Win It Wednesday

Welcome to Win It Wednesday! The winner of last week's giveaway is #19 mogrill. Congrats!

This week I am giving away this gorgeous Amazon Necklace from Savvy Girl & Company!

Amazon necklace, I LOVE the simplicity to this single strand of stones and
crystals. Made from all shades of green in the jade family and mixed up with silver links and swarovski crystals. 16" with a 2" extender


Savvy Girl & Company's inspiration:
"I am Cydney Dixon and I am the owner and designer of a darling and oh, so savvy handmade jewelry company, Savvy Girl Company.I began SavvyGirl in 2002 after I made the decision to stay at home with my first daughter – Savannah (her nickname is SavvyGirl – she was the pure inspiration to beginning my company).

Creating an ALL ORIGINAL SavvyGirl piece for my clients is the best reward I can think of. I truly love to make my customers happy! For me, having something unique, different and beautiful is what it's all about. My passions are designing jewelry, finding the latest fashion trends at the best possible price and creating delectable foods (that is why we post some of our favorite recipes on Wednesdays).

At SavvyGirl, I don’t’ mass produce, it’s a creative outlet for me. My readers/clients join my “SavvyGirl Daily Fashion Finds” Mon-Friday to have the first chance to see what is new for the day. Each day, I will post between 1- 3 new pieces with some having to be repeated since they are in such hot demand.

I also like to serve my readers in other ways, I get them involved on a lot of different levels, We play, “Name that Piece” – where I post a new piece of jewelry and have my clients suggest a potential name for it. Each one of my pieces don’t leave the studio without a name which makes each piece special and unique – the names we get our so clever and amazing.

I work really hard to give all of my clients a piece that is special and an experience that is worth their time , different and beautiful. And, plus we have a lot of fun over in a little world of SavvyGirl."

Want It? Click here to shop or just to browse her beautiful jewelry!

Win It! How to enter to win the Amazon Necklace:
1. Click here to visit Savvy Girl & Company. Come back here & tell me your favorite piece. You must have your email address on your profile or in the comment. Winner will only be contacted via email.
2. For an EXTRA entry, click here to visit my "Your Gift Closet" page. Come back here & tell me one of the companies listed there to shop with!
3. Contest ends Tuesday October 6, 2009 @ midnight.

Click below to follow The Gift Closet on Facebook!

Tuesday's Tip

Got a picky eater? I sure do! My 7 yr old daughter eats no veggies, fried chicken is the only meat she eats, no eggs, no cheese. She will eat fruit & yogurt & nuts. ~Sigh~
A friend of mine sent me this site called Picky Palate. I thought it would be geared towards picky eaters, but it doesn't look like it is. It's geared towards me! If you are a food lover like me, you need to see this site. The pics make my mouth water & the recipes look delish! Enjoy!!

P.S. Please excuse the purple links all over my blog. I'm trying to fix it so if you see links & pics disappearing from other posts, that's me trying to find the culprit. Driving me batty! ;)

Monday Meet

Hey there! Hope ya'll have a great weekend. I would like for you to meet Megan, from Kiss My Style. Cute name, huh? Kiss My Style is an online boutique featuring unique handcrafted pieces by amazing designers & artists across the US. Megan's hand knits and other crafts are featured throughout the site as well. This online boutique offers hand knits, funky accessories, bags & purses, personalized tags, bath + body, unique gifts and more!

Here is the inspiration behind Kiss My Style, in Megan's words:
"I started showing my pieces at local craft shows and in 2005 opened a website showing the pieces I created. It became a wonderful outlet for my work and I decided to expand my business to include other people’s creative pieces. I wanted to create a place that would showcase fabulous gifts, with the ease and luxury of shopping from your home.In 2008 Kiss My Style was born.

After receiving my degree in Interior Design & Art History I have spent the last 10 years in project management, marketing & sales in Northeastern PA and New York City. But I have always been a crafter. Since my mom put the first pack of crayons in my hand,the bug bit and the effect was life long. I have been blessed to be part of a Handmade Community that is so talented and inspiring and yet so lucky that I was able to take all of our passions and provide them to you in one convenient place – your home on your computer.

