13
Mar

Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Tone Correcting Moisturizer ~ Review and $50 Visa Gift Card Giveaway

I jump at the chance to try Olay products because they never seem to disappoint.  I have tried other brands of facial moisturizers in the past but I always end up coming back to my Olay.  So when I was offered the chance to try the new Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Tone Correcting Moisturizer, I said sign me up!

I was so surprised when this product arrived, it really looks so cool.  Granted, I don’t generally purchase a product based on appearance, but this presentation really caught my eye.  It looks like swirled moisturizer and foundation all in one.  I couldn’t wait to try this, so after my morning shower, I gave it a whirl.

My skin has been a little all over the place since the birth of my son, Caspian Finn.  And with these chilly Chicago winters staying moisturized is super important.  I thought the moisturization factor was great and I didn’t feel like I needed to put anything else on.  Sometimes when I’m racing out the door to get Savannah to preschool, all I have time for is moisturizer.  But what I thought was really great was that this product offered so much more than moisturization – it moisturized my skin and gave me an even smooth colored skin tone.  Definite bonus!  Not to mention the fact that the feel of my skin was awesome.

Mr. Caspian is still waking up during the night.  And while I haven’t had many issues in the past with circles under my eyes or eye puffiness, I think baby number three is catching up with me.  Many mornings I feel compelled to use concealer under my eyes, but again, I felt like this product took care of eye puffiness I had as well.

One of my other favorite components of the Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Tone Correcting Moisturizer was that it contains SPF 15 which definitely helps prevent damage to my skin.  With a history of skin cancer in my family, I always try to wear sunscreen on my face everyday.

For a busy mom on the go, I think this product is pretty near genius.  I was trying to think if there were any negative factors, but I couldn’t think of a single one and trust me, I’d tell you if I would have thought of some.  If all you have time for in the morning is sweeping some moisturizer on your face, give Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Tone Correcting Moisturizer a try – you’ll get seven benefits in the time it takes you to use just one product!

So tell me, what are some of the ways you take care of your skin?  Do you save time by using double-duty types of products? 
Leave a comment below and you’ll be entered to win a $50.00 Visa gift card.
12
Mar

From Grandma with Love ~ Orange Chevron Quilt

My mom (Grandma Jane) always seems to make the girls the perfect birthday presents and Savannah’s 4th birthday was no exception.  Mom told me she was working on something ‘orange’ for Miss S., but this lovely orange chevron quilt was a total surprise to everyone!

Mom was inspired by this quilt from Red Pepper Quilts.  The unique design is created by the placement of half-square triangles.  This would be a really great project for someone that is just getting into quilting.  The design is beautiful, yet the piecing is quite straight forward.  There are so many things you can do with half-square triangles.  We’ll be showing you some of the many uses in the coming weeks!

Grandma Jane purchased the Tangerine Tango Fat Quarter Bundle from our blog sponsor, Fat Quarter Shop, and added a few other orange prints that she had on hand.  The white was cut from a bolt of white bella solid in ‘snow’.

The back of the quilt is yardage from ‘Fresh’ by Deb Strain for Moda in Garden Lattice Orange.

This quilt is the perfect lap sized quilt.  Savannah has definitely taught me that the color orange is truly wonderful.  So happy and so fresh.  I’m an orange convert, for sure!
Starting next week Grandma Jane will be sharing how to sew a quilt from start to finish with a free, original ‘circle’ quilt pattern she has created for The Cottage Home blog readers.  
I’m so excited for her week long series and I hope you are too ~ it’s going to be great!
8
Mar

Orange Themed 4th Birthday Party

Savannah’s 4th birthday party was this past weekend and several months back she decided that she wanted an ‘orange’ themed party since her absolute favorite color is orange.  When she first mentioned this theme, I was a little skeptical.  I was thinking she would go for a princess or character themed party, but as we began planning the orange party, we all got really excited about the color-themed birthday celebration.

Every year, I think that I’m going to keep it small, but one thing leads to another and I end up with 50+ people planning on attending our kids parties.  But I’m just going to go with it for now because in a few years we won’t be hosting all of the adults or really even choosing the guests, so for right now we are going to enjoy these early years.

Savannah wanted an orange birthday party dress, so I went through my fabric stash and found some orange fabrics that I thought really worked well together.  I also had purchased this orange woven citrus trim awhile back.  When it arrived about six months ago, I thought, ‘why in the world did I order this?’, but I guess it was just meant to be.

