DaddyB and I have not been on a date, with each other {meaning aside from our night’s out with friends}, in a very, very, very, very long time. And if I told you exactly how many years {yes years} it has been I know some of you would shout at me. So I’m keeping that info to myself. Needless to say, we have not ventured out on the dating scene here in Charlotte, however, my local site, TheCharlotteMoms.com affords me the opportunity to visit all kinds of great places here in Charlotte that I might not have seen otherwise. I’d love to tell you about two amazing places in and around Charlotte that I would highly suggest for a Valentine’s Day treat.

If you’re looking to stay in town, no matter the reason, and want great food I love Harvest Moon Grille. Not only do they tout, “Farm to fork” food, but their Executive Chef and Proprietor, Cassie Parsons puts her whole heart into her food, and you can tell. Named Restaurateur of the Year by Charlotte Magazine, Parsons not only manages the business side of things, but she’s also a local farmer and mom too. I was lucky enough to meet with her and enjoy some delicious dishes. Here’s some of the great food we tasted on our visit:

Make your reservations for Valentine’s Weekend or Valentine’s Day at Harvest Moon Grille here: http://opentable.com

If you’re looking for something a little more romantic however, consider a weekend getaway without the kiddos. Asheville is close enough to have a great get away, but not too far from home and the kiddos. Asheville has a lot of great places that offer romantic settings, but I recommend Grove Park Inn. Grove Park Inn has a few Valentine’s Day packages that are already set up for you, but make sure you plan in advance, because spots book quickly.

Valentine’s Day Weekend events include their Starlight & Chocolate party, dinner at your choice of one of their fine restaurants, Valentine’s Dance with dance instruction, and “It Takes Two” cooking demonstration and a commemorative portrait to remember the weekend by. Also, add a special couple’s spa appointment to make it even more romantic.

Check out some of their package choices here: http://www.groveparkinn.com/Valentine and tell them you heard about them on MommyB Knows Best it’s definitely going to be a weekend you will remember.

Seems like we’ve been throwing a lot of parties lately, how much fun!! We have a few fun activities coming up for our family this week, but I wanted to go back and recap a great Oral-B Stages party we were able to host at the B house.

Oral-B Stages are great for the little ones, and I have always felt that oral health is super important especially with my kiddos. OralB has brushes available for children who are 4 months young and kid themed brushes up to age 7 years old.

Our party was a Disney movie theme, we got to watch, Winnie the Pooh, the movie, eat popcorn, and play fun Oral-B games. What better pair than popcorn and tooth care since all those kernels get stuck in your teeth?!?

Check out some fun pictures from our party:

Tigger even made an appearance

What parties are you hosting the rest of this year?

Do you and your family use Oral-B? What do you think of the brand?

We personally choose Oral-B products because I love the brand as a whole, and they have great character themes. We’ve used these products well before this event and will continue to use them. I received all products and goodies for our guests from Oral-B and MomSelect, this in no way effects my opinion of Oral-B. 

Above ALL else, my girls favorite activity for play time is playing dress up. No matter if it’s trying on fancy dresses and shiny, plastic jewelry, or wearing their favorite character costumes, they could play dress up all day long. They have danced, ran errands with me, and even eaten in their dress up clothes, and if I would allow it I’m sure they would have slept in them, tiara and all, {ouch!}.

Lucky for us, my girls ultimate dream is coming true. The biggest dress up night of their lives {yes all 4 years for Miss A and 1.5 for Baby C,} is coming on October 21st, and you can come too!

Can Can, Discovery Place KIDS’ awesome mascot, invites you to her Masquerade Ball at Discovery Place KIDS-Huntersville. Put your fancy pants on, shine your dancing shoes, and get ready to celebrate the Museum’s one-year anniversary!

Heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served for the young and young at heart. Masks and costumes are welcome but not required, but of course you know my little ones will be dressed up for sure, and maybe mommy and daddy too!

Friday, October 21, 2011
6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
105 Gilead Road
Huntersville, NC 28078

Purchase tickets online : http://www.discoveryplacekids.org/events/event/18/Can-Cans-Masquerade-Ball or call 704.348.1994 to purchase over the phone and for additional information.

Cost per ticket is: $25 per child (ages 1-13 years) & $50 per adult (ages 14 and up).
*Children younger than one are free

All proceeds from this event will benefit the educational programming at Discovery Place KIDS-Huntersville.

