Please Welcome Our New Son!

He's here! After an incredibly short labor (just 2 very quick hours), our son, Dylan, arrived on Sunday, October 22nd. We're all doing very well and adjusting to life as a family of four. We feel very blessed by all your good wishes!

Comfort Zone

When it comes to shoes, you can never have enough. But shoes that are comfortable, and look great too? That can be a challenge, it may seem. However, with several of the great lines of shoes available now, it can be easier than you think. And with the season of football games, fall festivals and holiday shopping upon us, it pays to go for a little comfort for your feet.


This casual style from Timberland is a great choice for fall to pair with jeans, casual pants and even a denim skirt. It features whip-stitching on soft suede and leather, as well as Timberland's Comforia comfort system for all-day comfort.




Dr. Scholl's Cardigan Shoe is like a sweater for your feet. Available in black and oatmeal, it features a "feel crazy good" combination of soft microsuede lining and Dr. Scholl’s Memory Fit™ Cushion.


The Dansko Denim Pro is an updated version of a classic in denim. With it's great arch support and all-day comfort, you can't go wrong with Dansko. This is the shoe I reach for when I'm traveling and have lots of walking to do, and they haven't let me down yet.



Because we all need a little fun in our lives, I'm going to include this cute boot from Sugar. Part sneaker, part boot, the Beefy Boot gives you the best of both worlds. And the cute owl print is so hot right now!

So take your pick and enjoy a stylish and comfortable fall. Your feet deserve it!

Samples for Free

It's nice to get something free every once in a while, especially if it's something that you might actually pay for. I just found a site that does just that. StartSampling.com offers some really good samples, coupons and offers - Free. Start Sampling currently has offers for a free, no strings attached, subscription to Child Magazine, Redbook Magazine and coupons for Stonyfield Yogurt (my favorite brand!), among other things. All you have to do is register your name, address, email and a few other questions, and you're set to sign up to receive free samples. Enjoy!

Hi Brow, Low Brow

The news is out - natural brows are in for fall. So put down your tweezers, sit back and have some patience. They'll grow back. In the meantime, there are a few products being offered by cosmetics companies scrambling to fill the void, targeted at replacing what tweezers took away.

Now, just to clarify, "natural brows" by no means mean unkempt brows. Your brows still need attention, just not quite as much of it. Natural brows can be a lot lower-maintenance than what you may be used to, and that's a great thing. You should still seek out professional shaping and waxing, just to keep you on the right track and not looking like an extra in a scary movie. Frida Kahlo, no. Brooke Shields, yes. Brooke has made her mark with her fabulous natural brows that always look kept up and shapely, not straggly. So go forward and let your brows grow for a while. Take that time to enjoy your kids, pamper yourself and have a date with your husband. Chances are, he'll be enjoying time spent with you so much that he'll never even notice your brows are growing back in. Just that you look gorgeous!

Making Travel with Kids a Little Easier

Can travel with kids really be fun? Why, yes! It is possible to have an enjoyable family vacation together. With some planning and a little forethought, you can make the family trip a little more pleasurable for all, and here's a great site that can help you with some of the planning: Kids Can Travel.

With the holiday season quickly approaching, many of you are making preparations to visit relatives and friends. Before you leave, check Kids Can Travel's tips for avoiding the all-to-common pitfalls of family travel so you can make the most of your trip. Kids Can Travel also offers family vacation ideas, as well as the tools to make them happen. You'll find suggestions on buying tickets and hotels on a budget, alternative lodging such as house swaps and tips for home-schooling your child on the road when you want to whisk them away on a 3-month tour of Europe (I personally would love to do this when our kids get a little older).

Kids Can Travel rates destinations according to family friendliness and will help you create an itinerary based on your criteria - is your top preference fun, culture or adventure? Just type in a destination and up come all sorts of resources and information to help you plan your next vacation, and to make traveling with kids something you look forward to. Kids Can Travel also makes recommendations based on kids' ages, which is a very important aspect of creating a copacetic travel plan.

You can also create your own miniguide for a destination, adding personal notes and pictures and save your information for future reference. You can choose to keep this information private, or to share with other members - what a great way to get good, first-hand tips! So next time you're planning an excursion for your family, whether it's a road-trip to Grandma's for Thanksgiving, or an eco-tour in Costa Rica, make sure you check out Kids Can Travel before you book. You might just save yourself a lot of headaches as well as create an itinerary that's just right for your family. And maybe, just maybe, you won't need a vacation after your vacation!

Merriment in Your Mailbox

Wouldn't it be great if subscriptions came with a little gift just for you to perk up your day? Well, if you subscribe to MerriMail that's just what you'll get in your mailbox four times a year.

