MyMemories Suite Review & Giveaway #BdayBonanza

I have had the opportunity to download and use MyMemories Digital Scrapbooking Software.
For as long as I can remember, I have loved scrapbooking. Placing memories inside a book that can always be looked at again and again is priceless. Not only looking at them yourself, but being able to pass these down to your children when they are big enough.

My grandma is the one who got me interested in scrapbooking. She saved EVERY single picture and made all her kids and grandkids scrapbooks. She made My kids several. They were all so beautiful and meaningful to me and I love them to pieces.

When I started scrapbooking myself- I realized that everything was so expensive. Just the books to fill up were close to $20. Then you have to buy the paper packs and all the embellishments- Oh, was my head spinning.

When I first noticed Digital Scrapbooking, I was all over it. I wanted to be able to create those special memories for my children as well, and didn’t have the funds to do it traditional. Not only is digital scrapbooking cheaper, but you can REUSE the papers and embellishments.

When I was introduced to MyMemories Suite I was a happy camper. The best part about digital software is that you don’t have to print the pictures to be able to use them. You can just take pictures you have on your computer or memory card (that you can insert into the computer) and use them.

I love that it is less time consuming than regular scrapbooking. You don’t have to clean up all the paper shreds that come from cutting all the paper. It took me forever to get all of it out of the carpet (when I did regular scrapbook).

The MyMemories Suite didn’t take very long to download and doesn’t take up much space on a hard drive. It is easy to work and doesn’t take long to figure stuff out.

I haven’t been able to use ALL the different choices within the software, because it is so well developed and I haven’t had a lot of time to just sit down and play with it.

It comes with pre-made layouts that you can just paste your pictures in and change the embellishments around or add more.

Or you can download TONS of free digital scrapbooking packs and embellishments from their website. They also have kits for sale starting at .99 in the dollar store.

When you download the software you have the option of signing up for newsletters. I would recommend you do so. This will let you know of the newest freebie packs as well as new kits that are being sold for money.

I really like how they have SO many different layouts and embellishments. It isn’t hard finding packs for boys as it usually is. They have so any different cute ones, it is hard to design. I love looking through the site and imagining putting the packs together.

Since it was Adisyn’s Birtday and Aidan already has a million billion scrapbooks from my grandma, I decided to make Adi one.

This was a template that was already on the software. It was so fun because it was easy. You just click where the pictures are supposed to go and then upload your own. I love the papers and embellishments, it fits her so well. I couldn’t have PURCHASED one that fit her better. =)

You can add embellishments, text, word art, and background pages where you want them. You can rotate the text to fit inside embellishments, and add wordart at the top of the page. You can customize text and colors.

I love every THING about it. I love that it isn’t that expensive. It’s only $40 for the software, so it will pay for itself within the first couple of months if you usually scrapbook a lot.
This helps me because I have a ton of digital pictures. When I mean TONS, I seriously mean it. Now I can go back through all the stages I didn’t get to make scrapbooks for and make them now.

As a special for all of you Made.By.Jess readers, MyMemories is giving you your very own Share the Memories code that provides a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - $20 value!

Use Code: STMMMS90925

Disclosure: This isn’t a sponsored post, I wasn’t compensated. I did receive products to review in exchange for honesty, but receiving items doesn’t influence the review.
I want to thank MyMemories for working with Made.By.Jess

Now for the Giveaway.
One lucky Reader will win Their very own MyMemories Suite v.3 at no cost,,
This is part of the #bdaybonanza, will will be posted in the next couple of days,


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Design with Vinyl Review & Giveaway

I have always wanted Vinyl Lettering. I have seen so many cute quotes that could accentuate my walls. I have seen many different choices in magazines and on different blogs.
Although they were all so elegant, I wasn’t sure about purchasing. I live in an apartment (I don’t own) so I thought if it had issues coming off the wall I would be in some deep water.
Design With Vinyl clearly states that it is EASY as pie to peel off. You place it on your wall and when and if you want it off, all you have to do is take a blow dryer to it.
So I thought, Why NOT try it? It was exciting to see all the awesome quotes and pictures to choose from. They had TONS. It took me quite a while to choose. After choosing which you would like to have, you also have the choice of size and color.
So you are getting an extremely customizable wall quote or picture that is easy to put on and take off.
I ended up choosing 2 wall quotes ($30). I got the remembrance quote for my grandmother.

I posted 3 pictures because my flash wasn’t getting the whole picture every time. It was blinding some of it out.
I really love this. This is a great way for me to pay my respects to my grandma (who passed away 1 year ago) while teaching my children to remember her. We are going to make a grandma collage and put her pictures with the kids around it.
I love how it has the cross laying sideways with flowers entwined. I meant to put 4-29-47 to 2-5-11 but it only got the birthday part.
The second quote I chose was “ A Leader Can’t Lead Until She Knows Where She is Going”. I love this quote because I have always wanted to BE someone and DO something with my life. Now that I have my niche and found what I enjoy in life, I love having the quote to remind me everyday how far I’ve come.

