Review and Giveaway: Pony Sisters Ponchos

Last week we got something in the mail that I was so so excited about. Pony Sisters Ponchos turned my sweet Little AG into the most adorable version of little red riding hood EVER! We got this awesome red fleece poncho for Little AG to try out and we just love it (and she loves how it flies behind her when she runs!). Even though the product was developed in Seattle (brrrrr) the fleece is actually the perfect material for our relatively warm weather year-round here in Louisiana. Rare is the day when we need something other than a light jacket (it's SO depressing, really) so this is the perfect way to keep her warm. She can't take it off, but it also doesn't bother her like a jacket would because it's not bulky and doesn't get in the way. Oh, and have I mentioned how irresistibly cute it is? I'm just sayin'.

Some cool things about Pony Sisters Ponchos that you should know: It is a mom-owned, mom-developed, and mom-run company (I love Mompreneurs!). The idea for their ponchos came about because the owner's daughter hated to wear jackets. Her mom sewed her a fleece poncho to wear to keep her warm, and they started getting stopped everywhere they went to ask where they got it. (Because, as I have already mentioned, it is so stinkin' cute!) It was one of those "ah ha!" moments, and the idea for Pony Sisters Ponchos was born.

Oh yeah, it even has pockets on the inside of the poncho to keep little hands warm. Even cooler, the pockets aren't visible from the outside of the poncho, so it makes you feel all secret-agent-like. Little AG has just recently discovered the joy of pockets, so this has provided lots of entertainment for us.

The ponchos are extremely well made and look very professional. I can say with 100% certainty that I know you will love these ponchos as much as we do. When Little AG grows out of her small, we are promptly buying a Medium, and then the rest of the sizes. I can already tell that this will be one of our wardrobe staples!

Ok, gush gush gush. Gushing is complete. How about winning one? Would you like that? I thought you might. Just follow these easy-peasy rules below to enter:

• Head over to Pony Sisters Ponchos and pick out your favorite poncho. Then come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me which one you would love to have for the little poncho-wearer in your life!
  
• Earn extra credit! You may do these for extra entries.
• Blog about this giveaway and link back here. Tell me about it in a separate post.
• Subscribe to my RSS feed via email or in a reader and tell me about it in a separate post.
  
• Stumble my main webpage (www.chicshopperchick.com) and leave me your Stumble Upon name in a separate post.
• Favorite Chic Shopper Chick on Technorati (there is a "Fave this Blog" button in my right sidebar) and let me know about it in a in a separate post.
• Add me to your blog roll. Not just my button in your sidebar, I'd love to be on your blog roll! Let me know about it in a separate post!

That's it! Good luck! Oh, and the official rules and legal jargon are below.

Oh, and psssst -- have you heard about our Pink Dyson Giveaway? There is still time to enter! You can also win a copy of the Naked Brothers Band Season 2, or a complete Holiday Card Package from Tiny Prints.

US entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you'd like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contests ends at 11:59 pm CST on October 30th, 2008.

CSC Giveaway: Mickey Mouse Popscicle Maker

This contest is now CLOSED. Please see our Contests page for the latest giveaways on Chic Shopper Chick!

In case you didn't know -- hubby, Little AG, and I leave for Disney World tomorrow for a week! (Along with a Nana, Grandma, Mimi, Pops, and Aunt, of course!) We are Disney Vacation Club owners at Saratoga Springs across from Downtown Disney, and we are taking the first of many trips to Disney with our little one and our annual passes -- and we are SO excited!

Sooo, in honor of our trip to Disney this week, we are giving away a set of awesome Mickey Mouse Popscicle makers! Enjoy a Special Dessert Treat With Mickey! You can create tasty frozen treats for Mickey Mouse lovers with this easy-to-use set. Simply fill each of the six 2 oz. (60 mL) molds with your child's favorite fruit juice, insert the flexible Mickey sticks, place molds in the tray, and freeze to create your own juice pops - a "cool" treat your kids will love!

We had a set like this when I was a kid and I loved them! Your kids will love them too! Thanks so much to Claire who volunteered to do this giveaway in conjunction with my trip months ago! To win, follow the easy peasy rules below!

• Visit Claire's Tupperware site and come back here to let me know which item, besides this one, you would most love to have!
  
