Mondays with Monica- It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

We finally got our trees today here in Homer, Alaska. Apparently they had been delayed due to some ice storms in Washington, at least that's what we were told. I am so excited to finally get our tree up! My husband put on some Christmas music while he, our little girl, and I decorated and got into the Christmas spirit. Here is our tree this year.

And to get you more into the holiday spirit I thought I would share a wonderful book I was recently given to review, A Christmas Carol: A Pop-Up Book by Charles Dickens, Chuck Fischer and paper engineer Bruce Foster. When I first heard about this book I was excited to receive it because A Christmas Carol is one of my favorite Christmas stories. I had no idea what to expect with a pop-up book version and when I finally received this I was blown away. This is a beautiful book! It is the classic story of Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future filled with gorgeous artwork and amazing pop-up scenes that can be manipulated. Each page of the book unfolds into an intricate piece of artwork with a little pocket that holds the Christmas Carol story as written by Charles Dickens as well as a biography on him. It's a gorgeous book that would make a great gift for someone or keepsake for your family.

I have my copy displayed next to our Christmas tree for all to look at. If you have little ones that are curious you might want to put this book out of hands reach, it is very delicate. I would suggest displaying a different page each night and gathering the family together to read a part of the story aloud. What a great holiday tradition to start! If you would like to get your hands eyes on a copy of this amazing book you can get it online at Amazon or check out your local bookstore to see if they have it in stock. Until next time...

***Monica***

The featured product{s} in this post were provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or pr company representing the company. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone.

Giveaways - A Sassy Glass

CLOSED

Winner- #5 Valerie

You're at a party, you set down your drink and turn your back for one second... and when you turn back you find three other glasses on the table. Which is yours? Rather than risk getting another person's backwash (did you just *shudder* because I did) get yourself some A Sassy Glass accessories! A Sassy Glass features classy, beautiful bottle stoppers and unique wine glass charms! You'll always know whose glass is whose with A Sassy Glass wine charm.

These practical but flirty blings for your drink glasses are so dazzling and beautiful! I should know because I received 6 charms of my choosing to try out. You can choose one of the pre-chosen collections from the Girly Girl Collection to the Naughty and Nice Collection. Or you can choose your own charms to fit all your girlfriends' (and guy friends') personalities.

The picture does not do these charms justice. They very sparkly and have a nice weight to them. These are not cheap plastic. Do yourself, and your friends and family, a favor and build your collection today! Not only will you keep germs at bay but you'll be the classiest hostess. Perfect stocking stuffer or Secret Santa or that elusive friend who seems to have it all.

Now I don't drink (alcohol) but I still find these super useful and have had many opportunities to use them. While I do own wine glasses I've also used them on mug handles and on my Mason jar glasses (which also have handles) because our glasses get mixed up at home, party or not! My girls love getting to choose which charm is theirs for their mug of hot cocoa or glass of water and I have peace of mind, especially during flu and cold season, that we're not spreading germs because all of our mugs and glasses are identical.

These charms definitely look best on wine glasses but it's okay to use them outside-the-box so you get the most use out of them all year 'round! We definitely enjoy them and keep them handy every day.

A Sassy Glass was featured in US Weekly Magazine's Holiday Gift Guide on stands Thanksgiving week!


WIN IT:
One winner will be selected and will get to choose one item from A Sassy Glass!

To Enter:
MANDATORY:
You MUST do this entry FIRST or your entries will not count. ONE comment only.

Visit A Sassy Glass and browse around. Come back here to leave me a comment about what you would choose if you won! 

OPTIONAL EXTRAS:
For 1 extra entry per item below 
(please leave a NEW, separate comment for each one):
-If you follow Girly Girl Giveaways blog publicly, Google Friend Connect (right sidebar)
-If you follow @girlygiveaways on Twitter
-If you are a Girly Girl Giveaways fan on Facebook
-If you have my Girly Girl Giveaways button on your blog

OPEN to USA contestants !

It will end at 12/10/2010

A winner will be chosen at random and will have 48 hours to respond.

Please make sure you have a way for me to contact you (email in profile or in comments).

