We've MOVED!! Visit jadelouisedesigns.com

If you still visit us, you may be wondering why we've been so quiet lately! No we haven't disappeared. We just moved! 

With the move to being a self hosted site, we've been able to expand and offer much more to our sponsors and for ourselves! We love our new site and hope you will too! We still have lots of great DIY, recipes, Reviews, Giveaways, parenting, and much more!

Come visit us at: 

JadeLouiseDesigns.com

Moving Day! Under Construction, Forgive the Cobwebs!

Well the day has arrived! We are MOVING!!

You may see some glitches over the next day or two, or you may not even be able to access our site for short amount of time, but don't worry, we're still here, just in the process of moving!!

We are moving JadeLouise Designs from blogger hosted to self hosted Wordpress website. This allows us more freedom in our design and content that we can offer you. I hope you will enjoy the change. 

So please bare with us as we go through all the "boxes" and get us moved over and dust up the cobwebs. If you experience technical difficulties, it won't last too long. Keep checking back and we'll soon be up and running with a new design and lots of great new content!!

Bright Starts Ultimate Baby Shower Event *free blog event – accepting signups now*

Bright Starts, Mom to Bed by 8 and Iowa-Mom is excited to present the Baby Shower Event from May 7^th to May 28^th. This is a free blogger event and accepting signups now.

Join the Bright Starts Ultimate Baby Shower Giveaway event today, grow your readership and offer one amazing baby shower gifts giveaway!

Simply Sign up HERE, and mention that Amber from JadeLouise Designs referred you!

Stonewall Kitchen Blueberry Batter Bowl Gift Set for #Mom at Maggies Direct!

A fantastic Mother's Day gift for your mom, or to keep for yourself! You decide! But it's a great deal no matter how you look at it! Maybe you will need to get 2, one for your mom AND one for you!

Maggies Direct has this amazing Stonewall Kitchen Blueberry Batter Bowl Gift Set on sale for only $49.95 with FREE SHIPPING! Plus, when you order this item, Maggies Direct gives you $25 back in Social bucks, so it's like you are getting this entire set for only $24.95!

And don't forget to "like" the deal when you visit, because every time you "like" a product on Maggies Direct, you get yet another Social buck back! Look at you go saving money and earning free product!!

The Stonewall Kitchen Batter Bowl Gift Set comes with

• Wild Maine Bluebery Jam, 
• Wild Maine Blueberry Syrup 
• Farmhouse Pancake and Waffle Mix
• Includes a batter bowl and spatula
• Batter Bowl has 7 Cup Capacity

You can read more details and purchase your own on the product page!

Maggies Direct is a FREE shopping membership, you can read more about Maggies Direct here. 

If you are a blogger and would like to start promoting Maggies Direct, you can sign up for their Pro Blogger Program! 

Win a $20 Lowes Gift Card from #MVMGroups

 Maybe you have a project in mind and need a little Kick in the Pants to get started? That's why Moms with Voice Media is offering a quick giveaway of a $20 Gift Card for Lowes!

 Who couldn't use $20 free money to buy some new flowers, paint, nails or weed kill? Tis the season! It's easy to get tons of entries for this giveaway! Just fill out the rafflecopter form and cross your fingers! Maybe you'll be the lucky winner!

Earn BONUS entries by leaving a comment on some of our Moms with Voice Media Blogger's posts with ideas, inspirations and tips. You might even enjoy a few posts with ideas of "What not to do when working around the house!"


Entries end Saturday, April 21 at Midnight EST! Winner will be have 48 hours to respond or a 2nd winner will be chosen. *Prize will be emailed directly to your email address as soon as you verify! US &Canada Entries only




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Awesome Blossom Cloth Diaper Review "Happy Pink Flowers" Cloth Diapers for the Modern Mom

If you've been following JadeLouise Designs for a while now, you already know I'm in love with cloth diapering. I love the benefits of cloth diapers, and I love the prints! So I'm always on the look out for new brands of Cloth diapers to try! You can never have too many adorable cloth diapers!

What I love about the Awesome Blossom diaper is that they are a WAHM-operated business located in the U.S. I love supporting fellow WAHM operations! The Awesome Blossom website also features all the information you need on how to wash and care for the diapers, how to use the diapers, what they are made of, and where they are made! I love how forward and easy to navigate the website is!