Besides Kiss My Style, I am a mom, wife, knitter and energizer bunny and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Opening a business that brings my passion together with my skill was an easy task, promoting & marketing it has been a challenge. Being an online shop is more difficult than a brick and mortar, because people can’t come in and see, touch and feel the product. Local craft shows have been a fabulous outlet for local promotion, however online advertising has been key to my continental success.

I have never represented or promoted a product I didn’t believe in and creating a shopping boutique where every piece has been hand selected by me is the most amazing experience of my professional life. I take pride in my work and I admire the artist’s pieces I sell. Everyday I am inspired to find new, eclectic pieces and meet amazing people."

Want it? Click on the new button for Kiss My Style on the Right sidebar. Check out the discount there too!

Thoughts for Thursday by guest blogger Emily

Treasure

by Emily Farmer

My baby boy will soon be turning 4. The other day he reached up to hold my hand and it hit me that he is getting big right before my eyes. And I should treasure every moment with him. It seems as if it was just yesterday that he was born. Time sure does fly by at a blink of an eye. We never know when those moments will be taken away from us. That's why we need to treasure every moment we can. God says in Deuteronomy 7:6(NLT) "the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure." How exciting is that? God chose us. He call us His own special treasure. Do you treat your family like they are a treasure? Do you treat yourself like you are a treasure? We are all treasures in God's eyes. If He cares for us so much that He sees us as treasures why can't we see ourselves the same way? Or others for that fact? Stop for a moment and try to see your family and friends through God's eyes? It just might make your relationship with them a little bit better.

Do you treat God's word as a treasure? Do you treasure his word enough to read it daily even several times a day? If we hide his word in our hearts as Ps. 119:11 says it will often return to mind and become a treasure that no one can take away. Isn't that worth a few minutes of your time? Just imagine all the treasures you could have if only you would take the time to hide them in your heart. Read his word daily and start discovering new treasures.

So while you are here on earth, try hard to treat family, others, yourself and His Word like special treasures. If its good enough for God it's good enough for us.

Challenge:

Find hidden treasures in the bible and hide them in your heart. Claim them to be your own special treasure.

Make a list of all your treasures(family, friends) and put that list in your bible and pray daily for them.

Put this truth to action and truly "TREASURE" those most important to you. Do a kind act for someone.

Press On Verse:

"Wherever your treasure is there the desires of your heart will also be." Matt. 6:21 (NLT)

"I have not departed from his commands,but have treasured his words more than daily food." Job 23:12 (NLT)

What do you treasure?

Win It Wednesday

Sorry I'm a day late on Win It Wednesday! We have had some family & health issues to deal with around here & I had to get another sponsor for this week's giveaway. The winner of the Halloween Fun Shrinky Dinks Kit is #24 Kristi Lynn. Congrats!

This week's giveaway is for this infant carseat cover in blue mod dots from Spunky Monkey!

This patent pending baby carseat cover, which has a waterproof lining to protect the original cover, slips on and removes easily over the existing cover. Because accidents happen often with babies, this carseat cover can help you keep a handle on things, simply remove and launder. It retails for $69.95. Carseat covers features: Machine washable Durable Functional Fashionable

Spunky Monkey offers children & Baby clothing, accessories, gifts, decor, and more! Stacy is the mom-prenuer behind the operation & I have enjoyed getting to know her.

Here is what inspired her to start Spunky Monkey:
"What inspired me? hmmm, boredom LOL! And it's just too tempting to get involved in Mama Drama and gossip as a SAHM so I thought it would be a healthy "hobby" to keep me busy and a nice "excuse" to keep me out of trouble (trouble as I define it means too much shopping and giving into the temptation of gossip/drama).

