See new styles from See Kai Run

If we were still in Michigan, we'd just be pulling out the sandals and flip flops. Here in Arizona, though, it's been bare-feet weather since about five minutes after we got here.

It was perfect weather for Buttercup to wear her new Isabella sandals (from the Spring/Summer 2009 collection) with her sweet little Easter dress. Too cute!



I am so head-over-heels with SKR's. They are a great first shoe option for new walkers with the flexibility necessary to developing little feet. What's not to love about the wide toe box and butter-soft leather in a line of footwear designed to meet the American Podiatric Medical Association's rigourous standards?

I know I'm not the only one searching for my child's next pair of SKR's, and while I didn't need new colors and designs to lure me back, I certainly am not complaining! There are metallics, sophisticated blacks, and leaf green accents. Buttercup's Isabella fisherman sandals are accented with the cutest little white hearts and go perfectly with her nicest dresses as easily as they pair with her most comfortable play outfits. In all, See Kai Run has introduced a total of 14 new styles in sizes 3-9.


And for the tiniest toes, the Smaller soft-soled baby bottie line (sized 0-18 months) has 17 new styles, like the sweet and adorable Anne! (And thanks to my friend Sara for allowing the beautiful Brynn to model!


Retail prices for this Berrie Sweet Pick start at $32.

Thanks to See Kai Run, I've got a contest for one lucky reader to choose their favorite style of See Kai Run or Smaller shoes. To enter, please visit the SKR site and leave me a comment with your style of preference and your email so I can contact you if you are selected the winner. Entries will be accepted until 12 AM (Arizona Time---which is kind of like Mountain Time, but a little bit more confusing.) on May 6, 2009. Please note that the contest does not include the Eleven shoes, and is limited to the United States and Canada, only.

Additional extra entries are also available if you:
* Become a fan of Berrie Sweet Picks on Facebook
* subscribe to my RSS feed and comment letting me know you did so.
* Blog about contest and link to this post.
* Non-bloggers can email three of their friends about the contest at berriesweet.info (at) gmail (dot) com and CC me on the email. Girl Scout's honor that I will never bother these sweet people. I promise!
* Grab my Berrie Sweet Picks button and place it on your blog page. I'll check!
* Follow me on Twitter! (nickname: berriesweetest)
* Tweet the contest and leave a comment with your username telling me what you said to your "tweeple"!
* Vlog about the contest and post at www.newbaby.com!

Please note all entries MUST include a valid email address to be considered for the drawing! That means that well, all entries must include an email address to be considered valid. Simple enough, right? ;)

Berrie's Travel Must-Haves: gogo Kidz Travelmate

I've been doing a lot of traveling lately, and most of it has been solo trips on planes. (And by solo, I of course, mean me, Buttercup, her Britax car seat, one big suitcase, my purse, her diaper bag, and a carry-on for each of us. Trust me on this...it wasn't pretty.)

According to airline regulations, I didn't need to bring the mammoth car seat with me with Buttercup still under two years of age. And if I had traveled with her as a lap child, it would have saved me the cost of her ticket and a whole lot of frustration manuvering all that shhhhtuff on and off the plane on my own. But I did my research (as usual) and made my own decision, based on safety factors, to buy Buttercup a ticket.

So how was I going to handle it all?

Two items, one previously reviewed on my blog, saved my sanity on the three trips I took with Buttercup in the last few months. One is the ergo, which allowed me to get on and off the plane with Buttercup on my back as I manuevered everything else with my (thankfully free) hands.

The other item is one I had laughed at before actually having to put it into practice. The gogo Kidz Travelmate is now defintely at the top of my travel must-have list and should be at the top of yours, too! Why? Let me count the ways:

1) It's a little tricky to put together but it is not impossible, and with a little patience you'll have yourself a sweet little contraption that will enable you to turn your bulky car seat into a wheeled stroller for easy airport manuevering.

2) Two screws secure a variety of car seats to the gogo Kidz TravelMate (check the website to see if yours is compatible) and make it a cinch to set up and take apart when necessary. We did a test run in the house the night before our first trip and then placed the Travelmate in the back of the mini van with our suitcases. When we arrived, it took a minute (because the screws are LONG) to reassemble, and then we were on our way.

