Book Review: Christmas at Apple Ridge

Christmas in Apple Ridge: Three-in-One Collection: The Sound of Sleigh Bells, The Christmas Singing, and The Dawn of Christmas

By Cindy Woodsmall

Book Description: Experience the holidays with the Plain folk of Apple Ridge, Pennsylvania, in these touching novellas centered around love, romance, heartache, and restoration from best-selling author Cindy Woodsmall. Christmas in Apple Ridge is a three-in-one collection that includes The Sound of Sleigh Bells, The Christmas Singing, and an all-new story, The Dawn of Christmas.

The Sound of Sleigh Bells: Beth Hertzler is unable to let go of a past tragedy, but when she discovers a large, intricately carved scene of Amish children playing in the snow, something deep inside Beth’s soul responds. Determined that her niece meet the gifted artist, her aunt tracks him down, but it’s not that simple – will Jonah be able to offer Beth the sleigh ride she’s always dreamed of and a second chance at real love?

The Christmas Singing: Mattie thought her childhood sweetheart adored her until he abruptly ended their engagement on Christmas Eve. Brokenhearted, Mattie moves away and pursues her longtime dream of becoming a cake decorator, and even finds a new beau. But when Mattie is forced to return home three years later, will learning the truth behind Gideon’s rejection restore her Christmas joy – or open the door to even deeper heartbreak?

The Dawn of Christmas: Sadie enjoys her freedom away from home and her mission trips to Peru, but after four years, her Old Order Amish family insists it’s time to come home and settle down. Levi, a bachelor who distrusts women after a family heartbreak, also has no desire for romance. To keep their families from meddling in their lives, Sadie and Levi devise a plan—but soon discover that the walls around their hearts are breaking down. Can they let go of their prejudices, learn to trust each other, and embrace a future together?

My Thoughts: Again I have nothing but praise for Cindy Woodsmall. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors and I anxiously await her new releases. I read the first two individually when they first came out and fell in love with both stories. As always Cindy delivers heartwarming stories and this book has not one but three novella’s to curl up with and enjoy this holiday season! Even if you have read the first two stories the third one is worth picking this book up for! So sit back and explore an Amish Christmas with Beth, Mattie and Sadie!

Disclosure: I was provided with a review sample/copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own and were not influenced by any form of compensation.

Portable North Pole Review

Last year I was introduced to this cute holiday website.....Portable North Pole.  I you have children who BELIEVE in Santa in your life - you must visit this site.  Portable North Pole is a fully customizable site where you tell Santa's elves all about your child with specifics such as name, eye color, favorites and if they have been naughty or nice this year.  Santa then sends your child a personalized video message via e-mail....it is adorable, and keeps the magic alive for the little ones!  You can include up to 3  pictures of your child ‘for Santa’s file on your child’. 
This year the site has changed a little you can still get the free video message for your child or you can choose to purchase additional items Listed below! I think the new features are reasonably priced and a cute addition to an already great site and idea!


Portable North Pole 2012 Product Offerings
Make the magic of the holiday season last forever with these new product offerings from Portable North Pole; all are available on www.portablenorthpole.com. As part of Portable North Pole’s Christmas Program, each time a Portable North Pole product is purchased, 5% of the sale price will go directly to affiliated children’s hospitals in the U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland and France.

• Portable North Pole’s standard Santa’s Video (Suggested Retail: Free
  
  • A FREE personalized video message from Santa Claus, filled with magic and exciting discoveries for your loved ones. Includes a brand new story and a sneak peek at never-before-seen North Pole locations!
    
• Portable North Pole’s Downloadable Santa’s Premium Video (Suggested Retail: $6.99)
  
  • Santa has your children on his good list and he has taken the time to send a message of holiday greetings! Little ones will delight in their direct, personalized premium video messages from Santa Claus, featuring their own photos and personal details. Premium downloadable videos include more than five minutes of Christmas magic, a clip of Santa's riding on his sleigh and even a personalized Christmas carol!
    
• Portable North Pole’s Santa’s Phone Call: (Suggested Retail: $3.99 for one call or $6.99 for three calls)
  
  • Santa has a very important message for your loved one! He will pick up the phone and call directly to deliver his personalized message. Santa’s call will last approximately two minutes and you can choose between 14 message options.
    
