Giveaways, Giveaways, and More Giveaways

• House Beautiful Quick Changes - Ends Nov 30
• Treat Box for Dogs and Cats - Ends Nov 30
• Shirley J Whisk Bliss - Ends Nov 30
• Rejuvenator Showerhead with Microbubble Technology - Ends Dec 3
• Coming Home for Christmas DVD - Ends Dec 4
• $15 Little Caesars Gift Card - Ends Dec 6
• Lalaloopsy Workshop Double Pack Princess/Clown - Ends Dec 6
• Essential Convertible 10-in-1 Fashion Accessory - Ends Dec 10
• Dani Necklace from Carolee Jewelry - Ends Dec 11
• $50 Gift Card to Eve's Addiction Jewelry - Ends Dec 16

Stream While You Steam: Netflix in the Kitchen

This post brought to you by Netflix. All opinions are 100% mine.

You spend plenty of time in your kitchen, cooking meals and cleaning up the messes. With the holidays coming up, I know I’ll be spending even more time in my kitchen because I love to bake holiday treats. This is also the time of year to sample some great new adult beverages too! Now you can spice up your cooking by bringing Netflix into the kitchen! 

Netflix has partnered with celebrity chef Curtis Stone to create some amazing dishes and drinks that are perfect for pairing with your favorite movies and shows. Gather your family together for a marathon of Christmas movies streamed on Netflix while you make gingerbread cookies. Or mix up some fabulous drinks with your sweetie and snuggle up to watch something new, like the Netflix original “Orange is the New Black.” 

Speaking of orange, we tested the Curtis Stone recipe for Red’s Orange White Russian. Here’s the recipe so you can try it:

Fill a rocks glass halfway with ice cubes. Add ¼ cup Kahlua, 2 tablespoons of vodka, and 1 tablespoon Cointreau, then gently stir to blend. Pour 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream so that it floats on top of the Kahlua mixture. Using a fine grater, grate some fresh orange zest on top. Serve immediately.

We loved Red’s Orange White Russian! Johnny laughed at the creamy white mustache I got when I tasted mine. He took an extra step and gently stirred the cream and orange zest into the Kahlua mixture for us, making the citrus taste blend throughout the whole drink.

One of his favorite shows to stream is Law and Order and we actually found one on Netflix that we hadn’t seen yet, so armed with our drinks and some holiday cookies, we settled in for our evening of entertainment.

With Netflix, you can stream your favorite shows and movies in the kitchen on your iPad, in the family room on the big screen tv, or even on your smartphone as you stand in the long lines at the grocery store. Be sure to Like Netflix on Facebook, Follow @Netflix, and Follow Netflix on Pinterest to keep up to date on movies and shows. This Thanksgiving we’ll be spending time together as a family, as all the kids come home to visit, and I’m planning to stream my favorite Christmas classics while we catch up on each other’s lives. How will you use Netflix this holiday to stream while you steam? Do you have a favorite Christmas movie or show?

Keekee the Rocking Monkey Game - Review

Disclosure: I received this product at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

Keekee the Rocking Monkey Game is one of my top picks this year for a holiday gift. As a child development specialist, I see far beyond the obvious hilarious entertainment value of this toy. If I hadn't already retired from teaching preschoolers, I would have at least one of these in my classroom. It can be played by 1 to 6 players, and is targeted to ages 3 and up. And seriously, who wouldn't want to play with this happy monkey?

Keekee the Rocking Monkey is a game designed to challenge young children to keep the monkey balanced by placing the cylindrical wood blocks on his hands, arms, head, and near his feet. If you knock Keekee down, you lose! It's a simple concept, but looking more closely at it reveals much more. There are four colors of blocks in varying sizes, which are perfect for natural and incidental learning about color sorting, size awareness, weight differences, and seriation (the process of smallest to largest).

Balancing a shape that has a rounded edge is a challenge in itself, in addition to trying to keep Keekee from tipping over sideways on the curved banana-shaped base. For the youngest children, color recognition and counting activities could easily be incorporated into free exploration of this toy. I applaud Blue Orange Games for Keekee the Rocking Monkey and can see why it's been chosen as a Dr. Toy 10 Best Games Winner.

