Small Things Are Big Things

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by: Kara Noel Lawson

Date Night with Ralphie May

Hot Hubby and I have date night every other week.
This night is sacred to us.
Really.
We don’t waste our time with a movie every time.
We’ve enjoyed concerts in the park, pirate adventures, plays but one of our favorites is a night of comedy at our local Improv!
Last Friday we enjoyed Ralphie May (you may remember him from Last Comic Standing and celebrity Fit Club) with our friends the Newly Wed Mr. & Mrs. Hunter.

We laughed till our throats closed up and tears were streaming out of our eyes!After performing for 1 and a half hours (yes 1.5 hours of pure funny!!) Ralphie was out front to take pics with anyone. His wife Lahna Turner (a talented comedian too, who opened for her Hubby) was selling tee shirts and CDs. Ralphie and Lahna have 2 kiddos almost the same age as Eli and Cora Jane.
You know how you feel that Mommy BFF bond when you have a “mommy” thing in common? So I thought it would be super nice to give her some Lids.
After our pic with Ralphie I headed on over to the CD table and gave Lahna a card and told here I would love to send her some Lids.
I’m so not good as stuff like that because I feel like the person I’m offering Lids to will think I’m being shmoozy. Anyway, I was nervous I would look like an idiot and I may or may not have said I would stalk them.Still haven’t gotten an email!

Got home at 11:30pm (we had to get a chocolate covered apple at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory before we left!) and the kiddos were still awake and high on skittles.
That’s what happens when my dad (Nonno) watches them.
I can’t complain though.
Free babysitting.
They were still alive.
Don’t forget to enter all our current Birthday Bash giveaways…
…Messy Bow from Joy’s Hope here Ends 10/16
…Custom Header/Button combo from Design Chicky here. Ends 10/17
See the full list of giveaways coming the next 2 months here!

by: Kara Noel Lawson

French Garden House & Blessed Nest Winners!

The winner of the beautiful Faux Mink baby coat is…
Katie from Meet the Browns
The winner of the very useful and just plain awesome Nest Egg is…
Wendy from Life of a Barefoot MomLadyHow are the winners chosen? (you ask)
First, I go through all the entries and make sure everything is legit. (YES, every single one!)
Second, I put every valid entry in the order it was received.
Third, I click on over to http://www.random.org/ and type in my numbers.
Fourth, I hold my breath because I get so nervous… even though it doesn’t matter.
Last, I get super excited to see the winner!

by: Kara Noel Lawson

Accidentally on Purpose

I somehow got on the list of mom bloggers to go to a VIP taping of the new CBS comedy Accidentally on Purpose, little do they know I only have 2 readers (hi mom & grandmom!)!!

See what happened…I got to the CBS lots late (of course) and the page told me the show was canceled.
I wandered around for a bit then called the organizer (who was not too happy with me for calling) and somehow found my group of bloggers. Just in time…
We met Claudia Lonow the creator and mastermind behind Accidentally on Purpose. She was super nice and said I looked great after having 2 kiddos. I suspect she was lying through her teeth but that is the kind of lie everyone should tell. We may or may not have heard that the guys on the show have been around the block a few times.
I know.
Shocking. Young, cute Hollywood boys can get the girls!?! Whoda thought?

Jenna Elfman’s character, Billie, has an adorable home on the show.

See for yourself…


We got full run of the set in between takes.
The idea is that all us tweeters/bloggers will tweet our hearts out with the hash tag #AccidentallyOnPurpose and it would be a fun tweet party. Of course, I’m the worst speller in the world and I was using the hash tag #AccidentlyOnPurpose. Oh well… that was the worst hash tag in the world… it should have been #aop or something… sigh.

One of the most interesting things was watching the important people watch the taping. They all sit in tall directors chairs staring at one TV screen. The screen is divided into 4 mini screens; each showing the actors from a different angle.
Someone would say action.
They would stare until they liked what they saw and someone would yell cut.
Very Hollywood.I go to meet other fun tweeters…

Two of the gals on the show are preggers in real life. Ashley Jensen (you might remember her from Ugly Betty) and Jenna Elfman (you might remember for being awesome).
Got my pic with Jenna.
She had her son on the set, Story Elias. I wanted to say “My son’s name is Eli and your son’s middle name is Elias, we almost have the same taste in names.”
But I already felt like a total idiot getting a picture with her and I didn’t want her to know I was a total dork too.
I didn’t take any pics of her and Story. I felt kind of funny about it.
Actors choose the path of “celebrity” but their kids… and I really wouldn’t want strangers taking pictures of my kiddos… anyway…

I went to a TV show taping in High School (California Dreaming) and this was very similar.

