LA Made

Heading to a New Year's Eve Party and looking for something chic, comfortable and made in the USA?  We found a clothing line for you: LAmade. We agree with the company's website that the line is unique, understated, follows the fashion of today and translates to the fashion of tomorrow.   To read more about their fabulous clothes click here.

Just take a look at some of these perfect New Year's pieces:

We think LAMade's clothes all look so effortlessly chic and super comfy.  Pair them with a striking pair of boots or dramatic heels, some fabulous jewelry and Voila, you are set to go!

LAmade has clothing for women, children and even a fabulous maternity line.  To shop their line, click here.   To find a store near you that carries LAmade clothing, click here.

It's officially last minute...

We saw something posted that read: "Yes, it is officially last minute." 

  Do you have something for everyone on your gift list?  We will admit we are not totally done with our gift picking yet either.  Yes, we are officially part of the last minute holiday rush!

 If you're like us and still looking for one or two perfect gifts, we have a great idea: buy a certificate/gift card for a local business and support the local workers and jobs in your community.

Some great ideas that readers have shared with us:

*A certificate for a haircut, color or style at a local salon

*A certificate for a locally owned restaurant or coffee shop

*A gift card for the local gas station/car mechanic

*A certificate for a local handyman

*A certificate for tickets to the community theater program in your town

*A certificate for local lessons...piano, voice, guitar, a foreign language, knitting

You get the idea.  Be creative and get a unique gift for one of your loved ones and at the same time support local workers.  These gifts are different from the manufactured products in America we usually feature, but all the same, by supporting our local workers we/you are helping to keep and create jobs in our American communities.

 

Good luck with that last minute gift list.  Happy Holidays to everyone and feel free to share your ideas for locally-based gifts on our blog and facebook page!

A touch of spring in the winter

It is dark and cold today and we could use a touch of spring (although it is a long  way off).  I am sure many of you feel the same way.  Something fresh, bright and alive.  We found the perfect cure for the winter doldrums: Potting Shed Creations.

They sell plants that you can grow right inside your kitchen- such as Paper Whites, Organic Basil, Mini Christmas Trees, and Mini Tomatoes.  Each package is complete with the container to grow within, dirt, seeds, etc.  All you need to add is some water and love!  

All of their products have been made in Idaho for 14 years!   They started as a garage sale business and have grown into a much bigger company.  Throughout their growth they have made a commitment to keeping high quality, affordable and stylish products. These plants are the perfect gift for your mother, sister, best friend and child.  What a perfect activity for children during the winter!  Keep these in mind as a perfect holiday gift this season!  Check out our favorites...

To shop Potting Shed Creations products online, click here.  To locate a local retailer who carries their products, click here.

Enjoy a little springtime during the winter!

Congrats to our first giveaway winner!

Congrats to Mary Dalzell, our winner of the fabulous Inspired Home Candle.  Thank you all for entering our giveaway and stay tuned for another giveaway soon!  Mary, we hope you enjoy the incredible holiday candle!

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Hopscotch Kids

As mothers of girls, there is a lot of nail polish in our homes.  Our daughters love to paint their nails and toes, the brighter the color the better.  What concerns us about many children's polish on the market is they are not made in the USA and thus we question how safe is the polish?  If they are putting their hands in their mouth or biting their nails, what exactly are they ingesting?  

Then we found Hopscotch Kids nail polish.  Their kid friendly, water-based formula is vegan, cruelty-free, gluten free, fragrance free, toxin free, paraben free, biodegradable and hypoallergenic! And it comes in the most adorable colors...love it!

Hopscotch was created by a mom in Phoenix named Ginny Cardenas, who set out to make a safe cosmetic line for children.  We salute entrepreneurial moms!

This would be a fantastic stocking stuffer, birthday gift or incentive item for your favorite little princess.  To shop Hopscotch online, click here. To find a local retailer, click here.

Extreme Bubbles

We are so excited about this American made find: Extreme Bubbles.  The company motto is "Get outside and play" and their bubbles will provide hours of outdoor fun. 

Our kids are all bubble fanatics and get extraordinarily frustrated if they blow on the wand and not one bubble is formed or they pop right away.  Extreme Bubbles' Captain Bubbles is the best bubble mixture around...they last forever! Check out this video.

Captain Bubbles come in packs of 6.

Extreme Bubbles also has a ton of huge bubble wands to make x-large bubbles. Check out their Extreme Bubbles Family Pack: World Record Bubble Kit.

This kit comes with their Pro Wand (largest wand), a Starter Wand and 4 bottles of Beeboo Big Bubble Mixture.  The Beeboo Big Bubble Mixture is a concentrate- one small bottle creates a gallon of bubble solution.  They used this secret formula to set the first World Record for "Largest Free Floating Soap Bubble."  Awesome!!!  And they share their top 11 secrets for creating record breaking big bubbles with us all on their blog.  All of their bubble mixtures are made in Minnesota as well as their wands. (except for the red and blue wand that comes in the Dip Stix Giant Bubbles Package)

These products are the perfect gift for both the children in your life as well as adults who enjoy having fun!  Click here to shop their products online.

Cookie Making with Nordic Ware

One of our favorite holiday traditions is cookie baking. Growing up we loved to help my mom bake bars and cookies in preparation for Christmas Eve.  We would spend hours decorating cut-out cookies with the right amount of frosting and perfectly placing the sprinkles.  Now we have started this tradition with our children (see picture below) and they love to eat the cookies as much as they enjoy the decorating.  And I am pretty sure Santa loves the cookies as well!

One of the essential tools for cookie and bar making is the right pan.  You need a good cookie sheet that evenly spreads out the heat so that all of your cookies, regardless where they are on the sheet, bake to a perfect golden color.  Nordic Ware, a family-owned manufacturer of kitchenware products, has everything you need for baking, cooking, microwaving and barbecuing.  Their plant is located in Minneapolis, MN and they have made a commitment to keeping jobs in the USA.

They have fabulous aluminum cookie sheets like the ones below in every size.  Aluminum is essential to even baking!

Nordic Ware also has all of your holiday baking essentials.  Here are a few more:

To find Nordic Ware products in retail locations near you, click here.  To shop their extensive line of products online, click here.

Happy Cookie Baking!!!