MyMomShops Sponsor: Sugarsticks Parties

I am so pleased to introduce you to our newest sponsor, Sugarsticks Parties, a mom-owned and operated party decor and stationery business based in Tallahassee, Florida. Sugarsticks products range from personalized "note from mom" notepads and kids' bookplates to full party decor sets including invitations, favor tags, banners and more. Everything is lovingly created by hand and the designs are all original. Check them out (and remember that each theme below is likely available in several formats--i.e. invitations, banners, stickers, etc):

Personalized Mom-to-Teacher Notes ($23.60 for set of 12 notecards with envelopes; other designs available)


M2M Swanky Baby Vintage Fancy Camping Banner ($23.25; matching party accessories available too)


Princess Birthday Hats ($33.60 for a set of 6)


Funky Bicycle Book Plates ($8 for set of 18 labels; other designs available)


Monster Ball Party Invitation ($21.60 for set of 12 with envelopes; matching party accessories available too)


Really cute stuff, right? Shop at Sugarsticks Parties and visit its blog for more eye candy, party ideas and inspiration.

Snapfish Rosh Hashanah Cards

I know that some of you are still searching for Rosh Hashanah cards, so I wanted to tell you about an e-mail I received from a designer who created 40+ Jewish New Year's cards for Snapfish.com. I wish I had seen these earlier because as much as I love the cards I ordered from Shutterfly, I really had wanted to use cards that included original Hebrew text (something that is frustratingly difficult to find on major photo card sites), like this card. So if you prefer your "L'shana Tovah" written out in Hebrew, definitely check out the designs by Sari Victoria at Snapfish (they're also very reasonably priced).

Just a Little Note

9 Spot Monk, one of my favorite NYC stationery designers, has just released a new line of letterpress encouragement cards for kids. I adore these--not only because of their design (I love letterpress on brown kraft paper) but also because the sentiments are sweet and simple (and, in my household, often needed). I'm sure you can think of some times that your own kids might benefit from a note like this. Each folded card is blank inside (so Mom or Dad can write their own message) and, as a bonus, arrives with an envelope that coordinates with the link color. Buy them for $4 each at 9 Spot Monk.

Blue Sky Home Series by Susy Jack

I received a generous assortment of brand new Blue Sky Home Series stationery products, designed by stationer Susy Jack. I happened to already know and love this designer (I've met her at the National Stationery Show and will show you other examples of her work later on). For the Blue Sky Home Series, Susy has created stationery products that most moms can not live without, even in the digital age, such as large visual calendars to manage the entire family's schedule, mouse pads, grocery checklists, and, my personal favorite--an over-the-door "Don't Forget" notepad. The Blue Sky Home Series can be purchased in-store at Target or online at the Blue Sky website; the Susy Jack line ranges from just $3.99 to $9.99 making it a very budget-friendly but stylish way to refresh your home organization products this September.

Photo Cards for Rosh Hashanah

Our family celebrates Rosh Hashanah, and I've been looking high and low for personalized photo cards for this holiday. I was so happy to find this site More Than Paper which features exclusive Rosh Hashanah photo cards by stationery companies Take Note and Chispa Designs. There are lots of pretty designs including apple trees, pomegranates, and shofars, and I love that you can include your own photo (if you prefer personalized Rosh Hashanah cards without photos, those are also available; click here and scroll down).

Pictured above are two of my favorite designs, Three Trees by Take Note (40 cards for $79.20), and Flat Jewish New Years Cards by Chispa Design (50 cards for $97.50).

Rosh Hashanah begins on Friday evening, September 18th, so place your orders right away! L'Shanah Tovah.

Remember When Postage Cost a Dime?

If you're a fan of American pop culture history, or a 1950s television afficionado like I am, you'll enjoy the U.S. Postal Service's brand new Early TV Memories stamps. This pane of twenty commemorative stamps includes memorable scenes from classic shows including I Love Lucy, Howdy Doody, Lassie, The Ed Sullivan Show, Perry Mason, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Imagine how happy the grandparents will be when you mail them a letter using these stamps...and you'll probably hear about how postage cost a mere nicke. Buy a pane of 20 commemorative stamps for $8.80 at The Postal Store.

Greenwich Letterpress

There are a couple of stationery shops/designers that I forgot to tell you about from last May's National Stationery Show; I was simply inundated with gorgeous paper goodies! One is Greenwich Letterpress, a shop that is right here in New York City (at 39 Christopher Street in Greenwich Village). Check out these awesome letterpress cards, several of which are available at its website. Which do you like best?





