Holiday Gift Guide 2011 Archives

HearthSong Flying Space Monkeys – Review & Giveaway

December 21, 2011 by Cathi 70 Comments

The holidays are all about family and traditions. Old traditions and new traditions. You take the happy traditions you grew up with and instill them into your own family and make-up new ones as the years go by.

One of the new traditions we started a few years back takes place on Christmas Day. It all started with the little ones going upstairs to watch from the loft. Then the adult family members all simultaneously opened ready-to-go sponge dart guns. The excitement started immediately and it was “Game On”! Before too long the grandkids were caught up in the action and teams were formed. The action lasted hours. A tradition was started.

(HearthSong image)

This year every single family member, from grandparents to the kindergartner, will each be opening a Flying Space Monkey from HearthSong. I know these adorable monkeys will be flying all over within seconds of escaping the confines of thier wrapping paper. We can’t wait to see the different games and competitions the kids and grandkids create with the ultimate goal of their monkey winning.

The Flying Space Monkeys are sold individually or in sets of four. Each monkey has metallic colored silver moon boots, a matching space pack and space helmet. As you look through through the bubble of their space helmet, you’ll get a glimpse into their true characters. Blue has a big toothy grin. Brown has a cute cheeky smile. Pink has red lips and long eyelashes. And Red looks a little (or a lot) apprehensive about flying!

Ready, aim, fly!

It’s as easy as putting your fingers into the monkeys front mitt pockets and pulling back to release for blast off! I think aiming will be the big test. Like … what will the kids and grandkids be aiming at? Hopefully not Grandpa and Gramma!

Are you ready for a traditional game of competition on Christmas Day?

Giveaway!

One lucky Simple Sojourns reader will win a set of four Flying Space Monkeys.1. Required entry – Tell us which Flying Space Monkey is your favorite.

For extra entries:

2. Follow @SimplyCathi on Twitter.

3. Become a fan of Simple Sojourns – Our NEW Facebook page. (We’re undergoing big changes)

4. Subscribe by email to Simple Sojourns (right sidebar).

5. Earn one extra entry for Google + this giveaway.

6. You can earn one extra entry each time you tweet (once a day) about this giveaway:

GIVEAWAY! HearthSong Flying Space Monkey http://bit.ly/thg1oY #giveaway #win @hearthsongtoys @SimplyCathi

7. Earn one extra entry for following HearthSong on Facebook.

8. Earn one extra entry for following HearthSong on Twitter.

* This giveaway will close at midnight Wednesday January 3, 2012.

* The giveaway is open to US residents only.

* One set of entries per household.

* The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will have 24 hours to respond to the winner notification email.

We did not receive any compensation for this post. We did receive Flying Space Monkeys from HearthSong to facilitate our review.

Filed Under: Family, Giveaways, Holiday Gift Guide, Reviews Tagged With: Children, Christmas, Gifts, Grandchildren, Holiday Gift Guide 2011, Toys

American Girl Dolls – Kit Kittredge

December 20, 2011 by Cathi Leave a Comment

Twenty-five years ago an American Girl doll joined our family. Her name is “Samantha Parkington”. She belonged to our daughter Britt and Britt loved Samantha. The two of them were the best of friends. Britt knew the history of Samantha. She knew that in 1904 Samantha was orphaned and went to live with her wealthy grandmother. She knew that in Samantha’s life the world was bursting with new inventions and exciting notions. The friendship between Britt and Samantha was something quite special. Britt took precious care of Samantha and at the same time learned important historical facts while reading Samantha’s storybooks.

This is one of the wonderful things about American Girl dolls. Not only do they provide companionship for little girls, they also educate them with stories from different times and locations in American history.

This year “Kit Kittredge” joined our family. She’ll be the first 18″ American Girl doll for our 6-year old grand daughter. The bond Kennedy and Kit will form is going to be strong.

With two older brothers, Kennedy will now have “Kit” to play dress-up with and to read storybooks to. And “Kit” will listen to Kennedy’s endless chatter. *wink*

Through her personal storybooks, “Kit” will teach Kennedy about her experiences of life during the great depression. A time in our country that kids nowadays may know very little about. Kennedy will learn about the fashions and styles of clothes from Kit’s era.

