The Daily Stroll

Quick Affix

 

If you are anything like me, a busy, working, crazed mom and wife you pretty much never remember to get greeting cards and or wrapping paper in time for events like birthday's and hostess gifts. The last minute run to the grocery store or corner gift store is SO not my idea of what to do with any extra time I may have before running out the door. When the babysitter is on the clock any spare time must be spent perfecting my "look", not fussing with wrapping paper.

I rely on quick methods of perfection when it comes to the last minute wrap job. This pretty much entails of slapping a sticker on a gift- and with Cardstix that is all you need to do and you (I promise) will wow the recipient of said gift.

Cardstix is a great company with gift labels that you can purchase in bulk for events like birthday's, holiday's and general all purpose "just because" gifts like this one above, which is so cute for your golfing girlfriend. Is her birthday coming up? Well grab a bottle of her favorite wine or sparkling cider and slap a Cardstix label on. Beforehand just pen the special To and From note and you are all set!

designer:: cardstix collection

daily stroll readers receive 10% off of their purchase! code: dailyst10 at checkout. expires 4.30.08. Also free shipping through March!

Baby Shower :: GREEN

 

Do you have a baby shower around the corner? Is it for you? For someone else? Whether the theme is blue, pink, or gender neutral I just thought I would throw together a few days worth of cute gift ideas for mom-to-be and new baby. If you missed BLUE or PINK check it out-but today is GREEN!

- The new mama is going to need this- Mother Effer's Va-J-J Jelly. Trust us. LeastLikely2Breed

- Cake Cosmopolitan Carryall. Our pick? Pistachio Layer Cake. YUM. PetuniaPickleBottom

- The parents to be want to wait and see if baby is going to like pink or blue so give her a green invite for her chic shower with a bit of chocolate on the side. PaperStyle

- Help the new mom keep track of baby's firsts with the unique Baby Tales gift set from Tiny Tales

- Take the mystery out of swaddling and give mom a blanket from the new modern squares line complete with instructions on this ancient way to calm baby. Super soft and invented by a nurse!
swaddle designs

Hey Mr. Willlllllllllllson!

The Radio Flyer red wagon is about as classic as you get when you think "classic toys". This one is filled with classic children's books. At the Red Wagon Presents website, you pick a red wagon filled with just about anything. The classic book selection in the classic small red wagon is our top pick. The little wagon makes a great addition to the playroom. A perfect size for your little one to pull his/her own books and toys through the house or neighborhood. Admit it: Just the sight of this makes you want to say "Hey Mr. Willllllllllllllson!!!!". However there is nothing menacing about this gift. It contains no batteries and it doesn't talk back.

shop: red wagon presents

daily stroll readers use code: stroll2 for 15% off. Expires 1.1.08.

Bragging Rights

I was looking for the perfect brag book and because I am the finder of all things perfect and in good taste- I found it!

My favorite brag book is the Kiwi Luxe from aimeej keepsake albums. It holds 36 4x6 photos. This is perfect because when you have 2 kids like me you have to deal in even numbers. If Ruby had more pages than her sister or vice versa she may bring it up in therapy down the road.

Brag books are great for slipping into your handbag. Never be caught without any photos! These make a great gift idea for that grandparent who has everything too. I bet they don't have 36 photos of their family that they can slip into their handbag and bring to their weekly bridge game or garden club. The size is also nice for people who live in small spaces or want to have just a little something on their coffee table to show off the cuties in their life. The brag book is only $17.99 and if you add the personal touch of selecting photos you have a complete gift! Coordinating albums and scrapbooks available as well as the famous keepsake boxes.

designer:: aimeej

Say What? Gift Idea #5

Thank goodness for Urban Dictionary I mean where would we be if we didn't know what Kadunkadunk meant (do you know what it means?) or half the stuff that comes out of the mouths of today's youth? I remember a year or more ago I wrote an article about Gwen Stefani's LAMB line for kids and I really wanted to know what Holla Back Girl meant. Well one trip to UrbanDictionary.com and I was all set (phew- because it was really bothering me). Want to know what it means? Look it up.

Here is one that will throw ya. I have been calling Ruby "sugar booger" for 3 years. I finally looked googled it just for fun and BAM- was I supposed to know that according to the Urban Dictionary that it meant: The effect of having cocaine on ones nose after snorting the drug? I mean I am a child of the 80's but I was a toddler during the time of disco and fortunately had parents who didn't hang around with anyone needing to use that term. So do I continue to call her "sugar booger"?- probably yes until someone who has knowledge of such disturbing information corrects me. What is even worse is that her REAL nickname that only I call her is "Cha Cha" I did this because when she was little she was so busy and all over the place so it make me think of the dance. NOT what Urban Dictionary says it means. Maybe this is why her father REFUSES to call her that. He is such a smarty pants.

Do you call your kid a cute little name? You better check yourself before you wreck yourself.

