I just love holidays, like Easter, that give me an opportunity to buy fun things for my kiddos. I'm a gift-giver and always look for ways to personalize gifts and tailor them to my children's specific interests. On Easter, I like watching the kids run around the house looking for hidden Easter eggs and opening Easter gifts. These traditions mean so much to me as these are days I don't get to do-over, I only get to enjoy them again next year...and my "little ones" won't be as little then. 

The other day, I took Alex with me to Walmart to gather items for Easter baskets. Our main goal was to find a Nickelodeon themed Colgate toothbrush for the kiddos and make them Easter baskets to encourage healthy #EasterSmiles.

Right at the store's entry, we found this pallet of Colgate oral health items. It was packed with Nickelodeon characters like Spongebob Squarepants, Dora, and Diego on items like toothpaste and toothbrushes. Alex was very excited and wanted to pick out his toothbrush right away. After selecting Spongebob for himself, he chose a Dora toothbrush for his little sister in her favorite color of pink. 

We shopped around the store and finished selecting items for Easter Baskets. I tried to steer clear of sweets and looked more for things that my kiddos would enjoy playing with. Really, my goal was to stock up on items that promote smiles in my home. Instilling healthy oral care habits and limiting the candy is a great way to do that. {Don't you think?}

I spent just over $50 and was able to get great items for all three of my kiddos. I'll be honest and say that I felt really good spending that money on items they'll enjoy using rather than spending it all on candy. I think this is a wonderful idea and I fully intend to stick with this in the future.

If you'd like to see more about my shopping experience with Colgate and Walmart, see my Google+ album.

For Mikayla, I grabbed this adorable "Easter chick" onesie and headbands. Every baby needs a "baby's first" outfit and this was a steal at only $3.25 for the onesie and just under  $3 for the pair of headbands. 

Alex and Eliana both received a new toothbrush and small toys that fit their unique tastes. 

Alex really loved the Spiderman bucket he found. He really enjoys a good superhero and has been running around our home acting like he's Spiderman since he found this. He also found a Fisher-Price Batman toy, a cute puzzle and wind-up bunny toy, a Nascar toy filled with candy, and {his favorite} a Spongebob Colgate battery-powered toothbrush.

 Would you like to hear something wonderful about Alex's Easter items? He's been begging me to use his toothbrush since we bought it. I put all his items aside for Easter morning but I just know that he's going to want to use his new toothbrush right away. Also, his toothbrush matches his toothpaste that he currently uses every day. It's true. We're big Colgate fans in this house and Alex loves picking out his favorite toothpaste and toothbrush.

Eliana's bucket has all of her favorite things in it. It's filled with Disney Princesses and the color pink. Her favorite princess is Sleeping Beauty and I was excited to find items in Walmart featuring that princess. Also, we found an adorable set of hairclips for her with bright colors perfect for the Spring and Summer.

Making our way around Walmart to fill our buckets for Easter was easy as they have something for everyone. Also, being able to find items for my kiddos to enjoy that aren't strictly candy makes me feel great as a mom. I know these baskets will bring many smiles to my kiddos and their Colgate toothbrush will keep those smiles healthy while making oral health fun for them.

What are your traditions? Do you make Easter baskets for your family? How would you incorporate a Colgate toothbrush into your gifts?

Be sure to follow Colgate on Twitter and Facebook.

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  • **This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.

  #CBias All opinions are 100% my own. Others may have a different experience.

Our Smiles-Centered Easter Baskets {review}

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I have some winners to announce! (sorry for the delay on a couple of them)

First up is the winner of the set from The Body Shop. Congrats to…

 

Next is the winner of the Wii Fit Plus Bundle from Sports Authority! Congrats to…

 

Finally, the 2 winners of the $30 Gift Card from Walmart are…

 

CONGRATS, EVERYONE!!  Grab your “Coffee To Go” button off the sidebar for your blog, if you’ve won. :)

More Giveaways coming right up!

