Mommies With Style

Nancy O’Dell recently celebrated her daughter Ashby’s 2nd birthday with a live performance by The Jumpitz at a lavish candyland themed celebration. It’s enough to make any mom jealous! Every wish you could party like a star? Or that your kids could? I’m so in love with the partyscape that Jennifer Sbranti of Hostess with The Mostess created for Nancy O’Dell’s daughter that I had to look a little closer at the goodies. I may not have the budget of the O’Dells when it comes time to celebrate with my kids, but so many of these ideas can be adapted for a smaller budget.

The Goody Bag:

The O’Dells used these Skip Hop backpacks for the guest’s Goody Bags.They look so adorable on the table and hold a lot of loot! Our local dollar store has kid’s backpacks for under $5 on a regular basis. If you’re a planner, keep an eye out for sales in the months before the party. Oriental Traders also has these white canvas backpacks that are easily personalized or painted with candy colored dots.

The Table:

Ashby’s table was a childhood fantasy come true with towering containers of candy. For more ideas on how to achieve this look for les (and with a little less candy) check out the Hostess With The Mostess Site. My favorite crafty tip from her blog? Wrapping colored paper lanterns with cellophane to create giant pieces of candy! Jennifer shares secrets on her site of where to shop for supplies and decor for your own candyland party - no matter what your budget.

Entertainment:

Odds are you don’t have your child’s favorite video characters in your rolodex and the ability to get them to perform live at your house. No worries. Pop on their favorite musical dvd as background entertainment and they will still be happy to dance. We love the Jumpitz series, all of their videos are fun, energetic, educational and put a smile on our sons’ faces.

Photos Credit: Gina Lee Photography

Why pay more for a brand name when you can get the same stuff for less?  I didn’t have any idea CVS had its own line of sun protection & outdoor skincare products.  I recently sampled a bunch and have to say I was impressed with the quality of everything - which I thought was on par with most of the more expensive sun lotions I usually buy.

Although my husband complains we go through these a lot faster than the lotion, I love the continuous spray baby and kid suntan lotions.  Simply because (and I know I’m not alone on this), putting sunscreen on your kid can be a pain - especially when you have multiple kids to cover up and you’re crunched for time.  So I was excited to see that CVS makes this Baby Sunscreen with 50 SPF for less money than other name brands on the market.

Also nifty is this Travel First Aid Kit, which is a must-have to keep in the car (and only $2).  Or this pocked-sized anti-itch spray which is hydrocortisone 1%, for burns, bug bites and skin flare ups when you’re out and about.

Lastly, my favorite was the Cooling Mist with 45 SPF, which was a double bonus to use for adults:  sun protection and a refreshing mist on a hot day in the sun.

One good thing to note: the spray products can only be shipped via ground so if you’re in a hurry, get over to your nearest CVS if you have one to save on the shipping costs and time.

My family and I are big fans of Kashi (my favorite is the GOLEAN Crunchy Bars) — so we were excited that they’ve introduced some new products recently.
The Organic Promise Island Vanilla Whole Wheat Biscuit Cereal ($4.35) is a delicious and low fat morning choice. It’s 180 calories, 1 gram of fat and 6 grams of dietary fiber per 27 biscuits. It contains a full day’s supply of whole grains.
My 3 1/2 year old son is a snacker, so his favorite was the TLC (Tasty Little Crackers) Snack Cracker Pack. 6 bags come in a package, with 3 flavors: Fire Roasted Veggie, 7 Grain and Cheddar. The crackers are made of Kashi’s 7 grain blend and sesame. He preferred the Cheddar flavor, but happily ate the other two kinds. Per bag, it’s 130 calories, 3 grams of fat and 8 grams of whole grain (except the Cheddar).
We also loved the Pumpkin Pie TLC All Natural Fruit and Grain Bars ($3.89). They tasted amazing. It’s 120 calories per bar, with 3 grams of fat. The pumpkin puree on top of the bar really made the flavor pop.

Kashi products are widely available.

My 4-year old son is really into superheros right now. So when I got the opportunity to try out a Little Caper — an adorable super hero shirt with a detachable cape — I knew my son would be thrilled!

These 100% organic cotton t-shirts are awesome. (Why didn’t I think of this?!) They are comfortable for my son to wear, easy to put on, and easy to remove the shimmery, fun cape (attached with velcro). The shirts come in an array of colors and themes (dragon, peace, earth, heart, etc.) with a matching “belt” (printed on the shirt!) They allow my son to truly use his imagination.

And for all of you with girls… check out the adorable tank dresses! With the same idea as the shirt but in a 100% cotton ribbed dress, it allows your daughter to enjoy in the imaginary fun too!  While you’re shopping, make sure you check out the long-sleeved Little Capers, many of which are on sale right now! These would make great fall birthday gifts!

Use code Super20 for 20% off anything on the Little Capers website until 7/5/09.

You may know about LeapFrog’s Tag Reading System, which was a hot pick of ours for the 2008 Holiday Season.  The Tag is recommended for kids between ages 4-8 and is a great learning tool for early readers.

Now, LeapFrog has announced a new product to cater to the younger crowd — the Tag Junior Book Pal.  Geared for toddlers and preschoolers, the Tag Junior helps encourage early reading skills.  Tag Junior books help children learn the alphabet, teach counting and more.

The age range for this one is 24 months-age 4.  It’s a great little toy to have for a younger brother or sister who sees an older sibling using the regular Tag.   You have to buy the books separately - all of the books for the Tag Junior are board books.

Organizational tip:  Be sure to get it with the Storage Case too, it’s easiest if you keep the book together with the actual Tag system and having the case is key.  We’ve found the same with the regular Tag.

