maximios

This is a sponsored post courtesy of New Jersey Lottery however thoughts and opinions are mine all mine but, if you win feel free to share, share, share.

What is your favorite part of the holidays? Mine is, of course, spending time with family but, a really close second is thinking of my holiday theme. This year my theme is going to be sleighs. My Christmas decorations, cards, place settings and some of the gifts I give will all have a sleigh ride type theme. I’ve even managed to incorporate NJ Lottery Holiday Scratch Offs into the festivities.

Last year, I mentioned that my daughter had just moved to Jersey and I wanted to create a holiday gift that incorporated her new home state. I used New Jersey Lottery Scratch Offs and my gifts were a hit creatively and a hit in people’s pockets.

Since then, I took the plunge and joined her to live in Jersey so, naturally I’m excited to be creating something using New Jersey Lottery tickets again but, this time it’s a little more personal with my own holiday theme.

This year the New Jersey Lottery is introducing 4 new Holiday Instant Games ($1 Holiday Luck, $2 Holiday Luck Times 10, $5 Jingle Bills, and $10 Cash in a Flash). These Holiday themed games are fun, festive, and appropriate for anybody to be given as a holiday gesture, stocking stuffer, or party favor. Instant games offer the wonder of a wrapped gift, the entertainment of a game experience and the potential for a large cash payout!

No wrapping required so they are easy to give or send or you can add a little creative twist and join me in creating these NJ Lottery Lucky Sleighs.

As always, I like to keep crafts and Do-it-Yourself projects as simple as possible so, if you’re down with sleighs and also looking for an inexpensive and fun gift that could possibly keep on ‘giving’.

NJ Lottery Holiday Scratch Offs Lucky Sleighs

What you’ll Need:

Step One: Stick candy canes to bottom of scratch offs using hot glue or double sided tape

 Step two: add gold coin bag to top of lotto scratch off

 Step Three: Use ribbon to tie the gold bags in place

Voila! An easy and adorable gift that you can give to dinner guests, hand on your tree to hand out or add as a bow on a wrapped gift.

You can purchase tickets at most lottery retailers like 7-11, Quick Check and Wawa.

Million Dollar Replay

Oh, I almost forgot if you’re tickets aren’t winners you still have a chance to win. How you say? With Million Dollar Replay. Enter your non-winning Instant tickets into the Million Dollar Replay second chance drawing and they could make you a MILLIONAIRE! All you have to do is join the VIP Club, collect and enter $10 of eligible NJ Lottery non-winning Instant Tickets.

 What do you think of my New Jersey Lottery Lucky Sleighs?

Check out this video for a more detailed sleigh craft!

 Stay Connected With New Jersey Lottery

Twitter: @TheNJLottery

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewJerseyLottery

Instagram: @NJLottery

(1) Disclaimer: Must be 18 or older to but a lottery ticket. Please play responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER®.

Parents are urged to think twice about gifting lottery tickets to children.

(2) For more information visit New Jersey Lottery https://www.njlottery.com/en-us/home.html (hyperlink New Jersey Lottery using the homepage link provided)

HyperFocal: 0

For every coffee lover in the world, the cappuccino can be described as the cup of heaven. The creamy textured coffee with full of taste and aroma is known as the cappuccino. Everyone loves it to have a cup of cappuccino every day, but for an average person, it will affect their pocket. To overcome these hassle situations, we can simply buy a cappuccino making machine. But really? Can a cappuccino making machine really reproduce the same creamy texture? The answer is no! it is a tedious process to make a cup of cappuccino in the same way with hat creamy texture. But the right amount of milk, foam, water and sum kills can bring out the original cappuccino.

No other thing that would definitely help us to bring perfect mouth-watering cappuccino is by selecting the perfect cappuccino making machine. There are many types of cappuccino making machines are available in the market. The machines vary in quality, price range, features and also in many other features. But one can select the best one from the following list. Yes1in this article, we will see about the list of best cappuccinos making machine in the market. So, without any further delay, let make the list of the best cappuccino making machines.

