Stilettos and Diapers Reviews: 2012

Friday, December 21, 2012

Macy's Heart of Haiti


In a season filled with gift buying, money spending and serious cases of the "gimmes", it's so refreshing to see giving back. Macy's has chosen Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, to support through employment in their fair trade, Heart of Haiti line. 

The program currently employees 780 artisans, who they pay in excess of fair wage, so they are able to make a living, feed their families and send their children to school. Macy's Heart of Haiti upholds the belief that "trade not aid" is a powerful way to create sustainable work and much needed financial opportunities. 

The collection at Macy's features over 40 home decor items including metalwork, quilts, jewelry and paintings, that are made almost entirely out of recycled and sustainable items. If you go to the Macy's site, you can meet the artist who have created some of the beautiful pieces. Some of them had planned to leave the country, now decide to stay to train the next generation, because of this new partnership. 

These stars were sent to me as an inspiration to talk about the stars in my life. I have them hanging on my stair bannister, mixed in with the Christmas cards I've received this year. With all the smiling faces of family and friends who have been stars in my life. My husband, my sweet boys, parents, sisters and brothers are people I can count on. People you won't find a paparazzi picture of in a magazine, but they are stars to me
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This year, why not give a gift you know will impact much more than it's recipient? Shop Macy's Heart of Haiti line. There is something in the line for every star in your life. Purchasing items from the line is an easy way to contribute to the Haitian community, which after the devastating effects of hurricane Sandy, needs help more than ever.  

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. #CleverHaiti

Friday, December 14, 2012

Mead Stocking Stuffer Ideas + GIVEAWAY

mead2 Of course our kids Christmas gifts include toys, candy and electronics, but what about educational gifts? I know my Cooper has endless sheets of paper all over the house where he has practiced writing his name, numbers and drawing people. When I was asked if I wanted to review Mead Early Learning products, I knew instantly that Cooper would love to have his stocking stuffed with them!
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The kit I received is just full of amazing products. Workbooks, flashcards, dry erase boards and more. Pretty much everything that I need to prep Cooper for kindergarten and encourage learning at home after that.
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I am in no way educated in teaching, so I love that these workbooks give me a fail-proof teaching guide to help Cooper learn. The workbooks provide basic learning skills from preschool to third grade. They include a big variety of activities that are sure to keep even the busiest kid interested. 

These dry erase boards are already on my must pack list for our Christmas traveling. What a great way to practice writing letters! 
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Mead Early Learning products are all available on their website. They are also offering one winner the entire kit I recieved, valued at over $75! Enter below using the rafflecopter widget!

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Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Amazon's Gold Box Deal of the Day: Just Dance 4


Got a Just Dance lover in your house? We have several. Umm, in my house, I may be the biggest fan!
I've been know to have dance-offs with just about anyone in my house. Including my 4 year old son. I pride myself with having the highest score on Can't Touch This. (circa Just Dance 1) When my sister-in-law was staying with us for a little while, we did Just Dance workouts. Seriously, have you ever danced 4-5 songs back to back? Total calorie burner. I've been known to have late night dance-offs with my brother, lasting until I come out the winner, of course. 

When Santa was gift brainstorming around here, Wii games definitely made the cut. Just Dance 4 is one of the top ones he decided on. It involves the whole family, it's an energy burner, and it's so much better that sitting still with the glazed over eyes. And when adults start playing, it can be amazing entertainment! 

So what's awesome today? Just Dance 4 is Amazon's Gold Box Deal of the Day! Instead of the normal $39.99, it's on sale for the low price of $22.99! Probably the lowest you're going find it before Christmas, so you better go snag it up now! Of course with Amazon's super saver shipping over $25, you can add another gift and get it shipped free! 

Are you on twitter? Clever Girls is giving away 5 copies of Just Dance 4 TODAY ONLY! All you have to do is Tweet the following:

Amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day: Just Dance 4! To buy: http://clvr.li/SzFT7r -- RT to enter to win a copy! #JD4Gold

I was given a copy of Just Dance 4 via Clever Girls Network for my amplification of this deal. I was in no other way compensated. All opinions are mine. 

