Archive | May, 2014

Littlest Pet Shop Season 3 Premiere and More For Your Littlest Pet Shop Fan

28 May

 

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“We can be (yeah), Who we wanna be (yeah), At Littlest Pet Shop, You and me”  The song resonates throughout our house on the weekends.  The girls are aloud to watch their iPads in the morning and their number one choice is watching Littlest Pet Shop.  Their favorite character is Blythe Baxter  and their favorite pets are Buttercream Sunday and Penny Ling.  They are huge fans so were excited when we were invited to attend a Season 3 premiere party in Bryant Park with Hasbro for Stroller in the City. 

At the event my girls got to check out the latest Littlest Pet Shop products.  This Fall, Littlest Pet Shop fans will be able to get creative and design their own Littlest Pet Shop World, inspired by the series.  Collect all the sets and put them together horizontally or vertically to create your own world . My girls had a lot of fun playing and are excited for it to become available.  Other new licensed products such as shoes, backpacks, activities and more were also on display.  It was hard pulling them away from all the cool products! 

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Littlest Pet Shop

Be on the look out for a new App available at the end of Summer.  Kids will be able to scan their Littlest Pet Shop Pets as they collect them and have an interactive experience with them in their virtual Littlest Pet Shop World.

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After they played a little and started making wish lists for their birthdays and Christmas, we headed into a screening room to watch two episodes of Season 3 with one of their favorites, Penny Ling.  Set your DVR’s for your Littlest Pet shop fan(s), Season 3 premieres on the HUB Network Saturday, May 31 at 9:30 am EST.  In the first episode, “Sleeper”, Vinnie and Sunil are charged by Russell with keeping a new day camper: A raccoon named Mr. VonFuzzlebut, who falls into a deep sleep and confuses the pets. Meanwhile, Fisher Bisket tries to uncover the secret to the Shop’s success. My girls had a wonderful time and enjoyed both episodes.  Laughter filled the room from kids and parents. I enjoyed watching as well!  There is lots of excitement in our house for the upcoming season.  We have a countdown going until the new season starts, only a few more days to go!

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Disclaimer: I received a gift bag for attending the event! Info in italics from Discovery Press & Herotaku.com!

 

Fun Friday: Playing With Sand (A Beach Alternative WIth Less Mess)

23 May

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Happy Memorial Day Weekend!  We won’t make it to the beach this weekend but we found an easy alternative for Fun in the Sand at home. My Aunt introduced my girls and I to Kinetic Sand not long ago. Kinetic Sand is easy to mold and build with. It’s fantastic because the grains stick together instead of making a mess all over the place.  It’s easy to clean up making it good  activity for indoor or outdoor play.  The texture is soft, smooth and silky.  It doesn’t dry out and it doesn’t stick to your hands. 

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I like to put the sand in a small container for an individual set, easy for taking on the go.  Several packages can be put together for more building opportunities. My girls love adding turtles, shells, and using their dolls to pretend they are at the “beach” sunbathing. Perfect for entertaining the little ones during your weekend barbecues. Use your beach toys to play, my girls can’t wait to get their Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Seaside Sidekicks Sand Cupcake Set out to try with their Kinetic Sand.  When you are done playing, put it in an airtight container to keep it fresh.

 

 

On display at the Time To Play Magazine Playdate. Wacky-tivities is a product of SpinMaster Toys

Loved seeing Kinetic sand on display at the Time To Play Magazine Spring Showcase. Wacky-tivities is a product of Spin Master Toys


Kinetic Sand is available at Michaels!

 

Disclaimer:  I did not receive products or compensation for this post.  All images and opinions expressed are my own!

First Steps and Scooting Summers (Pediped review & #giveaway)

20 May

 

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It seems like yesterday my oldest was about to take her first steps. I didn’t know when to buy shoes or what shoes to buy. The first pair of shoes I ever bought for her were a pair of Pediped Originals, recommended by a woman at the shoe store.  I loved them!  They came in adorable styles and they were comfortable for her.  As she grew and became a more confident walker we moved onto the Pediped Grip n Go. My second learned to walk in Pedipeds as well and eventually caught up to her older sister, wearing the same size. I thought we had outgrown Pedipeds until last spring when I received a pair of sandals (review here) and learned the Pediped Flex goes all the way up to a youth size EU 36/ US 4-4.5.

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I recently received a pair of Pediped Flex Minnie in Raspberry.  My girls share shoes and both of my girls LOVE them!  They are perfect for everyday wear, scooting or long hours at the park. They can wear them with dresses, jeans, skirts, and shorts. The mesh ventilation is great for letting their feet breathe on the warmer days.  The best part is that they are machine washable and water safe.  My girls play hard in them and they get dirty pretty quickly.  After a quick wash, they are back to looking brand new.

