7 Tips for Gifting the Ultimate Custom Photo Blanket

This post has been sponsored by Collage.com.

My father just celebrated his 78th birthday.  It feels like we just celebrated his 70th.  I really wanted to show him how special he is to everyone and how much we appreciate him for all the caring things he does daily.  We ended up gifting to him a photo blanket from both my family and my sister's family.  This might be one of the best gifts we've ever given my dad.  That we were able to present it to him collectively, made it that much more special.

I designed this custom sherpa photo blanket using the tools on Collage.com.  I learned some tips and tricks while doing so that really made this one-of-a-kind blanket into a cherished keepsake for my dad.  I'm happy to share what I've learned, so you can create the ultimate custom photo blanket for your loved one.


7 Tips for Gifting the Ultimate Custom Photo Blanket . . .

1.  Keep the best part hidden.  When presenting your sherpa photo blanket, fold the blanket with the image side facing in.  This way, the recipient will see and feel how soft and cuddly the blanket is, while the best part is still out of sight. When your loved one unfolds the blanket, the one-of-a-kind design will be revealed, causing many Oooo's and Aaaaah's to ensue.

2. Select photos from both the past and the present.  Before you even think about choosing a layout, carefully select which photos you would like to include on this photo gift.  Consider choosing photos from important past memories, such as a wedding, a graduation, or a favorite photo of someone who is no longer with you.  Also include photos from the present to represent things that make your loved one smile today.

3. Choose a blanket that suits the recipient's lifestyle. The sherpa throw was perfect for my dad because we live in New England.  He will be able to cuddle up with the throw while watching football during the chilly fall and winter months.  A queen size blanket would be too large for his needs.

4.  Choose a template that accommodates and shows off your selected photos best. There is a large selection of pre-made templates to choose from on Collage.com. If you don't see one that fits your needs exactly, you can always create your own.  Remember that some templates have areas that can be customized.  For example, the template I chose originally said "Best Grandma Ever", but I was able to change it to say "Grandpa" instead.  I was also able to change the the font size and reposition the text.

5. Use the same filter on all your photos. Since you are using photos taken at different times and in different places, they may not look cohesive when displayed together. Running them through the same photo filter will help with that.  For example, I applied the San Carmen filter to all my photos.

6. Use the highest quality photos in the larger photo fields. Likewise, reserve the lower quality photos for the smaller photo fields. If you have a photo that is a little dark or could be crisper, you can use the built-in photo editor on Collage.com to brighten, sharpen, and crop your photos.

7. Select a background that suits your photo collage. Although it may not seem intuitive, you should choose your blanket's background when the rest of the design is complete.  Select a background that shows off your photos best.  Try to avoid backgrounds with colors that clash with your design, and backgrounds that compete with your photos for attention.  You want your photos to be the stars of the show, not the background.

I have to say that choosing the photos for my dad's blanket was the most difficult part of this project.  Once I had settled on those, the tools available on Collage.com made the whole process super-easy. There's also a guide that tells you what date you should receive your photo gift by for each shipping method, so you can be sure to receive your gift in time for Grandparent's Day, Christmas, or any other special occasion. Be sure to check for photo blanket deals and free shipping deals on Collage.com before ordering.

Like this photo gift idea? Pin it for later . . . 

Who do you know who would love a photo blanket of their very own?

Tell us in a comment here.

Home Decor Gifts for Everyone On Your Shopping List from Zazzle

Thank you to Zazzle for providing a sample round pouf for us to base this review upon and for providing a gift certificate for our giveaway prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Over the years, Zazzle has grown significantly as far as the types of custom products they offer.  Take their home decor selection, for example.  You may expect to see throws, pillows, mugs, and tree ornaments when you visit their site, but you will find so much more.  Upon visiting Zazzle.com recently, I was delighted to find lamps, cutting boards, serving trays, plates, bowls, tree skirts, Christmas stockings, and even wrapping paper!  Of all the wonderful home furnishings items I had discovered, the poufs were my favorite of all.

When I first saw the Luck & Longevity Round Pouf, I knew it would be perfect for our home.  I love the Asian flair and it was an easy way to add another seat in our living room without adding a large piece of furniture.  Of course, you would need to find the right pouf for you.  With currently 43,513 cube and round poufs to choose from and the ability to customize your item, I don't foresee a problem with finding exactly what you need.  There are styles that are suitable for nurseries, dorm rooms, mancaves, and everything in between.  Many styles can be personalized with a name or a monogram, whether your are choosing a trendy chevron pouf or one that's in your favorite team colors.

