12 Pearls of Christmas: Faith, Hope & Love

The Pearls We Pass Down
by Holley Gerth

Ten years ago my Grandma Frances went home to heaven in her sleep just before Christmas.

My Grandpa carefully handed me a brightly-wrapped box on Christmas morning and said, "This is her gift. Now I want you to have it."

I opened the lid slowly and tears came to my eyes as I saw a lovely string of pearls.

My Mom gently helped me fasten them around my neck. As I ran my fingers over each one, I thought of my Grandmother and all she taught me through her life...

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

FAITH

At age twenty-nine, my Grandma contracted polio and learned she would never walk again. She had a husband, two little girls, and a future suddenly very different than she imagined.


A pastor came to visit her in the hospital. He said, "Frances, this can make you bitter or better." She often told that story with a sparkle in her eyes as she said, "I chose better." I learned through her example that faith is a choice and with God we can thrive through anything.

HOPE

My grandparents took a leap of faith and started the first Christian bookstore in their city with a small kiosk in the center of a mall. Over the next few decades that little kiosk grew into a large and successful store that touched countless lives.

Many of my favorite childhood memories are of curling up in the back room with a stack of books. My Grandma taught me hope is like a small seed and, watered with prayer, it can grow into a huge blessing for many.

LOVE

For fifty-six years my grandparents shared a life together. I adore these two pictures because one is taken when they were dating and the other just a few weeks before she died. The twinkle in their eyes is still the same-and that's not easy in this world. They faced their share of challenges, like my Grandma's disability, but always got through them together.


My Nana also loved her family deeply. When I went to college, she often wrote notes to me and signed each one, SCTH (Stay Close to Him). She showed me love is a commitment that begins with Christ and then overflows to everyone else in our lives.


I still miss my Grandma Frances, especially this time of year. Sometimes I pull out her string of pearls and hold them in my hands. Then I think about how we're all creating our legacy as we live. And while the difficulties we face may seem hard to understand now, God can turn each one into beauty that blesses our family for generations.

__________________________________

Holley Gerth - Cofounder of (in)courage, editorial director for DaySpring, author of Rain on Me, wife of Mark, lover of Jesus, friend to YOU.

Visit Holley at Heart to Heart with Holley or follow her on twitter as @HolleyGerth.

__________________________________

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

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

3 More Days Until ZhuZhu Pet and Build-A-Bear Giveaways

I will be mailing the Zhu Zhu by Priority Mail but USPS does have a disclaimer right now so no guarantees.  The eCards will be done as soon as I can verify the winners.

Want to increase your chances of winning?

Enter each of my open giveaways, come back to each giveaway and leave five entries.  Easy!

Leave a comment on any of the below posts for a bonus 5 entries:

• Tassimo Hot Beverage System
• 12 Pearls of Christmas or here (multiple posts will post daily)
• Organic Pharmacy
• RugsUSA

Tip:  On the forms, hit the back button and it returns with the same information which makes multiple entries easier.

Bring a follower and get 10 bonus entries!

December

• YouthfulTips Build-A-Bear 2 e-card Giveaways: Holly & Hal 12/20
• YouthfulTips Zhu Zhu Pet Giveaway 12/20

Watch for a special Valentine's Day Gift Guide with Giveaways!

Kudos to Shine & the UK: Twiggy's Photoshopped Olay ads banned in England editor

If they are going to hold us bloggers to truth you might as well go after the businesses using Photoshop to alter the images of women that cause the women, the majority to note, the due diligence of not creating more social harm.  This continued bombardment of advertisers displaying starving women, Photoshopped women and women that look better at 60 then they did at 20 needs to stop.  It's really a hard standard to live up to and then they wonder why women in their 40's and 50's are becoming the largest group of people with eating disorders.

I'm glad Yahoo's Shine called this out and kudos to England for stepping up to the plate and doing something that needed to be done a long time ago.

Twiggy's Photoshopped Olay ads banned in England editor by Jennifer Romolini, Shine staff

Perhaps we should start calling 2009 the year of the airbrush. The latest Photoshop scandal involves not an emaciated model nor a bizarrely-retouched actress on the cover of a fashion magazine, but instead a 60-year-old icon with not enough crows' feet for anyone's liking.

