Tag Archives: christmas

Harley’s Holiday In NYC (And A Gift Guide For Dogs)

9 Dec

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Meet Harley, the family dog!   He lives with my parents but my girls have claimed all ownership.  He’s their best friend.  My youngest is head over heels and gives him  tummy rubs, hugs, and kisses all day long.  My parents are in the process of moving so Harley will be spending the Holidays with us!  A 75 pound Old English Bulldog in a NYC apartment with two busy girls and lots to get into! Crazy, right?  But the girls are so excited and they even picked out some Holiday attire and gifts for Harley to have on Christmas morning! See their gift guide below:

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Harley’s Gift Guide from Petco and Unleashed by Petco:

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Petco Holiday Spiffy Pals Fox Dog Toy, $9.99, What does the Fox Say?  I had to reference it, my girls LOVE the song.  Back in Virginia, Harley, got worked up by a fox in the neighborhood.  The girls thought this Holiday fox would be a funny gift for Harley!

Large KONG Goodie Bone Toy for Dogs, $17.99, Petco  Hide the treats in the bone and let the dog try to get the treat out.  A great way to keep Harley entertained and out of all the kid’s toys.

Petco Holiday Spiffy Pals Owl Blanket Dog Toy, $9.99  My youngest has a bunny blanket she loves.   She is so excited to give this owl to Harley because it is “just like her blankie”.

Petco Waste Bag Christmas Tree for Dogs, $14.99, Petco You can never have too many waste bags, especially in NYC.  One thing I cannot stand is when people leave dog waste in the middle of the sidewalk.  Pet waste bags are also great for baby diapers, I used them with both of my girls so they didn’t stink up the apartment! These bags are evergreen scented and fit most roll dispensers!

Petco Waste Bag Candy Cane for Dogs, $14.99, Petco Peppermint scented.

Kyjen Dog Games Tic Tac Twirl Dog Toy Puzzle, $17.99.  Harley is having a difficult time adjusting to the small apartment living.  He needs more activities to keep him busy.  Using eye-paw-mouth coordination and problem-solving skills, dogs learn to maneuver the doors to reach hidden treats.

Gift Card for a day at the salon, price varies on size of dog and service selected.  Who doesn’t love a spa day!  Harley will head to Petco for a nice Holiday bubble bath, nail trimming, toothbrushing, and more!

Chilly Dog Hand Knit Organic Wool Hoodie, $34.99, Unleashed by Petco  This sweater is adorable.  Harley got it a little early so he could walk the streets of New York in Holiday style.  He’s also not used to the cold so it keeps him nice and warm.  It was also used in our Holiday photo, posted on Instagram.

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Disclaimer:  I received a few sample products from Petco.  All opinions expressed are my own.  Images in gift guide are from  Petco and Unleashed by Petco.  Information in italics came from Petco.com

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MD Anderson Children’s Art Project: Gifts That Keep Giving

9 Dec

20131209-120723.jpgTis’ the Season of Baking and Gingerbread House decorating!  Every year we make Gingerbread Houses and bake Holiday cookies for teachers, parties, friends, family, and Holiday dinners.  My mother-in-law loves to bake and my girls love baking with their Babcia (granny in Polish), especially my oldest.  Last Christmas, my oldest spent an entire afternoon cutting cookie dough, filling them with jam, and watching them bake in the oven with her Babcia.   This Holiday season my mother-in-law will be visiting and my oldest is ready to bake with Babcia.  It’s a great way for the girls to bond with their grandmother and they will have lasting memories, not to mention her cookies and cakes are AMAZING! My girls have been in the Christmas spirit for quite some time and are anxious to make Holiday cookies and decorate gingerbread houses. Our Elf on the Shelf, Snowflake, left adorable aprons and a santa plate designed by two pediatric patients at the MD Anderson Cancer (Children’s Art Project) Center along with an Elf on the Shelf Gingerbread House to use for their afternoons baking and decorating! What a great way to celebrate the holiday spirit!

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The Children’s Art Project began in 1973 at the MD Anderson Pediatric Cancer Center.  A volunteer had an idea to use a child’s artwork for a Holiday card.  Since then it has grown from Holiday cards to other products including decor, jewelry, stationary, iPhone covers, Christopher Radko ornaments, clothing and lots more.  This Holiday season you can purchase gifts that keep giving from the MD Anderson Cancer (Children’s Art Project) Center.  Through worldwide sales of young cancer patients’ original artwork featured on seasonal note cards and gift items, the project has returned more than $30 million to programs that benefit pediatric cancer patients and their families. The Children’s Art Project’s highest priority is ensuring young patients have opportunities to live a more normal childhood. Each year, the programs funded through sales touch more than 26,000 pediatric patients and families.  For more information about MD Anderson Cancer (Children’s Art Project) Center click the link or follow them on twitter and facebook.

About the products we received:

The Deer Trio Apron designed by Caitlyn is available in sizes for Grandma (or Mommy) and Child.  A great gift or stocking stuffer this Holiday season!  The aprons tie at the neck and waist. Machine washable!  Click the link to see Caitlyn’s story and other products with her artwork.

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The Santa Fluff Plate by Agostina is great for displaying snacks or cookies for play dates and Holiday gatherings.   Leave some cookies and carrots out on Christmas Eve for Santa and his reindeer.  You can also use a plate wall hanger to make this cute plate part of your Holiday decor.  A great gift to go along with the aprons for all the grandma’s who love baking with their grandchildren.  The plate is 11-¾” x 9-¼” made from translucent, fused glass. Hand wash.  Not for microwave! Click the link for other products designed by Agostina!

