Now you may be familiar with 2 chix from your own experience or from one of my first ever posts here: http://www.mommybknowsbest.com/2-chix/. They are known as a fun line of maternity shirts made mostly for moms, but some for dads too. Well, recently I found out that they not only carry bump-themed gear, but they also carry kids clothing, and it’s just as cute as their other lines.

Of course I had to try them out, especially after I saw that they had this bee shirt:

I am, afterall, MommyB and have a whole bee family on my site. I thought it was appropriate, and the girls loved it, especially Miss A because she goofs around sometimes calling me, “MommyB”.

We also got to try out their “Suh-weet” t-shirt which was a white fabric, and the girls honestly looked adorable in both. The first thing I noticed after I received the shirts was the amazing shirt quality. The fabric was thick and soft too. So many of the kids clothing stores today offer cheap prices but the fabrics are so thin you have to layer so they’re not see-through, or they just don’t hold up. Having two girls, namely Baby C who’ll inevitably end up with hand-me-downs, I have to make sure that their clothes can survive the daily wear-and-tear.

When I saw the fun designs were, “velvety accents”, I must admit I was really skeptical that these t-shirt adornments would soon be ripped off by my washer and dryer. Much to my surprise, {and delight}, the shirts have held up wash after wash. No pilling, the bee and ice cream cone have stayed put, and the shirts have kept their size too.

The shirts are a little pricey for what I would normally buy the girls at $32.00 a shirt, but with the way it holds up and the fun velvet accents as opposed to normal print, I could definitely see this being a decent purchase, especially if it’s going to be handed down to one or more child in the future. Weird to call a shirt, “an investment”, but that is exactly what came to mind.

My one disappointment in 2 Chix Chicklets line: they only make them in size 2T-5 and 2T-6 in organics. I don’t dress the girls identical a lot, but once and a while is cute, {in my opinion}. What’s your opinion? Cute or not???

Check out 2 chix Chicklet line here: http://www.2chix.com/products/toddler__kids_tees/index.asp and don’t forget they also have maternity clothes for moms and fun shirts for dads, not to mention cute onesies for the wee babes too. Check them out on Facebook too: http://www.facebook.com/2chixMaternity

What is your favorite 2 Chix Chicklet shirt design?

As I was looking through their website I found some really cute items and thought they would be great for Miss A. They have fun, quirky styles for girls of all ages. Through my searching I also found out that their sock line, which is probably their most popular item, carries socks for babies age 6 months and up, toddlers, girls, women, and even men! Now DaddyB is pretty conservative with his socks so I’m not sure that he’d wear them, but I know my younger sister who is 14 would LOVE some of their styles. I think their city-scape socks are pretty cool.

Whether you’re looking for fun accessories, sock bundles, or even cute clothes I suggest you check out Little Miss Matched, Miss A LOVES her socks, I think mostly because she can express herself even though she is required to wear a uniform to Preschool, and I love it because I don’t have to worry about matching socks when I’m folding laundry!

How much fun right?!?! If you want to check them out head over to Little Miss Matched’s website: http://www.littlemissmatched.com/ and check out their last minute gift ideas and great shipping choices!!

I was able to try out some Little Miss Matched products in order to give my honest thoughts on their products. I was in no way swayed by the company and all the above words and opinions are my own. Your opinions may vary. 

I must admit being a “girl mom”, I enjoy every second of picking out girly clothes. And I’m glad the girls just go with it, {for now at least}. I know it’s not too far off when the girls will be telling me more what they want to wear and less what I think looks adorable, but while I can dress them, I will.

I recently learned about the online clothing shop Hartstrings, and immediately fell in love with their outfits. If you don’t already know I’m a prude when it comes to my girls especially and I make no apologies, I think little girls should be able to dress their age. Hartstrings clothing is age appropriate, stylish, and high quality.

The price point on the clothes as you can see is much higher than a Children’s Place or Carter’s, however so is the quality and style. If I had to compare Hartstrings to a children’s store I would say the pricing and style come close to Gymboree. Hartstrings, however, has hands down, the best quality children’s clothing I have seen in a while.

