3G2S Turned 7! Let's Celebrate with 'Gifts That Give!' from UNICEF Market!

Thank you to UNICEF Market for providing a gift code for us to shop and for providing an additional gift code for our giveaway prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

This March, 3G2S turned 7!  Since I am now a part time blogger and have far less time to write, I have to make each post count.  That's why this blogoversary seems like the perfect opportunity to share the new sister site to Novica.com, UNICEF Market, with 3G2S readers.

As you may have noticed over the years, I have a soft spot for triple garnet silver jewelry.  I love wearing it to represent my three January babies.  That's why I absolutely fell in love with the Garnet and Sterling Silver 'Waterfall' Necklace I found on UNICEF Market.  This necklace was handcrafted by an artisan named Carmen Granados from the Andes in Peru and displays three round garnets in a graceful, yet modern design.

To make UNICEF Market jewelry even more special, each piece comes in a drawstring jewelry pouch and is accompanied by an artisan storycard, which allowed me to learn a little bit about the woman in Peru who created my necklace.  Every UNICEF Market purchase is packed with a postcard with a handwritten thank you.  In addition to all these special touches, you can feel good about giving artisan-made gifts because, not only are you supporting the artisan, but you are also helping UNICEF save and protect children in impoverished areas around the world.  Each product page gives you an example of how your purchase could benefit children.  For example, the purchase of this necklace may have provided 18 doses of measles vaccine to vulnerable children.

I have to admit, I love giving 'gifts that give' as much as I love receiving them.  While shopping for myself on UNICEF Market, I began looking for Mother's Day gift ideas for my mother, grandmother, and sister.  On the top of my list so far are the beautiful scarves and shawls, plus some of the ornate hand carved jewelry boxes.

Thinking of shopping UNICEF Market for your next gift purchase?  Each gift purchase comes with a free greeting card containing your gift message plus there is the option to upgrade to Premium Gift Boxes for jewelry purchases.  For each item, you can click on "Delivery Estimate" to find the cost of shipping (which is surprisingly affordable) and the approximate number of business days it will take the item to travel from its point of origin to your front door.

Learn more about the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and the UNICEF mission here.

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This giveaway is open to U.S residents only. You must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

A Custom Hand Stamped Personalized Sterling Silver Toggle Necklace for My Birthday!

Thank you to Like Mother, Like Daughter for providing a sample custom hand stamped silver necklace for us to base this review upon and for providing a gift certificate for our giveaway prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

It's September!  That means the two sapphires of 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires had birthdays this month . . . one of which was me.  Yes, I turned forty *cough* one this month.  Somehow turning 41 seemed to impact me more than 40.  I wouldn't say I'm feeling old . . . just older.  Regardless, nothing cures the birthday blues better than jewelry.  Well, not just any jewelry.  It needs to be something special . . .

No piece of jewelry could be more special than one that was crafted just for me.  While browsing this charming hand stamped jewelry boutique on Etsy, called Like Mother, Like Daughter, I saw this sterling silver washer toggle necklace and I kept coming back to it.  I admit I have an affinity towards larger circular pendants, but I just wasn't sure this was the one for me.  Then I realized that I could make this the perfect necklace for me because it can be customized!

What did I come up with?  Why, it's this mommy necklace that has the names of all five members of my beloved family stamped into the sterling silver washer plus a silver family tree charm dangling in the center.  I just love the way this necklace turned out!  If you do too, you can order this custom necklace here.  It would truly make a cherished gift for a special mom in your life.

Now, I'm one to leave my jewelry on 24/7.  Just as stated in the shop information, this type of silver will develop a patina when exposed to air.  If you aren't a fan of an antiqued look, then I recommend that you keep these pieces stored away safely protected from the air while they're not being worn.  It's also helpful that each piece comes with a polishing cloth to help keep your jewelry looking like new.

To view all the wonderful offerings in hand stamped necklaces, bracelets, and earrings (in sterling silver, bronze, copper, and aluminum) visit Like Mother, Like Daughter on Etsy!  Now it does take some time for your custom pieces to be created, so plan accordingly if you're purchasing a gift.  For me, it was totally worth the wait!

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This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

Add Hardware to Your Wardrobe Without the Commitment with Mialisia Interchangeable Jewelry! (#MialisiaJewelry)

Thank you to Trisha Haas, Founding Mialisia Independent Designer, for providing complimentary Mialisia Jewelry samples to facilitate this style post and for providing the prize pack for our Holiday giveaway.  All opinions expressed are my own.

If you recall, I first introduced Mialisia Jewelry to 3G2S readers in our 2013 Holiday Fashion Gift Guide.  I was sent 3 Mialisia interchangeable necklaces to see how many different looks I could come up with.  Since I firmly believe that every outfit is better with a little hardware, I happily accepted the challenge.

One of my biggest revelations during this fashion experiment is that I realized I don't mind pearls so much after all.  Although elegant and classic, the word "conservative" also comes to mind when I think of pearls.  My experience with Mialisia jewelry has changed my point of view.  Pearls can actually be a little edgy when combined with the right hardware!

Lush multi-strand necklace layered with a knotted Sorrento necklace

What makes Mialisia pieces unique is that they each come with removable hooks that allow you to link multiple necklaces together, wrap and secure them around your wrist, wear them as belts, and just about anything else you can image.

Sorrento necklace wrapped on the wrist

If you have ever been tempted to buy a handbag adorned with chains, but was hesitant to make the purchase because you worried about your ever-changing tastes, then here is an easy way to add some hardware to your look without the commitment.  If you have a bag with a removable shoulder strap, simply remove the shoulder strap and attach a Mialisia necklace in its place using the included hooks.

Lush necklace on Melie Bianco handbag

Are you getting bored with wearing scarves the same way each time?  You can get this look by wrapping a Mialisia necklace spaced evenly around your scarf and fastening the ends together behind your neck.

Sorrento pearl necklace wrapped around a scarf

It's hard to wear bracelets during long-sleeve weather, so why not put the hardware somewhere else?  If you love wearing boots like I do, then I highly recommend trying a Mialisia necklace wrapped around your booted ankle!

Boot wrapped with Lush necklace

Yes, you can hook two necklaces together to make one layered necklace, but how about threading one necklace through another to create a new look?

Lush necklace wrapped around the wrist & Sorrento necklace threaded through Julie Tuesday necklace

To view all current Mialisia necklaces along with the coordinating earrings and rings, visit ohmy.mialisia.com.  This interchangeable jewelry line is new for 2013 and is only available online or through a Mialisia independent representative.  If you love jewelry, would like to work from home, and are interested in direct sales, be sure to visit www.ohmymia.com.

Our Mialisia Prize Pack . . . 

Times Square disc necklace & Long Island Necklace (ARV $80)

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US residents 18+ only, winner has 48 hours to respond via email to winning notification. Notification will come from momdot@live.com.

Sphere of Life "Bring me Spring" Sterling Silver & 18k Gold Necklace

Sometimes I feel like I am on an endless search for the ideal necklace.  I do not change my jewelry daily like some people.  I want to wear jewelry that I love, is unique, tarnish-free, and looks great with just about anything I wear.  That way I can put the jewelry on and forget about it.

I recently discovered Sphere of Life necklaces and am now wearing their Bring me Spring spherical necklace, which is very close to being the ideal necklace for me.  If you are looking for a unique piece of well-crafted sterling silver jewelry to gift for Mother's Day or to add onto your own Mother's Day wishlist, I highly recommend that you visit SphereOfLifeJewelry.com to see what they have to offer.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

Before the recipient even gets to the necklace, she will be floored by the presentation.  The necklace is carefully placed in a drawstring mesh gift bag, which is then nestled in a bed of satin inside a silvertone sphere with "Sphere of Life" engraved on the outside.  This sphere sits inside a sturdy ready-to-wrap gift box.  Opening this gift will be an experience of anticipation, luxury, and feeling loved combined.

Although Sphere of Life offers several other jewelry collections, the Sphere of Life Silver collection alone has over 70 styles of necklaces and earrings to choose from.  Each sphere is made of highly polished sterling silver and comes with an 18" silver chain that can be adjusted to a 16" length.  Although it may take awhile, you will be sure to find the necklace that exudes the right sentiment for you or the person for whom you are shopping.  Each necklace actually has a small gift tag enclosed with a message printed on it.  I chose the "Bring me Spring" necklace because I have always admired the grace and beauty of butterflies.  In fact, I even have a butterfly tattoo.  The message that came with this necklace was "It's your time to blossom."  What a wonderful gift this particular necklace would make for someone who will be graduating from high school or college this Spring!

The only thing that kept this necklace from being the ideal necklace for me is the length.  At the 16" length, the sphere does not seem to sit right on me since it does not really dangle.  At the 18" length, the sphere sits perfectly with high or low necklines, but it sometimes sits on the neckline of the tops that fall in between.  I think this necklace at 17" would be ideal for me.  Although this necklace is adjustable, it does not have large rings for the entire length of the extender.  There is a ring at the 18" mark and one at the 16" mark.  I would love it if they added a third ring at the 17" mark.

