Perhaps Dorothy said it best in The Wizard of Oz, “There’s no place like home.” And, there’s no better time to come home than for the holidays. But you don’t need ruby slippers! Campbell’s Homestyle – “The taste that takes you home” is helping 15 lucky winners go back home during this holiday season to enjoy precious time with family and friends.

Just like a bowl of Homestyle soup warms you inside and out, sharing family traditions warms your heart. Whether you love to help with the cooking or just enjoy the delicious pies. Whether you are an outdoor adventurer or enjoy snuggling by the fire, there truly is no place like home.

Entering the Sweepstakes is easy! Simply pick the photo that reminds you most of home or upload your own for your chance to win a $500 airline gift card to help get you home for the holidays.

Entries are limited to one per person using only one email address and one Pinterest account throughout the Sweepstakes Period. Five winners will be chosen each week and you can only win during the week in which you enter.  (ends 12/16)

Now you can win a $25 NAPA Cash card good at any of your neighborhood NAPA AutoCare Centers and enjoy the premium, friendly, certified, and guaranteed work that NAPA AutoCare Centers provide. 

Disclosure: I am working with NAPA AutoCare on this post/giveaway.

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Twitter for Mary J. Blige 
Shop “A Mary Christmas” 
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Verve Music Group

Every once in a while it’s good to stand back and take an objective look at your home. Is it scattered with laundry? Overflowing with photos? Do you have mail piled up on your desk from weeks and months ago?

There is a psychology behind the way we keep our homes, from decor and accessories to habits of organizing and neatness. It not only reflects on you, but it may also be affecting your feelings and thinking.  Our surroundings matter to us. When the outside world feels unforgiving, we retreat to our homes to find comfort. Home is a place where we can display what we find meaningful and beautiful.

Our home is emotionally connected to who we are. In design, emotions are often attributed to the most basic aspects of the house: “Steps to a happy kitchen,” “How to have an awe-inspiring entryway”, “Create perfect mood lighting.” The process of creating a space that we connect to emotionally is as varied as the emotions themselves.

For example, did you know that bright colors — vibrant shades of green and blue, yellow, and orange — provide an expansive feeling. These are friendly, happy colors that encourage communication and are therefore especially welcome in the dining area and kitchen. When it comes to being organized at home, this can have a beneficial effect on your lifestyle. Being organized offers a slew of benefits. It gives you peace of mind and saves you money since you can find and use what you own instead of buying more. It also helps you stay connected to others. When you’re disorganized, you may miss events or stop inviting people over to your home. Clearing up the space helps you feel more confident and capable and it saves you time.

Perhaps you need a change, a pick-me-up in your environment. Maybe you’re just ready to get serious about making a statement with your home for yourself and your guests. Your home is a portrait of your personality, and wellness should be reflected in even this aspect of your life. Since style is the art of living, the Philip Zepter Home Design collection represents Zepter International’s firm reply to the current popular trend of minimalism in home furnishing. Beautiful turkish linens and organizational boxes are just two of the ways Zepter can help ou to spruce up your home. The Masterpiece Collection is designed to bring style to your kitchen and table as well, with a range of design to compliment all tastes and styles.

Don’t wait until Spring cleaning to spruce up your home! Making changes for the better now will have profound effects on your happiness and health that will reflect and reward you in your life at home and well beyond.

If you would like more ideas and solutions for a healthier and happier life, you can check out Zepter on Facebook.

Do you feel that there are changes you can make to your home that will make you happier?

This post is sponsored by Zepter, an international company whose mission is to enlighten people on how to live healthier, happier lives.

Most animal lovers will agree that their pets are part of the family. I’ve found a website that has daily deals specifically geared towards your dog or cat that’s very cool. 

Coupaw offers multiple new deals daily on any type of dog and cat product that you could imagine! I didn’t even know some of these things were out there. The prices are terrific, up to 85% off, and they also make unique gifts for all your pet-loving friends. 

They have toys, treats, chews, home goods, health products, leashes/collars, and t-shirts. Offering quality products and, importantly, keeping pet safety first is Coupaw’s #1 priority!

Here are a few of the deals going on now: 

Yeowww! Catnip Candy Cane Toys (USA Made)

7″ Bully Spirals Dog Chews (6-Pack)

Fresh Breath Clean Teeth Gel for Dogs & Cats

Andy Warhol’s Cats, Cats, Cats (Book)

How it Works                   

• Buy items directly on our website
• Redeem in-store deals at local retailers
• Buy vouchers for use on other websites

• 1st place – $50 coupaw bucks
• 2nd place – $25 coupaw bucks
• 3rd place – $10 coupaw bucks

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A Bad Mad Sad Day for Mama Bear

On a very bad day, Little Bear offers Mama Bear various items to make her feel better, but she’s too busy to notice-until he gives her his super, so good, so very special dolly. Silly humor, alliteration, repetition, and onomatopoeia make this a fun read-aloud story. Suggested age range for readers: 3-7

Author Mayra Calvani Mayra Calvani writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults and has authored over a dozen books, some of which have won awards. Her stories, reviews, interviews and articles have appeared on numerous publications like The Writer, Writer’s Journal, Multicultural Review, Bloomsbury Review, and others. She lives in Belgium with her husband of 25+ years, two wonderful kids, and her two beloved pets. When she’s not writing, editing, reading or reviewing, she enjoys walking with her dog, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Book Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 12/9/13 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 http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Gateway by Christina Garner  

Everybody has their demons. Some are just a little more real than others… Ember has always known she doesn’t belong in this world, but when she tries to correct the mistake, she wakes to find herself in a mental institution. There she draws the attention of Taren, a mysterious boy who isn’t what he seems. When chaos erupts, they are forced to flee the institution together, and the secret Taren has been keeping, brings Ember closer to understanding her own. And leads her to… the Gateway.  

