I really, really love fresh flowers but rarely purchase arrangements.  Sometimes though, nothing says “I love you” the way like a beautiful bouquet.  Those pennies are well spent when sent to a loved one or far away friend.  Especially in winter when things are bleak and dreary, bold red flowers can make a statement loud and clear that you’re thinking of that special someone.  The Christmas Cheer bouquet is the kind of arrangement that will bring a smile to any face this Christmas.  You can get free shipping on your order, too!  This is a great way to save a few dollars when ordering Christmas flowers.

Do you hesitate to order arrangements online because you’re not sure what they will look like “in real life”?  Well, I can attest to the quality of this bouquet. When it arrived at my house, it was absolutely stunning.   This is a gift that I would not hesitate to send to anyone for Christmas.

 I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

I’m always looking for a way to save money and time on our next Disney vacation. We love going to “The World” but it is definitely a pricey vacation. I’m excited to find out about Pixie Vacations. Hopefully they can make our family’s vacation more affordable!

Enter the Making Magical Memories Disney World Sweepstakes brought to you by Pixie Vacations

Pixie Vacations ® wants you and your family to enjoy the Walt Disney World ® Resort for 4 days and 3 nights of magical memories. Experience and enjoy the Disney Magic when you stay at a Walt Disney World ® Resort hotel and make new memories at the Disney Theme Parks. Enter Now:

Why book with Pixie Vacations ® instead of directly with Disney?

Why should I book with Pixie Vacations, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, instead of booking directly with Disney? There are three main advantages to using Pixie Vacations ®.
· Concierge Level of Service
· Lowest Possible Price
· A History of Disney Knowledge equals Disney savings

“We want to plan and book the best Disney Vacation you have ever had. We are not a call center; we are past Disney Cast Members and Disney Vacation Planners that know the ins and outs of Disney.”
Details about the prize:
Grand Prize vacation shall include the following:
One (1) standard room for maximum of four (4) persons in room at a Walt Disney World® Moderate Resort hotel for three (3) nights.
Up to four (4) Park Base Tickets for four (4) days.
Keepsake luggage tag (one per person).
Dining package includes one table-service meal, one quick-service meal, and one snack per person/night of package.

Valid for redemption most nights during Value and Regular Seasons. Holiday travel is not included. Travel to and from Orlando FL is not included.
Official Rules are here:

I received an entry for posting this offer. The opinions are 100% mine.

The fact that this YA is mythology-based makes it a winner for me.  Then on top of that, it’s FREE today!!  Yippee 🙂

And if you liked last week’s “Walking with Frodo” freebie, check out this one:

This one looks like a cute read for kids:

What about your little shark fan?

I know a lot of young readers would enjoy this one!

If your youngster doesn’t like to read, you might want to consider some free previews.  There are loads of them on B&N.  This way you can see if your child really likes the book enough to read the whole thing before you purchase. It’s also a great way to read a bit of the book before you buy it.  You can preview it yourself to see if it’s acceptable and quality reading material.  Here are a few to get you started….once you click on one of them, be sure to look at the suggestions below the featured product.  That’s where you’ll find lots more freebies!

I bet this one will be SUPER popular.  It sounds like most of the middle school boys I’ve worked with!

End of free preview examples. 🙂

I’m always up for a cozy Christmas story.  This one shows as $9.99 on the search page, but FREE on the product page.  Proceed with caution.

No idea what to expect with this one.  Well, except for vampires.

Not sure how this one will be, but worth a free download.  It has decent reviews.

Everything about this book just whispers, beautiful!  From the title to the cover to the author's name, Every Perfect Gift by Dorothy Love just seems so quaint.  I totally want to wear the dress on the cover, including the muff!  I've wanted one of those ever since I read about them in the Little Prarie books. The books that came before this are now on my "To Read" list.  Since this book is set in Tennessee, I even feel a little connected to it in that way.  One reason that this book appeals to me is that with a Christian romance, there's no worries of my daughter picking up this book and finding inappropriate language or mature subject matter.  Sheltering my children's innocence is important to me.  I'm grateful for an author who has protected that as well.


I participated in the book tour for Every Perfect Gift.  

You guys must think all I do is look for restaurants to feature for Tricities Tuesday.  Well, I do tend to look for deals when eating out! Because of our family’s busy schedule and my frequent lack of dinnertime organization, we eat a lot of meals on the go.   I consider it my contribution to stimulating the economy.

