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JennElwell

Gift Guides

7 Gifts That Give Back

Christmas is just around the corner and while we want to approach the holiday with reverence and a focus on Christ, we also know that in order to devote the energy to the holiday that it deserves we need to get our shopping done! That’s why last year I started a series of gift guides before the holiday and I’m continuing the tradition this year. Today’s installment is all about gifts that give back which is a great way to give a gift from the heart that both you and your recipient can feel extra good about!

A few notes before I start sharing my favorite ideas. #1 – These items are exclusively from mama-owned shops. I believe in supporting other Mastermind Mamapreneurs and I want to make it easy for you to find them. A number of these women are featured in the first issue of Mama’s Black Book and others are new to me as well as you. But I encourage you to shop small as much as you can this season. #2 – Links in this series will occasionally include affiliate links or products that paid to be included. This means that my company gets a few pennies for each time you buy after clicking an affiliate link on my site link. Your price does not increase and I promise to only include links for shops and products that I love and, for the most part, have used before. Affiliate links will have a * before them to show you that they are affiliate links. #3 – If you have a small business I would love to feature you in the future so text GIFTGUIDES to 44222 to receive my 10 Tips for Getting Featured In Gift Guides and sign up for my mailing list. And, now, on to the good stuff: the gift ideas!

7 Gifts That Give Back - Jenn Elwell

7 Gifts That Give Back - Karama Collection - Jenn Elwell

*Bold Necklace from Karama Collection, $52

The name says it all! This Bold combination of horn, brass, and glass beads adds the perfect accent to any outfit.  As the longest of their dainty layering necklaces, the Bold Necklace pairs well with their Pembe Necklaces and Courageous Bracelets. Karama is a non-profit organization with a business strategy to invest in people – their dreams, their lives, and their talents. They do this by investing in small businesses, sending African teens to Young Life Africa camp, and more in six countries around the globe. (Use code JEPARTY16 through 12/6 for 15% off of your order)

7 Gifts That Give Back - Hello World Paper Co - Jenn Elwell

Return Address Stamps from Hello World Paper Co., $26.95

Getting a stamp for your holiday cards is not only cost efficient and hand-saving, but they are adorable too! Using a return address stamp will save you a ton of time when addressing your holiday cards and once your holiday cards are mailed you can use it the whole rest of the year for dropping a note to a friend, a family member, or sending out birthday invitations.  A portion of the proceeds from every purchase go towards building a school with Pencils of Promise. Learn more about Kelly’s goal of building a school on her blog.

7 Gifts That Give Back - Cami Monet - Jenn Elwell

Smoky Mountain Strong Watercolor Print by Cami Monet, $20

This 8×10″ watercolor print, printed on 110 lb. watercolor paper, would be a glorious gift for any nature lover or art lover. This print (and the others on this site) will have every cent of their profit given to the Gatlinburg Wildlife Relief Fund to help those who lost their homes and all of their possessions in the devastating wildfires over the past few weeks in Tennessee.

7 Gifts That Give Back - Meredith Collie - Jenn Elwell

Flamingos for a Cure Mini Flamingo Stationery from Meredith Collie, $15

The mini flamingo monogram folded note cards feature your choice of four color options for the pattern: bright pink, light pink, gold or multi-colored flamingos. Personalized with your choice of one of eight monogram options in five color choices. 20% of each sale from the Flamingos for a Cure collection is donated to breast cancer research. The collection includes personalized gifts and stationery as well as a few items for gentlemen. Learn more about this collection at www.flamingosforacure.net.

7 Gifts That Give Back - Raven + Lily Jenn Elwell

Zia Leather Leaf Earring in Silver from Raven + Lily, $24

The long tradition of hand-carving wood pairs nicely with locally sourced leather to create the beautiful bangle bracelets, beaded necklaces, and drop earrings. All of the leather is locally sourced and hand-cut into our exclusive designs. This jewelry collection is made by artisans at the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains in Northern India. Raven + Lily is an ethical fashion and lifestyle brand dedicated to empowering women through design.