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With the nicer weather finally here, I rely on their scooters to get around.  I was surprised at the durability of our Pediped sandals, they are being worn for a second season and look as good as new despite the wear and tear of the many scooter rides last season.  On Mother’s Day we took a long excursion to Brooklyn requiring lots of walking and scooting. I made sure both of my girls wore their pedipeds (pictured above) because I knew that they would be comfortable.

A GIVEAWAY FOR YOUR LITTLE ONES FIRST STEPS, before you know it they will be riding scooters and doing handstands:

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Images of shoes from http://www.pediped.com

One lucky winner will choose Boy or Girl and size 0-6, 6-12, 12-18 and 18-24 months.  U.S. or Canada residents only.  Contest begins today and ends May 30 at midnight! Click the image or here to enter HERE.

About Pediped:

Whether your child is crawling, learning to walk, or running all around, pediped® has a stylish shoe that fits comfortably and ensures healthy foot development. Each of our three footwear lines is specially designed to meet the needs of a particular walking stage. pediped® has done extensive research and testing to develop the latest in children’s footwear technology, from memory foam insoles to eco-friendly, water-safe and machine washable shoes.  PediPeds are approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association for promoting healthy foot development.  For more information visit www.pediped.com.

Disclaimer: I received a pair of shoes for review.  As always, all opinions expressed are my own. Any information in italics came from www.pediped.com. All images I took unless otherwise noted.

 

 

 

Summer Shopping at P.S. from Aeropostale

16 May

My girls love to shop and they love to pick their own outfits.  The change of seasons means new clothes and switching out their closets.  Last weekend my youngest and I headed to an Epic Shopping event at P.S. from Aeropostale hosted by Brianne, founder of Stroller in the City.  It was a warm day so we had summer clothes and open toes on our mind.

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When we arrived my daughter started coloring with friends and had a snack from Treathouse while I checked out the latest styles.   Once she was ready to shop, she headed straight to the bright, shiny, and colorful sandals (naturally since she is a little girl who LOVES her shoes).   The sandals were so cute, I had to grab a pair for my girls.    Then she went on to find her “favorite” summer outfit (with a little styling help from Brianne) and chose a tiered tank in white with the high-waisted paisley woven shorts in summer citrus.  On our way to the checkout, she noticed the accessories and hair coloring sticks.  After, we checked out, we were able to hit the photo booth to capture our fun, Mother-Daughter Epic Shopping adventure.

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It was a wonderful morning, and I was excited to learn about P.S. from Aeropostale.  I had never shopped there for my girls and found so many great styles for summer.  Not to mention the sales were great too.

 

Disclaimer:  I received a gift card for attending the event.  As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

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ChaiseFitness’ Fit, Fab, & Fly Event

15 May

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I love taking fitness classes and I’m always on the hunt for a good workout.  Last week I attended ChaiseFitness’ Fit, Fab, & Fly event hosted by Brianne from Stroller in the City at the 92Y location. Guests began the event with a workout by the founders of ChaiseFitness. I wasn’t able to find a sitter for my daughter so I could only observe the class from the window.  The class looks amazing and I’m anxious to get back and try it for myself.

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A little about ChaiseFitness®:

ChaiseFitness® was created by mother-daughter duo Lauren and Rachel Piskin. The renowned fitness lifestyle studio located in New York City was born out of Lauren’s professional experience as a fitness visionary and former competitive figure skater and Rachel’s previous career as a professional ballerina with the New York City Ballet. The programs at ChaiseFitness® improve flexibility, balance, core development and posture in an environment that is at once intimate and invigorating. ChaiseFitness® is home to the Reinvention Method, a revolutionary chair-based workout that fuses Pilates, ballet, and strength training by incorporating an overhead bungee system, creating long and lean muscles while powerfully strengthening the core. With wildly popular signature classes such as Reinvention Chair, Ballet Bungee, Cardio Chair, and Long and Lean, ChaiseFitness® is devoted to lengthening and strengthening, nurturing weight loss, and ultimately transforming the body to the best it can be.

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After a workout, guests enjoyed lunch from Chopt and a juice from Blue Print Cleanse while learning about other sponsors:

  •  ElementalTs are adorable T’s designed by two Brooklyn moms with children’s curiosity to know how things work.  Their designs feature detailed images of both wildlife and man-made objects in the style of line drawings found in classic science textbooks while keeping the fun and vibrant color combinations that kids really want to wear.  My daughter was fascinated by the tree frog and loves her new shirt.  Each shirt comes with an attached magnify glass.  My daughter took hers off immediately  and wanted to go to the park and start exploring.  So cool!

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  •  Zen Home Therapy   is an organic green luxury cleaning service using non-toxic products using jasmine, lavender, and lemongrass essential oils.  All employs are trained to provide 5 star cleaning and organizing services in your home.

