Peter Pauper Press Review and Giveaway

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).

7. Like the Moana Saves Facebook page.

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.