I highly recommend Keekee the Rocking Monkey. Boys and girls will both love it and I'll bet mom and dad love to play this interactive family game with them. Even the sturdy storage box is designed so that Keekee will only fit one way and the pieces have to be placed in properly to close. Best of all, it's child-powered so no batteries are required!

Visit blueorangegames.com and put Keekee under the tree this year! They have hundreds of great games for kids ages 3-99. They strive to give back to many environmental causes and they even plant two trees for every one tree used to create their products. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter too!

kigo flit footwear - Review and Coupon Code

Disclosure: I received shoes at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

The only time I am barefoot is when I'm in bed or in the shower. I'd love to go barefoot, but the bottoms of my feet don't like it at all. I just found the next best thing! The flit shoes from kigo footwear feature a minimalist design and foot fit, providing me with just enough protection with almost no weight or bulk.

My new eco-conscious shoes are soft and flexible with a self-adjusting elastic strap. They have a darling pseudo mary-jane look to them, so they are cute with jeans or skirts. I wore them comfortably all day long at the Texas Conference for Women earlier this week. They have a wide toe box and non-skid sole, making them perfect for constant walking.

The kigo website states - the flit is designed to offer unmatched connection with the ground, promoting balance and proprioception which facilitates improved posture and performance. I'm not exactly sure what proprioception means, but I know it means I have very happy feet. The flit is available in black or grey and is just one of several stylish shoe designs they offer.

Visit kigofootwear.com to choose your style and after you've completely worn them out, you can recycle them or upcycle them through one of their reclaim partners. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter. Use this coupon code - kigoholiday - to save 30% on your order!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

i heart keenwah Quinoa Snack - Review

Disclosure: I received product at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

There are hundreds of healthy snacks available these days and many of them just taste like cardboard to me. But because I am brave and because I eat too many snacks, I keep seeking out the healthy snacks so I don't feel so guilty. I received two bags of i heart keenwah, a snack made with quinoa. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a super food dating back to ancient times, known as the mother of all grains.

These crunchy little snack pieces are like a cross between a granola bar and a peanut brittle. Except i heart keenwah adds an explosion of delicious flavors that make them stand above the rest. They are available in four scrumptious flavors - chocolate sea salt, cranberry cashew, almond, and ginger peanut. They are gluten-free and low-glycemic, plus they are packed with vitamins and minerals, and are high in protein and fiber.

Lucky me, I got to try the cranberry cashew and the chocolate sea salt. The cranberry cashew is delicious, but the chocolate sea salt wins the grand prize of taste. No kidding, these snacks were all gone in no less than a day. Even my husband, the king of chips and dips, loves them. Find out more about i heart keenwah at www.iheartkeenwah.com.

You can find i heart keenwah quinoa snacks at over 1000 stores throughout the U.S. and Canada, at places like Whole Foods, HEB, Big Y, Roche Bros, Heinen's, Harmon's, Lunds and Byerly's, and New Seasons, as well as many specialty stores. You can also shop online for i heart keenwah at www.abesmarket.com. Try them today!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

FREE on Amazon - The Warble - Nov 24-28 Only

For free on Amazon 11/24~11/28 

The Warble 

Description: Dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and an evil queen - all these and more can be found in The Warble, an enchanting tale of adventure and friendship. Twelve-year-old Kristina Kingsly feels like the most unpopular girl in her school. The kids all tease her, and she never seems to fit in. But when Kristina receives an unusual Christmas gift, she suddenly finds herself transported to the land of Bernovem, home of dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and the evil Queen Sentiz. In Bernovem, Kristina not only fits in, she’s honored as “the chosen one” the only one who can release the land from Queen Sentiz’s control. But it’s not as simple as it seems. To save Bernovem, she must place the gift she was given, the famous “Warble” in its final resting place. And she must travel through the deep forest, climb a treacherous mountain, and risk capture by the queen’s “zelbocks” before she reaches her destination. Guided by her new fairy friends, Clover and Looper and by Prince Werrien, a teenage boy, as well as an assortment of other characters, Kristina sets off on a perilous journey that not only tests her strength but her heart.

