I’m in the giving, loving, sharing spirit! Valentine’s is such a fun holiday and our little family is following the 14 Acts of Love countdown. We picked one this week that said, “share a toy with a friend”. Well, I’m going to share a “book” with a friend… one of YOU!

But I like to make it a bit of a challenge! You have to guess how many Hot Tamales are in this heart dish. The person who is the closest, over or under, WINS a copy of Make and Takes for Kids. Hooray!

A little back story…

Hot Tamales are my favorite candy, f-a-v-o-r-i-t-e! And I’ve just realized this. Really, all time favorite. Like eat an entire box by myself at the movie theater kinda love. Am I alone?  The best part is no one else in my family likes them, they are too hot, so they are all m-i-n-e! ;)

So, now enter heart dish filled with red candies for a Valentine contest. Yippee! I’m showing you two angles to get a better view. Count them up, include the 6 on the table, then enter your number choice in the comments. The closest person to the exact number in this bowl, yes I counted each one, will win a copy of my book.

You only have until Friday Feb 10th at midnight, so get your answers in the comments. And just one comment per person, (which means if you have kids and they want a shot at it, let them guess and leave a separate comment for them.)

Good luck!!

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who entered. Congrats to #110 Valerie. I’ll contact you today!

Are you ready for one last giveaway before the Holiday season? Deseret Book, an M&T Sponsor, is here to gift you with a few items on your wish list, up to $100, yippee! Deseret Book is primarily a Christian gift shop, but they have loads of non-religious items as well. Check out all the fun stuff I’ve got on my wish list this year!

Books: There are books a plenty.

• Can you say Cookbooks?! I just found this cookbook for kids, pictured above. My little ones will love it, super easy recipes for being helpful in the kitchen.
• You know I’m a fan of Science Fiction and Fantasy (huge nerd) and yes, they’ve got the whole Fablehaven box set!

Games: Fun for the whole family.

• Pit, what can I say about Pit?! Growing up this was my family’s favorite game. We really get into it…got a one, got a one, got a one one one! Jordan does not like to play with us, we’re all really competitive! But that’s what makes it sooooo fun to play!
• Settlers of Catan is a game I’ve been wanting to get into. Have you played? My sister plays with the same couple every week. I have yet to play, so this is one that is on the wish list.
• Apples to Apples is another favorite I’ve just discovered. I love to see what people will come up with for a certain topic. I’m pretty good at this one too, I know how to read people. Ahh, see, competitive! It’s out! :)

Nativities: Lots of nativities to display.

• This nativity above is what I currently have in my home, although I’m looking to add to it with a few more pieces.
• There are also nativities with different themes: Amish, Southwest, Kenya Gourd Nativity, and an Austrian version.

Now it’s your turn to make a wish list. Share what you’d like to add to yours and be entered to win!

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Giveaway entries: To enter, head over to Deseret Book and tell me what item(s) are on your wish list (up to $100) and come back and leave a comment on this post. I’ll choose one lucky reader at random. You have until Monday December 19th, and I’ll announce the winner on Tuesday December 20th (note: this is a quick one).

For an extra entry: Like Deseret Book on Facebook and come back to comment

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to those who entered. Congrats to #8 Linda M. Yay for fun letter prints!!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to check out the amazing new books from the crafty superstar, Secret Agent Josephine. She has come out with 3 amazing new books just for kids. And each with a super cool spy theme, helping kids love to learn! There’s one all about the ABC’s, Colors, and Numbers, all available at Amazon.

As part of a fun book blog tour, Secret Agent Josephine is sharing this super stealthy craft with us today, creating a spy camera. You better be on the look out, you don’t want to be caught taking an extra cookie from the cookie jar!

 And today’s she is giving away an 8×10 print from her letter series, letter T, wahoo!  Look at Secret Agent Josephine workin’ that glue gun, like she’s ready to craft for her life!! Oh and, We need to send in The Urbanator!

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To enTer in for The leTTer T prinT, just Tell me whaT cool Things your kids love ThaT sTarT wiTh The leTTer T (phew, T is in a lot of words!) You have until thursday, December 15th at midnight to enter, I’ll announce a winner on Friday the 16th. Good luck, secret agents!

