Beauty Archives - Globetrotting Mommy

Great Gifts for Tweens and …

December 12, 2019 By admin

Do you have a tween or teen on your holiday gift list? I feel your pain. These not-little but not-yet adults can be tricky but lucky for you, I’m sharing my list of great gifts for tweens and teens.

Gifts for Tween and Teen Girls

Frida Kahlo Puzzle – She’s an artist, activist, and feminist icon – no wonder so many young women are Frida Kahlo fans. eeBo always has fantastic gifts and this colorful puzzle is sure to please.

Hydro Flask – If your VSCO girl doesn’t already have one, this popular water bottle will be a sure winner. The bigger, the better and don’t forget the cute stickers!

Scrunchies – Now that they’re back, scrunchies are a must for all tween and teen girls. Grab this 60-piece set and you’ll have one to match every outfit.

Gifts For Teens and Tweens Who Have Everything

Dollar Bill Animals in Origami – This book features instructions (start with easy!) for turning any dollar bill into animals like giraffe, shark, unicorn, etc. Throw in a couple of Hamiltons and you’re done. Perfect for road trips and plane rides too.

Spontuneous – The Song Game – We played this over Thanksgiving break with a mix of tweens, teens, parents and grandparents and it was a HUGE hit. We were laughing so hard as we tried to guess each other’s songs and move to the finish line. Great for family gatherings, sleepovers and game night.

Cinema Light Box – A fun light box is always a good idea. Tweens and teens can express themselves with 160 letters and symbols like emojis and holiday icons.

Faux Fur Throws – Teens and tweens will love cozying up for movie night with these super-soft throws. The neutral colors will blend perfectly with any den or bedroom.

Gifts for Travel Loving Teens and Tweens

Wireless Airpods – Airpods are a must-have for teens and tweens who love listening to music on chatting on the go. The learning curve is quick and the battery life is long, enough said.

Inflatable Snow Tube – For tweens and teens who live where it snows, these fun snow tubes are perfect. Choose from burger, donut, peppermint, taco, snowcone or pizza. Perfect for bringing along on a ski vacation…

Disney Mini Backpack – For Disney lovers, Loungefly has the cutest selection of mini backpacks around. My tween has been eyeing this Minnie Mouse Ears version, a classic for sure.

Gifts for Crafty Tweens and Teens

Make Your Own Glitter Face Masks – This DIY kit from Klutz includes everything kids need to make five face masks. The silicone brush makes it easy to apply the mix so it isn’t as messy as you think.

Tie-Dye Party Kit – Know a crafty kid who loves to throw a party? This tie-dye kit comes with supplies (14 fun colors!) and instructions for up to 36 projects. Perfect for sleepovers or family get-togethers.

Sew Your Own Unicorn Cake Pillow – Crafty girls will love learning how to sew a soft and sparkly unicorn cake pillow using techniques like whip stitching, basting and gathering. Materials are pre-cut for ease and there are tons of decorative options (think faux fur, metallic gold lamé, and iridescent pom-poms).

Check out my 2020 Gift Guide for Tweens and Teens for more ideas. Need gift ideas for the travelers on your list? Check out my Great Gifts for Travelers.

Happy shopping!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. I was provided with some items for review purposes but all opinions are my own.

Five Cool Things to Check Out …

September 19, 2019 By admin

NYC’s new American Girl Place, one of our favorite New York City hotspots has a glitzy new home in Rockefeller Center. The 40,000-square-foot flagship store is stunning and the location is perfectly central for locals and tourists. If you’ve got an American Girl doll fan at home, read on to learn about Five Cool Things to Check Out at NYC’s new American Girl Place.

Five Cool Things to Check Out at NYC’s New American Girl Place

1) The American Girl Salon, Only At American Girl New York

One of the major enhancements at the new American Girl Place is the gorgeous American Girl Salon. Dolls have always been able to enjoy salon pampering but now girls can get in on the spa and salon action too. Girls can choose hairstyles to match their dolls (or not) and they can now enjoy mini mani’s and ear piercing alongside their dolls. And yes, the ear piercing is major news! Girl hairstyles start at $25 while doll styles begin at $10. It was so fun to watch my daughter and her doll Lea have their hair done in matching styles with coordinating ribbons. If you’re looking for a special girl’s day out treat, a stop here will definitely impress everyone. You’ll want to review the salon options and make reservations in advance, especially over holidays and weekends.

