reviews

aquafina flavorsplash event at morimotos!

This past Thursday, I joined some of my favorite Philly bloggers - and a few new friends from Mom Central - at Morimotos in Philly. 

For once, Sarah, Jo-Lynne and I arrived early with no drama. We tend to have unplanned adventures when we travel together, which generally end with us arriving late for things ;-)
So the evening was off to a good start! We even had time to snap a picture outside Morimotos:


We walked up to the cozy, upstairs lounge and first up was to try some Aquafina FlavorSplash!  There were six flavors: Lemon, Grape, Mixed Berry, Strawberry Kiwi, Peach Mango, and Raspberry. I wasn't a fan of the grape (I don't like grape drinks) or the lemon, but I loved the Peach Mango and the Berry. YUMMY! And look how cute the tasting display was:

How fun is that?!! Then came the food.

Oh. My. Word!
I'm not a huge sushi connoisseur, but this was amazing. The lobster appetizer was out of this world and so were the dumplings. And then I hit the sushi hard!! It was hands out the best sushi I've ever had. We all had a great time eating the fantastic food, hanging out and catching up face to face.

Then we made an important discovery: the Lychee Cosmopolitan. I would like to make a motion to make that the official cocktail of the Philly Social Media Moms. Oh, does Mom Central and Aquafina FlavorSplash know moms. Giving us a Mom's Night Out what the doctor ordered!! Thanks so much for the party, Ladies!!

Look at this great crew:

Front Row: Sarah, Heather, Mel, Jo-Lynne, Beth, Elizabeth;
Back Row: Holly, Teresa, Shannon, Debbie, Michelle, Sarah,  and ME!

alice in wonderland (iced) tea party

parigi fashion - hip, fun looks for kids

Maybe you've never heard of Parigi Fashion. But I'd bet my bottom dollar that you've seen their children's brands like Apple Bottoms, Baby Phat, DKNY and Puma at your favorite department stores! 

My daughter was sent an absolutely adorable outfit -- a pair of dark denim Applebottom skinny jeans and a plaid Applebottom blouse. She LOVED them! "Mom, this is so cool!" And I have to tell you that my daughter is very - VERY - picky about clothes and usually does not like what I buy for her. Apparently Parigi Fashions should go shopping for her instead of me.

These clothes were very well made and will surely last to be worn by her younger sister. As a mom, I have to say that I REALLY appreciate that these clothes are hip, but modest. The material on the blouse was sheer, but has a camisole sewn into the shirt. And it was nice and long on my daughter's long torso. The jeans were skinny, but not tight, and didn't gap at the waist. Finally! I'm thrilled!!

I'll be keeping an eye out for more Parigi Fashion items as I'm shopping for summer!

An outfit was provided by Parigi Fashions and MomSelect for this review and they also generously provided another outfit that was donated to the Dine Out to Fight Hunger event on May 17th.
I was not compensated financially for this post.

okabashi sandals

I recently got to try out Okabaski's Maui Sandal for women and girls.

 
What they say:

• Massage beads in the Maui focus on the arch and midfoot.
• 100% recyclable
• In addition to being anti-microbial and machine washable, Okabashis clean very nicely in the dishwasher.
• made in USA and comes with a two year guarantee 

What I say:

I was surprised at how comfy these were! I love the massage beads! I have high arches, so regular cheap-o flip-flops don't really work for me. But the shape of the Maui sandal took care of that. I wore them for hours and my feet felt great!

I'm mostly impressed with Okabashi's philosphy. The average pair of Okabashi sandals made this year is expected to have about 25% recycled material and when you're done wearing them, just mail them back to the company and they'll recycle them for you. AND Okabashi's manufacturing process is waste-free! Amazing! This is a company I can wholeheartedly support!!

imagine: gymnast

Just a few weeks ago, my daughter took her first gymnastics class. And she fell in love! So I was thrilled when she got the change to try the newest addition to  Ubisoft's games for girls: Imagine Gymnast .

What they say:

• Learn gymnastics under the instruction of Olympic Gold Medalist Shannon Miller
  
• Join a team of gymnasts at a premiere academy
• Compete in Vault, Balance Beam, Uneven Bars, Floor, and Rhythmic Gymnastics events
• Customize your look, routine and team
• Unlock new outfits and accessories for you and your teammates by completing competitions and events.

What we say:

My daughter just loved this game. Its her new favorite!  She's five and a half and it was just a little challenging for her, but my 7-year-old had not problem. (And even the non-gymnastics-crazy daughter loved this one!) Their favorite parts were all of the customizing options - they love designing leotards and choreographing routines.

And  I am still a huge fan of Ubisoft kids games. They have great themes, are always age-appropriate and manage to be educational and fun. My girls are young and just scratching the surface of what Ubisoft games offer. So I know they'll be still playing them in a few years, so I don't mind buying them!

disclaimer: i received a copy of imagine gymnast to review and a nintendo ds in order to do the reviewing from ubisoft. i was not compensated financially for this post.