Welcome to the Winning for Thanksgiving Giveaway Hop hosted by MamaNYC! We wanted to show you, our readers, how much we appreciate you, so we’ve all gathered together with some amazing prizes up for grabs.

This event will run from November 20-27th, so you’ll have time to hop around to all the other blogs and enter their fun giveaways. Good luck and a very Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, for the spirit of community with family and friends and for the delicious food! So, I thought it appropriate that my giveaway here at Strange Daze Indeed be for some wonderful food as well!

My prize is going to be a $40 Gift Card for Food Delivery from Delivery.com.

At Delivery.com you can conveniently order food online from your favorite local restaurants for delivery or pick up.  There are over half a million hungry users every month that order from thousands of restaurants in over 50 cities nationwide.

Delivery.com is super easy to use; you simply go to their website and enter your address and find what restaurants service your area for delivery or pick up and choose whatever you’re in the mood for. You don’t have to call, wait on hold, repeat your order or search around for menus buried in a drawer somewhere.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

I’ve been a fan of Nonni’s Biscotti for years, having tried every flavor, and I absolutely love their fresh gourmet crunch. So, I was thrilled when they came out with the new Salted Caramel Biscotti.

Have you ever had french fries dipped in ice cream, or pretzels with chocolate, sea salt caramels? I’m a big fan of salty and sweet tastes together.  I love these. They are filled with caramel, then dipped in rich milk chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt. Each biscotti is individually wrapped to stay fresh and a perfect 100 calorie size for snacking.

They are wonderful for dipping in coffee or eating straight out of the box. They’re perfect for serving to guests with a cup of tea or to put out at holiday parties. Nonni’s are made with real eggs, butter and gourmet bittersweet chocolate.  I’ve found them to be light, yet filling, and always high-quality.

Fun Facts

Biscotti was first created in the fourteenth century in the Tuscany region of Italy.
The name Biscotti is derived from ‘bis’ meaning twice in Italian and ‘cotto’ meaning baked.
Nonni’s is the most popular selling biscotti on the market and the only national brand sold coast to coast.

You can visit Nonnis.com for more information and look for them at your local supermarket.

One lucky reader will win 4 boxes of the New Nonni’s Salted Caramel Biscotti. Yum! Just enter via Rafflecopter below and Happy Holidays!

a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure: I was provided samples to facilitate my review however all opinions herein are expressly my own.

I’ve done a lot of catering work in the past and one thing I learned is that all wines are definitely not created equal. It’s interesting also, that the most expensive are not necessarily the best. So many factors go into creating a wonderful wine. I sometimes had a hard time choosing wines with so many options out there.

For years Pam and Bruce Boring, proprietors of the California Wine Club also were frustrated trying to find truly great wine. They realized that the ones they liked most were ones their friends had recommended. And, this is how The California Wine Club began, a wine of the month club that in their words was just like “one friend recommending a great bottle of wine to another friend.”

This is one of my favorite aspects of this particular club. Now in their 20th year of business, they love to travel California’s wine country searching out the wineries and meeting the families behind the vineyard, and getting to discover some of the very best.

What a great idea for the holiday season. You can gift friends or your spouse or yourself! It’s a unique gift because each wine comes from an artisan hand-picked winery. I love the idea of having wine packaged beautifully and delivered to your home each month at reasonable rates. I love discovering varieties I might never have found. And, most of all, I love sharing it with family and friends.

There are four options to choose from, for every taste and budget:

The Premier Club: The most popular plan with handcrafted award-winning wines and their Uncorked magazine
The Signature Series: For the collector or connoisseur featuring the highest rated wines from California
International Selections – a global wine adventure featuring ‘mom and pop’ wineries from around the world
Aged Cabernet Series – Napa Valley’s most prestigious Cabernets aged 8-12 years

I was sent two bottles to sample, both from the Robledo Family Winery.

First up, we tried the Robledo Family Winery 2008 Lake County “Seven Brothers” Sauvignon Blanc.

Their description
Aromas of honeysuckle and mango waft from your glass of this yummy Sauvignon Blanc. On the palate, green tea, citrus and lemongrass make this white a rich and complex.

Bronze Medal, 2011 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

I enjoyed this wine, finding it to be a refreshing complement to a late summer or early fall light meal. I would pair it with light salads and seafood. I loved the fruity, crisp taste.

On a different day, we tried the Robledo Family Winery 2009 Napa Valley “Seven Brothers” Tempranillo

Their description:

This wine has a bright ruby color with heavy aromas of cranberry, blackberry, cinnamon, spice and toasted oak. The flavors of dried black fruit, toasted cedar and tobacco mingle with great acidity and strong tannins to produce a long, rich finish.

I did prefer this one of the two, though both were very good. This is a great wine to pair with Italian food or meat. 

This wine is rich and full-bodied and perfect for Fall and Winter, perfect for sipping by the fire.

I very much recommend the California Wine Club. I lived in Napa Valley for a few years and it is one of the most gorgeous places in the world. I can see why the owners love to explore there and the surrounding areas and we get to experience their adventures each month delivered to our door. Fabulous!

Oh, and did I mention that membership costs nothing, you can cancel anytime, and every wine is 100% guaranteed.

You can check them out at www.cawineclub.com, on Facebook  and on Twitter.

I’m looking forward to next month’s shipment. And, in December, I’ll also be offering a giveaway so you can experience the California Wine Club’s artisan wines for yourself, so stay tuned!

Cheers!

This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. I received a 2 month Membership to the California Wine Club for the purpose of this review.

Friends is one of the all-time most popular TV shows and I’ve seen every episode. How fun would it have been to sit around the coffeehouse joking around with those guys!

