Nursery Before Makeover! Preparing For The Baby Shower Bash!

The Baby Shower Bash kicks off tomorrow!! When I think of preparing for a baby I automatically think of decorating the nursery. What mom doesn't dream of decorating her little one's new nest? I love "nesting" and decorating in anticipation for the baby, but I am by no means an interior decorator. I like to think that I have good taste, but I need a little help in coordinating and putting everything together. For this I turned to Thank You Baby and Kathy Ireland and tomorrow you will see how they helped me transform my office/craft room into a beautiful nursery!

The office/craft room is the only room in our house that has been left untouched since we moved in a year ago. We knew when we moved in that eventually it would become a nursery and would need to be painted and decorated in gender appropriate colors so we left it alone. It is an extremely drab room in all neutral colors.

As you can see in order to transform this room into a nursery I will need some help!

I had my husband remove the closet doors because the way that they worked you could only access half of the closet at a time and the doors were in the way blocking the other half. It was nearly impossible to have a functioning closet with those doors. Stay tuned tomorrow to see what I did with it!

Danika had to get in on at least one picture :) So now you have seen my boring, neutral room that needs some serious help to transform it into a nursery. Check back tomorrow to see the After pictures!!!

Create Your Own Custom Poster Print With Poster Brain! Poster Brain Review & Giveaway!

I was recently contacted by Poster Brain to do a review of their posters. I loved the ease of use with Poster Brain.

I was able to make a 12 x 18'' poster print from one of my mother in law's flower photos. It turned out beautifully! My picture really doesn't do it justice. I haven't found the perfect frame yet so I took the picture of it laying on top of tissue paper. I was soooo impressed with how easy it was to upload the photo and select what I wanted. Poster Brain even tells you if the size poster you select and the photo quality will work or if you should go with a smaller size poster. I thought that was a great feature because I often wonder if it will turn out blurry.

You can make your own poster too! It is so easy and you can use whatever picture you like. It is a fun way to decorate your walls and also makes a great gift. I also always had to chuckle at Poster Brain's cute little phrases they send in their emails and along with the poster. They really seem like a fun company with a great sense of humor.

I was also super impressed with how fast their turnaround time is. I ordered my poster at 7 pm on Tuesday and got an email that night that it was being printed. I received another email the NEXT day (Wednesday) that it was already shipped! I received it within two days! So total time from ordering to in my hands was only four days!! You really can't beat that.

You can make your own poster at Poster Brain's site! It is also fun for the kids to get involved. You could even take a picture of their artwork and make a poster out of it! So what are you waiting for go make posters! You will find it is easy to navigate and super simple!

Win! One lucky reader will win 1 large 24x36" custom photo poster (including shipping)!!

This giveaway has ended. Congrats to the winner:

Laura
October 8, 2009 1:57 PM
10/8 tweet:http://twitter.com/couponlover16/status/4714195403

Winner Of Rubbermaid TakeAlongs & Blue Ice Fun Shape!

The winner of the Rubbermaid TakeAlongs & Blue Ice Fun Shape is:

Congrats to the winner:

TheSuburbanMom

September 16, 2009 4:39 PM

For me - good ole PB&J. For my daughter, yogart and dried fruit!
jenburg at gmail dot com

The winner will have 48 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be drawn. Thanks to all who entered and to Rubbermaid for sponsoring this review & giveaway!

Technical Issues

I apologize for my blog looking the way that it does. I have to wait for the designer of my blog to fix it so I am hoping she checks her email and fixes it soon! I hate technical issues! Once again I'm sorry and I hope it is fixed soon!!

One Lovely Blog Award!

I have to give a special thank you to The Suburban Jungle and Smart Cents Mom for both giving me the One Lovely Blog Award! I feel so special and want to thank them for recognizing my blog :) It is nice to hear that someone enjoys your blog! I have awesome bloggy friends and readers! My first award and I got 2 in one week!!

The rules of the "One Lovely Blog Award" are:
Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them knowthey have been chosen for this award.

My 15 lovely blog picks are:

Flying Giggles And Lollipops

Piece Of Me

The Shopping Mama

Pour Some Sugar On Me

Focusing On The Bible, Family And Great Deals

Really Are You Serious?

