"Caring is Always in Fashion" Blog Hop

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Welcome to the "Caring is Always in Fashion" blog hop sponsored every Sunday by The Kiddie Fashionista. To join in on the fun and help raise funds for our weekly cause, follow these simple steps:

1.Add your site to the "linky" provided.

2."Follow" the link in the first slot.

3.Visit as many links as you can and follow the blogs you like.

4.All we ask is that (if you are so inclined to do so) you grab our blog hop button (above) and post it on your blog with a short blurb about our blog hop so we can spread the word and, therefore, raise more funds for this week's cause.

When you add your site to this blog hop list, The Kiddie fashionista will donate $1 for each entry. Not only will you gain new followers and find new blogs to follow on the "Caring is Always in Fashion" blog hop, but your participation will help a different worthy cause every week.

Don't have a blog or site to submit for the hop? No problem! Just leave a comment on the blog hop post mentioning which method you're using to follow The Kiddie Fashionista, and your comment will also be worth $1.

This week's cause: Mission Monkey. Click here to find out more about this worthy casuse, to learn who Monkey is and to find out why Monkey needs our help.

Thanks for participating. Help us get the word out because Caring is Always in Fashion.

TGIF & Friday Follow

I, for one, am beyond thrilled to have a nice long holiday weekend ahead of me. I have tons of blog reading and blog post writing to catch up on so I'll be quite busy the next few days. Only a type-A woman like myself would be thankful to have time to WORK! But enough of my silliness. Fridays around here are about meeting new bloggers and building up our network of bloggy friends and followers. Over the past few weeks, I've met some amazing people, read some pretty fantastic writing and witnessed to power of the human spirit with the blogosphere's efforts for Mission Monkey.

I'm happy to add the new and improved Friday-Follow to my long and spirited list of blog hops. Be sure to visit the Friday-Follow website to learn all about how it works and what new and fun twists have been built into it for our enjoyment and benefit.

Leave a comment to let us know you stopped by and are following The Kiddie Fashionista from Friday-Follow, and we'll follow you right back.

Hope all our blogger friends (old and new) have a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!

It's A Social Parade Friday Follower Blog Hop!

Our beloved Social Parade, hosted by Smart and Trendy Moms, has moved from Wednesdays to Fridays. So welcome to the all-new Social Parade Friday Follower Blog-hop!

Hope you like what you see here. We're all about helping moms stay chic (along with their equally fashionable kiddies). You can follow us via Google Friends Connect or with other social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook. Leave a comment to tell you stopped by and are following The Kiddie Fashionista, and we will reciprocate your kindness.

Have a fabulous Friday and a safe Memorial Day weekend!

Personalized Gifts for Little Graduates

In just a few short weeks, my son will be graduating...FROM PRE-K!!! Aside from the large amounts of cash we've been spending lately on everything from his cap & gown, photos, and many other miscellaneous items, I've been searching for something special and, of course, stylish to commemorate this milestone in my son's life.

I came across this website, Chasing Fireflies, a boutique that carries an edited selection of unique clothing, toys and gifts for children and babies . It was here that I finally found what I was looking for. The first is an adorable customized t-shirt. You can add your child's name, choose between a boy or girl's head (topped with a graduation cap) and even pick the hair color on the graphic.

I also decided to add a cute little gift bag filled with all kinds of graduation-themed goodies. Though not customizable, the gift bag makes a fun gift for a deserving graduate. It comes with everything from cookies and candies to pens and even a miniature graduation cap.

Customized graduation t-shirts available in sizes 2-12: $48.00

Graduation-themed gift bag: $28.00

Twitter Hop Thursday 5/27/10

Welcome to Twitter Hop Thursday, hosted by Simply Stacie, The King’s Court IV, Little Yaya’s, Review Retreat and Moms Wear Your Tees!

Would you like more Twitter followers and be introduced to more neat blogs and businesses out there? Come and join us!!

Click on any of the host links to add your Twitter link, and find out how this blog hop works. You can follow The Kiddie Fashionista on Twitter as well.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!

Welcome Wednesday

Welcome to Welcome Wednesday hosted by Take it From Me. We've put on our most fashionable duds to make you feel stylish and chic as you browse around The Kiddie Fashionista. Follow us if you find us fun and informative, leave us a comment and let us you're our latest follower, and we will reciprocate with a smile on our faces and a warm, fuzzy feeling in our hearts. Want to join in on the fun, click here to sign up.

Have a fabulous day!

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!

Post-it Note Tuesday

Time for PINT (Post It Note Tuesday) again, and this time my co-hort in crime (a.k.a. Frances) has tagged along for the ride. Be sure to visit Supah Mommy, the brains behind this clever blog hop, to read her knee-slapping post-its as well as all her other funny insights.

