In 2005, when I was pregnant with my daughter, I didn’t know about fabulous maternity products. Sometimes I wish I could go back in time, just so I could focus on pampering myself.

Maternitique (Materni - tique) is a specialty boutique focused on wellness of women, pre-pregnancy and beyond. They back their products 100% and take the time to research what they offer. Basically, they do the work for you, so you can sit back and enjoy your pregnancy.

Before Maternitique was born, boutique owner Tara Bloom worked closely with Midwives and OBGYN’s. Her focus revolved around maternity and women’s wellness. Tara is passionate about women taking the best care of themselves.

“Maternitique’s mission is to help women look their best, feel their best and do their best throughout pregnancy, birth and motherhood. Our goal is to help inspire happier mothers, easier births, healthier babies and a safer world—and to do it with uncompromising style.”

At Maternitique’s online store, you will find many collections, including but not limited to beauty, wellness, baby, postpartum recovery and relief from pregnancy symptoms. If you’re looking for a unique shower or new mother gift to give, I recommend the following gift sets:

PREGNANCY CONGRATULATIONS and PREPARATION:

Mommy Care Pack

by Mi Amore Skincare

• Oh Baby! Belly Butter
• Natural Glow Face Complex
• Moisture Me After Shower Body Oil

MSRP: $75

You can purchase the Mommy Care Pack HERE.

MORNING SICKNESS COMFORT:

Morning Wellness Bucket

by Earth Mama Angel Baby

• organic Morning Wellness herbal tea
• “Morning Sickness Relief” guided relaxation CD
• Happy Mama Aromatherapy Spray
• White (not black, as pictured) Heavenly Teapot with built-in strainer

MSRP: $68 | You can purchase the Morning Wellness Bucket HERE.

BABY/MAMA SHOWER:

Birth Blessing

by Two Plums Paper

• Photo locket necklace for the mom-to-be
• Pomegranate-fragranced candle
• Luxurious footsoak
• Guide for the hostess to bring the celebration all together
• 8 stylishly designed Birth Blessing cards on which friends can write personal messages to the mom-to-be
• 8 Birth Bracelets for the mom and guests to wear until baby is born

MSRP: $68 | You can purchase the Birth Blessing Kit HERE.

BIRTH OF BABY:

A Little Something for the New Mama

by Earth Mama Angel Baby

• Jar of Postpartum Recovery Tea
• Bottle of Happy Mama Aromatherapy Spray
• Jar of Natural Nipple Butter

MSRP: $20

You can purchase A Little Something for the New Mama HERE.

BRAND NEW MAMA:

Postpartum Recovery Kit

by Earth Mama Angel Baby

• Postpartum Recovery Tea
• Postpartum Recovery Bath Herbs
• New Mama Bottom Spray
• Happy Mama Aromatherapy Spray
• Earth Mama Bottom Balm

MSRP: $44 | You can purchase the Postpartum Recovery Kit HERE.

Of course, if you browse around Maternitique, you could create your own personal gift pack.

WIN IT!

Did you hear that Brad and Angelina gave birth to the twins last night? During her pregnancy, Brad gave Angelina the Belli Pregnancy Gift Box! We are giving away JUST THAT to one lucky MTW reader (MSRP: $42).

Included in the Belli Pregnancy Gift Box are the following items:

• Elasticity Belly Oil, 2 oz
• Pampered Pregnancy Body Wash, 4 oz
• All Day Moisture Body Lotion, 4 oz
• Skin Smoothing Body Exfoliator, 2 oz
• Foot Relief Cream, 2 oz

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment on this post and let us know - if you win, is this gift box for you or a pregnant friend/relative. Deadline to enter is Friday, July 18th at midnight PST. A winner will be chosen randomly (not based on comment) and notified via email.

Good luck!

*BONUS: Get $5 off your entire order of $40 or more by signing up for Maternitique’s newsletter and entering “Sign me up from MumstheWurd“. Before placing your order, click HERE and fill out the contact form to sign up. A discount code will be emailed to you.

