Mom of the Week - Elaine Alguire!

Congratulation to Totsy’s newest Mom of the Week, Elaine Alguire from Lafayette, LA!!
She has three great kids who keep her on her toes and challenge her every day! I am sure all Moms can relate to Elaine. She also loves to find new and great products for her kids!

(Good thing she has Totsy ;-) )

Elaine, we are so excited to have you as Totsy’s Mom of the Week!



1. What's one thing you can't live without (besides your family)?
• Chocolate
2. What's your favorite beauty item of all time?
• Carmex - does that count as a "beauty" item?
3. What's your go-to fashion item?
• Right now it's a cardigan from Target and tank tops from Old Navy
4. What's been your favorite trend of all?
• Boot cut jeans that make me look long and leaner
5. What's one fashion/beauty item you'll never touch? And why.
• Heels and socks - SO ugly in my opinion!
6. TV show you must tune into each week?
• Modern Family
7. Website you absolutely much check out daily?
• Can it be a blog? If so, I Should Be Folding Laundry - http://www.ishouldbefoldinglaundry.com/



Totsy would also like to announce our newest sponsored brand for December:

Melissa & Doug - From puzzles for precocious kids to toys for curious toddlers, Melissa & Doug are committed to making the best in educational products that will provide your kids with learning and fun for years to come! Melissa & Doug products make great birthday gifts, Christmas presents and other any holiday gifts for boys and girls of all ages!

Want to become Totsy’s Mom of the Week? Winners receive awesome prizes from top sponsored brands! Invite your mommy friends to join. We pick a new mom every week…it could be you!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Guest Blogger: Denise Sawyer

Guest Mommy Blogger: DENISE SAWYER

Thanksgiving is here and you better believe this Georgia girl is going to be doing some good eatin’! One thing us southerners are known for is our good southern home cookin’ and my family is no exception. I was born into a family of fabulous home cooks with delicious (and simple) recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation.

At our Thanksgiving table you’ll find a huge turkey, cornbread dressing and gravy, sweet potato casserole, squash casserole, asparagus casserole, homemade cranberry sauce (not anything like the canned stuff!), and plenty of pecan pie! I can hear my stomach growling already! Around our table you’ll see four generations of my family plus my in-laws. A total of 13 people and enough food to feed an army!

My grandma still cooks the meal, although my mom will go to stay with her and help her prepare it. Grandma doesn’t really allow anyone to help though, just watch her and keep her company! She will let my mom make the sweet potato casserole, it is what she’s famous for, and my father-in-law will make the pecan pies the night before at my house before we drive up to join the rest of my family.

My favorite part of the meal? Definitely the squash casserole. You can get my family’s recipe on my blog here: http://wholesomemommy.com/squash-casserole/

I could eat my weight in it! Although, isn’t that what Thanksgiving is for… to stuff yourself like a turkey?

HOW-TO: Organize Your Purse

HOW-TO: Organize Your Purse With holiday shopping gearing up we need to stay organized, Ladies! Lists are a good idea for gift shopping but what about your purse?

Purses….the essences of all accessories - in my opinion ;-) need to stay organized so not to loose or misplace anything in the hustle & bustle of shopping madness.

Some tips to stay organized during Black Friday and Holiday Shopping:

· Have a place for everything in your purse – extra pockets are great!

o Make sure your cell phones stays in its holder, keys have a pocket or keychain clip in your purses.

· Makeup bags are an easy way to keep organized, I have an extra bag in my purse to keep a mirror, pens, hand-sanitizer, and any other miscellaneous items. This way when you are looking for something in your bag, you know where it will be and not scattered in the abyss!

· During shopping trips the one thing you need more than anything else is your wallet. To minimize ciaos…make sure all credit cards you need are in your wallet and visible. When your wallet is organized it eliminates the stress of potentially loosing a credit card or misplacing money.

Avoid this!! Looks of organizing compartments ;-)

· Finally, my last tip for Holiday Shopping – get a receipt organizer!

o Instead of cramming receipts into your wallet or loosely in your purse, purchase a receipt carrier so when something needs to be returned or exchanged you know exactly where you placed that receipt!

Will you be out & about on Black Friday?

Happy Shopping!!

Congrats to Totsy Mom of the Week - Denise Sawyer!

Congratulations to Denise Sawyer who has been selected as this week’s Mom of the Week! Denise is from Northwest Georgia and Totsy is thrilled to be featuring Denise! Not only is Denise an extraordinary Mommy, she is also an extraordinary blogger! Check out her incredible blog: Wholesome Mommy!!
Now, please put your hands together for…. Denise Sawyer! !!

