Archives for January 2012

Give Your Husband a Valentines Gift He Won’t Soon Forget

Moms, do you need a great gift idea for your man that will knock his socks off?  Last year I did a very brave thing (I say brave because boy, was I nervous!) and went and had boudoir pictures taken.  Several of my friends have said they never saw me as the sort who would do that but I knew my husband would love them.  After all, they were for his eyes only (well, except for the two that the photographer convinced me were appropriate for our bedroom wall).

My husband has not stopped thanking me for the pictures!  He said it was about the best gift ever!

So I am going to convince you to do the same thing or something similar to add some spice to your marriage.  Here are what I thought my excuses were and how they were dispelled.

  1. “I am not back to my pre-baby goal weight and I should wait until I look amazing to do them.”  Not so!  My photographer was amazing and featured my best assets and touched up in places that needed it. That doesn’t mean she made me look skinnier or anything but I left thinking “Wow, I didn’t know I looked so hot!”  A good photographer knows how to bring out the best in you.
  2. “I don’t want to disrobe in front of anyone, not even if they are used to it!” Wow, I found the most amazing photographer who made me feel so comfortable and she had a list of what she wouldn’t do which was exactly my list of what I wouldn’t do.  She was super classy and made sure the pictures were classy and not at all slutty.  Talk to your photographer, tell her what you are comfortable with and what you are not okay with.
  3. “I don’t know what to wear.” Um, this one is easy, really.  What does your husband like?  Lingerie is a good choice.  My photographer recommended a bustier.  You could even go with jeans and a nice bra.  Think about what he will like the most.  Maybe even pull out (and dust off) your honeymoon attire (assuming it still fits).
  4. “I don’t have the money right now.”  Well, this can be a problem but only if you don’t have  a good friend who is handy with a camera.  My photographer actually shared that she got started taking boudoir pictures by photographing friends during a girls night out.  It turned into a glamor session and their husbands loved the resulting pictures.  So grab a friend (one you feel really comfortable with), come up with a plan (place, setting), and have her shoot away.  With digital photography and photo editing software you can come up with some pretty great photos.  If you want prints you will need to be mindful of who you have print them (unless you have a good printer to print them yourself).  Choose a printer that has a good reputation with other photographers.  They can usually be trusted with your pictures.

I choose to surprise my husband when I had my pictures taken.  He had no idea until I gave them to him on Valentines Day.  Not only did he love them but I did to.  It helped me to see myself in a new light.

I took time leading up to the pictures to invest in myself (giving myself a manicure and pedicure, an at home facial, learning a glamorous new way to apply makeup, getting my hair done, etc…) and it made me realize that I didn’t spend enough time taking care of myself for me or for him.  So it was a win win for both of us.

Let me know if you decide to do it!  I think you’ll love the experience.  Occasionally I see deals for boudoir photos on Groupon or Living Social.  They are often good deals but make sure you look into the photographer first, ask all of your questions and make sure you feel comfortable with them.

Have fun!!

The Best Spill Proof Sippy Cup Award Goes To: Tommee Tippee

After 13 years of having babies (6 of them to be exact) and countless dollars spent on finding a truly spill proof sippy cup, I have finally found the one that lives up to it’s claims.  Tommee Tippiee Sippy Cups are my new favorite sippys.  

We have used and abused these sippy cups and they simply do not leak.  I so wish these were around way back when to undo all of the leaks and spills onto carseats, couch cushions, carpet floors and nice clean outfits.  Ugh!  Just the memory of all of those leaky sippy cups is frustrating. 

We started using Tommee Tippee Sippy Cups just about a year ago and I have not gone back since.  I love the easy to remove and easy to clean inserts.  As long as they are inserted correctly they are easy to drink from and don’t leak at all.  The cups are big and have grips of them which makes them easy for little hands to hold.

I highly recommend these Sippy Cups.  If you are tired of leaky sippys try them out and let me know what you think.

Have you tried Tommee Tippee Bottles?  Are they as great as the sippys?

Find Tommee Tippee Sippy Cups at Babies R Us, Toys R Us and Amazon.

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for this post.  I just really like these cups.  Affiliate links are included in the post.

The Bib’expresso: Make Bottles One-Handed in 90 Seconds

Ever made a bottle while holding a fussy baby at 2 AM? Did you wish there was an easier way? Now there is with the Bib’Expresso from Beaba.

Now you can make a bottle in 90 seconds, with one hand and be sure it is at the right temperature. The Bib’expresso comes with a compact, removable bottle and food warmer that can be used to heat food jars and prepared bottles of breast milk and formula. Oh, and the bottle storage compartment in the back of the unit (yes they thought of everything) doubles as a microwavable bottle sterilizer, holding up to three 10 ounce bottles.

I know that all sounds great but you don’t want another appliance to have to clean right?  Well, the Bib’expresso has a self cleaning steam system.  Oh, and once baby doesn’t need it anymore you can use it to make hot beverages like tea and hot cocoa.

The Bib’Expresso retails for $149.99 which is pretty pricey but you can find it online for closer to $100. 

Document Your Pregnancy With a Beautiful Photo Book

I love this Expecting Baby Journal from Paper Coterie!  Most pregnancy journals and calendars have cutsie designs and blanks that you fill in.  This one is personalized with your own photos and text that you enter in online and then a completed book is mailed to you.  It is best to complete it after baby arrives but would be a forever way to remember the details of your pregnancy and delivery.

I may just go back and make one for each of my kids. Think of what a neat gift it would be for them to have once they are grown and having their own children.

Right now you can get one for 50% off through February 5th, 2012.  That makes the 7 x 5 book $11 or the 11.5 x 8.5 only $16.  Pretty amazing deal!

Customize Amazon Gift Cards with a Photo

I don’t really like gift cards.  I mean I love to get them. I really enjoy the process of picking out something I have been wanting or just feeling a bit spoiled.  BUT I always have a hard time giving them.  I guess that it is because I LOVE to hunt for perfect gifts.  That is honestly why I started Mommy Kudos, because I really enjoy the hunt for great finds.

It can be tiring and time consuming though.  Finding the perfect gift can mean that a lot of good gifts are passed over in search of that one perfect thing that will make someones day, no week, no year.  Sometimes I just need an easy out after all of the searching.

Amazon gift cards are often my default gift for someone when I get stuck on what to give them.  Since Amazon has just about anything a person could want, I feel pretty certain that just about anyone can find something they truly would like there. 

I discovered that Amazon now lets you upload your own photo when you are sending digital gift cards.  This makes it a bit more personal and I really like having this option.  A photo of you and your sister for her birthday, a photo of your kids for your mother-in laws Christmas gift, there are so many ways to make this more special and personalized. 

To upload a picture for your next Amazon Gift Card, go here and look under the “Digital” method of delivery and click on “upload your own photo.”  It will them walk you through the steps to create your own photo gift card. Pretty neat eh?

How about you? Do you like to give gift cards?  Are they your first choice or your last resort?