I never took instrument or voice lessons as a child. Even so, my childhood was not without music. I heard the leaves rustling, the birds twittering, the classical greats as I leapt across dance floors, the pounding of my heart at soccer games, and the sweet soprano of my mom’s voice as she strummed her guitar.

I don’t know what the future holds for my little girls – if they will embrace singing or art or science or rock-climbing. But I do know I want to open doors so that they can see the possibilities. To give them the chance to try.

To look inside themselves and see what music they find there.

Hohner Kids recently sent us their beautiful My First Acoustic Guitar (~$50) and a Hand Drum (~$10). The guitar is adorably-sized – perfect for little fingers (ages 4+). It’s a miniature version of the real thing. The drum is super fun too – with nice tones for exploring and creating music.

* Hohner Kids also offers a variety of other musical instruments: cymbals, accordions, maracas, harmonicas, etc. 

We have to think smart when it comes to the number of cleaning products we keep. Dyson sent me a Digital Slim vacuum several months ago and I have to tell you: It totally sucks – in the best possible way! It’s powerful. It’s cordless. It’s compact. It’s…Super Vacuum!

This modern and sleek vacuum comes with three different attachments and a motor that “spins up to 3 times faster than conventional motors.” We’ve tried other cordless vacuums and this one cleans up the competition.

* Stephanie Likes is a space where I share pithy paragraphs on products that I…like.

Tim pushes the girls in the double jogger. I run alongside. We’ve been running 2.5 miles; the second half uphill. Killer.

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Skirt Sports recently sent me the Tough Girl Skirt ($90) and Happy Hour V-Neck ($65)…and I feel like I’m on-top-of-the-world as I run.

The Tough Girl Skirt is especially awesome. It has the perfect amount of stretch, the flared leg is super flattering, and the skirt keeps my bum covered. I know I’m going to wear it all 4 seasons.

Do you have a weekly fitness “schedule”? What is your exercise of choice?

I also try to avoid all those numbing agents in the baby care aisle. Because they scare me. It just doesn’t seem sensible to put chemicals right into a baby’s mouth.

Recently, I learned about a natural way to soothe a baby’s sore gums (and prevent cavities at the same time!). Spiffies toothwipes are a research-backed product, created by a Tucson-based Pediatrician. The secret ingredient? Xylitol (a natural sweetener found in many fruits and plants – click on the link to read all about it).

The Spiffies Teething Kit is still in marketing development, but should be available for purchase at select retailers and on the Spiffies website by the end of the year. The kit will include an assortment of toothwipes, plus a mini booklet about teething. Just stick the wipes in the freezer and then gently rub baby’s sore gums, as necessary. As of right now, there are 3 flavors – grape, apple, and mango. Both of our girls (19 months and 4 years) enjoy using the wipes on a nightly basis (our 19mo has a whole mouthful of teeth coming in).

Spiffies is looking for 20 moms of teething babies/toddlers (4 months to age 3) to provide feedback about the packaging and messaging on the teething kit box (which is not yet available for purchase).

Interested? Leave a comment on this post by Friday, October 22nd, at 11:59pm. I’ll select 20 names at random. All 20 moms will receive a free teething kit, plus 100 refills. After you’ve had a chance to try it, I’ll ask you to fill out a brief questionnaire about your experience. Then, I’ll have Spiffies send you a $20 gift card to buybuyBaby. Easy as pie.

How do you soothe your teething baby’s sore gums?

UPDATED: The twenty selected moms are: #42 Csixberry, #50 Amy Martin, #37 Kris, #47 Elizabeth, #38 Elisabeth, #43 Meg T, #41 Kristen, #10 Becca, #49 Sarah, #35 Audrey, #16 Tiffany, #14 Kara, #6 Renee, #24 Vanessa, #15 Marissa, #22 Kate, #34 Autumn B, #23 JulieK, #45 Jenny @ mamanash.com, and #32 Janelle.

* I received compensation for this post as part of a custom campaign for Spiffies. As always, all opinions are my own.

For shorter hikes, our 4-year-old can hold her own. She’s quite an able hiker for being so young. For longer hikes, Tim carries her part way in our Kelty carrier.

When our baby was younger, I carried her in the ERGO on my chest. Now that she’s a toddler, I prefer to carry her on my back (The only downside of carrying her on my back is that it’s harder to get her situated without help from another adult. Once she’s in, though, she’s content.). She also likes to get out and do a little hiking herself when we are on flatter surfaces.

