Review: Avio Stroller by Inglesina

When you’re pregnant for your first child, people mention to you all of the things that you will need for the new baby, a stroller high among them. What they don’t tell you is that by the time your child is 4, you will sometimes still NEED a stroller, but the one you bought 4 years ago is most likely worn down, broken, or just outdated.

Two weeks ago I flew to Orlando to film a commercial in Walt Disney World with my daughter and mom. We are huge Disney fans to begin with – annual passholders to both Walt Disney World and Disneyland, as well as Disney Vacation Club members, and just overall Disney freaks – and I say that affectionately.

But there is one thing I know about Walt Disney World, and that is that I cannot get through a day there without a stroller. That place is huge, my darling daughter has tiny little legs that tire easily, and a stroller just makes our everyday life easier. The problem is that the stroller I had bought for her when she was an infant was completely worn down and outdated – it no longer rolled as easily, I was missing pieces and parts – I was hard on that stroller!

Luckily, the Italian company Inglesina partnered up with MomCentral and they approached me about a new stroller being released called the Avio – a one-handed folding stroller that looked as sleek and chic as it did practical.  Knowing that we would be heading out to Disney again, I jumped at the chance to to do this Avio Stroller by Inglesina review.

We were able to put the stroller together in about 20 minutes – the directions actually made it seem harder than it was, but it really came in 4 large pieces – it was just a matter of snapping things in the right places.  Also, there are additional pieces in case you want to use the Avio with a detachable infant seat that I obviously didn’t need, so that threw me off the trail a bit.  Still, 20 minutes wasn’t bad at all.

The seat and sunshade for the stroller are both very ample, and my daughter and I both love how far back the seat reclines – she can lay down nearly completely flat which is great for naps and relaxing.  The seat itself is plush and comfy, and the seatbelt is easy to buckle and unbuckle for me, but not for Audrey (meaning she has to stay put until I let her out!).  The buckle on our last stroller was so tight that it even hurt MY hands to squeeze it together enough to get it undone, so this is such a welcome change.

Pushing the stroller is really smooth, though occasionally the front wheels did lock up on their own on me and I was unable to push the stroller left or right – only straight.  It’s a simple enough fix though it is rather annoying when it happens.  However, I’m not entirely convinced that this little hiccup isn’t due to user error on my part – I may be doing something that is causing the wheels to lock like that.

The one handed folding is the only thing that I’m not quite as sold on, though it is not something that bothers me all that much and wouldn’t stop me from buying the stroller.  It is easy to get the stroller to partially collapse with one hand, but in order to lock it into a collapsed position you really need a second hand to pull it tightly into place.  I had mentioned how plush the seat is, and I think that, while we both love how comfy the stroller is, the problem is that the seat is SO plush, that the stroller takes a little more effort to collapse into place.

Overall we both love our Inglesina Avio and we cannot wait to take it with us on a trip out to Disneyland really soon.  It is the best stroller I’ve owned by far, and I know we will get lots of use out of it!

Avio strollers are available for purchase at Diapers.com and if you enter promo code AVIOFAST at checkout you’ll get a free fast table chair with your order!

Disclosure:  I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Inglesina and received and Avio Stroller to facilitate this review.  For more information, see my disclosure policy.

Things We Love: Carmex Healing Lotion & Cream

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Carmex. All opinions are 100% mine.

I just returned from a conference in Las Vegas and boy are my arms tired on Friday, completely exhausted but feeling pleased at all that I learned and ready to spring into action.  However, as I boarded the plane at an absurdly early hour on Friday morning, I had more pressing matters on my mind.  My hands, legs, and arms felt like they were on fire. You see, as a Louisiana girl, I’m used to copious amounts of humidity and moisture in the air, and while I typically moisturize on a daily (or if I’m being lazy – every other day) basis, I failed to pack lotion in my suitcase for my 4 days spent in the dry desert air of Las Vegas.

