My Favorite Giveaways of Today

Hearthsong $50 Gift Certificate

Lenox Teacher Ornament

$75 E-Gift Certificate for Target!

My Favorite Giveaways this Week!

It's always fun to enter giveaways...and even more fun to win! Here are a few ofhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif my favorites this week...best of luck! And as always, would love to hear from you if you're a lucky winner!!

Green Town Toys Giveaway (Ends June 17th)

Bling Baby Giveaway (Ends June 7th)

Pediped Shoe Giveaway! (Ends June 7th)

BAGGU Reusable Bags Giveaway (Ends June 15th)

$50 AMEX Gift Card Giveaway (Ends June 8th)

Animal Bag from Boon Inc. (Ends June 9th)

Bamboo Eco-Friendly Diapers (Ends June 9th)

$200 AMEX Gift Card Giveaway! (Ends June 8th)

My Urban Child Gift Certificate Giveaway (Ends June 27th)

Giveaway: Vintage Couture Spring Safari Baby Blanket!

I am LOVING the Vintage Couture (formerly My Vintage Baby) clothing line for my little girl. I love it so much, that I've decided to sell it! There are still minimal Direct Sales Representatives around the U.S...so really, it's a win/win! If you have a precious little one you love to dress up and show off - boys included! - then you MUST check out Vintage Couture! I just can't stop...I'm buying it for my son, who is 6... AND of course, my daughter, 6 months.

To celebrate Vintage Couture and to prove to one of you the quality of their items...I'm giving away a baby blanket from the Spring Safari Collection ($45). This would make a beautiful shower gift - have it embroidered and it's absolutely a one-of-a-kind!

I'm giving you TONS of chances to win! Best of luck and if you have any questions about Vintage Couture, just let me know...I'd love to be of help. I can't tell you how many compliments I've had on their items - diaper bags, hair bows...all of it! Trust me, wear Vintage Couture and it's sure to be a hit! Unique, high-quality fashion...giveaway will end Tuesday, May 31st. You could be the lucky winner! And you may want to follow along...I LOVE Vintage Couture and I LOVE giving things away...hint hint!! ;)

To Enter:

1. You must be a follower of Champagne Wisdom
2. Leave a comment about your favorite item in the Spring Collection (Just click on the "Shop the Collection" box in the lower left-hand corner at the link above)

Additional (optional) Entries:

*Leave a comment on any non-giveaway post (up to 3)
1 Extra Entry per Comment

*Subscribe via email to Champagne Wisdom
3 Extra Entries

*Tweet (once per day)
1 Extra Entry

Win a Vintage Couture Baby Blanket! http://tiny.cc/vc1k5 @champagnewisdom

*Mention this contest/Vintage Couture on your blog
3 Extra Entries

*Live in the Gadsden/Birmingham area? Book a Trunk Show!
10 Extra Entries!

*Buy any item from the spring collection (spend $50 and get a free doll dress for EVERY $50 you spend!)
10 Extra Entries

That's TONS of chances to win...spread the word and good luck! Spring items are selling out quickly...if you're a lover of Vintage, shop now!! If you have a question about a specific item/size, let me know and I'll see if it's in stock. Happy Shopping!

Vintage Couture - Cute Clothes for Little Angels! Future Giveaway!!

Okay...so I am LOVING Vintage Couture!! Vintage Couture is a line of PRECIOUS clothing and accessories for children and moms. Most of their clothing is for the little ones, but they do offer some GREAT clothes for mom occasionally as well. They have hair bows, blankets, diaper bags, etc. It's SUPER fun, SUPER fashionable and SUPER unique! This is a fairly new line, so you won't see many people wearing it - dress your little one in it and you're sure to be a hit!!

I LOVE that they have super stylish clothing for boys AS WELL as for girls. It's easy to find fun things for my daughter, but not so easy when it comes to my son.

Go to Vintage Couture, scroll to the bottom left-hand corner and click to browse the catalog. For every $100 spent (not necessarily from one person, just any sales that add up to $100), I will be hosting a Vintage Couture giveaway!! This offer will go through the end of May, so pass along to your friends and at the end of May be sure to follow along and look for the giveaway postings. Have fun shopping!!

My Baby Clothes Boutique Giveaways!

I LOVE My Baby Clothes Boutique!! They have THE cutest baby clothes EVER - at prices that are really, truly, fabulously INEXPENSIVE! Right now there are several websites giving away $25 gift codes for you to pick out anything you'd like from My Baby Clothes Boutique. Remember...you can't win if you don't enter. And as always, would love to know if any of you win! Best of luck and happy shopping...

$25 giveaway at The Fashionable Bambino

$25 giveaway at Being Frugal and Making it Work

Book Giveaway - 5 Winners!

Be sure to check out my reading blog, The Need 2 Read, for a chance to win a copy of the children's book, "The Tarantula in My Purse and 172 Other Wild Pets". You'll find a ton of fun resources for reading with children. Be sure to follow along for more fun book and reading giveaways to come!

