Liberty Garage: Eat Dinner in STYLE

Want your little one to eat off the cutest dinnerware on the planet? Liberty Garage carries great dish sets that are durable and dishwasher safe. Their vintage style artwork makes them unique and with designs like "Pink Poodle Cafe" and "Pirate Pete's," your kids will be eating off the coolest plates in town. We have been using Liberty Garage dish sets for over 4 years and all have lasted perfectly. All sets come with a plate, bowl, spoon & fork. They make great gifts and come in packaging that is ready to give! Liberty Garage also makes adorable pizza plates, birthday cake plates, and has matching bibs and t-shirts to go with each set. Check out their newborn gift sets. Everyone needs a "Stinky's Diaper Service" outfit for their little bundle of joy! Perfect for your next birthday party or baby shower gift!

CatBird Baby Mei Tais

Want to carry your baby comfortably and in style? Check out these awesome baby carriers at CatBirdBaby.com. Throw away that boring Bjorn, you need this carrier. It is simple to use. You just tie it around your waste and hug baby to your chest. Then pull it up, and tie on the top straps. Plus, it works for back carries. I find that this is so great for long walks with a heavy baby. It even works for a newborn. This swanky mama gives it 5 stars. Personally, my favorite is "On The Rocks."
Check them out at Catbirdbaby.com

Beautiful Diaper Bags

Look great wherever you go with this bag!
These diaper bags are very fashionable and very functional. Designed with oriental brocade, this bag is beautiful! The lining is water resistant, as is the piping for easy cleaning. Very mommy friendly! You'll have a hard time deciding which color to choose! There are many great fabric choices! Check out Kecci Asian Shanghai Mommybags!

Hooter Hiders

Are you tired of trying to nurse discreetly in public? Tired of the tug-of-war with baby over the blanket? Missing what is going on because you have to leave the room to nurse? There is fashionable answer for your problem! The answer is called a Hooter Hider! Hooter Hiders are light weight, fit easily into a diaper bag without the bulk, and allow you to see your baby while nursing. Check out the variety of fabrics available! Visit Henri & Sarah Children's Clothier to buy yours today!

The Swanky Swaddler

Swanky Moms=Swanky Babies=The Swanky Swaddler from Urban Baby Designs.
Some babies love to be swaddled, so why not wrap them up in the softest minkee and 100% cotton blanket that you can find? The Swanky Swaddler even comes with a matching hat-the perfect set to have on hand for your new arrival.
One of your first lessons as a new parent is learning the fine art of wrapping your baby up as cozy as you can. This luxurious combo comes equipped with swaddling instructions, so, you really can't go wrong! Available online and at a great selection of fine shops.

A Girl's Got To Get Organized!

Resolve to get organized in 2006! PulpFactory's 2006 Desk Calendar features the Modern Girl on each months picture. The calendar comes complete with stickers to help remind you of life's important events: hair appointments, shoe sales, cocktails, spa day and more! The best part of this fun product? It is priced at a blow-out 60% off! Normally $18-now only $7 each!

O YIKES! The Diaper Bag with Everything but the Kitchen Sink

If you are in the market for a diaper bag, I have found the perfect one! O Yikes! is a brand new company with a WONDERFUL product. These stylish diaper bags come packed and ready to go for moms on the run. My favorite thing about O Yikes! diaper bags is that they make excellent toddler bags too. Now that my boys are older, I don't like to carry a bulky "diaper" bag. However, I still need something to carry the essentials. These messenger style bags are perfect for a change of clothes, some books/small toys, snacks and the side pocket fits a sippy cup perfectly! They are VERY comfy to wear and the strap distributes weight evenly, so no sore shoulders or back, no matter how full you stuff it. There is also a cell phone pouch on the strap, so your phone is easy to access. These bags are SWANKY for moms, and great for dads too! They come in 3 great color combos: Blueberry Keylime, Purple Grape, & Tangerine Raspberry. I have the Blueberry Keylime and have gotten lots of compliments! An O Yikes! diaper bag would make a new mom very happy. You can purchase just the bag, or a fully stocked one that includes the following:
Slingback Diaper Bag
Insulated Bottle Holder
Toiletries Bag
Diaper Changing Pad
Baby Wipe Case
Essentials include:
Sunblock
Single use camera
Baby nail clippers
Oral syringe
Hand sanitizer
Forehead thermometer
Diaper rash cream
Onesie
Baby powder