The Nurse Mommy

Catch The Drift With Mama Snow

Alicia's Reviews And Giveaways

J. Leigh Designz

Me And My Boys!

Thrifty and Chic Mom

Jabbering Jessi

A Giveaway Addicted Mommy

Things Mommies Love

Thank you so much for the award and support!!

Win 2 Tickets To The Plan A Baby Event in L.A!!

Okay this is definitely a time when I wish I just happened to be in L.A for the weekend. If you haven't heard of the plan A Baby event taking place there yet then let me enlighten you!


plan A Baby is an exclusive, one-day event to celebrate and pamper new and expectant moms as they browse through a carefully chosen collection of the latest in high-end baby products, services and educational materials for the modern mom. Being that I am now almost 7 months pregnant I could sure use a day of pampering and perusing!!

Not only will new and expectant moms get to be pampered and find out about some of the best baby products out there, they will be joined by celebrities such as Jessica Capshaw, Sarah Jane Morris and Ali Landry (with more to be announced). How exciting is that?!

A few of my personal faves will also be there such as:

aden + anais, Bonpoint, Cloud b, Pomme Bebe, Thompson & Spring and Osea Skin Care

Not only will you be pampered and get to check out great products, but there will also be expert speakers who will share their knowledge on important topics such as health, well-being, sleep and nutrition, with opportunities for mothers to ask questions and seek advice.

plan A Baby will also be a social and relaxing afternoon for mothers to meet, mingle and connect while reveling in the celebration of motherhood. It’s an exclusive, grown-up play day for moms and moms-to-be to discover, and remember, how much excitement this special time offers. Only at can mothers get indulged, get inspired, get the gear, and get in the know – all at once!

So now that I have let you in on all the fun things to do there I will give you the details:

WHERE: Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel – 7000 Hollywood Boulevard, LA 90028

WHEN: Sunday, October 18, 2009 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

TICKETS: Available online - $35 Available onsite - $45

You can also check out their website for more info at http://www.planababyevent.com/

Win! One lucky reader will win 2 tickets to the plan A Baby event in L.A!

*Please note you will have to provide your own transportation.

This giveaway has ended. Congrats to the winner:

Flying Giggles and Lollipops
September 30, 2009 5:27 PM
Following your blog...thanks!

Rubbermaid TakeAlongs & Ice Pack Giveaway ENDS TONIGHT!

The Rubbermaid TakeAlongs and Blue Ice Fun Shape Giveaway ends tonight. Hurry & enter before midnight for your chance to win! Don't forget you can do a daily tweet for entry as well! Good Luck!

Winner Of Poster Giveaway From UPrinting!

The winner of the 18 x 24'' Poster Print Giveaway from UPrinting is:

Congrats to the winner:

**Nicole** September 27, 2009 11:49 AM
I have your Baby shower bash button
www.ramblingsbynicolerenee.blogspot.com
da_angel_321@yahoo.com

She will have 48 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be drawn. Thanks to all who entered and to UPrinting for sponsoring this giveaway!

UPrinting Poster Print Giveaway Ends Tonight!

Don't forget-The UPrinting 18 x 24'' Poster Print Giveaway ends tonight! This is great for enlarging photos and displaying them in your home or giving as a gift. Hurry & Enter before midnight! Good Luck :)

Halloween Is Coming! Anytime Costumes Review & Giveaway!

With Halloween just around the corner it is time to start thinking costumes! I love dressing Danika up for Halloween and she loves to play dress up. Anytime Costumes is an online site that offers costumes year round. They have an amazing selection of costumes from baby up to adults. I love that they are a family owned and operated company. They have great customer service and our order shipped extremely fast.

We were able to review the Infant Snow White Ballerina Costume. Isn't it adorable? It is a size 12-18 mos and while Danika is in this size right now it is a tad short. I would say order a size up if you aren't sure. Danika is mesmerized with the Snow White Gem attached to the front. She loves to put her costume on and dance around. The Snow White Ballerina Costume sells for $19.99 which is an affordable price for a child's costume.

