Since Baby C. was born our house has become sort of overrun by baby things. And by sort of I mean that she may actually have more furniture and “stuff” than I had in my first and second apartments combined. I’ve been meaning to share the reviews of some of the items we’ve found most useful – and the ones most loved by her.
So over the next week or so I’ll be sharing “Baby C.’s Favorite Things” – a guide to some of the best products to consider if you’re expecting or looking to purchase a baby gift. None of these posts are sponsored nor did I receive any of the items for free. They’re just great products I think you’d love, too.
Halloween was always a fun event growing up in my family. We lived in a sort of rural area and this meant that Trick or Treating was not a walking affair. We would put on our Halloween costumes, load into the car, and then drive around to each house to collect candy, homemade popcorn balls, and other goodies (we only went to the houses of friends and family).
After we were done making all our stops we would head to my grandparents house for homemade donuts, brownies and cider and wait for my 1st cousins to arrive. Then we’d dump out our candy and trade each other for favorites. Over the years more and more people would make my grandparents’ house their last stop – or in some cases, their only stop – so they could enjoy the homemade donuts and other goodies and to visit with friends and family they didn’t often see. On some Halloweens the crowd grew to nearly 100 – not bad considering the population of the town was only 1500.Continue reading »
I love receiving them, I love giving them, I even enjoy putting together that perfect basket on occasion. I very vividly recall what is probably the best gift basket I ever had. It was during my senior year of high school, when I went to Walt Disney World with my math class. My family is all well aware of what a “Disney freak” I am and so my Mom wanted to do something special for us. She also knew that one of the people sharing my room was a friend who had never been to Disney (hadn’t even been out of state, if I remember correctly), so she wanted to start us off right.
So when we got checked into our room we discovered this huge refrigerated bag (printed with Mickey & friends) filled with all kinds of snacks and drinks and other goodies. It couldn’t have been a more perfect way to sprinkle our trip with pixie dust. Funny how a basket of food can get four girls all excited.
Gift Basket & Delivery Box
Putting a gift basket together can be just as fun. But there are times when you want to do something special for someone but need something faster and easier while still looking great and showing some thought. GourmetGiftBasket.com can help you with that.
GourmetGiftBaskets.com just sent us this Classic Snack Gift Basket to check out. I have to say, it was awesome. My husband loved it because there were so many items that contained nuts and he loves every kind of nut there is. Just seeing the box it was delivered in was enough to get everyone excited. The box was printed with their logo and colors.
Once we opened it we were even more excited. The basket was tied up in a festive raffia bow and came with a personalized gift card. And while I appreciate a nice bow and packaging I didn’t get to appreciate them for long; everyone wanted to hurry and try all the yumminess it contained! There were:
Dipping pretzels: These were great; even my husband who says he’s not a big “pretzel person” liked them.
Raspberry Honey Mustard Pretzel Dip: I loved this stuff. It definitely has a little kick to it, which I enjoyed.
Key Lime White Chocolate Chip Cookies: These were by far my favorite product. Kind of a shortbread/butter cookie with a touch of key lime taste and white chocolate chip chunks mixed in. SO good (and addictive!).
Petite Cheese Biscuits: Nice cheesy little bites of goodness.
Metropolitan Trail Mix: Everyone in the family loved sampling this. I loved the dried pineapple, especially.
Buttered Peanut Crunch: I didn’t get to try these because hubby commandeered them and they disappeared. Guess that should tell you that they were good!
Peanut roll: Another thing that hubby snatched and disappeared with. He said it was pretty good.
Snack mix: This appears to have been replaced by peanuts in he current basket. They’re by the same company so I would guess they are also tasty.
You know how sometimes you get a gift basket or sampler and there are a few things that you’re, like, “eh”? Definitely not the case with these. There honestly wasn’t one thing that at least one of us loved. Everything from the delivery time (a couple of days) to the packaging (everything arrived intact) to the product itself was above expectations. And the basket the goodies came in is now being used to corral all the things that used to get tossed on the end of our counter (keys, etc.).
Snack Gift Basket from GourmetGiftBaskets.com
My brother has been asking for suggestions on what to get his groomsmen as thank-you gifts for participating in the wedding. I could definitely see suggesting this basket to him as their gift. Or even this golf-themed “Hitting the Range” basket (love the cute ball-bucket they use as the basket!) as they’re all avid golfers.
Then I started thinking that these would make great care packages for A1 while she’s at college this year. I was pleased to find they have an entire section on their site just for college care packages! The Exam Cram Care Package (the included ramen is a nice “college-y” touch) and the Junk Food Care Package (she loves Easy Mac) are my two faves.
I was surprised to learn that GourmetGiftBaskets.com started back in 1940! That’s a testament to their great products and service. But if for some reason you’re not 100% happy, they do have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. They’ll make it right or refund your money.
Where to Buy
The Snack Gift Basket sells for $59.99. You can purchase it (or any other product) online from GourmetGiftBaskets.com or you can place your order over the phone by calling 1-866-842-1050.
