Cool Kitty - eShakti Review

I'm purring over my custom-made dress.

Dress: c/o eShakti
Sunglasses: Ray-Ban
Heels: Ralph Lauren

eShakti, an online women's apparel store, has given me the pleasure of reviewing their store and shopping process. It is not your run-of-the-mill online store. They do custom sizing and custom changes to the style of the garment you select. Want a shorter hemline? Just request it. Want long sleeves? Bam. They make it happen. Now, they even add embellishments.

When choosing a dress, I wanted to find something that was a bit different than my usual style. I typically go for solid colors in classic shapes and lines. But this cat-and-houndstooth print spoke to me. The long lines and the bell sleeves felt very Mad Men to me, like nothing I have in my closet.

For someone like me, who is tall with a decent-sized bust (not bragging, just stating a pain in the rear fact), I find it hard to find properly fitting clothes. I feel like I'm always in between sizes and way too long for anything provided off the rack. I provided my measurements and received a custom fit dress. And I love it. This dress is fun - vintage, yet modern. Most importantly, it fits me like a glove.

The pricing is extremely reasonable as well. For a dress that is custom-tailored to your liking, it is worth spending between $50-$90 rather than buying a dress of the rack that might end up in your Goodwill pile sooner rather than later. If you register with their site, they give you a $25 off code as well. I'm definitely going to go back to eShakti for more dresses in the future. Have fun shopping!

Review: NatureBox

It is definitive - my son is a picky eater. I truly believe this is payback for my bird-like eating habits when I was younger. What goes around, comes around, and what has been coming around lately is food shoved back in my face in a little, chubby toddler fist while he shouts, "No, no, no!"

I was invited to try a new, gourmet snack company called NatureBox. NatureBox is a monthly service that ships a new box of healthy treats your way for $19.95 per month. They also donate a meal for each box purchased to hungry children in the US. Considering my son's recent eating habits and my own tendency to snack on the nearest (and unhealthiest) thing, this sounded like a great plan.



My box arrived, and while it looks fairly compact, it is loaded with goodies:



There were five snack packs of relatively decent size inside. Each snack had healthy, antioxidant-boosting foods like raw nuts and berries. I pictured myself shopping for each of these packets at a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's and started adding up the pricing in my head. I guessed that for five bags of natural, nutritious snacks, I'd be looking at $35, minimum. This made the $19.95, plus free shipping (and one less trip to the store) all that much more appealing.

The house favorite was definitely the Blueberry Almond Bites. My husband and I had to resist from chomping on them because the biggest fan was our son. "More! More, please, more!" he said, his hand outstretched after his first bite. And that, along with health, affordability and deliciousness, makes it all worth it.

NatureBox would like to offer my readers 25% off your first month's subscription. At checkout, use the promo code BERRY to receive your discount. NatureBox ships to the 48 continental states as well as FPO/APO addresses, and P.O. boxes.

ShopStyle's New Style and Sweater Searches

Crewnecks & Scoopnecks
Crewnecks & Scoopnecks

Ever since I bought my latest cozy find, I've been obsessed with finding more crew neck sweaters for winter. A classic crew neck offers flexibility in styling and long-term wear, as they never go out of style.

I found the sweaters above when I headed over to ShopStyle, as I always do when executing a massive search for my latest desire. ShopStyle has recently updated their site and made the search functions much more appealing and user-friendly.  You can search from the onset among categories, brands, price range and color. Now, when search results appear, you can scroll down the screen to view rather than clicking across and use the search functions to drill down into specifically what you are looking for. It is now much easier to favorite a look by clicking on a heart in the lower right hand corner of the picture. Through my search for sweaters this time around, I noticed that Land's End has some great deals - something I don't think I would have noticed before if it hadn't been laid out so well in front of me.

What are you craving for fall and winter? Head on over to ShopStyle to find it!

Disclosure: I have partnered with ShopStyle and Circle of Moms to review ShopStyle's new site design for compensation, but the opinions stated and items chosen are my own. And seriously, I use ShopStyle everyday.

