Of course, any good adopted snail needs a comfortable place to rest his shell. So, I decided that we would build the snails a terrarium. The kids thought it was cool too – especially once they figured out how to pronounce terrarium. Say that one 5 times fast.

After school last week we headed to Walmart to drop off some prescriptions, and while we waited for them to be filled we cruised around and collected the items that we needed to make our own terrarium.

Everything you see here was purchased at Walmart. Here is the rundown of what we used:

• 1 Gallon Penny Candy Jar ($6)
• 5 lb bag of decorative stones ($5)
• Cactus Soil ($3)
• Small pot with a variety of succulents from the Garden department ($7)

We started by lining the bottom of the jar with some rocks to ventilate the soil and allow for some room for water to collect at the bottom, if necessary (I have been known to overwater my plants). Once the bottom of the jar was completely covered with a layer of stones, we moved on to the soil.

To make it easier on the kids, I dumped some of the soil into a glass bowl and used a measuring cup for them to dump the soil on top of the rocks. We ended up using about 6 cups of soil.

This is about what it should look like after you’ve added the soil – you want to leave lots of room at the top for the plants!

I chose to use succulents because they have small root systems and they don’t need a ton of water. It’s good for someone like me who either overwaters her plants, or totally forgets to water them for 2 straight weeks. For this project, I had purchased two small pots with a variety of succulents mixed together. At this point, we covered the table with paper bags and separated out the different plants from the pot. As I already mentioned, I purchased two of these, but we only ended up needing one. The other one has found a permanent home in my kitchen.

I took the plants that I separated out and placed them in the bowl with the remaining soil while we figured out a plan to replant them.

Once we had decided on our layout, we had the kids dig a shallow hole with their hands, then place the plants in their respective places. Then we just made sure each plant was surrounded by enough soil and everyone was happy with the placement before moving on.

At this point, the plants are in and all that is left to do is decorate! We chose a few of our favorite rocks from the bag to serve as decoration, but also to give the inside of the terrarium some character. Each of the kids chose a few of their favorite rocks and got to place them wherever their little hearts desired.

Ta-da! And this, my friends, is how you make a terrarium with your kids! Easy peasy lemon squeezy! I was really pleased with the result.

The kids loved it too! This was a really quick project by the way – it took 20 minutes tops from start to finish – and probably even less if you’re not taking photos with every step!

And last, but not least, meet our snails – Teach and QT (cutie). They eat tons of lettuce and apple slices and I’m pretty sure they think that they now live in snail heaven. The kids are completely fascinated by them.

We had so much fun making this terrarium with the kids, and a week later it still seems to hold just as much appeal as it did the first day. I’ve been watering the plants every other day, but after the first two weeks I plan to back it off to just twice a week. Obviously I can’t use the lid that came with the jar, so we ordered some mosquito netting to put over the mouth of the jar that keeps the snails in but still allows everyone to breathe.

What do you think – would you make a DIY terrarium?

Disclosure: This was a sponsored post by Walmart as a part of my role in the Walmart Moms. All opinions, and ideas are 100% my own.

Read the original Make Your Own Terrarium: A Fun Weekend Project With Kids on Chic Shopper Chick.

For the first two nights we were home, I didn’t even sleep when she slept. I was afraid something would happen to her.

You’ve heard it before and it’s true – babies don’t come with instruction manuals. Baby’s first year, especially for a first-time parent is exhausting and full of questions. Even though I didn’t know much about what I was doing, I was thankful for the awesome gifts that I had received that made Audrey Grace’s first year easier – a pack and play that doubled as a bassinet for my bedroom, a swing, a high chair, and a play mat for tummy time and stimulation.

My sweet girl, at 3 months old, in her Fisher-Price Rainforest Swing.

