Category: Promotions

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Make Your Home Sparkle with JewelScent

jewelscent,jewelscent candles, soy wax candlesI am a firm believer in giving and or receiving great smelling gifts. Perfumes and candles are by far an all time favorite to gift and receive. These gifts continue to give throughout the year or years. What better gift than one that is functional and continues to give even past the holidays. Candles are a staple on my gift giving and receiving list. The Chad is always good to gift me beautiful candles that I can decorate throughout the house with their beauty and aromatic scents. This year we found a gem of a candle company, literally.With the simple light of the wick, the candle begins to emit a most wonderful smell and an additional gift, a jewel. The gift of JewelScent, candles, soaps, wax tarts and more.The Five Fish, Gift guide, The Five Fish gift guide

I received the Jewel Scent, grapefruit-pomegranate soy wax candle to burn in my home for this holiday season. Soy wax candles are my favorite based on the blend as they burn longer and are a bit better for you than traditional wax candles. They have fewer carcinogens and are great for those who may have allergies or sensitivities to perfumes and pollutants. The scent is powerful without being overbearing or choking, part of the process that Jewel Scent has utilized is using luxury oils that produce a wonderful scent without burning off or overwhelming your home.

jewelscent candleGrapefruit-pomegranate is available in the JewelScent Signature collection, wonderful for the energizing qualities of citrus and are a magnificent compliment to my home here in the Southwest where we pride ourselves in having an excellent climate for citrus. The scent reminds me of cool evenings and early mornings from November to April when the citrus blossoms are ripe with perfume, energizing and relaxing to me all at once. However, you can choose any scent you like from the various candle collections, wax tarts (wax melts), body scrubs and more, each is sure to be a sweet-smelling fragrance to your home.

More so is the story behind the brand. A mom on a mission to make a difference and share her passion of lovely goods that invoke feelings with their scents. Sounds like a woman after my own heart, she with home goods, I with food.

The most rewarding part of JewelScent is the hidden gem lingering in each product. Valuing anywhere from $10 to $7500 each JewelScent product houses a ring that is manufactured and is of quality found in major department stores. Literally this is a gift that keeps on giving for your loved ones this holiday season.jewelscent beads, jewelscent candles, jewelscent

How Does JewelScent Work? For the candles, just light and let your candle burn until you see the gold foil. Snuff out your candle. Carefully remove the pouch with a pair of tweezers. Unwrap the gold foil to see what ring you will find. For those who might be concerned with the value, all gems valued under $100 are provided a gold token. Think Willy Wonka meets Tiffany as the token can be redeemed for high value gems. All you have to do is snap a picture front and back of the token then send an email to JewelScent or use your #JewelScentTokens hastag on Instagram or Twitter.

So if you are looking to shop for that unique gift that keeps on giving, JewelScent is your choice, all of their products are affordably priced at under $50. Not only are their products functional with more than a single use, but imagine the surprise your gift recipient experiences when they find their hidden gem. This gift is sure to be memorable this holiday season where you can share the gift of jewels and scents.

Disclaimer: Participating Blogs were not compensated for this post. This event is in not administered, sponsored, endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest. Contact karie@thefivefish.com if you have additional questions or concerns.

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Double the Cheerios Club Pack

Now that summer has arrived and the kids are home, FULL TIME, have you noticed your grocery bill start to climb? Well you don’t have to feel the pain of the rise in groceries if you are a club member to such stores as Sam’s Club or Costco, to name a few. Being a club member offers perks and benefits to help you save money on your monthly grocery costs.

What’s even better? That buying in bulk helps to save more as well since club stores carry most of the major brands we see and shop for in our standard grocers.

What’s so exciting?

New 2 box Cheerios contains two individual boxes, making them easier to store and easier to pour!
Not to mention…

By reducing the amount of air in each individual bag, these enhanced containers fit 10% more cereal than before and use less packaging. While each box contains more cereal, packaging material has been reduced by over 200,000 lbs, saving 1,000 trees and taking 130 Cheerios trucks of the road, decreasing CO2 emissions
You don’t have to take our word for it, check out all the benefits of new 2 box Cheerios packaging! http://bit.ly/CheeriosNew2Box

New and improved 2 box Cheerios are now available on the shelves of Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s nationwide. (MyBlogSpark.com, 2012)

