Category: gifts

The Ultimate Barbie Wishlist Toy: Barbie Dreamhouse

Post author By tiffany
Post date November 21, 2018

Barbie Dreamhouse Gifts for Girls Review

This post is sponsored by Barbie. All opinions are mine.

I grew up playing with Barbie dolls and have fond memories of my sister and I playing together for hours. I love that my daughter also adores playing with Barbie dolls and love seeing her imagination when she plays with them. She has been begging me for a Barbie house and so when the Barbie Dreamhouse arrived, she screamed and danced and couldn’t wait to help put it together!

Barbie Dreamhouse – the ultimate toy for all Barbie fans

We invited her friend Briella who is also a huge fan of Barbie to come over to play and let me tell you, they had so much fun and did not want to stop. I usually find that with girls their age, they will play with a toy together for awhile and move on. Not so much with Barbie Dreamhouse, the girls were so fascinated and could come up with so many scenarios to play with that they never got bored.

With 3 stories and 8 rooms, the girls could come up with a scenario for each room and make up fun stories for each doll. It’s also big enough that the two of them played easily together without it getting too crowded and each got to play with all the fun features within the house.

So much fun in one house!

They especially loved the slide that the Barbie dolls could go down as well as the elevator. Yes, an elevator and it really works! I loved the little touches in each room like the TV that could slide out, a couch that turns into a bunk bed and the chandelier in the bedroom. Oh, and I have to mention the toilet that makes flushing noises. That was definitely a favorite for the girls!

I could see Layla doing things with her Barbie that I do everyday at home like cooking breakfast, feeding the dogs, making the bed. It was just so adorable to see her play out these real life scenarios with her Barbie dolls!

The Dreamhouse isn’t just a house for the Barbie dolls to play in, the way it’s set up with the separate rooms and the accessories that it comes with like furniture, silverware, even decor elements that make it feel like a real home for the Barbies. Layla has been “cleaning” the Dreamhouse and putting her Barbie dolls to bed each night just like we do when we get her ready for bed!

Even after Briella left to go home, Layla was still playing with the Dreamhouse until it was dinner time! It’s a great toy for her to play with her friends and just by herself. I loved seeing both of their imaginations come to life with the dolls and all the activities that they could do in the Barbie Dreamhouse.

Barbie Ultimate Kitchen

The girls also played with the Barbie Ultimate Kitchen and they also loved that as well! They got so creative with how to play with the food that Barbie could make with the kitchen.

I love how the molds are built into the kitchen (less things to lose!) and that the girls could easily make the play food with the dough that was included. The “fry press” is the cutest thing and they really enjoyed the oven that makes a pie too!

Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures

The fun didn’t stop there as there’s also a Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures app and Netflix kids show! The girls took a break from playing and watched the show which was fun to take a look into the everyday life of Barbie! The show was so cute and lighthearted and helped the girls come up with fun ideas to play with the Dreamhouse!

We also downloaded the Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures App and Layla really enjoyed playing it! She loved designing all the rooms in the app as well as picking out new outfits for Barbie! I always look for apps that will encourage Layla’s imagination and I love seeing her get so creative within the app.

As someone who grew up playing with Barbie, it’s amazing to see Layla play with her Barbie dolls and the fun that she has with them. I love seeing how she plays with them, the scenarios that she puts together and just how imaginative she can be with the dolls and especially with how she plays with the Barbie Dreamhouse.

I also had to mention the Barbie dolls that the girls played with are all so diverse in hair color, skin color and even body type. I love seeing all the diversity and the girls loved playing with all the dolls!

Barbie definitely brings back such great memories of my childhood and I love that Layla is creating her own memories as well. The Barbie Dreamhouse and the Ultimate Kitchen playset are definitely her favorite toys and they would make the ultimate present this holiday for any Barbie lover!

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5 Tech Gifts Every Mom Needs

Post author By tiffany
Post date November 17, 2017

I was excited to attend the Techlicious and Consumer Technology Association Lunch a few weeks ago and got to learn about some great tech products! I wanted to share my top favorite tech gifts for moms. Personally, I prefer when people buy me tech items as gifts as I rarely go out and buy them myself. I shop for clothes, makeup and shoes constantly but when it comes to tech stuff, I’ll be honest, I just don’t know where to start. I always rely on recommendations from others. But that’s why I loved attending this lunch to learn about the products that both Techlicious and CTA hand picked to share with us.

