Categories
Events Holidays

Easter talk, what’s up with the weather and more @980WCAP

Each week I have the pleasure of being a part of the Midday Cafe with Jack Baldwin on 980 WCAP-AM in which I give the trendymommies.com report. This week we talked about Easter, the spring that seems like it will never arrive and April fools days’ jokes. Listen in.

WCAPApril2

 

Categories
Events fashions

April Fools, Easter and a Fashion Show

No that isn’t a punch line….It is April Fools Day today and I have nothing planned, yet. But it is no joke that I had a wonderful weekend. Easter was so much fun as we had both family and friends over and lots of treats. We even splurged on a carvel ice cream cake!

The kids and I were in a fashion show this weekend at Old Navy at the Middlesex Commons.  It was so much fun. We could see friends in the audience and my girls were dressed in fun, springy dresses.  I loved my dress as well.  The selection of spring/summer clothes at Old Navy is just great. From the colorful sandals, bright t’s and shorts to the flower dresses, they have something for everyone this season. I never walk in there without finding a little something.  We spent way too much time shopping afterwards, but picked up some great finds including jeans, shiny boots for my 11 year old, a bathing suit and a denim dress for myself.

This event was set up by Middlesex Commons’ wonderful social media person Alana Brooks and we received a discount on purchases that day, a little goodie bag for the kids and flowers for participating. It was nice to see all the area bloggers with their children enjoying the walk down the runway.  Check out the photos and if you have not visited Middlesex Commons plaza in Burlington, GO!  It has just about every store you will need to find a great wardrobe (and try the burger at Burton’s Grill if you get hungry after all that shopping)  Check out their Facebook page!

Disclosure: Old Navy provided us a 15 % discount for participating in the fashion show and a small gift bag.  All opinions are my own.

Happy Easter with an Easter Cake!

Our finds while shopping at Old Navy!

Our runway modeling at Old Navy Middlesex Commons
Categories
Uncategorized

Free Tix! Nixi Baby Expo Waltham, Mass.

I cannot wait until the Nixi Expo on April 7,2013 at the Westin Hotel in Waltham, MA from 11-3. While I am not expecting a baby, I like to keep up on the latest trends and finds for baby and mom.

More information is on their web site and especially for trendymommies.com readers:  FREE Nixi Expo Admission Tickets! Code: nixifree

Enjoy and hope to see you there!

FREE baby expo tickets!

 

 

Categories
Events Trends

Creative Kids? Honey Maid Helps Kids Get Their Ideas Made!

What a neat idea from Honey Maid.   The company created a new online initiative called Made Co. to help kids get their ideas made. Made Co. is a unique new online contest for kids ages 6-12 that can win opportunities to have their ideas brought to life with the help of industry experts.

It has been going on for months and there is only 13 days left  so check it out. The goal was to inspire the little ones to learn and create under the guidance of real world professionals in their chosen fields.

Through Made Co., Honey Maid will partner with several experts from a variety of industries including clothing designers, authors and game and toy makers. These industry experts will review idea submissions and select one grand prize winning idea per project to be professionally created, with the help of the winning applicant.

One of the current projects on the site now includes a chance to win a trip to attend a writer’s workshop (for a winning child with her/her parent) with My Weird School book series author, Dan Gutman, at Harper Collins Publishers headquarters in New York City. The winner will work with Dan and Harper Collins to produce ten copies of the book that he or she has conceived.

Honey Maid sent me a brochure and a gift card to Target so my little one could purchase a few items to help her create something special. Of course my author in the making chose the writing assignment (see the books below – can you tell we love My Weird School???) Armed with her pencils and notebooks she wrote a short story! She was very excited about the whole experience.

Visit the web site www.HoneyMaid.com/MadeCo. and the Facebook page  www.Facebook.com/HoneyMaid to learn more about this contest and the entire range of Honey Maid products such as Honey Maid Grahamfuls, which can help can fuel your child’s creativity. Have you tried the Grahamfuls yet? They taste so good!

Disclosure:  Honey Maid sent me a brochure and a gift card to purchase items to help with this project. All opinions are my own.

Supplies for the Honey Maid MadeCo. contest

My daughter’s inspiration!
Categories
Events

Easter Preparation @980WCAP

Today on 980 WCAP we talked all things Easter! What’s in your kids’ Easter baskets?

