Everyday Baby Steps

Chic Tots is a mom-founded company that specializes in children's products that are both functional and stylish. I love that! ChicTots offers products that help you take on your mom duties and look stylish doing it. They offer a wide range of products. I was fortunate enough to try the Chic & Cozy Blanket Bag.

Review

This is the specific bag Chic Tots sent me; it's the Rings Blanket Bag. Isn't it cute? It's also very functional. It converts from a bag to a blanket! I tried it, and I can put beach towels and pool toys in it, then just open it up when we get there and sit the baby on the blanket. How cool is that? Now let's just hope the rain eventually stops so we can actually go to the pool. Anyway, back to the bag. It's very easy to take it from a blanket to a bag, and you can choose your style of bag. I like to carry it as shown in the above picture, but you can also use it as a backpack. Pretty cool, huh? The Chic & Cozy Blaket Bag is made of two sided material - a waterproof side and a soft, cozy side for your toddler to sit on.

Special Offer

Chic Tots has been featured on television shows like The Doctors and The View and in Parent's magazine. Guess what? Select Target stores have started carrying the Chic & Cozy Blanket Bags. Chic Tots is running an exclusive offer right now. If you purchase a Chic & Cozy Blanket Bag before July 11th, you'll receive a $10 Target gift card. Visit the Chic Tots website for details.

Giveaway

Michele, the founder of Chic Tots, has allowed me to offer a giveaway for you! Up for grabs is the Chic & Carry Wristlet in your choice of colors.

The wristlet is an adorable way to carry all your diapering essentials, and it has a front pocket for your keys or wallet. To win, visit Chic Tots, then come back and tell me about your favorite product and why you like it. Entries are due July 12th at noon EST. Winner will be notified by e-mail. You can earn extra entries by:

1. Grabbing our cute Summer Soiree button and posting it prominently on your blog.

2. Subscribing to my blog, either by RSS or email.

3. Add yourself to my followers in the sidebar.

4. Enter a giveaway at A Simple Kinda Life or Moody Mama Says.

5. Stumble this post.

6. Tweet this giveaway, including @marybabysteps in your tweet.

7. Favorite Everyday Baby Steps at Technorati

8. Blog about the Summer Soiree

For every one you choose, you'll receive an additional entry. There are lots of chances, so good luck!

The Good Home Cookbook: More Than 1,000 Classic American Recipes edited by Richard J. Perry is a 500 page, hardbound compilation of wonderful, time-tested recipes. Many of the recipes contained in this book are probably ones you've had in your own family for generations. The book touts itself as "The only cookbook entirely tested in home kitchens across America."

I don't cook as often as I'd like. When I do, I find it to be a very therapeutic and satisfying process. I enjoy seeing the finished product, tasting it, and savoring the smell. And I love to see the reaction of my family. I'm proud to feed them a home cooked meal and am especially pleased when they tell me they love it. You know how picky kids can be - my heart just swells when my children rave about something I've prepared!

I've truly enjoyed exploring the recipes in this book. There are fifteen chapters, from Breakfast to Drinks and everything in between. Comfort food like Baked French Toast with Apples, Monte Cristo Sandwiches, and Scallped Potato and Ham Casserole are found throughout its pages. The recipe my kids raved about is Oven-Fried Chicken. What a simple dish to prepare, and it's healthy! Can't beat that.

So are you ready to win your own copy of The Good Home Cookbook: More Than 1,000 Classic American Recipes? Leave a comment telling me the name of your favorite tried and true recipe, the one you always turn to because your family loves it so much. If you'd like, feel free to share the whole recipe! Leave your comment by July 12th at noon EST. This method is mandatory to win. You can earn extra entries by:

1. Grabbing our cute Summer Soiree button and posting it prominently on your blog.

2. Subscribing to my blog, either by RSS or email.

3. Add yourself to my followers in the sidebar.

4. Enter a giveaway at A Simple Kinda Life or Moody Mama Says.

5. Stumble this post.

6. Tweet this giveaway, including @marybabysteps in your tweet.

7. Favorite Everyday Baby Steps at Technorati

8. Blog about the Summer Soiree

For every one you choose, you'll receive an additional entry. There are lots of chances, so good luck!

Image from Amazon

It's day one of the Summer Soiree, and I wanted to start out with a great giveaway. Don't forget to visit my Soiree sisters at A Simple Kind of Life and Moody Mama Says for more amazing giveaways.

If you spend any time at all in the blogosphere, you've undoubtedly heard of the new, up and coming soul singer, Diane Birch. She's been likened to Carole King and Karen Carpenter, her voice is that pure. Her songs range from jazzy and upbeat numbers to soulful and smooth ballads. Her debut album, Bible Belt,  was released June 2nd and was already in the top 10 of iTunes. The first song on the album is called Fire Escape, and it's my favorite. The album's title comes from Diane's upbringing as a preacher's daughter, and you can hear the church hymn influence in this song. Take a listen.

What do you think? Wanna win a copy of Diana Birch's CD? Well, I've got one, so now's your chance. If you don't want to wait to see if you're a winner, you can buy your own copy and a dollar of the proceeds will be donated to Share Our Strength, a non-profit dedicated to ending childhood hunger in our country. Just click on the link below.

Okay, so here's the nitty gritty on how you can win this fabulous CD. Leave a comment here telling me what kind of music you like best or your favorite song by July 12th at noon EST. This is mandatory for entry. You can also earn extra entries by:

1. Grabbing our cute Summer Soiree button and posting it prominently on your blog.

2. Subscribing to my blog, either by RSS or email.

3. Add yourself to my followers in the sidebar.

4. Enter a giveaway at A Simple Kinda Life or Moody Mama Says.

5. Stumble this post.

6. Tweet this giveaway, including @marybabysteps in your tweet.

7. Favorite Everyday Baby Steps at Technorati

8. Blog about the Summer Soiree

For every one you choose, you'll receive an additional entry. There are lots of chances, so good luck!

I'm totally psyched to share with you that I'll be participating in a Summer Soiree right here at Everyday Baby Steps. Angie from A Simple Kinda Life and Andrea from Moody Mama Says are in on the action as well. It will be two weeks of giveaways and reviews, June 15th - June 30th! There will be all kinds of sponsors involved - stuff for moms, kids, and the whole family. You'll definitely want to coome to the party!

Don't forget to mark you calendars for June 15th - June 30th for our Summer Soiree. It'll be a blast, and you'll have lots of chances to win great prizes. Wanna get yourself some extra chances? You can do that right now by grabbing our button and posting it on your blog. Leave a comment letting me you where you've put the button, and you've got yourself 3 extra entries for each contest you enter! Simple, huh?