Created By Mom

We've Moved!

2009-06-03T05:27:00.000-07:00

Check out our new & improved blog over at http://community.createdbymom.com/
... can't wait to see you, there!!!

Picks of the Week

2009-04-14T15:26:00.001-07:00

Check out these fabulous products at the links below:

Shabby Creations
Scraps Decor
ooOhLaLa Mama
Mad Capz

Gotta have these!!

2009-04-06T21:56:00.001-07:00

Here are this week's picks!! Be sure to click on the links below and visit these wonderful mom's products.

Lexi Lynne Designs
Mamie & Mable
Cupcake Chic
Cheeky & Swank

Picks of the Week!

2009-03-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

After testing out the "Pick of the Day" promotion we have decided that EVERY day is a little intense so we've tweaked it a little to be "Picks of the Week". This way we can feature 4 products for the WHOLE WEEK!! Keep an eye out every Monday for that week's featured products. Here are this week's picks...

Here are links to these awesome products and where you can see other products created by these fabulous moms!:

Shabby Straps
Baby Burpies
Caroline Alexander
Bella Bead

Big News for Our Very Own Caroline Alexander!!!

2009-03-13T11:56:00.001-07:00

We're sooooo excited to announce that our very own Caroline Alexander will be featured in an upcoming issue of Victoria Magazine!!! The feature is called "The Business of Bliss" & Caroline Alexander was one of eight businesses selected. We're so proud of them! You can check out their blog post about this here and enjoy at visit to their sweet products at CreatedByMom.com.

Also, they're having a HUGE giveaway on their blog right now & all you have to do is comment to enter.. how cool! Can check that out here.

Pick of the Day

2009-03-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

Generous amounts of moisturizing, organic Aloe Vera make up this ultra rich lotion. This non-greasy formula absorbs quickly, leaving behind velvety soft skin kissed with a delicate scent. This is an excellent body cream for WHEREVER you need it!

* Nourishes skin
* Perfect light and creamy feel
* Great daily moisturizer

Get this luxurious product here!

Next Meet & Tweet the Moms

2009-03-10T20:55:00.001-07:00

Wow, I'm so excited to dish the deets for our next Meet & Tweets on Twitter!

Thursday, March 12th 7:30-9pm MST
"Life, Motherhood, Business, SEO, Social Media & the Pursuit of Balance"
With Special Guests:
Tara McCausland (@myjoyquest) - Incredible Life Coach http://www.myjoyquest.com
Seth Jenks (@sethjenks) - Awesome Online Marketing Director http://www.adventcreative.com

If you're looking to find balance and/or need help working SEO & social media into your business, we'd love you to come chat with us on Twitter; just use #cbm to join the conversation! Chat with you then!

Pick of the Day

2009-03-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

The Tot Tote is Tweetie Pie's own original design...created as a combination Pouch and Sling. They curved the body of the sling to give your baby a more comfortable fit. Combining the curved seam of the pouch with a nickle plated ring at the shoulder gives you the freedom to adjust it to your size. Carrier needs change as your child grows and prefers different positions. Tot Totes allow for that change! Go hands free, and have the ability to bond while accomplishing more than you ever imagined possible! Choose stretch cotton sateen or assorted prints. Fabric choices are all limited edition, so if you like it its probably best not to wait! Pick your favorite here.

Pick of the Day!

2009-03-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

(Baby wearing "Bella" hat)

Your little sweetheart will look adorable in these chic and fashionable hand-knitted hats. With so many options you are sure to find one to match any outfit.
The flowers are sewn on securely to the hat for long wear.
There are 5 adorable styles to choose from here.

2009-03-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the Twilight series this is Patrice's version of the bella bracelet. Shiny silver finish chain and a silver finish round toggle. A 10mm clear swarovski crystal heart for Edward and a pewter finish wolf charm for Jacob.
Measures 7 1/2 inches.
Click here to get this perfect gift for any Twilight fan!

Pick of the Day

2009-03-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

An Asian flower with an Art Deco flair. Solid copper cuff with a solid copper flower accent. The flower has been enhanced with copper wire stamen. The flower has been lightly oxidized with the tips polished. The cuff has been wire brushed then polished and allowed to patina to a beautiful light coppery brown before being clear coated. Since this is a cuff, one size will fit most.
Click here to get it!

Pick of the Day

2009-03-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

We hope you are loving our Picks of the Day! Today's pick is...

Have you ever wondered why there are belt loops on baby's clothing?

Have you every wished there was a much simpler way for your baby to wear a fashionable belt without the hassle of removing it during diaper changing?

Introducing a new unique and trendy line of belts for babies. GiGi Belts ha a convenient snap feature for easy wear and removal.

Click here to get one of these fashionable belts for that little boy in your life!

Pick of the Day

2009-03-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

We are excited to launch the Haute Mama Pick of the Day! Every week day we will post a new Created by Mom product to feature. Today's Haute Mama Pick is...

What child doesn't love playing dress up? This romantic length tutu is made of tulle in a solid color or two different colors and is perfect for any little girl whether she's going to dance class, or acting out her favorite fairy tale. She can wear it for portraits or to parties. The length shown is 15 inches. The best part is that these tutus have no "right" way of being worn so you can have the ribbon at the front, back or side - the choice is up to you!

Click here to get this adorable tutu for the little princess in your life!

Bummas Video Review

2009-02-26T13:38:00.001-08:00

Make it Happen Mama

2009-02-23T13:38:00.000-08:00

This week, the fabulous Sugar Jones featured an interview about CreatedByMom.com & owner/manager Quinn in her "Make it Happen Mama" feature. It's a great story & you can check it out, here: Creative Moms, Chic Boutique.

Also, we were recently featured on the Blog Talk Radio program "Connecting Women." Feel free to listen to the interview here: Connecting Women.

And we were really excited to be in the Dream Big feature at TodaysMama.com: A Dream Created.

