Trendy Mommy Tuesdays: vol. 12

Hey y'all, long time no trendy mommies! I just  haven't been feeling any of the celebs lately plus I have been so busy with this pregnancy and just life in general that I haven't had time to really search for inspiration. However, as Summer has officially hit my home town, out comes the flip flops and dresses everywhere I look. The bigger I get the more hot I get, and my typical jeans and t-shirts are not cutting it, not even my maxi dresses can save me from my random pregnancy heat waves this.

So what's a preggo to do ? Sadly for the general public, I have resorted to (insert theatrical music here, *dun dun dun*) short Summer dresses. If you know me at all, you know I would rather die than wear a short dress, especially in public. But, if I wear anything else, I feel like I really am dying a slow sweaty death.

Needless to say, celebrities can pull off these dresses better than I and there seems to be one favorite amongst celeb mommas...Splendid's Wildflower Dress ($118) as shown in People online on Alessandra Ambrósio, Ali Larter, and Selma Blair.

So this week's inspiration isn't so much a who as a what, the floral Summer dress! Here are a few looks for a few different body types in similar summery fun & floral prints.

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 44

Unlimited:

ModCloth purse  Ends 8/27

Daily:

Trip to Vegas to see America's Got Talent  Ends 9/29


Single:

$500 Macy's gift card  5 winners, ends 7/31

Trip to Fiji  and 20 runner-ups will win $50, ends 7/31

iPhone 4 case  100 winners, ends 7/31

iPad  10 winners, ends 8/5

$100 Apple gift card  5 winners, ends 7/31

Another trip to the finale of Project Runway  plus extra, ends 8/1

Oscar de la Renta gift card  or 10 winners will get jewelry, ends 8/3

Trip to London  Ends 8/12

Trip to Meatopia in NYC  Ends 8/5


photo: Embroidery of Tim Gunn by Sarah at Totally Severe

Get Nailed: Mermaid Nails

CVS has a really amazing deal going on right now with their Revlon nail polishes. All Revlon polishes are on sale for $4.99 and you get $3 in ECB's back on each bottle (limit 6)! So you end up spending $30 and getting $18 back! As soon as I found out, I ran (not literally, I don't run) over to CVS to take full advantage of this offer, and I was immediately drawn to all of the blues !

My Purchase (L to R) 730 Royal, 340 Ocean, and 441 Radiant.

Time for a nail poish secret of mine. I have a love/hate relationship with blue nail polish. Someone in high school once told me that blue nail polish was "so juvenile", and that particular thought has seared its way into my memory and only recently could i get past it with the help of my sister in law (I make it sound so serious, huh?) Anyhow, I saw these polishes and immediately thought "Mermaid!"

I began with this look which was cute but it was missing something. What do mermaids have (besides fabulous hair, nice shells, and amazing singing voices of course)..SCALES! Once I decided I was going to attempt scales, I gathered a few complimentary colors and begin to place rows of dots in alternating colors, layering them on top of each other.

This is my final outcome. It would have been amazing if I had a dotting tool, but I still haven't gotten around to ordering one so this is what you get! Anyone else take advantage of the current CVS sale or do you have your own Mermaid Nails to show off? Leave us a comment below or visit our FB page !

10 Baby Products You Never Knew Existed

Hey guys, I know most of my posts lately have been (and will continue to be) baby related but I can't help it! I have total baby on the brain as I am in due in 10 short weeks, EEK!

While researching another article about really cool and useful baby gadgets and gear, I found some not so useful or practical parenting paraphernalia that I thought I'd share with you.

#1 Po-Knee $21

Yes, this is exactly what it looks like, a plush pony you strap to your leg. It takes "pony rides" to a whole new level .

#2 Zaky Pillow $45

Hand shaped pillows. Yes, I'm serious. According to the company, " It was originally designed to comfort, support, and protect premature babies that had to be away from their mother in the hospital – but it is a great ergonomic pillow for all infants! It has been shown encourage good sleep patterns and sound development, while providing a sense of protection. It is very flexible and can be positioned just right to fit the perfect position for your little one – over, under, or around your baby. Place it in the drier for a couple of minutes to warm it and give it a more realistic feel". Bottom line? Creepy yet sweet AND practical

 #3 The Daddle $56

I don't care what anyone says, this is awesome. Necessary? No. Hilarious and demeaning? Yes! For a cheaper price, and hilarious reviews, check the Daddle out on Amazon ($45 avg price). I'm really not kidding about the reviews...go now and read them.

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 43

Daily:

Trip to NYC to see the Project Runway finale show  Enter up to 5 times a day, ends 8/20

$5,000  and one winner a day will win a Samsung Galaxy player, ends 9/5

$5,000  or 450 winners will get $100, ends 9/17

aaaannd another for $5,000  and one a winner a day of $100, ends 9/3

Single:

Ok, and one more for $5,000  Pinterest contest, ends 8/17

$500 Fredericks of Hollywood gift card  3 winners and one winner a day gets $50, ends 8/27

$100 Quicksilver credit  100 winners, ends 7/30

$200  576 winners, ends 12/31

Visit the set of Breaking Bad  Ends 8/6

Hot air balloon ride  Pinterest contest, ends 7/31

Get Nailed: imPRESS Press On Manicure Review

Hey there ladies and gents. Recently I posted about the amazing company Influenster who sent me multiple items to including the imPRESS Press On Manicure to sample and test for FREE!  I have seen these nails everywhere but was not sure if they were for me. As most of you know, I love to paint my own nails and play with designs, but sometimes you just don't have time. That is where the nails come in. They are already colored or have an awesome print on them so all you have to do is stick them on. The company boasts that "There is no drying, a killer shine, and a manicure that lasts up to a week! And imPRESS is so easy to remove you can change it to match up your mood as often as you want."

PRO's:

No Drying time for polish (obviously) or glue

Quick & Easy to apply

Come in a wide range of colors and prints, 36 to be exact (which you can view via their website)

Also on their website, you can try on their nails on a virtual hand as well as print out $1/1 coupon

In my opinion, they fit your nails better than most other press on nails

Come with multiples of sizes and shapes so there is sure to be ones that fit every nail!

If they actually stayed on a whole week with no problems, the price is amazing!

CON's:
The sizing of the nails is not perfect, but I am yet to see any company that is.

The specific color I received was my least favorite of all 36 colors and designs they offer. I received Stiletto
and it even looks better online than in person. It is a brown and I hate brown nail polish, but that is just me.

Mine did not stay put for a whole day. It may have been a fluke, but the nails on my right hand kept popping off while typing and answering phones at work and the worst was when I was folding up my daughter's stroller and three came off at once. On the other hand (literally), my left hand nails did not budge and when I tried to remove them because my right hand nails all came off it wasn't completely painless, but at least it was quick and easy.

 Overall imPRESSion?
I would use them again if I received them as a gift or buy them if they were on sale or clearance, but I did not have the most positive experience with them so I cannot honestly say I would go seek them out. I would give this product a 3/5 stars. Have you tried them? If so, what did you think of them ?

Calling All Crowdtappers!

Yes I'm back to talk about Crowdtap again. If you recall I have written about them before, here and here. Crowdtap is a really simple opinion site that doesn't take much time or effort to participate in and rack up points, and points = prizes! All you need to do is answer their surveys and polls honestly so they can gear questions, discussions, activities, parties, and sample offers towards you and your specific likes and dislikes.

I have been a member for about a year now and have got some awesome things with minimal effort. I have been part of two Old Navy "Sample & Share Events" where you get two coupons one for you, and one for a friend for a FREE specific item in the store. My first "Sample & Share" was for a winter coat, and the other was for a Summer dress...FREE! I've also taken part in many discussions, won FREE tickets to advance movie screenings and received many samples of items to test, review, and hand out to friends and family (the most recent being Woolite Dark Care which is awesome BTW...).

For every answer you give, report you turn in and every Web Share you complete, you rack up points and you can cash these points in for rewards, most in the form of gift cards.
When Crowdtap first started, they used to let you cash out your points for $$$, but once people caught on to how awesome this site was they did away with that option. Just to give you an idea what you are working for,  here are a list of their current rewards:

$25 or $10 Amazon Gift Card  

$50 Bonobos Reward  

$5 or $10 Charity Donation

$50 ArtsicleGift Card  

$35 Blank Label Gift Cards  

$50 reward to Silver Linings

$20 Gift Card to Bucket Feet 

$50 Amanda Sterett Reward  

$20 Manpacks Gift Card

$15 Peeled Snacks gift card

$25 Dermstore Reward

$10 Reward to Journey Bar

$10 Gift Card to Shoebuy

$10 Gift Card to FloraFlora 

I don't remember how much I received in cash, but as far as rewards, I am at $90 in Amazon credits which, in my opinion, is the best option they have. FREE stuff just for giving your opinion and they almost never e-mail you and you can log on as often or little as you would like and earn points at your leisure. So what are you waiting for? Sign up here!

Keep on Whored-ing, and keep on Tappin!

