The Maid Doesn't Live Here

These are words my mom used to utter to us constantly during summer vacation when I was growing up. Having kids around the house much more frequently meant that there were many more dishes to clean up, toys to put away, laundry to be done, etc. She expected us to pitch in!

The folks at The Maids realize that kids sometimes need a little motivation to help clean, and have offered up some tips to make cleaning more of a game and less of a chore.

• 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. Happy cleaning!

Wrap Appeal

The days may be warm but at night it can get downright chilly. Especially if you're in a restaurant or other venue with air conditioning on full blast. So it's nice to have a little lightweight wrap to tie on over your pretty sundress or tank top.

This lovely Leaf Garden Wrap ($48) from Ahpeele is a gorgeous choice! Made from stretchy pima cotton, you can tie this on, knowing you'll look chic while you stay warm after a long day in the sun. This neutral color would look good with many hues. If this color is close to your natural skintone, it'll make your skin look luminous!

Indoor Summer Fun

It's inevitable. As chock full as your kids' summer schedules are, occasionally there will be the need for some downtime. Or a rainy day that turns into several, to make having a good DVD on hand a great solution.

One of our latest faves is Bob the Builder: The Three Musketrucks ($12.99). Featuring the episodes, "Dodger the Milktruck", "The Three Musketrucks", "Dodger's Dairy Disaster", "Scrambler the Goat Herder", and "Packer's Big Delivery", this cute DVD introducers Dodger into the Can-Do Crew. Typical of all Bob the Builder DVD's, there are some great lessons on teamwork and listening to directions to be learned in a clever way.

In the episode, "The Three Musketrucks", the trio who model themselves after the three Musketeers, are in search of some palettes for Bob's flat-pack house. I'm impressed - as a big fan of modern and eco-friendly design, I think flat-pack houses offer a great opportunity to create a fabulous house while saving some money and time, too. Kudos to Bob and the Can-Do Construction Crew for clever storylines about building and ideas that parents can appreciate.

With each DVD, you'll also receive a coupon good for a free one-year subscription to "Parents" magazine.

Exclusive for One Chic Mama readers
We're giving away 5 copies of Bob the Builder: The Three Musketrucks. Just leave us a comment and tell us why your kids like Bob the Builder, and don't forget to leave your email address. Deadline is Midnight, EST, August 3, 2008.

PRIZEY for Prizes

Are you a blogger with prizes to give away? Then make sure you get registered at PRIZEY so you can spread the word about your loot. Tell 'em One Chic Mama sent you and we'll both get some points good for free listings. So go ahead, get your listings ready!

Sole to Sole

When the wee ones begin walking, it's nice for them to have something that protects their precious toes yet gives them the freedom and flexibility of going barefoot. That's why we adore Isabooties. These sweet, soft-soled shoes are easy to put on (and stay on) while providing your child with a non-slip sole for safe steps. What sets Isabooties apart from other soft-soled pre-walkers, aside from their cute design, is that once they get dirty you can simply toss them in the washer and dryer.

Crafted from the unique fabric combination of Ultrasuede® and Toughtek®, Isabooties are color-safe and won't fade, shrink or crack. Plus, these sturdy soles are animal-product free. And with a mixture of bright colors and funky accents, Isabooties are quite chic, too! With styles made for both boys and girls, there's bound to be something for every child.

My son will be wearing his hip Racers this fall when he starts Montessori preschool. Each child is asked to bring a pair of slippers to wear during the day (part of the Montessori philosophy). Dylan will love looking down and seeing these stylish stripes! And I can feel great knowing that he won't be sliding around with the non-skid soles.

Exclusive for One Chic Mama readers
Win a pair of Isabooties of your choice ($29 value). Simply leave us a comment telling us your choice of style and size, and don't forget your email address. The deadline is Midnight, EST, August 2nd. Please note, all comments are moderated and may not appear immediately.

Clean and Green

It’s hip to be green. That's what everyone from the EPA to Oprah is telling us. It’s important not only for our environment, but for our health and that of our children. So many moms are seeking household cleansers that work hard on grime and are eco-friendly too. But are they safe for the kids?