Mr. Coffee one touch Coffee house

The Mr. coffee one-touch coffee house is the best when compared to the overall list. It just makes the cappuccino making process very easy with the one step. It automatically brings the coffee beans and also adds milk to automatically and prepares a coffee or latte for us with just one touch. It is actually a step-up version of the Mr. Coffee café Barista. There are some addons to the old version such as milk reservoir and other features. The older version is the best when it is compared from the price point of view with the other cappuccino making machines.

Mr. Coffee café Barista

If you are an espresso lover, then it is the must-have machine for every espresso lover. It makes perfect espresso, cappuccino, lattes and other coffee types. It makes the perfect espresso without any fuss in them. These machines are very elegant, made up of plastic and lightweight. We can easily carry these machines from one place to the other place. The machine’s milk container needs to be maintained on a regular basis. Otherwise, it will be clogged up and leaves no place to make clear espresso and lattes. Buy this Mr. Coffee café Barista machine, to enjoy the best espresso.

Breville Bambio Plus

Many people afraid to buy coffee making machines to their homes they consume a specific amount of space in your kitchen and your home. People would love to buy compact-sized Cappuccino making machines. But it is very difficult to find one. But the breville Bambio plus cappuccino making machine does everything for good. They are compact, portable and easily maintainable. And hence it is the best option for compact sized kitchen and homes. People who love to have a compact sized cappuccino making machine can use them.

Keurig K-café

Keurif K-afe is machine which has some best features in it. Though it does not make any espresso shots. But it has the ability to make espresso style 2. It is not slighter than any espresso, it is much stronger and tastiest than the regular espresso cups. The best feature of this machine is further, it has three settings, they are cold, latte and cappuccino.it helps to lather the milk according to the type with the touch of single button. So, to have the perfect cappuccino, latte and espresso we can have this machine.

Final Thoughts

Many people were confused about buying the perfect cappuccino making machines. But there are certain machines that one needs to look for before making their decision. In this content we have seen almost all the best cappuccino making machines available in the market. Each machine is different in the features, price range and quality. So as to buy the best cappuccino making machine, one can make use of the above-discussed list. And hence, one can use the above list of the most recommended makers by Convergent Coffee their kitchen to make the perfect; for their day.

Thanks to advances in technology, innovation, and materials there are now a huge variety of different types of window screens on the market today with a plethora of functionality. Many different brands and uses are available to a homeowner to take advantage of, but many homeowners make the mistake of simply choosing the cheapest option. After all, a window screen is a window screen, right? Don’t all window screens keep bugs out of the house?

While it’s true that all window screens share the functionality of keeping insects from flying into your home, today, there are many specific functions a window screen can give a homeowner to address several different solutions to unique problems. For instance, there are specially designed window screens to keep out even the tiniest of insects where gnats are an issue, pet screens that can withstand happy paws and claws, window screens that are almost invisible to help improve the view, solar screens, and many, many more.

Today, let’s focus on premade solar screens. There are a few reasons why they may be one of the best options for you and your home. If you are unfamiliar with them and why they may be the top choice, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about premade solar screens.

What Are Solar Screens?

Solar screens are a mesh-type covering for any window or opening in a home or business. One of the most popular and trusted types of solar screens is called Textilene®. Textilene is a type of fabric manufactured by the industry’s leading company, the Twitchell Corporation, that creates ultra-durable screens, fabrics, and a multitude of other hardy products.

Textilene custom solar screens used Twitchell’s premier fabric made of tightly woven polyester. Then, each strand of polyester is coated with poly-vinyl chloride (PVC) then set with heat. This process makes the window screens especially suited for handling outdoor use as well as the outdoor environment. This advanced process and coating add extra protections to a window screen that most average screens lack, such as protection from abrasions, fading, and sun damage. Additionally, biocides are included in the creation of Textilene solar screens, meaning a custom solar screen has greater resistance to mold or mildew growth, while the PVC coating goes the extra mile to block heat transfer, thus keeping the heat from passing through it.

Solar screens don’t block out the sunlight from streaming into your home, but what they do block is the UV light, which is extremely important in many ways.

