As you may have heard, I recently turned 30.

As I whined about my upcoming birthday and Jenny shouted with glee on here and on Twitter, several people came to my aid and offered me advice and products that I’ll need for this upcoming decade. In case you’re about to cross that line or you’re already officially there, I thought I’d clue you in about these great products as well.

I’ve admitted before that I’m not great at taking care of my skin… in fact, I am pretty lousy at it. But I’m getting better – in no small part because of being introduce to April Rain Skin ScienceR and Elizabeth Grant products.

The April Rain Skin ScienceR collection is paraben and phthalate free, contain ECOCERT organic ingredients (it’s kind of like fair trade with coffee, only for skin care), and are powered by exclusive HydroPeptideR. Also, for every RainewR product sold, a portion of profits will be donated to Charity Water (charity: water), a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. That’s hard to beat! And isn’t it just pretty? It just looks relaxing… and it feels as good as it looks.

Additionally, I was excited to try out Elizabeth Grant products. Elizabeth Grant beauty­ has a full line of skincare that caters to all skin types, and can be used as a preventative measure for people, um, our age. They offer a Collagen Firming Neck Cream, BioCollasis Night Creme, and a whole line of vitamin C-based moisturizers for the entire body. I tried the Caviar Double Serum, a lightweight multi-functional serum that nourishes and rejuvenates the skin, and it is every bit as decadent as it sounds.

I also recently found out about Burju Shoes and had a chance to try them out. From their website:
This brand new customizable collection of shoes was inspired by professional dancer and choreographer, 30-year-old Burju Perez, who grew tired of the traditional dance shoe that lacked a certain flare her personal style was known for. Often forsaking comfort for style at the expense of her feet, ankles, and joints, Burju found herself going out for a night of social dancing on the town in her favorite Steve Madden’s or Nine West’s because they looked the part. Finally, she took it upon herself to design a shoe that merged both comfort and style, bringing together the engineering, support and athletic-ability of a professional dance-shoe, with the latest styles seen on the runways and the result was: Burju Shoes.
Let me just say that I have the world’s worst feet. I don’t own shoes that don’t give me blisters. And I am also the world’s worst shoe shopper – I’m incapable of actually purchasing anything different, fun, or exciting. I am bor-ing, and I would never be brave enough to buy something like this:

Honestly, when I got them out of the box, I was all “Whoa, these are totally NOT me!” But the more I looked at them, the more I decided that they might be fun to wear and it might be nice to step out of my comfort zone a little. And then I tried them on, and I couldn’t believe how comfortable they were. The soles are so soft and flexible, and they work on even my feet, which is really saying something. I don’t recommend wearing them if you’re going to be spending the evening walking around Epcot Center, but that is a whole other story. I can’t wait to break these out again at BlogHer!

Women in their 30s are likely to be moms or at least thinking about becoming moms, and a couple companies reached out to me with products that make my “mom life” easier – Go Ga Ga diaper bags and Lillybit Uptown Diaper Clutch.

I love the Go Ga Ga diaper bag. It’s hip and functional – it’s got a ton of different pockets and organizers, and it’s the perfect bag for a dad to carry. No Winnie the Pooh on this one!

This bag is so cool that I’ve started to use it as my laptop bag for my graduate courses – it makes me feel like a hip college kid, even if it does have spaces for baby bottles.

I also love the Lillybit Uptown Diaper Clutch. Sam’s old enough now that I don’t always lug the big diaper bag with us when we go out, but still we need to be prepared in case a situation arises. The
Lillybit Uptown Diaper Clutch is perfect for such instances. It’s light and simple, and folds up small – perfect to sling around my shoulder or throw into the stroller basket. I also LOVE that I can use it like this:

I don’t have to put the diaper bag on the grimy floor! That is genius, I tell you. The clutch is handmade with high-quality materials and it’s available in a variety of beautiful prints.

Shew! That’s a lot of info, I know. Thanks for taking a look at this post, and thanks to all the companies above who helped make my transition from 20s to 30s a bit easier!

This spring, Kate turned five and was totally over her “baby” Dora room (wipe a tear from my eye), so we decided to redecorate for her birthday. Because I am completely incompetent as a home decorator, I did what I always do when I have a problem – I blogged about it and pleaded for help on Twitter! Several people contacted me about the products they’ve created that makes decorating and organizing a child’s room a breeze, and I wanted to share them with you.