Review: Tickle Time Mineral Powder Sunblock

I have never thought about mineral powder serving as a sunscreen. Now that it has been presented to me as an option, it seems kind of genius. Tickle Time Mineral Powder Sunblock by Anne Heche struck me as a cool concept. I was asked by Tickle Time to review their mineral powder sunscreen. I'll break it down, pro-and-con style:

PRO:

The compact brush design - This is a great size to throw in a bag when you are on the go. All you have to do is pop the top off and out comes the soft bristle brush. The powder naturally flows onto the bristles and thus, onto your face when applied. Plus, my son found the brush to be hilarious, which is appropriate for a product called, "Tickle"...



He was soon applying it himself...



Mommy can use it - This is easily a product for the whole family. On a day where I'm caught without sunscreen, I could readily apply it to my face and not ruin my makeup with a pile of grease.

Less chemicals - When it comes to our little ones, this is always a good thing. 

CONS:

Low SPF - it is only 20 SPF, which means you would have to be diligent about reapplying. I would likely use this in the fall and winter when sun isn't such a factor but I still want a layer of protection.

Couldn't put it to the water test - Tickle claims that the powder is water-resistant because the layer of minerals stays on the skin. I believe them, but I'm still skeptical. I may have to put this to the test another time.

All in all, I like this product as a quick fix, touch-up product. It currently resides in my diaper bag and I used it just the other day for a quick dusting at the zoo, which brought about giggles and grins from my little guy who usually doesn't tolerate reapplication of sunscreen.

Disclosure: I was supplied with a sample of Tickle Time Mineral Powder Sunblock in exchange for my review, but my thoughts and opinions are solely my own.

Review: Snugli Stroller

I was asked by Snugli to review their new stroller line. I typically use my giant beast of a jogging stroller for all of my stroller needs and I leaped at the chance to try something a bit more stylish and compact. We took it out for a spin on Treasure Island last weekend. Here, I will break down my thoughts on the stroller:

What I Loved



A tall, adjustable handle: I'm 5'11". My husband is 6'5". Graming and Poppie, the grandparents you will see in later pictures, are 6' and 6'6", respectively. In the land of giants that is our household, any stroller that we use has a handle height requirement. The Snugli Stroller has a handle that slides up fairly high but would easily slide into a lower position for those of you more on the petite side. It passed the test of working well for my husband (who, I would like to point out, looks super handsome in his pink chic ensemble.)



The sleek, compact design and oversized storage basket: I love the black and chrome combo. It was also very simple to put together on the first try. The wheels rotate evenly and easily and you have the ability to lock the front wheel.  I also love the step brake, which is much easier than the hand brake on my jogging stroller. I should also point out that you can change the seat from front facing to rear facing by clicking buttons, lifting and turning. Simple as that. Since it is compatible with many different infant car seats, this would be an excellent stroller for transitioning from birth to toddler. And look at the cargo space. My overstuffed diaper bag, a huge water bottle and the organic apple dog treats we picked up from a vendor all fit comfortably below.



The seat has three rotational points that allow you to lay them back in a sleeping position or sit up straight to see the world go by. And who wouldn't want to sit up and see views like this surround you?



Pretty spectacular, huh?

The easy opening safety bar: I don't have one of these on my jogging stroller because it costs extra and I haven't found a need for it yet. However, Keagan seemed to find a purpose for it immediately - foot rest. He's a fan, so I'm a fan.




What Didn't Work For Me



A short sun shield: While I like that the shield has flaps for circulation and light, I found the shield to be a bit too short. Keagan refuses to wear sunglasses and we rely on a shield to keep him covered. This could be remedied by draping a blanket, but I prefer a more rounded shield design.

Collapse-ability: Yes, I just made that word up. What I mean is that while the stroller collapses with a quick push and twist of a handle, you have to remove the seat portion (also easily removable) before you collapse. This means you are storing two separate pieces if you are placing it in the back of your car. If you can use this stroller as you go in-and-out of a garage or home without collapsing it, I'd recommend that.

