Huge sale going on at Kate Spade today! It was too good not to share. Visit their Surprise Sale and sign up to their email list to receive 75% off.

Here’s a taste of what you can expect, but keep in mind that the sale ends tonight at 11:59 p.m, PST! online only. I’ve been trying to post these details for the past few hours, but their server was clogged up most of the morning when they first made their announcement, due to heavy traffic. I’m not expecting many of these pieces to last for very long! You can find the sale at http://surprise.katespade.com.

Black Tie Optional Necklace – regular $148.00, on sale now for $49.00.

Radio Samira Clutch, Regular $198.00, On Sale for $129.00.

Gold Coast Lilou – Full Price $458.00, on sale for $199.00.

Wellesley Quinn – Full Price $398.00, On Sale for $159.00.

I’m always on the lookout for stylish and affordable options for my girls. With the official start of summer being less than a week away, we are ready to break out the swimsuits! Mini Boden has an adorable line of swimwear for little ones, featuring bright colors, fun patterns, and classic styles. Best of all, the Mini Boden swimwear is completely affordable, with most swimsuits costing around $20-$25. 

The boys’ swimwear is so adorable – featuring knee-length trunks with fun sea animal prints and vintage-length shorts in bright striped prints.

The girls’ swimwear is so fun and cheery, with fruit prints, florals, and bright stripes and polka dots. (I mean, they need to make these in MY size!)

Don’t forget the tiniest beach babes! Mini Boden has some adorable swim bottoms for the babies. Pair these cute little  beach bloomers with your favorite swim shirt, and you’ve got an adorable swim outfit!

Click here to shop Mini Boden Girls’ Swimwear (1.5 – 12 years)

Click here to shop Mini Boden Boys’ Swimwear (1.5 – 12 years)

Click here to shop Mini Boden Baby Swimwear

Are you Canadian? Thinking about going on an Alaskan cruise? Canadian residents save 25% off their rates on select 7-night Alaskan Cruises departing Vancouver, Canada on September 2, 2013 aboard the Disney Wonder. The offer applies to categories 4A-11C only and government taxes and fees are not included.

Additional details per DCL:

• Government Taxes and Fees are an additional $100 US per person (subject to change).
• Offer applies to categories 4A—11C.
• Offer excludes suites and GTY categories with restrictions (IGT, OGT, VGT).
• This offer cannot be combined with any other special offers or discounts.
• Must indicate booking code CAN at time of booking. Proof of Canada residency required at time of check-in.
• Port Adventures are not included.
• Offer subject to Disney Cruise Line Terms and Conditions.

When you do book, be sure to use code CAN.

Brighton is a company that’s been around for years but I’ve only just discovered it. Last week we featured their adorable travel accessories line and this week I want to share news on an exciting charity initiative they are working on. Schools across the country are starting to cut funding on live performances such as ballet, orchestra and symphony events as well as music programs and art classes. This campaign offers people the chance to ensure that children in their communities have the chance to experience the arts up close – giving the next generation of artists a bright future.

For each $58 Independence Charm Holder Bracelet and each $48 Americana I.D. Bracelet sold from May 24th through July 31st, 2013, the company’s 172 Brighton Collectibles stores and participating Brighton retailers will contribute 50% of the retail cost to children’s art charities which will be chosen by the stores in which the bracelets are sold – each store will select a 501 (C) (3) charity program or a local school, ensuring that the programs will benefit their own families, friends and neighbors and strengthen the arts in each community.

We’ve included links to the bracelets above, but you can also purchase the bracelets by visiting www.brighton.com.

When I was a kid I loved fruit roll ups. We weren’t allowed to have them too often which made each opportunity to enjoy the sticky, sugary, colourful snack that much more amazing.  Now that I have children of my own I completely know why fruit roll ups didn’t make it into the house very often. 

When a friend told me that you can make them at home from scratch I jumped at the chance and made my own . After some research I learned various tips and techniques from a few different websites and I now have my “things I would do differently” list for my next attempt. If you have a dehydrator at home then this should be much easier. I used the oven and baked them at a low temp until I felt they were done, around 2 hours.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of fresh (hulled) or frozen strawberries
• 4 tbsp of honey
• 1 tsp of lemon juice

Directions:

• preheat oven to 175
• Thaw strawberries if using frozen ones.  I did this over the stove and then drained the excess liquid
• Add honey and lemon juice to the strawberries
• Puree the ingredients until a consistent, jam like texture is formed
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
• Spread the jam over the paper and spread out evenly on the pan
• Bake in the oven for 2-4 hours (this is a range because all ovens are different)
• Keep an eye on it until it has baked through but hasn’t turned crispy

The christening of a ship is always a grand affair. We’ve attended two so far and they were both days to remember! This traditional ritual is one that has been around for centuries and marks the birth of a vessel and asks for a blessing of good fortune and safety for the ship and its passengers and crew. Yesterday, it wasn’t just grand, it was royal. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge officially named Princess Cruise Line’s new ship the Royal Princess when she upheld the tradition of releasing a bottle of champagne and breaking it against the hull of the ship saying:

“I name this ship Royal Princess. May God bless her and all who sail in her.”

She then cut the rope that sent a giant Nebuchadnezzar-size bottle of Moët & Chandon champagne toward the ship, officially welcoming Royal Princess into the fleet of Princess Cruises, one of the world’s largest international cruise lines.