Kennedy will read all about Kit and her family and friends in the storybook that’s included with Kit. At American Girl we’ll be able to purchase clothes and furniture along with anything that Kit needs OR Kennedy wants.

I know Kennedy will love Kit and take good care of her. But … if anything should happen to Kit, she can be admitted to the American Girl Doll Hospital where everything from surgery to ear piercing is performed.There is a wide variety of different American Girl dolls with names and histories to choose from. You can also design your own doll to look just how you’d like. You pick the hair color and style, the skin shade, with or without freckles, and the eye color. How fun is that?Kennedy and “Kit” both have blue eyes with shoulder length blond hair. We can almost hear Kennedy’s delight as she’ll probably proclaim, “We’re twins!” No compensation was received for this post. We did however receive ‘Kit Kittredge” from ‘American Girl’ to facilitate our review.

Filed Under: Holiday Gift Guide, Reviews Tagged With: Children, Gifts, Grandchildren, Holiday Gift Guide 2011, Toys

Brave Irene – Children’s Book with CD – Review & Giveaway

December 14, 2011 by Cathi

Our granddaughter is honing her reading skills in kindergarten. She loves to “show off” and read to us every chance she gets. However … she still brings us books and snuggles up on our laps so that we can read to her. Even though we hope there are still many years of snuggling with books in the future, sometimes we aren’t available in person to share a book with her. These are the times that precious books narrated on CDs can be the perfect gift for little ones like our granddaughter.

Brave Irene is the story of little Irene who puts aside her fears to complete a special task that her mother is too ill to complete. Academy Award winning actress Meryl Streep brings the story of Brave Irene to life with her delightful narration on CD.

The story begins on the day that Irene’s mother has just finished making a beautiful dress for the Duchess. The Duchess is to wear the dress that very night, however Irene’s mother is too ill to deliver it.

Irene cares for her mother and promises she will deliver the dress to the Duchess. After all … she loves the snow and isn’t afraid to walk in it all the way to the palace. Irene carefully packs up the dress and sets off on her errand.

The snow quickly turns into a wicked blizzard. And hard as Irene tries to hold tight to the dress box, the wind rips open the box. Irene can do nothing but watch the dress as it takes off in the wind.

Freezing cold and frustrated at loosing the dress, Irene knows she must find somewhere warm and out of the blowing snow. She realizes she is closer to the palace then home so she forges ahead, tumbling in the deep snow.

As she approaches the beautifully lit palace she spots something that makes her smile. She knows all will be well and is anxious to let her mother know. But her mother will have to wait until morning when brave Irene returns home in grand style.Brave Irene is delightfully written and illustrated by William Steig. Brave Irene is also a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year recepient.

GIVEAWAYCongratulations to #34 Jessica in South Carolina the winner of this giveaway!
One lucky Simple Sojourns reader will win a copy of Brave Irene.

1. Required entry – Tell us who you would like to win a copy of Brave Irene for.

2. For extra entries:

3. Follow @SimplyCathi on Twitter.

4. Become a fan of Simple Sojourns – Our brand NEW Facebook page. (We’re undergoing big changes)

5. Subscribe by email to Simple Sojourns (right sidebar).

6. You can earn one extra entry each time you tweet (once a day) about this giveaway:

GIVEAWAY! “Brave Irene” storybook with CD narrated by Meryl Streep http://tinyurl.com/bvshyz6 #giveaway #win @SimplyCathi

* This giveaway will close at midnight Tuesday December 20, 2011.

* The giveaway is open to US residents only.

* One set of entries per household.

* The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will have 24 hours to respond to the winner notification email.

No compensation was received for this post. Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners provided us with a copy of “Brave Irene” and is providing the giveaway prize.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Reviews Tagged With: Books, Children, Grandchildren, Holiday Gift Guide 2011

Here We Go! – An Exciting Adventurous Storybook – Review & Giveaway

December 12, 2011 by Cathi

We have a special verbal game we play with our grandchildren. We call it our Adventure Story. It’s interactive and everyone can participate. It’s a “to be continued …” story where we travel wherever our imaginations take us and we have a remarkable time. Anyone and everyone can be in our Adventure Story. (Recently Britt was there carrying Yoda in her backpack!) We leave it to Cody, our 8-year old grandson, to make our Adventure Story pure magic!

