Canvas Champ 12 x 8 Canvas Review and 10 x 8 Giveaway 10/11/14

I am an avid picture taker and even though no where near a professional, I do enjoy collecting many memories throughout the years of my family.  My current mission is actually rounding up all pictures from both sides of my family to create a nice guest room and to share in the memories of generations gone by.  I've been slacking in getting pictures and prints up on my walls mostly due to all the moving around so the opportunity to review a canvas from Canvas Champ was ideal!

The canvas, although the appearance in my photo are not as vibrant as in person, it's spot on with the photograph.  The colors are perfect along with the lighting and the wrap around canvas and ready to hang hardware makes it even more appealing.  I don't know about you but I hate having to assemble the hanging hardware on pictures and since it's already attached, the only problem I had was to figure out where to hang it.  I cannot review the ordering process as I ordered via a person direct but after looking at the site, it looks incredibly easy ...so easy, I'm ordering this right now!

The process is so easy:

• Select the type of print you want: canvas, peel & stick, photo boards, metal prints, acrylic prints or canvas banner.
• Upload your photo and choose from the various options from layout to size.
• Select display options, border and frame and any optional retouching and color finishing
• Add to the cart

You can see a 3D view, on the wall view and in design view to ensure you are getting exactly what you want.

They also have a 100% guarantee so if you don't love your order, they will back it up!  Shipping is free for orders over $100 and they tout fast shipping.  I was AMAZED at the speed of delivery and my canvas was packaged to perfection with no damage.  The canvas at the top is just beautiful isn't it?  Canvas Champ has a repeat customer now!

The Giveaway:

One winner will receive their very own 10 x 8 canvas.

To Enter, please use the form below.

Giveaway ends 10/11/14 at midnight (EST).  US only please


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.

Homeschool English Tea Cakes with World Vision Prosperity Cinnamon Review & Giveaway ($85 Value) - US - Ends 10/11

I'm starting a series of homeschool recipe days which currently has an English themed due to my dual citizenship and the girl's grandmother being from England.  The girls are enjoying selecting a recipe and then making it.  We have tried egg salad and chicken salad tea sandwiches, pork pies, strawberry scones and now English cream tea cakes minus the clopped cream.  So far, most have been a hit except the little tea sandwiches so I wonder how bangers and mash will go over.  This morning, we started our day making the tea cakes and setting up for our little tea party.  We also utilized our complimentary Prosperity Cinnamon compliments of World Vision.

Danielle is definitely in her element and is loving the idea of the Jane Austen/Regency period so she must get dressed up to include the traditional English type hat.

Jamie skips the formalities and just participates but was quite pleased with her recipe choice.  She also liked this recipe since we were using a product that will raise awareness about giving back.  The girls have a non-profit that delivers items to children with epilepsy and/or asthma so giving back is huge in our house.

Our recipe addition was our complimentary prosperity cinnamon we received from World Vision.  This world renowned sweet cinnamon from Vietnam is collected from the Cassia tree.  The villagers carve these beautiful boxes out of cinnamon bark and it contains 3 ounces of cinnamon.  The symbol on the box is the Asian character for prosperity.  

It's simply beautiful and a magnificent gift for those the have a love in the kitchen or Asian art.  If you have not heard about World Vision, they have a Christmas edition that is released every year with beautiful, unique and handmade gifts that are available to purchase in exchange for fighting poverty across the world.  The World Vision's Gift Catalog provides over 100 different ways to improve the lives of children through clean water, food, medicine, education, job training and small business loans.  There are many gifting options as well that includes helping those in the United States from giving food, backpacks with school supplies to disaster relief.  There are so many options to make a difference and give back from the smallest token at $20 to the very large gift donation of $39,000.

Our recipe was very easy:

1 cup of butter

3/4 cup of sugar

2 1/4 cups of flour

4 tablespoons of Bird's Custard Powder 300g

1 egg

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 

Beat butter and sugar until very soft.  Add beaten egg, custard powder, flour and salt.

Knead on a floured surface.

Roll out and cut with a plain biscuit cutter.

Bake for 10 minutes or until a pale brown.

Add clotted cream or rasberry jam.  I had neither one so I just mixed powder sugar and almond extract together for a slight sweetened taste.

The girls had a lot of fun with their tea party once again.

The Giveaway:

One winner will receive the same gift I received.  A World Vision Prosperity Cinnamon Box valued at $85.

To Enter:

Please use the form below.  Giveaway ends 10/11/14 - US only please

a Rafflecopter giveaway

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide.

Some World Vision Gift Catalog Facts:

• The 2014 Christmas season marks the 19th annual edition of the World Vision Gift Catalog.
• More than 100 meaningful gifts ranging in prices from $16 to $39,000 are available.
• There are more than 250 items available online at www.worldvisiongifts.org
• More than 30 gifts are in the catalog at $35 or less
• Donors can choose to have a card sent in honor of a loved one.

