Win Lalaloopsy Loopy Hair Doll #JingleJam

Welcome to Jingle Jam

a giveaway hop hosted by

Cheap is the New Classy

and Saving More Than Me

From December 1 - 15, 2013

you can enter to win great prizes at all the blogs below!

Don't forget to enter the Grand Prize giveaway,
a Wonder Rug From Loloi Rugs In Pebble
ARV $439

My prize is

Lalaloopsy Loopy Hair Doll

Peanut Big Top

ARV $34.99

This adorable friend will delight your special little girl this Christmas!

Her sweet face and fabulous hair accessories call out for love and attention.

Peanut Big Top gives your child the chance to be creative and
role play as a mommy or a professional beautician.

Sure to be a treasured doll, Lalaloopsy provides wholesome fun for your little girl.

To enter to win, just fill in the Rafflecopter form below.

Open to US residents ages 18+.

Giveaway ends at midnight on December 15, 2013.

Only the first entry is mandatory; bonus entries increase your chance to win.

Good luck!

Lalaloopsy online
on Facebook ~~~ on Twitter ~~~ on Pinterest

RoseWholesale Discount Fashions

Wearing the newest fashions can get expensive quickly, but RoseWholesale.com will help you fill your closet with beautiful, fashionable clothing at incredibly low prices. From trendy fashions for young ladies to sophisticated styles for women, RoseWholesale offers over 10,000 high quality clothes for every taste. I can spend hours browsing this online store!

RoseWholesale offers thousands of great items including tops, bottoms, dresses for every season and occasion, outerwear, intimates, swimwear, shoes and boots, handbags, jewelry and watches. You can also shop for great accessories like belts, hats, gloves and more. They even have a men's department full of shirts, pants, shorts, sweaters, jackets and hoodies. It's a great place to get all your holiday shopping done.

Their prices are fantastic! Boots are hot this year for the holidays and you'll have a hard time finding low prices like these anywhere else. Many of their items can ship in 24 hours too. There's no reason to spend hundreds of dollars when you can get the same fashions at wholesale prices direct to you. The website is very easy to navigate and my favorite way to shop is to pick a department, then sort by lowest price to get the greatest deals.

Visit www.rosewholesale.com to shop their gorgeous clothing collections now!

Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Pinterest to be first to hear about new styles and great sales promotions! Sign up for their newsletter on their home page for exclusive offers!

Giveaways Ending Soon

• 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
• $40 Gift Code to Novica - Ends Dec 10
• Checkbook Cover from Checks Superstore - Ends Dec 10
• Dani Necklace from Carolee Jewelry - Ends Dec 11
• $50 Gift Card to Eve's Addiction Jewelry - Ends Dec 16

Want to see who is winning?

Click HERE for the list of winners!

Handgiftbox Global Black Friday Specials

At Handgiftbox.com, you can find fabulous prices on hundreds of great products. This global online store features some of the best deals I've seen anywhere. Their Black Friday specials are up to 80% off regular prices. They offer high quality products like phones and accessories, tablets and accessories, jewelry and watches, cameras and accessories, electronics and video games accessories, and many more. Handgiftbox ships free worldwide and offers superior customer service.

Shop for beautiful earrings, rings, bracelets and necklaces for holiday gifts. Tablets are one of the most sought after gifts this seasons and their selection of tablets is one of the best I've seen. While you're on their website, you can also grab some inexpensive tablet stands, skins, screen protectors and even a stylus for your new tablet. If you're into photography, I found some great deals on digital cameras and camcorders on Handgiftbox.

Got a gamer in your family? They offer video game accessories for Wii, Wii U, PS3, Xbox360, and PSP. Or you can grab a new cell phone for everyone in the family this holiday and personalize each one with a new case, Bluetooth, and a cell phone stand for a super price.

Go now and check out all their products at www.handgiftbox.com!

Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter to be first to hear about the freshest deals!

