Hot Cocoa, Warm Hearts

We excitedly opened our door yesterday to friends and in return they opened their hearts (and wallets!) to donate to Charity: Water. Thank you to all that stopped by (and brought yummy treats) and all who've helped us with our cause.

We are thrilled to share the update: yesterday, we collected $166 and in addition to the donations made through our Charity: Water donation page, we'll be sending over $370 to them this holiday season.  This money is enough for provide 18.6 people safe and clean drinking water for 20 years. How cool is that!?

If you could not make the shindig yesterday, please consider donating through our Charity: Water page. The campaign runs through December 31st, so click before then ... and of course their website is always open year-round for donations!  The founder suggests "giving your birthday" ... donating your age on your birthday ... I thought this was a great idea ... just something to think about!

Here are some pics from yesterday - thanks again - I hope you learned as much as we did about the gift of giving!

Hot Cocoa for Water

With all the gift getting this holiday season, I know Max & Nate don't need another thing. But we thought it would be nice to help those who do need something pretty important: access to clean WATER.

I recently learned of an organization called Charity: Water. Thanks to Jen from Ellie Bellie Kids for the introduction! You may have seen their 20/20 feature last night (see video clip below).

Their goal is simple ... to bring clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations who lack access to this necessity. This is obviously something we all take for granted as we fill our water glasses directly from the fridge or turn on a hot shower. 100% of Charity: Water's donations go directly to fund water projects in an effort to bring safe water to the almost 1 billion people who need it.

We will be hosting a Hot Cocoa party (think Lemonade Stand in December!) on Wednesday to raise money for this cause. Another genius suggestion from Jen! (check out her blog post here - you can further help buy supporting some of the wonderful businesses donating sale proceeds to Charity: Water). I promise to keep the atmosphere cozy with a fire burning. We'll offer delish hot chocolate with fixin's and plenty of sweets to go along with it.  Kids are off school and it's a tad nippy outside, so what better way to spend part of the afternoon. I am excited to help raise money and awareness and have some dedicated chat time with friends.

If you are local and interested in stopping by, please send me an email for our address.  For those of you out of town next week or busy on Wednesday, you can still help :) I've set up a donation page through Charity: Water. Click here to help us out!  An amazing fact: just $20 can give one person clean water for 20 years. Consider donating your Starbucks allotment for the day.


All the best, and Happy Holidays!
Angie

Thanks a bunch

I was so lazy yesterday I didn’t even get to post this.

Ahhh, Thanksgiving Day. I have so much to be thankful for ... for starters, Max is still sleeping, and it’s 9:08am. Thank you, first born for channeling my love of slumber. Secondly, I am not hosting Thanksgiving this year, so I really don’t care that the house is a mess.

Finally, and in all seriousness -- I am thankful for family, friends & my business.

I’ve lived in Chicago since graduating college (go Badgers!), having grown up in Maryland. Although my sister and her husband live here too, my parents have remained home in MD ... until this year. My dad is teaching at Northwestern Law School and as a result, they’ve decided to get a place here.  So now, I get to see Mom & Dad all the time (and they’re hosting Thanksgiving this year!), my kids get to spend extra time with Grandma and Papa and although I am not originally from this area, it finally feels like home. Special hugs to Marc & the boys (and Bela too!) - Marc, for keeping my heart warm and also my toes with his obsessive fire-building and Max and Nate for being loving, happy brothers ... how’d I get so lucky?

I recently spent a long weekend with some amazing friends. Lots of laughs, wine, yummy food and most importantly, togetherness. Although our homes span the country, I look forward to our yearly get-together for the same sense of comfy-ness I get from my own family.

Having just celebrated 5 years of Made by Angie, I am thankful for the ability to stay home with my kids, use my brain to run a business and exercise my creative side daily all while making lots of mamas happy with their funky wipe containers :)

A reminder that this Saturday, November 27th save 30% at Made by Angie -- use the code SATURDAY at checkout.  Until then, I hope you get the shopping deals of a lifetime you are searching for and some good warm and fuzzies from those you spend Thanksgiving weekend with this year.

Feel free to post great deals that you've found in the comments!

Angie

Small Business Saturday

Although every day should be Small Business Day, I support this movement, and you should too!  There's a great deal for American Express accepting businesses ... shop at one on Saturday, November 27th and receive a $25 credit on your next Amex statement!  Unfortunately, Made by Angie does not qualify (although we do accept Amex!) because we're online-only ... but that shouldn't stop you from shopping at your favorite small businesses on Saturday!

To show our excitement and thanks (it's Thanksgiving, afterall - gobble gobble!) ... please use the code: SATURDAY through November 27th for a whopping 30% off all orders at Made by Angie. Share the info with your friends & family and if you know someone ready to pop this holiday season, please consider how happy a Made by Angie wipe container would make them feel ;)

Happy Thanksgiving!



Angie

Gimme 5!