I eventually figured out that when I needed to take a shower I would put the swing on the carpet right next to the bathtub and turn it on so that I could rinse off but still have her close by. As she grew older, I would put a few toys in the pack and play and let her sit in there and play while I folded laundry. There were hours of sweet baby giggles during play time on the playmat, and lots of messy moments in her high chair.

When I look back on those early months, there is one thing that was a constant. All of those things – the pack and play, the swing, the high chair, and the play mat – were made by Fisher-Price. So, when they reached out to me about a month ago to ask if I wanted to share my first-year experience and must-have baby items with you, I couldn’t resist because their awesome products have been such an integral part of my life.

7 days old, swaddled and peaceful in her Rainforest Bassinet by Fisher-Price

If you’ve found this post because you’re pregnant – congratulations! You are embarking on an amazing journey. If you’re searching to figure out what you need for your baby’s first year, I can help!

Here are the top 10 items that new moms say were the most crucial during their baby’s first year of life, ranked in order of importance!

#1. Swing. (My personal #1 as well!)

#2. Bouncer.

#3. Sleeper.

#4. Feeding support pillow.

#5. Carrier.

#6. High Chair.

#7. Activity Gym.

#8. Jumperoo.

#9. Breast Pump.

#10. Play Mat.

You can read more about the list, and what moms are saying about each item on the First Year Favorites landing page on Fisher Price.

As a part of this campaign, I was sent the Fisher-Price Kick and Play Piano Gym to review. This product is all kinds of awesome – here’s why:

1. It grows with your child. Start them out on their back with the overhead gym and they piano facing their toes. For tummy time the bar adjusts and lays flat. When they are big enough to sit on their own, the piano adjusts up so they can sit and play. One investment, many uses.

2. I love the mirror on the activity bar (babies are so fascinated by their own reflection, and the soft teething bird toy. Lots to look at and play with.

3. The piano makes me happy. I love music, and it gives them something to touch with their toes and get instant gratification when they do. Wait until you see all of the giggles that your baby gets out of this toy.

4. The music lasts for up to 15 minutes – so you don’t have to push the button every 30 seconds when your baby cries for more!

At 5 and 6, both of our kids are too old for this now, but I so wish they had it when they were little. They both would have loved it.

Win it! Are you interested in winning a Kick and Play Piano Gym of your own? We are excited to say that we have another one to give away, courtesy of Fisher-Price! Just use the form below to enter – and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Fisher-Price, but Fisher-Price is not a sponsor, administrator, or involved in any other way with this post. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of Fisher-Price.

Read the original Fisher-Price BabyGear is A Life Saver For Baby’s First Year {Giveaway CLOSED} on Chic Shopper Chick.

Either way, when I heard that Walmart was introducing a new AR app (that’s ‘augmented reality’, for those of you who are clueless like I was before our resident Chic Dad explained it to me) to celebrate The Avengers coming to a theater near you, I knew the Superhero fans in the house would want to check it out. So today we loaded up the family and headed to our local Walmart where we had an absolute blast taking photos with our favorite superheros. Even the resident princesses in our family got in on the fun!

As you can see, the app has a photo-taking portion which places life-sized versions of the Superheroes next to you in the store. People in the store were looking at us like we had lost our marbles, mostly because to passers-by it looked like we were just posing with a random in-store Avengers display. Luckily, my entire family marches to their own beat and we just laughed it off. The photos are totally awesome and our kids got a huge kick out of seeing themselves with the Superheroes. I did notice that we are a bit blurry in each of the photos, and I wish that there was a way to remedy that within the app (touching to focus as I normally would didn’t seem to change that), but it didn’t diminish the overall awesomeness of taking photos with our favorite Superheros!

The app also comes with a game, which Morgan said was “actually pretty cool”. Apparently when he played it here at home, it looked like there were ships and bad guys trying to attack him in our living room. Check out the video below, which will tell you more about it:

While I think the app is pretty cool overall, there are a couple of things that I feel could be improved – namely that the app is huge, so takes up a good bit of memory on your phone, and that it takes a while to initialize – so if you’re going to use it I would advise downloading it and initializing it before you go to the store. My other complaint is that the download button on The Avengers page on Walmart.com brings you to a PDF with a QR code, which you then use to download the app. To me that entire process is a little clunky, and I’d much rather have a direct link to the App Store. Once you get past the initial download process and initializing of the app, the whole experience is pretty awesome.