You can’t really see it because I chose Lime Green as my color. I can see it at my house, It’s just harder to see through pictures.

I had Adam and his friend install these, because I just wasn’t pressing hard enough. Adam did it, and it was no hassle to him.

I really love the designs for the kids room. As soon as we move into our new house, I will be buying some of these. So much easier than putting up wallpaper that will have to be torn down when they get older and grow out of.

I also love the mother/mom ones, and secretly want them all.

Pricing is amazing on these wall decals. I expected them to be pretty expensive- but they aren’t. They are based on size, so if you choose a small/medium one, you will pay less than if you chose one to go on the entire wall. Quality is top-notch. They have been on my wall for a month with no peeling, no broken letters, and they look amazing.
When people enter my apartment, it’s the first thing they see. I had a neighbor say “Oh, my god- where did you get those?” She wanted a remembrance one for her son who passed away 3 days after birth.
Whether your looking for an inspirational corner, a remembrance spot for someone in your life, or just want to spice up your home, Design with Vinyl is the place to go.
Disclosure: This isn’t a sponsored post, I wasn’t compensated for this review. All opinions in this post are my own. I did receive products in exchange for an honest review. Receiving products doesn’t influence the reviews.
I want to thank Design with Vinyl for working with Made.By.Jess
 The Giveaway will be part of the #BdayBonanza
-Jessica

Hip-Peas Hair Balm & Detangler Review & Giveaway #BdayBonanza

 

About:

Looking for natural hair products for your stylin’ kiddo? Just say Hip Peas, please! Our products are not only completely safe for your child and the environment, but also work wonders on your tot’s locks. What’s more, 10% of all profits go to child-focused charities. Simply brilliant!

About Stephanie-

“With a bachelor’s in biomedical science, a master’s in health care administration, and my “street knowledge” as a conscious mom, I knew I had the scientific expertise, health-focused business training, and passion for the subject to pull it off.

I spent months researching ingredients, analyzing product formulations, and gathering a team of scientists. Finally, our first Hip Peas product was born – a hair balm made with safe and natural ingredients that also happens to work miracles!  We are so proud of this product and look forward to developing more hair and skincare products that are fun, natural, and effective.”

My Review:

For the first couple of years after I had Adisyn, I used Barrettes. Or I should say TRIED to use. She wouldn’t keep them in her hair. No matter what size, shape, or color. It would end up lost in her toybox because she would yank it out within seconds.

I eventually had to end up cutting her bangs although I didn’t want to. It was literally messing with her eyesight. They were long enough to reach her eyes, but not long enough to be tucked behind her ear securely.

So, when the clips, hairbows, hair ties, and a million other products didn’t work- I started looking for hair products to keep her from being cross eyed.

There has always been a limited choice of products to style Aidan and Adi’s hair. This frustrated me to no end. Even though they did have SOME products that were natural, most didn’t do the job they were supposed to do. Either they left hair greasy or just didn’t work at all. Talk about one disheartened mama.

Detangler

The bottles are so sleek and cute. They look so amazing sitting on Adisyn’s Bath Mantel. The brown and lime green mixture with the cute “peas” on the bottle just give it a very sophisticated yet adorable look.

This is a lightweight detangler, not weighing down or making hair look oily. It goes a long way. A couple of sprays and your good to go. It can be used on wet or dry hair, which is a plus. Every time Adisyn wakes from a nap she has HUGE tangles that she hates for me to brush out.

I was having to wash her hair 2 times a day. Once after nap, and then again at bath time. Now I don’t have to fight with her to drape her head over the tub so I can wash it.

All I have to do is spray it in. I wait a second for it to work it’s magic on the tangles, and then brush them out. No more screaming, crying, and acting like she has just had half of her hair ripped out of her head.

It has a plant based formula that isn’t tested on animals. It is chemical free, which means it doesn’t contain parabens, sulfates (SLS), petrochemicals, or phthalates. (Click on the names to learn more about how these chemicals can harm your children) and why being “green” is better for your health.

The ingredients and how they work: Vitamin E, panthenol, and aloe moisturize petite strands, while silk amino acids seal in moisture and strengthen hair.

This detangler smells good enough to eat. Yum, blueberries.

 

Hair Balm

Does your son have a cowlick that just won’t stay down? Does your daughter have flyaways? Want to curl, spike, hold, and tame those locks? You need Hip-Peas hair balm.

This product is great for curly or straight hair. It helps keep straight hair smooth and from having hair all over the place. It helps curly hair from knotting up and looking like something from the Tarzan movie.

A little goes a long way with the balm also. All you need is a tiny amount on your finger. You then rub it in and see the AMAZEMENT. Adisyn has straight hair, but she usually messes it up ALL the time. If I fix it a certain way, she will go above and beyond to make it look like her hair was never brushed. (Hats anyone?) LOL

I don’t have to deal with that anymore though. I just dab a little in her hair and she never messes it up. I think it’s because she see’s me use hair products and she thinks she is like mommy. I love that she now looks like a little girl and not a caveman.

