Who doesn’t love Disney and who doesn’t sing along to “It’s a Small World”?  It brings back such great childhood memories for me.  It’s no surprise that many companies have come out with there own “It’s a Small World” line, inspired by Disney.

If you’ve seen the It’s a Small World diaper bag from Petunia Pickle Bottom and It’s the Small World bag from FEED, you know how special these products are. 

Now, you can get luxury skincare for you and your baby, all inspired by “It’s a Small World”. 

Basq, the luxury skincare company recently launched their “it’s a small world” line to depict the unique bond between mother and child.

I can’t think of anything better for a mother and baby.  The line includes the DREAM Sleep Mist, SHARE Lavendar Calming Oil, TOUCH Lavender Body Butter and LOVE Nourishing Cleansing Soap.  I think the names speak for themselves.

I was able to try the SHARE Lavendar Calming Oil and I have to say I am a fan.  I love to take baths at night, especially when I have an action-packed day with my children and this oil definitely helps me relax in every which way.  Plus, a little dab on my forehead, neck and ears, makes me sleep like a baby.  For my little one,  I use the techniques from our infant massage class, along with the oil and by the end of it, she snores (too cute!).

The luxury skincare line has quite the celebrity following and after using their Soothing Foot Relief Spa Set, I can see why.  The moisture enriched socks and the cooling soothing lotion is just what the foot doctor ordered.  After my special treatment, I felt like I was walking on air.

If you’re looking for a baby shower gift, definitely check out the “it’s a small world” line.  If you’re a mommy, treat yourself to the many luxury products from the basq line.  You’re definitely worth it!!!

(Disclosure: The products were provided for review purposes from the PR company and does not affect my views or feedback of the products.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

The time of the year has come when jack-o-lanterns, goblins, and Halloween decorations can be seen in neighborhoods all across the country.  It’s also the time of the year when retailers make lots of money.  This year, a total of 6.86 billion is estimated to be spent for Halloween.  Now that’s a lot of money.

For those that want to save money on Halloween costumes, I wrote a post on how you can either save or spend nothing on your next costume.  If you don’t want to pay for a costume, there are many other options that you have, such as going to a swap or doing a swap online.

Like any holiday, safety should be high up on your priority list.  Make sure your costume is made of flame-retardant materials, try to go trick-or-treating before it gets dark, and thoroughly check the candy for any tampering, before your kids chomp on them.

Have a Happy Halloween 2011!

I’m always on the lookout for stylish and functional shoes with preferably no heels.  My days are very busy, taking my older daughter to and from school, as well as working full-time and watching over my 2-year old.  At the end of the day, my feet can tell me how my day went.

Before I had children, I was all about the cute heels and even if they made my walking experience a very painful one, as long as they made my feet look cute, I was okay (well, for the most part).  The day that I got pregant with my daughter, all the heels went out the window and flip-flops became my best friend (still not good for my feet).

After awhile, I got sick of my flip-flops and went on a mission to find some nice looking flats.  However, I ran into problems trying to find shoes that were flat and comfortable, but cute.  I went through shoes from BC Footwear, Seychelles and Toms, but still craved for a more refined look.

The Laurel

Roses & Rye has come out with 2 different shoes in The Town Collection, The Laurel and The Marina.  It’s exactly what I have been looking for and the best of all worlds.  With the busy and active woman in mind, more specifically a mom, Roses & Rye’s patent pending technology boasts a combination of seven unique features designed specifically to protect women’s feet during the active years (from their website).

The shoes are very elegant, functional, and comfortable with its patent pending technology, but they don’t come cheap.  At $235 a pop, if you have one of those days you want to splurge, these shoes should satisfy your cravings.

With the holidays coming just around the corner, it’s about that time when you start to plan for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and every religious holiday that fall in and around those days. 

While the holidays are wonderful, it also means the kids are out of school and you have to think of things you could do with them —so they’re not watching 8 hours of  TV, day in and day out. 

Just recently, I wrote about 5 budget-friendly games you could play on Labor Day, but really, you could play it on any day. 

