Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Enjoy Lighting ~ Review & Giveaway


I love candles. I love the atmosphere they create in a room. I'm not a fan of forgetting to blow them out, melted wax on furniture or black soot on my cool candleholders. I found a company that makes a product that eliminates that problem.

Enjoy Lighting makes flameless candles made out of real wax. There are several different colors and textures to match any decor. They are fragranced too! LED bulbs will last over 100,000 hours! 3 LED's and a computer chip built into the candle produce multiple points of randomly shifting light, creating a glow that flickers, rolls, and casts dancing shadows, just like a real candle flame! Did I mention that they have a Multi-Hour Timer Mode? Operate manually or set timer to run for 4, 6, or 8 hours. Candle will automatically turn on each day at the set time and off after the selected number of hours. Perfect for hard to reach spaces – Set it and forget it!

I was sent two different sizes of the Ivory Smooth Vanilla Scented Wax Pillars seen below...
• Available in 3x4, 3x6, 3x8, 4x6, & 4x8”
• Astonishingly realistic 100,000 hour Triple-LED flickering light source.
• Available with Multi-Hour Timer Mode or Dim/Bright Mode.
• 300+ Hour Battery Life
• Requires 4 ‘AA’ Batteries
• Realistic Melted Edge
• Distinct Vanilla Fragrance





Not only do they look great on their own, but I put them in some really cool candleholders I have and they looked really great there too! They looked completely real up there on my fireplace mantel and I didn't have to worry about forgetting to blow them out.

Another thing I really liked is that you can get them at places like Target and Kmart, so I can easily get more!

If you'd like to win two candles for yourself, be sure to see below for how to get your entries in...

BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE ENTRY DIRECTIONS EXACTLY FOR YOUR ENTRIES TO COUNT!!!!


This contest will be open until 11:59 PM on April 5th. At that time I will use random.org to determine the winner. The winner will then be emailed and have 24 hours to respond, otherwise I will choose a new winner. This contest is open to U.S. residents.

LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENTS FOR EACH ENTRY AND LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THIS FORM - Jane (at) yahoo (dot) com


MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit Enjoy Lighting and tell me which of their great products that you would love to have. (1 entry)

Extra Entries:

Follow my blog (publicly via google friend connect, located on the top sidebar) - You can use this as an entry whether you are a new follower or a current follower. (1 entry)

Subscribe to my blog via the sign-up found on the right sidebar of my blog to be sure to never miss a great giveaway! (1 entry)

Follow my blog via Networked Blogs, located on the right sidebar under google friend connect. (1 entry)

"Like" my Facebook page, located on the right sidebar. (1 entry)

Place my Finally Finding Me button on your blog and leave me a comment saying you did. The button is found on the right sidebar of my blog.
(1 entry)

Blog about this giveaway with a link to my blog and leave me the link to your post. (1 entry)

"Like" the Enjoy Lighting facebook page. (1 entry)

Follow Enjoy Lighting on Twitter @EnjoyFlameless (1 entry)


That's 8 chances to win! Good luck!




Disclosure: I was provided with these products for free for review purposes. The views and opinions expressed in this review are my own and I was in no way persuaded by the company involved.

*Enjoy Lighting will not give or send candles to winners of past Enjoy Lighting blog reviews and giveaways.*

WINNERS!!!

I apologize for being a little MIA lately, but we've had some pretty major stuff going on around our household. I'm getting back on track though and to start off, I've got some winners to announce!

The winner of the HOME letters from Plow & Hearth is...

Comment #2 - pridelandmama




The winner of the $45 gift code from CSN Stores is...

Comment #28 - shala_darkstone

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Nissa Lynn Winner!

The winner of the necklace from Nissa Lynn is...


Comment #34 - monapete


CONGRATULATIONS!

Monday, March 14, 2011

CSN Stores...with a giveaway.


Spring is right around the corner, which means it won't be long before our kids are heading back outside to play! That's a big yay for me and for the kids. Our backyard is quite small and besides a swingset with 3 swings (one for each of the boys) and a sandbox...there isn't really a whole lot to do. While browsing the CSN stores website, I came across some really awesome wood swing sets and it got me dreaming of how cool it would be to have one of them in our yard. I would love for my kids to have a big, cool swing set to play on. Even though our oldest son is 12, he still enjoys getting out there with his brothers and swinging and playing, so even though he probably wouldn't admit it, I know he would love a cool wood swing set too. They really have a lot of cool ones and when I think back to the hours I used to spend as a kid out on our simple swingset and climbing trees, it makes me nostalgic and makes me want to give my boys something cool like this to hang out in the yard on. Seriously, there's some really cool ones. Check them out.

How would you like to win a $45.00 gift code from CSN stores?! They are offering one of my readers just that! If you would like a chance to win, please see below for how to enter.

BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE ENTRY DIRECTIONS EXACTLY FOR YOUR ENTRIES TO COUNT!!!!


This contest will be open until 11:59 PM on March 21st. At that time I will use random.org to determine the winner. The winner will then be emailed and have 24 hours to respond, otherwise I will choose a new winner. This contest is open to U.S. residents.

LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENTS FOR EACH ENTRY AND LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THIS FORM - Jane (at) yahoo (dot) com


MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit CSN Stores and tell me another of their great products that you would love to have. (1 entry)


Extra Entry:

Follow my blog (publicly via google friend connect, located on the top sidebar) - You can use this as an entry whether you are a new follower or a current follower. (1 entry)


Just 2 entries available for this giveaway so get yours in!


Disclosure: I was not personally compensated in any way for this post, but was given a gift code offer for one of my readers in exchange for it.

The Key to the Kingdom: Unlocking Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom written by Jeff Dixon

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!


Today's Wild Card author is:


and the book:


The Key to the Kingdom: Unlocking Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom

Deep River Books (December 1, 2010))

***Special thanks to Arielle Roper of Bring It On! Communications for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Jeff Dixon was raised in Florida and has always been fascinated with the man Walt Disney and the theme park he created. Dixon feels that any guest who would take the time to look would discover a story that will never be completed. It is against this canvas that Dixon paints this mystery, adventure, and thriller.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Grayson Hawkes learns how imaginative and elaborate Walt Disney World is when he accepts an invitation from a trusted friend landing him in a world he never knew existed. Suddenly unraveling a perplexing puzzle and trying to solve a mysterious disappearance, Hawkes navigates through the kingdom where knowledge of seemingly unimportant Disney facts and some divine help are the only way he can discover the answers and get out. In this world Disney trivia is no game…And the ancient key is the only way out.

Soon the lines between right and wrong begin to blur, and telling the difference between real and unreal become nearly impossible. Loyalty to faith, family and friends are stretched to the extreme in the pulse quickening adventure through a magical place where dreams really do come true.

Key to the Kingdom: A Real Treasure Hunt at Walt Disney World from Marc Percy on Vimeo.



Key To The Kingdom Trailer from Marc Percy on Vimeo.



Product Details:

List Price: $15.99
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Deep River Books (December 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1935265245
ISBN-13: 978-1935265245

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:


Day One

Night

Halogen headlamps pierced the darkness of the cool central Florida night. The GPS guided the Mustang surging toward the coastal community of Port Orange. Racing along Taylor Road, Dr. Grayson Hawkes approached an unknown destination. Questions swirled in the tornado of curiosity whipping through the preacher’s mind. The glow of the dashboard light illuminated the business card propped against the gearshift; “1819 Taylor Road, Port Orange” had been neatly printed in blue ink. Flipping the card he read the name on the other side.

Farren Rales

Imagineering Ambassador

Walt Disney Company

Reading the name of his dear friend brought a slight smile to his face. Rales had been hired by the late Walt Disney himself as an animator at the Walt Disney Studios on Rales’s thirtieth birthday. In the years that followed he had worked on animated features, been involved in projects at Disneyland, and eventually became a part of that exclusive group of creative Walt Disney Company designers known as Imagineers. Rales was part Disney historian, part Disney philosopher, and a modern day keeper of the dream that Walt himself had begun.

Farren Rales had given him the business card with an invitation to meet the old Imagineer at ten o’clock this evening. The GPS announced a turn seconds before an inconspicuous dirt road veered to the right. Hawk responded sluggishly and shot past it. He instantly banked his ride into a U-turn that corrected his course. Slowly navigating the heavily wooded, chassis-jarring dirt road, he watched for signage. The headlights threw a glow on a sign that read Gamble Place Parking with an arrow that pointed right. He turned the wheel. A gate immediately came into view, blocking forward progress. Hawk looked over the steering wheel trying to decide whether he had managed to bungle the directions and gotten hopelessly lost. With the car idling, he got out and walked to the gate. Grasping the chain that held the gate closed, he saw the lock had been secured to the chain, but the chain was not fastened. When he dropped the chain, the gate lazily swung open. Hawk slid back behind the wheel of the car and it crawled forward as the dirt became softer below the tires. The Mustang eased up to a parking barrier, above which the headlights shone on a yellow house trimmed in green.

Exiting the automobile, Hawk left the parking area and made his way toward the house. There was a display in front of the walkway to the house that probably explained where he was. The automatic timer for the headlamps clicked off, leaving him standing in darkness. Sensing his eyes would never adjust in the moonless night to read the display, he remembered a flashlight that was hopefully still in the trunk of the car. He retraced his steps. In addition to the soft sound of his shoe steps in the sand, Hawk thought he heard something else moving near him. He came to an abrupt halt. Rales? Listening closely, he now only heard the sounds of the outdoor evening. The trunk popped open, producing a blast of light that momentarily blinded him. He fumbled for the flashlight and flicked the switch. The beam shone strongly as he slammed the trunk shut. He again moved toward the house. Sweeping the beam around him, he saw a large historical marker looming in the dark, over his left shoulder. He refocused the attention of the light on this newly discovered sign.

Gamble Place

In 1898, James N. Gamble, of the Proctor and Gamble Company and a longtime winter resident of Daytona Beach, bought this land on Spruce Creek for use as a rural retreat. In 1907 he built a small cracker cottage with an open front porch and a breezeway connecting a separate kitchen and dining room . . . In 1938, Gamble’s son-in-law, Alfred K. Nippert, completed the “Snow White House,” a Black Forest style cottage inspired by the Disney animated film classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The house is surrounded by a Witch’s Hut, the Dwarfs’ Mine Shaft, and an elaborate network of rock gardens. Collectively these buildings and grounds form a historic landscape now known as Gamble Place. This property was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

Obviously Rales had asked Hawk here because of the Disney connection. It had been a Disney connection that had started the friendship between the two men. Hawk had been introduced to Rales and asked the Imagineer if he would meet with him and his church staff to teach them the art of storytelling. The first meeting had gone so well it turned into a standing appointment each month. However this evening the invitation was for Hawk alone. Sighing deeply in an attempt to relax, Hawk listened closely and his ears tuned in to the sound of water gently playing along an unseen shoreline. The unexpected snap of a branch unleashed a wave of adrenaline spinning him in the direction of the noise. He peered into the blackness of the trees, searching for the maker of the sound, but heard nothing.

“Farren, is that you?” Hawk spoke with a bit more edge than he anticipated.

Silence confirmed Rales was not the source of the sound. “So when did you get so scared of the dark?” he muttered to himself. “And when did you start talking to yourself?”

Out of the corner of his vision he noticed a glimmer of light across the wooded darkness. With a bit of reservation he moved toward it. His shoes cracked sticks and crushed leaves, creating a symphony of sound that shattered the haunting noises of nature that had moments ago surrounded him. His flashlight began to dim. Shaking it violently he resurrected the brilliance of the beam, only to watch it fade into a momentary glow, and then disappear completely.

“Tremendous,” he said in frustration at the malfunctioning light. “Still talking to . . . and answering yourself.”

The point of light he had been moving toward disappeared as well. Pressing onward, he drew nearer to where it had been. Once again it appeared and this time looked brighter and stronger. Hawk’s trudging through the undergrowth yielded to softer ground as he heard a familiar voice cut quietly through the night.

“I began to think you weren’t going to make it.”

“I was starting to think you were playing a practical joke on me,” Hawk whispered back.

“Now, would I do that to you?” Rales laughed softly.

Hawk could now see much better as he approached the place where Rales stood. Farren had brought a lantern that illuminated the place he was standing and cast long shadows in multiple directions. Hawk descended the steps to join Rales on what appeared to be a recently created platform. The sound of the creek was closer and Hawk assumed they were now on the edge of the river. Rales was dressed in a pair of black slacks with a lightweight black windbreaker. Hawk did not miss the stealth attire and was getting ready to comment on it when Rales again spoke in a hushed tone.

“Any trouble finding the place?”

“I suppose not, since it’s out in the middle of nowhere!” Hawk decided to satisfy his curiosity. “And could you tell me why we’re whispering?”

“Didn’t you read the sign? We’re in a state park. It closed at dusk. We could get arrested for being here.”

“Then why didn’t we come here in the daylight?”

“Now, that wouldn’t be as much fun, would it?”

“Farren, we should clarify our definitions of fun.”

“Breaking into a state park is a story you’ll be able to tell for years!”

“I didn’t break in, the gate was unlocked.”

“So you opened it and drove on in.”

“You invited me.”

“Shhh,” Rales interrupted.

Hawk grew quiet and strained to hear sounds coming out of the darkness. He studied Rales’s tense features, trying to decide whether the old man was toying with him or was actually concerned that they might be caught after hours in the park. Rales’s face softened and he turned away from Hawk, letting his lantern shine toward a nearby wooden cottage that looked as if it had been plucked off of an animation cell from an antique piece of film. Hawk’s mouth opened slightly. Rales moved forward and panned the light across the front of this cottage that did not belong in this time or any other. It was recognizable as the cottage in the Black Forest of the classic cartoon Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Hawk’s eyes followed the movement of the lantern to the carved lintel and a stone trough. Rales moved toward the front door, fumbled with the handle, and then opened it. Looking back to Hawk, he motioned for him to follow him inside. Hawk entered, feeling like he was stepping into a fairy tale as Rales silently closed the door behind them.


