Holiday Gift Guide - Part 1

The first week of October is in the books and it's time to start thinking about holiday shopping. If you haven't already that is. I know I've already started! Get out the pen and paper and have those nearest and dearest to you starting making their lists so you can catch all of the awesome deals already sprouting up! And in the meantime check out some awesome gifting ideas while you're here.

Mother's Day is Just Around the Corner

Mother's Day is just around the corner so now's the perfect time to get your shopping done for that special lady in your life if you haven't already!

The Countdown to Christmas is ON!

Now that Thanksgiving is past and November is basically over Christmas will be here before we know it. And that means if you haven't gotten your Christmas shopping done now is the time to get it finished (or started for some).

Keep Calm and Color on!

With the world as it is, and the holidays coming fast stress for many is at an all time high. For me my go to stress reliever and ultimate way to calm down is through adult coloring books. There's just something about it that brings back childhood memories of simpler times and the stress just seems to melt away. Even if only for a brief time, it's so worth it.

Specialty Books Make Great Gifts

Sometimes the best gift is one that comes in the form of a fun book. Whether it be a book about crafting, a coloring book, or a journal there's sure to be something for every type of book lover out there!

Mother's Day 2020

Mother's Day will be here before you know it. So now's the perfect time to start thinking about how we can show mom just how important she is to us. Why not do that with something that shows her just how special she truly is. Make sure you bookmark this page because I'll be adding lots of great ideas!

Great gift ideas for mom!

With Mother's Day coming up fast it's time to start thinking about some ideas for gifts for the one that blessed you with the biggest gift of all..life. Maybe you're looking for a traditional gift, or even something a little out of the ordinary. Either way I think you'll enjoy these great ideas!

Gifts for the Holidays: Crafts & Creativity Edition

Crafts - who doesn't love them? Or love receiving products to help fulfill those creative genes? I know I love both! Crafts are a fun thing to do to pass time with family and friends during the holidays and to give/receive as gifts. SO sit back and enjoy some fun crafts and creativity inspiring ideas!

Holiday Gift Guide 2019

It may not even be Halloween yet but be honest you've probably already been thinking about the upcoming holiday season..or if you're like me might have already started shopping. I feel like the stores start earlier every year so the pressure is on. Just in case you are starting your shopping early and want to know what's going to be hot for the 2019 holiday season I have you covered. Just bookmark this page and keep checking back for all the latest and greatest to be added!

Summer Time = Fun Time!

The best part of summer is getting outside and enjoying summertime activities that aren't exactly meant for other times of the year. Like having water fights!

With the help of the ZURU X-SHOT™ Fast-Fill, the fastest filling blaster ever created you can be the king of the backyard water battle. Boasting incredible speed and ease-of-use, the latest addition to one of the most popular blaster brands in the world can be filled in one second! Its Rapid-Seal Technology closes the blaster tank instantly allowing battlers to get back to the blasting action long before their opponents. Because let's be honest we all want to be the one with the better water gun!

Designed to be filled anywhere - the beach, pool, lake or in the backyard - X-SHOT™ Fast-Fill is easy to handle with superb blasting performance, holding up to 24 ounces and reaching distances of 34 feet. Available at Target and Amazon.

Color & Scratch Mindfulness

I've been a big fan of adult coloring books for some time now. It's something I like to do while I'm watching TV or just relaxing at the end of a busy day. Something about it is just really relaxing for me and helps me to unwind. Recently though I've been getting more and more into this new color and scratch book I got from Dover Publications. It contains your standard coloring pages as well as scratch art cards that are stored in the back. It's great because there are times my brain is so fried that I really don't want to even think about what color should go where on a coloring page. And with scratch art that is already taken care of for me! Plus the finished pages are always beautiful.

Color & Scratch Mindfulness:
Designed for adult colorists, this contemplative coloring book offers more than 20 mandala-like designs that will appeal to the heart and soul. Circles, squares, and more beguiling shapes explode with everything from paisleys and lotus blossoms to hearts and swirls. Each illustration features an inspirational quote from Buddha, Lao Tzu, Thoreau, and other timeless thinkers. Plus, there are also 10 scratch art cards: use the stylus included to uncover the multicolored backgrounds.

You can purchase this book on Amazon.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received product to share my honest and unbiased thoughts. However, all thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brand.