AVAILABLE ONLINE AT: www.oyikes.com

Look Fabulous While Doing Housework

Look fabulous while doing housework?! Yes, you read it right! With these Gloveables you will be stylin'! They have a fun, flirty look to them and make you feel so pretty! Imagine feeling pretty while you clean the toilet, color your hair, garden or scrub the kitchen! Since you have to clean, you may as well add some sophistication to your everyday chores!
Gloveables are offered in 9 different color/pattern options.

A Star Performance with Family Fun

Fisher Price has come out with the ultimate family fun toy. Santa delivered one of these this year and it has been a hit with everyone in the family, even my 20 month old. The Star Station is a great way to fulfill dreams of being a TV superstar. Just add batteries, plug the star station into your TV, and you are ready to go. The Star Station comes with music cartridges that play hip songs through your TV's speakers. You can sing along or skip the music to sing your own songs! The "camera" films and projects your child (or anyone else!) onto the TV screen. The cordless microphone projects voice and has buttons on it that add cool "effects" to the image. You can watch yourself spin, put yourself in a "star" shape, and turn different colors as well. The Star Station can even be plugged into the VCR to record performances! This toy is so much fun, sure to be a family favorite. The Star Station is available at most major stores. Toys R' Us offers free shipping.

Hip Invitations

Mango Ink

Invitations, Announcements, Holiday Greetings and More!

Tired of the same old boring invitations....want a look that will impress your friends and family........

I would highly recommend www.mangoink.com! I received a few samples of their product and they are gorgeous! They are mounted on high quality cardstock and feature your beautifully designed invitation in the middle. The designs are $2 a piece which includes the envelope, you can't go wrong! They have many designs to choose from or if you would like them to design something specifically for you, you can contact them for a quote on a custom design.

Visit Mango Ink to order your next event's invitations! Below are some more samples of their beautiful work.

Say Goodbye To Morning Sickness, Naturally!

Designed by an Obstetrician/Gynecologist, BioBands offer a drug-free solution for morning sickness, motion sickness, and general nausea. One adjustable band has a strategically placed bead that offers acupressure on the point in your wrist that is linked to nausea. A great, natural choice with zero side effects.
The BioBand comes in 3 different colors, and fits any wrist size. They even offer a child's version for sick little travellers.
Available at pharmacies, specialty stores, and through their website!

Robin's Eggs Help Your Skin!

How can Robin's Eggs help your skin? When they are a soap! The french-milled soap is vegetable based with soothing extracts of chamomile and meadowsweet. Oatmeal and wheat bran give these eggs their exfoliating speckles. They come beautifully packages. Six classic Robin's Eggs are placed in a glass apothecary jar to create the perfect spring bath or kitchen accessory. Priced at $26.75.
A variety of other soap designs are offered as well.
Visit www.giannarose.com

A built-in potty!

Some play music, some sport a 'famous' cartoon star, some sit in your living room, and some sit beside mom & dad's...it is THE POTTY. Problem is, once your child masters the little potty, you have to train them all over again to now use the big potty. If you prefer an all-in-one system, Dr. Merry's Pottypal is your ticket to simple potty training.
In Dr. Merry's words about the Pottypal:

• Children can really flush, and develop a good habit.
  
• Eliminates the old smelly, dirty potty seat.
• Allows the full-time, dual use of your regular toilet for both adults and toddlers.
• Child's seat is hidden inside the lid of your toilet when not in use.
• Adult seat is comfortable, no stabbing in the back.

