Giveaway! Love You A Lot - DIY Craft Kit from Paper Pumpkin

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

It's that time of the month! No, not that time. It's time for my monthly Paper Pumpkin craft kit! I get so excited when I see that little orange box sitting on my doormat out front. This month's kit is the "Love You A Lot" kit and it's filled with everything I need to create eight beautiful cards.

Paper Pumpkin is a monthly craft subscription and I've received so many wonderful project kits to complete over the past months. Each kit comes with all the supplies needed to finish the project, except for maybe your scissors.

The "Love You A Lot" kit includes a photopolymer stamp set, two different colors of Stampin' Up! ink pads, 8 cards in 2 colors, 8 white cardstock pieces, 2 sheets of ready-to-assemble paper bows, 8 kraft pockets, two colors of baker's twine, 50 adhesive dots, and 50 adhesive 3D foam dots.

Paper Pumpkin craft kits always come with an instructional pamphlet that shows step by step instructions (with photos) on how to do each project. They even have online videos of each project if you prefer to watch someone else do it.

I first started my project by laying out all the pieces and punching out the bow papers. The kraft pockets were so easy to create - just fold and peel the adhesive strip off to secure them. Then I strung the baker's twine through the pre-punched holes at the top of each pocket.

At first I was intimidated at the thought of making a bow, but Paper Pumpkin makes it so easy! I took one of the bow papers and wrapped each side around my finger to curve the paper (making sure not to crease the folds) and then secured the edges in back with the little adhesive dots.

Then I took one of the small bands and wrapped it around the center of each bow, tacking the band in the back with the adhesive dots. I have never, ever made such a perfect bow. (I see I'm also overdue for a manicure!)

Next, I took the long bands and wrapped them around the pockets, attaching them in back with more little adhesive dots. I'm always amazed at the quality of Paper Pumpkin supplies. Stampin' Up! is the parent company, so I know I'm getting great stuff!

Once all the pockets were wrapped with bands, I used the foam adhesives to attach each bow on top of the bands. I love to make three-dimensional projects! Over the months, I've learned to keep the little orange shipping box nearby - it works as a handy trash can and I don't end up with little pieces on the carpet.

After finishing up the pockets, I set up for the stamping part of the project. The cardboard piece that comes in each kit works as a great background so I don't get ink on my table. Each photopolymer stamp peels easily off the clear plastic sheet and can be stored back on it after use.

I put each stamp on a block then stamp the little inkpad on top of the upward facing stamp so I can see when the stamp is fully inked. Then I just firmly pressed it on the little cardstock pieces to make different cards for different occasions.

The stamped pieces dried quickly and I attached them to the folded colored cards and wrote little notes inside. Then I tucked them into the pockets and they are ready to give! The entire project took me about thirty minutes from start to finish. I am so pleased with them!

You, too, can experience the joy of receiving a Paper Pumpkin box every month! Just sign up for your Paper Pumpkin monthly subscription HERE. You can also follow them on Pinterest for fun craft ideas. Be sure to enter below to win!

Win the Paper Pumpkin "Love You A Lot" kit!
To enter, just fill in the giveaway form below. Open to US residents, ages 18 and older. Giveaway ends at midnight on 5/31/2015. Good luck! I hope you win!

Enter my other giveaways HERE.
Follow me on Facebook HERE.

Share this post with the social media buttons below!

Giveaway! BOX4BLOX™ Award Winning Lego Sorter and Storage Box

Disclosure: I received compensation in exchange for this post.

Only a Mom Could Have Thought Of Something Like This!

“Someone should invent something to sort Lego like those things they use in the bank to sort coins!”

It was these words, uttered by a New Zealand Mom of four, after seeing all her kids Lego tipped all over the floor, minutes after spending the best part of an hour sorting them into some semblance of order that lead to her and her husband to invent and develop their award winning BOX4BLOX. Now made in the USA, the BOX4BLOX has already been voted the “Home Organizing Product of the Year” in the United States by the National Association of Professional Organizers; received a “Santa Choice Award”; plus been awarded the “Seal of Approval” Award and the “Award of Excellence” from The Toy Man® ; the internationally recognized toy product reviewer and child safe toy evaluator.

The Toy Man® Award of Excellence” is an internationally coveted award, awarded only to products that achieve an overall Evaluation Category Rating Average, ECRA™, of [5] Stars, based on: cost benefit; durability, ease of use; functionality; marketing value and visual appeal. To receive “The Toy Man Award of Excellence”, products are put through stringent product testing, both by The Toy Man expert product evaluators, but more importantly by selection of the product’s target market, ie. Moms and kids, that would likely use or purchase the item. As you will read in report below where “The Toy Man® ” comments…

“The BOX4BLOX is an innovative storage solution for keeping Lego® type blocks organized and tidy. It is a mother’s dream of innovative design to help manage Lego® and similar items more effectively.”

Here is a link to the Toy Man BOX4BLOX Product Review Report.

Please watch the video below where you can see how the BOX4BLOX provides a very simple and effective solution to the every day problem of Lego bricks spread all over the floor.

BOX4BLOX Sorts, Stores and Organizes Your Legos By Size, In Seconds.

The BOX4BLOX works by grading Lego parts through a series of trays with differing sized grids. All the large pieces and base trays are stored in the top tray with the large grid; the medium to large pieces stay in the blue tray with the medium grid; the small to medium parts stay in the red tray with the small grid; and all those hard-to-find tiny bits and pieces end up in the green base tray. As the pieces can be easily found from the individual trays without having to tip all the Legos over the floor, the BOX4BLOX effectively eliminates all your Lego hassles.

Let’s face it every kid loves playing with Legos, but keeping those pesky little plastic bricks organized and off the floor is the bane of every parents’ life. How many times have we had to scratch through the vacuum dust bag to retrieve a Lego piece?; or the kids have lost an important part from an expensive Lego set?; or experienced the pain of standing on that sharp block left out on the floor in the middle of the night?

The BOX4BLOX is manufactured in the United States, using high quality ABS plastic (the same plastic Lego uses). It has a 5 year replacement part guarantee and is sold exclusively online, via the inventors web site www.box4blox.com, at a retail price of $44.99, which includes FREE SHIPPING.

The inventors are giving away two FREE BOX4BLOX!

Please Click Here To Enter!

Giveaway/Contest Is Open To US Residents Ages 18 and older.

Giveaway Ends At Midnight On 6/14/2015.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Joy of Adoption - Review

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

Although I was not adopted, my mom and her sister were adopted many years ago by two very wonderful people who became my grandparents. I cannot imagine the emotions they must have felt while waiting to be adopted, worrying whether they'd be adopted together, or separated forever from each other. I cannot imagine the joy they must have felt when they were at last chosen together to be part of a special forever family. I believe adopting a child is one of the most selfless acts a person can do. Adoption is giving your home, your time, and your love to someone who truly needs you. I applaud all of you who have opened your home and your hearts to adoption!

This new book Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Joy of Adoption is filled with over 100 stories that celebrate adoption. It's an updated version of the original Chicken Soup for the Adopted Soul with lots of new stories included. Filled with inspiration, this book really touched my heart and gave me a little better understanding of what it must have been like for my mom, her sister, and their new parents. Parenting is always filled with challenges and adoption is no exception. While it often comes with even bigger challenges, it also appears to have incredible rewards. These stories got me very choked up and I even shed a few tears while reading. This book is the perfect gift for those who have been adopted, those who have adopted, those who are considering adopting, and even for those who work with families regarding adoption. The love within these stories is simply amazing!

