Perhaps the single-most difficult thing with the approaching Valentine’s “holiday” is my constant quest to find something for my husband that won’t be too girly, or just be tossed on a shelf.  So when I was asked to take a look at Proflowers, I didn’t expect that I’d do the review with him in mind.  But here I am!

COO_CXNHRTCOOK_VdayCook12_VDY_11_PF Because I wanted to make use of my credit in the most effective way, I thought – well, at least look for something for him.  If nothing else, I’d find something for ME!  But instead, I was genuinely surprised with the bevy of choices for men for Valentine’s Day!

He’s not a flowers kind of guy, so that portion of their site was out in terms of my needs.  He does, however, LOVE to eat – and Proflowers has a wonderful selection of edible, yummy looking gifts – and from names such as Harry & David and Mrs. Fields to name a few.

DIP_BRR10006_Fancy6_Test_GEN_10_PF After much agonizing, I finally made my choice (but wished I had a few hundred dollars to spend on the site, because it all looked and sounded so good!).  The check-out process was simple and painless.  The only painful part, in my opinion, was their shipping fees – which totaled way more than I’d have paid if I’d had to pay for it in the first place.  Of course, with Valentine’s Day being a busy time for any floral place, I guess it’s to be expected.

In any case, I’m excited to get that email on Monday telling me he got something yummy from me and ProFlowers, and that he does, indeed, want to be My Valentine.

Here’s my favorite part of a review – the giveaway!  I have a $50 code to Proflowers for one lucky reader!  I’ll make it simple, too.  Just tell me who you would use the code for and what you’d choose. You – treat yourself to something special, something that will brighten your day.  Or someone else? Want to send a beautiful bouquet to your mom, best friend or sister?  Just tell me who in your comment.  Be sure to leave a valid email so I can contact you!

This giveaway will end on February 20th – my baby boy’s birthday!

As always, there are numerous ways to earn extra entries, so do as many or as few as you’d like.

Comments that do not meet set requirements or state that something has been done but hasn’t – will be deleted.  I DO verify that you’ve joined, followed, fanned, etc.  So please be a grown-up and be honest.

For extra entries, please leave a comment letting me know which of the following you’ve done.

  • Fan my Facebook page.  Leave a comment with your Facebook name.
  • Follow me on Twitter.    Leave a comment letting me know your Twitter name.
  • Subscribe to Dawniemom Reviews in a feed reader.
  • Tweet this giveaway leave a link to your tweet here.  You can do this 2x a day, every day if you wish – just come back and leave the link.   Feel free to use “I just entered to win something fabulous from @dawniemom and @proflowers http://bit.ly/hYlDIu #giveaways
  • Join my newsletter – (found in the sidebar as “Join the club”). Leave 2 comments letting me know.
  • Google Friend Connect me.  Leave me a comment with your google name.
  • Link to me from your blog.  Leave me the URL in your comment.
  • Grab my button from the sidebar and post it on your blog.
  • Blogging about this giveaway gets you FIVE entries – just leave 5 comments.
  • Share this giveaway on Facebook, Yahoo, etc. by clicking on the “Sharing is Caring” link right below this blog entry. Leave a comment with which one you choose.  Do them all, earn a whole buncha entries!

Thanks for visiting and entering!

hook-pic On the bottom of one of my totes ‘o’stuff that I carted home from BlogHer ‘10 was this strange little hook thing that I sorta recognized, but really wasn’t sure about.  Truthfully, I don’t even know how it got INTO the bag – but there it was. 

Little things can make a big difference.

I went to the almighty google and searched for the name on it – “hookeez” – and of course, was directed to www.hookeez.com .  It was there that I found out what this little doodad was for, and it made PERFECT SENSE!

I know that when I go grocery shopping (or any shopping for that matter) and I’ve remembered to bring my reusable shopping bags with me, they invariably get buried underneath everything I’ve just put in the carriage.  This was the same thing that was happening to the mom behind Hookeez.  She & her husband designed these hooks to hold your shopping bags conveniently in one place (in the hook) and then hook it to the shopping cart.  Your bags stay together, out of the way, and ready for when you check out.  [Note: they’re NOT made to hold full bags!]

I just loved the idea – and even more so when I read that they’re made from 100% recycled materials – and of course, because you’re using reusable shopping bags, you’re doing GREAT things for our planet there too!  This is just one of those products that, when you get it in your hands, you think “Wow, why didn’t I think of that?” – and I’m glad Hookeez creator did!

