holiday

Alrighty, Smarties. Here is your one-stop, need-nothing-else, ultimate source for all things gifts 2013.…

Smarties, this is one sale you DO NOT want to miss! Some of our…

I adore the traditional New Year’s Eve song, “Days of Auld Lang Syne”. It makes me smile with peace for the year ahead. It makes me crave achieving my New Year’s resolutions and mastering my goals.

I love the hope of a resolution, but they aren’t for everyone.

Whether you make them,

break them,

or hate them,

resolutions represent a fresh start.

This year, like every year, I will make a resolution. I am sure it will be broken, but I’m hopeful.

Enough about the kids. We’ve bought, wrapped, bought some more and wrapped some more. I’m OVER the kid stuff, it’s time to think about MOI. Yeah, right, but a Smarty girl can dream, can’t she?!

Each year, I drool over a few things that I think are over the top “Smarty” and if there was an elf dedicated to me, this would be my loot. Because I know I’ve been good all year long.

I summoned the help of super Smarty stylish Kaylee & Cheryl, who have the best taste ever! So together we present these fab things that we’re totally crushing on:

A Moon & Lola Acrylic Monogrammed necklace, oh how I love thee!

Enough about the kids. We’ve bought, wrapped, bought some more and wrapped some more. I’m OVER the kid stuff, it’s time to think about MOI. Yeah, right, but a Smarty girl can dream, can’t she?!

Each year, I drool over a few things that I think are over the top “Smarty” and if there was an elf dedicated to me, this would be my loot. Because I know I’ve been good all year long.

I summoned the help of super Smarty stylish Kaylee & Cheryl, who have the best taste ever! So together we present these fab things that we’re totally crushing on:

A Moon & Lola Acrylic Monogrammed necklace, oh how I love thee!

Moon and Lola’s fabulous line of personalized accessories, such as its signature acrylic monogram necklace, is a personal fave of all of us at CSP. This Moon and Lola original has graced the pages of fashion and lifestyle magazines including InStyle, Lucky and O Magazine, since it’s debut a little over a year ago. Now the line can be found in more than 700 boutiques across the country and overseas. CSP {hearts} our hometown Raleigh gal who is the fashionista behind Moon & Lola, Kelly Shatat!

Does Santa write back? Yes, and apparently he has really lovely handwriting!

The highlight of my Holiday season is opening our annual letter from Santa. No, not a typo. He does writes back. Once a year a gorgeous piece of mail arrives like magic in our mailbox. Tucked between the bills and junk mail arrives a crisp red envelope with a hand-calligraphied address that looks as if it was painted by angels. The letter is our annual response from the Santa. It arrives with stunning hand calligraphy (Mrs. Claus would have it no other way) and carefully highlights details only Santa himself would know. It is lovely, it is personalized, and it defines the spirit of Christmas. Watching my daughter open her whimsical letter reminds me how beautiful a child is when they “believe”.

It’s our favorite time of year in Smartyland ~ that time when we give and give BIG we will! This one will put the swag in your swagger this holiday season as we kick off the much anticipated 2012 Smarty Swag Bag holiday giveaway. We have scoured the QC and deliver our favorite digs to you, just because we {heart} Y-O-U, Smarty Charlotte!

We present over $2,000 worth of fabulous Smarty Swag…TONIGHT IS THE VERY LAST TIME YOU CAN REGISTER!!

By Courtney Hyder

Do you feel overwhelmed by raising your children but want to support your community? How can you make an impact without giving a huge amount of time or money at this stage of your life?

These questions were exactly what I was feeling a few years ago when I learned about the non-profit Good Friends of Charlotte. I wanted to make an impact but did not have the time to really devote myself to something with my three daughters being so young.

Luckily I found Good Friends! This woman only non-profit started in 1987 and has contributed over $2 million to the disadvantaged of Mecklenburg County.