Holiday Give Away: Five Pairs of Shoemint Shoes

<a href="http://t.shoemint.com/aff_c?offer_id=34&aff_id=2244&file_id=16075&aid=4%24spons%24p3005%24c3723%247616" target="_blank">Shoemint</a>, the fab collaboration from Steve Madden and Rachel Bilson, has some great new looks that I'm eying for the holiday parties we have coming up this month.  Here are some of my favorites:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <img src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album%203/heels.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album%203/flatsbags.jpg" /></div><br />Today <a href="http://t.shoemint.com/aff_c?offer_id=34&aff_id=2244&file_id=16075&aid=4%24spons%24p3005%24c3723%247616" target="_blank">Shoemint</a> is offering FIVE pairs of gorgeous real leather or suede shoes (or a bag!) to five readers. To enter visit the Shoemint site and register (it's quick, and free!) and leave a comment here with your very favorite choice.<br /><br /><a href="http://t.shoemint.com/aff_c?offer_id=34&aff_id=2244&file_id=16075&aid=4%24spons%24p3005%24c3723%247616" target="_blank">Which one</a> do you have your heart set on? I'm obsessed with these <a href="http://t.shoemint.com/aff_c?offer_id=34&aff_id=2244&file_id=16075&aid=4%24spons%24p3005%24c3723%247616" target="_blank">gold-toe flats</a> can't decide between the black or green version) and this <a href="http://t.shoemint.com/aff_c?offer_id=34&aff_id=2244&file_id=16075&aid=4%24spons%24p3005%24c3723%247616" target="_blank">see-through clutch</a>. I think it would double perfectly as a great laptop sleeve and I love that the little pouch in the front can store a power cord...<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><img src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album%203/ScreenShot2012-12-15at31918PM.png" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album%203/ScreenShot2012-12-15at65328PM.png" /></div><br />Contest ends next Saturday at midnight. Good luck!<br /><div><i><br /></i><i>PS Don't forget to take $30 off your <a href="http://t.shoemint.com/aff_c?offer_id=34&aff_id=2244&file_id=16075&aid=4%24spons%24p3005%24c3723%247616" target="_blank">first order here</a>!</i></div>

Holiday Give Away: Five Pairs of Shoemint Shoes

Shoemint , the fab collaboration from Steve Madden and Rachel Bilson, has some great new looks that I'm eying for the holiday parties we...

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Taking Pause

What a tragic weekend. I'm sure you all have similarly shed tears over the horrible news coming from Connecticut yesterday. After being glued to media all day, I felt completely overwhelmed and raw and heart-broken for those poor families.  So I turned off the tv and shut my laptop and I held my little ones tight, feeling just thankful they were safe. Isn't it hard to find a balance of staying informed and not getting fully absorbed in events that are completely out of your control?<br /><br />I was supposed to post a holiday give away yesterday the same hour I heard about the Newtown incident and it only seemed right to push it back. I'll be putting it up later today and then I'm taking the girls out for a walk and hot chocolate. I'm looking forward to letting go of some of these sad and fearful emotions. I hope you're salvaging your weekend too. xoxo<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album%203/IMG_9628.jpg" /></div>

Taking Pause

What a tragic weekend. I'm sure you all have similarly shed tears over the horrible news coming from Connecticut yesterday. After being ...

