Magnolia Mamas

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

8 GREAT Birthday Gift Ideas For 8 Year Olds

Yesterday I shared Blondie's Minute-To-Win-It birthday party and today the birthday fun continues. 8 is GREAT so I wanted to share 8 great gift ideas for girls in this age range. It can kind of be a tricky age. They are usually too old for toys, but too young for some stuff, so finding something in-between to get them excited about isn't always easy. However, here are eight ideas that are a hit with the girls I know!

1. Bead/Bracelet set - Girls this age love making jewelry and beading kits are perfect because it contains everything they need all in one box. We have recently loved this Emoji Bracelet Kit. It makes 5 bracelets so they can make some with friends or sisters.

2. Books - You can't go wrong with fun books and and for my sweet Blondie this Curlee Girlee book by Atara Twersky was the prefect choice.

Blondie was born with super curly hair and over the years it has gotten blonder and longer making it much more difficult to manage. I should have bought stock in the Johnson's detangling spray because we go through that stuff like crazy. Every morning is quite the ordeal to brush out her crazy bed-head and there have been a time or two that she has longed for nice straight hair. However, the older she gets the more she appreciates that her hair makes her who she is and this book is the perfect read for her! It helps teach young girls to embrace and love who they are...in my girl's case...curly hair and all!

3. Shoes - For girls, like mine, that love clothing, shoes and accessories, new shoes are always a big hit. This time of year cute flip-flops are super easy to buy as gifts. Since Blondie has lots of hand-me-down things from her older sister I decided to get her something that was specifically just for her. She is our soccer girl so Boo-Boo actually picked her out a pair of soccer slides in her favorite color to give her.

4. Usborne Sticker Books - She received one of these from a friend has has had the best time with it. This is a gift that would be good for younger ages all the way up to 10 year olds, in my opinion. She got one of the dolly sticker books were you pick outfits and accessories for the girls in different settings (skiing, the beach, etc.), but there are tons of different sticker books available.

There are cute ones for boys, too that I am going to order for my son like sports, robots, and cars. See all of their sticker books HERE.

5. Beach towels/goggles/shades - Just in time for Spring Break and Summer is right around the corner, fun beach towels, new goggles or fun sunnies are always appreciated in my house. We spend a lot of time at the pool and lake in the summer so these items always get put to good use.

6. Headbands/Accessories - Fun headband and accessories always make a great gift. She loves the non-slip headbands and wears them almost daily. They come in a million different colors and designs so there are always new ones to be had! She wears them for school, for soccer, or just when we are around the house even. These Sweaty Bands are our favorite.

7. Fitbit - The one thing that she really wanted for her birthday was a Fitbit. I was a little worried that she might be too young for this, but several of her friends at school have them and she was really hoping to get one for her birthday. She has LOVED it! She got the older model of the Fitbit Charge.

I do not have a Fitbit, so I wasn't sure exactly how everything worked, but we figured it out together. I found setting up the app on her iPod was a little tricky because you have to be 13 years old to have an account, but I just changed her birthdate to get it set up and really there is nothing she needs to do on there anyway. I just needed the account to get it set up initially. She loves tracking her steps, seeing how active she is each day, and I think it would be a great gift for any kid her age or older. What better way to encourage kids to get up, get moving, and be active than with some fun technology!

8. Gift Cards - When in doubt, gift cards are always a great gift. Most kids this age love going to pick things out at their favorite stores. Target is always great one, but also other places you might not think of like Starbucks, the movies, a favorite ice cream shop, or even iTunes gift cards are a hit!

Monday, April 10, 2017

Minute-To-Win-It Birthday Party

Mondays are always hard, especially Mondays after Spring Break. However, today is a very special Monday because my Blondie turns 8 today. She's been looking forward to this birthday for months and since a lot of her friends are already 8 she couldn't wait to celebrate her big day and reach the 8 is great milestone herself.

We celebrated her birthday with her friends a week ago with a Minute-To-Win-It birthday party. She didn't really like any of the other suggestions I came up with for a party, but this party ended up being a blast! All of the kids had tons of fun and it was an easy, at-home party.

I set up the food and snacks inside, and we played all of the games outdoors. They kids ate snacks as we waited for everyone to arrive.