My skin felt tight and was aching.  I should have made it a point to run across the street to Walgreens to grab some lotion while I was there, but being the lazy person that I am, I kept putting it off.  In that moment I was more than paying for it.  Washing my hands constantly on the trip home didn’t help in the least, but being a germaphobe left me with no other option.

Fast forward 9 hours and I’m standing in front of my mailbox, collecting 4 days worth of mail – including a package from Social Spark.  Inside of the package I discover full-sized bottles of Carmex Healing Lotion and Carmex Healing Cream.  I promptly dropped my mail on the ground (all bills anyway, bleh) and flipped open the top of the Carmex Healing Cream and slathered it all over my hands.  (I think my neighbor was a little concerned for my sanity at that moment, but I digress.)

I have never breathed a bigger sigh of relief.  My hands instantly felt better and I could see a visible difference in my skin.  My skin immediately absorbed almost of the lotion, and felt smooth to the touch, not sticky or greasy.  The smell was a nice, soft scent, reminiscent of the Carmex brand that we’ve all come to know and love.  After my shower, I used the Healing Lotion on my legs and arms and they too immediately felt smooth and soft.  I used the healing cream again on my hands, and even on my ankles and feet.  I’m on my second day using the products, and I’m seeing a steady improvement in the quality of my skin.

Overall, I give the new lotions by Carmex an A.  I wish the cream was a bit thicker, but I suspect that if it was most of it would just sit on top of my skin and not be absorbed, so I can roll with it this way.  You can find each of these products at Walgreens (see – I should have run across the street!) for $5.99 each and Drugstore.com.

Have you tried Carmex products before?  What do you think of these new lotions – would you try them?

Bonus:  I have a set of these products to give away to one of my readers!  If you are interested, please leave a comment below!  The contest will end on November 22, 2010 at 11:59 pm CST.  US entries only.

BlogHer ’10 – A Crazy Good Time

I can hardly believe it – BlogHer 2010 is upon us and it feels like I’ve only blinked since last year.  I’m fortunate to be attending, for the second year in a row, as one of the Walmart Moms – and I’ve got a crazy schedule yet again, although I’m insanely excited.  Last year I was exhausted but excited to be a part of all of the chaos – and even though I swore that I wouldn’t do that to myself yet again this year – I think I just might have.

If you are going to be at BlogHer I absolutely want to meet you.  Please come say hi, and we can do the girly thing where we squeal, hug, then jump up and down while holding hands.  If you’re more low-key than that, I am equally skilled at the cordial handshake and warm smile – so don’t let my southern affection scare you off! With that said, I figured the easiest thing to do was to post my schedule so you could see where to find me – so here we go:

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

12:15 pm – 2:30 pm – Walmart Moms welcome reception at The Heartland Brewery

3 pm – 5 pm – Hanes party (I heart the Comfort Crew!)at Nikki Beach Midtown

7 pm – 10 pm – Nikon Party at the Bryant Park Grill with my girl Katja Presnal

Friday, August 6th, 2010

9:00 am – 9:45 am – Skechers Shape-Up Walk with my roomie Sheena Tatum

10:00 am – 11:15 am – Hanging out in the Walmart Booth with Amy Allen Clark (come visit!)

11:45 am – 12:00 pm – Picking up my loaner Asus UL30 (a Windows 7 PC) in the Windows Suite

12:30 pm – 12:45 pm – Video shoot with Beth and Kimberley

12:45 pm – 2:00 pm – Getting Gorgeous at the Warwick Hotel

2:45 pm – 4:00 pm – Workshop time!!!  “Social Media is Bringing Sexy Back to Branding – Do You Have the Social Media Strategy and Tools for Success?”

6:00 pm – Wine In the City.  Excited to be hosting this event along with Shannon Hurst Lane and Tim Hayden.  Reception at the Hilton Manhattan East with Kendall-Jackson Wines.