How I Lost Weight After I Left Nutrisystem

When I started Nutrisystem everything seemed to be going ok. I found the discounts on the auto shipping to be a huge help financially, so I was saving money each month and actually enjoying the Nutrisystem food for the most part. Some pounds were coming off but about 3 months into the program I seriously lost track and was wondering what was happening to me. I started becoming bored with the food and sneaking little bits of other things here and there to compensate. When the weight wasn’t coming off fast I was resentful and the benevolent cheating started to get more intense. Every once in a while I ate two breakfast packages instead of one, then I had an extra dessert. I convinced myself that it wouldn’t be too bad because it was all Nutrisystem food after all. But unlike others, like Jane who continually messed up on Nutrisystem and still lost weight, the plan wasn’t forgiving for me.

The big decision to change

This is where I finally realized that the Nutrisystem plan wasn’t helping me but crippling me. I had become bored with the food but dependant on it to create some sort of miracle of fat burning inside me. This simply wasn’t the case. There was nothing magic about the Nutrisystem food except that it was portion controlled and easy to control. I made the decision to leave Nutrisystem and find a way to control portions in my normal life with real food. When I did this everything began to change. I was eating my favorite foods but in smaller portions, and I was much more satisfied this way. I began to eat less than what I was eating on Nutrisystem because I was satisfied and I had peace of mind that I was living my life the way I chose and was creating new habits from within myself.

In Retrospect

Looking back on it, it makes perfect sense that I was a failure at Nutrisystem. I simply don’t like being told what to do. The program made me feel like a child that was being scolded. When I let myself feel free to eat the foods that I truly enjoy then I eat less. That’s just basic psychology at work. Instead of being the forceful disciplinarian with myself, I became a loving friend to myself and encouraged my behaviors to change. Now whenever a friend asks me if they should try the Nutrisystem plan, I say they should go ahead and give it a try for a quick fix, but the real solution is within. Nobody wants to eat packaged food all their life. It’s important to enjoy life, and eating your favorite foods in the right portions is a huge part of that.

Learn portion control

Meal sizes in restaurants have grown over the past few decades and so have people’s waistlines. Practicing portion control is not easy because we have all embraced a distorted idea about “portion.” Nutrisystem does teach you portion control—a pre-requisite to lose weight. But, if you implement Dr. Lisa Young’s tips for learning portion control you can avoid overeating and get on the right track to a healthy weight loss on your own.

Article written by Gina, a Yale School of Drama graduate, who has tried Nutrisystem.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Be sure to go see Disney's Frozen, in theaters now.

It's the BEST Disney film EVER!

Wednesday Wealth Giveaway Link Up (Nov 27- Dec 3)

Christmas is just around the corner and all those gifts are going to cost you!

My solution? To WIN as many gifts as I can!

Link up any giveaways you are hosting,

then enter to win all your Christmas gifts!

WinX DVD Copy Pro Giveaway

Giveaway software: WinX DVD Copy Pro - Clone DVD to DVD disc for safe storage; copy DVD to ISO image or Video-TS folder for later burning, playing or ripping; copy DVD to MPEG2 file; check Disney's fake and removing CSS encryption, UOPs, region code; Restore and jump Sony ARccOS bad sector/corrupted sector.

Enter HERE from now until December 6, 2013. Good luck!

Christmas Elf Texas Style

All those Elf on the Shelf dolls are kind of cute and somewhat ornery, but down here in Texas my Christmas Elf is a bit different. 

Meet Sting The Scorpion! 

He's just as mischievous but, in my opinion, much cuter. Follow along from December 1 - 25, as I chronicle Sting The Scorpion and all the mischief he causes this Christmas season!

Easy Sweet Potato Casserole #Recipe - Tasty Tuesday Link Up

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

Welcome to Tasty Tuesday Recipe Link Up!

Sponsored By:

LeahSay's Views and Planet Weidknecht

Join Us Each Week as We Add New Recipes to Our Weekly Tasty Tuesday Recipe Link Up.

Recipes shared need NOT be 5 star rated restaurant quality to impress.