• Earn extra credit! You may do these for extra entries.
• Blog about this giveaway and send me the link in a separate post (a link to Claire's site and my site would be appreciated!)
• Subscribe to Claire's email list and come back here and let me know in a separate post.
  
• Subscribe to my feed and let me know about it in a separate post.
• Stumble my main webpage (not this post please, but www.chicshopperchick.com) and leave me your Stumble Upon name in a separate post.
• Favorite Chic Shopper Chick on Technorati (there is a "Fave this Blog" button in my right sidebar) and let me know about it in a in a separate post.
• Add me to your blog roll. Not just my button in your sidebar, I'd love to be on your blog roll! Let me know about it in a separate post!

That's it! Good luck! Oh, and the official rules and legal jargon are below.

US and entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you'd like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contests ends at 11:59 pm CST on October 4nd, 2008.

Whoops, did I do that?

No, I'm not channeling Steve Urkel. Let's just say that I have crawled under my share of desks and reached behind my share of entertainment centers to find the elusive plug for the pencil sharpener, computer, alarm clock, television, stereo, or lamp. I have also unplugged my share of the wrong thing - which is just more irritating than anything else. You can end your wrong cable struggles with today's cool pick -- these KableFlag Cord Labels by Solutions. You can buy a pack of them for $7.95 on the Solutions website.

Cooler than a Clipboard

Quick find of the day! Check out these cool Lap Desks from Room It Up. They sorta make me wish I had some type of homework to do again so that I would have a use for one of them. They come in the trendiest patterns, and are obviously SO much cooler than a clipboard. They retail for $28 and would make a great gift for the 5 and older set, or the budding artist in your life. Check out all of the different coordinating colors and options at Room It Up.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

I couldn't resist posting about this quirky little item, called the "Bubble Calendar". Hailed on their website as the "perfect gift for the obsessive/compulsive in your life", the Bubble Calendar is a poster-sized glossy calendar COVERED in bubble wrap. You pop each day as it passes, and for your convenience, weekends and holidays are printed in bold.



I would just like to say that the moment this calendar arrived, I think I would have to pop each and every bubble. I'm not sure I could resist. It's like when I first started wearing contact lenses, I had to rip one of them in half just to know what it was like. Hrm, is that weird?

Anyway, if this novelty strikes your fancy, you can order them online, with various options to choose from. Prices range from $29.95 to $49.95.

CSC Review and Giveaway: Nankeen Tote

This contest is now closed! Please check out our contests and giveaways page to see our current giveaways!

I'm a girl (had you already guessed? Hm, brownie points then...) and I'm a girly-girl at that. What does that mean? I love fashion. Bags, shoes, purses, SHOPPING (hence, the blog and blog name) -- you get the picture. Oh, and I also like art -- stick me in a museum and I can almost sound snobbish, I swear. So, really, what could be better to me than something that is both fashionable and a piece of art at the same time?

Presactly. (That would be precisley and exactly combined.)

Check out these awesome bags by Nankeen. The designs fuse 100% cotton, indigo dye, and exquisite patterns using a traditional Chinese art form that dates back to the Song Dynasty. (If all of that sounds too wordy to you, just suffice it to say that the fabric is created through a really cool process that developed a long, long time ago.)

From the website:

The term "blue nankeen" describes hand-dyed fabric of artistic refinement and primitive simplicity, which originated on the Silk Road over three thousand years ago. Hand-carved stencils, originally made from wood but now from heavy paper, are preapered and a mix of soya bean flour and slaked lime is applied through the openings of the stencil onto the 100% cotton fabric. The cotton undergoes an elaborate hand dying process before it is perfected and made into one of our unique designs.

These bags have been featured in both In Style and Lucky Magazine, and are creating quite a buzz among celebrities. I have the Savanna tote, and I just love it. It functions well as a diaper bag, over night bag, or airplane carry-on. I toted it all around Europe this summer as a more fashionable twist on the diaper bag, and I always got lots of compliments. It also fits my laptop quite perfectly, so it frequently doubles as a computer bag. Oh, and I'm ashamed to admit this, but I sort of left a banana in mine for a week or so and had to wash it -- and after following the instructions on the tag, it came out looking as good as new, and still in great shape.

Would you like to own your very own fashionable piece of art? The kind folks over at Nankeen have graciously offered to give one lucky CSC reader the opportunity to win one of their fantastic tote bags. That is as much as a $175 value! All you have to do to win is follow the easy-peasy rules below!

