Kohl's Deals on Disney FROZEN Holiday Gifts Continue On Post-Black Friday & Cyber Monday!

I participated in an Influencer Activation Program on behalf of Influence-Central for Kohl's. I received Kohl's gift cards to facilitate my review and a thank you item for participating.

Although I love visiting my local Kohl's store, during the busy holiday season, I shop almost exclusively online.  We live in such a highly populated retail area that it takes us a half an hour or more just to drive a mile or two this time of year.  Why deal with that when I can shop in the comfort of my own home, where there is no traffic, no lines, and no crowds?

Another perk of shopping online at Kohl's is that there are some great FROZEN gifts that are available online only.  Throw in the free shipping deals, Kohl's promo codes, Kohl's Cash and Yes2You Rewards, and I just cannot find any reason not to shop at Kohls.com!  I also love that Kohl's does not hold your order if part of it is not available to ship yet.  I placed my order on Black Friday and have received 2 of the 3 shipments already.

You all know that I'm an early shopper, right?  By the time Black Friday and Cyber Monday roll around, I'm pretty much done with my shopping already.  What does that mean?  I end up seeing things I had been eyeing in the past for a great price and just cannot resist purchasing them for myself or someone in my family.  From this Kohl's order, my daughter became one Disney Frozen Elsa Castle Raglan Tee, one Elsa & Heart Earring Set, and one Anna & Elsa Heart Alarm Clock richer!  We also have the Disney Frozen Floral Anna Tee, which was love at first sight for my daughter, and the Disney Frozen Microfleece Throw (my favorite item of all the ones we ordered) coming from the same order!  In addition to these, I also bought my daughter a new rain jacket and a Paw Patrol toy for my nephew for Christmas.

I do have to share one Kohls.com shopping tip with you! . . . When I shop, I usually add things to my shopping cart and come back to checkout when I know my order is complete.  Well, I learned that you just cannot do that during this time of year.  At least 4 items I had in my cart were sold out when I returned to checkout the next day: a different Frozen earring set, the Olaf Throw & Pillow set, the rain jacket for my daughter in a different color, and a fleece jacket for my husband.  My advice is:  If you want it, don't wait to complete your order!!!

Want to shop for Frozen gifts?  Kohl's has all things Frozen, including clothing, jewelry, home furnishings, electronics, toys, and more.  All you need to do is go to Kohls.com and click on the Disney Frozen banner on the upper right of the homepage and you'll be taken to a selection of 800+ Frozen items.

By the way, did you vote for your favorite singer or group in the Frozen "Sing Your Heart Out" Contest?  If you weren't watching the 2014 American Music Awards, you can find out who won by visiting Disney.com/FrozenFriday, where you can see spotlights of the winners and all the finalists.  It's so interesting to hear their individual stories about how they got to that moment.

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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 24 hours, a new winner will be drawn. Although every effort will be made to have the prize received in time for Christmas, we cannot guarantee that the prize will arrive by 12/24/2014.

The Ultimate Gift Idea for Young Artists . . . Bring Children's Artwork to Life with #Budsies!

Thank you to Budsies for providing complimentary custom stuffed animals samples for us to base this review upon.  All opinions express are our own.

If you have a child who has a deep love of drawing, this gift idea will surely be a cherished one.  We have two such children in our house and they were over the moon about the idea of bringing their artwork to life in the form of a custom plush toy.  It didn't take them very long to decide what to draw, but what then?  That's where Budsies came in . . .

On Budsies.com, you can submit a scan or a digital photo of your child's artwork to have a Budsies designer create a 16" plush toy in the artwork's likeness.  Our two children, who submitted artwork, are 10 and 7 years old and were able to follow the tips I gave them quite well . . .

Tips for Designing Your Budsies Creation:

1.  Try your best to show the entire subject on the page without having parts cut off at the edges.

2.  Use solid blocks of color when coloring in your subject.

3.  Try to assign a color to every party of your drawing.

4.  Keep your background white or another solid color.

5.  Don't worry if any parts are a little abstract.

6.  Have fun with it!

Even if you just do one or two of the above or your artwork was drawn for another occasion, you will be amazed at what the designers at Budsies can do.  Visit Budsies on Instagram for some wonderful examples!  All the materials that go into making each one-of-a-kind creation are hypoallergenic, so they are safe even for the youngest artists.  If your child needs a little inspiration, he or she can take a look at the Budsies templates.

I have to say that the whole process of ordering from Budsies could not be more simple.  When you submit your image, you will have the opportunity to include some characteristics about the subject to help the designers really capture its spirit.  The hardest part was waiting for the custom plush to be crafted.  It takes approximately 5 weeks from the time you submit your child's artwork to the time your child's new plush friend gets delivered to you.  My children asked me at least once a week about when their cat and owl would be arriving.

When the cat and owl finally arrived, I was pretty darn impressed.  In fact, I shared a photo of the plush toys next to the drawings on Facebook and everyone was amazed.  My daughter was thrilled with how her cat came out and would not stop hugging it.  My son loved his owl, but wished it was a tiny bit pudgier.  Both the likeness and the workmanship looked incredible to me.

Need more reasons to be impressed?  Budsies gives back by partnering regularly with children's charities, such as Easter Seals and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to bring smiles to children who don't have many things to smile about.  Learn more about how to get involved or suggest your favorite children's charity to Budsies!

Thinking about ordering a new plush friend for your child from Budsies.com?  Now is the time!  Budsies is offering a special online price of $69 (Reg. $99) per plush, plus 3G2S readers can save an additional 10% off when you checkout using Budsies promo code: 3G2S10. Remember to plan ahead because it takes up to 5 weeks to have your custom plush made.

Clean Out Your Closets to Support Your School . . . Fundraising Made Easy with Schoola!

Thank you to Schoola for sending us a gift code to sample the experience of shopping on this unique fundraising website.  All opinions expressed are my own.

I am not one to purchase many things that have been previously owned.  In the past, I've purchased cars, wooden furniture, and fine china that were pre-owned and just recently starting buying used books.  I have never purchased used clothing for myself or my children.  That is why I was a bit skeptical when I was invited to checkout the new fundraising site, Schoola.com.  In fact, I only took the time to visit the site because I know tons of moms who buy previously owned clothing for their children.  This fundraising idea had merit.

The concept behind Schoola is a smart one.  Look for clothes to donate that are gently used or new with tags (Yes! Schoola also sells new clothing) in your own closets and attic, and send them to Schoola in a postage paid polybag.  Then when the item sells on the website, your school will receive 40% of the sale price.  You can do this individually or organize a school-wide clothing drive.

Would this type of fundraiser be successful?  Well, I was able to shop on Schoola to see if I, an avid online shopper, would choose to shop on this website.  After all, in order for the fundraiser to be successful, people need to purchase the clothing you donate.

I must say that I was impressed by the variety of name brands and retailers represented in both the selection of girls clothing and boys clothing, such as The North Face, Columbia, The Gap, Shaun White, and more.  You can shop by gender, age group, or simply type in a brand or keyword search.

I ended up purchasing this Bongo graphic tee and camo hat set for my daughter at half off the retail price on the tag.  Was this the best deal ever? . . . No, but it was a great price and I felt good knowing that $5.40 from my purchase went to support an elementary school in California.  Yes, the product page includes a note stating the amount of money that will donated to a particular school if you buy the item.

My daughter ended up loving the tee and hat set, and insisted on wearing it for the first day of school since the weather was unseasonably warm.  I had also picked up an Old Navy striped long-sleeved tee for her twin brother, but it was too warm to wear just yet.

I've introduced Schoola as a fundraising option for our school.  The fundraising chairs may test it out as a way to raise money for the 5th grade class to fund their field trips, yearbook, and so forth.  I hope they decide to move forward with it because this is an innovative idea that does not solely depend on your own school's community to spend money.