Dr. Merry is a father of 3 and a Pediatrician. He also offers some great tips on potty
training, which complement his Pottypal system perfectly.
This seat will be great for the child who is terrified of falling in, like most!

Hip Products from the Hollywood Baby Boom Boom Room

The Hollywood Baby Boom Boom Room was the pre-Golden Globes gifting suite for Hot Hollywood moms, dads, and their kids. Hosted by celebrity style insider Jayneoni Moore, top products were chosen to be gifted and here are a few of the best!
Little Royalty is a GREAT children's clothing company based in Florida. They design hip clothing with beautiful fabrics for children size newborn through age 12. Holly Robinson Peete loved the outfits given to her little ones!
Sweet Peas and Snapshots is a great shop in Los Angeles that provides perfect birthday parties, baby & bridal showers. They are also a scrapbook salon and offer vintage home decor as well. Celebrities such as Angela Bassett were snatching up their baby shower photo albums, a great keepsake to give any expecting mom! They also provided everyone with delicious & beautiful cupcakes along with pretty pink and white old fashioned lollipops!
According to the event planner, celebrity style insider, Jayneoni, Time Out Spots were "the talk of the Boom Boom Room." All of the celebrity moms picked up "Mommy Needs A Time Out" shirts, walked away with "Needs A Time Out" toddler t's, and Time Out Spots as well. Celebrities that were gifted include Gwen Stefani, Eve, Holly Robinson Peete, Angela Bassett, & more! They loved the idea of putting their kids' toys in time out!!!!!
Jenerations Baby is a company that provides top quality hair and body products for "Good Girls & Boys." Their wonderful products are all natural and perfect for both children and adults. They have great gift sets including a hair care kit and body lotion kit. All sets come beautifully packaged in cute little luggage style cases. The twins from Desperate Housewives picked up their hair gel kit!

Check out these great businesses run by Swanky Moms around the country!

Model in a Bottle: Perfect Make Up All Day!

If you do have time to put make up on in the morning, I have found a WONDERFUL product for you. Model in a Bottle is an after make up "spray" that sets your make up and allows you to keep it on all day without reapplying. This stuff is great and lots of celebrities and their make up artists are raving about it. The best thing is that one bottle lasts A LONG TIME.

A 2 oz. bottle has 325 sprays, so the retail value of $18 is well spent. Check out their site http://www.modelinabottle.com/ for all the details. You can order directly from the company. The FAQ page answers any questions you may have! http://www.modelinabottle.com/faq.htm Another super swanky find for all you busy moms!

Wipes Recipe: Make Your Own

I am sharing, with SwankyMoms everywhere, my simple recipe for baby wipes solution. Quick, easy, environmentally-friendly, and chemical-free.
What you need: Most of these ingredients can be purchased at a Pharmacy or Health Food Store..

• 10 little baby facecloths or flannelette squares (store bought or handmade)
• glass measuring cup
• chunk of mild, unscented soap
  
• 1/2 C oil of choice (Calendula, Grapeseed, Jojoba, Sunflower, Apricot Kernel). Whatever you might massage baby with. Calendula is best for healing diaper rash!
  
• Distilled or purified water
• Lavender and/or Tea Tree Essential oil (optional)
• 1 capsule of Vitamin E oil (for skin softening and natural preservative) (optional)
  

What you do: Add 1.5-2 C warm water to measuring cup. Grate 2 Tablespoons of mild soap into water and stir until dissolved. Add oil of choice and approx. 4 drops total of either/both Essential Oils. Pour over 10 baby facecloths in a large plastic 'wipes' container.
If you use cotton diapers, your used wipe cloths can go into the laundry with your dirty diapers. Otherwise, soak in a little tub of vinegar/water until ready to launder.