• Visit Nankeen's Tote Section of their website and come back here and tell me which tote you would choose if you won.
  
• Earn extra credit! You may do these for extra entries.
• Blog about this giveaway and send me the link in a separate post.
• Subscribe to my feed and let me know about it in a separate post.
• Stumble my main webpage (not this post please, but www.chicshopperchick.com) and leave me your Stumble Upon name in a separate post.
• Favorite Chic Shopper Chick on Technorati. There is a button in my right sidebar, and let me know about it in a in a separate post.
• Add me to your blog roll. Not just my button in your sidebar, I'd love to be on your blog roll! Let me know about it in a separate post!

That's it! Good luck! Oh, and the official rules and legal jargon are below.

US entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you'd like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contests ends at 11:59 pm CST on September 18th, 2008.

CSC Review and Giveaway: Mabel's Labels

This contest is now closed. Please check out our contests page for the most recent contests and giveaways.


I took Little AG to play at an indoor playground the other day, and it was one of those places where you set your kid's shoes in one of those shoe holders right inside the door -- along with the other 100 pairs of shoes from the other kids. Well, Little AG rarely wears shoes anyway, so I actually managed to leave the place and go to lunch and never realize we were missing them. When I went back to look for them, they were easy to spot among the other 100, because the bright purple labels inside of them clearly had Little AG's name printed on them, along with a sweet little butterfly.

Don't start thinking that I'm all clever-like, and that I had developed a way to keep track of her stuff, or that I had purchased some sort of special shoes for her with her name in them. Nope, it's much more simple than that. Mabel's Labels, a great company out of Canada, had shipped us a bevy of labels for everything under the sun. We have the multi-purpose labels as well, which we stuck on her sippy cups so that they wouldn't get mixed up at playdates. They have been through the dishwasher multiple times, and they have really held up. I like to say that they "take a lickin' and keep on stickin'". But, that's just me. It's ok, I revel in my cheesyness.

Mabel's Sticky Labels and Skinny-Minis™ can be used for toys, dishes, bottles and more. Shoe Labels are extra tough and fit nicely on the insole of boots, shoes and more. Bag Tags are sturdy metal tags that are perfect for labeling school bags, diaper bags and other luggage. Their labels are designed to deliver maximum durability - they will withstand the dishwasher, microwave and UV rays for years to come.


Win It! Mabel's Labels has graciously offered one lucky CSC reader a chance to win the Ultimate Back-to-School Combo Pack - ($39.00 value!) for a pack of 40 Skinny-Minis™, 50 Tag-Mates™, 16 Shoe Labels, and 2 Bag Tags. The winner can choose their color combination - True Blue: berry blue, ocean blue, sky blue. Juicy Citrus: orange, lemon, lime. Tickled Pink. Pack in Black

To win, just follow the easy peasy rules below:

• Visit Mabel's Labels and come back here to leave a comment on this post telling me which of their other great products you think you would use the most.
  
• Earn extra credit! You may do these for extra entries.
• Blog about this giveaway and send me the link in a separate post.
• Subscribe to my feed and let me know about it in a separate post.
• Stumble my main webpage (not this post please, but www.chicshopperchick.com) and leave me your Stumble Upon name in a separate post.
• Favorite Chic Shopper Chick on Technorati. There is a button in my right sidebar, and let me know about it in a in a separate post.
• Add me to your blog roll. Not just my button in your sidebar, I'd love to be on your blog roll! Let me know about it in a separate post!

That's it! Good luck! Oh, and the official rules and legal jargon are below.

US entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you'd like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contests ends at 11:59 pm CST on September 11th, 2008.

Attention all passengers...

Remember a while back, I told you about a Flight Restraint System for children who have their own seat? It's called the CARES harness, and it is a great solution to lugging a car seat on a plane. But what about for children who don't have their own seat? I know Little AG is still under 2 years old, and the reason we can afford to go to some of the places that we do with her is because we don't have to purchase a seat for her, because she can ride as a lap child.

But what about restraints in the air? You wouldn't ride in a car without your child being restrained, so why should it be any different in the air? As a matter of fact, 90 percent of all injuries that happen on commercial flights are sustained while the plane is in the air. But what about your baby, your most precious cargo?