The Key to the Kingdom: Unlocking Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom

© 2010 Jeff Dixon

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.




My personal thoughts: I feel like I just received this book and have not had a chance to finish it yet, but what I have read so far has been awesome! The characters and the storyline are very interesting and intriguing. I feel like I never know what to expect with each turn of the page and I love that in a book! I am really enjoying it and look forward to finishing it to see what happens (although I almost hate for it to be over)!

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Yoplait Prize Pack Winner!

The winner of the Yoplait prize pack is...

Comment #10 ~ Tiffany Christie

This is her second win this week! Congratulations!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Snack Taxi Winner!

Who says number 13 is unlucky? Certainly not the winner of my Snack Taxi giveaway! The winner is...

Comment #13 ~ Tiffany Christie

CONGRATULATIONS!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Plow & Hearth Home Decor ~ Review & Giveaway


I love Plow & Hearth! I really just cannot say enough good things about this company. I have been beyond thrilled with all of their products that I have experienced and am excited to share yet another great product with you!

Since this long, cold winter is starting to get to me, I decided it would be fun to find some new home decor to brighten up the inside of my house even on the long, gray winter days. I was fortunate to be able to review these adorable "HOME" Wall Letters!


When I received them and got them out, I was so excited about the bright, cheerful colors. I also love the way the letters look distressed and are decorated with metalwork vines and flowers. They create the type of look I see in magazines and wish I had in my home, and now I do! My walls are pale yellow and they look great on them, but I can picture several colors that they would look great on and it's inspiring me. I love how a new piece of decor can freshen up a room and bring a new interest to it. Using the colors found in these letters, you can add different accent pieces to your room to compliment them. The ideas are just spinning in my head! I just love them!

Plow & Hearth offers such a great variety of products and I could easily find items to decorate my home inside and out with from them. Here are a few more products that I am dreaming of...




Once again, Plow & Hearth has proven to be a great company with high quality products that I just can't get enough of. How would you like to add these adorable "HOME" Wall Letters to your home?! One lucky winner will receive a set for themselves!!! To gain entries into this great giveaway, please read below...

BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE ENTRY DIRECTIONS EXACTLY FOR YOUR ENTRIES TO COUNT!!!!


This contest will be open until 11:59 PM on March 16th. At that time I will use random.org to determine the winner. The winner will then be emailed and have 24 hours to respond, otherwise I will choose a new winner. This contest is open to U.S. residents.

LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENTS FOR EACH ENTRY AND LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THIS FORM - Jane (at) yahoo (dot) com


MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit Plow & Hearth and tell me another of their great products that you would love to have. (1 entry)

Extra Entries:

Follow my blog (publicly via google friend connect, located on the top sidebar) - You can use this as an entry whether you are a new follower or a current follower. (1 entry)

Subscribe to my blog via the sign-up found on the right sidebar of my blog to be sure to never miss a great giveaway! (1 entry)

Follow my blog via Networked Blogs, located on the right sidebar under google friend connect. (1 entry)

"Like" my Facebook page, located on the right sidebar. (1 entry)

Place my Finally Finding Me button on your blog and leave me a comment saying you did. The button is found on the right sidebar of my blog.
(1 entry)

Blog about this giveaway with a link to my blog and leave me the link to your post. (1 entry)


That's 6 chances to win! Good luck!




Disclosure: I was provided with these products for free for review purposes. The views and opinions expressed in this review are my own and I was in no way persuaded by the company involved.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

GreenTime Reusable Bags ~ Review


I was given the opportunity to try out another set of reusable sandwich and snack bags, this time from a company called GreenTime Bags.

These sandwich/snack bags are PVC, BPA, lead and phthalate free. They are also hand or machine washable. I like the idea they give for drying them on a bottle drying rack. They are definitely a much better alternative than disposable plastic bags. I really like how deep the pockets in the bags are because I'm pretty sure nothing is going to escape from them. The one thing that was a little strange to me was how wide the sandwich bag is. I've never seen bread that wide, so I'm not sure why you would need it like that, except for then I thought about that you could probably fit a sandwich that was made on part of a sub bun or something like that in it. Also it would probably work out nicely for a wrap or pita sandwich. I like taking wraps to work a lot, so that would be the perfect size for them. They come in great prints too, so they aren't just great for the environment, but they are fun too.

Here is one of the bags that I received (the other is a snack bag and has a retro dot design to it)...


Overall, I think these are great reusable bags and I am glad to have them as an alternative to wasteful plastic baggies. If you would like to have a better alternative for yours and/or your childrens' lunches, get over to GreenTime Bags and get yourself some!



Disclosure: I was provided with these products for free for review purposes. The views and opinions expressed in this review are my own and I was in no way persuaded by the company involved