Ever discover something that is so unique and exciting that you just HAVE to share it?

A friend of mine recently introduced me to Rendi. INSTANTLY IN LOVE. Rendi has some of the most beautiful and customizable gifts and home decor items that I have ever seen.

Perfect for the holidays!

The minute I flipped through the catalog and website I started making lists for Christmas. (I’m here to tell you that I could find something for every single person in my life. It has become quite the addiction!) I found gift ideas for my teachers, friends, family members and colleagues.  The fact that each piece is uniquely created for each individual makes it a something that will not soon be forgotten.

A small sampling…

I ordered this beautiful customized “wall tag” on late Monday afternoon and it was completed and shipped by the next day. Talk about service!

Mary Kate Battles is my Rendi stylist. I encourage you to stop by the site today and try it out for yourself!

Note: The last day for regular shipping to get these by Christmas is the 14th, but express delivery is available! And don’t forget that these are also perfect for birthdays, graduation and other life celebrations as well.

As I mentioned yesterday, I was thrilled to be invited to feature some back to school must-haves for Good Morning Maryland. The segment won’t officially air until tomorrow morning but I’ve got a copy early to share with you. (Props to anchor Charley Crowson who doesn’t have children but totally hung with me through the Wiggles and lice talk anyway!)

Here is some information on the products that I featured during the segment:

LiceGuard’s Robi Comb:

As back to school time approaches, so does the head lice boom. The Robi Comb is a non-invasive electronic lice comb powered by a single AA battery that detects and destroys lice on contact simply by combing it through dry hair. When the Robi Comb’s metal teeth touch lice, the lice get zapped, die and then get combed away.

They retail for $29.99 and can be found at Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid, as well as thousands of local pharmacies across the nation.

EMTEC Animal Series USB Flash Drive:

Kids these days are so high tech; with digital text books and internet based homework assignments, it’s tough for some parents to keep up! To ensure your child’s homework and digital assignments get to class on time, the Animal Series USB Flash Drive from EMTECH is a cute and fun way to protect your files.

They retail for $13 and can be purchased at Staples, Office Depot, Barnes & Noble and online at Amazon.com.

L.L. Bean Critter Pack and Lunch Box:

L.L. Bean Bags will last your family for years! These bags have bright colors and fun reflective critters for boys and girls. Constructed from durable textured nylon they also have a reinforced bottom and are water and spill resistant. They are tested as safe for lead, phthalates and PVCs.

They retail for $39.95 and $15.95 and can be purchased online at llbean.com.

Whole Foods A Better Bag:

A pretty, oversized lunch bag from Whole Foods. They sum it up perfectly on their web site: “Save the planet while lunching! ”

These bags retail for only $0.79 and are available at all Whole Foods locations nationwide.

What are some back to school products that YOUR CHILDREN can’t live without?

Wondering how my little teeth whitening challenge went?

Tada!

Are you seeing the above results? I know, right?

I have to admit that I was more than a tad skeptical of the Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips when I pulled them out of the box. The whole concept was way too simple and way too affordable to deliver what it promised.

But even this skeptic has to admit that the results speak for themselves. Truly easy to use. I put them on one evening, proceeded to read a book and in a flash …. DONE!

My husband was so impressed that he used them for a big interview he had the next day AND we went out and purchased the Crest 3D White Multi-Care Whitening Rinse. Converts? Yes, you could say that.

Would you like to try them out for yourself? Then follow this link and get yourself a coupon. Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips are available at mass retailers and drugstores nationwide. For more information, visit 3DWhite.com, or visit them on Facebook.

Disclosure: I am participating in a Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips campaign hosted by One2One Network. This is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% mine.

TodaysMama and GameStop are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What is your holiday wish for your family?

That we are all happy and healthy of course. Also that the boys BELIEVE in Santa for this one last year!

2. What is your Christmas morning / Hanukkah Nightly tradition?

My husband and I usually wake up before the kids, believe it or not. On Christmas Eve we all get new holiday pajamas so our morning consists of coffee, jammies, presents and music until noon!

3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be?

Oh I have so many, many things… Hmmmm…. a new MAC for the house. I love making iMovies!

4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money?

We’ve compiled a giant collection of Christmas movies and we usually pick a couple of “must watch” movies to get into the holiday spirit. Plus we also try to keep the holiday tunes flowing and our spirits soaring for the season. No one likes a GRINCH!

5. What games did you play with your family growing up?

What DIDN’T we play? Mousetrap, Clue, Monopoly, cards, Atari, Operation, Connect Four… I could go on and on!

6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood?

We give gifts to each other (meaning kid to kid) on Christmas Eve. That way our smaller, thoughtful gifts are not overshadowed by what Santa brings. It is so exciting to get a gift early, even if it is not extravagent. Every gift is special!

7. Where would you go for a Christmas/Hanukkah-away-from-home trip?

We would go on a Disney cruise if we could afford it. We’ve heard so much about them… I am sure they are magical around the holidays!

8. Check out GameStop and tell us, what are the three top items on your GameStop Wish List this year?

We just visited a GameStop the other day so this one is easy! Number one is X-Box with Kinect, EA Sports Active2 for Kinect, the red Wii bundle, not to mention Wii games like Just Dance and Just Dance 2 . So fun.

A word of warning, dear readers – today you may fall in love with me.

Why?

Because today I bring you… FREE CHOCOLATE.

No, really.

I was lucky enough to be able to “test” out a new offering from Hershey’s chocolate called “DROPS.” I am capitalizing the name because anything that fantastic should be shouted. Don’t you agree?

Hershey’s Drops come in two flavors – Milk Chocolate and Cookies ‘n’ Creme and will be available across the country beginning in December. (My personal favorite is the Milk Chocolate but my kids devoured the Cookies ‘n’ Creme. D E V O U R E D) What makes them unique is the fact that they are the perfect snack size to satisfy any craving (size of a quarter) and their shiny protective coating. Delish!

Drumroll please….

Hershey’s and Hip As I Wanna Be will be giving away THIRTY (yes, 30!) lucky readers their own chance to score some Hershey’s Drops.

Amazing, no?

This is a 24-hour ONLY giveaway which will start at 7:00 AM (EST) on Monday, November 15, 2010 and will end at 7:00 AM (EST) on the next day.

To enter please leave a comment describing one or two little things bring you happiness. I know that for me giggles from my little guys and coffee with my husband or a good friend certainly qualify as a moment of bliss.

Optional: For extra entries you can do any or all of the following. (You must leave comment so that I know, however.)

- Subscribe to Hip As I Wanna Be. E-mail and RSS options are found on the right side bar.

- Connect with me on Facebook! (Also located on the upper right side bar.)

- “Like” Hershey’s on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/HERSHEYS.

- Follow me on Twitter (@MammaMania) and tweet about this giveaway. Please be sure to include me in the tweet so I am aware.

This giveaway is open to US residents only. The winners will all be selected at random using a random number generator from all eligible entries. The winners will be notified via e-mail and will have three days to reply with a name and mailing address (no PO Box) or a new winner will be chosen.