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Playing Santa with Personal Creations #pcholiday

Blog Post Disclosure Bannertrackable pixelPersonal Creations is helping me play Santa this year.  With some family members that already have everything shopping can be difficult.  Going the personalized route is always a good choice. It ensures the gift will be unique and a perfect fit.

My parents never need anything but I always want to give them something to show my gratitude for everything thing they do  all year long.  My dad loves anything and everything that has to do with cooking and barbequing. I picked out these 2 items for him knowing he’d love them and knowing they’d become permanent fixtures in his kitchen.

The personalized Pepper Mill is made of eco-freiendly rubberwood and stands at over 13 inches tall.  The wooden carving board will serve as the perfect tool for all of my father’s dinners on the grill.

Gift from Personal Creations #pcholiday

Gift from Personal Creations #pcholiday

The  doggies mean a lot to us and while we provide everything they need throughout the year I wanted to treat to something special for the holidays.  They have overtaken the blankets that sit on the back of the sofa rendering them useless for anyone else to use because they smell like dog.  The Dog Bone Fuzzy Blanket is soft and warm and fit 2 small dogs perfectly.  They’ve been good at avoiding our blankets since giving them their own blanket, I’m guessing because it’s always available to them.

Gift from Personal Creations #pcholiday

You didn’t think I forgot about gifting to myself did you?  Personal Creations is a great option for adding special details in my own kitchen.  I also love to cook and bake and like adding to my collection of gadgets and other useful items.  My own cutting board and wooden utensils seemed like an obvious choice.

Gift from Personal Creations #pcholiday

The back door was a little bare so I gave it a little style with this personalized door mat.  Coming in from a wet yard or deck just got a little safer in my kitchen.

Gift from Personal Creations #pcholiday

There’s still time to shop  for your own personalized gifts, ornaments and in time for the holidays. Personal Creations is offering 20% off all of your purchases through the end of December. Click here to start shopping and the 20% will be applied in your shopping cart.

Follow Personal Creations Blogger Board: Christmas Ideas on Pinterest




A Family of Christmas Stockings #PCHoliday

trackable pixelBlog Post Disclosure BannerWay back in the day when  we were just a family of 4 I spent a Christmas finding the “perfect” stockings and stocking hangers to display on our mantel.  I trudged out in the cold, snipped fresh holly branches and weave tiny twinkling lights through them and flaunted the beautiful design I had come up with.  Fast forward to the next 6 years and you’ll see only 3 stockings each Christmas attached to anything that had a flat surface. This year when the note came through that I could pick out new stockings for the whole family from Personal Creations I almost leapt out of my seat.  I knew we’d finally have what I’ve been wanting for a long time, these Ribbon Stockings personalized with our names.

Personalized Christmas Stockings

Personal Creations carries a HUGE selection for just about everyone.  The best part of their choices are most of them can be personalized to reflect a name, initial, special date or even more.  With hundreds of gifts to choose from for any occasion Personal Creations can be your shopping destination throughout the year.

I knew our stocking were on their way so I knew I had to come up with a new idea to hang all five of them. this house does not have the fireplace mantel that we used to have so I knew I had to get creative.  I scoured our makeshift workshop and found something that would work perfectly with some tweaking.

Christmas Stocking Holder DIY

Christmas Stocking Holder DIY

Using a simple unused wood shelf, existing paint & stain and some bought decorations and hardware I came up this Christmas Stocking Holder. The project was very easy. I painted and stained a plain wood shelf till I achieved a color I like and took an old wrench and a hammer to it to add some distressed details.  The words and stickers were less than $10 from the craft store and Rob found these antique brass bolts. I thought there were a unique and better alternative to plain hooks.

Christmas Stocking Holder DIY

The stockings look great hanging up.  Even without a mantel they stand out with this special new home. I’m not forgetting about our new ornament.  Each year I get new ornaments for the kids or family that mark a significant point in the year or commemorate another wonderful year together.  The Family in Bed ornament was adorable and I knew it was a good fit for our family.

