Holidays=Matching Jammies

I know some think this lame, but I LOVE matching holiday jammies for the whole family. Seriously, they make the cutest Christmas photos. You can get pictures on Christmas Eve of the excited kids leaving cookies for Santa or the whole family in front of their stockings and of course all the festivities on Christmas morning. It's one of my favorite traditions. However, I do not have a teenager yet, I don't know how well this would go over if you have teens in the house.

But for those of you looking for some cute family pj's, The Company Store has a lot of cute styles to choose from, Christmas Plaid, Snowflakes, Candy Canes, Penguins, even Hanukkah jammies for those that celebrate Hanukkah and can wear them for 8 nights! They are having a sale on them right now, so check it out and next year when you have the cutest Christmas pictures ever, make sure you send me one!

Laura Mercier Flawless Face

I am a SUPER HAPPY mom today because of this incredible deal that I just ordered from Sephora (please tell me I'm not the only one who buys herself stocking stuffers).

Laura Mercier cosmetics are best known for their fabulous foundations, they are a celebrity favorite. This kit is perfect for someone new to the line.

It comes with:

Foundation Primer (Step 1)

Tinted Moisturizer (Step 2)

Translucent Loose Setting Powder (Step 3 and 4)

Undercover Pot Shade #3

Secret Camouflage Brush

Camouflage Powder Brush

Velour Puff

Egg-shaped Sponge

This all comes in a travel cosmetic bag and is a $159 value for.....$65! The brushes purchased individually would be worth more than that. I'm most excited to get the concealer pot-I LOVE their concealer, it's the best, but it's so expensive, I rarely buy it. It is GREAT for covering dark circles if you've been up all night reading blogs ;).

It's shipped free and you also get to pick out 3 samples with your order, I picked 2 perfume sprays and a facial peel. Check out all the holiday gift sets at Sephora, whether buying for yourself (guilty) or someone else, they have a lot to choose from.

eToys Deals

eToys is offering some promotions this week that might interest you if you have some toy shopping to do. I love finding free shipping deals for online stores, since shipping costs can add up quickly. They also have a 2008 Holiday Toy Guide to help you find great toys for thes kids on your list. Hope you can use some of these!

eToys: Great Gifts Up to 60% Off on Select Items. Shop Now! (ends 12.8)

eToys: Free Shipping On Select LeapFrog Items! (ends 12.8)

eToys: NFL Lockers 20% Off All NFL Lockers (ends 12.8)

eToys: Select Dress-Up Outfits Buy One, Get One Free! (ends 12.8)

eToys: Special Holiday Offer, Get $5 off $100. Shop Now!

Gifts for the Little Meteorologist

Do you have an older child who loves science and is fascinated by weather? Here are some great holiday gift ideas for kids want to be a weatherperson when they grow up and for kids who just have a natural curiosity about our world.

This digital weather station looks like so much fun. Kids set up the station and use tools that measure temperature, humidity and other weather indicators to put together their own forecast. The can also measure air pollution, rain pH and build a barometer. It also comes with an activity book. You can get it for $39.98.

The DK Eyewitness Weather book has amazing weather pictures as well as facts about weather and climate. This is for middle age kids, but even younger kids would enjoy the pictures. I love the DK Eyewitness books, our whole family enjoys reading them together. You could also get the Eyewitness Weather DVD.

Here's a great website that kids can use now and all year long and it's free. It's called Weather Wiz Kids and it is such a fun website designed by television meteorogist Crystal Wicker. You can find lots of information on tornadoes, hurricanes, clouds, weather experiments and games, coloring pages, even weather jokes like this one:

Whatever happened to the cow that was lifted into the air by the tornado?

Udder disaster!

Haha! :)

I can remember when my daughter was afraid of thunderstorms when she was a preschooler. It really helped her to learn about what happens during a storm and that the loud thunder could not hurt her. She enjoys learning about weather; our Science Museum has a great Weather Discovery area for kids and she loves doing the cool experiments they have.

Are your kids fascinated by weather, terrified by it, or could they care less about the weather? :)

Hottest Holiday Toys

According to the National Retail Federation 2008 Top Toy survey, Barbie and video games top the list for the hottest toys this holiday season. The survey polled 8,758 consumers this month to gauge this year's shopping trends among consumers. Here is the list of what they found to be the Hot Toys of 2008:

Top toys for girls

1. Barbie
2. Disney Hannah Montana
3. Dolls (generic)
4. Bratz (dolls)
5. Nintendo Wii
6. Video games
7. Elmo
8. Disney High School Musical
9. Disney princess (dolls and themed items)
10. American Girl (dolls and themed items)

Top toys for boys

1. Video games
2. Nintendo Wii
3. Lego
4. Cars (generic)
5. Transformers
6. Elmo
7. Star Wars
8. Hot Wheels
9. Remote-controlled vehicles
10. Xbox 360

What are your kids asking for this year? Are you planning on buying any of the toys that made the list?

Gift Ideas for Your Little Star

Do you have a little diva or divo (is that the correct term for a male diva?) in your house?

If you answered yes to that, here are some great gift ideas to help your little star shine:

You can set the stage with this Star Performance Theater. Whether they want to sing, act or walk the runway, this will put them at the center of everyone's attention.

This karaoke system is fun for moms and dads, too. That is, if you are able to get the microphone away from your diva (or divo).

If your star dreams of being the next American Idol, a great idea would be this American Idol Encore bundle for Wii.

If your whole family loves American Idol, the American Idol - All Star Challenge DVD game looks like a lot of fun on family game night. You complete challenges like singing, dancing and trivia and it features video clips from the first five seasons.

Does anyone have any other great finds for a little one who craves the spotlight? I'd love to hear what you've found!