This giveaway has now ended. Thanks for entering!

Today is the final day of our Home for the Holidays week! I hope you’ve enjoyed it and that you’ve gleaned a few gift ideas for the upcoming holiday season as well!

Since this is the third year in a row that I’ve highlighted the online store Imagine Childhood, I don’t have to tell you that I’m a fan.

I have reviewed, and purchased, items for birthdays and holidays there for a quite a while now, and have been incredibly pleased with the quality of the toys–as well as the heart behind them.

Sarah from Imagine Childhood has created the most beautiful virtual holiday catalog, showcasing many of the items in their shop–it’s an excellent way to get an overview of the toys and other creative goodness they offer to customers.

Last year I bought many of my kids’ stocking stuffers here–and I appreciated that they made it easy for me by putting the smaller sized gifts together for easy browsing.

Continue reading to find out more about the two toys being offered to a lucky winner today!
[Read more...]

This giveaway has ended–thanks for entering!

Welcome back to day three of our annual Home for the Holidays week!

Today I have the privilege of bringing you another giveaway from a friend and contributing writer to Simple Mom, Katie Clemons of Gadanke journals.

I have always been a journal lover at heart, and I’m thrilled that at least one of my children shares my passion.

But as a writer I also know the terror of the blank page that can overwhelm my creative expression. Sometimes getting started is the hardest part.

That’s where Gadanke comes in.

Gadanke, pronounced guh-dawn-kuh, comes from a German word meaning thought or idea. It’s also the name of Katie Clemons’ award winning shop, which she runs from a vintage airplane hangar in Montana.

Katie’s hand-crafted books are filled with:

• writing prompts
• embellishments
• materials from Europe
• 100% recycled paper.

Continue reading for a glimpse into these lovely story-catchers:
[Read more...]

This giveaway has ended and the winner will be announced soon!

Today is the first day of our annual Home for the Holidays week! Welcome to what will be a fun five days of giveaways, charity spotlights, and helpful holiday link round-ups from around the web.

I love HearthSong’s tagline–toys you’ll feel good about giving.

The company specializes in toys that encourage kids’ creativity and imagination–qualities desperately needed at this time of year–when we’re often bombarded with ads for tacky gizmos that seem enticing, but often don’t last very long.

HearthSong began in 1983, when founder Barbara Kane was struggling to find appropriate toys for her own children. I love her perspective:

“Earlier is not necessarily better. It’s important that children learn basic skills, but at the right developmental age. Most of all, children need time for creative, imaginative play. In fact, it is through play that children learn most readily.”

Continue reading to find out more about the two toys being offered to a lucky winner today!
[Read more...]