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.

It's Kind of a Big Deal...

Serena and Lily, everyone's favorite brand of nursery decor is 15% off through the month of August. It's kind of a big deal, because S and L never allow their products to be marked down! So, if you have had your eye on that terrific bedding set for your new baby's nursery now is the time to take the plunge and buy it!


Also, Caden Lane products are 10% off through August as well. If you aren't familiar with Caden Lane, they offer a terrific selection of diaper bags, car seat covers, blankets, etc. Head on over to Pure and Honest Kids to check it out!

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!

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!

Guest Post: Jen from PPV on VPZ Designs

Today's guest post is from one of my favorite people, Jen, over at Posh Point of View. Jen is a mom who runs her own online store -- Lil Nola -- and her own blog -- A Posh Point of View. Jen is my only blogging friend that I have ever known in real life. When she and I caught up a while back we discovered that we had both been blogging and writing very similar websites. We graduated from high schools that were only 30 minutes away from each other and were sorority sisters at the same college. She really is one of the most fashionable people that I know, so I am sure that you will enjoy her post below. Thanks again Jen for helping me out while I am on vacation! When you are done reading her post here, be sure to check out all of the great posts and giveaways at Posh Point of View!


Do you love personalized gifts? I do! I have found a great site VPZ Designs that has great personalized gifts that are a must have. Victoria P. Zurcher is owner and designer of all these great products. VPZ Designs has everything from personalized lunchboxes to handpainted step stools.
I personally love her personalized lunch boxes. VPZ Designs has just introduced their new line, the Flipside Retro Lunch Box. On the front is a cute little monster with personalized name and on the "flipside" is the backside of the monster and name. Cute concept right? The also have some other really trendy lunch boxes like the Dots and Blocks Lunch Box. You gotta love the old school metal style lunch boxes! This would be perfect for your little one starting school next month...can you believe it's that soon? You can get these lunchboxes for an affordable price of $25.

Dont worry mom...VPZ Designs has something for you too. The Avocado Travel Cup would be perfect for that morning latte. You can get these personalized three different way: your name, single letter, or three letter monogram...you decide! While you are there get one for dad to take on his morning trip to work. They have a great golf cup. These retail for $19.

I am so glad I found this fabulous little shop. Please visit VPZ Designs and take a look around. Come back and tell us what product is your favorite!

I wanted thank Chic Shopper Chick for inviting me to guest post while she is in Europe. Hope you are having a great time!

The perfect vase

Back in May, I was delighted to learn that I had won one of these way cool vases from Jillable in a contest on My Mom Shops (and I'm sooo not lucky people, I never win things). They are made from a durable plastic and come in all sorts of cool patterns and colors. They take up very small amounts of room because they fold completely flat when they don't have water in them. A pretty cool concept, in my opinion.

When I got it my vase in the mail, I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical. It has been sitting under my counter next to all of my other vases for about a month. On Sunday night we attended a wedding for my cousin, and there were all of these white roses everywhere. At the end of the reception, we were leaving, and the brides mom (my aunt) handed me a HUGE handful of these gorgeous white roses, and I certainly wasn't going to say no -- they would have ended up in the trash. So, when we got home I pulled out the Jillable vase, and, still a bit skeptical I cut the bottoms off of the roses under the water and then proceeded to place them in the vase. As I filled the vase with water it expanded, to create a stable base so that it would stand up straight. I placed the roses in it, and thanks to the narrow top on the vase, it created this gorgeous bouquet of roses that I can never seem to accomplish in the vases with wider necks. Best of all, it actually stood up on it's own and looks ADORABLE.

So now I'm in love. This is the perfect vase -- it doesn't take up too much room, folds flat when not in use, but is fully functional and trendy when you need it. This morning my friend T walked into my house, and, pointing at it said "Is that a vase?!" I nodded, proud of my little Jillable vase. It's way cool.

Oh, and it's affordable too -- at only $8 per vase, and you can choose your pattern. I have the "Flower Power" but I had a hard time choosing -- they are all really pretty. Check them out at www.jillable.com.

Stewart+Brown: Organic Pioneers

If I were to write a description of myself, fashionista would be a word that would slip in. I do enjoy fashion, though I find myself more on the Charolotte end of the spectrum, rather than the Carrie end, if you catch my drift. My style is classy, classic, and comfortable, with a hint of trendy.