Baby B'Air makes a vest that essentially fits over your child, and then secures them to your lap belt. It isn't approved for take-off and landing, but it is meant to avoid those injuries that specifically can occur once the plane is airborne. It also helps to keep a wiggling child better restrained and out of the lap of the person next to you. (You may laugh, but Little AG has tried this before.) It is FAA approved too, so no snooty flight attendant can tell you that you aren't allowed to use it in-flight (my apologies to all of the non-snooty flight attendants out there - I realize it's not a characteristic of all of you!) Just keep the card that came with the vest with you when you fly, so that you can prove you are allowed to use it!

You can purchase the Baby B'Air online for $34.95. I truly feel that this is a must-have item for anyone who travels by air with their child on their lap. Plus, with the $200 or so that you save on a plane ticket, I really feel that the Baby B'Air is a minimal investment for the safety of your child, don't you agree?

What do you think? Do you travel frequently? Have you ever traveled with your baby on your lap? Do you think you would use the Baby B'Air?

Salad Sunrise

Happy Friday! We are off to run errands before we get tackled by the weekend crowd, but I wanted to post today's "Rock Your Kitchen" Feature here on Chic Shopper Chick! Don't forget to weigh-in in the comments to let me know what you think of today's selection!

This awesome contraption uses physics to create a stunning yet functional design. Called the Salad Sunrise, it makes use of that high school science lesson on the density of liquids. Since oil is less dense than vinegar, it floats on top -- meaning you pour using the spout on the left for oil and the spout on the right for vinegar. Pretty cool huh?

Available online at Charles and Marie, this pretty piece will run you $44. So what do you think of the Salad Sunrise? Would you use it?

Just the smallest sliver...

Tomorrow is my birthday (whhheeeee!) and we will, of course, be having a small birthday gathering for our family. Whenever my family and I get together in the same room and there is a cake present, everyone always wants a different sized piece, so my poor cake ends up looking like a jigsaw puzzle. I'm always repositioning the knife saying "like this?" to get that perfectly sized piece.

So, in honor of Rock Your Kitchen Week here on Chic Shopper Chick, today's nifty and cool kitchen gadget is the S-XL Cake Mould from Charles and Marie.
This solves the problem of the different sizes for different family members. And now, I'll know that when my grandmother says she "just wants a sliver" that I can just dive right in and cut her the biggest piece. Because she never means it.

Oh, and for kicks, I had to include the graphic from their website that showed the different sized stick figures that correspond to the different sized pieces. It's a good thing they included those to clear up what sized person should get what piece. I am not sure whether it is a bit offensive or not, but it is certainly still hilarious.

The S-XL Cake Mould is available at Charles and Marie for $33.

So what do you think of this Cake Mould? Would you use it or is it too frivolous for you?

I will do one thing today

I don't know about you, but I have an ever-growing list of things that I want to accomplish, and sometimes that list can get overwhelming. Some of them are long term projects that don't need immediate attention -- like painting Little AG's bathroom, hanging shelves in the playroom, and re-doing our floors -- but some are of the more urgent variety -- like going to the grocery store, picking up a replacement air filter, and sending off packages at the post office. Some days I get so overwhelmed that I just throw my hands up, sit down on the couch, and eat bon bons.

Ok, no one really eats bon bons, but I digress.

These awesome sticky notes (I don't think you can call them Post Its unless they are actually made by Post It. Kinda like Band aids.) from Pretty Bitter come pre-printed with a mantra that we could all benefit from: "I will do one thing today" and then, of course, a spot where you can write in just what that "thing" might be. See now, if I had these, then I would get a whole lot more accomplished. I mean, probably not, but you never know.

You can buy an 8 pack of these babies for $11.95. Thats enough of them to split them up and gift them to all of the slackers in your life. They'll thank you.

CSC Giveaway: Kids Lunchbox Cards

This contest is now closed. Please check out our contests page for the latest giveaways at Chic Shopper Chick.

When I was a wee Shopping Chick, still working on the Chic, my mom used to pack me a lunch to bring to school. I used to love finding her yellow post-it notes in the bag, usually with a hand-drawn picture of an eye, then a heart, then the letter U. It always made me feel good, like she was thinking of me.