When Ami Roberts, owner of Plum Tot, became a mom, like many of us, she jumped head first into the world of “baby things”. When she saw what was out there, she realized this world wasn’t pretty. Channeling her creative side, she came up with some products of her own that were not only functional, but stylish. Her second baby, Plum Tot, was born!

Ami has a knack for choosing gorgeous fabrics for her bibs, hooded towels, and burp sets, but her real claim to fame is the unique GO Blankie. The Go Blankie serves seven different purposes, and has a water resistant nylon back side to go with it’s soft minky top. “GO Blankie’s innovative design allows it to function as an outdoor play mat, stroller blanket, diaper changer, infant seat cover, baby cozy, front pack blanket, and nursing cover.” With a GO Blankie, you don’t have to worry about hauling around blankets, changing pads, and nursing covers. You’ve got it all-in-one! Isn’t that nice?

For 15% off of your purchase for the rest of July, use the promo code JULYPROMO at checkout!

Lennon wants you to know that his favorite thing about the Go Blankie are it’s tasty ribbons! Lennon also pictured with an Octipi (coming soon!) and his Blueberry diaper, which I will be reviewing in an upcoming cloth diapering post.

There’s a good possibility that I love cookies as much as (or more than) Cookie Monster does. Hopefully you do too, because we’re giving one lucky MTW reader a pretty SWEET gift - a beautiful bouquet of cookies from Cookies By Design!

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment on this post. Let us know if you’ve ever received or given a bouquet of cookies from Cookies By Design (or any other cookie company for that matter).

HURRY! Deadline to enter is Friday, July 18th at midnight, PST. A winner will be chosen at random and notified via email. The winner’s cookie basket will be sent out the week of August 2nd (in case you choose to send it to someone as a gift). : )

Good luck! : )

Before Noel was in a size 10, he had his very first pair of “big boy” shoes. See Kai Run struck my eye with their bright colors and how good they are for growing feet. Unfortunately, Kai’s only go up to a size 9…Fortunately, there is an answer to that problem. It’s called Eleven.

Amy and I both love the Eleven Trainers that Noel & Hailey have. These shoes are perfect for the playground, a walk, or an evening downtown! Noel is constantly getting compliments on his trainers. They catch everybody’s eye!

The Eleven Collection is the more mature and sophisticated shoe for your walker. Eleven’s not only sport the similar vibrant colors and styles that you found with See Kai Run, but they are also constructed with the health of your child’s feet being their top priority:

Eleven’s shoes feature:

• All premium materials and construction
• Uppers and inside lining made with premium leather to provide comfort and breathability
• Durable and sturdy soles with superior traction
• Cushioned insole thoughtfully designed, making each step a comfortable one
• Easy on and off
• Sensational fit to ensure natural growth
• Sizes 9-1 for girls and boys
• Vibrant colors
• Intelligent, timeless, and quality footwear
• Classic casual, city-chic style

Want a pair? Find a store locator here. Eleven Collection is the cool big sis! Welcome her to the See Kai Run family!

I don’t really remember life before Nana Star. Seriously. This book and all of the magic surrounding it has consumed our family. Even my husband! Actually, he doesn’t have a choice in the matter. We are true Nana Star fans (or “Twinkles”, if you will) and it didn’t take long for that to happen.

As soon as my toddler got her little hands on the Nana Star plush doll and attentively listened to me read her the story of a little girl in a blue princess dress, she was hooked. Ever since that day, the accompanying book and narrated story/song cd that came with the doll has been played continuously at naptime and bedtime. I even had to go so far as to loop the cd in her player, because she would keep getting out of bed to replay it.

In the story of Nana Star, a little girl finds a lost baby star. The little girl (aka Nana Star) pledges to help the little baby star find his way home, to the heavens above. When I read this book to my toddler, I see her get lost in the story and virtually put herself in the shoes of the little girl.

