What's on YOUR List?

As the Summer fades into Fall, it's time to think about back to school, and Fall festivities, and....the holiday shopping season. We are already planning our annual holiday gift guide series, so I'm curious, what might be on your wish list?

New Shoes or athletic Gear?

The Latest Tech?

A New Beauty Release?

Clothing?

Let me know in the comments below!

Shopping for Fur Babies!

Let's face it, the pets usually get the short end of the straw when it comes to celebrating holidays and  gifts. 

You buy gifts for your mom, dad, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, sister, brother, bus driver, nanny, childcare workers, teachers, maids, postal workers, bank clerks, coworkers, pharmacists, little league coaches, charities, employees, children and sometimes even yourself, but what about the pets in your life? Are they often overlooked? They deserve something special too, don't they? After all they provide you with love an affection no matter what is going on in your life. Can you say that about ALL the humans on your shopping list? I suspect not. :)

I especially like gifts that are multi functional. Like a dog treat that also freshens breath, or a cat mouse that also cleans their teeth! I also appreciate things that will last for more than  a second like long lasting dog chews or durable bones that won't disintegrate at first chomp.

There are gifts for playful pups, or laid back old dogs as well as the curious kitten or the cuddly house cat! Something for everyone!

Thank you to Responsival for sponsoring this post!

Tom Ford Holiday Collection - 2023

I discovered some GEMS! Watch to see what ;-)

 

Holiday Gift Ideas - Stocking Stuffers

Holiday Gift Guide: Unboxing Benefit's 2022 Advent Calendar

Here is our first Advent Unboxing for the 2022 Holiday season:

Benefit 2022 Advent Calendar

Holiday Shopping Season is COMING!!!

Hey everyone,

Fall is here, so holiday shopping is just around the corner and we are gearing up for our annual holiday gift guide series to begin. We have some great things coming your way like Advent Calendar unboxing, previews of holiday lego sets, beauty gift sets, home decor and more!!!

Stay tuned!!!

A Christmas In the Alps - Melody Carlson

 

After a time of heartache and loss, Simone Winthrop discovers a tantalizing letter from her French great-grandmother, which seems to suggest that she is heir to a family treasure. Ever practical, Simone assumes the claim is baseless, but her best friend encourages her to find out for sure. Despite her deep-rooted fear of flying, Simone boards a jet to travel to Paris at Christmastime to uncover the truth.

During the long flight, Simone meets the charming Kyle Larsson, who's on his way to France to become an apprentice clockmaker. Though they abruptly part ways, an unexpected rendezvous in the French Alps at Simone's family's clock factory may lead to the discovery of the family treasure . . . and so much more.

For anyone who is wearying of staying home, Melody Carlson invites you to spend Christmas with her in the beautiful French Alps this year. So pull on your mittens, tie your scarf tight, and prepare yourself for a magical mountain holiday.

I have enjoyed all of Melody Carlson's holiday books, and this one was no exception. Around early October I crave a taste of the holiday spirit, and her books always give that to me. So now that I've read my first holiday book for 2021, I'm ready for more! Her books, while somewhat predictable, are always an easy read and enjoyable!

GIVEAWAY: Lauren Daigle Holiday CD and TV Special!

I personally love the sound of Lauren Daigle's music. Anytime one of her songs start to play I recognize it right away because of it's easy and soothing sound. She definitely has a signature sound unlike many other artists out there right now. That's why I'm excited about a Christmas collection and holiday special coming soon. On December 6, 2020 at 9:00 pm ET | 6:00 pm PT  you can catch her first full-length Christmas television special, “Christmas Under The Stars with Lauren Daigle,” on BYUtv. You’ll hear Lauren’s Christmas memories and the influences of New Orleans Jazz in her renditions of Christmas classics and beloved originals from her Christmas album Behold in this intimate concert experience. So, gather the family, roast some chestnuts (or at least pop some corn), and enjoy “Christmas Under The Stars with Lauren Daigle” on Sunday, December 6 at 9 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. PT on BYUtv. You can also stream the program for free on the BYUtv app anytime after the premiere.

I had a chance to screen the special early, and it has a blues and Louisiana flare to it, which is not typical of her previous songs, but if you enjoy that style, you'll enjoy this holiday special!

WIN IT: Lauren Daigle CD: BEHOLD, A Christmas Collection

HOW TO ENTER: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Holiday Gift Ideas - 2020

 Here are some gift suggestions for the beauty lovers in your life!

