Fabulous Holiday Gift Ideas From Dawn Price Baby

December 19, 2014 by Angelica 1 Comment

Christmas will be here in less than a week. And if you need a present in a pinch, I have a few last minute gift ideas exclusively from Dawn Price Baby. They have locations in Georgetown, Capitol Hill, the Mosaic District and Reston and they offer gift wrapping and shipping.

Dawn Price Baby has a Baby Registry on their website allowing guests to register for the holidays, as well as baby showers, baptisms and birthday parties. My husband and I recently took our kids into the Georgetown location to check out the latest and hottest gift ideas for kids. Here is a list of awesome gifts that are sure to wow the kids and entertain them for years to come.

Goldie Blox and the Builder’s Survival Kit
Magna-Tiles
The Original Spirograph
Sands Alive Sea Life Adventure
Intro to Engineering Kit
Think Fun Math Dice
Aquabeads
Jaq Jaq Chalk-A-Doodle Book
Green Toys Dump Truck
Spring Ring

{Disclosure: This is a sponsored post courtesy of Dawn Price Baby. We were provided a sample product in exchange for post. All opinions are my own.}

Enterprise CarShare Now Available in DC & Northern Virginia at a Rate You Don’t Want to Miss!

December 18, 2014 by Angelica Leave a Comment

Enterprise CarShare Location, Ballston Park in Arlington Virginia

Owning a car in the Washington D.C. area is expensive when you consider the cost of loan or lease payments, insurance premiums, fuel and parking. But it’s hard to give up the freedoms of having a car because mass transit has its limits. Enterprise CarShare is a unique car-sharing program in our community that allows you to reserve a car from an hour to a day to a week for one, all-inclusive price. This means all fuel, damage/liability protection and around-the-clock member service is covered under one price. Enterprise CarShare offers a wide selection of vehicles – from pickup trucks to hybrids—so whatever your needs, they’ll have the right car for you, 24/7. When you need a car, making a reservation is easy and can be done from your computer or mobile phone.

Enterprise reached out to me a few weeks ago and offered me an opportunity to test out CarShare for a day of holiday shopping. My destination from Arlington Virginia? The Mosaic District in Fairfax. It was a great chance for me to hit the highway and really enjoy myself.

Enterprise Car Share is available to anyone 18 years or older with a valid driver’s license. Vehicles can be reserved by the hour, the day, or even overnight for one, all-inclusive rate, and are parked conveniently on campus.

Click the “Join Now” button on the link below to become a member today and Enterprise CarShare will waive your $40 Annual Membership and Application fee. And rates per hour begin at only $5 and only $76/day.

Membership includes:
· One low, hourly rate includes all fuel costs and physical damage/liability protection to keep your mind at ease!
· Online access to vehicle reservations
· Vehicles available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week
· Access to vehicles in convenient, designated parking spots

For more information, visit: www.EnterpriseCarShare.com

{Disclosure: Enterprise CarShare compensated me to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.}

Traditions Matter With Hickory Farms

December 17, 2014 by Angelica Leave a Comment

A few weeks ago, I posted about how Hickory Farms has been a long standing tradition of mine and my family since I was a very little girl. Traditions matter because they create long lasting memories for your family and friends. Traditions demonstrate the importance of each person in your heart and in your life, something that can be passed on from generation to generation.

This year, Hickory Farms added something extra special and new to their list of specialty items. Check out Hickory Farms NEW Signature Chocolate Collection. The 1lb chocolate assortment offers the true taste of American confectionery craftsmanship. Each piece is created in small batches using the finest ingredients and paired with premium milk or dark chocolate. Everyone loves chocolate! The collection is available in select stores, from the catalog and online at HickoryFarms.com!

The holidays reminds our family of how fortunate we are and as a result, we take time out to give back to our community. During the holidays we like to spring clean our closets and toy chests and make a ton of donations. We also like to help out at local food kitchens. One of my favorite things about Hickory Farms is that they support Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign. Share Our Strength is the leading non-profit organization working to end childhood hunger in America by 2015. To date, the combined support of Hickory Farms and their customers has raised more than $3.3 million. These contributions help provide funding for summer meal programs, emergency food assistance, nutrition education, holiday charitable giving and long-term solutions for families in need. Hickory Farms encourages us to help out too. For each Party Planner gift box sold this holiday season, Hickory Farms will donate $5 to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign.

Hickory Farms has 5 products that they offer free shipping to military APO and FPO addresses. For more information, check out www.hickoryfarms.com.

