D23: Official Disney Fan Club

We’ve got a great gift idea for the Disney aficionado in your life… and families will love it too.  It’s a membership to D23, Disney's first official fan club.  If you’re doing a Holiday gift guide soon, please consider including this suggestion. D23 celebrates all the wonder and excitement that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his studio in Hollywood. It keeps you up on all of Disney’s films, television and the parks.  Membership card gets you a ton of benefits including a beautiful quarterly magazine, member gifts, access to special events and more. Both Gold ($74.99) and Silver ($34.99) memberships are available.  See more details below. For more info and how to order: http://bit.ly/cCyw7X A one-year D23 Silver Membership includes: ·                     Membership Card and Certificate: Your membership card and personalized, suitable-for-framing member certificate feature many of Disney's most beloved characters drawn by Disney Master Artist David Pacheco. ·                     Our 2010 member gift, Disney Undiscovered: A 23-Month Calendar (2010-2011) of Disney’s Unrealized Masterpieces from the Walt Disney Archives Collection. This vibrant piece offers rare and never-before-seen images from Disney parks, animation, and live-action films. ·                     Special Member Events: The opportunity to attend numerous D23 Member events throughout the year ·                     Exclusive Merchandise: D23 offers its members access to exclusive, limited-edition merchandise and collectibles. ·                     Subscription to bi-weekly D23 FanFare e-newsletter with breaking news and special offers. (You may opt out of receiving FanFare after your first e-newsletter arrives.) ·                     Special promotional offers and discounts throughout the year. More details available here. A one-year D23 Gold Membership also entitles you to half price on: ·                     Disney twenty-three Quarterly Publication: A one-year subscription (four issues) to D23's exquisite collectible magazine, filled with stunning photography, dazzling illustrations and the ultimate Disney insider perspective. It's your all-access pass to discovering the magic of Disney's past, present and future!  Sample it here http://bit.ly/9ZR9Qx

Playmobil Advent Calendar

The PLAYMOBIL Advent Calendar is an innovative and inexpensive way to build excitement during the 24 days leading up to Christmas, and allows children ages four and up to continue playing with their new playsets long after the holiday season comes to an end (each day reveals a new toy and by Christmas the child has a complete playset).

New for 2010 are PLAYMOBIL Advent Calendars with Pony Ranch and Dragon’s Land themes. With a total of five different play worlds in all, each advent calendar is as unique as the imagination of the child who plays with it.  Please click on the following link to see all of the 2010 themes: http://bit.ly/dbv7iP

Advent Calendars from PLAYMOBIL retail for $18.99 and are available at specialty retailers nationwide.  

We were sent one of the Playmobil Advent Calendars to review, and I was really happy with the surprise package on my doorstep. I had seriously wanted to do an advent calendar this year, and this is a great way to introduce the kidlets to one.  Unlike the traditional advent calendar, where you get a piece of candy or a little trinket from the opened window, you get a little Playmobil piece to go with the city scape. The one we were sent was the Advent Calendar "Police". Each spot contains a little person, pieces for the person, pieces for the city (like a toilet!), and when you have all your pieces are out, you can open up the cityscape and play! I foresee a lot of fun opening this advent calendar during the holidays.

Gourmet Gift Baskets

If you are looking for a gift for a teacher, a neighbor, a friend, well, anyone, then one of the best things to get is a gift basket. You can get one that is sure to please even the pickiest person! One of the places I know of that has really great gift baskets is Gourmet Gift Baskets. They offer a wide selection of baskets for every occasion. And Christmas is no exception. Holiday gift baskets vary in taste, size, and price. You can go all out with an Executive Suite Christmas Gift Basket that costs $249, or you can go smaller with a Mini Christmas Gift Basket for $29. Either way you will receive quality products perfect for the situation needed.

Not only does Gourmet Gift Baskets offer Holiday baskets for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but they have the perfect basket for that new mom, graduation, Easter, or even just because. If your intended recipient isn't a chocolate lover, then you can go with a fruit and nut basket, or maybe a wine and cheese, or how bout a Around the World Beer Bucket.

