Holiday Gift Guide - Starpath Dolls

Growing up, we had a tradition of opening up one gift Christmas Eve night. We were quite poor growing up and did not usually have many gifts. While it did make one less to open Christmas morning, it did extend the excitement, giving us an extra day to feel festive and excited.

Now that I have my own family. I have kept this tradition. Thankfully, my children have never know the kind of struggle that my siblings and I remember. But I still love the idea of having a special moment on Christmas Eve. It is a little more intimate. We always have a lot of gifts on Christmas morning and it can be hard for everyone to stop and watch others open theirs. So the one each on Christmas Eve is where that really happens.

When I first started doing it, I never really had a plan, just as my parents didn't. It was just one gift that was not too "big" that they thought we would like, and I followed suit. But doing this at night, left little time to actually use the gift, and seemed to detract from the experience. That's why I decided to make the Christmas Eve gift a book (for the kids) and a book or movie for the adults, something that could be fully enjoyed before bed.

My kids love to read, but getting a special book as a gift always creates an even bigger desire to read. They love to show their books off and read (or attempt to read) them to each other and to us. It is just so much fun for all of us. My favorite books for this are personalized books. I started that 2 years ago, and my kids adore them. Everyone who has seen them love it.

So this year, I knew that Starpath Dolls would be perfect for my daughter. I know, I just went on and on about books and now I am talking about dolls. While I am often that scatterbrained, I do have a reason. Starpath Dolls each come with a personalized e-book. They even have the option to choose a physical (paperback) copy for $20.

You add the child's name, school, family's names and so on, and the story is personal to her (or him; dolls can be great for boys too.) We chose A Fairy Tale Gone Wrong (e-book). It is such a cute story, and my daughter loves it. Of course, being the mother hen that she thinks she is, she may have loved the doll just a bit more. We chose Morning Star. She is beautiful.

My son loves her too. Like I said, dolls are great for boys as well. With his autism, he will not lead imaginative play as much, but he loves to watch his sister play, and join in when it suits him. Like she will be taking Morning Star to school, and he will chime in with what he thinks she will do at school. "She has art class today." Or something like that. If she "cries" he will try to figure out what's wrong. It very sweet. It ends up with my daughter trying to "mother" her brother along with the doll, but they have fun.

As for the doll itself, it is very high quality. It is as nice as any other 18" doll on the market, even the ones that cost much more. She is beautiful, with lovely silky hair, that my daughter loves to brush and have me help her style. Her outfit is darling. My daughter likes to remove it for "bath time", though she has a soft body and can't actually be bathed.

This is a doll that will truly be loved and will last for many years. I foresee that even when my daughter outgrows her, she will still be in great shape to pass along to a new loving home. This would be great for passing down to younger siblings.

If you do the Christmas Eve book tradition too, as I have seen many people do, I think that Starpath Dolls and books would be a great variation. The book could be the Christmas Eve gift, and how exciting it would be to get the doll on Christmas morning.

TownleyGirl - Scary Beautiful

The haunting season is upon us. Many are already looking ahead to Christmas, but I love Halloween too much. I have to be "spooky" for as long as possible. I love all things Halloween themed, but I was especially thrilled to find the awesome Nightmare Before Christmas sets form TownleyGirl.

Beauty products are my obsession, even simple ones like lip balm. I love them. And if they are cute and themed, I just love them that much more. But Nightmare Before Christmas just puts it over the top. I LOVE that movie and all stylistic aspects of it and the characters.

Plus, for those that ARE already in Christmas mode, these work for both! They are so cute. When I first planned this review, I was thinking of my daughter, but, who am I kidding, there is no way I am sharing these. Can you blame me?

The designs on the tubes of balm and gloss are cool, that alone would make me excited, but the little pouch in the Mood Changing Lip Balm Set is beyond adorable. And the Coffin Tin in the Lip Gloss 4 Pack is fabulous. And I love that the other Nightmare lip balm set looks like they could be little figurines. 

These add so much style and fun to my beauty routine. These are not overpriced high end products, but they are great quality for the basic staples (balm and gloss) that they are. I can't ask for more than that. Plus, I've already gotten compliments on these. (My sister is jealous, lol.)

For those that are really into Christmas, I will be feature more TownleyGirl products soon for the holidays, so stay tuned. In the meantime, talk to me in the comments. Do you love The Nightmare Before Christmas? Have you used TownleyGirl before? Do you have a favorite branded cosmetic product? Let's chat.

*Although I received these products at no cost to facilitate my review, all opinions are 100% my own.*

Coming Soon - My Green Mattress Review

I am so excited to be working with My Green Mattress on a review. In the meantime, here is a little info on My Green Mattress.  

At MyGreenMattress.com, they don't think that a safe, non-toxic green mattress should be a luxury purchase. For over a decade they've been handcrafting mattresses using all natural and organic materials, without chemical flame retardants, high VOC foams, or adhesives and offering them at
affordable prices.

