Carina's Personal Stylists

Carina turned 2 yesterday {::sob:: post to come shortly!} and I have been trying to find some new, stylish clothes for her to wear but to be truthful I don't even know where to start. I have confessed to you a number of times that I am basically the antithesis of fashionable so for this project I have brought in reinforcements! I thought it would be fun to recruit a few personal stylists for Carina to assist in my efforts ;)

I invited 3 of the most fashionable Moms I know to choose their favorite outfit for her from Ladida, a boutique that is all about understated style, simple and contemporary forms, soft and comfortable fabrics, and natural and organic materials.

Let's see what they picked!

Stylist #1 - Maria

My friend Maria from Hello Jack is one of the most stylish people I have ever encountered. I wish she could be my personal stylist and I get all of my "phantom" boys' clothes ideas from her son Jack's outfits. She chose the Max & Lola Red Collar Dress for Carina. This red jersey dress has a gold sequin collar and is oh so cute.

Stylist #2 - Krista

I often envy the clothes I see Krista's 2 year old Karina (yes! Karina with a K!) wearing in her Instagram photos and blog posts on ArmyWife-Style. She picked the Eva & Oli Grey Bow Tee which has short flutter sleeves and a bow under the neckline, and the Bellerose Yellow Flare Skirt. I love this combination, especially the top!

Stylist #3 - Nicole

Truth be told I have a major girl crush on Nicole from Real Life Reality. She always looks so put together and her daughter Blake is no exception. Nicole chose the Gaultier Black Tee and Black Striped Skirt. I wish they had the skirt in my size ;)

Which is your favorite outfit for Carina?


Ladida carries a number of designer lines from around the world including Gaultier children, Neige, and my personal favorite 3 Pommes (can I please have these sparkly silver ballet slippers for Aurelia?) Check them out for unique and stylish girls', boys, and baby clothes!

One Year Since the Wild Ride

Hey mommas of the blogosphere, Mike here. It's been one year since we left Madison, WI to start the next chapter of our lives together.  In the last year we've grown our family with Aurelia, our sweet pea, I started and have really enjoyed a new research position at Yale, and we've had so much wonderful time with family.  What we have never really shared, however, is just how we, and I mean all of us, got out here.  Melissa and Carina hopped a plane, flew to Philly, and enjoyed a few days with my family.  Me? Well, on the eve of the one year anniversary of my odyssey to pick up my ladies in Philly, here is the full story of my eastward trek with Rufus, Layla, and our over-loaded station wagon - five states, 900 miles, and one hundred and forty ounces of coffee in a single, 17-hour wild ride across I-80.

Episode I: A Journey Begins
My alarm went off at 3:00 am on Wednesday, November 30th, 2011. Prior to leaving I had to, God help me, get the kitties into their carrier.  A friend had told me about this kitty valium they had and gave me a few tablets.  You give it to your cats, and supposedly they konk out in an hour and then you drive wherever you want.  Rufus and Layla ate their little 'treats' and...

...got reeeaaaallly pissed off.  So at 4:00 am, I picked up one cat in each arm and tried to stuff them into the carrier together.  Layla went #1 on her brother, and a stink-laden furball churned through our empty apartment.  Take two - one cat in, two cats in, close and latch the door, done - whew!  We all made it into the car and left Madison at 4:30am, getting to the outskirts of Chicago by sunrise and after only one 20 oz cup of coffee.

Episode II: The Stench
The smell in the car was overpowering.  I don't know who did what on who, but it was vile.  I pulled us all over at the nearest rest stop, prior to heading through the Windy City.  I picked up coffees number two and three (ounces 21-60), a bunch of paper towels, and a big bottle of water for my feline companions.  With a paper towel in each hand, I cleaned up the kitties, and put them onto the blankets in the back of the car that covered our stuff.  I didn't even bother with the cat carrier this time. Unfortunately for me, the rest of the ride was perfumed with eau de litter.

Rufus slinking about and Layla looking out the trunk window

Episode III: The Fight
We hit a traffic jam.  Chicago rush hour is horrific, this coming from a Philly guy.  However, the baddest 'tudes on the road were not held by Joe Schmo Bears Fan, but instead by Layla and her brother, who were still obviously high on kitty valium.  I'm not sure who hissed first or threw the first paw, but I heard, suddenly, a Hollywood-quality cat snarl.  Looking in my rear view mirror, a raging vortex of gray and black fur was rolling from the trunk to the passenger seat and back again.  The volume go so loud, I turned around and screamed SHUT UP!  Their response: HISS!!! Simultaneously at me.  Great, I'm going to die by furballcarwreckinferno.  I managed to honk the horn when I turned to yell at my tripping cats, which also earned me some "you are such a nice person" response honks.

