Gimme a Boost, Mom! (Giveaway CLOSED)

Little AG has officially been two years old for less than a week but I’ve been noticing her gradually develop a stronger sense of independence for about two months now.  (Some call it stubborn, pig-headed, and relentless–but me?  Nah, I’ll stick with independent.)  One of her new favorite phrases is “Help please!” (which really sounds something more like “haaaeep peesz!  haaaeep peeessz!  haaep!  haaaep!” so now I get why I could never understand other people’s children when they were this age!) when she is asking if she can help you do something like put on her shirt, take the dishes out of the dishwasher (yes, I cringe each time), or help mommy to cook.

Most of these things are ones that she can try to help with, but when it comes to things in the kitchen, obviously the height of the countertop is an issue and serves as a barrier for how much she can help with.  A chair would be too dangerous to stand on, and she can’t sit on the countertop itself, so our options are limited.  The creators of The Learning Tower had the same exact thought about toddlers who are Little AG’s age, and they developed a product that safely brings toddlers aged 18 months and up to countertop height.  The tower is available in 9 non-toxic colors to match your home, is simple to clean, and has an adjustable height platform so that as your child grows, so can the tower. Plus, throw a blanket over it and Voila! — instant playhouse.

To celebrate Love of Learning Month, the folks at Little Partners Inc. have teamed up with 20 awesome bloggers who will be giving away one Learning Tower each!  I’m proud to be kicking off the beginning of these giveaways here on Chic Shopper Chick by giving you a chance to win a Learning Tower of your very own.  The rules are below, but remember, if you don’t win here you still have 19 other chances to win – so be sure to enter them all!

Win it! For your initial entry, leave a comment here telling me why you’d like to have a learning tower.  After that, every other (pertinent) comment left on this site on other posts from now through February 17th will count as an extra entry each.  You don’t need to come back to this post and tell me you commented on another post, I can stalk track you via your email/ip address.   As usual, extra entries are also available for stumbling Chic Shopper Chick (leave your stumble name), subscribing to my site, following me on Twitter, and blogging about this giveaway with a link back here.  That’s it, so good luck!

US entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you’d like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contest ends at 11:59 pm CST on February 17th, 2009.

You Can Never Have Too Much Flair! (Giveaway CLOSED)

Take a look around here really quickly.  Yup, that’s right — look around.  Any guess as to my favorite color?  Hmm, if you’re thinking it’s blue you get a big red x, my friend.  So, let’s see, what could it be…do do do…um, oh yes!  Pink!  I love pink, and my tendency to purchase clothing in all shades of pink actually earned me the nickname “Pinky” in college.  As Elle from Legally Blonde would say “It’s my signature color!”

In case you’re wondering why I’m suddenly talking about my favorite color, I’ll just go ahead and explain where this is going.  Last week I got an email from one of my favorite companies, Boon Inc. detailing all of their newest products.  (If you haven’t already noticed my love for Boon, you can read my reviews of the Frog Pod, Animal Bag, Snack Ball and Flo, and their new Bug Pod and Flo in Pink) So, I’m scanning this email and suddenly I notice that the super-modern, super-cool Flair High Chair is now being offered in Pink!  I swooned, and immediately emailed the folks at Boon to tell them that I am “utterly in love” with the newly-tinted Flair.  Little girls everywhere will be able to rock the Flair in Pink just in time for Valentine’s Day!

The Flair is truly the crème de la crème of highchairs and, as with all Boon products, proves that you don’t have to sacrifice style for functionality. A pedestal highchair, the Flair has a pneumatic lift that makes adjusting the height virtually effortless. The seat is seamless, which is fantastic for clean-up because I SO hate cleaning in all of those little crevices (well, I so hate cleaning in general, but that’s a whole ‘nother post…).  The Flair has a chemical-resistant, waterproof pad that can be easily removed for cleaning, a five-point harness, and an adjustable tray.  The pedestal base slides smoothly in any direction on six urethane casters that will not scratch your floors, and has a hands-free braking system that quickly and simply locks the chair in place.  It’s also non-toxic…the Flair is BPA-free, PVC-free, and Phthalate-free.

