About Liza

2011 Holiday Gift Guide – Suggestions For Her
(Be sure to check out all the other great Gift Guide items and giveaways here.)

You may already have your outfits selected for all the holiday parties this season, but have you thought about your accessories yet? One item I consider an accessory – and that I love to shop for – is nail polish. Nail polish to me is really quite awesome; it finishes off any look, is easy to change and allows you to keep up with seasonal trends without breaking the bank.

If you’re like me in your love of polish – or you have someone on your shopping list that is – you will love Julep’s holiday sets. Whether as a gift or stocking stuffer any of their polishes would be sure to please.

Julep is a boutique nail salon that is also a place where girlfriends can go to take a moment for fun and style. They want to be a space where women can gather and find themselves, to connect and celebrate as part of a community. They are very focused on their message and they put their money where their mouth is; $1 of every nail color sold goes to organizations that support women. Check out the below pilot clip of the PBS show “Trendspotting” to see more.

I love burgundys and other shades along those lines so I’m really enjoying the Demi polish in the Julep Holiday Reds set (see below). The Brooklyn shade is my next favorite of the three; I enjoy the touch of sparkle that really steps it up for the holidays. The third shade is called January and it’s a real, tomato-red with a bit of shine to it. I’ve never tried wearing true reds but I’m looking forward giving it a try at one of my upcoming parties. I love the quality of the polishes and how easy they are to apply. They also wear nicely; a lot of polishes chip I use chip after the first day or two because of the amount of time I spend at the keyboard and these did not. I’m totally in love.

I also really like the Silver Belle’s Holiday Polish Collection (I’m a sucker for silver and slate gray).

And if you’d like to make an entire group of friends smile for the holidays, consider purchasing the Julep Spa Pedicure At-Home Party for 6. It comes with four polish colors, topcoat, basecoat, Pomegranate Body Creme, Cosmopolitan Mix and 6 each of the following: orange sticks, nail brushes, toe separators, nail files, and pedi slippers. (If Santa’s elves are reading I want this please.)

Where to Buy:

All of the holiday collections – and much more – can be found on Julep’s site. Both the Holiday Reds and Silver Belles collections retail for $42 and the Pedicutre Kit for 6 retails for $84 (a $145 value). As a special for you all Julep has given us promo code SHOPPINGFORSAVINGS – use it to take 15% off your purchase!

Want to Win?

One winner will receive the Holiday Reds Collection! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family’s.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide – Stocking Stuffer Suggestions

(Be sure to check out all the other great Gift Guide items and giveaways here.)

In addition to the cute Storybook PJs I shared with you earlier, Little Toader also produces the Appeteether. These “Appetizer Teethers” are a fun and unique choice of teether for your little one.

The Appeteethers currently come in two varieties (though a little birdie tells me additional selections may soon be on the way): Chompin’ Chicken Wing and Baby-Q Ribs. It’s kind of funny to watch your little one chomping away on their own BBQ rib.

The teethers were designed to me more than humorous – they’re made to reduce teething discomfort. All Little Toader teething toys are nontoxic, BPA-free, lead free, PVC free, and Phthalate free. Each batch of Appeteethers is tested by an independent third party organization to ensure the highest level of safety and comply with all Consumer Product Safety Commission requirements. They also have varying colors and textures to stimulate baby’s senses.

Baby C. loves hers; she chews on it all day. It’s held up excellently, even now that she is sporting one very sharp little tooth!

Where to Buy:

You can purchase Appeteethers from the Little Toader website. Regular retail is $14.99, but until December 31, 2011 everything is at least 30% off, so they are $9.99. They also come in a sampler pack with one of each for $18.89 (reg. $26.99).

Want to Win?

One reader will win their choice of a Chicken Wing or Rib teether. To enter click here and fill out the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of the post.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide – Suggestions For Babies/Toddlers

There’s a cute concept in the world of pajamas and it comes courtesy of a company called Little Toader. They have designed Storybook PJs, a themed set that includes a book and a pair of PJs.

Little Toader is owned run by husband and wife team Lori and Michael and is located in Florida. With three children of their own (and one on the way) they often found themselves saying “they should make…” And so they decided to do just that. They’ve created a line of safe, unique and fun items for babies and kids.