First up are my ramblings. Keep reading 'cause I've saved the best for last (I'm sure all moms will identify with Frances' post-it note ;-)

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Goody Colour Collection for Girls Review

Hello, fashionista mommies! If you have a little girl whom you love to play hair stylist with (yes, I fall into this category), well I have reviewed two hair accessory products for you. My review grades are based upon look, comfort and practicality.

The following products are from classic hair accessory manufacturer's Goody Colour Collection for girls.

Introducing..."Caring is Always in Fashion" Blog Hop Sunday!!!

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Worldwide Mission Monkey Day!

Hello blog world! 

I am participating in what's known around the world as Mission Monkey day!  What is Mission Monkey you ask?  Well, there's this blogger friend of ours known as Pixie Momma, aka Michelle.  Michelle has a little girl, Monkey (as she's known by) who was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma.  To learn more about it, click here. Monkey is a sweet little 16 month old girl.  She doesn't deserve this.  Nobody deserves this.

Friday Flip-offs

Time for Flip-off Friday, the brain child of Gigi at KludgyMom.com. Not only is this one of the funnest blog hops around (the participants are quite witty), it's also a great way of coping, ranting and de-stressing after a long and seemingly never-ending mommy week. Again, thanks to Kludgy Mom for coming up with such a necessary form of therapy.

Now on with the Flip-offs. The list is short and sweet (or sour, in my case ;-)

Twitter Hop Thursday

Welcome to Twitter Hop Thursday, hosted by Simply Stacie, The King’s Court IV, Little Yaya’s, Review Retreat and Moms Wear Your Tees!

Would you like more Twitter followers and be introduced to more neat blogs and businesses out there? Come and join us!!

Click on any of the host links to add your Twitter link, and find out how this blog hop works. You can follow The Kiddie Fashionista on Twitter as well.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!

Kid & Toddler Sleeping Bags

My 4 yr old is finishing up pre-k at a local preschool. He only attends for a few hours in the morning, so he's never had to take the dreaded afternoon nap. Thank goodness, he wouldn't be able to stay still for more than a couple of minutes! Even though he's not fond of naps and such, he is, however, completely taken with the little napster's sleeping bags. He's asked me if we can get one for him. Not that he needs one. Just for the fun of it. We'll see about that request. If your little one is in need for a sleeping bag for school naps or overnight stays at grandma's house, the ultra-fashionable and totally adorable kid and toddler sleeping bags at Brianna's Bedding and Beyond are just what you and your kiddie are looking for.

It's Social Parade Wednesday!

We had so much fun and added so many good blogs to our blogroll, that we couldn't wait to participate in this week's Social Parade! Thanks to smartandtrendymoms.com for hosting this weekly link up

If you haven't been to our neck of the woods before, welcome! The Kiddie Fashionista was founded to help moms reclaim the sense of style they checked at the door when they became moms. We offer moms and their budding fashionistas product recommendations and tips on how to be stylishly chic. From clothing to furniture and EVERYTHING in between, The Kiddie Fashionista is here to help moms look and feel like the goddesses they are.

So, please, look around. Sign up for our e-mail updates, follow us on Twitter and Google Friends Connect, and, of course fan us on Facebook since this week is Fan-page round up week.

Post It Note Tuesday

This is my very 1st PINT (Post It Note Tuesday) post, and I'm super (or should I say Supah!!! excited). Thanks to Supah Mommy for sponsoring this blog link up. Please visit her blog for many, many reasons (mostly because she's a hoot), but also because she is doing an unbelievable job of helping with Mission Monkey. Don't know what the heck I'm talking about? Wondering who Monkey is? Just take a look at this precious little face?

Click on monkey to donate...please help!

This is Monkey, and she was recently diagnosed with neuroblastoma. I had no idea what this was until a few days ago, and, as a mother of two boys, I hope I never here that word from any doctor when it comes to them. Monkey's mom is a fellow blogger (Momma's Pixie Dreams) and bloggers every where are uniting to help Monkey and her family beat this nasty and rare form of cancer. You'll be hearing more about Monkey and Mission Monkey here in the coming days and weeks as The Kiddie Fashionista is joining up with Mission Money to do what it can to help Monkey. For now, visit Ian's blog, The Daily Dose of Reality,  to find out what you can do to help. Big or small, whatever your heart dictates, will help this beautiful child and her family.

Now, onto my Post It Note Tuesday entry.