Patricia Babuka and Scott Schaefer of Grandcamp Adventures have brought an adventure story to print in a delightfully illustrated book. Written by Walter Sorrells and illustrated by Victor Tavares, Here We Go! is the story of eccentric (in a fabulously fun way) grandparents who take their grandchildren on an exciting adventure around the world.

While Papa and Grammie are on holiday around the world they find that many of their precious treasures have been lost through a hole in the baggage compartment of their plane.

The adventure begins when their grandchildren, Savannah, Luca and Aiden, arrive for a visit.

Papa and Grammie explain the “disaster” that has happened and then they all set off on an adventure traveling the world over to find the lost treasures. Using a magic compass, their travels take them to castles in England, the jungles of the Congo, the beaches of New Zealand, Chinese New Year in China and a local family gathering in Venezuela.

Before the family arrives back home, they’ve experiencing fabulous customs and traditions of various different cultures. It truly is an Adventure Story of a lifetime!

And there’s a lot more to Grandcamp Adventures. The website includes wonderful references for traveling with grandchildren, music & toys for purchase along with games and activities to do with your grandchildren (or children!).

I’m head over heels in LOVE with Grandcamp Adventures! We’re big on travel and in the last month have been to both Shanghai and London. We’re looking forward to taking our grandchildren along with ua sometime soon.

Giveaway!

Congratulations to our winner #3 Christine in California!

One lucky Simple Sojourns reader will win a copy of Here We Go! and Shake It Up activity cards.

1. Required entry – Tell us one exciting place you’d like to take your children or grandchildren.

2. For extra entries:

3. Follow @SimplyCathi on Twitter.

4. Become a fan of Simple Sojourns – Our brand NEW Facebook page. (We’re undergoing big changes)

5. Subscribe by email to Simple Sojourns (right sidebar).

6. You can earn one extra entry each time you tweet (once a day) about this giveaway:

GIVEAWAY! “Here We Go” storybook and “Shake It Up” activity cards from Grandcamp Adventures http://bit.ly/tcBI05 #giveaway #win @SimplyCathi

7. Earn one extra entry for following Grandcamp Adventures on Facebook.

* This giveaway will close at midnight Friday December 19, 2011.

* The giveaway is open to US residents only.

* One set of entries per household.

* The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will have 24 hours to respond to the winner notification email.

No compensation was received for this post. Grandcamp Adventures provided us with a copy of “Here We Go!” and is providing the giveaway prize.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Grandparenting, Reviews Tagged With: Books, Children, Grandchildren, Holiday Gift Guide 2011

Gracie’s Gift – Children’s Book Review & Giveaway

November 23, 2011 by Cathi

Gracie’s Gift is a precious little story book. The story of Gracie truly hit home for me as I think it will for anyone who has a little princess (or two, or three …) in their life.

Author Andrea Trosclair takes us on an inspired journey of love as Sean Gautreaux brings Gracie to life with splendid illustrations.

The story opens the morning of Gracie’s birthday. She’s wakes and climbs out of bed excited about the adventures that are in store for her birthday celebration. Everything is perfect as she dances about her room until she spots the bow sitting next to her birthday dress. You see, Gracie does not like wearing hair bows.

She begrudgingly gets dressed and her mother carefully places the matching bow in her hair. Gracie’s mother explains that all the birthday gifts are beautifully wrapped with beautiful big bows.

She explains to Gracie that she is a gift from God. A gift that her mother is eternally thankful for. Because of this, her mother places a big bow in Gracie’s hair to remind her that Gracie is indeed a precious gift from God. A gift tied up with a beautiful big bow.

Why did the story of Gracie’s Gift mean to much to me?

When our daughter was growing up, I tied big ribbon bows in her hair every single day. It didn’t matter if she was wearing jeans and playing in the backyard or if she was dressed in her Easter dress hunting eggs. Now, many years later, I have the blessing of tying up our grand daughter’s hair in brightly colored bows. I, like Gracie’s mother, am ever so thankful for these precious little girls that are gifted to us by God.

Gracie’s Gift is a delightful story book available for $16.95 at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

GIVEAWAY!

Congratulations to our winners #31 Lily in Nevada and #17 Jessica in Virginia.

Two people will a copy of Gracie’s Gift.