The opinions expressed in this review are based on my personal experience with the products described. I am an honest person and have provided an honest account of my findings. I received a free set of wine charms for the purpose of reviewing it.

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Joy is a stay-at-home-mom to three daughters. She is the wife of a worship leader & youth pastor. She runs her own Etsy shop selling handmade, hand-stamped sterling jewelry. Joy has taken courses in journalism, play writing, poetry, was in Honors English throughout school and has had small publications made of her work (mostly poetry).

It's a Pillow... It's a Pet! Win a Pillow Pet!

 CLOSED

Winner - #140 Jessyca

You've seen these lovable creatures on TV and I'm sure your child can single the fun little jingle! I'm talking about those adorable pillows that double as soft, cuddly stuffed animals... Pillow Pets! Pillow Pets sent us one of their originals, Ms. Ladybug. My daughters and nieces have been asking for Pillow Pets for Christmas and after getting to snuggle with Ms. Ladybug I know this is the perfect holiday gift for all the little girls (and little boys!) in my life.

Shhhh... don't tell Elaina but I got her the Unicorn Pillow Pet for Christmas! And little sister Abigail scored the Ms. Ladybug that was sent to us and sleeps with it every single night as her pillow. Even baby sister, Zoë, loves to try to chew on Ms. Ladybug's antennas and snuggle on her (with adult supervision).

We are so in love with Pillow Pets in our home that we are excited to share them with everyone we love. I cannot even express to you how incredibly soft these creatures feel! I love them so much I think I need one for myself.

Using strong Velcro your pillow can fold together to make a cuddly stuffed pet for your child. Undo the Velcro and your Pillow Pet becomes a pillow your child can sleep with and provide them comfort in the night. And do not despair about the Velcro. There is a special flap that falls down over the rough Velcro side as soon as you open up the pet to keep your little one's skin safe!

Truly there is no reason to NOT own a Pillow Pet. I cannot think of one negative thing about my experience with Pillow Pets and I know you won't either! Place an order today for Christmas delivery.


WIN IT:

Now one of YOU can win a Ms. Ladybug of your very own!

To Enter:
MANDATORY:
You MUST do this entry FIRST or your entries will not count. ONE comment only.

Visit Pillow Pets and browse around. Come back here to leave me a comment about another Pillow Pet you think would be cute for one of your loved ones!

OPTIONAL EXTRAS:
For 1 extra entry per item below 
(please leave a NEW, separate comment for each one):
-If you follow Girly Girl Giveaways blog publicly, Google Friend Connect (right sidebar)
-If you follow @girlygiveaways on Twitter
-If you are a Girly Girl Giveaways fan on Facebook
-If you have my Girly Girl Giveaways button on your blog


OPEN to USA contestants !

It will end at 12/10/2010

A winner will be chosen at random and will have 48 hours to respond.

Please make sure you have a way for me to contact you (email in profile or in comments).

The opinions expressed in this review are based on my personal experience with the products described. I am an honest person and have provided an honest account of my findings. I received a free Pillow Pet for the purpose of reviewing it.

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Joy is a stay-at-home-mom to three daughters. She is the wife of a worship leader & youth pastor. She runs her own Etsy shop selling handmade, hand-stamped sterling jewelry. Joy has taken courses in journalism, play writing, poetry, was in Honors English throughout school and has had small publications made of her work (mostly poetry).

Super Quick Eco-Frugal Tip

Gift Idea! Buy a gently used inexpensive tote at the resale shop and fill it up with eco-friendly money saving products. Don't forget the organic chocolate, the cloth napkins, the reusable water bottle and organic soaps.

Frito-Lay Chips Review and Quick and Easy Giveaway

Recently I joined the Frito-Lay Fan Program because I love me some chips and well some of my faves happen to be Frito-Lay brand. A few days after joining I did not expect what I found waiting for me at my front door. A package filled with goodies from Frito-Lay. Score!

I received a branded reusable shopping bag filled with an eco-friendly water bottle, a chip clip, 3 large bags of chips and a coupon good for a free bag of any Frito-Lay brand chip. The perfect surprise for a chip addict like myself. Here is a breakdown of the chips that I received:

Tostitos Scoops- I love these tortilla chips because like the name says they are perfect for scooping salsa, cheese and any other dip you like.

