Little Big Star

Our Little Big Star from Jason Thomas on Vimeo.

My little country girl is a big star around these parts!

For better viewing, please visit Thomas Family TV.

SUPER SALE at Green Baby

One of my very favorite places to shop for all things "green" for baby is Green Baby. They have an amazing selection of items, from toys to clothing to furniture and everything is eco-fabulous!


This March, Green Baby is changing up their inventory. So to make way for new items, they are having a SUPER SALE! I'm thinking this Chalet Doll House by Plan Toys would make the perfect 1st birthday present for Ireland (and it's marked down to $130 from $185!)


If you're looking for BPA free bottles, those are on sale too! You will find the Adiri Bottles at a fraction of the retail price, Green to Grow Bottles, ThinkBaby and the Glass WeeGo Bottles that are sold out everywhere.

When the inventory is gone it's gone...so stock up quickly! I know I will be :)

Will you accept this rose?

The hubby and I had a wonderful Valentine's Day. There were cupcakes. Beautiful, yummy cupcakes!


It started with a delicious soy latte and a single pink rose. Of course, he had to add in "Will you accept this rose?" because I'm currently addicted to watching The Bachelor. "Yes! Of course I will :)"


Next was a yummy sushi lunch. We found a new sushi bar that was questionable from the outside but we decided to give it a shot anyway. SO glad we did! The sushi was unbelievably good, some of the best I've ever tasted. This AMAZING roll was called "The Playboy" haha!


Of course, we had to have some green tea ice cream too!


Next up, a trip to the wineries for a little tasting.


All in all, it was a wonderful Valentine's Day with my sweetheart! Isn't he just adorable? Thanks for a great day baby!

My Diaper Bag: City Chic

I own the City Chic diaper bag from Skip Hop in Park Ave Tulip, isn't it cute? I love mine and use it daily. It also has this great detachable clutch that I've used on the occasional night out (you really can't tell it's part of a diaper bag, I swear!)

This weekend only (February 13-16) Skip Hop is having a President's Day Sale and their City Chic Diaper Bag is 20% off with promo code EXTRA20 There's four great fabrics to choose from (I'm currently loving the Columbus Circle print, very city chic!) So if you're in the market for a new diaper bag, I suggest taking a peek.

The Octuplet Mom's Website!

This just in...Nadya Suleman's PR firm has launched a website on her behalf. It's a donation portal for her and her brood. Unbelievable if you ask me! Check it out for yourself and tell me what you think...I just feel so bad for those poor babies with one CRAZY mama!

Someday

Have you read this story book? It's beautiful...but I can't seem to make it through without breaking down in tears. Aiden pulled it down from the shelf the other night so I gave it another go, but no, I lost it on the second page. Even though I was crying I kept going, reading through tears and I kid you not...I looked down at Aiden and he was wiping his eyes like he was wiping away a tear!

Okay, so I'm sure he was just "pretending to be like mommy" but it was still the sweetest thing ever. I love my boy!

And this is a must-have book to have in your child's collection! Someday by Alison McGhee

Pretty in Pink and 10% OFF Boon Inc.

I love the Boon Inc product line. How fun is this bright pink high chair! Take 10% off your entire order now at Boon Inc. with promo code valentine09 (expires 2/28)

For the Love of Blogging and Mabel's Labels Blogher '09 Contest

Mabel's Labels is a fabulous company offering a great selection of labels and stationery products. The clothing labels are so smart - perfect for keeping track of jackets, sweatshirts, shoes, you name it! I also really love their mama cards, they're gorgeous!

So not only does Mabel's Labels make smart products, this mom-owned company has also thought up a clever contest, with the ultimate grand prize: a sponsorship to Blogher '09!



So yes, this novice mama is entering the Mabel's Labels Blogher '09 Contest...wish me luck! For entry, Mabel's Labels would like to know what have been the rewards and benefits of participating in the blogging community. So here it goes...

I first started participating in the blogging community in early 2007 when Peekaboo Picks was founded. Right from the get go, I was hooked! I was instantly meeting like-minded moms from all over the country and connecting with other mom entrepreneurs. Because Peekaboo Picks offers product reviews, I also got to see many of these mom creations in person, and I was just blown away with the talent and craftsmanship that was out there!

Now that I've been blogging for going on 2 years, a lot of things have changed. The infiltration of social media platforms (i.e. twitter, facebook, etc.) have definitely changed the landscape. It's amazing how well connected we moms are! My own baby, Peekaboo Picks, has grown from just me blogging about my fabulous finds, to a whole team of savvy moms and opinion makers. And just recently, The Novice Mom was born, and I'm thrilled to be re-entering the personal blog space!