Let's catch you up: Last summer, beauty company Olay debuted its Definity eye cream campaign depicting model Twiggy looking far younger, smoother, and firmer than her then 59 years should suggest. The '60s fashion star appeared virtually wrinkle-free in the ads and, since her baby-faced visage was selling anti-aging cream to older women, quite a few people—including bloggers, news outlets, and the British Parliament—grew quite disturbed.

In August, British lawmakers called for a ban on the digitally altered ads, suggesting they mislead the public. And, in the ensuing months, the U.K's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received hundreds of complaints from the public, claiming the Olay images were "socially irresponsible" and could have a "negative impact on people's perceptions of their own body image, " The Guardian reports.

Finally, yesterday, the ASA banned the complete set of Olay Twiggy ads, ruling that the post-production retouching could give consumers a "misleading impression of the effect the product could achieve."

You think?

In the ads, Twiggy says, "Olay is my secret to brighter-looking eyes" and "Because younger-looking eyes never go out of fashion...[it] reduces the look of wrinkles and dark circles for brighter, younger-looking eyes."

However, since Olay admits to "minor retouching" around Twiggy's eyelid area (essentially wiping out any indication of undereye darkness, bags, and fine lines), we know the cream is not really her secret. Instead it's a skilled computer technician, which is something you just can't bottle and sell for $23.89. Nor is this this "secret" available to most women, no matter what the company claims. It's refreshing that, with the banning of these ads, finally someone is saying just that.

*Photo and story from Shine (see link above)

SproutBaby Twelve Days of TwitterFest: Thursday

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

7th buyer will be rewarded with a free Episencial Playful Foaming Wash!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!

101 Simple & Thoughtful Ways to Give This Christmas Away Review & Promo

Christian recording artist and author of 101 Ways to Give This Christmas Away, Matthew West ( http://matthewwest.com/ ), is offering a free download of the Christmas story from Luke read by the singer/songwriter himself. You can also download a free copy of the Gospel of John in the New Living Translation here http://www.thechristofchristmas.com/.

Here are some fun ways of sharing this free special download:

Some ways this download is being used:

• Family time listening experience (hot cocoa, fire place, Christmas cheer)
• Christmas E-cards (include a link to the download in your Christmas card this year)
• Posting the link in the comments sections of other blogs you read to spread the word 
• Embed the audio file into your Facebook page or website so it plays automatically
• Spread the Gospel though Twitter
• Send the link through a text message or through your smart phone so you can download the file and play it all around town

Tyndale House Publishers gave me the opportunity to review this complimentary copy of Mathew West's 101 Simple & Thoughtful Ways to Give This Christmas Away.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers (October 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414336446
• ISBN-13: 978-1414336442
  

Every year, people get caught up in the commercial sensationalim of Christmas and forget the true meaning of it.  It's sometimes understandable as the reason for Christmas is wanting to be dismissed yet the opportunity to take off days is still wanted.  Instead of worrying about rushing around and getting something for that special person, take a break, pick up this small but impactful book and enjoy!

This book, as the title states, provides you 101 ways to do something special, something unselfish and something that will bring a new meaning to giving.  Little things such as holding the door, buying a cup of coffee for the person behind you or reconnecting with old friends or loved ones will bring you joy ... priceless joy.

What I like about Mr. West's suggestions for doing something that is impactful in different ways are his abilities to add personal experiences with each story suggestion as well as the inclusion of a verse from the Bible.

Mr. West is a recording artist and an accomplished songwrite who has released three albums since 2002.  This is an extraordinary book by an extraordinary man and a must have for anyone.  The other bonus to this wonderful book is the size.  It can easily be a stocking stuffer and wrapped up with many possible options to make it the most memorable gift for that special someone.

Save-A-Lot Holiday Promotion Thru January 4, 2010

This season, Save-A-Lot is making it easy to serve your family a delicious dinner for under $20. All you have to do is print your $5-off coupon from their website http://save-a-lot.com/holiday/dinner and use it toward your grocery bill of $20 or more. The coupon is valid through January 4, 2010.

This fantastic “feed a family of 4 for $15” holiday meal special features a Sugardale Ham, sweet potatoes, Fresh Express Garden Salad Mix, Mrs. Smith’s Pie and much more

 
Save-A-Lot has nearly 1,200 stores nationwide and is one of the leading extreme value grocery chains. They pride ourselves on delivering our customers with a compelling, convenient shopping experience featuring great food, great prices, and great people every day.
 