Author Christina Garner 

Christina Garner began writing stories at the age of six, with some help from her older sister. At eighteen, her aspirations as an actor had her loading up her Buick and setting off for Hollywood. Since then, she has written and directed 10 short films, including Rewind and Reminder, both of which received acclaim on the festival circuit. In 2006, she began writing screenplays. A year later, she even got paid for one. In May of 2011, her debut novel, Gateway, became an Amazon Bestseller. A year later, Chasm, Book 2 in The Gateway Trilogy, did the same. Christina lives in Los Angeles, and when she’s not writing, spends her time traveling the world, watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns, and playing with her dog, Griffin.  

Book Blast Giveaway

 $100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 12/5/13 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 http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Illuminating Gracie by Lisa C. Temple

As an old woman’s lifeless body lies on a cold stone floor, her soul stands before an angel who offers her a miraculous opportunity: the chance to do it all again. But that is easier said than done. In order to change the path her life has taken, she must put aside years of self-loathing and pain, so she can help the young girl she once was become the woman she should have been.

At 17 years old, Grace Bennett is a bitter young woman. Though blessed with a loving family, looks and brains to spare, she hides her light under a bushel, spending most of her time in the darkness of her mind with little more than sarcasm and self-pity to keep her company. But things are about to change for Grace. While delivering food for her family’s bed and breakfast, she turns onto a desolate dirt road and drives straight into her destiny. It’s on this isolated country lane that the damaged girl meets a strangely familiar old couple and two mysterious young men. Together the group fights the demons that surround Grace, and they teach her what it means to let her light shine.

 “Illuminating Gracie” is, at once, a metaphorical tale of the fight between good and evil and a spiritual saga of one girl’s journey from darkness into the light. If you liked “Twilight” and “The Hunger Games,” you will love the story of Gracie.  

Author Lisa C. Temple

On thirty-nine Senior scrolls, the Headmaster of author, Lisa C. Temple’s, small, private school wrote “Good Luck and best wishes for a prosperous future!” On the fortieth and final scroll, which was Temple’s, the Headmaster penned the words, “Lisa, I can’t wait to see to what use you put your unusual talents!” Temple spent the next 30 years trying to assuage her former leader’s curiosity – and her own. She sold BMWs in her hometown of Montgomery, Alabama, and hillbillies (as a booking agent) in Nashville, Tennessee. In an effort to escape the enforced servitude of the Junior League, she even attended and was graduated from law school and passed the Alabama State Bar exam in 2002.

Through it all, she battled problems and illnesses, many of her own making. But, it wasn’t until her father – her hero – was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS), that Temple found her true calling – the “talent” that she finds joy in putting to use. “Illuminating Gracie,” is loosely autobiographical and born from a desire to, if only, metaphorically right the wrongs of Temple’s own past. It tells the story of a miserable old woman who is given the opportunity – by an angel – to go back in time and help the young girl she once was become the woman she should have been. “Illuminating Gracie,” is the first book in a four-book series. The second book, “Instigating Gracie,” is due for release in December 2013. Temple laughs when saying she has a loving and complicated husband she deserves, and a wonderful son and two loving stepchildren that she does not. She also shares her life with her beloved pets: Pomeranian, Phebe; Bordernese, Flash; and Tabby cat, MInx.  

BookBlast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 12/13/13 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 http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

From 1880 to the present, cars have changed dramatically! I’ve always loved driving and though my car doesn’t have every accoutrement by any means, it’s hard to imagine not having my radio to jam to on long rides or heat during the New England snows!

If you’ve ever wondered when power steering or air-conditioning first evolved or even the cup holder, check out this cute video from Kia on the evolution of the modern car. I love the music and feel and it’s full of fun information.

Do you remember the first time someone taught you to drive? Do you have kids that drive or are approaching that age?

Seeing your kids drive for the first time can be so many things: exciting, fulfilling, nerve-wracking, horrifying!

I still remember when I was 15 and my Mom took me to an empty church parking lot and we drove around for quite some time. When she felt I was ready, she suggested we try it. And, apparently, I said: “You mean on the actual road ?”

I guess I was a little apprehensive.

On the other hand, my nephew could not wait to get his permit and I remember driving with him because my sister just did not want to. He had all the confidence in the world, but she didn’t.

It all worked out fine though – no mishaps and it solidified the bond we’ve always had. It’s great to be able to share what you’ve learned through experience and to watch those you love grow and take off on their own.

Now, can you imagine having, not one, not two kids ready and eager to drive, but five?

Well, meet the Jansens, a Midwestern famliy with quintuplets, yep, five ready to drive! They’re all fifteen years old and all learning at the same time.

State Farm’s new blog 5willdrive.com follows the Jansen family and their quintuplets through their journey in teaching all five of them how to drive.

Meet Mom, Dad, big sister Nicole, and the quintuplets: Elijah, Taylor, Miranda, Nick and Carter, the youngest. Each has their own unique personality and interests. Learn what it feels like to be in the joy and chaos of a big, loving family. It can be extremely challenging in general and learning to drive with five is a huge stepping stone.

Check it out in this video! You can also follow their adventure at 5willdrive.com/ which is a very cool blog.