Here is the dress I created for Savannah’s Orange Party:

The orange party dress had so many pieces.  It was definitely not a ‘quick sew’ type of dress, but I love the end result.  Savannah could not stop twirling all day long at her party.  It was the perfect dress for her 4th birthday.  I used McCall’s Pattern 6497 as the base for my dress design, but modified, added and altered a few things.  I bought it for 99 cents at Joann’s when they had their McCall’s pattern sale, so it was a great deal.

I like to construct dresses a certain way, so I used the pattern more for sizing and didn’t really follow their instructions.  I also wanted to use the orange citrus trim, so I added that along the bottom of the dress.  This dress also took a TON of fabric, I want to say it was around 4-5 yards when all was said and done.

The bodice is fully lined and buttons in the back with four orange buttons.  I added piping into the cross-over bodice because I just love the way piping finishes a garment.  I thought about doing green piping, but I wanted to stick to orange since that was the party theme.

I added a wider/longer sash than the pattern called for and it has a large bow that ties in the back.  I also made a rolled-rose flower embellishment that I added to the sash and is accented with several corker ribbons that I made as well.

We asked all of our guests to wear orange attire, so I also made Caspian and Matilda little outfits to coordinate with the party.
I just made Caspian an easy tie appliqued onesie.
Here is Matilda with my mom (Grandma Jane) in the skirt and shirt that I made from scraps of fabric from the orange birthday dress.  I didn’t want to go too crazy with her outfit because I wanted to make sure she didn’t up-stage the birthday girl.
So now onto the party details………..
We tried to do as much orange food and candy as possible.  We had orange goldfish crackers, sweet potato chips, carrots with southwestern dip, macaroni and cheese and more candy than you can even imagine!
I brought out a lot of crystal serving pieces that were given to me by my Grandma Ethel.  I thought this would be the best way to have the full orange impact.  And it sure was……..there was no doubt what the color-theme was when you walked into our dining room.
We used little clementines as a centerpiece in a large hurricane glass, but they were also a great snack for the little ones to eat.  I just love the way fruit looks on a table.  So simple, yet so beautiful.
Did you know that you could find this much orange candy?  I ordered all of the candy from an online store called ‘Oh Nuts‘.  I found them just doing a Google search and the website is really great because you can search by color and find all the candy you need.  I ordered jelly orange slices, orange M & M’s, jelly beans, rock candy, peach licorice, orange and cream salt water taffy and orange candy sticks.  I found orange pixie sticks and orange tootsie pops at our local party store. We let each of the kids at the party fill a bag full of the different candy as their party favor.
For the adults, I had the idea of doing some Orange Chinese Chicken, but I really didn’t like the idea of having to be cooking while all of our guests were there, so I decided to make our life easier and order Chinese catering.  Sometimes I have to realize that it’s ok if I don’t make and do everything myself.  The Chinese was a huge hit!!
We ordered orange chicken, a beef dish, fried rice and lo mein noodles.  Since we were feeding about 50 people, I’m really glad we decided to go this route.  Not to mention the fact that Chinese food leftovers are delicious.
We made four boxes of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese for the kids and just put it in the crock-pot on the ‘keep warm’ setting.  The girls LOVE Mac & Cheese from the box so I didn’t dare try to mess with it and make a version from scratch.
For drinks we served juice boxes for the kids, soda, as well as mimosas (champagne and orange juice) and home-brewed beer for the adults.
I know I’ve mentioned it before, but my husband, Brett, is an avid home brewer and has brewed a special brew or two for each of the girls parties.  Of course, this will be coming to an end once we start to have kid-only parties, but for now he has a lot of fun with it.  Both of these beers were ‘orange’ inspired in flavor and slightly in color as well.  If you recall in my birthday post regarding Savannah turning four, her knock knock joke punchline is always ‘Pancakes on your head’, so that’s where that title came from.  The other beer was called ‘Savannah Slam’.
And for the decorations……….
I used an orange tablecloth and layered some orange and white polka dot wrapping paper on top.  I did one piece down the center of the table like a runner and a couple more pieces across the top of the runner in the opposite direction. I also made large tissue paper flowers that I nested in between the different serving pieces.
I used some orange fabric to make a whimsical garland. Some of the fabrics were from Savannah’s birthday dress and others were different variations of orange that I already had around.  I didn’t buy any new fabric for this party – yay!
I tied this pretty pink and orange flower ball from the center of our dining room chandelier.  It was pretty and brought the whole color scheme of the party together.
I ordered some orange and white straws from ‘Cupcake Social‘ on Etsy as well as this orange twine and the little cups for the goldfish crackers.  All of our drinking classes are ‘ball’ jars so I just pulled some of those out of the cabinet to use as containers for candy and some other items.  I tied a simple bow with twine around the top of each jar.
I did not make the cake.  I’m not really a baker.  I love, love, love to cook, but baking……eh, I could take it or leave it.  We ordered this cake from Costco.  Their cakes are super-tasty, really affordable and feed 48+ people.  I just had them put orange roses on it to go with the party theme.  We also served orange sherbet with the cake (which turned out to be Savannah’s favorite part).
I didn’t get a ton of great pictures of Miss S. since she was very busy during her party.  She was so excited to have all of her friends there to celebrate, but I did manage to get this one before the party started.
The Cottage Papa and our little man, Caspian Finn.  I wouldn’t be able to plan such fun parties for our kids if it weren’t for that man.  Thanks, honey, for all you do!
The orange party was a great success and most importantly, Savannah had the best time ever!  Miss Matilda’s favorite color is blue and she seems to think she is having a blue-themed party come July.  I’m thinking that one might be a little more difficult.
If you are looking for the ‘orange’ party invitation, you can view the post and free printable by clicking HERE.
I still can’t believe my baby girl is 4 years old!
7
Mar