Did I mention that it’s fantastic to look at?  Seriously, where highchairs are concerned, this one rocks!

The new Pink Flair is being released soon and will start shipping from Boon’s website and Amazon starting in the middle of this month!

So, are you feelin’ the pink Flair?  Boon has generously offered to giveaway one of their new Pink Flair Highchairs to a very  lucky Chic Shopper Chick reader!

For your initial entry, visit the Boon website and tell me what other product, besides the Flair, do you like?  After that, every other (pertinent) comment left on this site on other posts from now through February 15th will count as an extra entry each.  In other words, if you really want the Flair you’ve got great odds!  As usual, extra entries are also available for stumbling Chic Shopper Chick (leave your stumble name), subscribing to my site, following me on Twitter, and blogging about this giveaway with a link back here.  Please put all extra entries in separate comments and leave those comments on this post.  Good luck, and get commenting!

US entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you’d like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contest ends at 11:59 pm CST on February 15th, 2009.

A Pink Boom…er, I mean Boon!

We LOVE our Boon Frog Pod (and it has been the subject of a previous bathtime post) – I received it at my baby shower and I can honestly say that it gets good use every night.  Between that and our Flo Faucet Cover, Little AG’s bathtub is fun and functional thanks to these very modern and innovative products from Boon.  However, though I love our little frog and our green and white flo, I’m a pink girl, all the way (let’s see, ummm, had you already guessed?)  Naturally I got this announcement in my email, I was “pink” with excitement!

Woo hoo!  They have a Pink Bug Pod and a Pink Flo now!  Both are available exclusively at Babies R Us!  Squeeee!  Do you think hubby would complain if I replaced our perfectly functioning Boon Products with these? 

M&M’s Get Personal

Pssst — hey you!  Yes, you – the bridesmaid/baby shower thrower person/bride/new mommy/person throwing a birthday party/chocolate lover – I’m talking to you!  Check out this really cool idea for personalized party favors that your guests can appreciate (and devour!).  You can now create and customize your very own M&M’s from the comfort of your couch!  I created some online at the My M&Ms site for Little AG’s 2nd birthday (which is in a month — ahhh!) that have her picture on one side and cute little statements about her “Turning 2!” on the back!  The website makes it really, really simple to do, and I had the perfect M&M’s within minutes!  I even got to choose what colors I wanted!

The site also offers dozens of gift options to accompany the MY M&M’S, such as candy dispensers, decorative tins, and MLB-themed containers. And, new this year, MY M&M’S has even teamed up with Martha Stewart for ideas to make personalized gifts even more special. Each of Martha’s MY M&M’S personalized gift options provide easy step-by-step instructions.  Of course, personalization won’t come cheap – at $13 bucks for a decent-sized bag you’ll be shelling out some dough, but at least this is one keepsake that won’t collect dust on a shelf somewhere.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go dig through my pantry in search of chocolate.  This review made me hungry.

Fiddle your Photos with Photofiddle! (A Giveaway!)

I take lots of pictures.  I love photography, and almost everyone in my family seems to have an eye for taking good pictures.  We took over 10,000 pictures of Little AG in her first year alone, to give you an idea of what a photo-maniac I am.  On a typical vacation I will come home with hundreds of photos, oftentimes between 300-500 of them.  However, most of those photos, no matter how great they are, sit in iPhoto until I get the urge to make a Photo Book with them, or print them and make a scrapbook.

Recently I had the opportunity to try out Photofiddle — and they took a picture of me, Little AG, and hubby and quite literally turned it into a work of art!  I’m particularly a fan of this picture because a) Little AG is smiling.  At the camera.  Without squinting. b)  I don’t look particularly like a troll.  c)  It was taken at my favorite place on earth – Paris.  The photo is of the three of us, standing on the second level of the Eiffel Tower, with the city of Paris behind us.  C’est parfait.

Here is our initial photo, before it was fiddled.

They actually gave me tons of options — some looked like a Charcoal Sketch, some looked like a Comic Book, and some looked like an Andy Warhol Painting.  But we chose the Soft Pastel look in the end, because, well, it was our favorite!

And now, after it was fiddled, here it is hanging on my wall:

Cool, right?  Here is a little background on Photofiddle: The Photofiddle.com site went online in June 2004 and not too long after the launch it received a bit of press from the Washington Post, USA Today, PC Magazine & more.  The Washington Post called them “buzz worthy” and PC Mag rated us 4 out of 5 stars.  What really put Photofiddle.com on the map was  when Oprah put them on the O list in 2006.  More recently, the Today Show picked Photofiddle.com  as a great DIY decorating idea, the CBS Early Show featured them as a best Mother’s Day gift idea, and the New York Times editor wrote a great article including Photofiddle.com.  Pretty impressive!

Photofiddle.com comes highly recommended by me, and I think it is one of the greatest gifts that you can give, be it now for the Holiday Season or a special occasion in the future.  Heck, even if you don’t need a gift — it’s a great choice just to decorate your house with some of those photos that might otherwise just be hanging around!

Win it! You can win a $50 Gift Certificate to Photofiddle to start creating your very own works of art.  To enter, just follow the easy-peasy rules below!

• Visit the Photofiddle Site and tell me which design you would choose if you were able to “fiddle” one of your photos.
  
• Earn extra credit! You may do these for extra entries.
• • Blog about this giveaway and link back here. Tell me about it in a separate comment.
  • Follow me on Twitter.  Tell me about it in a separate comment.
  • Subscribe to my RSS feed via email or in a reader and tell me about it in a separate comment.
  • Stumble my main webpage (www.chicshopperchick.com) and leave me your Stumble Upon name in a separate comment.

That’s it! Good luck! Oh, and the official rules and legal jargon are below.

US entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you’d like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contest ends at 11:59 pm CST on December 22nd, 2008.

Show Me How!

I recently had the opportunity to review a book called “Show Me How:  500 Things You Should Know – Instructions for Life from the Ordinary to the Exotic”.  Once you get past the long title (phew!) you will fall in love with this book.  It includes things like how to identify the different men’s styles of facial hair, which wines should be paired with what foods, how to get out of quicksand, how to identify edible plants, and how to remove gum from a child’s hair.  Granted, some of the things your will hopefully never need to use (quicksand?  Woah.) but that is what makes it fun to read.

Check out some of these shots of the pages of the book and you will see what I’m talking about.  It’s absolutely gorgeous! (You know, um, as far as books go!)

Here is one page on how to make your own Snow Globe!  (Hmm, this might be a project for the near future!)

Here is a page that shows how to do some other easy Holiday Projects.Here is one of the pages on Champagne/Wine and food pairings.

See what I mean?  It truly is a gorgeous book.  Talk about the perfect coffee table book!  Anything you ever wanted to know – including useless trivia that will wow your friends — is in this book!  This would make a great Christmas gift for that hard-to-buy-for person in your life!

Harper Collins has graciously offered to give two very lucky Chic Shopper Chick readers their very own chance to know how do do all 500 things — that’s right — you can win a copy of Show Me How right here on Chic Shopper Chick!  To enter, just follow the easy-peasy rules below!

• Leave a comment here telling me about something you’ve always wanted to know about, know how to do, or learn more about!
  
• Earn extra credit! You may do these for extra entries.
  • Follow me on Twitter.  Tell me about it in a separate comment.
  • Blog about this giveaway and link back here. Tell me about it in a separate comment.
  • Subscribe to my RSS feed via email or in a reader and tell me about it in a separate comment.
  • Stumble my main webpage (www.chicshopperchick.com) and leave me your Stumble Upon name in a separate comment.
  • Add me to your blog roll. Not just my button in your sidebar, I’d love to be on your blog roll! Let me know about it in a separate comment!

That’s it! Good luck! Oh, and the official rules and legal jargon are below.

US entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you’d like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contest ends at 11:59 pm CST on December 3rd, 2008.