Now you too can share in the Cheerio’s awesomeness and enter to win (2) Cheerio’s Two Box packs, for a total of (4), yes FOUR boxes of Cheerio’s. What’s even doubly better, is that TWO winners will be chosen to receive:

  • (2) new 2 box Cheerios packaging (four boxes)
So here is how you enter to win:
  • Tell me if you shop at a club store, why or why not? (You must do this before all other entries)
  • Subscribe to my reader
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Tweet this giveaway daily with @KariewithaK #MyBlogSpark
  • Like The Fish on Facebook
  • Share the giveaway on Facebook (Worth 2 entries, every day you share)
  • Blog this giveaway (Worth 5 entries)
  • Comment on a non-giveaway post

Contest ends June 16th @ 2:59am EST.

As always: No Purchase Necessary, available to US residents. One entry per household. US postcard entries also acceptable if you do not have access to the above entry options, no limit to postcard entries as long as all are received before the close of the contest, email contests@thefivefish.com for your postcard entry details or to use email as your postcard entrance as these entries will be logged by the administrator of the blog. Winners will be chosen by “And the Winner is” Failure to adhere to the aforementioned rules set forth by this contest will result in forfeiture of your entry with no notice. Facebook does not promote, endorse, nor sponsor this review and giveaway and will be held harmless. As always, good luck and enjoy. My opinions herein are my own and are no way influenced by the receipt of a free product, they are an honest reflection of myself and my review of the integrity of the product.

“Disclosure: “Disclosure:  Cheerios® cereal, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.” I was provided with a 2 box pack of Cheerios at no cost in order to promote the product and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.”

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Beyond Coastal Sunscreen Products

Living in Arizona brings a very harsh and dry climate. We have over 300 days of pure, unadulterated sunshine each year. So for an active family like ours, we are constantly in use of a sun protecting product to prevent sun damaged skin and thwart the idea of skin cancer. Furthermore we own a pool, so the majority of our summer experience is spent beside or in that pool or at the local lakes. Our family also enjoys camping and other outdoor sports and activities which puts us in the glow of our warming star. Sun protectant is HUGE  and vital in our home and we go through a lot of it.

But as an Eco-conscious mom and one that looks for overall protection, benefits, and a small carbon footprint I also want to make sure I am using something that will be safe on my children. Additionally I don’t want to pretend I am snowed over on a product, especially one that was provided for a review free of charge. Shall we dig into the details.

I recently signed up for a campaign with Global Influence to review a sunscreen line, Beyond Coastal.

I have never heard of the product. never seen them, their brand has never been brought to my attention. So the product is a perfect platform to review as it is not a brand I normally purchase or something I would seek out; often seen amongst most review bloggers. Ahem.

Mind you I will be full disclosure, I have nothing to hide and I have no shame. All participants of the review were advised that they were to post the week of April 30th. As you can see that time has clearly passed. We all waited and were notified that the products were “on their way and additional time would be provided.” Because my time is extremely valuable and priceless because I work outside the home and am the sole provider for my household, this dilly dally attitude was not befitting to me for their demands of a timeline. I sent a few emails, of which went unanswered until push come to shove, as I asked for the new timeline, an ETA for arrival, some answers; like I said, being a bitch gets you an answer. Normally when you create and setup a project with a deadline you provide levels of communication, of which were lacking. Not to mention the company that was providing the product was delayed in shipping the product. Duly noted.

Arriving nicely packed in a bubble wrap envelope, I tore in to see what was entailed to review:

  • Citrus Grove Lip Balm SPF 15 – .15oz
  • Active Face Stick Sunscreen SPF 30 – .50oz
  • Natural Clear Sunscreen SPF 30 (Clean and Clear) – 1oz
  • Active Sunscreen SPF 30 (Water Resistant) – 1oz
  • Natural Sunscreen Kids 30+ (Kid Safe) – 2.5oz
Now I am an avid and active runner and run at all times of the day. So I was drawn to the Active Face Stick, something I could pocket and take on my run that I could reapply if I were to be out more than 30 minutes at a time. I applied, exactly as the directions intended, liberally. However, I confess that while I was liberal, I felt like I just caked on a load of Vaseline on my face after I began to perspire into my run, yet it smelled like a fresh lemon, rather nice I suppose. But then the sunscreen was running into my eyes, burning them, causing me to turn right around and bag my run. Fail. Not a selling point on this product. Later I read on the website how it boasts that it,  “Acts as a wind-chap to keep your face protected during skiing and snow sports” (Beyond Coastal – Active Face Stick, 2012). So I suppose running isn’t the active genre they were engaging, more the ski and snow sports, like snowball fights in a bunny suit. Oh I digress.
Moving on to the kids sunscreen. I began to investigate the ingredients. I did this after I read three of the already published reviews where mom’s never addressed the actual product, but that sunscreen is vital to their children and they want a “safe product.” Fantastic, could not agree more. However I begged the question on why the hell, and I quote this from the product site, a kids sunscreen needs a skin cell builder. I even looked at my husband and begged the same question. I even left the issue open ended,
“When you hear ‘skin cell builder’ what comes to mind?”
Anti-aging.
Right….for kids?
Last I checked my kids are not in fear of needing botox injections or face lifts, so why an added filler for the sunscreen. I think this might be a bunch of hooey in the product if you ask me.
Comfrey Plant Extract Skin Cell Builder, Protects and Soothes
 (Beyond Coastal Kids Natural Sunscreen, 2012)
Research and investigation in the products showed me that the majority have some level of alcohol which causes drying and my favorite ingredient that was boasted about being a skin conditioner. Can I tell you what this magical ingredient is that other reviewers didn’t share, “Castor Isostearate Succinate.” Can you pronounce it? Probably not and the likelihood of knowing what is really in this is probably just as likely, so I will share with you, the Castor is a type of vegan bean that makes an oil which is rather moisturizing if used properly. I make soap and I use Castor as well as other vegan products that can be pronounced, like Olive Oil. Sigh, let me get back to my point, the “Castor Isostearate Succinate” is a polymeric mixture of esters. In plain English, it is a concoction of synthetics. AWESOME (with a hallelujah ring to this word). But the product is “all natural.” Okay…if your food comes pre-wrapped and is beige I can get on board with that, but mine has color and I know where it came from, someone’s yard, aka a farm. Sheesh I digress again.
I really could not bring myself to review much else of the products offered other than the lip balm, which I left to my darling and ever so accommodating husband. Who was so gracious to tell me that the lip balm is, “soothing on my chapped lips without being waxy or feeling like a buildup.” Well said dear, thank you for this redeeming statement.
But if you like free loot and you would like to try the product please feel free to enter this awesome giveaway that Beyond Coastal and Resourceful Mommy Media – Global Influence have provided for your enjoyment. Leave me a little comment telling me what are your uses for sunscreen?
Extra entries include:
  • Subscribing to my facetious feed
  • Like The Fish
  • Promote this on Facebook by sharing from The Five Fish
  • Leave a comment on a non-giveaway post….there are quite a few 😉
  • Enter one of my other giveaways

Contest ends June 9th at 12:01am AZ time.

As always: No Purchase Necessary, available to US residents. One entry per household. US postcard entries also acceptable if you do not have access to the above entry options, no limit to postcard entries as long as all are received before the close of the contest, email contests@thefivefish.com for your postcard entry details or to use email as your postcard entrance as these entries will be logged by the administrator of the blog. Winners will be chosen by “And the Winner is” Failure to adhere to the aforementioned rules set forth by this contest will result in forfeiture of your entry with no notice. Facebook does not promote, endorse, nor sponsor this review and giveaway and will be held harmless. As always, good luck and enjoy. My opinions herein are my own and are no way influenced by the receipt of a free product, they are an honest reflection of myself and my review of the integrity of the product.

“Disclosure: I was provided with a Natural Family Pack travel case of Beyond Coastal sun products at no cost in order to promote the product and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.”

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Billy Joel Piano Man

Funny conversation my sister and I had the other day about music. She was talking about how at her school during instruction they are only allowed to listen to music that is free of cursing, derogatory messages and the like. I couldn’t agree more, that sort of music really isn’t apropriate in any professional setting. I laughed further when she mentioned that jazz and blues were played and some of the girls in her class became twisted because it wasn’t the emo techno they are used to hearing. Sadly, they are missing out.

As a product of the late 70s and huge fan of 80s music I have been exposed to a myriad of genre’s with music. Some of my favorite 45’s to listen to (by the way those are a type of record…a.k.a. vinyl) were The Beattles, The Beach Boys, Led Zepplin, and in the 80s on tape I listened to and fell in love with Billy Joel. Especially when he performed “Uptown Girl” and his then wife Christie Brinkley starred in the video. Oh how everyone thought at the time they were royalty of sorts with his magical voice and her stunning good looks. How I digress.

But I have always loved Billy Joel. I danced at my wedding to Billy Joel’s “Just the way you are,” my husband and I celebrated on a trip to Las Vegas listening to “Piano Man” and finally when I had my twins, my son would only fall asleep to Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” or “Songs from an Italian restaurant.” I have videos of my son Seth and his sister Sara falling asleep to Billy’s music because he has such a melodic voice and his music is soothing and full of talent.

Imagine my excitement when I was told that Billy was releasing a commemorative CD to celebrate his 40 years in music. Yes, 40 years, almost as I am old, this man has been touching the lives of people where they can recall moments in their lives, as I have, where they heard one of his songs. Two very special released CD’s are available, Piano Man (Legacy Edition) and Billy Joel – The Complete Albums Collection:

Columbia/Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, is commemorating forty years of Billy Joel’s career as a solo recording artist with a pair of historic releases–a limited edition Billy Joel – The Complete Albums Collection boxed set and a two-disc Legacy Edition of  1973’s Piano Man album (exclusively featuring a long-lost fabled radio concert from 1972)–each appealing to aficionados of the iconic American singer-songwriter-performer.

Billy Joel – The Complete Albums Collection brings together for the first time, in one elegantly designed box, the artist’s complete catalog of 14 essential titles, from 1971’s Cold Spring Harbor through 1979’s Grammy-winning Album of The Year 52nd Street and 1981’s live Songs In The Attic to 2001’s Fantasies & Delusions, the first album of Billy’s classical compositions.  Each album has been recently remastered in 24 bit audio for this edition and comes in cardboard jackets replicating the original album covers and sleeves.  Included in the box are:

1. Cold Spring Harbor (1971)

2. Piano Man (1973)

3. Streetlife Serenade (1974)

4. Turnstiles (1976)

5. The Stranger (1977)

6. 52nd  Street (1978)

7. Glass Houses (1980)

8. Songs In The Attic (1981)

9. The Nylon Curtain (1982)

10. An Innocent Man (1983)

11. The Bridge (1986)

12. Storm Front (1989)

12. River Of Dreams (1993)

14, Fantasies & Delusions (2001)

15. Collected Additional Masters (1985—2007)

“This has been a long time coming, putting all my albums into one package,” said Billy in a recent in-depth interview for The Complete Albums Collection.  “I’d never seen them all together in one place until I got the box set.  It represents a lot of work! It’s a little overwhelming, actually, looking at each individual album and remembering how much writing and recording, the time spent arranging and producing everything that went into each album.”

In addition to offering brand-new remasters of every Billy Joel studio album, Billy Joel – The Complete Albums Collection includes two lavish 60-page booklets, printed lyrics to every Billy Joel composition, a new Q&A with Billy conducted by noted music journalist Steve Morse, and a bonus disc of 17 rare and non-album recordings including “Elvis Presley Boulevard” (B-side of the “Allentown” single, 1982); the live cover version of the Beatles’ “I’ll Cry Instead” (B-side of “An Innocent Man,” 1983); “House Of Blue Light” (B-side of “We Didn’t Start The Fire,” 1989); and “You Picked A Real Bad Time” (B-side of “All About Soul,” 1993).  “You’re Only Human (Second Wind)” and “The Night Is Still Young” are outtakes that did not see light of day until 1985.

Several tracks on the bonus disc originated as Billy Joel’s contributions to various multi-artist movie soundtracks, notably his covers of the Elvis Presley hits “Heartbreak Hotel” and “All Shook Up,” both from 1992’s Honeymoon In Vegas.  Billy covered Lloyd Price’s 1959 hit, “Where Were You On Our Wedding Day,” for the 1999 movie, Runaway Bride, and Duke Ellington’s “In A Sentimental Mood” for A League Of Their Own in 1992.  In 1982, Billy Joel contributed his original “Nobody Knows But Me” to In Harmony II, a Columbia LP to benefit Sesame Street/Children’s Television Workshop.

