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IKEA Soft Toy Campaign Benefiting UNICEF And Save The Children

Earlier this year IKEA announced the return of its annual ‘Soft Toys for Education’ campaign, which will run from November 10, 2013 to January 4, 2014. During this period, the IKEA Foundation will donate one euro (approximately $1.34)* to UNICEF and Save the Children to give children in developing countries access to a quality education. Launched in 2003, the campaign has impacted 10 million children in 46 countries and donations have totalled $74 million for 90 projects.

Since 2003, the ‘Soft Toys for Education’ Program has Impacted Ten Million Children and Raised $74 Million!

The donations from the IKEA Soft Toys for Education Campaign will help train teachers in child-friendly teaching methods, improve child protection systems, supply educational materials like pencils, books, bags, rebuild schools and provide better water and toilet facilities; and increase school attendance rates. More than 10 million children will be educated in eliminating discrimination and stigma.

Education is the most powerful and effective way to help children escape poverty. The change it can bring to a young life is immense. Education has a direct impact on well-being, from better health to increased opportunities. It gives children knowledge, skills and confidence they need to shape a better future for themselves. When a child begins and stays in school, he or she not only changes the course of their own life, but that of future generations. And that’s when small changes pave the way for bigger ones.

Inspiration to read opens the door to education, which is why, every year, IKEA creates a children’s book based on IKEA soft toy characters as part of the annual Soft Toys for Education Campaign. In this year’s book, “The Princess and the Happiness,” young readers visit the fairy-tale forest and learn that happiness can be just around the corner.
Supporting Education—Together

This year’s newcomers to the soft toys family are fairy tale heroes:
LUFSIG, the soft toy wolf
NOJSIG and GULLGOSSE, a princess and a king
KRULLIG, an elf
SÅNGTRAST, a fairy with a magic spell

“Thanks to the unwavering commitment shown by IKEA co-workers and customers, the IKEA Foundation has donated more than $51 million to UNICEF’s education programs for children in Africa and Asia,” said Caryl Stern, President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. “IKEA’s support has enabled UNICEF to get millions of children into the classroom, provide teacher training to improve the quality of education, and help ensure children complete school.”

“We are looking forward to our continued holiday tradition of teaming with IKEA Soft Toys for Education. The enthusiasm of IKEA staff and customers brings desperately needed education and teacher training to children in underserved parts of the world and will impact future generations,” said Carolyn Miles, President and CEO of Save the Children. “We are honored to be part of this partnership along with UNICEF, and look forward to creating lasting change for children.”

“We are incredibly proud to be part of the IKEA Soft Toy for Education campaign. The funding means we can continue our work on changing the lives of children with disabilities and children of minority groups, the most marginalized children, in Eastern Europe and South East Asia. We’re providing access to quality education for millions of children, impacting on generations to come.” Elisabeth Dahlin, Secretary General Save the Children Sweden and Chairperson Global Lead Agency for the IKEA Foundation Collaboration.

“IKEA’s soft toys bring smiles to the faces of thousands of children. But many children across the globe have few reasons to smile. They don’t have access to basic things most of us take for granted – like clean water, food or education. IKEA’s annual Soft Toys for Education campaign makes a real difference – helping thousands of new children every year get an opportunity to receive a quality education.” Per Heggenes, CEO IKEA Foundation.

IKEA Orlando IKEA Soft Toy Campaign — If you can’t tell, this guy is my favorite!!!!

Good things are Happening All Over. A small contribution can make a big difference. Here are some examples of how the IKEA Foundation donations have impacted children’s lives.Ethiopia: Education is a primary driver for Ethiopia’s development. In 2012, UNICEF’s Schools for Africa initiative helped 238,000 children – including 25,000 refugees — stay in school despite living in challenging conditions.

For an extra fun touch on your next visit to IKEA Orlando, you can play the #FindKingIKEA at @IKEAOrlando for a chance to win a $25 IKEA Gift Card!

We always make sure to buy a few of these Soft Toys during the Campaign, and watch out for a huge Holiday Giveaway where you can win some of your own!

Disclaimer: I bought these toys with my own money, because I wanted to make sure that I helped support a wonderful cause while spreading some Holiday Cheer!!!

