Super Stocking Stuffers: Me & Marie Review and Giveaway!

I have a ton of activities that I want to do with Izzie this holiday season, but I could use a few more hours in the day and extra hands to get everything accomplished. Thankfully, I have received help from Me & Marie! She has created a fun and educational 12 Days of Christmas Learning Pack that includes twelve daily lesson plans that are full of activities, crafts, and songs.

The creator of Me & Marie is a former teacher with an Early Childhood certificate, who now stays at home caring for her beautiful little tot. She specializes in creating learning aids for little ones.

Me & Marie had this to say, "This pack is a fun way to get your little elf in the holiday spirit! The 12 Days of Christmas Pack was designed to be used on the 12 days leading up to Christmas. This pack is bursting with fun! Each day in the 12 Days of Christmas Pack you will find a lesson plan (short and simple), a song, a hands-on activity or craft and a clue hunt. The clue hunt has your little detective on the look out for clues that Santa and his helpers have taken a visit to your house to see if you have been naughty or nice! It's the perfect way to share some fond memories with your child and maybe even start a 12 Days of Christmas Fun tradition, all while adding a little learning in as well!"

The 12 Days of Christmas Learning Pack is huge! This pack features the adorable artwork from www.digiwebstudio.com

Here's a peek of a few items:

Christmas Clue Book, Holiday Recipe, and Holiday Time Patterns

Candy Cane Colors Match and Elf Stick Puppets

Counting Presents, To & From Tags, 12 Days of Lessons, Christmas Bingo

Christmas Card, Roll A Christmas Tree, Reindeer Hop, and Countdown Chain

I am so excited to use the 12 Days of Christmas Learning Pack with Izzie. Basically, Me & Marie has done all the work and has left all the fun for us! Now, I don't have to rush around and try to quickly put together activities for Izzie. Instead, we can simply complete the 12 Days of Christmas Learning Pack!


Each learning pack from Me & Marie is in PDF format. When you receive your learning pack via e-mail, all you have to do is print (laminate if desired) and start sharing the fun with your child.

Me & Marie is offering a Cyber Monday Sale on Monday, November 30. Buy one and get one FREE! The free item must be of equal or lesser value. *Buy only one item- then tell Me & Marie in the 'Buyer's Message' which item you would like FREE!

In addition, Me & Marie has agreed to giveaway the 12 Days of Christmas Learning Pack to one lucky reader!

You have 10 chances to WIN:

(Please leave a separate comment for each entry)

1. Mandatory: Visit Me & Marie and choose an item that you would like to create for your child's stocking.

2. Make a purchase from Me & Marie during the giveaway period.

3. Follow Me & Marie's store blog at www.meandmarielearning.blogspot.com

4. Follow Me & Marie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/meandmarielearn

5. Publicly follow my blog (Izzie, Mac and Me).

6-10. Post about the Me & Marie giveaway on your blog. (Be sure to leave a link and you will need to leave 5 separate comments, which can be short and simple, such as #1, #2, etc).

The giveaway will close at 10pm (EST) on Sunday, December 6. One lucky reader will be randomly drawn.

Disclaimer: The product reviewed was provided for me free of charge in return for writing a review and hosting a giveaway.

Christmas Gift Reviews: Art and Crafts

It's that time of year again, when I start researching for Christmas gifts. I'm always curious to know what other parents are buying for their children. I read countless reviews on toys that I'm considering to buy because I want to know the pros and cons for each toy. The best way to really discover a toy is to ask other parents and children too. I would love to know what your children favorite toys are. So, each week, I will have a different category to review. Click here for the category list and dates. Please feel free to share your views about toys in each category too.

This week's theme is Art and Crafts.

We normally make most of our crafts from recycled materials around the house. Izzie art supplies mostly consists of crayons, markers, and washable finger paints.

Izzie's favorite markers are the Do-A-Dot Art Markers.


Pros: These markers are large and easy to hold. They are non-toxic and will not dry out when the lid is accidentally left off. In addition, these markers are great to use on magnet pages for pre-writing skills.

Cons: Expensive at $14.99 for a pack of six. I buy them at Michael's with a 50% off coupon.


