SweetOnHearts Etsy Shop Review and Giveaway

Sweets are everything to me.  A warm freshly baked cookie, a scrumptious brownie with ice cream on top, or even a thick slice of cheesecake mean the world to me. Sweet treats are comfort food and certainly bring a smile to one's face when they enjoy them.  The next time you have company over, serve a cake and gather around the table with warm laughs and conversation.

SweetonHearts wants to spread happiness around the world like frosting on a cookie. All of Michelle's baked goods are freshly baked, hand-crafted and perfect for birthday parties, bridal showers, weddings, baby showers and so much more.  Why not treat yourself to some of her fabulous goodies today? Her yummies include heart shaped brownie sandwiches, sugar cookies, whoopee pies, rice krispie treats and so much more.  Everything she makes is in the shape of a heart! I absolutely love that.

I was sent a variety box of some of her treats.  The shipping was exceptionally speedy and her package presentation was beautiful!

What's inside you ask? Why, let me show you!

Look at those beauties! My heart turned into liquid sugar when I laid my eyes upon these treats.

 

 

As I looked at each treat, I decided which one I wanted to try first.  The heart-shaped brownie sandwich caught my eye and I knew it had to have a date with my tummy.

 

Michelle makes these chewy brownies from scratch and then lovingly cuts them into heart shapes. She generously pipes a thick layer of homemade raspberry buttercream in between each brownie heart. This is certainly a sinfully excellent dessert!

 

 

I took my initial bite of the brownie and I was transported to a world where everything is only chocolate.  The brownie was dense, moist and simply wonderful.  It was perfectly soft and truly everything I could want in a brownie.  The raspberry buttercream was a beautiful deep pink color and had a wonderful sweet, raspberry flavor.  The raspberry complimented the chocolate fabulously and I was in heaven.  I could certainly tell that a lot of love and hard work went into making this brownie sandwich. 

 

I cannot wait to dig into the other treats in the box.  They are all bouncing around in there screaming "eat me!" I know I won't be able to resist them for long.  I'm sure they will be equally as delicious.

 

Please consider Michelle's Etsy shop the next time you have a sweet treat craving! Your taste buds and stomach will thank you.

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/8b93dd125/

 

 



 



Kohl's Review

I've been shopping at Kohl's for a number of years now.  I love their affordable prices and the wide variety of clothes and accessories.  Even though I live near a Kohl's, I often visit their website to shop because I find that they have different merchandise online than they do in the store. I love being able to shop in my pajamas.  You couldn't do that at a real Kohl's!

Kohl's is your one stop shop for women, men, and children's clothing and accessories, housewares, shoes and much more.  Need a new outfit for yourself for a Christmas party, or maybe your child needs a new outfit for her birthday party? No problem, Kohl's has you covered.  They have the latest fashions at unbeatable prices.  The clothes are made well and very durable. I have a favorite pair of high heels that I purchased there 3 years ago and still wear to this day.  They've held up very well! Please consider Kohl's for any of your upcoming summer needs.

Kohl's granted me the opportunity to do a review. I felt very lucky!  Shopping is second nature to me, so of course I had no problem getting my shop on.  I browsed the website and quickly filled up my basket with some summer tops. I had a lot of fun browsing each category and selecting what I loved best. Not long after that, I completed my order and then a package showed up at my door!

 

As soon as I saw this top, I instantly loved it.  The material is comfortable and breathable, which is perfect for summer.  It fits well and isn't too tight.  I love the ruffle detail on the top, and of course the bow on the waist is adorable too.  The soft black dots are cute and add an element of fun to the shirt. This would be the perfect top to wear to a friend's birthday party or BBQ.  Pair it with jeans and heels, or even a cute pair of sandals and capri's.  Make sure to wear some red accessories for a pop of color!

