Mommy Necklace Interview, Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

I first discovered Mommy Necklaces very randomly off a deal website. I liked the idea of having an inexpensive necklace that my newborn could fiddle with during nursing, tug on during toddlerhood and even wear themselves during the preschool years. I was very impressed with the quality of the necklace, despite being made of plastic- it certainly doesn't look cheesy or cheap. It's heavy (without being too heavy) and looks like glass from afar. Very quickly, my collection has grown into more than I'm willing to admit!

I was very impressed at the selection of colors and styles Mommy Necklaces offers. Personally, I like the longer styles (known as Simply Strand Longs). There are donuts you can buy for added fiddling function. There are also numerous short styles that pair wonderfully with v-neck shirts and sweaters. If you like the layered look, MN offers accent strands in a variety of styles. They are also able to semi-customize the designs by changing pendant colors, spacer bead colors and length.

Don't know which to buy for a gift? No problem! MN offers gift certificates and allows customers to create  a wishlist and share it with friends and family.

Finally, MN has a great rewards system for return customers. For every MN purchased (through MN.com or licensed retailers) you get awarded points. Points can then be redeemed for gift certificates towards your next purchase! It's hard to find a retailer that pays YOU back for shopping! The more you buy, the more you earn. And yes, I'm proud to say that I have reached the $95 giftcard with points!!!!

Mommy Necklaces are made with safe materials (although not designed for teething), manufactured in the USA and independently tested for lead and phthalates. They are made with durable cording, breakaway claps and in over 20 colors and designs.

If you're a mom like me and miss being able to wear your jewelry while toting your tot, you'll love Mommy Necklaces!

I had the pleasure of interviewing the founder and lead designer of Mommy Necklaces via email. Thank you Raelynn for taking some time to "chat"!
 
 
 

How was Mommy Necklaces born?

"MN was born in the Winter of 2004 when my first child, Megan, turned 4 months old and wouldn't stop tugging on my hair and sentimental jewelry. At that time, I had no mission greater than myself. I simply wanted durable, jewelry with a sensory-based design that would engage her and get her hands out of my hair and encourage her to nurse longer so I wasn't up so much at night. Of course, she loved to eat when it was 2AM and the house was quiet. But for a working mom (at the time I was teaching 1st/2nd grade multi-age classroom), that wasn't working for me. ;)"

What inspires your designs?

"My designs are inspired by current fashion trends (or predicted trends), my own love for unique color combinations, and of course, functionality and versatility. I want our designs to feel 'easy' to wear. If you buy a MN, I want you to have to think for a minute about what shirt you want to wear it with instead of thinking of one way you can wear it. Meaning, I like choice and dead-ends drive me nuts. Many of today's jewelry has a dead-end approach. I like to keep MN thinking fashion forward, in more than one way."

How do you juggle being a mama and business owner?

"I do the best I can at that moment. If a ball or two drops, I pick them up and start again. It may take a moment to get my rhythm again, but I refuse to give up. I also refuse to think that I will never drop a ball or two... (or three?). I am realist, but also have high expectations for myself. I'd rather a few balls drop while I'm working towards the perfect 'act' than see the whole show fall apart because my arms got tired from trying for perfection too quickly. This doesn't answer the question in a point-blank way, but in a round-about-way I am saying, I suck at juggling and just do the best I can. There really is no answer and today's answer may be different than tomorrows."

Where do you see MN in 5 years? 10 years?

"I have goals for MN, but there is no master plan for 5 or 10 years. I like to work towards goals and now numerical milestones. Once I achieve my next goals, I'll move on to the next... be it 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years. Quality of goals, not quantity of where I want to be. Again, hard to answer this questions because each day I am able to lead MN is a gift. I just hope to see MN thriving as well as it is doing now in 5 years, without sacrificing anything about who we are and how we got there."

What is your biggest hope for your children?

"Easy one! Biggest hope is that they will have an easier start to their adult life than I did. A balanced way of finding their own way, but for my husband and myself to be able to help when/if needed too. I want to to be able to think about their long-term future/goals and not having to wake up thinking about how to survive that day/week."

What's next for Mommy Necklaces?

"No idea. But, I am sure it will be great. The woman and team surrounding MN (both employees and customers) is beyond amazing to me. I know I will never settle for anything less than greatness for MN, and I know the heart of MN feels the same way. My heart tells me more amazing things are to come!"

Want one?

Buy It:

Visit Mommy Necklaces' website and order today!

Win It:

One lucky reader will win a standard Mommy Necklace of their choice**!

Mandatory Entries: Please be sure to leave your email address within each comment!

1. **YOU MUST BE A PUBLIC FOLLOWER OF MY BLOG** (leave a comment)

2. **Like Mommy Necklaces on Facebook **

Extra Entries : (Be sure to leave a separate comment for each one)

1. Follow Mommy Necklaces on Twitter (1 entry)

2. Retweet the following: @MommyNecklaces I entered to win a necklace at http://justrollingwithit09.blogspot.com/

(Please leave me the url so I can verify your tweet-- I will be checking! (1 entry per day))

3. Post on your blog linking to this giveaway and the featured company. Please leave a comment with a direct link to your post (1 entry)

4. Add me to your PUBLIC Blog Roll. Please leave a comment with a direct link to the URL- I will check. (1 entry)

5. Place an order through the Mommy Necklace website and leave a comment with the order number. (5 entries- please leave 5 separate comments).

Giveaway ends November 5th @11:59PM CST. Winner will be picked via Random.org. Please respond within 24 hours, or a new winner will be chosen.

All remarks are the personal and honest opinions of me. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged prizes. Open to US residents only.

**Any changes made to the standard necklaces or add ones (such as donuts or infinity rings) will be at the winner's expense. I will be purchasing the necklace and shipping directly to you.

*Images are provided by Mommy Necklaces and are used soley for the purpose of illustrating their creative works.