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Finding the Best Toys to Encourage Creating and Building (at Target!)

October 8, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 16 Comments

This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser, #TargetToys. All opinions are mine alone.

Friends have you started your holiday shopping lists? I am knee-deep in shopping for the 10 children on my list because, quite frankly, they are the REALLY fun ones to shop for. And this year, I’m looking for the best toys I can find that will encourage creating and building. I want toys that children simply can’t resist, and not because they are electronic!

Do you wish you could more easily identify toys like this, too? I find them to be among the very best resources for setting up invitations to play. When I take a few minutes to set up these kinds of activities, my kids make their way over to them with little to no prompting, and they figure out exactly what they want to create or build without my help.

target best toys for building 1

For the nieces, nephews, cousins and school friends you might be buying for this year, consider a LEGO set. They come in a wide variety of price points (the one featured above was just $9.99) and they have really great, really clear instructions for kids to follow, or they are free to build whatever the heck they want!

target best toys 2

Darah got right to work doing a little building. She followed the directions for a spell (she’s a HARDCORE direction-follower…gets it from her mama) but even she couldn’t resist that dolphin in the corner, and found herself making up a story about an adventure with it after just a few minutes left to figure out how she most wanted to play. It was a delight to witness!

target best toys for building 3

Kiwi Crates are also available at Target (look for them near the games!). My oldest absolutely adores Kiwi Crates. When I set out a set for her consideration, she was thrilled.

target best toys kiwi crate 1

Every child is going to have a different reaction to an invitation to build. Darah is highly verbal, so her first reaction was the pick up the book that comes with the Kiwi Crate and to start checking out the comic strip that was inside. The book was a great way to get her warmed up to the idea of building wind cars. After flipping through it, she was ready to go!

target toys best toys kiwi crate 2

Target is also a great destination for items that help encourage a child to create. I was particularly impressed with the Kid Made Modern line that I found in my local store. It’s actually in the stationery section, so don’t forget to look beyond the toy section for great, creative finds!

target toys kid made modern 1

Here are just a few items I picked up from Kid Made Modern. Everything was very reasonably priced: perfect for stocking stuffers, filling up the gift closet with inexpensive-yet-awesome finds, and great gifts to put under the tree this year. I’ll definitely be getting more from this line for my girls this Christmas.

target toy emporium kid made modern 2

My 2-year-old absolutely LOVES coloring and painting, so I set up invitations to create for her quite often. Just by providing fun and engaging materials, I am continually surprised by how long she can stay engaged and focused on a creative play activity.

The next time you head to Target, be sure to take a good look around for items that encourage creating and building, and help kids put their imaginations and their talents to work. Don’t forget to look near the games and to head over to the stationery section, too!

target toy emporium 6

Additionally, Target has an amazing Toy Emporium (found only online) and there are some truly fantastic brands that you may not have even heard of, but that will blow you away. You MUST check it out as you put together your ideas for people on your gift list. These toys will be particularly good for kids who like to get their hands on creative toys that everyone in their class doesn’t already have! You’ll find great options to help kids explore, discover, imagine, create, build and to promote being active. Something for everyone, for sure.

Want more inspiration to help you provide invitations to create and build? Check out this Pinterest board for some more great ideas!


Filed Under: Parenting · Tagged: best toys, create and build, creative toys, invitation to build, invitation to create, kid made modern, kiwi crate, lego, Target, target toys, toys

My Thoughts On Swim Diapers After Trying Them…For the First Time!

June 24, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 8 Comments

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Huggies, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #HuggiesSwimmers  http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO. 

Mommy confession time: until last weekend, I had never EVER purchased or even used swim diapers on my kids.

Before you start thinking that I’m the gross mom who doesn’t pay attention to pool rules, I HAVE been using cloth diapers to serve as swim diapers. And if I’m being totally honest with you, I never really saw the point of using any type of swim diaper, cloth or disposable, other than to contain poo, should that happen while you are playing in the water. Does it really hold in the pee? I certainly had my doubts…

But I noticed a sweet $1.50 off coupon for Huggies Little Swimmers at Target, and decided this was the right time to at least give this product a try.

So I headed to Target with my coupon printed and ready to go, and I made my way over to the baby section. Ok, let’s be real. First I stopped by the clearance racks of the women’s clothing department (finds included a $9 red belted dress, a $15 teal green blazer and a $4 emerald green tank top. Score!!!). So after that most excellent diversion, I went to the baby section and I located the #Huggiesswimmers diapers. I made sure it was a match with my coupon, and then loaded it into my cart.

huggies little swimmers and coupon

Over the weekend, I certainly didn’t have to twist anyone’s arms to go outside and play with the water table. It is a source of much fun for my girls, and I love it, too, because I can hang back a little bit while they play and read an interesting book check Facebook. I learned from the very first time that they played with the splash table to have them in swimsuits, or at the very least, to have them in clothes that could get COMPLETELY soaked. And if you add a little dish soap to the water…get ready for miles of smiles!

