June 2016 – chic.mom.in.the.city

Good evening mamas.

As a mom of 3 boys, I’m always on the hunt for safe and secure, non-toxic, durable and cool, minimalist baby accessories. With my 2 first babies, I didn’t have the chance to get teething necklaces, not available at the moment. Baby toys and accessories have changed so much since the past years, so many items making their apparence on the market. Being a mom is of course my first full time job but I need also, to not forget that I’m as well a woman, wifey, entrepreneur, girl boss… reasons why I love to take care of myself and look good. See me coming? So if to my eyes my look is important, what I wear and accessories I choose for myself are very important as well. Having the possibility to choose over stylish, chic, minimalist and class teething jewelry makes me happy. I know it will complete my look without having the tag on the forehead “I’m wearing my babies toys around the neck!”

I had many emails and messages regarding my necklaces so I thought it would have been a good idea to share with you my thoughts and review about teething necklaces.

Here are my favorites.

NATUROCO

Minimalist and modern necklace, with 2 buttery soft silicone beads and 1 organic maple wooden bead as well as a strung on pure stainless steel ball chain.

They have some other models from different makers. As well as all their products offered in the shop, they are tested, high quality and ethically sourced products that are safe for your home, your family and our Earth.

Our favorite from the boutique Naturoco is definitely the “NOIR teething necklace”.

STRING & CHEW

These stylish handmade mama necklaces are also free of harmful chemicals. Each bead is hand strung on a nylon string with a knotted finish at the end of the beads, and all closed with a plastic breakaway clasp. They all measure 36” in length.

Our favorite are the HUE, SIMPLE and CLASSIC.

ORGANIC MAMA

They specialize in chic, stylish teething jewellery. The collection was created for mama’s that want to look fabulous and with necklaces that would remain practical for the little ones.

Our favorites are LUXE peach and MADISON for a more neutral look and if your’e looking for a bolder look, AVA and LUXE black will answer all your wish list.

I find that silicone teething necklaces offers me a practical, convenient way to ensure teething relief and I know that it will always be at hand. My little one really loves the soft, flexible nature of child-safe silicone. I also find that it is really convenient not only when little man is in my hands but when breastfeeding or when I wear him. He loves to hold it in his tiny little hands and of course chew on it for minutes…

You want to make sure that the teething necklaces you are choosing have the following features that are just as important as for teething rings and teethers.

Baby safe (food grade silicone)
Non-toxic: BPA, PHTHALATES, LEAD, CADMIUM and PVC FREE
Safety: needs to have an emergency breakaway clasp
Soft: SOFT ON BABIES GUMS AND EMERGING TEETH
Stylish: Always a plus when it’s cute and fun for mom too!

Sharing with you some advises that you probably already know, but just in case…

Babies should always be supervised while playing and chewing on jewelry
Never leave a baby, infant, child or toddler wear a necklace
Necklaces are safe for children 3+ as a sensory tool
Never leave babies or child unattended.
Adult supervision is always required
If you notice that the necklace is damaged by chewing, you should immediately dispose of it.
Always wash before use.
Teething necklaces are not a toy.
Leave out of reach of baby.

How to clean teething necklaces

I suggest to hand wash in natural soap with water, rinse thoroughly and air dry. However, some of them are dishwasher safe (top rack). You may use a light coat of coconut oil ( I tried it ) on the untreated wood to preserve the quality and look. (if your model has wooden beads).

On a final note, the teething necklaces mentioned above definitly has all of the ‘’mommy requirements’’ that you want to find in your teething necklace hunt.

xx, Stephanie

HELLO moms and dads!

I often receive questions about brand repping on my IG accounts and by email so I thought I would share some tips with you since we do brand rapping in our house.

YOU NEED TO…

* Love shopping small

* Be genuine about shops you represent

* Help shops to grow

* Love taking bright and crisp pictures of your kids

* Be active on social medias

BRAND REP?

To start, a “BRAND REP” is the short version of a BRAND REPRESENTATIVE of a shop/boutique. It is really popular with Instagram’s babies and kids but it’s gaining popularity with moms and also playroom / home decor.

WHAT DOES A BRAND REP?

Basically, a brand rep (and babie’s moms…. well mostly haha!) will receive free items and accessories in exchange of pics and time (I’ll explain what time means in this case). The reps will get to wear, try and play with the given items and in return, parents take pics of the babies/kids and send them back to the shop that provided the free clothes/accessories. The shops will then use these pics in social medias instead of spending fortunes on professional models working with agencies.

EASY RIGHT?

Sounds perfect? Easy? Fun? Well yes it is but it also means that you agree to “a contract” with the given shop that you will provide clean, crisp, clutter free and/or natural and daily pics of your babe with the given items. Some shops will ask to post 1-2X/week (or more), for the agreement term styled with different outfits, backgrounds.

It also means that the shops that believe in you by choosing you as a brand rep will count on you to promote, share, post pics and help their brand grow. So you have to make sure that you are ready to commit to the shops’s terms and requests. You will also sometimes need to repost giveaways, promotions, flash sales, contests or any other promotions.

You need to be genuine about the brands you represent. As for me, I always want my sons to represent shops and brands that fits our style. I wouldn’t want to represent a shop that does not fit our style and/or values. It is very common that these shops are start ups so showing and sharing full support and belief in the shop is the most important.

If you are just into getting free items this is not for you at all. Nothing is free in life.

TIPS?

Tips I could give you would be to work on your pics, try to get clean and crisp ones, clutter free even if some shops prefer natural and more urban backgrounds. When applying into a brand rep search that fits your style, take a look at what they post and it will give you a big idea on the brands’ style and what they are probably looking for. Shops will usually prefer a good quality photo along with style of course so the items stand out.

Also, it is really appreciated from the shops when you make daily outfits with different brands so it makes more visibility on social medias for them. When pictures are re posted, they usually re-tag all shops involved in picture.

BRAND ENTHUSIAST?

What is the difference? BE will get a discount and will be asked to make X amount of purchase during the term. The shops will be asking for same requirements as brand reps as of quality in pictures and sharing/promoting the shop.

Hope it helped. Let me know of you have more questions.

(Please note that these pics are MY STYLE of taking the pics and that not means AT ALL that it is THE WAY to take them. I know that I don’t fit with certain style of brands and it is totally OK with me, because every shop has his own style BUT every mamarazzi has his own too… so follow what you like best and keep it)that way, so brands get to see that you are authentic)

On a last personal note, really apply on the shops that you would by clothes from even if you wouldn’t receive any free items or any rebate. That shows that you really like the style of the shops and that also you will be genuine about them and will spread positive vibes about as well. Remember, they count on you to grow and gain visibility!

Good luck to you all in your searches!

xx, Stephanie

chic.mom.in.the.city

Lifestyle of a busy mom of 3 boys

Month: June 2016

Teething necklaces

Brand repping!