Nicole

Honey-Inspired Holiday Gift Basket Ideas!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HoneyForHolidays #DonVictorHoney #CollectiveBias

When it comes to holiday gift-giving, homemade gifts are the best! Whether you’re giving to the hard-to-shop-for or just looking for easy ways to give quality, personalized, unique gifts on a budget, homemade is a sure bet this season!

What I love most about homemade gifts is that they allow you to share your unique talents with the world. From cooking to crafting, homespun gifts let you add love and intentionality to each present you give. And what’s more festive than that?

Which is why I’m constantly seeking new ideas for homemade gift-giving ideas each holiday season. Today is no exception as I’ll be showing you how I’m re-doing the traditional ho-hum holiday gift-giving basket with a few quick DIYs. Including homemade potpourri jars, a festive recipe for Honey Walnut Bars, a delicious, heart-healthy holiday treat, featuring my favorite holiday time honey treat, the Don Victor® Orange Blossom Comb Honey Globe Jars.

Here’s how I put this awesome homemade gift-giving basket together:

One of my favorite basket fillers is homemade Honey Walnut Bars. I love gifting these bars because they are thick and caramelly, while still gluten-free and paleo-friendly with a nutty, crunchy, chewy, scrumptious twist!

The crust is made with coconut flour, which helps provides a firm, shortbread-like crust. It’s prebaked until golden brown before being topped with the Honey Walnut topping, so it keeps that nice crunchy bite!

For the filling, I make a quick caramel using coconut sugar, maple syrup, and Don Victor® Orange Blossom Comb Honey, and coconut oil together. Which makes a smooth, creamy sauce. Once my sauce is cooked, I turn off the heat and add almond milk, flax meal, almond flour, organic vanilla extract, and Himalayan pink salt. Then whisk together to combine.

The flax meal and almond flour help the sauce filling up without fillers. The walnuts are added at the end and stirred into the mix and then the whole shebang is poured over the cooled crust. It’s baked for 30 minutes until the sauce is bubbly brown.

Then for the hardest part: waiting for them to cool off! Once cooled and firm, slice them into squares and try not to devour them all in one sitting. Afterall, you need a square for your gift basket!

When ready to add to my gift basket I cut 3×3″ squares and placed them into a giftable, clean mason jar. You can also bake your bars ahead of time and refrigerate your bars in jars until ready to give.

I also added a jar of DIY Organic Holiday Potpourri. In my blend, I like to use organic, fresh, whole cranberries, star anise, organic Ceylon cinnamon sticks, fresh, bay leaves, whole nutmeg, clove organic sprigs of rosemary, and dried orange slices.

I like to dry my own orange slices in my dehydrator. Which is super simple to do. Just set your dehydrator, or convection oven, to 125 degrees Fahrenheit, and dry low and slow for 8 hours. When preserved and jarred, these orange slices will last up to 1 year. They taste wonderful in tea, can be strung up to make beautiful holiday garland, and of course, can be used to make festive holiday potpourri!

To finish up, simply jar your organic ingredients in whatever amount you like. I like to layer my jars with the orange slices acting as a leveling seal between layers. Be sure to add directions to your lid. I find that a dry erase marker works well in doing so.

To make potpourri yourself at home, add 8 cups water and simmer on your stovetop or crockpot. Since you are used fresh and dried ingredients, its best to create your potpourri the day of an event or that of gift-giving or to refrigerate, or even freeze it, until ready to give.

I also like to add a Don Victor® Orange Blossom Comb Honey Globe Jar to my gift-giving basket. Especially for the foodies on your holiday list, this honey makes the perfect inexpensive gift! You could also pair them with a tin of organic grocery store tea and a jar of dried orange slices, for easy holiday gifts for service workers, teachers, neighbors, and friends. But also be sure to pick up a few of these jars for yourself – you’ll want to because this honey is just that dang good!

Have you ever seen the Don Victor® Orange Blossom Comb Honey Globe Jars? These beautiful glass jars are filled with raw, filtered, organic honey. Honey that is not heated or processed in any way. And what really makes this honey product stand out is that it comes with some real honeycomb inside!

See the honeycomb in there – it’s totally edible! And who wouldn’t want to receive a little something sweet this season? You’ll be the bee’s knees to everyone on your block this year if you gift them Don Victor® Orange Blossom Comb Honey Globe Jars. This honey is an easy, inexpensive, gourmet gift during the holidays!

I also like to enjoy Don Victor® Orange Blossom Comb Honey on toast. I drizzle some honey all over toast. If I’m lucky, I’ll get some of that awesome honeycomb on my toast too! The comb has a soft texture that’s totally delicious! This honey is also perfect for hot biscuits, French toast or pancakes! Remember, the comb is the fun and festive part of this unique honey-tasting experience. It can also be used to make a great sore-throat syrup too!

You’ll also want to store your honey at room temperature, such as on a kitchen counter or in a pantry, pie safe, or cabinet. If the honey crystallizes (the natural process of the glucose molecules aligning into crystals), don’t fret. Just place the glass jar in warm water and stir until smooth again.

