Mr Men & Little Miss Books

I used buy lots of bits and pieces from the Dollar Store for birthday party goodie bags, but once I had made up 10 - 15 goodies bags I realized that I had ended up spending too much money on a bunch of things that would probably get thrown away.

I now think giving the children an affordable book as a party treat or birthday gift is personal and means more. We are big fans of the Mr.Men & Little Miss book series by Roger Hargreaves in our house; as my husband and I grew up with them in the U.K and they are celebrating their 40 years anniversary. 

I like to choose characters that represent each guest; such as Little Miss Giggles, Mr. Bump, Little Miss Sunshine, Mr. Funny etc.

There is also Mr. Birthday and Little Miss Birthday for the birthday boy or girl…perfect!

The Mr Men & Little Miss Books are about $3.99 each and you can find them on Amazon.com

"Like" them on Facebook

Looking for more children’s books to enjoy? Read my Children's Book Reviews

The Fancy

I have just joined The Fancy community; similar to Pinterest you browse images in various categories such women’s, men’s, kids, art, media etc. and shop for them at the same time. As you click on things you fancy you unlock opportunities to collect badges (similar to SneekPeeq) and are awarded promo codes for discounts.

I actually think there is more choice for the male audience on The Fancy than Pinterest especially in the “media” category which features cool gadgets, artwork from classic movies, record covers, design books, boy’s toys and general lifestyle gift ideas….ideal for birthdays and Father’s Day coming up!

Here are a few examples of what I “fancy” at the moment:

Rachel Zoe sandal on The Fancy

Notebook on The Fancy

Horbert MP3 Kid's Player on The Fancy

Dear Photograph book on The Fancy

Paul Smith mini on The Fancy

You can also find out about popular culture in the “media” section, for example I came across this poster by Pascal Witaszek with his idea for new bio flick on Walt Disney by Ron Howard starring Ryan Gosling, it’s a great idea…I hope it would happen one day!

Mock Ryan Gosling poster by Pascal Witaszek

The Fancy is a lot of fun to browse, so join up and invite your friends through Facebook or Twitter!

Style Inspiration this Week

It has been a while since I have featured my “Mommy Treats” on this blog so I thought I would share some things I am enjoying at the moment!

Read: Ali in Wonderland

Ali in Wonderland book

Funny lady Ali Wentworth first caught my eye when she used to appear on Oprah’s Friday Live shows, I used to enjoy her funny stories and sharp delivery so I was intrigued when Gwyneth Paltrow recommended her new memoir “Ali in Wonderland” (Amazon) on her GOOP website.

Ali comes from a family who socialized in Washington’s political social circle, with an aspirational mother who was First Lady to Nancy Reagan’s social secretary and appeared to be a mother who could juggle with grace (I’d like to know her secret!). 

She is also married to Good Morning America presenter George Stephanopoulos, who seems a bit square to me but never the less; she is very witty and has written an entertaining book, I look forward to the audio version!

Home: Urban Outfitters

Urban Outfitters tea cup

From Ali in Wonderland to Alice in Wonderland, and what better way to enjoy a good book but curled up on the couch with a hot cuppa! 

Fashion store Urban Outfitters has a fantastic home décor section on their website called "Apartment" that features great chevron duvet sets, funky chairs, rugs, brightly colored book shelves and cute accessories like this Alice in Wonderland tea cup.

I love my tea and collect teapots and tea cups (I’m such a British stereotype) so will be adding this one to my collection!

Style: Colored Jeans

I don’t get to have many fashion moments any more, I used to work in the fashion industry (but made to mostly wear black) and used to get to dress up regularly, but now I am a mom I only get to do so on rare date nights or much needed girl’s night outs. But I love the colored jeans trend at the moment especially red jeans which compliment my love of navy nautical stripes and grey sweaters. I was inspired by this picture from Style Me Pretty blog through Pinterest:

I found some red jeans from Almost Famous brand found at Tillys  (Northgate Mall or Vintage Oaks) which also come in a fabulous cobalt blue. I also love anything sunshine yellow this season, and most of my friends know I have been on the hunt for yellow cardigans or sweaters for some time, so love these yellow jeans seen on Lookbook.nu blog!

Yellow jeans on Lookbook.nu blog

Celebrity: Gwyneth Paltrow at the Oscars

Lastly, talking of fashion moments, I loved some of the dresses on the red carpet at the Oscars last Sunday, especially Gwyneth who looked stunning in this Tom Ford white dress with matching cape that was a fashion risk which she pulled off with class.

Gwyneth in Tom Ford at the Oscars

I also loved Cameron Diaz’s cream Gucci gown (well done Rachel Zoe) with her sexy new hair cut! 

Cameron Diaz in Gucci at the Oscars

Harajuka Mini for Target & Thanks for Thanksgiving Book

Harajuku Mini for Target 

Gwen Stefani’s HaraJuku Mini for Target collection arrived in stores yesterday for children 6 months and above. It is a mix of “nerd rock’, “girlie glam” and cute “animal Collective” pieces. Here are some of my favorite outfits:

To see the full collection check out this Target link

Thanks for Thanksgiving 

Book Review

With Thanksgiving approaching next week why not encourage your children to start thinking about what they are grateful for. I reviewed a great book called “Thanks for Thanksgiving” by Julie Markes, full of wonderful rich illustrations by Doris Barrette. It was introduced to us by the great Christopher Smith at his story time at the Book Passage (free every Sunday at 11.00 am). Take a look at the book review

Baby & Toddler 

Weekly Activities Calendars

Looking for something to entertain your toddler or want to reach out to new moms with babies this week?

To view this week’s activities: Click here