Office Depot Gift-Giving Expert Hillary Mendelsohn Gives Great Shopping Tips for the Holidays

Okay Role Mommies, you've got a little over a week to get all your Christmas shopping completed and if you're part of the Hanukah contingent (that would be me), then you'd better head to the mall tonight and get busy (exactly what I'm doing). For those of you who spend most of your time buying office supplies (again me), then gift giving expert and author of The Purple Book, the definitive guide to the best shopping sites on the Internet, Hillary Mendelsohn has the perfect multi-tasking solution for busy moms...buy your holiday gifts at Office Depot! Who knew it could be that easy?

Great Shopping Tips for the Holidays by

Hillary Mendelsohn

It can be easy to lose your holiday cheer with all of the pressures and time commitments that come with the season. Since shopping will take up most of an on-the-go mom’s time, it is important to get on the path of organized gift giving. According to a recent Office Depot survey, respondents stated that they will spend nearly 40 percent of their time shopping for gifts in December. That leaves a whole lot less time for work, working out, participating in holiday festivities, caring for your family and most importantly, caring for yourself! If the average mom is anything like me, she may already be searching for gifts. In order to lend a helping hand this holiday season, I’ve partnered with Office Depot to develop fun, creative solutions for holiday shopping that help reduce stress and boost productivity. First of all, I believe moms should be creative with their shopping. One way to get the creative juices flowing is to find gifts in unusual places. Consider venues that enable you to combine shopping experiences so you can cut down on the total number of store visits. For example, at Office Depot you can purchase everyday school and office essentials and stock up on the hottest technology gifts that family and friends will enjoy. With a little advanced preparation and the correct resources, you will be amazed at the amount of time and aggravation that can be saved when searching for holiday gifts. These suggestions and gift ideas help me survive the holiday season. Adapt them to become your own and they’ll save you too. Create a list of people you plan to buy gifts for and establish your budget. Include notes on each person’s hobbies and interests to help build unique or creative gift ideas. Shop online. This enables you to reduce stress and increase productivity during the holidays: from in-store pick up and free shipping options to the convenience of purchasing anytime of day or night—even after the kids are asleep.

Personalize gifts without breaking the bank. With a little thought, gifts can be transformed from practical objects into useful, customized tools. Some of the most thoughtful gifts are the one that reflect the recipient’s interests. Choose gift cards over fruit cakes. According to the survey, 72 percent of respondents would prefer to receive gift cards from co-workers. Moms can save time by picking up a few gift cards for teachers, doormen or the mailman and pairing them with smaller gifts like colorful pens.

Select a gift that gives back. I’ve noticed that people are really getting into the habit of buying gifts that have meaning. One of my holiday favorites is the ultra-cute Teddy B. Caring Bear from Office Depot. All of the proceeds benefit Toys for Tots and over the past few years Office Depot has raised more than $400,000 for this worthwhile organization. Here are a few gift ideas to kick start your holiday season: · For the music lover: The definitive gift for all music lovers this season is the highly-anticipated

Microsoft Zune Player. The 30GB digital media player comes equipped with wireless functionality for Zune-to-Zune sharing of music, pictures and video. · For the executive: Give the gift of organization. The Foray™ line of business cases, sold exclusively at Office Depot, blend durability and organization into stylish carryalls for both men and women. · For the photographer: Gift a digital camera and add a few accessories to the mix. A stylish leather Foray camera bag and Ativa™ 2GB Camera Memory Card ensure that the gift is ready for action. · For the traveler: Get them the ultimate travel-seeking device: the Navman F20 GPS Receiver. This easy-to-use navigation device allows users to search millions of places of interest with its 3-D moving maps. · For the movie buff or TV enthusiast: For the person on your list who never likes to miss his/her favorite TV show, the ARCHOS portable media player and DVR station are the perfect gifts. Designed for watching video on the go, the ARCHOS portable media player features a 4.5-inch screen and 30GB of storage capacity. The new Slingbox AV also makes a terrific gift. Compatible with your DVR, digital cable box, and satellite receiver, the Slingbox allows you to enjoy live television anywhere you have an internet connection.

