Christmas is quickly approaching, yes like 7 weeks away! We are starting to get our gift  shopping done and preparing for the weeks ahead. When I think of gift giving my thoughts keep going back to those children at the orphanage in Haiti that were just in awe over their labels. I think back to times when I have received personalized gifts. When I was a little girl my Grandparents sent me a set of pencils with my name etched on them. My cousins and I spend time every summer at my Grandfather’s house and he has always had towels embroidered with our names on them, and as we got married and had children had towels made for them as well. Later on we spent Christmas there and all of our children’s stockings had their name embroidered on them. It was really something quite simple to do but that little extra effort just made us all feel so special.

The Mabel’s Labels Loot Bag Combo is a great gift at Christmas if you want to go for that personalized touch. The children’s faces just lit up in Haiti, “that’s me!” they would say. Something undeniably belonging to them. This year why don’t you share a personalized gift!

Instead of using a gift tag you can attach a Loot Bag Combo and write who it’s from on the back. If your kids are in sports or Scouts or anything like that it can be expensive getting individual gifts but these are the perfect size and price! Also, great for giving to teachers. Last but not least this little pack of labels is the perfect size for a stocking stuffer!

Can you think of any other creative ways to give labels?

UPDATE (Monday July 25): This giveaway is now closed. Please stay turned for more giveaways on The Mabelhood in the future!

We have teamed up with our Friends from the children’s clothing company, Polarn O. Pyret to offer our readers a chance to win a fabulous giveaway just in time for the Back-to-School season.

The following giveaway is only open to residents of the US. Don’t worry Canada! We are going to have something exciting for you soon!

Here’s a little bit about Polarn O. Pyret:

Polarn O. Pyret makes the best children’s clothes in the world. Our philosophy has not changed since our first striped T-shirt. We believe in good looking clothes that let children be children. Clothes should withstand wear-and-tear and become part of your family; from brother to sister, cousin to cousin.

We bring the same philosophy to every decision we make. From environmental to social responsibility, what is good for children is good for adults, too.

Go ahead and check out the gorgeous collection of clothing and accessories they offer. I’ll wait here until you get back to get into the details of the giveaway!

Ok – Now that you are back and have browsed all of the beautiful clothing Polarn O. Pyret has to offer, I know you will want to get your hands on some of their gear for yourself!

The Giveaway Details:

Polarn O. Pyret will be providing one lucky winner with a backpack filled with goodies for back to school or summer fun (a T shirt, pair of pants and pair of fun socks to match). Mabel’s Labels will also provide the lucky winner with an Ultimate Back-to-School Combo to ensure your new gear stays out of the Lost & Found this school year! Total value of giveaway items: $124.00

To enter, leave a comment letting us know your favourite item on the Polarn O. Pryet website. Easy Peasy! Enter from now until Monday July 25th at Noon EST. Winner will be announced Tuesday July 26th. Good Luck!

People say that I’m brave for having six kids. My take is that it’s nothing compared to those crazy mamas whose kids are out of the baby stage when they go and immerse themselves right back into it. Imagine ditching diaper bags, sleepless nights and poopy bottoms only to return to them several years later. At least in my situation, I have not had a chance to come up for air and experience what it feels like to be out of that phase. Once I have a taste of the sweet life, I’m thinking there is no going back.

A couple of years ago, Daddy-o turned 40 and my sister and BIL hosted a party. We arrived with a bucketful of newborn baby. My BIL had a big chuckle and noted that at his 40th a few years down the road, he would be on easy street – his kids would be teenagers. There were many laughs as we predicted that Daddy-o would never be in a position to retire seeing that he’d likely have kids still in university when he was in his sixties. Funny thing is, that bucketful of baby was only #5 – baby #6 came a couple of years later. Yes, no retirement plans for Daddy-o.

So you can imagine the fun we have had welcoming my sister and BIL’s new baby into the world last week. You can also envision their shock and horror upon discovering baby #3 was on the way, just as they were plotting their “Freedom 40” plan. And you can definitely picture how much fun Daddy-o had reminding BIL that he will now have a toddler at his 40th birthday party.

The shock and horror I refer to lasted for only about a minute before they were absolutely thrilled. OK, the shock hung around for a while. You see, they actually always wanted three kids but had a rough baby-making history and in the end it seemed they were extremely lucky to get the two they got. So, this little “baby-that-could’ is pretty darn special in our books.

During my sister’s surprise baby adventure, I’ve spoken to a lot of mamas who have had a similar experience. They all reported that, while the news initially took some digesting, in the end it was the best thing that ever happened to them and their families.

That may be true. Still, don’t expect to hear about any surprises from me.

Big thanks to Photog friends for these awesome images. Nicola popped around to see baby Isla at home and took this beautiful baby shot. Julie saw Isla and her big sibs at her studio and worked her usual magic!