Well, Kids Fun Cards has taken that idea and brought it to the next level with their Kids Lunchbox Cards. It's a great way to provide a little lunchtime fun for your child, plus sending that valuable emotional boost by reminding them that you are thinking of them while they are away. The front of the cards always have a riddle or fun fact on them, sometimes with a place to scratch off the answer. The back of the card is blank and looks very much like a postcard, so you can still write a note to your child if you'd like, or draw an "eye heart u" like my mom did!

Each package of Lunchbox cards comes with 5 different cards on different topics, like "Looney Laws", "Gross but True", "Mystical Little People", "It's a Wacky World" and "Riddles". That is a weeks worth of cards in each pack! You can purchase Kids Lunchbox Cards online at their website for 4.95 per pack.

Win it! Kids Lunchbox Cards has graciously agreed to give 3 lucky Chic Shopper Chick readers a package of Lunchbox cards. To win, just follow the easy-peasy rules below:

• Leave a comment on this post telling me which package of Lunchbox cards you'd most like to have if you win.
  
• Please leave a valid email address if you would like to be contacted if you win. Otherwise, winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch.
• If the winner does not respond within 72 hours I will choose a different winner.
• US entries only please!!!
• Earn extra credit! Choose one of the following for ONE extra credit entry. Any further attempts to woo me will be disqualified!
• Write about this giveaway and send me the link in a separate post.
• Subscribe to my feed and let me know about it in a separate post.
• Stumble my main webpage (not this post please, but www.chicshopperchick.com) and leave me your Stumble Upon name in a separate post.

That's it! This contest will end at 11:59pm on August 22, 2008, and the winner will be drawn via random.org shortly thereafter. Good luck!

Derrière la porte

I came home from France this time around with a renewed obsession for my favorite company, Plyones, and a new obsession for a company called "Derrière la porte" -- which makes stuff that looks pretty much like the stuff from Pylones, so maybe that has something to do with my love for it.

Anyway, I was surfing the french web (www.google.fr) for some more stuff by Derrière la porte and found this hilarious scale that says "Je suis une plume" (I'm a feather). HA! If you like the style of this, you will like all of the items on this website -- brightly colored and usually with French sayings. You can purchase this scale for 33 Euros (so roughly 50 bucks) but then you've gotta pay shipping to the US, which is gonna cost you another 24 Euros or so, but if you REALLLLY like it then perhaps it's worth it. (Or, ahem, if your birthday is coming up -- *cough, cough*) And don't worry, it gives your weight in pounds as well as kilograms, so no worries about the conversion rate.

Check out all of the great products at this website "Meomaly" -- I really love them! Click around and let me know what you love!

CSC Review and Giveaway: Ju Ju Be "BeLight"

This contest has now ended. Please check out our contest page for our current contests and giveaways.

The search has ended. I've found IT. The queen of all diaper bags. The Big Kahuna. The whole enchilada. The...well, the other clever stuff I can't think of. You get the point.

This is it.

It's called the WannaBe, and frankly it's because all other diaper bags WannaBe just like it.

This is a diaper bag that seems like it is especially geared towards being at the beach or the pool, because it is totally summer inspired. There is a soft-lined iPod pocked with a little place for your headphones to stick out of without having to unzip the picket. There is a mini-cooler pocket that is fully insulated and is bigger than some those portable ice chests. There are two transparent zippered "mess shuttle" accessory bags to keep wet bathing suits in, and a pocket on the outside that is just perfect to carry a couple of magazines and a book.

You know, even if I didn't have a kiddo I would still rock this bag at the beach. It even has plush padded backpack straps (completely removable), a towel strap on the OUTSIDE of the bag (that way it doesn't take up precious interior room), plus, it has this really awesome Sand Trap™ at the bottom -- you unzip the solid bottom of the bag to reveal a second, mesh layered bottom where all of the sand (or cracker crumbs in our case) can fall through and be shaken out of the bottom WITHOUT having to take everything out.

That's my favorite part, actually. The Sand Trap. Wouldn't it be nice if every bag had those?

Is the WannaBe looking cool to you but maybe a bit too roomy? Check out the BeLight, the lightest diaper bag on the market -- weighing in at a mere 6.4 ounces. This is nice for those quick trips to a friends house or to a playdate where you don't need to bring the kitchen sink with you but still need a few important essentials. I especially like that the strap can be tied in different ways to make the bag longer or shorter depending on your preference. Don't worry though, at 6.4 ounces, it's still has it's own changing pad, a zippered pocket, a divided pocket, and is completely reversible!

