Hallmark Get Carded Challenge and Giveaway!

Every day I watch and listen for the mail man to arrive. Then my daughter and I get on our shoes and take a daily trek to the mailbox. We open it up hoping for something exciting to be inside. Most days, however, we are greeted by a single advertisement or a couple of bills. We are often left disappointed reporting back to my husband that there "wasn't any good mail." But every once in awhile... we get surprised.... and find a lovely card or note from a loved one.

The days are few and far between that we receive nice notes or cards in the mail. Even around special occasions we receive more e-mails or text messages rather then receiving the special cards that we display on the mantel or keep in a keepsake box. And I can say that I miss the mail.

So when Hallmark reached out to me with this fun challenge I knew I could have a lot of fun with it... and make a lot of people smile. All I had to do was take 7 cards over the course of 7 days. I sent one card out a day to people who were surely not expecting a little note from me.

Hallmark sent me a fantastic bundle of 10 cards so that I could pick out the perfect 7 to send. My husband, daughter, and I sat down and looked at each card, read them aloud, and picked the recipients. We were already having fun and the cards weren't even in the mail yet. From Happy Birthday greetings to cards to simply say hello... we matched cards with occasions or greetings for those we haven't spoken to in some time.

Day 1 - So Glad I Have a Friend Like You
             I sent this one to an old college friend who I haven't seen or talked to in months. We connect once                in awhile on Facebook... but this seemed to really show that I still think about her.
Day 2 - I Feel Lucky to Know You
             This one went to another old friend. I do see this friend often, but it was nice to be able to send a
             special card.
Day 3 - Hope You're Having Fun at Summer Camp
             We sent this card to my daughter's friend who had her first year of summer camp this year.
Day 4 - Happy Birthday
             This was a musical card! I love them. And it played "Good Vibrations"which is a favorite song of my
             Dad's...so we sent it to him.
Day 5 - Enjoy the Ride
             This card was open to many occasions but we sent it to a cousin who just got a new job wishing
             her the best of luck.
Day 6 - Blank Card from The Signature Collection
             This card was just beautiful and elegant. We sent it to my mother-in-law to just say hello.
Day 7 - I'm Always Here For You
            This card came at just the right time. I sent it to a friend who's father has been going through some
            medical problems. While he's doing ok, it has been stressful for her. So I think this card brightened
            her day.

I loved everything that happened in the coming days. We received phone calls from a couple of recipients saying how lovely it was to receive so a heartfelt card. The recipients were so happy and thankful for such a small but powerful gesture. And we even got one card in return thanking us and telling us we are thought of often as well.

This was a really fun experience. It got my entire family involved in doing something positive and fun. And it continues for days as we heard from the recipients. It has truly inspired me to send out little notes and cards more often. And maybe this way we will get some more in return! Then our trips to the mailbox will be a little more exciting. And other people will have exciting trips to the mailbox, too!

*GIVEAWAY* If you think this sounds like a fun challenge that you would like to take part in simply comment below with who you would like to spend a special card to and why! The winner will receive a pack of cards to send out to family and friends.

A winner will be chosen at random on August 5th. The winner will be notified by e-mail and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected. This giveaway is open to US only.

Maddie B's Boutique

I'm back! I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July! I really enjoyed spending a little extra time with my family and getting some relaxation time in. As usual... the weekend went to quickly and here we are at Monday again. But I have another fabulous bow from Maddie B's Boutique to share with you!

This bow is part of the wonderful Bow of the Month Club... where each month you receive a fantastic bow created especially for this club. There are themes for each month, so for July we got this little beauty.....

This "Owl American" bow was the talk of the BBQ. It looked adorable in my daughter's hair and caught everyone's attention. The detail and time that is put into creating this bow stands out.

I really can't say enough positive things about Maddie B's bows. They are high quality, beautiful, and unique. She has a huge selection to chose from in her Etsy shop. And if you hurry over now everything that is RTS (ready to ship) is 25% off! Plus, of you spend over $40 you can get free shipping with the code SHIPFREE40 (US only).

And be sure to follow Maddie B's Boutique on Facebook so you can keep up with new styles and hot sales!

Get Ready For Summer with Vera Bradley - Review and Giveaway

Summer is finally here! And while you are anxiously awaiting the end of the clouds and thunderstorms you can start getting yourself ready to hit the beach and the pool. Lucky for us, Vera Bradley has us covered with all the hottest summer accessories.

I was lucky enough to receive a fantastic package from Vera Bradley with a sampling of their summer must-haves. While I am a huge Vera Bradley fan and have tons of the hand bags, luggage, and even sunglasses... these were my first summer accessories.

In this package I received the small mesch tote, sarong, and beach towel Jazzy Blooms. With this little set I can be completely coordinated when I hit the beach this summer. My first thought when I opened the package was about the beach towel. Before I even had the chance to open it up and check out the beautiful pattern I noticed how nice it felt. It's a really nice thickness without weighing me down. It's very soft and I love that the reverse side is orange and not white. I think it really pulls it together and makes it a really nice, quality towel.

The sarong is very cute and can be worn in several different ways. It also makes a really cute scarf, so that's an added bonus! It's very lightweight and a little shear. But over a bathing suit it looks very cute and gives you that coverage you're looking for when you walk the boardwalk or grab lunch.

The small mesch tote is exactly what I need. It is true to it's name.. so it's small. It's not the family beach bag, but it's perfect for me to take my wallet, towel, sunscreen, and a book or magazine. I like to have a seperate bag in case I need to run and buy drinks or grab a table for lunch while the kids and my husband stay at the beach. So this bag is all mine and I love it! It also has a little zippered pocket inside to hold keys and other little things for safe keeping.

I am a big fan of alot of Vera Bradley's patterns, but this one just really stands out as the perfect summer pattern. It's bright and cheerful and nothing has faded with washing. I am so happy with my new summer items and I think you will be too. 

Head over to Vera Bradley to check out their awesome summer sale where you can grab these items and more for up to 60% off. Plus, from now until July 8th you can get a free towel with any $100 purchase (US orders only). Happy Shopping!

Now for the best news of all... one of my lucky readers is going to win a small mesch tote, towel, and sarong in Plum Crazy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* I received samples for review purposes. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced in any way.