Creativity Express Giveaway

Here’s a gift suggestion for ages 7 to 97 from a group of former animators at Disney and DreamWorks who helped create blockbuster animated films like Mulan, Lilo and Stitch, and Sinbad. Creativity Express is award-winning interactive educational software for kids ages 7 and up. Animated characters, games, and projects provide hours of fun while developing creativity and whole brain thinking, strengthening problem solving skills and encouraging self expression.

The award-winning Creativity Express is the perfect holiday gift or stocking stuffer. Each package comes bundled with a starter edition of Art Rage digital paint software. Starting at just $29.95 Creativity Express is brought to you by the geniuses at Madcap Logic. Available at Amazon, most Apple retail stores and www.madcaplogic.com. Compatible for PC and Mac.

Giveaway: Click here and tell me what you like best about the site. One winner will win their very own Creativity Express from Madcap Logic. Ends December 18,2008.

Children's Books Mega Review

This All American Mommy is huge fan of children's books! I cannot express enough the importance of introducing your children to great books even at young ages! I started reading to Haley when she was just 4 months old and we have continued to read every day since. It's helped her vocabulary and we've learned so many great things about the world around us! The following are some wonderful children's book that I recommend. They are available at Amazon and fine bookstores everywhere.

The Adventures With PawPaw is a travel book series designed just for children. This series features a little dog who travels to a different country in each book, introducing young kids to other countries and cultures. So far PawPaw has visited China, France, and Costa Rica (and is packing his bags for Kenya, Italy, Egypt, Israel, and other spots).Books are available at www.adventureswithpawpaw.com.

The best part is that a portion of all profits go to help stop child trafficking around the world -- through www.born2fly.org.

About the author: Diana Scimone is a journalist who’s been to 40+ countries writing on issues of human rights. She wrote the books to introduce kids to some of the many wonderful places she's been and people she has met. She has also launched the foundation to give back to the kids that she met in desperate situations all over the world.

Frankie, the Walk 'N Roll Dog was just awarded National Best Book 2008 Award by USA Book News in the Children's Picture Book Non-fiction softcover category! Frankie has also been nominated in the Companion category for the Wisconsin Pet Hall of Fame.

The story of Frankie is a heart warming true story about a paralyzed dachshund. Frankie will teach your child compassion, how to be positive when facing adversity, to be responsible when caring for a pet, to be happy even when life does not go as planned and to be grateful for all the simple pleasures of life.

Frankie, the Walk ‘N Roll Dog is a true, inspirational story about a dachshund whose life started out just like any other dog walking on all four paws until a spinal injury leaves her paralyzed. Frankie is custom fit for a wheelchair and learns to keep on rolling. Her zest for life will have you cheering and she will give you hope that all things are possible. Frankie will leave an everlasting and loving paw print on your heart. A book for all ages to teach overcoming challenges and also compassion for the physically challenged.

Frankie, the Walk ‘N Roll Dog is a gift that will teach your child tolerance and compassion and will inspire them to be the best they can be.

Available on author’s website, www.joyfulpaws.com and a free download of author reading the book in its entirety is included with each book purchased.

Among many other things, Stacey Kannenberg is the author and publisher of Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten and Let’s Get Ready for First Grade. I have to tell you that Stacey is a “Supermom Marvel”! She is inspired to change education, that’s become her passion. Her books are not storybooks or workbooks; they are books that are meant to be read over and over that cover curriculum for Kindergarten and First Grade. Both books are award-winning, state approved and used in homes and schools across the nation in libraries, head start and early learning programs. Best of all, Stacey gives back 10% of all profits to literacy funds and back Into the schools. So awesome! These great learning tools can be purchased here at www.cedarvalleypublishing.com.

Genevieve's Gift: A Child's Joyful Tale of Connecting with her Intuitive Heart, is an award-winning children's picture book. This book will inspire your child to believe in and be true to themselves. Children and adults are inspired to rely on their intuition to guide them in life through the fun antics of a feisty little girl named Genevieve. Genevieve's Gift is a Gold Seal Winner--Parent to Parent Adding Wisdom Award--Top Ten Children's Books 2007, and a 2008 COVR Children's Book Finalist.

Genevieve's Gift is available on Amazon, http://www.genevievesgift.com, and additional retail and wholesale channels worldwide.
Best of all, a portion of proceeds benefits the National Down Syndrome Society!

About the author: Rosemary Serluca-Foster is producer, writer, actor and children’s workshop leader. A Gold Telly award winner for a TV public service announcement to prevent child abuse, her published work has appeared in The Christian Science Monitor and more. A certified children’s meditation facilitator, she is also the creator of the workshop Kids-R-Intuitive, which features games, exercises and crafts to build courage, self-esteem and intuitive awareness.