One thing I noticed about the Huggies Little Swimmers is that they were very trim and didn’t stick out much from the sides of the swimsuit. My cloth diapers definitely stick out much more than this, so I thought that aesthetically, the Little Swimmers looked a lot better.

huggies little swimmers fit

Layah loved the water so much that she insisted on sitting in the splash table to finish up her play time. Surely this would be the ultimate test for the diaper….time to get completely SOAKED!!!

huggies little swimmers in the water

After she played in there for a good 15 minutes, it was time to take her out. I was already smirking, just knowing that I’d see a bloated diaper, all filled up with water and looking gross. Here’s what I actually saw:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

My jaw actually dropped when I pulled her out. This “soaked” diaper is no fluffier than it was when it was dry. That means that she is weighted down by a water-logged hiney while she continues her play. If I put an insert into her cloth diaper when she is doing water play (which I often do), then this is BIG difference between what I normally use and Huggies Little Swimmers. I was totally skeptical of this product, but I have to tell you honestly: I’m really impressed with it.

Aside from outside play at our house, I’m actually really looking forward to using these any time we go swimming somewhere. If I’m carrying Huggies Little Swimmers with us on the splash park, for example, I don’t have to bring home a soggy, wet diaper to clean. That makes for less mess for me. We are all headed to a conference later this month out of town and there are several swimming options there. If I had been using cloth for the trip, I would have had a few days’ worth of really wet diapers to bring back home. That would have been pretty gross, and I would have even been putting the diapers at risk of getting moldy. So now that I think about it, it would have been a really bad idea to take cloth. With Huggies Little Swimmers, I don’t have to worry about that!

Is your little one rockin’ the swim diaper this year? Am I the only mama on the planet who hadn’t tried them until recently? If you’ve got them on your shopping list, don’t forget about that great coupon for $1.50 off at Target!

Filed Under: My Favorite Finds · Tagged: baby swim diapers, diapers, huggies, huggies coupon, huggies little swimmers, huggies little swimmers coupons, huggies little swimmers review, huggies swim diapers, huggies swimmers, little swimmers, pollinate media, review, swim diaper, Target

Conducting a Trial Run for Santa’s Cookies: We Have a Winner! #HolidayGuide

December 4, 2012 · by Tiffany Merritt · 3 Comments

When I was growing up, it was an annual tradition to leave out a plate of cookies and milk for Santa on Christmas Eve. My older brother and I were convinced that the quality of the cookie would have a direct influence on the quality of presents Santa would leave.

So we always insisted that we had something from Pepperidge Farm to leave him. Those cookies were considered EXTREMELY indulgent and were saved for the most special occasions in our home. I’m not quite sure why, since they are readily available at grocery stores! But they were super duper special treats. And that’s exactly why we wanted them for Santa every year. We would beg and plead, but looking back on it now, I can’t imagine that my parents felt disappointed in our request. After all, they were the ones who got to sample the goodies after we went to bed on Christmas Eve!

The tradition continues in my house. Darah knows that Santa has a lot of work to do on Christmas Eve, and that it is polite to leave him a little snack. I didn’t give a second thought to the brand of holiday cookie I, er, I mean, Santa would be enjoying that evening. Naturally it would be the super special Pepperidge Farm brand.

But which cookie to select? Well, the Party Blu Prints Holiday E-Guide gave me my answer! Target has an exclusive Pepperidge Farm cookie for the holidays!

We headed straight to Target after seeing this scrumptiousness featured above. I knew I needed to try these out for myself and see if they would make the cut as the perfect cookies for Santa.

After a bit of searching, we found the cookies in the holiday snack section (NOT in the regular cookie section).

We then headed back to the house and really got into the holiday spirit. Earlier that morning I created a Christmas Countdown paper chain for Darah. Each link had a fun, Christmas-y activity to complete. We opened the first one to see what we were going to to that day.

Hooray! We were going to buy a tree and decorate it!

After a quick trip over to Ace Hardware for a tree, we got down our ornaments, put on the Christmas music, and got to work. And I supplied the refreshments with ease by putting those delicious cookies on the Santa plate. All part of the trial run, of course. Choosing Santa’s cookie is VERY serious business and we had to make sure every element made sense.

They passed the test for looking nice on the official Santa cookie plate. Now for the taste test. I’ll let you decide what we must have thought about the cookies, because here’s what I found when I reached into the Milano Minis bag just 15 minutes after first opening it:

Saddest part of my day, folks. But then I remembered that Target will be carrying these throughout the holidays. Next time, I’ll buy 3 or 4 bags (seriously) and will probably have to write “Hands off!” on one bag so that poor Santa will get his fill Christmas Eve!

