Sophisticated, simlistic and modern. Hugo Boss Women's Cosmopolis Black Leather Silver Dial Watch. Normal price over 500$, but save $$$ and get this amazing deal at Amazon for under 200$.




Stunning Rose Window necklace can be customized with birthstone or favourite color.
The Rose Window Necklace is reminiscent of the famous stain glass window in the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. 253$ at Skimbaco.com







Since the 1,600$ Valentino Histoire is one of the hottest and most difficult bags to find this season, here is a great look-a-like for a fraction of the cost. This
Luca Bella laptop bag comes with a separate case for a laptop and is a stylish option for a modern woman. 288$ at gina b. international.






Give Mommmy a helping hand. Or a helping robot. iRobot Roomba Remote Scheduler Robotic Vacuum cleans, so Mommy doesn't have to. 299$ by iRobot.







This wool-cashmere blend peacoat from J.Crew is the white you can wear after Labor Day. Classic in a winter white color. 325$ at J.Crew








100% cashmere robe is warm, soft and so luxurious. She will treasure this cashmere robe for winters to come. 350$ by Arlotta.






A nice warm sweater is always nice to get as a gift. And I don't think a girl can have too many white cable knit sweaters, I'm so old school. This YaYa Bariloche Sweater from Lisa Rinna's store is the fashionable version for the season, in trendy white, of course. 414$ at Belle Gray.






She has everything and a heart of gold? Donate a sum for her favorite charity in her honor. JustGive is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to connect people with the charities and they help you find a right charity to fit her interests. Visit Just Give.

See more great gifts in the Skimbaco Lifestyle Holiday Gift Guide:

More Gifts for Moms

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Think outside the box and get you little guy something he totally doesn't expect. Get the über cool boy stuff and then sneak in some items to decorate his room too! Here are some gifts for boys from pre-school to high school.






Modern wall art is something he will like in his room for years to come. Mix different styles, colors or sizes to make unique art for his bedroom. Even Mom and Dad will love the Avalisa wall art. Starting at 59$ by Avalisa.




Boys tend to say they don't like soft gifts. Well, he will love these Lore Dragon corduroy trousers - the dragon applique will change color in the sun light and he will be the coolest dressed kid in the school this winter. Dragon pants in sizes 4-12, 74$ by Fable & Lore.







It's a goal! You will score with this blanket - he will love it for game trips or even as a decoration in his room. 79$ from Modern Seed








This car uses clean energy - water. Gear your kid for the 21st century with this cutting edge hydro-car. Car runs on clean energy technology - it is poweded by water. A fun science lesson! 79.95$ at Discovery Channel Shop







For all those wild boys, big and small - they will love to record their crazy stunts, ski jumps and board tricks. He might not know it yet, but the take-along camcorder is on the top of his wish list. Oregon Scientific ATC 2K Action Cam Flash Memory Camcorder 85$ from Amazon.









The Razor E125 is the perfect entry level electric scooter for kids 8+. It is fast and so much fun! 99$ at Amazon






The Marimekko Bo Boo modern bedding is cute but contemporary. Primary colored cars and trucks make it easy to coordinate this set to other room deco. Modern design for children at its best. Duvet 99$ by marimekko.

See more great gifts in the Skimbaco Lifestyle Holiday Gift Guide:

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Give a Holiday Greeting straight from the snowy mountain tops! Here are some of my favorite gift items from Colorado. The best of course - come and shop for them for yourself. The snowy Rockies will defenately give you the spirit of Christmas.





Give your family a different kind of Christmas and come and spend it in Colorado. There is already snow on the mountains, and the slopes will be perfect by the time you get here. Or book now for the Spring Break. Come and see us in Durango, the Mountain Resort is the best place to teach your kids to ski!




Jen at Ivy-Rose Design makes fabulous custom clothing and accessories for your girly girl. She even makes these cute Russian Dolls and custom outfits! Check out Ivy-Rose Design at Etsy.





Another Mom Entrepreneur in Colorado makes these adorable hand painted shoes! Monkey Toes offers hand painted tennis shoes, Mary Janes and even socks for the little ones. These are fabulous gift even for babies.
Monkey Toes shoes starting at 27$.






The reversible headbands are designed by a local Durango Mom. They are so cool for girls, who love accessories - you can easily twist them and get a new look. Headbands (14$) are availabe exclusevily online at Skimbaco.com - the children's boutique from the Rockies.








Organic cotton is better for your baby and the environment. OhGeez Organic Clothing Company from Colorado makes a wide collection of organic cotton children's clothing. They also offer great baby gifts, like gowns, hats, mittens and blankets. Check out
OhGeez Organic Clothing Co.







The über-cool diaper bags come from DadGear, they even have their billboard series of messenger bags, which are made of recycled billboard pictures. Function with fashion, these bags appeal to modern Moms and Dads. The stripe messenger 83.95$.





If you must know.. The Crocs shoes are from Colorado. I personally do not dig them, but the rumor goes that the new Crocs Mammoth is on several wish lists this Holiday season.




Want to give a food basket with a little bit more meaning? Check out the Women's Bean Project online store for gift items, bean soups, baking mixes, treats, beverages and more. Women’s Bean Project is a non-profit organization, which strives to break the cycle of chronic unemployment and poverty by helping women discover their talents and develop skills by offering job readiness training opportunities in gourmet food business. Their products are yummy, and you'll know you are helping by purchasing.







Can't think of anyone who wouldn't love a basket full of gourmet chocolates. This one 59.95$ from the
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

See more great gift ideas in the Skimbaco Lifestyle Holiday Gift Guide:

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Even though I have been posting a little less here lately, I have been going around the Blogging Community...

My article was just posted at Smart Mama site, this site is the newest addition from the Pinks & Blues girls. Lots of advice, tips and smart stuff, from Mama to Mama. I don't know how smart I really am.. but I wrote about how to choose clothing in way that you'll have your dream wardrobe AND you'll be ecological and economical too. It really is possible - read how.

Then thank you Stacey for giving me the Community Blogger Award. Stacey is such a cool gal, I really like her! When I started blogging her blog was one of those first ones I visited and thought "I want to be part of this blogging world". Thank you so much for all of you for taking me "in".

One of my blogging friends, Laura from Tennessee thought I should do the crazy eights meme.. So here it goes.

And then for those who get my RSS feed (I know you're there, and I'm honored, thanks for getting me in your mailbox!) - sorry, there will be tons of posts coming up, when I post my Holiday Gift Guide.

8 things I'm passionate about:

1. My Husband, extremely passionate.

2. My Family, very passionate.

3. My Family's Health, not just passionate, but fanatic.

4. Being a good wife, should be more passionate.

5. Being a good mom, super passionate.

6. My business and my writing, and pretty much everything I do, I just do passionate things.

7. Cooking, I cook with passion.

8. Fashion is my passion.



8 things I want to do before I die:

1. Spend my 50th Aniversary and still be crazy passionate about my husband.

2. Attend my three kids' weddings.

3. Live in NYC.

4. Travel more, if I said places, 8 wouldn't be enough.

5. Write a book.

6. See some grandkids.

7. Build my dream house (again)

8. Start another business.



8 things I say often:

1. I love you.

2. Please, be quiet.

3. What do you think?

4. Do you know how much I love you?

5. Stop fighting. (to kids)

6. What's happening?

7. Do you want some coffee?

8. Perkele


8 books I've recently read:
These are probably the latest.. Life is crazy right now, I don't really have time to read books :(

1. Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

2. Books about SEO.

3. Pour your Heart to it,How Starbucks Build a Company One Cup at a Time by Howard Schultz

4. Tons of magazines, like Cookie, Parents, Body + Soul , Everyday with Rachael Ray, Instyle... I love magazines.

5. The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business: Candid Advice, Frank Talk, and True Stories for the Successful Entrepreneur by Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio

6. My kids love the On the Trail of Colorado Critters to see what animals we see.




8 songs I could listen to over and over:

1. Come away with me, by Norah Jones

2. Don't know why, by Norah Jones

3. One, by U2

4. Discotheque, by U2

5. You were meant for me, by Jewel

6. When you Say Nothing at All, by Alison Krauss

7. Dreaming my Dreams, by The Cranberries

8. Dissappear, by Mazzy Star


8 things that attract me to my best friends:

1. Honesty.

2. Humor. Usually good sense of humor.

3. Trustworthy.

5. Crazy, in a way or another. Usually in good way.

6. Innovative.

7. Laughter and ability to have fun.

8. His cute butt (goes just for my best friend, my hottie husband).


8 things I've learned this past year:

1. I am living the life I want to live.

2. Nothing is more important to me than healthyness and happiness of my family.

3. I want to live in Colorado.

4. Tons of new stuff about SEO, blogging, programming, and internet in general.

5. Enjoy little things in life, everyday. Live like today is your last day.

6. You should never trust anyone.

7. Sometimes the best family you have isn't even related to you.

8. Equipment matters. I've never skied as well as last winter, when I got really good skis, bindings and boots.


8 people I think should do Crazy 8's

1. Stina

2. Nikki

3. Dawn

4. Christine

5. Jane

6. Tuulevi

7. Alexia

8. Mama Zen

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Photo by Tuulevi

More Worldess Wednesday

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I would like to introduce you to my dear friend Marianne McNamara, the lady behind the camera - Marianne of Scandica.

Marianne is a professional photographer and you might have seen her work, if you live in the Chigaco area. She owns Scandica Fine Art Photography. She is the child-photographer for the Baby loves Disco. And she also takes all those pictures you rarely see, but which are always highly appreciated - the nude portraits.

Marianne just recently launched her new website Scandica - Fine Art Photography, and before you read on, please visit her site.

Marianne is from Finland, actually we used to be almost neighbours, but never knew each others in Finland. Marianne's site is a tribute to our Finnish heritage. I have watched her site intro a hundred times. The first time I couldn't read all the text from my tears. The second time I watched it I was balling because I could read the text. The hundredth time, and I still get goose bumbs.

I was lucky to have a virtual cup of coffee with Marianne and ask her a few questions about her photography business.

Katja: Tell us a little bit about your business.

Marianne: I am a one woman - one camera portrait photographer from Chicago. I take maternity portraits or 'belly pictures' as I call them. I photograph babies, children and families. Engagement portraits and anniversary portraits are my favorites as well as classic nudes. Quality and customer service are the keys and corner stones of my business. Every client has my undevided attention and focus. I listen, take notes and then provide what they asked for.



Katja: When did you know you wanted to be a photographer?

Marianne: When I got my first SLR at the age of 15. I saw so much beauty around me and I knew I had the talent to capure it. The morning sun above the horizon, the lingering mist on the fields, the first frost...It was all so breathtaking beautiful.

At the age of 18 I was invited to every family party there was, with a reminder to bring my camera with me. I was flattered. I didn't have the courage to pursuit my passion back then, I chose to study a 'decent profession' instead. When I moved to Chicago seven years ago, the time was right to pursue my dreams. I was old enough to know what I wanted, I had had my share of corporate world and did not find it appealing or desirable anymore. I took the big leap from corporate world to become a small business owner and have never looked back.