We feel very blessed to receive this great exposure to help bring business to the moms at CreatedByMom.com.

Professional-Looking Product Photography at Home

2009-02-18T18:52:00.000-08:00

We hold a high standard for product photography at CreatedByMom.com because we know that beautiful photos SELL their products. Since the large majority of our products come from moms in a home-based business, we offer them a few tips on how to shoot a great product shot in their own home.

Natural light generally will yield the best results with color. A flash can distort the color & wash out the image. You'll want to place the item right next to where the direct sunlight is coming in. In this cat image (taken from Kodak.com) you can see how the cat's face is partially washed out because it's in direct sunlight. However, the cat's body & the flower plant look vibrant in comparison. They are right next to the direct light, right where you would want your product to be. If you need a little help to brighten things up, snatch a lamp or two & place them near your product also. This can help get rid of shadows & still give you a clear, bright photo.

A clean background, without distractions, is KEY to show off your product. For an inexpensive backdrop, buy 2 sheets of white foam board from your local office supply store. Then, use one as the base to set your product on & prop the other behind as your backdrop. I just found this nifty invention called the EZcube Light Box that retails for $14.95 that would be an excellent solution to get really great professional shots at home. You can lay an item on the floor of the cube or hang items from the rigging. Then, the natural light or lamp light will come through the cube & you can photograph the item very easily. What a great invention!

For a really clean shot, use a tripod or something to steady your camera. Most point & shoot cameras have a macro setting. The macro setting will work really well to help you obtain a shot full of detail.

However, the camera needs to be VERY steady or the image may blur. I've been surprised at how many tripods are lying around unused. Start asking around to see if anyone has one you could borrow; most people aren't using theirs. If you don't have a tripod, snatch a bag of beans or rice & prop it on books next to the product you want to photograph. Then, see if your camera has a timed setting. I prefer the 2 second timer. This makes it so that when I've got the shot exactly how I want it, I push the button & the camera will take the photo 2 seconds after. This gives me just enough time to remove my hands from the camera so that even the slightest movement won't blur the shot.

If you're ready for taking a little bit more advanced product photography at home, look in your manual or talk to a camera expert to see how you can adjust the white balance (many point & shoot cameras have this function). This allows you to fine tune exactly what your color will look like in the photographed image so you can more closely control that the color is true to what the product looks like in real life. However, don't panic if you're not ready for this step. If you can get the previous steps down, your photos will already look very professional.

Then, some simple photo enhancing in any photo editor (I recommend an inexpensive version of Photoshop Elements) can help the colors really pop & get rid of the grey tones that are common in digital photos. If you tighten up the levels of your photos, it can make a HUGE difference in the impact your photos have. For a good tutorial on adjusting levels in Photoshop, see Enhancing Photos With Levels (http://www.digitalscrapbookmemories.com/tips/levels.asp).

There's always more that can be said in photography, but even just these basics will help your product photos stand out above the rest!

Belly Bliss Nipple Ointment Video Review

2009-02-17T09:33:00.000-08:00

Raging Forward

2009-02-16T08:13:00.001-08:00

There are LOTS of exciting things happening & on the way for CreatedByMom.com! We've got lots of our haute mamas that are adding new products this month, along with exciting new mom-vendors joining the store.

Our vision for CreatedByMom.com is to become the #1 competitor to big box online retailers, like Target, Costco & Walmart. We think moms have more to offer & that consumers WANT to purchase from moms. We're constantly working to build our inventory of incredible mom products, working to be your one-stop-shop for all things created by moms.

We're still a start-up business & can use your help to spread the word about all we're doing here to support moms & their families. If you're interested in swapping buttons with us, we're more than happy to accommodate. Just email us at info@createdbymom.com.

Also, if you've got a second, we'd love your vote over at MomFaves.com. Thank you for all you do to help support us moms!

Dream Big

2009-02-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

Wow!!! I'm so excited & honored to be a Dream Big Mom on TodaysMama.com this week. I just love those gals!! Here's the link to the full profile here: http://www.todaysmama.com/dream_big.php.

Also, BIG reminder that tonight is out Meet & Tweet the Moms at 7-8pm MST on Twitter. The hashtag will be #cbm #cpsia. If you're joining us through TweetChat, enter the room #cbm. Can't wait to tweet with you later!! xoxo

Meet & Tweet the CreatedByMom Moms Tomorrow!

2009-02-11T14:49:00.000-08:00

Hip, Hip Hooray!!! I'm sooo excited to announce that tomorrow at 7pm MST we'll be having another Meet/Tweet the Moms night on Twitter. Tomorrow's topic will be CPSIA & Valentine's Day (kind of a funny combo, huh?). We'll have lots of good info/discussion, prizes & just a generally fabulous, fun time! See you then! xoxo

Haute Click List

2009-02-03T20:28:00.001-08:00

Introducing the CreatedByMom.com newsletter, the Haute Click List. Inside you'll be wowed by all the new products, fabulous gift ideas & inspired by the Featured Haute Mama (a different, fantastic mom-vendor from CreatedByMom.com every issue!). The newsletter will go out twice monthly, aiming for quality, rather than quantity. We want to make each issue count & be something you value & look forward to opening. To subscribe to our newsletter & find more information, including a link to our archive where we'll keep every issue for your convenience, click on this link: https://www.createdbymom.com/Articles.asp?ID=142. And, PLEASE, we'd LOVE to get feedback on what you think of the newsletter & how we can improve it to be exactly what you want to receive.

Time to Dream...

2009-01-30T18:40:00.000-08:00

Wow. Was just over at my friend, Vanessa's, blog "I Never Grew Up" & found her BumbleRide giveaway for the Indie Twin stroller. I am in BIG love with this awesome double stroller!!! I was just saying to my husband yesterday that I needed to find a good double stroller that I could use to go jogging this spring & the Indie Twin is exactly - if not more - what I'm looking for! It comes with so many bells and whistles that I'm am singing right along. Looks like a snap to fold up & down & looks super-comfortable for the kids. Also, everything is adjustable, from the footrest, to the canopys, to the backrests, making it fit babies through toddlers really comfortably. I'm really, really hoping to win this sweet baby. That would be a dream come true!!! And you should try, too! Check out this amazing stroller & be wowed at all the incredible features. And be prepared to drool.