That being said, I was quite enamored when I came across the Stewart+Brown website. The first thing that caught my eye were the amazing clothes! All of these beautiful pieces, so many, in fact, that I had a hard time choosing favorites. I clicked on over to the organic cotton clothing, and I eventually settled on this beautiful jersey dress in "pomegranate" (I love that they didn't call it "red", don't you?). It is fitted at the top, seamed into pleats that unfold as they go down, creating a soft, girly look and a dress with lots of movement (I'll admit it, I twirled in it. C'mon, don't act like you haven't done it.) I was a little nervous, just ordering by the size chart online, but when I received it, it fit perfectly. Not to mention that it was the most comfortable thing I've ever worn. Seriously, I didn't want to take it off. The organic cotton is so soft that I insisted that hubby "feel" the dress. Even he was impressed, and that is hard to do.


I also chose this beautiful collar scoop shell top. It is made from 100% organic cotton, and has the most intricate embroidery detail and also has a silk screen detail on the mock sleeves that I love. It has a great fit, and is long enough for me -- which is a rarity on my 5'8" frame -- it seems like every top I that like is too short.


Lastly, I was fortunate enough to try out two of their fabulous totes. The Clover Purse tote in Pomegranate (when I unwrapped it I promptly dumped my stuff out of my other bag and placed it all in this one -- it's gorgeous) has beautiful detailing on the outside inspired by iron work that one of the owners/founders of Stewart Brown saw on a trip to Portugal. It is made from a surplus hemp blend and lined with organic cotton.



The other bag that I'm currently lovin' on is this Green Heart Tote that I fully intend to use to tote my groceries in. It is made from 100% organic surplus cotton, so you can go green by using your tote and know that even your tote bag is helping!

Head on over to Stewart+Brown and check out all of their great products -- you can shop til you drop and help the earth at the same time!

Belt it out!

Little AG and I are currently in Washington DC, accompanying hubby on a business trip. Lucky for me, we are staying in Georgetown, where M street is the fashionsita's equivalent of heaven. However, something I'm finding to be rather lacking here are unique, trendy children's fashion boutiques. With the exception of Gap Kids, I spend all day shopping in "adult" stores. That's why I was excited when I saw these chic belts for little girls at Be Jeweled. They come in 3 different sizes, small (23 inches), medium (28 inches), and large (33 inches). They are so fashion-forward yet age-appropriate, which is sometimes a hard line to walk when it comes to little girls clothing and accessories. You can buy these adorable, handcrafted belts in a multitude of colors and designs online at the Be Jeweled website for $32 each.

Chic Shopper Chick Giveaway -- Bag Borrow or Steal

Oh man, I'm so excited about today's review and giveaway that I can hardly stand it! I hope that you have been enjoying your "clues" for the past 4 days! Now it is officially time to reveal the prize!

Bag Borrow or Steal has partnered with Chic Shopper Chick to promote their "role" in the new movie, Sex and the City. If you have yet to see the new movie (is that possible?), Carrie hires a new assistant, Louise (played by Jennifer Hudson). During her interview, Louise tells Carrie that she moved to New York from St. Louis, and that she is broke, sharing a one-bedroom apartment with 4 other girls. Carrie looks down at Louise's Louis Vuitton Blue Denim Bowly Handbag and asks if she is sharing an apartment with so many girls, how does she afford that bag?

Louise says "It's rented. Bag Borrow or Steal, baby."

At this point, I am sitting in the movie theater FREAKING out, because not only am I a huge fan of Bag Borrow or Steal, but I also know that I have this giveaway coming up, which makes me even more excited.

So, for those of you who aren't familiar with this awesome service, or have just started to hear the buzz about it, let me fill you in. Bag Borrow or Steal is being called the "netflix of handbags"! It is an online borrowing service that lets it's customers choose from thousands of designer items -- all available for rent on a weekly or monthly basis! Why should fashion editors and socialites be the only people allowed to borrow great accessories? Now you can too! With more than 3,000 luxury handbags styles availble to rent, and more than 650 jewlery styles, there truly is something for every occasion.

I plan on renting myself a nice Chanel Bag for my trip to Europe this summer, and perhaps a small evening clutch as well. I have every intention of fitting in while I am in Paris, also known as the fashion capital of the world (no pressure there, right?). And for those of you who have never been -- the French will notice your designer bag. Even the men will comment on how beautiful your "Sha-nel bag" is.

The cool thing about Bag Borrow or Steal is that you don't have to be rolling in dough to rent a great bag. For example, members of BBoS can rent this fabulous BCBGMAXAZARIA "Erica" bag for only $6 per week! Like Coach? Rent this Coach Hobo bag for only $9 per week! Of course, if you have more expensive tastes, or just need a bag for a one-time occasion, you could look into renting this amazing Christian Dior "Plisse" bag (at left) for $111 per week (this one is swoon-worthy).