Take your Journaling to the Next Level with Art Journals

Journaling can be a therapeutic activity, or it can just be something one does for fun. I know for me it helps when I'm struggling with something being able to put it into words on paper. Sometimes I can't (or don't want to) put it into actual words out loud so this method is very helpful. My daughter on the other hand says its just "fun" journaling. Either way we are both getting something out of it. And with this new set of art journals we have an added bonus to our journaling. Art journals like Faith & Lettering, The Illustrated Word, and Illuminate Your Story can help spark creativity and add dimension to your words. If you've ever gotten writers block when trying to express your thoughts on paper these journals are a great help for that. I've found myself flipping through the pages reading the scriptures to help calm my nerves many times already. My daughter likes the coloring journal because she can go back and forth from writing to coloring if she can't quite think of what she wants to write about. Each journal has similar features like the thick paper, lay-flat binding, and overall quality. But when you open them up they are entirely unique inside.

Faith & Lettering Journal
New from professional letterer Krystal Whitten! With guides, instructions, and tutorials, this is a fun and inspiring way to create beauty with words. It is the perfect place for journalers to practice Bible journaling, lettering quotes and verses, or decorating a page with original thoughts and plans. Exploring your God-given creativity has never been so rewarding. Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Illustrated Word Coloring Journal
Create your own masterpiece with this journal that has forty glorious illustrations from ancient manuscripts that have been recreated as line drawings. Just as medieval monks brought Scripture to life through intricate inked illustrations in handwritten manuscripts hundreds of years ago, you can now create your own stunning keepsake that will be treasured for years to come. Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Illuminate Your Story Journal
Use this almost-lost art of illuminating letters to enhance your writing, Bible journaling, or sermon note-taking. Rich illustrated manuscripts in the Museum of the Bible’s collection inspired these gorgeous letters. Easy to follow instructions, practice pages, and encouragements guide you through the creation of amazing start letters, flourishes, and more. Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received product to share my honest and unbiased thoughts. However, all thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brand.

Fanciful Sea Life Coloring Book and Stone Painting for Kids

In our house we love to craft. And the more colorful the better is my theory. Whether it be painting on rocks or coloring in an adult coloring book I love bold and bright colors. Maybe I get that from my love of the sunshine and all of the colors of nature it brings out. Either way I'm always on the lookout for ways for my daughter and I help express ourselves and through color.

Not too long ago we received a fun book called the Art of Stone Painting. However some of the ideas inside were a bit above our creativity level. The publishers must have gotten some of that type of feedback from others like us because the followed the title up with a really awesome book called Stone Painting for Kids. Now this is much more for our level of expertise. This book offers step-by-step instructions that are easy for any level of artist to follow. And it gives you lots of full color ideas including using rocks for fun games like tic-tac-toe! It even gave us tips on how to find the perfect rocks for painting. Now just to wait for the rain to stop so we can get out there are start exploring!

We also received a fun coloring book that's filled with all things sea life. I was really excited because that meant at least one lighthouse picture for me to color. I've always had a thing for lighthouses so anytime I find one in a coloring book I have to color it myself.

Stone Painting for Kids
This follow-up to the bestselling Art of Stone Painting offers a kid-friendly version of an engaging activity that helps promote creativity. Popular stone artist F. Sehnaz Bac, a seasoned archaeologist who markets her painted Sassi dell’Adriatico (Stones of the Adriatic) on Etsy, presents step-by-step instructions for simple projects, accompanied by full-color photographs. Her introduction explains how to find and choose stones, which kinds of materials and tools are safe for kids to use, how to set up a workspace, simple techniques, and other helpful tips.

A splendid variety of patterns begins with illustrations of basic shapes and designs for human figures and faces, animals, numbers and letters, and natural motifs—flowers, trees, and stars. Other activities include painting stones for games such as tic-tac-toe, chess, and dominoes. Kids will learn lettering techniques for writing names and words on pebbles and how to design holiday-themed decorations. They'll also discover how to assemble multiple stones for picture-making and story-telling.

Fanciful Sealife Coloring Book
This imaginative collection of 31 wondrous designs features a variety of stylized ocean creatures with highly detailed and decorative backgrounds. Images include schools of exotic fish, a sunken ship and treasure chest, a seashell castle, and such underwater dwellers as jellyfish, an octopus, sea turtles, striped angelfish, whales, and more. Pages are perforated and printed on one side only for easy removal and display. Specially designed for experienced colorists, Fanciful Sea Life and other Creative Haven® adult coloring books offer an escape to a world of inspiration and artistic fulfillment. Each title is also an effective and fun-filled way to relax and reduce stress.

You can find these an other great titles on the Dover Publications website.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I may have received monetary compensation and/or product in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts. However, all thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brands.