These bags are both made by one of the coolest companies on the market, Ju Ju Be. They really make quality products (remember these really awesome stroller clips that I talked about in April?) that still have nice little touches. I love the rhinestones on the zipper pulls and on the buckles of the bag. As the expression goes, it's all in the details!

The WannaBe retails for $165 and the BeLight retails for $35.

Win it! Win your very own BeLight! To enter, follow the rules below!

(If you don't win the BeLight here on CSC, Ju Ju Be gives one away EACH week in their Pink Room, so head on over and check it out!)

• Go look at the different color options of the BeLight and come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me what color you would choose (OFFICIAL COLOR NAMES ONLY PLEASE)!
  
• Please leave a valid email address if you would like to be contacted if you win. Otherwise, winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch.
• If the winner does not respond within 72 hours I will choose a different winner.
• US entries only please!!!
• Earn extra credit! Choose one of the following for ONE extra credit entry. Any further attempts to woo me will be disqualified!
• Write about this giveaway and send me the link in a separate post.
• Subscribe to my feed and let me know about it in a separate post.

That's it! This contest will end at 11:59 pm on August 12th. Good luck!

Tees for Change

I'm in love with this line of eco-friendly organic cotton and bamboo tees that are simultaneously inspirational. Tees for Change are adorned with messages such as "Today Matters", "Choose Happiness", and "Embrace Change".

I also love this organic baby onesie that says "Dream Big".

Even cooler, Tees for Change has partnered with Trees for the Future to plant a tree for EVERY eco-friendly tee that they sell. Check them out at the Tees for Change website -- they come in a variety of cuts and colors, and they retail for $32.

Want it? Tees for change is offering Chic Shopper Chick readers a coupon for 15% off through August 31st. Just enter code CHIC at checkout.

CSC Giveaway: A Micralite FastFold Stroller!

This contest is now closed. Please check our Contests page for the most current giveaways!

Remember the Micralite Fastfold -- that really awesome stroller that I was just cooing and swooning over a mere two days ago?

You know -- this one?

(In case you don't remember, you can read my review of the FastFold here!)Well, I'm thrilled to announce that Chic Shopper Chick and Micralite have partnered to give one away to one lucky CSC reader! This is an awesome stroller that retails for $329.

The rules are a little different this time around, so read them carefully so that you can maximize your chances of winning!

To enter:

• Visit Micralite Stroller on the web and check out the Fastfold. Come back here and comment on this post -- telling me your favorite feature or thing you like most about the stroller. That will officially enter you to win.

Optional Entries -- 1 extra entry each:

• Subscribe to my RSS feed, and leave a separate comment telling me you did so. Please don't lie to me and say you did if you didn't -- I can tell with my Feedburner Pro account.
• Add the CSC button to your sidebar or link to me in your blogroll. Either (or both) will work! Leave me a separate comment telling me you did so.
  
• Write about this awesome stroller giveaway on YOUR blog and link it back to this post. Leave me a separate comment giving me the link.

Ready for the best part? If you do at least three of the four aforementioned things, you can then enter this contest as many times as you want. You can enter all day, every day, until August 29th in order to improve your chances of winning. Just please, don't copy and paste the same comment over and over again. I really read all of your comments, so I don't want to see "I wanna win." "I wanna win." over and over again. Kthxbai.

The winner, once drawn, will have 72 hours to respond. Please leave a valid email address either in the profile linked to your name or in your comment so that I can contact you if you win. Otherwise, the winner will be posted here on August 30th.

Oh, and if you are really interested in showing your love, you can also copy the code below for the banner advertising the contest and paste it in your sidebar. Thanks in advance for helping me to spread the word!




<p></p><center><a href="http://www.chicshopperchick.com/2008/08/micralite-fastfold-stroller-giveaway.html"><img src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b30/chanelpinkfashionista/Picture19.png" /></a></center><p></p>
Good Luck! This contest ends at 11:59 pm on August 29th, after which the winner will be drawn using Random.org.

I see London, I see France...

Steps. Europe has lots of STEPS. As in stairs. To climb. And, alright, I know that France and England were well established before good ole' Columbus had ever even THOUGHT about sailing the "ocean blue" but I mean, c'mon, haven't they every heard of elevators over there?

