CIJ: Dali Decals Review & Giveaway

NOTE: IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE GETTING THE DALI DECALS WEBSITE TO LOAD, FEEL FREE TO BOOKMARK THIS PAGE AND COME BACK AT A LATER TIME.

Thanks to our friends at Dali Decals, you have the chance to win!

We couldn’t start Christmas in July without having something fun to do! So when I was able to review Dali Decals products, I was happy! I needed something to spruce up the dreaded white bedroom walls. I chose “Dare to be remarkable” simply because it fits how me and Manders are. The day it arrived, I really had nothing planned so I decided to immediately put it up. It was REALLY easy to take it off the backing. But because I didn’t get a squeegee, it was kind of difficult to put it on the wall. The letters kept sticking to what looked like masking tape. So I stood there, carefully peeling away the tape so that I wouldn’t rip a letter or only have 1/2 of the quote transferred. What looks so weird but yet cool is that the quote looks like someone wrote it with a Sharpie! Since Mom never let us write on walls, this worked out perfectly!

So why are Wall Stickers cool for Christmas? Because they do have Holiday decals for your walls/windows/mirrors this Holiday season and they make GREAT stocking stuffers! Granted they won’t fit in most stockings and wrapping might be a tad bit impossible, but you get the idea. Dali Decals is giving one (1) of my readers a $25 gift certificate to Dali Decals! How can you get in on the Christmas in July action?

Go to Dali Decals, come back and tell me what you would get with your $25 gift certificate!

THIS IS MANDATORY! “Enter me” or “Nice giveaway” does not constitute as an entry and will be removed. YOU MUST LEAVE A VALID E-MAIL TO ENTER! OPEN TO U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY.

Extra Entries (7): Leave a separate comment for each entry and/or link.

*Follow me on Twitter (Username- texasheartland.)
*Subscribe to Texas Banter Mailing List (via E-Mail, Google Reader, etc.)
*Tweet about this giveaway (profile link or status link- Enter the Christmas in July Giveaway @ Texas Banter! http://tinyurl.com/mv63wg @texasheartland)
*Follow Manders on Twitter (Username- confettidreams.)
*Add my Texas Banter Button
*Blog about this giveaway
*Add the Christmas in July button

The giveaway starts on Tuesday, July 2st upon going “live” and will end on Tuesday, July 9th at 11:59PM CST. Entries submitted after that time are voided and are not counted.

Winners have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification. If the winner(s) have not responded within the 48 hours, a new winner(s) will be chosen.

All winners chosen via Random.org.

ChexMix Giveaway

Thanks to our friends at MyBlogSpark, you have the chance to win yummy food!

Now what is the deal with the food? If you’re anything like me, you like to snack during the day. Maybe you get a hankering for something sweet AND salty at the same time. Maybe you want something that’s easy to grab and go? Maybe perhaps both but don’t want to spend a ton of money on that taco from Taco Bell? May I introduce to you Chex Mix Turtle bars! They are a delicious snack that includes caramel, chocolate, peanuts, Chex Mix, and pretzels! To read my take, go to Chex Mix Review.

How many winners will there be and how can you win it? There will be three (3) winners and each winner will receive 2 boxes of ChexMix Turtle bars! If you want to win one of those spots, all you have to do is answer the follow question:

How do you unwind after a hard day?

THIS IS MANDATORY! “Enter me” or “Nice giveaway” does not constitute as an entry and will be removed. YOU MUST LEAVE A VALID E-MAIL TO ENTER! OPEN TO U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY.

Extra Entries (6): Leave a separate comment for each entry and/or link.

*Follow me on Twitter (Username- texasheartland.)

*Subscribe to Texas Banter Mailing List (via E-Mail, Google Reader, etc.)

*Tweet about this giveaway (profile link or status link- Enter to win food at Texas Banter! http://tinyurl.com/mv29th @texasheartland)

*Follow Manders on Twitter (Username- confettidreams.)

*Add my Texas Banter Button

*Blog about this giveaway

The giveaway starts on Tuesday, July 1st upon going “live” and will end on Tuesday, July 8th at 11:59PM CST. Entries submitted after that time are voided and are not counted. Winners have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification. If the winner(s) have not responded within the 48 hours, a new winner(s) will be chosen. All winners chosen via Random.org.

