Now that September is here so are the dark nail polishes – my favorite – think oxblood and navy colors this season. Of course you can always stick with traditional colors like red or my all time favorite from essie called ballet slipperswhich is a light pink. In fact these sheers from essie really never go out of style.  You have probably seen the already designed stickers like these from essie. I have yet to try them but they seem pretty easy to use and are very on trend right now. My go to favorite is OPI’s Lincoln Park After Dark.Â
I also have a few kits to test out including a dark french manicure and the velvet manicure from Ciate. It’s just something a bit different to try and make your nails stand out!
Now that September is here so are the dark nail polishes – my favorite – think oxblood and navy colors this season. Of course you can always stick with traditional colors like red or my all time favorite from essie called ballet slipperswhich is a light pink. In fact these sheers from essie really never go out of style.  You have probably seen the already designed stickers like these from essie. I have yet to try them but they seem pretty easy to use and are very on trend right now. My go to favorite is OPI’s Lincoln Park After Dark.Â
I also have a few kits to test out including a dark french manicure and the velvet manicure from Ciate. It’s just something a bit different to try and make your nails stand out!
The summer went by so fast. I cannot believe school is in session! We were just swimming in the ocean last week and were even swimming in the pool on Monday. Now they are back and the house is a bit quiet, but not for long. All the sports, activities and homework will be starting soon enough. I loved seeing all the back to school photos on social media all day long on Tuesday. Here are my little ones (no really that little anyone!) geeze…..where does the time go????
I love a good snack and my kids do too! I was so excited to receive these good tasting products for my kids (and me to test out) for back to school. They are all perfect for back to school snacks (and lunches) so make sure to check them out.
Chobani– this is a new favorite of mine as they have great flavors in a natural greek yogurt. Even their tag line says it all: go real. Moms, we really want real ingredients and this yogurt is simply made and tastes great. If you want to have a tasty snack for your kids when they get home try the Chobani Flip for a great mix of either pistachio, chia seeds, granola or almond. One side is greek yogurt and the other side is the mix-ins. My favorite is the Blueberry Power. Another favorite is the Chobani bite. This is the 3.5 oz cup of great flavor combinations like honey and ginger and mint with dark chocolate chip in a small size that contains only 100 calories and 8 grams of protein. My kids also loved the Fylin dragon fruit champions tubes. This low fat greek yogurt tube needs no spoon and is great for their school snack.
DelMonte Fruit Burst Squeezers – These are a great on-the-go snack. Made with natural fruit purees and juices, they are a nice alternative to apple sauce. They come in two varieties: Simply fruit (Strawberry, Mixed Berry, Apple Cinnamon) and Fruit and Veggie (Peach-Mango , Blueberry) and is the perfect way to kids to eat a serving of fruits and veggies. They contain 1 1/2 servings of fruit and are a great source of vitamin A & C. They do not contain any artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup.
Applegate Farms - Sometimes it is hard to get kids to eat a sandwich and deli meat is tricky. Especially wondering what is in the deli meat. No antibiotics, no nitrates, no junk and the taste of the Applegate farm deli meats is GOOD. They even have a new bologna and you don’t have to wonder what’s in it!  This summer was the perfect time to try the natural beef hot dog. No chemicals or nitrates in this dog!
Snacks from Del MonteChobani Bite!A better deli meat
Disclosure: the above companies sent me the products to test out. All opinions are my own.
I love hair accessories and have a hard time making buns in my kids hair. Hot bunsis a hit in this household! It is super easy to make a simple bun with this bun maker. Take a ponytail and put the Hot Buns accessory near the bottom and roll hair in an upward motion. Once the bun is at the top of the ponytail fasten with a snap at the bottom, pull elastic tightly from the bottom and wrap around the bun, then spread hair evenly around the Hot Buns accessory. It really only takes a minute or so! My kids are relieved there are not bobby pins poking their hair. Check it out! It really works.
Disclosure: The company sent me a few packages of hot buns to test out. All opinions are my own.
The kids and I had so much fun in NYC last week at the @BirdsEye #Playwithyourveggies event! The girls got to meet Nick star Jennette McCurdy! The event was to show kids how fun it can be to eat their veggies. The host was Nickeloden star Jennette McCurdy and Birds Eye Chef Michael Christiansen was on hand to showcase and help create recipes and play games. As you all know I cannot cook so it was nice to taste the recipes and have them available afterwards. The event was set up in stations reminding parents and kids to Re-write the dinnertime rules this summer! Here are some of the fun stations and photos!
The whole family at the pizza making stationBirds Eye Re-writes The Rules of Dinnertime. Rule #3 Celebrate Every BiteThe Birds Eye event had such cute decorationsRelaxing before the event started. I loved the plush stuffed veggiesEven though my little one’s face looks horrified the smoothies with the VEGGIES was so good. In fact when we came home they requested the veggie smoothie!
In July we were so busy with swim and dive team that we really did not get away that much. I was so excited to be able to go to an event in NYC with the kids and tied it into my husband’s business trip. Even though we were only in NYC for 24 hours there was still lots to do. Our visits included stops at Times Square, Bryant Park, The New York Public Library, Central Park, The Gramercy Park Hotel and The Plaza!
There are so many places that we say we are going to visit so next time on our list is visiting The Statue of Liberty, The Natural Museum of History and the Empire State Building!
Trendymommies at The PlazaA visit to central park or as my older one calls it grand central park!Dylans Candy Bar – kids favorite stop!A stroll at night @BryantPark
No back to school blog posts here as there is still plenty of summer left. Today on @NECN we walked through the best packed beach bag with a few neat items. Here they are!
·       Of course love the traditional bag from LLBean and they make great towels as well but what is very trendy now is the nautical bag. https://www.sailorbags.com a are made with actual sails! So cute in red and blue and they have great accessories to go along with the beach bags.
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·      I do have a ton of flip flops but love the Oka b. line of flip flops as they are comfortable and colorful and the starfish is pretty trendy right now.  They are available at retailers locally including Fairmont Copley in Boston.
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·      I am always looking for new trends in sunscreen. The Vichy line of sunscreens available from local CVS stores have great technology like the mousse lotion sunscreen and dry finish lotion.  I also love supergoop.com spray and their sunscreen wipes! The Paul Mitchell line of sun care for hair is a must have for moms that color their hair. The Sun recovery Hydrating Shampoo and after sun masque is so soothing and both have a UVeil™ to lock in color before sun exposure. The Sun Shield conditioning spray softens hair and adds shine as well as protects hair from the sun and prevents color fade
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·      Sand toys for the kids are a must and we love this cupcake set from Melissa and Doug available at Boston-based wayfair.com   Wayfair.comis the largest online retailer of home goods. The cupcake set comes with its own bag and its pretty portable and will keep the kids entertained for hours. They also sell this portable speaker from ihome – a must on the beach!
Disclosure: the above companies sent me the products to test out and review. All opinions are my own.
