Gal to Gal

It is officially the end of October and the month for Breast Cancer Awareness. However, as you know awareness shouldn't stop November 1st. The Gal to Gal Foundation recognizes this and they are continuing their efforts to raise a cool million for Stage IV breast cancer patients. I wrote about this group earlier this month. The Foundation walked - virtually - across America and today ended in San Francisco. The group is very dedicated to their goal.

As of today, it looks like they have raised just over $100,000. They have a ways to go, but with your help they will make it!

It's a Bird. It's a Plane. It's... Johnny?

Halloween always brings out millions of little super heroes roaming the streets in search of bad candy. There's Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Superwoman, Flash Gordan, and... oh, I can't possibly remember all of them. If after halloween your little hero still wants to dress up and get the bad guys, Chasing Fireflies carries the cutest capes perfect for the occassion. These super duper capes come with your son's or daughter's initial embroidered on the back - just so Johnny doesn't get his mixed up with cousin Donny's. Plus, they feel more powerful when they know the cape was truly made just for them.

If all these little super heros are out fighting the bad guys every day, you may stop and ask yourself, why is the world in such a dangerous place? Easy. These little super heroes are still in the "It's all about me" phase of their lives. As it should be!

Carve the Pumpkin

Let your kids carve this virtual pumpkin by vidugiris.com and your kitchen stays nice and clean. The kiddos can enjoy a few minutes of fun by creating a bunch of funny and scary faces on the pumpkin. They could even use this as a templet. Once they create a face they love, make note of it and carve it on to your real pumpkin.

Click the pumpkin to get started with your drawing tool. Once you see your drawing tool, left click and drag to make different shapes. When the Picasso in you is finished, click Done to see your pumpkin all lit up!

Happy Halloween!

A Stroll Down Memory Lane

Your Memory Lane. Record the best moments of your life (thus far) with this creative, personalized street scene. This is a fantastic Holiday gift idea for your spouse or your parents. It is a gift they will appreciate and make them smile every time they look at it. Plus, the process is easy.

1. You come up with 3, 5, or 8 stand out memories (keywords) you want captured within the picture. Then you explain those memories or events.
2. You place the order on their website.
3. You review, correct, and approve the proof they email to you.

The three building street starts at $377.

The five building street starts at $427.

The eight building street starts at $497.

For a piece of art that you will cherish and display forever, the prices are very reasonable.

Master Card could easily put together an affiliate advertisement with Your Memory Lane. "The time you started your own business, $20,000. Your marriage at age 41, another $20,000. Remembering the best moments of your life by creating your own Memory Lane, priceless."

One-of-a-kind Christmas gift for parents and In-laws, check!

Change It Up!

OK, so it's not sandal season anymore. I know, I know. But there is the annual winter vacation we all go on - whether that be physically or mentally! Consider this post "gearing up for your resort-wear."

This is a cool sandal concept. It is especially handy if you are traveling and would like to avoid packing a whole other suitcase for just shoes. First, you buy the shoe part and then you can purchase multiple interchangeable tops - the Flexie. Made by Lexees. The array of designs are quite impressive. From solids to stripes to dots to plaids to martinis to baby buggies (for the pregos), you name it. It's such a simple concept, I love it! If you look at the picture above, you can see the 3 snaps on the side of the shoe. What could be easier?

The shoes alone are only $60.00. And the interchangeable straps are either $19.95 or $29.95, depending if you choose a silver or gold flexie. There's even a cork wedge, so you don't feel like you are losing the funky side of you.

St. Barths here we come!

Don't Duck a Breast Exam

This is just ducky. Here is another opportunity to help out with Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Munchkin, Inc. is reminding women everywhere "Don't duck a breast exam" by selling their limited edition Project Pink Duck. Buy a whole flock and support the Susan G. Komen Foundation. They are only $2.99.

In addition to Project Pink Duck, they have enlisted celebrities to use their imagination and design a duck to be auctioned off on ebay. During the next two days you can still bid on ducks designed by Courteney Cox & David Arquette, Cheryl Hines, Brooke Shields and more. Next weeks celebs are Patti LaBelle, Barbara Bush, ebay's very own Meg Whitman and more. For those of you addicted to ebay, here's your chance to satisfy that craving!

