Last Minute Gifts at Cracker Barrel Country Store

A special Thank You to Cracker Barrel for sponsoring our Last Minute Gifts post today!

Cracker Barrel Country Store is one of my favorite places to shop for interesting holiday gifts.  Last year my family took an evening and shopped after grabbing dinner.  This year, I'm going in solo! 

You can find just about anything you're looking for at the Country Store!  Candy, music, clothing, vintage toys, etc.  The possibilities are sure to help you complete that last minute shopping list! 

I love the vintage Crayola crayons box!  It's a tin that keeps your 8 crayons in tip top shape.  Throw them in your bag or keep them safe at your desk.  The tips aren't breaking off with this tin. 

I'm also very excited about the Trusty Penknife.  It has 10 tools including a saw, scissors, bottle opener and a screwdriver!  This is perfect for my husband's stocking. 

To top off these cute gifts, they have amazing dishes.  I am in love with this cactus mug.  It's very large and sturdy. My favorite selfish activity this year is to fill it up with cocoa and marshmallows, sit by the Christmas Tree and wish for snow!  Being that I live in Southern Florida, the snow part won't be coming along anytime soon but I can still enjoy my cocoa!

What kind of last minute treasures are you searching for at Cracker Barrel this year?

Games are a Holiday Tradition!

A special Thank You to Goliath Games for sponsoring today's fun!

Games the family can play together are a big part of our holiday tradition.  We try to give the kids at least 1 game per year and then play it together on Christmas Day!  I know many families that have this tradition and a few of these games are on their list!  

Catch the Fox  

The object in Catch the Fox is to save the flock and stop the fox!  It is set up for 2-4 players and is a popping good time!   You roll the die to see how many chicken you get to steal!  Place the chickens in the fox's pockets and press his head down once.  When the Fox loses his pants, its time to rescue the chicken!  Collect the most chickens for your chicken coop and you win!

Shark Bite 

The object in Shark Bite is to snag the fish and be the winner - But if the shark jumps, you'll be his dinner!  Roll the die to see how many fish to catch.  Load up your fishing rod with the correct amount of fish.  Watch out!!  When the shark jumps out of the water, you lose!  

Doggie Doo

Doggie Doo!  No one likes doggei doo, but the game sure is fun!  Spin the spinner and squeeze the leash.  Whoops!! What's that noise?  Collect the poo and get the fart token.  Collect 3 tokens to win the game!  It's simple, Just feed and walk your pup.  When he makes a mess, you clean it up!

What games will you be playing this holiday? 

Battling Fun with Nerf Rival!

Growing up my brother had Nerf guns.  They gave us hours of endless play!  Hiding behind furniture, putting each other's eyes out, giggles and so much laughter could be heard.  As Allyson and Cooper are to this age of constant play/fight, its time to break out the Nerf guns for them and watch the fun happen!  

No one wants to be part of the New Order but the new Nerf Rival gun would entice anyone!  This thing is awesome!  The Apollo XV-700 and Face Mask are great additions to any gun fight!  It comes with ultimate accuracy 7x high-impact rounds.  Accuracy is on point too!  However, you want to make sure you aren't too close to your target.  These rounds come barreling out of the gun at 30MPS.  That could leave a bruise, for sure!  

The happiness that will come time after time from this box will be amazing!  Or at least, I'm expecting.  Also, I have a hunch that my husband will be having fun with the kids and this gun! 

Pick up the new Star Wars Nerf Rival gun at your local retailer but more importantly, check Game Stop!  They have great gifts for this time of year!

A New Comfy Sleep with the Sleep Zzz Pillow!

A special Thank You to Twin Z Company INC for sponsoring this morning's comfy conversation!

A child sleeping through the night is every parent's dream.  When Allyson was smaller, she would be in and out of my bedroom multiple times a night.  Sometimes I'd wake up in the morning and she would be in a ball on the floor of our bedroom.   Eventually she grew out of it and loves her own room with her own bed, but if we had the Sleep Zzz Pillow years ago, I think we could have had more nights with less interruptions!

Comfy, comfy, comfy!!!  The Sleep Zzz Pillow is amazingly comfy!  So soft and the perfect size for any child to cozy up and relax!  What's even better is all of the print options.  Prints for girls, boys, adults, everyone!

Allyson is a big fan of the Sleep Zzz Pillow.   She likes to lay in her bed with it, while watching Harry Potter.  That is hours of comfy TV watching.  She doesn't have a bed full of stuffed animals anymore either.  This pillow has taken their place!  A little security while being comfy.  That's the best a parent can want for their child. 

Grab the Sleep Zzz Pillow online!  They even make one for adults!  No need to be jealous of your child's sound sleep.  You can enjoy sleeping again too. 

How many pillows do you use when you sleep?  Maybe you need the Sleep Zzz Pillow.

Hatchimals Surprise: A Surprise Christmas Gift!

This year's Santa is working overtime to get all the little girls and boys Hatchimals they have on their lists.  Last year, Hatchimals was the must have toy.  This year I'm not seeing much different.  Especially in our home.  Allyson, even at age 9 has asked Santa for a Hatchimals. 

After watching YouTube videos for a year, Hatchimals has been the talk of our home.  Ally has her favorite ones to watch and she tells me about each.  As the holidays got closer, the Hatchimals Surprise started to show up in our conversations.  Clearly twins is better than just one, so why not go for the Hatchimals Surprise!?

With Hatchimals Surprise you get twice the Hatchiness!  The twins have unique personalities too!  They love to dance, talk and play games together.  Hours of fun, coming your way!

You can find Hatchimals at your local GameStop!  Take a look at their other offerings as well!

Will your children find a Hatchimals Surprise under the tree this year?

Zebra Pens are Perfect for the Holidays!

A special Thank You to Zebra for sponsoring today's conversation!

Using the correct pen, pencil or marker can make or break the quality of the written word.  I have found an amazing pen and I need you all to know about it!  Zebra Pens come in many different styles, colors and sizes! 

Every year I usually use ball point pens to write on gift tags.  Sometimes they don't work and other times they do but this year I am switching it up a bit and using this amazing line of pens by Zebra!  The Sarasa line...  My new favorite!  You can see below the style that is my favorite.  They write so smooth and take a second for the ink to dry.  No big deal there though!  

My husband asked for a specific pen set this year.  Lucky for him, I got what he wanted from Zebra and they're going to be amazing!

Do you have a favorite type of pen?

Funko Pop! A Great Addition Under the Tree!

A very special Thank You to Game Stop for sponsoring today's conversation! 

Funko Pop! have always been a fun little addition to our home!  Game Stop has quite the collection this holiday season!  I'm excited to gift a few to the littles and keep a few for myself.   In the past, we've purchased Harry Potter, Hermine Granger and Hook from Once Upon a Time.  There are a lot of characters to choose from, so my advice is either buy them all or get the ones that touch your soul!

This year Allyson will be adding Cinderella to her collection.  Cooper will be adding Phil!  We love the distinct look of the Pop! Collection and they're very durable.  Where I like to let my Pop!s watch over me from my shelf, both Ally and Cooper enjoy playing with them like any other toy.   That statement might make collectors roll right over -- Sorry!

The Dr. Seuss Fox in Socks is a special, only at Game Stop Pop!  Also he is Flocked!   His skin is fuzzy, not smooth plastic like the others.  So unique!

I had to snap a quick photo with my handsome Funko men on my shelf before putting the Little's under the tree.  Loving it!!

Check out MY Shellie! #expressyourshelfie #contest @Gamestop @originalfunko #SweetCheeksAdventures

A post shared by Ashley (@sweetcheeksadventures) on Dec 11, 2017 at 8:57am PST

Pokemon Center at GameStop!

A special Thank You! to GameStop for sponsoring today's conversation on Pokemon! 

Pokemon has been everywhere recently!  I remember when I was younger, probably 13 years ago my cousin was deep in the Pokemon world.  I didn't quite understand it so of course I just did my own thing.  Then Pokemon Go came out and the world fell in love with Pikachu all over again.

I have great news for you Pokemon Lovers!  Pokemon Center just arrived at GameStop and ThinkGeek stores!  They're offering a huge variety of Pokemon plush dolls, figures, home goods, accessories, pins and trading cards.  You can't go wrong there!  Plus to make it easier, each store will have its own Pokemon Center section.  It'll be a quick stop in with a short search for what you're looking for!  I love this as a busy mom.

The products you'll find at GameStop and ThinkGeek are exclusive to these stores at this time.  They're the first to carry them in the country, so save your time and go straight to GameStop for your Pokemon needs!  All of the Pokemon Center products are crafted in Japan to give you the most authentic Pokemon gear at your finger tips!  As you would expect from Pokemon, the Center's products are made to the highest standards and feature a wide range of Pokemon to allow you to express yourself.  Stop in for some new trading cards now!

Which products will you pick up from your local Pokemon Center for your Pokemon Lover? 

Zoomer Show Pony

Allyson has been asking for a pony longer than I can remember.  Thinking real hard, she may have been 3 when she first started talking about ponies.  Of course we have always lived in a city or similar, so no pony.  Thank goodness this year, Spin Master and Zoomer have helped me get my sweet girl a pony!

Zoomer Show Pony is the perfect gift for any girl or boy who has wanted a pony.  It is interactive too!  It prances, parades and plays.  The Show Pony comes with a brush to groom, a carrot to train, a sugar cube for a treat and an apple to eat.

Hours of play for your girl or boy will bring smiles and giggles.  I don't see a way for you to go wrong with any of the Zoomer options.  It's a great toy.  Built well and runs off just 2 AA batteries.  Oh my! Don't forget the batteries!  

The Zoomer pet comes in more than a Show Pony.  Cats, dogs, dinos, etc... You can find just about any pet you are looking for in this line.  There is even a hedgehog!   Spin Master Zoomers can be purchased at your local retailer or online through Amazon. 

2 Great Books to Gift this Season!

Thank you, Blue Slip Media for sponsoring today's conversation about these great titles! 

I am so excited to share these 2 books with you readers!  Truth and Adventure can be found here.  Take a look for yourself! 

Peep and Egg by Laura Gehl and illustrated by Joyce Wan is like my real life!  Getting my 6 year old into a bath used to be a huge fight.  HUGE!  Now that he is a little older the fights are fewer and far between but years ago, it was every night.   Strong willed 3 year olds for the win, I suppose.   Now we can read this book together and laugh.  It is rather funny to see the look on his face when he realizes that he indeed did act just like Egg.  

Purchase Peep and Egg

Space Boy and the Snow Monster by Dian Curtis Regan and Illustrated by Robert Neubecker is a story about a boy playing in the snow.  His imagination takes him on a wild adventure where snowmen are actually snow monsters!  Along with his rocket ship and furry friend Radar, Nico is very busy trying to escape the snow monster.  The story ends with a nice cup of hot cocoa!  

Purchase Space Boy and the Snow Monster

Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You on DVD!

I received a copy of this title for exchange of my opinion.  All opinions are my own.  

Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You, the all new movie is a really great addition to this year's holiday season!  With a star studded cast of voices, mothers and daughters will fall in love with this title.   I know Ally and I sure did.   I have loved Mariah Carey's single All I want for Christmas is You for years!  It was my ringtone for many years at Christmas time.   For them to take this idea and make it into a movie, that sits perfect with me! 