Girly Up Product Review

2009-01-26T14:00:00.000-08:00

Just got this video up on Girly Up high-fashion flower clips at CreatedByMom.com. My daughter helped me out with this one, making it much more interesting than usual LOL.

Letter from Congressman Matheson Re: CPSIA

2009-01-26T12:50:00.000-08:00

A couple months ago I sent out the copy & paste letter to my senators & congressmen & - lo & behold - I got a response back! I thought I'd post them here for everyone to check out. More importantly, I want to post these to ensure that I am expecting these elected officials to stick to their word & truly continue to work this out & not leave all my mom small businesses in the dust. Feel free to click on the images to see the large, full content version. And let's all keep working to amend this law so that the intention remains, but the current implications are avoided.

Glitzy Mama Gift Bag

2009-01-22T15:42:00.000-08:00

A video is worth a 1000 words, right? So here's a little vid about our FABULOUS Glitzy Mama Gift Bag.

Itty Blanket Review

2009-01-22T12:19:00.000-08:00

These adorable blankets are the perfect solution for kids who want a blanket around who's parents don't want to drag the WHOLE HUGE blanket around everywhere they go. Our family LOVES ours & here's a video review on why & what they are. Bitty Basics Itty Blankets. Enjoy!

Video Review of Magnetic Bibs

2009-01-19T16:40:00.000-08:00

Finally posted this video review of Cheeky & Swank's Magnetic Bibs (they're awesome!!!).

Vintage Body Spa Product Review

2009-01-19T15:24:00.000-08:00

Today I reviewed some of Vintage Body Spa's fabulous products. See the video & start fantasizing about these organic, luxury home spa products.

Heartbreaking News

2009-01-17T07:02:00.001-08:00

Our hearts are aching for one of the CreatedByMom.com moms today as we just received this announcement that Amy, mom behind So Chic Sassafras, tragically delivered her baby stillborn on Friday. This is Amy's first baby. Little Alexis is such a beautiful baby & is shown in the announcement dressed in a bow, bracelet & dress that Amy made for her months ago. Our thoughts & prayers are with Amy & her family at this time of grieving. We love you & pray angels are attending to you, walking by your side & holding you near. xoxo

Meet/Tweet the CreatedByMom Moms Tonight!

2009-01-15T16:20:00.000-08:00

Just a quick little reminder about our first ever "Meet/Tweet the Moms" hour on Twitter tonight from 7-8pm MST. We're trying this out to make it easier to feel like there is a real mom behind every product sold at CreatedByMom.com. All the moms who sell here are incredibly inspiring & a complete blast to chat with! It should be a really fun time. We'd love you to feel free to ask all sorts of questions about the products or whatever comes to mind & we'll have some fun things to chat about with you, too. Yay! We're so excited & can't wait to Tweet with you!

Welcome Two New Vendors

2009-01-09T15:29:00.001-08:00

We are excited to announce he arrival of two new vendors at CreatedByMom!
Please welcome:
Shabby Straps- Amanda makes fabulous straps for your cameras; both SLR/DSLR and point and shoot. They are great and come in many styles!

BugsNBees- Jennifer creates adorable, chic hand sewn dresses for children. They are fashionable and affordable!

Check them out and be on the lookout for giveaways to come!

Exciting Things in the Works

2009-01-06T12:01:00.000-08:00

I'm am jumping out of my skin, so excited to tell you about some of the exciting things we have in the works at CreatedByMom.com!

CreatedByMom.com will now be hosting a "Meet & Tweet the CBM Moms" night each month on Twitter. A lot of our fabulous mom-vendors will be attending, tweeting about motherhood & their fabulous products. It will be a great chance to ask questions about products & meet new friends. We want shopping at CreatedByMom.com to be personal: you know & love the moms who sell here.

The "Meet & Tweet the CBM Moms" will be Thursday night, January 15th @ 7pm MST.

Oh, yeah... & did I mention there will be lots of prizes, especially gift certificates? Yay!

We're looking forward to tweeting with you!!! xoxo

Manic Mama Monday Giveaway Winners

2009-01-06T08:19:00.000-08:00

Congrats to Mistress Meeyee, our Handle Baby Car seat Cover winner! Also, congratulations to MJ who is our Charm Bracelet winner!

Please email us at info@createdbymom.com to claim your prizes.

Look for details about another giveaway coming soon!

Toddler Rockstar

2009-01-06T07:16:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd share with you this hilarious video of my DD rocking out to her Uncle's guitar playing. We can all use a pick me up, right? LOL

Get to know our Vendors

2009-01-02T14:23:00.001-08:00

It has been awhile since we have put a list of our vendors on our blog. We were welcoming each vendor as we added them but for some reason that kind of fell by the wayside. Well, I am happy to say we are going to continue announcing our new vendors so you know what is going on at CreatedByMom.com.
Here is a list of the new vendors we have added since last posting:

Ari's Angels great baby blankets
Baby Burpies organic burp clothes
Bella Bead beautiful necklaces
Blue J Tees hand apliqued children's tees
Bummas dry baby wipes
CarolineAlexander handmade fairyhouses and flower belts
Cherish Bound Publish your own stories
the Flower girls tutus for toddlers, children, and teens
Girly Up flower and bow clips
Handle Baby carseat covers
I Heart Hairbows hairbows for girls and teens
Jewel Street Designs copper and steel jewelry
Lacee Lou Hats hand knitted hats for infants to adults
LegHuggers baby and toddler leg warmers
Patrice Wright Jewelry handmade jewelry and Twilight inspired jewelry
Savvy Spice superhero capes for dress up
Shabby Creations original blog designs
So Chic Sassifrass baby bows and headbands
Tweetie Pie Babybaby slings and toddler dresses
With Love, Lizzy toddler bed duvets

Sorry the list is sooo long! We will do much better to keep you updated on new vendors in the future. Please take the time to look at all their fabulous products! They are worth the look!
Thank you for supporting CreatedByMom and our awesome Mom-Vendors!

