CityMama's™ Stuff People Send Me

Lands' End Winter Goodies [+ Giveaway!]

I'm delighted to be hosting yet another Lands' End Giveaway featuring your choice of three items to make your winter warmer and cozier.  Any of these items would make great holiday gifts, don't you think? And best of all, you never have to set foot in the mall when you order from Lands' End.  (We've ordered all our gifts on line for the past 10ish years. Malls at Christmastime = hell on earth.)

For Her: The first item is a pair of terry travel slippers with matching bag.  If you are like me and your bare feet never touch hotel carpet or bathroom tile (Athlete's Foot? No, thank you!), then you will love these slippers. They'd be a great choice for any traveller on your holiday list or just for padding around the house.  Lands' End sent me a pair and I can vouch for the coziness! And the bag is cute, too. $25 value.

Includes monogrammable travel bag!

• Soft terry cloth upper
• Extra-flexible for easy packing
• Comfortable padded footbed
• Slip-resistant rubber outsole

For him: Lands' End also sent me a pair of these which I ordered up in Sasquatch size 13 for my husband.  They arrived, he slipped them on, lay down on the couch, crossed his legs and then asked, "How do they look?"  They looked great and I have a feeling they will be getting a lot of use around our very chilly house this winter.  The sole is sturdy enough so they can be worn outside for quick jaunts to get the paper or check for reindeer tracks on the lawn. $45 value.

Possibly the coziest lounger you'll ever wear.

• Warm, luxurious 100% shearling lining
• Soft sheepskin suede upper/leather trim
• Padded footbed for walking comfort
• Flexible, durable sole works indoors/outdoors

For the kids: Have I mentioned that our house is freezing in the wintertime? Such is life in a 1940's rancher with no insulation and drafty, single-paned windows. We do have forced-air heat which is a godsend, but in the winter time we need to fortify against the cold with electric radiators in the bedroom. That's why I jumped at the chance to try out these cozy fleece jammies for my girls (boys, too).  They are soft as can be and Bunny said she slept in them without a blanket they were so warm.  (They were too hot for Wallie, who is like me and can sleep in a t-shirt even if it's snowing outside.) $29.50 value (for me x 2)

For a softer slumber.

• Angel Fleece® is warm, yet lightweight
• Top has a 2-button front for easy overhead dressing
• Ruffles add a touch of sweet
• Elastic-waist pants won't pinch or twist
• Flame-resistant 100% polyester

So there you have it.  All you have to do to enter the contest is leave a comment (with working email) below with your choice of item. Sorry, you can only pick one! (Awww, I know!) And if you want the jim-jams, specify boy or girl.  Contest ends on Tuesday, Nov. 18!  One entry only, please.

Update:  We have a winner!!!

Congrats to winner Karen!  (Em was actually #55 but didn't leave a working email. DOH!)

Wallaroo "Bella" Hat

I love accessories, always have, always will, and one of the accessories I love most is hats. I own too many in too many styles to count and they are a staple of my fall and winter wardrobe. When I'm at the beach or pool, I am never without some kind of protection for my face. 

I recently received this lovely angora Bella hat in gray from the folks at Wallaroo. You may know their hats already--they are known for their UPF 50+ hats which provide great sun protection.

What I like about it: It has an elastic band inside the brim so that it stretches to accommodate women with big ole heads like me. I love that it's made of soft, warm angora, but it's also breathable so even after a day of wearing, my head isn't hot. I love that they've updated the classic brimmed hat with the gathered material in front and a less-structured look. It feels modern, not frumpy.

What I don't like about it: The fact that they didn't send one in all the colors.

This would make an excellent holiday gift.

 

Cost to you: $40 +shipping
Cost to me: Free

Exuviance Skin Care

Anyone who knows me well knows that I obsessed with moisturization. (It's even in my bio.) It all started back when I was a tween and my mom took to me the Erno Laszlo counter to purchase a skincare "regime": the legendary black seamud soap, the pHelityl lotion...I soaked it all in, literally. Learning to take good care of my skin was instilled in me at a very early age. I come from a long line of make-up- and beauty-product- loving women.