Quiet Fox Journals

If you haven't yet heard the Fox Chapel publishing company has started a new line called Quiet Fox. Quiet Fox will mainly produce journals and other gift products. To start things off they are releasing a wonderful line of journals. Some of the journals, like those featured above will allow users to not only journal in written format but also color as a way to relax and express their inner thoughts. I love this because sometimes I don't always know how to express myself in words. And when I'm not able to do that I can just color to help release the stresses of daily life. Some of the journals are faith-based and filled with beautiful pieces of scripture. Many will have writing prompts to help stimulate your inner creativity in your journaling. No matter which journal you choose I'm confident you'll be pleased.

TangleEasy Lined Journal Elephant
TangleEasy Lined Journal Parrot
TangleEasy Guided Journal Dragonfly
My Prayer Journal
My Faith Journey: 52 Week Guided Devotional with Scripture
TangleEasy Guided Journal Mandala

Of course if you're not into coloring there are still a wide variety of journals to choose from. All of these journals feature beautiful full color photos and writing prompts for added inspiration.

Hello Angel Lined Journal Skates
Hello Angel Lined Journal Owl
Hello Angel Guided Journal Follow Your Bliss
Hello Angel Guided Journal Love
Bless This Home: A Guided Journal for Celebrating Faith and Family
The Beloved Word: A Guided Scripture Journal
God All Around Me: A Guided Journal for Celebrating Everyday Miracles

You can pre-order all of the above journals on Amazon and have them ready for shipment as soon as they are released!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received product(s) in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts. All thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brands.

Dover Crafts: Christmas Edition!

Are you as ready for Christmas break as we are? My kids have to go to school clear up until this Friday and boy are they already chomping at the bit for it to get here. My daughter and I had to start our Christmas crafting early since there's only two days before Christmas after schools out this year. We like to do some home decorating with things we make ourselves so it's a little more special when company is over for Christmas. This year we got some fun books from Dover Publications to help us out with those crafts so we have been able to get quite a few done in just a few days! Of course I'm sue we will still be enjoying these over the next few weeks she's on break too. Nothings says you can't keep the spirit of Christmas going through the new year!

Cut & Assemble Santa’s Workshop
Get ready for Christmas with a fun-filled project that not only offers a holiday activity for the whole family but also makes a charming keepsake decoration. One side of this festive model looks like a traditional cut-and-assemble building and the other reveals the interior of Santa's workshop. The dollhouse-like effect includes scenes of Santa's elves at work and Mrs. Claus in her office, checking off a list of naughty or nice names. Detailed instructions and diagrams explain every step of the assembly process, from cutting, folding, and gluing to adding the finishing touches.

Bliss Christmas Coloring Book 
Get into the holiday spirit with these 46 lovely Christmas-themed images! The illustrations include a wide variety of seasonal delights, from traditional motifs of trees and ornaments to patterns of decorated cookies, cakes, and other festive treats. And since the book is pocket-sized, it's perfect as a stocking stuffer or to take along on your travels to family and friends.

The Saturday Evening Post Christmas Classics
Lovers of Christmas and nostalgia are in for a big treat! Thirty high-quality, ready-to-frame reprints of classic Saturday Evening Post holiday covers are accompanied by exquisitely rendered black-and-white coloring pages of the original paintings. Illustrators include Norman Rockwell, J. C. Leyendecker, Richard "Dick" Sargent, Stevan Dohanos, and many others. Each page is unbacked, and pad binding allows for easy removal.

Connect with Dover Publications: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received monetary compensation or product(s) in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts. All thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brands.

Crayola for Everyone this holiday season!

I can remember when I was growing up that Crayola products were always on my list every year at Christmas. Even early on I liked to color, craft, and create. Fast forward to present day, I still like to do those things and I like to do them with my daughter. I'm really glad she inherited some of the same traits I have because it gives us a lot of fun things to do together. Fun things like designing fashionable outfits and stickers with these two awesome sets from Crayola.

Fashion Superstar

With the 62-page design book, 24 colored pencils, and 18 SuperTip Markers, young designers have all the colorful tools they need to create their own unique designs by hand with Crayola Fashion Superstar Designer. Use your style and creativity to design prints, patterns, and combinations that best express your personal taste.

Sticker Design Studio

Personalize your world with the Sticker Design Studio. Paint and print art that you can use to decorate computers, lockers, book covers, and almost anything else. To use begin, just squeeze a small amount of the paint onto the clear gel mat and use the roller to blend the paint into a fun design. Once you’re done, put your art onto a sticker sheet to transfer your creation and let it dry. Each of the repositionable stickers, can be moved around whenever you’re ready for a fresh look.

