5 Favorite Tree Ornaments Bring Fond Memories

Since we spent our first Christmas living together five years before we were married, my husband and I would add new ornaments to the tree every year.  Some were personalized ornaments marked with the year and some were just ornaments that we really loved.  Needless to say, sixteen years later, our tree is quite full.  That does not stop us from adding new ornaments every year, especially since our first child came into our life and then the twins thereafter.

Every year when we trim the tree as a family, we all reminisce as we hang certain ornaments on the tree.  Even our not yet 5 year old twins will find delight in recognizing the ornaments bearing their names from past years.

Pregnancy Ornaments

The ornaments below mark the two Christmas' when we were expecting.  It was such a special time for us even though both pregnancies were difficult ones.  I cherish both these ornament so much.

Couple Ornaments

This was the first ornament I purchased for our first Christmas tree in our first apartment.  That seemed like a lifetime ago, when both my husband and I were young and stupid.

Pet Ornaments

Before we had children, our dogs and cats were our children.  Even after the children came into our lives, I still would get one personalized ornament every year with all our pets names listed on it.  Our Beagle Buddy was my very first dog ever and I had him before I even met my husband.  Although he did not quite make it to Christmas in 2009, I made sure he had his own ornament (left photo below).  He was nearly 16 years old when we had to let him go and he was loved by everyone, even the four-legged members of our household.

Charitable Ornaments

The ornament shown above on the right is one of my favorites.  Not only does the dog on it remind me of our beloved Beagle, but these were ornaments created by children's art.  We purchased a few of these about 14 or 15 years ago, all with a different design.  These were being sold at our local mall and the proceeds benefited Project Bread.  In the years following, I always looked for more of these ornaments, but I never saw them being sold again.

Thank you for taking the time to stroll down memory lane with me.  I hope your holiday is full of fond memories as well!

Review: Z-Access Display It 3D Rotating Frame-in-Frame

The Z-Access 3D Rotating Display Frame is an amazing, unique frame that displays its contents in full view with the ability to rotate 360°. It’s one-of-a-kind setup gives the ability to showcase two or three dimensional items completely, giving new possibilities to everything. You can stylishly show off art work, small sculptures, keepsakes, memorabilia and more. The 6x4 inch frame is made of strong, sturdy plastic and has a puncture-resistant, dual inserts that fit securely with the hinged frame enabling any object to be displayed fully. The inner sheet that covers items contorts to fit them perfectly, so they can be felt as well as seen.

I think this frame is amazing and I already want several more. We showcased one of my older son, Avery’s sculptures from art when he was in second grade. Because of its odd shape, I really didn’t know what to do with it so this frame is perfect for it. Avery was thrilled that his owl finally had a home and was being properly displayed. The frames itself is very sturdy and not in danger of breaking, unless someone tries to. The plastic insert that conforms seems like it could easily rupture, but the owl sculpture it’s housing is very pointy and it seems to be faring fine.

The Z-Access Display Frame comes in two styles. The frame with base retails for $15.99 and the frame within a frame, like mine, is $37.99. Either style would make an excellent Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gift. You can buy them at www.displayit3d.com.


Thank you to DisplayIt3d for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Giveaway & Review: Best of 2010 in a Kodak Gallery Photo Book ($75 AMEX GC) [CLOSED]

Thinking of an original gift for our children to give to their father for the holiday was tough. We have had 6 years of Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, and Father's Day gifts from one or more children, so I was starting to run out of ideas. When Kodak Gallery came to me to try their custom photo books, I realized that this would be the perfect gift for our children to give to their Dad. They could even help me select the photos to include.

The Kodak Gallery Photo Books have two options for getting started. You can either utilize the SMARTFIT Technology, which sorts your photos for you and inserts them into different layouts on different pages. The other option is to make an Original Photo Book where you start with a blank book and build everything on your own, including the layout and photo selection for each page. I tried the SMARTFIT Technology and personally would have preferred the Original. I ended up redoing every page anyways. The SMARTFIT would be good for anyone who was publishing a random assortment of photos, rather than wanting to group the photos chronologically or by theme.

I was very pleased with the options for the book size, cover type, cover color schemes, page backgrounds, and page layouts. Both the front cover and the back allow for you to select a photo and text. I titled my book "Silly Moments of 2010" and personalized the back with a holiday greeting from my children to their Dad.