To visit the Office Depot website, Click Here. Or to return to the Role Mommy home page, then Click Here.

Kim's Picks...Tiny Prints

My friend Kim, a Role Mommy whose son Morgan is about to celebrate his first birthday, has an uncanny knack for fabulous online shopping finds. Her first pick for Role Mommy Recommends that'll come in handy this holiday season is Tiny Prints, a website that enables you to upload your photos to their site and create unique birth announcements, holiday cards and birthday invitations. I just received an adorable invitiation from Kim that she created at Tiny Prints and I have to say, it was the best birthday invitation I've seen a long time - and trust me, with two kids, I've seen plenty! So check out the site and if you haven't ordered your holiday cards yet, then head over to Tiny Prints and get busy!

Thermal Tees for the Holidays!

Just in time for the holidays - great thermal tees from PeaceLoveMom that'll keep you cozy during the chilly months ahead! The creators of Peace Love Mom are Lori, Suzanne and Karen, three very different moms with one common goal – to create “a celebration of motherhood” for all types of mothers. Together, this unique trio of women make up PeaceLoveMom, a lifestyle brand company designed to share life’s many moments of motherhood. Partnering in 2005, these ladies bring three variant backgrounds, perspectives, and creativity to the table. Although the day-to-day business tasks are split between these three very different ladies, each possess the same passion for motherhood and their new found careers. Creating designs that will both inspire and empower mothers everywhere, PeaceLoveMom represents a collaboration and true celebration of motherhood.

To visit their site now and check out some great fashion finds for you and your little ones, Click Here.

Mommy Track'd

If you're feeling disorganized because you can't seem to keep track of playdates and business lunches, then we've got the perfect item for you. Visit Mommy Track'd where you'll find great notepads and greeting cards for today's busy working moms. Plus, the site offers their picks of great books to read and hot topics that are on the tip of our tongues and top of our minds. All the recent media attention focused on professional women opting out of the workforce inspired Amy Keroes to start Mommy Track'd on behalf of the millions of women who by choice or necessity are staying in. Amy received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and her law degree from UCLA. She was a fifth year associate at Latham & Watkins when she switched gears and took a position as Senior Corporate Counsel for Gap Inc. She worked at Gap for six years managing the Company's intellectual property litigation and all marketing related partnerships and promotions. Amy also managed celebrity advertising deals, including the contract negotiations for Madonna, Missy Elliott, Sarah Jessica Parker and Lenny Kravitz. Amy continues to work for the Gap Legal Department on a freelance basis. She lives in Mill Valley, California with her husband Jeff, her six-year-old son Matty and her three-and-a-half year old daughter Jessie. To visit the Mommy Track'd, Click Here

SWIFFER HOME MAKEOVER SWEEPSTAKES!

The holidays motivate all of us to get our homes in the best of shape. And that inspires many of us to make some home improvements. If there are some changes you'd like to make to your home, enter the Swiffer® Holiday Home Tour Sweepstakes. You could find yourself the lucky winner of $3,500 to apply toward a home makeover. It's a gift that you'll enjoy for many years to come. You'll also be registered to win one of 25 Swiffer WetJets and one of six weekly prizes, a collection of Swiffer family products. This could be your most memorable holiday ever!

SNACKING ON THE RUN...WITH NUTRITIONIST KERI GLASSMAN

Have you found yourself reaching for your son's bag of cheetos lately because you haven't had time to pick something up for yourself? Well step away from the pantry and start reaching for some healthy food! We know it's not easy...trust me, I'm having a chocolate craving right about now, but nutritionist, author and entrepreneur Keri Glassman, founder of KKG Body Fuel and KeriBar, offers Role Mommy readers her tried and true tips that will save yourself from sabotage when you're snacking on the run:

Tips for Busy, On-The-Go Moms: 1) Starbucks made over! Make your Starbucks stop into a healthy meal: grab a skim latte, a yogurt (instead of the scone!) and add the nuts you have in your bag (pack about 10 almonds in Ziploc snack size bags). 2) Salad Boost! Give your quick grab and go salad a boost—you’ll need the energy later in the day and who wants to be starving when juggling the kids at 4:00 pm? Make sure to have a good source of protein (tuna, turkey, tofu or beans) and don’t forget you need the healthy fat (flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, avocado, olive oil or walnuts) to keep you satiated and don’t forget the fiber from added vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower even artichoke hearts. 3) Ice cream run! Instead of grabbing ice cream with your kids—bring a drinkable yogurt (Dannon Light and Fit or Stonyfield are good options) with you and enjoy this calcium rich snack on its own or pour over a cup of ice for a delicious almost-as-good-as ice cream treat! 4) Carpool/pick up munchies! When you are sitting waiting for school to let out or ballet class to end and your stomach is growling you better be prepared! Always store small bag of soy chips in your car or a bar in your baby bag/pocket book. 5) Breakfast glitch! Instead of grabbing a big bagel and cream cheese with your kids or being a “saint” and getting the fat free (billion calorie!) muffin ask for a whole wheat bagel scooped out with a smear of peanut butter. Eat half and save the rest for later! Healthy Snacks for Kids: 1) Apple fries! Take an apple and slice into tiny stick like pieces—it’s fun for the kids to eat and healthy too! 2) Bananas dressed up! Cut a banana up in pieces and dip in natural peanut butter. 3) Crackers with a flare! Take a few whole wheat crackers and put a piece of cheese in the middle—and make mini sandwiches! 4) Peas with a snap! Grab a handful of sugar snap peas and let your child dip them in a yogurt dip or homemade ranch dressing. 5) Hummus boats! Take a few celery stalks and cut in medium size pieces, fill with hummus and enjoy!

To find out more about Keri Glassman, M.S., R.D. Click Here to read her Mom of Reinvention profile at Role Mommy.

Great Skin Care Line for Moms & Children!

ROLE MOMMY RECOMMENDS....

We've just discovered a teriffic new skin care line for women and children and we're here to give you the inside scoop along with a special discount! Arbonne International, a leading skin care company based in Switzerland, has been available in the U.S. for over 20 years through Independent Consultants who sell these products to women and families nationwide. Samantha Facchi, is a member of the Arbonne team - sharing the benefits of the skin care line with women in the tri-state area and nationally via her personalized Arbonne website at www.SamanthaFacchi.MyArbonne.com. Samantha, who is also an aspiring actress, was first introduced to the products after her friend Rachel, who is also an independent consultant, asked her to sample the skin care line and she says, she's been hooked ever since - so much so that Rachel became her sponsor so she could join the company too! Samantha says Arbonne's products, which are based on natural botanical principles, make a terrific gift for moms and babies and are a big hit at home parties. Forget the Tupperware ladies, it's about time you pampered yourself and your friends with a skin care party! Arbonne's skin products use soothing ingredients, such as avocado oils, chamomile and rosemary extracts that synergize together to leave skin feeling soft and moisturized. Arbonne Baby Care uses ingredients like avocado, aloe, oat and chamomile that soothe nourish and protect delicate babies skin. Hair and Body wash are tear free so your little one loves to take a bath. Another must-have item for little ones is Arbonne's Baby Care Sunscreen, SPF 30 - ultra gentle for your baby's skin and a perfect way to protect them when you take them out for that midday stroll. For those of us trying to fight off the effects of wrinkles due to lack of sleep or birthdays that won't allow us turn back the clock, Arbonne offers their revolutionary NutriMinC Re9 anti-aging line made with beneficial ingredients that offer amazing results that are pure and safe for any skin tone. To purchase products from the Arbonne skin care line and receive 35% off your first order, contact Samantha Facchi at SAMANTHAFACCHI.MYARBONNE.COM or by phone at 347-573-5770. It's time to pick-up all your must have skin care items this season and get a great discount while you're at it!

Great Tees for Kids

Shop the Role Mommy custom gift shop for adorable tees for your kids and for you!. Click Here or on the photo above to check it out!