Handwritten Notes Mean More

It seems like in today's digital world something as simple as a handwritten note has become somewhat of a lost art. Everyone is so busy being caught up in the hustle and bustle of life they either don't have the time, or just don't want to make the time to sit down and write a handwritten note. Honestly what does that say about us and the notes we do send?

Countdown to Valentine's Day

With Valentine's Day being just 4 days away if you haven't already started shopping you might want to NOW! If you're still trying to find that "perfect" gift I have some more great ideas for that special someone in your life.

More great gift ideas for Mother's Day

Ready for another round of great ideas for mom this coming Mother's Day? Then you've come to the right place because I have some more great ideas in store for you!

Have fun at home while practicing #SocialDistancing

Right now is a crazy time for pretty much all of us. Some of us are learning how to "homeschool" our school age kiddos, some are learning how to "co-exist" at home with their spouses full time, and some are just trying to deal with all of the new uncharted territory all around us in general. No matter how you look at it time right now can be pretty stressful if you don't take some time out of your day to just enjoy life. That's the one thing I've learned in the last several weeks, we have to stop and enjoy the time we do have all together at home. Below you'll find some ways to do that thanks to the good folks over at Tastykake, Pilot Pen, Domino and Party City.

InCoWriMo - How are you doing so far?

This February, with a little help from Pilot I started out with the mission of participating in InCoWriMo. Also know as International Correspondence Writing Month. What is InCoWriMo you ask? InCoWriMo challenges you to hand-write and mail/hand deliver one letter, card, note or postcard every day during the month of February. I started out pretty good the first of the month, then slacked off when I got sick with bronchitis and a bad asthma flare-up. I tried not to let it get me down, but honestly I was just too tired and drained to keep up every day. I did decide however to make up for the days I missed by either doubling up some days, or carrying over the days I missed into March. I really wanted to be able to finish the mission not just so I could say I did it, but because of the way it felt seeing people look at me with surprise - and then joy when they read the note I wrote them.

Valentine's Day Guide 2020

Is it just me or is love in the air? Or maybe Valentine's Day is just around the corner! Looking for some great gift ideas for a loved one? A special friend? Or maybe even for your kiddos? Then you've come to the right place. Be sure to bookmark this page and keep checking back for all the latest and greatest to be added!

Valentine's Gifts Everyone will love!

Looking for some great gift ideas for the upcoming Valentine's holiday? Then you've come to the right place. I have some "good ole standbys" and some fun new ideas too! Be sure to keep an eye on the blog as I'll be adding more great ideas over the next few weeks leading up to Valentine's Day!

Ready for some Halloween fun?

Looking for a great alternative to sugary sweets this Halloween? How about some fun monster themed goodies from OOLY! Available individually or as a "super set" these fun gifts are sure to be a hit with trick-or-treaters this Halloween.

Holiday Gifts for the Home

Cubii Jr. is the original compact seated elliptical that lets you work out without sacrificing time. Add more strides to your day, burn calories, lose weight, and boost energy, all while you sit. You can even track your workouts with the built-in LCD monitor. Simply place Cubii Jr. on a flat surface in front of your favorite place to sit, then adjust your resistance level, and finally start pedaling and enjoy your workout. You'll never have the excuse of "I don't have time to work out" again. With Cubii you can exercise while you're at your desk working, or watching your favorite shows on TV in the evenings.

Pilot Pen Supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Used to be when I saw something with a pink ribbon on it I didn't even give it a second thought beyond "oh that's pretty". But having experienced the effects of breast cancer in my family I look at it in a whole new way now. I don't just see it as a "pretty pink ribbon" adorned on clothing and other merchandise. I see it as both awareness for an important cause and as remembrance of the battle a loved one fought - and won I might add. Thankfully many organizations like Pilot Pen agree that it's a cause that worthy of that awareness and that further education is very much needed. And they are taking a stand and doing something about it too!

The Perfect Journals for Tween Girls

Have a tween girl in your life that likes to journal? Well you're in luck! Notebook Doodles Peace Love and Music and Dream Big! Guided Journals both hit shelves recently and are both awesome choices. They feature not only plenty of space for creative writing they also have writing prompts and fun pages to doodle when they get "writers block". My daughter is almost 13 and she loved both of these books. She said it was nice not feeling like all she could do in the journal was write all the time. Sometimes she just doodles inside to help unwind. She also likes the writing prompts because she doesn't always have something on her mind to journal but still wants to write.

About the books:

Notebook Doodles Peace Love and Music Guided Journal features inspirational messages and illustrations from popular Notebook Doodles coloring book artist Jess Volinski. Filled with motivational words and whimsical art, it encourages tweens to develop their creative writing skills while they express their thoughts, hopes, and dreams. Writing prompts guide young readers to practice the four basic writing styles taught in school—narrative, compare and contrast, descriptive, and goal setting. The lined page layouts inside Notebook Doodles Peace Love and Music Guided Journal offer plenty of room for expressive writing. Beautifully illustrated and made of the highest quality materials, this sturdy hardcover journal includes beautiful end papers.