Just one of these sets alone gave us hours of entertainment. We took turns picking out colors for each other to use and made up challenges to use certain patterns or shapes when designing different pieces of apparel. I thought being able to upload your style creations to the app was the best part, it was neat seeing them come to life so to speak.

Leave it to Crayola to make all my dreams come true too! I'm so in love with the new Crayola Signature line I honestly had trouble sharing them with my daughter when they arrived. She enjoys the kits that are geared towards her age, but is getting more and more into the adult coloring books like her mom. The book we received was so awesome, it featured different types of specialty papers to color and create on. I loved that it was different from any other adult type coloring book I had ever used. Paired up with the Crayola Signature Pencils I was in heaven all evening long!

Signature 24 ct. Blend & Shade Colored Pencils w/ Tin
These colored pencils feature soft, highly-pigmented cores for smooth color laydown. The stylish matte black barrels have color-dipped ends for a sophisticated look. Vibrant on light and dark paper, these premium art tools are a wonderful choice for artists aged nine years and older.

Signature Creative Lettering Inspiration Pad
Learn to create eye-catching chalkboard lettering with the Creative Lettering Inspiration Pad. The activity pad includes black and grey specialty papers, tutorials, coloring and craft ideas to help you discover the fun of #Crayoligraphy. This pad pairs well with any of the Crayola Signature Pencils sets (sold separately). Signature Colored Pencils even appear bright on dark papers. Enhance cards, gift tags, table place cards, and more with this unique art tool to help you hand-letter in varying styles.

Signature 32 ct. Brush & Detail Dual-Tip Markers
Crayola Signature Brush & Detail Dual-Tip Markers provide twice the color and tip options for art and writing projects. Each marker features an ultra-fine tip and a brush tip for versatile laydowns and offers two vibrant hues for twice the colors.

Connect with Crayola: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received product(s) in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts. All thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brands.

Coloring with Disney

I'll be the first to admit that I probably have more adult coloring books than my kids have ever had children's coloring books. It's become kind of an addiction of mine. When I see a book that has a character I like (such as the Mickey Mouse one above) I just "have to" have it. I know I'll probably never color every single page in every single book I own, but it's fun to go between them all. Plus it keeps it fun not coloring in the same book night after night. Sometimes I'll use a different book each night just depending on my mood.

The coloring books I recently received from Disney publishing are really neat. They feature scenes from actual Disney movies. If you're a Mickey Mouse fan then you know just how cool it would be to color him in action from the Steamboat Willie cartoon! Coloring books even make great gifts since everyone no matter the age knows how to color. And with hits like these and the other coloring books in the Disney line you're sure to find something for everyone on your list.

Art of Coloring: Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
Whimsically macabre artwork, patterns, and designs permeate the story of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. These images are ideal for adding your own brand of color and style. Perfect for cultivating creativity, relaxation, and focus, these pages are filled with artwork evocative of the delightfully frightful world of Jack Skellington.

Art of Coloring: Mickey & Minnie
Fun, funny, and feisty patterns and character designs permeate the near-ninety-year history of Disney's beloved mice: Mickey and Minnie. These images are ideal for taking pencil to paper and adding your own brand of color and style. Perfect for cultivating creativity, relaxation, and focus, these pages are filled with line art from Disney animation, comics, featuring work from Ub Iwerks, Floyd Gottfredson, and more.

The Percy Jackson Coloring Book
Over the past decade, millions of young readers, parents, and teachers have come to adore Rick Riordan's classic series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which made ancient Greek mythology contemporary, relevant, and entertaining as it turned kids on to reading. Now fans can literally color Percy's world with the amusing portraits, dramatic scenes, and intricate designs on every spread of this large format paperback. THE PERCY JACKSON COLORING BOOK is a great way to introduce young children to the series, to allow older fans to reminisce, and to augment classroom units on Greek mythology.

Connect with Disney Publishing: Twitter | YouTube | Instagram

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received product(s) in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts. All thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brands.

Happy Friendsgiving...Friend

When it comes to being thankful at Thanksgiving time next to my family I would have to say my friends are pretty high up on my list. I have one friend that ranks so high she is actually right there beside my family actually. She's been my best friends for quite a few years now and I really don't know what I would do without her. I try to tell her how much she means to me, but I always feel like it's never quite enough. So this year I've decided to do a little something extra. I've decided to celebrate "Friendsgiving". It's not a calendar dated holiday by any means but let me tell you it's becoming quite the thing! There are a few ways you can celebrate Friendsgiving. You can invite some of your closest friends over for a special meal to show them you care, or like me you can give them a little something special to say it instead.

