December 2014 - Rave & Review

Plan ahead for play time with Rayovac

Remember a few weeks ago when I was reminding you to run out and purchase batteries for all the new treasures your children were going to find under the tree this holiday season? Well friends, I'm here to tell you I failed. Yes, I stocked up on batteries. I even got more batteries than I knew I needed.

But, you know what I forgot? The fact that other people would also be buying for my kids and they were going to come home from Christmas with friends and family with new toys that took batteries in sizes we almost never carry. Can you say "planning fail"?

Luckily these gatherings were a few days before Christmas and we had time to run to stores to pick up the odd sized battery pack or two, but I still felt really bad telling the kids that they couldn't play with their new toys. If this had been Christmas morning or even the days following when we had gathering after gathering, it could have ended much, much worse!

Happy Holidays from the Lundby family

This year, as we decorated the house for the holidays we noticed that there was a bit more magic than normal. At first we thought it was the Magic Elf duo that has been having all sorts of Elf Capades in our home and with our holiday decorations. But then things started to go missing. It started with a spool of Christmas ribbon, and then a pack of stocking-shaped buttons, and I lost count of how many times I went to go get some tools or arts and crafts items from the junk drawer and couldn't find them.

It was clear we had a Christmas crafting thief.

Relax, Hammacher Schlemmer has you covered this holiday season

Every year I look forward to the Hammacher Schlemmer holiday gift guide. For those of you who aren’t familiar, Hammacher Schlemmer is America's longest running catalog, and their aim is to offer the Best, the Only, and the Unexpected since 1848. Each year their gift guide is filled with all sorts of new items that range from ultra-practical (The Only Automatic Cordless Tire Inflator) to novelty (The Talking and Dancing Disco Robot) and everything in between.

Are you looking for unique gifts that your recipient won’t ever forget? How about the Personalized Bobblehead, or maybe the 3D Writing Pen? You can shop by recipient or just browse their full guide for unique gifts for everyone on your list. Whether your recipient is incredibly hard to shop for or someone who gives you a specific wish list, you are sure to find the perfect present to wrap up for the holidays.

Holiday shopping made easy at Northgate Mall in Seattle

Every year I swear that the holidays sneak up on me, but this year it definitely is true. With vacations, a crazy amount of doctors appointments, and all the hooplah that having children in two different schools can bring, it seems like fall just flew by. I know I'm not the only one because my Facebook feed is filled with friends lamenting the fact that they have but one or two presents purchased and no idea what to get everyone else on their list.

Hey friend, why don't you head to Northgate Mall and cross off everyone all at once? With three major department stores, a food court, a play area, and over 130 stores to choose from, it's easy to find something for everyone on your list. I envy those people who can seemingly shop for everyone they know in one afternoon, but I can totally see doing just that if I was left kidless and husbandless at Northgate Mall for a few hours so I could sneak presents for them while shopping for extended family and friends.

Build & Imagine with Malia’s Beach House

My daughter loves to build. Whether we’re talking bricks, blocks, or random items she’s squirreled away just for her building purposes, she’s all about it. And, while she’s really good at following directions and building pre-designed buildings and objects, I’ve noticed that she really prefers building toys where she can be the designer. That’s where Build & Imagine sets come in.

Build & Imagine is a brand new line of magnetic construction sets that inspire kids to build whatever they would like. Their unique magnetic dual-sided building panels make it easy for even kids as young as 4 to create structures that they can play with using their included accessories and magnetic dolls.By putting your child in the role of designer and architect, you are giving them the keys to all sorts of imaginative play. They can decide what panels to utilize in their design, which rooms they want to create, and they can even decorate and play when they are done building.

Shopping Best Buy for the latest cameras and camcorders

I may not be the expert on designer handbags or power tools, but I can hold my own when talking about cameras. With a fine arts degree in photography and lots of experience with different camera brands, I am the person family and friends come to when they are looking to purchase or upgrade their camera equipment.

Back in the days before Google, I was the one everyone brought to Best Buy to help them find the perfect camera or camcorder for their needs. And, even now with Google on every phone and thousands of online reviews at your fingertips, sometimes you just need someone who can help you navigate so many options and guide you through playing with rows and rows of name brand cameras in a place where the sales staff is always willing to let you play with everything. And, when you think of it, buying a camera or camcorder is a really big deal. You are trusting that camera with your precious memories, and it makes sense that you would want one that has all the features you need and even some to grow into.

This year my new favorite feature is built-in Wi-Fi since everything is electronic these days and waiting until you are home at your computer before connecting, downloading, and then sharing your images online just seems so clunky. These three featured cameras from Nikon, Sony and Samsung come equipped with Wi-Fi so you can share amazing photos with ease. Upgrade now and you can share those holiday pictures with family and friends near and far easily.

Create your own locket with PicturesOnGold.com

Remember last year when I was raving about PicturesOnGold.com? Well, it's been almost a year since we received our daughter's personalized locket and with every month it's become more and more special to her. She still shows it to everyone and wants to talk about how it was made special just for her, and it's the first thing she looks to when she needs something sentimental to get her through a day without us or a tough day at school. So, when Pictures on Gold asked us if we wanted to create another special piece for the holiday, we couldn't say yes fast enough. We all decided that the new baby needed a special necklace just for her that would match her sister and we got to work making a locket for her.

HoneyBaked Ham is the Christmas gift you give yourself

Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday. It has nothing to do with presents, or even the tree or decorations, it has to do with how festive and fun everything is. Our family tradition is to fit in as many holiday-themed activities as we possibly can, including tree lightings, holidays in downtown Seattle and Portland, and almost a dozen holiday gatherings, which doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for being in the kitchen cooking.

Of course, we can’t not eat for all of our many {many} Christmas gatherings, which leaves my secret tradition: running to the grocery store last minute to pick up overpriced and subpar platters to serve. Or, at least that was my tradition. Now, I have HoneyBaked Ham to make my holidays truly merry, and a whole lot less stressful when we’re running from event to event and needing to bring and serve food. As well as the most delicious ham anywhere, they also carry turkey {smoked or roasted}, all the sides you could possibly want, and even pies, rolls, and other add-ons to make your meal amazing.

Loyal Hana offers maternity clothing that goes well beyond pregnancy

I haven’t bought any traditional maternity clothing this pregnancy. Not because I’m so small that I can wear my old clothing and not because I saved all my previous pregnancy clothing, but because I’ve simply gotten smarter this time around. Why would I spend a ton on poorly constructed maternity clothes that barely make it through the last few months of pregnancy when I could get good quality clothing that lasts throughout pregnancy – and beyond?

Introducing my new favorite non-traditional maternity clothing brand, Loyal Hana. Not only is it fashionable and fun enough to make you forget you’re carrying around a few extra pounds that aren’t entirely baby, it also is designed for wearing after the baby arrives when I still have a few extra pounds. That’s right, Loyal Hana isn’t just about maternity clothing, it is also post-natal wear that even makes breastfeeding your baby easier while still remaining stylish. Awesome, right?

Awesome Christmas present ideas from Daisy

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ItsADaisy #CollectiveBias In our family, Christmas is about time spent together. Sure, we also do presents, but it's not as much about the morning of opening gifts as it is about all the fun we experience as a family each holiday season. This year, as part of our Christmas fun we have included the Daisy BB gun that every kid grew up wishing for under the tree. Besides having awesome Christmas present ideas for teenagers, gifting a Daisy just like dad and papa have is great for bonding well after the presents are open.

The teenage years might be more difficult in terms of bonding opportunities, but throughout the years we've found Daisy BB guns to be an amazing way to reconnect as a family. From target shooting with dad, skills courses with papa, and safety lessons with mom to days spent setting up BB gun ranges and target shooting practice with cousins, Daisy has given us numerous ways to connect and have fun as a family.