It’s 10:30 Friday night at Chez Bellaziza.   The girls are in bed… and I am still thrilled over the Alice delivery that I received from UPS Santa earlier today.  Yes, I need a life.  I just love great service, saving time and saving money!  (That’s all!  No ‘lack of life’ here!)  I’m all about the premium product side of life, in case you hadn’t figured that one out.  I’m also absolutely the most value-obsessed consumer I know.  Although I can find value in luxury, my happy place is where quality and value intersect (*shout-out to Costco!*)  Without impressive amounts of both, I’m the queen of buyer’s remorse.

So Alice, dear Alice… I just love ya so far.  Here’s what UPS Santa brought me!  (Coincidentally he actually came to the back door, just off of the kitchen, and carried my daliceous goodies right in for me!)  Maybe he saw the “alice” on the box and thought he needed to take his service to the next level.  I toootally get it.

This is my Alice…

Not only did my new friend Alice send what I ordered, but what I forgot to order… in another box… for free.  “Always free shipping”, after all.  I’m in love.

All of my things were lovingly packed in a sea of fun and eco-friendly air filled pouches.  Inspiring.  Sounds like the mother of bubble wrap to me!

Carefully packed.  Full of care.  Care.  Full.  Yayee.

Alice, I love you for taping my fabric softener cap closed.  I love you more for using tape that didn’t leave it sticky.  I will love you most though… every time I hold said cap and think of how it could have been… sticky.

Personalized tape too?  What a diva!  But considerate, none the less.  I love the little tab you left me!

And here’s what Alice brought me… for $56.76.  But there’s more.  Remember?  I forgot…

… this, and it shipped.  Alone.  And that shipping was free…

as were these two handy oversize heavy duty ziplock bags that we will be reusing…

and a whole lotta these.  Should keep Isabella busy for at least a few noisy minutes!

See you soon Alice!  Thanks for saving me two trips to the store and a bunch of dough.  Love it!  BFF’s maybe?

Crista

Want to meet Alice?  CLICK BELOW and get $10 off your first order of $50 or more…

I just found something that is going to save me time and money on a regular basis!  It’s a lot of fun too:)!  Check out Alice.  It’s a service to help you buy all of the kitchen, bathroom, household, baby, kid and lots of other STUFF that we all have to get regularly but have to go find first, put it in the cart, purchase and then lug it home.  We are now happily ‘lug-free’!  Heck, let UPS do it, right?!?! Oh, it’s ALWAYS FREE SHIPPING at Alice too!  Even for tiny orders:)!!!  Definitley, let UPS do it since it’s easyyyy and only takes 2-3 days!

Saves me MONEY:  The best part (other than saving a ton of time on a regular basis, which I know I mentioned) is the AUTOMATIC COUPONS!!!  Yes, that’s right!  All of those manufacturer’s coupons are automatically found and applied to your order!  Yesterday I placed my first order and bought a pack of Huggies Supreme diapers that retails for $10.99 and usually costs $9.69 from Alice… for only $3.50 after coupons!  Take a peek and notice how MANY of the things I bought had coupons!!

All in all, I bought over $80 worth of things I buy ANYWAY, I got it delivered for free, and AFTER COUPONS I ONLY SPENT $56.76!!!!!!!!(…)!!!

Saves me TIME: Now instead of tromping though the store and forgetting a few things along the way… and buying some more that I don’t really need… I get to pull up my “Shelf” to see what I always buy!

You can even get automatic reminders if you want.  Alice’s organizational features are truly fantastic and I am really looking forward to never running out of anything ever again, and the cumulative savings of both time and money thanks to Alice.

Also, Alice makes shopping Green and Organic very easy!  They carry lots of great brands like Earth’s Best, Gerber Organic, Tom’s, Kashi, Seventh Generation and MORE!

Want to try Alice and save $10 off of your first order?  CLICK HERE, sign up to shop and never run out of anything again!  It’s SO simple and trust us it’s going to be one of your Favorite Things just like it is ours:).

