Classy Kid

How awesome are these "Keep Me Coloring" Placemats from Classy Kid? These cool placemats wrap around the table, and adhere to it, creating a waterproof eating surface that germs can't break through. Not only that, but it gives your kiddos something to do while you wait for the food (besides scream about how hungry they are). Even the crayons are neato -- they are triangular shaped so that they won't roll off the table. Even cooler -- they are what Classy Kid calls a "Clean and Green" product -- meaning they are completely biodegradable (made of 80% calcium) and will break down in a matter of months, not decades, while sitting in a landfill.

Another one of the "Clean and Green" products that I'm a fan of are the "Potty Protectors". They not only cover the top of the toilet seat but wrap around the sides (because honestly, the sides of the toilet gross me out more than the seat sometimes -- think about how rarely it is cleaned...) where kids hold on to the seat! They also have little grip strips to hold the protector in place.

Then today, when I was shopping in Target (I really like it there, I know, I know) I noticed this "Boo-Boo Rescue" First Aid Kit! It is packed with everything you need to handle all of those little boo boos that can happen around the house. It comes with a Bump Reliever Cold Pack , no-sting antiseptic wipes, antibiotic cream, a "magic" splinter remover, animal-shaped bandages, a gauze roll, wound cleaner, and even a toy Stethoscope so that your little one can "help" with the diagnosis.

You can buy all of these products by Classy Kid on Amazon.com.

Chic Shopper Chick -- Neat Solutions Giveaway

Not sure if I have mentioned this before, but I AM A GERM-A-PHOBE. Seriously. I won't even eat/drink after hubby, which he naturally finds ridiculous. I can't stand for things to seem germy. I won't cook in a kitchen unless I am confident that all of the pots, pans, and utensils were sufficiently cleaned, and sometimes I clean them again -- justincase. I carefully inspect restaurant glasses, plates, and utensils, and have to refrain from asking for my drink to be put in a to-go cup with no ice (ice machines have germs -- didn't you see that Oprah?) That's not to say that my house is even close to what you would call clean -- clutter can be everywhere, but the countertops MUST BE WIPED DOWN.

Yes I'm odd and quirky. I'll be the first to admit it. My own family makes fun of me.

Well, I may be extreme, but you don't have to be a germ-a-phobe to appreciate the products that Neat Solutions produces! For example -- when Little AG was old enough to sit in a high-chair in restaurants (that is a whole 'nother post that I promise to write in the future), I started having the problem of her touching all over the grimy table. Eww. We would wipe it down with Baby Wipes, but c'mon, those things aren't antibacterial. Neat Solutions knew there were moms like me out there freaking out about this type of thing, so they created their Table Toppers, that come in a variety of patterns (like Winnie the Pooh, and Baby Einstein). Table Toppers are disposable placemats that essentially stick in place on the table of the restaurant (or dining hall, like at the youth retreat I am currently helping at). We wrap ours on top but also along the side of the table, since Little AG likes to stick her hands all over the place. The best part is that we can pull apart a piece of bread or something, and put the pieces on the Table Topper so she can feed herself and we might be able to get more than one bite in at a time!

I also really like their XL changing pads -- the little one that came with my diaper bag never seems quite big enough to cover those gross public changing tables, but these do the trick. I like to slip the one from my diaper bag under it to give Little AG a little extra padding, and then place the Neat Solutions on top of that one.

What about public toilets? We are going to Europe this summer with our youth group, and I plan on taking the Potty Toppers with us to take care of those icky airport and public restrooms.

Taking your kiddo to visit your great-aunt who is fanatical about cleanliness and has her sofa from 1974 still covered in plastic? Bring along one of the Floor Toppers and stick it underneath the chair where you and the little one will be sitting. After the meal, you can make sure that any stray crumbs are safely picked up and not ground into the carpet.

I was watching Jon and Kate Plus 8 the other day, and I noticed that Kate had put these disposable bibs by Neat Solutions on the sextuplets when they were eating ice cream. We don't use bibs as much as we used to for Little AG, but sometimes, like for spaghetti dinners or any other rather messy food, these bibs are perfect. I can keep them in the diaper bag and just pull one out when I need it -- they don't take up a lot of room, so it's not a hassle to just keep them there.

Neat Solutions is just that, a neat solution for life's little messes, and you know a lot of them come with having children. You can check out Neat Solution's Website for info on where to buy their products at a major retailer near you.

Win It!!! Neat Solutions has generously offered a Neat Solutions prize package to one Chic Shopper Chick reader! This package includes one package of each of the following: disposable bibs, floor toppers, table toppers, potty toppers, multi-use pads, and XL Changing Pads!

To enter:

• Comment on this post with the name of the mom who invented Neat Solutions, as well as which Neat Solutions Product you like the most.
  
• 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 AND CANADIAN entries. (Wooo hoo, Canada friends! Get your entry on!)
  
