Earlier this week I headed over to Walmart to see if I could fill a stocking for under $25. I decided to take it just one step further and see if I could fill two stockings (one for each of my children) for under $25. Because I know they’re going to get plenty of toys this year, I opted for useful items I thought they would still enjoy.

Each of the stockings I purchased (one in red and one in green) were just $1.97 each.  We love books in our home, however, most of the books were and are my son’s, so I headed to the children’s book section and found an adorable holiday-themed snowman book for just $2.50. In the same section (which in our store is located in the midst of the toys), I found some flash cards for my son for just $2.50. We’re working on preparing him for kindergarten so I thought this would be something fun and educational for him.  Surprisingly, both of my children enjoy brushing their teeth.  In the stocking stuffer section I found a variety of adorable, character-themed toothbrush sets for just $5, so I bought one for each of them. Lastly, I found a set of hair ties for my daughter for just $2.98. The grand total?  $21.92 plus tax. I’m likely going to run back and pick up one more thing for my son so they each have the same number of items (children notice things like that).  And to finish my stockings off, I’ll write their names in puffy paint before I hang them.

If you head over to Walmart, you’ll find that their recommended stocking stuffers are clearly labeled with prices in boxes throughout the store. I actually think many of their ideas are unique and ones I hadn’t thought about. Other ideas that came to mind include pajamas, slippers, gift cards (particularly for my son), DVDs, and video games. As we’re getting close to Christmas, I highly recommend shopping now as items are starting to disappear. You can also browse Walmart’s Stocking Stuffer ideas online.

Disclosure: I participate in the Walmart Moms program and am compensated for my time and honest opinions.

One of our favorite indoor activities is crafting.  I’m definitely not Martha Stewart, but with a little direction, my son and I have made everything from stockings to birdhouses.  The holidays are the perfect time to get crafty.  My son absolutely adores his toys…but I also think it’s important to expose him to other activities like games, baking, cooking, and crafts.

Last week, we made little finger puppets with Creativity for Kids’ Finger Puppet Theater craft set.  The kit, which retails for $19.99, includes 6 adorable felt animal puppets, a colorful cardboard puppet stage, and all of the supplies necessary to personalize them.  Even though the activity is relatively simple, my son and I enjoyed spending time decorating our finger puppets.  I resisted the urge to “fix” his puppets to make them look the way I thought they should.  I decorated the bunny and the butterfly and my son decorated the remaining four puppets with only a tiny bit of help.

Despite the fact that the adornments are relatively small, it’s nice that most of them contain self-adhesive so that we could mostly avoid using glue.  For the roses, bows, and sequins, I applied the glue and my son affixed them to the puppets.  It was definitely not as messy as I thought it would be but I did remain in control of the glue. The kit contains several pictorial ideas for decorating the puppets although I actually tried to let my son create his own design first.  If you look at the goldfish, I think he did a fantastic job!

We had so much fun personalizing the puppets that we forgot all about decorating the puppet stage.  The kit comes with a sheet of stickers to place on the stage and you can write your child’s name on the top of the stage.  I have to admit that while my son has enjoyed our puppet shows, I think his favorite part was decorating and personalizing his new finger puppet friends.

Creativity for Kids offers open-ended creative activities designed to stimulate and encourage a child’s natural creativity.  Be sure to check out their Craft of the Month, which includes details and instructions for making family crafts with items you likely have around the house.  I also recommend checking out their sale section with discounts of up to 50% off.

Win It! One of you will win a Creativity for Kids’ Finger Puppet Theater from Creativity for Kids. Simply leave a comment with another product you like from the site.  Comments will close on January 7, 2011 at 11:59 PM PST.

US Residents only.  Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one. Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

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No compensation was received for this post. Review and giveaway items supplied by the company.

Ralph Lauren Baby offers a beautifully whimsical collection of newborn essentials.  Their Layette includes timeless, classic styles for newborns through 9 months and their infant collection extends from 9 months through 24 months.  The company has a way of taking something as simple as a footed coverall and making it luxurious.  The coverall, which is offered in solid white, morning pink or pearl blue,  is made from 100% cotton which means it’s super soft and cozy.  The intricate details like the ribbed neckline and cuffs and the tonal embroidered pony accents give the coverall that classic look.  I would have loved to own several of these when my daughter was younger because they include turn-back cuffs to keep you baby from scratching herself. Ralph Lauren Baby’s coveralls are available in 3, 6, and 9 month sizes and each retails for $25.

If you’re looking for a baby gift this season, consider Ralph Lauren’s Cotton Cable Hat & Bootie Set (retails for $65).  It’s offered in morning pink and pearl blue and made of 100% cotton.  Some of my favorite gifts for my children were those that were hand-knitted.  The set includes a cable-knit hat with ribbon featuring a fold-over brim (so I don’t cover her face) and cable booties featuring a ribbon fold-over ankle cuff and a delicate cord woven through to secure them to baby’s ankle. The set is adorable and can be used in temperate weather conditions.  Check out my little girl, modeling Ralph Lauren:

If you have a little one to shop for, be sure to check out Ralph Lauren Childrenswear, designed to “reflect the timeless heritage and modern spirit” of Ralph Lauren’s collections.  The collection includes sophisticated interpretations of their adult collection in vibrant colors.

I am a participant in a Mom Central Consulting campaign for Ralph Lauren and received a Ralph Lauren Baby Layette set to help facilitate my review.

Earlier this week, I frequented a popular toy store to shop for the children in my life.  I have to admit that I was very overwhelmed by the sheer number of toys on the market. I actually prefer non-mainstream toys that promote open-ended play and foster a child’s imagination.