Other cover tunes on the bonus disc range from Bob Dylan’s “To Make You Feel My Love” and Leonard Cohen’s “Light as the Breeze” to the Gerry Goffin-Carole King standard “Hey Girl” (Freddie Scott, 1963).  In 1991, Billy Joel contributed “When You Wish Upon A Star” to Columbia’s Disney tribute album, Simply Mad About The Mouse.  And in 2001, Billy Joel sang the Beach Boys’ “Don’t Worry Baby” at the Radio City Music Hall All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson concert.

The exclusive bonus disc included on Billy Joel – The Complete Albums Collection closes with “All My Life,” a 2007 single (which marked Billy’s first newly-written song since 1993’s River of Dreams) now making its first appearance on an album.

I immediately tore into my Piano Man CD just to hear Billy Joel sing as he did forty years ago. I got goose bumps, I recalled memories myself, I called my mother and reveled in the memories she had when listening to Billy Joel. He has touched many generations and his music is well known and transcends time. If looking for a gift for your music aficionado or someone who is as big of fan of Billy Joel as myself this would be a wonderful gift.

“Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of Piano Man – The Legacy Edition at no cost in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.”

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Mindware Toys – Contraptions, Pattern Play, Imaginets

Traditional toys are always fun for kids for the holidays; molded plastic and or mind numbing video games are always a parents easy choice and favorite. Who doesn’t want to make their kid the happiest on Christmas only to be bored by New Years.

This year I wanted to engage in my children’s imagination, mind play, and really use the brain power these three possess. Alarmingly they are more intelligent than any parent could dream and I always want great toys for them to harness this intelligence and encourage them to flourish. Granted video games and the like are fun every now and again, but as a child my fondest memories were playing educational type games, mind teasers and challenged me to think outside the box. Hence why I am an underwriter, critically thinking and always looking to spin outside the box. Oh I digress.

So I found Mindware Toys and asked them what they had for my little brain trust of children and they presented to me: Contraptions, Pattern Play and Imaginets for my kids to delve into.

Contraptions inspires young thinkers to build unbelievable ball track structures with this simple stacking plank system. Create ramps, funnels, chutes and crazy contraptions like the “Black Hole” and “Bounce Plate.” Then find out if the ball rolls as expected. Fostering unlimited creativity and experimentation, KEVA planks build an early understanding of proportion and balance, while teaching basic principles of physics and engineering. No glue, no connectors-just loads of constructive fun! Includes 200 identical wooden planks, 2 specially designed lightweight balls for maximum action and an 18-page idea book with project photos and quick-start instructions. Contraptions planks are made from pine.

My eight year old absolutely loves this, comparable to Lego’s he can build amazing structures and literally contraptions.

Pattern Play blocks are a great introduction to math concepts like sorting, matching, symmetry, congruence and fractions. This high-quality set fits just-so into its wood tray, with vibrant colors and unusual shapes that build spatial skills. Includes 40 exceptionally well-finished wood blocks, a 10.5″-square wood building tray, 40 Pattern Cards and a drawstring canvas storage bag. Pattern Play must have been personally selected for my twin son Seth, at the rip age of three and a half, almost four who has some serious OCD and this is perfect for him to put together the like colors.

Finally my twin daughter who has been playing with the Imaginets. She is such a girl with putting things together to look pretty and match, as I said earlier, these toys seem to have been hand selected based on who they are. The sturdy wood carrying case features durable hinges and rope handles that are perfect for little hands to grasp. Inside, brightly-colored magnetic blocks can be arranged on the boards to replicate any of the 50 full-color design challenges, including animals, faces, vehicles, sports, structures and more. Plus, the magnetic board surface doubles as a dry-erase board, so kids can decorate a backdrop for their creations!

I was so thrilled to have these toys for my kids, flexing their brain power and I enjoy hearing them giggle and talk things through about how to build different creations, contraptions and patterns. Not to mention the price point for all these toys are $50 or less which is even easier on the budget!

“Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of Contraptions, Pattern Play, and Imaginets at no cost in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.”

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Girls Gifts My Little Pony & Littlest Pet Shop

My boys are generally the easiest to shop for: Nerf guns and swords to battle each other with rubber coated foam bullets and or Lego’s. Enough said.

My daughter, the girly girl is a bit tougher to shop for since she is at an age where she might be able to play with older girl toys, but still lacks the maturity to enjoy them. However I found that she loves My Little Pony and Littlest Pet Shop. These two appeal to her and her little hands and she is able to maintain them in a way that I am not worried about. The toys themselves do not have any small parts that would frighten me about a choking hazard like some Barbie toys do, and she adores how quaint they are.