Lisa and Bonnie would love it if you would: Please link back to our blogs or posts. You will find the button above. The “Tasty Tuesday Link Up” will benefit those who participate! The recipe needs to be a recipe YOU made. Please do not link to a site other than your own.

This week's recipe is:

Easy Sweet Potato Casserole
featuring Princella Cut Sweet Potatoes

 This recipe is so easy and delicious! Begin with an 8" square glass baking dish and spray the bottom and sides with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Open one 15oz. can Princella Cut Sweet Potatoes and drain. Pour sweet potatoes into the baking dish. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in the microwave and pour over sweet potatoes.

 Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of brown sugar over the sweet potatoes, then add a few dashes of salt on top too. Drop about 15-20 large marshmallows on top of the sweet potatoes. Place in oven for 20-25 minutes, until marshmallows begin to brown. Serve warm. Can easily be doubled for larger families.

Now it's YOUR turn! Share a recipe below!

Novica $40 Gift Code Giveaway

Disclosure: I received a gift code in exchange for my honest review.

Novica is a fabulous place to shop for unique gifts made by artisans around the world. They offer home decor, jewelry, fashions, and hundreds of unique handmade items. Just in time for the holidays, they are premiering their Premium Gift Wrap service! It's a fabulous way to save yourself some time and give a beautiful handmade item wrapped in exquisite packaging. This service is currently available for all gifts from India, Thailand, Bali and Java. Premium Gift Wrapping is just $3.95-$5.95 on most items. Their regular gift wrapping service is free.

Novica offers great gifts like this Handmade Wood Solitaire Game with Glass Marbles that I purchased with the gift code I was provided. The Premium Gift Wrapping service that I requested means it will arrive here ready to give. Every item purchased from Novica comes with an artist storycard that tells you about the background of the artisan who created the gift. I have several items from Novica and they are beautiful, high quality items!

I love this from their website:  Welcome to The NOVICA Nation! A Nation of artists throughout the world -- a village of carvers in Bali; a family of ceramists in Brazil who have handed down their craft from generation to generation; a farmer in the Andes who hand-weaves alpaca sweaters. It is a community of artists who have been isolated for centuries by distance, time, and geography -- isolated from the very community of collectors seeking their unique, inspired, and undiscovered arts and crafts. Now, finally, there is a bridge connecting our separate communities into one worldwide nation -- this is The NOVICA Nation. A nation of people inspired by the arts and empowered by the Internet.

www.novica.com

on Facebook ~~~ on Twitter ~~~ on Pinterest

Win a $40 Gift Code to shop Novica.com to experience the beauty of their gifts and their Premium Gift Wrapping service! To enter just fill in the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US residents, ages 18+. Giveaway ends at midnight on 12/10/2013. Good luck!

Sweet Cheeks All Natural Lavender Body Butter - Review

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

My skin hates wintertime! The first day of cold weather, my skin starts itching like mad, especially on my arms and legs. I received the Sweet Cheeks All Natural Lavender Body Butter and my skin is so grateful. It's a wonderfully thick and creamy body butter with a light scent.

Sweet Cheeks uses only the finest ingredients available to create their luxurious body butter, including shea butter, olive oil, jojoba oil vegetable glycerin, non-gmo corn starch, and essential oil. They handcraft it with love in small batches to insure proper quality control. First they whip the shea to perfection, then they add the essential oils. It's available in Lavender, Vanilla and Lemon scents.

I love this product and highly recommend it! Sweet Cheeks body butter does amazing things for my skin. This would be a fabulous holiday gift idea. Visit sweetcheeksallnatural.com to learn more and shop without crowds at their Etsy store. Follow them on Facebook for special discounts through December 2.

sweetcheeksallnatural.com

Checks Superstore Checkbook Cover - Review and Giveaway

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

Your bank checks deserve much more than the flimsy little plastic cover that comes with your order of outrageously priced checks from your bank. Checks Superstore will not only print all your checks at a fabulously low price (with a 110% lowest price guarantee), they also offer a full range of checkbook covers at great prices.

