Mom of the Week - Take 2

Mabel was nominated by her daughter, Ginger.

"My beautiful mother, Mabel Crick, will be 88 years old on September 24. She is an amazing woman, part of that "greatest generation", who has seen a lot of history in her life and has many wonderful stories to tell. She is and will always be my role model as a wife and mother and I still learn from her wisdom and gentle advice. She grew up in Birmingham during the Great Depression and was married to my father eleven days before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Mother moved to San Diego, California in 1943 and worked while my father trained in the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton. She has been a widow for three years after a 67 year marriage and many changes have come into her life but her five children have never heard one complaint. She appreciates every day and is thankful for what she has."


"My sweet mother thanks us each day for the care and love we give to her. When I spend the night she gives me a hug and kiss at bedtime and tells me that she loves me. If she awakens before me, I hear her coming down the hall with her walker and she peeks in to check on me. She thinks we are so good to her but in truth we can never repay all the blessings she has given to us that we will carry always. I thank God for my mother and every moment with her. She is one of my greatest blessings."
Let's take a moment and applaud our Mom of the week, Mabel! Happy Birthday!

Mom of the Week

Something new we have decided to do on our Facebook Fan Page is highlight one Mom or Dad every week!  Want to nominate yourself or someone you know and love? Send us an email to momdad@waytutucute.com. Include a photo and 2 paragraphs telling us why he/she is the best parent on earth! If we choose your entry, you will win a $10 gift voucher to WayTutuCute.com and so will the person you nominated! If you nominate yourself and we choose you, only (1) $10 voucher will be issued.

Week 1:
Meet My Mom, Harriet

 Since this is the first week of the contest, I wanted to spotlight the best Mom I know, my mom, Harriet. My mom was not just my mom and my best friend, but was also my dad for a good portion of my childhood. She taught me how to appreciate every single thing that is given to me, no matter how big or small. To understand that nothing is handed to you that you don't work for.

My motivation, determination and strong work ethic were all gifts from my mom. She is one of the strongest people I know - no matter what challenge is placed in front of her, she never gives up. She has a heart of gold and is the best friend anyone could ask for. She's an amazing Gram as well. My daughters love her "up to the baby moon". She's incredibly talented too - an artist, craftswoman and has tons of huge ideas. Did you know that she is the creator of Gram & Me? Let's take a moment and applaud our Mom of the week, Harriet! Love you Mom.

WayTutuCute.com and Meredith Rowlen Photography Model Search in Birmingham, AL

The 1st Model Search with Courtney Ortiz Photography went so well, we are doing it again!  This time, we are excited to work in a totally different area, Birmingham, AL with Meredith Rowlen Photography!

UPDATE:  The semi-finalists have been announced!  Check out our Facebook fan page and vote today!

Info:

WayTutuCute.com along with Meredith Rowlen Photography ( www.meredithrowlen.com) is having a model search for girls and boys ages 1 Month-8!

RULES
* One entry per child.
* You must be the parent or legal guardian of the child you enter into the contest and you must have permission/rights to use the photo you enter.
* Child must be 8 years or younger as of September 19, 2010 and the photo must have been taken within the last 30 days.
* Only photos e-mailed to the email address listed above with the subject WayTutuCute.com Model Search, from August 23 - September 1, 2010, will be accepted.
* Include your child's name, age, date of birth and size (clothing and shoe) in the e-mail, as well as your name, phone number, mailing address and email address
* Contest open to everyone, however if you live outside of driving distance from Birmingham, AL you will need to make arrangements for travel to complete the photo shoot in the vicinity of Birmingham, AL on September 19, 2010.
* Photo shoot will take place on Sunday, September 19, 2010. You will need to be available to have your child photographed on this date.

HOW PHOTOS WILL BE JUDGED
* The top 20-30 photos will be posted in an album on the tutu cute Facebook fan page on September 2, 2010.
* To vote for a photo you must first "like" the tutu cute Facebook fan page.
* Click 'like' for the photo or photos you are voting for in the Model Search album. Vote for as many children as you'd like.
* 1 Boy and 1 Girl Photo with the most 'likes' will be the "fan favorite". Comments permitted, but will not count towards the total number of votes. WayTutuCute.com will choose the other 8 finalists.
* Voting will close September 10, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST.
* Official winners will be notified and announced no later than September 11, 2010 and will then be provided photo shoot time and place information.

WINNERS
* The fan favorite winners and the 8 chosen models will participate in a free mini photo shoot with Meredith Rowlen Photography (retail value $100) in Birmingham, AL. Time and place will be provided on or around 9/12/10.
* A 8x10 print of the best photo of your child, along with the option to purchase other photos a la carte. (retail $25)
* Winners will either receive a goody bag containing WayTutuCute.com merchandise or a gift voucher to the site. The goody bags will be shipped directly to the winners in October. This will depend on availability.
* Bragging rights that your little cutie is a model on WayTutuCute.com (photos will be displayed on WayTutuCute.com, as well as the tutu cute Facebook fan page) and MeredithRowlen.com.
* One grand prize winner will have their child's picture displayed on the homepage of WayTutuCute.com in October, win a $25 gift voucher to WayTutuCute.com and a full photo session with Meredith Rowlen (retail value $100). More details will be provided after the photo shoot.
* The opportunity for your child's picture to be displayed nationwide, on various websites that sell the participating designers items.