2) The New American Girl Cafe

Always a classic choice for a special dining treat, the new American Girl Cafe features modern decor, an updated a-la-carte menu and they have done away with the set seating times so you won’t find yourself waiting in a long line. You and your dolls can enjoy brunch, afternoon tea, lunch or dinner with old menu favorites (pink lemonade, pigs-in-blankets, cinnamon buns, chocolate mousse flowerpots) as well as new offerings. Dolls can enjoy meals (in their own seats – so bring them along or borrow one at check-in) and girls are given souvenir dining accessories to use and take home. We enjoyed our lunch and my daughter loved getting to share the experience all glammed up along with her doll. Yes, they have private rooms for birthday parties so keep that in mind when birthday season arrives.

3) Explore American Girl Books and Movies

The new American Girl store features a comfortable section where kids can watch the company’s award-winning movies and videos. There is also a cozy nook where kids can browse the brand’s hundreds of best-selling fiction and advice books. I love that these areas are for kids (and parents) to relax as shopping in NYC can be very hectic. My daughter is in third grade and the American Girl books have really been essential in teaching her how to navigate friendships and her growing body.

4) Create Your Own Design Studio

My favorite new addition is the Create Your Own Design Studio where girls can custom design their own doll via an online experience that takes personalization and customization to a whole new level. There are more than one million possible design combinations from hairstyles, eye colors, skin shades and accessories galore so girls can truly create the doll of their dreams. Girls can also design one-of-a-kind doll and girl-sized clothing at the design studio, which can be printed in-store. If your daughter likes to add her personal touches to everything, she will love these new options.

5) Check out the American Girl Doll of the Year!

We’re huge fans of these annual additions (like Gabriela, Grace and Lea) and I love that the 2018 American Girl Doll, Luciana Vega encourages girls to explore science as she aspires to explore Mars someday. The New York City store features a special section dedicated to the annual doll as well as specialty items (like cafe drinks and salon services) toys and clothes. Best of all, the BeForever characters and newer dolls are featured in special showcases where girls can get a glimpse into their worlds and play in interactive areas. Younger girls will especially love exploring the WellieWishers and Bitty Baby areas.

Ready to visit? Check out my Top Tips for Visiting American Girl Place in NYC and pin this for your next NYC trip.

Have you been to NYC’s new American Girl Place? Who is your favorite doll?

Thanks to American Girl for providing us pampering spa services and lunch. As always, all opinions are my own. If you don’t want to miss a post, subscribe to Globetrotting Mommy for daily updates!

Mom Life: Mom’s Night …

October 13, 2017 By admin

Summer always has me running in a million directions and then back-to-school season arrives and I am oh so thrilled to have my daily routine again. Meet-the-teacher curriculum nights can be fun but what really makes moms happy is an adult night out full of great food and drinks, socializing and a little pampering. Am I right?

When Momtrends invited me to a Mom’s Night Out Event to mingle with fellow influencers, editors from some of my favorite Meredith Magazines like Parents, Family Fun, Fit Pregnancy and family-friendly brand reps, I couldn’t say “yes” fast enough.

The evening kicked off with a welcome from Parents editor-in-chief, Liz Vaccariello who remembered me from a South Africa press trip we attended together many moons ago. After sampling the gorgeous and tasty appetizers and wine from Willamsburg, VA (more about that later…), it was time for some pampering and mingling.

I had to start with the New Balance team who had masseuses on hand to massage our tired mom feet. I broke one of my toes just before school started and living in NYC, my recovery has taken forever so I was thrilled to get a little TLC. I’ve been forced to wear the ugliest medical shoe for the last few weeks so I was super excited to receive a pair of Fresh Foam Arishi New Balance sneakers (in chic gray) to wear post-recovery. I love the lightweight, (perfect for my travels) breathable styling and the ultra cushioning which will keep me comfortable as I run around New York City (drop-offs, pick-ups and after-school activities) and beyond.

The team from Swaddle Me knows moms never have enough time for pampering so they brought along the GlamSquad team to treat us to mini-makeovers (concealer and lip color go a long way!). With new smokey eyes, I learned about the newest Swaddle Me baby products which have come along way since my baby arrived almost eight years ago. The new, innovative SwaddleMe Kicksie is a legs-free swaddle perfect for warm weather while the new Swaddle Me Footsie is a legs-free swaddle with pajama-like footies which is perfect for cool weather. They’ve also launched three new gift sets (Essentials, Baby Bath and Little Lovey) which are perfect for any new baby and also make great holiday gifts.

My go-to lunch specialty is PB&J so I was happy to say hi to the Jif team and sample some of their new goodies and share how I inspire creativity with my daughter (by letting things get messy, of course!). I especially love their “Jif to go” minis which are great for traveling and school snacks. It’s impossible to learn or be creative when kids are hungry and the “Imagine If, With Jif” program plans to fuel the next generation and support families who want to make the world a better place. Submit your inspirational idea, now through October 20, and you could win up to $30,000 to make that dream a reality. Full details here.

