All posts by Alicia

Personalized Holiday Gifts For Everyone On Your List

Personal Creations

We put our Christmas tree up over the weekend and despite the rocky start because we couldn’t get the lights to work and a couple of ornaments had broken during transit from the attic, the experience ended up being the best Christmas tree decorating time I’ve ever had.  There were a few things at play that made that the case.  The first was the Christmas music in the background.  When Jingle Bells started playing on Pandora, we all sang along.  Then there were the sausage balls I made.  We finally had to bring them into the living room to munch on or I wasn’t going to see my husband or kids while I decorated the tree alone.  Then the kids started going through the ornaments and found their favorites and ones that are special to them.  My daughter lined her ornaments up on the couch and asked my husband and I where each ornament came from, how old she was when we got it, and why we got it for her.  It was really nice to see her face light up as we talked about each ornament and the story behind it and remember those special times surrounding each ornament.

Once the tree was decorated, I headed to the den to finalize Christmas gift shopping.   I love getting my kids and husband personalized items.

One thing I’ve learned since having kids is that kids LOVE to see their name on things.   They like feeling like something was made for them.. it exists because of them.  I remember the first time my son saw his name on a billboard for a store. It was a coincidence, yes, but he acted like that was his store which brought a huge smile to his face! He was 6 years old at the time. Now he’s 14. He still loves to see his name on things which is why I love getting him personalized gifts.

This year, I chose a few items that are very fitting to his personality, to personalize. He’s getting older and keeps change and trinkets in his pockets. What happens to those things when he gets home from school? They end up strewn all over his desk. Personal Creations has a really nice large wooden catchall that will be monogrammed with his initials which I hope he will keep his loose change and trinkets.

Large Wood Catchall-Monogram

My daughter recently started playing soccer and gymnastics and will be thrilled to see a new ornament on the Christmas tree that looks just like her, playing soccer and my son will have a Lacrosse playing ornament.  Maybe there is hope that they will play together after-all, even if it is just the ornament versions of themselves.  đź™‚

I am excited about the Sock Monkey ornaments the kids will be getting for the tree soon.  Both of my kids love monkeys.  I’m not sure why but when I saw these adorable sock monkey ornaments at Personal Creations, I knew they’d be a perfect fit on our Christmas tree.

sock monkey personalized ornament

My daughter is really into playing with makeup now and what better way to get her to not use my makeup brushes than for her to have her own?  I am going to give her mine when I get this new set personalized with my name on it.  đź™‚  The makeup roll includes a 6 piece brush set with 2 large, full-coverage cheek and face brushes, 2 eye blending and smudge brushes, 1 angled liner brush, and 1 eyebrow groomer brush.

personalized makeup brush set

Ready to personalize your own Christmas creations?
Personal Creations is offering my readers 20% off of all of your purchases through the end of December.
Click here to start shopping and the 20% will be applied in your shopping cart.

If you need inspiration on coming up with great personalized gift ideas, this Pinterest board is a great place to start!


5 Pre-Holiday Cleaning Tips + A Review of Swiffer SteamBoost Steam Mop

This holiday cleaning tips post is brought to you by Swiffer® as part of a Type-A Parent Community Sponsored Post.

Are you anxiously cleaning your home to get ready for your holiday visitors?  I am.  It’s ridiculous really.   It never fails..each year, around the 2nd week of December, I get a cleaning bug and even though I know that within three days, the house will be a mess again, I go at it anyway.   That’s why I came up with a set of 5 pre-holiday cleaning tips that even I follow.

My Top 5 Tips On Cleaning For The Holidays:

  • Be realistic, give your self and your kids small cleaning projects throughout the course of a week before the holidays.  Don’t expect to cram all of your cleaning into one weekend. 
  • Turn on cheerful music that everyone will enjoy listening to while they’re cleaning.
  • Don’t try to vacuum, steam, sweep, or mop around small furniture, move it out of the way.  
  • Wear comfortable clothes while you’re cleaning.
  • Drink lots of water and even stop for a snack while you’re cleaning.  Eating and drinking will help keep your energy up and spirits high. Goodness knows you’re probably not thrilled about cleaning!