 

This top is a little bit more dressy.  It looks long in the picture but it isn't too long on me.  I'm 5'0, so I have to be careful that all of my clothes aren't too long. The grey and black are beautiful together and really compliment each other well.  This is a top I'd probably wear to work, as it's a little bit more business casual.  It is versatile though and could easily transform from work to play.  It fits me well and I like how it looks on. It would look great paired with red heels and gold accessories.

 

Even though this isn't for summer, I couldn't resist it.  The gold discs at the top are so cute and really add personality to the shirt. I'd love to wear this with red or blue heels for a fun dinner out with friends. It would be the perfect fall top! It fits well and isn't too loose or tight.  The discs are securely applied and don't seem like they will come out in the wash either.

 

A close-up of the discs. 

 

 

 

This tank-top is SO adorable and fun.  I love the color block design of it.  I am actually going to wear this tomorrow with white jeans and black heels to work.  I think it will look fantastic. The equal amount of black, white, and pink are colors that truly compliment each other well and look fabulous together.  The tank-top isn't very long, but the perfect length for me.  It fits well in the shoulders and all over, and I'm very satisfied with it.  I believe it is the perfect summer top!

 

 

This is also another adorable top.  It's hard to tell from the picture, but it's an ivory lace ruffle top.  Ivory goes with so many colors perfectly and I look forward to pairing it with many different shoe and color options.  The lace is delicate, but I can tell it's made well. I like the way it looks on.  Some ruffle tops make me look very wide but luckily this one seems to minimize that effect.  The cap sleeves are also very cute.

 

The pattern on this top is very interesting.  It's sort of a flower geometric pattern. I like the light grey and dark black together. The only thing I don't love about this top is the elastic band on the bottom.  I feel that it doesn't flatter my figure.  I will be taking it back.  Too bad, because otherwise it's a cute top.

 

Summer is all about bright colors, so why not emphasize that? This shirt has a "splatter" effect with pink, white, purple, etc.  I absolutely love it! It looks like an artist had a white t-shirt on a canvas and threw different colors at the shirt.  As a result, all of the colors mixed together and this shirt was born.  The shirt has an empire waist and cute cap sleeves.  The length on it is perfect and it works well with many different shoe and accessory options.

 

 

If you're looking to amp up your wardrobe for the summer, Kohl's is ready to fill your closet!

 

*DISCLOSURE* I received these complimentary items in exchange for this review.  All thoughts and opinions are strictly mine and not based on anything else. 

 

 

 

 

 

 







SparklesMacaron Etsy Shop Giveaway

Macarons are absolutely my new favorite sweet treat.  I discovered them last Christmas in a chocolate shop near my home.  The round little pieces of heaven are just scrumptious.  The first macaron I ever tried was gingerbread.  I was simply hooked! For your next party, instead of serving cookies or brownies, let macarons be the center of your dessert table.

SparklesMacaron's Etsy shop is based out of a small kitchen in California.  Store owner Karen creates this French based treat, which is a sweet meringue-based confection made with eggs, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond powder and food coloring. The macaron is sandwiched between butter cream, ganache, or jam filling in a range of different flavors.

Karen's flavor list includes the following flavors:
Dark chocolate
Pistachio
Passion fruit ganache
Raspberry
Salted Caramel
Sumiyaki coffee
Rose
Earl grey
Coconut
Madagascar vanilla
Japanese plum

It is best to enjoy the yummies a day or two after receiving them for optimal taste. Store them in your fridge upon receiving.  When you're ready to serve, remove them from the fridge and let them sit at room temperature 15-30 minutes before serving.

SparklesMacaron is pleased to allow a lucky winner the chance to win a box of a dozen macarons!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MedBeachStones Etsy Shop Giveaway

I absolutely love to give gifts. I'm terrible with wanting to give the gift immediately and not have the recipient wait for the actual occasion (birthday, Christmas, etc.) to open it. It's hard for me to wait and I want to see see their reaction right away! Handmade gifts are always special and come from the heart. When's the last time you made something special for your significant other?

