Zephyr Hill

A Family Blog

Polder’s Handcrafted Wood Utensils Review & Giveaway

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Welcome to the Something Special for Mom Giveaway Hop hosted by the Blogging Mamas Network. Mother’s Day will be here before you know it, and this fun hop is a great way to pick up some gift ideas, and maybe even win something for yourself or a special mother in your life! Be sure to visit all the blogs at the bottom of this post and enter their giveaways, especially the Grand Prize giveaway of a $100 Gift Card to aka originals (hand stamped jewelry) – which you can enter here.

I have an amazing sponsor for the Mother’s Day giveaway on my blog – Polder’s Old World Market! Polder’s was started because this very talented family wanted to return to simple living plus find a way to earn income with their skills. On their site it says “It is our chief desire to truly honor the Lord Jesus Christ in all that we do – both on our homestead, and at Polder’s Old World Market. He has made everything that we are doing possible.”

The Polder family sent a handcrafted set of 5 utensils in exchange for a review;  my set is made of maple, reclaimed from local fallen hardwoods. The set includes a spatula, paddle spoon, stock pot spoon, a side dish serving spoon and one relish spoon (perfect for jams, jellies and other condiments), and retails for $150.

No utensil is exactly the same; even the handle shapes of each are unique. Everything was attractively packaged with rustic raffia and Polder’s personalized tags:

Here are the measurements:

Spatula: 17 inches long
Paddle Spoon: 15 inches long
Stock Pot Spoon: 15 inches long
Side Dish Spoon: 9.5 inches long
Relish Spoon: 7.5 inches long

Here’s a close-up so you can see the detail that goes into each piece. I love the light honey-colored maple, and the hand-carving that highlights the pattern of the wood grain.

Compared to the cheap wooden spoons I’ve been using over the years….well, there really isn’t a comparison. The craftsmanship is impeccable. The wood is sanded to a satiny smooth finish. The three largest utensils in the set are definitely much “heftier” and more substantial than the wood utensils you can pick up at the big box store. I like how sturdy they are, and even the way they feel in my hand as I’m cooking. Of the two large spoons, I’ve found myself using the stock spoon the most since I’ve often got a big pot of soup or pasta or  potatoes on the stove. The spatula has a really nice thin edge so it works well for flipping delicate things like omelets and pancakes. I can even use it without worrying about scratching the non-stick surface of my griddle.

The paddle spoon doesn’t have a “bowl,” but is flat on top. It’s perfect for mixing up everything from cookies to waffle batter. Because it is long, however, you’d want to use it with a deep bowl.

Including the side dish spoon and relish/condiment spoon in the set is a really nice touch. My children especially love using the smallest spoon for dishing jelly onto their biscuits or sour cream onto tacos. The side spoon, because of it’s shallow bowl, works best for things like mashed potatoes, baked casseroles and creamy salads that “hold” together, rather than foods that can easily slip off like green peas, carrots or diced fruit.

I asked the Polder family how best to care for my new set of utensils. They recommended oiling them (with olive oil) after every third or fourth use. With simple care like this, they will last for many many years.

My set of wooden utensils sure came at the right time, because both of the spoons in my arsenal had recently started splintering around the edges. This always happens after a couple of years and it’s really frustrating, but there’s no worry on that score anymore because Polder’s Old World Market offers a lifetime guarantee on all their utensils. You also get FREE shipping on every order. There are other woods to choose from, including walnut and cherry and hickory.

I can’t think of a more beautiful and unique gift to get for your mother this year. You just can’t go wrong! What woman wouldn’t love to have these utensils like this in her kitchen? (Yes, you can buy all of these pieces individually). Here are some of their top sellers:

The Signature Simple Paddle Spoon for $22.00:

The Best All-Purpose Spoon for $28:00:

And The Farmer’s Wife Spoon for $42.00:

Follow Polder’s Old World Market and see what beautiful things they are making via Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Google Plus! Subscribe to the Polder’s blog for updates and sales. They just posted an album on Facebook of handcrafted wood items ready to ship NOW for Mother’s Day!

And for the giveaway………….one very lucky reader will win a set of 5 handcrafted maple wood utensils, valued at $150, just like I reviewed! Open to both US and Canada.  NO LONGER ACCEPTING ENTRIES

Have a blessed Mother’s Day!

Choosing a Child’s Outfit for Portraits and Special Occasions

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I love candid photos and pictures of my children in their brightly colored play clothes enjoying the great outdoors. But some very special occasions call for an equally special outfit. Some examples:

  • Weddings
  • Baptism, Christening, Confirmation and other spiritual milestones
  • Formal portraits
  • Easter and Christmas

Thanks to Feltman Brothers and their vintage-style clothes for infants and toddlers, Susanna and Erik were not only outfitted for Easter but have some beautiful outfits to wear this spring and summer for special occasions.