One of our favorite places to eat is Piccadilly Cafeteria in the Kingsport mall.  If you haven’t been there, you’re missing a real treat.   Possibly  missing out on some big savings, too, because they offer kids’ special on TWO days per week!  On Thursdays, kids meals are 99 cents with any adult meal for the entire day!!  The same deal runs on Saturdays from 11-4 pM.  The kids meals include the entree, two sides, and even dessert (jello, pudding, or cupcake!)   What a steal.  My daughter loves the corn dogs with  mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn. My son’s favorite is the chopped steak with gravy, carrot souffle, and steamed broccoli.  I love it all.

The adult meals are good, too.   It is a bit stressful to figure out what I want when the options are all so appealing. The side dishes, which come with the entrees, are old-fashioned and delicious.  This is the place to take your grandparents when they visit.  Don’t be surprised if you are the only one without gray hair in the room.  I was always taught that the best places are the ones that the elderly like!  The staff at Piccadilly is also so welcoming.  They treat us like old friends and truly miss us when it’s been a while since we visited.

Which of the meals would you choose from the poster?

Have you seen these?!

The spooner board is designed to help improve core stability, balance, and coordination.  I knew my kids would like it as soon as I stumbled upon the Spooner Boards site.  But I had NO IDEA how much I would love it!    My husband and I played with it long after the kids were in bed.  My core can always use some stability, that’s for sure.  This is an extremely versatile and durable “toy.” The website has some simple tricks and tips, as well as videos, to help beginners through advanced users.    The Spooner Board would be such a great manipulative for physical education teachers at any grade level!  I really like the fact that it helps to develop gross motor skills.  I have middle school students who cannot stand on one foot for more than two or three seconds.  I know that the Spooner Board would be a super fun and motivating tool to help them develop those skills.   This would be such a great Christmas gift for those kids who are in the stage of outgrowing toys but still want something fun to open at Christmas.   I wasn’t surprised to see that the Spooner Board is sold at our local specialty toy store. They always have high-quality items.  If you don’t know where to find Spooner Board in your area, look it up on the store locator.  You can also purchase Spooner Board on Amazon and on the website.  Might I suggest that if you have more than one child (and may or may not include your husband/significant other) you should consider buying one for each of them.  It is going to be hard to convince everyone to take turns.

We have the Pro board which is supposed to be better for those above 4 feet tall.   If you have smaller kids, you can also consider the Freestyle model.

This is a great item for encouraging active play. It can be used indoors and outdoors.  Best of all, it’s fun for the whole family.  If you have a Batman fan at home, you’ve got to check out the Batboard!  There is also a Yard Board model for dirt and snow.  Seriously, didn’t they think of it all?!

I liked Spooner Boards on Facebook and noticed that they have the occasional deal posted, such as free shipping and discount codes.  Definitely head over there to see what you can find.  If you have any experience on the Spooner Board, I’d love to hear it!  I intend to impress my kids with my skills…..someday!

I received this book to review.   Sometimes you just want a short, easy read that makes you feel all cozy inside.   A Christmas Homecoming is a cup of hot cocoa for the heart.   Readers will relate to the story of an overwhelmed, underappreciated mom.  Readers will yearn to heal the past hurts and old wounds that need to be healed.   This is a story of the prodigal child who needs a hug from mom, even when she’s already an adult.   After all, that’s when she finally realizes what heartbreak she caused her family.  The last few pages of this book seemed to break my heart and lift it up all the same time.  A Christmas Homecoming reminded me of the grace and peace that the Lord provides for those who ask.  Oh, I could spoil it for you, but I won’t.  You just need to read it for yourself.   This ebook is about 53 pages so it’s a quick one that will stay with you long after you’ve finished the book.

I enjoyed being part of the book tour for A Christmas Homecoming.

YummyEarth is one of the special brands that I’ve been loyal to since I’ve had kids.  I’ve been buying YummyEarth Organic lollipops for years.  I first found these at a local natural food store.  When I discovered that they are sold in bulk on Amazon, I felt like I hit the jackpot!  I kept these in my classroom, stashed them in my purse, and stuffed my kids’ stockings with them.  They are delicious and unique.  Knowing that I’m giving my children a treat that doesn’t contain HCFS is important to me.

When I found out that YummyEarth also makes gummy bears, I had to try them.  I found them at TJ Maxx near the checkout counter.  Just as expected, these are delicious.  The gummy bears have a great fruit flavor that has a bit of tang to it.   My favorite is probably the pomegranate pucker; my kids love the strawberry.   Do you recognize where our bag of gummy bears is kept?  That’s right, in the car!  This is a great snack to keep in the car because it’s quick, convenient, and a healthier option than chips or fast food.  One serving contains 100% of the DRV of Vitamin C, plus it’s less than 90 calories per pack.  That means mom can sneak one for herself without feeling too guilty.