You sit, watch and laugh.
For a long time.
Luckily Accidentally on Purpose is well written and funny.
Remember how I got there late? I didn’t get lunch because Hot Hubby and I were doing the kiddo/car switch-a-roo and when I got there I missed the snack time so by the end I was STARVING!
I passed a table…

Yep.
After snapping that picture, I stuffed that sucker in my purse and inhaled it outside.
I got in the car to head on home and there was this…
To stay awake I took a bunch of self portraits.

I’ll close with the group picture with the cast…
I’m standing next to someone famous from Melrose Place.
I’m not sure if he was in the old one or is in the new one.
I wasn’t allowed to watch the old one and we don’t have TV so I’ve never seen the new one.
Will someone let me know?
Whoever he is, he was very nice… but not nearly as handsome as my hubby 🙂

by: Kara Noel Lawson

#14 Design Chicky

Deanna can do it all: photography, cooking, blog design… AND to top it all off she loves Yanni!

I met Deanna here and got to chat the night away. She is just so talented and somehow manages to balance work, hubby, kiddos (2 boys!!), and blogging.
Her blogs (yes, she keeps up 4 blogs), Domestic Chicky, The Apronista , Simply Fabulous Photography and her blog business, Design Chicky are creative, fresh and fun!
She is offering a custom Header/Button combo to the one of our lucky readers!!
I know!!
I wish I could enter my own giveaways!!!
Here’s how you win…
Main entry (mandatory): Head on over to Design Chicky’s A La Carte section then come back over to this post and comment on one thing you saw there. (I think you’ll be happily surprised to find her designs are awesome AND affordable!!)
You must do the main entry!!!
In addition to the main entry you can get loads of extra entries if you…
~Follow the Domestic Chicky or let me know you already do (3 entries)
~Subscribe to the Domestic Chicky blog (top right of the blog) or let me know you already do (3 entries)
~Follow the The Apronista or let me know you already do (3 entries)
~Follow Deanna on twitter here. Or let me know you already do. Leave your Twitter ID in the comment. (2 entries)
~Tweet about the giveaway, can be done daily. Copy and paste this for the tweet: “Win a custom blog header/button combo hosted by @DomesticChicky at @ElisLids Birthday Bash here http://bit.ly/270JQZ” If you don’t have twitter you can FB for this one. (2 entries per day)
~Enter one of our other giveaways then come back to this post and leave a comment telling me which one. (2 entries)
~Add the “Eli’s Lids Giveaway” button in our sidebar to your blog or let me know you already did (2 entries per blog)
~Follow the Eli’s Lids blog (2 entries)
~Become a fan of Eli’s Lids on Facebook or let me know you already are (2 entries)
~Let us know why you want a custom header and what you want on it! (1 entry)
~Follow Eli’s Lids on Twitter, leave your Twitter ID in the comment or let me know you already do (1 entry)
For every extra entry, be sure to leave a separate comment on this post! i.e. If you add our giveaway button to your blog leave 2 separate comments.
***Giveaway open one week! Ends Saturday October 17th 9:00pm PST***


Don’t forget to enter all our current Birthday Bash giveaways…
…Organic Take-along nursing pillow from Blessed Nest here. Ends TODAY!! 10/10
…Messy Bow from Joy’s Hope here Ends 10/16
…Custom Header/Button combo from Design Chicky here. Ends 10/17
See the full list of giveaways coming the next 2 months here!

by: Kara Noel Lawson

#13 Joy’s Hope

I have no clue how I found Julie from Joy’s Hope.

REALLY.
But as soon as I found her blog I fell in love.
REALLY.
Read ‘My Story’ (the What’s in a name? series starting with part one) and have the Kleenex close by.
REALLY!

