Tammy Litke is a homeschooler to one girl aged 15. Blogging since 2008 she loves to watch movies, play video games, spend time in the kitchen, and go on Disney Cruises. Between recipes and reviews you'll find many helpful and some just plain funny posts on her blog. Welcome, pull up a chair and stay for a while!
This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. This blog uses affiliate links within posts.
Amber is very picky when it comes to clothing. It must be this color, or that design. It can't have ribbons, or bows. And definitely NO PINK. Through Twitter Moms, I found a fabulous site for her, where she can design her own clothes, and can get just what she wants, it's called Fashion Playtes.
We sat on the website and designed a hoodie. It was so much fun and easy too. The colors are fantastic (even for a picky kid!) and the appliques are cute.
FashionPlaytes.com offers gift certificates and would make a great gift for a young girl on your list this Christmas. That way the tween you need to buy for will get exactly what they want, no gift receipts needed! They will receive their customized product in less than 3 weeks too. There are plenty of items to choose from besides tops and bottoms, including belts, headbands and bags.
Here is a special discount for $15 off your first gift certificate or custom outfit purchase of $25 or more– use TWITTERMOM15 at checkout.
I was so excited when I received this amazing and totally personal handmade pendant in the mail the other day!
I would love to be more crafty but I just don't have the time or the ideas to make handmade gifts for people.
When I had the chance to review Our Handmade Gifts custom pendant service, I knew right away what I would put on a custom pendant. Amber draws such wonderful characters in her sketch books all the time, and I was so excited to put one of those on a piece of jewelry for her. (I ♥ handmade items!)
Be A Dental Inventor! Dr. Fresh® Sponsors Fourth Annual Toothbrush Design Contest In Honor Of February’s National Children’s Dental Health Month
Imagine a toothbrush so much fun to use that kids would brush your teeth without a single reminder from Mom or Dad.
Dr. Fresh is asking second through fifth graders across the U.S. to dream up just such a toothbrush with “Be A Dental Inventor” – the fourth annual toothbrush design contest celebrating National Children’s Dental Health Month this February 2010. www.drfresh.com.
A few weeks ago I was introduced to a product called Wall Slicks by Modern Wall Graphics. This innovation in home decor is awesome, especially for people who don't want to fuss with paint, holes and/or tape.
Whether you want a high-style, sleek, contemporary or cutesy look, you can find Wall Slicks to fit your needs.
You could do one of two things: Choose one of the many pre-made designs from the site, or have a custom phrase or saying made just for you.
eco-conscious • fun & simple • 100% cotton • caribbean inspired • unique gift ideas
Est. 2004 Founded by designer & artist Shanda Chiumento. Sugar Apple Design focuses on translating the fun and nature of the Caribbean onto wearable art...from tees & tanks to plush bathrobes & beach towels.
I love the Caribbean. Two out of our last three vacations we've visited St. Thomas USVI where Sugar Apple Design is located. The items that Shanda has are so reflective of the islands and the nature surrounding it, and when I received my tee in the mail it did not disappoint.
I received the Palm Tree tee as pictured here.
Now not only does this tee mean something to me because I have been to the islands and it reminds me of our great vacations whenever I wear it, but my name Tamara is a Hebrew name meaning Palm Tree. Very fitting.
The shirt itself is cut slightly narrow especially in the shoulders. If you're a tiny one like me, you probably won't notice, but if you prefer your tees not quite as fitted order a size up. The construction of this tee is quality. The seams are sewn straight (you know how sometimes on tees with the type of knit they are they can tend to curl), and there were no loose threads and the serging is professional. (That's important to me, since I have to roll all my sleeves up due to the very short length of my arms lol!). The fabric is a nice weight, not too heavy to wear on a summer evening, but cozy for northern winters too.
It feels comfy when you wear it. This shirt is really perfect for everything: workouts or casual wear. What's extra nice about it is this is not something you'll find at your local chain store so you will be very unique when sporting it!
So if you are looking for something unique for yourself or for a gift check out Sugar Apple Design for products reflected from and made in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
I was provided a complimentary tee from Sugar Apple Design for the purpose of this review.
Using my thesaurus to find alternate words to the hiptrendywitty tagline that Trendy Tadpole uses, I came up with fashionable stylish clever. And their clothing is their tagline, my synonyms and so much more!
Last year I had won a contest on another blog and picked out the King of the Playground long sleeved tee for my 2 year old nephew. So adorable it was, and I'm pretty sure he draws crowds whenever my sister dresses him in it.
