Archives for November 2013

On My Bookshelf: Quilts of Love collection featuring The Christmas Quilt

Disclosure: I received these books to review. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.
The Quilts of Love series from Abingdon Press have such a wonderful main idea—quilts bind us together. My husband and I have collected many quilts over the years. When we were newlyweds, we frequented the local auction and purchased a few tattered quilts to decorate our living room. Those quilts embody memories for us. We often wondered aloud who had stitched them and for what reason. When my children were born, I chose quilts for both of their nurseries. I’ve tried my hand at putting together a few quilt tops but haven’t actually quilted them. When I had the opportunity to review the Quilts of Love books, I knew they would be my cup of tea. [Read more…]

Shopping the Black Friday deals? Check out Educents.

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Educents. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

By now the turkey is sitting in the fridge, waiting to be repurposed. Your stuffing has turned to bricks and the leftover soda is flat. No worries because there are deals online today, folks!!! There’s a good chance that your kids will be inundated with lots of plastic nonsense this Christmas. Why not give them gifts that make them actually think? Educents.com offers excellent educational items at affordable prices. Items like BrainQuest are no longer restricted to the teacher supply stores. These are great to take along on a road trip or keep them in your purse for the long wait at the doctor’s office. Take advantage of the Black Friday deals at Educents and save some green, too!

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Black Friday Deal: Lovable Labels and Moody Sisters

Disclosure: I will receive a free product sample. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

I love getting awesome deals without leaving my house. There was a day when Black Friday shopping made my heart skip a beat. These days I’m afraid my heart might stop beating if I try to brave the crowds with my kids! So I definitely take advantage of online specials that can serve as amazing Christmas gifts. I really like buying from small businesses because they are so supportive of moms and bloggers. This year I’ll be wrapping up some fun gifts from Lovable Labels and Moody Sisters.

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Indie authors find a niche on Blurb

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

More and more often I find myself looking for that sentimental gift. Instead of the same jar of bath salts or ubiquitous teacher’s mug, what about giving a truly unique book for Christmas? I’ve mentioned Blurb in the past and have continued to stir up ideas for fun books. Books that elicit a “where did you find this?” response make the perfect coffee table conversation starter. Blurb is the leading indie- and self-publishing platform, probably because they have an entire online bookstore full of unique books by an incredible array of undiscovered, self-published authors, artists, and photographers. Since many of these books can’t be found in a bookstore, they’re perfect for that person who loves something on the unique side of the fence. Each book costs around $40 US or less; that’s less than a week’s worth of venti coffees.

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Shopping at Best Buy means I can get gifts for the whole family #bbyHoliday13 @BestBuyWOLF

Disclosure: The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Finding the perfect gift for someone is a challenge that I relish! I love shopping for gifts for my friends and family. There was a time when holiday shopping really got me into the Christmas spirit. The lights, laughter, and general lovingkindness of people had me smiling from ear to ear as I purchased the gifts my family members would love. Now that my schedule is a bit busier, I don’t often have time to travel from store to store. It’s important that I can find the right gifts at the right price all in one place whenever possible. Best Buy gives me the chance to do that! They have over 100 exclusive items for the holiday season, so I know that my gifts will be unique and appreciated. Since I’m pretty ignorant about how to use most techie stuff, I depend on the knowledgeable Blue Shirts and Geek Squad Agents for help. They’re always friendly and willing to assist little old me! With Best Buy’s Low Price Guarantee, I never have to worry about going to four different stores to get the best deal. After all, it IS called Best Buy for a reason!

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HoHoHo Giveaway Hop featuring Christmas Forest wreaths CLOSED

Disclaimer: This giveaway ends at 11:59 PM EST on December 6, 2013. The Holiday HoHoHo Hop Event Bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. I received a product sample. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Holiday HoHoHo Giveaway Hop gives you a chance to win a beautiful wreath from Christmas Forest! savingsinseconds.com Ends 12/6

Welcome to the Holiday HoHoHo Hop — this is your chance to win some great prizes that will make wonderful Christmas gifts!!  You can always keep them for yourself, too; we won’t tell!  This event is hosted by The Review Wire.   After you enter my giveaway, stop by The Review Wire to Enter the Grand Prize. The Grand Prize Winner will receive a large Teach My Learning Kits of choice {RV $39.99} PLUS a Second Prize Winner will receive Teach My Kit of choice {RV $14.99}.  Isn’t it fun when there are lots of prizes to go around?   Our sponsor for this giveaway is Christmas Forest. They contacted me to review one of their holiday wreaths and I had such a hard time selecting one!  Finally I asked my daughter to choose; she loved the Jazz-A-Tazz wreath. You could win a Jazz-A-Tazz wreath from Christmas Forest! savingsinseconds.com

