Below is a list of brands that reached out to me to see if they could send me a sample of their product to review.  This list tells you about the product, along with my opinion on it, and to hopefully give you gift giving inspiration this year.  This is a great list, and I’m betting you will find something you will want to add to your own wish list!  🙂

Gift Ideas for Kids

Table Manner Cards  

This holiday season, stuff stockings with the new Table Manner Cards from Golly Gee-pers.

Family mealtime is SO important; yet teaching your kids proper etiquette can be a daunting task. Table Manners Cards encourages diners to compete for thumbs-up cards while avoiding thumbs-down cards in an effort to win a coveted Ready-to-Dine-Out award.  It’s fun for the whole family and keeps everyone politely engaged!

My mother-in-law is an AMAZING cook and always makes us extravagant meals.  We were at their house last week and we brought these cards along.  My 6 year old had a blast making sure her Uncle Chris chewed with his mouth closed. Yesterday I got a thumbs up for making dinner on time (see the picture above.)  🙂

Swirling Magic Spinning Top  

HABA Swirling Magic Spinning Top – Ready, steady, go! Children will love this fantastic Swirling Magic Spinning Top. Wind up card and pull! It?s Magic!

My 2 year old is wants to just knock this down every time we pull the string.  Which causes my 6 year old to yell, because she is busy timing to see how long she can make it spin for. 🙂 I’m just happy this one was made in Germany out of real wood.  Its refreshing to give my kids a toy that isn’t plastic and made in China!  Great family fun at our house for sure!  🙂

SoapSox  

SoapSox: Place soap into the SoapSox pocket, add water, work up a lather, place fingers in the side pockets and scrub! These bath pals provide comfort to even the most nervous bathers. Both liquid and bar soaps will work with SoapSox bath sponges. Made of antimicrobial polyester and sponge. Machine washable. Measures 9″ x 8″ x 5″.

I love that it comes with a hanging string so it can dry out each night after bath and not get all smelly and mildewy.  I also love that you can just throw it in the washer and dryer. Plus it can be a sleep cuddle toy OR a fun bath toy!

Go Organically Fruit Snacks

Unlike other fruit snacks on the market, Go Organically is made with multiple real fruit purees that taste delicious. This new product is GMO free, gluten free, contains 100% DV vitamin C, is an excellent source of Vitamins A&E, and has a delicious taste and texture. At Go Organically®, their mission is simple. They believe fruit snacks should be made with real, organic fruit. Their motto says it all – “Go Organically®…You’ll like what’s in it.  You’ll love what’s not!™

My kids love, love LOVE fruit snacks.  I’m not fan of tons of sugar and artificial color and flavorings.  The Go Organically fruit snacks taste better than non-organic fruit snacks, and my kids will be thrilled when they find these in their Christmas stocking this year.  Win-win for kids and parents!

V-Tech Smart Watch

Watch out! VTech® is introducing the next generation of the award-winning Kidizoom® Smartwatch, the VTech® Kidizoom® Smartwatch DX.

Not only does the new Kidizoom Smartwatch DX offer a higher performance than the original, with better specs including double the internal memory, improved image quality and new features, the sleek, stylish smartwatch is the perfect accessory to any fashion forward fall outfit!

The revamped Smartwatch is also adding some extra pizazz with cool new 3D clock faces, 11 new entertaining games, and exciting new motion games and activities. Plus, it is perfect for young photographers, adding the ability to take more pictures and videos to share with family and friends than ever before.

I can’t imagine what my childhood would have been like if I grew up with a gadget like this.  My daughter loves the picture taking options, and drives me a little wonky in the car spouting off math facts (but I know its good and educational).  I have to sneak it and play with it myself when the kids are sleeping because this has some cool tech parts to it that the parents will want to check out as well!

Kids Christmas Book: Granny Glitter’s Christmas Story

In “Granny Glitter’s Christmas Story,” artist and graphic designer Andree Siracusa (aka Granny Glitter) tells the true story of her dog Koko, a blind Chow Chow puppy she saved from euthanization at a pet store during a round of Christmas shopping for her other pets.
After his rescue, Koko adjusts to his new home he shares with Venus the Doberman, Twinkie the Pomeranian, Marker the parrot, and the neighbor’s cat, Scratch. After some tender loving care and some eye drops, Koko soon receives the best Christmas present of all — his eyesight.
Through her heart-warming story, Siracusa hopes to teach children and their parents the importance of giving all pets a chance, as well as emphasize the Christmas spirit of giving.
“We, as humans, can learn from the unconditional love we receive from animals,” Siracusa said. “It’s important that we give that unselfish love in return.”

I actually had a dog growing up named Koko and she was blind at the end of her life too!  I’m an animal lover at heart, and I love the message this book brings during the Christmas season!

