More Free Advertising

So--I'm giving away free advertising again today!!!

Now that my shopping is done--and the grading is *almost* done (the grades are in--now just comes the dozen or so grade changes that will have to occur....long story....)

...I'm giving away some free advertising.

I made the goal this year of trying, if possible, to support some people with great on-line businesses. Gotta love Etsy, and so forth.

Now--a few of them are listed right over there (look down and to your right)--

But--I'm actually going to give credit to a few, whom I got presents from.

First, we'll start with cute little owls!!!

These cute little owls are made by isewlucky! One of my nieces has been "into" owls every since Halloween. So--I took her onto isewlucky's Etsy shop--and she chose an owl I thought she would (pink). She pointed to it and said "I like pink owl". Here's the link to her blog: http://isewlucky.blogger.com

Of course--she had no idea that I was going to purchase the owl for her for Christmas :) Which, I promptly did. Then, it disappeared from the Etsy shop! We'd go back to the site (she would request it), and would say "Where pink owl?" I'm hoping she'll be excited to open it on Christmas!

Next, is a favorite blog and blogger of mine!

http://thompsonfamily.typepad.com/thompson_familylife/

I just love Danielle's kitschey designs throughout her blog! I"m not that "into" 70's stuff (well--I like to pretend I'm not)--but then I'll find something on her blog and go "oh my word--I remember that!" Plus--she likes things from 1950's to the 1970's (approx.)--so her style is pretty darn awesome!

Well--she mentioned these on her blog in about August:

http://thompsonfamily.typepad.com/thompson_familylife/2011/11/last-call-for-happy-mail-kit-printables.html

And I knew I was going to have to order one for another niece!!! She LOVES writing letters!!!

The best part about this kit is that she individualizes it. So--you can choose the "little retro kid" whom looks most like the child you're purchasing it for, you can get it personalized with their names and addresses! It's really awesome!

The other great thing? Although it's not "cheap"--she sends it as a pdf--so once you have it--it's yours to print off as many times as you, and the child, wants!

Well--I tried to find something "homemade" for my nephew--but didn't really find anything I really loved--

SO--I found this instead: http://www.fatbraintoys.com/

This awesome store--on top of this AMAZING toy store in my new city has made shopping this season REALLY fun :)

Oh--I even had to return something to them--and exchange it--and they made it REALLY easy!

This website is of a friend of mine!!! Yep--I actually know her personally :)

http://heidistock.blogspot.com/

I was able to purchase my Christmas cards through her this year. She took pictures I provided, and put them in a design I could choose (through her Etsy shop--you can find the link on her blog. She does birth announcements and so forth as well!)

The best part--it was only $12.00 for the service! Then she e-mailed a pdf--which I could print off as many as I needed! So cool!

Next, I was able to have my awesome cousins' wife do her graphic design "geekery", as she calls it, and design some business and place cards to help advertise about raising money for the orphan I've been raising money for this season!!! She gave me a more than generous price--and did such a great job!!!!

http://gdesigngeek.blogspot.com/

She has great talent--and even though she and her cute little family were sick off and on--she still worked hard to make them for me!

Finally--I found this website while searching for comfortable tights for my picky nieces (especially the little ones--I had to find some with no nylon--but that were cotton and stretchy--but not hot. Oh my--oh--and that were black--I had no idea how hard that would be!)

http://www.comfykid.com/

The price was really good for the tights as well!!! And they came VERY quickly!!! And, the last thing I heard was that the little one did not fight quite so bad about wearing them! Yee haa (we can hope anyway!)

I highly suggest them :)

Overall--I just have to say, that shopping on-line this season was what helped me actually get done! I purchases some things from old stand bys (Amazon.com, half.com, Seagull Book and Tape, and Deseret Book)--but love finding new businesses to have successful purchasing situations with! Oh--and interestingly enough--this year I did not find anything on Ebay. That is probably a first for a very long time!

Well--have a very Merry Christmas--and a Great New Year!