I’m Thankful™ by Sue Lundquist offers a powerful message to see joy and maintain gratitude with your loved ones. Lundquist’s inspiration to write I’m Thankful™ came from her own personal experience. Adopted as a child, Lundquist searched for and was reunited with both of her biological parents, a joyous time in her life. But, her mother passed away only six months after the author located her. The loss coincided with the news that Lundquist’s adopted father had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Lundquist, a wife and mother of three girls, knew others could be helped by thinking about and writing down what they are grateful to have in their lives. And she wanted to use the powerful message of the book to raise money for local charities. Additional information is available at www.ImThankful.com .

Sue Lundquist received a letter of thanks and gratitude from Maria Shriver herself! Best of all, Sue’s involvement with charity has been phenomenal!

Children's author Steve Tiller creates inspiring books with colorful illustrations, entertaining stories and powerful messages. Steve writes engaging and meaningful stories to teach and entertain young children. These books—such as Santa the Red Nose Rocket, Just Be Yourself and Tangle Fairies—make great holiday gifts.

A father of three, Steve started Right Stuff Kids after becoming frustrated by the lack of children's stories with positive, empowering messages. He believes that the parts of life that give it vibrancy are intangible: courage, hope, service and love. He strives to convey the importance of these values with life lessons artfully disguised in the form of easy-to-read dialogue, loveable characters and colorful illustrations any child would love. Available on Steve's Web site, www.rightstuffkids.com, and Amazon.com, these books come in both hardcover and paperback versions and retail for about $8-$16.

Steve grew up finding heroes in books and works to create similar positive role models for children with his own writings. Having been compared to the nursery rhymes of Dr. Seuss, Steve's books have been nominated for awards, including the Seuss Geisel Award, multiple Georgia Author of the Year Awards and the Visionary Award for the Coalition of Visionary Resources. He was a Writer's Digest Merit Pick for Connected at the Heart, the second children's book he illustrated, and Tangle Fairies, Steve's first picture book, won a Benjamin Franklin Award presented by the Publishers Marketing Association.

Destined to create children's books, Steve takes great pride in his work. He even edits the majority of his stories by reading them to children at schools. He also gives back to the community through Right Stuff Kids' "People Pass It On" program, which provides books for Toys for Tots in Atlanta. An inspirational author who cares deeply about children, Steve continues to motivate his readers with genuine, heartfelt stories and warm, affirmative messages.

Mo Smells Red, the new children's book from philanthropist, filmmaker and children's book author, Margaret Hyde. Mo is a sweet rescue dog and his first children's book - Mo Smells Red will appeal to everyone's inner child and their sense of smell. The book is a lyrical tale inspired by illustrator Amanda Giacomini's real life rescue dog who "sees" colors with his nose. Mo Smells Red comes equipped with an innovative “Press-2-Smell” technology - the first in a book - giving readers an opportunity to rediscover their sense of smell. Remember those childhood scratch-n-sniff stickers? Well, this unique book is a flip-a-page and smell book!

Mo Smells Red is available at Barnes & Noble book stores nationwide as well as MosNose.com and Amazon.com. In addition to Mo Smells Red, children can also enjoy the Mo Smells Fun activity kit in time for the fall season. Mo Smell Red is a semi-finalist for the Moonbeam Children's Book Award for best-pop-up/cut-out book. The book retails for $17.95 and is a great stocking stuffer and gift for parents with toddlers and little ones who want to teach compassion towards animals and engage them to read.

Gift Idea and Recommended Book for Teens

Meeting Lizzy by SarahBeth Carter deals with teen dating violence in a way that teens can digest; while offering them characters and story taht will keep them reading. Meeting Lizzy has been selected as a Moonbean Children's Book Award Semi-finalist. Studies have shown that 1 in 5 female high school students have reported being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner. Meeting Lizzy helps to educate our teens on dating violence.

Summary

If you heard a strange noise from the apartment upstairs would you make an effort to find out what happened? What if something happened, but the victim begged you to leave it alone? What if there was obvious evidence of violence, but the denials were adamant? Would you forget about it and walk away? What if you were only seventeen?I'm Cy McEntire. I wouldn't call myself a typical teenager. I'm only average in the smarts department. I can boast of only a few insignificant run ins with girls of less than stellar moral character. I often have no idea what city or state my Dad is currently staying in, and I get up practically before the dawn to apply the tar like substance to my hair that finishes off my "look." (Purposefully becoming a freak everyday to try to give your Dad a conniption fit is more time consuming than it may at first appear). Meeting Lizzy was an accident…but one I'd never be able to forget.I was just sitting at home watching Law & Order reruns when I heard a girl in the apartment upstairs. She was hurt. I was breaking the golden rule of being a successful hermit, but I couldn't help it. If what I thought was happening in that upstairs apartment was actually happening…I had to find out. I was so sure that I would be wrong that when I wasn't I had no idea what to do. So I didn't do anything. It was obvious the girl was being abused, but she adamantly denied anything was wrong. What was I supposed to do? I'm not all knowing…I just left. But I couldn't get the girl out of my head.