Save-A-Lot even has recipes you can try:
 
Apple Spiced Ham Glaze
 
Ingredients

• 1 Sugardale Bone-In Ham
• 1 10 oz. jar of Apple Jelly
• 1 tsp. Lemon Juice
• 1/2 tsp. Apple Pie Spice

Directions

• Heat oven to 325°.
• Lightly score surface of ham, place covered in oven and bake 10-15 minutes per lb. or until internal temperature reaches 130°.
• Combine jelly, lemon juice and apple pie spice in small saucepan. Heat, stirring until jelly melts.
• Uncover ham and spoon glaze over ham during the last 30 minutes of heating time.

*Disclaimer:  I'm participating in a MomFuse campaign to spread the word about this great holiday savings at Save-A-Lot. 
 
 

Green Mountain Coffee (Fair Trade Certified™) Organic Trio Review & Whole Bean Giveaway WINNER ANNOUNCED

CONGRATULATIONS TO ....

KATY!

An e-mail was sent to her and she has 24 hours to respond before a new winner is selected via random.org.

Thanks to all those who entered and stay tuned for more great giveaways!

Ever heard of Green Mountain Coffee?   If you haven't, you should as not only are some of the brands organic but they are recognized as a socially responsible, innovative, high growth company by Forbes, SustainableBusiness.com and others.  They also have been ranked #1 on the list of 100 Best Corporate Citizens twice.  Green Mountain Coffee was founded in 1981 and are recognized in the industry for producing award-winning coffees along with innovative brewing technology.

Green Mountain Coffee has over 100 types of coffee that sell under the Green Mountain Coffee name and Newman’s Own® Organics brands, including one of the largest selections of Fair Trade Certified™ organic coffees in the country.

Green Mountain Coffee supports local and global communities by offsetting 100% of its direct greenhouse gas emissions, investing in Fair Trade Certified™ coffee and donating at least five percent of its pre-tax profits to social and environmental projects.  To read about their amazing partnerships and programs that are impacting others, go to HERE.

Until 12/15/09, orders of $55 or more, get free shipping with code WB234-2495.

Look at the yummy sounding seasonal varieties also available HERE.  Green Mountain Coffee also has a variety of other products:

• K-Cup Coffees
• K-Cup Teas and Cocoa
• Brewers and Accessories
• Gifts and Samplers

 You can even join their Coffee Club for special savings, convenience and free!  Click HERE for more information.

NOTE:  I'm jumping ahead of the taste review as I want to get this giveaway up and running in time for a Christmas delivery for the winner.  The taste review for the French Roast is below with the other two forthcoming.

The Review will consists of the following three ground varieties:

• French Roast - dark and complex, roasted and blended for bold but sweet intensity.  This is the first coffee my husband and I reviewed. As soon as you open the tightly secured bag, you can smell the richness of this dark blend that doesn't inundate a house with the aroma like some coffee does.  I note that because my oldest dislikes the aroma of coffee.  The aroma was deep and smoky and was just enough in the kitchen to make you come back for more. If you like dark blends, you will love this coffee.
• Sumatran Reserve - exotically lush, sweet and heavy-bodied, born in the mountains of Indonesia.  This is a really smooth, rich tasting coffee that doesn't have a bitter taste.  The aroma is wonderful and has a slight hint of vanilla.  This is my favorite.
• Ethiopian Yirgacheffe - a delicate fragrance of orange blossoms and vibrant lemony tones.  Elegantly sweet, with a clean finish.  Ethiopian Yirgacheeffe is a full body, bold tasting smooth coffee.  The aroma is just as pleasant as the other two blends.  This is a very delicious smooth coffee.  It's a must to have as well.
  

The packaging is a nice organic looking box with a dark green stretchy ribbon that keeps it secure.  The three elegant bags of coffee are displayed among matching dark green packing that makes a nice gift or treat for yourself.  I'm not only partial to Green Mountain Coffee because it's organic but also due to their impact on so many lives and their passion to outreach and encourage others.  In today's world, that is sorely needed.

I always prefer businesses that offer a money back guarantee so I was pleased to know if you are not completely satisfied with your Green Mountain Coffee purchase they will replace the item or credit your account whichever you prefer. This is their promise to you.

Note: Not all coffee sold through Green Mountain Coffee is organic. The Fair Trade samplers I am reviewing are organic but there are also coffees that are uncertified. 21% of total coffee pounds shipped in fiscal year 2008 were organic and are anticipated to grow.