Click here for your chance to win a copy of this light-hearted, great read for kids!

Build-A-Bear Giveaway!

Build-a-Bear is such a fun concept! Great for creative play, parties and just a day out with mom! Today only Build-a-Bear has FREE SHIPPING on ALL orders - no minimum - so it's a great day to finish up some shopping with them!! AND if you go through Ebates you can get 4.5% back on your purchases - so you'll get a better deal today by shopping online rather than going in store. They have some great deals on their Frosty the Snowman - $15 when you enter code 95647 at checkout - and their Beary Merry Teddy is only $5 when you spend $30 - what a great, inexpensive Christmas gift!!

Champagne Wisdom is giving away a $10 gift card for Build-a-Bear! AND I'll include a $10 off $30 coupon, so you could actually get $30 worth of products for only $10!! OR - you could always just spend the $10 on a free outfit, pair of shoes, etc. for your favorite furry friend!

Simply leave a comment below and tell me your favorite Christmas tradition! Get an extra entry for following, subscribing by email or feed, sharing this giveaway on facebook or twitter and for leaving a comment on a non-giveaway post. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. Giveaway will end 12/16 and the winner will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond. Thanks for reading along at Champagne Wisdom!

CSN Stores Giveaway!

So have you heard of CSN Stores?? If you haven't, where have you been?! CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find anything and everything you need whether it be a chic handbag, TV tables or even cute cookware in bright colors! You will seriously LOVE shopping with them - especially for Christmas! The great thing about CSN Stores, other than the great quality and unbelievable selection is that most items ship FREE! You just can't beat it for quality, selection and price. Not to mention, you can find classic items as well as items that are unique in selection.

I recently made several purchases with them in an attempt to tackle my son's Christmas list! I purchased a cute submarine play set AND an on-so-comfy looking bean bag chair that will be GREAT for relaxing and playing his Nintendo DS. I can't wait for him to see what Santa brings this year!!

Oh, and I have to admit, I've ordered something for myself as well...a Farberware Non-stick Skillet...which is truly THE BEST skillet I have ever owned!!

As you can see, there is something for everyone at CSN Stores. And lucky for you, the kind folks behind the scenes are giving one of my readers a chance to win a $35 credit to use anyway you'd like!! You can get what's on your wish list - or anyone's wish list for that matter!

All you have to do to enter is visit www.csnstores.com and tell me what you would spend your $35 on...and get an extra entry for leaving a separate comment telling me who this will be for...you, a family member, a friend?

Here are several ways to gain more entries, please leave a separate comment for each:
*Follow Champagne Wisdom via Google Friend Connect (3 entries)
*Follow my Reading for Kids blog, The Need 2 Read (3 entries)
*Sign up for email updates (10 entries)
*Follow me via twitter
*Tweet this giveaway (2 entries) - You can use the following:

Win $35 to CSN Stores from Champagne Wisdom! http://tiny.cc/31jeu

*Leave a comment on any other non-giveaway post (up to 5)
*Leave a comment telling me what you've purchased from CSN Stores in the past!
*Make a $1 donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (Click the button below)and get 10 extra entries! Be sure to leave 10 separate comments!

Giveaway will end 12/12 and winner will be contacted via email and given 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Thanks and good luck!

PaperJamz and Another Chance to Win!

I'm SO wanting to get the PaperJamz guitar, drums and amplifier set for my son for Christmas!! I know...I'm crazy!! If you haven't heard of PaperJamz and you have a son or a little boy in the family to buy for this year, you need to check it out! Also, check out this information on opportunities to WIN from Rayovan, PaperJamz and Mommy Goggles:

Rayovac wants to power your holidays with fun new contest. To enter, just visit the Mom Rocks the Holidays with Rayovac contest tab on Facebook, like them and tell them how you or your mom makes the holidays rock for a chance to win the Grand Prize of $1,000 cash! There will be 3 Grand Prize winners and 20 Runner Up winners will take home a Paper Jamz guitar, amp, drum kit, guitar strap, and two Rayovac Alkaline AAA 24 packs of batteries.

Also, be sure to visit Mommy Goggles Moms Rock the Holidays with Rayovac & Paper Jamz Giveaway where you can win 1 of 5 Mom Rocks the Holiday prize packs that include a $50 Visa Gift Card, Paper Jamz guitar and Rayovac Alkaline AAA 24 pack of batteries.

Disclosure – Followers who promote the Rayovac Mom Rocks the Holidays Sweepstakes may receive gifts from Rayovac.

Giveaways Galore!

I'm ALL about entering giveaways - it pays off!! But...you can't win, if you don't enter! There are some great giveaways floating around in the blogosphere right now...especially with Christmas quickly approaching! I'm going to try to highlight some of my favorites throughout the month and I would love for you to do the same! And always, if you win - let me know!! Winning is fun - and I would love to know that you won on a giveaway you found through Champagne Wisdom.

Currently...here's one of my favorite giveaways, ending December 9th:

Over at Mommy Mandy you can enter her Los Angeles Auto Show giveaway and win $750 in gift cards!! Here's what the lucky winner will receive:

* One $200 gas card
* One $200 Visa gift card
* One $300 Lowe’s gift card (to get started on making over your garage!)
* Eco Car Care Kit ($49.99)

I don't know about you, but those gift cards would sure come in handy in the Champagne Household!! Just go here to enter! Wishing you love and luck...

Merry Christmas from Game Stop and Today's Mama!

Okay...so I haven't been here in a looong while, but I've had SO much going on, my son started Kindergarten, I took on extra responsibilities at work and I had a new baby!! Ms. Pootie Pants, as her daddy calls her...lol, was born on November 5th. Welcome to the family Pootie Pants!!

I'll admit, while I'm not going to be able to blog to the extent I was blogging before, I am going to try my best to add some posts here and there - after all, I LOVE BLOGGING! And it plays a role in keeping me sane... :)

Today, what better way to get started back than to tell you about an AMAZING giveaway from Gamestop and Today's Mama... you're DEFINITELY going to want to check this out!! Look at my wish list below and create your own wish list on YOUR blog...who knows...one of us might be the lucky winner!!

Here's wishing you and yours and VERY happy Thanksgiving...

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme:

TodaysMama (link to: http://bit.ly/tmwishlist) and GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What is your holiday wish for your family?
I wish for a happy, healthy and joyous Christmas as we celebrate our first Christmas as a family of four. I wish that we would forever be grateful for what we have, where we have been and what we have become while remembering those less fortunate who could benefit from our prayers and good deeds. Ultimately, I wish that as we celebrate, we would remember and instill in our children the TRUE meaning of Christmas...our Savior, Jesus Christ.

2. What is your Christmas morning tradition?
We always get up and see what Santa has brought, then cook a big breakfast for my parents, brother and grandparents...they come over to eat and see Santa's stash! It's always fun to get together early in the morning before the festivities of the day really begin!

3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be?
A new wardrobe!!! Ha! Since I'm two weeks out from having a baby, NOTHING fits...and going back to work full time in January just can't be done naked...hehehe. :)

4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money?
Homemade decorations with my five year old son, reading books together and Bible stories, singing carols, going to look at Christmas lights, making Christmas lists, visiting local Christmas celebrations - so much to do as a family!

5. What games did you play with your family growing up?
I had the very first, basic Nintendo - haha! We were also fans of childhood games such as Sorry, Candy Land, Operation, Life and Go Fish.

6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood?
Our Christmas morning breakfast, which used to be at my mom's, now is at my house.

7. Where would you go for a Christmas-away-from-home trip?
Would LOVE to go to New York to see the lights - I've never been to New York!!

8. Check out GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) and tell us, what are the three top items on your GameStop Wish List this year?
Definitely an XBox 360 console for my son - and the Kinect is a must! He wants one SO bad!! Second on the list would be the game Kinectimals...he thinks that's the coolest thing ever when he sees it advertise, and third would be some games for my brother, brother in law and cousins for their gaming consoles for Christmas...would love to be able to get them some games, which we usually can't afford as Christmas gifts. Here's crossing my fingers for that lucky gift card!! :)

Old Navy Giveaway - Hurry, Hurry!!

GREAT chances to win a $50 off $100 Old Navy coupon over at Laughing Lindsay - she's giving away 10 of them!! Hurry though, the giveaway ends at midnight tonight. I don't know about you, but I could definitely put one of those to good use!! Just visit Lindsay's giveaway here!

Good Luck!!

My Favorite Giveaways

Here are a few favorite giveaways I've found around the Internet today...I've entered, why don't you??

Old Barn Rescue Wall Graphics for Your Home

Nuddle - Blanket of Hollywood

Clog Outlet Giveaway - win some CUTE shoes!

Crave Laptop Backpack and Compaq Mini Netbook!
Ends tonight!

Win 1 of 3 $25 Home Depot Gift Cards

A Giveaway from Made by Meegz

I found one of my all time favorite Etsy Shops recently...Made by Meegz! Since my husband bought me a new camera for Christmas, it has become one of my FAVORITE things to do - take pictures!! I'm so glad I found Made by Meegz! Megan is one stylish designer and I'm in love with her camera straps! Trust me, no matter WHAT kind of camera you own, Megan has something for YOU! Make your camera yours, spot it in a crowd, put a Made by Meegz strap on your camera and it will set you apart - in your own world of style!

Megan's SLR camera straps are a fun addition to any camera. "Depending on your height, photographers can wear the shorter (32 inch) strap around their neck or shoulder and the longer strap(38 inch) around their body for less stress on the neck and back."

