Ink Garden ~ Free For Dad

Ink Garden - Fathers Day - Free Notebook, Mouse Pad, or Coffee Mug for Dad (Just Pay Shipping) 

USE Code: FREEFORDAD

Shipping Rates:

$4.99 for the Notebook, $5.99 for the Mug, $4.99 for the MousePad. 

PRODUCT REVIEW: Treat ~ Father's Day Cards

It’s almost June and time to start celebrating the contribution that fathers and father figures make for their children’s lives.

I remember as a child going camping every Father's Day, my Dad was a HUGE outdoorsman and whenever there was opportunity we were traversing in nature.

I remember in grade school making some of the neatest things for my Daddy, like homemade cards that he always displayed with love and handmade macrame artworks that he always put somewhere to be displayed with pride.  

I remember going through my Daddy's things after he passed away and becoming very emotional when I came across some of the things my sisters and my children had made for him over the years.  I never knew how much he cherished his gifts from his children and grand~children.

If any of you are looking for a groovy online site in which to purchase a Father's Day card for your Dad, Grandfather, Brother, Significant other or what have you, then Treat is the place where "cards get personal".

I found the ordering process to be quite simple, the directions are straight~forward and very easy to follow.  You can add personal touches, such as, photo's, your own words and phrases, you have total control over what you wish to place upon the card.

After your editing is done to your satisfaction, you proceed to the checkout where you can opt to have Treat mail the card to your recipient for you, or you can opt to have the card sent to yourself and you can forward it to the appropriate person in your life.

I found pages and pages of designs to choose from, there is truly something there for everyone, from the serious to the humorous, you cannot go wrong in finding a card to complete your message of love with.

There are several other neat features one can apply if they wish.  You can opt to have a gift card added to your Father's Day card if you wish, from popular places such as Amazon, iTunes, Target and many more.  

You can choose to have reminders set up or import them from Facebook so that you will never have to miss another important moment again.

You can also schedule your cards for up to one year, taking the onus off your shoulders to remember at the last minute to take care of your loved ones.

AND...your VERY first Treat card is FREE~!!  All  you need to do is use the code FREETREAT at the checkout and you can check out for yourself what an awesome site this is.  And it's not all about Father's Day cards either...they have cards for EVERY situation~!!

Oh...one thing that is not groovy, is that the FREE card is only available for folks from the United States as they don't have International shipping happening...but I do believe its in the works, so stayed tuned for any updates concerning the shipping practices at Treat.

And if you got a moment...the folks at Treat LOVE to make new friends...so connect with them today~!!

Ask your readers to follow the Treat social channels:

·         Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TreatCards

·         Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/treatcards

·         Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/treatcards/

·         Google+: https://plus.google.com/b/117542183382899885395/

**  Reviewed by me

OPPORTUNITY: Vistaprint ~ 6 Products, 1 Price: FREE~!!

6 Products, 1 Price: Free! 

A new offer just in time for spring. 

6 FREE Products! 

Choose from business cards, stamps, t-shirts, sticky notes, flip books and tote bags! 

The products are FREE, just pay for shipping and processing. 

Design a flipbook of all of your winter photos to keep your memories close at hand. Tote all of your belongings with a customized tote bag. Great for gifts or to keep for yourself, Vistaprint’s 6 free products are personalized and affordable! 

Prom Girl Inc. Review & #Giveaway~!!

Promgirl.net has been selling prom dresses and formal gowns for 25 years. 

Do you have an upcoming special event? Do you need a piece of beautiful attire for homecoming? Promgirl.net has marvelous homecoming dresses for you! Are you impressed with a particular designer you saw in a magazine or on television?

Promgirl.net brings you the best prom dresses from America's top designers. You are sure to make a statement by wearing the perfect prom gown on your perfect prom night.

Finding your favorite 2011 prom dress or homecoming gown is easy. Just browse through our famous Prom and homecoming gown designers: Tony Bowls Clarisse, Terani, Jovani and Scala.

Their prom dresses and prom gowns are hand-made and hand-beaded individually and are shipped after one-two days of processing time.

The articles of fashion and glamour found at Promgirl.net are far reaching!