To add a fun touch to the Don Victor® Orange Blossom Comb Honey Globe Jars I’ll be adding to my gift baskets this year, I added a crochet cozies. This allows my recipient to be able to re-use their honey jar as a fun votive holder after their honey has been enjoyed! Tasty and zero-waste is the way to go!

To make this cozy, I used 100 yards of organic, cotton yarn and a 4.00mm (size G) crochet hook.

Begin by chaining 40 SC (single crochet stitches), then join your first chain stitch to your work to form a ring. Making sure to not twist your work as you turn. Continue working on the round until your cozy reaches the desired length of your particular jar. With fewer rows for smaller jars and additional rows allotted for taller jars. Remember, candle cozies are meant to be snug so your looking for a cozy without much slack. That ensures each cozy will have a uniform look!

Finish off your cozy by slip stitching the outer rows of stitches and weave in loose strands. I also like to add a small crochet ribbon. which can be made by creating a double line of 80 SC (single crochet stitches), to the front of my cozy. Then just add it to your basket!

To arrange my basket, I laid out paper shreds in the basket and then set the wrappings to the side. Then it was time to make the Honey Walnut Bars! I do this by adding my basket wrap, twist tie, and gift tag. And done! An amazing, affordable, gift-giving basket anyone would love receiving!

This season, be on the lookout for Don Victor® Orange Blossom Comb Honey Globe Jars. they can be found in the Hispanic aisle of your local Walmart store. You’ll be glad you did!

Friends, I hope this post will inspire you to consider making your own gift baskets this season and to also try the amazing Don Victor® Orange Blossom Comb Honey. Now I want to ask, have you tried Don Victor® Orange Blossom Comb Honey globe jars? Do you plan on making any festive crafts for the holiday season? Comment below and share your ideas with us!

Connect with Don Victor®:

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Don Victor® Orange Blossom Comb Honey Honey Walnut Bars

2017-12-06 11:56:36

Serves 16

A delicious, inexpensive, 1-hour heart-healthy holiday-inspired dessert recipe. Perfect for nights by the fire or gift giving during the holiday season!

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Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

40 min

Total Time

1 hr

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

40 min

Total Time

1 hr

Crust

1 cup coconut flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons Don Victor® Orange Blossom Comb Honey
⅓ cup coconut oil

For the filling

¾ cup coconut sugar
⅓ cup Don Victor® Orange Blossom Comb Honey
⅓ cup coconut oil melted
⅓ cup organic almond milk
2 tablespoons flax meal
2 teaspoons almond flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1¼ cup walnuts; chopped and whole for texture

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Grease an 8x8” square pan with coconut oil.
Combine the honey and coconut oil and whisk until fully combined.
Stir in the almond flour and salt until smooth and dough-like ball forms.
Press the dough into the prepared pan.
Bake for 9-11 minutes until golden brown.
Transfer to baking rack. Completely cool.
For the filling, combine the coconut sugar, honey, and coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk to combine. Cool slightly.
While it cools, whisk together the almond milk, flax meal, almond flour, organic vanilla extract, and salt in a small bowl.
Add the flax mixture and whisk to combine.
Stir in the walnuts. Stir to combine.
Pour the pecan mixture over the cooled crust and bake for 30 minutes.
cool before servings.
Enjoy!

Notes

These bars can be made ahead of time and frozen up to a year in advance. Bar will keep in the fridge for one week. Enjoy!

By Nicole Roberts

The LadyPrefers2Save https://theladyprefers2save.com/

Honey-Inspired Holiday Gift Basket Ideas!

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Kroger: Fresh Feast Coca-Cola & Pizza Meal Deal!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, INC. and The Coca-Cola Company all opinions are mine alone. #KrogerPizzaDeal #CollectiveBias

As the holidays approach, schedules begin to become very hectic. Kroger stores have quick and affordable meal options available for the ultimate holiday meal solution.

Pick up a Deli Fresh ready to eat pizza at a hot price-point for $5.99 and a Coca-Cola 1.25L beverage or 1L Dasani and save $1 when you scan your Kroger loyalty card (valid through 12/3/17 – 1/3/18). Kroger Deli Fresh ready to heat pizza is available in the refrigerated section of your local Kroger store deli.

Participating Coca-Cola beverages include:

1.25L Coca-Cola Classic (any flavor)
1.25L Coca-Cola Zero Sugar
1.25L Diet Coke
1.25L Sprite
1.25L Fanta
1L Dasani

Stop by your local Kroger store and pick up a refreshing 1.25L Coca-Cola or 1L Dasani and a ready to heat pizza for a quick and easy meal this winter to help you mark one thing off your to-do list.

Participating Kroger stores: Kroger, Fred Meyer, Ralphs, King Soopers, Smith’s, Fry’s, Fry’s Marketplace, Dillons, QFC, Baker’s Supermarkets, City Market, Gerbes Super Markets, Jay C, Owen’s, Scott’s, and Pay Less Super Markets.

