We use placemats like you would not believe in my house!  My kids are messy eaters, as is my husband, so we have many different ones to pick from at each meal, except some festive ones for the up coming holidays.  Note to self that I need to buy some soon!

Olive Kids has the cutest personalized placemats for Fall, Thanksgiving, Winter, Christmas, and even Hanukkah! (Plenty more designs too for whatever theme you are looking for:  sports, flowers, robots, etc...)  Perfect for kids who fight over "spots" at the table, their custom placemat will tell them where to sit and where to make their own personalized mess!  Made from heavyweight laminate, these placemats are durable and will last meal after meal. 

While you are on their site, Olive Kids is one of my favs so check out everything else they have to offer, especially their bedding designs which are so colorful and fun and absolutely cozy!

I am already starving for the Thanksgiving Turkey and mashed potatoes, stuffing, and lots and lots of pie!  And I actually enjoy all the prep work that goes in to it; especially now that my kids are growing and they love to participate in decorating the house, "cooking" the food, and setting/decorating the table.  A fun handmade center piece for the Thanksgiving table is on our agenda to do this week.  Below is a great idea from fabulous Floral Designer Lynn Jawitz, owner of the New York shop Florisan.  Lynn specializes in brilliant floral designs, as you can see for yourself on her site, and event coordination.  I hope you enjoy her little "recipe" below for a easy to do (involve the kids) creative centerpiece.

"Here is an interesting twist on an old school favorite. You'll need a small ceramic flower pot which coordinates with your dining area decor (lined with a plastic liner if there is a drainage opening), a coordinating patch of wheat grass available at your local nursery or florist to be inserted into the pot, and some markers and long wooden skewers.  Trace the flat hands of every family member on paper and cut them out. Using the thumb as the head of the turkey, decorate the finger feathers of the "bird" and attach a skewer to the back with glue (if you have a home laminator, this is a good opportunity to use it!). You can cover with skewer with the "mirror image" of the other hand, decorated,  to hide the skewer entirely.  After the wheat grass is cut to fit into the pot, skewer the turkeys so that they sit in the wheat grass.  We suggest that the turkeys face inwards for a round presentation of your turkey "plant"--water occasionally to keep the grass fresh."

Here is one very memorable gift to give this holiday season!  Custom Creations has these beautiful personalized photo blankets, made from cozy warm fleece or woven from 100% cotton!  Imagine your favorite photo, knitted into a gorgeous treasure! 
Yes, I said knitted!  The photography is KNITTED in, not printed or ironed on, which means durability to last a lifetime!

My mother lives in NY while all her grandchildren, mine and my sister's kids, are here in NC.  There could not be a better gift out there for her this year than this precious blanket filled with a photo of all 5 grandchildren!  I can see her curled on the couch all winter long with her "babies"...in blanket form.  I'm sure you can think of someone who would just adore this as a gift, whether it be for Christmas or a birthday, for a mother or grandparent or anyone on your list! 

While you are on their site, check out all the other fun things Custom Creations can make for you!  Photo puzzles for the kids, ornaments, totes, and so much more!  Free shipping with the code:  shipping24

As I start holiday shopping (well really start to focus on it anyway, I'm one of those early shoppers but I have a long way to go and only what, 3 paychecks left until Christmas??), I've begun to notice there are a TON of Holiday Shopping Guides out there.  And not just the Toys R Us Big Book or Walmart's Kids' Holiday Book or Target's Christmas Wrapped guide, almost every popular blog out there has their own Holiday Guide to shop from.  All our networking pals have made it so easy to find the best holiday gifts and it's as easy as click, click, CHARGE IT, click!

Here is a list of some of the best blog holiday guides I have found and hopefully this will help shopping for your loved ones a bit easier:
BabyLuxe {daily}
Posh Point of View
Mommies with Style
The Spunky Monkey
Trendy Tots
Shake The Salt
The Domestic Diva
(Soon to come, these 3 ladies below have joined together to bring great gift ideas for the entire family)
An Ordinary Life
From Dates to Diapers and Beyond!
Chic Shopper Chick

Today was the most beautiful Fall day here in NC!  The weather was perfect, the leaves were falling, not a cloud in the sky!  And at 7am this morning, by 5K training started, at a very slow pace.

I enjoy running, for the most part, and "train" every year around this time but today was a bit harsh on my feet.  Definitely time for new sneakers, so off to the New Balance website to see what is new this year!  And look what I found??  Love these!  The 768's look awesome, loving the peach color, girlie but not too girlie..."Health Magazine's Best Running Shoe". 

SO, who's off to the mall tomorrow to buy new shoes, ME! 

The cold and flu season is here!  Everyone is walking around with sore throats and running noses, whether from allergies (here in NC my allergies are still acting up) or from a full fledge cold!  Honey has always been used to soothe a sore throat, now an easier more natural way to ease the pain of a sore, scratchy throat, Bee M.D. Organic Honey Throat Drops.

