Handmade

The Pretty Peacock ~ Roman Numeral Collection {Jewelry Giveaway}

The holidays are approaching; what better gift to give a mother, grandmother, or even a dad than a beautifully handcrafted piece of jewelry that has a sweet piece of sentimental value? Jewelry withÃ‚Â meaning behind it is one way to capture my heart. Since my boys were born, life has taken on new meaning, and I’ve wanted something with their birthdates….whether it was a necklace, bracelet, or even a ring. I’ve searched occasionally but have never really come upon just the right piece. It has to be something special, something that conveys the message that no matter where I’m at or what I’m doing, they’re always with me….

The Pretty Peacock, founded by Ana Talukder Simpson, offers handcrafted pieces, each piece unique in its own way. They strive to use earth-friendly products, as well, in the creation of their jewelry. They create keepsake jewelry for men, women, or children, for any occasion you can imagine. While browsing around their site, I found beautiful pieces that caught my eye. I love the Latitude Longitude Collection….once we are in our forever home, this is one collection I want to come back to. I do a lot of traveling, so I love the fact that no matter where I go, I would always have that reminder of home, that grounding piece that speaks of the place I’ll always come back to. Since I normally don’t see a lot of jewelry for guys, the Father’s Day Collection also drew me in. They also have pieces for children, including this adorable My Little Monkey Personalized Birthstone Pendant. Finally, one last collection I noticed was the Sanskrit Leather Wrap Bracelets, a beautiful accessory for any outfit.

What’s most exciting is that The Pretty Peacock is introducing a new collection, the Roman Numeral Collection. I actually received a pendant in this collection and am very excited to have the very first product in this line. The jewelry came beautifully wrapped in a small box with tissue paper, ribbon, and all. I felt very special opening it up; the packaging was so beautiful, I didn’t want to open it at first.When I opened it, though, it revealed a necklace with two rectangular pendants that include both of my boys’ birthdates in Roman numerals, as well as very tiny birthstones for each of them. The piece is very delicate but sturdy….I’m not afraid it will break or anything. It just gives that very delicate vibe because of the type of materials used and the handcrafted beauty of the piece. The pendants are on a shorter type of chain necklace, all silver….silver is my choice when it comes to jewelry.Ã‚Â I love that this piece is so unique, but I also love that I can wear it with just about any outfit, whether dressy or casual. The back of each pendant is texturized with a gorgeous, yet still delicate, leaf type pattern. The only thing I might change about this pendant is the length of the chain, as I do prefer a longer necklace in most cases.You can purchase this gorgeous, handcrafted Roman Numeral Birthstone Pendant for $62 from The Pretty Peacock. Bracelets are one of my favorite items to wear, so I’d love to also see something like this in bracelet form. Be sure to Like The Pretty Peacock on Facebook. Also, The Pretty Peacock would like to offer all MamaBuzz readers a discount code for 10% off and FREE Shipping, good until November 30. The discount code is MAMABUZZ2011. What a great time to take advantage of this discount offer! Holiday ordering deadlines for The Pretty Peacock are November 19 for international orders and December 4 for U.S. orders.

I’m really excited to tell you that one MamaBuzz reader is going to win this same Roman Numeral Pendant with your children’s birthdates/birthstones engraved! You can enter to win by doing one or more of the following; just be sure to leave a separate comment for each way that you enter. IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ll draw the winner, via random.org, on Friday, November 25. This giveaway is open to U.S. and international entries (void where prohibited). No purchase is necessary, and the odds of winning are based on a number of entries. Good luck, and have a wonderful day!

What is one piece of jewelry that you either have or would love to have that has a special, sentimental place in your heart? Maybe it’s a gift you’ve been given by a mother/grandmother/husband/children…. Share in the comments.

Other optional ways to enter:

Follow From the Perch of…The Pretty Peacock Blog.
Tweet about this giveaway (as much as you’d like), but one time only for entry.
Sign up for The Pretty Peacock Newsletter, which offers deep discounts and sneak peeks several times per year.
Follow MamaBuzz or subscribe to our posts.
Follow @mamabzz on Twitter.

(Disclosure: I was provided the very first piece in the Roman Numeral Collection, free of charge, from The Pretty Peacock, for the purpose of review. All views/opinions remain solely my own.)

