12 Pearls of Christmas: Day 2

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas blog series!

Merry Christmas from Pearl Girls™! We hope you enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from the authors who were so kind to donate their time and talents! If you miss a few posts, you’ll be able go back through and read them on this blog throughout the next few days.
We’re giving away a pearl necklace in celebration of the holidays, as well as some items from the contributors! Enter now below.The winner will be announced on January 2, 2014, at the Pearl Girls blog.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we’re all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Mother of Pearl, Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace, or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

***

Christmas Musings
by: Anita Higman

I feel great joy in preparing my home for the holiday season. I love to drape boughs of greenery along the staircase, swirl spices into a pot of apple cider that’s simmering on the stove, make crafty floral arrangements, and sing along with all my favorite carols. Then when friends and family come over for brunches and dinners, I put out my finest decoration, my best china, and my sincerest smile. I go all out. These are my guests, and I want the event to be welcoming, satisfying, and festive. I want them to feel like royalty.
When Christ arrived in Bethlehem, I wish He could have had a more splendid welcoming, a more regal place to sleep than a wooden trough where animals were fed. Even though His birth was without majestic lodgings or kingly adornments, I’m so glad He overlooked our foolish blunders, our lack of hospitality, and chose to live amongst us anyway. Jesus certainly could have chosen a different route and easier way to offer redemption.
But He didn’t.
Jesus came in one of the humblest possibly ways. He had a divine approach that left humans surprised and puzzled. And it turned into a road of pain beyond anything we can imagine. When it comes to God’s extravagant sacrifice and love that Christmas represents, He deserves a standing ovation. After all, Christmas holds the true secrets we’ve all been searching for: meaning to our lives on earth, victory over death, and life eternal. Christmas gives us a reason to work, to laugh, to dream, to love. Christmas is a holiday of the heart and earth’s finest celebration.
This Christmas I pray I’ll take as much time preparing a special place in my heart for this merry season as I do in preparing my home.

***

Best-selling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has over thirty books published (several coauthored) for adults and children. She’s been a Barnes & Noble “Author of the Month” for Houston and has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. Anita loves good movies, exotic teas, and brunch with her friends. Visit Anita at her website.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

$5 off Admission to Sesame Place

**This post does contain an affiliate link. Regardless I only post legitimate offers from trusted sites**

Sesame Place is located in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Many times I’ve wanted to take my kids especially for the Christmas celebrations they have. My sister took her daughter at least once, might have been twice. I’ve heard the Christmas celebration is really something to see. If you’re traveling to Eastern PA for the holidays you might want to make time for a stop to Sesame Place. By clicking the banner below, you can save $5 off admission.

Here is a summary of what you can expect to see at Sesame Place for the holidays:

If you are looking for a family fun Holiday adventure this year that is different from the usual activities, think Sesame Street. Our kids’ favorite furry friends have their own theme park in Langhorne, Pennsylvania.

Beginning on November 23rd, the park turns into a winter wonderland complete with shows, sparkling lights, trees and music. All of the Christmas classics will make their debut, as well as all of the famous characters: Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Elmo, and more as they help you to celebrate the season.

The park is transformed in to a truly magical experience complete with massive trees that twinkle. Lights and large ornaments serve as a background for the Sesame Street characters to greet and mingle with your family. Even the menu includes traditional Christmas treats, ensuring that you can enjoy a delicious meal with your family that includes all of the staples. Enjoy the most spectacular music and light show of the season at the giant 1-2-3 Christmas Tree! And, the fun doesn’t stop there. You can hop aboard the Sesame Place Furry Express and drive through the Gingerbread Cookie Factory to inhale the smell of fresh gingerbread and ignite your taste buds while watching Twiddlebugs’ make the famous cookies.

Next, take your family to Santa’s Furry Workshop for a fantastic photo opportunity. Your kids will be guided through the workshop by elves to pose for a picture with Santa himself and take the photo home as a keepsake.

Enjoy the many shows that take place at the park, including the Neighborhood Street Party Christmas Parade, and Elmo’s Christmas Wish Show, among many others. The parade includes everyone’s favorite Holiday songs, floats and a finale that will leave you believing in the magic of Christmas.

Even better, you can save $5 on a single day admission online from November 18th to December 31st using the promotional code Front Gate, making for an even sweeter deal for you and your family.