The Milano Mini Candy Cane cookies from Pepperidge Farm were a most excellent suggestion from the Party Blu Prints #HolidayGuide. Have you gotten a chance to look at it, yet? It gave me several good ideas for my holiday shopping. Suggestions are practical, affordable and fun!

Do you leave special holiday gifts for Santa, be it cookies, or a note, or anything else? Any other fun Christmas Eve traditions? I’d love to hear!

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and Pepperidge Farm #CBias #SocialFabric. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Filed Under: General · Tagged: christmas gift ideas, collective bias, gift ideas for men, great holiday gift ideas, holiday gift ideas, party blu prints, pepperidge farm, social fabric, Target, women gift ideas

Finding the Perfect Gift (and the Perfect Cookies for Santa!): #HolidayGuide Made Easy

November 18, 2012 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

I’ve mentioned before that I have 25 people to buy for on my guest list. TWENTY FIVE!!! Just when I start to get a little grouchy about having to do this much shopping I step back and remember two important things:

1. Giving gifts is my love language. It is a joy to be able to give.

2. What amazing gifts I have been given simply by having each and every one of these people in my life. I am overwhelmed by how awesome they each are.

It’s good to take a moment to remember those things, because then it keeps me from being a Grinch and turns me into more of a Santa, feeling downright jolly about the task ahead of me.

Yesterday morning we had our fourth intensive wrapping session. We wrapped and labeled gifts for about 2 hours. And I spent a good deal of time pouring over the list for everyone and determining who I was finished shopping for, and who was left. I then wrote down each person’s name and a budget for each person on a separate list, along with some initial gift ideas I have. This list will live in my purse and go with me everywhere until every last name is crossed off! My hope is to be done by Thanksgiving, but I predict a serious shopping session on Cyber Monday to finish things off.

Now that I know exactly WHO I’m shopping for, I can more easily search for ideas about WHAT to get these fine folks. Party Blu Prints has JUST (as in maybe an hour ago!) released a fantastic holiday gift guide and I want to share with you some ideas it has generated for me!

First up, the gents. Guys are the hardest to shop for, in my experience. I was really excited to see the OtterBox case featured in this #HolidayGuide. Just last week Tim and I broke down and replaced our ancient iPhone 3s with the iPhone 4S. What a difference that upgrade made! And since we have young kids, protecting the phone is a must. My own independent research indicated that the OtterBox was the very best case, and that research is validated by this gift guide. I’ll take one in black, please. Oh yes, this is going under the tree!

Next, I’m looking for a small gift for my mother-in-law. When I saw Nivea lotion in the gift guide, I was reminded of the test I recently conducted where I compared bargain-priced Nivea lotion to my favorite moisturizer. I was genuinely surprised to see that Nivea had much better lasting power. My mother-in-law lives in a desert climate, so a moisturizer that REALLY works is a necessity. This will fit the bill just perfectly.

I’m also looking for a hostess gift for a holiday party we’ll be attending. The holiday e-guide reminded me that a gift doesn’t have to be store-bought to be fabulous. There’s a great recipe for homemade sangria. That happens to be one of my very favorite adult beverages, so giving it as a gift will make it extra special. And it will be extra EXTRA special if my gift gets served at the party! 😉

Finally, I’m looking for some ideas for fun ways to entertain guests in my own home for the holidays. During the first two weeks of December, we will have several family members coming at various times to stay and visit with us. I want our home to be very inviting and festive, but I also have to be realistic about what I can do on my own and what might require some outside help. When I saw the Pepperidge Farm Candy Cane cookies in the guide, I knew that they were going straight on my shopping list.

Pepperidge Farm is something I very much associate with the holidays. Santa Claus always expected this brand to be on the plate we left out for him on Christmas Eve. We made sure to grant his wish every year, in the hopes that he would grant ours! I love that the Milano line has a mini cookie which will be perfect to keep on the kitchen counter for snacking on-the-go. And the fact that it has a candy cane flavor is just too perfect.

I noticed in the guide that these cookies are exclusive to Target. My closest Target is 25 minutes away, so I don’t go all that often. But I’m making a special trip this afternoon to go get those holiday cookies! In addition to having them on hand for guests, I also need a few weeks to taste-test them and make sure they are the right choice for Santa. Mothers have so many tough jobs, and this is just another one of them. But I’ll do it out of love and dedication to my family. 😉

Are you working on your holiday gifts list and figuring out exactly  how much shopping remains? Definitely flip through the Party Blu Prints holiday e-guide. You’ll get some great ideas for gifts to buy, gifts to make, and tips to remember to keep the next few weeks festive, fun and light on the stress.

