Toy Info.org~ All about safety

After the CPSIA craziness last year and all the toy recalls, it's wonderful to find a site that is totally focused on Toy safety! ToyInfo.org has all the information you need to choose the right toys for your family; and insure safe and fun play in your home. This site is all inclusive. Picture a visual library of resources about child safety including videos fee downloadable play guides including a guide on Intergenerational Play, recall and safety information, discussion boards and so much more!

Another interesting and helpful site....

The TOTYs are the "Oscars" of the toy industry … the "best of the best" as selected by industry experts Visit  this site to find out more about this season's most creative and innovative toys and games.

This site offers a free downloadable gift shopping list which parents and caregivers can take with them to the store to help guide them in selecting the most innovative and desirable toys this holiday season!

Visitors can register for one ( or more) of the 11 prize packages and can also vote for their favorite toys!

I took a look at the shopping list of favorite toys of the year. I have to say that there are a few on the list that are not on MY favorite list yet it's nice to see what other parents are saying and what they like.

Love to the moon and back,

,

 

Donna partners with Team Mom to review products/services made and or based in the USA or practicing fair trade. It's important to know what toys in the mainstream market place fit our high standards. At Blessed Nest we work hard to provide you with the best and we enjoy telling you about other companies who are doing the same~

 

Get K'NEX

Get K'NEX for your child this Holiday Season! Our family loves them. Our girls think they are the best. They love to play, create and imagine. But what does Mom and Dad like about K'NEX? We love that they are made in the USA. Not many toy companies are based in the USA today. We love to support those that are.

What are K'NEX?

K'NEX is a flexible building system that lets your child explore and build both 2d and 3D models. There are a lot of parts so kids can build & rebuild over and over again! They also work with other brands like Legos. So, if you already have a LEGO or other K'NEX sets , you can add this set to them and expand your building system!

Tabitha enjoyed building with the 400 piece Tub set. I thought maybe it might be a little tricky for her. The pieces are small and made for 7+. At first she couldn't figure out how the pieces went together but when we grabbed the book with illustrations and models she picked it up with a snap! She copied right from the book and made a little sail boat!

The K'NEX 400 pc Tub is priced at $20.99 & found at Target, Walmart & Toys "R" US

 Sophie enjoyed the K'NEX Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection! She already had the  Elmo piano set so adding the police Elmo to her collection was so much fun! This collection for age 2+ connects together just like Legos so she jumped right in with no problem!There are so many developmental benefits to this set!

~ Building supports the development of hand-eye coordination.

~ Encourages imaginative play.

~Language Development- Talking about what they built and created can enhance your child's language skills.

~Sorting and making patterns with the building parts encourages thinking & problem solving.

The K'NEX Sesame Street Set retails for $9.99 and is also found at Target, Walmart & Toys "R" US.

Do you want to get creative with K"NEX? Enter their video contest! You have the chance to win $1,000.00 worth of K'NEX  Building Sets and be featured on the KNEX.com web site...READ MORE HERE for official entry guidlines~

Again, we are happy to support main stream companies made in the USA! Here is a note from the President about who they are and information on their quality control!

Note from :Michael Araten
President & COO

To all our customers:
My wife, Ellen, and I are parents of a 9 year old girl and 6 year old boy. We have been seeing and reading the stories about consumer products recalls, including the toy recalls. As a family owned, US based manufacturer of toys, we take the issue of safety very seriously.

You can feel confident knowing that all K'NEX bricks, rods and connectors are manufactured at The Rodon Group — our family owned factory in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, under the strictest of guidelines and using raw materials from premier quality US manufacturers. We pride ourselves in providing you with a highly enjoyable and safe product. During this time of heightened sensitivity to toy safety, K'NEX will add a clearly visible label to the front of our products stating that "K'NEX Bricks, Rods and Connectors are made in the USA." The label is expected to begin appearing next month.  READ MORE ...

Enjoy your holiday shopping. Remember to look for companies made in the USA or practicing fair trade!

Love to the moon and back,

Donna

Donna partners with Team Mom to review products made in the USA or practicing fair trade. It's important to know what toys in the mainstream market place fit our high standards. At Blessed Nest we work hard to provide you with the best and we enjoy telling you about other companies who are doing the same~

Meet Janet from Sterling Pear~ A holiday giveaway

Giveaway closed~ Winner will be posted soon! 12/05/09

A month of thankfulness~ We have so many wonderful women in our lives. Janet has encouraged both Heather and I throughout the years. She is one of the most savvy, sweet, smart women in business that I know!

Meet Janet from Sterling Pear.com~ Sterling Pear has a lovely site. I've enjoyed my Ornament Storage Box  for years. It looks beautiful in my living room while storing all of our Christmas treasures!

