Watch out, she bites!

So we’ve had some, urm, issues with Little AG lately. In all of her 18 month old glory she has started biting people. Usually me, actually. For a while I felt completely helpless. I knew she was doing it out of frustration based on the actual moments when it happened, but I knew there was no way to reason with her being that her ability to reason is a ZERO on a scale of one to ten — you know, what with her being a baby and all.

We talked to a friend of ours who works in Child Development and she suggested that we start a quick 2 minute time out system for Little AG that would teach her that the behavior is not acceptable. We follow each time out with a positive activity, like reading a book, dancing, or singing a song so that she learns (hopefully) that we are able to deal with issues but move on.

She has quickly learned that she needs to sit still for the duration of the 2 minutes, but we are having trouble establishing a place for her in our house that doesn’t come with distractions. That is why I think that this Time Out Pad by Keen Distribution is an awesome idea.

The Time Out Pad is pressurized — so it knows when the child gets up and pauses the countdown as well as sounding a little alarm and flashing a red light so both the child and caregiver realize that the timeout is not yet complete. When the child sits back down the Time Out resumes until it is completed. Most experts recommend one minute for each year of the child’s life (so I guess we should REALLY be doing a minute and a half then), and the child can see the time being counted down on the pad itself.

We have only been doing these timeouts for a week, but her behavior has dramatically improved and we’ve only had to do 3 timeouts, so my outlook is rather positive about her behavior. However, timeouts seem like a good parenting option to me, so I think that the Time Out Pad is something we would benefit from.

The Time Out Pad is still a work in progress but will be available soon. I’ll keep you updated here but you can also check out Keen Distribution’s website for details.

What do you think? Do you use timeouts with your children? Is the Time Out Pad something you would use?

I see London, I see France…

Steps. Europe has lots of STEPS. As in stairs. To climb. And, alright, I know that France and England were well established before good ole’ Columbus had ever even THOUGHT about sailing the “ocean blue” but I mean, c’mon, haven’t they every heard of elevators over there?

Steps aren’t an issue for me, but of course, it was a new consideration with a 18 month old in tow. She would need a stroller, and it would have light enough to carry when needed, and need to fold up quickly and compactly. Lucky for me, I was aware of all of these things before I left and prepared accordingly.

We brought with us the Micralite Fastfold, a stroller that holds true to it’s name — it is small and light, and really does fold up quite quickly! It made our trip MUUUCCCHHHH easier, and we discussed several times how impossible it would have been had we been using another stroller.

Ok, so there is so much to say about this lean, mean, pushchair machine that it’s easiest for me to make a list — so read on to find out my loves and a few little nitpicky things that I would improve.

I love the Micralite Fastfold because:

1) At 16 lbs, it was light enough for me to physically pick up and carry for a short distance, if needed.
2) The larger back tires are filled with air, which made for a much smoother ride, and it made it easier to hop up over bumps by popping the stroller backwards.
3) The design is really cool — it almost looks like it is in the shape of a triangle.
4) There is mesh at the back of the seat to keep air flowing through, which is really important in the summer especially — so that Little AG wasn’t sweating.
5) There are reflectors lining the edge of the entire stroller, which really messed up my pictures but was great for crossing streets at night, especially in London, where they drive on the wrong side of the road.
6) The handle for pushing goes all the way across AND it has two little sections on the side for both hands. This is convenient for one-handed pushing as well as using both hands.
7) It collapses and sets up in under 3 seconds. Yowza!
It came with an AWESOME raincover that would have been a lifesaver for us in London if I had only remembered to actually bring it with me from the hotel room. In all seriousness though, I did eventually get to use it and it rocked. Everyone in London had a raincover for their stroller. It was nice to blend-in and very functional.
9) Little AG was very comfortable in it — it is almost like sitting in a hammock, the way it is designed.