Want to Win?
Snack Gift Basket from GourmetGiftBaskets.com
GourmetGiftBaskets.com is giving away a Snack Gift Basket (like the one pictured above) to one lucky Shopping for Savings reader! Simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter. (Please note: Rafflecopter sometimes takes an extra moment to load. If you don’t see it right away, please give it just a moment.)
I apologize for being mostly MIA for the past few days, other than getting a few of the deals posted for you. It’s been extra hectic at work (I work full-time; not sure if I’ve ever thought to share that, or not), plus all the regular household stuff we all have going on. I’ll be more on my game now as things have temporarily quieted.
Pooh and Friends
I did want to share the reminder that the Winnie the Pooh movie comes out tomorrow! You definitely want to take the kiddos to see it – or even go and see it by yourself. Over the weekend we had the pleasure of attending a special screening of it and – oh my. So sweet! I love that they stayed true to the “old” feeling of Pooh by using the hand-drawn art style. Narrated by John Cleese (love him!), the story has the gang on a quest to save Christopher Robin from an imaginary culprit. Plus trying to find a new tail for Eeyore (who has always been one of my favorite Disney characters)! The kiddos gave it a 4 out of 5, and I’d give it a 5, myself. There’s one part where Pooh uses his belly as a drum that was particularly appreciated by the folks in the theater.
Pooh and his Hunny Pot
Pooh is one of Baby C’s favorite characters, too, right now – her eyes light up when she sees him and she loves on her stuffed Pooh Bear and Eeyore when she naps in her swing or in her car seat while we’re driving. So when this comes out on DVD, it’s going to be a must-buy, for sure. I honestly think that you and your family will love this film, too.
The great folks at Disney and Walt Disney Motion Picture Studios have also released some awesome activities and recipes. There are a couple of cake pop recipes from Bakerella herself (love her stuff), plus additional sweet treats and crafts. You can find the entire collection here.
If you haven’t had a chance to catch any of the previews for this film yet, here’s a trailer for you:
Winnie the Pooh is rated G and is in theaters everywhere tomorrow.
Let me leave you with some of Pooh’s Philosophy on life.
“I am a bear of very little brain and long words bother me.”
“If everything is honey and I am what I eat, I must be made of honey and life is sweet.”
“It’s good to face your fears, especially when you’ve been hiding from them for awhile.”
If you see the film, please leave a comment and share your thoughts and your favorite part!
The PR company provided my family and I with passes to the screening. No additional compensation was received and all opinions are, as always, 100% my and my family’s.
Are you traveling this summer? We don’t have any trips planned until we head to Maine in October for my brother’s wedding, but we are already looking forward to a family vacation next summer and making plans for a bigger trip in either 2013 or 2014. Finding ways to save on travel has always been my M.O. and with the economy still not doing all that well, I know that people are looking for ways to save more so than ever before.
Wilderness Lodge
One option that you may want to consider is a timeshare rental. Timeshare rentals are typically up to 50% cheaper than hotels and can allow you to stay at luxury hotels or resorts that you may not have found to be inside your budget through regular retail. Not only can they be less expensive but you’re getting more space; timeshares have separate bedrooms, a living room, a dining area, a kitchen and either a balcony or a patio.
The kitchens are one of the things that make timeshare rentals such a great value. You have a full-sized and fully-stocked food prep and storage area available 24 hours a day. Instead of having to get up early and try and get your group showered and ready for the day in time to have breakfast you can sleep in an extra few minutes, grab an inexpensive breakfast at the rental, and then start your day.
Nassau, Bahamas
Most resorts also have great entertainment for the kiddos (and adults!). Pools are pretty standard and most have waterpark features, hot tubs, playgrounds, tennis courts and arcade rooms. Some rental properties also have mini-golf, volleyball, and bocci ball tourneys. If you’d like to get a little social and meet new people while you’re traveling, some rental resorts host arts and crafts classes, ice cream socials and BBQ cookouts.
So how do you find a rental? Well, you can start by searching a site like RedWeek.com. RedWeek got it’s name from the term “red week”, which in the timeshare industry refers to a prime time to own a timeshare. Relating the term to their company, RedWeek feels they are the best in the business. They are the largest online timeshare marketplace with more than 1.5 million registered users and they have an A+ Better Business Bureau rating.
Honolulu, Hawaii
I searched around their site and one thing I found really excited me. There are rentals listed for Disney properties! And not just at Disney World, but also in Hawaii and Hilton Head. I’ve always wanted to stay in a DVC property, and this site would allow me to do that. Prices for Disney rentals start at about $100/night which is very reasonable. If you don’t have a set destination in mind like I did, just check out their main page; it has a quick-look at the top rental destinations (Bahamas from $57/night? Hmm…..)
If you’re considering a timeshare vacation, or you’d just like to learn more about some of the resort locations, a paid membership to RedWeek.com allows you access to reviews, contact information and more. And one of you will win a free 2-year membership!
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com created by WebBizIdeas.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.