Gourmet Gift Baskets has sales often on different baskets and you can keep up with all the happenings by following them on Facebook or Twitter. You can also keep up with them through the Blog Basket.

True Joy Acoustics

UKULELE anyone?  Lots of fun, even therapeutic!  These kits feature a ready-to-play FLEA™ brand ukulele.  They’re extra tough (kid proof!), easy to wipe down, and packed with essential gear to tune and strum it, learn basic techniques and tote it anywhere.  No prior music experience required.  Ukuleles are an easy alternative or stepping-stone to learning other instruments.  In addition, Ukulele Musician Maker™ Kit sales help others in our community: (1) all kits are quality packed by a visually impaired workforce, and (2) for every nine kits sold, a 10th kit is donated to a pediatric hospital music therapy program. Learn music, help others ... that's True Joy! 

Please check True Joy Acoustics for more information and pricing on the kits. If you have a music lover in your home, this would be a great unique gift. And a way to help give back this holiday season!

Wild Dill

Have you ever come across one of those sites where you can find all kinds of goodies and you just want to sit there and oogle the site all day? Well that is exactly what happened when I came across Wild Dill. All thanks to Facebook for having their little ad up while I was on.

You will find clothing, toys, art supplies, and gifts all on the Wild Dill website. And making the products even better is the fact that they are organic, eco-friendly, and even fair trade. They use bamboo and soy for most of the products that are sold on the site. The art supplies are all made from soy, which means if your monkey eats the glue, it'll be okay.

We were sent some of the art supplies that are sold on Wild Dill made by Clementine Art. As soon as the box was opened, we had to unroll paper and get to painting. I don't know a kiddo alive who doesn't like art in some form or another. Many children who have sensory issues and can't take the feel of the paint on the fingers, still love to look at beautiful pictures painted by other kids. And many children who can't enjoy the visual beauty of a painting, still enjoy feeling their fingers in the wet paint. Art is just one of those things that can soothe a soul and help you find joy in your day!

The Clementine Art Natural Rock Crayons were a big hit as well in the monkie house. The kids all oohed and ahhed over the way cool crayon rocks. Which kinda looked like little nuts.

The Clementine Art Natural Glue surprised me quiet a bit. It actually works. I wasn't expecting it to work as good as my trusty Elmer's, but I got pleasantly surprised when we tried it out. It holds papers tight, and dries pretty quickly. The drying time did seem to be a little longer than with regular glue, but it wasn't so bad that I would say it was a negative to purchasing the natural glue.

You can also find markers and modeling clay from Clementine Art. Wouldn't this make a lovely gift basket idea for your art lover? Just add some sketch paper, paint paper, and other little art supplies and you have a creative minds best gift EVAH! Check out Wild Dill for all the great products that they offer. You can follow them on Facebook to keep up with sales, new products, and discount codes.

Speaking of discount codes...Use code 15off when you make a purchase at Wild Dill and receive 15% off your total purchase!

Check out the Flickr set for our Wild Dill paint fun!

Scandle: Shimmering Lotion Candle

When you think of candles you don't usually think of lotion or moisturizer at the same time. With the Scandle you will think just that.

This unique candle burns at just 2 degrees above body temp to produce the shimmering moisturizing lotion to apply to your body. I was sent a Scandle to review and when I lit, I was a little apprehensive. I was expected the normal cake and peel off candle wax to be left on my skin. Boy was I pleasantly surprised to find that instead, I got a soft oil type mixture on my skin that easily rubbed in and left my hands really really soft. The light shimmer that you get is better than any body bronzer I have ever tried!

The scent that it leaves behind is almost like a warm sugar cookie. A hint of vanilla and spice. But that was just mine! There are a ton of different fragrances to choose from!  This would be a perfect gift for that special someone in your life. Maybe she has a stressful job and you want to give her the best back rub she has ever had. Foot massage anyone? At $22.99 for a refillable cermanic canister, or $13.95 for a travel size, you will definitely not be breaking the bank or the budget for this gift idea!

Connect with Scandle on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date on sales and promotions.

Super Sipperz!

