Crafting Holiday Projects? Enjoy This Black Friday Sale At Silhouette!

I will receive a promotional item in exchange for this post, all views and opinions are my own. See Disclosure. Happy Holidays! 

It's getting closer to Christmas and you know what that means? It's time to make Christmas cards! One of my favorite crafting projects is making my holiday cards to give and send to my friends and family. This year will be a blast since I plan to have the Booper help me, but I'll also have the added help from the Silhouette CAMEO! What is the Silhouette Cameo you ask? Well it's this amazing die cutting machine, that looks to be capable of just about any project you can imagine. I'm so excited to get my hands on one of these machines and get busy crafting, if you're like me then you're probably anxious to see what you can do with the Silhouette too. Now is the perfect time to jump in and start your holiday projects because Silhouette is having an amazing Black Friday promotion! This is the largest promotion Silhouette has ever run, so don't miss out these machines make a fabulous gift for the crafty people in your family.

How We Learn: Then Vs Now

I was compensated for this post by Ashley Tutors. See Disclosure. 
Children learn in many different ways and for a long time I've known I'm a hands-on learner. Back when I was in school my teachers used chalkboards, and though teachers still use chalkboards today they also have many other resources in the classroom. I was a kid who struggled with pretty much all of my subjects especially Math. Struggling on into high school I remember when my mom finally broke down and hired a tutor because she couldn't think of any new ways to explain it to me. My tutor was the sweetest lady and she worked so hard to help me understand the concepts, but I was just hitting a wall and it was like I just couldn't get it. One day we were just sitting there and she started just chatting with me about their home construction project, and suddenly she realized how she could apply our conversation to solving a math problem. Once I could visualize it, I understood it.

 Now there are so many amazing resources for teachers and parents, but if you're not an educator you might not know where to begin. Have a look at this fun infographic from ashleytutors.com which shows the contrast between the resources of then versus now, and remember there's no shame in asking for help. Everyone learns differently and a tutor might offer a new approach that will be just what your child needs to succeed.

Lovely Holiday Centerpieces In A Hurry

This is an affiliate post clicking on links within this post help to support this site. Thanks! Happy Holidays! 

I love going to a party or event where things have a theme or you can just tell your host has planned ahead. There's something about having a place card with my name on it that just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. I think everyone is very busy so sometimes we think of planning things like centerpieces and place cards are reserved for weddings and receptions only, but this video will show you how to make 2 gorgeous centerpieces and 3 different place card ideas in just 30 minutes! If you're like me you can take these ideas and make a few adjustments to fit your unique style. Enjoy!  Watch The How-To Video

$50 ToyBeyond {MissionGiveaway}

Just in time for the holidays this week's Mission Giveaway sponsor is offering something on every child's wish list- Toys! Have a look around Toy Beyond's site and you'll find great toys for all ages, and for the child who has it all they have great toy storage ideas as well. At Toy Beyond you can shop by age, gender or category and all orders over $75 Ship Free with no code needed! (see site for details) Enjoy this event and remember to pay it forward! Good Luck!

Solutions For Protecting Your Laptop On The Go With Altego - Holiday Gift Guide 2013

*DISCLAIMER* Amanda received the items in this post for review. All opinions are her own. This post may contain affiliate links.
I carry my laptop with me whenever I travel. The current laptop case that I use really isn’t padded and I often worry that my laptop will not make it in one piece. I really needed a bag that was durable and could travel with me in style. My old bag is a plain boring black that was my father in laws. While I’m grateful to have had it handed down to me it’s about time I used something other than a hand me down.

$25 NAPA AutoCare Gift Card Giveaway

This is a sponsored post, I might receive a promotional item in exchange for posting, all views and opinions are my own. See Disclosure. Happy Holidays! 
This is the perfect time of year to think about preventative maintenance on your vehicle. Just last week my husband gave both our car and truck a once over, checking the oil and airing up all the tires. I'm very blessed to have him taking care of our vehicles. I have very little knowledge when it comes to car maintenance except that it needs to be done. NAPA wants to know are you car competent? I took the quiz and found out I know a little, but have room for improvement. I'd say that's an accurate assessment of my knowledge! Take the quiz then enter for this $25 NAPA AutoCare Gift Card. Good Luck!

Grant Wishes And Shop Black Friday Sales

This The Mommy Island 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. See Disclosure. Happy Shopping! 

Grab everything on your wish list for less!


