Giggle Bug Boutique~Website Review, Interview and Bugaboo Shoes Giveaway!

I am always in the market for cute, funky, reasonably priced stuff for my family. My style is rather confused, lol! Sometimes I like preppy clothes, sometimes my kids get decked out in retro tees and flower power dresses, sometimes they look like little punk rockers in training, and some days we wear our pjs all day long. While browsing some online shops and boutiques, I found GIGGLE BUG BOUTIQUE, and I am *so* happy I did! Giggle Bug Boutique carries an assortment of clothes and accessories for babies, children, moms, dads and even for your pets! If you need a gift, GIGGLE BUG BOUTIQUE is a perfect shop to get all that you need. You'll find a variety of designer diaper bags, clutches, personalized items, gift baskets, Bugaboo Shoes, Baby Legs, even CD's, and so much more! Let your child's inner super hero out in a handcrafted cape! Never loose another binky with paci-clips.. everything you need, just a click away! 4BabyAndMom was fortunate enough to be able to have a quick interview with the Giggle Bug Boutique Owner, Nicki. I hope you enjoy getting to know Nicki and the GIGGLE BUG BOUTIQUE as much as I did!

HI NICKI! I *LOVE* your boutique, the stuff on there is so fresh and funky, practical, and very reasonably priced.. I'd love to learn a little about you and what you were doing before Giggle Bug Boutique came about.
Let’s see…well, I spent 13 years in tele-com, mostly in data networks and boring geeky stuff like that. I had a brief couple of years in marketing, and though I loved that part of it, telecom can only be so interesting. So, after my last son was born, I decided it was time to do something I really wanted to do…and just be a mom and a wife. That only lasted for about 2 months. My brother and sister in law who created Bugaboo Shoes, called me and asked if I would help them market the new shoe biz in the Midwest where I live. A little hesitant to make any commitments outside of my immediate family, I agreed to help. We were only looking for specialty shoe stores and boutiques for the shoes, so I was meeting a lot of boutique owners. Listening to their stories on how they opened their boutiques, I got the craziest idea! I wanted a boutique that I would shop in. My taste is very eclectic. Some days I want the cute little tutu and tiaras and some days I want to rock out in my funky t-shirts, jeans and a pair of BabyLegs on my arms. I wanted a place to shop for the whole family including the pets that would be a fun experience where you could find not your every day designs, but some funk to it!

What was your inspiration behind the name of your Boutique?
The name was probably the easiest. My husband has always called me his Giggle, probably because I spend a lot of time laughing. Why not…there’s so much in life to giggle about! And Bug comes from our boys who are the inspiration in everything that Giggle Bug Boutique is about. We’ve always called them our Bugs. Our oldest, Mak, has moved on away from the Bug era, but even at 15 he’s still cute as one. Our youngest, Tate, is still Tater Bug though. Our boys give us inspiration every day in everything they say and do. I want them to see Giggle Bug is an expression of what we want for them…and that’s to play and work hard, love long and laugh so very much!

What do you feel is the most important quality in your business?
The most important thing to me about Giggle Bug Boutique is customer service. I run the store like a mom because I am one. I shop my designers as what I call a professional mommy! I want the best quality, the coolest and hippest styles at the most affordable prices. When you shop at Giggle Bug Boutique, you become our friends, even if you’re just browsing!

WOW~ Thanks so much to Nicki, owner of GIGGLE BUG BOUTIQUE for allowing us to interview you!

I really love learning about merchants- who they are and where they came from, and how their ideas developed into a reality. I think as a consumer, it helps allow us to remember that shop owners are real people too, and as a business woman, it reminds you that all things *are* possible, when you put your heart, mind and faith into it.

GIGGLE BUG BOUTIQUE has generously offered a pair of Bugaboo Shoes to giveaway to one lucky 4BabyAndMom Reader!!!

RULES:
Go to GIGGLE BUG BOUTIQUE and browse through the shop. Leave a comment below on which pair of Bugaboo shoes are perfect for your little one, the color and size of your selection, as well as your favorite item (other than Bugaboo Shoes!) that you found featured in the Giggle Bug Boutique.
Please provide email address in comment. Valid for readers in United States and Canada Only. Separate replies per extra entry completed, please. Contest ends 1.22.09 and one randomly chosen winner will be announced 1.23.09. The winner has until the 1.25.09 to claim their prize, or a new winner will be drawn.

For Extra Entries:

• 2 EXTRA: when you TWEET about this giveaway w/link
• 3 EXTRA: if you FOLLOW 4BabyAndMom on Blogger, by feeds or email
• 4 EXTRA: Sign GIGGLE BUG BOUTIQUE'S Guestbook
• 5 EXTRA: When You Sign up for the GIGGLE BUG BOUTIQUE Newsletter
• 5 EXTRA if you blog about this giveaway!
  

That's right, you have 20 chances of winning this giveaway! What are you waiting for?!
*Special thanks to Nicki at GIGGLE BUG BOUTIQUE for sponsoring this giveaway!*

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Lots of Excitement @ 4 Baby And Mom!! Updates and More!

