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Say Wow Not Ow with a Private Yummie Tummie Style Session (FINALISTS announced)

July 22, 2011 By

Do you dream of being comfortable and stylish in clothing that not only makes you look good but also makes you feel good? Do you imagine clothes that smooth, slim and shape your natural curves? Do you long for Slimmers and Shapers that you can wear all day… things that make you say “WOW” not “OW”?

Then I may have just made your day a Yummie day…

What: Say Wow Not Ow with a Private Yummie Tummie Style Session during BlogHer San Diego

When: Saturday, August 6th

Why: Because you are Yummie and we love you!

Who: One lucky winner will win a head-to-toe wardrobe and style session from Yummie Tummie

 

Congratulations to the six (the judges had an extremely hard time picking only five) finalists!

aaaaand in no particular order…

Laura from An Uncommon Family

Eileen from Bringing up Bronwyn

Mandalyn from Mandalyn and the Stinky Cheese

Lisa from Nickels-n-Dimes

Vixen from Vixen’s Den

Melanie from Mel, A Dramatic Mommy

 

The (Yummie) Details:

  • Follow the Official Rules (detailed below)
  • Be creative! Tell us your story– why you want, deserve and/or need a style session with Yummie Tummie! Include some of your favorite pieces from the Yummie Tummie site, tell us about your stubborn areas, and anything else you’d like to include (see the rules below for additional blog post requirements).
  • On Friday, July 29th, 2011 five (5) finalists will be selected. Finalists will be notified via email and announced on the Yummie Tummie Facebook/Twitter page.
  • All finalists must confirm their sizing (directly from the Yummie Tummie site– top of the page “Sizing Chart” ) and supply the information to me once selected as a finalist.
  • The winner will be announced Thursday, August 4th, 2011 on the Yummie Tummie Facebook Page and Yummie Tummie Twitter page. Make sure you follow along with the Twitter hashtag #YummieChristina for updates!
  • Yummie Tummie will select the winner.
  • One (1) winner will receive a head-to-toe wardrobe and private style session from Yummie Tummie and me.
  • Winner must be available Saturday, August 6th, 2011 at the Marriott Marquis (in a private room). You must be able to attend one of the two time spots- 10:30AM or 3:00PM

 

Official Rules:

  • You must complete a post on your personal blog (minimum of 250 words) telling us why you would like to win the Say Wow Not Ow Private Yummie Tummie Style Session at BlogHer
  • Entry deadline is Friday, July 29th, 2011 at 11:59PM PST
  • You must email the link to your post to: Christina {at} MommyLovesCoffee.com with the subject: “Say Wow Not Ow Yummie Tummie Style Session”
  • You must sign a release to be photographed and video taped for use by Yummie Tummie
  • Open to all entrants but you must be attending BlogHer 2011
  • You must include the Yummie Tummie Facebook page, Yummie Tummie site link and Yummie Tummie Twitter page in your entry post– and encourage friends and family to “put in a good word” on Facebook and/or Twitter for you! (Note: Winner will not be selected based on Facebook or Twitter interaction)
  • You MUST be available at one of the two time spots provided (10:30AM or 3:00PM)

 

Be creative, have fun and Live. Shape. Happy. with Yummie Tummie!

 

I’d like to thank Yummie Tummie for being my sponsor for BlogHer and… for being so awesome.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Events, Mom Style, News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , 13 Comments

What Do You Get The Woman Who Has Everything?

July 19, 2011 By

Mom! If you’re reading this, please stop. Thank you.

 

If you’re not my mom… you may read on.

 

I have the hardest time getting gifts for the Woman Who Has Everything (like my mom) but after experiencing the ila Facial at NuboNau, I’m no longer at a loss. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Seriously.

I usually don’t get facials (because I have the world’s most sensitive skin) but after reading more about the ila line (and already having a love for everything at NuboNau), I knew I wouldn’t have anything to worry about– everything in the ila line is pure, natural and organic.

ila was founded on the belief that radiant, glowing skin comes from a joy within, and that meeting the skin at this level produces profound results both inside and out. Originally introduced as Himalayan Goddess – a two-line product range divided into ‘feminine spirit’ and ‘energise & detox’ – the brand’s concept of wellbeing through the skin developed following two decades of study into the subtlety of being.

