CleanSmart Review and Giveaway!

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The dreaded cold and flu season is here. The best protection from all those unavoidable germs is good hand hygiene. CleanSmart kills 99.9% of germs, keeping you and your family healthy. Unlike alcohol-based sanitizers, CleanSmart is naturally moisturizing so yours hands won't dry out. CleanSmart is Hypoallergenic and virtually fragrance free. It contains Hypochlorous acid, the same chemical in your body's immune system, to optimize germ fighting potential. 

Review:  I work in a medical center and don't have a great immune system so aside from daily juicing and multivitamins, my trick for staying healthy this cold and flu season is frequently using sanitizers. Although they do a great job at keeping me healthy, my hands are taking the toll so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to try a sanitizer that promises to keep my hands germ-free and moisturized at the same time.  Although I can't obviously measure CleanSmart's germ-fighting power, I can say that it does fulfill the rest of its promises.  Even after continued use of CleanSmart, my hands felt smooth and amazing! I could not detect even the faintest of smells either. It looks like I have a new favorite hand sanitizer! 

Buy it here: You can purchase CleanSmart from the company's website. 

Win it here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I was provided with the above mentioned product for the purpose of facilitating this review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

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Holiday Gift Giving Guide: 5 Unique Stocking Stuffers

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I love filling stockings with fun and practical gifts for my loved ones. Here are some great products that I have recently had the opportunity to review! 

1. WHEN FUN AND PRACTICAL MEET: Post-it Pop-up Note Dispensers & Note Holders

The Post-it brand has come a long way since the little yellow sticky pads were introduced. They have so many colors and products available and I can't imagine life without these little pads of paper! Seriously, not a day goes by that I do not use Post-its for something.  This holiday season, consider some of their fun Pop-up Note Dispensers or Note Holders as a stocking stuffer or teacher's gift!

I received the Post-it Ruby Pop-Up Note Dispenser and JAX Pop-Up Note Dispenser and I couldn't be happier. I absolutely love the Ruby Dispenser and have gotten tons of compliments on it at work. It is a weighted dispenser and the bright pink color mixed with the practicality of easy-to-access Post-its is a perfect representation of my personality - fun, yet task-oriented.  

The JAX Dispenser is not only the perfect note dispenser, but it is also a great boredom buster. That's right, a little rock and spin can be a great way to keep your hands busy while on the phone or needing a quick distraction from stress for a few minutes. It is a great stocking stuffer for home, school, or work.

Buy it here: You can purchase Post-it products at your local office supply store or office supply aisle. Each of the dispensers includes 90 sheets of Post-it paper and retail for $9.99-$11.49.

2. GIVE THE GIFT OF AROMA: Midnight Promise Perfume
 

"The Magical Hour When Anything is Possible...the Promise of Midnight"

Bellegance Perfumes has released its first fragrance, Midnight Promise. The perfume is bottled and manufactured in France and was inspired by  the resourcefulness, resilience, strength, and sophistication of women.The unique fragrance features the following blend:
Top notes: red mandarin, cinnamon
Heart notes: Moroccan red rose
Base notes: amber, incense, oak moss, soft patchouli, fresh vetiver, vanilla musk, and sandalwood

The scent is really great. I do not typically like musks; however, the mixture of the musks with the other sweet scents creates a very warm and feminine fragrance. I have to be very cautious about wearing perfumes because I have very bad allergies and can be sensitive to artificial scents.  However, I had no problems with this perfume and I loved how feminine I felt and smelled while wearing this perfume. 

Buy it here:  Midnight Promise can be purchased for $105 from Bellanance Perfumes. You can request a sample on their site as well!

3. GIVE THE GIFT OF A FESTIVE MOOD: Mood-Factory Mood-Lites

Do you like to decorate every last inch of your house for the holiday? Perhaps you like to add festive, yet practical decorations during the month of December? Either way, you may just love Mood-Factory's Mood-lites. Mood-lites represent Mood-Factory's first line of products which are based on the sense of sight and focus on how colors affect our emotions.  The red Mood Passion and green Mood Renewal are perfect for the holidays and can really promote a festive feel to your house.  Other colorful bulbs that may make some great mood-lifting stocking stuffers include Happiness (yellow), Energy (orange), Serenity (light blue), Sassy (pink),  Creativity (purple), and Tranquility (deep blue). 