Family Ornament

This ornament will stay on the family tree but individual ornaments that the kids received are put right on their own trees. When they are grown up and have families of their own they’ll have a great start for the holidays and great stories and memories to share.

Shop today for your own personalized ornaments and stockings to ensure availability and delivery in time for the holidays. Personal Creations is offering you 20% off all of your purchases through the end of December. Click here to start shopping and the 20% will be applied in your shopping cart.

Follow Personal Creations Blogger Board: Christmas Ideas on Pinterest




Pallet Board Card Display DIY

The holiday cards are coming in and I’m prepared to show them off this year in a unique way. There was a time when we had a fireplace mantle that was home to cards and holiday greetings but today we don’t.  Instead this year I’m showing off my beautiful friends and family with a little DIY style with this Pallet Board Card Display.Pallet Board Card Display

Creating this display piece gives not just my card but all the greetings we receive a special home where they can be viewed and admired. We just happened to have pallets in our garage for another pending project, and all the other materials we’re already in the garage. This card display cost me nothing to make.

Materials

  • pallet board, barn wood, unused shelf
  • sandpaper, 110 grit
  • wood stain & rag
  • staple gun
  • twine or ribbon
  • embellishments (bows, flowers, greenery)

Directions

  • Lightly sand your board to remove harsh edges, splinters and dirt.  Using a rag stain the board your preferred color then let dry a couple of hours or over night.
  • Using a staple gun attach your ribbon or twine to the back of your board and start wrapping in your desired design. I added a few staples in the way down in case of twine breakage.  I also added a glitter ribbon to give it a little color and sparkle.

DIY Pallet Board Card Display

        • Using the twine make a loop on the back of your board to act as the hanger.
        • Add whatever decorations you want. I created some burlap roses and attached them to the top of my board using a hot glue gun.  It was instantly ready to hang. Totally this project took me 2-3 hours total plus some waiting time.

I hope you noticed our Cardstore.com card on the top of my Pallet Board Card Display.  The card arrived in the mail right before Thanksgiving so I was able to show it off to my family and everyone was very impressed with the rich colors and heavy feel. It felt stronger than a store bought card, more like a vintage postcard.  I adore the matte finish too.  It feels much more professional and higher quality than the super shiny options out there.

DIY Pallet Board Card Display

There is still time to get your own holiday cards in time for Christmas and/or New Years. Choose from options with a Religious sentiment or a handmade quality or even something more whimsical if that fits your personality.  Whatever you’re looking for you’re bound to find something that works in the theme, size or design you’re looking for.




Holiday Cards from Cardstore

It’s that time of year again to think about holiday cards.   This year I’m working with Cardstore to put a card together that is both playful and tells a story of us.

carsdtore disclosure

Cardstore.com is an online creator for cards, stationery, invitations and more. Each product has its own level of customization to fit your family or event.  With a Cardstore account, you can…

  • Browse our card collections, then save your favorites for later
  • The choice is yours – have your cards sent directly to your recipients or hand-deliver yourself
  • Design anytime, then schedule to mail in advance
  • Import addresses to make every order a breeze
  • Track the status of your order from print house to mailbox

Looking back at previous year’s holiday cards I noticed I like simple cards with very little embellishments or design. Since I always go for photo cards I want the photo to be the star.  Fancy frames and wordy greetings are a distraction for me.  I was able to choose a card design that fit my personal aesthetic.

Cardstore.com greeting card options Cardstore.com greeting card options Cardstore.com greeting card options

The choices available go way beyond my simple selection though.  Here are a couple options that did stand out that I thought with just the right photo would make for a gorgeous holiday greeting.

From whimsical to artsy to vintage to religious there are options for any family or even business to choose from.  The selection process is easy with sort options for how many photos you want to include, the size of your card and even the color theme you prefer. This way you can coordinate your card against the image of your photo.

