Category Archives: Fun stuff for parents

Hanging Cosmetic Bag by Flee

Beauty & Skin Care, Clothes - mom & dad, Fun stuff for parents, Organization, Travel

Flee_cosmetics_bag1This is one of my all time favorite Mommy Gear items. Seriously. I can’t emphasize that enough.

Before I even opened my Flee Hanging Cosmetic Bag, I fell in love with the look of it. The oilcloth pattern is full of personality and because oilcloth is easy to wipe clean, I knew this cosmetic bag would be something I would use everyday.

The cosmetic bag has five pockets. The top pocket holds my lipstick, powder, liners, and other long items. The second pocket is great for toothpaste, make-up, first aid ointment, trial size shampoo and conditioner and the third pocket holds regular size lotions, face wash, and deodorant among other larger items. The bottom pocket is what I call the "secret" pocket. It holds my feminine care products.

The Flee Hanging Cosmetic Bag is great for moms who might not always take a shower in the same bathroom. Sometimes I shower in my bathroom but sometimes I use the kids bathroom so I don’t wake my husband. Since I started using the Flee Hanging Cosmetic Bag, I cause much less ruckus than before because I just have to move the bag from one bathroom to another and I’ve got everything I need!

Flee_cosmetics_bag2
The Flee Hanging Cosmetic Bag is something that I think will last a lifetime.  I have already used it on a vacation and got several comments on the functionality and design of the bag. The bag fits nicely in the car, folded in half or inside my suitcase.

The Flee Hanging Cosmetic Bag can hang on both a towel rod using the convenient Velcro strap, shown to the right, or on a towel hook using the bag handles.

Where to buy: Flee

Skip Hop Toolbox – a mommy must have

Diaper Bags, Fun stuff for parents, Gadgets, Nursery & Room Decor, Organization, , , ,

Good1_2What do parents need/use every day or pretty often?  Diapers, wipes, diaper cream, socks, thermometer, baby lotion, and the list goes on. That list is some of what is easily stored in the SKIP HOP Toolbox.  When we hired our nanny, I think she was confused as to why we don’t have one  place in the house where we change Madelyn’s diapers.  I explained to her that because our house is multi leveled and it’s not always convenient to  go upstairs or down stairs when Madelyn needs changing, we just have diapers and wipes scattered through out the house.   I was absolutely thrilled when I received the SKIP HOP Toolbox for review.  I filled the Toolbox up right away and have to say that I am very impressed with the amount of ‘stuff’ the Toolbox holds.

What is most valuable to me about the Toolbox is that I no longer have to search the bathroom cabinets, and drawers, and closets for Tylenol, nail clippers and other things that we don’t use everyday but often enough. These items are now stored in our SKIP HOP Toolbox.

This is a great gift for a baby shower or new mom. The SKIP HOP Toolbox is available in three colors, is very durable, and wipes clean with a cloth.

I found that if I stack several diapers on one side of the caddy then I can fit a full size diaper wipe box on the other side!  This is a mommy must have!

Features:

  • Holds up to 12 diapers.
  • Two drawers on the bottom that pull both ways for extra storage.
  • Two detachable side pockets.
  • Handle for easy carrying.

Where to buy: SKIP HOP

Nubar – Fingernail Polish

Fun stuff for parents

Nubar
I like to pamper myself every once in a while.  I used to go to the salon to have a manicure or pedicure but since having kids, I’ve learned that some things must be done at home… such as painting my own nails.
I was thrilled when I learned that Nubar was sending their ‘healthy’ polish for review on The Mommy Insider. I received several colors and used them all. Before I tell you about my great experience with the polish, I am going to tell you what I LOVE about Nubar polish. Nubar polish is formaldehyde-free, Toluene free, and (DBP) Dibutyl Phthalate free nail polish.  All three ingredients have been linked to some type of toxic effect on humans and/or animals.  A simple question to ask yourself is.. why use a product with these ingredients if you can use a like product without? Especially when the ‘like product’ produces the same result?!

After being touched with the effects of cancer within his own family,
Noubar Abrahamian, founder of nubar, didn’t want to produce a product
that could possibly harm customers so he set out to develop a healthy
alternative for this hard working industry. nubar set the standards
high for this task; they did not want to compromise wear-ability,
durability or strength in the process. Finally, the task was finished,
we are proud to announce to you, nubar, “The Healthy Alternative For Nail Care” exceptional nail lacquers, nail art and nail treatments containing zero Formaldehyde, Toluene or (DBP) Phthalate. nubar’s non-toxic line includes 14 exceptional Nail Treatments, over 180 colors, Moodies-48 color changing nail lacquers. nubar also carries 48 colors of nail art complete with their own individual striping brush and dotting tool.

