Category Archives: Gifts

Gifts, Holidays, Music, Products

#MercyMe Christmas CD: It’s Christmas!

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mercymeMercy Me It’s Christmas​ CD will be available in Pizza Ranch locations beginning November 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015.  It has 4 exclusive songs that can only be found on the CD version being sold by Pizza Ranch.  Each CD will be sold for $5 plus tax.  Pizza Ranch will give away the CD with a $25 gift card purchase as well as sell the full album at each of its 200 locations throughout the Midwest and Great Plains states.  “We are so excited to debut our new Christmas album, MercyMe, It’s Christmas, with Pizza Ranch” said Bart Millard with MercyMe. “Pizza Ranch is a fantastic restaurant with a great mission to glorify God. It’s the perfect gift to give this Christmas season and the perfect CD to get you in the Christmas spirit.”

My Thoughts

Everyone loves Christmas music, right?  The only problem is that over playing thing they do around the Holidays.  So, before you get played out check out Mercy Me in their CD done for Pizza Ranch.  With great voices singing all these wonderful songs, you’ll definitely want to add this CD to your Christmas music collection!!!

PizzaRanchAbout Pizza Ranch:
Cultivating its mission “To give every guest a legendary experience” since its inception in 1981, Pizza Ranch connects with its communities in a way that provides bridges for friends, family and colleagues to come together. Today, Pizza Ranch is based in Orange City, Iowa and owns, operates and franchises over 190 locations in 13 states. Consistent growth has been a Pizza Ranch staple, as the brand has become a beacon of community involvement and exceptional food. The Pizza Ranch buffet features legendary pizzas, salads and desserts, and is delivered with an unmatched service quality.  “We are extremely blessed to have a very close connection with our guests,” said Adrie Groeneweg, co-founder and president of Pizza Ranch. “This project extends the brand’s essence to a new dimension beyond our four walls and into their lives. It’s a new kind of way for us to relate to our loyal fans.”

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Be Sure & Check Out These too:

Christmas Tracts & Ten Must Do Christmas Crafts

Christmas Love Letters from God 

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Originally posted 2015-11-17 23:04:24.

Gifts, Monkey Stuff, Reviews, Videos

Galaxy Buck: Mission to Sector 3 #GalaxyBuck Review #FlyBy

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Galaxy Buck: Mission to Sector Three!My Thoughts:

What an adorable film for the little ones!  From the creator of VeggieTales Phil Vischer comes Galaxy Buck: Mission to Sector 9!  It is an adorable little film with an all puppet cast who embark on quite an adventure and learn some very valuable lessons!  Vischer teaches some very special things about God’s love and purpose for our lives and my favorite thing he teaches with this film is that we can all do something for God, even if we aren’t super heroes because God loves us.  He even tells us how to know if we are doing that.  Myself and many other adults I know could certainly benefit from this little reminder!

Kids will enjoy Buck Denver’s latest adventure with his friends from What’s In the Bible? and parents will appreciate the humorous nods to Star Wars and Star Trek.  Galaxy Buck communicates important Biblical truths that will add to everyone’s faith foundation, whether a life-long Christian or a new creation in Christ.

About the movie:
Buck Denver has a simple dream – to save the galaxy.  Working for the Galactic Mission Board, Buck dreams of carrying God’s love to every corner of the Milky Way!  Except he doesn’t have a starship.  Or a crew.  Or even a captain’s license.  He just needs a chance.  But when that chance comes and Buck finds himself leading a real mission into deep space, things don’t go at ALL like he imagined!  If he’s doing what God wants him to do, why is everything going wrong?  From VeggieTales® and What’s in the Bible? creator Phil Vischer, Galaxy Buck: Mission to Sector 9 is a wild, galactic adventure that teaches kids a powerful lesson about trusting God with everything – even our dreams!
Run time: Approximately 40 minutes

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Originally posted 2015-10-15 00:00:48.

Books, Gifts, Monkey Stuff, Reviews, Toys

#JesusSeesUs

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I always love Mommy inventors!  The Jesus Sees Us Doll was created by some Mommy’s wanting to teach their little ones a little more about Jesus.  I think this is a great idea as children need concrete things to better understand the world around them.  The book that comes with the the Jesus Sees Us Doll is full of lessons that we try to teach our little ones, such as being honest, sharing, helping others and other principles that help us all learn to be better Christians.  The book is worded simply and each new thing it teaches has a scripture ‘address’ so that as they grow older we can look in the Bible to further our understanding not just of the lesson, but also of the Word.