If I had a little boy (well I do he is just in my tummy haha) I would definitely get this adorable UPS costume! I absolutely love it! How cute is he?

I think babies are probably the most fun to dress up and I love this little tootsie roll costume. They have SO many adorable costumes you really need to check out their variety.

Who doesn't love Peeps? I think this costume is also adorable. I haven't ever seen a Peeps costume before!
For the teens in your house they also have a variety of costumes for them to choose from. I like this Wilma costume from the Flinstones.

I also love the couples and group costumes that Anytime Costumes sells. They have some darling group sets such as The Incredibles, The Flinstones, The Wizard Of Oz and so many more. Their couples costumes are equally cute with options such as A Fairy Tale couple, The Jetsons, Shrek and many more!

You can buy all of Anytime Costumes wonderful costumes on their site and you can enter the code SEPT9B to get free shipping on all orders over $45!

Win! One lucky reader will win their choice of costume from Infant, Toddler, Child or Teen!

This giveaway has ended. Congrats to the winner:

Laura
October 6, 2009 1:43 PM
I entered the See Kai Run giveaway.

Baby Shower Bash Details!

The Big Baby Shower Bash here at Minnesota Mama's Must Haves starts Thursday, October 1st and let me tell you we are kicking it off with a HUGE giveaway that you won't want to miss! I'm very excited to share some awesome companies and products with you. I have worked hard to get you the best products to learn more about and have a chance to win.

Even if you aren't having a baby the giveaways will make awesome baby shower gifts and it is always a great idea to stock up on them for those last minute gift needs. I will also still have some non baby related reviews and giveaways going on during the Baby Shower Bash. I have many other companies I work with and don't want to put them all on hold for a month so I will be posting them as usual.

You will know it is a Baby Shower Bash giveaway because it will say that in the title along with what number giveaway it is. Some giveaways last two weeks and a few others will go longer. The Baby Shower Bash giveaways will be run the same as my other giveaways.

I have had such a great response to my Baby Shower Bash that some days will be double giveaway days in which I will post two Baby Shower Bash giveaways on the same day. You won't want to miss out!

Please grab my Baby Shower Bash button and display it on your site! This will get you one extra entry into all of my regular giveaways and 3 extra entries into all Baby Shower Bash giveaways!

Add My Button


<a href="www.minnesotamamasmusthaves.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i484.photobucket.com/albums/rr207/CznyDesigns/random/babyshowerbashbutton3.gif" /></a>

You can also grab this button from Thank You Baby to get 3 extra entries into all Baby Shower Bash Giveaways! Go here to grab the html code!

I can't wait to kick off the Baby Shower Bash and I hope you will come visit for a new giveaway EVERY SINGLE DAY-EVEN WEEKENDS!!

*I have had a lot of questions as to whether or not the giveaways will be open to Canada as well. At least 14 of them will be! So please stop by! Thanks :)

Grab Some Chocolate And Hop In The Bathtub! Harry Connick Jr. "Your Songs" Review!

Typically I do not listen to "classic tunes", but Harry Connick Jr's new cd "Your Songs" is the perfect music to relax and unwind to. I love to take a warm bath and unwind and the songs on this cd are perfect to relax to.

Here is the title list of songs from the album:
Album Tracklisting (Originally performed by):
All The Way (Frank Sinatra)
Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)
Can’t Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis Presley)
And I Love Her (The Beatles)(They Long To Be)
Close To You (The Carpenters)
Besame MuchoThe Way You Look Tonight First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack)Your Song (Elton John)
Some Enchanted EveningAnd I Love You So (Don McLean)
Who Can I Turn To? (Tony Bennett)
Smile (Charlie Chaplin)
Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole)

These are definite classics that everyone knows and Harry Connick Jr did a great job in remaking them. You can visit his site for more details on his new album. He also has upcoming appearances here:

Harry’s Upcoming TV Appearances:
9/25 – Oprah “Live Friday”
9/28 – Today Show
9/29 – The View
9/30 – Imus in the Morning
9/30 – Letterman
10/1 – Today Show
Week of 10/5 – Rachael Ray

So if you are a fan of his you won't want to miss them! The new album was released September 22nd so you can get your own copy at a store near you!

aden + anais Swaddling Wraps Winner!