• Portable North Pole’s Santa’s Interactive Letter (Suggested Retail: $19.99)
  
  • Santa will write a one-of-a-kind personalized interactive letter sprinkled with a pinch of Christmas magic! Available in Red or Green, each letter is printed in color on soft double-sided, first grade quality paper and includes up to 10 personalized items about your child or loved one.
    
  • Exclusive web access (webcam required) will allow the child to experience:
    
  • · An virtual reality feature confirming that the letter was sent from Santa’s village post office
    
  • · A facial recognition feature that scans Santa’s records to confirm the child made is on the nice list
    
  • · A personalized premium video viewable online
    
• Portable North Pole’s Santa’s Nice List Certificate (Suggested Retail: $8.99)
  
  • Santa will go over all the personal information provided to make an official PNP customized certificate for your loved one to hang on their wall. The one-page certificate features Santa's official foil stamp and is personalized with the name, age, hometown and photo of the child.
    
• Portable North Pole’s Personalized Christmas Stickers (Suggested Retail: $5.99)
  
  • Santa's will create a colorful set of Christmas stickers for your loved one to keep as a fun souvenir, customized with the child’s name. The set includes 12 different stickers, each customized with one name.
    
• Portable North Pole’s Personalized Door Hangers (Suggested Retail: $6.99)
  
  • Santa’s elves will craft a festive door hanger for your loved one to hang on their bedroom door. Two messages available are available: (“Santa’s #1 Fan” and “On the Nice List”) and are printed double-sided
    
• Portable North Pole’s Official Christmas Book (Suggested Retail: $24.99)
  
  • Santa's elves will create a one-of-a-kind Christmas book based on the personal information provided about your loved one. The book features 25 color pages and a soft cover. The story will be personalized with the child’s photos and up to 50 personalized items integrated into the story.
    
• Portable North Pole’s Official Christmas Puzzle (Suggested Retail: $12.99)
  
  • Santa's elves will prepare a fun and festive puzzle using a photo and the name of your loved one! Available in two themes: “Merry Christmas” and “Keepsake.” The puzzle, which features 20 rigid cardboard pieces, is recommended for ages 3 and older.
    
• Portable North Pole’s Personalized Letter (Suggested Retail: $14.99)
  
  • Santa will write a one-of-a-kind letter for your loved one based on the personal information provided. Available in red or green, and printed in color on soft, double-sided, first-grade quality paper, each letter is personalized with name, age, gender, hometown and photo; up to 10 personalized items can be included in the letter.
    
• Portable North Pole’s Christmas Coloring Book (Suggested Retail: $7.99)
  
  • Santa and his elves will craft a fun and festive coloring book especially for your loved one, customized with the personal information provided. The coloring book is approximately 20 pages, features a soft cover and is personalized with the name and photo of the child.
    
• Portable North Pole’s Placemats (Suggested Retail $10.99)
  
  • Santa’s helpers will create a personalized Christmas placemat, ensuring your loved one will think of you every time he or she sits down to the table! The soft plastic placemat is printed single-sided with the child’s name and photo and features rounded edges. Four messages available: “I Love Santa,” “On Santa’s Nice list,” “Santa’s #1 Fan!” and “Santa Believes In Me!”
    
• Portable North Pole’s Personalized Christmas Carols (Suggested Retail $2.99) COMING SOON!
  
  • Santa and his elves have a great ear for music! They're in the studio now recording a personalized Christmas Carol just for your loved one. Downloadable Christmas Carol is available as a MP3, 160 kbps, stereo and runs approximately two minutes.
    
• Portable North Pole’s Personalized Christmas Ringtone (Suggested Retail $2.99) COMING SOON!
  
  • Santa and his elves are so tech-savvy! They're busy recording a one-of-a-kind ringtone especially for your loved one. Downloadable Christmas Carol is available as a MP3, 64 kbps, Mono and runs approximately 20 seconds. The ringtone is compatible with all major mobile devices.
    
• Portable North Pole’s Mobile Applications (Suggested Retail $2.99 to $3.99) COMING SOON!
  
