AC Lens Has Great Ski Googles for Teens and Tweens

My oldest, Magpie, started skiing last winter, and loves it. This year she plans to ski a lot -- that is if it ever becomes winter weather here on the East Coast.

One piece of equipment I wanted to make sure she had was a good pair of ski goggles. We were able to review a pair of ski goggles from AC Lens, which Magpie says are really comfortable, and we both agree look great. These goggles are designed for smaller faces, so they are a great choice for tweens and teens.

The Smith Optics Cadence Ski Goggles retail for $79.99 at AC Lens, and come with free shipping.

To see the goggles in action, check out this great video Mapgie made.

In addition to a wide variety of ski goggles, AC Lens also has eyeglasses, sunglasses, swimming goggles and a lot more. Check them out at ACLens.com.

Great Giveaway to Neon Fireflies - A Fun New Etsy Shop!

I don't know about you, but you couldn't pay me to go anywhere near the mall this week. I don't do Black Friday sales, but I do happily shop from the comfort of my home computer.

I'm a huge fan of Etsy, and my blogging friend Stephanie from Binkies & Briefcases recently told me about a fabulous new Etsy shop Neon Fireflies, run by her friend Heather.

source

 

We're so excited to share her talent with you today!  Heather is a mom of two little ones. She loves her kiddos and she loves to crochet, so she combined her loves into a new store that sells fabulous, fashion forward crocheted pieces for babies AND their mommas. 

Neon Fireflies sells a bunch of awesome hand made items that Heather crochets herself. I love that they all feel so fresh and trendy, because sometimes crocheted items can feel a little old-fashioned. That is not the case with Neon Fireflies. Let's check out some of the things in the shop!

Scarves and boot cuffs for mommas:  

And kid-sized hats, leg warmers, shoes, and even toys  
I'm teaming up with a few of my favorite fellow bloggers and giving away a mini shopping spree in honor of avoiding the mall on Black Friday!

Enter using the Rafflecopter below and one winner will receive any one item of their choice from Neon Fireflies. This giveaway is for US residents only, ages 18 and up. One winner will be notified via email and have 48 hours to respond. In the event that a winner does not respond, another winner will be selected. Neon Fireflies is responsible for prize shipment. And in case you were wondering, this is not a sponsored post.  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Can't wait to find out if you win? Go shopping now at Neon Fireflies and save $6 on any purchase of $30 or more (excluding shipping) through 11/28/13. Use coupon code THANKS6 at checkout.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Easy Halloween Hairstyle - Just Add Spiders!

I saw this very cool idea on Pinterest to create a Halloween hairstyle with plastic spiders. I figured I would have the usual crap-tastic results I usually get when I try to do anything I see on Pinterest, and lo-and-behold, it was so easy! And it turned-out like it was supposed to and everything!

All you need to do to create this easy Halloween hairstyle is take a plastic spider ring and cut the ring in half at the bottom of the loop.

Then braid the hair as well as you can - clearly, there will be a range of results here - and add the spiders. All you do is put the spider on the hair, and let the ring wrap around the braid.

I totally thought the spiders would fall out after a few minutes, but they stay in totally fine. My daughter wore her spider braids to school and when she came home in the afternoon looking exactly the same.

Now this is my kind of Pinterest project - easy, fun and actually works!

I found this idea on Princess Piggies, and you should go and check out her version because it's way better than mine. First, she has brightly colored spiders which show-up a lot better in the hairstyle than the black spiders I used did. Also, she has super-cute Halloween ribbons at the ends of the braids. Pretty much she's a total pro, but that's probably why she has an entire website about girls hairstyles and I have a website about uh... random stuff.

Who Wore It Best - The July Fourth Dress

My daughter Kay is a big fan of hand-me-downs, which is perfect since I'm a big fan of her wearing them as much as possible.

This year Kay wore big sister Magpie's dress on July Fourth, so of course, I need to pose the question... who wore it best?

Magpie is on the left and Kay is on the right if you want to weigh-in with your pick US Weekly style in the comments.

Next up, I want to recreate this photo of my son and me which was taken two years ago on July Fourth.

It's been my Facebook icon ever since, but I think two years may be the limit of its shelf life.

 

Hope everyone had a Happy July Fourth!

Rookie USA Grand Opening with Carmelo Anthony this Friday, October 12

I'm a huge fan of the Rookie USA store on the Upper West Side, and so I couldn't be happier to be sharing the news that they are having their Grand Opening celebration this Friday, October 12.

