National Buzzed Driving Campaign: Have a Safe Holiday & Take the Pledge

It's holiday party season - time to celebrate all of the exciting winter holidays with our friends and loved ones. Our mailboxes are flooded with invitations to parties and dinners and other holiday get-togethers. With these parties come food, fellowship, gifts, and in many cases, festive alcoholic drinks.

In 2008, nearly 12,000 people in the U.S. were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes - and during the periods around Christmas and New Year's, this number was particularly high, with 316 people killed in alchol-impaired driving crashes. In 2007, 162,493 women were arrested for a DUI, an increase of almost 29% since 1998. You can't help but wonder if lives could have been saved if people thought twice before getting behind the wheel. With the holidays approaching, it's important that drivers be reminded about the dangers of buzzed driving. Who knows...it could save a life.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) and the Ad Council are asking everyone to drive smart this holiday season and to pledge not to drive buzzed. Help spread this message during the holiday season by posting about the dangers of buzzed driving, sharing a story or experience you might have had with buzzed driving and encouraging readers to follow Buzzed Driving on Twitter (@buzzeddriving) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/buzzeddrivingisdrunkdriving) to get the latest updates and news.

You can also visit the Buzzed Driving website (http://buzzeddriving.adcouncil.org/) where readers can sign a pledge to not drive buzzed, play an interactive game which demonstrates the difference between buzzed and drunk, and hear personal stories from people who have driven buzzed.

While at holiday events, it's easy to lose track of a drink here or there - but this can be fatal. This holiday season, keep you and your family safe by spreading this message.

Have a safe and happy holiday and remember that buzzed driving IS drunk driving.
 
Take the pledge to not drive buzzed here as I did: http://buzzeddriving.adcouncil.org/.
 
 

12 Pearls of Christmas: Home

COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
by Virelle Kidder

My mother had remarkable zeal for Christmas. Weeks in advance, she would come home from teaching school and bake late into the night. I helped clean the house and decorate the tree while my older brother Roger wired the house with Christmas lights, transforming our humble red house into a place of magical beauty. Following the church candlelight service, a crowd of happy people crunched through the snow to our house for cocoa and cookies.

We were, like many, quite alone in the years after my father left. Our Christmas open house was my mother's supreme effort to make us feel complete. It almost worked.

Despite years in church and Sunday school, God was more a distant relative I wished I knew. I grew up with a gnawing sense of incompleteness, and longed to find meaning and purpose in life. Strangely, it was shortly before Christmas years later that it found me.

My husband Steve was fully absorbed with his new job at Johns Hopkins University, and I was home with a two year old. We wanted friends, but were both hesitant when Steve's officemate his wife invited us to attend their church. We had nothing in common with "religious types," but Steve said, "Let's be nice and go just once."

Sitting in church that Sunday, my temples pounded. Hymns and Scripture verses long ago ignored called to me from my childhood. Could others tell I didn't belong here? Oddly, I felt jealous of their peace. They looked happy.

First thing Monday morning I began tearing through the unpacked boxes in our basement. At last, I found my mildewed Bible from fifth grade. I resolved to read it cover to cover. I opened to Genesis, chapter 1. Same old story; I've heard this a hundred times, and quickly slammed it shut.

No one told me God could hear my thoughts. A soft Voice whispered, Why not read as if it were true? I opened my Bible again. Suddenly I was listening to the most interesting person I had ever heard. By afternoon I was still reading in my pajamas. I couldn't stop.

I read for weeks until one day, a picture popped in my mind of a beautiful old house with wide porches, brightly lit at night. Music, laughter and lively conversation carried onto the porch where I stood in the dark, peeking in. I saw a feast and a fire on the hearth, much like the Christmas open houses from my childhood, with one important difference. There was a Father here whose face mirrored love and warmth at His children's presence. This was God's family, and I desperately wanted to be inside. But how?