5 Tech Gifts Every Mom Needs

AfterShokz Trek Titanium Headphones

If you are someone that uses headphones to listen to music, you must check out the AfterShokz Trek Titanium. We got to take a goodie bag home from the lunch and this was one of the products they gifted us. I tried it out and now I use it a ton! They are seriously some of the best wireless headphones I’ve used. I love that they are not typical earbuds that you have to stick in your ear. They sit kind of on the edge so they never fall off, they are sweat resistant and the sound quality is amazing! They come in 4 colors (I chose pink, of course!) You can even pair them to your phone to take calls. How cool right?

I like giving gifts that people will use and as a mom who uses her phone constantly to make calls, watch videos, listen to podcasts, music for working out etc… these are SO useful.

Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II

I think all of us rely on our camera phone for most photos but as a former wedding photographer I’ve still got all my equipment that I like to use to take photos. As much as I love the iPhone camera, nothing beats a photo that comes out of my DSLR. But as a mom, carrying around a huge camera is pretty much the most impractical thing so I have been carrying around a point and shoot. Mine is a few years old, so I’ve been wanting an upgrade. When I saw the Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II, it was the perfect size, lightweight and the photos and videos it takes are beautiful! It also has built in wifi and bluetooth which means you can send photos directly to your phone without having to connect it to your computer.

I love having the extra camera as I run out of room on my phone all the time and instead of sitting there deleting photos, I can just take photos on the camera and then transfer the photos I love to my phone. Oh and another fun thing? You can use your phone as a remote! So you can set it up to take photos somewhere else and then use your phone to take the picture. Yay for everyone being in the family photo and no awkward running back and forth!

Ecovacs DEEBOT R95

OK so I never got on the robot vacuum bandwagon but after seeing the Ecovacs DEEBOT R95, I really want one! Our house is a mixture of carpet and hardwood and we have two dachshunds that shed a ton so this little vacuum is just what we need. I love how it can map out your floorplan to know exactly where to vacuum. It also connects with our Amazon Echo or we can control it on our phones which makes cleaning super easy!

iHome iSP100

This was another product they gifted us at the lunch so I went home and tried it out and it was one of those products that I said “why didn’t I get one of these sooner?” It’s such a basic thing but so smart! The iHome iSP100 is a smart plug which means whatever you plug into it, you can control with either your phone (using their app) or when you pair it to your Amazon Alexa you can just talk to it to tell it what to do! This one is actually great for outdoor lights. I mean, so smart right? All you do is hit a button on your app and your outdoor lights are on!

We do have ours connected to our Amazon Echo so we just say “Alexa, turn on the lights” and voila, the lights are on! I love it! It’s great because it’s a small “chore” that we can give our daughter to do and she loves asking Alexa to turn the lights on or off.

Amazon Echo Plus

If you are a long time reader, you know I’m obsessed with the Amazon Echo. I’ve written about it several times and the 5 reasons why every mom needs the Amazon Echo is one of my most popular posts so I know a ton of you love your Echo as well! We got our Echo when it first came out and now there is a new version out, the Amazon Echo Plus and of course I want it! You can connect it to a bunch of other “smart” devices like lights, plugs, locks and just control all of those things with your Echo.

For our family we mostly use it for music. I listen to music and podcasts more than I watch TV so it’s something that I use a lot. We also try not to let our daughter watch too much TV so we often play kids music on the Echo and sing along to it or just have dance parties! But beyond the music we also use it to turn on/off lights (see above), ask about the weather, set timers and so much more! We’ve just found it to be so handy and I can’t imagine our house without it.

If you are looking for more gift ideas, don’t miss these posts!

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The ultimate list of CHIC GIFTS for her + $1,000 Nordstrom Giveaway!

Post author By tiffany
Post date November 13, 2017
4 Comments on The ultimate list of CHIC GIFTS for her + $1,000 Nordstrom Giveaway!

I’m always looking out for gifts that are chic but also a little bit practical. My home/office style is to find everyday normal things but are a little bit more chic and girly. I know most of my friends love the same things and I want to find gifts that are actually useful! These gifts are great for a co-worker or friend who loves to stay organized at her desk or home! My top picks from the Oprah’s Favorite Things inspired me to look on Amazon for more great gift ideas and I found plenty!