Santa’s Wonderland at Bass Pro Shops

Are you lucky enough to have a Bass Pro Shops nearby? We are, right in Festival Bay Mall in Orlando! Now through Christmas Eve, Santa has set up his Wonderland right in the middle of Bass Pro!!

Santa’s Wonderland

They have several game & activity stations set up in the store. Most of them are right in the immediate area of Santa, but the ornament decorating is in front of the big fish tank (at least it is in the Orlando location).

The first thing we saw walking into our Bass Pro was the AMAZING Christmas tree! I loved the rustic simplicity of it!!!

The big tree!

Then you smell popcorn, fudge, and cinnamon nuts! The first activity you come upon is Little Man’s favorite, the carousel! Lots of outdoorsy animals – bears, deer, polar bear, reindeer, moose! We rode it twice, and he wanted to go again! (We went again for week two and he went crazy when he saw the carousel! Of course we had to ride it on this trip too!)

The carousel!

There was a slot car race track set up, along with RC trucks, a laser shooting arcade, a duck shooting gallery & a model train! There are even tables to color holiday pictures and write letters to Santa! These are all available store open to close.

Activities

Other fun things include free weekly crafts (while supplies last)!! They do them by the big fish tank Monday-Friday 5-7 pm, Saturday-Sunday noon -5 pm, and Thanksgiving & Christmas Eve from 3-5 pm. We’ve done the first two, a wooden ornament & a felt penguin ornament. Other crafts are Popsicle stick reindeer ornament (November 25-December 1), stuffed Santa ornament (December 2-8), candy cane owl ornament (December 9-15), reindeer gift bag (December 16-22) & cookie decorating (December 23-24).

Making ornaments

After you finish your craft, head over to Santa’s Wonderland, where you can get a free backpack clip (while supplies last) for the first 125 kids to visit each weekday, 5-7 pm. The first two were a Christmas tree & a candy cane, then comes a gingerbread man (November 25-29), Santa’s sleigh (December 2-6), a stocking (December 9-13), a snowman (December 16-20) & Santa in a chimney (December 23-24, 24th is 3-5 pm). They are MUCH bigger than I thought they’d be, I was pleasantly surprised! Little Man likes playing with them too!

Backpack clips

The highlight of Santa’s Wonderland is, of course, the big man himself Santa! He’s got a nice set up with reindeer this year! Santa’s times are different than the crafts so be sure to check before you go. You get a free 4×6 picture, with the option of a photo package. Packages start at just $15. Both times we’ve gone, there hasn’t been a wait; but later in the season Santa should get very popular! If Santa’a line gets longer than a 30 min wait, the Bass Pass will allow you to go check out the rest of Santa’s Wonderland and Bass Pro and when your time is up, come back to see Santa!

Santa and Little Man

Have you visited Santa’s Wonderland at Bass Pro Shops? Let us know what you think!

Holiday Shopping At Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores Giveaway

Win a $25 gift card to Perfume Smart

at Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…time for holiday shopping!!! And this year we are trying to make the most of our holiday budget, so I am planning on heading out out to the Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores, where holiday shopping is hassle-free and you can find factory-direct premium quality merchandise at savings up to 75% off (and sometimes more).

One of my favorite things about Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores is that the parking is super convenient, and this year you can get a head start on gift-buying with most of the center’s retailers open on Thanksgiving Day, 10a-6pm, and select stores open for Black Friday Midnight Madness, November 29, Midnight-9:30pm.

Holiday Hours* at Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores are:

– Thanksgiving Eve Day, Wednesday, November 27, 10am-9pm

Most stores will be open Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 28, 10am-6pm

Select stores will be open for Black Friday Midnight Madness, November 29, Midnight-9:30pm

– Black Friday, November 29, 7am-9:30pm

– Saturday, November 30, 9am-9:30pm

– Sunday, December 1 – December 23 – Monday-Saturday, 10am-9pm; Sunday 10am-7pm

– Christmas Eve, December 24, Tuesday – 10am-6pm

– Christmas Day, December 25, Wednesday – Closed

– December 26-28, Thursday-Saturday – 10am-9:30pm – Extended Hours

– December 29, Sunday – 10am-7pm

– December 30, Monday – 10am-9:30pm – Extended Hours

– New Year’s Eve, December 31, Tuesday – 10am-7pm

– New Year’s Day, January 1, 2014, Wednesday – 10am-9pm

*All stores are open unless otherwise noted.

