Tri-state Area! Win a Professional Photo Shoot by Jane Goodrich Photography!

We have teamed up with Jane Goodrich Photography to bring you a super-special giveaway! One lucky reader will win an at-your-home professional photography session package worth $2850!  Visit http://www.janegoodrich.com to see more of her work.

Jane Goodrich is a New-York based newborn and children’s photographer with an artful eye and a modern edge whose talent lies in her ability to capture a moment in time – no matter how quickly it passes.

This prize is one that you and your loved ones will treasure forever. Here’s what the lucky winner will receive as part of their ‘A Day In The Life Package’:  

A Day in the Life Package - $2,850

Want to freeze this moment in time forever? From waking up, getting dressed, eating breakfast, going on a play-date or school, having lunch, naptime, seeing friends, taking a bath, reading stories. This package captures all of this along with laughs, giggles, funny faces, and tears. Don’t miss a second!

-        One Full Day Session (From Wake-up to Bedtime)

-        Portraits of Your Child, Family, and Friends

-        $500 Worth of Professional Prints

-        Image Wrapped Album of Best Images

-        Cosmetic Retouching, Editing, Post production

-        Online gallery

-        A Fully Edited High-Resolution Disk - with a minimum of 150 images in at least 3 tones

Although anyone in the U.S. and Canada can enter to win this prize – Jane Goodrich Photography only services three states – New York, New Jersey and Conn. If you are not in the tri-state area you can still enter to win and then give the giveaway prize as a gift to a relative or friend who lives in the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT). You must schedule your photo session before April 1, 2013.

This giveaway ends February 25th and is open to anyone in the US and Canada. Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. You can complete as many entries as you like to increase your chances, but all entries are optional.  Jane Goodrich Photography is responsible for prize fulfillment. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I only need a few more VOTES to QUALIFY!

***UPDATE: I only need a few more votes. I'm so close! If you already voted, please show a friend or co-worker how easy it is.***

If you have a Facebook account, PLEASE help us receive 250 votes to qualify for the Mission: Small Business℠ $250,000 Grant sponsored by Chase and LivingSocial. Go to https://www.missionsmallbusiness.com/ and Log-in with your FB account (bottom right) then search for "Gumdrop Swap" in the search bar to find our business (location is not necessary) and click "VOTE" for us. Here is an excerpt form my application:

What would a $250k grant mean to your business plan and how will you utilize the funds to ensure long-term growth and stability?

I started Gumdrop Swap with a few thousand dollars in savings. I started in a 545 square foot retail space because it was all the space I could afford and I wanted to be sure that my idea was actually a viable business. In a little more than two years, I have built a steady following of customers and swappers without doing any traditional advertising. That is something I am proud of... doubters wrong. Now I have the opportunity to move my business to a larger unit in the same building. It would triple my square footage and put Gumdrop Swap on Main St instead of being hidden inside. I've come this far by reinvesting every dollar earned back into the business... I've managed this long with the support of my husband, mother, friends and volunteers... The future of Gumdrop Swap includes classes to show people how to repurpose clothing, offer arts & crafts to recycle household items, and increase community outreach.

 THANK YOU IN ADVANCE for your vote! 

The Ultimate Swap-a-Nista Contest

Are you the Ultimate Swap-a-Nista?

Sign up on our Facebook Page for a chance to win a $50 Gift Certificate (store credit). Then make a WALL POST about why you like swapping or Gumdrop Swap. This is our biggest giveaway to date!
Get 3 or more friends to sign up for a chance to win another secret prize!

Save up to 80% on custom printed products at Vistaprint. Order today! Get Paid to Tweet! http://ad.ly/publisher/refer/251902558

‘Hardest Working Small Biz Mom’

Saturdays are bring-your-kid-to-work-days at Gumdrop Swap Kids Boutique. It's part of the reason I started my own business almost two years ago. Setting my own hours, not having to lie about when I have to take time off for my child's illness, finally being praised for all my hard work were all the "freedoms" I thought I'd enjoy as an entrepreneur. Sure, there's a lot of fulfillment in working for yourself. But I now realize, I work more hours than I ever did in corporate America, it's going to be a while before I can pay myself, and I took employer-paid benefits for granted. Self-employment is NOT for the weak! You have to push forward every day with blind faith and determination.

As a new (unemployed) mom in the recession of 2009, I launched what I expected to be online national kid's clothing swap club. The interest from local parents to swap in person pushed me to open a retail location. I invested my personal savings. In a year, I've built a customer family on little more than word-of-mouth referrals.

I laugh as I write this. This is an entry to Verizon’s ‘Hardest Working Small Biz Mom’ Contest and I'm supposed to answer " how do you manage running your own business and your household?" If I'm honest and brief, I'd answer "Not very well." As I type, my 3 yr old daughter, Corinne, is yelling "Mommy!" because I'm not participating in her  impromptu Knock Knock joke. I just celebrated my first anniversary of my children's boutique, so maybe I'm being a little hard on myself? I get discouraged after a long day at work and I come home to a sink full of dishes or hampers of dirty clothes. No matter how hard I work in my business, it doesn't cancel out any mom/wife responsibilities. I "manage" because my customers tell me what a blessing my business is to them. That helps.

Vote for me please!