The Awesome Blossom diaper is a one-sized pocket diaper. Which means it can adjust to fit any baby from 9-35lbs. The snap closure is very nice since Jade is getting older it is way too easy for her to open and take off the diapers with a H&L (velcro) closure. All the snaps are securely attached and show no signs of coming off after multiple washing.

A Completed Project; Wordless Wednesday

Welcome to Wordless Wednesday! 
I ran across these photos today, and became a little sad. This is what I had just created and was about to release in our Etsy store before I was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel and had to give up Crocheting for a while until the pain subsides.

I'm missing it. 

Don't forget to also visit and link up a creative post on our Artistic Tuesday! It doesn't have to be about crafts, just a fun post where you used your brain and is family friendly! It can be food, a fun discussion, beautiful scenery, photography, crafts, tutorials, ANYTHING goes (except Wordless Wednesday posts..those belong linked up here!)

How to Achieve a Luscious and Lucrative Garden, Organically with Whitney Farms®

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Whitney Farms. All opinions are 100% mine.
I've often talked about how excited I am to grow my garden this year. I've been doing a lot of research on how I can make my garden produce better this year, where last  year it was a complete flop!  Every resource I've found says the same thing: make sure you have healthy soil and feed your plants! But some of the products on the market today that feed soil and plants as they grow contain who knows what and what it actually does to your body when you eat it! I'm  very particular with the food I buy from the grocery store, always washing my fruits and vegetables to remove all man-made chemical products used to make it grow nicely, look pretty and keep bugs out. But that is not something I want to worry about with my own garden! I want the food I grow myself to be healthy and chemical free! Basically, I want an Organic Garden! And to do that, I need a organic soil! 

#W!N a 50 Dollar iTunes Giftcard! {#Sweepstakes} Ends 4/20

Do you love itunes? We've got a great Giveaway Opportunity for you! Both EbonyParent and Lullaby Lane are giving away a $50 itunes GiftCard! Enter on BOTH sites to increase your chances!

If you find there are offers presented you aren't interested in, just click "no thanks" and continue on the entering process until finished to secure yourself your entry in the sweepstakes!

This is a Quick Giveaway, meaning it will close on April 20th! The Winners will be announced on April 21st!  enter via the photos below!

#Bloggers! Join The ONLY Mom Blogger Owned & Operated Affiliated Network! #MVMGroups

I'm quite excited to tell you about a new opportunity for bloggers! I've been part of a blogging community named Moms with Voices Media. It has been a great ride, full of amazing blogging women who have helped me learn a lot, and it provides great support as well as paid opportunities, product reviews, Giveaway campaigns and much more!

Now, they also provide an exclusive affiliate program! This is the first and ONLY network owned and operated by Mom Bloggers just like you! The offers are starting to roll in and you have the opportunity to get started earning extra while you do what you love! Why not get started today!? It's FREE and there are no obligations of any kind! Side note: when you sign up, your referral ID is one that YOU make up! Often times we use our blog names. So it is whatever you would like it to be.

As I said, I've loved working with Moms with Voices media these last few months. The MVM community is a completely separate entity from the new affiliate program. The Affiliate program is free and is accepting new bloggers right now!

MVM is also accepting new bloggers to the community. What you can expect from the community is as I mentioned before, a group of bloggers who are supportive, full of experience, and actually quite fun to "hang out" with online! They have a dedicated Facebook Group where you will almost always find someone who can help you with any blogging problem you run into. You will find sponsored post opportunities, review & Giveaway opportunities and a forum full of great advice and activities to help improve your blog. The group membership has a fee of $1.99/mo but is well worth it. We have a very team-goal-oriented atmosphere with everyone helping everyone else be it retweets, Klout, comments, advice, etc. And the founder of MVM is very active online each day and often available for any questions! If you’d like to check it out, sign up for MVM Groups today!

Kitchen Quick Tip: What To Do With Bananas About To Go Bad.