My daughter, Savanna, has an obsession with straws. She has yet to meet a straw she hasn't wanted to try. So when I was approached about reviewing the Super Sipperz! I jumped at it. Just for her. These are regular bendy straws in a variety of colors. But what makes them really nifty is the connectors that allow you make really wacky designs out of all of the straws.

The girls immediately went and started building stuff. MacKenzie the architect tried putting 5 drinks in a row and building a bridge that all of the kids could sit at and drink from. They figured out really quick that root beer, orange Fanta, and lemonade really don't mix that well. Because that is exactly what happened. The drinks all mixed together and they had some funky flavored stuff coming out of their straws.

 If you have super imaginative kids, or well even not that imaginative kids, then you might want to add these to the stockings. They are reasonably priced at $9.99 for one 80 piece set and then just an additional $5 for a second set for a total of 160 pieces! Each set contains straws, connectors, a mesh storage bag, and a 60 day money back guarantee. Plus the fun you can't buy from watching your kids eyes light up while building. Oh, and the set also contains one set of tubes to make glasses out of the straws.

Check out this really cool video on the Super Sipperz! website. I love the little girl lounging by the pool with straws leading to her drink. LOL For straws you can build with, these are definitely pretty cool!

Lego Universe

"Adventure awaits in endless worlds of creative LEGO® fun where you can safely build, play and connect online. Build your custom LEGO Universe minifigure and join the Nexus Force, an elite team of heroes united to defeat the Maelstrom, a dark menace trying to destroy imagination!

Battle dark creatures, chat with friends and build custom LEGO creations like pets, rockets and race cars! The best players gain leader board fame and collect the coolest LEGO loot.

Within LEGO Universe, players will safely create, build, quest and socialize together. This entirely new online world will be the place for LEGO enthusiasts of any age to form their own fun adventures!"


We were sent a copy of the new Lego Universe game and I have to tell you, it is a BLAST! Braden has been playing this nonstop now for a week. Once he figured it out, he was hooked. Kenzie (even though she is all girlie here lately) has a love for Lego's and she likes this game as well. While she still prefers her Sims 3, she is playing Lego Universe a couple of times a week. 


This game is pretty cool. When you purchase the game disc you get one month of access to the online world. After that you have to purchase additional access. You can purchase it in 1, 6, and 12 months at a time. This is the only area with the game that I have issues. You can only play it online. We haven't been able to play it offline, so I am assuming and going off what the website says, that unless you have internet access add continue to purchase the subscriptions then you can't play. The initial cost of the game is $39.99. Subscription prices are $9.99 to $89.99. Which is kinda suckish. 


Overall the game is quiet good. You have so much to do and creating the characters (you can do up to 4), and the imagination factor in getting to build the worlds is really cool. If you have a kidlet who likes to play MMO's and you are wanting to find something more along their age level, then this is the route to take.

Madeline's Christmas and Other Wintry Tales

Madeline is a favorite in our home. I have never seen a child who can get into and out of more trouble than this kid. LOL But isn't it so much fun to watch as she figures out the lessons from her mistakes? With the newest Madeline movie just released by Shout Factory, Madeline's Christmas and Other Wintry Tales, you and your kids can sit back and enjoy some snow filled Parisian fun.

You get to travel all over from the Alps to the North Pole, you will get to experience the craziness of no Mrs. Clavel. Btw- I think that woman is a saint to take care of all those little girls and stay so calm all the time.

There are 5 episodes on this DVD:

• Madeline's Winter Vacation (set in the Alps with Mrs. Clavel's Aunt)
• Madeline at the North Pole
• Madeline and Santa (our favorite from this DVD)
• Madeline's Holiday with Mr. Grump (and yes he is aptly named)
• Madeline and the Ice Skates

Run time on Madeline's Christmas and Other Wintry Tales is 110 minutes, and cost for this wonderful Christmas movie on Amazon is $11.49. You can also purchase it at your other favorite movie retailers. 

Dragonart Evolution

If you have a budding artist in your home then this is one book you will want to put under his tree!

