Friday, December 19, 2014

This Video Compilation of Puppy Presents on Christmas Morning Will Make Your Day

What child or dog lover hasn’t dreamed about getting a puppy on Christmas morning? I know i certainly have. This video shows a compilation of people getting surprised on Christmas morning with that ultimate dream and their reactions are priceless. 


The clips will warm your heart and just might make you tear up a little bit, so get those tissues ready. Parents and spouses be wary, this video might make your kids or significant other add a puppy to their Christmas wish list!


Click below to watch the adorable video:



Anonymous “Layaway Angel” Shocks Toys R Us Customers with an Incredible Random Act of Kindness

A mystery woman in Bellingham, Massachusetts has shown over one hundred Christmas shoppers the true meaning behind the Christmas spirit this year. An anonymous shopper gave 150 people the gift of Christmas when she paid their layaway accounts at Toys R Us in full, a holiday act of cheer that totaled over $20,000 in merchandise. 


Toys R Us reported that the incredible display of generosity occurred last Wednesday afternoon a woman came in the store and asked to pay off every outstanding account, wishing to remain anonymous. Toys R Us shoppers, including Emily Burlingame, were overjoyed and shocked when they came in to pay their layaway balances and discovered what the Layaway Angel had done. 

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Walgreens Manager Restores Mom’s Faith in Christmas With This Act of Kindness

Christmas has always been a time for being generous and thinking of others, doing random acts of kindness, and just generally participating in the holiday spirit, but mom Holly Cooper says this year she had been feeling a little “Grinch-y” and just ready for the holidays to be over, until last week when she was at the local Walgreens with her children and two employees restored her faith in the holidays and the Christmas spirit. 

Cooper’s son, Jesse, is five years old and according to the Alabama mom, has struggled with behavioral control in the past. She thinks back to a time when not getting what he wanted in a store meant losing his temper and tantrums, but after lots of positive parenting techniques and patience, this store trip proved to be different. After Jesse spotted a toy he wanted to bring home with him, his mother nicely told him no. 


Copper reports, “I said, ‘Listen, I don’t have any money for toys today, and you don’t have any money. So what are we going to do?’ And, he was really thinking about it-thinking hard-and he says, ‘We should leave it up front for Santa.” 

So Jesse followed his mom to the front of the store and, through some tears, bravely and politely asked the cashier if he can leave the toy up front for Santa. The cashier, Connie Cave, remembers being touched and moved by the little boy’s genuine sadness, so she assured him that she would put a tag on the toy and keep it in a safe place for Santa to pick up. But Connie wanted to do more for Jesse than just that, so after he and his mother left the store she approached her manager, Tiffany Thomason, and told her what happened. Tiffany too, immediately wanted to buy the toy for Jesse. So she wrapped the toy up and wrote Jesse a letter from Santa encouraging him to be patient and to always praise his mother. As a mother herself, she says she truly believes encouraging other parents is one of the most important things you can do for one another. 


Cooper says when she returned to the store later that day to pick up the toy, she couldn’t believe that complete strangers had been so kind and thoughtful to her son. She says she was so moved by their actions that her holiday spirit has been completed restored and that what she is the most touched by is how her son got to witness some true Christmas magic first hand. 

Friday, December 12, 2014

Best Gifts For Mom This Christmas for Under $50

Getting a Christmas present for Mom can be a challenge; finding a unique gift for such an important person in your life definitely takes a lot of time and thought. However, with Christmas only 13 days away, time to find that perfect gift is running out. Thankfully, Rebecka Schumann from International Business Times has crafted a list of 10 unique and special gifts for Mom this holiday season, all of which are under $50. Another feature that sets this list apart from others is that the gift ideas are broken down into categories depending on her hobbies and personality. Scroll below to see Rebecka Schumann’s original list of 10 Christmas gift ideas for Mom:

1. For the Homebody: Victoria’s Secret Sleepover Knit Pajama Set- $39.50
What homebody wouldn't love a comfy new pair of pajamas?

2. For the Makeup Lover: Lori Greiner Spinning Cosmetic Organizer- $39.99
Makeup can be so hard to keep track of, so help Mom keep her collection together with this new spinning organizer. 

3. For the Writer: The Q&A A Day 5-Year Journal from Barnes and Noble: $16.99
Give the writer in your family this new writing challenge as a gift this holiday season. The journal asks a different question for each day of the year, repeating the same questions over the course of the next 5 years. It is a unique and creative way to in writing how things change (or don't) over time!