Made by Meegz is the home and creator of the "super functional Quick Release strap. This strap is great to take off to switch to another strap depending on your mood & location. They are also great to get rid of that annoying strap when shooting on a tripod. Finally, you can just take off the strap all together and clip the two ends of the nylon webbing together to carry your SLR with a small handle. You can't go wrong with the QUICK RELEASE STRAP"...there are just so many great accessories to pick from at Made by Meegz!

The good part? You never have to worry about the safety of your camera: The nylon webbing on these straps has been tested at 600 pounds. The fabric strap and plastic has been tested at 100 pounds. Sounds pretty sturdy to me!

Megan takes custom orders, so if you can think it, she can create it! You can also find wrist straps, lanyards and key chains at Made by Meegz!

I recently asked Megan to tell us a bit more about her shop. Here's what she had to say:

What is the inspiration behind your Etsy Shop?
The kids are growing up so I have more time now -- gives me "purpose" as a SAHM -- and I am REALLY enjoying sewing.

Also(as printed on my sidebar of www.madebymeegz.com):I'm so excited to have this new site. I have always stayed at home to take care of our kids and even though it's been what I want to do, I've always felt like I was missing something.

This site is helping me to have the best of both worlds. I made a camera strap for a photog friends birthday earlier this year, she loved it, and the camera straps have just blossomed from there.

I'm loving designing and creating unique straps for YOU!

What is your favorite item in the shop?
Any reversible strap -- TWO in ONE!

What is your most popular strap?
Garden with Style and Splash of Red

Thanks, Megan!

Megan is giving away ONE item of your choice to a very lucky Champagne Wisdom reader - yay!!

How to enter:
Just leave a comment below telling us what you will pick from Made by Meegz if you're the lucky winner!

Want extra entries? We've got them! Get one extra entry for each thing you do below - be sure to leave a separate comment for each:
*Follow Champagne Wisdom
*Subscribe via email to Champagne Wisdom (3 entries)
*Follow Chmampagne Wisdom and Made by Meegz on twitter and tweet this giveaway - leave the link. You can do this daily.
*Tell Megan another type of fabric or design you would love to see in her shop.
*Follow Made by Meegz on Facebook
*Visit the Made by Meegz website and tell me something else you learned
*Grab a button - either Champagne Wisdom's button, the Made by Meegz button on her website, or both! TWO entries per button!
*Enter any of the giveaways over at 2 Little Muffins and let me know which one

This giveaway will end at 9:00pm central time...March 7th. Be sure to leave your email address in your comments or have it available in your blogger account. Thanks and good luck!

Something BIG is Coming!

I am soooo excited to announce an upcoming giveaway event featuring Etsy shops that give back! I have a fabulous line up of shops and the list is still growing - you DEFINITELY won't want to miss it! Giving to charity - whether it be for medical research, children, education or animals...is so important. This upcoming giveaway event will be an Easter celebration of THE perfect gift - celebrating Easter and its meaning through shops and individuals who give their gift of time and proceeds to worthy charities. The event will begin around the middle of March - be sure to follow or subscribe so you don't miss the multitude of giveaways coming up as these shop owners bless you with their stories of giving and offer items from their shops for Champagne Wisdom readers.

I can't wait!

Ecostore USA - Review and Giveaway!

I was so excited when I received two products from Ecostore USA to review. I've always WANTED to live greener, especially since becoming a mom, but sometimes it's difficult to find inexpensive alternatives - especially when you live in an area that doesn't even have a recycling program (THAT's a great project I need to look into getting started). Ecostore USA was kind enough to send me their Laundry Liquid AND their Toilet Cleaner - two things I use regularly, so I thought they would be great items to try out and review. Let me tell you...I AM SOLD! I will be going to Ecostore USA time and time again to restock these two cleaners - and to try out some of their other items!! I LOVE THEM!

The Laundry Liquid:
I'm constantly washing. My son and husband both have allergies, so I try to buy detergents that are free of dyes and perfumes - although I like the nice, clean smell - I tend to do without them for the two men in my life. Well, I got the best of both worlds with this laundry detergent from Ecostore USA!! Not ONLY is it 100% organic and free of chemicals, it has THE BEST clean smell!! Since it contains organic Eucalyptus oil, my entire laundry room smelled like Eucalyptus - but it wasn't overpowering...it was just subtle, clean and nice. So for me, my family gets a laundry detergent with no chemicals and "I" get my smell good scent - yay!! LOVING this - it was by all means my favorite out of the two products I tried. It's super concentrated, so one bottle goes a long way. Trust me, I washed all day last Saturday - at least eight large loads - and I still have a TON left to use this week. I caught my husband using it to wash a load of towels...hey, if it will make HIM wash - give me more!!