3)The Travelmate busts open the options door for handling a load of luggage and a toddler, especially if doing so alone. Either pop the kid in the ergo like I did and use the Travelmate to cart your carry-ons from security to the gate or use the Travelmate for its intended use and buckle the kid in and make it a fun ride in their new "stroller." (I went with option number two when I had an extra set of hands on one of my trips. Buttercup loved it.)

4) Once it's time to board, you can either undo the whole set up(Check out the website though for details on a new quick release feature I would have LOVED) and store the Travelmate, or do as I did and just slide the handle down before buckling the car seat in as is. Doing so does push the car seat up just a bit and reduces leg room (and the possibility of a toddler kicking the seat in front of them) but it worked for us just fine.

5) The Travelmate weighs just five pounds and is worth every ounce in gold. Not only did i keep me from going any crazier than I already am, it saved me the cost of having to rent a car seat when I got to where I was going while granting me the security of allowing my baby to fly safely.

Create for a cure with Snapfish

It's always nice to be able to tell my readers about truly meaningful projects like the "She Colors My Day" Project from Snapfish by HP.

The effort allows you to create and design a personalized "She Colors My Day" photo book (perfect for Mother's Day!) with 50 percent of the proceeds benefitting the project and the Entertainment Industry Foundation's (EIF) Women's Cancer Research Fund.



With the "You Color My Day" photo books, you can make a spectacular gift complete with uploaded photos, artwork and custom notes for whoever it is that adds color to your day. And if ordered by May 1, you can get yours just in time for Mother's Day!

Snapfish customers can also buy the "She Colors My Day" fantasy bubble bath by Philosophy and download Amy Grant's song of the same title by clicking here. Philosophy will donate 100 percent of the net proceeds to benefit the cause. How's that for creating for a cure?

If you'd like to enter for a chance at a "She Colors My Day" photo book of your own, please leave me a comment telling me about the person who colors your day. Entries will be accepted until midnight (Mountain Time!) on April 28. Good luck!

Additional extra entries are also available if you:
* Become a fan of Berrie Sweet Picks on Facebook
* subscribe to my RSS feed and comment letting me know you did so.
* Blog about contest and link to this post.
* Non-bloggers can email three of their friends about the contest at berriesweet.info (at) gmail (dot) com and CC me on the email. Girl Scout's honor that I will never bother these sweet people. I promise!
* Grab my Berrie Sweet Picks button and place it on your blog page. I'll check!
* Follow me on Twitter! (nickname: berriesweetest)
* Tweet the contest and leave a comment with your username telling me what you said to your "tweeple"!
* Vlog about the contest and post at www.newbaby.com!

Please note all entries MUST include a valid email address to be considered for the drawing! That means that well, all entries must include an email address to be considered valid. Simple enough, right? ;)

Forgot a birthday? Get MyPunchBowl!

I'm so busy all the time with the blogging/freelance writing/mommy/trying to keep my head straight thing, so I guess it's understandable I forgot my cousin's birthday last week. I feel terrible about it, but now I have to scramble to find a good gift and mail it out!

I'm 2,000 miles away from all my friends and family now, so it's very important for me to keep dates straight and get gifts out to the indended recipients in tim to arrive for the event! (And we have a H-U-G-e family, so this is a top priority!)

Enter MyPunchbowl Birthday Reminders!



It's a pretty cool site that allows you to do tons of stuff! You can sign up through your facebook account, request family and friends to add their birthdays to your list via email, collect birthdays through Twitter and Facebook, and even organize birthday lists into groups like friends and family.

And once you get a birthday reminder, you can easily begin planning a party with MyPunchBowl Planning or send a personalized birthday card using MyPunchBowl eCard Studio.

To sign up for the free service, click here and get your share of the punch bowl!

Berries was there! Were you?

My day started at 7 a.m. and really got going when I piled Buttercup, my mom, and sister into the mini van and drove 2.5 hours to Pheonix for the American Baby & Family Expo. Yeah, I know...crazy, huh?

But I couldn't turn down an invite from Boon Inc. Marketing Director Kate Benjamin to check out the fun.

I've been in Tucson for a month now and know my way around the area pretty well...after all, you can't really get lost when you live in an area with one interstate. ;) But today my good luck ran out and our trip there and back took over 3 hours each due to shut down freeways and detours that led a line of frustrated drivers in endless circles.

