During our trip to NYC this past weekend, Kyle and Kenzie were so excited to bring their autograph books to get Pooh and Tigger’s signatures.

Even cuter, as soon as Kyle met Pooh and got his signature, he immediately started scribbling with great urgency in his autograph book. I was so confused and wondered why he was fixated on drawing in his book…. until Kyle showed me he drew his version of a Pooh Bear. Too cute.

Then, Kyle showed Pooh his Pooh drawing. Oh my heart!

Then all evening long afterwards, Kyle kept drawing Pooh. Adorable.

At it’s heart, Disney is an entertainment company that is all about creating an experience to help families create memories. This weekend the moments I had with my children with Pooh & Tigger will be remembered forever. Truly!

This past weekend I was able to help Disney Baby host a 100 Acre Wood Tea Party in New York City for a group of my fellow Philadelphia area bloggers. Pooh & Tigger joined us for the fun while we were able to preview all the latest new products from Disney Baby. Disney Baby’s goodies are incredible and the line is so vast. Everything from high chairs with Mickey or Minnie to crib bedding and nursery decor themed out to Nemo, Monsters Inc, Pooh, Lion King and more! Let’s not forget the adorable baby goodies like Cuddly Bodysuits, bath products, and even Stride Rite shoes all tricked out with favorite Disney friends either.

I love the hip look of so many of these patterns too – a real spin on the classics into a more modern trendy style. Here’s some non traditional Nemo & Mickey gear that is too cute.

The breadth of the Disney Baby line is huge and literally there is something for everyone – from organics to natural bath products to Minnie Diaper Bags to the latest and greatest Graco Glider and Bouncer seat themed to Minnie Mouse is a very classy pattern.

I’m especially keen on these styling shoes from Disney Baby. Too cute!

All the Philly Moms hanging with Pooh and Tigger too – a memory we all will have forever of our adventure to NYC together. So fun!

The post Hanging out with Pooh & Tigger thanks to Disney Baby appeared first on Classy Mommy.

For the last few years, Lands’ End has been sending ladies swimsuits to encourage us to showcase our swimsuit confidence. I love that Lands’ End is encouraging women to be confident in their swimsuits. I want my daughter to feel empowered someday and to always be confident in her body too.

I think the best way we as Moms can be role models for our children is to get up off our beach chairs and be confident in our swimsuits.

Who wants to miss those precious moments at the pool or beach hiding out on the sidelines?

I adore the SwimMates collection from Lands’ End. Essentially, these are 4 piece options with bikini bottoms, bikini tops, skirts and tanks. You can mix and match however you like with your purchase. I buy all 4 pieces and I honestly wear all of them.

I’ll swim in the bikini just to feel more lightweight, but I cover up and wear the rest of the layers as part of my swim “outfit”. Notice the bikini is also substantial and something that works for a Mom. I would look and feel very weird strutting around in a “string” style bikini that teenagers or a 20 year old would wear, but this bikini definitely covers up the essentials!

Wearing all 4 layers means, I’ve got swimwear that I can wear to a pool party – without being too revealing – and I can  even pop into the grocery store if I’m running errands after a day at the pool. Everything coordinates and it’s all so comfortable. Truly, a genius collection!

For my figure, I’m a big fan of swim skirts - Lands’ End Mini Swim Mini is adorable and a great way to give me appropriate “Mom” coverage and let me go from the pool to the grocery store all in the same outfit too! Priced at $49 and available in a variety of colors this is a super way to cover up and still look cute and be active in a swimsuit.

The Mini Swim Mini even has built in underwear and you can totally swim in it too! I confess I use these to play tennis in as well since they are so becoming and comfortable!

I love have a Mini Swim Mini in black so it goes with a lot and I like to purchase a swim tank to pair with it for additional coverage from the sun and to make it an entire outfit that works at the pool or beach. Here is the fun floral top I got for this season.

Lands’ End offers amazing options for Moms as they literally have hundreds of combinations of tankinis, bikinis, swim skirts, one-piece suits, swim dress options, swim shorts and tees, and even options for those who have had a masectomy.

