Do it! Print your Instagram photos with Chatbooks (and a code for you!)

Don't miss a code at the bottom of the post to get your first Chatbooks photo book free.

If you've been following along on my Instagram feed at all, you may have noticed I was having a really horrible week last week--you know, in the Caribbean. 

Last week, my scenery was the blue waters, sand and sun of the Caribbean as part of the ClickRetreat which took place on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas. ClickRetreat is part blogging and social media conference, part photography workshop and part bonding and fun with the other talented folks who attended. 

I've returned home with a head swirling with ideas and inspiration and new learning--just what I was needing.

So while I process and figure out how I'm going to share some of that excitement with all of you, I wanted to share one of my favorite finds of the past few months. 

I like to think of myself as an early adopter of Chatbooks, but at ClickRetreat this past week, I had the chance to meet the lovely couple behind the company. 

If you're anything like me, you're guilty of never, ever printing your photos. For me, it's on my "someday, I really need to get on this" list. The list that I never get to. So Chatbooks is a serious solution to my problem. 

If you sign up for their Instagram series, they will send you a 60-page photo book of your Instagram feed automatically. And guess how much it will cost you....$6. Six dollars, people. For a beautifully printed, soft cover book of your Instagram photos. 

If you sign up for the service, they'll send you an email once you've filled your 60-photo volume, and they're ready to send out your next book. At that point you have a few days to make any changes, edits or remove photos. A few days later your book will arrive in the mail. Easy!

One of the options you have when making your book is whether or not to have your captions printed below the photos...but I've been opting to have them arrive blank. This allows me to add the personal touch of writing in my own captions, even sharing some things I may not have wanted to share on Instagram. 

I have a huge stack of Chatbooks on the bookshelf of my office and it's rare to find them all together--more than likely someone has one in bed with them, or they're out on the kitchen island, or strewn across the coffee table. It's so nice to see my kids enjoying the books and our family's photographs.

Chatbooks is simple, convenient, and they print beautiful quality books at a price that is hard to resist. 

Want to try the service for yourself? Use the code Molly1 when you sign up for the Instagram series and you'll get your first book free! Trust me. You want to get in on this. You'll be so glad you did.

Buying clothes for girls: (OshKosh B'Gosh is my new fave)

You've heard me talk about it plenty of times before--every time I drag all my girls off to the store for clothes the slim picking of things that are classic and age-appropriate leaves me frustrated. I get increasingly discouraged as more and more of my go-to shopping spots give in to the adult-like clothes in little sizes. So I was pretty much dreading the back-to-school shopping session I knew would be coming up soon.

Can't a little girl just get a cute skirt that hits at the knee instead of 8 inches above it? 

Or a nice tshirt that doesn't have some sassy adjective blazoned across the front in glitter? 

Or a dress that doesn't have the back cut out? 

Or comfy sweats without a message written across the backside?

*Big sigh.* 

But when I was asked by The Motherhood to take part in a post with OshKoshB'Gosh about back to school clothing, I'll admit that the name conjured up babies in overalls not a place my girls and I would be shopping for clothes. OshKosh wasn't even on my radar. 

But I quickly jumped on the site and was completely surprised by what I found, so I decided to sign on to the program. 

My disclaimer? They gave us a gift card to get a few things at their store. But keep reading.

People. Seriously. OshKosh B'Gosh is my new favorite. I feel like I've just uncovered the find of the year. And I promise you I'm not just saying that. Three girls? (they don't have sizes for Emma) That gift card was blown in the first ten minutes. But I was happily spending my own money to stock up on clothes for back to school from a company that believes in age-appropriate clothing and kids being kids. 

I didn't need to steer the girls away from certain outfits. Everything was something I'd feel comfortable having them wear, and even better, they were finding things they loved. 

Tunics and leggings. Woven shirts in florals and gingham. Overalls in big-kid sizes that were so cute I couldn't stand it. Stripes. Pants in fun colors. Great-fitting jeans. Fun accessories. Shoes. I loved the shoes.