This holiday season,Warner Bros. Pictures is proud to announce the release of Friends: The Complete Series Blu-Ray Box Set November 13th 2012; along with the 30 Days of Friends: Trivia Challenge Blog App and Video Player! It will be very cool to see Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe in high def!

Relive all your favorite Friends moments in these fun mash-up clips.  Each week throughout November a new clip will be unlocked so come back to see the rest!

As part of the celebration, one of my readers will win a Friends limited edition prize pack with two oversized cappuccino mugs and a picture frame just like the one on Monica’s door!

Just enter via Rafflecopter below!  Best of luck and “I’ll be there for you…”

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chirping fire alarms and other “home annoyances”

Do you know those people who can fall asleep anywhere? Well, I’m not one of them. I really value my sleep and so often I am kept awake by “home annoyances”. We live in a rather old house so at night I hear creaking stairs, a toilet that all of a sudden decides to run, a dripping kitchen faucet and  this really loud clock I have. It was like one of those old movies where the ticking just got louder and louder as I tossed and turned or like the tell-tale heart beating in an Edgar Allen Poe tale! I finally wised up and got non-ticking clocks.

Another “home annoyance” are smoke alarms that chirp at night or at random times.  In a recent study done by Kidde, homeowners said that although they were aggravated by these smoke alarms, they didn’t see them as the potentially life-threatening safety risk that they actually are.

In fact, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) statistics indicate that the primary reasons smoke alarms fail to operate in home fires are a missing or disconnected battery (50%) and a dead or discharged battery (23%).

Sometimes people take out the batteries to stop the chirping and while they mean to replace them, they forget when they awaken or in the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life. But, that chirping is telling you that your batteries need to be replaced asap to keep your home and family safe.

This fall, Kidde is launching a great line of Worry-Free Smoke Alarms for your home. These are super-smart and easy to install and there are four models designed with features for different rooms within a home: bedroom, kitchen, hallway and living area.

Kidde Worry-Free Alarms are the only UL listed alarms containing a photoelectric smoke sensor programmed to reduce nuisance alarms caused by such things as burnt toast.

The new alarms are powered by sealed-in, long-life lithium batteries for 10 years which is the life of the alarm so you don’t have to worry about them at all! They’re on alert 24/7. Worry-free, maintenance-free, completely hassle-free! This is something I completely support. In fact, I am currently working on changing all my alarms to Kidde Worry-Free Alarms.

A home fire is reported every 85 seconds in the US. Help prevent tragedy and give your family the most possible time to respond by checking and replacing your home smoke alarms today. Stay safe!

The Kidde Worry Free Smoke Alarms will be available at select home improvement stores and other retailers in early November 2012. Suggested retail prices range from $25 to $50.

You can read more at the Kidde website.

Kidde would like to offer one of my readers a 2-pack of Kidde Worry-Free smoke alarms ($65 ARV). You will receive a hallway and a bedroom alarm.

Just enter via Rafflecopter below. Best of luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was provided a sample of this product to facilitate my review however all opinions are strictly my own.  

Author Chloe Jacbos:

Chloe Jacobs is a native of both nowhere and everywhere, having jumped around  practically every Province of Canada before finally settling in Ontario where she has now been living for a good number of years. Her husband and son are the two most wonderful people in the entire world, but they also make her wish she at least had a female cat. No such luck. Although the day job keeps her busy, she carves out as much time as possible to write. Bringing new characters to life and finding out what makes them tick and also just how badly she can make them suffer is one of her greatest pleasures – almost better than chocolate and her fuzzy pink bunny slippers.

The things that matter most in our lives are not fantastic or grand. They are the moments when we touch one another, when we are there in the most attentive or caring way.
~Jack Kornfield

Eco-friendly Health and Wellness

Some good news from one of my favorite companies and the one I trust most for Omega-3 supplements that are healthy and pure.

Nordic Naturals, the leading manufacturer of omega-3 supplements, has announced the launch of its mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android users. The Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Essentials app offers easy access to the company’s full range of award-winning products.

Features of the new app, which is available free to Apple and Android mobile device users, include the ability to order products online or find a retail store. The “Daily Omega Reminder” allows users to set daily prompts for taking their omega-3s and monthly reminders to reorder products. Information on the wide-ranging benefits of omega-3 essential fatty acids is available to educate consumers and help them select the right product to meet their personalized nutritional needs.

“Nordic Naturals is an omega-3 industry leader,” said Joar Opheim, CEO and founder of Nordic Naturals. “We are pleased to lead the way in offering the convenience of a mobile app to consumers.”

App users will be among the first to be notified about product launches, emerging research about omega-3s, and store-specific sales and promotions.

The Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Essentials app also answers the question, “Why Nordic Naturals?” App users can learn about the company’s patented manufacturing processes, independent testing, and participation in ongoing research. The app will also help consumers understand the qualities that distinguish Nordic Naturals products, including proven purity, exceptional freshness, great taste, and superior triglyceride form.

“We’re dedicated to making a difference,” Opheim said. “From the way we source our raw materials, to the way we process our oils, to our charitable donation programs – we are guided by our goal of seeing generations of healthier, happier people around the world.”

Based in Watsonville, CA, Nordic Naturals is committed to delivering the world’s safest, most effective omega oils to help provide the essentials of an extraordinary life. Distributing to more than 35 countries, Nordic Naturals offers more than 150 products in a variety of flavors and formulations, all in line with leading standards for safety, efficacy and sustainability. By providing omega oil supplements for adults,kids, athletes and pets, Nordic Naturals helps everyone do more of what they love.

Further information is available at www.nordicnaturals.com. Nordic Naturals is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nordicnaturals and you can follow them on Twitter at @NordicNaturals.