Over the years, and especially since having kids, I've reduced refined my beauty routine. It now consists of scrubbing my face in the shower and slathering on a good moisturizer and eye cream both morning and night. Gone are the days of cleansing and toning. I have no time for all the different masks. Facials, what? But I always have time for moisturizer and eye cream. I use the cheapest shampoos and will never give up my Dove soap, but I will not skimp on moisturizing creams (or hair conditioner), and I think my skin at age 39 looks pretty darn good if I do say so myself (even if the rest of me could use some work).

When the Exuviance folks asked if i wanted to try their products, I jumped at the chance. Even though I have my favorites, I am always willing to try something new.

They sent me their Skinrise Bionic Tonic and the Evening Restorative Complex.

SkinRise Morning Bionic Tonic

The perfect way to start each day! Renew your skin, spirit and senses, revealing a healthy, radiant complexion, with enhanced clarity, smoothness and firmness. This powerful moisturizing, antioxidant and anti-aging tonic contains a triple blend of Polyhydroxy Acids (PHAs) and a marine botanical to moisturize and condition skin. Eucalyptus and cucumber refine and stimulate, while green tea extract helps to protect the skin from the damaging effects of free radicals and harmful environmental factors. Size: 30 Single-Use Pads Scent: Peppermint and Grapefruit Extracts

Evening Restorative Complex

Recharge and renew skin with Exuviance Evening Restorative Complex, the night time transformer! Evening Restorative Complex merges a high-performance complex of anti-aging ingredients and beneficial botanicals to create a powerful solution to care for dry, photo-damaged, aging skin as you sleep. Powerful Polyhydroxy Acid (PHA) Gluconolactone decreases lines and wrinkles, evens skin tone and improves roughness and texture. Lactobionic Acid – a potent antioxidant – inhibits wrinkles from forming, plumps and firms the skin, and enhances clarity. This bionic blend of PHAs, along with botanicals and Vitamins A, C and E, delivers full-strength anti-aging benefits without drying or irritation, even on the most sensitive skin types. Evening Restorative Complex is dermatologist developed, non-comedogenic, non-acnegenic and gentle enough to be used following Glycolic Acid Peels and Microdermabrasion. Exuviance Evening Restorative Complex effectively combats visible signs of aging and is clinically proven to improve overall skin texture, tone and appearance.  After 4 weeks:      82% of users experienced skin elasticity      90% saw smoother, more velvety skin      82% reported an improvement in fine lines

What I liked about it: I love both products. The Bionic Tonic is applied with pads and it feels lovely going on the skin. It also smells heavenly and really perks you up. It leaves skin feeling soft, not tight. The Evening Restorative Complex is a very emollient moisturizing cream, it's heavier than a daytime cream which is what I want in a night cream. I like my moisturizers to be a little on the heavier side. I don't have to worry about break-outs so I don't mind if my creams are a little richer, especially in the winter time when my skin tends to dry out. Both of these products have a rich, emollient quality so if you like lighter creams these aren't right for you. My skin was left feeling soft and refreshed and tiny lines appeared to lessen.

What I didn't like about it: This is nitpicky, but the packaging could use some updating. It looks like it would right at home on the nightstand of a soap opera diva--in the 80's.

Cost to you: $37 for the Bionic Tonic $35 for the Restorative Complex
Cost to me: Free

Motorola MOTOZINE ZN5 Cell Phone [Giveaway!]

The fine folks at T-Mobile have given me a just-released Motorola MOTOZINE ZN5cell phone (exclusively availble at T-Mobile) to give away to one lucky CityMama reader. All you have to do to win is leave a comment below (with a working email) and I will use the random number generator to pick a winner on Friday, November 14. (One comment only, duplicates will be deleted.)

More information about this bad boy is below or on the T-Mobile site, but all you need to know is: this phone is a camera. No longer do you need to carry a phone AND a camera or rely on a phone with a crappy camera. This phone with it's 5-megapixel-auto-focus camera is it, people.  It's a $99 value and it's can be all yours just for leaving me a comment. (Holiday gift idea anyone?)