ERGO recently sent me their newest Performance Carrier ($120) in Spring Green to review. I was giddy when it arrived. You see, this is the “ERGO for outdoor people.” It has all of the same great features as the original ERGO, but it’s lighter in weight, has a more durable exterior, and is lined with mesh for better breath-ability.

I haven’t used it on any long hikes yet, but it’s proven itself to be awesome on shorter hikes.

So. I bet you want to ask me, “If you had to choose between the organic carrier and the performance carrier, which would you choose?” That’s a tough one because they are VERY similar. I almost couldn’t tell the difference. If you intend to use the carrier at least semi-regularly in outdoor pursuits, I would say to get the performance.

Do you have any babywearing questions for me? Feel free to ask.

WIN IT! One winner will receive an ERGObaby Performance Carrier ($120). To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Monday, October 11th at 11:59 p.m. All generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified. Winner must provide a US mailing address.

* ERGObaby sent me a sample for review purposes and is also providing 1 carrier for the giveaway.

*UPDATE* The winner is #28 Tiffany. Congratulations!

It was kind of like I was in a commercial for The North Face. Except my hair was messy, I barely had any make-up on, and I was carrying a baby.

In all seriousness, the Syncline GTX boots ($150) are outstanding. I give them a solid five stars when it comes to construction, functionality, and…cuteness (they don’t look huge and masculine like some boots do). Another plus is that these boots require almost no breaking in – I slipped them on and my feet were immediately at ease.

If you’re considering a reputable pair of boots for light hiking and outdoor adventuring, I highly recommend the Syncline GTX.

P.S. Want to keep up with The North Face? (They make awesome outdoor apparel and gear for men, women, and kids). Follow TNF on Twitter or Like TNF on Facebook.

WIN IT! One winner will receive a pair of boots from The North Face. To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Monday, October 11th at 11:59 p.m. All generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified. Winner must provide a US mailing address.

* The North Face sent me a sample for review purposes and is also providing 1 pair of boots for the giveaway.

*UPDATE* The winner is #52 Christine. Congratulations!

I was never a “review blogger” per se, but I did enjoy sharing fun new finds through my Themed Weekend series. (And I still think product reviews by bloggers can be extremely useful because they tend to be thorough & personal – and they often come from a trusted source).

I have to say, though: I am so glad I made the transition from productville…to simply blogging the “everyday extraordinary” of my life. It’s meant more engagement (thanks for your comments, ya’ll!), closer friendships, and better content on my blog.

All that being said, the PR company for CAbi [Carol Anderson By Invitation] recently asked me if I wanted to sample some clothing from their Fall 2010 Collection. I took a look at the website, picked my jaw off the ground, and said, “Yes, please!” The collection is sophisticated, without being stuffy…modern, without being juvenile.

Apparently, Carol Anderson used to be a designer for Nordstrom, but now exclusively designs for CAbi. The pieces are upscale and trendy, while still retaining classic sensibilities.

Here’s the catch: you can’t buy CAbi online or in stores. The collection is exclusively sold through house parties that bring women together for fashion & fun. To find a Consultant near you, check the CAbi website.

If you’re interested in the career side of things, there’s a website specifically for that. Essentially, you sell clothes to your friends – and receive a commission.

Here’s a sample of the Fall collection:

Do you ever attend (or host) “house parties” for products? Do you enjoy them? What do you think about the CAbi collection?

A curly-haired woman with green-hazel-blue-gray-always-changing-colors eyes – holding a preschooler’s hand and carrying a toddler on her hip or in a carrier. Smiling at you (I smile a lot).

I’m a big fan of babywearing or babycarrying or whatever you want to call it. Aside from all of the research-proven benefits, I like the closeness and security that baby carriers provide. I like the way my baby feels comforted and calm in my arms (People always say, “She’s such a happy baby!” and “Does she ever cry?” and things like that). I like the way that she is right at my eye level so that we can look at each other (and she can look at the world around her too). I like being able to grocery shop and cook and fold laundry, with her observing and content.

