Get Fit!

Is your New Year's resolution to lose weight? If you are a new mom or have a small child, Stroller Fit is a great way to shed that extra weight. You work out while pushing your baby in the stroller. I did it for several months after my baby was born and loved it. I got to get in some exercise while my daughter got to ride around, watch, and be around other children. We did cardio exercises first while pushing our children in their strollers, and at the end we would do ab exercises on the ground and let the babies play on a mat or run around. You also get to meet a lot of other moms in your area. If you want to get fit with your baby, you can read more about it on their website and find a Stroller Fit class near you.

Win Stuff!

A while back I wrote about the TableTopper. They are the disposable placemats that stick to the table so when you eat out your child can eat right off the table. If you were worried about the eco-friendliness of these products, worry no more. They now have biodegradable placemats and packaging. If you go to their website and fill out this form, you could win a Neat Solutions sample pack! Besides the wonderful TableTopper, they carry many other great products.

My Toes Do Yoga

I received a pair of YogaToes for Christmas. These are not my toes by the way. I would not put a picture of my foot on this blog. That just freaks me out. Anyway, I have always seen ads for YogaToes in the backs of magazines and thought they just looked weird, and kind of dumb actually. Well I love my YogaToes! After you wear them for a while and take them off, your feet feel relaxed, like how you feel after you have stretched. From what I've read, it seems you either love them or hate them. Many people think they hurt. For example, let's say hypothetically my husband tried them (because if he really did and I wrote about it here he would kill me), so hypothetically let's say he tried them and hypothetically he hated them and begged to take them off after three minutes. They aren't for everyone, but I love them! They aren't cheap either. When I saw the ads I thought they were probably around $10 - $12. They are $50!!! You can get 3 pair for $99. I would never have bought them for myself, but if your feet need relaxing, you should get a pair of YogaToes.

Scary Scary Toy!

Look at this cute wooden cash register. Well, if you want it for your child because it looks so safe and natural compared to all of those plastic toys from China, you better buy it now! It will be illegal as of February 10th when the CPSIA goes into effect! Yes, I will continue to write about this because so few people know about it. All items for children under 12 will have to undergo lead and other testing as of February 10th, and this includes things like fabric and wood which do not normally contain lead in the first place. This also includes hair clips someone makes and sells, burp cloth sets, clothing...anything for children! Look at this list of cute toys on Amazon.com that may no longer be available because companies cannot afford the thousands of dollars to test every single component of each of their products. You can help! Go sign this petition!

Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! And everything else...

Save Handmade Toys!

Please go vote to save handmade baby's and children's clothing, toys, accessories, and more. Go to Change.org and vote for this proposal. All you have to do is sign up quickly with an email address and then click to vote for this proposal. If it gets enough votes, it will be presented to Barack Obama. If you have not heard, as of February 10th it will be illegal to sell handmade children's items unless you have them tested for lead, which costs thousands of dollars. Many small businesses will be put out of business. This includes mine. I can assure you, our burp cloths and baby birthday hats do not have lead in them!! This law is hurting the wrong people. Help us get it amended!

Hell's Kitchen

This is my daughter's very cute new kitchen. It took 3 hours to put together! My husband and I spent 3 hours on the living room floor following 42 steps. We were both working and at a steady pace too. We didn't have any major problems and never stopped once. 3 hours!! That's crazy. I have never seen so many parts. So, when my daughter is thirteen, and yells at me, "You don't love me because you won't let me go to the mall with my friends!" I will reply, "I spent 3 hours of my life putting together your play kitchen!! That's love!!" Now that it is together, it is a really great play kitchen that I highly recommend, but I also recommend paying some one to put it together! It is the Deluxe Wooden Kitchen and Laundry Center by Little Tikes.

Product Recommendation: Candeloo Tooli

The Candeloo Tooli is a great product for children and parents. The charger comes with two lamps. These are wonderful nightlights. You can use them to add a soft glow to your babies room, or your toddler can use one for late night trips to the bathroom. Parents can use them to go in and check on the baby without having to turn on a bright light. They have so many uses, and they are cute! They also come in green and blue. Visit vessel to purchase or read more about them.

Trendwatch: Jeweled Sandals

A great way to dress up any outfit is to wear a pair of these jeweled sandals that are one of the latest trends in footwear.

Adele in Houston

I wrote once before about this wonderful singer I saw on Saturday Night Live. Well, she's coming to Houston! She has been popping up on talk shows more and more lately here in the U.S. She is from London and is 20 years old. If you are in Houston, you should check out her show on March 14th at Warehouse Live Ballroom. Tickets go on sale this Saturday. You can read more about her here.

Custom Orders!

Here is a hat I made for a little one with a Christmas birthday. Her name starts with S, so her mom decided she wanted the letter S on the hat instead of a number.

This order was for a little boy whose grandpa has the same birthday, New Year's Eve! The mom wanted matching hats for her dad and son. I made it to match his birthday outfit which will be pastel blue with some red, brown and white stripes. It's hard to see but the blue fabric has little silver stars all over it, perfect for New Year's!

Bake Me A Wish!

If you want to order something sweet for someone during the holidays, why not order from Bake Me A Wish!? They sell birthday cakes and other gourmet cakes for all occasions. The best part is that if you purchase the cake you see above, called the freedom cake, they will also send one to a soldier serving overseas. If you'd rather choose from one of their other yummy cakes, 5% of your order will go to Operation Birthday Cake, which helps send birthday cakes to soldiers serving overseas. Visit Bake Me A Wish to see all of their cakes!