Jesus

Product Description:

Give your children a gift they can carry with them always—faith! The Jesus Sees Us doll and book are so much more than just a doll and book. Jesus Sees Us is a beautifully relatable tool for introducing faith, Jesus, and His teachings into your child’s life. Children cling to things that make them feel secure and are drawn to the wonder of something they can believe in. Why can’t that belief be in Jesus and that security be their faith? The Jesus Sees Us doll and book are reminders that Jesus Christ is always with them, guiding and loving them every day! He will be by their sides to help them through tough times and to celebrate their victories! The doll will help remind your child of the lessons that Jesus taught while He was on earth. He is a huggable reminder that Jesus loves them and is always watching over them. He cares about the way they live their lives and wants to teach them how to be good Christians!

If you’d like to get $10 off, use code JSBlog10

 Jesus Sees Us Christian Doll and Lesson Book

You can also learn tons more about the product and creators at:

http://www.JesusSeesUs.com

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Originally posted 2015-03-16 23:57:48.

Holidays, Movies, Reviews

#SavingChristmas Movie Review with #KirkCameron

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About the movie:

This Christmas, have your family join with Kirk Cameron’s family and dive headfirst into all the joy, dancing, celebration, feasting, imagination, and traditions that glorify the true “reason for the season.” KIRK CAMERON’S SAVING CHRISTMAS is an engaging story that provides a biblical basis for our time-honored traditions and celebrations, and the inspiration to stand strongly against a culture that wants to trivialize and eliminate the faith elements of this holy season. So take in the splendor; take in the majesty; take in the story. Take it all in… and let’s put Christ back in Christmas! KIRK CAMERON’S SAVING CHRISTMAS is in theaters for a limited engagement beginning November 14 for two weeks only!

My Thoughts:

I find myself very blessed to having had the privilege to preview this film.  This film is not just another typical meaning of Christmas film.  It teaches us so much more.  We’ve all heard the story right?  About Jesus’ birth.  We know that one, hopefully by heart.  In my opinion, this film takes the symbolism of the various traditions we have and it shows how they celebrate our Heavenly Father.

Saving Christmas does an amazing job of showing how one could have a distaste for Christmas traditions, however rather than taking the typical stance and making the person who feels that way a villain, the character is embraced.  Through love and understanding, Cameron presents a truth that I will admit that in all my years I managed to not know about the traditions of Christmas.

The film has inspired me to research the Biblical roots of our so-called secular traditions.  I won’t tell you which ones, or how where to find them in the Bible because I don’t think I could ever share that in writing with the effect that is brought through the film.  I encourage you to see the film, I truly feel like it will leave you feeling filled with not only love for our Savior, but also a new understanding and gratefulness of Christmas traditions.

The Prize

A SIGNED Saving Christmas movie poster (by Kirk Cameron), the soundtrack to the film, and a car air freshener (they smell like Christmas trees)
KirkKirk2
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Originally posted 2014-11-12 23:05:53.

Holidays, Movies, Reviews, Videos

The Promise DVD

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promise-coverGrowing up a child of many Christians, I have seen and heard many stories about the Birth of the Messiah.  There isn’t a whole lot of variation, so I had no expectation for this one to be very different.  I was, however, pleasantly surprised at how the story was told differently.  The Promise told the beautiful story differently than I’ve ever heard it before and did it so very well!  I love the way they told the story, starting with when Mary and Joseph were getting to know each other.  Not an aspect I had ever really thought about before, much less seen played out!  The movie is full of  cute little songs that make one want to sign along and I love that the story is told so beautifully.  Especially the funny bits that are thrown in via the animation.  Just enough to keep the kids attention but not so much that it would take away from God’s story.  Overall, I feel like the Promise is a wonderful telling of the great story and if you like musicals, or just have children, you’ll want to add this to your movie collection.  I feel like it will become a classic, one we must watch every year to remind us of the True meaning of Christmas.
ABOUT THE PROMISE
The Promise: The Birth of the Messiah is an animated musical celebration of one of the most pivotal events in all human history, the birth of Jesus Christ.
This beautifully crafted musical is a faithful adaptation of the birth narrative from the Gospel of Luke in both story and song. The animated production leverages optical motion technology to blend traditional animation techniques with the performance talents of ballet dancers and dramatic stage actors. The result is a unique and worshipful story experience that will inspire audiences young and old for years to come.

