LEAP! Into the New Year and Follow Your Dreams

From the time they were old enough to understand, I've always told my children that they can do anything they put their mind to.  When you fall down, you get back up and you never give up! I've also told them that we all make mistakes and that we must learn from them...

Other life lessons that I have instilled in my children is that we are all different and unique in our own special ways.  Everyone comes from different lifestyles and backgrounds, everyone has weakness and strengths, others have advantages. We can't let our life struggles stop us from doing what we want to do!  Own it and stand out from the crowd... always be yourself!

LEAP! is a heartwarming movie that takes those life lessons and brings them life!  You will laugh, you will cry, you will be inspired!   This movie encourages children (especially young girls) to have the courage to pursue their dreams, no matter what obstacles might stand in their way.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! 

 

May your day be filled with joy, love, and memories!

Blue Buffalo Holiday Santa Snacks Dog Treats (Review)

With Christmas right around the corner, it's important not to forget your furry family members!  We don't wrap presents and fill stockings for our puppies, but that doesn't mean that they get left out.  In fact... this year they got cookies!

 

I am fortunate enough to be a Chewy Influencer and in exchange for my honest reviews, my two spoiled pups get special food and treats every month!  Zena (English Mastiff) and Thor (Great Dane/Mastiff) are lucky dogs!  When they see the blue Chewy.com box being delivered, it's almost like they know it's for them!

In the spirit of the holiday season, Thor and Zena got a bag of Blue Buffalo Holiday Santa Snacks with Oatmeal & Cinnamon dog treats.  These cookies are adorable and perfect for Christmas... shaped like stars, gingerbread men and Christmas trees.  They also smell like the holidays too!  The name, Kringle's Cookies couldn't be more perfect!

Swago: Holiday Shopping Edition Is Back!

The holidays are here and the online rewards site Swagbucks has a smart and fun way for you to earn and save while you spend.

Swagbucks is hosting another round of Shopping Swago! What is SWAGO you ask? It's a bingo-inspired promotion run by Swagbucks, a website that rewards you with points (called SB) for completing everyday online activities. You can redeem those SB for free gift cards. If you've never used Swagbucks, participating in SWAGO is a great introduction to the site and an easy way to earn a good amount of points quickly. 

 

Click here to get started!

Here’s what you need to know to get your 300 SB ($3) Bonus (and don’t worry, you don’t have to make a purchase to complete a pattern):

Despicable Me 3 ~ Rediscover How Good it Feels to be Bad!

What could be better than Despicable Me?   Despicable Me 2 and Minions?  Nope... how about Despicable Me 3!  Did you know that Gru has a long-lost twin brother?  Does it "feel good" to be bad?

 

Illumination, who brought movie-goers Despicable Me and the biggest animated hits of 2013 and 2015, Despicable Me 2 and Minions, continues the story of Gru, Lucy, their adorable daughters — Margo, Edith and Agnes — and the Minions in Despicable Me 3.

After he is fired from the Anti-Villain League for failing to take down the latest bad guy to threaten humanity, Gru finds himself in the midst of a major identity crisis. But when a mysterious stranger shows up to inform Gru that he has a long-lost twin brother—a brother who desperately wishes to follow in his twin’s despicable footsteps—one former super-villain will rediscover just how good it feels to be bad.

Huge Cash Back deals during the Swagbucks Green Monday Sale!

You can earn money while saving it during Green Monday! The Cashback Shopping site Swagbucks is offering big cash back - 2x or more - at a number of different stores today only. They're also offering big payouts on a varieties of different deals and offers from companies that would make great gift ideas. Get great deals without waiting in lines or even leaving your home!

If you're not familiar with Swagbucks, they offer cash back in the form of points when you shop. Then you can turn those points into free gift cards to places like Amazon, Starbucks, Target, or PayPal cash. You can also earn points for discovering deals, watching videos, answering surveys and more! 
 
To take advantage of the cash back, just create your Swagbucks account when prompted (it takes less than 30 seconds) and then you're all set!

Festive and Affordable Holiday Treats, Candy & Favors That Make Great Gifts!

Are you looking for some festive and affordable holiday treats to have on hand this Christmas?  Maybe some Mint Truffle or Christmas Hershey Kisses, Walker's Shortbread Chocolate Chip Cookies or Coldstone Creamery Chocolate Cones?

Let Oriental Trading help you with some special holiday treats and Christmas candy that are both festive and affordable! 

These festive red and green self-sealing jars filled with Christmas candy make a great gift for anyone on your list... or that unexpected visitor!  Simply fill each one with holiday candy and put a bow on top!  After the candy is gone, the jars can be used for anything.

