DaVinci Beads Review/Giveaway from Coppin’s Gifts

As someone who loves to make and wear jewelry, I’m really excited to bring you this week’s review and giveaway.

A few weeks ago I was introduced to Coppin’s Gifts. They offer top gift brands, such as Precious Moments, Boyd’s Bears, DaVinci Beads, and more!

DaVinci Beads are similar in style to the popular Pandora beads but much less expensive and just as cute!  Coppin’s Gifts offers a variety of DaVinci beads to fit your personal style.  These include birthstone beads, art glass, foil glass, and more!  They also have family beads and fun dangles in a variety of styles and themes.

I had the opportunity to choose a toggle bracelet and 3 DaVinci beads from Coppin’s Gifts for review.  Ironically I was just telling my husband how I wish I could have one of these bracelets, and a few days later I heard from someone at Coppin’s Gifts.  So I was really thrilled when  they gave me this opportunity.

Even though I’m a December baby, I’ve always loved the color of the March birthstone, and since I love the color so much (and since I at least have kitty cats that were born in March, lol) I chose three beads in the March birthstone.  These are pictured above.  One is a CZ Ball Birthstone and the others are Glass Birthstone beads.

I was very impressed by the look and quality of both the toggle bracelet and the beads.  The beads are a good size, and I just love how they sparkle and shine.  They are just lovely, and I was so happy with my choice! 

In fact, I’m looking forward to adding more beads to this bracelet in the future.  I’ll either do a mix of March and April birthstones (since my husband was born in April), or I’ll possibly choose some of the other birthstone beads for a multi-colored look.  Either way, I’m sure that any DaVinci Beads  I choose will be beautiful.  And I’d definitely recommend DaVinci Beads at Coppin’s Gifts to anyone who’s seen this style of bracelet and wants to build their own.

Win it! One Simply Sweet Home reader will win 3 DaVinci beads of their choice and one toggle bracelet.
Giveaway Closed.  Thanks for entering!

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Disclosure: For hosting this giveaway, I received a bracelet and three DaVinci beads from Coppin’s Gifts.  I was not otherwise compensated.  The opinions are my own.

Friday Favorites – Week 52 (with Giveaway)

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Hey everyone! I’m so excited to be celebrating the one year anniversary of Friday Favorites this week!  Looking back at my first week, we had 27 posts linked up (and that was with me inviting some people to the party).  And now since December, I’ve had 100+ posts linked up on most weeks, which is really amazing!  Thanks so much for stopping by each week to share your posts with us!
Before we take a look at this week’s featured posts, I want to remind you about my Shabby Apple Giveaway.  Also, in addition to our featured posts and linky event, today I have a fun contest and giveaway to share with you.  You will find all the details below our featured posts. Have fun!
Nutter Butter Truffle Cupcakes from Inside BruCrew Life

Thrifty Tray Makeover from Make the Best of What’s Around
Sloppy Joes with a Twist from Nurtured Family Life

Painted Tray from Green Door Designs

Cherry Cola Cupcakes from Tnt-cook

Now before we get to the linky, I have a fun contest and a blog giveaway to share with you!

Kim & Kris from “The DIY Dish” want to have a craft night with you and your friends! You get to invite 10 of your friends and EACH ONE OF YOU will win the Epic 6 Cutting & Embossing Tool and Letterpress Combo (each is a $169 value!) as well as accessories, di-cuts, papers, paints, etc. all thanks to Lifestyle Crafts. Catered food and a whole lot of FUN will all be a part of that craft night! 
To enter, all you have to do is send a short video (less than 1 min, 30 seconds) letting Kim & Kris know why you would love this prize package for you and your friends!!  Send them to info@theDIYdish.com. Entries will be accepted until February 27, 2011.  Check out the video on DIY Dish for more details.

Blog Giveaway! Two Simply Sweet Home readers will win 2 volumes of “Bloom” books from You Can Make This.  
Mandatory Entry:  To enter this giveaway, just leave a comment on this post. Deadline: Feb 27
Additional Entries:  You can get an extra entry if you link up today for Friday Favorites, as well as extra entries for any way that you follow me or my blog and/or if you follow You Can Make This.