We started with paint. Kate’s room had been “Bonita Berry,” or the color of Dora’s shirt, and we were all ready for a bit of a change. Painting is one of the things that I hesitate to do with the kids at home – exposing them to the fumes and odors worries me. I was really excited when Olympic offered to let us try out their Premium Interior Paint – their Zero VOC (volatile organic compounds) formula is better for the environment and dries with no lingering odor. She and I worked together to paint three of her walls “Green Grape,” and it looks great!

Having wrestled with the Dora border to get it up on the wall and cursed it taking it down, I was in no hurry to put up more wallpaper. And really, isn’t wallpaper a bit dated anyway? So I was eager to try out a couple of alternatives – WallCandy Arts and Gooru Art.

WallCandy Arts are modern, colorful and reusable wall decals. They’re made in the USA with non-toxic materials and inks, and they won’t damage the walls or paint. We tried out the “dottilicious” designs as well as the chalkboard animals, and we really love them both! They were super easy to put up and also to move, which is good because we’ve had to move them around a little to cover up our painting mistakes. Kate loves the chalkboard animals – writing on the walls? Super fun! WallCandy Arts designs are very affordable as well – both the sets we have retail at $56. They’re found online and I’ve even seen them at Target.

Gooru Art is another great way to change the look of a room without spending too much time, effort or money. Everything they manufacture is made-to-order, so you can order anything you want exactly the way you want it. I love the designs they create using kids’ names! They can be applied not only to walls, but also to ceilings, doors, furniture, glass, wood, mirrors, metal or plastic – you can totally get creative. We loved the “Tiny Bubbles” pattern. It was easy to apply and looks great. At $65, the bubbles are easy on the wallet as well!

One thing we really struggle with in Kate’s room is organization – and organization of clothes, in particular. A couple solutions we found were Closet Maid and the HamperRack from Perfect Curve.

The HamperRack is a laundry bag that hangs on the back of a door. We’ve found it to be very useful for Kate’s sports equipment – when we come home, we put her ball glove, hat, shoes, swim cap or goggles right in the HamperRack, and there’s no scrambling for it when it’s time for practice. The single rack is a bargain at $7.50, as is the double rack at $15.

We also love ClosetMaid organizers! They offer “grow with me” systems that are functional from the time your baby is born until he or she goes off to college. The wire baskets allow you to see what’s in each one, and I love the adjustable height clothes racks that allow you to hang the clothes where the kids can actually reach them! Their website is great – you can use their Visual Storage Planner to virtually design the system that would best suit your needs. I truly couldn’t believe how affordable they are either – this 5′-8′ wide Shelf and Rod organizer is only $42.99!

Kate’s room turned out great, thanks to these wonderful products (and a super-fun trip to Ikea!). She loves her new space, and I am so glad to she has a bright, organized room.

As Jenny will happily point out, my 30th birthday is this Thursday, and to celebrate, we’ve scoured the interwebz for products essential for 30-something women, and we’ve got several awesome giveaways lined up for this week!  You’re not going to want to miss any of them – here’s the first!

My search for must-have products that led me – over and over – to skincare.

I think they’re trying to tell us something, ladies.

Here’s your chance to try out a top-of-the-line skincare package from super-model and mom, Heidi Klum!

This line is created for the young among us (and those of us in our 30s are still in that category, right?) and made to stop lines and wrinkles before they start.  Perf!

From the makers of In An Instant:

Every In An Instant product addresses the skin’s varying needs in a different and dynamic way. Together they cleanse, exfoliate, hydrate, reduce wrinkles, lift, firm, and minimize the look of pores to impart a healthy glow.  It also contains ingredients to stimulate collagen production for a more toned and luminous complexion.  In a few effortless yet enormously effective steps, they give users a complete skincare routine in a minimal amount of time.

The line includes:

* Gentle Foaming Cleanser: With its rich-foamy texture and hydrating ingredients, it removes makeup instantly and maintains skin’s protective moisture barrier without stripping skin of its natural oils.

* Intensive Firming Serum: Its peptide technology reduces deep wrinkles, softens the appearance of fine lines and evens skin tone.

* Instant Wrinkle Smoother: It instantly plumps fine lines and dramatically diminishes the look of deep vertical lines.