Crayola DIY Pour Paint

Pour out a colorful masterpiece with Crayola Washable Paint Pour Art Set! Paint pouring is the fun, easy way for even novice painters to achieve beautiful works of art. And there’s no cause to worry either with the included less-mess paint tray. Even the occasional “oops” is no problem with Crayola Washable Paint. It’s a truly magical and fun art activity for kids and adults! Features (10) 2 oz Paints (5 colors), (3) 6 x 6 Canvases, Paint Tray, Beaker, Pouring Base, Strainer, and 3 Stir Sticks. Once you've decorated the 3 included canvases, refill your collection to keep the fun going! This paint set works with any standard painting canvas (sold separately).

My kids had a BLAST with this art project. I rarely let them get "messy" so this was so much fun for them. I've actually been wanting to try pour paint myself so we all got involved with this art project.

My youngest went first (age 4) and picked green, blue and white and this Earth-like print was the result. It was really easy to do and the instructions were easy to follow (which I've summarized below):

1. Mix paint and water

2. Pour into a cup (layer the paint colors. We did blue, green then white)

3. Pour cup of paint out on canvas and start tilting the canvas to spread the paint around. EASY!

 

Buy it here: https://go.magik.ly/ml/12yzb/

Thank you to CRAYOLA for a chance to try out this fun art set!

Unique Gift Ideas

I realize that much of my Youtube page's content is dedicated to makeup, skincare and overall beauty, but I wanted to provide you with some non-beauty gift ideas for the people on your list. Perhaps there's a gym buff you're having a hard time shopping for, or a creative child that already seems to have everything, or a busy mom on the go who always has her hands full, and you just don't know what to get them. Check out these great unique gift ideas below:

The first gift suggestion would be bags. In this eco-friendly day and age, people are always looking for ways to re-use and re-cycle and preserve the world we live in, so why not buy some re-usable shopping bags or totes. I feel like I NEVER have enough tote bags. I take them when I run errands, to the beach, to play dates, for overnight excursions (pre-COVID of course) and more. I feel like everyone I know could always use a tote bag!

If you have any little ones on your shopping list and you're stumped on gift ideas, then I'd check out this next idea. They are crayons shaped like letters. These crayon letters spell out the child's name. I know all three of my kiddos love anything  customized AND they also all love to color and be creative. It would be the perfect gift for any artsy kids on your list, and it would likely keep them very busy for quite awhile!

If you have someone on your list that loves healthy eating, or protein shakes, or shakes in general, then you need to check this out. It's the magic bullet. It's a system of caps with blades and cups that lock into a motor. You simply fill the cups with fruit/ice etc, cap it, and lock into the motor and it purees your shake. Easy! My husband and I actually have 2 sets of these and we use them almost every day. My husband is a gym buff and makes protein shakes in it. I prefer to do cardio at home and follow with a fruit smoothie. The kids love banana swirl (pureed frozen banana with some cinnamon). It's fast and easy to clean! I have even pureed soups in this and made baby food with it. So many uses for this product. I love it and I think your friends and family would too!

I hope you enjoyed hearing a few of my unique gift ideas, and hopefully it made your holiday shopping a little easier this year.

This blog post was sponsored by Responsival

NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible Gift Set For Girls - GREAT GIFT IDEA!

Created especially for girls ages 8 to 12, this beautiful Bible, sticker sheets and coloring pencil set provides the tools for young artists to express themselves. 

Girls will get creative through coloring and journaling in the NIV Beautiful Word™ Coloring Bible for Girls. Included are pencils to color, blend and shade the detailed line art surrounding hundreds of inspiring verses. This Bible gift set is perfect for the special young girl in your life and will become a cherished keepsake full of personalized creative expressions of faith.

Features include:

 Complete text of the accurate, readable and clear New International Version (NIV)

 Over 600 verses illustrated in ready-to-color line art

 Four colored pencils

 Six sheets of stickers designed for girls

 Thick white paper for writing and doodling

 Lined, wide margins for notes and reflections

 Satin ribbon marker

 Beautifully debossed and screen-printed cover

 Exclusive Zondervan NIV Comfort Print® typeface in a readable 8-point print size

I can't wait to give this to my daughter when she's a little older. For one, she LOVES to draw and color. It's her absolute favorite thing to do. Given the choice, that's what she would pick over almost anything. Second she didn't have exposure to faith and the Bible for the first 5 years of her life, so these stories are still somewhat new to her, and she loves reading them and discovering new characters and miracles.  Third, it's full of beautiful pictures, so who wouldn't love that?

Buy it here: 

https://www.zondervan.com/p/beautiful-word-bible-for-girls/coloring/#new

#beautifulwordgiftset  #FlyBy

Many thanks to Telling Ministries LLC and HCCP for providing this product/product information for review.  Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Who wants to see some holiday shopping gift ideas?