If you have gamers or SuperHero fans in your home, you’ll definitely want to check out the SuperHero AR App that is available now in the app store or on Walmart.com.

Read the original ‘The Avengers’ Augmented Reality App Review on Chic Shopper Chick.

Considering all of this, last week I looked at Morgan and I said “I think now is the perfect time for us to visit SeaWorld in San Diego” – and he agreed! So, thanks to the folks at SeaWorld, we are going to do just that tomorrow! I know that the first place we will make a beeline for is the Rocky Point Preserve – the kids are especially curious about dolphins right now and I want to make sure they get to spend time there early in the day before they are totally exhausted. I’m not sure what the feeding schedule looks like there, but I’m hoping the kids might even get to feed them.

I’m also excited because we’re planning to “Dine with Shamu” – the kiddos will not only get the chance to be about 4 feet away from Shamu, but they’ll get to ask their (millions and millions) of questions to the trainers about what they eat, how they learn, etc. We are also looking forward to seeing the Blue Horizons show with the dolphins, and Sea Lions LIVE – I am giddy just thinking of the excitement on their faces when they see this:

Here are my tips for planning a trip to SeaWorld San Diego with two preschoolers:

1) Check out the park schedule online. The schedule was super helpful in planning our day, and also in choosing which seating of “Dine with Shamu” we wanted to check out.

2) Pack a poncho. Oh yeah baby, I’m one of those. I don’t dare deprive my kids of the joy of being “in the splash zone” but I also have this fabulous hair that needs protecting. So, I’ll split the difference and sit in the splash zone – I’ll just be wearing a poncho when I do.

3) Pack extra clothes for everyone – right down to their shoes and socks. I’ve heard there are more than a few “wet” opportunities and the last thing I want are two tired, soggy kiddos who are too miserable to enjoy dinner with Shamu. Or a soggy miserable mommy. She is no fun, either.

4) Bring your own strollers. SeaWorld has strollers for rent ($12 for a single, $17 for a double), but I like to bring my own because I can keep pushing the kids virtually all the way to our car at the end of the day. Plus, it’s one less line to stand in.

5) Wear and bring sunscreen. The high tomorrow is 70, so it should be a perfect day, but both of our kids are fair and will burn easily. Also, I’m not a fan of cancer so I plan on slathering it on myself as well. Probably Morgan too, if he’ll let me.

6) Pack water bottles. You can’t bring snacks or food into SeaWorld, but you can bring your own water, which will be a huge help for us since we have two kids who get “sssooooo ttthhiiirrssssttttyyyy” at the most inconvenient times.

7) Buy tickets online. We actually already have our tickets, but if you’re looking to skip the lines and make your day go much more smoothly, consider buying your tickets in advance. It’s actually a no brainer, especially when you consider that you can save $10 by purchasing online!

The trip to SeaWorld tomorrow is a surprise for both of the kids – I’m so excited to see their reaction. Follow @ErikaB and @MorganB on Twitter tomorrow – we’ll be updating throughout the day!

Disclosure: The folks at SeaWorld are providing us with tickets for tomorrow. Our excitement however, is all our own. Ahhh! We’re going to SeaWorld!

Read the original 7 Ways To Get Ready For A Trip To SeaWorld With The Kids on Chic Shopper Chick.

First of all, I used a template from Craft Project Ideas, which gave a list of suggested items. However, when I went to my local Walmart, they were completely out of the regular 100 pack of poms, so after a bit of deliberation, I decided that I could easily complete the same project with pipe cleaners. I actually ended up liking the way it looked even better because the lines were more “rainbow-ey”. Either way, all of the materials were purchased in the craft section of Walmart!