Many of the outlet stores are offering additional savings from 20-40% off to “Friends & Family” prior to Black Friday. You can find out about these discounts, as well as specific stores, and their hours through the holiday season by following the center on Facebook and Twitter,

The village-style center offers 50 spacious outlet shops and great deals at the area’s only Old Navy and G by GUESS outlet stores, newcomers U.S. Polo Assn. and Lindt Chocolate, newly renovated OshKosh B’Gosh and Tommy Hilfiger Stores, plus other well-known outlets including Justice, Crocs, Calvin Klein, Levi’s®, Aeropostale, Carters, Converse, Famous Footwear Outlet, Fossil, Gap, Izod, Nike, Rack Room Shoes, and many more.

And to help kick the holiday season off right, we are offering you the chance to win a $25 gift card to Perfume Smart, where shoppers can select from over 1,000 brands of discounted designer perfumes and fragrances, including Prada, Robert Cavalli, Chanel, Calvin Klein and more.

Our Giveaway starts today and will end December 3, 2013 at 11:59 pm. Please see additional contest rules below!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can get in on the savings by downloading a coupon from the Center’s website, then bringing it to Travelpro at the Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores to receive a coupon booklet valued up to $400 in savings. The Center is located at 15657 S. Apopka Vineland Rd. (SR 535), Orlando, FL 32821.

Happy shopping!

Disclosure: Through a partnership with Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores, I have received a promotional item in exchange for this post.

Contest Rules: Contest is open to Residents of the United States who are eighteen(18) years and older. Void where prohibited by law. We use rafflecopter to choose one lucky winner at random, and each & every contest entry will be verified. The winner of our contest will be contacted by email (so be sure to double check your entry) and will have 48 hours to respond to the email or a new winner will be chosen. Any questions? Contact shelley@onthegoinmco.com

Oakley Women’s Apparel Isn’t For Socializing

{Sponsored Post}

While many of us hear the name Oakley and think of only sunglasses, I had the opportunity to visit the Oakley Store at the Florida Mall to take a peek at their Women’s line of running gear.

And I have to say that now when I think of Oakley, I am going to think of how their women’s running gear is awesome!

The first thing that I like about the line of clothing is that it starts at a reasonable price point, while still providing great quality and neat features and details.

I know this may sound silly, but I also am a fan of a thumb cut-out on the cuff of a Flexibility Hoodie! This simple little feature helps keep your hands a little warmer without lugging around gloves.

The Flexibility Hoodie features moisture–wicking fabric delivers dry comfort, and a nearly seamless design reduces chafing during big swings and precision approaches. The seams that do exist are flat and specifically designed to contour to the natural shape of the body for enhanced comfort. With a zip placket and mesh panels at the underarms, this hoodie offers a balance of insulation and breathability.

Hydrolix^™ fabric helps wick moisture away for a comfortable fit
Strategically placed mesh panels for increased ventilation
Engineered, flat seams for natural range of motion
Hood for protection from the elements
Thumbholes at cuffs to help keep hands and wrists warm
Anti–bacterial technology to help fight odor–causing microbes

The other thing that struck me about the Women’s Oakley line of clothing is that they are always finding new technology and techniques to make their gear work the best for you.

The Oakley Race Day Tank was my favorite tank! While being super cute, it also has a lot of great features!

O Hydrolix fabric manages moisture to keep you comfortable on the move
Seamless construction reduces irritations
Anti–bacterial action reduces the effects of odor–causing microbes
Adjustable straps and contoured stretch fabric create a customized, comfortable fit
Built–in bra controls bounce

But my favorite design feature of the Race Day Tank, is that it is designed and constructed to stay put as you work out so your tank doesn’t end up higher than you want it to be.

And while there are still a lot of great sunglasses, both for fashion and for athletics, they have something even more fun!