1. How many kids do you have?
I have 1 son, Judah. He is 20 months old
2. What’s one thing you can’t live without (besides your family)?
My kitchen… I love to bake and cook. It is the epicenter of our home. I use it often to entertain, bake with my son, and cook family meals 6 to 7 days a week
3. What’s your favorite beauty item of all time?
Rusk "Wired" - I have a lot of hair, but it is super fine and flat as a board. I can't live without this product! It is a miracle cream!
4. What's your go-to fashion item?
A good pair of jeans and a white fitted t-shirt. Everything goes with it - you can dress it up or down. Pair it with a sweater, boots, and some fabulous jewelry and you're smokin'
5. What's been your favorite trend of all?
I love the boots that are in style now. I also like that more feminine cuts are in style. I'm very girlie!
6. What's one fashion/beauty item you'll never touch? And why?
I steer clear of traditional antiperspirants and deodorants. They are bad news in the chemical department. I DO NOT like to stink, however! LOL. I use a natural deodorant that is handmade by a lady on Etsy - { http://www.etsy.com/shop/soapwallakitchen } and it works fabulous - even in Georgia's summer heat!
7. TV show you must tune into each week?
Oooo... there are a couple - but we must DVR them. With a little one, we never know when we're going to be able to sit down to watch a show. We love Parenthood, Burn Notice, & Covert Affairs.
8. Website you absolutely much check out daily?
Mine of course! wholesomemommy.com I simply must read the comments people have left me and I love responding to their questions each day!
Want to become Totsy’s Mom of the Week? Winners receive awesome prizes from top sponsored brands! Invite your mommy friends to join. We pick a new mom every week…it could be you!! http://bit.ly/d5JNrG

Toy Story Magic

As a mother of four boys ages two to six, seldom if ever do I find that one toy that they all can enjoy. The Toy Story Rocket Table Setfrom Jakks Pacific is one of those rare exceptions. It’s a table and two chair set, decorated with the Toy Story characters that all my boys love that can be broken down and changed into a rocket ship that’s over for feet tall.



Henry, my two year old, is a little young to get all the pieces together, but I can leave him alone, not worried about small pieces that some of his older brothers’ toys contain. He loves stacking the pieces and we can often hear the crash when he knocks the rocket ship down.





William, my six year old, loves to lend a hand with the pieces that Henry can’t quite assemble. As a mother, it warms my heart to see my babies working together rather than fighting over a toy.



With four chairs, there’s room at the table for everyone! They love to sit and eat at the Toy Story table and actually sit quietly at their special table. $69.95 is a small price to pay for that!

Mom of the Week!

Congratulations to Totsy’s latest Mom of the Week, Janet Sorrells from Chico, CA!!

When asked why Totsy should choose her she replied,

“Why not? I think I'm a pretty good mom. Winning this would be like winning a yearly office award, which doesn't really exist for hard-working mommies. It would be nice to be recognized."

Totsy is overwhelmed with joy to recognize Janet for being an amazing mom!

Want to meet Totsy’s Mom? Here are some fun facts about Janet….

1. How many children do you have?
• 2 Little Boys. Nicolas is 2 1/2 and Andrew is 4 Mo

2. What's one thing you can't live without (besides your family)?
• My Laptop

3. What's your favorite beauty item of all time?
• OPI Nail Lacquer

4. What's your go-to fashion item?
• My Joe's Jeans

5. What's been your favorite trend of all?
• lol- I don't really consider myself trendy and I'm sure some would say it's not a trend, it's a lifestyle, but I'd say "going green" is my favorite trend. I love that we are teaching our kids to respect and care for the earth.

6. What's one fashion/beauty item you'll never touch? And why?
• Hmm....fake eyelashes! They creep me out!

7. TV shows you must tune into each week?
• Well, two TV shows I must TiVo each week are Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice.

8. Website you absolutely much check out daily?
• Totsy, of course! And babysteals.com.

Thanks for choosing me! I'll consider it a gold star on my reward chart! ; )

You are very welcome Janet!

Want to become Totsy’s Mom of the Week? Winners receive awesome prizes from top sponsored brands! Invite your mommy friends to join. We pick a new mom every week…it could be you!! http://bit.ly/d5JNrG

20 Earrings Under $50

Now that my ears are pierced... I'm ready to fill up my jewelry box with some beautiful earrings!

