Entries in ideas (3)

Monday
Nov232009

My Picks for Holiday Gifts for Girls

Having been blessed with two little girls, it was only fitting that I share my top picks for holiday girl gifts. Find everything from unique, affordable ideas to perfect splurge presents for the princesses in your life. In addition to these, think about creating a yearly tradition where you get each child a special vintage book or a matching pair of family pajamas, whatever you decide, these traditions will help create a sense of history and solidify the family memories you are creating. Happy Holidays! Enjoy! 

NEWBORN

Under $25.00

Sophie the Giraffe

Sophie is the perfect toy for the newborn baby. Mamas everywhere are talking about how attracted and enthralled their little ones are with this giraffes charismatic face. They love to stare and babble with their new friend and it makes a great teether too!

Ultimate Splurge

 K's Kids Ryan Activity Center

Let your newborn be enthralled with this beautiful zebra which has tons of toys and accessories that will grow with your little one. From just hanging out on their play mat to a great companion while they're on tummy time to a fantastic ride on toy, this gift will last for years and years!

6-12 MONTHS

Under $25.00Madame Alexander Baby Doll

Don't think that your baby is too young for their first doll, especially this one! I was shocked when my 9 month old A got her first doll and absolutely adored it. She would take it everywhere with her! And this Madame Alexander doll is just perfect for little ones. It is soft and snuggly with an adorable face they will just fall in love with. This one is hard to find, so don't wait too long to snatch one up!

Ultimate Splurge 

Activity CubeThis activity cube is the best we have found and no playroom is complete without these reliable toys. Not only does it give you several activities from which to choose from and learn, this cube has storage bins and wheels making it easy to move. The top can even be flipped for additional storage, a huge bonus!

1-2 YEARS

Under $25.00

Rainbow Bead Abacus

Small tots will love sliding the colorful beads over and side to side. Watch how they use their little fingers to grab one or a few. Not only will these toys help fine tune their motor skills, but as they grow older, the abacus can be used to teach colors, counting and eventually more complex math skills.

Ultimate Splurge 

Yookidoo Discovery Playhouse DomeHours of stimulating play and a perfect hide-away! Activities on both the inside and outside encourage physical and cognitive development through rewarding, imaginative play. It includes ball play, shape sorting, posting and peek-a-boo games in bright colors with fun light and sounds.

3-4 YEARS

Under $25.00

 

Minnie Mouse Cash Register

What a fantastic value! This toy will get hours and hours of use as they mimic one of your favorite activities/chores - shopping! They will be fascinated with the buttons, accessories and moving parts. T

Ultimate Splurge

Wooden Doll House

So beautiful, so classic, she'll treasure this wood dollhouse forever. Heirloom-quality craftsmanship with everything included!. Loaded with darling touches that inspire imaginative play: a garage, patio, gardening tools, even a vacuum and ironing board. We are buying our own little girl her first dollhouse and I have spent months finding the perfect one at the best value. This one cannot be beat!

Sustainable Bamboo Sunshine Doll House

I couldn't help but include this masterpiece, although it is a bit of a splurge! It is the first of it's kind, sustainable dollhouse offering children eco-friendly materials combined with contemporary designs and modern technology. The Bamboo Sunshine Dollhouse from Hape International is a step above the rest with its working solar panels and an add-on greenhouse in which children can really grow small plants herbs or wheatgrass. 
Let your tot fascinate themselves with role play with all their is to offer!

5-6 YEARS

Under $25.00

Rose Tin Tea Set & Carry Case

Little girls love playing tea party. Look at this fabulous set we found. The details are extraordinary and the price is just right! It will look like a vintage set from decades ago, ready to become a cherished heirloom!

Ultimate Splurge

Princess Play TentWhat a magnificent addition to any girls room or play area. This gorgeous tent will transform any space and open little girls imaginations as they create world's of their own.
 

7-9 YEARS

Under $25.00

Paper Recycling Studio

This fun and educational toy will teach girls how to recycle and create their own paper. They will be amazed at the beautiful stationary they can create by adding in their own decorative objects and embedding different materials.

Ultimate Splurge

Doorway Circus Puppet Theater

Another fantastic toy so kids can express their creativity and personality. This wonderful theater will inspire them to imagine and recreate stories and plays in their own unique way.

10-12 YEARS

Under $25.00

Fairy Sadie Jewelry Box

A delicate fairy print adds a sweet touch to this jewelry box. Perfect for storing kids' most treasured items, the box is lined with velvet and has an interior mirror and a ballerina that spins to Beethoven's Fur Elise

Ultimate Splurge

Ultimate Pottery Wheel

Let your little one discover their inner potter! This wonderful toy will engage their artistic side while learning the physics of making pottery. The perfect tool to capture their attention and imagination! 

13-15 YEARS

Under $25.00

Crushed Glitter Belt

No matter their style, this belt will make any girl happy and give a sparkle to her day. From spunky punk rocker to preppy vintage diva, the glitter belt will accessorize and finish any look!

Ultimate Splurge

Ribbon-tied Long Pearl Necklace

An instant heirloom, this a necklace she'll wear forever. And she'll never forget opening the delicate box it came in. Freshwater pearls are tied with a beautiful grey grosgrain ribbon. 

