Category Archives: Ladies

Giveaway: Timex Dress Crystals watch

  By Amy | March 31, 2011 - 8:41 pm | , , , ,
89 Comments

Timex Dress Crystals watch

*Congratulations to our Timex watch winner, commenter #39 – Allison S.!  Allison has been notified via email.

Pretty watch, isn’t it? Want one? If you said yes then, you’re in luck because we’re giving one away.

The jewelry inspired Timex Dress Crystals features genuine Swarovski crystals and offers a gorgeous blend of grace and fluidity. These timepieces are the perfect accessory for every outfit, from evening gowns to jeans. Why not indulge in some everyday luxury?

This watch features:

    52 Genuine Swarovski Crystals
    Stainless Steel Case
    Genuine Leather Strap
    Mineral Glass Crystal
    Polished Finish

MSRP $90. Watches from the Timex Women’s Crystal Collection are available on Timex.com.

To enter, Click over and “Like” the Timex StyleWatch Facebook Page. Come back to this post and leave your entry comment. Just let us know that you’ve earned your entry by Liking Timex StyleWatch on Facebook.

A winner will be chosen from the comment section of this post at random on Monday, April, 11, 2011. Giveaway open to residents of the continental US.

Disclosure: I was not given a Timex Style Watch to review, however, we are happily hosting this giveaway to help promote Amy Goodman’s new book, “Wear This, Toss That” published by Simon and Schuster. We like Simon and Schuster!

Closet Staples- TP from Timex Style on Vimeo.

If you’re feeling like a challenge, you can also take this Wear This, Toss That wardrobe knowledge quiz (optional, not required to enter giveaway).

Paint Easter Eggs on Your Fingernails

  By Amy | March 30, 2011 - 8:26 am | , , , , ,
1 Comment

piggy paint

I have been eying up this so-called “Piggy Paint” for quite some time now.  I remember hearing about it a while ago from Audrey at Mom Generations.  I tend to trust her judgement when it comes to fashion and accessories.

I have a five year old glamour girl, who has her very own rock star closet dressing room and I need to get serious about stocking it with all things girly that are safer and and more natural.

We got our fingernails on some Piggy Paint, Forever Fancy, to be more specific.

piggy paint

The preschooler and I have both painted our nails with the Piggy Paint.  It was kind of nice not to smell that strong nail polish odor that emanates from my polishes.  I’m also hesitant to use my nail polishes on her nails (she’s a recovering thumb sucker).  I feel more confident letting her paint her nails with Piggy Paint due to the fact that it’s odorless.  Same goes for the Piggy Paint Nail Polish Remover.  It does not contain acetone and it’s true, there is very low odor and no stinging!

Piggy Paint has a price point of around $8.99 US dollars, which for some may be kind of steep.  In my opinion, if it’s for my young daughters, I’d much rather spend the money on something I believe is safer for them.

That brings me to my next point.  Piggy Paint and the Project Earth line for tweens would make a snappy Easter Basket stuffer.  Do you do that?  Stuff Easter baskets?  Well, if you do, consider getting a Piggy Paint Gift Set for that special little lady in your life.  She’ll swoon, I’m almost willing to bet on it.  In fact, there is a perfect set of pastels ideal for Spring.  Also, mama, there is Piggy Paint Refined for us.  #WIN!

Zhip (a-Dee-Doo-Dah)

  By Amy | March 14, 2011 - 2:19 pm | , ,
1 Comment

zhip

We are loving this handy little holder called the Zhip.  It’s a smart phone holder with a retractable zip cord, that allows you to virtually hang it anywhere.  Our most favorite use: the backseat for the kids.  The Zhip holds my iPhone, so the kids can watch programs, which keep them entertained on long car rides.  It also keeps my iPhone out of my hands while I’m driving.  Without that temptation there, we’re all a bit safer.

*Just to clarify: The white cord you see in the picture above is not part of the Zhip.  It is our auxiliary cord, which we use to amplify the sound of the video through the car stereo.  The Zhip’s retractable cord is thin and black.

