Mamatoga Mother's Day Giveaway: Northshire Bookstore Gift Card & Parent Hacks!

bookIt's time for another great Mother's Day Giveaway! This time I'm giving away a new favorite book AND a gift card to one of my favorite spots in Saratoga Springs, click through to enter now!

This week I told you about Parent Hacks, SUCH a lifesaver for parents everywhere. I am literally always picking this book up for tips and tricks on how to make things run more smoothly (okay or to just get through the day). Written by a mom for moms, this is one book you need on your shelf as a parent.

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This week I am giving away one copy of Parent Hacks AND a $25 Gift Card to Northshire Bookstore on Broadway in Saratoga Springs. We are so lucky to have this incredible independent bookstore in our city, and it is packed not only with great books but great gifts.

To enter, simply comment below and one winner will be chosen at random at 5pm on Friday, April 29th and notified via email. Good luck mamas and thank you to Northshire Bookstore for this great giveaway!

Motherhood Must Have: ILADO Paris Pregnancy Jewelry

stylewars I have shared my frustrations with finding anything I want to wear while pregnant, and I have basically given up. The one mainstay that always "fits" is jewelry, but I've never found a piece of jewelry specifically designed for pregnant moms, until I heard about the gorgeous pregnancy necklaces by ILADO. Pregnancy necklace? What's that? Click through to find out more about this incredibly unique piece of jewelry just for moms to be.

ILADO Paris is the first Maternity Jewelry brand created in Paris by Sandra Zeller and Célia Bonahon in 2015 to bring back the meaning and beauty of the Pregnancy Necklace tradition. The collection is inspired by a Mayan chime pendant: the “Angel Caller”, an ancestral spherical pendant that contains a silver ball that emits a subtle and harmonious chime when shaken. Legend has it that this sweet jingling sound, that is unique for each necklace, is magic: it has the power to call the Guardian Angel of the wearer to provide them protection, comfort and guidance throughout life.

These necklaces were traditionally worn by the Mayan mothers: during pregnancy, as a protective amulet for the expectant mother and her baby; and after birth, as the familiar gentle chime sound of the necklace would soothe and reassure the newborn baby by reminding it the comfort and warmth of the womb.

I recently spoke to co-creator Sandra Zeller about the inspiration behind this beautiful idea...

Sandra: "We discovered this beautiful tradition while we were pregnant with our first child by reading a press article about motherhood tradition. We loved it! But then we search for a modern pregnancy necklace that we would actually like to wear... and we couldn't find it! So, we decided to create ILADO Paris to revive this beautiful tradition for modern mums like us.

We wanted to design jewelry pieces that are both modern, easy to wear, and precious to make lovely gifts for a future mother, especially from a dad-to-be or during a baby shower! A symbolic and memorable gift of the bond between mother and baby that you can keep all your life."

The necklace charm sits right at bump level, and it creates the gentle and soothing chiming sound as you move throughout the day. A baby in the womb begins to hear at 18 weeks, and can hear the soft chime every time you move. After the baby is born, the familiar sounds of the chimes are very comforting and reassuring for the baby, reminding it of the safety in its mother's womb, just like the sound of their mother’s voice. As you feed them, rock them, and bond with them, they will hear that same soothing sound they heard before they were born (pictured below is my silk cord necklace).

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For me, the soft chiming is also a reminder to slow down and be mindful of the whole pregnancy experience, and I've been wearing the necklace non-stop since I received it. The style I have is the Joy Pregnancy necklace which has an adjustable silk cord that can be worn shorter after pregnancy (I chose a pink silk cord since I am having another baby girl, and the cords come in 7 vibrant colors).

Besides the beautiful Joy Pregnancy necklace they have some gorgeous pieces like the Uh Pregnancy necklace that also has an adjustable chain length that can be worn shorter after pregnancy. Its name is directly inspired by its shape and by the word Uh, meaning moon in Mayan, a universal symbol of femininity and motherhood.

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The ILADO Paris pregnancy necklaces have already been seen on fashion bloggers and celebrities like model Karolina Kurkova (pictured below) and Sandra and Célia are hoping that their Kickstarter campaign will help them spread the word about this beautiful tradition among American mothers. Their pregnancy necklaces are already sold in France in their E-shop and at a few retailers worldwide, and they are now raising funds on Kickstarter to meet the minimum quantity they need to order to produce the new Joy pregnancy necklace summer collection (and find them on Instagram and facebook too).

Karolina Kurkova I plan on wearing mine long after I welcome baby #5, besides loving the chic and understated style of it, I will cherish the connection it helped form between me and this little person I haven't yet met. The soft chime reminds me of the beauty of motherhood itself, always present, always with you, there to provide comfort and a sense of security.