We've all purchased a lot of bananas with good intentions that this time they will get eaten before they start to turn brown and go bad, and  yet, somehow they still manage to beat us to the punch and start to turn! So what can you do when your bananas start to turn brown? The most delicious method is making banana bread. The soft mushy bananas are perfect and it doesn't matter if there are some darker parts. Yet if you are like me, you can't be making banana bread every week when your bananas go bad. Or what if it is only one or two bananas that have started to turn brown? That's not enough to make banana bread. Now what? Do you just throw them away? NO! I have a quick trick I learned from my mom, on how to salvage those brown bananas.

Step 1: Peal the skin from the bananas.

Step 2: Place bananas on a plate or cookie sheet if you have a lot. Make sure they are 1 layer deep and if possible not touching as much as possible.

Step 3:  Place in your freezer and Freeze!

Step 4: Once the bananas are frozen, remove from the plate or cookie sheet and place in a freezer zip lock bag.

Uses: Now when you need bananas for Banana bread, you can thaw the bananas that you have collected over the weeks. OR, you can do what my mother often did, and is still a family favorite with my own family! Use the frozen bananas in fruit smoothies or make a Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Banana protein Shake! That one is the favorite of my kids. When you use the frozen banana it provides a fruit, nutrients and cuts down on the amount of ice you need to use. Plus it adds a delicious flavor and creamy texture!

What do you do with your bananas when they start to go brown? 

Artistic Tuesday 4/17: Do you Have a Post that Needs Some LOVE? Link UP!

Welcome to our New Artistic Tuesday! It's a Linky Party! Artistic Tuesday is now a place where each one of you can SHINE!

Link up your Artistic posts, be it recipes, crafts, activities, shops, advice, inspiration, etc and next week, the post with the most visits/clicks will be our Featured  Artistic post!

Posts do NOT have to be "crafty". The only requirements is that you used your brain to create it, and that it is family friendly! We love fun discussions or step by step "how to" posts!

They will be featured in next week's article, as well as Pinned on my pinterest boards, and clipped in my Clipix boards! And they will also be shared on our Facebook page and Twitter!

Grab our Button!

Upcoming Changes, Are You Ready?

Well, it has happened! We've come to a point where we are going to be expanding our blog and we will be having some exciting changes happening in the next few weeks. Our biggest news is that we will be moving from a blogger platform to a Wordpress Platform.

You may be looking at the site saying, "it looks the same to me" well that's because the change hasn't actually happened yet. I want to give you fair warning about these changes.

For one, when we make the move, we can't take Google Friend Connect with us, so make sure you are following us either on Facebook, Twitter, or Email Subscription so you can still find us, and stay up to date with our newest reviews, giveaways and all our new exciting content! I've come to enjoy each and every one of you and I don't want to lose you when we move!

Solstice G!veaway! 100 Dollar Gift Certificate from Solstice Glasses, 3 W!nners!

Welcome to the Solstice Giveaway, presented by CouponTrade.com, Solsticesunglasses.com and Moms with Voices Media! 3 lucky winners will receive a $100 eGift Certificate for Solstice Sunglasses       CouponTrade.com is the newest location to save, because they offer both coupons AND discounted gift cards. Whats more? You can SELL your gift cards there too!   Solstice offers so many great styles and brands of sunglasses, you will have a hard time choosing how to spend your prize! Best of all, free shipping and returns!   Entry is simple, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below!

Music Monday 4/16; Come Link up and Share in Great Music!

Welcome to our Music Mondays! 

A day where we share fun music that we have fallen in love with;

and we encourage you to share your favorites with us!

And don't forget to link up your own Music Monday's posts below.

Feel Free to use our button as well!

<a border="0" href="http://www.jadelouisedesigns.com/search/label/music%20monday" target="_blank"><img src="http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb160/queen-amber/mm-1.jpg"/></a>

Fantastic Photo Gifts for Mother's Day, Father's Day and Graduation from Shutterfly!

Mother's Day is coming up just around the corner, and after that is Father's Day, and for those with older kids, you have graduation coming up soon too! Do you know what you are doing for your parents or your spouse, or your graduate? Shutterfly has some great photos gifts that could give you a gift that your special someone can really cherish this year!

Some of my most cherished gifts are ones that are personalized with photos of my kids, or family members. I love having each and every way to see and remember those I love so dearly. What is also so great about these photo gifts is that you can also personalize them with your own photos and messages!