After I’m back home with my Pepperidge Farm cookies this afternoon, I may just whip up the mocktail recipe in the guide. Anyone case to join me? 🙂

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and Pepperidge Farm  #CBias #SocialFabric. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Filed Under: General · Tagged: christmas gift ideas, collective bias, gift ideas for men, great holiday gift ideas, holiday gift ideas, party blu prints, pepperidge farm, social fabric, Target, women gift ideas

Win a Year’s Supply of Organic Candy RIGHT NOW!!!

August 11, 2012 · by Tiffany Merritt · 55 Comments


Candy, Candy Candy! Who doesn’t love Candy! But have you tried organic candy? What would you do if you could have some delicious all-natural candy right at your doorstep? Introducing YumEarth!

YumEarth is a brand of candy produced by YummyEarth. Everything YummyEarth makes is certified organic or all natural, gluten-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, and has no chemical colors, artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup. This is why they are the #1 organic company in America! The company was founded by two dads to share healthier treats with their kids and are proud to share that each serving provides 100% of daily vitamin C. It has been called “The Best Lollipop I’ve ever tasted” by Today Show Food Editor Phil Lempert, YumEarth Organics Lollipops come in eight mouthwatering flavors: Very Very Cherry, Too Berry Blueberry, Strawberry Smash, Sour Apple Tart, Pomegranate Pucker, Razzmatazz Berry, Mango Tango and Wet-Face Watermelon. Featured as the “Snack of the Day” on the Rachael Ray Show, YumEarth Organics Gummy Bears have the quintessential texture of a traditional gummy bear with unique mouthwatering flavors: Pomegranate Pucker, Strawberry Smash and Sour Apple Tart.

YumEarth Candy is now available at Target! That’s right, you have the option of buying the candy online or at your local store! Check this list to see YumEarth Candy is available at a Target near you. To celebrate the release of YumEarth Candy at Target, YummyEarth is sponsoring a giveaway of a YEAR’S WORTH OF CANDY to one lucky winner!

Enter on the rafflecopter form below! This giveaway is open to the US only. You are entering to 12 bags of YUMEARTH ORGANICS LOLLIPOPS and 12 bags of GUMMY BEARS. Must be 18+ to enter. Giveaway closes on August 21 at 11:59pm est. Only one person per household/IP address may enter. You only need to enter the giveaway on one of our blogs. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Giveaways · Tagged: giveaway, organic candy, organic lollipops, review, Target, yumearth, yumearth review, yummy earth, yummy earth lollipops, yummy earth organic, yummy earth organic lollipops, yummyearth, yummyearth organic lollipops, yummyearth.com

dENiZEN Brand of Jeans Launched by Levis at Target

August 6, 2011 · by Tiffany Merritt · 4 Comments

Tim just got a new pair of jeans, and he is feeling oh-so-trendy right now. The line is called dENiZEN, and it is the first brand launched outside of the United States by Levi Strauss & Co.  It has had great success throughout Asia and is now being brought back to the birthplace of denim. You can only find it at Target stores and Target.com.

The collection is filled to the brim with fashion-forward styles and washes. And the price point is going to put a smile on your face, as the range is from $17.99 – $29.99. You read that correctly, my friend!

According to the dENiZen SVP/GM for the United States, “We’ve created unique styles specifically for consumers who are looking for exceptional style and fit at great value.” Um yes, that would be me! And I think they’ve hit the nail on the head.

Tim has the Slim Straight jeans, and they look smashing on him! He’s a lean fellow, and while he reports that the more fitted jeans aren’t as comfortable as the baggy stuff he’s been wearing for, oh I don’t know, 15 years, even he admits that he does look rather fetching in his new threads. 🙂 I think he looks very updated. I love the fit and I love the wash of the jeans. A+, dENiZEN!

I’m so impressed, in fact, that now I’m planning a trip out to Target to check out the women’s line for myself. I can’t have Tim outshining me on the catwalk (and by catwalk, I mean the long hallway in our house…)! The Totally Shaping at Waist jean is calling my name: hello tummy control! I may just have to try on every style to see what I like best.

During your next trip to Target, be sure to swing by the clothes section and check out these new fabulous and fabulously-priced jeans. Also, be sure to fan dENiZEN on Facebook: they have a special thank  you for new fans that is not-to-miss!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

Filed Under: General · Tagged: denim, dENiZEN, designer jeans, jeans, Levis, Target

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Welcome!


Grab your beverage of choice (mine is iced coffee) and let's hang out for a spell! I'm Tiffany, and I've rambunctious little girls and a fierce desire to share any tip and trick I can find to make lives with little ones a bit less hectic and a lot more fun. [Read more...]

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