Katja: What influences in your photography style the most?

Marianne: The beauty of imperfection. Perfection, in form and in life in general is boring. Picture perfect, digitally enhanced cute portraits of perfect babies with rosy cheeks, sleeping on white fluffy lamb skin might be nice to look at. For five minutes. After that it's boring.

I want to provide memories of real life, not some staged pretty images. I want parents to show my portraits to their children in 20 years and say "This is how you looked when you were six and had just lost your first teeth and you were wrestling with you little brother in the living room." Not "This is how you looked when you were six and we dressed you up for the occasion, combed your stubborn hair, told you to smile and airbrushed your missing teeth back on." Children are God's creations, perfect and precious just the way they are. They don't need to be staged, airbrushed or made into something they are not.


Katja: What kind of photos do you like to take the most?

Marianne: Classic nudes. Tasteful, artistic nude photographs of women who are in peace with their mind and body. That's where the real beauty is. It has nothing to do with age or the dress size. It is all about accepting and loving yourself.

It is so easy to compare ourselves to airbrushed images we see in magazines and in advertizing and feel bad about ourselves without understanding that those images are not real.


Katja: What kind of camera do you use?

Marianne: I use Canon 350 XT, also known as Digital Rebel. It is very easy to use, simple and does not need much technical skills. I am not a very technical photographer, my strength is in the feel of the photograph. I am good at seeing the beauty in the everyday life and showing it to others. I was relying on my 20 year old film camera Minolta X-500 SLR until a year ago. I still use it for my art projects or when shooting in the technically difficult conditions.



Katja: What kind of legacy you would like to leave behind?

Marianne: I would like people, women especially to appreciate themselves a little more. Give themselves a little pat in the back. We give so much, we do so much and we still think we should always give little more and do little more.



Katja: What is the most important thing for you so far in your career?

Marianne: The most important thing for me was the the first thing I did as a professional photographer. I joined ACPCG, the American Child Photographers Charity Guild. We go to NICUs and the hospital wards to photograph terminally ill or extremely premature babies at parents' request and free of charge. As a mother it is heartbreaking to even think about the possibility of losing my child, but it is reality for many parents. I can not do much compared to the doctors and the medical science, but at least I can do something. I can provide series of photographs of this little child and help parents cope with the loss, when everything is over. I do a lot of charity work through various children's organizations but ACPCG is the most important to me.


Katja: Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Marianne: In ten years I will live in Chicago and be a photographer. In twenty years I still want to live in Chicago and be a photographer. There is nothing else in the world I would rather do. No other city I would rather live.

I do have a dream I wish to fulfill one day. I would like to publish a photo book I already titled "Beauty of women" . I would like to photograph a series of strong, smart, powerful women, innocent young women, old wrinkeled women with wisdom in their eyes and warmth in their hearts. All shapes and sizes, all perfect and beautiful in their own way. No silicone or botox needed.


Katja: That sounds like an amazing idea! I can't wait for the day you publish it. Thank you so much for your time and for spreading the Scandinavian spirit in such a beautiful way.

Marianne: Thank you Katja, it was my pleasure.


You can see Marianne's work at her website Scandica - Fine Art Photgraphy and she is right now booking for the Holiday portraits.

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When an underwear ad campaign starts with the study of Angie & Brad in the Mr. and Mrs. Smith movie and ends with Britney's trailer, suggesting panties laying around that say "Brad" and "Kevin", you can't expect anything but a world wide success story.

Blume Girl goes one step furter and hints Hollywood stars, don't take the tattoo yet, just get his name in your undies instead.

After all, the love might not last forever - just see what happened to Britney.

These panties have been so hot, that celebs like Katie Andre have been seen to show her "Peter" pants even for paparazzis. Not to even mention that Blume panties have caused so much action in the Hollywood bedrooms, that babies start poppin' out everywhere. What Blume Girl does? Starts their own children's line of personalized clothing and accessories.

Blume offers personalized tees, thermals, baseball caps, underwear and they have a whole collection for children and men too. Let me tell ya, these products will be the hit this Holiday season - and you will see a lot of them in my gift guide too, as well in the magazines!

Blume's personalized clothing - fabulously trendy in Hollywood.

Check them out now at our store. Just arrived!

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These days are all,
Happy and Free.
These days are all,
Share them with me.
Goodbye grey sky, hello blue.

What kind of person hums "Happy Days" theme song?
Well, me.
Well, happy.

We had a great weekend, and the days (and especially the nights) are getting colder and we can't wait for the winter and ski season to start!

There was a big ski sale at the Ski Barn on Saturday, so Matt got us all up, and we were there the first thing on the morning.. 5 minutes after they opened. He wanted to have a pair of fat skis for back-country skiing, and didn't like the new models, and was set to find a pair from last year. Yeah - he found them, über-cool retro-looking ones and saved a lot of $$ too.


He bought a snowboard last year, and that didn't work too well.. Hopefully we'll see more back-country skiing this year than snowboarding last year... I'm really excited about the almost new snowboard we have though - I am going to get myself a pair of boots and try snowboarding in our own yard. No way I would go to the slopes, I have never tried it before, but my big plan is to practice at home, when nobody sees. I am so excited about our new home in the middle of the mountains. I'm going to teach kids to ski in the front yard.

Mountain side living rocks.

Who cares that we don't even have a mail box here, or we need to look first for the bears before going out of the door.

Yes, we have BEARS in our front yard, they ate most of the apples... They left one half eaten, it was too high for the bear to reach, and I guess he just ate half of it and left a little teaser for us.

I am a little upset that because of my ankle, I wasn't able to make it to the ENK Children's Club trade show this week in New York. My ankle is still not good, it's OK, but not for the walking the trip to NYC would have required. I just knew that if I had gone, there would be no skiing this winter, no way my ankle would heel by the time season starts. This is going to be our second winter at the Rockies, and I don't want to miss the fun.

If you remember our trip to Texas this summer, and we considering moving.. Well, the possibility is still there, but what we realized this fall - we have a pretty good thing going on here, and I don't think we are ready to give it up for big city, suburbs or even family reunions. Durango is an amazing community - we have never had as many friends as we have here. And I don't mean just people we know. Friends. Friends, who are there when you need them the most.

Now when the ski season is ahead of us, and we found a little house on the mountain side to live in, I don't think we can leave this behind. I think when we came back from Texas, we thought we are going to see what happens - we will get a "sign" and then know what we should do. We though that Matt actually getting or not getting the job, would be "the sign", but now we have realized, that we already got the sign. Everything that has happened after we thought of leaving Colorado, has just been a big sign to stay in Colorado.

I guess you just always want the best for your family, and sometimes it is hard to see, what the best is, and get side-tracked, and start thinking of new jobs, new houses, new schools, what ever. But if we are thinking what we have right here, right now, we would be crazy to even think of moving.

Because..

Tuesday, Wednesday, Happy Days.
Thursday, Friday, Happy Days.


Sorry about all the talk now, and that I haven't been posting here as much as normally last week or so, I've been busy.

We got tons of new exiting products on our store - I'll tell more about those later! And I have been shopping online like a crazy person, no, haven't used a penny, but I've been doing a Grande Holiday Shopping Guide investigations for the last week or so. I will post a huge gift guide (over 100 products!) later this week. It was going to be ready today.. but then I got busy with my store, AND designed and launched a brand new website two weeks ago!

Please go and visit Trendifrendi.com - it's a trendy new site in Finnish. See it, even if you don't understand it - I'm so glad that I was able to do it myself! I am writing the site with my BFF and we are also publishing articles from Finnish women from all over the world. It is just a great way to find Finnish Women and so far we've had Finnish women visiting us from 17 different countries. Pretty neat, in the first ten days.

I just had a lot of Finnish readers in this blog, and I wanted to start something in Finnish - and my friend was just starting her own blog... and we started talking, and the "trendy friend" site was born.

One more thing... The winner for Madallie Gift card is Alexia - congratulations!

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Glimb all the way to the mountain top with these luxury gifts for women.





Make lattes and cappucinos at home with a touch of a button. Perfect crema and froth, everytime. The DeLonghi Magnifica Super-Automatic espesso machine is the last coffee maker you ever need to buy. Believe me, it's worth every penny and if I didn't already own this, this would be the number one in my wish list. 799$ Amazon.





TriBeCa Wine Credenza is a must have for a wine lover who loves contemporary design. It blends in sleek dining rooms better than most wine cellars, and is perfect for city lofts too. Ultra-quiet thermoelectric cooling for 60 bottles of her favorite wines. 1295$ from The Wine Enthusiast









Little piece of luxury, what I really want for Christmas... This Valentino Histoire bag in white super soft leather. Angelina Jolie has one, and she takes it everywhere. The price tag 1,600$ at Saks.





Give Mama set o wings. Let her experience flying like a Superwoman and zero gravity. No space travel needed - just a flight in a a specially modified aircraft, G-FORCE ONE®. Flights in selected cities, like Las Vegas, Kennedy Space Center, FL, and New York City already in November. The ultimate once in a lifetime expreience 3,675$, offered by Zero G.

See more great gift ideas in the Skimbaco Lifestyle Holiday Gift Guide:

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Just a reminder!
The 50$ Madallie Gift Card Giveaway will end soon,
you still have time to attend - read more.

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He won't add a cashmere scarf in his wish list, but he will love it when he gets it. There is just something about cashmere, you can never have too much of this luxurious natural fiber, and cahsmere items make excellent gifts. Give him a piece of luxury, 250$ by Portolano




Give him some peace and quiet. He'll love the Bose® QuietComfort® 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones, they block all the noises around, and music listening experience is like no other. Perfect gift for travellers, these are a must have on long flights. Oh yeah, and mom will wanna borrow these too! 349$ from Amazon











The Il Bar Alessi is the ultimate bar set. Designed by Ettore Sottsass and made in Italy. Steinless steel set includes American/Boston shaker, bar strainer, stirrer and cocktail measure. 216$ at Forzieri




Suunto X6 HR Digital Sport Watch does so much more than just show time. The watch reads heart rate, the altimeter shows elevation up to 29,500ft and the logbook tracks real-time vertical gain/loss, rate of ascent, and runs. Calendar, dual-time, alrms, and a whole lot of other options. The perfect gift for mountain climbers, backcountry skiers, hikers and mountain cyclists, among other sporty men. 450$ from
Skis.com






Your guy doesn't climb the high mountains, but feels like home at the city? He will like this luxurious Flippa K peacoat. Classic look, luxurious feel and you don't have to rob a bank to get it. 499$ at Guisestore.

See more great gift ideas in the Skimbaco Lifestyle Holiday Gift Guide:

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Soooo, it's not just my kids climbing up in the trees.


I have been waiting to really check these photos out from the newest Cookie Magazine. The thing is that they ALMOST had a pair of Fable & Lore pants in this photo. I love Cookie magazine, and my dream of having our products on Cookie Magazine ALMOST came true.

But the photos are fabulous, I love the Gothic theme for Halloween.

Even though bright and cheery colors look great on children, I like the simplicity of black, white and grey in the children's clothing as well. Children are beautiful, the way they are, and do not need all the ruffles and bows to show off.