OK, so the real inspiration, well, I was working on my jewelry that I both make and re-sell and enjoyed the creativity of setting up the site (www.StacyEvelyn.com) and the design work. I wanted to do more creative site design work and learn more (I'm kind of a nerd that way, always curious and wanting to soak up knowledge like a sponge). Children's clothing and handmade gear accessories such as stroller liners, carseat covers, etc was going to be my niche because I *crafting* (was in 4-H growing up in IL). However, needing dropshipping vendors to start, and being limited in that area, I needed to expand my niche to encompass clothing, accessories, gifts, gear and decor. Then add a touch of OCD and a sprinkle of my 7 yrs experience in retail and 7 yrs experience in banking and investments and voila, my "third baby" was born."

Want It? Click here to shop. Use the code "FRIENDSANDFAM" good for 10% off entire purchase. And feel free to share with your friends and "fam" because it is transferable and good through 12/31/09. All purchases over $100 get free shipping, excluding over sized and international charges or upgraded/expedited shipping.

Win It! How to enter to win the infant carseat cover from Spunky Monkey:
1.Leave a comment & be sure you include your email address if it is not on your profile. That is the only way I contact winners.
2. For an EXTRA entry, visit one of the awesome sponsors on my Right sidebar, come back here, & leave a comment telling me what your favorite product is of theirs.
3. Contest ends Tuesday Spetember 29, 2009 @ midnight.

Tuesday's Tip-7 Reasons Not To Worry

Did you know the Bible tells us over & over not to worry? And when you think logically about it, what good does it do? Can you change anything by worrying? Here are 7 reasons not to worry form the book of Matthew in the Bible:

1. Matthew 6:25 says that the same God who created life in you can be trusted with the details of your life.
2. 6:26 Worrying about the future hampers your efforts for today.
3. 6:27 Worrying is more harmful than helpful.
4. 6:28-30 God does not ignore those who depend on Him.
5. 6:31, 32 Worrying shows a lack of Faith in and understanding of God.
6. 6:33 Worrying keeps us from real challenges God wants us to pursue.
7. 6:34 Living one day at a time keeps us from being consumed from worry.

Have a blessed day!
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Interested in a link exchange? Email me! :)

Etsy Site Owners

Hope you all had a great weekend! We are drenched with rain here, but we need it!

A while back I asked the question, what do you want to see more of on The Gift Closet? Thanks to those who gave me their opinions & ideas! One of you said you'd like to see more Etsy sites featured. Here's my problemo. I used to send lots of notes to etsy site owners & never got replies. I would love to feature more etsy sites here on The Gift Closet...but how can I get in touch w/ them? If you have an idea for that...or if you are or know an Etsy site owner who would like to be featured, do a giveaway, etc. on The Gift Closet...please get in touch with me! You can click on my "Contact" button at the top of the page to email me, or leave a comment here. Thanks ladies!!!

Grab this button:
<center><a href="http://www.thegiftcloset.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/dd328/giftlady64/giftclosetbutton.gif" /></a></center>

Friday's Feature

My feature today is Bows 2 Cute. Bows 2 Cute specializes in bows for fine, thin, or barely there hair! My daughter has fine hair, so I'm always on the look out for a good bow for her.

Jamie is the Mom-prenuer behind Bows 2 Cute & here is her inspiration for her company:
"My daughter was born with very little hair. I was never a huge fan of headbands, especially because the store bought ones would leave marks on her head. When she was just about 9 months old and starting to grow hair, I began looking for clips online, but was shocked at how expensive they were. I decided then that I wanted to make those same quality and cute hair clips and bows for a more affordable cost to every day moms like myself. Bows2Cute specializes in bows for little ones with fine, thin, or barely there hair, but there are many different clip options and bow styles to suit newborns up to big girls!"

Want It? Click here to shop. Enjoy 15% off with code GIFTCLOSET good until next Friday 9/25/09. It will also be good on ClipTrendz.com too. Most of the clips on that site are the same, but it's geared more toward tweens and above and does have some exclusive items not on the Bows site.

Did you know you can email this post to a friend by clicking on the small white envelope below? Just a little tidbit I thought I'd share with ya! Have a great weekend!!

Thoughts for Thursday

Busyness

by Emily Farmer

How busy are you? Too busy? Me too! I am involved with my older boys school by helping to organize a Fun Run Fundraiser, working on the Yearbook team, I lead a MIT(Moms In Touch) prayer group, discipleship with a group of ladies from my community group on a week night, the older boys starting flag football, writing devotions, working with my 4 year old at home on school stuff, helping organize our Women's Ministry CHRISTmas event, a Marriage Retreat for next March and then everyday life. I'm sure your schedules are just as busy as my or busier if you have more children. But should that really stop us from spending time with our Father God. The only one who really LOVES us unconditionally. He has so much love and wants to give it to us. Each and every day. It brings the verse in Lam. 3:22-23(TLB) to mind. It says "The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." He gives us new mercies each morning. How exciting to know we have a redo or do over each day. Thank God for that. I would hate to live the next day upon how I lived the day before. God is so good to us and if we really stop to think about it, are we as good to Him as He is to us? This may be a question you often ask yourself.

Well I can tell you I draw from the strength of God each and every day. I for one need his mercies and am thankful he renews them daily. It's the only way I do all the things I do. There are many verses that relate to strength in the Lord. A few of my favorite are listed under the Press On Verses. I hope they give you the strength you need today.

Challenge:

Slow down and take time to spend five minutes in the word.

Find verses on strength and write them on index cards place them in places you often go to remind yourself of his strength.

Press On Verses:

Ps. 29:11 "The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace." NLT

Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us." Psalm 62:8 (NAS)

He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;he is my God and I trust Him. Ps. 91:2

God is my helper. Ps.54:4
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Thanks Emily for another great devotional this week!

Click here to visit some great Mom-owned shops in "Your Gift Closet"!

Win It Wednesday

Whether we are ready or not, the Fall & Holiday seasons are steady approaching! I am already seeing the Halloween, Fall, & some Christmas stuff out in stores. I'm getting so excited as this is my favorite time of year. Not to mention it means I'm getting closer to meeting this little baby that has been fluttering around inside of me...due on December 23. :)

In preparation for Halloween, I would like to share a review & giveaway with you for a Halloween Craft from Creativity for Kids. Creativity for Kids has been around since 1976 & offers lots of fun craft kits & art supplies. Today I am reviewing & giving away the Shrinky Dinks Halloween Fun Kit. This quick and easy craft makes a spook-tacular Halloween decoration. Includes genuine Shrinky Dinks®, 11" x 8" sturdy black velvet tree, colored pencils, sharpener, mini hole punch and all the extras needed for decoration and display.

What we liked about the Shrinky Dinks Halloween Fun Kit:
1. Having never used Creativity for Kids' Products before, I enjoyed the fact that this was a family craft. My 3 year old even helped, even though a lot of it was out of his age range.
2. My kids loved it!
3. The age range printed on the box was ages 7-97 & it was accurate. My daughter is 7 & while she definitely had to have parental help on this, it was still good for a wide range of ages.
4. We all had a blast watching the paper we had just colored & cut out shrink & harden. That was cool for all of us to watch!
5. Lots of fun & will get you in a festive mood!
6. All supplies we need were in the box, except of course a cookie sheet & foil. ;)

The Shrinky Dinks after we colored, cut them out, & shrunk them in the oven...

What I didn't like about the Shrinky Dinks Halloween Fun Kit:
1. The instructions stated it included a pencil sharpener for sharpening the pencils because they would get dull coloring on the rough paper. My daughter & I actually had to sharpen a lot & the pencil sharpener was tiny so that was a bit frustrating.

Decorating the tree


Voila!

Want It? Click here to shop.

Win It! How to enter to win your own Shrinky Dinks Halloween Fun Kit:
1. Leave a comment & be sure to include your email address if it is not on your profile. I only contact winners via email.
2. For an extra entry, email three friends about this contest & cc me on it (heatherldt@bellsouth dot net). Then, come back here, and leave an additional comment letting me know you did so.
3. Contest ends Tuesday September 22, 2009 @ midnight & is open to US & Canadian residents.

You can advertise your business with a graphic at the bottom of my next Win It Wednesday post for only $5. Email me now to secure your date! heatherldt @ bellsouth dot net

P.S. The winner of the $25 GC to Bibs & Cribs is #26 Sarah Z . Congrats!