THE ULTIMATE LIST OF CHIC GIFTS FOR HER

ACRYLIC MAKEUP AND JEWELRY ORGANIZER || VANITY MIRROR WITH LIGHTS

ROSE GOLD TRAIN CASE || POLKA DOT ACRYLIC STAPLER

PINEAPPLE TUMBLER || BLUETOOTH SPEAKER || MERMAID BRUSH || ROSEGOLD PHONE HOLDER

CHIC AND USEFUL TECH GIFTS

If you don’t have a bluetooth speaker – you need one. I listen to my music, podcasts and audiobooks on my phone but when I’m at home, I prefer to use a bluetooth speaker so I can actually hear it more clearly! If you have an echo dot, you’ll need a bluetooth speaker as the dot is amazing for all the stuff it can do, but the speakers aren’t so great. I’ve mentioned before how much I love the echo dot and how we have one in every room which is also why I love having a little bluetooth speaker like this, I can take it from room to room easily! And for the price, it’s such great quality!

Most of these things are available for Amazon Prime (FREE 2 day shipping) if you don’t have it yet, try it here and get a 30-Day Free Trial

BLUETOOTH SPEAKER – comes in 5 colors ($20!)

If you don’t have one of these little phone grip/holders, let me just tell you that you NEED one! Especially if you take lots of photos as it helps you stabilize your phone or if you look at your phone in bed and have had your phone fall on your face (admit it, it’s happened to you too!) 🙂 You can easily hold your phone in your hand and it won’t move or fall out. It really helps if you have small hands and an iphone plus type phone where it’s a bit too large to fit in your hand.

PHONE HOLDER AND STAND – comes in 8 colors ($4!)

“TREAT YOURSELF” GIFTS FOR THE BUSY WOMEN IN YOUR LIFE

My daughter and I are obsessed with bath bombs. For her, mostly the ones that turn your bath water into crazy colors but for me, I love the ones that can help me relax! These ones have really great essential oils that make your bath smell great and are great for your skin. Also you get 6 of them for $16 which is an amazing price for how great these are!

BATH BOMBS GIFT SET

How pretty is this credit card holder? I love the color and the pearl accents! Also the keychain/lanyard is such a great feature! I love having something that I can just grab and run out the door. Sometimes when I walk to the grocery store, I really don’t want to be carrying a big bag when I know that I’ll have groceries to carry back so this is the perfect solution. The back even has a clear ID slot! It’s pricier than the other items on this list but for under $100, it’s well worth the price.

CREDIT CARD HOLDER

OK so this is less on the useful side but it’s so pretty that I had to share! It’s something that I wouldn’t buy for myself but if I got it as a gift, I would love it! I love having pretty items to keep on my vanity and this is definitely something that I would keep out. It’s under $10 so it’s a great stocking stuffer or secret santa gift!

MERMAID MAKEUP BRUSH

I have this on here because I want one of the lighted vanity mirrors so bad! It’s so pretty and would be so useful when putting on makeup or plucking my eyebrows (or examining all the wrinkles on my face LOL)

VANITY MIRROR WITH LIGHTS

PRETTY HOME ORGANIZATION GIFTS

I love acrylic makeup organizers. My bathroom is full of them but I don’t have one of these that can organize your brushes and lipsticks on the top and keep everything else organized on the bottom. It’s so smart to have it all together! It comes in 3 colors but I’m loving the pink tint so much!

MAKEUP AND JEWELRY STORAGE

From someone who owns a lot of makeup, a train case is a lifesaver to keep all my daily essentials and more organized. Also use it for your jewelry, hair accessories and so much more! This one is just so pretty, I love the rose gold.

ROSE GOLD TRAIN CASE

I’ve mentioned this acrylic stapler and tape dispenser many times before but it’s because I love them so much! They keep my desk looking so chic. I can’t help but love cute desk accessories when most of the time they are so boring!

ACRYLIC TAPE DISPENSER \\ ACRYLIC STAPLER

GIFTS FOR YOUR HOSTESS

If you are heading to a friend’s house for a party or for the holidays, don’t go empty handed! These gifts are going to be a great gift for anyone that loves having friends over! I adore these hot cocoa mugs. I mean, how cute right? I already bought these for a friend who always has me and my daughter over for hot chocolate, it’s the perfect gift!

MARSHMALLOW MUGS

Even though pineapples are a bit more summery, these copper tumblers are just so chic that they can be out year round. Also if you didn’t know, in the Chinese tradition we use pineapples to celebrate Chinese New Year as they represent wealth and luck which are always welcome in my house!

PINEAPPLE TUMBLER WITH STRAW

For more gift guides and shopping, don’t miss these posts!

Don’t forget to enter our $1,000 Nordstrom Giftcard Giveaway! And if you need some ideas of what to spend it on, I shared the top picks at the Nordstrom fall sale!

