shops, or generic blog links. Specific posts links only.
4. Visit someone else's link and share the bloggy love!
5. Grab yourself a button and post it in your project post or on your blog. Optional of course, but the more we share the party, the more people see your posts! :)
6. Have fun!!

<a href="http://www.littlebirdiebaby.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybpWehEcQYkr_bcTNwQtjMs-pSV-lbAnKMq0wQAbpkfm8Vn6I1fmUjYtVvzwqfTuazi67qG1Z7SWKRWPfgV3kkRVaYGnhKP7LJ0txiH6AQQj2x8KUcYdEuPtOudXo4oDmxEdFyxqjJ7RO/s800/Tute%20Tues%20LB.png" height="150" width="150" /></a>

Don't forget to enter this week's GIVEAWAY 
brought to you by Bows and Caps by princESS!

CLICK HERE to enter for your chance to win!!

Have a great week!!

XOXO

Merchandise Monday - GIVEAWAY!! Bows and Caps by princESS!

Good morning everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and are bright-eyed and ready for a new week! No? Bleary-eyed, hovering over a cup of coffee? Ok, I'll give you that, but I've got something to perk you right up...

brought to you by...

I am excited to introduce to you my friend, Erica who has the cutest bow & bottle cap shop! She is here visiting with us today (mostly because I wanted to show her off) to tell us a little bit about herself and her shop. And because she is such a doll, she has also offered up a GIVEAWAY to all the Little Birdie readers, yay!!

Thanks for being here Erica, I hope you'll bear with me as we're doing something new this week. I wanted to ask you a few questions to let my readers get to know you while they're browsing your shop.

{Erica, her hubby Mike, and their sweet little boy Calin!}

First, tell me a little about your shop:

My shop is a hodgepodge of my crafty ideas. It started with bows and bow holders and now includes my bottle cap crafts - magnets, push pins, headbands, and clips. I also added my hand painted ornaments after friends and family loved them the past two Christmases.

How did you get started crafting?

I started crafting in the summer of 2010 after school let out. I had been going to Hobby Lobby and staring at the ribbon section wanting to buy some, but not knowing exactly what I would do with it. On about my 4th trip of looking at the fun designs a lady asked me "Do you make bows too?" I said "Yes. I sure do", bought 4 rolls of ribbon and came home to figure out how to make some bows. I took my creations to a teacher workshop I was attending the next day and people started passing them around and asked if they could order some. I was totally taken by surprise, but gladly took down the orders and the rest is history :) I made ornaments that Christmas as a "different" gift for my big family. This past summer I got into bottle caps and started my Etsy page after a friend's encouragement.

{Bottle cap bows, headbands, and clips by princESS!
Just tell her your favorite team and she'll make them custom, any way you like!}

What inspires you?

I am inspired by my desire to make pretty things. That may sound kind of silly, but most of my life I have been frustrated by having all these ideas in my head but not being able to actually take them and turn them into the finished product I had pictured. When I started making my bows, they turned out exactly like I pictured them in my head. It was (is) so exciting to look down and think "Hey that is super cute AND I made it!"

How do you handle being a mom with a full-time job AND an Etsy business?

Juggling a full time job, being a wife and mom, and having an Etsy shop is not always the easiest. I am very lucky to have a wonderful mother and husband who help around the house and with my son so I can have "me time." My 3 month old son also goes to bed at 8 and sleeps through the night, which is a big help! Once I had my son, I made the choice to leave my school work at school as much as possible. I have to use my time at work a lot wiser than I have in years past, so when I come home I can spend time with my family. After dinner and bath time, is my "me time" to work on my crafty projects. There tend to be some late nights, but feeding around the clock a few months ago taught me how to run on a lot less sleep than I used to.

{Bows, clips, and CUSTOM bows by princESS!
Need a matching set for the whole team or cheer squad?
Send in your requests and she'll do bulk orders to match your colors!

What has been your biggest eye-opener as a first time mom?

My biggest eye opener as a first time mom has been how much time I used to spend on work. I used to stay late, bring work home, and there still seemed to always be things left to do! I have had to really get my time management under control so that I can balance my family and my work. It is amazing how much more I seem to be accomplishing for school in less time.

Isn't she sweet? And she has such an amazingly supportive husband, who thinks she's a total rock-star, as well as the cutest little baby boy! She has so much cute stuff she's been working on and adding into her Etsy shop every day, so be sure to add her to your favorites or your circle so you can keep up with all the cute stuff she's doing. One of my favorite items in her shop are the bottle caps. She makes magnets, clippies, bows, and headbands and is constantly adding new photos to her Facebook page with her fun new ideas. She can also do custom caps for your favorite high school, college, or pro team, as well as fun and funky combinations, sororities, and more!