MedBeachStones is a fabulous Etsy shop that offers Mediterranean inspired wedding and anniversary gifts, and also gifts for anyone you love.  The shop owner finds heart shaped stones from the Mediterranean sea in Israel and uses them in her work.  She considers the stones gifts from the sea. The rocks are taken and glued to canvas and then custom text is written underneath. There are so many different styles and themes that she creates. I think this is the most beautiful gift and any recipient would certainly love it.  It would look wonderful displayed in anyone's home. 

MedBeachStones has been kind enough to offer one lucky winner the chance to win a one of a kind personalized heart shaped stone acrylic canvas.

This canvas comes ready to hang.  You can personalize it however you'd like with any text and color you wish.  The stones are 100% natural and simply the coolest thing I've ever seen.

These stones are true conversation pieces and everyone will stop and admire your canvas each time they see it in your home. 

If your husband or wife's birthday is approaching, why not gift them with a true present from the heart? They will cherish it forever.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

VTech Review

One thing in life that I am obsessed with is anything vintage. I'm a huge fan of the 60's and 70's.  I love  the retro clothes, the electronics, the bake ware, the accessories, and everything else.  All of it is so fun and fabulous.  Of course there are few things today that are made the same way they were 40 years ago.  Retro pieces have so much character and history that I want to own as many items as possible.

VTech is the world's largest manufacturer of cordless telephones. They've been allowing people to have conversations all over the world for 27 years now.  The phones come in all different shapes, sizes and colors. My family always had a VTech cordless phone when I was growing up.  The company is reliable, dependable and the products are built to last.  If you're searching for a new phone, VTech has the perfect one for you. 

When I moved into my current apartment 8 months ago, I noticed we had a land line jack in the kitchen.  I know land lines aren't as popular as they used to be, but I wanted to fill the space and hook up a phone. I thought to myself, it'd be really cool and more fun to have a vintage 1960's phone hooked up, instead of a regular ordinary cordless phone.  I bought a vintage rotary corded Trimline phone and unfortunately it just didn't work. I was disappointed because I wanted that unique retro feel in my kitchen, but it just wasn't in the cards.

Not long after, VTech contacted me to review their new classic white retro phone.  This was right up my alley and I was so excited to receive it.

How cool is this phone? The sleek contemporary style with modern day rotary dial is to die for!

I am in love with this phone and I've only owned it for an hour! The shipping on it was very speedy.  The pearly white color is beautiful.  The unit does come in a few other colors too if you're looking for a little more pizazz.  What I love most about the phone is the design.  It looks like a modern updated version of those old push button phones from the 80's. The cordless handset and base are very light and extremely thin, which is another favorite feature of mine. 

The phone itself is very easy to use.  I had no problem installing it and it worked right away.  You can dial by either using the handset buttons, or the rotary buttons.  I had to get used to dialing with the rotary buttons, I was a little slow at first! When the phone rings it has a fun old timey ring that I enjoyed hearing.  It also lights up a pretty blue underneath too. Yes, I did call the phone many times just to hear it! The buttons are easy to see and dial and the volume and clarity is perfect when making a call.  The phone is comfortable to hold in my hand too. The interface window shows the date, time, and if you have any messages or missed calls. You can access your messages by pushing "1" on the rotary button. I love that the face is digital.   The unit has a built in answering machine which is very convenient. The phone also has a speakerphone which is handy if you don't want to hold the phone to talk if you're cooking, etc. 

I'm really enjoying the phone so far and it's happily hanging out on the counter on my kitchen.  I definitely think it's a conversation piece and people will want to know where to buy it.  I will say it's from VTech of course!

*DISCLOSURE* I received this complimentary phone from VTech in exchange for this review.  All thoughts and opinions are strictly mine and not based on anything else. 

Check out my advertisers!

In the next coming days, I'll be having more ads go up under the "premium advertisement section" on the top of my blog.  Check out the Etsy shops and give them some traffic love!

