It’s time to shop for those fun-loving, curious girls on your Holiday Shopping list. Whether she loves to cook, craft or create she’ll love these gift ideas that allow her to express herself. Here are our picks for those creative 7 – 12 year old girls from our e-boutique ChocolateCakeClub.com’s 2010 Holiday Gift Guide. (My 9 year old daughter helped me pick and totally approve the list!)

Psst – Shopping at ChocolateCakeClub.com helps fund this blog so we can continue to bring you unique, simple and creative ideas to have more fun with your family. Please support a small, Mom-owned business this year and let us help you take care of all of the special kids and grand kids on your Holiday shopping list. Shopping with us is easy and we’ll make you look like an amazing gift-giver.

Playful Chef Kids Cooking Kits
The Playful Chef Kids Cooking Kits will help you tap into your kids’ eagerness to help in the kitchen. These kids cooking kits provide the nutritional know-how, kid-sized cooking tools, and fun recipes you’ll need to get your little one cooking! We can’t think of a better Chocolate Cake Moment than to have fun in the kitchen making Chocolate Mountain Lava Cakes (recipe included in kit.)

FF79   $39.95

(more…)

[Read more →]

Tags: Ideas on Gifts for Big Occasions

It’s hard to shop for gifts for boys who are still young at heart but creeping up towards those tween years. They crave the action of video games but they still like to play with toys and build things. We think we’ve put together a list of Holiday gifts for boys that are low-tech but still exciting enough to make them smile. Here are our picks for those picky 7 – 12 year old boys in your life from our e-boutique ChocolateCakeClub.com’s 2010 Holiday Gift Guide. (My 11 year old son helped me pick and approve the list!)

Psst – Shopping at ChocolateCakeClub.com helps fund this blog so we can continue to bring you unique, simple and creative ideas to have more fun with your family. Please support a small, Mom-owned business this year and let us help you take care of all of the special kids and grand kids on your Holiday shopping list. Shopping with us is easy and we’ll make you look like an amazing gift-giver.

Be Amazing Big Bag of Science
I know we all want our kids to be smart so parents love the idea of science kits as “toys.” Your kids may not jump up and down when they see this however, once the bag is open, they go nuts for the fun experiments they can do. There are over 70 unique hands-on activities to experiment with. You will be able to make water disappear, have liquid flow uphill, grow fake snow instantly, create a 30′ soda geyser, and so much more we can’t list them all.

TY159     $39.95

(more…)

[Read more →]

Tags: Ideas on Gifts for Big Occasions

There’s a little girl on your Holiday Shopping List that needs a very special gift, right? We can help! We’ve picked some truly unique gifts for that special 5-6 year old girl in your life from our e-boutique ChocolateCakeClub.com’s 2010 Holiday Gift Guide. We searched high and low for high-quality, unique gifts with a lot of Wow! factor. Make his Holiday extra special with these gifts. Check the Guide for ideas for the other kids on your list.

Psst – Shopping at ChocolateCakeClub.com helps fund this blog so we can continue to bring you unique, simple and creative ideas to have more fun with your family. Please support a small, Mom-owned business this year and let us help you take care of all of the special kids and grand kids on your Holiday shopping list. Shopping with us is easy and we’ll make you look like an amazing gift-giver.

Schleich Animal Rescue Center
This Animal Nursery is the perfect play accessory for all you animal lovers. The versatile toy has divided rooms, movable shutters and doors, and realistic details for you to turn this structure into anything you imagine like an animal hospital, animal shelter and rescue center, or animal training center. The possibilities are endless for a creative imagination. Special promotion: Purchase the Animal Rescue Center and we’ll include 5 animal figures for FREE – Zebra, Elephant, Elephant Calf, Giraffe, and Cheetah. That’s a savings of $31.00!

TY161   $169.95

(more…)

[Read more →]

Tags: Ideas on Gifts for Big Occasions

Got a little boy on your Holiday Shopping List that you want to impress with a cool Holiday gift? We’ve picked some truly unique gifts for that special 5-6 year old boy in your life from our e-boutique ChocolateCakeClub.com’s 2010 Holiday Gift Guide. We searched high and low for high-quality, unique gifts with a lot of Wow! factor. Make his Holiday extra special with these gifts.

Psst – Shopping at ChocolateCakeClub.com helps fund this blog so we can continue to bring you unique, simple and creative ideas to have more fun with your family. Please support a small, Mom-owned business this year and let us help you take care of all of the special kids and grand kids on your Holiday shopping list. Shopping with us is easy and we’ll make you look like an amazing gift-giver.

