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If you’re looking for a sweet new dolly for your toddler or preschooler, Mooshka Tots fit the bill. According to the Mooshka story, one day a group of paper friends joined hands. Through the power of friendship, they were magically transformed into sweet, huggable little girls.

Mooshka Tots are soft fabric dolls that are machine washable so your daughter can drag them around all day long without worrying about spills or stains. Each Mooshka Tots doll measures 9 ½ inches tall and has Velcro hands so it can hold hands with other dolls in the collection. There are six Tots dolls in all: Kella, Aneta, Misha, Zana, Karia, and Deava.

The Mooska Toys dolls come with a matching baby finger puppet, a paper doll chain, and a free ebook download available on the iTunes App Store. The dolls are packaged in cute decorated shoe boxes that can be reused to store your daughter’s tiny treasures.

Moosha Tots dolls are recommended for children ages two to five years.

When I was looking for a gift for my niece, these dolls caught my eye because they reminded me of the soft cloth dolls I had as a child. I like that the dolls are designed to look like real girls, although you could argue that they need to do a better job of representing different skin tones within the product line.

The free ebook and the included finger puppet baby are also nice touches, since they encourage little girls to read and use their imaginations while playing. These additions also make it easier for Mom, Dad, or older siblings to be involved in playtime, too.

What do you think of the Mooshka Tots dolls?

Photo credit: Mooshka

Every event or occasion is more fun with temporary tattoos! If you’re looking for fun temporary tattoos with kid appeal, Tattoo Sales has an amazing selection.

Tattoo Sales lets you order custom temporary tattoos with traditional, glitter, neon, or glow in the dark ink. You can upload your own art or customize a stock design to make it your own.

Since you can order 100 custom temporary tattoos for less than $51 with a five-day turnaround time, this would be a great way to create unique favors for a birthday party or family reunion. You could also make tattoos for your child’s sports team or create a design to use at the next PTA carnival.

If making your own tattoo doesn’t sound appealing, Tattoo Sales also has a large number of stock tattoos. There are thousands of original designs, as well as licensed art from Disney, Marvel, Warner Brothers, Hello Kitty, and Ed Hardy. No matter what your child likes, there is probably a tattoo to match!

All of the temporary tattoos sold by Tattoo Sales meet or exceed FDA, CPSC, and ASTM requirements. They exceed all applicable Canadian and European standards, so you can be assured that this is a completely safe way for your child to experiment with body art.

The tattoos will last up to one week, but can be removed with baby oil, rubbing alcohol, or hand sanitizer if needed.

Tattoo Sales has been serving customers for over 25 years. All of its products are proudly made in the USA. Shipping is free anywhere in the United States with a minimum purchase of $15. Visit the Tattoo Sales website for additional information.

Photo credit: Tattoo Sales

Toxin Toxout: Getting Harmful Chemicals Out of Our Bodies and Our World by Bruce Lourie and Rick Smith explores how to keep you and your family safe from the countless toxins hiding in ordinary household products like makeup, toothpaste, soap, and the food on your dinner table.

If you’re worried about the toxins your family is encountering in everyday life, this is a must-read guide to help you stay safe.

Lourie is president of the Ivey Foundation and a director of several organizations in Canada and the United States. Smith is a prominent Canadian author and environmentalist, as well as the executive director of the Broadbent Institute.

Toxin Toxout is the followup to Slow Death by Rubber Duck, their look at how the things you encounter in your daily life lead to high levels of toxic substances in your body.

In Toxin Toxout, Lourie and Smith use self experimentation, interviews with experts, and analysis of past research to determine which methods of getting harmful chemicals out of your body are the most effective. Some of the explanations are a little dry if you’re not a hard core science nerd, but there are plenty of tips the average person can use to live healthier on a day-to-day basis.

For example:

• Invest in organic fruits and veggies to cut your body’s level of many toxic pesticides by a factor of three.
• Drink lots of water to flush toxins from your body.
• Ditch traditional cosmetics containing parabens and phthalates in favor of natural products to reduce toxin exposure up to 77 times.
• Avoid toxic odors like that “new car smell” to reduce the levels of benzene and toluene in your body.

Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher.

Photo credit: Toxin Toxout

Turmeric has been used medicinally for at least 4,000 years and is a popular supplement in Ayurvedic medicine due to its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and antioxidant properties.