How UV Light Affects You and Your Home

UV rays or ultraviolet radiation can be very harmful, as anyone who has forgotten to put on sunscreen before spending a day outside in it can no doubt attest to. Whenever we go out to the beach, to the pool, or on a hike, many of us grab our sunscreen, perhaps a hat, and other UV rays protective gear to fight against its harmful effects.

What many homeowners may forget, however, is that when the sun shines through your windows, those UV rays pass through the window and can also cause damage to your home itself. Home items such as your carpets, furniture, and art can begin to fade prematurely. If exposed to UV rays they fade over three times faster than home items exposed to UV restricted light. Normal windows may only block 30-50% of incoming UV rays, which means furniture, especially heirloom or antique pieces with a great sentimental value near windows, are in danger of fading or damage.

One of the major sources of damage to wood furniture, especially aged furniture, is sunlight. UV rays damage the finish, resulting in cracking, flaking, and fading the original stain. Clear antique finishes may yellow with too much exposure to UV light as well.

Most importantly, UV rays that still stream into your windows can affect your health too. Exposing yourself to direct sunlight through a window for long periods can begin to damage your skin cells, cause premature aging, and the most serious side effect: increase in the risk of skin cancer.

Easy to Use Protection for You and Your Home

While drawing your curtains or lowering blinds during the day can somewhat help, curtains nor blinds tend to completely block out light, creating a dark room. Many homeowners enjoy natural light and there are many moods and health benefits to natural light without the dangers of UV rays. So, why go with solar screens, specifically premade solar screens? Let’s consider the benefits:

1. Easy to order, easy to install, ready to use out of the box. With premade solar screens, you can simply gather your old windows’ width, height, and frame size and order a new frame with solar screen ready. There’s also the option to customize the frame with color choices, what color the screen mesh will be, whether or not the screen needs a crossbar, and any hardware types you may need for the smoothest installation.
2. Solar screens are energy efficient. By installing premade solar screens in your home, you will reduce the amount of air conditioning needed to keep your home’s temperature comfortable. The less your A/C runs, the less you will pay for energy bills.
3. Beautiful and stylish choices. You can choose a variety of contemporary, on-trend styles as well as the percentage of UV rays that are blocked. This means that you can choose to block out UV rays without sacrificing the natural light in a room or choose a higher percentage for greater privacy or less light in a room such as a bedroom.

If you’ve been hesitant to decide to invest in them or not, hopefully, you’re better armed to make the right decision to benefit you, your home, your health, and your energy bills.

Hey Hey, if you have questions, suggestions or just
want to say hi please drop me a line via the contact form below. If you’re a brand/PR representative interested in
working with me, please email me with details at [email protected] . 

A Rain of Thought participates in sponsored posts, giveaways, product
reviews and event coverage.   If your product is a good fit for this site let’s work together!  I’ve partnered with brands including Toyota, Disney,

Panasonic, Viva and many more.

We also do artist and celebrity features and interviews.

Please use the contact form for all other inquiries.

You may get help along the way, but the only one that can truly take you where you want to go is you.”  –Mizgin

Sometimes you get an opportunity and you run with it to success and other times you have to reach out and grab an opportunity to make it work for you.
International music artist Mizgin has a little bit of experience doing both when it’s come to her musical career and steady climb up the charts to the top. In 2008 Mizgin auditioned to compete on the Swedish TV show Körslaget which paired celebrities with aspiring singers to create a successful choir. Led by fellow Swedish music artist Hanna Hedlund, her group won taking Mizgin’s career to another level. Fast forward to 2013, upon hearing the single “Get You Off” which was slated for an international pop star, she knew she had to have it for herself and convinced the producers to let her have it. The song became an instant hit climbing to #4 on the MTV 100’s chart. We sat down with Mizgin to talk about her debut single along with an indepth interview for a special segment of our Indie Spotlight Series. Check the video for “Get You Off” and the interview below. Mizgin – ‘Get You Off” Official Video You bring me so high, how you take it down low These other ones try, but they never come close

Thanks for taking the time to do this interview Mizgin. Tell us a bit about yourself, your name, age, where you’re from and an interesting fact if you like.