We were given a classic white boys Cardigan with Pockets and Pintucks in white (retail $38.99) and the Rose Bouquet Bishop-Style white dress (retail $71.99) to review:

Quality: The details on both pieces are very fine and of excellent quality. Erik’s sweater features neat little pintucks and tiny front pockets with coordinating buttons. French lace trims the delicately puffed sleeves of the Bishop-Style dress, and hand sewn diamond smocking with pale pink rosebuds decorates the yoke. Even the hem is beautifully accented with horizontal tucks and more fine white lace. It’s such a sweet and pretty dress! 

Sizing: The one-piece outfits I ordered last time around seemed to run a tad small, but the cardigan and dress both seem to be right on target. Erik is 15 months old and is wearing the 2T sweater; I wanted it to last him a long time and with the sleeve cuffs rolled up once it fits perfectly. This fall, when he’s older and bigger, he’ll still be able to wear it. Susanna is 2 years old and the length and overall size of the 2T dress is just right.

When our newborn arrives in July/August, I’ll dress Susanna and Erik up again in their Feltman Brothers finery for the baptism!

It’s easy to shop with Feltman Brothers at any time online, and you’ll always receive free shipping on orders over $95. You can search by gender, by size and by occasion. There’s even a special section just for “Teenie Weenie Newborns,” if you’re looking for an unforgettable coming home or portrait outfit.

 

Is there an important family occasion or milestone on your calendar this year? After our experience with Feltman Brothers, I’m really confident that you’ll be able to find the perfect outfit for your baby or toddler to wear from their online shop!

Try a New Skirt for Spring: NewCreation Review & Giveaway

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Skirts are great for pregnancy (or any other time, for that matter). They are comfortable to wear and easily coordinate with other things in your wardrobe. When the weather warms up in spring and summer, you’ll especially appreciate the breezy style of a pretty skirt.

My long-time friends at newCreation Apparel sent me something very lovely to review this spring: the popular Diagonal Stretch Denim maternity skirt.

This is not an ordinary denim skirt. The poly/viscose/spandex fabric is very fine and lightweight, with a smooth feel and very nice drape. The color is a deep denim blue with hints of aubergine, and it’s accented with diagonal stitching for visual appeal. The soft and stretchy tummy panel helps to accommodate your expanding waistline during pregnancy.

Solomon – the cat – kept rubbing on my skirt while Catherine was trying to take a photo of me so I finally just picked him up! (Finally got the cameo he always wanted, I guess.)

 

I simply ordered my pre-pregnancy size and then picked my desire length (33, 36 or 39 inches). Many of newCreation’s skirts can be ordered in the length of your choice, and I think that’s one of the best features of their website, and something very unique in the online fashion industry. Size ranges offered are also pretty generous: from ladies small to 2X.

If you want to know my honest thoughts about my new maternity skirt, I’ll put it this way. I’ve worn it more than six times in the past two weeks! And one of those times was church because it’s versatile enough to be dressed up or down. Not only does the contrast stitching give it an extra nice touch, but the hem of the skirt has a bit of flutter at the edges:

Simply put, it’s a flattering and very comfortable skirt, and at just $28.00 I would highly recommend it to any expectant mother as a wardrobe staple.

Here are a few items from their site that are on my “wish list” for after pregnancy:

 

Since I’ve been a customer of newCreation for many years, here are a few more reasons I can wholeheartedly recommend them to you:

  • They sell hard to find items like maternity slips (in cotton!!) and longer silk slips.
  • Shipping is super fast – my packages usually arrive within 3 days.
  • Things I’ve purchased in past years still look and fit great; the quality and durability is stellar.
  • The people behind the scenes are like old friends – kind, generous and extremely helpful. And they are truly committed to providing beautiful, modest and affordable clothing for women.
  • There’s always something for sale in the Treasure Chest – you can find skirts up to 50% off.

newCreation has offered to give one lucky winner one of their skirts! You can choose whatever you want from the site – and the giveaway is open to both US and Canada. Good luck!

Feltman Brothers Heirloom Clothing

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Babies and young children are a joy to behold; there’s something so universally appealing about their wonderful expressions, tiny little faces and unpredictable, comical ways. We parents especially treasure photos from childhood that capture those qualities. And nearly every family has some special dress or outfit that was perfectly suited to the occasion. Perhaps it’s something that’s even been passed down from generation to generation.

Feltman Brothers has been generating this kind of magic for quite some time – almost 100 years, in fact! At it’s founding in 1916, Americans were puttering around in the famous Model T while “Edwardian” ladies swept their hair up high and wore skirts almost to their shoes. But just like then, we still love to dress up our little ones for a special occasion, or maybe just to capture them in a keepsake photo. Fine sewing sometimes seems to be a vanishing art, so I’m really glad that companies like Feltman Brothers are still providing heirloom-quality clothing to families.