I’ve used several Nubar nail polish colors and was pleased with the color and "staying" quality of all. As with anyone, I prefer certain colors, and found that I didn’t have any difficulty choosing several of my favorite colors via the Nubar website.  Their ‘collections’ make it easy for a mom to have a few colors on hand. I am a particular fan of the "Natures Touch" color collection but I’m sure you will find the perfect collection or individual color for yourself on the website.

Where to buy: Nubar

Crafty Babies – Mommy Necklace

Fun stuff for parents, Jewelry, Maternity

CraftybabiesNow that I am older, I have calmed down on the jewelry a bit. However, when I find a piece that I LOVE, I wear it 24/7. That’s exactly what I’ve done with my new Crafty Babies Sterling Silver Mommy Necklace.
 

The Mommy Necklace, handmade by Jamie Dadant, owner of Crafty Babies can be hand stamped with your child’s name, a favorite phrase, your name, or a general word such as ‘mommy’ which is what is on my piece. I am very pleased with the quality of the disc and the ‘mommy’ stamp. Both make for a necklace that I am happy to show off everywhere I go.

I was a little bummed that my kids names won’t fit on the disc but they are long names; Sebastian and Madelyn. The limit is seven characters. However, I LOVE that my necklace says "Mommy" because I LOVE to let everyone know that I am a proud mommy… no questions asked.

The sterling silver hand stamped disc hangs on a ball chain in either a 16" or 18" length… you choose. You can order additional discs if you have more than one child.Craftbabies2_2

The Mommy Necklace is very affordable and is a great Mother’s Day gift idea.  I think all moms should buy a ‘mommy necklace’ for themselves as a reminder that you are the world’s greatest mom.

I usually don’t mention other products in a review, but I  had such a fun time browsing the Crafty Babies website and feel that I need to share a few of my other favorites with you. Besides the Mommy Necklace you will find a great selection of Skid Pants (I want some of these for Madelyn!), super cute baby shoes, and one of my favorite products on the site is the Hand Painted Frames, pictured to the right.


Enjoy your visit and let me know what you buy!

INSIDERS:  INSIDERS, earn 5 points when you purchase and/or use our Crafty Babies coupon code (below).  You must use your INSIDER email address when making your purchase at Crafty Babies. Once you earn 20 points I will send you a $10 Amazon.com gift certificate!! YEAH! 
Get your FREE INSIDER account here.

Where to buy: Crafty Babies

The Mommy Insider readers get 10% off with code minsider!

Holey Donuts! Ultra Low Fat Gourmet Donuts

Fun stuff for parents

Holeydonuts‘Holy crap!’, ‘holy kamole’, ‘holy stinky’s!’, ‘holey donuts’!  Yes, I said Holey Donuts!!  These are a few of the ‘holy’ phrases I use every day. Holey Donuts isn’t just another phrase though, they are actually the most incredible donuts on the planet. No kidding.

The life of a parent is FAST.. to say the least. We shower fast, we dress fast (often mis-matched), we clean fast, and we cook fast. Even fast cooking is something that I don’t particularly enjoy.. especially in the morning. I love to eat warm eggs and bacon, but the whole cooking thing makes warm breakfast a rarity in our house. Holey Donuts has given me some major ‘points’ with Sebastian and Tim. Now I can pop a few donuts in the microwave and give the boys a breakfast that they are all too happy to swallow whole.  Just  few seconds of preparation, a plate, a napkin, a glass of milk, and I feel like I have completed one of the most important tasks for the day.. feeding my two boys. 

I don’t know about you but after just a few bites of the average donut I am already kicking myself in the butt. However, when I eat a Holey Donut!™, I don’t feel bad at all. Why? Because every Holey Donut!™ has under 6% total fat while the average donut contains 40-55% fat! That makes me very happy!

Holey Donuts are an awesome breakfast, mid-day snack, after school treat, or desert. Have a few dozen of your favorite gourmet donuts delivered to your door, store them in your freezer, then pop a few in the microwave and enjoy.

There are plenty of gourmet donuts to choose from including the classic Cinnamon Bun, Marble Frosted, Vanilla, Blueberry Crumb, and lots more.

The fruit filled donuts are amazing. I expected the typical jelly like filling with diluted fruit flavor but the filling in Holey Donuts’ is true to the fruit flavor, and not jelly textured.

I could go on and on, but you will have to order a dozen and try them for yourself. I know your family will love Holey Donuts. Make room in your freezer for a box and order some today!!

Where to buy: Holey Donuts

The Mommy Insider readers get $10 when you order two dozen Holey Donuts!  Use code JMP7.