1. Required entry – Tell us why you’d like to win Gracie’s Gift.

2. For extra entries:

3. Follow @SimplyCathi on Twitter.

4. Become a fan of Simple Sojourns – Our brand NEW Facebook page.

5. Subscribe by email to Simple Sojourns (right sidebar).

6. You can earn one extra entry each time you tweet (once a day) about this giveaway:

GIVEAWAY! “Gracies’s Gift” storybook. An adorable story for the little girl in your life! #giveaway #win @SimplyCathi

* This giveaway will close at midnight Wednesday December 7, 2011.

* The giveaway is open to US residents only.

* One set of entries per household.

* The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will have 24 hours to respond to the winner notification email.

No compensation was received for this post. A copy of the book was provided for us and the giveaway winner.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Reviews Tagged With: Books, Children, Grandchildren, Holiday Gift Guide 2011

Uno Roboto “House Rules” Slumber Party

November 18, 2011 by Cathi 1 Comment

We’re big fans of playing games with family and friends. One of our favorite games over the years has been Uno. In fact, we’ve been playing Uno for as long as I can remember.

We recently had a slumber party with all of our grandchildren and the party actually started after the slumber!

After a late night of movies and hide and go seek, we gathered around the kitchen table for good food (Eleven year old Austin and five year old Kennedy made the pancakes … all alone!) and a wicked game of Uno Roboto.

What is Uno Roboto you ask? A lot of fun I tell you! In honor of it’s 40th anniversary, Uno Roboto takes the iconic game to a higher level of excitement and competition. The game is fundamentally the same but with a twist. The Roboto unit emcees as he interacts with the players throughout the game.

Before starting the game Roboto will ask each player to record their name. At this point a House Rule is also chosen. The House Rules are actions that everyone participates in. When prompted by Roboto, everyone performs the House Rule (for example: Recite the Pledge of Allegiance, balance a card on your head) and the last player to finish must draw 2 cards.

The game starts when Roboto says the name of the player who will go first. But beware! At any given time Roboto will call out a House Rule for everyone or a surprise action for one particular player!

The point of the game is to play all your cards but … when you have one card left in your hand you must holler out “UNO”! Throw Wild Cards, Reverse Cards, Skip Cards and Draw Two Cards into the mix and you have a rip roaring party game.

Uno Roboto is appropriate for ages 7+ although our grand daughter enjoyed playing at age 5. Uno Roboto even has a Facebook page where you can stay up to date with deals and specials.

Uno Roboto is on sale for $19.99 on Amazon.

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Uno Roboto and received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

(Affiliate link included)

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Children, Entertainment, Games, Grandchildren, Holiday Gift Guide 2011, Mom Central, Toys

Activision Games for Girls Summit

November 18, 2011 by Cathi 1 Comment

Last week we took our 5-year old grand daughter to the Activision Games for Girls Summit where all three of us had an extraordinary time.

Activision has taken the most popular toys and made interactive video games from them. These games are available in the DS format and have been a hit with not only Kennedy but her older brothers and parents too. The six games we were introduced to are Moshie Monsters, Wappy Dog, Lalaloopsy, Zhu Zhu Babies, Zoobles and Squinkies.

We were treated to a fabulous lunch before we settled in to hear all about Activision’s new games for girls. While we were learning some amazing facts and statistics about girls and gaming in general … Kennedy was having a jolly good time with her new friends.

Acivision-Games-4-Girls-7

Marcy Massura (@MarcyMassura, Marcy Massura Media) was our host and introduced Suzanne Kantra (@techlicious, CEO and founder of Techlicious), Nicole Armstong (@ATVIGAMES4GIRLS, Director of Marketing for Activision) and Amanda Young (@ayoung620, Sandbox Strategies).

I think the most important thing we learned is the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics: Children over the age of two should have no ore than 1-2 hours of screen time each day. This not only includes video games but television, iPods and smart phones as well. That’s two hours total combining the use of all those devices. So … who’s playing video games? According to the 2011 NPD study, over 90% of kids ages two (yes two!) to seventeen play games in the U.S. Wow! Studies by the Office of Naval Research and the University of Michigan have shown that the physical rewards of gaming can produce:

faster reaction times
increased hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity
increased spatial skills
ability to divide and switch attention, pay attention to more than one object/person

We’ve witnessed these physical rewards with our 8-year old grandson.