Episode IV: @#$%@@#!!!  
We made it through the traffic jam with Layla on the floor under my feet and Rufus in the back meowing non-stop.  I had to pull over.  Cue up the next forty or so ounces of coffee and an early lunch.  We then embarked out through flat, straight, 75-mile-an-hour Indiana.  A breeze, or so I thought.  You definitely get highway hypnosis in this state.  At that precise moment, Rufus thought it would be a good idea to sneak up for an apologetic scritch'n'snuggle.  From the back seat, he leaped up onto the parking break, and then up onto the dashboard and stretched out.  Ahem,  

"OH MY GOD WHAT ARE YOU DOING GET DOWN AAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!" (edited for copious profanity)

I scooped him up and threw him backwards over my head into the backseat and redirected the car from the shoulder into which we had swerved rapidly at almost 80 mph.  He was fine, I was not.  My heart-rate went through the roof, my palms were sweaty, and I stopped just outside of Toledo, Ohio, ate a bit, and refueled on coffee (the ounce count is up to 120).

Content and/or other value provided by my partner, Kia Motors

Epilogue: Our next big step
I made it to Philly without too much more trouble at about 11:30 pm.  I got a little sick from rest stop food and stopped in Western, PA, and had some snow to deal with for the last four hours of the ride. That last bit was neat though; I was bringing winter with me.  I arrived to my loving family in Philly, we shared some champagne, and I forgave the cats in about 48 hours.  The last leg brought us to our current home in New Haven and so began the current chapter of our lives back east.  It was an unforgettable trip across about a third of our country, giving me memories that I'll never lose, and a wonderful marker of the biggest transition yet for our growing family.

Opinions, please! Reprise

Today was a better day. After a play date in the morning, Aurelia napped all afternoon (3.5 hours...I'm still in shock!) So I had plenty of time to play with Carina and even managed to design a few Christmas Cards. We used Tiny Prints for our cards last year (as well as Aurelia's Birth Announcements recently) and were really happy with the results, so we're going that route again.

Our most recent family picture by Catherine King Photography is the largest photo in all of the options. I love it because it so accurately captures our crazy lives right now. What you can't tell from the picture is that both girls were flailing and wailing while Kat was attempting to take it, and we were trying our best not to crack up or give up out of frustration.

Since you guys were so helpful in selecting our cards last year...I'm asking again! Which is your favorite?

 

 

 

Follow Up - Fun With PNC's 'S' is For Savings!

Almost 2 months ago I shared with you a little bit about PNC Bank's ‘S’ is For Savings Account - a fun, friendly, and free online learning experience to help little ones learn about saving! Carina has recently begun showing an interest in numbers and "counting" (I use quotes there because while she can say the numbers 1 through 10 in order, I don't think she actually understands what they mean) so I thought it would be fun to spend some time learning and playing with PNC's new account, and I'd like to tell you what we think!

But first, a little background: the ‘S’ is For Savings Account is designed for children and parents to use together in a lap-learning fashion. With the assistance of their favorite Sesame Street characters, children will learn about saving, spending, giving, the value of things, and making smart financial choices. Here's what the account includes, and our thoughts on some of the features:

• An interactive online banking experience that allows you and your child to set goals for spending, sharing, and saving. Kids can even drag and drop their money into virtual jars. Carina enjoyed watching as I explained to her what I was doing as I dragged money into the virtual jars (below). She counted along with me, too. I let her try herself, but she just banged on the keyboard. This will be fun to play with in the future, once she is able to do it herself ;)

Dragging the money to the different jars

What you see when you click on one of the jars

• A Learning Center to further explore savings concepts through video and audio clips, fun activities, and tips from Sesame Street. This is Carina's favorite part of the online experience so far. She LOVES watching all of the Elmo video clips that accompany most of the mini-lessons. After she views each one she demands, "more MELMO!"

The Learning Center with mini-lessons

Carina watching one of the clips: "more MELMO!"