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I don't want to spend a ton of money on earrings because I know (with the craziness in my house) the chances of some pieces "gone missing" or getting damaged (a.k.a. sat on, put down the drain) is quite high. Sadly... yes.

So I did a little online perusing looking for some beautiful earrings that are under $50:

More Anne Klein...

Totsy Mom of the Week - Adela Santana

Totsy would like to congratulate, Adela Santana from Fresno, CA for becoming Totsy’s 1^st Mom of the Week Winner. Her story was so inspirational and we would love to share Adela’s story.

“After having tried for 6 years to become a mom with my previous partner, our relationship broke down when I found out he was having an affair with a woman many years my junior. I thought that was it for my mommy dreams--I was 38 years old and newly separated. Unexpectedly, I found a kindred spirit in an old friend from graduate school, who had just been asked for a divorce by his wife of 12 years. Sharing feelings, hopes and dreams, we fell in love and I am happily now a mom of 2 fabulous stepchildren, ages 6 and 9, and a beautiful baby boy born on July 18, 2010! I am all happiness. My life is complete!”

1. How many children do you have?

· I have 2 step kids: Sean (6 yrs old) and Lilly (9 yrs old). On July 18th I gave birth to my first baby, a boy who we named Mateo (you can see him cheekily sticking out his tongue as he poses with me in the photo)

2. What's one thing you can't live without (besides your family)?

· My camera. I always document our everyday existence, not just major events in our lives. Sometimes the best memories occur at the most unexpected times. It is amazing to be able to capture them on film and re-live them in the future.

3. What's your favorite beauty item of all time?

· Lip-gloss. I cant live without it. Even on days when I wear no make-up, I must put on some lip-gloss. I have been fond of Kiehl’s lip-gloss for at least a decade! It is the only personal item I keep in my diaper bag!

4. What's your go-to fashion item?

· Ankle high-heeled boots. I love them and have at least 3 favorite pairs that I wear all the time.

5. What's been your favorite trend of all?

· I love 80’s fashion. I was an adolescent in the 1980’s and really enjoyed the imaginativeness and authenticity that characterized the fashion of the times. So I must say that I still enjoy wearing skinny jeans with leg warmers and have a closet full of flared mini skirts reminiscent of the 80’s rah rah skirts.

6. What's one fashion/beauty item you'll never touch? And why?

· I am horrified by tanning beds and/or fake tans. Even when I lived in London, England, I would rather be as pallid as an english raised than sport that orange, carcinogenic look.

7. TV shows you must tune into each week?

· I love TV series, but I particularly love watching all of the episodes in a series straight, once it is out on DVD. Right now I am really hooked on Dexter, Season 4.

8. Website you absolutely much check out daily?

· I used to check Facebook on a daily basis, although since the birth of Mateo my internet habits have radically changed! I now have an online baby book for Mateo at http://lilgrams.com/ where I am uploading photos, videos and stories to share with family and loved ones. I access it every day, adding new stuff and looking through Mateo’s old (!) photos and videos from when he was a newborn.

Want to become Totsy’s Mom of the Week? Winners receive awesome prizes from top sponsored brands! Invite your mommy friends to join. We pick a new mom every week…it could be you!!

Celebrity Mom Style for Less

Jennifer Garner rocks when it comes to dressing casually and still look COOL.

Grab her look -

More Drew...

Comfort Food - Cake Cookies

With the weather getting cold, there's nothing like a little yummy-comfort-food. You gotta' try Cake Cookies. My mother-in-law taught me this recipe! They are our favorite cookie during the holidays! They are really easy and very kid-friendly to make.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Box of Cake Mix (any flavor)

1/3 cup of oil

2 eggs

1 large bag of M&Ms (or any topping you prefer - chocolate chips, sprinkles)

MIX together all ingredients in a mixer. STIR in M&Ms. BAKE on (ungreased) cookie sheet at 350 degrees between 10-12 minutes or until they are golden.

RED MAKEUP - WINTER TREND

I've never been a red lipstick wearer... actually, the only time I think I've ever worn red lipstick was when I was one of the Robert Palmer Girls for Halloween one year. You remember those girls, right?



I swear they made red lipstick POPULAR.

But this season, it all seems to be about RED MAKEUP.

Red lipstick.



Red eye makeup.



Red blush.