{Disclosure: Compensation and products for review were provided by Hickory Farms via MomTrends. I received a free sample of the product for the purpose of this review and to facilitate a giveaway. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Hickory Farms.}

Review: BubbleBum Inflatable Booster Seat (Perfect for Holiday Travel)

December 3, 2014 by Angelica Leave a Comment

The holiday season between the day before Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is the busiest travel season in America. Traveling during this time can be hectic, especially if you have to pack and carry bulky items like car seats. I discovered a really cool inflatable car seat by Bubble Bum that can make traveling with a car seat so much easier. Features of the BubbleBum Inflatable Booster Seat include:

Folds flat enough to tuck into an airline carry-on, back-pack or large handbag
Easily inflates (by mouth) for use in a rental car, taxi or Uber
Comfortable & Colorful
Appropriate for ages 4 to 11 years old
Rated a “Best Bet” Booster by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Winner of many awards including the The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval

While I highly recommend this seat for a weekend getaway or a week long vacation, I don’t recommend the seat for as a permanent replacement for a non-inflatable booster seat.

{Disclosure: This is a sponsored post courtesy of BubbleBum. I was provided product in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.}

‘Tis the Season with Holiday Cards from Minted.com

November 29, 2014 by Angelica Leave a Comment

Minted.com has always been my “go to” for all things festive: holiday cards, baby shower invitations, birthday invitations, etc. I can’t wait to order our Christmas cards this year! They offer so many selections to choose from that I think I will order at least a dozen of several different cards. What I’m most excited about this year is ‘The Minted Envelope!” Now we can save precious time with FREE recipient addressing from Minted, only for a limited time. I’m on target this year to finally get our cards ordered, stamped and in the mailbox. Minted makes doing so beautiful and easy, and it’s always a great way to kick off the holiday season!

{This is a Sponsored Post courtesy of Minted.com. All opinions are my own.}

Happy Friday! $50 Food Lion Gift Card Giveaway & Improved Coupon Hub

November 21, 2014 by Angelica Leave a Comment

Click HERE to Load your coupons

Food Lion has just made couponing a lot easier! They’ve created the MVP Coupon Hub where you can click on the coupons you want and upload them directly to your Food Lion MVP Card! It’s as simple as linking your MVP Card to the Grocery Coupon Hub and start loading coupons. No more taking time out of your day getting paper cuts, running out of ink or paper for your printer and forgetting your coupon booklet on the kitchen counter at home. With this awesomely improved coupon hub, shopping for groceries just became more fun and easier for all those upcoming holiday parties! I couldn’t be happier. And I’d love to spread the holiday cheer! I’m offering up Two $50 Food Lion Gift Cards!

{Disclosure: This is a Sponsored Post courtesy of Food Lion.}

ENTER TO WIN
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hickory Farms Gift Box Giveaway

November 17, 2014 by Angelica 1 Comment

Hickory Farms Party PlannerWhen I was a little girl growing up in Napoleon Ohio, Hickory Farms products represented something very special. It represented a high quality line of cheeses and sausages sold by a local entrepreneur named Richard Ransom. My mom was somewhat of a pioneer in the sense that she always tried to support locally owned businesses and would shop at the local farm markets. My mother would also proudly host every party with a delicious arrangement of smoked gouda cheese along with beef summer sausage and golden toasted crackers, sweet hot mustard and roasted nuts that she proudly purchased at the Maumee Ohio Hickory Farms store. We celebrated every single occasion with our closest family and our best friends around this assortment of savory and sweet treats.

My mom would especially get giddy when someone would gift her with a Hickory Farms gift basket, especially during Christmas time. She created a family tradition back in the 1970s and it’s a tradition that has continued with me to this day.

For more than 60 years Hickory Farms gifts have been a classic holiday tradition that brings family and friends together. Many Americans have a distinct memory of Hickory Farms at their holiday gatherings; Hickory Farms is very proud to be a part of those nostalgic moments and continues to focus on and celebrate its long heritage of tradition and authentic holiday memories.

Hickory Farms not only embraces passing down traditions through generations of families, but also creating new traditions and sharing them with loved ones. For more information or to purchase Hickory Farm products, visit www.HickoryFarms.com

I’d like to spread the holiday cheer that only a Hickory Farms Gift Basket can provide! Enter to Win the “Party Planner Gift Box” below. Contest ends on Friday, December 5th at 5 PM. The gift will be shipped before December 24th—just in time for Christmas!

ENTER TO WIN
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#MyHCLook: Greet the Holiday Season with Gorgeous Hair at a Great Price!

November 10, 2014 by Angelica 1 Comment

©ClarendonMoms/Angelica Talan…”The Before”-Ella’s Naturally Unfinished Look

©ClarendonMoms/Angelica Talan

©ClarendonMoms/Angelica Talan
Ella…”The After”

©ClarendonMoms/Angelica Talan
Ella is ready for the holiday season to begin!

©Clarendon Moms/Angelica Talan
Thank-you Hair Cuttery!

Parents ask each other all the time where they get their kids hair cut. I hear that question at least once a week and I’m always enthusiastic and proud to recommend our entire family’s go-to hair salon. It’s HAIR CUTTERY®. Co-Founder Dennis Ratner said it best when he described the HAIR CUTTERY as “the Starbucks of the hair industry”. Indeed it is. There isn’t another salon where I’ve seen so much talent under one roof. Most hairstylists are fully trained to cut and style all textures of hair on all different people. From babies first hair cut to a mom’s makeover to a teenage daughter’s first prom to son’s big chop post college to a weekly father’s trim, HAIR CUTTERY really delivers fantastic service in a nice atmosphere and clean environment.

I take both of my kids to get their hair cut at HAIR CUTTERY every 8 to 10 weeks. I treat my six year old daughter Ella to HAIR CUTTERY to get a wash, blow-out and flat iron about once a quarter for those special “Mommy/Daughter Dates”. I take her more frequently around the holidays to keep her hair healthy, soft, polished and beautiful looking.

At HAIR CUTTERY, the staff understands that kids and parents have different needs for different occasions. They provide it all: professional service with warm, friendly, experienced stylists with the skills to create a fresh look in a short amount of time and at a fraction of the cost compared to much higher end salons. It is truly a one-stop shop for our entire family’s haircare needs.

{Disclosure: This is a sponsored post courtesy of HAIR CUTTERY. As a long standing customer for over a decade, I’m very proud to partner with them. All opinions are my own.}

Kombucha: My Healthy New Addiction

October 30, 2014 by Angelica Leave a Comment

Kombucha is a fermented tea created by adding probiotics, gut-healthy bacteria, yeast, natural sugars and sometimes fruit juice and vitamins sometimes called “mushroom tea”. I’ve been hearing about Kombucha for almost ten years, but was hesitant to try it because there were some brands that listed “mold” and “bacteria” as the ingredients inside the bottle of kombucha. (What? I’m highly allergic to mold! )

However, after doing some research on the popularity of drinking kombucha, I discovered that it is not just a trendy food that “alternative health foodies” drink, it is a deliciously fascinating drink that has become mainstream and touted as a magic elixir.

I put myself on a “30 Day Kombucha Challenge”. I tried several different brands, but GT’s Enlightened Organic Raw Kombucha gave me the best results for what I was looking for. I drank one every morning as a snack one hour after breakfast and two hours before lunch. Based on my personal 30 day experience, GT’s Enlightened Organic Raw Kombucha gave me an enormous amount of energy, staved off hunger pains–especially reducing my sugar cravings, improved my digestion, reduced the amount of brain fog I sometimes experience as an over scheduled, exhausted, anxiety prone mom and it quenched my thirst, not to mention I lost five pounds.

I’ll admit that I was skeptical about the benefits of kombucha until I tried it myself. It tastes like a sparkling cider mildly flavored with bursts of ginger, bilberry, citrus and lemon. It’s an addiction of mine now, an expensive one at an average of $3.49 per 16 ounce drink from Whole Foods–but Kombucha is a healthy addiction and one that has changed my life.

{Disclosure: I was not paid or supplied with any samples of this product. All opinions are my own.}

#OTBloggerCrawl

October 27, 2014 by Angelica Leave a Comment

Anchyi Wei, Angelica Talan, Tammy Preston & Krystin Harlow 529 Kids Consign/OTBlogger Crawl Photography: Julien

Whitney Stringer, Angelica Talan & Megan 529 Kids Consign

Whitney Stringer, Angelica Talan & Owner Megan Podolsky at 529 Kids Consign Photography: Julien

Photography by Julien

Old Town Alexandria has always been one of my favorite places to shop. The allure of the cobblestone streets and gorgeously autumn colored leaves on the trees framing the Boutique District brings me back to Old Town more times than any other shopping area in Northern Virginia. The Old Town Boutique District offers everything including children’s apparel, home decor, specialty gifts, unique fashion designer clothing, lingerie, beauty, jewelry and shoes.

I was invited to be part of the first annual Old Town Blogger Crawl this year. This event was the first of it’s kind on so many levels. It was like “trick or treating” for fashionistas! Our exclusive group of bloggers went from boutique to boutique sipping sparkly beverages and nibbling on sugary treats while shopping, instagramming and tweeting about their purchases. Each participating blogger was linked with a boutique that related to their brand. I was very honored to be a brand ambassador for my favorite kids consignment boutique in the entire DC area, 529 Kids Consign.

As brand ambassador, I received these two awesome Sugar Booger Lunch Bags by ORE Originals for Ella and Logan in addition to a few other awesome items customized especially for the kids. Follow me on Instagram for more pics of the event (#OTBloggerCrawl).

529 Kids Consign is an upscale children’s and maternity consignment and gift boutique nestled in the heart of charming Old Town on bustling South Royal Street. This quaint store will surprise and delight you. They specialize in the latest designer trends for mom, baby, and children up to size 10. Quality and style are highly important to them, which is why they are particular about the brands we choose for consignment. This is the absolute best boutique to consign all of your children’s gently worn seasonal clothes! They not only offer consigned items but also the freshest and most trendy must-haves for hip moms and cool kids!

{Special Thanks to Carlis Sanchez of Spicy Candy DC & Jessica Hoy of NeuProfile & Ink Blot Army for inviting me to be part of this awesome event! In Store/OT Blogger Crawl Pics courtesy of Julien.}

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