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5 Tips For Protecting Your Curls This Winter

This shop has been compensated by Schwarzkopf. #HolidayHairCare #sponsored

I believe that everything should have a little extra sparkle and shine during the holiday season. Especially your hair! Because nothing quite sets off a fabulous frock like a funky new do! If you’d like to give your lovely locks a holiday refresher, here are 5 tips to get you started:

Tip 1: Refresh your hair color:

A few days before the start of the holiday season, I make sure to refresh my look with Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color. Its one of my biggest secrets to helping me get ready for the holiday season!

And when it comes to picking the right shade of hair color, a general rule of thumbs is to pick a shade no more than two hues lighter or darker than your natural brow color. This helps your color blend in with your skin tone. Helping your hair appear healthy with added dimension and shine.

Now, if you’d like a more show-stopping look, try something in the Auburn family. It’s my husband’s favorite shade and you’ll wow the crowds for sure! Here’s how I step-by-step use Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color to treat my hair at home:

Step 1: Remove the contents of the box. Making sure that you have all the supplies to color your hair. Then determine your coloring needs. If you’ve colored your hair in the last season, follow the instructions listed for touching up your hair. If you have virgin hair or hair that’s not been treated in 6 months or longer, follow the instructions for full head coloring. I used the direction indicated for full head coloring.

Step 2: Open the directions packet. There you’ll find your colorist gloves inside. Put them on to protect your hands during application.

Step 3: Twist off the Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color pre-treatment cap and squeeze some into your gloved hand. Apply to the dry ends of your hair. This pre-treatment is to prevent breakage and has the added benefit of helping to ensure your color is absorbed evenly throughout your hair.

Step 4: Break the Creme color seal. Squeeze the contents of the color Creme into the application bottle. Making sure to twist the cap off of the application bottle first.

Step 5: While holding a gloved finger over the top of the bottle, shake your applicator bottle to combine.

Step 6: Create a part through the center of your head. Squeeze a line of the Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color directly down the part and then smooth out your color with gloved fingers. Continue parting your hair into 1/2″ sections and applying color in the same way. Color all of your roots.

Step 7: Allow your color to sit on your roots for 20 minutes.

Step 8: After 20 minutes, apply Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color to the remainder of your hair. Squeezing the color down the shaft until you reach your ends. Then let your color sit on for an additional 10 minutes. And don’t fret, because Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color is low odor thanks to their advanced ammonia control technology. Thankfully, your house won’t smell of a hair salon while you wait!

Step 9: After your color is finished processing, using your colorist gloves, give your hair a final scalp massage to loosen your color and then rinse your hair. It is easiest for me to do this in the shower, but sink sprayers work well too! Rinse out your color thoroughly.

Step 10: Finish your color by applying a generous amount of the Keratin Care Complex Conditioner tube onto your hair. Working from the ends up to your roots. This helps moisturize your roots and keep your scalp and crown from being overly flat while styling! Leave this on your hair for 2 minutes and then rinse thoroughly. Then dry and style your hair as desired!

Here is my finished color. Perfect for the holiday season! Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color leaves my hair super shiny and soft. Plus, it provides 100% gray coverage with intense, vibrant color. A must for curly girls in our early 30’s!

For my latest coloring, I chose the color Bordeaux Red. This shade gives my naturally dark blonde hair, with some early signs of greying, a more vibrant, youthful look. The darker Auburn shade beautifully compliments my face and makes me feel positively radiant!

I pick up my Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color on the Hair Color aisle at Walmart. The next time your in-store, grab a box for yourself too! Currently, there is also a Try Me Free Rebate to get your hair color for free after rebate!

If amazing looking hair color wasn’t enough, Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color is a partner of support for Dress for Success®, Dress for Success®, an organization that helps women beat the cycle of poverty by entering the workforce looking their personal best, and have pledged a contribution of $125,000 to this amazing cause. Learn more at Dressforsuccess.org. Because upward mobility and a successful workplace interview start with a successful self-care routine!

Tip 2: Deep condition your hair bi-weekly. Deep conditioning masks help deeply penetrate your hair with moisture and promote growth, moisture, and luster. Essential for curls, as our spirals are prone to drying out. A simple 20-minute mask of half a mashed up banana, 1/8 cup organic agave, and 1/2 cup organic coconut sugar will do wonders for keeping your hair looking its best!

Tip 3: Trim Your Ends. Keeping your hair regularly trimmed is a cardinal rule for any curly girl. Colder temperatures can cause hair to become dry and brittle which can lead to breakage and split ends. Trimming your hair can greatly reduce breakage and help prolong the look of your style. I have my ends trimmed at the start of each season with a professional trim.

Tip 4: Eat & Drink Healthy. As the old adage goes, you are what you eat. That includes your curls! Eating well-balanced meals, heavy in plant-based nutrients, will help to provide your curls with the essential nutrients your hair needs to increase growth, promoting shine, and stay moisturized and healthy. This also includes drinking water! Eight 8-ounce glasses of water are sufficient, but when it comes to moisturizing your curls at home, the more the better!

Tip 5: Change how you wash your curls. During the colder months, consider co-washing your curls. Co-washing, or washing your hair with only conditioner, will give your hair a gentle cleanse without totally stripping and drying the hair of essential natural oils. Because most shampoos and conditioners contain trace amounts of detergents called surfactants, that when mixed with water, wash away dirt, conditioner can cleanse your hair without stripping essential natural oils from your hair and scalp. If you’re not a fan of co-washing, make sure you use a good moisturizing shampoo instead.