I received a Swiffer SteamBoost to review and while I am not required to write about things I receive to review, I write about things I love and this is one of them.   The Swiffer SteamBoost is lightweight, easy to use, and holds enough water to clean for a quite a while.   Also, it is very quiet and I LOVE the lavender scent of the pads.   After I used the SteamBoost as my house, I took it to my mom’s house to use on her tile floors.   The SteamBoost is easy to set up.  My 7-year-old set it up except for putting the pad on.   I wanted to put the pad on since there are chemicals in them.  The pad snaps into the little grooves and removes easily with a tug.  Once you put the pad on, simply plug the SteamBoost in and wait 30 seconds, then you’re ready to clean!

The electric Swiffer SteamBoost emits steam as an agent to activate the cleaning solution in the refill pads.  The SteamBoost is meant to be used on hard floor surfaces only.   Cleaning around furniture, corners, and toilets is easy because the handle swivels.

Swiffer SteamBoost steam mop

Swiffer Steamboost

Why Use a Steam Mop?

Steam moms are great for getting grimy dirt and sticky stuff off floors.   Our middle floor is almost all hardwood and it’s the first thing the kid walk on after school and when they’ve been in the front yard.  A steam mop makes getting that tracked in dirt on the floor, a breeze to lift.   Steam mops are also great for cleaning up sticky messes.

Swiffer Bissell SteamBoost Dimensions and Specs

  • Height: Approx 45 inches
  • Width: 10.25 inches
  • Depth: Approx 6 inches
  • Weight: 3 pounds
  • Power cord: 20 feet

I would like to see an on/off button on future models and perhaps a small pad to set the SteamBoost on while it’s warming up, included in the starter kit.

SwifferLogo-10-2-12

This sponsored post was brought to you by Swiffer®. For a limited time, get a $15 prepaid card when you purchase a SteamBoost Steam Mop Starter Kit between 11/24/13 and 12/31/13. Swiffer BISSELL® SteamBoost™ combines a dirt-dissolving cleaning solution with the power of steam for a deep clean that gets messes mops can leave behind. Also be sure to like Swiffer on Facebook and follow @swiffer on Twitter.

Get Bundled With Restaurant.com’s Holiday Gift Guide And Giveaway

Christmas is just a couple of weeks away.  Can you believe it? We are putting our Christmas tree up today then I will be hard at work figuring out who we need to get gifts for and what to get them. I am so glad I learned about Restaurant.com’s Gift Guide because they share some fabulous gift ideas that everyone on my list will appreciate.  Everyone loves food.  Not just the taste, but the experiences and the memories that come with it.  Why not give your friends and family the gift of those experiences and memories?

Restaurant.com, the nation’s largest dining deals site, loves surprising diners with fun ways to save.  This holiday season, they’ve handpicked delicious dining experiences and gift ideas for every budget and compiled them into an exclusive Restaurant.com Holiday Gift Guide.  Simply pair any Restaurant.com Gift Card with one of these gift bundle ideas below for the ultimate dining experience and holiday treat.

Here are some great gift ideas from Restaurant.com

Restaurant.com Gift Guide

1. The Movie Buff:
For the movie-quoting, obsessed friend, surprise them with two tickets to a movie on their must-see “Oscar” list and a $25 Restaurant.com Gift Card.

2. The Workaholic:
To help someone on your list find much needed tranquility, pair a $50 Restaurant.com Gift Card with soothing bath salts, lavender mist, and a face mask to create an affordable, at-home spa treatment.

3. The Wine Fanatic:
Bring Napa Valley to every wine lover on your list! Pair their favorite wine with decadent cheeses, crackers, and of course chocolate. Then, cleanse their palate with some late night dessert and a $25 Restaurant.com Gift Card.

4. The Romantic:
Add some romance into your holiday with a $50 Restaurant.com Gift Card, bouquet of roses, some irresistible chocolate covered strawberries, and a candlelit dinner for two.

5. The Theatre Lover:
Add some dramatic flair to the holidays with two tickets to their must-see show and end the evening with our $100 Restaurant.com Gift Card – perfect for dinner and dessert.

Be sure to check out Specials by Restaurant.com for more shopping ideas!

Restaurant.com helps you discover the perfect dining experience and boasts nearly 50,000 dining deals available every day to use anytime hunger strikes, even on the weekends! And, the deals are easy to use – present your certificate to the server on your mobile phone, or bring a printed copy, and voilà – the savings will appear on your final bill.

Restaurant.com is having a giveaway on their Facebook page!  Five (5) lucky Facebook fans will have a chance to win one of the gifts featured in their gift guide every Wednesday until December 18, 2013. Head on over for your chance to win! Good luck!

