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).

I was recently given the opportunity to review an adorable book entitled The Snowman’s Song.

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).

I have the coolest giveaway in the world! I have a replica of the most popular lamp to give to one lucky Beauty4Moms reader.

Have you heard of the A Christmas Story House?

A Christmas Story House is the original house used to film the movie and has been restored to its movie splendor. Year round you can travel to Cleveland for a tour! I first heard about this house last year and can’t wait til I can go visit. Some of my family has been there and taken a tour of the museum and absolutely loved! Directly across the street from the house is the official A Christmas Story House Museum, which features original props, costumes and memorabilia from the film, as well as hundreds of rare behind-the-scenes photos. You can even shop at the museum gift store for your own Major Award Leg Lamp and other great movie memorabilia or shop through their online gift shop. Proceeds from the gift shop help support and maintain A Christmas Story House and Museum.

Now for the giveaway!

To enter: Leave a comment in this post telling me a favorite Christmas memory of yours or a favorite moment from A Christmas Story.

This is a short giveaway so get all your entries in while you can. Giveaway ends 12/8.

Stay tuned to Twitter, additional ways to enter will be posted at random.

Bonus Entries:

Must complete mandatory entry first before all other entries will be accepted, we will be checking! : )

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

Also, don’t forget to post an extra comment for each additional entry! Enjoy all the MANY ways to enter this fabulous giveaway!

****Follow****

* Follow ACS House & Museum on Facebook (2 extra)
* Comment on ACS House & Museum’s Facebook site. (1 extra daily)

* Follow Beauty4Moms Facebook Page (2 extra)
* Comment on Beauty4Moms Facebook Page. (1 extra daily)

* Follow @ACSHouse on Twitter (1 extra)

* Follow @Beauty4Moms on Twitter (1 extra)

* Tweet Tweet Be sure to include a link, @Beauty4Moms , & @ACSHouse (1 extra daily)

* Follow on Google Friend Connect – left side bar (3 extra)

****Recommend****

* Blog about this giveaway with a link back to Beauty4Moms. More than a line or two – just give it a little thought. (10 extra)

* Kirsty, Digg or Stumble any post on Beauty4Moms (2 extra for each)

* Grab my button (5 extra) It’s on our left side bar.

* Comment on any non-giveaway post. (1 extra for each)

****Vote****

* 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 November 30, 2009 and ends December 12, 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. One entry per an entry method per a person. I’m sorry, this giveaway is open to U.S. residents only!

Have you heard of isABelt before? It is a product that will change the way you look at belts. The isABelt website reads “isABelt is the MUST HAVE Fashion “fix-it” accessory. A thin, strong and flexible belt, that virtually disappears when worn, providing you with the assurance that all is secure without even knowing it’s there. isABelt prevents back gap, slippage and of course, BELT BULK. The isABelt solves all of these fashion issues and many more.”

Belts are usually something I avoid shopping for. Belts are usually binding and bulky. I have what you may call “junk in the trunk” and no matter what, all pants or jeans gap in the back! That’s just the way it is and probably always will be. What a relief it was to receive Isabelt in the mail. It does all that it promises and more!

I admit I was skeptical at first but I’ve used isAStrips for years and love them so I thought I would give isABelt a try. It looks like a plastic bra strap. I’ve wore it with dress pants ever since I opened it! I’ll often wear it with jeans but every once in a while I’ll switch back to my 8 year old, worn out leather belt. While my leather belt is still fine with jeans and bulky sweaters or t-shirts there is nothing that can come close to the comfort and slimness of isABelt. I LOVE IT! You can’t tell that I have it on! My thin sweaters lay flawlessly smooth.

The isABelt has been featured in Glamour,Real Simple, People, Essence, Style and the Today Show in addition to many other places!

isABelt would make the perfect gift for a girlfriend, teen, or yourself! From 11/27 thru CyberMonday- 11/30 isABelt is offering 20% off your entire order. Enjoy the savings!

isABelt is gracious enough to give one lucky Beauty4Moms reader a belt of their very own!

To enter: Leave a comment in this post telling me a fashion problem you have and what you do to correct it.

Stay tuned to Twitter, additional ways to enter will be posted at random.

Bonus Entries:

Must complete mandatory entry first before all other entries will be accepted, we will be checking! : )

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

Also, don’t forget to post an extra comment for each additional entry!

