Product Review: Bear Paws and Mabels Labels

This summer I was given the chance to test products by Bear Paws (cookies) and Mabel's Labels in a joint venture marketing opportunity. I won't lie, I was previously aware of both these products but I had not sampled very many cookie flavors in the past and while I had a package of labels somewhere in the drawer already, I wasn't really using them on clothing and this is what I put to the test.

The Bear Paws are great for snacks, but they crumble easily in the packaging so I prefer not to throw them into the diaper bag like I would other snack choices. I do have one of those Roots insulated lunch bags they sell at Costco and they fair quite well inside of the front pouch for road trips. In either case, they make a good special treat in this house! I especially liked the soft granola chocolate chip cookies because they only have one cookie per package so I can pair it with a sippy cup of milk and it's not too much to spoil dinner. I am definitely a fan of the molasses cookies myself, and the brownie ones were excellent for a chocolate lover. And, they currently have a coupon code inside the box giving you 5$ off your Mabel's Labels order!

As for the labels, I loved the designer choices Mabel's Labels had up for grabs. I chose the woodland creatures as I already had the generic pink hearts from my first purchase and wanted something a little more unique. Plus they are adorable! They arrived quickly, with free shipping, and I immediately labeled a couple of snack containers that were on their way into the dishwasher as a wash test and they came out perfectly, as always. Once again, I didn't have time to label any clothing but that quickly changed when this happened!

First off... let me say that I am NOT ANGRY about this at all. They were a hand me down pair of shoes that had already been well loved and it was a simple mistake by a new educator at daycare. It was an oversight and it has since been rectified, apologized for and removed by DH (although he scuffed up the leather in the process, but at least it just looks like wear and tear now). But, after already having some brand new, not hand me down, clothing disappear on us and then getting a white leather sandal back with her name written on the outside I broke out the labels!

I haven't gone too crazy with them, but now her jacket has one, her hat, some of her newer shoes that do not fit her yet, and I will put them in her mittens and boots when the time comes too. While they hold up in the laundry surprisingly well, they can also be easily removed or cut out by a parent who "mistakenly" takes her clothing from daycare. But, at least I hope they will feel some guilt while cutting out the tag when they see the cute little creatures with my daughter's name printed staring back at them!

While testing the products I started to follow Mabel's Labels on Instagram and saw that they had made some custom tags for a convention. I really liked the grown-up appearance and I contacted them in hopes of seeing some more adult styles in the future; leopard print, black and white polka dots, wine glass and lipstick icons... you get the idea. I have resorted to labeling some of my lunch containers with my daughter's labels just to identify them in the office refrigerator and it would be nice to have something a little more sophisticated! They do have a selection of solid colors available, but what's the fun in that? Oh, and did I mention that my background is in graphic design and I would love to be involved with something like this? Just throwing it out there...

Thanks again to the YMCCommunity, Bear Paws, and Mabel's Labels for the opportunity!