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Stocking Stuffers for Kids

<!-- BANNER #1 --> <script src="http://thirdparty.fmpub.net/placement/545416?fleur_de_sel=[timestamp]" type="text/javascript"></script> <!-- BANNER #1 --> <i>Brought to you by the <a href="http://r1.fmpub.net/?r=http%3A%2F%2Fad.doubleclick.net%2Fclk%3B262957491%3B91680858%3Bd&k4=5732&k5=545416" target="_blank">Brita Bottle for Kids</a>: Help teach your kids to learn to love water. <a href="http://r1.fmpub.net/?r=http%3A%2F%2Fad.doubleclick.net%2Fclk%3B262957491%3B91680858%3Bd&k4=5732&k5=545416" target="_blank">Learn more</a>.</i><br /><br />When I was growing up in Arizona, we got an orange at the bottom of our Christmas stocking every year. There are lots of great traditional stories about giving and receiving fruit for Christmas and I love the simple, sweet sentiment behind it. Last year, I was fed up of having candy in the house (I was still trying to get rid of the Halloween candy stash), so the only treats I put in the girls' stockings were nuts and an orange. I thought I was being sneaking and figured they were still too young to know what they were missing. Not so! "MOM. Santa forgot to put candy in our stockings!" and "Why did he put Fuh-<i>RUIT</i> in there?" Busted.<br /><br />This year, I'll put a just a little bit of candy in the stockings, but I think I'll keep the oranges and nuts in too. We're not doing a ton of big presents this year (feels like lots of people are moving toward this model - are you?), just a handful of carefully chosen gifts and some fun stocking items. Here are some kid items that I'm thinking about giving or that we already have and love.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album%203/BODY.jpg" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: start;">1. Oranges remind me of home. :) Also, I remember hearing <a href="http://www.santalady.com/xmasgame/stories/orange.html" target="_blank">this story</a> when I was young.</div><div style="text-align: start;">2. We are in desperate need of new water bottles this year. <a href="http://r1.fmpub.net/?r=http%3A%2F%2Fad.doubleclick.net%2Fclk%3B262957491%3B91680858%3Bd&k4=5732&k5=545416" target="_blank">These</a> are BPA-free.</div><div style="text-align: start;">3. I am normally a fan of boar-bristle hair brushes - but they hurt my kids' heads. A stylist here recommended <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000L596FE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000L596FE&linkCode=as2&tag=littgreenote-20">these super-cheap brushes</a> to me for my girls and for even brushing my own hair out in the shower (it's actually called a Wet Brush). I am a super-loyal fan now - they're <i>amazing.</i></div><div style="text-align: start;">4. My kids ask for frozen treats a lot. We're shooting to make more low-sugar <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000G32H3Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000G32H3Y&linkCode=as2&tag=littgreenote-20">smoothie pops</a> this year. I was with my stylish friend <a href="http://www.styleandpepperblog.com/" target="_blank">Jessie</a> at a work thing last night and she mentioned that putting vitamin-packed Chia seeds in smoothies helps to thicken them up a little? Good to know!</div><div style="text-align: start;">5. Christmas and the Fourth of July are usually when we set dentist appointments and buy new toothbrushes (we try to replace those every quarter though). <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0052TBEG8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0052TBEG8&linkCode=as2&tag=littgreenote-20">These</a> are my favorite. The bristles are soft and the brush itself lights up for about two minutes so my kids know how long to be brushing.</div><div style="text-align: start;">6. To encourage healthier lunches at school, we're going to pick up a couple of these bento lunch boxes. There is a cute frog too, but I love <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00200L840/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00200L840&linkCode=as2&tag=littgreenote-20">the panda</a>.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album%203/MIND.jpg" /><br /><div style="text-align: start;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />7. Now that Evie is getting a little older, I think it's about time we added <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VRFD5O/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000VRFD5O&linkCode=as2&tag=littgreenote-20">Pick Up Sticks</a> to our game cabinet. I <i>loved</i> Pick Up Sticks when I was Gracie's age.</div><div style="text-align: start;">8. Plan Toys are my favorite - really beautiful, high-quality wooden toys. I'd love to give Evie <a href="http://www.landofnod.com/stocking-stuffers/toys-gifts/a-trip-down-memory-game/f4917" target="_blank">this pretty set</a> of Memory.</div><div style="text-align: start;">9. Remember this <a href="http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/potholder-loom" target="_blank">Potholder weaving kit</a>?! I totally did this as a kid!</div><div style="text-align: start;">10. We have this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0486272982/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0486272982&linkCode=as2&tag=littgreenote-20">Origami book</a> and my girls love it. In fact, it's time to buy some more paper.</div><div style="text-align: start;">11. Another favorite from my childhood (don't worry, POGS did not make the list :) - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E01RY8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001E01RY8&linkCode=as2&tag=littgreenote-20">string games</a>! I loved Jacob's ladder the best.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album%203/FUN2.jpg" /></div><br /><br />12. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MUXVZO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000MUXVZO&linkCode=as2&tag=littgreenote-20">These headphones</a> are parent and kid life-savers on flights and long car rides. They have a soft padding around the ear, and they seem to be comfortable for little ones. And they're pretty darn cute too.<br />13. Bubbles that are guarenteed to not drip or spill or make a mess are <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000K163/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00000K163&linkCode=as2&tag=littgreenote-20">my kind of bubbles</a>!<br />14. We've been reading the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0807508500/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0807508500&linkCode=as2&tag=littgreenote-20">Boxcar Children</a> books at night (we're starting book five this week), and Grace and Claire are as in love with the story as I was. I used to have dreams about finding perfect little pink teacups and dishes in the dump with Jessie and Violet. Guess I liked vintage china and bargain finds even back then. :)<br />15. This series of simple mechanical machine toys from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001VJWFC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0001VJWFC&linkCode=as2&tag=littgreenote-20">Kikkerland</a> is all the rage at parks in Brooklyn. They're super cool, and cool-looking too. Shelf-friendly toys, for sure.<br />16. Evelyn needs <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/twigcreative?ref=seller_info" target="_blank">a camera</a> of her own I think so she can photograph my projects with me.<br />17. This <a href="http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/balloon-modeling-kit" target="_blank">balloon-making kit</a> might be more for me than my kids. I've always wanted to have this talent in my arsenal. You never know when a situation calls for a balloon animal!<br />18. How cool is <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/113824900/fair-trade-diy-wooden-peg-doll-kit-kids" target="_blank">this family</a> of wooden peg dolls? The dolls come to you completely blank and you customize them to match your family. So fun if you're giving your child a dollhouse this year.<br /><br />What are you giving the littles in your life for the holidays this year?

Stocking Stuffers for Kids

Brought to you by the Brita Bottle for Kids : Help teach your kids to learn to love water. Learn more . When I was growing up in Arizona,...

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