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The folks over at Giftrocket want everyone to know about the new way to send a gift card to your friends and family. Instead of buying a gift card to a specific store or restaurant, you can send a Giftrocket Gift Card.  You can suggest where to use the card, but they can use it anywhere they choose. When your gift is received, they can instantly redeem it.

They can choose to have Giftrocket deposit the money directly to their bank account, to a credit card, send them a check, or send the money to their paypal account. This means that they get a gift of cash to spend anywhere they want to spend it. It’s a win win for everyone. You don’t have to go to the store, purchase the gift card, put it in the mail, then worry about it being stolen enroute or lost in the mail.

You can win a $50 gift card from Giftrocket! To enter, use the form below:

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Fangrandpa and I were asked to review the 50 watt portable solar module,  On The Go Solar Panel from Anywhere Solar. This solar panel arrived in pieces that we had to assemble. It has four interlocking panels that snap to together, then attach to the legs. The included cord has aligator clips that attach to your auxillary battery.

This portable solar panel is lightweight, weighing in at under 10 pounds. When disassembled it takes up very little space. It comes with a storage bag so you can put it under the bed, in the closet, or in the back of your pickup truck and not have to worry about losing pieces of it when traveling with it. The shatterproof panels are extremely durable and scratch resistant.

We set this solar panel up in our backyard in Georgia in late December, and connected it to our travel trailer battery. It only took Fabgrandpa about thirty minutes to put it together. We then set the thermometer on the furnace at 55 degrees, and unplugged the shore power. On sunny days the panel gathered enough solar engery to recharge the battery enough to run the furnace all night when temperatures were in the low 40’s. It would be an excellent setup to use in campgrounds where no electric hookups are available, such as the campground at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

The kit retails for about $279, and includes:

• Four SS-2406 Anywhere Solar panels giving you a 50 watt, 12 volt system to charge your batteries

• Two bracing rods for structure and support

• Extension cables for connection to batteries up to 16 feet away

• One charge controller to safely charge your batteries

• A versatile stand for easy set-up

•            One durable carrying bag for easy transport and storage

The only thing we didn’t like about this kit was that the instruction booklet was not very clearly worded, and the print was way too small for us to read without a magnifying glass.

For more information, visit their webiste, or their Ebay Store.

Have you heard of Novica? Novica is an organization that wants to give artists and artisans around the world a global platform to express their true artistic talents and to spur their creativity. They want to provide you with access to unique, hard-to-find items at great values that only the Internet infrastructure can allow.

They  want to create a bridge between you and the many talented artisans across the globe. NOVICA. The World is Your Market.

Novica lets you browse gifts from across the globe, but it is more than that. It allows native people around the world to be able to sell their wares, and thus helps them make a living. One of the features I like best about them is that enable anyone to finance an artist or entrepreneur anywhere in the world through Microfinance Loans. From their website:

In a climate where the world’s most challenged entrepreneurs are subjected to painfully high interest rates, we’ve cut out all the financial middlemen, and in true Novica fashion, we’ve taken matters into our own hands.

We are proud to have launched the first-ever microfinance website where customers can purchase products and lend money directly to artisans, with loans at 0% interest!

0% Interest…. are we crazy?! It sounds too good to be true, but this concept is only possible due to the presence of Novica offices in each of our regions. In addition to distributing all customer orders, these offices now also serve as disbursement centers for Artisan Loans, providing artisans access to the credit they need to grow their business.

You can find many, many unique products for sale on the NOVICA site. From Home decor, Jewelry, Furniture, and more. Prices are quite reasonable, and each purchase you make comes with a card introducing you to the person who made the item.

One winner will win a $40 Novica Gift code. To enter, use the Giveaway Tools form:

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Fabgrandpa and I haven’t seen this yet, but we are planning to soon. He loves Bette Midler and has seen every movie she has been in more than once. The storyline is that and old school grandfather and his eager to please wife, played by Billy Crystal and Bette Midler, agree to babysit their three grandchildren while their parents go out of town for work.

The parents, played by Marissa Tomei and Tom Everett Scott, are type-A helicopter parents, who strictly control their children’s lifes. They give very detailed instructions to the grandparents before leaving, but the grandparents toss the rules as soon as Mama and Daddy leave. It’s when 21st century problems collide with Artie and Diane’s old school methods of tough rules, lots of love and old-fashioned games, it’s learning to bend – and not holding your ground – that binds a family together.

It sounds like a great movie for any age to watch, but because the storyline focuses on how the grandparents in this family handle things, I am especially wanting to see how it ends.

You can see more about Parental Guidance, which came to movie theaters on Christmas Day,  by clicking on the link.

WIN: One lucky reader will win the following prize package:

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$25 Visa for a day at the movies

·         Retro cassette iPhone case

·         Magnetic photo frame

·         Crap at My Parents House book

 To enter, use the Giveaway Tools form below.

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Now that the holidays are over, and everyone, including me, is trying to lose the weight put on from all the goodies we ate, what one thing do you need to be sure you are losing it? A new EatSmart Precision Tracker Digital Bathroom Scale , that’s what.