Thanks for stopping by this week! Please link up your posts below!
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Meatball Subs and Publix Italian Days Giveaway

Stir up authentic Italian flavors and bring your family together around the dinner table during Italian Days at Publix! Now you can share the taste of a home-cooked Italian meal in the comfort of your own kitchen without spending a fortune.
From February 17th through March 2nd, visit your local Publix to take advantage of the great savings on some of your favorite General Mills brands such as Progresso, Green Giant, Pillsbury, Muir Glen and Totino´s, and save $5 when you purchase 20 participating products.
While visiting Italian Days at Publix, you can also enter the Publix Italian Days Sweepstakes, sponsored by General Mills, for a chance to win one of four grand prizes of $10,000 worth of free groceries or one of 200 $100 Publix gift cards being given as prizes.
There are three easy ways to enter for a chance to win the Sweepstakes. Enter via phone, mail or at ClickCallMail.com – a convenient one-stop website, where you´ll also be able to download great coupon savings on some of your favorite General Mills brands and other great offers from Publix.
Here´s how it works:
Click – Stay up to date with the latest General Mills promotions happening at Publix by visiting ClickCallMail.com. Once you´re registered and logged in, you can participate in any current promotions.
Call – If you´d prefer to enter the sweepstakes and participate in other promotions via telephone, feel free to call the General Mills/Publix hotline, at 1.800.627.6059, and be sure to say that you want to enter the Publix Italian Days Sweepstakes. Please be sure to provide your complete contact information (Full name/address/zip code/phone #).
Mail – If you prefer to participate via mail-in entry, print and mail your complete contact information (Full Name/address/zip code/phone #) to P.O. Box 43425 Atlanta, GA 30336 and be sure to write “Publix Italian Days Sweepstakes” on the outside of the envelope.

I absolutely love meatball subs! I found this yummy recipe for them at Pillsbury.com.  It features just a couple of the participating products featured in Publix Italian days. Give it a try!

Recipe for Italian Meatball Subs

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. bulk Italian pork sausage
1/4 cup Progresso® Plain Bread Crumbs
1 small onion, chopped
1 egg
1 (15-oz.) can pizza sauce
2 cans (11 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated crusty French loaf
4 oz. (1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions: Bake bread as directed on package. In medium bowl, combine ground beef, sausage, bread crumbs, onion and egg; mix well. Shape into 16 (1 1/2-inch) balls.
In medium skillet, cook meatballs over medium heat for 5 minutes or until browned, turning frequently. Drain. Add pizza sauce. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 12 to 15 minutes or until meatballs are thoroughly cooked.
Slice each loaf open, sandwich-style. Place 8 meatballs in each loaf. Spoon sauce over meatballs. Cut loaves in half to make four sandwiches. Sprinkle with cheese.

Win it! One Simply Sweet Home reader will a $25 Publix giftcard to help you buy the participating Italian Days products.

Mandatory Entry:  To win, you must be a follower of my blog. And leave a comment telling me what your favorite Italian food you like to serve to your family. Deadline: March 7

Extra Entries: Leave a comment for each.

-1 if you follow @SimplySweetHome on Twitter.
-1 if  you subscribe to Simply Sweet Home via email.
-1 for subscribing to my RSS feeds through Feedburner.
-1 for sharing this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook. 
(Sample Tweet:  I want to win a $25 Publix giftcard!  http://bit.ly/gBihQs @SimplySweetHome )  (Limit one tweet entry per day.)

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Disclosure: General Mills gave me one gift card to keep and one to giveaway, as part of the MyBlogSpark program. The opinions are my own. If you’d like sponsor a review or giveaway on my blog, please see my PR page for details.

Uprinting Custom Poster Giveaway

Over the last two of years Uprinting has become my go-to place for poster printing  and online printing services, and I’m always excited when I get the chance to offer one of their fantastic print products to my readers.
Today I’m giving you the chance to win a custom 18” x 24” Poster.  You get a choice of Semi Gloss or High Gloss with one business day turn around.
There are so many things you can do with this prize.  Get a large print of your favorite family photo, create a cool poster for child’s room, or even create a poster for your business or organization.
Giveaway Closed. Congrats to Anash from Blog Contests 365!