I received the Expeditions Leather Cover and it's beautiful. The cover is stitched and imprinted with a map design. The exterior of the cover features two colors of genuine leather (and it smells so good) and the interior is lined with fabric. There is a place for my checks, room for 12 photos or credit cards, plus two secret pockets for cash or receipts. Checks Superstore also offers matching checks and address labels for this checkbook cover!

Visit www.checks-superstore.com for all the checks and accessories you will ever need. They have a huge selection of designs including botanical, cartoons, Disney, transportation, hobbies, animals, military, zodiac, religion, sports, seasons, monogram, and much more. A new checkbook cover would make a fantastic holiday gift too! You can order personal checks, business checks and computer checks, as well as handy items like a checkbook calculator and check registers. Be sure to like them on Facebook and Twitter, then enter below to win your choice of a brand new checkbook cover!

Win your choice of a Checks Superstore Checkbook Cover!
To enter, just fill in the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US residents, ages 18+. Giveaway ends at midnight on 12/10/2013. Good luck!

Cindy Crawford's #MeaningfulBeauty Crème de Serum - Review

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

Aging takes a real toll on my skin. I've tried many products, but alas I will never again look like I did at 18. I guess I'm okay with that, but I'm always open to products that will help my skin from aging further. I received a bottle of Cindy Crawford's Meaningful Beauty Creme de Serum and I've been using it for about a week. It makes my skin very soft and it gives me a nice glow. It's light-weight, fully absorbs into my skin and doesn't leave a greasy residue like some of the heavier creams I've tried. The only thing I'd change about it is the scent of the Creme de Serum because I would prefer it to be odorless. I love the swirly look of the contents in the bottle!

https://www.facebook.com/meaningfulbeauty

https://twitter.com/meaningfulbty

Order yours below!

Best Buy is a Great Holiday Destination

Disclosure: The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Best Buy is the authority and destination for all your technology and appliance product gifting needs this holiday! I've been eyeing tablets this year and can't wait to see the selection at Best Buy.

The assortment is second to none with more than 100 products sold only at Best Buy this Holiday. Plus, they offer a market-leading selection of the hottest tablets, smartphones, gaming consoles and titles, wearable technology, health and fitness gear, mobile accessories and much more. What are your kids asking for this year?

The Best Buy Blue Shirts and Geek Squad Agents are passionate, highly trained, knowledgeable and impartial so they can help ensure you get the perfect gifts for your family and friends…and yourself.

They know price is important to us, and frankly it’s important to them too. Their Low Price Guarantee will ensure you’re getting the most competitive price possible.

Plus, the combination of bestbuy.com and their 1,400 stores offers shoppers the ultimate showroom to touch, test, try and buy the latest technology.

Technology is evolving quickly and becoming increasingly complex. Best Buy is here to help make it easy for your to choose the products and services that work best for you.

Phones: At Best Buy you can see and try all of the phones, carriers, plans and accessories under one roof with industry-leading trade-in options

Tablets: Best Buy is the only place in America where customers can see all of the latest and greatest tablets.

Computing: Best Buy features the best selection, advise, services and support in computing. They help set the market by working with the industry's tech leaders to develop a highly specialized and innovative assortment of laptops, many of which are only available at Best Buy.

Mobile Accessories: Best Buy has one of the largest selections of accessories and wearables this holiday. Bluetooth speakers, smartwatches, health and fitness gear, and headphones will truly rule the holidays.

 15% off Health and Fitness, Fisher Price and Mattel Toys Offer available 12/1-1/15. Save on great gifts for kids, like the Digital Barbie Makeover Kits and the Fisher Price Little People Barnyard.

Home Theater: Best Buy offers the world's newest technology, best assortment and service in home theater.

Appliances: Best Buy is better positioned than ever to bring the latest small appliances and special deals to you.