More info:

Lighten the load in your handbag or pockets and leave your camera at home. The MOTOZINE ZN5 is truly a camera replacement cell phone. With a 5-megapixel auto-focus camera and Kodak Imaging Technology, you will never miss capturing a candid moment with friends, a luminescent city skyline or a “you had to be there” moment.

With the MOTOZINE, favorite photos can be easily shared with friends and family. After taking a picture instantly upload it via Gallery Link with one simple click to the online Kodak Gallery. The MOTOZNE also comes with KODAK EASYSHARE Software making it easy to organize, edit, share, store and find photos.

Pictures taken on the MOTOZINE can also be shared by sending via MMS, email or transferring to a computer via USB, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth technology. Or you can show them off as a slideshow on your TV by connecting the phone to an included TV output/AV cable. Over 700 pictures can be stored on the phone with an included 1 GB memory card.

Not only will you take sharp pictures with the MOTOZINE, you’ll also look sharp using it. The phone features a stealth design with an LED morphing keypad for one-touch access to the camera controls.

MOTOZINE ZN5 features include:

• Sleek bar phone with morphing keypad
• 5-megapixel camera with 8x digital zoom, xenon flash, auto focus and easy photo-sharing capabilities
• KODAK Imaging Technology and KODAK PERFECT TOUCH Technology
• Various photo capture and edit modes including panorama, grayscale, sepia, negative, reddish, greenish, blueish
• Wi-Fi-enabled
• Music player supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR NB, AMR WB, WAV, WMA v10, WMA v9, XFM
• Full HTML Web browser
• FM radio
• Instant messaging; supports AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ, Windows Live and Yahoo! Messenger
• Stereo Bluetooth®
• Speaker-independent voice recognition and speakerphone
• Included 1 GB microSD (support for up to 4 GB)
• T-Mobile® myFaves-enabled
• 2.0 x 4.6 x .46 inches; 3.9 ounces
• Display: 2.4 inches diagonal, 240 x 320, 262k TFT
• Quad-band world phone (850/900/1800/1900 MHz

There you have it!  Now get to commenting so I can put this in your hands!

WE HAVE A WINNER! Congrats to Jill who barring removal of a duplicate entry was the winner!!!  Hooray for #44!  Which, I have to say, in light of the recent election, is quite an auspicious number!

Step2 Creative Projects Table

Does your house need anymore plastic in it? Allow me to answer a resounding, "Yes!" but only if it's the Step2 Creative Projects Table. We already had a table and chairs (from IKEA), but found that the only times my kids ever sat at it was when we had parties and needed a kiddy table. Even though it was in their playroom, they never used it for art projects (preferring the kitchen table) or puzzles (preferring the dining room table) or for playing with their toys (preferring the floor). The Step2 Creative Projects Table changed all that.

From the Step2 site:

Storage space galore! This sturdy desk can transform from a personal desk to a table accommodating up to two children comfortably.

• Features a large table surface with molded-in storage tray
• Sturdy colorful wooden shelf provides additional convenient storage - can be repositioned to accommodate up to two children
• Includes two 11 inch stools
• Lower side supports offer storage compartments for drawing pads, tablets, books, supplies and more (not included)
• Features heavy-duty support rod for stability
• Made in USA (wood panels made in China)
• Minimal adult assembly required

Awards:

• Seal of Approval, The National Parenting Center, 2008
• Three-Star Rating (highest award), Canadian Toy Testing Council, 2008

What I like about it: It really does encourage art projects because all the art supplies are readily at hand. My kids love sitting at and have used it daily since we've received it sitting for long stretches of time creating art together. I like that it comes with two stools and that the center storage piece can be moved to the ends of the desk if you are storing it against a wall and/or only one child will be using it. I also love that there are two storage pockets on either side of the desk to hold coloring books and pads of paper. The red wooden accents are a nice touch. We've been able to clear the clutter of colored pencils, crayons, glue and markers out of the kitchen (hooray!). In short, I have reclaimed my kitchen and it really does keep things neat. See? (click to embiggen):

Definitely add this to your holiday gift list.