A quick tip: Co-wash your curls from the ends to the roots. This allows your ends to be extra conditioned and your scalp to not be overly dry!

Tip 6: Plop Your Curls. Looking for a way to decrease the drying time of your hair? Then plopping is for you! Plopping involves putting your hair up in a cloth, which encourages your natural curls to dry without them losing their spiral shape. To plop your hair, you begin by washing or c-washing your curls. Then apply any leave-ins or styling products, as needed. Then bend over and place your curls into a cloth or turban. Position your curls within the cloth, pressing your curls into the cloth. Finally, securing your plopped hair with a button or bobby pin. Then just wait for your hair to dry. After 30-60 minutes, remove your towel and diffuse to separate curls, if needed. Then, rock those curls!

Looking for an easy DIY Plopping Towel? Here’s a quick pattern for you to try:

Materials:

Cotton yarn skein (around 240 yards)
Size G Crochet Hook
Elastic Band

Pattern Terms:

Ch = Chain
HDC = Half Double Crochet
Hdc2tog = Half Double Crochet Two Together

Pattern:

Side 1:

Row 1: Ch 10, hdc in 2nd ch from hook and in each across. Ch-1, turn.
Rows 2-18: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 19: hdc in first 8, 2hdc in the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 20: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 21: hdc in first 9, 2hdc in stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 22: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 23: hdc in first 10, 2hdc in the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 24: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 25: hdc in first 11, 2hdc in the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 26: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 27: hdc in first 12, 2hdc in the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 28: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 29: hdc in first 13 stitched, 2hdc in the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 30: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 31: hdc in first 14 stitched, 2hdc into the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 32: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 33: hdc in first 15 stitches, 2hdc into the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 34: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 35: hdc in first 16 stitches, 2hdc into the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 36: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 37: hdc in first 17 stitches, 2hdc into the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 38: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 39: hdc in first 18 stitches, 2hdc in last. Ch-1, turn.
Row 40: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 41: hdc in first 19 stitches, 2hdc in the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 42: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 43: hdc in first 20 stitches, 2hdc into the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 44: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 45: hdc in first 21 stitches, 2hdc into the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 46: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 47: hdc in first 22 stitches, 2hdc into the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 48: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 49: hdc in first 23 stitches, 2hdc in the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 50: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 51: hdc in first 24 stitches, 2hdc in last. Ch-1, turn.
Row 52: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 53: hdc in first 25 stitches, 2hdc in the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 54: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 55: hdc in first 26 stitches, 2hdc in the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Rows 56 – 63: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 64: hdc2tog, hdc in next 26 stitches. Ch-1, turn.
Row 65: hdc in first 25 stitches, hdc2tog. Ch-1, turn.
Row 66: hdc2tog, hdc in next 24 stitches. Ch-1, turn.
Row 67: hdc in first 23 stitches, hdc2tog. Ch-1, turn.
Row 68: hdc2tog, hdc in next 22 stitches. Ch-1, turn.
Row 69: hdc in first 21 stitches, hdc2tog. Ch-1, turn.
Row 70: hdc2tog, hdc in next 20 stitches. Fasten off, weave in ends on your first side.

Side two: Repeat Steps from Side 1.

Creating your towel:

Lay the two pieces together and line them up. You’ll slip stitch around your seems with a single crochet border. Then flip your towel inside out and stitch a single stitch from the inside of the towel out to secure your elastic band to your towel. This will help you to secure your towel to your hair while your hair is inside.

To use the towel, place on your head, with the larger side cradling the crown on your head and your elastic band facing away from your face. Then gather your hair in the towel with your ends positioned into the towel end of your towel. Then gather your hair together by gently twisting your ends backward, towards the back of your head and secure inside the elastic band.

This pattern works up pretty quickly and would make a great holiday gift-giving idea for other curly girls on your list this year!

So, those are my top 5 tips for caring for your curls this winter. Give them a try! Be sure to also visit Schwarzkopf® to see what shade you will pick to color your own hair at home, product information, and even more curly hair styling tips too! You can also check out my other natural beauty and hair care tips here!

Friends, now I want to ask, do you plan to refresh your look this holiday season? And if so, what shade of Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color will you be going with? I’d love to hear about it below!

Connect with Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color:

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Connect with Dress for Success®:

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Book Review & Giveaway: Nat Geo Kids: Hey, Baby!

Disclosure: I received this product for free from Moms Meet, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, the opinions posted are my own. Thank you.

Books. Gifts that are always included on my family’s 4-gift Christmas list each holiday season. Which is why I’m excited to bring you a series of books that’s an entertaining as they are educational and intentional in design. From one of my favorite companies, National Geographic.

A company that is known not only for their commitment to environmental, social, and anthropological efficacy but learning, and fun, too!

When it comes to kids books, I’m not quite sure who loves them more in my home. So when the National Geographic Kids: Hey, Baby! (A Collection of Pictures, Poems, and Stories from Nature’s Nursery) book more – my family or me. Since childhood, I’ve been a huge animal lover, especially when it comes to cute, fuzzy baby animals!