A voice taunted, Why would God want you? You don't fit in this crowd! It was true. I considered giving up. Instead, I marched upstairs to our bedroom, knelt down and prayed out loud, "Lord, help me find the way! Please don't let me go!"

Verses I'd read made sense. Jesus said, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

Our friends explained that God already knew I was a hopeless mess and loved me anyway. Opening the door to Heaven was a gift that cost God everything. It was on the cross Jesus died to pay for my sins. He rose again to prove forever that He is the Truth. Weeping at such love, I knelt and gave Christ my life. I found that, with or without a happy family, no one is ever complete without Jesus.

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Virelle Kidder is a conference speaker and the author of six books and numerous articles whose passion is sharing the love of God with women around the world. For her latest books, please visit her at http://www.virellekidder.com/ and http://www.meetmeatthewell.fm/

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A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit http://www.pearlgirls.info/

SproutBaby Twelve Days of TwitterFest: Sunday

 

Today's Twitterfest deal from SproutBaby.com is 40% off all Plan Organic Toys! Simply follow @sproutbabyclub on twitter and purchase using this link: http://bit.ly/8V9jtS.

Every 7th buyer will be rewarded with a free Bye Bye Monster Bug Spray!

Watch as Sproutbaby.com’s youngest helper, 3-year-old Eden and mom Emily tell us about today's deal. Visit http://www.youtube.com/sproutbabyclub for their special video!

Also don't forget that SproutBaby.com is still celebrating its first birthday with $2,500 giveaway! Every purchase at http://www.sproutbaby.com/ between October 15, 2009 and December 15, 2009 will automatically enter you to for a chance win. Every completed purchase is a new entry into the drawing, so come back and visit us as many times as you like!

Only two days left so hurry!

12 Pearls of Christmas: God With Us

LISTENING FOR CHRISTMAS
by Deb Kalmbach

I used to be the queen of over-commitment, and December brought out the worst in this malady. It was as if I were poised at an imaginary starting line, and when I flipped the calendar page, I was off and running--the December dash!

You could hardly see any white space on my daily planner it was so jammed with events. Kids' Christmas programs, church programs, and endless lists of things-to-do obscured my calendar and my vision to see what really mattered. Each day when we hung another ornament on our Advent tree, I felt my chest tighten, and my breathing get shallower. Only single-digit shopping days left...Panic mode was about to set in.

Of course I was singing in the Christmas choir. I love music, and the heavenly Christmas anthems we sang. The neighborhood cookie exchange was an annual tradition. Forget about the old standards, chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies. Let's talk about jam-filled tea cookies, chocolate-dipped peanut butter balls, or iced sugar cookies with colored sprinkles. My kitchen looked like a Martha Stewart test kitchen gone awry.

My head spins just thinking about it. I usually felt so frustrated and exhausted by Christmas Day, I barely enjoyed the celebration. I repeated this drill for many Christmas seasons, before I finally decided to step back and think about why I was trying to accomplish the impossible. I learned to take a deep breath and accept the fact that I can't do it all-and I'm much better off if I don't try.

That's probably why I'm writing this. The tendency to revert to this frenzied pace by mid-December is still a challenge. I need to be reminded of the quiet simplicity of this season, so I can hear the age-old message once again.

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14

Immanuel! Our God is with us. If we can stop long enough to listen-we will hear the invitation that beckons us to come, to wait, to get ready for our coming King.

No doubt, December will be as busy as ever with gifts to purchase, trees to decorate and carols to sing. But this Advent season, I pray that in the midst of everything contending for our time and attention, our hearts will be moved and our senses sharpened to rejoice in God's greatest gift.

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Deb Kalmbach is the co-author of Because I Said Forever: Embracing Hope in a Not-So-Perfect Marriage and the author of a book for children, Corey's Dad Drinks Too Much. Deb and her husband, Randy, make their home in a tiny town in Eastern Washington. Visit Deb at her website or blog.

