Wha Oooga!

Well, I have put on my most comfortable pair of shoes ever.  I had to explain to my son why I could not wear these to work, besides the fact that it's still practically summer.  I figured out they are just not "professional" what with the slew of teens wearing them everywhere during my last camping trip.  I just wish I had them then.  Yes, I have my first pair of  "UGG" boots, but these are Whooga, an Australian company who offered me a pair of boots in the hopes I'd write about them.   We never jumped on the croc or Ugg bandwagon, but I have occasionally coveted a pair so jumped at the chance. Rest assured these are in no way knock-offs, but a quality alternative maker of the ugg boots so popular among the models of San Diego, or so my husband observed (he still can't figure out why leggy blonds would don these "ugly" boots with their short shorts and halter tops). 

One of the other reasons I agreed to try their boots is this company is a bit obsessed with disclosure.  They wanted to make sure I mentioned these boots are made from authentic 100% merino wool, designed in Australia, but manufactured in China.  It was a bit odd getting a beautifully wrapped package of soft fur Australian boots from China, and I at first worried a hotel had returned the leftover notebooks I purposely left on my last business trip there.  Having worked for a global company for a while, and often being in charge of giveaways, I am well aware of how many items are made in China, and pretty much all of these types of boots are, including the popular UGG Austraila boots.

I chose these short purple ones, as they recommend if your concerned about your calf widths (yes, I inherited by dad's calves) to opt for the shorter ones, but they have three versions, and you can roll them down for a cute look.  I have wide feet and was a little worried about the fit, since they don't come in different widths, but I promise they fit absolutely perfect.  They have sizing instructions on their website and it worked.  The website is really chock full of information, including how to choose your color. Black is the "safest" but since I have three pairs of black booths, and was not planning to dress up my business attire I wanted something more fun.  I really love the color.

I would not say these are cheap, but they are less expensive than others out there and feel simply amazing. 

________________________________________________________________________

Disclosure: I was given a pair of boots to review but offered no other compensation.  I was asked to write a review but the boots came with no obligation.

Pretty Pretty Jewelry From Wonderful Places

We mommy bloggers get a bunch of press releases we're encouraged to post, offers to borrow a new phone for a few weeks or some odd new snack for our child.  I'm in marketing so I certainly do not begrudge anyone trying to get publicity for their product, but that also doesn't mean I don't appreciate a worthy business with a beautiful product, not to mention a generous offer. 

You may have heard of Kiva, a microloan program helping to alleviate poverty around the world.  NOVICA, in association with National Geographic, combines that concept with an Etsy type platform, connecting buyers with artists and artisans around the world.  They have a loan program and the most beautiful handmade jewelry, paintings and home decor.  You can find artisans who's family have been in this business for years or generations, young woman who love to make beautiful pieces, from exotic locations like Thailand, Mexico and Brazil, for which I have a special place in my heart living in a house of soccer.  Each piece also seems to have a unique and interesting name.

I was given a generous gift certificate and encouraged to find something in the necklace section, although it wasn't mandatory.  Fine with me, boy was there a lot of absolutely gorgeous stuff to choose from.  What a fun task ahead of me, although at some point it was all too much, there is so much to choose from.

Check out these bright-colored necklaces from Brazil, these are small rolled up magazines.

From Thailand you can find some of the most vivid colors.

You can shop by material, by region, new items or most popular.  The website it beautiful and really easy to navigate.  One of the best parts is each artist tells their story, and each piece comes wrapped in unique packaging with a handwritten note.  You can also personalize your own site, add something to your wish list or email to a friend with a single click.  There's a gift finder and featured artists, everything you need for a pleasant experience.  And if an artist really touches your heart, you can make a small (or large) loan.  The whole site touched me so much I made a member page.

I finally chose three pieces.  I don't have a lot of jewelry but have been wearing more lately and I tried to find something fun and something more classic.  This is from a lovely woman in Peru, with geometric silver shapes and an unusual chain.  Appropriately, this is named "Pride" - simple and bold.

 Look at the adorable packaging.

 

I absolutely love this, and admit it reminded me of those superstar necklaces so popular last year.   It's a perfect length and makes be feel all cheery, and it's no wonder as it's called "Carnival" and is from Brazil.  More great packaging.