Schleich Knights Castle
This collector’s quality Knight’s Castle is the perfect battleground for heroic toys to duel it out and conquer the land. Create a moat, pull up the draw bridge, protect the king from disaster! Best yet, buy the castle and get a FREE Knight on Horse and Soldier action figure. That’s $24.00 in savings. Your child will play with this toy for years.

TY160   $169.95

(more…)

[Read more →]

Tags: Ideas on Gifts for Big Occasions

If you are looking for a truly unique gift for that special 3-4 year old, toddler girl in your life, check out our top picks from our e-boutique ChocolateCakeClub.com’s 2010 Holiday Gift Guide. We searched high and low for high-quality, unique gifts with a lot of Wow! factor. Make a little girls’s Holiday extra special with these gifts.

Psst – Shopping at ChocolateCakeClub.com helps fund this blog so we can continue to bring you unique, simple and creative ideas to have more fun with your family. Please support a small, Mom-owned business this year and let us help you take care of all of the special kids and grand kids on your Holiday shopping list. Shopping with us is easy and we’ll make you look like an amazing gift-giver.

Butterfly Kids Rolling Suitcase
Your excited traveler will love this rolling suitcase to take on vacation or just overnight to a friend’s house. The luggage bag is large enough for a few changes of clothing, or any special items your child needs to take on a trip. The luggage bag has multiple pockets for safe-keeping, extendable handle, and is ideal height for little travelers. Don’t forget to personalize the bag and grab the matching butterfly toiletry bag. Also available in other designs.

OG912   $39.99

(more…)

[Read more →]

Tags: Ideas on Gifts for Big Occasions

If you are looking for a truly unique gift for that special 3-4 year old boy in your life, check out our top picks from our e-boutique ChocolateCakeClub.com’s 2010 Holiday Gift Guide. We searched high and low for high-quality, unique gifts with a lot of Wow! factor. Make a little boy’s Holiday extra special with these gifts.

Psst – Shopping at ChocolateCakeClub.com helps fund this blog so we can continue to bring you unique, simple and creative ideas to have more fun with your family. Please support a small, Mom-owned business this year and let us help you take care of all of the special kids and grand kids on your Holiday shopping list. Shopping with us is easy and we’ll make you look like an amazing gift-giver.

Green Camouflage Build a Fort
Tired of trying to build a fort and your blanket never stays where it is supposed to? This green camouflage fort kit has everything you need to build your fort, inside or out. Set up the fort in your bedroom or almost any room using the included suctions cups that attach the fort to a mirror or use the clips to hang it from your curtains. Even includes glow in the dark wands to light up your secret fort. Great gift that kids will play with for many years.

TY158   $38.00

(more…)

[Read more →]

Tags: Ideas on Gifts for Big Occasions

If you are looking for a truly unique gift for that special 1 – 2 year old, toddler girl in your life, check out our top picks from our e-boutique ChocolateCakeClub.com’s 2010 Holiday Gift Guide. We searched high and low for high-quality, unique gifts with a lot of Wow! factor. Make a little girls’s Holiday extra special with these gifts.

Psst – Shopping at ChocolateCakeClub.com helps fund this blog so we can continue to bring you unique, simple and creative ideas to have more fun with your family. Please support a small, Mom-owned business this year and let us help you take care of all of the special kids and grand kids on your Holiday shopping list. Shopping with us is easy and we’ll make you look like an amazing gift-giver.

Trunki Ride-On Toddler Suitcase
The Trunki Ride-On Suitcase is essential for traveling with toddlers. It’s a pull-along suitcase that kids can pull themselves or it’s a seat in a crowded busy airport, or it’s a pull-along kid carrier for parents. Genius! Kids will have fun traveling with their very own cute and colorful suitcase but parents will love that kids can ride on it and get pulled through the airport or train station.

OG915   $39.99

(more…)

[Read more →]

Tags: Ideas on Gifts for Big Occasions

If you are looking for a truly unique gift for that special 1 – 2 year old, toddler boy in your life, check out our top picks from our e-boutique ChocolateCakeClub.com’s 2010 Holiday Gift Guide. We searched high and low for high-quality, unique gifts with a lot of Wow! factor. Make a little boy’s Holiday extra special with these gifts.

Psst – Shopping at ChocolateCakeClub.com helps fund this blog so we can continue to bring you unique, simple and creative ideas to have more fun with your family. Please support a small, Mom-owned business this year and let us help you take care of all of the special kids and grand kids on your Holiday shopping list. Shopping with us is easy and we’ll make you look like an amazing gift-giver.