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  • PRIV, an app available to schedule beauty and wellness services to your home (or desired location) within the hour, perfect for the busy mom. Services include: blow outs, hair cuts, manicures, pedicures, personal training and more. After workouts, guests were refreshed with a make-up application and manicure from PRIV professionals.  My daughter’s eyes lit up when she saw the PRIV table lined with nail polish and make-up.  She ran right into the line to get a manicure and a little gloss and blush. I got a manicure, using LVX polish, and received lots of compliments.

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Thank you to all the sponsors, Stroller in the City, ChaiseFitness®, AlabGroup and everyone else for a fabulous event!

 

Disclaimer: I did not receive compensation for this post but did receive a gift bag for attending the event.  As always, all opinions expressed are my own.  Some images used are from the photographer at the event!  Information about the products and services came from their website or from speaking at the event.

 

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Momma Love & Tips For Capturing Precious Moments

13 May

When I found out I was expecting my first, I immediately went on the hunt for a nice camera. I knew that I would want to capture every precious moment to share with family and look at with my girls as they get older.   I purchased a Nikon D60.  I captured the birth of my daughter.  I photographed the first time she ate and had food smashed all over her face. I captured the moment my second was born and the day she met her big sister.  Years later, the memory on my computer is full of pictures and I am deleting apps to take pictures on my phone when I don’t have my camera with me capturing all the special moments.

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Now that my girls got older, taking photographs have become more challenging.  Getting photographs of them together is nearly impossible unless I’m bribing.  In the six years I’ve had my camera, I’ve never learned to use it properly.  Not long ago, I attended an event hosted by Kristin from My Strange Family  on Tips on Photographing Kids with photographer and award-winning author of Momma Love: How The Mother Half Lives, Ali Smith.

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Ali’s Tips:

  1. Find an alternative word to CHEESE!  GUILTY.  I am that mom asking my girls to “SAY CHEESE”.  Since the session, I’ve noticed changing up the words and using words like candy or a word that might be funny has helped tremendously.
  2. Let your child take the lead.  You might have something in mind but your child might not like that idea.  Don’t get stuck on that one result.  For my girls, they won’t take a picture unless they do a silly one first.
  3. Look for the light.  Use lighting
  4. Change your perspective.  Try different angles, not every picture has to have your child facing the camera.  Try changing the aperture on your camera to blur the background (I’ve always wondered how photographers do that).  Change your height and get down to the childs level.
  5. Distract the child.  Ask about something they are interested in. Photograph their reactions & moments in between.
  6. Don’t let other parents (or grandparents) interfere behind.
  7. If taking family pictures, parents should always be ready for the shot.  Often parents try to distract and the photographer will miss a moment.
Image from MommaLove.com

Image from mommalovethebook.com

 

Momma Love: How The Mother Half Lives: These passionate stories are bound by a respect for the job of motherhood and a belief that the health and well being of ALL mothers is crucial for a healthy society. Momma Love is not only about the love a mother shows. It’s about the love she is shown, by herself and the world around her.  I had the opportunity to look through the book with Ali.  I loved seeing the REAL moments moms encounter whether they dealt with the battle of breast-feeding in public or overcoming an illness.  A beautiful gift for a new mom.   Ali’s book is available here.

Follow Ali  on Twitter @mommaloveAli, Find Ali on Facebook, and see more of Ali’s beautiful work on Instagram @mommaloveAli.

Thank you Kristin for having us into your home and organizing such a wonderful event.  Thank you to Ali for all the wonderful tips, photographs and help navigating my camera.

 

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Our Favorite Clothing Store and 6th Annual @Torly Hula Hoop Contest TODAY

10 May

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Not long ago my daughter and her friends participated in their school talent show. Their talent…putting together the latest fashion trends and walking the runway to encourage the audience to be who you are and wear what makes you comfortable.

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In the back of the runway, a slide show (thanks to the hard work of another mom) played showing images of the girls choosing their looks and providing their unique style tips. One of my favorite children’s store, Torly Kid, located in TriBeCa was essential in making it all happen. They let the girls come into the store to try on different outfits they put together for a photo shoot. Carol, the owner, and her daughters were extremely helpful helping the girls try on clothes and finding accessories for their outfits. Torly Kid has amazing clothes, keeping with the latest trends for tots to tween.  In addition to having fabulous clothes, they host fun events for kids.

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Upcoming events include:

 

TODAY: 6th Annual Hula Hoop Contest & Tween Party / Sat. May 10, 2014 / 11a -4p
Join us for our annual Hula Hoop Contest! Get your hips ready for some hula hooping fun on Saturday, May 10th at Torly Kid. Activities include Poppy Drops (tattoo earrings), hair & nail stations and for the first time ever “Tumbling for Tots” brought to you by The Little Gym TriBeCa!