 

trendymommies.com wcap report

Categories
food Uncategorized

March is National Nutrition Month! Tips from Stop & Shop

We love Stop & Shop! (especially the prepared foods)  Stop & Shop’s full-time nutritionist, Julie Menounos had some great tips on ways to get the most out of your grocery shopping experience. She provides some very useful advice that will help you on the path to better nutrition.  See my comments in bold as it is true, we know what we need to do as moms to shop smartly but it’s always nice to remind ourselves with these great tips.

With health eating in mind, Stop & Shop sent us a $20 gift card and armed with Julie’s tips I was ready to go shop.

Julie Menounos’ Simple Tips:

Before You Leave:

  • Don’t shop hungry. Be sure to have a light meal or snack with fiber and protein before shopping to avoid impulse buys.
    • I KNOW THIS All too well. When you are hungry you tend to lean toward the not so good food too.
    • Make a grocery list. Plan out your week of meals, snacks and beverages and those you need to restock. Organize the list by the departments of the grocery store to save you time shopping.
      • How many times have you not done this and it takes twice as long?? It does become a nightmare if you wander aimlessly and without vision

During Your Shopping Trip:

  • Shop the perimeter of the store. This is where the freshest, most natural food lies. So fill most of your cart with fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and dairy items then venture down the center aisles to stock up on staple goods like whole grains, beans, vegetable-based soups, canned tuna and wild salmon.
    • Sometimes I do get lost in the chip aisle…
    • Pay attention to symbols to help you shop. For example, at Stop & Shop, you can look for the Healthy Ideas® symbol next to the price to find products that are better for you and your family.
    • Now I will chose and look for this symbol over another alternative
    • Read the ingredient list. If you are not sure how to accurately interpret the Nutrition Facts label, the ingredients list can provide you with enough information to make a healthy decision. Ingredients are listed in order of weight from high to low. In general, the less ingredients the better. If sugar is listed in the first or second ingredient of your breakfast cereal, look to swap it.
      • I do this more often now, it can slow you down a bit if you are on a mission but worth it for your health.

When You Get Home:

  • Focus on filling half your plate with fruit and non-starchy vegetables. Fill the other half with whole grains (bread, rice, pasta and starchy vegetables like corn, peas, potatoes) and lean protein (chicken, turkey, beef seafood, beans).
  • Don’t forget a serving of dairy (milk, yogurt or cheese) either incorporated into the meal, on the side or as dessert!
    • Think about adding fruits and veggies to your families’ favorite foods. Add strawberries in cereal, blueberries in yogurt, sliced pears in a grill cheese sandwich, shredded carrots and zucchini to pasta sauce and broccoli on pizza.
      • I do try to look for ways to sneak in fruits and veggies and try to balance out the meals

 

Thanks to Julie for those great tips!

Disclosure: Stop & Shop sent me a $20 gift card for this blog post; all opinions are my own.

My favorite treats at Stop & Shop
Categories
food

March is National Nutrition Month! Tips from Stop & Shop

We love Stop & Shop! (especially the prepared foods)  Stop & Shop’s full-time nutritionist, Julie Menounos had some great tips on ways to get the most out of your grocery shopping experience. She provides some very useful advice that will help you on the path to better nutrition.  See my comments in bold as it is true, we know what we need to do as moms to shop smartly but it’s always nice to remind ourselves with these great tips.

With health eating in mind, Stop & Shop sent us a $20 gift card and armed with Julie’s tips I was ready to go shop.

Julie Menounos’ Simple Tips:

Before You Leave:

  • Don’t shop hungry. Be sure to have a light meal or snack with fiber and protein before shopping to avoid impulse buys.
    • I KNOW THIS All too well. When you are hungry you tend to lean toward the not so good food too.
    • Make a grocery list. Plan out your week of meals, snacks and beverages and those you need to restock. Organize the list by the departments of the grocery store to save you time shopping.
      • How many times have you not done this and it takes twice as long?? It does become a nightmare if you wander aimlessly and without vision

During Your Shopping Trip:

  • Shop the perimeter of the store. This is where the freshest, most natural food lies. So fill most of your cart with fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and dairy items then venture down the center aisles to stock up on staple goods like whole grains, beans, vegetable-based soups, canned tuna and wild salmon.
    • Sometimes I do get lost in the chip aisle…
    • Pay attention to symbols to help you shop. For example, at Stop & Shop, you can look for the Healthy Ideas® symbol next to the price to find products that are better for you and your family.
    • Now I will chose and look for this symbol over another alternative
    • Read the ingredient list. If you are not sure how to accurately interpret the Nutrition Facts label, the ingredients list can provide you with enough information to make a healthy decision. Ingredients are listed in order of weight from high to low. In general, the less ingredients the better. If sugar is listed in the first or second ingredient of your breakfast cereal, look to swap it.
      • I do this more often now, it can slow you down a bit if you are on a mission but worth it for your health.

