The Classy Mommy Blog

Sit back and relax for some super reading from Classy Mommy's friends on the web. We've got some fabulous product reviews, celebrity mommy gossip, modern nursery designs, a guide to nursing bras, and a yummy recipe for chocolate frosting to top off you favorite batch of cupcakes. Delicious!

Babyfaces Photo of the Week A boy and his wagon

Boston Mamas: Easy, Fabulous Chocolate Frosting A blissfully easy chocolate frosting recipe for your next batch of birthday (or any day) cupcakes

Celebrity Baby Blog: First Annual Celebrity Baby Blog Awards winners announced With awards season out of the way for their parents, the real stars of Hollywood-- the babies-- can finally add some bling of their own to the family mantles!

Celebrity Moms: Halle Berry Sets Her Sights on Motherhood With two failed marriages and a suicide attempt behind her, Halle Berry starts a new chapter to her life

Classy Mommy: Aqua2Go - Water in a Drink Box Drink Water Juice Box Style ! Check out our video review of our toddler sipping Aqua2Go out of her "Dwink" Box this weekend!

Clever Parents is Expecting! The latest Clever Parents vidcast, plus... Mi Amore prevents stretch marks and Belly Ups keeps your pants up.

Coochicoos: 4 Modern Nursery Looks See four nursery designs in modern settings

MamaPop: Celebrity Pregnancy Bodies: How Do They Do It? Ever wonder how new celebrity moms seem to snap right back into shape? MamaPop investigates.

One Chic Mama: Vacation Memories Have a professional photographer capture your family's summer vacation

SheFindsMom Nursing Bra Guide Our Reader's Picks for the Best Nursing Bras

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Kathy Buckworth shares her Funny Mummy April 2007 column titled "Are We There Yet" with our Classy Mommy readers for the first time! Kathy is the author of “Journey to the Darkside: Supermom Goes Home” available in bookstores everywhere!


During spring break and summer vacation, many of us will find ourselves strapping in for the wildest ride of our lives. No, it’s not the upside-down roller coaster at the nearby amusement park…it’s the six to ten hour drive in the family van, where no one is safe, and everyone is under attack; both verbal and physical (in a bodily fluid sort of way). Last year, I thought I had discovered the ultimate in distraction technology. I should have known it would prove to be too good to be true. I’m getting ahead of myself: Let’s start at the beginning.
You’ve finalized the spreadsheet with which child can sit in which seat, with which seat partner, which takes you down the driveway without a fight, maybe. (I recently heard a study that said that the average family can only drive for 12 minutes without an argument breaking out. I’m thrilled to hit the 12 SECOND mark, which takes me to the end of the cul de sac.)
You hit the road, and the real boredom sets in (at the pre-determined 13 second mark). Now in the past, I have prepared “treat bags”, brought juice boxes, favourite toys, etc, but none of these seemed to hold any appeal for very long. So, with this as the backdrop, you might understand why I was positively giddy when we purchased a mini-van which came with built in DVD player, complete with headphones. With children ranging in age from 4-15, I was dreaming about the insightful and adult conversations my husband and I would have in the front row while the children sat, zombie like, ensconced in the latest family comedy…our silence interrupted only by the cheerful giggles of an appreciative and content audience. You know what? No. Here are the lessons I learned, and would love to share:

1) The headphones are expensive and usually don’t work properly. Don’t let the price tag fool you. For the 10 minutes they did provide sound (as we drove out of the new vehicle parking lot), they were being used as projectile ammunition by the back row. They use up expensive little batteries that gleefully run out in the van overnight. I believe the manufacturers installed an “on” button that is self-regulating.
2) The movies themselves are problematic. Give me one movie that kids age 4, 8, 13 and 15 can all agree on that doesn’t result in the preschoolers learning useful expressions like “Booty-licious” or “Yo Mamma”.
3) Apparently hurtling down a highway at 120 km an hour while watching a stationary screen can make one nauseous. Witnessing a seat partner being nauseous can make others feel the same way. Go figure.
4) Musical movies, such as the ubiquitous and cloying “High School Musical” are their own unique type of torture when listened for the 14th time from the front seat. It’s not great on the first pass.
5) My personal tolerance level for body part and washroom humour turns out to be quite low. My husband’s, not so much.
6) After listening to hours of The Wiggles, Adam Sandler and The Simpsons, one can come to appreciate the droll wit and homo-erotic relationship of SpongeBob and Squidward.
7) As Jerry Seinfeld once stated, “There is no such things as Fun For the Whole Family.”
So, I’ve given up on the utopia of the perfect van ride, and now spend my hours in the passenger seat composing letters to the 3 major car companies asking them to install the ultimate in pimping a kid friendly ride: The middle row glass partition.