I also chose these sweet little earrings. Oddly, they came in a lovely box, but it was so packed with stuffing they barely fit. 

"Glistening Sophistication"

I loved everything I got, it was all high quality and unique, and could tell by the notes it was made with love and skill.  It may take me longer than to pick out the artisan I'd like to support with a loan, but that is my next step.

______________________________________________________________________

The disclosure part: I was provided with a $200 gift certificate to NOVICA but was under no obligation to post this review.  They suggested necklaces but gave me the option to purchase whatever I wanted.

Do You Believe in Fairies?

Why did I get this tweet the other day?  We were fortunate to get free tickets to the threesixty° Peter Pan show, where I also got to see a bunch of blogging friends, including the ultra-marathoner Kari (okay, not quite there yet, but close), who wrote a much more thorough review of t he show here if you're interested.  While her kids were talking about fairies, mine were choosing characters for some imaginary game.  Given my options of Tink or Wendy (since I was a girl and they could not remember Tiger Lily), I chose Captain Hook.  To annoy his brother, who got to be Peter Pan, Keegan chose Captain Jack Sparrow.  I hope my kids "grow up" to be as brave and adventurous as Peter Pan, provided they always come back to their mommy.

My mom told me about this show months ago, well before it came to town, and ironically I was hoping she might take us, or at least the kids, as I suspected it was out of my budget (no, I never want to grow up, either).  So what a great opportunity to get tickets, which "forced" me to take a half day off work and bring the kids to a rare trip to San Francisco. 

The theater was really magical, with the flying stunts and the 360 degree projection screen that really brought life to the story, allowing the characters to fly underwater and then back up through the forest.  I had asked my kids what they know about Peter Pan, which wasn't much, but they still enjoyed the show, at least they said they did the day after. Poor Keegan had a tummy ache for the first half and squirmed and groaned in my lap.  Donovan loves watching movies and plays, but started in on the questions and moving around just about 2 seconds after the "please ask your children to stay in their seats and speak in a whisper" announcement.

It really was kid-friendly, though, with the flying and fighting scenes, which were more like dancing.  I loved the creativity of the sets, with the animals having a puppeteer right on stage, the giant crocodile, the bath tub boat and of course the giant screen.  I did find the story a bit scattered and strange, although it's likely I just don't remember Peter Pan very well.  The theme of him wanting a mommy and the girls wanting a boyfriend was completely lost on my kids and didn't seem too fit well into the play. 

We loved the humor, Captain Hook tough as nails except when he becomes so frightened of the mean old crocodile.  The lost boys were endearing and fun,  and my son is still yelling out (spoiler alert) "Slightly Spoiled" (no pun intended) - the name of one of the Lost Boys. Trouble-maker Tink, with her army boots and ripped abs to go with her pink tutu was just awesome.

It was great getting to meet the Darling family members after the show.  The kids got their autographs and I got some pictures.  They were so friendly and sweet and impressed with my son's Manchester United soccer jersey.

You can get tickets here.  The place is small enough that every seat is a good one, and make sure you stop by the incredible water structure across the street.

--
Disclaimer: SHNSF provided my family with four tickets to see the show.  They also allowed us access to some of the cast members and yummy refreshments after the show.  I was under no obligation to write this review, but really appreciated the opportunity and had a great time.

Photo Shoot!

All I can say is wow, just wow, when I look at the photos I received in my email box a few days ago. Thanks to Silicon Valley Moms blog and Images by Anna (Anna's a blogger there too) I got the opportunity to not only have some professional shots done, but by a photographer I knew my family (read, my picky photographer husband) would love. Nothing stiff or posed about the shots on her site, she aims to capture the spirit, the wildness and the silliness of the kids, and the love the families have for each other. Even when I read through the guide and knew my kids would never fit into her suggested "styles" (classic, modern, etc.) I felt no worries about showing up in soccer gear, cuz that's who they are.

I was a little worried about my children. They are are sweet and kind and fun, but can take a while to warm up and we had exactly 20 minutes for this session and I did not want to waste it. We have tons of photos of the kids, but not a lot of the whole family and no professional ones since we got free baby ones a million (okay, 5) years ago which came with too many strings attached. I begged, pleaded, bribed with the promise of Hobees and let them wear their favorite (clean) jerseys and roll down the hill before we started. We met Anna in a park and from the minute she applauded the dirt my son managed to find within 5 minutes in the huge expanse of grass, I knew we'd found the right person.

She forced us to relax, show our love and giggle, she got my kids to play around and not hide behind their mommy or jump into daddy's arms, their usual reaction when any new adult talks to them.

I cannot wait to hang some of these up in my house, to create a space just to relax while I admire the family, as she suggests on her site.

My kids are all about the goofy, silly and crazy looks. Not only did Anna capture these, but the kids look incredibly happy underneath it all. My husband loved them, although he now thinks he needs a little botox to get his eyes to open more...I'm signing us both up next year. This guy certainly needs no such thing.

We just cannot thank you enough for this wonderful opportunity.
________________________________________________

Disclaimer: I received a free photo session and five web resolution photos from Images by Anna as well as a discount on orders from her site of those photos. I was under no obligation to write a favorable review, this is all my own experience.

Pretty Please Books Review and Giveaway

I was given the opportunity to review some books geared towards the ages of my kids. I like the idea behind these books, basically teaching values and character building with more advanced books than you normally see. When my son was younger, we really needed the "No Hitting" and "No Biting" cute little board books, and they even kind of worked. I'm also struggling with getting my older guy to like reading, so am always open to suggestions. This was also perfect timing with the 2nd grade lessons, which include not just summarizing the books but explaining the author's message.

There are currently four books available from Pretty Please press. You can get 20% off the list price for books purchased through the website as well as a “buy 3 books, get 1 free” offer, but this great offer expires December 31, 2009.

We read three of the four books. As much as my kids love dogs, I just could not get them to crack open anything with ballet dancing puppies. My favorite was the The Scritchy Little Twitchell Sisters which I read with Donovan, who's a lot more open to new books. The was silly and hilarious, about fighting siblings who go on tour. We read Kick Block Punch several times, my boys are eager to start karate as soon as they get the okay from dad. I was really hoping they would like Pynx more, the illustrations were wonderful and imaginative. The books were long enough to allow for some discussion, but the messages simple enough for my 5 and 7 year olds to get right away. I can't say my kids loved the books, but I don't have big readers here and they sat through the whole book which is not a guarentee around here. I would love to see a silly book with brothers, or planes or big trucks. Sadly my son will judge a book by it's cover.

You can take advantage of the discount, or you can try to win these books for yourself. I'm giving away all four books. The minimal requirement is to leave a comment here, but if you want to help out you can also do one or more of the following:

• check out the Pretty Please website
• include one of your or your child's favorite book in the comment
• retreat this on twitter (@nicole_pelton) or post on your blog for an extra entry. Use this or post your own: (@nicole_pelton is giving away books from Pretty Please press http://tinyurl.com/yk7zchy)

The contest will end on midnight Monday, December 14th and I'll have my little readers pick a number out of a hat.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Full disclosure: I was given these books for free to review and asked to post the review and do a giveaway on my blog. I was not influenced by the publishers nor given any monetary compensation for the post.

Thank You Party Sponsors

I had the absolute pleasure of going to a Silicon Valley Moms blog holiday party, not the least of why it may be my only chance to really dress up this season (that awkward sentence was my gift to you this holiday blogging season). Hooray I'm back working at my old company, but they got rid of evening parties eons ago, so no chance there. This party was sponsored by Chevy, who gifted us with lovely Tiffany GM key chains.

Photo by Carla Duharte-Razua of babyjidesigns

Coffee mate gave us travel mugs and creamer, but more importantly gave me the kick in the butt I needed to donate some suits I never wear. They collected 95 pounds of clothes to send to Dress For Success, whose "mission is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life." You should go send a Cup of Confidence and COFFEE-MATE® will donate fifty cents to Dress for Success for every cup (or note) sent.

