Archive | December, 2012
Last Minute Stocking Stuffers
23 DecEvery year I struggle to find the perfect stocking stuffers for my girls and I usually get them last-minute. Here are a few of my favorites for this year, that can be purchased last-minute:
1.Nail Polish: You can find this Candy Shoppe Fruit scented nail polish at Rite Aid!
2. DVD’s: Tinkerbell Secret Wings and Brave are our favorites this holiday season! Head to Barnes and Noble for this last-minute stocking stuffer!
3. Shake Shack Gift Card:
4. Mini Rodini Hipster underwear can be purchased at Babesta in TriBeca!
6. Girls glitter belt from JCrew CrewCuts:
7. Head to J&R for a DigiTools Effects Pack by Crayola!
Happy Last-Minute Shopping!
Exploring Colors With Rudolph
22 Dec
My girls love art time. In fact, because they dropped naps a long time ago, our “down” time is usually spent coloring or doing some type of craft. The other day we were stuck inside for most of the day. I tried putting on a Christmas movie but in five minutes the girls were fighting. The more activities we do, the happier they are and the less fighting. I was running out of ideas until I saw a used water bottle laying on its side. I thought to myself for a bit while the girls were screaming and decided that water bottle would make a great Rudolph. All I needed was pipe cleaners, google eyes and brown paint. I went to look for the brown paint and realized we didn’t have any. A perfect opportunity to explore colors by mixing primary colors. We started painting but my girls were having trouble mixing the paint to make brown so we started over with a new plan. I got two more plastic water bottles, filled them with tap water and pulled out the food coloring. My youngest mixed red and blue first making purple, then added green making the water look black. My older daughter started with red and then added green making her water a better shade of brown for “Rudolph”. Next we decorated our bottle cap with a red glitter glue pen for Rudolph’s nose. I then used tacky glue and the girls placed the eyes and antlers on the bottle. The tacky glue wouldn’t hold so I reinforced with a glue gun. Rudolph is a fun activity, especially on a cold day like today. The girls had a great time seeing who could get the closest to brown. Save it and use it for a place card holder for your holiday gathering.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days Blu-Ray DVD Release Celebration
18 Dec
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days was released today on Blu-Ray DVD. Perfect timing for a great stocking stuffer! To celebrate the release 20th Century Fox and The MOMS hosted a Mamarazzi event at Apple Seeds with author Jeff Kinney and actor Robert Capron (Rowley Jefferson). The event began with a Question & Answer Session with Jeff Kinney and actor Robert Capron. During the Q&A, kids had refreshments which included CapriSun Super V juice pouches, Happy Tot pouches, and popcorn (a movie time favorite). When Jeff Kinney was asked how he came up with the idea he said that he initially wanted to become a newspaper cartoonist however was unable to break into the field. He knew that he still wanted to do something with cartoons and eventually came up with the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. I hope my daughters learn that if they are passionate about something, they shouldn’t give up and should try something similar even though it may take them down a different path.
Next the kids went to two different rooms. In the first room they created bookmarks with Robert Capron and in the second room they created their very own diary and drew characters. While the kids were creating their characters and diaries, Jeff Kinney drew up front on a dry erase board describing how he creates his characters. Did you know that he draws using the least amount of lines possible? He also uses personal features on his characters and then uses features of people around him to come up with more characters. At then end of the event, the children were able to get autographs which made my daughters day!
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. Thank you to everyone who made the event possible. My daughter and I had a wonderful time!
Holiday Entertaining Event With Momtrends
15 Dec
I don’t entertain very often. In fact hardly ever. I love the thought of having a great party but I never know where to begin when it comes to picking a theme, how to decorate or what and how much to serve. I need someone to do it for me because I have a hard time making decisions (Thank goodness for my mom and the wedding planner when I got married). My family will be coming up Christmas Day and my husband and I will be in charge of organizing decor and food! Thank goodness for the Momtrends Holiday Entertaining event I went to at The New Traditionalists gorgeous showroom! It was so beautiful I want to redecorate my apartment with all their custom-made furniture!
At the event, Elizabeth Mascali and Dawn Sandomeno of Partybluprints spoke about how to plan a party. Tips shared- find your inspiration, choose a color, keep it simple, keep in mind the vibe and don’t forget about decorating the space (chandeliers) above the table. In the image to the right, you will see an all white table set up with the Heavens as their inspiration. To get the heavenly look angel wings were added to all the glasses. A little sparkle on the place card frames and snowflakes dangling in the chandelier above added a beautiful touch when it caught the light. For the kids, use a mitten for utensils and use some of your favorite decorations for the table. If you need help for your next event check out their book Plan to Party, which shares everything you need to know for entertaining from start to finish with menu ideas and grocery lists included! I may have to throw a party soon!