The mental rewards are just as important. Children who play video games are more creative (2011 study)

It is the way video games defy/ignore reality that opens doors in children’s minds saying it could be otherwise” says Linda Jackson, professor of psychology at Michigan State.
They learn to be resilient in the face of failure because gamers spend 80% of their time failing.
They learn to process information faster. (Office of Naval Research.
Gaming improves fundamental abilities to reason and problem solve in novel contexts.

We’ve seen the benefits of gaming in our grandchildren’s reactions to loosing in a game, learning the strategy of winning a game and also learning pateince.

But once again … limiting screen time is important … very important.

We’re grateful to Marcy Massura for the invitation to Activision’s Games for Girls Summit. It truly was time well spent with wonderful women who went out of their way to share their knowledge and expertise on an activity that is part of children’s every day life.

Acitivision-Games-4-Girls-2 simplesojourns.com

Kennedy had a wonderful time and was over the top excited and impressed with her very first swag bag. She and Wappy Dog were exhausted from the day’s activities and they both slept all the way home.

The six new Activision games for girls (Moshie Monsters,Wappy Dog, Lalaloopsy, Zhu Zhu Babies, Zoobles and Squinkies) are available in the Nintendo DS format. Kennedy’s favorite is the interactive Wappy Dog. Her older brothers and parents are having just as much fun as she is playing the new games.

This is not a compensated post. We were invited to the Activion Games for Girls Summit by M3 (Marcy Massura Media) and received product samples to thank us for taking the time to participate.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Children, Entertainment, Grandchildren, Holiday Gift Guide 2011, Media Event, Toys

Recipe Rock – Review & Giveaway

November 17, 2011 by Cathi

I have a few cookbooks that I use on a regular basis. They’re my “go to” books that contain my favorite recipes, some of which I’ve used for 30 years or more.

As of late I’ve searched and found most of my recipes online, many of which I’ve posted here on Simple Sojourns. I usually pull a recipe up online on my Macbook. But since I’m a bit of a messy cook, I leave my Macbook on the kitchen table and run back and forth from the table to the kitchen counter. It works, but it’s not exactly convenient.

Seventy percent of cooks nowadays are probably like me, choosing the internet over actual cookbooks. If they print out the recipe they’re more than likely constantly moving it out of the way and getting it quite messy … like me!

Enter the Recipe Rock … awesome and convenient. I love the Recipe Rock. A lot.

The Recipe Rock is a small 2 inch sculpted concave “rock” with a powerful earth magnet. It can hold up to eight pages by simply placing them between the rock and the ball. The Recipe Rock is small enough to sit on the counter without getting in the way. It also fits nicely in a drawer. I use mine almost everyday and I love it!

The Recipe Rock is made by Architec Products and is sold on Amazon and other retailers. It even comes in red! It would make a perfect stocking stuffer, priced at under ten dollars. How would you like to win one?

GIVEAWAY!

One person will get their very own Recipe Rock.

1. Required entry – Share where you get your favorite recipe(s).

2. For extra entries:

3. Follow @SimplyCathi on Twitter.

4. Become a fan of Simple Sojourns – Our brand NEW Facebook page.

5. Subscribe by email to Planes, Trains & Taxi Cabs (right sidebar).

6. You can earn one extra entry each time you tweet (once a day) about this giveaway:

GIVEAWAY! Recipe Rock – Awesome kitchen gadget! Holds ur favorite printed out recipes http://tinyurl.com/87pr4m3 #giveaway #win @SimplyCathi

* This giveaway will close at midnight Thursday December 1, 2011.

* The giveaway is open to US residents only.

* One set of entries per household.

* The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will have 24 hours to respond to the winner notification email.

No compensation was received for this post. A product sample was provided. Affiliate link included.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Recipes, Reviews Tagged With: Food, Holiday Gift Guide 2011

Tiny Prints Holiday Cards – Review & Giveaway

November 9, 2011 by Cathi

We’re big on photos at our house. As we say in our weekly Favorite Photo Saturday post, we take an average of 500 photos every week. Because of our love for photography and the story we beleive a photo can tell, one of our favorite things about the holidays is receiving photo Christmas cards..