Toad in the Hole

2008-12-29T16:14:00.000-08:00

I love breakfast! So, I thought I'd pass on another family favorite breakfast recipe. We call it "Toad in a Hole," though I'm not entirely sure why.

All you do is cut a hole in the middle of a slice of bread & fry an egg inside. French bread is our favorite kind to use for this, but any kind works. If you like a harder yolk, just heat them on a little lower heat with a little longer time. Then, voila: fancy breakfast with ingredients that most of us always have on hand.

I regret to say that I don't have a photo of the Baked Apple French Toast. We all ate it so fast that I didn't have time to snag a photo (it's THAT good... seriously!). Hopefully next time. ;)

What are your family faves or your standard breakfasts?

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

2008-12-24T13:48:00.000-08:00

LOL! As I typed that blog entry, I wondered how many other blogs were title that today. :)

Today my family made our very first gingerbread house. It was quite an adventure. I bought the set (in a time crunch or I would have tried to make it) & thought it would be so fun for our kids. Well, my son threw a huge tantrum & didn't want to put any of the candy onto the house; he wanted to keep it in bowls. He was soon sent to his room until he could come out & be nice. My daughter loved helping, but loved eating everything more (there are half-eaten pieces of candy gracing the rooftop). And I got frustrated a few too many times with how my little dream of our family happily creating a gingerbread masterpiece. Oh well. Isn't that how life at home is most of the time? We spend a lot of time creating expectations of how things should go & what we want to accomplish, but in the end, the finished product turns out a lot better than we could ever hope for. I love this little messy house we made together because we made it together. It ended up that after everything was said & done, we all came together & had a fun time making our very first gingerbread house. I think we'll make it a Christmas Eve tradition (minus the yelling & time-outs).

Just wanted to type up a quick thank you to all of you for making our first holiday season so successful at CreatedByMom.com! It's been a pleasure working with you & we hope that you have a very, merry holiday & end your year happily! xoxo

Manic Mama Monday Giveaway Winner

2008-12-22T16:04:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Sarah Bray, our winner for last week's Manic Mama Monday Giveaway for a fairy princess tutu. Please email us at info@createdbymom.com to claim your prize.

If you haven't signed up for this week's giveaway, keep scrolling down...

Holiday Brunch

2008-12-22T11:19:00.000-08:00

How are all your holiday plans coming? We're getting really close to being ready for the holidays, but have some last minute shopping to get done. In particular, we're gifting our kids' underwear in their stockings to get them psyched to potty train over the holiday break DH has off work. I know; we are so cool to give underwear. ;)

Here's our family's favorite holiday brunch recipe. I want to post photos after Christmas morning & wondered about waiting to post the recipe until then, but it's too good to wait! Let me know if you try it & what you think!

Baked Apple French Toast with Caramel Sauce

1 loaf French bread, sliced in 1 ½ inch slices
6 eggs
1 ½ cups milk
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
6 medium apples, peeled and sliced (Fuji, Jonathan, or Granny Smith)
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 recipe Caramel Sauce (see below)

The night before serving, coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Layer bread slices on the bottom of the pan. Combine eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl; beat well and pour over bread slices. Place apple slices on top of bread. Sprinkle apples with cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake covered about 50 minutes, remove foil and bake 10 minutes more. Server toast hot, topped with Caramel Sauce. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Caramel Sauce

½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup flour
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly.

p.s. winners of our tutu & flower wand giveaway will be announced later today... still time to enter if you'd like!

Manic Monday Mama Giveaway

2008-12-21T20:32:00.000-08:00

Yes. It is Monday again, but no need to despair. There is no better way to celebrate a Monday, especially one right before the upcoming holiday, than to get something for free! That's right people, I said free. Here at Created By Mom dot com, we like to call it Manic Monday Mama Giveaway. Since this week is so special, we decided to giveaway 2 prizes to 2 lucky winners. Keep reading for details on these great items (in no particular order).

Handle Baby Car Seat Cover

This is an especially great product for those mom's looking to keep their little ones cozy this winter. The cover is not only stylish, but completely unique because no two are made alike. The handle is reinforced with suede or leather to provide that extra security every mom wants.

Story Charm Bracelet

This is also an amazing product that you get to personalize and make your own with precious photos of those closest to you. The classic design makes it a perfect fit for anyone still on your holiday list.

To enter to win, please subscribe to follow this blog (especially so you can know if you won or not) & leave a comment below, telling us who this perfect gift would go to & why you would love it. Go ahead. Try it. You may just win!

Top Christmas Gifts That Support Moms

2008-12-19T15:55:00.001-08:00

It's been a busy day! Thanks to some help from a very good friend, we have now submitted our very first Press Release! Hooray! And we'd love for you all to check it out. You can Kirtsy it (http://www.kirtsy.com/story.php?title=Top_Christmas_Gifts_That_Support_Moms) or Digg it (http://digg.com/business_finance/Top_Christmas_Gifts_That_Support_Moms) (we'd love if you did both!). Thank you so much for your support with our premiere press release.

Also, if you've visited our home page lately, you may have seen this video. We wanted to post it here for your viewing pleasure also. The thought behind having a video is we wanting everyone's experience with CreatedByMom.com to be more personal. If you haven't already noticed, every product in CreatedByMom.com has mom information attached so you can read & see that there really is a real-life mom behind each product. Hope you all have a fabulous pre-holiday weekend!

The Answer to the Big Question

2008-12-18T12:55:00.001-08:00

Is CreatedByMom.com still shipping products to arrive before Christmas?