Bio:  Victoria was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to an Austrian immigrant mother, and a Dutch immigrant father. She now lives in Western Washington with my husband, Russ and their three children, Toby, Kristina, and William. Besides being a writer, she is a home-schooling mother of thirteen years and an elementary school art teacher of twelve years.

http://victoriasimcox.blogspot.com 

Facebook ~~~ Twitter

The Warble (on Amazon)

Book Two: The Shard (on Amazon)

Edited to add: You do not need a kindle to read the book. You can read it for free on any computer or tablet, using Amazons free software, available HERE.

The California Wine Club - Review

Disclosure: I received product at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

Wine is a wonderful, thoughtful gift for the holidays, but hand-selected artisan wines are even better. I received two wines from The California Wine Club to review and I was simply delighted when I opened them. They arrived in beautiful festive gift wrap and each wrapped bottle was nestled snugly in styrofoam for shipping.

The California Wine Club proprietors, Bruce and Pam Boring, travel around California's wine country looking for the very best artisan wines. The wines they select are handcrafted in limited quantities by tiny wineries that are true to family-born pride and passion. Then they share them through the California Wine Club, along with the story behind every wine.

I received two distinctive wines from the Caliborne and Church artisan winery - a Classic Pinot Noir, Edna Valley, 2009 and an Edelzwicker, Central Coast, 2012. These wines are simply fabulous! I've had plenty of wine in my life, but the taste of these wines is superior. It's really a shame they disappeared so quickly, because I'd love some more.

The California Wine Club has five unique club levels - Premier Series, Signature Series, International Series, Aged Cabernet Series, and Pacific Northwest Series. You can select a series and even customize it if you wish. If you find a wine that you really love and want to order more of it, they will pass on winery-direct savings to you. If you don't like one, they will replace it for you!

You can give a gift club membership to someone for as many or few months as you like. You can send a single month for a special occasion or holiday and if you send a gift of three months or more they even offer a special discount. It's a great way to shop for family and friends because The California Wine Club will even ship directly to the lucky wine recipient!

Click HERE to visit The California Wine Club website and check out all the fabulous ways you can delight someone for the holidays this year with a fun and unique holiday gift. And feel free to send some more of their delicious wines my way too!

Start your California wine adventure and save 50% off your first 3 months!

Coming Home for Christmas - Movie Review and Giveaway

Disclosure: I received this movie at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

The Christmas spirit always hits me when I give in and dig out my favorite classic Christmas movies every year. I received Coming Home for Christmas for review, so this year Christmas has begun a bit early for me. It's the story of a happy family that falls apart because of a fight between two sisters, Melanie and Kate. As the years pass, their parents' relationship begins to crumble as the sisters continue to shut each other out. When Christmas draws near, Kate decides a family Christmas is the perfect way to draw everyone together and save her family. The only problem is, someone else is already living in the old family home. It is a beautiful story, filled with the reality of complicated relationships, both old and new. It features love, a bit of romance, laughter, family arguments, beautiful singing, embarrassing moments, and wonderful memories. Coming Home for Christmas is destined to be a classic. I've already watched this beautiful story three times this week and it makes me cry every time. I highly recommend you add it to your stash of movies to get you in the mood for the holidays! It's a Norman Rockwell film and the DVD even includes a limited edition Norman Rockwell print. It would be the perfect Christmas gift for a movie buff!

Here's the movie trailer:

TogetherBox Freebie and Coupon Code

Congratulations to the two winners of the TogetherBox - 

Tiffany Birge and LyzaJo Jorgensen! 

 I've just been invited to share a special promotion with you!

If you entered and didn't win, you can get your first 

TogetherBox at 50% off

with coupon code PLANET.

Plus if you're one of the first 3 to sign up

with code PLANET

you'll get it for FREE!