The film centers on young Mariah, a little girl who dreams of getting a dog for Christmas year after year. This Christmas her dream is fueled after seeing a puppy named Princess at the local pet store. To see if she's ready for the responsibility, Mariah is tasked with dog-sitting her uncle's crazy canine Jack, who upends the family's holiday preparations with his various shenanigans.

Grab a copy of All I Want for Christmas is You.  You'll have fun singing along and sharing this title with your family.  Pick up your copy at your local retailer! 

Tervis Tumblers for Everyone!

Tervis has sponsored this post.  All opinions are my own. 

I am 50% of a Rivalry house.   Every football season my husband turns into this monster who is a Kansas University fan.  I was raise on Kansas State football, so when the Sunflower Showdown is being played, Jason and I have a hard time sitting in the same room.  So, this Christmas season.... Jason needs to feel extra loved since I am sharing this cute Tervis Water Bottle with him!  Don't worry, I got something in purple for myself as well!

Tervis makes the best Christmas gifts!  Cups, water bottles, tumblers, all the different designs.. You really can't go wrong here.  They have NFL, Harry Potter, Disney, Outdoor designs and so many more.

The cups are top notch quality and I have fallen in love with the 16 ounce Tumbler.  My new purple cup goes just about anywhere!  It keeps my drink cool a lot longer than most cups and its pretty!   The kids think I'm a little crazy to take it in the car, but this mom is a little crazy and doesn't care!  Matter of fact, I was Girl Scout camping this past weekend and my tumbler went with me.  It survived the wilderness and I stayed hydrated!

Tervis tumblers and water bottles are the perfect gift for anyone you're gifting to this year!  They wrap up nicely and will bring smiles on faces.  You can fit most of these in a stocking or gift it in a box.  Either way, gift it already!  Sift through the Tervis site.  There is a little something for everyone!

Enter the Giveaway!

Winner will receive a Tervis product of choice.  Winner will be notified through email.  Giveaway product will be shipped by company.  Good Luck!

Entry-Form

Oriental Trading at Christmas Time!

A special Thank You to Oriental Trading for sponsoring today's conversation about Christmas!

If you ask many people, "What is Christmas all about?", they may reply back with some answer containing decorations and gifts.  Of course we all know the story behind the reason of Christmas but everyone loves getting and giving this time of year's special tokens.  No matter the size, its the thought that matters. 

Oriental Trading helped me a lot this year when it came to decorations and a few really cute gifts!  Gifts for friends, my in-laws and the children's teachers!  Decorations for the tree, for my head and more!  

That's right, I said for my head!  Every year I lead a Girl Scout camp out.  This year I chose Oriental Trading for the place to find my awesome head piece!  I did not disappoint and never did the HEADBAND!  I took the blinker tag off on Friday afternoon and Tuesday morning (4 days later) its still blinking!  My only wish is that I would have kept the blinker tag so I could save the battery.  

I ordered the most beautiful snowflake bulbs also!  They came in a set of 6.  Each has 4 snowflakes in them.  They're a perfect addition to my tree this year!  There are so many more ornaments to browse through.  Ones to personalize, gift, or keep for yourself.  Always remember to treat yourself! 

Advent Calendars have always been a big part of my family's Christmas Traditions.  You might understand my excitement when I found a 4 pack of calendars with the chocolate inside!  It took me back to being 5 years old on Bunny Hill Farm.  Nannie always had the chocolate calendar and the first grandchild to punch out the date got to eat the chocolate!   Now I can share that memory with my 2 little rascals!  

Christmas is going to be a little more special this year with all of the goodies I found on Oriental Trading.  I wanted to order the whole site, but clearly that didn't happen.  There are so many more options for every taste!  Stocking stuffers, gifts, and so much more! 

Will you be shopping Oriental Trading this Holiday Season?

Softsoap Limited Edition Holiday Scents

Smelling like Christmas... Peppermint... Chocolate... Cherries... Trees... The list of scents I could name off relating to Christmas is really long.  As you see, I said peppermint first.  That's really the only scent I need this time of year.   Softsoap has me covered for my shower needs!