There's nothing quite like being able to give the people you love something they've been wishing for. I love the holidays for so many reasons, but it's one time of year my best friend and I get to go shopping without the guilt! We can go spend time together hunting great deals and sharing in the fun of finding a great deal on something from our wish list. This year I really didn't have a clue what I wanted for Christmas most of the things I'm wanting for myself are trivial though there are few big ticket items but if I get them or not I still plan on having a great time shopping the Black Friday Sales with my bestie!

Tis' The Season For Shoes! - Holiday Gift Guide 2013

I received the below mentioned shoes free for the purpose of review, all views and opinions are my own honest evaluations. 
Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment. See Disclosure. Happy Holidays! 
Next stop on our holiday gift guide is shoes from Dansko. I'm delighted to introduce you to these very comfortable shoes. Read my thoughts about these boots, this company and what makes them tick. Classy shoes for over-worked feet, just what I needed! 

Christmas Forest -The Smell Of Christmas Memories- Holiday Gift Guide 2013

I received the below mention wreath for the purpose of review, all views and opinions are my own honest evaluations. 
Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment. See disclosure. Happy Holidays! 
Isn't it strange how a certain scent can spark a memory and cause us to feel all sorts of emotions and take our mind right back to a time and place? I'm blessed to say my childhood was full of happy times so now my memories of that time make me happy especially when I think of Christmas. I grew up living about four miles outside of our small city, and it was a wonderful place to live. Just down the road from our home was a Christmas tree farm where they grew many different types of pine trees that would later be harvested for Christmas trees. It was our family tradition for my dad to take my sister and I to go pick out our tree. We didn't have far to go, so mom would get the living room ready and she always had hot chocolate waiting when we got back. I remember a couple of times we came home with a ginormous tree my mom would roll her eyes at my dad as he would say, "it looked shorter outside" and we would all laugh. Sometimes we would pop popcorn to string and hang as a garland on our tree or we might just hang our ornaments, but every year our home would be full of the fresh aroma of pine. A time or two my mom asked my dad to also pick out a fresh pine wreath to hang outside and my dad would ask which wreath had just been made.

Growing Tall With Petite Lemon- Holiday Gift Guide 2013

I received the below mentioned product free for the purpose of review, all views and opinions are my own honest evaluations. See Disclosure. Happy Holidays! 

Children grow up so fast and I never realized how fast until I had the Booper. It seems like just yesterday I was rocking a baby to sleep, but now I have an independent three year old who thinks he's Luigi. Every stage of the Booper's life has brought new challenges and lots fun. Our little man is never satisfied to sit in one place very long so he loves all things that go go go! When looking at all the fun personalized prints available at Petite Lemon, I knew it  had to be a personalized growth chart. After just having a well visit with his doctor we learned that the Booper is in the eighty-first percentile on weight and the ninety-seventh percentile on height. I know I'm a proud mom, but I wasn't imagining things when I noticed he seems to be taller than most kids his age.

Younger Looking Hands From Simone France - Holiday Gift Guide 2013

I received the below mentioned products free for the purpose of review, all views and opinions are my own honest evaluations.
 See Disclosure. Happy Holidays!

After working in a factory for nearly five years my hands aged very quickly from being abused by horrible conditions. I would wear gloves while doing certain jobs, but it just wasn't always possible and my hands paid the price. The saying goes I know such and such as well as I know the back of my own hand, but over time my hands really didn't look familiar to me anymore. They were looking more like some old lady's hands, and I refused to acknowledge I've aged as much as my hands have the last ten years. Having my chance to review the "Handwich" from Simone France French skin care, I was hopeful to see my hands the way I remember again. 

Illuminated Art - Holiday Gift Guide 2013

I received the below mentioned artwork free for the purpose of review, all views and opinions are my own honest evaluations.
 Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment. See Disclosure. Happy Holidays! 
By day this gorgeous canvas gives our room a sense of whimsy and by night a beautiful source of light. I fell in love with this artwork while browsing around Dianoche Designs for the magical imagery of a girl being carried away on a swing by a beautiful bird. Fanciful horses in the fields this picture captures so many young girl's hearts. Depicting a flowery sky as if this played right out of a little girl's dream. The colors are bright and the details are fun but sparse leaving so much to the viewer's imagination. 