 

Thursday
Nov122009

Halloween Party

The Halloween Party was a huge success. The kids had a great time and I can't believe we had over 2,000 trick-or-treaters and we still have candy leftover! If you haven't heard, check out www.halloweencandybuyback.com. Dentists and orthodontists (like my friend Elaine) all over the country buy back your extra candy and send it to the troops. It's a great cause!

Here are some images of the pics and the various home-made activities we created for them. Since so many friends contributed their ideas, help and materials, it was easy (and affordable) to put this together!

Setting a Halloween Scene

Caution Tape Covering Large Ground

Family Portrait Background

Evening at the "Graveyard"

Festive Sandwiches made with Cookie Cutters
Halloween Buffet

Baby Baskets Retrofitted for Halloween


Pumpkin Decorating

Make your Own Spider

Mr. Potato Head Pumpkins "Fish" for Spider (Rings with Straws)

Bumblee and BatmanBaby Pirate

Thursday
Sep242009

Halloween!

Yipee!! The holidays are here.  When I was little I always wished we were the house with the monthly decorations celebrating each and every holiday, however minor it was.  And although we weren't very gung ho on many events, my mom did a great job of decking us out for Halloween, even bringing out her dusty sewing machine and putting together amazing costumes year after year.

On top of that heritage, the street we live on is THE street for Halloween.  We had no idea what were getting into when we signed the lease two Junes ago.  Well, come September we started getting warnings from our neighbors to start stocking up on candy.  We then find out that our street is the official trick-or-treating street for the entire village (over 10,000 residents and their guests); they blockade the streets, the neighbors go wild with decorations and kids start swarming the streets at 3pm! It was like a dream come true.  I could finally buy some cobwebs and bats and goblins and go all out.  Well, I went a quarter of the way.  C had just been born a few weeks before so I was recovering but happy to celebrate a huge event.  We quickly found out we could only give out ONE piece of candy per customer or we would have been cleaned out in an hour.  We ended up having to get replenishments somewhere around 8pm though.  It was madness but so exciting.  I can hardly wait for this year.  (Oh and hopefully this year our cool strobe light with the spooky sounds won't get swiped...I'm taping it down this year folks!)

Now, onto Halloween costume ideas....Here is what A dressed up as her first two years and what baby C looked like too.

And here's what I got for them this year...

Baby C will be a little pirate. Here's what I have for her so far....

RaeGun Pirate Outfit on EtsyThis cute outfit will make it easy for her to crawl and can also be used as separates at other times of the year. I love the fact that it's not made of synthetic material too!  A great touch on this outfit are the brass detailed buttons on the back and the black contrast stiching.  Feels very custom made at a great price!

Banana Pies Pirate Clip on EtsySince she refuses to keep a hat on and will probably not handle the eye patch well, I wanted to make sure people knew what she was dressed up as.  This cute clip was the perfect answer!

Plush Parrot at Oriental Trading Company

Throw in lots of bracelets, some leggings if it's cold and her cute black mary janes and she's set.

And now precious A.  Ah, yes, well A has never had the same affinity to Halloween or ANY type of dress-up since she was little.  Although A is a "girly girl" (favorite color is pink, she is obsessed with shoes, loves her dolls, etc, etc.), she has NEVER worn a princess dress.  She actually refuses to even wear smocks when it's craft time.  So I have tricked her the last couple of years by dressing her in costumes that look like her regular clothes.  So far, so good.  This year, I wanted to see if she had outgrown this aversion but no luck.  I did give her some choices though.  I mentioned Alice in Wonderland, Dora, Ponyo (her idol) but nothing seemed to interest her.  Then, I found this cute bumblee dress (on Etsy of course) and she bit!  She has been buzzing ever since and seems to be excited about her new dress.  Unfortunately I won't be able to do wings or antennas, she would rather kill me, so I came up with some other solutions...

Aprilscott bumble bee dress at Etsy

How cute is this?? The seller was amazing and custom made it to fit my size requirements.  A will also be able to wear it on other days when we're going for her punk look!  She'll never know that mom is actually dressing her up in a costume!

Dana Castle bumblee feather pin on EtsyThis was my solution to the no wings which she would never have worn.  It's whimsical and it will be the perfect touch to her look.

Destiny Phoebe's bumble bee hairballs on Etsy 

 Oh and since she doesn't do antennas either, I found these great hairballs which I'll wrap around two sections of her hair up front to get the same look.

Lampwork Bumble bee Beads at Oriental Trading Co.

I also discovered these cute bee beads that I'm going to make bracelets and necklaces out of.  Crossing my fingers that she'll wear those...

Oh, and last but not least (along with her black tights and her own mary janes), she'll possibly be carrying around her Winnie the Pooh.

I'll upload pics after the big day!

Here are some other ideas that I found and loved!

Train Conductor at Gymborree

Racecar Driver at Chasing-Fireflies

Squiggly Piggly at Chasing-Fireflies

Not the Kitchen Sink's Delicious Sushi at Etsy

Loverdoversclothing's Minnie Costume on Etsy

 DIY Costume's Shark Kit at Etsy

Leprechaun Costume at Star Costumes

Alice in Wonderland Costume