Going For Gold - Olympics Gift Ideas!

As we gear up for the Olympics starting this Friday, I thought I would share some fun gift ideas for you and your family members to get into the spirit of the games and go for gold!

(Photo credits clockwise from top middle)

1.     Medal T-shirt (6 – 24 months); Poconodo

2.    Olympics Print; myMzone

3.    Team USA polo dress $55; Ralph Lauren

4.    Special Edition Line of Team GB LEGO Minifigures ShopLEGO.com

5.    New Balance “Patriotic 574” sneaker, $69.99 New Balance

6. Vintage Olympic cover story of Lucy Lui In Harper Bazaar magazine.

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

Customize your iPhone & iPad with Casetagram!

Sophie Davies collage

I love beautiful photography which is why I am becoming addicted to making and sharing photos on Instagram (well, it keeps my Pinterest habit at bay). 

I also enjoy making collages, ever since I was a teenager cutting up fashion and music magazines and creating collages of my favorite bands, movies and teen pin ups and putting them on my school notebooks and bedroom walls. I got to do this for real at college by creating mood boards for my fashion studies, and still enjoying making collages today, either the old fashion way or on the computer.

There is a fantastic social design company called Casetagram that enables you to make collages out of your Instagram photos and turn them into a hard case for your iPhone or iPad!

Casetagram iPhone & iPad cases - The Marin Scoop

This fun process can be achieved in three easy steps; just connect to Instagram, import your photos, create your own customize design using their templates and Casetagram will print and ship your creative case to you!

Casetagram iPhone case - The Marin Scoop

Users can take a look at other’s people’s designs for inspiration and try the process out for free on their websites choosing from 7 design templates and 3 case covers (white, clear or black matte).

You travel pics Casetagram case

It makes a great gift for your fellow Instagram friends using their Virtual Gift Card, and Casetagram are also offering free international shipping for a limited time. At only $35.95 including shipping, it makes such a great personal thing to keep and enjoy each day!

I can’t wait to make mine! 

(follow sophialdavies on Instagram) 

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!

Valentine's Day Crafts, Food & Gifts

Valentine’s Day is creeping up so here are some fun activities and gift ideas for the loved ones in your life.

For the Kids:

It is fun to make handmade crafts like love hearts or decorate cute photo frames with glitter and paint.

I adore this LOVE banner in my favorite circus inspired font by Roselyn Hellard, you can follow a tutorial on how to make it on her blog at Second street. You can also make your own version using different colored paper or fabric. 

atsecondstreet blog banner

Let them help with breakfast by making heart shaped pancakes with strawberries or bake cupcakes together with pink frosting and sprinkles. A good tip to create the heart shape is to insert a marble at the top of the paper case before you put the batter inside to create a heart shaped cake or muffin.

Pinterest

For Him:

The new David Beckham range of underwear for H&M was the perfect gift for my husband this year; it also gave me an excuse to gaze at Golden Balls himself. Very sexy…and the underwear isn’t bad either!

David Beckham Underwear for H&M

For Her

A woman can never have too many handbags, so check out this red suede purse ($90) which is perfect for Valentine's Day, and deep red leather tote bag ($135.00) from British fashion designer Julie Williams who deconstructs one-of-a-kind accessories from vintage fabrics especially leather and denim.  

Julie William's red suede purse

Julie explains to The Marin Scoop:

"I am given jeans and leather as donations from friends and family which it makes it inexpensive except for hardware, beads, thread, needles and of course the time and love that goes into making each piece. With the old saying in mind "waste not want not", I would like to recycle that by giving back to the community I live in by donating $1 for each bag sold to Homeward Bound of Marin."

Julie William's deep red leather tote

Julie's love of reconstructing fashion and her one-of-a-kind designs inspires the modern day woman to express herself and her individuality in a fun and stylish way.  

For further information and to buy product check out Julie's Etsy Store 

Land of Nod & Dwellstudio's New Furniture Collection

The new fall collection catalogs are arriving in our mail boxes this month and I wanted to share a couple of my favorites: The Land of Nod and Dwellstudio

The Land of Nod

Their colorful catalogue is full of wonderful gift ideas for the holiday season. Their durable wooden toys will last a life time and my son would love their Firehouse Collection

I grew up in a nation that runs on drinking tea, so I can’t wait to start having tea parties with my daughter, I love this eco-friendly 17 piece Tea Set that she can get her little teeth into, it is 100% recycled from milk jugs!

I am always looking for crafty ideas to decorate the kid’s bedrooms and love this make your own Fabric Chain Garland

DwellStudio

I am a fan of Dwellstudio's soft furnishings and their more affordable line for Target so I am super excited about their new furniture collection. Their couches, in particular, look great in wonderful colors and bold patterns. They also have unusual storage units that have a sleek vintage feel.

I dream of the day when the kids are grown, and I can decorate my house with these fabulous pieces without fear of sticky fingers and pen marks getting all over them. View their new Catalog online.

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