This drawing book contains:

• 60+ step-by-step demonstrations covering a variety of dragons, including medieval, fairy and sea-dwelling wyrms
• In-depth advice for drawing every part of the beast – eyes, ears, horns, wings, scale patterns, limbs and more
• Extra tips and tricks provided by your dragon guide, Dolosus

With the rage being towards the mythical the past few years, Dragonart Evolution fits right into the genre and right into any artists heart that likes to try and draw knights and dragons. Braden was so excited to get this book and open it up. While he really isn't old enough to understand all the drawing concepts within the book, he definitely likes looking through the pictures and trying his hand at drawing the simpler dragons. MacKenzie is at a better age to sit down and draw the dragons. Her favorites are the more fairy tale dragons and she likes taking time with the wings. She does tend to get a bit "creative" while drawing the wings.

Did you know that Newsweek did an article called "The Creativity Crisis"? It talks about how kids aren't using their imaginations like they use to. I completely agree. I think kids today are so into video games and television shows that they just don't have the imaginations we had when I was little. I think that is why I prefer books to tv. I can actively engage my mind in what I am reading.

So to get your kids off the couch and having a different kind of fun, pop Dragonart Evolution under the tree this year. And when your artist is done creating, have them upload their designs onto DeviantArt.com and share with millions of other artists!

You can purchase Dragonart Evolution by J. "NeonDragon" Peffer at most of your favorite bookstores, including Amazon. Amazon has it for just under $16.

Canvas People

Canvas People is offering a free 8x10 photo canvas (a $55 value) and all you have to do is pay shipping. This would be a SUPERB Christmas gift for grandparents who love having photos of their grands all around. Why not grab all the kids and grandkids, have a nice person snap a picture and waa-laa you have instant generation photo for the wonderful set of parents that keep nagging you for a family photo. This is offer is valid for US and Canada.

For an additional charge you can add a frame and add a creative effect. If you want a larger size than 8x10, you will get $55 credit towards any of the canvas photos. Largest size is 18x24 and it will cost you $43.99 after the $55 credit is applied.

EcoMom

EcoMom is one of those sites that you can go to for EVERYTHING. Literally. They have organic food, toys, clothing, and even a forum to talk to other eco-conscience parents out there. They literally have everything. You might remember the review I held not to long ago for their organic snacks, in particular their Revolution Foods graham cracker snacks and fruit squeeze pouches. Both of which were a hit.  

Well, like I said before...EcoMom has it all. So when I was thinking of a great site to include in this here Gift Guide, I knew I wanted to have them as a partner. If you are looking for something for mom, dad, or the kids you are sure to find something that they will love. And when it comes to little girls, well they have the perfect gift...

Every little girl at some point wants a dollhouse. Last Christmas I ended up driving two hours to find one (which is now being used as a book case). I paid way too much for it and the quality was not that great. Which is why it is a bookcase now. The girls really loved it, but when the pieces all started to break we just had to re-purpose it. Savanna has already added a new dollhouse her to her wish list this year! But I want to make sure that the dollhouse that she receives from old St. Nick is durable this go round. If you are short on space, you should really try the Melissa and Doug Fold and Go Mini Dollhouse. It measures 13.13"x10.63"x6.13", which makes it perfect for table top play. And the fold up design allows it to store easily and quickly. It comes with a total of 11 pieces of furniture and 2 little people. Cost for the Melissa and Doug dollhouse is $60 on EcoMom and you get free shipping with it as well.This particular dollhouse is for ages 3+.

I am a huge M&D fan and EcoMom has so many of their products for really good prices that I know I will be shopping there a lot. LOL

Another of my favorites from EcoMom, and one I am sure all little boys would want, it the Crafty Kids Shuttle. They also have a little cottage for the girlies.

You can keep up with all that is happening on EcoMom by following along on Twitter, or liking them on Facebook.

Goliath Games

Board games are always a big hit with my kids. They absolutely love the different games that come out, and even the classics are a big hit. One of our favorite companies has quickly become Goliath Games. They have such a fun assortment of games that span all age levels that it is easy to find a new game to place under the tree. I have been on the hunt for games out of the box for the twins. We did Hungry Hungry Hippo, and while it is a big hit, it is stationary and they get bored. So when we were sent Mad Mouse to try out I was thrilled to see that the mouse moves! The cute little blue mouse darts around and the goal is to catch the mouse by the tail with little cat paws. When you catch the mouse you get cheese. Whoever gets the most cheese wins. Easy peasy! The twins actually screeched in delight over chasing this thing. Mad Mouse comes with 4 of the cat paws, the electronic mouse, 9 pieces of cheese, and requires 2 AA batteries. The cost for Mad Mouse is $30.99. You can purchase it on Goliath games website, Amazon, and several other sites. Check for all the places to purchase HERE.

We were also sent Pop the Pig to try out. This was definitely up Braden and Savanna's alley. This is a great game for learning to count and estimation. Why? Well because the players have to guess how many bites it will take the pig to eat the burger. With every time you push on piggies head, his tummy grows. Just don't push too many times, or the tummy pops. Think of the first time you saw a Jack in the Box. And the reaction to "POP! Goes the weasel" That would be Colton's reaction every.single.time that Braden made the stomach pop. Which was every.single.time it was his turn! Pop the Pig is for ages 4+ and it is great fun. It comes with 1 Pop the Pig and 16 burgers. The cost is $24.99 (it is on sale right now!).

Along with these two games there are many more games available through Goliath Games. Check them all out and see which is your favorite!

Santa Bread

I came across this recipe on Taste of Home and thought it looked so cool. I know I would not be able to make it look this good, but hey it would be fun to try!













Directions:

1. Start with 2 loaves of purchased frozen bread dough and turn them onto a lightly floured surface. Take a small portion of one loaf and add it to the other loaf, making it slightly larger.
2. On a lightly floured surface, shape the larger portion of bread dough into an elongated triangle with rounded corners for Santa's head and hat.
3. Shape and flatten half of the smaller portion of dough into a beard. Using a scissors or pizza cutter, cut the beard into strips to within 1 in. of the top of the beard.
4. Carefully pick up the cut beard piece with both hands and position the beard on the bottom of Santa's face.
5. If desired, twist the cut strips in the beard and slightly curl up the ends of the strips to shape the beard.
6. Use the remaining dough for the mustache, nose, hat pom-pom and brim. Shape a portion of dough into a mustache; flatten and cut the ends into small strips with scissors. Place above beard. Place a small ball above mustache for nose. Fold tip of hat over and add another ball for pom-pom. Roll out a narrow piece of dough to create a hat brim; position under hat.
7. With a scissors, cut two slits for eyes; insert raisins into slits. In separate small bowls, beat egg each yolk. Add red food coloring to one yolk; carefully brush over hat, nose and cheeks. Brush plain yolk over remaining dough.
8. Add red food coloring to one beaten egg yolk and carefully brush the tinted red yolk over the hat, nose and cheeks.
9. Cover loosely with foil. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-12 minutes longer or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf.

VeggieTales: It's a meaningful life

I am a huge VeggieTales fan. Have been for YEARS. I mean really, who doesn't like veggies talking to them?! I think my fandom stems from annoying the crap out of my friend Arin during a youth trip. I spent hours singing "Oh where is my hair brush". Which led to years later, her actually giving me a hair brush for Christmas. LOL. Good times.

Not only are the tunes catchy but the morals and the stories are something I have no issue with my kids watching and being exposed to over and over and over again. Which we have. Tons of times. Larry the Cucumber is a big hit my house. My favorite thing about this VeggieTales movie is that I can reiterate something I try really hard to teach the kids. That no matter what, you should always understand your own worth and importance  to be content with what they do have rather than worrying about what others have. It is a hard lesson. Especially in this age of entitlement that we are living through. The old values of be thankful for the things we have is gone. Everyone wants bigger and better. Ugh that is so another post, one I actually have written and think I will post along with this review. Watch for it.

Back to the talking tomato.

