We all need a little icing on the cake. Accessories are a quick but effective way to add a little sparkle; and I have to admit that I always aim first for the top. I just love to have a clever little clip or dramatic headband in my hair. (Hey it draws attention away from my mommy-belly!) Besides just being flat-out fun, a great thing about giving a friend hair accessories is that you don’t have to worry about size. Headbands & hardware is bar-none my favorite place to find unique hair-wear. They have a bevy of really great diva-worthy styles as well as good sports gear–you can’t run without a bondi band.

Luckily, I have an in with the very stylish owner, and she has graciously agreed to send one of you to hair bliss with a $20.00 gift certificate. If you make your purchase before Christmas, Headbands and hardware will also throw in a free gift. You can’t beat a freebie with a giveaway!

To enter to win $20 of instant glam leave a comment telling us which hair accessory you can’t live without by Friday, Dec. 10th

*Extra entries can be earned by blogging, tweeting, or posting on Facebook (with links) about this giveaway. Please leave a comment for each additional entry.

The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced on Saturday Dec. 11th. Good luck!

Did you enter to win?
Clementine modeling dough
$40 to Melville Candy Co.
Kate Spade thank you notes from Crane
Cherish Bound photo book

Okay, you had to know I would be excited about giving art as a gift. However as I started looking around for the perfect art kit or fun supplies for a little one, there was one company that just clearly stood out. I was even more thrilled when the good folks at Clementine art said that they would love to share their exceptional supplies with you. Clementine’s paint, markers, crayons, glue and modeling dough are all made of natural kid-friendly ingredients. Diana, the founder is an art teacher (yay for art teachers!) who felt a twinge of concern as she watched her little students create and get paint everywhere as kids will do. She went to work in her own kitchen, cooking up supplies that are safe and beautiful. They are green too, with containers made out of at least 80% recycled material and stringent requirements from their (all domestic) manufacturers. All of this at a reasonable price for good supplies. I’ll bet you can guess what will be nestled into Meg and Emily’s stockings…from Santa, of course.

To enter to win an all natural modeling dough set leave a comment telling us what you would make with your Clementine art supplies by Thursday, Dec. 9th

*Extra entries can be earned by blogging, tweeting, or posting on Facebook (with links) about this giveaway. Please leave a comment for each additional entry.

The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced on Friday Dec. 10th. Good luck!

I have to admit that I am a sucker for interesting treats (tasty is also important, no thank you to the cockroach clusters!) I just love the idea of unwrapping a gift and finding all sorts of delicious little surprises waiting for me. I think exceptional candies-not just the run of the mill grocery store stuff, but stuff with character-brings out the kid in all of us. I stumbled onto Melville Candy Co. and was charmed from the first click. (It was the lobster, I’ll admit it. A lobster sucker is just plain awesome!) Although they certainly have more to offer, it is the suckers that I went crazy for.

I received my candy (very kindly sent to me to sample; but I would have ordered even if they didn’t offer.) yesterday and was thrilled to find that their Barley lollipops are even better in person, especially because you get to taste them. Barley sugar candy has been around for over 100 years and it definitely has a more complex flavor than most suckers. It is similar to the difference between store bought and homemade for many treats. The  complexity of the designs is also completely enchanting. Many of them are 3 dimensional and almost hard to eat because they are so very pretty. The Melvilles have been hand-molding their confections since 1978 and are still a family business, making candy by hand the old school way.

The nice people at Melville Candy Co. have generously offered a $40.00 gift certificate to one of you so you can tickle someone’s taste buds this Christmas.

To enter to win $40 of sweet, sweet barley sugar leave a comment telling us which Melville barley sucker is your favorite by Tuesday, Dec. 7th

*Extra entries can be earned by blogging, tweeting, or posting on Facebook (with links) about this giveaway. Please leave a comment for each additional entry.

The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced on Wednesday Dec. 8th. Good luck!

Last year, one of my favorite friends gave us a pop-up tape dispenser and refills with a cute little note about wrapping up our holiday season. It was so thoughtful and every time I use the tape, I think of her. Gifts that are useful are a double dose of goodness. It’s like saying “You are important to me, so I am giving you something lovely.” and “I am thinking of you and want to help you out.” all at once.  Thank you cards are a perfect gift to do just that; and Crane & Co. are the Tiffany’s of paper. They have been printing for 8 generations. Paul Revere engraved banknotes for the Colony of Massachusetts Bay on Crane paper to help finance the American Revolution. (Actually, their paper is still used in printing currency today.) Take a look around their elegant site and you will feel a little more graceful yourself. They have forums and a community and a beautifully done section on etiquette. Really, check it out. You will see why I am so in love with them.

Crane & Co. has kindly offered to send one reader a set of these charming multicolored, multilingual thank you notes from their Kate Spade collection. If you are going to give a thoughtful gift, why not do it stylishly?

To enter to win the Kate Spade Multi Thank You Notes leave a comment telling us which Crane paper product you would like to find under your tree by Monday, Dec. 6th

*Extra entries can be earned by blogging, tweeting, or posting on Facebook (with links) about this giveaway. Please leave a comment for each additional entry.

The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced on Tuesday Dec. 7th. Good luck!



Photo books are an ideal way to put together something really meaningful to the recipient. The best part is that the finished product turns out beautiful no matter how great your crafting skills are. (Not having to spend a fortune on embellishment products or hours cropping photos and gluing on frames doesn’t hurt either.) There are a wide range of books out there; you can do all of the formating yourself or you can find books that just need your pictures and thoughts to fill in a template. I like Cherish Bound’s designer books to do just that. It is far less intimidating than a bank page and they have a ton of darling themes.

Cherish Bound is has very kindly provided a Top Ten book and a Mini Story Starter (over $60 retail value) to one of you to get your gift-giving started. I love this book! It is super clever and only takes about 30 minutes to put together. So start thinking, maybe The Top 10 Things About Being Your Child or Top Ten Reasons Mrs. Foulke is the Best Teacher Ever or just a Megan’s 2010 Top Ten with fun little facts about your child from this year; I would love to make a Top Ten Moments from 2010 with pictures from our favorite family events this year and then give it to several family members. Anything you choose is sure to be an instant keepsake.

To enter to win a Top Ten book and Mini Story Starter leave a comment telling us what kind of book you would make by Sunday, Dec. 5th

*Extra entries can be earned by blogging, tweeting, or posting on Facebook (with links) about this giveaway. Please leave a comment for each additional entry.

The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced on Monday Dec. 6th. Good luck!