I’m impressed with those that create newsletter instead of just sending holiday cards.  There is an option for that too. Keep your friends and family updated on the goings on in your home with this festive opportunity to stand out among the rest of the greetings.

Newsletter Greeting Card

Just to help you get started on your own holiday to-do list this year Cardstore is offering 30% off your orders till 11/26.  Hurry as this deal ends soon.




American Girl Bitty Baby Doll

For the last couple of years Shae’s Christmas list has included an American Girl doll. Something clicked with her and she’s hooked just like so many other little girls around the world.Can you imagine the excitement with the release of the Bitty Baby.

Bitty Baby by American Girl

American Girl dolls are the epitome of innocent playtime. The dolls are nothing like the fashion dolls (Barbies, Monster High, Bratz) on the market. These dolls have integrity, stories behind their creation and wholesome accessories that don’t interfere with a young girls growing health and esteem.

Bitty Baby by American Girl

 

The most recent addition to the American Girl family is the Bitty Baby.  The Bitty Baby twins were already a well loved a popular selection for boys and girls but the Bitty Baby is a little different.  For $80 a Bitty Baby is customizable by skin color, eye color and hair color. These dolls also come with a book and keepsake plush star. Measuring in at 15″ she’s slightly small than the traditional American Girl doll but not by much.   It’s baby doll quality makes it a perfect 1st doll for younger girls.

Bitty Baby by American Girl

Shae chose a brown haired, blue eyed, light skinned baby. She named her Lydia right away. That is Shae’s middle name and my grandmother’s name.

This Bitty Baby is another awesome addition to Shae’s already growing American Girl Doll famil. She’s found a home in Shae’s bed and there is no moving her out of the way.




Shopping for Shoes at Modnique

Shopping Modnique for brown boots

When I shop my mind tends to default to my kids. I have good intentions of buying things  for myself but my attention quickly gets averted at the sparkles, bright colors and trendy designs of kids clothes, shoes and accessories. But I was given a task of shopping for me with Modnique. Maybe the task wasn’t that specific but that’s how I interpreted it.

Modnique is an online shopping destination for international styles for kids, men and women. Modnique specializes in sourcing top brands from around the world and bringing them to their customers at up to 85% off. New products are featured daily during 36-72 hour events or sometimes just till inventory is sold out.  Modnique promises to deliver Fashion without Borders… or waiting in lines.

modnique.com

Shopping with Modnique was easy. I’m a sucker for a sort button.  When I know I need a black boot for the winter I can narrow down my search so I’m not distracted because I am easily distracted.

brown boot Shopping Modnique for black boots

Everyday outfit found on Modnique.com

That’s exactly what I did. I narrowed my searches for BOOTS and BOOTIES in my size, in black AND brown and found 2 pairs that were my style and were great prices.  Bummer I have to wait for more than a week for them to even ship though. Those black boots would be great for date night for my birthday.

There were lots of other items that caught my attention while looking around and now I’m checking out Modnique each day to see their new deal as part of their 20 Days of Deals campaign going on till November 27th.  Deals like an iPad mini for $99, Michael Kors handbag for $129 and OPI nail polish sets for $10 can fit on anyone’s wish list, they fit well on mine.

These HOT DEALS are selling out fast so you have to check back each day at 6am PST to see what’s up for grabs. Don’t hesitate to buy because they won’t last.




Join #ZylietheBear Twitter Party 11/18 8pmEST

One of the hottest toys of the season is #ZylietheBear, a plush teddy bear doll who is on an adventure and taking over NYC and Real Mom Media’s own Joey Fortman is hosting a twitter party.

Zylie the Bear

Zylie is not your average teddy bear. She and her friends are headed to FAO Schwartz in NYC to shoot their music video on November 20th-23rd.

Zylie the Bear

Zylie’s last stop on her NYC tour will be at FAO Schwarz (5th Avenue and 59th Street) in NYC on Saturday, November 23rd from 2-5! If you can make it there you have the chance to win one of the many plush Zylies up for grabs, books, accessories and $100 gift cards to FAO Schwarz.