The first content page allows you to add a message or a dedication. Although it is an option to add captions throughout the book, I opted to let my photos speak for themselves. I did customize the background of each page and tried to alternate the layouts through out the book to make it more interesting to flip through. The photo layouts gave you the options of tilted or straight photos, framed or unframed photos, and even full-page photos.

The photos of the book do not do it justice. I hope they at least give you an idea of the print quality. I am extremely pleased with being able to show off my photographs in this format.

Although ultimately I was very pleased with our book, the site's software does have a few kinks. One bug they are currently working on fixing caused the photos on only one page to shift out of the frames even though it did not look that way in my preview prior to ordering. I did notify Kodak Gallery of the issue and they were able to fix the problem for me. The replacement book I received reflected the correction. Although the books shipped quickly both times, I would highly recommend your not waiting until the last minute to order a photo book for a gift. That way, if something does arise, then you will still have time to have it corrected.

To learn more about Kodak Gallery Photo Books, visit KodakGallery.com, Kodak Gallery on Facebook, and @GalleryExposure on Twitter.

Thank you to Kodak Gallery for sending us a gift card to use towards the purchase of this book and for providing a second gift card for our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a $75 American Express Gift Card (to create a photo book of their own).

Limitations:

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. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Leave a comment telling me what style of photo book you would like to make AND what would be the general concept or theme of your book. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1)  For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.
2)  For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3)  For 10 extra entries, join the Kodak Gallery (top right of homepage) and sign up to received special offers via email. Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments telling me you did.

4)  For 1 extra entry each, if you are a Friend of mine on Facebook and/or if you have "liked" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

5)   For 1 extra entry each, follow Kodak Gallery on Twitter and/or "Like" Kodak Gallery on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.

6)  Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)  Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)  Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9)  Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10)  Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

<br /> <a href="http://www.3garnets2sapphires.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd206/Busymonkeez/Graphics4Me/NEWBlogButton125x125.jpg" /></a><br /> <br />

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)




Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, January 10th, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Giveaway & Review: Custom Printed Lulu Photo Book [CLOSED]

This October, my husband and I will be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary! We do not yet know how we will be celebrating, but I did know that I wanted to have some type of keepsake to commemorate this milestone. A photo book from Lulu.com seemed like the perfect thing to allow me to tell the story of our first ten years together as husband and wife.

(Click image to enlarge)

This is not the first self-publish book I have created. I have to admit that I was not looking forward to it. The ones I have made in the past took hours to create, not counting the time it took me to select and gather the digital photos together. Well, it turns out, I was bracing myself for nothing. The Lulu Studio publishing software was extremely user-friendly. Creating this book could not have been easier and took a fraction of the time compared to my past experience with making books.

This particular book is 8.5" x 8.5" and has a casewrap hardcover binding. You start off by choosing a theme. I went with "Eternal". Then you can select from a variety of pre-designed layouts for each page. Some pages could house one or more photos, some only text, and some both. You even have the option of leaving a page blank, but it will still have the themed background printed on it. I was able to upload multiple photos at once, which was a huge time-saver. To design each page, it was only a matter of selecting the layout, dragging and dropping the desired photo into each frame, and adding the desired text, where appropriate.

I have to say that I cannot be more pleased with the results. The photo quality was amazing, especially considering some of the older photos were scans. I was impressed by the quality of the paper, the binding, and the printing. The best part of this book, however, was sharing the past ten years with our children. They loved seeing photos of my husband and myself before they were born and listening to the story told across these 20 pages.

Lulu.com offers much more than photo books. You can create and self-publish all different types of books, including cookbooks, books of poetry, and portfolios. You can keep your book private or share it with a select few. You can even opt to make it public and sell copies of it, similar to the way websites like Cafe Press allow you to sell your designs on products. The book I made only costs $19.99 plus the cost of shipping. There are no hidden fees, such as set-up fees, making this an affordable and amazingly personal gift to make for a loved one.

To learn more about the possibilities Lulu offers, visit Lulu.com, the Lulu Blog, Lulu.com on Facebook, and on Twitter.