Wow! Wow! Eh, not so much.

Do you know who that guy is? If you are not a parent you probably don't, and you probably don't want to either. I just recently found out because he is the love of my 18 month old daughter's life, Wow Wow Wubbzy. She runs around yelling "wow wow, wow wow!" I don't even know what he is. He is some creature with a "kooky tail" as they say on the show. At least he is much more tolerable than Max and Ruby. That's her second favorite show. I just wish they'd make more than like 5 episodes of each show so we don't have to watch the same one over and over. It's mind numbing. I have to bite my tongue so many times, especially when Ruby is gardening and says "now where is that hoe?" I have to stop myself everytime from shouting "Look in the mirror Ruby!!"

If your child likes Wubbzy too, here's great present for them. It's Disco Dancin' Wubbzy. Apparently he does a headstand and cartwheel. Ours is in the box and all wrapped up so we will see! We got ours at Target and I have also seen them at Toys R Us.
*I know, I know. 18 month old children shouldn't watch too much TV, but I need a moment of peace and sanity from time to time so give me a break.

And the winner of the Christmas appliques is....

Nicole #32!

Here are your random numbers:32
Timestamp: 2008-12-12 21:05:38 UTC

Thanks to everyone who entered and left comments! Happy Holidays!

Etsy Feature: Grace Graphics

I received the cutest Christmas tree gift tags in the mail recently, which I ordered from Grace Graphics. You really must check out her shop. She carries the most wonderful plantable greeting cards, gift tags and more. The Christmas tree gift tags can be planted and will grow spruce trees! The white Christmas tree tags grow wildflowers! What a cool idea. Check out Grace Graphics for plantable greeting cards and gift tags for all occasions.

Are You in Houston? Buy Local for the Holidays!

We are featured in this wonderful treasury on Etsy created by Visual Smiles Gallery. If you live in Houston and want to buy some great holiday gifts locally, check out the shops included in this treasury, as well as the many other shops on Etsy run by Houstonians. Click here to visit this treasury.

SNOW!!!!!

Yeah yeah yeah, if you live somewhere other than the southern US or some other place that is always hot, you are probably thinking, that's not snow! But, in Houston, this is snow! We find it quite exciting. Anything that accumulates enough to see a little bit of white, SNOW!
Even more snow later in the evening...

Sign This Petition!

In February there is a new law that goes into effect requiring all items intended for the use of children under 12 to be tested for lead. It is called CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act). It seems that this could affect a great deal of small businesses who create handmade items for children. I do not really understand the act completely, but a lot of Etsy sellers are very worried about the future of their businesses. I'm not sure if it is that serious or if people are overreacting. It makes me a little nervous. Companies would have to test all of their products which can cost thousands and thousands of dollars. Many small businesses would supposedly have to shut down. The law that is actually trying to protect children would actually be hurting a lot of moms who stay at home with their children and run small home based businesses. Also, many people buy handmade toys and children's accessories because they believe they are safer. Now these items will not be available. You can search on line for CPSIA to learn more. If you know anything more, feel free to leave a comment on this post. To sign the petition, click here.

Trend Watch: One Shoulder Dresses

One shoulder dresses have been back in style since earlier this year. They were all over the red carpet at the Oscars in February, but they seem to be even more popular recently, especially with celebrities. This week's US Magazine even featured a few. You can find some cute one shoulder dresses in all price ranges and some beautiful one shoulder evening gowns as well. The one shoulder look is really great for dresses because can show a little skin while still being covered up. I still have a one shoulder dress I wore to my high school reunion in 2001, and I never thought it would come back in style! Here are some celebrities showing off the style.

GIVEAWAY! Win these Christmas Appliques!

GIVEAWAY ENDED
We are giving away this set of our Christmas tree iron on appliques!

Here's how to enter...

GIVEAWAY ENDED #32 Nicole is the winner!

1. Visit our Etsy shop and pick your favorite iron on applique.

2. Come back here and make a comment on this post telling us your favorite applique. BE SURE TO LEAVE CONTACT INFO...an email address, your blog, or etsy shop name so we can contact you if you win!!

3. On Friday, December 12th at 3pm we will pick the winner using a random number generator. (Your number is the number of your comment.)

4. We will contact the winner for your address and mail your appliques out within 2 days of receiving your mailing address.

Good luck!

I Heart the 80s

I went to the Duran Duran concert last night and it was a great show. The crowd seemed really old, but then I looked around some more and thought about it and realized they were all my age! It reminded me of the old days of clubbing and simpler times. It was lots of fun, but today I'm back to my life of toddler tantrums and dirty diapers. I'll just have to play more Duran Duran at home. If I tell my daughter Wow Wow Wubzy is in the band, she will be their biggest fan ever! Here are some pics of Duran Duran in 1981 and now. They sure don't seem to age much, but check out that 1981 hair.

Newest Additions...

Here are a few of our latest items...a burp cloth set, diaper clutch, and iron on applique. Visit our store for more information and photos.

Shoes to Love

Do you need some great shoes to go with your holiday party dress? Here are two great pairs from Banana Republic.

This pair is on sale for $90 (regularly $150) in an exclusive offer on their website. Reece Witherspoon recently wore these to the premeire of her new movie.

This pair was recently featured in Lucky Magazine.

Now if only I was going to a party and needed some shoes!