My family is also currently are at the age where they love learning about baby animals as well. When I received the National Geographic Kids: Hey, Baby! book in the mail, I knew this would be an excellent learning resource my family would love going into the holiday season!

Initially, I was impressed with the overall size of the book as well as. The beautiful pictures and facts inside were awesome too!

I enjoyed thumbing through the book even before passing it down to the kiddos! Check out the beautiful cover of this book- vivid, glossy, and attention-grabbing, for sure. And, aren’t those baby animals adorable?

This book is chock full of facts about animals. Animals from all walks of life. From the land, air, and sea. Featuring beautiful photos, stories, and poems, including information about the habitats these precious animals reside in. Children will also learn about the cultures, including folklore, from the regions these precious animals hail!

Hey, Baby! is available to purchase wherever books are sold, including traditional bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million, as well as Target, Costco, Walmart, and Amazon.com.

This gorgeous, hardcover book is a great value at only $24.99. Making it the perfect keepsake gift for families, new parents, libraries, grandparents, or moms-to-be.

National Geographic Readers: Let’s Play from by National Geographic Kids is another book to pick up this season.

This 4-in-1 reader is perfect for aspiring zoologists this holiday season! From precocious kittens to curious otters, this reader has something for everyone! I particularly loved the clever vocabulary trees in this edition.

Affordably priced at only $7.99, this is a book that you’ll want to share with your kids this holiday season!

Also check out the 1,001 Ways to Slow Down: A Little Book of Everyday Calm by Barbara Ann Kipfer. This adorable self-help book is perfect for all those hard-to-shop-for people on your list. Full of helpful quotes about intentional, slower living. Priced under $16.00, this book will resonate with everyone on your gift-giving list this year, minimalists and maximalists alike.

As with all National Geographic Kids purchases, part of this books proceeds will support the exploration, research, and conservation efforts of the National Geographic Society.

And the best part about these three awesome books? One Lady Prefers 2 Save reader can win their own 3-book prize pack, including a copy of Hey, Baby!: A Collection of Pictures, Poems, and Stories from Nature’s Nursery book!

To win, simply fill out the rafflecopter function below and leave a comment on this post letting me know why who you would most want to give this book to! Please note, this giveaway is open to U.S. residents 18+ only. Winners entries will be verified via Raffecopter; all sweeper entries or entries with multiple violating ISP addresses will be eliminated. The winner will be chosen on 12/8/2017 via Random.org and notified via. email on 12/9/2017, and not in this post. The winner will receive their book directly from MomsMeet in the new year. The Lady Prefers 2 Save is not responsible for lost prize shipments. Good luck, everyone!

Friends, I encourage you to check out the National Geographic Kids: Hey, Baby! book this holiday season. You’ll be glad you did!

Now I want to ask, what’s your go-to children’s book each holiday season? Do you have a treasured childhood book from Christmas past? I’d love to hear about them below!

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Welcome back to this week’s Happiness is Homemade Linky Party 199!

It’s time for Happiness Is Homemade Link Party!

It’s December and that means Christmas is right around the corner. It’s time to get inspired for the upcoming holidays with creative decorations, recipes, and crafts.

Welcome back to this week’s Happiness is Homemade Linky Party! I hope to find some great holiday recipes that just may become your family’s new favorites. Being the time for all things festive and fun, I plan on choosing some fabulous Christmas DIY projects and holiday decor. I think I will also try to find something that will help us to be more organized in the upcoming New Year, too. It’s definitely going to be a challenge to limit it to a few features since ya’ll link up some awesome posts.

Check out this week’s features

I just love this DIY Wine Cork Angel Christmas Ornament from Growing Up Gabel. The angel is just darling and the whole project is easy to do.

Happiness is Homemade Link Party: Christmas is Coming!

Every Christmas Eve my family and I make trays of appetizers and eat them while watching a holiday movie or playing board games. These 25 Gluten-Free Christmas Appetizers from Fivespot Green Living has me drooling.

Another tradition in my house is to decorate cut-out sugar cookies. I may have to persuade my adult kids to do this now but I can tell they love it. This Holiday Cookie Decorating Box from Just Measuring Up would be perfect for kids (of all ages) to have so they can make masterpieces out of the sugar cookies. Great gift idea or just for fun!

How cute is this Christmas Tree Serving Tray from Hazel and Gold Designs?! It would be perfect to serve those decorated sugar cookies on with some mugs of hot chocolate. Easy step-by-step directions are a bonus.

Here’s one to save for the New Year to help you become more organized. In many homes, the kitchen is the hub of all things and can often be unorganized. I love the tips and storage ideas from The Dedicated House’s Under the Sink Organization post.

I hope you enjoy the features this week. Let us know in the comments which one is your favorite!

To check out any of the Happiness Is Homemade hostess’ blogs, simply click on our picture below to be taken directly to our personal blogs!

The Happiness Is Homemade Hostesses

Follow our Pinterest board! All of the features are pinned on the Happiness is Homemade Board!

