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!

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

Aurora - Sea Sparkles

My daughter adores mermaids. So when I learned that Aurora had a new line, called Sea Sparkles, I knew that she would be head over heals for these mermaid dolls!

Aurora was created back in 1981and has grown to be the leading supplier of affordable, high quality gift products. We frequently see Aurora's fantastic products when we are out shopping. Their quality and design always catches my eye and my daughter's attention.

We have been fortunate enough to have several Aurora products that we have purchased, been given as gifts, and even received for reviews. So I already knew that I should expect a very high quality toy. When the box arrived my daughter was so anxious to open it up and find the mermaid that she had picked out online.

Morgana arrived in perfect condition and even better than we expected. The details on the doll are beautiful. From her shimmering fin to her sparkling jewel. She is the perfect size for my daughter to play with and cuddle. Her hair is beautiful and hasn't tangled! I know all you moms can appreciate that!

Here are some product details about this fabulous new line of dolls:

The Sea Sparkles collection now includes new 10", 18", 38" mermaids plus four 27" mermaids. (small, medium, large and extra large sizes; SRP: range from $8-$70).

Each mermaid has long yarn hair and her dress is accented with a shiny jewel.

The holiday-themed Merry Mermaids, "Joy" and "Noel," are beautifully dressed in holiday hats and rich, sparkly fabrics; makes a great seasonal gift.

Sea Sparkles items are suitable for all ages.

Aurora's Sea Sparkles can be purchased at retail or online at the official Aurora shop: http://shop.auroragift.com (direct link: http://shop.auroragift.com/c/sea-sparkles).  Aurora is offering free Shipping on orders over $50; use promo code: YooHoo13.

I would highly recommend these beautiful dolls for any little girl. They open up a world of adventure and imagination. Morgana has already been introduce to my daughter's other friends and they are always taking swimming lessons, visiting grottos, and sometimes getting into trouble.



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Cascade Platinum

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Of all the chores in the world that I wish I could give away... I think washing dishes would be the one. It's not the most difficult of jobs, but every time I turn around the sink is full of dishes. I feel like it's the bottomless pit of chores. Add to it the fact that we are washing a bazillion bottles a day and you can start to understand my pain.

For most people, doing the dishes isn't too terrible because they can use their dishwasher. I stopped using my dishwasher about a year ago because I felt that it was more trouble then it's worth. We have hard water, so everything was coming out spotty. It's also an older machine, so things were coming out still dirty. It was no longer a matter of loading the machine. It was now a routine of prerinsing, loading the machine, spot checking, rewashing, putting dishes away. That's enough to make anyone question if the dishwasher was saving them any time.

So when I was given the opportunity to try Cascade Platinum I was excited to see if I would have any better luck and be able to cut out some of the steps I was taking. So I made some of my mother-in-law's famous pineapple stuffing and got a pretty crusty dish. I didn't do any prerinsing and I filled the dishwasher up with out daily dishes as well. I wanted to see how it did on the tough stuff and the every day stuff.

Overall I was very happy with the results. The casserole dish came out completely free of any gunk! Woohoo! My glasses came out with very little spotting from the hard water. And all of the plates and bowls were spotless. I didn't have to rewash anything! And I loved the lemon fresh scent and how easy and convenient the little packets are. 

I feel confident that I could use Cascade Platinum and not have to prewash, rewash, or inspect every dish at the end of the cycle.This is something I could get used to! And Gail Simmons, Top Chef judge and editor of Food+Wine Magazine, agrees. She has partnered with Cascade to discuss why presentation is just as important as preparation.

· From prep to plating: It’s more than just a great-tasting recipe, but also perfect presentation.

Sparkling dishes, shining flat ware and spot-free glasses truly let you put your best food forward

with culinary creations that pop!

· Gail recommends impressing with a Platinum Presentation: “The easiest recipes pop with

unexpected, gourmet presentations. Drizzle bright sauces on sparkling white plates or layer

desserts in crystal-clean glassware. Keep your presentation sparkling with Cascade Platinum,

which keeps dishes perfect for anytime entertaining and impromptu guests.”

And be sure to check out the Cascade Platinum Contest. The Cascade “My Platinum” contest is a four-week Instagram contest encouraging fans to upload photos related to the weekly contest themes. Show off how sparkly Cascade makes all your pots, pan and plates!

· Visit the contest landing page (http://tinyurl.com/PlatBlog) for information on how to

enter and submit images:

· Each week, two contestants will be selected to receive a brand new Whirlpool

dishwasher. Additionally, one lucky grand prize winner will receive a Platinum kitchen.

Check Cascade out on Facebook for all the latest news! And you can also check them out on Instagram at #MyPlatinum. 

Thumbs Up Wine WineFinder Mobile App

I don't know about you, but I really enjoy a good glass of wine. With the craziness that comes with being a mom of two.... sitting down and relaxing with a glass doesn't happen all the often. So when it does I like to know that I am going to be having something I will like.

While I do enjoy wine, I don't know too much about it. Well, at least I didn't think I did. I was contacted by Thumbs Up Wine to give their mobile app, Thumbs Up WineFinder, a try. By simply downloading this nifty app to my phone I now have the power to know everything I need to know to find the perfect bottle of wine for my taste, the type of food I am preparing, and my price range. So I started to play with this app to get to know the features and how easy it is to use. I did a search for my favorite red wine... Rosemont Shiraz... and I was so pleased to see what the results brought up. Not only is this wine one that Thumbs Up Wine recommends, but I also learned that I am getting more for my money. This particular wine is priced at about $10 but is valued at about $30. More for your money! So while I didn't think I knew anything about wine this app helped confirm that I have good taste (while still being on a budget)!

