Prince William County Moms: gift ideas

Showing posts with label gift ideas. Show all posts

12/4/15

Gift Basket of Awesome December Giveaway 2015

Hey Readers!

Instead of running a bunch of giveaways during December, my tradition has been to just run one. Our winner gets the whole kit and caboodle on December 20th. We hope that you'll shop with some of our friends who have contributed! Most of the contributors are also website sponsors, and we appreciate them funding our calendar and information so that you can enjoy all that PwcMoms has to offer! This year's gift basket of awesome features:

*GMS Kids Gymnastics tote and gift card
*Little Loving Hands Box
*Two FREE months of dance at the Academy of Russian Ballet
*$50 Gift Card to The Smart Car Wash
*Scentsy Warmer and Wax
*$55 Gift Card (One FREE month of class) at Showcase Dance
*Toddlin Time Gift Card and T-Shirt
* Three Copies of "Prince William Living" December
*Perfectly Posh Bath Bombs from Got Posh?
*Eme's Army braille "Love" ornament
*TWO parents nights out on January 23rd from 4pm to 8 pm from Animated Child

Whew!

So, go ahead and use the rafflecopter below to enter. I wish you the best of luck, and please remember you must be available to MEET me to get your basket- I am not trying to hit the post office 4 days before Christmas!! You should be able to get a little something extra for just about anyone on your list with this fantastic basket of fun!

If you didn't get your item listed in time, please just email me and we can get you added!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

As always, when you enter you agree to our Giveaway Rules.

7/16/15

Giveaway: Lil Chic

Leslie from Lil Chic came out to our Miller and Smith open house, and it was so nice to meet her!! I actually got a little misty when she showed me some of the collection because it reminded me of my middle guy's nursery (it was twinkle twinkle little star themed). I informed my husband that we need to have another baby so I can have matching car seat, stroller, and diaper bag covers. He informed me that was not gonna happen.

I mean COME ON HOW CUTE IS THIS????

So, word to my sister in law, when you and my brother have kids, this is what you're getting from me, because it's adorable. I'll let you pick the pattern, but that's about it ;)

Leslie took the time to answer a few questions about her company for me- it's always better to discuss business over wine! Yay!

PwcMom: Tell me what inspired your company?

LC: My co-owner is from Spain and a mother of two. After her first child was born, she went to Spain and brought back footmuffs and stroller bags. She then found that, whenever she was out, she received a lot of positive attention from other parents of young children.

It then became obvious to us, and those around us, that the quality of these products really stood out compared to other baby brands. And, because you could only find these products in stores abroad, we were inspired to bring them over here to the US!

PwcMom: What's your favorite product you carry?

LC: My personal favorite is the Stroller Footmuff from Lil Chic’s Bryn Collection. I love the collection’s delicate floral pattern and removable lace accent.

PwcMom: What do your customers say about your products?

LC: The most consistent comments we receive are about the attractiveness and versatility of our products. Our customers like the style as well as the option of buying coordinating items from each of our collections. Customers also like buying a canopy or footmuff and having peace of mind that what they have purchased will fit on their respective model of stroller or car seat.

PwcMom: What do you like about owning your own business?

LC: I love the products and am excited for the opportunity to be the first to offer them in the US. I also have enjoyed the challenge of starting a new business!

You can find Lil Chic on Facebook and they're also on Twitter and Instagram at lilchicbaby. And if you've got a baby on the way or a shower coming up (and you want to WIN the baby shower) you should definitely check them out!!

For the giveaway, Lil Chic is offering one lucky reader a Sydney Collection Travel Bag in grey- gender neutral and awesome! (PS- that's a $100 diaper bag!!) I especially love that the fabric is laminated (I'm sure that's not the correct term, but that's what I'm going with!) so that you can wipe off any baby-related mess. You know what I'm talking about.

Enter Using Rafflecopter!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Giveaway provided by Lil Chic Baby, by entering you agree to be bound by any and all giveaway rules.

6/17/15

Giveaway: Touchstone Crystal with Terri O'Neill

I think that we're overdue for a giveaway, don't you?