But all the swearing under my breath is behind me now and I can sit down for a minute and focus on the fun, the vendors, and the incredible products I got a chance to look at today.

Like this Awesome onsie from Bubby Baby Boutique!

Bubby Baby Boutique has plenty of other sweet stuff for both boys and girls and I am so in love with the fact that this stuff has ATTITUDE! (A onsie that says "Elmo is my Homeboy? A Punk Rock Diva dress? A flippin' Wonder Woman Tee? Come on!)



And with Birthday on the Brain, I had to check out the Maddycakes booth.

For those in the Pheonix area, this is definetely the place to go for the perfectly planned themed party for your little ones.

Michelle's got plenty of experience making birthdays extra sweet, and I only wish she was close enough to help me plan Buttercup's 2d birthday bash! (Hmmmm...I wonder if an Elmo/Princess party would work...)



I can't forget about the Peanut Posh display. Talk about cute! Kickin' ties for your little man and the coolest interchangeable bottle cap barretts I have EVER seen. I can't wait to do a review and contest!











And then of course, there was boon! We had tons of fun with Buttercup trying out the Flair High Chair that a few lucky readers have won here at Berrie Sweet Picks (and I am so jealous...this thing is too cool for words!), and just oohing and ahhhing over the mod baby and kid stuff that I know we all love. (Seriously now...do you all keep coming back for my offbeat sense of humor and gripping writing style or to see what else boon is giving away on my blog? Or do I really want the answer to that? hmmmm....)







It's almost 1 a.m. here and I am exhausted (and I still have a vlog to put together!) but my looking like a newborn kicked my butt tomorrow morning was so worth the fun I had today.

So let me get back to work here and I promise to be back tomorrow with another great contest. Sweet dreams!

Oh and Kate? Buttercup says "thank oooo" to you and boon for your generosity. ;)

Get ready to PAR-TAY at Buttercup's 2nd Birthday Blog Bash!

Hi peeps!

I'm getting ready for Buttercup's second birthday on June 12 and thought now would be a good time to start generating some interest for the Bloggy Birthday Bash I plan on throwing as part of the fun.

Remember last year's event? With the help of generous sponsors, Berrie Sweet Picks was able to gift bloggy party-goers with over $500 in prizes! Who wants in on the fun this year?

I'd love to hear from PR reps and business owners representing birthday-related review items for all ages/and or suggestions for prizes for the party, which is scheduled for June 12 through June 19. I'm also looking for a birthday blog button to be designed, as well as an official party sponsor to donate a variety of prizes, including a grand prize, in exchange for exposure for your company or business in each party blog post.

So who's in? Email me at berriesweet.info@gmail.com for details! And hope to see you all there!

Yo! What's up?

I am a muncher. Honestly, I'd have to list it right at the top of the list if I had to describe my biggest weakness.

Now, what I munch on can obviously be a factor in my never-ending quest to find my waistline again, so I have to make a conscious effort to reach for something sweet but healthy.

That's where Yoplait yogurt comes in. I am not even kidding you when I say that one entire shelf in my refridgerator is, at any given time, completely filled with a variety of Yoplait. This means that when I get the munchies during late night blogging sessions, I can tame the beast and still respect myself in the morning.

I recently got a chance to try the new Yo-Plus Blueberry Acai, which I loved! It's creamy and sweet with live and active probiotic cultures to help regulate your digestive system. Even better, you've also got your fiber, calcium, and vitamins covered when you indulge in a little Yo-Plus. So what's to lose?

If you'd like to enter for one of three chances to win your own Yoplait gift bag containing a (BPA free!) water bottle, a purse-sized journal (great for keeping on track when out and about!), and a coupon to try the new Blueberry Acai, just leave me a comment describing your biggest weakness and how you try to keep yourself in check. And PLEASE remember to leave your email address or I can't contact you to tell you that you have won. Entries will be accepted until midnight (Mountain Time!) on April 23. Good luck!

Additional extra entries are also available if you:
* Become a fan of Berrie Sweet Picks on Facebook
* subscribe to my RSS feed and comment letting me know you did so.
* Blog about contest and link to this post.
* Non-bloggers can email three of their friends about the contest at berriesweet.info (at) gmail (dot) com and CC me on the email. Girl Scout's honor that I will never bother these sweet people. I promise!
* Grab my Berrie Sweet Picks button and place it on your blog page. I'll check!
* Follow me on Twitter! (nickname: berriesweetest)
* Tweet the contest and leave a comment with your username telling me what you said to your "tweeple"!
* Vlog about the contest and post at www.newbaby.com!