Hurry over here to use the code:

http://www.togetherbox.com/

What Weight Watchers Taught Me About Dieting

I started Weight Watchers a couple years ago because I had some serious pounds to lose and I read that I could get the first month free because of a special holiday promotion I found at my friend Matthew’s blog weightlosstriumph.com. I used the promotion code and decided that it must be a sign that it’s time to give Weight Watchers a try. I had been a terrible eater all my life, and stress and self doubt were huge triggers for my overeating of unhealthy food. I felt alone in my struggle and knew that Weight Watchers might be a good choice, but I was too intimidated and didn’t know where to begin. I don’t know what suddenly changed in me, but finally I was ready to face a Weight Watchers counselor, count my points, and fix old habits that had been around all my life.

The most important lessons learned - portion control

People often ask me what is the most important thing I’ve learned on Weight Watchers, and why I have had so much success with it. It really isn’t the counting or weighins that were most useful to me, but the sense of portion control that I learned so well. And not only portion control but also swapping lighter foods in my diet to replace the heavy stuff. So where I used to eat a whole basket of French fries, I now just eat a small handful and then I compliment that with a large salad. I also mostly choose fruit for desserts, as other kinds of sweets are often very fatty and caloric. Perhaps I’ll just have a bite if I feel so inclined.

What I also have now is a good visual image of what the portion on my plate should look like. I know that the protein should take up a third of the plate, followed by a third of lean starch and then vegetables.

Seeking help and expressing myself

Another vital lesson I learned from Weight Watchers is how to express my feelings and ask for help when I really need it. There were days where I really didn’t know how I was going to get through it without eating a whole pizza and on these days I learned to reach out and express to someone how I was really feeling. I was always bad at expressing my feelings but this was where I learned that it’s ok to have bad days and admit this to someone else. It’s ok to admit that you’re not perfect, and you’re experiencing true need of reassurance and validation. The support I received in Weight Watchers Meetings enhanced my feelings of control and confidence.

I really believe that Weight Watchers gave me all the right tools to finally lose the weight for good. Without the valuable and fundamental lessons that I learned I wouldn’t be the slim, happy woman that I am today. For that I feel so much gratitude toward the program and my coach Nancy. They really taught me everything that I need to know for lasting success.

This article is a courtesy of Jackie, a member of Weight Watchers.

$500 Amazon Giveaway and @Coupons.com #BlackFridaySales Sweepstakes

Disclosure: This Planet Weidknecht post is a Fashionista Event.

I was provided a promotional item by Coupons.com to inform you of their crazy

insane Black Friday Sales, their top 10 gifts giveaway and our $500 giveaway.

What's on YOUR holiday wish list this year? With all the fabulous things to choose from, I'm having hard time narrowing down my wish list this year. I finally settled on just five small, inexpensive choices...a Chromebook, a huge wine basket, an iPad, a baker's rack, and a stand mixer. I don't ask for much, do I? With Black Friday approaching quickly, the hunt for great deals is on. I know I'm not the only one pouring over the ads!

Lucky for me, Coupons.com has a Black Friday Sales page with great discounts, so I can ensure I get great prices on all the items on everyone's wish list. The Coupons.com Black Friday Sales page features discounts on stores like Best Buy, Amazon, Macy's, Target, Home Depot, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, Toys R Us, JCPenney, and many more. With a click of a button, I'm saving money on fabulous gifts. Now that puts a little jingle in my bell!

That's not all that Coupons.com is offering this year. They are also hosting a Black Friday Sweepstakes where they are giving away 10 of the must-have holiday gifts. Wouldn't it be great to win everything on your wish list?

GO HERE NOW - http://www.coupons.com/black-friday/ to enter to win! 

Don't wait because the Black Friday Sweepstakes ends on November 29, 2013.

  

Then come back HERE and enter below to win OUR Black Friday Giveaway for up to $500 in Amazon Gift Cards, sponsored by Coupons.com. There will be two winners selected and each will receive $250 in Amazon Gift Cards. Yes, you could possibly win both, but you have to be in it to win it! Our giveaway also ends on November 29, 2013. Good luck and happy holidays!

Win a Lalaloopsy Workshop Double Pack - Holiday #HoHoHo Giveaway Hop

Christmas is coming up soon!