Gaming: Best Buy is THE destination for gaming this holiday. Not only do they have the latest Xbox and PlayStation consoles, but the hottest game releases and everything else you need for a great gaming experience.

 10% off Headphones and Portable Speakers (excludes beats, bose and Sony). Offer available 12/1-1/15. Save on great gifts for everyone!

Music/Movies/Musical Instruments: Best Buy offers terrific deals on the best entertainment stocking stuffers.

Digital Imaging: Best Buy features the newest selection of cameras, accessories and advice so you can find the perfect gift or capture your own holiday memories.

Tech Services: Best Buy is home of the Geek Squad for help installing, repairing, troubleshooting, optimizing and offering all sorts of technical advice from every Best Buy store, in-home, online and by phone.

What's on YOUR Best Buy wish list this year? 

Custom Cases and Skins for Electronics - Review

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

Here's a clever way to dress up your electronics - custom wood skins and cases from Woodchuck Cases! Made from real wood, these cases are designed using environmental best practices with very high quality materials. Each one is manufactured from recycled wood and plastic right here in the USA.

Woodchuck Cases offers skins and cases for phones, tablets and laptops. They will even engrave anything you want on the wood backing - your face, your company name, your logo, your favorite band, or your personal life motto. These quality products will likely outlast the life of your electronics!

They have dozens of fabulous designs to choose from, including their new adventure series tribal edition. They even offer skins for headphones! It's a great way to make your electronics personally yours and it would be a fabulous holiday gift for someone you love.

I received a wood skin for my new iPhone and it's so easy to apply - just peel off the backing and press it onto the phone. They also offer cases that snap around your phone. It gives my phone a very unique and beautiful look, plus it helps to protect my investment.

Visit www.woodchuckcase.com to see their entire collection of fabulous cases and skins for your electronics. Shop online for the holiday and avoid the crowded malls and grumpy salespeople! You can also follow Woodchuck on Facebook and Twitter to be first to hear about special promotions and new products.

Thanksgiving Crafts and Pumpkin Recipes

offer expired

Grow Your Own Food

This article is from Instawares Kitchen and Restaurant Blog, a publication that covers everything from the latest kitchen equipment and supplies to food safety best practices.

Growing your own food is satisfying and healthy. Keeping a small vegetable garden by your house can be a great way to beautify your yard and stock your kitchen. We all have limited space and time to tend to our gardens.

When starting a kitchen garden, prioritize crops to be low maintenance and perishable after picking. This will save you from running to the store often or having your vegetables go bad. Here are five essential plants to grow in your garden to keep your kitchen stocked with great produce.

1) Garlic. Garlic is a fairly low maintenance and pest-resistance plant. Simply plant before the winter and pull up in spring. Depending on how much you plant, you will be set with garlic for the season. Garlic is a great staple in healthy cooking and worthy of a place in your kitchen garden. Once you pull your harvest, clean and bread the bulbs together. Hang them on walls as household décor and use throughout the year.

2) Leafy greens. Depending on your preference, chard, kale and spinach are all terrific things to keep in your garden. When you buy leafy greens at the store, they go bad quickly if you don't use them within a few days. The advantage to growing leafy greens in your garden is that they keep better in the ground than in the refrigerator, and you won't need to go to the store often to replace them.

If you need greens for cooking, simply go outside and pick a few leaves of what you need for the freshest greens possible. Leafy green plants will keep growing and putting up new leaves all season. A few plants should keep you well stocked all season.

3) Hot Peppers. Hot peppers are very healthy and very pest resistant. Some hot pepper plants produce so much fruit in a season, you may be looking for ways to dry and store the bounty. This is great because hot pepper works just as well dried as it does fresh. Pick a variety you like for your garden.

4) Every kitchen garden needs herbs. Herbs can be expensive, so why not grow tasty fresh herbs at home? Herbs are endlessly useful, whether you are flavoring tomato sauce or making medicinal teas. Rosemary, sage, parsley, coriander and thyme are all excellent things to keep in your garden. Perishable herbs such as parsley are well worth keeping in your garden, as you can simply pluck a handful as needed while keeping the plant in tact to produce more parsley for the future. Keep fresh herbs around you will notice a real increase in the quality of your cooking!