4. For the Gardener: Butterfly Puddler, Uncommongoods.com- $40.00
Made from recycled glass and homemade stoneware, this unique product the natural minerals from dried up water to attract wild butterflies to Mom's garden. 

5. For the Athlete: The WeGo Elite Activity Tracker- $39.99
This product is similar to the popular FitBit but without spending all the money. The WeGo includes a 30-day memory and the ability to track calories, fat burn, distance, and steps.


6. For the New Mom: the Wet Brush Detangling comb- $8.99
As anyone who is or has been a new Mom knows that they are constantly on the go, leaving very little extra time for anything, especially styling their hair. Make their busy life move a little faster with the new detangling comb from Wet Brush.


7. For the Person Who Has Everything: Visit BlindSurprise.com- $25.00
These people can be the most difficult to buy for of all. When asked about a gift they would want they can't come up with any ideas and when you brainstorm, you can't really either. So leave it up to BlindSurprise.com. Just fill out information about your Mom and her hobbies and this site will send an awesome gift handpicked just for her. 


8. For the World Traveler: Scratch Map from Uncommongoods.com- $20.00
This is the perfect gift for anyone who loves to travel or has traveled a lot already. The map comes with coins that allow you to scratch off all the countries you have visited.


9. For the Reader: membership to Audible.com- $45.00
Busy moms know that it is hard to find time to curl up with your favorite book, so help her keep reading with a subscription to audible.com, a site that provides hundreds of audiobooks that can be downloaded to iTunes for listening on the go.


10. For the DIY Queen: Lorran Oils Lip Balm Making Kit, WilliamsSonoma.com- $34.95
If your mom is glued to Pinterest or loves making everything from scratch, this is definitely the perfect gift for her. 


Sunday, December 7, 2014

Houston Texans Receiver Drops $16,000 To Give Children the Christmas of Their Dreams

Amongst all the negativity surrounding the league this year, It is so refreshing to hear a story about an NFL player using his wealth and status for good, especially during this time of year. For the third consecutive year, Houston Texans receiver Andre Johnson has given needy children the Christmas of their dreams by taking them to Toys R Us for an unlimited shopping spree. 

This has become a holiday tradition for Johnson, who says the idea came to him a few years ago when he decided he wanted to do something special for kids who aren’t used to getting many Christmas presents, if any at all. And the cost of giving these children a Christmas to remember is not a concern of his, giving the children 80 seconds to pick out any and every toy they can get their hands on and then paying out of his own pocket for the entire thing. And on top of that, each child also gets to pick out a game console of their choice! 


The most important part about Christmas is spreading the Christmas spirit of generosity and giving, and Johnson is a wonderful example of what Christmas is really all about. 

Scroll below to see the touching photos from this year's giveaway:











Tuesday, December 2, 2014

10 Ways To Use Up All Those Thanksgiving Leftovers

So you hosted a kick-a** Thanksgiving dinner like the awesome host you knew you could be, but November has ended, the Christmas and Hanukkah season has begun and you have a fridge full of leftovers. You begged your relatives to take those pies and mashed potatoes home but you just can’t seem to get rid of all that turkey! This is the boat that all our generous dinner hosts seem to find themselves in the week following the food-filled holiday, but it seems like such a shame to throw perfectly good food in the garbage. Luckily, there are a lot of chefs out there who have the same problem and have come up with a list of delicious and easy ways to use up all your leftovers, especially the turkey. So if you’re having trouble fitting anything into your post-Thanksgiving filled fridge, make some room with these recipe ideas:

1. Turkey & Bacon Panini with Chipotle Mayo

This easy to make sandwich makes a perfect lunch meal that the whole family will love!

2. Turkey Pot Pie

A spin on the classic chicken pot pie that is perfect for these cold winter days

3. Open Faced Turkey Sandwich

Also a classic, and my favorite, this sandwich uses up more than just turkey. Pile on mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey, gravy and whatever else you may like. 

4. Turkey Salad

A healthy way to use up those leftovers!

5. Turkey Vegetable Soup

Another recipe perfect for the holiday season!

6. Cheddar Turkey Casserole

Turkey, pasta, and veggies in a cheesy sauce? Yes please!

7. Club-style Turkey Enchiladas

This creative and delicious dish involves bacon, swiss, and left over turkey-yum!