Tuesday's Tip

I have always loved to read, even as a child. I have read to my kids since birth & they both seem to enjoy books as much as I, so far. ;) Today I wanted to share a few books that I have read recently & what I am currently reading.

I don't know if you have heard all the hype about the book, "The Shack". It is a fictional book about a man whose daughter is murdered, and in the midst of it all he finds God. I read it not long ago, and quite frankly, I was not very impressed. There were some really good points in it, but there were a lot of thoughts about God that were kind of far fetched.

A book that I did read that I absolutely loved was called, "Same Kind of Different As Me". It is a true story about a homeless man who becomes friends with a wealthy couple & how God works in their lives. It is an amazing story. I don't have a whole lot of time to read w/ 2 small children, but I read this book in less than 2 weeks. A record for me these days! My husband is not a big reader, but he read it in about a month. Great book!!

Some other books I am currently reading are of course my Bible, Stormie O'Martian's "The Power of a Praying Wife" & "The Power of a Praying Parent". Her books are really great w/ short (2-3 pages) "chapters" with a prayer @ the end of each. I also just got Beth Feldman's "See Mom Run" book in the mail to review, so look for that soon.

So...what are you currently reading?
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I am currently running a special to advertise on my Right sidebar! Email me for details @ heatherldt@ bellsouth dot net





Do you have a great book you wnt to share? Pelase leave a comment & tell me about it!

Barley & Birch

Hope you all had a great weekend! I would like to introduce you to a company I came across called Barley & Birch. On their site you will find organic shirts, pants, onesies, & hats for babies & kids. They sent me one of their t-shirts to review for my son, so here's the scoop!

This adorable tee comes in sizes sizes 2, 4, & 6. It is 100% certified organic cotton. Made sweatshop-free in the U.S.A. Printed with water-based, toxin-free inks.

What I like about this tee & Barley & Birch:
1.It is organic! We all have heard by now the effects we are having on our environment, so I am all about anything organic...including our clothing!
2. Very cute. Very unique.
3. Sizes are true...don't run large or too small.
4. I enjoyed perusing their site. It is fun, original, & informative.

What I didn't like about this tee & Barley & Birch:
1. I always try to include a negative in my review to keep it real! I enjoyed working w/ Barley & Birch, so no negatives there! The shirt did appear white in the picture, but when I received it it is actually more of a cream color. Otherwise, it is darling!

Want It? Click here to shop. And stay tuned for a giveaway from Barley & Birch later this month!

My giveaway for a $25 Gift Certificate to Bibs & Cribs ends tomorrow night. Click here to enter now!

Lyla Lou's

Please check out the adorable new button on my sidebar...Lyla Lou's! Lyla Lou's offers flower, bow, baby, & specialty headbands as well as flower clips. You will enjoy looking at their fun & colorful site & products!


Lizzy and Chelsea Staffieri are both stay-at-home moms & the owners of Lyla Lou's . They have enjoyed finding a project that allows them to have a creative outlet & share their creations.

Where is Lyla Lou's located? Based in southern California, including Orange County and San Diego County.

How was Lyla Lou's created?Lizzy & Chelsea started off making hair accessories for their girls, hoping to make something that was a little different and better quality than what is already out there. Lizzy & Chelsea got so excited about what they were making, they started selling them to friends and family nearby. From there, the products started to sell themselves.

Lyla Lou's is named after Lizzy's daughter. Lyla has an undiagnosed neurological disorder causing her to be developmentally disabled. She has been an inspiration to the business, as well as a huge blessing to the whole family.

Want It? Click here to shop.

Bumbletees

I would like to introduce you to The Gift Closet's latest sponsor, Bumbletees! Bumbletees has adorable & fun appliqued clothing for children, babies, & adults!