Trunki Ride-On Toddler Suitcase
The Trunki Ride-On Suitcase is essential for traveling with toddlers. It’s a pull-along suitcase that kids can pull themselves or it’s a seat in a crowded busy airport, or it’s a pull-along kid carrier for parents. Genius! Kids will have fun traveling with their very own cute and colorful suitcase but parents will love that kids can ride on it and get pulled through the airport or train station.

OG914   $39.99

(more…)

[Read more →]

Tags: Ideas on Gifts for Big Occasions

It’s baby’s first Christmas! To make life a little easier for all of you busy gift buyers out there, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite gift ideas to make baby (and baby’s parents) smile all year. All of these gifts are available at our e-boutique, ChocolateCakeClub.com. Psst – Shopping at ChocolateCakeClub.com helps fund this blog so we can continue to bring you unique, simple and creative ideas to have more fun with your family. Please support a small, Mom-owned business this year and let us help you take care of all of the special kids and grand kids on your Holiday shopping list. Shopping with us is easy and we’ll make you look like an amazing gift-giver.

First Adventures of You Customized Book
This award-winning, and totally unique personalized children’s book makes a perfect keepsake baby gift as well as favorite bedtime story. The customized book proceeds from the incredible day the child arrived on earth through many exciting adventures the child is sure to experience in his or her first few years of life. By adding the names of special people and places in the child’s life to these universal experiences, the special child in your life will believe book was written especially for him or her.

CM350   $39.95

(more…)

[Read more →]

Tags: Ideas on Gifts for Big Occasions

The ChocolateCakeClub.com 2011 Holiday Gift Guide is done! Yippee! Over at our e-boutique, we have been feverishly working on our list of top gifts for babies and kids that will really distinguish you as an awesome gift-giver this year. The Holiday Gift Guide is divided by age and gender to hopefully make it super-easy for you to choose that extra special gift.

So for all of you savvy Aunts and totally cool Grandmas out there who want to delight those kiddos and impress their parents, read on! Shopping with us is easy and we’ll make you look like an amazing gift-giver. Gift wrapping is one of our specialties and only $1.95! We’ll ship the gifts directly to your nieces, nephews, or grand kids to give you some extra time to relax this Holiday Season.

By the way, we have a Holiday Deal of the Day going on over at the Chocolate Cake Club Fan Page. Every day we feature a hot Holiday gift at 25-50% Off to make getting those sweet gifts on your list a little easier this year. “Like” our page so you don’t miss any of our deals.

Psst! Buying from our store helps support the blog and allow us to keep giving you great family fun ideas. Please support a fun Mom business owner (me) and shop with us.

Have fun shopping!

[Read more →]

Tags: Ideas on Gifts for Big Occasions

School is almost out so the question on every Mom’s mind is “What do we get for the kids’ teachers?” Every year I try to be creative and come up with something unique but most years I end up giving them what they say they really need. I am fortunate enough to have 6 teachers living in my neighborhood so I asked them what they like to get at the end of the year from their students. Here were the top answers, hands down.

1. Book Gift Cards – many teachers have to buy their own books for the classroom so gift cards help to cover that expense for them.

2. Coffee Gift Cards – We’re in a room with 28 loud children every day, need we say more?

3. Target Gift Cards – Hey, many teachers are Moms, too. (This applies for movie ticket certificates, restaurant certificates, and anything that you would appreciate as a gift.)

4. Anything Homemade by the student, especially if they had a nice bond throughout the school year. Notes, photos collages, or a written story were appreciated.

Want some more ideas? Here are some additional gift ideas I’ve come up with and found on various Mom sites.

5. The Mother Huddle blog had some ideas that were nice and most importantly easy to do. I really liked the Joyful Hands soap idea.

6. The Skip to My Lou blog had some great simple ideas for Teacher Appreciation Week that would also work as nice year end gifts. I like the Gift Certificate for a Massage idea.

7. If you have an artist at home, frame one of their masterpieces. My daughter’s teacher is retiring at the end of year so she is going to draw a picture of the teacher’s classroom so she’ll remember it.

8. How about a plant? They last longer than flowers and can be used to lighten up the classroom next year.

9. A box of pretty Thank You Notes. The teachers may want to send a thank you to all of the students for their year end gifts so why not make it easier for them to do so. If you don’t want to make your own, Sincerely Yours by Tracy has some beautiful, unique Thank You Notes and Teacher Cards.

