Holiday Gift Ideas for the Whole Family {New items added daily!}

by Christine - From Dates to Diapers on December 16, 2012

Be sure to click on the images below to find a description of each item.

You may even find a promo code, or two!

Some items included in this guide have been sent to us for our review. Watch for our more detailed opinions on these products after the Holidays.

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Red Envelope Gifts for Valentine’s Day

by Christine - From Dates to Diapers on February 1, 2012

love pillow

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and, while I would agree that we don’t need a specific day marked on the calendar to tell our loved ones how much we care, it’s nice to do a little special something for your special someone.

Ray and I generally exchange a little gift on Valentine’s Day every year, in spite of the fact that we shower each other with gifts of love all year long. (Okay, that sounded cheesy…) There have been some years when all I did was make a handmade card filled with heartfelt words of love. One year I created a photo memory book and included letters and notes from before we were married.

This year I was approached by Red Envelope to help spread the word about their Valentine’s Day gifts. I I found so many great items at RedEnvelope.com, but decided to give Ray a couple of items to bring a little fun into our times alone together. You know, after all the kids are sound asleep in bed…

It was super easy to place my order, once I had narrowed it down from several items to just two. (Only one is pictured above, so I don’t ruin the whole surprise for Ray.) I chose 2 day shipping for a bit of a fee, but I wanted to be sure that I would receive his gifts in time. I was so excited when the big red boxes arrived for Ray, already wrapped and tied with a bow!

Red Envelope is a great site for gifts for anyone you want to remember this Valentine’s Day. In fact, LivingSocial has a great deal through the 5th of February. You get $30 to spend on unique and personalized gifts for just $15!

I was compensated in the form of a Red Envelope gift card for the purpose of this post.

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Thirty One Gifts {A Giveaway}

by Christine - From Dates to Diapers on January 28, 2012

Screen shot 2012-01-28 at 10.10.12 PM

Thirty One Gifts is the leading provider of fun, stylish and functional products for women, their families and the home. From signature purses and totes, to storage solutions that help organize your life, there’s something to fit every personality and situation. The name Thirty-One comes from the verses of Proverbs 31 in the Bible that celebrates the busy, hardworking wife, mother, friend, daughter and sister in all of us. Thirty-One recognizes women for who they are and all they do for their families and their communities!

Two of Thirty-One’s Thermal Totes are on sale for $10 and $15 through January 31st. Now is the perfect time to stock up on these for Valentine’s Day, end-of-year teacher gifts or summer travel! Go check ‘em out.

Win it!

Enter for a chance to win a $100 gift card to Thirty One Gifts. All you need to do is leave me a comment on this post, after you’ve had a chance to check out the Thirty-One Gifts catalog, and tell me which item you most like and why. Easy peasy! I’ll choose one lucky winner at 9pm (EST) one week from today, on February 4th.

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Great Gifts From The California Wine Club

by Ray on December 17, 2011

Do you like to sample new and interesting wines from around California? Or, perhaps you know someone who has everything, but enjoys good wine… What a great gift a shipment (or even an entire club membership) from The California Wine Club would be!

We hadn’t ever heard of the Tulip Hill Winery until The California Wine Club sent their December selection to us.  Turns out it’s in Nice, California, where they make some amazing reds.  (I don’t even know where Nice is, to be honest.)  But, thanks to the club, we experienced the 2009 Cabepulciano (45% Montepulciano and 55% Cabernet Sauvignon).

We aren’t wine connoisseurs by any stretch, but we know what we like.  This red was one of the best we’ve tasted recently and it suited both our palates; Me – sophisticated and refined, Christine - amateurish and inexperienced. Shhhhh…don’t tell her I said that.

The white for December was Tulip Hill’s 2009 Reserve Chardonnay, which was excellent chilled.  We aren’t huge white wine fans, but this was a good one and made for a great starter when a couple of buddies of mine visited…but I did get in a bit of trouble for not waiting for Christine to get home.  Whoops!

Chris and I both think that a membership form The California Wine Club would make a fabulous gift. Not only would it be nice for wine enthusiasts, but would be a fabulous idea for the friend or family member who has everything!

Ooh, and guess what? You can receive a special 10% discount when purchasing gifts from The California Wine Club, just in time for the Holidays! Be sure to use promo code datestodiapers when ordering.

If you would like to try out The California Wine Club, you can use the same promo code and not only will they take off 10% off your first month, but they will also send you an extra bottle of wine in your first month shipment as a special joining offer for being one of our friends. There is no obligation to stay past the first month, but we’re pretty certain you’d want to!

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Deliciously Elegant

December 14, 2011

One of the best parts about this time of year for me is all of the goodies that we get to enjoy. Gingerbread lattes, warm cookies, sweet and salty bites of goodness, and baskets full of yummy treats. Usually the kiddos and I are the ones baking, assembling and delivering said baskets full of homemade [...]

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Gift giving can be as easy as a single click!

December 3, 2011

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.  It’s also the most anxiety-inducing time of the year, as the inevitable holiday gift-buying frenzy approaches.  Everyone wants to give wonderful gifts, but with a lack of time and with friends and family living distances away, buying gifts can prove a stressful task, made even worse with [...]

