There is going to be a lot of “Christmas in July” buzz amongst the blogs, starting next week.

Mom’s are gearing up to share and collect ideas for decorating, recipes, gifts, and crafts, NOW, so that when the busy holiday season strikes, their entertaining arsenals are full and ready for action.

Now is also a great time to purchase gifts you can sock away until December, and have on hand, ready to give to the ones you love.

Surfer Dudette’s online ETSY store is a great place to stop by and pick up incredibly unique accessories, you can’t get anywhere else. All of her handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces, would make any woman or girl feel beautiful, feminine, and loved.

And for one of my lucky readers, today truly is like Christmas in July because she has won the Surfer Dudette Necklace GIVEAWAY!

Drum roll please…..

And now…

The randomly drawn winner of the Surfer Dudette Necklace Giveaway is…

Comment #4 – Cindi Washam

“I really like the rust flower brooch. Beautiful!”

Congratulations Cindi, and thank you so much to everyone who entered and left great feedback on your favorite pieces in the comments!

Thank you also to everyone who visited Surfer Dudette’s ETSY store. Remember that when you shop there you are supporting the efforts of a hard working Mompreneur. If you haven’t browsed her site in a couple weeks, she’s added some new items you may not have seen, like this:

Love Me By the Seashore Necklace by Surfer Dudette

Gorgeous right?!

So…

Merry Christmas in July, and head on over to Surfer Dudette’s online store and get some Christmas shopping done before the holiday rush. You’ll be so glad you did!

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I love supporting creative Mompreneurs!

This is Jessica. She’s a wife, Stay-at-home-Mom, Homemaker, Blogger, and among many other things, the creative hands and mind behind the beautiful accessories at Surfer Dudette’s Spot on Etsy.

Her creations are handmade, customizable, and beautifully feminine.

Like this…

Feel beautiful with a flower in your hair. Perfect for adults and children alike. Completely hand sewn onto a silver clip. Has a little bit of glue for reinforcement and can be ordered in different colors.

And this…

This romantic bracelet is completely hand sewn. Just tie the ribbon in a bow around your wrist and add some charm to your outfit.

And this…

I love this piece. It’s totally unique, super stylish, a little bit edgy, and still perfectly feminine.

And this one.

This beautiful one of kind necklace is sweet and sultry.

The ribbon ties in a bow and runs down your back for a dramatic effect.

And… if you love it too, then you’ve stumbled upon the right post, because Surfer Dudette is generously giving this one away to one lucky winner!

All you have to do to enter this giveaway is visit Surfer Dudette’s shop on etsy, and then come back here and tell me your favorite piece from her collection.

It’s as simple as that.

And as a bonus, Surfer Dudette is offering a special bonus to ALL MommyTopics.com readers…

When you make a purchase at Surfer Dudette’s etsy shop in the month of July 2010, simply mention that you saw her on MommyTopics.com and receive one of these hand made flower clips with your order, absolutely FREE. (Colors and fabric may vary)

So what are you waiting for?… Start shopping!!!

And, after you’ve shopped around on Surfer Dudette’s site, don’t forget to come back here and leave a comment about your favorite items, for a chance to win that awesome necklace.

- This giveaway is open to all residents in the USA and Canada.

- Please only one comment per person.

- You may leave a comment between Tuesday, July 7, 2010 and Monday, July 19, 2010 at 10PM, PST to be eligible to win.

- One winner will be randomly selected and announced here on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 10AM PST.

Jessica can also be found blogging about her life at Stay At Home Mommy Saga.

Linked to: Blue Cricket Designs, The Boardwalk Bragfest, Show Us What You’re Workin’ With, Look What I Made, Make It Yours, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Fireflies and Jello, Thrifty Thursday, Beyond the Picket Fence, Things I Love Thursday, Strut Your Stuff Thursday, Make It Wear It, I’m Lovin’ It Fridays, Frugalicious Friday, Look At Me Party, Check Me Out Saturday, Weekend Wrap Up, Craft Schooling Sunday, Toot Your Horn Tuesday, New Nostalgia, Tip Me Tuesday

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Thank you to everyone who commented and entered the TV GUARDIAN Giveaway!

It was so fun to see what everyone’s favorite movies are!

And now for the winner…

Congratulations Elana of TheTwinners.com who said:

“My favorite movie of all time is Indian Summer. Probably because I was an extra in it. Go watch it and see if you can find me!”

Elana please email me at giveaways (at) mommytopics (dot) com to claim your prize.

A BIG THANK YOU to TV GUARDIAN for sponsoring this Giveaway!!! Please visit their site and reserve your new TV GUARDIAN with remote. It will make watching movies and television with your family so much lovelier… for everyone!

I’ve had my TV Guardian for 8 years and our family loves it!!!

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As parents, many of us are highly vigilant about the types of movies and television we allow our children to see. The use of foul language I don’t want my children repeating, is the first major deterrent for me, when looking for programming suitable for my family. And to be honest, it’s not only my kids I’m thinking of when searching for entertainment without obscenities. I myself hate sitting down to watch a good movie or TV program and then being accosted for 30 minutes or more by verbal profanity and the misuse of God’s name.

When I was a teen in the 90’s, the word “B_ _ ch” was not heard on TV in any of the programs I watched. I remember how shocking it seemed to start hearing that word at 8 o’clock at night on regular basic cable television shows. I’m not sure teens today even realize that word was ever considered “foul language” due to it’s casual and constant usage in virtually all teen and adult programming and movies. It seems teen shows in particular splash that word around like the networks or producers will score some kind of points, the more times the “B” word is said.

There are so many good movies out there that are made miserable to sit through simply because of the barrage of unnecessary expletives included in them. And, being a Christian, the extra element of hearing God’s name stepped on, spat about, abused, and misused in films and television programs, is enough to get me to change the channel and avoid heading to the theaters to see a movie that, were it not for the language, could have been a great film.

Don’t even get me started on how often and casually God’s name is taken in vain! There’s a texting acronym for it, for crying out loud! I told you… don’t get me started!

But does this mean I’ve abandoned Movies and Television entirely?

No. Not at all. Jesus Himself taught us the power of story telling, and I love seeing human drama played out on screen. I’ve learned, laughed, cried, been amused, forewarned, and inspired by all kinds of movies and Television, and I love sharing those same kinds of experiences with my husband and children.

Thankfully I’ve found TWO fantastic tools that help myself and my family determine when and where to see what types of movies and TV shows.

And stay tuned, because I’m giving one away!

The first tool I love is the TV Guardian. We’ve had one in our home for the past 8 years and we love it. In fact we love what it does so much, that we even gave one to Nana and Papa for their TV.  The TV Guardian is a box that you connect to your television, which filters out profanity and misuses of God’s name, by reading a programs subtitles (not visible onscreen). While silence covers the profanity, a subtitle with a replacement sentence is briefly shown on screen so you still know what’s being said, but in a less offensive way.

TV Guardian is now taking orders for their brand new model, being released this June.  A great feature to the new model is that it comes with a remote you can use to:

- switch between three different levels of profanity blocking – Strict, Moderate, and Tolerant

- turn ON and OFF the religious filter – When it’s set to ON, TVG will filter out the offensive ways Hollywood tends to use Jesus and God. When turned OFF religious programming can be viewed without the use of Jesus and God being filtered out.

- the Hell/Damn filter may be turned ON and OFF – also useful when watching religious programming

- Sexual references may be turned ON and OFF

(At the bottom of this post I’ll be giving specifics about how you can enter here to win a brand new TV Guardian (value $120) simply by leaving a specific comment .)

The other tool that helps our family immensely in making decisions about what we will go to see in the theater, what we will wait to watch at home with the use of our TV Guardian, and what isn’t worth watching at all because of other content issues, is the website, PluggedIn.com.

Plugged In is a ministry created by Focus on the Family, a ministry founded by Dr. James Dobson, author of the books “Bringing Up Boys” and “Dare to Discipline.” The focus of the Plugged In ministry is to “Shine a light on the world of entertainment” particularly for the purpose of  helping parents understand the entertainment vying for their children’s attention every minute of every day. They offer reviews of popular music, video games, movies, and television shows, and we NEVER go to the theater without first checking it’s review on Pluggedin.com. NEVER!!!

Plugged In breaks down the content of movies for parents, so we can make our own decisions about what films are right for our family. Their reviews do include some personal opinion like a typical movie critic would do, but more importantly they provide the exact content in the film within categories such as: Spiritual Content, Violent Content, Crude or Profane Language, Sexual Content, and Drug and Alcohol Content.

It’s so helpful to hop on Plugged In, click on the review for a movie we’re interested in going to see, scrolling down to the “Crude or Profane Language” section, and immediately being able to determine if I should even consider taking my kids to see it.

I’ve copied the following “Crude or Profane Language” sections from the Plugged In website, for films rated G – R, to show how helpful their reviews can be, and to also show what movies might be better watched at home with a  TV Guardian.

