Little Ruler, Just Like Daddy USED to Wear!

Oh my! Can you say, instant flashback?

Skater boys, I used to love them in high school... And now, I have one in training. Knowing how wild those boys were, I'm not sure if it's good or bad that my son is following in daddy's skateboarding footsteps. Nonetheless, he can at least bring back the style. Little Ruler has all of the old school skate designs that will jog your memory. With everything from Independent Trucks to Santa Cruz classics, you're sure to find a tee or onesie that will take you back. They even have Thrasher Magazine gear, so super fun. I absolutely LOVE our new Little Ruler tees, they fit well, are super soft, and the designs couldn't be cooler. My only complaint? We need big boy sizes in all this cool stuff too, please!

Little Ruler also has rockin' band tees and onesies that match the taste of the old school skater music. I mean where else will you find a Black Flag onesie or a Descendents toddler tee???

Looking for something a little more mainstream? Done! They also carry brands like Hurley, Quiksilver, DC, Vans, DVS & Reef. Visit Little Ruler today for some GREAT sales, they've got Reef Flip Flops on sale for as low as $6, a total steal considering I paid, well, much more than that for the same ones elsewhere... Go. Shop. Now!

Visions of Chocolate Dance in My Head

If I get to pick between Sugarplums and Chocolate this holiday season, I totally pick chocolate! Visit Chocolate Impressions and create some tasty treats that will be the talk of the holiday season. This super fun (and super delicious) site allows you to put your own picture on anything and everything chocolate. Choose from ornaments, cookies, portraits, CD's and more! If you are a business owner, think holiday gifts, who's going to forget a chocolate business card!?!?! How about sweetening up your packages this year? Design a "Mini Disc" chocolate gift tag (Love from... with your family picture) and attach them to your gifts.

Visit Chocolate Impressions today and have a chocolaty holiday season, YUM!

Sweet Shopping at Sugarplum Dreams!

Looking for some great deals on this year's holiday gifts (without ever leaving your house)? Visit Sugarplum Dreams and save 15% on all orders over $50. Sugarplum Dreams is your one stop for all gifts baby and more. Their user friendly site allows you to shop with ease and their selection is fabulous. Use the code "swankymoms15" at checkout! Happy Shopping!

Monkeying Around Has Never Been So Fun!

I think I've found my new favorite toy company! With two boys who love to monkey around, Monkey Business Sports has tons of unique toys that are sure to keep them busy, active and having a blast! We recently gave their Stomp Walkers a spin and I'm telling you, if my 7 year old could wear them to school, he would. A few years back we saw a parade at Disney's California Adventure that had several stilt walkers along the route. Since then, we've been to the circus and have seen various performances with "stilt" type entertainment.

Both of my boys are completely obsessed with stilts, and have been wanting their own. I've been nixing the idea, "No way, stilts are not for kids, you have to take lessons, they are dangerous, blah blah blah." BOY WAS I WRONG! I never even knew "kid friendly" stilts existed until I found Monkey Business Sports. Technically, Stomp Walkers are for ages 6 and up, but these things are so kid friendly that even my four year old can do them (he just needs a little help getting up).

Supporting up to 100 pounds, Stomp Walkers have a wide foam base that look like giant feet! The platforms are also nice and big, so little ones can hop up and stay on. Another fantastic feature is the fact that Stomp Walkers are super easy to put together. It took me less than 10 minutes to get them up and running.

Visit Monkey Business Sports today, and check out all of their wonderful gear. You're sure to find something perfect for the monkeys in your life. Oh, and you might want to tell Santa about this site! Keep an eye out Swanky Moms, there's more Monkey Business to come...

Put an extra SPARKLE in your daily life!

The Ultimate Rhinestone Kit

Almost all little girls love things that sparkle, and my daughter is no different. I was always looking for a way to add an extra sparkle to her outfits, but was not quite sure how until I found "The Ultimate Rhinestone Kit".