The event was as star-studded one with entertainment that blended contemporary elements with maritime tradition. Natasha Bedingfield entertained the crowd, singing her hit “Unwritten” as did British actress and “the first lady of London’s West End,” Kerry Ellis, who sang an original song just for the occasion. Among the guests invited to the Royal Princess naming celebrations were representatives from the charities East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, SkillForce and WellChild, whose Patrons are The Duchess of Cambridge, The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry respectively.

The event included a performance from renowned percussive orchestra Mass Ensemble, the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Portsmouth and The Pipe Band of 1st Battalion Irish Guards opened the event with the pomp and ceremony of British ship-naming traditions. The Right Reverend Tim Dakin, Bishop of Winchester, conducted the traditional ship’s blessing.

Princess Cruises is known for choosing some of the most illustrious godmothers for their past ships including Diana Princess of Wales (who named the first Royal Princess in 1984), Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Dame Margaret Thatcher and Olivia de Havilland. The Duchess of Cambridge now takes her place among this inspiring group of women.

The Royal Princess looks like an incredible ship and holds 3,600 passengers. It features the amazing SeaWalk, a top-deck glass-bottomed walkway extending 28 feet beyond the edge of the ship; a multistory atrium, and plush private poolside cabanas that appear to be floating on water. We provided a sneak peek into some of the other offerings a couple of months ago.

The Royal Princess sails on her maiden voyage to Barcelona on June 16, and will then sail on Grand Mediterranean cruises throughout the summer, followed by Eastern Caribbean cruises beginning in the autumn. You can view the entire naming ceremony on replay by visiting www.princess.com/royalprincessnaming.
Photo credit: Princess Cruise Lines

Baby names that have jumped in popularity over the past year (Messiah & Arya anyone?) – Disney Baby

DIY Father’s Day printables – Handmade Charlotte

Matching father and son board shorts - A-List Mom

B Kids launches a collection of wooden toys – BabyCenter

41 activities for your family to enjoy this summer – Popsugar Moms

Last minute Father’s Day travel ideas – Babble

As you know, over the last couple of months we partnered with McCain to help them launch their new blog section. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, please do! It’s all about conversation between parents and our thoughts on various topics, including parenting and play.

Speaking of play, the images surrounding us these days are so uplifting and refreshing after the dreary winter that just pasted. Fresh fruits, green grass, lush forests, creamy white and pink flowers and all sorts of bright colors are popping out everywhere. My kids and I are so very thrilled that summer has finally arrived! You can see my joy in everything I do from Instagram to Pinterest.

Yesterday, McCain launched their All Good For Summer Pinathon. They are giving away a $100 gift card to 5 pinners whose boards inspire us the most. It’s a fun campaign that basically encourages you to do the same thing you are doing on Pinterest.

How do you enter? =

1. Create a board on Pinterest and name it “McCain All Good Pinathon.”

2. Pin the things that make summer all good for you. For example: a perfectly ripe peach, the smell of grass, a picnic with friends

3. Include one pin from McCain that makes you feel happy.

4. Tag each pin in your board with the keyword #McCainAllGood and you’re good to go!

Fun, right? I can’t wait to see your boards and re-pin some of your inspiring finds!

Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by McCain Canada. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As a mapmaker by profession, the company Children Inspire Design excites me for many reasons. First off, they have a lot of geography themes which tug at all of my heartstrings as I find maps beautiful to view. They are eco-friendly. They produce culturally diverse artwork with the intention of promoting compassion for our earth. Each piece is created from repurposed materials, soy inks, and biodegradable packaging. Plus, they’re all fun and whimsical to view!

The Global Compassion map print (above) can be purchased as a signed, limited edition, with 100% of proceeds donated to Future Fortified. Each print gives a month’s worth of nutrients for 20 children in Bangladesh. That’s a purchase you can feel good about making.

The Explorer Journal is 60 pages of blank paper for your little adventurer to get lost in their own imagination. Have a theme for each page, ask your children to draw found items in nature, or sketch out landmarks during their travels.

The My Travels USA (or World) Map would be perfect for planning trips, and marking goal destinations along with past vacations. Add stickers to the hometowns of family members so children can have an increased spatial awareness across time zones.

Children Inspire Design carries an assortment of inspirational prints for hanging. One of my favorites is the above “Not all who wander are lost.” We have a magnet on our refrigerator at home which says the same. I may need to add this print to my son’s bedroom, or even ours.

In addition to their map and travel-inspired prints, they carry a large range of prints, wall cards and decorations. I love children’s travel and map-themed décor and hope this can inspire a little of the same love for your home. We all need a little map whimsy in our lives!

We’ve featured the Art of Animation Resort at Walt Disney World in the past. Last year, we attended a special event during the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration where we dined by the pool located just adjacent to the Little Nemo section of the resort. In case you missed it, you can check out our coverage of the resort  which includes a video tour of the Little Nemo Rooms.

The resort has since added CARS, The Lion King and their most recent (and final) addition – The Little Mermaid rooms. Now I will say, we are partial to the deluxe resorts at Walt Disney World. We’ve stayed at the Grand Floridian, Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Yacht Club in the past and deluxe is my preferred resort category and the one that I would choose from here on in. That being said, f you are trying to stay within a budget, or if you have small kids that adore the Disney characters, the Value Resorts could be a great choice for you as the price is approximately 50-60% less than what you would pay at a deluxe resort.

Disney’s Art of Animation submerses you into the world of the characters with fun details and bright colors. There are large statues and all sorts of aspects from the film that are sure to thrill your little ones . After watching our video tour above, be sure to view the photo tour we put together on Babble.com.