Steps aren't an issue for me, but of course, it was a new consideration with a 18 month old in tow. She would need a stroller, and it would have light enough to carry when needed, and need to fold up quickly and compactly. Lucky for me, I was aware of all of these things before I left and prepared accordingly.

We brought with us the Micralite Fastfold, a stroller that holds true to it's name -- it is small and light, and really does fold up quite quickly! It made our trip MUUUCCCHHHH easier, and we discussed several times how impossible it would have been had we been using another stroller.

Ok, so there is so much to say about this lean, mean, pushchair machine that it's easiest for me to make a list -- so read on to find out my loves and a few little nitpicky things that I would improve.

I love the Micralite Fastfold because:

1) At 16 lbs, it was light enough for me to physically pick up and carry for a short distance, if needed.
2) The larger back tires are filled with air, which made for a much smoother ride, and it made it easier to hop up over bumps by popping the stroller backwards.
3) The design is really cool -- it almost looks like it is in the shape of a triangle.
4) There is mesh at the back of the seat to keep air flowing through, which is really important in the summer especially -- so that Little AG wasn't sweating.
5) There are reflectors lining the edge of the entire stroller, which really messed up my pictures but was great for crossing streets at night, especially in London, where they drive on the wrong side of the road.
6) The handle for pushing goes all the way across AND it has two little sections on the side for both hands. This is convenient for one-handed pushing as well as using both hands.
7) It collapses and sets up in under 3 seconds. Yowza!
8) It came with an AWESOME raincover that would have been a lifesaver for us in London if I had only remembered to actually bring it with me from the hotel room. In all seriousness though, I did eventually get to use it and it rocked. Everyone in London had a raincover for their stroller. It was nice to blend-in and very functional.
9) Little AG was very comfortable in it -- it is almost like sitting in a hammock, the way it is designed.

The nitpicky stuff that I would change but wouldn't stop me from getting another one:

1) The front wheels aren't air-filled. I wish they all were, as it is a nice feature.
2) The sun canopy is miniature and does close to nothing for keeping the sun out of Little AG's eyes. However, I used the Protect A Bub Sunshade with it and it worked like a charm.
3) It's oddly shaped, making the front wheels of the stroller further apart than the back wheels, which causes problems when trying to squeeze through tight spaces.
4) You can't hook a diaper bag or even a small grocery bag to the back handles (which is stays very clearly in the instructions, for the record). This stroller is very back-heavy and when I took little AG out of the stroller, it would instantly flip backwards. Trust me, I broke a coffee mug in a souvenir shop by not remembering this very factoid. Slightly embarrassing, and I had a feeling they were muttering "stupid American girl" under their breath as I sheepishly offered to pay for it.
Places we maneuvered the Micralite Fastfold:

1) The wet, packed streets of London.
2) Through the overpriced department store of Harrods.
3) Up stairs in Tube and Metro stops.
4) Onto the Eurostar Train.
5) Through the cobblestone streets of Paris.
6) Through the Catacombs of Paris.
7) Up the Arc de Triomphe.
8) On the Metro (aka Subway).
9) On Escalators.
10) On the rocky beaches of Nice on the French Riviera.

Overall, the Micralite Fastfold ROCKS my world. Hubby and I both agree would couldn't have made it through Europe using our other stroller -- this one was a lifesaver. Did I mention how cute it is? We get compliments about it everywhere we go. The girl in London called it a "Posh Buggy" and I swooned. :)

The Micralite Fastfold is available in Red and Black. It holds up to 42 lbs.

Rock On!

I love fun and funky children's clothing. Not that the adorable dresses from Carter's don't have their place, because Little AG owns quite a few of them -- but wouldn't it be nice every now and again to dress your kids in something a little less cookie cutter?

Enter Crib Rock Couture, a clothing line that is anything BUT cookie cutter, while still conveying the essence of kids. My ultimate favorite is this Lemon Crush Crib Rock Tee for toddlers, that is an advertisement for the "Wag Your Tails Tour" -- presenting "Sheep are Bo's Peeps!" I love it -- how clever! Celebs also love this great line -- this shirt can be seen being sported by Apple Martin -- the daughter of Gwyenth Paltrow and Chris Martin.

The sizes for these tees start at 0-6 months and go up to 4T. They retail for $34.

CSC Giveaway: Paperlicious Momager Cards and Social Stationery

This contest has now ended. Please check out our contest page for our current contests and giveaways.

