2011 Christmas Gift Guide - Seeking Sponsors

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 DVD Giveaway 11/30

Who hasn't seen Harry Potter? It's been an eventful ride and starting today, the new DVD is ready for purchase! The final face-off between good and evil is finally upon us as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 just in time for the holidays! Join Harry, Ron and Hermione as they do battle against Voldemort in the epic conclusion to the film series everyone is talking about!  


With the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, there is this really cool widget available that you can take part in a trivia quiz to see how much you know about Potter. Challenge your friends or just see how much you don't know or maybe how much you already know! You can also discover the Harry Potter Buzz Portal and get real time updates on trending on Facebook and Twitter about Harry Potter. You can even get involved by sharing your top three tips in having a Harry Potter party! Sounds like fun doesn't it?


Don't forget to enter my other giveaways!

*Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post.

Smiles that Rock with Crest 3D White Giveaway 12/3

Did you know that Crest 3D White is the number one awarded whitening brand recognized by top beauty magazine editors and my family?  Everyone in my family uses Crest 3D White and I use the whitening strips because they work.  My eight year old's teeth weren't as sparkly as they could be and then I switched her to the Crest 3D White and her teeth are so much whiter now.  I have tried the more expensive brands a couple of year's ago but once I found that Crest 3D White worked so well, I haven't looked back.  I've also tried many whiteners and none work as well as the Crest 3D White strips.  They are also nice in that they affix to your teeth better and you can actually talk with them in.  The other brands move and you can't do anything otherwise they move. 


What is also new with Crest 3D White is they have partnered with Billboard, the number one music brand, to launch and exciting new contest called Smiles that Rock.  Here is the kicker on the contest, the grand prize is a trip for two to the 2011 Women in Music Event where ...drum roll.....our favorite entertainer Taylor Swift will be named Woman of the Year on December 2nd in New York City.  Isn't that the coolest?  Well it is if you are a Taylor fan or like to see us women rise!


Now for the details:

ENTER THE NEW WOMEN IN MUSIC “SMILES THAT ROCK” CONTEST

Crest 3D White, the #1 most awarded whitening brand, and Billboard want to see you at the Women in Music Event in New York City on December 2^nd!  For your chance to win VIP treatment at this star-studded, ultra-exclusive event, enter the “Smiles that Rock” contest before November 18^th by showcasing your smile in a creatively designed Billboard magazine cover featuring YOU!  

BEFORE YOU ENTER – WHITEN! 

Ensure you are putting your best “smile” forward by showing off a bright, white smile in your submission.  A little tip…when used together, the Crest 3D White Collection can help you achieve a noticeably brighter smile in as little as just one day!

CONSIDER THESE CREST 3D WHITE WHITENING PRODUCTS!

Crest 3D White Professional Effects Whitestrips with Advanced Seal Technology

• Most efficacious concentration of Crest’s whitening ingredient available at retail – the same enamel-safe ingredient that dentists use
• Advanced adhesive formulation that temporarily molds the strip to user’s teeth for secure fit
• $50 per kit, 20 whitening doses

Also from Crest, try the Crest 3D White Vivid Toothpaste:

• Features a patented dual-action silica system that helps gently polish away surface stains
• Provides up to 80% surface stain removal for a whiter smile in 14 days
• Toothpaste-gel hybrid formulation offers the cleaning of a toothpaste and the freshness of a gel, helping teeth feel smooth and clean
• Radiant Mint flavor, 4oz $3.25; 5.8oz $3.75; 7.6 oz for $4.25

Visit Crest at http:/www.Facebook.com/CrestWhitestrips and on Twitter @Crest.




Don't forget to enter my other giveaways!


The Giveaway:


One reader will win their very own Crest 3D Whitestrips with Advanced Seal Technology kit!

*Disclosure: I was not provided compensation for this giveaway or post.

Don't Miss this Giveaway: Ficklets Twinkle Eyes Eye Glass Gift Pack Giveaway Coming Soon!

Are you ready for some fun and creativity?  

Starting from November 21st through December 5th, you can submit a photo of yourself or your child(ren) wearing their eye glasses to win that sensational gift basket above.  From December 6th through December 13th, just tell your family and friends to come over and like your photo and the photo with the most likes will win!

-5 Ficklets 

-Youth eyeglass frame

-Eyeglass plaid purse case with front pocket to hold your Ficklets collection. 

-Microfiber cleaning cloth

Giveaway value: $65 - $70

Winner will be announced December 14th just in time for Christmas!

Need some creative ideas?  Think holidays and have some fun with adding festive backgrounds or whatever your creativity finds!

Head over and like Ficklets on Facebook so you won't miss out on this great giveaway!