copyright 2006, Homemade Baby book by Jennifer A. Casey

Great Sale on Great P.J.'s

So, if you have a toddler, I'm sure you have had the battle over character clothing and/or shoes! I personally can't stand character clothing, but I have a 4 year old that LOVES Disney characters, especially Buzz Lightyear, Monster's Inc, pretty much any Pixar film. SO, our compromise is that he can wear them on jammies! Right now, you can take advantage of Disney's end of season sale and save up to 75% off of their regular prices. They even have a free shipping offer if you spend over $50. If your little princess or space ranger needs some new P.J.'s, now's the time to buy. They have some great deals from $9.99-$14.99. After the holidays, we are in need of pretty much nothing, so I actually purchased a few pairs for my boys in larger sizes for next year. I'm sure Buzz will still be considered cool then...

I also bought the personalized sports bags for overnighters. They are a bargain at $19.99. They are high quality, and roomy enough for a weekend's worth of stuff.

Sale ends January 16th!!!

TYPE IN THE CODE WINTER15 FOR AN 15% off!!!!!

Mommy Needs a Time Out!

 Time Out
Spots just launched a tee line for mommy!  These tees are awesome!  I received my sample
and it is so cute!  I can't wait to wear it!  It is a light
pink ringer tee adorned with swarovski crystals.  It is also
very soft cotton that will get softer with each wash!  To get your "Mommy
Needs a Time Out" tee visit
www.timeoutspots.com!

They come in 6
great colors and beautiful packaged in a cello bag with a matching
ribbon and washing instructions (cold wash, inside out, lay flat to
dry).   Great gift for any mommy! 

 

 

 
 

Eye Makeup Smudges Be Gone!

Do you cry at weddings, movies, commercials? Do you work over a hot stove or live in a humid climate? If you answered yes, and even if you didn't, I have a product to tell you about! It is called "swab plus". It is a cotton swab filled with eye makeup remover. You gently snap one side until the liquid is released in the tip. You then use the tip to remove undereye makeup smudges, throw it in the trash and go about your day. No mirror required!
Brilliant!
It is so small that you can carry them in your purse for everyday eye makeup fixes! No more dark circles (unless you have small children and lack sleep, then, well....you need a different solution!)
I swear by this product and take them everywhere with me. They are great for travel, too!
For retail locations go to www.swabplus.com

A pillow for all occasions

My 'nursing' pillow got me through 2 kids. Unfortunately, the pattern was not the greatest, but it was functional.
A mom of 3, who knows her stuff, has taken her knowledge and experience and created the Bosom Baby Nursing Pillow. Functional? Absolutely. Hip? You bet. With such fab designs as 'Pink Fifi' and plush velour fabrics, you might want to keep this pillow around for long after the 'feeding' stage is over. Use it around baby's back to prop up when sitting. Use it between your knees when sleeping to support your back. Use it in the den as a floor pillow. Whatever your choice, know that you won't have to hide it behind the couch because of it's horrible pattern like I did. They are all fabulous!

GREAT Music for the WHOLE Family

If you are anything like me, you want to drive your car off a cliff after the 500th time listening to the annoying "traditional" songs on most children CD's. I have a WONDERFUL solution for you! They Might Be Giants, a band I used to listen to many moons ago, are all grown up and have become parents! They've created some great children CD's that everyone in the family will love. All of the tunes are catchy and have GREAT & SILLY lyrics. You can also opt for the Here Come the ABC's DVD (quite good) which works as a CD as well. We have No! & Here Come the ABC's (DVD & CD). My 20 month old loves the NO! CD, while my 4 year old enjoys Here Come the ABC's. Both are excellent and tolerable for long term listening. Don't give up your SWANKY music for the Hokey Pokey, check out They Might Be Giants. Amazon has great prices or you can pay to download it right off the band's site.

www.theymightbegiants.com

Click on the album covers for a direct link to the Amazon listings. They are super saver items, if you order both of them, you will get free shipping!

Sexy Dads Do Laundry!

PhotoBugBaby Boutique now carries Daddy products! Check out these tees ~ every dad must have one of these!

