Next Monday (June 21st) is officially the first day of summer 2010. I don’t know about your closet, but some of my clothes “shrunk” during the fall/winter seasons. (Humor me people. I know what really happened.) Now that all of my layers of clothing are being stripped away, I need to make sure that my body is ready for warm weather clothes. I still think that watching what I eat and exercising consistently are the keys to being my best physically. However, a little help from the proper undergarments doesn’t hurt. That is where the Secret Weapons Collection of Shapewear by Annette comes into play.

When I was approached to review a couple of pieces of the recently launched shapewear, I was hesitant. Although many women consider shapers wardrobe “must-haves”, I have not had the best experience with other shapewear brands in the past. They just don’t work right with my shape(?!) As I wrote to the PR person:

Thanks so much for reaching out. Usually, I’m not a big fan of shapewear, because they seem to “smush” the curves (breast and butt) that I want to keep. However, I looked at your collection and I see that you have thong styled shapewear. What would you suggest that I review? Thanks.

SW-208

SW-210

Ultimately, I decided to try this line out because they had thong styles! I found the pieces that I tested (SW-208 and SW-210) to be very comfortable. I was happy with the way that they performed when I wore the shapers two or three times. The first time, I wore the SW-208 under jeans and a tee. A girlfriend (whom I had seen a week prior) asked if I was doing a new diet/workout program because I looked “great”. Although I had been focusing on eating well and exercising, I knew that it hadn’t kicked in noticeably yet, so I shared about the shaper. The second time, I wore the SW-210 under a dress to one of the Xbox 360 parties. (It was one of those dresses that had “shrunk” since last year.) With the shaper, it miraculously fit well again. As a woman whom I had met right before the party said in an encouraging way – that only women can say to one another – “Girl. I just have to tell you…you are wearing that dress!” Fortunately, my husband agreed Lastly, look at this photo below. Wearing the shaper made this size 6 (my normal size) dress fit “baggy” on me!

Overall, I really liked the shapers and I think that they will work well for most body types. The bra part was a bit problematic for me though, because I had to keep tugging on it to keep it up properly. I finally realized that the bra problem is with me. Actually, I didn’t figure it out…a girlfriend did. She was over while I was getting dressed for an event in the other room. When I came out of the room griping about how hard it is for me to find bras that fit, she told me my problem. (I have a small back, but large breasts…arghh.) This particular friend worked in the fashion industry for many years, so I trust her input. So all of the time that I have been saying “It’s not the bodyshapers. It’s me…”, I was right! Oh well…I guess that I just need to stick to good old exercise and proper nutrition. Now you…you might be able to get a little help from DIVA DEFINED. Good luck!

Congrats to the winners: Daffys: Elka and Old Navy: Vanessa

Back to school shopping was one of my favorite things growing up. It was a big thing down South to look “brand new” on the first day of school. I now enjoy that tradition with Michael. I think that I overdid it a little on the shopping front for him last year. (He never actually wore some of the clothes that we bought him before out-growing them!) We’re on a tighter budget this year, so I’m a bit more conscious of how I’m spending funds. Fortunately, most (if not all) kid staples can be found at bargain or discounted prices at a variety of stores. Below, I’m highlighting one national and one regional chain. (At the end, I’ll be giving away a $50 gift card to each store.)

Last week, I went to an Old Navy 2009 Back-to-School Event. It was so much fun. They had great food (Michael still can’t stop talking about the food from that event?!); fun activities for the kids and shopping. Let me digress for a moment. Sometimes, I’m so clueless that it cracks me up. I had received the invite which said “feel free to bring the little ones along…to enjoy the kids’ activities while you treat yourself to a $200 shopping spree”. The email was also clearly labeled “Old Navy Back To School Event”. For some reason though, I thought that the shopping spree was for me (?!) I was all like, “That’s so smart of them. They realize that we moms are going to be spending all of our money getting our kids ready for school. That’s why they’re treating us. That’s what I’m talking about!” So, when I got to the event, I was looking around on the ground floor (where the women’s clothes are) and I saw nothing. Then, I was directed to where the event was actually taken place – up in the kids’ section (duh!) I couldn’t stop laughing to myself. That song, “You’re so vain…I bet you think this song is about you…” popped into my head. “You’re so vain….I bet you thought this shopping spree was for you, for you…” Oh, well – at least I can laugh at myself!

