MailPix - Review and Giveaway

The holidays are coming and everyone is on the hunt for the perfect gifts. I have always been a fan of giving gifts that are personal and meaningful. Of course those are the hardest gifts to shop for. Since technology has been changing over the past several years it is now getting easier to create those personal and meaningful gifts though the use of photos.

We've all heard that a picture is worth a thousands words, and to me it's very true. I am a big believer is trying to capture magical memories every chance I can get. With digital cameras this has become so easy to do! And now we can turn those pictures into treasured gifts that can be functional, letting us remember fond memories and our favroite people on a daily basis.

MailPix.com is a great new site that allows you to create those perfect gifts. From Christmas ornaments to blankets to coffee mugs. It's amazing what you can put a picture on! And you can even create photobooks to remember and event, a family vacation, or any other time in your lives that you would like to tell a story about.

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with this wonderful company and experience the process and products first hand. They provided me with a code to purchase several products. So I got a head start on my holiday shopping!

The site is very easy to navigate. I was able to quickly and easily upload pictures directly from my computer. Then I simply selected the item I wanted to put the picture on and drag and dropped it. I  was able to edit the image, in terms of zooming and such, to get the image exactly how I wanted it.

Checking out was quick, simple, and straight forward. And my items arrived in no time at all! I was really impressed with the speed of their shipping. I anxiously opened each item and examined it. Everything arrived packed for safety (since several items were breakable) and arrived in perfect condition. The photos came out clear and crips. This is definitely a site I would use again!

And if you head over and sign up you will receive 100 free prints! Can't get any better than that!

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Tiny Prints Holiday Cards!

The holidays are just around the corner and Tiny Prints has you covered! Their 2012 collection has arrived and it filled with something for everyone. With their selection and variety you are sure to find the perfect Holiday Cards for you and your family.

From traditional to modern, Tiny Prints offers great colors, styles and designs. I love how they offer a nice selection of photo cards that meet my needs in terms of how many photos I want to use and colors that compliment my pictures.

And this year they are offering a brand new Premium Double Thick Matte Paper. This is their most luxurious cardstock yet, giving your holiday cards an extra touch of special.


As a customer who has used Tiny Prints before, I would definitely recommend that you check them ou. I have always been pleased with their service and quality of products. They also have great prices and a Special Offers page that you won't want to miss.

You can also follow Tiny Prints on Facebook and Twitter to help you keep up to date in new designs, deals, and specials!

* This is a sponsored post. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

One Thousand Gifts Devotional: Reflections on Finding Everyday Graces

 "One Thousand Gifts Devotional: Reflections on Finding Everyday Graces" 

By Ann Voskamp

(Zondervan, November 2012; ISBN-13: 978-031031445, $14.99)   

Following the success of "One Thousand Gifts," her guide to giving thanks and finding joy in all aspects of life, Ann Voskamp returns with this "One Thousand Gifts Devotional." Follow in her footsteps, and find 'joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama and daily duties.' The 60 devotions in the "One Thousand Gifts Devotional" explore the simple graces and the hard graces we all experience every day of our lives. Each devotion provides a daily Scripture and prayer and invites you to go deeper into the concept of grace explored in her book and on her blog, www.aholyexperience.com. "One Thousand Gifts" has provided inspiration to many Christians swept up in the chaos of everyday life, and now you have the opportunity to respond with your own list of one thousand gifts.

My Thoughts:
This book is refreshing. It is so true that we easily rush through our day tending to the daily to-do list. We rush from one activity to the next. We barely stop to breath, let alone spend time with our family. And sadly, I think God gets the shortest end of the stick when it comes to giving up a few minutes of our day.

There's no escaping life and the responsibilities we have. But this book gives us a quick opportunity to stop and reflect. The 60 devotions are quick and easy reads. But they are inspiring in such a way that you will find yourself wanting to make a permanent change. You will want to include God in your daily life because of all that He can add to it. You will become more aware and thankful for all the gifts He has given you.

Since reading this book, I have found myself pausing more often to reflect on my life. The good and the bad. I am more aware of God's presence throughout my day and my life. It's a great way to become a little more centered with your faith in a time that is filled with a fast paced life.

Hurricane Sandy

Things don't look so bad from where I'm sitting. The sun is shining through my kitchen window, I am nice and warm, and my daughter is blissfully playing in her playroom. It's easy for me to forget about the devastation all around my state and neighboring states.

We made it through the storm with no damage. The winds were literally frightening as the entire house creaked and shook. We were one of the very few lucky ones to keep our power with only minimal outages here and there. We watched from our window as transformers blew and lit up the sky. Neighbors had trees on the houses, roads were (and still are) closed. We were lucky we didn't get much rain. It really helped with the areas that flood.