The inspiration behind Bumbletees:
"Jan Hayes began Bumbletees after finding it nearly impossible to find her toddler a cute Christmas t-shirt. She made him the perfect t-shirt which sparked lots of enthusiasm. Bumbletees was created and the rest is history. Bumbletees designs are still inspired by her two sons and her love for art and fabulous fabrics. She donates part of the proceeds from her "heart" tee to the Mid-South Transplant Foundation. The organization is near and dear to her heart. Jan's husband is a heart transplant recipient for almost two years now and doing great! The Bumbletees team is made up of friends and family who enjoy helping. As Bumbletees continues to grow, Jan continues to create designs that are fresh and must-haves for each new season. "

Check these out!



Want It? Click here to shop.

~Remembering & praying for the victims & their families from 9/11 today. ~

Question for bloggers

Hey guys! Can you help me out? Blogger keeps telling me I am currently using 880mb (85%) of my pic space. Can anyone tell me what that means or what to do about it? I don't want to run out of room to show off all of you Mom-prenuers products!!

Thoughts for Thursday

Struggles

By Emily Farmer

I hope each of you are doing well this week. Today I want to share a word or two with you about struggling. Not to long ago I was reading my Bible and God's word just leaped right off the page at me. It was as if He was talking directly to me. I so hope that has happened to you at some point in your walk with Him. Have you ever been in a struggle with a certain situation? Do you feel one way and want God to agree with you? If there was ever anyone who struggled in the Bible it was Job. Yet in all his struggles he still believed and had faith in God. Can you honestly say you have faith in God these days and trying times?

In the verse Job 22:21(The Living Bible), Job is given this advice. " Stop quarreling with God! If you agree with Him, you will have peace at last, and things will go well for you." Wow! Does that hit you like a ton of bricks? It did me. Do you find yourself quarreling with God. I must admit I do. It also gave me a hope to know I could have peace if I only would agree with God. That is easier said than done. I know from experience. God longs to give us peace if we will only accept it. Another version uses the words "Yield now". Yield is a hard word to grasp because we feel like we are losing something. I ask you to yield to God and read His word and accept His peace he so freely gives.

I am so thankful for God's word and all the advice he reveals in the Bible for us to use. Think of the Bible as your own personal owners manual. God's word is alive and active. Heb. 4:12 (NLT) For the word of God is alive and powerful." The (NIV) version reads "living and active". Don't you want to experience that power. I depend on it and use it daily. I hope you do the same.

Challenge:

Read a Proverbs for the next week and see what you learn about God.

What is something you need to yield to God?

Press On Verses:

Job 23:12 " I have not departed from his commands, But, have treasured his words more than daily food. NLT

Ps. 29:11 "The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace." NLT
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Click here to enter to win a $25 Gift Certificate to Bibs & Cribs from The Gift Closet!

Win It Wednesday

The winner of the gorgeous chandelier earrings from Bonita J is #10 vtvixen469 . Congrats!!

This week I am giving away a $25 Gift Certificate to Bibs & Cribs!

Amanda is the Mom-prenuer behind Bibs & Cribs. She makes appliqued items, bags, banners, & more!


Here is Amanda's inspiration in her own words:
" I was an interior designer, then taught high school Family & Consumer Science (Home Ec), and when my daughter was born, I knew immediately that I had to stay home with her, and this was a perfect balance. I am able to fill my free time (ha!) with projects I so enjoy doing and bring in a little spending money, as well! What started as a glorified hobby has turned into a full-fledged business! I keep thinking that all my friends and friends' friends have been customers, so surely I've tapped out all my potential clients, but every time I open my email, there's another batch of orders!"

Want It? Click here to shop.

Win It! How to enter to win a $25 Gift Certificate to Bibs & Cribs (winner pays shipping):

1. Leave a comment here & be sure to include your email address if it is not on your profile. Winner will only be contacted via email.

2. For an extra entry, become a follower of The Gift Closet. You can do so by clicking on "Follow" on my Right sidebar. After doing so, come back to this post & leave an additional comment letting me know you are a follower.

3. Contest is open worldwide & winner pays shipping. Contest ends Tuesday 9/15 @ midnight.

Would you like to be my next Friday's Feature & get some free exposure for your business? Email me to schedule your feature today! heatherldt@bellsouth dot net

Tuesday's Tip

Hope you all had a great weekend! We needed the extra day...it was so nice!