My son was so excited when the Mood-lites arrived and he wasted no time changing the light bulb in his room. I was really shocked at how much the green hue radiated throughout his room and his private space was instantly transformed into a very festive setting. The bulb was a bit too extreme to keep in his overhead light (which is missing a dome) but worked great in a table lamp. These are a really fun idea for a stocking stuffer and would be great for a holiday party as well! Plus, they are  affordably priced. 

Buy it here: You can purchase Mood-lites at Lowe's for $2.98-$6.99 depending on the size and type of bulb. 

4. GIVE THE GIFT THAT HELPS OTHERS AND DELIGHTS YOUR RECIPIENT:  St. Jude's Gift Shop's Red Velvet Holiday Cake Pop Kit

St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital is one of my all-time favorite organizations.  The pediatric treatment and research facility is responsible for making discoveries that have completely changed how the world treats children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Their 10th Annual Thanks and Giving Campaign is underway and they have some great gifts that give back to their program. Up to 100% of the profits from sales from their Gift Shop benefit St. Jude's research hospital and they have some really great gifts hat would be perfect for so many people on your list. 

I was given the chance to review their Red Velvet Holiday Cake Pop Kit. The kit itself would make a great gift or you could prepare the cake pops for some great holiday treats and stocking stuffers.  The kit includes cake pop and frosting mixed with pop sticks. The instructions on the bag were very easy to follow and they were so delicious once they were done. The Red Velvet cake had a rich and delicious flavor and the frosting (which had the taste and consistency of royal icing) was a great topping.  We wrapped them in plastic and put a festive ribbon on them so my daughter can hand them out at school. I love gifts that give back and am looking at some of their other great Gift Shop items for people on my gift giving list! 

Buy it here: You can purchase the Red Velvet Holiday Cake Pop Kit for $12 from the St. Jude Gift Shop. 100% of profits from this sale go to their research hospital!


5. GIVE THE GIFT OF FUN!: Private Island Party Favors 

Private Island Party is one of the fastest growing theme party supplier, wholesale novelties company, and Halloween and costume manufacturer in the USA. Every item on their site has strategic tier pricing that is the lowest cost in the industry that is available segmented for retailers to customers alike - 1 piece to 1000. 

They have tons of party favors that can also double as fabulous stocking stuffers! I received some adorable kids sunglasses. They are available in lots of great, bright colors.  They are sturdy and fun for kids to wear and they also do a nice job of blocking the sun. After all, your kids need to keep their eyes safe from the sun even in the winter. We have a very snowy winter and having the sun bounce off the snow can sometimes be more painful on the eyes than the summer sun. These sunglasses provide UV protection and are so inexpensive that you can get one in every color.

Buy it here: You can shop for the sunglasses and lots of other great stocking stuffer ideas from Private Island Party. 

I received products in exchange for these posts. All opinions expressed are my own. 

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DressFirst.com for the Perfect Little Black Dress!

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It seems like every weekend in December we have yet another party to attend. While many of them are informal, there have been times when we had to get dressed to the nines. Whether it is a winter wedding or a charity event, you may just find that you need to find a great cocktail dress! Dressfirst.com is your go-to place for all of your formal dress needs to include special occasion dresses and even wedding and bridesmaid dresses. The best part is the dresses are available at a fraction of a cost as compared to higher-end bridal stores.

I have a lot of great cocktail dresses from all the spring and summer weddings but the bright colors and light fabrics just don't cut it for winter events.  So, when I am shopping for an outfit for the chillier season, I tend to go for the LBD - Little Black Dress! They are perfect for this time of year, tend to have a classic look that never looks "last year", and can be versatile thanks to the endless accessory possibilities.  You can bling out your look or make the outfit more fun with really bright jewelry, bags, and shoes. 

