Eco-Friendly Photo Cards

Three years ago, my sweet brown-eyed, curly-haired boy was born and changed our lives forever. We had a small family celebration over the weekend and his “big” birthday party is coming up in a few weeks. I’ve been busy finalizing details, planning menus, and practicing my cake decorating skills. And I sent out the most adorable zoo-themed invites from Cardstore.com.

I typically use another company to order photo cards, but I’m always willing to try something new. Cardstore.com is an online printing company that offers “smart, stylish, and original” greeting cards, invites, thank you cards, and more. The company combines “beautiful artwork, personalized greetings, and professional printing to create tangible reminders of life’s events.” And…they use sustainable printing and recycled paper, a plus for this eco-mama.

The actual process of ordering is quick, although I spent some time perusing their gallery (there are over 7,000 designs from 70 artists on the site). The company has organized the site well, which makes it easy to search by card type, occasion, theme, etc. The site offers personalization tools which allow you the option of customizing greetings with photos and messages. When you’re done customizing your card, you can have the company print return and/or recipient addresses on the envelopes, add postage, and even have them mail them straight to recipients (additional charges will apply).

Here is the invite we created for my son’s upcoming party:

The invites were printed on quality cardstock and we received them in a few days. The only thing I would say is that I’d love for the company to offer higher quality printing (and a variety of textures including matte, glossy, etc.), even if it means paying a bit more.

Prices start at $0.79 a card and are never higher than $3.00 per card. Now through the end of the month, you’ll save 10 percent with the code FAMILYREVIEW10.

No compensation was received for this post. A Gift Certificate was provided by the company via Family Review Network to facilitate this review.

Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Sock Grams

I get a lot of great opportunities to hear about some really neat products, some of which aren’t out yet, were just released, or don’t have a ton of exposure.  That is one aspect about blogging that I particularly enjoy.  You don’t even see half of those products on my site, simply because I don’t have the time them for review (and it’s important to me that every single product you see on my site was personally reviewed by myself and/or my family).  This holiday season, I strived to pick out the kinds of gifts I’d send to a friend or family member, gifts I’d like to personally receive, or both to include in my gift guide.

One of the most unique gift ideas I’ve seen this season is a Sock Gram.  Sometimes I feel like we’ve gone away from traditions like sending cards.  Everything is so technical these days. The company created the Sock Gram out of a desire to send a greeting and a small gift to a friend or family member.  Have you ever wanted to recognize a special occasion or moment without purchasing an expensive gift?  Maybe you wanted to send a card and a small gift?  Have you ever thought about sending a pair of socks?  I know I hadn’t but I think it’s an adorable idea (and it’s practical!).

So what is a Sock Gram?  Simply put it’s an adorable pair of socks (they have tons to choose from), a personalized card, and Medi-Spa Foot Balm (or stickers) all neatly wrapped as a pretty gift.  For less than $10 (although some Sock Grams are priced a bit higher) it can even be used as a stocking stuffer.  On the site you’ll find socks for men, women, children, and babies.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many different types of socks.  Check out these Gingerbread and Candy Socks I received:

I like the presentation, the functionality, and the uniqueness of this gift.  Oh…and the price is just right!

For more fabulous Holiday Gift Ideas, visit The Mommy-Files