Holidays Archives - Page 19 of 41

OREO owl cupcakes were the hit of our Woodland-themed party

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GiftDeliciously #CollectiveBias Do you love holiday baking as much as I do? With so many events, birthday parties, and more this time of year, I look forward to working side-by-side with my favorite little bakers and I plan all year for recipes I want to try. It just so happens that my birthday falls at the perfect time to kick off holiday baking season, so every year we use it as a great excuse to get creative in the kitchen while bonding with the kids.

This year, the kids and I created a fun recipe we like to call OREOwl cupcakes using some of our favorite brands, like OREO. Since we adore owls, this recipe was a huge hit for the kiddos, and it went over really well at my birthday gathering once guests showed up.

Stress less with the 3-in-1 6.5qt Multicooker from Black + Decker

Are you in charge of bringing dishes to the potluck and you're trying to figure out how to keep your dish warm throughout the event? Or maybe you struggle with weeknight meal planning this time of year as you are running from event to event?

If you answered yes to either of those questions, I have the perfect solution for you: the 3-in-1 6.5 quart Multicooker from Black + Decker If you're thinking this looks a whole lot like a slow cooker, you are technically correct. But, trust me when I say that this is so much more than the traditional slow cooker. Because it is a roaster, a baker, and a searing and sautéing machine all in one, it makes this an amazing cooking tool for quick and easy dinners without having multiple pots and pans to clean up afterwards.

We love the 2015 Hess Fire Truck and Ladder Rescue

My son loves vehicles of all kinds. Big ones he can sit in and pretend to drive, little ones that fit in his pocket, and medium sized ones that he sets up scenes for so he can play make believe all day long. But, although he loves all trucks, cars and vehicles, fire trucks are the epitome of cool to him. So, when I heard that the new 2015 Hess Toy Truck that was released this November was a Fire Truck and Ladder Rescue, I knew it had to be his. A quick look into the “Hesstory” of the company {see what they did there?}, and I already knew this was going to be a yearly tradition with me and my son.

Have you heard of Hess Toy Trucks before? The tradition began in 1964 when the first toy truck was revealed. Each November the new design is released to their eager fans, which includes both collectors and kids alike.

The HP Envy 5540 All-in-One printer with 6mos FREE HP Instant Ink!

Do you have tons of pictures you wish you would get around to printing out? How about pictures you are meaning to scan? If so, I’ve got the perfect solution for you in the HP Envy 5540 all-in-one printer.

This all-purpose all-in-one HP printer is a great compact solution for your home and office printing, scanning and copying needs. With scanning and printing resolutions up to 1200×1200 dpi, this machine handles even complex photo-quality projects with ease, and fast printing up to 10 ppm ensures jobs get done quickly. Because it is wireless, the HP Envy 5540 can be used by several people without complex networking, and can even be used from another room so you’re not stuck to your office for printing. Set it up as the printing hub for your busy family, or place it in a central office location for several co-workers to share.

Prepare for anything with The Beast from Rayovac

Want to know what can ruin a productive day in mere seconds? The answer is the power going out. When I was a kid, the power going out was kind of fun. It was pretty rare of an occurrence, and I think that added to the excitement of home camping.

But, now that I'm an adult, the power going out is just one big pain after another, as well as being costly for someone that is under deadlines and who has a stocked fridge of food that will go bad without proper cooling.

Even though I like to think that we're prepped for most disasters, that does not mean that it’s fun going without modern conveniences, especially during my work week. And, once the sun goes down and your house is plunged into the kind of dark you almost never experience in a city where you literally cannot see a foot in front of you, the power outage gets old really quick.

So, when a fall storm knocked out our power nearly all day last week, I wasn't a happy blogger or mom. Ask anyone who has ever changed a diaper by candlelight and they will tell you how amazing electricity really is.

Thankfully, I was ready with this little Beast of a flashlight.

