December 22nd, 2012

Ten Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Not only do I need to finish my holiday shopping, but I need to start getting things for stocking stuffers. This is the first year we will be doing it as a family since my son is old enough now and it seems worth the effort. I just bought some stockings from PotteryBarn (on sale, free shipping and free monograming!) Yes, I even got one for the dogs. Now for the stuff.

My favorite place to go is the Dollar Store, Christmas Tree Shops and Home Goods. There are some great things like tissue, body lotion, toothbrushes, and other little trinkets that you stumble upon. My other favorite place is CVS (Walgreens and Rite Aid are great too!) Check out their respective circulars and coupons. You can get some great deals.

But if you are looking for fun, fabulous and fresh – here are some 1o stocking stuffer ideas with links to some products you may want to scoop up or run out and get:

  • Pretty Polish – There are so many gorgeous shades. Be bold and pick up a fun color like this set from Sephora.
  • Note Cards or Journal – Find an elegant print to inspire the written word, like these note cards from PoshPeacock. I also found this cute set at Home Goods for $5.
  • Festive Earrings – Think handmade, recycled glass, like these from Etsy. If you are in a time crunch, head to a local second hand shop or boutique in your hometown & pick up something one of a kind.
  • Fun Socks – Like the ones from Little Missmatched or just some fluffy socks
  • Bath Products – Pampering products are always in style. Make it yourself for a homemade touch or I love this new product from LUSH. So cool.
  • Magazines – Fashion, fitness, food – you name it. Just fit the style of the recipient.
  • ‘App’ Gift Card – Small dollar amounts work since many smartphone apps are less than a buck, and these days, that comes in handy all year long for music or games.
  • Fun Bracelet – Like this one made from guitar strings.
  • A Lump of Coal – Just make sure it is a playful take, like this gum.
  • A Portable Game – For impromptu fun, like these little word teasers.
  • Luxuriously Functional Lotion – You want them to use it! Like the eco-friendly packaging, cruelty-free, healing creams from the Carmex brand! Hands down my favorite practical lotion for dry skin.

Hopefully these ideas inspire you!

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Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post.

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November 12th, 2012

Personalized Santa Video: “Your Santa Story”

I want to share with you something that will knock your Christmas stockings off.

If you’ve done Elf on the Shelf, or those personalized letters from Santa, then this is totally for you. It is a personalized Santa video called, “Your Santa Story.”

YOUR_SANTA_STORY

It is a customized DVD featuring Santa Claus (think real white beard, jello belly and a twinkle in his eye kind-of Santa) that will address your kids by name and talk about how Santa is proud of Timmy sleeping in his new big boy bed, Sarah being such a great big sister or Michael getting straight As in Math. But here is the real deal.

It’s not one of those, “Hi, I’m Santa. It was great to visit your house [insert automated name here.]” Nope, this Santa…err…{note kids may be reading over your shoulder} comes back from the North Pole after delivering the toys, tiptoeing past Fido & eating your specialty cookies. Since Santa has to make a custom DVD for each family who…umm…wants one, they are in limited supply. Santa only has so much time in the day.

Santa lets the family know that there will be special surprise coming the day after Christmas by leaving a calling card somewhere in the house where the kids will find it. Then, the morning after Christmas (or the night of Christmas), Santa leaves a video message and one last surprise.

Santa decided to send me an advanced copy since I’ve been a decent Mom this year. Since it’s pre-Christmas, and Santa is busy in his workshop, I needed to give Santa a heads up and you will too. I filled out a form online where I put in my kids’ names, how to pronounce them, the names of our pets, the type of cookies we would leave out for Santa and some special things that my kids did this year. I also shared a little hint on where Santa could leave one last Christmas gift. I hit “submit’ and waited for my DVD to arrive.

When I got it, I popped it in the DVD one day when the kids took a nap. After watching it, I called my Mom, my brother, and my friend. I had to show them because I was blown away.

Santa nailed it. Click here to see a video sample.

With Christmas fast approaching, make sure you get your order in as soon as possible to ensure delivery by Christmas morning, and maybe check out the weekly Facebook giveaway too – if you win one, you can take the cost of the DVD ($29.95) and splurge on another holiday present. Santa speaks English, Spanish and Sign Language. He also has special messages for Military families. {Santa rocks.}

Santa creates an amazing way to create lasting memories for your family, from little ones who are in awe of Santa to big kids who need a nudge to keep believing. It is such a wonderful opportunity to bring the sparkle back to Christmas. This personalized Santa video from Santa is definitely one of my top finds of 2012.

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December 5th, 2011

Gift Ideas for Hard to Buy for People

Presents for IvySo are you getting stressed out yet about your holiday shopping? Especially shopping for the people on your list that you just don’t know what to get for them?

The best thing to think about for those hard-to-buy for people on your list is not to think about what object to get, but what service to get. In other words, think less about buying a wool sweater and more about getting a dry cleaning certificate. Don’t give just a restaurant gift certificate, but combine it with an offer to pay for a babysitter or be the babysitter yourself. Give a book of car washes or a car detail gift certificate. Offer to mow the lawn or shovel the walkway for the season. Or give a gift certificate to Peapod or other delivery service to give someone a grocery shopping break. My personal favorite gift is a spa gift certificate – what a better gift than one of pampering because, let’s face it, when do most of us take the time for some pampering.

Congratulations to Julie for winning the 3rd day of the Charlene Chronicles’ 12 Days of Holiday Giveaways: a $25 Spa Wish gift certificate good at hundreds of spas across the country.

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Image Credit: EdenPictures

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September 30th, 2011

Smilebox Review

Image representing Smilebox  as depicted in Cr...

Image via CrunchBase

The slogan for company Smilebox is “Create a Little Happiness”. A few years ago, when I got a Smilebox email from my Dad with pictures of him in Afghanistan, it was the way I could see him (before Skype became mainstream) in an element that an ordinary email attachment couldn’t do. Music, pictures that told a story, and more personal than an e-card.

Since then, the company has grown. More options, more choices and even a cool iPhone app where you can add characters, art and words to your ordinary pictures.

Smilebox Photo

But at the heart, it is still the same. The opportunity to take your photos, put them in a musical slide show to say Hello, Merry Christmas, or Happy Birthday. A way to share new baby photos or your vacation pictures set to music that captures the essence of your trip and your love for family. Or a unique way to invite people to a special event.

It is all free, but if you want an ad-free experience, you can sign up for a membership. You can also add Smilebox to your tool bar (Mac or PC) making it easy at anytime to create a scrapbook, make a slideshow, or send an email to the grandparents with the grandkids pictures from soccer practice that day. There are tons of designs, themes, music and picture possibilities, and if you install Smilebox, it even recognizes when you upload new photos to your computer and asks if you want to make a Smilebox creation from the new pix.

You can then share your creation directly from Smilebox: Email it, Burn it to DVD, Save it, Facebook it, or Tweet it. For bloggers, you can upload to WordPress or Blogger directly, which is an unique way to share a product review or blogging event.

To give you a real feel for Smilebox, here is a slideshow to show its slice of happiness. If only you knew how quickly it was to create. Thus, it is possible to create a Smilebox and wow the family before dinner with a toddler in tow.

Smilebox rocks, my friends.

Click to play this Smilebox slideshow
Create your own slideshow - Powered by Smilebox
This free slideshow design created with Smilebox

 

Congrats to Sarah for winning a year’s worth of Smilebox premium membership. (Valued at $39.99). I got one, as compensation, and it’s awesome!

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