And sales. Really, really good sales. (I just clicked over to their site...up to 50% off right now. AND, I have a coupon for you at the end.)

So if you're like me, and find clothes shopping for your kids a frustrating experience, make sure OshKoshB'Gosh is on your radar. I'm so happy to have discovered my new go-to source for their clothes for back to school and for the future. I'm smitten. 

(Check out some of the girls' favorite things:)

One of the parts of this program with OshKoshB'Gosh was a phone call with their company, including one of the designers of this year's back to school collection. I was taking notes, and these are the things I wrote down in my notebook.... 

"We're all about kids being kids"
We want them to "be kids as long as they can.” 
There's "plenty of time to grow up.”
Our clothes are "timeless and classic". 

That pretty much sums it up. 

Disclaimer: This post is part of a sponsorship with OshKoshB'Gosh. All the opinions expressed in this post are my own, honest opinions. In other words, yes, I really love their clothes this much. 

oshkoshcouponcode

OshKoshB'Gosh has also launched their B'Gosh Jeanious campaign to support KIDS and DonorsChoose.org to help local kids, teachers and schools. Donate a pair of new jeans or make a cash donation for a great cause. OshKosh will match all denim donations with another item of clothing. And cash donations will be matched up to $50K. he campaign runs until September 17.

The Prowl // Pretty Thanksgiving Accessories

I always feel a little sorry for Thanksgiving. When I walked in to Starbucks this afternoon (my mobile office on Tuesdays and Thursdays)--I was bombarded by Christmas. What happened to Thanksgiving? It seems like the moment we turn the page on Halloween, Christmas gets permission to take over the retail world. 

And while my family may be guilty of a few Christmas  songs over dinner last night, I LOVE Thanksgiving and I like to give her her moment in the spotlight. 

Several weeks ago, I was asked by the lovely, Sheri, to be one of several bloggers to preview and play around with a brand new site from CafeMom called The Prowl. 


It's a place to gather and curate all kinds of lovely finds, grouped together into boards--much like Pinterest. But what I love about Prowl, is the community aspect that isn't present on Pinterest. Users can ask and answer questions

For example--before I headed to SanFrancisco, I asked for some suggestions of "statement" necklaces that would go well with a chambray shirt I was planning to wear. Boom. I got awesome suggestions from other users on The Prowl. For Christmas this year, I want to get everyone in the family a funny mug. I asked on The Prowl and got bombarded with ideas--some great, some not so much (I'm talking to you, "tooting" travel mug.). 

 It's a combination of your

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3 good things

Good morning. It's day three of homeschooling back to school in our house and I am officially wiped out. Phew. There's a lot to juggle this year. Ten minutes in, when the baby was upstairs crying for me to come help her put on some fancy, frilly dress, and all the girls wanted all my attention, and then that same baby came downstairs and fell off the back of the sofa and was screaming in my arms, I was pretty much ready to call the yellow bus. 

But somehow, at some point, we re-grouped and made it through. And, you know what, it was pretty okay. And I got to the end of the day and thought, "Hey, we did it."

I think I have a little "day in the life" of our first day of school ready to share with you soon. And a post I wrote about technology that I may or may not share. (One of those written in a frustrated place kinds of posts.)

But in the meantime, here are three good things to start your day:

1. From me...speaking of technology, I've really ...

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Be Out There + The Motherhood // Cool Ideas for Hot Summer Days ebook

I'm so excited to finally be able to share with all of you, the final results of the ebook that was a partnership between The Motherhood and National Wildlife Federation's Be Out There program. I was so happy to be able to contribute to the book as the topic of getting kids outside is near and dear to my heart. 

In June of 2012, NWF and The Motherhood conducted  survey and 94% of moms thoughts that kids are not spending enough time outdoors, while a third of the moms polled felt guilty that their kids were not outside enough. 

This ebook was created to help encourage families to get outside and give them practical and realistic tips and advice for doing so. Inside you'll find articles on:

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