8:00 pm – Wine In The City dinner and artisan wine pairing (and wine preview!) at The Capital Grille.

Saturday, August 7th, 2010

8:00 am – 9:30 am – Unilever Penthouse

10:30 am – 10:50 – Meeting with Windows Phone

11:00 am – 11:20 am – Momversation interview at the PepsiCo booth

1:45 pm – 3:00 pm – Hanging out with my gals in the Walmart booth (come visit me!)

3:30 pm – ELF and XBox Party with Renee.

6 pm – Vegging, relaxing, and hopefully catching up with people that I love.  My only free time before my 7 am flight!

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So there you have it – I have a crazy, whirlwind 3 days in the Big Apple.  I really want to meet you, so please come say hi if you see me at one of these events or just hanging out!  Thanks to Walmart for sending me to BlogHer this year – and to my amazing Wine In The City co-hosts for making this year’s BlogHer one that I know I won’t forget!

See ya in NYC!

Shopping and Relaxing in the US Virgin Islands – Win it!

I couldn’t resist sharing this irresistible contest with my favorite people (that’s you!) – imagine if one of you won!  Knowing that you all love to shop and almost everyone loves to travel, I thought this was one sweepstakes that I couldn’t pass up blogging about!  But hurry, today is the last day to tweet to win!

The US Virgin Islands department of tourism is giving away a shopping trip to two to St. Thomas, which includes a 5-night stay at Bolongo Bay Beach Resort and free tickets to concerts featuring Wyclef Jean, Chrisette Michelle and more.  And really, couldn’t you use a (free) vacation right about now?

@USVIMockoJumbie will be tweeting updates on St. Thomas shopping deals/discounts and shopping tips now and during the Festival. Travelers love shopping in the USVI because there’s a $1600 duty-free allowance for U.S. residents, and prices on electronics, jewelry and designer good are typically lower than on the U.S. mainland. Here’s a list of some deals you can expect to find on St. Thomas during the USVI Shopping Festival:

*30 percent off swimsuits at Purple Papaya, Charlotte Amalie,
*70 percent off select jewelry at Alpha jewelers
*Coupons for free merchandise at A.H. Riise stores
*Designer sunglasses on sale at Solstice Sunglass Hut
*$25 certificate and a free gift at Golden Star Jewelers

So how excited are you?!?!  Go check out the Shopping Festival page for the rules on how to enter.  Go, run, TWEET!  (And don’t forget your favorite fashion blogger if you win – she LOVES to travel!)

There’s Something About Hanes

“I meant to.”

My family says this is my lifelong motto.  To be blunt (and slightly morbid), they say that on my tombstone, it will be written “I meant to.”

Because I did.  Truly I did.  I’m a good intentioned soul.  I meant to.

Which brings me to this:  Back in February I was given the most amazing opportunity I’ve yet to have as a blogger.  I was extended the opportunity to join the Hanes Comfort Crew – which as you might be able to guess is a natural fit with my brand.  Bonus?  They offered us the chance to go to Walt Disney World on a VIP experience to discover Hanes’ role as the official apparel brand of the Walt Disney World Resort.

Take a gander at the looks of delight on Audrey Grace’s face as she experienced Walt Disney World, the Hanes way.

Today as Audrey and I prepared for our trip back to Walt Disney World in September (85 days, but who is counting?!), we looked back through pictures from our time in February and I was re-inspired by the memories and found myself nostalgic for our Hanes friends.

It was the experience of a lifetime, and I got the most incredible education on Hanes and their role in the apparel world.  Plus, I made some of the closest, most amazing friends from the Comfort Crew and the brand team. More than that?  Hanes unwittingly turned me into a brand ambassador and believer.  (And for the record, they more than converted my mom too!)

So what is it about Hanes?