The rules are really simple! Make sure you visit a few other blogs and make some new friends along the way. Feel free to link up your favorite recipes, crafts or your latest DIY project. We want you you share it all! As always, please make sure to follow your hosts and co-hosts!! Link up your posts, make some friends, and earn the chance to be featured at Happiness Is Homemade Link Party! We will feature the favorite posts each week!

Disclaimer: Adding your link to this link party gives permission to all 12 Hosts, along with any co-hosts, guest hosts, and participants of Happiness Is Homemade, to share your posts and pictures via social media and as features, roundups, etc. with an explicit link back to your original source. Therefore, linking up you agree to allow us to use your images on each of our blogs in features relating to Happiness is Homemade Link Party.

An InLinkz Link-up

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10 Steps To Creating a Debt-Free Holiday Spending Plan

Ah, the holidays- a time for giving, receiving, and most likely overspending. And stress. The stress from needless obligatory spending!

For the holiday season is nothing if not full of hidden expenses. Everything from food, travel, work parties, family get-togethers, hostess gifts, donations, holiday pageants, and more! And if your a big holiday spender your not alone! According to National Retail Foundation, 56% of Americans admitted they’re planning to rack up debt this season, 16% of which expect it to take six months or more to pay off!

Still, the single biggest way you can make your holiday season a lot less stressful is to create and stick to a holiday spending plan. Creating a holiday spending plan will not only help alleviate unnecessary spending stress but ensure you won’t be paying off holiday debt far into the new year!

With just a little planning, you can be among those who will be both debt-free and stress-free this holiday season! So if you would like to learn how to create your own stress-free holiday spending plan, here are the 10 steps you can take to help you stick to your holiday budget this season:

Step 1: Determine How Much You Can Afford To Spend On The Holidays: This step is relatively simple. To figure out how much money can you save between now and December 25th, add up any existing savings previously set aside for the holidays, untapped online funds, such as rebate apps or unused gift cards, and how much you can set aside from earned income between now and the holidays. That’s your allocated amount for this holiday season. An amount proportional to your income.

My personal Christmas Spending Rule? How much you can afford to spend must be an amount you save in CASH. This is the amount you actually have to give for Christmas.

Remember, this season is not about financially crippling yourself to ensure someone will receive a gifted pair of reindeer, light-up glitter socks. The holidays are about expressing love and appreciation for those you love. Both of which can be done without spending a dime.

Step 2: Triage your gift-giving list: While it’s nice to want to give something to everyone you know during the holiday season, it’s truly not necessary. When it comes to gift-giving lists, consider a triage approach. Start off by creating a laundry list of people to include:

Family – aunts, uncles, children, spouse, cousins, siblings, grandparents, and even the stray dog your brother-in-law adopted. Include everyone you WANT to give a gift to.
Co-workers – partners, bosses, co-workers, support staff.
Church friends – Bible school teachers, church staff, grandparent figures.
Community friends – neighbors, fellow volunteers, and your favorite baggers at the market.
Those who provide services – paper delivery staff, mail clerks, pizza delivery person, library clerks, yard workers, pool cleaners, and teachers.

Then triage your first list:

Consider giving actual gifts to only those closest to you, such as immediate family and close family friends. A personal rule of thumbs for me: If I haven’t picked up the phone to call the person during the course of the year, I also won’t be sending them a gift this holiday season.
Give distant relatives the gift of time with an extended Skype or Google Hangout Calls.
Gifts to church and temple friends, co-workers, clergy, and teachers can be DIY gifts. Baked goods, DIY wreaths, homespun crochet items, or handmade beauty products all make thoughtful gifts during the holiday season.
For service workers, such as DHL, FedEx, USPS, and HOA workers, $5.00 per person gift cards are not only appropriate but will often fall under various corporate and federal holiday gift-giving policies.
For everyone else, your best holiday wishes! Yes, the old fashion and much-forgotten gift of kind words and sincere hopes for others to have a wonderful new year. The lost art of sincere, honest, and genuinely kind sentiment is a gift that never goes out of style. You would be surprised how many people walk through their daily journey never hearing a kind word. Remember, kindness is free. Give it generously this holiday season!

An awesome way to bedazzle those holiday wishes? Dress up your holiday joy with free e-cards and e-vites on Canva.com! It’s an excellent resource for making not only free e-cards but holiday lists, too!

Step 3: Plan for the little stuff. Be sure to consider the following items in your budget:

Gifts
Stocking stuffers
Gift wrap
Postage and shipping
Christmas cards
Holiday photo
Tips and service gifts
Holiday meals
Baking and kitchen gifts
Décor items
School holiday party supplies
Workplace Secret Santa Exchanges
Party clothing or Ugly Sweater Contests

Once you’ve made a list of all the little things you’ll need, shop the Dollar Tree for such items. You’ll more than likely be able to eliminate most of this list there!

Step 4: Consider Travel. Does your family travel during the holiday season? If so, remember to allocate funds for those expenses. Consider starting cash envelopes for your holiday travel expenses in November to save on surprise expenses in December!