Photo by Carla Duharte-Razua of babyjidesigns

I actually won two fabulous items. One was a Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit Plus. Awesome awesome prize, yes and I got it by getting the highest points flapping like a chicken (Bird's-Eye Bulls-Eye to be exact). Tee hee. I got a Wii fit a while ago, and when I heard about the Wii Fit Plus I ran out to add it to our minimal Wii game collection. It was only $20 and it's got loads more games for 2 people. My kids can't seem to fathom games that are not competitive, so they only want to to the 2-person run, which is technically not a race but don't bother telling that to my kids. This Chicken flapping game is so silly my 5 and 7 year old boys refuse to do it, so I of course had to try for myself, and let them laugh at me. All that practice paid off and I got the high score. I've been encouraging my parents to get a Wii Fit, since my mom really needs to improve her balance and I thought this would be perfect. They have helped us out so much this year and I was glad to give them this gift, I just need my kids to get grandma to actually try it.

I also got three of Olive Smart Sack reusable bags, and won six more and I have to say these are so much better than all the other reusable grocery bags I have. They are compact, designed to fit in your cup holder so you don't forget to bring them in. I've been keeping them in my purse and they are so soft and so strong I love using them for everything. I swear I'm not just saying that because one of the owners of the company got me a glass of wine while his wife told me about the bags. I have a weirdness about certain materials, and these are really nice to the touch and come in pretty colors.

I left with goodies for the kids too. So often all the fun kids things are for babies or little girls plus my boys mostly wear soccer gear or jeans and t-shirts. They loved these soft blue grass hats from Zooni though, and sure looked adorable with the glasses from Teeny Tiny Optics. The baby blanket from Lucky Jade was soft and so different than most, can't decide if we should keep it or give it to an actual baby.

He likes the hat, just not having his picture taken.

There were so many great companies there. I got tickets to Wicked, which I've been wanting to see. I read the book a while ago, and keep hearing great things about this show. Tiny Prints! gave us a beautiful assortment of thank you and holiday cards and if we can get our act together and take a family photo we may order our Christmas cards, or more likely New Years, cards through them.

There were so many other sponsors, and you can see them here as well as get coupon codes for your holiday shopping. I will post more about all the great electronics and lotions and creams as I try them out.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclosure: I was not compensated monetarily for this post, nor was I obligated to post in any way. I did receive the products mentioned above for free.

Cute and Snuggly Hamsters, Whee!

Have you heard about Zhu Zhu pets (aagh, my ears - turn the sounds off before clicking)? My boys, their friends, and I got a chance to throw a party with these furry bundles of cuteness. Yes, I store them in a KFC bucket, wanna make something of it? These things are absolutely adorable, making cute sounds and racing around the house. There is no off button, but you can pet them to put them to sleep, start them back up and hold them and pet them and call them George.

We got a whole slew of hamsters.

Mr. Squiggles / Num Nums / Chunk / Pipsqueak (looks like there's a new one called Patches, and yes, they have bios).
Donovan picked Chunk - ha, remember that name, you'll get to hear my son say it over and over again. My kids only took two or three hours to choose which one they wanted, and after all my worries that nobody would want the girls, Keegan went with Num Nums. Could you die of the cuteness?

So here they are putting together the elaborate maze that we also got, although in hindsight I should have put it together before hand. I wanted to see how easy it was for kids to put together, and the answer is, not so much. While the hamsters are really nice quality - furry and soft and zoom around impressively, even backing up when they hit something, the plastic "habitrails" leave a lot of room for improvement. It really brings out the personalities, though. Some kids just gave up and went off to find obstacles to challenge their new little "pets" while those of us with a touch of OCD (raising hand) stuck it out and managed to put the thing together after I sent the boys off for snacks.

Check out the spread I created for these guys - thank you Zhu Zhu pets for the snack ideas. Yes, in answer to your question, boys can make weapon-like objects even at a hamster party, but we love us some fruit kabobs.



For some real hamster action, I present to you the completely non-professional, non-edited zhu zhu pets home movies. Pay not attention to the boy-generated sound effects in the background or the mom completely ignoring one of her sons. Just enjoy.

I think the pets make great gifts, although they are a little pricey. Think of them as furry robots and they are quite a bargain. The accessories all come separately, and the little car is my favorite, although every time I tried to use the ball some kid would grab it and take it apart so it was not fully tested.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I did get all of this free, including the set for us and the hamsters to give away. I was asked to post but was under no obligation and there was no monetary compensation for this.