Here is a photo of all of the materials that we used:

Her favorite part was gluing on the blue glitter pom poms for the cloud, and the gold poms for the “gold” at the end of the rainbow!

Read the original Fun and Easy Rainbow Art For St. Patrick’s Day on Chic Shopper Chick.

Dear Audrey Grace,

This last year has gone so fast. It seems like just yesterday that we were bouncing and sliding around in the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse bouncer for your 4th Birthday and now here we are, with another year under our belt. Five. FIVE. Wow. You are growing so fast and while I have a blast watching you grow, part of me desperately wants you to slow down so that I can savor one more snuggle, one more hug, one more pout, one more smile. Sometimes I ask you to turn around and come back to me, to give me another hug or some more love and you oblige me, but now that you’re older you have a distinctive “my mom has lost her mind” look on your face.

I can only imagine what your teenage years will bring.

Yesterday you chose your Mickey Mouse dress from your 4th birthday party to wear to school, since it was your “last day of being four”. As soon as we got out of the car you started telling everyone who would listen – “it’s my last day of being four!” with the kind of glee that is usually reserved for a trip to the beach or a visit with Mickey Mouse. Moments like this make me giggle, because you are far from what most people would consider a shy child. As a matter of fact when, a month into the school year, you teacher told me that you were one of the quietest girls in the class I worried that something was terribly wrong. You’ve since made up for it, and they are now trying to figure out how to make you pipe down during circle time. Your Italian heritage has served you well – you are a child who talks frequently and uses her hands for emphasis. I have no idea where you get that from.

This year has brought so many changes for the two of us. For starters, we uprooted our lives from the only place either of us had ever known — Louisiana — and moved out to sunny southern California. You haven’t missed a beat – you dove headfirst into your new school, made new friends, and oftentimes I think you know the way home even better than I do. You love living close to the beach and to Disneyland – and we find ourselves at both of those places pretty often. Sometimes it makes me sad that you will probably not remember a time when you were a full-time resident of Louisiana, but I’m thankful that the frequent trips home means that you’ll always be a Louisiana girl at heart.

You love our little family out in California even more than I ever expected. You have embraced “Misser Morgan” and “Beezie Boy” with a big, open heart as if they have always been a part of your family. You have called Banks your brother from the near start, and a few months ago I sat you down to explain that he wasn’t your brother just yet, but that he would be in September when Mommy and Mister Morgan get married. You looked at me with those clear blue eyes and simply said “but I can call him my brother anyway, can’t I?” Your love for him melts my heart – you are so happy to have him in your life. Every morning you wake up and ask “is it a Banks day?” and my answer either excites you or disappoints you – but you ask again the next morning just the same. It is my wish for both of you that you will always be close – it is not blood but love that binds us all. You will always have each other.

For the first time this year, you had to deal with heartbreak. Our sweet dog Lilly passed away a month after we moved to California. It took me two whole weeks to compose myself enough to be able to tell you what happened. When I told you that Lilly had gone to heaven you seemed sad, but fine. And then you turned to me and asked how long it would be until she came back from heaven. Fighting back tears, I told you that she would never come back. And then you cried. You cried hard, taking big gulping breaths in between sobs. I couldn’t help it – I cried too. And so for almost 2 hours we sat together and I stroked your hair and we cried. Seeing you so heartbroken just about killed me. I would do anything to protect you from such pain, but there was no way to do that. I’m sure it will be the first of several times in your life where I feel totally helpless, and I hate it.

This year you have been full of questions. Why do we put conditioner on my hair, mommy? How does it work to make my hair soft? What sound does Mickey Mouse start with? Are there rules in heaven? When I get older mommy, can I still follow you? Why doesn’t my hair glow like Rapunzel’s? When I get older, can I be a Princess? Is chocolate healthy for you? Who am I going to marry one day? Some of your questions make me giggle and some of them really make me think, but I love that all of them give me a glimpse into your mind and your heart. You have always been so curious, so analytical. Even though you can be a little incredibly hard-headed, I think that your persistence and inquisitive nature will serve you well, and so I do my best to encourage it.