Even though we have never met she has graciously offered to donate one of her whimsical Messy Bows to our Birthday Bash!!
Here’s how you win…
Main entry (mandatory): Head on over to Julie’s shop then come back to this post and leave a comment telling us your favorite Messy Bow
You must do the main entry!!!
In addition to the main entry you can get loads of extra entries if you…
~Follow the Joy’s Hope blog or let me know you already do (3 entries)
~Follow Julie on twitter here. Or let me know you already do. Leave your Twitter ID in the comment. (2 entries)
~Tweet about the giveaway, can be done daily. Copy and paste this for the tweet: “I just entered to win a Messy Bow hosted by @JoysHope at @ElisLids Birthday Bash here http://bit.ly/ogOMQ” If you don’t have twitter you can FB for this one. (2 entries per day)
~Enter one of our other giveaways then come back to this post and leave a comment telling me which one. (2 entries)
~Add the “Eli’s Lids Giveaway” button in our sidebar to your blog or let me know you already did (2 entries per blog)
~Follow the Eli’s Lids blog (2 entries)
~Become a fan of Eli’s Lids on Facebook or let me know you already are (2 entries)
~Follow Eli’s Lids on Twitter, leave your Twitter ID in the comment or let me know you already do (1 entry)
For every extra entry, be sure to leave a separate comment on this post! i.e. If you add our giveaway button to your blog leave 2 separate comments.
***Giveaway open one week! Ends Friday October 16th 9:00pm PST***

by: Kara Noel Lawson

EASY Homemade Cards

The world can be divided into two categories:

Card Lovers & Card Haters
I’m a hater.
I should clarify a bit…
It’s not that I hate the actual card (I love notes and letters). I hate that cards are $5 and people will just put your name on the inside at the top of like 3 paragraphs of typed writing.
Like they wrote the whole thing.
If you’re just going to use the thing as a to/from note, save the $5… or better yet, get me 5 things from The Dollar Tree instead.
Two lines written from the heart on a piece of computer paper mean more to me that two pages of prose on an embossed store bought card.
(stepping off soapbox)
Here are two very easy ways to make your own cards. i.e. you don’t need 3 hours and $100 worth of scrapbooking supplies to to it!
1. Repurpose an old book…
Board books go through a lot! When they are on their last leg use a razor blade to cut off all the pages.

Write a message on the front of the page and you have an awesome card for kids. Use a piece of coordinating scrapbook or construction paper to cover the back… or don’t. There might be another cute picture or fun poem that just adds to the charm.
Noah loved his 1st Birthday “card” from us…

2. Old calender into cards…
Have you seen those daily scrapbook calendars? Or the quote a day calenders?
You know the ones. (growing up we were huge fans of The Far Side daily calenders!!)
Get one of those when they go on super sale (February/March), cut around the picture or cartoon then glue stick onto colored card stock. Fold a bigger piece to make a card or just do one layer for a fun note.
DONE!!
(Even though it looks like the cards pictured below have added borders or layers, they don’t! These are cut straight from an old scrapbook calender. For a few we used fun scissors around the edges. My favorite is Deckle.)

(This picture will be funny to Iris when she gets this thank you note from Eli.)

by: Kara Noel Lawson

Buy This

But you didn’t hear that from me…
Tammy Mitchell (an amazing photographer I met at Wowsville) featured Eli’s Lids in her weekly ‘Buy This’ series.
Tammy also did some amazing pictures of our awesome Lids.
See for yourself!

(photo by Tammy Mitchell – more to come… the pictures are just too great to put out on only one post!!)

by: Kara Noel Lawson

B.Y.O.G. Winner!

The winner of the amazing labor and delivery gown from B.Y.O.G. is…

Kristen over at Meringue Bake Shop
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You may remember Kristen from this.
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In case you can’t see Kristen’s Dreamy Autumn cupcake...