About the Author

SarahBeth is the author of LJW Publishing's first fiction book: Meeting Lizzy. She can't seem to stop reading and at times it seems that writing is her only form of effective communication. SarahBeth graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in English Literature followed by a slew of previous majors that she thoroughly enjoyed experimenting with. She's married with two kids and sometimes wonders if she has come home to an insane asylum, but then...isn't that normal? She someday wants to spend the night in an Irish castle and possibly, if it's allowed, touch one of the stones at Stonehenge.

Meeting Lizzy can be found at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Atlas Books and other retailers. You can also check it out by clicking here!

Zune MP3 Players are perfect for Christmas!

Zune lets you build a personalized MP3 player for everyone on your holiday gift list. Choose from different sizes, colors, etched designs and add personal text. And get more music for less all year long with a Zune Pass subscription for $14.99/month (all the music you can download for the price of one CD!).

Zune also recently introduced exclusive new wireless capabilities, including one of my favorites where you can download songs directly to the device from the built-in FM radio, and two free games, Hexic and Texas Hold ‘Em. Plus there are new designs in the Zune Originals store (www.zuneoriginals.net) from respected artists like Catalina Estrada, Sam Flores, Kenzo Minami and more.

Current Pricing
Zune4: $129.99 / Zune8: $149.99 / Zune16: $179.99/Zune 80: $249.99/ Zune120: $299.99 Colors: Black, Red, Pink, Green, BlueVisit www.zuneoriginals.net

Wireless browsing and buying on the fly. Purchase tracks from the Zune Marketplace store directly from your device when in a Wi-Fi hot spot or through a home wireless network.¹ Zune has partnered with high-speed Internet access provider Wayport Inc. to allow customers to wirelessly connect to Zune Marketplace for free directly from their device at more than 9,800 McDonald’s restaurants equipped with Wi-Fi Internet across the U.S. Browse new releases, view top songs and albums by genre, or use the on-screen keypad to type in your song of choice.

Buying from FM radio. Instantly tag and purchase songs you hear on FM radio stations directly from your Zune device by using the Buy from FM feature. If you are in a Wi-Fi hot spot, the song will immediately download to your Zune. If not, you will have a queue of songs ready to download when you connect to your home computer or get to a hot spot. Buy from FM works with radio stations that broadcast Radio Data System (RDS) or RT+ data.²

Zune Pass. Explore music with the Zune Pass subscription, which gives you instant access to millions of available songs for about the price of a CD per month ($14.99). Download music from your PC or directly from your Zune.

Custom channels. Subscribe to Zune Channels to get a variety of new music added to your collection each week automatically. Choose from channels programmed by music industry experts such as the Billboard Hot 100, magazines including The FADER, and radio stations such as KROQ in Los Angeles and KEXP in Seattle, or let Zune create custom channels just for you, based on your favorite artists and genres. Channels are free with a monthly Zune Pass,³ and you can also buy all the music as individual song downloads. Channels you subscribe to sync to your device music collection for playback on the go. You can even refresh Zune Channels from Wi-Fi hot spots.

Personal Picks. Now when you log on to Zune Marketplace, you’ll find a new area called Picks, where Zune will recommend artists, albums and tracks based on the music you have been listening to, as well as channels you might like and listeners like you in the Zune Social.

Mixview. Select an artist, album or Zune Card to activate a dynamic, visual mosaic of related music and listeners. With each click, you can take the view in a new direction, creating a fun, graphical way to discover new music. Mixview works with your current collection of music, in addition to tracks and albums from across the Zune Marketplace.

Audio books. To start listening to your favorite book on your Zune, visit audible.com to choose from 50,000 available titles or thousands of public library Web sites, to download and sync your favorites.

Games on the go. Two free games — “Hexic” and “Texas Hold ’em” — will keep you entertained on the go. The bright, color screen and touch-sensitive Zune Pad make playing games fun and easy.

Zune Originals. Stand out from the crowd by ordering from the Zune Originals online store to customize your Zune player with laser-engraved art and personal text.

Wireless sync. Cut the cord to your PC. Refresh your Zune with new content while you charge your device. Connect to your PC through your home wireless network by setting your Zune to automatically sync the latest podcasts, music and more from your stereo dock, AC adapter or speaker dock accessory. ⁴

Wireless Zune-to-Zune sharing.⁵ Share full-length tracks of your favorite songs, albums, playlists, pictures and even audio podcasts. Listen to the full track of any song you receive up to three times, and pass along songs you receive to other friends who have a Zune. If you like a song you receive, you can easily purchase it directly from your device through Zune Marketplace or add it to your wish list and buy it on your PC the next time you sync.

Xbox 360 integration. Plug your Zune into your Xbox 360 and customize the soundtrack in supported games. You can also stream music, pictures and videos from the Zune software on your PC to your Xbox 360 console using a wireless connection.