You know those flimsy, long sleeved t-shirts that you see and buy at every clothing store? The ones you need to have several layers just to stay warm indoors in? How about the ones that you question whether your child should wear and undershirt because it’s so thin you can see through it? Think of those shirts, and then think of the complete opposite and that is the amazing quality of long sleeved t-shirts you can purchase from Hartstrings.

We not only love the quality AND the cut {not to slim or too long}, but the details of the stitching are great too. The designs they put on their shirts can be very simple or more ornate, I love the range. Also, I can tell from the details, of their clothing{I’m a details gal} that Hartstrings is really proud of the work they put out, and I admire companies like that.No outfit would be complete with just a top right? Hartstrings has it all, for boys and girls of all ages. We chose this fun, black, stretch velvet skirt to go with the top. I knew Miss A had to have it because she LOVES to twirl and I could just tell this would be a GREAT twirling dress.

We love the fabric, it’s soooooo soft! The fit was great and lined up with most brand sizes. Our one problem with the skirt is that because this is a “rich” fabric and has lots of layers, and again Hartstrings is using quality materials, the skirt is actually pretty heavy. I know, it’s weird to hear that, but it’s weird for me to say that too. I haven’t really seen or experienced clothes themselves being heavy until now. It’s not a huge issue, especially with my 95% height and weight daughter, however if you have a little peanut like some of our friends this may be something you want to consider and choose a bottom with one or two layers of fabric instead.

Overall, the look of the outfit was really cute and Miss A loved wearing it to church. Here is a picture of Miss A modeling her Hartstrings wear and Baby C {who is not wearing Hartstrings}:

I recommended Hartstrings to my friends who were looking for great holiday outfits for family photos, dress up or casual clothes, and will be buying more Hartstrings myself because, again I am just in love with the quality of their clothes. You definitely get what you pay for in this case and in my humble, penny pinching opinion it’s totally worth it.

Head on over to Hartstrings’ website to check out their fun clothing lines for boys and girls from baby to size 16 kids: http://www.hartstrings.com, make sure you sign up with your email for 10% off your next purchase. PS – I also noticed that they are regularly adding new pieces to their “sale” section including in-season pieces, which not a lot of places do, so now is a great time to take advantage of the holiday clothes that are on sale.

If you’re interested check out Hartstrings on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hartstrings and Twitter: http://twitter.com/hartstringskids and feel free to tell them that MommyB from MommyB Knows Best sent you

I received samples of the product mentioned above in order to perform this honest review by MomSelect. All words and opinions are my own true thoughts about the products, however yours may vary.

Cloth diapers enthusiasts will tell you that you need a detergent specifically formulated for cloth diapers that doesn’t contain optical brighteners, phosphates and other chemicals that can increase the likelihood that your diapers may experience odor or stain issues.

I’ve tried several cloth diaper detergents and believe some work better for us than others because of the hard water we have in the South where I live.

I recently tried Ruby Moon Cloth Diaper Detergent for the first time, and overall, it seems to work well.

With the help of my co-tester, my 3 month old daughter, we washed several loads of soiled cloth diapers using Ruby Moon in the summer lemonade scent.

The scent is very strong when you smell it straight out of the bag. Almost too citrusy – reminds me of kitchen cleaner. However, the scent it leaves in your clothing is almost non-existent (a good thing).

The detergent did a fairly good job of removing the urine and waste. I didn’t notice any lingering odors, although staining remained (more than with some cloth detergents I’ve tried) on the cloth inserts that my daughter had a bowel movement in. However, this is very common, especially with exclusively breastfed babies like my daughter.

The simple fix for that is to place the clean, wet diapers or inserts in the sun. The sun is miraculous – it will remove most, if not all, stains. Even if you don’t cloth diaper, try “sunning” any clothing you have with stains.

Ruby Moon Cloth Detergent is all natural and does not contain phosphates, enzymes, optical brighteners, fabric softener or soap, which is good for the diapers/inserts and my baby’s skin.

I also tried Ruby Moon’s Wipe Bits, which I am now in love with. You take the small cube, drop it in hot water and let it melt. Small “chunks” remained and never completely dissolved, but when you swirl it around, you’re left with a silky, luxurious-feeling liquid that you can use as a wipe solution or to simply clean up any mess on you or your child’s skin. Trust me – you’ll want to use them yourself. I don’t like heavy scents or fragrances because they trigger my allergies, but Ruby Moon’s Wipe Bits have a light, refreshing scent of milk, oatmeal and honey.