So won’t you join me and my “dresser-uppers”, Can Can, and The Charlotte Moms {who are giving away 2 tickets through 9/25} for this fun night to celebrate Discovery Place KIDS’ first birthday?! We would love to see you come out and support the community and have fun with the kiddos too.

What are your child(ren)’s favorite characters to dress up as?

I have used a total of maybe 5 diaper bags since Miss A was born {4 years ago}. And the bags have just gotten bigger and bigger, but not huge, don’t take me the wrong way, I’m not carrying those ENORMOUS Army duffle bags around or anything. Sheesh! But I do have to admit after carrying around this one: Previous semi-big diaper bag I still needed more space, especially for my two girlies.

One of my friend’s Kellee Olmstead sells Thirty-One Gifts and I looked through her catalog trying to find a diaper bag and although they don’t list any bags specifically as diaper bags they have awesome alternatives. I ended up with this cute, black, Cindy Tote:

This great bag not only has a really clean look, but more importantly for my baby item hoarding issue, it has two exterior side pockets that I use for holding sippy cups {or sometimes stashing the poor Goldfish crackers that end up on the floor}, had an interior zipper pocket where I put my keys, and gum so the girls don’t get them, and three interior open pockets that I have random things like hand sanitizer, granola bars, bandaids, and of course crayons in. And even though all the pockets are incredible, I also love the open space of the inside, yes even after I fill up all the pockets I have room for coloring books, an extra change of clothes for baby, diapers/wipes, and so, so much more. One more thing, I also love that this bag comes with two leather-ish straps but that you can also add, and will probably want to add, an extra shoulder strap if you like to put your bag on your stroller and it also makes a nice accent if you choose a fun color to match any professionalization you add.

Luckily, Thirty-One offers bags like these so once I’m done with the diapers I can use this bag to tote my laptop, and other work essentials and still look cute doing it.

If you like the Cindy tote, or want to check out the other cute accessories that Thirty-One carries head over to: http://www.mythirtyone.com/Olmsted/ to check out Kellee’s website and place your order for bags that you can fill with all types of goodies, help you organize your home, or just look cute and fashionable.

Do you carry a small, or large diaper bag/purse? What are your essentials to carry?

I received a Cindy tote in order to write this review. All opinions are my honest opinions and not influenced by any outside sources, cross my heart. I hope that you enjoy reading my reviews and I would love your opinions too!

And even though summer camp gave her a little taste of what school would be like she was still nervous about going to school.

Days leading up to school DaddyB and I talked school up telling her what it would be like, how much fun she would have, and tried to calm her fears.

Yesterday morning when she woke up she was in a great mood, {which at 4 years old sometimes can be a toss up}, she got dressed in her school uniform, but most importantly added her Perfectly Perrywinkle headband to complete the cutest preschool outfit ever. {Sorry for the mobile pic but our main laptop is in the “shop”.}

Aside from being super cute the headband was customized to Miss A’s school colors, red, white, and navy, and at Perfectly Perrywinkle you can request colors to go with your child’s favorite outfit, your family’s favorite sports team, or you can select one of their pre-made headbands listed on their Etsy site.

The headbands are a little pricier than most of Miss A’s other headbands, but for one she can wear to school anytime we’ll be able to get a lot of use out of it, plus they make perfect gifts, *hint, hint!!

Perfectly Perrywinkle’s headbands are for any age, brand new baby girls through sassy moms and can dress up any outfit. The headbands and materials are made with great care and cute fabric and you can really tell. Make sure you check out their Facebook page and feel free to tell them MommyB sent you.

I received super cute samples of Perfectly Perrywinkle headbands for this review, which in no way effect my opinions expressed in this post. All opinions expressed are mine, however yours may vary,

Amazing! That is the one word I would use to describe the great time had by all at the Teddy Bear Picnic this past Saturday. Thanks to North American Bear Company each of the kids received a different bear. Some of the children didn’t even want to put their bear down, while others were playing, “Ring Around the Rosie”s.

The moms and children donned their adorable duds and came to munch on some of these breakfast favorites: organic milk, orange juice {no pulp of course}, gigantic muffins, a great assortment of kid friendly fruit, teddy bear cookies {mostly for theming}, and thanks to Musselman’s not only did we have a picnic basket, but we got to enjoy some of their healthy AND tasty Totally Fruit applesauce, no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial colors or flavors! Love it!!

And of course, to top off the Teddy Bear theme: Tropical Sun’s own Grabeez Gummy Bears in assorted flavors. Easy for the kids to hold and munch. Or read nutrition information: {I actually think “G” was trying to figure a way to just get the red ones out, those are my favorite.}

After their bellies were full, the children danced to music, ran around the shaded area and checked out the beautiful water at Cullman Park in the Ballantyne Corporate Park picked out by the amazing photographer for this event, Jamie, with Photography by Jamie Lea. 

