Hallmark: Making Memories and Encouraging Kids Review and Giveaway

Sponsored post*

The kids are back to school in 5 days! (The exclamation point is my excitement, not theirs). Even though my kids are not looking forward to the end of summer, the first day of school does get them pumped. They have brand new accessories, get to see their friends they have missed all summer, and get to feel a little cooler than the younger kids. Because the start of a school year can be a whirlwind for everyone, Hallmark wants to help you pause and capture those special moments and celebrate kids as they head back to class with new gift and greetings designed to create lasting memories and share an extra boost of encouragement throughout the school year. They offer the following great products to help celebrate the return of school:

o   Pics ‘n’ Props School Days Activity Kit: Capture a child’s first day of school in a creative way with the snap of a camera and Hallmark’s Pics ‘N’ Props School Days Activity Kit. The kit includes chalkboards and a frame to document the first day each year — from kindergarten to senior year! Add your photos to the included “My First Day!” photo album to create a lasting memory that can be admired throughout the years.

o   SO SO Happy™ Greetings: Hallmark’s new line of SO SO Happy greetings help moms connect with their kids in a way they understand and appreciate. From Taco to Tribe, a variety of adorable characters inspire and celebrate positivity, acceptance and love — attributes especially important during the school year. Cards even include fun surprises for kids like shoelaces, key chains and more.

o   Kids Encouragement Greetings: Whether it’s a new social situation, a test, first game of the year or any day of the week, sometimes kids need a confidence boost. These cards feature kid-appropriate topics to help encourage the special kiddos in your life.

o   Back-to-School Greetings: The newest back-to-school greetings feature furry friends to help you say “Go get ‘em!” to the kiddos in your life.

Review: Our back-to-school tradition is to take 1st day photos on our front porch every year. It is a great way to see how they grow from year to year. However, my kids wear uniforms and their appearances don't change as drastically anymore so I thought the concept of the Pics 'n' Props School Days Activity Kit was brilliant! Not only is it a great idea to have a photo prop to indicate the grade they are going into, it is also a great place to store all those back to school photos and keep track of yearly events and statistics. The chalkboard comes with inserts that are beautifully written but it is also a real chalkboard with chalk so you can make any message you want. The red frame, white lettering, and black chalkboard is a striking presentation and it looks great in photos.

The card selection I received was great as well. My kids love getting cards and this is a great assortment of cards to be given "just because", when they are having a rough time, and, of course, to celebrate back-to-school. The cards are bright and cheery and really appeal to children. The SO SO Happy cards were great and my kids, especially my daughter, loved the surprises inside - especially the sparkly pink shoelaces!  Not that I am surprised, but Hallmark has outdone itself yet again! 

Buy it here: Products can be be purchased from your local Hallmark store, from Hallmark.com, or your nearest retailer who sells Hallmark products.

Win it here: 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I was provided with the above mentioned products for the purpose of facilitating this review. All opinions expressed are my own.