Category "Kids"

Rockabye Lil’ Biker Motorcycle Rocker

Queen Darlene - January 16, 2019 - Baby Shower, Birthday, Christmas, Kids

This is not your parent’s rocking horse rocker they grew up riding because today’s rockers are soft and waaay cuter!

rockabye-motorcycle-rocker-thoughtful-gift-idea — Rockabye Lil’ Motorcycle Rocker

It’s been 14 years since we’ve had a baby in the house for our family’s Christmas Eve gift exchange.

I was looking for a Christmas gift for my great nephew, Rogan, when I found the Rockabye Lil’ Biker Motorcycle Rocker. I looked no further!

My excitement just couldn’t wait to see him on the rocker, even though he’s not quite six months old yet!

The soft plush fabric feels like velvet to the touch so little Rogan will never get hurt if he ever bumps his head on the motorcycle dashboard.

The Rockabye Lil’ Biker Motorcycle Rocker features four educational songs that teach ABCs, 123s, colors and more. Today’s toys certainly make learning lots of fun!

The only sound my rocking horse made when I was a toddler was when I said, “Giddy Up.”

Check out the clever designs of Rockabye Rockers for the precious child in your life!

For children nine months and older, these Rockabye Rockers are made to last decades. They’re made with high-quality solid maple hardwood and always my favorite–Made in America!

The oohs and ahhs from parents and grandparents were priceless when they saw the Rockabye Lil’ Rider Motorcycle Rocker brought out of the box.

It was definitely a hit, and within a few months I’m certain it will be Rogan’s favorite toy!

“Hi-ho, Silver! Away!” – The Lone Ranger

Memorable Lesson in the Power of Compound Interest

Princess Diana - January 9, 2019 - Kids, Money

This gift is less about the money, but leaving children with a money lesson that will stick with them the rest of their life.

When someone begins to understand the full power of compound interest and how it causes his or her savings to grow quickly over time, it motivates that individual to save money early and regularly.

I tell my kids, “The bank pays you money for letting it hold your money. The longer the bank holds your money for you, the more free money you get!”

Kids may not grasp the concept of saving for retirement, but even my five-year old gets excited about saving his money towards a future car for when he’s old enough to drive.

I’ve been wanting to teach my son about compound interest, but it still seemed too complicated until I came across this article from my favorite website TheSimpleDollar.com.

I’ve taken it’s lesson on the power of compound interest and created a simple step-by-step guide for parents and caregivers.

Create Your Own Comic Book

Princess Diana - December 26, 2018 - Birthday, Christmas, Kids

One of the most wonderful things you can do for any child is to nurture their creativity and allow them to create.

Superheroes and their incredible powers make us imagine what could be possible IF…

Many children and teenagers are obsessed with Marvel and DC comics and superheroes. They read the comic books and/or watch the movies.

But what if they could come up with their OWN superhero? Or villain? What would it look like and what are his or her supernatural powers?

Retro Pop-Up Hot Dog Toaster

Queen Darlene - December 19, 2018 - Birthday, Christmas, Food & Drinks, Kids

The Retro Pop-Up Hot Dog Toaster is a unique and unexpected gift for anyone who loves hot dogs!

My all time favorite place to eat hot dogs is at a baseball game, but my friend, Linda, loves hot dogs anywhere, anytime.

While on a girl’s trip to NYC, we stopped at a street hot dog vendor and from that memorable moment on she converted me to eating hot dogs anywhere at anytime!

A Thoughtful Gift for Hot Dog Lovers

So when I came across the Retro Pop-Up Hot Dog Toaster, I knew it would be the perfect Christmas gift for her.

For that thoughtful twist that’s totally over the top, you can pair it with an Exotic Hot Dog of the Month Club membership!

Baby & Child 6-Piece Flatware Progress Set

Princess Diana - September 27, 2018 - Baby Shower, Kids

Babies outgrow baby items so quickly. But this baby shower gift grows with a child, getting years of use!

A silver baby spoon? Nah. No one has time to polish silver.

Kids Size Flatware

Go with a Baby & Child 6-Piece Flatware Progress Set instead! Progress sets come with a baby set of fork and two spoons of different shapes, and a child set of spoon, fork and knife.

The baby set is perfect for feeding baby food and the child set is perfect when children learn to feed themselves.

Oneida makes Baby & Child 6-Piece Flatware Progress Sets in adorable styles, including ones with hearts, teddy bears or ducks, that are stainless steel and dishwasher safe. They’re even packaged in a beautiful presentation box.

They’re so durable they can be passed down from generation to generation!

Jump & Stomp Rockets | STEM Toy Gift

Princess Diana - August 15, 2018 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Christmas, Kids

Toys that get kids active outside grab my attention. They are a double whammy because they combine fun and physical activity.