As soon as snacks were finished and everyone had arrived we made our way outside to begin the games. I had 5 games planned, plus Giant Jenga, as a filler and it was the perfect amount of time spent on games.

Clip The Clothes Pins

For this game I got 100 clothes pins and divided them into two different buckets. The kids were divided into teams and had to pick one person to be the captain. They had to race and see which team could clip all the clothes pins on their team captain first.

They loved it so much that we played several times letting different people have a turn to get clipped!

This game also must be played backwards. After all of them are clipped on they have to race to see which team can get them off and back into their bucket the fastest.

Move The Candy

For this game each kid got two cupcake liners on a plate, a straw, and some sort of candy. We used Sixlets that matched the party colors. All of the candy is put in one cupcake liner and then they have to use a straw to suck it up and move it to the other cupcake liner. The person who moved the most in one minute was the winner.

Junk In The Trunk

This game was a hoot to watch. I took empty tissue boxes and cut slits on the bottom on each side so I could slide a ribbon through it and tie it around the kids' waists. They each got 7 plastic golf balls (or you can use ping pong balls) put in the tissue box. They had to shake, wiggle and maneuver to see who could get the balls out the quickest. Then they had to pick them up, put them back in and pass the box to the next person in line.

Stack The Cups

Each child got 15 cups and had to make a tower (starting with 5 on the bottom) then stack them all back together using only ONE hand. They worked with a partner so each partner had to complete the task to be the winner.

Elephant Trunk

This was another favorite by the kids. I took a pair of tights for each child and put a tennis ball down in one foot. The kids had to put the waist band of the tights on their head and use the end with a ball in it like an elephant trunk. There were six water bottles set up for each kid and they had to see who could knock them down the fastest with their "elephant trunk."

After the games we made our way inside for dessert. Instead of cupcakes she wanted an ice cream bar and it was the perfect way to top off a great party. We had several different types of ice cream and tons of toppings to choose from!

We stuck a candle right in the ice cream and everyone sang happy birthday! It was such a fun, sweet way to celebrate my Blondie!

Saturday, April 8, 2017

April Showers Giveaway

This week we have been experiencing a lot of those infamous April showers here in the deep south. Throw in a tornado or two and it makes for exciting times. But we aren't going to let all that rain dampen our parade. We've teamed up with some of our favorite friends to make all those April showers a little more fun with an AMAZING giveaway!

First, check out our friends! These are some fabulous ladies whom we wished we lived closer to because we just know it would be a fun time!

Rebecca from Mainely Mama

Christy from Stained with Style

Liz from Ellie & Addie

Kim from The Best Ideas for Kids

Carolina from Mama Instincts

Now to bring on the exciting part! We've partnered with some amazing brands to bring you some amazing items. These were some of our favorite things when we had a baby and some we even still use today with the toddler crew. And who doesn't love a good bag no matter who you are?

One lucky winner will receive all of the following prizes:

$300 to shop Lily Jade
Lilly Jade is one of the top makers for designer diaper bags. These bags are not only gorgeous, but are functional and versatile for every kind of mom.

$100 to Milk & Baby
Milk & Baby make the coziest items. From the delivery room to nightly nursings to playdate attire, mom is covered with luxury in these comfy products. And trust us, finding functional and cute nursing is hard to find!

$75 to shop Zutano
Zutano is such a fun brand for little ones and has been a long time favorite of ours. They have the most adorable little booties, unique toys for little ones, and offer cozy clothes. They even monogram! (That's right, we said monogram!!)

$50 to shop Spray Pal
We didn't cloth diaper, but if you do (or are planning on it), you will want to know Spray Pal! They've thought of everything for you and make the world of cloth diapering and cleaning a cinch!

$300 to shop with Pear Tree Greetings
Stationery is one of our absolute favorite things. Pear Tree Greetings offer the most adorable designs for paper goods, designer decor, and gifts.

Divided Plate and Spoons from Oogaa
Oogaa is one of the leading makers in modern baby feeding products. Their silicone feeding utensils help keep baby safe and make mealtime way more fun!

One Happy Baby Wrap
Being hands free as a new mom is extremely helpful during those first few months. Happy Baby Wraps are so light and easy to use that it will become your new favorite mom accessory. The fabric feels amazing, is machine washable (wahoo!), and can hold up to 25lbs.