The authors of the Nana Star book series, Elizabeth Sills and Elena Patrice (”ee publishing”), are granddaughters of the real life Nana Star, Elizabeth Owens. What a wonderful way to preserve and share their grandmother’s special story. This is one of the most enjoyable children stories I’ve read yet.

*Our readers can enjoy a discount of 10% off the already discounted combination price for any plush and book together until 7/31/08. Just enter code “mum10” at checkout.

WIN IT!

We are thrilled to be able to offer our readers a giveaway! One lucky reader will have a chance to win a Nana Star plush doll and book combination (MSRP: $38)

TO ENTER:

Leave your entry comment on this post. Let us know if you have any special stories from your childhood that you’ve passed along to your children or grandchildren. Don’t worry if you don’t, you can still enter. Deadline to enter is Friday, July 18 at midnight (PST). A winner will be chosen at random (not based on comment) and notified via email.

Good luck!

Thanks, Elliott, for being our first guest poster. Because he loves his nap so dearly, we’re happy to have him try out this product. It could be revolutionary…seriously!

There is one word that is golden, above all others, to parents: SLEEP. This is because we lack it often. Frankly, we also live in a crazy world bent on squeezing every last second out of the day and converting it into productivity. We drink too much coffee to stay awake. Our phone is ringing and our email is stacking up. We strap all sorts of communications devices to our bodies and actually insert little phones into our ears. It’s a maaaaaaad hooouussssse! We desperately need a nap. A simple siesta, if you will. I can hear you now: “But I just don’t have the time!!” Now you do.

Enter NAP26 from the POWRNAPS company. My wife, one of the Mums The Wurd mums, showed me this CD she received in the mail. I noticed two words immediately: sleep and iPod. Seeing that these are two of my favorite things, I grabbed it and downloaded it to my iTunes library and then to my iPod. I was ready to sleep!

After pressing play, a friendly chap came on and told me to relax and listen actively. 26 minutes later I awoke to the sound of chirping birds and the NAP26 man telling me it was time to wake-up. In between there were a lot of calming ambient sounds - like oceans and wind and whatnot. It’s funny, you think you’ll never be able to fall asleep so quickly listening to this stuff, but you do. It’s that simple: you just fall asleep. How does this work?

“Nap26 uses Binaural Beat Technology to train the brain to relax and to awaken without risk of grogginess. A scientific digital modulation process inserts precise pulses and beats that the brain hears. The difference in vibration between one ear and the other stimulates either deeper relaxation or alertness. You will feel like you slept for 3 hours in 26 minutes.” I’m not exactly sure what that means, but it does the trick every time. The more you do it, the easier it becomes to fall asleep. Your brain is being trained to relax. How cool is this? And better still, it comes with a money-back-guarantee. You’ll never need it…

Reading is something we really enjoy at our house. In fact, I’ve often times contemplated hosting storytime at a local coffee house. In all of my spare time…right?

I digress. My toddler is a big fan of storytime before bedtime and if that’s what it takes to get her settled in, then we’re all for it.

The new children’s book, “Joy is the Greatest Gift” is an exceptionally lovely story to read to girls and boys (age-range of about 2 to 9 yrs.). The inspirational story is told by Joyann, the main character in the book. She talks about all of the things that she is joyful and happy about. The message that author Lisa Rey Marks conveys is a good one: Be thankful for the simple things in life. Nothing else will bring you greater joy. To that I say, “Amen, sister!”

The artwork in this hardcover book is so colorful and whimsical. This is one of the first things that caught my eye. My toddler is especially fond of the “kitty”, who makes an appearance throughout the story. I think he reminds her of our cat, only, about 18 lbs. lighter.

When you visit the Focus Friends website, you’ll notice they also sell framed art of select scenes from the book.

WIN IT!

We have one copy of “Joy is the Greatest Gift” to give away to a lucky MTW reader (MSRP: $16.99)! To enter, leave a comment on this post and let us know what brings you joy (Ok, you may think that sounds cheesy but really, can you name just one thing?). My joyful things are my childhood memories. I can always look back and smile when I think about my childhood.

The contest ends Friday, July 18th at midnight (PST).  A winner will be chosen randomly (not based on comment) and notified via email.

Good luck!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…I LOVE my Bumble Bag. Love it, love it, love it. It has been my most absolutely favorite diaper/toddler bag ever. It’s has withstood many trips to the in-laws, the city, the zoo, the store, etc. etc. You can read more about my Madeline Backpack Hanging Stroller Bag HERE.

Today, we want to give you a chance to win some adorable Bumble Collection Snack Bags!

Meet Hannah:

Hannah is a lunchbox-size snack bag (the larger of the Bumble Collection snack bags) and is pictured here in Pink Paisley.

Meet Haley:

Haley is the smaller of the Bumble Collection insulated snack bags and can easily fit at least three jars of baby food or one bottle. This is Haley in Pink Paisley.

Both snack bags are available in five different colors and designs.

We have the above two snack bags up for giveaway!

TO ENTER:

To enter to win the Hannah and Haley snack bags in Pink Paisley (MSRP: $56), leave a comment on this post. In your comment, let us know what you’ve been using to tote around your little one’s items! Contest ends on Friday, July 18th at midnight PST. Winner will be chosen randomly (not based on comment) and announced on this post after he/she has been notified via email.

Good luck!

Pediatricians agree that going barefoot is best for baby’s growing feet but when those tiny, precious feet need coverage and protection, IsaBooties are a perfect option . No doubt that IsaBooties are stylish and comfy pre-walking shoes but they also rank pretty high up on the charts for gripping, no-slip, soft-soled shoes. They are also eco-friendly.

WIN IT!

We’re giving away TWO pairs of IsaBooties to TWO lucky readers (MSRP $29/pr). Check out the IsaBooties site for all of the funky, unique styles to choose from.

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment on this post with your favorite style IsaBooties. Contest ends on Friday, July 18th at midnight PST. Two winners will be chosen randomly (not based on comment).

Good luck!

*MTW readers can take an extra 15% off of their entire order using code “mums” at checkout. Discount good through July 31, 2008.

*PS: There is a big summer sale going on at IsaBooties right now - 50% off select shoes - check it out!

There are really so many “community” based sites out there geared toward women that it becomes hard to pick and choose one that could really be considered a favorite.

I have been lurking around Capessa.com and I think…I have found my favorite. I’m not looking to score brownie points here, believe me (and yes, there is a contest going on right now if you blog about Capessa). I have been out here, online, voicing my thoughts, opinions and embarrassing moments for a few years now. I have joined community sites and attempted to participate but quite honestly, I never became “hooked”. There was never anything there that really lured me back in. I knew what I was looking for. I was looking for real people, fresh content and something that would put a smile on my face.

I have browsed through all of the different sections on Capessa.com. In my opinion, the site is laid out quite nicely. It’s manageable and not too clustered. It has just enough bait to keep me coming back. What really piqued my interest is Capessa’s video content. Seeing and hearing real women talking about everyday average stuff. The “seeing” and “hearing” parts are really what did it for me.

A team of Capessa editors travel around the country, conducting interviews with the average Jane at parks, stores, homes, etc. There is content for all women out there and I like that. I’m really into parenting but hey, sometimes I like to hear others options on sex and relationships too. Maybe I’d even like to comment on these opinions. Capessa is like snippets of reality t.v., on the internet.

You have the ability to register at Capessa.com and use the site like you would any other social networking community site; by starting a blog, uploading pictures, adding favorites, making friends, etc. I merely enjoy reading the articles, like Alison Drury’s 10 Pound Challenge and watching video clips like adorable engagement stories (ie: If you have just over nine minutes to spare - are you laughing at me?) watch the second one down on THIS page. It had me smiling from ear-to-ear and made me want to hit my husband for not proposing to me in a cute, creative way.

So, I hope when you have a spare moment (are you laughing at me again?) that you will check out Capessa.com. Hopefully you will feel inspired to express yourself like I do after you spend some time there.