Central to ila’s healing potential is the higher energy or vibration present in its products. Each ingredient is chosen for its spiritual attributes as well as its physical and emotional benefit: Argan oil – an ancient and mystical oil that deeply nurtures; Himalayan salt crystals that hold the essence of purity from over 250 million years, and Rosa damascena, nature’s most therapeutic nectar. And in order to harness nature’s rawest, purest energy, the company’s infrastructure – from petal to product – functions at the most ethical, sustainable and nourishing level possible.

NuboNau now has a new Facial Room (yay) providing natural and organic facial treatments. But it’s more than a facial- it’s a whole experience. The environment at NuboNau is a treat that everyone should get to have- the sights, the smells, the products and the staff.

There are currently two options for the Facial Room at NuboNau:

1. The Aromatherapy Associates Facial- Highly Effective & Anti-Aging

Potent essential oils and facial massage work together to firm and improve skin tone and texture. This natural, highly effective treatment minimizes the signs of aging without using harsh chemicals.

  • Inca Inchi and Larch extract to stimulate collagen formation to deliver firm and tightened skin
  • Pomegranate and Rosehip seed oil work on slowing down the effects of aging skin
  • Lymphatic massage to improve skin suppleness and elasticity

and…

2. The ila Spa Facial- For a Glowing, Radiant Complexion

A pure, holistic facial experience using light lymphatic drainage and marma massage to give you a radiant glow. Inspired by the technique taught by Shaman women in Mexico, this is a healing treatment that brings feelings of bliss and peace.

  • To open up the energy field of the face and neck
  • To then work the marma points to remove blockages and stimulate flow of energy
  • To apply the “Light Technique”- relieving stress and tension in the face to reveal radiant skin

I debated for a few minutes and then decided I needed to relieve stress more than slow down my aging skin so I went with the ila Spa Facial. The ila Spa Facial had me so beyond relaxed while listening to music and chants performed by the founder of ila, Denise Leicester. Seriously, she picks her own ingredients with love and sings like an angel- I only wish I had her talents. I’m a huge fan of getting massages (who isn’t?) and this was just as, if not more, relaxing as a massage. The only thing that I raised an eyebrow to was the words “lymphatic drainage massage”. Those three words made me a little uneasy at first but now? I think that everyone should experience a lymphatic drainage massage. Heaven.

Seriously you guys, I’m not just tooting a horn for nothing here.

If you are stuck and don’t know what to get for your wife, mother, sister… even my dad would dig this… you will not be sorry. And treat yourself to one while you’re at it.

Check out NuboNau in Encinitas- 553 S. Coast Highway, Encinitas, 92014 or call the Facial Room Concierge 760 632 4800 and tell them Mommy Loves Coffee sent you!

 

Disclosure: NuboNau provided me with a complimentary ila facial. I was not paid or required to write this post and all my words and opinions are my own.

 

Filed Under: Mom Stuff, Mom Style Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

I’m going to be Yummie at BlogHer 2011!

July 18, 2011 By

 

I’m happy, no thrilled actually, to announce that I’ll be sponsored by Yummie Tummie at BlogHer in San Diego on August 5th and 6th, 2011!

This comes at a perfect time considering I put a goal in place, oh… back in May to drop a certain amount of weight before my 3oth birthday (which just passed). I really don’t know what I was thinking because that “certain amount of weight” which I gracefully decline to announce was not exactly realistic. But more importantly, I had a revelation a few weeks ago.

 

I am a mother of three children.

 

Okay, that’s not the revelation. Obviously.

But this is… It is okay if I’m not the 21-year-old Christina I once was. I have three beautiful, healthy children to show for and slipping into my pre-pregnancy jeans after I pop out a child is just not in the cards for me genetically. I have also learned that I’m not alone. And that most of us mothers carry our weight in really stubborn places.

Now, I believe in living healthy and feeling good about myself. Not only for myself but for my husband and my children, too. So I sometimes begrudgedly schlep myself to the gym and watch what I stick in my mouth cause, you know, I want my kids to grow up seeing mommy be conscious of her health, see mommy being physically active and see that mommy takes care of her body. In hopes they follow suit. It’s that whole catch-22: you only live once. Live it up but remember that this is your only body to live it up in. I’d also like to take this moment to thank my genetics for packing on weight in stubborn areas all because I had a baby (or three). Doesn’t seem fair, huh? I digress.