Lays Lightly Salted- This was my first time trying these. I enjoy the regular Lays but had never tried the lightly salted ones. They were good! Still crispy and full of flavor like the original but with 50% less sodium.

Sun Chips Original- It had been awhile since I had these chips and after trying them again I question why. These are good! I had no idea that they came in "The Worlds First 100% Compostable Chip Package".

Check out a few facts about Frito-Lay brand chips I learned.

• They start with fresh, farm-grown ingredients, making many of their chips with just 3 ingredients. Potatoes or corn, all-natural oils and salt. No preservatives here!
• They were the first major food company to remove partially hydrogenated oils from their cooking in 2003. Yay for 0 grams of trans fat!
• They have begun to use all-natural seasonings to flavor some of their chips.
• Many varieties provide whole grains a good source of fiber.

So you see it's still possible to snack on yummy chippy's (what we call them in my house) and not be completely unhealthy. Just an FYI my favorite Frito-Lay chips are Lays Kettle Cooked Jalapeno flavor and Funyuns and Cheetos Flamin' Hot and on and on...I really am addicted to chips.

If you would like to stay in the know about Frito-Lay you can follow them on Twitter or read their Snack Chat blog.

Now on to my quick and easy giveaway. I mentioned earlier that Frito-Lay generously included a free product coupon good for any of their chips so I thought I would share this with one of you. The first person to leave a comment with their favorite Frito-Lay chip will get the free product coupon. Hurry!

***Monica***

The featured product{s} in this post were provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or pr company representing the company. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone.

Ecoland Organic Pajamas So Soft Review and Giveaway

If you know me, you know I love PJ’s. I don’t wear them often because I rarely find a comfortable set. I also hate washing more clothes than I need to wash, but if I find a comfortable pair of PJs I will wear them like crazy, especially in the colder weather. I don’t care about looking sexy; I just want comfy PJs that keep me warm and comfortable in my sleep. Recently Ecoland Inc. sent me their organic spa gift set for review.

Trying these pajamas on was a real treat. They are some of the most comfortable pajamas I have had in a very long time. The cotton is sooooo soft. They fit like I like pajamas to fit on my body. The sleeves fit like gloves around my arms (I hate loose sleeve pajamas). The pants fit loose around my legs, but not too loose that my legs will not keep warm.

There is also a soft drawstring the gently ties around my waist. In all, there is absolutely nothing uncomfortable about these pajama’s: no skin irritation, no uneven warmth, no tightness, no too loose it gets in the way or bunches up feeling, nothing. They look good too, presentable.

So, if I were to slip outside to take the trash out in the morning or watch my kids get on the bus, I wouldn’t be embarrassed to be seen in them nor would my kids be embarrassed to have me seen in them. Because they are solid white I can also wear my crazy fuzzy socks with the PJ’s to keep my feet warm and the colors won’t clash. Have I mentioned how soft these pajamas are?

The set also comes with an organic head band and wash mitten. These too were wonderful treats.

Unfortunately, because my pajamas are solid white I fear they will look dingy after a few uses. I have 3 messy kids and I’m pretty clumsy too. Soon enough a stain or two or more will find their way onto my pajamas. Lazy washer that I am, the stains won’t come out and my presentable PJs wont be so presentable anymore, but they will still be comfortable and that is what counts.

Holiday gift idea! This organic spa gift set  would definitely make a great gift. It even comes in a beautiful cardboard box with a satin ribbon & gift tag.

The Giveaway: One lucky winner will win a set just like this. If you would like a chance to win this planet-friendly prize visit the Ecoland Inc. website to see what other eco-friendly products are available. Then leave me a comment letting me know what you have tried or would like to try. You can get extra entries for following us through GFC or Subscribing via email. Make sure to let me know in the comments. Deadline: This giveaway will end on Dec 20, 2010. I will choose the winner using Random.org. US entries only. Please make sure your email is on your profile or leave it in your comment. If you win and I cannot contact you then the prize goes to the next person. Please respond within 48 hours.

Disclosure: I received organic spa gift set for free for review from Ecoland Inc.