Herbie Fully Loaded (G) : Misuses of God’s name are used a handful of times. “Jeez” is said once. Mild putdowns include “jerk.” “Crap” gets tossed around a few times.

The Rookie (G) : While on the field, one player misuses the name of God (it’s the second time God’s name is used as an exclamation). Four mild profanities (one of which is sung in a song) include the words “h–l” and “d–n.”

The Astronaut Farmer (PG) :  Three s-words, a half-dozen uses each of “a–” and “h—,” and two uses of “b–ch” vie for attention. “Jeez” pops up and God’s name is coupled with “d–n.”

Inkheart (PG) : One use each of “d–n” and “jacka–.” Several times, characters misuse God’s name.

Elf (PG) : A dozen mild profanities (“h—,” “d–n”) join such expressions as “friggin,” “pi–ed,” “sucked,” “son of a nutcracker,” “up yours” and “oh my g–.”

E.T. (PG) : Several crude expressions, five profanities (including two s-words) and a half-dozen exclamations of “oh my g–.”

Holes (shown on the Disney Channel) (PG) : Unfortunately, God’s name is abused almost 10 times. About half a dozen mild profanities (”d–n” and “h—”) crop up. Crudities and put-downs such as “schmuck,” “jacka–,” “cow turd,” “fart” and “Neanderthal” turn up, “crap” being the most common.

The Water Horse (PG) : Jesus’ name is abused a couple of times. God’s name is exclaimed six or eight times. There are also a half-dozen exclamations of “bloody,” two of “h—,” and one each of “d–n” and the Scottish version of “a–.” “Crikey,” “blimey,” “what the devil?” “my sainted mother!” “mother of God,” “holy mackerel” and the Scottish interjection “jings” punctuate moments of surprise.

Indiana Jones, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG – 13) : Mutt uses the s-word twice. God’s name is exclaimed a half-dozen times. Other swear words, such as “d–n,” “h—,” “b–ch” and “bloody” are sprinkled in between.

The Blindside (PG-13) : Leigh Anne does not approve of swearing. “Don’t use the a-word,” she tells her husband. But she didn’t edit the screenplay for The Blind Side. Onscreen, we still hear “a‑‑” a half-dozen times, “b‑‑ch” and “h‑‑‑” four or five times each, “p‑‑‑” once and “d‑‑n” two or three times. God’s name is misused a handful of times. “T‑t” is said a couple of times. The racial slur “n-gger” is vocalized once by one of the thugs.

Erin Brockovich (R) : Nearly 50 f- and s-words make the film’s otherwise clever dialogue intolerable. Erin’s fondness for the f-word becomes central to her character. Additionally, Jesus’ name is abused and other, milder, profanities intrude, some of them spoken in front of the children.

The Last Samurai (R) : An s-word and a handful of milder profanities. God’s name is abused a half-dozen times (once it is combined with “d–n”); Christ’s one time.

3:10 to Yuma (R) : Two or three f-words; more than twice that many s-words. “D–n” is used in excess of a dozen times—and most often in conjunction with God’s name. Christ’s name is foully exclaimed at least twice. Milder profanities pop up a handful of times (”h—,” “a–”), as do the crude words “p-ss” and “b–tard.”

And remember, the TV Guardian filters out language on cable and network television programming, DVDs, videos, Blue Ray, and On Demand movies. As long as what you’re watching is available in closed caption, it will automatically be filtered, without you needing to have the subtitles on and viewable.

So now for the BIG GIVEAWAY!!!

TV Guardian is giving away one of their brand new TV Guardians with remote, to one of my randomly selected readers. The Winner will have their choice between a standard or HD compatible unit ($120 /$160 value).

All you have to do to enter is:

- leave a comment on this post telling me one of your favorite movies of all time. That’s it! (Comments that do not include a favorite movie will be deleted and disqualified)

- Please only one entry per person

- Open to U.S. residents only

- entries will be accepted NOW through Wednesday, May 19, 2010, at 10pm PST.

- one WINNER will be randomly chosen and announced on Friday, May 21, 2010.

- the WINNER will have a new TV Guardian unit reserved for them and will receive it in June, 2010 when the units are released for shipping.

Enter now, and in the mean time, head on over to TV Guardian.com and get more familiar with all of it’s features and benefits. It you’d like to see a demo of the TV Guardian working in action, click here.

Also, be sure to check out PluggedIn.com… there’s all kinds of fun stuff to discover!