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Disclosure: For hosting this giveaway, I will recieve a free product from Uprinting.  I was not otherwise compsenated.  The opinions are my own.

Shabby Apple Giveaway

I’m really excited to tell you about Shabby Apple, an online vintage dress boutique.
Shabby Apple offers lovely dresses for women and teens as well as little girl’s dresses and.maternity dresses.  They also have a lovely collection of jewelry, shoes, and accessories.
I was very impressed by the variety of dresses I found at Shabby Apple.  They offer dresses for any occasion, and they have something for every body type and style.  It should be easy for you to find something you like.
For today’s post, I decided to share just a few dresses that I really liked.  I could definitely see myself wearing these!  Aren’t they lovely?  Wouldn’t they be great to wear this spring and summer?

And this post just barely scratches the surface! There is so much more!

Buy it!  Shop online at Shabby Apple for these lovely dresses and more!

Reader Discount:  Right now you can get 10% off your order at Shabby Apple just for being a reader of my blog.  Just use the coupon code: simplysweethome10off

Win it!  One Simply Sweet Home reader will win this lovely Cider dress (pictured above).
Giveaway Closed. Congrats to Courtney!

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Disclosure:  The prize from this giveaway is being provided by Shabby Apple.  I am a member of the Shabby Apple affiliate program but was not otherwise compensated for this post.  The opinions are my own.

Simple Solution Stain + Odor Remover Review and Giveaway

As a cat mommy, I’m always interested to learn about cleaning products that are safe to use around my kitty babies. Simple Solution is a complete line of pet products from Training Pads and Diapers to Household cleaners.
For more than 30 years, trusted pet lovers have relied on the extensive Simple Solution product line to take care of their furriest family members.  In 2010 they introduced their Paw Safe™ Household Cleaners, a line of safe cleaners made without harmful chemicals.

Our family had the chance to try the Simple Solution Stain + Odor Remover.  This product is the only formula with both Pro-Bacteria & enzymes to totally eliminiate stains and odors, and like the other Simple Solution products, it is safe for use around pets and children.

This product is made to be used on carpets, upholstery, bedding, clothing, and any water-safe surface.  And it is so easy and convenient to use.  You just add a little cleaner to the soiled spot; wait 10 minutes for it to work in, then blot the excess moisture, and let dry.  Very easy!
You can also add this to your Carpet Cleaning Machines, or you can use it to pretreat your stained clothing before washing.
Our kitty cats were well trained as kittens by their cat-mom Molly, so we don’t ever have a problem with urine and feces.  The one problem that we do have occasionally is throw-up, usually due to hair balls.  And you never know when this may occur, so it’s good for me to have a product like this around for a quick and easy cleaning job.  IApart from the ease of use, I was very pleased with the pleasant and clean smell of the product.  And most of all, I love that it’s chemical free and safe to use around Rebel and Dixie.
And I think you’ll also be excited to learn more about the other products in this line, including their toy cleaner, multi-surface cleaner, carpet shampoo, and so much more!

Win it!  Two of my readers will win a bottle of the Simple Solution Stain + Odor Remover. 

Mandatory Entry:  You must be a follower of my blog. Then just visit the Simple Solution site. Then come back here and tell me a product that you’d like to try.

Deadline: Feb 25

Extra Entries: Leave a comment for each.
-2 if you follow @SimplySweetHome on Twitter.
-1 for subscribing to Simply Sweet Home via email.
-1 for “liking” Simply Sweet Home on facebook.
-1 for subscribing to my RSS feeds through Feedburner.
-1 for sharing this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook. 
(Sample Tweet:  I want to win Simple Solution Stain  + Odor Remover! Safe for pets and chemical free! http://bit.ly/h1CUAq @SimplySweetHome @Simple_Solution )  (Limit one tweet entry per day.)

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Disclosure: For hosting this giveaway, I recieved a bottle of Simple Solution Stain + Odor Remover.  I was not otherwise compensated for this post.  If you have a product and would like for me to write a review or host a giveaway, please contact me via email.