The nitpicky stuff that I would change but wouldn’t stop me from getting another one:

1) The front wheels aren’t air-filled. I wish they all were, as it is a nice feature.
2) The sun canopy is miniature and does close to nothing for keeping the sun out of Little AG’s eyes. However, I used the Protect A Bub Sunshade with it and it worked like a charm.
3) It’s oddly shaped, making the front wheels of the stroller further apart than the back wheels, which causes problems when trying to squeeze through tight spaces.
4) You can’t hook a diaper bag or even a small grocery bag to the back handles (which is stays very clearly in the instructions, for the record). This stroller is very back-heavy and when I took little AG out of the stroller, it would instantly flip backwards. Trust me, I broke a coffee mug in a souvenir shop by not remembering this very factoid. Slightly embarrassing, and I had a feeling they were muttering “stupid American girl” under their breath as I sheepishly offered to pay for it.
Places we maneuvered the Micralite Fastfold:

1) The wet, packed streets of London.
2) Through the overpriced department store of Harrods.
3) Up stairs in Tube and Metro stops.
4) Onto the Eurostar Train.
5) Through the cobblestone streets of Paris.
6) Through the Catacombs of Paris.
7) Up the Arc de Triomphe.
On the Metro (aka Subway).
9) On Escalators.
10) On the rocky beaches of Nice on the French Riviera.

Overall, the Micralite Fastfold ROCKS my world. Hubby and I both agree would couldn’t have made it through Europe using our other stroller — this one was a lifesaver. Did I mention how cute it is? We get compliments about it everywhere we go. The girl in London called it a “Posh Buggy” and I swooned.

The Micralite Fastfold is available in Red and Black. It holds up to 42 lbs.

Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival

Ahhh the smell of cotton candy and popcorn, the bright lights, and the sound of kids screaming from the scary rides that probably weren’t assembled properly and will eventually be reported on Ride Accident’s Wesbite… Don’t you just love a carnival?

Wait? What do you mean it’s not THAT kind of carnival?

Well nevermind then — THIS Carnival is apparently one where you don’t have to spend a fortune trying to knock over that stack of bottles that is quite obviously hot glued together because you’ve hit it dead-on at least 3 times and it hasn’t budged virtually impossible to do. All of this for a shriveled looking stuffed animal!

Oh no, this carnival is better. Muuuuuuccccchhhhhh better!

It’s the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival, and yours truly was up way early this morning so that I could participate! Talk about crazy — the Carnival only opened up 1 hour and 3 minutes ago, and it already has 257 contests listed — how awesome is that?! So, after you finish entering my two amazing contests that we have going on here (For Custom Stationery from Paperlicious and a set of French English Flashcards for Kids) be sure to head on over to the Bloggy Carnival to get your entry on!

Oh, and if you win stuff, be sure to come back here and let us know what you won!

Are you hosting a Giveaway in conjunction with the Bloggy Carnival? Sign Mr. Linky below so I can be sure to check it out! Thanks!

Rock On!

I love fun and funky children’s clothing. Not that the adorable dresses from Carter’s don’t have their place, because Little AG owns quite a few of them — but wouldn’t it be nice every now and again to dress your kids in something a little less cookie cutter?

Enter Crib Rock Couture, a clothing line that is anything BUT cookie cutter, while still conveying the essence of kids. My ultimate favorite is this Lemon Crush Crib Rock Tee for toddlers, that is an advertisement for the “Wag Your Tails Tour” — presenting “Sheep are Bo’s Peeps!” I love it — how clever! Celebs also love this great line — this shirt can be seen being sported by Apple Martin — the daughter of Gwyenth Paltrow and Chris Martin.

The sizes for these tees start at 0-6 months and go up to 4T. They retail for $34.

CSC Giveaway: French English Flashcards from Mudpuppy

This contest has now ended. Please check out our contest page for our current contests and giveaways.

Note: This giveaway is a part of the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival! Thanks for stopping by!

Do people ever ask you why you chose the career that you did? It’s a reasonable question, right? And you probably have an answer like “because it was stable”, or “because I really like math” or “because I’ve always loved it”. Well, my answer for choosing to get a degree in French is a little more, urm, weird.

In 6th grade, my teacher started French lessons with us. And I thought it was SO cool. I was always coming up with my own “secret” languages — comprised of symbols or from rearranging the alphabet — so I thought that it was just AWESOME that my teacher was teaching us this new “secret” language — and it was called “French”.

Studies have proven that when it comes to learning a second language, the younger the better. Aside from that, children who speak a second language score higher in both Math and English than children who speak only one language. Being bilingual teaches a child to think outside of the box — to learn that there is always more than one way to accomplish something. Obviously, I am a major proponent of bilingual education — no matter the language.

Don’t worry if you don’t speak another language — there are still ways to encourage your kids to learn another one. That is why I love these French-English Flashcards with illustrations from Mudpuppy. It features 26 nouns in both French and English (and includes the ever so difficult to memorize Definite Article with the French version). I also really like the fun illustrations that go along with each card, done by artist Sarah Wilkins. The cards are all bound by a ring, so you can clip them anywhere you’d like, and they can go wherever you go (on a car ride or plane trip is the first thought that comes to my mind!). Little AG listens to French nursery rhymes every night (and has since she was 5 weeks old), and when she gets old enough, I plan to use these cards to play little games with her and to help her to expand her vocabulary in French.