The Oakley Store at the Florida Mall has a way to customize your own glasses in the store that are ready for you to try and tweak before you buy them.

Oakley also has great bags! They have anything from backpacks to totes to foldable duffle bags that are ideal for travel!

As part of this review I was sent a Factory Lite duffel that has been amazing on my two trips to California! It’s a great size bag that was perfect to use as a way to have a little extra wiggle room in case you bought too much or wanted a little extra room in your luggage.

I really had a blast touring the Oakley Store at the Florida Mall, and I look forward to bringing you more reviews of their products in the future!

Disclaimer: Through a partnership with Oakley, I received a Factory Lite Duffel bag for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My Little Pony At Build-A-Bear Workshop

{Sponsored Post}

Zoe and I headed over to the Florida Mall for a Mommy & Zoe day, and to check out Twilight Sparkle at Build-A-Bear Workshop.

Twilight Sparkle is Zoe’s favorite Pony, so she was thrilled when we walked up and saw her and Spike (not included with Twilight Sparkle)!

Zoe chose just the right Twilight Sparkle and Spike for her and we were on our way!

Build-A-Bear Workshop — Filling Twilight Sparkle

Going to Build-A-Bear is always a lot of fun for Zoe, because she really loves brining new friends to ‘life’ and picking our fun clothes for them!

Twilight Sparkle is 16 inches tall, and super adorable. There are a few things that we made sure to do and a few things we noticed.

Zoe opted for the ‘horse’ sound in Twilight Sparkle, but the My Little Pony Theme Song is also available. The theme song is a touch on the louder side of their sounds, but Zoe has the song in her Rainbow Dash My Little Pony from Build-A-Bear Workshop and it really is only barely noticeable & she loves it!

When they are filling Twilight Sparkle, ask them to make the legs a little firmer, because it makes her a little steadier on her hooves! This is really handy if you have roller skates!

Also you may want to grab one of the new brushes they have available, because the older style brushes make the Pony’s hair a little frizzy. If your Pony’s mane does become a little wild, you can use some of their Bear Stuff Cleaner to help tame it!

If you’re nervous about Twilight Sparkle’s cape and crown being difficult to put on, don’t be! There are pre-made slits for her wings in the cape, and her crown fastens around her ears much like the bows so it stays on well.

Also, Spike is already filled with fluff and love so you don’t have to worry about having to schedule time to fill both.

On a side note the Florida Mall Build-A-Bear location is now being renovated, but the Airport and Altamonte Mall locations are still open!

Twilight Sparkle is available now in Build-A-Bear Stores or Online!

Zoe is absolutely thrilled to have her new Friends Twilight Sparkle and Spike, and spending some time at Build-A-Bear Workshop is always a great way for us to spend special time together!

Disclosure: Through a partnership with Build-A-Bear Workshop, I received the products in this post for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Visiting IKEA Orlando, Their Living With Children Priority, And A Great Giveaway

{Sponsored Post}

In conjunction with the release of the 2014 IKEA Catalog, IKEA Orlando hosted a few local bloggers to take a look at their new catalog, try some of their new food options, and most importantly to learn about their long-term priority, Living with Children.

Now you may not exactly think about IKEA and children outside of the realm of furniture, but really IKEA Orlando is taking steps to make sure that kids know that their needs are important both in the store and at home with their products. But IKEA’s goal with the Living with Children priority is to make sure that the long-term needs are met & relationships are fostered to make all moments count. They want to ensure that their products help this by facilitating families to make sharing tasks easier, activities more fun, to make sure time & space aren’t wasted, and to help foster causes at a young age in children.

August at IKEA Orlando is a busy time of year as students get ready to head to college, kids get ready for school, and as the IKEA Catalog are released! Over 210 million print copies of the catalog are distributed in 30 languages, all while there are 62 online versions of the catalog with another 8.5 million people downloading the IKEA App!

Food at IKEA is a lot more than creative menus and Swedish Food Market items; they are really a reflection of the culture and history of Sweden.