7 Gifts That Give Back - Headbands for Hope - Jenn Elwell

Black Floral Baby Turban from Headbands of Hope, $16

These headbands are soft and gorgeous and are a great way to accessorize your kids while also helping others. For every headband sold in this shop, one headband is given to a child battling cancer. This shop not only has cute headbands for kids but headbands for adults for everyday wear to wedding wear. You’ll be hard pressed to not find at least one headband that you must have in this shop!

7 Gifts That Give Back - SimpliStamped - Jenn Elwell

Blood:Water Mission Necklace by SimpliStamped, $41

This sterling silver necklace features the stamped word “love” on it and comes with an 18″ miniature bead chain. 50% of the purchase price of this necklace goes to the Blood:Water Mission which works to provide people in Africa with clean water.

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Don’t forget to text GIFTGUIDES to 44222 to receive my 10 Tips For Getting Featured In Gift Guides and sign up for my mailing list! And make every effort this holiday season to shop small. To read about more mama-owned businesses that might have the perfect gift for you, make sure you check out Mama’s Black Book.

Family

Avoiding The Holiday Rush

Avoiding the holiday rush - enjoying Christmas - Jenn Elwell

The months of November and December are a whirlwind for mothers. They consist of not only holiday shopping but school programs, Bible study celebrations, holiday parties, and family gatherings. As a mom our days of celebrating this special time with our children can fly by without a second look from us as we are consumed by our list of tasks. But with three simple changes we can better manage our time during this season so that we don’t rush through it, but get to savor and enjoy the time with our family.

Tip 1: Say no to what is not important

There is only so much time to give and especially during the holidays its important to clarify what is a “must do” versus what is a “nice to do.” Do not feel bad saying no to engagements, events, or other activities that are not important to you. Something that is important to someone else might not be important to your right now and that is fine. Do not agree to help with something just because you think it is the right thing to do. Stay confident in your decision about your priorities and eliminate all the other extras that don’t contribute to the success of those priorities. And remember that what is important to others may not be important to you and vice versa. Set your own value of importance and do not be ashamed to stay true to it.

Tip 2: Schedule in time to relax or spend time with your family

It is a sad fact but often our families receive the last of our attention. During the holiday season especially this is tragic and something that we definitely do not want to happen. In order to make sure that this does not happen, we can schedule our family time before we commit to any other activities. Then we when look at our calendar or planner to say that we will attend another gathering, we will see that we already have family time planned and will keep that time set apart for those who we hold most dear.

Tip 3: Get as much done beforehand as you can

There is a lot that can be done before the holiday rush begins. Christmas cards, baking, teacher gifts, and gift buying are all tasks that can be relegated to November or earlier to free up your time in December to enjoy the things that you hold most important. Bake early and freeze the treats. Use a picture from your summer vacation for your Christmas card and keep a running spreadsheet of addresses to ease the time consuming task of address gathering each year. By planning ahead we can remove items from our to-do list before our time gets even more overcome with last minute plans.

Gift Guides

Shop From Mama’s Black Book This Holiday Season

Yesterday was all about being thankful for what we have. One way that we show our thanks to those that we love is by giving thoughtful gifts given at Christmas. Today is called Black Friday and is traditionally the start of the holiday shopping season. While I’ve been sharing gift guides over the past week and will share more in the coming days, today I want to take a chance to share some special businesses to me that can be found in Mama’s Black Book. (PS: I created Mama’s Black Book and want it to succeed so these businesses are all ones included in the magazine. There are also a few affiliate links in this list that are denoted by a *. Thanks!)

Mama's Black Book

Mama’s Black Book is a free, online magazine that I launched in early November. It is for moms who want to shop small and shop online and want to choose from some of the best mama-owned businesses that are out there. And they want to do it all as quickly as possible by using the directory listings in the magazine that are grouped by the types of products each shop sells to only visit the shops that sell items that they are looking for. Everyone can read the magazine online or download it today! It will become your essential resource for encouragement, inspiration, and shopping small throughout the year. Let’s look through the categories included in the magazine and the wonderful shops in each section.