Little Passports Mission Giveaway


The sponsor of this mission is all about opening the doors to your child's imagination and opening their eyes to the world outside their front door. I think every child likes to receive packages in the mail and who wouldn't it's fun! Little Passports gives your child some pretty cool experiences just by opening a box! Read more about our sponsor and enter for your child or someone you know! Enjoy!

Serving Your Family! Mission Giveaway



Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to give thanks for all your blessings and to spend time with your loved ones. When people think of Thanksgiving we typically think of sitting down to a meal and breaking bread with family. A large family dinner is special but who gets stuck with the clean up? This week's mission event is going to help two families by giving them a prize pack to save your family time for catching up and not washing dishes! Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving! Enjoy this mission event below!

When Sweaty Clothes Come Along- You Must Wisk It!

Smiley360
received this product for free from Smiley360 in exchange for my honest review. You can join Smiley360 here!

Before joining this Wisk laundry detergent mission for Smiley 360 I honestly can't remember if I had tried Wisk before, but I will be using it again. I was happy to have the opportunity to test Wisk Deep Clean Original on some of our toughest sweat stained and dirtiest clothes - my husband's work clothes. My husband works hard at his job in power production and many days especially during the hot summer days his work clothes come home saturated with sweat and dirt from the job. Working around a boiler tends to make you hot...or so he tells me. Unlike regular dirt he will have oils and coal dust at times so having a product that can cut through those stains and odors is a must.  

Johnny Chops With Tabletops Unlimited- Holiday Gift Guide 2013

I received the below mentioned product free for the purpose of review, all views and opinions are my own honest evaluations. 
 Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment. See Disclosure. 
When it comes to cooking I really don't mind doing the work and sometimes I even enjoy it. When it comes to clean up after a big meal..well my level of enjoyment goes way down. I'm a huge fan of one-dish meals or finding ways to simplify my time in the kitchen. The next product I can't wait to share with you on our Holiday Gift Guide comes from Tabletops Unlimited. This porcelain enamel cast-iron dutch oven has all the makings of the perfect tool for one-dish meals. 

Clean Home For The Holidays- Holiday Gift Guide 2013

I received the below mentioned product free for the purpose of review, all views and opinions are my own honest evaluations. 
Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment. See Disclosure. 

If you've never read any of my stories about Luna then you might not know about our furry family member. Luna is a terrier mix that I drove over 200 miles to rescue from a shelter when she was a puppy. That was about 8 years ago now, and she's been shedding her long black fur every since I brought her home. Keeping our carpets and furniture clean of Luna's fur is a constant challenge and a never ending battle. I was needing a vacuum that would be easier for me to clean our stair case, and keep our furniture clean. We have a leather couch and love seat in our formal living room so the fur brushes off the cushions easily, but below the cushions pet fur seems to accumulate on the fabric. Brylane Home has a huge variety of products designed to keep your home organized, clean and beautiful. While browsing through many different product categories I found just what I was needing to get our home cleaned up for holiday guests the Shark Cordless Pet Perfect II cordless vacuum.

I Got Mugged-And I Liked It! Holiday Gift Guide 2013

I received the below mentioned products free for the purpose of review, all views and opinions are my own honest evaluations. 
Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment. See Disclosure. Happy Holidays! 


I've always been a sucker for things that come in small packages, and when that happens to be chocolate cake well you've got my vote. When you're cooking for one or cooking for a family finding easy and quick meals when bellies are growling can be a challenge. When my husband was on swing shift meals around our house were sporadic and sit-down family meals just didn't happen. It's not that we didn't take the time to sit down together we just were never eating at the same times. One of us always was eating left overs which is fine, but I always hated cooking a meal just to sit down and eat alone. Learning about Shirley J was like opening a window to a whole new world of food ideas for our family. I really wish I had known about these easy meals for one back then.

This Little Piggy Turned Purple- Holiday Day Gift Guide 2013

Amanda received this product free for the purpose of review, all views and opinions are her own honest evaluations. See Disclosure. Happy Holidays! 
I’m not much into painting my toes or fingers but having a daughter brings out the more feminine side of me. I’m really a tomboy at heart who enjoys the occasional manicure and pedicure. Miss C just loves to pick out her own clothes, have her hair brushed and pick out which pretty color to paint her tootsies! She really enjoyed being able to choose from a selection of Piggy Paint colors that were her very own.