Lastly, if you are one of the few who have fought off the ebay addiction and you are quite crafty, you can decorate your own duck and enter it into the contest. If you like Munchkin products, you might want to consider this. The prizes are quite good.

Better Tooth Fairy Boxes

About a month ago I wrote a post on tooth fairy boxes. Since, I have found some at Chasing Fireflies that are sure winners. First off, they have an unbelievable assortment of tooth holders. You won't believe your eyes.

The Tooth Pirate and The Tooth Captain. Who couldn't love these guys? Forget the tooth fairy. Or at least say the tooth fairy knows these dudes or the toothfairy tricks them into giving her the tooth because she leaves them "gold".

They also carry the classic pewter tooth boxes with a dinosaur, rocket, or fairy. There are personalized tooth boxes, little tooth house boxes, and small tooth fairy pillows.

You might want to scratch that other post. Chasing Fireflies is the place to go. With all the choices, you will surely find something.

PBK Has a Little Competition

Serena & Lily just might give Pottery Barn Kids a run for their money. This company has unique nursery and child bedding by mixing stripes, stars, dots, flowers, and plaids. They also carry gliders for the nursery, headboards, rugs, lamps, paint, and bedding basics to equal one coordinated room. You can order fabric samples to make sure the colors are a match for your taste.

One of the best aspects of the company is the donation program called Gently Loved. I call it the Gently Loved and Incredibly Generous To Those Who Give program! Read this:
"We invite you to partner with Serena & Lily to ensure that every child has a safe place to sleep. Through our Gently Loved™ program, you can donate your gently-used crib bumper (from Serena & Lily) to an infant in need, and receive a “thank you” gift certificate of $100, good toward any purchase on our website.
Serena & Lily has partnered with Baby Buggy, a New York City non-profit founded by Jessica Seinfeld, to outfit the thousands of cribs they donate every year through Project Safe Sleep. In partnership with Mayor Bloomberg and NYC Hospitals, Baby Buggy has donated over 3,000 cribs to families in poverty so that they may create safe sleeping places for their infants. With your help, Serena & Lily has pledged to make these cribs warm and safe and beautiful, by collecting your gently-used bumpers and by manufacturing new crib sheets using our fabric overruns and extras. By the end of 2007, Serena & Lily will have donated over 3,000 new crib sheets to Project Safe Sleep."

For details on how to donate your Serena & Lily gently loved bumper and receive the $100 gift certificate, please visit their website.

TTW

I opened my weekly newletter this morning from Tot Trends Weekly. And guess who's Pumpkin bodysuit was featured on the front page? Yes, yours truly! What a wonderful Monday morning surprise.

Click or Shop and Give

Are you feeling the urge to give this month to a Breast Cancer Awareness group, but just don't know which one? Here is another possibility. The Breast Cancer Site. You can shop and give at the same time. Your shopping helps fund mammograms for woman in need. There is something for everyone. Seriously. Here are just a few.

I love the pink camo shirt above. Adorable. $17.95

Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Friends Magnets. $4.00

Pink Ribbon Purse Hanger. Every woman needs one of these. $14.95

Glamorous Pink Crystal Ribbon Pin. $16.95

and much more.

And here is something cool. It's probably the easiest way you will ever give back. Go to the main page for The Breast Cancer Site and just click to give - it's free. "Your click on the 'Click Here to Give - it's FREE' button helps fund free mammograms for women in need — low-income, inner-city and minority women whose awareness of breast cancer and opportunity for help is often limited. Your click is paid for by site sponsors, and mammogram funding is provided to clinics throughout the U.S. through the efforts of the National Breast Cancer Foundation."

I am loving that pink camo shirt. I keep looking at it. I'm sure by tomorrow I'll have bought it!

20 Days and Counting

Just a little reminder, Halloween is only 20 days away. And if you are going to order anything online, that doesn't give you much time. Plus, all the costumes are doing their annual disappearing act from the stores these days - especially in the size you need. It's time to get prepared because it's getting to be slim pickings out there.

Pottery Barn Kids always has some fun decorations.
I think the above Haunted House personalized sign is somewhat classy. OK, so classy and Halloween don't exactly go together, but I'm also not one to decorate with gaudy things.
These haunted house wood signs are also "gaudy-less" and on sale. Choose from Haunted House arrow, Beware, or Turn Back Now!
There is a melamine Halloween dish set (dishwasher safe = key). Four plates in the set each show a jack-o-lantern decorated as either a scarecrow, bat, devil, or witch.

