Wedding Favors That Won't Be Left on the Table

Let's face it...wedding favors are usually a waste of money. Most of the time they are either left behind or quickly thrown into the nearest garbage can at home. If you do decide to give favors, here's a couple of ideas that will surely be a hit with your guests.

Everyone can use an extra set of playing cards:
For the bookworm couple: A stainless steel bookmark

Let them eat cake or maybe Cake Balls:Winter wedding means guests with chapped lips:NYC-themed wedding, NYC-themed coaster set:Kill two birds with one stone. Place card and favor (and edible!):

Table decorations and favors (and once again, edible!):

Plastic sleeve vase (because they're going to take your flowers home one way or another!)

Toys! Toys! Toys!

When was the last time you went into Toys R Us, Babies R Us, or Buy Buy Baby and saw a toy NOT made in China? Pretty hard to find. In fact, I was shocked when my mother-in-law pulled out a Fisher Price toy from the 70's (my husband's old toys, yep she still has them!) and it said that it was made...wait for it...in the USA!

Over the past few years there have been numerous recalls of toys manufactured in China. Everything from lead paint to kerosene has been added to these toys! I know manufacturing these toys in China is what keeps the prices low and allows you to buy your kid 100 Thomas the Tank Engine toys (which by the way were recalled in 2007 because the Chinese factory that made them used lead paint), but maybe it's time to invest in some safer toys.

Here are a couple of sites that sell American-made, European-made, earth-friendly, and green toys:

Oompa:
Oompa sells European wooden toys, baby toys and gear, educational toys, and modern children's furniture. There motto is: No Batteries. No Blinking Lights. No Cartoon-Themed Toys. Period. All of the toys are safe, eco-friendly, non-violent, and from manufacturers who provide safe and nurturing environments for their employees.

Moolka:
The Moolka site carries a huge collection of European-designed toys, children's furniture, room decor items and other accessories. A lot of these toys are also manufactured in Europe. On their website they have listed the brands that they carry, where they have been designed, and where they have been made. http://www.moolka.com/jzv/inf/safety

FatBrainToys:
Fat Brain Toys claims that they carry the single largest selection of American-made toys. They also carry quality toys from around the world. It looks like the business started as a mom and pop shop and has grown to be a pretty big company offering over 5,000 in stock toys, games, and gifts.

Green Toys:
The toys sold on this site are made of recycled materials and are 100% made in the USA. Green Toys sells a line of classic children's toys. Even the packaging is 100% recyclable. The toys are tested in the USA and contain no traceable amounts of Phthalates or BPA. They are also designed without any external coatings, eliminating the fear of lead paint.

DiorShow Mascara: Original vs. Black Out

I recently went to Sephora to buy a new mascara and ended up getting the DiorShow Black Out Mascara. I know everyone swears by the original DiorShow Mascara with its gigantic wand but I am telling you, this one is better (at least for me). The Black Out mascara elongates and thickens the lashes perfectly and it goes on much smoother than the original DiorShow. In fact, I stood there in the store opening tubes of the original like a crazy woman trying to find one that wasn't dry and clumpy and they ALL were. I opened a tube of the Black Out and it looked much more liquidy (and will probably last longer). You can't really go wrong with either mascara, but if you like your mascara to go on smoothly and make your eyelashes look darker and extraordinarily long, I would go with the DiorShow Black Out Mascara.

SolarSafe Monitor Wristbands

This is a pretty cool concept...the SolarSafe Monitor Wristband tells you when you need to reapply sunscreen to your child or when it's time for them to get out of the sun.

Here's a description of the product:

• Activate the sun monitor by exposing to sunlight; it will turn purple. Then, coat it with the same sunscreen you're applying to your child's skin.
• The wristband turns brown when it's time to reapply sunscreen and turns peach when it's time to get out of the sun. (Turns peach when your child's skin has reached its "mean erythema dose" or MED threshold, which is the amount of sun that causes the initial reddening of the skin.)
• Recoat the band each time you reapply sunscreen, and then toss at the end of the day
• Stays on well in water and continues to monitor sun exposure in water

Prepare for the Cuteness...

This weekend was my sister-in-laws wedding so I needed to get my almost 1-year old son a tux. Most of the options I found were actual three or four piece tuxedos, which for a child that young is just crazy. Until finally I found this site: http://www.classicbabytux.com/

I decided to give them a try, so I ordered their one piece tuxedo, and it was fantastic! My son was comfortable and he looked absolutely adorable. It's basically PJs but with tails and a bow tie. If you need a tux for a baby this is really the way to go.

Cocktail Dresses Under $100

Here's a few pretty cocktail dresses that have been deeply discounted (all under $100) so you don't have to spend an arm and a leg to attend the multitude of weddings and parties this summer.

It's Vera Bradley, and Yes, It's Cool

OK, I hate to admit this but I really like Vera Bradley. I know this company started off catering to soccer moms and older folk but I've noticed lately that Vera Bradley bags are sort of coming into their own in New York City. Of course my cousin Vita would beg to differ with me on this but decide for yourselves.

Cupcakes Pink Large Duffel

Calypso Baby Bag

Blue Rhapsody Vera

Cupcakes Green Weekender

Purple Punch Laptop Portfolio