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.

Spotlight on Thirty-One Gifts

Today I’m really excited to tell you about my newest blog sponsor. I’m excited because this sponsor not only sells great products but can also be an outlet for women to make money and even have a little fun.
The sponsor is Thirty-One Gifts, and they offer adorable purses, bags, totes, accessories, and organizing items.  These come in a number of adorable colors and prints and can be personalized for you.
You can look through their extensive catalog of items and place an order online  at any time.

Thirty-One Gifts provides an outet of fun, by allowing you to host a show.  This can be a live show or an online/catalog show.  You can invite your friends over for an evening of fun, and an independent representative will share the products with you, and when you host a show, you can earn free and half priced products!

Thirty-One Gifts also offers a fantastic business opportunity for women. Thirty-One is a faith-based company, whose name comes from Proverbs 31:31 in the Bible where it talks about celebrating and rewarding women, and there is a focus in the company about being the Proverbs 31 virtuous woman.
Thirty-One is a direct sales company that gives women the opportunity to make a little extra money or an extra income.  Independent Thirty-One Director Laura Aridgides has been in the direct sales industry working from home with her children for 11 1/2 years. For her, Thirty-One Gifts has been an amazing opportunity to be able to put family first, and still contribute to the family budget (and have a girls night too!).
You can join Laura’s team for just $99.  When you join you will receive a new spring starter kit valued at over $300. Plus, if you join Laura’s team in January, you’ll get a free Jewelry Roll. 

If you’d like more information on this opportunity, just visit Laura’s webpage.  She has an excellent 10 minute video which explains the opportunity further.  If you like what you see, you can join Laura’s team through her website. You can also contact Laura directly via email (laura@31team.com) or via phone (802-264-4884) with any questions you may have.

Upcoming Giveaway!

I’m pleased to announce that I will be reviewing a product from Thirty-One Gifts next week.  And there will also be a giveaway with 2 winners!

Don’t miss it!

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Disclosure:  Thirty-One Gifts is a paid sponsor on Simply Sweet Home.  If you’d like to advertise, please see my PR Page for details.

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.

CitiKitty’s TunaTreats Review

Here’s something that will make your cat purr with delight. CitiKitty’s TunaTreats are 100% All Natural Bonito (Skip Jack Tuna).  They are a healthy treat for both cats and dogs.  They are high in portein and amino acids, and they promote both a shiny coat and healthy lifestyle.
Rebel and Dixie recently had the opportunity to try a sample of CitiKitty’s TunaTreats.  The TunaTreats are very different from the crunchy bites that they are used to eating, but it would appear that they were no less enjoyable. After just one sniff, they immediately recognized that these flakes were indeed something to eat, and they quickly devoured the flakes I served them.
What I love about the TunaTreats is that they are an all natural product.  As much as I’d love to buy my cats the most expensive, high quality food, that’s not really financially possible for, so it’s great when I can find them a nice, healthy treat like this.
Another thing that I like about this is that it comes in flake form.  Ordinarily as a treat we give can food or little crunchy treats, and what I like about the flakes is that we can actually add them to the cat’s regular meals as, which is great for a little change at meal time.
And the cats really seem to like them.  When we’ve added them to their food bowl or given them as a separate treat, they flakes have been eaten, which is a real testimony to their taste because my cats are constantly given the chance to try new foods (including human foods), and I can tell you that they will sniff anything you put in front of them, but they will not eat just anything.  All in all, I’d have to say that we give the CitiKitty TunaTreats 2 paws up!

Where can you buy TunaTreats?
Place your order at Tunatreats.com or on Amazon.

Connect with CitiKitty:

Website – CitiKitty
Follow on Facebook
Follow on Twitter



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Disclosure: I was given a free sample of CitiKitty TunaTreats.  I was not paid for this review.  The opinions are my own.  If you’d like to advertise or sponsor a review/giveaway, please contact me.

Huggable Teddy Bear Review

Looking for the perfect teddy bear to give to your loved one this Christmas?  Huggable Teddy Bears has a wonderful assortment of bears for all occasions.  They also sell great name brand bears, as well as occupation and sports bears.

