Monday, June 21, 2010

Join Itzy Ritzy on Facebook

Want to keep up on the latest Itzy Ritzy scoop?



All of our gossip and insider info, including the parent profiles and fan photos from our blog, are moving to our Facebook page. Join us today so you don't miss out!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Cool Mom Picks - Snack Bag Review


Do you love our Snack Bags? Want to win a FREE Snack Bag?

Check out this great review on Cool Mom Picks & enter their Itzy Ritzy contest by clicking here.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Fabulous Mommies - 5 Spring Fashion Tips from a True Fashionista

Want to know what's in for spring? Become an Itzy Ritzy Facebook fan and check out our note featuring fashion blogger and Itzy Ritzy fan Courtney Winslow filling us in on the hottest trends for the season. Then tell us some trends you've been noticing and where you get your runway looks for less!

March Parent Profile

Meet Edye, a first-time expecting mom and her husband, Paul.



Name: Edye Wilkowski

Occupation: Account Manager with a Prescription Benefit Management Company

Due Date? How far along are you?

Due date is July 29 - about 4 ½ months along.

Hometown:

Chicago, IL

Other cities where Edye has lived:
Enfield, CT; Iowa City, IA


Edye's favorite Itzy Ritzy fabrics:

Avocado Damask - My two Wet Happened?™ Wet Bagsfor traveling are in this print.

Edye's first reaction to learning that she was nominated for Itzy Ritzy's Parent Profile:
I thought a new picture of me was needed ASAP, so I asked if I could get a spray tan first. (I am translucent right now) Otherwise, very excited! I am a fan of the Itzy Ritzy Newsletter!

Edye's pregnancy food cravings:
Fudgesicles, pomegranate seeds, Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl with spicy salsa and Milky Ways (my mom craved these too when she was carrying me).

How Edye has been feeling:
Great! Other than that random week I had vertigo.

Is Edye finding out the sex of her baby:
Absolutely! I can't wait to start shopping. Well, maybe I already have, just a bit, so I will need to return a few things or save them for presents depending on what we find out in a couple of weeks.

Edye's must-haves for the new baby:
At least one pair of fancy jeans for a boy or girl.

Unsolicited advice Edye has received from friends, family or strangers:
Oh yes...dumb things like "make sure you drink lots of water" - duh! And my favorite: My dear mom who has not flown for over 20 years told me not to go through the "x-ray" machines at the airport. Well after my first embarrassing pat down because of refusing the "x-ray", I learn the machines you walk through are just like the metal detectors that you walk through in department stores.

The cutest thing Edye's husband has done during her pregnancy thus far:
When I told him I could feel the baby moving for the first time, he put his hand on my stomach to try and feel it too. I had to explain that at 4 ½ months it was only the internal feeling and that he would not be able to feel a kick or elbow for another few months. He also gets me orange juice and waffles before I get out of bed every morning-this was not the case pre-pregnancy!

What Edye is looking forward to the most about being a first-time mom:
I am looking forward to laughing when my child says or does something hilarious or naughty. Over the past several years, some of my fondest memories have been laughing with my girlfriends when their children do or say something hysterical.

What Edye swears she won't do as a mom:

I will not let my children watch trashy TV with me (see next question).

Edye's favorite guilty pleasure magazine and TV show:
"The Real Housewives of Orange County" and I am looking forward to the NYC season starting. My guilty pleasure magazine is "Conde Nast Traveler" - I love dreaming about my next getaway.

The one fashion item Edye cannot live without:

A Louis Vuitton purse or bag- original brown canvas. Based on experience, I know these are stain proof, which I know will be key once baby is in the picture too!

If Edye could go anywhere tomorrow on an all expense paid vacation, where would she go and with whom?
I would go back to Italy, specifically Positano, with my husband.

Thank you, Edye for your great answers. Congratulations and best wishes with your new baby!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Itzy Ritzy Fan


Deanna Hernandez-Arza, a member of our Fabric Focus Group and Itzy Ritzy fan, sent us this picture of her adorable daughter dining in style with her Avocado Damask Ritzy Sitzy Shopping Cart & High Chair Cover!

ENK Trade Show

Itzy Ritzy is excited to announce that we will be at the ENK Children’s Club in NYC March 7th - 9th 2010! Come and see us!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Parent Profile

Meet Maria Barnes, our hilarious parent for February's Parent Profile, and her beautiful family! Maria was nominated by fellow Itzy Ritzy newsletter member Jillian. Jillian says "Maria handles motherhood unlike no one else I have ever met and is really an inspiration to me by continually laughing through her day with four children!"



Name: Maria Barnes

Occupation: Stay at home mom of 4. When I finish my training here, I will be qualified for a job as a taxi driver, cook, housekeeper, tutor, accountant, hostage negotiator, or peacekeeper with the United Nations.

Maria's children and what they're into:
Quentin, age 14 years: Involved in wrestling and track. He never leaves home without his iPod. We both have a love of music and spend a lot of time talking about new bands and songs. Single-handedly making Verizon rethink their unlimited texting plan. The hero of his younger siblings, he is wonderful with them. He has a great sense of humor, very quick-witted: to be with him is to be laughing.