What I didn't know until just recently was that Trendy Tadpole even sells tees for us grown ups! I was generously given one to try out and wear and chose the Japanese Bird. These tees run small and the site does suggest ordering a size up. I normally wear an x-small or a small and ordered a medium, and indeed it fit. I like my tees fitted, but if I had wanted it a bit looser, even a large would not have been too big.
American Apparel tees are used and they are super soft. The designs available are so unique, and will have people stopping and looking. I had a couple of people ask what my shirt said (good thing the shirt's description on the site says "chirp" since I don't read a lick of Japanese! I must have looked so smart answering those people! Thanks Julie!).
If you are looking for a unique gift for a baby, or birthday, or want to get matching shirts for the kiddies and you, check out the many hip tees available at Trendy Tadpole, and know that you've done good by supporting a small business, shopping American made and being super stylish!
What teen doesn't want to be noticed when they're out in public? Well there might be a couple out there, but I know my daughter enjoys being the center of attention, and while her brains get her noticed on occasion, many times it happens from the clothes she is wearing.
So I let Amber loose to peruse the Crazy Dog T-shirts website and she saw a number of fun t-shirts she'd like to add to her laundry pile, but ultimately she chose the Rock is Dead t-shirt.
This fun t-shirt is made by David and Goliath, who proudly announce on their hang tags "We Make Stupid Stuff So You Don't Have To". The hang tag was lovingly saved from the shirt and mounted on her cork board. That proves this shirt has style lol!
100% cotton this tee is comfy and made to look worn out right from new. If you order this brand make sure you order a size larger than you would otherwise. Amber is not very big (less than 5 feet tall and about 90 lbs), and the medium was not in stock so we chose the large, and it fits her just fine. She likes the fact that there is not an inner tag on the neckline to make it itchy!
She wore this to the fair the other day while she was manning the dairy booth handing out milkshakes, and lone behold, she got noticed! Some guy was ready to comment that "rock is NOT dead", and then read the rest of the shirt, and did laugh over it. That made her day.
Hubby is pleading asking for the I'm On A Boat t-shirt to wear on our upcoming transatlantic cruise. (For those of you who don't realize, a "ship" and a "boat" should never be confused, lol!). At only $14.99 he might actually find this one under the Christmas Tree.
You too can be the proud owner of a Crazy Dog Tshirt, as the nice peeps there are giving one away to a blog reader here at Three Different Directions.
To enter take a peek at their t-shirts and leave a comment with the one you would like to have.
For extra entries: (the above entry must be done before any extra entries are counted, please leave a separate comment for each one you are eligible for)
1. Follow Crazy Dog Tshirts and Me on Twitter and tweet this giveaway (this can be done daily) 2. Become a fan of Crazy Dog Tshirts on Facebook 3. Sign up for Crazy Dog Tshirts newsletter 3. Follow my blog publicly 4. Subscribe to my feed via e-mail or reader 5. Post my button on your blog 6. Blog about this giveaway linking back to me
This giveaway is open to US Residents ages 18+ and will end on September 3, 2009 at 11:59 pm cst. Winner will be notified by e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond with their shipping details or a new winner will be chosen. By entering this giveaway you are acknowledging that you have read and agreed to both the **About Reviews at the bottom of this page and the Privacy/Rules statement on my site.
I was provided a tshirt from Crazy Dog Tshirts to review prior to writing this post.
If you want an easy and affordable way to make over your teen's room, check out theYour Zoneline currently available at Walmart.
From throw pillows to furniture, there will be something your teen will like, actually with the variety of colors and patterns offered it may be difficult for them to decide!
As one of More Than Eleven Moms I was chosen to do a room make over using the Your Zone line for my 13 year old daughter Amber's room. Some of our favorite items from the Your Zone collection include:
Floor Cushion ($20.00) - This is a great alternative to traditional seating. It's perfect in Amber's room for when she and her friends are playing her Wii. She also likes to put it up against the headboard of her bed for extra support and comfort when she's reading.
Reversible Comforter & Sham Set ($29.50 - $39.50)- This comforter is a deal for the price. The full/queen is a generous size (it hangs over to the box spring on a queen size bed). It is a nice weight, washable and it is well made.
Pop It Storage Bin ($12.00) - A fun way to add color and keep things contained. Amber's using hers as a laundry hamper, but really it could store stuffed toys, sporting equipment, the never ending handbags that girls seem to own....
Gadget Charging Station ($12.00) - This is a cool accessory and would make a great gift for a teen. It holds 3 electronic devices and comes ready for them to plug and charge so t hat the cords are contained and kept neat. Your teen can finally keep all of those toys in one place. The devices are easily removed from the station and your kids can charge their phones, mp3 players and cameras while they sleep.
