The Classy Mommy Blog

Wow! Last weekend when we went to New York City for a wedding, I decided to scope out the American Girl store for Mackenzie. Pretty incredible. The prices are steep but the experiential elements are high and the little girls who are shopping appear to be in total heaven. Definitely a shop to visit if you have little girls with you or one at home who is desperate to someday own her very own "American Girl." The store is on multiple levels which include - besides all the dolls and accessories - a hair salon for the dolls, a photo studio, and a cafe & bistro for the dining reservation packages. You can even book parties too!
Here's the Doll Hair Salon! Be sure to warn your girls that ONLY the dolls will get their hair done. I've heard stories of little guests having tantrums during their visit over this confusing fact since the kids assume that they'll get a new hairstyle along with their doll.

Kenzie does not yet own an American Girl of her own, but she has literally been obsessing over their free catalog for the past 2 months. Seriously, sweet Kenzie reads this catalog almost daily as she pines over the dolls and outfits while she plans which doll she'd love to someday possess. Her catalog is totally tattered and the cover is just about in shreds after months of heavy reading and perusing.Honestly, I think I would have paid almost $100 for this American Girl catalog given the amount of entertainment it has provided. (The catalog might actually be worth more than buying a doll in this case!) She asks me to read and recite bits of the catalog to her and on evenings when she can't fall asleep, we let her read it in bed after we tuck her into bed. Chrissa, the "modern girl", is the doll Kenzie is currently pining after. Her birthday is in October so we'll see if Mom & Dad decide to splurge on an extravagantly expensive doll for her 4th birthday.

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Our Top 5 Big Brother Gifts will surely help to keep any new big brother happy. These gifts remind him how important his role as a big brother is! At a time when there's a newborn that needs so much attention, it's important to keep older siblings feeling special and these great gifts do just that! You can check out our Top 5 Big Sister Gifts here too.

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Here are our Top Five Big Sister Gifts that we feel will definitely make any big sister feel special. It's important to let your soon-to-be big sister know how important she is - especially when a newborn (who will take up a lot of time and energy) is on the way. We used a few of these for little 2 yr old Mackenzie when Kyle was born. The "I'm a Big Sister" by Joanna Cole was a real hit along with the American Girl "Bitty Baby" diaper bag I bought for Kenzie so she could tend to her doll's every need.

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Recall Alert! Baby Jogger recalls both their Baby Jogger City Mini single and double strollers. The stroller's restraint buckle could break or unlatch allowing the child or infant to fall out. You can read the full report and details from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission here. Units impacted were sold from November 2007 through July 2009 for between $220 and $400. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled strollers and contact Baby Jogger to receive a free replacement restraint buckle and installation instructions.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Baby Jogger at 877-506-2213 between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET, email the firm at recall@babyjogger.com, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.babyjogger.com

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Barbie Rocks It! Here's Barbie's 1st ever music video. Very cute with dance moves even a 3 year old can master. This brand new song has elements of Aqua's 1997 hit which include "Life in Plastic, It's Fantastic". You can read more about Mattel's marketing decision to launch this music video and a new line of poseable Fashion Barbies here in the New York Times.

My kids and I love the tune. We're hosting a Barbie party tomorrow morning for 8 little girls and we're going all out. Crafts, a surprise make up session, decorating cupcakes, dancing and fabulous party favors. HouseParty.com sent the music video, paper goods and 3 poseable Barbies from the new line that are not yet available in stores and I'm providing the food and fun.

We'll have a blast and the kids can test out the new dolls. The new Barbies are very cute and pose in supposedly 100 positions. With 3 - 6 year olds, everyone needs a favor so I bought a few extra inexpensive Barbie Dolls so all the girls will go home with a favor. It's party time! I'll post pics after the event!