You bet we are!

Most of our mom-vendors are able to ship their unique products within 24 hours of the order being placed & will send the product 5-7 day ground free. We do also offer faster shipping methods that can be selected at checkout. It's not too late for last-minute shopping.

If you're like me, this is VERY reassuring - I haven't even got one present under the tree, let along Christmas cards sent or anything! Yikes! With Christmas less than a week away, guess I better get crackin'! Happy holidays to you!!!

Toddler Bikes: How Do They Work?

2008-12-17T14:06:00.000-08:00

A video is worth a thousand words, right? :) Whenever I've gone anywhere with a Boot Scoot Bike, the same questions are asked: "where are the pedals?," "how does it work?," & "how old can a child start riding?". Here's the answers & why I LOVE our Boot Scoot Bikes.

Boot Scoot Bikes have no pedals
Kids first learn to ride by walking the bike, then they start gaining confidence with balancing & lift up their feet to coast. After they're able to balance really successfully, they are able ride all over & will never need to use training wheels once they transition to a bike with pedals.
Generally, you gauge your child's readiness by their inseam (at least 14"), but most kids are able to start around their 2nd birthday.

My son is now 3 & he's been riding his Boot Scoot Bike for over 6 months. The very first day we got his bike, he enjoyed walking with it. It had been a big fight to get him to enjoy his tricycle & other 3 wheel bikes, but he loved his Boot Scoot Bike immediately. And, he continues to love it now. I'm amazed at how the thrill hasn't worn off; if anything, he's even more excited to ride it now. I love what great exercise he gets whenever we're outside & he can ride his Boot Scoot Bike. He can spend great lengths of time riding & riding & riding. It's been a blast to watch.

Katie, the haute mama behind Boot Scoot Bikes, has two little boys & is pregnant with their third child. When she initially started her company, she only manufactured green & blue bikes. But, after hearing time & again that she should make them in pink, she is now also offering pink. Moms of girls know how important a pink option is, right? We're so excited to offer Boot Scoot Bikes at CreatedByMom.com! Thanks, Katie! xoxo

Our Current Top 5 (10) Gifts at CreatedByMom.com

2008-12-16T13:55:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love "Top 5" lists? Seriously they make life so much easier. I never thought I was that interested in keeping up with the crowd - & I still don't think I am - but Top 5 (or 10, 20, etc.) seem to be a really good indicator to see what products are worth quickly looking into further. So, without further ado, here's the current CreatedByMom.com Top 5 selling products:

1. Bella-Inspired Charm Bracelet
2. Multi-Colored Tutu
3. Twilight-Inspired Bella Bracelet Bookmark
4. Zoomer Toddler Bike
5. Super-Hero Capes

oh... okay, you pulled my arm enough... here's 5 more, to show our Top 10...

6. Drummer-Girl Cards
7. Story Charm Bracelet
8. Glitzy Glass Pendants
9. Tutu with Ribbon
10. Bella-Inspired Cell Phone Charm

Fun, huh? How's your holiday gifting going? Are you ready?

Snow Day & Lots of New Mom-Vendors

2008-12-13T10:28:00.000-08:00

It's snowing!!! We're in a Winter Wonderland today! My kids were sooooo excited. Their dad was equally excited to take them out sledding for their first time. I loved this photo of them looking out our front door at all the snow. The first thing they said when they woke up was "it's snowing!!"

We have a big "great room" in our upstairs that has 2-3 large windows on every wall but one. It's my favorite place to go when it's snowing because you can sit in the warmth, by the fire, & watch all the snow as it falls around you. If I didn't have work to do, I would go sit up there & read a book today while the kids are gone.

My brother plows snow in the winter, so he's VERY happy it's snowing today & is already off to work. This storm is supposed to stick around for a few days, so my brother might be plowing through the night with few breaks for the next little while. But, that's the life of a snow plower, I guess. He's just bummed because his radio is broken & he'll have to plow without it... bummer. That's got to be boring.

Man, so many exciting things are happening at CreatedByMom.com! If you haven't checked out our New section lately, you'll want to take a look.

Cheeky & Swank has added a TON of fun new items to the store - my favorite would have to be the Commy Cap (read the product description; I think it's hilarious); her blankets are to die for, also, as they are gorgeous & super-soft.

Also, we just got a new, chic jewelry designer in the store, Sarah's Unique Designs. She's got a really fun style & has made lots of treasures that are especially fun for the holiday season.

Another new mom-vendor we're soooo excited to have, is Tender Moments. This mom makes the most beautiful, handmade creations. Right now she put two pairs of newborn baby booties in the store that would be the perfect additon to your baby's special day.

And - oh my goodness - we're thrilled to welcome Candy Argyle to CreatedByMom.com, also. She's got a really fresh, funky design to her handmade fabric creations. They are super hip; fun & very functional.

Thank you for supporting CreatedByMom.com & helping us welcome these fabulous moms to the scene! Hope you have a beautiful day!

The Other Side of the Story

2008-12-09T12:40:00.000-08:00

I know it's crazy, but as my kids watch their favorite cartoons, I think about the part of the story that isn't shown on the screen. I guess it's my entertainment so my mind doesn't go numb from the monotony of hearing the same theme songs every day while I'm doing a little housework. Do you do this too? I bet I'm not alone. Recently on Twitter a few of us were confessing how we rock out to theme songs on our kids favorite TV shows.

My kids LOVE SuperWhy. They want to watch it every morning. I've often wondered what the kids' parents think of them running off all the time without telling them they're going. Also, who gave them their "super dooper computers" and their fancy smart phones? They seem kinda young for such high tech electronics, & don't even get me started on the "why flyers" (they don't even watch where they're flying most of the time!). But, SuperWhy has the BEST music & dancing of any show. ;)

As my kids were watching Clifford I started to wonder what the "Clifford the Big Red Dog Goes to the Vet" episode would look like. Or I've wondered who gets to pick up the ginormous piles of poop that surely must come from such a big dog.

