Holiday looks from Christopher & Banks

Sponsored post CB Holiday 1A few years ago, I was shopping with my sisters and we happened upon a Christopher & Banks store. I'd never been in a C&B before, but my sister in law was telling me how she just got some accessories there and we ended up heading inside. Once inside, I was shocked at the selection of clothing I loved.

While there were admittedly parts of the store were cute but more of my mom's style, other areas were full of shirts, pants, dresses and sweaters that appealed not only to me, but also my sister and sister in law who were shopping with me. Since we were shopping for a specific occasion, we sought help from one of the store associates and she helped us find exactly what we were looking for. We each ended up falling in love with quite a few pieces and we left with bags of clothing and accessories.

To anyone who is familiar with Christopher & Banks, this isn’t going to be a surprise. With missy sizes 4 to 16, as well as petite and plus women’s sizing, Christopher & Banks gives you all the sizes under one roof from 4P – 24W. Their selection of great mix & match clothing as well as statement pieces gives you tons of options for work, play, and events.

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Update those winter wardrobes with Carter’s Babies and Kids #SpringIntoCarters

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Carter’s. I received a complimentary gift card to facilitate my review and thank me for my participation #SpringIntoCarters

Spring is finally here in the Pacific Northwest and that means we're purging our bulky sweaters and looking for bright colors and warmer weather wear. But, while I can wear most of my clothes from last spring {hooray for not being pregnant anymore!}, the kids have grown so much that shopping is a necessity, which I'm not going to complain about now that I've got a new little one to shop for as well. Carter's spring outfitsNaturally, I turned to the company that I've relied on to outfit my kids since they were born: Carter's Babies and Kids. I absolutely love shopping at my local Carter's store because every season it is restocked with an awesome mix of adorable, cute, hip, practical, and truly fun pieces for newborn on up to kids size 12.

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Our Groovy Girls Sweet 16 Tea Party

Sponsored post Groovy Girls Sweet 16
We all want our daughters to grow up in a world where they are only limited by their own imaginations. Even in our fast-paced lifestyles, such a place still exists and it’s within the world of Groovy Girls. These colorful soft dolls are full of personality and spunk with a message to girls to be true to themselves.

This year the iconic Groovy Girls from Manhattan Toy Company are turning 16 and they are as big of a hit now as they were when they first arrived in toy stores all those years ago. In fact, Groovy Girls just won the prestigious Parents' Choice Award this year!

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Cherishing the small moments with Gymboree

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Me with kiddosIn some ways, parenting is exactly the way I thought it would be, but in some ways I can’t believe how different it is than I imagined. Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the never-ending to-do lists and the days that fly by, and sometimes I look at my kids and wonder how on Earth I have a five year old and a three year old. Nothing could have prepared me for how quickly my babies would grow into full-fledged kids and how much I would reminisce about days gone by.

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Fun OshKosh fashions for fall and winter {25% off coupon}

I participated in an Influencer Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for OshKosh B’gosh. I received a gift card to facilitate my shopping trip and to thank me for participating.

I grew up an OshKosh kid. I vividly remember at least a dozen favorite OshKosh outfits that I wore from toddlerhood on up. I was so thrilled that of all my baby and toddler clothing, my mom had saved a few of my old OshKosh favorites in my keepsake box.

When I was pregnant with my daughter I discovered an OshKosh store that had just gone in a few months earlier, and I made the trip with my sister in law who also had little ones. Together, we loaded up on basics, PJs, and fun stuff from newborn to 12 month for our little ones and had a blast. Even though our baskets were full when we went to check out, I remember being surprised by how low our bills were.

I’ve shopped at the OshKosh b'gosh store numerous times since then, but those first clothes I bought will always be the most memorable. In fact, I can’t bear to part with 90% of the clothes we bought that day as those were the clothes my daughter ended up wearing the most. Since she didn’t grow for so long, our memories in those small sizes span about a year in total, so my daughter literally wore most clothing into rags at that stage.


In OshKosh 2009
But, not her OshKosh clothes. Those look as good as new, or as new as baby clothes can look after being worn for so long. And, that’s the reason I have such a hard time parting with them. So, instead of donating as I did with all of her other clothing, I kept quite a few pieces for her keepsake box just like my mom did before me.

So, knowing what big fans we are of OshKosh, you can bet we were excited to find out we were going to get a gift card to shop the store this fall to see all of their new styles. Armed with a few pieces from home that we were going to match with, the kids and I headed off to our local store this week.