Looksies - Mama's Black Book

Children

*Looksies, LLC is a shop that sells stick on attachments for your phone that will get your kids not only looking while you take pictures but giggling with true smiles. Looksies attach to your phone with reusable tape and you can purchase a carrying case and come in a variety of themes, shapes, and colors. They make my kids crack up so they are a winner for sure and a great stocking stuffer if you have adult children!

Little Bow Fish sells quality, hand-sewn bows for your children and even furry family members.

Little Lang’s offers personalized heat press clothing for kids of all ages.

Meredith Collie Paper creates personalized placemats and gifts for children. [SPECIAL: Free shipping with code FREESHIP16 through Monday.]

miniPeanuts sells plates and placemats that children and parents alike will love. [Store is closing after the holidays so this is your last chance to purchase these products. [SPECIAL: Use code THANKSFS for free shipping through Monday.]

Paradigm Behavior uses applied behavior analysis (ABA) to educate families, including those touched by special needs, to make positive behavior changes in the home. [SPECIAL: Parent Guides on sale for Small Business Saturday.]

The Ivory Pony creates beautifully made, fine children’s clothing.

Kristin Jones - Mama's Black Book

Health and Beauty

Kristin Jones, an independent consultant for Rodan + Fields is passionate about helping women use the highest quality anti-aging skincare in their lives. The R+F products are dermatology based and are backed by clinically proven results. When you purchase and become a preferred customer you save 10% and get free shipping on all orders over $80! [SPECIAL: Gift packages with no tax and flat $5 shipping!]

Clean Beauty with Susi helps women find the best health and beauty products in her Facebook group and become a Clean Beauty.

Little Bow Fish creates quality bows to match any outfit.

Angela Inabinett, an independent consultant for Rodan + Fields helps women with sensitive skin, skin damage, adult acne, wrinkles, melasma, firmness, scarring, and can introduce women to an incredible job opportunity. [SPECIAL: 25% off all orders of $80 or more! This weekend only.]

Wedding - Mama's Black Book

Wedding

DePriest Robbins sells engagement rings and day of jewelry for the bride and her mother who desire heirloom and designer pieces.

Grace and Serendipity designs bespoke wedding collections that encompass all the details of your day. [SPECIAL: 30% off with code SHOPSMALL2016 through Monday. Receive 100 complimentary thank you cards when you book a Bespoke Wedding Collection and have inquired by Monday.]

J.Lynn Designery and Ribbon Events sells the WedLove Wedding Planner that was designed with one goal in mind: to create a stunning, portable solution to wedding planning. [SPECIAL: Use code 4DAYSFREE for free shipping for orders over $20 through Monday.]

Kristin Jones, an independent consultant for Rodan + Fields provides free PC PERKS and mini-facials for the bridal party and moms. [SPECIAL: Gift packages with no tax and flat $5 shipping!]

Little Journal Co - Mama's Black Book

Journals and Planners

Little Journal Co. helps women and families shift their focus from what life may lack to the abundance that is already present. My Little Gratitude Journal is full of things to do like record special moments, coloring, doodling, and simple questionnaires. I love using mine and these are perfect for gifts for friends and teachers!

J.Lynn Designery brings beauty and function to your everyday life with planners and organizational products. [SPECIAL: Use code 4DAYSFREE for free shipping for orders over $20 through Monday.]

Tales of a Peanut creates dry erase planners for the Mastermind Mamapreneur. [SPECIAL: Use code THANKSFS for free shipping through Monday.]

Meredith Collie Paper designs monogram journals in multiple sizes, styles, colors, and patterns. [SPECIAL: Free shipping with code FREESHIP16 through Monday.]