Best of all you can meet a LIFE SIZE Zylie and snap some pictures to share with your family & friends.

Zylie the Bear

In the meantime come to the #ZylietheBear Twitter Party

RT @joeyfortman Go on an adventure with @ZylieTheBear during the #ZylietheBear Twitter party 11/18 (8-9 ET)! http://bit.ly/18ayzVC PLS RT

Party Details 

  • What: #ZylietheBear Twitter party
  • When: Monday, November 18th  from 8-9 p.m. EST
  • Hashtag#ZylietheBear
  • Who@ZylietheBear@joeyfortman,@TheStephGlover
  • Prizes: 3 lucky winners will be receive their own Zylie the Bear to take on an adventure!
  • To be eligible to win the prizes, you must RSVP  using this Rafflecopter Form so the party hosts can keep of the party goers.

Can’t wait to see you all there!




Great Wolf Lodge Shadow Quest Adventures

Great Wolf Lodge is one of my family’s favorite “kinda” local places to visit. Great Wolf Lodge in a family friendly indoor water park but then again it’s so much more.
Great Wolf Lodge #ShadowQuest

Visiting the Poconos location of Great Wolf Lodge I expect the first things to see is the GRAND entrance built to look like a lodge and the gorgeous scenery. Set on top of a mountain with trees as far as the eye can see makes for relaxing on the balcony a hidden treat they don’t talk about in the brochures.
Great Wolf Lodge #ShadowQuest
For family entertainment you get your choice of the 79,000 square foot waterpark, the Northern Lights arcade, Scoops Kids Spa or Ten Paw Alley.

Our most recent visit introduced up to Shadow Quest, the newest installment of games from Creative Kingdoms, LLC. For the last couple of years my kids have enjoyed playing MagiQuest, a live-action game of enchantment and adventure played with wand that uses almost the entire resort.

Great Wolf Lodge #ShadowQuest
Shadow Quest while similar in play style has a totally new storyline and journey for the kids.

ShadowQuest features ten quests, a “Vanishing Light” adventure and for those who successfully accomplish each step, a final battle against the evil yeti Malaki. The game, with its fantastical theme and rich, digital environments will blend into the Great Wolf Lodge resorts alongside the MagiQuest stations. Players can start and stop the game at any time; each wand stores every feat and battle played for easy pick up on a future visit. The same wand also stores players’ MagiQuest games and accomplishments.

Great Wolf Lodge #ShadowQuest We headed to Great Wolf Lodge to try out the new game. Shae along with my best friend’s kids Dulce and Marco were creators of their own fun as they tried to follow along the Guide to find clues and crystals to complete each quest. I’ll admit I don’t fully understand the game, neither did the kids but that didn’t stop them. They enjoyed the interactive fun more than the water park but vowed next time we would get in more water play and slides.Another new feature is Howl at the Moon Glow Golf. This new mini course set in a glow in the dark forest is fun for any age. It’s called Howl at the Moon Glow Gold because at the end of the course players get the chance to hit their ball into a hole that will howl if they make it. Shae made it.Great Wolf Lodge #ShadowQuest The rooms are built for families. We arrived as a group of five, there were no special requests we needed to make for sleeping arrangements. Each family suite is built to sleep 6 comfortably. Vacationing as a family of five can get sticky sometimes. Resorts, hotels and cabins aren’t built for more than four. Great Wolf Resorts puts family first.
While the kids tore apart the beds to create a fort my friend Stacy and I were still cozy & comfortable in the living room area away from their chaos.Great Wolf Lodge #ShadowQuest I recommend Great Wolf to everyone I know. In fact my parents are thinking of taking a trip this winter. I wonder if I can convince them of a BIG Family trip during Snowland.




Shopping Osh Kosh plus #Coupon

Shopping for Shae is really fun these days. She’s old enough to pull of fun trends and designs but still young enough that we can go bright with the colors and exaggerated with the details. Osh Kosh has been a shopping staple since Sabreena was little, that’s where her first pair of overalls came from. Today I shop Osh Kosh for Shae for their variety, quality and price. I’m lucky to have an outlet nearby that I can visit on a regular basis.  This most recent shopping trip was a complete success.