Found in local grocery and drug stores nationwide, this new product from BestSweet Inc. should be kept in your desk, in your purse, at home, in the car, EVERYWHERE in anticipation for the dry, cold season ahead.  Stored in an eco-friendly packaging, made from organic honey as it's main ingredient, doesn't that sound so soothing?  If you have a nasty sore throat right now, I know you want to go out and buy some!  No more awful tasting cold drops, it's almost 2009, feeling better tastes good and sweet now!

I'm sure your children looked precious (or scary or silly) on Halloween.  Did you take some fantastic pictures of them and what to create a gift of learning with those pictures?  Check out Goosie Cards!  This is one of my favorite online shops!  If you have little ones learning to talk, read, or write, these personalized, heavy duty flash cards are a perfect tool!

Your Halloween pictures uploaded onto these cards will help your child learn and grow with their own face looking back at them.  For example, was your baby a cat or a cow or a duck (like mine was)?  Put the picture of them dressed up like a cute little duck on a Goosie Card with the word DUCK.  Perfect for sight words and spelling words later in baby's life yet also making a fabulous keepsake!

You must go play around and look at all the options they have to offer, whether it be pre-made cards or custom made and personalized the way you want them.  It's already November so think ahead to a great stocking stuffer!

...we wanted to leave you with a few other fabulous products and generous companies doing their part this month and every October to help fight the cancer that seems to affect us all!  We hope you enjoyed all our "Pink" posts this month, today will be the last day to comment on what you did to support Breast Cancer Awareness for a chance to win an Ann Veronica tote bag filled with goodies!  (Winner will be chosen tomorrow randomly from all our amazing entries this month!)

Having a party?  These pink Party in a Box kits from Foundation Studio are perfect for girls night out parties, breast cancer survivor events, girlie birthday parties, etc.  $10 from every purchase goes towards the ReThink Breast Cancer Foundation.  We have a girls get together every couple months, I may need to stock up on these!

Who doesn't like Hershey's Kisses? 

My kids go crazy over them, I GO CRAZY OVER THEM!  And with Halloween only a day away and as I droll while writing this post, I think I need to go out and buy a bag now!
For the fourth year in a row, Hershey turns pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month and during this time, the iconic Hershey®’s Kisses® Brand Milk Chocolates, Hershey®’s Nuggets Chocolates, Hershey®’s Syrup, York® Peppermint Patties and Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures will feature pink packaging to showcase the company’s commitment to educating women.  (Found at retail stores nationwide)

And Finally...
...a limited edition alli Weight loss product with a pink carrying case!  alli is a proud sponsor of Breast Cancer Network of Strength. To show their commitment to supporting women's health, alli has made a donation of $150,000 in support of Network of Strength's efforts to provide emotional relief to people touched by breast cancer through its YourShoes™ 24/7 Support Center, which includes a hotline staffed by survivors, with interpretation in 150 languages.
If you or someone you know would like to speak with a survivor, please contact the Support Center by calling 1-800-221-2141. (alli products are sold in drug stores nationwide)

Here's a fun one for Breast Cancer Awareness month:
Get into Bed for a Cure at Hard Rock Hotels Nationwide with the 9th annual Pinktober™ “Pink Sheets” Campaign to Benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood to Donate Proceeds from Guest Stays in Special Rooms; Hard Rock Café Hollywood to Offer Collectible Pinktober Pins, Key Chains and T-shirts for the cause.
25% of the room rates (per night fees range from $189-$349) will go to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  Guest will also have an additional opportunity to give more if they choose to at check out.  The Pinktober Pins are part of a complimentary turn down service offered in the special "Pink Sheets" rooms.  What a unique way to give back!
Also, the Hard Rock Star is selling limited edition breast cancer awareness pins, t-shirts, and key chains, donating 15% of the proceeds to the Breast Cancer Foundation. 

Don't forget this is the last week to comment on any of our breast cancer awareness posts to be entered in the drawing for a tote bag filled with goodies!  Comment on what you did this month to help support breast cancer research!    

I am not a cat person, more of a dog person, but I just had to share this fun little Halloween product for all you cat lovers out there!  We all include our pets in the holidays right, I know some of you even dress your furry little animals up for Halloween!  Now I do not go that far as my three boys are enough, but buying the pets a little something to celebrate with the rest of the family is okay in my book!

Meet Eerie EEKS Mice Cat Toys; each little "mouse" is dressed up like a pumpkin or a pirate or a skeleton AND filled with organic cat nip {and of course a rattle tucked inside for kitty's listening pleasure}.  Cats go nuts over cat nip filled toys right?  Of course they do!  So let them share in the spooky fun this week! Fat Cat Inc. has some fun, unique toys for cats and dogs that you must go check out!  Think ahead to filling their Christmas stockings!