The Classy Mommy Blog

Leave it to JJ Cole to introduce a hip, modern, and ultra functional diaper bag. The new System diaper bag has high style and comes with free bonus features like a pacifier pod and an essentials changing pad and tote. The magnetic closures are super convenient and there are pockets galore - even an MP3 player pocket with a cord escape. This contemporary bag will appeal to both Mom and Dad - and the essentials changing pad and tote can easily be used as a stand alone diaper and wipes carrying case to leave in your car or stroller when you are on the go and don't want to deal with a bag. Yipee! Classy Mommy thinks this trendy System bag is one of the best values for style and functionality in the diaper bag market. $70

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If you live in a metropolitan city, like NYC, where hiring a nanny is par for the course, then be sure to check out the latest movement to monitor just how well your nanny takes care of your child. HowsMyNanny.com provides license plates for strollers with a unique identifying number on them so if your Nanny is naughty while she is out on the town with your tots, a passerby can get a message to the parents via the internet. And yes the license plate is locked on to the stroller with a cable that must be cut for removal. HowsMyNanny.com has been recognized on Good Morning America, CNN, Fox, NPR and more since its inception only last fall.

Jill Starishevsky, mother of two and a child abuse and sex crimes prosecutor in New York City, had the brainchild for HowsMyNanny.com during her maternity leave when she observed a Nanny at the park – engrossed in a book and completing neglecting to watch the 2 toddlers she was responsible for – who easily could have ran out into the street or been abducted by a stranger. Jill wished there had been a way to communicate to these toddlers parents about the substandard care their children were receiving. Today, if this family had registered with HowsMyNanny.com – any passerby could have reported this type of incident easily online at the HowsMyNanny.com website.

And unlike the “Nanny cam” in this case, the Nanny is totally aware of the license plate and the HowsMyNanny.com service – so don’t worry – you won’t be “spying” on your Nanny. If anything, this service is one more way to enforce accountability and responsibility for your child’s care. The service is trying to encourage the reporting of positive feedback as well – so all the hardworking Nannies who do an amazing job caring for children that are not their own –can be recognized and rewarded. They are hoping to create a Nanny of the Year award and plan to allow Nannies to use good feedback as letters of recommendation.

A $50 registration fee includes the cost of the license plate and 1 year of service.

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Twinkle Kids is a trendy new online boutique with totally unique modern products - with an emphasis on felt! Twinkle-Kids has felt animal hair snaps, initial barrettes, note-cards and their very own Twinkle Cake - a 3 tier masterpiece with with over 50 felt fondant decorations to create your own magical design. Who knew felt could be so fabulous?

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I am continuously awed at the plethora of amazing new products, innovation, and style constantly hitting the baby market. With parents desiring the best for their offspring – and willing to pay for it – I don’t think I’ll be at a loss for a new post on the latest and greatest in baby gear!

Hello Beautiful Films is one of the more unique business ideas I’ve come across recently. Two filmmaker friends, Emily and Bianca, founded this biz after creating a fantastic video to commemorate Emily’s son’s first year. When friends were ultra impressed with the professional and intimate video, these girls knew they were on to something big! Hello Beautiful Films offers a range of classy products to fit every budget. If you want to splurge on possibly the coolest birth announcement ever – they will create a 1 minute video starting at $500 that you can send to all your friends and family. And from $500 -$5000 they will create a video that is truly out of this world. They’ve even teamed up with Albert Maysles, a reknowned filmmaker who has done documentaries on the super famous – think The Beatles and Marlon Brando. He’ll film 5 hours for a mere $3500. Okay – so this might sound like a small fortune if you are an average Parent like me - with a more limited budget. Luckily, they’ve got an option for us everyday folks too! If you want to splurge and would love a way to commemorate your precious babies 1st year - check out their Montage option. For $100 they will take 100 pictures and put it all to music on a DVD and on the Web so you can share it with all your friends. Pass the popcorn!

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Toss the duck, jungle or baby doll theme in favor of Psychobaby's hip and cool clothes for kids. Pick an urban hip look or go for some rock star appeal. Toys, books, decor and more all have a refreshing spin on the traditional baby goodies. You'll even find some fun stuff for Mom or Dad in the way of a more alternative diaper bag - like a Diaper Bag with a Peace Sign, Skull and Cross bones, Rolling Stones, or a Camo Diaper Dude Bag. You'll even find some cool Valentine's toys like this Haba rattle or the booties from Me in Mind as seen above. Or buy some stick on Wall Candy for your new arrival's nursery!

Save 10% with code CLASSY at checkout on every purchase through 2/15/07. Shop on!

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Wow! Thanks to our friends at Angel Milk, 3 Lucky Classy Mommy readers will win a Shaker Cup with along with a box of delicious shakes!

Angel Milk shakes are delicious and nutritious. The founder of Angel Milk created her product to meet the needs of all you nursing and pregnant mamas. I only wish I had discovered them as an extra calorie source when I was pregnant and breastfeeding. You know the drill, constantly thirsty and always feeling like you will faint if you are not grazing on food or water all day long! I made yogurt smoothies daily - however the convenient 1 oz Angel Milk shake packet is far more convenient than chopping up fruit and using a blender. Angel Milk comes in 3 fabulous flavors. Classy Mommy’s favorite flavor is Chocolate Decadence. Every shake is fortified with vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K, folic acid; and blended with minerals like calcium, iron and magnesium. Their high in protein and low in sugar. Plus they also added some yummy herbal extracts added like chamomile, dandelion, ginger and marshmallow root to nourish you and your baby. They’ve even got some snazzy recipes on their website if you want to spice up your shake a bit. Drink up!

Don’t forget to email colleen@classymommy.com for your chance to win a Shaker Cup with 3 Delicious Shakes. 3 Winners will be Selected. Contest ends 1/30/07.

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If you want to connect online with Moms, check out MothersClick. This online community is the landing place to ask questions, find answers, and share information with Moms. MothersClick lets you search their posts for answers and also enables you to set up groups to communicate online with your existing Mom groups - think Playgroup Scheduling, friends from Music Class, or Moms from the Local YMCA. Their fantastic newsletter "the Weekly Click" keeps you up to date on fun products and activities for kids, provides answers to common questions found on their boards, and shares the latest news in the Parenting world. You can even find blurbs and news from Mommy bloggers in their Newsletter and on their website. Classy Mommy's blog posts appear on the MothersClick website via RSS feed along with many other popular blogs. And Classy Mommy was thrilled to see our wooden sushi set was the "Mom" Pick of the week. Take a stroll over to MothersClick to see what all the fun is about!

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Looking for a gorgeous baby shower gift? Pamper your tot with this trendy terry velour bath sack. Getting out of the tub never looked or felt so good! This is the perfect new baby gift for a boy or girl. Bambini Carini meaning cute child in Italian is designed by a “Mom” who is also a fashion designer. Pamper you cutie with this entire line of trendy high end bibs, burps, hooded towels, loungewear and more!

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Alli's Originals is sponsoring this week's Classy Mommy Giveaway. Win a $40 shopping spree at her store to purchase you own Mommy jewelry.

I have received so many compliments on my new Mother's necklace that I can't count them all. Classy Mommy favorite look is the sterling silver beaded chain with handstamped discs of your children's names and birthdates coupled with a few symbols or stones. Alli handstamps the silver herself to create a totally charming look.

Here is a fantastic coupon code for all you stylish Momma’s hoping for a little Mommy bling. Enter code: CLASSYMOMMY to save 10% at Alli's Originals.
Don’t forget to email colleen@classymommy.com for your chance to win a $40 shopping spree at Alli's Originals. Contest ends 1/23/06.

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I promise you will be totally entertained if you take the time to browse this fabulous website promoting the brand new book, "Wife in the Fast Lane," by Karen Quinn . Classy Mommy can't wait to read this book as my book club and I absolutely loved her bestselling novel, "The Ivy Chronicles" which we read last spring. All you Mommies or Wives leading wildly busy lives can enter this contest by sharing your, "wife in the fast lane" moments via Video, Essay or One-Liners. The grand prize for the best video is $2000 to spend at Canyon Ranch. There are also fantastic 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize winners for every category - plus other incentive prizes to keep readers coming back to the website to check out the incredible and hilarious postings Moms and Wives are adding to the website everyday. Personally, I love the one liners as they are short, sweet and perfectly depict the insanity women often feel as they try to juggle their lives.

"Wife in the Fast Lane" will be released in March 2007.

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I've posted on Earth Mama Angel Baby before - and they are high on my radar right now as II know about 4 people who either just delivered or are about to any day. And yes, just under 15 months ago, I did receive this Labor Recovery Gift from a close friend in Texas who somehow intuitively understood just what a first time labor that only took 3 hours might have done to me......... Earth Mama Angel Baby offers organic and natural products and gifts for pregnancy, labor, postpartum, breastfeeding and baby. For $19.95 you can give your favorite new mom or mom to be the perfect gift. Featured above is "A Little Something for Mama's Sore Bottom". Ideal for your unfortunate friend with a tear the size of the Grand Canyon! For Mommies with smoother deliveries choose " A Little Something for the New Mama." Other options include "A Little Something for Baby" and " A Little Something for the Mom to Be."

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I love it. I love it. I love it. If you have grandparents frustrated at their inability to figure out email and see those fabulous baby pics, buy Presto for them. This genius product is perfect for the technology challenged. And it makes the perfect gift for your Grandparents! Send an email to Presto, and like magic, Presto converts your email and the HP Printing Mailbox will print it out for your recipient who does not use or own a computer. Photos too! I’ve set up WebTv in the past for my 90 year old Great Aunt Kay who lives in Florida and along the way we’ve had sporadic technical difficulties. Presto is a far simpler solution to fit her sole need of receiving emails and photos from her family. After buying the HP Printing machine for $150, monthly service from Presto is $9.99.

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Tired of your tots all wearing the same kicks as their pals in playgroup? Then forget about Stride Rite or Robeez. Instead, check out the line of shoes by Vincent. This classy European brand just launched in the US in August. Ultra cool and super functional shoes for babies, toddlers, and kids - along with a huge collection of Winter Boots - many of which are on sale for 50% off. Get Shopping and then Bring on the Snow!

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One of Classy Mommy's top lifesaving products for traveling and dining out with my toddler is the Table Topper place mat. The Mom who designed this genius invention has now created another ultra convenient solution for feeding baby on the go. Each Topper To Go includes a disposable sippy cup that contains a disposable fork, spoon, bib, and Table Topper place mat.
If you are a Mom who tries to have an an "environmentally" conscious attitude like me, try the following strategy. I always use Table Topper Place Mats for dining out as I want my daughter to have a clean surface to gobble down her meal. I use the Toppers To Go kits as my emergency supplies to leave in my car and diaper bag for when I need to dine out in a rush or am accidentally unprepared for a meal on the run. It is a total relief to always have a sippy cup, bib, placemat, and fork and spoon on hand in one tidy package! You can buy a set of 4 for $6 in store or at Target online they sell a case of 16 for about $20.

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Need a toddler bag? Stylish, convenient and smaller than a bulky diaper bag, the Big Mama Toddler Bag by Daisy Janie is designed for Moms who don’t need to carry everything. The Big Mama is a totally original bag as it is handmade with custom designed fabrics. The designs emphasize the painting style of the Mom founder and designer consisting of balanced geometric layers. Classy Mommy likes this smaller sized bag for quick outings. The Big Mama has a pockets made of clear vinyl – so you can see everything you need – and the rest of your gear will be protected in case you suffer a sippy cup spill!

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Check out the fabulous “Momtique” shop for gorgeous products exclusively created, developed, or resold by Moms. Momtique offers great finds from over 50 Moms – with more Moms joining this unique mall every day. Hot sellers include everything from monogrammed hooded towels or address books to glitzy tees and picture frames.

Momtique is the place to shop if you want to buy an original new baby gift designed by a Mom instead of the standard "new baby" item you might pick up from a Mass Retailer. Classy Mommy is thrilled about the Momtique concept which gives Moms a wonderful secure platform to sell their goodies and enables us customers a one stop shopping experience and checkout for a wide assortment of “Mommy” created and designed items.

Our friends at Momtique are currently offering a discount to Classy Mommy readers. Save $5 off a purchase of $25 or more with coupon code “CLASSY”

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The folks at Preggy Pops know just how terrible nausea makes expecting Moms feel. Their Preggy Pops and Preggy Drops are meant to soothe those icky feelings with natural flavors like ginger, lemon, and peppermint. My favorite Preggy Pop is Peppermint. Since, so many pregnant moms have found relief with Preggy Pops, they now sell Queasy Pops – perfect for anyone with nausea. Carsick kids, seasick travelers or cancer patients going through chemo.

I suffered for what seemed to be a never-ending 16 week period of 24/7 nausea when I was pregnant with my daughter Mackenzie. I was one of those pregnant moms you hear about who never actually get sick – but just feel constantly like they will throw up. At 10 weeks I thought I might actually get some relief by getting sick – only to begin sporadic and spontaneous dry heaving. About this time, a friend told me about Preggy Pops and I immediately drove to Babies R’ Us later that day to buy a pack and give it a go. It was great to have an alternative relief besides just nibbling on saltines or sipping ginger ale!

Preggy Pops is sponsoring this week's Classy Mommy Giveaway for all you Classy Mommy readers. Email colleen@classymommy.com for your chance to win a box of Preggy Pops, Preggy Drops and Queasy Pops! 6 Lucky winners will be selected!

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