My parents lost power early on in the storm. So they hustled my grandparents over to us before it became unsafe to drive. My parents went back to their cold, dark house to keep an eye on it and so my dad could respond to fire calls from his department.

But we all made it through just fine. Unlike my grandparents who live out on Long Island. They evacuated and haven't even been home yet. They received word from a neighbor that their house had 5 feet of water in it. It's a ranch, so basically everything they own has been lost. The refrigerator was over on it's side, the doors were so swollen from water that they had to force them open. There is no power, gas, or anything.

Tomorrow they are going to try and get home to survey the damage. My parents are going to try and get out to help them. With the gas shortage around here it won't be easy to get to them. But they are determined. My mom tried to stock up on food for them, but most food stores are running on generators and don't have much on the shelves. There are no working traffic lights in the area surrounding us, making it dangerous to try and get around.

And just imagine.... we aren't even near the Jersey Shore. I can only imagine the devastation there.....

I hope all of my readers who were in the path of this storm are safe and warm.

Mended: Pieces of a Life Made Whole - Book Review

"Mended: Pieces of a Life Made Whole" 

By Angie Smith

(B&H, September 2012; ISBN-13: 978-1433676604, $14.99) 

We love to cheer for the underdog and believe to our core that every life makes a difference. And we are right. There is no one God can’t use and no one whose brokenness is too broken for God. We know this is true for our friends when we want to encourage them. Yet, when it comes to the places of our innermost sense of shame and regret, we often wonder if it is really true that God can work all things together for good for those who love Him.

"Mended" takes you on a journey to show how faith lived in the regular events of daily life is all that it takes to be a part of creating God’s picture of redemption in your life and those around you. Your life does make a difference—because of how He is magnified in the cracks.

My Thoughts:
I have to admit that I had mixed feelings about this book. As a pregnant mother, I did find some of it very hard to read. But at the same time, I felt like I had met a new friend and I was the ears she was using to pour her most intimate thoughts and feelings to. It was a little bit of an internal battle for me to put the book down or keep reading. Ultimately, the book was too powerful to put down. And I am very glad that I read it all the way through.

The thought of losing a child is unbearable to me. And as I look at my own perfect daughter and the growing belly holding my son, the thought makes me cringe and imagine I would never be able to go on. I pray that  I will never have to find the strength to go on, but Angie did. She felt broken and she turned to God to help her put the pieces back together and carry on with her day to day life.

 Angie's messages and experiences carry over into your own challenges and broken pieces of your life. She gives you a new perspective and hope. The book is an easy, quick read and is full of inspiration. I would recommend you check it out!

Purex Plus Oxi Review and Giveaway

We are big fans of Purex in our house. We have been using Purex laundry detergent for the past several months and have been very happy with the price and the performance. So we were definitely on board to try out their latest product, Purex Plus Oxi.

"Purex plus Oxi is the most powerful Pirex detergent available. In fact, it works against over 101 different stains!" With a three year old in the house we are no strangers to stains. And sometimes we don't even know what the stain is because she comes home from school with it! So we are often treating stains with a specific stain treating liquid. Now with Purex plus Oxi I can use my detergent to pretreat and then wash. All I have to do is pour a little Purex plus Oxi onto the stain, rub the fabric together and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then I can toss it in the wash with the rest of my laundry and add detergent as I normally would.

Using Purex plus Oxi does three things for me. It allows me to purchase affordable detergent that treats my stains and leaves my laundry fresh and clean. It also saves me room in my laundry room to only need one product for stain treatment and regular washing. We have put our Purex plus Oxi to the test on stains from juice, chocolate, paint and more... and my daughter's clothes have come out bright and clean.

Be sure to visit purex.com for additional information. Purex is also hosting a fabulous sweepstakes! Click HERE for your chance to win $1,000!

*Purex provided me with a sample of Purex plus Oxi so I could review it. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own.


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Boo at the Zoo and Ascarium!

Boo at the Zoo Returns to the 

Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo 

Celebrate a New York Halloween tradition at WCS’s Bronx Zoo Safe, family-friendly activities include: 

The Haunted Habitat Mansion   

Creepy Hollows Hayride   

Costume Parade   

Music, Magic, and MORE

Master Carver Pumpkin carving demonstrations

Boo at the Zoo festivities run weekends 10/20 & 10/21 and 10/27 & 10/28!

Boo at the Zoo returns to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo for five full weekends of Halloween-themed family entertainment and activities. Attractions and activities embrace the spirit of the season while highlighting wildlife and conservation. 

Children 12 and under wearing a Halloween costume will receive free general admission with one paid adult general admission. All Boo at the Zoo activities are included with the price of general admission with the exception of the hayride and haunted mansion.. The Creepy Hollows Hayride and the Haunting at Habitat Mansion walk-through adventure are included with the purchase of a Total Experience Ticket. 

