The Ultimate List of Unique Holiday Gifts for Kids (with discount codes)!

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com.

I can't be the only one scrambling to find Christmas gifts for those I love... I mean, I have the best of intentions and I always start out on the right path.

I firmly believe as Christmas season rolls around each year that I have plenty of time to get presents under the tree, but as Christmas Eve quickly approaches I inevitably realize I forgot someone super important or as it happened this year, I spent all month searching high and low for the perfect gifts.

If you're in the same boat as me and you just didn't know what to get the loved ones on your list, then I've got news for you. I have, right here, the ultimate list of Holiday Gifts for Kids. We all know Sally your sister's daughter is sweet as pie but she has everything - but does she have a Circuit Scribe Drone Builder Kit? I mean, seriously,  does it get any more epic than building your own drone?

With this STEM-based toy your little worker bee won't even notice that they are learning while creating! Plus, you both can have hours of fun flying the drone up and down with the CSDrone Network app on your phone. While D and I won't be participating in the building of this, I can't wait to share this one of my lovely nieces!

This all-inclusive kit teaches you how to draw the "wires" to the motors with conductive ink & then make cardboard from nothing into something truly extraordinary, a handmade drone! This truly is one of the coolest toys I've seen for bigger kids and well, I think D will be watching over her cousins shoulders as they play with this!

Something that NEVER gets overdone in our house is books - I mean, we had over 100 books in D's library before she was even born, so the fact that we are bookworms is likely not a surprise to most of you. What is a surprise is The Little Red Chicken is back in this sequel to The Interrupting Chicken!

We absolutely love this sweet little read aloud book, The Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise is easily a new favorite in our house. If you haven't read it, now is the time! From David Ezra Stein, this book is sure to make everyone in your house giggle as you read it. Want to snag this good read and others? Check out Candlewick.com & use code CANDLEWICK for 25% off (only valid in the US).

I think the gift D and I both loved the most were the sweet treats she now so sweetly cause "Grinch candies". PEZ candy dispensers were totally one of my favorite stocking stuffers as a child and now thanks to Babbleboxx, it may be a new favorite for D. I think adding PEZ Holiday gifts in her stocking will be a new tradition in our house, actually.

While D obviously loved the candy she's pretty keen on that green fella so she loved the fact the Grinch PEZ gift tin is shaped like the Grinch himself.

Then when she flipped it around and saw Cindy Lou Who I'm fairly certain her heart grew even more love for this fun little gift set. With Fred & Max in the box too, she was overjoyed and we both are so excited to see the new Grinch in theaters - I'm thinking maybe it'll be her first "real" movie in a theater!

Speaking of some firsts, these epic craft kits are just what mama was looking for while hunting for gifts for my crafty toddler. The Clothespin Zoo, in particular, is right up her alley!

Helping us create TEN different animals, learning about each one while playing with materials that are familiar and building fine motor skill, these preschool aged kits are a dream come true! I'm so excited for her to open this up on Christmas and really get crafty!

Speaking of excitement, D literally couldn't wait to get into the Klutz Sewing kit. Interestingly, I think she inherited that excitement for thread & needle, my grandmother actually used to sew and even wrote instructional books on needlepoint. Beyond being a crafty author, she also sent the COOLEST gifts every Christmas that were always educational and sometimes would include some of her work (now my Aunt has carried on this tradition).

Between her and my Aunt, I've been blessed with some of the most unique gifts and I must brag for a moment and say both are so gifted at sewing. While my Grandmother is no longer with us and I'm no expert at sewing, I'm so excited to encourage this hobby in my little sweetie. It's a family tradition to learn to sew, so this skill-building kit is just perfect for her. Helping her create while encouraging fine-motor skills is something my paternal grandmother would be so proud of and since it's a plastic needle and it comes with a little "training card" I'm certain D will get the hang of this quickly - imagine that, my two year old will be sewing soon!

Last but certainly not least in our Babbleboxx was this fun little Dumbledore Pop Figurine from Funko's 5 star line and The Illustrated Edition of Harry Potter and The prisoner of Azkaban! D has recently started watching Harry Potter flicks at nap time and she's pretty much obsessed. We both loved that the little figurine brought one of her favorites to life, putting the "magic" in her hands. She can create her own moments  in the Harry Potter universe now and she was delighted that Fawkes the Phoenix was included in the box too, she even called him her friend!

This little figurine was the perfect compliment to the Harry Potter illustrated book! The book is by far one of the coolest things we'll be putting under the tree for D this year, with vibrant illustrations and a cool ribbon bookmark - she's going to love it that one of her movies is actually available to her in book form now too! Want to snag some Funko Collectibles? Check out these deals and use the code "Babbleboxx" to save!

I'm not going to lie, this Babbleboxx was AMAZING! I'm not a kid anymore, but I'm totally excited about everything in this box - so I know the lucky kiddos that receive these gifts under the tree will be delighted as well! So tell me, what is your #1 pick for your kids this year? I can't wait to hear!

Cheesy Potato Balls with Stella - The Most Unique & Delicious Way to Use Left Over Mashed Potatoes

This post is sponsored by Stella® Cheese but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Here's the thing, you probably already know that I'm not so traditional when it comes to life, but I'm truly a little off the wall when it comes to the holidays. As far as our most recent holiday, Thanksgiving - well, if I'm being totally honest, it's definitely not on my list of favorites. Mainly because I don't love turkey and I think we should be thankful everyday, among other reasons. To make up for my lack of turkey lovin', I like to get super creative with side dishes.

