Looking Quite Dapper with Stinky McGee Ties

I have found that little boys are also fun to dress now that there are fabulous accessories such as Stinky McGee ties which Mason received for review.  The Pink Plaid tie set for boys 0-2 years old includes a neck tie and a bow tie in a pink and navy plaid cotton fabric.   

The packaging makes it perfect for gift giving and the quality makes these ties stand above the rest I have tried.  The stitching is impeccable and detail in the folds is sharp.  I really like the adjustability of the length as well as the snap closure rather than a simple velcro.  

You would think that a plaid tie has to be worn with just solids but as you can see from Mason's pics, he is quite the dapper trendsetter with his styling.  Ok. It's really all me and thinking I'm dressing him fabulous but don't you agree?  As long as you find some sort of pink or blue in the outfit, you can mix and match patterns - it works for women's fashion so it can work for babies I think.  

Stinky McGee is awesome because they have specific sizing rather than a one size (fits most): 0-2 years, 2-4 years and 4-7 years.  Babies can join in the tie fun with the Mini McGee - a onesie with snap on tie!  Perfect gift for baby shower gifts :)

Buy It:  You can purchase the Pink Plaid Set for $50.

Make sure to connect with Stinky McGee on Facebook and Twitter!

Being MVP received one or more of the products mentioned above for free for evaluation purposes. Regardless, all opinions expressed are still 100% my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials In Advertising. Being MVP Disclosure.

Carihola Bamboo Products & Giveaway!

I love Bamboo Products so I was excited to receive a set of sheets and towels from Carihola for review.  

I am really into clean, white sheets now whereas previously, I would lean toward darker colors.  These bamboo sheets are divine - softer than 1,000 thread count cotton and silky smooth on my skin.  The fitted sheet has depth as it easily goes around our thick King memory foam mattress and stays put unlike some that come right off when we move around.  Bamboo sheets are hypo-allergenic which is great for my allergies with dust.  My kiddos seem to like it as they sleep better on these sheets than their own, at times.  This bedding is actually very cool in the weather we are experiencing right now so guess how happy this heater body of mine is?  The set washes well without falling apart in the washing machine.  Yes, I have had some sets fall apart even after the first wash - very disappointing and a waste of money.  However, this bamboo bedding is fantastic and I just want to stay cozied up in bed all day long!

The bamboo towel set is equally as great in that they are fluffy like the thickest plush towel and made of a blend: 50% Viscose from Bamboo/ 50% Turkish-combed cotton.  For being as luxe as these towels are, they are not heavy which is fantastic.  I like how clean the white is with simple gray lines running around the towel.  These are also snag proof which is perfect for lasting a while.  Drying time is cut literally in half with these towels for they are super absorbent   Each set comes with a generously sized bath towel, hand towel and washcloth.  I like to also use the small washcloth for the kids because it is super soft and great to use for smooth baby skin.  
  

Carihola also offers a full line of bamboo clothing for both men and women with reasonable prices.  Isn't it time you tried out bamboo?

Buy It:  You can purchase the King Size Bamboo Sheets for $199 and Towel set for $69.

Make sure to connect with Carihola on Facebook and Twitter!

One Winner will Receive a Set of Towels from Carihola!

(Open to US)

Zutano Springtime Fashion Looks & Giveaway!

I heart Zutano's fun prints and the mix and match collections.  Kenzie and Mason each received an outfit for review.  Mason is ever so stylish and ready for play time in his new Zutano duds.  He is sporting the Zutano Set Sail Baby Polo Shirt which is a classic polo cut with a collar and buttons.  The solid pool blue polo is accented with a cool sailboat screen print with a bright orange sun.  The 100% interlock cotton material is a standard for Zutano and I just love his silky soft it is - very easy to wear and easy to wash.  

The Zutano Navy Baby Terry Boardwalk Pant is a new favorite - it's convertible so you can roll up and button to be casual or leave down for a little cleaner look.  Since these are size 18m, I had to roll them up for Mason's short, chubby legs.  However, the waist fit perfectly with the thick elastic waistband.  The contrast stitching of the red thread against the navy pants is classic but the pop is the orange candy stripe waist.  This is a surprise and when you pair it with the polo shirt with the pop of orange sun, it's a super cool outfit.  

The cherry on top (of Mason's head) is the Zutano Orange Candy Stripe Baby Sun Hat which matches perfectly with the waistband on the pant!  I love how wide the brim is and the chin ties are so soft that Mason doesn't fight it.  Too bad Kenzie steals it right off his head and onto hers since it's a tad big on him right now. 

Kenzie has an awesome outfit featuring the Zutano Riviera Puff Pocket Dress with the Zutano Fuchsia Skinny Leggings and Zutano Apple Bodice Jacket.  The Zutano Riviera Puff Pocket Dress features a whimsical sailboat design on a tank style dress with two front pockets.  It is easy to wear and perfect for days strolling at the beach.  When Kenzie is off to the park or school, I pair this dress with the awesome skinny leggings and she is all set.  These skinny leggings should be a basic staple in your tot's wardrobe.  They are super comfortable with the elastic waistband and can be paired with so many different prints.  The stitching on all these pieces are tight and durable meaning they will last and can be handed down.  

When the weather is chilly in the mornings or nights, Kenzie can easily sport her favorite Apple color jacket.  This french terry jacket is very girly in shape and the perfect weight for spring/summer.  The rounded collar and the buttons on the pea coat style jacket makes it special and Kenzie sometimes wears it all day long.  She really likes it :)  The banded wrist makes it perfect for little ones because it keeps it from getting super dirty when eating or doing activities at school.  
   

Zutano's style of combining classic solids with unique prints always gets praise in my book.  When the kiddos are wearing Zutano, even strangers come up to ask where the duds are from.  I proudly direct them to Zutano!  

Buy It:  You can purchase the Zutano Set Sail Baby Polo Shirt for $27, Zutano Navy Baby Terry Boardwalk Pant for $33, Zutano Orange Candy Stripe Baby Sun Hat for $17.50, Zutano Fuchsia Toddler Skinny Leggings for $19, and Zutano Apple Toddler Bodice Jacket for $40.  

Make sure to connect with Zutano on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!

One Winner will Receive a $75 Gift Card to Zutano!

(Open to US and Canada)

4 Quick and Easy Projects with the Silhouette Portrait {Silhouette Fabric Interfacing Tutorial} + May Promo & Giveaway!

I am loving the Silhouette Portrait as there are just so many things you can create with just so little time and effort.  I was excited to try out the fabric interfacing as I have struggled with doing projects while cutting fabric by hand which takes an insane amount of time, especially when creating multiples i.e. fabric bird mobile for Kenzie (I will have to do a post at a later date when I figure out the template for sharing). 

Until then, enjoy the pretties I made in a flash.

Fabric Rolled Spiral Flower Hair Pin & Fabric Bicycle Tote

"Rolled Spiral Flower Hair Pin"

Supplies

1. Silhouette Clean Cut Fabric Interfacing

2. Fabric of Choice
3. Hair Clip + Rhinestone or button
4. Glue Gun
5. Silhouette Fabric Blade
6. 3d rolled spiral flower shape

Instructions

The Clean Cut Fabric Interfacing is just awesome and easy to use.  Just cut a piece to correlate with your shape and place rough side down on the backside of your fabric.  Run your iron across for just a few seconds and voila - it's bonded!  Peel the backing off and place onto your cutting mat and insert into your Silhouette machine.  Click send to Silhouette and choose fabric in the cut setting.  Insert your fabric blade into the Silhouette after turning the dial to the setting for your fabric choice - I set mine at 3 because that's the setting suggested when you choose the cut setting.  Click cut and watch the machine create your masterpiece.  