Ingredients

* Palm and Coconut based non-ionic and anionic surfactants
* Fatty acid derivative
* Mineral hydroxide
* Certified organic Eucalyptus oil


The Toilet Cleaner:
Okay, just let me be honest...I.Can.Not.Stand.To.Clean. I WANT everything to be clean, but I don't like doing it. And honestly, I can't stand being confined in a bathroom, smelling the millions of chemicals you're using to clean...inhaling as you scrub...that can't be good for you?!? PLUS, I live with two males - a small one and a large one - but they both make messes when they go to the restroom. I am ALWAYS having to clean up the toilet - so this product was right up my alley. It cleaned just as well as any other cleaners I have used, it was a good, thick consistency and honestly, I cleaned as soon as I put it in the toilet, but it says to let it sit - so I'm SURE if I had let it sit, I would be seeing even MORE sparkle! I was just impatient...but it still worked great! It also says you can use it on Stainless Steel, so that's a big plus in my book!!

Ingredients

* Water
* Ethanol
* Anionic and Amphoteric Detergents (from coconut oil)
* Formic acid
* Ethereal Oils
* Chlorophyll
* Polysaccharide
* Citric acid


A BIG thank you to Maggie and Ecostore USA for allowing me to review these products - I'm in love!

Ecostore USA offers MANY items other than household cleaning products, too, that was just my choice when it came to a review. They also sell baby products, bath & body, hair care and even pet products!

Ecostore USA prices their products so that they are VERY affordable - which I love because I'm a coupon clipper. They also offer FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $25 - so that's really a great deal! If you live near a Meijer, you can find an assortment of their products in store, so be sure to look for them the next time you're shopping. Here's a little blurb from their website:


Value for Money

We know it's expensive to buy natural or organic products but we've found a way around this by safely super concentrating our formulations.

* Our plant based ingredients are a lot more expensive than the petrochemical alternatives but we have kept our prices down by economically concentrating our formulations.

* We don't use cheap fillers or bulking agents to make it look like you're getting more for your money - just pure active ingredients.

* This means that you only use a much smaller amount of the product which cuts down significantly on the cost per use.

* In many cases the cost per use is actually less than many 'cheaper looking' supermarket brands.



Ecostore USA is giving one VERY lucky Champagne Wisdom reader a $25 gift certificate to their store - yay!!

To enter, simply leave a comment stating the product you think would best fit your lifestyle and why. Go here to have a looksie around their site.

Want more entries? Gladly!
*Visit the Ecostore USA blog and sign up for their monthly newsletter
*Follow Ecostore USA and Champagne Wisdom on twitter
*Tweet this contest (you can do this daily) and leave a link
*Become an Ecostore USA Facebook Fan
*Sign up for Champagne Wisdom updates via email (3 entries)
*Follow Champagne Wisdom or subscribe via feed
*Grab my button! (3 entries)
*Watch the Healthy Child, Healthy World Video and leave a comment on THAT post about one way you're going to try to live "healthier".
*Vote for my grant and help our students win money for a new reading program.

That's a TON of extra entries! Be sure to leave a separate comment for each thing listed above. This giveaway will end 2/20 @ 9:00am central time. Good luck!

I Need YOU to Help My School Win...Bribery with a Giveaway!

So I have a HUGE favor to ask...pretty please, pretty please, pretty please?? It will only take you a MINUTE, seriously, and you will have done your good deed for the day! I am trying to win a grant for OIS, the school where I teach, for $200 and a Flip Camera. The goal is to use the money to purchase books and then use the Flip Camera to record teachers and community members reading, then upload those videos to our library's website, along the lines of Storyline Online. BUT, in order to win, I need to be one of the top five participants with the most votes - will you help by voting for my grant proposal??

All you have to do is:

1. Go to the We Are Teachers website.

2. In the middle of the page it will say "Search Microgrant Projects". The first search box will say "search all projects" ... in the second box, type my name - Jamie Champagne. Click search.

3. This will pull up my microgrant and from there, you'll just click on "Vote For Me" and fill in your information.

I would LOVE for you to spread the word via twitter, blogging, Facebook, etc. I am giving away one coupon for a FREE DiGiorno Pizza to one lucky voter. The coupon expires February 28th, so we'll close voting on February 14th so I can get the coupon to you in time to use it. Once you vote, please leave a comment below. If you spread the word, have anyone who votes because of your "word of mouth" leave a comment with their name AND your name - and you'll both be entered (You can gain multiple entries this way). Be sure to leave a comment for each thing you do - twitter, facebook, blog, send an email, etc. Thanks so much for helping the students of OIS!!

Valentine Giveaways Galore!

Don't forget to enter the AWESOME giveaways going on in celebration of all things Etsy and Valentine's Day!! These giveaways are ending within a week, so don't get left out - you may be the next winner! Just click on the links below to go straight to the giveaway page:

Raptor Baby: Wooden Toy Set

Om Sewn Creations: Valentine's Day Onesie/Tutu Set

Red Earth Girl: Chalkboard to Go

Gone Doggie: Plush Valentine Puppy

ElizaGraham: I Heart Mom or I Heart Dad Shirt

Bath & Beads Etc: Heart Fizzie Bath Set

Tweet Memories: Valentine's Day Banner

Good luck! I can't wait to see who the winners are!