Recorded television content to go. The Zune software imports broadcast content recorded on Windows Media Center for Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate, so you can sync it onto your Zune and hit the road.⁶

Accessories. A full line of Zune accessories is available to enhance your experience wherever you are — at home, on the go, working out or in the car.

Scandle Candle

The weekend is finally here and there's no better time to heat up a little romance with the Scandle Candle! "A Candle Never Felt So Good". Recently awarded The Best of Best in Spa Tools & Accessories 2008 by Skin, Inc. Magazine.

The Scandle is a candle that burns at 2 degrees above body temperature to produce a soothing oil for massage, manciure/pedicure, or as a daily moisturzier. Made from 100% natural vegan ingredients, the Scandle is quickly becoming a coveted treatment and retail product in spas and boutiques across the nation and abroad.
The Scandle begins as a delightful soy candle that melts into a wonderful body lotion suitable for skin care or as a soothing massage lotion. They are made from the purest body safe ingredients such as shea butter, soy butter, jojoba and vitamin E. There is nothing quite like this body candle, with the wonderful aroma of their candles working equally well as a room-enhancing scent and as a aromatherapy soy lotion for your skin. It’s the best thing I’ve ever felt on my skin! It’s not greasy like massage oil and it doesn’t dry up like lotions will. Believe me, you have to try it! They make wonderful gifts and stocking stuffers. Check it out here!

All American Mommy Loves and Uses these products

iTySE helps you save the planet with style! They manufacture eco-friendly reusable shopping bags made from designer fabrics. I carry them with me in my car and use them everywhere I go. They are so cute and Haley loves uses them to help me bag groceries at the store! iTySE makes various types of handbags that are designed to hold mesh reusable shopping bags (bye, bye plastic!). The mesh bags hold up to three times what a traditional shopping bag holds! They are truly quite amazing and environmentally friendly.
To boot, they are affordable ($50-80) and they are assembled in the USA (Oregon to be exact).
You may not know this, but metropolitan areas such as Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, LA, NYC, China and Australia are in the process of (or have) banning plastic bags. This gift is perfect because it is green, affordable and smart! Click here to get this chic shopping system!

The Himilayan Salt Shop
The Himilayan Salt Shop offers their Salt Crystal Lamps which are unique and naturally cleanse the air in your home. These lamps are made of natural crystal salt mined from underground salt mines in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains
This crystal salt is hundreds of millions of years old and, as a result, has special properties and high mineral content Heat from the bulb or flame causes the salt to emit negative ions. These negative ions bond with the pollutants in the air (positive ions) and neutralize them. Also, the newly bonded ions become heavier and fall to the ground removing them from the air circulation. In addition, these negative ions combat electro-smog caused by electronic devices operating in the home. Symptoms from asthma, allergies, and other illnesses can also subside from the effects of these products. Pretty cool, huh?! Check it out here!

Weiman Products (www.weiman.com), a leading manufacturer of quality home care products, produces a line of wipe products designed to clean and protect specific surfaces around the home, including:

• Weiman Stainless Steel Wipes quickly and easily remove fingerprints, water marks and grease while repelling dust and dirt, leaving a streak-free shine.
• Weiman Leather Wipes contain natural cleaners and oils to rejuvenate leather as well as sunscreen to protect leather from, drying, cracking and fading.
• Weiman Granite Wipes remove grease and grime from sealed granite, marble quartz and most stone surfaces. They are great for every day use to help protect your countertops.
• Weiman Furniture Wipes gently cleanse dirt, grim and smoke residue from wood surfaces. They contain sunscreen to protect wood from drying, fading, checking and discoloring caused by exposure to the sun.
• Weiman E-Tronic Wipes remove fingerprints, repel dust and eliminate static from electronic equipment with a streak-free, ammonia-free formula.

• Weiman Cook Top Quick Wipes can be used daily to clean and shine glass/ceramic smooth top ranges. They remove grease, fats and water residue, leaving glass with a brilliant shine.

Verikira Naturals^®

makes all their products with great care, using the finest ingredients. They have a complete skin care line as well as candles and reed diffusers for the home. Aromatic essential oils, extracted from plant materials, can enrich anyone’s life, whether they are used in beauty treatments, for sheer pleasure, to aromatize your home, or for therapeutic reasons. Verikira Naturals^®Each candle is hand-poured, created with 100% soy wax, cotton core wicks, and generously scented. Our reed diffuser oils have been specially formulated to provide superior wicking action via the finest natural rattan reeds. Lots of great gift ideas to check out here! Aromatherapy collection brings pure, fresh, and exotic fragrances to your home with a unique collection of 100% Pure Soy Candles, Natural Reed Diffusers scented with 100% undiluted essential oils, and Aroma Home and Body Mists. Their reed diffusers are my absolute favorite and the candles are great too!