CIJ: Retro Christmas Commercials

I personally enjoy retro Christmas commercials because they bring back that magic Christmas had when I was a kid. And sometimes, they do still play some of the commercials that are from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. Not to make you feel old or anything, but I have come up witha  list of MY personal favorite retro Christmas commercials (some via xmasdvd.com). Due to the videos, it might take a moment for the post to fully load.

Budweiser

Hershey’s Kisses

McDonald’s Star Wish

McDonald’s Ice Skaing

Campbell’s

Coca-Cola Polar Bear

RadioShack

Miller Light Brewing Co.

Miller Light Brewing Co. 2

Cherrios

Fruity Pebbles

7Up

CIJ: Etsy Christmas Crafts

I don’t know about you but I love homemade items, especially homemade Christmas items. It just screams Americana and Christmas at the same time. I also love Etsy and as I was getting ready for Christmas in July, I decided to search on Etsy to see what kind of Christmas items the sellers currently had just for kicks. I guess we’re not the only ones who shop for Christmas items in July. They currently have several items for sale that are Holiday-oriented.

They have drawn prints and cards for sale that are exquisite. I did not know that you could make something like this on PhotoShop.

I didn’t know that you could make something like that on PhotoShop. That’s extremely talented. This particular piece goes for $22, which isn’t bad for the amount of work the artist did.

You can also find wreaths, stockings, and wall vinyl stickers for your home. They also have candles in Christmas scents like Apple Cinnamon or Candy Cane. There aren’t a lot of Christmas items out there at the moment because it is July but as it gets nearer to Fall, everyone will start making Christmas items for the “Day After Thanksgiving”.

Want an elf as an ornament?

*ALL PICTURE LINKED TO ETSY SHOPS.

CIJ: Gift Ideas for Kids/Teens

Even with children, they seem to be the easiest to shop for. They can be picky, but they also enjoy unwrapping gifts and squealing with delight as they realized that they got something off their Christmas list (even if it isn’t the exact Barbie doll they wanted). I have realized through tons of TV watching and Christmas shopping, Moms and Dads are going towards educational and personalized gifts to give their children. At Happy Kids Personalized, there are a lot of items to choose from, including personalized music CDs, children’s books, and even personalized T-Shirts. With Hannah Montana and Jonas Brother items on the rise, there should be no surprise that their products will end up on Christmas lists all around the world.

While action figures and dolls are envitable as they are synonmous with Christmas gifts, give them the gift of creativity with arts and crafts. At Michael’s and Hobby Lobby, you can usually find craft kits that includes painting, art sand, and even mosiacs. Letting them use their creative noodle not only keeps them occupied, they’ll use that same creativity and imagination later in life. Trust me- I was big on crafts when I was younger.

I know it’s wishful thinking, but I was hoping vintage toys would make a comeback. I remember getting a Furby for Christmas and a LiteBrite one year. While they aren’t what they used to be, they still sell the Mousetrap game and Simon games at Toys R Us.

But if you’re having problems figuring out what to get your teenager, DVDs of their favorite TV shows/artists and electronics are the way to go. As I went into my teens years, it got harder for Mom to shop for Manders and I because we weren’t particular in what we wanted. We were going through that stage so we had made it difficult. iPods, iPod decks, and even Guitar Hero video games seem to be what is currently popular with this age. If you do decide to get them Guitar Hero or Rock Band, I can say that it will pay for itself. As your teen continues playing, they will continue to keep getting better at it and there are other versions of them to buy so they they never have to play the same song month after month after month. If they’re friends receive a Guitar Hero guitar in the same platform, they can play against each other to see who has the highest score! You can also get the a gift card to iTunes so they can download their favorite music to place on an iPod they already have.

I may not have children but I sure do speak from experience!

CIJ: Gifts for One Who Has Everything

If you’re anything like me, you have a few family members or friends that have pretty much everything so that when it comes time to shop for them, it can be rather difficult. You could give them gift cards to Wal-Mart or even Sears but that’s not so personable.