Kathy Buckworth’s latest book, “Journey to the Darkside: Supermom Goes Home” is available in bookstores everywhere. Visit http://www.kathybuckworth.com/

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I've touched many pieces of infant clothing over the years. After all, it's my job to stay on top of the latest trends for kids and parents. Seldom have I felt cotton as soft as Sofia Bean's baby clothes.

Not only are their clothes mushy and adorable, the team at Sofia Bean takes all the guess work out of gift shopping. Their easy-to-navigate site has lots of suggestions for the next time you need a shower gift or new baby present. I'd love to receive one of their Value Gift Boxes--simply mix and match bibs, onesies, blankets, hats and pants to create a generous new-baby starter kit. Choose from a bevy of sweet prints of chicks, dogs, and sheep for each knit cotton item. The boxes themselves make great keepsakes: they're sturdy, colorful and perfect for storing things like stuffed animals, toys or clothing.

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Win it! Thanks to MeMovies for sponsoring our latest giveaway for all you stylish and trendy Moms! Win a personalized DVD for your tot by emailing colleen@classymommy.com to enter. Contest runs from 3/26/07- 3/31/07.

Celebrate the Oscars! For only $30, MeMovies will put your little gem on the silver screen! It's as easy as sending in a digital photo of your tyke. Classy Mommy received their 2 custom movies with Mackenzie playing a starring role. I guarantee your kids will be entertained and very surprised seeing themselves and hearing their name again and again. Mackenzie, 16 months, would recommend The Costume Party as her personal favorite MeMovie. She adored seeing herself appear in various costumes ranging from Clown to Ape to Scuba Diver to name a few!

Save $5 with code CLASSY until 4/30/07.

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Rubbermaid has come out with a new line that promises to remove some of the hassles from food storage. The new Premier storage containers come in six sizes (they'll accommodate anything from pureed peas to leftover lasagna) and offer stackable lids. Each lid snaps into its base--so you'll never have a jumble of plastic in your cabinets.

I tested the containers and found them a treat to work with in the kitchen. They can go from freezer to microwave to dishwasher. And clean up is a snap thanks to the special stain-proof plastic. ($2.49-$8.99)

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At last there’s a solution to getting your little girl to wear sunscreen! Colorescience has developed a new sunscreen powder with glitter. Called, Sunforgettable, this brush-on powdered sunscreen offers SPF 30 with a touch of shimmer.

Subtle enough for mom, this powder will also be a big hit with any little girl who loves glamour. Available in three shades: All Clear with Silver Sparkles, Perfectly Clear with Champagne Sparkles and Almost Clear with Copper Sparkles; one of which is guaranteed to work with your skin tone.

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Our lucky Classy Mommy reader has been selected among the many entries received for our giveaway sponsored by Svan to win the ultra hip Svan Scooter.

Congrats to Monique from San Francisco, CA !

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Classy Mommy recently partnered up with some other fabulous Mommy bloggers to bring you the best of the mommy blogging world each weekso you can have some light weekend reading for your spare time.......

Boston Mamas: Baby Daze Review A must-have, easy to use book to help you keep track of feeding, diapering, sleeping, etc.
Celebrity Baby Blog Reviews: The Phil & Ted E3 A single stroller that accomodates two!
Celebrity Baby Blog: Jennifer Garner, a celebrity mom just like you We love how NORMAL Jennifer Garner is. Check out Jennifer and Violet at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market.
Celebrity Moms: Gwen Stefani to Use Concerts to Help Kids Gwen Stefani announces plan to auction off VIP Concert Experience to raise funds for childrens charities
Clever Parents: Pediatrician's Perspective Pain - When Bad Things Happen to Good Children
It's a Great Time to be a Stuffed Animal Coochicoos reviews cool new ways to stash your stuffed animals
One Chic Mama: Hot Crocs for Spring highlights 2 new shoe styles from Crocs
SheFindsMom Baby Wearing Week reviews stylish baby carriers
The Stylish Child Finds a Shower Gift with that Wow Factor with their review of Babycakes of Scottsdale - also a recent favorite of Classy Mommy!