In addition to promoting healthy skin, turmeric supplements have been proven to support healthy joint function, support a healthy inflammation response, and improve digestion.

Cooking regularly with turmeric offers some important health benefits, but the slightly bitter and slightly hot peppery flavor may not appeal to your taste buds. If you would like to add turmeric supplements to your diet, I suggest you look at Organic India turmeric.

Organic India supplements use turmeric that is organically grown by tribals in Orissa and has been thoroughly tested for heavy metals. The supplement also uses ginger instead of black pepper to improve absorption, since black pepper can irritate the digestive tract.

I have not been taking Organic India’s turmeric supplements for very long, but I do feel like they are helpful in dealing with my chronic joint pain. I like that they don’t have the strange aftertaste that fish oil pills, another common joint pain supplement, often seem to have.

Organic India turmeric supplements are GMO-free, gluten-free, vegan, and kosher. However, you should not use turmeric supplements while pregnant or nursing without seeking a physician. Turmeric can also cause interactions with certain prescription medications, so you should discuss this issue with your doctor if you are already taking one or more daily medications.

There are 90 capsules per bottle. The recommended dose is one capsule, twice per day taken with food and water.

Visit the Organic India USA website for additional details or to purchase.

Disclaimer: Product samples were provided by the manufacturer for the purpose of preparing this review.

Photo credit: Organic India USA

If you’re expecting and looking for adorable maternity t-shirts, check out the Disco Belly Etsy shop.

The sprout maternity tee design featured in this post is my personal favorite. It comes in peach, mint, and gray. There’s even a two sprout variation if you happen to be expecting twins!

Disco Belly is based in Boston and has been selling on Etsy since 2007. The shop is owned by Alexa Noe, Justin Mantell, and Tim Hurley. They have a five-star rating and almost 4,000 sales.

Disco Belly’s shirts are 100% hand-drawn and hand-screenprinted. The t-shirts are custom-cut and sewn in the USA.

Disco Belly shirts sell for $22 or $24, depending upon the design you choose. I think this seems like a very reasonable price for a hand-screenprinted maternity shirt. It’s been quite some time since I shopped for maternity clothes, but I remember spending more than that on several of my shirts.

Disco Belly shirts come in the following sizes:

• Small (0-4)
• Medium (4 - 8)
• Large (8-12)
• XLarge (12-14)

They suggest ordering one size up if you’re not sure what to get, which is why I wish they offered plus sizes. Since the average woman in the US already wears a 12-14 and not every woman sticks within the recommended range for pregnancy weight gain, it seems like they’re missing out on a substantial number of sales this way. If I were to find myself pregnant again, I know an XLarge would be iffy for me.

What do you think of Disco Belly’s shirts? Have you seen any other cute maternity clothes on Etsy that Smart Mom Picks should feature?

Photo credit: Disco Belly

Before my son was born, I felt like I had a decent grasp of what outfits worked well with my body type. But, thanks to the baby weight I can’t seem to shake and the fact that I’m officially too old to dress like a college student, I now hate shopping for clothes and tend to wear the same thing day after day.

If you’re in the same boat, Styletini: Shake Up Your Style, Stir Up Your Confidence can help. Some of the different topics that are covered include:

• How to identify and dress for your body type
• Building a closet of mix and match essentials for effortless dressing
• Taking stock of what’s already in your closet
• Know where and when to go shopping
• When to save and when to splurge as you’re building your wardrobe
• Dressing for special occasions like weddings or television appearances
• How to add interest to outfits with accessories

Author Ashley Martini is a styling consultant and founding member of Martini Fashions, LLC. A business graduate of Lynn University, Ms. Martini specialized in fashion marketing and merchandising. She received a master’s degree in business with a focus on international business, and studied abroad in the world’s fashion capital, Paris, with a concentration in fashion styling and trend forecasting.

Styletini’s fashion advice is timeless, so this is definitely the book for you if you aren’t interested in following trends but want some general advice on how to build a flattering wardrobe that is age-appropriate, or how to create a budget-friendly “capsule” wardrobe that offers a range of looks that fit your busy lifestyle.

Although I did find many useful tips in this Styletini that I could apply to my own closet, I was disappointed by the lack of pictures. I think most readers expect a fashion book to be full of images showcasing the various tips that are provided.