They own the factory and buy their materials in bulk so that they can pass those savings on to their customers. They may not make the most mattresses, but they are okay with simply making the best, green mattresses for your family.
For More Information visit: www.mygreenmattress.com

Starting a New Journey with Cars.com

*This is a sponsored post on behalf of Cars.com. All opinions are 100% my own.*

Many of you may not have known this, but I cannot drive. Not at all. I've never driven. Well, that's not entirely true, I drive a golf cart to take my kids to the bus stop and I used to drive one at work when I did maintenance. But I have never once been behind the wheel of a car.

It's hard for our family with me unable to drive, that leaves all the errands to be done when my husband can take us. He works a lot (as a CLD driver), so that is unfair to him and inconvenient to me. I miss school functions, scramble to find a ride if the kids get sick at school. If we run out of something, we just wait until the next weekly grocery trip instead of me being able to just go get it.

There are many reasons I should already be driving, but now there is just no way I can put it off any longer. This year my son will graduate 5th grade. He will be leaving a great school and an amazing teacher. He will be going to middle school. The problem is that our local middle school is not a good place for him.

He has autism and he needs to be in an ESE classroom for the flexibility and smaller class size, but he is also a savant (according to his teacher) and the programs there are well beneath his skill level. He would not be learning there, just attending. I need to get him in a school specifically for autistic students where they have a program for him.

The closest one is 20 miles away and, since it is a private school, there is no bus. My husband is at work during that time, so I MUST be able to drive him to school. I will not let his education suffer because I can't do what needs to be done.

With that said, I will also need to get a car, since we obviously only have one. I don't need anything extravagant or brand new. I do need something reliable and fuel efficient. I need to be able to trust that I am getting a good price and, most importantly, a good car.

I've decided to start with Cars.com. I like being able to go online and browse at my own pace with no pressure from a sales person and no worry about making hubby take me around to dealerships. You can find new cars, used cars, dealers and even for sale by owner. You can research different models, estimate used car value and even estimate your payments.

I love that I can do everything but sign the paperwork and get the keys right from my couch (in my pajamas.) Since I don't have my license (or even permit) yet, I have plenty of time to look around and find exactly what I want. I am looking for a good, used, SUV.

What's really cook is that Cars.com has a Car Seat Check feature. They conduct hands on tests to see how well car seats fit in different makes and models. I still use boosters for both kids. Kids should be in a booster until they are 4'9 tall, so the seat belt will position properly on their lap and chest not their stomach and neck.It's good to check that their seats will install safely.

I'm excited about my new journey, now that I am prepared. If any of you have any tips about buying a used car (or new car), I would love to hear them. Have any of you bought a used car via Cars.com before? If so how was the experience. Do you plan to in the future? Why or why not? Lets discuss in the comments.

4 Secrets To Looking Beautiful Naturally

Not everyone likes splurging on expensive skin care products to look beautiful; some prefer to look beautiful naturally. And, if you belong to the aforementioned category of people, you have come to the right place. Here are 4 secrets to looking beautiful naturally. No longer do you have to spend a fortune on beauty salon treatments to look a million dollars!

1. The importance of staying hydrated

We cannot stress enough on the importance of staying hydrated. In addition to drinking around 8 glasses of water per day, you must also eat fruits and vegetables that boast of high water content. Some of these fruits and vegetables are grapefruit, cantaloupe, cucumber, orange, watermelon, and strawberry etc. According to experts, it is better to drink water from a blue colored bottle; blue colored bottles tend to have a cooling effect. You can also spritz rose water on your skin directly if you want to reduce eye puffiness. Rose water naturally hydrates your skin and maintains pH balance too.

2. The benefits of a honey face mask

If you are looking for a quick and effective way to obtain soft, beautiful skin, you should try applying a honey face mask. Raw honey contains plenty of anti-bacterial properties, making it ideal for healing acne-prone or dry skin. Therefore, if you suffer from breakouts regularly, it is advisable for you to use a honey face mask. All that is required of you to do is to gently rub a tablespoon of raw honey on your face. You should then let it sit for around 11 minutes before using lukewarm water to gently rinse it off.

3. The benefits of exercising

The benefits of exercising are countless. Exercising helps encourage blood circulation in the body, in turn, expediting the cleansing process. You will immediately notice a glow on your face after a grueling workout. However, you shouldn't skip on your before and after workout skincare routine. Before starting your exercise routine, it is advisable for you to apply a toner to help reduce the production of oil. And, after you are done with your workout, you need to exfoliate and moisturize your skin for best results.

4. The importance of eating a balanced diet

If you want to look beautiful naturally, you should pay special attention to what you eat. You are what you eat and if you consume unhealthy food, your skin will show! The skin is the body's largest organ and it responds well to a proper diet. Therefore, it is advisable for you to feast on fruits, greens, and foods that are rich in proteins, vitamins and low in fat and sugar. Foods rich in vitamin D, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids also help promote radiant skin; some of these foods include salmon, olive oil, and ground flaxseed. A high-sugar diet plays an atrocious role in lowering the insulin levels, preventing the cells from maintaining a healthy pH balance. You should also avoid eating fermented, processed and spicy foods.