Petit Ami Blue Ruffles Capri Set

WHY DON'T I HAVE A LITTLE GIRL?!?!?! With adorably chic outfits like this blue ruffles capri set from Petit Ami, my little fashionista would be stylin! The ruffled gingham check blouse and navy blue ruffled capri pants are the epitome of girly femininity. This is a perfect ensemble for a playdate during the long summer months that await us. The set comes in sizes 2T, 3T & 4T although they only have 3T in stock. The best part of this cute set is its price - a mere $15.99. Amazing! Check out this and other equally girly outfits at Sassy Kids Boutique. Their prices are some of the best I've found on the web.

The Versatile Blogger Award

The Kiddie Fashionista received its very first blog award courtesy of Elaine at honeypieaccessories.blogspot.com. She was so very sweet to do this considering she'd just "met" me the very same day she awarded us The Versatile Blogger award. I'm not one to look a gift horse (or blogger ;-) in the mouth, so on behalf of The Kiddie Fashionista I humbly accept it and offer Elaine my heartfelt thanks.

There are a few "rules" that come with accepting this award:

First, thank the blog that presented us with the award. Check.

Next, share (7) things about myself. Here goes nothing:

1. I've visited all of the 48 contiguous states (LOTS of road trips!)
2. I once gave serious thought to joining the CIA
3. I have a healthy obsession with most things vampire (except Twilight)
4. I love Coke (the soda, of course)
5. I've been to Disney World 30 times (that's during my adult life)
6. I celebrated the millennium in Paris at the foot of the Eiffel Tower
7. I'd leave my husband for Daniel Craig in a heartbeat (JK...No, I'm not!)

I now have the task of passing on this award to 15 other blogs who I've recently discovered and think are pretty fantastic. I'm cheating a bit on this "rule" and only giving it to 9 blogs (what can I say, I'm picky!). Please visit these blogs if you have the chance to do so. They're each special for different reasons (hence, versatile), but every one of them is worth the read.

• Life Without Pink (A mom blogging about a life eerily similar to mine...a life without pink!)
• Today's Cliche (Parenting from both a mom's and dad's perspective)
• Farber Family Adventures (A blog written by a sweet mom of an even sweeter little girl who just happens to design fabulous blogs like mine!)
• Mami On A McMission (A blog covering one grateful mom's mission to show kindness to the children of Ronald McDonald house. Visit her blog and help put a smile on the face of a sick child.)
• Cupcake Mommie (Musings from a mom who loves life, her gorgeous baby son and wants to do great things. A woman after my own heart.)
• A Frugal Friend (This blog makes even the most thrifty mom feel like she's throwing money out the window. Follow it simply to get some major bang for your buck.)
• Confessions of a Scrapaholic (This hardworking mom writes about her life as a wife, new mom, nurse and obsessive scrapbooker, and how she strives to juggle all her roles. She also has the most cheerful blog design I've come across in some time.)
• A Modern Day Ricky and Lucy (A witty blog written by one funny lady. You'll love her and will quickly understand why she's a modern-day Lucy!)
• Finding My Weigh (Not only does this blogging mom have a great title and description for her blog, she's also a hoot and a half. A must-read in my book.)

The last order of business to take care of is informing these lucky blogs they're just been given The Versatile Blogger award as well. I'm off to do that now. Thanks again, Elaine, for thinking of The Kiddie Fashionista.

Pediped Portia Gladiator Sandals

Most moms have heard of our bought a pair of soft-soled shoes for their little tot from Pediped. I think we can all agree that they make the most adorable, comfortable and flexible shoes around. When your baby transitions into the toddler phase, a good pair of starter shoes is a must. But even I was surprised by just how chic the brand's latest "couture" shoe collection is. From cute mary-janes to trendy gladiator sandals, the new Pediped couture collection has what every little fashionista should have on her pretty feet.

My personal favorite are the 'portia' roman gladiator-style sandals in pink mock-croc leather. The stylish pair feature cushioned soles and Velcro fastening, and the embossed leather exterior has a slight sheen to it so your cutie will stand out among the rest. The couture collection is priced at $42(not bad!) - about $10-15 more than Pediped's original designs. The collection is only available for girls 0-24 months, but let's keep our fingers crossed that the overwhelming success of this collection will nudge the folks at Pediped to expand the collection to include more styles, sizes and, perhaps, even a few boy designs. C'mon, Pediped, throw mama a bone over here. I've got two boys who simply won't wear pink!!!

Friday Follow

Another Friday blog hop? Yep! I love to find new blogs to follow and always hope others will find us informative and somewhat amusing. If you've never participated in Friday Follow (like me), click on the button above to join in on the fun. Thanks to One2Try and Midday Escapades for hosting this fabulous blog hop! If you're stopping by because of Friday Follow, leave a comment and follow us. We'll be sure to reciprocate your generosity.


It's Friday, ya'll! Have a great weekend!