Pamper Yourself with Aromatic Escape Review & Giveaway

There are days, as a mom, that I just need to escape, even if it’s for a few minutes. When my toddler is seemingly tearing the house down or my 9 year old is acting too big for his britches, sometimes I just need a bit of an escape, even if in reality, I’m still right here. Some days for me, that might mean lighting a candle next to me while I work or using something scrumptious to pamper myself like sugar scrubs, for instance.

Aromatic Escape is a company that was started in 2002 by Sabrina Gould. They sell both candles and body products, including body masks, lotion bars, salt scrubs, and sugar scrubs. They have several different scents to choose from, so that you can create your own relaxing atmosphere. Everything is also handmade with ingredients that work well together.

We all know how candles can cozy up a home in an instant, so that’s one of the first things I used to kinda get away from it all. Aromatic Escape Candles have a soy/paraffin type of wax and come in a hexagonal glass jar. The soy and paraffin work together and compliment each other in that the candles both burn longer (50-60 hours) and have a wonderful scent. The website says that the candles burn flat all the way down; the center doesn’t sink down in….and I’m here to testify that my candle did not pit in the center. It’s still completely flat all the way across. In fact, it doesn’t even look like it’s been burnt (besides the wick)….it still looks brand new.

There are so many different scents to choose from that I had a hard time just choosing one; there are scents like Sandy Bottoms, Cinnamon Buns, Strawberry Shortcake, Black Raspberry Vanilla, Hot Baked Apple Pie, Georgia Sunrise, and more. I ended up choosing Buttercream, and they also sent us Magnolia. Both scents were equally wonderful, though the Buttercream was my favorite. It just has a sweet, almost vanilla type of scent; it smells much like Buttercream icing, yum! There are fundraising options with Aromatic Escape candles. You can purchase the candles for $10.

Next up to pamper myself was the Aromatic Escape Sugar Scrub, which is a delight to the senses. Again, there are so many different scents to choose from, including my choice: Black Raspberry Vanilla. The sugar scrubs work to both exfoliate your skin and moisturize. It left my skin feeling so soft and silky, though not greasy at all. It smelled heavenly and felt so good, due to the exfoliating sugar particles. It also comes in a huge tub; you can get it in a 16 oz. or 48 oz. tub, meaning it could last awhile.

You can purchase the Aromatic Escape Sugar Scrubs for $18.00 to $48.00, depending on which size you choose. That does seem a bit more expensive, but for quality reasons, it’s definitely a pampering choice to be made. The Sugar Scrub would be great as a gift (especially for a mom who might not want to spend much to pamper herself), and it would be perfect for a wintertime retreat when the skin is crying out for moisture.

Finally, an alternative choice for pampering moisturization is the Aromatic Escape Lotion Bars. Lotion Bars come in a tin and honestly look like a small bar of soap. However, they are not. You can actually rub the lotion bar on your skin, just once or twice, and have wonderful moisturizing effects, even rubbing it into trouble spots like heels or elbows. I’ve only actually used the lotion bar on my hands and arms, and it really does moisturize without greasy effects. It also doesn’t wash away; it’s rather hard to try to wash away, as I did try….my skin just felt really slippery when under the water. I can see the Lotion Bar lasting a long time, probably longer than a tube of lotion because it only takes 1 or 2 swipes for it to work, and then you just massage it into your skin.

Again, there are multiple scents to choose from; I chose Black Raspberry Vanilla, one of my favorite scents of all time. You can purchase the Aromatic Escape Lotion Bars for $10.

The best part is that Aromatic Escape is going to give one reader the chance to escape from it all for a little pampering! One reader will win 1 of each of the above products: a candle, sugar scrub, and lotion bar. You can enter to win by doing one or more of the following; just be sure to leave a separate comment for each way that you enter. I’ll draw the winner, via random.org, on Tuesday, July 19. This giveaway is open to U.S. only. Good luck, and have a wonderful day!

How do you escape from it all? Do you light a candle, read a book, take a bath? Share in the comments.
Follow @AromaticEscape on Twitter.
Tweet about this giveaway, one time only.
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Follow @mamabzz on Twitter.
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(Disclosure: I received a candle, sugar scrub, and lotion bar, free of charge, from Aromatic Escape, for the purposes of this review. All views/opinions remain solely my own.)