Are you the type of person who goes all out for your holiday cards? Dress up the family, find a cool location, and write a super witty poem that all goes together in a theme? I get some really great cards from friends and family and wish I had put a little more effort into it. Although, I recently thought up a fun Seattle/rain/umbrella idea that I’ll be doing next year! Well, to help give you some last minute ideas, here are a few fun themes any family could pull off!

• There are 9 great ideas posted over at Christmas Your Way, pictured above. My favorite is the picture in a picture in a picture!
• Wear stick-on moustaches or put a few paper moustaches on a stick to hold up during the photo. This might also be next year’s theme, with Jordan and Movember :)
• Wear festive matching PJs, like this fun photo from Nicole Hill Gerulat. Watch the video for some great photo tips.
• Put on giant glasses or feather boas and make it a dance party.
• Tip Junkie has compiled 10 ways to make your photo cards stand out. I love the photo with bright blue chairs.
• Take your photos in a photo booth and line up 2-3 lines in a row to make a fun card.
• Wear big Santa hats or fun reindeer antlers on each head.

What are your ideas for holiday cards? Have you already sent them out? Still planning to send them or are you doing a “new year” card ;)

And a BIG thanks to all who entered in for the Shutterfly Prize Pack Giveaway. I have a WINNER!!! I will be emailing the winner today, and once they’ve confirmed, I’ll announce who it is here. Thanks again everyone. May your holidays be picture perfect!

For contest rules see: Shutterfly Holiday 2011 Cards Sweepstakes Official Rules

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Shutterfly. Send holiday joy with a custom card from Shutterfly.

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who entered. The winners are below. I’ll email you all to claim your prize.

Klutz: #27 Stefanie, #52 Erin
Magical Santa: #239 Julie M., #45 Julie
Lisa Leonard Designs: #87 Emily KM, #134 Kendra K.
Big Ass Book of Crafts 2: #307 Jessica W.
Pepperidge Farms: #183 Amanda C.
In a Pikle: #288 April V
Go Go SqueeZ: #51 Kathryn N.
Gadanke: #56 Megan J.
Make and Takes for Kids: #107 Lisa C., #91 Andrea D., #138 Nikole

It’s a time of giving and I’m happy to have the following fabulous M&T sponsors here today to offer up some amazing goodies to help make your gift giving as simple as possible. There are a lot of prizes and a lot of winners, so make sure to scroll down and check them all out to enter to win. Let the season of giving begin!

• First up is Klutz with a gift pack of kid’s craft and activity books. I love books from Klutz. They come with all the supplies you need to create all in one handy book. Art, Crafts and Laughs! books are the perfect gift for any child. 2 winners will receive 3 Klutz books, along with a $50 gift certificate:
  Stamp Art, Draw the DC Universe, Pom-Pom Monster Salon. But if you’re ready to shop now, get 20% off your entire order by shopping Klutz.com and use coupon code KLUTZ4U (Promo cannot be combined with any other offer. Offer expires 12/31/2011). Don’t forget to find Klutz on Facebook!

• Magical Santa Letters is up next. I’m sure there are loads of children out there who would love a letter from Santa!  These letters come straight from the desk of Mr. Claus and then dropped in the mail to arrive in your mailbox. You can customize the text and make it personalized for your child. Now is the time to get started, just in time for children to enjoy the days leading up to Christmas and Santa coming down the chimney. They are even offering a 10% off code until 12/20: TAKE10. And today, 2 winners will receive a Full Santa Letter Package, ho, ho, ho! Make sure to find Magical Santa Letters on facebook.

• Lisa Leonard Designs is next on our list, with her beautiful stamped jewelry. I’m a huge fan of her necklaces and charms, and now she’s got a few gorgeous pieces for the holidays. 2 winners will get one of her custom stocking ornaments, perfect for the tree. Add your family name or make it a personalized gift for a loved one. A perfect little gift for anyone!

• Now we’ve come to fellow crafter Mark Montano and his latest crafting adventure: Big Ass Book of Crafts 2. He’s giving away one of these giant awesome books of craft to one winner. Really, there are so many ideas in there, you’ll be sewing, gluing, and decorating your home for months with these projects. And never a dull moment as you craft, as there are projects in here to liven things up: projects with wiffle balls, a chapter called “Opps, I arted”!, and all kinds of handmade accessories. Follow Mark on twitter or say hi to him over on facebook.

