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?

Go Bananas!

Lately I have been finding all of these really neat products for the kitchen online. I'm not much of a cook, but these products are just too great to pass up, so I decided that this week will be "Rock Your Kitchen" week here at Chic Shopper Chick.

All because I can! (And because Wednesday is my birthday!)

So, for the first neat if not a bit odd product, I present to you --

The Banana Slicer!!

I know what you're thinking -- "Has she lost her marbles? It's not hard to slice a banana!" You're right, it's not, but how COOL is this slicer. Perfect for making your morning cereal all bananafied! (Or for calming down a starving child in a hurry.)

You can buy the Banana Slicer online on Current Catalog's Website for $2.99.

So tell me, what do you think? Would you use this slicer in your house?

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!

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!

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!

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! :)

Küster K1

Can a highchair be sleek and modern? I mean, those are words you use to describe a black Mercedes, but a highchair? The answer is yes.

Check out this awesome highchair from Küster (just released in the US -- originally out of England) called the K1 -- isn't it beautiful? It is completely adjustable, meant to grow with your child until they are about 6 years old (they were tested for use up to 200 lbs!) The foot rest is adjustable and the curved wooden seat is designed for baby's comfort. The cushion is optional -- it only comes in the Lime Circle design now, but this is a new line, and Küster is saying that more cushion designs will be available soon ( I like the one in the picture to the right, personally). These highchairs have more than just looks going for them, though -- there is a 5 point harness to keep your baby safe and a basket that attaches to the back to store all of those little high chair books and games. My personal favorite feature, though, (apart from it's strikingly good looks!) is the little rubber stoppers on the tray that prevent the baby from pushing their bowl or plate right off the tray (or at least it slows down the process!).

All of Küster's products are designed by founder Stephen Kuester, who was formally trained as an aeronautical engineer and later returned to school at the Royal Academy of Art because he most enjoyed the design element of being an engineer. I'm not really sure how he ended up designing products for children, or what made him want to, but I'm certainly glad he did. Seriously, if Brad and Angelina were shopping for a high chair, can't you imagine that they would choose this one?

These fab chairs are available in white or beech, and retail for approximately $250, with the cushion retailing for an additional $50. Honestly, at first I was thinking that it was a pretty steep price tag, but then I realized that there is no way that Little AG will still be using her high chair when she is 6 years old (and it cost a good $100). I doubt she will even want to use it when she is over 2. However, this chair converts into a "big girl" (or "big boy") chair that your kids can use for quite a while. I think it would be neat for Little AG to have her own "special" chair in our house -- and it would be so easy to blend it in with the other furniture in the house since it doesn't look like your typical high chair!

Want it? Chic Shopper Chick readers will receive 10% off of any Kuster order at BareBabies.com. Just enter the code csc10offkuster during checkout!

My Funky Lunchbox

Oh man -- I found a new favorite shopping site (like I really needed another one, right?). It's EM Tanner Designs, and on that website I found these adorable "Funky Lunchboxes". I really want to order one for my daughter that has her full name on it -- but you can customize them any way you'd like! The two pictured here are two of my favorites, but honestly, I had a hard time choosing. How cool would your kid be walking up to school with this in his or her hand? I get all giggly thinking about it. Too bad Little AG doesn't walk or go to school, but you know what I mean. Maybe I can take it with us to the park for a picnic.

Help your tot to dine in style by scooping up one of these Funky Lunch boxes for $36 each at EM Tanner Designs.

PS -- Do you love Jon and Kate plus 8 like I do? They get lots of their stuff from here!

No Pudge

Ok, I've debated posting this for a few days, but this is a blog about shopping and this is a great find of mine that I'd like to share!!! Besides, they really are too good to keep to myself.

A couple of weeks ago (and then again two nights ago), I made these "No Pudge" brownies! In all honesty, when I bought them, I thought they might be tasteless, but I figured I'd give them a try, as my darling best friend has been hassling me to try them since we were in high school (8 years ago, because I know you are dying to know). Anywho, I bought them the other day when Little AG and I were in the grocery store, with plans to make them for hubby, who LOVES brownies. They are super easy to make, all you have to do is add fat-free vanilla yogurt to the mix, and mix them for about 2 minutes until they are shiny! Then, you bake them for 34 minutes and Voila (it's been a while since I've thrown in a French word for ya) you have brownies.

But not just any brownies. Oh no.

These are oooey, goooey, rich, and decadent. Seriously! And they're FAT FREE! (Please, no need to pull out your reading glasses, you read that correctly). I made mine with Stoneyfield Farm Organic Fat Free Yogurt and they were fabulous. I made them once with Activia too (all I had) and they were good then too.

Of course, I had to counteract all of that fat-freeness so I smeared mine with gobs of chocolate icing. My rationale? I was saving some fat so I could splurge.

They come in Rasberry, Mint, Cappucino, and original flavors! You can buy them online here for $3.35 per box.

Fabulous.

PS -- for all you Weight Watcher point counters -- you can make a SINGLE SERVING in the microwave in minutes. :)

Lovely Lunch

I really like reusable lunch bags, particularly insulated ones because I like my drink to be cold once it's finally lunch time. So, I was browsing Pottery Barn Kids' website and found these great "Pacifica" Solid Lunch Bags. They look big enough to hold a good bit of food, plus they have a zippered pocket at the top too, for loose change or to bring home used silverware in. My favorite is the pink and green, though they do sell a blue and navy, too. Have it personalized with your munchkin's name for only 6.50 more, bringing the grand total to $25.50 if you order by April 24th and take advantage of their free shipping!

Brown Bag Baby

Thanks so much to The Opinionated Parent () for introducing me to these great play food sets made of (safe and non-toxic) wool felt! My favorite is the Brown Bag Lunch, which comes with a sandwich, pickle, and cookie all in a brown (felt) bag! How adorable is that?! And when little AG pretends to eat them (like you and I both know she will) I don't have to worry about all the toxic paint that she is swallowing at the same time! Grab the Brown Bag Lunch set for $40 at Lilly Bean, or check out some of their individual food products -- prices start at just $5.

Perfect Placemats

How cool are these placemats?! They work like mini chalkboards, making them the perfect thing to distract your kids while you finish getting dinner or lunch ready. The set of 4 comes with a box of chalk and an eraser, normally $31.00, on sale for $21.00. Each place mat is 12" x 18" and you can buy them at www.preciouspersonalities.com.

Tiny Diner

Yesterday, little A.G. and I went to lunch with a friend and her 6 month old daughter. My friend whipped out this awesome contraption at the restaurant and I was in awe! It saves me from having to tote the Clorox wipes everywhere, and I don't have to worry about A.G. trying to sink her 8 little teeth into the table, either.

The Tiny Diner is made of a soft rubber and has a little tray that hangs off of the table to catch (some of) the mess that babies and toddlers tend to create on the floor of restaurants. When you are ready to leave, you can just wipe it off, fold in the three sides and it all rolls up into the tray to fit neatly in your bag! Genius!

The Tiny Diner is made by Kiddapotamus & Co. and comes in green, pink, blue, and yellow, and in different designs (the Hey Diddle Diddle is my favorite!). You can buy it here for a mere $10.50.