Amber is so pleased with her new room make over using the Your Zone line from Walmart. If you'd like to see what we did with it you can check out a video we made of the room.
Walmart's Your Zone landing page is full of cool tools and fun stuff to get inspired and design a room. Seeing it in 3D is very fun! That is how Amber got started in deciding which bedding and accessories she wanted in her room. at http://instoresnow.walmart.com/Your-Zone.aspx
In comparison to other stores that market furniture, bedding and accessories for teens, Walmart's Your Zone line is inexpensive. Another bonus to Your Zone is, you can order it online and have it shipped using Walmart's Site to Store option and then shipping is free! I ordered over 90% of the items we got for the room make over using this method, and I was thoroughly impressed with it.
Walmart is giving one reader of my blog the chance to snag a $500 Gift Card!! This giveaway will end on September 8, 2009 at 11:59 pm cst and open to U.S. Residents ages 18+. The winner will be chosen by random.org and will be e-mailed. Due to the time constraints in which the gift card will be delivered, the winner will have 48 hours to respond to the e-mail or an alternate winner will be chosen. By entering this giveaway you are stating that you have read my **About Reviews statement at the bottom of this page and my Privacy/Rules declaration and agree to them.
In order to enter this giveaway visit the Your Zone line at Walmart.com and comment with a piece of the line your child (or you!) would like.
For extra entries you can: (the item above must be done first before extra entries can be submitted, please leave a separate comment for each you are eligible for)
1. Follow me on twitter and tweet this giveway (this can be once per day, please leave the direct link to your tweet in the comments). 2. Follow my blog publicly. 3. Subscribe to my feed via e-mail or reader. 4. Blog about this giveaway linking back to my blog. 5. Add my button to your blog.
I was provided a $500 gift card to purchase items from the Your Zone line by Walmart prior to filming my video located at walmart.com and publishing this post.
Read about how Calypso Studios is wanting to promote Earth Day with their S.H.O.P. Totes ™ and a contest they are having along with it.
Hurry though, the contest ends at Noon EST tomorrow, Earth Day!!
CALYPSO STUDIOS ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST EARTH DAY EVENT
In keeping with the spirit of Calypso Studios S.H.O.P. Totes ™ (Start Helping Our Planet), the company is excited to launch its first annual Earth Day Event. Calypso
Studios wants to promote this important day in our world by donating $10,000 worth of its S.H.O.P. Totes ™.
Calypso Studios launched the S.H.O.P. Totes ™ January 1, 2009. The company collaborated with American artists, such as Lori Siebert, Emma Hand, Robin Roderick, Tina Higgins, and Andrea Tachiera to provide beautiful art on the totes. The totes are a fashionable way to Start Helping Our Planet by using reusable bags. The spacious bags are 17” x 19” when opened and easily roll up into a 2” x 3” size. Three bags are conveniently stored in an 8” x 6” wristlet carrying case. Calypso Studios S.H.O.P. Totes were also chosen as one of the celebrity giveaway swag bags at the Academy Awards in February. Celebrate Earth Day carrying the bag the celebrities use!
Our Earth Day mission is to encourage everyone to get in the habit of carrying reusable bags on every shopping excursion – whether to the grocery store, mall, or on vacation. We want to Start Helping Our Planet by discouraging the use of plastic and paper bags.
Plastic bags are harmful to the earth in several ways:
Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide
According to the EPA, over 380 billion bags are used in the USA every year, which is more than 1200 per resident and it takes about 12 million barrels of oil to make this many bags.
Over 46,000 pieces of plastic are floating in our oceans worldwide
Each reusable bag you use has the potential to eliminate an average of 1000 bags over its lifetime.
To participate in our Earth Day Event please register on the retail website: www.calypsostudiosinc.com This event begins at 12 noon est on April 1, 2009 and will end at 12 noon est on Earth Day, April 22, 2009. A drawing will be held on the evening of April 22 to select the winners. These lucky individuals will each receive an Acts of Kindness S.H.O.P. Tote ™..
Please carry your bag with you on every shopping trip to show that you are helping your planet by not using plastic or paper bags. Calypso Studios S.H.O.P. Totes ™ are fashionable, convenient, and affordable. Let’s end the waste of plastic and paper bags and keep our world clean and green!
I've shared in so many posts already how Genius just loves to draw. Both on paper and on the computer.