It doesn't stop at designer handbags, ooooh no. I also like the sunglasses rental option -- where you can snag these Prada shades for a cool $43 a month (they also go for $20 a week, but it makes more sense to keep them for a month at those prices). Or, my favorite Chanel glasses that I have worn for 3 years straight (they never go out of style) can be rented for $75 per month! Oooh, or how about designer jewlery? Rent the Tiffany earrings you see above for $68 per week.

So, are you a designer guru like me, without the pocket change to support it? If so, Bag Borrow or Steal is definitely the online site for you!

Want to try it out?! The kind fashionistas over at BBoS are offering a promotion to all Chic Shopper Chick readers! Pay for 3 weeks of rental and get an additional week free! Essentially, you will be getting 25% off borrowing fees! All you have to do is enter the code CHIC4455 to receive your discount! So for a mere $18 you could be renting one of the fabulous bags that I mentioned above for an entire month! This code expires June 21st, 2008, so act quickly!

Win It! Already in love with this site? Well, Bag Borrow or Steal has generously offered to give one lucky Chic Shopper Chick reader a $50 gift card! Combine this with the deal mentioned above (25% off borrowing fees for a month's rental) and you have a really sweet prize!



To enter:

• Head on over to the Bag Borrow or Steal website and browse around a bit. Come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me what you would use your giftcard for if you won.
  
• 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 are welcomed!!!
  
• 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.

All of you who participated in all four of the hints leading up to this giveaway will receive an extra entry. That's it! So go now and enter! This giveaway will end on June 17th, 2008 at midnight CST. The winner will be chosen via random.org.

Good luck!

This giveaway is now closed. Please go to our Contests page for our current giveaways!

Surprise Giveaway Hint! 4th and Final!

Well, today is the last day of hints for this fabulous giveaway that we have coming up here at Chic Shopper Chick! Is the anticipation killing you? It's one awesome giveaway, I promise! I will post the giveaway itself tomorrow, so all entries for the "hints" must be submitted before the giveaway post goes up! Remember, you must correctly guess the designer of all four items to earn an extra entry!

So here it is -- the final hint! #4, or quatre as we say en francais! (Hrm, was that a bonus hint for the identity of today's item?)

So here it is, from my ultimate favorite designer, hint #4. Add a comment to this post with your guess! Good Luck, and be sure to come back tomorrow for the giveaway announcement!

Surprise Giveaway Hint! #3

Ok ladies, if you've answered the previous two entries correctly, you've officially gotten yourself halfway towards an extra entry in this fabulous giveaway! (If you are new to my site and are scratching your head in confusion, please read my first entry about this here to catch yourself up to speed.) I won't keep you in anticipation for today's hint, so here it is -- Hint #3! This one is a little bit trickier, but if you've been playing along so far, then you probably have a leg up on the competition, because you might *ahem* know where to look to find the answer...

Ok, leave your entries as a comment on this post and you will officially be 3/4 of the way towards an extra entry -- and TRUST me, you will want it! So go ahead, name the designer of the bag above!

Good luck!

Surprise Giveaway Hint! #2

I'm getting so very excited about this surprise giveaway that we'll be doing very soon! I just know you are going to love it! Remember, if you correctly guess all four designers of the objects that I'm posting, you will have earned yourself an additional entry into the giveaway! (And if you guess what they all have in common, you just may figure out what it is that we're giving away!)

Ok, here is hint #2! Don't forget to leave your guesses as a comment on this post! All guesses must be received by the time the actual giveaway post goes up! Good Luck!

Surprise Giveaway Hint!

Ok ladies! We have a fantastic giveaway (that I'm super excited about) here at Chic Shopper Chick coming up very soon -- but first, I want to build the excitement and anticipation! So, for an extra entry into this giveaway, you must correctly identify the designer of EACH of the items that I post for the next 4 days. Leave all 4 comments by the time this awesome giveaway is listed on day 5, and you will have earned yourself an extra chance at winning! (And you may even guess what we're giving away!)

So, without further ado -- here is the first item! Correctly identify it's designer and be 1/4 of the way to an extra entry!

Lovin' the Bath Luve

Poor Little AG's first experience in the bathtub was rather unpleasant for all involved. Even though we tried to make it warm for her, she screamed like a banchee the entire time -- until her daddy finally had to feed her a bottle while I finished bathing her (you should see those pictures -- they're hilarious). Well, unbeknownst to me -- there was a fabulous, mom-created product that could have helped us to soothe Little AG during that bath.