Here are a few more great shots from the event and to check them all out, head over to Photography by Jamie Lea on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/PhotographyByJamieLea and make sure you like her page.

Big thanks again to all those who participated in this event!

North American Bear Company – A great assortment of Teddy Bears

Photography by Jamie Lea – Amazing photographs

Anders Ruff – Printables made specifically for our event

Tropical Foods – Attendees Take Home Grabeez Gummy Bears

Musselman’s - Delicious All Natural and Totally Fruit Applesauces

Perfectly Perrywinkle - Fuchsia and Orange headband worn by Miss A

Taylor Mathis – Fun red and white checkered table cloth

Every teddy bear, that’s been good
Is sure of a treat today
There’s lots of wonderful things to eat
And wonderful games to play

Beneath the trees, where nobody sees
They’ll hide and seek as long as they please
Today’s the day the teddy bears have their picnic!

Hooray for summer, for play, and especially for picnics. I wanted to bring something fun to you, my amazing readers, and I decided what would be more fun than a Teddy Bear Picnic?!? What child, {and parent} wouldn’t love to attend a picnic with the cutest Teddy Bears, tasty snacks, and fun friends?

For this fun event, I have partnered with North American Bear Company, who I love and have worked with in the past. They have provided 8 of their most fun bears as dining pals to this event. Here is a sneak-peek at some of the bears that they’ve provided:

Along with North American Bear Company there are a few other companies who are pitching in some great goodies for my guests. Musselmans has provided a cute picnic basket with fruity goodness, great printables by Charlotte superstars: Anders Ruff made specifically for this event, and amazing local photographer Jamie from Photography by Jamie Lea will be on-site to snap some fun pictures of the kiddos among some other great tasty surprises.

The official Teddy Bear Picnic will be held Saturday, August 6th, in the Charlotte, North Carolina area at brunch time and you are invited. I will be your hostess and my beautiful 4 year old, Miss A will be joining us so there are 7 spots up for grabs to this amazing Charlotte event your child {and you} won’t want to miss.

If you are not in the Charlotte area you may still be in luck. North American Bear Company is giving one lucky reader a bear of their very own so they can have their own Teddy Bear Picnic too. Entries will be pulled from the same general pool so any of the entrants are eligible to win this great prize.

Please note for the Teddy Bear Picnic:

• 7 children (and 1 parent) will be selected to attend this event {feel a little Willy Wonka-esque to anyone else}.
• Parent or primary caregiver must be able to attend the full event with the child selected.
• Ages 3 and up (preferably under 10 years old).
• 1 child per household please.
• Location will be revealed to the winners 1 week prior to the event.

Head on over to my {first ever} giveaway tab on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/MommyBKnowsBest and be sure to enter all of your information for a chance to win an invite to the Teddy Bear Picnic. If you are unable to attend because of location or your schedule please be sure to write UNABLE TO ATTEND in the entry section to be entered for the North American Bear Company Teddy Bear drawing only.

Giveaway ends July 29th @12:00 am. The winners will be chosen at random, verified, emailed, and announced in a Winner’s post. The winners will have 48 hours to respond to the email from MommyB to claim the prize, if the prize is not claimed within 48 hours a new winners will be chosen at random. You must be a US resident and 18 years or older to enter.

I know some of you may be perfectly happy with the way you look and to that I say, “Rock on mommas!!” But for those of you who aren’t quite there yet, I encourage you to get active and would love it if you follow my “Get Fit” Journey.

I know I can be happy with my mommy body, stretch marks, changes from pregnancies, nursing and all, and I’m excited to get there with the help of Champions Sports Performance.

From the minute I walked into Champions Sports Performance & Training Center facilities I was shocked. Not only is their location a great renovation, but it offers almost everything you could want in a work out location. From a Purotion FTS suspension training system {that will impress you}, spin bikes by Momentum, and a 40-yard acceleration indoor track there are many different ways to get a great workout, so you never get bored, not to mention the rest of their equipment and classes.

At Champions you don’t have to be active in sports to train like an athlete. I went in practically sedentary, minus chasing after the kiddos and even at my level the basic warm up was challenging but not overwhelming. The amazing trainers and staff at Champions not only encourage me to keep going, but they taught me the correct form so I got the most out of my workout without hurting myself.