I recently got the opportunity to review a bear from the Huggable Teddy Bears site.  The bear I chose for my review is a bear named Brown Sugar by Aurora World.  I chose this bear because I absolutely love traditional brown teddy bears, and I thought this would be a great addition to my collection.  I also chose it because it’s made by Aurora World, who makes some fabulous products. 
This bear definitely did not dispapoint.  First off, he is simply beautiful, and I was very impressed by his bright, rich colors.  He definitely lives up to the name Brown Sugar.  He’s also very well made, and he features some high quality materials that not only look good but also make him feel soft, cuddly, and furry.  And like the classic teddy bears that I love he has a beautiful matching ribbon tied around his neck.  And he has an adorably sweet face.
The Brown Sugar bear also come in a great size, measuring about 16 inches tall, which makes it a great bear to set out somewhere in your home or a great toy for all ages. And he’s also available in a 24 inch size if you wanted something bigger.
Obviously I love this bear!  And I think he would make a fabulous gift!

As we go into the New Year and start shopping for Valentine’s Gifts, the Huggable Teddy Bear site would also be a great place to shop.  They have a lovely line of Valentine bears, including this really cute Love Stinks Bear.

Check out Huggable Teddy Bears to see more adorable gift ideas.

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Disclosure:  I received a free bear from Huggable Teddy Bears for this review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Retro Yoohoo & Friends Review & Giveaway

This week I’m bringing you our third holiday gift giveaway from Aurora World.  You may remember the Yoohoo & Friends giveaway I had on my blog last spring.  Well, now I’d like to present these Retro Yoohoos!
These little are guys very cute. They are around the same size as the original Yoohoos. (You can get them in the 5 inch or 8 inch size.)  And they feature the same brightly colored fur, big eyes, poofy tails, and fun sound effects.
But unlike the Original Yoohoos, these guys are dressed up for a funky night out on the town.  Just imagine your favorite character from Saturday Night Fever or Footloose transforming into a cute and cuddly stuffed animal. (Sounds fun, huh?)

I think kids will love these. For some reason kids always seem to like retro stuff.  And the Aurora company has created a Retro Yoohoo to fit anyone’s taste, from Pammee Pop Singer to Lemmee Punk Rocker.
For my review I received Yoohoo 60’s British Rocker and Lemmee Disco Dancer.  Both of these are simply adorable.  You can look at them immediately and tell exactly what they’re suppose to be.  It’s definitely a very unique twist on the original Yoohoo & Friends.  My favorite thing about them is their big eyes and poofy striped tails. It just makes them so cute!
I think these would even be a good gift for the young at heart.  If you know an adult who loves stuffed animals and also grew up loving the Beatles, why not get them the 60’s British Rocker Yoohoo?  Or how about theYoohoo 80’s Dancer for your 80s kid?
Buy it! You can purchase your Retro Yoohoos online at Aurora World.
Connect! Became a fan of Yoohoo & Friends on Facebook or follow @yohoofriends on Twitter.

Win it! One Simply Sweet Home reader will win a Retro Yoohoo & Friends Toy.
Giveaway closed. Congrats to Liza at Giveaway Blogs to Win!
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Aurora Cheeky Charlie & Carmen Review & Giveaway

As promised, here’s another fun holiday review & giveaway from our friends at Aurora.  This week I’m sharing the adorable Cheeky Charlie and Carmen line with you!
As you probably guessed already, Cheeky Charlie and Carmen are monkeys! These guys are of the same high quality that I’ve come to expect from Aurora World.  And like other Aurora collections, they come in a variety of sizes and styles.  They are a very soft and cuddly plush toy, and they come in bold, beautiful colors.
So what sets Cheeky Charlie & Carmen apart from other toy monkeys you may find.  Again, these are some really adorable monkeys, from their cute little eyes and big smiles to their long tails, which believe it or not, actually hold a little surprise!

For example, I  received Wrangler Cheeky Charlie and Carmen BFF.  Wrangler Cheeky Charlie holds a rope in his tail, while Carmen holds a banana in hers.  Too cute!  It’s just another one of those little things that the guys at Aurora have done to make these toys extra special!

Another thing that sets these guys apart from the competition is that they wear little outfits, complete with headgear.  Wrangler Cheeky Charlie has on the cutest cowboy pants and vest, a red bandana, and a cowboy hat, while BFF Carmen wears a cute orange & pink flower shirt with a matching headband.
And there are a lot of other styles available, so you should be able to find something for everyone on your list!
Buy it!  Purchase your Dreamy Eyes and other great toys online at Aurora World.
Connect! Check out Aurora on Aurora World on Facebook

Win it!  One Simply Sweet Home reader will win a Cheeky Charlie & Carmen toy.

