Author: cvegnad

December 6, 2016

Creating Magical Christmas Memories with the Portable North Pole Magic Pass

For the last six years, our family has been creating Portable North Pole (PNP) Santa calls for our children. My Dad started this tradition with our eldest son and we have carried it on.

Portable North Pole (PNP) allows parents (or grandparents/aunts/uncles,etc) create a personalized video call for the special child in their life. They can personalize it with their name (which you can choose the right pronunciation of the name), their pictures, an achievement they made this year and what they have been asked to do this year. At the end of the video the child finds out whether they are on Santa’s naughty or nice list (not going to lie, my husband and I made joke ones for each other that the kids think are hilarious as Daddy is always on the naughty list!).

Each year the video calls are different with the most amazing attention to detail. The calls are engaging and Santa is animating and attentive. He really makes you feel part of the video call. Our youngest sits there listening to his video answering ‘yes Santa’, ‘I will try Santa’ and ‘okay Santa’. It is priceless and something we can’t wait for them to experience each year.

With the magic pass, you have access to all of the premium videos for an unlimited amount of video videos, a reaction recorder (this is for the mobile app), unlimited Santa calls, HD downloads of your videos and a story time video with Santa every week during the month of December. Right now you can save 20% on the PNP Magic Pass by visiting their website here.

I highly recommend downloading the app on your phone for the PNP. You can always watch the videos online but the app has so many extras that are perfect for parents and kids. There is a parent section (password protected!), where you can create the videos as well as email them. I used the app to create all my videos this year. There is also a call button on it that I have convinced my youngest and all his friends that it gives me a direct line to Santa when they are being bad. The second section is just for kids where they can playing a matching game, tree shaking game and watch their videos.

Make sure you follow Portable North Pole online to keep up with all things Christmas and Santa, you can follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Happy video calls!

Disclosure: I received a Magic Pass in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

December 5, 2016

Silence Interrupted Spotlight Tour

An insightful tale of perseverance, Silence Interrupted is a young adult novel about the beauty and peril of traversing the world as a teenager.

About Silence Interrupted

Two months before Troye Saavedra’s senior year of high school, his father’s drinking problem skyrockets. When Troye’s parents make an impulsive move to Georgia in order to “help” him finish high school on a positive note, he is forced to leave behind everything he knows. Things couldn’t get worse for Troye. That is, until he meets three enigmatic teenagers: Adelaide, an independent violinist with radical ideas; Zaidan, fiercely loyal and always funny; and Arabella, a girl who harbors secret struggles. Together, the four friends try to pick up the jagged pieces of their lives without getting hurt themselves. An insightful tale of perseverance, Silence Interrupted is a young adult novel about the beauty and peril of traversing the world as a teenager.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Sania Shaikh is a junior at Cambridge High School. Inspired to write from a young age, she worked on Silence Interrupted, her debut novel, starting in eighth grade.

You can connect with Sania on her Twitter, Twitter and Facebook.

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

December 5, 2016

Life Outside the Box Spotlight

In Life Outside the Box, get inspired to step out of your box and embrace your potential.

About Life Outside the Box

Get inspired to step out of your box and embrace your potential. From the corporate world, to the arts, to working with the disenfranchised, the message is clear: there is no such thing as a normal way to live your life and no one right solution to any problem. Selected from over a hundred interviews, the stories shared here open a window on the journeys of seven women and three men who have charted their own paths, including Ruthie Davis–top US luxury shoe designer and the winner of the 2014 AAFA Footwear Designer of the Year award; and Geir Ness whose perfume is a staple in Nordstrom, Disney World, and on Disney Cruise Lines. Enjoy a glimpse behind the scenes into the unique ways these individuals have chosen to deal with life’s challenges and how they define success in their careers.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author

Marilyn R. Wilson is a freelance writer and speaker with a passion for interviewing. Her career as a writer began in an unusual way, by answering a Craigslist ad. It was while conducting her first interview the world shifted – she had found her passion. Since 2006, she has interviewed over 150 people from as near as her hometown of Vancouver, Canada, and as far away as South Africa.

Whether through a random encounter on the New York subway or via a one-on-one interview with an internationally recognized artist, the goal is the same-to give wings to the unique journeys of inspiring individuals. This goal first led the author to co-launch a successful, innovative magazine focused on professionals working in the fashion industry paired with photography and illustrations by local artists. Then in 2015, Wilson took her passion to a new audience with the release of her first book, the first in a series featuring the lives of real people living real lives.

You can connect with her on her website, Twitter and Facebook.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

December 3, 2016

Pursing Gold Book Review

In Pursing Gold, two friends must pursue gold on behalf of their business, as they learn to pursue their heavenly Father to find hope and peace.