Ultra Bottles and Night Time Pacifiers from Tommee Tipee
We both nursed our babies, but we know the magic of a good bottle. Tommee Tipee bottles were favorites amongst our group of mommy friends and that's because they knew how to keep both mommy and baby satisfied. The glow in the dark Night Time Pacifiers weren't around when ours were little, but oh my goodness they would have made nights so much easier!

Choice of Shoes from Livie & Luca
Livie & Luca shoes are our favorite shoes for little ones! Their innovative technology assures you that babies feet will be properly developing during all stages of walking, and they are super adorable while doing it. Seriously, we wish we could have a pair or two in adult sizes!

Zen Swaddle from Nested Bean
Right from the get go we learned that swaddling was the key to getting baby to sleep. The Nested Bean Zen Swaddle helps keep baby cozy and snug by mimicking the feel of human touch, and not to mention (ok, we will!) that its super easy to use.

Oscar the Owl Humidifier from Crane USA
You can find a humidifier running in our kids rooms every night, and Oscar the Owl from Crane USA is adorable. The humidifiers are quiet, easy to clean, and made with materials that help reduce bacteria and mold growth.

Boppy Pregnancy and Classic Pillow
Talk about life changing! The Boppy pillows are one of our favorite baby products, and even nursing today Jen still uses her Classic Pillow. If you have to put one item on your registry lists we suggest these! With support in all stages - pregnancy, postpartum, and nursing - Boppy Pillows will be your new best friend.

Bouncer Bliss from BabyBjorn
One of our favorite pieces of baby gear was our bouncer. The BabyBjorn Bouncer Bliss is their newest bouncer and it looks amazing. With it's sleek design, comfortable support, and classic colors it makes for a bouncer that your home will enjoy too!

Organic Blanket from The Company Store
Everyone wants their new baby to be snuggled with the softest fabrics. The Organic Blanket from The Company Store might be the snuggliest one of all. Made with 100% organic cotton and an array of wonderful colors this will be the blanket both you and baby want to cuddle in day and night!

3-in-1 Growing Step Stool from Little Partners
From brushing teeth to helping in the kitchen, the 3-in1 Growing Step Stool from Little Partners is one of our favorite kids products of all time. One can currently be found in our kitchens today and we love the versatility and independence that this stool offers our little ones.

To enter this amazing giveaway use the Rafflecopter form below. Note that you must be at least 18 year old and a resident of the U.S. or Canada (excluding Quebec). The giveaway will run from Saturday, April 8th, 2017 to April 16th, 2017 at 12AM EST. The winner will be displayed be notified via email on April 17th, and will have 48hrs to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, April 6, 2017

First Game at SunTrust Park

Jen and I are on Spring Break this week and we are enjoying a nice staycation at home, despite all of the rain and crazy storms Atlanta is experiencing. We kicked off our Spring Break last weekend with a fun, adult only evening at the brand new home of our favorite baseball team, the Atlanta Braves.

This is the first season the Braves will be playing at SunTrust Park and it is literally in our backyards. We're so excited to have this new stadium close by and last Friday night was the first game ever played in the stadium. It was an "exhibition game" and we were so excited to be there.

We got a special tour including seeing under the Chop House and we were all in awe. It took us to ground level and we were able to be right there with all of the action.

We were in the outfield on the field level and all that was separating us from the outfielders was a fence. It was kind of surreal to see everything happening right in front of us.

After some delicious food and drinks we made our way towards our suite, but stopped along with way to check out some of the attractions of the new stadium, including the Braves Monument Garden.

It was like a museum in the middle of the stadium and available for everyone to view including statues, history, and memorabilia.

When we finally arrived at our suite we were loving the view, but kept saying that we couldn't wait to bring the kids and share the brand new stadium with them!

It was the first of many games we will attend at SunTrust Park, but it was a wonderful night and we can't wait for the official opening night next week!

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Kitchen Confessions: Easy White Chocolate Lemon Fudge

We love sweet treats around here and while my kids are always begging me to bake something with them, it's honestly hard to find the down time to be in the kitchen together for a long period of time. That's why I love easy treats that take very little prep time and even less cook time.

This White Chocolate Lemon Fudge is the perfect twist on traditional fudge and great for spring! The best part is...it is made with very few ingredients and done in the microwave. Just how I like it. This fudge is great of packaging up and giving as gifts if you can resist eating it all by yourself.