Doug Hatch of Core Learning so generously sent us Corefx Three Level and the Crayola Art Studio to enjoy and draw with!
Corefx Three Level is a graphic design program that has three levels to learn and play on. Crayola Art Studio was released in November and it has the first two levels from Corefx plus some additional art images supplied by Crayola.Crayola Art Studio is great for young children who art starting to work with digital art.
Level One is pretty basic with little children in mind. It has a crayon, marker and brush for manipulating colors to draw with.
Level Two is more advanced than the first level. Though not difficult to understand. It has a wider variety of textures to use and clip art to add more options to create.
Level Three is what Genius declares is "a winner". She stated that Corefxhas a lot of feature that for her make it better than Photoshop.
Different textures and types of brushes you can use. You can create a picture using pixel by pixel (or manipulate an already created picture). It has a straight line tool (very important for drawing). It is much more user friendly and very easy to use and understand, than other graphic design software.
For me as a mom, I think it is a great program because it is very versatile to use with many ages because of the three levels. It is also a more affordable option than most graphic software available, the cost of it is $59.95. It has been awarded a number of accolades as well, which to me shows that others also think it is a quality product.
Here is a picture that Genius created using CoreFX. She used the following tools to create this image:
Felt brush
acrylic paint
fill button
pencil
smearing & darkening
highlighting edges
See how many options there are to this program! And there are far more! Besides, drawing, painting and photo editing, this program also does animation.
Core Learning provides more than Corefx and Crayola Art Studio though. They offer Math, Health, Language, and Critical Thinking software as well.
Head over to Core Learning to learn about all their products. There are 3 day download demos available for both the Crayola Art Studio and Corefx, as well as screenshots of some of their other software. All of the products sold have a detailed description of what they entail, and make sure to check out their
Genius has three ideas for career opportunities that she would like to explore for her future.
The first one is engineering. She is interested in getting a degree to be able to use that to design roller coasters, and if that fun job doesn't pan out, maybe just bridges (lol!). She will be attending a one day seminar at the state college in March to get a better idea of what an engineer actually does. That should be fun!
The second is to be adept at computer networking. That hardly surprised me. Hubby has had three computers networked and running since she was old enough to walk and talk (meaning she has had her own, since the day she was able to use it). Watching Daddy disassemble, insert memory/hard drives/dvd drives etc, and reassemble the computer is a daily activity around here.
The third one is to become a graphic designer. Again this didn't shock us. If she isn't drawing with paper and pencils, she's drawing on the computer. Last year I bought myself Photoshop Elements to do digital scrapbooking with, and Genius promptly absconded with the discs to load them on her computer so she could draw with it.
She designed the above book cover, for a language arts assignment, after we read the book Frindle. She was tasked with drawing an alternate cover that would explain the book. If you've ever read it, I think she did a great job, how about you?
In any case, I'm too cheap to look for any other programs for her to fiddle with at the moment. They can be very expensive, and some aren't user friendly. We've checked out some of the downloadable free ware programs, but again, either they're not easy to learn or don't have the options she's looking for.
Core Learning (who incidentally was a part of the TOS Crew Marketing Campaign, but I never received a product from them to review), has a program called Corefx Level 3, that looks perfect for what Genius aspires to do with her graphic designing.
A fellow TOS Crewer, has a giveaway on her blog for this software, courtesy of Core Learning, the deadline to enter is Friday, January 9th at Midnight CST. If you are interested in winning, head on over to Freely Educate!
I was so fortunate to win a Blog Giveaway from MomDot. Kim at What's That Smell?, generously created buttons for our blogs for a couple of us winners. If you are at all interested in getting a button for your blog, check out Kim's work, the designs she created for me were great, and she was quick too! So here is the great unveiling -- grab it stick it up on your blog, and I shall forever be in your debt!
I have recently found myself drawn to the craft of digital scrapbooking. I was doing paper scrapbooking for the last couple of months, but have run across so many photos in our digital archives that I have wanted to scrap, but found it too much work to pick out the particular ones I wanted, have them printed and then make pages. After much perusing online, I have found that digital scrapbooking can be just as (if not more) creative and satisfying than traditional scrapbooking.
I stumbled across Diamante Designs where they have what is called a "scraplift challenge". Basically you take the idea of the original scrapbooker and make a page of your own, based on their design.
I decided to participate in this one, keep in mind I have never done this before! It's a page of Genius when we were visiting family, and her and my mom swimming in the pool.
It is considered good etiquette to give credit where it is due in the digital scrapbooking world. The paper elements on the page were a free item from Mandy Mystiques.
Permalink 
