Holiday Gift Guide - Dreaming of Sugarplums

As you prepare for the upcoming holiday, there is surely much to plan. Travel, entertaining, gifts, cards and more. It can be so easy to get caught up in all the planning. It is important to also remember the everyday needs and pleasures of life.

For example, I keep forgetting my usual weekly groceries because I am hyper-focused on the holiday offerings. And my son needed a new bed, I kept having the urge to put it off until after the holidays, like nothing else mattered.

Thankfully, I came to my senses and decided that I could get a bed now, I could even have fun with it, and make it an early holiday gift. I chose the TurboCharged Twin Truck Bed from Step2. It is so fun! As the name implies, it is shaped like a truck. A super cool truck. And, it is fire engine red. Every little boy's dream, right?

Now, when my little man goes to sleep, to dream of sugarplums, on Christmas Eve, he can do it in style. And speaking of sugarplums, he and his sister will be able to whip them up into sugarplum pie with the fabulous Step2 Shop And Play Kitchen Playset.

My kiddos are going to love it! Actually, I love it too, and can't wait to play with it with them. Pretend food/cooking was always my favorite thing to play as a child. I remember "fighting" over the kitchen play station in kindergarten.

So as the days count down and more and more stress descends upon us, let's remember that the holidays are fun and fabulous and great gifts are wonderful, but there is more to life and family than just the holidays. Let's make every day a holiday. Sweet sugarplum dreams to you all.

*Although I received these products at no cost, to facilitate my review, all opinions are 100% my own.*

Holiday Gift Guide- Motorola Talkabout T600

If you are still looking for the perfect gift for the man (any man) on your list, you're in luck. Hubby and I have been playing with these Motorola Talkabout T600 H20 2-Way Radios, and they are so awesome. From teenager to grandpa, and anyone in between, these two-way radios make a great, fun, practical gift.

In fact, any man, woman, or child would love these, I just feel they fit better as a mens gift idea, since I feel men get left out a lot on gift guides, and I personally have a really hard time knowing what to get my hubby, and other male family, as gifts.

They are great to have for any outdoor adventures: camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, boating. Any time you may need to get in touch, and want a backup in case of a lost/damaged/dead cell phone. These babies are waterproof, and they float! They even have a water activated LED flashlight, making it super easy to find if you drop it in the water.

For a fun gift that is sure to be a hit with anyone on your list, that is useful and will not just sit around on a shelf or in a closet, these Motorola Takabout T600 H2) Two-Way Radios is sure to check all the boxes and bring smiles to the face of anyone who receives them.

*Although I received this product at no cost to facilitate a review, all opinions are 100% my own.*

Holiday Gift Guide - Bandai Toys

We are under 2 weeks away from Christmas. If Santa hasn't finished up his shopping yet, it's time to really go into overdrive. In our house, Santa has been stocking up for months, but there is always room for a few more last minute additions, especially when they are this cool.

Bandai has so many great toys. We are a sucker for anything Disney related, and my daughter is obsessed with dolls, so the adorable Ralph Breaks the Internet Talking Vanellope Doll was a no brainer. She is so cute. Her hair clips can be worn by her new best (human) friend.

Speaking of cute, how adorable is Baymax from Big Hero 6? This Squish To Fix Baymax Playset is so fun. My kids (and I) love all things squishy. And did I mention all things Disney? I did? Well it's worth saying again. We love Disney. Big Hero 6 is such a sweet movie. And now a sweet toy.

And this Hy[per Cluster YoYo Starter Pack might not be Disney, but it is super cool. I love active gifts like this. This is great for getting my son to go outside and it helps build motor skills and hand eye coordination. Not something a klutz like me would be good at. But my son is great at this kind of thing. He always pick it up freakishly fast.

No matter what age or gender child you are shopping for Bandai is sure to have the perfect gift to make their holiday a little more special. I hope you all have a safe, happy, joyful holiday.

*Although I received these items at no cost, to facilitate a review, all opinions are 100% my own.*

Holiday Gift Guide - Ugly Christmas Sweater

Everyone has seen a sweater, especially a holiday sweater, that is just so ugly you a baffled not only why someone would wear it, but by why a designer would even make it. There is a fine line between festive and fugly. It got to the point, where people would try to find the ugliest sweaters on purpose, and ugly sweater parties were born.

But when you want to look "ugly", but not really, and you still want to have your personality come through, you can get an Ugly Christmas Sweater. Now, all the holiday and pop culture themes you love have been uglified.

In this case, ugly just means epic. Who wouldn't want a Home Alone, National Lampoon, or Harry Potter sweater? And what could be more awesome than a soft, cozy, grandma-esqe sweater with Grateful Dead Dancing Bears on it? Talk about Rock 'n Roll.

You know you want one. I mean, look at those bears.

This is going to be a gift, so I have not tried it on, though I am super tempted to keep it for myself. I don't wear many (any) sweaters, ugly or otherwise, but this is just too cool.

I know the recipient will love this gift. How could they not? Seriously, anyone looking for a statement piece this holiday season needs to check out UglyChristmasSweater.com. If you are looking for a unique gift, something fun yet practical, nothing better than a fabulously "ugly" sweater.

Are you part of the ugly sweater craze yet? Will you be now? What design/theme do you love most? Who do you know that would love one of these epic sweaters? I would love to discuss all this with you all in the comments.

*Although I received this at no cost to facilitate a review, all opinions are 100% my own.*

Holiday Gift Guide - Yale Assure Lock

This holiday season, give the gift of security and convenience. Nothing is more important than the safety of your family. That is something you cannot put a price on. The same with time. Things that save you time and stress are priceless.

With the Yale Assure Lock, you can cover all of those. Know that your family is safe from break-ins. Know if your kids got safely home, even when you are not there. Since the system replaces your current deadbolt, there are no cylinders to pick, making it much harder to break in.

Kids can let themselves with a  unique pin code, so they won't need a key that can get lost or end up with a person with malicious intentions. The unique pin codes also allow you to track who has entered the home and when.

You can even lock and unlock the door from your phone, even when you are not there. That is great for letting someone in one time. (Ex "call me when you get to the house and I will let you in.") Perfect for someone pickup up or dropping something off.

If you have your phone with you, the door will unlock automatically as you approach. Perfect if you re carrying things and don't want to dig for keys (which you will no longer need for your door, though, since you will use a pin) or try to type in your pin.

What other gift can provide such security and convenience? Everything in your home is becoming smart now, why shouldn't your lock be? Gift the gift of peace of mind this holiday season.

*Although I received this product at no cost to facilitate a review, all opinions are 100% my own.*

Holiday Gift Guide - Blentec Designer 725 Blender + Giveaway!

The holiday season is officially here, much quicker than I was expecting. It's time to start buying holiday gifts as well as planning holiday gatherings. The Blendtec Designer 725 can help with both. If you are looking for a show-stopping gift for someone close to you, you definitely cannot go wrong with the Designer 725.

It is such a versatile gift. Busy mom? Being able to chop and dice veggies in a flash is a pretty great time saver, not to mention the clean setting, full, ad soap and tap a button, then rinse. Cleaning can literally not get any simpler than that. Less time wasted chopping and cleaning, more time with children or relaxing.

Health nut? Smooties and whole fruit juices for the win. The Blendtec Designer 725 is powerful enough to blend touch skins and even seeds so you can get all of the nutrients without sacrificing quality. And not having to seed/peel things also makes it quicker and easier.

"From scratch" foodie? Make your own nut butters, baby food, salsa, ice cream, soup and much more. Whether you have to control ingredients for allergies, health issues, or just for quality and peace of mind, you will always know what your family is eating. Plus it is usually much more cost effective to make it yourself. Have you bought almond butter lately?

Party animal? Make perfect blended drinks. The party never stops and neither does the Designer 725. With plenty of power to crush ice to perfection, your margaritas have never been so good, or so easy. And again, save money. Making drinks at home is much more economical than going out.