Wow! So life has been interesting to say the least.. adjusting to NewBaby, and having a sick toddler on top of everything- days are a little longer and nights a whole lot shorter, but the rewards are definitely worth it.

NewBaby is doing well. She's grown from 4lbs 13oz to 5lbs 2 oz!! Grow Baby, Grow!! The pediatrician is very impressed with how superb she is doing. She really is a little miracle baby!

Abbigaile is sick.. The other night she spiked a high fever and instead of just keeping a watchful eye on it, I decided to bring her to the ER because of NewBaby. Surprisingly, we were in and out in about an hour! Turns out she has an ear infection, and a sore throat, possibly strep, but the doc couldn't really see all the way in. Abbie has ear tubes, I thought infections weren't supposed to happen?? Oh well.

Alex is doing very well at school, now that they've advanced his reading group. He is in a 1st grade reading group, and LOVES it! Completely different from his old school that thought perhaps he had Autism or Asperger's Syndrome, or some other spectrum disorder. Amazing what some people can come up with, just because they're not willing to recognize excellence.

On to the fun stuff! 4BabyAndMom's Fabulous February Fiesta is coming up! We have only a few more slots left for sponsors, so if you know of an amazing company that you'd love to see featured, please let me know! You can contact me at 4BabyAndMom [at] gmail [dot] com.

You saw the other list of sponsors HERE, right? I cannot wait! There's going to be giveaways, discounts galore, interviews and many amazing products featured! Oh, now you want to know who else is participating?? Ok, ok.. Here's another sneak peek!!

More of this year's sponsors include:
SHI SHU BABY
ABBA DABBA BAGS
SEE KAI RUN
KID SAFE INK
ME4KIDZ
Ingrid & Isabel BELLA BANDS
MY PRECIOUS KID
AND MORE!!!

HOW TO SCORE EXTRA ENTRIES:

• Make sure you are a follower!
• Refer a friend, or two!
  
• Tweet about our Fabulous February Fiesta and link it back to us!
• Email at least 3 new friends and CC me 4BabyAndMom [at] gmail [dot] com
• Grab my Banner and promotion banner and put it on your website, blog, etc.

Make sure you comment on this post to let me know which of these you have already done.

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Goodness Gracious!

I apologize for neglecting my blog this week, HUGE changes have occurred in my household since Monday.

Have no fear, the children are all doing well, in fact, all three of them are. My husband and I are now officially the legal temporary guardians of a beautiful baby girl. Without getting into specifics (legally I am not sure what I am allowed to disclose or not) the baby was either going to be placed into foster care, or we were going to keep her awhile. The judge chose us.

She's adorable- born premature at 27.5 weeks and 1lb 15oz. She's a miracle baby, for sure! She was able to breathe on her own within 24 hours, her lungs are still doing great. She had to receive blood on a couple of instances, but I am unsure of all of those details. She eats like a champ, and so far, so good. She was released today at 4lbs, 13oz- HALF the weight of Alex when he was born! She's such a peanut, I don't even know where to begin! I was given an infant CPR course before I left the hospital today with her, and a short video on preemies. Did I mention, she's HALF the size of Alex when he was born?!

I need you, my readers to give me some advice now. For those of you that had preemies, what was the one thing you wish someone told you? What is "different" with a preemie vs. a full term baby? (Aside from the obvious, weight, immune system, etc). For those of you that didn't have teeny babies, what was the one baby product you couldn't live without??

Normal blog posts will resume on Monday. I apologize again for any inconvenience. Remember to mark your calendar, because the FABULOUS FEBRUARY FIESTA IS COMING SOON!

This week, be sure to look for our Giggle Bug Boutique review and Bugaboo Shoes giveaway!! Trust me, it's totally worth it, and subscribers get bonus entries! Hurry, tell your friends! ;o)

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Mischievous Monday, Remind Me Not to Buy Cereal with Toys in the Bottom Anymore.

Another week has passed, and I almost made it through without a topic to post. We did some errands in the morning and then headed to the grocery store before heading home about 12:30. Today was Alex's last day at home before he goes back to school tomorrow, and with our groceries in tow, I get an epiphany.

"Who wants to go on a PICNIC?"

"MEEEEEEEEE!" pipes two voices from the depths of the minivan.

"But Mommy, we need a basket with two openings.. Do we have a basket?"

"I think we can find something."

We head home and unpack the groceries, make sandwiches, pack some tostitos, and cookies, juice, cups, and plates in a shopping bag, and start basket hunting. I know I have baskets, several to be exact, but none have an opening like a picnic basket, none except....

"I FOUND A PERFECT PICNIC BASKET, MOMMY!" as all of the sporadic toys that find their way into the living room bounce onto the tiled floor, fleeing from the bottom of the toy basket that rescued them from the vacuum or toss pile.

We quickly clean them up, and throw our food, blanket, and miscellaneous picnic stuff into this basket and head to the park. We set up the blanket, and enjoyed the best bologna and cheese sandwiches ever. The kids had a blast listening to Nature, and discovering all of the new and different sounds we could hear if we really listened. We cleaned up, threw the basket back into the car, and then played at the park for awhile.