• 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.

This giveaway will end on June 10th, 2008 at midnight CST. Good luck!

PS -- Like free stuff? CSC just started running another giveaway today for a beautiful purse from The Kat Sak. Check it out!

Mop of my Dreams

Quite literally, this is the mop of my dreams. While I'm a bit hazy on the details, I do know that I was using this mop to clean floors in my dreams last night. Now that I think of it, though, aren't dreams supposed to be fun and exciting? Why the heck was I mopping? I should have been making out hanging out with David Cook from American Idol instead of mopping -- but, I digress.

Anyway, I purchased this oMop by Method a while back on the recommendation of my friend, T. I've gotta say, it is a pleasure to use. It was easy to assemble (snap, snap, snap, velcro = mop) and even easier to mop with. The handle is curved so that you don't have to bend and like, break your back when you mop (though hurting your back by mopping does give you a good excuse to whine and watch a bit of TV, so if that is what you are looking for, skip this post all together). The cleaning micro-fiber pad just sticks onto the velcro, and wham, you're ready to mop. The cleaner stuff (in a nice lemon-ginger scent -- no toxic knock-ya-down fumes there thankyouverymuch) just squirts from the bottle to the floor, then you run the mop over it. Amazingly, it picks up a lot of dirt. A lot. Especially for those of us with dogs and toddlers.

When you are done mopping you just rinse out the mopping pad and hang it to dry. I feel a lot better about having this in my house than a germy-ole mop. Plus, it works really well -- I highly recommend it if you haven't found it yet (and all of the Method products, for that matter). You can buy yourself an oMop on Method's website for $30.

Your back will thank you. You might even dream about it.

Retro Ice Bags by Gal Pal

Sunday morning Little AG and I were just playing away in her playroom and *bam* things went from sunny to stormy when she smacked her head on a little table. Of course, being the paranoid mother that I am (and that my mother made me, so here's a shout-out --thanks mom!) I rushed her into our bedroom where I promptly woke up hubby to see if he thought she had a concussion. (sorry hubby) While he tried to soothe the little crying mess, I rushed into the kitchen to grab a bag of frozen (but organic!) green beans to put on her head in case of swelling.

It was at that moment that I realized how much I missed the little blue ice pack that we had when I was growing up. I used that thing for everything -- ice for bumps and bruises and warm for sore back and leg muscles from too much dance team practice. Anyway, today I did a search for ice packs and voila! How cool are these Retro Ice Bags from Gal Pal? They come in 16 different patterns and are completely latex-free! There are hearts, teddy bears, and smiley faces for kiddos, and martini glasses for the over-21 set! My favorite is the pastel dots, but I'm partial to pink!

Anyway, you can pick up one of these fab-o ice packs from Gal Pal for $13!

Pacifier Pod

I don't know how some of you super moms always have a pacifier on hand. I can't even take a walk around my neighborhood with Little AG without losing at least one, and sometimes two. With that being said, I just saw these very smart JJ Cole Pacifier Pods and am planning on ordering two of them immediately. I currently have a stock of 7 pacifiers, thanks to my recent order of the Natursutten Pacifiers from Freckle Face, so this will be perfect. I can start keeping track of them right away, which is a nice thing since these new BPA free paci's are hard to come by in a pinch.

The specs on these holders say they are machine washable and dishwasher safe. Am I the only one who finds that part funny? Anyway, I think they are cute, stylish, and it says that you can hook them anywhere, on your belt loop (but, the fashionista in me feels the need to say: please don't), on the stroller, car seat, or diaper bag. Yes please! Pick up one of these Pacifier Pods in all sorts of cute patterns at Bloom Maternity for $7.95.

Born Free Drinking Cups

I'm very excited because Little AG's new, BPA free sippy cups arrived on our doorstep yesterday. When the definitive news stories on BPA started popping up everywhere, I promptly tossed all of her sippy cups and have had her drinking out of a straw while we waited for these. We bought her the drinking cups and not the trainer cups, because the drinking cups have a harder spout (but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it is still somewhat soft, making it teether friendly). They hold up to 290 ml of liquid (I don't do the metric system very well, but it looks to be about 9 to 10 oz of liquid), and come in 4 different colors. I ordered them off of Amazon.com, and agreed to take whatever colors they had available, but I was pleased to discover one of each color when I opened the box.

The Born Free drinking cups have a low vacuum valve, so the liquid flows freely (read: it's not a spill-proof cup, as I've already discovered) but that is a good thing, because the cups that force your baby to suck really hard puts them at more risk for ear infections. Plus, if you've ever sucked on any random sample of sippy cups out there (I have) you know that some of them are virtually impossible to get any liquid out of without feeling like your cheeks will implode.

The cups also all come with handles that can be removed if you wish, so that is a nice bonus.