If you have a picture of you and your family that you want to give as a gift to your Mom but not sure how do that, go to Photofiddle.com and turn your snapshot into a work of art. You have over 12 designs to choosen from and over 15 categories to choose from. You can take that picture of your daughter with spaghetti all over her head and turn it into a Oil Panting. Prices range from $15 to over $2800 for a 280″ x 70″, depending on the type of product you get.

If they have many things around their home that is personalized, why not add it? Head over to PersonalCreations.com for the foie gras of personalized items. They have EVERYTHING from gifts for babies to even pet ornaments. Manders have used them before and she actually bought me a personalized sister mug and it was of great quality. They have a plethora of items to choose from and if you can’t find that personalized item that they’ll enjoy, you might be choosing the wrong gift because they have practically everything!

If that doesn’t help, try a magazine subscription to their favorite magazine. But only get it for one year. My aunt got me a magazine subscription to a magazine I wouldn’t even consider reading one year. I was thankful because I guess she didn’t know what I liked but she did it again last year, and every since then, the magazines have ended up in the trash or they were given to someone else. Be VERY careful on which magazine you sign them up for otherwise they won’t get read.

Don’t forget that hobbies go unnoticed at Christmas because everyone wants that hot new gadget instead of something they can actually use like a new snowboard or garden tool. It really depends on what their hobby is and how often they do activities related to it. Do some research to find out the best place to get the gift for their hobby.

Even though it isn’t a material gift, give them the gift of a Star! At the International Star Registry, you can actually name a star in their honor! When you name the star, your recipient receives a Star Naming Kit.

All kits include:

* A beautiful 16″ X 12″ full color parchment certificate personalized with the star name, date and coordinates.
* A Personalized 16″ X 12″ sky chart containing the star name, star date, the constellation and the location circled in red where the star is in the sky.
* A booklet on astronomy written by a professional astronomer with additional sky charts.
* A letter of congratulations/memorial for the recipient.

There is even Star Groups for couples, siblings, parents & kids who want their own 2 stars in space. Sounds pretty cool, huh?

Christmas in July

Welcome to the first day of the “Christmas in July” event!

We have a whole month stocked full of early Christmas ideas so you can maybe start getting together your Christmas wishlist, maybe some early shopping ideas, Christmas memories, and ways to decorate for Christmas!

We will also have product reviews AND giveaways! All product reviews and giveaways tied in with “Christmas in July” with have a “CIJ” before the title so you know what to look for. All posts will be listed under “CIJ” on the top just in case you missed it!

Tomorrow, Texas Banter will be holding it’s first “Christmas in July” giveaway and it will be for Dali Decals. So if you are wanting to spruce up your home with some inspirational words or even just a bird (which they have!), don’t forget to enter! It also makes a lovely gift, which you will see in upcoming posts.

Ya know, Christmas is one of my favorite Holidays. While it isn’t my favorite (that title goes to Halloween), it certainly is my next favorite. The cold air just lets know that it is Christmas. I loveseeing the Christmas lights glowing on the outside of homes and the elaborate displays they create. The wrapping paper sparking underneath the Christmas tree. The slow and relaxing sounds of Christmas songs. And spending time with the ones you love.

While we tend to have mild Winters here in Texas, there is no doubt that the cold air that enters your nose as your breath reminds you that Christmas is finally here.

And since the temperature is easily reaching 100* or more, why not cool off your mind with a little Christmas in July?

Guiltless Gourmet Review

Thanks to our friends at Guiltless Gourmet, we were able to try their Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips.

Now, Guitless Gourmet isn’t like any tortilla chip you’ve had. They are 100% baked. They don’t heavily salt the chips. They are all made with organic corn. With 18 chips as a serving, you get plenty of flavor! They all have 125 or less calories and 3 grams of fat per serving. Not only is it good, it’s good for you!

Their Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips were so delicious! They were perfectly baked. They were lightly salted but still had enough salt to take care of your salt craving. They were so flavorful! I loved the crunch they had! It’s hard to believe they were 100% organic! I couldn’t help myself! I wanted more! I could have easily eaten the whole bag! Theye were so good that I actually might have to pick up a couple of bags next time I go to the store! They are so yummy that even the pickiest of chip eaters will love them!

