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Birthday Parties Events Toys

Saving on Birthday Party Gifts – top 5 list

Each school year the girls are invited to a ton of birthday parties!  What do families with many children do? What are the cost effective ways to save on Birthday party gifts?  Annmarie sat down with New England Cable News to talk about this topic!

Here are the top 5 ways to save and gift ideas from trendymommies.com.

 

1.  Make a plan each September -  write down your birthday gift needs and start shopping – look for buy one get one free toys, stock up on board games – all ages love a good board or card game (hello apples to apples). Board games are also usually on sale around Christmas time so stock up on multiple games then. You can even buy a smaller card game and add a gift card to the gift bag.

2.  Think seasonal – buy fun summer items at the end of the season and gift them for winter birthdays. A nice tote bag filled with sunglasses, a towel and a t shirt is a nice way to remember summer.

3.  Use your retail reward cards for savings – we love CVS and their extra care program – collect and save your extra bucks – it’s money to buy gifts!  CVS is a one stop shop for kids gifts 10 dollars and 5 dollars and under and for small toys, hair accessories, candy, cards and art supplies.

4.  Buy art supplies in bulk – cute note books, personalized note cards and a nice pencil set coupled with a gift card makes a nice gift. Discount retailers have note books in multiples so divide up and package nicely. Use the tote bags at Michael’s crafts for the packaging of the gift!  Kids can decorate it themselves!

5.  Save on tissue paper and gift bags – you can reuse gift bags and buy tissue paper at the dollar store. Stock up and save on these items so you have them and are not running around at the last minute and spending 5 dollars on a gift bag and tissue!

Happy Shopping!

Birthday Party!
Birthday Party!

 

Categories
Birthday Parties Events Toys Uncategorized

Saving on Birthday Party Gifts – top 5 list

Each school year the girls are invited to a ton of birthday parties!  What do families with many children do? What are the cost effective ways to save on Birthday party gifts?  Annmarie sat down with New England Cable News to talk about this topic!

Here are the top 5 ways to save and gift ideas from trendymommies.com.

 

1.  Make a plan each September -  write down your birthday gift needs and start shopping – look for buy one get one free toys, stock up on board games – all ages love a good board or card game (hello apples to apples). Board games are also usually on sale around Christmas time so stock up on multiple games then. You can even buy a smaller card game and add a gift card to the gift bag.

2.  Think seasonal – buy fun summer items at the end of the season and gift them for winter birthdays. A nice tote bag filled with sunglasses, a towel and a t shirt is a nice way to remember summer.

3.  Use your retail reward cards for savings – we love CVS and their extra care program – collect and save your extra bucks – it’s money to buy gifts!  CVS is a one stop shop for kids gifts 10 dollars and 5 dollars and under and for small toys, hair accessories, candy, cards and art supplies.

4.  Buy art supplies in bulk – cute note books, personalized note cards and a nice pencil set coupled with a gift card makes a nice gift. Discount retailers have note books in multiples so divide up and package nicely. Use the tote bags at Michael’s crafts for the packaging of the gift!  Kids can decorate it themselves!

5.  Save on tissue paper and gift bags – you can reuse gift bags and buy tissue paper at the dollar store. Stock up and save on these items so you have them and are not running around at the last minute and spending 5 dollars on a gift bag and tissue!

Happy Shopping!

Birthday Party!
Birthday Party!

 

Categories
Toys

Young kids worried about school? Worry Eaters plush toy to the rescue!

If you have a child who is anxious about school (or tends to worry in general) take a look at this product. These adorable plush toys called Worry Eaters give parents and kids peace of mind. Simple have your child write their worry on a piece of paper or draw it and toss it into the Worry Eater’s zippered mouth. That is it and kids can go about their day worry free. 

Worry Eaters are a new product from The Haywire Group and you can buy them on the website here.  Each striped plush toy (eight to choose from in all) has adorable names like Polli, Flamm and twins Bill and Betti. Perfect for kids to write their worries down and zip them up right before bed too.  A great conversation starter and each plush character has big round eyes, soft bodies and a mix of two or three or more ears or horns! Worry Eaters are for ages three and up and retail for $15.99 for the small one and $22.99 for the large one.

Disclosure: The Haywire group sent me the Worry Eaters to test out and review. All opinions are my own.

Kids feed their worries to the Worry Eaters and zip them away!
Kids feed their worries to the Worry Eaters and zip them away!

 

Categories
Toys

Young kids worried about school? Worry Eaters plush toy to the rescue!

If you have a child who is anxious about school (or tends to worry in general) take a look at this product. These adorable plush toys called Worry Eaters give parents and kids peace of mind. Simple have your child write their worry on a piece of paper or draw it and toss it into the Worry Eater’s zippered mouth. That is it and kids can go about their day worry free. 

Worry Eaters are a new product from The Haywire Group and you can buy them on the website here.  Each striped plush toy (eight to choose from in all) has adorable names like Polli, Flamm and twins Bill and Betti. Perfect for kids to write their worries down and zip them up right before bed too.  A great conversation starter and each plush character has big round eyes, soft bodies and a mix of two or three or more ears or horns! Worry Eaters are for ages three and up and retail for $15.99 for the small one and $22.99 for the large one.

