Win it!

Every Fab Mama deserves a little bling now and then, which is why Fab Mama teamed up with Stella & Dot, www.stelladot.com, a home-based jewelry company, to offer you a little something special. Jessica Herrin, mom of two and former co-founder of WeddingChannel.com, started the company as a way for moms to meet other women and make extra income. The company offers a variety of earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets, ranging in price from $15-$250 with more than half the line under $50.

Two lucky Fab Mamas will win a Stella & Dot prize pack, worth $187, from the California-based company's new India line. The prize features the Priya teardrop necklace, earrings and ruby ring. To win, visit ChicagoParent.com and click on the contest page.

Crunchy Cravings

Every now and again-or in some cases, every day-you find yourself craving a bite or two of rich, creamy and potentially crunchy chocolate. But not all chocolate candies are created equal. Q.bel, qbelfoods.com, a New York-based chocolate company, offers chocolate wafers and wafer rolls, free of artificial colors and flavors, preservatives and other ingredients you'd probably rather stay far away from.

The family-owned business, named after the company's dedication to quality (Q), and the owner's wife, Isabella (bel), uses Belgian chocolate to cover the deliciously light and airy wafers that should satisfy any chocolatey, crunchy craving. The company's two lines, Crispy Rice wafer bars and Crunchy Crispy wafer rolls are available in peanut butter and milk and dark chocolates. Q.bel products retail for about $1.39 and are now available at Whole Foods.

Cooking with flāv'our

Grab your favorite gal-pal foodies and head to Forest Park for an evening of culinary education and perhaps a glass of wine or two. The flāv'our cooking school, 7401 Madison St., offers cooking classes to enhance your already killer cooking skills or teach you the fundamentals.

"We are a place to explore your inner chef," says owner and chef Denise Norton. "We're an approachable place to enjoy good food and a sense of community."
Classes range from demos, where students sit back, relax with a glass of wine and watch a chef teach and prepare food-tasting included-to hands-on classes. "In this economy … people are looking to cook more at home," she says. "We're a place to learn those skills to do that."

Public classes are limited to a group of up to six per reservation. Private events are also available, but you need at least 10 gal-pals to schedule. On April 29, flav'our cooking school is hosting a French-café-inspired "just the girls: French twist" demo class.

Demo classes average $50, while hands-on classes are $70. Kids' classes and cook with your kids classes are also available. Husbands are welcome, too. To make reservations or for more information, call (708) 488-0808 or visit flavourcookingschool.com.

Wear your heart on your sleeve

You don't have to be a yogi to appreciate a fashionable nod toward the practice dedicated to mind and body. Warm up your arms with sleeves. The designer and namesake of Annie Fink Designs created the stylish sleeves while she ran a yoga studio in Minnesota to keep her hands warm during practice.

She found inspiration in the sleeves worn by Victorian-era women and started sewing. "People literally bought them off my arms when I was shopping in stores and boutiques," Fink says of her initial line.

The signature heart on the wrist's pulse point isn't there by chance. Rather, it's been properly placed on the Chakra meridian, one of seven Chakra points on the human body. The meridian is the heart, representing passion and compassion.

"I believe that my designs feel great and accent your style, not overpower (it)," she says. "I want people to notice the "you" and hopefully, my designs will help to define and enhance one's own expression." Annie sleeves sell for $22-$28 and are available at anniefink.com.

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