This year I went totally left field and made something super unique that I've never made before and that my family seemed to really enjoy - even Miss Delainey loved these, once she finally took a break from playing long enough to eat.

What's so amazing about these Cheesy Potato Balls? Well, to put it simply... everything! These little balls of heaven are perfectly seasoned and just the perfect size to "pop" in your mouth during a holiday party or after a family meal as a little snack.

Filled with the most delicious Stella cheese, this is not only delicious - it's a GREAT way to get rid of left over mashed potatoes from a family meal as well. Have the left over potatoes but need the cheese? Find Stella cheese at a location nearby you using the locator on their website!

Enough about how amazing this recipe is though, here's how you make it -

Ingredients:

4 tbsp Stella Gorgonzola Cheese
3/4 of 8 oz block of Stella Fontinella Cheese
Half of red bell pepper, diced into small pieces
3 minced scallions
5 cups cold mashed potatoes
3/4 cup + 2 tbs of flour
3 pieces of bacon, diced into small pieces
2 eggs, beaten
Oil (for frying)

Heat oil up to 375 in a deep fryer (or a in a pan).

While oil is heating, mix all ingredients together in a bowl.

Form the "dough" into small balls and drop them into the oil a few at a time to not overcrowd the deep fryer or pan. Cook approximately 5 min or until edges look browned and crispy.

ENJOY!

The BEST Sale EVER from Silk'n & What Every Mom Wants for Christmas in 2018!

This post is sponsored by Silk'n, regardless all opinions expressed below are completely my own.

Hey fellow shopaholics and beauty product lovers, just popping in to remind you about the Silk'n sale today! They are having their BEST Black Friday Sale EVER - with up to 50% off all devices! Some of the devices they are offering up at steep discounts have actually never been discounted before - that means you have first dibs on some of the best deals!

I was lucky enough to be sent one of the newest Silk'n devices, the Titan. This revolutionary at-home anti-aging device!

This little device is what every mama is asking for this Christmas and something we ALL want under the tree this year! Why exactly? Well, it offers salon quality results in the prviacy of your own home with no "healing" time. That means those pesky forehead wrinkles I've been battling for the last few years are less noticable and they'll continue to disappear instead of get worse... as well as the annoying sun spots this Florida sun has left me with.

Wondering how this little guy works? Well, most users report seeing results in 8-10 weeks, with noticeably reduced wrinkles and a lift in facial contours! The Titan was made for use on your neck and face and it actually goes deep and repairs collagen and elastin fibers from the inside out.

So what are you waiting for? We're not getting any younger, but you can reverse signs of aging with this baby - so it's a MUST HAVE! Grab yours here before the sale ends TONIGHT!

Our $160 Adventure!

This post is sponsored by Vanguard, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

It's funny, looking at the "bigger picture", $160 really doesn't seem like a whopping amount - but it really is. That's gas for a road trip, a one-way ticket on a train, the amount of our water bill. It's also the difference between a day spent trying to channel her energy productively at home or a day spent exploring and learning a new place.

While there's a million ways we could have spent the day exploring in our neck of the woods, from children's museums to amusement parks, we asked Delainey what she wanted to do and she chose to go to ZooTampa!

Our "little" zoo isn't just a regular zoo, though - it's a whole trip around the world and it's also a place where animals are rescued, rehabilitated and cared for. With 56 acres of land there's a lot to do and see, there's interactive sections, there's meet and greets, there's even 'rides' & 'rollercoasters'- it truly is one of the coolest zoos we've ever been to.

On that note, we did a little bit of everything on our visit with our little explorer. From riding carousels & trolly trains to up close encounters with our favorite critters - our day was definitely full of fun.

There's just something so heartwarming about watching your kiddo brush the hair of a "kid" - a goat baby that is. She lit up each time we came upon a new animal, told us about her favorites, chatted about everything she saw, and was practically running from exhibit to exhibit to see all her "friends". It was a truly great day for all of us.

That's the thing, this $160 made for a day of happiness - but imagine how much $160 can ADD up overtime... that compounded amount could buy a whole lot of adventures, right? According to recent data, if you hold $10,000 in cash, you could earn around $170 in a year, at the current average yields of money market mutual funds. In a bank account, you'd only make about $10.* That means in a few years, you could have enough to fund a few plane tickets or even a cruise, just by switching how your funds are stored!

While $160 may not seem like a load of cash in the short term, it can add up to a substantial amount overtime. I've been doing a lot of thinking about money and choosing a higher-yielding cash account could allow me and my little crew to experience more moments like these, more adventures with my family, more time spent exploring.

To get the most out of our cash, it's important that we all assess our options and determine the best provider that fits our financial plan. Some companies, such as Vanguard, are built in a way that better aligns to the interests of it's investors. If you haven't looked at your cash investments recently, maybe it's time to ask yourself one vital question: "Am I getting the most from my financial provider?" If you hesitated, even in the slightest, I think it's time to learn more about Vanguard.

*This illustration uses 1.69% average yield for money market mutual funds and 0.09%
national average yield for bank savings, both as of 9/30/2018, according to
cranedata.com and bankrate.com. These rates are not guaranteed. Vanguard is owned by its funds, which in turn are owned by their investors. All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest. Bank deposits are guaranteed (within limits) as to principal and interest by an agency of the federal government. There may be other material differences between products that should be considered before investing.