She also cut her hair about a month ago while I was washing dishes. I thought she was playing in the bedroom, until I discovered that she had snipped the front of her hair to pieces.

Her birthday is here and I seriously didn’t want to have to get her pictures taken with that big gap in the front. It looks horrible. It wouldn’t fit in a pony tail because she cut it very short. Now I can just rub a little on her hair, place a clip on it, and it stays put. The tiny hairs would fly away before. Slipping away from the clips. NOT NOW

I am a worry free mom, ready to bring on the presents, cake, and a bunch of little kids. Hair problems are the least of my worries. =)

 

You can buy these products

on the website HERE & on

FACEBOOK.

 

Disclosure: This isn’t a sponsored post. The thoughts and opinions are my own, I wasn’t compensated in any way. I did receive products in exchange for an honest review. Receiving products doesn’t influence the review.

I want to thank Hip-Peas for working with Made.By.Jess.

The Amazing Mat Review & Giveaway #BdayBonanza

Read about their company Here

My Review:
The Amazing Mat, it isn’t your ordinary welcome mat. It is an anti-bacterial adhesive mat that traps dirt, germs, and bacteria off your floor. It traps the particles inside it’s sheets so your floor is healthy. It has 30 “sheets” on top of the mat. When the top sheet get’s dirty, you just peel it off to a clean sheet.
Winter is here, has been for awhile. In Kentucky we don’t usually have a lot of snow, but it rains a lot. My husband works outside all day. He is a foreman for a tree trimming company here, so his shoes are usually pretty dirty.


Although he would take the boots off at the front door, some dirt usually made it’s way into the carpet. Before the amazing mat, I had to invest in a carpet shampooer because there was so much dirt from not only his work boots, but from the kids playing outside. Can you say “Gross"?”
Adisyn immediately was by my side wondering what the huge canvas like picture thing was in my hand. I opened it and immediately put it beside my front door. She was all over it. “what is it, what is it?” I told her it was to help keep our floor from getting dirty. That it traps dirt and germs from the bottom of our shoes.
When Adam got home I told him to make sure he walked across the mat. When the top sheet gets dirty, just peel it off and throw it in the trash. How easy is that?
The dirt you can see is practically “trapped” inside the sheet

The sheets are numbered so that you know when you are running low.

Then you just peel it off..

Not only do I love the product. The quality and how well it works, I love the bamboo design on it. It honestly kept my carpet from getting track marks everywhere. Anything that keeps my house cleaner without too much hard work is a plus in my book.
I bet this amazing companies had MOMS in mind when designing. Less shampooing for me. YAY. I love that you don’t have to literally WIPE your feet. My kids are young and Adisyn doesn’t really get the concept of it. With this- you just walk across and it pulls all the dirt and germs off for you.
Disclosure: This isn’t a sponsored post, I wasn’t compensated for this post. I did receive products in exchange for an honest review, but receiving products doesn’t influence the review.
I want to thank the Amazing Mat Company for working with Made.By.Jess

Now for the Giveaway.
One lucky Made.By.Jess reader will win their very own Amazing Mat.

Come back for the BdayBonanza to enter. This is a great idea for bday parties. Where people/kids are running in and out tracking dirt and mud. ♥

-Jessica

Jaxx Candles Review and Giveaway by Mommy and We

Jaxx Candles Review and Giveaway by Mommy and We

I LOVE smelly-stuffs. So when I got the chance to review Jaxx Candles, I jumped at it! These candles are highly scented, soy wax. They are available in 27 scents including Natural which is unscented and undyed. If you're looking for a scent that she doesn't have, just let her know. She's happy to custom-make a candle just for you! I received an 8 oz hand poured candle in the scent "Beach Linen". It is amazing! I burned it for a few hours and it scented my living/dining room (A HUGE area) thoroughly. Shipping is low --and FAST!--at Jaxx and the owner is wonderful. Jackie holds a full-time job along with her candle business and a being mom to three boys. She certainly has her hands full! And my respect. Afraid of burning candles? Try her Scented Butterfly Magnets. They are adorable (butterflies are one of my favorites!). Made from fragrance beads, they're perfect to add a little fragrance to a small space such as a locker or even in your car. You can choose from several different scents such as Apple Harvest or Gingerbread and several others. Jaxx Candles offers the main smellies such as candle tins, and wax tarts. But what I love (besides the butterflies, of course) are her wax dipped pine cones and pumpkin shaped soy votive. There are also great things for the sports fan in your life such as the Soy Blend Floating Football Candles. Jackie wants one of our awesome readers to win one of her wonderful candles. Winner chooses the scent and is open to all 18 an older! Just enter using the Rafflecopter form below. But first, here are some pictures of her great stuffs!!