To learn more about fundraising with Schoola, visit www.schoola.com.  Want to shop?  Use Schoola promo code: bestreaders25 to save 25% off your purchase through September 30th, 2014.

Support Independent Artists & Graphic Designers with Holiday Photo Cards from Minted.com

I received a promotional item as a thank you for taking the time to share Minted.com with 3G2S readers.  All opinions expressed are my own.

The time is upon us when holiday cards are beginning to be made and purchased. We send out cards nearly every year, so when I heard about Minted.com, I was excited to see what they had to offer. Minted is a unique site because they seek out independent artists and designers who have exceptional work and then showcase them on their site. Consumers can then purchase truly beautiful products that benefit the artists who made them by giving them a commission on their amazing work. In addition to selling holiday cards, they have various invitations, gifts, art prints, and more. Plus, Minted offers free printing of recipient addresses on their card envelopes, so it eliminates that hassle for their customers.

Minted has a very well-designed website with a great layout that is easy to navigate and browse through. There are literally hundreds of designs to choose from that will suit any taste. The available products are very clearly labeled and then you can narrow down choices according to what you’re looking for. They even have the ability to upload your desired photos and it will showcase them in the cards as you browse, which makes choosing even easier. For holiday cards, they have 3 options: flat, folded, and minibook cards. Once your card is chosen, you can customize the colors, shape of the card, which photos to include, and more, so you will have a card that is unlike any other and truly reflects your personal style. Upon browsing, I found many cards that I loved and narrowing down my choice to just one will be very difficult. I particularly fell in love with the minibook cards because it would eliminate my Holiday newsletter that always accompanies my cards.

If you are looking for something new and different to use for your holiday cards this year, have a look at Minted.com and see if you can find something you love.  The ones I've chosen to share are my favorite designs.  Which ones are yours?

You can follow Minted on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you are an independent artist, you can also visit their website to find out how your designs can be featured on Minted.com.

'pick UR gift' Reinvents How to Give the Perfect Holiday Gift with the Reverse Wish List! #pickURgift

This post is part of a sponsored campaign with Those Media Girls and pick UR gift. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

For me, gift shopping for children is one of the most enjoyable things I get to do in life.  Shopping for adults, however, is not quite as fun for me.  The fact of the matter is that adults are not as easy to please as children and they usually have their own opinions and may have begun to be set in their ways (even if they refuse to admit it).  I would say shopping for gifts for adults is on the top of my list of stressful things about the Holidays.  Just coming out and asking the person what he or she needs takes all the fun out of Holiday shopping.  Well, pick UR gift has come up with a solution that makes everyone happy . . . the reverse wish list!

What's a reverse wish list?  Simply put, it's a list you create of things that you think would make awesome gifts.  Then your friends and family get to choose which gift they would like to receive from the reverse wish list.

Creating a reverse wish list could not be any easier.  All you need to do is take two seconds to register on the free website, www.pickURgift.com. Then just drag the blue 'UR Button' to your browser's toolbar.  This button works similarly to the Amazon Universal Wish List button.

While shopping online, when you see an item that you think would make the perfect gift for someone, just click the button and a little box will open on the right side of the window.  Within this box, you can specify if this item is for a particular person, choose on which Gift Page you would like this item to appear, select the best image to represent your gift, and enter a description of the item.  In my case, I made a list of items that I already own, whole-heartedly love, and can afford to purchase as a gift.  In the gift descriptions, I made sure I included why I love each item.

After you have created your Gift Page, you can choose to make it public or keep it private.  You can also share the page with your friends and family by entering their emails in the available fields or by simply sharing the link to your Gift Page with them directly.  If you would like to maintain the element of surprise somewhat, you can ask each person to choose 2 or 3 of their favorite items and then you can choose which one they will receive.

With pick UR gift everyone wins.  You get the enjoyment of picking out gifts.  The gift recipient will never be disappointed with their present.  You will not need to deal with gift receipts or returning unwanted items.