We're sharing the full recipe over on Savvy Sassy Moms, so be sure to head over and check it out HERE.

Monday, April 3, 2017

Book Club: April

It's a new month and that means it's time for book club!

So grab your wine and your latest reads and dish with us!

(Or at least your wine because even if there isn't time in our busy days to read, there's always always time for wine.)

WHAT WE READ...

CARRIE BETH

This month I read Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty and really enjoyed it. I was hooked from the beginning and could totally relate to all of the characters in this book since they were all mothers of elementary school children. The twists, turns and secrets that each of the characters have kept me turning the pages and with the foreshadowing Moriarty gives I couldn't wait to see what happened. Plus, this book was turned into a series on HBO, which I don't have, but want to see!

JEN

March was a crazy month. The first few weeks I felt like I was running around like a crazy person (because I was!), and couldn't catch up on anything. Especially my reading. The back half of the month I made up for it though. Not because life slowed down. Not even one bit.

In fact, I would say it got crazier, but somehow sitting on the sidelines of one of The Cutes' million activities or ignoring my to-do list in the middle of the night, I managed to read four books last month. Well, sort of. I fully read three, and the fourth I abandoned because I couldn't get into it, and who has the time to read boring books?

First up was Sophie Kinsella's latest My (not so) Perfect Life.

I was so excited about this book, and even more excited to fall in love with it as I read it. Kinsella always knocks it out of the park for me, and this book was so much fun. It was such a fun and sweet story with a lot of humor mixed in. I also loved how she tied in Instagram and touched on how not everything on Instagram is quite as it seems in real life. Definitely one I would put on your list and would make for the perfect Spring Break or beach read.

Next up was Confess by Colleen Hoover.

I loved reading It Ends With Us for January's book club, and when I was searching for something to read I figured why not pick out something else by Hoover. So I did, and I enjoyed Confess just as much as I did It Ends With Us. This story has a few interesting twists and turns, but I loved how it finished. A little bit of a mystery, a little bit of a hard topic, and a lot of unlikely romance story - definitely a good read. I think I am now officially a Hoover fan and can't wait to read another one of her books soon!

I've also heard that Confess has been turned into a show. I'm so curious if it's any good. Have you seen it or heard any reviews?

Third book for the month was The Ship of Brides by Joho Moyes.

Ok, so this is the one I couldn't finish. I usually love Moyes' books, but a few chapters in I just left it on my Kindle and downloaded something else. I might go back to it because of how much I usually enjoy Moyes' novels, but this one wasn't doing it for me 100 pages in and I needed to move on.

So I switched gears for my last book of the month, and read Yes, Please by Amy Poehler.

I love reading biographies sometimes, and I'm not sure what made me pick up Amy Poehler's Yes, Please other than I had heard a few good things about it. I knew I wanted a change of pace from what I was reading and she's hilarious, so I thought it would be a fun read. The book definitely had it's moments where I laughed out loud. She has some fun insight to behind the scenes of SNL, how she came up in the business, and a few life lessons she's learned professionally and personally along the way. It was definitely interesting, and gave me the change of reading scenery I needed for a bit.

WHAT'S UP NEXT...

CARRIE BETH

Yesterday I took my girls to see Beauty and the Beast and one of the previews was for a movie called Everything Everything. It was about an 18 year old girl who is unable to leave her home due to an illness, but when a boy next door moves in, she forms a bond through text messages and ends up stepping out on a limb and risking everything to be with him. It looked SO good and the preview mentioned that it was a based on a book so as soon as I got home I did a quick search and found the book, Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon. I can't wait to read it and have very high hopes for it!

JEN

Ok, I know they say never to judge a book by it's cover, but for my next read I totally did...

Isn't it so pretty? The chandelier got me. I totally purchased this on a whim at Target because of the cover.

From the synopsis, I gather First Star I See Tonight is a romantic mystery with a sports tie in. If that doesn't scream spring break must read, I don't know what does. ;)

I've never read any of Susan Elizabeth Phillips' previous novels, but I'm intrigued. Stay tuned...

What else should we put on our must read lists for this month?

BOOK CLUB 2017

| January | February | March |

Happy Reading!