Hope everyone had a fabulous Memorial Day weekend! We had a great weekend with friends and family. So grateful for all the men and women who fought and continue to fight for our Freedom.
Archive | May, 2013
A Princess Playdate
23 MayImage from Disney
I don’t remember being as into Disney Princesses as my girls and their friends are. Every play date it’s a battle of who gets to wear what princess costume and there are never duplicates of the same princess. The other week, my daughters friend invited us over for a “Princess Lunch and Playdate”. All the girls invited brought their own princess dress up costume. I always like bringing snacks when other people have us over and I love coordinating the snacks if there is a theme. Because it was a last-minute playdate, I had to come up with something quickly. I decided on heart cheese wands for each princess. They turned out really cute. All you need is a block of cheese, a cookie cutter (if you don’t have a heart, a star would be cute too), lollipop sticks and ribbon. Tie the ribbon around the lollipop sticks. Next, slice the cheese to desired thickness, then cut out shapes. Place shape at top of the stick. If you cut the cheese too thin it will crack. I used sharp cheddar cheese but will use a mild or american cheese next time because some of the kids didn’t like the taste. However, Sleeping Beauty didn’t mind it. :)
For the next Princess Playdate, here are a few ideas I found on Pinterest that are simple, yet fun: (click images to go to original sites):
Castle Sandwiches from Creative Kid Snacks:
Image from Creative Kids Snacks
Pretty Pink Drink from On To Baby. Not sure what they use in their drink but I would use pink lemonade, raspberries, and a lemon:
Image from On To Baby
Princess parfait found on Catch My Party:
Images by Moxie Sox found on Catch My Party
Quinny Yezz (GIVEAWAY)
20 May
Images from 360 PR.
Living in NYC, I rely on public transportation. I can’t even tell you the number of times I have had to carry one of my girls and lug a a stroller up a flight of stairs because the subway stop I needed to get off at didn’t have an elevator. Like the subway, the bus is just as difficult to get on and off with a large stroller. I recently learned about the newest stroller, the Yezz, from the well-known brand Quinny which seems ideal for all of those situations city moms and dads may experience. The Yezz was featured on the Katie Couric show for her Big Baby Shower episode. Yesterday parents braved the rain and lined up as early as 2.a.m at locations to receive one of 400 Yezz strollers that were given away at various locations around New York City which included Giggle, The New York Baby Show, and Albee Baby.
Features of the Yezz include:
- Approximately 11 lbs
- Ultra compact quick fold
- Stands when folded, includes adjustable carry strap
- Frame is made of IXEF® material, a high performance injection molded composite fiber — allows for the stroller to be light weight and extremely durable
- Interchangeable seats to allow parents to change the fashion
- Available Colors: Blue Loop, Yellow Move, Blue Track, Grey Road, Red Signal and Purple Rush.
- For children from 6 months to 40lbs.
- Available Accessories: WeatherShield
- SRP $279; additional seats for $69
It’s not too late to get your hands on a Yezz. Quinny is offering one Tastefully Childish reader the opportunity to receive a Yezz. To Enter:
Leave a comment telling me your favorite Yezz color (mandatory)
Follow @tastefulychldsh on twitter
Follow @QuinnyUSA on twitter
Tweet: I want to win the @QuinnyUSA #Yezz on @tastefulychldsh http://wp.me/p1XtzY-1sJ
Like Tastefully Childish on Facebook
Like Quinny on Facebook
Please leave a comment for every entry. Giveaway ends June 4, 2013 at 10 p.m. CLOSED
Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway. All entries were put into excel. Your name was entered for every entry you made and a random number was given for your entry. Random.Org choose a random number to select the winner. The WINNER is Number 64, Megan Crose. Please e-mail your information to tastefullychildish@gmail.com!
Disclaimer: I did not receive compensation for this post. The product was given for a reader. All opinions expressed are my own. Images are from Quinny and 360 PR.
Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt Comes to NYC
16 May
Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt’s mission is to promote community and family by providing a great tasting, frozen dessert made just for you, by you, in an environment that is as visually uplifting as it is welcoming. There are 253 stores with 130 more to come soon. Last week I attended the grand opening of Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt on the Upper East Side , the second location to open in NYC. To celebrate the opening the store gave free frozen yogurt from 3:00 p.m until 6 p.m. The line was down the block to try their 16 kosher flavors (including no-sugar-added, gluten-free, dairy-free alternatives) and add a selection of do-it-yourself toppings. From 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., all proceeds went to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a national non-profit organization committed to raising funds to support research for new and improved therapies for pediatric cancer. Cookies from the organization were available on the toppings bar to make your frozen yogurt creation extra special.
How Orange Leaf works (images below from Orange Leaf) :
Flavors vary by store and change daily. Click for a complete list of flavors!
Click link for a list of toppings.
With the temperature warming up, Orange Leaf would be a great outing to cool off! The self-serve model is great because you can try as many flavors as you want and fill your bowl with as little or as much as you want, for portion control. At the event, we tried a bit of everything. My favorite flavors were wedding cake, caramel apple and brownie batter topped with chocolate chip cookies from Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. My girls loved the fruity flavors, pineapple and raspberry. For toppings they immediately eyed the gummy bears and sprinkles. They had a blast creating their dessert. To add more fun to the experience, let them come up with a name for their creation, write the ingredients and save it for next time. Keep your eye out for a location opening in the future on the Upper West Side! Find a location near you!
If you have a child with food allergies, please see the allergy information before trying. If you try it, I would recommend bringing your own toppings because there is always the possibility that something could get mixed in, especially if it gets busy.
Disclaimer: All information in italics came from Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt.
Caldrea Essential Adds Blackcurrant Mint To Their Collection
9 May
Caldrea began in 1999 with a simple yet powerful insight: our homes and our personal belongings are an extension of ourselves, and should be cared for just like our bodies. The focus: out with the harsh products and the chemical smells, and in with earth-friendly, superior fragrance products that work consistently, and leave you and your home feeling refreshed. n 2010, they extended their brand experience to a new, modern line, the Caldrea Essential Collection, available at Target stores nationwide. This Spring Caldrea Essential launched a new fragrance, Blackcurrant Mint, to their collection.
The Blackcurrant Mint Collection includes products in home keeping and home ambience.
Image from caldreaessentialcollection.com
Home Keeping:
- Dish Soap
- Counter Top Cleaner
- Hand Soap
- Refillable Hand Soap Pump
- Hand Soap refill
- Hand Lotion
- Kitchen Candle
- Kitchen Diffuser
Image from caldreaessentialcollection.com
Home Ambiance:
- Signature Candle
- Fragrance Diffusser
- Glass Candle
Click the links to find out more about the collection and inspiration for the line.
I had the opportunity to try the Blackcurrant Mint hand soap, hand lotion, and signature candle. I wash my hands several times a day so they get very dry. The Blackcurrant Mint has a gentle scent that leaves your hands feeling silky. Combined with the hand lotion and my hands feel great. I often get headaches and don’t like scented lotions, soaps or candles because they are often to overpowering and give me headaches. I have enjoyed the Blackcurrent Mint. I keep it in my kitchen but would be great in a bathroom and the candle would be wonderful anywhere in the house. Add a gift certificate to a spa to any of the Caldrea Essential Collection for a wonderful Mother’s Day gift.
Disclaimer: I did not receive compensation for this post. All information in italics came from Caldrea Essential Collection. I received products to try.
Mommybites Summit 2013 Highlights
7 May
The annual Mommybites Summit took place at the New Yorker Hotel in midtown last week. It was the “ultimate” night out with drinks, food, shopping and networking. Highlighted sponsors/vendors included:
Saving Mothers: Until you see the numbers , you don’t realize how many pregnancy related deaths and complications could be prevented in other countries that don’t have the resources and training that our doctors and physicians have in the U.S. Prior to the event, I had not heard of Saving Mothers, a non-profit organization committed to improving maternal care in developing countries.
In rural Guatemala, only 25% of births are attended by medical professionals. Saving mothers provides training, educational outreach, and birthing kits (pictured below) to comadronas, Mayan traditional birth attendants, who are well-respected but often untrained. There is a midwifery program for U.S. trained midwives to go to Guatemala to observe Mayan birth practices, exchange ideas and share practices with comadronas.
In Liberia, Saving Mothers volunteers provide sanitary birthing kits, prenatal care, postnatal care, cesarian sections, training sessions for medical staff , as well as oncologic and urogynecologic procedures. The organization is currently working on fistula repairs, as they pose a health crisis to women in Liberia.
In the Domenican Republic, the organization is training health workers to better understand women’s health issues, identify and treat pelvic prolapse, incontinence, and abnormal pap smears.
Check out their Mother’s Day Campaign, their blog, and find out how a donation can help their amazing cause!
Weleda: Weleda has made natural beauty and wellness products for over 90 years. They pioneered the use of Biodynamic and organic ingredients in skin care because they believe beauty isn’t something made in a lab-it’s something that should be cultivated from the earth without pesticides and chemicals. They have 50 acres of Biodynamic gardens in Germany. On display at the Mommybites Summit, was their Baby Care line in which their products are made with calendula, a gentle and nourishing botanical possesses powerful healing and anti-inflammatory properties. Both of my girls have sensitive skin and eczema so anything all natural and gentle is a bonus. After speaking with representatives at the Summit, I learned that a line of Eczema products is in the works for 2014. The Baby Care line is suitable from birth on. There is also a line just for Mom. To learn more about all Weleda products, visit their website or facebook page.
Rodan and Fields Dermatologists: As we age, we notice a difference in our skin. We get wrinkles, extra sun spots, and some sagging. Knowing about products to help slow down the ant-aging process are always a plus. Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields, creators of Proactiv Solutions, make skin care easier at home with their ant-aging products. Their products include the:
- Redefine Regimen, a complete skincare program to visibly firm skin and reduce the appearance of lines, wrinkles and enlarged pores. The patent-pending Macro Exfoliator sweeps away dead cells in just 5 minutes, once a week.
- Reverse Regimen, exfoliates lightens, brightens and protects your skin for a more even tone and texture.
- Soothe Regimen, helps reduce inflammation, strengthens skin’s natural moisture barrier, calms redness, and reduces irritation.
- Unblemish Regimen, combines acne fighting and skin-lightening medicines to clear skin, control oil production, kill bacteria, prevent post-acne dark spots, and protect against UVdamage.
It was an amazing night out with many more fabulous sponsors/ vendors and great prizes won by many during a raffle. Can’t wait to go back next year!
Disclaimer: This was a sponsored post. All information about sponsors/ vendors came from their websites, handouts or speaking with them at the event.
Peter And The Starcatcher at New World Stages
5 Mayimage from peterandthestarcatcher.com
Have you ever wondered how Peter Pan got his name or became a boy forever? Why Peter chooses to visit Wendy? How tinkerbell came about? Or how Peter, Captain Hook, and the lost boys got to Never Land? When I watch Peter Pan with my girls, their favorite Disney movie, I have thought about those questions. My oldest has also asked me why Peter never grows up. Last week I attended a performance of Peter and the Starcatcher, a grownups prequel to Peter Pan, showing off-broadway at New World Stages. The show makes a fun outing with friends or your spouse and will answer any questions you’ve ever had about the story of Peter Pan.
photo:broadwayworld.com via greganthonymusic.com
Synopsis:
A wildly theatrical, hilarious and innovative retelling of how a miserable orphan came to be The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER upends the century-old legend of Peter Pan.
Winner of 5 Tony Awards® and based on the best-selling Disney-Hyperion novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER is directed by Tony Award® winner Roger Rees (Nicholas Nickleby) and Tony Award® nominee Alex Timbers (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Pee-wee Herman Show) and written by Tony Award® nominee Rick Elice (Jersey Boys). A dozen brilliant actors play more than 100 unforgettable characters using their enormous talent, ingenious stagecraft and the limitless possibilities of imagination.
What I loved about the show:
- Simplistic props to let your imagination run free: Rope to make waves and show different levels of the ship, a yellow rubber glove for a bird, many of the props were found in a closet when they were playing around with the idea for the show.
- The cast was on the stage the entire time and became part of the background. They played all the roles and changed the set.
- The theater is small and intimate and makes you feel part of the adventure. You are able to see all the facial expressions of the actors which adds to the humor of the show.
- Entertaining, adult humor and a modern twist (“ttfu”, “fui”, and references the song “Milkshake” by Kelis)
- A reminder that we all grow up, things come to an end, and we should enjoy the innocence of our children because they too will grow up before we know it.
- Fun cocktails, try the Star Stuff, and there is even a wait staff that comes around to take orders at your seat so you can avoid lines during intermission.
What you should know before going:
- Bring a sweater, the theater can get chilly
- Recommended for children ages 10 and up
- The show is about 2 hours and 15 minutes with one intermission.
Purchase tickets to this wonderful show, you won’t regret it!
Disclaimer: Thank you to Culture Mom Media for the opportunity to see Peter and the Starcatcher. I received a pair of tickets with the option to review. Information in italics came from peterandthestarcatcher.com. All other opinions expressed are my own.
Save the Date: Prevent Cancer Foundation Healthy Strategies for Children and Families Webcast
1 May
I am very excited to work with the Prevent Cancer Foundation on a Healthy Strategies for Children and Families Webcast. Please keep checking back for more details and make sure to tune in on Friday, June 21 at 2 p.m.!
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