For the DIY master: Craftsman Extreme GRIP tools
Do you have a handy man/woman on your list? If so, you will want to head into a Sears store to see their awesome deals on Craftsman tools just in time for holiday gifting.
When picking tools, I’m always thinking of our next DIY projects. We always have a few projects we’d like to complete, and 2016 is shaping up to have a pretty long to-do list, so I thought new tools would make the prospect of house repairs a little bit more exciting. 
Our annual tradition: Breakfast with Santa at Northgate Mall
This weekend we got a chance to cross off another family tradition on our list this year: the Northgate Mall’s annual Breakfast with Santa. Every year we look forward to the beginning of December so we can dress up the kiddos in some fancy new clothes from Gymboree and head to Northgate Mall to meet the big guy himself while enjoying a nice continental breakfast. 
Yes, we could technically see him any day since he has been in the mall for weeks, but there is something special about waiting for the event for the whole experience. Like last year, there were awesome crafts, we ate donuts and had coffee, and there were carolers to make it extra fun and festive. 
Get back to The Wonder Years: the complete series is finally available on DVD
“Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you’re in diapers: the next you’re gone. But, memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul.” Kudos to anyone who recognized this quote as the narration that concluded the television show The Wonder Years in 1993. This is one of my favorite quotes from a movie/show of all time, and it has stayed with me through more than two decades.
Excited to watch the series again and introduce my own children to it, I was positively thrilled when I found out that the entire series was going to be released by Time Life for the first time on DVD this year. But, I was even more excited when I realized that it wasn’t just any multi-DVD set that was coming out, it was a special collector’s edition set with special features, a yearbook, and an awesome metal locker to store it all in. 
Just look at all this awesomeness. I am in 80s heaven over here flipping through the books and checking out all the behind-the-scenes goodies.
Scan your old slides and negatives easily with the Portable Digital Image Copier Deluxe
I have found the coolest new tool that every photographer of the 90s and early 2000s needs. Introducing the Portable Digital Slide and Film Converter from Hammacher Schlemmer that allows you to bring all those pictures you snapped on film into the digital era. 
If you know me, you know that I have been my family’s photographer since the nineties. This means that I got my start well before the digital age and I have a ton of pictures in boxes stored in random rooms and closets in my house… just in case.
25+ thoughtful and sentimental things you can do {long-distance}
Having a loving, close-knit family makes for an amazing holiday season filled with gatherings, events, and holiday traditions. But, if that family happens to live too far away to visit and celebrate, the holidays can be a really sad time. 
This year marks my sister’s first Christmas away from the family now that she’s living in Georgia for a few years, which has definitely been an adjustment for all of us. Normally, we’d be seeing each other a few times a week and enjoying the magic of the holidays together, so it’s been really difficult only being able to Skype and talk on the phone.
Knowing that it’s even harder on her being away from all of us, I’ve been sending her little presents to help her adjust to her new town, let her know we’re thinking of her, and give her something to look forward to opening on Christmas morning when her boys are tearing into their presents. I’ve been searching on Etsy, shopping local craft marts, hunting on Amazon, and have been busy having special presents made up just for her.
In the process, I have found so many great ideas to send to friends and family adjusting to the holidays away. Here are just a few sentimental gifts and ideas you can do to make long-distance loved ones get in the holiday spirit.
25+ thoughtful & sentimental things you can do {long-distance}:
2015 Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide
Looking for great holiday ideas for everyone on your list? We’ve got tons of options in our 2015 Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide{s}. Click on the images to see more options….
Custom photo fleece blanket from Collage.com {on sale now up to 64% off!}
By now you know how much I love personalized gifts. Add in pictures of my kids, and it's basically going to be my most favorite thing ever. But, I've got a locket with photos, I have photo prints, photobooks, and even a plaque. So, what else is there?
How about a photo blanket, you say? I had always dismissed photo blankets as kind of grandma-y and never looked at them seriously, but when Collage.com sent me an email and asked if I wanted to see one in person, how could I say no? And, then I saw it in person and was in love. Seriously, is there anything cuter than this? 
10 reasons why you should get a Lundby dollhouse
I’ll admit that I never really outgrew my childhood dollhouse. Even when I finally moved it out of my bedroom in my early teens and let my sister play with all of my miniatures, I was more than just a little sad. In fact, I think I spent more time that summer helping her paint and decorate her new dollhouse than she did, which at the time I chalked up to being an awesome big sister. Clearly, it was just an awesome excuse to redecorate a dollhouse one last time.
As soon as I found out I was having a daughter, I knew I would one day share with her the joys of miniature building, decorating, and playing. And, I couldn’t wait. When the day came that our Lundby dollhouse arrived and was ready to be decorated, I realized just how much I missed playing with miniatures. Yes, it was still about my daughter and what she wanted from a dollhouse, but it was also about what we could build and do together that got me the most excited. 
I look back now to that day two years ago and I realize now why people thought it was crazy to bring such a fragile dollhouse into our living space with a 2 ½ year old and a 5 year old, but at the time I was too excited to care. In the years that have passed, I have not only grown to trust them with the house and all its little pieces while supervised, but about a year ago I started allowing them to play with it all by themselves. And, as soon as baby learns "gentle", she's going to be allowed to play with it, too.
Amazing sound, indoors or out with the JBL Xtreme Portable Bluetooth Speaker
You can find speakers just about anywhere these days – at discount stores, gas stations, even in packages of chips {true story}. But, where do you turn when you want an amazing speaker that will blow you away with amazing sound quality? Hint: it’s not the dollar store.
No, if you want amazing sound, you are going to want to look to a company that is known for audio excellence, like JBL. They’ve always been known for big, full sound, and their newest speakers definitely keep up with that tradition. 
We got to test out the JBL Xtreme Portable Bluetooth Speaker this month, and it has been adored since the day it arrived. Initially, I was sold on the fact that it is splashproof and rugged, which means it is as adventure-ready as we are. From camping to days at the beach, we needed a speaker that could keep up with us and keep the party going, and it’s been confirmed that the JBL Xtreme is the ultimate portable Bluetooth speaker for all of our needs.
Adorable and life-like stuffed animal friends from Aurora Miyoni
Like most kids, my children are obsessed with stuffed animals. They have stuffed animals they have gotten from toy stores during our adventures, dozens from friends and family, still more that they won at fairs and carnivals, and some that they get at events we go to.
And, the level of love that they have for these stuffed animals usually goes in that order. Silly carnival and event animals usually have a 3 month or less shelf life around here before they ultimately get ditched and then thrown in the donate bin, but those given as presents and those from our adventures typically become beloved friends that they play with day after day. 
One day while they were playing Zoo with all their stuffed animals it dawned on me that most of their favorite stuffed animals for playing with are Aurora Miyoni Signature Series. This isn’t really a surprise considering the life-like detail that goes into each Miyoni plush. My kids have great imaginations, but even they don’t want to play with purple cats and tigers with hats. No, they prefer animals that you can almost believe are the real deal. 