Riley Blake Designs: Embellished Hoodie Tutorial AND Fat Quarter Bundle Giveaway

Today is my first ‘Project Design Team’ post for Riley Blake Designs.  I’m sharing how to make this fun embellished hoodie from the new line ‘Woodland Trails‘.  

Come on over to the Riley Blake Designs blog for the full tutorial.
(click HERE).
And for even more fun, we are giving away a whole Fat Quarter Bundle of ‘Woodland Trails’!  This fat quarter bundle retails for around $80.00, so needless to say, it’s a whole lot of fabric.
‘Woodland Trails‘ is absolutely adorable.  The colors are so sweet and the design is whimsical and fun.  There are many feminine prints, but there are also quite a few prints that could be used for boys as well.  This Fat Quarter Bundle includes one fat quarter from each of the prints in the line for a total of 27.
Want to win this giant Fat Quarter Bundle? Here’s how to enter…….
1) Visit Riley Blake Designs and leave a comment telling us what line you are most excited about.
2) Followers (Google Friend Connect, Feed Subscribers and Email Subscribers) can all have a second entry.  Just leave a comment and let me know you are an official follower.
3) Share this giveaway with others (via Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest).  Leave a comment letting me know that you’ve shared it.
So there are three chances for you to win!  You can do one or all three…….it’s totally up to you.
Giveaway open until Saturday, March 10, 2012 at midnight (CST).
5
Mar

Savannah Rose ~ 4 Years Old

Today my oldest baby, Savannah Rose, turns 4 years old.  I cannot believe it.  I say it every year………but, seriously, where did the time go?
Everyone always says ‘make sure you enjoy these years, they go by so fast’. And while that is very true, I honestly think each year gets better and better.  Savannah is such a sweet little girl and just seems so grown up now in comparison to this time last year.
Here are a bunch of things I would like my sweet girl to know about what she is like today……..
1. You love to make up your own songs.
2. Rhyming is one of your favorite things to do.  You can make just about anything Rhyme….even if it means making up your own words.
3. You tell really silly knock-knock jokes.  And the punch-line is usually, ‘Pancakes on your head!’.
4. You are a wonderful big sister to Matilda and Caspian.
5. You love preschool and your teacher, Mrs. Finkler.
6. You are turning into a beautiful girl……inside and out.
7. Your favorite television shows are Curious George, Max and Ruby, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
8. Your favorite color is orange.  We had an orange themed birthday party for you.
9. You love play dough.
10. You are very loving and tell us that you love us all the time.
11. Your favorite foods are berries, mac and cheese, cheeseburgers, hummus and crackers and popcorn.
12. You love your sweets too……anything chocolate, ice cream and lollipops.
13. You are SO smart.
14. You don’t really nap anymore, but you still have ‘rest’ time in the afternoon.
15. You love when daddy reads you stories at night.
16. Your most favorite game is playing pretend with your sister.  And you like Candy Land and Hide and Seek.
17. You are very tall for your age.
18. You are incredibly creative.
19. You makes us smile everyday with your kisses, hugs and sweet words.
20. You make Mommy and Daddy proud to be your parents.
Happy Birthday to my sweet Savannah Rose!
  