Website: http://www.gloriousfilms.com/thepromise/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GloriousFilms

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gloriousfilms

Amazon: http://amzn.to/IpaqUJ

Official Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQBjkkF1ddU

ABOUT GLORIOUS FILMS
Glorious Films is the home of high quality entertainment products created from a strong biblical worldview. The creative and technical teams are world-class and have come to from all over the globe. Their first film, The Promise, is an animated musical about the nativity story that will be released in 2013. The second film, The Prodigal, an animated musical based on the parable of the prodigal son, is in production for a Spring 2014 release.

A great stocking stuffer and family Christmas classic, available at Amazon: http://amzn.to/IpaqUJ

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Originally posted 2013-12-13 09:34:31.

Food, Gifts, Reviews

Kernel Season’s Gift Pack

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Kernel Season's Gift Pack

Popcorn…  in my house…  it’s our addiction.  Monkey and I go through so much popcorn it’s insane.  We actually have a popcorn machine in the living room.  It doubles as useable decor.  LOL.  Whatever excuse I needed to have a popcorn machine.  I love that it is a healthy snack  with relatively small side effects…  Well, unless you add three tons of sugar, butter, or salt.  Doesn’t matter, we are addicted.

Having seen various seasonings at the theater, we were super excited to ks4have a set for our own movie theater themed living room!  Plus, you know we just HAD to have popcorn even more often, as it is only fair to do a thorough review!  LOL.  So, now that we’ve gone through a bag or two of popcorn kernels and maybe a microwave bag or two, I can honestly say that these seasonings are a must for any movie night!  Popcorn is great on it’s own, but add a seasoning or two and you’ll be addicted too!  Plus, it won’t cost 15 bucks a bucket!  😀

With little cost, these seasonings are a great addition to any movie or game night!  They will take your popcorn from good to over the top!  They have an amazing selection of flavors too!  Whether you like sweet, salty, savory or even spicy they have you covered!  Monkey loves the ones with jalepeno and bacon while my favorites tend to be the sweet ones!  Plus, there aren’t that many calories in a serving of seasoning!

Flavors We’ve Tried:

  • Bacon Cheddar
  • Butter
  • Caramel
  • Cheesy Jalapeno
  • Kettle Corn
  • Nacho Cheese
  • Garlic Parmesan
  • Ranch
  • White Cheddar

There are many more great flavors on the site!  I love that they have such great gift sets too!  We have found a product that is to be stocked at all times now!  LOL.

 

KS1

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Originally posted 2013-12-09 10:12:56.

Products, Reviews, Teen

The Ultimate Green Store Bracelet

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The Ultimate Green Store is perfect for my fellow environment and animal lovers!  Being friendly to our environment is quite important these days, so many companies and people trying to re-purpose and re-cycle things.  Combine that with the most teen craved product- bracelets – and self expression and you’ve got the ultimate gift for any teen!  I greatly love that the bracelet is so easily customized!  It seems self expression is and always will be a top priority for people and this bracelet allows a good bit of that!

A few months ago I asked Monkey (18) what the cool thing for the teens was at the moment.  Being an amazingly verbal teenager, she replied with the most unique answer ever, “I dunno.”  Oh, how I love that little pain in my neck.  LOL.  Later on, she came back and told me that bracelets where one could change the words to whatever they wanted was the ‘in’ thing.  Problem is, most bracelets like that you have to buy the letters individually, costing a lot of money if you’d like to change the words!  Most people tend to get a few then leave them for the duration, til they get tired of the letters and throw them out.  With this bracelet, one can change the words every day if they wanted to!  It comes with 75 letters, 10 numbers and 15 little icon buttons and the font is totally fun and perfect!  The pieces are super easy to pop on and off of the bracelet and you don’t have to worry about them stretching out and not fitting again, as the plastic immediately takes it’s original shape again after you put on or take off a piece.  😀  You can even get different color bracelets so that here is plenty of self expression!  LOL

Ultimate Bracelet 100 Piece Starter Kit!