Excellent. Then let's away with Touchstone Crystal with Terri O'Neill. I shared with you guys the piece she sent me to check out- it's absolutely gorgeous. I've worn it a few times already (blues and greens are my go-to colors, so it matches a ton of my current outfits) and I have gotten at least one compliment every time I've worn it. I love that it's sparkly and that the price is right for having a statement piece! Sparkles is my favorite color. :)

Erin is a busy momma, but she took a few minutes to talk with me about Touchstone Crystal! (That's her on the right- she's super sweet!) I asked her what she likes about this company, and here's what she had to say: As a Mom of 3 little ones (7months-age 6) direct sales has always been the perfect balance of having a great income and the flexibility of being home with my children! I wanted a company that is well known, has high standards and has financial security...Swarovski has all that and more! Their newest division-Touchstone Crystal offers the best income opportunity, high quality jewelry at affordable prices (1/2 the line is under $50), the best warranty and the best hostess plan...Swarovski allows me to be home with my kids and allows me to get a 'break' to shower other women with sparkle! I've loved 'bringing the bling' into the lives of so many women-whether they just love to wear it or they've decided to change their own lives with the business opportunity! (Initial investment is only $139!)

In honor of Swarovski's 120th anniversary, Terri is offering our winner a personal shopping experience with $120 in free jewelry! If you'd like, you can upgrade to a personalized party with three friends (Sangria and Sparkles anyone?) and receive $175 in jewelry and each of your guests will receive a free Swarovski charm.

To win- head over to Facebook.com/pwcmoms and leave a comment with a link to your favorite piece from Terri's line! (Not just the name, be sure to leave the link!) You can find the full line here.

Know someone who loves sparkle? She also offers special Swarovski Charms! Yours is FREE when you refer a friend who hosts a Summer Sparkle get together or starts her own business!
Learn more at www.touchstonecrystal.com/TerriONeill
ONeill.terri@gmail.com
703-362-8535 (call/text)

Guest Post: Nerd Block Jr Boys/Girls Review

Rhubarb & blackberry here again with another review of child-oriented subscription boxes. today we have nerd block jr! Nerd block jr has both a boy's and a girl's version and we were lucky enough to get one of each to review for you. we'll do them side by side so you can compare what is in each one.

cost
month-to-month: $13.99/month + $6 shipping
3 month sub: $12.59/month + $6 shipping
6 month sub: $11.89/month + $6 shipping
12 month sub: $11.19/month + $6 shipping
what you get
geeky toys for kids aged 6-11

here are the two boxes side by side. the toys included in the boy's box will be listed on the right and the girl's box will be listed on the left.

Adventure Time Mad Libs - $3.25

we remember mad libs from when we were young - and they're still just as funny. a great thing to share with your children!

The Quest for the Diamond Sword Novel - $6.41

this is a really nice chapter book and minecraft is popular with kids right now.

Frozen Reusable Sandwich + Snack Bag - $6.99

who doesn't know about frozen? and we can't think of any young girls who don't like it. great for school lunches!

Justice League On-The-Go Bottle - $6.49

this particular type of water bottle is very popular right now. the graphics on this one are really bright and fun!

Hello Kitty Monsters Collection Zombie - $5.99

hello kitty is super cute as a monster - which one will you get? she can hang out on your child's bookbag or lunchbox.

Tech Deck Star Wars Yoda - $12.00

these tech deck toys have been around for a long time and are still very popular. with the return of a new star wars movie - these are right on trend.

Sonic The Hedgehog Collector's Edition Bouncy Ball - $11.23

all kids love bouncy balls and this one is supposed to be super bouncy!

Sick Bricks Set w/Smokey Burns & Gus Groucho - $3.99

this is a new video game type toy - you have to scan the package and then you can play online.

The Monster Factory 5" Plush Colin - $8.98

we've never heard of the monster factory, but chances are, the nearest 8 year old has. this plush freaks us out a little.

Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy Rocket Raccoon Magnet - $2.09

not sure how popular a magnet will be with kids, but you could hang their artwork on the fridge with it.

Girl's Box Value - $36.44

Boy's Box Value - $30.98

the value is there for both boxes and they contain items that are fun for their target audience of 6-11 year olds. if you think that your children would enjoy a subscription - just click here! use promo code "continue" to save 25% off your first box~

Author Bio: Rhubarb has lived in Prince William County for almost 16 years and is the mom to three wonderful young men. She is a sometime author and is active in her church. To relax she enjoys finding seashells on the beach and snorkeling for them in the ocean. Her new website and blog Rhubarb&Blackberry: Musings of a Landlocked Mermaid is a work in progress and is more fun than she could have imagined. Her current obsession is subscription boxes (beauty, food, home & lifestyle) and she hopes to launch her own branded items sometime this year.

