Back to School Shopping with Hanna Andersson

by Becky Elmuccio on August 14, 2015

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in conjunction with Hanna Andersson. My opinions are my own and all fashion selections were made by Tomato.

Tomato heads back to school this September. She is very excited to start school again and back to school shopping at Hanna Andersson this weekend made it even stronger. We were so excited when Hanna Andersson opened a brick and mortar store at The Promenade last December. I was able to attend the Hanna Andersson Marlton Opening and it made me so happy that our favorite catalog was now a quick drive away.

Back to School Shopping at Hanna Andersson Marlton NJ

Tomato will be turning 5 soon, so shopping with mom has now progressed from being taken along as a toddler to a cute, girls’ day out. Taking her shopping at Hanna Andersson and having a snack at the tables outside at the Promenade reminds me of the shopping trips I took with my Nana. My Nana could shop like no other and it was a special trip each year for my sister, mom and I. We went with her to the Lord & Taylor on the Main Line and had lunch at The Birdcage restaurant, picked out a pretty dress and a Madame Alexander doll. When Tomato and I enter Hanna Andersson, all of those memories flood back and I hope to create new ones with her. I know that we are picking out special clothes for a special day, and I love sharing that with her. Tomato was already talking about having a new outfit for the first day of school, so she had something in mind when we entered the store.

Back to School Shopping at Hanna Andersson

When you walk into the store, the staff immediately greets you and the displays are so inviting with bright colors and patterns that match my daughter’s spunk perfectly. The stores always have a good sale or two going on, so contact your nearest store to see what sales they have. As an added bonus for my readers, you can use the offer at the bottom of this post to receive 15% off your purchase between now and October 18th. It is valid in stores and may exclude some items, so please check the fine print for details.

Back to School Shopping at Hanna Andersson NJ

Tomato made a bee line for a beautiful striped reversible dress. Somehow she knew it was a twirly dress that she could spin and dance in, so it was what she chose as her first day of school outfit. Back to school shopping was proving to be a breeze. We went from display to display talking about what she liked and what else she wanted to choose. One of my favorite things about Hanna clothes is the sizing. Because they size for a range of ages instead of just one age per size, we get years and years out of their clothes. Tomato wore some of their size 80 and 90 dresses, which became tunics and then shirts, for 3 plus years. We just put the last 90 item away. So, you are not only buying quality design and fabrics, but you are buying longevity. They are the label I look for at consignment sales since I know the value I get out of them for her. If you’re lucky enough to get some as hand me downs, I am pretty sure the sound of angelic choruses accompanies their discovery in the hand me down bag. My best tip for shopping at the store or in the catalog is to buy up a size in order to get the most out of the outfit. I know that Tomato is going to twirl in this dress for at least three years and that’s why we shop Hanna for back to school shopping. Personally, I wish they made it in adult sizes too because this work from home mom would be in this for meetings in a flash. The Hanna women’s line is ever present in my closet too for the same quality and longevity reasons that I shop for Tomato.

Back to School Outfit from Hanna Andersson

She also picked out an adorable outfit for the fall.  She grabbed the skirt first and then chose the shirt and sweater to go together. Ever my bold personality child, she went with a great print skirt and mixed mustard and pink together to make a great oufit. We browsed through the rest of the store and oohed and ahhed at how cute the backpacks and lunch boxes were. Being me, my eye was drawn to the newest in their Star Wars and Disney collaborations. We bought the Star Wars Christmas jammies last year for my husband, Tomato and I and the new jammie designs this fall are great.  As Tomato tried on her outfits and we peeked in the clearance racks for great deals, we shared giggles and smiles. It was great to have a girls’ day out just like I had with my Nana. I hope she remembers these days with the fondness that I have for my own memories of 30 years ago. We’ll definitely be heading back as the seasons change to pick out some other great new clothes.

If you are looking to do some back to school shopping in the near future, make Hanna Andersson a stop on your agenda. You’ll find a courteous staff, impeccably made clothes and accessories and I hope you can make some memories to last a lifetime too. Enjoy the offer below too! It can be printed out or you can show it on your phone at the register. Happy Back to School Shopping!

Hanna Andersson Back to School Offer

 

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2015 Can-It Forward Day

by Becky Elmuccio on August 1, 2015

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Jarden Home Brands. All opinions are my own, including my excitement over the fact that the jars are purple.

Ball Can It Forward DayIt’s been a busy summer here at our house. Work has kept me booked all day, but we still look to cook from scratch and make our own food as much as possible. We’re working to incorporate the veggies we buy at the farmer’s market and the items we already have in the pantry. As we eat down our surplus, pantry space becomes more available and my mind drifts to wanting to learn how to can our food. I look forward to the Can-It Forward Day each year as we stream the feed on the computer while we go about our day. This year it is on August 1st from 11 am to 4 pm.