"Sterling Pear evolved from years of friendship and family traditions. The company was formed to realize our dream of providing you with a single source for sophisticated yet coordinated holiday décor and ornament storage options."

Enjoy Heather's story about her life-long friendship with Janet. It is sweet, witty and inspirational; just like Heather and Janet!

"Janet and I have been friends since 6th grade. I don't remember meeting her, because the few years before we were friends seem insignificant compared to the lifetime that we have shared. It's hard to put into a few sentences what she has meant to me, how she has encouraged and supported me, and inspired me to be a better person.

For some reason one memory stands out... when we were in Jr. High, Janet wanted to be a cheerleader more than anything else in the world. She would practice for hours every day, I think it was all she could think about for weeks leading up to try-outs. We went to a school in Southern CA that (like many other schools, I'm sure) had a lot of mean girls who seemed to "rule" things like cheerleader try-outs, but Janet was absolutely convinced that she could be so exceptionally good that it didn't matter that she wasn't part of the "in crowd". At some point, she decided that I should also try out, even though I would have honestly rather shaved my head than try out for anything... I was awkward, shy and hopelessly uncoordinated (some things never change). But Janet refused to give up, even when I begged her to. I remember the moment it hit me that we would be friends forever, that she would love me no-matter what... she was going over the routine with me in her driveway for at least the 40th time, and suddenly I couldn't stop laughing. I was truly hopeless. The look on her face was a mix of despair and frustration... but something came over her and that expression just turned to pity. Ah, sweet pity... FINALLY. I think we went inside and had a popsicle and never spoke of me and cheerleading in the same paragraph again.

But all of these years I have known that if I would have ever decided that it was something I wanted to do, Janet (who went on to be one of the best cheerleaders that Dwyer Jr. High or Huntington Beach High School has ever known, and a prominent member of the "in crowd", without an ounce of meanness) would have dedicated herself to make it happen. She puts that same dedication into everything she has helped me to do over the years, with this silent gratitude between us... "thank God you didn't want to be a cheerleader"."

The giveaway~

Janet's gift to all of our readers... use the coupon code "BLESSEDNEST09" for 15% off your total purchase at SterlingPear.com

Now... Enter to win a Holiday Home Decor Starter Set!

Holiday Décor Starter Set

by Sterling Pear ™

Value $ 113.00

• Includes one Classic Tree Skirt, one Classic Table Runner, and two Classic Stockings
• All items are made of matching embroidered red taffeta
• All items have matching cording along edges, for a luxuriously finished look
• Classic Table Runner features a tassel at each end
• Starter Set comes tied together with ribbon for easy gift-giving
• Retail price for set with 70” table runner is $120; $133 for Set with 90” table runner
• All items in this set are also sold separately

To enter:

1) Visit SterlingPear.com and tell us in the comments here, what your favorite item is (other than the starter set).

2) for an extra entry, become a Sterling Pear fan on FaceBook then tell us you did in the comments.

3) for an extra entry, follow Sterling Pear on Twitter.com

4) for an extra entry, Twitter about this giveaway.

5) for an extra entry, become a Blessed Nest fan on FaceBook

The giveaway closes December 5th, 2009 12:00pm EST

 Enter our other Thankful giveaways:

Win a bundle of Thankfulness value $106.00

Purse*nal Creations

Win a Eli's Lids (cute kid hat)

Shipping to USA address only~thank you

 Love to the moon and back,

 

 

Eli's Lids.com~Meet Kara-Noel ~A Lid giveaway

Giveaway closed~ Winner will be posted soon! 12/5/09

Thankful November~ A month of thankfulness!

Meet yet another amazing momma. Today we are bragging about Kara-Noel from Eli’s Lids.com! Kara-Noel has been an inspiration from the first time we met. This gal is beautiful, witty, crafty and a sweet friend. We both lead very crazy, busy lives and don’t get to meet up on the playground as much as we’d like; but when I see Kara-Noel she brings sunshine and laughter to my day! She is the momma of two sweet kids, owner of Eli’s Lids.com and one crafty girl! Thank you Kara-Noel for being a word of inspiration into my life!

Enjoy our interview and giveaway:

<Donna>You are the designer/owner of Elislids.com. Your son Eli was your original inspiration. Your children and Lid line are beautiful! What continues to inspire you when you have tough days?

<Kara-Noel>Eli is still my greatest inspiration… especially on tough days! We’ll have some new Trucker inspired Lids coming out in the new year with something he told me while he was having a fit… but you have to wait to find out what it was!

Nap time is pretty inspiring too… zzzzzzzzz…

  <Donna>Your style of blogging is unique and fun. Does your silliness, quick wit and beauty come naturally or do you have to work at it?