To date, here are the carriers I have tried or owned:

• BabyBjorn Spirit in Red Heat ($79.95)
• BabyHawk Mei Tai in Tweet ($79.99)
• Boba Organic Baby Carrier in Cedar ($118.00)
• Chicco Smart Support Backpack in Red ($92.00)
• ERGO organic baby carrier in Dark Chocolate ($120.00)
• Kelty FC 3.0 Child Carrier in Curry ($193.77)
• Kokopax Classic Carrier in Garden ($141.75)
• Maya Wrap Adjustable Pouch in Black ($27.50)
• Munchkin Jelly Bean Reversible Sling in Licorice Blossom ($29.99)
• PortaMEe Carrier ($170.00)
• Scootababy Baby Carrier in Black ($119.00)
• Sleepy Wrap Classic Baby Carrier in Orange ($39.95)
• Evenflo Snugli ($19.99)

My absolute favorite, hands-down, no-question is the ERGO. It’s comfortable, soft, supportive, and has an awesome sun/sleep hood that I use frequently. It also has a pocket that allows me to slip in my debit card or a little cash if I’m out and about. I’ve hiked with my 16-month-old baby for 6+ miles in it (with no back or hip pain).

When my baby was itty bitty, I loved the BabyHawk (and it’s so pretty too!) and the Kelty FC 3.0 is totally awesome for serious family hikers (3+ miles).

My 2 least favorite ones would have to be (in order): Maya Wrap Adjustable Pouch (the company no longer sells them – for good reason!) and the Evenflo Snugli (not comfy).

Surprisingly, I’ve never used a ring sling…but I have my eye on Sakura Bloom for baby #3 (when that time eventually comes).

Do you wear your baby? Which carriers have you tried (and which one is your favorite)? Do you have any questions for me about the baby carriers I have listed?

* There are affiliate links in this post.

In fact, this is the longest we’ve been apart from each other since I was 17. My heart could hardly stand it. I missed his voice, his smile, his wisdom, his friendship. And – I’m not gonna lie – I missed his help (What a glorious sound the garage door opening is at the end of the day, am I right?).

I planned the fashion series in part because reviews are generally pretty easy to write; it’s undemanding work. The other part is that I really like hosting giveaways. It makes my day to be able to e-mail winners and say, “You won!” (I have to admit, though, that I sometimes wish that I could always pick a regular reader/commenter instead of all of the sweepstakes people that come over…but I gotta keep things fair).

Even so, the odds are pretty good so I hope you’ll keep entering. And just to show that you can indeed win, tell me in the comments if you’ve won anything here in the past and, if so, what it was. To give hope to the masses.

Also – I mentioned what my tinies have been wearing on their feet, but I don’t want to close out the series without mentioning my new Paulina Mary Jane sandals, compliments of KEEN (pictured: right). They are super comfortable & breathable (AND made of real leather – no stinky feet!) – equally perfect for wearing with shorts or a skirt. I particularly like that they’re not completely flat (I’m not a fan of flats) so they actually offer support when I’m walking.

Here are three ways you can interact w/ the KEEN brand:

1. If you’re looking for high-quality sandals, water shoes, or hiking boots, do check out their collection.
2. If you want to win KEEN shoes and an Open Diving Adventure in Hawaii for you & a friend, do that before July 31st.
3. If you would like to keep up with the KEEN brand, you can Like KEEN on Facebook or Follow KEEN on Twitter.

I hope you enjoyed perusing my fashion finds (I also hope that it is obvious that I am super picky and put great care into what I feature here).

Now it’s back to personal posts and musings. Yay.

Do you like it when I have periodic themed giveaway events here?

Me neither.

Couture moms-to-be want a bag that doesn’t scream “dirty diapers inside here.” They want a bag that is upscale, chic, elegant…a bag like the ones offered by Petunia Pickle Bottom.

The Ventura, CA company offers backpacks, shoulder bags, totes, satchels, and clutches with refined details and a sophisticated edge.

I recently had an opportunity to review the Boxy Backpack in Rhone Blooms. The exterior is stunning and sensible. It wipes clean easily…and also features a built-in changing pad, a detachable dirty diaper pouch, and plenty of pockets. It reminds me of something you might see in a cafe in Europe – worn by a vogue mama wearing a flowery dress w/ a gorgeous, rosy-cheeked baby on her hip.

The only downside that I can possibly see is that it’s a little wide in berth (see right). Oh, and then there’s the price (gulp).

Other than that, though, it’s perfectly lovely and functional at the same time.

Stay connected with PPB: Like Petunia Pickle Bottom on Facebook.

WIN IT! One winner will receive a Picnic in Provence Boxy Backpack ($169; pictured left; would make a great shower gift!). To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Saturday, July 17th at 11:59 p.m. All generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified. Winner must provide a US mailing address.

* Petunia Pickle Bottom sent me a sample for review purposes and is also providing 1 Boxy Backpack for the giveaway.

*UPDATE* The winner is #186 Rachael. Congratulations!