Kids Christmas Book:  Countdown to Christmas:  24 Days of the Jesse Tree Tradition

Countdown to Christmas: 24 Days of the Jesse Tree Tradition is an interactive picture book with 24 days of the Jesse Tree Tradition. This is a story for the entire family to learn more about people in the Bible and see their connection to Jesus.  Included in the book are activities, cut-out ornaments to hang on your jesse tree and with each story comes a better understanding of what Christmas is really about. There is a story for each night, Dec. 1st – 24th – so it will be our reading advent calendar.  I’m so super excited about this book and incorporating it into our Christmas tradition this year!  

PIGLET BO IS NOT SCARED! is a whimsical story that will capture the hearts of children and adults alike. Piglet Bo insists that he is not scared. Not scared of anything and not scared of anyone. And if you think he seems scared, well, you’re misunderstanding the situation. This playful tale of a pig who just can’t admit he’s afraid is sure to get kids laughing out loud. (Ages 3-6)

My daught’ers 1st grade class has “mystery readers” from time to time.  These are volutunteers that come in and read to the kids at the end of the school days.  I’m planning on bringing this one in to share with her class – it will give me a great opportunity to talk to the kids about overcoming fear.  🙂

OwlGories DVD

Owlegories Vol. 1 – The Sun, The Seed, and The Water.  

Owlegories, the highly anticipated animated series that teaches kids about God through the amazing things found in nature and revealed in God’s Word, debuts today in both Christian and general market retail stores. Owlegories™ Vol. 1 – The Sun, The Seed, and The Water is now available at Walmart, LifeWay, Family Christian Stores, local Christian bookstores, online and more, through Capitol Christian Distribution.

It’s already a top seller at Walmart.com and might still be temporarily sold out at Amazon.com!

This is a super cute kids DVD that you should have in your family collection!  It is funny, teaches Biblical lessons and morals, and is fun for the kids.  I think my daughter chose this DVD for a week straight when it was her tv time.  I have the theme song in my head for sure!!

Tough Cookie by Kate Louise (author) and Grace Sandford (illustrator) is the story about a gingerbread man that was baked, and someone forgot to put in the ginger. He’s made of eggs and cinnamon and flour and butter and sugar, but he’s missing a key ingredient! Without ginger, the gingerbread man feels like he’s not really a gingerbread man at all! He can’t be sold in the bakery, so he lives at the back of the store. And there he causes all kinds of trouble.

This gingerbread man eats the baker’s decorating candy. He throws sprinkles across the counter and squirts frosting on the walls. It’s not long before the baker has had enough of the gingerbread man’s mischief and orders him to leave. The gingerbread man realizes he’ll have to change his ways, and the baker decides to help. He teaches the gingerbread man that his ingredients don’t make him who he is—it’s his character that defines him. So the gingerbread man begins to help the baker decorate the other gingerbread men and women. He helps prepare them and makes sure they find their way on their journey from the oven to the bakery shelf. And he always makes sure to add the ginger.

This is a great one during the holidays to reinforce how helping others helps us to feel good and stay out of trouble.  😉

Gift Ideas for Moms:

When Calls The Heart – Heart and Home DVD

This is my favortie show on TV right now – and if you’ve been a reader here, then you know I’ve gushed over each episode!

This episodes has the most twists and turns yet – with the final scene leaving me laughing out loud saying “of course the writers would end the season that way – of course they would!!!”  I won’t spoil it for you though.  It’s fun for sure!  🙂

Buy it HERE!

Beltaway

This easily adjustable belt lies flat under your clothes and is virtually undetectable. No lumps or bumps under your shirt! Beltaway fits comfortably above or below the waist assuring that what you wear stays right where you want it to making it a true undercover fashion necessity. Beltaway comes in a variety of colors for women and men plus there are two buckle designs to choose from and two widths (1” and 1.5”). Beltaway is $19.95 at www.beltaway.com and Amazon.

I’m a fan of the Beltaway BeltaPouch that you can get to attach to your belt.

No more bulky belt buldge under your cute sweater and your skinny jeans!  I acutally used this with the BeltaPouch at craft fairs this summer selling some of my Magnet Menagerie crafts.

The Very Healthy Spiral Slicer

Turn ordinary vegetables into delicious veggie pasta noodles with The Very Healthy Spiral Slicer. It’s a healthier approach to eating boring vegetables without sacrificing flavor. No assembly required with The Very Healthy Spiral Slicer — just pop in your veggies and start twisting! Get The Very Healthy Spiral Slicer and go low carb by swapping out pasta noodles while adding color to every plate. It’s perfect for all lifestyles – paleo, vegan, gluten-free or raw. Perfect for carrots, zucchini, beets and so much more! Comes in black or crystal clear for $16 on http://varietyland.com/very-healthy-spiral-slicer/ and amazon.com plus for a limited time get The Very Healthy Spiral Slicer cookbook with 20 recipes and a techniques and tips guide.

See my Sprial Vegetable Slicer Alfredo Recipe on how I used this gadget in my kitchen recently.

If you want to pamper mom this year, get her an essential oil diffuser!  GuruNanda has a kit that comes with two different oils – lavender and peppermint  — and an ultrasonic diffuser that disperses them into the air, where they release their wonderful natural fragrance and the healing aromatherapy benefits.  The diffuser also features a color-changing LED light to add to the atmosphere.  I have the lavender diffusing right now in the next room.  The smell is glorious while I’m working in front of my computer!  🙂

Best of all, it is only $19.99 – and that price includes 2 oils!  Buy it over here at Walmart!