Do you do this too? What shows have you found a hilarious other side of the story for? I can't wait to hear!

Manic Monday Mama Giveaway

2008-12-08T13:43:00.000-08:00

First of all, a BIG congratulations to Jenna who won our last giveaway. Email us (info at createdbymom dot com) to claim your prize.

Want to win the perfect gift for your little girl? Imagine the glee as she unwraps this beautiful blue & purple tutu. Then, when she sees the adorable fairy flower wand that comes with, you will have the happiest little fairy princess on the planet.

This week's Manic Monday Mama Giveaway is sponsored by haute mama, Jennifer, owner of The Flower Girls. To enter to win, please subscribe to follow this blog (especially so you can know if you won or not) & leave a comment below, telling us who this perfect gift would go to & why you would love it.

Productive Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-11-29T14:37:00.001-08:00

Man, I can't believe the long weekend is almost over! It went by so fast! Tonight my parents took our 3 kids so my hubby & I could clean up/organize our "beautiful mess." It's amazing the things you can get done with no kids around. My desk looks perfectly put together... & this time I'll keep it tidy (ha, ha). I've got a stack of boxes ready to ship out Monday & my kids have clean laundry. Woo-hoo! Such a nice night! We were going to go see Twilight, but chose to tidy up instead (crazy, I know). Luckily we'll still get to go out next week for our anniversary. Every year I think, next year we'll be able to do something fancier for our anniversary, but it's seeming like every year we're getting poorer (maybe because we have more kids... hmmm). So, this year we'll go see Twilight, at the matinee showing for cheaper rates. It will be so fun!

I feel like I should post a big 'ol thank you to my mom. Seriously, she is such an inspiration to me. I learned how to work hard from my mom. She is the most productive, disciplined person I know. She inspires me to be my best self because she loves me for how I am right now. She is my biggest cheerleader. CreatedByMom.com has come about because she had the faith in me to do this & has helped me see the sunny side of the often discouraging start-up phase. Since it's still Thanksgiving, I don't think it's too late to give this thankful post; I'm so thankful for my mom & I feel like I never tell her so. Thank you mom; I love you so much.

Today is Black Friday

2008-11-28T07:32:00.000-08:00

Hello! We hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving yesterday. I love having the reminder to step back & look at all the bounty & blessings in my life. No matter what trial I have in my life, my blessings always outnumber the bad things in my life. Today I'm looking forward to a day home with my family. My husband doesn't have to work & my kids are excited to put up our Christmas tree.

Are any of you doing your holiday shopping today online? Online shopping is a mother's dream! You don't have to pack up your kids & try to keep them calm while hunting for deals & you can shop in your pajamas. I think my kids are grateful to not have to go shopping with me. :)

I cannot believe the incredible deals the haute mama's at CreatedByMom.com came up with for our Black Friday specials. You definitely won't want to miss this, especially since most of them are just for today only. Check it out & show some mamas you love 'em today... xoxo

Black Friday & Cyber Monday

2008-11-26T06:05:00.000-08:00

Wow! I'm getting sooooooo excited for this shopping weekend! The haute mamas at CreatedByMom.com are continuing to email me with fantastic Black Friday deals! I'm hoping that we'll get enough traffic & sales on Friday that they'll agree to extend their specials for Cyber Monday, so please spread the word & buy from moms this Black Friday! We're working feverishly behind the scenes to get the store ready & possibly bring in a new mom-vendor or two before then. So exciting!

I'm a Mac Girl & a BIG fan of the Black Friday graphic art that Apple is using this year. Wish they were a mom-owned/managaed company, though. :)

Also, I'm so excited to announce that my Twitter Pal, bizziemommy, just posted a recent interview on CreatedByMom.com & how I started everything & some other interesting tidbets. Check it out & leave her some love here: http://www.bizziemommy.com/mompreneur-interview-divine-mama.html#more-1491

Hope all of you have a great day in your Thanksgiving prep! Lots of love! xoxo

Mom Balancing Tricks

2008-11-25T12:24:00.000-08:00

When people find out I'm a mother of three children under the age of three & have my own business, I always get the same response, "wow, how do you do it?" Honestly, if you came & saw the state my house is in, you would see that it is IMPOSSIBLE to do everything. Lots of times I feel like I'm proving how impossible it is every day.

I feel like I'm constantly drowning in my to-do list & am having to adjust my expectations in many areas of my life. The biggest area is that our house generally isn't tidy; clean is another topic for another day. I've decided to just settle on wanting tidy.

Also, mealtimes have had to be adjusted. I am now big into freezer cooking. When I cook, I try to double or triple whatever I'm making & put portions into the freezer for later. What a lifesaver!!! Since eating healthy is a big priority, freezer cooking has been a HUGE help for our family.

Today I wanted to share my favorite Whole Wheat Pancake recipe, along with a photo of my ginormous pile I made today (doubled the batch). Sadly, though, the photo will have to wait until my camera will quit throwing a tantrum & load onto my computer... grrr. I put all the extra pancakes in the fridge & we'll throw them in the toaster for yummy home-made breakfasts as we need them. I got this recipe from my friend, Crazy Sheryl at FeedaFamilyTips.com, & have been using it weekly ever since.

Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Pancakes

2 cups freshly ground whole-wheat flour (grind before & freeze; use as needed)
2 tbsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp Dough Enhancer (makes the whole wheat light & fluffy - soy product)
2 cups milk
4 tbsp oil
1 tsp vanilla

1. In medium mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, dough enhancer & salt. Make a "well" in center of dry mixture; set aside.

2. In another medium mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, oil & vanilla & mix. Add wet ingredients into the "well" in dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened (batter should still be lumpy)

Cook on a hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet. Makes 16-20 standard (4-inch) pancakes.

Optional: add blueberries, chocolate chips, etc. to batter right before cooking.

