• Start early to avoid rush shipping fees, especially with personalized or custom items
• Make a list of everything you need to buy and try to combine orders to avoid increased shipping costs
• Comparison shop on several websites before making a decision
• Check the company’s return/exchange policy
• Check the shipping and handling time frame
• Ship gifts directly to the recipient if time or distance is an issue
• If you have never ordered from a site before, look for customer testimonials, reviews, and privacy policy
• Sign up for a website’s newsletter and facebook group to receive coupons and sale notifications
• Choose a site that has a payment option you are comfortable with
• Double check the order before confirming
• Save all e-mail receipts until after you know the item does not need to be returned or exchanged
• Keep track of how much you have  spent on your original list

Shopping can be overwhelming, but being organized and starting early can make it much easier!

The grand prize winner of the $75 gift card is Triin, with her little one in the Hannah Dress.

The runner up winner of the $25 gift card is Kristy, were her boys in our dress shirt and tie 26.

TWO WAYS TO ENTER (Please provide a brief description along with the picture)

• Upload your photo to our Facebook page
• Submit your photo by e-mail to customerservice@puddlescollection.com

PRIZES

• Grand prize is a $75 gift card to Puddles Collection.
• Runner up will receive a $25 gift card to Puddles Collection.

Winners will also be featured on our blog and on facebook.  Deadline for submissions is May 15, 2011.

The winners will be chosen by the Puddles Collection team.  We will take into account all comments made on the photos when posted on Facebook  so make sure you have friends and family stop by and comment!  E-mail submissions will be posted in the photos section of our facebook page by a Puddles Collection team member.

The next day I came back to the set during rehearsal with the final selections: the April Dress and the Trinity Dress.  The only decision left was which dress to wear to the Friday pre awards party and which she would wear down the Orange carpet to the Awards show.  Tiffany invited me to have lunch with her family (which I tell you was much better than the Lean Cuisine I was planning on eating back at the office) and a tour of the stage.  How fun is that!  This looks like it will be another great Nickelodeon show for kids with some laughs for parents as well.

Here is Tiffany trying on the dresses.

The Pre Party Dress

The Awards Show Dress

And here is Tiffany on the Orange carpet with the cast.

Cast of Bucket and Skinner's Epic Adventures at the 24th Annual Nickalodeon Kids Choice Awards

Tiffany at the 24th Annual Kids Choice Awards

This was truly a fun experience and I look forward to working with Tiffany again in the future.  You can catch up with all her tweets or find her on facebook.  I suspect we will see a lot more of this talented young actress in the near future!

And one last picture, me and Tiffany!

Along with Puddles Collection, nine other companies contributed to the gift basket:  Western Journeys (Little Journey’s World), BooB TooB, Bibagogo, Annabellea Jewelry, Find Me Book, Jewelry by Andrea, My Smart Hands, Toyconomy, and Dr. Heather: Human Body Detectives.  A fabulous group of small business owners!

Colorful shirts are very fashionable right now with turquoise, fuchsia, and purple being the most popular.  For Easter and spring you will find lavender, pink, yellow, sage, and periwinkle also top the list.  Clip on ties are a life saver for young boys.  They don’t feel tight around the neck and you don’t have to worrying about tying them.  Elastic in the back of the waist makes the pants flexible.

If you want a more casual look you can pair a dress shirt and tie combination with a nice pair of dress pants.  These two will make a handsome outfit.

And don’t forget the feet!  A nice pair of dress socks and shoes will complete the outfit.  Choose 100% nylon socks for the dressiest look.  You want to make sure the socks are thin and will fit well inside dress shoes.  Never try to shove athletic socks into a dress shoe!  A new pair is best so there are no holes when he inevitably kicks off his shoes.

It always a good idea to have your child help you pick the outfit.  Narrow it down to a few selections that you like and then let the child make the final decision.  Or choose one outfit and let him pick the color.  You want it to be a happy day for everyone!

• Have green eggs and ham for dinner
• Get free printables on line and do some coloring
• Make and decorate a leprechaun hat
• Play find the lucky clover  (the adult can hide, children can find)
• Write a poem about St. Patrick’s Day
• Check out and read a book from the library about St Patrick’s Day
• Bake clover shaped green cookies
• Hide gold coins around the house and collect in a pot of gold
• Make a rainbow mobile
• Play Irish hot potato
• Make homemade shamrock shakes
• Listen to some traditional Celtic music

Most of all this is an opportunity to have some fun!

Some appropriate traits for Easter dresses:

Sleeve length: Sleeveless, cap sleeve, short sleeve, long sleeve
Dress length: Above the knee, knee length, tea length
Color: Pattern, solid color, pastels, bright colors
Features: Sashes, bows, flowers, ribbon

Dressing up for Easter can be such a fun experience for a little girl and will make the day even more special. Consider some nice age appropriate jewelry for the occasion.  A necklace or bracelet will complete the outfit.  And don’t forget about he hair.  You can style it up with a bow, a cute headband, or flower clips.

Make sure your little girl will be comfortable in the dress and that it fits properly.  If your child is between sizes, choose the larger size.  You can use a cute hair clip to cinch the dress in the back if it is a little baggy.  Also be sure the length is long enough so it still covers when she is bending over to pick up Easter eggs.  And don’t forget to take lots of pictures!

The owner of EasyLunchboxes is a fellow mom. She has started a new web series called “Let’s Do Lunch”. Remember Greg Brady?