Here are some great finds of clothing that did or did not make the Cookie Mag Gothic fashion shoot.

Outfit by Dagmar Daley



Dragon corduroy trousers by Fable




Maan dress from Sons + Daughters


Chester baby trousers by Caramel Baby




Merino Wool Ballet Wrap by Edenstar

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Gifts for the little guy and the teeny bit bigger guy. The coolest gifts don't always have to be the most expensive ones!





Four Peas motorcycle insulated lunch bag is cool for any aged boy. Check out the biker backpack and messenger bag too! The lunch bag 18$ by Four Peas.







Lego City Rescue Helicopter, 19.95$ at Amazon.









This wooden puzzle is made in France by Vilac. A perfect for a pre-schooler, it has 48 wooden pieces. The mountain view with the skiers and a helicopter flying by - this view could be from our neighbourhood! Puzzle 19.99$, available at Oompa Toys








Wanna give some hip hop or rock'n'roll for your older kid? But can't think of anything? Let him pick his own music. Apple Store.





Personalize this Blume baseball cap with his nickname of player number - anything uo to 10 characters goes. Available in navy, pink and orange. 22$ by Blume



Automoblox M9 Sportsvan, seats 8 people, and is extremely fuel-efficient. Modern design, function and a whole lotta fun! 25$ at Giggling Toys.








If your son is into snowboarding or skateboarding, he will love the "Picture This" Snowboarding DVD by Mack Dawg Productions. This is the most groundbreaking film snowboarding has ever seen, and trust me on this one, you'll be the coolest mom on the block after gifting this. Dads will love this too! Starring 16 best snowboarders of the world, including Eero Ettala, Hampus Mosesson, Heikki Sorsa, Jussi Oksanen, Seth Huot, Shaun White and Wille Yli-Luoma. 27.95$ at Amazon. Double the coolness and get the "Jumping with Jussi" DVD, the ultimate guide to the best snowboarding tricks.






Star Theater 2 is a portable planetarium projector. Tour the skies one star at a time, or explore all the constellations at once, this planetarium lets you create the sky. Ages 8 to 12. 34.95$ at MindWare








Cute 100% cotton pj set by Little Missmatched. Trucks on the top and stripes on the bottom, how cool is that? 36$ from Little Missmatched











Playmobil Medical Helicopter, 39.95$ at Growing Tree Toys.

See more great gifts in the Skimbaco Lifestyle Holiday Gift Guide:

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Boys will be boys no matter what, but you might as well sneak in some fun gifts, which actually have an educational function, or engage the child to use imagination. Playing outdoors is always good, so try to think of new activities outdoors as well. Here are some fun filled gift ideas for boys.






Remember all the toy recallsthis fall? Boycott big toy companies and get your child safe alternatives. natural Pod has a wide selection of safe, non-toxic toys. Wooden truck with snowplough extention, 105$ at Natural Pod.









The durable laminate surface flows to the ground so that kids can draw with chalks on all sides of this very resilient table. Not just that it look very modern and will be the perfect kids' table in the contemporary home, but it also is so fun! 110$ from Modern Seed.








Artist Jill McDonald has illustrated this high energy scene with trucks, cars, planes and buses. But what makes it really special? It can be personalized for your son! 119$ from Land of Nod




Learning geography is so much fun with this Smart Globe. This “smart” globe solves the problem by using the Internet to update its database. Learn about a country's population, weather, currency and more with a touch of the digital pen. Features 30 activities and 3 age levels: 5 to 8, 9 to 14, or 15 and up. 149.95$ from Mind Ware




Want kids to stay at your own yard? Get them the Fun Ride Super Z, a cable with a weather proof handle for years of airborn fun at your own back yard. 149.99$ from Back to Basics Toys.








Rossignol Mini Pro Snowboard is a great choice for beginner to intermediate freestyler. 169.95$ at Skis.com







This tent is perfect for little boys who like to play pretend play! Let him be a knight is his own castle. 177$ at Giggling Toys.








Little boys love this! Make-my-own-monster custom design kit with instructions how to design your own monster, and then the American Bear company will create an excat replica of your child's own drawing - the monster comes alive as a plush toy! Don't look at the price tag - this toy will be a memory of a lifetime. 249$ at FAO Schwarz.






Get your child interested in renewable energy with this kit. Three methods of clean energy generation —wind, water and solar— are used to power four output devices. The power meter, light display, buzzer and the gear motor give an instant understanding of how energy can be transferred from natural power sources. The easy-to-assemble, click-together kit comes with teacher project notes for measuring how different levels of energy input affect output. 249.95$ from Mind Ware

See more great gift ideas in the Skimbaco Lifestyle Holiday Gift Guide:

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Kids will be kids only once, and you might as well make the time memorable. These cool gift ideas for boys offer lots of fun and a bunch of happy memories!




Educo Safari Tour Magnetic Sand Table will bring endless hours of fun for toddlers and beyond. He'll have fun trying to move the Safari Jeep in the exciting safari full of animals. 349$ at Giggling Toys.








Inside Skate Board, must have for boys, big and small! Recommended age 4 to adult. This will bring some defenate action indoors. 350$ at Zac and Zoe





Silver Pursuit Pedal Plane by Airflow Collectibles. Forget plastic big wheels! These retro ride-ons are made of high quality steel. Lead-free paint makes this toy a safe choice this Holiday season. 359$ at Urban Baby Runway






Get ready for winter time fun! This German high quality toboggan will give you and your kids years of riding fun. 390$ at Modern Seed.





This cars themed table and two chairs set is solid wood and handpainted. You can also personalize it for free. The set is made by Bubbles Decor. 645$ with FREE shipping at Skimbaco. Order early for the Holiday delivery!




Kimi Räikkönen won the Formula 1 World Champion of 2007 with Ferrari. When you're looking for only the best of the best for your speedy kid, try this Ferrari F1 ride-on toy. The speed is only 5mph, but he will feel he is on the top of the world! 725$ at FAO Schwarz







Kids Crooked House playhouses are totally crooked! There is no straight corner in these cool backyard playhouses, and that's why kids love them. They are funky, imaginative, and almost like out of a cartoon. You can even have the nice people at the Kids Crooked House to custom build you one! Starting at 1,449$ at Kids Crooked House.

See more great gift ideas in the Skimbaco Lifestyle Holiday Gift Guide:

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Girls love pink! This jacket is absolutely fabulous. Super soft and padded for warmth, cotton corduroy on the top. Amazing embroidery and appliques of butterflies and flowers. The Garden jacket by Lola et Moi is a must have for a happy little girl. 155$ at Skimbaco



Zubervilla by Haba can be used as a doll house or a book shelf when attached to the wall. This German made toy bring color and joys of interactive play to any child's room. 149.99$ at Oompa Toys.







Roxy Sweetheart Junior Skis are the cutest skis for beginner girls. Ultra-light, turn easily, and the best: the all over heart print. 149.95$ at Skis.com









Sony CyberShot digital camera is the perfect camera for a teenager, who has already been practicing taking pictures. Mommy might like this pink one too! 180$ from Amazon.






Who can resist playtents? They are just so much fun, and instantly tranform playroom to something totally different. Blossom Sky from Haba 180$ at Giggling Toys.








This year the big toy companies have scared us parents more than once. Get your child something more unique than the latest plastic creation, and something, that is safe and made with love. Etsy is a great place to find unique toys. Like this VW Beetle - art from the heart of a skilled artisan. 210$ by herzensart

See more great gift ideas in the Skimbaco Lifestyle Holiday Gift Guide:

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This will be the winter time favorite! This felt gingerbread house will give endless possibilities to decorate it, with over 100 felt decorations. This felt cake is made of 100% wool felt from Holland and it's generous 8" high. 55$ by Twinkle-Kids.






My girls love the kitchen play with their wooden kitchen set! If you feel that you don't wanna go all the way and get a big expensive wooden play kitchen, try this smaller version. Takes less space and now you can add some wooden play food to go with it, since you don't have to spend that much on just for the kitchen. 55$ from FAO Schwarz.






The Marimekko Unikko backpack is a perfect pre-school bag for any girl. The colorful and modern look will bring sunhine to every day. PVC coated cotton canvas - easy to keep clean, and she will love it for years to come. 69$ by marimekko.








This charming pull-on toy is Waldorf Wagon from German toy brand Kathe Kruse. Inside the beautiful carriage is a dragonfly doll. The carriage and doll are made of cotton and wool, the wheels are made of wood. 78$ from Oompa.





This Holiday set has amazing detailing, and it is custom made for your girl. The Have a Holly Jolly Christmas set has a top and a skirt - made from jeans, and spiced up with amazing patchwork. She will love the attention she gets with this set! 95$ at MamiGirlBoutique.






She will love this Fable Peggy Coat in ruby red. The luxurious coat will make a perfect gift! Soft velvet and well padded for warmth. 99$ at Skimbaco.com.

See more great gift ideas in the Skimbaco Lifestyle Holiday Gift Guide:

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Some great gifts under 50 bucks for girls, and many of these are so cool that boys will love them too.





Insect Lore's Live Butterfly Garden. This is the coolest thing, my daughter's class did this at school and kids loved it! Your child can see the birth and growth of live butterflies. Watch as small hairy caterpillars turn into beautiful butterflies. Remember that the caterpillars do not come with this tent, but you will need to order them separately - you will receive a coupon how to order them. 12.98$ at Amazon.





Avalisa memory game is serious eye candy. Modern pictures of familiar animals invite you and your child to play together. The most precious things don't have to be expensive - your child will remember the times you were playing the memory game together for years. Also teaches the concept of modern aesthetic for your child. 15$ by avalisa










"Olive, the other reindeer" written and illustrated by J.Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh. The book is about a dog who wants to be a reindeer, a cute Christmas story to make the season jolly. 14.95$ from Pink Olive Boutique






Richard Scarry's Busy House Floor Puzzle. The puzzle measures 2' x 3' feet and includes 24 jumbo pieces. The Busy House will teach names of familiar objects. Perfect for pre-schoolers! 15$ Honfleur.






Hattie, Get A Haircut! by Jenna Glatzer. Books are always on the wish list, and I couldn't resit to sneak another cute book for girls. 15.56$ at Amazon








Ratatoiulle, the rat chef movie my kids loved! This movie is in their wish list, and from the popular demand added here too. Ratatoiulle DVD 15.95$ at Amazon.









Read-To-Me Tot Tower, 24.95$ Honfleur.










Haba Doctor's bag from Germany. What a cute doctor's bag by Haba! Something that kids love to play for years. Safe toy - made in Germany. 24.95$ at Oompa Toys






Livie & Luca shoes are the perfect first walkers! Softest leather, and flexible sole, and all hand made. These Veggie shoes are a must have for a little girl! Sizes 6.5 -10 37.50$ by Livie & Luca.










She'll always have Paris with her with this adorable Lola et Moi Eiffel-tower bracelet. 38$ at Skimbaco.







Beautiful silver name bracelet customized with a birthstone or favourite color. by DeAnna Cochran.









Count days 'til Christmas with this colorful advent calendar - you can hide goodies inside the little pockets. Advent calendars are a fun European tradition to make every day of December a little special. 46$ at Modern Seed.