6/2/15

Guest Review: iBbeautiful

We've reviewed quite a number of boxes, so believe us when we say that this is a very special sub box. When we opened it - we were floored by the items included and how thoughtful and lovely they were. iBbeautiful mission is "to help young girls realize they are beautiful just as they are without comparisons to how others look or act. We do this by offering a monthly box of inspiration that includes fun lifestyle items and a message of empowerment to help young girls be confident, smart, brave, unique and kind. Every girl should be confident that she will become the woman she is meant to be and can achieve anything she sets her mind to". We love this box. iBbeautiful kindly sent us this box free for review purposes.

Cost
There are two age groups that you can choose a box for: 8-12 and then 13+.
For either sub you can choose the basic box (with no t-shirt) for $20 or you can get the box with t-shirt included for $30. If you want a one-time only box the costs are $24 and $34 respectively.

Shipping
Shipping is included in the above prices.

What do you get?
Every box will have fun lifestyle items that promote a message of empowerment to young girls.

Each box includes a card that shares their positive, caring and empowering curation for the month. Also included is a card detailing all of the items included and their values.

Bra Strap Headband (value $8) - this is ingenious and adorable. Not really a bra strap, but a great idea for old bras. You can wear it so many different ways and it has quality construction.

Aspire Journal (value $3) - This notebook is the perfect size for tucking into a pocket and jotting down dreams, ideas and other important notes on the run. The message on the front is a reminder to invest in yourself and to work for the things where your heart is.

True Girl Exfoliator (value $18.50) - We loved this gentle scrub!! It smells like a mix of berries and apple and left our skin feeling so clean and soft. Great for teens to help with breakouts.

Zipper Headphones (value $8) - We can't believe that the value on these headphones is so low. They are super nice and we really like them. The zipper on them makes storage a breeze and the cool factor is seriously on fleek (did we just say that?)

Spring Scarf (value $18) - LOVE! This is a beautiful, soft and airy scarf that is perfect for the fashions on trend right now. The soft pink coloring with pale chocolate detailing is dreamy.

Aspire Graphic T-Shirt (value $22) - Super well-constructed fitted t-shirt.

BOTTOM LINE
(Value $77.50) - Wow - this is an incredible value (considering the box only costs $30). It is so wonderful to see a company that wants to empower young girls to love who they are, the way they are. All of the items were very age appropriate (nothing too mature) and of a great quality. We think this is one of our favorite tween/teen boxes.

5/27/15

Guest Post Review: Geek Fuel

Hi everyone! This week we are reviewing two boxes for you to check out. Both of these are geared more toward tweens and teens. We have Geek Fuel up first and then we will have iBBeautiful. We hope that between these two subs we have your tween/teen boys and girls covered. Up first - Geek Fuel!

Geek Fuel is a geek and gamer box that is relatively new that is geared toward 9-14 year olds. Their first box came out in December and they've become very popular, very quickly.

Cost
A monthly sub is $17.90, $16.90 per month for a 3 month subscription, $15.90 per month for a 6 month subscription and $13.90 per month for a yearly subscription.

Shipping
Geek Fuel ships to the US ($6.00 shipping fee), Canada, and other countries.

What do you get?
Every box will have a t-shirt, toy/collectible, game download and more. Geek Fuel kindly sent us this box for review purposes.

A t-shirt is included in every box. This is a very high quality t-shirt. It appears to be an exclusive for Geek Fuel and is a fun print. This shirt is a mash-up of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Avengers which has the turtles as Iron Man, Hawk, Thor and Captain America while April is Black Widow.

There were some Jelly Belly beans and two boxes of candy sticks included. We're not sure if there is candy in every box, but a treat is always a welcome addition! The jelly beans were delicious and the candy sticks remind us of the candy cigarettes we used to have when we were younger (which would be *SOOOO* not politically correct these days, so now we have "sticks"). The Scribblenauts Unmasked Mystery Box character is adorable and we received Green Arrow who is a super hot hero right now. He is listed as ?/18 so he may be a rare one!

Breakstuff Club Coffee Mug - This is a very nice quality mug and we've run it through our dishwasher several times and there is no color or graphic loss. This also appears to be exclusive to Geek Fuel and is great for younger or older fans (remember Breakfast Club parents?) Avengers characters are represented by school lockers and the mash-up includes Loki (as the Princess), Incredible Hulk (as the Basket Case), Iron Man (as the Brain), Captain American (as the Athlete) and Spiderman (as the Criminal).

Also included: a Kingdom Wars Battles downloadable game code and sticker sheet. The game download is worth $20. Very cool that a game download is included in every box - this pays for the price of the box in itself. No other gamer boxes do this that we're aware of.

