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One of the perks of blogging is that I get to try out new products.   Usually it goes very well but from time to time there is a product or service that I am ecstatic about and I become so obsessed with it.  And right now, that product is the Shark Rocket Complete with DuoClean Technology.

When this beast arrived I immediately unboxed it and was pleased to find how easy it was to put it together.  There were literally just a few steps and the instructions were really easy to follow. I also realized how lightweight this vacuum is and it's REALLY nice because it makes it even easier to clean the house twice a week.



The size of the head of the vacuum is ideal for pretty much every room and corner in my home.  It bends and curves so smooth and easily which is great for getting in hard to reach spots.  I love that this isn't a bulky tool. It works so great when I have to go underneath tables and in between table legs. 

So the really cool thing is that the top park disconnects and can be used on it's own with the included attachments to clean bookshelves, vents, drapes, car interor,  ceiling fans, and upholstery. The attachments are amazing!  There's a dusting brush, a crevice tool, a pet upholstery tool, and an under appliance wand. 

And of course the Shark Rocket Complete has DuoClean Technology which means it has one vacuum but two brushrolls and it works on all sizes of particles on your floors whether they are large, small, or stuck-on.  The soft brushroll works on carpets and floors and does an exceptional job on each.  The bristle brushroll works amazing on carpets to deep clean and remove embedded fine dirt.  It also has a high-velocity suction channel for on floors.

I really love everything about this vacuum.  The pet upholstery tool is perfect for my furniture since I have 4 dogs that love cuddling on the couch with me.  I've never enjoyed vacuuming so much and I've never found it to be so easy.  There's even a wall mount to store the Shark Rocket Complete when I'm finished. 

Seriously, as a homeowner I am obsessed with this vacuum!   Make sure you put this on your Christmas list!   It's only $199.75! So worth the money for everything it does.

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Stella's 7th Birthday!

So over the weekend Miss Stella Bear turned 7! Stella is my sweet shy little girl. She is so sweet, gentle, and loving.  She's very sensitive and doesn't take well to scolding.  So of course why would I ever scold her? Ha!

 For her birthday I got her a baked doggie treat with icing and a stuffed poo emoji.  

Stella has a huge self esteem boost anytime you make a big deal oversomething with her.  She's been known to go flying around the house with excitement.    

Do you celebrate dog birthdays in your household?

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A Unique Gift Wrapping Technique Tutorial

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser.  All opinions are mine alone.  #WrapGiveRepeat #CollectiveBias

You were probably shocked because I don't seem like I'm the creative type when it comes to paper, wrapping, and gifting but you are wrong.  All it takes is the right supplies and a few tips and tricks and you can add some beautiful embellishments to any gift this season!

Today I wanted to share with you a tutorial of a unique technique for wrapping gifts so that you can impress everyone before they even get to the actual surprise inside!  
 
So before we get started with the tutorial I wanted to go over what supplies you need and why.

Scotch® Magic™ Tape 3 Pack Caddie
You will definitely want the Scotch® Magic™ Tape 3 Pack Caddie because the tape is invisible so it won't take away from your beautiful wrap job! It's so nice to stock up and get a 3 pack, especially around the holidays when you know that you'll be wrapping a lot of gifts.  Also, the Magic® Tape Single Dispenser Roll is great to keep around the house because it doesn't take up much space and can easily be pulled out when needed to wrap a last minute gift or fix a tear in the wrapping paper (in case you have nosey children!).  


Scotch™ Multi-Purpose Scissor 8”
No wrap job is possible without a reliable pair of scissors that glides so smoothly across the wrapping paper. 

 

 Foil Wrapping Paper
I mean, you really can't wrap a gift without wrapping paper.  Make sure it's a nice thick foil.  I like foil because it bends and folds nice and smooth, which is what you need for this technique.


Now that you have the supplies you need, let's start on the tutorial. 

 

Step 1: Make a square or rectangle.
It's easiest to wrap things that are in squares or rectangle shaped boxes so if your gift is an odd shape, make sure you find a box. 