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A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit http://www.pearlgirls.info/

12 Pearls of Christmas: Life Beautiful

Life Beautiful
by Margaret McSweeney


During a quiet moment after Thanksgiving, I started reading my parents' stack of love letters that I recently found in a storage box. As a Christmas gift to you, I would like to share my father's words to my mother written to her during Christmas 1949. This incredible "hug from heaven" has been a tangible affirmation that Pearl Girls has true meaning and great worth for women throughout the world. I pray that God will continue to bless this ministry and outreach. May we all realize that the grit in our lives can be transformed into grace through the love of God.

This is what I found written on a tiny folded card inscribed with "Christmas Greetings" on the front:

Christmas 1949

My Dearest Carolyn,

Truly a jewel is a thing of beauty, but a life that is lived to serve others and to glorify our Christ, such as yours, is my dearest, a far surpassing gem in radiance and beauty.

Pearls to me, symbolize this "Life Beautiful" that you have achieved, Carolyn. Each pearl is a result of a great hurt to the oyster's life. But the little mollusk builds an iridescent coat around this source of hurt, and as a result, the precious pearl comes into being. Life is like that too.

If we, like the pearl, can make of our hurts the basis of a thing of beauty, then we can bear witness to an on-looking world how Christians can overcome through Christ, blows that are seemingly insurmountable.

At this happiest season of the year, I give thanks to God for you, Carolyn - my Pearl of Great Price.

Your Claude

Isn't this an amazing Christmas Pearl? I hope this message has touched your heart, too. Another Christmas gift I would like to share with you: My father's lessons on leadership. These can be found on my guest blog post at Michael Hyatt's website.

During this holiday season, decorate your life with Christmas Pearls --- strands of God's grace-reminders that nothing can separate us from his love, not even the grittiest of circumstances.

And please celebrate the "Pearls of Great Price" in your life through Post a Pearl. It's a fun and free gift that you can share with special people who have been a blessing to you over the years.

Merry Christmas!

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Margaret McSweeney lives with her husband David and two teenage daughters in the Chicago suburbs. She's the founder of Pearl Girls and a published author. Please visit http://www.pearlgirls.info/ for more info. You can also find Margaret at her writing blog, From Finance to Fiction or on Facebook and twitter.


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A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit http://www.pearlgirls.info/

Tassimo Supremo Hot Beverage System Review

This is a coffee drinking house and with as many children as we have, a hot chocolate one as well.  My oldest loves Starbucks for their hot chocolate and is slowly drifting over to the adult world of cappuccinos.  My husband is a plain coffee drinker with a sometimes craving for cappuccino and espresso so when I was given the opportunity by Tassimo for a complimentaryTassimo Supremo Hot Beverage System with T DISKS, I eagerly agreed!  This is an all around wonderful addition to our tastes.  Not only can my husband start his Army days off nice and warm with a delicious cup of coffee but the girls and I get to indulge in some amazing tasting Milka hot chocolate.

Once I opened the nicely packed box, I read the instructions which you have to do to understand how to assemble it.  It wasn't difficult by any means but my excitement was that of a little girl and I wanted it NOW!  I followed the cleaning direction and assembled everything.  I then looked through the wonderful array of products we were able to try:

• Starbucks Caffe Verona is superior to regular coffee making systems at home.  It has a rich, full bodied taste and not bitter.  It is a dark blend but is very delicious.
• Gevalia Cappuccino - the creamy layer of froth is a nice top off to this two disk package.  It has a nice bold, rich flavor.  This is a definite great replication to coffee house quality cappuccinos.
• Gevalia Signature Blend is another great tasting, high quality blend that has a rich, full bodied taste and is very smooth.
• Milka Hot Chocolate is my favorite!  It is rich, creamy and tastes better than any store bought version.  I also cheat and shoot in a shot of whipped cream just like Starbucks does.  It is an amazing cup of smooth, rich tasting chocolate and is so quick to make.
• Twining's Chai Tea Latte is sweet and creamy as well as delicious and smooth.  I did not try this one but my husband did and provided the above comments.