The last time I had a new bathroom scale, I got it with S&H Green Stamps, so that tells you just how long ago it was. Times have really changed since then, because this Precision Tracker Digital Bathroom Scale can keep track of weight lost or gained for up to eight individuals. The touch screen interface and automatic person identification technology make it one of the most user friendly bathroom scales, and makes tracking your goals so easy! What I like most about it is that it has a lighted digital display, with large, easy to read numbers, so there is no squinting or guessing for this old grandma. Yep, that number went up since yesterday for sure!

Just look at these features:

1. Measuring Functions: Short Term and Long Term Weight Tracking Capabilities

2. Proprietary Automatic User Identification Technology; Stores personal data for up to 8 users

3. EatSmart “Step-On” Technology – Get instant readings!

4. Large, 3.5″ LCD display with white backlight – Easy to read.

5. 4 High Precision Sensors – Consistent and accurate measurement

6. Measurement Modes: Pounds / Kilos

7. Graduation Increments of .2 lbs. / .1kg

8. Ultra thin, sleek design with high quality tempered glass platform

9. Max Weight: 400 lbs / 180 kgs

10. Auto Calibrated; Includes 4 AAA batteries

 Buy it: You can purchase Eat Smart Digital Scales online at Amazon.com, where they qualify for free shipping with Amazon Prime.

Win It: On winner will receive an Eat Smart Precision Tracker Digital Scale. To enter, use the Giveaway Tools form below:

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Have you tried the Rooster Potatoes from Albert Bartlett? They are sold exclusively at Wal-Marts in Georgia and Colorado. Once they are gone, they’re gone until next year’s harvest. You can enter to win a $50 Wal-Mart Gift Card from Albert Bartlett! It’s  Pinterest Contest, where you Pin To Win!

To enter, log on to AlbertBartlett.com, and fill out the information requested. That is step one. Step two, follow Albert Bartlett on Pinterest. Step 3, create a new “Cozy Comfort” pin board. Step 4, pin at least one of the recipes you find on their website to your “Cozy Comfort” pin board. Step 5, post any other inspiration you find that you define as cozy or comforting. Tag your pins with @Albert Bartlett and #CozyComfort.

This giveaway ends on January 15, 2013. See terms and conditions here.

1 Grand Prize will be awarded, with a total approximate retail value of up to $5000.00. The Grand Prize winner will receive an in-­‐home celebrity chef experience, which will be comprised of a chef-­‐prepared meal for up to 10 people (including the winner) prepared in the winner’s home. In the event that Albert Bartlett determines, in its sole discretion, that the winner’s kitchen is inadequate, the meal will be prepared at an off-­‐site location (which location will be determined by Albert Bartlett in its sole discretion). The winner must schedule the event with Albert Bartlett within the 90-­‐day period  following the selection of the winner by Albert Bartlett, or the winner will forfeit the grand prize. Up to20 weekly winners will receive a $50 Walmart gift card ($1000.00 total value).

I received compensation from the sponsor to post this information.

Did you know that Hallmark has some of the cutest ideas for Grandmas to send to your grandkids for Christmas? I received some of these precious Christmas cards to send to my own grandkids. The one I liked the best was one where I could record my own greeting for the little ones. It was so easy to do, and because the greeting isn’t permanent until you pull out the tag, you can redo it until you get it perfect. (Ok, well, almost perfect) I think I only recorded my greeting about 10 times!

I sent the Wish List recordable card to my youngest two grandchildren, Owen and Amelia. Their Mom told me they played it over and over.  I got  a picture of my oldest grandson, Michael, who is 16, with his Countdown To Christmas card. And even though he is a teen, he loved getting this card from me. He said he put it on his dresser where he can see it every day.

The countdown cards would be especially fun for grandkids looking forward to seeing their grandparents at Christmas. Displayed in their home – maybe on the fridge, the mantel, or in their room – the card gives them a visual, digital reminder daily of how much time is left until they get to celebrate the season, and, hopefully, spend quality time with you. Countdown to Christmas is just one of the interactive greetings Hallmark is offering this holiday season to help build excitement. There also are new recordable wish list cards and more! Michael sure has been enjoying his card. These cards are only available in stores.

Hallmark offers more than 1,800 individual holiday cards, many featuring new technology, designs and formats that bring Christmas sights and sounds to life. For example:

• Cards with a functioning clock that counts down the days to Christmas and other features that build excitement for the season
• Highly crafted and displayable cards that people will want to use to deck their halls
• Personalized Greetings that families can customize with photos and messages on Hallmark.com

These cards retail from $1.99 to $6.99. You can see the many different designs on the Hallmark website, and if you haven’t ordered your cards yet, tomorrow, Wednesday, December 19th, 2012 is the last date to order and still get customized cards before Christmas! So hurry! Don’t wait! Save 40% and get Free Overnight Shipping but you have to get your order in by tomorrow night!

I received product from Hallmark to write this review, but all opinions are my own.