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health found 884 chemicals used in personal care products and cosmetics to be known toxins. The scary thing is that the FDA allows their use because we are not ingesting them (we’re just putting them on our skin). But there is no need to stress over one more thing to research because there is one simple way to shop for everything.

Melaleuca is a 23 year-old catalog company offering everything you need for your home and family. From soap, shampoo and toothpaste to cleansers and multivitamins, Melaleuca creates products that are authentically green from their manufacturing and delivery processes right down to the end products that arrive at your doorstep. But not only are they green, they are also highly effective and the price is just right. And if your kids happen to get into them, they're non-toxic as well.

A couple of my favorite Melaleuca products (and, coincidentally, some of their best sellers) are:

Renew Intensive Skin Therapy Lotion - this lotion is clinically proven to be 7 times more effective than Eucerine cream in treating dry skin conditions including eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea, and its child-friendly formula lets you avoid greasy lotions and harmful steroid creams.

Sol-U-Mel is a 3 in 1 cleaner that no mom should be without. It’s a stain remover- *chocolate cake is instantly lifted out of a white carpet, pet stains, grease, red clay, even the permanent marker your son used on your leather couch all magically disappear. It’s also an odor eliminator perfect for pet beds, diaper pails, etc. But Sol-U-Mel doesn't stop there. You can also use it as an insect repellant for the whole family that's an eco-friendly alternative to deet; use it to treat head lice and poison ivy; and it kills dust mites. That's one multi-tasking product that's easy on your budget and the environment.

If you’ve ever thought of working from home Melaleuca has a different opportunity to consider. While it is a home based business it is not multi-level marketing. There is no inventory, no delivery, no large investment and no risk. To find out more about Melaleuca call Denise Kustka at 919-612-5594 or send her an email.

*I first heard about Sol-U-Mel a few months ago when hosting a shower for a friend. A piece of chocolate cake fell on the hostess' white carpet and got rubbed in. When I told our hostess about it she told me not to worry, that she had this amazing cleanser that would take it right out. That cleanser turned out to be Sol-U-Mel, and sure enough, it worked like a charm!

On a Lark

We all know blueberries are chock full of antioxidants. Apparrently they're packed with a bit of inspiration as well. What else could have caused a couple of moms, packed in the car with six kids who had spent the afternoon picking blueberries, to envision a business where artwork is made to be wearable?

Lark and Loon was conceived after a blueberry picking adventure - but there's nothing homegrown about their style. Modern graphics printed with water based ink on cotton wearables give kids a taste for art at a young age. All artwork is commission from artists across the country and then printed on tee shirts, dresses, pants and leggings for kids in sizes 2 - 12.

Not only are all Lark and Loon's designs original, and help support artists, but they're some of the most stylish around. While out and about the other day, my son had several folks (a boutique owner included!) pining for his cute orange Jam Session tee ($26) - in adult sizes, too!

One Chic Mama readers can save 25% when you use code LLCHIC through August 11, 2008.

Natural Bedding for Your Baby

You're anxiously awaiting your new arrival. You've painted the nursery with low VOC paint, purchased furniture that's eco-friendly and dressed it with organic cotton fabric printed with non-toxic dyes. Now what kind of mattress will your child sleep on? If they're lucky, they'll get a Coco Mat from Natural Mat for sweet (and green) dreams.

Natural Mat creates the finest handcrafted mattresses for baby and child using all natural and organic materials including coir, lambswool, Mohair and more. But why buy a natural mattress? Well, there are many reasons. The first is that babies are very temperature sensitive. They need good ventilation to help regulate their body temperatures. Natural bedding allows for good air circulation to keep baby from overheating and sleeping, well, like a baby.

But one of the main reasons for going natural when it comes to bedding is allergies and asthma. With more and more little ones suffering from these, it's a welcome change to find bedding that has been bathed in a mixture made from essential oils (lavender, lemon and eucalyptus) which renders it anti-dust mite and gives certified allergy protection. The natural latex is hypo-allergenic and wards off dust-mites. It also comes with a washable cover to ensure allergy protection.