IKEA Orlando Sample Platter of Salmon Flatbread, Leek Quiche, and Caprese Salad

A lot of time and care went into creating menus that feature foods that are nutritious and budget friendly! You see a lot of salmon offerings, because the fish is a large staple in the diet of Sweden. You will also notice that there are a lot of desserts featuring almonds, and that is because it is the most popular favor for sweets! It was fun to learn that a lot of the berries used in the jams sold at IKEA are hand-picked!

There has also been a new focus on providing organic and healthy meals for kids that are both delicious and nutritious.

There are tons of Special Events and Weekly Specials at the IKEA Orlando Restaurant and Swedish Food Market!

You can join the Swedish Crayfish Party on Friday, August 16, 2013.

Gather your friends to feast on crayfish during one of the most loved and celebrated Swedish festivals. Enjoy this all-you-can-eat buffet at IKEA!

IKEA FAMILY Member Price: $9.99 for adults; Children 12 & under $2.49
Non-Member Price: $12.99 for adult; Children 12 & under $4.99

Tickets are sold per seating and are on sale now. Ask a Restaurant co-worker for details. Seating is limited at the two seating times (2:00pm – 4:00pm and 5:00pm – 8:00pm) so don’t wait to purchase your tickets!

There are also great weekly specials!

MONDAY
IKEA FAMILY Members receive a FREE cool bag with a purchase of $25 or more in the Swedish Food Market. Reg $5.99 Must show IKEA FAMILY card for offer.

TUESDAY
Kids Eat FREE! Children 12 and under can choose from one combo meal valued at $2.99.

WEDNESDAY in the Restaurant
Feed a family for four for only $9.99! Includes two adult entrees (value $6.99 or less – beverage not included) and two kids meals (value $2.99 each).
WEDNESDAY in the Swedish Food Market
20% off ALL Salmon products in the Swedish Food Market including marinated salmon; smoked salmon, frozen; marinated and smoked salmon; salmon fillet, frozen; PASTEJ LAX, salmon spread.

THURSDAY
Roasted chicken with mashed potatoes only $1.99! Reg $3.99

FRIDAY
Fish and chips only $1.99! Reg $4.99

IKEA Orlando went out into the Orlando community and worked with families to see how they lived to best set up their showrooms and how to best feature products.

They found that families need spaces that are dynamic to the ages of their children that are budget and space friendly, and to reflect these needs they’ve created several different home scenarios in their showroom.

IKEA Orlando Young Child and Smaller Space Showroom Scenario

IKEA Orlando Teen and Tween Showroom Scenario

IKEA Orlando large family Showroom Scenario

I know you may not believe me, but Zoe asks to go to IKEA all the time, and I have a feeling we’ll be going more often as they roll out some great new programs.

IKEA Orlando Living With Children Priority

Småland, is a FREE supervised children’s play area. If your child is between 37″” to 54″” and potty trained, he or she is welcome to play in Småland for 30 minutes while you shop. IKEA Family members get an extra 30 minutes!
Family parking spaces located at the front of the store that are super convenient!
Strollers for use in the store
Playhouses, play towers, and play area are scattered throughout the store.
Restrooms with baby changing facilities that are stocked with free diapers as a service to IKEA Orlando customers
Baby care rooms
Kids dining area that features high chairs, a television with kid friendly shows, play area, bottle warmers, and even free baby food!

IKEA Orlando K.A.M.P is a brand new program that they are rolling out for days where school is out. Children can attend K.A.M.P and learn all about the other countries where you can find IKEA, get a great souvenier passport, a K.A.M.P shirt to wear on their first visit, and on completion of their daily tasks they’ll also receive a free meal. Keep in mind that this is an activity that you and your children do together, and not an experience like Småland where they are dropped off.

Another great thing coming to IKEA Orlando, is a complete redesign of the Children’s area to feature an expanded offering of furniture for kids ages 8-12 and to create an atmosphere that will facilitate play dates and family fun while you’re shopping.

IKEA USA is on Pinterest, and they have a whole team to help celebrate your great ideas for the uses of their products and to provide creative designs that you might find useful for your family!

Also, make sure that you sign up for IKEA Family to get great special offers and extra benefits around the store!

If you haven’t been to IKEA Orlando, you should! It’s a great place to shop and get organized! A good tip for visiting the store is to try to visit during the week in the early morning to avoid the crowds, because the store does get quite busy!

