Stuff For Kids

Fashionable Teething Necklaces for New Moms

May 18, 2013 By The Fashionable Housewife 1 Comment

gumigem If you are a new mom, then you’ll be really excited to hear about these adorable and fashionable necklaces that are not only baby-safe, but functional as a teething ring too.

Introducing Gumigem Teething Jewelry!

Gumigem – a wide ranging line of award winning, baby proof, mummy jewellery designed to look amazing, but with your baby in mind. Babies love to grab, pull and chew on jewellery and this jewellery collection accommodates this, without damaging the jewellery or harming your baby. Nor does Gumigem compromise on style although it is practical and baby friendly it also looks great with a huge variety of necklaces and bangles.

teething necklaces

They have so many cute styles and colors to choose from! See them all at www.gumigemusa.com

We had our Assistant Editor Lisa Penny, who has TWINS, review one of the Gumigem Teething Necklaces and put them to the ultimate test!

Here is what Lisa had to say…

The Gumigem teething necklace is such a great concept! I was unsure at first because, with twin babies, I have gotten out of the habit of wearing necklaces for obvious reasons.

Soon after sporting the heart-shaped Gumigem necklace, I forgot it was there (when not in use.) That’s how comfortable the cord is around my neck. The teether is a beautiful rose-color too that goes well with many of my nursing tops. The babies love to look at, grab to play with and of course put it in their little mouths to chew on.

If they ever pull too tightly, it doesn’t hurt like a normal necklace, but rather come right undone, due to the easy release clasp. It is the perfect combination of fashion, convenience and need. Whoever created this product definitely knows busy moms and their teething babies. Thank you!

Here is her daughter, Olivia, enjoying her mommy’s fashionable necklace!

Olivia

Filed Under: Home Life, Jewelry, Moms On The Go, Necklaces, Parenting, Recommended, Reviews, Stuff For Kids Tagged With: Gumigem, Lisa Penny, Teething Bling, teething jewelry, teething necklaces

Affordable Little Girl’s Spring Dresses Now at Lands’ End

April 6, 2013 By The Fashionable Housewife 1 Comment

I am a huge fan of Lands’ End, not just for women’s clothes, but their children’s clothes as well. Everything I have ever purchased for my children from Lands’ End has been durable, high quality, great fit and overall just super cute. Their Girls Dresses this year definitely do not disappoint! The prints, colors and styles are fashion-forward, on trend and totally adorable.

My daughter chose the Short Sleeve Woven Twirl Dress in Surf Green Print.

Lands' End Girls Dresses

Pretty perfect in light-as-air cotton (hello, fuss free!) with an easy elastic waist and circle-cut skirt for extra flounce. Featuring so many thoughtful details — like cute cap sleeves and a sweet self-belt — this darling dress is a favorite for school and special occasions. Hits at knee. Machine wash. Imported.

Buy It: landsend.com for $34 (5 different prints/colors available.)

Machine washable? THANK YOU! Nothing worse than getting a cute dress for your 5 year old and having them get food etc all over it in the first 5 minutes they are wearing it (because if it’s NEW, that’s pretty much a guarantee thanks to Murphy’s Law.) and then realizing that it’s dry clean or hand wash only… *sigh* If you have kids, you KNOW what I’m talking about! Thank the universe, we didn’t have any such mishaps on this particular dress when my little princessa wore it on Easter!

It was FREEZING on Easter so she had to wear a long sleeve shirt under it to stay warm. We can’t wait till the weather is better so she can really rock this adorable dress! (Check out all her Easter painting on the fridge behind her!)

We still had a lot of snow in our yard on Easter, so unfortunately snow boots were a must for the Easter Egg Hunt outside!

She feels like a princess in this dress and that’s the most important thing. I will definitely keep going back to Lands’ End for more children’s clothes after yet another positive experience.

Lands’ End provided me with the dress for this review/post.
My thoughts and opinions are my own, regardless of monetary compensation.
My opinion is that Lands’ End is pretty awesome.

Filed Under: Dresses & Skirts, Recommended, Reviews, Spring Fashion, Stuff For Kids Tagged With: children's clothes, Dresses & Skirts, Easter, girls dresses, Lands End, Lands' End Girls Dresses

Interview with Hollis Wilder, Celebrity Chef and Author of Savory Bites

April 4, 2013 By The Fashionable Housewife Leave a Comment

Hollis Wilder

We interviewed Celebrity Chef, Food Network Champion Hollis Wilder who recently authored the new book Savory Bites: Meals You Can Make in Your Cupcake Pan that will be released this Saturday – April 6th!

I can’t wait to see her new book because I’ve heard of making cool recipes in cupcake pans but I haven’t had the chance to try any out. I think the kids are going to love this too!

Here are the questions we had for Hollis Wilder…

1. What veggies are the best ones to “push” onto your kids and what’s the best recipes you know of that will get kids to eat their veggies?

I don’t think of it as “pushing” as much as I think of making it my child’s idea to eat and enjoy vegetables. When my children come home from school they are starving. I have a crudité of fresh green beans, carrots, peppers, red and yellow tomatoes, and hummus waiting for them. I can get them to eat all 5 servings of vegetables at that snack. This is much easier for me to do when all they have to eat are veggies. When I send veggies in their lunches with other choices, the veggies come back home. When we make Savory Bites, meals in the cupcake tin, I use clear bowls filled with the very same vegetable options and I add sautéed spinach, blanched broccoli, artichoke hearts, roasted peppers and tomatoes, grilled vegetables, so that when they are making “personal pan pizzas” or penne pasta gratins they can layer in the Colors they are attracted to first, instead of thinking about the taste. I have tricked not only my children but other children into using the cupcake pan as there pallet for creating the meals they want to eat, just because I have given them an edible paint brush to work with.

pic from Hollis Wilder's new book "Savory Bites"

Photo Credit: Tina Rupp

3. What’s your favorite quick & easy family meal to make?

I like to keep it simple, protein, vegetables, are the main part of our meals. My children like Spinach Soufflé, easy ladies it’s Stouffers (freezer section) Salmon pan seared, fresh lemon and a Salad of romaine, apples, avocados, grapes, and a seasoned rice wine splash. We pretty much eat like this every meal.

Photo Credit: Tina Rupp

4. Do you have any tips of tricks for busy moms that want to entertain?

Whether you are entertaining for your neighborhood friends with families or having an adult only party, the most important piece of the meal is keep it simple sisters. I am with you! Don’t feel that you have to impress anyone, just make food that will make your guests feel like they are coming home and you will succeed.

Prep everything in advance. You can fill the wells of the cupcake pan the day prior and wrap in plastic wrap for fresh cooking the day of the party. Make sure that all of your side dishes are diced sliced and chopped ahead of time, so that you can make yourself and your home pretty prior to the guests’ arrival.

Get the rotisserie chickens from the grocery, cut them up into portions and brush orange marmalade or pesto, or BBQ sauce on them and re-heat. (No one will know)

Make more food than you think you will need. The best part of Savory Bites is that you can pack up leftovers in 6 inch square plastic containers so they guests can live your magic all over again the next day.

Photo Credit: Tina Rupp

Thanks to Hollis for taking the time to answer our questions!

If you like her tips and trick, be sure to get her new book Savory Bites: Meals You Can Make in Your Cupcake Pan and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more info!

Twitter: @HollisWilder
Facebook.com/HollisWilder
Facebook.com/SavoryBitesCookbook
Facebook.com/PotluxeDinner
Pinterest.com/HollisWilder
Pinterest.com/SavoryBites
Instagram.com/HollisWilder

Filed Under: Books, Featured, Food & Snacks, Guest Blogger, Moms On The Go, Recipes, Recommended, Stuff For Kids Tagged With: celebrity chef, cookbook, cupcakes, Food Network, Hollis Wilder, Recipes, recipes for kids, Savory Bites

Giveaway: Celebrate Spring at Killington Ski Resort

April 2, 2013 By The Fashionable Housewife Leave a Comment

Killington Resort, known as “The Beast of the East,” just announced extended hours of operation for the duration of the 2013 ski season!!!!! Even though Spring is here, there’s still time to hit the trails for your favorite winter activities while soaking up the sun too.

To honor longer daylight hours, Killington Resort will be celebrating with five jam-packed weeks of soft snow, live music, ticket discounts, ski competitions, and more. Get your pass and grab a piece of the action, now through the very last day of the season!

EXTENDED LIFT HOURS

STARTING SATURDAY, MARCH 30:
- - Saturday, March 30: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
- - Saturday, April 6: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
- - Saturday, April 13: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
STARTING MONDAY, APRIL 15:
- - Monday-Friday: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
- - Saturdays and Sundays: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

ACTIVITIES & EVENTS

- NOR’BEASTER
- Sunday, March 17th, 2013 – Sunday, May 5th, 2013.
  A seven-week celebration of Spring, on and off the snow.
- FULL CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR THE 2013 SPRING SEASON

We want YOU to take advantage of the extended hours and the last little bit of winter fun by teaming up with Killington Resorts to offer you a chance to win ONE of TWO Sets of Family Lift Tickets (Family set = 4 tickets).

TWO winners will be chosen to each win one Family Set of 4 tickets!!!!!!!!!!

HOW TO ENTER:

(Leave one comment for each action – 4 comments total!)

Leave us a comment and tell us which NOR’BEASTER event you would like to attend!
Follow @KillingtonMtn and @TheHousewife
Tweet – Get excited about extended hours at @KillingtonMtn Ski Resort! Enter the #giveaway from @TheHousewife #SkiSpring http://bit.ly/FaMsKi
LIKE Killington Resort on Facebook

Details:

Once the winners have been chosen we’ll need to know the name and phone number of each (2) winner(s), number of tickets needed (one ticket per family member), plus the ages of all attending. Tickets will be held at will-call for the remainder of the 2012-2013 winter/spring ski season. Giveaway ends 4/13/2013 at 11:59 pm EST. Must be 18 or older to enter.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Giveaways, Stuff For Kids, Vacations & Getaways Tagged With: #skispring, family activities, Killington Resort, ski, skiing, snow

Bundle Up For Winter with Lands’ End

December 27, 2012 By The Fashionable Housewife

We received a pair of black Lands’ End Squall Snow Pants in the bib-overall style to review. We didn’t have any snow here for the last month, but it finally decided to look like winter today!

Lands’ End quality snow pants are guaranteed to keep kids dry and warm all winter long. Not only are they made with a new waterproof and windproof material, but they are also built with double the durability at the knees and seat. Genius!

Before sending my 5 year old daughter out to play in her new snow pants, I inspected them pretty closely and was MORE than impressed… To say I was baffled, would be an understatement. Not only did I grow up in a consignment/retail store that my mother owned and managed, but I have extensive experience with kids clothing, and have two children myself. I wouldn’t say I’m an expert, but pretty darn close! Let me tell you, I have never seen such high quality snow pants made with such an attention to detail. I can already tell we are going to have these things for a LONG TIME.

I chose them in black for several reasons. Most colors will stain, but black usually stays looking pretty great even if you give it a good beating. It’s also a gender neutral color. My daughter can wear these snowpants for the next 2 or 3 seasons and then pass them down to my son who can wear them for a few seasons as well. I can tell that these snow pants could easily outlast both my two kids and still be able to be consigned when we’re done with them. The reinforced seat and knees make these near indestructible! They also have cool features like a hidden seam inside each leg which allows you to easily “let them down”, making them one size bigger and able to be used for one season longer!

You definitely get your money’s worth with the Squall Snow Pants. They come in two styles — snow pants and snow bibs. Best of all, they are extremely affordable, ranging from $59-$69. If you’re thinking that’s out of your budget, think about how many years you can use these pants for – especially the bib-overall style ones. The adjustable straps can be let down to make them longer and the hidden hem inside each leg can be let down for even more length. Unless your child grows more than 2 sizes in a year, these snow pants could easily last you at least 3 seasons, making them well worth their price. That’s roughly $20 a year!

All in all, I’m extremely impressed with these snow pants and would recommend them over any other brand of Children’s snow pants I’ve encountered.

Lands’ End’s new waterproof Squall Snow Pants are offered in a variety of sizes and colors. You might have a hard time choosing! Get them online at www.LandsEnd.com and in Sears stores across the country.

Lands’ End provided me with the snowpants for this review/post.
My thoughts and opinions are my own, regardless of monetary compensation.
My opinion is that Lands’ End is awesome.

Filed Under: Kids Apparel, Outerwear & Coats, Recommended, Reviews, Stuff For Kids, Winter Fashion Tagged With: Lands End, Lands' End Squall Snow Pants, snow bibs, snow day, snow pants, snowpants

LEGO DUPLO Playtime for The Fashionable Bambinos!

November 7, 2012 By The Fashionable Housewife

LEGO DUPLO knows the importance of playtime, and the special bonding moments that arise through play. So we were excited when we were asked to review some of Lego Duplo’s new products.

I have two children – a daughter who just turned 5 years old and a son who is 2 years old. They were eager to try out the “new toys” and the expressions on their faces when I opened the box was priceless…

We spent over an hour playing with LEGO DUPLO Creative Cakes and two different LEGO DUPLO Read & Build play sets.

About the toys…

LEGO DUPLO Creative Cakes

Build cakes, have a birthday party, serve the cakes to your parents on the pink lid that doubles as a tray

LEGO DUPLO Read & Build play sets

A new play experience for preschoolers that combines building bricks and a story book.
Interactive play experience, read the story as your child build along
Brings stories to life

Play is a timeless feature of human societies, and when combined with 21st century learning it provides children and adults with opportunities to experiment with their surroundings. Both me and my two kids really enjoyed the Read & Build sets. My 5 year old daughter was able to read the story and help her little brother build the animals from the book which was a great bonding experience for them.

The pictures in the book are simple enough for my two year old to look at and immediately build all by himself, which quite visibly gave him a thrill and a boost in his self esteem. It was a great activity they could do together that didn’t cause any fighting or jealousy as they were able to work with the toys together or apart. Through play, children explore and develop their multiple senses, which creates more brain synapses. This in turn contributes to a child’s overall intelligence. I feel that the Read & Build sets are built to do just that. I feel good about my kids playing with them and know they are learning AND having fun at the same time.

Here are a few shots from our fun playtime experience with the Read & Build Sets…

The Creative Cakes set was even more fun for them! More pieces and endless possibilities resulted in over an hour of happy playtime for both of them, together. It was also easy for me to play along with them which was a great bonding experience for all of us.

Here are some pics from our playtime with the Creative Cakes set…

Lego Duplo Creative Cakes set

Overall I was really happy with the Lego Duplo products and they will be our toys of choice when it’s time to play for a quite a while!

Readers of The Fashionable Housewife can enter for a chance to win $100 worth of LEGO DUPLO products! See details below!

How to Enter:

All steps must be completed during the Promotion Period to be eligible as an Entry. Sweeps ends November 30, 2012

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by LEGO DUPLO via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of LEGO DUPLO.