Holiday traditions with Hickory Farms

When my husband and I were first married, we received a box full of Hickory Farms treats from the grandparents for our first holiday in our new house. This little box was such a welcome treat with our meager post-wedding funds, and I remember making each night we snacked on the gift box into a party of sorts.

Unwrapping each little food package felt like a mini present, and it turned into a nightly ritual almost like an advent calendar. To this day, it’s one of my favorite gifts I’ve ever received because of how fun and unexpected it was. And now, every time I see the Hickory Farms booths pop up in our local malls, I think back to that gift box and smile. Something about seeing the booth in place at the mall now signals to me that the holidays are coming, and immediately I’m in the holiday spirit.

Holiday looks from Christopher & Banks

A few years ago, I was shopping with my sisters and we happened upon a Christopher & Banks store. I'd never been in a C&B before, but my sister in law was telling me how she just got some accessories there and we ended up heading inside. Once inside, I was shocked at the selection of clothing I loved.

While there were admittedly parts of the store were cute but more of my mom's style, other areas were full of shirts, pants, dresses and sweaters that appealed not only to me, but also my sister and sister in law who were shopping with me. Since we were shopping for a specific occasion, we sought help from one of the store associates and she helped us find exactly what we were looking for. We each ended up falling in love with quite a few pieces and we left with bags of clothing and accessories.

To anyone who is familiar with Christopher & Banks, this isn’t going to be a surprise. With missy sizes 4 to 16, as well as petite and plus women’s sizing, Christopher & Banks gives you all the sizes under one roof from 4P – 24W. Their selection of great mix & match clothing as well as statement pieces gives you tons of options for work, play, and events.

Rain or shine Trick-or-Treat fun at Northgate Mall in Seattle

Did you get as depressed as I did when you realized that Seattle was going to be hit by stormy weather just in time for Halloween? While many holiday celebrations take place indoors, Halloween is one of the few nights that can be quickly ruined by inclement weather. I don't know about you, but I don't want to take three kids out in the cold and the rain to get candy. This little garden gnome was hoping for sunshine on her first Halloween, but it was not to be. Thank goodness Northgate Mall is here to save the day with their Boo Bash today from 3-5 pm. Instead of clomping around the neighborhood wearing parkas instead of costumes, we’re excited to spend Halloween afternoon in the warm comfort of the mall while we celebrate and shop.

Seattle: Have dinner with Chef Tom Douglas on November 5th

Someone once heard I was from Seattle and exclaimed, "Seattle, WA the land of Tom Douglas? You're so lucky!" This makes me so happy for a variety of reasons.

First, I love that Seattle is becoming well known for having great food. Tom Douglas is often described as the chef who put Seattle on the culinary map, and his numerous restaurants around the Seattle area are some of my favorites. Second, as anyone who has ever met Tom or heard him on the local radio shows will tell you, he's a great guy.

Dress up with official NFL kid’s costume sets from Franklin Sports

Are you sick of the Halloween costumes made to last one night before they get abandoned? In my house, we won't even consider a costume unless we are sure the kids will use it for dress up even well after the pumpkins have been tossed. This means no cheapie costumes that will rip and fall apart after one use, we need stuff that is kid tough and made to be played in.
So, this year we're going with something we know the kids will wear every Friday and Sunday during football season as we cheer on the Seahawks, the Franklin Sports official NFL deluxe helmet with uniform. Definitely not a one night use item, these make for a fun-filled Halloween and a festive football season.Designed for game day as well as costume parties, we've already gotten good use out of our set and we've only had it a few days. Clearly, this is one costume that is definitely not going to be buried in the dress up bin or tossed after one night.
The set comes with a play helmet that looks just like the real thing, a team jersey, pants and iron-on number kit so you can customize with your favorite player's number. And, whether the kids wear it all together as it was intended or they mix and match so they can wear the jersey to school for Blue Friday, or the helmet with whatever Seahawks clothing they have in their closets, you can bet it's going to be a hit.