Thank you Grace and Sugarplum Dreams!

The best thing about reviewing products for this blog is learning about items I otherwise never would have had the chance to discover...and then, of course, sharing these great finds with my readers!

I am pretty picky about what makes the cut for Berrie Sweet Picks, and even then, there are only a handful of products that have made me get all giddy and wish I was a kid again so I could play with it myself.

My current fave is the 20" tall Oopsy Daisy Zebra from Sugarplum Dreams. I'll admit that the $65 price tag might be a bit shocking for a stuffed animal, but it is more than worth it when you learn the story behind this adorable and visually stimulating plush pal.

The Zebra that I can't wait for Buttercup to fall in love with is a Kenana Knitter Kritter, which means it was hand-knit by a group of rural women in Kenya. These women utilize their knitting skills to support their families in developing economies where life is much tougher than anything I can even begin to imagine. And the money earned by the Kenana Knitters directly benefits the women involved, helping them better the quality of life for themselves and their families.

Our little zebra was hand-knit by a woman named Grace Nanyeit', and it brings a smile to my face knowing that there is an actual person who breathed life into this adorable stuffed animal instead of the usual factory line of machines. I don't know if Grace will get a chance to read this, but I'd like to thank her for the time and care she put into this project.

You can learn more about the Kenana Knitter group here, and I really do recommend taking a few moments to read!

And thanks to Sugarplum Dreams, I not only have a chance for one reader to win an Oopsy Daisy Zebra of their own, I also have a discount code for 15% percent off a $50 purchase or more through December 31. Just enter code berrie15 at checkout!

To enter to the contest, please visit Sugarplum Dreams and then leave me a berrie (read: comment)telling me what item ($50 or more) you'd like to purchase with the help of the offered discount code. You have until midnight, EST. on December. 2 and the winner has four days from the announcement date to respond. U.S. entries only, please.

Additional extra entries are also available if you:
* subscribe to my RSS feed and comment letting me know you did so.
* Blog about contest and link to this post.
* Non-bloggers can email three of their friends about the contest at berriesweet.info (at) gmail (dot) com and CC me on the email. Girl Scout's honor that I will never bother these sweet people. I promise!
* Grab my Berrie Sweet Picks button and place it on your blog page. I'll check!
* Follow me on Twitter! (nickname: berriesweetest)
* Tweet the contest and leave a comment with your username telling me what you said to your "tweeple"! Please note all entries MUST include a valid email address to be considered for the drawing! That means that well, all entries must include an email address to be considered valid. Simple enough, right? ;)