Peel the flower off your cutting mat and start rolling around your finger.  I was surprised at how clean the cut was as I have only practiced cutting out birthday cards and letters from card stock.  When you get to the end, place the flat circle against the flower and use your glue gun to keep the petals together.  Then grab a grosgrain ribbon covered clip or any other clip you want to use and again use your glue gun to attach.  Flip your flower around and glue gun a rhinestone or button to the middle and it's ready to pin.  

"Bicycle Tote"

Supplies

1. Silhouette Clean Cut Fabric Interfacing

2. Fabric of Choice
3. Tote Bag (I had a lightweight striped tote bag handy)
4. Silhouette Fabric Blade
5. Standard Bicycle Shape included in the Silhouette library

Instructions

Just as above, you iron the clean cut fabric interfacing rough side down onto the backside of your fabric choice.  Then open the bicycle shape (I used the standard included one but there are many options in the store) and get it ready to cut.  Load your fabric onto the cutting mat and cut.  Can you believe how precise the spokes are?  Peel off the cutting mat, lay onto your tote then run the iron over the bicycle for a few seconds and a chic trendy tote awaits.  

This is a fantastic method of putting logos on tote, monogramming totes for bridal party gifts, etc.  The possibilities are endless and the actual time to make is minimal.  

Ice Cream Shirt

Supplies

1. Silhouette Sewable Fabric Interfacing

2. Fabric of Choice
3. Toddler Tshirt (I had a bunch of plain Hanes shirts that were just sitting in Kenzie's dresser so I used one of those)
4. Sewing Machine/Thread
5. Silhouette Fabric Blade
6. Standard Ice Cream Cone Shape Included in the Silhouette library 

Instructions

The sewable fabric interfacing is a bit thinner than the clean cut so that it can run smoothly under your machine foot.  The directions are the same for preparation though: iron rough side onto backside of fabric for a few seconds, peel off backing and place onto cutting mat.  Cut and iron onto the shirt.  My abandoned sewing machine was brought out and using a simple straight stitch, I went around the two pieces and it ready to wear.  

Kenzie loves her ice cream shirt and wants me to make her more.  This is a simple way to make personalized shirts with names, birthday numbers and more.  I am going to pick up some better quality tanks and tees for the summer and even make matching shirts for the kids.    

Chevron Tie Onesie

Supplies

1. Silhouette Sewable Fabric Interfacing

2. Fabric of Choice

3. Baby Onesie

4. Neck Ties Shape

Instructions

Now that you have the hang of ironing the fabric interfacing to fabric, let's have another go at it.  This is by far one of my favorites.  I've seen so many personalized tie onesies for babies on Etsy that I wanted to try making my own with the Silhouette sewable fabric interfacing.  I downloaded the cute neck ties shape and ungrouped it to select the wide chevron tie shape.  I then loaded the Silhouette Portrait with the prepared fabric and off it went to cut.

It's amazing how precise the cutting is.  The lines were so clean and sharp.  You have to be careful peeling this off the cutting mat.  I then ironed on the tie to the onesie with just a few quick presses.  Then it was sewing time.  This was a bit more tricky because of the thin lines of the chevron but I maneuvered it around and it worked. When washed, the tie will have that shabby chic look with the fraying on the sides because I stitched a straight line down the middle of each line.  Awesome right?  This is a great idea for baby shower gifts and once I pick up a few more designer fabrics, I will be pumping out lots of these for upcoming parties.  

PROMOS: Use "MVP" to Get your Special Pricing!

PORTRAIT Fabric Bundle - Only $129.99 - Use Code MVP

1 Clean Cut Fabric Interfacing

1 Sewable Fabric Interfacing

1 Fabric Blade

1 $25 Download Card

1 Silhouette Portrait™

CAMEO Fabric Bundle - Only $269.99 - Use Code MVP

1 Clean Cut Fabric Interfacing

1 Sewable Fabric Interfacing

1 Fabric Blade

1 12”x24” Cutting Mat

1 Silhouette CAMEO®

Fabric Bundle - Only $25 - Use Code MVP

1 Clean Cut Fabric Interfacing

1 Sewable Fabric Interfacing

1 Fabric Blade

1 $25 Download Card

Enter to win a Silhouette Portrait!

