Gift Ideas for Foodies

I consider myself a bit of a foodie. I mean, I love food. I love specialty food that is hand-crafted. I love trying new foods, especially when they are good for you. I love interesting flavor combinations and finding tasty treats you can’t just pick up at your local grocery store.

Know anybody like that? If you do, I have the perfect gifts that will have them singing your praises and, if you are lucky, sharing a bit with you.

I am a bit of a raw honey freak. I love the health benefits, how it is made, all the ways you can spice it up, and the many ways to use it.

Foodies love raw honey. Trust me. Bee in Your Bonnet Infused Honey has some incredible honey varieties including: Aged Balsamic Infused Wildflower Honey, Ghost Chilli Infused Honey, Ginger Snap Infused Honey and more. Their delicious honey is so special because it is made from the best! They use the highest-quality pure raw wildflower honey - sourced from independent beekeepers in their own Southern Appalachian region, and infused with the rich, lovely flavors of a select variety of 100% organic herbs and spices.

I personally love their Ginger Snap Infused, Cinnamon Infused, Harvest Spice, and Vanilla Bean varieties. Their honey is pure and simple. I love that they let nature speak for itself. And it sure does. These are delicious, even by the spoonful. :-)

Manuka honey lovers, raise your hand! PRI Manuka honey is some of the best! Not only is it delicious, but it has many healing properties. PRI brings us the highest quality manuka honey in all kinds of delicious products such as: Dark Chocolate with Manuka Honey, Manuka Honey Nuggets, Manuka Honey Lozenges, and so much more.

I love all of these products. When I was introduced to PRI manuka honey, I became an immediate fan. You can notice the difference immediately. I use PRI manuka honey in my homemade immune booster tonic, for healthy treats, and in homemade throat drops.

PRI also makes one of my favorite kitchen must-haves: sea salt. Sea salt has become quite popular lately, because it is such a great way to get trace minerals into your diet and makes food so much more flavorful.

Sea salt derived from solar evaporation of sea water is completely different from modern, refined salt which is primarily sodium chloride that’s been kiln-dried – a process that involves scorching salt at high temperatures in order to remove moisture and impurities in the ocean water. Unfortunately, it’s also a process that also removes trace minerals as well as calcium, magnesium and potassium salts. The result: a salt that’s been “refined” to within an inch of its life and is instead as far removed from nature as it is damaging to the human body – therefore making a switch to Pacific Sea Salt a natural choice in every sense of the word. PRI sea salts are fantastic for any type of cooking. They offer fine salt, which I love to sprinkle over homemade popcorn. I also love their flaky salt, which is great for soups, meat and fish. Then, of course, you have to try their mesquite smoked, which is made using their secret Louisiana family smoked process. We love that on our scrambled eggs!

For a specialty holiday treat, I love Bakery on Main’s Nut Crunch Snacks. Although these may appear to be another granola mix, this is actually a mix of cashews, almonds, pecans and walnuts, certified gluten-free oats, and sweet fruit bits or chocolate. Certified gluten free (GFCO), Non-GMO Project Verified, dairy and casein free, these tasty snacks are better-for-you, made without artificial flavors or preservatives, low in sodium, and free of trans fat and cholesterol. They are handy to take with you, so you always have a filling snack on hand.  

The Peppermint Chocolate Nut Crunch Snacks are the perfect stocking stuffer for foodies. They have a lovely hint of peppermint and the perfect amount of chocolate, plus they are very satisfying with all that protein and good fat.

Coffee! So many foodies love their specialty coffee. Peet’s Holiday Blend is a favorite in our house.  Peet’s has this yearly tradition to make a special blend of the best beans from each year. This year’s special blend is a spicy, rich and satisfying blend, slightly bittersweet balanced by notes of ripe fruit to create a smooth and full bodied- finish; perfectly suited for the season.

If you want to learn all about what they put in their special blend, read more about the 2015 Holiday blend. It is quite interesting how they pick and choose the best of the best.

Are you a foodie? What is your favorite foodie find?

I received products to try out. No other compensation was given.

3 Fabulous Gift Ideas Every Mother Will Love

My gift guide is based on things that I would want as a busy mother of four young children. Any mom who needs a little encouragement, stress relief, and pampering will love these gifts!