Mizgin: Thanks so much for having me. My Name is Mizgin, I’m 23 years old. Im kurd but I was born and raised in Sweden. Is there a story behind your name, Mizgin? Haha no not at all, that’s my real name. I got it after my Mom’s sister. How long have you been singing? I’ve been singing since I was 8 years old.  What first got you interested in becoming a singer? I’ve always loved music for as long as I can remember but the music in the 90’s was really what inspired me to sing. I loved each and every second of that era… I fell in love with music.

What/who inspires your music?

I would not say that a specific person inspires me, it’s more about emotion and feelings. To sing is more of a feeling for me, I love the feeling I get from singing. I can’t exactly put into words how it makes me feel but life inspires me. Do you see being a singer as a career, or as a hobby? Definitely a career. I want this forever. I love doing music and want to work with it for the rest of my life.  What are you trying to do with your music? Do you want to help your community? Are you trying to get rich? What is your goal for your music? Well, I’m chasing my dreams. One of my goals is to break down the segregation in music and to create music that’s influenced by everything. I want to make music that dominates pop culture. And if I can help someone along the way that would just be better. If there is one thing I want to do with my music it’s to show them not to be afraid and to be yourself. Never doubt you, carry yourself with great confidence; I mean who decides whats good or not? So you might as well do what you like and be confident about it. We all have different passions in life, and you don’t have to have an excuse to be just you!:) I don’t do it for the money, success and have things is nice but I don’t believe that you can be successful as an artist if you’re only in it for the money. You need to be passionate about what you do or you will burn out quickly.

Have you ever performed live? How did it feel?

Yeah a few times so far. I got a bit nervous in the beginning, but then when that is all gone I don’t want to get off the stage anymore haha…  Do you have any kind of management, publishing or distribution team behind you? If so what are their responsibilities? Yes, I have a great team, I think the key to success for any artist is having a great team behind you. My Manager, Label, Producers, and Songwriter’s really work around the clock to ensure I am winning in all aspects of my career. I am trying to create something that is lasting not just here today and gone tomorrow. That takes time and a village which I am fortunate to really work with some of the best in the industry. What are some accomplishments that you have achieved, and are most proud of? Having my record go #4 on MTV’s Top 100 was really exciting!! Have you ever made any contact with major artists or other high positioned people in the music industry and do you keep in contact with them? Haha no, and that is nothing I’m striving for either, I’m busy working on my craft.  My Management connects me with who I need to be connected with.

What is one tip would you give to other aspiring independent artists?

Be you and put your head down and work; independent artists have to work twice as hard so you can’t be afraid of hard work and going for it. What do you see is in the future for the music industry? How do you think it will evolve/change? People need music. Music is life’s soundtrack. Creatively the future looks bright. What is really great is so many styles and genres are beginning to emerge. It’s really an exciting time in music to be a creator and performer of music but you have to be smart to succeed. Do you feel like the internet is helping you as an independent artist? Absolutely… The internet is distribution now.  Its a powerful tool. It gives an Artist global possibilities and it gives fans the opportunity to connect with you in a more personable way. How do you think social networks such as Facebook and Twitter have affected the music industry? Twitter and Facebook have become effective tools for artists to stay connected with their fans, share music, and updates instantaneously and globally – I think these sites have affected the music industry in a good way. It’s a cool thing…a bit addicting sometimes. :

Where can we hear your music online?

Nearly everywhere digital music is sold or streamed: iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vevo, YouTube, Spotify, MTV.com, Yahoo Screen, etc. What projects are you working on at the moment? I am in the studio now working on my album. The records we are doing are really exciting and I can’t wait for the world to hear them. This album will be like nothing you have heard before. We go from crazy radio bangers to full on cinematic ballads over trap beats. I really want to take the listener on a journey so that is what we are setting out to do Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years time? I will still be doing music and hopefully the world will continue to share my story with me. Do you have any shout outs you want to give? I would like to give a shout out to my fans! Without their support I wouldn’t be able to live my dream and for that I am eternally grateful and my awesome team working around the clock! Thanks again Mizgin for doing this interview.

Wow, Xfinity has a lot more to offer families than I knew! A big thanks to them for partnering with me to bring you this post. #XfinityMoms

Xfinity ROAD TRIP!

