Pinterest, Here I Come!

I have finally become an official “Pin Head” and have joined Pinterest! Apparently, I am behind the ball since there are an estimated 12 million subscribers and 80% of those users are women! I was interested in how busy moms, like myself, use Pinterest, so I did a little research and discovered some interesting facts:

·         Top 3 reasons why moms use Pinterest:

·         It’s just fun (90%)

·         I like organizing my interests (67.8%)

·         I like looking at beautiful things (67%)

·         The average number of Pinterest boards for moms is 18.

·         “Food/recipes” was by far (91.4%) the category/subject moms pinned the most.

·         Others in the top 5 were “Crafts” (74.5%), “Home Décor" (55.5%) “How-To” (52.7%), and “Fashion” (39.5%).

·         Fewer than half of moms (42.3%) used Pinterest to plan events, with 78.7% of that number planning a child’s birthday party.

·         About two-thirds of moms (66.5%) both pinned when they came across something of interest and pro-actively searched for items to pin.

Well, I have just started with Pinterest and I already have four boards and I’m just getting started! I’m in agreement with all three top reasons to use Pinterest; it’s fun, it makes organizing my many interests easy and the pictures are beautiful and engaging. I find I’m drawn more towards the fashion, home décor and crafts, other than food/recipes. Who knows? Maybe one day Pinterest will inspire me to cook!

In the meantime, check out my new Pinterest page at https://pinterest.com/princesslinens/ and tell me what you think!

From our family to yours –

Kathryn

 

 

 

New Arrivals

The creative juices have been flowing at Princess Linens! Maybe it is because I have a four (almost five!) month old that I have been inspired by all things baby lately. Or perhaps it is because I have had several friends deliver babies already in the month of February. But, for whatever reason, I wanted to introduce something new, especially for babies. And after searching for the softest fabric I could find, our Snuggle Collection was born!

Baby gowns are so easy and practical for newborns. Without snaps or zippers to struggle with, diaper changes are a breeze. And, the 100% cotton lap shoulder bodice makes it easy to put on and take off, especially in a sleepless haze!

With our luxurious snuggle fabrics and silky satins, we created matching blankets that are as soft as newborn skin.

Of course, everything can be personalized, making these gifts keepsakes that both mom and baby will love! We hope you will be as inspired by our new collection as we have been.

From our family to yours –
Kathryn

The Tradition of the Easter Bonnet

Amidst wintry days and heavy coats, many people are already counting down the days until springtime. Spring is a time of rejuvenation and renewal when flowers and trees sprout their new buds and green is a welcomed replacement to the brown of the colder months.

It is also a time for many to celebrate Easter, the Christian holiday that coincides with spring, and the traditions that go along with it. One is the Easter bonnet. During the Great Depression, it was seen as a luxury to afford a new hat.

Composer Irving Berlin made the bonnet a fixture in popular culture through song with his popular composition titled Easter Parade using the parade in New York City as his frame of reference. The Easter parade, which made its way down 5th Avenue from St. Patrick’s Cathedral, dates back to the mid-1800s, when the upper crust of society would attend Easter services and then stroll outside afterward, showing off their new outfits and hats.

If your little one is in need of a new outfit for Easter or other springtime celebrations, we just received our new arrivals! A new addition to our 2013 collection, this pale pink polka dot pique dress is perfect for Easter with or without an Easter bonnet!

Visit princesslinens.com to view more of our new arrivals! 

From our family to yours –
Kathryn

Valentine's Day With Kids: 5 Ways To Celebrate at Home

While the rest of the world is headed out to dinner, most parents, especially the more frugal ones, are likely at home doing dinner, bath, bedtime, etc. However, you don’t have to give up a romantic holiday just because you have kids.

Here’s a list of five at-home date night ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

·         Fancy Family Dinner Valentine’s Day is a great time to eat together as a family. Decorate the dining room, use a tablecloth and fill the kids’ sippy cups with sparkling juice and yours with champagne!

·         TV Marathon Have you been dying to watch an entire season of Downtown Abbey? Now’s your chance! Netflix or rent DVDs and enjoy from the comfort of your own bed after the kids are asleep.

·         Wedding Video Replay Tonight’s the night to break out your wedding photos and video. You may be inspired to relive some of the best moments.

·         Spa Day Take a bubble bath, watch massage tutorials on YouTube, put cucumber slices on your eyes while you lay in bed. Take turns doing each other's nails in crazy colors if the kids want to get in on the act.

·         Baking Bonanza Charity Mathews of Foodlets suggests this recipe for Healthier Cupcakes from a Box Mix that you can make as a family. We even have the perfect Chef Apron & Hat Sets for your little Valentine! 

Happy Heart Day!

From our family to yours –

Kathryn

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Traditional Hanukkah Games

The weather has turned chilly, and the calendar on your desk is whittling away! These are all clues that the end of another year is upon us and that the holiday season has arrived in full force. It’s a time for special gatherings with friends and family. Regardless of beliefs, these traditional Hanukkah games are fun to play with the little ones.


The Dreidel Game:


To play this game, each player starts with ten pennies, nuts or chocolates. Each player puts a penny in the pot. The dreidel is spun, one player at a time. If the dreidel lands on nun, nothing happens. If the dreidel lands on gimmel, the player wins the pot. If the dreidel lands on heh, the player takes half the pot. If the player lands on shin, the player adds two pennies to the pot. When no pennies are left in the pot, each player adds one. When one player has won everything, the game is over.




The Dreidel "Spin Off":


In addition to playing the traditional dreidel game, you can also have a dreidel "spin off." In order to play this game, each person usually has their own dreidel (nothing fancy, small plastic dreidels will do) then they compete against each other to see whose dreidel spins the longest. Have people pair up and spin their dreidels, with the winner from each pair going to compete against another champion. Continue until you have only two spinners left. These two spinners will compete against each other, with the person whose dreidel spins the longest being declared the dreidel-spinning champion.


From our family to yours –
Kathryn

Black Friday: To Shop or not to Shop?

It's becoming as synonymous with Thanksgiving as turkey, football, and the Macy’s Day Parade. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is the crazy, chaotic, consumer extension of the holiday and it's getting crazier and more chaotic every year.
Black Friday fever has taken hold earlier than ever as dedicated shoppers camp out in front of major retailers, several of which are expected to open their doors on Thanksgiving Day.

Walmart announced this year's Black Friday will actually begin on Thursday November 22 – Thanksgiving Day – at 8PM to let customers get a jump on the holiday shopping. Are they taking it too far? Nordstrom thinks so!

While most retailers scramble to start the holiday shopping season ASAP, the department giant recently announced  that it will NOT adorn its stores with holiday decorations until after Thanksgiving.

Are you shopping on Black Friday? Where are you going? What are you looking for? Happy shopping!

From our family to yours –
Kathryn

Thanksgiving Toddler Crafts

Since Thanksgiving is just two weeks away, I thought I would share some of the crafts I found this past week on Pinterest.

I’m thankful for Pinterest and all the awesome craft bloggers for their hard work and creativity who help moms like me!


From our family to yours – 

Kathryn

Easy Turkey Craft for Toddlers
From No Time for Flash Cards

Tie Die Turkey
Here's a fun and "cool" activity to keep
them busy on Thanksgiving!
From Busy Kids = Happy Mom

Thankful Turkey Craft
Here is a great idea for a thanksgiving
craft using empty toilet paper tubes!
From Crafts For All Seasons