Thank you to Lulu.com for sending us a sample book free of charge to base this review upon and for providing a second book for our contest prize. This article was written as part of a campaign for the Family Review Network.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a customized 8.5" Square Hardcover 20-Page Photo Book.

Limitations:

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. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Browse the selection of self-publish books available on Lulu.com . Then leave a comment telling me what type of book you would like to make (besides a photo book). You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2)

For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND Lulu.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4)

For 1 extra entry each, if you are a Friend of mine on Facebook and/or if you have "liked" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 1 extra entry each, follow LuluDotCom on Twitter and/or "Like" Lulu.com on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.

6)

Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)

Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)

Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9)

Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10)

Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

<br /> <a href="http://www.3garnets2sapphires.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd206/Busymonkeez/Graphics4Me/NEWBlogButton125x125.jpg" /></a><br /><br />

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, October 11th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Giveaway & Review: "By Baby" Ceramic Hand & Foot Impression Keepsakes [CLOSED]

TWINtuitive Product #25

I chose these hand print keepsakes by By Baby to feature as a "TWINtuitive Product" because, although these By Baby baby handprint kits would be an ideal gift for any parents or parents-to-be, I think a Sibling Print Keepsake would be especially meaningful to parents of multiples. Since hand prints are unique, these impressions truly show that each twin or multiple is their own special little person.

Ordering your keepsake is a 4-step process . . . choose your keepsake, order your baby handprint kit, make and return your impressions, and then wait for your personalized keepsake to arrive. It takes about 8 weeks for the final product to arrive, but it is well worth the wait.

What I thought about our By Baby experience:

1) I thought the kit was presented very nicely and definitely came ready-to-wrap if it had been intended to be used as a gift.

2) Taking the imprints and packing them to return to ByBaby.com safely was not difficult, but it was slightly stressful. You had to place the softened Play-Doh on the provided cardboard rectangle, roll it until it was smooth and the right thickness, and then have your child make an impression that was as deep as possible. Depending on your child's ability to not wiggle his or her fingers, this can be a quick process or you may have to make several attempts. It is also not easy to make a deep impression with a small child's hand because you need to push that little hand into the Play-Doh without hurting the child, since he or she does not have the strength to do it themselves.

3) To pack the imprints so that they traveled safely, the kit included a Ziploc bag, pieces of egg-crate foam, and additional cardboard pieces. I had doubts that the soft imprints were going to survive the trip, but I am happy to report that they did!

4) Something you should note is that the return shipping is not included in the price of the product. If you are giving a kit as a gift, you should probably include some cash for the cost of the shipping in an envelope and slip it into the box.

5) Along with the impressions, you will need to choose the color of the the glaze on the imprints, the color of the glaze on the writing, and a ribbon color. There were many colors to choose from for both the glaze and the ribbon. Since my imprints were of both boys and girls, it took me forever to choose. It really helped to look at the galleries within each section of By Baby products to see if there is a color combination shown that stood out to me. You can also upgrade to add dots, stripes, additional text, or additional impressions to your design.

6) I know the hand impressions all arrived safely because, when we received our ceramic keepsake, our three children put their hands right into the glazed hand prints and they matched up perfectly.

7) The plaque itself is extremely heavy, so I was glad to see that the ribbon was extra wide and was strung right through pre-made holes in the plaque. The portion of the ribbon that was tied in a bow is tied in a way that makes it extremely secure, so I had no worries about hanging this weighty plaque up on the wall on a screw.

By Baby products are not limited to just hand and foot impressions on glazed ceramic plaques, but also include impression garden stones, personalized name or word glazed plaques, personalized bow holders and picture holders, paw print plaques for pets, and more. Visit ByBaby.com to view their full line of products.

Thank you to By Baby for sending us a sample kit and plaque free of charge to base this review upon and for providing a gift certificate as the prize for this contest.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive $50 gift certificate to By Baby.

Limitations:

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. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Leave a comment describing to me the By Baby product you would use your $50 gift certificate towards if you won this contest. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND ByBaby.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4) For 1 extra entry each, Friend me on Facebook and/or "Like" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page. Then leave a separate comment for each entry completed with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 1 extra entry each, "Like" By Baby on Facebook and/or follow By Baby on Twitter.