When You Get Home:

  • Focus on filling half your plate with fruit and non-starchy vegetables. Fill the other half with whole grains (bread, rice, pasta and starchy vegetables like corn, peas, potatoes) and lean protein (chicken, turkey, beef seafood, beans).
  • Don’t forget a serving of dairy (milk, yogurt or cheese) either incorporated into the meal, on the side or as dessert!
    • Think about adding fruits and veggies to your families’ favorite foods. Add strawberries in cereal, blueberries in yogurt, sliced pears in a grill cheese sandwich, shredded carrots and zucchini to pasta sauce and broccoli on pizza.
      • I do try to look for ways to sneak in fruits and veggies and try to balance out the meals

 

Thanks to Julie for those great tips!

Disclosure: Stop & Shop sent me a $20 gift card for this blog post; all opinions are my own.

My favorite treats at Stop & Shop
Categories
Events fashions Uncategorized

What are you wearing? Trends for Spring

Happy Spring!  Hopefully the snow we just got yesterday will melt quickly! Each season I switch my closets and I cannot wait until the weather gets warmer. What trends/colors are you excited about this spring? Here are the top 5 trends that are on my must have list.

1.  Black & White – Whether it’s a skirt or a sweater, the trend of black and white looks crisp and sleek. Luckily I own a few nice pieces already – see my photos below. I also love the look of black and white polka dots.

2.  Florals – flowers are a big trend this spring (it reminds me of the 80’s!) Check out Ann Taylor or jcrew.com for inspiration

3.  Silver – Especially on accessories this will work for day or night dressing. It looks especially chic when combined with white.

4. Sheer – You have to be careful with this one. Try a more subtle shirt with sheer side panels poking through.

5.  Global – this influence of exotic, colorful prints just pop! Try it in a scarf or a cute pair of shorts if you cannot embrace a full dress.

Black & White for Spring!

 

Categories
Events fashions

What are you wearing? Trends for Spring

Happy Spring!  Hopefully the snow we just got yesterday will melt quickly! Each season I switch my closets and I cannot wait until the weather gets warmer. What trends/colors are you excited about this spring? Here are the top 5 trends that are on my must have list.

1.  Black & White – Whether it’s a skirt or a sweater, the trend of black and white looks crisp and sleek. Luckily I own a few nice pieces already – see my photos below. I also love the look of black and white polka dots.

2.  Florals – flowers are a big trend this spring (it reminds me of the 80’s!) Check out Ann Taylor or jcrew.com for inspiration

3.  Silver – Especially on accessories this will work for day or night dressing. It looks especially chic when combined with white.

4. Sheer – You have to be careful with this one. Try a more subtle shirt with sheer side panels poking through.

5.  Global – this influence of exotic, colorful prints just pop! Try it in a scarf or a cute pair of shorts if you cannot embrace a full dress.

Black & White for Spring!

 

Categories
Events fashions

What are you wearing? Trends for Spring

Happy Spring!  Hopefully the snow we just got yesterday will melt quickly! Each season I switch my closets and I cannot wait until the weather gets warmer. What trends/colors are you excited about this spring? Here are the top 5 trends that are on my must have list.

1.  Black & White – Whether it’s a skirt or a sweater, the trend of black and white looks crisp and sleek. Luckily I own a few nice pieces already – see my photos below. I also love the look of black and white polka dots.

2.  Florals – flowers are a big trend this spring (it reminds me of the 80’s!) Check out Ann Taylor or jcrew.com for inspiration

3.  Silver – Especially on accessories this will work for day or night dressing. It looks especially chic when combined with white.

4. Sheer – You have to be careful with this one. Try a more subtle shirt with sheer side panels poking through.

5.  Global – this influence of exotic, colorful prints just pop! Try it in a scarf or a cute pair of shorts if you cannot embrace a full dress.

Black & White for Spring!