While 26 words is obviously not enough for your child to speak much French, it is a great way to test the waters and to whet their appetite for the beginnings of a bilingual education, or just simply pique an interest in another language.

And who knows? Maybe they’ll enjoy learning this “secret language” just as much as I did.

Win it! The kind folks over at Mudpuppy have graciously offered to giveaway one of these great French/English flashcard sets to a lucky Chic Shopper Chick reader. To enter, just follow the easy-peasy rules below!

• Go to the Mudpuppy website and look around at all of their great stuff — then come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me what is your favorite product from them (besides the flashcards)!
  
• Please leave a valid email address if you would like to be contacted if you win. Otherwise, winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch.
• If the winner does not respond within 72 hours I will choose a different winner.
• US AND CANADA entries only please!!!
• Earn extra credit! Choose one of the following for ONE extra credit entry. Any further attempts to woo me will be disqualified!
  • Write about this giveaway and send me the link in a separate post.
  • Subscribe to my feed and let me know about it in a separate post.

That’s it! This contest will end on August 3rd, 2008 at 11:59 pm CST. Good luck!

PS — Are you also participating in the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival? Please, sign Mr. Linky at this post so that I can be sure to visit your site too!!

Prizes, Beaches, and a few random musings

I am currently on a retreat with some of the leaders from the youth group that I volunteer with and we are staying in a gorgeous condo right across from the beach in Gulfport, Mississippi. Perhaps the reason that it’s so beautiful is because this whole area was completely wiped out in Hurricane Katrina and so any building along the coast here is a new building. It’s hard to believe this is only an hour from where I live — it’s so quiet and peaceful here — as I type I can see the waves gently rolling in before crashing on the beach.

I really should come here more often. It’s so hard to be a tourist in your own town (or urm, area — since I don’t exactly LIVE here), isn’t it?

In other news…

In case you didn’t already know, I am one of the new co-hosts over at Prizeatron — and I posted my very first contest round up today — so you really should head on over and check it out. Prizeatron was started and is run by Angela — who also writes a great blog called Seven Dogs and a Baby — and currently features Drea from Simple and myself as the new co-hosts, with some other great women hopping on board soon too. You’ll be able to find me there every Friday from here on out!

I have so many great reviews and giveaways coming up that my head is swimming, so be sure to subscribe to Chic Shopper Chick (if you don’t already) so that you can keep up with all of the great happenings around here.

Have a great weekend!

CSC Giveaway: Paperlicious Momager Cards and Social Stationery

This contest has now ended. Please check out our contest page for our current contests and giveaways.

Note: This giveaway is a part of the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival! Thanks for stopping by!

My friend LJ (soon to be LL, as it were!) has the best stationery. We’ve been friends since we were 15 and even then she had a knack for finding the most clever, chic, and classy cards, notes, and other bits of stationery. She lives and breathes by the next paper shop or stationery store and each time I receive a note in the mail from her I feel like I am opening a little treasure.

When I stumbled upon Paperlicious, I immediately thought of LJ — it is an online haven for lovers of all things paper. I had the good fortune to be able to try out the Momager Calling Cards — which are sort of like business cards for moms. How many times have you been somewhere with your child(ren) and met another mom who had so much in common with you that you decided to meet up. Oh but then there is the business of writing down names (and the names of their children) home numbers, cell numbers, or email addresses. These card’s make it so easy! I chose the zebra patterned cards that have my name at the top, with “Little AG’s mom” written below it. I also included my cell phone number, my website address, and my email address.

I have already used them at Gymboree and the grocery store, and they have been fantastically helpful. Be warned, pulling these babies out will bring on cries of “where are those from” and “those are so cool”, and rightfully so. They are the mommy’s answer to efficient social networking.

There were so many great designs that I had a hard time choosing my favorite. I also like the Blue Brown Dots Design and the Pink Brown Swirls. Of course, I chose the zebra pattern because it’s a bit like my personality — all-business with a bit of a wild streak! You can get a pack of 50 Momager Calling Cards on the Paperlicious website for a mere $22.