The best part is that it's completely BPA free, so you can feel good giving it to your child knowing that they aren't drinking in any toxic chemicals. They are somewhat pricey, but even hubby didn't complain when I ordered them. You can buy a pack of 4 Born Free Drinking Cups on Amazon for $38.99. Or, you can buy just one Born Free Drinking Cup for $9.89.

Looking for BPA free bottles instead? Check out my previous post on Wee Go Baby Bottles.

Babyganics Clean

Oooh, so I'm always on the lookout for a safer way to clean my house (the little cleaning that I actually do, that is) that doesn't involve vinegar -- because I just can't bring myself to deal with the scent. It's making my eyes water and my nose scrunch right now just thinking about it. So, when I ran across these products from Babyganics (what a cute name, right?) I almost danced a little jig.

Well, except I have no idea how it is that one dances a jig. But, I digress.

You can buy this "super" kit of cleaning products that features, in a nutshell: nothing toxic, no dyes, chemical free, and no animal testing (yay!). In that kit you will receive two 32 oz. bottles of "all-purpose cleaner", two 32 oz. bottles of "glass cleaner", two 32 oz. "tub and tile" cleaners, and one 16 oz. "concentrate floor cleaner". Bonus: you can choose if you'd like it delivered non-scented or in Lavender.

Everything they make is certified non-toxic by a toxicologist, and that covers all means of toxic -- skin, eyes, ingestion, and inhalation. You can buy the whole kit for $42 (that includes shipping!) by visiting Go Natural Baby.

Clean Well, Live Well

I bought some of these wonderful products just the other day when I was at Target, and so far I love them. They are the only product that cleans as well as other anti-bacterial products without using all the harmful chemicals. The germ killing ingredient is called Ingenium, which is the only all-natural anti-microbial that meets EPA and FDA standards for getting rid of germs. It is alcohol-free and contains no harsh chemicals, which makes me happy, and makes it safe to use on kids, without worrying about their health. Bonus: it was developed by two parents to aid their son who's immune system only functioned at 10%, and who were worried about the effects that toxic chemicals in other anti-bacterial solutions had on their health. Grab some of CleanWell's products here at their website, or head to your local Target store and pick it up in the handwashing aisle!

Wipes go Green!

When Little AG was around 6 months old I switched to these fabulous and eco-friendly Seventh Generation Chlorine-Free Wipes and haven't looked back. They have been great on her sensitive skin, and unlike when I was using some of the other wipes, I don't hesitate to use these to wipe her face, hands, nose, etc. Actually, I'm not quite sure how I lived my life before now without carrying wipes everywhere. It's quite handy, actually. I buy these in bulk, and they are automatically shipped to my house every 2 months thanks to Amazon Ship and Save. I pay $30 for a case of 12 refill (regularly $39 -- cheaper if you sign up for the Ship and Save) packs (which have a resealable top) and they are perfect to throw in the diaperbag. You can check out the rest of Seventh Generation's "green" products at www.seventhgeneration.com.

Quick Change

I am notorious for not wanting to tote a bulky diaper bag everywhere, so sometimes I just throw a diaper and some wipes in the bottom of the stroller when I am running in somewhere. Apparently, the folks at BePe Baby are right there with me, because as I was browsing their site I noticed this very cool Diaper Roll Up that I swear was invented for me! It has room for 4 diapers, a tube of diaper rash cream, and a hard plastic case of wipes. Then you can just throw it in the bottom of the stroller and know you have everything that you need in one place! Diaper Roll Up, $18 at BePe Baby.

Sweetest Soap

I ordered some of these fabulous baby products for little A.G. about 8 months ago and I love, love, love them! I first read about them when I was doing a little research on Cosmetic Database about the body wash and shampoo that I was using on her at the time (to my horror -- was rated a 6 out of 10 as a hazard to little ones) and decided to try these products instead. They are completely organic and smell AMAZING. The Angel Baby Lotion makes her skin so soft and smells like a dreamsicle ice cream cone. I highly recommend the Angel Baby Shampoo and Body Wash ($12.95 for 5.3 oz) which has a foam pump that I love, and it smells great too. I've also tried the Angel Baby Bottom Balm and it works miracles on little A.G.'s sensitive skin.

Check out all of the Earth Mama Angel Baby products here. Best of all, none of their products are rated higher than a 1 out of 10 by the Cosmetic Database. Check out their company profile here.

Adorable Humidifiers

When I was pregnant I drooled over these adorable cool-mist humidifiers by Crane! When little A.G. got sick for the first time, the doc recommended a humidifier for her, and hubby gave in! I scooped up a frog humidifier for her, but there are lots of other characters, like this cow. They also have a pig, elephant, dragon, penguin, Hello Kitty, Thomas the Tank, and Spongebob Squarepants!

You can buy Crane's 1 gallon cool-mist humidifier here for $29.99 and the shipping is free!