GummyLump’s tagline is “Toys That Make Sweet Memories.”  The company sells award winning toys from manufacturers like Melissa & Doug, Haba, Kidkraft, and more.  With over 200 toys receiving approval from organizations like Oppenheim Toy Portfolio and Dr. Toy, you can feel confident that these toys are safe, age-appropriate, educational, and fun.

One of our long-time favorite toy manufacturers is Melissa & Doug.  For several months, my son has been playing with a certain puppet.  We like to tell stories and talk about the adventures this puppet takes. With Melissa and Doug’s Puppet Theater, my son and I can have a proper puppet show with his favorite friend.

This wooden puppet theater was designed to be sturdy with a non-tip base.  It’s large enough for two “puppeteers” and features stylized theatrical graphics for an authentic look.  Just like a “real” theater, it includes velvety curtains, a clock with movable hands (great for teaching children how to tell time), and a chalkboard panel to display playbill information.  My son adores playing in it!  The options for pretend play are only limited by a child’s imagination.  The theater will inspire creativity and expression as children stage their performance.

The only thing I’d like for the theater to include is a puppet or two, for which I’d be willing to pay a bit more.

Right now, the Melissa and Doug Puppet Theater is on sale for $71.99 (originally priced at $89.99).

Win It! One of you will win a Melissa and Doug Puppet Theater. Simply leave me a comment with another toy from GummyLump that you’d like for your child.  Comments will close on December 31, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST.  US Residents only.  Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one. Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.

Like me on Facebook

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Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!

No compensation was received for this post. Products for review and giveaway were provided by the company.

It’s hard to grasp my mind around the fact that November is right around the corner.  Once the Halloween weekend wraps up, we’ll be focusing on getting ready for the holidays.  Which means, we’ll have to take our annual family picture for the photo Christmas cards we always send to friends and family.

Snapfish offers a chic, affordable way to create holiday cards with their new Holiday Card Studio. I made a few for fun with a family photo we took earlier this year to get a feel for the process.

The site is easy to navigate, and offers a variety three different types of cards (flat, greeting, and note).  If you selected their flat holiday cards, you could purchase sets of 20 for as little as 29 cents a card! What’s great about the site is that you get to customize the card exactly the way you want it.

First, select the card category you desire.  Choose from Christmas, New Year’s, Invitations and Thank You Cards.  While Snapfish is known for their photo cards, you don’t have to include a photo as a selection of non-photo cards are available.

Once we take our family pictures, we’ll likely customize the Merry Christmas Scrollwork card but I used the Frame of Green for the demo.  Once I selected the “paper” (choose from glossy, matte, or writable card stock which has an additional charge), it was time to begin customizing my card.  The site is a “flash” website, so you can click, drag and drop easily.   If you have a Flickr or Facebook account, you can easily import photos from those two sites to create your card.

As I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of options for customizing your card.  Turn a color photo black and white…play around with the various font designs…glean inspiration from those who have created cards before you.

Creating a holiday card on Snapfish is easy and affordable.  Select from 130 designers and over 3,600 new designs.  Right now, you’ll save 20% with the code GNOHOLIDAY (ends November 2nd).

Snapfish is also hosting a Twitter Party!!! Join me at Snapfish’s #gno Twitter party this Tuesday, October 26 (9-11 p.m. ET) for more chat about photography and holiday card making tips and tricks. Click here for more details.

Win It! One of you will win a $50 gift certificate to Snapfish.  Simply leave me a comment with the type of holiday card you’d create from the site.  Comments will close on November 9, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST.  Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one. Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Follow Snapfish on Twitter.

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest using the hashtag #snapfish.

Like me on Facebook

Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!

No compensation was received for this post.  Gift certificates for review and giveaway were supplied by Snapfish.

In September, Babies R Us launched an exclusive new line of designer baby clothes by Cynthia Rowley.  Hooray by Cynthia Rowley offers parents chic and trendy clothing at affordable prices.  Some of the items offered include bodysuits, coveralls, dresses, playwear, bibs, baby blankets, and diaper bags. And perfectly timed for the season is her holiday line.  Here is a little more information from the site:

The Hooray collection, inspired by Cynthia’s love of unique details and color combinations that can be mixed and matched, marks her debut in the baby products market. And, with layette and playwear ranging from $7.99 to $29.99, and bibs, blankets and diaper bags ranging from $5.99 to $39.99, the line will surely appeal to style- and value-conscious shoppers alike.

We received an adorable holiday outfit which included a gray and black plaid vest (Grandpa Vest), a pair of velvet pants (Dress Up Pants), and a matching velvet cap (Velvet Newsboy Cap).  The entire outfit retails for under $40.  From the look and feel of the outfit, I would expect to pay much more.  The fabric is high quality and the intricacies of an elastic waistband on the pants and a sweater back on the vest make the clothing comfortable for children.  The nicest, most expensive outfit is going to sit in a closet gathering dust if it’s itchy, stiff, or uncomfortable for a child to wear (particularly a toddler who now knows how to take his clothes off).

Some of the highlights of the line include “signature prints, plaids, and striped and dotted patterns.”  Only high quality fabrics are used including soft-corduroy and sweater knits.  I like the fact that the line expands all the way to 48 months and that the pieces are so affordable.  I only wish more of the items were offered online as I now do a majority of my shopping online (venturing out with a toddler to a mall at 7 1/2 months pregnant is NOT FUN!).

Babies R Us will continue to expand it’s Hooray by Cynthia Rowley line in 2010.  Look for specialty items such as bedding, soft bath, room decor, and more.  And I highly recommend going into a physical store for the most diverse choices!

For more fabulous Holiday Gift Ideas, visit The Mommy-Files

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