First of all, they’re a brand that cares.  If you’ve ever visited the Hanes Green site, you know about their commitment to sustainability.  It’s everything from their EcoSmart^® polyester fiber (which is made from recycled plastic bottles), to cutting water use per product by 18% since 2007, to becoming a 2010 EPA Energy Star Partner Of The Year. They are also a major partner with Susan G. Komen – be on the lookout for a second post this week encouraging you to “Think Pink” this summer (as well as a $100 Hanes Gift Card Giveaway).

Second of all, their products are amazing.  I personally am a lingerie fanatic, and I now live in my Hanes bras and panties.  Also, the word on the street is that the men’s boxer briefs with the ComfortSoft® Waistband are pretty much the most comfortable thing on the planet – but being as I’m not a guy, I can’t personally back that one up.  Let’s just say I have it on good authority.

Lastly, and it has to be said, Hanes products are just great basics for any wardrobe.  One of my favorite products are the long sleeve t-shirts that are sold in little rolled up packages.  Tell me that you can’t make a t-shirt fashionable, and I’ll tell you you’re crazy.  A pair of jeans, a long sleeved tee, a long necklace or a scarf around your neck and you’ll look like a million bucks.  Fashion doesn’t have to be complicated, and it most certainly doesn’t have to be painful!

It’s all about being comfortable.  Hence my role in the Comfort Crew and self-declared ambassador role for such an awesome brand.  You can buy a lot of things, but most of them aren’t all that comfortable.  Not so with Hanes – comfort is their number one priority!

Stay tuned this week for an awesome giveaway thanks to Hanes!

Wakin’ Up In Vegas {Video}

Don’t forget that you can win an iPod Shuffle for commenting on any posts during the month of October.  See the bottom of this post for details!

Yay!  Thanks to Collective Bias, I’ll be on a plane flying to Las Vegas for Blog World Expo in less than 10 hours!  Why am I not sleeping, you ask?  (By the way, that’s so sweet of you to be so concerned about me!)  Well, because I’m vlogging.  And also, because I’m a procrastinator.  Will I regret this in the morning?  Yes.

Ohh, but look!  I made you a video!

Now you can probably figure out why, after 6 days, I’m still not packed.

PS — Feel the urge to comment yet? How about some motivation? All comments left on my site for the month of October will be entered to win an iPod shuffle! To enter to win, just leave some sort of comment on any post from the month of October. You may enter as many times as there are posts, and get extra entries for tweeting. Comments that had a bit of thought put into them are greatly appreciated. Good luck, contest ends October 31st and 11:59 pm CST.

A Two Suitcase Kinda Trip

Don’t forget that you can win an iPod Shuffle for commenting on any posts during the month of October.  See the bottom of this post for details!

I’m so excited because I’m heading to Blog World Expo in Las Vegas this week – which sort of brings me back full circle to the beginning of my blogging days.  BWE was the first blogging conference I ever attended and is, to date, still my favorite of them all.  I’m excited to be returning, and even more excited to be moderating a panel on the Ethics of Mommyblogging on Friday.  If you’re going to be there, you should most certainly stop by, as I’m sure we’ll be discussing all sorts of hot-button issues (are you sick of hearing about the FTC guidelines yet?!).

Naturally, in order to do something like travel and attend a really cool conference, it is necessary for me to pack all of the vital items in my life into a little box to put under the plane.  Don’t worry, I’m flying Southwest, so it will be well taken care of.  The bigger issue is…UGH.  I have a closet full of nothing to wear.  And packing?  Well, packing ranks up there with sticking toothpicks in my own eyeballs.  Sorry to be so graphic, but it’s true.

I would totally pay someone to pack for me.  Know anyone who would and could handle it?  Make sure all of the outfits match?  Make sure I don’t forget anything?  Make sure it’s all washed and ironed, tucked away in neat little outfits as to avoid any confusion?  Is there a service for that?  There should be.  I’ll be their first customer.

You should see my bed.  It’s full of clothes, hangers, purses, etc.  I’m considering sleeping on the floor tonight, instead actually in the bed itself.  It would make things easier, don’t you think?