Friday Flip-offs

Thanks to a great blog I came across, KludgyMom.com, I was inspired to join this "Friday Flip-offs" meme. It's my way of coping, ranting and de-stressing after a long and seemingly never-ending mommy week. Again, thanks to Kludgy Mom for coming up with such a necessary form of therapy.

Let's proceed with my FLIP-OFFS, shall we?

To the old lady who nearly ran my son and I over in the supermarket parking lot: FLIP OFF! C'mon, lady, it's a parking lot, not the Indy 500 raceway! People need to slow the flip down!!!!

To the amputee that asks me for money outside Walgreens only to use said "donation" to buy lotto tickets: FLIP OFF! I'm all for helping those in need, but using the fact that you're missing a limb so people will give you money then turn around a use that money for something as frivolous as the lottery really pisses the flip out of me.

To my neighbors who have a garage band that plays loudly and sucks royally: A TRIPLE FLIP OFF!!! I have small kids sleeping in a bedroom next to your garage you pathetic excuse for a rock band. Give it up already! Nickleback would cringe if they heard you butcher their songs, and Kurt Cobain is rolling around in his grave every time you play "Smells Like Teen Spirit". You suck, and you'll never get flipped by any girl listening to you.

To myself for swearing in front of my 4 year old when I get cut off in traffic: A BAD MOMMY FLIP OFF TO ME! I should know better, and karma came back to bite me in the tush 'cause he dropped an F-bomb in the car today when some guy cut us off! The horror!!!

Can't wait till next week to flip off more people (myself included)!

Get Ready for Summer: Land's End Swimsuit & Cover Up + $25 GC Giveaway

*Sponsored solely by The Kiddie Fashionista

Much to my dismay, my husband insists we go to the beach more often this year. Uh, seriously? Why? Doesn't he understand that I'm over-weight, can't swim and have suffered one too many sunburns to even attempt such a thing? No excuses, he says. The kids need to enjoy our South Florida beaches, and I need to suck it up.

First on my "get ready for summer" agenda is finding a comfortable yet stylish swimsuit. I may feel like a beached whale, but I don't have to look like one. So I racked my brain trying to think of a place I could find a suit that would be practical and stylish, and that little light bulb inside my head turned on when I thought of Land's End.

The mega-popular catalog company has supplied our home with tons of affordable and comfortable clothing over the years. Then they made their way into stores like Sears (only three blocks away from my home!), and I was in heaven. Need a simple tank for the summer? Land's End has those in every color imaginable. Want a canvas bag to haul your goodies to the park or the beach? Land's End has those too. I actually gave those out as gifts to all my bridal attendants. But I digress. The point here is to find a chic yet functional swimsuit for Mama Padron (moi ;-). I found exactly what I needed with just a few clicks of the mouse (as I knew I would).

I chose this solid empire-waist tankini top ($48.50) and matching mini skirt bottom. The top's gathered bodice, empire waist and soft cup bra offer support and comfort while the stretch fabric gives the assurance of much-needed concealment. The matching mini bottom ($56.50) comes with an attached panty so there are no worries of a "flashing" incident. Of course, I would never go to the beach without a cover up! This cotton jersey hooded dress ($29.50) is the perfect addition to finish off the look.

While all these pieces are available in a myriad of colors, I went with black for the swimsuit and navy for the cover-up. These choices come with built in longevity as the basic nature of their colors and designs will allow me to use them for many summers to come. All the pieces I selected also come in regular sizes so there's a suit at Land's End for women of all shapes and sizes.

Are you dying to shop for a swimsuit, cover up or any other summer staple from Land's End? Then you should definitely enter our Get Ready For Summer Land's End Gift Card giveaway. One of our readers will win a $25 gift card good toward purchases online at LandsEnd.com and Sears.com, for Land's End catalog purchases or for in-store purchases at Sears, The Great Indoors and Kmart!

To Enter:

Mandatory: Leave a comment on this post telling us what item you need most to get ready for summer.

Extra Entries: Leave a comment after your mandatory entry for each of these actions you take.

• Follow us on Twitter
• "Like" us on Facebook
• Follow us via Google Friends Connect
• Follow us on Networked Blogs
• Sign up for our e-mail updates
• Sign up to receive updates via an  RSS feed
• Tweet the following and post a link to your tweet here: RT @TheKFashionista Get ready for summer and enter to win a $25 Land's End gift card http://ow.ly/1L7uV

You have (8) chances to win. The giveaway ends on Wed., May 26th at 12:00pm. A winner will be randomly selected from all submitted entries.

Good luck!

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UPDATE: CONGRATULATIONS, Kim!

You're the winner of the Land's End $25 Gift Card giveaway.