In the end, this necklace is just lovely, from the presentation right through to the workmanship.  You can shop online or find out more about Sphere of Life jewelry, by visiting www.SphereOfLifeJewelry.com and Sphere of Life on Facebook.

Thank you to Sphere of Life for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon and for providing a second product for our contest prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.
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Mungi Bands . . . Magnetic Silicone Bracelets for Kids and Tweens

Has your tween asked you for silicone band bracelets only to find that they are all sized for adults?  Mine has repeatedly, so he was super-excited to try out Mungi Bands, which are magnetic silicone bracelets that allow your child to mix and match the two halves.  They come in themed 3-packs for both boys and girls.  My son chose the Rock Star, Shark Attack, and Hot Boards styles to try out.  Mungi Bands, which are recommended for children ages 8 and up, actually come in two sizes . . . Small and Large.  I went with the smaller size for my 8-1/2 year old son, who has a lean build.  It turned out to be the perfect choice.  The bracelets do not fall off his wrist like standard silicone bracelets, but they also give him room to grow.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

Below are some examples of our son's favorite combinations.  I do want to point out that the magnets are extremely strong.  If your child wants to layer the bracelets, you should be prepared for them to stick together at the seams.  Personally, I think it would work out better to wear one per wrist and then layer it with other types of bracelets.

Because our son loves to play with magnets, he could not resist trying to make a necklace, rings, and even art with his Mungi Bands . . .

I would love to see more styles like the black Mungi Band that says "Rock Star" on it.  Although the shaped designs are fun, I think that children would also like bracelets that look like "grown up" silicone bracelets that have straight edges with just text on them.

Visit www.MungiBands.com to view all the styles of bracelets available.  Each pack of 3 retails for $6.99 and there is flat rate shipping of $2.99 for all orders.  Follow Mungi Bands on Facebook to be one of the first to know when new styles are being introduced.


Thank you to Mungi Bands for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon and for providing additional product for our contest prize.

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Freshwater Pearl Pendant w/Gold Chain for Mother's Day

Pearl Paradise offers beautiful and unique freshwater pearls in various colors and in several different settings. They offered me a gorgeous Lavender Pearl Pendant to review, and I was thrilled to get it.

This "Mini Collection" pendant features a small freshwater pearl that is lavender in color and is on a “mini” setting with a pendant cap and set on a Forzatina white gold cable chain. It is very delicate, but utterly stunning, and can be worn alone or layered with other jewelry. The pearl itself is a round pearl, which is very rare, and is an AAA quality pearl with high luster.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

I truly love this necklace. It came with papers of authenticity, which just added to its glamour for me. The pictures on their website do not do it justice, and neither do mine. It is very small and stylish, but truly a gorgeous look for any woman to wear. It would look great in many occasion and styles of dress and would be a wonderful addition to any jewelry-lover's collection. I know I am happy to have it and love wearing it.

You can see this pendant and all the other freshwater pearl jewelry that Pearl Paradise has to offer on their website, www.pearlparadise.com.

Thank you to Pearl Paradise for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon and for providing a second product for our contest prize.



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Mother's Day Gift Ideas from Novica.com

Even though I am a mother myself, I find it particularly difficult to find unique gifts for my own mother for Mother's Day, for her birthday, and for Christmas.  Since I know that she always loves gifts that are beautifully crafted by hand more than mass produced items, I try to keep her in mind whenever I visit Novica.com.  Novica offers a wide array of gifts for women, including clothing, handbags, shawls, jewelry, and more that are all handcrafted by artisans from around the globe.

When I shop on Novica.com, I usually am looking for something unique to surprise a loved one, but this time I chose two items for myself.  Since I have been admiring all the wraparound bracelets I have been seeing for the 2012 Spring/Summer season, I chose this "Brown Trendsetter" Leather Wrap Bracelet made by an artisan named Khanittha in Thailand.

I chose this bracelet for the twisted style of the leather and its deep brown color.  Also, this bracelet is adjustable and fits my smaller wrist size very well.  Like with most Novica jewelry, this bracelet came in a beautiful gift box.  All Novica products are accompanied by a postcard from it's country of origin along with a story about the product and the artisan who created it.  At $22.99, this handcrafted leather bracelet is extremely reasonably priced.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

The other product I chose for myself was the "Purple Paths" Cotton Shawl.  It looks like this shawl is currently sold out, but there are many more wraps and other women's Central American accessories featured under new arrivals on the website.  This particular one was made by the San Jose Women's Artisan Association in Central America.  This cotton shawl is the perfect weight for Springtime and cool summer nights.  It was also very easy to steam out any wrinkles by just hanging the shawl on a shirt hanger in the bathroom during a hot shower.  I have to mention that this product arrived gift wrapped with a charming handmade "worry doll" gift topper with a very interesting story attached to it.