• Next on the list of awesome giveaways is Pepperidge Farms. They’ve just come out with a new line of goldfish graham crackers of the chocolate chip variety. Although, I might just have to call them cookies instead of crackers. But isn’t that the great debate with graham crackers?! Well, how ever you think of them, they are sweet and chocolatey, perfect for that plate of cookies Santa will be looking forward to on Christmas morning. Pepperidge Farms is gifting one winner with 12 packs of these goldfish graham cookies, just in time to stock up for the holidays.

• Next we have In a Pikle, a cute name for what you might find yourself in. These all in one carry cases are for EVERYTHING you’d ever need on the go. I mean really, this thing can hold it all, just when you find yourself in a “pikle”! Each case comes with over 20 items that fit conveniently in 4 double sided clear bags for easy retrieval. And not only are they functional, with wipe-off fabric, they are stylish too with darling fabric designs. One winner is going to receive the bag called Sweet Pikle, a darling brown polkadot case for that girl on the go. Through December, they are offering M&T readers 10% off your order with the special code: makeandtakes. Yay! Just what you need to save while you give. I know so many people this cute little case would be perfect for this season.

• GoGo SqueeZ is up next. They are giving one winner a GoGo pack of awesome, complete with applesauce packs and their foam squeezy apple toys. My kids love this applesauce, I love this applesauce, as it’s so convenient to have in my purse or in the car. And remember the 12 days of GoGo are starting on Monday over at the GoGo SqueeZ facebook page. There will be a new awesome prize every day (excluding weekends) for 12 days! Get in the fun.

• Now we’re at Gadanke,  These journals are for people who say they never know what to write about, as they have lots of writing prompts to help keep the ball rolling. I’ve written about them before when I received a cute little journal from Katie at a conference. I love these. Such a cute and simple way to take notes. There are even little pockets to add in the fun memorabilia from an event that was special to you. They are so unique, and would make a perfect stocking stuffer for the holidays. The one below is my personal favorite, as I want to fill in all the fun things we’ve been doing since we moved to Seattle! And now for the goods: they are giving away a $25 gift certificate to one winner, hooray. Keep your pen handy!

• And last but not least… I’m giving away 3 copies of my new book, Make and Takes for Kids! Hooray! I want to start out by thanking all of you for your support and congrats. It’s all been such a fun journey. And now I want to gift 3 winners with a copy of their own. There are 50 crafts for kids following the months of the year. There is something to do each month, so all you have to do is open the book once a month and you’re set for all year! These make great gifts, perfect for those creative kids of yours, and a great way to get offline and have those one-on-one connections. I also include the learning objectives for each craft, telling you what your child can learn from a specific activity. It’s good to know that crafting is not only developing creativity, it’s also developing so many other skills, like hand-eye coordinations, math skills, pretend play, and cooperation. So pick up a copy for you child’s teacher, a friend, or a loved one.

The GoGo squeeZ Gang, an M&T Sponsor, is at it again with more fun for everyone. This time, they are excited to announce they will be hosting the “Twelve Days of GoGo” and giving away toys, games and family friendly gift cards for twelve days in December. Starting on Monday December 5th and going through December 20th, (excluding weekends) head over to the GoGo Facebook page as each day a new giveaway will launch and fans can easily enter to win prizes.

Here’s a few details for the upcoming sweepstakes to help make sure you get in on the GoGo giveaway action:

• it will run from Dec 5 – Dec 20th (with the exception of weekends).
• each day at 9 am EST they will reveal the prizes for the day and will end at midnight the same day.
• what they are giving away everyday will be a *SURPRISE* until it is revealed! Ooo, the suspense!
• you’ll have the opportunity to gain additional entries by sharing with friends who enter as well or “like” the other pages of those who are giving away prizes

So mark your calendars for December 5th and get excited to GoGo!

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who entered. Congrats to #90 Dina. Have fun with your new designer jewelry!

I’m happy to share this fun hip shopping site, Jewelmint, an M&T sponsor. I love everything about it, not to mention one of the founders is one of my favorite actresses, Kate Bosworth. Let’s all take a moment and reflect back on the movie Blue Crush!

Deep breath…surf a wave…now, we can move on!