Overall, I highly recommend this stroller. They also have style sets to dress things up a bit. I actually tried to put a style set on but couldn't figure it out and I can guarantee you it was user-error. The designs are pretty sweet. And truthfully, I prefer the all-black design. It is classic, functional stroller and perfect for errands about town. I would definitely choose this stroller over some of the more jumbo jogging strollers like the BOB or the Baby Jogger for trips to the store or the mall. It also serves well if you are looking for a stroller with longevity since it can work for baby through toddler years. And if you are a hoarder when it comes to the contents of your diaper bag like me, then the storage space alone is worth it. If you are looking to purchase one for yourself, it is available exclusively at BuyBabyBuy.com.

Thank you, Snugli, for allowing me the opportunity to try out your fantastic new line!

Disclosure: I was provided a stroller in exchange for my review, but the thoughts and opinions here are solely my own.

Review: Faux Real Novelty Shirts

If you are a long-time follower of this blog, you know that I love and go all out for Halloween. But Teal, you say, it is only September. And I respond that if you haven't started planning your costume yet, you are already behind. A good costume can take months to pull together. But not everyone is as crazy as me and wants to get an easy solution to their costume desires. When Faux Real, an online retailer of novelty tees, asked me to review their latest line of costume tees, I couldn't resist. My Halloween planning is already in full-force action, so this provided some great inspiration.

For Keagan, I chose a biker tee. And once he was all dolled up...excuse me, tatted up, I was obsessed:







No, that's not a switchblade in his tough little hooligan hands. Those are nail clippers. But watch out. This biker will cut you if you step out of line, punk. And how about that chest hair? I was cracking up as he crawled and toddled around with a full patch of chest hair poking out. The XS sizing worked perfect for him too - it would fit approximately a 2-3 year old. The level of detail in the t-shirt screening was pretty impressive. They claim photorealistic apparel and I would have to agree. It almost looks like he is wearing a leather jacket from the back.




And when I could get him to hold still, he was fascinated with his new tattoos on his guns...



I would definitely use this tee as part of a Halloween costume. A little hair cream, perhaps a goatee, and you have a solid and supremely affordable costume. Shirts run between $20-$30, which is way below what you might spend in a costume store and allows you to be much more creative than a lot of the cookie-cutter costumes you may see on Halloween.

Speaking of cookies, who else is excited for Christmas? This girl in the ugly holiday sweater is!






Who hasn't been invited to an ugly sweater party? Faux Real's take on the ugly holiday sweater stood out to me in pictures and was actually super comfortable in person. The challenge of any theme party is to actually go out and find the ugly sweater among the rejects in the Goodwill bins. This shirt saves you the search. It photos like a sweater, right? Nope. It is a super cozy tee. I'm considering wearing this shirt Christmas morning as well to go along with the holiday cheer - it is that fun and that hideous that its a conversation starter and it will have to make repeat appearances.

There is a fantastic line of men's tee's as well. As a child of the '80's, Teen Wolf made me laugh especially hard. I highly recommend checking out Faux Real for your quick fix for Halloween!

** Disclosure: Faux Real provided the shirts in exchange for my review, but the opinions given and laughs had are solely my own.

Fall Favorites on ShopStyle

Ah, ShopStyle. What would I do without you? Whenever I'm on the hunt for a certain item of clothing or a certain colored bag, I go straight to ShopStyle. They deliver the goods from nearly every online retailer and you can search and sort by price, brand, store, color and more. That is why I was thrilled to be asked by ShopStyle and Circle of Moms to create some fall looks using their easy online tools. Below, I chose items that I'm pining after, for both me and my little toddler, and more importantly, items that I can afford to buy on a working mom's budget.

Chambray shirts and animal sweaters

Crewnecks & Scoopnecks
Boots

In the fall, I bring out my staples: tall boots and cozy sweaters. My must-have item this fall is a chambray button up shirt. Whether worn alone, or layered under a sweater, it will be the most versatile piece in my fall wardrobe. I'm also really on board with the animal sweater trend. I like this sweater because it is on trend, but it doesn't come off as cutesy or precocious. Also worth noting - the diaper bag listed above is a bit pricier than most diaper bags, but from personal experience and use, I can tell you it is worth it for a long term investment, particularly if you are planning on future babies. If you are looking for a bag that is functional and doesn't look like a diaper bag, this is the one.