This kit comes with everything you need to get started and addicted to embellishing just about everything! The kit comes complete with all that you need all the way down to the 150 Swarovski crystals in 3 different sizes. What I like best about the kit is all the fine tuning tools that are included that allowed me to create with ease. The fine metal tips allowed me percise application of the glue with the finest of dots, and the wax crayon gave me complete control of the rhinestone placement. Nothing was left out of this kit.

My addiction started with adding an extra sparkle to my daughter's fairy wings for her Halloween costume and has continued on from there. With this kit, and the purchase of addional rhinestones, I have embellished shoes, bows, shirts and a lunch box! Now everything else on my daughter sparkles as much as her smile does.

Visit SanDanceInc.com to purchase The Ultimate Rhinestone Kit and to check out other wonderful items they have to offer.

Huru Humi Doll

Short for “Who are you? Who am I?”, the Huru Humi dolls are interactive dolls with their own little personalities and expressions. The Huru Humi collection was designed to interact with tweens and other Huru Humi dolls. Your Huru Humi can tell jokes, chat, play games, and more! You can also customize the look of your Huru Humi with the optional accessories. A fun way for your child to play with a friend who is available for them 24-7!!

Huru Humi would like to offer 2 of our Swanky Moms' readers a doll! If are interested in entering this contest, please send us an email to newsletter@swankymoms.com and tell us what you like about the Huru Humi collection and we will enter your name in the draw. The two winners will be randomly selected. This contest is open to US and Canadian residents only. The contest will end at 11:59pm on Thursday, November 27th and winners announced on November 28th.

To find out more, visit www.huruhumi.com

Dabbawalla Bags: So Cute, So Fun, I Guarantee You'll Want One!

The minute I walked by the Dabbawalla Bags booth at the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas, I fell in love with them. The bright colors and adorable designs caught my eye and then when I spoke with Swanky Mom and creator, Susan Givens, I knew I had to share this amazing line with our readers.

Not only do these bags bring a smile to your face, but they are also flawless in design. Roomy and easy to carry, the bags were designed for the preschool/elementary aged munchkin in mind. They are flexible, strong, and made of water resistant neoprene. and have zippers that are easy for little hands to use. Dabbawalla Bags come in two styles, lunch bags and backpacks. I am in love with the ladybug lunch bag. I have to confess, I've been using it more than my kids! I've also been using it as a snack bag when we are out and about. I love that it's "squishy" and can fit just about anywhere. Another bonus? The bag stores completely flat!

You think I'm done? Nope! Not only does this company have an amazing product, but they have an amazing story to boot. Dabbawalla Bags has partnered with a woman owned and operated facility in rural Taiwan to manufacture lead safe, PVC Free bags that are dyed with certified safe dyes. Dabbawalla Bags has provided the company with a micro loan that has helped the factory to expand and meet its growing business, which in turn provides valuable fair wage jobs for woman in this rural area.

Wondering what Dabbawalla means? Susan is a former travel industry executive with a passion for India. During her travels there she was constantly fascinated with the complex system of dabbawallas, delivery man who brought home cooked lunches to thousands of office workers.

Visit Dabbawalla Bags today and get some great gear with an even greater story!

ZipBins: Creativity+Organization = Perfection!

Last year we had the pleasure of reviewing this fantastic line and I'm thrilled to have them back this holiday season! ZipBins are perhaps one of my all time favorite toys. I have a huge pet peeve with storage. Being a super over organized person, I love a product that has a solution, play then put away. Zip Bins allow kiddos to do exactly that. With an added bonus of portability, ZipBins can easily be an "on the go" toy as well. All ZipBins unzip to form a flat play surface that allows children to immerse themselves in creative play.