Mandatory Entry:  Be a follower of my blog.  Then  visit the Cheeky Charlie page at the Aurora site and leave me a comment telling me which one is your favorite. Deadline: Dec 21 (US only)

Extra Entries: Leave a comment for each.
-1 if you follow Simply Sweet Home on Twitter.
-2 for subscribing to Simply Sweet Home via email.
-2 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 a Cheeky Charlie Toy! http://bit.ly/h5L58B @SimplySweetHome #HolidayGiftGuide #giveaway) (Limit one entry per day.)

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Auntie Anne’s At Home Baking Kit Review (Featuring Monkey Bread)

I was very excited when I recieved an Auntie Anne’s At Home Baking Kit in the mail.  I’m sure many of you have a had a freshley baked pretzel from Auntie Anne’s before.  If not, check your local mall, or look for one the next time you’re at the airport.  And even if you don’t have an Auntie Anne’s in your area, you’re in luck! Just in time for holiday baking, you can make your own pretzels (and other great stuff) using these Baking Kits from Auntie Anne’s.

I found some great recipes to make using this kit, but since it’s so close to Christmas I decided to try out the Monkey Bread.  I know a lot of people who have a big family breakfast or brunch on Christmas morning instead of the traditional dinner, and I think Monkey Bread would be perfect to serve for those!

The kit comes with everything you need to make pretzels and almost everything you’ll need to make this yummy Monkey Bread.  The instructions are very easy to understand, and unlike a lot of breads and things that you make, involving dough and yeast, it’s not a long drawn out process.  In fact, you could even turn this into a fun activity with the kids.
In my excitement, I forgot to take pictures of the entire process.  I only remembered as I was getting ready to put the bread in the oven! Instead I’ll tell you just how easy the process is.  In the kit you recieve a yeast packet, which you dissolve in some water.  And then you add the dough mix.  You mix it with a spatula until it forms a dough ball, and then you knead it for a few minutes.

After letting the dough rise for half an hour, you pull off little pieces of dough, roll it into balls, and dip them in some melted butter, followed by a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.  Then throwsthe balls into a greased bundt pan.  Bake it for 30-35 minutes and then your done! Very Easy!
I also made a little icing for my bread, using 2 oz. of cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of milk, and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.  This made it extra delicious.  But it would be great without icing too!

As much as I loved the monkey bread, I knew the real trial would come when my husband tried it.  If he doesn’t like something, chances are I won’t be making it too often!  Luckily for me, even though he doesn’t like pretzels, he does love cinnamon rolls, so I was hopeful that he would really enjoy this.  And I was right! He loved it!  Not only did he enjoy it, but since he’d never seen monkey bread before, he was really impressed by the way the dough balls form a bundt cake. He liked it so much that he made me fill up a container so he could share some with his buddies at work.  They’d never had monkey bread either, and they all gave it their seal of approval!

Buy it!  You can Purchase you At Home Baking Kit at your local Auntie Anne’s or at these retailers.

Connect! Check out Auntie Anne’s On Facebook or follow Auntie Anne’s on Twitter

I’m sharing this post for this week’s linky parties.

Don’t forget to come by here next Thursday for my Christmas Recipe party!
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Disclosure:  I received a free At Home Baking Kit to try for this review.  The opinions expresses here are my own.

The Magic Warble: Book Review & Giveaway

Just in time for Christmas gift giving, I’m excited to bring you this book review and a giveaway.  I haven’t done a lot of book-related posts on this blog, but when Victoria Simcox, author of The Magic Warble, contacted me about reviewing her book, I was thrilled!
Being a huge fan of Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, and other fantasy books, I knew this book would be right up my alley.  And it did not disappoint!  My husband and I both read and loved the story.  In fact, after my husband (and in-house fantasy expert) read the book he said, “This is the closest thing to C.S. Lewis that I’ve ever read!”  This is a HUGE compliment coming from him because not only is C.S. Lewis one of his favorite authors, but as I said, he’s an expert of mythology and fantasy.  We’re actually both English majors, but I have to confess that he’s read exponentially more books than me, especially in the genre of fantasy!
Synopsis:
“Dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and an evil queen – all these and more can be found in The Magic Warble, an enchanting tale of adventure and friendship.
Twelve-year-old Kristina Kingsly feels like the most unpopular girl in her school. The kids all tease her, and she never seems to fit in. But when Kristina receives an unusual Christmas gift, she suddenly finds herself magically transported to the land of Bernovem, home of dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and the evil Queen Sentiz.
In Bernovem, Kristina not only fits in, she’s honored as “the chosen one” the only one who can release the land from Queen Sentiz’s control. But it’s not as simple as it seems. To save Bernovem, she must place the gift she was given, the famous “Magic Warble” in its final resting place. And she must travel through the deep forest, climb a treacherous mountain, and risk capture by the queen’s “zelbocks” before she reaches her destination. Guided by her new fairy friends, Clover and Looper and by Prince Werrien, a teenage boy, as well as an assortment of other characters, Kristina sets off on a perilous journey that not only tests her strength but her heart.”