What type of suit works best for your body? What will you be wearing this weekend over Memorial Day? If your still swimsuit shopping, definitely check out Lands’ End  - they will even have a someone chat with you online about what suit will work best for you!

The post Swimsuit Confidence: Finding Suits that Work for a Mom appeared first on Classy Mommy.

I love these Oatmeal bars as they really hold their shape and taste divine. These are a delicious gluten free option that work for the family at home or when I’m entertaining.

If you are new to gluten free baking, you might just be discovering some of the obstacles. My biggest gluten free baking issue is that when I bake using gluten free flour, my cookies will generally be seriously deflated and totally crumble in a big way. We’re talking about crumbling in epic proportions. Something that you can eat but nothing you’d serve to anyone but your best friend! Even if they taste good, gluten free cookies generally don’t look beautiful on a platter.

I discovered this recipe for Oatmeal Bars and found I could supplement all purpose flour with my gluten free flour and finally bake something that held it’s shape and everyone in our household would devour. I think the sturdy oats help maintain the shape of the baked good compared to my cookie attempts.

My must have gluten free flour is Mama’s Almond Blend All purpose Gluten Free Flour.

Seriously this has changed my life. I order it in bulk from Amazon and I get free shipping since I’m an Amazon Prime member. 

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup Mama’s Almond All Purpose Gluten Free Flour (This is my SECRET INGREDIENT and essential flour for my gluten free baking adventures)

1 1/4 cup teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup unsalted softened butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup milk

2 cups Quaker Oats (the quick bake kind in the canister)

1 bag Chocolate Chips or Mint Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 375. Coat a 9×9 Square Brownie pan with baking spray

Whisk gluten free flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl mix sugar and butter until fluffy. Add in vanilla. Beat in milk and then gluten free flour mixture you made earlier. Stir in Oats and Chocolate chips

Bake for 20 minutes.

The post Gluten Free Recipe: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars appeared first on Classy Mommy.

Kori has been close to these monsters for years – she worked on the original Monsters Inc as an Associate Producer. Here’s the scoop on her Q&A.

We all wondered if we could expect a 3rd Monsters movie – and she didn’t have any information to share on that as she said right now all they were working on what turning out Monsters University for June 21st.

I especially love her input about how Pixar is able to turn out stellar top movies AGAIN and AGAIN  that are hits at the Box office, for the entire family and tell a story that touches our hearts on an emotional level too.

QUESTION:

 Pixar has been so consistent about producing a high quality experience, and emotional experience, a story based experience, and film industry is typically sort of up and down.  Like a studio will put out something that will do well, and then it will flop.

 What would you attribute to Pixar’s track record of success ? Is it personnel?  Is it a dedication to a specific part of the process that allows you to do something so consistently well?

KORI RAE: “ Right.  I think it’s both.  I think it’s personnel.  I think we, we do have incredibly talented people here.  John Lassiter, you know, kind of brought in Andrew and Pete to begin with, and, and have, has, have continued to bring in really talented people.  But I, I do think it’s also a lot about the process, and the fact that we are willing, the directors and the filmmakers, are willing to put something out, have it torn down completely, go back to the drawing board, put it back up, have it torn down — that’s the thing you have to be willing to do.

You have to, in my mind,  be willing to let go.  You have to be willing to throw stuff away, and not get too attached to it.  And you have to do that over and over again in order to get to theright place.  And the things that you’ve loved, you know, at one point that, that got picked out often make their way back in.  But I think it’s the willingness of the directors to do that, and the collaboration, and the fact that it’s done in a collaborative spirit.

“It’s not done in a mean spirited way.  It’s like, hey, everybody here wants to make the best film.  The filmmakers that are working on that, and then every other person who’s involved, the whole studio wants to make it a great film.”

“The directors, and the, you know, the, the filmmakers have to kind of make those choices when it comes down to that. “

 ”That’s the real beauty of it, you know?  And, and I think that is why we’re successful, it’s because it’s not about egos. It’s really about putting the best thing up on that screen.”