I absolutely love the Mini Farm ZipBin and so did our "testers." It's a great solution for a grab and go toy that you can whip out anywhere for a complete playset. The adorable bin looks like a little red barn and comes with a mini sheep, horse, pig and cow. What I love about ZipBins is that you can add your own toys to expand the fun! We have some other little farm animals as well as a little farmer figure that we added to our set and my boys love to play "pretend farm." Another show stopper is the ZipBin Softie Racer Play Set. This great set comes with two die cast vehicles and the "car" shaped back pack unzips to form a small village with drivable roads. Perfect for the Hot Wheels lovers in your life. Add a few more of your own cars and you're good to go! For the little ladies in your life, the ZipBin Chateau is fantastic. The super cute "play house" unzips to form a cute little cottage complete with rooms and comes with a doll. It also has "roof top" pool (aka lid) so your little one can throw a fabulous party for her dolls and their friends. Another great feature of the Chateau is that is has three storage pockets built in so that extra clothes and accessories can be tucked away when not in use.

Visit the ZipBin site today and stock up on your holiday gifts. This is literally a one stop shop for the little ones in your life. Affordable and adorable, you're sure to find the perfect theme for anyone. My personal favorite is the ZipBin Dinosaur. We received ours last year, and it has been used just about daily since. My boys had a bunch of dino figures that they added to their bin and after a romping roaring play session, it packs up nice and neat. Pass the word on to Santa, purchasing a ZipBin this holiday season will make both kids and grown ups happy!

Solid Threads: Go Green this Christmas!

Looking for a great tee this holiday season? The whole family can go green with these fantastically funny and eco friendly tees from Solid Threads. Living in California, we have the luxury of warmth year round. This winter break, my family will be sporting their "Word to Your Mother" tees from Solid Threads. These organic tees are not only soft and comfy, but purchasing them helps the environment! How can buying a shirt help the environment you ask? Well, with 10% of all organic tee sales going to the Alliance for Climate Protection, you can help global warming and look cool too!

Visit Solid Threads to check out all of their fun tees, they've got sizes for the whole family and they're sure to make you smile. I think the "That's How I Roll" Big Wheel design is hysterical. There are also some pretty funny "grown up" tees. If you need a White Elephant gift for the holidays, or are looking for a new St. Patrick's Day "drinking" tee, Solid Threads is your one shop stop! Comfy, hilarious, and eco friendly, you can't go wrong with Solid Threads.

Shop their site today and pick up some holiday gifts for the good humored people in your life!

Dreem

Dreem is a fabulous company for women, they carry a hip line of mommy and maternity tees. These tees are top of the line, made with 95% cotton, 5% spandex, making them very soft and comfortable to wear. Celebrate being a hot mom, soccer mom or not so desperate housewife with a sexy mommy tee! Lots of cool designs to choose from! A great place for us 'swanky moms' to shop!

Visit www.shopdreem.com

Kid-Sized Cleaning Tips from The Maids

The Maids offer cleaning tips for all ages!

If your home pays the price in kid-sized messes, get the kids involved in cleaning using these fun tips from THE MAIDS Home Services.

• Don’t expect kids to use adult tools to clean, instead create supplies that are kid-friendly. Use an ice-cream pail for mopping chores or shorten an old mop handle or broom to make it kid-sized.

• Fill a squirt gun from a solution of a gallon of water and a drop of dish soap. Let kids squirt windows and mirrors and wipe dry with paper towels. Leaves glass clean and streak free!

• Cover kids’ hands and arms with dad’s old athletic socks then squirt the socks until lightly damp with a safe solution of vinegar and water. Send them off to dust around the house.

• Got a pile of blocks or action figures strewn on the floor? Scoop up toys in a few swoops using a kid-sized leaf rake to form a pile for easy pick-up.

• Make cleaning a game; give young kids grill tongs and challenge them to pick up toys and put them in a toy box or bin only using the utensils. Keep score and see who wins!

• Don’t forget the fun music to help your kids get a groove on as they boogie around the house cleaning.

For more information, visit THE MAIDS Home Services’ web site at www.maids.com or call 1-800-THE-MAIDS, “Nobody Outcleans The Maids.”

Guest Blogger: Nicole Sassaman -Top 10 Tips for Designing Kids Rooms

1.) Design a room that your child can grow into.

2.) If you decide to go with a theme for your child’s room, do it with decorative items that are easy to change out. Pillows, throw rugs, stuffed animals and art are perfect examples of things that you can change out easily and revamp your child’s room with little time or money. If you decide to paint a theme on the wall you are going to spend a lot more time and money making a change.

