WIN THIS: LIMITED Snow Day Warmer

PLEASE tell me you have heard of Scentsy?

No?

Well, Scentsy is all sorts of awesome and I am kicking myself for not jumping on the bandwagon earlier.

After my best friend, Blair, started talking about the product and all the scents she wanted to get, I started to pay more attention. She threw a party and I decided, I’ll walk the plank into the unknown and try out Scentsy.

Scentsy is a plug-in wickless candle. When you plugin a Scentsy warmer, it uses a low wattage lightbulb to illuminate the warmer, and warm the melting dish. Usually in the melting dish you would have 1-2 cubes from a scent bar of your choice. The deliciously scented soy wax melts fairly quickly and fills the room (about 200sq feet) of an amazing, mouth watering, smile-inducing scent.

Mmm… is your nose begging you, yet?

I ended up purchasing the Graphite Mid-Sized Scentsy Warmer, along with 3 scents to try out:

• Pumpkin Marshmellow - Sticky, sweet marshmallow spooned onto fresh-baked pumpkin and wrapped in a graham cracker crust.
• Cinnamon Bear - Crisp, spicy cinnamon, reminiscent of Red Hots candy with a touch of cloves.
• Perfectly Pomegranate - Dark and juicy pomegranate with a sweet berry finish; this is a classic.

I eagerly awaited my package and when it arrived, I was impressed that my soy wax scents came sheltered with dry ice! I immediately smelled them and they smelt soooo good. I was surprised just how heavenly they smelled– and just as described, if not better!

The first one I tried was the Cinnamon Bear, as I am a huge huge fan of the apple-cinnamon type smell. When Scentsy describes it as resembling Red Hots candy, they weren’t kidding. It smells EXACTLY like Red Hots. A few hours later, I turned off my warmer and tried to pour the wax back into the bar holder, as instructed. That sooo was not happening.

I found that placing the warmer in the freezer for about an hour (until dry and cold) and then taking it out, turning it over, and tapping it — quickly releases the melted wax from the melting dish. I place the scent into a plastic bag for later use and move on.

Pumpkin Marshmallow. Oh YUM. Freaking A, it’s so yummy! I could go ON AND ON about how much I loved my Scentsy Warmer and the 3 bars I had purchased, but you get the idea; I love it but let’s move on with the show.

PURCHASE

Scentsy is not sold in stores. Sure, you can get Scentsy wannabes, but you’d be missing out on the high quality products and scents (as well as costumer service) that you get when purchasing through an Official Scentsy Consultant.

I am hosting my VERY OWN Scentsy party and EVERYONE is invited. It’s online, of course!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER

Make sure you are purchasing under Well-Read Reviews: Allison Vaughn. As your host, it helps me earn more Scentsy products! If you are interested in hosting your own Scentsy Party, feel free to contact the consultant, my friend, Melissa Perez.

TIP FOR ORDERING

Check out the “Combine and Save” page for custom Scentsy packages. You end up saving quite a bit that way.

REMEMBER

Please remember to let Melissa Perez know that you are purchasing through the Well-Read Reviews party. Don’t forget!

Now, the part you are probably REALLY waiting for.. (It’s okay to admit it.. You’re here for the giveaway!)

WIN THE SCENTSY GIVEAWAY

Up for grabs is the 2011 Limited Edition Full-Sized Warmer, titled Snow Day (as seen above). Snag it while it’s hot (and the weather is cold!). It retails for $35. Most limited edition Scentsy warmers go for about $60+ on eBay after they are discontinued. SUCH a deal! Plus, this one is FREE.

To enter:

MANDATORY:

Leave a comment with your contact email. This is needed in case you win. If your entry is selected and we have no way of contacting you, then we have no choice but to draw again. (1 point)

OPTIONAL:

• Comment: If you could choose 3 scents, what would you choose and why? (3 points)
• Subscribe to Melissa’s Newsletter (2 points)
• “Like” Melissa’s Independent Consultant Page on Facebook (2 points)
• “Like” Well-Read Reviews on Facebook (2 points)
• Follow Well-Read Reviews on Google Friend Connect (2 points)
• Subscribe to my RSS Feed (2 points)
• Follow Well-Read Reviews on Twitter (2 points)
• Tweet about this giveaway using the phrase (2points): Win the Limited Edition Snow Day Scentsy Warmer @WellReadReviews # http://tinyurl.com/3mrgnkw *Tweet up to 3x per day!
• Tweet about my Scentsy Party using the phrase (3 points): Need Scentsy? Get your wickless candle through @WellReadReviews now! http://tinyurl.com/3s995px *Tweet up to 3x per day!
• Purchase Scentsy through my party! For every $5 you spend, you will earn .. (4 points) Just make sure to include your order# for verification!

Our 2 Year Bloggerversary

Thank you to EVERYONE who participated in the Well-Read Reviews 2 Year Bloggerversary celebration! We have a lot of winners so please check below to see if you have won! Please note that all winners were selected at random through a wordpress plugin called “And the Winner Is..”.

