Welcome to the Something Special for Mom Giveaway Hop hosted by the Blogging Mamas Network. Mother’s Day will be here soon, which is why a group of fabulous bloggers have come together to share gifts and giveaways that are perfect for the special woman in your life! Be sure to check them all out, including the Grand Prize of a $100 Gift Card to aka originals! Enter to win the hand stamped jewelry Grand Prize here.

Our prize here at Strange Daze Indeed is perfect for a gift or for yourself, a $25 giftcard to See’s Candies to use on whatever your heart desires!

I had an opportunity to try some special treats from See’s to facilitate my review.

First up was a custom box. This is an ideal gift for yourself or someone who loves certain types of candies or if you want to sample new flavors! You can fill it with entirely one flavor or create a delectable combo.

Some of the ones I tried were the pineapple truffles which were heavenly! They really melt in your mouth and had a natural pineapple flavor, very tropical. The raspberry truffles had a lovely tart finish. I also tried the dark chocolate truffles which are perfect for any chocoholic with their  rich, creamy truffle center of semi-sweet chocolate and chocolate liquor. They are then covered in smooth dark chocolate and topped with a chocolate and nut rough. The maple walnut was unique and flavorful if you love maple like I do. I loved the Mayfair with its nuts, cherries and vanilla covered in creamy milk chocolate. I also tried Scotchmallows for the first time, and let me just say that these will be on my order list every time from now on! They have a layer of caramel with a layer of honey marshmallow covered in rich, dark chocolate. Amazing! Also, no custom box would be complete for me without my favorite which is the Dark Buttercream. I know other stores have buttercreams, but, for me, See’s buttercreams are tops out of all of them. 

My order arrived  very well-packaged with cooler packs to keep everything incredbly fresh!

I also got to sample the Mini-Wishes box! There is also a larger sized box. Both are ideal for Mother’s Day and the box is so gorgeous with its pink blossom on top. It’s definitely something you want to keep afterward for trinkets or treasures. The mini-wishes box includes Milk Chocolate Hearts, Dark Butterchew, Divinity and more.

Other smaller items I recommend are: Celebration Hearts

These would be great for parties, weddings, showers, any other happy celebration or as thank-you gifts.  You get a good amount of melty and delicious solid milk chocolate hearts wrapped in gold and silver foil. These are beautifully dressed up with an elegant white organza bow.

I especially love:

the Peppermint Twists!

It’s hard to describe what makes these my favorite peppermint candies but I’ll try! The flavor is not too strong like some peppermints but it’s a delicious sweet flavor  and they are like fluffy clouds! As they dissolve, you really experience a light airiness that is delightful! The price is wonderful too.

So, what would you buy with your $25 gift card? Best of luck to everyone and Happy Mother’s Day!

So Easy Being Green, Viva Veltoro, the Blogging Mamas Network, and the Something Special for Mom participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations.

Everyone loves their mom and always wants to find the best gift to make her feel loved and appreciated. These are the gifts I have found and would love to share with you. After you enter my giveaway head over to Makobi Scribe to see her mothers day gift ideas worth over $2000. Then enter the grand prize drawing of a $1000 worth of Karina Dresses.

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Here at Strange Daze Indeed, we are giving away 10 personalized Ayurvedic Beauty sets from Veria Naturals, each with 3 full-size products: A rich body butter, a healing serum, and a Day Moisturizer. Each will be tailored to your specific body/mind type or dosha.

What are doshas?

Ayurveda originated in India over 5,000 years ago. Based on an understanding of nature’s rhythms,  Ayurveda is a healthcare system which is all about balance, built around the five elements of ether, air, fire, water, and earth. According to ayurveda, we all have our own unique mix of three mind and body principles. These make up our specific physical and mental characteristics and are called doshas. Most of us have one or two doshas predominant.

What are the three Doshas?

The three doshas are known as: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. To find out your dominant dosha, simply  visit Veria Naturals and click on the Dosha Quiz on the top bar.  Though I have a bit of Pitta and a touch of Kapha, I am predominantly Vata in nature and physicality.

Veria Naturals 

Because we all have our own identity, Veria Naturals makes personal care really personal by looking at the whole you, not just the one in the mirror. Their natural skin, hair and body care considers how you look, but also how you live, what you love, what makes you “you.”

All Natural

Ayurveda is about balance, and it’s hard to balance what’s organic (you) with what’s artificial. That’s why Veria seeks out effective herbal ingredients, and why they’re careful about what goes into their formulas.

All of VeriaInnerdosha products are made with 100% vegetarian ingredients and are certified cruelty-free.