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Christmas Card Time: A Shutterfly Giveaway

Have you ordered your Christmas Cards yet? Me either! I went into panic mode last week, thinking I was too late. Nope. Not so fast. Shutterfly has a huge selection of cards and there is still time to order from them! 

I am a wee bit picky when it comes to my cards. It must have more than 1 picture spot, have space for our name and I tend to lean towards the black and elegant cards. 

I did find a couple that fell outside of my normal box this year and I'm seriously considering them! Here are some of my faves from Shutterfly's Christmas Card collection. 






Gorgeous, right? We have a family photo shoot to do and it will be ordering time! I will be sure to show you the one we pick!

Be sure to check out Shutterfly's Cyber Monday deal! Visit their Facebook page tomorrow to receive a 25% off unique code! You can also check out their Special Offers page for great deals all the time! 

Are you still in need of Christmas, Hanukkah or another type of Holiday cards? How would you like to win a $50 credit to Shutterfly?! Simply enter using the rafflecopter widget below!

Because there is only a few weeks before Christmas, the winner will be chosen December 2 and the credit must be used by December 14th.

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Thank you, Shutterfly for sponsoring this post. I received a store credit in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Thursday, November 22, 2012

He's a sports freak. SportsFreak365 Review + discount.

To say the hubs is a sports freak, would be an understatement. There is no way, under any circumstance, that he would miss his beloved NY Jets play. And since we haven't lived in NY for 6 years, he pays who even knows what, to make sure all his games are broadcasted here. 

See, his parents grew up in Queens, automatically making him, along with his whole family, NY Jet and NY Met fans. He has huge prints in our basement. Any kind of clothing imaginable. License plate frames on both our cars. And of course, the kids and me have no choice but to be fans right along with him. 

When I told the hubs about SportsFreak365.com, he was more than excited to try it out. See? 
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Haha! I begged for permission to use that picture! 

He used SportsFreak365.com to make a custom NFL calendar, complete with his favorite players. He also got to customize each date with text and photos. He put a picture of each person on their Birthday's and a different NY Jet player on each month. 
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I always know I'm safe buying Met or Jet related gifts for him for his Birthday or Christmas. It makes gift buying easy; especially to add a little something extra to a gift. 

Do you have a sports freak in your life? Showing off your team spirit has never been easier! Whatever team you root for and whatever sport they play, find the gear you need at SportsFreak365.com. Just in time for the holidays, you can get 30% off any purchase using the code “Clever30.” And while you’re there, be sure to enter to win $500 toward team gear in Ditka’s SportsFreak of the Week Contest!

I was selected for participation in this campaign as a member of Clever Girls Collective.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Scents of the Season

It's amazing how certain scents can bring floods of memories. Just the other day in the grocery store, I passed an older lady and instantly my eyes burned with tears. I smelled my Granny, and how much I miss her made my heart ache. Scents are memory filled, be them sad or joyful. The sniff of a candle, the aroma in a home, the smell of the salty ocean. They all flood my mind with memories

This time of year, scents are plentiful and are definitely joy filled. They make me giddy for the Holidays and spending time with my family. Some of my favorite scents are a fresh pine, of course. There is nothing like that family trip to pick it out, either!
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The scent of apple pie baking just screams holiday, right? I made my first one for our first Thanksgiving by ourselves in California and it came out perfect, if I may say so. 
And what about the smell of a turkey baking? Yum. (Is it Thanksgiving yet?!)
Sugar cookies baking remind me of the first time Cooper "made" Christmas cookies. It was such a proud mom moment! 
And last but not least, one of the most universal scents of the season, is coffee. My favorite way to drink it is in my big Santa mug. With a pile of family family and friends drinking it with me! 






Dunkin Donuts packaged coffee is available at your local grocery store. I love the Flavors of the Season varieties they have, including Mocha Mint, Pumpkin Spice and Gingerbread Cookie. They are all sure to make your home smell festive this holiday!

These specially packaged coffees even have a little gift tag on them, perfect as a hostess gift or stocking stuffer! Stock up and keep some on hand for last minute gifts, too! Your guest will feel the holiday spirit sipping on these delicious flavors this year!   