Watch Ya' Mouth Game (2017 Holiday Gift Guide)

How many times have you been at the dentist, tools and mouthpieces in your mouth, and they are asking you questions and expecting you to answer?  Or when you're eating out, and your waitress asks you a questions just as soon as you take a bite of food?

Want a hilarious family game to play during the Holidays? Your search is over... the hilarious game of Watch Ya' Mouth takes you to that awkwardly hilarious moment that we have all experienced!

Imagine the silly faces your friends and family will make while they try to say "Warm Beef Meatballs" while wearing cheek retractors.  Get your group together (3-10 players), insert the cheek retractors and speak out phrases while your friends and family try to guess what each other are saying.

I can't wait for my kids to open this game on Christmas morning so that we can all play together!  I can already picture their faces and all of the laughs!  I think the kids will be super excited to see Ma and Pa play this game too.  Oh my!

Get more free gift cards for the Holidays from Swagbucks during December's Swago with Spin & Win

The digital rewards site Swagbucks is offering big payouts during their December "Swago" promotion starting Monday, December 4th at 9am PT and running until Monday, December 11th! Swago is just like bingo, but in this case you're filling out squares as you earn points on their site for doing things you already do online. If you're thinking of trying Swagbucks, this is a great chance to learn all about how the site works and earn bonus points while doing it, meaning you can get more free gift cards faster. 

Here are a few tips:

• Each square on your Swago Board will contain an action item to complete. They can be anything from getting a search win, completing a survey, or just visiting one of our popular stores!
   
• Once you complete the action item in a particular square the square will change color signifying the action item is complete.
   

Make Your Daughter's Mermaid Dreams Come True ~ with a Gorgeous Mermaid Tail! (2017 Holiday Gift Guide)

At one point or another, I think that every little girl has dreamed of being a mermaid!  I also think that Ariel helped make that dream a little more real... who doesn't love The Little Mermaid?!

My daughter has always loved the water, swimming and mermaids.  For Christmas this year, she will be getting a Dragon Tail Mermaid Tail + Monofin Set from Sun Tails.  I can't wait to see her face when she opens her package and realizes what she got!  It's going to be priceless! 

 

The thing I love most about the mermaid tails are the colors!  There are so many bright, bold, beautiful colors available!  Orange, pink, blue, purple, green... absolutely gorgeous!

Monofins are such fun for kids and adults to swim with!  You can use them with a mermaid tail or without.  One super cool thing about their mermaid tails is that they are swim-able and walk-able (meaning, you can remove the monofin and pull them up for walking).  

They have sparkly tails or smooth and silky premium realistic scale tails to choose from.  That does leave one slight issue though... which one to choose!

Affordable Christmas Gifts for Everyone on Your Holiday List ~ Shop Oriental Trading!

 A special thank you to Oriental Trading  for partnering with me for this Holiday Gift Guide post!

We all know how stressful and expensive the holidays can be.  I also know that there are frugal ways to do just about everything... including buying Christmas gifts for everyone on your list!  I shop year round in order to get the best deals and will purchase items on sale or clearance and save them to give later.  I also make sure I have a few "extra" gifts wrapped up and placed in a special spot under our tree for those "unexpected" giving moments that arise.

One special thing that I like to do is attach a Christmas ornament to every package that I wrap!  I love giving and receiving new ornaments every year.  I write the year on the back of each one and love walking down memory lane as we decorate our tree each year.

 

 
There is one place that always has the best selection of affordable items for every holiday and special occasion.  That place is Oriental Trading!

I'm always excited when my Oriental Trading Company package arrives... it's just like Christmas morning as I open up the box!  Even though I'm the one that made the order and know what's inside the box - I'm always excited to see the items up close and in person. 

My most recent shipment included everything Christmas!  Believe bell ornaments, chalkboard message ornaments, Christmas ball splat balls, Christmas and mint truffle Hershey Kisses, "Pres-mint" mint tins, Christmas disposable coffee cups, self-sealing red and green jars, Faith stones, and more...  including festive Christmas gift bags!

Get $3 when you sign up for Swagbucks in December!

If you haven't tried Swagbucks before, you can get a bonus $3 for signing up as my referral during December. Swagbucks is a rewards site where you earn points (called SB) for things you're probably doing online already, like searching, watching videos, discovering deals, and taking surveys. Then you take those points and exchange them for free gift cards to places like Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart, Target, or PayPal cash. 

When you sign up through me this month, you can earn a $3 bonus! Here's how:

1. Sign up for FREE