I'm not 100% sold on this red makeup beauty trend this fall/winter... but it definitely adds some beautiful color to your makeup arsenal. You won't see me with red makeup on my eyes, I don't think that's for me... but the great thing about beauty trends is that they don't have to work for everyone.

Mom of the Week Contest

Totsy is celebrating all the wonderful moms out there with the launch of our new 'Mom of the Week' Contest! Without you we would not be here, so each week we are going to honor a new mom. The winning mom will receive a great prize and will be featured as Totsy's Mom of the Week on our blog, facebook page and twitter!

Participating is quick and easy! Simply head over to our facebook page and enter the contest here: http://bit.ly/d5JNrG to submit your answers.

One fabulous mom will be picked each week!

We will have a new sponsor each month giving away awesome prizes! This month prizes will be from ALEX TOY, each valued at over $200. ALEX’s mission is to provide children with quality creative products that foster personal expression and build self-esteem. Your child will love these toys, so enter today for your chance to win! Don't forget to tell your other mommy friends to participate too!

Kohl's is Totally Thinking of Moms...

On Sunday afternoon I took Henry on a much dreaded trip (for him)... shopping with Mommy for clothes. I wanted to grab a few new things because I have a lot of events and trips coming up, so I brought along my little man to "help me."

I have had my eye on a couple of things from the LC Lauren Conrad line at Kohl's. She's got some great boho-type items and I love the colors (pinks, greens, purples and blues) that she has in her Fall Collection. (And I will admit, I was a huge Laguna Beach fan!) But she had 2 items in her Collection that I absolutely LOVED...

[caption id="attachment_9825" align="aligncenter" width="266" caption="Floral Henley Set"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_9826" align="aligncenter" width="230" caption="Floral Silk Tank"][/caption]

The problem was... they didn't have my SIZE at the store (in anything). UGH...

I loved the items enough to ask an employee if she could possibly call one of the other Kohl's store's in Rhode Island to see if they happened to have my size in those items (I didn't want to order online and then have to pay all the shipping). She said to me, "Did you already try the Kiosk?"

KIOSK? NO... I hadn't. And then she showed me the "way..."

Kohl's has a KIOSK in every store now where you can scan the item you like, see if the have the size/style/color you want and then you can order it and have it shipped to your house - FREE SHIPPING. I was able to get both the items I wanted, in the size I needed, in the color I preferred and have them sent right to my house... plus, I was able to still get all the same discounts as in-store and was able to add in the promotional code I had on me, too! It was AWESOME!

I had know idea Kohl's had this service in their stores. SO... if you're in a Kohl's and don't see what you want, do not fear... you can still get it!

**It also saved me a ton of time being with Henry. I didn't have to wait while the girl called every store to see if they had what I needed, I was able to do it quickly on my own!**

How to wear a Sweater Cardigan Vest

I've professed my love for cardigan sweater wraps time and time again on my blog. I just love them. I love pairing my wrap(s) with jeans, dresses and even sweats! They are so comfy and cozy.

Well, this season I'm beginning to be all about the Sweater Vest... a chunky knit sweater vest. This vest has become one of my new staples.



My mother came over last week and saw it hanging in my laundry area. My mom is cute when she sees I've bought something new (she thinks I have enough clothes), she immediately will ask me, "What are you going to wear with that?" (Oh, mom... you know I love a challenge!)

So what can you wear with a chunky sweater vest?

Here are 5 different ways you can wear this:

[caption id="attachment_9781" align="aligncenter" width="459" caption="Dress it up with a LBD..."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_9782" align="aligncenter" width="466" caption="Casual with an oversized Dress Shirt and Leggings..."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_9783" align="aligncenter" width="405" caption="Casually Chic with Jeans and High Black Boots..."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_9784" align="aligncenter" width="343" caption="Work Ready..."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_9785" align="aligncenter" width="395" caption="ULTRA ULTRA casual!"][/caption]

What were your kids for Halloween?

Halloween is one of those holidays that my sons count down for, beginning in the summer. With William and Alexander having birthdays in September (and us always having a Halloween themed party), they start talking costumes in July (no joke). This year Alexander, Benjamin and Henry all wanted to be something TOY STORY. It's funny, my sons are at the age where Toy Story 3 is really the first time we've ever been into Toy Story. My guys were too young (and not born) with the other Toy Story movies. So the excitement and wonder and awe has begun now for the McClelland boys...

JAKKS Pacific sent the boys the coolest Halloween costumes this year - Woody, Big Buzz and Little Buzz (as we deemed them).