Paper + Oats creates printable and editable planners to keep you organized in every area of your life. [SPECIALS: Friday – $50 off the The InDesign Field Guide, Saturday – Etsy on Autopilot, Sunday & Monday – printable planners.]

Grace and Serendipity - Mama's Black Book

Home Decor and Stationery

Grace and Serendipity designs prints in color and in gold foil to grace the walls of your home as well as uniquely designed mugs to sip with. Her designs are for celebrating life’s moments including the once-in-a-lifetime and the everyday. I have a gold foil mug from Grace and Serendipity (it was actually shown on the cover of Mama’s Black Book!) and it is gorgeous and adds just the right touch of shine to my morning routine. [SPECIAL: 30% off with code SHOPSMALL2016 through Monday. Receive 100 complimentary thank you cards when you book a Bespoke Wedding Collection and have inquired by Monday.]

Ace & Bear designs stationery and prints that are dedicated to the magical art of letter writing. [SPECIAL: All in stock pens $50+ are 40% off.]

Hello World Paper Co creates custom rubber stamps and stamps with a mission to build a school for children in need. [SPECIAL: Use code HELLOFS for free shipping and free gift with purchase for orders through Monday.]

Graced Letters hand letters stationery and prints that are thoughtfully designed to build relationships and encourage hearts.

Little Bird Paperie designs clean, simple, and sophisticated cards, prints, and mugs.

Meredith Collie Paper designs modern and classic stationery and gifts for all your friends and family. [SPECIAL: Free shipping with code FREESHIP16 through Monday.]

Polka Dot Paper Company helps busy women celebrate today, cherish yesterday, and plan for tomorrow with useful stationery, paper goods, printables, and more. [SPECIAL: 30% off through Monday with code HOLIDAY30.]

Tales of a Peanut creates Christmas cards, stationery, and gifts for those who value the written word and gifts given from the heart. [SPECIAL: Use code FREEFOIL for a free foil upgrade on Christmas cards through Sunday. Other sales reflected in shop prices.]

Rustic Barn Media - Mama's Black Book

Business Services

Nogginhed specializes in direct-to-garment printing that’s perfect for smaller quantities. They work with businesses that range from start-ups to multi-national corporations and provide excellent service either way. Nogginhed is who I work with for all of my shirt, bag, and other textile needs for both my business and my corporate clients. Their quality is unsurpassed and by working with a small company they are often able to match or beat pricing that I have received from larger printers.

Hello World Paper Co provides custom logo and packaging stamps to businesses while pursuing their mission of building a school for children in need. [SPECIAL: Use code HELLOFS for free shipping and free gift with purchase for orders through Monday.]

Paper + Oats is a design resource and online shop helping businesses navigate the world of design & digital products. [SPECIALS: Friday – $50 off the The InDesign Field Guide, Saturday – Etsy on Autopilot, Sunday & Monday – printable planners.]

Rustic Barn Media Marketing has a team of marketing strategists and social media managers to help businesses achieve big goals. [SPECIAL: Fresh and new marketing plan consultations starting at $99 and social media audits starting at $79.]

Mama's Black Book

As you shop today and over the next few weeks I encourage you to do your best to support local and small businesses. Your purchase with a small, mama-owned business directly supports families and women who are using their talents and God-given gifts to pursue their passions. In Mama’s Black Book you can find more information on all of these shops including direct links to their social media profiles, email, websites, and more. Mama’s Black Book also includes an exclusive art print hand lettered by Graced Letters that is free for you to print, frame, and enjoy. And in addition to these shops shown here there are also companies in the magazine who cater exclusively to businesses and coaches and consultants who can work with you on a variety of topics.

To thank you for shopping small this holiday season I’ve got a special gift for the first five to comment on this post with their favorite find from one of these shops! I’ll mail a printed copy of Mama’s Black Book as well as an art print, collection of greeting cards, or another fun surprise to the first five to comment. Enjoy Black Friday shopping and don’t forget to comment on this post to tell me your favorite find from these shops to win a special gift!