The latest ones I’ve found are called Jump Rockets & Stomp Rockets, and they’re 100% kid powered!

Run, Jump & Stomp to Launch Rockets

Kids run, jump, and stomp to launch foam rockets up to 400 feet in the air!

They quickly learn that the higher they jump and the harder they stomp, the higher the rockets fly into the air.

Sounds like a blast, right?

This toy gift has an ADDED BONUS.

STEM = Stomp Rockets

It’s a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) toy that teaches kids about force, gravity, trajectory, and power of air.

This gift can inspire children to go into a STEM career building rockets or becoming an astronaut!

Coin Sets & Gold Dollars for Kids

Princess Diana - August 1, 2018 - Baby Shower, Birthday, Christmas, Kids

While adults get excited about a $100 bill, young kids get excited about a shiny quarter with a cool picture on the back.

My oldest son loves to receive coins for his piggy bag, some for spending and some for collecting.

National Park Coin Sets

Because our family likes to visit national parks, I purchased the National Parks Quarters Set. My set contained 34 coins.

The back of each quarter features the name and iconic image of a different national park in one of the 50 states.

For a Christmas gift, I gave my son 5 national park quarters. He went crazy! He felt rich, and he liked looking at the pictures on the back. In his excitement, he turned to me and asked, “Can we go to all of them?!”

It turned into an educational opportunity for him to learn about the names of national parks and the names of the states.

Potty Training Starter Kit

Princess Diana - July 18, 2018 - Kids

Toys are great, but sometimes a child doesn’t need another toy. Right, Mom and Dad?

When my best friend’s daughter turned a year old, I came up with a gift EVERY one-year old and two-year old NEEDS.

I came up with this gift idea after I finished potty training my two-year old son only 3 months after his 2nd birthday.

Good-bye dirty, stinky diapers and annoying diaper bag I’ve been lugging around for two years.

I’d like to take this moment to do a *happy dance*. For a parent, the excitement of fully potty training your child is right up there with watching them take their first steps.

This was my best friend’s first child so she has never gone through the process of potty training before. I’m a big believer in starting the conversation early so I gave her daughter the birthday gift of a Potty Training Starter Kit. Continue Reading

Bombas Socks | 1 Purchased = 1 Donated

Queen Darlene - May 30, 2018 - Birthday, Business, Christmas, Father's Day, Get Well, Kids, Military/Veterans, Mother's Day, Retirement, Teacher Gifts, Thank You

For Christmas, my grandparents would give my brothers and me socks. They lived through the Great Depression and their gifts were very practical.

My friend, Linda, introduced me to her favorite socks–Bombas!

These aren’t your grandparents’ socks!

Ever heard of socks that support the midfoot? Me neither until now. Now my whole family wears it!

They feel wonderful on my flat feet because of their comfort, support, and softness.

My son loves Bombas because he always turned his socks inside out so he wouldn’t feel that annoying seam across his toes. Bombas found a way to get rid of it!

They also have anti-microbial and moisture-wicking properties to keep feet dry all day which makes them perfect for my husband’s feet.

The name Bombas is derived from the Latin word for bumblebee. Bees live in a hive and work together to make their world a better place. They’re small but their combined actions have a big impact on the world.

Socks are the #1 most requested clothing item at homeless shelters. This fact is the driving force behind Bombas–to support the homeless community and to bring awareness to this problem in the United States.

I work for an organization that provides housing to the homeless and every Christmas we collect socks for homeless shelters. So you can see why I would be intrigued not only in the comfort of the socks but also in a charitable company like Bombas with a mission of giving back to communities.

8,641,077 Pairs of Socks Donated

One pair purchased = One pair donated.

Unique Custom Painted Shoes

Princess Diana - April 25, 2018 - Birthday, Christmas, Gifts for Me, Graduation, Kids, Retirement

Do you have Hamilton fever? I haven’t seen the musical yet, but I’m obsessed with the soundtrack.

I have my niece, J’menii, to thank for getting me hooked on Hamilton.

This same young lady has a thing for Converse sneakers. I’m not exaggerating when I say she has more than 10 pairs of Converse shoes in her closet. All colors. The girl even wore a pair with her formal dress to high school prom!

J’menii is graduating from high school this year so I decided on a graduation gift that combined her two obsessions and I ended up with Hamilton-themed Custom Painted Converse Shoes!

Custom Hand Painted Shoes

For the shoes, I had an artist paint them gold and black with a couple of logos. Then I had the artist paint phrases from the musical to inspire my niece to kick butt in college and to achieve her goals in life!

The outside right shoe features the Hamilton logo with the words “I’m not throwing away my shot.” The outside left shoe features a silhouette of the Schuyler sisters with the words “Rise Up.”

The inside left shoe reads, “There’s a million things I haven’t done.” The inside right shoe reads “Just you wait…”