Please note all entries MUST include a valid email address to be considered for the drawing! That means that well, all entries must include an email address to be considered valid. Simple enough, right? ;)

Add a little green to your day

I have to admit: I might try my best to do Kermit proud with my efforts to be as green as I can be, but I haven't really done much to celebrate Earth Day since middle school. (Yeah, I know. Bad Mommy Blogger. Bad!)

But I can try to make up for it at least a little bit, right? In fact, I can help you add a little green to your Earth Day Celebration on April 22 by telling you about the new Eco Kid Kitson HP Creative Studio. Just stop on by for fun, printable projects with kid-friendly reminders about energy conservation where it matters most: in your home.

You can also get more information and more Earth-friendly printables featuring expeditions from award-winning photographer and environmental advocate, Sebastion Copeland. Select from all-occassion cards with tips to reduce environmental impact printed on the back of each one, or check out the calendar template that helps spread the word about the Young Ambassadors of the Arctic, an initiative to increase public awareness about climate change by getting kids involved.

Happy Earth Day!

Will I see you at the American Baby Fair?

Who knew that moving cross country would snag me an invite to the Pheonix area American Baby and Family Expo for a chance to scope out the latest and greatest in baby products?

I am SO excited to have received a personal invite from Kate Benjamin at boon inc and I plan on being there with Buttercup and my flip video camera to capture some of the fun!

And for those of you in the area, make sure to stop by the boon inc. booth for a chance to win a flair high chair! So will I see you there?

ChicBuds Jr are sweet!

I love sparklies and so does my niece, Jade. So when I got an offer from ChicBuds to review a pair of their new ChicBuds JR for kids, I knew exactly who to have try them out.

ChicBuds are just plain sweet (if I do say so myself! Check out my review here!) And the Jr's are even sweeter. Just enough bling to for your tween/teen to make their girlfriends jealous without the hefty price tag, making them a perfect last minute gift for all of the birthday parties she fits into her busy social calendar.

Jade loves her Jr's, and had the following to say:

"I liked the headphones a lot. well, they were kinda to big for my ears but i liked them because i would take them to my friend's house and they were really easy to use because there was two people and having to be retractable made it easier. I never have to worry about themm getting tangled anymore."

Jsde told me she went out to the store and bought a set of small (and cheap) off-brand gel cover ear buds to create a better fit with her new fave accessory, and all is well!

So who wants in on a chance to win a pair of ChicBuds Jr? Gift them to your daughter or save as a gift for a special niece! (You MUST be 18 to enter, so ask a relative to enter for you if necessarry!) To enter, please leave me a comment telling me one other ChicBuds item you'd LOVE to see reviewed on Berrie Sweet Picks! Entries will be accepted until midnight (Mountain Time!) on April 17. Good luck!

Additional extra entries are also available if you:
* Become a fan of Berrie Sweet Picks on Facebook
* Become a fan of ChicBuds on Facebook
* subscribe to my RSS feed and comment letting me know you did so.
* Blog about contest and link to this post.
* Non-bloggers can email three of their friends about the contest at berriesweet.info (at) gmail (dot) com and CC me on the email. Girl Scout's honor that I will never bother these sweet people. I promise!
* Grab my Berrie Sweet Picks button and place it on your blog page. I'll check!
* Follow me on Twitter! (nickname: berriesweetest)
* Follow ChicBuds on Twitter (nickname: chicbuds)
* Tweet the contest and leave a comment with your username telling me what you said to your "tweeple"!
* Vlog about the contest and post at www.newbaby.com!

Please note all entries MUST include a valid email address to be considered for the drawing! That means that well, all entries must include an email address to be considered valid. Simple enough, right? ;)

Looking for a sponsor

Listen up dear readers! I take my blog seriously. And when a sponsor pulls a no-show on a promised prize, I do everything in my power to make sure that my winner gets their item (or something to make up for it.)

And luckily, I've only had one instance before this one where I had to step in. It was easily resolved and my winner remains a happy returning reader.

This time, however, I'm at a loss for what to do. Without giving away the company who is giving us the cold shoulder, I will say that one unhappy mommy reader has remained prizeless while my emails to said company have remained unanswered. It's inexcusable, and I won't be "doing business" with this company again.