My Friends Tigger and Pooh: Our Christmas Must-Haves

If you’ve read this site a bit in the past, you know that Little AG has a thing, a love, an OBSESSION with Tigger.  However, most everything involving the Playhouse Disney show “My Friends Tigger and Pooh” easily qualifies as well.  Along with the 9 tiggers that we already have living in our house, I wanted to highlight a few of the things that will be on our Christmas list for Santa this year, just in case you have a little Tigger fan at home, too.

Of course, we have to start with the My Friends Tigger & Pooh – Super Sleuth Christmas Movie.  Even though it’s not new this year, we have to have it as a part of our collection.  Plus, I am pretty much a Christmas fanatic, so I HAVE to have anything that is a “special Christmas edition”.  That being said, you can be sure we’re getting a copy of this ASAP!  (Look, I’m already listening to Christmas music, why not add in Tigger, Pooh, Darby, Roo, etc and make the kiddo happy at the same time?) You can snag it for $13.99 on Amazon.

Our next must-have is the Fisher-Price Super Sleuth Changing Tree.  Seriously, this was not an option to pass up this year (if you ever saw my daughter turn on the projector in our living room, hand me the remote to the TV, point at the wall and say “Grr peas?” {Tigger Please?} you would totally understand why).  This baby has hidden doors, slides and ramps (to launch them out of the Changing Tree on their scooters, of course) as well as lots of lights, sounds, and a total of 30 different missions.  It’s way cool!  I have been stalking it for a while, as Amazon wasn’t carrying it and it was about 70 bucks, but thankfully, now it’s down to $43.49, so grab it while you can!

I’m also lovin’ this My Friends Tigger & Pooh Wooden Puzzle with Sound — it has 5 large pieces and even plays a few sounds!  It’s perfect for Little AG’s little hands, even though I can see that we will probably always be missing one piece — isn’t that how it always works with puzzles?

Of course, Little AG’s Christmas will not be complete without the Fisher Price “Think Think Think” Darby – I can sing that song in my sleep.  Even seeing someone tap the side of their head 3 times makes me want to burst into song!  Darby is about a foot tall, and she not only sings the “Think Think Think” song, but she also has mysteries for us to solve!  Little AG spotted her in the store a while back, and I practically had to pry the thing out of her hands.  I’ve gotta say, it is pretty neat!  $34.99 at Amazon.

Lastly, I don’t think I can resist this Tigger Bounce Chair – it’s pretty inexpensive and I can almost picture Little AG tackling it when she sees it!  The chair has an inflatable seat that creates a “springy” effect, and he also says fun phrases and has 3D facial features.  Oh, and a big plus — the cover is removable and washable!  Plus, for $34.99, I’d like to think of it as a steal!

What about you?  Know any other Tigger must-haves for us for Christmas?  What character/toy/show does your child love the most?

Flip and Tumble for Flip and Tumble! (Review and Giveaway!)

I have every intention to be a do-good, eco-chic, recycling, re-useable grocery bagging girl, but the hardest part about it is, without fail, remembering to bring the darn bags WITH me to the store.  I can’t tell you how many times I have been so excited to remember to bring my reusable bags, but then I forget them in the car, at home, on the floor, etc.  So what good does it do if I forget to bring the bag in the first place?

Flip and Tumble has solved that problem!  Their bags roll up or scrunch up nice and small so that they can just live in your purse or car, and they don’t take up too much room, but they are there when you need them!  This way, it solves the problem of “remembering” to bring the bags with you!

Flip and Tumble offers two different styles of bags, the original 24/7 bag and their new Loopt Bag.  Each one folds or scrunches up in about 5 seconds flat, making them a hit in my book!  Plus, when you do unroll them, they are unbelieveably roomy — I fit 2 to 3 times the amount of groceries in one of them as I do in a regular plastic grocery bag!

Win it! You can win your very own Loopt or 24/7 bag from Flip and Tumble!  To enter, follow the easy-peasy rules below!

• Visit Flip and Tumble, then come back here and tell me which bag you would chose, and in which color combo (official colors only please!)
  