But that is not the only special occasion featuring their party dresses, prom dresses and evening gowns. They will be sponsoring Miss Galaxy UK and Miss Teen Galaxy UK in 2011.

In addition, they were chosen to supply long cocktail dresses, formal gowns, short dresses and accessories to contestants on ABC Family’s new reality TV series America’s Queen!

They love the national attention, yet they also love knowing that each cocktail dress, homecoming dress and short gown helps make ladies look marvelous no matter where they wear them!

ARV $59.00

ARV $129.00

ARV $59.00

First dance is a huge night for most girls, and getting ready for it is very important. From finding the perfect outfit, looking for great accessories, finding hairstyles, booking limos, and much more there is a lot to do and look for. There is a whole list of details that must be completed to ensure that the night goes smoothly and that everyone involved has a wonderful time.

Find the Perfect outfit The key to any party is the outfits, these are the most important things.

Get Accessories Once you’ve found the outfit, you need accessories to go with them. That means you need great pieces of jewelry to go along with the evening wear.

Find Hair and Makeup Styles Your outfit still isn’t complete unless you’ve found hair and makeup styles.

Looking your best and having a knock out outfit is important for every girl going to any party. One of the things that sets Promgirl.net apart from the competition is that they only ship one of each gown to each zip code. That saves you from wearing the same dress your friends are wearing! You will have one of our unique gowns that is all yours.

What are you waiting for? Start shopping through their online pages to find the perfect party and formal gowns. It is hoped you come back often to see the latest in each season’s fashions and trends. Promgirl, the largest on line store, features the best available collections for 2011 and 2012. Gowns, dresses and more form an endless array of breath-taking beauties! 

They have the gown of your dreams in stock and ready to ship.

My Thoughts~!!

Promgirl has some of the most gorgeous prom dresses that my eyes have ever had the pleasure of viewing~!!  What FANTABULOUS and BEAUTIFUL designs they have~!!  I would be truly hard pressed to have to choose one they have so many groovy designs, colours and styles to for every body type.  It's truly amazing~!!

They have high end dresses as well as low end and all of them are just are wonderful as the other~!!  Every pocketbook budget can be found at Promgirl so that no girl shouldn't look her best on her special day~!!

Julia Shoe ~ ARV $69.00

They also carry some great looking accessories, their necklace/earring combos are great priced and would look fantastic with any dress that you choose~!!  They also have some fantastic looking shoes to help complement your look.  For a fair and decent price one can afford to dress themselves in style and be the center of attention wherever they are~!!

I am very impressed with the designs, the prices and the choices, OVER 2000 of them and if my daughter was about to go to Prom, then this is one place I would have her shop at.  Truthfully though, I can see many of these dresses being worn at weddings and other functions where you wish to feel special.  They just aren't for Proms, in my honest opinion.  New Years Eve would make another great occasion in which to purchase one of the truly wondrous dresses to be found at Promgirl~!!

Would one of you love to win a pair of the Julia shoes (ARV $69) pictured above??  These shoes are GORGEOUS and they fit great~!!  We here at The Marsh and the fine folks at Prom Girl would LOVE to give one of you the opportunity to win a pair for you very own~!!  All you have to do is enter...

Day 20 ~ Holiday Gift Guide ~ Zoobie Pets ~ Mudd The Moose Blanket Pet

Zoobies was created by two young brothers, Reid and JC Smoot, who shared a common desire to invent something that was fun, innovative and functional.  Coming from a large family of nine children, they saw the need to make long road trips and family excursions easier on parents.

Zoobies makes sure no corners are cut when making their products, making them the cutest, most high-end plush animals in the animal kingdom that also provide a comfy blanket and an extra-cuddly pillow.  They measure their success in terms of squishability and comfort.

Zoobies personally guarantee every product they make to be the softest, most huggable plush toy you've ever squeezed.

The plush toys have super-squishy, micro-bead faces, extremely cuddly body fur and soft, warm coral fleece blankets and sleeping bags.

Zoobies have been featured on Today, Redbook, Scholastic Parent & Child, The Early Show and many more~!!  

It's A Blanket...It's A Toy...It's A Pillow...It's All-In-One~!!

Mudd the Moose

My Thoughts ~!!