There are so many different photo gifts to choose from too! You can create an Iphone cover, magnets, personalized journal, mouse pad, mugs, jewelry, throw blankets, clothing with your photos as the center piece, and so much more! They even have a fun photo puzzle!

I personally love the blankets! Quite often we curl up in a blanket to watch movies, and it would make the moments even sweeter if we had a photo of our kids, or our complete family on one!

Or we could have a more unique display of our photos, with a canvas family photo! Whatever your tastes, Shutterfly is bound to have something to turn your regular photos into a cherished gift!

Shutterfly is really quite simple to use! I have created a few different photo scrapbooks with them. The directions are easy to follow and the ordering process is even easier! Then simply sit back and wait for your photo masterpieces to arrive! I cherish those books and I can't wait to create a new photo gift for The Husband for Father's day! The only problem is trying to pick just what I want to create, there are so many good choices!

For more great ideas, special offers, and current news, and even discounts from time to time, be sure to follow Shutterfly on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

Father's Day Grilling Event! Blogger Opportunity FREEE Sign up!

It's time to give back to DAD! Sponsored by: Route 249 Mom Does Reviews Jackie's Reviews and Mom Blog Society

Sign Up will run from April 14-May 14

It is open to both US & Canada

The giveaway will run May 15th, 12:01 until May 31st 12:01

1 winner will receive their choice of the gas grill or Paypal Cash Value 129.00

This Fiesta gas grill is spacious enough to meet your grilling needs. It is suitable for preparing a meal for up to four people. With this grill, you will enjoy cooking your favorite meals outdoors.

Fiesta 25,000 BTU 2-Burner Gas Grill with Side Burner, Blue:

• Porcelain-coated cooking grid
• 260 sq. in. primary cooking area
• 175 sq. in. chrome-plated warming rack
• Two stainless steel burners with 25,000 BTU cooking performance
• 10,000 BTU side burner
• Porcelain/steel heat tents vaporize drippings and reduce flare-ups
• Spacious, weather-resistant side shelves
• Fiesta gas grill features porcelain-enameled, steel-top lid and base
• Easily assembled cart
• Color: Blue
• Fiesta gas grill model #BP26035-024BL

USE TAB IS YOU CAN'T SEE ALL THE SIGN UP FORM!

Ring Around The....Silly Saturday

Welcome to Silly Saturday! Each week we share stories or pictures or both that are meant to be silly and make you smile! We also love when you share your stories with us! So now; not only can you comment with your silly stories, but if you have a Silly Saturday blog post, you can link it with our fun LINKY below! That way we can blog hop to each post and laugh our way through the day!

For story time this week, we've been reading a fun book called Every Day on Earth; Fun factst hat Happen every 24 hours. One fact was about Koala Bears. It said:

 "When a Young koala stops drinking it's mother's milk the mother will give the Joey some very soft poop called pap. An average koala will eat about 18 ounces of eucalyptus leaves every day. The leaves have strong toxins that must be cleansed by the koala's stomach. Eating poop while they're yoeys helps koalas gradually develop the ability to detoxify their food as adults." 

To which the 6 year old replies with the most serious face: "EWE! That's gross! I'm not going to do that! It really says that too! It Does!" it was all I could do not to crack up laughing!

Next we get to see what happens when you feed a 2 year old Spaghetti.

The Rainy Day Facebook Frenzy! W!n 200 Dollars!! @Coupontrade #YourSavingsEngine

CouponTrade.com and The Ultimate Baby Shower present The Rainy Day Facebook Frenzy!

You have literally HUNDREDS of chances to win $200 Paypal cash from CouponTrade.com and The Ultimate Baby Shower!   CouponTrade.com is the newest and the hottest way to save because now, you can combine coupon savings with discounted gift cards for the same stores, plus sell all those unused gift cards and redeem whats yours, all in one place!!!   The Ultimate Baby Shower will offer MONTHLY diaper and Formula giveaways, as well as a seasonal NURSERY giveaway! That’s right- you can win the entire nursery, furniture, bedding, and all the baby gear you could need!   Entry is so simple, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ultimate Baby Shower G!veAway Grand Prize Value 2500 Dollars!!