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The best bows are worn in pretty hair

Disclosure:  Savings in Seconds received product samples. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

The best bows are worn in pretty hair -- Wee Ones featured on savingsinseconds.com If you have a little girl in your life, you’ve just got to invest in some hair pretties.  It’s a must.  There is much to be said for tomboys, but a girl can still climb trees with a pink bow in her ponytail.  Trust me on this.  My daughter has always wanted short hair because she hated when her hair got caught in tree limbs or brushed the ground when she was upside down on the monkey bars.  It’s also a requirement that the bows have a good grip so they don’t fall out when aforementioned tomboy twirls full-force on the tire swing.  As a mom, my best bet is to go with a heavy duty bow like Wee Ones.  Thanks to the Wee Ones No Slip Grip, these bows have a kung fu vice-grip on hair.  Somehow they also look amazing.  These are the equivalent of black stiletto boots with a designer leather jacket.  Tough and gorgeous at the same time.   [Read more…]

Farming Simulator for XBox by Maximum Games

Disclosure: I received a product sample; this post contains affiliate links. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

(The giveaway portion of this post is closed.)

  For this giveaway, Maximum Games has donated an XBox 360 game called “Farming Simulator.”  It’s being featured in my Holiday Gift Guide because I think it’s a great family-friendly gaming option to play over the holidays.  This game will be released on November 19, 2013 so it’s BRAND NEW and perfect for the gamer on your holiday list.

  The graphics on this game are very realistic.  Also, there are multiple skill levels to help hold the gamer’s interest.  From raising livestock to harvesting crops, driving machinery to selling surplus goods, Farming Simulator gives the gamer a chance to really experience agriculture from the comfort of their living room.  Maximum Games has generously donated several games to my readers over the past two years.  I’m always appreciative of generous sponsors and I know you are, too!!  Please be sure to thank them by following them on social media. You can find Maximum Games on Facebook and Twitter.

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Let’s talk about long-distance Christmas gifts — Christmas Forest

Disclosure:  Savings in Seconds received the following product for review. All opinions expressed are mine and were not influenced by the company.

Enter to win a wreath from Christmas Forest -- savingsinseconds.com My husband and I are transplants to Northeast Tennessee.  We both attended Milligan College (go buffs!) and got jobs in the area immediately after graduation.  We bought our little house and ended up staying here.  We feel so blessed to live in the Appalachian Mountains.  For one thing, we have four amazing seasons.  The fall is probably my favorite time because the tree-filled mountains just explode with color in late October.   We have made lifelong friends here and both have wonderful jobs that we absolutely love.  Our children have grown up in this area and call it home; now we do, too.  The thing is that our families both still live in our home states.  The six/seven hour drive can be daunting with the kids and home responsibilities.  As a result, we don’t get to visit as often as we’d like.  We try to make sure our families know we’re thinking of them by keeping in touch.  At Christmas we always send home a little something since we don’t get to go home for the holidays.  My husband used to tease me when I complained about the cost of mailing packages, but when he helped me take some boxes to the post office one year he realized that we sometimes spent as much in postage as we did on gifts!  Since then, we’ve been cognizant of the online community and often purchase our gifts online, simply because it’s easier and less expensive.  Unfortunately it can also be rather mundane to send a gift directly.  When Christmas Forest contacted me, I considered the idea of sending my family a Christmas wreath and wondered if it would arrive just as fresh and beautiful as it looks online. [Read more…]

Fun game for the whole family: Farming Simulator from Maximum Games

Disclosure:  I received a product sample; this post contains affiliate links. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

I love it when a game is good, clean fun for everyone in the house.  It’s being featured in my Holiday Gift Guide because I think it’s a great family-friendly gaming option to play over the holidays.  Farming Simulator will be released on November 19, 2013 so it’s BRAND NEW to the US market.  Wouldn’t it be a good stocking stuffer for the gamer on your holiday list?

  The game features realistic graphics and multiple ways to practice the farming tradition.  From raising livestock to harvesting crops, driving machinery to selling surplus goods, there are activities to engage any player.  Farming Simulator gives the gamer a chance to really experience agriculture from the comfort of their living room.  Maximum Games has generously donated several games to my readers over the past two years.  I’m always appreciative of generous sponsors and I know you are, too!!  Please be sure to thank them by following them on social media. You can find Maximum Games on Facebook and Twitter.   You can also enter to win a copy of Farming Simulator by visiting Savings in Seconds on November 21.  Put it on your calendar!

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