Gift Guides

9 Gifts For Teachers

Christmas is just around the corner and while we want to approach the holiday with reverence and a focus on Christ, we also know that in order to devote the energy to the holiday that it deserves we need to get our shopping done! That’s why last year I started a series of gift guides before the holiday and I’m continuing the tradition this year. Today’s installment is all about gifts for teachers and the gift guides will continue for the next week to cover just about everyone on your list!

9 Gifts for Teachers - Jenn Elwell

A few notes before I start sharing my favorite ideas. #1 – These items are exclusively from mama-owned shops. I believe in supporting other Mastermind Mamapreneurs and I want to make it easy for you to find them. A number of these women are featured in the first issue of Mama’s Black Book and others are new to me as well as you. But I encourage you to shop small as much as you can this season. #2 – Links in this series will occasionally include affiliate links or products that paid to be included. This means that my company gets a few pennies for each time you buy after clicking an affiliate link on my site link. Your price does not increase and I promise to only include links for shops and products that I love and, for the most part, have used before. Affiliate links will have a * before them to show you that they are affiliate links. #3 – If you have a small business I would love to feature you in the future so text GIFTGUIDES to 44222 to receive my 10 Tips for Getting Featured In Gift Guides and sign up for my mailing list. And, now, on to the good stuff: the gift ideas!
9 Gifts for Teachers - Jenn Elwell

Ace and Bear, Apple Teacher Stationery Set, $16

Stationery is a great gift for everyone on your list but especially teachers. Teachers are writing notes to parents throughout the year so more notecards will always be used and appreciated.

9 Gifts for Teachers - Jenn Elwell

Hello World Stamps, This Book Belongs To Stamp, $24.95

With a reader who has been checking out books from her teacher’s “library” I now understand how helpful a stamp like this would be! I’m definitely considering it for our second grade teacher!

9 Gifts for Teachers - Jenn Elwell

Sew Much Crafting, Traveler Notebook Insert Monthly, $5.95

If you or someone you know isn’t using a Travelers notebook I’m really surprised. These notebooks are so versatile and are the thing for organization. This monthly insert is a practical and cost efficient option for your teacher who plans with a Traveler.

9 Gifts for Teachers - Jenn Elwell

Rodan + Fields, Essentials Daily Body Moisturizer, $26

Teachers are constantly washing their hands so a dreamy lotion is a great gift. This lightweight, non-greasy formula absorbs quickly to soften skin and keep hands feeling smooth from morning to night. Hint: make sure your teacher doesn’t have any sensitivities or allergies before gifting them with anything that might aggravate those conditions. Printing out the teacher questionnaire in the School Workbook is a great way to determine this information. You can give them this questionnaire year round. 

9 Gifts for Teachers - Jenn Elwell

Label The Occasion, Reason You Drink Label, $5

There’s one child that I might should stick this in a bottle of wine for his or her teacher. I’ll let you guess who!

9 Gifts for Teachers - Jenn Elwell

Tales of a Peanut, Monthly Dry Erase Calendar, $10

I gave these dry erase calendars for end of year gifts last year and I’m still getting great feedback on them. With plenty of space to plan out the month this will help with family or school organization.

9 Gifts for Teachers - Jenn Elwell

Grace and Serendipity, Grace Upon Amazing Grace tee, $26.95

A good graphic tee is always a great gift and this one is a winner. Super soft fabric and a message that is applicable to anyone. Include a nice note about how your teacher is blessing your family as a bonus!

9 Gifts for Teachers - Jenn Elwell

Mere’s Crafts, Keychain Lipstick Bag, $7.99

Not only do I need this but I bet most women do! Many purses these days come with a clip and attaching it to this would help you find your essentials without digging around in the bottom of your purse forever. Bonus: include a small gift card to a coffee shop or bookstore and you’ve got a fantastic gift!

