It’s been a couple of years since we had a real Christmas tree and one of things I miss the most is the heavenly scent of a fresh tree all season long. I was delighted to receive my first candle, Balsam Fir, from Goose Creek Candles just in time to enjoy at Christmas and beyond. I’ve been burning this candle all day and I have a delightfully scented home! I’m excited to partner with this made in America candle company as part of their blogger program for the next year and want to introduce them to you today and share my thoughts on my first candle from them.

Our Delightfully Scented Home: 


Enjoy a delightfully scented home with Goose Creek Candles #brandpartner


I’m delighted to be working with two local companies today, both of which are small businesses just like me. As we head into the holiday season, I feel it is more important than ever to support local and small businesses whenever possible, so I’m thrilled to bring you a superbly scented opportunity to win a Holiday Candle Sampler 3 piece set from Amber Vale Home in partnership with a local digital company, Lev3l Digital. My love of candles keeps growing now that I’ve has an opportunity to try these delightful wood wick candles. Read on to learn all about them and the company that makes them and enter the Amber Vale Holiday Candle set giveaway too.

Holiday Candle Trio:



Amber Vale Holiday Candle set review & giveaway #ad

Summer is in full swing, so I’ve been busy switching out some home decor items to better reflect the season. Think lighter blankets and bedding, decorative pillows and placemats and an often overlooked item, candles! I change out my candles seasonally. If you love floral scented candles, you may want to try these two at your next summer gathering. 



Floral Scented Candles for Summer:




Floral Scented Candles for Summer


The beautiful spring weather has me opening windows and dreaming of the weekend on this fine May morning. I love this time year when the landscape is dotted with green fields and blooms around every corner. I’m ready for a long Sunday drive where I can feel fresh air on my face and the heavenly springtime scent surrounds me. Do you love spring drives too? Then this candle from Goose Creek Candles just may be the perfect candle for you! I'm an ambassador with Goose Creek this year, so to learn more about the company, please read my introductory post here



Goose Creek Candle Sunday Drive review #brandambassador #ad


Have you ever wanted to make your own candles? I love candles and have wanted to try making my own for sometime now, but didn’t know where to start. When I received an invitation to try Simply Earth’s new DIY Feels Like Home Candle Making kit, which includes everything you need in a handy box, I happily agreed. I can’t wait to share my first DIY candles with you today. They were simple and fun to make.



DIY Feels Like Home Candles!


DIY Feels Like Home Candles supplies




Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope today has been filled with all the people and things that make you feel loved. One way I show love here is to host giveaways.  I’m especially happy to share that today’s giveaway is a favorite- candles! Not just any candles, these are beautiful hand poured candles with wooden wicks, made locally in Franklin TN. You may remember my holiday candle set giveaway from November, where I introduced you to Amber Vale Home. That giveaway had over 1500 entries in just a week, so I know you will love this giveaway and I hope you’ll join me in celebrating my partnership with them as their ambassador! I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to share this small business with amazing candles with you.



Amber Vale Home Candles #ad #giveaway

All My Favorite Things Fall Edition

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Saturday, November 07, 2020

Happy November! As I sit here typing up this post, the weather outside is anything but frightful. In fact, it’s going to be 75 and sunny all weekend long! It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is coming up quickly when all I want to do is go outside and soak up the sun. All that to say, I’m not fully in the holiday spirit yet, so this post should be called part one of my favorite things fall edition since it doesn't showcase any Thanksgiving goodies. I many need to do a special holiday edition of my favorite things! Read on to see what I’m loving right now and hopefully; you see a product or two you’ll love as well.


Fall Favorites!



All My Favorite Things Fall Edition

 When the calendar turns to May, I shop for Mother’s Day gifts. I try to keep ideas for the extraordinary ladies in my life all year round so I don’t have to rely on last-minute options. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never met a Mom who didn’t like being remembered, but if you want to move on from books, scarves, and chocolates, take note of the five Mother’s Day Gift ideas in today’s post. I think she’ll find them delightful. 


Mother’s Day Gift Ideas:




5 Mother's Day Gift Ideas She'll find Delightful

10 No Tech Holiday Gift Ideas Sure To Please

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, November 13, 2023

In an effort to not rush headlong into everything Christmas, I waited until I knew most people had started holiday shopping, or at the very least, asking for their loved ones' gift lists. This year has found me enjoying offline hobbies and events, which led me to compile 10 no tech holiday gift ideas sure to please most adults on your list. This is a switch from my previous holiday gift idea lists because I’m not covering kids' gifts. As an almost empty nester, it’s going to be a few years before I need to shop for little ones again.