Thank you!

Social Media Consulting

I'm looking to help a company/brand by assisting them with their social media.  

Right now I run a product review/giveaway blog with over 2,780 fans. I built this blog from the ground up with absolutely no social media help from any kind of company. In conjunction, I have a Facebook fan page for my blog with well over 3,000 fans.

I am looking to help companies with any social media they need. My services start out with a consultation. I go in and take a look at your Facebook/Twitter page and see what needs help and what could be run better.

My services are writing social media posts for a brand/company, helping to grow the numbers, and driving traffic to the pages. 

My fees are affordable.  I can send you letters of recommendation from past social media jobs.  Please let me know if you're interested.  You can email me at SammiRichardson@yahoo.com.

Thank you. 

Interested in being promoted?

I'm starting a new service.  I will be promoting a blog or company/business through my blog. For a low fee, I will write a post about your company on my blog and include any of the company's links in it too.  I'll then tweet it out and Facebook post it.  Please let me know if you're interested and we can discuss. Thank you. I receive thousands of views a day.  My email is SammiRichardson@yahoo.com.

GoneGirly Etsy Shop Giveaway

Personalization adds a special touch to an everyday item.  Adding a favorite quote, a couple's name and anniversary date, or even grand children's name to a necklace or t-shirt makes a fabulous gift for the recipient.  There's something about personalizing an item that really makes people smile every time they look at it.

GoneGirly owner Amy Cederquist stumbled upon success at a time when she wasn't even looking for it. What she was looking for was a way to earn some extra spending money without having to use her husband's hard earned money. Taking into account her love for homemade personal gifts, she purchased a laser system and began etching and engraving pie plates and baking dishes and selling them on Etsy.  An engraved pie plates makes the perfect engagement, wedding, housewarming or birthday gift for anyone.  Why not treat yourself too? Engrave something that is meaningful and special.

Here are some example pie plates.  As you can see, the etching is durable and strong.  Amy can create any design or picture with any font you want. Let your creativity soar and come up with a creation that you absolutely love.  The plates are dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe, but they are not stove-top safe.

I love those dots around the border of the plate. So pretty!

There are endless possibilities as to how you can design this pie plate.  After you make your design decision, the only thing you have left to consider is what pie you'll bake in it first! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sammi's Blog Of Life Giveaway Sponsored by Whooptee

I'm so used to writing posts for other companies that it feels very strange to talk about my own blog in a giveaway! Everybody loves contests, product reviews and learning about a blogger's life. I know I love reading others' blogs, and I'm sure you all enjoy reading mine.  Blogging is something I'm passionate about and I plan to keep this website running for as long as possible.

Sammi's Blog Of Life was born in 2009 as a direct result of my love of consumer products. I had no real idea or direction of where I wanted the blog to go, I just knew it was going to be fun to review products.  Well, three and a half years later, here I am writing to you about a giveaway pertaining to my OWN blog! It's been an amazing journey and experience that I will surely remember forever.  The blog offers product reviews and giveaways on everything from food and electronics, to skincare and kitchenware and everything in between. Since I don't have children (yet), I don't typically review children's products.  My favorites are food, fashion, and housewares.  Everyday is exciting because I have no idea what my email will bring!

Since I have so many fans, I thought you'd all love to support my blog by wearing a t-shirt that was custom made by me! You can wear it to bed, exercise in it, lounge around your house in it, etc. Everybody loves a comfortable t-shirt.  Whooptee is kindly allowing three of my fans to win a Sammi's Blog of Life t-shirt.  The company thrives on letting people design their own custom t-shirts. You can use them for so many services, the possibilities are endless.

As you can see, I wanted to stick with something simple and familiar. Everyone knows the recognizable colors of my header, and on the back of the shirt is my website link.  Simplicity is key!

