Let's just get one thing straight: I think paper is magical. I love the freshness of a white, lined (or unlined) page, the smell of a new book, the moment before I set pen to paper in a new journal or planner. My generation transitioned into computer technology (instead of being born with it) so while typing on a keyboard is faster than writing in longhand, the act of writing, of putting a piece of yourself down on paper, is still amazing to me.
And that's why I was a bit giddy when I got to review paper products from Peter Pauper Press. I was sent several things (a few I'm saving for our Spoiling Dad gift guide for Father's Day) and all of the ones I'm featuring here make wonderful Mother's Day, birthday and graduation presents for the special people in your life.
First some info about Peter Pauper Press from the website:
PETER PAUPER PRESS, founded in 1928, is one of America’s leading publishers of fine gift books,
humor books, compact references, travel guides, unique journals, quality stationery,
holiday cards, and innovative children’s activity books. We publish
approximately 100 books and ancillary products per year.
Our product lines include:
- Little Black Books. Hip little reference books on popular topics, from Barbecue
and Beer to Casino Games, Cocktails, and Coffee to Sex, Sushi, and Wine.
- Little Black Travel Books.
Compact guides to top destinations with insider tips and foldout neighborhood
maps. Available now: London, New York, Paris, Rome, San Francisco, and Washington,
DC. Coming soon: Boston and Walt Disney World.
- Our Little Pink Books are sophisticated guides to Elegance, Entertaining,
Weddings, and more.
- Charming
Petites,™ our famous line of mini gift books with ribbon
markers and 24K gold-plated charms.
- Gift Kits, lively little Petites Plus and Holiday Petites Plus books combined
with bonus gifts. New Petites Plush titles combine some of our most popular books
with endearing toy animals.
- BookNotes™ with
Music CDs. Attractive gift books combined with
set-the-mood music. For holidays and everyday.
- Illustrated Keepsakes gift books, whether heartwarming or humorous, are perfect
to treasure or share.
- Pocket Gift Editions offer wisdom and wit on a variety of topics.
- Stationery,
including our new Letter-Perfect boxed stationery and our bestselling
thank you and blank note cards, feature contemporary designs
and inviting prices.
- Personal Organizers. Perfect for brides, moms-to-be, new parents, new homeowners,
creative cooks, and busy families.
- Our popular Scratch & Sketch™ and other Kids'
Activity Books
entertain (and educate) kids at home or on the go!
- Our Journals offer a variety of formats for inspired writing, including Artisan,
Leather, Pocket, Locking, and Foldover.
- Engagement Calendars include a variety of appealing design options and formats,
featuring the practical weekly planner our customers prefer.
- Holiday Cards. We’ve got lots of fresh, festive ways to say “Season’s Greetings!”
I looked at the opportunity to review some paper products from Peter Pauper as a badly-needed "organize me" opportunity just before the kids get out for summer break. And so just like a new piece of paper represents the potential of a new beginning for me, the products I reviewed from Peter Pauper Press provide me with spaces for reminders, quick notes, to-do lists, even feelings. For each product I received, I will include the basic info about it from the site as well as my take and evaluation of it. Ready?
Mom's Weekly Planner is an inspired 18-month planner that makes managing
your family's activities and appointments a snap! (Well, almost.) View
your weekly master plan on each two-page spread; there's a column for
each family member. Monthly tabs, an elastic band place holder, address
pages, and tear-out "To-Do" lists round out the package. It's
indispensable! Concealed wire-o binding; 7" wide x 9" high.
I really love this organizer. It comes in two solid colors and two designs. I have the one pictured on the right and I love it. Because of the binding, it lays flat when you're using it and there is plenty of room to keep track of everyone's schedule. The one I have starts in July 2011 so for now I'm adding lots of info to the pre-schedule pages which keep track of importat contact info, etc. It will be our Master Book for the hub and I as well as the kids. I can leave it out and open to the current date to keep myself and everyone else up-to-date and on task (I love that!).
Compact Engagement Calendars: These tote-, backpack-, and purse-sized Compact Engagement Calendars
come in a variety of appealing design options; all feature the practical
weekly planner our customers tell us they prefer. Each engagement
calendar covers 16 months (from September 2011 to December 2012) and
provides space for notes and addresses. A handy elastic band marks your
place, and binding lies flat for ease of use. Measures 5" wide x 7"
high.
This compact calendar comes in several awesome designs (I received one that starts in January 2011). I kind of wanted more than one even though I didn't need them because they're gorgeous. I use this smaller calendar at work and take it to my classes I teach. Yes, I have a smartphone and I add appts, meetings, etc to it to keep up with my life but it's hard to jam appts or notes into my phone when I have 6 students waiting for me after class (I am so not a txtr). This is my teaching calendar. In it, I put in student appts, handouts I have to Xerox for the next class, notes about student behavior or about something I need to teach, etc. All the stuff that's easy to scribble down in a minute and that I'll forget if I don't write it all down. This small book helps me keep my head on at work and the design is beautifully calming. It is a visual oasis in my work day and my veritable collection of Post-its on the go.