by: Kara Noel Lawson

# 12 Blessed Nest

Donna over at Blessed Nest is one of my dear friends and has helped me SO much through this Eli’s Lids Journey. She is one of those people you just love to talk to because she is genuine and laughs at all your jokes. She is also one of the masterminds behind Blessed Nest Nesting Pillows (the best nursing pillow out there!!).
One of the latest additions to the Blessed Nest product line is the Nest Egg. The Nest Egg is an awesome nursing pillow by itself or as a compliment to the Nesting Pillow or… well… I’ll let you read Donna’s interview for the rest of that!! All you need to know now is that a Nest Egg can be yours!
Here’s How…
Main entry (mandatory): Head on over to Blessed Nest then come back to this post and leave a comment telling us your favorite fabric pattern for the Nesting Pillow.
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You must do the main entry!!! (I’ll take you out of the contest if that isn’t done, no matter how many extra entries you do!!)In addition to the main entry you can get loads of extra entries if you…
~Follow the Blessed Nest Perch (blog) or let me know you already do (3 entries)
~Become a fan of Blessed Nest on Facebook here. (3 entries)
~Follow Blessed Nest on Twitter here. Or let me know you already do. Leave your Twitter ID in the comment. (2 entries)
~Tweet about the giveaway, can be done daily. Copy and paste this for the tweet: “Win an Organic Nest Egg (aka take-along nursing pillow) hosted by @blessednest at @elislids Birthday Bash here http://bit.ly/4XKia” If you don’t have twitter you can FB for this one. (2 entries per day)
~Check out the Blessed Nest Perch and leave a comment on another one of their post, come back here and leave the URL of the post. (1 entry)
~Add the “Eli’s Lids Giveaway” button in our sidebar to your blog or let me know you already did (2 entries per blog)
~Follow the Eli’s Lids blog (2 entries)
~Become a fan of Eli’s Lids on Facebook or let me know you already are (2 entries)
~Follow Eli’s Lids on Twitter, leave your Twitter ID in the comment or let me know you already do (1 entry)
For every extra entry, be sure to leave a separate comment on this post! i.e. If you add our giveaway button to your blog leave 2 separate comments.
***Giveaway open one week! Ends Saturday October 10th 9:00pm PST***
Tell me a bit about your family…

I have a wonderful husband and two sweet little girls, Tabitha age 6 and Sophie age 4. They are both Daddy’s girls and I’m sure Tabi will be taking up skateboarding soon just like Daddy. Both girls love Ballet and we are a home school family.
How was Blessed Nest born?
After giving birth to my first daughter, I was having trouble breastfeeding, and the nursing pillows available to me at that time only added to my frustration. I was certain that Heather could come up with something better. And she did. The Nesting Pillow saved my back and my breastfeeding experience.
The Nesting Pillow that was inspired in response to a friend’s ( my) practical need has evolved into a truly exceptional pillow used by families all over the world. The unique shape and organic buckwheat hull filling allows it to contour to any body, providing the most support and comfort possible for both mom and baby.
What are some of the things people use the Nest Egg for?
The Nest Egg was originally designed as a take a long nursing pillow. It is light weight and fits nicely in a diaper bag. Just as the Nesting Pillow has uses way beyond nursing so does the Nest Egg. Use the Nest Egg like this…..
* great travel pillow for adults and kids.
* car seat pillow
* snuggle pillow
* sleep pillow for children over age 2.
* doll pillow
* security “pillow” easy for any walking child to drag around by the tag..my girls take it everywhere!
Who makes all these amazing Nesting Pillows and nest eggs?
Heather Anderson who is the founder, designer, CEO and head creative crafter at Blessed Nest. She is also my sweet friend who originally designed the Nesting Pillow just for me. Our sewing team is made up of Moms, Aunties and Grandmas who enjoy working from home. Lovingly made in the USA!
What are 3 easy things for those of us who want to be more “green?”
Take the common sense approach. We use organic fabrics and buckwheat in our products at Blessed Nest not because we are “green” but because it is safe for Mom, baby and the planet. It just makes sense! Heather’s research found that chemicals in fabrics and pesticides cause breathing difficulties in babies and young children. There was no other choice in her opinion then to use organic. No need to compromise when we want what is safe for our families. We have become pretty “green” in the past 6 years.
Here are some choices we’ve made on our journey to make our homes safe, healthy and eco friendly.
1) Buy organic foods. I save $200.00 a month buying organic. I can’t just throw items in the cart. I read all labels and shop at stores who buy locally and or fair trade. COOK MORE! Save money! Support farms in the USA.
2) Switch your cleaning products over to organic.
3) Get rid of all plastic. You won’t miss it!