5) Grow another vegetable that you like. The great thing about a kitchen garden is that it provides you with perishable plants that you can often pick as needed. Pick one more vegetable that you really like and cook with often and grow it near your house.

The key to a good kitchen garden is to plant crops of perishable foods that you use frequently. You can keep your kitchen otherwise stocked with grains, potatoes flour and spices that keep for a long time. This way, you will limit the amounts of trips you need to make to the grocery store and be able to get many of your perishable greens and herbs directly from your garden.

Shopping for Baby Furniture

Parents who need to buy nursery furniture will appreciate being able to shop at a retail store that offers a variety of cribs and bedding. Other furniture for nurseries and bedrooms is also available here.

Shoppers who are looking for cribs in a traditional style can choose wooden cribs in white, cream, gray and several shades of brown. Espresso, chestnut and dark walnut are some of the colors available for those who want brown cribs. Parents can purchase matching dressers for some of these cribs.

Those who prefer cribs in a modern style can buy them in white or brown. A number of these cribs can easily be converted to toddler beds or adult beds. Matching dressers and chests are available for some of these cribs.

Cribs with panel backs come in white, gray, silver, khaki and several shades of brown. Dark brown and light brown cribs are available. Matching furniture for these cribs includes dressers and chests.

A variety of bedding is available here. There is bedding with flowers, butterflies and ballerinas for baby girls. Patterns available for a baby boy's nursery include sailboats. Parents who do not if they are decorating for a girl or a boy can select bedding in neutral colors such as green or yellow. Matching curtains and pillows are available for some bedding sets.

Parents who want to have a comfortable place to sit in the nursery can buy gliders here. These gliders are available in a variety of solid colors and patterns. There are gliders in pale colors to match a nursery decorated in pastel colors. Other gliders will match a nursery decorated in bright colors. Many of these gilders have washable covers that can be removed.

Shoppers can buy accessories here to add the final touches to a nursery. Canvas artwork and wall decals are available in a variety of colors. The table lamps sold here have shades with the alphabet, ballerinas, pirates and flowers. These lamps have bases in bright colors such as green, blue and red. Lamps with pastel bases are also available. Parents who want decorative dresser knobs for baby girls' dressers can buy knobs shaped like flowers.

Easy Room Makeover - Antique White Ceiling Tiles

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

Ceiling tiles can change the entire look of a room. Many people think they are difficult to install, but Talissa Decor offers lightweight, molded plastic antique white ceiling tiles that are not only easy to install, but also very affordable. The presentation of these ceiling tiles rivals the ones I've seen in expensive hotels.

I received 15 antique white ceiling tiles, each measuring 2'x2', to transform one of my ceilings. I love the three-dimensional look and feel, and it's made more prominent with the combination of a light color with a darker color in the grooves. We decided to transform our entryway hall.

Since I'm not one for following rules, I decided these beautiful tiles were going on the wall instead of the ceiling. I was thinking perhaps waist-high, but my husband came up with the better idea of topping the floor trim like wainscoting. So we laid them all against the wall and then decided upon doing it.

With just a bit of cement glue on the edges and a dollop in the center of each tile, Johnny had the entire job done in about an hour. He had to trim a few pieces on the edge to fit and cut out one little area for the outlet, but he did it easily with kitchen scissors.

He took a few minutes with each tile, applying a bit of pressure to the tiles against the wall with his hands to set the glue. I think the transformation is stunning and I simply love it! Johnny is also planning on going back through with some white painted trim along the top of the tiles to finish it off.

Now we have an elegant, classy entryway hall and the tiles will protect the walls too. Check out all the fabulous ceiling tiles HERE at Talissa Decor and go HERE to see the ease of installation. What do YOU think of our new entryway hall?

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.