Hookeez are extremely affordable too. I think they’d be great stocking stuffers as well as secret santa presents.  Anyone who uses reusable shopping bags would be the perfect recipient for one of these little guys!

Best of all! I have a Hookeez to give away!

If you’d like to win, just leave a comment telling me how often you wind up leaving your bags at home, in the car, or just at the bottom of your cart. LOL  Yes, I’ve done all 3.

Of course, you can earn extra entries below.  Just be sure to leave an individual comment for each choice.

Comments that do not meet set requirements or state that something has been done but hasn’t – will be deleted.  I DO verify that you’ve joined, followed, fanned, etc.  So please be a grown-up and be honest.

For extra entries, please leave a comment letting me know which of the following you’ve done.

  • Fan my Facebook page.  Leave a comment with your Facebook name.
  • Fan The New Toy’s Facebook page. Leave a comment with your Facebook name.
  • Follow me on Twitter.    Leave a comment letting me know your Twitter name.
  • Follow The New Toy on Twitter.  Leave a comment letting me know.
  • Subscribe to Dawniemom Reviews in a feed reader.
  • Tweet this giveaway– leave a link to your tweet here.  You can do this 2x a day, every day if you wish – just come back and leave the link.
  • Join my newsletter – (found in the sidebar as “Join the club”). Leave 2 comments letting me know.
  • Google Friend Connect me.  Leave me a comment with your google name.
  • Link to me from your blog.  Leave me the URL in your comment.
  • Blogging about this giveaway gets you FIVE entries – just leave 5 comments.
  • Share this giveaway on Facebook, Yahoo, etc. by clicking on the “Sharing is Caring” link right below this blog entry. Leave a comment with which one you choose.  Do them all, earn a whole buncha entries!

This giveaway is limited to the USA.  Giveaway ends December 13th. I will draw a winner from all qualified entries.

Inside

Holiday card sites are numerous. There’s so many places to choose from, but how do you know that what you’re spending time choosing, personalizing, ordering and waiting for will be the perfect ones for your family or business? You really don’t.

I was offered the opportunity to order some holiday cards from The Gallery Collection, so that I could properly write about their service, selection and – probably most importantly – quality of their cards. I said sure. I mean, why not? If they weren’t the best, I could stick them in a box. Right?

I clicked on over to TheGalleryCollection.com and started my search. I’m rather particular when selecting holiday cards, because I want them to be a sort of one-size-fits-all. I try to stay in the middle of the road, selecting something that celebrates the SEASON without being too hokey or sentimental. I send cards to family, friends and a few business associates, and so I want something that will fit for all of those things.

The selection process, while very easy, took me FOREVER – because they have so many beautiful cards! I mean seriously – there’s nearly 300 different cards available for personalization at The Gallery Collection – and that was just for Christmas! It took me quite a while to find something that I loved, and that would really express my wishes for the recipients.

Next up was choosing what message I wanted inside the card – there’s dozens of pre-formatted greetings, or for an additional fee, you can have your cards customized even further with your own greeting. Then you choose how to sign the cards – names, etc.

Finally, you can also have your return address put on the envelopes, so after I had entered that, I processed my order. It was so easy and fast. (Well, except for my own hesitation on the design. LOL)

The company emailed to let me know that my cards were being processed. Within a WEEK, they were in my hands. When I tell you that these cards so far SURPASSED my expectations, I’m still understating things. The high quality card stock in a beautiful, deep color blue, the foiled front, the foil lined envelopes, just everything about these cards scream QUALITY! I fell in love with them immediately, so pleased with my selection and with their high quality graphics, workmanship and overall – above all, quality.

I can’t wait to start addressing them! I can’t wait to send them out and have the recipients see them, feel them, know that I thought alot about them to send these beautiful cards out.

Here’s ours:

Cover

Cover

Inside

Inside

Aren’t they just gorgeous? When you’re ready to order your holiday cards, or ANY cards, be sure to check out TheGalleryCollection.com first.

AND there’s more! I have a fabulous giveaway for my readers as well! The Gallery Collection has offered one of my very lucky winners their choice of one fo their gift bag ensembles! You can choose from

Dawniemom Reviews - holiday gift bag collection

Holiday gift bag collection

Beautiful selection of holiday gift bags in a variety of sizes and styles featuring rich jewel toned metallics with glistening trimmings. Also included are 2 tissue packs (8 sheets of cream, 5 sheets of coordinating “Curl Berry” print).