Step 5: Charitable donations. If your family is anything like mine, the holidays always put you in a charitable mood. Remember to budget for your charitable contributions and to ask non-profit groups for tax-deduction slips, when appropriate.

Step 6: Plan for experience gifts: If your family loves to attend the Nutcracker, check out this season’s newest animated holiday movie, or attend a rousing rendition of Scrooge, make sure to budget in for those experience gifts too!

Step 7: Zero-Base your spending plan. The key to a holiday spending plan is to not spend more than you allocated in your spending plan. budgeted. If your budget is tight, you’ve still got two great resources, creativity and time. Think free! With the holiday season still a month out, now is the to prep, purchase, wrap, and store all your holiday gifts. Which allows you to give yourself the greatest gift of all, a stress-free holiday with those nearest and dearest to you! Consider using Free Holiday Budget Workshe ets to help you get started.

Step 8: Track ongoing expenditures. One of the best ways to keep track of your holiday spending plan is to keep records of all your purchases. Scan and digitize your receipts. They create a working folder online for your spending plan. Have your spending plan easily accessible on your desktop for quick reference all season. After the season of spending is over, tally your receipts and total your expenses. Then archive this folder and use it as a reference point for next year’s spending plan.

A quick tip: Create an expense sheet with Google Slides. Sheets that can be accessed via an app from any device (iTunes or Google Play Store) during in-store shopping this season!

Step 9: Set a timeline. Create weekly goals for what will need to be done, planned, and spent. Making sure to give yourself the time and grace needed to mentally and physically prepare yourself to enjoy your own holiday season! When each task is done, move on. don’t obsess over making every ornament sparkle or every bow tied tighter. Aim for completing 80% of your holiday to-do lists at least 80% of the time. Beyond that is icing on the gingerbread, if you will!

Step 10: Go Zero-Waste when you can. A great way to save time and money each holiday season is by going zero-waste with your holiday spending. don’t opt for wrapping paper that can’t be recycled. Design experiences around gift wrapping. Opt for zero-waste gift-wrapping ideas for kids, using brown kraft paper, which allows gift wrap to have a second life as coloring sheets after Christmas morning! Swap out gift bags for reusable shopping totes. e-cards over greeting cards. Consider making ornaments, wreaths, and stocking stuffers at home. Less waste for your wallet and the environment!

Those are my 10 tips for creating and sticking to a holiday spending plan this gift-giving season! I challenge you today to not only create a holiday spending plan but create a budgeting-mindset. the most crucial element in preventing holiday spending. Now I want to ask, what’s your biggest tip for preventing holiday overspending each year? I’d love to hear about it below!

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Shark IONFlex 2x DuoClean Cord-Free Vacuum Review

Disclosure: This review is sponsored by Shark. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you!

Convenience. My go-to mantra when it comes homemaking and cleaning. As a work-at-home blogger, I need valuable cleaning products that help me maintain my home each day with little effort or difficulty. Helping me get back to juggling the myriad of other hats I wear each day!

When it comes to cleaning convenience at home, one thing is for sure. Cordless vacuums are key. They give you the freedom of movement that upright vacuums simply can’t provide.

However, all cord-free vacuums are not made the same. Some cordless vacs, particularly stick-vacuums, work well enough but lack floor nozzles. Leaving you unable to tackle everyday messes, such as sugar, cereal, crumbs, and coffee at home.

Many cord-free vacuums are limited in their functionality. Geared for use for only one type of flooring, either carpeting or hardwood floors. As most homes include both types of flooring, this is very problematic in design.

Others aren’t able to reach under furniture. And, worse still, as every cordless vacuum runs off battery power, few cordless vacuums provide power packs with enough power to allow you to finish cleaning an entire floor of your home. Making you chose between cleaning or charging each day.

With so many issues surrounding cordless vacuums, it’s hard to know which vacuum to choose from reviews. However, there is one cordless vac that eliminates all these problems – the Shark IONFlex 2x DuoClean Cord-Free Vacuum.

What I liked about the vacuum:

Upon opening the vacuum, it’s easy to see how sturdy and well designed the Shark IONFlex 2x DuoClean Cord-Free Vacuum is.

This vacuum can help you clean every surface of your home. From household floors and stairs to playrooms, vehicles, workshops, and sheds, this vacuum has you covered. With the durability and power of a standard vacuum with the convenience of a stick vac.

The IONFlex 2x DuoClean Cord-Free Vacuum delivers a powerful clean with dual brush rollers that work in tandem to clean carpets and hard floors while providing you with the ability to customize the needed suction levers for both surfaces depending on your specific cleaning needs.

Weighing in at only 8.7 pounds, this Shark delivers the power of an upright vac with the ease of a stick vac. Making it easy to move from room to room with ease. Perfect for busy gals like me!

Cleaning Tools:

This vacuum also features several awesome attachment tools, including its MultiFLEX Wand. This wand is unique to the IONFlex cordless vacuum and features technology allowing the wand to bend halfway across the main cleaning tube. With just a single press of the unlock button, the hinged cover opens up, revealing a bendable hose. Perfect for high cleaning.