NO parabens

NO phthalates

NO synthetic fragrances

NO harsh sulfates

NO artificial colors

NO GMO’s

Sustainability 

Veria Innerdosha marries herbal wisdom with the best of modern science and that also applies to the packaging of their products. They’d never say something’s good for you that isn’t also good for the world. So when they  say “more of the good, less of the bad,” they mean people, planet, all of it.

Thanks to the wonderful people at Veria Products, I was able to try an assortment of products.

My most favorite so far is the body butter! Rich and luxurious, it was neither thick, nor greasy and absorbed quickly into my skin. I tried the one for Vata:

With rich Ayurvedic Kokum, Cocoa, Shea, and Cupuacu butters, my skin loved it after a long winter. It was very hydrating and smelled incredible.

100% natural fragrance blend:  Vanillin Natural, Ginger, Cardamom, Clove and Orange Oil Extracts and other essential oils. Mmmm, so good!

This is also available for Pitta and Kapha with a blend tailored for each.

One of the body butters (depending on your dosha!) will be in the gift package for 10 winners, along with the Day Moisturizer and Serum! These are all personal favorites.

Also recommended by me

This clarifying mask is wonderful for sensitive skin and has gentle fruit exfoliants to smooth and brighten.

The papaya and pineapple derived fruit extracts exfoliate while boswella, turmeric and Coleus oil bring your skin back to balance.

It also contains natural anti-inflammatories and helps restore your skin’s collagen bundle structures and elasticity.

I love the light scent and found it extremely soothing to my skin.

The Clarity Found Body Wash (for Kapha) has a really nice scent of sweet orange, grapefruit and lemon. I love citrusy scents, so to me, this is a winner. It’s a nice wake-up call for your skin with light hydration and gentle foaming. After my shower, my skin smelled wonderful and felt very clean and soft.

Another I will be buying again is the See The Difference Eye Cream

This works with all doshas.  As I get older, I find that my eye area is drier and seems to be showing more fine lines. This cream is very nourishing with natural fatty acids like flax oil. It’s very lightweight and what I love most is its all natural ingredients. I can’t use mainstream creams around my eye area, especially if they have fragrance or perfume. This was a blessing in that respect as my skin loves it! As I keep using it, my eye  area is hydrated and brighter.

What we put on our skin is absorbed into our bodies, much in the same way as what we eat, so it’s important to me that it be all-natural and healthy and Veria Products are all that and more. They not only address my desire for products that are natural, but they smell wonderful, have nourishing ingredients particularly matched to my nature and they respect the environment!

This is a perfect gift for Mother’s Day or any day!

There will be 10 winners, so enter today! Best of luck to all!

Makobi Scribe Reviews, LLC or the Mother’s Day Gift Event Bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. Also, please enter for the Grand Prize here! Best of luck everyone!

Children are a true blessing, and, as parents, we try to find ways to keep them happy and ensure they grow up with the best we can provide. Of course, love is most important! But, the room they grow up in is also key. After all, so much of their early lives are spent there. Removable wall decals can help transform any room into a warm, comfortable and tranquil space for your children.  There are stickers in many patterns and styles for children of all ages, for both boys and girls. These stickers are vinyl which is widely used in our daily lives, and they are completely safe, even for hospitals.

Here is one of my favorites:

These wall art decals also make a great gift for someone who is putting together a nursery or children’s room as there is a large variety to choose from and you can also customize it to their interests. Top sellers include growth chart stickers, number & alphabet decals, black chalkboard and glow-in-the-dark stickers, as well as cartoon figures and animals. Many parents choose growth chart stickers to paste in their child’s room to keep track of their height. The glow-in-the-dark stickers are fun and bring  a sense of mystery and charm.  Also, most children love animals and are delighted having them on the wall of their rooms as they grow.

In addition, you can also get customizable decals for whatever you’re interested in. Along with the pre-designed patterns, you can have the stickers made to order according to your own imagination.

I wish I had this quote on my wall growing up since I was a big Dr. Seuss fan and loved to read!

In fact, I’m thinking of getting this one now!

No matter what age, wall decals are a wonderful and easy way to spruce up a room without messiness or paint fumes. In no time at all, you can have your own menagerie or landscape, transform your space and change it with the seasons.

What are some of your easy decorating tips?

Life in the Palace by Catherine Green

“We need to talk,” Tal said. Then I knew it was going to go badly. ‘We need to talk’ is the conversational equivalent of walking into your basement without turning on the light, on a dark and stormy night, when a known psychopath is on the loose. You might as well cut to the chase and slit your own throat.