9 Gifts for Teachers - Jenn Elwell

JLynn Designery, Be Brave Notepad, $7.95

Just like stationery, you can never have too many notepads. And I’d wager that most teachers would appreciate the “Be brace” sentiment as well when they’re going through their day at school!

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Don’t forget to text GIFTGUIDES to 44222 to receive my 10 Tips For Getting Featured In Gift Guides and sign up for my mailing list! And make every effort this holiday season to shop small. To read about more mama-owned businesses that might have the perfect gift for you, make sure you check out Mama’s Black Book. Coming up Monday… Gifts For Your Best Friend!

Gift Guides

11 Gifts For Your Kiddos

Christmas is just around the corner and while we want to approach the holiday with reverence and a focus on Christ, we also know that in order to devote the energy to the holiday that it deserves we need to get our shopping done! That’s why last year I started a series of gift guides before the holiday and I’m continuing the tradition this year. Today’s installment is all for your kiddos and the gift guides will continue for the next week to cover just about everyone on your list!

11 Gifts For Your Kiddos - Gift Guides 2016 - Jenn Elwell

A few notes before I start sharing my favorite ideas. #1 – These items are exclusively from mama-owned shops. I believe in supporting other Mastermind Mamapreneurs and I want to make it easy for you to find them. A number of these women are featured in the first issue of Mama’s Black Book and others are new to me as well as you. But I encourage you to shop small as much as you can this season. #2 – Links in this series will occasionally include affiliate links or products that paid to be included. This means that my company gets a few pennies for each time you buy after clicking an affiliate link on my site link. Your price does not increase and I promise to only include links for shops and products that I love and, for the most part, have used before. Affiliate links will have a * before them to show you that they are affiliate links. #3 – If you have a small business I would love to feature you in the future so text GIFTGUIDES to 44222 to receive my 10 Tips for Getting Featured In Gift Guides and sign up for my mailing list. And, now, on to the good stuff: the gift ideas!

 

Little Lang's - Gift Guides 2016 - Jenn Elwell

Little Langs: Rocket Dark Grey Triblend Tee, $16.50

I do live in the “Rocket City” so that might influence my love of this sketch design, but all of these designs are adorable and will grow with your child. You can choose from a limited selection of short sleeve tees as well as long sleeve tees. Jana also has a variety of other designs available so you can build your own tee!

Meredith Collie - Gift Guides 2016 - Jenn Elwell

Meredith Collie: Learn To Set The Table Personalized Placemat, $14

Setting the table is an easy chore for kids to do around the house but sometimes the table can look as messy after they “set” it as before they “set” it! That’s where this placemat comes in. It shows your children with fun colors and graphics where everything at each persons plate goes. And since it’s large and laminated it will be easy to keep spills on it and then easily clean them off. PS The placemat also comes in holiday colors!

The Ivory Pony - Gift Guides 2016 - Jenn Elwell

The Ivory Pony: Holly Dress, $60, and Holly Button Down Shirt, $45

I know kids don’t traditionally enjoy opening gifts of clothes at Christmas, but I always give my kids at least one package of clothes because the fact is that they go through them quickly. So this gorgeous dress and button down shirt would be a great addition to their wardrobe this holiday. Not only will they get to wear it later but they can put it on Christmas day to go and visit the family!

miniPeanuts - Gift Guides 2016 - Jenn Elwell

miniPeanuts: Dizzy Dinoette Melamine Plate, $27, and Dino Time Melamine Plate, $27

Melamine plates make great gifts for children because they can be personalized for whatever they love and with their names. Also, they can use them as often as you can keep them washed which makes them practical as well as making them happy every time you set the table with their plate. These plates are BPA free and dishwasher safe so you can also rest easy serving your kids on them. A win-win for everyone!

Legacy Gymnastics - Gift Guides 2016 - Jenn Elwell

A class or activity that your child has been asking for but to which you’ve been unable to commit the time or money.