The truth (for me at least) is… it’s hard. It’s hard to fit in exercise (and stay motivated), it’s hard to eat healthy (when all I want is sugar and salt) and it’s hard when I have bad days (usually prompted by trying to wear something other than my yoga pants). It’s even harder when I’m hormonal (but I don’t need to elaborate on that one).

I know I’m making the steps, I know I’m trying, so instead of beating myself up about it, I’m just thankful to have Yummie Tummie.

I showed my husband the difference and he said it perfectly. This is what he said,

It’s not a miracle worker, it doesn’t make you lose the weight, but it makes you look good!

And I took it as a compliment. Cause it’s true. But most of all, I think he saw my confidence level shine through in my attitude, posture and smile when he saw that I was not only looking good but feeling good while wearing the Yummie Tummie shaper under my clothes. And like I mentioned before, I can now fit into a lot of my old clothes without getting a tummy ache from pants that dig into my belly or without buying only empire waist tops to hide the muffin that is my hips.

So when you see me at BlogHer 2011, come say HI, check out what I’m wearing and you just might want to follow the hashtag #YummieChristina because I’m known to do/give some cool stuff. But that’s all I can say… for now at least.

PS You should follow Yummie Tummie on Facebook and Twitter, too. Go ahead and tell them I sent you…

 

Filed Under: Blog Talk, Mom Stuff, Mom Style, News Tagged With: , , , , , , 20 Comments

H&M Opens in Carlsbad and Gives Back

July 4, 2011 By

H&M opened in Carlsbad last week and we were there to help celebrate!

The two-story Carlsbad H&M offers Women’s, Men’s, Junior’s, Children’s (0-14), Lingerie, Maternity, Basics and Accessories. The only thing missing is their Trend line (and for that you just have to drive a little north to South Coast Plaza or Los Angeles).

As part of the opening day celebration, H&M Carlsbad donated a financial grant in the amount of $2,500 to support the programs at the Boys & Girls Club Carlsbad and invited some of the members to shop, with a $50 Gift Card, before the store opened to the public. I loved seeing the kids running around with their shopping bags full of goodies. One of the girls checked out and used all but 4 cents of her gift card… she was pretty happy with that accomplishment. And rightly so!

While touring the store I was blown away by their Children’s department! Some of their little girl dresses almost made me want to have another baby, almost. And for once the 0-5 year Boys section was as big and as adorable as the Girls section. I grabbed a lightweight striped cardigan (the one in the picture above), some Toy Story Tees, a Kermit the Frog Tee, some fun summer shirts and a Cars hat for my little Cars obsessed toddler. Oh, and baby suspender. Yes, baby suspenders. I couldn’t pass them up. But who could for only $4.95?

After pulling myself away from the Children’s section, I did a little damage for myself (and actually bought some colorful pieces instead of the same ol’ black and… black). I love their current styles & colors, the wall full of totes & handbags, the Basics line is to die for amazing… yeah, I’m in trouble. I even brought my husband back that same night so he could scout out the Men’s section. Yeah, he’s in trouble, too. Or should I say our bank account is in trouble.

 

H&M is located in The Forum Shops in Carlsbad, CA.

1923 Calle Barcelona, Carlsbad, CA 92009

Don’t live near Carlsbad (or another H&M location)? No fret! The US H&M Website will be coming Spring 2012!

 

Another thing to look forward to this year is the new children’s collection for H&M and UNICEF’s All For Children coming in September 2011. This new children’s line, full of adorable pieces, will be available in 150 stores worldwide (and online) and 25% of all sales from the All For Children line will go directly to UNICEF’s programs to help promote children’s rights to education and protection in vulnerable communities.

H&M’s All for Children collection is full of playful and timeless pieces which parents as well as their kids will love. The collection has the subtly of detail and design attention you’d expect from a full fashion collection, and always made with the child in mind.

The All for Children collection is made to be versatile, so the pieces can be mixed and matched and worn throughout the season and beyond. It’s also one to be coveted, with cashmere used throughout to provide comfort for when the colder weather comes in. Designs are updates of well-loved classics, giving them a contemporary twist. For girls there are dresses, skirts, shorts and gilets, with floral prints, bow-tie decorations and stripe trimmings, all in autumnal colors of nude, mole and coral. For boys, there are check shirts, sweat-pants and hoodies, cord blazers and the essential parka.

Funds raised by the collection will support the All for Children initiative, which aims to create long-term change for generations of children in some of the poorest parts of the world, where many of H&M’s clothes are made.

