It's 2 O'Clock - Let's Shop! New Year's Resolutions

Is your New Year's Resolution to get in shape? Yeah, mine too. In fact, it seems that lots and lots of people have this goal!

Though I exercise regularly, it's hard to get motivated to leave the house when it's cold and snowy out there. The one fitness item that I can say I use regularly for at-home workouts is my stability ball, like this Yellow Studio Series Ball from BodySport:

When I work out with my own ball at home I like to follow this Stability Ball Workout from Fitness Magazine. There is an exercise for every part of your body here. I ripped this workout from their magazine years ago and still refer back to my crinkled and worn copy!

I would recommend doing this workout in front of the TV while watching whatever guilty pleasure reality show your family hates...like the Kardashians or The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills!

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It's 2 O'clock - Let's Shop!

This Holiday Shopping edition of "Let's Shop" features 10 great gift ideas for $20 and under! Check it out...

1. Portable Fold-Out Speakers - $15

These Portable Fold-Out Speakers are actually made from recycled card stock! I love how they make it possible to listen to my music where ever I am and keep extra papers from the landfill. Buy Now


2. Guitar String Bracelet- $20

These unique bracelets are actually made from recycled guitar strings! What a great environmentally friendly gift. Buy Now



3. Puttle- $15

When looking for family games, I like to choose those that are simple enough for everyone to understand, yet challenging enough for adults. This Puttle game is just that. A cross between golf and bowling, it can be set up anyplace inside or outside and challenges every age. Buy Now

Look how fun the Puttle tournament looks!





4. Pop Up Cup- $12

My hubs has lots of travel cups for his morning coffee. So, here are my main complaints... They don't stack neatly and the lids are constantly falling all over the place, and I can't put them in the dishwasher because it will damage their insulating qualities. To the rescue - Pop Up Cup! A collapsible, insulated, lidded cup to use on the go! Buy Now

Check out the Flatterware video to see this thing in action:




5. Clip Headphones- $13

Got a runner on your list? I have these Clip Headphones and, trust me, they stay in place while I run. It's a great gift for the exerciser on your list. Buy Now


6. Cupcake Kit- $20

I love this little Cupcake Kit! This cookbook comes with cute liners and decorating accessories! Buy Now


7. Microplane Classic Zester- $18
I have had a Microplane Classic Zester on my list for the last 10 years. For some reason it's not something I've ever purchased for myself though I've pined for it. Maybe this year? Buy Now


8. 100 Best iApps- $15

Have a hard-to-buy-for techie on your list this year? My kids are glued to their ipods and this 100 Best iApps guide will show them some of the hottest apps out there! Buy Now




9. Rubber Neckers- $14

My kids received a book of travel games once and it made life on the road that much more tolerable! I love to give books to my nieces and nephews and this book/game pack would make a great gift for family traveling from out of town. Imagine the thanks you will get from kids AND parents when the ride home is actually fun! Buy Now

10. Family Talk- $10

So, I have three boys...actual conversations that don't begin with "Mooooooommmmm!!! He's bugging me!" are kind of slim. I love Family Talk cards like this in the car to spark some fun conversation. Ever notice how most of the talking happens in the car? These are awesome stocking stuffers! Buy Now

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It's 2 O'clock, Let's Shop!

Are you planning to hit the stores this Black Friday? Stay put for a minute and look at my latest obsession! I'm freaking out over this brilliant idea for updating the ordinary wooden building block...

They put magnets in them, people!

Introducing the new eco-friendly, Tegu Toy Company. Listen to the amazing founders explain how Tegu Toys came to be:



I know, you're freaking out now, too, right?

I have to say that we bought a bag of wooden blocks for my boys when my oldest was 2 years old. He is now 12 (as of yesterday) and my boys play with those blocks at least once a week to this day. Oh, how I wish these Magnetic Building Blocks were available way back then...sigh...

Wooden blocks are one of the best investments you could make for your child. You will get your money's worth over the years and this updated version just expands the possibilities. I know what is going to end up under our tree this year...shhhh...

Buy Now

It's 2 O'Clock - Let's Shop!

How many times have I tried to figure out a good way to pack cupcakes in my boys' lunches for special occasions?!? Lots! Look what I found! This cute Two-Pack-Cupcake-Case (say that 5 times fast) is just the ticket - and only 9 bucks! Whoot! (Clearly, I must finish each sentence in this entire post with an exclamation point!)

They have one that holds 6 cupcakes, too!

Buy Now

It's 2 O'clock - Let's Shop!

Okay, hold up everyone! I'm freaking out because I've finally made a connection with a seller to include an item I'm crazy about on Open Sky. I made the call, I waited patiently, and I've got it!