Onto Tuesday's Tip! For some odd reason my grocery bills have been more the past few weeks. My husband swears it's because I'm 7 months pregnant & eating a lot more, but I think not! Ha! Either way, I have been looking for ways to cut back on the grocery bill. Here are a few ideas:

1. I personally clip coupons & do menu planning. If I sit down & try to make a menu plan for the week before I go to the store, it tends to keep me from overbuying. I try to base my menu on things I already have in the cabinet or freezer.

2. A couple of my friends play the grocery game. I just signed up for a free 4 week trial. Here is the link to that site so you can get the scoop: The Grocery Game

3. Coupon Mom is another popular site. Click here to check it out.

4. Coupons.com is another coupon site where you can print coupons on brand-name groceries and more! You can pick the coupons you want and print them at home any time. It takes just a minute or two so you can print them before you shop. You can also sign up for an email that tells you about some of the new coupons each week. Click here to check it out.

5. Southern Savers is another good site to check out.

Do you have some tips for saving money on your grocery bill? Please share!

P.S. Interested in hosting a giveaway on The Gift Closet? Here is a quote from a recent sponsor of a giveaway on The Gift Closet: Just had to let you know that in the week of your promo for me, my web site showed a 737% increase in views at my website and 62% increase at my etsy site!Also,your picture of the bird earrings generated some interest because I had two orders for them in the first day!

Email me to secure your date for a giveaway on The Gift Closet!

Happy Labor Day

Happy Labor Day....is that something you say? Tee-hee-hee Well, either way...hope you are having a great Labor Day weekend. I'm taking a day off from blogging to be w/ my family, and I hope you are able to do the same. I did want to mention to be sure & check out The Andean Collection's New Fall line by clicking here.

See you tomorrow!

Friday's Feature

My Friday's Feature today is Lacey from Strawberry Pearl Studios. Lacey has a slew of cool vinyl creations on her site, strawberrypearl. She has onesies, plaques, plates, & much more! Some things I never knew you could put vinyl on! Check out this cute stuff!




Lacey's inspiration:
"I started strawberrypearl studios (my name is kind of crazy, it's all lowercase and strawberrypearl is one word, lots of people have fun figuring out how to spell it...) about a year and a half ago. After the birth of my second baby, I needed a little something where I could express my creative self but also be with my kids. When I purchased my vinyl machine, pushing that "proceed to check out" button was a huge step, but I've never looked back. It gave me the opportunity to pull out of that new mommy slump and got the creativity juices flowing again. We are expecting our third baby now and I'm learning to balance business with being a mommy. I love being a mom, it is so fun to watch our boys discover new things about the world around them each day. I love that so many moms have been able to create home based businesses, allowing them to express their creative flair but also be what their children need them to be.

As, for my vinyl creations...I've learned there are two types of vinyl: mass production and custom pieces. I LOVE making custom pieces. I will often get emails with people's ideas, interests, or events that they need a gift for. From the info they provide I am able to create a custom piece that expresses their feelings towards the person they are giving the gift to. Having something made especially for the person in mind, makes gift giving and receiving that much more fun and meaningful.
I recently added t-shirts and onesies to my repertoire. Vinyl isn't just for the walls anymore, why not wear your favorite design?
People can email their orders to me at strawberrypearlstudios@gmail.com."

Want It?

Click here to shop.

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It pays to be a loyal Gift Closet reader, huh? ~wink~

Click here to enter to win my current giveaway, a $74 pair of earrings! Woo-hoo!

Thoughts for Thursday

Last week I introduced my friend, Emily, who will be sharing some devotionals & guest blogging for me on Thursdays for a while. Hope you enjoyed it last week & here are her Thoughts for Thursday!

Who's Really in Control

by Emily Farmer

Have you ever been in a situation where you thought you were in control? But, come to find out you really were not. I have. That is not a good feeling. Its very frustrating and can consume your life if you will let it. There was a situation my family and I was dealing with at one time. I knew I had to find peace somewhere, someway so I turned to God for that peace and comfort. I dug in and started reading His word (the Bible). I was searching for circumstances and situations that I could relate to my situation.