I have also used some of the suggestions from Zhip’s website like, suspending my phone from the cabinet in the kitchen while viewing recipes and keeping the kids entertained during meal preparations.

zhip holder

Clip it to the stroller when you go for walks/jogs, take it on flights and hang the Zhip from the tray table hook.  It helps keeps messy little fingers off of your smart phone/iPod Touch.  Another way that I like to use it is propped up on the bookshelf with a digital clock in view, so my phone is easy to locate.

Anyway, you get the gist.  I’m sure you can think of many other great uses for the Zhip.  We love it and recommend it.

Plustek OpticFilm 7400

  By Amy | March 6, 2011 - 1:40 pm | , , , ,
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plustek opticfilm 7400 scanner

In a recent pitch, I noticed this film scanner listed as a great gift idea for dads.  It’s a slide/negative scanner and as soon as I saw it, I remembered that we had a bunch of old family slides that we had collected from my mother-in-law’s basement.

Now, I would consider myself intermediate to advanced when it comes to computer software and hardware.  The set-up of the scanner took me between 20-30 minutes.  The instructions that came with it were easy to follow and the scanner was up and running in no time.  I have been using the scanner to turn those old slides and negatives into digital photos for viewing on the computer, sharing online or printing.

The OpticFilm 7400 works much like a regular home scanner, except it is smaller and only scans slides and negatives.  I have been having a blast scanning old film negatives that I had saved up over the years.  I had always thought that one day I would have all of my old negatives turned into digital photos, in my opinion, a much better way of preserving them rather than having photos gathering dust in boxes.

The imaging software included with the film scanner is SilverFast SE.  It’s a fairly easy program to use, again, much like the home scanner imaging programs.  It allows you to edit your scanned slides and negatives and save them in various formats.

silverfast se plus

Why would you want a film scanner?  Well, number one, if you have slides or negatives from your 35 mm film camera and would like to digitally store your photos, this scanner is a great option for doing just that.  From what I gather, this version of the OpticFilm scanner is better than its previous versions but lacks the dust and scratch correction option.  That doesn’t really make a difference to me, as I can do that in PhotoShop and quite honestly, my goal here is to preserve my original prints in electronic format.  I’m not super concerned with perfecting the images, so this film scanner is satisfactory for me.

plustek opticfilm 7400

In the world of film scanners, quality and price points vary.  I would say that the Plustek OpticFilm 7400 Film Scanner is one of the more affordable scanners, retailing for under $300 (on Amazon.com).  Like I mentioned above, this particular film scanner does the trick for me.  If you have a project you are working on that maybe doesn’t consist of the mass scanning of old slides and negatives for digital storage, then you should definitely do some comparison shopping.  To start, here is a slide scanner comparison article from Buzzle.com

If you’re looking for more in-depth information on the Plustek OpticFilm 7400 film scanner that I’m talking about here, check out this article from ScanDig.

Now, I must get back to preserving my old memories!

Gorillapod Video by Joby

  By Amy | February 7, 2011 - 7:59 pm | , , , , ,
1 Comment

http://joby.com/gorillapod/ballhead/

I was given this Joby Gorillapod Video to check out and I love it even more now that I have had a chance to use it.

joby gorillapod video

I have a tripod but it doesn’t provide nearly the amount of flexibility and stability as the Gorillapod.  I tend to not use the standard tripod for my Flip MinoHD and my videos do kind of make you feel “seasick”.  I really like taking videos, especially video interviews.  Remember last fall, when I interviewed Stacy London?  I so wanted to set my Flip down because I knew I would end up shaking it around too much.  I even told her that I shake, which totally gave her the wrong impression of me.  She actually asked me if my shaking was a physical problem.  No, Stacy, I just can’t hold still!  Oh, I wish I would have had the Gorillapod back then!

Anyway, why I really dig this tripod is because of its multiple usage options.  You can wrap the legs around chairs, door handles, tree branches, rear-view mirrors, etc.  Look, if you like to take video of anything and everything, wrappable legs are a fantastic feature.  That’s what sold me in the first place.

The tripod’s feet are super magnetic.  This is my Flip, stuck to the refrigerator door with the Gorillapod holding it in place:

gorilla pod video on fridge

I highly recommend this tripod for anyone and everyone who likes to shoot video and/or use a point and shoot camera (works for both).

