The Perfect Valentine for Your Child - I See Me Books

As a child, I had a few personalized books that had my name and the names of my family in the story. I remember one was a farm story and it was my favorite. Since my name isn't spelled the "usual" way, anytime I had anything personalized with my name spelled correctly was exciting.

Giving your child, grandchild, niece, nephew, or neighbor a book personalized with their name and the names of their loved ones is a special and unique way to mark a holiday or special occasion. If you are looking for that special gift,  i See Me! is the perfect place to check out all the great ideas for every occasion.

I chose the Valentine Book that i See Me! offers for my great-niece who is three for the purpose of this review. She loves books and since she has a name that isn't extremely popular, I'm thinking she will love having this book read to her and hearing her name.

This Valentine Book is just one of the MANY gifts offered on their website. They also offer personalized books for birthdays and every day reading as well as ones perfect for giving at baptisms. Other personalized products include lunchboxes, puzzles, coloring books, placemats, stickers, and growth charts. These would also make the perfect gifts to fill a child's Easter baskets with. A personalized book would also make an original new baby gift or a memorable first birthday gift.

I really love this Valentine book because like the other personalized books, I can choose the people I want to include in the story, I can list multiple people in one sentence so I can fit more loved ones into the story. It shares the message of love with the child. It's repetitive which children like hearing read to them and the repetition helps with their ability to start recognizing words and the rhythm of words in a sentence. I also love that you can include a photo of the child at the beginning of the book which will get them even more excited to read a book about them!

I had so much fun creating this book for my niece, Isla, and wish I could be there to see her read it for the first time. I hope it is a book she will keep forever and enjoy reading time and again.  What greater gift is there to tell a child over and over again how much they are loved? I don't think there is anything better than that!

Stickers are also included with the book. This is a nice touch and the stickers are very high quality. She can use them to decorate papers or make a collage to hang in her room.

I have reviewed these i See Me! books before and I am still extremely happy with these products. Their website is easy to use and offers the ability to really make these books as personalized as you would like. From the dedication page to the ending, you can really make it as specific as you want including a personal message to the child. I received this book pretty quickly and expect that would be the same for you. It arrived in less than the two weeks expected for delivery, but with specific holidays I would try to make sure you have plenty of time to receive the item. The process was extremely simple and the book arrived well packaged with no bumps or rips in the pages or stickers.

Celebrate Valentine's Day, Easter, or maybe just brighten up these dreary winter days with a fun, personalized gift from the i See Me! line of products. For more on all their products, be sure to follow them on the various social media accounts and see all the great ways customers are using and giving their products:

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest
Google+
YouTube

I will be linking up this review on Booking Mama's regular Saturday feature, Kid Konnection. This is a place for bloggers to share posts related to children's and YA books. You will find spotlights, reviews, and sometimes even giveaways by clicking HERE, every Saturday.



Thanks to i See Me! books for providing this book for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any other way for this review. 

Holiday Gift Guide for Everyone On Your List

I LOVE shopping for gifts for others. I take great pride in choosing the gift that I think the receiver will appreciate. I want my gift to show that I've been listening, I care about them, and I took the time to choose this gift especially for them.

If you have ever heard of the book The 5 Love Languagesby Gary Chapman, then I bet you would know my love language is gifts. So, it is natural that I choose to express that as well.

If you are looking for something different to give to those you love, check out this great list of items below. Some of these items contain links to Amazon. If you choose to purchase the item through these links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com.

For the Light Sleeper in Your House

Sleep Phones

I received these as a gift for my birthday and really like them for travel or when my husband wants to watch TV before falling asleep. You can use the app to play their "white noise" music or connect to your music app and play your music of choice or listen to a book. No worrying about your earbuds falling out of your ear. You just wear this soft headband with the earpieces inside the band.

I really like them and have the wired sleep phones. The cord is long enough that I can have my phone on the end table near my bed and still connect without any issues. There is a wireless version ---- but it is much more expensive.



For a Friend, Teacher, Coach, Neighbor

invinyl - LINK

T24Station - LINK

The Home T - LINK

Shop Etsy! Etsy is like a farmer's market right on your computer anytime you want. You can find anything from jewelry to t-shirts to tote bags to hand-kitted scarves to furniture and I could go on and on. Basing your search either on your local area and supporting someone local to having someone in Portugal sending you a painting is absolutely amazing. I have ordered numerous items for myself as well as gifts for others through Etsy and have been thrilled with each purchase.


For the Device-Addicted Teenager

Jackery

Every member of our family has one of these. They come in different sizes with a one device charge at a time or up to five. They come in multiple color choices and are a life-saver when you are sitting at an all day competition with no way to charge your phone. I keep this in my purse at all times for whenever I need a charge away from a power source.


For the Grill Master

Cave Tools has multiple options for that person who loves to grill.  I am especially fond of their Skewer Set as well as their Smoker Box. This is a great company that sells quality products. To see all of their products, click HERE.


For Your Snarky Friend

A mug, tote, or a set of note cards from Emily McDowell Studio. I just love her cards and have sent several to just the right person.


For Your Mom, Sister, Friend, Wife, Girlfriend....

Flowers. Last year my husband gifted me with a floral bouquet every single month. He arranged it with our local florist and every month a new bouquet is delivered and usually has a theme connected to the nearest holiday or season. These have brought me so much joy and I have looked forward to them each month. If you don't want to have flowers delivered, put a reminder in your phone/calendar to stop at the floral shop or grocery store or target and grab a small bouquet. I promise it will be just as wonderful a gift.