Overall, I’m quite pleased with the Ruby Moon products and I would purchase them for our cloth diapering needs, particularly the heavenly Wipe Bits.

You can find Ruby Moon online at www.diaperparties.com/andream or on Facebook: Diaper Parties by Andrea or email Andrea at: andream@diaperparties.com

Although products were provided by Diaper Parties by Andrea for this review, the opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced in any way.

After a 10+ years communications career, Jamie K. recently took on her most challenging  job yet – as a full-time CFO (chief family officer). Currently, she lives in Alabama with her husband, an officer in the Air Force, and her toddler son and newborn daughter. 

Luckily, we have a solution. BePe Baby Slippers for ages 6 months through 5 years. These are great. Not only are they cute and available in a wide array of designs and styles, they’re also perfect for skating, floating or trying to be the next Martha Graham. They have just enough traction on the bottom to reduce the amount of spillage that normally happens with four-year-old girls. And even though she doesn’t care about that stuff. I do.

Plus, they keep her toes warm and so far, we’ve had a couple of very cold days here in Charlotte. And when she was wearing these, I didn’t hear one complaint. Imagine how lonely my ears felt. (Not really!)

But I love these slippers. And so does my daughter. And when MommyB asked me to review them for her blog, I jumped at the chance. As you can see, my daughter fits nicely in them. And they’ve become a fun part of her nightly routine.

Luckly for MommyB Knows Best readers, for the next 30 days, you can buy a pair for 20% off using code: mommyb. {It’s not case sensitive.} So make sure you head over to BePe Baby’s website: www.bepebaby.com and choose from the great selection of girls, boys, and unisex slippers.

Becca is the Social Media Marketing Manager for Picaboo. She is also the mother of two kids, a miniature cow and has a joyful husband. When she’s not creating Victorian Photo Books, she can be found eating carrot cake and watching Six Feet Under reruns.

I received a pair of BePe Baby Slippers in order to complete this review. This in no way has impacted my opinions on the company or product. The words in this review are my honest opinions, however yours may vary.

Last year the girls dressed up as Snow White and her, {ahem} poison apple. Baby C was a cute poison apple for sure though. See:

Adorable girlies I loved that they were themed too, and so did everyone at the parties we attended and houses we stopped at. The girls got lots of, “ooooohs” and “ahhhhs” and “Oh my goodness, they’re too cute” ‘s. I loved it. And this year while both of them are somewhat agreeable I decided to pair them up again.

Miss A has agreed, {and actually is excited} to be Toy Story’s own Lil’ Bo Peep, and Baby C will be her sheep. I am still deciding on which sheep costume I want for Baby C, but here is Miss A’s costume from http://www.childcostumes.com and one I think is cute for Baby C too. What do you think?

We were completely satisfied with the quality of the costume. I really like that the costume came with a cute shepherd’s crook to complete the outfit. Once Miss A put the costume on she did not want to take it off, but alas I convinced her. I love that  fact you can layer with long sleeves or take off the pants depending on the weather outside, because sometimes, depending on what area you live in you can’t tell if it will be warm or cool. One thing to think about when purchasing costumes it that this Halloween costume, and most costumes, do not come with shoes, which is not a big deal since we have a couple pairs of plain black shoes that will coordinate nicely. Also a small note our pants ended up being a little long on Miss A but nothing a little rolling won’t help, plus when in doubt I always say go with a bigger costume than smaller because it’s easier to make alterations.

I also love it when whole families dress up in a theme too, I tried to get DaddyB to dress up as DJ Lance Rock from Yo Gabba Gabba a couple of times, but he just wasn’t having it. Maybe in a few years he’ll warm up to the idea.

What themes have you dressed your children or family up as?

Have you seen any really creative costume ideas?

ChildCostumes.com has a wide variety of costumes whether you decide to go with a family theme or not, check their website out here: http://www.childcostumes.com

I received a costume from http://www.childcostumes.com in order to complete this review. My opinions in this post are my own, honest opinions. Yours may vary.