I’ll see ya there!  Look for me online at Alice as Bellaziza in the “Neighborhood” and we can chat or tell me what you think in the comments of this post:)!  For now, back to shopping….

Crista

Even if she’s never won an Oscar or scored a number one hit, every mom is a star.

Does yours spoil her kids with a glamorous lifestyle like Heidi Klum? Or is she more of an eco queen like Julia Roberts?

No matter which celebrity is most like your mom, this Mother’s Day, it’s time to celebrate her parenting performances with an A-list gift!!

Check out the Celebrity Gift Guide at www.gifts.com to help you find the perfect gift for every kind of Mom!

Just to get us all thinking about our impact on the Earth…Here are some statistics from The Clean Air Council.

*In the U.S., 4.39 pounds of trash per day and up to 56 tons of trash per year are created by the average person.  Only about one-tenth of all solid garbage in the United States gets recycled.

*Each day the United States throws away enough trash to fill 63,000 garbage trucks.  Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour.

*Americans throw away enough aluminum cans to rebuild our commercial air fleet every three months, and enough iron and steel to supply all our nation’s automakers every day.  Throwing away one aluminum can wastes as much energy as if that can were 1/2 full of gasoline.  Sixty-five billion aluminum soda cans are used each year.  Recycling an aluminum soda can saves 96% of the energy used to make a can from ore, and produces 95% less air pollution and 97% less water pollution.

*U.S. businesses now use about 21 million tons of paper every year. That’s about 175 pounds of paper for each American.  America is home to 5% of the world’s population, yet it consumes 1/3 of the Earth’s timber and paper; making paper the largest part of the waste stream at 37.5% of the total waste stream.  One ton of paper from recycled pulp saves 17 trees, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 7,000 gallons of water, 4,200 kilowatt hours (enough to heat your home for half year), 390 gallons of oil, and prevents 60 pounds of air pollutants.

*Enough hazardous waste is generated in one year to fill the New Orleans Superdome 1,500 times over.

*As of 1992, 14 billion pounds of trash were dumped into the ocean annually around the world.

*Forty-three thousand tons of food is thrown out in the United States each day.

*The average American, in one lifetime, uses: 18 tons of paper, 23 tons of wood, 16 tons of metal, and 32 tons of organic chemicals.

Let’s all consider what we can do to change these staggering statistics and make the Earth a better place for our children!!

There is nothing more precious to a Mother than her baby’s first moments.  Whether it’s your first child or fourth, every “first” matters.  When we found the Mother’s Stork Baby Book it was instantly one of our Favorite Things!  There is no better book for journaling about those precious moments we do not want to forget!

This book is SO luxurious!!  Its price of $135 is completely justified considering the incredible QUALITY of this heirloom keepsake!  The paper is archival quality custom-made, and the illustrations just send it over the top!  It comes in it’s own storage box and includes a black gel pen with archival-quality ink as well!  We are absolutely drooling over the luxury of it all! It is sooooo absolutely BEST of the best.  Nothing else even comes close!!

Now wouldn’t it be just fabulous if in the middle of your day as supermom, that FAQ ‘What’s for dinner?’ no longer left you stumped???  Relish! is an online weekly meal planner with a dash of style and a whole lot of flavor and is a very welcome addition to our Favorite Things!!  We just love it, and we know you will too!

What we love most about this hip new way to plan meals is how incredibly easy it is to use!  It’s as simple as picking your faves from the weekly selections and Relish! does the rest!  Instantly you have a meal list, recipe list and grocery list ready to print!  Relish! offers the solution and the tools to help families get back to the dinner table, establish healthy eating habits and save money at the same time.  With Relish! by your side you will avoid that last minute rushing to the grocery store to find dinner… and of course the fast-food drive thru!  Doesn’t Sauteed Pork Chops with Pomegranate and Fennel Relish or Pasta with Carmelized Onions and Arugula and Lemon Garlic Bread sound better than heart-stopper hamburgers!?!

For only $7 a month, Relish! will provide you with the following amazing services!!