If you truly cannot find exactly what you're looking for, then you always have the option to design your own pouf by uploading your own images for the top and sides.  I always thought it would be cool to create a mosaic image using photos of my children, my husband, and myself from different stages of our lives.  What design would you put on a custom square or round pouf?

To view all the home decor items available, visit www.Zazzle.com, where you could finish almost all your holiday shopping in just one stop!  Be sure to sign up for the Zazzle newsletter to stay in the know about special offers and Zazzle promo codes during the holiday season and throughout the year.

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Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

Prepping for the Holidays with Personalized Tree Ornaments from Ornaments With Love

Thank you to Ornaments With Love for providing a personalized tree ornament sample for us to base this review upon and for providing a second product for our giveaway prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Ummm . . . no it's not too early to be thinking about the Holidays!  Even if you don't start your shopping early, there are a few things to think about before the season sneaks up on you . . .

1.  What are my children going to ask Santa for in their letters this year?  Will it sell out if I wait to buy it?  Will I need to put it on layaway to pay for it in time for Christmas?

2.  What should my children wear for the Holiday card photo this year?  When do I need to order them to get them before December so I'll have time to write a note inside and address them all?

3.  Do I need anything major for entertaining this Holiday?  New dining room set?  New television?  Should I have the floors professionally cleaned?

4.  Some retailers take extra time to ship any personalized items I may want to give as gifts.  The shipping time might even get longer as the Holidays grow closer.  Should I shop for these items now before the big rush?

Christmas is a huge deal at our house.  We started some fun traditions when our oldest was just a toddler.  For example, every year I purchase personalized ornaments for the whole family.  I always get one that represents all 5 of us and sometimes the pets too.  Some years, the pets get their own ornaments.  Each child always gets his or her own personalized ornament.  Some years I let them choose their own and others I decide to surprise them.  Whichever course I choose, we always order our ornaments from Ornaments With Love.  I think this might be our 7th year buying ornaments from this family-owned business.  I shopped their site before I even thought about owning a blog.  You should see the cute ornaments I found last year!

Another tradition we have is that our children always gift a personalized ornament to their favorite aunt and uncle (my sister and brother-in-law).  This year, we chose this Personalized Moose Family Christmas Ornament.  I just thought they were too adorable when I saw them.  I never thought I would perceive a tree ornament to be huggable, but that's what I think when I look at this smiling moose family.  This ornament is available for family sizes of 1 to 4 children.  Maybe I'll get one for my own family next year!

This year, I think I'll be surprising my children with ornaments I choose.  The great thing about Ornaments With Love is that there are new ornaments added to the already vast selection every year.  That way, I can always find something cool and new, rather than choosing from the same ornaments year after year.  Also, shipping is free when your order totals $50 or more.  And, did I mention that their turnaround time is as little as 2 business days and they ship by U.S. Priority Mail?  Still, I always order early because it's one thing I can just check off my Holiday prepping list!

Time to get started on your Holiday prepping!  Visit www.OrnamentsWithLove.com to view their enormous selection of personalized tree ornaments.

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Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

Design Your Own Notebooks, Placemats, and Other Personalized Gifts at Ink Garden

Thank you to Ink Garden for providing personalized gift samples for us to base this review upon.  All opinions expressed are my own.

I love getting personalized items for our home, so when I learned about Ink Garden, I was excited to see their custom printed products for myself. They have hundreds to choose from - anything from office products like mouse pads and business card holders to blankets and pillowcases. If you have a need, there’s a good chance that Ink Garden can supply it.

One of the first things I noticed about Ink Garden was their prices. They have very reasonable prices for such high-quality, personalized products with many items under $20. With such a wide variety to choose from, there is something for everyone. I decided to make personalized placemats for my family and a little personalized journal for myself.

Ink Garden is simple to navigate, so finding my chosen category was very easy to do. Once I chose my items, making them was simple too. You can use their pre-made templates or completely customize your item, including adding your own photos. I chose to use text and Ink Garden’s stock clip art for our placemats and just went with a basic template for both items. I had everything made to my desire within 30 minutes. Checkout was a breeze as well.

Our items came within a week and were very well packaged and obviously very high quality. I was truly impressed with how great these were! The placemats are thick and laminated with sturdy plastic so they will not tear up even with daily use and washing. The journal’s cover is made with thick plastic and the spiral binding is very high quality as well. The colors are vibrant on all the products. These are truly great quality items.

If you have a need for personalized products, check out Ink Garden for yourself at www.inkgarden.com.