With six preprogrammed one-touch cycles, to ensure blending perfection. The settings are: Smoothie, Salsa, Ice Cream, Whole Juice, Hot Soup, and Clean. You can add 10 seconds to any cycle by tapping the respective button while the cycle is running. The Designer 725 even suggests additional uses for each cycle so you know how to get the most from your blender.

And if the preprogrammed cycles don't match your exact need, there is a 100 speed touch slider. Get seamless precision speed control for 100 speeds with the slide of a finger. It even tells you which speed to use for stirring, chopping, mixing, blending, or pureeing. You can use Multi-Speed Pulse for an added burst of power at any speed.

The Blendtec Designer 725 is truly the blender with a brain. The exclusive SmartBlend technology senses and identifies potential problems that could interfere with the perfect blend-including loading errors, overheating, or air pockets - and then tells users how to fix them. What an amazing feature for blender novices. It is actually really helpful even if you have ample experience.

The Belndtec Designer 725 is the best blender I've ever had, and I have had other "high end" blenders. I love the preset options, it makes it so easy to get the same result every time. I also love the SmartBlend feature. I generally know what I am doing, but it never hurts to have a fail safe just in case.

Anyone who wants to try new recipes, improve their health, eat more from scratch, Have some great cocktails, or blend anything, ever, the Blendtec Designer 725 is the perfect gift. And all the features that make it the perfect gift also make it perfect for holiday entertaining. Faster prep, faster cleanup, better quality, less stress, happier guests, happier you. What more could you want?

While the Designer 725 is worth every penny, you know what's even better? Free. That's right. Blendtec has been generous enough to provide a Designer 725 blender to give away. One of you very luck souls will win. Enter below for your chance. Good luck!

The Best Beverages for Marathon Runners

Whether you live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and are training for a coastal marathon, or you’re in Boulder, Colorado training for a marathon in the Rockies, there are certain beverages that can help fuel a better performance. For those running for 90 minutes or less, plain water is fine, which will help replace fluids lost from sweating while preventing dehydration, but for marathon running, fluid intake is far more important. In addition to water, your body needs carbs and sodium.

A DIY Sports Drink

Many sports drinks contain all sorts of unhealthy additives that don’t do your body, or mind, any good when you’re trying to win, or simply finish the race. You can make your own healthy drink by combining one-part water with one-part fresh-squeezed orange juice and just a pinch of salt. You’ll get the fluid you need along with the carbs and nutrients in the orange juice, including potassium. This mineral that’s lost as you sweat is important for regulating fluids and maintaining mineral balance in the body’s cells as well as helping muscles contract.

Gatorade

Contains a good amount of sodium to help replace the amount lost from sweat, while its salty taste encourages more drinking, a benefit for marathon runners whose bodies need the fluid to keep going.

Tea or Coffee

While it’s somewhat controversial, drinking a cup of tea or coffee 30 to 45 minutes before a run does provide an energy boost that allows athletes to work harder, thanks to the caffeine content in either beverage. The caffeine may also help to improve glucose absorption so that muscles are refueled quicker. It’s best to drink only a limited amount, however, as caffeine can also be dehydrating.

Carrot Juice

The morning of your marathon, you may want to drink a glass of carrot juice. It not only contains lots of vitamin A, but phosphorous, which boosts the body’s metabolic rate and ensures optimal use of energy in the body while reducing muscle pain after exercise.

Beet Juice

About an hour before the race, try drinking a glass of beet juice. A study conducted out of Saint Louis University in Missouri found that consuming beets can “acutely improve running performance.” The results revealed that runners who ate beets 60 minutes before a race were able to run 3 percent faster, with the biggest improvements found during the last leg. The researchers noted that they believe the nitrate in beets helps to reduce the oxygen cost of endurance exercise, allowing the runner to use up less energy to produce the muscular force need to propel forward. It also increases nitric oxide production and improves blood flow, allowing muscles to perform more efficiently.