I love new gadgets, technology and learning new things so it was a no brainer for me to say yes when I was invited to check out Comcast’s Xfinity Home and X1 services.

I hitched a ride with fellow blogger The Mommy Elf and we made our way to the Lawrenceville, NJ Xfinity center for a learning tour.

Before I tell you about all the neat new and exciting things going on with the Xfinity line, I have to take a brief moment to pause and acknowledge that they fed us these delicious social media cupcakes. Look at them. Just look at them!

Okay, now back to the technology.

Xfinity Home Rocks!

With the summer quickly approaching, everyone is making plans to go away. Whether you’re planning mini-weekend trips or 2 week destination vacations, the one thing that’s left behind is your home and all your precious belongings. There’s always that worry that someone might break in while you’re away or something else might go wrong.

For example, my friend just left for a 2 week beautiful vacation to Hawaii. The first night he was away, he gets a frantic call from the landlord that there is water coming from his apartment. Luckily he had friends who were able to go over and wait for the plumber to come and fix the problem. But, what if he didn’t?

Xfinity Home can help with all of that. How? 

With their  home system you would be able to monitor your home from wherever you are in the world by pulling up the camera feed online. If you had the same situation happen as my friend but, didn’t have anyone that could let the plumber in you could assign the plumber a code that  he would enter into the touchpad and then you could monitor what he is doing and see when he completes the task. There is even a flood monitoring system that comes with the Xfinity Home system that is generally for basements but, can probably be set in your bathroom to monitor if there is overflooding like what happened to my friend.

All that is pretty amazing and just touches on all of the great feature of the Xfinity Home system.  You can check out some more below.

Features:

• 24/7 professional security monitoring that can be armed and disarmed remotely. 
• At home or on the go access to your home security system including a touch screen console, X1, online or through the Xfinity Home app on your mobile devices. 
• Live video monitoring allows customers to see what is going on when they’re away from home plus have video clips sent by text or email.
• Real-time notifications can be set up to let you know when a door is opened
• Remote thermostat control helps you manage energy consumption by controlling lights and thermostat
• Rules to have your system work together so that your living room light turns on and your heat goes up when you arrive home on weekdays between 4 and 6.

One of the great things about the Xfinity Home service is that the equipment belongs to you and Comcast is working hard to make it intergratable, meaning if you move and your new home area doesn’t have Comcast service you will be able to set up your system with another carrier.

They are also working to partner with  third party gadgets that can be used along with your home system like the Nest Learning Thermostat. It works right along with the Xfinity Home System. We’re actually giving a Nest Thermostat away to a lucky reader. You can enter to win below but, right now let’s get back to some of the other gadgets and technology I learned about like the new and improved cable tv system they are introducing to all their customers.

What is Comcast Xfinity X1?

You may have been reading about the Xfinity Home System above and thinking “but, isn’t Comcast a cable company”. Yes, indeed it is and this is the part of the post where I talk about all the neat new features that they’re bringing to their cable system which, by the way, works hand in hand very well with the Home System if you have both.

Voice Activated Remote Control

The first thing that grabbed my attention was the voice controlled remote control. As one of my fellow bloggers pointed out, with hundreds of available channels these days it’s hard to remember where in the number scheme a particular network falls so it’s such a great feeling to just speak “MTV” into the remote and it automatically changes the channel for you to the one you requested. Gone are the days of having to memorize.

Here are some more of the new features:

• Integrated Xfinity apps allow you to follow your favorite team while watching another show, bring your Facebook feed or photos up on the big screen, play your Pandora playlist, check the weather, and more
• Common Sense Media are integrated ratings and reviews that help parents determine what content is appropriate for different ages
• Kids Zone is a safe and secure place for kids to independently explore their favorite content and discover new programming
• X1 DVR with cloud technology lets you stream DVR recordings and live television on mobile devices (great for setting up a second screen for your kids)

Another great feature that grabbed my attention was the ability to take a movie back that had just started. Sometimes you’re checking the listings and see something you really want to see but it started maybe 15 minutes ago. Instead of going to the “On Demand” section and looking for it you can go right to the listing and if it had a play arrow you can click on it and watch it from the beginning.