I've been looking for a wooden art easel for Izzie. I found this one at Ikea that she'll be receiving for Christmas.

Pros: It's inexpensive ($14.99) and it's made out of renewable wood. It has 2 sides (one with a magnetic dry-erase board and the other side is a chalkboard), a place for the drawing paper roll, and a tray to hold materials.

Cons: Not available to be ordered on-line and shipped. I had to travel to pick it up at our nearest Ikea store, which is 3 hours away! Luckily, we made it a weekend trip.

Disclaimer: I did not contact or receive any products from the above companies. These are my opinions, which may vary from your experience with these products.

Please link your child's favorite Art and Craft items too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pay It Forward...Giveaway!

I recently participated in a Pay It Forward giveaway hosted by Tired, Need Sleep. She sent a goodie package to the first 3 readers that commented on her post regarding her pay it forward package that her son received. We were so excited to be one of the three readers!

Several weeks ago, Izzie received her package and was thrilled with all the goodies!

She is having so much fun with the adorable finger puppets! She also received a growing giraffe, stencils, and a sticker book. She loves stickers!

Now, it's our turn to Pay It Forward...

Since, I have been hosting Stocking Stuffer giveaways for the past few weeks, I thought I would continue with the theme and giveaway format.

I will randomly choose 3 readers to receive a a goodie package. If you are randomly chosen, please "Pay It Forward* too!

So, if you would like to receive a package of stocking stuffers for your little one...

Please leave a comment for each entry.

1. Mandatory: Agree to *Pay It Forward* to 3 of your readers.

2. Tell me the age of your child(ren).

3. Publicly follow Izzie, Mac, and Me.

4. Grab my new button for your sidebar.

The giveaway will end on Sunday, November 29, at 10pm (EST). Three random readers will be chosen.

Homemade Christmas Gifts: Week 3

I have a huge list of projects that I want to make this year for Christmas. To encourage me to finish at least one project per week, I've decided to share each week what I've made. I would love to see what everyone else is making too...I love sharing and receiving ideas!

This week I started several Christmas projects and unfortunately, I did not complete any! However, I have a good start on the ABC pillow that I'm making for Izzie and Mac.

I found my inspiration and alphabet template here. I am doing a few things differently. Instead of using a decorative pillow and fleece fabric to make a pillow case, I'm using a extra pillow that I currently have and a pre-made pillow case.

This is what the finished product will look like...plus, buttons and a pillow inside.

I had no idea how long it would take to cut out 26 letters! I've measured and marked on the pillowcase where the remaining 24 letters will go, but have not sewn on the buttons.

I would LOVE to see your homemade Christmas gifts too! Please feel free to link below.

Christmas Gift Reviews: Pretend Play and Dress-Up

It's that time of year again, when I start researching for Christmas gifts. I'm always curious to know what other parents are buying for their children. I read countless reviews on toys that I'm considering to buy because I want to know the pros and cons for each toy. The best way to really discover a toy is to ask other parents and children too. I would love to know what your children favorite toys are. So, each week, I will have a different category to review. Click here for the category list and dates. Please feel free to share your views about toys in each category too.

This week's theme is Pretend Play and Dress-Up.

Izzie is at the age where she loves to pretend play. Here are a few of her favorite pretend play props:

If you're looking for a play kitchen this Christmas, I would highly recommend the KidKraft Retro Kitchen.

Pros: This is a well constructed wooden kitchen set that is large enough for multiple children to play with at the same time. I really like the storage compartments for Izzie's accessories and food items. Below the sink, there is a compartment with 2 deep shelves, the oven opens to 2 shelves and a bottom drawer, and the inside the refrigerator there are two large shelves with additional storage below. Izzie plays with her kitchen set, daily!

Cons: It takes up a lot of space.

We normally stock Izzie's kitchen with only wooden food or felt food. However, when I saw the Just Like Home Pizza Decorator and Cake Decorator Playsets, I knew she would enjoy them too, even if they are made of plastic!

Pros: These playsets are very realistic. Each playset comes with a ton of toppings to attach (Velcro) to the top of the pizza/cake. The pizza and cake are Velcro together to create a whole, but can be cut into individual pieces.

Cons: The plates for the cake are too small to hold a piece of cake. There are a lot of small pieces to keep up with. I had to buy small storage containers to place the items in...I really wish that each set came with it's own box for the toppings. With all the small pieces, I would not recommend these playsets to younger children or children who still put items in their mouth.

Dress-Up Clothes

Most days, Izzie is wandering around the house in a princess dress! She really enjoys dressing-up. I buy Halloween costumes for her. I bought several costumes last year on clearance and bought 3 more last week at Target for only $1.70 each (they were 90% off).

Disclaimer: I did not contact or receive any products from the above companies. These are my opinions, which may vary from your experience with these products.

Please link your child's favorite Pretend Play and Dress-Up items too!

*REPOST* Super Stocking Stuffers: Oh Baby! by Casie Review and Giveaway!

Do you have a little one who enjoys throwing their sippy cup or beloved toy onto a dirty floor? My nine month old has begun tossing everything over the side of her car seat, while we are in stores. When this happens, I cringe to think about the dirt and germs that are on the floor and now on my daughter's sippy cup or toy. I recently discovered a genius idea to keep my daughter's belongings inside her car seat and off the nasty floor...it's a Sippy Strap designed by Oh Baby! by Casie. A Sippy Strap would make a great stocking stuffer.

There are several adorable designs of Sippy Straps at Oh Baby! by Casie. Each Sippy Strap has an elastic non-slip end to put around a sippy cup or toy. The other end of the Sippy Strap can be placed around your child's wrist or attached to a car seat, stroller, highchair, or shopping cart.

"The owner of Oh Baby! by Casie had this to say, "I am a stay home mom to a wonderful little man named Jackson, who is now three. I have been a crafter most of my life, it's just in my blood. I love making gifts for family and friends and now I have found Etsy, which allows me to widen my circle of friends to craft for. I am always looking to find new products that will make life easier, in my searching I came across a leash for sippy cups/ bottles. I wish I could say I invented them, but sadly no. However, within 5 minutes of using the store bought version, my son had figured out how to open the Velcro closure. So, I can proudly say that I have RE-invented and perfected these. I use an elastic non-slip strap around the sippy cup/bottle, which requires a MUCH higher level of hand/eye coordination to dismantle. At 13 months my son could open the Velcro on theirs and at 3 years old he can't remove mine! They work great for most size bottles, sippy cups, and even stuffed toys/lovies to keep them off the germ filled floors and parking lots. Hope this RE-invention will help your life as much as it has helped mine!"

Mac tried out the new Sippy Strap, while at the grocery store. The elastic non-slip part of the Sippy Strap fits perfectly around her sippy cup and the opposite end of the Sippy Strap was secured on her wrist.

After finishing with her drink, Mac tries to toss her sippy cup onto the dirty grocery store floor. Thankfully, the Sippy Strap saves the sippy cup from falling onto the floor!

The Sippy Straps by Oh Baby! by Casie are a must-have to keep your child from tossing objects onto the floor.

Oh Baby! by Casie has agreed to giveaway one Sippy Strap to a lucky reader for your child's stocking!

You have 10 chances to WIN:
(Please leave a separate comment for each entry)

1. Mandatory: Visit Oh Baby! by Casie etsy store and choose which Sippy Strap you would want for your child's stocking.

2. Make a purchase from Oh Baby! by Casie during the giveaway period.

3. Become a fan of Oh Baby! by Casie on Facebook.

4. Publicly follow my blog (Izzie, Mac and Me).

5. Grab my new Izzie, Mac and Me button for your sidebar.

6-10. Post about the Oh Baby! by Casie giveaway on your blog. (Be sure to leave a link and you will need to leave 5 separate comments, which can be short and simple, such as #1, #2, etc).

The giveaway will close at 10pm (EST) on Tuesday, November 24. One lucky reader will be randomly drawn.

Disclaimer: The product reviewed was provided for me free of charge in return for writing a review and hosting a giveaway.

Super Stocking Stuffers: M & N's Custom Monogrammed Gifts & Keepsakes Review and Giveaway!