Remember how last year you had gradually started moving toward loving all things girly? Well this year marked the full-on girlfication of Audrey Grace – Princesses, Hello Kitty, Barbie, and anything else pink are all at the top of your list. Speaking of last year – I also promised that this would be the year that I would cut your hair for the first time. Well, I was wrong. You still have every bit of hair that you were born with. It’s super long and a bit wild, but I just can’t bear the idea of parting with your curls. It works out because you aren’t any more interested in having it cut than I am in cutting it – so we can both just pretend that you are a real-life Rapunzel for a bit longer.

Audrey Grace, you are the most thoughtful little girl that I have ever known. You bring me flowers, draw pictures for me almost every day, and write letters to all of your friends. You worry about kids that you see who aren’t wearing jackets, remember to call and check on family members when they are sick (even when I forget), and point out things that you know your friends and family would like when we are in the store. One of your favorite parts of Christmas this year was buying toys for the other kids – you still ask once a week at least when we can buy some more toys for the kids who don’t have any. You are so full of love for everyone and I couldn’t be more proud of that.

I can say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that being your mommy is the most difficult job that I’ve ever had. That’s not to say that it is hard to love you because it’s not – on the contrary, loving you is probably the easiest thing I’ve ever done. But the day to day responsibility of making you into the best possible human being that you can be is one that I don’t take lightly. I have so many hopes and dreams for you, and I also realize that you will (and already do) have so many of your own. All that I want is to be able to raise you in a way that equips you with all that you need to realize those dreams on your own. Of course, I’ll be there every step of the way to cheer you on – I’m your biggest fan.

Audrey Grace, I love you more than I think I will ever be able to put into words. You bring so much joy into each and every single one of my days. I cannot believe that it has been five whole years since Dr. Striplin first placed you into my arms. You didn’t know it, but on that day you taught me how to love unconditionally. I am so proud to be your mommy. Out of everything I’ve accomplished in my life, you are what I’m most proud of.

I love you my angel.

Love always,

Mommy

Read the original Happy 5th Birthday Audrey Grace! on Chic Shopper Chick.

I always say that you can tell how old someone is by asking them what their favorite Disney Movies were as a child. If they say Snow White, Cinderella, or Sleeping Beauty – you know you’re dealing with someone a bit older. But if they say Aladdin, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, or, my personal favorite Beauty and the Beast, then I know I’m dealing with someone who is close in age.

It’s funny how experiences that I treasured as a child have come back around full circle so that I can share them with our two kids. I can very vividly remember sitting in the theater watching Beauty and the Beast at age 9 – falling in love with the music, the story, and of course – that yellow dress. Naturally, at 29 I was totally geeked out to share that same experience with my family – to see the twinkle in my kids eyes as they watched the story unfold.

I’m so thankful to the folks at Disney, who were kind enough to invite the four of us to do just that last Saturday at the El Capitan Theater (the same place that I attended the premiere of Cars 2) in Hollywood. We didn’t tell them where we were going until we were almost there – and then they kept shouting “We’re going to HOLLYWOOD!”.

I’ll take awesome parents for 500, Alex.

We felt like royalty ourselves when we got to the check-in table and discovered that we were special guests and were allowed to skip the line. One day, when our kids no longer think I’m cool, I’m going to show them this post as proof that I am, indeed, cool.

Did I mention that Beauty and the Beast has been remastered and is being released in 3D? We rocked our 3D glasses didn’t we?