Thanks for visiting and in the famous words of Siskel and Ebert… “We’ll see you at the movi…” er… uh… well, maybe not. Maybe you’ll be in your living rooms more often now. Hey… it’s cheaper. The screen is smaller, but the snacks are better and they wont break the bank. Your living room has really comfortable seating and soft warm blankets. True… you probably don’t have 3-D capabilities or IMAX, but look on the brightside… you probably also wont get MRSA from the seats.

I’m gonna go now.

Just leave a comment.

Bye.

UPDATE: Now through Monday, May 17th, 2010 as a Mother’s Day Special you can purchase a TV Guardian for $20 OFF! What a deal!!! Buy Now HERE.

Also linked to Frugalicious Friday

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Thank you so much to everyone who visited my Amazon Store, and a double thank you to those of you who made purchases.

I need to make 20  more sales to be bumped up into the next commission bracket through the Amazon Associates program.

Take a peek today if you have some time. I’ve added several new items to most of the categories.

I’ve also been so inspired by the warmth of Spring, I can hardly wait for summer, so I’ve created a “Summer Fun” category full of great items for families to use as the days get warmer.

Okay… the part you’ve all been waiting for…

And the winner of the $50 Amazon Gift Card is….

MessyMommy: Submitted on 2010/03/09 at 7:42pm - “I would love the Bringing Up Girls book! I have Bringing Up Boys and love it!”

Congratulations Messy Mommy!!! Send an email to me at giveaways@mommytopics.com.

Happy Easter everyone!

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…

This week I’m launching the opening of my new Online MommyTopics.com Amazon store.

And in honor of this grand opening I’m giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card… no purchase necessary.

But first… Did you know that when you make a purchase through my Amazon store or the links on my site, I receive a commission? Ads and this new store help me to turn my blogging hobby into a profitable venture for this Stay-At-Home, Home-Schooling-Mom.

So, if you’re going to purchase books and products online anyway, why not do it through me and make a contribution to my little family? It will cost you the same and it will really help us out.

Now onto the Giveaway…

All you have to do to be eligible to win this Amazon gift card is check out my store and leave a comment on this post about an item you liked or found interesting, or an item you didn’t find, but think should be added.

Simple as that!

One entry per person please. All entries must be in by 10pm pacific time, on March 31, 2010. One winner will be randomly selected and announced on Friday, April 2, 2010 by 10am.

Once confirmation emails have been exchanged between MommyTopics.com and the winner, the $50 Amazon gift card will be delivered immediately through email.

And remember… anytime you make a purchase through the MommyTopics Amazon store, you’ll be sending a commission my way. And if you don’t find anything you’re interested in today, come on back another time as I will be adding exciting new items regularly.

I really appreciate your support!

Click here to start shopping. There is also a tab titled “Store” at the top of this website next to, “Home” “About” and “Contact.”

Happy Shopping, and Happy Commenting!!! I can’t wait to see who wins the $50!

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And the randomly selected winner of the Baby Sweet Boutique Giveaway, bib, rattle, and tag blanket set is….

One Frugal Girl of onefrugalgirl.blogspot.com who said: “I’ve always loved Sara.”

Good choice Frugal Girl… that’s one of my Best Friend’s name… same spelling too. And congratulations on winning this adorable prize.

Please contact me at giveaways@mommytopics.com for further instructions to claim your prize.

Thanks to everyone who participated, and Thank you to Nikki of Baby Sweet Boutique for this generous Giveaway.

If you haven’t visited the Baby Sweet Boutique yet, go now and check out all the cute creations that make fantastic gifts. Custom orders are welcomed.

Also…check out some other posts while you’re here at MommyTopics.com, and come back often to take part in more great Giveaways!

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I love supporting talented, resourceful, stay-at-home-Moms.

There are so many women these days working hard to create and run their own businesses from home. Most mom’s who do this kind of work, do it so they can spend more time with their children, but still help contribute to their household’s income.

The “Baby Sweet Boutique” is just that kind of business.

Nikki, the owner of Baby Sweet Boutique, makes the most darling dresses…

jewelry…

… and bib and rattle sets for baby.

This set comes with an absorbent bib, a soft stuffed Giraffe shaped rattle with a little bell inside and a Wheat Bag that can be cooled in the freezer or warmed in the microwave and used on babies boo boos. So cute. And the backsides of the bib and rattle are made of the softest, fluffiest, Minky your fingers have ever grazed. It’s wonderful.

