You know how much your UltimateMama loves a good children’s sample sale.  What better way to get name-brand merchandise for your children at a fraction of the retail price than to hop into a sample sale.

French retailer Bonpoint is holding a sample sale in NYC this week. Plenty of children’s clothing will be featured from newborn to preteen (tops, bottoms, sleepwear, outerwear, shoes, and accessories). Savings up to 60% off!   UltimateMama gives you the scoop:

 – Private Sale: Wednesday, May 12th from 3 PM-7 PM

– Public Sale:  Thursday, May 13th from 8 AM-7 PM and Friday, May 14th from 8 AM- 3 PM

Location:  The Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 West 18th Street, NYC – 5th Floor (between 6th and 7th Avenues)

*No cash or checks. American Express, Visa and Mastercard.

All sales are final. No exchanges or returns.

Stollers are not allowed!

UltimateMama realizes this is a tough economy in 2010.  Should you skip Mother’s Day altogether?  Of course not!  You can show your mother (and your child’s mother) appreciation on a shoestring.

UltimateMama’s top budget Mother’s Day gifts are as follows:

– Send her an e-card

– Make her afternoon tea with biscuits or muffins

– Make her a photo collage or enlarge and frame your favorite photo

– Make her an early Christmas tree ornament

– Pick and arrange a bouquet of wild flowers

– Buy her a “used but in great condition” book

– Give her a gift bag of her favorite magazines (don’t forget to include the one UltimateMama writes for:  New York Family magazine

– Take her to your favorite park, beach, nature trail and go for a walk or bike ride

– Catch a matinee movie (cheaper prices)

– Buy her inexpensive gifts that are useful (socks are always nice)

– Get her a new keychain

– Pick out a nice candle or make one yourself

– Paint a piece of pottery for her (stores like Little Shop of Crafts are perfect for this as they have a wide range of price points)

– Make her placemats for dining

Your mommy brought you in to this world!  Show her some appreciation by making Mother’s Day 2010 extra special.

Have you thought about what you are getting your Mother on Sunday? UltimateMama wants to provide you with a list of the top Mother’s Day gifts for 2010 (in no particular order):

– flowers

– a meal out (breakfast, lunch or dinner)

– prepare mom a meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner)

– perfume

– a spa certificate (manicure, pedicure, massage, etc)

– candles

– new purse or wallet

– new scarf

– jewelry

– engraved picture frame of the family:  Things Remembered offers nice silver plated frames starting around $25

– tickets to a musical, sporting event, movie

– stored value gift card to her favorite retailer or restaurant

– Chocolate or something sweet

– Handmade (by her children) card

– A poem or art project (by her children)

– Books

– Sporting goods (new tennis balls, golf balls, swimsuit)

– personalized gifts (towels, bath robes, jewelry boxes, charms, necklaces, keychains, etc.)

– photos (in books, albums, frames, or totes). Check out this super-cute photo collage tote for $49.95 from Red Envelope.

– Make her a gift basket of her favorite gourmet treats

Easy Trail Mix

1 (16 oz). package dried apple 
1 (16 oz.) package pretzels
1 (16 oz.) package banana chips
1 (16 oz.) package dried pineapple or mango
1 (10 oz.) package raisins or dried cranberries

Mix all the ingredients together and store in a container with a lid or zipped bag. 

Ironically, after Barron’s touted Johnson & Johnson Inc. on its cover this weekend, the company has egg in its face with a massive recall of children’s medicines.  Affected products include varieties of Tylenol, Tylenol Plus, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl. 

UltimateMama wants you to know that McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of Johnson & Johnson Inc (NSYE: JNJ), announced a voluntary recall of “all lots that have not yet expired of certain over-the-counter (OTC) Children’s and Infants’ liquid products manufactured in the United States and distributed in the United States, Canada, Dominican Republic, Dubai (UAE), Fiji, Guam, Guatemala, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, and Kuwait,” according to its website. This recall was after consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In yesterday’s press release 4/30/10, the company stated that “some of these products may not meet required quality standards. This recall is not being undertaken on the basis of adverse medical events. However, as a precautionary measure, parents and caregivers should not administer these products to their children. Some of the products included in the recall may contain a higher concentration of active ingredient than is specified; others may contain inactive ingredients that may not meet internal testing requirements; and others may contain tiny particles. While the potential for serious medical events is remote, the company advises consumers who have purchased these recalled products to discontinue use”.

For more information please contact the company at 1-888-222-6036 and also at www.mcneilproductrecall.com.

UltimateMama will admit to all of you that she had a few of these “recalled products” in her bathroom. So, get off your tushie, look in your medicine cabinent, and get rid of all the recalled products now!!

 For a list of recalled products, click here:

http://www.mcneilproductrecall.com/page.jhtml?id=/include/new_recall.inc