Thanks, Mail Carrier

Monday, December 3, 2012

Gift Giving Made Easy with the NOVICA Gift Finder {$40 Gift Certificate Giveaway}

When it comes time to purchase a gift, whether for others or a little something for myself, I enjoy the shopping... but always struggle with the decision-making. After a while, the items in the store all start to look a little bit the same to me, you know?

Therefore, when I am introduced to a website that connects me with thousands of master artists from around the world and gives me the ability to select from more than 30,000 handmade works of art to incorporate them into my own life or give as a unique gift?

Well, then it's no wonder that browsing everything from the home decor to the handmade jewelry at NOVICA manages to keep me engrossed and enthralled for hours at a time.

One of the leading fair trade artisan websites, NOVICA.com works with National Geographic to give talented artisans around the world a place to express their artistic talents and provide access to the world market.

By offering thousands of limited edition and one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, clothing, unique gifts, and home decor, you'll not only find items that are each stunning in their own way, but you'll be helping others by making your purchase.

NOVICA has already succeeded in helping change the lives of tens of thousands of people in developing nations, a number that I find both inspiring and extremely impressive. So while you may just think that the handbags or sculptures are lovely, NOVICA has provided a way for the artisans who created them to earn personal recognition and receive real-world prices for their work.

Now that just makes all of their great pieces even a little more beautiful, doesn't it?

However, when it comes to complaints about NOVICA.com, it is often a positive (their huge selection of amazing products) that turns into a negative (it can take what feels like days of looking and narrowing and returning to various pages over and over again) when shopping there. How do I find just the right gift without spending ages and ages doing it?

Having listened to their customers, NOVICA has now solved that problem with the launch of their new Gift Finder!

With so many easy ways to narrow your search — gifts for her, him, by price, eco-friendly, for the animal lover, etc — NOVICA's Gift Finder has made it quick and easy to find an item that will work for the specific personality of your recipient.

I love the Gifts by Personality option, as right away I could think of certain people on my shopping list that would fall into the Trend Setter, Wine Lover and Executive categories. At the same time, the Eco-Friendly Gifts list is great for my environmentalist friends, and I appreciate that the Top Gifts category can even be broken down into their region of origin so if you know someone with a tie to Thailand, Brazil or more, you can pick out something from that area.

All in all, no matter what your budget or what type of present you are looking for, using the Gift Finder on NOVICA is the perfect way to find something that is distinct as well as good-looking.

When it comes to shopping for a unique gift that is unusual, real-world as well as beautiful to behold, NOVICA has a huge selection that is sure to provide plenty of options. But, of course, the fact that by shopping there you can help make a difference in improving lives and preserving traditional crafts worldwide just means that you (or your recipient) can be even a little more satisfied with your purchase.

Right now, NOVICA is making it possible to win a $500 gift card to their site so that you can bring home all of your own favorites. Running from now until December 12, 2012, simply create a collection (i.e. list) in your NOVICA gallery named 'my list for Santa' and you could be the lucky winner who ends up being able to purchase many of those great treasures!

Head over to the NOVICA Facebook page for the full details on this contest and then start making your collection today!

Plus, thanks to the generosity of NOVICA, one person will be able to browse all of the handcrafted works of art to choose their favorite or pick up a wonderful gift, because...

One lucky person will win a $40 gift certificate* to NOVICA!

*Gift certificate is in the form of an online gift code and will be valid until 1/31/13.

Enter using the Giveaway Tools form below — simply enter your name and email address and click on each entry that you would like to complete. Follow the directions for each individual method, entering in the necessary information when asked. If you have any questions or problems, feel free to let me know.

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A big thank you to NOVICA for providing a gift certificate for me as well as for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

AT&T Wish-a-Day Sweepstakes - Have You Entered to Win?

Now that December has arrived, anyone who may have been putting off accepting the impending arrival of the holidays (I'm not the only one, right?) has nearly run out of excuses. It's definitely time to make your list and check it twice, because the holidays are upon us!

So what could be better than the feeling of finding, purchasing and wrapping the perfect gift? Why, winning it, of course!

This season AT&T is generously making that even easier with their Wish-a-Day Sweepstakes!

As I mentioned last month, AT&T is featuring a new item from their employees' "wish list" items as a gift of the day until December 20th. For those that enter, they will have the chance to win smartphones, tablets and more!

Plus, if your name isn't drawn as a lucky winner of the day, AT&T is also offering great deals on their products so that you can still bring home an amazing device while saving a bundle of cash. Now that's just smart!

The incredibly cool featured item today is the Jawbone Jambox Bluetooth Speaker!

Available in black, white, blue and red, the Jawbone Jambox delivers stunning hi-fi audio in a portable wireless speaker so compact that you won't believe it when you hear it.

This pint-sized speaker has an output capacity of 85 decibels, giving it the ability to fill even the largest rooms. Delivering shimmering highs and thumping lows that you can literally feel, the Jambox provides the richest sound all in the palm of your hand!

Don't miss this opportunity! Head over to AT&T's Wish-a-Day Sweepstakes now to not only enter to win amazing products, but to find special offers, great information, and the latest and greatest devices that are sure to be a hit for the lucky folks on your shopping list.

I was contacted by M80 to write blog posts on behalf of AT&T and am receiving a gift in exchange for my participation. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are honest and my own.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

You're Invited to the #Kalahari Resorts Twitter Party!

In case you missed my post yesterday about the ultra-amazing Kalahari Resorts in Wisconsin Dells, here's a recap:

Ultra. Amazing.

Outdoor AND indoor waterparks (that provide thrills, chills, drops, spins and more for big kids, as well as joyful, fun, entertaining good times for little kids), an Indoor Theme Park that boasts everything from a Ferris wheel to go-karts to rock climbing walls to bowling (and more!), great accommodations, restaurants, a spa...

I mean, heck, there was even a cute towel elephant welcoming us to our room. What more could we really need?

Actually, what we really needed were toothbrushes for the kids since I managed to forget those at home. Fortunately, Kalahari had those for us, too!

This weekend, there are two small groups of bloggers and their families attending the first ever Kalahari Kamp Out (taking place at the Wisconsin Dells location as well as the Sandusky, Ohio resort) and, while we wish you were here with us, we're excited that you can still virtually take part in the fun.

So, join us in the Kalahari Twitter party today at 12:30 CST where we will be tweeting live from the resorts! Here is what you need to know:

What: #Kalahari Twitter Party! Join in this fun Twitter party to talk about everything that makes Kalahari the family-friendly vacation destination that you're not going to want to miss. Whether we're chatting about which slides are our favorites or which restaurants serve the tastiest foods or which of Kalahari's commitments to being eco-conscious are the most impressive, we'd love for you to be there!

When: Saturday, December 1, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. CST (1:30 ET / 10:30 a.m. PT).

Where: The party will take place on Twitter, using the #Kalahari hashtag.

Who: Follow @KahahariResorts, me (@thxmailcarrier) and jump right in to the party!

If you've been to Kalahari, then come share your favorite aspects! If you're planning a trip to Kalahari, come hear our tips and advice (and be sure to check out this special offer that they've put together to save some money)! If you've never heard of Kalahari Resorts, you're welcome to join in as well... just prepare to be amazed!

A big thank you to Kalahari Resorts for hosting my family as a part of the Kalahari Kamp Out and letting me take part in this fun Twitter party! The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.