Since she is rather petite, theses petite little toys are great stocking stuffers or stand alone toys just for girls.

The Littlest Pet Shop Walkables are a great addition for any holiday gift. Add some motion to any LITTLEST PET SHOP collection with the WALKABLES Pets Assortment! These quirky pets are full of spunk and ready to get up and go. At the touch of a button these pets get going, moving across any smooth surface. Girls can collect up to 12 LITTLEST PET SHOP WALKABLES Pets including a dog, seal, snail, fish, cat, spider and more. Each sold separately. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com not to mention the price is just right for those of you shopping on a budget like myself! Priced at $7.99 MSRP, these little critters are sure to light up any little girls holiday.

The more friends the merrier with the MY LITTLE PONY pony assortment! Girls can expand their pony collection with these adorable MY LITTLE PONY figures, each featuring a unique cutie mark that reflects their personality.  The circle of friends continues to grow as each pony comes with a special animal friend! Each figure in the assortment includes an accessory to tote their pet friend along and a comb for girls to style the pony’s bright, brushable mane.  Eight MY LITTLE PONY pony figures will be introduced in the spring with an additional ten ponies available in the fall. Each sold separately. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com and again, priced just right for those looking to add that last minute gift or pinch those pennies in a rough economy at $4.99 each MSRP.

So for less than $15 total you can add some great gifts under your holiday tree for your little girl this holiday season, I know mine is enjoying her recent addition of the Walkables to her Littlest Pet Shop toy collection and another pony to her My Little Pony toy collection.

“Disclosure: I was provided with a sample of My Littlest Pet Shop and My Little Pony at no cost in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.”

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Jenkins Jellies

Did you have the same old boring Thanksgiving? How about the same old boring turkey sandwiches following Thanksgiving from all the leftovers? Well why not kick up your holidays, your sandwiches, your meals altogether? Or do you have a foodie or chef extraordinaire in your family for your gift giving? I know personally I have an aunt who is an amazing chef, needless to say I think I inherited my cooking gifts from her and my grandmother, and she is always on the lookout for fabulous foods.

So I know I would love to gift to her some eccentric gifts and foods for everyone to enjoy with her creations. One year I made her a rhubarb chutney, another some black eyed peas and this year I would love to gift her some jenkins jellies hell fire pepper jelly. I was skeptical at first, as with any foodie as to what exactly the consistency and taste would yield on my palate. Surprisingly enough the jelly is amazing!

A burn to the mouth and tongue for sweet to the taste is this amazing delicacy married from the harvesting of fresh peppers and sweet jelly. More over the jelly is made with organic ingredients, no preservatives or artificial colors. The packaging is delectable, with a traditional jelly jar, simple sticker affixed to the front with the quaint rope to fasten the jelly spoon to the side of the jar. A wonderful gift of food that keeps on giving for so many different options for food. We actually had Jenkins Jelly on our turkey meatloaf the other night and boy howdy, this really got my southwestern taste and passion for spice. I could taste the peppers and a bit of habanero or jalapeno, it was awesome to feel the burn and the sweet all at once. But the flavor was piquant enough to fill the senses without the numbing burn from the pepper. The flavor would be wonderful on some southwestern, jalapeno cheddar bisquits that I love to make with my turkey chili.

Now if you really want the proof in the pudding…or in this case the jelly, Hell Fire Pepper Jelly has already received celebrity recognition from Chef Mario Batali, actor Ed Begley, Jr. and actress/cousin Gwyneth Paltrow. In addition to the celebrity endorsement is the philanthropy attached to jenkins jellies which is always a plus for The Fish Family since we love to help our world and community where we can, a percentage of jenkins jellies’ profits go to the Bruce Paltrow Oral Cancer Fund and Green Wish.

Some back history about Jenkins Jellies:

After buying a home in Highland Park with an abundance of fruit trees, L.A. actress Hillary Danner planted a vegetable garden and began making jelly. A family friend encouraged her to create a unique pepper jelly with an extra kick.

Always up for a challenge, Hillary joined with her longtime friends Maria Newman and Chef Jared Levy to do just that. Organically growing a variety of peppers in Hillary’s backyard, she created a jelly with the perfect balance of where sweet meets heat. The end result was their first product: Locally produced, gourmet and handcrafted Hell Fire Pepper Jelly.