Thank you to Dunkin’ Donuts® packaged coffee at grocery for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Because my family rocks. Does yours?


This post is brought to you by The New Santa Fe from Hyundai. Think your family rocks? Show us by uploading a photo of your family rocking out. Enter now for a chance to win great prizes.


On any given afternoon, right when the inevitable late day wiggles set in, you'll find my house in a loud, crazy awesome dance party. I crank the music and all the little booties (as well as mine) get their groove on. My kids love it. I love it. We love to rock. 

We got Cooper Guitar Hero for Christmas last year. While I'd like to think it was for him, you can see here that him and the hubs are laying on the ground in a full on guitar solo face-off. I think that solidifies why the hubs suggested it as Cooper's gift! 
Because Cooper really does love music of all kinds, he got this set of very loud drums for his 4th Birthday. He gets down in the basement, playing and singing at the top of his lungs. 
And if those things aren't enough to prove he loves to rock, well this is how he does a wedding reception. 
Yes, we've passed our love of music, loud singing and dance parties right down to our kids. And our family just loves our rockin' time together. 

Does your family rock? Then Hyundai Santa Fe and Rolling Stone are looking for you! If you love to rock, jam, dance party and get into other general mischief with your family, you won't want to miss this contest! All you need to do is upload a picture of your family showing how they rock along with 500 words or less describing it. 

What does the winner get? Prizes include a photo shoot in Rolling Stone, Airfare, hotel and transportation to the 55th Grammy awards and a fully tricked-out Hyundai Santa Fe custom rock 'n' roller! Amazing, right?! Go enter the contest now! 

Contest ends December 14, 2012

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Mott's Medleys Fruit Snacks {GIVEAWAY}

Pretty sure there isn't a kid that doesn't love fruit snacks. (Or Mom for that matter) So it's no surprise that we were pretty excited when these showed up on the front porch.

We always have packages of fruit snacks in the diaper bag, the car snack box and usually in my purse. They are handy on the go treats and are PERFECT bribes. Hehe. I love that Mott's Medleys Fruit Snacks are made with real fruit & vegetable juice and natural colors and flavors. And don't worry, they don't loose any of the fruit snack deliciousness because of that.

The snacks are available in assorted fruit and berry varieties, both are yummo. We give the new Mott's Medleys two thumbs up! 

Go here to print off a coupon good for $0.60 off of a package!

Want to win some for yourself? 2 winners will receive a prize pack with 6 boxes of fruit snacks! Tell me where you would take Mott's Medleys Fruit Snacks this summer and enter with the Rafflecopter widget. Hurry, giveaway ends Sunday, 7/20!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
I received the above prize pack in exchange for my opinion. I was in no other way compensated. 

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Similac SimplySmart Bottle {Review}

Similac sent me their new Simply Smart bottle to try out. Obviously, this guy is loving it! 
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The bottle has several super handy features, most of which, I've never seen in a bottle before.

Nipple: The naturally shaped nipple is designed to be more like mom for feeding between breast and bottle.

Intellivent™: This exclusive venting system is designed to minimize baby’s air intake for less fussiness and gas.

SmartClose™: Found only in Similac SimplySmart, the SmartClose reveals a blue shield when the top is secured to prevent leaks and assure the bottle is closed.
 EasyMix™: This innovative mixing device is only found in Similac SimplySmart and is designed to help reduce bubbles and clumps.

Similac On-the-Go™ Powder Cap: A unique cap keeps powder and bottle together and holds enough powder formula for up to one 8-ounce bottle to help busy moms on the go. Cap sold separately.

The nipples come in a variety of flow rates and are BPA free. I like that the bottle is very wide and has a grip area in the middle. It was the first bottle that Callan drank out of on his own, I think mostly because of that large grip section. 

I highly recommend the Similac SimplySmart Bottle and will be purchasing more for us to use! 


Disclosure: I received a free Similac SimplySmart bottle compliment of the Similac brand.  No monetary exchange took place. 