(Open to US - ENDS MAY 27)

Wordless Wednesday: Goofy & Friends

Juppy Baby Walker & Giveaway!

Mason's legs have been itching to walk for awhile now so I was excited to receive the Juppy for review.  The feature I was looking forward to was holding the handles while standing upright rather than hunched over when holding Mason's hands.  The Juppy itself is made of 100% cotton and will fit babies up to 22 inches in waist and 35 pounds in weight.  You just place your baby inside, zip up, velcro the straps and then your baby is ready to go.  

There are hand grips on the adjustable "parent" straps for comfort but I think it is ok without.  At first, Mason was a bit hesitant as he wasn't holding onto my hands for support but once he took his first steps, he was happy and bouncing up and down.  The one thing that bothered him was due to the location of the straps on the bodice of the Juppy, they kept getting in his face when we were "walking".  I now try to angle the straps further away from his face.  

I really like that Mason is learning how to balance himself a bit while I am there to support him without holding him.  He can easily bend down to pick up things and I can follow his lead.  It is compact and even comes with it's own carrying case that you can slip into your diaper bag for use at any moment.  It is well made and can be used even with my petite mother-in-law who watches Mason during the day.  She experienced Kenzie's first steps and I'm sure she'll experience Mason's so I am glad that she can use the Juppy to help relieve some of her back pain.  

Buy It:  You can purchase the Blue Juppy Baby Walker for $29.99.   

Make sure to connect with Juppy on Facebook and Twitter!

One Winner will Receive a Juppy Baby Walker!

(Open to US)

Family TV Time Dictated by a 3 Year Old #NetflixKids #Ad

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of NETFLIX.

 

There is a dictator in our home.   Her name is Kenzie.  Just as we always have to listen to her music in the car, we have to watch her shows when we turn on the TV.  On weeknights, since Hubs and I get home from work late, we usually have dinner, watch a little TV then get the kiddos ready for bed.  NETFLIX has a great selection of shows that Kenzie approves for watching: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Road Rally, Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Curious George, Sesame Street and Thomas & Friends: Go Go Thomas.  What's neat about NETFLIX is that she can watch her favorite TV shows and movies anywhere, anytime she wants.  Plus it's easy for her to navigate as our remote has a handy dandy NETFLIX button.
       

Hubs downloaded the free NETFLIX app on Kenzie's iPad and she expertly swipes and taps her little finger to get to her favorite program.  You can even view the shows on your computer at NETFLIX.com but since Kenzie is more adept at using the iPad and TV, those are her go to devices.  I never knew what a great selection of children's programming NETFLIX had until Kenzie pointed out her favorites (when I was searching for a movie to watch).  Guess who ended up watching her show?  Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is a constant for both Kenzie and Mason - it never gets old and good thing because they can watch it over and over again on NETFLIX!      

NETFLIX has a dedicated kids section that has family favorites appropriate for children 2 years old to 12 years old!  Wow - that means Kenzie needs to get her own television or we are going to be watching her shows for at least another 9 years.   I know that there is controversy as to whether parents should allow their littles to watch TV at such a young age but in my opinion, I believe Kenzie has learned so much from watching these shows as well as expanded her vocabulary.  NETFLIX makes it easy for parents to make show choices for their kids by getting help from Common Sense Media to provide ratings, reviews and information regarding their content.        



What's better than curling up on her own chair with an ice cream cone or bucket of popcorn to watch her favorite shows?  It's the good life for my little 3 year old. 

What are you watching on TV with your family? Netflix has family favorites from Disney, Disney Jr., Hasbro, Cartoon Network and Dreamworks that are available to stream anytime, anywhere.