Guests are encouraged to visit www.bronxzoo.com for a complete schedule of keeper chats, animal enrichment sessions, and family activities.

Want more great Halloween fun? 

Ascarium: A Pirate Adventure, brings a new thematic to the NY Aquarium as a part of this season’s Halloween celebration. A range of pirate themed, kid-friendly, not so scary experiences will be part of this year’s festivities to continue the tradition of providing Brooklyn and area families with a great destination for their Halloween celebration. 

Ascarium combines the fun of this iconic holiday with the NY Aquarium’s mission of connecting people to wildlife. Ascarium will run weekends in October (October 20-21 and 27-28). ONLY TWO WEEKENDS LEFT!

This year’s activities will include: ·         

Haunted Seafari; The Tragic Tale of Captain Paul Looter·         

Pirate School! ·         

Musical Performance ·         

The Sea Gypsies: Dancing Pirate Gypsies·         

Spooky Pirate Storytelling, Mindreading and Juggling·         

Astounding Pirate Feats·         

Pirate Tales·         

Pirate Games of Skill·         

Discover Creatures of the Deep ·         

Pirate Crafts·         

4-D Theater -  Curse of Skull Rock·         

Treat Stations 

Guests are encouraged to visit www.nyaquarium.com for a complete schedule shows and family activities.

Disclosure: My blog is participating in a program for the Bronx Zoo/NY Aquarium. As a part of this program we have received merchandise for placement of this post related to programming.

Ornaments with Love

Christmas is right around the corner and I am beyond excited! Every year the holiday season becomes more and more exciting as my daughter truly grasps the sites and sounds of the holiday. And this year we will be able to add the joy of a newborn baby into the mix! So needless to say, I am in full holiday swing!

Our family loves Christmas ornaments. Every year mom searches high and low for the perfect ornament for each member of the family to add to the tree. I am personally a very big fan of the personalized ornaments. Ornaments with Love is a great site that has a great selection to meet every interest and personality. And they can be personalized for free!

I was very lucky to be asked to check out one of their ornaments up close and in person for this review. I decided to get my daughter something special to commemorate this year. Since this is her first year at her new dance school I decided to get her a personalized ballerina Christmas ornament.

I am so pleased with my selection and the entire experience. My order arrived quickly and packaged nicely so that the ornament was protected. The name and date and clear and large enough to easily be read. Now we have a keepsake to hang on our tree every year and fondly look back at our daughter's first year taking dance classes. She is going to love this ornament, and we are going to treasure it for years to come.

I would highly recommend you check out Ornaments with Love. Their selection is fabulous, their service is great, and their products are high quality. I will definitely be looking to them for personalized ornaments in the future.

Secret of the Wings - Now Available on DVD and Blu-ray!

Now Available!

My daughter has been a big fan of Tinker Bell and all her fairy friends from Pixie Hollow for quite some time now. Each movie has brought a new adventure and taught us new things about Tinker Bell and her friends. So you can only imagine the excitement when Secret of the Wings arrived on our doorstep for review!

My daughter was very aware that there was a new Tinker Bell movie coming out because she had seen it in commercials. But she had no idea that she was going to get a sneak peek! So as soon as it arrived she was anxious to pop it in and make a movie day of it. It was a rainy day here, so it worked out perfectly.

You can always count on Disney to truly bring magic to life. This movie really demonstrates that with the incredible scenery. The characters are really brought to life with bright and vivid colors, and the beauty of the winter woods took you to a magical place.

As always, Tinker Bell is often to curious for her own good. So crossing into the forbidden winter woods doesn't go smoothly. Tinker Bell discovers something about herself that encourages her to travel deeper and deeper into the winter woods, even though it is dangerous. But this is just the beginning of a truly heartwarming tale.

What Tinker Bell discovers in this movie is something more magical than all the pixie dust in the world, it's that she has a sister, Periwinkle! She also encounters some new fairy friends, but don't worry.... the old favorites make their appearances as well!

Aside from being a fun and magical film, it is also filled with valuable lessons for kids and adults alike. You witness a sisterly bond that defines unconditional love and a connection that is truly magical. You also learn about just how strong and caring Tinker Bell is. She is willing to take chances and make sacrifices in order to protect those that she loves. While her new sister is instantly important to her, she doesn't forget her friends or where she has come from. Family and community are so important to Tinker Bell, and that is so important to teach our children.

I would highly recommend checking out Disney's Secret of the Wings. It's a fun movie that the entire family can sit down and enjoy together. It is filled with adventure, but also heartwarming to the point where you might need to keep some tissues near by.



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