<Kara-Noel> HA! Thank you!! I would say it comes pretty naturally! My parents say my sense of humor is from my dad’s mom… who was known to tell a (dirty) joke anywhere and often! I also taught aerobics at 24 Hour Fitness for 8 years. I noticed that by being silly and making fun of stuff (usually myself) I cultivated a fun genuine community in my classes. I hope that I’m cultivating the same thing on my blog by sharing our fun times. Being a mom is the most important thing anyone can do and it can be FUN, but we have to be intentional about the fun-ness!

  <Donna>You are a crafty girl. Can you tell us what your favorite Thanksgiving season craft is?

<Kara-Noel> I do LOVE crafts!! This year my favorite craft are these sewn handprint turkeys. ( as seen on O.C. Family.com ~ hear me bragging about kara-Noel who is now a momma writer at OC family..yeh I know her..hehe) Take time to watch her video "she's Crafty" they are just simply cool!

  <Donna> Who is the most inspirational women in your life and why?

<Kara-Noel> Most definitely my mom! She is REALLY funny (but don’t tell her I said that), easy to talk to and EVERYBODY likes her. She (and my dad) made a conscious effort to make my childhood magical… and it was!  I grew up without much money and I never knew what a brand name was. My mom made most of my clothes (back when it was cheaper to make your own clothes) and I remember us sitting at dinner and her bragging that our huge meal only cost a $1.00 because of her coupon clipping and sale shopping! She taught me that you don’t have to have loads of money to be a gracious hostess or to give to those in need. She worked with what God provided to our family and gave me a childhood that kids dream about. I hope to be a mom that doesn’t get caught up in the world always striving for more “stuff,” but instead gets caught up being a wife (my husband is hot, so that isn’t hard) and a mommy that my kids will respect (and hopefully still like) when they grow up.

Kara-Noel is giving you a chance to win Lid of your choice!

 

Eli’s Lids are the best So just "put a Lid on it" My girls love theirs!

Enter to win a Lid!

1)    Visit Eli’s Lids.com and tell us in the comments what style/print you will choose if you win.

2)    For a extra entry, become a fan of Eli’s Lids on FaceBook

3)    For a extra entry follow Eli’s Lids on Twitter

4)    For a extra entry Twitter this giveaway.

5)    For a extra entry become a fan of Blessed Nest.com on FaceBook.

Wow, I think that’s it!

Giveaway closes December 5th 12:00pm EST

 Enter our other Thankful giveaways:

Win a bundle of Thankfulness value $106.00

Purse*nal Creations

 Love to the moon and back,

 

 

Meet Amelia from Purse*nal Creations~ Interview & giveaway

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED. WINNER ANNOUNCED MONDAY 11/30/09

Thankful November......As you may know by now, Heather and I are taking the month of November to honor the special women in our lives. Women in business who have blessed us. Some are new friends. A few we have known for many years..... today's inspirational woman in our lives is Amelia Cole from Purse*nal Creations

I have known Amelia since she was 4 years old. She has always been an exceptional girl and now an even more exceptional woman! Amelia is a 20 year old college student and the founder of Purse*nal Creations.com. She grew up in Southern California, where she was homeschooled. (Her mother is another inspirational woman in my life) Just look at how her daughter turned out!!

Enjoy our interview and giveaway!

<Donna>  What inspired you to start your company, Purse*nal Creations?

<Amelia> I was inspired to start Purse*nal Creations because I always found it difficult to find just the right purse. I thought if only there was a place that I could "build" my own purse to fit my needs. So thats how I got the idea for my business.

<Donna>  When did you learn how to sew and who taught you?

<Amelia> I learned to sew in 4H where my teacher Mrs. Schrieber taught me when I was 10 years old.

<Donna> You are a young business owner. What keeps you inspired while you are busy with College?

<Amelia> I love sewing so it is easy for me to make time for it in my busy college life. It is harder to find time for my homework then finding time to sew. :)

<Donna> Other than college and sewing~ What do you enjoy doing in your spare time...

<Amelia> Well, a new passion I have discovered has been all types of art; drawing, painting, and sculpting. 

Thank you Amelia!

 Enter to win a "Mini Me" purse from Amelia's new collection just for little girls!

This purse is made especially for little girls ready to make that big step of carrying around their very own purse. It is just a smaller version of the Trim & Trendy but just as durable and unique.

$25.99

Here's what you need to do to enter the giveaway:

1) Visit Purse*nal Creations and tell us what fabric you will choose if you win. Leave a comment here telling us what you chose.

2) For an extra entry become a Fan on Purse*nal facebook . Comment here and tell us you became a fan.

3) Twitter this giveaway and comment to tell us you did.

giveaway ships to USA address only. Closes 11/29/09  12:00pm EST

4) Become a fan of Blessed Nest on Facebook. Comment and tell us you did.

Enter our other Thankful giveaways:

Win Autumn Rea Art

Win a bundle of Thankfulness value $106.00

 Love to the moon and back,