Weekend Links: Home for the Holidays Winners

by on December 4, 2011
in giveaways · 1 Comment

It has been a wonderful week.  Thank you so much for joining in during our Home for the Holidays fun and conversation.  A huge thank you also goes out to the generous sponsors who helped make this week possible.

I’m happy to announce that the winners of the giveaways are:

Barley & Birch $100 Gift Certificate

Diana, who said “I have a little boy who would look pretty cute in these clothes, I think! I love seeing some unique kids clothes, instead of all the “licensed characters” these days.”

Initials, inc $100 Gift Certificate

Rachel, whose comment was, “I incessantly misplace my cell phone. Perhaps there is a small bag I could keep my cell in? Or maybe the tote would work and I’d designate a certain pocket for the cell phone. At any rate, I need help!”

Strider Monkeys Bike Gift Package

Myrtle, whose favorite bike riding memory was “I remember when I was young riding bikes with my friends “the twins”. We’d head to the nearby park and either ride down the hill as fast as we could, or play demolition derby in the unused wading pool!”

Congratulations!  Check your email soon for a message from me about how to claim your prizes.

Giveaway Sponsors (and coupon codes)

A huge thank you to all 15 giveaway sponsors this year! We love these companies, so keep them in mind for your holiday shopping:

• Barley and Birch: 20% off your entire purchase with the code SLM20.

• Breville

• Edgeware: 10% off all items with the code HOLIDAY11.

• Epiphanie Bags

• Hearthsong: $1.99 shipping on orders $50+ with the code HSPR199, valid through December 15, 2011.

• I Heart Maps: 15% off with the code SIMPLE15, valid through December 11, 2011.

• Imagine Childhood: 10% off with the code SHS10, valid through December 5, 2011.

• KitchenAid

• Le Creuset

• Magimix

• Mineral Fusion: Click here for a $3.00 off coupon, valid through December 31, 2011.

• My Initials, Inc: Free U.S. shipping on orders of $50 or more—email Angela at personlizeme [at] live [dot] com and mention Simple Living Media. Valid through December 10, 2011.

• Sarah’s Silks: Use the code FAMILY to receive a free mini-star playsilk with your order.

• Shenzhen Knives: Get a free peeler with the purchase of a chef’s knife with code FREEPEEL3, valid through December 31, 2011.

• Strider Monkeys: $10 off a Nutcase helmet with the purchase of a bike—mention Simple Kids in the checkout comments. You’ll need to request an electronic catalog in the comments to see all the helmets.

Giveaway: Strider Monkeys

by on December 1, 2011
in giveaways ·

I‘m back for our final Home for the Holidays giveaway! What a wonderful week it has been, but the fun isn’t over yet. I’ve got one more giveaway to share with you and it is awesome!

This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you!

Strider Monkeys

Today’s giveaway is for an item that I know is going to be one of the most exciting things under our Christmas tree this year – a bike from Strider Monkeys!

Made for kids between the ages of 18 months and five years old, Strider bikes give kids a head start that training wheels don’t.  Because the bikes are designed to encourage the development of balance and coordination before riding pedal bikes, the transition is a smoother one.

The bikes are intended to grow with your child – both the seat and the handlebars are adjustable.  Lightweight, yet designed to be “steady, stable, and safe” the bikes are made to be easy to move and control by a young child with a low center of gravity.

Plus, the bikes and helmets are just really cool looking.  I can’t wait to see my little one’s face on Christmas morning!

Yep, today I’m giving away a really cool gift package from Strider Monkeys!

[Read more...]

Home for the Holidays: What are your favorite holiday crafts for kids?

by on December 1, 2011
in holidays & celebrations · 26 Comments

To add something fun and more personal into our Home for the Holidays week, we thought we’d invite YOU to share your favorite things about the holidays. We would love to take a virtual “peek” into your homes this time of year and find out what you enjoy about this holiday season.

On each site, the editors of Simple Living Media have asked a question we’d like you to answer. Share your thoughts below in the comments, and then visit the other SLM sites to find out what we’d like to know about you!

I’m a crafty gal at heart, and I love creating things with my children. The holidays are a wonderful excuse to play with glitter, paper, glue, yarn, fabric, and scissors.

My favorite holiday craft? I think the homemade ornaments we make each year for our tree have the most meaning for me. It is wonderful for this sentimental mom to look at our ornaments and see the stories they tell over the years.

This year we’re going to make a version of these salt dough tree ornaments because I think the little fingerprint “lights” are adorable and will be neat to look back at as the kids grow up.

You can find the instructions for the mini wreaths, pictured above, that we made a few years ago over at Rockin’ Granola.

[Read more...]

Giveaway: Initials, Inc.

by on November 30, 2011
in giveaways · 342 Comments

I‘ve got another fun Home for the Holidays giveaway! All week long at Simple Living Media we’re celebrating with great gift ideas and 15 giveaways across the entire network — perfect for the holidays.  We’re highlighting special companies we’d like you to think of as you’re making your lists and checking them twice.

This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you!

Personalize it with Initials, Inc!

Today’s giveaway is from Angela Smith of Initials, Inc. Angela happens to be a long-time friend of mine and when she started raving about the Initials, Inc products,  I knew this would be a company worth checking out.

The items are kid-friendly, tastefully designed, and well-made, plus the personalization is always free!

Today’s giveaway is for a $100 gift certificate to Initials, Inc. I know you’re going to have a good time searching through the catalog and finding items to personalize for your home and your loved ones this holiday season.

[Read more...]

Home for the Holidays: the Mother Bear Project

by on November 29, 2011
in character · 6 Comments

As we were planning this year’s Home for the Holidays,  it was important to all of the editors at Simple Living Media to make it about giving in many ways, not just presents and giveaways, though those are wonderful things.

We decided that we wanted to dedicate a day to shine the spotlight on some great organizations doing amazing things for others.  Each editor picked a cause near and dear to her heart and I chose the Mother Bear Project.

Make a Bear. Make a Difference.

I first learned about The Mother Bear Project through some of the knitting podcasts that I listen to.  Last fall many of the podcasters had a knit-a-long, making bears to donate to the charity and I was intrigued.

As a knitter, the act of knitting brings me comfort, and my hope is that the knitted items I make for my family and friends bring them comfort and joy, too.

But I loved the idea of knitting projects being made to bring comfort to people I don’t know, will never even meet, but who have a need that I can fulfill – a way to reach out and make a difference, one stitch at a time.  I knew I had to find out more about this organization.

The Mother Bear Project is dedicated to making a difference and bringing comfort to children impacted by AIDS/HIV in emerging nations by giving them a handmade bear.  The bears are knit or crocheted and then given to the children with a tag signed by the crafter who poured his or her love into the stitches.

As a knitter, and as a mother who knows how much her own children are connected to their stuffed animals, I was immediately drawn to the project.  When my kids are sad or scared, they cuddle with their “lovies” and find comfort. Every child deserves to have a bear to love and cuddle – to find comfort.

I can’t imagine the hardships and heartaches children impacted by AIDS and HIV face, but I only have to look at the faces of my own kids to know that I need to be involved in making a difference.

To date, the Mother Bear Project has made 69,200 bears. I would love to see Simple Kids readers push that close to the 70,000 mark – and together I think we could do it!

There are lots of ways to get involved with The Mother Bear Project, even if you can’t knit a stitch.

[Read more...]

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