What the kids didn’t know was that two very special people were making a surprise appearance at this sneak peek – so imagine how my heart melted when Belle and the Beast waltzed out on stage and I see both of my kids sitting on their knees, stretching out their arms waving and yelling at them with the world’s biggest smiles on their faces. Belle and the Beast thanked us for coming to see their movie, and then there was a confetti explosion and I thought my kids might explode with excitement themselves. They were literally bouncing in their seats. Pure magic.

Before the movie itself started, we got a preview of something that we had been waiting a long time for – Tangled Ever After! My daughter is the world’s biggest Tangled fan so this was a real treat for her. She literally giggled throughout the entire short – she loves Pascal especially, and she even told her grandparents about how funny it was on the phone later that day. My son’s favorite line from Tangled is “They just can’t get my nose right!” and without spoiling anything from you I can tell you that there is a little tribute to that line in the short as well!

We loved every second of Beauty and the Beast in 3D – and it was an amazing experience. The movie still moves me to tears – I was sniffling at the end of the movie. Just wait until you see the ballroom scene in 3D – you will be blown away!

Beauty and the Beast 3D hits theaters TOMORROW, January 13th – so be sure and check it out with your kids this weekend! What a great way to introduce them to the movie that captured our hearts 20 years ago! By the way, you can like Beauty and the Beast on Facebook for up-to-the moment updates!

Thank you so much Disney for this very special day with my family – we are still talking about it!

PS – Do you watch Modern Family? We watched Beauty and the Beast in 3D all while sitting a few rows away from “Manny” who is played by Rico Rodriguez. Kinda awesome! We also got to see Zachary Levi who is the voice of Flynn in Tangled. :)

Read the original Beauty and the Beast 3D Hits Theaters Tomorrow on Chic Shopper Chick.

Read the original Holiday Gift Guide: Littlest Pet Shop Magic Motion Treehouse on Chic Shopper Chick.

Then the folks at The Brainy Company contacted me about their Glowberry Bears and I just knew that Audrey Grace would love it. They sent us the light blue Glowberry bear, and I’ve discovered that it works in 3 settings:

• Bear to Bear – There’s a chip located in the bear’s foot and when placed in close proximity of another Glowberry Bear, they communicate with each other. We only have one bear so I cannot attest to the quality of this feature, but it sounds pretty cool!
• Nighttime – This setting transitions our bear into a night light – pressing the bear’s tummy makes it light softly from within and the glow will last for 3 minutes.
• Bear to Child – The bear talks to us, and even has a name! If you press its hand it will say things like, “Hi, I’m Twinkleton. What’s your name?” Pressing its other hand makes the nightlight light up, and tickling its tummy makes it giggle.

Read the original Holiday Gift Guide: Glowberry Bears {A Giveaway} on Chic Shopper Chick.

Yesterday I was in Costco and as I was perusing the vitamin section I hear the strains of a song I know, all too well, coming from the electronics section –

“Everybody looooook left!

Everybody loooooooook right!

Everywhere you looooook I’mmmmmmm

…standing in the spoootttttliiiiiight!”

And right there, in the middle of Costco, I surprised myself and everyone around me by practically shouting Zazu’s line –

“NOT YET!”

Which led to this tweet.

Oh yeah. I’m totally that girl.

The Lion King has always been my ultimate favorite Disney movie. I knew every line, every song, every word to this movie (and apparently still do). I even had the soundtrack. It didn’t hurt, of course, that I was 11 years old with a huge crush on Jonathan Taylor Thomas (who is the voice of Simbaa).

Then of course there is the very cool connection of my cousin, Ernie Sabella, being the voice of Pumbaa in the movie. Not that he knows me, or anything, but related we are. And at 11 years old? That made me like, totally cool.

Of course, The Lion King has just been re-released in theaters in 3D, but as of yesterday, October 4th, it’s also available as The Lion King: Diamond Edition on Blu-ray 3D & Blu-ray Hi-Def Combo Pack. You can save $5 on your purchase with the coupon below (click the image to be redirected)!