Next, I headed over to the gorgeous nursery set-up where I tried my hand at DIY floral arranging. The Munchkin team was on hand to demonstrate the Munchkin Step Pail which features a childproof, self-sealing system to lock out odors. This is so crucial for NYC apartment-living where one stinky diaper can quickly invade your entire space. Best of all, with Munchkin’s Get a Pail, Give a Tree program, Munchkin will plant a tree for every diaper pail sold. So awesome! We’ve had a slew of Munchkin products over the years but my current favorite is their Munchkin Miracle 360 Cup which looks like a cup but acts like a sippy making it great for kids of all ages.

Last but not least, I met with the Visit Williamsburg (Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg, Virginia) team to hear about their culinary offerings, family-friendly attractions, pampering spas, famed living history museum, outdoor adventures and more. My husband went to college in Williamsburg and spent many vacations there so it has definitely been on my radar for a family getaway so I was really excited to see how many varied attractions the area features. Check out this inspiration board that I personalized above with my favorite activities (spas, outdoor adventures, crafting, history and amusement parks, oh my!) and stay tuned as I share more details about my top picks in the region.

Thanks again to Momtrends for organizing a great Mom’s Night Out!

Thanks to Meredith Corp., Jif, Munchkin, New Balance, Swaddle Me and Visit Williamsburg for sponsoring this post. I was compensated for attending this event and writing this post but all opinions are my own. If you don’t want to miss a post, subscribe to Globetrotting Mommy for daily updates!

2016 Holiday Gift Guide …

December 13, 2016 By admin

The holiday season is here so don’t wait until the last minute to get your mom (or wife) a great present. Of course, the best gifts are handmade so have your kiddo make a card or necklace to go along with one of these picks from my 2016 Holiday Gift Guide – Gifts for Moms who Travel.

2016 Holiday Gift Guide – Gifts for Moms who Travel

Got a new mom who loves to travel and cook on your holiday list? She may not be able to travel around the world right now but she can give her baby a taste of exotic worldwide flavors with Around the World in 80 Purees: Easy Recipes for Global Baby Food. It is so interesting to see what other countries choose as first foods for their babies and learn about spices from all over the world, I’m sure any new mom would love this. Pair this with a BEABA babycook and she’ll be whipping up culinary masterpieces in no time.

2016 Holiday Gift Guide – Gifts for Moms who Travel

Every globetrotting mom on your list will love ARMigami, the wrap that does it all. The soft fabric drapes without clinging and can be worn in dozens of styles from skirts and halters to wraps and beach cover-ups as you simply style it by folding, twisting and buttoning! I received one at the Momtrends holiday event (in black of course) and I have worn it as a scarf, halter wrap and shrug top so far. The wraps are available in a selection of colors and fabrics and they all come inside a matching travel bag making them a great gift for any traveling mom.

2016 Holiday Gift Guide – Gifts for Moms who Travel – ARMigami wrap

I usually throw my regular cosmetics in a ziploc when I travel so when Stowaway Cosmetics told me about their travel-sized makeup line, I was all ears. Their seven-piece essentials kit comes with a travel pouch making it a perfect gift for any on-the-go mom. The petite cosmetics are “right sized” which means you won’t get bored with shades or have to worry about expiration dates. I love how simple the items are to use (no need for extra brushes or sponges) and how easy the eyeshadow palate is to apply. I am usually running out the door in the mornings but when I gave myself a few minutes to sample these items, my mom friends all commented how great my make-up looked.

2016 Holiday Gift Guide – Gifts for Moms who Travel – Stowaway Cosmetics

Every mom I know who loves to travel also loves to take photos. If you’re looking for some photography inspired gift ideas you can’t go wrong with this chic Gold Mine camera strap from Bloom Theory Straps? I love the Stardust with silver sequins too. For underwater photos, my GoPro is hard to beat and a new DSLR or iPhone is always a great gift.

2016 Holiday Gift Guide – Gifts for Moms who Travel

I don’t like to travel with high-maintenance jewelry which includes anything that needs to be polished. The new line of Nambé jewelry is a great gift for moms who want wear nice jewelry with ease because the sterling silver pieces are Rhodium plated for a tarnish resistant finish. Whether you wear these pieces every day or once in a blue moon, not having to polish is a major plus for busy moms. My favorites are the modern pieces like multi-band rings and twist cuff bracelets that won’t snag clothing or scratch babies.

2016 Holiday Gift Guide – Gifts for Moms who Travel

What are you hoping for this holiday season? Tell me below in the comments.

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Fairy Tales’ Summer Hair …

May 24, 2016 By admin

Summer is around the corner (finally!) and unlike bald babies who can safely hide behind sun shields and stroller netting, the big kids will be running wild in the great outdoors. Unless you’re vacationing in a bubble this summer, here’s the scoop on some must-have hair and skin essentials from Fairy Tales.