Review: Two Flowers One Bear Secure Blanket

When my kids were born I coveted soft, cozy blankets.  We had a ton of them and still use many, especially with the cold winters that we now live with.

The Two Flowers One Bear secure blankets are not only vibrant and super soft, they have a unique feature in that there are security links to attach to strollers.  This is especially handy, especially when walking out on the streets in the wind.

The secure blankets make a really beautiful and affordable gift, as they retail for $42.




plush flower print fabric on one
side and a solid cord style fabric
on the other.

Size • 29" x 35"
100% Polyester
Machine Wash Gentle Cycle
Made in the USA

Two Flowers One Bear has a really sweet line of products ranging from adorable jackets to hats and booties and can be purchased in their online store.

Disclosure: I received one secure blanket to review for this post. 

Get MOGO-The Magnet Charm Bracelet

As a teenager, I was really big into slap bracelets, and the best friend necklaces where each "friend" got half of a heart. I'm sure I would have gotten into the silly bands too (though, truth be told I bought 3 packs thinking they were hair ties. One word: OUCH).

I think my world would have been rocked if there would have been these fantastic Get MOGO-The Magnet Charm bracelets. They. Are. Fantastic.



The lovely folks at Get Mogo sent me a super cute set, complete with magnet charms that matched my initials. I am in love, and I'm 31 years old.

They are recommended for children ages 8+

• Choose blue, pink, black, orange, or gray grosgrain.
• Silvertone hardware.
• Eight charm holders.
• Loop-and-ring clasp allows bands to easily link together.
• 7"L adjustable band.
• Each band, sold separately

The charm bands retail for $15 each, and the charms are sold three in a pack at $12 each. The bands and charms can be purchased at Nieman Marcus.

Celebrity fans include Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift and the Jonas Brothers

This will be on my gift list for my tween family and friends for sure!

Disclosure: I received a set of Get MOGO-The Magnet Charm Bracelet to review for this post.

Review: I'M OK! Mini First Aid Kits

I don't know if it's their age or what, but my kids are obsessed with band aids and "ouchies". The second they fall, whether or not they actually injure themselves, is always an excuse to demand a new band aid. In fact, we've been going through them at lightning speed due to some new shoe-inflicted blisters.

So, you can imagine how excited we all were to receive these adorable mini first aid kits to review.

Retail $14.00

Here in the city, when we leave the apartment we are gone for a while. We need a first aid kit in the diaper bag at all times in case something happens when we are not close to home. This is the perfect size kit, the exact size of an iPhone actually, and fits snugly in pockets, diaper bags and purses.

The I'M OK!Mini First Aid Kit includes:

• Patented pocket case
• Emergency information card
• I'M OK! cold pack (for bruises, bumps, headaches, fevers and insect bites)
• 24 I'M OK! bandages
• 6 non-sting antiseptic wipes

Retail $12.00

The I'M OK! Mini First Aid Pocket Kit includes:

• Patented pocket case
• Emergency information card
• 8 I'M OK! bandages
• 2 non-sting antiseptic swabs 

The cold pack's cooling gel is safe and food-grade and its membranes are now made of extra durable material.

The I'M OK!Mini First Aid Kit comes in 4 beautiful colors and designs: Orange Bear, Pink Princess, Blue Pirate and Green International.

The sets are very handy, really cute, and were a hit with both of my children. Birdie has been getting her k-9's in the last week and the cold pack has really saved some major meltdowns.

The I'M OK! Mini First Aid kits can be purchased at Kabaproducts.com

Disclosure: I received an I'M OK! Mini First Aid Kit, regular set, pocket set, and refills to review for this post.

Review: DinDins Toddler Food

Let's face it. Feeding toddlers is difficult. Feeding toddlers in the city has proven to be even slightly MORE difficult that "normal" because it's not always easy to find readily available organic ingredients. For us, it's a trek to Whole Foods, green markets, and even our local organic produce store is a 15 minute walk away.

I've been introduced to the perfect alternative option. DinDin's is a children's food delivery service for here in Manhattan and now DUMBO.

The food is all organic and is packaged in 75% recycled (and recyclable) material boxes. It arrives in a handy reusable red shopping bag and is all labeled clearly for fridge/freezer storage.