Over the course of these past two years I have met hundreds of amazing women. Many of these have developed into friendships, and for that I am truly grateful. As a mom of two young children, it's difficult to get out of the house to meet other moms, but through the blogging community and the wonders of Web 2.0, I feel pretty darn connected! And not only am I meeting other moms, but they are women who I connect with on many levels, sharing common interests, and sharing similar experiences. That's pretty awesome if you ask me!

The blogging community has become an integral part of who I am today, and I'm excited to get even more involved as The Novice Mom grows. So that's why Mabel's Labels NEEDS to send this novice mama to Blogher '09, don't ya think?!

Thanks to Mabel's Labels for sponsoring such a fabulous contest and if you're a mom blogger, be sure to enter yourself, you can find all the info right here. Good luck!

I Heart These Tights!

Oh my goodness, how adorable are these tights from Little Miss Matched! Snatch them up for 20% off through Valentine's Day.

Too much?

I'm on a search for a double stroller. Something not too bulky, that I can use while out shopping or taking a little jog. And most importantly, it has to be stylish!

I think this "Boy Meets Girl" pink and blue stroller is pretty darn cute. Too bad my husband would never let it fly! I guess it is a little much.

...open to better suggestions so go ahead and fire away.

Free Valentines from CiCi Art Factory

I absolutely adore CiCi Art Factory. We recently reviewed them on Peekaboo Picks, Taryn did a fabulous review (with some cute pics of her daughter too!)

Be sure to check out their site and take advantage of their free Valentines - just download and print! Very fun and whimsical, and of course, free is always good too!

Wear Red Today

Today is National Wear Red Day. I don't own much red at the moment, but I'm digging through my closet to find something. I really wish I had this red jacket to slip on, I love the neck on it. Actually, I wish I had this whole outfit, especially the Christian Louboutin pumps - so fabulous!

Jillian Michaels, My New BFF

Today marks two weeks straight of working out every single day. Every muscle in my body is sore and I'm blaming it on Jillian Michaels. Her workouts are available "on demand" from our cable company so I've been giving them a shot. Whoa! This girl is tough!

She is super motivational though. She's always yelling things during the workouts like, "You gotta want it!" and "You gotta fight for it!" Seriously, though, just watching her with her rock-hard body is motivation enough!

I've only lost about 5 pounds so far (and I gained 5 pounds over the holidays so it's pretty much a wash) but I am starting to feel stronger and am excited to keep going! My goal is to lose another 25 pounds so I have a lot of work ahead of me. Looks like Jillian and I will be spending lots of time together in the coming weeks!

If Only I Could Sew...

Yes, I got a sewing machine for Christmas this year from my dear husband. And all kinds of accessories and fabric from my family too. But I haven't made it to a sewing class yet and I have no idea how to use the sucker! Hopefully I'll make it to class soon so I can get on making some of these projects I have floating around in my head.

If I could sew today I'd make a sweet little red dress for Ireland for Valentine's Day. But since I can't, I might have to scoop this one up from Three Lovelies. Isn't it darling? I love it!

Oh, and while I'm there...I might have to pick this up for me!

A little on Love

Valentine's Day is coming up, and while I'm not a die-hard when it comes to celebrating, I do think it's nice to have a day dedicated to showing the people we love that we really do love them. I know, I know, we should show our love EVERY day, but let's face it, life is hard sometimes.

I think I'm pretty good about showing my love to my husband daily. After the kids go to bed we enjoy just hanging out with each other, talking about life or even just watching television. We also "chat" online throughout the day...not obsessively or anything...we just check in with each other every so often. We are getting better about making time for date nights too, which is a lot of fun! Now, if I can just talk him into seeing Confessions of a Shopaholic with me that would be perfect! haha

Anyways, I just feel lucky to have a nice husband who loves me and who I love very much. It makes life so much sweeter (and easier to handle when times get tough)!

We're trying to think of something fun to do to celebrate Valentine's Day this year. Anybody have suggestions? What are you doing to celebrate? Staying in and watching a movie? Getting all dressed up and hitting the town? I need some ideas!

Overdue, Library, Books

Is it just me or is anyone else wondering what happened to January? I for one hit a rough patch at the beginning of the year. We had some horrendous weather here which resulted in me staying cooped up in the house WAY too much and going a little crazy. But I'm happy to announce I've snapped out of it, I've gotten a little sunshine, gotten back into a regular exercise routine, and am feeling "normal" again.

So yes, this blog post is a little overdue. But the good news is you didn't miss much! Some of our family highlights in January included a trip to Woodland Park Zoo and the opening of our town's new library (photo above).

As I type this we are in the process of redesigning Peekaboo Picks. There's still much work to be done but so far I'm loving it!

Look for more regular posts here on The Novice Mom (as long as the sun keeps shining) and Happy February I guess!