Where in the World are You Wednesday? A Global Blog Hop!

Everyone is invited to join us to blog hop and to share where you are from, it will be fun to meet bloggers from all over the world! Where in the World are you?

Please join your Hosts Simply Stacie who lives in Nova Scotia, Canada and Just Married with Coupons who lives in Rhode Island, US on a fun blog hop adventure around the world. Tell us as anything you would like, what country, state, city or region you are from, lets have fun!

**This weeks theme Holiday Traditions / Activities where you live!


Charlotte, NC traditions.... well there are plenty. Each surrounding town has parades, tree lighting ceremonies even little shopping days for the children. The problem is even after 4 years we have not settled on a tradition of our own in this city. 

One tradition we are trying to keep alive for our children is that we bake a cake for Jesus and leave it out next to the Santa cookies and reindeer carrots. Both Little J and Big J are still too young to really understand yet but they will someday and it is a great tradition to keep.

Download SWAGG app for a Good Cause

A few years ago I was given a lot of gift cards for the holidays, basically because I needed clothes desperately. Well I had then in my wallet which I just so happened to leave in the grocery cart in the parking lot and did not realize it until I arrive home. Of course by the time I went back my wallet had been turned into customer service... minus all my gift cards. I was crushed and there was nothing I could do. If only I had the SWAGG app.

Company Description

SWAGG has launched a new app that deals with the troublesome problem of how to deal with the overabundance of gift cards, loyalty & membership cards that clutter up your wallet or handbag. Basically you can load all those gift cards, loyalty points, etc into your iPhone or Android mobile device.


SWAGG allows consumers to import more than 250 brands of gift cards and rewards cards and, unlike plastic cards, SWAGG permits consumers to view available balance and reward information on most of these cards. Additionally, consumers can use their mobile device to give, get and even exchange SWAGG GIFTS from participating merchant partners such as American Apparel Inc., The Wet Seal Inc., Crocs Inc., 1-800-Flowers.com and Arden B. Through SWAGG, consumers can access the offers that matter most to them, connecting users with more than 3,000 retailers. Retailers benefit by acquiring new customers, increasing in-store business and retaining existing customers.

Review

I was given a $20 SWAGG gift in order to try out the app and review. The concept is fantastic because you can easily load all your gift cards on your phone and never have to worry about losing them or forgetting them when needed. It is also very easy to send a SWAGG gift to someone else via e-mail. Did I also mention you can add all those store loyalty cards as well? You know the ones the make your keys way 20lbs and the only way to save at many stores? Imagine having a key chain with keys on it. (well and maybe a cute picture of the kids!) There are also offers from a lot of stores such as free shipping or % off.

The only downside is that because the app is so new there are only a handful of stores to use your SWAGG gift at. (SWAGG gifts are given through the SWAGG app and are not gift cards that you add from a store) I am holding my $20 and waiting to see what merchants are going to be added. Oh year and the funds never expire!!

Need another reason to download the SWAGG app? For every download in December SWAGG will donate $1 to Stand Up 2 Cancer.  Click Here to download now and start storing your gift cards! (For Apple and Droid Mobile Devices ONLY - US Residents)


I recieved a $20 SWAGG gift in order to review the application. All opinions are my own and 100% honest.

Pier 1 - Great gift ideas!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pier 1 Imports. All opinions are 100% mine.

Holidays always mean family and parties, this year I sadly will not be throwing any parties, but after looking at Pier 1  I am wish that I was!

I love their tasting series and think it would be great to throw a tasting party with all my friends. So if you a reading this and suddenly have the urge to get me a present here are some holiday gifts ideas.

Mini Ramekins

 

Mini Sauce Tray

Riviera Bowl

Sampler Set (My favorite..Hint)

 Did I mention that I do not cook? But my Lovely Husband does!! 

 Well once I got started I could not stop looking at all the holiday gifts . I do have to mention that the best thing we got from there was our Papasan chair! It is a great reading chair and comes in many colors to accent any home.  (Also great for an afternoon nap)

They even carry items for children as well as some cute stocking stuffers. Big J would love these animal measuring tapes.

 I know a friend who would love the filled bamboo candles, which are on sale! And for the unique gift, why not a glass head. I mean who could not use a glass head? Hmm?

 

While you are out shopping during December, you can support Toys for Tots by dropping off an unwrapped toy and/or making a cash donation at the register at any Pier 1 store. Want to help right now? Like Pier 1 Imports on Facebook and for every new fan they get, they will donate $1 to Toys for Tots.

Swag means style.

At Swag Soft, they are concerned with designing games, applications and websites with fun and style for the world. Established in 2010 by veteran media professionals from the animation and gaming industries in Singapore with a combined 20 years’ worth of solid experience, Swag Soft aspires to become a top entertainment and lifestyle software developer. Swag Soft specializes in the conceptualization and creation of mobile and web applications for entertainment, profitable, or viral and marketing purposes.

I was allowed to review two apps, the first being Sing With Olive

Who do you call when Humpty Dumpty bounces off the wall on a beach ball?

Who do you call to catch Little Miss Muffet after she blasts off on a rocket?

Who do you call when Old King Cole turns into a mischievous mole?

You call Olive and the Rhyme Rescue Crew, that’s who!

Created by Emmy award-winning animation studio, Peach Blossom Media, and featuring the writers of Dora the Explorer and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, this interactive and musical series is designed to introduce preschoolers to English vocabulary in an exciting and captivating way. Using music, movement and challenging puzzles, Olive and her friends explore the world of nursery rhymes and fix the language-related problems they encounter

Big J loves this one, she asks me all the time if we can sing with my phone! She loves to sing and dance and has just found a love of rhyme so this was perfect for her. Each song/rhyme also has the words displayed so she can learn to read and follow along.

List of Nursery Rhymes
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Eeny Meeny Miney Moe
Little Miss Muffet
Humpty Dumpty
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Pat-a-Cake
Old King Cole
Jack and Jill
Even includes a BONUS music video of Olive and the Rhyme Rescue Crew

The second app was Katakune Super Baby Flash Cards.

Since little J is still too small for this I let Big J take it for a whirl.

More than 170 everyday commonly used words have been transformed into 180 beautifully rendered Flash Cards and organized into different categories to enrich your child’s knowledge.

Every Flash Card comes with a voiceover to let your child learn how to pronounce the corresponding featured item.
You can turn on / off any of the categories to design your children’s learning curriculum.
Use the inbuilt Testing Feature to test your kids on what they have learned.

Big J also enjoyed this one although I think she was a little too old for it. I will save it for when Little J is old enough. The only other issue was that some of the items I had a hard time guessing what they were supposed to be. I guess Backpack but it was Camping Bag. The best feature is that the app says the word if you touch a button, which allows your child time to guess.

Swag Soft also has Shapes Learns Chinese, Sedo PicPic and Katakune Preschool Cartoon series. All apps can be purchased at the itunes app store.

“This post was written for Family Review Network & Swag Soft who provided the complimentary product for review in exchange for my honest opinions. All opinions expressed are my own and 100% honest.”

Winner!

Thank you to everyone who entered the Cradle Rock CD giveaway.

The winner choosen by random.org is comment #8

Julie said...


I would like the Johnny Cash cd-thanks

Winner has been notified and has 48 hours to respond.

Thank you