A Valentine Feature and Giveaway from Tickled TuTu

My favorite Etsy Shops are those that give back. There are so many great causes out there and it's nice to know we're each doing our part. That's one of the many reasons I love Tickled Tutu. Tickled TuTu, a Boutique for Girls, has some of THE cutest hair bows, headbands, tutus and other various girlie accessories. I'm telling you, if I had a girl, I would have already spent my paycheck at Tickled Tutu!! And the best thing, in my opinion? Kristen, the owner of Tickled Tutu, has created a one-of-a-kind 2010 Buy a Heart Give a Heart Tutu. What does that mean to you? For each of these tutus Kristen sells, she will donate one in your name to the Children's Hospital of Denver. That makes my heart happy!

Kristen is truly a creative soul. Everything in her shop is a must have - whether you're shopping for your own sweet girl or a friend or family member. Anything from Tickled Tutu is sure to win the heart of it's sweet recipient - PERFECT for upcoming Valentine's Day!

Kristen was kind enough to share her background, inspiration and TIME with us by recently answering a few questions. I know her answers will make you smile, as they made me:

What first caught your interest about making Tutus for little ones?
Back in November of 2009, I was sitting with my son Owen on the couch one morning and we were brainstorming gifts that we could make or purchase for our friends and family. Typically my family enjoys gifts “from the heart” rather than other material items, so it’s sometimes difficult to think of something sentimental that hasn’t already been given in Christmas’s past. I have a niece named Morgan who is just darling and her mother is pregnant with her second child, another girl. Morgan is an awesome child, just full of love and happiness, and when I got down to her name on the gift list I was stumped. I knew she loved girly things; she wears a princess dress almost every day and her parents can rarely get her to wear anything else. I knew that she also really enjoys going to dance class every so often; she can even do ballerina moves on command. So I was browsing online and came across a few beautiful tutus and thought, “this couldn’t be that difficult, I will make Morgan a beautiful tutu!” So off to the fabric store Owen and I went. If you can imagine buying all things girly with my then 4 month old son; we got a few looks to say the least. I had been in a fabric store probably twice in my life, including this visit. So after looking through what seemed like hundreds of isles of STUFF, I finally found some pretty material that I thought would be nice to make a tutu out of. Turns out it was tulle, thank goodness, because I could have been buying felt for all I knew. Owen and I came home a few hours later; I did the hand off to Dad and locked myself up in my “craft dungeon”—yes, this used to be the guest room but guests are no longer welcome in my craft dungeon unless they take serious precautions! At 3am, I had finished my first tutu. It was hideous. I cried. Then I decided to sleep it off and perhaps try again the following day; so I did just that. And what came out was the most beautiful piece of work I had ever made! I hoped Morgan would love it too; and being the type of person who can’t keep secrets for more than 12 hours, I was at Morgan’s house giving Morgan her month-early Christmas gift; on the condition that she would be my first tutu model. She loved it. And I cried again. Happy tears! The photos hoot was more than amazing. The day was beautiful, Morgan’s mom and grandmother joined us and together we took over 1,000 photos. Morgan was definitely not camera shy! After that day, I knew that I had found something that I loved; something that I could do at home with my baby, and something that would truly make me feel good about giving beautiful gifts to little girls.

What is your favorite item you've created so far and why?
I have so many favorites; I think that’s actually one of my weaknesses. I get very attached to my work because I enjoy making tutus and accessories so much that I feel like I really put my heart and soul into all that I do. I wouldn’t sell it if I didn’t love it! However, the tutu that I first gave to my niece Morgan is probably my favorite. It actually just sold last week, and as I packaged it up I wondered if the receiver of the tutu would love it as much as I did. After taking a few last photos, we parted ways at the local post office J I also really love the little Valentine’s Day onesies. Maybe it’s just the fact that they are so small and it’s hard to believe that those little items fit babies, but they do, and they look SUPER cute on!

Is there anything you would like to tell readers about yourself on a more personal level - kids, hometown, a favorite Etsy shop, pets, etc?
Well; I am a 26 year old stay at home mom to my wonderful 6 month old baby boy Owen Michael. My husband Chris and I got married in June of 2008 at the Sanctuary Golf Course in Sedalia, CO—one of the most amazing days of our lives. I previously had a job that I loved, but gave that up when the big news of what in the future would come to be known as Owen, came in December of 2008. At 25, Chris and I certainly were not in the mindset for having children, but life is funny sometimes and strangely always seems to work itself out. I remember calling my mom the night that I found out I was for sure pregnant; she was hanging the star up on her Christmas tree. I told her the news and then heard the ladder fall. (Don’t worry, no one was hurt, not even the star!) From that moment on, my mom was super excited…for a girl of course! So at 20 weeks and 1 day when I had to break the news to her that we were having a turtle (as one of my good friends refers to boys as) I could see the disappointment in her eyes for about a millisecond; and then we celebrated. 10 fingers, 10 toes, and an extra part that doesn’t come with little girls! J So in a way, I still am able to allow her to enjoy all girly things, because I now own my own business revolving around them! Maybe in a few years we will try again; but if it turns out that we are blessed with another boy, I will be just as thrilled as the first time. But for now, it’s just me, Owen, Chris and our two crazy cats—they really are insane. When we brought Owen home from the hospital for the first time, I thought it was going to take some kitty Xanax to calm down our felines.