• Five dinners and sides costing about$85-$95 a week!
• All Relish! recipes require only 30 minutes or less prep time!
• Monthly freezer menus are included for those nights when you need something fast!
• An easy to use Recipe Legend helps you easily choose meals in each category like Kid Friendly, Quick, Vegetarian and many more.
• Extra menus for seasonal dinner parties and other specialties like desserts and horsdoeuvres provide recipe ideas for every occasion!

We all know that there is nothing like a family dinner to bring us closer together.  Another one of the ways Relish! will help you make your Family Night the coolest on the block is with their Dinner and Movie menus.  A meal and dessert plan is made to go along with your family’s favorite movies!  We loved King Fu Panda night with Jack Black Punch, Kung Pao Chicken, Sugar Snap Peas with Lemon, Chinese Noodles and Panda Cake.  What a creative idea and so much fun!

Check out Relish! on your own at www.relishrelish.com and you will see why it’s one of our Favorite Things!  The Relish! slogan sure has it right…Time. Food. Life.  Need we say more?

Every Mom has said it at one time or another, but this mom/lawyer/author took the phrase to a whole new level when she wrote the book appropriately titled Wear Clean Underwear! A Fast, Fun, Friendly – and Essential – Guide to Legal Planning for Busy Parents.  Alexis Martin Neely is the ultimate multi-tasking mom that has saved the day and eased our minds when it comes to making sure our kids are taken care of in the event of a tragic death in the family.  With the new year beginning, what better time to set things straight in this area of your life… the most important, by the way!

Have you ever wondered what would happen to your kids if something tragic happened to you or your spouse…or both of you?  We like to focus on pretty things here at Bellaziza, but our kids’ safety is always our number one priority, and we know you feel the same way too!  That’s why we wanted to take a moment on the serious side to tell you about this informative book.  But don’t get bummed out!  Once you read this book and make some easy adjustments to your legal documents you will feel great and your family will be protected!

In an easy to read format, Wear Clean Underwear helps you discover in simple to understand terms exactly what would happen to your kids in your current emergency plan, what would happen if you had no plan at all, and what would  happen if you took the time to be prepared.  It’s an absolute must-read in our opinion.

There is much more than just a paper back book though.  You can also purchase a Kids Protection Planning Kit.  This binder is full of informational instruction on setting up your will and other legal documents (which it actually includes!!) and also comes with a Free Family Planning Session with a Family Wealth Planning Institute Personal Family Lawyer ($750 VALUE) among other things!!  You can purchase the kit at www.kidsprotectionplan.com/kit and while you can not put a price tag on keeping your kids safe, at $497 we think it’s a small price to pay for a complete kit that brings this level of peace of mind for yourself and your family!

Here’s a beautiful video that gave us some ‘bigger picture’ inspiration to start the new year off with…Enjoy!

Brought to you by our definitive 2008 Holiday Gift Guide, may we present THANKSGIVING SWAG!  It’s a collection of our Favorite Things to get you and your little ones merrily through your travels this Holiday Season, valued at over $500!!!

Over the river and through the woods…oh if it were just that easy! It’s more like stuck in traffic and delayed flights and wiggly little behinds! The most traveled holiday of the year is upon us, but don’t start pulling your hair out just yet! We have put together a list of items that are sure to keep your child safe and happy for your Thanksgiving travels and beyond! Whether you are loading up the minivan or traipsing everything but the kitchen sink to the airport, your trip will go smoothly with some of our Favorite Things for travel in hand!

Don’t walk out the door until you have packed this Favorite of ours! The Fisher Price Kid Tough DVD Player®! It’s a real DVD player designed just for kids. Your child can drop this thing as many times as their clumsy (yet adorable) little hands allow and it keeps on going! Our Favorite Things about this DVD player… 1) the fact that it can be taken with you anywhere, 2) it can be taken away unlike built in headrest options in cars and 3) the incredible anti-skip protection! Don’t worry about any turbulence or wiggly bottoms disturbing your little sweetie’s entertainment! And talk about versatile, it even plays CDs, too! Our SWAG giveaway includes the Accessories Kit and since we know that you can’t have the hottest new thing without a hot bag to carry it in, the carrying case is coming your way too!