The Geek Guide is included in every box and tells about the curation of the box. Plus you get a retro video game magazine which has great articles for geeks and gamers alike.

BOTTOM LINE: There are so many exclusive and neat items in the Geek Fuel subscription. We love that there is a t-shirt and downloadable game code in every box - those two items push the value for each box well beyond twice what you pay for it. The collectible figure is super cool! There is great value for your money here if you have a tween/teen who is into gamer/geek items! Or maybe even a grown-up who is :)

5/13/15

Guest Review: Crafter's Crate

Crafter's Crate Review

Today's review is about Crafter's Crate. They were founded by a husband and wife to get kids excited about reading and to grow & nurture their imaginations. Originally made just for girls, the team found that so many brothers were sneaking into their sister's crates that they began making boxes that were more inclusive. Their target age group is 5-10 year olds. Their classic crate is $24/month. However you can save money by signing up for a 3, 6 or 12 month subscription (the yearly subscription brings the rate down to only $17.50 per month). You can also purchase a "Sibling Crate" which will provide twice the activities & crafts and is an additional $9.95 per month.

Crafter's Crate is offering PWC Mom and RhubarbandBlackberry readers a special discount. Just use promo code PWC10 to get $10 off your first box!

Crafter's Crate has kindly sent us this box free of charge for review purposes.

Your first box will include a map that you can put monthly stickers on for your current crafting adventure. This month a drink single was also included!

The team writes a new activity and adventure book every month. This month's theme was "The Great Safari Race".

Inside the activity book are games and puzzles to do. The Craft-A-Long book includes a theme-related story with instructions on how to do your crafts for the month. I'm going to post two photos for each craft. One showing the items as they arrive and the second showing all of the parts laid out.

The first craft for this month is to make a pair of elephant ears that you can wear. Everything you need is included in your box.

The next activity is to make a pair of safari binoculars.

This month there is a game! It's called "Distract the Crocodiles" and looks adorable and fun to make & play.

The last craft is a Spiderweb Kindness card. After your children have made it, they are supposed to put it somewhere prominent to remind them to always do random acts of kindness.

I think this is a really cute subscription box. With a yearly subscription bringing the cost down to $17.50 per month, I think it's a great value, too. There are so many things to do with just the one month, I feel it will keep children entertained for more than just a few hours. And with the game, you can play that over and over again. Both boys and girls would enjoy it as well.

5/6/15

Review/Giveaway: Surprise Ride

We have a guest poster who's going to be doing some special reviews of subscription boxes for kids/moms for us! Check out her first review of Surprise Ride:

Added bonus! Ms. Rhubarb has secured a giveaway for you guys! To win your own Surprise Ride box, enter using the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio: Rhubarb has lived in Prince William County for almost 16 years and is the mom to three wonderful young men. She is a sometime author and is active in her church. To relax she enjoys finding seashells on the beach and snorkeling for them in the ocean. Her new website and blog Rhubarb&Blackberry: Musings of a Landlocked Mermaid is a work in progress and is more fun than she could have imagined. Her current obsession is subscription boxes (beauty, food, home & lifestyle) and she hopes to launch her own branded items sometime this year.

As always, our giveaway rules apply.

4/8/15

Review: Kidstirs Box

Savannah and I did a review today! I actually love all the "box of the month" clubs, and this one is from Foodstirs which offers cooking kits for your mini chef.

We got the Mother's Day Box, which sells for $29.99 and includes some of the materials you'll need to make cranberry scones, a craft project, and a cardboard baking pan and directions to make a quiche.

The flour, sugar, and dried cranberries we received were all organic. The salt and baking powder were not. In the picture are the color directions, which were fairly easy to follow, although they don't specifically tell you to add the milk and vanilla to the mixture- which my very literal first grader got mad at me about doing!

We had to add our own milk, butter, and vanilla. Savannah opted to add some mini chocolate chips, which, who am I to argue? First we mixed everything together, then we put some of the flour down on the board to form a circle.

Success!

The other recipe card comes with directions to make another recipe and a disposable baking ban, but no ingredients. We saved it for later.

After we got the scones in the oven, I was lamenting the fact that there was no parchment paper. But there was. It was just folded in with the craft! My fault- should've checked a little closer! The craft is a mother's day card, which Savannah took from me so she could make it "as a surprise" with daddy.