When we received our order, I immediately put it all in the freezer for later use. As you may know, I recently left my family and traveled to Utah for a conference, and my husband couldn't have been happier to have this fantastic food on hand for the kids (and maybe even himself).   Both of my children loved it- and they are usually fairly tough sells on everything that is NOT ice cream.  I was happy that they were getting healthy, nutritious, organic food when I wasn't there to cook it for them. Such an easy, affordable option ($2-$3 PER MEAL!) -DinDin's will become a standard in my home.



Cranberry Zucchini Mini Muffins
Ingredients:
organic zucchini, organic whole wheat flour, organic wheat flour, organic dried cranberries, natural free roaming eggs, organic sunflower oil, organic sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt


Spinach and Parmesan Crustless Quiche
Ingredients:
organic spinach, organic wheat flour, natural free roaming eggs, organic canola oil, organic onion, organic parmesan cheese, baking powder, organic parsley, organic dill, salt, pepper


Zucchini, Chicken and Jack Cheese Quesadillas
Ingredients:
organic whole wheat tortilla, organic zucchini, organic monterey jack cheese, chicken raised without antibiotics

If you live here in Manhattan, DUMBO, Brooklyn, or happen to be traveling to these areas with children,  I highly recommend that you try DinDin's. 


We're offering $10 off your first order with code MOMMASGC. It will be good from now through July 16th.

Disney Preview (First Peek!)

Like most other little girls, I grew up loving Disney stories. I loved Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella, and even Ariel and Belle even though I was getting a little too old when those movies came out to covet Disney heroines. I used to fantasize that I would grow up to be a princess, and sometimes when I fell asleep at night, visions of princes kissing me would slowly lull me into a magical dreamland. I didn’t have the dolls, or the matching princess gear and dresses to go with them though, all I had was my imagination.



When we were invited to the Disney Holiday Preview at the Ritz Carlton at South Central Park, I was thrilled. You can imagine how I felt walking into a princess tea party in one of the beautiful suites, with views from 14 stories up reaching straight down the park. It was an absolute treat to be one of the first groups to preview Disney’s new Princess & Me collection, complete with the new Rapunzel doll and all of the matching accoutrement.


The new Princess & Me collection. Photos courtesy of Vera Sweeney, Lady and the Blog


The new Rapunzel, Princess & Me doll

The Princess & Me dolls are absolutely beautiful. With stunning features, soft bodies and high quality materials all the way around, they make for the perfect little treasure and gift. The princesses, Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Tiana and now Rapunzel are made for girls ages 5-8, and offer a full line of matching dresses, sleepwear, and ballet recital gear for girls to wear, along with furniture and more for play. Prices range from $14.99-$49.99.

There was so much to look at this event, which was showcasing each line that Disney offers from bedroom décor, to tween and maternity fashions, to food collections, online games and books. It was really mind blowing how big the Disney Empire really is. It’s easy to get sucked up in it, just like being at Disneyland.


Tron Photo courtesy of Vera Sweeney, Lady and the Blog

The Tron room really grabbed my attention, and I’m sure Kim (Mom in the City, whose place I took at the event) would have really enjoyed checking the games and electronic toys. Based on Walt Disney Picture’s TRON: Legacy, Disney released a line of electronics and toys that feature light projection technology. All of the toys light up and even the action figures illuminate moving faces onto the helmets.



This particular car, the TRON Zero Gravity Light Cycle actually drives on the wall. Includes controller, geared for ages 8 and up and priced at $34.99

TRON also featured headphones, iPod docks, PC games, game controllers and Apple accessories. It was a young gamer’s heaven!



I recently received an iPad for my birthday, and have been on the look out for books and a few interactive games to use with my son and/or daughter to use on occasion. I was able to test out a couple of Disney’s iPad apps, and found them to be really amazing. The graphics are visually stunning, and the read-along books are very engaging. We particularly loved the Toy Story 2 read-along book that flips pages and highlights words as it goes along. My three year old is very interested in reading already, so I actually am happy when he wants to take a quiet moment to listen and watch the story.





Both of my kids get a kick out of Disney’s Fairies Fly app, where you move the iPad back and forth to get the fairy to fly up and down, popping bubbles and accumulating fairy dust. Really beautiful graphics, again, and will be something I use on long road trips.

There was so much to see and learn about Disney while we were there, but I’ve highlighted a few of my favorites from the event. It’s really neat to be able to live somewhat vicariously through children, and enjoy all of these things as if we were that age again- only it’s much more fun. I am looking forward to seeing what else Disney has in store for us, as there is something for literally every age.