Aidan, age 5 years: Plays soccer (go Little Sting!) and takes gymnastics. He has the most amazing smile: his whole face gets involved. He is very sweet, sensitive and kind. He loves to build with Tinker Toys and Legos, has a need to know how everything works and questions everything. He eats blocks of brie like they're apples, just like his dad. He snores like a jackhammer, again, just like his dad.

Wyatt, age 3 years: Loves to color and do art projects. He has his own catch phrase, "That's what I do" (closely related to "That's how I roll" in the urban dictionary). Tells me the food I cook "makes his eyeballs burn". Sometimes he sleeps inside his pillowcase with only his feet hanging out and sleeps with a picture of himself. He almost never wakes up in the same clothes he falls asleep in: he re-dresses in the middle of the night, sometimes putting on 3 or 4 shirts. He is funny without trying.

Tatum, age 2 years: Just started taking gymnastics. She loves her baby dolls, purses, and anything "Fancy Nancy". A great mix of sweet and tough, she's a perfect little sister to three older brothers. Her brothers don't let her act like a princess, which I think is great. She has a great, deep laugh. She brings a great energy to our family. I couldn't have picked a more perfect daughter.


Hometown:

Fort Thomas, KY

Other cities where Maria has lived:
Walton, KY; Chicago, IL and Naperville, IL

Maria's favorite Itzy Ritzy fabrics:
Central Park West, Rocket Man and Perfect Princess

Maria's one piece of advice for someone about to become a first time parent:
Even on the toughest of days, try to find the humor in parenthood. Don't be afraid to make mistakes and laugh at yourself. Tell people about your mistakes, because we want to laugh too.
Also, under no circumstances do you let your kids in on any secrets you don't want friends, family, teachers, and strangers to know. It brings toddlers great joy to hear people laugh at their parents. If you forget this rule, refer back to my advice on learning to laugh at yourself.

Maria's go-to quick and easy meal for her kids:
Chicken and cheese quesadilla with salsa on the side and fresh fruit.


Maria's parenting trick:

Let the little stuff go, pick your battles. Find a good balance of friend and parent with each of your children. Be willing to adjust your approach to parenting based on your child's individual needs.
Let your kids play with rolls of tape, sometimes they'll tape their mouths shut without you even needing to ask.
Quentin's advice: When you're upset with one child, don't take it out on the others. Be consistent in your parenting.

Maria's favorite guilty pleasure magazine and TV show:
US Magazine (although I call it U.S. Magazine so it sounds like I'm reading important, hard-hitting news and not celebrity gossip).
"Keeping up with the Kardashians", "The Hills", "The Real Desperate Housewives", "Giuliana & Bill"

The one fashion item Maria cannot live without:
I would say the one fashion accessory I can't live without is jewelry. It's amazing how just throwing a necklace, cute bracelet or earrings on can make you feel so much more pulled together. My husband would say the one accessory I couldn't live without is a Starbuck's Carmel Frappuccino in my hand.

If Maria could go anywhere tomorrow on an all expense paid vacation, where would she go and with whom?
I would love to go to sit on a beach with no one around but my husband for a few days. We haven't been on a real vacation in 6 years, so it's long overdue. It'd be great to miss our kids while sipping margaritas.

Anything else we should know about Maria:

1. After dating my husband for 6 months, he told me how much he loved my blue eyes.
2. I don't have blue eyes.
3. I have a Starbucks addiction. I've been put on a budget, but am currently researching things I can sell (kidney, anyone?) to support my addiction.
4. I like doing push-ups so much; my whole body shakes when I do them.
5. I do not enjoy exercising. I have a gym membership, but can't seem to make it past the delicious café in their lobby. They also have a spa in the lobby. It's like they don't want me to work out.
6. Growing up in Kentucky, I had a pet pig named Lenetta who would watch T.V. with us. When she got fat, we ate her. It's one of the most vivid, scarring memories of my childhood. Helpful tip to parents: Don't make your kids eat their pets.

Thank you, Maria for your great advice and for making us laugh!

Social Media Marketing -- Everybody’s Doing It!

Social media is not a fad, it is a fundamental shift in the way we communicate. That means new rules, new opportunities, and new challenges – and businesses must understand this. Social media is a necessity for promoting your business, and it is a powerful strategy that will get you attention, word-of-mouth hype, and massive amounts of traffic to your website and brick-and-mortar store.

What’s There to Lose? There is no other low-cost promotional method out there that will easily give you large numbers of customers, some of whom may come back to your store again and again.

Where to Start? Facebook is your best bet. The online community now has over 300 million users and offers a very powerful platform on which to build a presence. If you are not already active on Facebook, you should get started right away.

How to Get Started: Set up an effective Facebook Fan Page. This not only attracts fans but is sticky, meaning fans keep coming back and may share the content on your page with their friends. Start adding fans to your page by identifying contacts from your profile that are either business connections, people working in a field related to your business, or who would otherwise benefit from the information your company provides, and invite them to become a fan of the Page. Email a short note explaining what you want to offer through your Facebook page, and include a link to the site.