I had the pleasure of meeting the Little Toader folks at the ABC Kids Expo this year and they were such a sweet couple. You can tell they have passion around their products and their work and it was infectious. They also produce the Appeteether which will make your little one giggle.

The Storybook PJs come with a book – Adventures in Dreams – that is meant to be read while the pajamas are worn. The images used in the book correspond to the images printed on the PJs. So as you read the book they can search for the images on their jammies to make it more interactive.

The PJs are unisex and are 100% cotton with a snug-fit design for safety. They’re really cute and the water color effect gives them kind of a soft, brushed look. I would encourage you to order the next size up, though. We have the 6-12 month size and Baby C. fell in the weight and height range indicated on the size chart, but they were a little small for her.

One reader will win a set of Storybook PJs in size 12-18 months or 18 months. Giveaway closed.

I received a product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family’s.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide – Suggestions For Babies/Toddlers
(Be sure to check out all the other great Gift Guide items and giveaways here.)

I think pretty much everyone has caught a commercial for the Gyro Bowl at one point or another. We’ve seen it dozens of times and have sometimes wondered – with a hefty dose of skepticism – whether the bowl actually works. Well, it does.

We received a Gyro bowl recently and so far everything we’ve put in it has stayed put while we’ve twirled it around. Granted, we haven’t tried liquids yet (that particular experiment is an “outdoor fun” kind of thing and needs to wait until warmer weather), but everything else has been fine. Baby C. loves playing with it, too; she turns it around and around, and tries to spin the inner portion.

If you’re looking for a stocking stuffer for the tot set, this could be a good choice. In addition to the fact that it will keep their snacks from spilling all over the car on trips to Grandma’s, it also doubles as a bit of a toy and will give them a little distraction.

The Gyro Bowl is BPA-free and top-rack dishwasher safe.

Where to Buy:

You can find them in most stores that sell “As Seen On TV” items or you can purchase two bowls for $14.99 (B1G1F) plus shipping online.

Want to Win?

One winner will receive a Gyro Bowl of their own. To win, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family’s.

Make at Home Monday is late this week, but I wanted to share with you a quick and easy decorative Christmas craft that you can make: Christmas Clothesline Swag.

Christmas Craft - DIY Christmas Clothesline

I first saw this sold by AVON like a decade ago and I thought it was so cute. After buying one for my Mom, I thought it would be really easy to duplicate so I made a few of my own. Once you make one, you’ll probably make five; they’re quick and easy to customize to fit whatever decorating theme you follow. You could do felt top hats and carrots, plus buttons, and have a snowman clothesline; knit socks and hats, thermal long-johns, and scarves for a general winter theme; or felt and wrapped candies for a Visions of Sugarplums theme. Use your imagination; the ability to personalize is one of the best parts of this project.

To make, all you need, is…

Clothesline (or cording)

Mini clothespins (I’ve seen them at Walmart, Michael’s, etc.)

Miniature or doll-sized winter or Santa clothes

Cut a length of cording about 6″ longer than you want your finished swag to be. Tie off a small loop at both ends (for hanging). Starting a few inches from one end, move along the length of the cord and attach the mini clothespins at evenly-spaced intervals.

Use 1-2 clothespins to attach an article of clothing or other item, as shown below.

Christmas Craft - Santa's Clothes for the Clothesline

Christmas Craft - Santa's Socks for the Clothesline

There are a number of different places you can find items to clip. I found a cute pair of mittens at Hallmark this season; they were a package tie-on, and cost less than $1. You can also check the newborn section of clothing stores for socks and maybe even hats and mittens; make a few items from felt; or raid your kiddos’ dolls for some of their accessories.

What theme would you choose if you were going to make a Christmas Clothesline swag?

Views From the Ville

Liza

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Deck Your Nails With Julep Polishes – Review & Giveaway (US; ends 12/23)

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Little Toader Appeteethers – Review & Giveaway (Us/Can; ends 12/22)

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Little Toader Storybook PJs – Review

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Gyro Bowl – Review & Giveaway (US; ends 12/22)

Decorative Christmas Clothesline Swag Decoration – Make at Home Monday