And here is the really fun part! You can enter for the chance to win a $100 IKEA Gift Card! This giveaway will run until August 30, 2013, so good luck!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I can’t finish this post without a huge thank you to SocialInfluenz for setting up this amazing opportunity!

Disclosure: Through a partnership with IKEA, I received compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

TrenD Report: Hello Old Friend

Hello old friend…It’s been far too long since I have done a TrenD Report!!!

On my visit to Downtown Disney Marketplace, I found some really great new finds in one of my favorite store!

The Alice in Wonderland Loungefly canvas purse and wallet are pretty awesome. I love the water-color feel to them, and the Loungefly line is always constructed so solidly. You won’t have to worry that the canvas is too flimsy to take some use.

Also, it’s fun to see the more stylized Alice in Wonderland park merchandise line expand with this really fun metal picture frame.

I am absolutely LOVING these sassy Princess shirts! I believe that I am going to have to purchase the Aurora shirt for my first trip to Disneyland!!!

Love, Love, Love is exactly how I feel about this knit Mickey and Minnie tank! The blue necklace paired with it is a really fun pop of color! Under a long sweater it could be a good transition piece into fall.

These Mickey and Minnie silky shirts are an expansion of this style of shirt, and I am really liking these a lot more than the previous designs. Both of these shirts are longer and less busy, and would be super cute with a long tank under them paired with a cute denim skirt!

And finally this Minnie Mouse wristlet is CALLING my name! I have been using a wristlet for my quick trip to the parks (thanks to Scarlett), and I am really enjoying using them. This seems to be more practical than a Dooney wristlet, since it has a zipper closure.

I hope that you like this return to TrenD reports and I promise that I won’t slack again!!!

Thanks for joining me window shopping and happy Tuesday everyone!

My TrenD Report Finds…

$50 Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores Giveaway

Win a $50 Gift Certificate to Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores

It’s almost August, and you know what that means: school bells will be ringing soon, and so will cash registers during back to school shopping. If you’re like me, shopping smarter and stretching my budget will be a priority. The Florida Sales Tax Holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, August 2 and ends at 11:59 on Sunday, August 4. Local schools go back into session in mid-to-late August, so plan now to take advantage of that. I’ll be looking for deals throughout the month.

That’s why I plan to head out to destinations like Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores, one of Central Florida’s best-kept shopping secrets where you’ll find savings up to 75% off at select stores. The village-style center offers a customer-friendly shopping experience and 50 spacious outlet shops with convenient store-front parking. Shoppers will find great deals at the area’s only Old Navy and G by GUESS outlet stores, newcomers Justice, Crocs, Calvin Klein and Levi’s® Outlet Store, as well as other well-known outlet stores include Aeropostale, Carters, Converse, Famous Footwear Outlet, Fossil, Gap, Izod, Nike Factory Store, OshKosh, Rack Room Shoes, and many more. Stop into the new Lindt Chocolate for a treat!

Here’s your chance to win a $50 gift certificate to the Center.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Even if you don’t win the gift certificate, you can get in on the savings by downloading a coupon from the Center’s web site, then bringing it to Travelpro to receive a coupon booklet valued up to $400 in savings. The Center is located at 15657 S Apopka Vineland Rd (SR 535), Orlando, FL 32821.

Happy shopping!

TrenD Report: All The Little Details

This week’s TrenD Report I was glad to find some new pieces, but I thought it would be a lot of fun to take a look at the little details of TrenD.

I really liked the new Aztec print dress, the watercolor Tink tank, and the long sleeve Minnie Mouse tissue shirt!

The iPhone 5 Bling Cases are a lot of fun! While I wasn’t a fan of the more stylized Princesses, they seem to work on these cases. And the ‘One Shoe Can Change Your Life’ case might be one of my new favorites and the next case that I buy!!!

I also chose a few of my favorite pieces of jewelry to share with you all, too!

Walking around TrenD, I also found the new Alice in Wonderland Tea Pot, cups, plates, and wine glasses. The new pattern is really playful and fun!