But that's not all. These natural mattresses are fire-retardant, give long-lasting support and are crafted from sustainable, fair-trade resources. So put your baby to sleep on something you can feel good about. That'll help you sleep like a baby, too.

Space Treat: Are you a Weekend Warrior?

You don't have to be training for the marathon or biking 100 miles over the weekend to be a Weekend Warrior.

Sometimes 48 hours of hard-core organizing on Saturday and Sunday can lay you up as much as a pulled muscle.

When it comes to getting organized, slow and steady wins the race.

Schedule an organizing session with yourself for up to 4 hours maximum and then make concrete plans with friends so you have to temporarily stop your organizing efforts. This will keep you from going that extra hour that ultimately puts you over the edge and out of commission. Then just continue to schedule weekly sessions with yourself.

If you find that you just can't limit yourself once you get started and you organize for hours and hours only to not finish what you had started nor pick up where you left off then just call us - we're here to help!

Space-tacularly,
Erica
The Spacialist
New York Magazine's 2008 choice for BEST SPACE ORGANIZER!
212.924.4383

Friday Blog Roundup

On Boston Mamas: Zucchini For All. Perfect to suit the abundance at the farmer's markets, enjoy these zucchini inspired recipes for the whole family.

On Car and Caboodle: 10 Reasons Why Moms Need an iPhone. Moms love their gadgets too, and here are 10 reasons why all moms need an iPhone.

On Coochicoos: 5 Fresh Baby Photo Announcements . Here's a fresh look at baby photo announcements. Hint: you won't find these at Costco.

On MomFinds: Win a $100 Shopping Spree at BusyMommi.com. Everything in the site has been hand-picked to make life easier on and more fun for busy families. Happy shopping!

On Moms Buzz: Editor's Hot Picks - July 2008 Edition. Moms' Buzz Editors Hot Picks for July 2008 are not only boiling hot - caliente, muy caliente, chaud très chaud, but unbelievable! Don't get burned!

Modern Design Makes a Splash

If you're a parent, you're probably familiar with Skip Hop's designs. Makers of chic and functional diaper bags, crib bedding, storage solutions and more, Skip Hop is known for its innovative designs for a new generation of parents. So comes as no surprise that their cool bottle-drying rack, Splash, was recently awarded a 2008 Bronze IDEA (International Design Excellence Award) Award. Other winners this year include iconic products like the iPhone and One Laptop Per Child.

Splash from Skip Hop is a pretty clever bottle-drying rack. With its space saving circular design, there is a bottle brush included, and a shelf that's perfect for drying paci's, nipples, straws and valves. Not just for bottles, this comes in handy once your child has graduated to sippy cups. After that, it just looks cool on your kitchen counter!

Skip Hop donates a percentage of the profits to the Pediatric Aids Foundation and The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

Exclusive for One Chic Mama Readers
Enter for a chance to win a Splash from Skip Hop ($28 value). Simply visit the website and leave us a comment telling us what color you'd prefer. Don't forget to leave your email so we can contact you if you win. Please note, all comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. Deadline is Midnight, EST, July 26, 2008.

Kick It Up

The temperatures may be soaring right now, but close your eyes and envision how cute your child will look come fall in shoes from Vincent. With styles for both boys and girls, these stylish kicks are perfect for toddlers, preschoolers and elementary school kids alike. With all their chic Scandinavian styling, Vincent shoes also are long on support and wearability.

Now, with their summer sale going on, you can save up to 75% on some of your favorites. These adorable Lilly Mary Janes are a steal at just $12.50 (was $50) with all their sequins and sparkles, and would be perfect for your daughter's first day of kindergarten!

Take a Peek at Posh Mama

If you haven't heard about Posh Mama, you should take a peek! With a cache of clever contributors (including yours truly), there are some fabulous articles on everything from fashion and beauty, food, health, organization and more! I'm on the Beauty and Style Team and write a weekly column on Wednesdays, so make sure you pop on over.