 Q:  On how many people worked on Monsters University? 

 KORI RAE : “I would say it was probably at least 30 or 40 people.”

Q: How many people worked on the whole process of Monsters University?

KORI RAE: ”At our peak, the, the crew size ramps that start small, then it ramps up, and then it ramps back down.  Um, at our peak, we’re about, uh, 260, 270. Yeah.  And so departments kind of come in and out.  It’s a, it’s, you know, it’s kind of a linear process.  So you have story and editorial and art up front when you’re designing and, and creating the film, and then all of the, the other departments come online.  And so, at a point probably about [STAMMERS] five months ago, we were at our peak at about 270 or so.  And then it kind of ramps down.”

Q: On life before Pixar……..

KORI RAE: ”I majored in secondary education, in English, I taught and coached right out of school for a little bit.  And then decided to change directions and do other things, and that led me here to Pixar eventually after a few years. “ 

“Producing is definitely a lot like teaching and coaching, I think.”

Q: What subjects did you specifically teach and what sports did you coach?

KORI RAE: “It was eighth grade English.  Um, and, uh, and then I coached volleyball, softball, and basketball.”

Q: Who’s your favorite Monsters University character?

KORI RAE :  “I love love them all.  No, you know who I do really love,  Dean Hardscrabble.  As a character and as a character design. I just love that she’s, you know, this, this strong, powerful, character, and  that Sully and Mike cause her to shift a little bit, her way of thinking.”

Note: Thanks to Disney for paying my travel expenses to attend this press event for Monsters University. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The post Interview with Monsters University Producer Kori Rae #MonstersUEvent appeared first on Classy Mommy.

The Disney Baby Monsters Inc. nursery collection is exclusive to Babies R Us and is a totally cute option that has a very modern vibe that appeals to both Moms and Dads.

Take a peek at our video of the Disney Baby Monsters Inc. Nursery and crib bedding collection.

The Monsters Inc nursery is total cuteness. The 4 piece set sells for $159.99 but there are a giant handful of add ons that you can use to complete the decor.

The fitted crib sheet has a real graphic feel to it and the blankets use a variety of textures that reminds me of the variety of Monsters in the Pixar film world of Monsters Inc. and the upcoming movie Monsters University.

This mobile is so fabulous – you could plan an entire nursery theme around this mobile alone!

Check out the cool lamp with Sulley and Mike.

And look at these shoes from Stride Rite too! I want a pair in a size for my 5 year old – and notice the step stool they are sitting on?

I found the bold monster colors of green and orange really add to the traditional baby boy blue nursery to give baby boy rooms a much needed pop of color. Kyle’s nursery was blue and this would have been my top choice had it been around when he was born! I painted his room blue but always struggled to find the right “pop” of color for his theme.

My children instantly gravitated to this theme among all the themes in the room at the Disney Baby press event we attended in NYC yesterday so I think it is safe to say that older siblings will definitely love a nursery themed out to one of their favorite Pixar Movies. And with Monsters University releasing in the next month this collection is only going to get more popular.

Monsters Inc. accessories like wall art, decals, curtains and more are also available so you can really deck out the walls and windows in the room easily.

And let’s not forget the pull toys, Stride Rite Monster shoes, cuddly bodysuits, and sippy cups too!

The post Disney Baby Monsters Inc. Nursery Bedding and Theme #MonstersUEvent appeared first on Classy Mommy.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire releases in theaters on November 22nd, 2013. Take a peek at the Hunger Games Catching Fire official movie poster and trailer below. Doesn’t it look awesome?

Official synopsis for Catching Fire:

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE Official Socials

The post Hunger Games: Catching Fire Official Movie Poster & Trailer appeared first on Classy Mommy.

Little Kenzie was only 6 months old when I started the blog one afternoon when she was napping.  My first post was literally me just figuring out how to upload a photo so I popped up a picture of her on her 1st Easter in the beloved exersaucer. Here she is way back when in my 1st blog post….. and this is the very 1st video we ever made too! Long before the age of HD or Flip cameras or what everyone on the planet uses today – the iPhone.

Funny to watch this as the quality is BEYOND terrible but that was the technology 7 years ago. We’ve come a long way baby!

Look how we’ve all grown up – including obviously adding Kyle to the picture!

The post Happy 7th Birthday to ClassyMommy.com appeared first on Classy Mommy.

I admit that I am no manicurist and tend to find trying fancy “styles” on my nails difficult beyond a simple layer of colorful polish, but using a nail pen – that has a very skinny fine point that you can literally just DOT on your nails to be very easy. Here is Kenzie putting Aqua dots on my black nail polish.

You can see the pen has a very fine point so it is really easy to draw with!

DOTTING was the best strategy for Kenzie and I as far as creating a finer look as we found our stripes and lines to be a bit more difficult to apply, however with more practice I’m sure we could master it. The nail art pens are available at Walmart in a variety of shades – from aqua, to black to white.

Try black for fun spots and a cheetah nail pattern and use white to design flowers and stripes like Kenzie did here or even use it to create a quick easy manicure.

We also used Sally Hansens’s Insta Dry polish which literally dries in 60 seconds. We LOVE this polish and it is excellent for eager little girls who are anxious to get decorating.

Kenzie and I wanted to try a Monsters University Disney nail theme with Sulley and Mike – however, we need a bit more practice at the finer elements of nail art. Here is my attempt at a little Mike!

Check out Salley Hansen’s “I Heart Nail Art” contest where you can create your own nail art looks and share them via social media using the hashtag #IHeartNailArt. Even browsing these looks on social media via instagram or twitter using the hashtag is so much fun!

From February through June, Sally Hansen will choose 1 winner each month. Each winner will receive $500 and a trip to New York City to compete for the $2,000 grand prize and a chance to have their look featured on a display in Walmart. Each month, the contest will have a specific theme so you can get inspired to try various looks each month.

Read full contest details on the Sally Hansen website here.

Kenzie started getting a bit overzealous in her application of the various nail art pens – however she is only 7 and was having a ball with it. I figure beauty is all about creativity!

As a participant in the Walmart Moms Program, I received compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The post I Heart Nail Art from Sally Hansen appeared first on Classy Mommy.

What are your most stressful and sweat inducing Mom moment’s? My busy days as a Mom may be filled with lots of fun, games, and joy, but they are no leisurely picnic either. I remember when my littles were babies, people said to be sure to relax, enjoy the moments, and that things would only get busier and more crazy as my children got older.

Never before have I received such sage advice.

I love being a Mom but I profess that it does make me stressed in a good way. I love to keep busy but just thinking about my daily routine Monday – Friday makes me sweat.

Action packed with exercise and stress. Personal/Mom stress, work stress, and healthy wellbeing stress!

Things are easier and literally nonstop fun with a preschooler and 1st grader, but I find I am running around non-stop most days coordinating all their transportation for activities and then squeezing in my own work and active lifestyle. I love to fit in a run most days and this spring I though it would be fun to join a Tennis team to meet more real life friends to get me off the laptop since I’m alway so busy blogging and working. It’s been really fun but something that does add a bit more “sweat” into my lifestyle!

My worst stress sweat tends to come from those times I’m asked to speak publicly or film a TV segment and I’m seriously feeling the pressure. But everyday, I deal with stress. I’m the type of person who loves to pack my schedule so that almost every minute is accounted for and full of activities and demands.

Last week among the stress of balancing all of my Mom, personal and professional responsibilities, I put the new SECRET Clinical Strength Stress Response Anti-Perspirant/Deodorant to the test. I loved it and it worked like a charm. It’s uniquely formulated to fight all 3 sources of sweat – heat, exercise, and the worst smelling cause of sweat – stress sweat.

I need a product that fights the “exercise & heat” style sweat I get while playing a tennis match on an 80 degree day and I also need a product that continues to keep me covered with odor protection and wetness protection when I’m off the court dealing with my professional work stress and life stress.