10. A movie night package. Grab a recently released DVD, popcorn and some candy so your teacher can have a fun night at home with her or his family.

Care to add to the list? We’d love to hear more ideas!

[Read more →]

Tags: Back to School Tips · Ideas on Gifts for Big Occasions · Mom's Corner · Parenting Tips

IT’S NOT TOO LATE! There is still time to get an order in to our sister site, ChocolateCakeClub.com before noon Monday and get some fabulous Easter gifts for the special kids in your life. All of these gifts are “experience” gifts meaning you get to spend some special time with the kids enjoying the gift together. In my opinion, those are the best kinds of gifts. Best yet, all of these gifts are under $25!

Do the kids like to cook?

The Tie Dye Cupcake Kit is the perfect way to celebrate Spring with fun rainbow colors in the cupcake batter. It’s like decorating Easter Eggs but with cupcakes.

Like your dessert to be a little more gross? Try the Gummy Worm Mini Dirt Pudding Kit. Nothing says Spring like worms!
(more…)

[Read more →]

Tags: Fun Time · Ideas on Gifts for Big Occasions

I had the pleasure of talking with Jerome Hopkins, founder of the site BabiesFirstPuzzle.com, who called to introduce me to his unique gift idea – puzzles made out of photos of your kids’ or special occasions. I thought it was an interesting and unique gift idea so I wanted to give it a shout out.

The company’s mission is to provide quality customizable children’s educational toys that enhance critical thinking skills and sight association for children ages 0-5 years of age, while providing a unique way to capture special moments in your life. Puzzles are great for helping kids work on their manual dexterity. So it’s not only a great keepsake, but an educational toy as well! They also offer opportunities for day care or school fund raisers.

Here’s how it works:

Go to the Babies First Puzzle site and choose the puzzle size you want. For kids under the age of 5, they recommend sticking to puzzles with 24 pieces or less. Pay for your puzzle with Paypal and you’ll get a confirmation number. You’ll be rerouted back to the site to upload your photo. The puzzle should arrive in 5-7 days. Puzzles range anywhere from $16.99 to $35.99 depending on the size and number of puzzle pieces.

While I have not created a puzzle myself, I thought it would make a great gift for a variety of occasions:

• Baby’s First Birthday
• Unique Kids Birthday Gift
• Mother’s Day Gift
• Grandmother’s Gift
• Turn your kids’ team photo from their winning season into a puzzle
• Favorite family vacation photo
• Family Reunion – give every family who attended their own keepsake of the event!
• School graduation gifts
• A Dance Recital gift – take a photo of your little dancer and give it to her after her first dance recital

What do you think? For what other occasions would this photo puzzle make a great gift?

[Read more →]

Tags: Ideas on Gifts for Big Occasions

Easter is coming and if you have a new baby or grandbaby in the family, you might want to do put something a little special in their Easter Basket to celebrate their first Holiday. (Especially if the gifts can help you take some smashing Holiday photos!) Here are some of our top picks for Baby’s First Easter Gifts that we sell over at ChocolateCakeClub.com.

A Dry Bunny is a Happy Bunny

Check out this super-soft, Bunny Hooded Bath Towel that is perfect for keeping baby warm and dry after a bath or trip to the pool this summer. We really like this towel because it is larger and thicker than most of the hooded towels for baby on the market. Sewn by a fellow Mompreneur, it’s crafted from a regular towel so the cotton material is super-soft, absorbent, and thick to keep baby warm and dry. It’s also pretty darn cute. Who wouldn’t love to see a photo of baby wearing these floppy ears for their first Easter photo. The towel can be personalized with baby’s name to make it an extra special Easter gift.

Soft & Cuddlies

What better way to say “Happy Easter, Baby!” than with these adorable, soft baby lovey blankets and bootie sets. Available in a White Bunny or Yellow Ducky design. Until baby can eat Peeps, these loveys will definitely add some cuteness to celebrate the Holiday. These lovey blankets can be embroidered with baby’s name, too!

A Traveling Bunny

If baby is traveling to see family this Easter season, give him or her the perfect travel buddy. We love the 3-in-1 Zoobie Pet Goodnight Moon Bunny. It’s a cuddly travel friend, blanket and pillow to make traveling a whole lot easier for your little one. Pair it with the Goodnight Moon board book and it’s the perfect First Easter Gift.

All of these gifts look smashing sitting in an Easter Basket so which one are you going to buy?