See more great gift ideas in the Skimbaco Lifestyle Holiday Gift Guide:

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Do you Dwell? If you like Dwell bedding for your baby's crib, you'll love these Dwell Baby animal cushions to match the bedding and your baby to cuddle with. Set of thee Dwell Baby animal cushions 105$ at Modern Nursery.







Beautiful ceramic breakfast (and dinner) set by Sevi. Designed and made in Italy. Fun animals brigten meal time, and this set will bring joy for years to come. 134.99$ at Oompa Toys







The cariboo™ classic bassinet is modern and stylish, and provides a cozy sleeping nest for your baby. The best: this one you will want to keep after the baby has grown out of it, it doubles great as a toy bin. You will also be happy to know that it is environmentally friendly, made from sustainable New Zealand radiata wood. 140$ at *baby star*






This will be a gift any modern parent will love for their baby. The Stokke Tripp Trapp is unique high chair - it grows as the child grows and even an adult can use it! Read my review of the Tripp Trapp high chair and you can purchase one from the Modern Seed for 199$ and there are several colors to choose from.




Modern design for your baby! This bloombaby Coco Natural baby bouncer looks contemporary and will fit your living room much nicer than the big plastic ones. The best isn't the cool look - it looks so comfortable for the baby. 200$ at Modern Nursery.







This push toy will first help with those precious first steps, and then your child will love to push it around and carry the toys with it too. Looks like modern Scandinavian design, but it is made of wood in Germany. Your child will treasure this for years! 280$ at Modern Nursery

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Giddy Giddy snowman hair clip is a cute accessory for the season. Handmade of felt (8$), available at Skimbaco







Bo Boo bib is practical and fun! The bib is PVC coated cotton, and easy to wipe clean. The pocket in the front catches everything he won't. 10.50$ by marimekko.






Little Sprouts has a wide variety of baby items. What we love? Their wooden toy selection, starting at 6$/each! High quality wooden toys, made in the USA or Germany, for a really good price. You can't beat that for a perfect gift for a baby. The frog rattle, 11,50$ at Little Sprouts Diapers.









Not just cute like candy cane - this knit hat rocks like no other. The stripe and skull knit hat by Sourpuss will punk up your baby's winter outfit. (17$), available at Urban Baby Runway











Vroom-vroom! This soft baby toy has many features your little one will love. The cat driver's head squeaks, the license plate crinkles and the wheels are ready to be pulled. Bold colors and interactive features make this one a perfect gift for a baby boy. 19.99$ at Oompa Toys







Socks to go! This cute "to go" box is filled with four different kind of pairs of Monkey Toes socks, the ladybugs,the leapfrogs, little piggies and the buzzy bees. Socks(22$) by Monkey-Toes.





Gigi Blanki Co's blankis are just the right size for a baby to cuddle. Other side is nubbly and other side is soft satin, and babies just love the different textures in these blankies. You can design your own blanki by choosing the two colors, and each is custom made to order. Give something special this year! Custom blankis (25$) by Gigi Blanki Co.








Gift some personalized style! This 100% super soft and cozy cotton onesie is a hit. Rhinestone detail is added for the little diva. The baby onesie can be personalized with up to 10 characters. 30$ by Blume.










Sheep mobile with cute hand-knitted sheep. The baby will be counting sheep and asleep in no time with this sheep mobile. The mobile (46$) is available at Zac and Zoe




See also:
Ten Cute Shoes for Baby Girls

See more great gift ideas in the Skimbaco Lifestyle Holiday Gift Guide:

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Garmont Adrenalin ski boot for ski mountaineering and freeriding. 599.95$ by Garmont.









Canon Rebel XTi (10 megapixels) digital camera is easy to use, and makes Dad look like a pro. This camera is fast! Keeps up with the busiest toddlers and captures the memories the second you want to take the picture. Amazing technical details, I don't understand anything about, all I know that I use this one for all my photos, from slopes to my store and capturing the most important memories. 677$ at Amazon.







Are you tired of him not asking for directions? Making U-turns? Being lost, and late? Make him and yourself a favor and get GPS Navigator to gently guide him. He'll love the gadget and you'll appreciate the function. Garmin StreetPilot Traffic-Ready Vehicle GPS Navigator under 700$ from Amazon.









The Ultimate heli skiing trip to Telluride, Colorado.

Untracked powder snow, mountainside living, 14ners and the best backcountry skiing imaginable.

Four days of skiing, five nights of deluxe lodging, 3 days with lunch, 4 days with breakfast, and one night of dining in Telluride.

A memory that will last a lifetime.

2395$ contact Telluride helitrax






The Bose Lifestyle 48 Series IV DVD Home Entertainment System delivers exceptional sound and picture quality. The Bose entertainment system will digitally store and organize up to 340 hours of music in the media center. The uMusic intelligent playback system actually listens to your music and learns your preferences, then makes selections based on what you like. As parents of young children, we don't go to see movies at the movie teather often - I'm OK with it, I rather stay home and enjoy the movie teather quality movies on my own couch. Thanks to Bose. The Bose Lifestyle 48 Series, 3,999$.








Monster S4R S Testastretta motorcycle.
The man toy he has always wanted. A nice touch will be a custom painted helmet to go with it.
Motorcycle: 14.995$ Ducati.

See more great gift ideas in the Skimbaco Lifestyle Holiday Gift Guide:

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The water resistant iPod speaker will brigten every morning for him. You will enjoy it too! EGO Waterproof Sound Case with Speakers for iPod, 88$ from Amazon.






You have an iPhone or iPod-obsessed guy, and he already has the shower speakers? He still might not have these high tech earphones for his gadgets. V-MODA Vibe Earphones for iPod and iPhone 99.95$ at the Apple Store.





He has everything? Try The Deluxe Designated Drink Caddy, it is a discreet beverage dispenser disguised as a regulation driver so he'll have easy access to hot or cold drinks while on the green. 118.99$ from After 5.






Vulcan Tailgater Grill and Cooler is all-in-one solution for tailgating. It includes an insulated cooler, a portable gas BBQ grill and waterproof cooler section and 3-piece BBQ tool set. Add a six-pack of his favorite beer in the cooler and get the propane tank ready too. He might wanna take this babe for a test drive already before New Year. 135$ at the Picnic Fun.








Surprise him with a short get-away togetger. A relaxing spa day together is the perfect way to relax when you don't really have time to take a long vacation. 158$ in various cities around the United States from GiftyBox





Anon Realm Leather Goggles lets you amplify your field of vision and control your ventilation level, too. 160$ from Skis.com





Send him a lobster dinner! Home delivery with instructions and everything needed for a delicious lobster dinner can be found at LiveLob.com

See more great gift ideas in the Skimbaco Lifestyle Holiday Gift Guide:

More gifts for Dads

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It's time to get Dad a bottle opener you are not shamed of when people come over. Alessi "Diabolix" Bottle Opener in red makes you smile - 12$ at Amazon.







Why not get the Alessandro M. Corkscrew too? Italian stylin' for 39$ by Alessi







Stocking stuffer for anyone in the family, spend as much as you want at the Apple Store.







"I Am America (And So Can You!)" by Stephen Colbert is a must read this season. Funny, provocative political humor from the one and only, Stephen Colbert, the host of the Colbert Report. 17$ from Amazon.







Personalize these boxer briefs to say your own message for him this Holiday season. Twice as merry: a matching thong for you too? 30$ at Skimbaco






Jetstream gloves by Black Diamond. 39.95$ at Black Diamond.









He can have you with him all the time. Load 31 best photos in this digital photo keychain. 49$ at Amazon











Normann Cognac glasses, modern, sleek, stylish. Set of two 50$ at Tivoli Home.

See more great gift ideas in the Skimbaco Lifestyle Holiday Gift Guide:

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What can I say? I love cheese, and this is the best cheese cutter you can get. You will end up giving it to your grandchildren, it will last so long. Design, function and delicious treat, all combined. Add this to a food basket filled with imported cheese (and wine of course).
Stelton Cheese Plane, designed by Peter Holmblad, 59.50$ at Tivoli Home.


Mama-to-be? Pamper her with the Belli Pregnancy Gift Set. Ease your mind with the knowledge that Belli helps promote safe pregnancies, guarding against ingredients linked to birth defects. Give her pampered protection. Gift Box features Pampered Pregnancy Body Wash, All Day Moisture Body Lotion, Elasticity Belly Oil, Skin Smoothing Body Exfoliator and Foot Relief Cream. 62$ at Belli







Stunning Onyx-ring will give a splash of color to her winter outfit. 75$ by
DeAnna Cochran






This Nest baby sling will be a real lifesaver for a busy mom - she will have her hands free while carrying her baby. Baby-wearing has so many benefits for both baby ond mother - give her something she and baby will cherist every day. This Diamont Eye pattern reverses to red - stylish with a splash of the color of the season. 75$ at the Nest.




Warm and soft cashmere scarf with the mini-agrye pattern. 75$ at the J.Crew.










Unisex felt slippers are both a contemporary looking, but tradiotional Scandinavian gift. Warm and practical! These are designed by Pia Wallen, 75$ from
Modern Seed.





Don't worry about making prints of all those digital family photos. Get the Opteka 10.2" Digital Picture Frame with 128mb Built-In Memory and load the photos in. Also Plays MP3 and Video! 119$ from Amazon.






Bella Cucina pesto set collection includes six different pestos
six ounces each of artichoke, walnut sage, red pepper, basil, sun-dried tomato and olive pesto and it all arrives in a reusable hamper basket. Gourmet gift the whole family can enjoy! 125$ at Red Evelope








Spread sunshine this Holiday season! The solid silver Sunshine necklace is designed and custom made by jewelry artist DeAnna Cochran and the proceeds go for the Hope International, helping children in orphanages around the world. 145$ at Skimbaco.








The Iittala Collective Tools series by Italian designer Antonio Citterio brings modern esthetics and function to any kitchen. The stainless steel pepper and salt mills are a great gift for a modern woman, who already has everything. 70$/each at Honfleur.







She needs sun protection for her beautiful eyes this winter. Trendy and stylish, Prada Sunglasses. 160$ by Prada.







The perfet city boot, the perfect countryside boot. The go-everywhere-boot by Born. Super soft leather, stylish cut and walking comfort. Whitley boot by Born is one of those gifts on the top of my wish list! (It's size 39, if you must know). 175$ by Born.







The whole family will want to adopt this wi-fi rabbit! Nabaztag Smart Rabbit is connected to the Internet and will bring you everything on the web and messages from your friends using colored lights, the movements of his ears, spoken words, or songs. You can talk to and give orders to this electronic bunny. Rabbit will tell you advice and send messages to your friends for you. Nabaztag Smart Rabbit reacts to and recognizes the surounding objects. Amazing new wi-fi rabbit, 189$ at Modern Seed.

See more great gift ideas in the Skimbaco Lifestyle Holiday Gift Guide:

More Gifts fo Mom

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Earth mama will love this reusable shopping bag from Ecoist. The best alternative to landfilling, polluting plastic shopping bags. Envirosax bags are lightweight, portable, waterproof and each one holds the equivalent of two supermarket plastic bags. Ecological and much more stylish too than the plastic bags! 7.96$ per one from Ecoist.