No Tech Gifts Sure To Please!




10 No Tech Holiday Gift Ideas Sure To Please


I was sharing with my daughter Melissa that I wanted to learn how to take better flat lay photos like hers recently, when she said she would be happy to teach me by showing me how. I’m so stoked to be working with her because she slays flat lay photography and is on top of all things beauty and fashion. We’ve decided to do a new blog series together called All My Favorite Things. Welcome to the February Edition, we hope you like it.



My Favorite Things in February:




All My Favorite Things February Edition

I have been hearing about prize candles for some time now, but until I was asked if I’d like to try one free to review via Taste Maker Mom, I was content to burn my regular “no prize candles”.  Curiosity got the better of me and my daughter’s.  I was happy to learn I’d been selected to participate. All opinions are my own.

Prize Candle offers elegantly crafted scented natural soy candles that contain a hidden prize in every candle.

Our pretty Prize Candle arrived and naturally the first thing we noticed was the scent. We received the Adriatic Fig, which is light and fruity. I also liked the snow white color of the wax. 


Prize Candle Adriatic Fig #soy #candle


There’s just something inviting about a snow white candle to me. I almost didn’t want to burn it, but how else were we going to get to the prize?  My youngest daughter couldn’t wait to see what we’d win after reading this on the back of our candle box.


Prize Candle prize information on #box


With the assurance that we would win a prize of at least $10, we lit our candle.

candle flame Prize Candle #soy


The Prize candle burns clean and evenly, just like I’ve come to expect from a soy candle. It also burns slowly, which normally is a good thing- but not when you are waiting for your first glimpse of your prize!



lit soy Prize Candle #pretty


Our candle burned just over an hour before we saw the prize pack. We let it burn another 20 minutes before we could pull our prize from the melting wax. 

prize inside melting candle starting to show



Opening the little plastic bag covered in wax was a messy but fun job. My daughter and I were up to the task and this is what we got for our efforts.


Prize code from soy candle
prize ring inside soy candle


The ring, which is a pretty costume jewelry piece, is small for my average size fingers, so it only felt comfortable on my pinkie finger. That didn’t bother me at all because I’d already promised my daughter she could have the ring. 

We headed over to the Prize Candle site to redeem our prize next. My daughter was so excited that we had a chance to win lots of money. Her excitement was contagious and I crossed my fingers as we entered our special code in the appraisal box. We won $10 dollars off our first purchase of a Prize Candle which was a bit of a letdown. I will use the coupon code though if I chose to purchase a Prize Candle for a friend.

Prize Candle boxes with flowers, #prizes



All in all we are happy with our wonderfully scented soy Prize Candle and can now join the ranks of others who love the thrill of burning a candle with a prize inside. I invite you to visit their website to discover all their scents and learn more about Prize Candle the company. You can also follow them on Twitter


Please share in comments: What is your favorite summer candle scent?

We all strive to make our homes a welcoming place for ourselves and our friends and family because no matter how far we travel, there truly is no place like home. Scents play a bigger role in that welcoming feeling than you may imagine. 

Scents like fresh baked cookies, or lemon zest or fresh Eucalyptus, for example, are scents that I associate with pleasant memories from places we’ve traveled too, or places I’ve lived.  I’ve been reading up on Aromatherapy and the use of essential oils which led me to partner with Oojra, a woman-owned company that makes travel-inspired Essential Oil Reed diffusers and soy candles. This is Aromatherapy at its best, bringing exotic fragrances of the world into homes around the world.

Oojra essential oil reed diffusers and soy candles #ad #aromatherapy


Winter has us in its grip this week and has covered a large portion of the US in snow and ice, so to combat the bad weather, I’m focusing on the fun of Valentine’s day gift giving! My shopping style has changed now that my daughters are older. It’s not all hearts and candies (although, I still love giving and receiving those). Now, I look for gifts beyond the candy aisle!  I’ve found four cute and clever Valentine's Day  gift ideas for the whole family to share with you today.


 4 Cute and Clever Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas!



4 Cute and Clever Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas                                                    for the whole family

Reclaim your outdoor spaces with plants

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Thank you to our sponsor One Kings Lane for providing this helpful information for me to pass along to my readers. This post contains affiliate links. However all opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way. 