 

 Step 2: Measure out the paper size you need and cut.
I usually place my box on the paper like so, and then flip it over one more time so you get two boxes worth of a size. This is where you will need to use your smooth Scotch™ Multi-Purpose Scissors.

 

 Step 3: Fold and secure.
Place your box face down in the middle of your wrapping paper.  Fold one side half way across the box and secure with tape from your Scotch® Magic™ Tape 3 Pack Caddie.  Since you have more freedom with your hands the caddies is nice and versatile because you can move it around with you as you move around your gift.


Step 4: Fold the other side.
Fold the other side half way across the box and secure with tape.


Step 5: Fold and secure the short sides.
Fold the paper and secure on each side of the box.

 
 Step 6: Gather remnants.
If you have any remnants (strips of wrapping paper) gather them up.  If you don't have any, then simply cut a 4 or 5 inch strip of wrapping paper.  It can be as long as you want but make sure it's only 4-5 inches in depth. 

 
 Step 7:  Lay the remnant face down.
Choose a remnant that is about 6 inches tall and lay it face down.  If you have to cut your remnant to size that's fine too. 
 
Step 8: Fold the bottom edge about 1 inch up and crease it. 
 
Step 9: Flip the remnant over. 
You want the folded side to be at the top.   


Step 10: Fold the top side down about half an inch and crease it. 
 
Step 11: Flip and fold the remnant. 
The folded side will be on the bottom now.  You will fold the bottom side up an inch and crease it. 
 
Step 12: Repeat steps 9 through 11.
 
Step 13: Stop.
Once your remnant looks like this (usually about 3 times of repeating steps 9-11) you are done.  until your remnant looks like this.  You will be left with about a 3 inch folded accordion strip. 


Step 14: Lay the remnant on your gift. 
You can use any position like diagonal or straight across.

Step 15: Tape
The next step is to affix your accordion strip to your gift.  You can do it on the corner, straight across, or in any position you please! Use tape from your Scotch® Magic™ Tape 3 Pack Caddie! 


VOILA!  Look at how beautiful and fancy it looks and all it took was a few folds.  The other great thing about this technique is that it makes it so less remnants go to waste.  So it's a way to give back to the environment which you know I love to do.

 
You can find the products from this tutorial in the Holiday & Stationary section of your local Walmart! Make sure you stock up on Scotch® Brand wrapping products early and save, with a 50% bonus and Rollback!

I think it's important to support the Scotch® Brand as they are donating $200,000 to Fisher House this holiday season.  Fisher House is a charity that offers a network of comfort homes where military and veterans' families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment. What a great way to give back!  

So just remember to have fun as you make your gifts uniquely beautiful and Wrap.Give.Repeat for a great holiday season!

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Things I Love About Winter

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I always try to be positive about all aspects of life, even when it comes to the changing of the seasons.  So many people dread winter and have a huge list of complaints.  Well the way I look at it, winter is inevitable so you may as well suck it up and enjoy it by looking at the positives.   So today I wanted to make a post about the things I'm looking forward to about winter.

The Silence
When you step outside on a chilly winter day, you'll usually hear nothing.   And it's very soothing to me.   I always love the sound of silence.  Wait, is silence even a sound?

The Outside Smell
Did you ever smell the cold air on a random night?  If it's right before it's supposed to snow, it usually has a unique smell. I call it the smell of snow.  And if you're lucky enough you may even smell a wood stove burning. 

The Clothing
I looooove snuggly warm clothing and I also love boots.  This is another reason why I embrace the cold weather months.

Straight Hair
This is the one time of year that my hair will stay straight. In the summer it gets all kinds of kinks and waves and frizzies but in the winter it stays so sleek, smooth, and straight! I love it!

Special Scents Around the House
One of my favorite things in my home during the winter is using products that have a festive winter scent.  Recently, I started using Earth Friendly Products brand ECOS Dishmate dish soap in the Winterpine. It's part of their limited-edition holiday scents.  Winterpine is so amazing because it reminds me of being in the woods and looking for a tree!  They even have gingerbread and spiced chai!    