The MultiFLEX Wand also allows you to maneuver in and out of tight spaces. Such as under cabinets and beside major appliances, all without bending over or having to move heavy items in order to clean unsightly debris out of the way. Particularly important for those with back issues or for more heavy-duty preparatory cleaning during the holiday season.

You’ll also receive a duster-crevice tool. This 8-inch combo attachment features soft bristles and a tapered nozzle to help you dust narrow spaces. Moreover, you can customize your dusting with this tool by sliding the duster head. This takes you from brush to crevice dusting instantly.

In addition, the vacuum comes with an anti-allergen dust brush, which works well for removing fine dust from decor objects, such as picture frames, figurines, lampshades, bed frames, and books.

If you’re a pet owner, like me, you’ll appreciate the included multi-tool that can not only lift piles of debris from carpets but also removes pet hair from fabric without damaging fabric or clog your wand. Altogether eliminating the need for wasteful, expensive lint rollers at home.

The dust cup is also easy to open. Just press the wand-release button to open the dust cup lid. Perfect for emptying your dust cup in the compost bin or when your hands are full with little ones or fuzzies at home.

Power and Performance:

In terms of overall daily cleaning performance, this cordless vacuum works incredibly well. Utilizing dual brush head technology, with both a strong-bristled brush is able to reach deep into carpet fibers and a softer roller brush that not only draws in large debris but also lightly polishes hard floors.

With both brushes, you’ll be able to bring in larger dirt and debris to the surface. Since they operate in unison, you get the benefits that both brush rolls provide no matter what type of floor you’re cleaning.

The IONFlex also features a brush roll indicator light that glows green when the brushes are in working order and red when they are jammed, so you’ll know right away if your brush heads need cleaning. Saving you the time spent on troubleshooting.

Removing the brush rolls is also super simple. Simply slide the two door-access buttons and pull the tab to release the brushes.

As we all know, every flooring requires a different level of care. Which is why Shark integrated its Smart Response technology, that gives users the ability to adjust the vacuum’s power settings.

From the display panel, you can choose from among two surface settings and two suction settings. Making the brush rollers spin faster for high-pile carpeting or slower for hard surfaces. You can also control the suction strength. Ther’s also the extended run-time feature. Perfect for doubling the battery life between charges during daily 1-hour power cleaning.

I also love that with just one touch of the release button, you can detach the handle and canister from the wand and floor nozzle, instantly turning the floor vacuum into a handheld vac. This allows you to clean everywhere around your house, including ceiling fans, door frames, cabinets, mantles, and more.

Battery Life:

With the Shark IONFlex 2x DuoClean Cord-Free Vacuum, you get twice the length of vacuuming time without battery-life restrictions as this cordless vac comes standard with two batteries, so your vacuum will always be charged. Making you ready to go at a moment’s notice for all of life’s mom moments.

Both power packs come with a rechargeable 25.2-volt lithium-ion battery and Single Battery Charging Dock. Allowing you to charge a single battery while using your additional power pack in your vacuum while the other battery is charged and waiting to be swapped.

Each power pack is equipped with a battery light indicator, so you check its power status at a glance. It’s also worth noting that it took me only 3 hours to fully charge a depleted power pack at home.

Shark’s integrated Smart Response technology gives the ability to quickly switch over to heavy-duty vacuuming too. In extended runtime mode, you can get about 23 minutes’ worth of vacuuming time before the battery must be recharged, without sacrificing speed or dirt-lifting performance.

Best still, each power pack comes standard with its own individual 2-year warranty. Should either power pack fail to charge, Shark will replace your pack for free!

In terms of performance, this cordless stick vacuum works incredibly well. It glides across carpets and doesn’t drag on tiled or wood surfaces. Making it even easier to keep my hard surfaces clean at home!

Storage:

Storage, especially for those living with minimal available storage space, is super simple with the IONFlex 2x DuoClean Cordl-Free Vacuum. As this vacuum can be lowered and folded in half, it allows you to store the freestanding vacuum in small areas such as pantries, closets, or playrooms.

When you are ready to return the wand to its upright position, pull the handle until the hinge locks into place.

Warranty and Affordability:

The IONFlex 2x DuoClean Cordless Vacuum also has you covered with a 5-year warranty on all parts except the batteries, which again, have a separate warranty.

This Shark Cord-Free Vacuum is also affordably priced. With a price point nearly $100.00 less than its next comprehensive competitor. Making the IONFlex 2x DuoClean Cord-Free Vacuum is your best-buying bet this holiday season.

While I’m an already existing Shark owner, having purchased and used their products in my home, including their standard, upright vacuums, steam mops, and handheld steamers for nearly a decade, I’ve been over the moon with this IONFlex 2x DuoClean Cord-Free Vacuum. It’s upped my cleaning game beyond measure. Taking it to a whole new convenient level!

Friends, I encourage you to check out this awesome product and the other awesome Ninja and Shark products for your gift-giving list this year!

lean Cordless Vacuum. And, if you’re looking for other cleaning tips, check out my cleaning tab for more frugal tips too!

Now, I want to ask, are you currently a Shark user at home? What has your experience been with the brand? I’d love to hear about it below!

Connect with Shark:

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