8. Turkey Fettuccine 

For pasta lovers, this is a perfect way to use up leftovers in a simple but delicious way

9. Turkey Focaccia Club

This Panera-esque sandwich is amazing not just for turkey leftovers, but any day of the year

10. Turkey Ramen


Chef Edward Lee’s signature blend of Southern and Asian flavors is sure to win the approval of your family this holiday season.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

L’Oreal Paris Celebrates Strong Women Every Year Through Their “Women of Worth” Nominees

Across the globe women are working tirelessly to create change and improve the world in which we live but many of them go unheard of or unrecognized by the public.

L’Oreal Paris is trying to change this reality by publicly recognizing and celebrating these strong women. So each year 10 women are chosen whose causes are creating change in our world and L’Oreal recognizes them for their efforts. The public can then vote on what cause they believe should receive an additional $25,000. The work of the grand prize winner is honored during the annual Winter Gala, which is on December 2nd this year, and the other ten nominees will celebrated for their work as well. 

This year’s nominees for L’Oreal’s 'Women of Worth' are:

1. Corinne Cannon- “D.C. Diaper Bank”
2. Stephanie Decker: “The Stephanie Decker Foundation”
3. Shaaron Funderburk:Off the Streets Program”
4. Mary K. Hoodhood: “Kids’ Food Basket
5. Deborah Snyder: “Operation Renewed Hope”
6. Phyllis Sudman: “Simon’s Fund
7. Brittany Wenger: “Cloud4Cancer”
8. Audra Wilford: “Maxlove Project”
9. Jenny Williamson: “Courage Worldwide”
10. Rachel R. Jackson-Bramwell: “Project Compassion, NFP


Read more about the nominees and their heroic work in the second part of this two-part blog; “The 10 Women Nominated for This Year’s ‘L’Oreal’s Women of Worth’” 

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Your Guide to Planning a Stress-Free Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to relax, watch football, eat till you (almost) feel sick, and just be thankful for what you have- that is if you aren’t hosting Thanksgiving. If you have ever hosted Thanksgiving dinner at your house before you probably know that the experience can be the opposite of relaxing. And if it is your first year hosting the festivities at your house I imagine you are probably already stressing out over the guest list, menu, decorations and everything else that goes into planning a food-abundant party. 

Thankfully (pun completely intended), Meg Galvin from SparkPeople Blogger has created a “Stress-free Thanksgiving Planning Guide” complete with weekly preparation steps to help Thanksgiving dinner hosts enjoy the holiday as much as their guests do. She advices beginning planning three weeks prior to the holiday, so if you haven’t already begun doing so than you should get on that ASAP! 

Here is what you should have already done:
1. Make a guest list of family and friends you wish to include
2. Send invitations and ask people what they plan to/can bring 
3. Once you know how many people will be attending, take an inventory of all the china, glassware, serving dishes, and silverware you own (don’t worry about everything matching!)
4. Choose your decor; including napkins, candles, tablecloths, and fall related decorations.

What you should start doing this week:
1. Finalize your menu
2. Shop for all non-perishable items
3. Pick your turkey (fresh versus frozen)
4. Make and freeze a meal for yourself for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving


Meg’s Turkey tips:
If you plan on buying a frozen turkey, get it now. Avoid buying any turkey over 15 pounds because the bigger the turkey, the older it is*

What to do the week of Thanksgiving:
1. If you bought a frozen turkey, thaw it out. Make sure there is room in your refrigerator and use a large pan to catch any juice that escape as it thaws. For every four pounds the turkey weighs, allow 1 day of thaw time.
2. Clear out or eat any leftovers to make plenty of room in the fridge
3. 2 days ahead: make any desserts and clean the house
4. The day before: 
-Prepare side dishes that can be held over night
-Pick up any last minute items such as rolls or ice
-Figure out how long you’re going to need to cook your turkey for
-Set out all serving dishes and utensils 
-Chill beverages
5. The day of:
-Clean bathrooms
-5 hours before: rinse and pat turkey dry, put the bird in the oven, and run the dishwasher
-3 hours before: begin to assemble side dishes and set up the carving board
-2 hours before: set up dessert table 
-1 hour before: set up beverage table, check turkey
-30 minutes before: bake rolls and make gravy
-15 minutes before: carve your turkey


Then give yourself a pat on the back because you just prepared and cooked an awesome Thanksgiving meal and now it is time to enjoy yourself with your food and guests! Worry about the mess later…

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Comedian Jason Good Puts Together a Hilarious List of the Differences Between Raising Your First and Second Kid

Anyone who has had more than one child can vouch for how differently their approach is to the second child versus the first. Every first time parent admits to being a perfectionist and perhaps just a little uptight when it came to their new baby’s food, clothes, room, and so on. But by the time a second child comes along who really cares…just kidding. But parents have definitely learned a thing or two from the first time around and what is important, so often times the second child is approached with a slightly different, little less uptight attitude! Comedian Jason Good sums it up perfectly with a funny, exaggerated list featured in his book “This is Ridiculous, This is Amazing”. 