In the mood to giggle?  Watch me huff about hating to pack in the video below and feel free to poke fun at me in the comments.

PS — Feel the urge to comment yet? How about some motivation? All comments left on my site for the month of October will be entered to win an iPod shuffle! To enter to win, just leave some sort of comment on any post from the month of October. You may enter as many times as there are posts, and get extra entries for tweeting. Comments that had a bit of thought put into them are greatly appreciated. Good luck, contest ends October 31st and 11:59 pm CST.

Bubbles and Bubbly {Video Recap}

If you’ve been keeping up with my escapades, you know that I returned to NYC for the second time in as many weeks. This time is was not to cover fashion, but to learn more about one of the things that enables me to take care of the clothing that I so thoughtfully invest in. Wisk and LaundryHE invited several of us social-media types to my adopted city to learn a bit about regular versus HE detergent.

Is this the part where I confess to you that I couldn’t even begin to guess the difference before Tuesday night? Now however, well, let’s just say you’re reading the random musings of a chick who is BUBBLE CERTIFIED. Oh yeah, no need to adjust your screen, you read that correctly.  The experts in effervescence gave me a major crash course in suds-ology.  I loved it.

All joking aside, I actually learned a lot about Wisk’s HE detergent at the event.  I heard the claims about HE creating fewer bubbles, and heard that too many suds can actually trap extra dirt and oils in your clothing and prevent them from getting clean — but it really clicked for the hands-on learner in me when I got to see it first hand.  I actually got to see the difference in the two detergents side by side, and had proof that HE got clothes just as clean with fewer suds, right there in my hands.

It was pretty cool.  I was kinda surprised at how much I learned!  Of course, I also learned all about Champagne from the sommelier who was on-hand.  Did you know that a good champagne should smell like toast or brioche?  Did you know that the better the champagne, the longer the taste will linger in your mouth?  Did you know that more pinhead-sized bubbles in your glass actually indicates a better champagne?  Now you do, and so do I!

Check out my video from the event below, and get an inside peek at the event.  You can also check out my Whrrl story for a better timeline.  Also, I wanted to let you know that you can enter to win a HE Washer and Dryer from Maytag and Wisk right now at LaundryHE.   Runners up will get a years supply of Wisk HE — so go check it out and enter!

“Wisk”ed Away to New York

Oh, things are so busy around the House of Chic.  (I just made that up, clearly it’s well past midnight and I’m still drinking coffee when the craziness hits the fan.)  I am so excited to be heading back up to NYC to spend Tuesday evening learning all about Bubbles!  Wisk has invited several bloggers up for a special event to learn about the inner workings of High Efficiency Laundry detergent – and I’ve gotta say that I’m pretty darn excited about it. As much as I’d just like to buy new clothes instead of washing and re-wearing the ones I already own, my limited budget prohibts such activites.  So…at the very least, it is extremely important for me to know the best way to take care of my clothing!

Naturally I’m really looking forward to it, as well as meeting some of the other bloggers.  Of course, before any of this can happen, I’ve got to get on a plane from my much beloved hometown of New Orleans to New York City.  And while that may sound like a simple little thing – it requires some form of goverment ID on my behalf.  Of course, as I discovered, there is one teensy, tinsy little problem.

My driver’s license expired a month and a half ago on my 27th birthday.  Oops.

So, first thing tomorrow morning, (oh wait, that would be in 5 hours) yours truly will be standing in line, waiting to get one of those eternally unflattering photos snapped for that little piece of plastic that tells the world that I passed a driving test at the tender age of 15.

Wonder if I should tell them that I drove into a ditch only 3 days later?

The good news is that I’m already packed!  Less than 48 total hours in NYC, and I’ve managed to narrow it down to 4 complete outfits, 5 pairs of shoes, 4 necklaces, 3 pairs of earrings, a blowdryer, curling iron, and flat iron.  Aren’t you proud?