• The option to create a separate login, allowing you and your child to enter the experience directly, without access to your other PNC Bank accounts


• Interest on balances starting at $1.00


• Just $25 minimum balance to open and no service charge for account holders under 18


• An Auto Savings tool that lets you start a routine to help your child achieve their savings goals. Parents can transfer money from their own account using this feature - online allowance! This will be fun to utilize once we start giving Carina an allowance in the future.

Interactive game that lets you collect virtual money to be divided among jars

The account and online experience is geared towards preschool age children, but the concepts are useful up to age 8 as well. Carina is on the young side, but she enjoyed listening to me read her the tips and watching the clips for now. I think the interactive activities will help her (and any child) to develop an understanding of sharing, saving, and spending at an early age.

If you're interested in learning more about PNC Bank's ‘S’ is For Savings Account or would like to set up your own, visit your local PNC Bank branch, contact their call center, or visit their website at http://pnc.com/SisforSavings


Do you think that teaching your little ones about money and saving is important? At what age did you (or will you) begin giving your child an allowance?

Teaching little ones how to save can be fun! PNC Bank's 'S' is for Savings

I've always been a bit crazy tight with money...refusing to pay full price for anything even if I actually {really} need it, insisting on attending the 4 PM matinee instead of the late show, stockpiling enough 25 cent toothpaste to last us through the apocalypse, making my husband wait a few months to buy the new release DVD he wants so the price will go down significantly...you get the idea.

Being smart with money and saving as much of it as possible is really important to me. Now that Carina is showing an interest in counting and numbers, I was excited to learn that PNC Bank has recently launched a fun, friendly, and free online learning experience to help little ones learn about saving! With interactive activities that explore the concepts of spending, sharing, and saving, I think it will be really easy (and entertaining!) to help her develop strong financial skills from an early age.

The ‘S’ is For Savings Account is designed for children and parents to use together in a lap-learning fashion. With the assistance of their favorite Sesame Street characters, children will learn about saving, spending, giving, the value of things, and making smart financial choices. The account includes:

• An interactive online banking experience that allows you and your child to set goals for spending, sharing, and saving. Kids can even drag and drop their money into virtual jars. You can track progress with sound effects and animation (yay!)


• A Learning Center to further explore savings concepts through video and audio clips, fun activities, and tips from Sesame Street. The screens can even be personalized with your kiddo's name!


• The option to create a separate login, allowing you and your child to enter the experience directly, without access to your other PNC Bank accounts

• Interest on balances starting at $1.00

• Just $25 minimum balance to open and no service charge for account holders under 18

• An Auto Savings tool that lets you start a routine to help your child achieve their savings goals. Parents can transfer money from their own account using this feature - online allowance!

I'll be spending some time over the course of the next month using the 'S' is For Savings Account myself, and seeing how Carina likes it! It is geared towards preschool age children, but the concepts are useful up to age 8 as well. Carina is a little on the young side, but I think at the very least she'll enjoy commandeering Mommy's computer mouse and clicking around the screen for the time being ;) I'll report back on how we like the interactive learning experience and 'S' is For Savings in general in mid-September.

In the meantime, if you're interested in learning more about PNC Bank's ‘S’ is For Savings Account, visit your local PNC Bank branch, contact their call center, or visit their website at http://pnc.com/SisforSavings

How are you currently teaching your little ones about money and saving?

Aurelia's 1st baby gift from Beau-coup (And a giveaway!) CLOSED

When it comes to selecting favors, decorations, and gifts for special events in my life, I have always had such trouble! Maybe I'm too picky, or maybe everything I've found has just been blah or too expensive. Well? I recently discovered my new favorite site. Beau-coup is an online retailer offering a wide selection of party favors, decorations, supplies, and adorable gifts. Since 2002, Beau-coup has been assisting their customers in making their special events unique and fun - from baby showers to birthday parties, even wedding showers and receptions.

Cuteness abounds amongst the baby shower gifts. Stuffed animals, snuggle sacks, socks, blankets, bibs, gift sets, even growth charts - they have it all. My favorites include the Plush Octopus with Socks and Owl Snuggle Sack with Cap (both below).

I won't be having another baby shower with this baby, but if I were, I would for sure choose one of these baby shower favors. The Mini Jungle Animal Candles (below) are just too perfect to pass up. Hey, maybe Carina needs to have a jungle themed party for her 2nd birthday ;)

Beau-coup sent this adorable Giraffe Baby Gift Set for Aurelia. It comes with a fluffy giraffe stuffed animal with velcro on his hands and feet, and it so reminds me of my previous blog design! Also included is a soft fleece blanket with a cute embroidered giraffe and Aurelia's name. I think this set makes a perfect baby gift. I can't wait to snuggle up with Aurelia, the blanket, and giraffe. Only about 3 months to go! Whoa...3 months, really? Time is flying...