Oversized Journals: Take pen in hand and spin your tales with bold ingenuity in our handsome
bookbound Oversized Journals! Each journal features a beautiful design
and its own special features, such as foil accents, a ribbon marker,
classic corner and spine treatments, or gilded page edges. Each has 192
lined pages of acid-free, archival-quality paper that takes ink or
pencil beautifully. 7-1/4" wide x 9" high.
This is the kind of journal that makes me want to write! First off, I love this design. To me it acknowledges the colorful potential of women who join hands to work together. I should be keeping a personal journal but I don't. I'm crazy busy (isn't every woman?). What I regret most about not keeping a journal is missing those moments with my family that are amazing and deserve to be retold over and over again but often fade with time. Or those moments when I want to tell my daughter how proud I am of her or my hub that I appreciated that thing he did but I get so busy putting out the next fire in our lives that I never follow through and the opportunity is lost. I'm making the unity journal my family slam book. I have already started recording those moments when I'm having fond thoughts about my family members and I'm going to try to pose a question every Sunday that each of us can answer. Maybe this is more of a family journal. I love the idea of my kids having something like this when I'm not around any more and, for me, it will be easier to build over time in the unity journal.
My overall verdict is that Peter Pauper Press makes beautiful tools to help you put pen to paper as well as wonderful gifts for all sorts of occasions. If I had a recommendation to make, it would be that Peter Pauper start a "green" line (if they don't already have one in development) where they offer journals and/or other gifts made from recycled materials. I would love that!
SHOP: You can shop online for Peter Pauper Press products here where orders of $30 or more ship free. Every day. No exceptions. No black-out dates.
WIN: You
can win a Mom's Weekly Planner of your choice by telling us what Peter Pauper product you would love to try (check out their selection here) and then leaving a comment below about it. This is
the mandatory entry for this giveaway and must be done before all of the
additional entries.
To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:
1. Become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
2. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
3. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.
4. Follow Peter Pauper Press on Twitter.
5. Tweet about this giveaway (limit one tweet per day) using the following: #win a Mom's Weekly Planner from @peterpauperpres and @moanasaves ends 5/23 http://bit.ly/jud2OS
6. Subscribe to the Moana Saves feed via RSS reader and/or email updates (in the sidebar).
8. Like the Peter Pauper Press Facebook page.
Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway. He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S. This giveaway ends on Monday, 5/23 at
11:59 PM HST (Hawaii Standard Time). One winner will be chosen randomly
via Random.org. I will notify the winner via email and he/she must
respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another
winner.
I was not compensated for this post although I did receive free products to facilitate my review. Any and all opinions here are mine.
Cymax has everything you need to create a calming yet efficient oasis in your bedroom. You can shop bedroom sets if you don't want to think through each piece, or mix and match beds, nightstands, dressers, chests, mattresses, headboards, bunk beds, and bedding. I like the idea of making different pieces work together in a room. Because Cymax's bedroom furniture is so affordable, you don't have to wait 20 years to re-style your bedroom! I would love to outfit our space with a shabby look. To that, Cymax offers this 5 drawer chest along with this fabric-covered blanket chest. Add a great fabric-covered headboard and a fresh coat of seafoam paint and we've created a new bedroom complete with storage. Cymax makes it all possible at a wonderful price! (pssst, Cymax is offering free shipping on almost everything through May16th--it's worth a look!)
Compact Engagement Calendars: These tote-, backpack-, and purse-sized Compact Engagement Calendars
come in a variety of appealing design options; all feature the practical
weekly planner our customers tell us they prefer. Each engagement
calendar covers 16 months (from September 2011 to December 2012) and
provides space for notes and addresses. A handy elastic band marks your
place, and binding lies flat for ease of use. Measures 5" wide x 7"
high.
Ask the hub or my kids: I'm a saucy girl. As important as the dish I'm eating (or making) is the sauce I put on it, whether it's sweet or savory. So imagine my excitement when I got the opportunity to review a series of spreadable fruit spreads--each of which has an herb or spice partnered with it. As the website points out, "Wherever they are, the fruit drives and the herb rides shotgun. Enjoy the ride!"
We laughed, we cried, we barked like dogs! OK, we really only did two of the three but, hey, we almost cried! Do Tell, the Family Edition of the Relationship Game, is specifically designed for families to laugh, learn and relate to each other across generations. The game takes two to eight players on a wildly imaginative, laugh-out-loud, uniquely imaginative and deceptively thought-provoking journey. Playing time is approximately 45 minutes and the game itself is simple to play. For ages 8 to 88!
The goal of the game is to be the first one to reach middle sun symbol which is the end of the game. You move your token according to the roll of the die (dice if you have more than four players) and you choose the card according to the space you land on. There are Do cards which are action cards, Tell cards which require you to answer a question or share an experience, Risk cards which have you divulge or act out something a bit edgy and Wild cards which shake up the game in a big way. 
We had a lot of fun following the instructions on the cards. We'd just had the average teenage blow-up before the game and so some of us were on shaky ground with each other. Through the game we were able to resolve the 'crisis' (thus, the almost crying part) and end up laughing about it (not the only laughing part in the game, by the way). And yes one Risk card required us to all bark like dogs which freaked out Chevy the Super Dog. Do Tell really drew all of us into the game (even the dog!) and helped us to connect with each other in new and interesting ways.
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