’tis the season to give back!
I’ve teamed up with an amazing group of bloggers
to give YOU a chance to win:
a $1,000 Nordstrom Gift Card, to make your holidays just a little bit sweeter!

Simply enter below by completing the rafflecopter.
You’ll receive one entry per completion.
This giveaway is open internationally and runs until end of day 11/20.
Winner will be announced here. Good Luck!

*this giveaway is in no way sponsored by Nordstrom.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Top picks from Oprah’s Favorite things Gift Guide

Post author By tiffany
Post date November 10, 2017

Oprah's favorite things - top gift picks on amazon

My first gift guide of the season and I had to share my favorites from Amazon. I was just talking to a friend the other day about how much we shop on Amazon and how crazy it is. But honestly I don’t know what I’d do without Amazon these days. I always have something on my list that I need to buy and think “oh I’ll go to the store tomorrow for it.” but I never make it to the store. In between my busy work schedule, my daughter’s after school activities and our packed schedules on the weekends, it’s next to impossible just to run to the store for one small thing! I now just end up searching for it on Amazon and ordering it, knowing that it will come to me in 2 days or less, thanks to Amazon Prime! Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial

Anyway, I absolutely love that Oprah’s favorite things is now on Amazon as I love to see what she picks every year. I’ve rounded up my favorites from her picks that you don’t want to miss out on!

READING SUNGLASSES || FAMILY PAJAMAS
ECHO SHOW || STEMLESS CUPS
CHARGER AND EARBUD HOLDER || OFF THE SHOULDER SWEATER

OPRAH’S FAVORITE THINGS: FASHION FINDS

We did family pajamas last year at Christmas including the grandparents too and it made for such cute photos! I want to do them again and I love these Burt’s Bees pajamas. I bought a pair for my daughter a few months ago and they are the softest pajamas I’ve ever felt! I can’t wait to get my own pair.

FAMILY PAJAMAS

Oprah chose right when it comes to this sweater. I love the off the shoulder trend and working it into my winter wardrobe. It’s a style that is flattering on every body type, 100% cashmere and comes in 3 colors.

OFF THE SHOULDER SWEATER

I never knew reading sunglasses was a thing but after seeing these I feel like they are genius! I wear glasses only when I drive but obviously can’t wear my glasses and sunglasses at the same time so I often have to choose which ones to wear on bright sunny days. My eyesight isn’t terrible, it’s just a slight prescription that and I think these will be perfect for me. They do go up to a 3x magnification strength which I think will be great for my mom as well.

READING SUNGLASSES

OPRAH’S FAVORITE THINGS FOR THE KITCHEN

I’m a Nespresso lover. We have both the Nespresso Virtuoline and the Pixie in our kitchen. My husband and I rarely go a day without using either machine. But I when I saw this on Oprah’s list, I started to make room in my kitchen for another! Beyond that Nespresso coffee is some of the best coffee/espresso you can make at home, their machines are beautiful and this one is no exception.

NESPRESSO CREATISTA

At night, I always wind down with a glass of wine. I’m always the last to go to bed as I put my daughter to bed around 9pm and my husband who has to wake up quite early in the morning goes to bed soon after. I’m usually up until 1am-2am and I just need a glass of wine to wind down. I love that these glasses are not only pretty but insulated so it keeps my wine at the perfect temperature!

STEMLESS GLASS

OPRAH’S FAVORITE THINGS BEST GIFTS PICKS FOR MOMS

This is on the top on my wishlist, it’s amazing! I love matte lip colors and this is a set of 25 of them! I just saw that it was sold out on Amazon, I’m sure they will re-stock soon but you can also buy it here!

JULEP LIP MOUSSE SET

I am always carrying iphone and my macbook chargers with me as I work literally everywhere. How cute are these cases that keep them all organized? I love the earbuds one too! No more dealing with tangled earbuds.

CHARGER AND EAR BUDS ORGANIZER

If you didn’t know, I LOVE the Amazon Echo. I’ve already written about why every mom needs the Amazon echo and now they’ve come out with the Echo Show and I want it! You can check the news, the weather, it will show you who’s at your front door, turn off your lights, you can even call people from it. I love stuff like this and my family is such an echo family that this is perfect for us.

ECHO SHOW

I never knew a shower cap could be so stylish! I adore this and it’s not just for the shower, if you want to keep a cute hairstyle while you sleep or keep your hair out of your face while your doing your makeup or a mask, this is the perfect and cute solution!