Love Having the Scent of Our Fresh Christmas Forest Wreath Welcoming Us Home Everyday During the Holidays

Thank you to Christmas Forest for providing a complimentary fresh wreath sample for us to base this review upon and for providing an additional wreath for our contest prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Last year, when we were taking down our Christmas decorations, our faux berry Holiday wreath got damaged.  I was quite attached to it since we had purchased it well-over a decade ago.  I knew it would be difficult to replace and, nearly a whole year later, I still had not found a decorative wreath that I liked as much.  So, when I had the opportunity to hang a fresh wreath on our door this year, it seemed like the perfect solution.

I chose the Christmas Classic Wreath for our door because it's decorative without being too ornate.  We have not been able to put up a fresh Christmas tree for a long time due to young children and pets, so my husband and I are delighted about how fragrant this fresh evergreen wreath is.  Each time we come home and open the the storm door, we are greeted with the wonderful welcoming scent, which just instantly puts me in a cheery mood.

Our wreath from Christmas Forest has been hanging up for two weeks now and it looks just as beautiful and lush today as it did the day we unboxed it.  I just love the prominent festive bow.  It comes packaged separately, so you can shape and position it to suit your preferences.

I never realized what we were missing by not hanging a fresh wreath on our door during the Holidays and would definitely do it again in the years to come.  This 20" wreath sells for $42.00 and comes with free UPS Ground Shipping.  To learn more about this and the many other fresh wreaths by Christmas Forest, visit www.ChristmasForest.com.

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Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

Ornaments With Love Offers a Vast Selection of Fun and Unique Personalized Tree Ornaments

Thank you to Ornaments With Love for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon and for providing an additional product for our contest prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Since before my husband and I were married, we began a tradition of buying personalized dated ornaments each year to hang on our Christmas tree.  Before we had children, we would get a couples ornament for just the two of us plus an ornament for each of our cats and dogs.  After our family began to grow, we would buy a personalized ornament to represent the whole family, my husband and I as a couple, an ornament for each of our 3 children, and one for all the pets together.  Needless to say, we have a large collection of ornaments, but each and every one of them are special to us.

I have been a customer of this small business before I even started blogging.  I kept coming back every year because there is such an enormous selection of ornaments to choose from plus new styles added each year.  I usually buy all bread dough or resin ornaments, but this year I chose a glass ball ornament for our family ornament from Ornaments With Love.  I realized last year that, over time, several of our glass ball ornaments had been lost due to breakage.  I really would like to add more to our ornament collection over the next few years.

This particular Personalized Penguin Family with 3 Children Glass Ball Ornament features 5 penguins in a snowy scene.  Like most Ornaments With Love tree ornaments, I was able to specify the year, the names, and a short caption.  This ball ornament comes with a ready-to-wrap box that also will store the ornament safely when it's time to take your tree down.  When shipping your bread dough and resin ornaments, this company also includes Holiday-themed cellophane bags with twist ties and gift labels for you to easily gift the ornaments you purchased.

I also wanted to share the other ornaments I purchased this year from Ornaments With Love.  I was thrilled to find tech-themed ornaments to fit our extremely techie family.  Although our daughter is also tech-oriented, I chose an arts and crafts-themed ornament for her because I think art is her first love.  I also chose some cute mittens hanging from a mantel for our 3 cats.  (Our poor hermit crabs and fish don't get their own ornaments or stockings.)

You can also checkout our personalized ornaments by Ornaments With Love from 2012, 2011, and 2010.  Our ornaments shipped within 2 business day by Priority Mail, so they arrived quickly.  You can also get Free U.S. Priority Mail Shipping on orders over $50.  These ornaments make cherished and affordable gifts, especially when you can find just the right one for the recipient's personality!

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Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

Novica.com Makes it Possible to Experience the Amazing Talent of Artisans From Around the World

Thank you to Novica for providing a gift code for us to shop online from artisans all around the world and for providing a second gift code for our contest prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

I have always appreciated artistic talent, regardless of the subject matter or medium. But I have always had a special appreciation for sculpting. There is something about an artist's ability to create in 3 dimensions that really awes me. It is hard enough to judge scale and proportions in 2 dimensions, let alone 3!

A few years ago we were turned onto Novica.com, an online retailer that specializes in bringing art from all over the world to one place for the world to see and buy. Novica gives artists, from big cities to remote jungles, an audience for their talent, in many cases showcasing talent that would otherwise stay hidden from the rest of the world.

Not only does Novica give a platform for artists worldwide to showcase and sell their goods, they practice in fair trade and even offer microloans to help artists get their works out to the world. It is good to shop at a retailer that is helping artists and small business owners as much as they are themselves. As a consumer, the prices are pretty fantastic as well.

Over the last couple of years we have procured 8 or so pieces from all over the world through Novica, some for ourselves and some for gifts. I love opening the authentically wrapped packages and reading the handwritten cards from the workshops and artists they come from. It truly connects you with the artist and makes the art personal, as if they made it just for you.

Recently I was sent an Eagle Bust, hand carved by Pande Made Anom of Bali. Pande included a handwritten card as well as carving his name and the piece number on the bottom of the bust. The Eagle was larger than I thought it would be (even though the dimensions were provided) and the wood grain was amazing. The scaling and proportions are spot on and the attention to fine detail is stunning.

Even after owning many pieces from Novica I am always amazed at the quality and talent that awaits me in every package. It's funny how something that you carefully picked after seeing pictures and detailed descriptions can also be such a surprise when its time to open it. It is always exciting to see a package from Novica.  I feel as if another part of the world is being sent to me (it quite literally is!).

The only other way to be exposed to these artists would be to travel the world and search them out.  The odds of me meeting Pande in a small Bali town are about zero, but here I am the owner of a fine piece he carved, signed, and sent to me. I will never meet Pande, but I stare at a piece of his passion every day while sitting at my desk in my office.

Visit Novica.com to see some of Pande’s work as well as that of many other artists from all over the world. If you are gift shopping, you could find everything from unique brooches from Peru to West African kente cloths and everything in between.  If you end up choosing something, let me know about your experience opening it when it arrives!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to Worldwide entries. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random number drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Finding Balance With Asperger's: Wipe-Clean Weighted Blankets are Perfect for Homes with Young Children and Pets

Thank you to the Therapy Shoppe for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this weighted blanket review upon. All opinions expressed are my own.

Weighted Blankets are a must for some children on the Autism Spectrum and my son, Quinn, is one of those kids. Weighted products really help give Quinn proprioceptive input and ground him physically which usually helps him when he’s having a meltdown or is on the verge of one and really improves his sleep. We’ve had a homemade weighted blanket for years, but it recently got ruined and was not washable, so I had to throw it out. The Therapy Shoppe kindly offered me one of their wipe-clean weighted blankets and it could not have come at a better time.



When our old blanket got ruined, it really disrupted Quinn’s daily life. He really needs a weighted blanket at night to help him calm down and get to sleep and when he’s in “meltdown mode”, the weighted blanket is even more vital. Our new blanket is the Wipe-Clean Weighted Blanket and we really love this blanket. It weighs 7 pounds, which is perfect for 45-pound Quinn. It is a great size too because it covers him all the way up when our old one only covered his legs. It is a very cute, gender-neutral print so it would be great for boys or girls and I absolutely love that it doesn’t matter what gets spilled on it, what kind of animal hair gets on it, or any accidents that happen because it can just be wiped off and it’s like new again. It is also a very durable material, so it can take a normal amount of “abuse” that kids dish out. The quilted pattern of it is great because it holds the inner poly pellets in place so the weight is evenly distributed to provide a perfect amount of calming pressure.

I was devastated when our old weighted blanket got ruined, but now I am glad because this one is so much better! It has saved us so many tears and other problems and it is really better suited for Quinn. I don’t have to worry about him not having what he needs and he really loves his weighted blanket. Its weight helps him calm down when he needs it, soothes him when he’s upset, gives him body awareness, and overall makes our lives so much smoother. We are so grateful to the Therapy Shoppe for introducing us to this amazing therapy tool and it will be very loved by us for a long time.

You can purchase this Wipe-Clean Weighted Blanket at www.therapyshoppe.com. It comes in a 5 lbs. blanket or 7 lbs. and they retail for $118.99 and $133.99, respectively.

Regain a Sense of Organization Using Playroom Labels

Thank you to Kidecals for providing complimentary product samples for us to complete this toy organization project. All opinions expressed are my own.

I am a firm believer that everything should have a place and that, if I go through the trouble of making sure something has a place, then our children should be able to clean up their toys 100% at the end of the day.  Unfortunately, they just do not seem to grasp that logic.  For example, a couple of years ago, my husband and I bought a basic wired baker's rack type shelving and filled it with plastic bins about the size of shoeboxes plus some larger ones.  We helped the children separate their toys into each bin and felt pretty great about how organized all their small toys were.  This feeling did not last long though . . .