 I can't believe that October is already almost over. The year of 2020 has flown by, that is for sure! It has been an odd and interesting year to date with the pandemic, stay at home orders, virtual learning and so much more. I know many of you come to my blog and Youtube page as an outlet or a stress reducer. Others come for the giveaways and reviews, and some have told me that my voice puts them to sleep, so there's that too! :) For whatever reason you are drawn to my pages, I hope you'll enjoy the holiday gift guides we have coming your way soon!!!

The Christmas Swap

All Emma Daley wants this holiday season is a white Christmas. But the young teacher and struggling musician sure can't find that in sunny Arizona. Luckily, there's someone living in a perfect mountain home in the Colorado Rockies looking to make a vacation trade this year.

Tyler Prescott is an in-demand songwriter and talented musician who put his own singing career on hold to write songs for celebrity acts to perform. When his mother convinces him to do a vacation trade for Christmas, he never imagined one of the houseguests would be so sweet--or so strikingly pretty. Naturally, he decides to stick around, and, to get better acquainted, he poses as the house's caretaker. But when Emma's friend Gillian discovers his true identity and sets her sights on him, things
get . . . messy.

My Thoughts:

I read this book within 48 hours, so it was a very fast and easy book to read. It was a very short story about a cute Christmas town and two people that you expect to fall in love but of course there’s some unexpected twists and turns along the way. Very predictable,
but an easy enjoyable holiday story.

GIVEAWAY: Amber Vale Home Holiday Sampler

I was recently sent the Amber Vale Home holiday sampler to try out, and I have to say they smell amazing!

One has that evergreen wintery scent that you imagine when you think of winter in the woods. One is a mint chocolate and it smells EXACTLY like mint cocoa (which I'm obsessed with by the way), and the third smells lightly sweet like whipped cream, but not overpoweringly so.

They have wooden wicks and are made from a soy-coconut blend. They are great for holiday decorating or gift ideas. Most people I know would love getting delicious smelling candles as a gift!

WIN IT: Win a sampler

HOW TO ENTER:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Holiday Gifts from Crayola

I've been a big fan of Crayola products ever since I was a kid, so I was thrilled to take part in this year's holiday campaign with Crayola. 

My kids had a chance to try out 2 of their hot holiday gift items.  Now, I'm an artist at heart, so I am thrilled that my kids enjoy art and creating as much as I do. We can spend hours coloring or doing crafts, so I knew they would love these Crayola items.

First they tried the ultimate light board. It allows kids to draw or trace on a clear board with special "glow" markers, turn the lights off, and see their creation glow. They loved being able to trace their favorite cartoon characters or draw silly robots and bring them to life when the lights went out.


The second item was the color chemistry lab set. We've had tons of fun with this. We've made multiple volcanoes (first with fizzy tabs and water, secondly with vinegar and baking soda), painted pictures with saltwater, watched wooden pencils "bend" in a cup of water and much much more. These gifts encourage the imagination and provide hours of fun! Check out some of their gifts below:

Crayon Melter: http://bit.ly/2xQYibXCrayonMelter

Color Chemistry Lab Set: http://bit.ly/2OqvQHlColorChemistry

Scribble Scrubbie Pets: http://bit.ly/2NTWpWfScribbleScrubbiePets

Ultimate Light Board: http://bit.ly/2NeKa0UUltimateLightBoard

Silly Scents Sticker Maker: http://bit.ly/2OXxrl4StickerMaker

Many thanks to Crayola for the chance to try out these amazing holiday gifts!!!

The Field Toy (great gift idea!)

What is "THE FIELD"?
Created in Ireland, the Field toy helps inspire real world, screen-free, and imaginative play. This must-have field toy is free of batteries and features lush green grass, hedging, traditional wooden farm gates, farm animals, a tractor, and more! Creative play is proven to have intellectual, emotional and social benefits, and The Field toy is the perfect way to help boys and girls ages 3+ get away from the screens and use their own ingenuity to develop a farm world right in front of their eyes. Available in either 26” x 17” or 12” x 17”.


My thoughts:
When this arrived my kids were literally jumping with joy, and so was I. When my kids get excited about non-electronic toys and games I am one happy momma. In today's society so much revolves around screens, so I love toys that make my kids want to step away from that and use their imagination. My oldest son loves animals so he loved creating a farm, making a corral for his animals, and "mowing" the grass with his little tractor. My daughter was happy join in the fun! My two year old son was also intrigued by this faux grass toy. He just wanted to touch it. :)

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheFieldToy

Twitter - https://twitter.com/field_toy

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/TheFieldToy/

Purchase:

- https://www.amazon.com/thefield

Many thanks to HC PR for the opportunity to try this out and use our imagination!!!

Gift Ideas Gallore!