From The Ultimate Green Store

Kit Includes:

  • One Bracelet
  • 100 element charms

Got something to say?

This cool completely customizable bracelet, made of 100% recycled scrap materials, gives you the letters and symbols to say it! Make a statement about the planet, your true love or whatever happens to be on your mind. Adjustable bracelet easily fits most wrist and ankle sizes. Let your creativity run wild with sets which give you duplicates of the most popular letters plus cool icons so you can say just about anything.

Shains are recycled accessories that encourage and empower people to make their own statements and change them whenever they want! Shainsware, the company, is dedicated to producing eco-friendly products that are useful and empowering. They donate a percentage of net profits to environmental organizations. Shains products are made of recycled and recyclable parts and everything Shains produces is certified lead free. Shains packaging is also recycled and recyclable.

Starter Kits are the best way to get started with Shains.  This Kit is equipped with a Recycled Bracelet and 100 Elements including 75 letters, 10 numbers, and 15 cool icons making it easier than ever to wear your message right on your wrist.

Key Earth-Friendly Facts:

  • Shainsware products are made of recycled materials
  • Bracelets & Cuffs are made of recycled TRE (Thermoplastic Elastomer, a rubber)
  • Elements are made of recycled ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)
  • Packaging is made of recycled papers and bards are polypropylene  (the least harmful plastic to the environment)
  • Shains are recyclable when you are ready to go and get new ones.

Colors: Black, Sky, Concrete, Sun, Earth, Grass, Orchid, Poppy, Vanilla, Lake, Strawberry, and Pink.

S.H.A.I.N.S. (State How Action Is a Necessary Solution): ‘say it wear it mean it’.

Get It Here

The Ultimate Green Store

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

About The Ultimate Green Store

As the ultimate web-based destination for eco-conscious shoppers, The Ultimate Green Store provides a collection of many of the finest environmentally friendly products for you, your home, office, kids and even your pets! We also have an incredible collection of gifts for any occasion and you may personalize your shopping experience by creating a wishlist or custom gift registry for your special event!

We carry products from many of the world’s leading manufacturers and designers of sustainable, natural, organic, recycled, eco-friendly goods- products that are made with your health and the health of our planet in mind. Many of these companies are amongst the most socially responsible companies around. We also carry some green products made by companies that did not start out with environmental concerns in mind, but now realize the importance of sustainable practices and production in launching green lines within their category. We hope that in supporting these manufacturers, they will continue to move in this positive direction.

At the Ultimate Green Store, you will find that shopping green is hardly a sacrifice. Quite to the contrary, you will find beautiful, cool, hip, colorful, fun, effective, beautifully smelling, quality products that stand on their own. And, if you want to learn more, we have provided you with information about each manufacturer and their lines so that you can better understand the benefits to you and our planet of all the different products we offer.

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Originally posted 2013-12-06 09:11:37.

Book Reviews, Books, Christian, Holidays, Reviews

The First Christmas Night

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first christmas
What a special story, that will be told forever!  I love the way this book was written, seems like it brings God back into a poem.  Nothing like making a story lyrical to remember it!  I don’t think that this story could ever be told too many times, and I love hearing the different ways from such creative authors!
About
The First Christmas Night is a beautiful retelling of the birth of Jesus on that joyous night in Bethlehem so long ago. The poem begins with the arrival of Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem and winds though Christ’s birth, the angels’ appearance to the shepherds, and the visit by the Wise Men.  The simple, yet elegant, verses will appeal to little ones and are accompanied by the rich acrylic illustrations of Christine Kornacki.

’Twas the very first Christmas when all through the town

not a creature was stirring—there was not a sound.

The moon shining bright in the heavens so high

gave the look of midday to the Bethlehem sky.

The animals were nestled in warm, cozy places

with looks of contentment on each of their faces.

About the Author
Keith Christopher is a composer, arranger, orchestrator, and educator, and he has served as editor and producer for several major music publishers. In addition to writing and studio producing, Keith is on the faculty at the Blair School of Music of Vanderbilt University in Nashville. He lives in Hendersonville, Tennessee, with his wife and two children.
 