About Pursing Gold

With his father dead and his business partner incapacitated, Peter Chandler inherits the leadership of a bank in economic crisis.

With only a newly-minted college degree and little experience, Peter joins his partner’s daughter, Mary Beth Roper, in a struggle to keep C&R Bank afloat while the Civil War rages around Chattanooga. Political pressure for unsecured loans of gold to the government stirs up trouble as tempers and prices rise. Their problems multiply when Mary Beth discovers counterfeit money with Peter’s forged signature. Can they find the forger before the bank fails? The two friends must pursue gold on behalf of their business, as they learn to pursue their heavenly Father to find hope and peace.

My Thoughts

A fantastic story! I was completely drawn into this story and couldn’t put it down. Peter inherits his Father’s bank business at one of the most dangerous times during the Civil War. He has had no formal training as he thought he had years left to learn the trade from his Father. His Father’s partner is on his sick bed so is not able to provide the full training he needs. Not to mention he has to learn how to balance the needs of his bank with the bribery and demands of the army. He almost seems to be pulled from every angle and not to mention being lied to in order to purchase fake paper bills. The counterfeit money seems to be the start of a great mystery for him.

With all this going on at the bank, his partner has charged him with marrying his daughter, Mary Beth before he passes. They had a relationship in the past but it is now strained. She is the only person he feels he can trust. Together they set off to discover the mystery of the counterfeit money, save their business and their relationship. When they solve the mystery, it blew my mind! It was not what I was expecting at all.

This was a fantastic, romantic but mystery filled novel that the historical fan in me couldn’t put down. The plot was new and exciting and kept me wanting more.

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Cynthia L Simmons and her husband, Ray, have five children and reside in Atlanta. She has taught for over thirty years as a home school mother and Bible teacher. She’s a columnist for Leading Hearts Magazine and she directs Atlanta Christian Writing Conference. Cyndi has a heart for encouraging women in today’s crazy, upside-down world. She loves history and peppers her speaking and teaching with fascinating vignettes from the past. Her first book, Struggles and Triumphs, was nominated for 2008 Georgia Author of the Year. She co-founded Homeschool Answers and hosts Heart of the Matter Radio.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

December 3, 2016

Make the Season Magical with Scents From Lampe Berger {Giveaway}

What is the first thing that you notice when you walk into a home? Is it that the home is warm and inviting? Maybe the tidiness of the home? I know for our family one of the first things we notice is the smell. Scents have a way of making a home feel warm, kind and embracing – especially during the holidays. There is no better feeling then walking into a decorated home with light scents of vanilla or subtle almond – you almost instantly feel welcome into that home!

The problem is finding that long lasting, inviting and yet not overwhelming scent. Some products are strong for only the first twenty to thirty minutes and then disappear, others you never really smell. Our personal solution? Lampe Berger lamp collection and their accompanying perfumes. Lampe Berger has an amazing collection of scents and lamps. Their products work to not only leave a pleasant scent in your home but they also purify the air (they have been around for over 100 years so you know they work). This is needed that much more during the fall and winter months when the weather is cold outside and we are leaving our windows closed. The air can become stale and dry quickly, and if you have pets you can definitely smell them that much stronger during the winter months. We have one lamp in the living room and another in our kitchen, we also have one in the hallway where our dog likes to sleep. It helps with any and all of the smells that can be so strong especially in those areas.

The Lampe Berger collection has been expanded this season and now includes five new lamps: Curve Lamp, Diamant Lamp, Pampille Lamp, Satin Pack and Comete Pack. Each lamp is designed with a certain feeling and emotion in mind and suit a wide variety of personalities. The Curve Lamp embodies softness and a cocoon like feel and would fit perfectly in a relaxed, country style designed home. The Diamant Lamp is stylish and trendy for those who like to keep up with the latest styles. The Pampille Lamp is full of refinement and would fit an elegantly designed home. The Satin Pack is perfect for those who love the traditional holiday theme, with bright reds and whites. The Comete Pack is a refined and elegant holiday design for those who like to take a new spin on the holiday season. You really can’t go wrong with any of the lamps but it can be so much fun to match the style and shape of the lamp to their new owner.

The new lamps also come with three fresh new scents : wild berries, radiant bergamot and subtle almond. Radiant bergamot and subtle almond are by far my personal favourites. Our lamp fits in perfectly with our holiday decor and the smells of bergamot, almond and wild berries has filled our home this fall.

The Giveaway!

Lampe Berger wants to give one of my Canadian residents the opportunity to win their own Starter Kit and Wild Berries Scent via the Rafflecopter form below so they can start their own Lampe Berger tradition. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t forget to follow Lampe Berger on Facebook and Instagram!

Disclosure: I am a Lampe Berger Paris Brand Ambassador and receive perks associated with this affiliation. All opinions expressed are my own.