[Read more →]

Tags: Ideas on Gifts for Big Occasions

April Showers Bring Funny Baby Showers
Do you have a love/ hate relationship with Baby Showers? Sure, it’s wonderful to celebrate a new life coming into the world and a major life change for one of your friends or family members, but they can also be mind-numbingly boring. In my easily-bored opinion, there needs to be more entertainment and laughter at these events. Eating finger sandwiches and watching M2B (Mom-to-Be) open yet another onesie gift is not cool for anyone. The best way to show your love and support is to show the guest of honor a good time. She’s feeling large, overwhelmed, scared, and puffy. (It’s not the itching and the scratching, but the chafing that gets you cranky.)

So, how do you throw a Baby Shower that will have everyone in smiles? We have some fun ideas on how to make it a memorable occasion for Mom-to-Be and all of the attendees.

Games:
They have some very funny games at www.BabyShowerStuff.com.

In addition, they listed some of these games to play on their site:

Baby Limbo: Strap a pillow around your waist and see who can bend the farthest (not recommended for mom to be)

Bottles Up: Especially if you are throwing a couples shower, fill some baby bottles up with beer, and see whcih guy can “suck” the fastest. Women can certainly play too or use tropical fruit juice.

My Water Broke: Hand out an ice cube to each couple and let them use their imagination to see how fast they can get their water to “break.”

At my baby shower, we played Name The Baby Food. The hostess bought a bunch of baby food jars and took the labels off. Everyone had to guess what was in them. Let me tell you how hard it is to guess whether the green mush is peas or green beans. Loser has to eat the food. (Some of it is not bad!)

If you like conversation games, we sell this Box Girls’ Mini Baby Shower Box of Questions Game. The questions will have you laughing and doubting your friend’s parenting abilities.

Design Your Own Baby: Have the guests split into teams and give each 3 baby magazines, scissors, glue and paper. Have them cut out pieces of different baby qualities and put together a picture of what they think the Mother-To-Be’s baby will look like. Have the Mother-To-Be pick which baby would possibly look like hers the best! Give prizes to the winning team! One of the top baby shower games! Of course, you can make this “collage” very funny depending on which pictures you use and how you “put” the baby together on paper.

Pin the Sperm on the Egg Game is pretty darn funny.

If you are going to sit and watch the M2B open gifts, get her something funny to lighten the mood. Here are some of the gifts we sell that not only get people smiling, but also get a lot of “oohs” and “aahs”.

Mommy Needs Sleep Sleep Shirt

Beep Beep Car Seat Cover

Little Monster Hooded Bath Towel

Note: This has nothing to do with funny but I liked them. If you are in a crafty mood, these baby shower favors from DesignerGirl007, are wonderful.

Have any tips on how to make a Baby Shower more fun? Tell us. We’d love to hear some new ideas.

[Read more →]

Tags: Family Celebrations · Family Party Ideas · Ideas on Gifts for Big Occasions

Part Two – Gift IdeasWhen it comes to a great Father’s Day gift, keep it simple and from the heart. Sure, you can get him ties, chocolate, golf balls, or we found the coolest Stormtrooper Cuff Links, but these really don’t mean anything special. No matter how macho the guy, every Dad has some sentimental bones in his body. Help your kids put together a Daddy-and-Me scrapbook of their favorite memories or create personalized picture frames. (You can find plain cardboard frames and craft supplies at any craft store). Tell Dad to go out golfing or to the hardware store and while he’s gone for hours, work on the scrapbook with the kids.

Inspired Generations has a really cool product along these lines. Their ABC’s of Life Wooden PhotoBlocks are a cute gift that Dad can put on his desk at work or in the home office. These PhotoBlocks have words on each side so the kids can leave messages for Dad while showcasing photos of the kids. If you are really ambitious, create a slide show on the computer and set it to Dad’s favorite tunes. My daugher and I are creating a show in ProShow Gold that features photos of Daddy and Daughter. We are using Dad’s favorite Ralph’s World song – Bedtime Girl - about a Daddy saying goodnight to his little girl.

A friend told me that her kids made a book of coupons that Dad could redeem for chores, favors, and hugs. It was a huge hit because it allowed her husband to get “gifts” from the kids long after Father’s Day. (Psst: Remind your kids that they need to honor the chore coupons. My kids seem to have a problem with the redemption part.)