It gives us a chance to see what our family and friends have been up to. To see how they’ve grown and how they’ve changed. We’re actually having a family dinner tomorrow night with our children and grandchildren. We’re gathering together for good food, good company and … family photos.

By this weekend I’ll have the perfect family photo picked out and I’ll be ordering our Tiny Prints Photo Christmas cards.

I’m in love with Tiny Print’s 2011 holiday collection. They styles are gorgeous and the variety to choose from is vast. From the round to the tri-fold there’s something for everyone!

You can also order a free card to your children from Santa! Just visit the Tiny Prints Facebook page to find out how to personalize one of the following greeting cards for free: Checking It Twice or Santa’s Scroll. But hurry! This offer ends tonight, 11/9/11 at 11:59 pm (PT).

GIVEAWAY!

One person will win 50 Christmas or holiday cards from Tiny Prints.

1. Required entry – Tell us which Holiday Card you would choose from Tiny Prints.

2. For extra entries:

3. Follow @SimplyCathi on Twitter.

4. Become a fan of Simple Sojourns – Our brand NEW Facebook page. (We’re undergoing big changes)

5. Subscribe by email to Planes, Trains & Taxi Cabs (right sidebar).

6. You can earn one extra entry each time you tweet (once a day) about this giveaway:

GIVEAWAY! 50 Tiny Prints Holiday Cards! http://bit.ly/rytgn6 #giveaway #win @TinyPrints @SimplyCathi

7. Earn one extra entry for becoming a fan of Tiny Prints on Facebook.

8. Earn one extra entry for following Tiny Prints on Twitter.

* This giveaway will close at midnight Wednesday November 16, 2011.

* The giveaway is open to US residents only.

* One set of entries per household.

* The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will have 24 hours to respond to the winner notification email.

No compensation was received for this post. Tiny Prints is providing the winner’s prize and a product sample to us as a thank you.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Reviews, Shopping Tagged With: Holiday Gift Guide 2011, Online Shopping

Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract – Giveaway

November 7, 2011 by Cathi

One of my favorite things to do is bake treats for my family. Anything they’ll eat I enjoy baking.

Over the years I’ve learned to always use high quality ingredients when baking. Real ingredients, not imitation. One of my favorites is vanilla. It has to be pure vanilla extract. Want to know a secret? I actually wore vanilla as perfume when I was a teenager.

While baking for Halloween I used Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract. I was absolutely delighted with this new to me Vanilla Extract from Nielsen-Massey. With Thanksgiving only weeks away and Christmas next month I’m anticipating a whole lot of baking with my new found treasure.

Nielsen-Massey is based in Illinois and the Netherlands. They’ve been making the highest quality products since 1907. All Nielsen-Massey’s vanilla products are Kosher certified, Gluten-free certified, and they have been a certified organic producer since 1998. That’s pretty impressive!

Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla’s creamy, sweet, velvety flavor is perfect for baked goods to ice creams and salad dressings to barbeque sauces. Contrary to it’s name, Madagascar Bourbon vanilla does not have anything to do with the American whiskey of the same name. The name comes instead from the Bourbon Islands off the coast of Africa. Madagascar supplies more than 60% of the world’s vanilla. I had no idea but … but it sure adds an exotic flare to ordinary baking doesn’t it?

I’m over the top excited about starting my holiday baking with Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract! You can purchase Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract on Amazon.

GIVEAWAY!

One person will win a bottle of Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract.

1. Required entry – Tell us about a favorite recipe that you would use Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla to make.

2. For extra entries:

3. Follow @SimplyCathi on Twitter.

4. Become a fan of Simple Sojourns – Our brand NEW Facebook page. (We’re undergoing big changes)

5. Subscribe by email to Planes, Trains & Taxi Cabs (right sidebar).

6. You can earn one extra entry each time you tweet (once a day) about this giveaway:

GIVEAWAY! Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla http://bit.ly/v2LkEb #giveaway #win @SimplyCathi

* This giveaway will close at midnight Monday November 21, 2011.

* The giveaway is open to US residents only.

* One set of entries per household.

* The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will have 24 hours to respond to the winner notification email.

No compensation was received for this post. We did receive a product sample from Nielsen-Massey who is also providing the winner’s prize. Affiliate link included.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Reviews Tagged With: Food, Holiday Gift Guide 2011