Games are a life-saver when you can’t think of anything to do or you simply just want to stay home.  Whether it’s entertaining guests or keeping your kids busy, it’s the perfect remedy to a boring day. 

So next time you go shopping, stock up on some classic games like Scrabble and Monopoly and of course get some games that are more age appropriate for your children.  When your kids get completely bored out of their minds or your party reaches a flat note, take out a game to bring some excitement to the hour!

 I can confidentely say that Bona is one the best companies out there when it comes to cleaning products.  I discovered them while shopping for my cleaning products at Living Green.  At the time, I was expecting a baby and moved into a new place that was covered in hardwood floors and there was a lot of it (at least for me).

In front of my home, they had just started demolition of a parking lot, ready to start construction on a huge luxury apartment complex.  With all the dust that was coming through the window and covering my floors, I needed an alternative cleaning solution that was non-toxic and green.

After telling my consultant at Living Green what I had needed, she introduced me to Bona products.  At first, I thought it was pricey because it was a few dollars more expensive than it’s non-green and toxic counterparts.  But because it was non-toxic and green, I thought it was worth the price.

Once I got home, I tried it out on the floor and it was amazing.  I don’t want to seem like a slob, but after the first round, the towel I was using was almost completely black.  It literally removed whatever layer that was on top of floor and I’m sure was not good for my family’s health.

Just recently,  Bona came out with Bona Hardwood Floor Mop Motion which takes Bona products to new heights.  This product makes my life so much easier than before.  With this floor mop, I can use the Bona floor cleaning solution simultaneously.  The floor mop uses sonic motion to deep clean while you can spray the floor as you go.  It’s so convenient and time-saving (it reduced my cleaning time from 30 minutes to about 15 minutes).

Top - New unused cleaning pad. Bottom - After first use.

Top - Close-up of cleaning pad after first use. Bottom - Cleaning pad under different lighting

My kids love cleaning with the floor mop because it’s super easy to use.  They love listening to the sonic buzz and they especially enjoy the fact that they can spray the floor (like a water gun) which makes it feel more like a toy than a cleaning gadget.

If you want the convenience of cleaning with a non-toxic and green product, Bona is at the top of their game.  They’re pretty much a better for you and better for the earth counterpart of The Swiffer.  I’m totally going to invest in another Bona Hardwood Floor Mop Motion, not only because I love it, but because my two kids are constantly fighting over it (plus, it doesn’t hurt to have both kids cleaning the floors).  This product retails for $49.99, but you can get it for 20% less at Bed Bath & Beyond with your store coupon!

From August 29th, 2011 until November 11th, 2011, you can also enter to win one of 11 weekly prizes in the Love Your Hardwood Floors contest.  All you have to do is answer a weekly question and wait to see if you win.  You can also enter to win the Grand Prize, a complete floor makeover worth over $3000, just by uploading a picture of your old worn floors and a story of why you should win.  To me, it sounds like a win-win situation.

(Disclosure: The Bona Hardwood Floor Mop Motion was provided for review purposes from the company and does not affect my views or feedback of the products.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

Having manners doesn’t mean you need to be completely knowledgeable about your silverware or know which angle you should curtsy.  It comes down to the most simplest things such as saying “excuse me” and “thank you”. 

Recently, I got to review the book Where IS Your Mother? by Ava Carroll-Brown which pretty much gives you the 101 on etiquette.  It goes into details and gives you examples of what you should and should not do.   

I think we’ve all been put into situations where we had to question one’s etiquette or lack thereof.  I mean people, REALLY?  Don’t eat your toenails at a public beach (go crazy in the privacy of your own home) or burp into the face of your dinner guest (save that for a belching competition).  Sounds digusting?  It happens more often than not.

Read more about Where Is Your Mother? and my gaggable experience on Savings.com.

I don’t know about you, but I love dressing my daughters.  It brings me back to the days that I played dress up with my own dolls. 

Kids are cute in pretty much everything, but I love to mix and match things and make my children photo ready without having to do much.  For me, an accessory can take a blah or ordinary outfit into something extra special. 

