This Week's Featured Etsy Shop: Mom N Mia Quilts

This week's featured Etsy shop is Mom N Mia Quilts. Maria makes beautiful baby and children's items. I have personally purchased 2 items from her and I love them both. I got this turtle onsie for a shower gift for a friend of mine, so cute!Here is what Maria has to say about her shop and her items:
I started Mom N Mia Quilts 10 years ago as an outlet for my creative energy. I sell tons of baby items, bibs, burp cloths and blankets, but I specialize in custom creations like my quilts. One of my main selling venues is Etsy.com, but I have been selling at arts & crafts fairs, children's boutiques in the United States and Ireland for several years. Over the past 12 months I have started stocking over 12 boutiques, in the US and in Australia, Malaysia, Ireland and across Europe.

I have been sewing most of my life, but I never really enjoyed sewing until I was in college and learned to appreciate the value of being able to make things for myself. I made my first “quilt” on the floor in my dorm room at Michigan State University. My friends all thought I was crazy. I started sewing quilts for my friends as they started having babies, and I haven’t stopped. When I started having my own kids, and the number of nieces and nephews and friends’ children started growing, I began playing around making other blankets, burp cloths and bibs, and other fun items.
I love making items that are not just fun to look at, but are also high quality and actually useful! The burp cloths are made to be pretty AND functional – they are much more absorbent than the thin ones you can find in the chain stores, and the options are endless!! And I like having bibs that are actually big enough to catch all the spills and drool, and protect the little ones’ clothes! Kids are messy!! 5” wide bibs just don’t do the job!
I have a wonderful, supportive husband and I am a proud mommy to two beautiful children – my little girl Katie is 3.5, and my son Max turned 1 in December. I also work full-time as a legal assistant for a large hospital system. I love reading, traveling and spending time with my husband, kids and extended family. I am always dreaming up new projects!

Boon Catch Bowl and Bendable Fork and Spoon Review

Ok, here's the verdict, finally. Kelsey has finally tried both the Boon catch bowl and the bendable fork and spoon. Overall, they work great. I think the bendable fork and spoon would be better for younger babies (Kelsey is 16 months) because the heads on them are kind of small and don't hold much food, but other than that, the handles are chubby and easy to grip and I like the fact that you can bend the heads so the child can get the food into their mouths easier. We are more happy with the bowl than the utensils. The bowl works great. I usually angle the catch part to the area she is trying to scoop from, if that makes sense. That way when she scoops up the food, the food that doesn't make it onto the spoon goes onto the catch part and falls back into the bowl. Overall they are great products and we are happy with them.

Valentine's Mystery Dinner

Well, my husband and I are off to a Valentine's Mystery Dinner at church for our small group. It is 80's themed, so it should be fun/funny. I'm not one who really gets into playing a role, so we'll see how it goes. We are making the main dish, so we'll have to get there a little early. My parents are going to watch Kelsey. She fell asleep in the car on the way home from Costco and it was earlier than she normally goes down for a nap, so I hope she will still be in good spirits tonight.

Along with the 80's theme, Ross and I bought the movie Teen Wolf and Teen Wolf Too, the combo pack at Target the other day for $4.75. We watched the first one and it was pretty good, not as cheesy as I thought it may be.

This doesn't really apply to this post, but we also just bought Kels a Boon fork and spoon set and catch-all bowl. I will post later with what we think about them.

Top Baby Product Picks

So, a friend of mine is having a baby in February and she asked what products I recommend. I have definite opinions about things and I thought maybe other new moms would be interested in hearing what I like as well. Well....maybe not :o) but I will share anyway.

Highchair: Stokke
Stroller: Maclaren
Diaper Pail: Diaper Champ (it doesn't need special bags)
Diapers: Pampers
Crib Sheets: Carter's Jersey Knit Sheets
Flannel Swaddlers (they don't stretch as much so baby can't break out of them)
Plastic Scoop bibs
Sheet Savers
Lap pads for under the bottom on the changing table
Car seat cover: JJ Cole Bundle Me Original
Thermometer: Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer (has to be used correctly, but no new ear cover things to buy.
All things Earth's Best for baby and toddler food
Please note Gerber onesies run small, they are still good, but they are smaller than, say, Carters

I am sure there are more, but that's all I can think of for now.