Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Holiday Gift Guide for Him

I don't know about your husband/dad/brother, but I always have the most difficult time figuring out what to buy for mine! The men in my life never want anything, so when you ask them the answer is always "I don't know." Here are some ideas for the men in your life! 

Drinkware/Barware


Tech Gifts


For the Runner/Athlete


Lululemon is my go-to when it comes to running clothes for Michael. Their Silverescent Technology really works - his clothes don't smell after a long run!

All the Rest


Hopefully this will help give you some inspiration! Happy gifting!



XOXO,
Monday, November 7, 2016

Family Movie Night

One of my favorite things to do over the holidays is to cozy up on the couch with the tree lit and have Family Movie Night! We make hot cocoa (I just found this recipe for Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate that I'm excited to try), eat popcorn (I can't wait to try this White Chocolate Popcorn) , and enjoy lots of family time. We have a pretty extensive movie collection, which is nice because it gives us the freedom to watch them whenever we want, but Freeform is showing a lot of them if you don't already own them/want to buy them. This is just the primetime schedule, but if you go to their website you'll find the full schedule.


Here are some of my favorites if you want to add to your collection:

1. Elf
11. Best Man Holiday (if you haven't seen The Best Man you should!) *

Movies marked with an asterisk are movies that Michael and I enjoy, but aren't necessarily movies we watch with Sophia and Carter. On that note, there is no shortage of original Christmas movies on The Hallmark Channel, so definitely check that out as well! They've actually already started showing their Christmas movies, so anytime you're in the mood for a little holiday cheer, you can tune in!

If you're going to get cozy you need the proper attire, right? I linked some options above, but here are some more! 

XOXO,
Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Holiday Gift Guide for Kids

I can't believe it's already November! Thanksgiving is just three weeks away, which means that, if you're like me, you might be starting your Christmas shopping. Target is having some pretty good sales on toys (20% off with code KIDSGIFTS) and games (buy two get one free) right now, so I thought I'd start with a Holiday Gift Guide for Kids. Not everything on the list is from Target, but most things are.



1. Bend a Path Track - my sister ordered this for Carter two years ago, and last year she got it for our nephew. They both love it! I love it because it's easy to set up and clean up! This year I'm getting Carter the additional 6' track and firetruck as well as the accessory bundle.

2. RC Battle Copters - When I turned on the tv last weekend for some reason it was on HSN (this is seriously weird because I don't think I've ever watched it before) and they were showing the Bend A Path track. I was sucked in (the reason I ordered the additional track and accessories) and ended up continuing to watch while they showed the battle helicopters. I think the reason I like this so much is that it comes with two copters in two separate boxes, so you're getting two gifts in one. I think Sophia and Carter will really like these!

3. Anki Overdrive Starter Kit - We saw this demo'd when we were in NYC a few years ago. I like that you use your smart phone to control the cars, so you don't have to worry about having extra batteries on hand for the remotes (just remember to charge your phone!). And I love that the starter kit comes with two cars, so both kids can play at the same time!

4. Lego Minecraft Crafting Box - This is one of my favorite Lego sets Carter has gotten because it comes with directions to build multiple things. In other words, once he's finished building one thing, we don't put it on display to never be touched again, he enjoys it for awhile and then can take it apart and build something new. Even if your child isn't a Minecraft fan, this is a great set to buy!

5. Lego Elves - Sophia loves these sets! Of course, with these she does just build them and then put them on display, but she has fun while doing it! 

6. Magna-Tiles - These magnetic shape tiles are so much fun! It comes with directions on how to build several different three-dimensional figures, which Sophia and Carter love, but they also enjoy getting creative and building new and different things.

7. Kapla Blocks - These building blocks remind me a little of Jenga pieces.

8/9/10. Dash / Ozobot / Ollie - If your child enjoys coding, these three coding robots are a lot of fun!

11. Pottery Cool - Sophia got this for her birthday, and I was surprised at how easy (and not ridiculously messy) it was to create pottery. 

12. Qixels 3D Maker Set - We have the original Qixels, which was recommended to me by Carter's Kindergarten teacher as a great way to work on improving fine motor skills. Both kids love them, and Carter was pretty excited when he saw they now have this 3D maker set.

13. Aquabeads - These remind me of the Qixels in that you need water to "glue" the beads together and create different designs.


14/15/16/17/18/19. Blokus / Trouble / Hedbanz / Skip-Bo / Bellz / Sequence - We love having family game nights, and these games are some of our favorites.

Happy shopping!


XOXO,