“Raising Your First vs. Raising Your Second Child”
By Jason Good, Father of two

1. Food
First child: All homemade in special baby-food processor. Quinoa! Spinach! Sweet potatoes!
Second kid: Crackers.

2. Bed
First kid: Crib that Daddy put together himself while Mommy yelled at him.
Second kid: Mommy’s bed. Daddy now has his own room with a mattress on the floor surrounded by dirty socks.

3. Clothes
First kid: One hundred percent organic cotton. Some even made of bamboo? 
Second kid: His brother’s old clothes.

4. Parties
First kid: In our backyard with a piñata hanging from the Japanese maple.
Second kid: Pizza on the floor.

5. Bathing
First kid: Every night in a special bathtub that’s just the right size. Hand-washed with a soft or silky sponge. 
Second kid: Twice a week. Swimming pools count.

6. Nighttime routine
First kid: Swaddled in a Miracle Blanket. “Baby Beluga” sung to him. Asleep by 7:30pm.
Second kid: Falls asleep on the sofa with mom’s breast in his mouth at 10:30pm.

7. Friends
First kid: Playgroups, mommy and baby get-togethers in the park!
Second kid: His brother’s friends.

8. Toys
First kid: All handmade out of wood. Mostly Swedish.
Second kid: The boxes his brother’s toys came out of.

9. Shoes
First kid: Something European with an umlaut in its name.
Second kid: Old muddy shoes with faded umlaut and missing sole insert.

10. Potty training
First kid: Diapers, then some kind of training underwear, then underwear.
Second kid: Might wear a diaper till college.

11. Babysitter
First kid: A wonderful woman named Sarah, whom he loves and will cherish for the rest of his life.

Second kid: Doesn’t have one. We never go out.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Kevin Spacey Impresses Everyone On Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show With His Awesome Celebrity Impressions

Clearly we are big fans of Jimmy Fallon and The Tonight Show here at ONCEkids but nothing makes me laugh like his game, “Wheel of Impressions” and teaming up with Kevin Spacey to duke it out for best impressionist, was no exception. The hilarious duo put their impression skills to the test for a halloween themed Wheel of Impressions, voicing celebrities including Christopher Walken and Johnny Carson. And I must say, Kevin Spacey was pretty impressive. 


Click below to watch the hilarious segment from The Tonight Show:


Teacher Asks Her 1st Graders to Complete Well-Known Proverbs and the Results Are Hysterical and Surprisingly Insightful

Often children can be full of surprises when it comes to how witty and insightful they are. And when a first grade teacher asks her 26 students to make a list of well-known proverbs, their insightful nature really shows! She presented her class with a list of incomplete, well-known proverbs and asks them to finish the second half on their own- and the results are awesome, hilarious, and surprisingly insightful! As you read these, keep in mind that they were written by 6 and 7 year olds!



1. Strike while the: bug is close
2. It’s always darkest before: Daylight Savings Time
3. Never underestimate the power of: Termites
4. You can lead a horse to water but: How?
5. Don’t bite the hand that: Looks dirty
6. No news is: Impossible.
7. A miss is as good as a: Mr.
8. You can’t teach an old dog new: Math
9. If you lie down with dogs you’ll: Stink in the morning
10. Love all, trust: Me.
11. The pen is mightier than the: Pigs
12. An idle mind is: The best way to relax.
13. Where there is smoke there’s: Pollution
14. Happy the bride who: Gets all the presents
15. Two’s company, three’s: The Musketeers
16. Don’t put off till tomorrow what: You put on to go to bed
17. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry: And you’ll have to blow your nose.
18. There are none so blind as: Stevie Wonder
19. Children should be seen and not: Spanked and grounded
20. At first if you don’t succeed: Get new batteries
21. You get out of something only what you: See in the picture on the box
22. When the blind lead the blind: Get out of the way
23. A bird in the hand: Is going to poop on you

24. Better late than: Pregnant

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Pixar Has Officially Announced the Production of a Toy Story 4

My whole week has been made. It has just been announced that John Lasseter, who serves as the chief creative officer at Pixar, will be directing a Toy Story 4! The fourth installment of the beloved films is set to be released in 2017

Not many details other than the release date and director have been revealed to the public but just knowing another Toy Story is coming was enough to generate a nation-wide buzz. And the buzz is not limited to kids! Since the first Toy Story movie came out nearly 20 years ago (wow I feel old), people of all ages love and remember the the films. 