Such a yummy recipe! These pancakes are even yummy cold. What do you do for breakfasts? Got some quick & easy ideas?

Manic Monday Mama Giveaway

2008-11-24T20:24:00.000-08:00

Whew! What a hectic Monday! My kiddos (almost 3 y/o boy & 20 mo/o girl) decided today was the day to start potty training, amid my trying to get our house back in order & get caught up on work since the boutique. Yikes! Anywho, time to post another giveaway & I hope you'll all forgive me for how late it's being posted.

This week one of our haute mamas is giving:
A beautiful hand-sewn blanket from Linda of Ari's Angels - specify if you want the blue or pink - retail value $20.

Enter to win by leaving a comment in this blog post. xoxo

Manic Monday Mama Giveaway Winners

2008-11-24T20:06:00.000-08:00

Drumroll...... our winners from last Monday's giveaway are:

1. Jake and Rachelle win the Tweetie Pie Baby ruffle skirt
2. ihchicky wins Bummas
3. waterbebe wins the Vintage Body Spa Pumpkin Spice Whipped Shea Butter

Thank you - EVERYONE - for entering!

Winners, email me at quinn at createdbymom dot com to get your prize & upon receipt, please leave a review in the products' info section in the store at CreatedByMom.com.

Sweet Tweets Boutique

2008-11-19T13:28:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love boutiques? There is something so tantalizing in walking through boutiques & being inspired by creative things while dreaming over the delectable boutique goodies. But the ultimate boutique experience is had at Holiday boutiques! I feel like a little girl with a backstage pass to Santa's workshop.

Wow!!! I am soooo excited for the little holiday boutique we're joining up with this week! If you're in the Salt Lake area & want some ROCKIN' gifts & a good time, come check us out!

This chic boutique will blow your mind! Come prepared to find spectacular holiday gifts for your entire family & snatch AMAZING treats (especially from Cupcake Chic!).
You won't want to miss this!

Here's a few of our CreatedByMom.com haute mamas that will be there: Boot Scoot Bikes, Baby Bam, Mamie & Mable, My Favorite Pal, Vintage Body Spa, Bitty Basics, Dots N' Daisies, Tweetie Pie Baby, Glitzy Glass Stars, Digital Scrapbook Memories, Blu J Tees, Girly Up, So Chic Sassafras & Lacee Lou Hats! ... I know, it's a ROCK STAR list, right?

See you there!!! xoxo

Manic Monday Mama Giveaway

2008-11-17T06:33:00.001-08:00

It's time for another giveaway!!! And we have so many fun things to giveaway that I'm going to offer a few products at a time today which will be awarded to several different commenters (no grand prize winner takes all).

Check out what some of our haute mamas are giving away this week:

The first prize is from Jenna of Tweetie Pie Baby. One lucky winner will get one of her adorable Tweetie Pie Ruffle Skirts (value $24.99).

The next prize is from Casey of Bummas, who is offering a package of Bummas wipes (value $21.00).

And our last - but not least - prize comes from Alyssa of Vintage Body Spa who is offering her Pumpkin Spice Whipped Shea Butter to one lucky winner, just in time for the holidays (value $17.50).

To enter, leave a comment & tell us which prize you pine for the most. The three winners will be announced next Monday! Woohoo! xoxo

We have a winner!

2008-11-17T06:26:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to.....

Sandi!
you won the Charming Chandelier Pendant!!!

To collect your prize, Sandi, please email us at info at createdbymom dot com.

I know I said I'd announce the winner on Saturday & I apologize for not getting it up until today. From now on we'll just post the winner on Mondays, along with the new Manic Monday Mama Giveaway.... which I'll be posting very, very soon!

Thanks to everyone who posted to enter the drawing! We really appreciate your enthusiasm & support for CreatedByMom.com.
(BTW, I wore my Audrey pendant every day this weekend - seriously, my favorite piece of jewelry!)

Multi-Cultural Appreciation Gives Children Confidence & Roots

2008-11-12T07:40:00.000-08:00

Did you know teaching your children about other cultures actually helps them succeed later in life? Children who understand & are sensitive to traditions & ethnicities, different from their own, grow to be confident adults who can succeed in life, crossing multi-cultural lines.

In the great melting pot we call home, cultural variety is the spice that makes our country great.

In our own home, we've chosen several holidays that are not unique to our own religion & ethnicity to celebrate. Our children's favorite seems to be celebrating Hanukkah. They love to listen to the stories about the festival of lights & enjoy playing dreidle & eating latkes. One year we invited a foreign exchange student from Jerusalem to celebrate Hanukkah with us.

I'm inspired by the Global Wonders project. They've created a collection of DVDs that teach children more about different cultures in the world. Thanks to TwitterMoms for giving me more information about the Global Wonders project. This can help all our children develop greater appreciation for the people & cultures in the world around them, while helping them establish their own roots.

Through learning about other cultures, our family has a much easier time relating to other ethnicities & religions.

And who can resist celebrating a few extra holidays each year?

Ultimate CHIC Mom Business Directory

2008-11-11T11:44:00.000-08:00

We're so excited to announce that we're taking on the project of putting together the Ultimate Mom Business Online Directory at CreatedByMom.com! Think of this project like an expanded Dex.Online.

Listed Mom Businesses can:

post the link to their personal site
and also have a 500x500 px advertisement within CreatedByMom.com

giving consumers a sneak peak at their products/services.

Check it out here: CREATED BY MOM DIRECTORY & spread the word far & wide!

Manic Monday Mama Giveaway!

2008-11-10T12:23:00.000-08:00

Hooray!! I'm so excited to post our first ever Manic Monday Mama Giveaway!!!
We've got a great prize from one of the haute mamas at CreatedByMom.com!

Jen of Glitzy Glass Stars is giving one lucky commenter one of her FABULOUS pendants!