A cute little stocking stuffer for a cat-lover. Handmade key chain 7.99$ by Riiminka Design.








Mouse Pads are great gifts to almost anyone! Delight co-workers's day every day by gifting her this Tree House mouse pad by My Favorite Mirror. 15$ from Pink Olive







One year magazine subscribtion. She probably already gets all the fashion magazines, so how about more lifestyle focused? I love reading the Coastal Living.








Will they say "Naughty" or "Nice" this Christmas? Personalize these Blume Girl panties with your own message - or her name, his name or let your imagination fly. Up to 10 characters and no other limits. Also available as a thong. 21$ by Blume.




If you love low cut jeans, and flash your thong every now and then, why not do it in style? The gals at the Smart Ass made a perfect thong just for those of you, who occasionally are known to show off the back of your panties. They have a great selection of panties saying "bun in the oven" and "domestic diva". My favorites? The "kiss my.." and the original "smart ass". 22$ at Smart Ass.










Ivana Helsinki Printed Case with metal clasp. Perfect for hiding snacks on your office desk. If anyone gets this for me - I'd appreciate the cookies and the Koskenkorva-bottle (Finnish Vodka) pictured too. Use your imagination and fill this box with goodies! 26$ at Peek Keep





Hyvää Joulua! God Jul! These Scandinavian Christmas Tree Coronets will bring a greeting from Scandinavia for your home. Add them in your Christmas tree and fill them with cady or other treats. They work well as individual gift bags as well. 32.40$ for a set of four from fjorn











You can get the gourmet food delivered right on the door step. Easy, delicious, and always in style. This Champagne Cheese Assortment in Gift Box 34.99$ by igourmet.com







Personalized hanging picture frame. Add your photo to make it special. 3,50$/one, 42$ for 12 at Beau Coup.







Who wouldn't love perfumes? This Holiday she will want to know how Lovely she is. Sarah Jessica Parker's perfume Lovely is the must have fragrance. Sophisticated, chic and crisp but flowery at the same time. Lovely blends silky white amber with exotic patchouli oil and crisp apple martini. 42$ for the 3.4 oz Eau de Parfum.

See more great gift ideas in the Skimbaco Lifestyle Holiday Gift Guide:

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But at least now I can get her beauty products and feel like a super model.

Cindy Crawford's Meaningful Beauty cosmetics series is high quality skin care, designed in France and tested by Cindy Crawford herself for ten years before hitting the infomercials on TV. I wouldn't even know about the Meaningful Beauty products, unless I hadn't fallen a sleep on the couch one night, and woken up a few hours later by Cindy's voice in the Meaningful Beauty midnight infomercial.

Cindy was inviting me to try her skin care line.

I thought "why not", I'm too busy to go to the department stores to get my skin care products, and logged on the Meaningful Beauty website right away to purchase the skin care line. I was actually impressed that the line wasn't sold at the premier department stores with a high price tag and a picture of Cindy on the bottles. It must be as good as she says the line is, since there is no hype, no flashy billboards.

Cindy Crawford does not offer disappointments. Neither does her Meaningful Beauty skin care line.

They actually call it "Age Maintenance System", and for a reason. My skin didn't just stop getting older, it started looking younger!

The age maintenance series comes with a cleanser, day and night moisturizers, eye cream, facial masque, and a décolleté and neck cream. After just one week of using the Meaningful Beauty line, I started getting compliments like "your skin is glowing".

I was impressed. Finally a skin care line that gives enough moisture, without being greasy, and giving me this soft skin, with the best complexion I've had for years.

Meaningful Beauty products are packed with nutrients and vitamins, and the key ingredient is an advanced antioxidant complex containing a patented extract from a rare French melon, which helps the skin to renew itself. This melon extract is naturally enriched with coenzyme Q10, lipoic acid and minerals that are designed to help restore skin’s youthful radiance.

Unfortunately you can't just order one or two products of the line, you need to get the whole line. But the price is only 29,95$ for one month's test package, and same 29,95$/month after that, if you sign up for continuous delivery. Now my skin care is solved with once a month arriving package from Cindy.

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Photo by Tuulevi

More Worldess Wednesday


Ps. Win 50$ Shopping Spree to Madallie!

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Ok, I was trying to take some photos of my kids..

I've gotten e-mails saying I need to post more pics of the kids!

I also wanted to show a few of my kids' favorite outfits from the Fall/Winter 07 collections.

But it was a mission impossible. My models kept climbing in the trees.

Isabella wearing Edenstar Ballet Wrap (77$), Wati school girl skirt (46$) and Fairy Princess tights by MP Socks (25$). Boots are from last year, and they are by ESPRIT.

Too fast for the camera. And loving the poppy dress made of luxurious silk by Fable & Lore (110$). She is also wearing the Edenstar cropped pants, at the moment the only pants she'll wear for school.

More Edenstar merino wool styles. And remember, this is my daughter with very sensitive skin and eczema - she loves the soft merino wool on her skin. And she prefers to wear nothing under it, because the material feels so comfortable.



The other two kids..?

Well, here is my goofball Gabi.

Wearing Riiminka Design dress (29.99$), withe the ruffle skirt under (9.99$). And Lelli Kelly shoes (42.99$) and Lola et Moi handbag.




And this boy... Supporting Britney with his Gimme Gimme tee (12.99$)? And giving me attitute "I don't wanna model".

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I need my coffee, and I was glad to read about some health benefits drinking coffee can bring me.

Caffeine is one of the most researched food items, and seems like new caffeine research results come up yearly, if not monthly. Here is some new research information about the health benefits of caffeine, and espeacially good news for java junkies like me.

The recommended caffeine intake a day is 300-400 mg*. It is around three normal cups of coffee or just one big one. This pictured Grande size (medium) coffee from Starbucks has alone the recommended amount of caffeine!

Caffeine overdose is rare, but possible, and the main side effects of caffeine are hyperventilation, insomnia or palpitations.

Don't quit going to Starbucks just yet, the newest reseacrh results show us that a few cups of the nectar of the Seattle siren is actually good for you.


CAFFEINE REALATED RESEARCH RESULTS:

1. Finns love coffee and the national usage of coffee is twice the amount as in the US, and they have done several coffee related researches in Finland. The latest result: Drinking coffee prevents Parkinson's desease. Finns researched this for 22 years and according the results the people who drink at least 4 cups of coffee a day are 40% less likely to get the Parkinson's disease.


2. The relation between caffeine and heart disease is still under a reseach. There is some reseach results saying that coffee drinking is associated with increased heart attack risk, but the research result just published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition claims that drinking coffee decreases the risk of heart disease in older people (over 65 years old). This health benefit was age related.

3. Swedes say that coffee protects you from liver disease, especially from liver cancer. This research result shows that two cups of coffee a day decrease the risk of liver cancer by 43%.

4. Do your colon a favor - drink coffee. You might know that coffee helps ingestion, that's not new news. Drinking coffee does not increase the risk of colon or rectal cancer either say the Harvard University reseach team.


Even though coffee has many health benefits, remember not to drink it too much. The key is moderation! Drinking coffee can also increase stress, raise blood pressure among other health problems. Individuals who suffer from disorders of the cardiovascular system should avoid coffee.

Some amounts of caffeine found in drinks:

Coffee, brewed: 90-110 mg. per 8 oz cup
Espresso, one shot: 50 mg. per kuppi
Coffee, decaf: 2- 5 mg. per kuppi
Tee: 25 - 110 mg. per cup
Cocoa: 2-20 mg. per cup
Cola-drinks and other sodas which include caffeine: 36 - 90 mg. per glass.
Red Bull drink: 80 mg per can
Starbucks bottled frappucino: 90 mg
Starbucks Grande Cafe Mocha: 116 mg
Starbucks Grande regular coffee: 372 mg.


Read more.


* The recommended amount in the US is 300mg/day, in Canada it is 400mg/day.


Sources:
McKinley Health Center at University of Illinois
Kahvi.net
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Finfood

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The Holidays are approaching,
and the trips to spend Thanksgiving with the family..

Or just need a great store to stop in for great gifts.. - Madallie is your store.

Madallie is a children's travel store offering entertainment, backpacks, blankets, just about anything you can think of to take along for a fun trip with the kids. I wish I had found Madallie already 7 years ago, when we started traveling with the kids!

Madallie has all our family's favorites, the Klutz craft books, the Uno cards, hand puppets, the oil cloth chalk mats... the classics and the newest must haves!

Now you have a chance to Win 50$ Gift Certificate to Madallie!

I am so excited to offer this gift certificate to one of my readers - this is such a cool store and I know you'll love shopping there as much as I do. Read the details below!

Here are some of my kids' favorites:





Isabella and Gabi love making these Fairies Petal People - everything needed for the petal people come with the handy instruction Book (18.95$).



Charlotte books (17.95$) are my girls' favorites!




Isn't this Blabla blanket (70.95$) just perfect for fall?

GIVEAWAY DETAILS: Open to all! Contest ends October 14th, winner will be announced October 15th.

Please write a post in your blog linking to Madallie and back to this post - so others will know about the contest too. Sign up the Mr. Linky below and you are entered. If you don't have a blog, please tell three of your friends to sign up for the contest too and leave your e-mail address so we can reach you.

Ps. What is your favorite product from Madallie?

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I have so many friends asking me "how do you do it", when we (Mom, Dad and three kids, now aged 4, 5 and 7) travel. Well, I do have a few secrets in my sleeve, but the best advice I can give to anyone - pack the right stuff!

We don't travel light - I don't mind carrying all the outfits and entertainment and well, just stuff - to keep kids happy and me somewhat sane. We make traveling fun - even when getting from place A to place B.

Flying is always a challenge, and not really the flights, there are tons of great toys and enterntainment available to keep kids occupied, for example check out Madallie - a super cool children's travel store.

The biggest challenge is the security checks, the waiting, the layovers and the time spent at the airports. Especially after you've just landed from an over-continental flight.. To be honest, there are not many NICE child friendly airports in the whole United States.

I always find myself wishing for another pair of hands when we're trying to keep all of our belongings (and kids) together at the airports. I was so happy when I found a children's luggage, which a child can ride on! How cool - it totally eliminated the need for a stroller!

Trunki ($40) children’s luggage is the answer I’ve been waiting for.

Trunki is the hands free luggage both you and your child will love. It's low and light enough that children 3 and up and pull it along and they have a ready made seat when waiting in those long long lines. Gabi in the picture is 5 and she loves it - and is making the 7 year old sister so jealous!

Function, entertainment and transportation in one colorful suitcase, and it will double great as a playroom storage and an indoor ride on toy between vacations. How cool is that? I'd say it's a must have luggage for all the kids flying to see Grandma and Grandpa this Holiday season!

(Sorry G-ma and G-pa, we are staying home and enjoying the Rocky Mountains this Christmas!)

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Halloween is getting closer and if your kids are anything like my kids, there is Halloween talk going on every day! Don't let your Halloween to be scary, let's all have a safe Halloween!