My search brought me to the passage in 2 Chronicles 32. This is a story of a king who was going to be attacked. Instead of being scared of the outcome and what might happen he turned to his faithfulness. He believed in God and was very faithful to Him. This was the same God, I and we, as Christ followers believe in and have faith in today. The king did exactly what he knew he was to do. He prayed, trusted God and made a plan to deal with his situation the best way he could. There were a few things that jumped out at me as if God was talking directly to me. Here is what I took away from this passage. It still pops up in my mind from time to time. I believe it's God's way of reminding me I'm not in control. He is. In Prov.16:9 We are told "we can make our plans but, the Lord determines our steps." So why not just go ahead and depend on on Him to direct our steps along the way as Prov.20:24 tells us to.

God taught me no matter what situation happens in your life you always first and foremost believe in and be faithful to Him because God is faithful to us. Second make a plan of action to deal with your situation to the best of your ability then execute the plan and make it happen. Then sit back, be brave,strong,spend time in prayer, and trust God to deal with the situation. Some times its hard to leave troubles in God's hands but, ultimately He's in control of all things, even our lives.

One of my all time favorite verses is found in Nahum 1:7 "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him." (NIV) My dear friend Angie gave me a book marker with this verse on it when I had my first miscarriage. I clung to that verse in those dark days of over coming that grief and I still cling to it today. I hope you will trust in HIM today dear one.

Challenge:

What situation are you dealing with this week,today or life?

Do you need to leave it in the hands of God?

Press On Verses:

"Let us run with endurance the race God has set out before us, we do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus." Heb. 12:1-2

"God will go ahead of you. He will neither fail you or abandon you." Deu. 31:6

"Be strong and do not give up for your work will be rewarded." 2 Chr. 15:7

"Each day He carries us in His arms." Ps. 68:19

Win It Wednesday

Welcome to Win It Wednesday! The winner of the Hair Bow from So Bella Creations is #18 Dawn. Congrats!

Today I am giving away these Pearl & Crystal Cascade Chandelier Earrings from BonitaJ.com!

They retail for $74.00. The winner would be able to customize the metal type (sterling silver or gold filled), the pearl and crystal colors. The earrings would be made with french hooks in whatever metal type the winner selects.

BonitaJ.com offers a wide variety of handmade jewelry for all occasions, including bridal, flower girl, every day wear, etc.

Bonnie's inspiration:
"I started BonitaJ.com because when I was getting married and it came time to select my own jewelry - I was disappointed with what my options were. I wanted color, size and style options - and with the majority of bridal and wedding jewelry stores online and in stores - they have pre-made - pre-set and pre-determined colors, sizes and everything looked the same. It was then that I decided I would make my own jewelry, bridesmaids jewelry and my two flower girl's jewelry as well. I had such a great time constructing new pieces out of my own imagination and because of Swarovski's great quality and color selection - it was easy to find a color match for my wedding. I decided right then and there that I wanted to offer this type of wedding jewelry for other brides and bridesmaids - and BonitaJ.com was born. I spent a good year developing my first product line and getting my website ready. Since then we've strived to come up with new and fresh looks every season that are both customizable on every level to fit a bride's specific needs and wants - but also making our designs affordable to purchase."

Want It? Click here to shop.

Win It! How to enter to win the earrings in the top picture:
1.Leave a comment here to enter to win. You MUST have an email address on your profile or include it in your comment in order to win.
2. For an EXTRA entry, you can blog about this contest. Leave an additional comment with the link to your blog.
3. Contest ends Tuesday September 8, 2009 @ midnight & is open worldwide.

A big hug & thanks to all you Gift Closet fans!!! ~wink~

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

My Mom is in town & today is her last day, so I won't be doing a Tuesday's Tip post today. I know ya'll understand! ~wink~
I'll be back tomorrow for Win It Wednesday!

The winner of the Office Max school supplies is #110 Mimi the kitten
The winner of the Lullaby CD from Music To Grow On is #2 Kristen & Scott
Congrats!