Back to the event – it was wonderful. The kids both had a lot of fun and I had fun shopping for them. I was able to buy 14 items for $146. There’s $54 left on the gift card balance. There are Old Navy stores nation-wide, so I’m giving the gift card to one of you! (They currently have a “Class of $10” promotion featuring 1,000 items for $10 or under, so this is a great place to get kid basics.) Meanwhile, here’s a little clip of me asking the boys what they liked in the store…

Daffy’s also had a Kids Fall Fashion Preview & Shopping Event earlier this week that I attended. (This time, I knew full well that it was all about the kids. Smile.) I have shopped at Daffy’s before. It’s a regional (NY-NJ-PA) store that sells a variety of designer labels (60-70% of their inventory is European) at discounted prices. Their prices are a little bit higher than other discount stores, but the overall value (in my opinion) is comparable. Since Daffy’s is a little bit more fashion-forward, I asked their buyers what were the fall fashion trends for kids. The top trends are: resurgence in denim (with our without embellishment); black & white and red and grey color palettes; plaids; 60s inspirations (A-lines, peace signs); pea coats and boots. Silhouettes are more traditional – classic and fitted.

I received a $50 gift card at this event. Since “my guys” have plenty of clothes at the moment, I’m giving it away to one lucky regional Mom in the City reader! Below, are some of their fall items:

To win, please share one of your favorite Back To School family traditions in the “Comments” section below by August 31st. (Be sure to indicate which gift card you’re interested in receiving.)

For an additional entry (and to help me out), please fill out this super-short survey regarding my upcoming local parenting guide site. (It’s only 1 question!) Thanks in advance.

Congrats to winner: Jennifer G.

Sometimes, a picture doesn’t do justice. That’s the case when you look at the adorable baby wear items (onesies, t-shirts, caps, bibs, infant gowns and blankets) from Do-Dah Doodles online. This line was created by talented artist/mom/grandmom Judy Vartan.

I was sent one of their “Frolicking Frog” short sleeve t-shirts to review. (I picked the frog, but there are 24 designs from which to choose.) The shirt is so cute and soft. I like that it is made out of pre-shrunk 100% cotton. (My kids sweat a lot, so they need to wear breathable clothes!) I also like the lap style neck, because it makes it easier to pull the shirt on over Sean’s head. Lastly, I like that the t-shirt has a tagless label. (I usually end up cutting out labels on clothes, because they bother my kids.) And did I mention that the frog is super cute? The only thing that I don’t like is that this line wasn’t introduced earlier. It only goes up to sizes 18-24 months, so my kids have pretty much aged out of it! (On a side note, Judy has also designed a line of organic cotton clothing featuring endangered animals. The proceeds from the sale of that line go to the World Wildlife Fund.)

Now, here’s the fun part. Judy is offering a Mom in the City reader one garment of their choice from the Do-Dah Doodles site.

To win, please visit Do-Dah Doodles and share which design and garment you would like in the “Comments” section below by July 15th.

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday or Contest Monday.)

On Thursday night, I went with a group of people to see Diane Birch perform at City Winery. (She did an amazing job and I’ll be sharing more about it next week.) Before the show began, I met several new, wonderful people. One of the more lively ones was John Andrews. He has this brilliant marketing mind and background, but the thing that attracted me the most was his obvious love for his wife and young daughter.

Anyway, someone mentioned to John that I might be doing a Father’s Day Guide this month. Immediately, he called me over and started raving about the Kroon jacket that he was wearing. (I can’t seem to find a website for Kroon, but if you google “Kroon Jacket”, you can see where to purchase them.) John loved his jacket so much that he thought that it would make a wonderful gift for any dad. (Since he doesn’t work for the company in any capacity and recently purchased two of the jackets himself, I was intrigued.) Since I had my Flip camera with me, I asked him if he would share about it on video. He happily obliged and the clip is below:

Today is the last day of our “Spring Fashion & Beauty” focus. It has been fun learning about various products for moms. However, I just have to include this one product that I found for young kids – babycapes. Created by two West Virginia moms, these capes are both practical and adorable!

On the practical side, the capes address the challenge of getting active kids into car seats without having to deal with bulky coats and jackets. It’s not just for car seats though (I know that many of us city dwellers don’t drive as much). They capes also work really well with strollers and front carriers. Although it’s officially “spring”, we’re still having some cold days (not to mention the upcoming rainy ones!) so this is still a great product to keep kids warm and safe.