• Earn extra credit! You may do these for extra entries.
  • Blog about this giveaway and link back here and to Flip and Tumble. Tell me about it in a separate comment.
  • Subscribe to my RSS feed via email or in a reader and tell me about it in a separate comment.
  • Stumble my main webpage (www.chicshopperchick.com) and leave me your Stumble Upon name in a separate comment.
  • Add me to your blog roll. Not just my button in your sidebar, I’d love to be on your blog roll! Let me know about it in a separate comment!

That’s it! Good luck! Oh, and the official rules and legal jargon are below.  Oh, and don’t forget to check out my other great stocking stuffer ideas on day 3 of the Christmas Gift Guide here on Chic Shopper Chick!

US entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you’d like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contests ends at 11:59 pm CST on November 22nd, 2008.

Chic Buds make listening look good!

I am completely smitten with Chic Buds, because they are so, well, CHIC!  Yes, Chic is who I am, it’s what I do.  I embody chicness, and I’m not afraid to say it!  Ok, now that I’ve gotten that declaration out of the way, let me tell you about this completely delicious find!  Called Chic Buds, these unassuming ear buds have gone wild!  Studded with real Swarovski Crystals, these babies will make you the envy of every girl around.

To all you peeps who ride the subway or train in the mornings, wouldn’t you look good sporting these as you nonchalantly listened to your iPod and read a book?  You don’t have to say a word, your Chic Buds will do all the talking!  You can use these while you’re walking to class, on an airplane, working out at the gym,

or in a coffee shop — no matter where you are I’m sure these will draw some ooohs and aaahs.

A few factoids about the oh-so-fabulous chicBuds:

• chicBuds have a built-in retractor so that the cords won’t end up a mess!
• Each set of chicBuds has nearly 100 Swarovski crystal pieces.
• chicBuds have a fastening clip so the cord doesn’t bounce around (also quite handy for clipping it on the side of your purse so you don’t lose them!)

You can purchase chicBuds at Dillards or Fred Meyer, and if you do, you get a FREE couture candy-link tin that holds your iPod and your chicBuds!  If you don’t live close to one of those, you can also buy them at the chicBuds online store!  They retail for $49.99 and I even have a pair to giveaway!  To enter, follow the easy-peasy rules below!

• Visit the chicBuds online store and tell me what style you would choose if you won!
  
• Earn extra credit! You may do these for extra entries.
  • Visit An Ordinary Life and leave a comment on one of her posts or giveaways!  Come back here and let me know you did it!
  • Blog about this giveaway and link back here and to ChicBuds.com. Tell me about it in a separate comment.
  • Subscribe to my RSS feed via email or in a reader and tell me about it in a separate comment.
  • Follow ChicBlvd (maker of Chic Buds) on twitter http://www.twitter.com/chicblvd
  • Add me to your blog roll. Not just my button in your sidebar, I’d love to be on your blog roll! Let me know about it in a separate comment!

That’s it! Good luck! Oh, and the official rules and legal jargon are below.  Oh, and don’t forget to check out the other great stocking stuffer ideas here on Chic Shopper Chick!

US entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you’d like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contests ends at 11:59 pm CST on November 21st, 2008.

Christmas Gift Guide 2008: Traditions

Welcome to the first day of the 2008 Holiday Gift Guide here on Chic Shopper Chick!  To kick off the guide, today we are going to focus on family Holiday Traditions.  I am going to share a few of our Holiday traditions with you, and I hope you will leave some comments here telling me about the traditions in your homes!

For us, and I know for lots of families, the Christmas season is full of special family traditions that have been passed down for generations.  Or perhaps they haven’t been passed down for generations, but they are things that you started that your family now treasures and loves to do every year.  My family always loved to decorate the Christmas Tree together.  We would turn off all distractions, put on Christmas music, and my mom would give us all Egg Nog sprinkled with nutmeg.  It is a tradition that hubby and I still do, minus the Egg Nog, since I can’t get him anywhere near the stuff!  I know that Little AG will love this tradition too as she gets older!

Here are some great traditions that you can enjoy with your family!