I knew you would be.

Disney Family.com Travel Kit {Giveaway CLOSED!}

It’s summer time, and that means one of my favorite things — TRAVEL!  We travel so often with Little AG that she has gotten used to our travel routine – and she loves it almost as much as we do.  However, most of us know that traveling with a child is nothing if not challenging, so I’m really excited to be giving away a Travel Kit to make your summer travels even easier.

Disney Family.com is offering an “On the Road With Family.com”  kit to one lucky CSC reader! The kit promises to keep children well entertained during car or plane trips this summer and will put an end to the dreaded “Are we there yet?” questions while allowing families to share their favorite family vacation destinations.

Also, make sure to visit Disney Family.com Travel to help with all your vacation planning needs as the site provides a unique resource for parents providing a combination of expert reviews, parent recommendations, and age-appropriate points of interest for family-friendly destinations on any budget.

One of the many great features on the site is a list of “Cities on a Shoestring” where parents can find inexpensive or free activities to do in cities around the country. The site also includes tips for hassle free air travel, videos of popular family destinations, and safety travel tips.

The travel kit includes a plush kid size travel pillow, a copy of Dr. Seuss’s There’s a Map in My Lap, a travel game kit, notepad and pen and adorable tote bag (a $30 value).  To enter, please leave a comment below sharing your favorite family vacation destination spot; a winner will be chosen at random.  This contest will run through July 2nd, 2009 at 5 pm CST.

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A big thank you to the wonderful women over at Mom Generations for offering Chic Shopper Chick readers this awesome giveaway!

A Chic Chick in NYC!

If you noticed I had been MIA (more than usual) last week, it was because I was on a mom-cation in NYC with some of my favorite people and closest friends – who just happen to be fellow bloggy-types.  These are some of the most incredible women that I have ever met, and I am so very grateful to have spent even a few days with them!  (Yeah, yeah.  I’m a complete sap and I’m totally fine with it.)

Let’s see…hmmm…oh yes!  Seeing as how I agree with the idea that a picture speaks a thousand words, I’ll shut up and leave you with some photos.

Christine, Me, Katja, and Lori

Lindsay, Me, Katja, Audrey, Colleen, Jessica, Arianne, and Nikki

Christine, Audrey, Me

Me and Christine

Katja, Tara, Arianne, Me, Alyssa, Audrey, Lori, Chris

Yeah I know, the color in this one is all wonky.  It’s ’cause the kid who took it decided to be fancy and take two pictures with two different cameras at the same exact time.  Heh.  Though it might look like it,  this is not a photo from the 70′s, rather from 2009.

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I am a crazy picture-taking chick, so this is just a few of them, because I figured pictures of me with every girl there would have gotten old.  If you want to see some of the other ones, you can visit my NYC Flickr Stream.

Flying Solo

I was in NYC for a couple of days (um, for the record, they are NOT wearing shorts there like I have been doing here in Louisiana) and while I had a blast, I missed my family! Hubby said that Little AG stood by our bedroom door and called out for Mommy over and over again. Talk about break my heart! However, the time away for me was good in a sense – I have rarely spent more than 6 hours away from her in her in 2 years, and it was nice to have some time to regroup. Naturally, I didn’t sleep as well as I could have — there was no monitor to check, no sounds of “mommy” to listen for — it was peaceful and difficult all at once, if you know what I mean.

Last night as I was walking out of the terminal I spy this sweet little girl with fair skin, big blue eyes, and an adorable pink hat pulled down over her unruly blonde ringlets and my heart just swelled with love. The little girl was saying “Mommy, mommy!” over and over again. I walked over to her, pulled her in and gave her a huge hug and a kiss, affectionately ruffling her hair in the back. Thankfully, her father didn’t seem to mind.

I swear she’s grown taller since I was gone. Flying solo for a few days was great, but it’s good to be home.