So I recently came across a site called Uncommon Goods, which has some really unique gift ideas, but if you're not in the market for a gift, they have home decor/fashion/culinary items and more for yourself. Why not? 

As the Summer turns to Fall, holiday shopping season is not that far away. It's never too early to start thinking of ideas for the people on your shopping list. And if you don't celebrate Christmas, then consider this a great place to find an assortment of anniversary gifts and personalized gifts.  Below is a little information about this company.

"Founded in 1999 and 
headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, UncommonGoods is a privately-owned retailer that endeavors to feature unique jewelry, designer décor, tabletop items, and handcrafted gifts created in harmony with the environment without harm to animals or people. We run all our operations out of the historic Brooklyn Army Terminal, where the lowest-paid seasonal worker starts at 50% above the minimum wage. We make it our mission to support and provide a platform for artists and designers; in fact, half of what we sell is made by hand. Most of the jewelry products, home décor and table top items we carry are created right here in the USA, and about one-third of our entire collection incorporates recycled and/or upcycled materials. At the core of our company is a great respect for the integrity of the creative individual and the belief that it is our responsibility to use our business to impact the world in a positive way."

I was particularly interested in the gifts for book lovers, like the "Novel Teas," which combines two loves of mine: books and tea! Each tea bag has a quote from a famous novel. It can't get any better than that. They also have a wide assortment of bookends from cats to elephants, to demolition equipment, to bicycles, so you can find one that suits your likes and personal style. They have so many fun and unique gift ideas, I'd definitely check it out when making your holiday shopping lists!

And what makes this company even greater is their customer service, and that they give back to the community! First, UncommonGoods has been awarded for outstanding customer service every year since 2007. In 2015, they
achieved the BizRate Platinum Circle of Excellence award, their highest achievement level yet. Second,  as an independently-owned business, they have the freedom to support causes they believe in and to impact the world in a positive way. With every purchase you make, they donate $1 to the non-profit of your choice. Since they started the Better to Give program 12 years ago, they’ve donated over $1Million to charities around the world!

Crayola Color Wonder On The Go Sets

Ideal for mess-free coloring wherver you are, Crayola Color Wonder On The Go sets allow kids to fully express themselves without making a mess. With its compact size and ability to snap shut, this kit lets kids get creative no matter where they are! Crayola Color Wonder On The Go titles draw inspiration from popular franchises and characters including Disney Princess, Shimmer and Shine, PJ Masks and Paw Patrol.

CONTENTS 

• 15 Mini Coloring Pages 
• Three Color Wonder Broad Line Markers 

My 4 year old loves to color, draw and decorate things and he especially loves PJ Mask and Paw Patrol, so he was thrilled when he got a package from Crayola. (Yes it said mommy's name on the package, but it was really for him ;-P) The markers were easy to cap and uncap, and were completely MESS FREE which made mommy very happy. They only produced color on these special pieces of paper. My son especially loved the hidden objects on the coloring sheets. He thought he would be coloring an entire section green only to realize there were white bones or white stars embedded in the paper that show up only when colored over. It was like magic for a four year old!

BENEFITS 

Mess Free Coloring: Color Wonder Markers appear only on Color Wonder paper, ensuring that clothes, furniture and walls stay clean 

• Compact Size: Perfect for small hands and packing light while on-the-go; the unit also snaps shut, storing the contents of the kit and allowing for quick clean-up, a must while traveling 
• Fuels Imaginative Play: Full of beloved Disney Princesses and characters from Shimmer and Shine, PJ Masks and Paw Patrol, these Color Wonder kits allow kids recreate the worlds of their favorite characters in their own colorful way and explore the power of their own imaginations 
• Compatible with Color Wonder Products: Compatible with all Color Wonder markers, paints and stamps, so kids can swap in their favorite colors from different sets to complete their next masterpiece

WHERE TO BUY 

• Suggested Retail Price: $4.99 
• Available at retailers nationwide

These would be PERFECT for road trips, or great additions to Easter baskets or just because gifts!

HUGE HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY!!!

So I've never done a huge holiday beauty giveaway, but thought this was the year to start!

What am I giving away? I'll tell you:



I'm giving away:

NYX concealer in lavendar
Jane Iredale Brow Pencil
Maybelline Vivid Matte Lipstick
Goody Hair ties
Real techniques beauty sponges
Coastal Scent Shadows
Colourpop Eyeliner
Kevyn Aucoin matte bronzing veil
elf color correcting stick
nyx cream highlight & contour palette
urban decay shadow 





Enter to win, before it's over!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to US addresses only. One winner will be chosen on 1/3/17. This giveaway is not sponsored by any of the brands listed. I'm hosting this independently!