Wear your Sammi's Blog of Life shirt with pride and let others know about my awesome blog!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Life of Ryley Giveaway

I've always loved animals of all kinds. I grew up with dogs and am very familiar with them. I've wanted a dog for many years now, so when my fiance and I moved into our new apartment which allowed pets, I was thrilled.  Now that I'll be getting my new rescue dog in a couple of weeks, it's my turn to spoil and love on her.  I feel that it's important to give dogs a wonderful life and pamper them because they don't ask for anything in return but love.

The Life of Ryley is a website that offers dog beds, collars, apparel and more. Every item is unique and certainly not like anything I've seen before. The dog bowls even look like tree stumps!  The products range in different colors and patterns, depending on what your taste and style.  Everyday is the perfect day to treat Fido or Sparky to something from The Life of Ryley.

Just like humans love to lie on a comfortable bed, your four legged friend will enjoy the same.  Why not treat them to a large faux fur hide shaped dog bed? Let them stretch out and relax whenever they want.  

The bed has a black fleece backing and silver fur in the familiar hide shape.  Unzip and remove the polyfill for a cold water machine wash.  

 One lucky winner's pet will get to experience the life of luxury when they take their next snooze on this bed! Make sure your dog isn't likely to chew or claw the bed because it will be a big mess if they do!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chocomize Review

Chocolate is everything to me.  That sweet, rich, and creamy treat is irresistible.  I don't discriminate against that beautiful brown bar, but love every form of chocolate.  White, milk and dark all make my heart sing. Almonds in chocolate along with peanut butter are simply perfection in my eyes.  I could go for some chocolate right now!

Chocomize is by far the coolest candy company I've ever been exposed to.  They sell bars of milk, white, and dark chocolate that you can customize how you like.  How about a bar of milk chocolate with potato chips and teddy grahams in it? You bet! A bar of dark chocolate with granola and banana chips? Of course.  If you're feeling very adventurous how about a bar of white chocolate with nerds, marshmallows, Oreo pieces and junior mints? Chocomize offers many add in's such as granola, spices, nuts, seeds, any kind of candy pieces, and so much more.  You'll have a ball designing your bars, I know I did.  Not only would they make a fantastic upcoming Father's Day present, they'd make the ultimate gift for any chocolate lover. You can even put a little message in the chocolate depending on the holiday or occasion. Have fun experimenting with different textures and flavors and let your chocolate imagination soar.

Any opportunity that I receive to work with a chocolate company is truly a gift from the chocolate gods.  As I browsed each ingredient to add to my heavenly chocolate, my eyes got wider.  I thought to myself, "how can I choose when everything looks so fantastic?" I know that I wanted to try a variety of it all, so that made my creations a little less difficult.  Just days after designing, the candy showed up in the mail.  Luckily it was not melted at all, since it's been warmer here the past couple of weeks.

The first bar is milk chocolate with hazelnuts, Reese's pieces, cookie dough, junior mints and Oreo pieces.  The second is milk chocolate with peanut butter drops, mini marshmallows and Oreo pieces. The third is milk chocolate with Reese's pieces, cookie dough, junior mints and monkey munch. Lastly, you have glorious milk chocolate with large potato chips for a salty and sweet effect.  I am truly in chocolate paradise.

When I received the chocolate, I was not sure which bar to try first. I looked over each bar and weighed my options, along with eventually needing to weigh myself after sampling.  I loved how you could clearly see the chocolate through the window of the packaging.  I wasn't expecting the bar to be so large, but hey I'm not complaining.  All of the ingredients are full-sized for the most part, and they pack a lot of the add in's into the bar. The chocolate was so beautiful.  What an innovative idea!

I tried a few squares of bar #2 (as listed above). The chocolate easily snapped apart and I was left with hefty squares of chocolate that had Oreo pieces peeking out from inside.  I took a bite and the world stopped for a few seconds.  The chocolate was very sweet, that was what I instantly noticed.  I could also taste the gooey marshmallow and the nutty flavor of the peanut butter drop all together. It was outstanding!  The Oreo pieces provided a nice crunch that I enjoyed.  The chocolate and all ingredients were very fresh.