The Coffee Table Ottoman is the best thing when you need to kick back and relax. You’ll find one on our coffee table, blue to be exact, that gets a lot of use! Since you rely solely on your feet to keep you moving, why not find a way to give your tootsies a rest? With the Coffee Table Ottoman (www.relaxationdesigns.com) you can do just that by putting your feet up in the comfort of your home. The lightweight, crescent-shaped cushion comes in Christmas red, green and plaid along with other, neutral colors. It is designed to allow you to comfortably relax while being supported by high-quality, foam that delivers comfort, performance and durability. With its simple, elegant design, the Coffee Table Ottoman offers portability, style and comfort in every room of the house. It is a great accessory to have for the holiday season and it can be given as a gift to those who want to enjoy true comfort. Click here to orders your today!

Giving Thanks

It Truly is Better to Give than to Receive!

The economy is tough right now. We probably all know of someone that's been affected by the poor economic status. Maybe you know of someone that's lost their job or can't work due to medical reasons, or they live on one income so mom can stay home and care for the kids, or parents who have issues and can barely feed and clothe their children. It's all so sad!

We can all make a difference in someone's life! I have already featured many companies who give back. You can help by simply shopping with those retailers. Check my Gift Guide Page. You can also help by giving to the charities that I have listed below. It only takes a little to make a big difference. Best of all, you'll feel good knowing that you helped someone who has much less than you have! It's great to get you kids involved too! Teach them to help others to create a generation of generosity!

Hasbro Candy Land Game that gives back!
Hasbro, Inc. created this special version of Candy Land, depicting all of the magical places that can be found only at Give Kids The World Village. For several decades, Candy Land has been a tradition for families - often a child's first game. This new version is also the only board game available that depicts children with disabilities. Two children in wheelchairs are seen on the board - helping parents teach their children that everyone is special regardless of their physical limitations.
100% of the sales generated from the sale of this game directly benefits the children who visit Give Kids The World Village. Each game is only $10 plus shipping and handling.
The Give Kids The World edition of Candy Land can be bought online at https://mailhost.gktw.org:8443/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://mailhost.gktw.org:8443/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://store.gktw.org/
Give The Kids The World grants wishes for children who have life-threatening illnesses. Families stay for a cost-free, week long vacation in Central Florida. Help make a child's wish come true!

One Is Greater Than None
The bracelets are still being sold and the 1>0 line apparel line was successfully launched in NYC in February and was picked up by Bloomingales. Proceeds get donated to 1>0 and children are able to be saved from this life of abuse. With the support of hundreds of people, the girls of “One is Greater than None” have raised enough money to sponsor 8 of these children. They are working on sponsoring an entire rescue mission of 25 children but they need our help. Your support is invaluable in helping us to spread the word. Please visit the site http://www.oneisgreaterthannone.org/. People around the nation are helping to make this happen. The girls appeared on Martha Stewart. The Today Show and other National Shows and we need your help to keep voicing the word about 1>0.

And…If you haven’t already seen it- please take a quick look at One Is Greater Than None’s first year!

I know you’ll really enjoy it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUveZFUvjC0

Oceana

During the 2008 winter holiday season, shoppers can virtually adopt a marine creature through Oceana’s website, www.Oceana.org/adopt, starting at $35 and going to $150. In return for making an adoption, donors have several gift options to choose from including six ocean themed cookie cutters and four plush toys that match their adopted sea creature. The Food Network’s Warren Brown, host of Sugar Rush and owner of DC’s acclaimed bakery, CakeLove has continued his endorsement of the program by donating a sugar cookie recipe that was designed exclusively for our baking packages. Each fulfillment also includes facts about the adopted marine creature and as an extra premium, special gift wrapping and a customized gift certificate.Oceans cover 71 percent of the globe and to the naked eye, they are beautiful. However, beneath the surface, our irresponsible and shortsighted commercial fishing practices have put our oceans at risk. A 2006 report in the journal Science tells us that all of the world's current fisheries could collapse by 2048. At risk is not just a food supply, but also a wealth of magnificent species and the livelihoods of fishing communities everywhere. But we can keep this projection from coming true — we can change how we manage them. But we must act now.

World Vision

Through the World Vision Gift Catalog, parents can make a donation to
dozens of different projects around the world to help other children and
families in need. It's much better than giving an impersonal gift card or
a last-minute purchase like a sweater, and the donations can go a long way
to promoting health and wellness in the developing world. It's a great
value!
Some suggested gifts "for children, to children" include:
- Clothing for children living in poverty in the United States. ($25
provides $325 worth of clothing)
- Soccer balls for children to replace makeshift balls made of trash. ($16
for two soccer balls)
- Safe water for school children ($50 delivers enough water treatment
tablets to provide safe water for up to 250 children for one year)
- Improved seeds for a nourshing harvest ($17)
- A bicycle to help a young girl travel safely to work and school ($85)

Go to www.worldvisiongift.org for more information!

Universal Giving

One of the ways that people can give on our site is through UniversalGiving Gift Packages. They offer a perfect chance to know exactly how you've made an impact. For example, a gift package of $90 pays to sponsor a class in Indonesia. This gift would be a very meaningful and personal way to give on behalf of a teacher (or anyone passionate about education) for instance.