Jewelmint is a great way to shop. You take a celebrity style quiz, just like the quizzes you used to do as teenager in magazines, (you know you loved those and answered every question). Then they share what jewelry would fit best with your style. So fun! They share personal selections of designer jewelry for only $29.95 each (shipping is free). Once part of the club, you get to pick something new each month. If you don’t want to choose that month, you can skip it, just make sure to go in and let them know at the first of the month. Watch their How It Works video for more details. And one of you is going to win a piece of personalized jewelry today, hooray!

Even the packaging is pretty. Makes me feel like I spent hundreds of dollars on something that was so affordable! You too can get great savings, just in time for the holidays. Get 50% off your first item with this Promo Code: MAKES (expires 11/30).

Can you guess which pieces I chose?! Something that fits my style perfectly:

• Fabric wrapped bracelets and thread covered earrings, ha!

Yep, once a crafty girl, always a crafty girl! The Garden Patch Trio and the Bossa Nova Earrings were no brainers for me. I almost chose these gold scissor shaped earrings, as they are super hot, but I went with the hoops this time!

Now Kate and I look just alike, right?! Come on, who wears them better? Wait…don’t answer that :)

Now is your chance to look (or at least feel) like Kate too. Yay! Simple beautiful jewelry that fits your style, gotta love it.

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Giveaway Entries: For your chance to win one piece of Jewelry from Jewelmint, leave a comment on this post by Tuesday November 22nd @ midnight. I’ll announce the winner chosen from random on Wednesday morning November 23rd. Good Luck!

Extra Entries – enter a new comment for each extra entry telling what you did:

• Tweet this giveaway and follow @MakeandTakes
• Share this on your facebook page and link to the giveaway or the M&T Facebook Page
• Subscribe to M&T
• Add one of M&T’s buttons to your blog
• Join the M&T Newsletter

Disclosure: Thanks to Jewelmint for sponsoring this post and providing me with my hot new earrings and bracelets! All text and opinions are my own.

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who entered. Check out who the winner is here!

All of the sudden, bam, flash…the holidays are here! Are any of you on a race to get everything done? Shopping, menu planning, and holiday cards. I’ve partnered up with Shutterfly today for a fabulous giveaway, helping one lucky winner check “holiday cards” off their list. But first, see what I’ve created for our 2011 holiday cards.

Family Tree Holiday Cards how-to:

Cut out little faces from a photo (would be fun if these were silly faces too), glue them onto paper circles, and glue the circles onto a green paper tree. I spelled out “Happy Holidays” in stickers as well. And of course I glued on a fun yellow pom-pom for the top of the tree. I’m loving the 3D effect for this year, giving our cards that little extra bit of flare!

Now if you didn’t want to make 100 of these fancy cards, as each one does take some time, here’s what you do:  scan this family tree card and make it into an image. Then you get the folks at Shutterfly to create it into a printed holiday card. Easy as that. You get to be creative, then let someone else take care of the rest! Plus, their cards come with envelopes, making it one less step you have to do. BUT I would still glue that fun pom-pom to the top of the tree when you get your cards shipped to you, gotta have that extra bit of flare.

This fun Family Tree image from above would look great paired with this template called Colorful Greetings, you wouldn’t need to add the stickers at the bottom, as it’s already printed for you:

Or this one Glitter Glamour Joy:

Another fun idea for a pre-printed holiday card, to help give it that personal touch and that 3D look, line the edges of your photo card with glue and sprinkle on the glitter. Let your cards dry overnight and seal them in an envelope. Your family and friends will get a fun glittery surprise as they open up your holiday card, shazaaam!

So to help get you started and on your way to creating a fabulous family holiday card, Shutterfly is giving one winner a new Canon Powershot s100 digital camera, plus loads of their best products: 50 Cards, 12×12 Photo Book, 8×8 Photo Book, Mug, 3 Calendars, Reusable Shopping Tote & Ornament! All this just in time for the holidays to help you enjoy the holiday season!

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Giveaway Entries: For your chance to win one photo prize pack from Shutterfly (see official rules here: Shutterfly Holiday 2011 Cards Sweepstakes Official Rules), visit Shutterfly to choose which is your favorite photo card template, then come back here and leave a comment on this post. This giveaway will run from November 15th through December 6th, with the winner being announced on December 7th. Good Luck!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Shutterfly. Send holiday joy with a custom card from Shutterfly.