Birthday Love From New York ($4.50)







New York Pretzel ($5)





My Band ($5) and No Results ($5) and (also check out Friend Request)







Don Draper (not yet available online)





And, then, you MUST check out this Birthday Wish card based on my all-time favorite movie "Sixteen Candles." Jake Ryan in silhouette, anyone??

Superhero Thank You Cards

S. was running low on thank-you notes so I ordered a small batch of these "It's a Superparty" thank you notes to match his Batman-themed 5th birthday party. They turned out super cute (I put his full name all in lowercase letters which, in my opinion, always looks better from a design perspective). These were also a good value since they were from Tiny Prints' lower-priced "Studio Basics" collection and cost as little as 84 cents per card. Need new thank-you notes for your little ones? Check out Tiny Prints' assortment of Personalized Thank You Notes.

Hip Littles

I love this new "Circle Z" lunchbox stationery set ($65) from Hip Littles, a brand new boutique launched by mom Allison Friedland, who formerly owned one of my favorite sites for funny baby tees & onesies, Uncommonly Cute. From the looks of Hip Littles, Allison has a great eye for baby and kids' gifts across many categories, including personalized gifts. This stationery set is a personalized metal lunchbox packed full with trendy custom stationery, including notecards, foldover cards, gift tags, and luggage tags. Envelopes are included for all of the stationery, too. It's a generous but practical gift (but if you're looking for gifts that are easier on the wallet, check out HIp Littles' "Under $50" category. Visit Hip Littles.

Stand-Out School Supplies

Our affiliate Frecklebox.com has become an increasingly popular go-to site for personalized kids gifts, with good reasons (their best-selling storybooks and puzzles make truly unique gifts). Now, just in time for Back-to-School season, they have rolled out a bunch of products to make your kids' school supplies stand out. And, as I learned first-hand taking my almost-first-grader for school supplies, no kid wants a plain old notebook. Try these festive goodies instead.

Busy Bees Personalized Notebook ($9.95 each)

Zoo Animals Personalized Lunch Box ($26.95 each)

Giraffe Personalized School Folder ($4.95 each)


As you see, animal prints are on-trend again this Fall, but there are dozens of other designs available (both girls', boys' and unisex) if these particular ones don't appeal to you. Visit Frecklebox.com.

Now through August 31st, enter code "FBSCHOOL" at checkout to receive 10% off your entire order.

Beep Beep Redux

A while back I asked you all to help me choose which car-themed thank you notes to buy for my son. I ended up choosing these Beep Beep: Turquoise Thank You Cards ($.96 per card) by Dwell Studio at Tiny Prints and they look terrific. If you're in the market for new personalized thank-you notes for your kids (or birth announcements, party invitations, address labels, or gift tags), Tiny Prints is having a special Sitewide Sale where you save 10% and get free shipping on orders $75 or more with code "AUGEMAIL". So now's a good time to buy. Browse around at Tiny Prints.

Use code "AUGEMAIL" to get 10% off your order at Tiny Prints, plus free shipping on orders of $75 or more. Valid now through 8/31/09.

Shutterfly Rosh Hashanah Cards

I just ordered Jewish New Year's cards from our affiliate Shutterfly. I was pleased to see that they had several Rosh Hashanah designs (in past years, you just had to adapt one of their existing templates). I chose Abundant Joy , a cheery pink and blue design that worked well with a photo of R&S that I took on our summer vacation. Bonus: the 5 x 7 flat cards are 20% off right now, so if you order, say, 21-45 cards, you'll pay just $1.67 each. Also, make sure to use coupon code "SHIP50" for free shipping if your order totals $50 or more. Happy New Year!

Pencils Smencils

It's not on any back-to-school supplies lists, but Smencils make an awfully nice treat for any student this time of year (R's cousins gave her one along with her 6th birthday gift and she loves it) . If you haven't already heard of them, Smencils are scented pencils made from recycled materials- each has a light fragrance that keeps its scent for up to 2 years if you keep it in its original tube (good luck with that, right?) This Set of 10 Gourmet Scented Pencils includes bubble gum, cherry, grape, tropical blast, chocolate, cotton candy, watermelon, orange, very berry and root beer scents with corresponding colors. $14.95 for the set at Target.

Inkspot Workshop

One of my favorite Etsy shops for personalized stationery is Inkspot Workshop and now it has own spiffy online shop here, featuring "hand crafted paper goodies that make you smile." Not surprisingly, the new site is pure eye candy and I'm sure you will love almost everything you see there. I sure do. Here are some of my favorite new items. The designs are so fresh and playful!