Giraffe baby gift set

Reminds me of my old blog design!

More about Beau-coup:
Our mission is to provide an unmatched selection of unique and quality products coupled with an exceptional online shopping experience delivered through a tasteful, feature-rich website and superior customer service. We believe in celebrating each of life's special occasions and strive to offer products and fresh ideas that help make every event extra special.

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Beau-coup features baby shower favors and gifts, birthday party decorations and favors, and almost anything you could possibly need for a wedding or bridal shower. Returns are easy and free, and I really like that Beau-coup guarantees that their deliveries will be on time, or they will pay the cost of shipping.

Win

Beau-coup is generously offering one of my readers a $75 credit!

How to Enter:

This is a Rafflecopter giveaway. Click "Read More" below and then follow the instructions on the widget. Make sure to click "Enter!" after you complete each entry. All currents count! The giveaway is open worldwide and ends at 11:59 PM on Sunday, July 1st.

The first entry is mandatory - Visit Beau-coup and leave me a comment telling me how you'd spend your $75 credit! Once you complete this entry, the widget will give you the option of completing the rest. Complete more steps for more chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
I was not compensated for this review. I received the item(s) free of charge for reviewing purposes. All opinions are honest, and my own.

The bikinis I won't get to wear & summer essentials!

This post is underwritten by Old Navy. Whether you're looking for a tankini, bikini, or a one piece, Old Navy has you confidently covered at a great price.

During the summer of 2010 I was pregnant with Carina and had the worst time finding a swimsuit that didn't make me feel like a stuffed sausage. In 2011, I was working full time during the summer, and that coupled with Mike's scramble to finish his Ph.D, we were never able to get away to the beach. Sad panda :(

This year? Knowing that we were going to be back on the East Coast in such close proximity to the sand and surf, I was really excited about the prospect of squeezing myself into some cute bikinis for the first time in a few years. I pictured myself in something like one of these...

I love me some ruffles and plaid.

But then...THWARTED! Pregnant again. No teeny bikinis for me this summer. Fortunately I found a tankini that I love, but part of me is a little bummed I won't get to wear one of the above. I know what you're thinking; I could just rock the big ol' belleh in one of them anyway. I wish I had the confidence for that! ;)

Instead of lamenting the cuteness-that-I-won't-be-sporting, I've been focusing on all of the great beach accessories that I can still wear and bring. And of course? All of the adorable things I can put Carina in!

Some of my favorites:

For me:
Flip-flops | Hat | Bag | Sunglasses

For Carina:

Sandals | Swimsuit

What will you be wearing to the beach this year: bikini, tankini, one-piece, nothing (um..do tell?!?), or something else?


Thank you again to Old Navy for sponsoring my post. I was compensated for this post as a member of Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all my own.

Healing smiles one book at a time

Every three minutes a child is born with a cleft, and sadly they are often unable to eat, speak, socialize, or even smile. In some places these children are shunned and rejected by society. In far too many cases their parents can't afford to pay for the surgeries they need to live a normal life. Operation Smile is an international children's medical charity that heals children's smiles, changing their lives forever. As one of the most prominent children’s charities in the world with a presence in over 60 countries, Operation Smile is able to bring hope for a better future to so many children.

Amazing companies like CampusBookRentals contribute a portion of their proceeds to Operation Smile. Each and every textbook that is rented helps CampusBookRentals get closer to their goal of donating enough to cover a minimum of 1,000 life changing surgeries. They even have their sights set on exceeding that number!

CampusBookRentals offers almost any textbook you could ever need for rent. I wish they had existed back when I was in college. I would have much rather paid $17 to rent a Genetics textbook for the semester rather than buy it for $176 (um...yikes!?!) For more information on how you can save money by renting textbooks or their contributions to Operation Smile, please visit CampusBookRentals.

This post is sponsored by CampusBookRentals. Opinions stated are my own.