Further examples include:

- $360 Will sponsor a child at a disabled children's home in Sierra Leone for a year
- $100 Will help with medical clinic operating costs in Nepal
- $50 Will help towards sending one million books to children in Africa
- $25 Can heal a child suffering from malnutrition
- $10 Can supply a mosquito bed net and save a life

Our charity Gift Packages are ideal for the "feel-good factor" in these rather depressing times and spread the holiday spirit of giving so much further. They are a great choice for busy people who already have enough to contend with around the holidays. What's more, they are tax deductible, not something you can claim when you're promoting gourmet chocolate covered pretzels! We are also conscious of environmental impact and our gift recipients receive an e-card informing them of the gift package that has been donated on their behalf, rather than a hard copy.

Please check out our Gift Packages at: http://www.universalgiving.org/gifts/

Kids Fashion for Holiday (Gift that gives back)

FiveHumans™ is a company on a mission to cure ignorance of disease through hip, fashionable clothing. Through their creativity, FiveHumans™ (http://www.fivehumans.com/) launched a complete collection of disease related t-shirts, long-sleeves, and hats for men and women, as well as a line for children: LittleHumans™. The collection supports numerous world-wide diseases such as Autism, Cancer, Asthma, Diabetes, and Heart Disease. FiveHumans™ has designated a charitable organization for every cause they support, each of which receives 10% of the sale price of any related product.

Great Gift for Guys: Mosquito 86 Giveaway

Get the special man in your life Mosquito 86! The Mosquito 86 will rid your outdoor space of pesky bugs. Your man will be proud that he's protecting his family.
Mosquito 86 is a mosquito eradication system, NOT an attraction and collection system as most other systems are. Other systems assume that mosquitoes will not bite you on the way over to the collector, but we don't make that assumption. We knock 'em dead where they live!The Mosquito 86 Pest Eradication System is a patent pending mosquito elimination system that operates as an attachment to a common hand-held leaf blower. The system includes all the components necessary to quickly and easily convert a leaf blower into an effective mosquito killing machine! Once you attach the patent pending tube and nozzle assembly, mix the Mosquito Agent E with water in the tank, strap it on, and declare war on the enemy!
The benefits of the patent pending Mosquito 86 Pest Eradication System are numerous. No more smelly sprays, lotions, candles, foggers, traps, lights, citronella products, bug zappers, electronic repellers or expensive commercial services. Just enjoy your property and your family.

The Mosquito 86 system is an affordable way to eliminate mosquitoes in a way that has only been offered through professional mosquito and pest sprayers that use commercial sized foggers or truck-mounted systems (ULV).

Mosquito 86™ gives you the flexibility and freedom to treat any and all areas of your yard when needed, but also the ability to zero in on stubborn breeding grounds which may not be accessible to truck sprayers which make their way up and down your street.

One random application by The Mosquito 86 System eliminates mosquitoes for days or weeks allowing for ultimate flexibility when preparing for outdoor parties and social events. No more serving bug spray to your guests along with the hors d 'ourves.

Relieve your friends and family of painful bites and annoying itching caused by biting mosquitoes.

Reduce the risk of infectious diseases carried by these blood-sucking parasites such as the West Nile Virus or Encephalitis, and numerous other diseases carried by mosquitoes.

Wouldn't it be worth spending 15 minutes a week for a mosquito free yard?

The Mosquito 86 Pest Eradication System is also equally effective on biting flies, gnats, and other annoying pests. Click here for more information on Mosquito 86!

GIVEAWAY:
This kit ships with a gas powered blower and and includes all you need to take back your yard from mosquitoes and other flying pests. Also includes a 1 oz. sample of Mosquito 86 Agent E. Retails for $199.00. I have one to giveaway!! Ends 12/31/08.

Blower Specs:

• 25cc, 2-Cycle Full-Crank engine for easy dependable starts
• Produces up to 180 MPH airflow with 325 CFM air volume
• Lightweight, compact design for easy handling
• Dual operating handle for easy right or left handed use
• 2-Year limited warranty

DYMO Label Makers (Giveaway)

Now you can organize things around your home, office, kitchen, kid’s playroom, the garage, etc. with DYMO! It’s great for scrap booking too! The DYMO Personal Label Maker is small, sleek and super portable, the hand-held DYMO LetraTag Plus LT-100H is the ideal label maker for the home or small office. It prints on a variety of colored labels, plus adds popular text features like multiple font styles, underlining, bolding, text sizing and more. Click here to check out all the products that DYMO offers!

DYMO is hosting a giveaway for their new Caption Maker:

Caption Maker
The new DYMO® Caption Maker is a versatile, expressive embossing tool that enables creative captioning, journaling and bordering through a range of symbols, letters, fonts and media options. The DYMO® Caption Maker comes with three interchangeable wheels. One for lowercase, one for uppercase and one with a script font. Create, Customize, Caption! The possibilities are endless!