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As we use our plates and aprons, pictures will be posted on Instagram.

Cherish the Season!

Disclaimer:  I received products for the purpose of this post.  All ideas and opinions expressed are my own.  Information in italics came from the MD Anderson Cancer (Children’s Art Project) Center!  

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Win It Wednesday: A #Holiday #Giveaway!

4 Dec

I’m behind on my Holiday shopping.  If you are like me and haven’t begun, this giveaway will help you get started:

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What you will win:

Safety First BoostAPak (link to my review): The BoostAPak isn’t your average booster seat.  The booster seat/ backpack designed by Safety First and Trunki makes traveling fun and easy with enough room to pack favorite toys and art supplies or clothes for an overnight stay.

Easy-Bake Oven Signed by Gail Simmons: At the Easy-Bake Oven 50th Anniversary Celebration, Gail Simmons shared recipes and signed Easy-Bake Ovens.  Here is your chance to win one!

Pillow Pet Magical Unicorn:  A pillow and stuffed animal in one.  Great for long car rides so you child can rest his/her head or snuggle up with.  The unicorn is a favorite for us.

Brush Pet Magical Unicorn and cover: New from the makers of Pillow Pets, Brush Pets  talk and teach kids the right way to brush for the recommended 2 minutes.  They let you know when brushing is over.  A fun way to encourage good dental habits early.

Click the link to ENTER the giveaway!  All entries must be received by December 10, 2013 at 11:59pm! Good Luck and Happy Holidays! 

Disclaimer:  I received items for the purpose of this giveaway.  All images came from the companies website.

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Getting Ready For The Holidays with Kiwi Crate

4 Nov

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In September, I attended the Fashion Forward Conference where I discovered Kiwi Crate.  My girls LOVE doing crafts and LOVE receiving packages in the mail.    Kiwi Crate mails a crate of materials and inspiration for 2-3 activities to your home.  Perfect to have handy when stuck inside on cold and/or rainy afternoons!

Join and have a new theme crate sent to your home every month.  Examples include gardening, dinosaurs, and space.

Image from Kiwi Crate

Image from Kiwi Crate

Additional materials can be added to the crate for $9.95 a month so siblings can create and do the activities together.

Purchase Single Crates and choose your craft!  Perfect for gifts.  Holiday crates are available too!

From L to R: Space Hero, Fairy Fun, Antarctic Adventure, Thanksgiving Turkeys (all Images from Kiwi Crate)

From L to R: Space Hero, Fairy Fun, Antarctic Adventure, Thanksgiving Turkeys (all Images from Kiwi Crate)

We recently had the opportunity to try the Thanksgiving Turkeys Crate.  A wonderful activity to get you in the Thanksgiving spirit.  The crate includes materials to create Turkey Place Cards and A Turkey Game!  Picture Instruction cards are included for each activity, making it easy for you child to put it together with little help.

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Easy

Easy to make! My 5 year-old was able to put them together on her own, with little help.  These place cards would be adorable to have at your Thanksgiving feast.

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A fun game to play with friends and family this Thanksgiving. Color the Turkey and feathers. Follow the picture instructions to put together. Throw the ball to see if you can knock over the feathers.  Our Turkey wouldn’t stay up so we used our Kiwi Crate box to add support.

I’m excited to order the girls more crates especially the Christmas Crates and stocking stuffers!

Disclaimer:  I did not receive compensation for this post.  All opinions expressed are my own.  I received a sample crate for the purpose of this review.

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Make It Personal With Melissa and Doug

22 Oct

Since the start of the school year, my daughter has made many new friends which means more birthday parties.  As we were shopping for a few upcoming parties, my girls noticed all the Christmas decorations were out and holiday toys were already on display.  Every year the Christmas season starts earlier, which is why it’s no surprise my girls have already started making their list for Santa.

We are huge Melissa and Doug fans.  Most of the gifts we give to friends and receive as presents are Melissa and Doug.  Last Christmas my girls favorite gifts were the Doctor and Veterinarian Role Play Costume Sets.  Recently, Melissa and Doug started adding personalization’s to some of their products like on the role-playing costume sets.  My girls love having personalization on their toys, backpacks, lunch boxes, you name it because they know it is theirs.  It adds an extra special touch to gifts for birthdays and holidays.

Some of our favorite Melissa and Doug products that can be personalized are:

Role play costume sets make great gifts for the holidays and for birthdays. My girls love this hair stylist costume set. They play hair dresser often. The next time they play I am going to have them come up with a name for a salon or I will use our last name so they can share.

One of our favorite gifts to give.

The magnetic chalkboard and dry erase board is at the top of my girls Holiday list. They love drawing and working on their letters. It would like to get each of them a personalized board.

I purchased the magnetic responsibility chart a while ago and use it with my older daughter. However, now that the youngest is older we need to get one for her. When there is multiple children it is great to have it personalized so they can recognize which chart is theirs.

My parents have a dog, Harley, that looks like this. My girls always ask for a dog so for the holidays I plan on getting them a “Harley” to have at home and to play Vet with in their Veterinarian costume.

Click here to see all products that can be personalized!

Disclaimer:  This was a sponsored post but did not alter my opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.  All images are from http://www.melissaanddoug.com.

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