Dawniemom Reviews - Everyday gift bags

Everyday Gift Bags

A Beautiful selection of Everyday gift bags offered in a variety of sizes and styles. Gift bags feature bright colors, foil accents and glitter embellishments.
Also included are 6 sheets of gift wrap in 3 different designs, along with 2 packs of coordinating tissue (16 sheets). A gift giving collection perfect for everyday use!

Dawniemom Reviews - Holiday Gift Bags

Holiday Gift Bags Collection

Beautiful selection of holiday gift bags offered in a variety of sizes and styles featuring the traditional holiday colors of red, green and white with shimmering metallic accents. Also included is one pack of tissue (8 sheets) to complement the gift bags.

As always, I offer you a ton of ways to earn an entry. The first is REQUIRED. The rest are optional (but highly recommended). Please be sure your email is visible on your blogger profile or you’ve left it in your comment.

Comments that do not meet set requirements or state that something has been done but hasn’t – will be deleted. Please don’t say “pick me” or “I’d like to win” – that’s not a qualified entry.

I DO verify that you’ve joined, followed, fanned, etc. So please be a grown-up and be honest.

REQUIRED – please leave a comment with your name/email somewhere on it, and tell me your favorite holiday song.

Additional entries are optional. They include:

  • Fan my Facebook page. Leave a comment with your Facebook name.
  • Follow me on Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know your Twitter name.
  • Subscribe to Dawniemom Reviews in a feed reader.
  • Tweet this giveaway– leave a link to your tweet here. You can do this 2x a day, every day if you wish – just come back and leave the link.
  • Join my newsletter – (found in the sidebar as “Join the club”). Leave 2 comments letting me know.
  • Google Friend Connect me. Leave me a comment with your google name.
  • Link to me from your blog. Leave me the URL in your comment.
  • Blogging about this giveaway gets you FIVE entries – just leave 5 comments.
  • Share this giveaway on Facebook, Yahoo, etc. by clicking on the “Sharing is Caring” link right below this blog entry. Leave a comment with which one you choose. Do them all, earn a whole buncha entries!
  • Grab my button (over there on the sidebar). This is also worth 2 entries, so leave 2 comments, and leave the address where you’ve posted my button.
  • Share this giveaway on Stumble Upon. Include your username in your comment.

This giveaway is limited to the USA. Giveaway ends November 15th. I will draw a winner from all qualified entries. I will email the winner, as well as post their name here. They then have 3 days to respond. They will be given a choice of the three prizes. Have fun!


Disclosure: I received my order of holiday cards from The Gallery Collection at no charge, in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are mine.

My kids race each other to see who gets to accept the package that either UPS or FedEX is bringing to our door.  It’s so funny, because sometimes – they stand by so excited by what might be in the box and it turns out to be something pretty boring by kid’s standards, like a loaf of bread, and sometimes it’s something fun and exciting!

Friday, UPS came while we were eating dinner.  The box had packing tape sealing it closed imprinted with “THE NEW TOY” on it – so obviously, I couldn’t play it off as “oh, it’s a loaf of bread” – they KNEW it was a toy. LOL

So I opened the box and freed one of it’s captors – while explaining to them why I had chosen this particular toy to review.

Introducing………….

Noodle1_940x430

BRAIN NOODLES!

LOL  What a crazy name!  Brain Noodles are essentially pipe cleaners on steroids. LOL  They’re so much better, though.  Brain Noodles are soft and furry. They don’t have sharp ends, so there’s no pin cushion fingertips to contend with.  They’re great fun for my pretty wide age range of 3-14.  All three kids got into the action, creating bats, spiders, flowers, monsters, and even the Olympic rings!  I looped a bunch of them together to make a giant necklace.  We made hearts.   We spent hours coming up with different things we could do with them.  It was a ton of fun!

Brain Noodles help stoke that creativity in you and the child(ren) in your life.

Noodle2_940x430

Each package comes with 26 Brain Noodles and there’s 2 sizes (27 inches and 13 inches) and LOTS of fun colors.  They’re just… FUN.  I selected them primarily because I like to provide my kids with things that they can play with that encourage creativity and Brain Noodles are perfect.

The New Toy (http://thenewtoy.com) is a family owned toy store with 2 brick & mortor locations.  They offer a unique toy shopping experience online with beautiful, high resolution photos and descriptions of each of their SELECT toys, making your online toy buying experience comfortable and satisfying.  You’re going to love it!

And now, the news you’ve been waiting for!

I have 1 package of Brain Noodles to give away!

