Tastefully Childish

Lights are going up, I’ve seen trees lit in windows, and music is playing stores.  It’s hard to believe the Holidays are almost here.  Recently, I kicked off the Holiday season with Momtrends, highlighting Holiday fashion trends, ideas for gift giving, and tasting delicious cocktails and appetizers.  Highlights for this Holiday season include:

The Nanny League provided childcare for the event.  My daughter had a blast with them creating crafts and playing games.

Cabi Clothing showcased some of their winter tips and shared some Holiday trends for this season.  They have everything you need for your Holiday party to a cozy weekend by the fire.

Teleflora always amazes me with their gorgeous arrangements that come in cookie jars, coffee mugs, and more that can be used and cherished when you have to say farewell to the flowers.  New for the Holiday season is the adorable Peanuts Collection arrangements. A great gift for family, friends, or teachers.  Also the perfect centerpiece for your Holiday party or gathering.

PomWonderful sampled many great appetizers, cocktails,  using pomegranate perfect for Holiday gatherings.  I loved how they added pomegranate seeds to guacamole and created a delicious pomojito with PomWonderful juice.  Pomegranate adds texture, flavor, and a festive color.  You can find some great recipes here.   Add a festive flare by decorating Pomegranate juice bottles to use as a place setting or as an activity to keep the kids busy at your Holiday gatherings. My daughter made a snowman with the Nanny League while I attended the event (featured above).

Tessemae’s comes from a family recipe keeping “clean eating” in mind.  Their dressing, mustard and dips are delicious and a great add to your Holiday meal.  As of December they will be USDA organic.

Igloo has everything you need to keep your Holiday beverages and food cool.  In addition to being perfect for Holiday gatherings, they have many great products that make fabulous gifts.  I loved the new monogramed water bottles.

Gift Giving:

During the Holidays and on chilly nights, we love having family game night.  Hasbro showcased many fun games for the entire family.  Some of our favorites include Twister, Monopoly, Operation, Elefun & Friends Hungry, Hungry Hippo and Jenga.  Games also make fabulous gifts the entire family can enjoy.

American Girl makes my girls wish list every year.  They are great gifts because they can be passed down and cherished for a lifetime.  Showcased at Momtrends was the 2015 Girl of the Year Grace  (at the top of my daughters list this year) and the newest BeForever Doll, MaryEllen.  Their new Mother/ Daughter Advice Collection would also make a fabulous gift.

Mudpuppy has many great gift ideas from unique books like So Many Stars Andy Warhol to craft kids and gorgeous puzzles.  I loved the Bag Tags too.  They are a perfect stocking stuffer and can be used for your Holiday travels.

I See Me Personalized Books have been a favorite for gifts in the past.  I love  their Holiday books as well as their new It’s Fancy To Be… book.  The perfect gift to get kids engaged and encourage reading.

Bedgear, performance bedding, has a wide selection of sheets, pillows, and mattress protectors for kids and adults.  They are super soft and look incredibly comfortable.  These backrests would also make a perfect gift for kids who like to sit on the floor and play games or read in bed.

I can’t even tell you how many time we run out of ink printing photos, worksheets and coloring pages.  Epson Printers has the new Expression 2550 printer in which the ink will last for up to 2 years, equivalent to 26 cartridges. In a bind for wrapping paper?  Simply go to the Epson Wrapping Generator and create a personalized print for a loved one.

Have a Happy & Healthy Holiday Season to all!

Disclosure:  I received a gift bag for attending this event however, as always, all opinions expressed are my own.  Thank you Momtrends for another fabulous Holiday soiree and to all the sponsors who shared many fabulous gift ideas for the season.

My husband has asked me on several occasions, at what age will our girls stop wanting us. While our girls are only 7 & 5, each year seems to go by faster and faster. They are growing up too quickly and before we know it that time will be here.
There are many challenges and life-lessons that come with growing up, especially for girls.   Navigating social circles, understanding puberty and the changes your body goes through, the ever-changing emotions and hormones, learning from mistakes made along the way, and now social media and cyber-bullying.   All of this can impact the relationships between moms and daughters.

Not long ago I took my oldest daughter for a special day out at the American Girl store.  We started the morning with a breakfast hosted by Momtrends and American Girl. We joined Dr. Cara Natterson, best-selling author of the American Girl advice collection, The Care and Keeping of Us in a discussion about raising girls and keeping the spark in the relationship between Mom’s and Daughters.

Here are a few tips Dr. Cara Natterson shared during our discussion:

• Delay Social Media as long as possible.
• Discuss tough subjects on long car rides or at night when the lights go off.  Your child might be more willing to open up.
• 12 seems to be the magic number in which girls start finding friendships more important.
• Let your child fail and make mistakes.  If they don’t bring their homework to school or study for their test, they will learn that they need to do it next time.
• Dad’s should be involved with their daughters. The Care and Keeping of us could be a great resources for dad’s to use.
• When it comes to friendships you think might not be positive for your daughter, use subtle steering.  “Hold a Mirror” and talk about what’s happening.  Second grade is especially hard.  It’s the beginning of social shifts and “resorting”.  A good resource could be the American Girl Friendship Book.

The Care & Keeping of Us: A Sharing Collection for Girls and Their Moms is a 3-book set to keep lines of communication open for girls and Moms.  The collection includes The Care & Keeping of Us: A How-To-Say-It Book for Girls, The Care & Keeping of Us: A How-To-Say-It Book for Moms, and The Care & Keeping of Us: A Book for Girls and Their Moms to Share.  My daughter was so excited to look through the book.  It has many conversation starters for difficult topics and activities to work on together.  It will be a good resource for both of my girls as they grow.

After our wonderful discussion, my daughter was able to explore the store.  We took her doll for Salon Services, checked out the beautiful holiday displays, and put together her Holiday wish list.  One thing I from that day was how important it is to spend time with each of my daughters, individually.  We had a wonderful day.  I am looking forward to sharing many more adventures together and working on our Sharing Collection together.

Disclaimer:  I received a gift bag for attending the event however this did not alter my opinions.  All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you Momtrends, American Girl, and Dr. Cara Natterson for a wonderful morning.