Launched by friends, Caroline and Eris, MerriMail is the first creative living publication that includes a delightful gift and thoughtful ideas in each issue. What kind of great ideas? Those that inspire you...challenge you...make you smile. For example, with the salt and pepper shakers, the idea card features information about setting the table, peppery wines and sea salt. You're even given an area where you can jot down your own ideas. It's filled with resources and insightful information. You will also receive a brief newsletter filled with great ideas that compliment the gift. And there are no advertisements in MerriMail, just lots of fun!

Introduced just in time for the holidays, MerriMail is an ideal gift for women who are interested in creativity, design and everyday living - and a wonderful way to indulge yourself as well! As a quarterly publication, MerriMail is the gift that helps readers learn about new and old concepts while also sharing ideas throughout the year. And it's sure to bring a smile to your face (or that of the lucky recipient's face) as you open up your mailbox.

One Chic Sweater

With the weather finally starting to get a little on the cool side here, I just can't have enough sweaters like this one. They're so versatile because they work well over a t-shirt and jeans, or a pretty camisole and a dressier skirt. They go on so easily, there's rarely any fussing or pulling - just throw it on and go. So when I saw this Ribbed Silk Cardigan from J. Jill, I was instantly smitten.

Open cardigans like this have the ability to transform an outfit to be greater than the sum of it's parts. Toss this on for a meeting or an afternoon of shopping, and you'll feel and look more pulled together than you thought possible. Maybe it's just the simplicity and the way they softly drape over the body, gracefully drifting over your curves without calling undue attention to them, no matter what your size at the moment. Or maybe it's the clever design that falls open in front and creates movement that gives it such a unique appeal. Whatever it is, this one's a keeper. And the best part - it's on sale! Available in chocolate brown and dark granite.

Denim for Your Body

By now I'm sure you've all seen the denim trends for fall. Tight, skinny cut jeans that flatter anyone under a size 4. But, whoa! What about the rest of us? We women of a certain age who have child-bearing hips and hover closer to the double digits in sizes need something that looks good too! How about this Gored Denim Skirt from Jones New York? It's a very flattering style for those of us with hips, and can work well with a sweater and boots, or ballet flats and a pretty tee. Plus, at only $69, it's a great buy.

If it's jeans you want, then it's jeans you shall have. With the ever growing selection available, there's a pair that's going to hug your curves in all the right places without making you look like a sausage stuffed into a too-tight casing. Remeber that trends are great - if they're appropriate for your body type. If not, move on and realize that not all trends are meant for everyone. What's going to make you look truly fab is a pair of jeans that fit you like a glove and make you feel like a million bucks! Go for something straight legged, whether they're high-rise, low-rise or somewhere in-between, what's key is finding what works for YOU!
These Straight Legged Dark Denim Jeans from Liz Claiborne come in black or an indigo wash and sit slightly below the waist, with room in the hip and thigh. These are a wonderful realistic alternative to the stovepipe jeans that have peppered the runways this season. Cut for a real woman's figure, and meant to flatter.

So go ahead - find some denim that works for your body. Don't be shy about going to a store and trying on TONS of jeans. There are as many different cuts out there as there are labels, so hang in there and don't be shy about discussing your needs with the sales associates. They can be your most valuable tool when it comes to finding the right fit. After all, they see women day in and day out trying on the styles they carry, so they quickly learn what works for what body type. Plus, denim is durable, versatile, stylish and is everywhere this season - don't miss out!

Serious As A Heart Attack

Question: What illness kills a third of American women each year? Answer: Heart Disease.

Women's risk of heart disease is typically lower than men's throughout their lives. However, once women enter their 30's and 40's, their risk jumps to that of men. This becomes an increasingly important time to focus on heart health and prevention by adding things to your daily routine that you enjoy. Exercise, for one. Find something you like and stick with it. Find a buddy to walk with, jog with or take a class with several times a week and you're more likely to make it a regular habit. Plus, you'll benefit from the social interaction, and when you start to feel like slacking off, the chance to spend time with a friend can be just the incentive you need to stop that kind of thinking.

If you smoke, STOP! NOW! Smoking is so bad in so many ways, but it really does increase your chance of heart disease (as well as lung cancer), especially if you take birth control pills. Plus, by quitting you'll be setting a great example for your kids.