What I don't like about it: The red-white-blue color scheme was off-putting at first (it seems a little 80's/uber-patriotic), but once the supplies were on it, the colors fade to the background. The stools are a little small for my tall 6-year-old, but we found a way around it by just scooting a regular kid chair up to the table.

Cost to you: $129.99

Cost to me: Free

Cook! SF Dinner

My four-year-old's plate. Doesn't it look yummy?!

The folks at Cook! SF recently sent me one of their dinners to try.  It's different from other meal services in that part of the meal is uncooked, but it's delivered "ready to cook." It's prepped and ready to go into the pan or oven, but you still have to cook it.  The meal I was sent was the Tandoori Chicken dinner with an Indian-scented basmati rice, fresh mango salsa (or chutney), and fruit tarts with homemade whipped cream.  It was packed on ice in a cooler bag and delivered right to my front door. This is the perfect service for people who love to cook but don't always love prepping each and every meal. The food tasted like something I would make--it was "gourmet" without being fussy. If we could afford it, I would sign up for this service once a week.  As it stands, I may use it once or twice a month for when I need to catch a break. If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, I highly recommend this service. Thank you, Cook! SF!

What I liked about it: The items are fresh, locally-sourced and organic. The chicken was wonderfully-flavored, the rice was delicious, and the mango salsa was perfectly spiced. I also liked that it was plenty of food for the price. It fed my family of four for two meals, dinner and then lunch the next day. It was a great value. My kids loved it.
What I didn't like about it: Nit-picky stuff: Directions for cooking the chicken and reheating the items normally included with every order were absent with mine. I am an experienced cook so it wasn't hard for me to figure out, but less-experienced cooks may have been a little lost without the instructions. When I emailed Cook! SF to let them know, they were very responsive and emailed the directions to me. You do have to cook, so if you are looking for a straight heat-eat meal, this may not be the service for you.

Cost to you: $50 (includes generous portions of main dish, side dishes and dessert)
Cost to me: FREE

For more photos of what the meal looked like before and after, click the "read more" link below.

Lands' End Weatherly Jacket [+give-away!!]

Lands' End is one of my favorite brands. I own four Lands' End bathing suits because they suit my queen sized-ness without making me look like too much of a whale on the beach. Yes, they are pricey but we spend our summers in Hawaii and they get lots of wears. I also own at least 3, probably more like 4 of their cashmere sweaters, both their long-sleeved t's which are a staple of my winter wardrobe and cardigans which are a different staple of my winter wardrobe. Needless to say, I am a huge Lands' End fan. They are a beloved brand to me.  I love that I can order online and know that the item will fit and I love their excellent customer service.

Last week, they offered to send me a women's Weatherly jacket and I jumped at the chance, are you kidding me?  I am on the hunt for a new, sporty winter coat and this fits the bill nicely. I was tempted by all the colors, but in the end I chose a black one. I am so freakin' predictable.

Features include:

• Exclusive PolarThin™ insulation for warmth without bulk
• Fleece-lined patch outer pockets with side-entry handwarmer pockets
• Inside MP3 player and security pockets
• TEMPERATURE RATING: -10°/-5° Fahrenheit. Over layering pieces, this Weatherly Jacket will keep you warm in -10° weather; over a light layer, in -5° weather.

What I like about it: It's cute. It's sporty without being frumpy and it's warm.

What I don't: Is there such a thing as too many pockets? I wish the furry collar was made out of real faux fur instead of the nubby material used. Minor complaints.

Cost to you: $59.50
Cost to me: Free

****
But wait!  There's more! One lucky CityMama reader will win a Women's Half-Zip Pullover or the Women's Sherpa Fleece. Just leave a comment below and let me know which item you prefer.  I will draw winners at random on October 22 (also my birthday, but hey! you get the present!)

UPDATE: CONGRATS to winner David Damore!

 

Finally, if you'd to order other items from Lands' End, here is a promo code for free shipping using UPS Basic, valid until October 20.

Code: OUTERWEAR
Pin: 1013

Mrs. Goodbee Talking Dollhouse [+give away!]