This year's holiday line includes the Limited Edition Iced Kiss and Limited Edition Frosted Wish.  Both smell amazing!!  I am partial to the peppermint as I mentioned above but my family is loving both!  The kids prefer Frosted Wish.  It is a sweet cherry fragrance that leaves their skin soft and moisturized.   When I smell the soap, I get hints of cherry, sweet, and something relaxing. 

Now, to my favorite!  Iced Kiss smells so good!  The peppermint is invigorating!  Using it in the shower in the morning wakes me up!  It's sweet, pepperminty, almost like you're eating a starlight mint.  The cooling effect feels great on my skin.  I can't help but feel refreshed when I am finished in the shower.   If I could sit around and smell Iced Kiss all day without feeling like a crazy person, I would!  I love the scent!  It isn't just the scent that draws me back though.  Iced Kiss leaves my skin soft and moisturized.  It's perfect for my holiday needs!

Grab both Limited Edition Softsoaps at your local retailer!  They'll make great stocking stuffers, basket fillers or just for yourself. 

This review is based strictly on my own opinion.  Others may have different opinions or experiences with the products mentioned above.  I was compensated by the company or a PR Agency.  I have provided my open and honest opinions.

Watch Ya' Mouth Throwdown Edition

My children and I will be playing Watch Ya' Mouth Throwdown Edition over and over throughout the holiday season!  Check it out!

Watch Ya' Mouth Throwdown Edition is the evolution of the original, wildly popular, hilarious Watch Ya' Mouth game. Rather than just speak phrases, players now go head-to-head with hilarious and challenging tasks - while wearing mouthpieces. Throwdown Edition takes competition - and laughter - to the next level and builds on the multigenerational gaming phenomena.

Throwdown Edition has already been Awarded Top Holiday Toy of 2017 by Toy Insider & selected for the 2017 Amazon Holiday Toy List.

Want a hilarious family game to play during the Holidays? Your search is over. 15% off Coupon Code: 15THROWDOWN http://amzn.to/2i6NKwG

2017 Holiday Gift Guide

We are now accepting submissions to be featured on our 2017 Holiday Gift Guide.  The products we feature will be a wide range from stocking stuffers to pets, children to adults.  
A little something for everyone! 

If you would like to have your product(s) featured in our 2017 Holiday Gift Guide, 

please contact Ashley at sweetcheeksblog55@gmail.com!  

Happy Holidays!

Gifts for Children!



Gifts for Her!

Gifts for Him!

Gifts for Everyone!

Great Stocking Stuffers!

Happy Holidays, Garfield! Available on DVD

We received the following products for review purposes.  All opinions are our own.

When I was younger, we would gather around the TV every holiday season for the classics.  In the past it was always a boy and his dog.  This year I'm adding a big cat and his dog to our rotation!  Garfield and Odie's Happy Holidays collection is a perfect fit for our watching. 

The DVD features these two fun-filled holiday episodes:

“Garfield’s Thanksgiving”

Jon Arbuckle invites veterinarian Liz to celebrate Thanksgiving with him, Garfield, and Odie! But Jon has no clue how to prepare a Thanksgiving meal and even worse—Liz declares that Garfield must be put on a diet… on the day before Thanksgiving! Will anyone come to the rescue and cook a delicious dinner for Jon and Liz?

“A Garfield Christmas Special”

Garfield gives Grandma love notes he found that were written by her husband, from when they first met. That thoughtful gift shows Garfield that Christmas isn’t about eating lasagna or receiving presents—it’s about spending time with your family and making others happy!

Happy Holidays, Garfield is available everywhere on DVD!  Grab a copy and share some cocoa! 

This review is based strictly on my own opinion.  Others may have different opinions or experiences with the products mentioned above.  I was compensated by the company or a PR Agency.  I have provided my open and honest opinions.