trendy mommies

I have always admired those mom bracelets and thought they make a nice gift for the new mom (or for the upcoming holiday..hint, hint to all you dads out there) Who knew there were also mother’s necklaces and family jewelry – from the family necklace to a child’s bracelet? Bella Beads of Andover is certainly the expert to turn to for fabulous, custom and unique pieces that any mom (grandma or aunt) would love.

The mother’s necklaces have sterling discs which can be stamped with your child’s name and/or date of birth. The discs come in three sizes and also available in 14K gold fill. Sterling ball chains available in any standard or custom length!

They have several style mother’s bracelets to choose from. I personally love the traditional mother’s bracelet with sterling silver block letters and Swarovski crystal (pick the color of your child’s birthstone). But you can have it made anyway you like  – initials of your children or even adding up to five strands.

Mother’s necklaces retail about $25 per disc and the mother’s bracelets varies in price depending on style. The retail location is at The Olde Andover Village at 89 Main Street in Andover. You can order in person or over the phone and tell them exactly what you are looking for and they will make it! Or if you are feeling really creative sign up for one of their classes or gather some friends for a girls night out to create a bracelet, necklace, wine charm or wine bottle stopper! Check it out at  http://www.bellabeadsandover.com

Remember the Sigg fiasco? That is why I am so glad I ordered the klean kanteens. I also ordered a few other items for back to school lunches that I thought were pretty cool and they are holding up quite well. There is this web site call the soft landing that has some great products that are all free of BPA, PVC and phthalates. Check out http://www.thesoftlanding.com

Here is a sample of what I ordered and I love all of them!

The Kids Konserve 8oz Round Food Container is the perfect size for packing any kind of food item but I really wanted it for small salads. The stainless steel container keeps food somewhat cold which is nice.

The Laptop Lunches Bento Buddies 2.0 can be used on their own directly inside a lunchbox or inside this special Bento 2.0 outer container. I bought them on their own specifically to use for fruits and veggies for the kids lunches. They are small but work really well.

I was looking for some small glass bowls for the kids to use at home and their Kidishes are made from tempered glass. The tempered glass is stronger than standard glass and doesn’t break into sharp shards when it does fall. The web site sayss they are 100% recyclable, can go in the dishwasher, and microwave-friendly — so no more heating up your child’s food in a ceramic dish, only to transfer it to a plastic one. Makes sense to me!

I have to admit I did not wear jeans for several years as I just found them to be too uncomfortable. That is why I love this new legging trend! But ladies you do need to wear a long shirt or sweater over your leggings for the look to work. (if you are of a certain age……)

But now I do wear jeans but have yet to find a really comfortable pair. Oprah swears by these jeans – CJ by Cookie Johnson – saying they are like wearing sweatpants but I find that hard to believe. I will have to try on a pair for myself to see about the fit. They are a bit pricy but hey if they are comfortable I will pay the price!

20091015-tows-cookie-johnson-jeans

Even better are these new yoga pants from Althleta – the Bettona Pant – how cute are these? They look comfortable but I have to see how they look put together with an outfit! I think I used to have a pair of these in the 80’s!  

product.do?cid=46797&vid=1&pid=684427&tid=atemjw0910gc&EV=10272009_N_GAT1&DI=13836024

Sunshine is finally here in New England. We have been heading out to area beaches and rating them but after all the packing and unpacking I’ve found that there really are only a few essentials you need for a day at the beach. (Boogie boards are the only essential my kids need or so they say!)

Beach Cart – Yes! – After searching last year for one of these I finally bought one – the Nantucket Beach Buggy. At first my husband was like, you have got to be kidding me, but after just two uses he was hooked and said it was the best investment I ever made. You can find them online or at specialty stores.  Or check out similar ones at http://www.beachandswim.com/beachcarts.aspx

Water Bottle  - Yes! – I bought another stainless steel water bottle the other day and boy was I disappointed – as it had a small opening and I was not thinking at the store when I saw the great colors that you cannot fit ice cubes in it. Plus the color was coming off but I won’t mention any names….So I am back to my original love of the Klean Kanteen! http://www.kleankanteen.com.  I noticed they have new colors at LL Bean – perfect for back to school! http://www.llbean.com

Sun Screen – Yes! – The girls sometimes complain it’s cold but after two seconds the sunscreen is on and no rubbing so that is why I love the no rub spray in a jiffy sunscreens.  You do run out faster so beware.  With sensitive skin I have to use the Aveeno line – BABY CONTINUOUS PROTECTION^® Sunblock Lotion with SPF 55 is so great and gentle. Also love the CONTINUOUS PROTECTION^® ACTIVE
Sunblock Spray with SPF 70.

Beach Bags – Yes!  - I really like the zip up tote bags. New this summer is the LLBean Regimental Stripe Boat and Tote® Bag http://www.llbean.com

Lands End has the Small, medium, large and extra large Zip Top Colored Canvas Tote Bags in some new colors this season – love the Bright Pistachio/Bright Clover http://www.landsend.com

I’m not the best at braids, ponytails or pigtails but I can slip in a clip into my girls’ hair! Instead of those boring store bought hair clips that tend to fall apart after one use here is a solution. This line of eye-catching and sparkling hair accessories by Los Angeles based Lucy Hammel is just stunning.  Each headband, clip and bow is made by hand with a touch of sparkle from the Swarovski crystals she uses.  Unlike any other bows or clips I have seen, each is unique and beautiful and will make a great special occasion gift! Check out the display:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7596001&ga_search_query=lucy&ga_search_type=seller_usernames

Now that manicure and pedicure season is in full swing in the Northeast I have been investigating some brands of more natural nail polish.  A friend told me about Dr. Remedy http://www.remedynails.com

Dr. Remedy nail polish says it’s enhanced with naturally occurring anti-fungal ingredients and vitamins to promote healthier nails. It has no toxins like DBP, toluene or formaldehyde.

I just bought a bottle and will try it in a few days so I will let you know how it works.

I also checked the Sally Hansen web site which says they do not use toluene, DBP (dibutyl phthalate) and formaldehyde in their nail colors.  I like how this line has the new insta-dry fast dry nail color.  Just bought a few bottles of some very funky colors but after one day it has started to chip. It did dry pretty quickly.   http://www.sallyhansen.com/

OPI is another good brand I use and they have great colors (and cute names too)

From its web site they say, “Since 2006, OPI has reformulated its entire line of Nail Lacquers, Nail Treatments, and Nail Hardeners to eliminate DBP (dibutyl phthalate) and Toluene.  Formaldehyde has never been an ingredient in OPI Nail Lacquers or Nail Treatments.

http://www.opi.com

Ever notice how the kids toys pile up and you have no place to put them? I have a great fabric bin storage system that I use for the kids toys that I got at…surprise..target! But am always looking for places to put their stuffed animals.

The Container store has some great bins so you cannot go wrong there.

http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?searchId=20683774&itemIndex=3&CATID=71232&PRODID=10012560

Ikea also has these mesh storage containers that are great and colorful. The hanging ones are a great space saver and are only $1.49!

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10098505

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90096786

But when I discovered Boon Inc. I was in heaven.  This company makes the best products.  The oval animal bag is the cutest thing.  It also doubles as a seat too so it would look great in a bedroom.  The trio animal bag is even bigger and will accommodate even the biggest collector of stuffed animals.

http://www.booninc.com/products/OvalAnimalBag/802

Argh..it has crept up sooner than I thought. Our club pool opened and I am not nearly ready to put on a bathing suit! In shape? No, swim suit ready? No,  Tan – kind of…. The temperature went from 40 to 90 in one week so of course so many people in the northeast are white as ghosts and have no tan.

I have never really tanned that well and since getting older I realized a little help from the self tanner might make me look a little slimmer so I was all for it. Come on….I think we all have tried some self tan product sooner or later at some point in our lives…..and the self tanning products have come a long way. Some products work better than others (you know what I am talking about…that orangey look) Here are some products I just love, but if you are going to attempt to spray tan make sure you exfoliate well and don’t keep reapplying too often.

Jergens Daily moisturizer – this is the first step for the commitment phobic self tanner. Light, gradual and natural.  Just bought the Jergens^® natural glow Foaming Daily Moisturizer so have yet to try it

 http://www.jergens.com/

I love this line  - Glow Fusion – but beware it dries very quickly which is good for getting dressed right away and sleeping on your sheets but bad for your palms. I got through all last summer with a dual pack of the natural protein tan and the enhancing emulsion. 

http://www.glowfusion.net

Clarins Liquid Bronze – This is a very light lotion that you can apply with a cotton pad – very natural looking

http://us.clarins.com

I have yet to try this one but would love to test it out! St. Tropez Everyday perfect Legs is a gradual self tanner with an instant bronzer in one.  

https://shop.sttropeztan.com/home.php

Who would have thought Multiplication would be fun?

Lisa Wilkins, Founder and CEO of Butterfly Junction did and she created adorable reusable multiplication flashcards. This very cool, stylish product makes multiplication fun.

The Butterfly Junction line of products are for girls ages 7 to 12. The Multiplication Card Sets and Multiplication Finger Charts are so fun and colorful. 

The portable multiplication write ‘n’ wipe cards contains a full table on each card front with a key on the back. Everything is contained in a little tin, making it easy to store, fun to carry. Kids won’t even think its an education tool at all!  The $15.00 Set contains:12 write ‘n’ wipe multiplication cards 1 write ‘n’ wipe progress card and1 aluminum storage case. The web site is soooooo cute too!!  http://www.bflyjunction.com/

I had my second grader test it out and even thought she is just learning multiplication she said this is cool.  Math is cool indeed!

These last few weeks have been a whirlwind of searching for the girls’ Easter dresses AND finding a first communion dress that was not a size 10! Plus, finding a size 10 shoe for my 4 year old was impossible….. Finally found a size 6 first communion dress that did not look like a mini wedding dress (although she did opt for a veil with a crown!). The shoes I found at The Disney Store because my 4 year old wanted shinny white shoes.

As you know TJ Maxx is my favorite and they had lots of dresses. Especially cute are the dresses that come with a matching doll dress!  Eyelet and ruffles seem to be a trend for girl dresses this season. Here are some online stores that have a good selection of dresses.

Chasing Fireflies has a good selection of casual and dressy dresses that are very adorable http://www.chasing-fireflies.com

Flower Girl Princess has great formalwear http://flowergirlprincess.com/catalog/

Pink Princess has a great selection of accessories like gloves, flower accessories and shoes- especially nice white ballet flats!  http://www.pinkprincess.com

Happy Easter!