Your scrapbook could be featured in our next ad!
To help introduce the NEW DYMO® Caption Maker, we’re giving one lucky scrapbooker a chance to have their artwork featured in a future DYMO® Caption Maker magazine ad. Use unique and inspiring personalized captions, borders, and fonts on your next scrapbook, submit it and you could WIN! Winning has never been more fun! Get started today and you could be the talk of the town when your scrapbook is featured in your favorite scrapbooking magazine. Be sure to check back and vote among the 5 scrapbook finalists. Click here to enter the giveaway before 12/31/08!

Pam's Pantry

Pam's Pantry has everything you need to prepare great dips, dressings, spreads and desserts for all of your upcoming holiday parties! Just a few ingredients = a lot of yum! Pam's Pantry is a small, home-based business located in the Heart of Central Michigan.
They currently offer an ever-growing assortment of hand-crafted Gourmet Dip Mixes along with some gift basket/gift set items. Check out all their great products and recipes by clicking here!

Gifts for Fido, Fluffy, and Fifi (Giveaway)

Big Paw Designs has a unique line of pet gifts and gifts for the per lover. Their line includes pewter collar charms and matching pewter key chains, sterling and pewter earrings, crystal and pearl pet necklaces, pewter magnets, car magnets, stickers, rescue window cling, wood and pewter picture frames, and treat tins. ALL of the products they sell are made right here in the USA!! Best of all, they support pet rescues! Check out Big Paw Designs by clicking here!


FURminator deShedding Tool Giveaway
Tired of cleaning up pet hair? How about the ones that float into your food? EEUW! No more hacked up hairballs! Get the FURminator deShedding Tool!It really works! The FURminator is designed to remove undercoat and loose hair in dogs and cats. It reduces shedding up to 90% and releases animal's natural oils to provide healthy and shiny topcoat. Your pet will love being brushed! FURminator products are available nationwide at pet retailers , groomers, and veterinarians offices. Check out the demo videos by clicking here! I have one FURminator to giveaway to one lucky winner! Post a comment and tell me a bit about your pet. Please be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. Ends December 12,2008.




K9 Confections offer delicious and healthy dog treats that are suitable for any spoiled pet and even those with allergies! All of the products are free of wheat, corn, and soy and are made with the finest ingredients, using USDA certified organic grains. Each treat is handcrafted, baked fresh and hand packed. They look so good, I want one! Get your K9 some gourmet confections by clicking here!

Beauty Package Giveaway (value over $350)

BEAUTY GIVEAWAY!

I have put together this awesome package of beauty products to giveaway!! Included in this package are the following products:
Osmotics Age Defense 24/7 Luxury Collection-$178 value
Tassi hair wrap-$14.99 value (read my reviews further down)
VedaMama Supple Luscious Face Cream-$50 value
VedaMama Scrumptious Body Cream-$50 value
Farm House Liquid Soap and Butter Lotion in Holiday Greenery-$13 value
The Green Beauty Guide by Julie Gabriel-$16 value
Life in Beauty by Kate Porter-$29 value

Osmotics Cosmeceuticals Age Defense 24/7 will defend your skin against future damage. Each product features their patented BRT (Barrier Repair Technology) clinically proven to restore and maintain the skin's natural moisture barrier - the first line of defense against aging. In addition, all three treatments fight the visible signs of aging with powerful antioxidants and the most effective anti-aging technologies on the market. See healthier, more youthful radiant skin 24/7! You can learn more and purchase these great products here! Osmotics can also be purchased at Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor, and Dillard's.

The Green Beauty Guide by Julie Gabriel is the most extensive guide into organic and natural cosmetics, hair care, makeup, and fragrances. You'll learn how to adopt an all-natural beauty routine, which toxic ingredients to avoid, how to become a green shopper, which organic gimmicks and tricks to avoid, and how to build a consistent beauty routine that will help you look great and feel even better. Learn more here!





Life in Beauty by Kate Porter encourages us to reclaim and recognize the importance of beauty in our world. ......simply offering gratitude for a small memento of beauty enriches our lives and contributes to a sense of inner peace and harmony. This book can be purchased through various retailers or at www.amazon.com




Giveaway: Leave a comment and tell me why you would enjoy this beauty package. Please be sure to leave your email address in your comments so I can contact you if you are the winner. Ends December 1, 2008.

Beauty Must-Haves

Luxurious Perfumes from Sharon Bolton

Sharon Bolton scents offers four scents that are just heavenly! Her essential oil perfumes are a luxe blend of pure natural essential oils and exotic perfume essences. They are alcohol free, proving for long lasting wear.