Posh Mama Online Magazine and Social Network is a positive and upbeat community made up of women from around the world. You will feel immediately welcomed as it is the sweetest spot on the 'net. Come hang out, network and make some great friends at Posh Mama.

Petit Bateau Exclusive Tuesday ONLY

Tired of schlepping around the mall in search of something fabulous for your kiddos, only to spend way too much money on something you don't truly love? Welcome to a whole new shopping experience.

Rue La La is here to change all that. An exclusive, members-only online shopping experience, Rue La La launches it's Petit Bateau Boutique on Tuesday, July 22 - for 24 hours only. Chock full of Petit Bateau's luxuriously soft wearable, it's bound to be love at first sight.

Rue La La is an online designer sample sale that features premier brands and chic goods from around the globe. Each private sale boutique is open for just one to three days, then vanishes into thin air. Share the love and invite your friends. You'll get a $10 credit each time they make a purchase. Because great moms do think alike.

Ch Ch Ch Changes...

One Chic Mama turned two this past May! We are excited by what a fabulous readership we have gained. Don't worry, we're not going anywhere! But we are making a few changes.

First of all, in the next day or so when you go to OneChicMama.com, you'll notice our site will look a bit different. Well, I have ventured into the world of image consulting, also under the One Chic Mama name. But don't despair, there are two places you can click to be taken over to the blog you know and love. If you like, you can poke around the new site to hear about my offerings, read my "Mama's Little Helpers" for a quick beauty boost, or just learn more about my background.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at michele@onechicmama.com. If you're in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triangle area, I'd love to work with you! My focus will be on moms, from stay-at-home moms to working moms and all moms in between. Even if you're not a mother, I would love to work with you to help you look and feel your best. Because inside every woman, there really is one chic mama!

Tattoos With a Purpose

Is there a trip to Disney in your future? How about a water park, theme park or mall? While these places all offer fun and adventure, unfortunately they offer opportunities for your child to get lost in a sea of people. When you plan your next excursion to a crowded place, make sure you mark your kids with Tattoos With A Purpose so your cell phone number will be with them at all times. If they wander off or get separated from you, they can find a policeman or security guard and have them call to so that you can be reunited.

With school getting back into session, Tattoos With A Purpose can be great for field trips or sporting events. The tattoos last from 3-5 days, so they're good for multiple outings, a vacation or a busy weekend. Made with FDA approved inks, these are easy to use and to customize with your contact information. Plus, the fun designs will delight your kids - boys and girls!

Keeping your kids safe is important. Tattoos With A Purpose helps make safety fun. Kids love temporary tattoos, and it's a great idea to give them something they'll love while you arm them with information that can help keep them safe, too.

Space Treat: Clutter is Not Money

Clutter is not money. Clutter is clutter.

Say you're going through your closets and every time you go to eliminate something you stop because you've just computed that this scarf, this radio, this toaster-oven cost you money and, hey, now you deduce you're throwing out money. Sound familiar? Equating clutter for money limits your ability to get rid of old clutter that is no longer serving you.

Clutter has the potential to be money only when:
· You still have the receipt.
· The "return by date" has not expired.
· You sell it on-line.

I say "potential" because this involves actually doing something about it, not just thinking about doing it and not procrastinating another seven months.

You have already spent the money and no matter how long you hang on to this item, no matter how deep you tuck it into the closet, it's not going to miraculously turn itself back into money.

The only miracle that's happening here is you doing yourself a favor and moving it out. Donate it… someone else could start using it today!

Space-tacularly,
Erica
The Spacialist
New York Magazine's 2008 choice for BEST SPACE ORGANIZER!
212.924.4383

Friday Blog Roundup

On Boston Mamas: Cool Pregnancy. Check out these tips to beat the heat and stay cool during pregnancy.

On Classy Mommy: Katie Couric Announces Mom Bloggers a Force to Reckoned With. Check out this 2 minute video by Katie Couric on Mommy Bloggers.