Eat an anti-inflammatory diet that's rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, omega-3 fatty acids, and olive oil. Also, keep saturated fats to a minimum, and avoid trans fats altogether. Trans fats can be harder to avoid than you think, though, so be mindful of reading ingredients. They're found in the likes of peanut butter, crackers, baked goods, margarine, fried foods, you name it. Anything containing any type of hydrogenated oils contains artery-clogging trans fats. Avoid processed foods and eat more fresh foods for maximum benefits. This will also help to keep your cholesterol low.

A few other suggestions that can help fight the battle against heart disease are:

Stress Relief - During a women's 30's and 40's, often times they are trying to take care of kids and aging parents while juggling a career, and the resulting stress can be very high. Day to day stress is bad news for the heart, causing the adrenal glands to pump out cortisol, a hormone that pushes up blood pressure and strains the heart and blood vessels. Try taking time out for a brisk walk, a yoga class, or meditation. Time to just be can work wonders for your stress level.

Get Blood Tests Done Regularly - You should have an annual exam including a full blood work-up to measure cholesterol (both good and bad) and triglycerides. Other tests, such as one for C-reactive protein, may be warranted if you have a family history of heart disease. Having a mother, father or sibling who died of a heart attach before age 55 increases your risk, especially if that relative was female. If you need to find a new practitioner, now is a great time to do so.

Think Before you Drink - Although red wine has been widely reported to have healthy benefits, most experts say you can get the same benefits from simply eating red grapes. Keeping your wine consumption to no more than one glass per day can help keep your heart in great shape.

Plan For Menopause - Yes, it may seem a bit early, but women in their 40's begin to experience symptoms of the change of life. The adrenal glands pick up where the ovaries leave off to act as a buffer. As hormone levels fluctuate, prepare your adrenal glands by taking vitamin C (1,000 mg twice daily) and vitamin B5 (250mg twice daily). Also, try and include more sweet potato, legumes and whole grains in your diet to boost adrenal function. American ginseng can help cool hot flashes, and Siberian ginseng helps ease fatigue and boost immunity.

To your healthy heart!
Source: Body and Soul

Over the Moon

For Moon and Lola, that is. This hot line of jewelry, created by North Carolina designer, Kelly Shatat, has been spotted on the likes of Jessica Simpson, Christina Applegate, Faith Hill and Paula Deen. Not too shabby for someone who has only been in business for a mere three years, and who began her newfound career in jewelry making by simply waiting on a friend in a bead shop. While waiting, Kelly's creative mind began working and she decided to try her hand at fashioning jewelry for herself. Here began her love affair with designing and making jewelry.

Moon and Lola's designs range from the funky to the classic, and incorporate a wide variety of textures, such as filigree, gold beaded chain, wood and semi-precious stones. We love her earrings for fall and think they'd be wonderful with a cozy sweater (or two). They also blend well with the season's muted palette. We especially like her Barcelona Hoop Earrings with smokey quartz briolettes dangling down the center. Plus, if you shop now you'll get 15% off your order. What better time than the present to update your accessories?

Cook for the Cure

Like to cook? Need a new mixer? How about this great pink Artisan Stand Mixer from Kitchenaid. It's part of the "Cook for the Cure" line created by Kitchenaid, designed to give those with a passion for cooking a way to support the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. For each mixer purchased, a portion of sales will be donated to fight against this horrible disease. So now you can whip up wonderful culinary delights AND help support the fight against breast cancer at the same time. To date, the program has raised over a million dollars for this cause through donation-with-purchase programs, special fundrasing events, auctions and grass roots initiatives. Sounds like a great time to add a little pink to your kitchen!

Buy a Bra, Make a Difference

Every woman needs a little support. Whether your choice of support comes lined or unlined, with embroidery or seamless contours, is up to you. Whether that support can be turned into support for women affected by breast cancer is up to you, too. When you purchase a bra by Wacoal through BareNecessities.com your purchase leads to a donation that can help fight breast cancer.

Bare Necessities is proud to partner with Wacoal in supporting breast cancer research and outreach programs. For every Wacoal Bra purchased at BareNecessities.com through 10/16, a $2 donation will be made to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The mission of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation is to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease.

And with $5 shipping everyday, BareNecessities.com makes it easy to support others while you're supporting yourself.

Getcha Grub On!

Food. A subject we all love to discuss (and partake in), yet such a controversial topic these days. What's safe? What's not? And, wow, are there really hormones in my milk that don't have to be listed on the container? Yikes! It's challenging enough to be concerned about what we put into our own systems, but when it comes to our kids growing bodies, we want nothing short of the best, and it's often times hard to find the truth about what that really is.
The new book Grub: Ideas for an Organic Urban Kitchen, by Anna Lappé and chef Bryant Terry, can help. Lappé and Terry have a goal - healthy, local and sustainable food for us all. They created a book that combines original recipes, practical tools for creating a healthy organic kitchen and the latest information about the revolution in food and farming that is healthy for our bodies and the earth. They set about to write a book, and in the process, have started a movement.