The announcement of a fourth movie comes as even more of a surprise than the third, which was released in 2010. Toy Story 3, directed by Lee Unkrich, earned almost $1.1 billion at the worldwide box office. But director Lasseter makes sure to emphasize that a fourth film isn’t about the money but comes from their passion for the movies and the characters. He adds that it was never something they had planned until an idea popped into Pixar writers’ heads that they just couldn’t shake. I think I can speak for most people when I say that no matter what the reason, we are just happy another Toy Story will be hitting the theaters!

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Jimmy Kimmel Makes Kids Cry (Again) With This Year's Hilarious Halloween Candy Prank

One of my favorite parts about Halloween comes after the holiday has already passed. It’s the YouTube challenge known as “Hey Jimmy Kimmel I ate all my kids’ Halloween candy.”

 Every year Jimmy Kimmel makes kids around the country cry by challenging parents to tell the poor candy lovers that all of their hard work has been for nothing because they have eaten every last piece of their beloved Halloween candy. Of course this is not true, but the kids don’t know that. Witness crying, tantrums, knocking over chairs, and the adorable but heart breaking “oh, it’s okay” during this hilarious segment. Even after its fourth year, the prank hasn’t gotten any less funny- at least for the adults anyway. 

Click below to watch the hilarious 2014 segment of "Jimmy Kimmel I Ate All My Kids' Halloween Candy":


Thursday, October 30, 2014

How Walmart Empowers Women

Walmart represents one of the biggest promotors of female leadership in our country, and that becomes clear just by looking at the Forbes 400, the list of the 400 wealthiest people in America. 

Alice and Christy Walton, two women in the family behind Walmart, are changing the game of leadership in this country by making their way to the top ten on the Forbes 400 list. They are actually the only women in the top ten. In fact, Christy and Alice Walton are two of the 34 women who make the cut. This means that only 8% of the entire list are women. This reality is not because women in the world lack the ability, motivation, or desire for entrepreneurial success- but because throughout history and still today, they often lack the opportunity and support necessary. 

Walmart is looking to change that reality and shape the business world as we know it to become a place where women and men alike can flourish. Through the launching of the Empowering Women Together program as well as an online space where business women around the world can talk and exchange ideas, Walmart hopes to spark the fire that attracts more women to the business word through opportunity. It is their hope that providing women with these opportunities will improve hard working women’s lives and the lives of their families while creating jobs and bringing together communities. 


To further demonstrate their cause not just through words, but actions, each supplier of the Empowering Women Together program is a women-owned business or a company with the mission of supporting and creating women-owned businesses. 


70% of the people living in poverty are women and less than 7% of the venture capital goes to female start-up companies, Walmart and countless others are trying to change this and enhance the quality of life of women everywhere by allowing them to fulfill the “American dream” that everyone, not just men, dream of. 

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

The Most Popular Halloween Costumes Every Year Since 2000

Aside from the classics that repeat year after year, each year a few costumes rise up above the rest as the most popular for that Halloween. What costume that is often depends on the most popular or well known movies, television shows, artists, and events that took place over that last year. 


Get ready for a serious blast from the past because below we have listed the most popular costumes every year since 2000, many of them still popular today. 


2000: Austin Powers

2001: Harry Potter characters


2002: Spider-Man


2003: Captain Jack Sparrow


2004: Spongebob Squarepants


2005: Anakin Skywalker


2006: V from V for Vendetta 


2007: Master Chief from Halo


2008: The Joker


2009: Alan from The Hangover


2010: The Cast from the Jersey Shore


2011: Angry Birds


2012: Walking Dead Zombies


2013: Minions from Despicable Me


It's awesome to look at how costumes have changed over the years and which ones keep coming back. Have you ever been any of the above for Halloween in previous years? And what costume do you think will be #1 for Halloween 2014? I guess we will just have to wait to Friday and see!