Bath Luve (Love-ee) are these awesome clothlike drapes to dip in the water and place on your infant's chest, shoulder and torso area. They keep the baby warm and soothed, which in our case, would have been such a blessing! They come in 3 different designs, a duck, a frog, and a fish -- oh so adorable! These are a must-have for any mom of an infant, and they would also make a great add-on to a baby shower gift!

Head on over to the Bath Luve website to grab one of these for the baby or babies in your life! You can purchase them directly from the website for 6.99 each! What a steal!

Coloring and Cupcakes

I was browsing Etsy this morning when I happened upon these beautiful items from the storefront of ChichiBoulie. Based out of Lille, France, all of these exquisite pieces are hand drawn. Among my favorites are these adorable coloring books -- like this one for boys called "Le Mer" (the sea):They are 10 pages long and retail for $5.50. At 4 by 6 inches, they are the perfect size to slip into a travel bag for some quiet coloring time.

My other favorite items are these adorable gift tags -- you can get a set of 6 for $5. I like the cupcake style, but there are other designs as well, like Bridal Shower tags!

Check out these as well as the many other adorable designs at ChichiBoulie -- she also sells custom artwork and stationery, among other things!

Queen for a Day

Maybe it's the princess in me, maybe it's because my name means "royalty", or maybe it's because I'm from a culture of Mardi Gras traditions where it's often normal to hear "I'm royalty this year" or "I'm on the court" -- but I just love representations of royalty and elegance! This classic crown pillowcase is no exception -- I think it would make an awesome addition to our bedroom, as a matter of fact, because it would match the blue and brown color scheme that I've got going. This fabulous accent pillow is 14x9 inches and is stitched on a fine linen. Be royalty in your own right by grabbing one for $26.50 at Orient Expressed.

PS -- Be sure to check out their smocked children's clothing while you're there -- it's not to be missed!

Posh Plates

I admit that I'm addicted to Jon and Kate Plus 8, and since we've been out of town for 3 days now, I'm assuming that all of the reruns have probably filled up the empty space on our DVR. Kate always has the cutest stuff for her kids, and once I discovered that a lot of the things I like were Em Tanner Designs, I have become a frequent visitor to the website. I have been cyber-stalking these adorable melamine plates for a while now, and I think I am going to break down and order one for Little AG. I liked the ones with the full name on them, but then I discovered these initial plates, and now I'm torn. No matter which one you choose, it will show up with your child's name on it, which I think is SO cool. All of the designs are so cute -- go check out Em Tanner Designs to see what you can fall in love with!

Chic Shopper Chick Giveaway: Boon Snack Ball and Flo

I've already professed my love and admiration for every Boon Product that I have ever met -- like this super cool Frog Pod that hangs in Little AG's bathroom, and this way awesome Animal Bag that holds all of her stuffed animals in one place and functions as a soft seat when it's full. Well, I wanted to introduce you to two more of my favorite innovative products by Boon, so read on!

The Snack Ball

The first one is the Snack Ball! Before I say anything else, let me say that it is BPA Free, PVC Free, and phthalate-free! I know that most of you, like me, have major concerns over what toxic things the stuff we give our kids contains -- and things they eat out of are, naturally, of special concern. Aside from being free of all of that yucky stuff, it is way cool!

First of all, the two halves unscrew for you to clean, and I suppose to put in a small amount of snackable materials -- though I prefer to pour as many extra pieces as I can through the top to get the most mileage out of it! (A walk around my neighborhood is a good 2.5 miles -- I've gotta keep her quiet and happy somehow!) The little orange part at the top swivels open to reveal the snacks, and it's the perfect size for Little AG to fit her little fingers into. Plus, I can throw it in the diaper bag or under our stroller and not worry about crushing whatever is in there because the Snack Ball is "crush proof" -- which is a bonus in our house since I'm rather good at accidentally crushing or breaking things. I'm starting to think Boon made this product with me in mind! You can buy a Snack Ball on Boon's website for $6.49.

Flo

Flo is one nifty little invention, let me tell ya. First off, we had one of those faucet covers for the bathtub so little AG wouldn't bump her head. The problem was that anytime family came to visit and stayed over, they had to fight to pull the thing off so that they could get to the little switch to convert it from bath to shower. Flo has solved that problem right away. We have ditched our other faucet cover (sorry Mr. Froggie) in favor of Flo!