Yes, a seasonal new beginning. But while Spring cleaning inspires you to redesign your home, your closet and your make-up bag, you can rarely afford to re-style all at once direct from the pages of the luxury fashion
magazines you adore. Thanks to our super power savvy mom smarts, we know these days it’s easier to shop quality and avoid paying full price. But the challenge remains: Who has the energy to race to the outlets with little ones in tow? Even when Spring IS calling?

It’s just these types of parenting lifestyle realities, along with style and affordability, that inspired our team to create BrightZoo – an online member mom marketplace where discounted designer and secondhand maternity and children’s products live side by side.

BrightZoo trunk shows feature high-end specialty items at insider prices, for both mom and her brood. And BrightZoo also offers parents the opportunity to buy or sell the essentials – fashionable maternity and children’s clothing, as well as key family items like gear, toys, books, electronics and more. A one-stop shopping arena for parents who are pressed for time and relieved to know they’re getting the best deals out there.

Visit Brightzoo this Tuesday when our Featured Trunk Shows include a fresh mix of collections up to 75% off, including designers Lunette (precious girl clothing), Soft (organic cotton toddler wear), Tree by Kerri Lee (nursery and gift items), Petit Couture (modern luxury basics for girls), Mai Flores (jewelry for Mom) and Adore la Vie (for the elegant little girl). This limited time trunk show ends Friday, so be sure to browse quickly for yourself and your family.

Visit us and register at: http://www.brightzoo.com
Visit this week’s trunk show at: http://brightzoo.com/featured-trunk-shows

With Love,
Kelly and Jessica – BrightZoo Founders

Recently, I was approached by SmartKnitKIDS to try out their, “Seamless Sensitivity Socks.” Normally, I probably would have passed, again, mountains-of-socks, however after checking out their fun, buggy, website, I found that these socks have an even greater purpose than just keeping “piggies” warm.

SmartKnitKIDS are perfect for children with sensory processing differences, and are hypersensitive to fabrics and seams. They are great for little feet and will not wrinkle or bunch. Albeit they look a little weird not having any seams and fit a little differently I know Miss A appreciates the comfort and at 3,4,5 and up who’s looking at your socks anyway! There’s no heel in the SmartKnitKIDS design, but the socks do have the brand name on the bottom of the sock so children know which way to put them on. Miss A had no problem putting them on or taking them off, which is nice when we’re in a hurry to get out the door.

I really love that SmartKnitKIDS come in sizes small enough to fit Baby C to sizes big enough to fit MommyB and some really cute colors too!! Miss A loved the pink, of course. My favorite part of SmartKnitKIDS, are the great things that SmartKnitKids are doing with their product and website Go to: http://www.smartknitkids.com/index.html to support people suffering from hypersensitivity and sensory processing differences with professional resources, and even some heartwarming and cute testimonials too.

Do you have a child who’s ultra sensitive to fabrics?? Tell us your story!

If you want to try a pair of very reasonably priced SmartKnitKIDS buy them here: http://www.smartknitkids.com/shop_seamless_socks.html

SmartKnitKIDS is giving one lucky MommyB Knows Best reader a chance to win your choice of 3 pairs of SmartKnitKIDS socks.

Here’s how to win:

Using the ENTRY FORM directly below this post (NOT the comment form), submit your name, an email address that you check regularly, and the entry/entries you are submitting all at the same time. There is no need to fill out separate entry forms for each item you complete. *Please note the Mandatory Entry MUST be typed into the form BEFORE you can qualify for additional entries.

This contest has ended. Thank you for reading and check out other great tips, videos, posts, and giveaways, right here on MommyB Knows Best.

Giveaway ends March 9th @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 winner will be chosen at random. You must be a US resident and 18 years or older to enter.

Although I’m a very tiny speck compared to HUGE companies, I am such a rule follower, and would rather not get in trouble with my posting, so I’m moving the giveaway over here to my blog.

Here are the Facebook Promotions Page Guidelines : http://www.facebook.com/promotions_guidelines.php basically outlining a few of the following rules, and more:

You cannot: Condition entry in the promotion upon a user providing content on Facebook, such as posting on a Wall of a Page,  uploading a photo, or posting a status update.

You can: Use a third party application to condition entry to the promotion upon a user providing content to the application. For example, you may administer a photo contest whereby a user uploads a photo to a third-party application to enter the contest.

