Holiday Gift Guide 2011 | Lindsay Blogs

Gifts for Kids: Lakeshore Learning

11/21/2011 By Lindsay 54 Comments

A few years ago, we got our girls a play kitchen for Christmas. Every little girl should have a toy kitchen, darn it! So, we bought this big fancy schmancy wooden toy kitchen and it has done us well over the years. Unfortunately, the girls have lost interest in it. This year, I’m going to get them a few things to try to rekindle their interest!

Since they have an unnatural obsession with their daddy’s coffee maker, I just know they’re going to love this Kid-Safe Coffee Maker from Lakeshore Learning. They are going to think this is the greatest thing since sliced bread. They are constantly pretending their chocolate milk is coffee and their hot chocolate is definitely their “coffee.” Now, we can add this nifty little gadget to their play kitchen and get them back in the game!

Lakeshore Learning has a ton of great educational and pretend-play toys for every age group, so I’m sure you could find something awesome for your own little one. Plus, if you click on the box below, you will get 25% off off a single non-sale item!

I also so excited to offer one lucky reader a $25 gift certificate to Lakeshore Learning to kick-start your Christmas shopping! Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter to win!

Although I received this product for free from Lakeshore, the opinions reflected here are my own and were not influenced by the company or the fact that the product was free.

Filed Under: Reviews & Giveaways Tagged With: Educational Toys, Gifts for Kids, Holiday Gift Guide 2011, Lakeshore Learning 54 Comments

Gifts for Anyone: World Vision Gift Catalog

11/15/2011 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

In this down economy, many of us consider ourselves “poor.” But, in the global economy, we are anything but “poor.” There are people all over the world who are going without food, shelter and basic necessities that we take for granted on a daily basis.

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Through the World Vision Gift Catalog, we are given the opportunity to touch a life on the other side of the world. You can purchase life-changing animals for a family, clean water, clothing, education and so much for so very little.

5 ducks that will supply a family with a source of income and eggs to eat year-round – only $30
$385 worth of clothing that will protect a child from the bitter cold of winter or the extreme hot of the sun – only $35
1 year of education for an orphan to help give them the tools to succeed in life – only $70

Do you see where I’m going with this? What we consider to be such a small amount of money can go so far with World Vision. Even if you’re unsure specifically what you want to buy for a family in need, you can always donate to the World Vision Maximum Impact Fund, which provides for the unique needs of children and families worldwide, and receive a token of appreciation for yourself. Check out these beautiful ornaments, made by Kenyan artisans out of Zakale wire & bead ornaments from Nairobi:

So, please, take a look through the World Vision Gift Catalog and see if you can’t find a way to give the most precious gift of all – hope – to a family that needs you. You can also connect with World Vision on Facebook to check out their “The True Spirit of Christmas Tour.”

Filed Under: Reviews & Giveaways Tagged With: charitable organizations, Holiday Gift Guide 2011, The True Spirit of Christmas Tour, World Vision Leave a Comment

Gifts for Teacher: Biscoff Holiday Totes

11/15/2011 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

I never really thought about teacher gifts before, but now that Pumpkin is in Pre-K, it seems to be glaring me in the face. I stress over figuring out what to get her teachers (yes, she has two in Pre-K!) for birthdays, Christmas and all sorts of other holidays. I just want to be that cool mom that never misses a beat. It’s proving to be difficult, but not impossible!

It’s for this very reason, that I am pleased as punch to introduce you to the Biscoff Holiday Totes. They’re these cute little totes that come a snack pack of those yummy Biscoff cookies inside. You can get a set of 3 Biscoff Holiday Totes for $16.95 by clicking here.

To make the deal even sweeter, 10% of all proceeds from the sales of Biscoff Holiday Totes goes to Teach for America! Teach for America is an amazing organization that recruits recent graduates with a record of achievement and places them a low-income community for two years to provide students with a superior education. They also provide the teachers with support throughout their employment with the program and provides them with leadership training to ensure that the children they are teaching are always getting the very best.