OshKosh shopping

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Aeromax Get Real Gear for Halloween and beyond



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Imaginations take flight with Aeromax
In our house, we take our dress up very seriously. We don’t merely have dress up time; all play time these days is done in costume. On any given day you will find the kids dressed as princesses, cowboys, knights, dragons, fairies, and doctors to go along with whatever they are playing with.

Our love of dress up lead us to fall in love with a company called Aeromax that makes the most realistic dress up gear anywhere. The kids have never been drawn to the fake costumes with plastic and overdone jewels – they want stuff that they can put on and be able to truly imagine themselves as a scientist in a lab, a police officer keeping the neighborhood safe, or a pilot flying a cargo plane full of toys.

With Aeromax Toys, pretend play has never been more realistic because even though their gear is designed for kids, this stuff is anything but child’s play. Seriously, just look at these costumes from their Get Real Gear line!


Get Real Gear Aeromax
We’re talking flashing sirens, metal buckles, sewn-on patches, real buttons and snaps, and reinforced fabrics and details that look like miniature versions of the real deal stuff.  For over 15 years Aeromax has been sparking imaginations with dress up clothing and gear from baby on up to adult and has received every top toy industry award.

Aeromax detailsWith Halloween on the horizon, now more than ever we are thinking about costumes. But, with how much my kids love dress up year-round, I never consider shopping for Halloween at stores that carry traditional costumes. You know the kind, the ones that are made of those awful polyester fabrics and are designed to self-destruct before you even make it around the block trick or treating and with accessories so flimsy they end up being held together by tape before the big day even rolls around.

No, that won’t do at all. Our dress up gear needs to last throughout dozens of playtimes, so we need high quality stuff that’s built to be played in. Thank goodness Aeromax knows that dress up isn’t just for October 31st and has plenty of high quality gear that is made to be loved. And, trust me when I say that the gear that just arrived from Aeromax is very, very loved.

We received the Jr. Fire Fighter costume in tan, the Jr. Astronaut costume in white and then helmets for both costumes, and to say they were well received would be a vast understatement. Since my daughter is obsessed with space travel and my son is convinced he is almost old enough to fight fires, these costumes really couldn’t have been any better suited to my kids.


Aeromax get real gear

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Birthdays, holidays and more: growing up a Gymboree kid



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Grow with me Gymboree

You know how sometimes you just look at your kids and they seem so grownup all of a sudden?  Never is that more true that during the summer months when I dig out all their warmer weather clothing from the previous year only to find that everything is a few inches too short and we’re due for yet another clothing run.

With so many birthday parties for friends and family this time of year, I find I’m constantly searching for something nice for the kids to wear that still looks festive and fun.  And, with events ranging from pool parties to pony ride parties, my daughter thinks there’s always a good reason to get dolled up.

In my search for kid-approved clothing that can go from event to event, I always turn to Gymboree as their clothing tends to be the kids’ favorite in terms of fit, style, and flair.  This year was no exception, and I found so many awesome styles that are the first clothing pieces that the kids grab each day.

Items like the Glitter Star Cowgirl boots, which my daughter would wear every single day if she could {and she pretty much does, even in record high temperatures or when we’re going to the beach}. 


Mother Daughter pics

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Gymboree Play & Music classes are a hit {free class thru 8/31!}


Gymboree play and music class
Everyone who has ever said “throw like a girl” was probably referring to me.  I’ve never actually seen myself throw a ball, but I imagine it looks somewhat like this Volkswagen commercial that makes me laugh hysterically every time it comes on. 

Since my lack of athletic prowess is something I hope to not pass on to my kids, I took the first preventative step this summer and signed them up for sports classes at our local Gymboree Play and Music center with a complimentary month-long membership.  While they aren’t in the big leagues, or even in Little League for that matter, I love that they are learning the basics of different sports in a cooperative and fun environment with other little kids. 


Gymboree classes room
The class is a little over 45 minutes one day a week, but even in that short amount of time I have seen a huge improvements over the past three weeks.  Not just with athletic ability, but also with confidence and a desire to be more active. 

Gymboree fun

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Coordinating sibling clothes for everyday from Gymboree

I constantly have my camera out, so I love my kids to wear coordinating outfits most days so they don’t clash with each. For this reason, I’m a huge fan of Gymboree’s mix and match collections that come out each season. I love visiting one of the many Gymboree stores near me and grabbing a few things … Read more