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Laundry anyone? We've got a practical and awesome giveaway for one very lucky reader. We're giving away a year's supply of Tide's new Stain Release along with a year's supply of the Bounce Dryer Bar. This will sweeten up the laundry chores for one lucky Mom! And the innovative Bounce Dryer Bar is one of my favorite products for 2009 as you just stick this nifty bar in your dryer and forget all about fabric softener for months at a time. Very cool! Especially for an "undomesticated" diva like myself. Half the time it takes me 24 hours to move the laundry from the washer to the dryer and I'm known to frequently forget to put detergent in the machine -- let alone remember to pop in a dryer sheet!

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We've got a 20% off coupon code for the Maxi Kick Scooter from KickboardUSA.com for our readers along with a super giveaway. See details below for the savings code. And for one lucky winner, we're giving away a Maxi Kick Scooter from KickboardUsa.com valued at $150. Our winner can choose either purple or black. These scooters have received rave reviews and accolades. The Maxi Kick Scooter was the Winner of the Oppenheim Portfolio Gold Seal Award and "Best Scooter for 6-10 Year Olds" by Toy Report.com. Classy Mommy is a huge fan of their Mini Kick Scooter for Mackenzie that is geared more towards the younger pre-school set.

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Yummy! We've got a delicious SmartFood prize package to giveaway to one lucky reader thanks to Frito Lay. The SmartFood gift pack will include each of the three single-serve flavors (chocolate cookie, cranberry and honey- multi grain) and two bags of the new, larger bagged, Peanut Butter Apple flavor. Since I'm a member of Frito Lay's Fab 15 blogger group, we've sampled this new flavor and my 3 year old really loves the Peanut Butter Apple style. Mom feels pretty good about it too as as I can give her about 5 kernels and she feels like she's been treated to the ultimate sweet dessert.

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Time to celebrate! Here's our list of Top Ten Birthday Themes for Boys to help you plan out your child's next birthday party! If you want to see how to plan a party with one of these themes, simply click on the theme and you can see what you need. Click here to get a coupon for 10% off your order at Birthday in a Box. And make sure to comment if you have any other fun themes that didn't make the list.





1. Superhero
Everybody loves Superheroes and all of your birthday guests will surely love celebrating with their favorite crime fighting heroes!

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How does $10 off at Famous Footwear sound? Well, we've got a $10 off coupon for our readers along with a $100 gift card for one very lucky Classy Mommy reader. Did you know that two things most all women share is their love of shoes and ice cream? Famous Footwear blends these two ingredients together on its site Make Today Unexpected, which gives us women the chance to discover our style and flavor in a most unexpected way.

With Back to School season, I've been shopping for the kiddies while I covet all the latest fashions for Fall. I can't wait to buy a new pair of trendy shoes and brand new boots for the upcoming season.

Giveaway

Grand Prize

This week, Famous Footwear is awarding one lucky winner with a $100 gift card. Shoes anyone? (See Entry Requirements below.)

Coupon

Everyone's a winner in this giveaway! Make your back-to-school shoe shopping spree a little more affordable by visiting MakeTodayUnexpected.com and entering to receive $10.00 off your next purchase of $50.00 or more.

Entry Requirements

To enter for a chance to win the $100 Famous Footwear gift card, please enter by 8/27/09 and do these four things (make sure you leave a separate comment for each of your entries).

Note: Entries that do not follow all of these requirements will not be considered.Contest expires 8/27/09.

1. Take the 'Find Your Flavor' quiz by clicking here. Leave a comment on this post with your flavor and e-mail address.


2. Become a fan of the Famous Footwear's Make Today Unexpected Facebook Page. (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Make-Today-Famous/112646406371?ref=ts)


3. Follow @maketodayfamous on Twitter.


4. Post these messages on Facebook and/or on Twitter and leave comments here, linking to your messages:

Join #gno 8/25 from 9-11 ET 2 chat shoes & ice cream w/ @famous_footwear & @maketodayfamous. RSVP: http://bit.ly/wsRrC PLS RT

Download Famous Footwear coupon 4 back-to-school/fall savings: http://bit.ly/fogQH PLS RT #gno

Extra Entries

You can earn up to two extra entries for this week's giveaway. Leave an additional comment for each.

• Click here and become a Famous Footwear REWARDS club member (free).