The beauty of Tassimo Hot Beverage Systems are in the T DISCS.  They have their own barcode which tells the Tassimo System how to precisely made the hot beverage you want.  You have the convenience of size as you made a single serving thus not wasting any and the convenience of a quick throw away T DISCS without the filters.  One of the best advantages if you can create a primo cup of a magnificent tasting beverage to meet anyone's request.  You are not limited to one type of a beverage. What a great treat that makes if you have guests!  It's so simple to make a delicious beverage.   Just slip in the T DISC, press the button and it's ready in 60 seconds.

It's such a quick way to make you look like you slaved over this gourmet drink when in reality, all you have to do is slip the disk in and push a button!  Some beverages have two disks but that's not a big deal once you realize how delicious they all are. 

Another plus of the system is the adjustable cup platform.  Pretty much all sizes of cups will fit whether you adjust the height up or remove the base to allow for a travel mug or other tall mug.  It's so versatile and only takes up a small space on the counter.  All parts are dishwasher safe which only makes it even more appealing.

The only con is the fact that they can become costly if you overindulge in some of the brands but the taste outweighs the cost. 

Tassimo is Kraft Foods' proprietary home brewing system that lets consumers make delicious coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cappuccino, espresso and lattes, one cup at a time.

Tassimo even has a subscription service with free enrollment gifts:

If you already own a Tassimo Hot Beverage System, you can join and receive two free packages of T DISCS, two Tassimo mugs AND free shipping.

If you purchase a Tassimo Hot Beverage System for $169.99 (including shipping and handling), you get four free packages of T DISCS and free shipping.

Other benefits for subscribing include Tassimo Tasting Tours where you get free samples, exclusive access to European blends and free shipping on all orders over $30.

It also has a two year warranty.

Need a great tasting recipe?  Tassimo even has recipes HERE.

Candy Bar Hot Chocolate

Prep Time 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 TASSIMO SUCHARD Hot Chocolate T DISC
• JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows
• 1 tablespoon of your favorite candy bar chopped

Directions:

Prepare one TASSIMO SUCHARD Hot Chocolate in a mug or heatproof glass. Top with JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows and a tablespoonful of your favorite finely chopped candy bar for a rich treat you and your kids will love. Makes one serving.

If you are worried about the throw away convenience, Tassimo has even teamed up with  Terracycle to help with the recycling efforts.  Read more HERE.

You can purchase Tassimo through Tassimo's site or through Amazon by clicking here Tassimo.

For more information, visit TassimoDirect.com.

I would highly recommend the Tassimo Hot Beverage System.  Both my husband, children and I love it and have no complaints.

Disclaimer:  Tassimo provided the complimentary Tassimo Hot Beverage System with noted packages of drinks in this post in exchange for my honest opinion of the Tassimo Hot Beverage System and drinks.  I was not financially compensated for this post and I read the conditions set forward by Tassimo in relation to complying with the FTC guidelines for disclosure.

SproutBaby Twelve Days of TwitterFest: Saturday

Today's Twitterfest deal from SproutBaby.com is 15% off all Nature Baby Care eco-friendly disposable diapers. Simply follow @sproutbabyclub on twitter and purchase using this link: http://bit.ly/62amG7

Every 7th buyer will be rewarded with a set of FREE Bum Boosa Baby Wipes.

Watch as Sproutbaby.com’s youngest helper, 3-year-old Eden and mom Emily tell us about today's deal. Visit http://www.youtube.com/sproutbabyclub for their special video!

Also don't forget that SproutBaby.com is still celebrating its first birthday with $2,500 giveaway! Every purchase at http://www.sproutbaby.com/ between October 15, 2009 and December 15, 2009 will automatically enter you to for a chance win. Every completed purchase is a new entry into the drawing, so come back and visit us as many times as you like!