Get this book as a great gift for the person who has everything and thinks they know everything.

shop:: Urban Dictionary


these gift ideas are purely editorial and actual gifts that float through my head. you can thank me later. stay tuned for our HUGE gift guide 11/26

Holiday Gift Idea #4- The Mama Friends

On a list of things that I can't live without this probably would not register, but it is certainly a very useful tool and it rides with me everywhere in our family truckster containing very important items that actually do rank. What is it? A collapsible basket. Where do you get one? Garnet Hill.

For the "whatever do I get my girlfriend/mama friend/playdate buddy/kid's teacher?" gift question, here is a solution from moi. I love it so I know your gift recipient will too! Not just for ladies either, some men do in fact enjoy a basket. Who doesn't love a basket? These ones are tough canvas with fashionable handles (doesn't it sort of remind you of a Bugaboo Stroller?) and goes perfectly in the car which is like I said, where I keep mine. I nestle it behind one of the front seats under the kids feet. I keep an extra change of clothes for each kid, some diapers, wipes, snacks and other mom type items. My husband thinks I am nuts as he detests car clutter but that is the purpose, it doesn't make clutter, it refines it. Plus if one of our kids was in his car and had an accident or was hungry he would be screwed and then he would be wishing he had one.

I say get one of these for each friend on your gift list, throw in some little items like a candle, some bath stuff, perhaps a monogrammed candle (because who doesn't need one of those?) and there you have it, a gift. All ready to go. If you think you would spend $30 to $40 per friend  (which really is probably what you would do - I mean what can you get for under $30 these days?) on your gift list this is a reasonable solution. If you want to spend more, spend more, throw in embroidery on their basket cover, they will think you are the shiznizzle to the maxizzle. Have a sister in law who has everything and makes sure that you know it? Even if she has one of these get her another in a different color. She can have one in the car, another on her yacht....

I enjoy Garnet Hill. Have for years. I know for a fact that they strike up relationships with independent design houses. They actually buy their wares and sell them unlike other major companies who pretend to be interested, ask for a sample, make their own.... oh yes it is true.


Someone wrote in from Garnet Hill headquarters to share this with our readers-Enter H7W44B at checkout to receive 20% off EVERYTHING! This promotion ends 11/18/07.



these gift ideas are purely editorial and actual gifts that float through my head. you can thank me later. stay tuned for our HUGE gift guide 11/26

Holiday Guide Is Coming

It is coming!!! We are very excited about this year's guide. It is different, better and bigger than ever! (did I just rhyme?)

Stay tuned for the 3rd Daily Stroll Holiday Guide. As always it is about "giving + receiving" ideas for everyone on your list and of course exclusive promotions that you won't find anywhere else.

Bonnie StylePress

LOVE LOVE LOVE paper. LOVE it. Want to write notes all day long on cute little note cards polished off with fashionable stamps and perfect return address labels. I know, it is a problem. I am a firm believer in classy correspondence though so bear with me.

Bonnie Marcus and I are a lot alike. She loves paper too, which is why she is a designer and producer of paper galore at Bonnie's StylePress. Invites, note cards, moving announcements (her moving announcements are reason enough to sell and buy another house) and more. She even creates flip flops using unique illustrations and tons of flair. The good kind of flair not the Office Space kind of flair.

Having a holiday party? Get the word out in style. Not having a party? Well one look at her website and offerings and you will be ordering those cocktail wieners and bottles of Grey Goose faster that you can say Happy New Year.

Visit her site, put your dreams of ladylike letter writing into action and stuff your girlfriends stockings with couture flip flops. They will think you are so on top of your game.

designer:: Bonnie Marcus & Co

daily Stroll readers receive 10% off! Use code STROLL at checkout. Offer expires 12.21.07.

Holiday Gift Idea #2

Have a little girl on your gift list? Ribbies Clippies has some great new gift sets as well as these really unique clippie frames! They are perfect for organizing the little fashionista's hair accessories which helps mom and dad out too. Their hair clips stay on and the patterns are right in line with today's fashions.

Ribbies Clippies has a brand new site as well and it is super fabulous. Check it out and make your holiday gift giving simple with Ribbies Clippies.

Since we are a house of all girls (well minus Daddy but he doesn't mind) we hung our Ribbies Clippies clippie frame in the bathroom! I needed something for that wall and it is perfect. This way Ruby is a bit more inspired to sport a clippie since they are all neatly displayed.

designer:: ribbies clippies


daily stroll readers receive 15% off! use code: dailystroll at checkout. expires 11.30.07

Holiday Gift 1

I am now starting to think about what the girls will be getting for Christmas this year. I am not going to go overboard on Ruby (3) since she barely plays with what she has, and I am being very concious of fair trade, gifts that will not be harmful to baby "e", no small parts, and goodies they both can enjoy. I figured I would share some of my own ideas here and give props to the creators of really neat toys and books for kids over the next couple of months.

Here I give you Holiday Gift #1: Knit Donut Collection
Ruby likes to play in her kitchen and she loves donuts so it is the best of both worlds!

designer::  yellow label kids