• Post or tweet about something unexpected that has happened to make your day or week more positive on @maketodayfamous or on the Make Today Unexpected Facebook Page.

The Fine Print

No purchase necessary to enter. Famous Footwear and Mom It Forward employees, and giveaway hostesses are ineligible to participate. Entries that do not follow all of the entry requirements will not Wibe considered.

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Radio City Music Hall Christmas in August is happening onTuesday, August 25, 2009 from 1:30pm-4:00pm at the Grand Foyer of the Radio City Music Hall. The event sounds really fabulous and my Mom and I plan to take my almost 4 year old little girl to the Big Apple to enjoy the festivities. A tour of Radio City, photos with Santa, and cupcake decorating with Magnolia Bakery! We can't wait.

I've got a handful of free tickets to give away for you and your kiddies but will need you to contact me by the end of business today (8/21) so I can turn in your name for an RSVP. I'll write back if you contact me and you are selected!

Please email me at colleen@classymommy.com if you are interested. Thanks!

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It's time for Gymboree's Friends & Family event with a 30% off discount. You can order online until August 23rd, 2009 with coupon code GYMCLUB for your savings. 30% off everything. To use this code in store, they say you need to bring in the printed email, however the code is the same in case you did not get this promotional email. The email can be forwarded to friends and family for their use. Enjoy! (Especially as you can earn Gymbucks right now too - For every $50 you spend, you'll earn another $25 to spend at a later date!)

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Win it! Skip Hop has introduced trendy pre-school sized backpacks. As expected, Skip Hop's Zoo Packs enable form to meet function in a charming modern style. My kids are somewhat obsessed with backpacks as are most toddlers and preschoolers. The concept of their very own bag to hide away a few of their prized possessions gives them a big thrill. These kid sized backpacks are availabel in several patterns to excite your toddler including: monkeys, bunnies, doggies, or penguins. BPA-free, Phthalate-free, PVC free these bags even have an insulated pouch for tasty treats to keep your tyke fueled up for their big day out. Value $20.

Enter to win by September 2nd, 2009. Here's how to enter:
1. Leave a comment below by September 2nd, 2009. Include your email address if it's not visible on your profile page - so we may contact you if you win.
2. Get another bonus entry by joining our Classy Mommy Facebook Page and leaving an additional comment there by September 2nd, 2009.

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When Kate Snow of ABC's Good Morning America visited our home earlier this summer we all had a fantastic time. Kate Snow couldn't have been more wonderful to my family. She was down to earth, made me feel comfortable for my interview, and even let 3 year old Kenzie model her high heels. How cool is that?

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Here are our Top Ten Birthday themes for Girls to help you out when picking your little one's birthday party theme! With a few timeless picks and a few from current trends, you are sure to find something that you and your little girl will have fun planning and hosting. We love birthdays in our household and are currently in the process of deciding a theme for Kenzie's 4th birthday. She changes her mind every few days so the verdict is still out!

Click here to get a special coupon for 10% off your total order at Birthday in a Box. And if you like the idea, click on the name of it to see how you can set up all the goodies for that theme - balloons, paper goods, favors and more!





1. Disney Princess The Disney Princess theme is classy, timeless, and so much fun for little girls! Guests can bring costumes to play dress up, you can play "Pass the Poison Apple" or "Pin the Crown" on the Princess, and kids love decorating magic wands and parading around in their costumes. Yes, we've thrown this party for Kenzie's 3rd birthday!

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Have you seen the Peekaru baby carrier? You basically put your baby in your shirt and let the little face peek out of your tummy a la Aliens. I think it's a little creepy. And I know Kyle would never be calm enough to be contained in there - I'm lucky he stayed in there the first time around for the full term!

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Barbie has come out with Twilight Barbie Dolls. They'll be available November 1st, for $25, just in time for part two of the movie - New Moon.