3.) Skip the toddler bed. Go with a twin bed with a mattress that can fit under it and be pulled out at night or go with a trundle. Toddler beds are a waste of money, time and effort. Kids tend to be in them only for a few months, so it’s a perfect step to skip.

4.) Try a small fish tank with a filter system to both sooth your child to sleep and give them a great night light along with teaching them to take care of animals. My daughter loves to feed her fish and take care of the tank, she loves that they watch over her at night and the sound of the running water is very soothing, as well.

5.) Get creative with your storage. My daughter has one of those cure children’s pink kitchens in her room from Pottery Barn. She and all of the kids love to come over and play with it, but I also use the refrigerator for my diaper cabinet!

6.) In trying to save time, money, and even the planet, I am always trying to think one step ahead of myself. Instead of buying a changing table for my daughter I put two night stands with drawers in them, together. The drawers were a perfect place to store my diapers, etc. and it prevented me from having to store or give away a changing table. They have also turned into nightstands for her now that she is in a big girl bed.

7.) My daughter’s whole room is furnished with West Elm. It didn’t break the bank, it is super stylish, and it has created a fabulous room that she can have through high school if she wants to!

8.) Choose soothing colors. People often paint a little girl’s walls hot pink or bright yellow. Don’t forget that colors have a definite affect on one’s mood. Go for softer shades for softer moods.

9.) Flor carpet tiles are such a great solution for carpets in kid’s rooms! If your child destroys an area on the carpet that you just can’t get clean, you can replace a square or two of Flor’s carpet tiles rather than having to buy a new rug.

10.) An easy solution for interchangeable artwork in your child’s room is to frame fun wrapping papers! One day you can have pink polka dots and another day you can go with blue and green stripes. It’s very fun and easy- especially in the wallet, and it is a fabulous look!

www.nicolesassaman.com

Sweet Assets: Short Change Yourself in a GOOD Way

With the economy down in the dumps, why not cheer yourself up with a little chocolate? I mean chocolate makes everything better, right? Sweet Assets founder, Lisa Nalen, has come up with a fantastic line of delicious chocolates that will turn that financial frown upside down. Back in the day, Lisa found herself struggling with credit, she was in a true "financial crunch." Lisa turned her Financial Crunch into chocolate and the rest is sweet history. With products like the Nest Egg, Short Change, and Credit Sweet, you're sure to find a laugh during these tough times. However, don't let the humor in this great line of chocolate fool you. Sweet Assets is serious chocolate. Last year I attended the All Candy and Snack Expo and I tried just about every chocolate on the market. I know, I know, it's a tough job, but someone has to do it! I can honestly say that Sweet Assets has the smoothest, most flavorful chocolaty fantasticness that my taste buds have stumbled upon. My favorite? The Short Change coins, minty dark chocolate, YUM!

Looking for a fun and ultra tasty gift? Pick up a Nest Egg for the parents to be in your life. Make a family member or friend smile with a Financial Crunch Tin. Tell Santa that Credit Sweet gold bars make great stocking stuffers. OR, think about your accountant. Maybe your taxes will get done quicker with a Stimulus Package!

Visit Sweet Assets today and make an investment you won't regret!

Belly Bandit

Call the cops, somebody stole your waist!! Well, the Belly Bandit is here to the get it back for you! Whether you've had vaginal delivery or c-section, the Belly Bandit abdominal wrap fits snugly around your waist making you feel firm and pulled together. The Belly Bandit is very comfy and gently supports your abdomen, smooths your waistline and encourages better posture. Abdomen wrapping has actually been around for centuries with the ancient technique of holding in and exerting pressure on the abdomen. The Belly Bandit was conceived by a fellow mom who tried this technique and was blown away with the results. The Belly Bandit will aid you in getting back to your pre-pregnancy body, along with a good diet and exercise of course. No more muffin tops and spare tires with the Belly Bandit, it's all silky smooth!

Visit www.bellybandit.com