Here are some great safety topics to go over with the children already before Halloween. They are great dinner table conversations. Get children involved with the conversation, so even the younger ones understand why Halloween safety and these tips are so important.

These Halloween safety tips are from the American Academy of Pediatrics.



AVOID:
- Masks, children might not see well through them.
- Too big costumes, which could make the child trip or even get in fire.
- If your child's costume has a sword, cane, or stick a part of it, make sure it is not sharp or too long. A child may be easily hurt by these accessories if he stumbles or trips.
- Children shouldn't be carving pumpkins.
- Votive candles are safest for candle-lit pumpkins. Lighted pumpkins should be placed on a sturdy table, away from curtains and other flammable objects, and should never be left unattended.




TRY THESE:
- Instead of masks, use non-toxic make up, or big hats or scarfs.
- Reflective tape in costumes and trick or treating bags looks cool and is safe.
- Read the costume labels, and purchase only flame resistant costumes.
- Children can draw faces to pumpkins, and you can carve it, or children can use stickers to decorate them.


REMEMBER TO DO:
- Get a flashlight, and check batteries before Halloween!
- Clean your front yard so trick-or-treating children won't trip and get hurt.
- Provide yard lighting and keep the pets from scaring the trick--treating without you, or get lost. It is a good reminder to go over how to call 911.



ON THE TRICK-OR-TREAT TRAIL:
- Don't let your child go alone, a responsible adult should always accompany young children even in your own neighbourhood.
- If your older children are going without adults, plan and review the route that is acceptable to you. Agree on a specific time when they should return home.
- Somebody should carry a cell phone for emergencies.
- Law enforcement authorities should be notified immediately of any suspicious or unlawful activity.
- Check the candy before you let your child to eat anything.


REMIND THE CHILDREN:
- Stay together, don't leave anyone behind.
- Only go to homes with a lighting in the yard.
- Use sidewalk, and don't go to streets without any lighting.
- Not to take short cuts across yards or alleys.
- Do not go to a stranger's home or car for a treat.
- Don't assume the right of way. Motorists may have trouble seeing Trick-or-Treaters. Just because one car stops, doesn't mean others will!

Ps. See also the Pinks & Blues Girls' Halloween Guide for the best Halloween costumes, treats and other fun stuff!

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More Thowback Thursday Sphere: Related Content

7 years ago - she is so big now...




More Wordless Wednesday

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This is my 200th post, and I'm continuing the "tradition" to do a meme, and today I have FOUR of them! THANK YOU for those who awarded/tagged me!

It's a long post, all non-relevant, non-interesting info of me.
Please, don't read it.

“This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you’ve been awarded please pass it on to 7 others who you feel are deserving of this award.”


Mums The Wurd and Melodye both awarded me the Nice Matters award. Actually Mel already awarded it to me in August.. I so don't deserve it, my manners have been very bad not writing about it before.. Well, it was the move, the internet "rehab", my broken foot and life... excuses galore.

The next meme is from Saara, my Finn friend living in Texas.




List three important events and send it back to me and other friends to whose life you want to peak!

or as it goes originally:
Täytä omat kolmen kärkesi. Lähetä minulle ja muille ystävillesi, joiden elämään haluat kurkistaa!

Ten years ago, in 1997
1. Quit college. Quit my job. Left my ex-boyfriend of 5 years. (spring)
2. Moved to Germany, studied in Fachhochschule. (summer)
3. Met my husband and fell in love. (fall)


Five years ago, in 2002
1. Moved from Germany to the US. With my husband and a one-year-old, and a 2-month-old.
2. Traveled from Dallas to Orlando to Cleveland to Montreal. By car. With a toddler and an infant, and while being pregnant (again).
3. Bought our first home, over 100-year-old Victorian from upstate New York.

Three years ago, 2004
1. Saved my son's life a few times, he had severe seizures and choke to food easily. Tough times.
2. Moved from NY to Cleveland, Ohio.
3. Matt got out of the Army and started flying for a TV station in Cleveland.

One year ago, in 2006
1. Lived in Tennessee and designed my dream house close to Nashville.
2. Decided suburbs weren't for us, Matt didn't like his job as a corporate test pilot, and we moved to the Rocky Mountains.
3. I started my own corporation.

So far this year, in 2007
1. Moved only once, but stayed in the same town in Colorado!
2. My store has been in newspapers in two countries, in over 40 online sites and once on TV. In the first 6 months of its operation.
3. Did a business trip to NYC. It was my first time ever to be away from home (and leave my kids) for longer than two hours. I met my BFF for the first time - we had been online friends for a while. And did my first trade shows in the US. So exciting!

Yesterday
1. Re-designing this blog - What do you think?? Drea helped me!
2. Working, going to the post office, picking up girls from school.
3. Made dinner together with my husband.

Today
1. Pretty much same as yesterday..
2. Talked on phone with my friend in NYC for over 2 hours.
3. Made some tortilla soup for dinner.

Tomorrow
1. More work.
2. Hanging out with my son.
3. I'll try to catch the new TV show with that girl from Grey's Anatomy... The doctor you know.. It's tomorrow, right? See, I watch so little TV that I can't even remember the names of the shows I want to see (and usually miss, because I still work during prime time).

Next year
1. Move. I don't know where, but it's always a possibility. There is so much world to see!
2. I'll ski much more than this year.
3. Go to NYC again.


I'm tagging only Nice People - these nice people will get the Nice Matters Award and I want to read their memories!

Em - the housewife in France
Naomi at Superdumb Supervillain.
Drea - the hot pastor's wife.
Amy - the Domestic Goddess.
Petra - another world-traveling mama in Finland.
Arianne - smart and beautiful, and I want you to go and see her new blog, looks great!

And Stacey for the memories in the last ten years and Saara on the 5 things... and yeah, both of you get the Nice Matters of course.






What.. are you still reading? Ok, then the next two memes..


Then the 5 Things You didn't want to Know of Me
And I can't tell you all. My in-laws read this and I have shocked them quite enough (sorry about that, I still love you!).

This one is from Stacey:
Katja my stunningly beautiful (model at one time) Colorado friend. She's a wife, momma, business woman and a whole lotta more stuff! Katja, I think it's time you tell us something really bad--so's maybe I won't envy you so much. Okay?

1. I was teased at school. I wore Converse a year before anyone else, or I moved my hips too much when I walked. Or I was a nerd (got A's / 10's from math). I heard me called with names like Math Geek, or Lambada Hips.

2. I started drinking and going in the night clubs when I was 15. I borrowed my mom's high heels and hitch-hiked to the city. Thank God nothing bad ever happened.

3. I've had three knee surgeries - too much sports.

4. Eileen Ford offered me a job in Japan when I was 15, but my Mom didn't let me go (so I started stealing her high heels and partying).

5. I used to drive 100 mph all the time, but made a mental note to myself not to drive faster than 85 mph after I got pregnant. I've gotten only one speeding ticket, in Canada and for over 200$.





AND then last meme coming up is for everybody, it's from Steph


1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)
Tessi Volvo - see how B-O-R-I-N-G I am???

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
Pistachio LU

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)
KPRE

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Red Dog


5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, hospital where you were born)
Henrika Tyks - that's bad!

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)
Preka

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
The Black Latte - oxymoron!

9. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names )
Marjatta Veikko

10. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
Who remembers their 5th grade teacher's name???

11. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
Fall Lily-of-the-valley


12. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Strawberry Pantsy


13. HIPPIE NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
Latte Birch - yeah, really hippie..


14. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”)
The Dancing Snowstorm Tour

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Interview with Danielle Friedland.

When I started thinking about opening my own children's clothing store, there was one site I was constantly reading and making notes. No, it wasn't an Online Guide to Children's Fashion (well, ok, that one too), it wasn't even a site focusing on children's clothing. It was the Celebrity Baby Blog.

The celebrity babies are the number one trendsetter in the children's clothing industry, but that's not the only reason the Celebrity Baby Blog has gotten so popular. Having babies makes the Hollywood celebs to look more, well, normal, and gives moms a way to relate to them. The Celebrity Baby Blog gets 2.3 million unique readers and over 4.1 million pageviews per month and is one of the most popular sites among the trendy moms!

This year Celebrity Baby Blog has started many new features like the Shop directory and the Annual Celebrity Baby Blog Awards.

I was lucky to have a chat with the owner, the editor-in-chief, the publisher, the blogging-superwoman of the Celebrity Baby Blog, Danielle Friedland. She started her blog just writing on lunch breaks, or evenings after work, and now she works full time AND has a staff of 14 working with her and posting average 20 times a day!

Katja: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Danielle: Ever since I learned how to write, I've been a writer. My third grade compositions were praised for their quirky creativity, in sixth grade, my poetry was published in a college literary journal and in 1994, I created what my friend Dave calls the first blog, Natalie Engel's Chest of Lust, Longing and Obsession. Since then, I've done more in terms of technical writing and tech support than writing.


Katja: You've had the Celebrity Baby Blog since 2005. Is the Celebrity Baby Blog your first blog?

Danielle No, it's actually my third blog. I had two blogs that I had lost interest in. A knitting and a personal blog, and the Celebrity Baby Blog is my third one. I had no way of knowing that this one would take off like it has or that I would still be doing it 3 1/2 years later. Or that it would be my full-time job!


Katja: How did you get the idea to start the Celebrity Baby Blog?

Danielle: It was all my husband's fault. We were watching the Golden Globes in 2005 and I was pointing out who was pregnant or who had just given birth. I was inspired by my husband to create the Celebrity Baby Blog and pour all of this knowledge into a blog. Since then, it has been my creative outlet, but not just in the typical way. I've enjoyed being entrepreneurially creative.


Katja: What is the best thing about your job?

Danielle: Being my own boss and making the rules! I've always been the low man on the totem pole and having to grit my teeth while having to do the grunt work and follow stupid rules (like my job at an executive search firm that forbid women from wearing pants). And for the first time in my life, I actually look forward to Mondays!


Katja: I can totally relate to that! What is the normal work day for you like?

Danielle: I get up around 6:30 when my daughter wakes up. I give her breakfast and hang out with her until I have to pick up my nanny at the train station at 9. I then spend the next 8 hours answering emails (delegating tasks, assigning stories, corresponding with PR agencies and advertisers), coming up with project ideas, posting giveaways and selecting winners. At 5:30, I have to drive my nanny to the train. My work day picks up again when my husband puts Anya to sleep- I'll usually put in another 2-3 hours but I am trying to relax more and work less at night because I've been going to bed way too late and being exhausted in the morning.


Katja: Who was the first celebrity baby you wanted to know more about?

Danielle: Demi Moore's posing nude on the cover of Vanity Fair was probably the first celebrity pregnancy I was aware of, but I don't think I was curious about a celebrity pregnancy until Reese Witherspoon got pregnant with Ava because she was my age - pretty young at the time. I think I was also curious about Madonna's daughter Lourdes.


Katja: Do you have a favorite celebrity? And celebrity baby?

Danielle: I really love Jennifer Garner and Violet Affleck because they seem so normal. I wouldn't be surprised if they showed up in my daughter's preschool class or mommy and me activity because they pretty much behave as normal parents do.

