Mama Speaks

KKPW Designs

Sterling & Coin Necklace

I’ve never been a girly-girl when comes to jewelry. I’m a minimalist, I suppose. I wear my wedding rings and the same hoop earring every day, and that’s about it. I love clean and simple. Effortless is my mantra.

I’ve had my eye out for a new lovely, a necklace to represent my recently acquired position and title, Mama. Of course, simplicity is a must.

This week I found the perfect piece. The personalized sterling & Chinese coin necklace ($40) from KKPW Designs is delicate and feminine, with a one-inch sterling disc stamped A for Asher. It’s a perfect mix of modern and vintage, because under that sterling disc is a worn Chinese coin just peeking out around the edges. The fine sterling chain is about 17 inches long, and the disc can be stamped with up to three letters, so no one is left out.

I’m also seriously in love with the Infinity necklace ($40). If necklaces aren’t your thing, there are some amazing bracelets, rings and earrings. These dangly Little Drops of Water earring ($35) are so great they make me want to cut my hair into a pixie ‘do.

-Sarah

BUY

Sock Knitting Kit

Pretty Knitty

So you want to knit up some socks but don't know where to start. The Sock Knitting Kit [$20] has got it all boxed up and ready to go. Six patterns, some yummy yarn, and the needles you need to make one pair of socks- this is a pretty luxurious bargain that will knock your socks off. Or on.

Detailed instructions are included and read nice and easy, but you'll still need to be quite comfortable with the basics of this yarny craft if you want to wear these socks anytime soon. The patterns like Cheerleader Socks! and sweet toddler bobby socks are super fun and not what you'd find in your Granny's knitting basket. If you've got chilly toes and you're skilled with the needles, then this kit is for you or someone you love or someone you'd love to make you socks.

-Steph

BUY

Alima Pure

Nothing But Glam

Smoky eyes and rosy cheeks do not have to be a thing of the past if you are going for a more natural way of living. Alima Pure mineral makeup is made of the purest cosmetic-grade mineral pigments- perfect for sensitive skin and those of us that want to be earth friendly.

For the first time in my life I have the soft, flushed cheek glow thanks to the delicious Candy Luminous Shimmer Blush [$15] - and I'm addicted. Go easy on the eyes or go wild with Luminous Shimmer Eyeshadows [$9] in any color imaginable. And if you need a hue for a special occasion or just for fun, splurge on a sample jar [$1] or two. Apply wet or dry- Alima Pure minerals are forgiving and allow for a lot of experimenting- no matter if you want to be all dolled up or look like you're not wearing any at all.

Win it!
We're giving away an Alima Pure Luminous Shimmer eyeshadow! To enter, email giveaways[at]mamaspeaks.com with Alima as your subject and let us know which color you like best. Giveaway ends 12.09.08

 -Steph

Last Minute Gifts For Everyone On Your List

It never fails. Christmas Eve rolls around and you discover there's someone on your list you've forgot to buy for. Showing up to that holiday party empty handed is not an option so what are you to do? We've compiled our favorite last minute gifts for everyone on your list.

Best for Children Big and Small
Every kid on the planet LOVES Build a Bear and their adorable Hal and Holly Moose [$12 each] are guaranteed to make any kid grin. Each Moose is 16in of snuggly soft and Hal's antlers have Christmas lights that really light up! If you're brave enough to well, brave the mall today you can pick up a premade, or you can order online and print it out or send a gift e-card.

Best for Parents to Be or Newbies
Help any new mama or papa keep their bundle close with a sling or wrap for nonny & boo. Printable E-Gift Certificates [$25-$100] are now available for use on any item at their main or Etsy store and they're offering 20% off any Gift Certificate purchase through Christmas Day with code MASGE20.

Best for the Guys on Your Gift List
You can't go wrong with a tee and Threadless [$5-$200] has a little something for everyone. You can spend a little by scooping up one available in the $5 Holiday sale, go the way of the Gift Certificate or spend a lot and set them up for the Tee of the Month club.