Elf on the Shelf – Create a new Christmas tradition for your family by picking up a copy of Elf on the Shelf. The Elf shows up at the beginning of the Holiday season, usually around Thanksgiving, and moves to a different location each night to keep an “eye” on things for Santa.  Your kids will tear out of their rooms every morning to find out where the Elf has moved to for the day.  It also helps you with a little extra “control” for your kids around this blissfully magical but hectic time of the year, because your kids will know that the “Elf” is always watching!   To learn more read my post on “Elf on the Shelf” and enter for a chance to win a copy for your family!    Or, if you already know you love it, you can buy The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition on Amazon for $29.99 and free shipping!

The Flight Before Christmas – I love to watch Christmas movies with my family, it makes me feel all warm and cozy inside.  The Flight Before Christmas is a new DVD just released for this Christmas season, about a young reindeer named Niko who is determined to improve his flying skills in the hopes to be just as great as his father. But after wandering from Home Valley to practice, he catches the attention of the infamous Black Wolf who follows him back. In order to protect Santa and the other reindeer from the claws of Black Wolf, Niko must team up with the other forest animals to prevent any trouble that comes their way.  Read my post today on the Flight Before Christmas and enter to win a copy for your family!  You can also buy The Flight Before Christmas on DVD on Amazon for $14.99.

Family Christmas Pajamas – I always loved seeing all of the pictures of families in their matching pajamas on Christmas morning, and if I can convince hubby to do so, I would love to do that this year!  It just seems like one more great way to get in the Christmas spirit.  I know some families find new pajamas in their stockings on Christmas Eve and wear them to bed Christmas night.  It really does make for great pictures, not to mention great memories.  This year I am so excited to have found the most adorable family Christmas pajamas at Snug As A Bug, so head on over to read my post about Christmas Pajamas from Snug As A Bug and enter to win a set of pajamas for your entire family!

Cooking and Family Recipes – A lot of the traditions in my family seem to revolve around food, so today on my blog I posted my favorite recipe for a Bûche de Noël – the traditional French Yule Log or Christmas Cake.  It’s a dessert that comes with hundreds of years of history and has been a long-standing Christmas tradition in many families for ages.  Starting last year I devoted Christmas Eve to baking two of these scrumptious treats, and I’m hoping that Little AG will join me in the kitchen as she gets older!  I have the recipe for the best-tasting Bûche de Noël anywhere on the internet (I’ve tried roughly 30 different ones!), so head on over and check out my Bûche de Noël recipe and join in the fun with my family’s newest tradition!

Christmas Ornaments – At the very beginning of our relationship, I went to France for my first ever visit.  When I came back, I had a special gift for my then-boyfriend, now-husband — a Christmas ornament from Paris with Santa climbing up the Eiffel Tower.  That started our tradition and love of unique Christmas ornaments from all of the places that we travel to.  We have a Christmas tree decked out with ornaments from England, France, the Bahamas, and places from all over the US.  When you look at the ornaments on our tree, they truly represent who we are as a family.  Of course, we also have the traditional Our First Christmas and Baby’s First Christmas Ornaments as well.  That is why I really like Keepsake Ornaments, like the Hallmark My First Christmas Ornament for babies or the Lenox 2008 My First Christmas Ornament.  For new couples, you’ll also like the Lenox 2008 Our First Christmas Ornament and this gorgeous “Our First Christmas” Waterford Crystal Ornament.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaways that go along with today’s Christmas Traditions Guide!  You can win a copy of The Elf on the Shelf, a copy of the Flight Before Christmas DVD, and a set of matching Christmas Pajamas for the entire family!  Lastly, don’t forget to check out my feature on my blog today for making your very own Bûche de Noël!

Also, don’t forget to visit my fabulous fellow Christmas Gift Guide Bloggers, Kristin from An Ordinary Life and Christine over at From Dates to Diapers!  They both have some fantastic suggestions for you as far as Christmas traditions go as well, not to mention they are always giving great stuff away!