Secondly, we have one of those "rinsing" cups that is supposed to conform to Little AG's head so that when we wash the shampoo out of her hair it doesn't get in her eyes. M'kay -- in theory, that's fine and dandy. The thing I didn't think of was figuring out how to get her to look up and stay looking up while I rinsed her hair. Flo has again solved another problem for us -- the soft rubber piece on the bottom serves to deflect the stream of water to create a type of waterfall that gently sprays out instead of down. It's entertaining and useful -- especially when it comes to rinsing hair!

Lastly, the bottom part of Flo, as I mentioned above is a soft rubber, so it doesn't hurt if Little AG bumps her head on it. It was super easy to clamp on (I got it from the box to our faucet in under 30 seconds) and stays put very well thanks to some well-placed rubber grips on the inside. It also serves as a bubble bath dispenser, though we can't use bubble bath in our house because of sensitive skin. You can buy Flo on Boon's website for $14.99.

So -- want to win it? Boon has generously offered to giveaway a Snack Ball to one lucky CSC reader and a Flo to another lucky CSC reader! Check out the entry rules below!

• Visit Boon's website and leave a comment telling me one other product by Boon you think is cool and which prize you'd like.
  
• You must leave a valid email address to enter. I will not sell or use your email for anything other than contacting the winner. If your profile does not link to an email address where I can contact you, be sure to leave it in your comment.
• If the winner does not respond within 72 hours I will choose a different winner.
  
• US entries only.
• Earn extra credit! Choose one of the following for ONE extra credit entry. Any further attempts to woo me will be disqualified!
  
• Write about me and send me the link in a separate post.
• Subscribe to my feed and let me know about it in a separate post.
  

Contest ends May 20th at midnight CST. I will choose two winners at random -- the first number generated will have their choice, and then I will continue to generate numbers until I get someone who wanted the other option. http://www.random.org and will post and email the winner on May 21st, 2008! I will also be submitting the winner to Prizey Fetch, so you can check there to see if you've won! Best of luck!

Go, now, enter! Tell your friends! :)

Rockin' the Ribbies

The other day I was in the pediatrician's office, hovering between the well baby side and the sick room (we were there for a re-check and I was not about to bring my newly well baby into the sick room, y'know?) and in walked this sweet little girl with her mom. She was decked out in this nautical outfit, and had pretty blonde curly hair. However, I have no clue what her face looked like, because a red, floppy bow the size of TEXAS was smack on top of her head. Seriously, it was giant, people -- it probably had it's own zip code. I kept thinking to myself that the bow took away from this pretty little girl, and maybe, just maybe, her mom should consider a smaller one?

Right.

But here is the problem -- most bows are, uh, large. Even the small ones look big in Little AG's hair. And the little ones have no style. They are boring and simple. Plus, if she even suspects that I put one of those ribbon-covered things near her head, she rips it out and hands it back.

So, what's a momma to do? Well, Ribbies has a solution, and one that I really like. Their clippies are covered in modern and chic ribbon patterns in a variety of color groups. No loops, no ties, no bouncing curly-looking ribbons. I love that they are pretty but don't take over Little AG's face, as it should be! They are really light and I managed to slip one into her hair without her even noticing! After that it was smooth sailing, and she wore it for hours! It doesn't slide out because it has this awesome foam piece underneath that keeps it in place, so once it was in, it wasn't moving! They do their job well, and fashionably, too.

We were able to review two of the gift sets, thanks to owner Kim Marable -- one in Black (pictured on the left) and one in Orange. Each set came with 5 different clips that were still a part of the same color family. They are all precious and I can't even choose a favorite pattern! The one that you see all the way to the left matched my daughters outfit perfectly so that is the one we chose for today. The gift sets are really inexpensive in my opinion, at $14 for 5 different clips.

The icing on the cake for me is that this is a mom-owned and operated company, and I always like to support products that other moms have come up with! However, Ribbies is definitely taking off (hello Target shoppers!) because of their fun and practical design!

Want it? Kim is offering CSC readers 10% of their Ribbies orders through June 15th! Just enter code CSC10 on the last page during check out!

Pretty Passport (gotcha covered!)

I happened upon the Etsy storefront of Revontulitikku (say wha?) and noticed this adorable passport cover! The front says "Bon Voyage" in a very chic cotton print and Japanese linen. Since we will be traveling abroad this summer, I was thinking that this might be a good way for us to distinguish between the 3 passports without having to open them. Laziness at it's finest, right folks? Plus, it's just an excuse to look cute -- like clothing for your passport! Check these out on Etsy for $14 each.