Victoria Simcox weaves a wonderful fantasty tapestry. She takes a girl (Kristina), who’s an unpopular outcast in our world and transports her to Bernovem, where she’s popular and well liked.  She also takes a group of popular wealthy brats and by transporting them to a magical world where they’re wealth means nothing, she shows their lack of character. 

Written on two levels, the exterior storyline’s  plot and characters create emotions that will make the reader feel the fear and embrace the joy that is contained within the book’s pages.  While the interior storyline (the one that is developing in the reader’s mind), is a good depiction of the rewards and punishments that should be associated with good and evil behavior.

The classic struggle between good and evil, combined with a world inhabited by mythological creatures, and an unlikely “chosen” hero, will make you want to read into the wee hours of the morning and is sure to be loved by children and adult fantasy lovers alike!

Buy a Copy:  Just in time for the holidays you can order your copy directly from the author  or at Amazon.

Connect: Check out The Magic Warble on Facebook
Follow Victoria’ Simcox’s Blog

Win it!  One Simply Sweet Home reader will win a copy of The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox.

Giveaway Closed. Congrats to Larissa!

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Disclosure: I received a free copy of the Magic Warble to review. The opinions are mine.

Aurora Dreamy Eyes Toy Review & Giveaway

I absolutely love all the different toys at Aurora!  Previously I’ve had the opportunity to review toys from their Yoohoo & Friends line as well as Milly the Pinkest Kitten.  And now, just in time for the holidays, I will be presenting you with not one, but three different Aurora toys that will be just perfect for your gift list! And the best part is that you’ll have the opportunity to enter to win each of these toys!

The first collection of toys from Aurora World that I’d like to introduce to you is Dreamy Eyes.  These are just about the cutest plush toys I’ve seen!  Each toy is 10 inches long and is soft and fluffy with big “dreamy” eyes.  And there is a large collection of toy animals available from cats and dogs to farm and jungle animals.

The toy I received is Lea Lamb.  She is absolutely adorable!  I was very impressed by how soft and cuddly she was! (She’s so soft, when my husband saw her, he even cuddled her, but shhh, that’s a secret!)  And of course, I can’t help but love her big eyes, which I think make her look like, not just a toy, but a sweet little friend (if that makes sense).
She’s also the perfect size for all ages.  I typically think of stuffed animals being for toddlers, but I think that older children will also love cuddling with a Dreamy Eyes toy.
Dreamy Eyes toys would also be ideal if you’re looking for some stuffed animals to place in a new nursery.  They would be so cute on a shelf or on top of a dresser in your baby’s room, and they’re perfectly soft so the baby can play with them when he/she gets a little older. 
And speaking as someone who intends to decorate a nursery in the near future (ahem), I would love to have more of these and would definitely recommend them to you this Christmas season!

Buy it!  Purchase your Dreamy Eyes and other great toys online at Aurora World.
Connect! Check out Aurora on Aurora World on Facebook

Win it! One Simply Sweet Home reader will win a Dreamy Eyes Toy, a $12 value. (For US Residents only)
Mandatory Entry: To win, check out the Dreamy Eyes line, and then come back here and tell me which animal is your favorite. Deadline to enter: December 12
Extra Entries: Leave a comment for each.
-1 if you follow Simply Sweet Home on Twitter.
-2 for subscribing to Simply Sweet Home via email.
-2 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 a Dreamy Eyes Toy http://bit.ly/e1P6Tg  @SimplySweetHome #HolidayGiftGuide #giveaway) (Limit one entry per day.)
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Disclosure: For hosting this giveaway, I received a free Dreamy Eyes toy to review. The opinions expressed here are my own.