Thirty-One Gifts Review & Giveaway

Last week I told you about a great company called Thirty-One Gifts, which offers lovely purses, totes, and accessories, as well as a fun opportunity to host parties, and even make money as an independent representative.
And this week I’m thrilled to share a product review and giveaway from Thirty-One Gifts. Laura Aridgides, a Thirty-One Gifts Representative, sent me this adorable lunch tote in the pattern called “Chains Ahoy.”

This is such a cute tote!  As you can see, it is navy blue with a lime green handle, and the fabric features white chains, for a sailing/boat motif.  I can remember when I was a kid in the late 80’s and early 90’s, that my mom and I both had some clothing and accessories with the sailing theme, so it kind of reminds me of that.  And since so many of the styles I wore as I kid are now back in fashion, I think this tote fits right in for today.

I really like the size of this tote.  There’s plenty of room inside for your food and a bottled drink.  And there’s even a pocket on the side for additional items. The bag is made of good quality materials and appears to insulated well.  And this tote actually has a zipper, making it more fashionable and more apt to stay closed than the old velcro totes I’ve owned.  And of course, I also love that you can get all your items personalized at Thirty-One Gifts.
I also like the shape and overall design of it, as it makes the tote more purse-like and just a lot more fashionable than other lunch bags out there.  Personally I know a lot of people who have small children and often carry a bag with small snacks and drinks whenever they go out, and I think this tote would be perfect for that purpose as well. So overall, I find this to be a very useful and very attractive lunch tote. 
Giveaway! Two Simply Sweet Home readers will win a cute lunch tote from Thirty-One Gifts. (Each is a $12.50 value!)
Giveaway Closed.

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Progresso Souper You Debut Giveaway

As the confetti settles and 2011 begins, say hello to a New Year and a new you with the help of Progresso.
Available in 40 delicious flavors with 100 calories or less, Progresso® Soup can help curb your hunger, making it easier for you to stick to your weight management plan all year long. With hearty ingredients like pasta, beans, corn and rice, and flavor-packed vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, and peppers, Progresso Soup varieties with 100 calories or less offer a good source of fiber and a full serving of vegetables.
To help kick off a new outlook on the New Year, Progresso is excited to announce the return of the “Souper YouTM Debut” contest! From January 3rd through March 16th, you can visit Progresso on Facebook to enter for the chance to win a full makeover in New York City.
Three grand prize winners will be awarded a trip for two to New York City from May 20th-22nd. The prize includes roundtrip airfare, a two-night stay in an NYC hotel, a full makeover, a guided wardrobe shopping spree with a personal consultation at a New York City department store, and $1,000 in spending money.
To enter, you´ll need to do the following:
Go to Progresso on Facebook  to learn more and enter the contest
Submit your essay (200 characters or less) telling Progresso why you love their soups that contain 100 calories or less, and why you deserve a chance to win a trip to NYC for a full fashion overhaul
In addition, please submit a photo of yourself that visually reinforces the theme of your essay
Once the 10 finalists are announced, you can visit Progresso on Facebook from March 30th through April 13th to vote for your favorite.
Get Connected and Get a Coupon!
Visit the Facebook page to download a coupon for $1.00 off four (4) cans of Progresso Soup and to check out makeover videos provided by MyStyle.com and the Style Network. Be sure to also “Follow” Progresso on Twitter to keep up with the latest news from Progresso.

