Giving Gifts That Make A Difference ~ World Vision Review & Giveaway

Here in America, we are very spoiled. Much of what we have we don't even appreciate and it isn't until something we use everyday is gone that we realize just how we truly are blessed. Many years ago, I went on a missions trip to the Dominican Republic and it really opened my eyes to how desolate and desperate many people's lives are. Bathrooms that were simply holes in the ground surrounded by sheet metal for privacy, dirty and disheveled children running barefoot through dirt streets, small houses packed full of families who lived together because they could not afford their own housing and so much more. It was heartbreaking. Well, if you have a generous heart this Holiday season, why not give a gift that will mean more than anything a child has ever received?

Choosing a charity to which you can contribute can be difficult, especially with so much (sadly) fraudulent activity that takes place within charities. In thinking about a charity to donate to this season, World Vision has a few suggestions on how to pick the perfect one! Here are their tips...

1. Find a charity with a track record; review the organization’s IRS tax status, check how it spends money and makes important decisions. Good places to find this information are Charity Navigator and GuideStart. 

2. Be thoughtful about an organization’s overhead and administrative costs; cost efficiency is an important factor when choosing a charity, but effectiveness is the key. 

3. Ask questions before you give – visit a charity’s website, send an email, or call if you have concerns. 

4. See what others are saying about the charity of your choice via social media and trusted online forums. 

5. Watch for scams; be on your guard for emails that ask for credit card or other personal information. Check the Better Business Bureau Charity Reviews website ( www.bbb.org/charity-reviews) before giving.

I have to admit that I am always skeptical when it comes to giving money to charities and therefore, I rarely do unless I know them extremely well. World Vision is a reputable, non-profit organization with a wonderful track record of fighting poverty and aiding women, children and families all over the world. I love it when a company takes the well-being of those less fortunate into consideration and actually does something to help them. When it comes to shopping for holiday gifts, you can do something very unique through World Vision to help others. World Vision offers 36 hand crafted items that you can purchase for someone and at the same time, help someone in need! You can also give money for livestock, clean water, wells and other things. 

For this review I was sent one of the hand crafted items available in the World Vision Gift Catalog and I chose to receive the Fair-Trade Coffee Set. This set comes in a beautiful, African sewn gift bag, hand sewn by local women. I love the colors of this bag! You also receive a gorgeous, hand carved olivewood scoop for the coffee. 

The coffee itself is in bean form and smells WONDERFUL! My sniffer is totally sensitive right now and I was just loving the scent as I pulled the coffee from the gift bag. This delicious coffee features flavors from Ethiopia, Sumatra, and Costa Rica and is blended by OneCup.org. Remember, when you purchase a gift from World Vision you are paying a higher price because that money is going to help someone in need. So when I say that this coffee set retails for $65, please don't be shocked. It is totally worth it. :)

This set is just one of 36 different gifts that you can purchase to help another child or family out this holiday season. I would strongly encourage you to check out World Vision's Gift Catalog to see what you can do to make this the best Christmas ever for someone across the world. 

World Vision has offered to give away a Fair-Trade Coffee Set to one of you! Here are your entry options...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive free products in exchange for this post. All quotes and stock photos are from the World Vision website and email. Prize is being provided and shipped by the sponsor. This blog is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged prizes.  All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

Check Out Kidorable's Holiday Gift Buying Quiz!

Do you have some picky children on your gift list?? My children aren't really old enough to be picky and enjoy just about anything that comes in fun, wrapped packages. I think sometimes the packaging is more exciting than the gift itself! :)

Well, in lieu of Christmas and buying gifts that will only be played with for 10 minutes after opening, Kidorable has come up with a cute Gift Buying Quiz that will help you pinpoint exactly what kind of gift your child will love. I took the quiz and here were my results:

Your score is 2 out of 5. It sounds like you've given some dud gifts in the past. Perhaps it's best to leave the gift selection to the experts. Check out the Kidorable Gift Finder.

Oh dear...HA HA HA! Dud gifts must run in my genes. Hopefully I will do better this year. LOL! :)

So, be sure you stop by Kidorable and check out their quiz...it is fun, easy and a super quick way to make sure you get the perfect gift for your special little ones!

Prank Pack Fake Gift Boxes Make Gift Giving HILARIOUS!

So, how many pranksters read my blog?? Do you like to play practical jokes on people? My daughter pulled one on my hubby recently and he just about died. It was late at night and he had not yet come to bed but she was still awake. I quickly ushered her into our room and snuggled her waaaay down under the blankets on his side of the bed. When he came in to go to bed he shuffled around the room and then proceeded to pull the sheets back. He saw Hannah's big eyes peeking out from under the blankets and yelled and jumped all at the same time!! I honestly never thought it would scare him like that and that is the reaction you always dream of getting but goodness, it was very funny. Now, I walk around on pins and needles waiting for his payback. HA! Playing clean and fun jokes on others can be fun and the holidays are the perfect time to exercise a bit of humor...especially during gift-giving time.

Recently, I became acquainted with a company called Prank Pack and what this company specializes in is creating fun and hysterical prank gift boxes for any occasion. When I first went to the website, I was immediately caught off guard. I thought to myself, "now how can they make something like that and make it work too???" So, it worked for me immediately and I knew ahead of time that it was all a prank, but forgot momentarily. Pretty funny I thought. Here is how it works...

Prank Pack fake gift boxes appear to contain ridiculous products from clueless companies. Just pack your real gift inside, sit back and revel in your gift recipient's half-hearted enthusiasm. Your party will thank you!

Having never heard of anything quite like these Prank Gift Boxes, I was immediately intrigued and just by looking at the site I knew it would be a fun item to review.

So, for this review I was sent three Prank Pack Gift Boxes. I was sent the Pet Sweep Box, the iDrive Box and the Crib Dribbler Box. Sounds great, doesn't it?? I have to tell you here...as soon as my package arrived, my husband had such a blast looking at these boxes. I think he is going to confiscate every one for gifts for his co-workers. Especially the Pet Sweep Box for his boss, who recently got a new dog. HA!

Each box comes flat and you do need to unfold it into it's box shape. When fully unfolded, it is about the size of a large phone book. It you have a totally gullible friend or relative, they will probably have some great reactions to the box itself...take a look at the box pictured above. It supposedly contains an iDrive Mobile Device Mount. You can only imagine what this device will do...soooo funny!

Once your suspect opens the box from either end, they will be greeted with this kind message that will immediately let them know that they have been "pranked". I love this. I can think of sooo many people that I want to use these on!!

My ultimate favorite of the three I was sent was the Crib Dribbler Box. Oh goodness...the box shows a rodent-type water container in a crib with a baby sucking on the end of it. 

The idea is that you can keep baby "watered" all night long or any time you want some "me" time. Trouble sleeping through the night because of night time feedings??? Try the Crib Dribbler! Of course, we all know that there is no such product on the market and that this is all just a prank designed to make people smile. I for one LOVE this box and it would definitely make a fantastic gift for anyone who is expecting a baby or is a new parent. 

So this holiday season - instead of going for the plain gift boxes, why not check out these hilarious Prank Pack Fake Gift Boxes? There are many from which you can choose and they retail for just $8 per box (or you can get 3 for $20!). I think it is the gift that could keep on giving and hey, you just might get it back with YOUR gift wrapped inside! Be sure you check out Prank Pack on Facebook and also on Twitter and put the fun back into traditional gift giving. :)

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive free products for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the sponsor's website and email.  All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

Introducing NOVICA's NEW Premium Gift Wrap! {$25 Gift Code GIVEAWAY}

I have been a fan of NOVICA ever since I discovered them several years ago. I have given their products as gifts and have kept some around my house. Every time I pull out something from NOVICA, I receive wonderful compliments. Over this past weekend we had some company over for dinner and I used some lovely cobalt blue drinking glasses that I received for review over the summer. My guests were so impressed with the lovely craftsmanship and quality of these glasses and I am still so much in love with them. Aren't they gorgeous?

Well, recently I was informed that NOVICA is offering new Premium Gift Wrap that will impress any person on your holiday gift list. NOVICA applies handmade elements, carefully crafted ribbons and beautiful brass plates to their wrapping and currently, the gift wrap is available for India, Bali and Thailand but they are working to make it available in all of the NOVICA regions!

So, let's look at some of MY favorites for items that can be wrapped in this gorgeous gift wrap. NOVICA offers something for everything and the best part is all of their selections are unique and nothing you would ever find anywhere else. It is something that I love about NOVICA...the wonderful selection.

First and foremost, I love these Sterling Silver and Pearl Floral Dangle Earrings come from Bali and Java and are so delicate and lovely. I love pink and sliver together and these look so elegant. If I was looking for a nice gift for a special lady in my life, I would definitely check out these earrings. Who doesn't just love a gorgeous pair of earrings?!?

This Family Love Unique Wood Sculpture from Indonesia definitely falls into the unique, yet beautiful gift idea category. As you can see, there is a mother, father and tiny baby in the sculpture and to me, family is so special. What a wonderful way to celebrate family and the holidays all in one gift.

Now, for that special guy in your life, NOVICA has wonderful gifts for men to choose from! One of these items is the Men's Short Sleeve Brown Cotton Shirt. Agus Suryanto evokes casual elegance with the designs of this rich brown shirt. Sewn of cotton, the shirt's collar is trimmed with a hand-woven ikat band in the style of Lombok textiles in brown shades. Features a pocket, two visible buttons and five hidden. Buttons are black and includes a replacement. This shirt is casual as well as dressy and would make a fine gift for any man.

So, as you can see NOVICA offers a wide variety of gifts for both men and women and the quality is always superb! I have never been disappointed with anything I have received from NOVICA and would definitely recommend them to anyone looking to give unique and personal gifts this holiday season. Remember to check out the Premium Gift Wrap and enjoy your shopping experience at NOVICA!

NOVICA has offered to give away a $25 Gift Code to one of you! Here are your entry options...
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Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. However, I received a free NOVICA gift code in exchange for this post. All quotes and stock photos are from the NOVICA website and email. Prize is provided by the sponsor. This blog is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged prizes. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

Carmex Limited Edition Moisture Plus Collection Review & Giveaway

I am a HUGE lip balm fan. I love anything that adds a bit of shine or a touch of neutral color. My style is not in-your-face, bold and outrageous, but rather quiet, subtle and neutral. Favorite lip colors are blushy rose, cafe' au lait and clear. This time of the year the wind is quite unforgiving and I find my lips are getting drier. With the dryness of the air, it is time to once again break out the lip moisturizers and I have some of my all-time favorites from which I can choose. One of my favorite lip and skin care companies is Carmex and currently, theirs is the brand I am using.

Carmex has recently come out with a brand new Limited Edition Moisture Plus Collection and friends, this collection is SO fun! Each lip balm is graphically printed with a design that will appeal to every Carmex user. With prints like a refined black and white pattern to whimsical, colorful designs, this new collection will allow you to express your personality in a truly fashionable and fun way. Before I introduce you to this collection of lip balms, here is a bit more about Carmex...

Founded by Alfred Woelbing - the inventor of Carmex® Lip Balm – Carma Laboratories Inc. is a family owned and operated business that employs more than 100 people in Franklin, Wis. Carma Laboratories makes Carmex brand lip balms, including a premium lip balm called Carmex Moisture Plus™ ultra hydrating lip balm, and Carmex skin care products. Carmex is available in major drug, food and mass merchant retailers, at convenience stores throughout the United States, online and in more than 35 countries around the world. 

I have been a Carmex fan for some time now and have a hard time deciding which I like better, the lip moisturizer or the lotion. Right now, I am using the lotion multiple times a day because it absorbs quickly, isn't greasy and works extremely well for me. I was thrilled when I heard about the Limited Edition Moisture Plus Collection and could not wait to try it out!

So, for this review I was sent all four lip moisturizers from this collection: Whimsical (multi-colored), Fab (purple), Chic (black and white) and Adventurous (leopard print). My package arrived in this cute little box the other day and it was all I could do to NOT get into it right then and there!

I have to say that I just LOVE the bright and stylish colors. There truly is a style for everyone! Each stick is slimline and will fit nicely into any pocket, purse, glove box, wallet and diaper bag.

As always, the Moisture Plus formula is amazing. To me, it has a slight orange flavor and is very silky smooth. When I apply it to my lips, my lips stay moist for hours...which is one factor I consider what lip balms I want to use. 

When you are trying to decide which "personality" you are, Carmex has developed a really neat quiz to help you determine which style fits you best. This Uniquely You Personality Quiz is super easy to take and I found out that I am the "Chic" (black and white) style...which is pretty accurate! My sticks also came with neat little cards that explain each lip moisturizer's style and I thought this was a cute touch. 

My lip balm sampler was on hand for this review and so I let her pick out the one she liked the best and give it a try. She picked Whimsical because she loved all the bright colors...that IS her personality too...wild and crazy. :) She loved it and it ended up helping her lips feel a bit better. She has been chapped and this helped to give her just a bit more moisture. 

So, if you are looking for some great stocking stuffers or small gift ideas, be sure to check out the Carmex Limited Edition Moisture Plus Collection. It is chic, trendy, stylish and PERFECT for any gal on your list this holiday season! You can find this collection at mass retailers and drug stores across the country. 

Carmex has offered to giveaway a set of the Limited Edition Moisture Plus Collection to one of you! Here are your entry options...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. As a member of the Carmex Blog Squad I did receive Carmex products for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the Carmex website and email. Prize is being provided and shipped by the sponsor. This blog is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged prizes. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

CanvasPop Turns Your Photos Into GORGEOUS Canvas Prints! {Review & Giveaway}

There is just something really wonderful about hanging up photos of your family. In our old house, I had one wall that had over 8 pictures of just my children. Funny thing was, most of them were of my first baby because...well...she was the first and we all know that the first child is the one who has had their picture taken the most. :) Now that we are in the new house, I am having trouble figuring out where to hang pictures. I have loads of empty wall space but I don't just want to hang them up any old way. There has to be a pattern, design or "method to the madness" if you will. I get on Pinterest all the time and find decorating ideas but I have yet to implement them. Pinterest can be quite a wonderful addiction hobby for me and I get very distracted there looking for ideas.

Today, I am going to introduce you to a company that can revolutionize the way you frame and hang photos and turn your ordinary photos into something gorgeous and unique. CanvasPop takes your pictures and puts them on canvas in whatever size you wish! There are loads of ways to hang pictures these days and CanvasPop really helps get the creativity going. Before I continue on, here is a bit more about CanvasPop...

OUR MISSION IS TO SURPRISE AND DELIGHT OUR CUSTOMERS IN EVERYTHING WE DO. FROM OUR QUALITY PRODUCTS TO OUR AMAZING WEBSITE AND OUR OBSESSIVE CUSTOMER SERVICE, WE’RE HERE TO MAKE YOU HAPPY.

We’re obsessed with great design, amazing photography and stunning digital art which is why we take such pains to ensure our product is the highest quality possible. Whether you’re a professional photographer or just trying to print a photo of your kids, we guarantee the best quality and service anywhere.

The possibilities are endless when you look at some of the galleries on CanvasPop's website. Seriously, you can literally use any photo you have and turn it into a gorgeous canvas print that will look perfect in any room. I was really excited to be asked to do a review for this company and was even more excited to learn that I would be receiving a 16 x 20 print! WOW! That is huge! :)

So, for this review I chose to have a recent picture of our family from the 4th of July put onto a 16 x 20 canvas print. When my picture arrived, I was SO excited! My father happened to be at my house at the time and when I pulled the picture out of the box, he was immediately impressed. He was like, "You can put pictures on CANVAS???" I was more than happy to educate him on what you could do and he was really surprised and intrigued at the process.  This picture is GORGEOUS. I am so in love with it...trying to find a place to put it has been challenging though as I have so many places I want to put it. One thing that impressed me was the clarity of the picture itself. It had been edited and cropped before I sent it to CanvasPop and I was worried that the resolution would be affected. Obviously, it was not a problem because this picture is VERY clear and crisp on the canvas.

One of the things I love is that this comes ready to hang. No fiddling around with wires or pounding hardware into the frame...it is already done for me. I am terrible when it comes to finding picture-hanging hardware so it is nice to have it included. 

The canvas itself is pulled tight and securely stapled on all sides. CanvasPop has a 100% lifetime guarantee on all of their products so if something happens to your print, they will replace it. I love it when a company cares enough about their product and customers that they offer a guarantee like this one. Here's the guarantee from their website:

"We offer a 100% lifetime love guarantee. If you don’t love it, we’ll make it right. This covers any manufacturer’s defects such as loose or wavy canvas, bubbles, scratches or fading. In addition, we will also cover any warping of the stretcher bars. If this occurs we will either replace your canvas print or fix it at our cost."

Want to take a quick peek behind the scenes at CanvasPop? Here's a quick video to give you an idea of how they create your print...

Pretty neat, huh? I enjoyed watching the work that goes into making a canvas print and I truly appreciate the attention to detail that is shown in each print that comes out of CanvasPop.

I was at a loss as to where I wanted this beautiful picture of my family hung. Here is what I came up with. First spot I tried was above my couch. My husband makes vinyl wall art so we could put a saying above or around the picture and add some other decorative touches.

Or, there is a nice place above my piano. Not sure if it makes the wall look too busy though. I might experiment a bit more but I do like it above the piano. What do you think? Piano or wall?

When it comes to pricing, it all depends on the size you choose. You also have options as to how deep you want the frame. There are some nice discounts that you can get as well so check out CanvasPop's pricing page for more information. 

Honestly, I am LOVING my picture from CanvasPop and would encourage you to check them out today. Thinking about Christmas gifts? Start here. There is something for everyone and you can create a gift that will be cherished for a lifetime. I would definitely recommend CanvasPop...their customer service is wonderful, their products are beautiful and their guarantee is for a lifetime! 

CanvasPop has generously offered to give away a 16 x 20 Canvas Print to one of you!! Special thanks to them for this wonderful giveaway that you will all enjoy! Here are your entry options...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive free CanvasPop products for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the CanvasPop website and email. Prize is being provided and shipped by the sponsor. This blog is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged prizes. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

Still Looking for A Special Gift for Mom? NOVICA Has What You Need!! {Review & Giveaway}

I cannot believe that Mother's Day has come and gone already...I had a fantastic day with my family and hope that your Mother's Day was full of beautiful memories as well. My husband bought me a dozen roses and my daughter picked out a balloon...she was SO excited to give me the balloon too, it was just too cute. She is so precious and it was her that made me a mother for the very first time so it was even more special to receive a gift that she picked out herself. Being a mom is definitely a special career for any woman to hold and one that I cherish. So, it is no wonder Mother's Day is so special...we recognize and express our love for our mothers.

This post was supposed to go up last week but unfortunately, my husband had some surgery that set me back a bit for blogging so I am putting it up today as my "day after Mother's Day" post. I guarantee that it is still a special post that you will love! Just because Mother's Day was yesterday, doesn't mean that we can't celebrate mom every day! If you didn't have a chance to pick something up for your mom yet, don't despair...Novica is a wonderful company that features hand made gifts from artisans around the world! The have some gorgeous unique gifts for mom that will still stun her and make her feel very loved. In case you are not familiar with Novica, here is a bit more about them...

We want to give artists and artisans around the world a global platform to express their true artistic talents and to spur their creativity. And, we want to provide you with access to unique, hard-to-find items at great values that only the Internet infrastructure can allow.

At the deepest essence of our philosophy, we want to create a bridge between you and the many talented artisans across the globe.

We want you to know about who you're buying from. We want you to feel that attachment to the product and to the hands that created it.

In the spirit of the Internet, let us bring you together.

NOVICA. The World is Your Market.

I have worked with Novica on many occasions and each item I have received has been simply gorgeous. The quality is wonderful and the craftsmanship is stunningly beautiful. Some items I have given away as gifts and each time, the recipients are so happy with their gifts. So, if you are still hunting for the perfect Mother's Day gift, look no further...Novica is going to get just the right gift in your hands.

So, today's Novica review comes from some artisans named Javier and Efren. These glassblowers hail from Mexico and have been preserving Mexico's blown glass artistry since 1990 and their work is simply stunning. For this review, I chose to receive the "Spring" Water Glasses. I am kind of partial to beautiful glasses and these immediately caught my eye.

I think my favorite part of these water glasses is the cobalt blue accents on the rims and stems. Isn't is beautiful? It adds so much color in just the right places and truly, any beverage would look great in these glasses.

Tall, thin stems are elegant but certainly are not the requirement for beautiful glasses. The stems and bases on these water glasses are short but still lovely. They are also made with blue glass so that is another way that the color just pops out of these.

These shapely water glasses are handcrafted by Javier and Efrén. Each glass is individually handcrafted to bring you the magic of quality Mexican art blowing. These beautiful water glasses will complement any table setting or stand alone with their classic blue rim and base. Because each piece is handmade, shape and size can vary slightly and tiny bubbles may appear within the glass. This exemplifies the hand-blown technique, making every piece a unique example of blown glass craftsmanship.

I did notice some bubbles and imperfections in the glass itself but knowing that it was a part of the uniqueness gave each glass it's own character and I loved it!

Also included in my order was a small card containing information about the artist and a description of the product. This is always a really nice, classy touch that Novica adds when packaging and sending out their products. Each item is given it's own card and you, or the recipient, can read and fully appreciate the story behind the artwork.

This set of 6 "Spring" Water Glasses retails for $45.49 and is available for purchase directly from Novica's website. Also, you will find that Novica carries hundreds of other wonderful gifts for mom and you can check more of those items out when you visit Novica. Please be sure to check out Novica on Facebook, follow their boards on Pinterest and keep up with all of their latest tweets on Twitter! Always something fun going on so don't miss out...visit them today!

So, in my opinion...Novica has some wonderful gift ideas for mom. Make every day Mother's Day and celebrate your mom by giving her a gift she will remember and cherish forever. I am LOVING the water glass set that I received and think that it will be quite an amazing and elegant addition to my dinner table. I would definitely recommend Novica to anyone who is looking for a special gift...whether it be for mom or anyone else!

How would one of you like to win a $50 gift certificate to Novica? You have the chance to do that right now!! Here are your entry options...
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. However, I received a free NOVICA gift code in exchange for this post. All quotes and stock photos are from the NOVICA website and email. Prize is provided by the sponsor. This blog is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged prizes. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.