My attorney (love ya, hubs) brought home my corporate annual report paperwork last night. As I wrote a check to the Secretary of State of Illinois to keep my "Inc." properly paid for, it dawned on me that this was the 5th time I've done so.  I looked closely at the form and it was dated 10/25/2005, EXACTLY five years to the day that I had incorporated Made by Angie.

That, my friends, calls for an anniversary sale!  The code FIVE at checkout will give you 25% off your order, through November 5th. Feel free to share this code with any/all of your friends!

Max, my tester

Five years ago, I was burnt out on "Baby Story" (6 months pregnant). Max (age 1.5) slept soundly every afternoon for four hours, and I turned naptime into work time -- Made by Angie was born.

Testing the durability

Making sure the wipes could survive push ups

Testing the wipes' sound barrier

Creative choo choo made with the gazillion Huggies boxes that filled our house

A few months later, Nate was born. Plenty of diaper changes in our house - and no shortage of wipes!  Life moves so fast. It's hard to believe Max is 6 (and a half, as he reminded me of his half-birthday on Oct 21st) and the Tater is almost 5 (there's that number again!).  The kids are no longer in diapers (!!!), but we use gobs of wipes still every day -- and are thankful for all the new babes being born who need fancy wipe cases in their lives ;)

Max's first time on waterskis

first Badger game

Plenty of amazing firsts to smile about, as well as recent family happy occasions. Be sure to bookmark Aunt Lindsay's blog, Wooden Table and read about her adventures in cooking.

Linds & Ryan's Wedding 10/10/10

I sure could use one of those four hour naps right about now, but as they say (not sure who says that really!) sleep is overrated. Lots of work (and play!) to be done -- stay tuned, Made by Angie has some new products in the works :)

Here's to the next 5 years - Happy Anniversary to me!

Buyer's Guide says Made by Angie, so it must be true!

Thank you to our favorite magazine Pregnancy & Newborn for including Made by Angie's Madeline pattern in its Fall Buyer's Guide, on newsstands now through December 30! If you're expecting or just shopping definitely check this issue out -- it's chock full of fun ideas and lots of goodies.

So...California!

A big thank you to 805 Living Magazine for including Made by Angie's Olive Stripe container in the August issue Style Find section.

Selected as a "Mother's Little Helper", our accessory looks fab with the featured mama-bags.

If you are local to area code 805, don't forget to check us out on page 20 and shoot me an email - I'd love a hard copy!  ;)

For my Retailers...

FREE SHIPPING on all wholesale orders through Labor Day (Sept 6). Check out my new patterns and place your order today! Email me with any questions :)

New Patterns available NOW!

Check out the four new patterns available now at Made by Angie. 

Meet Anna. Adorable and preppy. Named for Aunt Stefie's #2 (#1 is Cate)

Meet Carly. Nate's friend Maya's new baby sis. Carly has the longest eye lashes I've ever seen!

Meet Mason. My old co-worker Daria's first born. I haven't met the little dude yet, but if he's half as fashionable as his mom he's in good shape.

Meet Bloom Daisy. Ok, I ran out of new babies. More babies due in the Fall/Winter!

Made by Angie in NYC

Last night we were out late with the kids when my phone went berserk with texts and emails...news that Made by Angie wipes cases were spotted on the latest episode of Bethenny Getting Married. Although US Weekly graces my mailbox, apparently I'm behind on this hot, hot, hot reality show. I did a quick DVR search when we got home, recorded the 1:00 am repeat and watched this morning, as Bethenny had a near nervous breakdown in Rosie Pope Maternity (one of my retailers) ... as she shopped for clothes. The cases have been a strong seller at RP since their debut. Hopefully, Bethenny picked one up! 

Did you watch?

Angie

Bargain Shopper, and Proud of it

I scour the internet for the best deal before buying. The deals are there (sometimes they are hiding, but it’s fun to search) and I figure I may as well get the best price for them.

Before I had kids, I had no problem sifting through TJ Maxx, Loehmann’s and Marshalls for deals. Now, it’s a different shopping world. I do most of it late night, but almost always online. Nothing is better or easier than a few clicks, in your pj’s and a package at your door the next day or so.

Lately, with the explosion of deal-a-day websites, my bargain shopping addiction has been fueled even further. Groupon was the first I came across (thanks, DER). What a genius business plan! A deal in your local city (tons of active cities) a day, delivered to your inbox. Easy peasy. Usually 50% off for retail bargains or services, you are guaranteed a great deal. Restaurants, spa services, etc ... it’s all stuff we do anyway, so why not pay less.

We’ve tried a bunch of restaurants I wouldn’t have otherwise tried, all with great savings.  Other than restaurants I’ve scored deals on yoga classes, car washes, local kids store, local sporting good stores, family yearlong membership to the Adler planetarium (for over 50% off!), reusable snack/sandwich bags, poster size photos on canvas, amazing bracelets, mani/pedis, spahhhhhh. And the list goes on...