The fine folks at Mrs. Goodbee sent me this cute talking dollhouse a couple of weeks ago and my kids have played with it every day since. Now, we have a perfectly good doll house. It's wood and comes with sturdy wooden furniture. It also hasn't been played with in over a year. Mrs. Goodbee, though plastic and coated with sticker decorations, gets at least an hour's worth of lovin' every day thus proving my husband's point that wooden toys are for show-offy parents and kids love playing with anything, especially if it's made of plastic. Especially if it talks to them.  Here are the details:

Welcome to Caring Corners, where caring kids live and grow! Using helpful hints, playful prompts, silly songs, and sound, Mrs. Goodbee Talking Dollhouse nurtures and inspires positive behavior every day. With twelve adorable rooms to explore and plenty of interactive surprises, there are endless opportunities to practice caring, sharing, and preparing for important, age-appropriate responsibilities.

Two children can play together, as the house unfolds to six rooms on each side--and then folds back for easy storage! Over 400 activities, songs, words, and sounds! Includes girl, baby and doggy. Requires 3 AA batteries, included.

What I like about it: I love that the dollhouse encourages simple social responsibilities of caring (rocking the baby), sharing (taking turns), and preparing (brushing teeth, setting the table etc.). The Good Deeds Garden on the back of the dollhouse is a place where those values can be reinforced. Flower stickers are placed in the garden every time a good deed is done. My girls (ages 6 and 4) absolutely LOVE the dollhouse. It's the first thing they run to play with when we arrive home afterschool. Also, Mrs. Goodbee has partnered with Goodwill to encourage the joy of giving. Kids are encouraged to fill the large carton that the dollhouse came in with gently used toys and laundered clothes to donate. Which is exactly what we did. Highly recommended.

What I don't like about it: Like all toys nowadays, there is an online component. We carefully control our girls' computer time (it's very limited) and are not fans of addictive social networking sites for kids.

Cost to you: around $85

Cost to me: FREE, but wait! There's more!

The Mrs. Goodbee people gave me two dollhouses, one to keep and one to give away. If you know of a worthy children's program please let me know in the comments below and we will get them their own Mrs. Goodbee dollhouse right away. I'd love for it to be in the San Francisco Bay Area so my girls can come with me when we donate it. After we donate it, I'll write up our experience.

UPDATED TO ADD: We donated the dollhouse to Toys for Tots. Hope it makes a family happy this holiday season!

Sweet Pea 3

The Sweet Pea 3 in an MP3 player for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.  It has only 3 buttons (play, back, stop), comes pre-loaded with a few children's classic songs and stories, and has an easy-grip handle so kids can bang it about with them. Play the preloaded songs or download up to 16 hours of music, USB cable included.

What I liked about it: Wallie (my 4-year-old) loves the Sweet Pea. She really does carry it from room to room and always switches it on to listen to while drawing or eating breakfast. It's rugged and it was easy enough for my preschooler to figure out without me having to read any directions.
What I didn't: We have an iPod so adding this product to our electronic arsenal seemed redundant. The preloaded songs are corny with a capital C. The audio quality is not up to adult MP3 player standards, but kids probably don't notice.

Cost to you: $59.95 (they anticipate a Christmas rush so order now)
Cost to me: Free

Wrap-N-Mat

Wrap-N-Mat, a washable reusable sandwich wrapper/placemat, has rocked my lunch-making world. My goal when packing Bunny's lunch is zero waste (trash) and this helps me to reach my goal. It's a large mat that you wrap around a sandwich and it's secured shut with Vel-Cro.  Bunny brings it home and I gently wash it and hang it to dry. We have two so that we always have a dry one at the ready.

What I like about it: It's the ultimate no-waste lunch box solution. The fabric is sturdy and the entire Wrap-N-Mat is easy to wash and resuse. We've used it just about every day since school started and they still look like new.
What I don't: I wish it had a loop on it so could hang it to try. I wish all the versions were the (non-PVC) PEVA versions. (Maybe they are are non-PVC now and someone from Wrap-N-Mat can confirm?) I wish it wasn't made in China.

Cost to you: $6.75 each
Cost to me: Free

photo credit: yourownbags.com