I would, however, like to ask if any business owners or PR reps for mom and baby-related blogs would like donate a prize, no matter how small, to the mom who is still waiting for the postal-worker to show up. I will accept email at berriesweet.info@gmail.com for 7 days and provide those of you interested in making a certain mommy happy with the correct shipping address.

Thanks to everyone in advance and I'll be back today with another contest.

I Dream about buying green

If I could afford it, every item I ate would be organic. Every fruit, vegetable, meat source, and snack consumed by my family would be free of toxins and pesticides.

But guess what? If I stopped there, I'd still be missing the mark when it comes to personal care items. Not for Buttercup, of course. But for me.

I recently got to try the lovely (and handmade) I Dream Intensity Body Wash from BuyGreen.com and realized what I've been missing. And this stuff is truly a crunchy mama's dream come true: it's completely biodegradable, contains no harsh chemicals, no synthetics, and is made from hgh quality organic, wild, or sustainably grown ingredients.

The difference between I Dream's body wash ($20 for 10 oz.) and most traditional skin care options is that "100 % natural" doesn't include any of the bad stuff like sulfates, parabens, or pesticide/herbicide residue that can be associated with other "plant-based" options.

Buygreen.com describes the scent as "warm" and "spicy." I prefer to think of it as "green" and "sassy" and a perfectly sensible indulgence to start hinting for as a mother's day present.

;)

Immune support for busy moms

What happens when the kids get sick? Oh yeah...aside from the world stopping so Mommy can make it all better?

And what happens when Mommy gets sick? Oh yeah...Mommy's aren't supposed to get sick! And when we do, we have to drag our unappy rumps out of bed to make lunches, kiss boo boos, find dollies, and make dinner.

Just don't get me started on what happens when daddy gets sick. ;)

The bottom line is that super hero moms like us need a little bit of extra immune support when it comes to keeping healthy. We make the world go 'round, after all, and Sambucol with natural black elderberry is here to help.

I'm a big fan of homeopathic remedies, and black elderberry has a long history of being relied upon for the treatment of colds, flu, burns, fever, and everything in between from the plague to toothaches. Medicinal uses have even been traced back to prehistoric times, which says a lot to me.

And with health buzzwords like "antioxidants" showing up in ads for juice commercials and more, it's important to point out that black elderberry beats out blueberries and cranberries hands down...and that's big news when it comes to immune support to help fight viruses.

We got to try Sambucol Original($14.99 for a 4 oz bottle), which was my favorite. It tastes good and I can vouch for the fact that I did not get sick once while I was downing my daily dosage, even though everyone else I knew was! I gave the Sambuxol for kids ($14.99 for a 4 oz bottle for kids ages 2-12) to my 3 year old nephew, and he was happy to munch on the tasty chewables. I wasn't too crazy about the Sambucol chewables ($14.99 for 30 tablets) for adults because they dried my mouth out for some crazy reason.

The Sambucol products are available nationwide health food stores, such as Vitamin Shoppe, pharmacy chains like Rite Aid, Walgreens, and CVS and online at drugstore.com.

So who wants an immune boost of their own? One lucky reader gets to win a gift bag with all three of the Sambucol products reviewed here. Just leave me a comment telling me how your family handled it the last time you got sick and you are entered!

Entries will be accepted until midnight (mountain time!), April 9, 2009 and the winners will have four business days from the announcement date to contact me with their information or an alternate will be selected.

Additional extra entries are also available if you:
* Become a fan of Berrie Sweet Picks on Facebook
* subscribe to my RSS feed and comment letting me know you did so.
* Blog about contest and link to this post.
* Non-bloggers can email three of their friends about the contest at berriesweet.info (at) gmail (dot) com and CC me on the email. Girl Scout's honor that I will never bother these sweet people. I promise!
* Grab my Berrie Sweet Picks button and place it on your blog page. I'll check!
* Follow me on Twitter! (nickname: berriesweetest)
* Tweet the contest and leave a comment with your username telling me what you said to your "tweeple"!
* Vlog about the contest and post at www.newbaby.com!

Please note all entries MUST include a valid email address to be considered for the drawing! That means that well, all entries must include an email address to be considered valid. Simple enough, right? ;)