Here are some of my favorite deal sites:

WeDeal -- All North Shore (Chicago) deals. Fab-u-lous!

Mulamu -- Also, Chicago ‘burbs

Jasmere -- This one is amazing too. The more people that buy the deal, the lower the deal price goes!

Fly Coupon -- Similar to Groupon, select your nearest city

Living Social -- Also similar to Groupon, select your city

We Give to Get -- This one is Chicago specific. You pick a charity for them to donate 10% of the purchase price.

Two other discount websites that grace my inbox daily:

Hautelook & RueLaLa. Both are membership based (but free) and deals focus on upscale retailers. I did score a great pair of Joe’s Jeans for $60 and some (a-hem) Hanky Panky’s for nearly 1/2 off.

Don’t forget to share the wealth. If you see a great deal, post your special referral code (you’ll get one when you buy the deal) on Facebook, Twitter, email etc. and get paid if your friends buy it too using your link :) Credits vary based on the site, but are between $5-10 per referral which adds up quickly (trust me, I’ve gotten a bunch of freebies this way!)

Another super easy search before clicking “buy” is on Retail Me Not. This and several other similar coupon sites collect online promo codes from websites that may not otherwise be published. I always check here for FREE SHIPPING codes.

A few things to watch out for:

1. Be sure to check expiration dates. I enter them (a month out) into my calendar so that an alarm reminds me of an upcoming expiration date.

2. Tip on original prices at restaurants (duh) so the server doesn't get the shaft.
3. Deals are timed, and typically expire the same day or next day. If you want it, buy it!

4. Read the fine print, sometimes you can purchase more than one deal, and combine. Sometimes you can't combine. They are very upfront with the rules though (always reasonable) so just read before you buy, so that you are not surprised or disappointed.

If you have other favorite deal sites, feel free to leave me a comment.

Happy shopping ... oh, and if you need a baby gift, you know where to look. I’ll save you the trip to Retail Me Not, use the code BLOG for 20% off your order at Made by Angie.

Angie 

MWS is a mom's best friend

Feel like shopping? Please visit the Mommies with Style Summer Shopping guide ... lots of discounts for some amazing shops... http://www.mommieswithstyle.com/shoppingguide10.html

please consider Made by Angie for your shopping needs too ;) You can use the code: THANKS for 15% off!

A little help from Etsy

If you have not checked out Etsy, do yourself a favor! It's an amazing website full of creativity and beautiful handmade products. The site is a collaboration of thousands of artists who may or may not have their own business websites, but showcase their goods in one spot ... which makes it easy for you to navigate all in one place. You can search by product category, color and even proximity if you are looking for local artisans. You will thank me (your wallet might be mad at me, but I'm sure you'll score some great finds).

In recent planning of my son Max's 6th birthday party (with Kobe!), we enlisted two Etsy ladies. We threw a Lego party, and found some adorable invitations and party favors. A shout out to both for exceptional customer service and just perfectly pleasant correspondence from the get-go to the finished products.

Invitations created by Carolyn at Cards with Care.

Carolyn actually suggested the soaps for party favors, which led me to...

Lego shaped soaps for the goodie bags created by Denise at AJ Sweet Soap. 








And for anyone local to Deerfield/North Shore, Lego Beth did a great job with the party!

The boys had a blast.  And so did the adults :)

Mother's Day is soooooon (hint hint)

Our friends over at Cool Mom Picks have compiled one of their famous gift guides, with every type of mom accounted for ... check it out! ------> http://www.coolmompicks.com/mothersdaygifts10/

Stock up on baby gifts

Through April 18th, use the code APRIL at checkout for 20% off your order. It's a good opportunity to stock up for those spring/summer baby arrivals!  Happy shopping and feel free to spread the word :)

Angie

Lions & lambs, happy patients and new wipes!

Yep, it's March in Chicago. Yesterday we played outside in the warm 60s sun and awoke today to a few inches of snow. Gotta love the first day of "Spring".  At least it makes for a good fire day, and I've been informed by my pyro husband that the fire will burn all weekend (he's desperately trying to use the ridiculous amount of wood he ordered this winter!)

We welcomed spring by heading to the kids dentist this morning. They LOVE going! What is wrong with these boys!?  Oh, TVs showing movies on the ceiling, cotton candy fluoride treatment and a treasure chest deep with goodies.  Maybe that has something to do with it!

 Here are two new patterns.  Meet Henry (named for Henry, born in January to Nancy & Eric and big brother Harris!) and Spice Dots (no, I don't know any babies named Spice Dots, lol).  Enjoy and buy some -- dentist has informed me both kids will need braces, so we better start saving now :)

Happy Spring ... What are you doing for Spring Break? Leave me a comment!

Angie

PS I've pulled the trigger and bought a sewing machine, step one of my 2010 goals - yay! Can't wait for it to arrive. Ain't she a beaut?