On MomFinds: Win a $200 Shopping Spree at TheFineArtofFamily.com. Because all special memories deserve a special place, we’re offering a $200 gift certificate to TheFineArtofFamily.com, a site chock full of gorgeous lockets and image case jewelry.

On Moms Buzz: Online Lingo Your Children Use - Learn Them Too! Have you ever wondered how come children of all ages are so good at text-messaging or chatting? The answer is that they employ a secret language of acronyms to communicate: an online lingo. Learn them and be a cool parent too!

Maison Melange

Melange (French, verb): to blend or mix.

Melange Apothecary (English, noun): a place to indulge your senses through custom blended products, unique scents and intoxicating fragrances.

When I received my lovely package from Melange Apothecary it was a dreary, overcast and rainy day. So upon my discovery of a lovely, scented candle in this exquisite presentation, I was delighted! I immediately lit the candle and all was calm in my world, for a few minutes anyway. The seductive scent of Asian Pear is a fresh, yet exotic scent that livened up my office and my senses.

Melange Apothecary is an online fragrance bar (with a brick-an-mortar in Sherman Oaks, CA) that blends some of the finest home and personal care products with fragrances and essential oils to create decadent treats for your senses. Many of their fragrances are one-of-a-kind that can only be found through Melange Apothecary. The belief here is that fragrance should be interesting, accessible and fun! Their products are blended weekly in small batches, and the custom-blends mean less packaging for their products.

With products such as body cream, eau de parfum, body wash and home ambiance diffusors, as well as candles, body scrubs and oils, there are many different ways to get your fragrance on. Which one will you choose?

BoobyTag

Here's the scenario: you're traveling to visit family with your six-week old daughter in tow. She was fussy on the long flight so you nursed her several times before she fell asleep. When she woke up, again fussy, you immediately offered her a breast. But wait, which side did she last nurse on? You can't remember. Yet later that day, as you make your way through the airport to baggage claim, you feel a familiar wetness on your shirt. Uh-oh. It must have been the other side.

Moms have busy lives, and better things to think about than which side to nurse on next. Leave it to BoobyTag to let you know which breast to offer at the next nursing and avoid unnecessary and embarrasing leakage.

BoobyTag is a clever little ribbon that snaps onto the strap of your nursing bra or tank top to remind you which side you last nursed on. Available in several fun colors, BoobyTag lets you concentrate on what's really important in life - taking care of your baby!

Be Practically Posh

Gas is hovering between $4 and $5 a gallon. Airlines have initiated a $25 per checked bag surcharge. Your grocery bill is at an all-time high. Living the posh life just isn't as easy as it used to be.

But don't despair. Practically Posh: The Smart Girls' Guide to a Glam Life, from Robyn Moreno, is your guide to the good life - on a budget! She brings us some clever ideas for cookig up delicious meals in the kitchen, as well as tips for saving at the grocery store. I love her tips on Organic 101: When to save and when to splurge. Personally, we eat organic as much as possible. But with food prices rising, it's not always affordable to go 100% organic. Robyn offers us advice on when organic really matters, and suggestions for throwing a posh party without breaking the bank.

Practically Posh wants to make sure we're well dressed, too. With tips for scoring designer duds on a beer budget, creating your own personal style and a few Hollywood insider's style secrets, Robyn will steer you in the right direction. She'll give you tips for budget beauty with suggestions on when to splurge and when it's ok to buy the drugstore brands. She includes some easy, girls-night-in recipes for face masks, scrubs and the like that will help you make the most of your stay-cation this summer!

In short, Practically Posh is for anyone who enjoys the posh life, but doesn't want to be slowed down by life's practicalities. Robyn shows us that a little ingenuity and creativity can be our currency to help us lead a life that is rich every way but the price tag!

Just Add Water

Busy moms wipe away many messes each day. Wet wipes can be handy, but sometimes you need something more than just a cold wipe than can sting sensitive skin. miniTISSUES are hydraulically compressed viscose and cotton tissues that come in tablet form. Just drop them into water (hot or cold) and they expand and rise to full size. Simply unroll and wipe. They’re perfect for runny noses, sticky hands and freshening up. About the size of a quarter, miniTISSUES are portable (just add water), and ideal for air travel, camping trips and family outings. miniTISSUES are pure and gentle, with no additives, so all you get is clean. miniTISSUES are $13.95 for a package of 96 tablets.