Let's talk...

On my recent beach vacation, we walked into a beautiful home full of great books and lots of fun games. One of the games looked so interesting, like a antique box, it looked like it had fallen off a pirate ship! We learned that the game was called "Shut the Box" and began to learn to play.

Fast forward one day and everyone in the house (ranging from 7 - 43 years old) is hopelessly hooked. We play it "just for 5 minutes, pleeeeease?" before we go to the beach, after we come home from the beach, before we leave for dinner, during lunch. Late nights, after the kids go to bed the adults sneak it out to play for dollar bills with some drinks. We. Love. It.

Fast forward 2 more days and the doorbell rings. Two little girls are outside and they tell a story about renting this house last week and leaving their game upstairs, "Could we go up and get it?" I swear the whole house held their breath as they watched these sweet little girls walk straight up to our new obsession and pluck it up.

Should we wrestle them to the ground? Wait, look out the window to see how big the dad is! We can take them! No, we just smile and watch our game drive away...sigh...

Fast forward 1 day, my 7 year old munchkin heaves a big sigh and says "I miss our game..." He gets many mumbles of agreement from adults and children alike, and for kicks we get online to try to find it.

Guess what?!? We found it! Guess what?!? It's affordable! Guess what?!? I ordered 4 of them right on the spot! One for home, one for our ski place, one for the folks we vacationed with and one for the friend who watered my garden. Bonus.

Introducing "Shut the Box", our new favorite game:

Check out the lid (which I learned is rare as this game is usually sold as an open board and the dice get lost.)



Check out the felt lining, the antiqued dice and numbers, the little faux suede bag!

Buy Now

If you are looking for a game that is fun for all ages, you will love this game. I can honestly say, we have played this game every single day for the last month. Try it, you'll like it! I promise.

It's 2 O'Clock - Let's Shop!

This Turquoise Rubber Vase caught my eye the second I saw it!

Funky? Check.
Fun? It's rubber, dude!
Functional? Check.

I am totally going to put this on my kitchen windowsill for a punch of color this winter. Imagine it filled with my Snowflake Branches!

There is still time to link up for Tutorial Tuesday - come on over and Teach Me Stuff!

Oh! I'm neck and neck with another project on the Fireflies and Jellybeans Iron Crafter contest! If you liked my Paint Chip Mosaic project, you can vote for me here. Pretty please?

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It's 2 O'clock - Let's Shop!

Let's start a weekly spot here for me to share the awesome Open Sky finds I dig up for you. You in? Remember the three F's - fun, funky, and functional is my goal!

I am so in love with this Citrus Throw Pillow from Sylvie Pillows - Check out the fabrics, the graphics! Yes, all the F's are covered in this one:

Check out this mini-bio from the artist who created this:

Sylvie Guieysse grew up in Paris, France, where she designed costumes for theater and launched her own Couture line. Her passion for the exotic flourished during her travels abroad. The different cultures, traditions, patterns and colors she encountered eventually inspired her to focus on home accessories.

I'm sold. Love her!

There is still time to link up your tutorials below - come on - Teach Me Stuff!
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Wide Open Sky

See that countdown clock over there? Has it been driving you crazy? Are you one of the people who has emailed me asking for a hint, just a tiny hint? Well, I'm ready to spill the beans.

In the next few months I'm going to be working on launching my own Open Sky shop. Did I just hear someone say "A wha-?" Okay, let's backtrack.

Open Sky is a new concept in online shopping. A concept that brings a personal connection into your shopping experience, another way for me to connect with YOU!

Listen, I feel like we are buds. We banter back and forth, I ask questions, you answer. You ask questions, I answer. We laugh, we cry ... let's shop!

Each week I get emails from readers asking what color my paint is, where did I buy the twiggy reindeer on my mantle, what brand macaroni do I use in my Macaroni Salad (dude, that's good salad). I feel like it's a thing between you and I.

Open Sky will allow me to stock a shop with all the things I know and love. Things I think you'll love, too. I want to keep it funky and functional. I don't know if that's possible, but that's my goal. I want you to feel like you're getting a recommendation from a friend. A cool friend who likes to cook and decorate and build stuff. Yeah.

So, that's the big news. Bear with me as I try to get through my trip to the beach and getting these rugrats back to school. I'll be working on it slowly - we can do it together. Yep, I like the sounds of that. So, soon we'll be meeting in the wide Open Sky. I'll call you when I get there.

There is still time to link up for Tutorial Tuesday this week. Click on over and Teach Me Stuff!

Meet me back here tomorrow 'cause we going on a field trip...

One more thing - I forgot to announce the winner of the Firefly Blankets gift certificate! Congrats to Peggy AplSeeds!

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