Luv – feminine blend of rare pink gardenia, lush Hawaiian white flowers, and a hint of creamy vanilla with a delicate whisper of pure white musk

Soul – sweet tropical notes, juicy island papaya, pineapple, and creamy coconut with undertones of clean musk

Truth – refreshing, clean citrus softened by an exotic evening floral and airy, sheer musk

Dream – fresh bergamot, white freesia, and mimosa with accords of amber, sandalwood and exotic musk

Sharon Bolton sells her scents in perfume roll-on, body lotion, shower cream, and also soy candles. Many celebrities have enjoyed her scents and you can too! Click here to learn more!

Nubar nail products are high quality nail care products that are healthier than other nail care products.

Nubar nail polishes are formaldehyde, toluene, and phthalate free. They come in all the latest colors too!

Support The Cure for breast cancer by purchasing either We Care Collection or Support the Cure Collection.

Click here for the healthy alternative to beautiful nails!

Keep your hair outta there with Tassi!

Tassi is a new, patented product that comes in 12 fun colors and makes the perfect gift! With all of these great beauty products you’ll need something to keep your hair outta the way! Unlike headbands, clips, or ponytails, the Tassi won’t flatten or mess up your “do”.

Tassi was awarded Best New Beauty Accessory Award in New York last February. It’s currently sold in beauty salons and spas across the county. Click here to order yours!

The Leakey Collection- Natural Elegance

Jewelry is my passion and I’m pleased to have the opportunity to share a bit about this company with you! With Zulugrass jewelry you can give the gift of opportunity, the greatest gift of all.

Zulugrass jewelry is handcrafted by the Maasai women of Kenya. Natural grass beads are dyed rich hues and then combined with Czech glass beads to create over 200 stunning combinations.

Designed by Phillip and Katy Leakey, Zulugrass jewelry evolved from a desire to provide economic opportunity for their neighbors, the pastoral Maasai. Purchasing their products provides much needed opportunity for these women and their families.

The Leakey Collection offers employment to over 1200 Kenyans. Over 10,000 people are supported by the work generated from assembling Zulugrass and other Leakey Collection products.

This is a great, unique gift idea for any woman on your Christmas list and they come neatly packaged. Click here to view all of their products and to read more about their company history.

Be a Beautiful All American Mommy!

Get Your Fix……With beautyADDICTS!

Finally a product that helps take all the guess work out! BeautyADDICTS is a streamlined, luxury beauty system offering a serene, boutique experience to help women escape the clutter and confusion of the traditional cosmetics counter. No more “season color”! beautyADDICTS has created four color families to work with every skin tone and occasion.

Remember the middle school make-up experiments gone bad??Each color family consists of four coordinating compacts with luxurious textures and radiant colors that allow women to create a look of their own that is “goof proof”.

Glow – light, shimmery playful pinks, lavender shades

Express – casual chic using buff, rosy-gold, cinnamon shades

Motivate – edgy classics using heathers, plums, and berry

Seduce – total smoky glamour with silvers, black and burgundy

All of their products are formulated with minerals, botanical extracts, and anti-oxidant vitamins to produce optimal results and exquisite looks.

Be a beautiful All American Mommy with beautyADDICTS! You can be confident that you’ll get everything you need and nothing you don’t need! Click here to get your “FIX”!

BraStraps

I love BraStraps! They’re gorgeous and they make me feel pretty and feminine and even sexy when I wear them! They are by far one of my favorite accessories and they compliment any outfut! Don’t get caught with Ugly Bra Strap Syndrome!

They’re easy to hook onto any convertible style bra. BraStraps come in more than 90 different styles, are easy to fit any size, and are made from high quality materials. Ranging in price from $9-45.

Their site, brastraps.com, is so much fun to visit and has a lot to offer! They have a fashion adviser available to help, you can read stories of other women’s experiences, and find the perfect strap for any outfit using Straplorette. My two favorite things on their site are Straparazzi, where you can view celebrities in their BraStraps, and Strap Police, where you can view fashion violations. Check it out here!

Rescue for teeny tiny Eye Lashes

Nutra Luxe MD recently released the newest and hottest product in advanced Cosmeceutical Science…..BeautyLash MD! I have been using this product for about three weeks now and I’m starting to see results. After 6 weeks I should notice an increase in length, fullness, thickness, and strength. BeautyLash MD has proven and will promise to give you great results of beautiful eyelashes and eyebrows guaranteed.

Derived from a Pharmaceutical product, that as a side effect, has shown for over 15 years that it stimulates the growth of eyelashes, this cosmetic derivative is now a true alternative to eye lash extensions. The results are so successful that they guarantee your satisfaction!

It’s simple you use: apply once a day at night on the base of the eye lashes like an eye liner. It can also be applied to eyebrows. I’ll be posting a before and after photo in the next few months so stay tuned! Click here to view before and after photos on their site.

Nurta Luxe MD also offers Anti-Aging Skin Care products. Their new line of products utilizes micro-encapsulation which enables them to eliminate all preservatives, parabens, or other chemicals for a healthier and better product. Nutra Luxe MD Plus are the only products on the market that are truly all-natural. Click here to learn more about this great new product line from Nutra Luxe MD!