Written By Mama

Archive for November, 2012

I love arts and crafts. I’m really trying to get Landon into them also. I think Colortime is great! Your child can decorate their items and they instantly become a keepsake for years to come – and just think, you’re not throwing out paper every time your child colors.

Since 1990, over 5 million children and adults have loved creating t-shirts, pillowcases, backpacks, tote bags, bandanas, and more for parties, slumber parties, and scout meetings with our permanent fabric markers. They have provided their customers the opportunity to entertain guests with a creative activity that becomes a permanent keepsake.

They’re also a licensed vendor of the Girl Scouts of America. Check out their wholesale program, which could be great for your organizations!

Make sure you check out their free downloadable coloring pages and their “Birthday Club” with special incentives.

You can also get 15% off all orders by using Promo Code: 15USFG when you check out at Colortime.

Yesterday was a good day for Landon. There were a few moments that frustrated me, but that’s because I was already having a rough day. So I don’t think Santa got a bad report last night – which is good for Landon!

When I woke up this morning, Landon instantly said “Stass!” That’s when I realized, “Shit I didn’t move him last night!” :-/ Eek!
So I told Landon to sit on my bed while I go pee-pee. So I ran frantically to find Stass – who was still sitting by the bathroom sink – and I ran in circles trying to find what to do with him. That’s when I saw it, Landon’s vitamins! *Whew*

I really think Stass will be a good “role model” for Landon over the holidays, as long as he keeps up these good habits!
How has your child[ren] been so far this season? Do you have an Elf on the Shelf?

Make sure you check out my previous Elf on the Shelf posts. Looking for new ideas to hide your elf? Feel free to follow my Elf on the Shelf board on Pinterest!

Yesterday I took Landon to get Christmas pictures done. It’s a good thing Stass wasn’t there, otherwise Santa would have put Landon on his naughty list forever. Landon decided to throw Lego Bricks at a little kid! I don’t think he did it out of anger or anything, he just got a little carried away in his horse-play. It wasn’t okay though. He was a little rambunctious as usual, at home, but not toooo bad.

Anyways, this morning guess where we found Stass?! Brushing his teeth! It’s important to remember to brush, especially if he’s eating all those my cookies for breakfast, daily.
Just goes to show, even the smallest Elf at the North Pole needs to practice good oral hygiene!

Make sure you check out my previous Elf on the Shelf posts. Looking for new ideas to hide your elf? Feel free to follow my Elf on the Shelf board on Pinterest!

The Turtle Company makes some awesome products including these really cool Kimco Wine Bottle Covers and other decorative items. You can read Pandora’s Deals review of the 2 products she received and learn more about The Turtle Company! Be sure to follow The Turtle Company on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest so you can be the first to hear about their latest products!

Can you believe that The Turtle Company is generously offering 6 Pandora’s Deals readers their own Wine Bottle Cover AND their own Tissue Box Cover! I know both of these items would be used in my home!

This giveaway will end on Friday December 7 at 12 midnight ET and is open to US residents ages 18+ only. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter to win.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The other day I purchased 2 new bags of German Christmas cookies. I love these things! Anyways, I noticed they were being eaten far faster than I could possibly be eating them *insert sarcasm here*

Well, this morning we found Stass eating my cookies! Look at that grin…he’s taunting me.
I seriously think it’s time to hide my cookies – Santa, I assume you’ll be adding some of these to my stocking this year?

Anyways, Santa had a better report last night. Landon was his usual 2 year old self, but not as bad as the day before!

Make sure you check out my previous Elf on the Shelf posts. Looking for new ideas to hide your elf? Feel free to follow my Elf on the Shelf board on Pinterest!

I did it, I caved to the peer pressure *teehehe* and “adopted” an Elf on the Shelf, yesterday.

After a long day of running errands with us, and listening to Landon screaming, we finally got home. I was more anxious than Landon was to get him out, name him and have him get familiar with the house.
After about an hour of attempting to name him, Landon and I finally came up with Stass! Landon quickly took to him. I didn’t read the book in time though & Landon hugged him – shhh don’t tell Santa!

Anyways, this morning we woke up and Landon immediately said “Stass?” So we went to find him and guess what?! He wasn’t on the mantel where I left him! Stass was hanging out on the couch, watching Cartoon Network!

Too bad Stass was there when Landon threw his toys and cup at me. I don’t think his first report to Santa was a good one :-/
Maybe today will be a better day for Landon & Stass – seeing as he’s not cramped up in a box

Looking for new ideas to hide your elf? Feel free to follow my Elf on the Shelf board on Pinterest!