Joby has other Gorillapods that will work with your cameras, iPads and smart phones.  I’m planning on getting one for our DSLR.

I drew it on the upside

  By Amy | January 22, 2011 - 12:53 am | , , , ,
1 Comment

american sandbox logo

children's mispronounced english

I get such a kick out of the things little kid’s say.  The preschooler’s Christmas Pageant was just a month ago and in the days before the play, we would practice the songs together.  I about lost it when she sang a song about “Jesus Price”.  I then found out that she “…is Mary, who bore-end Jesus Price”.  Just tonight, she informed me that she drew some stars on the upside of her house (the ceiling).  She kills me with her cuteness.

I asked a bunch of my friends what adorable mispronunciations have passed through their kid’s lips.  They told me things like:

“Baby ‘Genius’ (Baby Jesus)” – Carly, age 3 – Laura A.

“She said she didn’t want to get an ‘edgie’ (wedgie)” – Taylor, age 3 – Lorraine W.

“He asked me to help him put his ‘hocks and hooves’ on (socks and shoes)….he was having a little trouble with the letter S.” – Ben, age 3 – Julie L.

And of course, I have more of my very own to add.  The five year old used to say things like, “Oh-me-ums” (oatmeal), “Nay-be” (maybe), “N and M’s” (M&Ms).  My toddler says things like , “Nuths” (snacks), “Puhtza” (which is a cross between pizza and pasta), and she calls her sister for any of the three daily meals by shouting, “Hailey!  Munch-U-Ohhhh!”  I think “munch-u-ohhh” is a combination of breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Not sure how she came up with that but we love it!

Some of my favorite mispronunciations from the first edition of the American Sandbox Dictionary of Children’s Mispronounced English are: “Pennslavania”, “hippobottomless” and “pyrocrapter” among many others.

This dictionary is a fun gift for anyone who has a little mispronunciation in their lives.  I’m willing to bet it will break the ice at any stuffy family event.

*A copy of the American Sandbox Dictionary CME was given to me to talk about here on ParentSphere.  The words above are my very own!  Well, most of them anyway.

The Wonder Weeks: Leap through baby’s first 20 months

  By Amy | January 10, 2011 - 3:33 pm | , , , ,
2 Comments

the wonder weeks

My baby, actually, my “toddler” just turned 18 months a couple of days ago.  I can still recall her first few months and how difficult I thought they were.  She was a bit of a finicky baby, to put it gently.  Now, here we are, a year later and it just fascinates me how she has grown physically and has advanced mentally.  It also fascinates me how different she is from my first born, who is now 5 years old.

You probably think that I’m dealing with the “terrible two’s” stage right now but you couldn’t be further from the truth.  I picked up my copy of the Wonder Weeks around Wonder Week 64, or at my toddler’s 15-16 month mark, and my eyes were opened for the very first time to my toddler’s amazing world.

I am the type of person who likes to put her feet in others shoes, so to speak.  When I found myself getting frustrated with a 15 month old, whom my 5 year old has so lovingly deemed, “The Destroyinator”, it was like a breath of fresh air to step out of my size 7-1/2′s and into her toddler size 4s.  It’s been over 33 years since I’ve experienced the things that she’s just experiencing now, for the first time.  So, you can understand how easy it is to “forget” what it’s like to see the falling snowflakes or say the alphabet completely for the very first time.  Honestly, after I took a leap or two back, I was able to deal more effectively with my “terrible two”.  I now watch her more intently and can see the wheels turning as her world expands around her.  I am a little better prepared to deal with her “developmental leaps”.

We’re now at Wonder Week 79 and things around here have been quite enjoyable since I’ve incorporated some of the suggestions that I’ve found in The Wonder Weeks.

If you’re about to become or just became a parent, I highly recommend picking up a copy of the Wonder Weeks.  It’s a fascinating guide with testimonials from other parents who are experiencing the same things that you are.  Instead of wondering if or why your baby should be doing this or that, you can gauge where he’s at in his developmental stage and work together to make both of you more comfortable in your new worlds.

*I was sent a copy of The Wonder Weeks to read and talk about.  All of the opinions expressed above are my very own.