Mitscoots Socks

An awesome company known for making great socks and for giving away lots of socks to those in need! Mitscoots makes socks in three different styles — casual, active and performance. The casual socks show off fun and funky colors and definitely get noticed. The athletic and performance socks are road tested and hold up perfectly for running trails or running errands. New this year, boot socks! They’re the perfect mix of comfort and class. Mitscoots boot socks are crafted with a temper-padded sole and the top of each sock has a suede accent strap with the signature “M” logo. Mitscoots employs those transitioning out of homelessness to package up the socks at their headquarters in Austin, Texas. Plus, for every pair purchased they give away a pair to someone in the United States! Learn more at www.mitscoots.com.

I have a friend who is currently suffering with a severe case of postpartum depression.  Since I’ve walked that road myself, I understand the torture she is going through.  I made up a care pack to give her last week – and decided she needed those cozy white socks as part of her gift.  I thought it was symbolic that women in need made them, to help another woman in need of TLC!

Silk Flowers

I got some new Silk Flower Topiaries recently (see pic above) from Silk Plants Direct. I’m confident in saying that any mom would love a realistic silk plant for new home decor!  Check out their Outdoor Artificial Topiary selection!  These are high quality, realisitic looking, and is just a great website to shop for Mom!  They have flowers, plants, trees, palms, containers, and even custom orders!

Check out Silk Plants Direct on these social media channels:  Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and Pinterest!

I also have a Silk Plants Direct promo code for you:  Use “ BLOGGER10 “ and get 10% off on your order.  Note that this promo code will not work with custom orders.

Wonder Wallet

Amazing Slim RFID Wallets As Seen on TV

• See everything at a glance
• Genuine leather card holder for men and women that holds up to 24 cards
• The patented slim wallet design lays cards out like a photo album
• The Wonder Wallet’s soft, supple leather flexes so it’s comfortable to sit on, even in the car
• RFID blocking wallet stops remote scanning of cards and protects private information

My traditional wallet is so thick and my cards are not organized.  This solves both problems easily – this one fits better in my wallet and now I have a system where my payment cards are in the front, loyalty cards in the middle, and cards I rarely have to use like my license and insurance cards are in the back.  This is a very practical and nice gift.  This would also go great with a new designer handbag for mom.  🙂

Blu Bags

With more cities and states banning plastic bags, lifestyle brand rockflowerpaper has just introduced bright, bold and colorful blu bags. Not only do they take the place of plastic or paper shopping bags, but rockflowerpaper will also donate 20 cents per bag sold, (a minimum of $50,000 over three years) to help Ocean Conservancy, who uses science-based research to find innovative, sustainable solutions for the ocean’s biggest threats. FYI, the average American uses 300 plastic bags per year and one bag can take 1,000 years to disintegrate. 

• Come in bright, bold colors and feature original and distinctive rockflowerpaper designs including lobsters, flowers, cabana stripes, whales’ tails, ikat and more
  
• Stuff into a pouch, which is attached to the bag with a carabiner so it doesn’t get lost OR can be rolled and secured with an elastic band
  

• are great for travel

• Make a great gift or stocking stuffer
  
• Are machine-washable
  
• Hold up to 50 lbs
  
• Are sold separately or in coordinating packs of three in a handy pouch.

In my opinion no one can really have enough reusable bags.  We use these for so many things at our house.  The material is smooth and strong, and I love that these are machine washable.  These would be great to add to any stocking this Christmas!

Adult Coloring Book

I am very pleased to announce that Put Me In The Story, the #1 personalized books site in the U.S., now carries the first-ever personalized adult coloring book – Keep Calm and Color On by Illustrator Katie Martin!

Color your stress away in this personalized coloring book where beautiful coloring pages are peppered with inspiring quotes to calm your mind and lift your spirits.

A great personalized gift for the holidays, each copy of Keep Calm and Color On is personalized with your name on the front and back cover, a special dedication page, and a coloring page where your name is a part of the illustration. Keep Calm and Color On is the only adult coloring book that features YOU!

I don’t know why, but I’ve been loving this new trend of adult coloring books.  It gives me a reason to relax in front of a movie and use my brand new sharpies. I’m giving this book to a friend this year and I know she will LOVE it!

Fridge Magnets, Magnetic Photo Frames, and Magnetic Boards

If you haven’t checked out my Etsy shop yet, then I’d love it if you’d head over there to see Magnet Menagerie. I have some very affordable refrigerator magnets, magnetic photo frames and round magnetic boards.  These fridge magnets easily hold up card stock – great for the kiddos art work that not all fridge magnets are strong enough for!  There are many styles to choose from and magnet sets are just $5!  Grab a frame or magnetic board too and personalize it with a special picture or letter tile magnets!

If you are reading this before 11/20/15, GO HERE and enter to win a $50 Christopher & Banks gift card for mom!!!

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