What does every mom want?

Encouragement! 

I love getting a message of love from my family on Mother’s Day. Check out these beautiful greeting cards that Sadie Robertson, star of A&E’s Duck Dynasty, has designed for DaySpring. Her new line - Live Original - is an inspiring blend of fashion, function, faith, and positive messages from Sadie. Besides beautiful greeting cards, she also has designed journals, Scripture shareables, inspirational magnets and sticky notes. Featuring bright colors and positive messaging such as “you are beautiful,” “let your smile change the world,” “just be yourself,” and more, I just love her new line!

 

With her strong faith, Sadie encourages and inspires young women to keep smiling, keep showing kindness, and keep believing even when the day is tough. As a mom, I experience plenty of tough days, and having positive messages on sticky notes, magnets and in my journal are great reminders of how blessed I really am!

Make sure you also check out this fun Instagram challenge Sadie has put out for her followers! Every Friday Sadie posts a “challenge” to her 1.9M follwers on Instagram. Followers will then post over the weekend with #liveoriginal and #liveoriginalgiveaway. 75 entrants will be chosen to receive 18 limited edition sneak peek greeting cards designed by DaySpring in collaboration with Sadie. 10 of the 75 will have a signed note from Sadie inside. The winners are encouraged to then post and share the cards they receive throughout the week.

Time to De-stress!
Mothers have a lot of stress in their lives. Just our children alone can cause a great deal of stress in our everyday lives. One thing I like to do each day is sip a cup of tea and have a few minutes of quiet time during nap time. You can give this same gift to the mothers in your life with Numi Organic Tea. They have a variety of unique and satisfying flavors and are all non-gmo and fair trade certified.

Numi’s organic Moroccan Mint has a light, lively taste that is refreshing and soothing any time of the day. I also love their enchanted White Rose blend that mixes delicate, organic white tea with whole organic rose buds. Those are just a few of my favorites, but they have a huge assortment of wonderful teas you will love!

Pampering!
I love a little pampering. I mean, come on, who doesn't? A gift of breakfast in bed, time for a warm bath and some new organic body cream is a wonderful idea for any mom. I personally love the Organoderm Organic Body Cream. This body cream is luxurious, not only because of the feeling it leaves on your skin, but because of the amazing organic ingredients that are food for your skin! There are no artificial, or GMO  ingredients - just pure, natural, and organic.

I love a warm, peaceful epsom salt bath followed up with this wonderful body cream. (I also think the Organoderm Citrus deodorant is a must-have. It is the best organic deodorant I have tried!) And if you want bonus points, you rub this cream on your mom's sore feet, shoulders or hands.

Don't forget breakfast in bed! If you are not exactly the best chef in the books, I am here to rescue you. Skip the unhealthy donuts, breakfast cereal, or bagels and try out this awesome recipe for Ozery French Toast. It is so easy, even the kids could help you make this for mom.

Ozery Bakery’s Morning Rounds are the perfect item to deliver a quick and delicious meal with a freshly baked taste. These fruit and grain buns are filled with real fruit pieces and are completely non-GMO and free of artificial preservatives and ingredients.

Ozery French Toast (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

2 large egg whites
1 large egg
8 Ozery Bakery Morning Rounds 
¾ cup milk
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons butter

Directions

Whisk the egg whites, egg, milk, salt and vanilla together until blended. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a nonstick skillet on medium heat. Dip the Rounds one at a time in the egg mixture and coat both sides. Place 3-4 rounds at once in the skillet and cook until lightly browned. Flip and cook the second sides for approximately the same amount of time.

Repeat above steps with remaining butter, Morning Rounds and egg mixture. Serve warm and drizzle berries and maple syrup on top!

With these three gift ideas, you CANNOT go wrong!! Make sure you tell your mom how much you love her and how much you appreciate specific things she has done for you.

I want to share some of this love with you, so we are giving  away (1) bottle of the Organoderm Organic Body Cream to (1) lucky reader!

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Gifts for the Fitness Lover

I was provided products to review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

You will probably find it hard to find a bigger fitness lover than me. Not only have I made it my career, but even when I am away from the gym, I love working out at home and everywhere else I can. I love everything about working up a good sweat and feeling those awesome endorphins as my body gets stronger and healthier.

If you know someone who is very passionate about fitness or is just starting their own fitness journey, I have two great gift ideas that will make you their new best friend!

GROOV3 is an awesome dance DVD that is perfect for the fitness beginner who doesn’t want to feel like they are exercising or for the fitness enthusiast who wants to incorporate more fun ways to stay fit. 

With GROOV3, you will get a 45 minute dance workout PLUS bonus choreography. If you want a shorter workout, you can break the routine up into sections. The creator, Benjamin Allen, has a fun, energetic personality that will keep you smiling the whole workout long. There is a great laid-back, positive vibe to the whole DVD that you will love! Plus, the original music is fantastic, and I caught myself singing it even after the workout was over.

If you are familiar with my Tabata workouts, you know how much I love HIIT - high intensity interval training. When I received the BurstFit Fire program, I could hardly wait to lace up my shoes and get started!

Dr. Josh Axe and his wife, Dr. Chelsea Axe have created this awesome program, which uses HIIT to sculpt, tone and shred body fat quickly, safely, and effectively. With three DVDs that contain 7 workouts plus a warm up and cooldown, they provide workouts that are only 20 minutes long, get your body burning fat very effectively, and keep you from getting bored.

I love that each workout gives you three different levels, so you can push yourself as you get stronger! At 40 weeks pregnant, I am now doing the easier version, but when my baby is born, you can bet I will be pushing myself with the hardest version! I cannot wait!

You will not have to worry about complicated moves or owning a bunch of equipment. In fact, you can actually do the workouts with no equipment at all, if you choose. Of course, if you are like me and you want to really get your muscles burning, you can add hand weights to get really sweaty fast! I also love that each move is timed out, so you can see how much longer you have until the next move and even until the end of the workout.

I think this program is a must-have for all the fitness lovers on your Christmas list this year! If you are a fitness lover yourself, you might want to get an extra copy for yourself!

Christmas Gifts for the Gardener

I was provided products to review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

We love gardening in our family! I think that if we would all have a garden of some sort, even a little potted garden, we would all be that much healthier...and happier. Growing your own food has so many benefits, so if you are not already a gardener, maybe these awesome gifts will inspire you!

Most gardeners have a trowel or a hand spade to move potting soil and compost from the bag to a planting container. Unfortunately, those tools are too small to efficiently get the job done and the soil spills everywhere. Now there’s a tool specifically designed for scooping—the stainless steel potting scoop from Joseph Bentley Tools.

Made of polished stainless steel and contoured oak, this useful tool is beautiful and well-made. The scoop is 6 inches long and 4⅓ inches wide, and it’s deep, with high sloped sides that capture the soil and keep it from spilling over. This added size holds a lot of soil that stays secure until you’re ready to pour it into your container or garden plot. The steel scoop is polished to prevent the soil from adhering to the sides, and it is attached to a handle of FSC certified, responsibly harvested oak. The entire tool measures 15¾ inches long, making it the perfect size for filling window boxes, hanging baskets and large containers. The convenient leather strap makes it easy to slip the scoop onto a tool belt or hang it on the potting bench.

What I love most about this scoop is how sturdy and well-made it is. This is truly a helpful tool!

Find it for $15.99 in fine gardening stores and online at www.homedepot.com and www.amazon.com.

Sometimes you need a digging tool that’s longer than a hand tool but shorter than a long-handled tool. That’s when the Joseph Bentley Stainless Steel Midi 3-Prong Cultivator really comes in handy. Designed as a combination rake and fork, this tool digs, aerates, weeds and combs the soil. Whether you are cleaning up the vegetable patch in autumn or transplanting seedlings in spring, this tool does it all.

Constructed of stainless steel and sustainably harvested oak, this durable tools measures 24½ inches long, with an 18-inch contoured handle that feels comfortable in your hand and results in less fatigue during a long day of gardening. The curved, pointed prongs are 3 inches long after the bend, so they can dig to a depth of several inches in the soil. These sharp points are great for piercing stubborn soil and cutting furrows for sowing, while the shape of the blades enables them to snag and lift weeds, tangled roots, and other debris from the soil. The 18-inch handle lets you work the soil in a big sweep in all directions.

Another very sturdy, well-made tool! Since we till our garden by hand, this is a great tool for getting our soil ready for planting or weeding big chunks of empty space. In the past, we have had shovels and other garden tools break while we use them, but I do not see that happening with this cultivator. This tool sells for $18.99 in fine gardening stores and online at www.homedepot.com and www.amazon.com.

Shave Mob Stocking Stuffer

I was given products to review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

While I do like to give a few indulgent gifts, most of the gifts I give are practical gifts - gifts you need and can use.

One thing we all need is a good set of shaving products. Men, we don't actually like kissing you and getting our skin scratched off. Ladies, you know that even though we all shave less in winter, you still have to be trimmed and clean when you get in your workouts to reach your New Year's resolutions!

Shave Mob has the perfect practical stocking stuffers! These awesome kits contain:

-1 handle (mens or womens)

-2 month supply of men or womens razor blades (customers choose if they want 3,4,or 6 blades).

-1 mustache monocle

This kit will be greatly appreciated by you and your wallet! With Shave Mob, you save 70% on your razors! That's right, 70%!! I personally hate going to buy new razors, every time spending more money than I thought I would on new razors. This is just a smart gift idea. Period.

I personally have been using their razors for over a year, and I love them! They are so handy, and they are great quality, so they last you a long time. Plus, they are easy to replace and Shave Mob makes ordering so easy!

 

Check out the Shave Mob fun holiday commercial, The Joy of Shaving:  http://bit.ly/1z5s2Ki

 

Super funny stuff! 

I Was There When the Giant Fell Book Review

Three years. That is how long it has taken my dear husband to finish his first novel, I Was There When the Giant Fell. In fact, he changed careers to focus on the writing of this first book and his overall passion for writing. Now that it is finished, he is very excited to share it with all of you! Here is a little taste of what you will read about...

Disrespected. Rejected. Alone.  Join Benaiah as he struggles to prove his worth and make a name for himself until truth surprises him in one of the most famous battles in human history.

During the turbulent and tragic reign of Israel’s first king, Benaiah, an outcast from the village of Pirathon, turns his back on his troubled past and the love of his life and seeks fame and acceptance in the king’s army.  There he faces fears and foes that loom larger than life and experiences one of the most famous battles recorded in Scripture.  When the dust settles will he have the respect he craves and the woman he loves or will he lose all he holds dear?

 I Was There When the Giant Fell imagines a life story for Benaiah of Pirathon, a man mentioned in only 3 verses in the bible. He is listed as one of David’s mighty men. The book follows him as he leaves behind the disrespect and abuse he has experienced in his home town and becomes a soldier in King Saul’s army.  There he experiences firsthand the famous battle between David and Goliath and is forever changed.  Follow him, his girlfriend, Hannah, and his mother, Serah, as they struggle with faith, love, rejection and abuse and seek comfort and strength in the only real God. 

Of course, I was highly anticipating this book, since I have been along for the journey of writing it. As I started reading the final copy, I was completely drawn in. I think I could have read it all in one sitting, but I was reading on my tiny little iPod Touch, and my eyes needed rests. By the time I finished, I told him that I ranked it right up there with some of my absolute favorite Christina fiction books. It was that good! 

Overall, I give this book a big two thumbs up, and I highly recommend it to all teens, women and men. I think you will find inspiration from many of the characters and be able to apply some of the key themes to your own life.

About the Series

Each book in the I Was There… series takes a character who is very briefly mentioned in Scripture and imagines what his or her life might have been like.  I want readers to experience a pivotal moment of Bible history and see it from a new perspective.  In God’s story no one is a minor character—including you and me! We all have a wonderful role to play.  My prayer is that these stories remind you that your life is important to God. I want you to get excited about God’s Word and the story of YOUR salvation.  May God use these books to glorify his name, draw people ever deeper into his word and there, open blind eyes to see the bright reality of God’s undeserved love expressed in his Son, and the world’s only Savior—Jesus Christ.

As you just read above, Adam is planning on writing many books in this series. He has already started on his next book, which will be a take on the familiar Bible story of Jonah and the big fish. So stay tuned...

Adam Nitz is a graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, WI and a former pastor. He regularly contributes to the website Bread for Beggars. He has always had a love and passion for writing. He lives with his wife and children in North St. Paul, MN. You can learn more about him, his writing and follow his blog at www.adamnitz.com. Also follow Adam on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest for the latest updates and news.   

Buy I Was There When the Giant Fell here, on Amazon or find it on Kindle.

Personalized Books For Kids

 Cara was provided product to review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are 100% her own.

I am always on the lookout for special gifts for my children that aren't just the latest toy or gadget, but actually have a meaning and purpose. Let me share with you today a personalized children's book that your child or grandchild will love for years and years.

I See Me! makes super special, personalized gifts that would be perfect for Valentine's Day coming up! Besides really sweet books, they also offer puzzles, stickers, lunchboxes, placemats, coloring books, and gift sets - all unique and special gifts for the children in your life.


I received their Who Loves Me personalized book for my daughter, Brynn. After adding our own personalized information and special touches, they made us a beautiful book. It turned out absolutely perfect!

You can see some of the vibrant colors and detailed pictures that are on each page of this book. Besides the personalization and beautiful pictures, this book has a message of love that your child will be begging you to read to them every day!

Plus, now this Who Loves Me book is offering photo upload on the dedication page. That would be even more precious!

Check out all their great products, and use the coupon code 2014 to save 10% in the month of January, 2014. Stock up now for all those Valentine's Day gifts! Also sign up for discount promotions here.

World Vision Giveaway

With Thanksgiving and the crazy shopping day of Black Friday coming up this week, we are reminded again about how much "stuff" Americans have and think they need. I can't imagine what most of the world population would think of our Black Friday. They are happy to just meet basic needs, and I think the least we can do as a country with so much stuff is share a little of our plenty with those less fortunate.

That is why it has become a tradition in our household to pick out several items from the World Vision catalog to give at Christmas time to those who have real needs. We have already had so much fun looking through the gift guide, learning about what is needed, and trying to decide what to give this year. My kids love the idea of giving chickens and ducks to keep producing food for months and months.

The beauty of the items in the catalog is the two-for-one benefit they provide: 1) a meaningful and affordable gift for a loved one; 2) proceeds that make a difference in the lives of children and families living in poverty in the U.S. and around the world.

As you start your holiday shopping, consider a life-changing gift that gives back all year long. The World Vision Gift Catalog offers more than 250 items that help fight poverty and save lives here in U.S. and around the world. With a financial contribution, you can select one of the 30+ handcrafted gifts that can be shared with a loved one and at the same time help a person in need. 

One of my favorite handcrafted gifts, that we graciously received from World Vision, is the Fair Trade Coffee Set. This set includes whole bean, fair trade coffee from Ethiopia, Sumatra, and Costa Rica blended by OneCup.org and is delivered in a bag hand-sewn by local women with a hand-carved olivewood scoop. It is a beautiful set, and would make a wonderful gift!

 
To get everyone excited for the wonderful handmade gifts from World Vision, we are having a giveaway for one of you to win the same set as pictured above!

For (1) lucky reader, we are giving away (1) Fair Trade Coffee Set! Enter below!

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Cara was provided product to review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are 100% her own. 

Novica Gift Finder and Giveaway

 

Have you ever heard of Novica? It is a website helping bridge the gap between talented master artisans from throughout the world and all of us as they present their handcrafted treasures.

If you haven't checked out their site, it is a must! Every product is unique and hand-made, so you know exactly who you are supporting with your purchases. I love seeing all the unique talented artisans and checking out their profiles. I am amazed by all the talent and beauty in the gifts you find.

It is hard not to love the gifts and artisans on Novica, but it can be a little difficult to navigate around, because there are literally thousands of gifts to choose from! Thankfully, Novica realized this little predicament and has a new Gift Finder! Now there are so many easy ways to narrow the search that you are going to find exactly what you want in no time!

They have divided the gifts into popular categories that include gifts for her, gifts for him, and gifts for the romantic. Plus, you can search by interest, personality, cost, occasion and even region where the gift was made. Perfect!

I started shopping by clicking on gifts $25-$50. From there, I narrowed it even further to jewelry, where I found these beautiful Sterling Silver Cluster Earrings, Silver Leaves. These earrings are made by a talented Thai woman, Wadarat Supasirisuk. She has a beautiful story, which led her to open her own workshop and design her own jewelry.

Aren't those earrings gorgeous?

Novica is a great place to do your holiday shopping. You can still get packages that will arrive before Christmas. There are so many unique items to choose from. They are sure to make memorable gifts, especially since they come with a little artisan story card.

We are giving away (1) $40 Gift Certificate to Novica for (1) lucky winner to choose lovely gifts and support these awesome artisans!

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Cara was provided product to review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are 100% her own. 

Holiday Gift Guide - Sage Creek Organics and Giveaway

It is always fun to buy clothes for the children on your holiday list. Since I have three kiddos, I get to do a lot of fun clothes shopping. One of my favorite places to shop for my three little ones is Sage Creek Organics.

I have been a fan of Sage Creek Organics for a long time now. I have never had a bad experience with them, and I am always delighted with their clothing! One of my favorite things about them is that they have a ton of super cute organic clothing for very reasonable prices. It is always a great thing when you can put clothing on your children without worrying about the dyes and chemicals in traditional cotton clothing. Sage Creek Organics helps you do just that and helps support a healthier earth for us all!

Check out this cute kimono set I got for my two year old daughter! Doesn't that look so comfortable and cute? And with the organic cotton used, it is super soft and snuggly!
 

With all the holiday savings Sage Creek is offering PLUS the products they already have on sale PLUS the free shipping, this is the perfect place to shop for good-for-you gifts for the little ones in your life! Besides very cute clothing, they also offer bedding, sleepwear and accessories.

Wouldn't this shirt be so cute on a little boy? I just love it!!


Head on over to Sage Creek Organics, shop your favorite products, and enter to win our giveaway!

We are giving away (1) $25 Gift Certificate to (1) lucky reader! Enter below!

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Cara was provided product to review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are 100% her own.

Holiday Gift Guide - Teleflora Flowers

Let me ask you this? Who loves receiving flowers? Stupid question, right? Everyone loves to receive a surprise gift of flowers! It makes you feel special, loved, and adds a warm touch to whichever room you see them in. So, why not give a gift of flowers this year?

Teleflora is the world’s leading flower delivery service company. Their website is very easy to use. You can shop by price, season, type of flowers, occasion, and be sure to check out the deal of the day! After you choose your bouquet, your flowers will be hand delivered - even that same day! Now that is great service!

I received this beautiful Autumn Beauty Bouquet. The day it arrived, I was out raking our millions of leaves, and this nice little car parked beside me on the road, grabbed out this beautiful bouquet and handed them over to me! Me? I haven't received flowers in forever, so I was very excited and happy to receive them. I love the beautiful colors, great variety of flowers included, and the very gorgeous vase. They were the center of our kitchen table for quite awhile, and when I told the kids we had to throw the flowers out, they were so very sad. However, they were excited again when they realized we got to keep the vase!

One of my other favorite bouquets that would be perfect to send to loved ones as a Christmas surprise is the Peppermint Christmas Bouquet.

Isn't it so fun with the candy canes placed in with the flowers and that unique candy cane themed vase? When you are finished with the flowers, you can use this cute vase as a centerpiece to hold candy canes! Great idea, right?

Not only do these arrangements lighten up the room, but they bring joy and a smile to everyone’s face. A beautiful bouquet from Teleflora would make a lovely holiday surprise for friends, family, co-workers or even a friendly neighbor.

*Cara was provided a bouquet for review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are 100% her own.*

Holiday Gift Guide - Bhakti Chai

Lately, I have been dragging...could be lack of sleep, could be the extra stress of the holidays, could be my three kids sucking every ounce of energy out of my body. Ha, ha. I know that the holiday season brings a lot of joy, but it also comes with some added stress and tiredness.

This year, give yourself or your loved ones the gift of a healthy, tasty drink that will boost their healthy and energy naturally.

Bhakti Chai is a blend of fresh pressed organic ginger and fiery spices - in a brew of antioxidant rich black tea. It comes by the quart or in 16oz. ready-to-drink bottles. All of their products use organic, fair trade ingredients and are rooted in Indian Ayurvedic healing to provide heat producing properties to awake, defend and revitalize the body.

I think their products are just the best of the best. They use...

• Fresh-pressed organic ginger
• Fresh-ground cardamom
• Organic, Fair Trade black tea from the Assam region of India.
• Evaporated organic cane juice
• and a distinct mixture of 17 spices

Bhakti Chai has been a hit in our family! This is one tasty drink! And I love knowing that I am giving my body the health boost it needs to get through every day. You can see my son below, proudly showing off his Bhakti Chai gear!

The fact that it is available in concentrate means that everyone can make Bhakti just the way they like it, whether they drink dairy, or any kind of milk substitute. You can be even more creative, adding it to oatmeal or pancake batter for a great flavor boost! Or, if you are looking for a convenient and antioxidant rich drink on the go, Bhakti Ready-to-Drink is perfect.

Bhakti is available at Whole Foods Markets and other independent co-ops in 26 states, in both concentrate and ready-to-drink form. It is also available for purchase online in all the many varieties, and by-the-cup in cafes nationwide. Keep yourself energized this holiday season or gift a delicious gift to your loved ones they will be thanking you for over and over again!

*Cara was provided product to review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are 100% her own.*

Holiday Gift Guide - Journal10 2013

With my forgetful Mom brain, I have to write down list after list just to keep track of what I am doing next in my daily life. My children are growing up so fast, and some days life seems to fly by. I don't want to forget all those special little moments with my children, so I love having Journal 10 to keep track of each day with my precious family and friends.

Journal 10 is the only journal of its kind that I have found. With this unique journal, you can record the events of your life or those of your children's lives a decade at a time!! No more stacking up the journals and figuring out which is which. Now, you can use one journal for 10 whole years!! Now that is simplicity!

Obviously, if you are going to use a journal for 10 years, it has to be durable. Journal 10 is made of quality material and has a sturdy binding.



Now, what truly makes this journal unique is the format. You don't have a daunting amount of lines to fill in every day - only four lines. And if you want to write more, you can - in the carry-over pages located in the back. It is all super-organized, and actually can be used as much more than a journal. There is a section in the front for planning and goals (which I love), a section in the back for keeping track of medical, automobile issues and other important topics, and a section for special dates. This is one journal you will love writing in and love coming back to read!

The current 2013-2023 Journal 10 is available now for $39.95, plus you can enjoy free shipping! You will love the memories you can look back on. Whether you want this for yourself or to give as the perfect gift idea, this is the journal I recommend!

World Vision Giveaway

With Black Friday being yesterday, we are reminded again about how much "stuff" Americans have and think they need. I can't imagine what most of the world population would think of our Black Friday. They are happy to just meet basic needs, and I think the least we can do as a country with so much stuff is share a little of our plenty with those less fortunate.

That is why it has become a tradition in our household to pick out several items from the World Vision catalog to give at Christmas time to those who have real needs.

The beauty of the items in the catalog is the two-for-one benefit they provide: 1) a meaningful and affordable gift for a loved one; 2) proceeds that make a difference in the lives of children and families living in poverty in the U.S. and around the world.

Please take a look either online or through a mailed catalog. With a financial contribution, you select one of 36 items that can be given to someone on a holiday gift list and at the same time help a person in need. Whether you want to give to the Maximum Impact Fund and receive a free gift or give specific gifts in honor of someone else, head over to World Vision and make a difference today!

One of the gifts they are giving away when you make a donation to the Maximum Impact Fund is the newest Veggie Tales "Incredible Vegetables" DVD. This DVD is an action adventure that teaches kids how to conquer fear through a faith-based message. Our kids absolutely loved watching it and love knowing they are helping others through our donations.

For more details on giving to the Maximum Impact Fund, visit their website here.

For (1) lucky reader, we are giving away (1) Veggie Tales "Incredible Vegetables" DVD! Enter below!

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Cara was provided product to review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are 100% her own.