You may also want to know that you can create a wish list for yourself and add to that list while you are shopping online for other people.  To learn more about pick UR gift, visit Eight MPH Mom (and enter to win a $200 Visa gift card while you're there), plus follow pick UR gift on Facebook, Twitter, and the #pickURgift hashtag.

Explore the pick UR gift website and be entered to win a $250 Amazon gift code . . . 

1. Sign up on pick UR gift (simply provide your name and email) and add the 'UR button' to your toolbar (just drag and drop it onto your toolbar and you're done).

2. Create a wish list page and and assign it to someone (a friend, a family member, etc.)

3. Add at least two gifts to that wish list/gift page.

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This giveaway is open to U.S. residents age 18+ years only and ends on November 25th, 2013.  This is a multi-blog giveaway.  3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires is not the administrator of this giveaway.

What to Do With Your Collection of Music CD's, DVDs, and Video Games After Switching to Streaming Media

My family and I have pretty much gone 100% digital for nearly all of our media needs. Between streaming TV shows, movies, and music, we hardly use any of our CD’s, DVD’s, and even Blu-rays anymore. Heck, many console games don't even need physical media these days!

As amazing as being all digital can be, there is a downside to making the transition: What do we do with our hundreds of media disks? It hurts my brain to think of all the money (and time) that we spent to build our collections. Many titles were only even used once! What an absolute waste. Would you believe that we have DVD’s still wrapped in plastic? Never used? Ouch.

I always wished there was a way to sell my CDs and DVDs to recoup some of that money (and closet space!). Well, now there is a way to do exactly that! musicMagpie.com buys all your old media including CD’s, DVD’s, and video games. The amazing thing about musicMagpie is that it is completely free! They even pay for the shipping and there aren't any fees.

All you need to do is go to the site and enter the barcode on the back of your media, within moments the price they will pay you for the title comes up. You can even use your webcam as a barcode scanner! When you are done you simply print out a label and send it off. Easy as pie!

I started scanning some of my titles to see what musicMagpie paid out (there had to be a catch right?) and I was pleasantly surprised. The Wii games I scanned paid out similarly to what Gamestop offers and the DVD’s ranged from $.50 to $5.00....I own HUNDREDS of DVD’s and CD’s, at $.50 each I would make a fortune for otherwise useless junk taking up closet space.

They even have a mobile app for both Android and Apple to make the process even easier. Just scan the barcode and you’re done!

I know what I will be doing this weekend....

Turn Your Child's Name into Wall Art, a Personalized Placemat, and Much More

Thank you to NameArt.com for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon and for providing an additional product for our contest prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Whether you are decorating a newborn's nursery or looking for a unique gift for an older child, the personalized name art gifts at PersonalizedGifts.net will surely give you inspiration.  This site offers gifts, such as posters, prints, name bars, placemats, bookmarks, and more that are personalized with the name art that you design.

I very much liked the look of the wooden Personalized Name Plaques.  We do not have much empty wall space left in our children's room, but these name bars do not take up much space.  They can also sit on a desk or a shelf.  Someday, when we move to a larger house and each child has their own room, I can see these name bars hanging on each of their doors.

Our children are 6, 6, and 9, so I was able to let them customize their own name bars.  There were just a few easy steps to follow . . .

1.  Enter the child's name as you would like it to appear on the product.

2.  Choose a theme for the letters.  You can try out one or all the themes to see which one you like the best.

3.  Once you've chosen a theme, you can choose between two different letter styles within that them.

4.  Next, you can customize each letter one at a time by choosing between two versions of that letter and then by going on to customize the colors for that letter.

That's how easy it was!  All 3 of my children created something different.  Our youngest son, Luke, tried the Teddy Bears theme first, but ultimately ended up with the dragon theme.  He decided to make the first two letters in his name red and the last two blue.  Our daughter was sure she wanted her name done in the Fairies theme, but ended up liking the Mermaid theme the best.  She changed the hair and tail color of each mermaid, being very careful to make each mermaid look different from the ones on either side of her.  Our oldest son, Jake, tried the robots first, but then opted for the dragons as well.  The default color for the dragons theme is red and he decided to keep the color as is.  He did change the letter styles so that they all included dragons with baby dragon eggs.  I have to agree that the red is just stunning in the dragon theme.