* Intensive Eye Treatment: A luxurious eye cream that creates a soft-focus effect to give the eye area a younger, firmer look

* Instant Warming Scrub: With its skin warming action, it reduces pore size and dramatically resurfaces skin.

Sounds about right to me!  Want to try it out?  It can be yours!  Here’s how to enter:

1) Leave us a comment telling us what you’d do in order to look like Heidi Klum,

2) Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter, and leave a second comment with the URL of your tweet,

3) Post about this giveaway on your blog, and leave a separate comment with your blog URL,

4) Subscribe to our feed & leave a separate comment telling us you did or already do.

One lucky winner will be chosen by Random.org on June 1st. Good luck!

I have a thing about strollers.

I love them. My “thing” could aptly be titled an obsession. The way some men drool over fancy cars? That’s me with strollers. I was recently at Disney World, and let me tell you, it’s a stroller-lover’s dream! Everywhere I looked, I saw new and interesting strollers to check out.

What’s that? A problem? I don’t have a problem! I can quit at any time!

But seriously, I love me some strollers… and I am obsessed with this one.

It’s the BOB Stroller Strides Fitness Stroller, and it is amazing. AMAZING.

I was thrilled at the chance to review this stroller, and I was so excited for this puppy to show up on my doorstep. I had barely opened the box when I told my husband it was the coolest thing I had ever seen in my life. And it is – it is SO NICE.

Assembly was a breeze – I wanted to make sure I had it absolutely right, so I took my time and read the instruction manual much more carefully than normal very carefully, and even though I went super slowly, the stroller was ready to go in no time. Sammy was already in bed when I put it together, and since I needed to try it at that instant, I pushed an empty stroller around my kitchen. That’s right – I did. And it was just so lovely.

The first real test the BOB got, though, was a trip to the zoo. I was thrilled to discover how easily it folded up (with the wheels on, I might add – this was a very welcomed difference between the BOB and the other jogging stroller we have!), and it fit into the trunk of my Toyota Corolla with room to spare. When we got to the zoo, I quickly unfolded the BOB, and got Sammy settled. I was really please with how easy the straps were to adjust, and I also noticed how secure he was in there – there’s a five-point harness, and also a clip that holds the straps close together across the chest. It was comfortable for Sam, but would have kept him very secure even if we had been doing some off-road jogging. Sam was completely content in the BOB for our entire visit to the zoo – we didn’t get him out once. And it is soooo easy to push!

Another thing that makes this stroller so cool is that it’s the official ride of the Stroller Strides fitness program, and it comes with a Stroller Strides Fitness Kit. Exercise bands and an exercise manual are stowed inside the handlebar console, so you can add a strength training component to your aerobic workout – all while pushing your baby in the stroller. I think that’s a fantastic idea for moms, because really, working out with the baby is just about the only way to work out at all! It’s a better idea than the friend of mine who tried to run on a treadmill with her newborn in a front carrier. Just sayin’.

Here’s Sammy chilling in his BOB.

He loves this stroller, and so do I. I’m happy to tell you that you have a chance to win your very own BOB Stroller Strides Fitness Stroller! Here are the official entry details from the people at BOB Gear:

Hey new moms and moms-to-be, are you ready to get your workout on? Well here’s your chance to win a brand new Stroller Strides Fitness Stroller that’s going to get you rolling and encourage your health and wellness goals, big or small! To enter, send us a photo of you in your super sweet workout duds, the most creative submission will win! Based on the BOB Revolution, this stroller comes with a Stroller Strides Fitness Kit and is a perfect companion for Stroller Strides class. So, are you a spandex queen? Do you and baby match outfits? Show BOB your funky fashion, custom creation, or silly styles when you’re getting fit! Click here to enter!

Good luck!

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I have a picky eater on my hands. My daughter will look at something and decide she doesn’t like it. She is pretty hesitant to try new things, although once she does, she usually likes it. It’s a problem, though – it’s a problem at dinnertime, and it’s becoming a problem for her at school – she’s mentioned that her friends comment about her being a picky eater. That’s when I knew I needed to do something.

But I don’t know what to do, because…well… let’s just say that she comes by her picky-ness honestly.