Ball Canning Sip & Straw Lids and Purple Heritage Collection Jars

Saturdays have become a little of my housekeeping day and I’d love to add a little canning of Jersey Fresh produce to those days. Having those items in the pantry come winter would certainly help us to not to reach for the phone for pizza and still have local produce on hand. This year, Jarden Home Brands sent us some new items to check out and use in anticipation of Can-It Forward Day 2015. First off, the jars are purple! I love that they have been playing with colors with their jars over the last few years. The Ball Purple Mason Jars are part of their Heritage Collection and the Design Series lids in red and purple will make my pantry even cuter. Our first use of the jars was to make smoothies and use them as a glass with the Sip & Straw lids. Tomato and I loved them and it was a great way to get her to hydrate with a smoothie on a hot day. The glass jar can be washed in the dishwasher and the Sip & Straw sets are top rack dishwasher safe. A win for mommy for cleaning up the kitchen! The Heritage Collection jars are in pint and quart size. This makes them great for trying out canning with the smaller sizes or you can use the larger ones to do longer items like beans and pickles. I’ll be using some of these to store dried pasta and rice too and intersperse them on our shelves for a little pantry spruce up.

Ball Canning Sip & Straw Lids Heritage Collection Purple Mason Jars

Jarden Home Brands has been kind enough to offer a coupon for a free case of jars, so leave a comment below telling me how you would use the jars and I will randomly draw a winner!

Now, I know what you are thinking. Can I really can my own food? This question goes through my head each summer and I have friends who have done it for years with confidence. I like to err on the safe side when trying something out for the first time. So, a reliable place to start for directions is the Jarden Home Brands site or grab a copy of their Ball Blue Book: Guide to Preserving. The cookbook has over 500 recipes to try out. Their safety and health rules are strict and I like that they have tested these recipes out over many years.

Another great resource is to check out today’s live stream from Jarden Home Brands headquarters in Fishers, Indiana. They have a brand new, state of the art facility and as the webcast streams, you can pop in and ask questions on the chat function. New this year too will be a celebrity mason jar auction, so set your laptop or tablet up at your dining room table today and listen and watch to learn more about canning your foods. It’s a great way to take advantage of and preserve your current local harvests. I’ve got the webcast set up to stream from here, so enjoy, have a great weekend and don’t forget to comment to enter to win a free case of jars!

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Top 2 Tips for Food Allergy Travel

June 19, 2015

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Stonyfield and Tommee Tippee. All opinions are my own. Also, I am not a physician, so please consult your allergist for all suggestions for your particular allergy. We are planning a lot of day trips this summer and as a food allergy family, we have to plan our […]

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Hanna Andersson Marlton Store Opening

December 12, 2014

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. Last night, I had the pleasure of attending a preview of the new Hanna Andersson store in Marlton, NJ. Located in the Promenade at Sagemore, Hanna Andersson is surrounded by great stores in an outdoor mall setting that lets you enjoy the fresh air […]

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Gardening Confession

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  It’s was a tough summer for our garden. Between me being back at work full time and the winter that we had, things were either blooming too much or not at all. I figured I’d give an honest recap of our garden as we set about developing a plan to have a working kitchen garden […]

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Ball Brand #CanItForward Giveaway

August 13, 2014

On Saturday August 16, Jarden Home Brands will host the first annual International Can-It-Forward Day with special guest renowned chef and Bravo’s Top Chef judge, Hugh Acheson! A day to celebrate home canning, International Can-It-Forward Day allows food enthusiasts to connect via a variety of online and in-person activities. New and experienced canners can participate […]

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GE reveal LED Light Bulb Review

February 28, 2014

  Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I was sent a GE reveal® LED bulb for review, but all opinions are my own. Earlier this year, I ran a giveaway for the new GE reveal® LED lightbulbs. We were sent a set to try out at our house and see what a difference it made in our […]

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Choosing Your CSA

February 26, 2014

I am so excited to have one of my good friends, Lauryn from The Vintage Mom, guest blogging today! She is a wife, mom of three, social media maven and locavore. Today’s she is sharing tips for choosing your CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and I hope you learn a lot from her post. Enjoy! So […]

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Leafy Greens Pasta Recipe & Book Review

February 23, 2014

  Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I was provided with a copy of the book to review. All opinions are my own. Some of the earliest vegetables to appear in the garden each spring are the leafy greens. It’s an area of the veggie spectrum that we haven’t ventured into much, but when you […]

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Handmade from the Heart Giveaway Hop

February 14, 2014

Happy Valentine’s Day! Welcome to the [2nd annual] Handmade from the Heart Giveaway Hop, hosted by the Blogging Mamas Network! This Hop was such a success last year that we brought it back for round 2 because it seems everyone loves beautiful handmade items! Each blogger in this Event has a handmade giveaway worth at […]

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