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California Wine {A Giveaway}

November 10, 2011

Last month Ray and I told you about the California Wine Club. Did you have a chance to hear how much we enjoyed our first shipment? Well, to recap – we loved the wine and the ease in which we came by it. As in, it was literally delivered to our doorstep, making it a [...]

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The California Wine Club

October 25, 2011

Ray and I were invited to experience The California Wine Club as typical gift recipients and then blog about our experience. We were gifted a 3-month Premier Club gift membership and received our first shipment of wine – two bottles we may never have chosen to try otherwise – just after we returned from Hawaii. [...]

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For The Classy Businessman

June 18, 2011

Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t publish a post with a picture of Ray’s Father’s Day gift, except that he picked this duo out, with just a bit of help from moi. Also? We were both pretty impressed that we found something so classy at Walmart. (No offense to anyone! Heck, I’m a Walmart Mom… What [...]

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Last Minute Father’s Day Gifts at Overstock.com {and a giveaway!}

June 16, 2011

There is good news for all of us procrastinators. It’s not too late to order Dad (or your kiddos’ dad) a gift for Father’s Day with Next Day delivery from Overstock.com! They have a wide variety of items perfect for your favorite guy, from items relating to his favorite hobbies to great items for his [...]

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Father’s Day Gifts at Red Envelope

June 13, 2011

With all the ick floating around in our family, Father’s Day seemed to creep up on me incredibly fast. If you’ve had a crazy few weeks, like we have, and were not able to find a gift for the special men in your life, there is no need to worry… RedEnvelope has some of the [...]

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A Gift For Everyone on Your List

December 16, 2010

If you are anything like me, you still have some shopping to do to complete your list, so I thought you could use some great ideas for those last minute gifts you have yet to purchase. Now, I really don’t want to hear that you’re finished shopping and all ready for Christmas, so humor me, [...]

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Homemade Treats Make Great Gifts

November 12, 2010

My family and I make lots of goodies during the Holiday season – Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Pumpkin Cake and Fudge are just a few of our favorites. Baked goodies are not only extremely yummy, but they also make great inexpensive gifts for neighbors, family members and friends, especially when packaged up nice and [...]

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Last Minute Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

May 8, 2010

The Yantra Mat is a European acupressure mat (“spike mat”) featuring 8800 acupressure points that help to alleviate back pain, stress, and other issues like insomnia and fatigue, and also aids circulation, blood pressure and promotes meditation. I have always wanted to try acupuncture, so I was excited to try The Yantra Mat. Yesterday was [...]

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Unique Gift Ideas: Mom-Invented Gear

February 23, 2010

This morning I had the privilege of showing some fabulous mom-invented items to all of the Sacramento area, via FOX 40′s morning show. Take a look:: I’ve listed each of the featured items below, with prices and the place where you can find them. Check them out – It’s always fun to see what moms [...]

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Treat Yourself to Something Special {giveaway}

December 3, 2009

Gift cards are expected to top wish lists this Christmas season, and for good reason – the recipient can purchase whatever they desire. No more gifts that will sit in the closet, or end up re-gifted. American Express Gift Cards – one of the only universal gift card available with no fees after purchase – [...]

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Astro Boy :: in theaters this Friday!

October 20, 2009

As you may already know, my entire family was invited to Southern California, a couple of weekends ago, for a special viewing of the much anticipated movie, Astro Boy, at the Dick Clark Screening Room. Let me tell you, this movie was a hit with all our whole family! Even Noah snuggled quite content with [...]

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More Great Gifts for Dad

May 31, 2009

I was very excited to try out a portable hammock from Kelsyus… I figured it would be a relaxing gift for any Dad, but I wanted to give it a go and see how it really stacked up before I recommended it as a great gift idea. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the [...]

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Great Gifts for Dad

May 29, 2009

Are you looking for the perfect gift for Father’s Day? Each of the following items are sure to put a smile on Dad’s face, and each one can be purchased and wrapped for him without breaking the bank! To inspire mealtime fun, The Meal Box contains thought-provoking questions guaranteed to spark fun family conversation. This [...]

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Nintendo DS Spring Bundle – Perfect for Mom!

May 9, 2009

. I am super excited to introduce you to a fun new bundle, just in time for Mother’s Day! Nintendo has paired up two fantastic items that are a must-have for every mom – The Nintendo DS Lite and Personal Trainer: Cooking – and even thrown in a chic wristlet, perfect to compliment any hand [...]

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Organization With Style

May 8, 2009

. I am the first one to admit that I am organizationally challenged. Not good when you have six young kiddos in the house! I can only wish that I had my sister’s mad organizational skills. {sigh} The one area that I have always seemed to have a handle on, though, is keeping track of [...]

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An Edible Bouquet

May 6, 2009

. I received this absolutely beautiful, and mouth-watering, fruit bouquet from Edible Arrangements, in honor of Mother’s Day. Isn’t it gorgeous? This was one delivery I just couldn’t help but drool over! Are you still looking for that perfect gift for Mother’s Day? I say ditch the traditional flower arrangement and go with a Fruit [...]

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