PhotoWorks, an American Greetings Corp. (NYSE: AM) company, has re-launched its Web site with a fresh look, enhanced navigation, and great new products. The popular site makes it easy for shoppers to personalize and create unique, high quality cards, books, calendars and other gifts with their favorite digital photos.

Consumers come to the site looking to capture a moment in time, and create a beautiful gift to commemorate it.  The great product variety that shoppers have come to expect from PhotoWorks is uniquely accentuated with the creativity of American Greetings artists, and now new tools and a strategic re-organization make finding that perfect gift as simple as ever.

“Our consumers are looking for an easy way to make something that is truly unique, and the combination of American Greetings creativity and the personal touch of consumer’s favorite photos offers the perfect solution,” said Sally Babcock, senior vice president and general manager at PhotoWorks. “Now with the updates we have made, browsing for and creating these memorable gifts is even easier, and more enjoyable.”

These updates required the skills of a cross-functional team willing to think outside the box to come up with solutions that would really enhance the experience for shoppers. To ensure success, the team utilized a variety of initiatives including usability testing, customer feedback, and an analysis of industry best practices to determine where improvements where needed.

Specific updates include improved navigation, a new search function to make finding products a snap, easier access to help, more robust merchandising to guide product selection, faster uploads, simplified photo sharing, streamlined ordering and much more.

In addition to the fresh look and increased efficiency, the site also features creative new products for shoppers to enjoy.  With the holiday season right around the corner, original photo gifts are being introduced that are perfect for any recipient. Highlights include an exclusive collection of Papyrus photo cards, featuring elegant designs from the popular greeting card brand, along with new photo books, calendars, holiday cards, coffee mugs, mouse pads, cutting boards and more

There are times in our lives where we need a gift to be dynamic and unique. A run-of-the-mill shirt, picture frame or gift card just will not do. You need “WOW”! That is when you need PhotoWorks by American Greetings.

With, literally, 100’s of options you will find the perfect gift…for your loved one and for yourself! I know that I did.

I had a blast and spend a long time at the PhotoWorks site as I created different books prints, cards and gifts with pictures of my family.  PhotoWorks allows the user to create gorgeous photo books in sizes from 4″x4″ all the way up to 12″x12″…plus they have the new and sensational Photo Works Studio which is the newest and easiest way to create beautiful photo books. Combining your photos with American Greetings creativity to create personal works of art.

Deciding on the size of the book is probably your easiest step. You have numerous options for the book cover, the background, the layout pattern and on and on. YOU could create a specific masterpiece for each member of your family. Think of the gift ideas!

If you aren’t really into creating a PhotoWorks book….you could easily place your favorite photo on a mug, purse, blanket, t-shirt, calendar or mouse pad!  I created two beautiful mugs that I am going to put in the IE Twins’ Easter Basket. Each mug has a personal photo, one with their daddy and one with their sister. Nothing says “Special” like your own mug for yummy  hot chocolate.

I have snapped 1000’s of pictures since the twins were born 6 years ago…but very few have been printed…with the affordable pricing at PhotoWorks…my living rooms walls will not be bare much longer. Prints start as low as .09 cents!

Easter is the next big Holiday on the calendar…imagine the surprise when instead of a bag of chocolate eggs you present your loved ones with a beautiful gift from PhotoWorks!

Giveaway Opportunity Provided by M80 and American Greetings Photoworks
Opinions are strictly those of the Blog Owner.
*Information obtained from Press Release and/or website

As a mom I have to pick my battles carefully especially with two girls. They act so much like me it’s ridiculous! Because of that…they do what I do, eat what I eat and drink what I drink. Which is not always a good thing.

When I discovered Wat-Aah I was excited to have the twins try it…while it looks and taste like water…it’s a lot more fun! With wonderful added extras like Pure Spring Water, absolutely no sugar, no sodium, no chemicals, Kid friendly electrolytes and bone building Magnesium…you know you are giving your children the best.  Plus the uber cool packaging makes doing something good for your body a lot of fun!

My girls love Wat-Aah. Don’t believe me…swing on over to Twin Kitchen and see how excited they are about Wat-Aah!

It is so easy just grab a juice box or a soda can when your child ask for a drink. But easy doesn’t make it the right choice. If you offered my girls a glass of water they’d probably wrinkle their noses and say “Never mind” but with Wat-Aah they actually argue over who gets which bottle!!

I can not thank Wat-Aah enough for creating a fun way for my girls to enjoy something good for them. You Rock Wat-Aah!

• WAT-AAH! was launched in June 2008 in New York by Rose Cameron with the help of her own kids and other moms, utilizing her background in marketing and branding.
  
• WAT-AAH! is currently distributed in many stores and groceries throughout the east coast, from Maine to Florida, specifically Whole Foods Market.
• WAT-AAH! contains no sugar, artificial flavors, colors or unnatural additives.
• WAT-AAH! is ultra pure water containing the right amount of essential ingredients such as magnesium, electrolytes and oxygen to help maintain children’s health.
  