So, I was intrigued when Gorton‘s Seafood sent me this list for “Taking the ‘Ick’ out of Picky Eaters”:
–Introduce seafood early: Start with fish sticks, which have a crunchy texture, mild flavor, and are perfectly sized for small hands. Gradually add other varieties like popcorn shrimp, which are also perfect for small hands and dipping.
–Serve a sampler & Get creative with dips and sauces: Try applesauce, BBQ sauce, or ketchup. To make a sweeter sauce, mix in some honey. Let your picky eaters experiment with dipping sauces and the types of seafood
–Allow your kids to get creative, too: Let them build towers with fish sticks, or decorate their plates with fish-shaped crackers.
–And finally, be a good role model: Kids want to do what their parents do. Eating seafood yourself is a great way to model healthy habits.

So yeah, that last one I can definitely relate to!

These ideas are great, but Gorton‘s wants to hear from YOU. They’re hosting a contest where you can tell them how you got your kids to enjoy seafood. The prizes?
* 1 Grand Prize: A home computer system and a year of free Gorton’s brain food every week (52 free products)!
* 10 First Place Prizes: A year of free Gorton’s brain food every week (52 free products)!
* 20 Second Place Prizes: A year of free Gorton’s brain food every month (12 free products)!

To enter, click here. Good luck!

The winner of the Subway PEP rally prize pack is comment #7, Amy!  Congrats to you and have fun being active outside with your kiddos!

Here are your random numbers:

7

Timestamp: 2009-04-27 14:04:32 UTC

Congratulations to Allison, our winner!
********

In honor of Earth Day (April 22nd) and their commitment to promoting a greener planet, Capri Sun is encouraging kids and parents to start Drink Pouch Brigades in their community. The program not only reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills, but it teaches kids the importance of being environmentally conscious and preserving the Earth’s resources – a lesson I think we all want our kids to learn!

Capri Sun and TerraCycle, a company who has pioneered the concept that any material can be reused and made into something of value, have teamed up to create the Drink Pouch Brigades. The free collection program allows kids, parents and teachers to work together to eliminate waste by collecting used Capri Sun and other drink pouches to raise extra funds for their local schools, churches and community groups.

Here are a few quick facts about the program:
– Each year, billions of drink pouches are sent to dumpsters and landfills across the U.S.,
–There are currently over 14,500 participating Drink Pouch Brigade locations in the U.S.,
– For every juice pouch collected and sent in, TerraCycledonates 2 cents back to the community,
– The used drink pouches are then repurposed into cool and fashionable accessories such as pencil cases, folders, tote bags and book bags.
– To date, more than $25,000 has been donated to schools and community programs nationwide and more than one million pouches have been saved from landfills.

Look how cool this stuff is!

You can win it!

Thanks to Capri Sun and TerraCycle, we’re giving away a backpack, folder and pencil case like the ones shown above. Fun and eco-friendly products for your kids to take to school!

To enter, leave a comment on this post telling us what green things you’re doing on Earth Day or in your every day life. For extra entries, tweet about this contest on Twitter or subscribe to our feed and leave comments telling us you’ve done so. We’ll use random.org to pick a winner on April 29th.

Good luck!

Spring is in the air – at least for some of us! Many of you may already have your spring cleaning projects underway, but as you come across old photos and family movies, you may be scratching your head while you wonder what to do with them. For many of us, they go right into a new box and back up to the attic.

Here are some quick and easy solutions for “cleaning” out those memories that don’t involve saying goodbye to your past for yet another year.

Shoebox Full of Photo Prints
Who among us doesn’t have shoeboxes of old photos on a shelf in the closet? Set aside some time to scan them into your computer using a home scanner, or, if you’re without a scanner, take them to your local CVS/pharmacy Photo Center and use the Picture Kiosk to scan them onto a Picture CD (only $2.99) which holds hundreds of photos. If you feel like getting creative, try making a photo book or Kodak Picture Movie DVD, which sets your images to music, adding pan and zoom effects. These make terrific sentimental gifts for your loved ones, so a simple spring cleaning project very well may turn up a great Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gift!

Home Movies Circa 1977

What to do with Grandpa’s old 8mm, or the VHS tape of your high school play? These formats can be easily transferred to Hollywood-style DVDs for years of enjoyment, reviving old memories and watching your family history all over again. One company that offers this service is YesVideo, and they have partnered with thousands of retailers to make this a really easy and convenient process. Just go to YesVideo.com to prepare your order, bring it to one of the more than 27,000 participating retailers (including Ritz Camera, Walgreens, Costco, etc.) and in about three weeks you’ll have the footage on DVD for viewing on nearly any standalone DVD player.