Any new mom would be thrilled to receive one of these hand crafted items as a gift for their new little one.

This week, Nikki, from Baby Sweet Boutique is generously offering readers of MommyTopics.com a bib and rattle set for a Giveaway. The winner will also receive a discontinued matching Tag Blanket that is no longer available through the boutique.

Here is the complete set. It is meant for a baby girl and it has this adorable Apple Print fabric designed by Alexander Henry.

And again…the back side of the rattle, bib, and blanket are made of beautiful, plush, Minky. You have to feel this stuff to believe just how soft it is. It’s incredible!

All you have to do to enter the Giveaway is

leave a comment telling me one of your favorite Baby Names.

All U.S. residents are eligible.

Entries can be made now through Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 9:00 PM, Pacific Time.

The winner will be announced here on Friday morning, January 8, 2010 at 10:00 AM, so check back then to see if you won.

This month the Baby Sweet Boutique is offering FREE SHIPPING on all items and 10% OFF to readers of MommyTopics.com.  Simply mention this website in the comments when you place your order and receive 10% back. All Baby Sweet Boutique products come Gift Wrapped Free of Charge.

After leaving a comment here for the Giveaway, head on over to Baby Sweet Boutique and check out all of Nikki’s beautiful creations. Many of her products are made-to-order, so custom design requests are welcomed.

Order something fabulous for a Mom or Sweet Baby in your life!

Don’t forget to come back next Friday to see if you won! If you’d like to be alerted through email when the winners are posted, subscribe to receive updates at the top of this post in the right sidebar.

If you’d like to be alerted through Facebook, become a Facebook Fan of MommyTopics.com!

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And the winner of the Spice Merchants Baker’s Best Gift Box Giveaway is…

Comment # 79  - trish: “I am almost done with my shopping, but have not started any wrapping yet….need to find the time.”

Trish, please contact me at giveaways@mommytopics.com for instructions on how to claim your prize.

Thank you to everyone who participated in all of MommyTopics.com December Giveaways!!! It was a lot of FUN!!!

I have some more great GIVEAWAYS lined up for January so be sure to come back and enter to win.

In the meantime check out this Fantastic Sugar Cookie recipe I’m planning to use next week when I do all my Christmas baking. Also make sure to stop by next week and see all the fun Christmas Cookie designs we come up with at our family Cookie Baking Extravaganza.

And don’t miss the very special New Year’s recipes I’ll be sharing the last week of December. They are sure to make your New Year’s Eve Celebration… SPECTACULAR!!!

Merry Christmas!

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An hour north of San Diego, California, surrounded by mountain ranges in a quaint little valley, is the pituresque shopping and dining delight of Old Town Temecula.

I first started visiting Old Town Temecula as a very young girl. Twice a month my parents would take my brother and I to visit our grandparents in Ontario, California. One of my favorite things about making the trip from San Diego was stopping in Old Town Temecula on our way and getting an ice cream cone from the Corner Deli. That particular shop closed down years ago, but Old Town Temecula has continued to grow and develop into a popular Southern California destination.

Old Town is a wonderful place to visit for unique shopping, fine dining, and a quaint small town atmosphere reminiscent of the Old West. Some of the fabulous vendors include: The Temecula Olive Oil Company, the Rancho Fruit Market, The Farmer’s Wife Gifts, Cafe Bravo Coffee House, The Gambling Cowboy’s Chophouse and Saloon, the Dog House Hot Dogs, Sweet Lumpy’s Western BBQ, Saturday morning Farmer’s Market made up of locally grown produce and products, several antique stores, the Temecula Cheese Company, Cactus Flower Apparel, Rosa’s Cantina Mexican Food, The Rootbeer shop,  Palumbo’s Italian Bistro, the Swing Inn Cafe, The Edge Fine Dining Restaurant, and among many, many more vendors, one of my personal favorites… the Spice Merchants.

This is one of my favorite places to shop. Every time I visit I always find something new and amazing!

At the Spice Merchant you have a chance to experience a sensory journey through the spices of the world!

Over 350 fresh, high quality spices, herbs, and blends.

A variety of rices from around the world.

Here is a perfect example of the inspiring ingredients you’ll find that you never even knew existed.

At least, I never knew green bamboo rice existed.

Unique gifts including unusual utensils, spice racks, grinders, mortar and pestles.

A variety of honey.

I bet you never thought about Honeys having different flavors based on the different flowers bees who make them, retrieve pollen from.

Orange Blossom Honey, Clover Honey, Mountain Sage Honey, and by golly out here in good ol’ California we even have Avocado Blossom Honey.