(Seriously, I'm so excited to offer this giveaway because I just wore my brand new Glitzy Glass pendant over the weekend & LOVED it! It's my new favorite piece of jewelry... truly.)

To enter to win select your favorite pendant by name:

Sparkly Marilyn
Beautiful Audrie
Wishing Crown
Wonderful Chandelier

and when you leave your comment, type the special name of the pendant.
(check out the Glitzy Glass Stars blog for even more stunning works of art)
The drawing will be held Saturday.

Red Rover, Red Rover!

2008-11-05T21:36:00.001-08:00

...Vintage Hem

for our first round of Red Rover, we're all giving a shout to the mommies at Vintage Hem to come join us at CreatedByMom.com! We LOVE your slips!!!

Check out their chic slips at www.vintagehem.com.
(also, check out our Press page to see me, Quinn, wearing the Damsel in Distress slip in the Park City TV interview)

Help us woo Vintage Hem into putting some of their slips in CreatedByMom.com by leaving your praise & begging in the comments for this post. After we have sufficient flattery/pleading posted, we'll shoot them an email with a link to this post & - hopefully - it will inspire them. Let's show Vintage Hem that their fabulous products would receive a warm welcome at CreatedByMom.com.

If there's any mom-vendors you'd like to see at CreatedByMom.com, email us at info@createdbymom.com & we'll put up a Red Rover enticement to try to woo them over.

p.s. Thanks for your love & prayers. My baby is recovering really well & we are home now. What a relief! We'll have our first Manic Monday Mama Giveaway next Monday. It's gonna be GOOD!!! xoxo

Manic Monday Mama Giveaway Postponed

2008-11-03T15:45:00.000-08:00

Sadly, our premiere Manic Monday Mama Giveaway has been postponed. Due to a little trauma, I'm spending the night in the hospital with our little 5 month old daughter. She should be just fine, but they're watching her really closely to be sure. I'm hoping that after all this excitement blows over we'll be able to get back to business as usual. So... know that I haven't forgotten about the Giveaway & I'm very sorry it's been delayed.

Lots of love to all of you! xoxo

PCTV & more fun events

2008-10-30T07:20:00.000-07:00

Last night I had the great privilege of being on Park City TV's Mountain Views show with Kelly Anderson, Startup Princess. It was my first TV appearance & I think it went really well. The show host, Ori Hoeffer, was really fun & easy to talk with. I've got to figure out how to get a DVD of the show transferred onto YouTube & then ya'll can see the show. So cool!

On Monday, November 3, we're going to start our Manic Monday Mama Giveaways. These are going to be AWESOME!!! I almost want to spoil the fun & start giving away the stuff right away, but I know the anticipation will be more fun. All our vendors in the store send us samples of their products for us to preview & vouch for the quality, so we decided that it would be fun to start offering their samples as product giveaways here on our blog as a little promotion/welcome for that vendor joining CreatedByMom.com. So mark your calendars, tell your friends; we are rockin' the giveaway scene very soon!

Also, if you have any mom-vendors you'd like to see at CreatedByMom.com, we're going to start hosting a Red Rover to get them to come on over. Just leave a comment here with a link to their store/blog & we'll "Red Rover, Red Rover, Hey Mama, Come on Over" them to join us at CreatedByMom.com.

Doesn't it rock to support moms? xoxo

Congratulations to Our Big Winner!!!

2008-10-24T14:05:00.000-07:00

We're so excited to announce that the winner of our Grand Opening $100 Shopping Spree is:

HILARY BAKER!!!

Congratulations, Hilary!!! We're so excited & can't wait to see how you spend it!
Thank you to everyone who participated in our Grand Opening Extravaganza!

Welcome to new Mom-Vendors!

2008-10-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

We have been working hard to add more and more vendors to the store. Here are the latest:

Ala Board
Divine Mama Art
Love, September
Party Boxers
Noodles and Milk
Vintage Body Spa

We are in the process of adding several more great new mom-vendors! Welcome to the createdbymom.com chic boutique!

Sweet Life in the Valley

2008-10-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

A GIANT thank you goes out to our friends at "Sweet Life in the Valley" for hosting a giveaway/promotion for our Grand Opening. We really appreciate you doing this for all us moms over here at CreatedByMom.com! Special thanks to April for arranging everything! xoxo

View their giveaway here: Fun Free Fridays * CreatedByMom.com

Thanks for making our Grand Opening a little "sweeter!" We love your blog! xoxo

Big thank you!

2008-10-03T10:06:00.000-07:00

Our friends at "Inspiration for Crafting" offered to host a giveaway promotion on their site for CreatedByMom.com. We are so grateful for their support to our moms! Thanks Amber, for putting that together. We love your blog!

You can view their giveaway post here: Giveaway Sponsored by CreatedByMom.com.

Grand Opening Hoop-la!

2008-10-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Don't miss getting in on the festivities during our official Grand Opening!

Use the coupon code: divinemama at Check-out for 20% off any item in your purchase during the Grand Opening (Oct 1-18).

And remember that any purchases made during the Grand Opening will be entered into a drawing for a $100 Shopping Spree to CreatedByMom.com!!!

Also, feel free to enter my Blog Hype Contest, posted at my personal blog: Finding Joy in the Journey.

Big Welcome to New Mom-Vendors!

2008-10-02T06:43:00.001-07:00

You are gonna love what's just been added to the store! I'm so happy to welcome these fabulous new mom-vendors to CreatedByMom.com!!!

Check out their stores & get inspired! Welcome, welcome mommies!

Some Exciting Happenings!

2008-10-02T06:25:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to welcome everyone to the new CreatedByMom.com blog! Stay tuned to hear exciting news about the latest happenings in our chic boutique.

Our fabulous mom-vendors @ CreatedByMom.com:

Bitty Basics

Boot Scoot Bikes

Cheeky & Swank

Digital Scrapbook Memories

Dots N' Daisies

The Nurturing Place

... with more amazing mom-vendors being added to the store all the time!!!