Announcing Another Grandchild and Win A Wish from Huggies® Little Snugglers Diapers

I participated in a Huggies® and Mom Central posting opportunity in which I received a gift card from Huggies® in exchange for my honest opinions.

If you are a regular to my blog, you know that I have children and that I've always stated what a Huggies® family we are.  Not only did I use Huggies® with my two younger ones but my oldest uses Huggies® exclusively too.  I didn't use Huggies® with my oldest as she's 26 and have no idea what I used all the way back then!  I have tried many brands and I do have a second favorite but I always turned to Huggies® for the reliable protection and unbeatable skin care which is why I eagerly wanted to share Huggies® Little Snugglers Diapers with you.  I also wanted to share that I'm going to be a grandmother again!  My oldest is due early November and in spite of her newly discovered ovarian cancer, we know her little-one-to-be saved her life as the tumor wouldn't have been discovered if it weren't for him.  As she progresses towards her second child, who are close in age to my second crew of children, we are happy to continue along the Huggies® line of products.

As snug and as happy as can be with a dependable, dry Huggies® on!

We all love those adorable soft hugs from our babies, not to mention as they grow too, so why not have make sure the second hug is just as soft?  Huggies® Little Snugglers Diapers has a new Gentle Absorb Liner that provides a cushiony layer of protection with hundreds of tiny absorbent pillows keeping your baby's skin dryer. Huggies® has changed and improved over the years with such great new features such as a wetness indicator so no more putting that finger inside the diaper to feel if it's wet.  For the newborns, there is an umbilical cord cut out to help protect that sensitive healing spot that we all worry about.  The diapers also feature a cottony-soft inside and out to help keep your little one comfortable as well as a unique stretchy Snugfit waistband that is flexible and pocketed to help keep the messes inside and not all over the bedding or your arm.  

As I plan for my newest grandchild, it's time to open up an old post I wrote in which I made a Huggies diaper cake for my first grandchild.  This time, I'm using Huggies Little Snugglers Diapers in a Beatrix Potter theme and will stack the sizes since Huggies ® Little Snugglers Diapers are available in five sizes from Preemie (up to six pounds) through size 3 (16-28 pounds).  With a suggested retail price of $11.99 for a jumbo pack to $22.99 for a BIG pack, I can't go wrong and the other beauty is, they are available in grocery stores and major mass retailers nationwide so wherever I shop, I will be able to find them.  Although my favorite place to shop is Target, which I had done weekly while we lived in El Paso, but we just moved across country so now I have to find my nearest Target and fast!  My oldest loves Target too and has a registry for her baby-to-be.

As part of my participation in this project with Huggies® and Mom Central, I received a $50 Target gift card which I used to purchase two packages of Huggies® Little Snugglers Diapers online as I forgot to capture my prior week's purchase of Huggies® for my other little one.  If you haven't shopped online via Target, you are missing out!  There are great shipping deals and other specials they routinely run and if you live in a congested area like I do, shopping online beats fighting traffic!

If you know someone who is pregnant or if you are, don't forget to submit your wish to Huggies® as for six months, there will be one lucky winner per month with a prize value up to $5,000!  All you have to do is create, if not already done, a registry at Target and then click on the Huggies Little Snugglers Diapers Make a Wish to learn more and enter!  I just did so hurry and enter and as a bonus, you get to sign up for a free sample after you complete your wish entry.  The registry is fast and easy and really lets you set up what you want and need to help others give you the perfect gift!  Target provides suggestions or you can browse on your own and what is wonderful, Target will even allow your gift givers to ship the gift to you!

LeapTV Pre-Order is HERE!

This is a sponsored post from LeapFrog and MomSelect but the opinions are of my own.

If you have children, you probably have heard of LeapFrog.  My children and grandchild are big fans of LeapFrog's array of educational products and from the LeapFrog family including the LeapPad, LeapReader Interactive Map, Letter Factory DVDs, LeapReader Book Sets, Touch Magic Learning Bus and Leapsters that we own and now we can't be more excited to learn about the latest LeapFrog product is now available!  This is sure to be a huge hit with kids given that it's made for kids and provides education and action.

LeapTV provides three opportunities to play from body motion, pointer play and classic controls.  Just swivel one end of the controller out with a simple click to play in pointer play mode.  For body motion, no controller is needed and your child will be able to use the camera mode for playing fun games like Sofia the First.  Classic controls might be a favorite to the little video game avid who's used to pressing A and B buttons for fast paced gaming.  The three modes of play will surely be a hit among the little ones and why not offer up educational value while they play?  I know my kids love playing games and I gravitate towards the ones that will teach while engaging their attention in fun play.

Check it out the LeapTV behind the scenes video here and don't forget, you can now purchase the new LeapTV during the special pre sale!