In addition to a full day of giveaways, raffles and prizes as well as a live D.J., there will also be the chance to meet Carmelo Anthony from 5-6pm.

Yes, THE Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks. To receive a wristband to meet Carmelo Anthony, just be one of the first 200 people to make a Jordan/Melo purchase on Friday. Please note: you will not be able to join the autograph line without a wristband, and no outside product is allowed.

To learn more about the great athletic apparel and shoes available at Rookie USA, check out photos of the store here and just some of the great brands like Nike and Levis you'll find at Rookie USA here.

To keep up with all the happenings at Rookie USA, follow them on Twitter @RookieUSA and via the hashtag #RookieUSA, and like them on Facebook /RookieUSA.

Rookie USA is located at 808 Columbus Avenue @99th Street.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been
compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Rookie USA #CBias #SocialFabric. All opinions are my own.

Rookie USA Now Open in NYC - and a Giveaway Too!

Everyone knows that New York City is a shopper's dream, but despite all the stores there aren't that many places to buy cool athletic clothes and shoes for kids. But now there is, with the new Rookie USA store that just opened up at 808 Columbus Avenue (at 99th Street). It's part of a fantastic new complex of stores - Columbus Square - which also includes Whole Foods, Duane Reade and HomeGoods.

I went shopping at Rookie USA with my seven-year-old daughter Kay. She's an athletic kid who loves gymnastics, ice skating, softball and swimming, but she's also a young fashionista and very, very picky about what she wears. Kay loved everything in the store, from the collection of Nike sports tee sand shorts in bright, fun clothes to the display of Converse shoes in all the colors of the rainbow.

Kay chose a few items to try on, and we both thought the hipster-rustic changing rooms with the cool retro Locker Rooms sign added another great touch to the overall shopping experience.

Kay finally narrowed it down to a choice of two tees:

After a bit of thought, she decided on this tee:

It captured all her loves - purple and glow-in-the dark. You can't tell in the photo but it really does glow in the dark!

And, because we both knew what was good for us, we didn't arrive home empty-handed for her older sister sister. We got Magpie, age 8, cool purple Levi's from their colored denim line.

When we checked-out I found out the jeans were actually on sale for 20% off, which was a nice surprise. And we got to take the new clothes home in this sweet Rookie USA bag:

The store is a great modern space to shop, has a huge selection and friendly staff, and we'll definitely be back for shoes and other gear. Just look at this selection of sneakers!

Back home, Kay and Magpie put their new clothes to the test in our front yard...

... cartwheels, check!

 

... wheelbarrow, check!

 

 



... happy kids with new clothes, double-check!

To learn more, follow Rookie on Twitter @RookieUSA (or via the hashtag #RookieUSA), like them on Facebook, or visit them online at RookieUSA.com. While you're there, sign-up for email, and receive a $20 gift card to use for your first in-store purchase.

To see more photos from my mother-daughter trip to Rookie USA, check out my Google+ Album.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been
compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Rookie USA #CBias #SocialFabric

Win a Rookie USA gift card! The first five people to leave a comment on this post are automatic winners, so leave something witty (or not so witty) and you can go shopping at Rookie USA!

Other Stuff I Wrote Last Week: Back to School Shoes, Books and a Last Hurrah of Summer

This week I'm shifting from summer to fall. The kids are back to school on Thursday, and while I'll miss the sun and the fun, I feel like it's time.

I wrote about our trip to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor for BaristaKids.com, and while it wasn't the best day out ever, it was pretty fun.

For back to school, I covered See Kai Run, maker of great kids shoes. Here's my son modeling his pair from (gasp!) last season:

And here are some of the hipster styles from See Kai Run for this fall:

I also shared three of my favorite books about the first day of school. 

Marco Goes to School, by the hilarious Roz Chas, has particularly grown on me over the last 1,816 times I've read it to my enthralled son:

Next up, getting my own three kids back to school.

What are you doing this week?

Great Back to School Looks with Cookie's Kids

My daughters go back to school in a few weeks - I can hardly believe that summer is almost over, not to mention that come fall there will be a full-fledged 2nd-grader and 4th-grader in my house.

Time flies.

With school around the corner, we've started looking at what clothes still fit from last year, and what new things they'll need for the year ahead.