12 Pearls of Christmas: Gifts of Purpose Three Strand Pearl Necklace Giveaway

Too Precious to Wear
by Sarah Sundin

One Christmas when my mother was a girl, she received a string of pearls from her father. Since her parents were divorced-an unusual situation in the 1950s-she treasured the pearls as a sign of her father's love. When he passed away her senior year in high school, the pearls took on even greater significance.

When I was growing up, my mother talked often about the pearls, but my sister and I never saw them. Mom kept them safe in their silk-lined velvet box tucked in her jewelry box. For dressy occasions, she wore other nice jewelry, but never the pearls.

The pearls were too precious to wear.

What if the strand broke and even a single pearl was lost? What if the clasp broke and she lost them forever? She couldn't risk it. Better to keep them cocooned in silky security.

When my mother offered to let me wear her pearls on my wedding day, I was deeply touched. This was more than "something old" or "something borrowed," but a sign that she trusted me and loved me.

A few days before the wedding, my mother pulled the box from seclusion. My sister and I watched with curiosity and awe.

The pearls had turned a deep grayish-yellow, they were flaking, and some had fallen apart.

They were fake.

For over thirty years, my mother nurtured a piece of costume jewelry. All that time she could have worn them and enjoyed them without worry. Her father gave them to her for a purpose-to wear them and feel lovely and ladylike and special. He didn't mean for her to hide them away.

On our wedding day, my husband gave me a strand of real pearls. They symbolize my husband's sacrificial love for me-they were expensive for a graduate student with half-Scottish blood.

I vowed never to tuck them away but to wear them often. Yes, I'm careful. I inspect the cord and knots and clasp, and I plan to have them restrung when necessary. But I wear them and enjoy them. That's why my husband gave them to me.

Our heavenly Father gives us gifts too-brilliant and costly. We should cherish them, but we should use them. Whether our individual gifts involve serving, teaching, encouragement, evangelism, or even money-they have a purpose. The Lord wants us to use our gifts to bless others and to spread the message of His love.

While pearls make women look lovely, using our God-given gifts for His kingdom makes us even lovelier. And just as pearls grow more lustrous with frequent wear, our gifts from God grow in beauty and strength the more we use them.

This Christmas I plan to wear my string of pearls, a sign of my husband's love-and to display my pearls from heaven, a sign of my Father's love.

Have a lustrous Christmas!

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Sarah Sundin lives in northern California with her husband and three children. She works on-call as a hospital pharmacist. Her first novel, A Distant Melody, historical fiction set during World War II, will be published by Revell in March 2010. Please visit her at http://www.sarahsundin.com/ or her blog or find her on Facebook.

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A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit http://www.pearlgirls.info/

Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate with Peanut Butter Review

Over 4,000 years ago, the Mayas in Central and South America used chocolate.  It was later introduced to Europe in the 1500's and was reinvented into a creamy, sweet delicacy.  It was in 1852, Domingo Ghirardelli opened his first chocolate factory and the rest is history.  Ghirardelli Chocolate ... need I say more? 

They make some of the best chocolate around and being a self-proclaimed chocoholic, you can trust me on that one if you have never had the delight.  My husband is not a chocolate lover, I have no idea how that is even possible, but even he loves Ghirardelli Chocolate.  I was more than happy to participate in the new campaign from Shespeaks.com when they offered the delicious chance to try out Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate with Peanut Butter.

Shespeaks provided a nice little gift pack of their ever classy and elegantly wrapped chocolates along with six $1.50 off coupons that I'm wanting to share with anyone who wants them (until I run out).  Interested?  Just send me an e-mail at staying_younger@yahoo.com.  I'm not a huge peanut butter chocolate fan and was going to give this to my daughter who is an avid chocolate/peanut butter lover but I succumbed to the late night cravings and noisely unwrapped one.  I was trying to be quiet but I couldn't.  I was pleasantly surprised by the typical indulgance of the creamy milk chocolate but not only was there peanut butter but a delightful surprise crunchy roasted peanuts perfected each bite.  To me, the crunchy peanut pieces was the icing on the cake that made me craving for more.  I did stop at one as I am trying to get in shape but I do not regret it. 