Be sure to checkout all the artisan-made products on Novica.com for Mother's Day, including brightly colored yellow, orange, and green scarves, and for Father's Day, such as men's cufflinks from Indonesia or beautiful chess sets from all over the world.  I have ordered Novica products from many different countries and have found that you should allow approximately 3 weeks for the item to arrive.  It is best not to wait until the last minute to order your gift since it may have a long way to travel.

Thank you to Novica.com for providing a gift code for me to shop for products to base this review upon and for providing an additional gift code for our contest prize.


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Holiday 2011: Bold "Modify Watches" with Interchangeable Faces and Straps

Modify Watches are super cool, interestingly unique, interchangeable watches for adults. A throwback to neon bands of the 90’s, Modify Watches are meant to get you noticed in a big way. Offering 13 stylish faces and 9 neat straps, the possibilities are almost endless for these “super dope” watches. Get them to match your favorite team, outfit, or just to make a statement.

We were sent two straps and one face for my husband and I to share, which we were both pretty excited about. When I opened the box I realized this would never fit on my small-framed wrist. Not only is the strap made more for a man’s wrist, but the face/straps themselves are very big as well. No biggie, really, I just wouldn’t recommend the Classic Style watch for women. They would make a great gift for any man in your life. My husband loves his and wears it all the time. It’s very nice looking, well made, quirky and unique, and definitely gets him attention. His only complaint is that it’s a bit “sweaty” because of the rubber. Besides that, he loves his Modify Watch and already wants more, like the argyle face.  Checkout the Mini Style watch if you are shopping for a woman or a child.

Modify Watches can be seen and bought on their website, www.modifywatches.com.


Thank you to Modify Watches for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Review: Pop Expressions . . . Interchangeable Silver & Crystal Jewelry Collection

A new collection of interchangeable jewelry has been added to Helzberg Diamonds' Expressions for Helzberg line called Pop Expressions.  This collection features sterling silver jewelry frames, which can take specially designed magnetic crystal centers so you can easily change the look of your jewelry to match any outfit, occasion, or mood.  There are a variety of sterling silver bracelets, rings, and pendants (silver chain included) to choose from.

For someone like me, who is too . . . let's call it lazy . . . to change my jewelry very often, the Pop Expressions are a perfect solution.  I have several favorite pendants, one of which is red, that I rarely wear because it just does not go with everything.  I wish I could just magically change the color of that pendant to match my outfit, then I could wear that necklace, which was a special gift from my husband, all the time.

I received the Pop Expressions Swirl Pendant with the Light Blue & White Crystal Pop to wear.  I wore it out to dinner and received many compliments about it from people who did not know this pendant's secret . . . that I can just pop the center out and replace it with a different one.  Helzberg Diamonds does separately sell a key-shaped tool that can push the Pop out of the frame from the back of the pendant. Since I did not have one, the tip of a closed retractable pen worked just as well.  The magnet is very strong and the Pop does need to be literally pushed out of its frame.  In fact, the magnetic attraction is so strong that, when I placed the two pieces next to each other to take a photo, they actually snapped back together all on their own.

Every style of jewelry frame is available as a "Starter."  Each Pop Expressions Starter comes with a jewelry frame, in the form of a bracelet, necklace, or ring, and one center so it is ready to give as a gift.  This Pop Expressions line makes gift-giving so easy.  Once you have gifted a Pop Expressions Starter, which range in price from $49.99 to $299.99, you can give a new interchangeable Pop, each priced at $49.99,  for nearly any occasion in the future.

Top left:  Classic Heart Rolo Bracelet with White Crystal Pop

Bottom right:  Heart Bracelet with Light Blue & White Crystal Horseshoe Pop

From left to right:  Crystal Frame Ring with Fushia & White Swirl Pop

Crystal Frame Ring (with no Pop)

Square Filigree Ring with Fading Blue Swirl Pop

To learn more about this new jewelry collection, visit Helzberg.com and Helzberg Diamonds on Facebook.  For a limited time, you can receive a free Pop Expressions Compact to hold your Pops and Key when you purchase two Pop Expressions.  If you make your qualifying purchase online, you will receive a free I Am Loved Pop in addition to the Compact.



Thank you to Helzberg Diamonds for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.