All Jarred Up - Now Open in Portland, OR

*Disclaimer - I was sent samples in order to write an honest review. No monetary compensation was received. All experiences and opinions are my own.

I'm so excited to share this great little spot and idea hailing from my home state of Oregon. All Jarred Up has a clever concept of treats you can ship or eat right out of a mason jar. Adorable, portable and truly tasty, you have to give All Jarred Up goodies a try!

Originally these handmade creations; pies, quick-bread, cookies, sauces and toffee were available only online through Etsy. You can still order your jars online, but now you can see an expanded selection at their new cart location in Portland Oregon.

My box arrived well packed and intact. Each jar is labeled with the item name, ingredients, re-heating instructions, sealed and decorated with checkerboard cloth. It is a very cute presentation.

Yeah, I have quite a thing for glass and reusable containers, so these treats were even sweeter being packaged in jars. I was really intrigued by these little cookies, the lemon lavender cookies. Oh, man. I followed the directions on the lid to warm them in the oven and,

...my whole home smelled of the most divine lavender lemon awesomeness! Believe it or not, I did share these cookies. Well, just a bite or two.

Aren't they pretty?  These are about as close to fresh warm baked goods as I could get through the mail.

The pies are such a cute idea! I love the individual servings in small glass jars. Like the cookies, I warmed them in the oven and served them as is. These would make great gifts for starving college students or even new Moms. Shoot, my Mom lives alone and would flip for getting a pie in the mail from me. Give them away as a hostess gift, party favor or just a simple, "thank you".

The toffee was delicious. Sweet and crunchy, it was also a great item to ship in a jar. Enjoy a piece and then screw back on the lid to save the rest for later.

If you are in the area, be sure to stop in and check out what the All Jarred Up food cart has to offer. You can find it at:

321 SW 2nd Avenue, Portland, OR

Be sure to like them Etsy and follow their Facebook page for updates on new products and announcements.

Looking for a Unique Gift or Baby Sweater? Try Nancy's Needlework

*Disclaimer - I received an item for Nancy's Needlework for the purpose of this review. This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. 

As I have mentioned, I have spent a fair amount of time shopping on Etsy over the past year to prepare for baby #3. I love to knit and craft myself, but between 1st trimester morning sickness and 3rd trimester fatigue, I didn't get as far along in my baby projects as I would have liked. Thank goodness my baby blanket squares are all knitted up, I just need to block and sew them together. Elliott arrived last week and now I am too busy to start any new projects for a while.

But, I am not the only one I know having a baby right now. My little nephew is going to be one year old next month, we have friends who are expecting, others who are TTC, and I am going to be an aunt again in January. So it is back to Etsy to help me supply one-of-a-kind hand-made items for all these precious babies in my life.

I was excited to learn about Nancy's Needlework on Etsy. She had her Grand Opening in May and has already created some lovely items. You can find her shop under 'nwisman'. I don't proclaim to be a skilled knitter and still have two unfinished baby sweaters on the needles. But, I do appreciate the time and effort that goes into producing these adorable items. Nancy's work though is a great alternative to me struggling to finish those sweaters in time.

The sweater set I was sent is knitted out of a soft cotton, making it easier to launder and dry for baby. That is going to come in handy since this little guy tends to spit up a lot.  I love the self-striping green to white yarn she used. I think it is going to look great with Elliott's coloring. This set is for a baby age 3-6 months which should hit perfectly for him to wear during this Fall and Winter seasons.

The hat and sweater are both beautifully made. As a knitter, I can appreciate the skill it takes to create such even tension and join it smoothly at the seams.

For hand knitted items, I was thrilled with the pricing. For the amount of time and love put into these garments, I see it as well worth it. Also, check out her sidebar for requesting custom items. One of the things I love so much about Etsy is talking to the crafters and artists and finding out if they can make what I am looking for. I would also love this sweater in a self-striping dark blue.

The details and seams are beautiful. The cotton yarn is soft and great for small children and their messes.

This set I am keeping for my own baby, but after browsing Nancy's shop, I might have to snag a few of her other patterns for my nephew and to give as baby shower gifts. I really like the toddler sweater embellished with sheep.

Also check out her variety of cross stitch samplers.

What do you think? Doesn't Elliott look handsome?

You can also connect with @NancyWisman on Twitter and Nancy's Needlework on Facebook.

*Disclaimer - I received an item for Nancy's Needlework for the purpose of this review. This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. 

May the 4th Be With You! Preparing for Baby, Star Wars Style.

Let your geeky chic side show and celebrate Star Wars Day today!

Released in May, 1977 I grew up as a child of the 80's just in the thick of the Star Wars phenomena. Most of my childhood memories include playing with action figures or my cousin's AT-AT and Millennium Falcon. I consider myself a fan, though you won't find me camping out in line for tickets next year, I do have claim to rockin' the Princess Leia Underoos back in the day.

Since this is my last baby, and at 34 am embracing my geekier side, I couldn't help but grab this custom Tee off of Etsy from Geekling Designs.

Since my next baby will be born during another wave of Star Wars excitement - you've heard that Disney is planning to release the next episode in 2014, right? I had to grab a cute Star Wars cloth diaper from Cow Patties Diapers. She has a great selection of fabric, so be sure to check it out!

Etsy is always my go-to place for great custom made items and I found a few more Star Wars treats that I wouldn't mind adding to Elliott's collection. What do you think?

Hope you have a great day today and let your Mommy senses be Jedi sharp and of course, May the 4th be with you.

Fabulous Etsy Find - Coming Home Outfit for Elliott

I love baby shopping. One of the most important items to me is a cute and memorable 'coming home outfit'. For me it is about the first photos taken and something I hand picked for my new baby.

With my oldest I spent months and found a cute little layette outfit from Jack & Janie with a little embroidered lion on it. No, my husband didn't understand why it meant so much to me, but it had to be just right. I put a lot of love and thought into what I pack in my hospital bag and the first outfit is something I want to always remember.

With my daughter I never found anything I was 100% happy with. I settled for a cute purple flower outfit, but it wasn't personalized.

This time around? My searches were coming up empty, so I turned to Etsy.

As fate would have it, this set sold us on both the clothes and the name. Elliott had been one of our top choices, but seeing it online was the final push we needed. This came from Pitter Patter Lane Children's Boutique. I am also getting a sleep gown embroidered for him. I am sure family members will appreciate the personalized clothing for their first visit with the new baby.

The original set had one onesie, hat, a burp cloth, blanket and drool bib, but the Etsy shop owner was happy to create a private listing for me with exactly what I wanted. That is one of my favorite things about Etsy. I love having conversations with the owners and being able to customize my order. She was amazingly helpful.

If you are looking for a great coming home outfit, or amazing baby shower gift, take a peak at all the sets Pitter Patter Lane has listed in their shop. Great fabrics, great service and about a 3 week turnaround for handmade baby outfits.

I can't wait to show these items off with my new baby!