Silhouette Portraits by Erik Johnson / Sun. June 8, 2014 / 11a – 3p
Silhouette Artist, Erik Johnson returns to Torly Kid to create beautiful silhouette portraits for your children. Give these framed pieces of artwork as Father’s day gifts!

Toddler Story Time / Every Tuesday Morning / 10a – 10:30
Come read and sing along with Torly Kid every Tuesday morning at 10 am. We’ll read from picture books, dance and sing – great for toddlers (ages 1-4) and nannies!

Monthly Book Club / 1st Wednesday of the Month / 6p – 7p

Join us for great talk-backs, guest authors, and more at our monthly book club meeting. Sign-up today, books available in-store, discussions and projects every 1st Wednesday of the month. Recommended for ages 7 – 14.

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Learn more by visiting torlykid.com, following @torly on twitter, and checking out their Facebook page.

Trendy Travel with Momtrends

6 May

Memorial Day is only THREE weeks away!  Pools will open and traffic to the Hamptons and Jersey Shore will begin.  Shortly after, summer vacation will let out and families will travel to local beaches, other countries, or to visit family and friends near or far.

Last week I attended the Momtrends Travel Event at Butterfly Studios. Momtrends always hosts fabulous events that keep me up to date on the latest trends, newest gear and more for moms and kids.  At the Travel Event, Momtrends shared tips and introduced products to make your trip(s) trendy and stylish.

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images from momtrends

Butterfly Studios styled hair and shared tips to keep hair looking good.  Jill, my stylist, says to dry from the top, the moisture will go to the ends. Founder Kattia Solano demonstrated cute, easy ways to keep your hair pulled up and out of your face while traveling or spending the day by the beach.  I love the bun/ braid combo pictured above (bottom right).

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Getting to your destination with a child(ren) can be challenging. Whether you are driving, taking a train, or flying Britax offers fabulous products to make traveling easier. A few products include:

  • The Britax Travel Cart to easily bring your car seat by pulling it along.  The best part, your child can sit in the car seat while you pull so you can check your stroller.
  • Driving long distances? The Kick Mat will keep your seat protected while having pockets to organize toys, books, snacks, or water.  The EZ- Cling window Shades
  • Potty training or wet bathing suits? Keep your seats from getting wet with the Seat Saver Waterproof Liner is easy to insert into a car seat or stroller.
image from momtrends

BOB Revolution Pro image from momtrends

While on vacation, I love starting my morning with a run along the beach.  At the event, I got a sneak peak of the BOB Revolution Pro jogging stroller, available at REI in a single or double.  The pro has an adjustable handle.  The wheels are bigger, good for rough terrain like the sand (or snow). Although it is a bigger stroller, it’s fairly light, it has an easy 2-step fold and a travel bag is available to make bringing it with you easier.

images from momtrends

images from momtrends

I’m more than ready to soak up the sun by the beach or pool.  One of my favorite swimsuits is a Miraclesuit®.  I received it at a Momtrends event a couple of years ago(read review here).   I was excited to see the the Miraclesuit® team at the Travel Event.  Miraclesuit® empowers women to feel good and look fabulous no matter your body type. At the event they showcased the latest swim trends.  Snakeskin is in!

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Besides being absolutely adorable, the Trunki PaddlePack is perfect for children (or yourself) to carry towels, toys, and more.  The PaddlePak is waterproof, has straps to carry it on your back, a zipped pocket for carrying money, and a ring to hook keys or string goggles through.

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After a long road trip or an afternoon playing in the sun, we love to cool off with ice cream.  Adironack Creamery offers several great flavors, caramal apple was my favorite.  Their ice cream is made with simple ingredients with no colors, additives, or preservatives.  The milk they use is hormone-free from the farms of the Hudson Valley.

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Still making summer plans and planning your next vacation? Kim-Marie Evans of Luxury Travel Mom spoke at the event sharing her tips for traveling.  Tips to make your vacation one you and your kids will remember included searching on VRBO for rentals outside of cities for an authentic experience and not to be afraid of taking a group tour or traveling with a group.

Thank you to Momtrends and all of the sponsors for a wonderful event. I'm ready for fun in the sun wearing a PaddlePak, Miraclesuit Hat & Miraclesuit Bathing Suit. Carrying a Vera Bradley Towel and Britax Coffee Mug.

Thank you to Momtrends and all of the sponsors for a wonderful event. I’m ready for fun in the sun wearing a PaddlePak, Miraclesuit Hat & Miraclesuit Bathing Suit. Carrying a Vera Bradley Towel and Britax Coffee Mug.

Happy Travels!

 

Disclaimer:  I did not receive compensation for this post.  I received a gift bag for attending the event.  As always, all opinions expressed are my own.  All information came from the event.

 

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