  • For iPhone, iPad and Android systems, the newly updated app includes access to premium personalized videos, an interactive Advent calendar, a call from Santa and other surprises that will delight all season long.
    

If you have kiddos be sure to check out this site...it is amazing!!
You can visit Portable North Pole here.  Enjoy!  If you do check it out and make a video for your children let me know how they liked it.
Disclosure: I was provided with a review sample/copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own and were not influenced by any form of compensation.

Give ChapStick for the holidays!

 

This holiday season give the gift that will be on everyone’s lips – ChapStick® limited edition holiday inspired varieties. To keep winter lips looking happy and healthy ChapStick® is debuting two new seasonal flavors including Apple Cider and decadent Chocolate Truffle. Also, back by popular demand is the fresh minty taste of Candy Cane.

• Featuring a convenient gift tag on the back of each package, ChapStick® takes the hassle out of gift wrapping, making it easy to drop into a stocking or attach on top of a gift.
• ChapStick® seasonal varieties are available November 1^st in the cough and cold aisle at food, drug and mass retailers for the SRP of $1.01-$1.99. *ChapStick® Chocolate Truffle can be found exclusively at Wal-Mart.
• To help prevent and temporarily protect chafed, chapped or cracked lips, apply ChapStick® balm liberally as needed, particularly before sun exposure, dry, cold or wintery conditions. *Consult a doctor before using on a child under 6 months of age.

I don’t know about you but I think these are really cute and fun! I plan to pick up a few this year for stocking stuffers! What flavor are you most excited to try?

“The ChapStick® product and  information have been provided by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare.”

Celebrating with Pinyon Party

My pumpkin loves to play with little play sets and recently we were given a chance to host a party with MommyParties and Pinypon! We combined it with her 5th birthday party and had a great big bash!!

If you have never heard of Pinypon here is a little about it – Welcome to the world of Pinypon www.pinypon.com a mini-dolls world inhabited by independent and modern girls, who love fashion, accessories and the newest hairstyles. Shopping is one of their favorite things to do! With their pets, they travel the world in their super-cool van going to new places and making new friends. Pinypon is a colorful collection of interchangeable friends. You can mix and match everything - dresses, accessories, hairstyles and even faces, for tons of fun!
Available nationwide, the Pinypon line can be found in the doll aisle at Toys“R”Us. Pinypon ranges in price from $2.99 for the individual mini dolls to $19.99 for the caravan.
In exchange for hosting a party, I was given a party pack. Our party package was full of fun for all the children in attendance!

• Pinypon Figures
• Pinypon Caravans (one for my daughter and one to give away to a child in attendance)
• Pinypon Coupons (so everyone could enjoy the Pinypon fun!)
• Themed games and activities
  • We played many of the games provided and the children loved the Scavenger Hunt game.
  • The fall Fashion show: where they mixed and matched their Pinypon then showed them off.
  • And Strike a Pose: Playing dress up and walking the runway!
• Easy-to-make recipes (message me if you would love to try these recipes with your child)
  • On the Road Trail Mix
  • Pinypon Pinwheels
  • Pinypon punch
  • Fashion Makeover Cupcakes (a favorite at the party!)

***AND A BONUS: We received two Nenuco Newborn Dolls, one to keep and another to raffle off during the party.
OUR THOUGHTS: All the girls in attendance thought the Pinypon toys were great. They spent hours mixing and matching the figures and naming their new friends. I know the parents loved that they are reasonably priced and readily available for the upcoming holiday season. I know we are going to pick up the Pinypon hotel for a Christmas present!
Each child went home with a figure and certificate for their Pinypon! (and the parents went home with 6 coupons!) Below are a few pictures from the party and the kit we were supplied with: (only my children are shown to protect the privacy of other guests in attendance who would rather not have images of their children on the internet.)

For an added interactive experience, girls can log onto www.pinypon.com and engage with the online Pinypon games, puzzles and coloring books.


You can also receive discount savings when you visit: www.Pinypon.com.
Don’t forget to check out Pinypon on  Facebook  and on Twitter.
Disclosure:By publishing this post, I received free products as part of a promotional program with MomSelect. All opinions are my own.