An Excuse to Be A Hermit
The best part about cold weather is that it lets you stay inside on the weekends and watch movies, guilt-free!

Butternut Squash Risotto!

FOOD!
There's something amazing about food on a cold day.  Specifically, food like grilled cheese, pasta, etc.  

So as you can see there are plenty of great reasons to embrace this season rather than dread it!

What are your favorite things about winter?

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The Special Meaning of Simple Things + A Giveaway

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Everyone has that one crazy dog lover in their life.  Or maybe you have many.  But for my friends I am definitely the crazy person that would literally jump in front of a bullet to save her dogs.  I always think of creative ways to show off my pups, too.

For instance...

I get their nose prints made into jewelry and/or keychains...

I have their faces put on canvas all around my home....

I even have their paw prints tattooed on my body for crying out loud!

And now, I have their faces on pillows!

That's right... but let me explain why.

Rocky is my special little man and he loves to cuddle and lay with me.  I mean he literally lets me cradle him in my arms when I watch TV every night. I know that someday he won't be around to do that anymore and I have no idea what I'll do.   But then I realized....  

I can still snuggle with his cute face, and get the same view that I get when he's staring up at me, if I just put his face on a pillow.  I love displaying this in my office/reading room right now but eventually (hopefully a long way down the road) I can cuddle the pillow and see little Rockman's face. 


So guess what?! Collage.com is giving one lucky winner a free 16x16 outdoor pillow with their choice of photo on it :) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The Best Hostess Gifts This Holiday Season

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One of the best parts of being a guest in someone's home during the holidays is that you know what you can get them as a gift.  Host and hostess gifts are a great idea for anyone that likes to have people over and guess what?! Obviously, this person likes to have you over or they wouldn't have invited you!

So here are 3 of my favorite items that not only are awesome to receive as a gift but are definitely going to brighten the day of the host or hostess you gift them to!

Wine Totes

One of my favorite things about a wine tote is that when you want to give it as a gift, you can actually use it as the wrapping! Just include a bottle of wine when you show up and put a bow on the outside of the wine tote.  Built NY has one and two bottle wine totes. They have soft yet sturdy handles and the neoprene material comes in several fashionable designs! Plus these store flat when not in use and they are stain resistant, but if you do have to wash them, they are washing machine friendly! I've tried to use those paper gift bags you get at the liquor store but the handles always break.  No need to worry about that with one of these!  I also love this for when I bring wine to somewhere outdoors like for a picnic because I can keep it safe and secure inside this tote and not have to worry about someone getting into it or kicking the bottle over and breaking it.



Six Pack Totes

If you're not a wine drinker and neither is your host, that's okay.  Six Pack Totes from Built NY are perfect for 6 bottles or cans of beer or malt liquor. And if you don't want to use it for booze, you can even stuff condiments and utensils inside for a tailgate party or backyard barbeque!   The tote is super slim and folds flat when not in use but I have to say I love that it's sturdy AND lightweight.  Just like the wine tote, it's made from a stain resistant neoprene material that can be machine washed. 

It does come in a few different patterns and designs.  Say goodbye to cardboard carriers and paper bags! I have seen way too many people drop their beer as they carry it in to a party, so it's nice to know that you can have a sturdier more reliable method of carrying bottles or cans. 

Baking Dish Carrier

And finally there's the Go Go Baking Dish Carrier from Built NY.  It keeps your dish warm during transport and it makes a very comfortable way to carry it in and out of the house.  And an even more brilliant idea is to give the gift of a baking dish itself, wrapped up in this carrier.  I can't tell you how much of a miracle worker one of these carriers can be.  No more having to hold a hot dish in your lap or struggle to keep it from tipping when the car turns.  You can simply place this in the trunk or on the floor of your car. Easy as that!

Which one of these would make your life a whole lot easier?

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