December 20, 2015

One Last Thing Before Christmas

The list is unrealistic, I know, but a girl can dream right? I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season! I will be spending the next two weeks with family and friends, hoping that at least one of these wishes comes true (crossing my fingers for that self-folding laundry!).

I hope you too can find some time to slow down and be merry. No matter when or how, I wish you all a great end to the year.

Collecting Moments will be back with new post in the New Year. But you can follow me on Instagram for some much needed dose of holiday cheer.

Thank you for all your support--for me and my humble little blog and for each other!

December 17, 2015

Shine Blog Hop 77

Welcome and Happy Thursday friends!

Before we start this week's blog hop, we have an important announcement to make. We will be taking a break from the SHINE Blog Hop for the next two weeks, as the hop falls on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. However, we will return to celebrate with you in the new year on Thursday, January 7, 2016!

We would like to wish all of our SHINE Blog Hop friends a very Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year. We love and appreciate your participation here each and every week. YOU make this hop a success and we can't thank you enough!

Now to begin the last SHINE Blog Hop of 2015....

The SHINE Blog Hop is a weekly link up of family friendly posts that have been posted on different websites around the internet. You can add your links (if you’re a blogger). If you’re a non-blogger, then please feel free to visit the featured posts and/or visit any of the links that are of interest to you. Comments on this or any posts are always welcome!
SHINE BLOG HOP Logo with Santa Hat

We would love to connect with you on social media!

Hosts for the SHINE Blog Hop

Tiffany | A Touch of Grace can be found on:

Jennifer | The Deliberate Mom can be found on:

Maria | Collecting Moments can be found on:

   {Facebook}  {Pinterest}  {Instagram}  {Google+}  {Twitter}

Feel free to grab one of our fancy buttons too!
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So without further delay, here are the top viewed posts from last week's SHINE Blog Hop:

December 10, 2015

Shine Blog Hop 76

Welcome and happy Thursday friends!

The SHINE Blog Hop is a weekly link up of family friendly posts that have been posted on different websites around the internet. You can add your links (if you’re a blogger). If you’re a non-blogger, then please feel free to visit the featured posts and/or visit any of the links that are of interest to you. Comments on this or any posts are always welcome!
SHINE Blog Hop #71

We would love to connect with you on social media!

Hosts for the SHINE Blog Hop

Tiffany | A Touch of Grace can be found on:

Jennifer | The Deliberate Mom can be found on:

Maria | Collecting Moments can be found on:

   {Facebook}  {Pinterest}  {Instagram}  {Google+}  {Twitter}

Feel free to grab one of our fancy buttons too!
<div align="center"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://thedeliberatemom.com" title="The Deliberate Mom" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j452/deliberatemom/SHINE225.jpg" alt="The SHINE Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

So without further delay, here are the top viewed posts from last week's SHINE Blog Hop:

December 7, 2015

My Not So Typical Holiday Gift Guide: 4 Gifts to Give This Season

My Not So Typical Holiday Gift Guide: 4 Gifts to Give This Season via Collecting Moments Blog


If you’re looking for the typical holiday gift guide, this isn’t one of them.

You see, I wanted to instill a simple idea to my daughter this year—that the holidays are far more than just shopping to get the best deals, wrapping items with a beautiful bow, and anticipating a gift in return. I agree: the spirit of giving is important this season, but there’s also being thankful, there’s being kind, and there’s remembering that it’s not what’s under the tree, but who you’re with during the holidays that’s most important. All these take precedence over a wrapped object or the expense of giving it.

Of course presents has its time and place during the holidays, that I won’t deny. My daughter is nearly two after all, and the tradition of tearing into a wrapped gift (from Santa, or whoever else) is something I still want her to experience. I just want to make sure that there’s a balance; that gifts are not all she expects during the holidays.

So, when I saw this 4 gifts idea circulating on Pinterest, I decided to give it a try and make it my own. The original concept was to give four items--something your child wants, needs, wears and reads—for any gift giving occasion, Christmas, birthday or otherwise. Some interpret it as a money saver, while others use it as a guideline to form their own gift list. As a parent, I decided on a different approach.  I wanted the “gifts” to be a mix of tangible and intangible, with a bit on the practical side, and plenty on being memorable. The result is a list below. Call them suggestions, call them tips, but my goal was simple: to share with you gift ideas that are a bit out of the box, but unforgettable as well.

Want and Need: Quality time
If this Christmas video is any indication, it’s safe to say that kids’ needs and wants are simple. Believe it or not, time with their family ranks much higher than toys or that coveted video game. So, what better way to celebrate the holidays than by being together and honoring their request? Perhaps a simple tradition of getting a tree to decorate should suffice, or maybe volunteering at a local shelter could be another. It could even be something as simple as popcorn and a Christmas movie for a Saturday or two that would satisfy their need. Whatever it may be, spending time with your children should be priority amidst the chaos of shopping, prepping and entertaining. As any parent will know: time is fleeting with our kids, and whether this is your first or your 16th Christmas with them, it is precious time you will never get back.  So savor each simple moment as much as you can. 

Wear:  Coats 
One would think that having a winter baby would make me an expert on buying coats, but as a still novice mom, purchasing clothing that will last an entire season (instead of just a few weeks) is still a skill I have yet to master.  However,  I have found that buying coats a size bigger works best for us. It allows for building comfortable layers underneath, and the bigger sizes guarantee a good fit even through those growth spurts in the winter time. Suggestions for affordable and lasting coats are below:


1 | 2 | 3
 
Read: Build their Library
 I’m lucky that my daughter absolutely adores reading. In fact, books are far more effective for distractions than the typical toy in our home, and it’s no surprise that Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein outnumber Little Tikes toys and Fisher Price around here. Building a library for our daughter has been a goal of ours since before she was born. That’s why we’re thankful to find services like Bookroo to help us to instill our daughter’s love of reading through the years.

Bookroo’s concept is simple: to curate the best books that cater to your child’s age and ability and send you a set to enjoy with your little one every month. Whether you’re a parent, a doting grandparent or aunt, Bookroo is one of the best ways for kids to discover new stories and enjoy some classics as well. Not to mention an easy and practical means to build your children’s library.

I know, this is far from the other typical gift guides out there.  There’s very few items to purchase and hardly any brands to suggest, but I hope you still find it valuable for your children and for yourself this season.

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December 3, 2015

Shine Blog Hop 75

Welcome and happy Thursday friends!

The SHINE Blog Hop is a weekly link up of family friendly posts that have been posted on different websites around the internet. You can add your links (if you’re a blogger). If you’re a non-blogger, then please feel free to visit the featured posts and/or visit any of the links that are of interest to you. Comments on this or any posts are always welcome!
SHINE Blog Hop #71

We would love to connect with you on social media!

Hosts for the SHINE Blog Hop

Tiffany | A Touch of Grace can be found on:

Jennifer | The Deliberate Mom can be found on:

Maria | Collecting Moments can be found on:

   {Facebook}  {Pinterest}  {Instagram}  {Google+}  {Twitter}

Feel free to grab one of our fancy buttons too!
<div align="center"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://thedeliberatemom.com" title="The Deliberate Mom" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j452/deliberatemom/SHINE225.jpg" alt="The SHINE Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

So without further delay, here are the top viewed posts from last week's SHINE Blog Hop:
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