A nice thing about Ghirardelli Chocolate us the pieces are individually wrapped which makes it a nice snack size without overindulging. Ghirardelli lives up to the usual reputation we have grown accustomed to which is creating this incredibly tasting amazing product.  If you like or love peanut butter, you will love this!

Click HERE to shop online as it's not too late to order for Christmas!  Don't forget to sign up for the Chocomail to receive the latest on news and events, promotions, recipes and entertaining essentials.

Here is a great recipe made with Ghirardelli Chocolate compliments of their site:

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars

• 2 ounce(s) Milk Chocolate Baking Bar
• 1/2 cup(s) Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa
• 2 cup(s) crushed graham crackers for crust
• 1/2 cup(s) melted butter for crust
• 2 tablespoon(s) granulated white sugar for crust
• 16 ounce(s) cream cheese, at room temperature, for cheesecake layer
• 1 cup(s) granulated white sugar for cheesecake layer
• 1/2 cup(s) creamy peanut butter for cheesecake layer
• 3 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour for cheesecake layer
• 4 large eggs for cheesecake layer
• 1/2 cup(s) whole milk for cheesecake layer
• 1 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract for cheesecake layer
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) solid vegetable shortening for cheesecake layer

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. To make the crust, combine the crushed graham crackers, ground chocolate, butter, and sugar in a large bowl until well blended. Press the mixture onto the bottom of an ungreased 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Bake for 8 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack and let cool.


While the crust cools, make the cheesecake layer. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, peanut butter, and flour with an electric mixer at low speed until well blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the milk and vanilla. Pour the filling into the crust. Bake for 40 minutes, or until just set. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool completely. Melt the milk chocolate and vegetable shortening in the top of a double boiler, or in a heatproof bowl, over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the cooled bars. Chill for approximately 10 minutes, just until the chocolate layer is partially set. Score the chocolate layer with a sharp knife, forming 2-inch squares (approximately), and return the pan to the refrigerator. Chill for 30 minutes, or until firm. Cut through the bars and serve. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.



Disclaimer:  I received a sample pack of Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate with Peanut Butter from Shespeaks.  The review is based solely on my opinions and I was not financially compensated or compensated in any other way other than the free sample pack and six $1.50 coupons.

Unilever Beauty Tips and Giveaway Winner Announced

The Random.org winner of the Unilever Beauty Tips and Giveaway is Scott who provided a great tip for men!

An e-mail was sent to Scott and he has 48 hours to respond before Random.org is used to pick a new winner.

Please click HERE for the original post.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

On the Second Day of TwitterFest, SproutBaby Will Give YOU This

Each day, SproutBaby will tweet a 40% discount URL on one of the hundreds of eco-friendly items available on Sproutbaby.com. Think that's a good deal?  Every seventh person to purchase this item will be awarded a free gift!

Today's Twitterfest deal from SproutBaby.com is 40% off all Smiling Planet Plates and Placemats. Simply follow @sproutbabyclub on twitter and look for the special link to purchase.

If you are one of the lucky seventh buyers, you will be rewarded with a FREE Sweet Knee Oatmeal Cookie Bath.

Watch as Sproutbaby.com’s youngest employee, 4-year-old Eden and mom Emily tell us about today's deal. Visit http://www.youtube.com/sproutbabyclub for their special video!

A little bit about Smiling Planet:

Smiling Planet is a family owned and operated company, local to SproutBaby headquarters in Marina Del Rey, California.


Their earth-friendly plates contain no BPA, no phthalates, no lead and no toxic inks. They are independently tested and are made from 100% recycled, medical grade polypropylene plastic. To complete the sustainability loop, in addition to being 100% recycled, the plates are 100% recyclable for true "cradle to cradle" manufacturing.


