MailPix Save Those Special Memories

Win Your Own Special Memory!
2012 Holiday Gift Guide Selection

   Photographs are a wonderful way to capture that special moment in time.  Today those special memories can be modeled in many other ways besides the pages in a photo album, especially through MailPix!
  MailPix is an online service that offers not only prints and enlarged prints, but many creative ways for you to take those special photos and print them on a variety of materials from magnets to coasters to blankets to canvas and enlarged prints.   Take your photos and turn them into works of art with MailPix!
  I was given the opportunity to chose a selection of items from MailPix.  The site is very user friendly, and all you really have to do is chose the item you want, upload your favorite photographs and MailPix will do the rest. 

Ornament
  This is a precious, white porcelain, classic ball ornament that has a Christmas tree on one side and your chosen photograph on the other.  It comes with a green ribbon to hang it on the tree so you do not have to worry with ornament hooks.  It measures around 3” tall, 2 1/2” in diameter, and the picture measures 2” in diameter.  The glass feels fairly thick, much sturdier than those thin glass ball ornaments, but it is not very heavy so it won’t pull the branches down.  Right now you can get one for $18.00.
  I choose to add a picture from our wedding, and am pretty happy with the way it came out.  The colors are similar to the original photo although it is a bit darker, and it is centered perfectly.  It is a wonderful keepsake, and would make a perfect present for a friend or family member!

    
 Magnets
   These photo magnets are available in two sizes, a 2” x 3” wallet or 4” by 6”.  They are perfect to put on your refrigerator, in a locker or even to give as gifts to family and friends.  Right now you can get a 4” x 6” for $4.00 or a wallet size for $1.00.  Great stocking stuffer!
  I love collecting magnets and have at least one from every trip I have taken, as well as others that have been given as gifts or have other sentimental value.  When I saw the option to have a photograph made into a magnet, I was thrilled!  I choose two photos that are very dear to me, one from me and my wonderful husband’s wedding, the absolute best day of my life so far, and one of my recently-passed father and I on the last trip we ever took together, my absolute favorite trip yet, a cruise to Alaska.  Since both of these are very precious memories, I was anxious to see how well they turned out. I needn’t have worried, as they are perfect!  I cannot tell any difference in the colors or lightness of the photos, if I didn’t know any better, I would assume they were originals!  Now I have two wonderful memories preserved forever in a place I can see them daily!


 

Set of Coasters
  These are a unique and creative way to show off your favorite memories!  You get six (6) coasters in a set, and can do all of the same photo and different photos.  Each coaster measures about 3.88” by 3.88” and have cork on the backside to keep them from sliding around.  The also seem to have a protective coating on the top so condensation will not harm the pictures.  A set of six costs $24.00.
   I choose to use six different photos from my trip to Alaska and was very impressed with the quality of the scenes on the coasters.  The colors were very similar to the original photos and there was no blurring.  Of course, since the coasters are smaller than the original photos, I had to use MailPix online cropping tool to choose the part of the picture that I wanted to appear on the coaster.


 Glass Cutting Board
  These glass cutting boards are another creative way to preserve your memories!  They measure around 8.75” by 10.75” are are made of tempered glass so they are dishwasher safe!  They have a textured top surface, and rubber feet to prevent it from sliding around on the counter while you cut.  Right now you can get a cutting board for $24.00!
   I love to cook and part of cooking is slicing and dicing so a cutting board is a necessity!  I much prefer to use a glass cutting board as opposed to wooden or plastic for sanitary reasons, so this was a perfect selection!  Going with the current pattern, I choose another picture from our trip to Alaska, this one of an iceberg calving in Glacier Bay with the mountains and clouds behind it.  I am pretty happy with the way this one came out, although I can tell a slight difference in color from the original.  It seems like the image on the cutting board came out a little bit lighter, but it still manages to show the amazing blue color of the iceberg.  Of course, due to the textured glass on top, this may account for some of the difference in color as well, either way, I am happy!  Now I have something beautiful to look at and remember while I chop, slice and dice!



Puzzle with Tin
  This is one of my favorites, turning a favorite photograph into a functional puzzle.  These make a wonderful gift idea as well as a fun family or solo activity!  The puzzles measure around 10” by 14”, and have 252 pieces each of which are about 1” in size.  They also come in a wonderful tin box that has the same picture on the lid as the puzzle, and multi-colored puzzle pieces along the sides.   Right now you can get a picture puzzle for $23.00.  Again, a great gift idea!
  I chose a precious picture of our four-legged family member, our cat, Sookie.  The picture on the lid is identical to the original in both color and tint, and the individual puzzle pieces are well-cut, thick enough so as not to bend easily, and glossy.  Once I finally got the puzzle together, it too was a perfect match for the original!  The pieces were very easy to fit together, without having to force any of them, and once together, you could barely see the lines.  Our entire family has taken a turn putting this puzzle together and we all love it!




Mini-Photo Brag Book
    The cute, compact photos books are the perfect size to carry with you easily.  They come either in 4” by 7” or 5” by 6”, and have 5, 10, 15, or 20 pages.  The pages are single-sided and are printed on glossy photo paper so the pictures will not fade over time.  The pages are spiral bound, and the cover is a diffused clear plastic.   Each book can hold up to 45 prints, and there are several different formats you can choose which include the option to add text. The 5 x 7” brag book costs anywhere from $7.00 to $9.00 depending on the number of pages, and each additional page is $0.60.  The 4 x 6” brag book costs from $5.00 to & $7.00, again depending on the number of pages, with a charge for each additional page of $0.20.
   I happened to luck out and grabbed my 4” x 6” brag book while MailPix was running a special offer to get one for free.  I choose a 20 page brag book highlighting our wedding, and was able to personalize it with the layout and text.  It came out beautifully, again with no difference between the originals and the end result.  Making the book was very easy as MailPix offers several themes to choose from, and has layouts already set up to help. I was able to change the layout (e.g.: the number and position of photos on each page) to my personal preference, and add text as I wanted.    The end result is worth bragging about!


 

My Verdict
  I was very happy with my entire MailPix experience!  The site was very user-friendly, uploading my photos did not take an unreasonable amount of time, and there is a great selection of unique and creative products from which to choose.   You can set up an account where you can upload as many pictures as you want since you have a free unlimited amount of image storage space for life!  Plus, with MailPix you can easily add photos from your Facebook albums! 
  I mentioned how I was able to get the Brag book for free, and although this is no longer available, MailPix always seems to have some great deals going on where you can get at least one item for free!  just check under their DEALS tab to see the latest available offers!
  MailPix has many other items to choose from including a wonderful selection of personalized Holiday cards, and now is the perfect time to order!  You can also find many great gift ideas in addition to the ones I reviewed such as blankets, aprons, keepsake boxes, calendars, t-shirts and so much more!  All of their items come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee!



  One lucky Bullock’s Buzz fan will win an item of their choice from MailPix!  All you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter below, and be sure to do all mandatory entries!  This giveaway will begin tonight at 12:01am EST and end Dec. 4 at 12:01am.
GOOD LUCK!
a Rafflecopter giveaway