And while I am patiently waiting for the Summer LeSportsac Purses to arrive at TrenD, I found the HARVEYS Disney Patchwork purses to hold me over! They are ADORABLE in person! I was really worried that the mish mash of prints would really be too much, but I was really glad I was wrong!

I hope that you enjoy joining me on this TrenD Report!

TrenD Report: May 7, 2013

The Container Store Orlando is Now Open!

Anyone else crazy about having their home organized?

Anyone else not sure where to start when you realize your house is out of control?

Both of those situations are me 100%, which is why I was (and still am!) SUPER excited about Orlando’s newest addition – The Container Store!!

As soon as I walked in I was overwhelmed (in the best way possible!)

As hard as it is to believe, this is the 60th location and this is the first one I have ever been in. While I have been super tempted to drive to Miami just to see it and even more so when one opened in Tampa a few months ago, I wanted to wait and see the Orlando store first.

There were so many products that I saw while doing the tour that I knew I needed and MANY more items that I saw and then realized that I had to have…who knew there were so many options and awesome ways to store items?!

Some examples, The Container Store has…

…80 styles of hangers.

…350 travel products.

…45 laundry hampers.

…120 ways to store food.

…700 office products.

…and a BUNCH of different trash and recycling options.

As you can tell, there are standard color options and also bright and fun colors as well.

The amazing part about The Container Store company itself is that it’s an employee first company. Every full time employee gets more than 263 hours of training in the first year of working. The crazier part is that the average for retail employees is just 7 to 10 hours! So yes, these guys and gals know what they are talking about. They aren’t commission based, so they really are there to help you out and to help better your home – closet, garage, office, bathroom, kitchen – you name it!

Think this place can’t get any better? They offer additional options besides strictly just shopping in-store and online…
Click & Pickup – Order online and pick it up in-store
Call & Pickup – Order over the phone and pick it up in-store
Bonus bonus: Curbside pickup!

The Container Store is located near Millenia Mall at
4088 Millenia Blvd
Orlando, FL 32839

Store hours are
Monday – Saturday 9am-9pm
Sunday 11am-6pm

TrenD Report – Sometimes It Is Hit Or Miss, But Everyone Wins!

TrenD Report – March 26, 2013

This week’s TrenD Report is a tale of Hit or Miss!

Usually when I visit TrenD I can find a ton of new merchandise, however on my latest trip to my favorite Downtown Disney Marketplace store I didn’t find a lot of new items.

I think TrenD is starting to ramp up to get ready for Spring and Summer, so the new items out are a little miss-matched and random.

However with all this transition going on, I still found a few great new pieces to share that are super fun!

One thing to keep in mind is that the upside of seasons changing, is that great pieces will go on sale! This flowy Ariel top is a wonderful buy at $24.99!

I am really starting to come around to the stylized Princess pieces that are in the parks right now. The shirts are super fun and the double sided journal means no one has to pick just one favorite Disney Princess.

And on a totally selfish note, I am really glad to see the Mickey Flip Flops start making their way onto the TrenD Report!

While I am HUGE fan of the vintage shirts, I am always a little bummed that they’ve only been available in the men’s section…until now! I was really excited to see that the Dole Whip shirt is now available in a lady’s cut.

Finally, I was also glad to see more canvas tote options making their debut just in time for me to find a new beach bag! Whether it’s the vintage look or the neon Loungefly tote you really can’t go wrong with such a versatile bag style!

I hope that you enjoyed this short TrenD Report! In the next report I am going to announce a fun new change to the TrenD Reports!!!

Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores Ye Olde Spring Country Faire

Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores – Ye Olde Spring County Faire

Just in time for Easter, the Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores Ye Olde Spring Country Faire is a fun festival for the entire family!

The Faire and it’s activities are located in and around the stores, and include photo opportunities with Mayor Clayton and Ms. Merry (character rabbits from Give Kids the World Village, donations accepted), clowns, face painting, a sidewalk sale, games, activities, great prizes and much more.

This event is totally Free to the public! The Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores Ye Olde Spring Country Faire festival will be held Saturday, March 23, 2013 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores

15657 South Apopka Vineland Road (SRS 535)

Orlando, FL 32821

For more info: www.LBVFS.com.