Great Valentine's Day present for your hubby!

Click on the tee to check them out!

Spanx: Be COMFY & Look GREAT too!

I had heard about Spanx on Oprah a while back and thought, "Oh, that's a good idea," and forgot about them. Then, when I was out and about last week, I stopped by Nordstrom Rack. I saw the Spanx display and decided to try them out. I bought the nude hipnotic low rise footless and the black Bod-a-Bing tank with reversible neckline. Both are AMAZING products that make you look GREAT and they are super COMFY to wear. I love the footless idea, as I almost always wear open toed shoes. Low rise is a plus too! AND, they completely take away those lovely panty lines we all know about. Check them out online at www.spanx.com They have a ton of products in a wide variety of sizes, petite through multiple x. They also have maternity products!

Daddy's Day Out

All little ones love a special day with Daddy! My husband does lots of stuff with our boys, but one of the things my 4 year old looks forward to each month is the Home Depot Kids Workshop day. The first Saturday of every month Home Depot holds a FREE kids workshop. The hours are usually 9-12 and it is a drop in program. The kids get the little orange apron just like the workers and when they finish their project they get a little pin to put on it. Some of the past projects have been a Mickey Mouse DVD Holder, a bobsled, fire truck, bird house, napkin holder, etc. It's really great for BOYS & GIRLS. If you don't have a local Home Depot, have Dad take your little ones to any home improvement store to pick out some supplies for a project. Just tell an employee that you are looking for something fun to do with your child. It's a great activity for teamwork, cooperation, and it gives mom a break too! Happy Hammering!

To find your local Home Depot, go to www.homedepot.com

Cover those little legs!

Legwarmers are back! And they are cooler than ever! BabyLegs, invented by Nicole Donnelly, stay-at-home mom, started making BabyLegs to keep her dear daughter's legs warm while allowing for nakedy butt time. Nicole started selling home-made BabyLegs out of her diaper bag every where they went, the coffee shop, swim class, moms' groups. Nicole sold over 100 pairs in the first 2 weeks! BabyLegs was officially born in April 2005!

BabyLegs will:

...Make diaper changes a breeze

...Protect soft knees from harsh surfaces

...Keep legs warm year round

...Provide light weight sun protection

...Make Easy Changing & potty training easier

...Jazz up any dance class

...Make a fun fashion statement with styles for every occasion!

Pop by www.babylegs.net and buy a pair or five!

Also, join our Swanky Moms Newsletter as we will be giving away a new wardrobe (10 pairs) of BabyLegs!!

What's in your dryer sheets?

Since baby's clothes rest directly on their skin, it is important that what you wash their little laundry with is free from perfumes, dyes, and other harsh chemicals. Synthetic ingredients, such as perfumes, often found in commercial detergents, fabric softeners, and dryer sheets, can cause allergic reactions or irritate infant eczema. Some synthetic perfumes and other toxic ingredients have much larger and long term effects on the body, as the skin is the largest organ. Everything you put on the skin finds it's way into the bloodstream, including chemicals sitting on clothes.
A great alternative to synthetically perfumed dryer sheets is filling a 7" square piece of cheescloth or cotton muslin with dried Lavender petals, and a cotton ball saturated with 15-20 drops of Lavender Essential Oil. Fold up the corners and tie tightly with string. Drop into a dryer filled with wet clothes for a naturally aromatic load of fresh laundry. The benefits to using Lavender with baby's clothes is that is has a natural calming and sedative effect! So, wrapping baby up in a Lavender blankie will help them on their way to a restful sleep.
You can also pick up a bundle of 3 Lavender/Rose sachets at the mom-based 'Kiddo Emporium'. Each sachet is useful for aproximately 4 dryer cycles. Bundle of 3 sachets is $6 (12 dryer cycles)

Happy New Year 2006!

Hello Everyone!

Happy New Year from Swanky Moms! We hope all your hopes and dreams come true in 2006!

Thanks for visiting!

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