Why We Like It

Well, if that weren't enough...the designs are adorable! Each plate features a unique design sure to catch the attention of your little one. Plus, in a unique innovation, the designs are placed subsurface, so utensils won't scratch them.


Disclaimer:  I was not paid nor compensated for this post.

Is Your First or Last Name Virginia? Macy Has a Gift!

In celebration of Macy's National Believe Day today, December 11, they are giving away $10 gift cards to those with the first or last name of Virginia!  Go to Macy's between 10 am and 6 pm with a valid ID and you will get a FREE $10 gift card!

Macy's is also showing the original Yes, Virginia TV special tonight. 

Quantities are limited so don't wait.

SproutBaby Special Sale: Twelve Days of Twitter

Each day, SproutBaby will tweet a 40% discount URL on one of the hundreds of eco-friendly items available on Sproutbaby.com. Think that's a good deal?  Every seventh person to purchase this item will be awarded a free gift!

Yesterday's special was a combination set of two products from www.episencial.com, the first company to create an all-natural and fully sustainable skin care line for babies and families, will be available at 40% off.

Simply follow @sproutbabyclub on twitter and purchase using the special URL of the day. If you are one of the lucky seventh buyers, you will be rewarded with a variety six pack from Sprout Foods, the organic baby food created by Tyler Florence.

Also don't forget that SproutBaby.com is still celebrating its first birthday with $2,500 giveaway! Every purchase at http://www.sproutbaby.com/ between October 15, 2009 and December 15, 2009 will automatically enter you to for a chance win. Every completed purchase is a new entry into the drawing, so come back and visit us as many times as you like!

Follow SproutBaby on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/sproutbabyclub for video announcements each day of the sale!

Here is a little more about about www.episencial.com:

We are first and foremost a skin care company.

Episencial skin care products are based upon clinically effective formulas and technologies relied on by skin care professionals in spas and clinics for more than thirty years. Our products are designed to support the skin’s role in the body’s immune system to promote health and wellness as well as beauty.

But we are also parents.

Episencial was created because our founder, Kim Walls – a skin care expert from the Epicuren family – couldn’t find products for her young sons that met her standards. So, she created the products she – and other green parents – wanted:

• high quality skin care that is affordable
• for the most sensitive skin of young children ages 0 to five
• made exclusively with all natural ingredients; the majority of which are organic
• no unhealthy chemicals, ever manufactured under solar power
• beautifully packaged in recycled and sustainable materials featuring art that inspires
• smell terrific using juice extracts – not fragrances

And we believe in the Vivid Green Generation.

Kids learn to take care of themselves at bath time in a fun and familiar way. Take that teachable moment and expand it to the care and cleansing of the planet and you’ve got the makings of something powerful — a Vivid Green Generation. Our kids will be the generation that takes environmentalism from a trendy cause and marketing gimmick to a cultural and corporate norm. We can help them make that happen. Because actively healthy can and should be fun. With Episencial products you can begin to instill green values from day one. Sharing these fun and inviting products — and the care and consideration that goes into making them — with your children can serve as a building block for making actively healthy choices for themselves and the planet. We have been extremely fortunate to showcase like-minded artists; famed photographer Anne Geddes for our professional Epicuren Baby line and celebrated children’s author Eric Carle for the new Episencial products, so you and your children can enjoy them with all of your senses.


To purchase Episencial products, click HERE for a store locator.


* I did not receive any compensation or product in exchange for this review.  I believe in organic products and wanted to spread the word.