“Can I take a picture of the turkey, Mommy?” If that sentence makes you cringe, then you need our next FAVORITE THING! I know when my little shutter bug wants to take pictures with my digital camera it’s a near meltdown, for both of us. But with their own Fisher Price Kid Tough Digital Camera® in hand, cringe no more! This is a real digital camera that’s tough enough and easy enough for kids to use all by themselves. Your child will be so proud to be the Thanksgiving photographer and you will be proud of yourself for making this one of your Favorite Things!  Click here to see a great video review of both these products by Dallas Fox 4 / KDFW .

Whatever you do, do not get even close to an airport without the Trunki!! At 3.8 pounds this ride-on (yes, I said ride-on!) suitcase for kids is a necessary part of your jet-setting family! Your kids can pack all their favorite things , sit on and ride their own luggage while the carry-on size makes it easy to carry and store in overhead luggage compartments. Not only is this amazing product convenient and a steal at only $39.99-$59.99 (or less!) (Click Here to purchase), the ingenious makers of Trunki have safety covered too! It has a built in soft rim to prevent little fingers from getting caught while shutting the case AND it has designed stabilizers to prevent children from easily falling off. We LOVE that!

So you’ve got your Trunki in tow and have made it to your gate. But what about that annoying car seat that you had to schlep through the airport! With your carry-on in one arm and the car seat awkwardly in the other, it’s a nightmare! No more! CARES is an innovative child restraint designed specifically for aviation use for children age 1 and older who weigh between 22 and 44 pounds. It weighs just one pound and fits into a 6″ bag! That’s right, girls, you can be safe and stylish because it will easily fit in your handbag! CARES is simple to install, and FAA approved. Click here to purchase for just $74.95 (or less)! What could be better? Safe, easy, fits in your handbag…a frequent flyer mommy’s dream!

Dance your way through your trip with the best of children’s music singing in your ears! The soundtrack for your journey will be fun, upbeat and jazzy with Kinderjazz’s new CD “The One For Me” (Click here to purchase) and really rockin’ with The Jimmies new CD “Make Your Own Someday” (Click here to purchase).

Without further ado, we would like to present to you, our FABULOUS readers our Definitive 2008 Holiday Gift Guide!  Please check it out and stay tuned over the next 6 weeks for some of our best HOLIDAY SWAG ALERTS ever as well as many EXCLUSIVE discounts, tips and tricks!!!  Please make sure to sign our guest book, too, at the bottom of the page, and tell us what you think!

Happy Holidays from your Favorite Elves!!!

Here it is!  One very lucky and fabulous reader will take home the entire Boon Feeding Collection valued at over $60 for this week’s SWAG ALERT in your choice of color – orange and blue or the NEW pink and white!

Just visit www.BoonInc.com and send us an email with what you love most about their super innovative line of products. Email us at swag@bellazizasfavorites.com with ”BOON FEEDING SWAG” in the subject line.

All entries must be received by Monday, October 20th at midnight, PST. You may enter once per email address per day. Winner will be chosen on Tuesday via random.org. Winner will be fetched using Prizey.net.

Get EXTRA ENTRIES for subscribing, blogging about us, referring new subscribers AND/OR adding our button to your blog!  Just send separate email for every extra entry to make sure they’re counted!

Little Violet Affleck has been pictured a few times recently in this adorable little Rainbow and Butterfly Joanna Hoodie by Juicy Couture!  As our sources tell us, it was purchased by her mommy  Jennifer Garner, at MilkShop.com.

It can be found HERE and sells as a set juicily including matching pants for $170.  Go ahead ladies, splurge!  After all, she’s worth it!!!

Photo Courtesy
Limelight Pictures.

Oompa Toys is our absolute FAVORITE place to shop for the best toys ever and we wanted you to know why.