While my parents and in-laws spoil my kids with brand name designer clothing like Jacadi (which are not really meant to be worn all the time), I like to buy clothes that are functional, comfortable and extra cute.  I frequent stores like Pumpkin Patch, GapKids, H&M, Target, Macy’s, and Crazy8.  They always have great sales and variety.

Take a look at the outfit below.  It’s a good example of what you would see my daughters wearing on a normal day.  There’s not too much styling and the outfit is quite adorable when put together.

Just recently Virgin America, opened up services to Chicago and since the price was right and I needed to book tickets for my cousin’s wedding, I chose to fly with them.

I’d flown with them before when my older child was almost two years-old and had a great experience.  At the time, my daughter was a little sick and instead of having her sit on my lap, they gave me the entire row.

I have to say that this time around, I was a little disappointed with the inconsistency of customer service.

The toll-free service remained good, but at the Los Angeles check-in counter everything took forever and it just left me wondering if the staff was competent enough to handle day-to-day business (we were checking in two car seats and it took 30 minutes).

The on-board crew from Los Angeles came off a little stuffy and conservative. Out of the three attendants, only one was super-polite (she actually moved the person next to us, so that my lap child and I could sit comfortably) and one was just rude.

The Good

Pricing: Virgin America has good tiered-pricing which makes it affordable for most Americans. I hate paying full-price for my child who takes up half a seat, so getting the best price for a plane ticket is a must. The average cost to Chicago was $149 each way, plus taxes and other fees. However, I was able to snag a round-trip for $199 on Hotwire (certain days of the week are cheaper than others).

Read more at Savings.com.

Did you ever have a product that you like, but you know you could like it much more if it were tweaked a little bit of here and there?  With diapers, I know a lot of parents would customize the perfect diaper for their child, if they could.  But it’s probably not the most cost effective way.

Just recently, I got to test out the new and improved Pampers Cruisers and they really improved them.  They added a softer quilted backsheet like the Swaddlers, a more absorbant core, and fun designs featuring Sesame Street’s Oscar the Grouch.  The new improvements make it fun and comfortable for the child.

Besides the cute eye-catching designs, I love that I can leave the diaper on for a longer period of time without my daughter feeling any discomfort (she doesn’t poop in the diaper, so that definitely helps as well).  While I was on vacation, I bought some store brand diapers because that’s all I could find and they leaked all over my daughter’s pants.  I definitely missed those new and improved Cruisers but they weren’t available for purchase yet.

Not sure if the prices will remain the same, but I’m thinking they will!

(Disclosure: The diapers were provided for review purposes from the PR company and does not affect my views or feedback of the products.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

It’s that time of the year again.  The kids are on summer break, the weather is hot and you are doing more things outdoors.  So what does this mean?  More exposure to the sun.

While the sun is always out 365 days a year, it seems that exposure to the sun increases in the summer months.  And the most dangerous hours to be out in the sun is between 10-4pm.  I don’t know about you, but that’s a huge chunk of time that my children want to do all things outdoors.  Whether it’s swimming, taking a small trip to the beach, running around in the park –it usually falls between those hazardous hours.

So how do you decide what sunscreen will be the best one for your child?  

While staying indoors is the ideal situation, that’s not possible for most children and probably not the most healthiest option.  If you decide that you are going to be outdoors during those hours, it’s best to get a great all-in-one sun protection.  And for infants under 6 months of age, it’s recommended that they don’t have any sun exposure and that sunscreen should not be applied either.

Acronyms like SPF, UVA and UVB can make the process of choosing the right sunscreen overwhelming.  No need to worry, read Amy’s post about new FDA sunscreen regulations, where she takes out the gibberish in sunscreen and breaks it down so that you understand what everything means.

Then check out EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database (my go-to place before I buy anything skin-related), then it’s time to hit the stores or check out the products online.  I personally suggest you go to the stores because more than likely you can test out the sunscreen to see if you like how it smells and feels on the skin (Whole Foods always has a tester).

If you don’t have a list yet, I have five sunscreens that you can’t go wrong with. They all have an EWG Skin Deep safety rating of 1 or 2 which means they’re very safe to use, an SPF over 30 and most importantly, they offer effective protection (I’ve tried all of them).

Read the rest of the post at Savings.com.