• Wat-ahh comes in four “flavors”:
  • ENERGY –
    
  • BODY –
  • BRAIN –
  • BONES –
    

Win A Mixed Case filled with WAT-AAH and GOODIES!

To Enter:

Swing on over to TWIN KITCHEN to enter!

Do NOT Leave Entries here.

Review Opportunity Provided by Wat-Aah
Opinions are strictly those of the Blog Owner.
*Information obtained from Press Release and/or website

“Show me the books she loves and I shall know the woman…“

Miracle in Sumatra

Jeanne McNaney

In Miracle in Sumatra, Gus discovers his parents have been trapped by hunters who have come to Sumatra to hunt the orangutan. With the help of his friends, Maya, a little girl, and Gabriella, the guardian of the jungle, Gus sets out to save his parents and teach the trappers about the importance of their natural habitat in Sumatra.

My girls were enthralled with this book. The illustrations were vivid and very detailed. You could clearly see the pained expressions on the wonderful animals as they were entrapped by the terrible hunter, aptly named Hunter.

Miracle in Sumatra takes you on a journey with a brave little girl named Maya. She discovers an adorable orangutan named Gus and befriends him with a yummy banana. But it is during this discovery that she also learns that her father is part of a terrible plan to capture the amazing orangutans with Hunter.

Trying to save his family Gus looks toward Maya for help. With the aide of a the beautiful angel Gabriella they work together to save the orangutans and to show Hunter that there is always a better way.

It was a very well written and gentle way to introduce my daughters to the troubles and plight of so many of the earth’s amazing creatures. They could not believe that people would actually capture and destroy animals and their homes for the sake of money.  I appreciate the fact that while Ms. McNaney was clear to her point of what was happening to the animals..it was not overwhelming or graphic in the details for young readers.

Definitely a wonderful read for parents and teachers alike.

Review Opportunity Provided by Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists
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See My Reviews at Amazon.com

“Show me the books she loves and I shall know the woman…“

Dancing with My Father

Sally Clarkson

Let Your Soul Dance with Delight in God

Do you sometimes feel victimized by circumstances? Are you overwhelmed by weariness, fear, or discouragement? Do you wonder, Where can I go to claim the promise of Jesus that my joy could be made full?

When trusted author and mentor Sally Clarkson noticed a lack of joy in her own life, she realized how easy it can be, especially for women with overloaded to-do lists, to feel weighed down by drudgery and disappointment. But rather than slogging through her days, Sally wanted to know the delight of God’s presence. She began prayerfully exploring how to cultivate deep-rooted joy even in the midst of difficult seasons.

In this warm and wise book, she invites you to experience for yourself what happens when you trust God to lead you into a life of anticipation, passion, and purpose.

Weaving biblical insights with real-life stories that reflect every Christian woman’s deepest longings, Dancing with My Father reveals how any woman, in any circumstance, can daily live in beauty and grace, joy and peace.

Let me just say that I loved this book so much that it is now the book that my bible study group will be going over for the next couple of weeks.

When I first received the invitation to review this book I was drawn to the title. You see as a little girl I loved to dance with my earthly father. He was very musical and had a band when I was little. My mom and I often went with him when he performed at parties or weddings. It was always magical to dance with my dad.

While I have been a believer and follower of Jesus for 25 years…I always equated “following” as God walking ahead of me. Like a little child following her parent. But never once did I think that my Lord and Savior would like to “dance” with me. That He would like for me to allow Him to take the lead and twirl me around the dance floor.

Ms. Clarkson’s descriptions and heartfelt writing presented me with such a visual of dancing with my God that my heart leaped and tears came to my eyes. Yes, that is a relationship that I crave. I know He is merciful, caring, ever patient and always loving but His willingness to be my dance partner was an amazing revelation.

As a bible study leader…I thoroughly enjoyed the simple yet thought provoking questions that are at the end of each chapter. They are “deep” enough where you have to give thought to what is being asked but not overwhelming where you may close the book because  you just “don’t want to emotionally go there”.

I look forward to sharing the wonderful discovery of Dancing with My Father with my bible study group…I can only imagine the amazing journey we will be on as we allow our Heavenly Father to lead us through this dance of life.

Review Opportunity Provided by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing
Opinions are strictly those of the blog owner and affiliates

Read my reviews at Amazon.com

“Show me the books she loves and I shall know the woman…“

Mother – Daughter Duet

Cheri Fuller

A harmonious relationship is possible

When your daughter was born, you had a thousand hopes and dreams for her. . .including that one day you’d be best friends.

But as life unfolds, even the best intentions go awry. There are so many challenges on the journey to adult friendship that the reality is fraught with friction and frustration. Thankfully, a harmonious relationship with your daughter is possible.

Written by a mother and daughter who have successfully navigated the minefield from distance and tension to acceptance and friendship, Mother-Daughter Duet helps moms open wide the door of communication so that daughters want to walk through it. Filled with personal anecdotes and based on proven principles, each chapter offers timeless wisdom as well as a daughter’s perspective. Often these principles apply to daughters-in-law as well.

The relationship between mothers and daughters is intense, personal, complex, and unique. But you can have the loving, authentic bond you always dreamed of—when you learn the mother-daughter duet.