Note: This giveaway is a part of the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival! Thanks for stopping by!

My friend LJ (soon to be LL, as it were!) has the best stationery. We've been friends since we were 15 and even then she had a knack for finding the most clever, chic, and classy cards, notes, and other bits of stationery. She lives and breathes by the next paper shop or stationery store and each time I receive a note in the mail from her I feel like I am opening a little treasure.

When I stumbled upon Paperlicious, I immediately thought of LJ -- it is an online haven for lovers of all things paper. I had the good fortune to be able to try out the Momager Calling Cards -- which are sort of like business cards for moms. How many times have you been somewhere with your child(ren) and met another mom who had so much in common with you that you decided to meet up. Oh but then there is the business of writing down names (and the names of their children) home numbers, cell numbers, or email addresses. These card's make it so easy! I chose the zebra patterned cards that have my name at the top, with "Little AG's mom" written below it. I also included my cell phone number, my website address, and my email address.

I have already used them at Gymboree and the grocery store, and they have been fantastically helpful. Be warned, pulling these babies out will bring on cries of "where are those from" and "those are so cool", and rightfully so. They are the mommy's answer to efficient social networking.

There were so many great designs that I had a hard time choosing my favorite. I also like the Blue Brown Dots Design and the Pink Brown Swirls. Of course, I chose the zebra pattern because it's a bit like my personality -- all-business with a bit of a wild streak! You can get a pack of 50 Momager Calling Cards on the Paperlicious website for a mere $22.

My other favorite item from Paperlicious is their Social Stationery. I chose some for my family that has our family name at the top, with all three of our first names printed at the bottom. It is really sweet and I have used it to send little notes to friends and family on more than one occasion -- most recently to send a note to my grandmother along with a little gift that I purchased for her in France. I chose the Blue Brown Dots Stationery -- it comes with 30 flat cards, printed in the pattern and with the names of your choosing, as well as 30 white envelopes. You can purchase this set of 30 for $19.99 on the Paperlicious website.

All of the products are truly adorable -- I'm also especially fond of the photo birth announcements and the "Admit One" Baby Shower Invitations. What is your favorite? Head on over to Paperlicious and let me know!

Win it! Amy over at Paperlicious has graciously offered to giveaway one set of social stationery and one set of Momager Calling cards. To enter, follow the directions below.

• Go to the Paperlicious website and check out their Momager Calling Cards and their Social Stationery -- then come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me which prize of the two you'd like to win, and in what pattern!
  
• Please leave a valid email address if you would like to be contacted if you win. Otherwise, winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch.
• If the winner does not respond within 72 hours I will choose a different winner.
• US entries only please!!!
• Earn extra credit! Choose one of the following for ONE extra credit entry. Any further attempts to woo me will be disqualified!
• Write about this giveaway and send me the link in a separate post.
• Subscribe to my feed and let me know about it in a separate post.

That's it! This contest will end at 11:59 pm CST on July 30th, 2008. Go now, enter, and tell your friends!

PS -- Are you also participating in the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival? Please, sign Mr. Linky at this post so that I can be sure to visit your site too!!

La Chaise Longue

When I was in Paris I had a chance to stop in a store called "La Chaise Longue" when I was walking from the Abesses metro stop to the Butte de Montmartre. As soon as I stepped inside I was greeted by a singsong "Bonjour mademoiselle" (rather flirty, using the mademoiselle, actually) from an upbeat guy who was bopping around the store. I instantly liked the place -- it was very minimalist and clean, with just one of each item on display. You had to ask the workers to get the things that you were interested in purchasing from the back storeroom. However, all of the items were just fun and funky. It actually reminded me a lot of my favorite store, Plyones (which also ended up being on that street!).

Anyway, I walked away from La Chaise Longue with this adorable melamine set for Little AG. I purchased the bowl, plate, and divided plate set, as well as two matching sets of silverware for her, all for 22 Euros. Of course, I can't find all of the same pieces on the website, but I did manage to find the plate for you to see -- the silverware, divided plate and bowl all follow suit. Being a francophile and french teacher by trade, I love that this set has little girly pictures all labeled properly in french. C'est magnifique.

You can buy the little plate that you see above on sale for 4 Euros from La Chaise Longue. Of course, the conversion rate equates to around 6 dollars and then there is shipping from France, but what an adorable gift for the sweet little girl in your life!