Champions  Sports Performance & Training Center is based on several dynamic training programs that teach you amazing form in a high energy way. I really enjoyed training at Champions personally and could tell that even with a few sessions I was getting a great workout, improving my cardio and strength and on my way to losing the extra pounds that I’m ready to say goodbye to.

Interested in finding out more about Champions Sports Performance & Training Center in the Cornelius/Lake Norman NC area? Head on over to their website: http://www.championssportsperformance.com/ and take a look for yourself. You’ll be impressed at what they have to offer, I know I am.

{They also offer a GREAT kids program for children ages 5 and up, I have heard nothing but good things from the families I’ve met there and Amy from Macaroni Kid Lake Norman check out her posts and learn more about summer camps and the Parisi Speed School side of Champions:  http://lakenorman.macaronikid.com/article/132592/champions-sports-performance}

What are you waiting for? Channel your inner athlete with Champions!

I received personal training sessions in order to complete this review. My opinions are in no way influenced by this and are my honest opinions. Yours may vary.

Often times there is the question of, “How should I capture those memories?” You can always take photos yourself, however there may be times when you want photos of yourself with your child or just want to focus on your child instead of all of the components of the party. That may be when you turn to friends to take photos. Now some friends can be great at taking the shots you want to see AND making sure they are good pictures, however you may find that you want your friends to enjoy the party and not worry about taking pictures or that you want a higher quality photo, that’s when I turn to professional photography.

Not every professional photographer is equipped to take good pictures of children, especially if they are involved in busy birthday activities. Barbara Payne from Barbara Payne Photography not only knows children and how to photograph them, but she’s a mom herself, so she understands how to get great shots from even the shyest child.

My favorite things about Barbara Payne Photography are:

• She is patient with kiddos {and all her subjects}, making sure she gets the best shots possible
• She has the talent and skill to take amazing pictures, which in the sea of photography is a big deal because she’ll be the photographer giving you clear, crisp pictures of your cuties with no editing tricks.
• She has the most up-to-date, high-quality equipment and you will benefit by being able to have shots that some cameras or lighting just won’t be able to produce.
• She offers in-studio and on-location shoots, perfect for a birthday party shoot and an in-studio birthday shoot.

Although Barbara Payne Photography can tout such great professionalism and works well with any age really her photos speak for themselves. Here are some great shots from Miss A’s 4th Birthday Bash:

See?!?! Barbara Payne Photography is located in Charlotte, however she’s always on the go, so if you’d like to get your pictures taken by her contact her through her website: http://www.barbarapaynephoto.com/ or check her out on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Barbara-Payne-Photography

Which picture is your favorite? Who takes your birthday pictures? You, a friend, a photographer, Barbara Payne Photography?

I received digital photographs from Barbara Payne Photography in order to complete this review. The opinions expressed in this post are mine. Your opinions may vary.

Birthday cake tends to be the “finishing touch” on a party, something that all the guests tend to look forward to and in our case the rainbow themed “4″ cake by Got What it Cakes was no different. Owner Mandie Miller takes great care to produce an amazing product that looks great, and receives rave reviews in the taste department as well. It’s no wonder that Mandie and her cakes received a Best of the Best Award by Charlotte Magazine.

Mandie is an amazing baker who comes up with mouth-watering flavors like strawberry fluff, and peanutbutter cream, and is also, “mom” to two little girls as well! She’s amazing at what she does and I would highly recommend Got What it Cakes not only from my personal opinion, but also the many rave reviews I received when our party guests saw and tasted her cake.

Here are some pictures {compliments of Barbara Payne Photography} of the amazing rainbow cake she made for Little Miss A’s 4th birthday:

{Miss A making her birthday wish, which I am sure was to eat the entire cake by herself, she begged me a million times to eat it on the drive home the day before}

{And finally the BIG reveal…rainbow cake outside AND inside!!!}

That’s impressive right? If you like this cake, you’ll definitely want to check out Mandie’s other great creations at: http://www.gotwhatitcakes.com I would definitely use Got What it Cakes again in the future.  If you hire Got What it Cakes for your event, be sure to book for your party early because she does book up quickly…for the obvious reasons.

Head on over and follow Got What it Cakes on Facebook, feel free to tell her MommyB Knows Best sent you.

What cake designs have you seen that you absolutely love? Have any fun or extraordinary birthday cake plans coming up?

I received a sample of Got What it Cakes product in order to complete an honest review of her products. This in no way changes the opinions expressed in this post. The opinions in this post are mine and mine alone. Your opinions may vary.