Paradise For Your Taste Buds - Holiday Gift Guide

I received the below mentioned products free for the purpose of review, all views and opinions are my own honest evaluations. 
Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment. See Disclosure. Happy Holidays! 
The next stop on our Holiday Gift Guide will take our taste buds on a trip to the Caribbean. If your pallet seeks out the finer tastes in desserts then you're in luck we've shipwrecked onto a taste adventure for your tongue. I was delighted to have the opportunity to try two of the Carribean Rum Cakes from Tortuga. I remembered the first time I ever tasted a rum cake was on my twenty-first birthday with my husband's family. At first I remember being a bit disgusted taking my first bite and I wondered why someone would want wet cake, but now as my taste buds have evolved I seem to crave the richer flavors.

Premature Babies At Risk - RSV Prevention

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for MedImmune.
 I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”
I'm always disheartened when I read the statistics about how many babies are born prematurely each year and even more so about the health challenges they will face. The Booper (pictured above) was born full term if not a little bit late actually. We were very thankful that he was born healthy and weighed in at a whopping eight pounds and ten ounces. As a first time parent I was like a lot of new parents and I made sure everyone washed their hands and I sanitized everything ten times or more just to be safe. I know as parents we tend to tease other new moms and dads about being overly protective, but in reality it's just good sense.

 Last year my best friend's little girl was hospitalized with (RSV) Respiratory Syncytial Virus. It was very scary to me watching from the outside and seeing my friend's little girl in a baby hospital gown. I'll have to admit from just the very little knowledge I had about RSV I was nervous for them, and their daughter. Thankfully, she came through it and is now healthy. RSV is the leading cause in hospitalization for babies in their first year of life in the US, and the risk goes up for preemies. I know when I found out more about the symptoms I was a bit surprised since I never really knew much about RSV I didn't really know what to look for. 

Send A Smile With Ooh LaLa Candy- Holiday Gift Guide 2013

I received the below mentioned products free for the purpose of review, all views and opinions are my own honest evaluations.
 Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment. See Disclosure. Happy Holidays! 

Creepy Crawly Can O' Crawlers..who wouldn't want to get some yummy gummy worms from a friend? I had to smile when I noticed this fun candy selection in Ooh La La's online candy shop. I love sending friends and family gifts through the mail, surprising someone you love with a sweet treat is just what Ooh La La Candy is all about! Started by a mother and daughter team Ooh La La set out to create personal and fun gifts that would be easy to send to those you love.

Precious and New Tiny Love - Holiday Gift Guide 2013

I received the below mentioned products free for the purpose of overview, all views and opinions are my own honest evaluations. 
Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment. See Disclosure. Happy Holidays! 
The next stop on our Holiday Gift Guide will make you ooh and ahh, because who doesn't love baby toys? The baby gear from Tiny Love will make little ones coo with delight. As you know I don't have a baby at the moment the Booper has outgrown his many sweet infant toys, but I have a nephew coming soon! Our whole family is buzzing with excitement as we anxiously await the arrival of our newest member. I can't wait to attach this delightful Stroll My Nature Pals to his stroller or baby carrier.

Keeping The Dirt Out With Dr. Doormat - Holiday Gift Guide 2013

*DISCLAIMER* I received the items in this post for review. All opinions are my own(Amanda's). This post may
contain affiliate links. Happy Holidays! 
I’m that person who requires you to take their shoes off when you walk into my house. I just don’t like
to worry about gunk and mud especially when it doesn’t come from my kids! However, my father in law
insists on wearing his house shoes when he comes to visit, which are really just a comfy pair of slip-ons.
It drives me nuts however Dr. Doormat is a great solution if you need, like me, a solution to stop germs
and icky stuff from getting on your floors if you have guests that insist on wearing their shoes!
Did you know almost 95% of pollutants that come into your house are transferred via your shoes? Crazy!
Dr. Doormat’s solution is to wipe your shoes at least twice on the doormat and you’ll get rid of about
90% of the yuck that’s on the bottom of your shoes.

Inch By Inch - Beauty Be Natural Holiday Gift Guide 2013

I received the below mentioned product free for the purpose of review, all views and opinions are my own honest evaluations. 
Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment. See Disclosure. 
I know everyone probably has a trouble spot where they wish they could lose some weight or inches, for my husband and I it's our tummies. When I was offered the chance to try Beauty Be Natural's Tummy Tight Kit I quickly and emphatically said YES. First of all curiosity kills me and I just had to know if this kit could really help shed some inches around my waistline. While we are both working to lose weight it's always encouraging to see results, and usually we go by the scale, but with this kit the results are measured with the included tape measure. 