Whether you are a mother or a daughter you are going to gain valuable insight, understanding and wisdom from this book.

I read this book from a daughter’s standpoint with a mother’s heart. What I mean is that as an “adult” daughter…I sadly could see myself in many of the interactions and reactions discussed within this book.  As a mother…I read it with open eyes and spirit searching for wisdom for the time my 6 year olds would be grown women.

I was instantly drawn into the book from Chapter one. Mother-Daughter Duet is not written as “self-help” book but as encouragement for other women.

As a daughter…I sometimes struggle with my mom’s desire to still parent me at age 40. Yet, I see that I may be following those footsteps with my own girls. As a mother…I long for the friendship that can be possible when my daughters are grown women with families of their own.

Reading Mother-Daughter Duet gave me such a heart for my mom and for my daughters. Will relationships ever be easy? I doubt it. Women are women…regardless of age…we are intricate, complex and sometimes (especially in my family) stubborn…but it is clear with God’s help and guidance we can achieve a success in our friendship and love for and from our mothers and daughters.

I will be keeping this book in my library for reference and encouragement. I know that the tween years are closer then I think…and they will be followed fiercely by the teens and adult hood. I want to make sure that I am fostering a relationship with my twins that will be one that will blossom and in the meantime…tending the relationship with my mom.

Review Opportunity Provided by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing
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Read my reviews at Amazon.com

The Best Outside Fun Ever!

Hurray for Huckle

I enjoy watching the Busytown friends DVD’s with my twins. It takes me back to my childhood and reading the wonderful Richard Scarry books….of course, now the characters are live and animated.

Watching the series’ DVD’s actually helped my daughters to be interested in reading the character’s books. Anything that will encourage curiosity and reading is great!

There are 6 mysteries (stories) in this DVD:

• Litterbug Busters
• The Playground Grabber Mystery
• The Bank Note Mystery
• The Falling Fruit Mystery
• The Disappearing Swimming Hole
• The Flying Saucer Mystery

Kids will always love cartoons…it’s part of childhood. But, there is a big difference between watching mindless cartoons that show disrespect or attitude as part of the norm versus watching shows that actually make you think.  While the Richard Scary videos are not actual “learning” videos in that they don’t teach ABC’s or 123’s…they are definitely encouraging logical thought.

For instance…our favorite story…Litterbug Busters…actually leads the viewer through a “mystery” trying to discover who is actually littering everywhere. It gave my twins food for thought…as they discussed who could possibly be so messy. Each mystery allows your child to logically think through the process along with the Busytown friends to reach a satisfying ending.

Busytown friends are as wonderful now as I remember them to be.

Review Opportunity Provided by NCircle Entertainment
Opinions are strictly those of the blog owner

Thomas & The Runaway Kite

Thomas and Friends

Hang on tight for a high-flying ride with Thomas & Friends^™ in the all-new Thomas & the Runaway Kite flying onto DVD March 2, 2010 from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment. There are jobs to be done, visitors to meet and friends to greet in this never-before-seen DVD featuring full CG animation and individual voices for all the engines. All-new content available only on the DVD features live-action host Driver Perkins, who has to rely on a naughty parrot to save the day.

Teaching timeless life lessons such as discovery, friendship and cooperation, the Thomas & Friends animated series invites children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train and the words of a story.

There’s a kite on the loose and Thomas must catch it before the wind blows it from Sodor. With Gordon, Charlie and Toby by his side, Thomas learns that a helping hand keeps him right on track when it comes to rescuing kites, saving a swarm of bees, and preventing railway disasters from taking flight! Hop on board for a high-flying ride with Thomas & Friends^™ in these all-new, never-before-seen train adventures!

Reviewed by: Krista, Mom of 2 year-old Jayden

Thomas the Train isn’t the ideal cartoon video I would choose for my son to watch. It doesn’t have a lot of animation or interactive music to dance to. As an adult, I would expect it to be boring for my son. I would assume he would become uninterested and bored, but this is certainly not the case. My son absolutely loves trains so Thomas is entertaining to him! He loves to watch all the different colored trains racing down the tracks to accomplish whatever they set out to do.

In this specific DVD, there is a kite festival. Right away, my son was intrigued. He loved watching the kids fly the kites in the sky. He kept saying, “Up, Up, Up!” The video explains wind and how it was used to blow away the runaway kite. Thomas chased the kid’s runaway kite because he was the fastest train. When people tried to help Thomas, he refused saying that he is the fastest and can catch the kite himself. When Emily and the other trains tried to help, Thomas refused. He wanted to do it himself because he knew he was the fastest engine.

The kite continued to blow away and Thomas ran out of coal and couldn’t continue on his journey of catching the kite. Charlie, a friend of Thomas, came along to help and Thomas admitted he was silly to try to do it on his own. He agreed to let Charlie help him and the trains worked together to catch the kite.

This is a good lesson for children. They might be really good at a specific thing, but it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t let other people help them. It shows that good friends work together.

DVD Released March 2nd

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by Andrea Blain PR, HIT Entertainment and Lionsgate
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