Restart a movie right from the channel guide with Comcast new Xfinity X1 Service. (#XfinityMoms)

I mentioned third party partnerships in the Xfinity Home Section so i wanted to point out that they also work with third parties with the cable services. This was one of my other favorite features which is a partnership with Common Sense Media. This allows you to see the listing of a movie and beyond the PG, PG-13 or R-Rating you can see how much or little there is of certain content like cursing, violence, humor etc… This is very helpful if you have kids or if you want to choose a movie that will be right for everyone in your family or a group of mixed company.

Comcast Xfinity X1 is partnered with Common Sense Media to give you a thorough breakdown of the movies your family is interested in watching.(#XfinityMoms) Comcast Xfinity X1 is partnered with Common Sense Media to give you a thorough breakdown of the movies your family is interested in watching.(#XfinityMoms)

As you can see, Comcast has a lot of new and exciting things to offer with their Xfinity Home and Xfinity X1 services. You can find out more information and if Comcast is available in your area by visiting www.xfinity.com.

Which feature or features are you most interested in? I know it’s the voice activated remote control. Let me know below.

Oh, I almost forgot. We’re doing a giveaway. Woot!!! One lucky reader is going to win their very own Nest Learning Thermostat that retails for $249. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Korean Lunar New Year 2025 is January 29th. What better way to celebrate with your kids than this amazing picture book by Michelle W. Park. Enter to win now!

This giveaway is part of our SMGN 2025 Valentine’s Day Gift Guide – Stop by to see all the giveaways and great products!

HOST IS:

DELICIOUSLY SAVVY

Co-hosts for this giveaway are

Beautiful Touches, Home Jobs by Mom, My Silly Little Gang, Pink Ninja Blog, The Stuff of Success, & Versatileer

Below is a list of all the bloggers involved in the gift guide.

A Rain of Thought, Beautiful Touches, Contest Corner, Deliciously Savvy, Freebies Deals & Steals, Giveaway Gator, Golden Goose Giveaways, Home Jobs by Mom, Honey Can Do It, Marksvilleandme, My Silly Little Gang, Pink Ninja Blog, Sweeps Madness, The Stuff of Success, This Frugal Grandmom, This Frugal Family, Versatileer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This Giveaway Sponsor Is:

WEBSITE ~ FACEBOOK ~ THREADS ~ INSTAGRAM ~ TIKTOK ~ X ~ YOUTUBE

2 Lucky Winners will win a copy of Let’s Celebrate Korean New Year! from Author and Emmy-winning TV host Michelle W. Park & award-winning illustrator Hyewon Yum! Ring in the Lunar New Year with this sweet picture book by Emmy-winning TV host Michelle W. Park. This heartwarming story follows two sisters as they explore the Korean traditions of Seollal while learning about the importance of family. The author’s own dumpling recipe and a fun activity are included at the end!

새해 복 많이 받으세요 Saehae bok mani badeuseyo!

Madeleine and Eloise are getting ready for their family’s Lunar New Year party, and there’s so much to do before the guests arrive! From putting on colorful outfits called hanboks and making Korean dumplings called mandoo, to setting up yutnori, a traditional board game, Madeleine shows her younger sister how to prepare for the holiday. But when Madeleine forgets to write a poem to share with the family, Eloise offers to help—and the girls realize that although each tradition is special, what matters most is spending the day together.

This festive picture book is a perfect way to learn about Korean New Year traditions, and features a glossary of Korean terms at the back, the author’s own mandoo recipe, and a craft activity to create your very own charae-sang tablescape!

Michelle W. Park is an Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist who is currently a correspondent at NBC. Let’s Celebrate Korean New Year! is her debut picture book. When she’s not writing or appearing on TV, she loves preparing delicious and nutritious meals for her daughters Madeleine and Eloise.

About the Illustrator

Hyewon Yum is the author and illustrator of many picture books, including Lion Needs A Haircut and Grandpa Across the Ocean. Her book Saturday is Swimming Day was named a Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor and Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten! received the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award. Hyewon was born and grew up in Seoul, Korea. Now she lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her family.

Click Below To Enter & Good Luck!

