tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754806410720055992024-03-24T13:43:58.818-04:00Charlotte Smarty PantsTips, tricks, local reviews, observations and ideas from 2 Charlotte moms.Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.comBlogger1473125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-24600224265357945282011-05-02T21:16:00.002-04:002011-05-02T21:17:16.967-04:00We've moved to a new site!Hi Smarties!If you've landed on this website by mistake, check out the new and improved CSP. You'll LOVE it! See you there!Click www.charlottesmartypants.com.Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-37028413304260030032011-05-01T05:00:00.001-04:002011-05-01T05:00:00.362-04:00Infertility 101By Lisa Kuzmar: Charlotte Smarty Pants is a Mom blog, and before I was allowed to write for it, I had to get into the club. And for me, joining the club was a hard fought fight. It was more than a year of trying, a roller coaster of emotions and more tears than I could count. As I write this blog, that time is a distant memory, but suddenly the pain associated with the fifteen months I tried Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-88769865432902896042011-04-30T05:00:00.005-04:002011-04-30T05:00:00.328-04:00Smarty Mom: Christina MastersBy Susan Bowman: Confession: The first time I hired a professional photographer to take photos of my children was last year. I struggled with finding one that didn't look canned and had a unique eye. There was a photographer I had been tailing for about a year through her blog and was about to book until my friend, Christina, started Christina LynnPhotography. Here's the back story...Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-84640622974742185292011-04-29T05:00:00.006-04:002011-04-29T05:00:01.419-04:00Fairy Tales, Princess Dresses, and a Cup of Tea . . .By Krista Wilson: My daughter spent her entire third year on this earth in a Princess dress. She has spent the better half of her fourth year serving tea to dolls. Ever since I can recall, she has drifted off to sleep while listening to a fairy tale. It almost makes me jealous when I think about her playtime just full of sparkly tiaras, romantic Princes, gorgeous castles, and above all, magic.Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-68689822851498761762011-04-28T07:01:00.005-04:002011-04-28T07:12:05.448-04:00Smarty Alert: Help us paint the Quail Hollow Golf Course Pink & Green, Smarty Style!By Jen Plym: The 3rd Annual Walk the Course Against Domestic Violence event is taking place this coming Tuesday, May 3rd at the Quail Hollow Club. IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN US! You can register on the spot at the check-in area at Forest Hill Church between 3:30pm-5:30pm. This event is such a fun excuse to grab your gal pals and walk the beautiful Quail Hollow course during Charlotte's most Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-73868263654005521502011-04-28T05:00:00.002-04:002011-04-28T05:00:04.326-04:00Exclusively Pumping: Does your Pump talk to you? By Guest Blogger, Kendra Thornton How many Smarties out there had that oh-so special nursing bond with their newborn? If you did, I’m jealous! Nursing was a well orchestrated nightmare in my house. Between my baby girl crying and my crying, my house turned into something out of Nightmare on Elm Street. It was not a pretty sight. Some days it took my mom, my husband and me just to establish Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-14704018072633605062011-04-27T05:00:00.002-04:002011-04-27T05:00:03.221-04:00Smarty Scoop on Weekend Activities: 4/29-5/01By Courtenay WardellHello Smarties! Looks like it is going to be another wonderful Carolina weekend. Grab the family and head out to visit one of our areas parks to celebrate Arbor Day. Enjoy the beach without leaving town at Beach Fest Matthews or join Smarty Pants at the Running for Ronald 5k and Family Fun Fest. You can also refresh your home library at the Friends of the Library sale andCharlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-88452797440325783392011-04-26T05:00:00.003-04:002011-04-26T05:00:06.625-04:00Make Peace With PaciBy Susan Bowman Pacifier, paci, binky, sucker...there are all sorts of pet names and milestones and preferred brands associated with this wonderful crutch. I was thrilled when mine could keep it in their mouths themselves and I didn't have to do overnight plug-ins. I was even more elated when they could perform the self plug-in. There's also that pesky milestone of stopping the paci altogether.Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-34973293354856368432011-04-25T05:00:00.002-04:002011-04-25T05:00:02.417-04:00And then there were four . . .By Krista WilsonMy life with my newest addition, our American Girl Doll. I have four kids. Three by choice, one by complete surprise. On Christmas morning my third daughter arrived. She came wrapped in red and gently covered in a plastic rectangular box with the words American Girl Doll printed in white. We couldn’t go with her original name, that would be too normal. We named her ElizabethCharlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-9052011494675161982011-04-24T05:00:00.000-04:002011-04-24T05:00:01.310-04:00Happy Easter, love CSP!We hope the Easter bunny was good to all of our lil' Smarties out there! As we spend time with family and friends on this beautiful Sunday and reflect on what this day is all about, we wanted to reach out and thank you, our readers, for living Smarty every day. It means so much to us that we all share our virtual cup of joe with each and every one of you, every morning. Enjoy this special day Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-85960981576521050502011-04-23T05:00:00.002-04:002011-04-23T05:00:00.667-04:00Smarty Mom: Mandie MillerBy Krista WilsonMandie Miller has got what is takes to be a stay-at-home-mom, business woman, and friend. She is charismatic and creative. Mandie’s personality and talent fills a room. Three years ago she innocently offered to bake a groom’s cake for her brother. That resulted in a very happy bride and groom and the start of couture cake company.“Got What is Cakes” is the name of Mandie’s awesomeCharlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-71032088346882600102011-04-22T05:00:00.006-04:002011-04-22T05:00:05.909-04:00Don’t Try This At HomeBy Krista WilsonSeveral weeks ago I peeped this video on the internet. I watched the entire five minutes with my jaw resting on the ground. This couldn’t be real? Surely, I’m not watching a woman twist and swing a newborn baby around like a rag doll? Oh, but I was. This viral video is very real, and very jarring. It captures a 50-year-old Russian woman named Lena Fokina participating in “Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-37356184024634326222011-04-21T05:00:00.002-04:002011-04-21T10:36:01.503-04:00Born to be Wild. Born to be Loved. Born to Be Free. Now @ Discovery Place IMAX.By Jen Plym:Narrated by Academy-Award® winner Morgan Freeman, Born to be Wild is an inspiring story of love, dedication and the remarkable bond between humans and animals. This film documents orphaned orangutans and elephants and the extraordinary people who rescue and raise them — saving endangered species one life at a time. Stunningly captured in IMAX , Born to be Wild is a heartwarming Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-12783799374177698302011-04-20T05:00:00.002-04:002011-04-20T15:32:25.225-04:00Smarty Scoop on Weekend Activities: 4/22-4/24By Courtenay WardellHappy Wednesday Smarties. Many of you are enjoying Spring Break and we are all looking forward to a long holiday weekend. In my house everyone is ready for Easter so that they can once again enjoy the things that they gave up for Lent. There are plenty of activities for your family to enjoy this weekend. Many are geared towards the holiday and the celebration of Earth Day.Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-64520532255281994282011-04-19T14:38:00.005-04:002011-04-19T14:47:11.675-04:00Breaking News: Smarty Pants loves us some BOB!!!By Jen Plym:Whew-hooooo, Smarty Charlotte! Hot off the newsstand, we just found out that we won another BOB Award from our friends at Charlotte Magazine!CSP got a wink for Best Local Parenting Blog - see our snapshot here! Run out and pick up your copy of the latest issue of Charlotte Mag so you can find out the skinny on all of Charlotte's best digs. While you're at it, go ahead and buy your Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-63728690753521319722011-04-19T05:00:00.003-04:002011-04-19T07:48:09.302-04:00Dye your Easter eggs naturally, The Whole Tulip style!By Adri Warrick, Founder of The Whole Tulip BlogEaster eggs can be dyed naturally with foods. We are learning more and more each day about the dangers of dye in our children's diets. Why not have fun showing them the amazing colors you can make from real food? Cabbage, beets, turmeric and onions are just a few of the foods that are commonly used to dye egg shells. The best part is that if you Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-61123363393283604522011-04-18T05:00:00.000-04:002011-04-18T05:00:03.925-04:00Earth Day 2011 Smarty Giveaway from our Friends at The Greener Good!By Jen Plym:Just in time for Earth Day, we bring you the ultimate "green" giveaway from our Smarty friends at thegreenergood.com. The Greener Good is your ultimate resource for going green. They provide products, services, and educational opportunities for those interested