Get the Word Out: Start promoting your Facebook page everywhere: put a Facebook page button on your website, spread the word on Twitter, send an email notification to your newsletter members and place a link on your business cards. Do whatever it takes to help people know that your company is on Facebook and want them to become a part of your community.

Maintaining Fans: In order to stay relevant on Facebook, you need to continually update your page and use the site. The more actions you take uploading pictures, sharing videos or posting notes, the more you appear on fans’ News Feed (the page a Facebook member first sees when logged in). This keeps your brand in their minds.

Encourage interactions with fans, asking them to vote on their favorite new products and what community activities they would like your boutique to host. When fans post comments on your Facebook page, the posts show up on their friend’s News Feeds further promoting your brand to potential customers.

Updating content on your Facebook page also encourages fans to remain supporters and visit your page for unique information that is beneficial to them. Examples include exclusive content, secret contests, special sales or insider access revealed to Facebook fans before revealed to non-fans.

GET STARTED TODAY!!!

Jon Biancardi is a marketing intern with Itzy Ritzy. He is a senior at North Central College studying Entrepreneurship & Small Business Management and Marketing.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Parent Profile - NYC

Meet Jessie and her beautiful daughters Drew and Harper, our first Parent Profile family of the new year!


Name: Jessie Wixon

Family: Husband Miles and daughters Drew and Harper

Occupation: Stay at home mom and public relations freelancer

Jessie's daughters and what they're into:
Drew, age 26 months: Loves her baby sister and sometimes wants to hug her so tight she can't breathe! Just learned about princesses over Christmas and adores them. Loves to play dress up, run, sing, read books and play with her baby dolls all day. She's an independent girl and very ready for preschool!

Harper, age 7 months: Talking up a storm and loves to say "Dada" to her Daddy. Smiles and giggles through her nose all day and adores her big sister to the point where she'd rather watch her than eat! Such a happy, easy going baby. We are very lucky!

Hometown:
New York City

Other cities where Jessie has lived:
I grew up in Massachusetts, lived in Washington, D.C. and my parents currently live in Cape Cod.

Jessie's favorite Itzy Ritzy fabrics:
Central Park West and Funky Monkey Pink

Jessie's one piece of advice for someone about to become a first time parent:
I'd tell them to laugh a lot and enjoy their kids as kids. Don't structure them too much when they are young because you only have them at home with you for so long, so enjoy every moment-it really goes by so quickly!

Jessie's go-to quick and easy meal for her kids:
Hard-boiled eggs, whole wheat pasta and edamame - quick, easy and healthy!

Jessie's parenting trick:

Don't give into the whining! Kids are smart and they know they can get to you, so hold your ground and make sure they speak in their "nice" voice. And I am a firm believer in the Miracle Blanket for babies. Both my kids are great sleepers and I swear it's all because of this blanket!

Jessie's favorite guilty pleasure magazine and TV show:
US Magazine, The Hills and Gossip Girl

The one fashion item Jessie cannot live without:
My alphabet charm necklace with 'M', 'D' and 'H' on it for Miles, Drew and Harper. I wear it everyday.

If Jessie could go anywhere tomorrow on an all expense paid vacation, where would she go and with whom?
I'd probably go back to East Africa with my husband (and take the kids when they were old enough). We spent two weeks there for our honeymoon. Or I'd love to go scuba diving in the Red Sea.

Something else we should know about Jessie:

My oldest daughter gets car sick and I can't tell you how many times the Itzy Ritzy Ritzy Rider has saved me. I just take it off, throw it in the wash when we get to our destination and back on it goes! It's been a lifesaver.


Thank you, Jessie!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Itzy Ritzy is a Hit in the UK



UK account Coochie Coo and blog My Funny Bunny are running a competition for Itzy Ritzy gear. Check out this quote a fan submitted about her favorite Itzy Ritzy product:

"I just love the Ritzy Sitzy shopping trolley cover to bits. What a brilliant idea - best thing I've seen in a long time! I cringe every time I take my baby granddaughter shopping and spend about ten minutes wiping the trolley down with Dettol wipes, and that's after drying it usually, I then spend the shopping trip trying to stop her chewing it! Not easy! This is such a simple, practical idea, and looks so stylish and comfy too - much better than being plonked in a cold metal seat covered in goodness knows what! She'd be the envy of all the other babies! Excellent idea too for babies who are a bit wary of shopping trolleys as it will make it look more familiar. Great for in restaurants too!" - Vee

Monday, January 4, 2010

Itzy Ritzy Fan

Little baby Liam looks like a model posing with his Itzy Ritzy blanket! Local Chicago photographer, Alicia (www.alicias.com) took these gorgeous photos for Liam's newborn pictures.



Itzy Ritzy Fans!


The O’Neill twins, Emma and Declan, are showing off their personal style with Itzy Ritzy!