Lastly I tried a small piece of bar #2. Who am I kidding though?  You know I'll be back for more  nibbles later.  I've always heard that sweet and salty is a fantastic combination and really excites one's taste buds.  I had to prove this theory for myself. There were large chips packed into that bar and not too much space of just plain chocolate. The satisfying crunch provided by the chips was awesome.  The saltiness of the chips paired with the sweet chocolate was beyond words that I can describe.  It was truly fabulous.  My taste buds started doing the tango in celebration.  If you haven't tried a sweet and salty combo previously, I urge you to! You will absolutely love it, and probably become hooked like I now am.

I very much look forward to trying the other bars soon.  Please consider Chocomize for any gifts you'll want to buy for your Dad for his special day!  Here's an example of Father's Day chocolate bar!

*DISCLOSURE* I was provided complimentary Chocomize bars in exchange for this review.  All thoughts and opinions are strictly mine and not based on anything else. 

Merci Chocolates Giveaway

A teacher's job is extremely important.  They are the building blocks for educating children to read, write, spell and calculate math problems, among many other subjects.  It's certainly not easy being a teacher and I'm sure quite challenging at times.  It's very stressful to make sure that 20+ children all understand and are learning what you're teaching them.  It's time to thank teachers for their work and honor them.

Merci Chocolates (which means thank you in French) are European chocolates made from the finest ingredients possible.  If you think you've had quality chocolate before, just wait until you try Merci.  You'll be thankful you found them! Merci is not a fluff chocolate, meaning it's just simply excellent chocolate meant to be enjoyed and filled with a light layer of hazelnut, mint, etc. The fillings pair marvelously with the chocolate and guarantee you a fabulous chocolate experience.  Merci chocolates are best shared with important people in your life.

Teachers are unquestionably one of the most important influences in our children's lives and all they do to inspire, motivate and educate students should definitely be rewarded.  It's essential that you recognize all of their hard work, dedication and patience.  Why not say thank you with a box of Merci chocolate?

One lucky winner will receive a Merci prize pack to thank the teacher in their life.  The prize pack includes a box of Merci chocolates, a $25 Walmart gift card, and Merci branded pencils and erasers.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/8b93dd116/

Hawaiian Tropic Giveaway

It's time for fun in the sun! Summer is just weeks away and it's time to spend our days and weekends lazing in the summer sun.  Don't forget a cold glass of water or lemonade and plenty of sunscreen too. Hawaiian Tropic is here to make sure your outdoor adventures are as safe as possible.

Hawaiian Tropic is ranked as one of America's best selling suncare brand. It is the only suncare brand focused on the youth lifestyle market and is distributed in over 100 countries worldwide.  Some of the products range from tanning, to sun protection, and of course after sun care products.  There is certainly a product for anyone's specific needs.

Two products that you shouldn't forget in your beach bag this summer are: 



Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration™ Sunscreen Clear Mist Spray is truly indulgent sun protection in a convenient application format that provides the moisture needed to leave skin feeling hydrated and healthy. Available in SPF 15 and 30, Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration™ Clear Mist Spray Sunscreen provides safe and effective broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection, and is endorsed by the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration™ After Sun Lotion is the first and only after sun product combining indulgent ribbons of gel and lotion infused with silk protein and shea butter to provide luxurious moisturization for a full 24 hours. Ribbons of aloe soothe and refresh the skin from the effects of the sun, while silk protein shea butter ribbons of lotion provide incredible moisturization that leaves skin feeling hydrated, healthy and radiant.

As you can see, both of these products are necessary when spending a day in the sun.  Don't forget to also pack a nice lunch for the beach and plenty of delicious lemonade!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Carolyn is coming home!

My westie mix Carolyn that I rescued is coming home June 7th. I'm so excited and she is already so spoiled with everything I've bought for her. I can't wait to meet her!