Shiva Rea More Daily Energy Yoga Review

I've tried yoga and marvel at how they can move like a toddler with flexibility.  I tried and struggled with the complicated moves and of course I know that once you keep at it, you'll learn them but I would always give up.  I received a complimentary DVD of Shiva Rea More Daily Energy and love it!  It's a set of seven 20-minute practices that allows you to create your own plan or choose what they have already planned.  It's set up for many different skill levels which makes it ideal for the novice like myself.  Each are broken into sequences:

• Three beginner (lunar)
• Four intermediate (solar)

The customized Yoga Matrix is what I like so I can keep up at a pace I want and then expand as I want.  It's flexible, easy to use and she is just motivational.  I enjoyed listening her to her speak and instruct and absolutely love it.  I have been telling others to check it out especially for those that are resistant to yoga.  It left me with more energy and more motivated.  You can select up to two hours of customizable sequences.

As stated in a news release, doing yoga daily, even for 20 minutes, can help you achieve power and serenity, strength and composure.  I found it was calming after a hectic day or a good jump start to the beginning of the day.  

If you know a bit more about yoga, I feel it's the DVD for you too.  It includes 20-minute Practices: Foundation Sahaja, Foundation Heart Flow, Foundation Standing, Prayer Wheel, Evolution Flow, Evolution Heart Flow, and Evolution Standing Balance

About Shiva Rea:

Hailed by Vanity Fair as “one of the world’s greatest yoga masters,” yoga visionary Shiva Rea is the creator of several top-selling workouts, including her innovative Creative Core series, Fluid Power—Vinyasa Flow Yoga, Flow Yoga for Beginners, Surf Yoga Soul, Yogini, Power Flow Yoga, and AM Energy. Shiva has taught yoga to a diverse range of creative movers and shakers from actors Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Pierce Brosnan, and John Cusack, to cutting-edge artists Bjork, Michael Franti, and members of the Kennedy family. 

Overall, I can not say enough about this DVD and is a definite must have!  Check out a clip here.

Shiva Rea's More Daily Energy will be available November 15!

*Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this product.  The opinions are of my own.

Sharing for Christmas Charity Giveaway Event: Tek Nek's Rockin Lacey Riding Lacey Review and Giveaway 11/8 - 11/15

 

Hauling and Trucking & Makobi Scribe present Sharing For Christmas where we gathered together to donate to Parker’s Pals, which is an organization that helps children who are diagnosed with cancer under the age of three. The bloggers hosting the event donated just under $200 to go towards a Parker's Pail. The cost of a pail is $240 so we came really close! Please check out this worthwhile organization!

Tek Nek's Rockin Rider Lacey Deluxe Spring Horse

This was an amazing show stopping gift to receive in the mail.  I had the chance to review this with my two children and grand baby and I can honestly say that they love her!  She is not like the rocking horse I remember my brother having that you sat and bounced or rocked.  Lacey does much more from singing, to making clopping noises to having a mouth that moves.  


It's adorable, entertaining and full of fun.  Tek Nek Rockin Rider Lacey Deluxe Plush Spring Horse is a must have an excellent idea for Christmas for that special little one in your life.


She had a great time on it but was always video shy as soon as I pulled out the camera.  She couldn't decide if she wanted to rock on her or dance with the music.

The other nice features of Lacey is her body is plush so no busted lips or hurt heads if they get a little overly excited and slip.  The stirrups are in three sizes for the various levels of children wanting to ride Lacey and the battery switch can turn the sound off and control volume.  It was very easy to put together but it does require some assembly.  The very cute patented mouth singing to I'm a Little Pony is well worth the assembly.   My four year old and even my eight year old lit up when they saw Lacey.  Recommended age is 24 months to five years.  As you saw with the video and picture, her mom was right next to her to prevent a fall.  Lacey takes three AA batteries (included).  Tek Nek definitely has a hit with Lacey in our house.  

Check out our other giveaways too!

The Giveaway:

One reader will win their own Rockin Rider Lacey Deluxe Plush Spring Horse! 

To Enter:  

Complete the Rafflecopter form below.

*Disclosure:  I received a complimentary product for the purposes of this review and giveaway.   The opinions are of my own.

Win Reese Witherspoon’s Water for Elephants DVD & Avon Make Up Kit 11/14

Witness The Epic Tale of Forbidden Love Starring

Academy Award^® Winner Reese Witherspoon and

Robert Pattinson Now Available On Blu-ray and DVD


Take a journey back in time with the romantic tale based on Sara Gruen’s New York Times #1 Best-Seller novel of the same name, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, available now on Blu-ray and DVD from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.  Starring Academy Award^®-winner Reese Witherspoon (Walk The Line), Robert Pattinson (Twilight series) and Oscar^®-winner Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds), the film presents an epic tale of forbidden love in a magical place filled with adventure, wonder and great danger. 