Who knew?

Not me… that’s who… er… not knew…. I mean….

Never mind!

A wonderful assortment of loose-leaf teas and accessories.

And beautiful gift boxes for all occasions.

And speaking of gift boxes…

The generous Spice Merchants are offering this great gift box, to one of YOU!

Let’s see what’s inside shall we?

Oooooooh! Aaaaaaaah!

Want to see more?

I knew you would.

Now let’s take an even closer look.

This is a bottle of Tahitian Vanilla extract. I used some (not out of this bottle… I have my own Baker’s Gift Box) in my Christmas sugar cookies, and it was wonderful. You might think Vanilla is Vanilla is Vanilla, but you are mistaken. This Vanilla tastes and smells wonderful. It makes you sit up and take notice.

Yum, yum, yummy!

You also get a bottle of Dutched Cocoa and Allspice. I’ve been experimenting with these two in a recipe for New Year’s. I can’t give you the details now, but it’s gonna be GOOD.

This is Vietnamese Cinnamon. It’s much stronger than most… perhaps all… cinnamons you’ve dealt with before. This bottle will last you quite a while and the taste and smell is wonderful.

And last, but CERTAINLY not least is this magical stuff.

Cinnamon Sugar.

It’s pure cane sugar in a raw crystal form that has been infused with cinnamon flavor. Just imagine this sprinkled on whipped creme in your coffee, gracing the surfaces of Snicker-doodle cookies, or beautifying the top of an apple pie, crumble, or crisp.

Flavored sugars are one of the most inspiring things I’ve seen at the Spice Merchants.

Cinnamon Sugar, Lemon Sugar, Lime Sugar…

Raspberry Sugar – recommended for sprinkling on cookies, cupcakes, and cakes. Also can be used to coat the rim of a glass of lemonade or other beverage. Try mixing some into a green salad with Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar Dressing.

Hello! Are those awesome ideas?

And check out this one…

Sweet Onion Cane Sugar – I knew I had to have this the moment I laid eyes on it. I love savory with sweet dishes and this one opens up a whole new realm of possibilities. Some of it’s suggested uses are to sprinkle it on buttered popcorn, cooked asparagus, or grilled prawns.

Now these last two lovely sugars – raspberry and onion – are not part of the giveaway. But… don’t worry your pretty little head.

Anything mentioned in this post that has caught your attention can still be yours.

Just call the Spice Merchants and place an order – Mon – Sat 10am – 5pm and on Sunday until 4pm: 951 587 2223

Mention that you saw the Spice Merchants on MommyTopics.com and get a 10% discount on your order when you call or stop in!

You can also view available products at www.spicemerchants.biz, then make the call to place your order from the Old Town Temecula, California Store.

They love it when people call and place orders… really… they do. They are waiting for your call.

The Spice Merchants products make fantastic Christmas presents and of course will add flavor and flair to any of your holiday dishes.

Now… back to the GIVEAWAY.

All this can be yours.

All you have to do is place a comment at the bottom of this post telling me how your Christmas shopping and gift wrapping is going. Inquiring minds want to know… Have you been done with all of it for weeks and is it all neatly placed beneath the tree? Are you still in need of some last minute gifts? Are you like me and haven’t even started yet? Are you completely stuck wondering what to buy for that one person who already has everything? Or, are you someone who doesn’t purchase Christmas gifts… if so, tell me what you’ve been doing with yourself lately, instead!

This GIVEAWAY is open to all U.S. residents and runs now through Thursday, December 17 at 9pm Pacific Standard Time.

Only one comment per person please.

One winner will be chosen randomly and announced in the GIVEAWAYS section of this blog on Friday, December 18, 2009 at 10am. Please check back then to see if you won and to exchange information so I can get this lovely Gift Box to you before Christmas.

Happy Commenting! And shopping… and baking…. and wrapping… and shipping…. and…. all the craziness that is your life during this wondrous holiday season!

Happy, happy, happiness to you!

And by the way….

If you can make it to Old Town Temecula this weekend you wont be disappointed!

Outdoor Ice Skating in the New Town Square begins this Friday the 18th and runs through Dec 31. The whole street is decorated in Christmas Cheer and when the sun goes down, Old Town is all aglow with Christmas lights everywhere. Take a horse drawn carriage ride, enjoy the music of strolling Dickens Carolers, Visit Santa’s Cottage and take a family picture, shop till you drop, and enjoy dinner out… in Old Town Temecula!

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