Best for Anyone
Gifts that keep on giving can be the best kind to give and receive. We love to shop the online gift catalog at Heifer International. You can give the gift of animals and other essential resources (or a share of one) to people all over the world in need. Even better, part of the program is that they pay it forward by passing along offspring to another family. You can let your gift recipient know you've honored them by with Heifers selection of e-cards and printable cards.

Win it!
We're giving away a $10 Bear Bucks card for Build-a-Bear! To enter, email giveaways[at]mamaspeaks.com with Christmas Eve as your subject. Let us know what your favorite last minute gift is. Giveaway ends 12.27.08

Ponoko

There's a new site in town for handmade gifts and goodies and this season just about anything from Ponoko is sure to steal the show. The marketplace is full of handmade individualized goods that boast more of a technical flare than that stereotypical "crafty" stuff. From jewelry to toys to housewares there is something for everyone on your list.

While the shops have us "ooooing" and "ahhhing" all over the place, our favorite Ponoko feature is the ability to turn your ideas into reality, even if you don't have the skill to do it yourself. You can simply post a request, receive a quote and have one of the amazingly talented designers make it for you! If you are talented you can find plans a plenty to create many of the finds.

There are materials a plenty in the offerings at Ponoko but we're really feeling the wood this season. Here are some of our current, handpicked favorites:

Fortune Cookie Christmas Ornament [$18] by Cloud Design

Peace and joy and Chinese food are celebrated in this sweet ornament laser cut from Veneer Colour Rimu.

Wood Alphabet-o-Graphic Earrings [$33] by moyou

Funky original graphics are lasered into beautiful beech for one of a kind style for your lobes. Also available in colorful acrylic styles [$25].

Pepe Rocks [$175] by STUFF

The whimsical rocker made by hand in New Zealand will be beloved by any toddler.

Labyrinth Coasters [$35] by Modularis

A reproduction of France's Chartres cathedral labyrinth. These etched New Zealand plywood coasters are the perfect protectors of your tabletop.

Win it!
Between now and Christmas Day spend $50 or more at Ponoko and you'll be entered into a drawing for a $500 shopping Spree!

Want it?
Designers can get 50% off their making costs through Christmas Day with code 7GGTVL.

Editor's note: Many of our favorite Ponoko shops are NOT located in the US. Please take note of each shops location and expect shipping cost and time to be higher than domestic.

Dr. Blooms Chewable Jewels

Worn by Moms... Loved by Babies

What an idea--funky, fun jewelry that babies can chew on! Developed by one loving Mom and Dentist, the idea behind Chewable Jewels was created one day when Dr. Helen Bloom Smith was playing with her twin nephews and noticed that they couldn't keep their hands and mouths off of her jewelry. Worried about how the hard beads and metal could affect their growing tooth buds and tender gums, she began searching for material that was suitable for teething babies. After coming up empty, she decided to create her own mama & baby friendly jewelry.

Chewable Jewels come in Bright and fun pendant necklaces, bracelets, key chains and more! I love the emerald combo circle necklace and bracelet [$20]. It's stylish, fun & safe for teething babes. I can see these becoming a regular in my everyday jewelry collection for sure. All Chewable Jewels are safe from; BPA, PVC, phthalate, latex. They also lead free and dishwasher safe. Be sure to try the latest fashion in teething, and your baby will find you look good enough to eat!

-Brittany

Vintage Wave and 2ReVert

Broke Down, Busted, Beautiful

As a kid, I was that girl cruising around on my skateboard with the pack of guys. It was great fun, great exercise and kept me out of all sorts of trouble I'm sure I could have found myself in had I not been working so hard to break my bones. But, as I got older I packed up my deck and while I LOVE the rare moments now spent skating with my son, lets just say that my skateboard isn't such an appropriate accessory these days. Or so I thought.Thanks to the creative stylings of some sweet Etsy shops I can now wear bits and pieces of those decks I adore as baubles and bangles.