And of course, the folks at Disney always have such fun items to go along with each release – I love these Fun Food Ideas (featuring Pumbaa, of course!).

And these coloring and activity pages (which are always such a hit in our house!).

So, if you’re looking for something fun to do this weekend with your kids, try out some of these fun food ideas and then pull up a tub of popcorn and pop in The Lion King. I know we will be. (And I’ll try not to annoy the kiddos by singing every single line, but hey – I’m not making any promises.)

Read the original Hakuna Matata: The Lion King is Now On DVD and Blu-Ray on Chic Shopper Chick.

There is a lot of love in our house.

But no one gets more love, I’m afraid, than Tigger.

All Tigger - right down to her toes. For the record, she is even watching Tigger on TV in this picture. :)

The “original” Tigger appeared as a gift from one of my students when Audrey Grace was 6 months old. Even though she had a room full of stuffed animals, she immediately took to Tigger. Now, 4 years later, we have over 20 different stuffed Tiggers, not to mention Eeyores, Pooh Bears, Piglets, and so forth. But there is still the original Tigger – the one she has loved from the start – the one who, when he takes a bath (in a pillowcase in the washing machine) she stands guard by the machine until the wash is over. When his nose came unravelled, I found her in the bathroom on her tippy-toes, reaching for a band-aid for him (and I happily obliged).

So, as you can tell, for the past 4 years, Winnie the Pooh and his loveable friends have been a huge part of our lives. Naturally we are counting down to the October 25th release of WINNIE THE POOH on Blu-ray, DVD & Movie Download. Did you catch the film in theaters? It was adorable!

If you’re a huge fan of Pooh (and Tigger too!) much like we are, I have a few fun recipes to share in honor of National Honey Month (which is wrapping up today!). Check out these super fun recipes that you can make with the kiddos – I’ve printed them out and put them in page protectors – I have a feeling we will be using these for a very long time!

TTFN!
 

Read the original For the Kids: Recipes with Winnie The Pooh For National Honey Month on Chic Shopper Chick.

Oh yeah baby, you read that right.

Jem and the Holograms: The Truly Outrageous Complete Series is going to be available on DVD beginning October 11, 2011.

When I received the email telling me this very fact, I responded exactly like this…

O

M

G

When I was a little girl, Jem was my ABSOLUTE favorite show.

I can still sing the theme song.

You pretty much just made my month. And I’m not even kidding.

I would love to share Jem with my little girl, and share my obsession (and hidden rock-star dreams – pre Hannah Montana days, of course) with my readers.

I’d love a review copy of the entire Box Set if possible.

You have no idea how happy this makes me.

Thank you!!

Erika

And guess what, y’all? They sent it to me. I’m the proud owner of the 11 DVD Box set. I’m in Jem Heaven.

This is one of those giddy pieces of nostalgia that I want to hold on to forever. I had no idea I could even find Jem on DVD, much less have the complete series? Shut the front door.

Remember I said that I could still sing the theme song? I just tested myself out with this clip while my very kind and patient fiance’ pretended like he didn’t need to plug his ears. It’s official, I can totally still rock out to this, and sing almost all of the words. And oh man, lemme tell you, it’s 80′s-tastic, and I’m lovin’ it!

The series “JEM and The Holograms” ran from 1985-’88 in first-run syndication and still boasts a loyal and vocal fan base. It is frequently credited with influencing fashion in the late 1980s and beyond, and launching the careers of female pop-rock stars and music groups. The series follows Jerrica Benton, whose discovery of Synergy, a powerful computer companion, allows her to transform from co-owner of Starlight Music into rock star Jem. Teaming with her sister and best friends who form The Holograms, Jem sets out to make their musical dreams come true, even as she battles against the ruthless Eric Raymond and his musical protégés.

This would have been on my Christmas list in a heartbeat this year. I’m sure there are lots of other 30-40 somethings who would agree with me. I can’t wait to share Jem in all of her glory with my daughter – I have a feeling she will love it just as much as I do.

Read the original Jem and the Holograms: The Complete Series on DVD on Chic Shopper Chick.

You already know that I’m a huge Disney fan, especially classic Disney. So when I heard that Dumbo was being released on Blu-Ray and DVD in honor of the 70th anniversary, I knew it was something we had to have in our collection. After all, I’ve been riding the iconic Dumbo ride at Walt Disney World ever since I can remember…and it was especially nostalgic when I got to ride it with a film crew back in January for the Lifetime Moms / Disney Parks Commercial shoot!

This movie is being released for the first time in high-definition, and has been flying off shelves since it’s September 20, 2011 release date. We have the DVD/2 disc Blu-Ray combo pack, but it is also available as standard definition 1-disc edition, or just a high-definition 1 disc release – so it fits all budgets and preferences. They all come with quite a few “extras”, such as:

DVD:

• Deleted Scene – “The Mouse’s Tale
• Deleted Song – “Are You a Man or a Mouse?”
• Taking Flight: The Making of Dumbo – A journey back to the origins of the film as everybody’s favorite baby elephant takes wing.
• The Magic Of Dumbo: A Ride of Passage – Witness the excitement and magic of Disneyland’s most popular ride through the eyes of a child.
• Audio Commentary with Pete Docter, Paula Sigman and Andreas Deja
• Sound Design Excerpt from The Reluctant Dragon
• Original Walt Disney Television Introduction

Blu-ray:

Everything on the DVD plus:

• Cine-Explore
• Disney View
• “What Do You See?” Game
• “What Do You Know?” Game
• “Celebrating Dumbo” Featurette
• Animated Short: “The Flying Mouse”
• Animated Short: “Elmer Elephant”

Movie Download (Standard Definition & High Definition Versions):

• Deleted Scene – “The Mouse’s Tale”
• Deleted Song – “Are You a Man or a Mouse?”
• “Celebrating Dumbo” Featurette

Read the original Dumbo 70th Anniversary Edition on Chic Shopper Chick.

Then I received an email telling me that ULTA, hailed as the ultimate beauty destination, is now making available a number of awesome brands in it’s brand spankin’ new Mom and Baby section. I scanned the email – Philosophy, California Baby, Belli…

Mustela.

Mustela. Mustela. Mustela!!!!!

I did a double take and rubbed my eyes to make sure I had read it correctly. Mustela. Right there. ULTA is now selling Mustela and Mustela Bebe products.

Maybe this means nothing to you. But let me tell you, if you have a baby – run, don’t walk, over to your wallet, grab your credit card, and order yourself some Mustela products. I fell in love with them in Europe – especially the baby wipes (which are AMAZING) – and when I got home I wished I had thought to buy a whole bunch more than I did to bring home with me.

I scoured the internet. I wanted nothing but Mustela Bebe wipes to touch my little one’s tushie. Alas, it was not to be.

But 3 years later ULTA has come through for us. You can buy them online now. They’re a bit spendy, but it is so worth it.

Trust me.

And for the record, I have absolutely no relationship with this company at all. I just love these products and wish someone had found them for me when Audrey Grace was still little enough to need them.

So go, order, be thankful.

And thank you ULTA for my France fix.

I needed it.

Read the original Lux Baby Product: Mustela Bebe on Chic Shopper Chick.

Considering that I have a slight (ok major) obsession with Disney – you can safely assume that while my addiction is mostly cured – the Disney Store is the one place that I can get a little, well, out of control.

Currently they are having a swimwear sale on everything from bathing suits, to sunglasses, to flip flops.

I have a basket with several swimsuits, personalized towels, 3 pairs of sunglasses (what?! They are $2.50 EACH!) and one Spiderman costume all ready to go – what can I say – I’m a sucker!

Go check it out!

Read the original Kids Swimwear on Sale at The Disney Store! on Chic Shopper Chick.