Chloe Diaz assumed three things: that when Tal said that she was one of The People sent from heaven to maintain the cosmic balance, it was code for ‘I’m a pamphlet distributing, incense burning, religious weirdo;’ that the gorgeous Seth Wilks would never be her soul mate and that she’d never have to choose between them. Chloe was wrong.

Now the future of the world is in her hands, but what if the price for that is too great to pay?

Download a FREE copy now!

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Chloe on Facebook * Seth on Facebook

After a lifetime in the shadow of her sister, Chloe is severely phobic of everything cool. Seth is everything she avoids; a pre-med philosophy major who works in a bar, plays in a band and is so good looking grown women stare at him in the street. But it’s hard to say no to your soul mate. Thinking she’s maxed out her supply of destiny, Chloe settles down to enjoy the happily-ever-after.

Tal says that she’s one of The People sent from heaven to maintain the cosmic balance. Chloe assumes this is code for ‘I’m a pamphlet distributing, incense burning, religious weirdo.’ Actually Tal’s main extracurricular activity is fighting the forces of Oblivion. The People never need to hide what they are because no one ever believes them. Until Chloe does.

Chloe sets out to help Tal and The People as much as she can being as she is an outsider. Seth says as long as no one wears their underwear on the outside Chloe can do what she likes. What he doesn’t say is that he’s also one of The People, although non-practicing. But as the Final Battle draws nearer, Chloe realizes it’s time for Seth to go collect his regulation sword. The only thing standing in his way is her. Seth says he’ll give up his place in heaven to stay with her. Now Chloe must choose between Seth’s soul and her own happiness.

Author Catherine Green

Catherine Green writes fantasy books featuring religious characters in a brazen attempt to make the people in faith communities seem less weird. She lives with her husband, children and also three marginally neglected goldfish. When she’s not writing, or pretending to be one of her characters on Facebook, she has been known to cook dinner.

Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 5/15/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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MamaNYC is hosting the third annual Good Luck Giveaway Hop in honor of St. Patrick’s Day and I’m very happy to be a participant along with some other awesome bloggers! Every blog listed has a prize valued at $25 or more, with all sorts of variety. This event will run until March 22nd so you have time to hop around.

This giveaway is open WorldWide.

I tried to think of a prize that would fit the Good Luck hop and that you, my dear readers, would love! So, thanks to the wonderful Laughing Vixen, I think we’ve come up with something very cool. Because, my friends, when the Zombie Apocalypse comes, you’re going to need all the luck you can get!

In that vein, so to speak, one entrant will win this amazing Walking Dead Inspired Zombie Bracelet. You also have the good fortune to help create your own bracelet by choosing which charms will appear on it.  I love that! This is my new must-have.

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In the US, the leading cause of death is heart disease. People of all ages and backgrounds can suffer from this. I watched family members struggle with heart disease, so it is particularly important to me, not only to support the American Heart Association, but, also, to do what I can to keep myself and my family healthy. I do believe that education can be a wonderful tool for change. The more we understand about how to decrease our risks and eat well, the better our quality of life can become.

We try to stay heart healthy here by cutting down on fats and sodium, by not overeating, by doing cardio workouts and going for long walks. Not only does this help with our cardiovascular system, it also can increase our enjoyment of life.

There was a time that my Mom and I would take a daily walk around the neighborhood and down to the beach. Stopping to see the new flowers, the frog fountain she loved, being out and about, and having wonderful conversations are memories I cherish.

I still keep this routine and include yoga in the mornings to get my body, mind and spirit moving. We eat more veggies, fruits and lean meats. I’ve also added some really wonderful vegetarian meals to my repertoire.

Health is at the forefront of people’s minds, but I know that keeping your family in tip top shape can be a challenge when life is busy. Campbell’s Soup wants you to “Address Your Heart” with Heart Healthy Tips, recipes and more!

You can visit AddressYourHeart.com to get heart-healthy tips, including 21 Campbell’s recipes that are certified by the AHA and product coupons, as well as Facebook.com/campbellskitchen for the latest Campbell’s recipes and offers.

Here, to start you off are 5 of my favorite recipes from the “American Heart Association Certified Recipes”.

They are, in order: Slow-Cooked Chicken & Butternut Squash, Louisiana-Style Chicken, Sausage & Shrimp Skillet, Tilapia & Vegetable Casserole, Pizza Primavera with Cauliflower Crust, and Grilled Bruschetta Chicken. Just click on each picture to get the recipe.

You can also find a list of great Campbell’s coupons and special offers right here.

À VOTRE SANTÉ! Here’s to your health!

Disclosure: I am working with Campbell Soup Company on this post. They have provided assets, however, all opinions are strictly my own.