I have entered the Leading Moms in Business contest hosted by StartupNation.com. I would appreciate your vote. I don't win any money, just a nice badge and bragging rights. It's a one click vote and you are not required to register. Thanks in advance!
http://www.startupnation.com/leading-moms-in-business/contestant/8415/index.php

Review & Giveaway: Sprounce Natural Cleaner Ends 4/30/10

***random.org was used to generate the winner and the number given was #10 so thriftymommy@verizon.net is the winner! Congrats! Thanks to all who participated." 

I am always on the search for natural or "green" products to promote or sell in my kids boutique (Gumdrop Swap). So I read about this all-natural cleaner on another site (forgive me, if I remembered, I would mention it here). Gimme a break people, I do most of my online communication and blogging in the wee morning hours. But I digress, I contacted the makers of Sprounce about being a wholesaler and they were nice enough to send two 4 oz bottles. Zoom. They were in my hands in days. Gotta love enthusiastic small businesses!

The website is easy to navigate and use. The product comes in a handy, diaper bag friendly size (4 oz) for only $4.99. Is is safe to spray on pacifiers, teething rings, etc. That's exactly why it was developed.  It contains a blend of oils that have been proven to naturally kill germs. Sprounce was developed to have safe contact on skin. It contains Canadian Willowhereb extract, which provides anti-irritant and anti-inflammatory properties on skin. Another great reason to keep it handy is Sprounce was designed as a “no-rinse” formula. Just towel or air dry. Rinsing with water is not necessary!

Since my butterbean is 2yo now, we are passed that phase. I wish I had known about this cleaner back then. I cringe to think how I "sanitized" things for my daughter when I was desperate. I plead the 5th amendment for fear of incriminating myself. But thank God she is happy and healthy today! So far I have used this to sanitize her toys that touch the floor or if they get sticky from pbj hands. And I use it to clean off her activity/dining table and chair. NOTE* it is made for non-porous surfaces and not intended for removing stains from clothing or to clean stuffed animals, cloth dolls, etc.

I cannot describe the scent. My olfactory memory tells me it's something I have smelled before. Kind of eucalyptus like? Then I read the FAQ's on their site and found this "The scent is from a combination of tea tree oil extract and lavender oil extract. " Any way... I know I will get a lot of use at the store sanitizing the surfaces that kids touch and the toys in the play area. But I thought I would share my good fortune by giving away a bottle. This is awesome for a new mom worried about the chemicals in cleaners used for baby items. With Sprounce, you can rest easy knowing you are not harming your child with toxins when you clean off their sippy cup tops and what have you. It's made by parents for parents.

Okay, here are the rules for the giveaway.

I will use random.org on April 30, 2010 (*extended from March 31) to find a random winner from the total number of comments. So the more comments (entries you have, the better your chances). C'mon you all know how this works :-)

• 1 entry for following me on Twitter (specify you Twitter name in your comment) 
• 1 entry for following Sprounce on Twitter 
• 1 entry for tweeting about this giveaway with a link to this blog entry (tiny url is http://tinyurl.com/yhlxeyd) 
• 1 entry for becoming a fan of GumdropSwap.com on Facebook
• 1 entry for becoming a fan of Sprounce on Facebook  
• 1 entry for mentioning my blog in a blog entry of yours (include link within your comment)

That's six chances! Good luck everyone!
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How Can Something so Small Be so Powerful?

A single seed contains all the nutrients that enable life. When you look inside a seed, it’s packed with elements that provide incredible skin health benefits. Grape seeds are rich in Vitamin E which is a powerful skin rejuvenator.

The husband and wife team that launched a 100% Natural brand called SEED™ with multiple benefits derived from nature. By focusing on the Power of a Tiny Seed (and the exponential power of other beneficial natural ingredients) Rebecca and  Benjamin were very interested in detoxifiying their lives and being eco-conscious before stating a family. They began working with a microbiologist and confirmed real scientific benefits: grape seeds, like several other seeds, are intrinsically concentrated with incredible antioxidants and essential fatty acids promoting healthy skin. They’ve harnessed the nutrient-rich grape seed, which is a by-product of the wine-making process, and given it a new life. Their products are made as responsibly as possible (and are committed to constant improvement.) For example, in making solid shampoo bars, they use less water and last longer than liquid shampoos. They use recyclable and biodegradable packaging whenever possible. And, to reduce their carbon footprint, all of their products are made in the United States. That makes me happy knowing jobs are not going overseas which helps our economy.

Even though I don't know this couple, I am inspired by their shared desire to launch a company with respect for our planet and health. I am being more and more conscious about the ingredients in my health products. Why would a company put formaldehyde and other toxins in products that are absorbed into our skin? You would expect a company that is selling health and beauty products to only use the safest ingredients, but unfortunately, that is not always the case. SEED™ is taking it back to the basics with their line of natural products derived from the most basic source of life -- a seed. The discovery that people were throwing away children's clothing and items and the thought of those things in our nation's landfills sparked the idea for my kids clothing swap business. Entrepreneurs are people that see an opportunity for a business when a need in the market is not being met. It's about finding a better way of doing things.

* This post is my entry in the THE SEEDS OF INSPIRATION BLOGHER 2010 SPONSORSHIP CONTEST which I read about on "Hip as I Wanna Be"s blog.

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