I am originally from Kansas (GO JAYHAKWS!) and you will always find me pacing in the living room when there is a KU basketball game on. I actually can rarely sit and watch an entire game. My dad and I just send text updates every few minutes to remind each other than it’s just a game…but it’s a KU GAME!

I came across Etsy just randomly one day when googl-ing something random. I thought the site was so amazing—all of these crafters who are so talented are actually putting themselves out there and getting recognized for their awesome talents. So I joined. And thus beings the tutu adventures on Etsy! There are SO many cute shops on Etsy. I find myself staying up late at night almost every night when Chris and Owen have gone to bed just mesmerized by the things for sale on Etsy. I love the girly shops, I love the shops tailored for boys as well; just wish I knew how to make some of those boyish goods! Every time I come across a shop that blows my mind, I send a little note to the shop owner just to say, “girlfriend, you rock!” Not to say there aren’t male Etsy-ers, but so far I haven’t come across any of those shops requiring me to say “boyfriend, you rock!”…which would be weird and I would have to probably come up with another compliment.

And finally, what are your thoughts on Valentine's Day? Do you celebrate? How?
I have always enjoyed Valentine’s Day; mostly because when I was growing up my dad would send me flowers to school every single Valentine’s Day—and since I was that girl who never had a boyfriend in high school caring enough to do something like that, it always make my heart feel warm. For the past few years, Chris and I have celebrated Valentine’s Day usually with a nice dinner and a movie at home. It just seems right that way. A big snuggly pajama party. With chocolate of course. And roses are nice too. However, a few years ago we splurged and went to a really nice restaurant in Cherry Creek (part of Denver); there was a young couple, probably 16 years old on a Valentine’s Day date. We had more fun watching the two of them awkwardly interact than anything! Until the poor teenage boy got the bill for the dinner and didn’t have enough money to pay for both himself and his date’s dinner. He excused himself from the table and had to go to the pay phone to call his mom and see if she could bring him some money!! Mom didn’t answer, poor guy. I was heartbroken and had Chris slip him some cash. I hope those two are still together and get married one day and come across this blog; I don’t think the girlfriend even knew that there was a money issue going on. So cute. This year Valentine’s Day will be super special because we have our little cupid, Owen. So probably more pj parties and movies, and of course chocolates and roses J. However, I would like to share the Valentine’s Day joy with children at the Denver Children’s Hospital by donating the Buy A Heart, Give A Heart Tutu to as many of them as possible. Everyone deserves to feel the warmth in your heart and what better than to do that than with a beautiful sparkly tutu on Valentine’s Day. After having a child of my own, it makes things so much more real to understand the children that are suffering from pain and in need of help and sometimes just a hug. What I can offer are tutus; well hugs too, I have plenty of those to go around but I would love to help make a difference for as many children as possible at the Denver Children’s Hospital this Valentine’s Day.

Kristen is offering something truly amazing for Champagne Wisdom Readers. Read on to find out how you can get your hands on one of Kristen's Tutus...free!

For each Buy A Heart, Give A Heart tutu that is purchased, one is donated to the hospital. My family is donating 10 but I would really like to be able to give so many more to these lovely children. The first 10 people to Convo me on Etsy via my shop, Tickled Tutu, and let me know that you were referred from Champagne Wisdom will not only get a free tutu, but will also have an extra tutu donated in your name to the hospital. You will only pay shipping - $6. After the first 10, I am offering free shipping on all Buy A Heart, Give a Heart tutus. I encourage you to help me help others this Valentine’s Day. We all greatly appreciate your kindness and consideration.

Kristen, you don't know how much we appreciate you! Thank you so much for offering such a great deal to the readers of Champagne Wisdom - as well as all the smiles you bring to the children of Denver. Girlfriend, YOU rock!

Please be kind and leave a comment if you are so lucky to be one of the first ten to get a tutu from Kristen. That way, we won't bombard her with messages once the limit has been reached. But most definitely, remember the free shipping deal will still stand even after the first ten tutus have been claimed.

Celebrate Valentine's Day with Tweet Memories: ~A Giveaway~

You know all those cute photo albums, birthday and holiday banners you WANT to create, but can't seem to find the time? Boy do I have the place for you... Welcome to Tweet Memories: YOUR place for everything you need to preserve and display your precious memories. Nicole, a professional crafter, creates custom banners and albums for anything and everything under the sun. I LOVE her Valentine's Day banner!! Her banners would be great for birthdays and parties...or even just to decorate your personal space! These would be GREAT for a school or church party! And her albums?? Think gifts!! Showers, birthday, anniversaries - if you can think it, Nicole can create it.