I’m glad you stopped by to read about the Christmas Traditions that we have in our household!  I love Christmas, and I’m always up for starting new traditions, so please leave me a comment and let me know about your most treasured Holiday Traditions!

Christmas Pajamas keep me Snug As A Bug! (Giveaway!)

If you were reading Day One of the Christmas gift guide, today is all about traditions!  One of the traditions that I love the most and would love to convince hubby to do is wearing matching Christmas pajamas for the entire family!  Some friends of mine growing up used to get pajamas in their stockings on Christmas Eve, and they would all wear them to bed and all had the cutest pictures for Christmas morning.  (Ok, I’ll be honest, I saw her pictures from last Christmas and I’m pretty sure they all still participate in this tradition, even though she’s an adult now!)

Anyway, I came across this great website called Snug As A Bug that sells matching Christmas pajamas for the whole family!  They come in sizes ranging from Newborn to XXL, and they can even outfit your pets with a matching scarf or bandanna!  How awesome is that!  Seriously, looking at these pictures makes me want to go out, buy a Christmas tree, and come back here and hop in some matching pajamas to listen to Christmas music while we hang ornaments and lights.  Did I mention we would be sipping hot chocolate? Or maybe egg nog…

Snug As A Bug specializes in pajamas for everyone in your life all year round, but I think this is an especially fun Christmas tradition!

Win it! Snug As A Bug has graciously offered to outfit the family of one lucky Chic Shopper Chick reader in their very own set of Christmas pajamas!  The winner will receive matching pajamas in a pattern of their choice for two adults and two kids.  To enter, follow the easy-peasy rules below!

• Head over to Snug As A Bug and pick out your favorite Christmas Pajama pattern. Then come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me which one is your fave!  (Initial Entry)
  
• Earn extra credit! You may do these for extra entries.
  • Blog about this giveaway and link back here and to Snug As A Bug. Tell me about it in a separate comment. (1 Entry)
  • Blog about my gift guide and link back here, as well as to An Ordinary Life and From Dates to Diapers.  Come back here and leave three extra comments with the link to your post in one of them.  I will verify it! (3 Entries)
  • Subscribe to my RSS feed via email or in a reader and tell me about it in a separate comment. (One Entry)
    
  • Stumble my main webpage (www.chicshopperchick.com) and leave me your Stumble Upon name in a separate comment. (One Entry)
    
  • Follow me on twitter if you aren’t already! (One Entry)

That’s it! Good luck! Oh, and the official rules and legal jargon are below.

US and Canadian entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you’d like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contests ends at 11:59 pm CST on November 26th, 2008.

Elf on the Shelf: Review and Giveaway

Last year I was introduced to the great tradition of The Elf on the Shelf when someone gave it as a gift to my friend at her son’s birthday party.  I had never heard of it, but being the Christmas crazed woman that I am, I just had to know more about it!

The Elf on the Shelf is a great family Christmas Tradition in a box!  It is based on a tradition that Carol Aebersold began with her family in the 1970′s, and includes a children’s book that explains that Santa knows who is naughty or nice because he sends a “scout elf” to every home.  During the Holiday Season, the Elf watches the children during the day and reports back to Santa each night.  When

your kids wake up the next morning, the Elf has returned from the North Pole and can be found hiding in a different location, making it into a game that both you and your kids will love!

The Elf on the Shelf usually makes his debut at the beginning of the Holidays (we plan to start on Thanksgiving this year) and by the second or third day, your kids will be tearing out of their rooms to see where the Elf is hiding that morning!  Plus, I just have to mention the fact that it really helps with behavior for kids during this really awesome yet really crazy time of the year!  Each Tradition-in-a-Box™ comes with its very own scout elf, a hardbound, cleverly rhymed children’s book and a keepsake box for easy storage.

PS — need a little push to get into the Holiday Spirit?  Visit the Elf on the Shelf Website — it is completely interactive and a blast to visit — you can even see the North pole!

You can buy the Elf on the Shelf on Amazon for $29.99.  Hurry up and grab your Elf soon, so you can start this awesome family tradition this year!

Win it!  One lucky CSC reader will win their very own Elf on the Shelf.  To enter, follow the easy-peasy rules below!

