When it comes to gift giving, I like to come up with ideas that are thoughtful and affordable. For special occasions like birthdays, Mother's Day, etc...this usually means a DIY project to make it extra special and sentimental! 

If you're looking for a super simple, inexpensive gift idea, especially with Mother's Day just days away...I have a great one for you to try! 

I've been seeing various Sharpie Mug tutorials on Pinterest and wanted to give it a try for my mom's birthday a few months ago. Not only was it incredibly easy, but a gift she appreciated and LOVED! If you're still in search for the perfect Mother's Day gift, this would be a great idea!

Supplies You Need:

To get started, you need a white mug, oil-based paint Sharpie markers, rubbing alcohol and stickers!

I found two cheap white mugs at walmart that worked perfectly. I then picked up some alphabet stickers and oil-based paint Sharpie Markers at our local Hobby Lobby and was ready to get started. 

How To: 

1. First, I have read in several places that it's best to put a quick coat of rubbing alcohol on the outside of the mug and let it dry. 

2. Once dry, I used the stickers to spell out the words I was wanting on each of the mugs. 

3. I am not the most artistic or crafty, so I decided to go with the 'ombre' dot pattern that I've so many others using on Pinterest. I love that it allows you to use your creativity and does not require perfection! I placed dots very closely to the letters to get a definitely outline, and then went out from there and scattered them a bit until I thought it looked nice.

With the stickers still on

4. Once I had the mugs looking just how I wanted them, I carefully removed the stickers. This may sound silly, but it was really my favorite part! It was fun to remove them and reveal the letters hiding underneath. 

5. Finally, I put my mugs in the oven at 350º for 30 minutes. I then turned off the oven, but left the mugs in there until they were cool. I read that this is to prevent them from cracking, which worked great for me so I would definitely be sure to do that again! 

As I said, this is a gift my mom absolutely adored! She will often send me pics in the morning of her using her mugs with her morning coffee. They were a simple gift with a lot of meaning and something I know she'll hold onto for many years! She told me they are holding up well, as she only washes them by hand (not dishwasher). 

Kaelyn's last day of school is nearing, and she is planning to make one of these for her teacher as a gift! I will be sure to post the results.

**This post is brought to you by VISINE and TheMotherhood and I've been compensated for my time. However, all opinions are my own.

I love, love, LOVE this time of year with the warmer temps and more time spent outdoors...however, I am not a fan of allergy season! My two boys, my husband and I all suffer from seasonal allergies. With it being that time of year, I was excited when asked to be a part of a program with VISINE to help provide my family, and yours, with advice and tips to help find some relief! 

I have already learned so much! Did you know that an estimated 50 million Americans suffer from allergies (that's 1 in 5!). It's actually the fifth leading chronic disease in the US among all ages, and the third most chronic disease among children under 18. 

Allergies can effect everyone differently. For me, it's my eyes! They get red, watery and itchy. Eye allergies happen when airborne allergens and other particles land directly on the surface of the eye, causing irritation and redness. Subsequently, the body reacts to the substance by flooding the eyes with tears and mucus. The most frequent airborne allergens include pollen, pet dander, grass, dust, weeds, and mold.

Do you suffer from eye allergies too? The symptoms can include:

• Itching
• Redness
• Tearing 
• Swelling and puffiness of the eylids
• Burning sensation
• Watery eyes
• "Foreign body sensation"

Thankfully, there can be relief with VISINE-A Eye Allergy Relief. I was sent some to try and it helps to temporarily relieve itchy, red eyes due to pollen, ragweed, grass, animal hair and dander. They are clinically proven effective for eye allergy relief.  

Combining an antihistamine with a redness reliever they help to temporarily relieve eye itchiness and redness, helping them get back to normal. My husband has been working outside more lately and has found great relief with these eye drops as well!

Aside from great information about the VISINE-A Eye Allergy Relief drops, VISINE has also shared some great allergy tips as well.

Indoors:

• wash linens and clothes regularly
• keep windows shut to keep out pollen and other outdoor allergens
• vacuum and dust often to reduce indoor allergens
• run the air conditioner or filter to sift out allergens. Make sure to keep air filters clean and replace them regularly.
• Put allergy proof covers on pillows, mattresses and comforters to ward off dust mites

Outdoors:

• check the pollen count before going outside each day - pollen counts tend to be highest 5-10AM
• shower after being outdoors to remove allergens that may have stuck to you. Use a sterile saline eye wash to flush allergens out of your eyes
• do not hang laundry to dry outdoors because allergens can stick to the clothes
• glasses and sunglasses act as a barrier or shield to minimize allergens from sticking to your eyes. 
• if you prefer to wear contact lenses, choose a daily disposable lens, which can minimize accumulation of allergens as well. Contact lens wearers can use VISINE-A Eye Allergy Relief, but need to remove contact lenses before use and wait at least 15 minutes before reinserting contact lenses after using the drops.

For more allergy season tips and tricks, you can visit the VISINE website.

Also, be sure to the #EyesonVISINE Twitter party with VISINE TODAY to learn more about what causes eye allergies, how you can preven and manage some of the most common symptoms, exchange advice and WIN useful prizes!