It did not take long for us to realize that our children were not putting the toys back in the right bins even though they could see what was inside each bin.  At the time, we just tried to police it, which was exhausting.  Now that our 6 year old twins can read, I am able to clearly label each bin, so that they cannot claim to put something in the wrong place accidentally.

Today's Project:  Small Toy Organization

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

Plastic Storage Bins (shoebox size or larger)

ProMart 3-Tier Smart Carousel Organizers

Custom Playroom Labels (2 sheets per carousel)

Step 1.  Make a list of items you need to keep organized.  Then visit Kidecal's Playroom Labels product page to create your labels.  Each sheet of labels comes with 6 large labels to use on the plastic bins and 12 small labels to use on the carousel organizer.  Each field corresponds to a label in the preview, so you can see what the final labels will look like.  If you are really organized, you can color code your labels so that all red labels belong to one child and all yellow ones belong to another.  (I am not that organized.)  These labels are both dishwasher and laundry-safe, so they will work on both smooth surfaces and on fabrics, such as canvas.

Step 2.  After you have assigned a toy category for each plastic bin, carefully place the larger labels on the correct bins.  If you need to reposition them, you will need to remove them immediately before the adhesive sets.

Step 3.  After you have decided what should go in each pocket on the carousels, place the correct small label on each pocket.  Try to plan ahead.  For example, it seemed to make more sense to put the Barbie dolls on the bottom tier since they were the tallest of all the small toys.

Step 4.  This is the toughest part of this project.  Get your children to put everything in the empty bins and pockets.  I think if they do the work of finishing this project themselves, they may be more motivated to keep everything organized.  (Of course, this is just a theory.)

The things I liked most about these Playroom Labels are that they are easier to read than any labels I've ever made with a label maker, I could be as specific or as general as I wanted with the labels (ex. Action Figures vs. Star Wars Figures), and the labels stick amazingly well on fabric, even on the extremely wrinkled canvas pockets.  Each sheet of 18 custom waterproof and laundry-safe labels sells for $15.00 plus there is Free Shipping on all orders.

To find more unique label products, including chalkboard decals, keycals (keyboard decals), "from the garden of" labels, "from the brewery of" labels, and mustache labels, visit www.kidecals.com.

Turn Your Child's Name into Wall Art, a Personalized Placemat, and Much More

Thank you to NameArt.com for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon and for providing an additional product for our contest prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Whether you are decorating a newborn's nursery or looking for a unique gift for an older child, the personalized name art gifts at PersonalizedGifts.net will surely give you inspiration.  This site offers gifts, such as posters, prints, name bars, placemats, bookmarks, and more that are personalized with the name art that you design.

I very much liked the look of the wooden Personalized Name Plaques.  We do not have much empty wall space left in our children's room, but these name bars do not take up much space.  They can also sit on a desk or a shelf.  Someday, when we move to a larger house and each child has their own room, I can see these name bars hanging on each of their doors.

Our children are 6, 6, and 9, so I was able to let them customize their own name bars.  There were just a few easy steps to follow . . .

1.  Enter the child's name as you would like it to appear on the product.

2.  Choose a theme for the letters.  You can try out one or all the themes to see which one you like the best.

3.  Once you've chosen a theme, you can choose between two different letter styles within that them.

4.  Next, you can customize each letter one at a time by choosing between two versions of that letter and then by going on to customize the colors for that letter.

That's how easy it was!  All 3 of my children created something different.  Our youngest son, Luke, tried the Teddy Bears theme first, but ultimately ended up with the dragon theme.  He decided to make the first two letters in his name red and the last two blue.  Our daughter was sure she wanted her name done in the Fairies theme, but ended up liking the Mermaid theme the best.  She changed the hair and tail color of each mermaid, being very careful to make each mermaid look different from the ones on either side of her.  Our oldest son, Jake, tried the robots first, but then opted for the dragons as well.  The default color for the dragons theme is red and he decided to keep the color as is.  He did change the letter styles so that they all included dragons with baby dragon eggs.  I have to agree that the red is just stunning in the dragon theme.

The Name Art name bars each come with a black wooden easel so they can be prominently displayed.  If you choose to hang the name bar up, you will need to nail a hanger to the back, which is not included.  Each name bar retails for $26.75 regardless of the length of the name.  Visit www.PersonalizedGifts.net to view their full selection of personalized name art gifts.

The winner for this contest will receive their choice of one of the following . . . 

• Personalized Poster
• Personalized Placemat
• Personalized Fine Art Print
• Personalized Name Plaque

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Good luck in the drawing!