Success with vegetables: Mushroom Gnomes

This post is sponsored by Country Crock. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

We really struggle with getting Carina to eat much of anything at all. Lately, our biggest issue has been vegetables. Despite drenching her broccoli in cheddar cheese or covering her green beans in olive oil, she doesn't really seem to have much interest in eating them. She would rather smear them around her highchair tray or drop them off of it and squeal in delight as they go "splat" on the floor.

I consider myself to always be on the lookout for fun and different ways to serve food, with the hopes that it might actually reach her mouth (and hopefully won't get spit out). I was excited to download and look through the {free} Clare Crespo Digital Cookbook. It contains 25 creative ways to serve veggies for kids. Since Carina has actually taking a tepid liking to mushrooms, I crossed my fingers and decided to try the Mushroom Gnomes recipe.

Mushroom Gnomes - Printable Version!

Ingredients:
12 large white button mushrooms
12 mini red or orange sweet peppers
3 sprigs curly parsley
2 Tbsp. Country Crock® Spread
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. water
A squeeze of lemon juice
12 toothpicks or skewers

Trim stems of mushrooms even with the bottoms of the mushrooms. Trim some of the stem into very tiny pieces for “noses".

Cap-less mushrooms

Trim caps off peppers and scrape out seeds. Save 24 seeds. Cut parsley sprigs into tiny 1/4-inch pieces and bigger 1-inch pieces.

De-capped and de-seeded sweet red peppers

Melt Country Crock® Spread in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and sauté until mushrooms are beginning to color, about 5 minutes.

Sizzling mushrooms. I could not believe how amazing this smelled while cooking.

Turn mushrooms stem-side down. Add water; cover and cook over low heat until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove mushrooms with tongs and place in a serving dish. Add peppers and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt to skillet. Cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Place a long toothpick into a pepper and stick on top of mushroom with tip sticking out of the pepper. Arrange larger parsley pieces as “beards” at the base of each mushroom. Stick two pepper seeds on each mushroom as “eyes.” Add tiny parsley “eyebrows.” Stick tiny pieces of mushroom stem on as noses.

The finished product, my gnomes!

These were fantastic, and Carina ate a couple of them...success! M and I ended up soaking up the leftover cooking liquid (laced with garlic and Country Crock® mmmm...) with the mushrooms and peppers and it was delicious. M usually isn't a mushroom fiend like me, but he went to town on these! We plan on making them again in the future, maybe for a party or when we have Carina's cousins visiting in the near future. I think these are definitely a fun and creative way to serve veggies to kids.

Are you looking for quick and simple tips and recipes to make serving veggies more fun? Download the free Clare Crespo Cookbook here for fun and whimsical recipes your family is sure to love!

Staying healthy during your pregnancy means staying active

This is a sponsored post written by the good folks over at NutritionFix.com.

Long gone is the notion that once your morning sickness subsides, moms-to-be are in for months and months of delicious food binges, and daytime TV. Doctors and midwives have come to a similar conclusion that when it comes to preparing for the birth and losing the baby weight, staying active is the best policy.

Mommy friendly versions of yoga and pilates have been growing in popularity, but there are also surprising amounts of pregnant women who maintain their activity levels with high intensity workouts like crossfit and long distance running. Moms-to-be should discuss safe and reasonable ways of working out with their midwives and doctors. Certain websites like NutritionFix.com offer detailed ingredients list for supplements, but it will be very important that you to discuss with your doctor any supplements you plan on taking to find out if they are safe for you and the baby.

Getting the baby weight off is a worry of many new moms, and staying active during pregnancy can help you transition into a more active mommy-hood. Working out with your partner can also be a good way to counteract the sympathy weight they are sure to gain as well. Staying active also helps reduce the likelihood that you will suffer from pregnancy specific health condition like gestational diabetes or preeclampsia.

And surprisingly enough, you have to actually go through a very physically intense process before your pregnancy is over. This process, also fondly known as labor and delivery requires physical and emotional strength. Having maintained a strength and endurance during your pregnancy, getting through delivery can be a bit easier.

Once you have a bouncy bundle of joy in your arms who requires all of your attention, new moms can get overwhelmed with attending to the baby, their partner, and themselves. But simple dietary changes, especially if you are no longer breastfeeding, can make a world of difference. By adding meal replacing protein bars and weight training to your traditional workouts, new moms and dads can start getting back to normal sooner, rather than later.

Thanks to NutritionFix.com for chiming in on the importance of staying active while pregnant! Now, to get off my rear and take Carina out for a {very} brisk walk... ;)