You cannot: Administer a promotion that users automatically enter by liking your Page, checking in to your Place or connecting to your Platform integration.

You can: Require entrants to like your Page, check in to your Place or connect to your Platform integration before they provide their full entry information, such as name and contact information.

You cannot: Notify winners through Facebook, such as through Facebook messages, chat, or posts on profiles or Pages.

You can: Collect an email or address through the third-party application for the promotion in order to contact the winner by email or standard mail.

You cannot: Instruct people (in the rules or elsewhere) to sign up for a Facebook account before they enter the promotion.

You can: Instruct users to visit the third-party application to enter the promotion (as described in Section 2.3.2.1). Since users must have a Facebook account in order to access an application on the Facebook Platform, if you give this instruction, they will be prompted to sign up for a Facebook account if they do not already have one.

Anyway, back to my giveaway! I am giving away a brand-new, beautiful, Japanese Weekend dress (retail $78) in size Large like the one pictured below: PS You can wear this for maternity, post-baby or nursing!! I’m also giving away a brand-new Cuisinart Mini Kitchen Prep Food Processor, (retail $30) oooh ahhh:

Great for making baby food or blending up smoothies, dicing onions, really anything you can dream of, I have one in white and LOVE it!!!

So what do you have to do to win this prize pack?? Two things.

1. Comment on this post below if you would keep this prize for yourself or who you’d give it to if you won.

2. Post the following on Facebook or Twitter: ” Just entered to WIN a Japanese Weekend Dress and a Cuisinart Food Processor from @MommyBKnowsBest here: http://bit.ly/dKKqFX ” (please make sure to tag MommyBKnowsBest to get credit

You can enter step #2 up to 5 times daily on Facebook and 5 times daily on Twitter, again please be sure the tag for MommyBKnowsBest for your entry to count.

Giveaway ends February 9th @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 winner will be chosen at random. You must be a US resident and 18 years or older to enter.

First up are Pajama Pants….these darling bottoms are not quite pajamas but not quite pants…they’re the perfect birth between the two and we’re so blessed to have the opportunity to look fashionable and be comfortable at the same time!! (sense any sarcasm?)

You can wear them anywhere, to a funeral, when you are in labor, on the verge of a mental breakdown and still look fabulous! They’re especially great for moms and plus sizers according to the commercial. You can even get as versatile as to roll up the cuff (exposing the pajama like underneath) for a different look.

Sorry men they don’t make them for you….yet, and kids, well, I’m guessing they’ll be some knock off coming out soon for you too! But in the meantime if you want to try Pajama Jeans I won’t tell.Check out the website for more information and even an informative video on how you can get your very own pair of Pajama Jeans and maybe even a cool crew neck free if you call now (or in a week, or a month,) https://www.pajamajeans.com/flare/next and if you really do try them I want pictures and a full review!!!

Next up is the iPhone for Verizon Wireless, okay okay so it’s not out yet, but word has been that it’s coming out soon, I know I know it’s been a long time coming and no one really knows when but everyone’s so excited so I guess I should be too right?? I have the iPod touch 4G and I love it, and my cell phone too. Of course it would be handy to have the iPhone instead of having two devices but how much will I end up paying for it with my 2 year contract?? We shall see….anyone else super excited about the iPhone and Verizon??

And before I get off here and get myself into trouble I’ll introduce you to one more New in 2011 product so far…one I definitely can use! It’s….Cami Secret. Are your boobs always falling out of your shirt? Do you need to be a little more discrete? Well the solution is here!!

You’re not alone, 1 in 4 women (not an actual statistic) suffer from Cleavage Overload Syndrome (not an actual disease) , better known as COS. Whether you’re hanging out with your teenage son’s friends, leading the choir at church, or signing up for the PTA, you don’t have to suffer with COS anymore! Buy your Cami Secret now and avoid this sticky work situation:

“You love that low cut top for going out at night but sometimes showing that much cleavage just isn’t right.”  So go get your Cami Secrets now!! http://camisecret.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1 Get 6 for $10 and a little tip I learned, when you try to click off the page without purchasing you can get an additional $3 off  using the discount code DISC3 imagine that, 6 Cami Secrets for just $7. (DaddyB really thinks I should buy these, is that a hint??)