With keeping it simple in mind, I was very excited to meet Loren from Sweet Loren’s. I have a holiday party this weekend I offered to bring dessert to but don’t have much time to bake. I will definitely be running to Whole Foods to get the delicious ready bake brownies and one of the cookies. There are so many yummy cookie choices; bold espresso chunk, chewy oatmeal cranberry and heavenly chocolate chunk. There is also a nutty peanut butter oatmeal cookie that was amazing but will not be baking at home because of my daughters allergy. Note that the dough is made in a faculty that contains nuts. And even though cleaned, not recommended for children with allergies (more for me). To add festive flare, Loren suggested adding sprinkles.
If you don’t entertain much like myself and love going to parties, Momtrends showcased great gifts for the hostess which included rewined candles, a Dabney Lee monogrammed bottle cover and serving tray, as well as a Gaiam recycled paper frame. My favorite of the night to give as a gift or add a little fun after dinner is the game Typecrush. I became addicted after the event and it is a must for after my Christmas Day dinner.
Thank you to Momtrends and all who sponsored the event. To see the Momtrends recap and a list of all the sponsors, click here!
Happy Entertaining or Party Going this Holiday Season!
Share Our Strength Holiday Cards To Help Make No Kid Hungry This Holiday!
12 Dec
My girls and I have talked about giving and not just wanting this Holiday season. I recently learned about Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign has two styles of Holiday cards to choose from. The cards are perfect to tie to a candy cane to give to teachers, classmates, and friends. You can also attach them to gifts for family or if you are having a Holiday Party, you can hang them from a tree for or place them at a table for guests to take home. All donations/ proceeds will go towards making sure NO KIDS GOES HUNGRY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON! Purchasing one card or a $10 donation helps connect a child to 100 meals. Purchase or donate now by clicking the links!
Share Our Strength has also teamed up with Family Fun for a live Facebook Q&A on December 14th at 1PM EST with Chef Marc Murphy held on Family Fun’s Facebook Page. A judge on the Food Network show Chopped and the owner of four successful restaurants, Chef Murphy will share with participants how to create holiday meals for less!
Sydney Summer Jewelry: Perfect For Any Occasion!
10 Dec
My girls LOVE jewelry. They couldn’t be more different in how the wear it. My youngest layers on the bracelets and necklaces where as my oldest likes to keep it simple with one bracelet and one necklace. I received two pieces of jewelry from Sydney Summer a while ago and was trying to tie it into my daughters flower girl role in June because she will be wearing the bracelet, however, we have not been able to shop for a dress yet. The pieces we received are now my oldest daughters favorite. She wears them almost every day. Not only does she wear them with casual outfits to school, she also dresses them up. We recently went to see Santa and she had to wear her Sydney Summer jewelry which got me thinking about how perfect they would be to wear with her holiday outfit. Sydney Summer jewelry would make a fabulous stocking stuffer or a beautiful gift any time of year.
Here are my favorite Sydney Summer pieces for the girls this Holiday season:
Left is the Karly Pink Necklace, Right is the Ally Bow necklace!
The Molly Clear Bracelet!
Disclaimer: I received two pieces of jewelry for the purpose of this post. All opinions expressed are my own.
Get Crafty With Driscoll’s Berries This Holiday Season!
8 Dec
Holiday parties have started and ideas for decorating and entertaining are always on my mind. My girls love berries but I have never thought about using them for decorating. Just before Thanksgiving I had the opportunity to attend a Driscoll’s Berry crafting event with my youngest daughter to jump-start the Holiday season with ideas for entertaining. Before crafting began, guests ate a yummy brunch. The menu included some of these “berry” delicious recipes:
- Mixed Berry Parfait with Steel- Cut Granola
- Blackberry-Grand Marnier Baked French Toast Soufflé
- Triple- Berry Oatmeal Scones
- Holiday Berry Bellini
Melissa Klein, Editor of Celebrations.com, led a Berry Tree craft session for adults after brunch. The tree was very easy to make and my daughter periodically took a break from her craft to help me. The Berry Tree makes a bright and beautiful centerpiece for a holiday party or dinner. Melissa also suggested stringing Driscoll’s blueberries to make a garland to add to the tree. Click here for directions to make a Berry Tree for your next Holiday gathering.
While adults were making trees, the kids were making adorable Rudolph cupcakes. All you need is a chocolate frosted cupcake, red m&m’s, sugar eyes, pretzels, melted chocolate to hold antlers, eyes and nose in place and a chocolate covered Driscoll’s strawberry for the head. A fun activity to do with your child(ren) and their friends to bring to a holiday bake-sale or a kids holiday party.
For more Holiday fun and recipes check out Driscoll’s and Celebrations (click links)! Have a Berry Crafty Holiday Season!
Enter the Driscoll’s Holiday Sweepstakes by clicking the image below!
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. I got to take home the craft I made and received a gift bag for attending the event. Some of the photos used came from the Driscoll’s and Celebrations facebook pages. Opinions expressed are always my own.
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