About the Illustrator 

At a very early age, Christine Kornacki developed a love for painting and bringing stories to life. After receiving a BFA in illustration from the University of Hartford, her dreams of illustrating children’s books began to take shape, including illustrating the best-selling The Sparkle Box for Ideal’s Children’s Books. Christine’s recent work also includes illustrating the six-book series for the American Girl historical doll characters Marie-Grace and Cecile.  She spends her days painting in her studio, which adjoins a charming cafe in New Haven, Connecticut.

Who is it for?
Kids ages 4-8 – The rhyming language can help them develop verbal language skills and learn to read
Family story time during the holidays
Children’s Ministers and Sunday school teachers
Christmas carolers could set it to a tune!

 

The First Christmas Night 

Written by: Keith Christopher

Illustrated by: Christine Kornacki

Publisher: Ideals Books

Hardcover: 32 pages
$16.99
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Originally posted 2013-12-05 09:12:22.

Accessories, For Your Home, Gifts, Reviews, Teen

King Beany: Great For Anyone!!!

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King Beany

At the Zoo, I’m not sure which is better: super comfort or that our guests are loving this chair!  I can’t say enough good things about them!   Whether we are laying down vegged out or have the chair sitting up to read, it is always comfortable!

Here’s Why You Have to Have One

10 Year Warranty

Versatile Seating Options

Over 100 Design Choices

Super Comfortable!

Kids & Adults Love them!

Way Better Than a Couch

Can Double as a Bed

Discount Code

Smart enough to know that even if you win, one isn’t enough, that’s my kind of thinking!  Use this discount code and save 10%.

BEANBAG2

Since adding the bean bag to our family room, we have gotten tons of compliments and it is a daily ‘call the chair’ race.  We really love it!  We’ve slept on it (Thanksgiving our house was packed), we’ve watched movies on it and it has been broke in by all three of our dogs, who participate in the fighting for the chairs event!  It is now the most beloved piece of furniture in our house, and I assure you it is furniture!  The cover is washable so you don’t have to worry about it getting dirty and with the amazing warranty, you don’t have to worry about it falling apart (not anytime this decade anyway!)  So, enter below to win and you might as well get your order in now, because you will want another!

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Originally posted 2013-12-03 00:01:30.

For Him, For the Zookeepers, Reviews

Stump Cooler: Great Gift for the Outdoorsman

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IMG_4597The Stump Cooler is probably one of the most unique coolers I’ve every laid eyes on! Designed to look like a tree stump, it blends in well perfectly for sitting in the woods while hunting! It will hold a dozen 12 ounce cans and is super light when empty, so you can take it anywhere! With the strap, it’s easy to carry along with whatever else you have to have out in the woods! In addition, they boast that it can keep cans cold for up to 5 days!

Not a hunter? How about fishing? Not only can the cooler be used to hold drinks, it can also be used as a minnow bucket! AND you can sit on it! No more sitting on the ground or carrying a chair, the Stump Cooler can be used to sit on too! One less thing to carry to that perfect spot!

The Stump Cooler is made of polyurothane so it is pretty light, adding in the cans or minnows doesn’t make it very heavy. The only thing I didn’t love was that the polyeurothane could be easily chipped with rough treatment. Though I’m certain with the tree stump design, a little spray paint will camo it back out with little effort!

I’m not a hunter or fisherman, but I did stick mine out by the koi pond and enjoyed having it there! Looks way better than the traditional cooler for when we have outdoor gatherings. If you know someone who loves being outside or even just having gatherings outside, they’ll love this unique little cooler!

IMG_4595

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

– Holds twelve, 12oz. cans plus ice
– 8x more insulating than other foam coolers
– 5x stronger than other foam coolers
– Great seating height- approximately 19″
– Sturdy enough to support a 250lbs adult
– Lightweight – less than 4lbs when empty
– Easily converts to a bait saver
– Over the shoulder strap for easy transport
– Measures 18 3/4″ x 10″ x 11″

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Wisconsin Products, Inc.® is a custom manufacturer of – Made in America – outdoor products. We envision our products to blend into nature instead of a portable plastic refrigerator looking product. Our initial product, The Stump Cooler®, has a wood bark color and texture. The material used is a lightweight PU that is 5x stronger than like products and 8x more insulating than like products. Why get boring products that are made in other countries and an eyesore when enjoying the outdoors. Be one with nature and purchase one of the most unique products on the market all while supporting an American made product and company.

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Originally posted 2013-12-02 09:07:23.