So far on Dine & Dish I’ve shared with you some great hostess gift ideas from HMK as well as some great gift ideas for friends, but I haven’t shared with you some of my favorite selections of kids gifts from HMK! As a mom, aunt and friend of people who seem to be always having babies, I’m always on the lookout for great gifts geared towards kids. Here is a list of a few of my favorite kids items from HMK.

Customized Books for Kids

My kids get a kick out of anything that has their name or likeness in them. I think most kids do… I remember growing up looking all over for pencils with the name “Kristen” on them. Every one else had a pencil with their name on it, but since my name at the time wasn’t all that popular, I could never find any personalized things for me! Well, HMK has solved the “I can’t find my name anywhere” problem by creating these amazing customized hard cover story books! Customize the lead character’s name and likeness to a kid you love and the story is transformed to make them the hero. The best news is, you can have the book printed and bound while you wait!…

Read More

The post Gift Ideas for Kids from HMK appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Finding the perfect, and let’s face it… unique, hostess gift can be hard. I don’t know about you, but I tend to always just go for a bottle of wine and a card. However, isn’t that what everyone does? Wouldn’t you like for your hostess gift to stand out and be memorable? Well, HMK, the newest boutique concept store by Hallmark, has pulled me through my hostess gift buying rut. They have a plethora of truly great, unique ideas to give to the next hostess with the mostest you encounter! Here are a few of my favorites!…

Read More

The post 5 Perfect Hostess Gift Ideas from HMK appeared first on Dine and Dish.

I just read something that says there are 35 days until Christmas! Can you believe it? I’m going to continue focusing on Thanksgiving until next Friday, then it’s going to be all Christmas all the time around our house. It’s my absolute favorite holiday and I can’t wait!

For the first time ever I’ve already bought a couple of Christmas presents. I took advantage of the Erin Condren 50% off sale the other day and got my kids teachers some personalized desk pads. I thought that was a really great gift but wanted to add a little more. …

Read More

The post Be Festive! {Recipe: Deck the Halls Biscotti} appeared first on Dine and Dish.

This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to Brooke who won this Tower of Treats gift for her mom! Thanks to all who entered. 

Friends… I hate to break the news to you, but May is right around the corner. Do you know what that means? Mother’s Day will be here before you know it! I am always thinking about my mom and how much I love her, but it never fails that Mother’s Day sneaks up on me and I fail to get her something to really show her how much I love and appreciate her….

Read More

The post To Your Mom, With Love {Harry & David Mother’s Day Giveaway} – CLOSED appeared first on Dine and Dish.

This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to Jody B! Thanks for entering.

The ground is snow covered, but there are signs that spring is coming. Like the saying above, glimpses of spring give me great hope.

This morning I woke up to sun streaming through the windows…I noticed it wasn’t dark out like it has been for the past few months. The days, although slowly, are getting longer. I took Meg out on her morning walk and heard birds chirping in the trees. The huge piles of snow are melting, and the buds on the trees are bravely making an appearance.

Spring is coming!…

Read More

The post Spring is Coming! {Harry and David Mini Roses Plant Giveaway} appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Friends, I am so excited to share this fun giveaway with you today from VTech! I partnered with VTech last year, and love their products for my home phone use. This year, they’ve knocked it out of the park again with the VTech Retro Cordless Phone, answering system with Caller ID. In addition to the coolest phone on the planet, they’ve also offered to share a huge gift basket of holiday goodies (ARV $300) with one lucky Dine & Dish reader! Before the giveaway though, let me tell you a little bit about this cool, VTech Retro Phone.

…

Read More

The post VTech Retro Phone Holiday Gift Basket Giveaway! ($300 ARV) appeared first on Dine and Dish.

This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to winner, Jackie Davis! Thanks to all who entered.

There are few greater feelings in the world than knowing you’ve helped to make someones day special. When I asked the question “Do you prefer to give or receive?” on the Dine & Dish Facebook Page, so many of you agreed that giving is the way to go! Your answers helped to inspire this special Harry & David giveaway today.

Harry & David… you know, the company who pretty much rules the gift giving roost… has offered to give one lucky Dine & Dish reader the opportunity to help make the day of someone else special. Yes! You get to let me know in the comments section who you would like to see receive a gorgeous Pear Medley Gift Basket. Giving is great and now is your chance to nominate someone you think is pretty special to receive something special….

Read More

The post Thinking of You {A Harry & David Giveaway} CLOSED appeared first on Dine and Dish.

I remember the moments well… our family squashed in among the crowds of people anxiously awaiting the Kansas City Country Club Plaza Lighting Ceremony. I was young, so could usually be found either hiding behind the backs of strangers, desperately trying to peek my head around them for a view or precariously sitting atop my dad’s shoulders, shivering as the cold, Kansas wind would hit my face.

It never failed. As the countdown to the lighting began, my heart would flutter with excitement. The moment… 5-4-3-2….and 1… was always so magical. No matter where you were standing, who you were nestled between, the sudden brightness of the beautiful light display would take your breath away.

After the ceremony we’d walk through the plaza, deciding where our dessert stop would be. The ice cream shop under the brightly lit star (with bubblegum ice cream) always won out, but after eating ice cream I longed to stop at the cute little popcorn shop with the long line of people wrapped all the away around the corner. “We aren’t waiting in a line that long for popcorn, Kristen.” Begrudgingly, I’d move on, but I was always so envious of the folks walking out of Topsy’s with the giant tins of popcorn in their hands.

Fast forward many years later and I’ve been lucky enough to have experienced Topsy’s popcorn many, many times. When my mom became a school teacher, Topsy’s popcorn tins were a common gift from her students. As I grew up and moved into a professional, office role, clients were often adorning my office space with tins of popcorn. I never tired of Topsy’s popcorn.

My friends at Topsy’s gifted our family with a big tin of popcorn this week. As my 5 year old was eating it she exclaimed “When I grow up, I’m going to buy twenty-five hundred of these every year.” Needless to say, we are all fans.

Topsy’s wants to share a 6.5 gallon tin with someone this year, and I thought we would do an “Acts of Kindness” type giveaway. Receiving a tin of popcorn is such a fun treat. This time around the giveaway is not going to you…but to someone YOU want to surprise! It’s your chance to pass on some holiday kindness on behalf of Topsy’s and Dine & Dish. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post telling me whose day you would want to brighten by sending a tin of Topsy’s popcorn. For additional entries:

• Tweet the following: ” I want to brighten someone’s day by sharing a tin of Topsy’s popcorn from Topsy’s & @dineanddish http://su.pr/2gwwHv ” Leave a separate comment on this post letting me know you did this.
• Visit Topsy’s website and leave a comment here letting me know which flavor or flavor combination of Topsy’s you would choose.

All entries must be received by midnight CST on Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011. Winner will be chosen via Random.org and will be notified via email (must have a valid email address).

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Topsy’s. All opinions expressed are my own.

The post Acts of Kindness & Topsy’s Popcorn Giveaway appeared first on Dine and Dish.