I was thrilled to join a program with Collective Bias to do some back to school shopping at CookiesKids.com to find some great pieces for my daughters.

The Cookie's Kids website has lots of options both for "regular" school clothes - what my kids wear to school - and school uniforms if that's what your kids need for the school year.

I went straight to the section labeled "Girl's Dept." which is easy to navigate by choices like tops, bottoms and shoes. Each item has easy drop-down boxes to see size and color availability.

For my daughter, Magpie - age 8 and soon-to-be fourth grader I picked out an orange and gray striped tee shirt (orange is her favorite color) for $8.99 and comfy gray leggings ($5.99) that will be perfect for days she has gym class.

For my almost-second grader, Kay, who likes fancier garb, I found a ruffly shirt that suited her fashion sensibilities while still being practical enough for school. The layer top ($7.99) came in a choice of black, purple or fuchsia, and after some deliberation I went for her favorite shade, fuchsia.

When the Cookie's Kids package arrived, I showed my kids their new clothes and both girls were delighted. (Phew.)

I wonder how many more years I'll have the fun of picking out clothes for my girls as a surprise, and having them love there new things.

I'm guessing not too many, but hopefully a few more before the real teen years are here.

On Polyvore (my new addiction) I had a lot of fun putting together their new kids clothes from Cookie's Kids in a kids fashion collection - I can see creating a lot more of these in the future!

Happy Back to School everyone, here's to a great year!

Where do you like to shop for back to school clothes? What is your kid's style?

You can see more photos from my shopping experience at CookiesKids.com in my Google+ album here. You can also like Cookie's Kids on Facebook, follow them on Twitter @CookieKids or via the hashtag #CookiesKids.

A little background about Cookie's Kids - now in its 40th year!

In 1972, a young man named Cookie and his brother Marvin went into business together. They rented a 1600 square foot store in Jamaica, Queens, fixed it up, bought inventory and Summer and Fall, and opened a day after Thanksgiving with a full stock of holiday toys. The toys were a success and they put the extra money toward buying children's clothing for the next season. When that did well, they bought more clothing. The business was on it's way.

As the brothers Cookie, Marvin and Sonny, who had come in as a third partner in the business, began to open new stores in new locations, inventory expanded. Besides the latest fashions, our customers wanted shoes, toys, backpacks and accessories and we were prepared to deliver.

By the late 1990's there were six superstores throughout the NYC area, and though they previously had different names, by that time they were all named Cookie's Kids. Also in the late '90s came an important addition to Cookie's Kids' inventory: school uniforms. It was the steady success in uniform sales that paved the way for founding CookiesKids.com in 2007, which originally sold uniforms and soon after the entire Cookie's Kids Inventory.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and CookiesKids.com. #CBias #SocialFabric



Other Stuff I Wrote Last Week: JoShu Tees, Kids Books and More

I write a lot of stuff for other websites, though I usually forget to share the links over here.

Here's what I wrote last week:

JoShu Tees: A New Line of Modern Graphic Tees for Babies and Kids - Fab 100% cotton tees for kids and babies from a New Jersey mom and designer.

Awesome Summertime Activities - A round-up of fun activities to do with kids that are also filled with lots of (secret) educational value. Shhhh.

A Perfectly Good Rainy Day at the Shore - I hope you never need this advice, but if you're at the beach with kids and it rains, this might help.

Children's Books for Ages 4-8 - I reviewed two fabulous books for kids, both by beloved children's authors. Penny and Her Doll by Kevin Henkes, and Ava's Poppy by Marcus Pfister. I highly recommend them both.

Toy Time: Toys for Kids - Toys covered here are a great magnetic robot set from Mudpuppy that is perfect for travel, and a grow-your-own windowsill terrarium. So really, something for everyone.

Have a great week!

GapKids Holding Shine On Family Events Saturdays in August

This post is sponsored by GapKids. Check out all the fun Shine On activities at your nearest Gap store. For event dates and locations, visit Gap’s Facebook page and join the conversation on Twitter with hashtag #ShineOn.

Looking for something fun to do with the kids? Saturdays in August, GapKids is hosting Shine On events at stores across the country. At these events kids will be able to unleash their inner artist when they participate in special art projects created by Merrilee Liddiard of Mer Mag.

Shine On projects are inspired by the GapKids and babyGap fall collection, which features a new 1969 denim - Jewel Box Skinnies for girls (an update of the new skinny jean in bright stretchy denim) and Action Stretch Denim for boys (denim made to move and play).