Notebook Doodles Dream Big! Guided Journal features inspirational messages and illustrations from popular Notebook Doodles coloring book artist Jess Volinski. Filled with motivational words and whimsical art, it encourages tweens to develop their creative writing skills while they express their thoughts, hopes, and dreams. Writing prompts guide young readers to practice the four basic writing styles taught in school—narrative, compare and contrast, descriptive, and goal setting. The lined page layouts inside Notebook Doodles Fabulous Fashion Guided Journal offer plenty of room for expressive writing. Beautifully illustrated and made of the highest quality materials, this sturdy hardcover journal includes beautiful end papers.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received product to share my honest and unbiased thoughts. However, all thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brand.

Take your Journaling to the Next Level with Art Journals

Journaling can be a therapeutic activity, or it can just be something one does for fun. I know for me it helps when I'm struggling with something being able to put it into words on paper. Sometimes I can't (or don't want to) put it into actual words out loud so this method is very helpful. My daughter on the other hand says its just "fun" journaling. Either way we are both getting something out of it. And with this new set of art journals we have an added bonus to our journaling. Art journals like Faith & Lettering, The Illustrated Word, and Illuminate Your Story can help spark creativity and add dimension to your words. If you've ever gotten writers block when trying to express your thoughts on paper these journals are a great help for that. I've found myself flipping through the pages reading the scriptures to help calm my nerves many times already. My daughter likes the coloring journal because she can go back and forth from writing to coloring if she can't quite think of what she wants to write about. Each journal has similar features like the thick paper, lay-flat binding, and overall quality. But when you open them up they are entirely unique inside.

Faith & Lettering Journal
New from professional letterer Krystal Whitten! With guides, instructions, and tutorials, this is a fun and inspiring way to create beauty with words. It is the perfect place for journalers to practice Bible journaling, lettering quotes and verses, or decorating a page with original thoughts and plans. Exploring your God-given creativity has never been so rewarding. Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Illustrated Word Coloring Journal
Create your own masterpiece with this journal that has forty glorious illustrations from ancient manuscripts that have been recreated as line drawings. Just as medieval monks brought Scripture to life through intricate inked illustrations in handwritten manuscripts hundreds of years ago, you can now create your own stunning keepsake that will be treasured for years to come. Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Illuminate Your Story Journal
Use this almost-lost art of illuminating letters to enhance your writing, Bible journaling, or sermon note-taking. Rich illustrated manuscripts in the Museum of the Bible’s collection inspired these gorgeous letters. Easy to follow instructions, practice pages, and encouragements guide you through the creation of amazing start letters, flourishes, and more. Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of the above mentioned brand. I received product to share my honest and unbiased thoughts. However, all thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brand.

UGLee Pen the Sleek Ergonomic Pen

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Product Description
The UGLee Pen is good for everyone who writes (even just a grocery list), and is especially helpful to people who experience pain and discomfort when writing, for example those with arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, etc., and for all children who are learning to write and are developing fine motor skills. It is also helpful for special-needs children who find holding a pen or pencil properly difficult. And for high-school and college students who have to take copious notes, this pen helps keep hands and fingers from cramping.

My Take:
I received a set of three UGLee Pens for my reviewing purposes. And call me crazy but I was so excited to get them in the mail. I immediately tore into the package and started writing random words on paper. Why you might ask? Well, because I had seen them advertised on the web and through other blogs doting on how great they were to write with. I just had to see for myself. I enjoy writing, but don't like the hand cramps that come with long letters so if this supposedly great pen worked I had to see just for myself. So here I was with this ergonomic pen in hand and now it was my turn to test it out. I first wrote a few words, then I decided to really test it out I needed to write more than just that. So, I wrote a long letter to a friend to put the pen to the real test. I have to say I was very impressed, when I held the pen at the correct angle it felt great. My hand didn't cramp up part way through the letter or even after I was done. I love these pens..now to keep them hidden so no one else steals them from me!

Win it:  One lucky reader will win an UGLee 3-pen pack, (colors random). This giveaway will end February 21st at 12:00 AM EST. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email. If no response, a new winner will be chosen. Open to residents of the US.

Entry Method:  Please use Rafflecopter form to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: The giveaway prize is a 3-pen pack, color is random. 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.

BIC® 4-Color™ Pens #BIC4ColorPen

Thanks to my participation in the Smiley 360 program I received two BIC® 4-Color™ Pens. One for review and one to giveaway. I decided to do something fun with my pens so I took them to our New Years Eve event at church and used it with one of the games we played. Each person kept track of their own score on a chart so we each used a different color for scoring purposes.  It made it so much easier to see which column we each needed to record our answers on by using one color each. Then for the prize at the end of the game I gave them the other BIC® 4-Color™ Pen. I actually found it funny how much conversation was generated just over the use of the pen. My favorite comment that was most used was how they remembered when they were kids taking the bottom half off the pen and doodling with all the colors out.  Yep, I'm guilty I did this exact same thing too!

I have to say I've always been a big fan of BIC and this too has always been one of my favorite pens over the years.  I'm keeping my pen in my purse for those times when my kids are bored and want to doodle. I think giving them a pen of multi-colors makes it so much more fun than just a black or blue pen.

Right now there is a $1.00 coupon on the Bic Pen Pals Facebook page so you can save on BIC products!

Disclosure: I was sent two BIC® 4-Color™ Pens from BIC, via Smiley360, for review and giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are my own.