Then leave a separate comment for each entry completed with the link to your Facebook or Twitter profile.

6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9) Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

<br /> <a href="http://www.3garnets2sapphires.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd206/Busymonkeez/Graphics4Me/NEWBlogButton125x125.jpg" /></a><br /><br />

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, June 21st, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Giveaway & Review: Campus Quilt T-Shirt Quilts ($150 GC) [CLOSED]

I have stated again and again that personalized gifts are probably the most cherished. Many of them become instant keepsakes that will remind the recipients of a special time in their lives and of the person who gave them that gift.

In our case, we now have a family heirloom . . . a custom quilt that can be passed down from generation to generation. I chose a 20-square quilt and selected one Dad t-shirt that belonged to my husband and 19 baby items comprised of clothing my 3 children wore during the first year of their lives, including some preemie items. I also opted to have our family's name embroidered on one of the squares.

What I thought about our custom quilt from the Campus Quilt Company:

1) When we first opened the package and saw our finished quilt, both my husband and I were speechless. The quilt was so beautiful and pretty much summed up some of the most cherished moments of our lifetime . . . the first 12 months of each of our children's lives.

2) The ordering process was easy for the most part. Each customer receives a quilt kit that includes a postage-paid mailer plus instructions on how to number your t-shirts or baby items in the order in which you would like them to appear. There are also options for sashing, embroidery, extra batting, etc . . . The kit even includes swatches for you to choose the color and type of fabric you would like to be used in creating your custom quilt. For me, the most difficult parts were choosing which baby items to include and what colors of fabric to use for our quilt.

3) I was very impressed that someone from Campus Quilt Company called me personally to ask a few questions. Since this product is so specialized, it was much better to speak directly to someone rather than communicating through email. The person I spoke with was extremely helpful. Not only did she have questions for me, but she also offered suggestions (such as the alternating blocks of color), which ultimately made our quilt look that much better.

4) When I was choosing my baby items, I kept wondering how bulky this quilt would end up being. For example, my daughter's very first dress had some pleats, but it turned out not to be bulky at all. The technique the Campus Quilt Company used was to dissect the garment and to only use the front layer.

5) After receiving our quilt, I was much more comfortable donating the remainder of our baby clothes. They literally filled 30% of our attic space, but I could not bring myself to let go of them until now.

6) The turn-around time was quick! Even though there was the delay of those few questions, I received my custom-made quilt in about 2-1/2 weeks from when the company received my quilt items.

7) The communication on the part of Campus Quilt Company was excellent. I received a confirmation when my quilt kit was sent out, when my returned quilt kit was received, and when my finished quilt was shipped back to me.

8) I cannot finish this review without commenting on the amazing workmanship. There was not one crooked seam or one thread out of place.

Take a look at why this quilt is so precious to me . . .

(Click on any image to enlarge)

One cause for anxiety about a custom order, such as this quilt, is that you are trusting a stranger with your irreplaceable items. I cannot say enough about how pleased I am with our finished quilt. When I see this quilt, I smile, am flooded with beautiful memories of my children, and just feel like it is proof that my husband and I did something great together by building this family. To be able to make someone else feel like this would be an incredible gift.

To learn more about these custom quilts, visit CampusQuilt.com . There you will surely find inspiration to create something special for a holiday, Mother's Day, Father's Day, or birthday gift or to mark a special occasion, such as an anniversary, a milestone birthday, or your child going off to college. The possibilities are truly endless.

Thank you to Campus Quilt Company for providing us with both a review product and a contest prize free of charge.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a Quilt Kit and a $150 GC to Campus Quilt Company.

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. addresses 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. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:
Browse the various custom products offered by Campus Quilt Company. Then leave a comment telling me what one item (including the size) you would love to give or receive as a gift this holiday. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND Campus Quilt Company. Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4) Fan Campus Quilt Co on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 2 extra entries, share the link to this contest post on Facebook, making sure to show the photo of the prize or the sponsor's logo. Then leave TWO separate comments with the link to your Facebook profile.

6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

<br /> <a href="http://www.3garnets2sapphires.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd206/Busymonkeez/Graphics4Me/NEWBlogButton125x125.jpg" /></a><br /><br />

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Thursday, November 26th, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!