The giveaway includes the following three whole bean varieties:

• French Roast - dark and complex, roasted and blended for bold but sweet intensity. 
• Sumatran Reserve - exotically lush, sweet and heavy-bodied, born in the mountains of Indonesia.
• Ethiopian Yirgacheffe - a delicate fragrance of orange blossoms and vibrant lemony tones. Elegantly sweet, with a clean finish.

To Enter:

• Follow my blog and leave a comment on what type of coffee you would like to try AFTER you visit Green Mountain Coffee's website.  Note: It cannot be one of the one's listed in this review/giveaway.

Extra Entries (two additional entries each):

• Become a fan of Green Mountain Coffee on Facebook.
• Follow Green Mountain Coffee on Twitter.
• Subscribe to the Green Mountain Coffee blog via RSS.
• Follow me on Twitter.
• Enter any of my other on-going giveaways.
• Subscribe to my blog.
  

Giveaway ends 12/15/09 at midnight.  Winner will be chosen by random.org.

Thanks and good luck!

Any Aspiring Beauty Experts? Mark Intern

The Mark internship program is comprised of the crème de la crème of top-selling College Representatives. This 10-week summer program in New York City provides select interns with the opportunity to experience a leading beauty and fashion brand from the inside out (and get paid, too!).

Click here to read more about it:

http://explore.meetmark.com/pages/hot_topics

Voice Mail to Santa & Giveaway 12/20

What a great FREE way to have your kids leave Santa a voice mail and get entered for a giveaway to receive their wishes.

Go to http://santa.viatalk.com/show/18935c7d for the details:

Your kids can call Santa too, simply click below and we’ll email you Santa’s personal ViaTalk phone number so your children can tell him exactly what they want for the holidays! One lucky child will be selected at random on Dec. 20th* to have their wishes fulfilled! Don't forget to get your friends and family to vote for your kids recording to get it to show up on Santa's nice list on the right!

Thanks to http://www.adorablebabyclothing.com/ for letting me know about this!  Sale going on now!

12 Pearls of Christmas: God Provides a Way

A Long Ago Christmas Memory
by Patricia Crisafulli

The old farm on a dirt road in the backwoods of northern New York State was described to me so many times, I can imagine the place, even though I never saw it: the big frame house with the wide porch, the pair of maple trees out front, and the barn in the back where my grandparents kept a cow or two, pigs and chickens, and a team of work horses.

That old house came alive for me in dozens of stories that my mother told, of how she and her sisters grew up there during the Depression. The stories had that long-ago feel not only because of the years that had passed, but also because of the era: tales of riding in a horse and buggy in the summer and a horse and sleigh in the winter. My grandfather owned an old Model A Ford, but the tires were patched beyond repair and there was no money for gasoline.

One story that has always stayed with me was of a particular Christmas in the early 1930s, a time my mother remember as the "depths of the Depression," and there was no money. In order to pay the interest on the mortgage, to keep the bank from foreclosing on the farm, my grandfather needed a relatively small sum. The amount I remember being told was $13, but for the little they had in those days it might as well have been $13,000.

Tested by trouble and sorrows, my grandparents relied on their deep and abiding faith. As Psalm 34 tells us, I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. The answer to their prayers was to be found right in their own backyard with gifts of the earth. My grandmother went into the woods to gather bushel baskets full of ground pine, with green sprouts like miniature boughs that spread in great patches along the earth. From willow branches she made hoops, around which she bound the ground pine to make wreathes.

She sat up all night making wreaths, enough to fill a large hamper basket, which my grandfather strapped to his back. At four in the morning, he hopped a ride on the milk train into Syracuse, where he went door-to-door selling wreathes. Night after night, my grandmother made wreaths, and day after day my grandfather sold them.

As Christmas approached, my grandmother had saved coupons that came in tins of coffee to get a Kewpie doll for her daughters. The only other things she gave them were mittens she knit herself.

Then on Christmas Eve, my grandfather came home from the last day of selling wreaths, exhausted but relieved. The farm was safe for another year. From what he had earned, he had a dime left over, which he spent on his beloved wife to buy her a powder puff. That night, my grandmother gave him her surprise: enough money from selling butter and eggs all year to buy four new tires for the Model A Ford.