Your Toy Portrait Giveaway! ***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

null(2)One of my all time favorites, Jennifer Maher of Your Toy Portrait, has once again generously offered a custom Toy or Pet Portrait to one lucky Mamatoga reader this week!

I can’t tell you enough how much I love our portraits, every time I pass them on the stairs they make me smile. Childhood goes by so incredibly fast, and there are those little moments you think you will always remember but don't always hang on to. Like them coming down the stairs in their jammies holding their favorite stuffed animal. That one stuffed animal or toy they can't seem to part with, their special little childhood friend. That's where Your Toy Portrait comes in, her work perfectly captures that specific essence of childhood, the sweetness and the innocence, that time when having your favorite little buddy tucked in with you was the most important thing. I love how distilled the idea is with her portraits too, the simplicity of them allows for you to see all the details on these much loved subjects. That is what comes through the most for me with these portraits, all the love poured into these little inanimate objects, how cherished they are by your favorite little people.

Originally from Chicago, Your Toy Portrait artist Jennifer Maher now lives and paints locally here in Upstate NY. A long-time collector of unique stuffed animals, she has often turned to them as inspiring subject matter for her artwork. The birth of her daughter in 2008 revived Jennifer’s interest in documenting favorite toys, especially those most special to Sonja. This series has expanded as other parents began requesting portraits of their own children’s special stuffed animals. {Check out Jennifer’s portraits featured on Cool Mom Picks here}

Jennifer just completed our fourth Toy Portrait (I seriously cannot get enough of them, see the Blabla Bunny below) and each one is so uniquely special to our family. Plus having a custom painting by a local artist? I love it. This bunny she painted was extra special to me because it is posed on a small chair I have had with me since I was young, so the pattern behind it is also a happy memory of my own childhood.

10410609_1141664175861483_1801881689321973381_nImage-11IMG_2606For this giveaway though, you get to choose, because guess what? She also does pet portraits! I know it will be nearly impossible for some of you to choose, because how amazing are these pet portraits?!

nolaprocessnoladogThese portraits are perfect as a gift (LOVE the idea of a first birthday gift to hang on a nursery wall) or as a keepsake for you and your child to hang in your home, a special little childhood time capsule to be treasured. My kids love their toy portraits as much as we do, to them their little loved ones are getting the special attention they deserve. This would also make a perfect holiday gift for a child or that special dog lover in your family (Christmas is just around the corner, seriously).

IMG_8032photo-1-50-667x1024Turnaround is quick for these custom portraits, and if you live locally she can even paint your toy from life (don’t worry, she won’t keep it long!), but she can also easily work from photographs. All you do is email her two or three images of the toy or your pet, preferably taken without flash and with a strong light source from one side. You tell her a bit about the toy (or pet) and what makes it special to you, your family, or your child — (your story adds to her creative process and is a large part of the joy she takes in her work). The painting will sport a simple hand built pine frame and is ready to hang on your wall. redridingprocessredridingfinal (1)For the giveaway, ONE winner will be chosen at random on Monday, September 28th at 5pm to receive a custom 8×10 portrait of the subject of their choice, either a toy OR a pet! To enter, first go “like” Your Toy Portrait on facebook here (if you haven’t already) and comment below. You MAY comment more than once, and one winner will be chosen at random.

To read more about Jennifer, click here to see her feature in Mamatoga Magazine. Many many thanks to Jennifer for the giveaway, and good luck! xoxo

hedgieytp1***This giveaway is now closed, many thanks to all of you who entered, and a big thanks to Jennifer for doing this awesome giveaway!***

Northshire Bookstore's Father's Day Picks

Jennifer Armstrong, bookseller extraordinaire from Northshire Bookstore on Broadway in Saratoga (our area's top independent bookstore) is on Mamatoga today with some last minute book ideas perfect for the dad in your life. indexFor the first time dad: Jimmy Fallon's new book, "Your Baby's First Word Will Be Dada," is just as charming as he is.  The text is refreshingly simple (no ham-handed attempt to instill a lesson, thank goodness) and the art is cheerful and fun.  This is a perfect first Father's Day book.

Not his first Father's Day?  How about How to Surprise a Dad, by the best-selling team (Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish) that brought you How to Baby-Sit a Grandma and How to Baby-Sit a Grandpa.  Full of funny advice for mischievous kids.  Dads: just pretend you don't see them sneaking up behind from behind.  Play along.

Dads of school-aged kids may appreciate Made by Dad: 67 Blueprints for Making Cool Stuff, a book of projects to do with the kids that will get them all away from their screens and into full-on tinker mode.  It's fun, funny, and even somewhat ingenious.

Pop into Northshire to pick up these great picks just in time for Father's Day!