I’m so picky when it comes to jewelry. Partially because I don’t want to spend a lot of money and not wear it as often as I should. When I was offered the chance to review a charm bracelet from Chamilia, I was super stoked. It reminded me of the one I had as a kid, which I can’t seem to find anywhere
It’s also exciting because you can customize a charm bracelet as unique as you are, yet you’ll probably never have one the same as someone else.

Chamilia was founded in 2002 by Killian Rieder and privately held and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Chamilia is one of the fastest-growing personalized accessory brands in the world creating extraordinary, innovative jewelry for the woman with an eye for fashion.
Chamilia’s premium quality and unique designs distinguish it from all other jewelry brands. Our collection of premium beads and accents, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and rings celebrates individuality, letting women personalize every design to reflect their own lives and styles.

They only use the finest materials to create the beautiful pieces they sell. Some of the materials include; 14k gold, .925 sterling silver, crystal Swarovski® Elements, handmade Italian Murano glass and more. Chamilia understands that personality changes with each season, that’s why they offer fresh, new designs and collections that celebrate the designer within you – so you really should sign up for their newsletter!

When checking out their website, I found this awesome wish list option. Simply drag the charms you like to the “My Wish List” box and it saves it to your account. This way, your husband (guys, you know who you are!) won’t get your the wrong thing for Christmas.
I even made a wish list for Christmas. *ahem* Santa, I hope you’re reading this!

So I received two items from Chamilia. The bracelet and a beautiful charm.

The bracelet I received is the Silver Snap Bracelet. I love many things about this bracelet. First, it’s very sturdy feeling. I’m not worried about the clasp breaking. The clasp is really neat but a little confusing to use at first.

The only complaint I have about the bracelet is it pulls my hair. Which isn’t a huge deal, because I shave my arms (when I’m not too lazy) anyways. When I don’t though, I can definitely feel it pull the little hairs.

The charm I received is A Dream Is A Wish. Picking just one charm was almost impossible to do. They have over 45 pages of charms, with tons of different themes and colors.

There are a few reasons I picked this particular charm. One reason is because I love to dream. I really think that dreams tell you something. Another reason I picked this charm is because I love Disney movies. There’s something so magical about Disney and I think children and adults should open their minds up to it.

My other all time favorite charm was the “I Love You” Hand. It was a thing Cody and I had

Chamilia also has their own on-going giveaway. You can enter to win a charm bead with your birthstone! You can enter their giveaway HERE. “Be one of three winners each month to receive the birthstone bead corresponding to your month of birth. Simply fill in your information to enter our draw! Eligibility continues as long as this sweepstake remains online, one entry per customer only please.”

Overall, I absolutely love my bracelet and will be purchasing the charms I don’t receive for Christmas – well, that’s assuming my family even reads my blog!

I would also like to give a huge, huge thank you to the lovely folks at Chamilia. After informing them of Cody’s passing, they sent me the most beautiful bouquet of flowers. Not only do they provide quality jewelry, but they also really do care about their customers and bloggers.

This year has been a rough year for me. Cody’s death is still so fresh, so the holidays have been a real depressing thought for me. I was asked what day Thanksgiving was and after doing some Googling, I realized it fell on the 22nd – exactly 2 months since Cody passed away.
Naturally, I’ve had some problems finding what I’m truly grateful for this year. A tradition in our family, we all go around the table and say one thing we’re grateful for, before we dig into the feast that my mom and I have spent days preparing.
I didn’t want to even celebrate Thanksgiving at first. I don’t want to celebrate anything, honestly. I just want to sit in the room and cry. I have Landon though. I have to put on my big girl panties every day, force a smile and move on.

I really started thinking lately though, since we’re still having Thanksgiving dinner. I can’t just not participate in the traditions. So after days of thinking, I’ve finally found what I’m thankful for most this year…

I’m thankful for all the memories and the love I’ve felt and shared with Cody.

Our 4 year wedding anniversary

It makes me sad that Landon will never really know the love Cody has for him. No matter how much we tell him, he’ll never really understand.

Even through all the pain, the frustration and the blur of life I’ve found something to be thankful for. So tell me, what are YOU thankful for this year? I really want to know, so share in the comments below!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!

With Christmas quickly approaching, I often find myself stressing about what to get for gifts. I’m sure we all have that one person that is almost impossible to buy for.
Well, I was recently introduced to this awesome website, Gift Baskets Plus. After checking out their website, I’m almost positive there is something for everyone. Seriously.

Let me share a little about Gift Baskets Plus:
Gift Baskets Plus has been around for over 10 years. All of their products are made in the United States, so your basket will ship from one of their fourteen warehouses. You can order online or via phone. Ground shipping takes an average of 5-7 days, with faster shipping options available. They also have this super awesome option where you can order a basket now, but ship it at a later date (5+ days after the date of ordering). This is a great way to guarantee the basket you want won’t sell out.

Gift Baskets Plus offers a variety of baskets, including; Food & Drink Gift Baskets, Specialty Gift Baskets, Holiday Gift Baskets and more! Some of my favorite baskets are
Picnic Pleasures which includes wine, cheese & crackers, chocolate and mustard – I think I was sold at wine & chocolate
Frosty”s Tasty Treats Care Package which includes a 6in Frosty, Marshmallow snowman, hot cocoa, fun dough, bubbles, jelly bellies and cookies
Holiday Party which includes wine, cheese, crackers, chocolate, chocolate covered walnuts and mustard.

There are so many more baskets to choose from. The hard part now, trying to pick just one basket to send! With prices starting at around $32, and many more on sale, I could send one to my in-laws and one to myself, without breaking the bank.
You know what’s even better than finding the perfect gift? Getting 15% off your order!
You can use 15OFF  at check out to get 15% off your order.

• I will be receiving a gift basket as compensation for this post. Regardless of the compensation, my opinions are 100% my own. Please read my Full Disclosure.

I love wine. Well really, who doesn’t? So when I was given the opportunity to review a 2 month subscription to the California Wine Club, I was super stoked.

How about a little about the California Wine Club:

Since 1990, club owners Bruce and Pam Boring have traveled California’s wine country searching for limited-production wines from small, family-owned wineries dedicated to the art of making fine wine. Whether for yourself or a gift, CWC membership is an adventure in wine tasting that will not be experienced anywhere else.

CWC offers four different wine of the month clubs, which caters to both taste and budget.

• Premier Club

which is their most popular club. For under $50 a month (which includes S&H) you get 2 bottles of wine and their beautifully colored magazine, Uncorked. Uncorked includes information about the winery, tasting ideas, games and so much more!

• Signature Series

which is for collectors and connoisseurs. This membership is limited to only 800 members due to the limited quantity of these divine wines. Shipment costs vary each month, depending on the wine that’s being featured. On average a 2-bottle selection is around $150. With this membership, members can choose to receive wine monthly, every other month or quarterly.

• International Selections

includes wine from small “mom & pop” wineries from all around the world! This membership averages from $65-$80, and it includes the S&H and the import fees.

• Aged Cabernet Series

which is Napa’s most prestigious Cabernet’s aged 8 – 12 years. This membership averages $150 to $235 per shipment, and you may schedule your deliveries monthly, every other month or quarterly. You also get 3-day air shipping on your order and like the other memberships, you get their 100% guarantee.

So I received 2 bottles of wine this mont; Robledo Family Winery – “The Seven Brothers”. One white wine and one red wine.

I’m going to start with my favorite bottle, first; 2009 Napa Valley Tempranillo (red wine).
Now, I’m not really a fan of dry wine. So naturally I was a little hesitant about this shipment. However, with all my stress lately, I
opened the bottle within minutes of receiving it!

I was genuinely surprised when I realized that it wasn’t that bad! I actually like it! I will admit it’s drier than I prefer, but there’s definitely a hint of fruitiness in there. Now that I’ve tried it, I’ll definitely get another bottle.

Meal Tip: Tempranillo is fantastic with grilled meats and vegetables or even pizza.

The other bottle I received was 2008 Sauvignon Blanc (white wine).

For as long as I can remember, I’ve never liked white wine, sweet or dry. So I wasn’t surprised when I didn’t enjoy this one. It was really dry and kind of reminded me of beer. My mom did try it though, and she said it’s pretty good. She actually drank a glass – she never drinks! The smell was really nice. I decided to make a gravy with it one night and it was really good! So if you’re looking for a dry wine to cook with, I definitely recommend this one!

Meal Tip: Enjoy this Sauvignon Blanc with ahi tuna, oysters, ceviche and light salads.

If you’re interested in finding out more or ordering any of the wines listed above, visit www.cawineclub.com. Feel free to follow them on Facebook and Twitter as well!

This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. I received a 2 month Membership to the California Wine Club for the purpose of this review.