 

More Winners!!!

• fitness ultimatum 2010 gift card giveaway sports authority the body shop walmart wii fit plus winners
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The holidays are supposed to be a time when families get together to enjoy each other’s company and create new memories while recalling the good memories of the years prior. AND, who can forget the fantastic food that is paired with the thoughts of the holidays?
Speaking of food, I love to bring desserts with me to share with the family. I choose something different every year and think I’ve found the winner for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner. Here’s what I’m bringing…

Pumpkin Flan c/o Marthastewart.com

1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light-brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp coarse salt
1 cup cooked pumpkin purée
1 1/2 cups half-and-half or cream
5 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped

*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
*Put the granulated sugar in a 9-inch cake pan or pie plate, set on the center rack in the oven, and bake until the sugar is caramel colored, 8-12 minutes. Swirl to cover the bottom of the pie plate with the caramel.
*In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Stir in pumpkin purée.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, and vanilla. Thoroughly blend the egg mixture into the pumpkin purée.
*Set the pie plate in a large roasting pan, and pour the custard over the caramel. Carefully pour enough hot tap water in to the roasting pan to reach halfway up the sides of the pie plate. Bake until the custard is set, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool and chill in the refrigerator. Run a knife around the outside edge of the flan and invert it onto a rimmed plate. Cut into wedges or scoop and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Yum! Right?

Personally, I can not wait to be crammed into one house with as many family members as possible. There’s just something so warm about sitting at the dining table and passing food around while talking about anything and everything with the people you hold closest to your heart. The holidays are truly a wonderful time of year for me and my family.
Unfortunately, not everyone is in the best position financially. With the downturn in the economy and lay-offs happening every day all over the country, the holiday season may be more stressful than enjoyable for some families. Walmart wants to provide every family with an affordable meal this Thanksgiving to help alleviate some of that stress.
Here is more information about Walmart’s Holiday Meals on a Budget:

According to a survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation, last year’s average cost of a turkey was roughly $1.19 per pound. Beginning today, select Grade A turkeys are available for 40 cents per pound at Walmart.* These gobblers are part of Walmart’s $20 Thanksgiving menu guaranteeing family favorites will be on the dinner table this holiday season. Walmart’s $20 Thanksgiving feast includes:

• One 12-pound Grade A turkey*
• Three 11 to 15.5-ounce cans Green Giant vegetables
• Two 14-ounce cans Ocean Spray cranberry sauce
• Three 6-ounce boxes of Stove Top stuffing
• One 5-pound bag of red potatoes
• One 12-count package of Sara Lee dinner rolls
• One 22-ounce pumpkin roll cake

* Prices and availability may vary in AK, HI, OK, NM, WI and at Walmart.com. Prices on select Grade A turkeys begin November 4; limit two turkeys per customer; weights and brands vary by store. Prices on electronics items begin November 7. Quantities are limited; no rain checks; purchase limit on select electronics items of two per customer. All prices do not include tax.

THE GIVEAWAY!!

I have the wonderful opportunity to bless 2 of my readers with a $30 gift card to Walmart. The contest will be over after Thanksgiving has passed but I hope you can use it toward your holiday shopping or restocking your pantry.

To enter:

• Tell me your favorite memories from the holiday season OR any money-saving tips you have to share when approaching the holidays. You can share as many as you like in separate comments. (This means UNLIMITED ENTRIES!) Please just be sure your comments are  ON TOPIC and a complete sentence for your entry to be valid.

This giveaway will run until December 2nd at 11:59pm ET.  The winner will be selected by using random.org and will be contacted directly on December 3rd. If the prize is not claimed within 48 hours, I will randomly select another winner.
**I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Walmart. In addition, I received a Walmart gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate and two to offer as a giveaway.

Walmart Offers A Thanksgiving Meal For 8 As Low As $20 (giveaway!)

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