Feltman Brothers sent us two beautiful spring outfits for Erik and Susanna in exchange for an honest review: the Teddy Bear Bobby Suit in blue (retail $53.85) and the Rose Garden Smocked Bubble Suit (also in blue, retail $47.99):

It took me a really long time to choose something for my two toddlers because the selection at Feltman Brothers is extensive and everything is either breathtakingly beautiful or just plain adorable (some are both!). In the end, I thought the two pale blue spring outfits would suit them both perfectly.

They are quite a pair!

The outfits we received are meticulously crafted. Not a stitch out of place. The fine fabrics and delicate details are just what I would expect from such a trusted name. You can be sure that after Spring and Summer have come and gone, these little suits will be carefully packed away for the next Sweden baby.

The tiny pintucks and embroidery on Erik’s romper are perfect, and the button-on style is one of my absolute favorites:

Department stores and big box stores don’t sell clothing of this quality, and it often takes some looking (and driving) to find a high end boutique shop. Luckily, you can easily shop with Feltman Brothers online and receive free shipping on all orders over $95.

I do want to mention that if your baby is average or bigger, then you might go up a size when purchasing. Susanna and Erik are both small/short for their ages, and the sizes I picked corresponded exactly to their ages and the outfits “just” fit – with no room to spare.

Feltman Brothers also sells christening gowns! Baptism is a crucial, once-in-a-lifetime event, so it’s no wonder that parents have traditionally dressed their babies in the very best for the momentous day. Feltman Brothers has beautiful styles for both boys and girls, plus accessories like bibs, blankets and diaper covers.

Do you see something you like at Feltman Brothers? Is there an outfit or gown that would suit your child perfectly?

After you take a few minutes to browse around, don’t forget that Feltman Brothers is having a giveaway this month for a clothing package worth $150, and it ends in just 3 days! You can enter here.

 

 

Tiny Love Developlace Activity Gym Review and Giveaway

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We have several young children at different ages and stages, so I like toys that multi-task! Enter the Tiny Love Gymini Developlace.

This fun little activity gym was sent to us for review by the wonderful team at Tiny Love, and it’s been quite entertaining to watch my one year old give it a whirl. As you can see from the collage below, the Developlace was designed to appeal to multiple ages. It can go from an activity gym or playhouse for older babies and toddlers to a tummy time mat for tiny infants. It features walls that you can fasten up or down, detachable toys (mirror, rattle ball, blanket play pal, learning card, frog rattle and a crinkly leaf) and a window they can peek through. 

Here are some thoughts on our experience:

Setup: Quick and easy! It took me about 5 minutes to get the Developlace ready for the children.

Versatility: This is what really makes the Developlace a great value, and a wise investment. It can appeal to children from ages newborn to 18 months. You can lay it out flat, fold up the sides, or just fold up one side. You can mix and match the hanging toys as you please. Erik (age 13 months) and even Susanna (who is now 2) have enjoyed the Developlace immensely. They use it as a play house, a hiding spot and even once or twice as an emergency place to crash and take a nap!

Appearance: Tiny Love really scored on this as well. Every child that comes to our house runs to the Developlace, alight with curiosity.  The graphics are cozy and colorful, and the woodland theme appeals to everyone. Who doesn’t love squirrels and frogs and cute little bugs? The textiles are soft and smooth, making the Developlace even more inviting. As an added bonus, the slick surface of the mat is easy to wipe clean in case of accidents or spills.

Durability: Erik and the two older toddlers have done their darndest to the Developlace and it’s still standing. It’s been pushed and pulled, sat upon, shaken….you name it. The velcro closures are super strong and they stay put. The overhead tunnel has also taken a beating and emerged victorious. This thing is very durable and meant to last. That being said, it can be flipped over by older babies and toddlers because it’s very lightweight. Sometimes, if Erik leans up against or pushes one of the side walls, the entire thing will fall over. The first time this happened, he was startled but was up and playing again within seconds. Now, he just laughs. It’s not a safety issue, just the nature of the toy. However, it would be handy if there was a way to anchor it in one place for rambunctious toddlers.

Price: At just over $70, this might not be the first baby item you run out and buy. It’s not an essential. However, because (as mentioned above) you’ll get lots of mileage out of this activity mat, I would definitely say it’s worth saving for, or at the least, adding to your registry. The Developlace would also make a fantastic birthday or Christmas gift for an infant or young toddler.

And now let’s see how much Susanna and Erik enjoy the Developlace!

 

You can find the Gymini Developlace at retail baby stores and directly from Tiny Love or Amazon. It retails for $79.99.

Tiny Love is giving away a Gymini Developlace to one of my readers (US only)! Enter to win using the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

 

 

 

 

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