There are some websites provided as references, but photos would have been much more beneficial for the fashion newbie who needs a visual guide to learn what works and what doesn’t as she’s putting together an outfit.

Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher.

Photo credit: Amazon

If grilling is one of your favorite pastimes, Organicville SkyValley sauces are an easy way to add flavor to your meals. This line of internationally inspired sauces provides sweet, spicy, and savory options the whole family will enjoy.

Available flavors include:

• Korean BBQ Sauce
• Enchilada Sauce
• Miso Glaze
• Thai Peanut Sauce
• Plum Sauce
• Sweet Chili Sauce
• Koji Sauce
• Mole Sauce
• Hot Sauce
• Taco Sauce
• Verde Sauce

Recently, I had a chance to sample a few of the sauces in this line. The Sky Valley plum sauce was a hit with my family. This sweet sauce is made with organic plums and peaches to add a fresh taste to your meal. I used it as part of a chicken and vegetable stir fry, although I’m sure that someone more creative in the kitchen could find plenty of other ways to enjoy the product.

Sky Valley sauces are USDA certified organic, non-GMO verified, gluten-free, and vegan.

The company is also committed to giving back to the community. A portion of all sales of Sky Valley international sauces is donated to Uhuru Child, an organization that seeks to eliminate poverty in developing communities through meaningful employment opportunities.

Sky Valley grilling sauces and marinades range in price from $5.99 to $7.99, depending upon the variety you choose. These products can be found at all Whole Foods stores nationwide.

Have you tried any of the Sky Valley sauces? If so, which ones are your favorite?

Disclaimer: Product samples were provided by the manufacturer for the purpose of preparing this review.

Photo credit: Organicville Foods

If you’re looking for a way to encourage the artistic aspirations of your Lego loving tween or teen, The Art of Lego Design: Creative Ways to Build Amazing Models by Jordan Schwartz is chock full of inspiration.

The Art of Lego Design is not a Lego instruction manual, so this book isn’t for builders who want exact directions on how to duplicate a particular piece. As the name suggests, The Art of Lego Design is more of a look at the different techniques that can be used to create innovative Lego sculptures.

The book is intended to inspire the builder’s creativity and provide suggestions for ways to move beyond simply following someone else’s step-by-step instructions. There are interviews with several experienced Lego builders, including Tyler Clites. Mr. Clites has an amazingly detailed Alice in Wonderland model that is sure to delight fans of this classic children’s story.

My nine-year-old son most enjoyed the section on minifigures, since building Lego people who resemble friends and family is one of his favorite ways to play with his Lego collection. For me, the most interesting part of this book was the section on Lego mosaics. I’m not a very realistic builder, but I appreciate the abstract nature of mosaic Lego art.

The section on how to photograph and share your Lego models is a helpful addition that I have not encountered in other Lego guides. Getting the habit of photographing everyone’s Lego creations makes it much less painful to disassemble a model that required several hours to build! The photos also provide a special keepsake that documents your builder’s progression over time.

Visit the No Starch Press to learn more about The Art of Lego Design or other Lego-themed titles from the publisher.

Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher.

Photo credit: No Starch Press

I tend to favor bold lipstick over elaborate eye makeup, but I’m very pleased with the Love In Paris Eye Shadow Palette from NYX Cosmetics.

The Love in Paris Eye Shadow Palette is a collection of nine shades packaged in a slim compact featuring a cute little bow clasp. There are 12 different color collections to choose from, each with a full range of coordinated colors for you to play with.

The palette I sampled was called Je Ne Sais Quoi, which features brown, cream, silver, and plum shades. This palette has a nice mix of matte and shimmery eye shadows, so you can create day and evening looks. The colors are richly pigmented and did an excellent job of flattering my brown eyes.

The palette comes with a dual side sponge application. One side features a larger sponge for covering more of the eye area, while the other side has a narrower sponge to use for defining fine details.

Primer is helpful when using the NYX eyeshadow palettes if you want your color to last all day long. You can also help open up your eyes by adding a small touch of the lightest color of your eyeshadow palette into the inside corner of your eye. This makes your eyes look wider and more awake, which is always a plus when you’re a sleep deprived mom!

Visit the NYX Cosmetics website to review the complete Love In Paris Eye Shadow Palette collection, as well as the company’s other cosmetic products.

Disclaimer: Product samples were provided by the manufacturer for the purpose of preparing this review.

Photo credit: NYX Cosmetics