I recently asked Nicole to share a bit more about her shop. Here's what she had to say:

Tell us about the name of your Etsy Shop. What was your inspiration?
The name of my shop is TweetMemories. I had a hard time coming up with a name because every name I wanted was taken, so I decided to take it from a different angle. I started looking for shop sets on Etsy and came across one I really liked that had a bird on it. I have never been that big into birds, but I really thought it was cute. That night it hit me...I am going to sell scrapbooking items to preserve all your "sweet memories" and then add the bird in there and there you have it..."TweetMemories". And now I just love it and have come to find as I shop around on Etsy that birds are quite popular.

What is your favorite item you've created so far and why?
I would have to say my favorite item would be my "Disney Vacation" paperbag album. I have only listed and sold 1 on Etsy, but have given many away as gifts to my friends. I love it because 1) I am a huge Disney fan and 2) it includes one my best ideas I have come up with...I cutout Mickey Ears and then hand-stitch the child's name (looks just like the Mickey Ears at Disney). They take a lot of precious time to make, but I love them and hope to get more listed soon!

How long have you been crafting and how did you get started?
I have been scrapbooking/crafting for about 14 years. My cousin started selling Creative Memories and go me hooked. Aside from the room full of scrapbooking supplies, you would never know I like to scrapbook...I don't have a single complete scrapbook because I am always doing something for someone else or to sell (and I am a perfectionist and it takes me forever to do one page!). I figure that one day I will have the extra time to catch up. It has only been the last 2 years, that I have been crafting more. I got tired of everyone telling me I needed to sell my albums and finally decided to try Etsy. It has been great...I have met so many wonderful customers! I also teamed up this past fall with 2 other ladies and we participated in some craft shows (our craft show name is "Three Crafty Mommas"). It was fun, but definitely a lot of work!

Is there anything you would like to tell readers about yourself on a more personal level - kids, hometown, a favorite Etsy shop, hobby etc?
I have been married for 8 1/2 years and have two wonderful little boys (age 5 1/2 and 1 1/2). We live in Crestwood, just outside of Louisville, Kentucky (home of the Kentucky Derby). I stay at home with the boys and try to craft any spare moment I have, and sometimes it is not much. Between church, school and sports we stay very busy!

One of my most favorite Etsy shops is AutumnLeah. She sells personalized stickers, tags and more. She has the most precious designs. I admire her talent!

Do you have any plans for up and coming items you can tell us about?
I originally joined Etsy to sell albums and premade scrapbook pages, but the banners are the thing! I would have never thought that such a simple thing would be such a hit. In fact I have had several customers ask me to make some coordinating items to go with the banner for birthday parties and baby showers. So I have decided that I need to come out with some party packs. I plan on including door signs, table centerpieces, highchair banners, party hats, goody bag tags, cupcake toppers and anything else I can come up with. I am very excited and can't wait to get them in my shop. I would love ideas as far as themes. I have come up with a few, but I am sure there are some that I have not thought about.

And finally, what are your thoughts on Valentine's Day? Do you celebrate? How?
Valentine's Day has always been such a fun day! I always had so much fun coming up with ideas to let my Husband know how much I love him and now that I have kids it is even more fun. Last year I sent my husband and my older son on a scavenger hunt. My husband had to answer some questions about our past, which then led him to a clue (it was really quite fun to see how much he remembered) and after he collected all his clues it led him to the big prize. My son is learing to read so I spelled works like "car", "bed" and "tub" and that showed him where his prizes were. It was so much fun...I not sure what I am going to do this year yet. I guess I better get on the ball.

Thanks, Nicole! We admire YOUR talent!!

Nicole has graciously agreed to give one lucky Champagne Wisdom reader her Be Mine Valentine's Day Banner. Yay!!

Just leave a comment telling us how you would use this banner - in your home, for a school party, or do you have another unique idea? We would love to know!

Want extra entries?? It's easy!!

*Leave a comment telling us your favorite item from TweetMemories
*Subscribe via email or feed to Champagne Wisdom
*Sign up to be a follower
*Tell Nicole another item you would love to see in her shop
*Follow Champagne Wisdom on Twitter and tweet (leave a link) - you can do this daily
*Leave a comment on any other non-giveaway post
*Grab the Champagne Wisdom button in the sidebar
*Make a purchase from TweetMemories and get 10 additional entries!
(Be sure to leave 10 separate comments)
*Enter another giveaway in the I Heart Etsy Giveaway Event
That's a ton of chances to win. Here's wishing you love and luck...

This giveaway will end 2/1 at 12:00p.m. central time. Winner will be selected via random.org, emailed and given 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.