{Bottle cap magnets by princESS! You can never have too many of these on your fridge or file cabinet, and with a million custom combinations to choose from, you'll find something for everyone on your shopping list!}

Erica and I go waaaaaay back to the old college days at Texas Tech in Lubbock. :) So, when I ordered some little piggy tail bows for Aubrey from her, she sent me a custom bottle cap clippy and a magnet for my fridge decked out in custom Tech colors! I was so stoked!

PrincESS Erica has been so sweet to offer a five pack 

of custom bottle cap magnets to one lucky Little Birdie reader, 

and there are lots of ways you can win!! 

**Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry below!!**

Mandatory Entry

1. "Like" Bows & Caps by PrincESS on Facebook! 

Leave a comment below letting me know you did, and feel free to say hello to Erica while you're there!


EXTRA Entries!!

1. Be or become a follower of The Little Birdie. {This one should be easy, you guys already are, right? RIGHT??} ;)
2. Heart Bows and Bottle Caps by princESS on Etsy.
3. Add Bows and Bottle Caps by princESS to your circle on Etsy.
4. Blog/Tweet/Facebook about this giveaway. Leave a separate comment for each.
5. Follow @lilbirdielady on Twitter {that's me, silly}
6. Like The Little Birdie on Facebook

Other Important Info.

• The giveaway will be open from now until Sunday, October 16th, so spread the word!
• Winner will be chosen via random.org and posted here Monday, October 17th!
• Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry, so they all get counted!

There ya go! Lucky number 7 ways to win! Ready? GO!!

XOXO

Merchandise Monday Returns!! {with a giveaway!!}

As you all know I have been frantically working on my etsy shop, trying to get everything in order for the summer and adding lots of new items for sale! Since Merchandise Monday started out as a way to showcase etsy sellers and products, I thought I would just go ahead and show you what I've been working on... at least a little bit of what I've been working on anyway. :)

I've been churning out the "boy" styles like crazy! I've never been inspired to do much boy stuff before, but for some reason the ideas just keep flowing. I'm sure you guys know how scarce the cute boy stuff is anyway, so it's a good thing! Here's a couple of new designs I added this week:

{Navy and Red Sailboat for boys}

This one is inspired by all the summer fun cropping up everywhere, and by my very own water baby. What could be better than a simple sailboat on a navy tye dyed bodysuit for baby's summer wardrobe?

{Fancy Little Man}

...because every baby wants to be comfy while also looking classy, right? ;)

Of course there's never a shortage of girlie styles too... Here's a couple of the more feminine designs I added to the shop since re-opening:

{Retro Flower on Aqua!}

I am ALL OVER the teal/aqua/turquoise trend right now... though I had no idea it was a trend when I was designing this little beauty about 3 months ago. :) Aside from the color itself, I love this design because it reminds me of some really awesome retro-floral wallpaper!!

{Fancy Little Miss}

Much like the "Fancy Little Man," what girl goes out without her bling on? Exactly! Now, this one is kind of a work in progress. I'm loving it on some other colors (purple, teal) and playing with some rhinestone embellishments as well. Stay tuned on this one!

Of course, it's not just bodysuits I've been working on...

{Boutique Burpie Sets}

{Baby Shower Gift Packs}

Some with little birdies, some with elephants, but all pack on the charm for a fun and unique baby shower gift. Included is a matching bib, burp cloth and plush toy in designer fabric rolled together and tied with some jute, ready to gift! I've got about a dozen sets in a dozen different fabrics, so these will be popping up here and there for as long as they last. :)

.......

Ok, so I'm sure you all are ready for me to get right to the good part: The Giveaway!

Well I've been cleaning, reorganizing, taking inventory, and all of that fun stuff and what did I come up with? A BUNCH of STUFF!! Since I don't have room to keep taking on more and more stuff, but I also can't seem to stay away from the fabric store, I decided I would offer you guys the opportunity to win some free stuff from my studio!

Here's my idea, and if you LIKE it, and would be INTERESTED in PARTICIPATING, let me know in the comments and I'll post a giveaway ASAP! :)

I have about 15 onesies that I need to get out of the way in my studio. They're either out of circulation, a different brand than I'm using now, or designs that I've discontinued. However, they're all new, never worn, and in various sizes from newborn to 12 months. There are some girls styles, some girls styles, but mostly gender neutral. I'm sure not everyone will love every single one, but I would like to give them away as a set... a Grab Bag Pack, if you will. Here's a sneak peek...

