Homemade Advent Calendar

Made on a mini muffin tin with treats inside!!

I have never had an advent calendar, the boys LOVE IT!! and so do I ;)

Wish Stars by Birando Review and Giveaway

I love parties. Not only during the holidays but year round. I love hosting them and I love going to them. I am always looking for a fun and cool new way to decorate and I found these great Wish Stars by Birando  to share with you. They are look great for any occasion and they come fully assembled, you just pull the two strings together to form the star shape!

They can be tied to a hanging light bulb, but they also offer a range of hanging LED's. The LED's won't be as bright as a bulb they still look great and have the bonus of being portable. I like the LED light myself. I have them hanging around the house for the holidays, but I know that these will make an appearance in my house every few months, it seems we are always having some sort of party! 

Love the white in the window, perfect for any occasion!!

Not only does Birando have the Wish Stars but they are The Party People so they also offer classic party items like balloons, as well as candle bags, party glow products,  confetti cannons and more!!

 

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Holiday Traditions with Starbucks Holiday Blend Coffee

As a child the holiday season was a magical time in our house. My mom would decorate, my dad would make egg nog and us kids would eat my moms home made fudge as we watched her sort and organize the holiday decor. I would eagerly await the moments my mom would sort the ornaments. I LOVED each and everyone of them. My sister and I would play with the doll ornaments, have the animal candle decor be our pets and even the nut cracker was included in our play time. My mom was sweet to let us gently play with the ornaments while she organized everything for the day we would decorate the tree. I have the sweetest memories of holiday decor organizing. 

Now with my own son we keep the same tradition for the day before the tree arrives. I get out all the decor to sort and organize based on the theme we will have for the holidays. I love looking at each ornament and recall where I got it or who gave it to me. Each of them represent a loved one or cherished memory. To me a Christmas tree is a loving representation of the years lived. Funny ones, cute ones, religious ones and holiday themed ones all decorate my tree. We also get out and clean the other decor like our mini singing tree, the nut cracker, lights and so much more.

This holiday season we are in a new home. I am so excited for a Christmas in the new place and to decorate this year. We are having our annual sort, organize and theme selection day. I brought out the bins of holiday decor and poured a cup of coffee to enjoy while I reminisce over each item.

Each year I look forward to the Starbucks Holiday Blend as a part of our tradition as well. I have been drinking it each year since I moved out of my parents home. My mom started sending the big bag of coffee for me as a Christmas present. The last few year I have been buying it earlier so I can enjoy the whole holiday season.

A sweet treat to go along with holiday decor organizing is a must have item. Some years is cookies or muffins or a chocolate treat. This year we decided to buy cinnamon rolls to compliment the flavors of the Starbucks Holiday blend. I shopped at Sam's Club for my items. I was looking for a display for the Starbucks Holiday blend so I did not have to look all over for one of my favorite Holiday indulgence but did not see it. I went down the coffee aisle and found the Holiday blend next to the other Starbucks roasts. We enjoy the bakery selection Artisan Fresh items that we find there. I did not see the cinnamon rolls up front or on display, they had apple turnovers on a display but not cinnamon rolls. I did see them in the Bakery section near the breads. I even spotted pumpkin muffins and mini cinnamon rolls.

 I love the scent of the coffee! I do not normally drink black coffee but with the Holiday Blend I love the flavors of the roast and want to enjoy them. The complimentary notes for the Starbucks  Holiday Blend are ginger, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange and cloves. The flavor was amazing when I would take a sip of the coffee then a bite of the cinnamon roll then more coffee. The sweetness of the cinnamon roll complimented the bold notes of the coffee. Its a delicious pair for the holidays! #DeliciousPairings

I brew Starbucks at home all year long and I am never disappointed in the flavor. Its just like at a coffee house except I get to be at home nice and warm not out fighting traffic or looking for parking in the bustle of Holiday shopping. If you are looking to add a delicious drink and treat to your holiday traditions Starbucks Holiday Blend and Sam's Club Artisan Fresh Cinnamon Rolls are perfect for cold holiday nights spending time with your family. Even my husband loved it and he can be picky about his holiday treats! He commented on how he could taste the cinnamon in the coffee more after taking a bite of the cinnamon roll first. He asked if I made the cinnamon rolls since they tasted so great, for a moment or two I let him think I did but then told him they were from the Sam's Club bakery.

With the ornaments and decor cleaned and organized we are ready to buy our tree this week. We were inspired by the bag of Starbucks Holiday Blend and have decided to go with gold, green and white as our holiday theme colors. I look forward to the Christmas tree going up, I will be enjoying a cup of coffee and cinnamon rolls as I sit back and marvel in the beauty of it.



*I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric

Weekend in Pictures - Decorating the Christmas Tree

Western Chief Rain Gear Review and Rain Boots Giveaway Holiday Gift Guide

The rainy season is here in full force! It has been very stormy and windy here in Northern California for over a week. The need for a rain coat, rains boots and an umbrella is a must!

My son is a huge Thomas the Train fan. We have a bunch of toys, movies and clothing that are Thomas. I knew my son would love Thomas the Tank® rain gear. I have heard about a company out of Washington state (where Sam and Patricia live!) that makes super cute rain gear for kids, Western Chief. I am always looking for companies that are based in CA or WA to support the two states I love!

When my son saw the Thomas the Tank® items he squealed with joy! He loves Thomas and was of course showing off his best choo choo as he stomped around in his new rain gear. The rain boots are very durable, they run a tad big which I think is great so my son can wear them well into the Spring rainy season. Kids feet grow so fast too! Western Chief also has fleece boot liners that go inside the boots to keep little toes warm and dry. We have jumped in many puddles, waded through ankle deep water and stayed dry. The best part about the raincoat other than how cute it is, the fact that the the rain coat is lined. This adds an extra layer of warmth to the coat that most rain coats do not have. My son can wear the coat in the Spring rains too with a tshirt and jeans while staying warm and dry.

A little info about Western Chief:

Washington Shoe Company was founded in Seattle in 1891 to produce rugged outdoor boots designed to meet the harsh conditions of the Alaska Gold Rush. Today, Washington Shoe Company is committed to providing retail distributors with the same high quality, rugged work footwear along with durable, fashionable and fun rain gear. The Western Chief Brand is designed to meet and exceed the demands of today's work place while providing comfort and durability, at a reasonable cost.


Western Chief kids is available at Amazon.com and Nordstom. Rain gear makes a perfect Holiday Gift for the child in your life. Western Chief makes many different styles and characters that any kid would love to unwrap on Christmas or like my son for his birthday that happens close to the holiday season.

 Western Chief makes has rain boots, rain coats and umbrellas. To introduce you to Western Chief we are offering a giveaway for a pair of rain boots of the winner's choice of the 6 styles shown below for your little one.

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway Below:



a Rafflecopter giveaway


 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Dec 3,  2012 and ends on Dec.15, 2012 at 12:01 am PST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent an item to review for this post.