On the other end of the spectrum, I have to say that from what we can see in photos, though there is nothing normal about her relationship with Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes seems incredibly devoted to her daughter Suri. You can tell that she really adores Suri and that Suri feels the same way about her.


Katja: Do celebrities sometimes contact you?

Danielle: So far, no.


Katja: What legacy would you like your blog to leave?

Danielle: Wait a minute- that would mean the site wouldn't be around for all eternity! I have no intention of that not happening! People ask me what my exit strategy for the site is and I always say, I don't have one because I don't plan on exiting. I love this job and can't imagine doing anything else.


Katja: Good for you! What is the most memorable thing for you in the 3-and-half-year history of the Celebrity Baby Blog?

Danielle: We typically quote interviews from People magazine but recently, they quoted us!

Katja: Thank you so much for your time Danielle, it was a pleasure to talk with you!

Danielle: Thanks!

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My Hawaiian friend Kailani writes the 5 Minutes Around the bloghosphere on Sundays at the 5 Minutes for Mom blog. Click in and see what you might have missed this week! Thanks for linking to us, Kailani!

Congratulations for Janice from 5 Minutes for Mom - she had a baby girl on Friday! Little Olivia wanted to see her baby shower on Monday, and was born a little early. She and Mommy are doing fine, and now there is even more reason to celebrate the big Cyber Baby Shower! Remember to visit 5 Minutes for Mom on Monday for tons of cool giveaways!

There is a rumor going on that some of the products in the Cyber Baby Shower will be reviewed at one of my favorite sites, the Celebrity Baby Blog.

Please, pick our cool gifts for moms and babies!

Well, it was worth the shot :)

But seriously, speaking of Celebrity Babies - check out the site to see who else was born this week. And stay tuned, if you are a fan of Celebrity Baby Blog, you are in for a real treat tomorrow!

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We have some new stuff at the store!
Check out the Lola et Moi Winter collection!

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Denise Richards and her two pretty girls, Lola and Sam, were spotted in Beverly Hills yesterday. Celebrity Baby Blog has a picture and details!

Unfortunately I will not pay to post celebrity photos here, so I can't show you a picture, but both little girls are wearing Tsukihoshi Pink Sneakers we have at Skimbaco! The picture is at the Celebrity Baby Blog, if you want to see it.

Here is another picture of Sam and Denise - here Sam is cute as a bee, and wearing Monkey-Toes bee socks (only 6$)!


Shop for Denise Richards' favorite brands at skimbaco.com:
Tsukihoshi
Lola et Moi
Monkey Toes

Read more about Tsukihoshi shoes.

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Now it's time to book your next flights to Europe!

Scandinavian Airlines is having this great promotion, they offer selected flights to Europe, starting from 235$ (one way)!! The cheapest flights are from New York or D.C. to Copenhagen, but you'll get really good rates from/to other cities as well this fall. Even Seattle - Copenhagen 280$!

Some restrictions apply, and these prices are offered from October 28 – December 13, 2007 or December 24, 2007 – March 13, 2008.

So unfortunately not good for a Christmas vacation.

This offer is good only when you use the link in this post - it was e-mailed to me by SAS marketing team. Check out the rates now.

I know many of you travel to Europe often, so I just wanted to share this deal.

There are so many places in Europe that I miss right now. I wouldn't even want to do an adventure to a new place where I've never been to, but go to those familiar places I've already been or lived in.

From mountains to other mountains... I'd love to see the foliage in Bayern, Germany -and go and visit the Neuschwanstein castle again.

Neuschwanstein castle in Germany

Or I'd like to spend the last days of the sailing season in the Archipelago of Turku, and visit all my friends in Turku.

Auransillalla / Turku, Photo Pentti Heikkilä


Airiston rannalla, Photo Pentti Heikkilä

Shopping would be great too, but instead of Paris or Milan, I'd choose Heidelberg (culture, history and the longest shopping street of the world!) or go to Stockholm to get a new Volvo, like in our last visit to Sweden. What was I thinking not getting the cross country? Obviously I wasn't planning on moving to the Rocky Mountains.

That's me in Stockholm, with my camera.

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My friend Whitney just started a new site called This Mom Knows!

Whitney is one world-travelin' mom, just like me. She is from California, her husband is from Israel, and their two children somewhere between - currently they live in Texas, but their family lives the Skimbaco lifestyle, so never know where they are going to be next year! Whether it's cultural travels in Jordan or shopping in L.A., Whitney lives her life to the fullest!

You will find all kinds of great stuff from This Mom Knows - reviews, info, adventures and anything.. well, what mom wants to know!

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One of my favorite books is “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” It’s about this guy named Henry who involuntarily slips in and out of time, sometimes waking up several years ahead and sometimes waking up several years behind his present life.

A couple of nights ago I took one of my students from Still Creek Boys’ and Girls’ Home to see “Grease.” One of the dances in the play was “The Stroll.” In the 60’s, we danced the stroll, did the gator, and rock and rolled with the best of them. The play brought back memories of cheerleading, dancing, and high school romances, -- good times.

One crazy and dangerous game we often played was “running the box.” Someone would tie a long rope to a box, we would place it on the side of the road & wait for someone to come by, stop their car, or truck, to see what was in the box. Then the fun would begin. We would pull slowly on the rope, the person would figure out the joke, get in their vehicle & leave, while we laughed hilariously! One night a trucker stopped, got out to see what the treasure might be, we pulled the rope, and he got out his gun and started shooting. We ran to our cars, laughing like idiots. Crazy kids!

We climbed over the fence to swim late at night, at the first public swimming pool in our little town, ate watermelons out of some farmer’s field, on a midnight eating spree, and danced to the live entertainment of Roy Head, The Boogy Kings, Kenny Rodgers and B.J. Thomas -- Where I met my Honey, of 40 years -- It was a Golden time.


Since, moving back to Bryan, Texas, a town very close to my home town, I have reconnected with old friends from that Golden time. The friendships are still there, we trust each other. We’ve shared a lot. When we are together, we have a real sense of being young again. It’s like we’ve been in a time machine, and we’ve just stepped back to the 1960’s.

Today is also a Golden time. It’s filled with old and new friends, my beautiful family, and the joy of grandchildren, enough leisure time to do some volunteer work, Meals on Wheels with my husband, volunteer teaching, reading books, traveling, meeting for lunch, with my Ya-Ya Sisters once a month. (Ya-Ya’s--a group of women whose hearts and souls are joined together by laughter and tears shared through this glorious journey of life), and play Bunko!

Life is good!—TxGrnma(Donna)


Read more Throwback Thursday at Pinks and Blues

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It's a baby shower!

Two very special Moms are having babies just about anytime now! What is special about this - these two moms are not just best friends, they are sisters and twins! Oh yeah, you might already know who I'm talking about! It's Janice and Susan, the 5 minutes for Mom duo!

This Cyber Baby Shower is hosted by another multi-tasking supermom Paula, who owns Happy Panda - a delightful store offering cute products for happy little pandas (or babies if you must say).

The huge Cyber Baby Shower will take event on the October 1st, next Monday at 5 minutes for Mom and you can win this cute Gigi Blanki Co's blanki from Skimbaco! And there is tons of other great items to win too!

You. Must. Go.

Don't worry, I'll remind you again on Monday, just wanted to give you heads up, in case you are not visiting on Monday.

Gigi Blanki Co. blankis are a wonderful baby shower gift to any mom. These blankis are all custom made, and you get to even design them yourself. Start by choosing the soft nubbly side, and then pick the silky satin side - babies love to touch the different textures!

Since the twin moms already know the wonderful Gigi Blankis, I decided to gift them something different.

Since every Mom needs some Peace for herself every now and then, I sent one lucky mom a DeAnna Cochran original Peace-necklace.

I'm sure these super-twins are perfect moms, but I remember when I had little ones, it was always first the babies' stuff, then mine, and often I left the house without lipstick - or was searching for my keys everywhere... you know what I mean.

So I decided to give this super cute Riiminka Design key chain for the other mom in our baby shower!

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FEATURED CHILDREN'S STORES

Shop now at our modern day general store for clothing, shoes, toys, jewelry and home deco. We offer gift items for the whole family, and have a large selection of personalized gifts.
Use code SKI15 and get 15% off your order.

Urban Baby Runway offers hip clothing, shoes, gear and wear even for urban moms and dads . May I recommend? Try their ready-to-give gift sets for babies.

GREAT STORES FOR WOMEN

Mama Mio offers skin care products for pregnant moms - their products are the Hollywood moms' secret for NOT having strech marks!







Arden B. offers fashion for women.




Pink Olive Boutique has cute gifts for women and children. We especially like the stationary and other small gift items.


Belli offers the safest choice for pregnancy, motherhood and baby skin care, and they have great gift baskets of skin care products.


Career Bags helps career women and working moms to get organized! Their laptop bags make great gifts!

TOYS & GIFTS FOR BABIES AND CHILDREN

Oompa Toys offers a large variety of modern and classic toys. Some of our favorite brands from Oompa are Haba, BlaBla and Brio.


Little Missmatched is your source for the pyjamas, bedding and their signature socks! Everything girly and fun, even for moms.

GIFTS & HOME DECO FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Inhabit has a great collection of home deco, modern bedding, wall art and pillows. Get free shipping on orders over 200$.



Shoes.com has amazing collection of - surprise: shoes! All the favorite brands like Born, Seychelles, UGG, Steve Madden, Michael Kors... Everything from sports shoes to evening wear, from kids to adults.





Modern Seed offers contemporary finds for the modern families. We love their furniture and home deco selection, and have featured many of their products in our Gift Guide.




Design Public offers everything for modern home. Shop for Dwell bedding, Offi furniture and many other favorite modern design brands. Free shipping on orders over 50$.

TRAVEL

Airfare.com offers up to 60% off published airfares on major airlines world wide as well as discounted hotel stays and vacation packages.



Book Airline Tickets is one of the leading online travel companies nationwide. You can search, check availability, and buy securely. Airline tickets, car reservations, hotel reservations, and prepaid travel packages at major discounts.



EscapeWizard.com allows travelers to click on and search multiple travel sites to find the lowest fare. Travelers enter their search criteria once, then click on multiple logos to find the best fare.

WEDDING GIFTS, FAVORS ETC

Shopforbridal.com is the newest member of USABride, Inc., one of the most trusted wedding information site in the US for over 10 years. The website is state of the art in usability and aesthetics. They offer wide assortment of exquisite bridal accessories-tiaras, veils, bridesmaid dresses and bridal lingerie.



HansonEllis.com offers a selection of bridal gifts, wedding favors, engravable keepsakes, crystals, candles, & soaps. Bride's Magazine selected HansonEllis.com as one of the best wedding websites.

One Stop shopping at Amazon.com :

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More Wordless Wednesday

Halloween Guide
Isabella's clothes

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After I finally got my internet working, and I'm back on being a night owl. After I tuck my kids to bed on the evenings, I make myself a huge cup of cappucino, and sit down with my laptop. Last night I heard a hoot from the open window, and took it as a hint - it's time to give owls a premier spot in my blog.