My other favorite item from Paperlicious is their Social Stationery. I chose some for my family that has our family name at the top, with all three of our first names printed at the bottom. It is really sweet and I have used it to send little notes to friends and family on more than one occasion — most recently to send a note to my grandmother along with a little gift that I purchased for her in France. I chose the Blue Brown Dots Stationery — it comes with 30 flat cards, printed in the pattern and with the names of your choosing, as well as 30 white envelopes. You can purchase this set of 30 for $19.99 on the Paperlicious website.

All of the products are truly adorable — I’m also especially fond of the photo birth announcements and the “Admit One” Baby Shower Invitations. What is your favorite? Head on over to Paperlicious and let me know!

Win it! Amy over at Paperlicious has graciously offered to giveaway one set of social stationery and one set of Momager Calling cards. To enter, follow the directions below.

• Go to the Paperlicious website and check out their Momager Calling Cards and their Social Stationery — then come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me which prize of the two you’d like to win, and in what pattern!
  
• Please leave a valid email address if you would like to be contacted if you win. Otherwise, winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch.
• If the winner does not respond within 72 hours I will choose a different winner.
• US entries only please!!!
• Earn extra credit! Choose one of the following for ONE extra credit entry. Any further attempts to woo me will be disqualified!
  • Write about this giveaway and send me the link in a separate post.
  • Subscribe to my feed and let me know about it in a separate post.

That’s it! This contest will end at 11:59 pm CST on July 30th, 2008. Go now, enter, and tell your friends!

PS — Are you also participating in the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival? Please, sign Mr. Linky at this post so that I can be sure to visit your site too!!

If you have money to burn…

For the baby (or mommy) who already has everything, you can purchase this ultra-chic, ultra-classy baby bottle from Christian Dior on eLuxury.com. Though is is undeniably fashionable, it is also functional — it holds 250 ml and has a silicone nipple. Surprisingly, it retails for a mere $40, which is on the lower end of what I’d expected, actually. There is a bit of a choice when it comes to style — it iconic logo is available on the bottle in both grey and blue.

So what do you think? Could you ever see yourself purchasing a Dior baby bottle for your children?

CSC Sponsor: Pure and Honest Kids

Chic Shopper Chick is fortunate enough to have a great sponsor in Pure and Honest Kids a site that carries some truly unique and beautiful gifts. I really like this Brag Book as a gift for anyone — a mom, dad, or grandparent — to carry around photos of the new little arrival in. It retails for $14.99 and also comes in the Baby Boy version!

I also love these pint-sized rocking chairs for the little ones in your life. I had a little red rocking chair when I was little and I loved it — it was always a place of my own. These great chairs retail for $56 and come in green, blue, pink , or orange. How adorable is this assortment of play donuts? They can be served along with “tea” for an afternoon of great fun! They even come in their own little hand-loomed box complete with ribbons. My personal favorite is the one with sprinkles — it almost looks good enough to eat! You can purchase the set of 5 with the box for $35.
How sweet is this “Blast Off” swimsuit and t-shirt set for little boys? It is festooned with rocket ships, planes, and planets — perfect for any little guy. It retails for $41.Don’t forget to click around Pure and Honest Kids and see what else you may like. Remember, your support helps to keep CSC going, and we really like being here with you, so go ahead and click around a bit!

La Chaise Longue

When I was in Paris I had a chance to stop in a store called “La Chaise Longue” when I was walking from the Abesses metro stop to the Butte de Montmartre. As soon as I stepped inside I was greeted by a singsong “Bonjour mademoiselle” (rather flirty, using the mademoiselle, actually) from an upbeat guy who was bopping around the store. I instantly liked the place — it was very minimalist and clean, with just one of each item on display. You had to ask the workers to get the things that you were interested in purchasing from the back storeroom. However, all of the items were just fun and funky. It actually reminded me a lot of my favorite store, Plyones (which also ended up being on that street!).

Anyway, I walked away from La Chaise Longue with this adorable melamine set for Little AG. I purchased the bowl, plate, and divided plate set, as well as two matching sets of silverware for her, all for 22 Euros. Of course, I can’t find all of the same pieces on the website, but I did manage to find the plate for you to see — the silverware, divided plate and bowl all follow suit. Being a francophile and french teacher by trade, I love that this set has little girly pictures all labeled properly in french. C’est magnifique.

You can buy the little plate that you see above on sale for 4 Euros from La Chaise Longue. Of course, the conversion rate equates to around 6 dollars and then there is shipping from France, but what an adorable gift for the sweet little girl in your life!