Germs... YUCK!

I'm not your typical germaphobe, but when it comes to my little ones, I tend to think about things a little more than I should.  Things like who used the shopping cart at the supermarket before we did.  Did they wash their hands when they should have?  Did they have a cold?  Yeah... gross, right?  It's funny because when it's just me, I don't really care too much.  I guess because I can control whether or not I put my hands in my mouth or wipe my eyes but when it comes to my one year old, I just can't afford to take any chances.

When my oldest was born, we received a shopping cart/high chair cover as a gift.  We used it constantly.  I decided then that it was one of the "must-haves" for anyone with a little one and bought several as gifts along the years.  When I had my 2nd child, I made sure that our cover was washed and ready for her, as soon as she could sit up.  We take it everywhere!  It is especially appreciated for those random trips to the supermarket and when we go out to eat.  After a quick wipe down, not only is she safe, but it's also really comfy for her!  I caught her falling asleep a couple of times.  Do you blame her?

A month or so ago, we welcomed a new vendor onto WayTutuCute.com.  Shopping Cart Covers 4 Babies are a bit different.  They fit shopping carts and restaurant high chairs like the rest of them, but they also fit most mall strollers and park swings - every place I can think of sitting my little one when we're out of the house.  Brilliant.  Not only do they fit more things, but she has such a wide variety of fabric choices too!  I believe the one we had only came in two options - blue or pink.  Boringggg.... An added bonus is that she also creates matching pillows and drawstring bags and the set is only $65!  What a deal.

Make sure you check these beauties out.  And if you have a little one, or know of one that is frequently out of the house, it's a must have!  Great gift idea for baby showers, 1st birthdays or just because you want to make a little one happy.

WayTutuCute.com Teams up with Mommy Blessings in Small Bundles!

We are happy to have found another amazing blogger mom to host a giveaway with.  Jeanette runs Mommy Blessings in Small Bundles and the mother of two.  She is also a US Marine.  Jeanette and I will be giving away a Vintage Lucy's Kewpie Dog Dress to one lucky winner.  This dress retails for $68 but it could be yours for FREE!  There are a bunch of ways to win.  Check out Mommy Blessings in Small Bundles for the rules and instructions!  The winner will be chosen on May 3rd at midnight EST, so hurry and get your entries in!

A bit about Mommy Blessings in Small Bundles: This is a family oriented website composed of giveaways, product reviews, and a few other fun things. Feel free to enter the giveaways and share your opinions in a nice professional matter. Have fun and don’t forget to subscribe.

Donating to a Worthy Cause

I try to do my part in donating to various charities and foundations at least every few months.  This month, National Cancer Month, hit a little closer to home than I would have liked it to.  I got a call last week letting me know that my 24 year old cousin was diagnosed with cancer.  All I could think was, isn't he too young?  It was a week of craziness for our entire family.  It's funny how things like that make you realize that you don't tell certain people that you love them enough.  I couldn't remember the last time I told my cousin that I loved him.  So after being poked and sliced and tested all week, he was officially diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkins.  He started chemo this morning and will have a rough road ahead of him for the next few months.  He is on my mind all day long and I can't believe that my little cousin that used to sing Beatles song with a little blue plastic guitar, turned out to be one of the strongest people I've ever known.  He is my hero.

In honor of my cousin, I will be donating 5% of all sales in the month of April to the American Cancer Society.  I made the announcement just the other day and we've already raised well over $60.  My goal is $200.  I know it doesn't seem like much, but every little bit helps!  To reach my goal, I need your help.  There must be something on waytutucute.com that you've had your eye on.  Something for your little one?  A gift for someone?  A piece of jewelry you've been wanting but needed a special occasion to purchase it?  Well here it is: the right time, the special occasion...  Purchase today and 5% of your total will be donated directly to the American Cancer Society.

WayTutuCute.com teams up with Sweet Deals by Jillee for AWESOME Giveaway!

If you love a bargain, I've found the perfect site for you!  Sweet Deals by Jillee is a blog that gives you daily deals that are, without a doubt, fabulous!  If you don't like to search for the sales, make sure to check out this blog daily, Jill does the work for you and does a pretty darn good job!

Recently, we teamed up with Jill to offer two amazing prize packs!  One for girls and one for boys.  Both packages are worth over $300!!  So, want to know what is being offered?  Click here to see the prizes!  Then, sign up for Jillee's email updates.  If you have a boy or girl preference, make sure to comment on the giveaway page with either boy or girl and include your email address.  You must be signed up for her email list though, that's where she is choosing the winner from.

We would like to thank Jill for mentioning WayTutuCute.com on ABC 4's local morning show, Good Things Utah!  It's our first network mention and we are very excited.  Check out the video of the show on the upper right hand corner.   Make sure to check out Sweet Deals by Jillee and spread the word to any and everyone that you know that loves a good deal!