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 42

Unlimited:

$2,000 Bloomingdale's credit  Ends 8/12

Daily:

Trip to the Grand Canyon  5 winners, ends 7/31

Other:

3 day vacation  10 winners, up to 5 entries, ends 8/5

Picnic tote  12 winners, enter once a week, ends 7/30

Single:

Spa trip  Unknown ending date

Eufora haircare set  220 winners, ends 7/30

Bags of chips  5,000 winners, ends 7/20

Bunch of beauty products  All end 7/31, do not subscribe

$1,000 shopping spree on vente-privee  5 winners, ends 7/31

Wine vacation in Paso Robles  No transportation, ends 8/31

A trip to Belgium  to eat, eat, eat. Ends 7/21

2012 Prius  so you can drive slowly around town, ends 9/4

Or a 2013 Camaro 2SS  so you can drive fast, ends 9/30

Breaking Bad - The Scientific Kitchen

Breaking Bad Season 5 premieres tomorrow, July 15th on AMC and THIS girl is excited! I'd celebrate by cooking some meth in my kitchen... but uh... I'll stick to blue rock candy recipes, instead.
I'm all about using science in the kitchen, so let's explore some options, shall we?

Beakers are great for measuring, mixing, and drinking out of! Try this 6 piece set of beakers on Amazon for only $19.95:

Where to Register for Baby !

Whether it is your first baby or not, Baby registries are not something you can "skip". My girlfriend had her second child earlier this year and really downplayed it because she always thought you only get a baby shower for your first baby. So not true! Her sister and I ended up throwing her a last minute "Sprinkle" (don't worry it's not dirty and I'll probably do another post on it later). I feel that it's especially important to have another shower if the baby you are having is a different gender than your first one. If you are a solitary person and are raising this baby completely on your own and don't want a baby shower, that's fine. You still should make a registry because many companies offer a "completion discount" which basically means anything on your list that is not purchased by your due date you can buy yourself at least 10% off whatever is left! I know for sure that Amazon, Babies R Us , and Target all have Baby Registry completion Discount Programs so there may be others out there as well, it never hurts to ask.

Amazon Registry Benefits:
* They offer a 10% registry completion discount.
* You can add anything to your list from any website.

* They offer printable baby registry insert cards.

* They are running a sweepstakes where you are automatically entered to win a $500 Amazon GC just for

   making a registry with at least 10 items on it between now and 12/29/2012.

* They have a 365 day no charge return policy on Baby Store items.

* This is probably the best way to find the cheapest deals for baby items, AND and Amazon often offers

   FREE shipping on most orders over $25.

 

Babies R Us Registry Benefits:

* They offer at least a 10% registry completion discount.

* You can add items online and in-store.

* They offer printable baby registry insert cards.

*  Every Sunday (and sometimes more often) Babies R Us/Toy R Us put out a 20% coupon (not valid on

    specific brands and items so look closely) which would be great if you received gift cards or to give to 

    family members to use!

** DRAWBACK ** They have a horrible return policy. You MUST have a receipt, gift receipt, or the card used for payment to return anything even if all you want is store credit.

Target Registry Benefits: 

* They offer a 10% registry completion discount, BUT I have heard that they often "forget" to mail you or

   distribute the 10% coupon to you and you have to contact customer service to get it. It's worth it even if

   you have to hunt down your coupon!

* You can add items online and in-store.

*They have a great return policy. They accept returns even without a receipt and for will issue merchandise

   credit for current the current selling price.
* Target has the most options as far as clearance children's and baby items! Even the clearance or sale

   items aren't on your registry it gives your friends a family to shop for you on a budget and still get great

   items! It's a Win-Win !

* Target accepts 1 manufacturer and 1 Target coupon per item which can also help cut down the cost for

   everyone!

Hopefully you find this information helpful. There are many more stores and websites that offer Baby Registries including but not limited to Wal-Mart, TheBump, Pottery Barn Kids, Diapers.com, Buy Buy Baby, Wish Pot, and Baby Depot. Let me know how these work out for you or if you have any feedback on these sites, and information on new sites or deals you have found! 

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 41

Daily:

$10,000 Coach shopping spree  Ends 9/3

Box of K-Cups  100 winners a day, ends 7/29

Trip to California to watch a taping of New Girl  Ends 9/1


Once a week:

New BBQ  52 winners, ends 8/8

Trip to Thailand  and other weekly prizes, ends 9/10


Single:

Trip to Hawaii  Ends 8/13

$500 H&M card  and 3 winners of $100, ends 9/3

52 blocks of cheese  all at once. I hope you're hungry. Ends 7/31

Snoop Dogg's 63 Cadillac Coupe De Ville  Ends 12/31

Trip to San Fran to tour See's lollipop factory  and ten people will win $50 See's gift cards, ends 7/22

Missoni sandals  10 winners, ends 7/11

A poster signed by the cast of Magic Mike  Ends 7/12. Rub all up on it.


photo: Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg on the Martha Stewart Show, November 2009

Get Nailed: Nautical Nails

It's that time of the year where Nautical print is back in (does it ever really go "out"?) and I'm loving it! I will post later this week a round up of some uber cute nautical themed stuff that you really should consider buying either for yourself or even as a gifts! But for now, I will settle on showing off my awesome (if I do say so myself) nautical print nails!