Kid-Friendly Style Umi Shoes Review

I received the below mentioned shoes free for the purpose of review, all views and opinions are my own honest evaluations. 
Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment. See Disclosure. 
When it comes to being a mom to a very active three year old I seem to be caught in-between wanting him to be more independent and wishing he was still my baby boy. He started the "I'll do it myself!" phase a long time ago, but there are days when he really gets on an big boy kick. I love that he's going through this right of passage and the fact I know we will both make it out alive on the other side. It's fun to go through the stages with your pre-schooler when you keep in mind they're only little once. He's already been asking to learn to tie shoes because he wants to be just like daddy, but for now having shoes with easy closures makes life easier on all of us. The Booper loves these Moabb children's boots from Umishoes.com, because they have hook and loop closures that he can do himself.

Finding My Own Calm With Ko Denmark - Holiday Gift Guide 2013

I received the products mentioned below free for the purpose of review, all views and opinions are my own honest evaluations.
 Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment. See Disclosure. Happy Holidays! 


Most of my days are spent rushing around meeting the needs of my family. Which is exactly the way I like it. I'm one of those people who will try to be everything to everyone and I have to conscientiously make a decision to give myself a little reprieve at times. I know most people enjoy taking a shower, but when you're a mom there are days it seems taking a shower is an act of self preservation. I've been delighted to use my review for Ko Denmark as an excuse to take extra long showers and indulge my senses with their fragrant body wash. I'm not sure which ingredient or scent that works to give me a calming effect or if it's just the act of pampering myself that is so relaxing but I'm in love. Perhaps it's the Jasmine or Rose in the body wash that lends to the light floral scent that I find so pleasing. 

The Gift Of Safe Hands! Holiday Gift Guide 2013

I received the below mentioned products free for the purpose of review, all views and opinions are my own honest evaluations. 
Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment. See Disclosure. Happy Holidays! 

My Christmas gift story: 
There are so many gifts I remember giving to my friends and family through the years, but none of them seemed to have as much of an impact as this one small thoughtful gift. I will never forget the year I gave my fellow co-workers each a small bottle of hand sanitizer. I wanted to give them each a gift that was inexpensive yet personal that would work for both the guys and gals. Working in the public during the cold winter months cold and flu season seems to be on everyone's minds especially when you handle money and paperwork all day. It wasn't really planned or tradition to exchange gifts, but I wanted to just spread some Christmas cheer and show them all I cared. Since I love making cards and crafting it wasn't enough to just give them each their own bottle, I had to make it personal so I decorated them with handmade tags. 

Faster Fruit For On The Go Kids! GoGo squeeZ Review

received this product for free from Smiley360 in exchange for my honest review. You can join Smiley360 here!

Just this week as I was cleaning out our refrigerator I was wondering how much money our family wasted a year on spoiled fruits and veggies in the past. We've been implementing small changes in our diet to be healthy and one of those changes includes actually eating more vegetables and fruits. I've always purchased lots of fruits and veggies, but they just end up turning to mush at the bottom of our crisper drawer until recently. My husband and I have really taken on our new challenge to not only lose some weight but to just change the habits and make long term changes for our family so we can be healthy for life. While we conscientiously made the decision the Booper didn't really have a say in the matter. Changing from sweet sugary snacks to healthier natural sweets can be trickier when it comes to children. Making good choices for foods sometimes comes down to the simplest thing as what is easy to grab. When you're out and about hustling from place to place living an active life you don't want to stop for too long just to eat. That's just how our Booper is he wants to eat fast and move on to his next game of play. My niece (pictured above) is the same way though she isn't quite as active as the Booper, she likes snacking just the same! I was happy to share these delicious GoGo squeeZ  applesauce pouches with my niece so she could enjoy a fast fruity snack.

Rockin' Beatrix Girls Doll Giveaway


How exciting! The Beatrix Girls are now rocking the shelves at Toys R Us! The Beatrix Girls are a real life band with real life music that you can rock out to with your friends. An all girl band of four Lark, Ainsley, Brayden, Chantal who each rock their own unique personalities. Wouldn't every girl love to imagine being a member of this fun loving band? I know I would've fell in love with these dolls when I was a little girl. It's a pleasure to be a Beatrix Girls VIP blogger and have the opportunity to offer this giveaway to my readers! Enter for a girl you know today! 

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