Karen

Yes, you read that right. I have the cutest bag that I use all the time that came from Pottery Barn Kids. Mine is the MacKenzie Chocolate Owl Duffle bag. While the one I have is no longer available, Pottery Barn Kids still has a great selection of totes, backpacks, and duffle bags that any young at heart Grandma would love to get as a gift. Just look at how cute the backpacks are!

And the duffle bag:

While these bags are made for children, that means they are very durable, and they are just the right size to hold everything I want to take on a weekend trip! I can get my laptop, my iPad, two small cameras, all the accessories for all of those, plus some personal items packed in there, with room to spare. And the duffle bag has a padded shoulder strap to make it comfortable to carry. Here are the actual dimensions of the duffle:

• 22″ long x 12″ wide x 12″ high
• Made from rugged, water-resistant 600-denier polyester.
• Features a double zipper on the main compartment and zipper pockets on each side.
• Detailed with an adjustable, removable shoulder strap and padded handles.
• Sized to fit in an overhead bin when used as a carry-on.
• Personalization is available for an additional $7.00.

You can purchase these cute bags online at Pottery Barn Kids. The duffle bag retails for $49.50 to $55.50 and the backpacks retail from $29.50 to $49.50 depending on the size.

Not every Grandma is diabetic, but I am. So, I know that wearing the right footwear, and the right socks, is very important. But I have to tell you that not all “diabetic” socks are made the same. I have had some in the past that were not only ugly, but uncomfortable as well. And, if you’re like me, if something doesn’t feel or look good, you aren’t going to wear them and thus, aren’t going to benefit from them.

These Buster Brown Cotton Socks from Wearever are both comfortable on my feet, and look good, too. They are soft and smooth, and have no elastic to “strangle” my ankles. They would make a very good stocking stuffer for Grandma, or anyone else on your list who is diabetic. You can purchase them online at Wearever Incontinence for $8.95 per pair.

 

As a woman who has lived through domestic abuse, I can tell you that there is a definite need for women’s shelters in every community. Domestic violence is usually worse during the holiday season. For whatever reason that is is elevated during this time, the increase puts a strain on existing shelters to provide a safe environment for abused women and their children. S.H.A.R.E House is the shelter for battered women in my community. I would ask that if you want to make a donation, I would love for you to make it to the shelter in your own community.

You never know who in your circle of friends and acquaintances will be the next to need their services. I used to volunteer at this shelter, but when I started seeing friends of my teenaged daughters come in for services, I could no longer do it. It just broke my heart to see such young women, ones that I knew, going through abuse at the hands of someone who they thought loved them. Please don’t forget to give to these organizations that provide such needed assistance in our communities.

There are many ways you can help. Volunteer your time, donate clothing, food, toys, toiletries. Make a monetary donation.

Domestic violence occurs on all social and economic levels, regardless of race or ethnic background, employment or education, relation, marital status, physical ability, age or sexual orientation.

Each year, more than 50,000 incidents of domestic violence are reported to Georgia law enforcement agencies.

More than 50% of all women are battered by intimate partners at some time in their lives.

A women is physically abused every 9 seconds in this country- an estimated 2 to 4 million women annually.

Nationally, 50% of all homeless women and children are on the streets because of violence in the home.

 

 

When Superior Nut Company asked me to review their products, I was a little wary because I can not eat nuts. But, I soon found out they are more than just nuts.They sell dried fruits, chocolates, snacks, and baked goods, in addition to a wide variety of nuts.Whether your Grandma can eat nuts or not, there is sure to be something on their website she would love.

I spent my $25 gift code on Medjool Dates for my husband:

Chocolate Covered Dried Cherries for me. These are really delicious!

and some Dried Turkish Apricots for both of us:

Superior Nut Company has a wide variety of gift boxes and baskets from which to choose. If I could still eat nuts, I’d be getting this one for sure, the Deluxe Fruit and Nut Gift Tray:

One of my readers will win a $25 gift code to Superior Nut Company. To enter, use the Rafflecopter form.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

When my children were very young, maybe two, three, and five years old, I started a tradition that we kept for many many years. They were just too excited to eat dinner on Christmas Eve, so I made an hors d’oeuvres party for them. The girls wore their best frilly dresses, and my son wore his suit and tie. We played the radio and danced. I poured their koolaid and juice in my best wine glasses. But it was never ready until we got our box from Hickory Farms.

I didn’t realize just how much my children loved this tradition until the first year that my son was in the Air Force. He didn’t join until he was 23. Because we didn’t know if he was going to spend Christmas Eve with us or with his girlfriend’s family, I didn’t plan the usual party. The day after Christmas, he sat down with me at breakfast, and said “Mom, you didn’t make a party for us.” I just hope he now carries on the tradition with his own children.

Hickory Farms sent me a Family Favorites Gift Box like the one pictured above. It’s all gluten free except for the crackers, but my husband can eat those. The summer sausage is still just as tasty as it was all those years ago when I danced on Christmas Eve with my children.

One reader can win a Family Favorites Gift Box from Hickory Farms. Just use the Rafflecopter form to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If Grandma spends a lot of time on her computer, she may love to receive this assortment of computeraccessories from Shop Falcon and Bits Limited. There’s a surge protector, a screen cleaning kit, and a gaming gear cleaning kit.

First, the Ultimate Screen Care Kit contains a 50 ml screen spray, a screen shammy for use on various devices, a plasma screen cloth, a CD/DVD cloth for media discs, and a sweep mobile cleaning pad. It all comes in a zippered case to keep it all together, and is handy for traveling. The kit retails for $24.99 at Shop Falcon.

Next up is the Gaming Gear Cleaning Kit. While grandma may or may not be a gamer, it is very likely that grandpa or the grandkids are. The Gaming Gear Cleaning Kit consists of a 3.5 oz duster, and LCD/Plasma screen cleaning spray, a microfiber cleaning cloth, and 4 cleaning swabs. It retails for $14.99 at Shop Falcon.

The surge protector, from Bits Limited, is from the SCG Energy Saving Smart Strip Surge Protection Series.It is designed to save time, energy and money without having to change anything about your current usage habits. The Smart Strip will automatically control the flow of power to peripheral devices based on one devices power draw. It has 7 total outlets, 1 control outlet, 2 constant hot outlets, and 4 automatically switched outlets. It retails for $29.95 at Bits Limited.

One reader is going to win this trio of computer accessories. To enter, use the Rafflecopter form:

a Rafflecopter giveaway