The winner of the aden + anais Swaddling Wraps is:

Congrats to the winner:

Amato family
September 10, 2009 11:56 AM
follower
sd2sf@comcast.net

Thanks to all who entered and especially to aden + anais for sponsoring this review & giveaway!!
The winner has 48 hours to claim the prize or a new winner will be drawn. Thanks!

Another Great Giveaway From UPrinting! Vinyl Banner Giveaway!!

I have introduced you to a wide variety of products that UPrinting has to offer. Here is yet another! They offer these very cool Vinyl Banners. You may be wondering what you might do with a vinyl banner and I have some great suggestions.

You could use the Vinyl Banner for a Birthday Party as they did above. You could also use it for Anniversary parties, Wedding Receptions, Yard Sales, Graduations and Craft Shows. The list goes on! Their Banner Printing service is top notch and don't look like cheap banners.

My husband wants to do one for his garage! What would you do with yours?

Win! One lucky reader will win a 24 x 36" Vinyl Banner w\ grommets ($62 value)!!

This giveaway has ended. Congrats to the winner:

Sarah C
October 9, 2009 2:10 PM
I would use it for my daughter's birthday party!

Greeting Card Giveaway From UPrinting!

With Christmas just around the corner it has me thinking ahead to getting my Christmas Greeting Card ideas going. UPrinting offers Custom Greeting Cards that you can make personalized for you!

I would use their Greeting Card Printing service to do a family picture to send out as a Christmas Card. I love sending out family photos as a card because then people you don't see very often get to see how you've changed over the year.

Here are some examples of their beautiful greeting cards. How would you use yours?

Win! One lucky reader will win 250 ct. (7 x 5" folded to 3.5 x 5") Custom Greeting Cards $96 value! (Free Shipping)

This giveaway has ended. Congrats to the winner:

ChrisNY2
October 4, 2009 4:43 PM
I follow your blog.

aden + anais Giveaway Ends Tonight!

The aden + anais Muslin Swaddling Blankets giveaway ENDS TONIGHT!! These are Awesome blankets and would be a great gift if you don't have a baby yourself. They are very generously sized and the muslin material is great for regulating baby's temperature. Hurry and enter before midnight for your chance to win! Good Luck!

Go Diego Go DVD Winner!

The winner of the Go Diego Go DVD is:

Congrats to the winner:

Mijal Photography
September 16, 2009 9:06 AM
entered Couture Kid Footstool giveaway

She will have 48 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be drawn. Thank you to all who entered and to Nickelodeon for sponsoring this review & giveaway!

Adorable Personalized Books For Your Kiddos! Personalized Books Ontario Review & Giveaway!

Personalized Books Ontario is a wonderful company that actually personalizes each book they sell with your child's name and other info. I love the idea of a personalized gift and what better gift to give than a book they can read for years to come.

We reviewed the book Little One, Little One, What Do You See? It is so adorable. The inside pages say Danika, Danika what do you see and are personalized with her name and even the name of one of her friends. We were also able to put in a message from Mommy and Daddy. Danika is truly a little book worm and loves to hear her name in the book.

They also sell a variety of other books. One book I think would be a great potty training resource is the No More Diapers book. How great to personalize it and encourage your child to use the potty. They can read it while sitting on their potty chair!

Christmas is also just around the corner and their selection of Christmas books would make wonderful Christmas presents for your kids, nieces, nephews, grandkids or any child in your life! You can even buy a personalized letter from Santa!



I think I may have to get this book for our baby due this winter. The Special Delivery book actually incorporates not only your child's name but the details of the day they were born! How cool is that? I would have loved to have one of these as a child and it would be something to keep and show your own children.

You can buy all of the personalized books and more on Personalized Books Ontario. The book we reviewed, Little One, Little One, What Do You See? sells for $18.95 completely personalized. Check out all of their adorable personalized products.

Win! One lucky reader will win their own personalized book from Personalized Books Ontario!

This giveaway has ended. Congrats to the winner:

chrissyb
October 6, 2009 3:07 PM
entered baby shower bash #1

transamws602(at)yahoo(dot)com