Truly, our body makes different kinds of sweat depending on what stress triggers the sweat. The sweat our bodies make from physical activity and heat come from the Eccrine sweat glands and are made up mostly of water, while our stress sweat comes from both Eccrine glands and the Aprocrine glands which are larger, concentrated in the underarms, and release a substance containing more lipids and proteins – which basically means stress sweat will have a stronger odor.

Did you know that Secret’s studies show that women sweat on average 30X more when stressed than normal?

Look at a sample day for me last week. This is actually pretty mild as I didn’t have to squeeze in a tennis match or doctor appointment or film a segment or host a large event for bloggers.

6:30 AM: Up early with the kids, packing lunches, making breakfast, putting on my make up, checking for and responding to urgent emails, and making sure everyone is dressed and the kids managed to brush their hair and their teeth!

7:54 AM Bus stop to squeezing in work on the laptop to a 9 AM preschool drop off to going for a 4 mile run to working for a quick hour to squeezing in a quick trip to the grocery store to racing to preschool pick up to volunteering at my daughter’s school to playing tag in the backyard with my preschooler to fitting in his speech class and a swim lesson all before it’s time to meet the bus at 3:36 PM in the afternoon. Are you exhausted yet? I know I am.

And let’s not forget the stress of worrying about if I’ll make it to the bus stop in time!

After the bus comes at 3:36 PM, it’s time for snacks, homework, swim team practice, making dinner for the family, and then time for me to host a Twitter party for work at night. It’s finally 10 PM when my day is done and I can actually breathe again!

My week using the new Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response went great and I seriously noticed the product’s benefits. Especially the wetness protection, which I love since I find that to be one of the most embarrassing issues that I deal with when I’m stressed under pressure.

Did you know that stress sweat also triggers a stronger odor than other kinds of sweat? YUCK! Luckily, Secret’s new patented BCD technology uses odor-neutralizing molecules to trap odor, lock it away, and leave a fresh clean scent in it’s place. And it really works – last week I had noticeable odor protection. I’ve been going nonstop – hosting Twitter parties, attending meetings at my children’s schools for Mother’s Day Tea parent events and stressful conferences, entertaining for Mother’s Day, running daily and even playing in a tennis match. And Secret Clinical Strength worked perfectly. From an odor perspective, wearing the new Secret Clinical Strength had me totally covered and I never once dealt with stinky odor issues.

Tell me about your own stressful mom moments when Secret Stress Response Clinical Strength could have helped you.

More scoop on Secret Clinical Strength:

• Secret Clinical Strength is 4x more effective at protecting against stress induced underarm wetness than the wetness protection required of an ordinary antiperspirant

• Utilizes triple action technology providing 3 layers of protection – prescription strength wetness protection, odor-fighting microcapsules, and skin soothing conditioners

• Two-click applicator is specially designed to ensure the right amount of product is delivered to the underarm with each use

• Available in 2 scents. Serene Citrus and Aloe
• Pricing $7.99-$9.99 for 1.6 oz

The post Sweating the Mom Stress: What’s your Secret? appeared first on Classy Mommy.

Kenzie and Kyle are going to love this so much. Last year the 3 of us did a video for the Milk Mustache team for their Breakfast Project so the kids are seriously going to think it is cool that Mike and Sulley are now on board too!

Here’s more of the official verbiage:

At MONSTERS UNIVERSITY, it takes a lot to fuel a day of scaring and nothing scares up successful days more than a breakfast with milk. A glass of milk – with 8 grams of high-quality protein in each 8 oz serving – can help power your monster days!

Connect with the Milk Mustache community for tips, tools and activities including tasty morning recipes for all the little “monsters” in your family.

• ·       Facebook: /MilkMustache
• ·       Twitter: @MilkMustache
• ·       Instagram: @MilkMustache
• ·       Pinterest: /MyMilkMustache
• ·       Website: TheBreakfastProject.com

The post Monsters University Mike & Sulley star in new Got Milk? Ad #MonstersUEvent appeared first on Classy Mommy.