Connect with Restaurant.com

Create Your Top Of The Mantel Holiday Card On Cardstore.com.. And See Mine!

cardstore holiday cards

I told my husband that I wanted to get a photo of the kids in front of our Christmas tree, which is gorgeous.. once it is actually up, for a Christmas card.  I’ve been sick for a couple of weeks and things just haven’t gone as planned so I didn’t get my dream photo.  I probably wouldn’t have anyway.  If I recall correctly, when I tried to get the ‘perfect’ photo of the kids last holiday season, I ended up almost crying I was so frustrated.

I was so happy with the first holiday card I made on Cardstore.com that I didn’t think I could possibly create a card I liked better.  Well, I did.  It took a little digging through photos on dropbox, facebok, and my computer, which cardstore.com makes easy, but I found several photos of the kids that sum up their year fabulously.

So here it is..

Our Cardstore.com Personalized Holiday Cards

The entire time I was designing this card, I had the song “My Favorite Things” playing over and over in my head.   I finally decided to include in this post since it was such a party of the design experience.

You should go here (a YouTube page in a new window) and start the orchestral music for “My Favorite Things” before reading my lyrics.  Hearing the music puts you in the right place. 🙂

Rainbows And Smiles On Warm Summer Days
Sebastian Playing Lacrosse And Madelyn Balancing On Beams
Soccer Balls Zooming Around In The Spring
These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

Trips To The Beach With My Husband And Kids
Watching Madelyn Read Books At A Fast Pace
Looking Forward To What The Future May Bring
These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

Decorating For Christmas With Music In The Background
Knowing Sebastian Will Be An Eagle Scout One Day
Getting Warm Hugs After School Everyday
These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

When The Guinea Pigs Squeal
Because They’re Hungry
Or When I Trip On Lacrosse Balls
I Simply Remember My Favorite Things
And Then I Don’t Feel So Bad

Feel free to share your version of “My Favorite Things” in the comments below.  So often we focus on the bad and annoying things in life.  I think it’s important to focus on the good and writing your own version of this song is a great way to do that!

Keep in mind that you need to order your customized holiday cards by December 16th in order for them to arrive at their destination by Christmas Eve. 

Like I mentioned in previous post about Cardstore.com, the process of creating a customized holiday card is quick and easy.   You can add photos from lots of photo sharing sites including Facebook, Instagram, Dropbox, Picasa, Flickr, and more.  There are dozens of holiday card designs to choose from which most being a postcard but several are folding cards.

Here is a Cardstore.com giveaway you can enter!

Mom Central and Cardstore are currently running a giveaway on the Mom Central Facebook page, with chances to win ten (10) $50 Amex Gift Cards and one (1) grand prize of a $300 Amex Gift Card! Here is the link: http://bit.ly/1gaAy4M

Create your own personalized holiday cards at http://po.st/PersonalizeYourCard today!

Make Your Own LEGO Minifigure Family Holiday Card and Share it Instantly, Free!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of LEGO for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

We are a LEGO family.  We're not really LEGOs.. we just really like LEGOs and when I saw the new LEGO Minifigure Family holiday card that's available for anyone to make online, free, I jumped on it!   Who doesn't want to make themselves into a LEGO Minifigure?

The process to create a card is simple.  Select whether you want to create an adult, child, baby, dog, or cat, then name and customize that person.  You can customize the skin tone, facial expression, hat, hair, shirt, and pants.  Given that my son loves building stuff and being outdoors, I gave him an outdoorsy shirt.   I made my husband look like a cowboy just for the heck of it.  There is a cowboy hat but I didn't want to take it too far so I didn't give him a hat.  I suppose in another life I might like track suits so I had some fun with my minifigure and zipped on a flashy purple tracksuit with pink and white stripes.   Sassy, huh?

customized LEGO minifigure family holiday card

There are 12 cute scenes in which your family can be enjoying their holiday.   I almost chose the wild west theme to go with my husband's LEGO cowboy look but opted for something a little more subtle and realistic.  After all, this adorable card might be the closest I will get to a photo of all four of us near a Christmas tree.  đź™‚

Do you know what would be fun?  Have your kids create their own LEGO Minifigure Family holiday card, all on their own.  Who knows what your child will have you dressed in or where you will be.  On the beach maybe?  Or perhaps in outer space!  Yep, those are two of the 12 scene options. 

Once you’ve customized the Minifigure for each of your family members, you can download the image to your computer and share the holiday card with your friends and family via Facebook, Twitter, email, Pinterest, or direct link.

You will have a blast creating your own customized LEGO Minifigure Family holiday card!

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