Visit Chicken Soup for the Soul at www.chickensoup.com to order The Joy of Adoption and many other inspiring books. You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Taste Trunk Gourmet Food Subscription Box - Review

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

We all obviously have to eat, but to truly live tastefully we need to sample gourmet foods once in a while. Taste Trunk is a gourmet food subscription box service that curates the best products and brings them to you.

The Taste Trunk has a beautiful presentation, making it a fabulous gift idea for family, friends, co-workers and professional clients. There are many ways to pack the Taste Trunk, including themes like gourmet, sweet tooth, bbq, and health, or create your own trunk contents.

Opening the Taste Trunk I found a packet of recipe cards for the products included in my trunk, giving me ideas and suggestions for ways to use each product. The products are packaged in bubble wrap and crinkle paper to ensure all the products arrive in perfect condition.

My Taste Trunk included five products - Lillie's Q Ivory Barbecue Sauce, WVM Jalepeno and Vino Mustard, 1849 Tri-Tip Meat Marinade, Hungarian Ragout Spice Tin, and San Francisco Salt Company Hawaiian Lava Salt.

Each product is a full-size product and over the past week, I've been using them in different dishes to try them out. They are all incredibly delicious and very high quality. I highly recommend Taste Trunk!

The Taste Trunk Monthly Sampler is just $39.99 per month. For $99.00 a month, you can order a Gourmet Subscription, Sweet Subscription, BBQ Subscription, or Healthy Chef Subscription. The price for the option to Create a Trunk depends on what you select.

Taste Trunk products include salts and seasonings, oils and vinegars, gourmet sauces and condiments, chocolate and confections, jams and honey, bakery and pastry, coffee and tea, pasta and soup, drinks and cocktails, and much more.

There are even selections for Organic, Gluten-Free, and Vegan lifestyles. There is truly something wonderfully gourmet for everyone at Taste Trunk. You can send a Taste Trunk to a lucky recipient for as long as you like, and save 33% with multi-month gifts.

Visit www.tastetrunk.com today to start your own subscription, and order a Taste Trunk gift subscription for someone special. Join their email list and get a $10 code to use towards your first order! You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Weekly Giveaway Linky - Wednesday Wealth (May 13-19)

Mrs. Freshley’s Limited Edition Sweet Treats

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

Blueberries and strawberries are two of my favorites. Mrs. Freshley's new treats celebrate these sweet tastes in their limited edition Glazed Blueberry Donut Sticks and Creme Filled Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes. They are so fresh they taste like they were made in my own kitchen!

Loaded with blueberries, the Mrs. Freshley's Glazed Blueberry Donut Sticks are scrumptious. They go perfectly with a cup of coffee or a glass of cold milk. Since they come in individual serving packages, it's a great way to satisfy a sweet tooth without dragging out all your baking tools.

Mrs. Freshley's Creme Filled Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes are absolutely delicious. From the sprinkles and icing on top to the delightful creme inside the shortcake, each cupcake is its own party. With two to a package, you could share one, but I'll bet you'll want to eat both of them yourself.

Mrs. Freshley's makes a huge line of sweet treats including donuts, fruit pies, honey buns, snack cakes, and much more. Visit the website at www.mrsfreshleys.com and don't miss out on these delicious limited edition spring treats!

ARIA Wines - Perfect for Spring

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

If you are hosting any spring get-togethers, such as a wedding, garden party, or even a book club meeting, ARIA wines are the perfect wines to toast the event. ARIA, which means melody, is a lively cava that fully embodies its own Spanish origins and pairs wonderfully with light bites from hors d’oeuvres to desserts.

These bubbly wines are available in three delicious varieties - ARIA Estate Brut, ARIA Extra Dry and ARIA Sparkling Pinot Noir. We sampled all three of them and while it's very difficult to choose a favorite, I think mine is the Estate Brut.

From the classic, sophisticated look of the ARIA bottle to the perfect tasting notes of these delicious sparkling wines, you and your guests will love them, no matter the occasion. Look for it wherever you buy fine wines.