Disclosure: The Haywire group sent me the Worry Eaters to test out and review. All opinions are my own.

Kids feed their worries to the Worry Eaters and zip them away!
Kids feed their worries to the Worry Eaters and zip them away!

 

Categories
Events Products Toys

Cyber Monday @BetterCT

It’s Cyber Monday so happy online shopping!   I gathered some great finds for my WFSB-TV Better CT Trendymommies segment and here are some fun items for everyone on your list!

For Mom:

  • Dads upload your favorite photos for mom and present her with a custom photo calendar from calendars.com (priced from $19.99 to $23.99) It makes a great gift for mom or a grandparent gift as they are completely customizable. They offer the most personalization options of any calendar on the market!   Moms will also love the VanGogh Tri-folio Frame wall calendar as it has three separate frames and can be hung vertically or horizontally. ($18.99)
  • Mom loves jewelry and we love anything from overstock.com. They have the best jewelry including the sterling silver ¼ carat diamond hoop earrings which are affordable at $25.00. This site has just about everything for everybody – from pet items to home items, electronics and more and offers free shipping on Cyber Monday.
  • Isabelt  is great solution for moms and tweens too. It’s an invisible belt that lies flat so it’s perfect to wear with sweaters.  There is 30% off sale happening now with the code: gobble.  Isabelt original is $16.95.

For Teen/tween:

  • Teen girls will love any kit from Tarte Cosmetics including this baby it’s bold outside lip glosses kit. Tarte cosmetics is an all natural line and contains no parabens. Their kits are about $30.00.
  • A great stocking stuffer for girls is any of the products from Lia Skincare   Their products start at $7.95 and include face wash, toner pads and moisturizer and the products are all natural.
  • We love to wear the Dry Divas Designer Shower Cap   as it’s a fun, colorful new way to protect a good blow dry for mom and a bright stocking stuffer too for tween girls. Free shipping for Cyber Monday with the coupon code: STYLE. Cost: $26.00.

Food:

  • A new Artisan food subscription company called  Knoshbox is so good!  They offer new artisan foods from around the USA each month. Order their Holiday Collection by December 1 and on Cyber Monday you can Try or Gift a  box for $24.00.
  • Another favorite of mine is Pretzel Crisps especially their new flavors  in White Chocolate & Peppermint and Dark Chocolate & Peppermint flavors. They are perfect for the holidays.  The sweet and salty snacks contain 120 calories/5 g of fat per serving and are available in 4 ounce bags for about $2.99.  MUST try their other flavors including Buffalo Wings!

For kids:

  • I just love Boo!  The World’s Cutest Dog Boo is now available at gund.com and for $20.00 you can have your own Boo & Itty Bitty Boo’s are adorable too!
  • The Doc McStuffins  “Time for Your Check-Up” Doll ($39.99) is based on the new Disney Junior series about a girl who heals stuffed animals and toys out of her playhouse clinic. The show is currently the #1 preschool cable TV series, and the doll has been chosen as a Toy Insider’s HOT 20 and one of Time To Play’s Most Wanted holiday toys!
  • I love games and we have game night each week. Your kids may love the  Annoying Orange Fresh Talking Target Game ($19.99).  Fans of the social media sensation (and now TV star) will LOVE getting heckled by their favorite joke-telling orange as they try to hit the target. The Chupacabra: Survive The Night Board Game is a GLOW in the dark dice game ($19.99) and players try to be the last mammal standing in this crazy glow-in-the-dark dice game based on the creatures from Latin American folklore.
  • Lego.com – anything from lego is a must have gift and great for kids of any age.

 

Disclosure:  The above products were sent to me to review and display and mention on my TV and radio segments. All opinions are my own.

Categories
Events Products Toys

Cyber Monday @BetterCT

It’s Cyber Monday so happy online shopping!   I gathered some great finds for my WFSB-TV Better CT Trendymommies segment and here are some fun items for everyone on your list!

For Mom:

  • Dads upload your favorite photos for mom and present her with a custom photo calendar from calendars.com (priced from $19.99 to $23.99) It makes a great gift for mom or a grandparent gift as they are completely customizable. They offer the most personalization options of any calendar on the market!   Moms will also love the VanGogh Tri-folio Frame wall calendar as it has three separate frames and can be hung vertically or horizontally. ($18.99)
  • Mom loves jewelry and we love anything from overstock.com. They have the best jewelry including the sterling silver ¼ carat diamond hoop earrings which are affordable at $25.00. This site has just about everything for everybody – from pet items to home items, electronics and more and offers free shipping on Cyber Monday.
  • Isabelt  is great solution for moms and tweens too. It’s an invisible belt that lies flat so it’s perfect to wear with sweaters.  There is 30% off sale happening now with the code: gobble.  Isabelt original is $16.95.