CUJO Smart Firewall at Best Buy

*The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.*

I love being up to date on new tech gadgets. I am all for bigger, better, faster, flashier. It's easy to get caught up on the glamour of new gadgets. So much so that it can be hard to stop and think about safety. I'll admit, I never gave it a second though.

When I got the CUJO Smart Firewall from Best Buy, I was excited, but not so sure how useful I would find it. After all, it doesn't stream movies are have a 16mp camera. In fact, most of what it does is pretty unnoticeable - unless it doesn't do it.

The CUJO Smart Firewall protects you from hacks, not just to your PCs, but phones, tablets and even TVs, baby monitors and many more less conspicuous threats. If you've never had one of these hacked before, it would be easy enough to take the CUJO Smart Firewall for granted, since the protection you're getting will seem like nothing new, but it is. It's business-level security made accessible to anyone.

Of course, the CUJO Smart Firewall does much more than just protect you from hacking. It can protect your family from the inside as well, with its parental controls. The parental controls can be set up for all devices. Since my kids use the TV and the computer as well as multiple tablets, that is a very nice feature for us.

In addition to parental controls, CUJO can monitor social media and filter internet. You can also set time limits and even pause the internet. You can also set up multiple user profiles. You can get alerts and reporting and even control CUJO remotely from your smartphone.

The CUJO Smart Firewall is incredibly easy to set up. It's basically just plug and go. It connects to your router and then can be controlled via app. Even my 10 year old could do it. That is great for me because as much as I love technology, I am not very advanced when it comes to setting things up, programming, and the like.

Probably the most important feature to be is that the CUJO Smart Firewall does not take a subscription. The device is pretty meaningless if you need to pay monthly (or yearly, etc) to access the features. I love that this is a one time purchase. Buy, install, manage - that's it.

Do you worry about your family's internet safety? Have you ever considered taking steps to make your home more secure? Did you know about the CUJO Smart Firewall before? Now that you do know about it, do you plan to get one? Will you buy from Best Buy or somewhere else? I would love to discuss with you all in the comments.

Kerrygold Review & Giveaway

Have you ever eaten something unhealthy and then not only felt guilty, but got mad because you wasted the calories on something that did not taste good enough? I have, and it is one of the worst feelings for me. I get so upset, because I could have eaten something healthy if it's not going to taste the way I want anyway.

Fortunately, I found one way to ensure that I don't have that problem again, at least not where cheese and butter are concerned. Kerrygold is an Irish company that still makes their dairy the old fashioned way, with free roaming, grass fed cows. I always wondered if that really made a difference, and after trying the amazing butters and cheeses from Kerrygold, I can say it absolutely makes all the difference.

The first thing I tried was the softer butter in a tub. Butter could be one of my food groups as much as I love it, but I had never had butter as creamy and fresh-tasting as the ones from Kerrygold. It was like waking up from a lifelong sleep. I have seen the light. It probably sounds like I am exaggerating, but it is really that good. If you have never had Irish butter, namely Kerrygold, you need to try it immediately.

As good as butter is, it can't be a whole meal/snack alone. Cheese however, can be a stand alone snack or the main component in a meal. I had the pleasure or trying 7 amazing varieties of Kerrygold cheese, and they are all fantastic.

Swiss has always been my favorite kind of cheese, so I tried that first. I made grilled ham and Swiss sandwiches, using a lot of Kerrygold butter to grill it. It was so golden and crispy, and the cheese was melty, creamy, fresh and so amazingly delicious. It was better than a bistro sandwich.

All of the cheeses are so good. It was hard to pick a favorite. The Blarney Castle was exceptional. I had never tried a cheese with that flavor profile before. The Skellig was fantastic, I love the sweetness, it is so good with a fruit plate. The Cheddar cheeses were very good. Nice and sharp, but creamy enough that it wasn't too much. Dubliner was awesome, it was another unique flavor. The reduced fat was so much more flavorful than I was expecting. Reduced fat cheese is usually flavorless.

One of my favorite things I received was the Garlic & Herb Butter. I used it to make garlic bread and to flavor some angel hair pasta. It is so flavorful. It's not like that garlic "butter" stuff you get in the tubs at the store. It is real, amazingly creamy, butter with real garlic and fresh herbs mixes in. I could use this with almost everything I cook. It is a game changer.

After experiencing true, Irish butter and cheese, I can't ever go back to the lesser products I used to buy. I am so mad that my husband never told me how much better Irish butter and cheese is. He was born in Ireland for goodness sake. He got an ear-full about it. I will not make you suffer the same fate. I am here to tell you that Kerrygold butter and cheeses are better than any other brand I have EVER tried.

One of you lucky readers will get to find out first hand just how incredible these products are, because Kerrygold is giving away an Irish Gift Basket, but like the one I received. It contains two (2) of every product shown above and is a $200 value! Enter via the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win this fantastic prize. Good luck!

*I received these products at no cost to facilitate my review. All opinions are 100% my own.*

a Rafflecopter giveaway