I covered this event on behalf of Kim Coleman of Mom in the City

Giveaway: iGo Charge Anywhere

I like to think that I'm not very techie. I really like gadgets though, and am realizing that I'm really just a closeted techie. I love my iPhone, and have had one since they first came out (I also had a T-Mobile Sidekick that I personally bedazzled and before that a beeper that was actually a recorder). The one thing that I do not like about it is it's short battery life (especially when using the 3G network). So when I attended the SVMom's New York City Mom's Blog Symposium event at Tribeca Cinemas and was given an iGO Charge Anywhere- many of my techie prayers were answered.





The iGO Charge Anywhere is fantastic. iGo is a company that specializes in: "Go Green Technology™ automatically reduces standby power by up to 85%, conserving resources and saving money". The Charge Anywhere, when plugged into the wall and attached to your device, actually charges itself as well as charging the device. Remove it from the wall, and you can throw it into your purse and truly, charge anywhere. It saved me on my flight to Utah this past weekend when I attended the Evo Conference. My flight was cancelled and while waiting for the next one, I quickly ran out of battery in my iPhone. The iGo saved me on the flight so that I could let my family know that I arrived safely in Utah- much longer after they expected to hear from me. I'm also a frequent Tweeter, so during the conference itself I was really happy to have the charger when I wasn't near an outlet. There are countless reasons why this charger is so handy!

Features & Benefits:
Works as a wall charger to charge almost any device while simultaneously charging its integrated battery for device charging away from a wall outlet
Two USB outputs for simultaneous device charging
Includes iGo USB charging cable for even lighter travel
Small and lightweight - fits in your pocket
Includes foldable wall blades that easily store away
Works with multiple devices, including mobile phones, Bluetooth headsets, smartphones/PDAs, MP3
players, portable gaming devices, digital cameras, GPS devices and more
No need to buy a new charger when upgrading your devices; compatible with the latest models
Works worldwide; no need for a voltage converter when traveling

GIVEAWAY ENTRY DETAILS:

I'm thrilled tell you that I have one of these chargers to give to one of my readers. To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post telling me about a time that you lost battery power in your cell phone when you really wish it wouldn't have (we've all been there!), OR tell me a situation where you think an iGO would come in handy.

For more entries you can follow me on Twitter, "Like" Momma's Gone City on Facebook, and (if you really want to) subscribe to either Momma's Gone City or Momma's Gone City Reviews. You may also do the same for iGo- on Twitter and Facebook. FOR EACH ACTION YOU MUST LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS POST. You may tweet about this giveaway once per day on Twitter, linking both @mommasgonecity, @iGo_inc, and a link to this post (http://tinyurl.com/396fvyb) in the tweet.

One winner will be chosen randomly using Random.org on Wednesday, July 7th at midnight. GOOD LUCK!!

UPDATE:

Random.org chose #3, Kristiina! Congratulations! Please send me your info ASAP!

Thank you to all that entered, told stories, and subscribed :)

Review: Joovy Caboose Ultralight

I have an obsession with strollers.  Since moving to New York City, that obsession has increased tenfold because it is our primary mode of transportation.  We need something to get our two toddlers around the city, on the busses and subways and to and from parks comfortably and easily.

When I received the Joovy Caboose Ultralight to review, I was really excited.  It folds up compactly, holds two children comfortably, and has big wheels that make pushing and steering fairly easy.  There is a large storage area in the bottom of the stroller that is large enough to hold a diaper bag and a few other little things.

Weighing 21 lbs, the Joovy Caboose Ultralight is pretty easy to carry and fold.  It comes with an infant carseat adaptor, removable snack tray, and parent organizer (which holds water and cell phone perfectly).  There are double wheel brakes and four wheel suspension, was easy to push with at least 55 lbs worth of children in it, and narrow enough to get through narrow city grocery aisles.

The front seat has three reclining positions, there is a seat in back for one child to sit, and a platform for another child to stand. I've seen this stroller frequently around the city holding anywhere from one to three children at a time, including lots of cargo.  Overall a smooth, comfortable ride that I would primarily use for shorter trips around the city.  Both of my children tend to sleep in the stroller if we are out for over three or four hours, so it wouldn't be the best option if we were walking from, say, Central Park to our house in Murray Hill.  It's a great, easy, city option for strollers and we'll use it frequently.

You can also find Joovy on Facebook,  they are very interactive and parent friendly! I love the way they immerse themselves in the community... very important when you're dealing with children products.


Disclosure: I received a Joovy Ultralight Caboose to review for Momma's Gone City.