The Name Art name bars each come with a black wooden easel so they can be prominently displayed.  If you choose to hang the name bar up, you will need to nail a hanger to the back, which is not included.  Each name bar retails for $26.75 regardless of the length of the name.  Visit www.PersonalizedGifts.net to view their full selection of personalized name art gifts.

The winner for this contest will receive their choice of one of the following . . . 

• Personalized Poster
• Personalized Placemat
• Personalized Fine Art Print
• Personalized Name Plaque

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Customize a Visa Gift Card with a Photo plus a Personalized Message on GiftCard.com

Thank you to GiftCard.com for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon and for providing an additional product for our contest prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

I make no secret of it that I am just a fool for personalized gifts.  It used to be that personalized gifts cost quite a bit more due to extra fees, but thanks to technology, that is no longer the case.  These days you can add a personal message or a photo to almost anything for just a few dollars extra.

On GiftCard.com you can add your own image to a Visa gift card for just $5.95 (plus the denomination of the gift card) with Free Standard Shipping!  My husband received this unique little photo gift for Father's Day a week early.  I chose to put his new favorite photo of our children on the gift card.  If you do not have a personal photo you would like to upload, you can always choose from thousands of pre-made designs from the Visa gift card gallery, which cover almost every occasion, including but not limited to Father's Day, graduations, weddings, teacher's gifts, housewarming, and much more.  There is also the option to print a personalized message on the gift card at no additional charge.  You can choose any denomination for your special gift card between $10 and $250.  As an added bonus, your gift card is mailed to you or the recipient in a personalized greeting card of your choosing.

These Visa gift cards are currently not reloadable, meaning you cannot add additional funds to it after the gift card has been created.  Despite this,  I know my husband will still be keeping this card after the balance has reached zero.  It does make a very unique keepsake and is an easy way to carrying around a photo of our children in his wallet without the worry of bending a fragile photograph.

To learn more about these custom Visa gift cards, visit GiftCard.com's faq page.  In addition to Visa gift cards, you can also find retail store gift cards and e-gift cards on this site.

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Keeping Our Family's Allergies Under Control with the Help of #MyAllerGenius, Allegra, and CVS

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and ALLEGRA® #cbias #SocialFabric #MyAllerGenius.  All opinions expressed are my own.

My husband and I both suffer from allergies year-round, but the symptoms are especially severe during the Spring and Summer months due to the high pollen count.  Unfortunately, our 6 year old daughter and her 9 year old big brother also suffer from allergies.  My husband and our son usually display the typical hay fever symptoms, such as sneezing and sinus pressure.  Our daughter and I, however, will develop a chronic cough that will last for weeks.  I think it has to do with our throats constricting combined with post-nasal drip.  It is such a miserable experience to constantly be coughing, having other people wondering silently if you have something that's contagious, being kept awake at night due to violent coughing, and just having our normal everyday activities (indoor or out) be brought to a complete halt because we start coughing uncontrollably.

I know how these allergy-induced coughs have affected my daily life and I am starting to see how it is affecting our daughters.  Although she does not have asthma-like symptoms like I do yet, I want her to be able to enjoy everyday activities without the inconvenience and discomfort of a cough.  Some activities, such as studying taekwondo, require a lot of focus and this is extremely difficult while coughing.  Also, coughing continually for weeks really takes a toll on our bodies, making us feel tired and run-down.  That is why I wanted to try the Allegra products for children on her, since she is now old enough to use the disintegrating tablets.

In addition to trying Allegra, I signed up for pollen reports on www.myallergenius.com.  You can actually go to this site anytime to check your area's pollen count, but having the report emailed or texted to you automatically is much more convenient if you're a busy parent like me.  With these reports, I can plan ahead in regards to spending time outside or even opening the windows.  We all love the fresh air, but the allergens that come in with it are just too much sometimes.

