A Tisket, a Tasket, a Sweet Easter Basket

April 3, 2014 by Samantha Leave a Comment

What’s an Easter basket without a few stuffed animals? Most kids, my son included, love something soft to snuggle with, and Easter is a great excuse to give them cuddly toys like lambs and bunnies.

Gund is one of my all time favorite stuffed animal brands- they have such a great variety of stuffed toys and animals, it’s easy to find things that you and your little ones will love. Easter is no exception, they have a huge variety of not only rabbits, but other soft and snugglies as well. Some of the rabbits available this year include “Floppy” (the large white rabbit) which is available in two sizes at $15 or $25. Super plush and true to the name, floppy, it’s a great cuddle toy. Ditter Bunny is velvety smooth to the touch, and the perfect size for small hands. He is available for $12, and his sweet face will bring smiles to yours on Easter morning. A fun new addition to the Gund family, Li’l Sprout Bunny is available in four fun and festive spring colors- white, yellow, green, and pink. This bunny is flatter then most stuffed toys, which makes it all the more interesting, and has a great, cartoon-ish face sewn on as well as rosy cheeks. They are $12 each, and would be fun to decorate with as well- but make no mistake, your kids or grandkids are going to make off with them as soon as possible. There are tons more rabbits, as well as chicks, ducks, lambs, and more spring toys available on gund.com or at local specialty stores.
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Filed Under: holidays, review

Eco-friendly Easter Basket

March 30, 2014 by Samantha Leave a Comment

Spring is the time of year that, for many of us, we are inspired to celebrate nature. As the snow clears and the flowers begin to bloom once more, it’s a handy reminder for us all about life cycles, renewal and the importance of protecting nature—even in big cities. New York is a city that positively bursts with color in spring, whether you’re exploring the wilds of Central Park or merely lucky enough to be a resident in a complex that respects and protects green-spaces (such as The Greenwich Lane in the West Village, which features incredibly serene gardens.) Of course, this great season of re-birth coincides with Easter, and if you’re looking for an eco-friendly way of celebrating with your kids this March 31st, a thoughtful Easter basket could be the way to go. Here are five ideas of what to put in yours:

1. Eco-Friendly Books
Thoughtful publishers are now, more and more, focusing on sustainable practices when it comes to releasing their books. Since it wouldn’t be Easter without a bunny or two, we’d recommend a copy of Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit. The new Snuggle Book version of the classic tale comes in a cuddle-friendly organic cotton and is perfect for toddlers, while the original version has been delighting children for over a century now and is a great way to teach kids about farming and wildlife.

2. Seeds and Gardening Equipment
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Filed Under: holidays, kids Tagged With: easter, Easter Basket, eco friendly, green, kids

Easter Peeps Giveaway!

March 28, 2014 by Samantha 45 Comments

Disclosure- I participated in this campaign on behalf of Peeps And Company. I received promotional items to facilitate this review and as a thank you item for participating. All opinions are my own and honest. See I Disclose Tab if you would like more information.

My son just loves Peeps. My grandmother has always loved them as well, so I always buy a ton as soon as they hit shelves and get them both a wide variety of Marshmallow Chicks and Marshmallow Bunnies. While Peeps are great for Easter baskets, they are also a fun reminder of spring in general, and my son, husband, and grandmother eat them pretty constantly until there are none left.

I love the new additions that they have this year, and honestly didn’t make anyone wait until Easter to try them all out. There are new Birthday Cake Peeps, chocolate mousse dipped in chocolate chicks, dark chocolate- not to mention the multi-colored Peeps Marshmallow Bunny and chocolate egg complete with a Peeps Chick in it. There are also new candies- they are chocolate candies with marshmallow centers. They are individually wrapped and come by the bagful.
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Filed Under: food, giveaway, holidays, review Tagged With: easter, food, Peeps

Ideas for “Frozen” Valentine’s Dates

January 20, 2014 by Samantha Leave a Comment

While none of us probably wants to think that this awful polar vortex could still be felt as far in the future as mid-February, it is possible. That means those making Valentine’s Day plans have to plan for the snow and ice.

Here are a few Valentine’s Day date ideas, inside and outside, perfect for this polar winter.

Valentine’s Day Date Ideas

Outside

Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you and your sweetheart are stuck indoors. Try some of these outdoor date ideas if it’s safe to go outside where you’ll be:

Is there a local ice rink or safe-for-skating pond nearby? Rent some skates and glide arm in arm over the ice with your sweetie. If you trip and fall over each other, that’s adorable too. Either way, share some hot chocolate afterward.
Take advantage of the snow and make an igloo! You certainly have enough snow, so construct an igloo in your backyard using ice cream tubs or large Tupperware to shape snow blocks. Then have picnic of hot soup and other warming food inside the igloo (Eskimo kisses encouraged).
Or, if you and your date are creative, why not try your hand at snow sculptures? Sculpt animals, sculpt each other, play snow-sculpture Pictionary. Bonus points if you take pictures or if there are professional ice sculptures to view afterward.
This Valentine’s Day is a full moon, so take some soup or hot chocolate, your honey, some tarps, and go stargazing together under the moonlight. Don’t forget a pile of blankets to sit in on top of the tarp to keep warm!

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Filed Under: holidays Tagged With: date night, Valentine’s Date

Romantic Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

January 10, 2014 by Samantha 32 Comments

Valentine’s day is fast approaching and for sure, everyone is already on their feet trying to think of ways on how they can make Valentine’s day special for their loved ones. If you are one of these people, you might be thinking of giving your loved ones the usual gifts – chocolates, flowers, stuffed toys and even, jewelries. However, you need to do more than that if you wish to make this Valentine’s Day the most special one for the both of you.

Here are some unique and romantic gift ideas that will surely make Valentine’s Day a day like no other.

Homemade dinner

Going on dates is already a regular activity for couples. This is why doing this on Valentines day will just make the day same like any other. In order to make the day a lot more special, it would be wise for you to serve your loved one a great homemade dinner. Although the two of you will just be feasting mainly on noodles, salad or any roasted meat, the effort that you will put in preparing such meal is what will make the date more special. In addition to this, you can also try adding candles, sweet music and flowers for decoration. Investing too much effort on a date will surely make your loved one feel a lot more special.
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Filed Under: holidays Tagged With: check in, gifts, Valentine's Day gifts

Fun and Creative Gift Wrapping Tips and Techniques for Kids

January 2, 2014 by Samantha 2 Comments

Whether it’s a birthday present or a Christmas gift, a part of the fun in giving something to someone else is finding some pretty wrapping to put it in. And while you could go to the mall and pay a customer sales associate to wrap your present for you, why not take a more fun, creative and cheaper route and do it yourself? And while you’re at it, why not have your kids help you?

If that sounds like a good idea and you’d like some suggestions on some effective wrapping tips and techniques for kids, we have provided you with five of our favorite ones below:

Use gift bags. Definitely one of the easiest ways to wrap a present is to put them in a gift bag. You can find them at Wal-Mart or even your local Dollar Store for a really low price. Then all that you have to put inside of them is some tissue paper. If you take your children with you to pick out the bag and paper, it’s a quick way for them to wrap a gift while incurring very little mess in the process.

Put “it” in a recycled cloth bag. If you want to make the wrapping just as usually as the gift, consider putting it inside of a recycled cloth bag. That way, the person can use the bag to go grocery shopping or to carry their lunch in. And as far as your children’s contribution to the wrapping, if you purchase a white one, you can purchase some paint and have them either paint a picture on the bag or put their handprint on it.
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Filed Under: holidays, kids Tagged With: Gift Wrapping, Gift Wrapping techniques, holiday