Dr. Mao's Tips for Curbing Gray Naturally

What a great article Yahoo's Health segment had today on graying hair attributed to stress and overwork.  He utilizes the current and past Presidents as examples at how quickly their hair turns gray and after thinking about it, it only makes sense about the stress and being overworked.  Here is an excerpt from the full article and link:

Dr. Mao's Secrets of Longevity

by Dr. Maoshing Ni a Yahoo! Health Expert for Alternative Medicine

It seems that the U.S. Presidency comes with an unpleasant side effect: gray hair. Less than one year into his term, President Obama's hair has turned visibly gray. It happened to his many predecessors, too. Did you know that the condition of your hair actually reveals a lot about the level of stress in your life? Chinese medicine attributes many hair issues to a decline in your vital essence, brought on by stress, overwork, physical and emotional strain, an unhealthy lifestyle, and too much alcohol.

While stress reduction is at the forefront of most of our minds these days, what can you do if your hair woes are already showing up on your head? Read on to find out the best ways to remedy graying hair, hair loss, and dandruff, and learn how to get a shiny, healthy head of hair!

Here are recommendations for graying hair:

Eat for hair health. The Chinese have long discovered that black sesame seeds, black beans, and walnuts reverse graying. For healthy and shiny hair, eat foods everyday that are rich in essential fatty acids and omega-rich nutrients: flaxseed oil, sesame oil, olive oil, virgin coconut oil, avocado, beans, nuts and seeds.

Chinese herbs for graying hair. "Shou wu" (also called "fo-ti" or polygonum root) is a hair nurture supplement available in Asian herb stores, used to restore hair growth and reverse graying. Rich in vitamin E and the B-complex vitamins, Shou wu has many other health benefits: It supports healthy estrogen profiles in women, stimulates red blood cell production, builds your immune system, maintains healthy cholesterol levels, and improves intestinal regularity.

Color your hair naturally. If you want to dye your hair, use the following natural colorants: Henna works well for shades of light brown and red, coffee or black tea may be used by brunettes, and chamomile and lemon juice can color light hair.
 
 

The Fall Line: A Tale of Old Jamestown by Errol Burland Book Review

Product Details:

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Co. Inc. (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805971939
• ISBN-13: 978-0805971934

I received THE FALL LINE:  A Tale of Old Jamestown to review as a member of the Dorrance Review Team.  THE FALL LINE: A Tale of Old Jamestown by Errol Burland, is set in the 1600's that details the lives of Lyn Duke, John Grey and Nat Bacon who uproot from Suffolk, England in 1660 to Virginia.  Lyn and Nathanial are neighbors who marry and take along their good friend John to this fertile, dangerous new land. The destiny sought by these three is one of peace and comfort but due to the early age of this colony, fights among Indians and other conflicts thrown their way, they quickly learn it's not all they dreamed of.

The characters are well developed and include Nat's cousin, an affluent tobacco plantation owner, who welcomes the three to Virginia.  Along the way they meet and befriend other influential men and learn that a deep seeded divide is approaching.  The two factions, the Green Spring and the Ring divide the colony and force the emigants to choose.  Nat chooses the group that opposes the governor which is in direct conflict to his cousin who has significant ties to the governor.  The story details Nat's bestowed appointment to lead the Ring against the Indians and then against the Green Spring to the eventual charge of being a traitor to the King of England.

Nat becomes knowns as General Bacon and thus the story details Bacon's Rebellion.  It's a detailed, engrossing depiction of the political strife that was wide spread in colonial Virginia through the eyes of a few.  One ends up feeling remorse for Lyn who loses so much on this path that turned out much different than expected.  

The author, Errol Burland, definitely set the book up with dysfunctional families which adds to the ability to relate and sympathize with the characters:

“I tried to bring a lot of what I learned about dysfunctional families into the book,” says Burland. “I certainly learned a lot of psychology. I worked with a lot of psychologists and therapists, wonderful people.” After completing the research phase of the book, Burland began assembling the stories that had been simmering in her mind. “I generally work in the afternoon. I like to clear the day, take care of all the business, and hopefully get some exercise and have a clean mind and just sit down and write, whether I want to or not.”



- - Nelson County Life, goodreads, February 2007 

I recommend this book to anyone who likes historical novels given the great historical detail present as well as seeing the human component suffered during war and conflict. It's a great book!