Happy Thanksgiving 2016

From our house to yours--Happy Thanksgiving!

Christmas Love Letters From God-Book Review and #Giveaway

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine. 

We have a family tradition of a Christmas book basket. When the kids were little, we added a new book for each of them each year until we had one story for each day until Christmas. While it's true that "the kids" are older now and these picture, pop up and board books are far beneath their reading ability, I still like to bring out the book basket each Christmas season. 

When I read about this book, I knew it would be a terrific addition to our basket. I wasn't disappointed either! I'm absolutely in love with this book and since mine are older, I'm going to take it with me to a friend's house so I can read it with her little one. I love the illustrations which are so vibrantly colored and incredibly engaging. And the story makes the birth of Jesus much more real. Plus, the love letters themselves. It really makes the book. The letters REALLY open up so you can read them. 

From the publisher: 

CHRISTMAS LOVE LETTERS from God:
Written for children ages four to eight, Christmas Love Letters from God cleverly combines both prose and poetry as the story of Jesus’ birth unfolds. The book includes seven stories, beginning with Isaiah’s prophecy and ending with the visit of the wise men. Following each story, the child will find his or her own letter from God, folded into a small envelope attached to the page. Each letter begins with a space in which to write the child’s name, so each one can be specially addressed to the child.
Written as if God is speaking, each personalized message gives the young reader a sense of wonder as they discover anew the Christmas holiday and the birth of Jesus. A very special Bible verse, entitled God’s Perfect Promise, also accompanies each story and letter as God’s personal words of love, promise, and hope.

Now for the GIVEAWAY: 
Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Entry-Form

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Groupon Coupons for Extra Savings during the Holidays (and year round)

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I believe everyone has heard of Groupon by now. If not, it's a terrific savings site where you can purchase vouchers for dining, places, events or buy discounted goods. But did you know there is also an entire Groupon Coupon section on the site? It was something I "think" I knew, but I hadn't seriously looked into the coupons until now. 

For me, I'm still all about saving money year round, but especially at the holidays where expenses increase. Some of the things I need (for both gifts and because we have growing children) is new socks, underwear, shirts, etc. Sean loves Hanes brand socks. He would prefer to wear nothing else. His favorite socks have become hard to find in stores, but I can get them online. Well, how excited was I to discover there are Hanes Groupon Coupons for both in store purchases and online orders. If I want to run to the Hanes store, I'm covered. If I choose to shop online, still get a discount. Savings (and socks and underwear) are in the bag!

I also find excellent deals for both home use and gifts at Overstock.com. Did you know that Groupon Coupons has more than 50 Coupons available for Overstock.com? Looking for a very specific sort of deal? I like to click on the "sales" option in the coupons so I can easily find coupons to use for Bath Fixtures or Coffee and Coffee Accessories (those make great gifts for coffee lovers). 

Remember, the next time you go shopping either in store or online, check out Groupon Coupons for discount offers. 

Gifts for Grandparents at GrandBox and reader savings offer

Disclosure: I will receive a complimentary GrandBox in exchange for this post with a review to follow.

With the holidays fast approaching, I've been looking for new and unique gifts to give to the grandparents. I want something that is more useful than classic dust collectors. So when presented with the opportunity to learn more about the GrandBox, I must admit I wanted to know more. I'm looking forward to sending one to one of our grandparents as a special holiday surprise. 

From the manufacturer about the GrandBox: 

It's hard to buy gifts for grandma and grandpa. What do you buy for someone who has everything or limited space? 
GrandBox is the original monthly subscription box customized and curated specifically for seniors 65 and up. It's the perfect gift to bring a smile to the older loved ones in your life. 
GrandBox, the subscription box for the ones who cared about you. Order yours now for the Holiday Season! http://www.mygrandbox.com/

My readers get to save!
GrandBox perfect Holiday Gift for your loved ones! Save on your first purchase!
http://usfamilyguide.com/coupons.php?bid=13139&dealid=3064

All natural cleaning - pretty amazing results

Friday is still pretty busy for me since our high school team is ranked #1 in the state and we are in playoffs. I spend my afternoon cooking and taking food to school so we can feed a gaggle of hungry high school band students. 

Recently, I had several major spills and boil-overs in my oven. It was looking like this:

Today before lunch, I sprinkled half a box of baking soda all over the bottom of the oven, then dribbled vinegar over the baking soda. I let it bubble and foam, and let it sit for an hour while Sean and I had lunch. 

Came home and used paper towels and a pot scraper (the kind used to clean baking stoneware). For very little effort, here was my result:

It's not perfect, but for fast cleaning and no chemicals, I'm impressed. I only spent 15-20 minutes and got this far. I intend to do a second round on the stubborn spots, but I'm thrilled it will no longer smell like burned food each time I cook. 

I have been trying to use less chemicals in our home and think this might be a winner!