It's a meaningful life has a brand new song set. It even has Steven Curtis Chapman on there. Some of the Bonus Features include:

• Directors’ Audio Commentary
• Art Gallery
• Parents Guide presented by Family Life
• “Goodnight Junior” Silly Songs Sing-Along
• Visit a Train Museum with Larry
• Behind The Music of It’s a Meaningful Life—An Interview with Steven Curtis Chapman
• “Meant To Be” Music Video 

The video run time on this particular movie is 48 minutes. You can purchase it at most major stores like Wal-Mart, Target, Amazon and even online at BigIdea.com. This would make a great stocking stuffer or if you are like me and have this thing about giving a new movie each holiday season, this is your next perfect pick!

Beauty and the Beast Diamond Edition

I will readily admit that my FAVORITE movie is Beauty and the Beast. I always loved how Belle could look past the way Beast looked, and see his heart. I remember seeing the movie many many years ago and falling in love with Disney right then and there. While I loved all the princess movies when I was little, Beauty and the Beast resonated with me. And now at 30 years old I am still enchanted with the dancing tea pot and cups. I could listen to the clock and candlestick bicker all day. And I still gasp when the last petal of the rose falls. I am thrilled that now I have two daughters of my own that I can share the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast with. And with the new Diamond Anniversary addition, I can enjoy it with the girls in a few new ways.

Did you know that Beauty and the Beast is only one of two animated movies ever nominated for an Academy Award? Or how bout the fact that it was the first Disney movie to inspire a Broadway stage play by the same name?

Disney’s most requested film, Beauty and the Beast, arrives for the first time on Blu-ray Hi-Def as the second installment to the company’s new Diamond Collection. The Blu-ray transformation reveals the magic, music and majesty of the film as never before experienced with state-of-the-art picture restoration, pristine 7.1 Digital Surround Sound and hours of additional viewing experiences that include behind the scenes features, deleted scenes, enhanced music tracks, immersive games and more.

I know we will spend a lot of time munching popcorn and watching this movie. You can purchase Beauty and the Beast where ever you like to get your movies at. 

This would make one little girl smile a bright smile if she pulled it out of her stocking or unwrapped it from under the tree. I know, cuz I'd be smiling just as wide!

SodaStream

If you have a soda lover in your house, and you are tired of paying the prices to purchase all their favorite flavors, how about making it at home. Only want your kiddos to have soda on special occasions or as a special treat, make it at home. That's right. Make your own favorite flavors of soda at home. Thanks to SodaStream you can do just that.

SodaStream offers you a convenient alternative to purchasing the soda from the grocery store. Thanks to their small easy to store fountains, all you need extra is the flavor mixes and the carbonator bottle. Really simple to make. You just twist the CO2 canister onto the fountain, add water to the bottle, attach the bottle to the machine and then add your carbon. Then just add your flavors. We have been using a SodaStream Fountain Jet for a year now, and have just run out of carbonation in our bottle. Time for a refill. And that part is easy as well. You order your new CO2 canister and return the old one. Easy peasy.

At SodaStream you will find a variety of flavors for your sodas. From Grapefruit to Diet, Energy to flavored water. They have all your bases covered. Including the diet flavors. Our kids loved the Orange and the Root Beer flavors the best, and I personally think that the Diet tasted pretty darn close to the name brand ones I buy from the grocery store. Prices start at $99.95 for a Fountain Jet, which is your basic model and perfectly fine, and goes up to $299.95 for the Penguin Value Kit, which is really cool looking!

Not only are saving a bundle but you can feel good about being a little eco-conscience as well. You won't be throwing out those pesky plastic bottles or aluminum cans. You simply re-use the bottles you get with the Soda Stream. You can also purchase extra bottles for $14.99.

You can make all your SodaStream purchases directly from their website. Connect with SodaStream on Twitter and Facebook to keep up with the latest news. You can also check out their YouTube channel.

Webkinz Jr.

If you didn't know by now, my kids are all big stuffed animal fans. One of our favorite stuffed animals is Webkinz. The girls were introduced to Webkinz thanks to a friend of mine named Terri. Her daughter was collecting them, and when my girlies found out about them it started a frenzy. They have collected the cards, the animals, the bracelet/necklaces/charms, and everything else that goes with Webkinz. Of course the boys wanted to get in on the action and be able to play online with their own Webkinz. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when we were introduced to Webkinz Jr.