M & N's Custom Monogrammed Gifts & Keepsakes

I love discovering the perfect gift for someone on my shopping list! Sometimes, it takes a little longer because I prefer to give unique and custom-made gifts. However, this year, I'm so excited that I found M & N's Custom Monogrammed Gifts & Keepsakes, which has a large selection of personalized gifts that would make great stocking stuffers for everyone my list!

M & N's Custom Monogrammed Gifts & Keepsakes is comprised of Melody Nussbaum & Nishea Sipley. They had this to say, " M & N was created out of our love for all things monogrammed & has quickly grown into a booming business. One day Mel said, "Let's make some ponytail holders," a few days later Nishea said, "Let's sell some ponytail holders," and M & N began."

I'm the most excited over the Personalized Monogrammed Sports Bottle with Snack Cup Bottom.

I absolutely love that I was able to choose the fabric and thread color and monogram font!
At M & N's Custom Monogrammed Gifts & Keepsakes, there are 132 fabric choices, 11 thread color choices, and 62 monogram font choices.

The Sports Bottle contains four pieces. A spill-proof lid with straw, a 15-ounce inside liquid drink holder, an outside holder with fabric that can be personalized, and a removable bottom compartment for a snack.

A Personalized Monogrammed Sports Bottle with Snack Cup Bottom would make a very practical gift for your child. Each time we leave the house, my daughter insists on taking a drink and snack; therefore, this sports bottle is the perfect solution. In addition, at church, she's required to have her name on both her cups and snack containers, this is such a more stylish way to keep up with her belongings!


Be sure to check out the various gifts at M & N's Custom Monogrammed Gifts & Keepsakes.

Each gift is truly unique and custom-made for that special person on your shopping list.


M & N's Custom Monogrammed Gifts & Keepsakes has agreed to giveaway one Personalized Monogrammed Sports Bottle with Snack Cup Bottom to a lucky reader for your child's stocking!

You have 10 chances to WIN:

(Please leave a separate comment for each entry)

1. Mandatory: Visit M & N's Custom Monogrammed Gifts & Keepsakes and choose which Fabric and Thread Color you would prefer for the Sports Bottle for your child's stocking.

2. Make a purchase from M & N's Custom Monogrammed Gifts & Keepsakes during the giveaway period.

3. Join M & N's Custom Monogrammed Gifts & Keepsakes monthly mailing list and be registered to win a $25 gift certificate!

4. Publicly follow my blog (Izzie, Mac and Me).

5. Grab my new Izzie, Mac and Me button for your sidebar.

6-10. Post about the M & N's Custom Monogrammed Gifts & Keepsakes giveaway on your blog. (Be sure to leave a link and you will need to leave 5 separate comments, which can be short and simple, such as #1, #2, etc).

The giveaway will close at 10pm (EST) on Sunday, November 22. One lucky reader will be randomly drawn.

Disclaimer: The product reviewed was provided for me free of charge in return for writing a review and hosting a giveaway.

Tot School

Izzie is 38 months old.

We had another fun week of Tot School. This week on the shelf, there were several new activities about leaves!

This was a very simple matching activity. Izzie placed the different color leaves in the correct basket. (Not sure where I found this activity...printed off last year before I started blogging.)

This was a favorite, Izzie really enjoyed tracing the leaf. Traceable leaf is from Kids Soup.

I found this super fun game at My Montessori Journey. Click here to see more details about game.

Falling leaves created by Izzie!

In addition, Izzie participated in Naturally Curious Tots this week. The theme was Animal Tracks and Homes. Click here to see earlier post with more pictures and details.

Izzie matched the animal tracks to the correct animal. Cards are from Montessori For Everyone.

And she completed her Matching Animals With Their Homes puzzle. Similar puzzle found here.

Other activities of the week included:

Teaching Mac how to push her shape sorter walker.

Playing with "Mac's" new My Pal Scout by Leapfrog. Grandparents visited for the weekend and brought each girl a new toy. Izzie received the game, Don't Break The Ice, but preferred playing with Mac's new puppy!

For more Tot School activities, check out 1+1+1=1.

Homemade Christmas Gifts: Week 2

I have a huge list of projects that I want to make this year for Christmas. To encourage me to finish at least one project per week, I've decided to share each week what I've made. I would love to see what everyone else is making too...I love sharing and receiving ideas!

This week, I received Izzie's ABC digital scrapbook that I created using Shutterfly.

I absolutely love to scrapbook, but I am so far behind! Therefore, I decided to try out digital scrapbooking. I'm sold! It was so quick and easy...and I have a completed scrapbook too.

Izzie loves to look at her baby scrapbook. She really enjoys recognizing herself and other familiar faces on the pages. Therefore, I decided to make an ABC book about her. I think my first digitial scrapbook turned out fantastic...I'm so excited for Izzie to see her life through the letters of the alphabet.

I would LOVE to see your homemade Christmas gifts too! Please feel free to link below.

Christmas Gift Reviews: Games and Puzzles

It's that time of year again, when I start researching for Christmas gifts. I'm always curious to know what other parents are buying for their children. I read countless reviews on toys that I'm considering to buy because I want to know the pros and cons for each toy. The best way to really discover a toy is to ask other parents and children too. I would love to know what your children favorite toys are. So, each week, I will have a different category to review. Click here for the category list and dates. Please feel free to share your views about toys in each category too.

This week's theme is Games and Puzzles.

My daughter currently has two favorite games that we play, a lot! But, I don't mind because I love these games too. They are both fun and educational. In addition, these are the first games that Izzie has actually finished, normally, we start a game and end up not finishing.

The first is The Picnic Game by eeBoo.

The object of the game is to be the first player to gather a table setting and collect food to set your place at the table for a picnic. The game includes a checked tablecloth, a spinner, 4 plates, 4 sets of utensils, and 4 pieces for each category (drink, main dish, fruit, vegetable, and dessert). This game is for 2-4 players, ages 3 and older.

Pros: It's a fun and exciting game to reinforce "taking turns". I also like that it gives Izzie a chance to make a decision during her turn, when she spins a certain category, she has a choice to make. In addition, it has encouraged Izzie to share more. At first, she would get upset if another player chose a food item that she wanted, but now, she understands the concept of the game and is willing to "share" all the pieces. The game pieces are large and sturdy and very detailed.

Cons: It's hard to find in stores; I was lucky and found our game at a consignment shop.

The second game is Picture This: A Puzzle Matching Game by Mudpuppy.

This is a great memory game with a twist! The object of the game is to find all the pieces to your game board.

Each player has a different color board with corresponding pictures to locate. I like that the picture on the board isn't identical to the game piece, but it's an item within the picture. This concept requires Izzie to pay close attention to detail. In addition, the game pieces are color coordinated with it's matching board. Notice the game board above has a pink trim and all the pieces have a pink background. (I haven't pointed this out to Izzie.)

These are the finished game boards. I really like that it shows how many individual pieces make a whole picture.

Pros: A new way to play an old favorite game, requires Izzie to pay close attention to details, and she even enjoys playing it by herself.

Cons: Again, another hard game to find in stores. This was another consignment shop find!


Favorite Puzzles: Giant Floor Puzzles by Hurricane Toys.

Izzie has always enjoyed working puzzles. These are really nice floor puzzles that contain 28 pieces each. They are great for preschoolers, who are seeking more challenging puzzles, but still aren't too overwhelming.

Pros: Challenging for a preschooler, but not overwhelming with too many pieces.

Cons: None

Disclaimer: I did not contact or receive any products from the above companies. These are my opinions, which may vary from your experience with these products.

Please link your child's favorite games and puzzles too!

stART: Fall Leaves Fall

For our stART project this week, we read Fall Leaves Fall.

I found this really neat game at My Montessori Journey. Izzie had a lot of fun playing.

Object of game: roll die to determine what corresponding leaves to put on tree and first you must roll a 6 to get your tree! In addition, after all the leaves were on the tree, Izzie rolled the die to see which leaves were "falling off the tree". Very fun!

Izzie created tissue paper leaves for the back door. They add a nice touch of autumn!

I had planned on taking Izzie and Mac on a nature walk...to look at (jump in) leaves, but the raining weather made it impossible.

For more weekly stART projects, click here!