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Win it! A 1 year subscription to True-Learning.com for you to explore their wonderful educational experience with your children. Value of $99. Email colleen@classymommy.com to enter for your chance to win.

What is True Learning.com?

A fabulous concept! Classy Mommy is really impressed with True Learning. Jinhee Kim, a Mom, Harvard Grad, and expert in early childhood education founded True-Learning.com to help your educate your pre school age children at home or on the road with their printable 15 minute exercises that focus on subjects like math, art, literacy and motor skills.This isn't a static sit at the computer screen type of educational experience. A subscription to the system allow parents to print off the curriculum's exercises by picking and choosing as needed or as their children's interests demand. Over 3,000 exercises are available for download. Now if you complete them all that really is True Learning! Not to mention, I can imagine just the act of printing out a special and new activity for kids is enough to excite them into learning.Check out the website - if you sign up with your email address they will send you free activities. And their new free blog is a super resource as well!

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If you are hoping to adopt and don't know where to turn for information and next steps, definitely consider working with the Adoption Consultancy as a wonderful resource to help guide you through the process. The Adoption Consultancy was founded by a Mom, Nicole Witt, who realized that she wanted to focus her strategic marketing abilities on something more important than selling products. After suffering from infertility herself she learned much about the adoption process and decided to put this valuable info to good use!

The Adoption Consultancy provides education, information and guidance to help families safely complete a newborn domestic adoption within 3 - 12 months and also offers international adoption support. The Adoption Consultancy actively maintains a network of the most reputable adoption agencies and attorneys throughout the country to help pre-adoptive parents find the best professionals to help them with their adoption journey. They also provide access to information on how many couples in the United States are waiting to adopt, adoption agencies listed by states and adoption scholarships for adoptive parents.

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Most of us likely practice Mommy Yoga 24/7 without even realizing it! This charming book by Julie Tilsner, a contributing editor of Parenting Magazine and Mother of 2, is hilarious as she spoofs yoga vernacular with all the crazy poses in the day to day life of a Mom. Classy Mommy thinks this is the perfect birthday or new baby gift for your favorite Mommy.

Win it! Email colleen@classymommy.com by midnight on Friday 3/16 to enter.

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Satisfy your crafty desires! I recently discovered a website called YouCanMakeThis.com where you can buy very affordable eBooks with instructions on how to create, make, and design just about everything your heart desires. Make the kinds of fabulous finds that normally have a super high price tag in your own home if you are up for the challenge. Everything from doll clothing to twirl skirts to shoes to handbags and much more! So if your staying at home with the kids and feel like you've got extra time on your hands (yeah right!) or want to throw a girl's night with a new twist on your typical "scrapbooking" evenings, test out YouCanMakeThis.com for some fantastic "How To Ideas".

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Need a Daddy gift? Classy Mommy recommends the Original Daddy Holster, a sherpa suede cozy that attaches to any belt, bag, backpack or strap. This same Daddy holster is used by hot Celebrity Dads like Ben Affleck, Chris Martin, and Brad Pitt! Comes packaged in a box tied with a red ribbon. Only $20.

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Check out this hot picks! Yummy yarn toy food that is a great alternative to that plastic stuff!

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CleanWell makes a natural hand sanitizer that can't be beat. Totally free of alcohol or any harsh chemicals. Instead, it is made with Imgenium, a patented formulation of essential plan oils that are proven to naturally kill 99.99% of germs. This is the only all natural antimicrobial ingredient that meets FDA and EPA standards. I find the pocket sized 1/2 oz spray bottle to be the perfect size. 4 bottles for $7. They also sell individually wrapped wipes and larger sized bottles of spray.

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Thanks to Svan, the latest sponsor of the Classy Mommy giveaway, for this ultra generous prize. Win a Svan scooter for your lucky toddler! Value of $120! Email colleen@classymommy.com for your chance to win. Please write SVAN in the subject heading. Contest runs from March 4th - March 17th.

Check out this sleek and modern scooter that only Svan could design. Totally a futuristic take on the Fischer Price plastic ride on toys that every hip and modern tot and parent will totally appreciate. This is an ideal toy for toddlers ages 12 months and up.

And if you are not the lucky winner of this giveaway, during the month of March, save 10% and receive FREE SHIPPING at http://www.svanUSA.com. Enter "SpringScoot" upon checkout.

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