The day you came into my life and made me a Mommy was one of the absolute, best days of my life.  I cannot imagine my life without you.  You bring joy and happiness into our lives everyday and I am so very proud of the girl you are becoming.
Love you, sweet girl!!
1
Mar

March 2012 Giveaway Day

Our March Giveaway Day is finally here!  This is something new we are trying here at The Cottage Home blog.  We’ve got some wonderful prizes from our lovely blog sponsors.  I think you are going to be very happy!
Here’s how this is going to work:  I am listing all of the prizes that are available today.  I have included a link underneath each prize that you can click on to enter each individual giveaway.  Do not comment on this post to enter to win.  You must click on the links below the prizes and enter each one separately.  
I thought about doing this as one giant prize, but I realize that not everyone is interested in every prize.  Also, this way we will have lots of winners, which means lots of happy people!  We’ll try it this way for now and if I need to make some adjustments next time, I will.
So, what can you win today?  Check it out……..
Modern Fabric Studio
Giveaway: $30.00 Gift Certificate
(Click HERE to enter)
The Hook Up
Giveaway: $20.00 Gift Certificate
(Click HERE to enter)
Birdsong Bows
Giveaway: 5 e-book patterns
(Click HERE to enter)
Heartsong Quilts
Giveaway: ‘Primitive Modern’ by Marcia Derse Fabric Bundle
(Click HERE to enter)
Fat Quarter Shop
Giveaway: ‘Tweet’ Fat Quarter Bundle
(Click HERE to enter)

Canton Village Quilt Works
Giveaway: 10 Fat Quarters of ‘Modernology’ by Art Gallery Fabrics
(Click HERE to enter)

Many of these sponsors are also offering exclusive discounts between 10% and 15% off your entire purchase as well as free shipping.  Click to enter their giveaways to obtain the exclusive promo codes that they are offering for The Cottage Home blog readers.
Again, please click on the individual links below each prize to enter to win that specific item.  You can enter one or all of the giveaways.  Good luck and thanks to all my wonderful sponsors for giving away such generous prizes!  
Happy Giveaway Day!
27
Feb

A little of this and a little of that ~ Kids, Hats and Dresses

Life has been very busy around here and I’ve been meaning to share some pictures of the kids I took recently.  These were taken a couple weeks ago.  Caspian Finn is getting into that adorable chubby, smiley, almost 6 months phase and I could just eat him up.  Of course I think he’s just too cute, I’m sure I see him differently since I am his mama, but even as I look at his picture right here, I just want to snuggle this little guy.

Here are some more pictures of Mr. Caspian at 5.5 months old:

I ordered these hats for the kids for Christmas from my lovely blog sponsor, The Hook Up.  I heard about her through a fan/friend over on The Cottage Mama Facebook page and have been in love with her work ever since.

And one more shot of my little snow bear.  I took this when I was in my studio working and my husband came to the doorway to tell me they were going out in the snow.  I couldn’t believe the cuteness and had to reach for the camera.  Caspian got those mittens for Christmas and they actually look like little bear paws.  So cute!!

Here are a few shots of Miss Savannah (who will be 4 one week from today):

And here are a couple of Matilda (who is very difficult to photograph these days):

This tongue is what I get most of the time these days when I ask her to smile for me.  I guess we’ll call it her ‘signature look’.

The girls hats are also from The Hook Up and they match their winter coats just perfectly.  The Hook Up will be participating in our Giveaway Day coming up on March 1, so if you like these hats, make sure you come back and enter to win.

Another few pictures that I’ve been meaning to share with you are these adorable dresses that my mom sent the girls for Valentine’s Day:

This dress is my ‘Janey Jumper‘ pattern that my mom where my mom added a sweet embroidery piece to the front.  We got this embroidery pattern by Aneela Hoey at our trip to quilt market last spring.  I ordered several bolts of this fabric line, Little Apples, and just haven’t had the time to cut into it, so I’m so glad Mom was able to start putting it to good use.  Mom made the girls matching dresses in size 3 and size 5.

Mom added a bow with a button to the front of the girls matching dresses.  But rather than sew it onto the dress, she made it on a safety pin so that it can be removed before washing.  Smart idea, huh?  We are really getting into embroidery over here, so you can expect to see some more things in that department soon.

