Where were hooded towels when we were little?  Since having kids they have become my must have, go to, gotta get and gotta give item.  Kushies makes a super soft and extra big hooded towel that we are loving.  They come in a few different colors and have super sweet deigns. Our wee one is enamored with the big pink heart right on the top of the hood of her towel.  If she had it  her way we’d wash it everyday so she could use it every night.  It’s big enough to take swimming and makes a fabulous cover up on beach days after a dip in the ocean.  We first fell for Kushies back when we were in newborn baby mode…their crib sheets and receiving blankets are amazing…but now that our kids are growing we have discovered all their brilliant bath gear.  Pair their hooded towel with the Kushies bath squirties and washcloths and you have a baby shower gift worth many “ohhs and ahhhs.”

Do you have a crafty kid at your house?  Someone who sees potential in old cereal boxes and milk cartons?  We have just that person living with us and she was thrilled to get Box World Adventures by Suzy Ultman.  It’s this super neat craft pack that comes with everything you need to make everyday cardboard boxes into such amazing things like British double deckers, Dutch windmills and Scottish castles. You and your mini artist can even re create the Great Wall and the Eiffel Tower.  It comes with lots of stickers and an instruction book that’s very easy to follow.  What do we like most about it?  The slick design and attention to detail used.  The finished projects look good enough to display and have provided hours of entrainment at our house.  It’s certainly much easier for the 7 & up crowd, but with a little help and guidance, even your 5 year old can get in on the fun.  The whole book of crafts will make you want to check out all the last minute flight  deals to Europe and will keep you day dreaming of Paris all day.

It’s that time of year when you will be invited to all sorts of fun dinner parties and family get togethers.  It’s important and very thoughtful to not only have a hostess gift ready to go, but a hostess gift you know will impress.  Look no further then celeb and magazine editors fave, Archipelago, a bath and body product company that believes in natural ingredients and essential oils.  Featured in just about every magazine we can think of, Archipelago is a beauty insiders go to for luxurious bath bars, gorgeous smelling soy candles and amazing hand creams.  We are currently drooling over their Pomegranate line. The soaps and creams in this particular line are full of natural extracts of pomegranate and chamomile.  The hand cream smells way too good not to eat (totally dont eat it…) and leaves a fresh soft feeling on your hands.  Perfect scent for the Holidays.  We have a Pomegranate gift set all ready to give away to one random reader.  Leave a comment on our Facebook page telling us which Archipelago product you’d love to see under your tree.  Share our post and we’ll give you a second entry.  Contest closes December 10th, midnight Mountain time. Best of luck!

What makes a great gift for a 3 year old?  A game that teaches, entertains and one that sparks imagination and role playing.  We have been on the hunt for a matching game that looks as good as it teaches.  Impossible?  No…we found the perfect one at Chronicle Books.  The Princess Matching Game is based on the gorgeous book Twelve Dancing Princesses by Bridgette Barrager.  The illustrations are amazing…full of bright detail and lavish embellishments.  Matching games are great for learning to memorize, concentrate and teaching your wee one to take turns.  The drawings on Barrager’s matching game are so lush and inspiring that when your tot has mastered the game and doesn’t want to play anymore, you could get super crafty and use it as room decor.  Chronicle Books has a special on right now of 35% off with coupon code FRIENDS. That’s something to memorize!

When Pediped goes on sale we get excited.  Our favorite children’s shoe line goes on sale from November 25 –December 2.  “Buy one get one half off” all styles.  Fabulous!!!  Use code FALLBOGO13 at checkout…happy shopping mama!

We love Svan & B.box Baby Essentials.  Enter their amazing Essential Travel Kit Sweepstakes and you may just win a brilliant prize pack that will keep you & baby happy while on the road. Bon Voyage!

Ok moms…it’s nearly Christmas…how’s that lunch tote holding up you bought for back to school?  Yep…same here. Ours was toast by week two.  Kids are rough on stuff, which is why its best to go for the tried and true when it comes to back packs, lunch bags and items they use each and everyday.  We knew better then to just pick any old lunch bag…but when your a busy mom and it’s the night before school starts, you’ll do wild and crazy things. We’re very excited our new lunch bag from Beatrix New York arrived to save the day. A total celebrity favorite and well known to be the best of the best when it comes to kids suitcases and backpacks, Beatrix NYC makes products that can take a tumble on the playground and an accidental kick during soccer practice.  We unfortunately know this first hand…thank goodness the lunch totes are machine washable.  We love all the whimsical designs, and found it hard to choose just one.  It was a toss up between the adorable Penelope the Octopus and Dolce & Panna the ice cream cones.  The lunch bags are insulated and come with a back zipped pocket and a place to write your child’s name.  For all you worriers out there, and frankly we all should be, no need to fuss because these lunch bags from Beatrix are PVC free, phthalate free, lead free and BPA free. So, let’s see here…adorable, functional, celeb loved (we’re talking about you Halle, Victoria and Katie) durable and safe.  What more do you need momma? We ended up picking Penelope as our little girl loves any and all things purple…but now that we see Fernado the Bear, we may have to add one under the Christmas tree for our bear hunting little man.