For new and expecting Dads, think practical. How about a diaper bag that doesn’t compromise his masculinity. (Dads do have an image to uphold, after all.) The Fleurville DJ Diaper Bag is a manly, yet functional diaper bag designed specifically for Dads. It’s available in ballistic black or khaki camo. How’s that for testosterone marketing?

On the cheekier side, check out “The GoodFather” line of t-shirts, or “The GoodFather” gift CD-Rom by Dr. Moz that features humorous, gangster-inspired interactive lessons that will have new Dad smiling (and learning) in no time. The CD-Rom is funny. Dad can plug it into the computer on those nights when he has the midnight feeding. Feed baby and learn at the same time, what more could a modern multi-tasking Dad ask for these days?

What are you and your kids getting Dad this year? Tell us what gift your Dad appreciated most?

See Also:
Make Father’s Day a Piece of (Chocolate) Cake – Planning Activities

[Read more →]

Tags: Ideas for family projects · Ideas on Gifts for Big Occasions

Stumped on what to put in the kids’ Easter baskets? Hmmm … Toothpaste and floss to clean up after the candy feeding frenzy? That won’t win you any points with the kids. Giant chocolate bunny? It will still be in the pantry uneaten in August. I may be the only one earth perplexed about what the Easter Bunny should bring, but just in case I’m not, here are some ideas for Easter Basket Goodies other than candy.

Music

A CD fits nicely in an Easter basket so why not give your kids some music. For younger kids, we love Ralph’s World, Justin Roberts, Barenaked Ladies, and this compilation CD For the Kids. For older kids, Kidz Bop, High School Musical, Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, or the Foo Fighters. OK, so maybe my son is the only child who loves the Foo Fighters as much as I do. You could also throw an iTunes gift card into the basket but that seems a little impersonal coming from the Easter Bunny.

Books
If your child loves to read, this is a no brainer. If your child hates to read, comic books or graphic novels are great ideas to throw into an Easter Basket. Cartoon books are great too. We love to read old Garfield or Calvin and Hobbes cartoons with the kids, so give them a collection of favorites.

Craft Kits

Give your kids an activity to stimulate their creativity and keep them busy on Spring rainy days. There are quite a few Kids Craft Kits out there that not only delight your children but also fit in the Easter Basket. Klutz activity books are always good or Melissa & Doug and Sassafras Kids Craft Kits are nice, high quality gifts. Here’s an idea, give your kids the Paint Your Own Flower Pots and see if you get them back for Mother’s Day. Hopefully with lots of dirt and a flower. Or try the Paint Your Own Garden Gnome Kit. Who doesn’t love a gnome?

Coupons
Create homemade coupons that your kids can redeem for their favorite activities like TV time, Wii time, extra dessert, eating at their favorite restaurant, or making their favorite meal for dinner. The coupons could also be used to get out of chores. That’s better than candy any day.

Socks

Socks and especially underwear are hardly exciting for kids, unless it’s Little Mismatched Socks. These fun and funky socks are colorful and best yet for kids, mismatched. The designs are complimentary but not exactly the same. They also come in 3s so that your little girl can switch out the designs or lose one in the dryer and still be able to cover her feet properly. However, don’t overlook underwear in the Easter Basket as a great joke item. Just don’t get melted chocolate on the underwear.

Hopefully, these ideas will spur you on to add some fun and creativity to your kids Easter Baskets this year. The Easter Bunny has a Hip Hop Hop rep to maintain, you know. Leave us a comment with your ideas for non-candy Easter Basket Goodies.

[Read more →]

Tags: Family Celebrations · Ideas on Gifts for Big Occasions

Two years ago, my husband had to travel on Valentine’s Day. Since we usually don’t celebrate on the actual day, I wasn’t too upset that my Valentine was in another city. We usually wait until the weekend rolls around and then go out or do something special. For some reason though, my daughter was very upset that Daddy wasn’t home on Valentine’s Day. To cheer her up (and get her to stop moping), I bought her one red rose and gave it to her when I picked her up from daycare. I told her it was from Daddy and that he was sorry he couldn’t be with his little valentine that day. Shazam! She was lit from within! She was beyond elated. She was happy to infinity and beyond. Before we went home, she showed every teacher, every student and every toy that looked like it had ears that her Daddy had given her a rose.

Of course Daddy gets all the credit for this little act of love, but I got to see the reaction.

Don’t underestimate the power of surprising your children with a little token of love. It doesn’t take much to help them walk on air. Best of all, you get to walk up there with them.

[Read more →]

Tags: Family Celebrations · Ideas on Gifts for Big Occasions · Valentine's Day Family Fun Ideas