On another note, I just sold my 1000th pattern!  I seriously cannot believe it ~ I am beyond excited.  When I ordered my original shipment of patterns, I was honestly a little nervous that I would be sitting with these for several years, but went ahead and took a chance.  It seems hardly possible that I’m almost ready for a re-order on both of the first two patterns.  A big giant thank you to all of you that have purchased patterns from me and another thank you to all the online and brick-and-mortar stores that are now carrying, ‘The Cottage Mama Sewing Patterns.’  Without you, I could not do what I do ~ you are helping make my dream a reality.

So now I’m in ‘orange’ party planning mode as Miss S’s party is this weekend.  Savannah’s dress is cut for the festivities, but not yet sewn together.  This dress has more pieces then I have ever cut in my life.  Not sure what I’ve gotten myself into, but I’m hoping to make some serious headway on it today.

That’s what’s been going on over here…….a little of this and a little of that.  I hope you all have a great week ahead!
Happy Monday!
23
Feb

Broom Love

You may think I have totally lost my mind with this post.  A post about a broom, Lindsay, really?  Well, that’s what my mom thought when I called her and said, “I’m so excited for my new broom to arrive!”  And as I just wrote that, I realized, that it does sound pretty strange……..what has my life come to?  I’m excited about a broom?  Someone over here may need to get a life……..

Enough about my craziness, though, and let me tell you about my new broom.  I have really been trying to live according to this William Morris quote since we entered 2012…….

“Have nothing in our homes that we do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”

I have done a pretty good job clearing out a bunch of clutter that we no longer need and the house is starting to feel more organized.  However, when I posted this quote over on The Cottage Mama Facebook page one of my international readers chimed in and said, ‘how about…. do not have anything we do not know to be useful AND believe to be beautiful?  And I thought, yes, that’s even better!

So I needed a new broom for our home and I took this Facebook conversation to heart and thought, “if I’m going to buy a new broom, it’s going to be one I love and get excited to use.”  And I’m a firm believer that you can buy just about anything on Etsy.com, so I headed there to begin my search and this is what I ended up with:

I ordered this handmade broom from the Broomchick on Etsy.  I had never heard of her shop, but she had great reviews and I just loved the natural style of this one, not to mention the fact that it fits in perfectly with our cottage.

I can’t just name one part of this broom that is my favorite.  I love that it is handmade ~ that’s a big thing for me, it’s always great when I can buy handmade and support local, US small business.  I love the multi-colored broomcorn and I love the natural wood stick handle.  The Broomchick has many different brooms to choose from, but this is a multi-colored standard kitchen broom.

I am currently keeping this broom hanging on a hook in the kitchen next to our kitchen hutch.  It’s too pretty to put away and hide.  My sister-in-law thought it was just for decoration when she saw it in our kitchen and my mother-in-law said she wants one for her birthday.

So sweeping is not the most exciting task, but why not get excited about it by using a tool you truly love?  Again, you still might think I’m nuts, but I’ll tell you one thing…….I’ve never been more excited to sweep in my life than I am with this broom!
22
Feb

"I Spy" Fabric Matching Game ~ Tutorial

Here’s a super-fun kids game tutorial for an I Spy Fabric Matching Game.  Savannah Rose will be getting this game for her 4th birthday that is coming up on March 5th ~ I can’t wait, I think she’s going to love it!
This year I have three sewing re*sew*lutions:
1) Use up my excessive amount of fabric scraps
2) Design and sew more boys clothing
3) Dabble in the world of quilting

To start off 2012, I thought I would start at the top of the list and use some of the fabric scraps that have been invading my sewing studio.  Since I typically design and sew children’s clothing, the amount of fabric scraps is out of this world.  Big pieces, little pieces……you name it, I’ve got it…….it’s getting a bit ridiculous!

My girls are beginning to become interested in playing games.  With them being 2.5 and almost 4 years old, there aren’t a lot of games they can play together, but we’ve found that they really enjoy matching games.

I was inspired by the ‘I Spy’ quilts that many people seem to enjoy making and came up with a game version ~ the ‘I Spy’ Fabric Matching Game.  This is a great way to use up the many different fabric scraps you have lying around.  If you have little ones, they will truly enjoy playing this game.  It is stimulating, fun, and pretty much indestructible (which you know is important if you live in the world of toddlers).  There are two different ways to play so it’s great for 2 year olds on up.