****Follow****

* Follow isABelt on Facebook (2 extra)

* Follow Beauty4Moms Facebook Page (2 extra)

* Follow isABelt on Twitter (1 extra)

* Follow Beauty4Moms on Twitter (1 extra)

* Tweet Tweet Be sure to include @Beauty4Moms @isAbeltelise and a link (1 extra daily)

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

****Recommend****

* Blog about this giveaway with a link back to Beauty4Moms. More than a line or two – just give it a little thought. (10 extra)

* Kirsty, Digg or Stumble (2 extra for each)

* Grab my button (5 extra) It’s on our left side bar.

****Vote****

* 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).

* Click this link to vote for us at TopMommyBlogs (1 extra) One simple click does it, no registration!

* Vote for Beauty4Moms for Love This Site Award! (3 extra) Super short registration to vote.

Contest begins November 29, 2009 and ends December 20, 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. One entry per an entry method per a person. This giveaway is open to entrants from around the world! isABelt gave me a belt to review but my opinions are strictly my own.

Update: Giveaway is over. Congratulations to Jennifer!

Stitched For You is an etsy shop that offers an array of fun & contemporary jewelry for men, women, and even children. Rachel started this shop out of her home in Port Washington, Wisconsin. Here is her explanation of how math and jewelery relate (I think you’ll be impressed).

“I studied applied math and most of what I did was find ways to use math to solve real life problems. Many types of math require creativity. It’s hard to put life into a formula but we can use systems of equations and many variables to get our simulation to be as close to life as possible. While working on math we consider the human element and how that can change our solution. Many math equations and logical processes reflect the people who solve them and work on them. I see the things I make for my shop as an extension of myself. There are many kits you can buy at stores that make specific jewelry pieces. I have nothing against people who use those kits but just think, everyone who buys one is making the same thing. Think of the kit as an equation. All the people who buy it will solve that equation in the same way and come to the same conclusion. What if someone starts with the same tools as those that come in the kit but have no instructions. This is like giving someone a tough equation to solve but not telling them how to solve it. They only have so much knowledge like how to string the beads. You can create so many more things using your imagination instead of those who just follow the directions of the kit. In math, if we are given a problem but no exact directions on solving it, we can come to different conclusions, or use different solving methods, all reflecting our knowledge and experience. I don’t buy kits for myself but I use the same elements as others who make jewelry. I use wire, crimp beads, toggles, beads, etc., but because I have no instructions, I simply make something beautiful and unique that reflects who I am. This is what those of us who make jewelry do. On another quick note about my love for math, many of my pieces are symmetric in one way or another. I love symmetry and patterns.”

There you go! Before reading that who else didn’t think that jewelery and math could relate? I sure didn’t but I’m more of an art person than math anyway.

Why am I taking the time to tell you about Stitched For You? Easy — because Beauty4Moms has teamed up with them to offer one lucky blogger an adorable bracelet! Wow your family and friends with your new piece of fashion (& math). This bracelet was made exclusively for Beauty4Moms’ readers and cannot be found anywhere else!

Isn’t it darling?

Okay, now here’s how you can win it!

To enter: Leave a comment in this post letting me your favorite item from the shop Stitched For You.

Stay tuned to Twitter, additional ways to enter will be posted at random.

Bonus Entries:

Must complete mandatory entry first before all other entries will be accepted, we will be checking! : )

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

Also, don’t forget to post an extra comment for each additional entry!

****Follow****

* Follow Beauty4Moms Facebook Page & leave me a comment with your fb name or a link showing me you’re following. (2 extra)

* Follow Beauty4Moms on Twitter (1 extra)

* Tweet Tweet Be sure to include @Beauty4Moms and a link (1 extra daily)

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

****Recommend****

* Blog about this giveaway with a link back to Beauty4Moms. More than a line or two – just give it a little thought. (10 extra)

* Kirsty, Digg or Stumble (2 extra for each)

* Grab my button (5 extra) It’s on our left side bar.

****Vote****

* 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).

* Click this link to vote for us at TopMommyBlogs (1 extra) One simple click does it, no registration!

Contest begins November 20, 2009 and ends December 11, 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. One entry per an entry method per a person. I’m sorry but this giveaway is open to entrants in the US only!