Projects include creating geometric canvas art with paint and tape and make-your-own journals.

To catch some of the Shine On spirit, just watch this video from GapKids & babyGap and then get ready to get your own Shine On with your kids!



Here in New York City, Shine On events are being held the next three Saturdays at three different locations in Manhattan:

Saturday, August 11
Make Geometric Art
10am-1pm
GapKids @ 54th & 5th 680 Fifth Ave
New York, NY 10019

Saturday, August 18
Create Your Own Journal
10am-1pm
GapKids @ 85th & 3rd 1511 Third Ave
New York, NY 10028

Saturday, August 25
Make an Animal Character Badge
10am-1pm
GapKids @ 17th & 5th 122 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10011

And if you're not in the New York City area, there are lots more Shine On activities in other cities including Philadelphia, Dallas and Boston. You can check out the full list of Shine On locations here.


I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Ariat, the U.S. Equestrian Team and the Olympics

A few months ago, I had the chance to see the latest from Ariat at a press preview they held in NYC. Ariat is a company rooted in providing apparel and footwear for the top equestrian athletes, but which also has plenty of offerings for "regular folks," too.

Here are just some of the fantastic boots. I pretty much want them all.

When the London Games began, I was reminded of Ariat because they are the official apparel supplier and partner of the United States Equestrian Federation, and Ariat outfitted the U.S. Olympic Equestrian team with official team gear including the cap, jacket and polo pictured here:

And, for the rest of us who aren't Olympic equestrians, there is a retail-line inspired by the Olympic designs (all are available online at Ariat.com):

　
　
So far, medals in the equestrian events have been awarded to athletes from Germany, Great Britain and Sweden.  I'll be watching to see if Team USA will be added to the medal count this week - view the full schedule here.

I was not compensated for this post. I just love the intersection of the Olympics and fashion. And I've always loved riding apparel - you can blame that on my Virginia roots.
　

In Honor of BlogHer: A Little Glimpse of NYC

With the BlogHer conference here any minute, it's all the talk in Blogger-ville.

As it's my first BlogHer, I don't have much to say about the conference itself.

But New York City, I could talk about my favorite city all day long.

Instead, however, I'll just post this photo I snapped on a recent stroll around Manhattan.

Charming, aren't they?

And yet, those tees are exactly what's so great about New York City. You never know what you're gonna get.

And sometimes... you're gonna get profanity on baby onesies.

I'm linking this up to Finding the Funny, come join the weekly linky fun at My Lifeand Kids and Kelley's Break Room.

A few favorite must-haves for summer

Over the last few months I've written a lot of posts at Momtrends.com about must-haves for summer. Here are a few of my favorite products in case you're still searching for the perfect summer bag, tee or toy for the kids:

Bungalow360 - These awesome totes from Bungalow360 are super eco-friendly and depending on the style are around $30. My tote has quickly become my favorite bag this summer.

Icebreaker Merino - I'm so in love with Icebreaker Merino's line of stylish and comfy performance clothing - tees, hoodies and more for women, men and kids.

Miamica Travel Accessories - From "Upgrade Me!" luggage tags to the "Bling it on!" travel jewelry case, Miamica products add a little bit of fun and whimsy to your travel gear.

Mudpuppy Toddler Travel Puzzles - These puzzles from Mudpuppy are genius for travel. All the pieces fit inside one compact pouch with a zipper so you don't spend your trip searching for lost pieces.

Nogent*** Knives - Nogent is a long-standing French knife maker, who recently came out with a new line of knives in fun summer colors. I have the paring knife in lime green, and I'm a big fan.

What's your favorite summer must-have?

Just a Boy and His Bear Taking a Boardwalk Stroll

This post is from last summer, but I was reminded of it when we made our annual trip to the shore, and this same boardwalk, last week.

I took my urban-living, tie-wearing, stroller-pushing, toddler son to the Delaware shore.

And found out that what is a totally common not-worth-noticing sight in Manhattan, ain't so in this small shore town.

But conformity aside, just watch this 14-second video, and you'll see this is one very happy urban-living, tie-wearing, stroller-pushing toddler.

And for him, it's just another night strolling on the boardwalk, a boy and his bear.

Linking-up to Finding the Funny at Kelley's Break Room and My Life and Kids.