Pinwheel Calling Cards (set of 24 with a tin for $18)


Airplane Gift Tags (set of 12 for $9)


Ansley Initial Folio Set (18 cards plus folio for $36)


Birdie Baby Shower Invites( set of 12 for $23.50)

For a limited time only, use code "0809" to enjoy a 25% discount on your order at Inkspot Workshop. Valid on orders of $15 or more only.

10 Favorite Baby & Child Products from NYIGF

Last weekend I judged the Best New Baby & Child Products at the New York International Gift Fair. As I write this, the finalists and winners have not yet been officially announced, but I want to tell you what were some of my personal favorites among the nominees (there were also other great products throughout the show which I'll share later on). You'll likely see some of these toys and accessories very soon at your favorite shops and catalogs (hint: Chasing Fireflies has expressed interest in one in particular).





Healthy Gourmet Salad for Green Eaters by Hape/Educo







Elemental wooden blocks by Uncle Goose Toys







Masterpiece kits by Kidzaw







Smocked dresses with accompanying storybook by British company Poppy







Animal canvas storage bins by 3 Sprouts







Gift notes stamp sets by Wee Gallery







Writeable and erasable chalkboard shirts by Chalkboard Tees







Pillows sized especially for kids by Australian company Madii & Dyl







Wooden dollhouse furniture by Maple Landmark Toys







Superhero collage wall art by Oopsy Daisy





Check back soon for more of my finds from the New York International Gift Fair.

Rosh Hashanah Photo Cards

I've noticed that some of you arrived here via Google searches for custom Jewish New Year's cards. I wanted to recommend the site More Than Paper again for its excellent selection of Rosh Hashanah Cards (both with or without photos). Take Note Designs is a brand that has beautiful cards that, while not cheap, aren't outrageous either. One of my favorite designs--Modern Apple Tree on Blue--costs $86 for 50 cards. Order early; the Jewish New Year begins on the evening of Wednesday, September 28th this year. Chag Sameach!

Sibling Silhouette Thank You Cards

Since my kids' August birthdays are 12 days apart, and since some friends & family are kind enough to send gifts to both of them, we often write joint thank-you notes. For the past two years, I've used the custom silhouette notecards shown above by Le Papier Studio, but now that the kids are 5 and 8, their silhouettes are outdated (sniff, sniff). So I sent in a more recent photo and ordered new cards with the updated silhouette. Here is the 2011 version.







I love comparing it to the old one. . . in a way, the cards become keepsakes as well. Order them for your own kids for $21 at Le Papier Studio.

Bargain Alert: $1 Personalized Notebooks

I always find amazing bargain gifts under $5 at the craft store Michaels. I was at the Upper West Side store the other day and found these typography-themed initial notebooks for just $1 each (they're wrapped in cellophane so the photos is a bit blurry)--plus the cashier gave me a 40% off coupon so I bought all 3 of these for just $1.80. How's that for a deal? I highly recommend visiting Michael's to stock up on future teacher gifts, hostess gifts, or stocking stuffers. Find a location near you at Michaels.com.

Newly Minted

There are lots of photo stationery sites out there, but Minted is unique in that it offers many exclusive designs by top independent designers like Egg Press, Elum, Dauphine, and Wiley Valentine (don't worry, I'd never heard of any of these either until I went to my 1st National Stationery Show, but now- as an experienced paper-phile- they are household names to me). These designers compete to have their top products offered at Minted. The cards, including birth announcements, birthday invitations, and personal stationery, are fresh and fun.

I am very impressed with Minted's photo birth announcements- again, this is a glutted market but Minted's announcements stand out for particularly eye-catching cropping (or bleeding) of the photo images. The prices are competitive for cards of this caliber- about $119 for 50 cards. Take a look:

Garden Feast Announcements by Helena Seo Deo Designs


Belle Memoire Announcements by Helena Seo Deo Designs


Scrolls Announcements by Duval Invites

Check out announcements, invitations, notecards and more at Minted.


Note: You can order a sample of any card at Minted for $7 and it will be credited towards a future purchase. Also, if you take a short customer survey you will receive a 10% discount! Definitely worth a few minutes! Visit Minted.

Moving Announcements for the 'Burbs

Remember I posted some city-themed moving announcements recently for one of my local pals? This time I'm offering some picks for another friend who recently left for the suburbs of NYC (sniff, sniff). Here were my suggestions:

"Hello New Home" Announcements by Minted


The Grass Is Greener Moving Announcements by Minted


Rosettes Personalized Modern Moving Announcements by Red Stamp


Long Island Moving Announcement by Robyn Miller Design


Family Bikes Moving Annoucement by Tiny Prints


And here is what my friend eventually chose. Love these, too!

Boatman Geller Traditional House at More Than Paper

Congrats to A. and her family on their move! We miss you.