Friday, May 11, 2012

Pillsbury Mother's Day Cookie {GIVEAWAY}

There's not much I love more than a good cookie. Its always nice to know when you pop the Pillsbury Ready to Bake! Shape cookies into the oven, that they'll turn out perfect.

 
I was sent the below package from Pillsbury just in time for Mother's Day. A cookie coupon, oven mit, cookie jar and the most perfect little cookie spatula. (Seriously have used it TONS since receiving it.) Cooper was overjoyed when I showed him the "cookie ticket" that we took to the store. Even more excited to see the Mickey Mouse box!
Dad's, even you and the kiddos can make these for Mom on Mother's Day. Hint, hint. You can use this coupon to save $1.10 off of 1 box of cookies!

I love that the Ready to Bake! Cookies come in all different holiday designs. Adds a little life to a party or event without difficulty. Ready in 8-10 minutes, its so easy!

Want to win the prize pack shown for yourself? Simply enter the Rafflecopter Widget below!

Disclosure: The VIP coupon, prize pack, information, and additional sample have been provided by Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Usborne Books {GIVEAWAY}

Its almost summer...what are your kids going to do for 3 glorious months of heat?! 

Here's a solution:

READ! 


I was recently contacted by Usborne Books to give you lucky readers a chance to win your choice of books! Of course I'd jump at that opportunity for y'all! 

Usborne offers a huge variety of books ranging from babies first to Spanish teaching books. The sell educational activity kits for those long car rides, large school/library value packs and hobby guides in addition to the regular school age books. 

On top of having a great selection, they also have fantastic prices and specials. This month, for every $40 you spend, you get to choose 3 select books at more than 50% off! Like them on Facebook to keep up to date with specials and promotions! 

Ashley, of Usborne Books Kingwood is giving one of you $20 to spend on any books you'd like from her store! 

How to enter:

Go to the Usborne Books site and tell me what book you'd buy! (Mandatory)
Like Usborne Books Kingwood on Facebook (1 extra entry)
Follow Ashley @UsborneBooksKW on Twitter (1 extra entry)
Follow Stilettos and Diapers Blog (1 extra entry)
Follow Stilettos and Diapers Review Blog (1 extra entry)

Follow @Stilettodiapers on Twitter (1 extra entry)
Like Stilettos and Diapers on Facebook (1 extra entry)

This giveaway ends 5/15/2012 at midnight EST. Winner will be contacted and will have 72 hours to respond. Open to US residents. 

I was in no way compensated for this giveaway. All opinions are mine. 




Monday, April 30, 2012

Waterpik EcoFlow Shower Head Review + {GIVEAWAY} {CLOSED}

Congrats to Alison for winning the WaterPik EcoFlow! 

You want me to use something that saves money and makes my showers oh so lovely? Well, okay then! 

EcoFlow shower heads provide conservation without compromise. I was sent this 5 spray setting shower head and promptly had the hubs with a wrench in my bathroom. 
I'm not sure why we haven't changed the shower heads in our house, simply for the ease of a removable shower head. Washing kids hair has actually become easy instead of sheer torture.

This shower head has 5 different spray settings and easily adjust between me and my 6'2" hubs. The nice variety of settings makes it perfect to use for us, as well as the kids. The different shower heads in the EcoFlow family come in a variety of finishes, styles and spray settings to best fit your needs. 

On top of that, EcoFlow low flow shower heads save on average $100/year. (I can buy a couple pairs of shoes for $100!) 

In celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act, you can take an online pledge to conserve water here

Want to win an EcoFlow shower head and save your family $100 per year? 

1 winner will receive a hand held shower head valued at $51.99 simply by filling out the Rafflecopter widget below!

Giveaway ends 5/6/12 and winner must contact me within 24 hours of giveaway close. 
I received a Waterpik EcoFlow shower head for myself and 1 winner as part of a promotional program with MomSelect. I was in no other way compensated for this review. All opinions are mine.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Chalk City Review + {GIVEAWAY} {CLOSED}

Congrats to Kristi, our ChalkCity winner!


 I've heard "Chalk City" come out of Cooper's mouth more times in the past couple weeks than I can even count. 

What is it, you ask? It's a family of outdoor toys that combines two activities that boys and girls love—playing with sidewalk chalk and playing with riding toys. 

