Super Stocking Stuffers: It's A Ten Review and Giveaway!

How many plastic baggies to you use each day? A lot? Unfortunately, I use way too many for my husband's lunch and daughter's snacks. I was looking for an Eco-friendly way to replace the use of small baggies, when I discovered these stylish and reusable Sak Saver Baggies by It's A Ten. These reusable baggies are the perfect solution and would make an excellent stocking stuffer for anyone in your family!

Tami, the owner of It's A Ten and creator of the Sak Saver Baggies, started making the reusable baggies a few months ago, when a friend asked her to make her a couple for her husband. Luckily, she had a large stash of designer fabrics available and many years of sewing experience. Tami made several Sak Saver Baggies and after rave reviews from other friends, she decided to start selling the reusable baggies in her etsy store.

There are several different sizes and fabric choices available for the Sak Saver Baggies.
Mini snack bag size: 4" x 7 1/2"
Sandwich bag size: 6" x 7 1/2"
Quart bag size: 8 1/2" x 7 1/2"

All of the Sak Saver Baggies are made of high quality cotton fabric on the outside and lined with 100% Nylon ripstop fabric on the inside. This fabric is water resistant, not waterproof. Therefore, the bags would not be suitable for extremely wet items but perfect for sandwiches, crackers, fruit or other "on the go" type of food. A Velcro closure lines the top of the bag to ensure your food stays put. Since its not an airtight seal, it is not recommend to store food overnight or for extended periods of time in the bags.

My daughter loves her Mini Snack Sak Saver Baggie, which she calls, her "snack purse". It is the perfect size for a preschooler. I love that it has a Velcro closure that is easy for her to open and close by herself. She has trouble closing a regular Ziploc baggie; therefore, she normally leaves a trail of goldfish, cheerios, or other snack around the house. However, she can easily close the Sak Saver Baggie! In addition, I appreciate that it is machine washable! To clean, you can simply either handwash or toss in the washing machine and air dry.

Tami had this to say, "Being a stay at home mom with 2 kids who are not in school yet, I find that sewing is something that I can do with my girls playing in the next room or after they've gone to bed for the night. Plus they are both becoming very interested in sewing. My 4 year old already wants a sewing machine like mommy's for "my 5 birthday"...those are her words! Its exciting to be making (and using myself) something that is good for the environment. Prior to using my bags, I would use at least 3-4 plastic bags a day because each of my girls wanted their "own" snack bag. I can honestly say that I know I haven't used near as many plastic Ziploc bags since I've started making my Sak Saver Baggies!! (Note: I still use plastic ziploc bags for overnight storage in the refrigerator or freezer)"

It's A Ten is giving away one Mini Snack Sak Saver Baggie to one lucky reader! These bags are a Mommy must-have and would make a perfect stocking stuffer for everyone on your shopping list!

You have 10 chances to WIN:

(Please leave a separate comment for each entry)

1. Mandatory: Visit It's A Ten etsy store and choose which Mini Snack Sak Saver Baggie you would want for your child's stocking.

2. Make a purchase from It's A Ten during the giveaway period.

3. Subscribe to It's A Ten blog.

4. Publicly follow my blog (Izzie, Mac and Me).

5. Grab my new Izzie, Mac and Me button for your sidebar.

6-10. Post about the It's A Ten giveaway on your blog. (Be sure to leave a link and you will need to leave 5 separate comments, which can be short and simple, such as #1, #2, etc).

The giveaway will close at 10pm (EST) on Tuesday, November 17. One lucky reader will be randomly drawn.

Disclaimer: The product reviewed was provided for me free of charge in return for writing a review and hosting a giveaway.

Naturally Curious Tots: Animal Tracks and Homes

This week's theme for Naturally Curious Tots is Animal Tracks and Homes.

Izzie searching for animal tracks and homes...

We visited the VA Wildlife Center, a hospital for native animals.

I found these great animal track matching cards at Montessori For Everyone.

This activity was a bit challenging for Izzie. To help her self correct, I added matching stickers to the back of the matching cards. She enjoyed guessing which set of tracks belonged to the animal and checking to see if she was correct.

She also played with her Matching Animals With Their Homes puzzle. Similar puzzle found here.

To see more Naturally Curious Tots searching for animal tracks and homes, visit Mommies Wise Little Bookworms.

Comment Entries for Super Stocking Stuffers: Baby Loves Blankies Review and Giveaway

Please click here to read review and giveaway information.

Please leave your giveaway entry comments on this post. Thanks!

Super Stocking Stuffers: Baby Loves Blankies Review and Giveaway!

Have you ever been traveling in the car or waiting in a long grocery line, at the pediatrician's office, or in a restaurant wishing you could pull something magical out of your purse that would keep your child entertained the entire time? I spy a super stocking stuffer...it's an I Spy Bag from Baby Loves Blankies!