So where you can you find these? They’re not widely available so on their website, they have a store locator. You choose a product, type in your zip code, and they’ll give you stores within a 90-mile radius. Even if the closest store for me is 15 minutes away, these are well worth it!

Guiltless Gourmet is having a sweepstakes! You can win a trip to Vegas! You do need to buy a bag of Guiltless Gourmet Tortilla chips in order to play or send in a 3” x 5” piece of paper with all your information on it. But you could possibly instantly win a $100 gift card or a bag of Guiltless Gourmet Tortilla Chips. And each time you enter, you get an entry for a 4-days/3-nights at a 5 Diamond Resort in Las Vegas! For more information or to enter, visit Guiltless Gourmet.

ChexMix Review

Thanks to MyBlogSpark, Texas Banter was able to review more food! We just love these food reviews.

We all know ChexMix for their cereal and party mix. They have decided to mix it all together to make Chex Mix Turtle Bars! The Chex Mix Turtle bar has caramel-covered Corn Chex pieces, Wheat Chex pieces, chocolate, peanuts, and pretzels. While it isn’t exactly attractive looking, they sure do taste great.

They were definitely seeet due to the caramel and chocolate, while the pretzels and peanuts gave it a salty taste. If you’re not used to that, it can be somewhat surprising. I’m not used to sweet/salty food at the same time so I was a little surprised by the taste. I couldn’t tell which one overpowered the other. It was somewhat chewey, almost like a granola bar. I’m not a fan of snacks that are chewey like granola bars if they aren’t. Don’t get me wrong, I love granola bars but this isn’t one. It was a little gooey when it arrived and I account that for the heat we’re having here in Texas. But because of the chocolate and caramel, it was melting pretty quickly. But it was pretty good and very sweet. A little salty but you get used to that. A little chewey and gooey, but on the whole, not bad. I give it a 7 out of 10.

You can buy these in ANY store where Chex Mix is sold and the good thing about these is that there is less than 150 calories per bar. So you can have one and don’t feel guilty because of it. Now that makes for a pretty good snack.

Giveaway Tomorrow

Even though tomorrow IS the start of Christmas in July, I will be holding a giveaway. First I have to post the review today so that I can hold the giveaway tomorrow. Usually I hold giveaways on Fridays but because of the way it worked out, that isn’t the case this time.

I will give you one hint and one hint only: it’s food. I mean, c’mon. Who doesn’t enjoy the chance to win free food?

Then on July 2nd, we will be holding another giveaway, but this time it is part of Christmas in July.

Each will go for a week and both will be on the main page for your pick. Rules will be ON each giveaway since the Christmas in July rules may encompass different entries. You can even enter both if you’d like.

Reminder: There will be a giveaway tomorrow (July 1st), but it isn’t part of Christmas in July. Then there will be a giveaway on Thursday (July 2nd) that is part of Christmas in July. Look for the “CIJ” before the title.

Nature Valley Review

Thanks to our friends at MyBlogSpark, Texas Banter was able to review Nature Valley’s Granola Nut Clusters. We always enjoy food reviews! We were able to try 4 different kinds of the Granola Nut Clusters.

What they are, essentially, are honey granola clusters with various nuts tucked in. One of the nuts included was the Roasted Almonds. I love almosts so I was happy to taste it. It was good! It was crunch, pretty sweet (thanks to the honey), and had plenty of almonds. It was the perfect mix of honey, granola, and almosts. The Roasted Cashews were okay. There wasn’t that much honey and very little cashews. The Roasted Peanuts were too sweet for my taste. It overpowered the peanuts and granola. The Nut Lovers was supposed to have pecans instead of almosts but there were very little pecans in the Nut Lovers. But besides not having enough pecans, it was pretty enjoyable. Though I do prefer the Roasted Almonds.

The Nut Clusters are perfect for snacking and come in a resealable pouch for later!

Nature Valley got its start in 1975 with creating the first granola bar. Now they have over 100 different items in several different countries, include India. Almost every single item is 100% Natural, creating a better eating habit for those who have a sweet tooth or just love the taste of granola or grains.

RIP to 3 Legends

Ed McMahon 1923-2009

Farrah Fawcett 1947-2009

Michael Jackson 1958-1009

You will never be forgotten.