Eat It or Wear It

I remember reading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing when I was growing up. The sentiment of "eat it or wear it" has stuck with me ever since. Not that I plan on instilling that into my own kids, but it's just such a wacky and clever tactic for parents to lure their children into eating their veggies.

Now kids can wear their food in a whole new way. The cute and clever designs (with a little wacky thrown in for good measure) from Food Fight will entice your kids to dress themselves, and express their own personality in the process. Is your child a budding rock star? There's a shirt just for them. How about a fan of old school rap? There's a shirt for your home boys and girls, too. Food Fight specializes in finding the best tee shirt designs available on the web, and packages them up all nice and neat so you can have your pick. The tees are available in long sleeve, short sleeve and onesies, and come in a range of sizes from 0 to 5+.

At Food Fight, you'll find AC/DC, shirts for princesses, monster trucks, dinosaurs and more. We received the fabulous Triceratops shirt and the best part is the cute little footprints on the back of the shirt.

As adorable as the shirts are, the packaging is like the cherry on top. Wrapped up in a little french fry basket filled with shredded paper, then packaged in a cellophane bag and tied with ribbons, this presentation makes Food Fight tee shirts perfect for gift giving. And giving food for thought.

Watch Your Child Learn and Track Their Progress

Teaching your child to read is an exciting milestone in their lives. However, sitting still and going over the same words time and again can begin to feel like a chore, leaving them wanting to get back to their video games. Why not make it fun with the LeapFrog® Tag Reading System?

A clever system created for preschoolers, the LeapFrog® Tag Reading System offers children an interactive way to learn to read, while empowering them to work on their own. They simply curl up with a good book (Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Olivia, The Little Engine That Could, Go Diego Go, and more) and hold the fat pen that fits so well in cute, chubby fingers. Once the system is turned on (easy peasy!), they just touch the pen to the words and they are said out loud, teaching your child how to read and pronounce them with ease. As your child's reading skills become more advanced, they can opt to read the book on their own, getting help from the electronic reading pen only when they need it.

The LeapFrog® Tag Reading System is a fun system that your child will enjoy while beefing up their reading skills this summer. With a price tag of $50, it's an investment you can rest assured will do more than just mindlessly entertain them - they'll be learning, too!

To track your child's progress you can connect your LeapFrog® Tag Reading System to your computer and access the Leapfrog Learning Path. It's free and gives you access to such insightful information as which skills, stories and activities your child is most engaged with, as well as when your child has started playing with content above their grade level. You can even see the questions your child has answered during play.

Another great resouce is Savyy Source for Parents. Want to know what's going on in the mind of your preschool-aged child's mind? Take the SavvyQuiz in the sidebar on the right of this blog and you can get a progress portrait of where your kiddos stand. It'll help you (and them) better prepare for learning when you know if they're ahead of the pack, lagging behind, or right on target.

This review was written for Parent Bloggers Network.

Space Treat: Mountains of Mail

So you're off to the beach, the mountains or wherever your Summer travels take you. When you get home, guess what will be "not-so-quietly" waiting for you… your mail! As you snap scenic shots, surf the waves and hike the trails, your mail will be multiplying like rabbits.

Before you go away, look at your calendar and actually schedule in time for the week you return to immediately deal with the backlog of mail that will have mounted. For example, plan to focus on it for an hour while you're doing the vacation laundry, before your weekly run, after the kids get a tub or dare I say, even while you're eating breakfast. Remember, it only takes one week to start a huge and overwhelming pile-up, so focus on it before it turns into 5 or 6 weeks of unopened mail.

Just imagine when you return home and see that stack of mail lurking what a relief it will be to know that you've already padded your week with extra time to deal with it.

If you've already incorporated some of my tips from earlier this year and are receiving most of your mail electronically, then the above scenario applies to your email. At least you won't have to do as much shredding.