Have you ever been to Sesame Place? What did you like about it?

Office or Traveler Gift: T-Tech Retro Clock and MP3 Speaker

**I received the below mentioned product in order to complete an honest review. No other compensation has been received. Any opinions expressed are my own**

What do you get for dad, your teenage son, the work-a-holic, or the traveler. Oh! I have the answer to this one, how about the T-Tech Retro Clock and MP3 player! This sleek, functional, and versatile device is available on GoInStyle.com.

When I first opened this little device I thought it looked very clean and sleek. I could proudly put this on a desk or anywhere really. It’s not understated. Doesn’t take up a lot of room. It’s light weight and stylish.

It’s an analog clock as you can see from the picture. It charges with a USB cable that comes with the device. It also comes with a wire that plugs into the back of the clock and connects to your phone or mp3 player. You need to charge the clock by connecting it to your computer or a USB plug adapter. It require 1 AAA battery (not included) to keep the clock running. It has a beautiful wood finish that frames the clock.

The T-Tech by TUMI from GoinStyle.com is clock, alarm clock, and mp3 speaker. I made a video to try to show all the feature of the T-Tech by TUMI

The sound that comes out of the speaker is really nice. It can actually go pretty loud if you want it to by adjusting the volume on the T-Tech and on your phone/mp3 player. The alarm is fairly loud. I love that it has a snooze button because I sure use the heck out of a snooze button (way more than I should). This is $44 available on GoInStyle.com They have lots gift ideas for the traveler and the stylish man or woman in your life.

I encourage you to follow GoInStyle.com on the following social media sites as well:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goinstylestore
Twitter: @goinstylestore
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/GoInStylestore/

GoInStyle.com also offer free shipping to the US.

You’ll Want to Get This Perfume: Eau Flirt by Harvey Prince

**I received the below mentioned product in order to complete a review. No other compensation has been received. Any opinions expressed are my own**

Before receiving Eau Flirt by Harvey Prince perfume to review I had not heard of it. I decided to do some research on it. I wanted to see what others were saying about it, kind of prepare myself . I’m kinda picky about my perfumes. I want the scent to last but I don’t want it to be overpowering. I prefer light, fresh, and sweet scents. I don’t like anything too musky or spicy. I came across this clip from the show The Doctors .

Eau Flirt has notes of pumpkin and lavender. Lavender is definitely a scent I like but I wasn’t sure about how I’d feel about a pumpkin lavender combo. When I opened up the box I got, what seemed to me, like a strong citrus type scent. I like citrus scents too but I still wasn’t sure. You know that perfumes can smell different on different people.

I sprayed a little on, that’s when I could actually smell the pumpkin notes and the lavender. This scent was amazing. It lasted for hours too. This is a perfect perfume for me. It gently lets you know it’s there it’s not in your face and overpowering. I had sprayed some on and was holding my baby girl . I set her down and my son’s friend picked up my daughter and said “oh she smells good!” After he was done holding her I picked her up and realized some of my perfume was on her clothes.

The bottle I received is a 3/4 oz spray bottle. Very generous sized perfume. I’ve worn it every day since I received it. If you are looking for a perfume to wear for the holidays or to give as a gift, this one is definitely a winner. The New York Times said it’s “The olfactory equivalent of a little red dress”. I thought that was an accurate description.

You can find Harvey Prince on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HarveyPrince and on Twitter: @harveyprince

Eau Flirt is available on the Harvey Prince website: http://www.harveyprince.com for $55 for a 3.4 oz bottle.

GIVEAWAY

3 Luv Saving Money readers will win

a 3.4 oz bottle of Eau Flirt by Harvey Prince

US and Canada

Entry -Form

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Favorite Holiday Drink Recipe

Hot Buttered Rum Mix

1c butter softened
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1c plus 2 tblsp packed brown sugar
2 cups vanilla ice creams softened
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tsp rum extract

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS (for each serving)
3/4 c boiling water

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the ice cream, cinnamon, nutmeg and extract; mix well. Transfer mixture to a freezer container, freeze overngiht.
Yields: 3 1/2 cups

To prepare hot drink: Dissolve 3-4 tblsp of mix in boiling water; stir well
Yields: 14-18 servings

This recipe is non-alcoholic. You can add actual rum to rum when adding water to drink if you wish