Showcasing the decadence of a bohemian circus and the majesty of its animals against the backdrop and beauty of a bygone era, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS makes the ideal holiday gift idea for your favorite film buff, fashionista or book-lover!

I haven't seen Water for Elephants yet but it won't be too long as I suspect my oldest and I will be watching it tomorrow night.  I'm a Reese Witherspoon fan and she's 23 so you know who she's a fan of in this movie.  There is something about movies and stars from the day.  The women were flawless and beautiful. Sexy yet respectful.  They were glamorous yet were the moms next door.  In this film, Reese captures the essence.  

Reese looks right at home in this time period.  Her flawless skin, blonde hair and perfect make up have her looking the part.  

If you want to see how to do this look, there is a great video here:








The Giveaway:


One reader will receive this great Avon kit and a copy of Water for Elephants DVD and one runner up will receive a copy of the Water for Elephants DVD.

 To Enter: 

Complete the Rafflecopter form below.


Check out our other giveaways too!

*Disclosure:  I did not receive compensation for this giveaway.  The opinions are of my own.

Pre-Paid Cards: Use Them?

Have you ever needed a credit card and for some reason couldn't or didn't want to get a major bank type card?  There were a couple of times where I wanted to give my daughter or even my father a card that could be reloaded without all the drama behind bank credit cards?  I have looked several times in the past and never actually took the step because they seemed like more work than I wanted.  I did find one that peeked my interest.  It's the Green Dot credit card since it's a card that you can use any place that takes Visa or Mastercard debit cards.  This is a great way to carry money without actually carrying cash.  I thought this would work out great for my parents.

I also found having another card to purchase products online is probably a good idea.  This way, if someone tries to process something you didn't bargain for, if the balance is low, it won't go through.  Reoccurring transactions sometimes trip me up too.  If I had something like this, I might be able to control it better as I would keep my balance lower versus coming straight out of my checking account.  I definitely see many conveniences in having one and giving one.  I know my college aged daughter would benefit as well with being able to have members of her family give her money here and there to help support her education.

During the holidays, I usually send money to my family because it's the one thing they truly need.  I don't like sending checks and I definitely don't send money.  I like gift cards but I also feel they are restrictive on the receiver.  I want to give them the gift that they can use however they want.  I feel like it's the way to go and even the Treasury Department launched a pilot program to use Prepaid Cards.  With the holidays fastly approaching, I think I will ditch the boring checks and send them prepaid cards that I can reload when I want for each occasion and give them something to smile about.  I also like the fact that if I want to give them something unexpected, I can just throw some extra money on it and surprise them later!

Have you used pre-paid cards?  If so, what do you recommend?

The Steam Team: Carpet Cleaning

Carpet is a dreaded feature of the house we are in at the moment.  Mostly because it's not our house so I have to ensure it stays clean and stain free.  The house is carpeted in the main living area, the dining room and two bedrooms so that is a lot of area to cover.  I have tried the at home rug cleaners and they do a decent job in between but I truly cannot get a better overall result without having them professionally cleaned.  I've not heard of the Steam Team until now and checked them out http://www.thesteamteam.com/austin-carpet-cleaning.  Unfortunately, they are not in my area but I was impressed to see the multiple areas behind their cleaning expertise from carpet to green services from leather cleaning to draperies from water extraction to air duct cleaning and more.  They really seem to be an all in one place to get your house in tip top shape.

With the holidays coming and family gatherings, it's probably a good idea to go ahead and hire the professionals to get that job done.  I know my Oriental rugs need a touch up after having them for over five years.  With all the baking and preparation needed for the holidays, the last thing I want to do is worry about the cleaning let alone the air ducts since winter is upon us, it's good to get those checked out.  My youngest has severe allergies and asthma.  This is one area I don't compromise on since her health depends on it.  If you are in the Dallas or Austin area and need the Steam Team, check them out.   Carpet cleaning in Jollyville is just a phone call away.

Torani's Authentic Coffeehouse Flavor Review & Save 10% Discount Code

Although not just for the holidays, anytime is a good time to check out and try new things.  I enjoy receiving new products which is why I blog and I also want to share great products with my readers.  When I received the opportunity to try Torani, I definitely wanted to participate as I've never heard of it.  Torani is a syrup offered in over 80 flavors that can be added to make some sensational beverages both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.  The Torani website has so many delicious recipe ideas that is perfect for a long day relaxer to a weekend fun drink to hosting a party.