Take a peek at the YummyEarth site and you’ll be impressed with all the products they have to offer.  I think the drop candy would be perfect to keep in my classroom.   My brother-in-law would enjoy the hot chili pops.  And I definitely would like to try the sour beans!  YumEarth is the #1 organic candy company in the United States.  As an added bonus, everything they make is gluten-free.  What do you think about using YummyEarth candy as your stocking fillers this year?

One lucky Savings in Seconds reader will win a bag of YummyEarth gummy bears.  The giveaway ends 12/22/12 and is open to US readers who are ages 18+. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

If you don’t find YummyEarth at your local natural food store, look for  YummyEarth products at these locations:

Whole Foods
Target
Meijer
Earth Fare
Fred Meyer
Sprouts
Toys R Us
Babies R Us
Shop Rite
Kings
Harmon’s
Publix
The Fresh Market
Stop & Shop
buybuyBaby
HEB
Wegmans
Central Market
Jimbo’s
Vitamin Cottage
PCC Natural Markets
New Seasons Markets
Amazon.com
iHerb.com
Giant Eagle
Vitamin Cottage
Sunflower Markets
HomeGoods
TJ Maxx
Marshalls
Albertsons
Shaws
Raleys
Akins
Chamberlins
and thousands of other stores!

This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. All prizing for MSM giveaways is handled by a third party unless otherwise noted. For this reason prize fulfillment can take up to 90 days after the winners information is received.

Here are some freebies to enjoy on your Nook.   Some are Christmas-themed.  How about a Batman devotional?  There’s even a Hobbit related devotional!  If you’ve purchased a Nook as a Christmas gift, consider downloading some freebies on it so that your gift recipient can enjoy it right away!

  Teaching middle school has really opened my eyes to the challenges that children of today face.  Unfortunately, many the kids who were starting to try drugs and alcohol when I was a teen are now parents who haven’t truly grown up.  These parents are unable to be responsible role models and support systems for their children.  Too often the children in these situations also turn to drugs and alcohol, creating a vicious cycle that entwines all those involved.  The authors of this unconventional book, Savanna Peterson and Jill Vanderwood, share extremely candid details about their experiences with substance abuse.  Many of these details are first-hand stories of child neglect, parental abuse, and other sad tales.  The book also includes interviews with many drug abusers.  The book contains messages of hope, too.  Savanna clearly and loudly sends a plea for teens to stay away from drugs and alcohol.  Experts such as pharmacists and doctors give advice and statistics.  The end of the book also encourages students to become involved in service organizations such as the Key Club.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Honestly speaking, this book is not a warm-and-fuzzy “just say no” message.  It’s a gritty, gruesome reminder of the aftermath that drugs cause.  Several parts of the book are heartbreaking because it’s clear that Savanna was not given the parenting she deserved.  It’s also extremely necessary to discuss these things with teens.  After all, I would guess that many teens think that Benadryl is perfectly okay to experiment with.  After all, it’s sold over the counter.  One story in the book clearly explains the dangers that one child faced when taking 25 Benadryl pills.  The overall theme of the book reminds kids that they might not have a choice about the adults in their lives, but the teen can make the decision to personally avoid the horrors of drug abuse.   I would like to see a section with color photographs of pills and side effects of drug use.  Children are visual creatures.  Such images might be strikingly frightening; however, few things speak to children more than images.  A contact section would also be helpful—perhaps an appendix to include organizations where teens might turn for help in escaping the dangers of drug abuse.  Drugs Make You Un-Smarter would be a great resource for counselors and behavior modification therapists.  If you’re the parent or if you suspect that your child might be involved in drugs, you definitely should consider reading this book to be alerted to the warning signs.  I haven’t heard of the term “straight edge.”  I also didn’t know many of the drugs that are available to children.  What an eye-opener!  The book isn’t really meant to be strong literary material.  It’s definitely unlike other books in that there is no holding back.

Like Savanna, I have been around drug and alcohol abuse my entire life.  Few people know that about me.  I don’t seem like the typical drug abuser’s/alcoholic’s child.  That’s a personal choice that I’ve made. I learned from an early age that I wanted my life to be different.  Like Savanna, I was fortunate enough to have a grandmother who taught me that I was worth believing in.  Because of people like Savanna who had the nerve to stand tall and choose another path, I was able to overcome the hurdles that threatened to destroy my path.  I hope that many teens will read Drugs Make You Un-Smarter and take its message to heart.

I would suggest purchasing the paperback version of this book so that it can be passed on and shared with as many people as possible.

Check out the authors’ page to find out more about this book.  There’s also an assortment of information available, such as ideas for teens to stay occupied (and otherwise stay away from drugs/alcohol), help for parents, and an interesting biography of Savanna.