Owls are the symbolic birds of wisdom and even education - the owl is the teacher in the children's animal books, and Owl in the tales of the Winnie the Pooh is the smart one. Even though he might spell his name WOL.

The beginning of the school year, the darker and colder nights of the fall, no wonder that the nightly bird, owl, is one of the fashion trends of the season! Make a smart fashion statement with these cute owl products.

Owl Onesie by Jasper Hearts Wren 30$



Owl long sleeve tee (29$) by Tea Collection



Owl hoodie custom made, 35$ at Etsy



Owl Broche (26$) by Lola et Moi



Wall Decal, Owl in the tree, 50$ at Etsy - the owl alone is sold separately.



Kumquat has a whole line of cute owl clothing and even baby blankets to match!




Paul Frank Owl Bedding.



Owl wallet, 36$ at Urban Outfitters.

"The Owl who was afraid of the dark" by Jill Tomlinson, 68$ at Amazon or used starting at 7.25$. Classic book to read to any child who is afraid of dark.

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I've been out of the interior design world for a while, but it has been my passion for a long time. I'm going out of my box in this blog, and posting some pics of cool sinks! Most of them are by Kohler, by far my favorite sink brand.

I went to see a really cool house here in Durango this weekend, it was part of the Parade of Homes building show. The house I saw was in the suburbs of Durango, on the top of the hill, the nicest house on the block.

I'll tell you more about this custom built house later, after it is finished, and on the market. The house is entirely custom build with round elements (which cost more to build than straight walls and corners), high ceilings, and lots of bathrooms with nice marble and granite, even an elevator and what I love: a good Finnish sauna.

The house is around 2,5 million dollars.

I'm obsessed with Kohler products, especially sinks, and so was the designer of this house.

You'd be surprised, that the prices are not that high... On your next home remodelling project, some of these million-dollar-looks are easy to accomplish just by choosing Kohler.

Icicles Clear Tempered Glass Vessel Sink, 84,99$ on sale




Archer pedestal lavatory by Kohler, 265$.


Kathryn undercounter lavatory by Kohler, starting at 327$.



Ecalade Vessels lavatory by Kohler, starting at 377$

The house was build by Durango Custom Works

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My daughter has eczema and finding good skin care products for her has proven to be difficult. Sometimes her skin gets so bad that she has to use steroid-based creams. Usually these creams include cortisone or other steroids, which thin the skin over time. When Isabella turned two, we were happy that she was prescribed newer non-steroid creams, such as Protopic and Elidel.

Recently both of these creams have been linked to a possible risk of cancer. We had been using them with Isabella for five years! Luckily now when she has gotten a little bit older, and also after we moved to a very dry mountain climate, her skin has gotten much easier to take care of. But she still gets the occasional flare ups.

We used Aveeno for years, since we moved so often, and it was one of those only lotions we could find almost anywhere and worked somewhat well. Well, it worked in that sense that the skin didn't get worse, but never really took the dryness away.

When The Body Shop introduced it's hemp series, we gave it a try. Same with their Aloe, which was supposed to be their line for sensitive skin. The Body Shop Aloe vera didn't really do anything for Isabella, but she really liked the hemp products. Her skin got softer and it even cured some flare ups. There was just one minus... the smell.

The hemp line works really well, but it's ingredient natural hemp seed oil does have a very distinctive aroma. And to be honest, not one of my favorite ones. And unfortunately there are not many scented lines out there that work for children's eczema.


Thanks to Mama Speaks review site, where I am honored to write, we received some amazing skin care products we hadn't heard of before.

Noodle & Boo products received such a warm welcome in our house. Luxurious, good smelling, soft.. even the packaging made my daughter to feel like she was a princess.

Noodle & Boo is a safe and gentle skin care line to be used for children even with the most sensitive skins. In addition to their signature sweet cream lotions, their product line also offers shampoos, soaps and sun lotions.

My daughter now keeps walking around the house saying ”touch my skin”, she is so proud of her soft skin. She keeps sniffing her arm, and is in the seventh heaven because the lotion smells so good. Also, Isabella feels that finally putting on lotion is luxurious, not just something she has to do because of her skin condition.

This is the first ever scented series of skin care products she has been able to use! Her skin is so soft and the rash is healing. Seeing my daughter happy and her skin healthy is priceless – but I’m glad to know I can get more of this good stuff for a very reasonable price.

One extra reason why we love Noodle & Boo – they donate 20% of the proceeds to children’s charities. This luxurious skin care line is making a difference in children’s lives in more ways than one.

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It's been a toy recall after a toy recall. The latest recall making parents across the nation nervous is the Simplicity Crib recall - three babies have died because of poor hardware and crib design.

While the toy safety hearings at the Senate are still going, at least some news of the latest recall mania have come out. The University of Manitoba business school in Winnipeg, Canada has studied the 550 toy recalls reported by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) since 1988, and the study result shows that 77 percent of recalls, were as a result of problems attributed to design flaws - not manufacturing issues.

While it still seems that the lead in the toys was a result of greedy business men, the rest of the recalls were made because of poor design.

While we, concerned parents, have been blaming everything from the Chinese to corporate CEOs, I'd like you to think about what YOU can do.

Pointing fingers is like a barking dog - it won't hurt you, but it gets annoying after a while. I've started getting annoyed of myself by saying too many times how disgusted I am by the greed of big companies.



The good thing is that we can make a difference.

Many Moms like myself have been concerned about China-made products, and are concerned trusting big companies like Mattel again. There is talk we should start making our own toys, like in the old days.

One site, Mums the Wurd teamed up with a Canadian toy manufacturer, Natural Pod, to raise awareness of safer toys. Nature's Pod produces toys in North-America, out of wood, felt and other natural materials.

I personally think less is more, and much rather spend more for good quality toys like the ones from Natural Pod, which I know will last longer and are safer for my children. Well, except my children still play with the same wooden blocks my mother bought me, when I was growing up in Scandinavia. (My old Barbies are long gone.)

My mother always said "we can't afford to buy cheap". Not that we were poor, but not that we were rich either. What she meant was, purchasing a well-made item will last longer, and in the long run it will come less expensive than purchasing a new cheap one to replace the old broken one. Not to even mention the environmental cost of all those Dollar Store items that last for a day.

How many times you have thought "well, it was only a couple of bucks, if it breaks, we'll buy a new one"?


How about starting to think differently?

Children don't need a lot of toys. And I'm against most of the toys Mattel makes anyway. Too much stimulation, too little use of imagination. Mattel/Fisher-Price have used their imagination for complex toys, so children do not have to think.

Don't be fooled by great marketing.

Baby Einsteins and other so called educational toys and videos are not as educating as they promise.

Moms, Dads, Grands and Aunties, don't get mad at me for saying this, but it is about time for us to start using our noodle.

The only way to receive the toys our children deserve, is to stop buying the toys big giants like Mattel market nowadays. I know, it's the TV and the constant commercials to blame, and your child begging for the latest Mattel-creations she saw on TV.
How about less TV?

While Elmo might do a pretty good job teaching the letter S, you can do it better. You spending time with your child will create life long memories and a healthy and loving growing environment for today.

Also, we can not just blame toy companies if the toy malfunctions. We need to supervise our children playing. We can also buy smarter, and test the products ourselves. Of course there is no way to see that the toy has lead in it, but we can ask other questions. Does the toy have parts that might come loose? Has it been recalled? Does it have long straps in which my child can get strangled? I don't put my child's safety into anyone else's hands, and you shouldn't either.

My child deserves better. So does yours.

Buy less. Buy better quality - buy heirloom quality. New isn't always better, the old comes with memories and stories.

It is our responsibility to raise happy, smart kids. Not just consumers.

What I found really interesting that half of the latest recalls made weren't actually because of the lead paint, even though the media first made it to sound like it was.

Half of the toys recalled were recalled because of they were falling apart and posing a choking hazard.

The magnetic parts inside the toys can fall out and if more than one magnet is swallowed, they can attract inside the body and cause intestinal perforation, infection or blockage which can be fatal.

It was a designing mistake, not manufacturing.

No, not trying to get points here for the Chinese. China is still the place where the poisonous dog food and toothpaste came from, and the toys with lead paint. Not to even mention what kind of environmental burden all those cargo planes (and the amount of jet fuel used) are for the Mother Earth. After all, China is the number one source of imports to the United States.

The word is out there that we'll hear more recalls and reasons in the next couple of weeks - after the hearings on toy safety on Capitol Hill are over.

How is Mattel doing?

I started looking back at some of the Mattel's recalls in the recent years, and also how their stock and revenue had been doing.

Mattel's stock was pretty steady since the beginning of 2001 until March 2005, when it started going down for a period of six months. By the way, Mattel recalled a Batman Batmobile in April 2004. Guess what? Their stock started going up. Recall press was just good for the business.

But Mattel's domestic sales started dropping in 2004, and by 2005 Mattel knew it had to start thinking of something new. Even though the total sales still rose from 2004 to 2005, the profits went down most likely due to increased manufacturing costs.

In October 2005 the Mattel stock took it's 5-year-low-point (14.75), and Mattel started fighting back. Live Barbie shows, new philanthrophic programs, and the company increased its previously announced share repurchase program, and purchased new technologies for the new generation toys like The Fisher-Price InteracTV™ Learning System. And I would guess: re-organizing manufacturing to lower the cost.

Happy times started for Mattel, sales rose significantly, and the stock took it's 9-year peak (28.30) on April 2007. Then it started going down. But not as significantly as you would think of in the light of all the latest recalls. The first Mattel recall was August 14th, and their stock went down 10% after that, and was at it's lowest on September 10th (21.17). All this press hasn't been that bad for Mattel though. The stock started rising again, and acually was higher (23.94) last Friday than it was a day before the recalls (23.57).

Business people say that it doesn't matter what people talk about you, as long as they talk. My short financial analysis makes me think that this costly recall might become a profitable venture for Mattel in the long run.

There are people who think "poor Mattel" - it was the Chinese who did this to us. Mattel apologized to consumers. Then the Chinese got upset. No worries, Mattel apologized to the Chinese - and made themselves look like the good guy again - the good guys always say they are sorry, right?

So Mattel is working really hard to earn your trust again. I can't wait to see the sales numbers of the last quarter to see how well Mattel is doing gaining this trust back.

More press releases, more apologizes.
More new toys. Bigger advertisements, more TV commercials.

Mattel is working really, really hard to get you to buy their toys this Holiday season. Why don't I just quote Mattel's CEO, Mr. Eckert: "My number one goal is to make sure that this holiday season's toys are the safest ever."

The Holiday Season, the jolliest season of the year in the toy industry, and Mattel counts on you to make it a happy and profitable one.

Are you making it profitable for Mattel?
Or are you starting to do things differently?

You've got the power.




Resouces:
CNN Money
Money Central Msn
Mattel Inc.
US Consumer Product Safety Commission
Crunchy Domestic Goddess
Adventures in Babywearing
Mums the Wurd


Non-Mattel Toys pictured:
Etsy
Natural Pod
Twinkle-Kids

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