200 and counting + A giveaway! Yippiee!

200 is finally here!

200 Pieces of wagon wheel pasta

200 Coins all in rows

200 Legos in a bowl

And the sweetest little chubby baby boy you ever did see at almost 200 Days old. (Yes, I really did take a picture of him each week for his first YEAR)

Thats right, Folks... we are talking about two hundred around here today. This is what my 200th post looks like!

This calls for a cel-a-bration, and I have got one for you. This is my first give-away and I am excited to introduce to you Elemental Baby. Elemental Baby specializes in "memorable products for memorable kids".

Elemental Baby is a mom owned and operated biz, so give her all that mommy-business lovin' I know you've got!

Elemental Baby offers one-of-a-kind, personalized baby books. They really are so much more than a baby book however. They are custom built to suit your family perfectly.

In addition to fabulous baby books, Elemental Baby offers, growth charts, tooth fairy boxes, the most stinkin' adorable knit caps for babies, hip bibs and paci clips, and the softest, snuggly blankets for your babies- AND MUCH MUCH MORE!

I am offering a $25 gift certificate to the Elemental Baby store. The contest will end on April 22nd. If you can't wait until the 22nd to see if you win, blog readers are able to recieve a 10% discount on your order. Use Grill10 when you order.

Here are a few notes for a recent visit with the owner of Elemental Baby, Cris. She is the mom to 2 beautiful children!

Tell us a little about your shop... How did you come up with the idea for Elemental Baby?

" I couldn't find any baby books I liked for either of our kids and each time had to settle for something that wasn't quite us. Some books were too cutesy, some were too formal. I knew there had to be a way to create a custom book option so that every parent could have a book that "fit" them and their family. I did a bunch of research, created some test books (my poor family!) and was on my way. Interestingly, the store name was harder to come up with than the books. I went through quite a few names - some were taken, some didn't portray the vision of the store, and some were downright stupid! "

What inspired you to get started with an online store?

"Online shopping reaches a lot of potential buyers. And....let's face it -- web real estate is a lot cheaper than brick and mortar real estate. "

What advice do you have for a new Mom-preneur ?

"Don't get frustrated. It's a lot of work, and takes a lot of time, especially if you are doing everything online. If you have a great idea, get it out there...and my store is always looking for new and fun children's items!"

What is your favorite product in your store?

"Of course the baby books! Although I do have to say, I love the pewter tooth fairy boxes as well.What has been the best thing about having your own shop? I really love making each and every book. It's another way to connect with people. It's so fun to see what family and friends send in to put in the books. You really get a sense for who they are as a family. And it's interesting that each custom book I've done thus far has had contributions from great-grandparents. Imagine being able to read a letter or poem from your great-grandparent that was created especially for you. I love being a part of something so amazing."

What makes your family special?

"Wow - that's a great question. I think that should be the blog challenge question for next week!
Dave and I were a little 'older' when we had our kids. I think because of our age we had a very clear vision for what we wanted our family to be: honest; hardworking; high expectations yet easy going; love of nature; love and respect for each other; appreciate what God has given us. We work hard to live up to that vision and sometimes we are successful, and other times we fail miserably. When we fail, we learn the lesson and move on!"

Where else do you like to shop for Children's products?

"I'm a self-proclaimed Targetoholic. I love Target. I can always find something to buy at Target."

Want to know how you can win? Sure you do!

1. Leave a comment on what your favorite Elemental Baby product is. Tell me who you would use it for.

2. Become a follower. I have just added the follower section to my blog due to some requests, so lets get it going. Leave me a comment that you are now a follower.

3. Blog about this give-away on your blog and get 5 extra entries! Leave me a link to your post on a comment.

Be sure to check out the Elementally Speaking blog as well!