Are you ready for some football?

Infant Boys' Sweatshirts
Toddler Boys' Shoes

Sports are a big deal in our house. My son has, by sheer force of environment, learned all of the different balls, from soccer to basket to tennis to foot.  Football takes over in the fall and I'm a sucker for sports-themed wear for my little guy. And of course, we have to represent our beloved Turbo in t-shirt form.

What clothes are you craving for fall? Head on over to ShopStyle to find it!

* Disclosure - This is a sponsored post. But seriously, I use ShopStyle every day.

What to Wear: Late Summer Wedding, via Boutine

Recently, I was invited to try a new social commerce site, Boutine. They partner with emerging designers from around the world. What I like best about Boutine is their design tools. It is easy to browse around and create virtual styling. You can create collections and share your style.

I've been daydreaming about what to wear to an upcoming late summer/early fall wedding and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try out Boutine and create a collection. I love the design of this maxi, employing bright and burnt colors into one place for the seasonal transition. A few gold accessories dresses up the look. And don't get me started on all the ways I would wear that bag.

If you'd like to join Boutine, you are invited!

Warby Parker Frames

Wanna help me pick out some new frames? I present options A and B below:



Option A, on the left, is the Bensen. Option B, on the right, is the Reynold.

I wish I could say that this was a sponsored post by Warby Parker, but alas. It is just me professing my love for a company that gives a pair of glasses to someone in need for every pair that is bought. Think TOMS for your face.

Not only am I loving their vintage styling, I'm a big fan of their home try-on program. This is my second time around receiving 5 pairs for 5 days. The first time around, I selected a mish-mash of frames because the frames I liked the best weren't available for home try-on. The process for receiving and sending them back was smooth and super easy. This second time around, I'm crushing over two different styles.

Feel like leaving a comment on which one you like best?

Hullabalu, Reviewed

Meet Lambie. Lambie is my son's best friend. His snuggle buddy. His chew toy. His stuffed companion from day one.

Lambie has been put through the wringer (and through the washing machine, weekly) of toddler abuse. When Keagan loves a toy, he loves it so hard that he literally eats it up. And despite Lambie's decrepit state, no other toy compares in the eyes of my loving boy.

When I had the opportunity to try out a toy from a new online store that launches in October, Hullabalu, I jumped at the chance. I constantly try to introduce a new cast of characters, if only to give Lambie enough of a break to go through a washer's spin cycle. However, since the sun rises and sets over Lambie, I have a pile of rejected characters that Keagan has cast aside.



Meet Mr Bibs. He arrived in a big blue box with a Hullabalu logo on the side. He is soft, plush, shiny and new. Plus, he is an adorable monkey and Curious George is a huge hit in our home. I crossed my fingers that Keagan would be impressed.



"Oh, Keagan!" I called."Come meet your new friend!" This is the face that came bounding down the hallway towards his fuzzy surprise.

He came into his room and stopped in his tracks. He gave Mr. Bibs a sly grin and ran out of the room. I sighed. Another toy for the pile. But before I could pick Mr. Bibs up, he returned with Lambie in hand.



I promise I didn't pose this picture. He just climbed in and piled his little friends onto himself. I guess he just needed to get Lambie's stamp of approval as well in order for Mr. Bibs to join the gang. (And yes, I am just as repulsed by Lambie's chewed up face as you are. Sigh.) I'm happy to announce that upon demand from the lord of the house, Mr. Bibs took up his place in Keagan's crib that night. That is prime real estate, my friends.

While Mr. Bibs was sent by Hullabalu, he is only a preview of what is to come. They are launching their own line of playful characters, with story lines and a bit of life lessons involved. The line launches in October, but you can get on their list now for launch updates by clicking here. I'm excited to see what else is to come from this quality store. Thanks, Hullabalu!

** While I was sent a toy in exchange for my review of Hullabalu, the opinions expressed here are my own.