This giveaway/sweepstakes is in no way endorsed, affiliated, or associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. This Giveaway is valid to continental United States residents only, Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter. This giveaway event will end at 11:59 PM (EST) 1/19/2024. The winners will have 48 hours to email their information back to mcushing7 at hotmail dot com or a new winner will be drawn, you may want to put this email address as safe as it could go to spam. The giveaway is not valid where prohibited! By entering you are authorizing us to collect the information on the form below, this information is used only to contact the winner! No purchase necessary, Void were prohibited by law, and the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Winners are chosen randomly by the Giveaway Tools program. The sponsors are each responsible for shipping of the above prizes. No blog associated with this contest are responsible for prize fulfillment. If you would like to be a sponsor in a giveaway like this please email Melissa Cushing at mcushing7 (at)hotmail (dot) com. If you take an entry you must stay following for the entire contest or you will be disqualified.

If you are a blogger interested in our gift guides sign up here or more information is HERE.

Get blogger opps just like this by signing up to receive blogger emails HERE.

Sponsors interested in joining our gift guides can see the information HERE.

The very first time I saw these superhero 3D Deco Lights, I knew that I wanted one. NEEDED one in my life. Specifically, the Spiderman one in the photo above. The problem was, I couldn’t seem to find where to purchase them and I’m sure I was not alone in my frustration. Problem solved! You can get them at Target! You’re welcome.

If you’re in doubt of what to get that person who has everything or your comic loving niece or nephew, look no further than these lights. Not only are they cool to look at, they are also cool to the touch, cordless, battery operated and includes a crack sticker.

If they’re not a fan of super heroes or comics, that’s okay because their are so many different options to choose from, like this football one or the My Little Pony Unicorn . 3DLIGHTFX 3D Deco Lights are the perfect gift this holiday season. They have a full range of comic book, super hero, Disney Princess, sports and car lights that look as though they are popping right out of the wall! They are battery operated and cool to the touch so you can place them any where in the room! Your kids will loves having these in their rooms and they’re also the perfect editions to a den, family room, man’s cave or office! Find all of these amazing products @ Target.com.  Light up someone’s life and room this holiday season with their very own 3D Deco Light.

Trust me your gift will be a hit! Get it? Hit?! Visit Target.com to check out the entire collection.

Indie pop artist Marco Cinelli hails from Italy and credits his father for his love of music and his passion for American and British Rock and Pop. The ruggedly handsome, Cinelli, has been a professional guitar player since age 12 and after attending school for music embarked on a singing career. His latest single “Full Moon” is an incredibly catchy and melodic song and the gorgeous visuals of the video show the creative side of Cinelli which will help catapult him to the next stage in his music career.

We sat down with Marco Cinelli as part of our Music Spotlight Series to talk about ‘Full Moon’ and to get to know this talented up and coming artist. Enjoy the video above and get to know Cinelli below.

Marco Cinelli

Instagram| YouTube| Spotify

Describe your music for those who have never heard it.

My music is Pop. It has got electronic influences, but it’s mainly folk and soul in the melody and the chord progressions.

Tell us about the song “Full Moon”.

“Full Moon” talks about memories of a past relationship that always come out every full moon cycle. The appearance of our shiny satellite in the dark sky brings back to when, during the relationship time, the Moon was the mystic witness of love and rituals. Now in present time, every time the Moon comes out it still has intact the magnificence of her beauty and her inspirational power, but with a nostalgic taste, that possibly makes the contemplation even more beautiful.

What inspired you to pursue music?

I started playing music at 12 years old with my local band in Italy, but the first time I sang my songs live to a crowd of people was when I was 19. I remember it being very frightening but extremely exciting. In my life, I have only been a professional musician, nothing else.

What has been your greatest career accomplishment so far?

My previous video somehow got viral on some blog or page and got 200K views. That’s something important if you consider that people don’t spend time anymore watching indie artists’ clips.

What has been your biggest challenge?

At the moment, playing two keyboards, while dancing and singing simultaneously. That is what I am currently working on every day.

What is your music goal for the year?

I want to have a solid international fan base that will allow me to tour all over the world with my band.

