Jun 062013
 


Growing up I recall hearing on many occasions the following sound:

“Argh, argh, argh!”

which was then echoed by “More power!”

You may recognize that as the catch phrase – and grunt – of a certain television handyman.  My father enjoyed watching the show, and I think that’s because he secretly thought that adding more power to pretty much anything was a good idea.  He’s quite a handy guy himself which was useful because when he helped my paternal grandfather and my maternal grandparents run their farms, you have to be ready to put equipment back together at the drop of a hat.

There’s really no reason that more power needs to be relegated solely to lawn mowers, tractors, or grills.  Why not more power for your mouth?  Power in the form of the Oral-B electric toothbrush.  I mean, who doesn’t want to up the game of their current toothbrush and put their best smile forward? Continue reading »

May 022013
 

Thanks to I See Me for providing us with a great personalized book to enjoy.

I’ve seen, read, received and given a lot of personalized books in my day.  I’ve always enjoyed them because there’s just something special about getting a book with your own name and/or photo in it, immersing you in the story.  I had wanted to order one for Bubbles for her birthday this year because she’s very much into books and loves to recognize her own name and picture.  Most personalized books, however, are geared for older children through adults, with easily-torn paper pages and more grown-up themes.

I See Me Personalized Books for Toddlers & Kids

So I was very pleased to come across the I See Me collection of personalized books and other gifts.  They have books for pretty much every occasion: birthdays, Easter, Christmas, being a big sister, being a big brother.  And then they have lots of personalized books that are “just because” like My Own Fairy Tale, My Own Pirate Tale, and other similar titles. Continue reading »

Feb 122013
 

Easy Valentine’s Knotted Fleece Pillow

DIY Crafts for Valentine's - "Torn" Pillow

Even before having a family of my own Family Fun magazine has always been one of my favorites.  I subscribe to a number of magazines but Family Fun is one that I save each issue to refer to later.  It always has lots of fun activities, recipes, and crafts to do and make with the kiddos.  In their recent December/January edition they had some cute DIY gifts that kids could make and one suggestion was for baseball and football knotted fleece pillows.  As soon as I saw them I knew I’d love to do a heart-shaped one for Valentine’s Day.

One of the best parts of this craft project is how quick and easy it is to complete.  Bubbles generally naps for about 45 minutes and I had time to do a couple of chores before sitting down to make the pillow.  I think they’re really cute and will be a nice homemade addition to Bubbles’ Valentine’s gift. Continue reading »

Jan 142013
 

I love quick and easy recipes that also make great gifts and these chocolate covered pretzels fit that bill!  Packaged in an easy DIY Valentine’s Day Treat Bag with stickers, they make a cute gift for Valentine’s Day.  They’re also really easy for kids to help make.  Bubbles helped me make a batch yesterday and she had a great time mixing, sprinkling, and dipping.

Easy Chocolate Covered Pretzels for Valentine's Day

If you have a child in elementary school these might make a nice Valentine for their friends. Just add their names for a personalized Valentine’s treat.  Even junior high- and high school-aged kids like to give valentines and these could work for them too.  Personally, I wouldn’t mind receiving a bag of these either. Continue reading »

Dec 092012
 

All of the items on my shopping list are slowly getting crossed off.  I’m not as done today as I was at this same time last year, but I’m not worried.  I know what I need, I just need to get out there and get it.  I don’t really know why I’m behind, though; our list only grew by one name.  That name is Gus, my father-in-law’s dog that was his Christmas present last year.

Stocking Stuffers, Pet Gifts, and Gift Ideas

Continue reading »