SHOWER CAP

OK, I realize a toothbrush seems like a questionable gift, but they I use a toothbrush everyday as do most people so you know it would definitely get used! I love my sonicare as it really has helped with my teeth health and I always get good reports from the dentist after my yearly checkups. The Sonicare DiamondClean toothbrush is their latest model with 5 modes and 4 different brushes!

I’ve got a couple more gift guides heading your way but wanted to get this one out first as I know when Oprah endorses something, it tends to sell out quickly! Head on over to check out all of Oprah’s Favorite Things.

For more great Amazon finds:

This post contains affiliate links which I may earn a small commission off of things you purchase from the link. Thank you so much for your support! This helps me to continue to bring more great content to my blog.

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More last minute gift ideas!

Post author By tiffany
Post date December 17, 2016
1 Comment on More last minute gift ideas!

OK guys, it’s getting SO close to Christmas! I’m just making some last minute purchases and had to share some of these cute finds!

BEST FRIENDS POUCHES – comes in black too

EAT CAKE FOR BREAKFAST SLIPPERS – love these! I added them to my own wishlist 🙂

PASSPORT COVER – comes in so many colors and is $9!

CROSSBODY BAG FOR YOUR IPHONE – adorable and only $10

It’s also the last few days to save up to 30% off at T&J Designs. So many tees to choose from, I’m sure you’ll find one that’s perfect for all of your friends!

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Gifts I’m giving for Christmas: Last minute Christmas gift ideas

Post author By tiffany
Post date December 16, 2016

My latest video is up and I’m sharing some of the fun gifts that I’m giving for Christmas. I love everything and there is a great variety so if you are needing some last minute gift ideas, hopefully this will help!

Gifts I’m Giving For Christmas
Please subscribe to my channel to get notifications when I post new videos. 🙂

What I’m wearing in the video: TEE and CARDIGAN

Everything I mentioned in the video:

Pom Sweater Hat

Tassel Keychain Pom Keychain Pom and Tassel Keychain

Faux Fur Collar and Hat

Le Mini Macaron Gel Kit

photo via @leminimacaron

Aveda Balancing Body Mists Gift Set

Je Ne Sais Quoi Complexion Perfection

City Chic Brush Set

Pixi By Petra Ultimate Beauty Kit

Instyler curler and straightener

Holiday tee shirts

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The Ultimate Glam Gift Guide: Girly Gifts Under $50

Post author By tiffany
Post date November 23, 2015
1 Comment on The Ultimate Glam Gift Guide: Girly Gifts Under $50

I can not believe holiday season is upon us! I love seeing all the holiday lights and decorations going up everywhere and I’m ready to do some shopping for some gifts! I wanted to start my gift guides with a round up of my favorite girly gifts under $50.

WATER BOTTLE || AGENDA || PHONE CHARGER
KEYCHAIN || PORCELAIN TRAY ||

GIRLBOSS PHONE CASE || DO WHAT YOU LOVE CASE
TASSEL KEYCHAIN || BRUSH SET
PINK TRAY || TRAVEL MUG || MAKEUP BAG
JEWELRY BOX || GOLD PENS

Glam up her office – Help her keep her coffee warm in a gorgeous travel mug or if she’s not a coffee drinker, this water bottle is the most glam one I’ve seen yet! And personally, I love a good pen and feel like I’d be much happier writing in my agenda with these fabulous gold pens! And speaking of agendas, I can’t live without mine! Kate Spade makes the best agendas and this one is definitely on my wishlist.

Keep her organized – I for one hate losing things, so I’m the type of person that always has a place for everything. This jewelry box will definitely help keep her jewelry organized and how great that you can even choose the letters to personalize it! I adore this “Stay True Love More” Tray, that would help her keep her more delicate jewelry pieces easy to find. And this tray is slightly bigger so would be a perfect place to keep her keys.

Treats for her phone – All of us Girlbosses are pretty much attached to our phones so these fun and motivational phone cases are a perfect gift that will get used a lot! And what else is more important than protecting our phones? The battery of course! Isn’t this the cutest battery charger? I think we all need one!

For her makeup – It’s hard to choose makeup for someone but a makeup bag is always a good choice. I just think this one is so cute and funny! This brush set looks so much more expensive than it really is! You’d never know it was less than $20!

SHOP THE POST:

Top Picks from Oprah’s Favorite Things

The Ultimate List of Chic Gifts for Her

What to buy at the Nordstrom Fall Sale