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who entered. Congrats to our winners. I’ll email you today.

• #38 Jennifer
• #41 Andrea
• #91 Jessica W.

Matthew Mead is one of those creative designers that you never forget. His simple style says it all. He’s been putting all his fabulous ideas, as well as a few amazing contributors, into quarterly magazines (which really are timeless paperback books!) From cover to cover there are ideas for your home and family during each season. Really, I’ve dog-eared so many projects already that I will make and use again and again. And today, 3 of you are going to receive a set of his latest magazines, Autumn and Holiday.

I had the chance to interview Matthew and find out a little bit more about him and his creativity.

M&T: Where do you find your creative inspiration?

Matthew: I see it everywhere and in everything. I’m always thinking about what I could craft, writing stuff down. I’m inspired by vintage,  flea markets, color palattes, turning old into new. I also like to think about a certain holiday like Easter and take some of those same elements and change it up for Halloween. Using those same materials, making them new and different.

M&T: What is your favorite holiday or season?

Matthew: Fall into Christmas, I really enjoy the holidays. It’s the time when we create the most things. I really love Halloween, trying to create things people have never seen before. But spring is also great as there are flea marketings and it’s fun to decorate.

M&T: What is your favorite medium to craft with?

Matthew: Paint. It adds instant color, creating a pallate and helps in telling the story. I use all sorts of tools for paint, I never stick to one things. Depending on the story or project that needs to be told, it might be a metal pail and I’ll wash it with color and distress it with steel wool.

M&T: I have an obsession with glue, so I have to know what is your favorite glue?

Matthew: Mod Podge and Zots. They both are so versatile, I use them both for so many things.

Thanks, Matthew. I love how you talk about your crafts and projects telling a story. No wonder everything you design is magic!

Now on to the goods… are you ready to craft? Enter the giveaway below to win a copy of Matthew Mead’s Autumn and Holiday magazines. And for a second chance to win, I’m hosting another giveaway for these magazines over at Babble’s New Home Ec!

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Giveaway Entries: For your chance to win one of 3 sets of Matthew Mead’s Autumn and Holiday magazines, leave a comment on this post by Thursday October 20th @ midnight. I’ll announce the winner chosen from random on Friday morning October 21st. Good Luck!

Extra Entries – enter a new comment for each extra entry telling what you did:

• Tweet this giveaway and follow @MakeandTakes
• Share this on your facebook page and link to the giveaway or the M&T Facebook Page
• Subscribe to M&T
• Add one of M&T’s buttons to your blog
• Join the M&T Newsletter

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who entered. Congrats to #55 Mrs. Schmid. Have fun crafting!

I have to say that when I received this package of Sharpies below, my mind started churning with all the fun crafty ideas I would create. Sharpie, an M&T Sponsor, is one of my favorites for markers/pens/writing utensils. I love they are permanent, bright, and colorful. And little did I know when I received this package that they now make and sell FABRIC markers! What?! So many projects to be had with those.

For today I wanted to do a little decorating for Halloween. I just purchased these cute mini pumpkins and they needed a little dressing up. So of course I got out my new Sharpies and wrote some spooky words on them.

I’ve now placed these all over the house and feel a little more festive. Is your house decorate? How many pumpkins are displayed throughout your house?!

If you’re looking for more decorating or crafting ideas, head over to Sharpies Creative Community. There’s ideas for a floral checkbook case, zombie feet, and ink in pink for breast cancer awareness! Or upload your own creations to share with others! And today, one winner will receive a fun package from Sharpies in today’s giveaway, valued at $60. Wahoo!

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Giveaway Entries: For your chance to win Sharpie’s Bag of Awesome, leave a comment on this post by Thursday October 13th@ midnight. I’ll announce the winner chosen from random on Friday morning October 14th. Good Luck!

Extra Entries – enter a new comment for each extra entry telling what you did:

• Tweet this giveaway and follow @MakeandTakes
• Share this on your facebook page and link to the giveaway or the M&T Facebook Page
• Subscribe to M&T
• Add one of M&T’s buttons to your blog
• Join the M&T Newsletter