Digital Pack Rats

While you’re at it, take the time to clean up your memory cards by eliminating outtakes and back-up the keepers. There are several websites that offer free storage, so look for ones that also offer free prints or photo gifts when you open a new account. Check out Shutterfly.com and CVSPhoto.com.

If you’d like an off-line system, Digital Photo Suite 2009 from Serif comes with AlbumPlus, an organizational solution that makes it easy to share, organize and edit digital photos. Panorama Plus, also included in the suite, sews your photos together to create a panoramic image quickly and easily.

By cleaning out those memory cards each spring, you’ll be ready for another year of great memories!

Mommin’ It Up would like to help you get a jumpstart on your spring cleaning projects! We’re giving away a coupon for you to make your own free Kodak Picture Movie DVD from CVS/pharmacy and a copy of Serif Digital Photo Suite 2009, together a retail value of $65.00. Leave a comment describing the spring cleaning project you’ve been avoiding before midnight on April 21, and you’ll be entered to win! To get additional entries, tweet about this contest on Twitter, and/or subscribe to our RSS feed, leave us a comment telling us you’ve done so.

The winner of the Marley & Me 3-Disc set is faithful reader and dog-mom, Allison!  Congrats Allison! Hope you & your doggies enjoy!

Here are your random numbers:

4

Timestamp: 2009-04-14 12:57:21 UTC

Congratulations to Tangie, the winner of this great giveaway!

My little Sammy has super-sensitive skin, so much so that his diaper area breaks out at the mere sight of perfume-y diapers. Several months ago we tried all-natural Seventh Generation diapers, and his bottom cleared up almost immediately. So I was very excited to have the opportunity to review and host a giveaway for Seventh Generation cleaning products! Seventh Generation is the world’s most trusted brand of authentic, safe, and environmentally-friendly products for the living home.

We all want to keep our family safe and healthy… so we try to keep our houses clean, right? But the very products used to clean and protect our homes from germs could be harmful to our families and the environment. In fact, more than 50% of human poison exposure victims are children younger than six years (American Association of Poison Control Centers) and the average American household contains 63 hazardous chemical products!

Seventh Generation also conducted a survey with Harris Interactive and found that 70% of parents with kids under six years old store their household cleaning products/solutions under the sink (including me), but 47% cannot name one ingredient in the cleaners that they are using and storing within reach of their children (yeah, also including me)!

Because of these alarming statistics, Seventh Generation is urging people to kick off their “spring cleaning” by first cleaning out what is under their kitchen sink. They’ve created great new resource called Health eHome that will help all of us uncover the hazards in our homes. Seventh Generation created Health eHome in collaboration with WebMD and Healthy Child Healthy World
to provide a personalized educational platform that helps uncover potential dangers and hazards identified as “hot spots in a virtual home. The tool also has an expert blog that provides trusted information on creating a cleaner, greener lifestyle and parents can test the safety of their home by doing a “Health eHome Check,” where they can get personalized results and an action plan for their
home.

I took the quiz, and it really opened my eyes to a lot of hidden dangers in my own house! Fortunately, the results of the quiz were very helpful and didn’t just say “You suck!” as I feared they would.

So let’s get to the bottom line here, the giveaway! Seventh Generation has been kind enough to offer a gift bag full of their outstanding products! I’ve had the opportunity to use them in the last few days, and they are really great. My favorite is the dishwashing detergent – I can’t tell a bit of difference in the performance of it and my very chemically other stuff! The all-purpose cleaner is also great. Best of all, they are products you can feel good about using. They’re safe for the environment and safe for your family.

To enter, complete the eHealthy Home Check (it just takes a minute!) and leave a comment here with a take-away tip you picked up. For an additional entry, tweet about the contest on Twitter and leave a comment letting us know you did. The contest will end at 5:00 p.m. on April 14, and a winner will be chosen using random.org.

Good luck, and thanks to Seventh Generation for sponsoring this great contest! Also, make sure you join the Seventh Generation Nation on SeventhGeneration.com to receive monthly downloadable coupons!