Here are our finished "scones". They were more like an extra soft cookie biscuit than what I consider a true scone, but they weren't horrible. They weren't necessarily great, but they weren't necessarily horrible, either.

Unfortunately, this wasn't my favorite kit. Measuring out of the packets of ingredients was very cumbersome, and nothing is pre-measured. If I need a cup and a half of flour, I'd rather just do it out of my canister, rather than trying to pour it out of a small plastic baggie. Additionally, this isn't an "all inclusive" kit. You'll still need any dairy or fresh products. Really, the value of what we got (2ish cups of flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, 2 T baking powder, 1/3 cup cranberries, and maybe 1T of salt) comes out to about $4-5, being generous for the organics. I could measure all those things out of my existing supplies at home.

However, I do love the box idea. I think this would be a fun gift for a grammy to send to a grandchild that lives far away. Getting mail is always fun, and the directions were easy to follow. If you don't bake often and keep supplies in your house, then this could work well for you, too. Preschool aged kids would like the short number of steps and if you order a subscription, you get a bandana, too.

However, Savannah liked cooking with mom- and really, that's all that matters :)

Have you tried Kidstirs? What are your thoughts?

1/7/15

Giveaway: Stella & Dot with Tara Murray

On January 1st I had the chance to sit down with Tara, who comes to PWC by way of California, London, Maryland, and some cool trips all over the world working as a human rights lawyer. Seriously, she had some amazing stories!

Her current story is that Tara is now focused on being a mom to her 2-year-old son, and she's enjoying the flexibility that Stella &Dot offers her to be both a mom and an entrepreneur. While she was passionate about her legal career, she found it didn't allow her enough time with her family. When the opportunity to become a Stella & Dot Stylist was presented, Tara wasn't so sure at first because she'd never imagined herself with a fashion accessories business. But she genuinely adored Stella & Dot's collection and loved the company's motto of "empowering women to style their own lives". She decided to give it a try figuring that it might be a good way to earn money on a more flexible schedule. Plus, she figured she had nothing to lose because you earn back your initial investment (as little as $199) after just one or two trunk shows and you get lots of gorgeous accessories, which she was happy to have!

While she definitely loves the jewelry (and who doesn't love jewelry?), her biggest passion has become helping other moms enjoy the same flexibility in working the hours they want either to pay off a few bills, have a little extra spending money, or even to totally replace their former 9-5. Because there are no quotas or sales requirements and you set your own pace, Tara thinks Stella & Dot really can be whatever you need it to be for you and your family and though she already has a team of about 20 all over the country, now that she's settled here she'd love to build a fun stylist team of PWC moms! If you're curious and would like to learn a bit more you can: chat with Tara at her next local Stella& Dot meet-up on January 10th, contact her at taralcmurray@gmail.com.

Here's a little more info about Stella & Dot:

In addition to the business opportunity, Stella & Dot obviously offers sparkly things!

I love sparkly things! I'm going to be sporting this bracelet (it says blessed in several languages and also comes in various "love" translations in gold and "always" translations in rose gold).

In addition to silver and gold delicates (including engravables) as well as some fun classics you can wear separately or together, Stella & Dot's got statement pieces -- if you're a little more daring than I am! All of their jewelry is made of sterling silver, gold vermeil, bronze, semi-precious stones, crystals, and hand-painted enamel. They also carry lovely scarves, handbags, and even a little girls' collection! And anything you get comes with a great return policy (so you're totally happy with your purchase!). Here's a sneak peek of the Spring 2015 collection that will be available starting January 13th:

You can shop for free by hosting your own trunk show! You can learn more here. Most of Tara's hostesses get at least $250 in free accessories and get to shop at 50% off on any additional items. And because Tara knows just how busy the holidays have been, she's offering January hostesses a free massage from Massage Envy! She's only got a few dates left this month, so if you want to take her up on this offer -- and I would if I were you -- email her at taralcmurray@gmail.com.

Finally, the giveaway!!

Tara would love to meet up with you for a catered custom style-session! She'll bring some great snacks, talk to you about your personal style, and help you pick out a few pieces to update your accessories wardrobe! As part of your prize, you'll also get a $100 gift card to spend during your consultation! And with half the collection under $50 you're sure to find lots of things to spruce up your style in 2015! Enter to win using the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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As always, by entering a PwcMoms giveaway, which is provided by the sponsor and in no way affiliated with anyone else, you are agreeing to be bound by our giveaway rules. If you need somebody to come to your style session with you, I am totally available to come eat and try on sparkly things anytime. Just sayin.

Prince William County Moms