Chic Shopper Chick Giveaway: Ugly Dolls

This contest has now ended. Please check out our contest page for our current contests and giveaways.

Is it bad to start a review by saying that the product is just down right UGLY? Because really, they are. But they are so ugly they’re actually cute! Of course, I’m talking about none other than the Ugly Dolls, those amazingly soft and plush figures that are eternally popular with celebrities and us common folk alike. Christina Aguilera has them in her son’s room, and they are certainly beginning to replace the firetrucks and airplane motif for little boys rooms the world over.

I have to admit, when I pulled my first Ugly Doll out of the box, I was skeptical. It was odd looking, and perhaps a bit frightening. That is until Little AG in all of her 17 month old glory, cruised on by and snatched little Poe out of my hands, immediately collapsing onto the ground in a giant hug with him. After a bit of patting him on the back and petting him, she hopped back up, stuck his wing in her mouth, and continued to bop around the house, all with Poe by her side.

So now I’m hooked. If you had seen that same adorable display, you would be too.

Ugly Dolls are the brain child of the creative husband and wife team of artists David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim. Ugly Dolls began as a drawing of a playful orange character known as Wage. Eventually Sun-Min sewed Wage into a plush figure as a surprise for David, and the rest is history. Since then, there have been many new characters and Ugly Dolls and have since turned the Uglyverse upside down!

So what do you think? Ugly or cute? I can’t decide, but I do know that either way, I like em’!!

Win it! I am giving away one Ugly Doll in Original Size to THREE different Chic Shopper Chick readers. I have one Poe, one Gato Deluxe, and one Peaco to giveaway. To enter, follow the directions below.

• Leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite stuffed animal or plush companion as a child. Then let me know which Ugly Doll you would choose if you won.
  
• Please leave a valid email address if you would like to be contacted if you win. Otherwise, winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch.
• If the winner does not respond within 72 hours I will choose a different winner.
• US entries only please!!!
• Earn extra credit! Choose one of the following for ONE extra credit entry. Any further attempts to woo me will be disqualified!
  • Write about this giveaway and send me the link in a separate post.
  • Subscribe to my feed and let me know about it in a separate post.

That’s it! Simple, eh? This giveaway will end on July 27th, 2008 at 11:59 pm CST. So what are you waiting for? Start commenting!

Guest Post: Kristin from An Ordinary Life

Kristin and I became fast friends after I won one of her contests and a simple email of an address turned into back and forth emailing. We have so much in common and I love her site “An Ordinary Life” — it’s a daily read for me. Oh, and congrats are in order for Kristin — she just recently got engaged! Read on to find out some great tips and products for traveling with kids, and be sure to visit her site “An Ordinary Life” when you’re through.

With all the talk about summer travel my own family is in the midst of leaving for travel. We actually take off on Kai’s very first plane ride. I have compiled some items we think are essential for our summer travel.

Since we are also currently potty training (the training is done now it’s all about getting to the restroom on time) I highly recommend Potette on The Go Potty it can either be used as an actual potty with disposable bags. Or you can take it along like we are, with tiny baby butts one might fall through a toilet. So use it as an extra seat to keep them comfortable. Hey it sure beats holding them over the toilet and at an easy $10.00 it’s a great companion to keep in your car. We are easily taking it with us and folds up nice and small it fit nicely in our suitcase.

And every child needs their very own luggage. We love the Trunki Towgo from Tots on The Go. This luggage is perfect for the airport since your little one can jump on for a ride. It is lockable and comes in cute colors, plus it even has a teddy bear strap to keep your child’s favorite friend safe and sound. We wouldn’t be caught in the airport without our Trunki Towgo from Tots on The Go.

I have one of the best family friendly pieces of technology, you will find yourself playing in the doctors office, or while waiting in those long lines at the DMV. The Nintendo DS is one gadget you will fight with your children about. It’s portable entertainment for your children, or even yourself. Check out this article for more information.
Don’t forget about Chic Shopper Chicks own article all about the CARES Harness. We will bringing this item on the plane with us and we have heard nothing but great reviews about it.
Last but not least every trip needs heathly snacks, and carry them along with you to keep those kiddos full. Junk food only makes them more cranky, so remember drink lots of water and have fun healthy snacks along the way.

Do you have any tips or items you think are essential for travel? Tell me all about it!

Guest Post: Jen from PPV on VPZ Designs

I wanted thank Chic Shopper Chick for inviting me to guest post while she is in Europe. Hope you are having a great time!

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