the mommy avenger

We are huge fans of Instax by Fujifilm products over here at the Mommy Avenger. Just in time for Christmas, they have released such a fun combo the INSTAX PAL Digital Camera and the INSTAX Mini Link 2 Smartphone Printer. The Instax Pal is absolutely adorable, by the way. This little camera does a great job capturing all the memories they want to keep and then they can synch the mighty camera to a small instant printer. Just load the film into the printer and they will be able to have their favorite prints to display as they wish. The difference with this camera is there is no film in it, so you need the printer. But when you see the size, you will totally get why. You can take this camera everywhere because it is so small. I love the products from Instax so much, they remind me of instant cameras we had growing up in the 80s, but the quality is so much better! You can’t go wrong with this amazing gift!

We love everything we have tried from Cotopaxi. Their colors and materials are just so fun and cheery. For weekends away, sleepovers, and plane trips, we can’t rave about the Surprise Bag duffel bags enough. You will be completely surprised at what you get, but know it will be something amazing. Regardless of the colors they surprise you with, you will have plenty of room for all your necessities for wherever you choose to go.

We love the gift of time, but, when you have teens, you don’t have much of it. So, we will give them the gift of telling time. Newly released from Nautica, new styles are available as part of their Fall Winter 2023 collection and they are all great looking. Sporty and comfortable, we can’t decide which one we love most. You can decide which one suits your teen best, but know they will hold up to the day to day and look great in the process.

For teen girls, we are loving SPGBK (Springbreak) watches. These hip and colorful timepieces have made Oprah’s Favorite Things list and ours, too. We love the bold look and shout out to elementary schools found in the town where these are made. You will want to gather a collection of all the great color options to wear each day. No matter when they are worn, you are sure to get compliments on them!

Pick up a Squire Table Lamp from WiZ for your teen and they will definitely thank you! This portable light can light up your room in all the colors. It is soft lighting but bold and can be controlled with an app and your voice. It can create a total vibe and will be very much enjoyed!

Gel Blasters are the coolest toys ever! Yeah, you may think this is an ordinary play gun, but it is extraordinary! These automatic blasters are so much fun. When we first opened them, we thought they looked cool, but we had no idea how much fun and how much use we would have gotten out of them. Gel Blasters were created by a dad wanting to spend time with his kids. So every feature on them is tried and tested for ultimate user experience and fun. These blasters use gel pellets, called Gellets, that can be expanded in water and then used for ammo. The guns can be made automatic and the ammo flies at great speeds and distances. Each blaster comes with safety glasses, Gellets, and rechargeable cables. We love these blasters so much, we’ve introduced them to all the teens in our neighborhood and we frequently have battles. There are tons of accessories you can get, too, including Starfire Gellets, which glow in the dark!

I love giving personal gifts. I was recently introduced to MemoryStitch and I can’t rave about them enough! I’m sure your favorite guy has a stack of well-loved t-shirts from trips, college, sporting events and concerts that create a patchwork of incredible memories if all put together. That’s exactly what MemoryStitch thought when they made it possible for us to create one of kind patchwork t-shirt quilt made from those same t-shirts. This is the greatest gift idea and so simple to do. Simply visit their site, select the size of your blanket and begin the process. All you need to do on your end is select the correct number of t-shirts for the size you are creating. You can cut them to size, or for a small fee, let them do the work. Select the stitching and backing for your blanket. You ship it to them and that is where your efforts end. Before you know it, your t-shirts will be returned and transformed into a very special gift that will be cherished for years to come. I love that you can create something so meaningful and memorable so easily. The end product is absolutely wonderful! I got to try this out for myself and couldn’t be more thrilled with the results. Try it out yourself and get 40% off your order by using code mommyavenger40 good though December 31, 2023. 

Teens love gift cards and we love giving them experiences. So getting them a Get Out Pass to use with their friends is the perfect gift. You are giving them a year’s worth of free activities that they can use at their convenience. Now, they can make plans any time of year or come up with a solution for fun things to do when they are bored. It’s all managed from their phones, too, so there aren’t any physical cards to lose. And it is all paid for in advance! Learn more about the Get Out Pass here and be sure to use code MOMMYAVENGER for significant discounts!

I was recently introduced to Hairitage by Mindy products and, you guys, they are incredible! I love their hair products like the Outta My Hair cleansing shampoo and their S.O.S. Deep Moisture and Restore conditioner to leave my hair feeling its best. I don’t know how I used a regular hairdryer anymore after trying out their Up in the Air Volumizing Brush. It simplifies my routine and leaves my hair looking fantastic, giving me the volume and shape that a lot of brushes and hairdryers couldn’t accomplish before. Using this hair tool has taken serious time off of getting ready each day and looks like I spent a lot longer than I did. This is something every girl needs in her life!

Speaking of hair, I am absolutely loving this Ella Bella 1 inch curling iron to create beautiful soft waves in a matter of minutes. It feels like a luxurious tool to use with it’s sleek look, digital temperature control, and innovative ceramic technology that protects your hair from heat damage. It even comes with a styling glove, heat resistant carrying case and mat. This is my favorite curling iron I have used and I get the results I want ever time effortlessly.

We adore Rothy’s for both men and women and are really excited to put on a new pair of their men’s high top sneakers for the first day of school. These shoes are super supportive and stylish and you can wear them everywhere. They are the perfect solution for everyday wear, as if they get dirty, you can throw them in the washing machine. They come out looking brand new. They look sharp and feel fantastic and I recommend them for everyone! You’d never know that the fabric of these sustainable shoes are made up of 25 plastic bottles!

Another great option is the completely 100% waterproof shoes from Vessi. I love their Boardwalk Slip-Ons! These shoes are like walking on air. They are a perfect solution for school. Available in men’s and women’s and several different colors, this is a wardrobe staple! I have put these shoes to the test straight out of the box and can tell you, without breaking them in, my feet felt amazing after walking, standing, and traveling in them for 14+ hours straight. These shoes are also great at wicking away sweat from your feet so you don’t get overheated. You can also hand wash these to keep them in tip top shape always. 

Celestial Silk has to be on this list, too! Their silk hair ties are a must to prevent breakage and damage when putting your hair up. I love that they don’t crease your hair, either. I adore their Mulberry silk pillowcasesand appreciate they don’t create creases on your face from sleeping. A much needed benefit if you’ve hit the snooze button a few too many times and have about 5 minutes to get out the door!

I am a child of the 1980’s and it’s been so fun to see the resurgence of products I used when I was in school (I’m looking at you Trapper Keeper!). You can imagine my utter delight when I discovered that Tinte Cosmetics has brought back vintage favorites like Lip Licking Lip Balms, Kissing Potion, Kissing Sticks and Rollerballs! Oh such great memories! But I was pleasantly surprised to try them all these years later and enjoy quality lip care. The smells are so yummy and will send you on nostalgic trip back in time if you are my age. If you are just being introduced to them for the first time, enjoy them, they are the best! They are perfect to keep in your backpack and you will want to collect all the scents/flavors. They have really fun Christmas candy canes filled with your favorites perfect for stocking stuffers!

Have you heard of Pix Brix? These awesome pixelated puzzles will have teens and adults completely mesmerized. Kind of a combination of a puzzle and building toys, these 2D and 3D sets are really fun to play with. I love the Artist Series that feature famous works of art like Van Gogh’s Starry Night that you can use to decorate your room, or you can make a Pix Brix 3D version of Vincent himself and put him on display in a really cute paint can. So many options to choose from here, but you can’t go wrong!

^{*products were received to facilitate a feature, all opinions are my own*}