I Spy Bags are a fun and educational way to help your child pass the time away, without making a mess or too much noise.

Baby Loves Blankies offers two sizes of I Spy Bags. The large I Spy Bags are approximately 7" x 7" and are filled with over 40 fun treasures, while the Itsy Bitsy I Spy Bags are approximately 5" x 5" and are filled with over 20 fun treasures for your child to find. There is a detachable laminated card that lists the treasures.

In addition, Jaime, the owner of Baby Loves Blankies, will include the letters of your child's name in the I Spy Bag for free!

The I Spy Bags are made with Snuggly Flannel fabric because it shows less signs of wear and tear than fleece fabric. All of the seams on the I Spy Bags are double sewn for your child's safety; however, each bag is filled with poly pellets and tiny treasures that can be a choking hazard. All of the treasures, fabric and vinyl were purchased in the USA and are compliant with the current CPSIA laws.

My daughter is having so much fun sifting through the bag, looking through the window, and finding the hidden treasures, especially the letters of her name!

Jamie, the owner of Baby Loves Blankies, is the mother of three boys and a wife to a recently deployed military serviceman. She had this to say, "I was always into crafts. I made several blankies for my friends and my own kids. I was looking for something more fun to create. One day in late 2007, I was looking through a flyer with toys for autistic children and I saw a cloth disk with 5 trinkets inside. I thought to myself that I could make something like this for my boys. I went through trails and errors with them. My kids were my testers. I opened my Etsy shop in 2008 and my I spy Bags were a hit! My youngest son was recently diagnosed with a mild form of Autism, he is only 2 so I am still hoping that he will catch up. It was almost like I was making these all along for him. He really enjoys them and they really calm him down."

Baby Loves Blankies I Spy Bags would be a fun and engaging addition to your child's stocking this year! There are so many adorable designs to choose from to keep your child happy and entertained.

Baby Loves Blankies has agreed to giveaway one Itsy Bitsy I Spy Bag to a lucky reader for your child's stocking!

You have 10 chances to WIN:
(Please leave a separate comment for each entry)

1. Mandatory: Visit Baby Loves Blankies etsy store and choose which Itsy Bitsy I Spy Bag you would want for your child's stocking.

2. Make a purchase from Baby Loves Blankies during the giveaway period.

3. Become a fan of Baby Loves Blankies on Facebook.

4. Publicly follow my blog (Izzie, Mac and Me).

5. Grab my new Izzie, Mac and Me button for your sidebar.

6-10. Post about the Baby Loves Blankies giveaway on your blog. (Be sure to leave a link and you will need to leave 5 separate comments, which can be short and simple, such as #1, #2, etc).

The giveaway will close at 10pm (EST) on Sunday, November 15. One lucky reader will be randomly drawn.

Disclaimer: The product reviewed was provided for me free of charge in return for writing a review and hosting a giveaway.

**Please click here to leave comments to enter this giveaway...unfortunately, it's been reported to me that this post is not showing the comments being posted. Sorry for any inconvenience!** If you have any idea why this is happening, please contact me. Thanks!

Tot School

Izzie is 38 months old.

We had a great Tot School week. The shelf included a few new activities mixed in with some old favorite activities.

New activities included:

Izzie rolled the die and counted the correct number of pumpkins to put in the super cute pumpkin muffin pan. This is great for counting practice. (Pumpkin muffin pan and pumpkin erasers from Target and purple die from Dollar Tree)

More counting practice...I bought these paper pumpkins at the Dollar Tree, added a numeral with corresponding number of stickers, then cut in half to make a matching puzzle game.

Izzie is still working hard on mastering the tweezers. She was encouraged to use the tweezers to transfer the pumpkin erasers into the pumpkin ice cube tray. (Ice cube tray from Dollar Tree and plastic green tweezers from Michael's)

Izzie enjoyed matching up opposite pairs with this great game from Discovery Toys. It's a fun way to work on her speech therapy too.

Old shelf favorites this week included:

Matching capital and lowercase letters. To see original post with alphabet flashcards, click here.

Izzie also has a fun time working on copying patterns. This is her favorite one that I've made, probably because she gets to stack the apples on top of a picture of herself. To see original post with templates, click here.

She has a little more trouble copying these pictures, but still enjoys trying. Click here to see original post with more details and pictures.

This week, we also participated in Tree Hugging Tots and Open Ended Art.

The theme was moon for Tree Hugging Tots. Izzie created a full moon.

Henri Matisse was the showcase artist this week for Open Ended Art. Izzie worked very hard on her Matisse inspired fall collage.

To see more Tot School ideas, check out 1+1+1=1.