Tag Archives: christmas

BJ’s 2011 Toy Catalog Gives Parents Great Gift Ideas and Great Prices!

Gifts, Holiday, New posts, , , ,

Fisher-Price Doodle Bear available at BJ's Wholesale ClubI have to admit that I’m struggling a bit with buying Christmas gifts for the kids this year.  My kids are 12 and 5.  My 5 year old has all the toys she could possibly need because we kept most of our 12 year old’s cool toys and handed them down to her.  My 12 year old just doesn’t need anything.  He doesn’t really play with toys anymore.  He’s into writing, camping, outdoors, stuff like that.  Hard to buy for is what he is!

 

After browsing through BJ’s 2011 Toy Catalog though, I found a few things that I know he would love including a Star Wars LEGO set and a mini basketball hoop for his room.  It’s catalogs like this that make it so that my kids actually get gifts!

My daughter has been asking for a Doodle Bear for about two months so when I saw a Doodle Bear in the BJ’s 2011 Toy Catalog I knew that’s what I had to request for her.  BJ’s sent her a Fisher-Price Doodle Bear and she was beyond thrilled.  The Doodle Bear set includes washable scented markers, 3 stampers, a 3-shape stencil, and a DVD.

Watch as my daughter plays with her Doodle Bear for the first time:

 

 

You’ll find something for everyone on your list in the BJ’s 2011 Toy Catalog.

If you are not already a BJ’s member, you can get a FREE 60-Day Trial Membership now.  Now is the perfect time to check it out with all of the great holiday deals going on!

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received the Fisher-Price Doodle Bear free from BJ’s for the purpose of this review. Opinions are 100% my own and were not influenced in any way.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Join me at the ‘Holiday Style’ #SearsChat and Sweepstakes this Monday!

Twitter Parties, , ,

Sears Twitter Party

Your gifts are wrapped and the cookies are baked but is your wardrobe ready for the holiday season?

Join us on Twitter Monday night from 7pm- 8:30pm CT for a Holiday Fashion edition of #SearsChat and a chance to win Sears gift cards!

Sears Holiday Style Twitter Party
The Kardashian Kollection

Our hosts @Sears, @SearsStyle and co-hosts @StacieInAtlanta, @Crissy, @JollyMom and @MommyInsider (and some other special guests TBD!) will be talking everything holiday fashion. Come share your fashion tips and get ready to look your best at each holiday party this season.

Follow @Sears and @SearsStyle and tweet with us from 7pm-8:30pm CT using the hashtag #SearsChat to participate.

Prizes:

  • Grand prize- $125 gift card
  • One of three $25 gift cards

To Enter for a Chance to Win:

  • Have an active Twitter account.
  • Follow the official @Sears and @SearsStyleTwitter accounts.
  • Tweet “Join me @Sears & @SearsStyle for #SearsChat – Mon 12/12 from 7-8:30pm CT talking about Holiday Style | Details/Prizes: http://bit.ly/tQgwiQ”
  • Post the link to your tweet in the comments on this post (not this post)
  • During the Twitter Party, send a Tweet (containing only appropriate, family-friendly content as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion) that includes the #SearsChat hashtag.

 

Disclosure: Sears has engaged me to help promote and host this party.

Join me at the Special ‘Countdown to Christmas’ #KmartChat & Sweepstakes this Sunday!

New posts, Twitter Parties, , ,

Special Countdown to Christmas #KmartChat & Sweepstakes this Sunday!

The holidays are in full swing and so is holiday shopping. Are you going to be ready by Christmas?

Join @Kmart on Twitter this Sunday from 7-8:30pm CT (8-9:30pm EST) and get organized as the countdown to Christmas continues.

Follow @Kmart and @KmartDeals and use the hashtags #KmartChat to join. Join @Kmart, @mommyinsider and other co-hosts @StacieInAtlanta, @Crissy, @JollyMom (and some other special guests TBD!) as we share tips on how to get more GREEN this Monday (deals will be active after 12:01am 12/12) when you shop at Kmart and provide advice on how to finish holiday shopping right on time.

Prizes:

  • Grand prize of 1 $125 gift card
  • Three $25 gift cards

To enter the sweepstakes you must:

  • Have an active Twitter account
  • Follow the official @Kmart and @KmartDeals Twitter accounts
  • Send the following Tweet: “Join me & @Kmart for #KmartChat – Sun 12/11 from 7-8:30pm CT talking about Countdown to Christmas – Details & Prizes: http://bit.ly/tiDAKJ”
  • Post an appropriate, non-duplicative, family-friendly comment on this blog post that also includes a link to your Tweet above.

No one does Christmas like Kmart. We hope to see you this Sunday!

 

Disclosure: Kmart has engaged me to help promote and host this party.

Shutterfly Holiday Cards – it’s not too early to get started on your holiday cards!

Holiday, New posts, , , , ,

Shutterfly photo giftsI can’t believe it but we have NEVER had a professional family portrait taken.  One of my all time favorite family photographs was one that my mother took of Tim, Sebastian and I (pre-Madelyn years) in front of the Christmas tree.  So, I printed a million of them and put them in Christmas cards.  I haven’t done that since.  Call it lazy, over-whelmed.. I don’t know.  It’s just not happening.   That’s why I’ll be designing and getting our holiday cards from Shutterfly.com this year.  Now to find someone to lucky enough to try and get a great photo of the four of us!  I’ll be sure to update you all when that happens! 🙂

Besides a huge selection of holiday cards, Shutterfly offers shoppers a great selection of photo gifts including wall calendars and stationary.

Shutterfly holiday cards - photo gifts

Shutterfly shoppers can choose from a variety of holiday card styles.  Are you a simplistic kind of gal?  No problem.. choose a classic, simple holiday card design. If you love bright colors and fun type faces, you’ll love Shutterfly’s more charismatic holiday card designs.

Shutterfly holiday photo cards

A few of my favorite Shutterfly.com photo products:

Shutterfly website
Shutterfly TwitterFollow Shutterfly on Twitter
Shutterfly on FacebookLike the Shutterfly Facebook page

Now I just need to find a photographer to shoot a few (hundred.. it’ll take that many to get one good shot of the 4 of us I think!) photographs of us for our holiday cards. 🙂

Are you a blogger?  You can get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly.com.  Learn how here!

I took a whole week off! Back to life now

Holiday, Personal, , ,

I realized a few minutes ago that it’s Saturday which means that I took a whole week off of work, a first in many years. Even while on vacation I usually have my laptop with me, answer emails, write posts on The Mommy Insider and my other site Atlanta Moms, and I have even been known to take phone calls while on vacation. It felt really good to not do any of the above while in Florida last week.

Exactly one week ago the kids and I and my sister drove to Orlando to visit and celebrate Christmas with my Dad and step-mom. We had an incredible time. Between ice skating and an amazing trip to Disney World we relaxed at their house which has a beautiful lake small enough that we swim in (no alligators) during our Spring and Summer visits.

Today I am going to extend my vacation a little bit by spending time cleaning out my car and I am going to go through the kids gifts so I can actually see what they got. Not to mention cleaning, laundry, etc.

Then when things settle down later in the afternoon (am I kidding myself?), I am going to transfer all of my files and programs from my MacBook White to my new MacBook Pro that I haven’t use since I got it from my Dad Tuesday! Talk about torture! It’s so pretty and shiny and I am a total geek so not using a brand new super duper laptop is extremely difficult for me.

Have a great weekend and I’m going to put some photographs of our Orlando vacation up soon so subscribe to my (almost) daily RSS feed or weekly newsletter to be notified when I update the site.

Alicia