A few common themes for nautical designs are fish (my fave), a compass, rope/netting, anchors & stripes, pirates, a sail boat or you can even apply 3D nail art ! Don't forget essential colors to have on hand are some combination of white, blue, yellow, red,, silver and/or gold. I could go on and on with all the fun stuff you could do, but believe it or not, I'm going to keep it simple this week and jump on the stripes and anchors bandwagon.

I don't know why I kept running into so many problems with this manicure. I initially couldn't decide which colors I wanted to use or what type of design I wanted to draw. Once I decided what to do, I kept smudging my design and having to start all over. I tried to freehand stripes but I don't have a blue nail art pen or nail brush so those came out horrible, then I tried to paint my nails white, place scotch tape where I wanted the white stripes to go then paint over that with navy blue but it kept ripping off my white polish. In short, I felt like an idiot. I finally decided to paint scotch tape blue, yes I said paint the tape, and cut it into strips.

1) Take a strip of scotch tape and paint it whatever color you would like your stripes to be, let dry.

2) Cut colored tape into straight strips, trim to fit nail and cut them to your preferred thickness (that's what she said).

3) Apply the base coat, then pick a base color. I used white for all fingers except my middle I used a glitter red.

4) Next, after white polish is dry, apply your stripes and cover nails with clear top coat.

5) On my middle nail I chose to draw an anchor which is much easier than you would think. Check out this really simple tutorial here. and BAM!, we're done!

Influenster: Mom Vox Box

Yay! My first Influenster Vox Box is here!!!!!

Before I dive in, let me tell you a little bit about Influenster and their Vox Boxes. You can go here to read an overview but basically it is a sample and survey site that issues themed boxes (Spring, Summer, Mom, etc.) To start, you need to register. "Registered members "play the game" by unlocking badges that reflect their lifestyle, expertise and power to influence. By earning badges that tell us more about you, Influensters can increase their chances of being selected to receive a themed VoxBox (complimentary packages of products to test & review), rewards (bonus giveaways/discounts) and other special promotions targeted toward our most influential members!"

The time has finally come for my first Vox Box and review! From what I can see on blogs and in forums, people are constantly complaining that they never get a Vox Box and they have allegedly been members forever, so imagine my surprise when I got one after only being a member since March of this year! I have done all the surveys I could and unlocked all badges that pertain to me and when the "Mom Vox Box" came up I crossed my fingers and checked my Influenster profile to see if I was chosen for the box and viola I was!

Nautical Necessities

I currently have a new obsession: all things sailor or nautical themed. And since it's finally Summer I feel that it's appropriate to let you in on my cute obsession. I've looked everywhere for some of the cutest and/or most inexpensive items I could find and listed these treasures below for you to peruse. If you are looking for something specific or in a specific price range and you need some help, e-mail me at Whoreders4ever@gmail.com and I'll see what I can find for you!

Jewlery:

Sailor Knot Bracelet $6, Shell Necklace $13, Anchor Bracelet $3, Squid Earrings $15, Earrings $9.50

Bags & Wallets:

Mermaid Clutch $19, Iron Fist Wallet $30, Sink or Swim Purse $30, Fluff Sailor Bag $34

Shoes:

Gold Deck Shoes $12, Kardashian Red Wedge $25, Iron Fist Flats $30, TooFast $60

Tanks:

Nautical Tank $40, Bows Up Tank $34, Gold Anchor Tank $20

Dresses:

Old Navy $25, FredFlare $48 JCrew $69, Mermaid Dress $48, Maritime Dress $85

Tops, Sweaters & Jackets:

Cutie Sweater $35, Knot Top $40, Stripe Jacket $42, Washi Top $55, Hook Cardigan $48

Odds are I could keep going and going with this awesome list forever; but I'll stop here. Don't forget to look for men's and children's items as well as some fun nautical houseware or decor! As always, don't forget to shop through e-bates or fat wallet online if you can! If you come across any fabulous finds or know of any shops, leave us a comment or stop by our fb!

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 40

Unlimited:

$2,000 Bloomingdale's wardrobe  Ends 7/11

Daily:

$1500 Saks Fifth Avenue credit  Ends 7/31

And the Teen Vogue sweepstake is still going on

Single:

2012 Ford Focus  Ends 9/30

A trip to London Fashion Week  Ends 7/18

$250 Sephora gift card  3 winners, ends 7/6

$50 NYX shopping spree  300 winners, ends 7/30

Trip to Beverly Hills for the Dexter DVD launch party  Ends 7/7

3 minute shopping spree at ALDO  Ends 7/31

Hang out with Kiss and Motley Crue in San Diego  Ends 7/6

OR go on a 2012 Kiss Kruise  Ends 7/8


photo: Vivienne Westwood at London Fashion Week 2011, by SUZANNE PLUNKETT/REUTERS