It's finally here! An entire day devoted to Moms! Woo Hoo! We want to thank you for making the Mother's Day Blog Party a huge success. Don't forget to come back tomorrow to see if you've won one our our great prizes. In the meantime, sit back, relax, and make let your family spoil you–you deserve it!
xoxo,
The editors of GoodyBlog
Mother's day is less than two weeks away, which means the time to shop for that perfect gift is now! To help you (or your husband and kids) find that special something, we asked the present pros at Gifts.com to share their top picks for moms this year. Here's what guest GoodyBlogger and Gift Guru Julie K, had to say:
Are you searching for a Mother’s Day gift idea that’s more unique than a bouquet of flowers and better than your average “I love Mom” necklace? We took a different approach to shopping for mom this year at Gifts.com. We’re asking you to choose the celebrity that your favorite mom is most like and we’ll give you a few gift ideas to match. Sure, she probably doesn't live the life of a red carpet star, but you might find a few similarities in their interests and activities. And most of all—it's fun! So, if you’re a dad, consider this your shopping guide. Moms: Forward this post on to your husband!
For gourmet-loving domestic divas like Giada De Laurentiis:
Why give Mom a single bouquet of flowers when you could give her an entire year of flowers? (Calyx & Corola Year of Flowers, $129.95) This gift that keeps on giving is a nice idea for moms who frequently host family get-togethers -- she’ll always have fresh flowers ready to decorate her table.
For humanitarian moms like Angelina Jolie:
Give her a gorgeous necklace (Gaia Pendant, $39.99) that gives back. Proceeds from this fair trade pendant go to the Tibetan Children’s Education Foundation. And the stones used in this design are said to enhance creativity, happiness, individuality and courage.
For sophisticated moms like Katie Holmes:
Even though she makes motherhood look easy, she could really use a moment to relax. Let her indulge with a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates (Ridge Geyserville & Godiva DarkChocolates, $69.99). Better yet, plan a date night sans baby and enjoy this gift together.
For super glamorous and stylish moms like J Lo:
Show her how much you appreciate her mom skills with something sparkly. This necklace (Sterling Silver Mother and Child Necklace, $124.99) is just for mothers but doesn’t scream, “I’m a mom” so it’ll still blend with her everyday glam style.
For professional and perfectionist moms like Reese Witherspoon:
Give her a digital brag book (Brookstone PictureBook, $99) so she can show off her kids at work, on the soccer field sidelines, in spin class and every other stop on her busy schedule. Save her time by preloading a bunch of photos before you wrap it up.
For au natural bohemian moms like Kate Hudson:
She’ll love this green beauty set (Care by Stella McCartney Stella Tote Bag Set, $75). It comes with a 100% organic face cream and a roll-on perfume both of which smell absolutely amazing. And they’re tucked inside an organic cotton shopping bag that she’ll be able to use long after the products are gone.
We are just two weeks away from Mother's Day (13 days to be exact—where did April go?), so it's not a bad idea to start planning the gifts, the breakfast in bed, the truck loads of roses, etc. And here is one more totally unique gift idea for ya...
America at Home is a beautiful book of photographs of American families from all over the country. Published in partnership with Ikea, this book contains over 250 photographs by100 leading photojournalists. The book's intro is written by Matt Groening of Simpsons' fame, and is followed by a series of thought- provoking essays about home by noted writers, including Amy Tan, Dominique Browning, Terry Teachout, Richard Rodriguez, and David Pogue.
But here's the absolute, coolest part...the part that will bring tears to a mother's eyes: for $39.95, you can upload your OWN family photo to customize the cover of the book, putting yourselves among the pictures of this extraordinary photo essay. It really speaks to the point that we all have special yet relatable moments that can resonate with anyone who cherishes their family and their home.
Thanks to PhotoJoJo for the link!
Get in the spirit: Whip up some sweet shamrocks or traditional Irish soda bread!
With Valentine's Day nearly two weeks away, it's about time to start planning the day of amour. And what better way to say "I love you" then with a heart-filled (or rather, heart-shaped) morning brew. This teacup and saucer from Bitsandpieces.com would look so precious with a notched heart shaped sugar cube from Surlatable.com.
Just cook up some heart shaped pancakes and you're done with breakfast. Now onto lunch...
O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy Perfect Light
-"We Three Kings of Orient Are"
Some think that Christmas ends once the ball drops in Times Square, but the season of Christmas as celebrated by most of the Church ended yesterday, at the feast of the Epiphany. The holiday commemorates the Magi visiting the Holy Family, bringing forth gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (The Wii, regrettably, didn't make the final cut in their gift selections. Not that you'd want to play video games in a stable anyway.)
The unofficial penitential season of "Removing Everything Christmasesque From The House" follows shortly after Epiphany. Unless, of course, you want to keep it up year-round.
Although the season of Christmastide has ended among Western Christians, many Orthodox Christians are celebrating Christmas today. (And if you are, Happy Christmas!) The reason? Some Orthodox jurisdictions maintain the feast days of the Church according to the Julian Calendar, which is approximately 10 days behind the "new" Gregorian Calendar. Others follow what's called the Revised-Julian Calendar, which I'll allow Wikipedia to explain.
So, even if you're not an Orthodox Christian and you're looking for an excuse to keep your Christmas stuff up longer, there you go. It'll be my excuse.
We're looking for great homemade gift ideas for next year's holiday issue of Parents. If you went above and beyond the usual plate-o-cookies (not that there's anything wrong with those!) and made something really unique and fun, we'd love to see pictures and hear about your homemade gifts. (If you got something amazing from a crafty friend or family member, definitely send that too.)
I'll start: I made felt ornaments for everyone in my family and a few friends. This is the cupcake ornament I made for our very own GoodyBlogger Judy—because you all know how much she loves anything and everything cupcake!
So to share, please email us photos at editors@goodyblog.com. (We're looking specifically for photos—along with the usual description of course—so it's best to email us instead of posting a comment.)
Thanks in advance! Can't wait to see all of your awesome ideas.
Check out this whole gallery of reader-submitted "Scared of Santa" photos! LOL. Looking through I was struck not by the poor frightened kiddos, but by how woeful most of these Santa costumes are! I'd be scared of the floppy-mustachioed dude whose plastic, shiny beard is falling off too, kids.
Found via Junior Society.
Jot this down in your calendar now: Elmo's Christmas Countdown airs on ABC this Sunday the 23rd at 7:00. We know that the mere presence of certain fuzzy red guy is enough to make your kids happy, but there plenty of cool guest stars to entertain you too, including Ty Pennington, Sheryl Crow, Jamie Fox, and Anne Hathaway. (Just the sight of the Sopranos' Steven Schirripa and Tony Sirico dressed up as Ernie and Bert is killing me.) If you and your kids want a sneak preview, check out the clips on ABC’s Web site here.
I'm digging the Holiday-O-Matic. Pull the lever and you get a random selection of holiday tidings to send to a friend. Mine is "May your soiree be rootin-tootin and filled with swedish meatballs." Sounds like a party to me. And it's not just another piece of Internet whimsy! (Okay, well.. it is.) But they also donate money to Rotary First Harvest every time you send one.
Found via notcot.org.
