Holly at Nap Time

In November I introduced my readers to GiveBack.org , a smart and simple way to give to your favorite charities while shopping at your favorite stores online. For the complete post, click here . It really couldn't be more simple. Shop at your favorite stores through the GiveBack website online, and the noted % of sales will go back into your "foundation." At that point, you'll be able to donate that money, at no cost to you, to your favorite national, regional or local charities. Well now through July 16th, GiveBack.org is giving you even more incentive to join now and create your foundation. When you invite your friends to join the GiveBack movement, you can set yourself up to win a daily prize of $1,000 for your favorite charity, or a grand prize of $50,000 for your favorite charity! This is part of GiveBack's 100 Days of Giving. Keep the momentum going and share with your friends! When you share your personalized foundation link (which you'll get wh

If you like decorative and amazingly scented soaps, you're going to love Uniquely Pampered . Owner and artist, Debbie, first featured her work with Holly at Nap Time in our Blogtastic Extravaganza giveaway in January. When she asked me to do a review of her handmade soaps I couldn't wait to get started. Uniquely Pampered's selection of soaps are completely customizable. You choose the shape, the scent, and even the color. It makes for the perfect bathroom decor or personalized gift. I chose a Large Rose Soap  in yellow with a vanilla-lavendar scent. And let me tell you, it smells so delicious. Not only that, but when it arrived I was surprised to learn that they are packaged in 100% biogradable material. The ingredients on the soap are listed as follows: coconut oil, safflower oil, glycerin, water, FD&C coloring, fragrance oil, titanium dioxide. The Large Rose Soap (as pictured in my hand) retails for just $3.25 with no minimum order required. Debbie runs this hand

About 24 Hours of Progress: So often, the only projects that get "done" around our homes is dinner (and no, takeout doesn't count) and the laundry. Out of necessity though. There are so many little nagging projects that linger for most of us. Yes, we can live with a little clutter here or there, but it sure feels good to get those little things out of the way! Spring is a natural time of rebirth and shedding the layers that has descended upon our house over the winter. The Holly at Nap Time series 24 hours of Progress is designed of 72 household projects that will take on average about one hour to do. Pick one project each Monday, Wednesday and Friday to work on from now until April 1st. By the end of the session, you will have made 24 Hours of Progress towards the home you deserve! I realize that I'm behind on the 24 hours of progress. Sometimes I get so excited over a series that I forget that "real life" also has to happen at the same time. ;) Good

I have a lot of great blog posts coming up, including the (belated) finale to the 24 Hours of Progress, a fabulous review of the Spring BabyLegs line (and of course another giveaway!), a review for Uniquely Pampered , and Disney reviews including Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and the Disney Dining Plan. It's going to be a great and busy next couple of weeks here! Right now though, I just want to take a moment to share with you all how blessed that I feel lately. Two years ago at this time, my husband and I moved from our apartment in New York City to a suburban townhouse in Virginia. We weren't planning on it being a settling point; just a stop on our way back home. So when we moved here I didn't feel like life would really happen here... more that it would just be a place of limbo, a place where we lived while we were waiting for life to begin. And then life did begin. Right after we bought our house I found out that I was pregnant with our daughter, now 17 mont

I can hardly believe that it's been a month since our recent trip to Disney World , but that can only mean that it is so much closer to our next trip (which isn't planned yet... I'm just sayin' - we're definitely going back). One of the places we visited most often during our trip to Disney World was Epcot , for one main reason in particular: the food !!! Epcot is home to the World Showcase, and features some of the best dining options at Disney World . For this reason alone I highly suggest getting the Disney Dining Plan and making sure that you have a Park Hopper ticket! A lot of parents will tell you that there really isn't much for the little ones at Epcot , but I can tell you that isn't the case at all. Our 16 month old daughter had plenty of thrills at Epcot, even if it's not jam-packed with kiddie rides. Epcot with a Toddler/Young Children: Epcot is the perfect place to take your toddler on a trip around the world. (It's true... a v

Things have been busy busy busy and it's been awhile since I posted a response to one of the 50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind .  I'm now on number 11: You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire.  They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend.  The criticism is distasteful and unjustified.  What do you do? I can answer this question simply and without a doubt that I would stand up for my friend, because I'm not afraid of confrontation. I would say that the person being criticized is my close friend and that the remarks they were making were uncalled for. I believe that gossip is a sin, but even so sometimes it's really hard to not what to indulge in what other people have to say about a situation. Too much gossip can destroy a person. For a long time I was stuck in a group of friends that was just full of gossip and lies. It was awful, but unfortunately, it was also very typical. Young adults, teenagers espe