"Grub Parties" are being hosted all over the nation. You can host your own Grub Party - simply invite friends old and new, especially those who might have conflicting ideas about politics, life and food to discuss these ideas and more. Then plan your meal. You can find menu ideas from Organic Valley. Now for the important part - shop for the ingredients. Buying local, organic and seasonal foods for your meal is key to the Grub way of thinking. Get your kids involved. Teach them where things come from, and why it's better to buy locally, organically grown produce than it is to pick something up from the local Wal-Mart. Not only will you be putting pesticide-free and non-gmo foods into your kids' delicate systems, but you will be showing support of the farmers' efforts who till and toil near your home, and who get paid good wages (unlike those who are haggled down to the last penny by giants such as Wal-Mart). Your kids will enjoy the process, and it may even make them more excited about eating their veggies when they can say they came from "Farmer Jim" at the market.

For more information and ideas and to find out where to get that kind of Grub see Local Harvest. So go ahead, getcha grub on!

A Great Shower Gift

At a baby shower por moi a few weekends ago I received a wonderful, and wonderfully unique gift that I thought was a great idea: a box of thank-you cards that had already been stamped. And to make things easier, they were passed around the table and addressed by each would-be recipient. Wow, talk about easy! At this point they were half complete! A friend later commented that she received my thank-you note rather promptly. I responded by saying that since they were so easy, why not get them out quickly? It's easy to write a few meaningful words about a gift to someone; finding their address sometimes takes a bit more work. So I was very appreciative of this creative and thoughtful gift and plan to pass this idea on.

This is a great idea for a bridal shower, a baby shower or any type of event that will generate the need for thank-you cards. And it gives you a great excuse to pick out some really pretty cards.

A Pretty Sling for Baby and for You!

I just received a very cool baby sling that I can't wait to use (just a few more weeks to go!) and I had to spread the word. These great slings from Monkey Bums are very pretty, yet simple and unpadded. This ensures that your baby won't get too hot, even while nursing. What really attracted me to Monkey Bums' slings is that the rings they use are colored - oooh, pretty mocha or rose pink, or some other lovely shade to match the fabric. I've only seen silver rings before, and being the design-oriented mom I am, I just had to have one of these.

The Monkey Bums sling allows you to keep baby very close while doing many day-to-day activities such as shopping, working on the computer, walking, working, etc.(although cooking with baby in the sling is a no-no). Some other great features of Monkey Bums slings are that they are handcrafted from 100% cotton fabrics and come in some fun batik prints. The piece of fabric used is wide enough to get your baby very close to you, and you can begin using the sling when baby is as new as one day, and on up until they don't want to be slung anymore (or they just get too heavy to do it). The long tail can be used as a privacy blanket while nursing. The slings allow you to carry your child in quite a few different positions, so you can find the one that works best for you and your child at each age. And if you haven't used one before, slings are a great alternative to using a stroller or other bulkier carrier because you can just toss one in your purse or diaper bag and you're ready to go.

Monkey Bums is owned and operated by a mom (and dad) who understand the needs of new parents. Once I get the hang of using it with my new arrival, I plan to get another one. Hmmm...what color should I get next?

For free shipping on your next Monkey Bums purchase, use code CHICMAMA at checkout.

Make-Up for the Cure

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and One Chic Mama is going to be spotlighting products all month that donate proceeds of sales from their products towards the fight against this disease.

Our first pick is the Color Therapy Kit from e.l.f. It's a steal at 10 bucks and includes a limited edition beauty bag, Shimmering Facial Whip in Pink Lemonade, Brightening Eye Color in Pretty n’ Pink, Hypershine Lip Gloss in Candy Apple, Moisture Care Lip Color in Pixie, Moisturizing Lip Liner in Mauve Luxe and a Professional Foundation Brush. Toss one in your gym or diaper bag when you're on the go. For each one sold e.l.f. will donate $2 to WIN ABC (Women's Information Network Against Breast Cancer), an organization dedicated to using knowledge and expertise to assist others battling breast cancer to undergo positive transformation.

WIN ABC's goal is to provide support for those undergoing treatment for breast cancer throughout their diagnosis, treatment and recovery process. e.l.f.'s philosophy is that beauty comes from within and it's their goal to enable every woman to look and feel her personal best through the perfect blend of both the inner and outer person. Together, WIN ABC and e.l.f. believe that looking and feeling beautiful are the first steps towards the fight against this disease.