And if you are one of many who couldn't find a quality costume in the stores, PBK still has some in stock. You can't go wrong with the Skeleton Costume or the Sorcerer Costume.

So, get crackin' people!

Wall Scrabble, Anyone?

Please buy this and don't confine it to your kid's bedroom. It is too much fun and people need to see it. Play. Laugh. Games. Dream. If I saw this on someone's wall, I would think they were a ton of fun. Now don't get me wrong, if your family room has a "don't touch" atmosphere, this would not go. However, if you have play dates often and a specific playroom, that would be a perfect room.

I look at it and just smile. I love that kind of art!

PoshTots carries this wall art.

Gucci Baby

Tired of the Baby Bjorn? Tired of seeing it on every other new mom? Now you can stand out in the crowd because there's something more stylish. Gucci. Yes, Gucci has entered the world of baby carriers. For the Gucci lovers out there, this will make your day.

Now... how long do you suppose before you start seeing fakes being sold from the trunks of cars?

Stage IV Breast Cancer

As you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. One of the passions behind Designhergals.com is to raise money for Stage IV breast cancer patients through their Gal to Gal Foundation. This month they are hosting a special virtual walk event. You don't need to fly to a certain city to participate. All you need to do is fire up that internet connection of yours. Chances are, if you are reading this, you've accomplished that step.

Their goal is to register 1 million walkers throughout the month of October. The donation is minimal, $3.00. Of course, they will take more! I think you can live without Starbucks for one day. Make coffee from home and donate to a wonderful cause. So many women (and men) who are living with and going through the most critical phase of this incredulous disease will benefit from your generosity.

Virtually, they will be walking from Boston to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Hint: no training needed, it's virtual. Today they are in Baltimore, MD.

Log on to galtogal.org and create your virtual walker today. You can design a girl to look like you, a loved one, or someone who inspires you! Very cool. My girl is sporting a blue sweat suit, Emily K from St. Paul.

If you are not familiar with Design-her Gals, it is a very creative and fun website. You get to create your gal(s) from a million different choices from clothing to the optional man or dog standing beside you to what you want to hold in your hands. Above is the Gal I created a few months ago. You can click here to see my previous post regarding this amazing web site.

Stayin' Alive

I can't keep a plant alive to save my own life. Hence, you will not find any long-term greenery inside my house. And the outside? Well, my husband takes care of most of the outside chores, including the watering. However, I just may have found something to make it possible for me to put a little green inside my home. It is a self-watering flowerpot. How ingenious is this? The vase holds enough water for the plant to need watering only once a week! To know if your plant is getting thirsty, all you need to do is look at the base and see if the water is low. It couldn't be any easier than this, folks.

Now, I must admit the reservoir isn't exactly stunning. But if you want some greenery in your house or you have always wanted to grow some herbs, for once we'll have to put aside looks for functionality and practicality. You can always place something small in front of it! Or stick it in another, bigger pot.

Real green, I can feel the clean oxygen already!

Afternoon Tea

Every girl throws a tea party or two when they are little - either with friends, parents, or stuffed animals. Djeco makes a Tea Time Set that - as you can see - is absolutely adorable. If you are going to have a tea party, you might as well do it up right! And who doesn't love cake at a tea party? All the essentials are included for a perfect high tea. See you at 4:00.

Made of wood, this complete tea set is a mere $45.99.

Hand Painted

I wish I would have know about this site 3 years ago. I remember looking for a toddler-sized table and chairs set. I had the darndest time trying to find something cute AND something that my neighbor didn't also have (i.e. the Pottery Barn Kids set). If you are in the same boat now, here is an online store you should check out: Be Creative Kids.

The people running this store have almost every imaginable theme possible painted onto different table and chair sets. It's amazing. Trucks, planes, jungles, flowers, fish, sports, barnyard, ponies, butterflies, and more. They will even personalize the back of the chair if you ask them to. Think excellent Christmas present and bookmark their site!

It gets even better. If you have kids, you need a toy box. Be Creative Kids also makes hand painted toy boxes. With similar themes, you could match the toy box with the table and chairs. How cute would that be in little Charlie's room?

They also have a few select items on ebay you can browse through.