Taking care of a home doesn't come naturally for everyone, and with college applications, sporting events and the mere fact that a lot of schools are dropping the home-ec requirement, the newest generation of home-owners and apartment dwellers are the most unprepared yet. But it doesn't have to be that way. Author Heather Solos developed this handy Home-Ec 101 guide to offer quick tips and a simple how-to on many of life's challenging home tasks. Even the most seasoned homemaker will find this book helpful, as Solos offers sample cleaning calendars and short-cut tips. The book is broken down into four sections: Clean It, Wash It, Fix It and Cook It. With tips on everything from the best way to launder your intimates, to dealing with pet odors, to the treatment of your butcher's block, Solos has got the tip for you. This is a great book to keep on hand and pull out as needed. It's easy to read, full of user-friendly advice and "letters to the author"

I've never been a huge fan of silence. My husband often grumbles at me because I leave the TV on when I'm doing something in another room, but the truth is that I like the background noise! I prefer to sleep with a fan on at night, and have some sort of TV or music filling in the gaps between. On the other side of the spectrum though, I also can't stand a lot of noise. Crowded rooms of people having to shout at one another to be heard, or literally every single electronic toy my child owns running at the same time. Well, thank goodness for my sake there are happy mediums, and Yanni's new album Truth of Touch falls exactly into that happy medium category. As the album cover claims, this it the "Return of Yanni as you know him." It's true, too! This is the first instrumental release of original compositions that he has released in over 8 years.  There are still a couple of vocal tracks, but they seem to blend well with the mix. I've always been

About 24 Hours of Progress: So often, the only projects that get "done" around our homes is dinner (and no, takeout doesn't count) and the laundry. Out of necessity though. There are so many little nagging projects that linger for most of us. Yes, we can live with a little clutter here or there, but it sure feels good to get those little things out of the way! Spring is a natural time of rebirth and shedding the layers that has descended upon our house over the winter. The Holly at Nap Time series 24 hours of Progress is designed of 72 household projects that will take on average about one hour to do. Pick one project each Monday, Wednesday and Friday to work on from now until April 1st. By the end of the session, you will have made 24 Hours of Progress towards the home you deserve! I realize that I'm behind on the 24 hours of progress. Sometimes I get so excited over a series that I forget that "real life" also has to happen at the same time. ;) Good

The Power Based Life: Realize Your Life's Goals and Dreams by Strengthening Your Body, Mind & Spirit By Mike Flynt Author Mike Flynt describes a "power base" as the center of personal strength use to meet challenges that, once discovered and maximized, will lead to a more significant, satisfying, and successful life. We all want to have happy, successful lives. For some of us, it takes longer than others. Flynt himself didn't come into his happy, fulfilled life until the age of 59 years old, when he received national attention for returning to his college alma mater, Sul Ross State University, to play his senior year, becoming the oldest contributing member of a college football team in NCAA history. He took the tools that he learned from his experiences to share with us 12 different strategies to use to tap into our personal "power bases." I found this book extremely motivating and uplifting, though geared much more towards sports fans. Mike Flynt sp

About 24 Hours of Progress: So often, the only projects that get "done" around our homes is dinner (and no, takeout doesn't count) and the laundry. Out of necessity though. There are so many little nagging projects that linger for most of us. Yes, we can live with a little clutter here or there, but it sure feels good to get those little things out of the way! Spring is a natural time of rebirth and shedding the layers that has descended upon our house over the winter. The Holly at Nap Time series 24 hours of Progress is designed of 72 household projects that will take on average about one hour to do. Pick one project each Monday, Wednesday and Friday to work on from now until April 1st. By the end of the session, you will have made 24 Hours of Progress towards the home you deserve! I realize that I'm behind on the 24 hours of progress. Sometimes I get so excited over a series that I forget that "real life" also has to happen at the same time. ;) Good t

This is the final weekend for Stride-Rite's Buy One Get One 50% ALL Footwear Sale! Shop online or in-store. Click the banner above for more details. Woohoo!!