‘I Spy’ Fabric Matching Game
~Tutorial~
Supplies:
20 4.5″ squares of fabric (2 squares of 10 different prints)
20 4.5″ squares of fabric (all the same print)
20 4.5″ squares of batting
Basic sewing supplies

 

Instructions:
Take one piece of your printed fabric, one piece of the fabric backing and one piece of batting.  You will be making a total of 20 squares, 10 of each different print.  All of the backs will be the same.
Layer your three pieces.  Place the back fabric and printed fabric with the right sides together and layer the piece of batting on top of the back of the printed fabric.
Stitch all the way around the square with a 1/2″ seam allowance, but leave a 1.5″ opening on the side.
Clip the four corners of the square.  This will allow you to turn the corners out nicely.
Turn the square right side out by pulling the fabric through the opening that was left on the side of the square.
Grab your point-turner to push the corners out.  If you don’t have a point turner, you could use any pointy edge tool (i.e. a chopstick, ect).  Point-turners are really inexpensive, so it’s a great tool to have in your sewing basket.
Insert the point-turner and push each corner out by using the pointy end.
Sometimes it takes a little work to get the corners pushed out, but just take your time.
Once your corners are turned out nicely, press each square.
Press the opening on the side under so it is in line with the rest of the square.
Top-stitch around the edge of the square using a 1/4″ seam allowance.  The top-stitching will catch the opening and sew it closed.  Press both sides to set your stitches.
Continue top-stitching all the squares until you have 10 sets of 2 for a total of 20 squares.
So here’s how to play……….
Option 1: Advanced Matching (age 4 and up)
Turn all of the 20 squares over so that the back sides are up. Place them in four rows of five.  Make sure the squares are all mixed up.
Each player takes a turn turning over two squares.  When they turn over two squares that match they get to keep them.  This method requires the child to remember where they have seen a specific pattern to find the match.  The person who collects the most matches wins!
Option 2: Beginner Toddler Matching (Ages 2-4)
Lay out all of the squares with the printed sides up.  Have each player take a turn picking out one print and simply finding the other one that matches.  Continue taking turns until all the matches have been made.  In this version everybody wins!
I think the ‘I Spy’ Fabric Matching Game is the perfect gift idea for any child.  You can make the game themed if you are not using fabric scraps – make it geared towards a boy or girl or keep it gender neutral.  You could also theme it towards the child’s interest – nature, animals, bugs, flowers, sesame street, ect…
Perhaps I’ll make a little bag to keep this version of the ‘I Spy’ game together, but we’ll save that for another tutorial on another day.
Fabric Collections used (starting from the top left):
3) Joann’s super-clearance fabric purchased a year ago
I Spy Fabric Matching Game from The Cottage Mama. www.thecottagemama.com
21
Feb

A Little Change: Giveaway Day

So I’m making a few little changes around here on the blog and one of them is in regards to giveaways.  While I absolutely love sharing new businesses and products with you all, I feel like my blog content has had too many giveaways over the last several months.  Promoting and growing small businesses is very important to me, as I am a small business owner myself, but I’m going to start doing things a little differently.

The main reason I started this blog was to share my love for creating and hopefully inspire you all to want to create in your everyday life.  I want to make sure I keep the content here on the blog focused in that direction.  I try really hard to post projects and ideas that you hopefully all enjoy and keep the majority of posts written by me (although my mom, Grandma Jane, will be ‘guest posting’ coming up).  I never in a million years thought I would make any money from blogging.  While I feel incredibly blessed to now be able to generate some income from blogging, I would be blogging regardless.

With that being said, instead of having several giveaways a week, I am now going to be hosting one giant giveaway day per month.  My sponsors all have the opportunity to participate in this day and I am also opening the day up to other small businesses as well.  I got this idea from my friend Jessica (from Happy Together) and she assures me it is working out great.

I hope you don’t mind this change.  If you love giveaways, then you’ll want to mark your calendar for the first day of each month as that will be the BIG giveaway day.  I will still do personal giveaways (from me) and the occasional book and fabric giveaway, but these will be very selective.

I’m really excited about the change and it will free up some days in my blogging schedule for me to post more about starting a small business, recipes, projects, crafts, ect……..
So, what do you think?  Sound ok?
If you are a small business and are interested in participating in the upcoming Giveaway Day on March 1, 2012.  Please email me, Lindsay, at thecottagemama[at]gmail[dot]com for rates and additional information.