Space-tacularly,
Erica
The Spacialist
New York Magazine's 2008 choice for BEST SPACE ORGANIZER!
212.924.4383

Friday Blog Roundup

On Moms Buzz: Flats vs. High heels. . Tips on getting a proper fit.
On Mom Finds: Win a Dante Beatrix DB Haul Tote. Win the one bag you’ll need to tote everything around this summer--whether you use it for day trips with baby, beach outings or overnight stays at Grandma’s.

On Coochicoos: Drain Pipe for a Kid's Room . There's a certain charm and beauty in a room created from a drain pipe. Kids would love this!

On Classy Mommy: Classy Mommy Hits NYC to meet TNT's "The Closer" . Read all about our adventure to meet Kyra Sedgewick here!

On Car and Caboodle: Moms Who Love Their Minivans. Read the love/hate relationship moms have with the minivan in Part 3 of our Minivan War series

On Boston Mamas: Marvelous Messy Party
. Celebrate messy with this unbelievably fun and beautifully creative party plan.

Quench Your Skin

Summer weather can sure wreak havoc on your skin. Chlorine from the pool, salt water and the sun's rays can zap moisture right out of your skin, causing it to have a dry, flaky appearance. Yet during the warmer months, the last thing you want is a heavy moisturizer. This is why I have recently fallen for Ambi Soft and Even Cream Oil Lotion.

Providing a rich dose of moisture like you'd get from oil, this clever concoction is anything but greasy. It goes on light and smooth, thanks to the addition of such fabulous natural ingredients as shea butter and olive oil. Moisture is locked in and your skin can't help but look silk and radiant, without any greasy residue.

Look for Ambi Soft and Even Cream Oil Lotion at your local CVS, Walgreens or other drugstore for $7.99.

Life Is Just a Dress ReHERsal

Well, not really, but who doesn't like to pretend it is with pretty, fun clothes? These sweet frocks from Dress ReHERsal will keep your little one looking chic with a homespun charm, and all at prices that are unheard of!

A Pinch of Ginger

It's a well-known fact that ginger helps to soothe an upset tummy. So when a mama-to-be is feeling a little queasy, it makes sense for her to sip a little ginger ale to ease her morning sickness and help her get through the day. With the help of mom Beth Vincent, now she can sip 'til her heart's (and tummy's) content and feel good about that fact that she's taking in essential vitamins, too.

OhMama! Ginger Ale Elixir was created by a mama who experienced first-hand the ill effects that being pregnant can produce in those first few months. Struggling with a busy schedule to keep her tummy settled and get the vitamins her pregnant body needed, she crafted the idea for a ginger drink that helped with both of those, and OhMama! Ginger Ale Elixir was born. With a light, delicious flavor, this is the perfect cocktail for an expectant mama when she's not feeling good - and even when she is. As the temperatures rise, just pour yourself a tall cool glass of this subtly spicy brew and enjoy!

Buy OhMama! Ginger Ale Elixir from Amazon.com for $39 and you can have a case of comfort delivered right to your doorstep. Look for it at your local Babies R Us, Whole Foods and Motherhood Maternity stores as well.

Made In the Shade

Summer and sunglasses are pretty much synonymous. Your eyes need the protection from the UVA/UVB rays, and you love how chic they make you look. Yet finding a great pair of sunglasses that doesn’t cost a fortune can be one mean feat. For moms who don’t want to sacrifice great style for affordable price, there’s Somatic Sunglasses. Offering stylish sunglasses made for an active lifestyle, Somatic's frames are priced between $50 and $70 a pair. But the best part is Somatic's exceptional replacement guarantee. If your sunglasses are lost or damaged in the first six months, they’ll be replaced free of charge. That means moms don’t have to worry, for a few months at least, if their kids decide to have their way with her shades. A little peace of mind goes a long way!

Life Beckons

Running from pickup to playdates, errands to afternoon escapades, mommies are constantly in motion. Occasionally, they're lucky enough to squeeze a workout into their hectic schedules. On the days we do find ourselves with a window of opportunity, it helps to be dressed accordingly. That's why I love the versatile styles Beckons Organic has to offer.

