Archive for November, 2007
November 30, 2007· Filed under Contests
UPDATED WITH WINNER:Â Congratulations Mama4JC!! I hope you enjoy your basket.
Earlier this week I posted my list of clutter free gift ideas, but today I want to know what makes a perfect gift? Is it the contents or the meaning behind it? Is it the memories it created or inspiration it fuels? This week I would love to know what you consider to be the perfect gift - for yourself. What is the best gift you have ever received (or given)?
One of our previous sponsors, Gilden Tree Natural Healing Body Care is back again with another perfect gift basket that one lucky commenter will win. By leaving a comment on this post between now and midnight EST Thursday, December 6, 2007, you can win a Gilden Tree Bath Essentials basket valued at $60.
Indulge your soul! Packed in a pretty basket, this lovely kit includes an 8 oz. Soothing Hand and Body Lotion, an 8 oz. Cleansing Gel, a half pound of Kiran Forest Spa Soaks, and an intoxicatingly fragrant candle, that will transform your bath into a healing ritual and retreat from the noise and clamor of everyday life. This is a perfect gift for yourself or someone special on your holiday gift list.
Not only will one lucky commenter win the gift basket, but 100 of you can also get a free Gilden Tree product sample . To get your free sample, all you have to do is email your mailing address to fridaygiveaway@gmail.com. Don’t worry, we aren’t sharing that info with anyone else - its just the easiest way to get your free sample to you quickly.
Gilden Tree is a great source for Natural Healthy Gifts for teachers, family and friends (or yourself anytime!) like their Natural Organic Spa Products
, Deep Moisturizing Natural Hand & Body Care, and Luxurious Natural Robes, Towels & Accessories. Bonus: Place an order before December 10, 2007 and receive a Free Robe with an order of $50 or more.
So, tell us about your perfect gift! And while you are at it, how was your week? Have you started shopping yet? Join the conversation below and you could be a lucky winner!
November 29, 2007· Filed under Fun, Holidays
Last year Office Max launched a fun site called Elf Yourself but everytime I went to it I couldn’t get in. The site was a huge hit - so much so that Office Max has once again got Elf Yourself up and running again. Elf Yourself allows you to upload photos of yourself and three friends (or you can pick random ones like I did) then watch as the four of you perform a funky little dance as elves. You can send your creation on to friends, too.
Not feeling cheerful? Go ScroogeYourself instead!! Upload your photo and be transformed into a dancing scrooge.
November 27, 2007· Filed under Holidays
While I am looking forward to the festivity and fun of the holiday season, the one thing I am not looking forward to is putting all the stuff we get for Christmas away once the gift giving is done. As a matter of fact, I am trying to reduce the amount of stuff my family has - not add to it. So what is a Mom to do?
The following are ideas I have collected over time for gifts that don’t have to be dusted, don’t have a gazillion little plastic pieces, always fit, and don’t create more clutter in your home.
For the Kids
- Movie tickets
make a great clutter free gift. We rarely go to the movies, so movie tickets are a huge treat for my kids.
- Make a coupon for tuition for sports lessons, a drama class, or new activity. Five years ago we gave our kids ice skating lessons for Christmas. They loved it and it sparked an interest in my son - he is now in his third season on the ice hockey team.
- Coupons for a day with Dad (or Mom) - or for a special dinner out, bowling afternoon, round of putt putt, etc. The gift of time is the best one you can give.
- Magazine subscriptions or book club memberships are gifts that keep giving through out the year. Kids love to get mail! (We like Tessy & Tab Reading Club for Preschoolers, Zoobooks
, Highlights for Kids Magazine
, Discovery Girls, Popular Science just to name a few)
- Got a music lover? An iTunes gift card will give them the opportunity to fill that iPod nano with the tunes they love.
For Teachers, Coaches, and Such
Gift certificate to a local cafe, coffee shop or restaurant.- Teachers spend a lot of their own money buying supplies for their own classrooms. Teachers love gift certificates for a teacher supply store.
- Put together a gift box of stickers, small prizes, pencils
and the like for the teacher to use as rewards and incentives in the classroom.
- Treat your child’s teacher by sending in breakfast or lunch one day - be sure to include a note expressing your appreciation for all they do all year long.
- Designher Gals has the coolest notepads, stickers and cards that you can completely customize to look like your child’s teacher. Guaranteed to be a huge hit!!
For All the Other Grown Ups in Your Life
Grown ups like movies, too. Treat them to a movie night out (complete with babysitting services) or for movie nights in, try a Netflix.com
subscription. Dress up the gift with some packets of microwave popcorn and theater size candy and you have a fun gift for just about anyone on your list.- Tickets to a favorite sporting event are always a hit. I gave my husband tickets to a Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game last year and he had a great time!
- Tickets for an upcoming concert, show, or similar event - do your research and this can be a very appreciated gift!
- Gift certificate for a local car wash.
- Gift certificate for house cleaning. You can also make your own coupons and give your own cleaning services - especially for an older family member who would love the extra help and the company.
- Treat a friend to a spa facial, manicure or pedicure.
- Indulge in a hobby - spring for golf lessons, sign you and your honey up for ballroom dance lessons, or a pottery class. This make take some research, but the recipient of the gift will certainly know you care.
Another great feature for most of the ideas on this list is that you can spend as little or as much as your budget can bear AND many of them are great last minute gift ideas, too.
November 26, 2007· Filed under Monday Motivation
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We did and even got a few days of needed R&R as well. My brother and his wife offered to have our kids over for a few days while my husband and I took a quick road trip for our anniversary (which is today - 13 years). We had a great time and I highly recommend taking time away with just your spouse from time to time.
Anyhow, it’s Monday and I am back and feeling refreshed and ready to go into the holiday season. As I usually do on Sunday afternoons, I sat down and made my list of priorities for the week, checked my appointment schedule, and made my menu.
My goals for this week:
- Catch up on client site updates
- Work on site redesign for Printables4Kids
- Line up Casual Friday giveaways/sponsors for the remainder of the year
On the personal front:
- Develop a new good habit - at least 15 minutes of heart pumping exercise a day
- Continue my new “no-soda” habit. It has been 3 weeks since I had soda of any kind and I really don’t miss it
- Do more of my Christmas shopping online
How about you? What are your goals for today or the week? I have found that making my plan and holding myself accountable for it is the best way to start off my week. Join Wendy at eMoms at Home, WAH(web)Mommy and me by posting your own Monday Motivation post.
November 23, 2007· Filed under Casual Friday, Contests
 UPDATE: The winners of the chocolate giveaway are comment #37 (Sheila), #123 (Alice) and #277 (Erika).Â
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! To kick off the holiday season, I have a very yummy giveaway today. Ferrero, the company that brings us the very delicious Ferrero Rocher chocolates, has created a dark chocolate version just in time for holiday parties and gift giving.
Ferrero Rondnoir dark chocolates, features a dark chocolate cream surrounding a crisp wafer and topped with crunchy dark chocolate morsels. Ferrero sent us some to sample and I can not even begin to tell you how good they were!!
In addition to debuting their new chocolate this season, The Ferrero Company is getting in the spirit by partnering with Share Our Strength®, one of the nation’s leading organizations working to end childhood hunger in America.
They have created a new site called Share Something Sweet which allows you to send interactive, virtual electronic snow
globes to friends and family that can be customized by uploading photographs as well as personal messages. As part of its commitment to SOS, Ferrero is donating $20,000 to the charity. You can join us in supporting this cause by sending a personalized e-card snow globe and spreading the word. You can upload your own photos they are super cute. The site also features tips from Food Network chef Michael Chiarello.
Ferrero has sent me three 12 count boxes of Rondnoir to give away to my fabulous readers - so that means this week we will have three winners instead of one. And, I have decided that the giveaways will go from Friday to Thursday from here out. You have until midnight Thursday, November 29 to enter.
All you have to do to enter this giveaway is leave a comment. This week we are talking about the holidays. Did you have a good Thanksgiving? With today being Black Friday, how much shopping are you doing today? Are you doing most of your shopping online or will you brave the stores?
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