My kids want to be involved in everything and have a hard time understanding that Mommy and Daddy can’t be everywhere at once and also can’t afford to have them in every activity. But the holidays are a good time to surprise them with a “yes” that you can afford to commit to. For example, if your daughter has wanted to take gymnastics, give her a new leotard and a note saying that she can take gymnastics through the end of the school year (Legacy Gymnastics in Pelham, AL is a great place to start these type of lessons!). Or you can wrap up a new baseball hat and tell your son you’re signing him up for baseball this season. Think about what your child really wants to participate in and what you can commit to and then surprise them with the ultimate yes under the tree!

Intentional Home - Gift Guides 2016 - Jenn Elwell

A new journal or devotional.

My oldest is 7 and loves to read herself and journal. She also loves reading *Jesus Calling For Kids. So I thought this year that I’d combine all of those with a devotional that she can do herself. A few suggestions that I’ve found (and purchased!) are the Archer Adventure Journal ($9.99) and In The Word Children’s Bible Study Journal ($15).

Yarnheartz - Gift Guides 2016 - Jenn Elwell

Yarnheartz: Poncho Matching Doll and Gift Outfit, $46.50

If you’ve got a girl who is in to 18″ dolls, then she’ll love a matching hand-knitted poncho for her and her doll. This set is handmade with fantastic quality and your daughter will delight over being able to match her doll. Bonus points if you wrap a new doll dressed up in the poncho and her poncho together!

Polka Dot Paper Company - Gift Guides 2016 - Jenn Elwell

Polka Dot Paper Company: Awesome Book Stickers, $3

These stickers would be a great stocking stuffer especially for kiddos that are reading. They can protect their books from younger siblings by identifying that they are theirs with these stickers. And at this price you can buy them plenty so they can mark their entire book collection!

The Treehouse Kid - Gift Guides 2016 - Jenn Elwell

New costumes for the dress up box.

Kids thrive on pretending and when they have costumes to go along with their made up stories it just makes them that much more fantastic. Which is why Christmas is a great time to clean out and restock their dress up box. There are great costume options out there for boys and girls and many can even be personalized which makes them even more unique (and ends fights over whose costume is whose!). Some costumes that I think are great options are the Dragon Knight gift set from The Treehouse Kid ($135), Super Kid Hero Cape set from SuperKidCapes ($28), and Dinosaur Cape set from Pip and Bean ($45).

Have Fun Learning - Gift Guides 2016 - Jenn Elwell

HaveFunLearning: Busy Bags Bundle, $55

Keeping little ones entertained can be a problem, especially if you want them to be doing something useful with their minds as well. But this Busy Bag Bundle solves that problem with five activities for preschool aged children to keep them busy while also building their mind. I especially love the color matching game with paint chips thanks to my design background!

SO Handmade - Gift Guides 2016 - Jenn Elwell

SOhandmade1: Train Play Mat, $25

We got my son a play mat one year from a big box store and I could never get rid of the plastic smell. This organic, handmade playmat solves that problem while also helping your child use their imagination to play with their trains. If you set it up under the tree with some new trains you will get an even bigger reaction!

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Don’t forget to text GIFTGUIDES to 44222 to receive my 10 Tips For Getting Featured In Gift Guides and sign up for my mailing list! And make every effort this holiday season to shop small. Coming up tomorrow… Gifts For Teachers!

Business

Mama’s Black Book – a magazine written by mamas, for mamas

About two months ago I was thinking about ways that I could help fellow Mastermind Mamapreneurs and I came up with the idea of launching a free, online magazine with a directory listing. This is not a new concept as others have had online directories for a long time, but I wanted for this to be more of a magazine with encouraging articles, a beautiful print for each season that you get with the magazine, and a resource spot for mamas who want to shop small but often don’t have the time available to do the digging to find the businesses to shop from. And with that little time spent brainstorming, Mama’s Black Book was born!