I was pleased to be able to receive a Zoobies "Mudd the Moose" Blanket Pet"...of course I would choose the Moose, I am MAD about them afterall~!! 

I thought it was just adorable when I first opened the packaging.  It was bigger than I thought which was great because I was thinking the pillow aspect wouldn't have been very viable and I was happy to have been proven wrong.

ARV $35.00

The material is VERY soft to touch and the pillow was comfortable to place your head upon.  My kids took turns sleeping with it so that they could each give their opinion and both said they woke up after having a great nights sleep.  My daughter felt comforted by the Moose located at her head and my son loved how the blanket felt on his skin.  They both thought the Moose was really cute and loved his horns.

I thought the workmanship was excellent, there were no running threads or any places that looked like it may wear quickly.  All the seams were tight and well formed!  The colour of the material is nice and vibrant and a proper shade for a Moose.

I think these would make excellent gifts ANY time of the year for both the young and the old~!!  There are many designs to choose from and I am quite positive you will find something to suit your needs~!!

• Microbead stuffed head for ultimate squishability™
• Large, super-soft coral fleece blanket zipped inside: 44" x 34"
• L: 18" x W: 6" x H: 10.5"
• 100% polyester (additional materials)
• Washing-Blanket: Machine wash, tumble dry. Blanket zips off for easy washing.
• Washing-Outer pouch: Spot wash (if machine washed, using a laundry bag designed for delicates is recommended).
• Two bottom hook-and-loop Velcro tabs gather Blanket Pet™ into animal shape.
• Recommended for ages 3 and up, but safely tested for all ages.

 

** Disclosure: I did not accept any compensation from the sponsors other than review copies, my views are my own, reviewed by me..as I see it~!! **

Day 18 ~ Holiday Gift Guide ~ Hasbro ~ Tonka XT Ricochet Stunt Pro R/C

In 1923, two brothers—Henry and Helal Hassenfeld—founded Hassenfeld Brothers, a textile remnant company in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. Over the next two decades, the company expanded to produce pencil cases and school supplies.

In the 1940s, Hassenfeld Brothers produced doctor and nurse kits, its first toys. Hassenfeld Brothers' first toy hit was Mr. Potato Head, which the company purchased from inventor George Lerner in 1952. The toy was a smash success. In 1964, Hassenfeld Brothers produced the G.I. Joe toy, which they termed an "action figure" in order to market the toy to boys who wouldn't want to play with "dolls." The company shortened its name to Hasbro Industries in 1968. The company's promotional efforts included the catchphrase "Boy Oh Boy! It's A Hasbro Toy!" in television commercials and prints ads. In 1969 Hasbro bought Romper Room, Inc. and re-branded it as Claster Television Productions.

Hasbro's innovative, high quality products are at the heart of Hasbro’s success. They have a responsibility to provide safety as well as enjoyment to the millions of children and families around the world who use their products. This responsibility is growing as they expand their business beyond traditional toys and games, and across multiple platforms, including television, motion pictures, video games and licensing.



As a world-class, branded play company Hasbro's primary purpose is simple: to bring play to life for children and families around the world through their beloved brands. Their responsibilities, though, extend much further than the design studio or factory gate.

Go wild with this freewheeling Tonka XT Ricochet Stunt Pro Remote Control Car~!!

The RICOCHET STUNT PRO was made to steer through the sharpest turns and do the best stunts you can come up with! Its awesome remote technology lets you save your favorite stunts and press Replay to do them over and over. You’re at the wheel, so get ready to amaze yourself with daredevil stunt action!

ARV $79.99

Vehicle comes with controller, battery charger and wall adapter. Includes 3 "AAA" batteries for the controller and 1 rechargeable 9.6V battery for the vehicle. Ages 8 and up.

• Push the record button on the controller to save your trick to the controller's memory
• Ready for a replay? Press the Replay Trigger and watch the Ricochet Stunt Pro RC vehicle show off one of your saved stunts
• Step steering and intense speed levels make this tough, two-sided vehicle the ultimate ride to master your sick trick
• The RC vehicle comes with a multi channel 2.4 ghz remote for advanced control
• Tonka Tough

The TONKA XT RICOCHET STUNT PRO R/C Vehicle is two-sided, so you can drive it, flip it, and keep racing. The vehicle can easily maneuver around the room, so you can perform wicked flips.

The TONKA RICOCHET RC Vehicle boasts all the toughness TONKA trucks have come to be known for. The huge oversized tires can roll over dirt and grass, while its resilient chassis makes sure this RC vehicle keeps truckin'.

My Thoughts~!!

This is one wickedly rad R/C racer...truly~!!  My boys had a blast testing this car out and for hours I didn't hear anything but "WHOA!" "WOW" and "DID YOU SEE THAT?"...it was hilarious as the two of them excitedly checked out all the moves they could do.

They had the racer up and over curbs, grass, gravel, up/down stairs, the wall, ramps, off of things...you name it and they tried it~!!  I'm not sure what they were doing but testing its stamina is what I got from it and after everything they put it through, it still worked.  That was amazing, my boys were not easy on this toy and it stood up to their test~!!  That, in itself, is pretty remarkable!  I don't know how many times I've got one of my children something and had it break within hours and they were barely using it!!  Tonka is known for its tough, durable builds and it still stands true in their remote vehicles!!

Everything you require is included in the box, so there is no need to get batteries, it comes with its own rechargeable battery and the only drawback to the whole ordeal is that the battery charge only lasts about 15 or 20 mins. before you need to charge it for four hours.  Seriously, when you have 2 boys itching to play with this, then FOUR hours can be a dreadfully long time.  As well, there is no auto shut-off on the battery charger so you could run into problems if it over charges itself.  We haven't had that occur but we have had it happen with our camcorder once. 

All in all though, I think this would make an excellent gift for your loved one to find underneath the Christmas tree this year.  Every boy I have talked to said that this is the toy to have this year~!! 

 

** Disclosure: I did not accept any compensation from the sponsors other than review copies, my views are my own, reviewed by me..as I see it~!! **

10 Ways to Serve Over Christmas

One of my favorite ways to spend Christmas break is by finding ways to serve others. I'm a big fan of "warm fuzzies"—which is exactly what I get when I reach out of my comfort zone to serve somebody. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve others over Christmas:

Carol at a senior center: Hardly anything in life can bring warmth into the heart better than Christmas carols. Winter blizzards become winter wonderlands, jolly old men jump out sleighs to bring gifts to children, and a babe's birth is celebrated. There's something that's just plain happy about the whole thing.

Secret Santa: Hold a gift exchange with your friends or family. Write down everybody's names, cut them out, and toss them into a hat. If somebody grabs their own name, you'll have to start over! This can be a great excuse to get to know others and find out what their interests are.

Food drive: I can almost guarantee you that somebody somewhere is holding a food drive. Donate some good food for once. If you can't find a food drive going on (and if you're feeling really ambitious), maybe you could organize one in your neighborhood.

Shovel a neighbor's driveway: I love snow! At least, I love snow when I'm looking at it through the window. One of the nicest things you could do for the old lady that lives next door is to shovel her driveway—without accepting pay. If she wants to give you some cookies or hot cocoa, that's totally fine. But nothing with the face of a US president on it!

Sub for Santa: One of the best ways to serve over Christmas is by giving Christmas away. There are many families that don't have the means necessary to provide their kids with gifts. Sub for Santa programs across the country provide opportunities to give gifts to kids.

Hit-and-run Christmas Cookies: This one is quite simple. 1) Bake cookies. 2) Put a dozen or so on a plate and wrap the plate in plastic. 3) Make a card that says something like, "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Don't put your name anywhere on the card. 4) Leave the cookies on a doorstep, ring the bell, and run!

LISTEN: One of the best things you can do for someone is to listen. People come packed with a variety of problems and very few people to listen to them. Listening takes patience but can be the best gift you can give another!

Volunteer at a charity: The demand on charity organizations is generally high; the volunteer service is often low. If you enjoy it enough, you could even try to make it a weekly tradition to visit your favorite charity group and give an hour of service.

Donate to a thrift store: That old dresser that you don't use anymore may make the perfect gift for a poor husband to his wife, or for a Christmas newborn. Your trash may become the next man's treasure!

Bring food to the office: Bake some homemade doughnuts, brownies, or cookies and bring them in for all to enjoy! You could also bring some soda in or get some goodies at a grocery store. There's nothing like food to provide a good winter pick-me-up.

About the Author

Stephen Sharpe is a writer for MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers helps people determine if going to school online is right for them and helps them find out which online degrees and top jobs they can choose from to land the job of their dreams.

Day 17 ~ Holiday Gift Guide ~ ImagiPLAY ~ Take Me To The Moon

For over a decade, ImagiPLAY has created high-quality educational toys that inspire children's imaginations and the desire to explore. With the abundance of toys available for children today, ImagiPLAY sets itself apart from the rest through its motto: "Toys with Integrity." By producing quality products that connect with nature, have eco-friendly sources, and hold educational value, ImagiPLAY works to benefit the earth we share and the people that inhabit it.

Founder and President Barbera Aimes offers children toys that represent her true passion: our planet. After studying languages and music in Japan and across the US, this nurturing earth mother explored ways in which she could communicate her desire to make the world a gentler, move loving place. In her mid thirties, she found that the natural beauty of Boulder, Colorado was the ideal place to call home, establish her business, and create a positive change amongst the people around her. "All my life I've wanted to leave this earth with some kind of beneficial legacy," Barbera explains, "If there is one thing I can leave on this earth, it would be to help children appreciate our world."

Through the language of play, Barbera and ImagiPLAY have inspired children across the globe to discover the world on their own terms and communicate with the environment. With ImagiPLAY's child safe and earth safe toys, games and collectibles, children enrich their ability to count, learn the alphabet, and identify different animals while gaining a true sense of the world's beauty and diversity of species.

Producing toys using only materials and processes that show respect for the planet and all the people and creatures upon it has remained ImagiPLAY's promise and challenge. All of ImagiPLAY's toys are made from eco-friendly materials, with plantation-grown rubberwood being a favorite. Rubber trees produce a sap that is used to make latex products. At the end of their latex-producing years (generally 25-30 years) the trees are harvested and new ones planted. But these wonderful trees have one more gift to give us -their beautiful, splinter-free hardwood, from which ImagiPLAY makes many of its award winning, heirloom quality toys.

Products for which Rubberwood is not suitable are made from wood from managed forests. ImagiPLAY's factories are placed close to the neighborhoods where its craftsmen live so that the majority of them can walk or ride their bikes to work each day, enabling its craftsmen to maintain quality relationships with their own children while they make toys for others.

ImagiPLAY products have been recognized by the media, children's advocacy groups, and parents' organizations for their outstanding quality, design and ability to inspire imagination. It has received awards from Parenting Magazine, Creative Child Magazine, Dr. Toy, Parents' Choice Foundation and many other well-respected groups. But most importantly, ImagiPLAY's products have helped thousands of children worldwide to discover themselves and their world as they navigate the waters of the human Age of Exploration.

My Thoughts~!!

ARV $26.99

ImagiPLAY's "Take Me To The Moon" is a very imaginative and wonderful toy for your little ones~!!  Its all natural workmanship is enough to impress anyone Eco-Friendly parent~!!

The set comes with seven hand-painted wooden figures and a zippered rocketship tote bag to store it all inside when your child is done playing.  It is hand-crafted by Rubberwood, a environmentally friendly hardwood and painted with child safe paints.

My son played with this for hours...he loves his imagination and this opened up many doors for him to investigate~!! The wooden figures are easy to handle and brightly coloured!  My sons pudgy fingers had no problems handling the characters and he found clean up to be a breeze as he was able to store everything inside the spaceship.

I was impressed with the paint detail on the figures.  I loved that everything is hand-painted making it a unique and one-of-a-kind gift as there is no possible way any two could ever be painted the same.  The artists used good, clean strokes without any clumping nor was they flakes of paint missing from any of the painted articles.

I think this would make an excellent gift for the wee ones in your life and with Christmas coming, what a perfect excuse to buy this wonderful "Take Me To The Moon" set for under the tree.

 

** Disclosure: I did not accept any compensation from the sponsors other than review copies, my views are my own, reviewed by me..as I see it~!! **