Having a baby means a lot of joy and a lot of expense! A great group of bloggers and companies have come together to give away...everything!

Just check out this prize list!

 

• Nursery Furniture: Crib and Dresser- Sponsored by your blogger hosts!
• Crib Bedding- Sponsored by your blogger hosts!
• High Chair- Sponsored by Joovy
• Stroller- Sponsored by Joovy
• Play Yard- Sponsored by Joovy
• Hand Made Quilt- Sponsored by Baby by Krista
• $200 Gift Certificate for Organic Baby Clothing- Sponsored by Baby Essentials
• $200 Gift Certificate for Organic Bathing Products- Sponsored by Happy Future USA
• 100 Keepsake Favor clips and Bows- Sponsored by Keepsake Bows
• Loaded Gift Basket- Sponsored by Bea's Gift Baskets
• Pampers Premium Diaper Cake- Sponsored by Cute-Ecakes

 

Overall Retail Value: $2500.00!!!

Best part- you have so many ways to enter! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below!



a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Ultimate Baby Shower G!veaway; JadeLouise Designs Grand Pr!ze

Welcome to JadeLouise Design's own Grand Prize Giveaway for the Ultimate Baby shower Giveaway event!

Not only are we helping to spoil one lucky winner with winning the ultimate $2500 value Grand Prize of an entire Nursery, furniture, clothing and all the goodies to go along with it in the Ultimate Baby Shower Giveaway, we are also hosting our own individual Grand Prize and a Runner up Prize!

JadeLouise Designs' Grand Prize package

Value $104

Review: Happy Future French Organic Baby Products: So Organic They’re Edible! {Giveaway-US/CAN}!

We love using as many green and natural products as we can find that are effective; but more than being eco-friendly it is because our family suffers from sensitive skin. I was quite intrigued when I first heard about Happy Future Organic Baby Care products, I was curious if it would be effective yet at the same time sensitive enough for my little one's skin.

Happy Future is a 'real organic' line of USDA/ECOCERT certified organic products. What that means is that it has an unbeatable quality of purity of organic ingredients. Each aspect of the Happy Future product line is natural and purified, tested for purity and organic compliance, hypoallergenic, paraben-free, with no nuts or heavy scents added. It's so natural that you could actually eat it, not that you'd want to, without any harm to your body! Oddly enough this was a key feature that I really loved about the Happy Future. Why? If you  have/had a toddler, you understand. They get into everything and quite often that everything also ends up in their mouth!

Stitch to Stitch Review, Quality hand Stitched Children's Clothing

When it comes to quality of children's clothing, I've found nothing beats a quality seamstress! They will win out over mass produced department stores every time! Why? Because the time and attention that an individual seamstress puts into her work is far more detail oriented than a mass produced article of clothing. They take their time putting their heart into each item they craft, because for them it is an art, not just a job; and my friend Amanda from Stitch to Stitch is no exception!

Stitch to Stitch is a custom, hand made children's clothing line that is located right here in Idaho. Amanda takes great care in all her creations, ensuring that you get quality fabric, secure stitching, and a stunning piece of work each time! Her clothing is used by profession photographers in their photo sessions, and is also a fantastic baby shower gift, birthday surprise, Christmas Present or just all around "I just love you" gift to any child!

I discovered Amanda's creations back when I was focusing solely on our etsy creations months ago; and I instantly fell in love! So I definitely couldn't pass up the opportunity to see and try out one of her unique creations for myself!

National Mobility Awareness Month is Giving Away 3 Vehicles with Wheelchair Accessibility!

This post brought to you by NMEDA. All opinions are 100% mine.

May is National Mobility Awareness Month! The purpose is to bring attention and show the the world that people with disabilities can live an active, mobile lifestyle! While I'm not limited in my mobility, I have a few friends who are, but that doesn't mean they have to sit and let life pass them by! They are normal people with different challenges which then refines them into amazing people who live their life to the fullest and inspire me every day! 

National Mobility Awareness Month is sponsored by NMEDA – The National Mobility Equipment Dealers, and is offering to give away three custom wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) this May! That's right, they are giving away actual vehicles! Not wheelchairs!