Here is a short video that will give you a great overview of the app and how you can use it at your local major chain grocery store or warehouse.



My husband and I have found this app to be very helpful. We have used it while shopping to find something according to what we are making for dinner. We have also used in restaurants to decide on a glass of wine. And just the other night we whipped it out at a neighborhood happy hour and looked up some of the wines to see what flavors were in them, what they paired nicely with, and if they were a good value. Everyone loved it!

While there are lots of great features of the app, I have to say that my two favorite things about the app are how quick and easy it is to use and being able to pick a price range. When I am shopping for my husband and I, we tend to look for less expensive. So now we can quickly see if the wine is recommended and if it's a good value. But when I am shopping for a gift or something to bring to someones house I like to spend a little more. This app will be my go-to when shopping for wine!

Along with the app we got to try one of their recommended wines. We checked out a 2010 Bogle Vineyards Essential Red, Old Vine, Red Blend. After one glass I knew why they have recommended this wine... it was fabulous. So we looked it up on our app and learned that this bottle retails for about $11 but they valued it at $36! Wow, now that's a bargain for a great bottle of wine. We also learned that it pairs great with pasta and pizza... so we made a pizza and had another glass.


I would highly recommend you check out Thumbs Up WineFinder on iTunes today!

This Momma's Doing it Herself!

Time to learn a little more about me. Here it is... I'm crafty. Ok, so it's not hue or exciting news. But when I was growing up my mom tried SO hard to teach my sister and I am kind of crafty things. She was an art major in college so we were always drawing, painting, bedazzling (yeah, do you remember that??)... and her biggest joy in life... sewing.

So back then I hated to sew. I thought it was a waste of time to make little clothes for stuffed bunnies. So I didn't pay too much attention and just preferred that she do it because it looked better that way. Sewing failure. 

Fast forward to my college days and after a few changes of my major I end up with a major in... art. Yep, some of my mom's talent and ambition had stuck with me. So I started drawing and painting and loved every minute of it. But sewing was not on my curriculum.

Now here I am with a little girl of my own and all I want to do is be able to make clothes for her and her dolls. So I called upon my mom to try again to teach me to sew. And this time... this time I got it! 

And I made my first dress!!

So my amazing husband bought me my own sewing machine... and it arrived today! So I am super excited to start trying new things. If anyone has any great blogs or websites for sewing tips or ideas please share them. And I will be sure to keep you up-to-date on my sewing adventures!

OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL on Blu-ray

OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL

is now available on Blu-ray!

Film Synopsis:
When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot. Fame and fortune are his for the taking. That is until he meets three witches: Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting.  Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late.  Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity and even a bit of wizardry, Oscar transforms himself not only into a great wizard but into a better man as well.


 My Thoughts:
June has brought a bunch of weird weather to our area. Many nights have been filled with rain and thunderstorms. So on Friday night the whole family gathered around for a special movie night to watch OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL.

My daughter is a big fan of the Wizard of OZ and can tell you everything about that story. So when we explained to her that this story would help us learn about the wizard and how he came to OZ she was very excited. Throughout the film she would point out things that she recognized from the Wizard of OZ, like when the lion makes a momentary appearance and how both movies start out in Kansas and in black and white.

My entire family enjoyed watching this film together. My favorite character was Finley. I felt like he was goofy but had a heart of gold. Without him I don't know if OZ would have been able to become a better man. My daughter's favorite was Evanora because she wore a beautiful sparkly dress. She also tends to like villans, so this wasn't much of a surprise. My husband liked OZ the most. He felt that he was pretty magical even if it was all a sleight of hand.


The movie is full of magic and adventure. There is also love, friendship, and teamwork. From beginning to end we were excited by the unpredicatable events that take place. I really did think that OZ was up in the balloon. And it was really cool how they pulled together an explination of why OZ is behind the curtain and how he came up with that idea.

I would definitely recommend this movie for a great family movie night!

   

Great Gifts for Dad from Staples

Father's Day is right around the corner... but there is still time to get dad the perfect gift! I don't know about you, but Father's Day shopping is quite the chore for me. Since my kids are still so small, the responsibiity of getting the perfect gift from them to their dad falls on me. And he is hard to shop for!

This year I wanted to get something that my husband and my kids could enjoy. Something he wants but would also be functional. I mean, how many "World's Best Dad" coffee mugs can a guy have? So I was excited when Staples reached out with some great ideas for dads.

Staples has the selection you are looking for to find just what you need. Does yoru dad like to play video games? Does he need a new T.V.? How about an E-Reader or an iPod? I can see your creative juices flowing as I throw out these awesome gift ideas.

For my husband, Staples had exactly what I needed.... a digital camera that could come with us on all our summer adventures. The Fuji XP55 digital camera has a 5x optical zoom, 2.7" LCD screen, and is waterproof up to 5 meters. That last feature was just the one I was looking for!

With this camera my husband can now capture even more moments and memories with our kids. From swimming in the pool to boating at the lake... to sunny days at the beach and adventures at Sesame Place... we won't miss a moment now that we have a camera that can go anywhere with us. And the size makes it easy to take on the go.

How else would we capture moments like this?

You can check out their entire line of cameras online.

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*Staples.com provided me with a camera for this review. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced in any way.