Product Review:  I was excited when I got a chance to try some soups from Progresso.  Soup is such a great comfort food, and I especially love it this time of year.  My favorite soup has always been Chicken Noodle, and I’m happy to report that Progresso makes a great chicken noodle in their regular and 100 calorie or less lines.
I’m also excited about the other great flavors they offer such as Beef Pot Roast and Zesty Santa Fe Style Chicken! Doesn’t that sound delicious?  And for all my friends out there who love Weight Watchers, these soups are only one point per serving!
As I visited the Progresso website, I was interested to find that they also offer soups for people with other dietary restrictions, such as Gluten Free Soups, Low Fat, Reduced Sodium, and Fiber Source.  Excellent!
Blog Giveaway!  One Simply Sweet Home reader will win a Progresso Souper You prize pack, which includes the following:
-VIP coupon for free can of Progresso Soup
-Yoga Mat
-Water Bottle
-Set of Aerobic Bands
-Sport headband and wristbands
Mandatory Entry: To enter this giveaway, you must be a follower of my blog.  And leave a comment telling me which kind of Progresso Soup  is your favorite or which one you’d most like to try. Deadline – February 1
Extra Entries: Leave a comment for each.
-2 if you follow @SimplySweetHome on Twitter.
-1 for subscribing to Simply Sweet Home via email.
-1 for “liking” Simply Sweet Home on facebook.
-1 for subscribing to my RSS feeds through Feedburner.
-1 for “liking” Progresso on Facebook
-1 for sharing this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook.  (Sample Tweet: I want to win a Progresso Souper You Prize Pack! http://bit.ly/h1N4NQ @SimplySweetHome #myblogspark #giveaway) (Limit one entry per day.)

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Disclosure:  Simply Sweet Home is participating in the Progresso Souper You Campaign through MyBlogSpark.  For hosting this giveaway, I received a prize pack with 5 cans of Progresso soup and and all the fitness items mentioned above from Progresso through MyBlogSpark. The opinions are my own.

Kritter Kondo Review and Giveaway

Rebel and Dixie got an extra special Christmas gift this year!  They were curious and intrigued when Lisa at Kritter Kommunity offered to let them review her Kritter Kondo Deluxe!
If you’ve been searching the internet for cat enclosures or cat runs this product is for you!
The Kritter Kondo Deluxe is a product that allows you to let your indoor cats (and small dogs) go outside for a little playtime without having to worry about them getting into trouble. 
It’s also a great thing to have if you ever have a large group of people or children around and you need to keep Fluffy separated from your guests.  When I was little, my Mamaw Veal had a small dog that I was terrified of.  They had a little gate to keep him out of the room and away from me, but I was always afraid that he’d still be able to get me.  It’s too bad Mamaw didn’t have a Kritter Kondo back then!

Our Video Demonstration
When we first tried out the Kritter Kondo there was snow on the ground outside, so we decided to set it up indoors. And I got a short video of them inside because I love making videos of the cats and I thought it would be a good way to show you just how much room is inside. Mind you, it’s not the greatest video in the world, but I’m sure you’ll get the idea!


Our Review:
I think this product is a work of genius! I can’t believe someone didn’t think of it before.  I can’t wait for spring to get here so we can let the furbabies have a trip outside.  And I also love the idea of actually using it indoors.  If you have a pet that you needed to “lock up”  temporarily for some reason, and you didn’t really have a room to put them in, this could be a viable solution. 
My husband also pointed out that if you ever went out of town and needed to leave your pet at someone’s house, this could be very useful.
I especially love that it’s very portable and the set up is very quick and easy!  It’s also the perfect size for two or mayb even 3 cats.  In the video you can see that we placed a scratcher and cat bed inside, and our cats still had plenty of room to walk around.
And the cats seemed to like it inside.  They’ve never seen anything like this, so once they got inside they immediately started playing with their toys and with each other.  So I’d say that this is a great product with a potential to be used in a number of ways and overall it’s a good quality product. We definitely would recommend it.
Buy it!
You can order the Kritter Kondo Original and the Kritter Kondo Deluxe directly from theKritter Kommunity webpage.
Connect!
Twitter: @KritterKondo
Party!
The guys at Kritters that Twitter are also having a Valentine’s Day Blog starting February 5th, with lots of product reviews and prizes, so please go check that out!

Win it!  Lisa at Kritter Kommunity has generously offered a free Kritter Kondo Deluxe to one Simply Sweet Home Reader.  This is a $154.99 value!
Mandatory Entry:  Be a follower of my blog, and visit Kritter Kommunity. Then come back here and tell us something you learned/saw on the site. Deadline: January 25

Extra Entries: Leave a comment for each.
-1 if you follow @KritterKondo on Twitter.
-1 if you like Kritter Kondo on Facebook.
-1 if you follow @SimplySweetHome on Twitter.
-2 for subscribing to Simply Sweet Home via email.
-1 for “liking” Simply Sweet Home on facebook.
-1 for subscribing to my RSS feeds through Feedburner.
-1 for sharing this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook.  (Sample Tweet: Win a Kritter Kondo Deluxe for your cat or dog! http://bit.ly/gzixr3 @SimplySweetHome @kritterkondo #giveaway) (Limit one entry per day.)