Hearing this story as a child, my head was too full of the Sears & Roebuck "Wish Book" catalog to really comprehend it. As an adult, I try to fathom living with no money at all. What lingers in my heart, however, is the love of my grandparents for each other: the dashing young American soldier in World War I and the beautiful French girl he met overseas and then returned to her country to marry.

Many years, thousands of miles, and untold hardships later, that love continued. During a very dark December, they found a way together to keep the farm and the family together. And so it would always be for them.

____________________________________

Patricia Crisafulli is a writer, published author, and founder of www.FaithHopeandFiction.com, a monthly e-literary magazine with stories, essays, and poetry to inspire and entertain.

__________________________________

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/

Become a 1-800-FLOWERS fan on Facebook and help Toys for Tots

Global Influence has teamed up with 1-800-FLOWERS this holiday season to promote 1-800-FlOWER's Toys for Tots program. Just go to 1-800-FLOWERS' Facebook page HERE, become a fan and try out the Secret Santa program to send a warm and fuzzy greeting to someone.  It's an exciting way to send a gift of warm and fuzzies without them knowing who their Santa is and it's FREE!  Your name will be revealed but not until December 21!

Here is where you come in, if 10,000 Warm and fuzzies are sent by 12/21, 1-800-FLOWERS will donate $5000 to Toys for Tots.

What a great way to help a wonderful holiday tradition for supporting needy children while sending surprise greetings to someone you love!   It costs nothing and will produce endless smiles.

It's free so hurry and you get a 15% off coupon to purchase your own warm and fuzzy like this beautiful tree that is calling my name!

This arrangement is another one that I'm really wanting to get this year for my table.  There are so many choices to choose from.  1-800-FLOWERS is also going to help spread holiday cheer to less fortunate children with their new Toys for Tots Collection of holiday flowers and gifts.

http://ww11.1800flowers.com/collection.do?dataset=10511

Get your warm and fuzzies going and head on over to send your Secret Santa wishes and help Toys of Tots thanks to 1-800-FLOWERS.


Disclaimer:  For this post, I entered a contest for an arrangement which I won.  The arrangement post can be viewed here.

My Red Apron Feast on FIOS Giveaway

My Red Apron is offering a great giveaway package:

I am so excited to share my biggest giveaway to date with you and it is exclusive to My Red Apron readers. FiOS a division of Verizon is sponsoring the FiOS Foodie Pack which includes

• A Flip Video Camera (yes I am still dreaming of one of these for myself!)
• $25 gift card to Williams-Sonoma (woot! great stuff here)
• NAMCO BANDAI’s Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked video game (check out a preview)

This package is in honor of FiOS and its foodie features, which can help make cooking easier this holiday season:

• Spend less time waiting for a recipe or tip to load and more time actually trying it with blazing fast download and upload speeds from FiOS.
• Just watched a neat cooking segment in the living room? Use the Multi-room DVR to record it and play it in the kitchen when you’re ready to give the recipe a shot.
• Get a front row ticket to any Food Network show with super-crisp high-definition picture quality.

Giveaway ends 12/21 so hurry!

GreenToys Chef Set Review & Giveaway 12/15 WINNER ANNOUNCED

CONGRATULATIONS TO....

Jacqline (artzyfartzy68)

An e-mail was just sent and she has 24 hours to respond!

Winner was chosen by random.org and thanks to everyone who entered!

Merry Christmas!

Want a recipe for good organic fun? 

1. Two children, ages 2 and up

2. Great imagination
3. A play kitchen is optional
4. One Green Toys Chef Set

Take the kids, mix in this great Chef Toy Set and unleash the fun!

I was really surprised at how much my two girls LOVED this set.  They have a nice play kitchen already so adding this Chef Toy Set added the options for creativity and a little more fun as the two year old hasn't learned the concept of sharing.  I found this wonderful site and contacted them on a product review and giveaway.  I was interested in the Green Toys Chef Toy Set for many reasons:

1. Made in the USA
2. Made of 100% recycled plastic milk containers.
3. Safe, non-toxic and BPA-free

What I also liked, as most kids enjoy using real food, is the dishes are dishwasher safe AND meets the FDA's food contact standards.

This was not one of those new toys euphoria incidents that was only captured on the day of receipt.  This was almost a week later when I was able to capture them separately playing with the Green Toys Chef Set.  They still fight over them but they both like them a lot.