   

For this review, I sampled the Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie Syrup and the Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup.  What I liked the most about each of the syrups is they had 0 fat, carbs and calories.  This is great for those of us watching our carb content.  They were amazing in aroma and immediately made my mouth water thinking of vanilla ice cream and pumpkin pie.  I was doubtful in how rich they would taste but as soon as I received them, I opened them and dipped my finger in to taste each one and I was hooked!  I actually tried them both in natural, fat-free yogurt and the flavors came alive!  My mind immediately thought of the things I could create along with decadent lattes and coffees.

I tried making pumpkin bread and added the Pumpkin Pie syrup in with my crumbly top to see how that tasted and it was wonderful.  Rich in flavor and smell.  This is a great way to jazz up any of your drinks, to try new drinks like Italian Soda or even in a cooking recipe.  The flavors are of the same you get in the expensive coffee houses but at a fraction of the cost and at your own convenience.  They are delicious and a must have!


To find Torani in your location, click on Torani or shop online at Torani online.  If you use code shespeaks, you will save 10%!

Mark your calenders for a Twitter Party on November 17th, 9pm ET!

*Disclosure:  I received complimentary product as part of my participation with SheSpeaks from Torani.  The opinions are of my own.

Kohl's Cares Committed to the Cause for Breast Cancer

A Vera Wang fan?  How about a Kohl's fan?  I'm both and even though I haven't known anyone close with breast cancer, I always think it's great to support something that takes away so many friends, daughters, sisters, aunts, mothers and grandmothers.  I'm very passionate also about epilepsy as my daughter has it and would love for their to be a cure as at the age of eight, it was not something I wanted to see her tackle.  Although this is about breast cancer, I would love to see Kohls start participating in Epilepsy Awareness Month in November.

I did want to share this cute collection with everyone in case you missed as I really like Vera Wang's fashions.  The great thing about Kohl's Care programs are the products are inexpensive and the net profit goes 100% to the fund they are supporting.  They also have Kohls Cares for Kids which my daughter won a scholarship for her charitable work.  I think it's great when a business reaches out for the good of others and sends 100% of the net proceeds to where it was meant to be.

I have not ordered any of these products but they do look appealing.  With Christmas approaching, it could be a great way to give without spending a lot.

Looking for sponsors for our new Christmas Gift Guide

Looking for sponsors for our new Christmas Gift Guide for this year.

Here is our current copy and we have plenty of room for more:

2011 Christmas Gift Guide

Tea Collection Children Clothing: Celebrate the Holidays & More

The holidays are fastly approaching and I'm not sad at all.  I love the holidays and although I'm not near my family, I still love getting dressed up for dinner and also taking pictures for Christmas cards and more.  When preparing for the holidays, I want everything to be just right to include my children's clothing.  I look for something that catches my eye yet can be versatile.

When I was looking through the Tea Collection site for clothing, I found some that immediately caught my eye because my oldest loves Asian inspired clothing and these were just adorable.  They reminded her of the kimono type robes and I'm sure they would just look adorable on my grand baby.  Isn't it cute?  I love the colors and the style as well.

Tea Collection carries children's clothing in boys, girls, baby girls, baby boys and women's sizes.  The categories are easy to shop ranging from gender to sale to new items and more.  What's better is that when you refer a friend and they spend $100, you get a $25 gift certificate and they get to save 20%!  That's an easy way to save and get a bonus.

I have purchased from Tea Collection in the past and the quality is wonderful and the clothing is true to form to the pictures.   I like the variety they offer and the customer service is really good.

Disney Store Sale & Free Shipping

Great deals at the Disney Store from 25% discounts to 2 for $20 t-shirts to more!

This Weekend Only: Take 25% Off Disney Parks Authentic Merchandise at Disney Store with Promo Code: PARK25. Shop Now!

Kids Graphic Tees now 2 for $20 at Disney Store. Shop Now!

Up to 30% off Cars Merchandise at Disney Store. Shop Now!

Free Shipping when you spend $75 or more at Disney Store with Promo Code: SHIPTODAY. Shop Now!

Perfume is the Best Accessory

Guest post written by Tanya Bowing

When it comes to putting together an outfit, I may not put as much effort into it as other people do, but I do care a lot about putting on makeup and fixing my hair. I'm a big believer in that if you spend a lot of time doing that, you'll look and feel so much better that your clothing is just like scenery. Well, another part that I like to also make sure that I do each and every day while I get ready is put on perfume. I just think that it's so important for feeling put together.

Perfume is actually one of my favorite splurges and I'm always looking online with my Salt Lake City wireless internet to figure out what kind of perfume I want to buy next.

I've had my eye on a few different perfumes for a while now. I think that I might just have to settle on the Ralph Lauren Romance perfume. It smells so fresh and is very similar to what I would go for in a perfume, just with a surprising little twist. I'm basically banking on buying that pretty soon.