Nanny to Mommy

I received complimentary products from Hammacher Schlemmer to provide this post. All opinions are my own.

From Christmas Trees to awesome Gift Ideas, Hammacher Schlemmer has it all! I have absolutely loved working them in years past for my Holiday Gift Guide and each year I have so much trouble choosing because they have so many great items!


This year I received the Disney Christmas Carousel Tree. This is the tabletop Christmas tree that shows more than 50 beloved Disney characters celebrating the holidays with movement, music, and lights. Topped by a rotating sleigh with Mickey Mouse at the helm and Pluto leading a team of reindeer, the intricate decoration depicts 10 hand-painted illuminated scenes unfolding along four tiers of snowy boughs.

We have a tradition in our house of giving the kids what we call a "Christmas Eve Basket". It includes new pajamas, cooking making items, a Christmas movie, and some Christmas books. This year I received some new ones from Thunder Bay Press and Silver Dolphin Books.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pagoda®. The opinions and text are all mine.

This time of year we have so many get-togethers, who doesn't? Besides the holidays with the normal get-togethers and parties between friends and family, we also have my daughter's birthday. So I am always looking for easy options to really elevate any get together.


Besides being delicious and easy-to-prep, Pagoda® hot and crunchy Egg Rolls are the perfect get-together snack. It only takes 20 minutes to step outside the standard crunch fare of chips and crackers with hot and tasty Pagoda Egg Rolls. Each egg roll package is individually wrapped and comes with a Sweet Chili Sauce that offers a bold flavor and is perfect for dipping, making the snacks even more delicious.

I have mentioned our love of books many times before. We are avid readers and I love for my children to learn about their world in fun, new ways. I also love to give books as gifts. I think education is the greatest gift you can give.

"Hey, Baby!: A Collection of Pictures, Poems, and Stories from Nature’s Nursery" introduces your kids to the cutest, cuddliest, and cleverest baby animals of land, air, and sea—each with its own extraordinary life story. From the teensiest turtle hatchling to the biggest baby whales, readers will ooh and aah over all the sweet wee ones.

This post has been sponsored by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare. All thoughts and reviews are my own.

What do you do when sick gets real in your house? It can be especially hard during the holidays because no one has time for that. But cold and flu season has started. There are so many activities to attend and so many people that you see only once a year which means you are inevitably exposed to new germs. Here are my tips to try to keep the germs at bay and then what to do if sick gets real.

My daughter's birthday is December 9th. At my daughter's school they have what's called "Rock Days" where they rent a bounce house and have other fun activities for students who have been good all semester. And last year it fell on her birthday. She was so excited, but ended up having to miss it because of illness. I felt SO BAD for her.

So what can you do to take care of yourself and try to avoid getting sick: