A fellow blogger named Deb has just announced her sister who lives in Las Vegas is very ill and in need of prayers.  I’m not sure what’s wrong but it sounds very serious.  Deb will be traveling from her home in Minnesota to Las Vegas either tonight or tomorrow to be with her sister and family. You can read more here. Please take a moment to say a prayer for her and her family.

Hey Moms! The Contours brand name and logo from Kolcraft just got a new meaningful makeover on Facebook.  The newly redesigned logo features a large C with an open O inside to represent the loving embrace between parent and child. But that’s not all!  Parents can also look forward to seeing new exciting editions from Contours added to this page throughout 2012, including the latest news, parenting advice, and developments. If your a parent or grandparent, you won’t want to miss out!

Be sure to check out the new Contours page from Kolcraft on Facebook and let them know what you think about the new look!  Oh, and be sure to let them know Granny Loves Gift Baskets sent you!

Disclaimer:  This information was provided by a representative of Kolcraft.  I received no form of compensation, monetary or otherwise, for sharing with my readers.  All opinions are mine. Your opinions may differ.

Don’t you love sampling food and treats before you buy?  I know I do!  Well, guess what, now you can with a subscription to Love With Food!  Each month this foodie community features a themed ‘Best Bites’ box filled with 5 to 6 hard-to-find gourmet treat samples (food and treat samples vary from month to month) for only $14 a month (shipping is free).  For each box purchased, Love With Food will also donate a meal to support No Kid Hungry to help end childhood hunger!  It’s easy to join and members can cancel at anytime.

Subscribers can also purchase the savory and sweet treats featured in the Best Bites Box at a discounted price (for a limited time), submit, rate, and share recipes, view and purchase products, receive exclusive member-only discounts, meet the Chefs, and share your favorites on Facebook and Twitter, and earn points which can be redeemed for free products on the website.

For the month of January, I received a Best Bites box filled with samples of delicious healthy treats.

The Best Bites box I received from Love With Food contained a small treasure trove of sample sized goodies.  I enjoyed everything I tasted, especially the gourmet trail mix from Sehale Snacks and Mango Surprise fruit leather from Stretch Island Fruit Co.  The trail mix made with almonds, honey, cranberries, and sea salt was the perfect combination of salty and sweet.  I really enjoyed the Mango Surprise fruit leather from Stretch Island Fruit Co too.

Included with the ‘Best Bites’ box was a card describing each of the sample food items.

• The Ginger People – Original Ginger Chews – soft, chewy candy with the peppery pop of real ginger (these candies are chewy with just the right amount of spiciness).
• The Ginger People – Spicy Apple Ginger Chews – like a warm slice of apple pie with a gingery kick. (my favorite ginger chew so far! the apple and ginger are a great combination).
• Nuts About Granola – “Plain Jane” Peanut Butter Granola – natural peanut butter with a kiss of cinnamon combine to make this uber-moist granola. This granola was featured on the Rachael Ray show as Snack of the Day! (loved the peanut butter & cinnamon combo. This moist granola tasted great with a cup of coffee)
• Sahale Snacks – Almonds with Cranberries, Honey, and Sea Salt – trail mix goes gourmet with whole almonds lightly glazed with orange blossom honey, tossed with cranberries and toasted sesame seeds. (this trail mix is the perfect combination of salty and sweet. Makes a great snack ‘on the go’ snack).
• Somersault Snacks – Pacific Sea Salt – these crunchy nuggets are made with sunflower seeds & toasted grains, making them rich in protein and vitamin E. (a yummy, guilt-free snack. I really enjoyed these salty snacks)
• Stretch Island Fruit Co. – Mango Surprise – naturally sun-sweetened mango fruit leather with a 1/2 serving of fruit in each pack and only 45 calories. (the mango flavor was beyond delish. I could have eaten ten more easily!)
• Might Leaf Tea – Chocolate Mint Truffle – a chocoholic’s guilt-free indulgence, this caffeine-free Rooibos tea is made with antioxidant-rich cacao nibs. (like a dessert in a cup! The chocolate – mint combo was delicious!)

Don’t these treats sound yummy! The theme for February’s Best Bites Box is Treats For Your Sweetheart.  As a new member who loves surprises, I’m hoping for lots of sweet, chocolaty treats in this box.

Where to Join

Love With Food

How to Connect

Facebook

Twitter

The Giveaway!

There will be 5 winners for this giveaway!! Each winner will each receive ‘Best Bites’ Box and one month subscription to Love With Food.

This giveaway is open to the continental U.S. only.

To be entered, just follow the directions of the Rafflecopter form below.

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You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy the Vegan Valentines Collection from chocolatier Oliver Kita.  This chocolate collection contains sixteen of the tastiest, most attractive chocolate bon bon’s I’ve ever tried and it’s no surprise why.  Chef and owner Oliver Kita has trained with some of the world’s best master chocolatiers.  He’s spent the last 20 years baking with chocolate flavors, perfumes, citrus, herbs, flowers, nuts, berries, exotic fruits, and spices to create his line of artisan fine chocolates using quality fair trade and organic chocolate. Read more about Oliver Kita and his delicious chocolate creations here.

The gorgeous vegan organic chocolates seen in the above picture arrived in a small white and green heart box tied with an Oliver Kita grosgrain ribbon.  Inside this box were sixteen of the most gorgeous handcrafted chocolate bon bons I’d ever seen.  The biggest challenge for me was choosing which one of these confections to try first! The chocolate bon bons were so gorgeous I almost didn’t want to eat them.  Almost.

Let me share with you a couple of my favorites from this collection

• Sakura Cherry Blossom – sweetheart cherry taste with sundried dark cherries & dark chocolate. (The cherry and chocolate combination was definitely a winner).
• Violet Halo – simply sweet and delicious “Ube- purple yam” used in southeast asian ice cream treats.  (I’ve never eaten Ube before but it taste great in chocolate).
• Vermillion Fruit- raspberry, lingonberry and red currant blended into a love triangle. (Delicious. I could really taste the lingonberry in this chocolate bon bon).
• Loveletter- St. Germain Liquer from Paris made with handpicked wild elderflower blossoms. (My absolute favorite!)

These organic vegan chocolates are handcrafted, delicious, and anything but ordinary tasting.  There were several different flavor combinations to choose from in the Vegan Valentines Collection and I liked them all but a few stood out, like the Love Letter flavored confection. This particular bon bon is a combination of Elderflower Blossoms and Parisian liquer and the flavor was like nothing I’ve tried before.  The unique combination of ingredients made this particular bon bon a unique treat for the taste buds.  I could have eaten a dozen more of these easily!

So if you like chocolate and experimenting with new, unique flavors, I would suggest trying the Vegan Valentines Collection from Oliver Kita.  You won’t be disappointed. These artisan chocolates are a little pricy at $50 per box but worth every penny.

Where To Buy

The Vegan Valentines Collection can be found in the Seasonal Chocolates category under the ‘Valentine’s Day’ tab on Oliver Kita’s website.  Oliver Kita also does custom orders too!

This confectionery collection is also available in a brown Oliver Kita Signature Heart Box.

How To Connect

Facebook

Twitter

RSS Feed

Chocolate Blog

Contact Info

Disclaimer: I received the Vegan Valentines Collection from Oliver Kita through Tomoson.com to facilitate in this review.  No other form of compensation was received, monetary or otherwise, and I was not influence in any way to write a positive review. All opinions are 100% mine. Your opinions may differ.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

My granddaughter keeps me on my feet.  Literally.  I can easily spend several hours daily chasing after my two year old granddaughter around.  I can tell you by the end of the day, I’m exhausted, and ready to relax and unwind.  I would love to be able to afford a trip to the spa but that’s just not in my budget, so I have to look for less expensive ways to pamper myself and my feet.  I quickly discovered the Pedi-Scrub Foot Buffer from Spongeables is an inexpensive and great way to pamper tired feet and toes at the end of the day! Each easy-to-grip sponge is specially infused with soap and aromatic botanicals and last an incredible 20+ washes.

Spongeables Pedi-Scrub Foot Buffers come in two fragrances: Lavender Tea Tree Oil Aromatherapy(pink) and Citron Eucalyptus Aromatherapy (green).  I’m a sucker for anything scented with Eucalyptus so I chose the latter.  The bontanicals in this buffer/sponge are the same found in the Lavender Tea Tree with the exception of Eucalyptus extract.  The Eucalyptus extract has a light mint fragrance which made for a wonderfully aromatic aromatherapy experience.  The scrubby side of this soap infused sponge did a great job removing dirt and dead skin  from the heels and soles of my feet.  I haven’t tried this yet but apparently the buffer can also be used to shine up toenails!  Flip the pedi-scrub over and there is a soft sponge which can be used to cleanse the more sensitive, or ticklish, areas of the feet.  Like toes for instance!  As for me, I’m really happy with the results.  I’ve use the Spongeables Pedi-Scrub Foot Buffer three times and already my feet are starting to look and feel better.

Where to Buy

Spongeables or click here for a list of retailers

Social Media

Facebook

Twitter

The Giveaway

One Spongeables pedi scrub in winner’s choice of fragrance/color.

To enter this giveaway, just follow the directions on the Rafflecopter form located below and Good Luck!

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I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

One For The Money, based on a book of the same title by Janet Evanovich, opens in theaters this Friday (January 27th).  This film is rated PG 13 and stars Katherine Hiegl.  View the official movie trailer here or read the synopsis on Fandango.

To celebrate the release of this film, I’ve been given an awesome prize pack to giveaway!

The Giveaway!

One lucky reader will win a prize pack containing one of each item listed below.

• Tote
• T-Shirt
• Mini Poster
• Lipstick Pen
• Notepad
• Tone Body Wash

Here’s a GREAT deal you won’t want to miss!

Right now on Groupon, pay only $6 for a movie ticket to see “One For The Money” in theaters or $12 for two tickets.  This deal ends January 27th so hurry and get your tickets for this film while their still available!

Enter the giveaway using the easy peasy Rafflecopter form below and Good Luck!

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I’m not one to spend all day in the kitchen preparing a meal so I look for products and recipes that are simple to make and tasty.  Overly complicated is not my style either.  I prefer to use ready to add mixes like the one’s found at Country Gourmet Home to save time and money.  This family owned business carries a variety of syrups, sauces, mixes, and more to make meals, desserts, and snack time preparation easier for busy moms and grandparents.

Amy, wife and co-owner of Country Gourmet Home, sent me two mix packages to review from their large selection of mixes available on their website: Chicken Enchilada Soup and Sesame Garlic Blend Dip mix.  Both mixes contained all the necessary spices and ingredients needed to make these dishes.  All I had to do was purchase the main ingredients.  As for me, I started with the Chicken Enchilada Soup mix which called for chicken and diced tomatoes.

Once the piping hot soup was in the bowl, I added a dollop of sour cream, cheddar cheese slices, green onions, and tortilla chips for garnish. In total, I made up two bowls: one for my husband and one for myself.  The soup looked and smelled so good!  The Chicken Enchilada Soup was creamy, not too spicy, and tasted almost identical to the Chicken Enchilada soup I enjoyed at my favorite Mexican restaurant.  The whole process took about 25 minutes, including garnishments, and it was delicious!

The following day, I made Sesame Garlic Blend Dip using the packet of ingredients I received from Country Gourmet Home.  I love anything with garlic so I was very excited to try this mix out!  To make the dip, all I had to do was add one cup mayonnaise and one cup sour cream and mix. Super easy right?!  I also discovered I could make a cheese ball by eliminating the mayonnaise and adding cream cheese. YUM! Maybe next time.

Where to Buy

In addition to Soup and Dip mixes, Country Gourmet Home carries a large variety of baking, bread, Smoothie, dinner, dessert mixes and a whole lot more, including jams & jellys, fruit butters, and syrups.

Check out all Country Gourmet Home has to offer here.

Country Gourmet Home is a family owned and operated gourmet food mix business specializing in easy to make meals and side dishes.  Shane and Amy Beth began Country Gourmet Home to allow Shane to stay home with their children while Amy Beth was in the military. We hand make each and every mix to ensure that they arrive fresh at your door. Each recipe is created to require only one to two additional ingredients and those ingredients have to be basic ingredients like milk, water, eggs, or butter.  We recently began offering our products as a direct sales opportunity to give others the option of staying at home with their children or to provide extra income. We have been so blessed with this wonderful business and hope that our mixes bring as much comfort to your family table as they do to ours.