There will be five prizes! Each prize includes a chic cosmetics pouch, VISINE-A, facial tissues, throat drops and a $25 AmEx gift card! Join us today at noon ET! 

Here's the Twtvite with all the details!

**The products for this review/giveaway were provided by Kidorable. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.

Rain gear has come a long way since I was a kid.  (Wow, I sound so old saying that!)  Rain coats and boots used to be bulky, heavy and uncomfortable.  I remember having a rain coat as a little kid that made so much noise when I'd wear it.  Every move I made was accompanied by squeaky sounds.

The rain gear my son Cameron is getting to try out, thanks to Kidorable, is on a whole other level of cute and functional that anything I've ever tried for myself.

Kidorable also makes accessories such as backpacks, hats, gloves, scarves, towels and bookends.  All their products are made in imagination-inspiring themes so kids can mix or match.

My favorite theme was the froggy and since Cameron is a little too young to have a strong opinion about it, I got to go with what I liked for him.

Froggy Rain Coat

This rain coat is so lightweight, it's amazing!  It kept my little one dry without making him hot and sweaty.  The sleeves can easily roll up and the snaps are sturdy, yet easy to use.  The hood is gathered in the front; a feature great for little ones who otherwise get swallowed up and annoyed by giant hoods.  Cameron liked having a pocket on each side to put things in.

I also liked how the rain coat has a cute print on the inside as well as on the outside.  On each piece of the Kidorable line there is great attention to detail and everything seems to flow together nicely.

Froggy Umbrella

This umbrella is so cute that I kind of want it to rain again soon just so Cameron can use this and again, there's so much attention to detail.  The cute webbed handle is easy for a little one to grip and the umbrella is very sturdy overall.  Of course, like any umbrella, watch your fingers when opening and closing it.  The loaded spring can pinch fingers if you're not careful.

Dragon Knight Backpack

This backpack is so lightweight and perfect for a small child who enjoys moving toys and books from one room to another.  My son Cameron has started using it to hold his library books when we come home from a library trip and for taking a special toy to and from the car with him.

The backpack is sturdy enough to hold it's shape, but soft and pliable.  The outer coating is soft, not sticky and made out of the same materials as the rain coat.  Outer: 100 % PU with polyester lining and nylon.

I liked how the backpack zipper was really smooth and easy to use.  The sword attached to the zipper is both cute and functional.  It allowed for my toddler to open and close the backpack without my assistance.  It also has two outside pockets. adjustable straps and a hanging hook.

The backpack straps are not padded, but since this small bag isn't really meant to carry a heavy load, that seemed just fine.

The great thing about this rain gear is that it can be used for rain gear or as dress up clothing.  The fun themes could even be used over other clothing as Halloween costumes for the parents who like to save money by not buying a separate costume.

The Kidorable product line is a great way for kids to express their creativity and for parents to enjoy their kids looking very adorable.  The price points seemed very reasonable for these items making them a great gift idea as well.

You can follow Kidorable on Twitter where you can get a special code for a free umbrella with a purchase of $20.00 from www.kidorable.com.

Win It: One lucky reader is going to win a Kidorable Umbrella of their choice! 

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*The products for this review/giveaway were provided by The Manhattan Toy Company. All opinions are my own.

Out of all three of my kids, my 6 year old daughter is the one that is most into writing and arts and crafts! In fact, any down time she has, I can usually find her at the table creating. I love it! This is how I was as a child and it's fun to see my daughter enjoying the same things! That's why, when I saw the new Notes N' Stuff Stationary Set from the Imagine I CAN line at ManhattanToy.com, I knew it would be perfect for her!

As a mom, I am always on the lookout for high quality toys and products that encourage creative play. That's why I have always been impressed with The Manhattan Toy Company products and couldn't have been happier to learn we were going to receive the Notes N' Stuff Set to review.

When the stationary set arrived, Kaelyn was tickled! She and I were both impressed with the Tin storage case everything comes in. I'm so glad the company thought to have a case that was not just for packaging purposes, but also serves the purpose of helping to store the items and make them easy to take on the go. Now Kaelyn can easily take her things with her wherever we go. It will come in especially handy on our vacations this summer!

Upon opening the tin, we found that the set contains everything she needs for hours of fun creating notes and other stuff! It contains 1 spiral notebook, 6 color pencils, 1 pencil sharpener, 1 pencil topper, 1 magnetic clip and 2 self-inking stamps! All great quality, and all SUPER CUTE! 

Of course, Kaelyn isn't the only one who has shown an interest in this super fun set. Both my boys think it's pretty neat too! I find that Kaelyn enjoys stamping in the book while my boys love the drawing with the pencils (and stamping too of course)! 

It's such a neat set that kids of all ages can use and enjoy. Best of all, it promotes creativity and gives a child their very own kit to store everything and use whenever they like. I would love a set like this for each of my kids at some point, as I think it's a great way to promote creativity as well as skills like writing, drawing, etc. 

We have been very happy with this stationary set and think it would be great for any boy or girl ages 3+. Whether your little one enjoys creating at home, or on the go, this is definitely something I'd recommend checking out. 

Buy It: You can purchase the Imagine I CAN Notes N' Stuff set for $20.

WIN IT: One lucky reader is going to win an Imagine I CAN Notes N' Stuff set of their own! (Continental US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway