Just in time for Christmas, I went out and got TWO copies of The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl. One for myself naturally and one copy for YOU!

The author is Ree Drummond who has a very popular blog on a variety of topics. She covers day to day life, food, homeschooling, and photography (I’m quite jealous of her photography skills).

My husband and I have recently decided to use a budget and follow the Dave Ramsey plan (more on that to come). Because we’re spending our money more carefully we are eating in a lot more and that has sent me on a search for a new recipe book. This cookbook is supporting a blogging friend, has yummy looking recipes and comes with gorgeous photographs!

To enter: Leave a comment in this post telling me your favorite Christmas treat (sweet or savory accepted). 🙂 Easy, huh?

Bonus Entries:

Must complete mandatory entry first before all other entries will be accepted.

Remember to leave your email in the post so we have a way to contact you if you win.

* Follow on Google Friend Connect – left side bar (1 extra)

* Vote for me to be the Face of E.l.f. 2010 (*5 extra- daily*) If you leave a comment on the voting site you are automatically entered to win a $100 Walmart Gift Card (so leave your email in the comment).

Contest begins December 14, 2009 and ends December 30, 2009 at 9 P.M. EST. Winner chosen through Random.org. The winner will be announced on Twitter and will be contacted via email. The winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn and you’ll forfeit your prize. I’m sorry but this giveaway is only open to U.S. residents.

Recent giveaway winners:
$100 Red Envelope Gift Card –
Stitched For You bracelet – Jennifer K.
A Christmas Story Leg Lamp – Annette D.

If you’re a winner you have been sent an email. You have 48 hours to claim your prize so email me back soon! Congratulations everyone!

With Christmas quickly approaching I know there are several people scrambling to come up with the perfect gift for their husband, mother, sister-in-law, uncle, grandfather, etc… I have the solution! Let me back up a little bit….two weeks ago Linda from KindNotes heard about the trials my family has gone through and sent me a KindNotes jar full of encouraging notes! As I sat and read through all of the quotes I laughed, cried, and felt uplifted. This was such a blessing to me. I’m planning on mailing the jar to my family that is staying in Cleveland with my grandma whose in Cleveland Clinic. I think these will be the perfect gesture to show that I care and that I’m thinking of them. These notes not only make a great gift for someone going through a valley but would make the perfect gift for Christmas, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day (your sweetie will love these!!!), Boss’ Day, Pastor Appreciation Month, Grandparents Day, to welcome a new baby, and on and on! This is a perfect gift for anytime you want to let someone know that you care.

What exactly are KindNotes you ask? KindNotes is a container of small inspirational messages, each enclosed in a teeny tiny, beautifully decorated envelope. Each package contains 31 notes, enough to open one each day of the month. Tell me that wouldn’t be perfect for Christmas or Valentine’s Day? So thoughtful and romantic! The container, envelopes, and messages are fully customizable to your liking. You can choose the type of container, color of ribbon to embellish it, the color of the raffia filling, and the pattern of the envelopes used to contain your notes. You can choose from over 400 inspirational messages,proverbs, and quotes or you could choose to receive blank note cards to write your own messages for a more personal gift. For an additional fee, you could also have the messages hand written by a KindNotes staff member.

The KindNotes I received were specialized for my situation. There were notes of sympathy, inspiration, & Bible quotes. The notes came in a beautiful glass jar, adorned with a brown ribbon and purple raffia that matched the brown & purple pattern on the envelopes beautifully.

Overall, I think that KindNotes is a genius idea and wish that I had thought of! The idea is simple but the impact it has on the recipient is great! KindNotes is a family owned company so each jar is packed by hand to ensure it’s quality. Once you order from KindNotes once I’m sure you will reorder time after time. What person do you know that could use a note that says you care about them?

KindNotes would like to giveaway a “surprise” design valued at $35 full of inspirational messages for you to enjoy or give to a loved one this Holiday Season!

To enter: Leave a comment in this post telling me who you would like to give a jar full of KindNotes to.

Bonus Entries:

Must complete mandatory entry first before all other entries will be accepted.

Remember to leave your email in the post so we have a way to contact you if you win.

* Follow on Google Friend Connect – left side bar (1 extra)

* Vote for me to be the Face of E.l.f. 2010 (*5 extra- daily*) If you leave a comment on the voting site you are automatically entered to win a $100 Walmart Gift Card (so leave your email in the comment).

Contest begins December 15, 2009 and ends January 4, 2010 at 9 P.M. EST. Winner chosen through Random.org. The winner will be announced on Twitter and will be contacted via email. The winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn and you’ll forfeit your prize. I’m sorry but this giveaway is only open to U.S. residents.

The beauty department at Walmart is growing and doing all they can to help us out during these tough financial times! Currently Walmart.com is offering 97¢ shipping on all your beauty items. The new and improved beauty section now offers new brands, a user review feature (I always loves those on sites), and a Q&A beauty advice forum to make our shopping experiences easier. They’re even on Twitter now (@WalmartBeauty) and have a Facebook page!

As a way to celebrate their new improvements and help spread the word, Walmart has given me a Walmart Beauty Gift Bag (valued at over $100) and another one to give away to one Beauty4Moms reader!

Both beauty bags contain the following:

• Cover Girl Continuous Lip Color in Rose Quartz
• Cover Girl Lashblast Volume Blasting Mascara in Very Black
• Cover Girl Eye Enhancers Trio in Shimmering Sands
• Crest Advanced Seal White Strips
• Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream with Amino Peptides
• Pantene Pro-V Moisture Renewal Shampoo for Damaged Hair
• Secret Clinical Strength Deodorant

I’m excited to have whiter teeth, new make up, try a new deodorant & shampoo, and try Olay Regenerist for the first time! I feel pampered. : )

To enter, all you have to do is comment in this post with the answer to this question:

• If you were stranded on a deserted island what would be your one “must have” beauty product?

You may enter once daily until 12/30/09 at 9:00pm EST. Winner will be chosen through Random.org. The winner will be announced on Twitter and will be contacted via email. The winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn and you’ll forfeit your prize. I’m sorry but this giveaway is only open to U.S. residents.

1. Bracelet from Stitched For You Ends 12/10
2. A Christmas Story Leg Lamp Ends 12/12
3. Children’s book, A Snowman’s Song Ends 12/17
4. isABelt’s invisible belt Ends 12/20
5. Giant Fortune Cookie Ends 12/20
6. Walmart Beauty Bag Ends 12/30
7. KindNotes jar Ends 1/4
8. The Pioneer Woman Cooks Cookbook Ends 12/30
….keep a look out for more to come!

I had my fortune cookie to say “You will be loved immensely!” and gave it to my husband. He has a thing about fortune cookies actually predicting the future but most people would enjoy a personal note or even a quote inside….the possibilities are endless. : ) I was very impressed with the packaging. The raffia was fun and bright, the gold bow was beautiful, and the entire giant fortune cookie was delivered fresh and in one piece! Simply amazing. Inside the delivered brown box was bubble wrap to secure the lovely white box inside. When I opened the white box there was the giant fortune cookie wrapped neatly in cellophane and tied with a nice ribbon on top. As you can see from the picture everything was presented perfectly and the fortune cookie looked yummy. My husband’s not big on sweets but this was just sweet enough. The cookie was great on it’s own and the milk chocolate and gourmet hazelnut only added to it’s sweetness. I loved it!

Do you have someone special you want to send a Giant Fortune Cookie to? Here is your chance to win your choice of a Giant Fortune Cookie including a personalized message of your choice!

To enter: Visit Giant-Fortune-Cookies.com or FancyFortuneCookies.com and come back here and leave a comment in this post telling me which fortune cookie you would choose if you won.

Bonus Entries:

Must complete mandatory entry first before all other entries will be accepted.

Remember to leave your email in the post so we have a way to contact you if you win.

* Follow on Google Friend Connect – left side bar (1 extra)

* Vote for me to be the Face of E.l.f. 2010 (*5 extra- daily*) If you leave a comment on the voting site you are automatically entered to win a $100 Walmart Gift Card (so leave your email in the comment).