• Visit the North Pole and come back here and tell me what your favorite “section” is!
• Earn extra credit! You may do these for extra entries.
  • Blog about this giveaway and link back here, as well as to Elf on the Shelf.   (1 entry)
    
  • Write a post about our Holiday gift guide, linking back here as well as to An Ordinary Life and From Dates to Diapers. (3 entries)  Once you’re done, come back here and leave your three additional comments, with the link to your post in one of them.
    
  • Subscribe to my RSS feed via email or in a reader and tell me about it in a separate comment. (1 entry)
    
  • Stumble my main webpage (www.chicshopperchick.com) and leave me your Stumble Upon name in a separate comment. (1 entry)
    
  • Add me to your blog roll. Not just my button in your sidebar, I’d love to be on your blog roll! Let me know about it in a separate comment! (1 entry)

That’s it! Good luck! Oh, and the official rules and legal jargon are below.

US entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you’d like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contests ends at 11:59 pm CST on November 19th, 2008.

Review and Giveaway: Pony Sisters Ponchos

Last week we got something in the mail that I was so so excited about. Pony Sisters Ponchos turned my sweet Little AG into the most adorable version of little red riding hood EVER! We got this awesome red fleece poncho for Little AG to try out and we just love it (and she loves how it flies behind her when she runs!). Even though the product was developed in Seattle (brrrrr) the fleece is actually the perfect material for our relatively warm weather year-round here in Louisiana. Rare is the day when we need something other than a light jacket (it’s SO depressing, really) so this is the perfect way to keep her warm. She can’t take it off, but it also doesn’t bother her like a jacket would because it’s not bulky and doesn’t get in the way. Oh, and have I mentioned how irresistibly cute it is? I’m just sayin’.

Some cool things about Pony Sisters Ponchos that you should know: It is a mom-owned, mom-developed, and mom-run company (I love Mompreneurs!). The idea for their ponchos came about because the owner’s daughter hated to wear jackets. Her mom sewed her a fleece poncho to wear to keep her warm, and they started getting stopped everywhere they went to ask where they got it. (Because, as I have already mentioned, it is so stinkin’ cute!) It was one of those “ah ha!” moments, and the idea for Pony Sisters Ponchos was born.

Oh yeah, it even has pockets on the inside of the poncho to keep little hands warm. Even cooler, the pockets aren’t visible from the outside of the poncho, so it makes you feel all secret-agent-like. Little AG has just recently discovered the joy of pockets, so this has provided lots of entertainment for us.

The ponchos are extremely well made and look very professional. I can say with 100% certainty that I know you will love these ponchos as much as we do. When Little AG grows out of her small, we are promptly buying a Medium, and then the rest of the sizes. I can already tell that this will be one of our wardrobe staples!

Ok, gush gush gush. Gushing is complete. How about winning one? Would you like that? I thought you might. Just follow these easy-peasy rules below to enter:

• Head over to Pony Sisters Ponchos and pick out your favorite poncho. Then come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me which one you would love to have for the little poncho-wearer in your life!
  
• Earn extra credit! You may do these for extra entries.
  • Blog about this giveaway and link back here. Tell me about it in a separate post.
  • Subscribe to my RSS feed via email or in a reader and tell me about it in a separate post.
    
  • Stumble my main webpage (www.chicshopperchick.com) and leave me your Stumble Upon name in a separate post.
  • Favorite Chic Shopper Chick on Technorati (there is a “Fave this Blog” button in my right sidebar) and let me know about it in a in a separate post.
  • Add me to your blog roll. Not just my button in your sidebar, I’d love to be on your blog roll! Let me know about it in a separate post!

That’s it! Good luck! Oh, and the official rules and legal jargon are below.

Oh, and psssst — have you heard about our Pink Dyson Giveaway? There is still time to enter! You can also win a copy of the Naked Brothers Band Season 2, or a complete Holiday Card Package from Tiny Prints.

US entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you’d like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contests ends at 11:59 pm CST on October 30th, 2008.