It sells for $34.99 on Amazon and ships for free.

Julie and I took the local train downtown last week with fellow blogger Shannon for the Philly Moms Blog launch party.  I had a blast seeing some old faces as well as meeting many new bloggers, all of whom are writers for the Philly Moms Blog.

The party was hosted in the Comcast building in downtown Philly which has quite the view of downtown (although it was a bit foggy on Thursday night but I bet it looks really purrrrty when it’s sunny out!)

Thanks again to both Graco and PBS Sprout for hosting (the party was on Sprout’s floor).  It was great too to get a chance to see some new Graco products as well as hear about some upcoming Sprout news (big news was that the Wiggles are coming to Sprout and leaving Disney.)

To hear more about the event, check out the #phillymoms hashtag on Twitter.

What happens when shopping and charity collide? Everyone benefits. Such was the case at the Celebrity Baby Yard Sale held by the Bailey Angel Baio Foundation in Los Angeles recently. I had the pleasure of chatting with Scott Baio, who told me a little bit more about the Bailey Baio Angel Foundation. Scott also shared with me what his wife Renee’s favorite forms of retail therapy are and they are much like mine - shoes, handbags and baby clothes. I think many moms can relate!

This event helped out kids with metabolic disorders and was a great place to score a deal and bragging rights to tell people your kids are walking in (pre owned) celeb (toddler) shoes. Several celebrities donated their kid’s hand me downs. The sale included pre owned items autographed by Dennis Quaid and items donated by Kristy Swanson and Samantha Harris.

Not all the goods were used, however, several companies stepped up to contribute to the event, offerring new, premium consumer goods at discount prices. Shoppers left on a retail therapy high and over $16,000 was raised for the cause. A healthy haul!

Companies that sponsored the event with goods and services included:

• StrideRite Donated over 500 paris of adorable baby and toddler shoes from Stride Rite’s own line as well as Saucony and Robeez selections
• Boon Baby accessories
• Graco Assorted baby products
• Mabel’s Labels Loss Prevention Labels
• Engage Environments Fabulous and smart children’s bedding and decor products meant to stand the test of time.
• OohLaLaMama Edgy baby and toddler tees and dresses
• Francie Pants Privacy/Sport Shorts for girls in wild patterns
• Just Add a Kid Tshirts (did custom designs for the event)
• BuckleyBoo Clicky belt wearing stuffies that keep kids busy on the go
• The Jumpitz performed live at the event much to the delight of kids in attendance!

The folks at Australian-based Crumpler Bags definitely have a sense of humor - I just love some of the names of their bags like the “8 Million Dollar Home,” the “SoupnSalad,” the “Dreadful Embarassment” (laptop bag) or the “Cork & Fork” (camera case.)

Their designs are sleek and great for just about anyone. I’ve been using the Chester Squander in red for my laptop.  The price is right ($100) for a laptop bag and it’s strudy and provides great organization for what needs I have when I’m on the road with my computer.

For bags that are definitely unique and a fun interactive shopping experience, visit the Crumpler Bags website.

Warning:  I’m going to gush over this product.  The following has to be one of the best gifts I’ve seen for a child in a long time.

Kidlandia makes personalized maps for kids.  I’m not talking about a run of the mill map.  Make a map that outlines a world of fantasy with silly monsters and towns and forests named after your relatives.  The entire thing is personalized and includes names and places of the people in your child’s life.

For example, we personalized one for my oldest son Nate.  He is the King of Nateland, which includes “Mom-Mom Town,” “Auntie Abbie’s Forest,” “Alli Bay,” and much more.  We’ve named rivers for school friends, towns after grandparents, forest and mountains after cousins and more.  We even went so far as to give things funny, silly names like “Cheese Stick Bay.”

I’ve never seen a more unique and fun way to include expanded family in an usual piece of artwork your kids will adore making and displaying on their wall.  Both of my kids adore it - and Nate has been excited to share his new map with anyone who walks through the door.  Plus, as most of the folks who do walk through our door have their own plot of “land” on his map, they have been flattered and excited to share it as well.

We had a blast just personalizing it on the interactive tool on Kidlandia.  Go ahead and check it out for yourself - sit down with your child and make one for your child - it’s free to make one.  And if you find you want to go ahead and order one, use coupon code mommieswithstyle and receive 15% off your total purchase.  Buy it and frame it yourself or have them stretch it over canvas.

We’re in the process of creating another one for Nate’s little brother.  Because it’s that cool, we have to have another one.

Planning a road trip this summer? Dreading the spilled drinks, mashed crackers and mess in the backseat? It’s not easy getting kids in and out of the car on a daily basis and keeping everything clean, let alone cute. Roadtrips are an invitation to let the usual rules relax (sure, have a cookie back there - but only on this trip!).

Two products from Itzy Ritzy are your car’s dream come true. I’ve always admired Itzy Ritzy’s gorgeous carseat covers that come in a wide array of fashionable fabrics. They make a utilitarian car interior look smashingly fashionable. From a practical standpoint they are also the best. Let’s face it: blow outs and spills happen. It’s nice to protect your carseat investment with a cover that is easily removed and washed. I’m also able to admit that I am ocd enough to really groove on the idea of having my kids carseat fabrics (infant and toddler seats) match each other. I like matchy accessories!

Itzy Ritzy has taken car travel ease one step further with their partnership with Wet Happened. These attractive bags (also in fashionable fabrics) contain soiled clothing and can be tossed right in the wash with the clothes so that you have less mess in your life. More fashion, less mess… I can only say “Thanks Itzy Ritzy! From the bottom of my neatnik heart!”