Zazou - European Flair for Kids

I was given the opportunity to review a product from Zazou, a chic European boutique for children.

They sent me an oh-so-comfy and VERY stylish shirt from their Most Wanted Shirt line for Natalie:



Natalie LOVES this shirt! And she loves bragging to her friends that it "came from a boutique in Europe." :)

As you can see, the shirt appropriately says, "Sister." The material is soooo soft, and it looks as good as it feels. Rather than just an ordinary t-shirt, the sleeves are made to look "inside out" with a sort of reversal of the inside seam. It's totally adorable!

In fact, Zazou specializes in "kids' fashion with a twist." Check out this ultra-retro, vintage 70's, leather scrap skirt:



Don't you just love the colors?

New summer merchandise is coming out in March, and according to Zazou, it's going to be hot! And that means that you have the chance now to get ultra-savings on their winter line! Prices are being lowered up to 50%! (The "Sister" shirt is one of the sale items, so snatch it up while you can!)

Here's another skirt I love from their Petit Louie line, marked down from its original price:



Zazou offers a no-fuss return policy. If you're not completely satisfied, you can return your purchase for a full refund. You can't beat that!

Check out their blog while you're at it, too, and be sure to subscribe to their newsletter so you don't miss out on any good deals!

Baby Jamz Giveaway - Hip-Hop for Little Ones

Note: Be sure you don't miss out on your chance to get Free Yoplait Kids yogurt, and check out the deals at the stylish and hip Zazou boutique!

What would happen if you took old fashioned nursery rhymes, mixed in a little fun, and pulled it all together with a soulful voice? That's exactly what the creators of Baby Jamz have done.

This new line of hip-hop toys, sold exclusively at Wal-Mart, was created by Mathew Knowles, father of Beyonce. Solange Knowles, Beyonce's sister, sings all of the nursery ryhmes on most of the toys, and she does it with flair (all toys come with a CD of nursery rhymes sung by her as well).

Mr. Knowles made it a top priority to create and release "child-friendly" music content over the past year with his Kid's Rap Radio series, and has now extended that goal by creating this line of innovative, educational and musically stimulating toys.

"Baby Jamz allows children to have toys that they can identify with and enjoy. Many children love music and dancing to hip-hop, so we have creatively combined great toys with the hip-hop versions of popular nursery rhymes," said Mr. Knowles, president and CEO of Music World Entertainment.

Solange's son Julez was the inspiration behind the toys and his face is featured on all of the products: Baby Jamz Cell Phone, Baby Jamz Dance Mat, Baby Jamz Key Chain, Baby Jamz Boom Box Shape Sorter, and Baby Jamz Mix Master Chair.

I was able to review two of the products, the Mix Master Chair and the Dance Mat. My product tester was my cousin's two-year-old stepson Cory, who was in awe as soon as he opened up the packages! He loves both of them equally and has had so much fun with them.

The Mix Master Chair is so adorable:



It has been labeled as the "hero" item in the Baby Jamz line and I can see why. Cory got to be a DJ in his own chair. How fun is that? As soon as he sits in the chair, a yellow note-shaped button is activated, which makes the buttons on the arms of the chair come to life.

He creates his own music by pressing the various buttons, some with the cool-sounding nursery rhymes, and others that add in different sounds.

Equally stimulating is the Dance Mat:



Think Dance, Dance Revolution for little ones. What better way to promote creative thinking, exercise and play! The mat plays 36 seconds of songs such as "Bingo," "Mary Had a Little Lamb," and "This Old Man," in hip-hop tempo. There are seven different spots on the mat for kids to step on, which is perfect for little feet, and children can create their own remixes of song with each step they take.

Solange's voice can be heard on the songs on both of these toys, and I can't tell you enough how beautiful it is. No more boring nursery rhymes for Cory! He's having so much fun dancing to the hip-hop beat on his toys now!

Want to win one of these innovative toys for a child in your life?

Simply leave a comment here letting me know which Baby Jamz toy you'd love to win and why (you can always change your mind if you are selected as the winner).

You'll receive a bonus entry if you post a link to this contest on your site, as well as a link to Baby Jamz.

Deadline to enter is 11:59 p.m., EST, Wednesday, February 20. Winner will be announced on February 21.

Good luck!

Peternity Winner

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest for $75 toward any purchase at Peternity.

This is one contest where I really want to give everyone a prize. It's a good thing I'm using Random.org, because otherwise it would be impossible to pick just one of you on my own.

Congratulations to Naomi from superdumb supervillain. Naomi blogged about the loss of her precious cats here.

Reading each of your entries really touched my heart. Thank you for sharing your stories with me and may each of you who have lost a pet be comforted in your memories of him/her.

Much thanks to Peternity for sponsoring this wonderful contest!

I Am Not My Breast Cancer - A Review

I've stated here before how cancer has affected my life. I lost my aunt to breast cancer several years ago, and then my uncle to lung cancer (which left my cousins without both of their parents).

I am nearing the one year anniversary of my (step)father-in-law's death from lung cancer at the end of this month.

I think almost everyone has been affected by cancer in one way or another. I myself had a scare when two tumors were found..one in each of my breasts. Fortunately for me, they were benign, but it was very traumatizing waiting for word that I was cancer-free.

I Am Not My Breast Cancer, a self-help book compiled by Ruth Peltason and published by Harper Collins, helps women who have gotten that dreadful diagnosis. The book deals with every issue you can think of as the subtitle states:

"Women talk openly about love & sex, hair loss & weight gain, mothers & daughters, and being a woman with breast cancer."

"I Am Not My Breast Cancer" contains short, easy-to-read, letters from women who have been touched by breast cancer. Whether you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, or know someone that has, there is something for you to learn in this book.

I think I was most surprised to learn that the term "survivor" is not always enjoyed by those who have overcome breast cancer. As one woman put it:

"I dislike the survivor label because I think of the women who have not survived. What does that make them - failures?" -Kellyk01

There are real, raw, honest and gut-renching testimonies that both tear at your heart strings and inspire you at the same time. You will not want to miss out on what these courageous women have to tell you.

For me, I believe the lessons learned are far-reaching and a lot of them apply to anything in life. I took away some very strong messages that I plan to use in my life in general, such as, "Fear is an emotion, faith is a choice." Very powerful.

For more information on the book, check out this review by Publisher's Weekly, or head on over to the book's listing at Amazon.com.

And to read the original notes from women that were compiled for the book, head on over to First Person Plural. You'll find a wealth of information and support there.

Love Notes Earrings Giveaway at From Dates to Diapers

Christine over at From Dates to Diapers is having a fabulous giveaway, where you can win a pair of gorgeous Love Note earrings from Cherry Creek Designs.

Contest ends 9pm (PST), February 4th so hurry on over and enter!