Mama's Black Book - Jenn Elwell - Mastermind Mamapreneur

The first issue is launching on November 8th and tomorrow, October 15th, is the deadline for the first set of shops to get their businesses featured in the magazine. And while I have a number of fantastic shops already participating, I want to take a second to speak to those who haven’t yet made the decision to hop in to Mama’s Black Book. I know that advertising dollars are in short supply (that’s why I wrote that blog post earlier this week!) and investing in a brand new magazine seems risky, but I think it’s a pretty good investment and I want to give you some background info to show you why.

By the numbers

Since this is a brand new magazine I don’t have any hard or fast numbers about readership yet, but I can share with you my current reach online which should help you get an idea of the beginning reach of the magazine.

  • Roughly 450 email subscribers with an average open rate of 12.8%
  • Follower counts around: 1500 (Instagram), 700 (FB page), 90 (FB group), 700 (Twitter), 1700 (Pinterest)
  • Over 8800 video views and a reach of over 22500 for my promoted videos on FB in the last two weeks
  • Over 150 visits to the Mama’s Black Book website since it was released three weeks ago
  • A marketing plan to send over 50 printed copies of Mama’s Black Book to influencers after is releases as was as run ads on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest in addition to other ideas
  • An affiliate program that is growing every day and gives you 20% back on shop listings and features purchased through your link (not for your own purchases though)
  • 9 gift guide posts for the holiday season all of which will have Mama’s Black Book tie-ins
  • A 100% commitment to having this magazine succeed and benefit each shop that is in the issue

Mama's Black Book Shop Feature

What’s Guaranteed?

As you know, in life and in advertising, we aren’t guaranteed anything. And I can’t promise you hundreds of sales from Mama’s Black Book (I can’t even promise you 1!) but there are some things I can promise you.

  • Shop listings include over $200 in complimentary bonuses which include a Mastermind Mamapreneur eWorkbook download on Business Planning, ad space on the main page of this website for the quarter, blog post submission option, credit towards a listing in the next issue, consulting credit with me, promotional images and copy with your listing shown, badge to display on your website, gift guide submission credits, preferential access to advertising opportunities, and (as announced on FB yesterday), all advertisers in this first issue will get to choose a complimentary t-shirt or tote bag from the designs being released next week and a printed copy of the magazine!
  • Shop features include over $500 in complimentary bonuses which include a Mastermind Mamapreneur eWorkbook download on Business Planning, a choice of a dry erase planner or the How to Write A Bio eWorkbook, larger ad space on the main page of this website for the quarter, feature on the blog with the option to host a giveaway, individual promotion on the Instagram and Facebook pages at least once during the quarter, blog post submission option, credit towards a listing in the next issue, consulting credit with me, promotional images and copy with your listing shown, badge to display on your website, gift guide submission credits, preferential access to advertising opportunities, and (as announced on FB yesterday), all advertisers in this first issue will get to choose a complimentary t-shirt or tote bag from the designs being released next week and a printed copy of the magazine!

What Shops Should List Themselves?

Shops that are small businesses of all types are encouraged to join the Mama’s Black Book community. Specifically shops that

  • are small businesses or independent distributors/consultants of national brands (only 3 allowed per brand and are subject to approval)
  • include mothers as their target market
  • value honesty, quality, encouragement, family, kindness

I encourage you to go back and read my blog post from earlier in the week about how I’ve messed up in advertising in the past and the three questions I now ask myself before I participate in an advertising opportunity. Mama’s Black Book might not be a good fit for your business, which I totally understand, but if you sell to mothers, I highly encourage you to get your shop listed! In future issues, shops that participated in the first issue will have a star by their names to denote them as a “Founding Member” of Mama’s Black Book.

Mama's Black Book Shop Listings - Jenn Elwell - Mastermind Mamapreneur

What Do I Do Now?

If you

Don’t forget that the issue contents close at midnight tomorrow, October 15th so don’t delay! I look forward to working with you in the future as a part of this exciting new magazine for mamas.