I'm so excited. I just love Christmas time!

It's time for the Holiday HoHoHo Hop

Hosted by The Review Wire

November 22 through December 6, 2013

Make sure you stop by The Review Wire to Enter the Grand Prize.

The Grand Prize Winner will receive a large
Teach My Learning Kit of choice {RV $39.99}
PLUS a Second Prize Winner will receive
Teach My Kit of choice {RV $14.99}.

After you enter to win my giveaway, 

you can hop around the entire list of participating bloggers

and enter to win all their giveaways too!

 

My prize is a

Lalaloopsy Workshop

Double Pack: Princess/Clown

ARV $25.00

Your girl will SCREAM with delight when she opens the Lalaloopsy Workshop this Christmas! This fabulous double pack includes the Princess and the Clown: 2 heads, 2 torsos, arms, legs, 2 hair styles, fashions and accessories. She can mix and match heads, fashions and accessories to create her own one of a kind doll!

This is a wonderful, high-quality character toy, perfect for sparking creativity in children. It's recommended for ages 4-15. Get more information at www.lalaloopsy.com and check out all the fantastic online resources on their interactive website. You can purchase the Lalaloopsy Workshop HERE and enter below to win it! You must be at least 18 years old and reside in the US. Giveaway ends at midnight on 12/6/2013. Good luck!

Workouts on Demand - Review

Disclosure: I received a video download at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

I personally avoid the gym because I hate to work out in front of other people. Driving down to the gym also costs me time and gas money, so the motivation to go just isn't there. It seems so much easier to just workout at home. If you're looking for a more convenient and affordable way to workout, you should check out Workouts on Demand. The website offers exercise videos online, download workout videos, and streaming exercise classes.

You can use them any time...early morning before the kids get up, late morning when they're in school, during baby's naptime, or late at night when they've finally gone to bed. They offer so many different kinds of workouts: cardio kickboxing, yoga, step, low impact, dance, body toning, killer abs, pilates, stability ball, stretching and meditation, just to name a few! You can watch the workouts on your computer, laptop, tablet or even on your TV with their free LG-TV app, Roku, Google TV, or Panasonic.

If you travel a lot, this is the perfect way to stick to a routine with no reason to miss your daily workout. I always feel better after a workout, even if it's a day when it was hard to get started. Workouts on Demand allowed me to download a yoga video, which is something I've always wanted to learn to do and I think I'm really starting to get the hang of it. This yoga workout focuses on stretching, breathing and relaxation. I am impressed with the quality of the video and absolutely love being able to do it in my own home. I'm sure I would have been really embarrassed to have fallen over in front of other people.

The website also offers an Exercise Video Calculator to recommend the best workout routine based on your needs and your fitness level. Plus there is an Online Food Journal to give you better results faster. Check out Workouts on Demand and start on your New Year's Resolution to get in shape early this year so you can fit into that little black dress. Go like them on Facebook too so you can download a video for free!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

"The Wind Rises" Movie Trailer - #Disney #Entertainment

The Wind Rises opens in limited release on February 21, 2014

and expands on February 28, 2014.

Like The Wind Rises on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewindrisesmovie

Follow The Wind Rises on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WindRisesFilm

Subscribe to The Wind Rises on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thewindrisesmovie

More Winners to Congratulate!

Richard Hicks - Everbuying Pick Your Prize

Colleen Boudreau - 2 Jars NutriVerus

Rochelle Johnson - Sonicare Elec Toothbrush and Flosser

Stephanie Shaffer - Black Faux Gem Necklace

Kaycee Mason - Boca Beth Grande Bag

Mary Diehl - $50 GC Discount Party Supplies

Krystle Smith - Bil-Jac Grain Free Dog Food

Enter more giveaways HERE!

Disney's MUPPETS MOST WANTED Trailer

MUPPETS MOST WANTED opens in theaters on March 21, 2014!

Like The Muppets on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Muppets

Follow The Muppets on Twitter: @MuppetsStudio

Follow Miss Piggy on Twitter: @RealMissPiggy