If you haven't heard of Green Toys, they have received numerous awards from Disney's Family Fun, Goddard School and Eco-Child's Play Top 10 Eco Toys in 2009 and ASTRA 2009 Best Toys for Kids.  Click HERE to see all the awards they have received as you might be surprised.

 

The Recycling and Dump Truck are also a couple of my favorites.  You can click HERE to see a live demonstration of the Recycling Truck at work.  

 

The Giveaway:

Your own fun, exciting and ORGANIC Chef Set!

To Enter:

Leave a comment that you follow my blog!  That's it!

Extra Entries:

Answer the trivia question:  Every pound of recycled milk jugs used in the making of Green Toys saves what?  Leave a comment for five extra entries.

Sign up as a fan of Green Toys on Facebook for two comments.

Sign up for Green Toys e-mail updates for two comments.

Follow Green Toys on Twitter for two comments.

Follow me on Twitter for two comments.

Vote for me at Divine Caroline (see button on left side of page) for five comments.

Subscribe to my blog for two comments.

Giveaway ends 12/15/09 at midnight.  Winner will be chosen by random.org and only valid in the US.

Please don't forget to leave your contact information on the entry (i.e. e-mail!)!

Good luck!

* I was provided the Chef Set for review by Green Toys and was not financially compensated in any way.  The opinions set forth in this review are my own.

PLEASE USE THIS FORM AND NOT COMMENTS TO ENTER.  THANK YOU!

Want a creative way to give this as a gift?  Check out my post on a S'mores Kit within the Green Toy's Chef Set HERE.

Delicious Holiday Hot Chocolate & Lenox Wine Glass Giveaway 12/15: WINNER ANNOUNCED

CONGRATULATIONS TO....

ReinyDey

An e-mail was just sent and she will have 48 hours to respond.  I would expedite this but I won my set from Lenox back in mid November and have not received them yet so they definitely won't be received in time for Christmas as I found out last night.

Thanks to all that entered!

Winter Greetings® Everyday Goldfinch Mug by Lenox

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups of low fat or whole milk
• 1 cup cocoa solids chocolate, broken into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4-5 tablespoons brandy
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional in place of the brandy)
• 1-2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, to taste

Directions

• Boil milk in a large heavy based saucepan, remove as boiling point is reached.  Be careful not to scorch.
• In a small pan, place chocolate and two tablespoons of milk while stirring over a low heat.  Once melted, add the melted chocolate mixture into the remaining milk while stirring well.
• Add sugar, cinnamon and brandy.
• Using heatproof glasses or mugs, serve the delicious hot chocolate with a dollop of whipped cream lightly dusted with cocoa powder or cinnamon.
• Serve with a cinnamon stick for an added extra stirrer.

To Decorate:

• 6 tablespoons whipped cream
• 4 teaspoons cocoa powder or ground cinnamon
• cinnamon stick, for stirrers (optional)
  
  
   

Serves four eagerly waiting guests!

*Leave out the brandy for a kid friendly version and enjoy!

How to Make Your Own Vanilla Extract

• 10 vanilla beans
• 1 3-pint Mason jar
• Vodka

Slice the vanilla beans in half, place in jar and fill with vodka.
Store in a dark area and ensure the lid is on tight.
Takes about 8 weeks to finish (I'm on week 4).
Lenox & TwitterMoms Drinks of the SeasonMore Drinks of the Season Recipes

The Giveaway:

O2xygen Balloon Wine Glasses by Lenox (above), Set of 4 normally priced at $58.

To Enter:

Follow my blog and leave a comment.

Extra Entries:

• Become a Lenox fan on Facebook for 2 comments.
• Follow Lenox on Twitter for 2 comments.
• Follow me on Twitter for 2 comments.
• Subscribe to my blog for 2 comments.
• Enter one of my other giveaways and leave 2 comments.
• Tweet about the giveaway for 2 comments (can be done daily).
• Blog about the giveaway for 2 comments.
• Vote for me at DivineCaroline (see widget on left side of blog) for 5 comments.

Giveaway ends 12/15 at midnight.

Winner chosen by random.org.

Good luck!

Announcing Winners: A Bittersweet Task

I wonder if any other bloggers have a bittersweet time with announcing and notifying winners?  I love to notify the winner but as I read through the comments to ensure the valid entry requirements were made, it makes me sad that I can't give it to everyone.

What great people we have in the blogosphere!