Webkinz Jr. are a larger version of the small Webkinz. Each one is a cute cuddly bundle of fur and stuff. And like the original Webkinz, Webkinz Jr. has its own virtual world where your little one can take care of their pet. The differences in the websites isn't too big. While Webkinz has a website that is more geared towards kids who can read and can do more interactive stuff, Webkinz Jr. offers your little ones in the 3-6 age range the ability to play games, feed their pets, decorate their little homes, and many of the other things that the original site allows for the older kids, it is just easier for the littler ones to be understand. Braden loves playing on Webkinz Jr. Getting on daily to take care of his pet and play some games is one of his favorite demands.

Webkinz Jr are available in a variety of animals, 18 to be exact. The cost for one Webkinz Jr is around $20.00 at most retailers. You have your choice of everything from bunnies to giraffes. And of course there are a couple of monkeys as well! You can purchase them at most major toy outlets (Toys R' Us, Amazon, Babies R' Us). Be sure to get yours and put it back for Christmas!

Handmade Christmas Soap

I came across this really easy really great craft for Christmas at Milk and Cuddles. The actual post was for Halloween, so we did both. I had never made soap before and thought it would super difficult, but it was so easy I think we may do more as gifts for neighbors and grandparents. Next time I might add some scent to it.

All you need for the soap is glycerin (bought mine at Michael's for $9.99, and can make 16 soaps with one block), Christmasy items to put in the soap, a muffin tin, and some clear wrap.

Melt the glycerin in the muffin tins. The site I came across that had the directions used silicone muffin pans and said microwave for 35 seconds until glycerin is melted. I didn't have any silicone muffin pans, so I used some regular ones from the Dollar Tree. I melted it in the oven at 200. It took about 10 minutes to fully melt the soap down.

Add the items to the soap, pushing it down with a popsicle stick or something like that so that it is covered completely in the soap.

Let stand for 20 minuted and then remove and wrap.

I had no trouble getting the soaps out of the muffin tins, although I am sure they would come out prettier with silicone pans. We added little bells for the Christmas look. If we make them for gifts this year, I will purchase some decorative stickers for the backs to cover the wrap and keep it secure.

The cost for making 16 soaps was $14.

Piggy Paint

Sure to brighten any young girls heart to open up a gift basket full of nail polish. LOL Piggy Paint is one of those companies that you just love purchasing from. Not only are you going to get great products that do not contain any nasty chemicls (after all Piggy Paint is as natural as mud!), but you are going to find nail polish with names that make any girl, young or old, smile. Whether you have the more subdued color lover or the far out their bright as the sun color lover, then you will be covered. And even better, this polish is perfectly safe to place on the tiniest fingers without the fears of them sucking the paint off. While I am not saying the paint won't come off, what I am saying is that since the polish is completely natural and doesn't contain any harmful chemicals, then your little toe sucker (my girls preferred to bend themselves in half to suck on their toes instead of their thumbs!) won't have to be rushed to the emergency room.

Now with a whole new polish line called Project Earth designed for that tween in your life  that might be a little eco-friendly, Piggy Paint is embarking on a new journey! With colors named things like "Drama" and "The Boyfriend Blues" your tween/teen is sure to love these colors. There is even a glow-in-the-dark color called "Radioactive". This is by far Kenzie's favorite and she has worn it every day since receiving it from Piggy Paint. It does take a couple of coats to really glow, but when it is glowing it is pretty cool.

Nail polish from Piggy Paint starts at $8.99 a bottle and goes up to higher prices for gift sets that include several bottles as well as polish remover.If you spend over $35 on items from the website you will receive free domestic shipping. You can connect with Piggy Paint via Twitter and Facebook to find out about secret sales and discount codes.

Piggy Paint makes great stocking stuffers or a tween/teen spa basket!

Use coupon code MONKIES10L to take 10% off your order from Piggy Paint.