Connect with Country Gourmet Home

Country Gourmet Home

Newsletter

Facebook

Twitter

The Giveaway!

One lucky reader will a packet each of Country Gourmet Home’s yummy Chicken Enchilada Soup mix and Sesame Garlic Blend Dip mix!

To Enter this giveaway, just follow the instructions located on the Rafflecopter form below and Good Luck!

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Want to have your pet food and supplies conveniently delivered to your door? Well, you can with Mr. Chewy’s subscription pet delivery service.  This online retailer carries over 70+ brands of pet food and supplies for your dog or cat, including prescription pet food and Frontline Flea & Tick medication.  Pet owners who subscribe will be able to track orders and/or make delivery changes, rate products, and write reviews in addition to receiving exclusive discounts and offers.

As for my hubby and I, we have three adorable little dogs, a Pug-A-Pom named Sweet Pea, a mixed Terrier named Pebbles, and a Cairn Terrier named Tinkerbell.  Each with a very healthy appetite!  With three hungry pups, I have to make two (sometimes three) trips in a month to our local pet store to pick up dog food!  I would prefer to buy my dogs food in bulk but due to a long standing back injury, lugging around large bags of dog food isn’t an option for me.  With Mr. Chewy, I can place my pet food order online and have it delivered directly to my doorstep.  What a great way to save time, gas, and money!

Here are just a few of the popular pet brands you can find on Mr. Chewy

• Blue Buffalo
• Beggin Strips
• Iams
• Newman’s Own Organics
• Taste Of The Wild
• Tidy Cats

Refer A Friend Donation Program

Spread the word about Mr. Chewy and they will give your friends a 10% discount on their first purchase AND make a $10 donation to the pet charity of YOUR choice through their “Refer A Friend” Donation Program.  Click here to learn more!

Mr. Chewy also offers free delivery with purchases of $49 or more!

How to Connect with Mr. Chewy

mrchewy.com

Facebook

 Twitter

The Giveaway!!

Mr. Chewy has very generously offered to give one of my pet lovin’ readers a $50 gift code to spend on their website.  Thanks Mr. Chewy!!

To enter the giveaway, just follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter form and Good Luck!

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For many service men and women the day they return home is the happiest day of their lives! We have all seen the happy reunions of families during the holidays, but what happens after the reunion is over? For many men and women it’s the beginning of a new struggle, the struggle to put their families back together again, and it’s not easy. Military divorces have increased 42% since 2001, and that number is sure to increase with the number of service men and women returning home from Afghanistan.

Using the Finally Home To Family Blog App below, we all can help the men and women who have defended our country fight the war in their backyard!

The Finally Home to Family Blog App features a romance recipe quiz, date ideas, and stories, which can help reunite military couples separated by time and distance rediscover and reignite their relationships.

Here what you will find on the Finally Home to Family Blog App.

What’s Your Romance Recipe Quiz! Did you ever wonder what your spouses secret ingredient for romance is? Now, you can find out with the Finally Home To Family Romance Recipe quiz! With just a click of your mouse answer a few questions and you’ll have your customized romance recipe!

Finally Home Dates! Is your relationship in a rut? With the exclusive Finally Home Dates PDF you can download great date ideas that will help add some spice into your romantic life! All within the click of a button!

Awesome Stories! Do you ever feel like you are the only one going through struggles in your relationship? Well, you are not alone! So many couples struggle with the same things you do and in this section they have shared their stories to help other couples in the same situation!

If your having trouble viewing the blog app, visit this link.

Now for the Giveaway!

One lucky reader will win a $15 Amazon.com card!!

To enter, follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter form and Good Luck!

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The ITO EN Tea’s Tea Prize Pack giveaway winner is: Michelle P.
Sponsored by Tomoson.com

The Bracelet Mate ‘Purseless Purse‘ from Canale Originals giveaway winner is: Lorrie R.
Sponsored by Tomoson.com

The new Waterpik Traveler Water Flosser giveaway winner is: Joye R.

Congrats Ladies