This is Cooper opening it up and checking it out.  
On being told what it was and how it works, he started jumping up and down and making all the pictures blur. 
I love making a "obstacle course" for him around the driveway. The signs are stencils that you can hop on and complete a task. Things like "turn around", "hop", "do 12 jumping jacks" sure do get his energy out! 
  The "road maker" is a pole that you stick sidewalk chalk into to create roads for riding bikes through, stenciling the obstacles onto, or both. 
 And a very parent friendly feature, is that the road maker folds up and everything is neatly stored in mesh bags. I love toys that actually help with keeping our garage tidy! 
There is an activity book that has multiple games you can play. Cooper is a big young for the organized games, but I know we will be using them in the future. They would be perfect for a party! 

There are also maps of actual cities that you can recreate. Want to draw a map of Paris in your driveway? No problem. There's directions for that! 

Coop is such a big chalk fan and Chalk City has stepped his love up a bit. I have done the drawing for him some, but its easy enough for him to do it himself. We love it!

You can find stores to buy at here, or you can buy on Amazon

But guess what? Chalk City is giving one of you a complete Chalk City Kit! This includes the road maker, obstacle signs, street signs, the activity book and chalk! 

To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter widget below! 

I was given a complete Chalk City Kit to review plus 1 to giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Naturalizer Review + {GIVEAWAY} {CLOSED}

Congrats to Katie E. who is our winner! I will be sending you an email! 

When I was contacted about doing a review of Naturalizer shoes, I honestly thought, nahh. I'll save that for someone that wears that type of shoe. Then I wised up that someone wanted to GIVE me a pair of shoes, so I better check it out. 

Umm, so glad I did. 

Naturalizer: Not yo momma's shoes anymore. 
I've had these suckers 1 week and have already worn them twice. 
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Their new spring collection is fantastic! I was sent the Sherrie, shown above. They are part of the N5 comfort collection. Yes, these shoes are comfortable. The N5 line adds extra cushioning, breathable lining, balance from heel to toe, flexible soles and lightweight material. Naturalizer also comes in many hard to find sizes, from small to large, narrow to wide.

Some of my other fave styles are the Panya, Kenna and Decade.

So you like them? Want to win a pair for yourself? 

Naturalizer is giving a gift card for a free pair of shoes purchased in-store or online!  

Simply fill out the Rafflecopter widget below, gaining entries for following Stilettos and Diapers blogs, and following Stilettos and Diapers and Naturalizer on Facebook and Twitter! 

I received the above pair of shoes as well as a gift card for the winner from the Brown Shoe Company through MyBlogSpark in exchange for this review. I was in no other way compensated. All opinions are mine.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Red Lobster {REVIEW}

 Last year at Blissdom, Red Lobster was one of the sponsors. They provided all the lobster bisque and lobster rolls we could eat. That meant me eating a bowl of lobster bisque EVERY.SINGLE.BREAK. I love that stuff!

I got email from the representatives that were there saying they remembered how much I liked the lobster bisque. Ummm, guess I may have had one bowl too many if I was remembered!

Since then, Red Lobster has had a bit of a makeover from what you may thing of them as. They've redesigned their look into one inspired by the New England Coast. You'll find stone towers, ship lanterns and Adirondack-style chairs are just some of the new features.
We went for dinner at our local Red Lobster to try out the new changes. I, of course, ordered Lobster Bisque. And I didn't share any. 
Inside were cozy booths and soft lighting. A very comfortable atmosphere for the delish food I came for. Give me some cheddar bay biscuits. 
 Another one of my favorites is coconut shrimp. I had that as part of their 4 course seafood feast for only $15. You get a soup, salad, entree and dessert, plus all those biscuits! It won't be available much longer, so get it while you can! 
If you are wanting to eat seafood, pack up the fan and head to Red Lobster. I have never been let down by the place and I feel like the atmosphere now matches the quality food they serve. 

Thanks, Red Lobster, for the chance to try your made over look! 

I was provided a gift card in exchange for my honest review of the restaurant. I was in no other way compensated.