We all love the sensible side of things, but it also helps if we like how the product looks. Trust me; you’ll like the appearance of babycapes. When I opened the blue one that I received to review, I couldn’t believe that it was 100% polyester because it felt and looked so luxurious. (It appeared to be a soft suede product.) There was a group of people at my house when I opened it and I gave it to one of the moms to test on her daughter. (She loved it.) What was hilarious though is that one of the guys was even more excited about the cape than we were. “This is great. It’s so pretty. It’s so practical. Look what you can do with it…” he gushed. (His wife is SO going to need to have a baby soon!)

The last thing that I want to write about this product is that it is “one size fits all” from newborn to preschooler. That is especially great budget-wise. Babycapes is currently holding an “American Economic Recovery Sale” where they are discounting all of their styles 40% off their regular prices. So, get over their quickly!

We all know that fashion isn’t just what you see on the outside. A large part of how you look and feel depends on what is underneath! Recently, I’ve been introduced to three products that I think are simply great. (I’ll be giving away two of them to a lucky reader.)

C-Panty
I was fortunate in that it wasn’t necessary for me to have a c-section with either of my boys. However, more than 30 percent of all births in the U.S. are Cesarean deliveries. Many of my friends have had c-sections and have shared about the unique discomforts associated with having one. C-Panty “The After Cesarean Underwear” is a wonderful product for these moms. A doctor (and mom) designed this underwear to address the swelling, scarring, sensitivity and tenderness after a c-section. The panties are soft to the touch and include a silicone, anatomically designed compression panel to help new moms heal.

isABelt
This unique product is such a smart idea! It’s a clear belt made of a strong, elasticized TPU that’s practically invisible while you’re wearing it. It’s easy to adjust it so that it lies flat against your clothes. The thing that I like the most about this product is that it prevents “back gap”. I am definitely not a fan of showing my underwear/behind when I bend over and (as a mom) I’m constantly bending over to pick something up. At under $20, the adjustable isABelt is a great item to have in your accessory arsenal!

Since sometimes an image is more powerful than words, I’ve included a video regarding how the isABelt product (which we’re giving away!) works. Here it is:

Slimpressions
Body shaping is definitely something that interests most moms that I know. Slimpressions, a line of everyday shapewear, fits the bill. It is designed to slim a woman’s arms, back and midriff. I tried the skinny mini top in black. It was comfortable and helped to give the illusion of reducing the size of my torso area. The bra area didn’t provide enough support for my liking though. (Granted, I’m a 34 DD so I find that to be the case with most undergarments.) Overall, I think that their products are helpful especially for women who have what I call the “underarm jiggle” (see the before/after image below). Since that’s not my challenge (yet!), I’m giving away one of their “The Haves” which smoothes and shapes the dreaded “arm flab”.

Before

After

One lucky Mom in the City reader will win one isABelt in the size of their choice ($16.95) and one Slimpressions “The Haves” in chocolate or white, Size 1 – which fits pants sizes 2-10 ($72).

To enter, let me know your favorite product from each of the three lines mentioned above in the “Comments” section below by March 31st. (You can have up to 3 entries for this giveaway.)

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday or Contest Monday.)

Jeans and dresses – that’s pretty much my wardrobe staples. I’m 5’2 and curvy, so jeans are basically the only pants that look good on me. I’m constantly trying new jeans and have had decent success with various brands. However, I now have a new favorite… Not Your Daughter’s Jeans®.

I was so amazed that I had never heard of these jeans. I only have to get the jeans hemmed – once again, because I’m 5’2. Otherwise, they fit perfectly. (Later, I realized that I should have requested “Petite” jeans.) Moms will especially appreciate the fact that the jeans are designed to both flatten your tummy and lift your butt. After having 2 kids, I’ve been fortunate enough to “snap back” into shape – albeit a shape one size larger than having both boys. However, I’ll take all of the (non-surgical) help that I can get! Did I mention that these jeans also make you look one size smaller (if you care about that type of thing!)? View the clip on this page to see what I’m writing about.

Here’s the fun part…

I’m giving away one pair of Size 6 “Not Your Daughter’s Jeans”. The winner can choose between either a pair of Premium Blue/Black Denim styled jeans or a pair of Black Classic Overdye jeans. (Each pair retails for around $100.)

To enter, let me know which of the Not Your Daughter’s Jeans “showroom” styles you like the most in the “Comments” section below by March 31st.

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday or Contest Monday.)