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Win it! We're giving away a $200 Gift Card to Old Navy in celebration of their Back to School "Class of $10" product sale. Just last week, I bought Kyle and Kenzie a bunch of cute goodies at Old Navy with my 30% off Friends & Family coupon. I love their adorable sweat suits for both kids and the Polo style dresses for the little girls. And I especially love how Old Navy's prices are more affordable compared to Baby Gap. Right now during their back to school sale, there is also Free Shipping online with any purchase over $50.

Enter to win by August 27th, 2009. Here's how to enter:
1. Leave a comment below by August 27th, 2009. Include your email address if it's not visible on your profile page - so we may contact you if you win.
2. Get another bonus entry by joining our Classy Mommy Facebook Page and leaving an additional comment there by August 27th, 2009.

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Here's a great coupon code for The Children's Place. Save 15% off your entire purchase, now with code BABYTALK99 (updated this code on November 3, 2009) Prior code expired 9/7/09.


Win a $25 gift card to The Children's Place. I'm always impressed with the super stylish and affordable threads at the Children's Place. I've been shopping there for Kenzie since she was 6 weeks old and now that she is almost 4, I'm loving the trendy hip finds for Back to School and the upcoming Fall season. This PR pitch caught my attention, as Gossip Girl is a total guilty pleasure of mine. If your girls are channeling Blair Waldorf, here's the go to outfit for this season!

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I love the HBO vampire series True Blood. And Sookie loves her Vampire boyfriend - in real life too. Sookie Stackhouse (actress Anna Paquin) is engaged to be married to Bill Compton (actor Stephen Moyer). I guess after that many bites on the neck, it's hard to say no. And when the time comes, I know the perfect gift for the baby.

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"Mom Jeans" have been in the news lately. Barack Obama wore them when he tossed out a first pitch. Jessica Simpson had them in US Weekly Magazine. The media rips on them because of their lack of fashion. But they fail to realize that for Moms, sometimes fashion is last and utility (not to mention comfort) comes first. But that's still no excuse for Obama ;).

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More kids are getting hurt in gym class a study says. Injujries are up by 150% and are mainly a result of lack of supervision and fewer full-time nurses at school. It's important to note that the benefits of participating in gym outweigh any potential risk of injury. A scary finding is that cheerleading was the leading cause of catastrophic injuries among high school and college participants.

So what can we do as parents? Teach our kids about safety and proper use of equipment. Kyle is only a year and half and he's already a magnet for trouble, so I'll be sure that I do everything that I can to keep him in the clear.

Here' the full story.

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It's time to start gearing up for back to school! Classy Mommy organized our fave picks of the new season to get you started on your back to school shopping with awesome items to make this school year as fun and easy as possible. And if you have any favorites that you'd like to share with our readers, please leave a comment as I'm always looking for new ideas & products.

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Win it! We're giving away the Hannah Montana 3 Soundtrack. Listen to "He Could Be The One" off of the new Hannah Montana 3 Soundtrack. Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana sings about the spark of new love on the catchy pop track with a country flare. Kenzie has only had a small taste of Hannah but she's already fallen hard for this teen pop queen. Hannah's classic "The Best of Both World's" is a popular tune on my iPhone! Contest expires August 23rd, 2009. 1 Winner will be chosen. Value $18.99

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Suave outdid themselves at BlogHer in Chicago last weekend by enabling women to get star treatment by celebrity hair stylists. What better way to get to let consumers experience your brands then by helping them look beautiful? Thank you Suave for making me feel so special.

I tend not to write detailed recaps on the blogging events I attend as I don't want to bore the majority of my readers who aren't actually bloggers. But, my hair has seriously never looked this good! I've been experimenting with Luke's tips and haven't quite been able to achieve the gorgeous curls he created, but I'm loving the new volume of my hair with the Suave Mousse and the new curly look I'm creating with a curling iron. I wish I could take Luke home with me! I think perhaps hot rollers might work better if I'm styling the hair on my own, but so far I haven't found a good set that heats up high enough to give me long lasting curl. If you have any advice on hot rollers or curling iron tips - please send them my way!

Above is a 45 second video with Luke's tips to create the hairstyle he gave me.

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