I love the different looks available through DressFirst.com. They have really classy looks but also really fun and flirtatious dresses like the Organza Satin Cocktail Dress pictured to the left. What a statement you would make when you walk into a party with this flirtatious and youthful dress!  They have a lot of very classic looks that will also keep you warm such as the Chiffon Charmeuse Cocktail Dress with Ruffle featured below. 

Shopping for special occasion dresses through DressFirst.com is really easy and totally fun.  There are a lot of options for narrowing your search so you can find your perfect dress. You can browse by silhouette, neckline, hemline, fabric, and more.  Once you start your search, you can easily see the price, availability of free shipping, and if there are additional color options.  So, even if the LBD look isn't your thing, you can find your perfect dress in your favorite color.  Their selection is great, their prices are appealing (especially for those of us who have to scrimp this time of year to afford presents), and their website is easy to navigate - look no further for your holiday dress needs!

Buy it here:  You can shop for your perfect dress on the www.DressFirst.com website. 

*I was provided compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own. 

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Lightscoop Review, Discount Code, and Giveaway!

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Affiliate link included

Gift Giving Suggestion: For anyone on your list with a camera! 

I am certainly grateful for digital cameras. Do you remember the days when you would have to pose for picture after picture with the hopes that one of the photos would turn out with great lighting and everyone smiling/not closing their eyes?  Digital cameras are great, but they aren't perfect. The biggest complaint I have about my digital camera is that lighting in the room often negatively affects the picture.

With the holidays right around the corner you will probably be taking a lot of pictures. Taking indoor pictures with smartphones and cameras can be very tricky thanks to red eye, harsh shadows, and even direct light from the camera's own flash. The Lightscoop is a camera accessory that you slip onto your camera. It bounces the light from the flash up to the ceiling or wall just like professionals to with their expensive accessories. As a result, your indoor pics will look just as great as pictures taken outside.  The Lightscoop is available as a Deluxe version for more professional types of cameras and as a Lightscoop Jr for compact cameras.

Review: Attaching the Lightscoop to my digital camera was very easy which I really appreciated! It took me a little while to get used to the look of the pictures with the Lightscoop because I was so accustomed to the unnatural look that the flash produces that I was not used to the more natural hues and colors of my house and surroundings. When I first showed my husband the picture of our Boxer, Butch, below, I told him that the colors did not look right with the Lightscoop but then he held my digital camera to the floor and I realized that it perfectly captured the true colors.  I was very happy that the Lightscoop eliminated the glare in Butch's eyes.

I had to play around with the positioning of the Lightscoop a bit and finally found the perfect placement for it. I was concerned that my camera's flash was not powerful enough for it to reach the ceiling, but my husband told me that he could see the light bounce off the ceiling when I was snapping pictures.  Once I got the positioning right, I could really see the benefits of the accessory. Here is a great example of how the Lightscoop picks up all of the background rather than just what is in the foreground. The first picture if of my Bulldog, Buttercup. You can hardly even notice Butch in the background but can see him clear
as day with the Lightscoop!  

Buy it here:  The Lightscoop Deluxe is available for $36.96 and the Lightscoop Jr. for $18.95.  They are available through the Lightscoop website, from several major retailers, and from Amazon.  You can receive an exclusive 15 % discount if you purchase from the Lightscoop website when you enter the code CakeMom2013Fall now through December 13th. 

Win it here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I was provided with the above mentioned product for the purpose of facilitating this review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

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Good Cook Thanksgiving Leftover Recipe: Apple Cranberry Turkey Wrap

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Aside from good company and quality family time, the things that I love most about Thanksgiving are the leftovers! However, we go from one family to another on Turkey Day so this year my kids, husband, and I decided to have a "Faux Thanksgiving" and actually prepared a full Thanksgiving dinner for just the four of us. I have never cooked a turkey in my life so my husband walked me through the process and we used an amazing assortment of Good Cook products to prepare the ultimate Faux Thanksgiving feast and enjoyed tons of delicious leftovers!

Faux Thanksgiving Dinner:

You can't have leftovers without first cooking the bird and my husband was really thrilled with the incredible Good Cook products we were lucky enough to receive. All along I thought all you really needed was a roasting pan. Who knew cooking a bird took so many supplies! Our favorite turkey preparation products we received included:

• Roaster W/V Rack
• Turkey Lacers
• Turkey Lifters
• Turkey Pop Up Timers
• Silicone Dripless Baster with Brush
• Fat Separator

Mmmm....look at this bird!

The Good Cook products were outstanding. We absolutely loved the rack which helped the bird cook evenly. The Silicone Dripless Baster with Brush was really genius and  helped us (okay, helped my husband) make an incredibly moist bird. I had my doubts about the Turkey Lifters actually being able to hold an 18 pound turkey but it worked great!

I did not waste any time on starting to work with the leftovers. That night, I prepared my favorite turkey leftover lunch for the next day:Apple Cranberry Turkey Wraps! I am thrilled to share this recipe as part of Good Cook's #101 Leftover Thanksgiving Recipe event!

Good Cook Leftover Recipe #60: Apple Cranberry Turkey Wraps

Ingredients
Leftover turkey
2 slices rovolone cheese
Dried cranberries
Green apple 
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
1 teaspoon butter (I use Melt honey butter)
Tomato-basil tortilla wrap
Mayonnaise  
Spinach

Instructions:
Peel apple and cut into small cubes. Melt  butter in frying pan. Place apple chunks into pan and sprinkle with cinnamon. Fry the apples until they are tender.

Layer all ingredients in the center of the tortilla. Wrap and enjoy! 

Goof Cook #101 Leftover Leftover Thanksgiving Recipes: Now through December 2nd, other Good Cook Kitchen Experts will post their unique Thanksgiving recipes for you to enjoy. They looks to amazing I may need to cook another turkey just to try some of these out!
*I was provided with the above mentioned products as a Good Cook Kitchen Expert. All opinions expressed are my own.

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NOVICA Premium Gift Wrap Giveaway

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NOVICA is a unique company, in association with National Geographic, that brings artists from around the globe together on one platform to offer unique and beautiful products for you and your home. The products offered are fantastic works of art that are destined to be conversation starters. They offer home decor, hand made jewelry & apparel, and paintings.

This holiday season, not only can you give some amazing gifts, but you can give them in style thanks to their launch of Premium Gift Wrap. This is not your average gift wrap. It is created with handmade elements, carefully crafted ribbons, and beautiful brass plates. They currently off er it from Bali, Thailand, and India and will soon be offering it from all of their regions and I am very excited that I will soon have the opportunity to review this beautiful gift wrap. In the meantime, you are the lucky ones because they are offering a giveaway to Cake Mom readers! 

Win it here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I will be provided with a gift wrap sample in exchange for this post. 

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Swag Bucks Code Extravaganza Begins Tomorrow!!

Have you heard about the latest Black Friday news? It's not the latest shopping deal or tip to get an early bird special, it's Swagbucks. This Black Friday they're hosting a HUGE Swag Code Extravaganza! With this Extravaganza, you can get up to 50 SB without spending a cent. What's more? They're topping that on Cyber Monday with another Swag Code Extravaganza for up to 60 SB! On both days, they will also offer 3X per dollar spent on your online shopping through Shop & Earn during the times below: 

Thanksgiving, November 28: 6 pm - 10 pm ET / 3 pm - 7 pm PT | Black Friday, November 29: 8 am - Noon ET / 5 am - 9 am PT | Cyber Monday, December 2: 9 am - Noon ET / 6 am - 9 am PT

The way Swagbucks sees is, this time of the year may be great to save money on your holiday purchases, but why just save money when you can earn it at the same time? Between their shopping specials and the Swag Code Extravaganzas, going to Swagbucks.com on Balck Friday & Cyber Monday can get you enough SBs for your next gift card. Haven't started with Swagbucks yet? Now is a great time -- I've gotten more than $100 in gift cards since I started and it's easy to start. Sign up here.