One aspect of Personal Growth that we’re focusing on this month is “Health and Wellness”. Exercise definitely falls under this category. After the holidays, I want some sort of incentive to get back into my workout routine. One thing that helps spur me on is having some cute, new workout clothes. As such, I was super excited when Jockey sent me a few pieces to review (and a couple of great pieces to give away to one of you too!).

I was sent the Soy Cropped Yoga Pant in black. I love that these pants are both eco-friendly and super-comfortable. Personally, they’re not my “style”. I’m 5’2, so cropped pants don’t look so great on me. However, these pants are so cozy that I find myself reaching for them again and again.

I also received the Double-Layer Ribbed Tank Top in coral berry and the Zen Dance Pant in gracious gray/coral berry. They are very cute and comfortable. Later in the month, I’m going to post a video “The Real Mom’s Workout” of me doing my daily Tae-bo workout (it’s only 20 minutes, but without fail one or both of my kids bang on my back/crawl through my legs or some other crazy thing!). I’ll be wearing this outfit in it, so you’ll be able to actually see the pieces “at work”.

Now for the fun part…one lucky Mom in the City member will receive:
-Spliced Crop Pant in gracious gray/gold (size small) Price: $32.00

And

-High Impact Wicking Cotton Bra in white (size medium) Price: $36.00

To enter, leave your name in the “Comments” section below along with the name of your favorite Jockey Activewear item OR by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Jockey” and the answer in the Subject line by January 31st.

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday or Contest Monday.)

Recently, I was sent one of the super-cute bump (baby under manufacturing process) tees to review. Bump sells maternity apparel (hence the name – bump).

Obviously (I hope!) I’m not pregnant at the moment, so I enlisted the help of a (very) pregnant friend/Mom in the City member. I remember that coziness was a top priority for me when I was pregnant and my friend attests that the tees are indeed very comfortable. I can confirm the “cute factor” – actually the designs are more simple and stylish than cutesy. The sample that I received had a star with the words bump and baby under manufacturing process on it (see below).

In any event, every woman wants to feel attractive during that special, maternity time of life. This line will help you in that quest! (FYI: Their Jingle Maroc top is being featured in the Dec/Jan Pregnancy magazine.) Be sure to check out all of their maternity apparel (novelty t-shirts, gifts for mom & dad, pregnancy yoga pants, etc.) on the bump site.

A couple of weeks ago, MomSelect sent me a very special package. It contained a sleepwear set from The Children’s Place for Michael along with a $30 gift card for me AND a $30 gift card for one lucky Mom in the City reader!

Suffice it to say, I was beyond happy. I get a lot of my kids’ staple clothes at The Children’s Place already. They offer good quality, classic basics at really affordable prices. (It really doesn’t make sense to me to spend an arm and a leg on every day things that the kids will outgrow in a few months.) I also like that when I can’t find the right sizes in the local stores, I can always order online because they have $5 standard shipping.

Anyway, I received the “rocket pj set” which was very cute and comfortable (according to Michael).

(The clothes are actually true to size. Michael’s pajamas are just a bit too big because he is at that awkward in-between-sizes stage — too big for a “4”/not quite big enough for a “5”.)

I needed to get Michael some new tops since he was outgrowing his size “4s”, so I made a trip to my local Children’s Place with my $30 gift card. I took along a coupon (which I had received in the mail because I’m a member of Children’s Place free “place perks” program). Unfortunately, they were out of the sweaters that I liked in Michael’s size. *I learned something new though…it turns out that Children’s Place gives out “free online shipping” coupons if you can’t find the item in the store! (I will definitely ask for this in the future if necessary – I don’t think that every salesperson thinks to offer it.) Later that night, I went shopping online, which was even better for me – I could get my husband’s input, since he and Michael have similar “tastes”. One more tip: type “Children’s Place coupons” in google and you’ll find sites that provide coupon codes that you can use at checkout. I was able to successfully use a 15% off code (it turned out that my “place perks” coupon had expired – I didn’t check the date!).

Now, for the fun part…The Children’s Place is in the “giving” spirit, so they included a second $30 gift card for one of you! The card can only be used in-store, so please only enter this giveaway if you live near a Children’s Place (which shouldn’t be too difficult – there are a lot of them!).

To enter, leave your name in the “Comments” section below along with the name of one Children’s Place item that you would get with the gift card or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Place” and the answer in the Subject line by December 31st.

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday or Contest Monday.)