Vintage Wave does a beautiful job of “up-cycling” those old, broken, beat-up skate decks into gorgeous jewelry. We spotted a necklace, hoop earrings and bangles galore but their Black and White Skateboard Bangle [$22] is to ride die for. Best of all, it will go with everything and no one will ever know it was once some young punks deck.

2ReVert goes mostly mod with their huge collection of bangles, necklaces, belt buckles, cufflinks, earrings and rings. The unconventional cuts and bold, stark, graphic design are beyond beautiful. It's all gorgeous but we're partial to the 2in1 Reversible Dangle Necklace [$18] which shows the inner layers of the skateboard deck on one side and the banged up graphics on the other.

If you're a bit skeptical (as I was) about wearing a busted up scratchy piece of wood, no worries. Both companies cut, sand a seal each piece for a smooth, comfy fit. Gorgeous, green and little bit of punky funk? We're sold.

Win it!
We're giving away a pair of Recycled Skateboard Earrings from 2ReVert [$30]! To enter, email giveaways[at]mamaspeaks.com with 2ReVert as your subject and let us know where 2ReVert is located. Giveaway ends 10.12.08

Ethel Gloves

Lucy Would Be Proud

As much as I like digging my hands into the dirt and feeling one with the world, I am not always in the mood to be picking dirt out of my fingernails for the next month.  Garden gloves are usually categorized as a "necessary evil", but oh boy has that changed.  Ethel gloves have shown me the light.  And the light has moxie.

Ethel gloves [$18] have function, yes, they're made from durable fabrics, they stretch with ease and they have the extended cuff that is so often missing.  The gloves aren't just smaller man-gloves, they are actually contoured for a woman's hands.  But that's not the best part.

These gloves, which come in a variety of colors, have moxie.  They stepped right out of a Doris Day movie and make you want to sing and dance just be incredibly productive.  Not only for gardening--thinking outside the box will conjure up a plethora of uses for these little sweeties.  Bike riding, rock climbing, and more, all great for the Ethel gloves.  I love mine so much I'm wishing I could figure out a way to wear them all the time.  In the mean time, I'm loving finally having a functional and stylish women's work gloves.   

-Arianne

A Shirt Can Save A Life

The Cause: Tiny Revolutionary for Africa Aid

The Purpose: With the purchase of a "This Shirt Saved a Life" tee from Tiny Revolutionary, $20 is donated directly to Africa Aid to fund a child in their school lunch program in the Buduburam Refugee Settlement in Ghana for an entire year.

Be Informed: Africa Aid's School Lunch Program (SLP) provides lunch a daily nutritious lunch to students and an incentive to participate in school. The SLP cooks are students mothers, giving back further by improving the economic status of the women in the Buduburam community.

Get Involved: Shirts are available in adult [$42] and baby/youth sizes [$38]. Click on over to AfricaAid.org to see what else you can do to help.

Peace Love Mom

Wear It With Pride, Mama!

You know, there are days when I am amazingly proud of what I do. It's not every day, not yet, because I am definitely still learning about this whole motherhood thing, but occasionally it does happen. And when it does, I walk around with a smile on my face, and I want to show everyone how happy I am that I'm a mother.

Founded by three moms who shared my sense of pride, Peace Love Mom has created a line of tees [$38 each] for those of us who want to show a little school spirit to the rest of the world. With great, positive messages and clever slogans, you can find a design to suit your personality and tastes so you can show a bit of yourself to everyone you meet. From the organic "Green Mom" option, to my favorite, "Balanced Mom" (because I hope its message will rub off on me each and every day) there is something for every one of us. I'm also a big fan of the "Powerful Mom" tee, with $3 from each purchase of this particular shirt going toward the CARE organization, a non-profit that fights global poverty.

Just so you know, these soft jersey tees are very thin, made of a 100% cotton that is light and airy. Personally I find it very comfortable, but I know everyone has their own preference for thickness and material when it comes to t-shirts, and I wouldn't want its light-weight nature to come as a surprise.

Want it?
Enter MAMASPEAKS for free shipping on all purchases over $20

-Beth