For Teen/tween:

  • Teen girls will love any kit from Tarte Cosmetics including this baby it’s bold outside lip glosses kit. Tarte cosmetics is an all natural line and contains no parabens. Their kits are about $30.00.
  • A great stocking stuffer for girls is any of the products from Lia Skincare   Their products start at $7.95 and include face wash, toner pads and moisturizer and the products are all natural.
  • We love to wear the Dry Divas Designer Shower Cap   as it’s a fun, colorful new way to protect a good blow dry for mom and a bright stocking stuffer too for tween girls. Free shipping for Cyber Monday with the coupon code: STYLE. Cost: $26.00.

Food:

  • A new Artisan food subscription company called  Knoshbox is so good!  They offer new artisan foods from around the USA each month. Order their Holiday Collection by December 1 and on Cyber Monday you can Try or Gift a  box for $24.00.
  • Another favorite of mine is Pretzel Crisps especially their new flavors  in White Chocolate & Peppermint and Dark Chocolate & Peppermint flavors. They are perfect for the holidays.  The sweet and salty snacks contain 120 calories/5 g of fat per serving and are available in 4 ounce bags for about $2.99.  MUST try their other flavors including Buffalo Wings!

For kids:

  • I just love Boo!  The World’s Cutest Dog Boo is now available at gund.com and for $20.00 you can have your own Boo & Itty Bitty Boo’s are adorable too!
  • The Doc McStuffins  “Time for Your Check-Up” Doll ($39.99) is based on the new Disney Junior series about a girl who heals stuffed animals and toys out of her playhouse clinic. The show is currently the #1 preschool cable TV series, and the doll has been chosen as a Toy Insider’s HOT 20 and one of Time To Play’s Most Wanted holiday toys!
  • I love games and we have game night each week. Your kids may love the  Annoying Orange Fresh Talking Target Game ($19.99).  Fans of the social media sensation (and now TV star) will LOVE getting heckled by their favorite joke-telling orange as they try to hit the target. The Chupacabra: Survive The Night Board Game is a GLOW in the dark dice game ($19.99) and players try to be the last mammal standing in this crazy glow-in-the-dark dice game based on the creatures from Latin American folklore.
  • Lego.com – anything from lego is a must have gift and great for kids of any age.

 

Disclosure:  The above products were sent to me to review and display and mention on my TV and radio segments. All opinions are my own.

Categories
Holidays Toys

Time for the last minute Toy Round-up!

Tis’ the season for tiny toys! fa la la la la…. I found some great toys this holiday season which can fit nicely in a stocking!

  • I love these tin games from The Haywire Group. The French Toast and the Cat’s PJ’s game are perfect for kids ages 3+ as there is no reading required and they are great for travel. ($9.99)
  • Mini Inkoos (4+$7.99) are so cute to draw on over and over again. Their tag line is if you can think it you can ink it (and wash it off and do it again!)
  • Shoulder Buddies (5+, $5.99)  – these remind me of the troll dolls when I was younger. Your kids can wear them anywhere and they have a magic coin that keep the little buddy attached.
  • Handvibes.com are rings with fun saying for $3.99 a pack. You can find them at Target.
  • Banagrams.com – A great word game for grandparents to give grandkids (2-8 players ages 7-97) where you can race each other to create crossword grids. The Pairs in Pears is a memory game that makes pairs of connecting words in matching patterns. Come in adorable packaging
  • Any Game from Marbles the Brain Store .  This is a  unique, fun store that has educational products. The Facebox art is great for kids to get creative and can make up to 100,000 different faces.  ($9.99) The build your own Kaleidoscope retails for $12.99.
  • Wugglepets.com – For $19.99 the little ones can create their own stuffed animal! Well, this won’t fit in a stocking but it’s still an adorable gift!

Happy Holidays!

Trendymommies Toy Round-Up
Categories
Holidays Toys

Time for the last minute Toy Round-up!

Tis’ the season for tiny toys! fa la la la la…. I found some great toys this holiday season which can fit nicely in a stocking!

  • I love these tin games from The Haywire Group. The French Toast and the Cat’s PJ’s game are perfect for kids ages 3+ as there is no reading required and they are great for travel. ($9.99)
  • Mini Inkoos (4+$7.99) are so cute to draw on over and over again. Their tag line is if you can think it you can ink it (and wash it off and do it again!)
  • Shoulder Buddies (5+, $5.99)  – these remind me of the troll dolls when I was younger. Your kids can wear them anywhere and they have a magic coin that keep the little buddy attached.
  • Handvibes.com are rings with fun saying for $3.99 a pack. You can find them at Target.
  • Banagrams.com – A great word game for grandparents to give grandkids (2-8 players ages 7-97) where you can race each other to create crossword grids. The Pairs in Pears is a memory game that makes pairs of connecting words in matching patterns. Come in adorable packaging
  • Any Game from Marbles the Brain Store .  This is a  unique, fun store that has educational products. The Facebox art is great for kids to get creative and can make up to 100,000 different faces.  ($9.99) The build your own Kaleidoscope retails for $12.99.
  • Wugglepets.com – For $19.99 the little ones can create their own stuffed animal! Well, this won’t fit in a stocking but it’s still an adorable gift!

Happy Holidays!

Trendymommies Toy Round-Up