And streaming is easier than you think! Download the free app on your iPad, click on the Netflix app on any gaming device, go to the website on your computer – and you’re in business. Check it out here!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of NETFLIX.

Bella Ella Boutique & Giveaway!

Chevron is on trend so I was excited to receive two dresses for review from Bella Ella Boutique.  The weather has been really warm and these breezy dresses were perfect.  The Short Sleeve Chevron Dress with Red Belt is cream and black with a cap sleeve.  The material is a bit thin and see through so I wore a full black slip underneath.  I like that the belt loops were not thin strings but rather full fabric loops so the belt would be a bit more secure.  It's breezy to wear and washes well in the machine.  I can wear it to work on a more casual day with flats or wedges and on the weekends with a pair of flip flops.  The belt gives me shape without it looking too frumpy.   

  

The Mint and Navy Blue Chevron Dress is sleeveless and has a cinched elastic waist.  It's easy to wear but again, a bit thin and see through so I had to wear a slip underneath.  This would also be great to wear over a bikini at the beach this summer.  It's cool and flattering to most body shapes.  I like that the length is not too short so I could wear it to the office with a cardigan.  Both dresses kept me cool in 90 degree weather and they will be well worn through the summer.    

Bella Ella Boutique carries trendy clothing for very reasonable prices.  You can try so many different styles with a small budget.  

Buy It:  You can purchase the Short Sleeve Chevron Dress with Red Belt for $29.99 and Mint and Navy Blue Chevron Dress for $24.99.  

Make sure to connect with Bella Ella Boutique on Facebook and Twitter!

One Winner will Receive a $50 Gift Card!

Staying Dry Overnight with Parent's Choice Diapers #ParentsChoiceDiapers #ad

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Parent’s Choice Overnight Baby Diapers.

I hate to admit but Kenzie is still not night time trained.  I keep telling myself that she will just get it when she's ready just like daytime training (forced training didn't work quite well) but I guess I should be a bit more strict.  Until then, both she and Mason wear diapers at night.  Since I am still nursing Mason during the night, I usually change his diaper once because I don't want leakage - changing sheets plus baby clothes in the middle of the night is no fun, especially after 9 months.  It's expected in the first few months but now.... I wish he would sleep through the night.  

I was excited to try Parent's Choice Overnight Baby Diapers because the cost of a pull-up and at least 2 regular diapers each night is becoming costly.  Size 4 is for tots 22-36 pounds so Mason and Kenzie wear the same size.  I tried it out on both of them and guess who is a happy future customer?  

The thinness of the diaper is on par with our usual brand and it has soft stretchy sides to securely fit both Mason and Kenzie.  A unique feature of these overnight diapers is that the soft inner liner is hypoallergenic and treated with Vitamin E and aloe for protecting smooth baby skin by reducing rashes.   

The print is simple and clean.  I love that these kept both of my kiddos dry throughout the night and I didn't have to change Mason - hallelujah!  You can see that the diaper is about to burst and bulging.  However, Mason's skin was dry to the touch and no complaints in the morning.   

The savings I am going to see is definitely going to be fantastic.  The 74 count pack of size 4 Parent's Choice Overnight Baby Diapers is only $13.97.  This means 74 nights of dry baby bottom and $ in my pocket.  These are truly affordable overnight diapers.  

Available sizes: Size 3 (86 count) for 16-28 lbs, Size 4 (74 count) for 22-37 lbs, Size 5 (62 count) for 27+ lbs, Size 6 (54 count) for 35+ lbs.

Night time protection for babies is an important consideration for parents as their little one grows. Ordinary diapers may not have enough absorbent capacity to handle multiple voids over long periods of time with older babies. When wet mornings become the norm, parents start looking for more protection to guard against overnight leaks.

Parent’s Choice Overnight Baby Diapers are super absorbent for overnight and long-trip protection. This is an overnight diaper at prices that everyone can afford!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Parent’s Choice Overnight Baby Diapers.