Outdoor entertaining is one of the great joys of summer. Until, of course, the bugs invade and have you wishing for a magic bug zapper. Tired of shooing bugs and getting bit? 

Check out this handy tip:


Instead of sprays, pesticides and candles why not try a cluster of mosquito-repelling potted plants?



plants
Courtesy: One Kings Lane
Grouped together near a seating area on your deck or patio, they make a pretty and lush addition to your outdoor landscape while also protecting you and your guests. 

Check out One Kings Lane's article Easy Update: Mosquito-Repelling Potagerie for more information about how a trio of lush potted plants will have you saying good-bye to bug spray. Using these plants is not only pretty, but it's a quick and environmentally friendly way to reclaim your outdoor spaces.

I didn't know Catnip was more effective than DEET at repelling mosquito's, did you?



Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. However all opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way. 

April is the perfect time of year to clean off your deck, porch or patio and take mealtime outside. In the south, the first burst of pollen has subsided, it’s not too hot and the bugs aren’t matching us bite for bite yet, so we call that a win. Today, I want to share how easy Al Fresco dining can be with our sponsor, Good Food Made Simple combined with a healthy dose of spontaneity.  There’s a giveaway too! 


This is a sponsored post on behalf of Good Food Made Simple. I received information to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation. 


Easy Al Fresco Dining with Good Food Made Simple #ad #foodie

Happy Friday! Since it’s been a while since I hosted a book giveaway, I thought I’d surprise you today with a chance to win a copy of Kitchen Garden Living, by Bailey Van Tassel. If you’re ready to have a beautiful, bountiful food garden, this guide to seasonal growing and eating is for you. 



Live a Garden Inspired Life!



Kitchen Garden Living Book


Can you believe we are in the middle of August already? I took last week off from writing so I could focus on getting my daughter all set for her senior year of high school and to work on my other business, Avon. I’ve been a work at home Mom for many, many years, but I know many of you are working from home for the first time during back to school season. A position many never thought would happen. It can be a tricky transition from office to home office.  First of all, you are no longer surrounded by coworkers, instead you’ve got family and pets, who can grab your attention quickly. Your mindset might be completely different at home than at work, so have grace with yourself during the transition!  Despite its challenges, working from home can be a great opportunity to be productive and possibly even take your quality of work up a notch, with these eight simple productivity tips while working from home.


Eight Simple Productivity Tips while working at home

Welcome to Fall Friday Faves

in , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, September 27, 2024

 It feels and looks very fall like today in Nashville, TN. area because the remnants of Hurricane Helene showed up here before sunrise. We’re blessed to be okay and I send out well wishes for all who were in the path of it. Even though I didn’t hit my goal of a weekly Friday Faves post this month like I shared on Labor Day, I’m happy to be sharing my second today and will try again in October.



My Fall Friday Faves!




My Fall Friday Faves

We are in the preliminary stages of planning our Thanksgiving day here and for me and my girls that means choosing which tablecloth and napkin set, we’ll use this year.  We all have our favorites and it really won’t matter to me which ones we choose as long as they are clean and wrinkle-free.  I love table linens and was fortunate enough to be gifted some vintage tablecloths from my Grandmother in Law and three handmade doilies from my Grandmother. 

The fact that she crocheted these doilies herself make them even more special to me, so I decided early on to bring them out only during the holidays to preserve their beauty. Sadly, there was a staining mishap the last time I had them out. I didn’t realize there was a stain until the next day, so it set in and I was afraid it may never come out until I remembered, I’m a Biz Stain Fighter Ambassador! Read on to see how you can prep your holiday linens with Biz just like I did. 


Prep your holiday table linens with Biz Stain Eliminator #BizAmbassador #ad



Happy October dear readers! There was a chill in the air, leaves are starting to change colors, and there's pumpkins everywhere. For some spooky season is the BEST season and I've got to admit, I've been bitten by the Falloween bug this year! My porch is decorated and parts of my home are as well, but I still need some cute pieces to tie it all together. That's why I'm giving away a $25 dollar gift card to my newest brand partner, Signature Homestyles! As a Signature HomeStyle affiliate, I now have my own SH shop and I'm in love with Falloween decor! You know who else loves Falloween? Blogger Talk Bloggers! That's why I've teamed up with them to host this giveaway and share the  Hawloween blog hop with you.


Happy Falloween! 



Falloween Signature Homestyles  $25 Gift Card

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