Michael Thomas may not only have tapped into a goldmine but, also every woman’s fantasy with his new business Chip-N-Nails salon. Available on: amazon.com|barnesandnoble.com They say never judge a book by its cover but, one thing is for sure, I knew I wanted to read ‘Chip-N-Nails’ the minute I saw the cover and it more than satisfied. Author E. J. Colwell is a talented writer who does a great job of connecting you to the characters of his new book ‘Chip-N-Nails’. I received a copy for review and was instantly drawn into the lives of the main character and the supporting cast. This edition of our Author Spotlight Series is a double header because I will be sharing my review of ‘Chip-N-Nails’ followed by a ‘5 Quick Questions’ interview with E. J. Colwell. Ever wake up feeling like you’re on top of the world and then one thing doesn’t go as expected which leads to an avalanche of things going wrong? That’s pretty much how the day goes for Michael, the main character in E. J. Colwell’s new book ‘Chip-N-Nails’. He starts the day expecting a raise and ends it with no raise and worse, no job. By the end of the week he also loses his dream girl. Michael’s perfect life (or what he feels is a perfect life) as he knew it is gone in a flash. What do you do in a situation like that? Sulk . And he does it well. Michael is an incredibly likeable and relatable character. As he’s going through the motions it reminded me of my own very recent fall into that abyss of unemployment. He’s left to pick up the pieces but, luckily he has a support system in his younger sister and his best friend since childhood,Tony . We all have a Tony in our lives or know one. Tony is always there to hold you down no matter what with a pat on the back, some liquor and a good time to help you through the motions but, he’s a playboy who is dealing with his own twists and turns in life. You can’t help but cheer for Michael as he works his way through the current hand he’s been dealt and eventually decides that a ‘Chip-N-Nails’salon is the next best step in his life plan. I must admit, while reading Michael describe the salon as shirtless men giving women manicures and pedicures, I thought to myself, ‘This is either going to be really good or really bad.’ That should give you an indication of how deep you’ll find yourself engrossed in the story. Michael receives a loan from his old boss to open the shop and from there the book takes off as he builds his business and starts to get his life back in order. As you can imagine, there is plenty going on behind and in front of the scenes of the salon with twists, turns and toe curls. Chip-N-Nails is a fun, page turning read that manages to leave you satisfied yet wanting more with Michael confronting his past to move on towards the future and in turn his friend Tony being confronted with an unexpected future that may help him understand his past and everyone else in between joining in on this wild, fun shirtless and well-manicured ride. This is the first book in what hopefully becomes a series. 5 Quick Questions with Author E.J. Colwell @EJColwell|Facebook|Amazon What inspired you to become a writer? I have always wanted to write a book, I remember at the age of 10 sitting down with a pad and a pen attempting to write an autobiography…LOL!  Needless to say I only got 3 pages out of that attempt.  As I got older the Ideas started to flow and here I am. Who is your favorite author? My favorite author is Richard Wright.  In my opinion he wrote about things people were scared to write about.   He wrote back in the 1940’s about the interaction and differences between blacks and whites.  Take “Native Son” (my favorite book) Here’s a poor young black guy(Bigger Thomas) that has never been out of his element but finds a job with a well off white family (The Daltons)  Bigger not knowing how to act in that situation.  Bigger gets into trouble because he was not expose to any other aspects of life but what he knew growing up.  Long story short get out and expose yourself to as much as you can. That’s the great thing about books, they can open your mind up to different things. I love how you almost always can identify a bit of     yourself in everything you read. There’s a great big world to explore and that is just one of the many things I took from Native Son. Describe your new book “Chip-N-Nails” in 30 words or less. “Chip-N-Nails” is a story about overcoming obstacles.  It has humor as well as heartfelt moments.  It is a fun read…and this is only book one. If you enjoy reading books where the characters can make you smile and laugh in one chapter then frustrates you because of decision in the next you will love this book.  You grow to know and love some of the characters.  They all become part of the story and you began to have a vested interest in what will happen next. What books have influenced your life most? I really can’t say that certain books influenced my life, everything that I have read has had some influence on me…it could be writing style, the plot, or even just how the character development in a story.  I like to read and try to guess what the author was thinking when he/she started putting words to paper.