H&M will support UNICEF work to protect children’s rights in Bangladesh, which will help provide access to schools. We believe that children who learn how to read and write are better equipped to make informed choices about their future.

For more information about All For Children, visit http://www.hm.com/allforchildren/

Filed Under: Charity, Events, Giving Back, Mom Style Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment

Can you pick out a summer outfit in less than 20 minutes?

May 26, 2011 By

…and for less than $50?

I did.

Barely.

Last month I agreed to take on a challenge through The San Diego MOMfia but not just any challenge, a shopping challenge. Pretty sweet deal, huh? Well, let’s just say it was the most interesting 20 minutes of my life. Yes, I literally went shopping for 20 minutes. If you have a 17-month-old child, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

The challenge? Find something totally fab for under $50 as part of The Ross Dress for Less Challenge.

The goal? MY goal? two words– Maxi and Dress. oh, and stripes. I’m craving some serious stripes lately.

My son has an aversion to any store that doesn’t have the word: toys, food or shoes in the name so he was not all that thrilled from the moment we stepped in the door. That, and it was dangerously close to naptime. See what I do to myself?!

Anyway, I made a beeline for the dresses and quickly shuffled through the 5 racks. Half way through the quest, my kid started screeching and I immediately broke out in a cold sweat. I grabbed two dresses and ran to the toy section. See! There are toys here little guy I said as I ran by the shoe section scanning the aisles with my laser beam vision. Go figure the only toy he wanted to hold was a ball and what do toddlers do with balls? They throw them. Plan B; off to the kid’s shoe section we went. There I was able to find two pairs of shoes to keep him occupied for a little longer. I ran (good thing I had my jogging stroller) back to the dress section and started yelling out the different colors of the dresses as I shuffled through another rack. People probably thought I was a little nutty but my son was digging the singsong tone and lit up like a Christmas tree every time I found a blue dress. I ended up scanning the last rack for anything striped, and ah ha! at last a black and white striped little number. Done. Almost.

Then, I ran to the shoes. By this time my toddler had lost interest in his shoes, wanted to try on every pair of espadrilles and threw his matchbox fire truck so hard, it almost took out an old lady. She looked pretty annoyed with him after that. I wanted every shoe there, seriously, and it took a lot of willpower to keep moving (that and the screams were revving up). But I had to keep my head in the game, keep my eye on the prize focus and find a simple summery-ish pair of plain black sandals. I found a few pairs that I liked but settled on a super simple flat sandal that fit perfectly with the black and white maxi.

I then ran to the fitting room with three dresses, 5 pairs of shoes (ya know… just in case) and a super-pissed child. I felt bad for everyone in the store at that point. Just as I suspected, the striped sleeveless maxi ($11.99) with simple black flat sandals ($9.99) won and we were good to go. Or were we?

I still had money to spend! How is that possible? I didn’t care what my child was doing; I was not leaving that store with money left over.

I handed the toddler my iPhone and ran to the cover-up section. I knew exactly what I wanted so I scanned the aisles for the color, length and texture. I found the perfect little wrap to complete my new outfit! An August Silk wrap (yes, silk) for $21.99! The neckline is amazing, the 3/4 length sleeves make it a perfect summer evening essential and it hides my butt.

Singing and dancing my way to the check out, the total came to $47.82 with tax. How’s that for an awesome summer outfit that is comfortable (think mom-friendly), stylish and versatile!? As the guy rang me up, I envisioned everything I could do with my three new wardrobe essentials. The dress can be a pool cover-up, the sandals and dress can be a daytime outfit, the wrap can dress it up a bit for a dinner and I can totally wear each item with other things. I smiled as I put all these thoughts together and headed home for a much-needed nap– for my toddler, not me.

So what do you think? Not bad for under $50 huh?

Can you do the challenge? If you feel up for trying, learn from my mistakes (the same mistakes I apparently don’t learn from myself):

1. Never go shopping with your toddler when it’s close to naptime. (or go without your toddler all together).

2. Wear flip flops and yoga pants to make the dressing room experience quick and easy. (I wore tennis shoes that day).

3. Have a goal; do you want a dress? new workout clothes? something for your living room? Unless you have an hour or more to browse around (and do not have a child with you), you will need a plan of attack.

4. Basically, don’t bring your toddler.

 

Disclosure: Ross Dress for Less sent me a $50 gift card to complete this challenge. I was not paid to write this post and all my opinions are my own.

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