With shapes ranging from t-shirts to tanks, skirts to capri pants, these eco-friendly styles take you from the yoga studio to meeting a friend for lunch without missing a beat. These are clothes that offer flexibility mixed with a modern style, to blend your active life with your real life. Sewn into each Beckons Organic garment is an intention tag embracing a single characteristic of the yogic lifestyle: strength, wisdom, grace, love, courage, peace and integrity. These little reminders were added to give us pause and remind us how simple it is to be conduits for positive change. In a busy world, we can so easily forget what our intentions are for our lives and the lives of those around us. Reminders are a good thing.

Yoga can help bring balance to your hectic life - let Beckons Organic bring function to your wardrobe. Sweat optional.

Celebrate the Journey

Pregnancy is a journey that takes your body, and that of your baby, through a multitude of stages. The Nine Month Necklace from J. West Originals is a special creation designed to mark each one of those stages with a beautiful gemstone. At the beginning of each month there is a new gemstone to add. Each gemstone was selected for its metaphysical properties and represents a unique milestone your baby will achieve during that month. The Nine Month Necklace is crafted by hand and includes such beautiful gemstones as citrine, pearl and amethyst.

Designed by a midwife, the Nine Month Necklace makes a perfect gift for yourself, or the expectant mom in your life (hubbies, are you listening?). Available in white gold, yellow gold, or sterling silver, the Nine Month Necklace is a beautiful heirloom that helps you celebrate your journey while marking precious memories. In years to come it can then be passed down to your children as a special keepsake to remind them of their bond with you. Available in silver and gold, prices for the Nine Month Necklace range from $148 - $288.

One Chic Mama readers can save 10% when you use code "OCM10" on next order.

Exclusive for One Chic Mama Readers
Win a 16" or 18" Sterling Silver Nine Month Necklace of your very own ($148 value). Simply leave us a comment and tell us how you are celebrating your journey through pregnancy. The deadline is Midnight, EST, July 14. Please note, all comments are moderated and may not appear immediately.

Pingg Me

Your child's birthday is coming up. You've planned the party to a T and you need an invitation to match your creativity. Why not let Pingg be your go-to invitation resource?

With options ranging from simple online invitations to the all-inclusive SurroundSend, Pingg helps you manage your event and makes it a snap to keep your friends and family in the know.

Hosting a baby shower? Embed an Amazon registry to the invitation to keep guests clued in. With unique, original artwork, Pingg gives you modern and chic options for your next soiree. You can even customize invites with your own photos.

Because a picture is worth a thousand words. But Pingg is free.

Quote For the Day

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

- George Bernard Shaw


Photo courtesy of BHG.

Space Treat: Look Mom, No Sand!

Come September, your summer vacation is but a mere memory, however the sand sprinkled all over your car is clear evidence that it really happened. Vacuuming out these granules can be more frustrating than Labor Day traffic! Try these tips below and have a sand-free car all Summer.

· Put an oversized plastic bin in your car trunk and toss in sandy items like beach shoes, sand toys and beach towels.

· Keep an old rag in the bin and use it to wipe sand off beach chairs and umbrellas.

· Use a mesh laundry bag or this nifty mesh shoulder bag for rinsing toys off in the ocean. Fill it up with all your kid's shovels, buckets, molds and balls. Walk into the ocean, give it a shake and voila, it's all clean and drained.

· Toss in a box of zip-lock bags for any wet bathing suits and shell collections you acquire after a day at the beach.

Space-tacularly,
Erica
The Spacialist
212.924.4383

Happy Fourth!

I hope this July 4th finds you enjoying the day with friends and family. If you're looking for some last minute suggestions for entertaining, crafts for the kids, or safety tips, try Disney Family. Chock full of useful information on everything from making the perfect cupcakes to keeping your celebration healthy, you'll find many valuable tips, suggestions and ideas to help make your 4th of July celebration fun, safe and memorable.

Happy Independence Day!