For a college student or newly married couple

These Pyrex dishes can go from fridge to microwave to oven. They don't stain or leave behind marks from being in the microwave. You don't have to worry about plastic issues. They look nice all stacked in your cupboard. I've been slowly switching over to Pyrex and have been watching sales at the discount and department stores. They are worth the price! I started with THIS SET, and then continued to build from there.


For the Child in Your Life

Legos. You can NEVER go wrong with Legos. Our family has always loved them. They seem to have a set for every personality and interest. You can see them all at Lego.com. 


For the Reader in Your Life

Of course,  I can't offer a gift guide without suggesting BOOKS as a gift. If you are unsure of what book to give, you can give a book store gift card that will allow them to choose. You can also gift a particular book as a Kindle book if your loved one prefers eBooks. If you want to choose a book that hasn't even come out yet, you can pre-order it on Amazon and print out the receipt, having it delivered to your recipient on the day it comes out. You can see the Top 100 Paid Books on Amazon, HERE.  


For the Person Who Has Everything

Donating to a charity in their honor. My mom purchases an animal in honor of our family each year through Heifer International. For example, a hive of bees. We all get a certificate that says we have purchased bees for a family in need in a particular country. You can also purchase items from World Vision. I won this beautiful bracelet from World Vision through a giveaway on Booking Mama. Purchasing this bracelet helps the woman who made it and also gives you something to wrap up. Choosing an organization that means something to you such as a local Hospice, a local Food Bank, or a Women's Shelter and sending a donation in honor of someone is such a meaningful gift as well. 

Don't Miss Out on This Deal!

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Since I don't always have time to run to Target in the next day or two, if there is something we need for school, work, or home, I just log into Amazon, order it and the item arrives in 2 Days! 

With school supplies, school clothing, and Christmas gifts all needed to be purchased in the next few months, this is the time to get Amazon Prime!

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Place an order and then forget to order something else?

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I can't wait to see what all the great deals will be on that day!

If you choose to sign up for PRIME, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. I appreciate your support of SincerelyStacie.com. 

May is National BBQ Month

Did you know May is National BBQ Month? Everyone is anxious to get their grills and firepits out of hibernation and start grilling again. We do a bit of grilling through the winter, but it isn't any fun for my husband to stand out in the cold and grill. So, I was very anxious to have some burgers and brats fresh off the grill this month.

If we are having friends over to grill and sit on our porch, there are some essentials that we must have.

Meat -

We love meat from our local lockers or Fareway.  Also, locally we have a grass-fed, organic farm Wallace Farms that sells meat and delivers to locations once/month. Find out more HERE.

Sides -

No BBQ is complete without Potato Salad. It's my husband's favorite, especially his mom's potato salad. I can't replicate exactly how she made it, but it's close.

Here in Iowa we love our sweet corn. So, if you can find some (usually late July - August), be sure to serve it up with lots of butter, salt and pepper!

Dessert -

My favorite dessert to go along with a BBQ is Jello Cake. Also, Rhubarb is in season during May and a warm Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp topped with vanilla ice cream is the perfect finish to a BBQ. You can get my recipe for Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp, HERE.

Beverages -

I love the Simply Lemonade line of drinks. Our favorite is the Raspberry Lemonade. Mix it with a sparkling soda like ginger ale, sprite or La Croix to give it an extra pop!

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For a more grown up beverage, I like margaritas or the different Ritas from Budweiser like
Straw-ber-rita, Mang-o-rita, and Raz-ber-rita.  I also like the canned Margaitas by Cayman Jack.

No BBQ is complete without music. We use our bluetooth speaker ALL. THE. TIME. We can play a variety of music through the Slacker App and we don't have to keep our phone attached to the speaker.

Mancrates.com

With Father's Day coming up, you want to make sure you have all the necessities ready for grilling that weekend. Whether you use a charcoal grill or a gas grill, make sure you have plenty of gas or charcoal needed.  There are fun wood chips that are flavored to give your grilled meat that perfect smoked flavor.

Mancrates.com

If you are looking for gift ideas for that hard-to-buy-for Father, check out http://www.mancrates.com/. There you will find crates filled with all kinds of gifts for every personality including the gamer, the golfer, the weightlifter, and the griller to name a few.  The wooden crates come with everything you need, even a crow bar to open the crate.  These gifts for men are unique and will bring a smile to the face of every man in your life.

Mancrates.com 

Make sure you are celebrating all summer has to offer by joining up with family and friends to grill, eat, and enjoy the great outdoors!

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week.  

As a subsitiute teacher, I know how hard teachers work and how they can feel unappreciated at times. We have just a few weeks of school left in our district and it can be a really stressful time for teachers. Students have begun to "zone out" because it is getting nice outside and they don't want to be in class and guess what, teachers want to be outside too. Crunch time is here and a lot of projects are due and need to be graded. Everybody is just ready for the school year to be over. This is the perfect time to recognize the teachers in your child's life and give them that extra push to finish the year strong. Another way you can help support a teacher is by making sure your child is doing his/her best and working hard all the way through to the end of the year!

TAKE LESSONS.COM has created this round-up post of Teacher Appreciation Week gift ideas. There is something for every age, gender, and teacher personality. Have fun with it and if you can't find time to make something this week, take a few minutes to write a note and share your appreciation with your child's teacher!

Ideas like these below are featured. They are super simple to pull together and you can personalize it for your child's teacher. There is truly something for everyone in this gift round-up. Too see all the great gift ideas, click HERE.

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Thanks to Megan at TakeLessons.com for sharing this great post with me!