We all love those adorably unique Euro toys, but finding a really great selection like theirs just seems impossible.  Oompa has made it so easy now though to shop from our side of the pond over to the other side and beyond!  They even have a little search feature on the side where you can shop by country!  Now how cool is that?!?

You’ll find all of your favorites there from Plan Toys, Italtrike, Haba, Djeco, Vilac and SO many more!  It’s truly an experience, so go check it out, explore and enjoy!!!  BONUS: Spend $65 or more and SHIP FOR FREE right now too!!!

Hatley is one of our absolute Favorites for that indispensable genre of clothing that might not fall into the extraordinary every time, but that none of us can live without…Everyday Clothes!  Hatley’s new colors and patterns for this fall are beautiful and so much fun!  They are of course in keeping with their Nature theme, apples, horses, dinosaurs, the ever popular moose, and this time around there’s even some alien action!

Hatley’s new backpacks and lunch totes are pretty impressive.  They of course are made with the high quality that we would expect form all things labeled Hatley, but they spare no expense in the design and production departments!  It’s so great when something works and functions as well as it looks, right?!?!  That’s typically Hatley!

The backpack is very roomy without being oversized, and makes great use of its’ compartments.  The lunch tote fits very neatly inside too!  The zippers are made for kid-use and the canvas that they are constructed of is absolutely made for loads of loads and multiple washings.  We love the apple print the most but were a little concerned as it is mostly white…hmmm…SCOTCHGUARD, GIRLS!  It works fabulously and will keep people in wonder and amazement of how you could be that good to keep your little sweetie in a white backpack that always looks new!

The Lunch Tote is fabulous too and makes a great little travel cooler as well if your set hasn’t reached school age yet.  Again, it washes quite well and you can keep it looking new forever with a little Scotchguard.  The inside is lined in plastic, and there’s an elastic tether to keep things from bouncing around inside.

The Backpacks are $30 and the Lunch Totes are $20 and are available to ship immediately.  Check them out online to browse or place your order, CLICK HERE or on the button below to see their website.  All items ship from Canada, so give a little extra time for shipping.

Also, stay tuned for our upcoming reviews of their fabulous new outerwear collections including matching Rain Essentials (raincoats, rain boots, and the weetest little umbrellas you’ve ever seen) and Snow Essentials (fluffy snow jackets, snow pants and matching snow boots fit for the Canadian cold!).  They are all absolutely adorable!!!

Yes, it’s finally here!  After months of waiting we are finally ready to post our biggest SWAG ALERT ever, and just in time to celebrate our 100th post!

Happy 100th Post Bellaziza’s Favorite Things!!!

Enter to win our new quarterly “MEMBERS ONLY SWAG” for your very own Phil&Teds Vibe with Doubles Kit valued at $800!!!  This is in celebration of our 100th post on BellazizasFavorites.com, and also the launch of our hot new MEMBERS ONLY SWAG!  It’s some very sizable swag so we’re going to run it for a while, giving you lots of fun chances to enter!

So here’s the deal:  Just CLICK HERE to subscribe to our updates and as a subscriber, you’re automatically entered to win the Vibe as well as all of our weekly SWAG ALERTs!!!  Subscribe for as many of your different email addresses as you like too!  That’s right!  The source of entries will be our subscriber list and all subscribers are automatically entered to win all MEMBERS ONLY SWAG ALERTs and weekly SWAG ALERTs forever!  The drawing will take place on Tuesday, December 16th and one of you will roll away with a spanking new Vibe for two!

To maximize chances of winning our MEMBERS ONLY SWAG giveaways make sure you’re A.) subscribed to our blog, and take advantage of our EXTRA ENTRIES!!!

EXTRA ENTRIES are available for referring new confirmed subscribers, blogging about us on your blog, AND/OR adding our button to your blog too!  Just send separate emails to swag@bellazizasfavorites.com letting us know what you did for your extras and we’ll make sure to count them in!

Winner will be chosen via random.org and fetched using Prizey.net.  Good luck to all!  Click HERE to return to www.BloggyGiveaways.com.