This is what the pollen report sent via email looks like . . .

If you are considering trying Allegra for yourself or for your family members, the month of May is the time to do it.  CVS is running an exclusive sale on Allegra products for adults and for children through May 31st.  They are offering $6 off the 45ct Allegra and both the liquid and tablet form of Children's Allegra are on promotion for just $9.99 each with your CVS Extra Care Card.  In addition to this, you can print coupons to save an extra $4 off Allegra (30ct or larger) and $2 off the Children's Allegra at CVS by visiting www.myallergenius.com.

We took advantage of these extra savings and printed our coupon before we shopped at CVS.  You should be able to find the Allegra products on a prominent end cap near the pharmacy and also in the cold and allergy relief aisle.  We noticed that the Children's Allegra tablets were short in supply at our store, so I'm glad they still had a few boxes left.

We will be testing out the Children's Allegra on two of our children.  With the help of the pollen reports, we may be able to stop their symptoms before they get too severe by giving them a dose of Allegra on the mornings when the pollen count is especially high.

Learn more about Allegra products by joining in on the Twitter Party on Tuesday, May 14th at 1pm EST.  You can RSVP here.  Also visit www.myallergenius.com for tips on managing your allergies, as well as beauty tips for those suffering from allergies.

Happy Easter from the Easter Bunny!

For quite a few years now, I have been sharing photos of the Easter Bunny, as well as Santa and the Tooth Fairy, visiting our home to our children.  This year will be no different.  Our oldest son is now 9 years old, so I'm sure pretty soon he'll figure out what I am doing (if he hasn't already).  Until then, I will continue to add that extra touch of magic into their lives with the help of CatchACharacter.com.

It used to take me forever to make the photo just right, but now I am becoming a pro at it.  You can choose your character, the character's pose and size, edit the background photo size, edit the characters color saturation, and edit the character's brightness to fit in with the background.  The photo above took me 5 minutes to make.

If you have a few extra minutes, you can test this website out for free.  It's fun to play with the Easter Bunny, Cupid, the Tooth Fairy, and Santa.  If you end up wanting a copy of the photo you've created, you can purchase a high resolution copy that you can download and save to your computer for $9.99.  I think that price is worth the looks on our children's faces when they see these photos.  It's a combination of awe and delight.


Thank you to CatchACharacter.com for providing a gift code for us to create our photo.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Let the Novica Gift Finder Help You Find the Perfect Unique Gift

When I am stumped for a gift idea, I usually turn to Novica.com because that is the place to go when shopping for unique gifts for the person who has everything.  Of course, the website can be slightly daunting because there are so many items crafted by artisans all around the world to choose from.  I can literally spend hours browsing their site.  That is why I welcomed the invitation to test out Novica's new Gift Finder to see how much of a time-saver it would really be for me.

We actually need to find two gifts for my husband's co-workers, one man and one woman.  I immediately went to the Gifts For Him category to see if anything called out to me.

(Click any image to enlarge)

I was able to look more closely at sub-categories, such as sculptures, by a specific interest, by occasion, by price, by region, and many more ways to narrow down my search.

Then I did the same with the Corporate Gifts category.  I think this was one of the quickest shopping trips on Novica I've ever had.  My husband and I narrowed down our choices in about a half an hour.  Both gifts we chose have already been shipped and are on their way to us!  Be sure to read the estimated delivery time for each item.  If you are worried about not getting your gift on time, then a Novica gift card would be a great alternative.

Another reason I love to give gifts from Novica is that many of the gifts come in a handcraft gift box or gift wrap.  All the items come with a postcard from the region from which it originated along with a little card that tells the gift recipient about the artisan who made their gift.

To find unique jewelry gifts, spiritual gifts, romantic gifts for her, and more, visit Novica.com.

Handmade Holiday Deals! Save $10 Off $50 at NOVICA. Code: SAVE10TODAY. Valid 11-21-2012 through 12-31-2012

Thank you to Novica for providing a gift code for me to try their new gift finder and for providing a second gift code for our contest prize.


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