My best friend likes to use the adult coloring books to help her relax during stressful times. And right now she's going through something pretty stressful in her family life. So I thought now was the perfect time to give her the ultimate stress relief coloring bundle. Oh, and a few super cute kitty stress relievers too just to lighten the mood!

To top off the bundle I even picked up a few really neat fabric items that she can color and then use to hold all of her new coloring gems.

Oriental Trading has a wide selection of adult coloring products on their website. I was really excited to find things beyond just coloring books like bookmarks, journals, and even "thank you" cards.

If you're one of many having a Friendsgiving party for Thanksgiving be sure to check out their awesome selection of Friendsgiving Party Supplies.

Need some party time inspiration? Check out these two great suggestions:
• Friendsgiving Pie Tasting Party
• Friendsgiving Dinner Party

Connect with Oriental Trading: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received product(s) in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts. All thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brands.

Get crafty with RoseArt CharMinis and Ultimate Artist

My daughter was a born crafter. Whether it's making something from a kit or coming up with something completely on her own she's pretty talented. Needless to say when I get crafting kits delivered for review she gets pretty excited.

Get colorful with Dover Publications @doverpubs

On any given time you visit my house you will probably see at least two or three coloring books laying around...if not more. My daughter and I like to spend time together coloring and have different books in different rooms of the house. This way we don't have to tote everything from one room to another or try and remember where we last left our coloring stuff. It's something we like to do to unwind at the end of a busy day while we talk and just enjoy each other's company. Plus it's something we can do without really putting much thought into it.

Recently when my grandma came by for a visit she noticed one of our coloring book stashes and asked about it. She said it was becoming quite a thing she had heard and thought it might be something she would enjoy doing. That of course prompted me to do a little research to find a few books I thought she might enjoy. That lead me to the two coloring books in the above photo. What better books than ones based off things that would speak right to her! The photos are all filled with great detail too which fits my grandma perfectly. I love that coloring books have become so diverse and there's something to fit every age and interest group.

The Saturday Evening Post Americana Coloring Book
Thirty-one ready-to-color cover illustrations by some of The Saturday Evening Post's most famous artists celebrate the nostalgic appeal of American life in the first half of the 20th century. Iconic images include adaptations of timeless works by John Falter, Stevan Dohanos, George Hughes, Richard "Dick" Sargent, and others. Specially designed for experienced colorists, Saturday Evening Post Americana Classics and other Creative Haven® adult coloring books offer an escape to a world of inspiration and artistic fulfillment. Each Creative Haven title is an effective and fun-filled way to relax and reduce stress.

Norman Rockwell Classics from The Saturday Evening Post Coloring Book
Thirty-one illustrations by Norman Rockwell appear in all their heartwarming glory in this classic and collectible coloring book. Handpicked from the hundreds of covers that the American legend created for The Saturday Evening Post, these ready-to-color pictures recapture the bliss of bygone days. Pages are perforated and printed on one side only for easy removal and display. Specially designed for experienced colorists, Norman Rockwell Saturday Evening Post Classics and other Creative Haven® adult coloring books offer an escape to a world of inspiration and artistic fulfillment.

Another fun book I came across was about stone painting. I got it for my daughter because she has always loved the little stone figures she sees in gift shops on our trips. I remember once her saying how she wished she could do something so beautiful. Well now with a little guided help she can. This book gives you step by step instructions that are actually easy to follow right down to picking the best stones.

The Art of Stone Painting: 30 Designs to Spark Your Creativity
Transform ordinary stones into colorful works of art with this easy-to-follow guide. Popular stone artist F. Sehnaz Bac, a seasoned archaeologist who markets her painted Sassi dell’Adriatico (Stones of the Adriatic) on Etsy, presents step-by-step instructions for creating 30 fantastic designs. Full-color photographs accompany directions for painting themes that range from trees, flowers, and animals to mandalas, geometric patterns, holiday motifs, and more.

Starting with the basics — including finding and choosing stones as well as tools and materials — the guide offers a variety of techniques, including painting stones with colors or inks, painting on natural stone, and sealing the finished work. Projects range from simple to advanced and include suggestions for indoor and outdoor display, as well as instructions on how to style wearable objects such as pendants. A complete selection of templates provides motifs for every project as well as ample inspiration for developing your own designs.

Connect with Dover Publications: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received product(s) in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts. All thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brands.