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FREE Wall Calendar, Cards, and More Deals from Shutterfly

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Personalized calendars make great gifts, especially for the hard-to-shop-for person on your list. Now through 11/29, you can score a free personalized wall calendar from Shutterfly! Check out this and the other great deals this week and weekend:

Free 12-month wall calendar from Shutterfly.com with promo code FREECAL. Offer valid 11/26-11/29 

Get 10 free cards fromm Shutterfly.com with promo code BLACKFRIDAY. Offer valid 11/28-12/1 

Thanksgiving and Black Friday only: Receive a free calendar and 10 free cards from Shutterfly.com! Use promo code FREECAL and BLACKFRIDAY. Offer valid 11/28-11/29  

Take 50% off sitewide on most products from Shutterfly.com. Offer valid 11/26-12/2



EARLYBIRD offer expires 11/20/13 (11:59 P.M. PT). Offer is good for 20% off qualifying merchandise orders at shutterfly.com. Taxes, shipping and handling will apply. Not valid on prepaid plans, gift certificates, videograms, cards sent using mailing services, prior purchases, orders placed for in-store pick up, purchases made on the Shutterfly iPhone, iPad, Android and Photo Story apps or Shutterfly Pro Galleries. Cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with other offers or credits. Not valid for resale.

BLACKFRIDAY Offer expires 12/1/13 (11:59 P.M. PT). Offer is good for 10 free 6x8, 5x7, 5x5, 4x8, 4x5 flat, 5x7 folded or 5x7 trifold cards ( can be free rounded corners and free pearl shimmer cardstock) through shutterfly.com. Must select one of the seven card types. Offer cannot be redeemed more than once per account and/or billing address. Taxes, shipping and handling will apply. Not valid on other sizes, calling cards, prepaid plans, cards sent using mailing services, prior purchases, orders placed for in-store pick up, purchases made on the Shutterfly iPhone, iPad and Android apps or Shutterfly Pro Galleries. Cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with other offers or credits. Not valid for resale.

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Holiday Shopping with Best Buy - Exclusive Coupons!

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Electronics are the hottest items for the holiday season and Best Buy wants to be your go-to store for all your technology and appliance needs. Why should you turn to Best Buy? Let me count the reasons:

1. Best Buy features more than 100 exclusive products only available through Best Buy stores
2. Best Buy offers a market-leading selection of tablets, smartphones, gaming consoles and games, wearable technology, health and fitness gear, mobile accessories, and more
3. Best Buy offers Geek Squad support with highly trained and knowledgeable agents
4. Best Buy offers a Low Price Guarantee so you know you are getting the best deal possible
5. You can shop Best Buy online or in store 
6. Best Buy allows you to try things (like tablets and gaming systems) out in a store so you an ensure you are getting the product that meets your needs
7. Best Buy's stock stays up-to-date and offers the latest in their technology and appliance products
8. Best Buy offers tons of great gifts for kids
9. You can shop online and save money thanks to their free store pick-up option
10. If you just don't know what to get, you can always go the gift card route and let your recipients get what they want

Exclusive Best Buy Coupons:
From 12/1-1/18 you can save 15% off Health and Fitness, Fisher Price, and Mattel products with their printable coupon. You can also receive the discount online with the code bloggers15off. You can check out their Best Buy Gift Center for some great ideas that you can use the coupon on to include the Fisher Price Little People Apptivity Barnyard, Fitbit Activity Trackers, and more. I don't know about you, but my daughter would LOVE the Digital Barbie Makeover Kit!

From 12/1-1/18 you can also save 10% off Headphones and Portable Speakers (some exclusions apply) with their printable coupon. You can also receive the discount online with the code bloggers10off.

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

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Mulberry Love Review and Giveaway

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Hippocrates is most famous for his quote that became an oath for all doctors, "First, do no harm". Another brilliant statement he made, one that is often overlooked in modern medicine, was "Let Food Be Thy Medicine and Medicine Be Thy Food". Although not popular with the pharmaceutical company, there is a real movement that stresses the importance of a healthy diet and how certain foods can prevent and even treat disease.  I have personally been juicing daily since August and have seen an improvement in energy and immune functioning. So, when I heard about the health benefits of mulberries, I was excited to try Mulberry Love's juices. 

Mulberry Love is a revolutionary superfruit drink. Rich with antioxidants and natural ingredients shown to help boost immunity, ignite brain power and hydrate your body; this refreshing blend of mulberry juice and coconut water is meant to be not only good for you, but also good tasting.  Mulberry Love has no added sugar as it is sweet naturally. 

Review: I was given the opportunity to try both the All Natural Mulberry Superfruit Drink and the Organic Mulberry Juice. I had never tasted mulberries before (and to be honest, never even heard of the berry).  The drinks reminded me of a smoother and sweeter pomegranate or grape juice.  They were extremely tasty and had just the right amount of sweetness. Unlike some other fruit juices, this one also quenched my thirst.   They tasted better when they were really cold so refrigeration was a must. I would definitely drink these again! 

Buy it here: You can purchase these juices from the Mulberry Love website.

Win it here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* I was provided with the above mentioned product for the purpose of facilitating this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Gift Idea: Wondershare Video Editor

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Home videos: I can't think of a better way to document you family's experiences! Even if yu don't have a high tech camera, taking videos and pictures has never been easier thanks to the access we all have on our cell phones.  Wouldn't it be nice if you could easily and quickly edit your videos so you can create some seriously impressive movies? The Wondershare Video Editor is home video editing software with special editing features that allows you to make professional-looking home videos by applying music, text, and special effects and also allows you to edit video clips together.

Features of the Wondershare Video Editor:

•  Ability to create seamless movies with any format - video, audio, and photos
• Personalization of movies with features such as picture-in-picture, transitions, and more
• Ability to edit with classic features such as trimming, rotating, cropping, and more
• Smart Scene Detection which splits videos into segments
• Ability to upload and share your movies to social media, your TV, your iPhone, and more. You can also burn to a DVD.
• Over 300 effects allow you endless possibilities for editing
•  You can add fun graphic art, dynamic transitions, introductions and credits, sound effects, and more
• Ability to convert to standard/HD video
• Use of timeless-based video editing

The Wondershare Video Editor is available for Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Mac OS X x10.6, 10.7, 10.8, 10.9. It is very reasonable priced for $39.99 and has a free trial available. The product makes a great gift but the videos you can make with the software can make a priceless gift. Just imagine your parent's joy when you edit home movies from your childhood or your spouse's reaction when you put together movies sequentially documenting your life together.  Personally, I am much better about taking photos at events as opposed to videos so I love the ability to create a personalized video of all of my pictures. Documenting our annual family vacations has never been easier and I can share the photos with all my friends and family!

Try it here: Try before you but with the Free Trial version of the Wondershare Video Editor.  

*I was compensated for the post; however, all opinions are my own.

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Chicken Soup for the Soul: It's Christmas Review and Giveaway (3 winners)

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Christmas is a time of joy and an opportunity to share love with family and friends.  Chicken Soup for the Soul: It's Christmas!: 101 Joyful Stories about the Love, Fun, and Wonder of the Holidays.  The stories, written by every-day people, are organized into the following festive chapters:
The True Meaning
Miracles Happen
Santa's Elves
From the Mouths of Babes
Bark! The Herold Angels Sing
The Naughty List
A Little Help from my Friends
Holiday Hijinks
Bittersweet Christmas
Making Memories

I have read many Chicken Soup for the Soul books over the years and have always felt a bit more inspired and grateful for my life after reading them. The book is full of short stories, inspirational quotes, and comical cartoons with the common Christmas theme.  I found the book to be a bit more light-hearted than other books in the series, which is just fine with me. Other books have left me sobbing over some heartbreaking (though inspiring) stories. This one, rather, had me laughing at times and getting that overall warm and fuzzy feeling that comes with a good Christmas story. It is a perfect book for the holidays!

Buy it here: You can purchase Chicken Soup for the Soul books from bookstores for $14.95 or can be purchased at a discounted rate from Amazon.

Win it here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I was provided with the above mentioned product for the purpose of facilitating this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Lovable Labels Black Friday Sale!

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Need a great stocking stuffer idea? How about high-quality, personalized labels for your little ones?! Lovable Labels is offering great Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals as described above. These are the best labels I have ever used and these are definitely great deals! 
*I will be provided with a promotional item in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

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