So what do you think? 15 onesies in a grab bag giveaway, or "get it together Rachael and do a real giveaway!"? Let me know what you think in the comments!! Ready? GO!


XOXO

A little snag...

Good morning all! I have some lovely guest posts lined up for you all in the coming weeks, however, I've hit a bit of a snag.

We're moving Friday, but the cable company somehow got their wires crossed and disconnected our cable and internet two days early. Ugh. So for now I am working with limited access via my phone, haha!

Just about all I can do is post my own text (from a touch screen  that I am terrible at, no less), so our first feature guest post and resurrection of tutorial tuesday will start next tuesday!

Also, I'll be leaving the Freschetta giveaway open until this weekend when I have some "real"internet access again, so if you haven't entered yet, you still have time. :)

Have a great week everyone!!!

XOXO
Rachael

GIVEAWAY! For your kitchen AND your tummy! {giveaway closed}

{GIVEAWAY CLOSED}


This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of FRESCHETTA®. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hello, hello all my bloggy buddies! Boy, do I have a fun one for you today!

I don't know about you all, but I am not a fan of frozen food. Fish bits pressed into sticks, chicken bits pressed into nuggets, {or worse, animal shapes!!!} and miles of greasy, rubbery food that in some way may or may not resemble pizza.

When I hit that point in the grocery store, all I see is this... Walls and walls of glass with just crap inside. 

Well, the nice people at Freschetta decided it was about time that I got off my high horse, and they set out to change my mind. They sent me a coupon to try one of their new "Simply Inspired" Pizzas, made with fresh, interesting, GROWN UP ingredients. {Wait! You mean there IS more to the frozen section that just fish sticks and chicken nuggets??} So, off to the store I went.

Can you say, YUM?!?

First of all, there is a wide array of choices in the FRESCHETTA® Simply…Inspired™ line... they come in flavors like I've never seen in frozen pizza. Tuscan Farmhouse, Classic Bruschetta, Harvest Supreme, and even Hawaiian Style with pineapple! I went with the Chicken Bianco: grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, spinach and black olives topped with mozzarella cheese and creamy alfredo sauce.

IT. WAS. DIVINE.

One thing I noticed more than anything was there was no ice or freezer burn on the pizza. I've never bought anything frozen that wasn't crusted in ice. They must have some seriously awesome packaging or something. And no rubbery crust here, no, no. Crispy, flaky, baked-to-perfection thin crust. Yum. This is not your run-of-the-mill Chuck-E-Cheese pizza. This is pizza the way it was meant to be enjoyed when you're over 20, haha!

Oh Freschetta, had I only KNOWN!! 

Well, I said the people at Freschetta were nice... look what else they sent me:

Awesome, right? Bamboo cheese board with utensils and cracker tray. I feel so special!
You guys already know that I have a serious hang-up on all things bamboo. ;)

But wait, that's not all they sent me...

They also sent me this:

Another beautiful bamboo cheese board with utensils,
and this one folds up into itself for convenient serving!

Oh, but this one is not for me... it's for YOU!! 

This AND your own coupon for a FREE  FRESCHETTA® Simply…Inspired™of your choice! Just for being a follower of my blog, and reading along with all my silly antics. See? Told ya they were nice.

Drooling yet? Thought so. :)

{GIVEAWAY CLOSED}

Ok, here's what you gotta do:
1. Be or become a follower of The Little Birdie blog

Want extra entries? Ok then...
2. Be or become a fan of Freschetta on Facebook

3. Be or become a follower of Freschetta on Twitter (@FreschettaSI)

4. Be or become a follower of The Little Birdie on Facebook

5. Be or become a follower of The Little Birdie on Twitter (@lilbirdielady)

6. Blog about this giveaway

7. Facebook about this giveaway

8. Tweet about this giveaway

9. Tell me how much you love my kitchen table that my incredible hubby built for me! HINT: It's the backdrop for my cheese board photos. {Gotta feed hubby's ego a little bit now and again, right?}

10. Leave me a comment telling me what kinds of tutorials you would like to see in the future on Tute Tuesdays.

Easy enough, yeah? 

Be sure to leave me a comment for EACH entry! 

{GIVEAWAY CLOSED}

Thanks so much to the SUPER nice people at Freschetta for sponsoring this giveaway for my awesome readers, sending me their lovely products to review, and turning me around on frozen pizza forever!!


XOXO