We come home, and notice that the mailman dropped off a late Christmas present from my Aunt that lives in upstate NY. The kids dove into the presents and within seconds were both occupied cooking with a new pot and pan set and serving it on princess plates, and playing with this year's Hess truck.

I knew they were sitting on the couch, and playing in the living room, so I figured I'd jump online for 5 minutes and look for an email from an old friend. The computer is within eye and earshot of the living room, and in order to leave the living room, they'd have to either walk past me, climb over the back of the couch, or fly. Not even three minutes after I sat down, I hear some crinkling and laughter from my son's bedroom. What?! How'd they get in there?! Why do they find mischief in the bedrooms?!?

I open the door, thinking I've caught them before all havoc broke loose and discover this:

Yeah, that's Rice Krispies.. EVERYWHERE.

Why, you ask, would a child do that?
"I just wanted to get the toy out of the bottom for me and Abbigaile to play with."

This was the first- AND LAST- box of cereal I will buy with a toy in it.

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Announcing Our 1st Fabulous February Fiesta!

4BabyAndMom is throwing a Fiesta in February, and you are invited! February 1st, 2009, starts a series of reviews of awesome products and stores that are perfect for babies, children and moms!! Subscribe now, so you don't miss out on your opportunity to experience raves and reviews, discounts galore, and who doesn't love exciting giveaways! Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, because trust me, you don't want to miss this!

Some of our fabulous sponsors include:

Leg Huggers
Sidder Bug Creations
The Diaper Clutch
Sand Dune Publishing Co.
Bobs & Lolo
and MORE!!

We are still accepting sponsors for this event! If you are interested, please CONTACT US.

Be sure to comment here if you follow 4BabyAndMom on blogger, by feed, or on Twitter @4BabyAndMom. All followers will receive bonus entries in all giveaways! If you share with a friend, and they subscribe, special bonuses will be available to you too!

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Fantastic Friday! Free Children's Activities & Crafts 'No Time For Flashcards' Website Review

Another rainy or snowy day in December passes as your children tell you for the 9 millionth time, “Mommy, I’m bored!” You’ve played about 42 games of Candy Land, colored all of the pages in the My Little Pony coloring book Santa brought, and organized the Legos to replica the pyramids in Egypt 10 times over.. what do you have left to do? The school break is almost over, and my children, along with many others are becoming quite stir crazy.

Thankfully a former preschool teacher, director, camp leader, Mom, and wife, Allie, put together one of the best preschool activity sites to date! NO TIME FOR FLASHCARDS was developed as a resource of activities for young children that promote play, discovery and learning. Children are intrigued by the sounds of songs in familiar tunes, lessons that are easy to follow, and crafts made with everyday items found around the house.

I met Allie, author at NO TIME FOR FLASHCARDS , on BabyTalkBio , an online parenting community. Instantaneously, my children and I fell in love with the arts & crafts, as well as all of the songs and book reviews Allie posts. Abbigaile is almost 3 and her favorite thing to do is watch the songs preformed on NO TIME FOR FLASHCARDS . She sits and mimics the hand movements, bops & dances to the music, and giggles with every funny facial expression. She asks for me to play them over, and over, and over again! My son. Alex, is almost 6 and loves recognizing the tunes. The words to the songs are always sung to a familiar tune, such as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". The crafts are easy enough for my daughter and interesting enough for my son. We've made homemade crayons, a rainbow of colors, and even tried today's post on NO TIME FOR FLASHCARDS - Free Art Friday, Yogurt Finger Painting.

Allie's beautiful son models all the arts and crafts, and readers often submit pictures of their creations. If you've never heard of NO TIME FOR FLASHCARDS, be sure to check out the Top 10 of 2008 for fabulous ideas to help your children stay active, learn new and exciting things, all through free play and their own creativity. The possibilities are endless and with the help of No Time For Flashcards, you and your child will never have to be bored again!

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Happy New Year!!!

I just wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you to my loyal readers, and for all of the feed back you have given me over the past several weeks! I wish you all a blessed and prosperous New Year!! I would also like to offer a very special thanks to Callie and Brandi from POLKA DOT PANCAKE for taking a giant leap of faith in the launch of 4BabyAndMom. I am looking forward to a New Year filled with new and exciting adventures and experiences!

2009 is going to be a wonderful year at 4BabyAndMom. As a fairly new blog, we've been blessed with the opportunity to review some amazing products from some intriguing companies. These are businesses that care about us as consumers, and try to accommodate our needs for products that are not only cute or trendy, but efficient, reasonably priced, and practical. Over the next few weeks, some of these companies will be announced and trust me- you *don't* want to miss it!!

If you know of a product or company that you would like to see featured on 4BabyAndMom, please contact us at 4BabyAndMom [at] gmail [dot] com to let us know! Without you, our readers, 4BabyAndMom would not be, so again, THANK YOU!!!

Wishing you all the very best in 2009,
~Lauren @4BabyAndMom

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