Fancy Fortune Cookies Review

Thanks to Erin and the Fancy Fortune Cookie Co., I was able to try their assortment of flavored fortune cookies.

I opened the box. I gave a vanilla-flavored fortune cookie to Dad and Manders. Mom was handed a cherry-flavored cookie while I snagged myself a chocolate. I opened it, and read my fortune. How funny that my first fortune would be true! But aside from that, it was absolutely delicious! It didn’t taste like the stale fortune cookies in restartuants and had tons of flavor! I tried all of them and as it turns out, the green mint is my favorite! The ending note was just minty enough to be delightful! My family even enjoyed them!

But these cookies are something special! Fancy Fortune Cookies allows you to customize them. You can personalize the fortune to find your needs- whether its for the Holidays, birthdays, party favors, and even for your organizations! You can also have them dipped in luscious chocolate and you can even have sprinkles on them!

If flavored fortune cookies are not your thing, you can still order the original vanilla fortune cookies.

If you want to get something for your boss with your company logo stamped on there somewhere, you might want to check out their corporate gift section. All the cookies in the gift set come dipped in chocolate, and they have a wide variety to choose from.

While you are there, feel free to check out their famous fortune cookie recipes! They have 5 recipes to choose from and all of them sound delicious!

If those small fortune cookies aren’t cutting it for that special person, feel free to check out their Giant Fortune Cookies!

I’m thinking…

As I laid down to go to sleep, I started thinking about the books I have been reading. All of them have been fiction and in 95% of them, they feature some sort of paranormal monster- whether it be a vampire, werewolf, or witch. Then I got to thinking of the nonfiction books that centered around twins. None of them came from the actual twin’s point-of-view. They have all been written by some expert or a parent of twins.

Sure we want to know how twins come about or what it’s like to have a set of twins. But you don’t get a sense of who the twins truly are, unless they are young and can’t write the book. But with all the adult twins in the world, you figured that they would write a book about what it’s like to be a twin and live with a twin. Maybe I am thinking outside of the box, and that’s who I am.

But I was thinking of writing a book about twins… from the twin’s point-of-view! I wouldn’t write it like it was some distant future and we’re already in college and trying to make our way through life and Biology. That would be disingenuous of me and wouldn’t really make sense since there is still a lot that Manders and I go through every single day. Hell, we still argue over what to watch on TV before we go to sleep. No one ever tells you those little things that make twins so wonderful. We argue but we don’t stay mad.

I think it would be so cool for people to see what twins are TRULY like from their point-of-view instead of an expert who has no twins or a parent whose twins are too young to say what the bond is like. It would be one of a kind!

More Christmas in July

More Christmas in July! If everything turns out just like we want it, we’ll have product reviews, giveaways, shopping ideas so you can get all your Christmas shopping done before the Holiday rush, craft ideas, and maybe some decorating ideas!

We are still looking for a few more sponsors to help us with giveaways. If you are interested in sponsoring one of our Christmas in July product reviews/giveaways, please refer to PR Information and look for “Event PR”.

If you are a blogger wanting to participate in this year’s “Christmas In July” event, please refer to the following (from Confetti Dreams):

• # Through out July (starting the 1st and ending the 31st), create a few posts that deal with Christmas. This can be your favorite memory, your favorite/least favorite gift, craft ideas, recipes, reviews, or giveaways. You can get as creative as you want!
• # Before each post, either put “Christmas in July” or “CIJ” so we know which post to look for.
• # Confetti Dreams might have the cheap version of Mr Linky, so once you are done posting, you can post it there.
• # By the end of this week, Confetti Dreams will have made a button for every participating blogger to place on their blog. Confetti Dreams will of course put it in this post so you can see it and grab it.

Any blogs that are interested but have more questions, e-mail me at texasbanter@ymail.com with the subject “CIJ Participating” and I will get back to you as soon as I can. We are still working with sponsors for giveaways and product reviews. If you have any ideas for sponsors to contact, shoot us an e-mail the aforementioned with the subject “CIJ Sponsor Idea”.

Any problems with Mr. Linky will result in a post on Confetti Dreams with a list of participating blogs.