in greening their homes, lives, and families. The Greener Good product offering includes home, lawn & garden, home Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-33625333530439877602011-04-17T05:00:00.001-04:002011-04-18T16:03:19.710-04:00Any Smarty Travelers Headed to the Hilton Head/Savannah Area?By Jen Plym:For most of us in the greater Charlotte area, it's the kick-off of Spring Break 2011. I've never been more excited about my kids being out of school - this fourth grade has been kicking my Smarty booty! I don't know about your fam, but ours is chomping at the bit to hit the beach! Every time I research a new family destination for us, I always wish they had a Smarty Pants in their Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-18089210144666698072011-04-16T05:00:00.000-04:002011-04-16T05:00:01.337-04:00Smarty Mom: Naomi McGinnisBy Lisa Kuszmar:Just the other day I was logged on to Facebook, and I saw a photo that my friend Naomi had uploaded that caught my attention. It was the “Cup of Elijah” her daughter Ella had made at Charlotte Jewish Preschool that day. This tiny colorful cup stopped me in my tracks and reminded me, that in fact, Passover is quickly approaching. Living in a city with so many Christians, it is Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-24713831125249971882011-04-15T05:00:00.002-04:002011-04-15T05:00:08.902-04:00Stick your Head in Poo PooBy Krista WilsonPoop. Pee. Butt. Burp. Fart. These words can make your forty-year old spouse smirk, so just imagine the reaction they produce for your toddler. “Potty talk” isn’t a new trend. This “time honored tradition” dates back for centuries. I bet somewhere, on some pyramid a witty little Egyptian boy got in trouble for chiseling the word poop in hieroglyphics. Let’s face it. Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-55982043186813538352011-04-14T05:00:00.003-04:002011-04-20T15:12:11.055-04:00CSP Partners with Avon Foundation's Walk the Course Against Domestic Violence for the 3rd Year!By Jen Plym:The 3rd annual Walk the Course Against Domestic Violence event, a project of the Avon Foundation for Women held in collaboration with the PGA TOUR Wives Association and the Wells Fargo Championship, will be a fun, meaningful, family-friendly event at the beautiful Quail Hollow Club golf course on the evening of Tuesday, May 3.CSP is once again proud and honored to partner with Walk Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-22995244263870320212011-04-13T11:57:00.001-04:002011-04-14T12:02:06.426-04:00Smarty Alert - EmmAva Photography is expandingEmmAva Photography is expanding! They will be offering a Cutest Kids contest for the Charlotte Area. The How's: 1). Email a picture of your child (birth-15yrs) to EmmAvaphotography@yahoo.com by April 17th. 2). All pictures will be uploaded to the EmmAva Photography website on April 18th by us. 3). Get your friends and family to like EmmAva Photography on facebook and like your picture 4). Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-60931605028901060552011-04-13T05:01:00.001-04:002011-04-13T05:01:00.724-04:00Got Soccer Camp?By Jen Plym:So I was at my all-day Harris Y soccer frenzy on Saturday, with all four of my kids playing in the league. We love it, our kids love it and it's loads of fun, even though it consumes our whole day every Saturday. While there, I was introduced to the Camp Director, Chris Klotz, of the Charlotte Eagles Soccer Club. I had NO IDEA we had a professional soccer club in Charlotte. In Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-26669769842941330992011-04-13T05:00:00.003-04:002011-04-13T05:00:01.741-04:00Smarty Scoop on Weekend Activities: 4/15-4/17By Courtenay WardellHappy Wednesday Smarties! I don’t know about you but I am already ready for the weekend. Spring is in full force and with that come Earth Day celebrations, Spring Festivals and Easter parties. There are plenty to choose from and the added bonus of being able to watch the Us National Canoe/Kayak National Team Trials at the Whitewater Center. This is the perfect weekend to try Charlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475480641072005599.post-61366180130371130852011-04-12T05:00:00.007-04:002011-04-12T05:00:00.862-04:00The Unexpected Summer CampBy Michelle Icard, Founder and CEO, Cognition House You have lots of choices for ways to occupy your kids this summer and the older they get, the easier (and less expensive) that becomes. As a mom of a 10 and 8 year old, I am thrilled that the days of stacking our summer with camps are over and that my children can finally entertain themselves without me orchestrating every move. To be fair, whenCharlotte Smarty Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00808525490242378726noreply@blogger.com0