As always, I offer you a ton of ways to earn an entry.  The first is REQUIRED.  The rest are optional (but highly recommended).

Please be sure your email is visible on your blogger profile or you’ve left it in your comment.

Comments that do not meet set requirements or state that something has been done but hasn’t – will be deleted.  I DO verify that you’ve joined, followed, fanned, etc.  So please be a grown-up and be honest.

1 – REQUIRED – visit http://thenewtoy.com and tell me what toy you would have liked when you were a child.

For extra entries, please leave a comment letting me know which of the following you’ve done.

  • Fan my Facebook page.  Leave a comment with your Facebook name.
  • Fan The New Toy’s Facebook page. Leave a comment with your Facebook name.
  • Follow me on Twitter.    Leave a comment letting me know your Twitter name.
  • Follow The New Toy on Twitter.  Leave a comment letting me know.
  • Subscribe to Dawniemom Reviews in a feed reader.
  • Tweet this giveaway– leave a link to your tweet here.  You can do this 2x a day, every day if you wish – just come back and leave the link.
  • Join my newsletter – (found in the sidebar as “Join the club”). Leave 2 comments letting me know.
  • Google Friend Connect me.  Leave me a comment with your google name.
  • Link to me from your blog.  Leave me the URL in your comment.
  • Blogging about this giveaway gets you FIVE entries – just leave 5 comments.
  • Share this giveaway on Facebook, Yahoo, etc. by clicking on the “Sharing is Caring” link right below this blog entry. Leave a comment with which one you choose.  Do them all, earn a whole buncha entries!

This giveaway is limited to the USA.  Giveaway ends November 8th. I will draw a winner from all qualified entries.

How exciting! My post has been chosen as a


I received a package of Brain Noodles to review.  All opinions are mine.

Congratulations to Jessica, a GFC follower!  She’s won a pair of (un)diamond earrings from diamondearrings.org.

As most women I know would admit, the idea of having a pair of diamond earrings in her jewelry box is just special.  Diamond earrings are the perfect accompaniment to just about ay outfit, any event.  Of course, not nearly enough of us actually HAVE a pair of diamond earrings in that jewelry box.  We’re content to wear our birthstones or something cute and dangly, or whatever.  But DIAMONDS?  Not here, not for me. I wouldn’t buy diamond earrings for myself nor could I afford them as a gift.

UNTIL!  I was contacted by DiamondEarrings.org!  They offered to let me “review” a pair of their earrings, so of course, I jumped at it.  Sure, I knew they weren’t real diamonds, but I was curious, if nothing else.

They arrived in a cute little heart-shaped box.  The cubic zirconia stones sparkled and danced in the light.  The sterling silver setting was beautiful – the earrings themselves just beautiful.  I put them in right away, and went to show my husband my “diamond” earrings.  He immediately started to panic, thinking I’d actually bought real diamond earrings! LOL

My 7 yr old daughter, who had just come from the dentist, where they’d REMOVED HER EARRING that she’d had in her ear since it was pierced almost 2 years ago (long side story) – saw the earrings and immediately wanted them for herself.  Unfortunately for her, the other ear had closed up about 4 months after she’d had them pierced, sooooo she couldn’t have them.  But it got me thinking!  What better way to get a young person ready for the responsibility of “good” earrings than with some that LOOK like they’re good earrings, but are much more affordable than the real deal?!  Just buy diamond earrings from DiamondEarrings.org would be a perfect solution.  They look real.  They feel real.  But they don’t break the bank!  How exciting would it be to present someone special with something so beautiful!

When my daughter is ready to have that other ear re-pierced, that will be her reward.  Beautiful “diamond” earrings for her to love and admire (and probably show off!).

Now, here’s the fun part.  I have a pair to give away!

If you’d like to win, leave a comment.  Tell me what your favorite earrings are and where you got them.

For extra entries, please leave a comment letting me know which of the following you’ve done.

  • Mention DiamondEarrings.org on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, your own blog.   Leave a comment letting me know where you’ve done so.
  • Fan my Facebook page.
  • Follow me on Twitter.
  • Subscribe to Dawniemom Reviews in a feed reader.
  • Tweet this giveaway– leave a link to your tweet here.
  • Join my newsletter – (found in the sidebar as “Join the club”). Leave 2 comments letting me know.
  • Google Friend Connect me.
  • Link to me from your blog.

This giveaway is limited to the USA.  Giveaway ends November 1st. I will draw a winner from all qualified entries.



I received a pair of earrings to review – all opinions are mine.

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