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Disclosure:  We received a free Kritter Kondo for review.  This is not a paid post.  The opinions expressed here are my own. If you’d to see your product featured here at Simply Sweet Home, contact me via email.

Holly Bloggy Christmas: Thank Yous and Giveaway Winners

hollybloggylarge
Hey everyone! I’m very excited to announce all the Holly Bloggy Christmas winners today!  But before we get to that I want to take a moment to thank a few people who helped to make our event a success.
First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who participated in one or more of the linky events a couple of weeks ago.  Without your participation, none of us could have sucessful linky parties.  And on behalf of myself, the other hostesses, and our readers, I have to say that we loved looking at everyone’s lovely recipes, crafts, decorations and projects. Thank you for sharing them with us!
Secondly, I want to thank Sarah Meyer for the use of her adorable artwork to create the Holly Bloggy button and graphic.
And of course, I want to thank the lovely ladies who took time out of their busy holiday schedules to host this event with me: Jen at tater tots and jello, Nicholette and Vanessa at Craft Envy, Gina at The Shabby Chic Cottage, and Cheryl at Tidy Mom.  You guys did such a lovely job on your posts, and I really appreciate your work!
Finally, I wish to thank all of our wonderful giveaway sponsors (see links below)!  It really adds to the fun when you can give away great prizes, and I was so excited to have so many great people offer up their products for giveaways.
Now without further ado, here is the list of giveaway winners! All winners will be contacted by email (or blog) and they will have a week to respond and claim their prizes.

Sponsor: Yummy Cuppy Crafts
Prize: 6 Month Membership to the Cupcake Wrapper of the Month Club ($50 value)
Winner: Melissa at The Joys of Home Educating

Sponsor: Scentsy Consultant- Jonnie Mellen,
Prize: Plug-in size Warmer with 3 scents ($25 value)
Winner: Summer at Crosbie Crew

Sponsor: Best Bath Store

Prize: Holiday Soap Set ($13.95 value)
Winner: Jen at RoxyBonds Scrappin’

Sponsor: Up to My Knees in Crafts
Prize: $35 Gift Certificate
Winner: Ami at Ali Lilly

Sponsor: Scrapbook Circle,
Prize: December Kit ($29.95 value)
Winner: Allie at Miss Lovie Creations

Sponsor: Pure Sugar
Prize: Holiday Bow Set ($20.50 value)
Winner: Katie at Katie’s Nesting Spot

Sponsor: Scentsy Consultant- Jonnie Mellen
Prize: Holiday Warmer with 3 scents ($40 value)
Winner: Anne at Life with Lianne

Sponsor: Lavender Cottage
Prize: Soaring Free Pendent ($32 value)
Winner: Michele at A Bushel and A Peck

Sponsor: My Dream Sample Box
Prize: Blogger Ornament ($14.95 value)
Winner: Megan at Sweet Sadie Marie

Sponsor: Lisa Leonard Designs
Prize: $50 Gift Certifciate
Winner: Tina at Mom’s Crazy Cooking

Sponsor: Twelve Crafts
Prize: Pretend and Play Chef Set ($30 value)
Winner: Jocelyn at  Inside BruCrew Life

Sponsor: Hope Abound
Prize: Holiday Bow Set ($13.95 value)
Winner: April at Taking Time to Smell the Flowers

Sponsor: Hun…What’s for Dinner?
Prize: Wilton Chocolate Pro Melting Pot w/ 2 bags of chocolate melts ($48 value)
Winner: Joanna from Mommy in Suburbia

Sponsor: Kinley Lane Designs
Prize: $25 Gift Certificate
Winner: Sunny at Life in Rehab

Sponsor: Simply Sweet Creations
Prize: Lavender Love Set ($17 value)
Winner: Danielle at Mostly Food and Crafts

Congrats to all of our winners!  And thank you again for participating in the Holly Bloggy!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

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