Available for purchase online at www.jenkinsjellies.com or at select Dean & DeLuca locations across the country for an SRP of $12 per 11.9 oz jar and $8 for a 4.8oz jar. Sure to be a chef’s favorite as a stocking stuffer or a foodies gift of taste, Jenkins Jellies is sure to be an affordable and delicious gift to enjoy past the holiday season.

“Disclosure: I was provided with a jar of jenkin jellies at no cost in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.”

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Family Game Night 4

Thanksgiving night and the day after, what is a family to do. Traditionally families load into the car and head off to the movies. Two hours of silent,entertainment, eating butter saturated, salty goodness in popcorn and drinking high fructose corn syrup drinks. Sounds fabulous to add to the already plump Thanksgiving meal. Why not veer off from the norm and play games!

Experience the fun and excitement of the popular TV show right in your own living room!

This time you’re playing with larger-than-life pieces in re-imagined versions of your favorite Hasbro games. CONNECT 4 Basketball is more fun than ever as you shoot hoops to get 4 balls in a row and YAHTZEE! Bowling puts a whole new spin on the popular dice game. You’ll also find fun new versions of SCRABBLE Flash, SORRY! Sliders, and BOP-IT Boptagon, and win MONOPOLY Crazy Cash, just like the game show! Play with friends and family and compete to prove your family is the best!

Not to mention you are burning off your overstuffed dinner and enjoying quality time as a family. We played Family Game Night 4 on our Wii and got the entire family up and jumping around to the excitement of playing a childhood favorite, Connect 4. Everyone was vying to win that game so then we moved on to basketball to really get the blood flowing and burn off the remnants of some pie and green bean casserole.

The kids were having a blast, jumping around, half screams….well full screams of joy and excitement as we all played for a family game night rather than heading off to the movies like everyone else. Family Game Night 4 is available on all platforms just in time for the holiday season, find it for Wii, Playstation and XBOX for hours of fun, laughs, and at times some heated competition. Give the gift of fun and family for any and every member of your family. Find Family Game Night 4 at your local retailers this holiday season to get your family together.

“Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of Family Game Night 4 at no cost in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.”

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MOGO Charm

Zhu Zhu pets are a thing of the past. Bedazzled just doesn’t hack it. My daughter was recently introduced to MOGO and all that MOGO has to offer with charm jewelry. Not your average charm jewelry either! Mix and match gems, picture gems, statement gems and colored bracelets and other accessories. Recently my daughter has become fixated on jewelry, accessories and pretty much all thing girl. Like her mother, her affection for shoes could also be deemed damaging to the closet space in the house.

But she is really loving the jewelry and that she can have a new jewelry item at will just by changing out the magnetic charms to give her bracelets a new look and new life. Did I also mention these are a great “green” gift for your kids as well. That’s right, no plastic or PVC charms and charm bracelets. The bracelets are not the traditional metals and or plastics with weak construction, they are constructed from a tight weave canvas seen on military bracelets but with an ultra girl twist. The mosies, or slippers, are fabulous! What girl would not want a soft and squishy pair of mule slippers that she can add charms and bling to and they just click.

The company’s tag line that “We just click.” The “we just click” tag and the idea of MOGO’s came from the owner trying to fix horse blankets and had an idea that she could use magnets to replace the worn out velcro. The idea didn’t work but the idea of magnets as charms for a new and different modern charm bracelet, did work out. More from the owner and MOGO,

“The name MOGO is in memory of my childhood pony who was rescued and given to me by my father when I was 9 years old. In recognition of my first pony MOGO, and all the wonderful animals in the world, MOGO supports a shelter animal each month, supporting vet care and socialization support until the animal is ready to be adopted.

Our MOGO tagline, “We just click!” is all about the connections MOGO creates. Friends who just click with each other, Moms and Grandmas who click with their Tweens, even Tweens who just click with animals. And, of course, the charms themselves which “just click” to the charmbands.”

Great items for a stocking stuffer or your fashionista looking to make a statement. MOGO’s even has flip flops! Check out all the great bands and charms and even build your own bracelet, headband, or necklace in a matter of seconds on the MOGO website. Found in over 2700 retail shops including Nordstroms, this eco-friendly and affordable gift is sure to be a hit with any girl.

“Disclosure: I was provided with MOGO Mosies and charms at no cost in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.”