For about $103 I got Shae 3 complete outfits, a long tunic to go with existing leggings and a thick patterned pair of tights for a dress already in her closet.

Shopping Osh Kosh for Kids

Shopping Osh Kosh for Kids

Shopping Osh Kosh for Kids

Shopping Osh Kosh for Kids

I try to shop with purpose. I hate coming home with seperates that don’t have a match or unusual items that end up sitting in the closet or drawer.  I like to get an inventory of what my kids need in advance.  This was simple for Shae since I still handle her clothes. I knew what she needed. This doesn’t always help m e shop easier.  I stepped into my local Osh Kosh store and was blown away by the selection for Shae’s size. I tend to find some stores focus on the baby to preschool age but Osh Kosh had her sizes in almost everything I picked up.  Even their clearance section had lots to choose from.

Shopping Osh Kosh for Kids

Shopping Osh Kosh is fun and easy and affordable. It seems they are always having a sale.  And best of all you can save even more money with their rewards program or by using this 25% off coupon.

Osh Kosh Coupon




Zip Lining with Go Ape at Lums Pond Delaware

A thrill seeker I am not! I don’t like roller coasters, I would never white water raft, hell I don’t even like to drive fast but when the opportunity came up to do zip lining I jumped at it. I very literally jumped off of a perfectly good working platform high in the trees.

Go Ape Zip Line and Tree Top Adventures in Lums Pond, Bear Delaware was NOT what I expected. I got up that morning and prepared myself for a short excursion in the woods where I thought I was just jumping out of a tree and landing gracefully at the end of the line.

What I didn’t expect was the ropes obstacle course I had to maneuver to get to those zip lines.

Go Ape Zip Line Lums Pond

 

The course is made up of numerous rope ladders, 42 exciting crossings to include the Double Stirrups, Zigzag Trapeze, Flying Carpet and Canyon Crossing, 2 Tarzan swings and 5 zip lines.

When it got to moment where your only option was to jump and glide across the pond I happily did it because that meant I was giving my hands, arms and legs a break from the workout of climbing and strategizing the complex obstacle course.

I am not an athletic person but I kept up with my friends, Robin, Florida Steph and Kelly.

Go Ape Zip Lining

In fact Robin was my motivation to take a slightly more difficult path and overcome my laziness.

Robin on Obstacle Course

Robin was my motivation to keep going and not cry at the base of the tree

Go Ape Zip Line is new to Delaware. In fact I hadn’t heard of it until we were invited to try it out. The instructors give a great tutorial on safety, jumping and climbing the ropes.

You aren’t left out in the trees wondering how to get yourself out of the situation. I wish I had researched a little more on what to expect because I would’ve planned better for my own comfort. While I had one of the best times and overcame a bit of fear i’m not sure it is something I would ever do again. The obstacle course kicked my ass but the zip lining was amazing.

Here are my tips if you’ve ever wanted to try this for yourself.

  • Wear gloves
  • Make sure your shirt has sleeves
  • Wear lightweight and flexible sneakers
  • Brace yourself for the landing
  • Get a Go-Pro to catch the action

Go Ape Zip Lining Lums Pond DelawareThe shirt sleeve and brace yourself comments come from the crash landings most of us experienced. The ride down to the end is peaceful and relaxing but then the realization hits you that you have to stop. The instructors make it look simple but none of us were able to master it. In fact I landed on my back each time. Luckily for me I had on a tee. My partners and their skinny bodies wore tanks that exposed their backs and arms to the mulch burns upon impact.

The next day I felt good, slightly sore but most of the discomfort was from the “whiplash”.

It’s definitely something everyone should experience. If you are afraid of heights this is the perfect way to fight that, not too high but definitely up in the air.

Visit Go Ape to find a location nearest you.