The Winners

The Sunshine Dress Pattern REVIEW & GIVEAWAY. (Ends 9/02) – Erin (winning comment)

Review & GIVEAWAY: Melissa & Doug Kid’s Trunki (Ends 8/19) – Kelly Ann Thuet (winning comment)

GIVEAWAY: The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards (Ends 8/12) - Alison T (winning comment)

GIVEAWAY: The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran (Ends 8/12) – Daniel M (winning comment)

GIVEAWAY: {YA Novel} Wake by Lisa McMann (Ends 8/12) – Dan V. (winning comment)

GIVEAWAY: Horrid Henry Set by Francesca Simon (Ends 8/12) – Raven in a Blue Room (winning comment)

GIVEAWAY: This is Me From Now On by Barbara Dee (Ends 8/12) – Lois Payton (winning comment)

GIVEAWAY: The Soldier’s Wife by Margaret Leroy (Ends 8/12) – Jim Lynam (winning comment)

GIVEAWAY: These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf (Ends 8/12) – Shaunda Eppes (winning comment)

GIVEAWAY: Pride & Prejudice & Zombies/Dreadfully Ever After Books (Ends 8/12) – Debbie (winning comment)

GIVEAWAY: {YA Novel} The Everafter by Amy Huntley (Ends 8/12) – Breanne (winning comment)

GIVEAWAY: {YA Novel} Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (Ends 8/12) – Vicki Wurgler (winning comment)

GIVEAWAY: $75 Gift Certificate to Zutano (Ends 8/26) #Baby #Child – Michelle (winning comment)

GIVEAWAY: {YA Novel} SCARS by Cheryl Rainfield (Ends 8/12) – Amanda (winning comment)

GIVEAWAY: Autographed YA Novel, Watched by Sharde Richardson (Ends 8/12) – Crystal F. (winning comment)

The Sunshine Dress (Pattern) by Monique Daley

I love to sew. I started sewing when Carli was about 9 months old. I taught myself on my old $100 Brother machine. I started with sewing squares and I moved up to cloth diapers and eventually ventured onto children’s clothing. I can tell you one thing — there is nothing more self satisfying then making something by hand for your children that they love.

Before I started sewing clothes, I was really intimidated by the idea. I still am, to some extent, so I need something that was really easy and quick. I needed it easy so I wouldn’t get discouraged and anything that took a long time to make would prevent me from making more of the same item. The Sunshine Dress, a pattern designed by Monique Daley, embodies all that is great about making your own kid’s clothing. It’s easy, it’s quick, and oh so cute!

From start to finish the dress took maybe an HOUR out of my time to do. Just an hour. I was pleasantly surprised and Carli was very eager to try it on. Here are some things to consider when sewing up your own Sunshine Dress.

The short-sleeved version.

1. Use a VERY stretchy fabric. I used a jersey but it wasn’t stretchy enough and contributed to size discrepancies that I faced.  Carli is a petite one and most size 3Ts are big on her. However I found it to be a bit snug. I think this is due in part to my fabric selection, however. I also used the same fabric around the neckline and it did not fit over her head. The neckline was too small for her so I had to cut it and add a hoop and button in order to accommodate her — uhh — big head. I haven’t tried with any other fabric but when in doubt — size up.

2. If you are going to hem the dress, you may want to make some bloomers underneath as it is a bit short,or just use the length of the next size up to add some length to the dress. Or you can use your serger to make a tight edge (rolled hem, I think it’s called) and not hem at all.

I really liked that the Sunshine Dress was so easily customizable. The pattern comes with two options, short-sleeved and long-sleeved but Monique has set it up to make it very easy to modify to your own needs. As I live in Florida, I wanted something really cool for Carli to wear so I simply modified it to be sleeveless.

I really do not know why I was so intimidated to make this dress. It truly was easy and would make for a wonderful project for an advanced beginner.

Purchase

You can purchase your VERY own pattern from Sew Me a Garden for just $9.95 and now you can get a discount by CLICKING HERE, a discount made especially for Well-Read Review readers! So for a limited time, you can get $2 off the Sunshine Dress pattern!

More Pictures

Enter to *WIN*

What you are winning:  A FREE Sunshine Dress pattern to a very lucky reader!

Extra Entries

For every extra entry, make sure to fill out a comment for every point that it is worth. If the extra entry is worth 3 points, please fill out 3 comments stating what you are getting the extra credit for!

• Subscribe to my RSS Feed (2 points)
• “Like” me on Facebook (3 points)
• “Like” Sew Me a Garden on Facebook. (3 points)
• Follow Me on Twitter (2 points)
• Follow Me on Google Friend Connect (2 points)
• Tweet about the Giveaway (2 points each tweet) 5 max a day.
• Link to Well-Read Reviews on your sidebar (5 points)
• Blog about Well-Read Reviews hosting this giveaway (7 points)
• Stumble This Giveaway (2 points)
• Heart the pattern on Etsy (2 points).
• Visit Sew Me a Garden and then post a comment about another pattern that you like.

Note:

If you have purchased the pattern (because you just couldn’t wait) then Monique will refund you OR you can select from her other wonderful patterns, like my personal favorite — Trimsies Cloth Diaper Pattern!

8/22/2011 until 09/02/2011

Sponsored by GummyLump.com

Description:

Taking a trip with Trixie (Pink Trunki) means the fun begins when packing! Your child will delight in tucking in favorite clothing and toys for a night at grandma’s or a family vacation.

This is the ideal suitcase, full of child-friendly features for traveling or stay-cations!

Educational Value: A great way to foster independence and self esteem in children. Your child will be able to pack his own things and pull his own suitcase along like the big people do!

Review:

Check out Carli’s reaction when she discovers what is in the box sent from GummyLump.com. Please ignore the vacuum in the back. Having a 3 year old means vacuuming constantly. (I’m sure you know how it is..)

The Trunki comes with many stickers so that your child can personalize it. You can make it look like an animal or simply make a goofy face! Carli especially loved picking out which face stickers to use to personalize her own Trunki. There are also a few dozen travel patch stickers to place all over the suitcase. Even though I wanted to be very specific where the stickers went, I let Carli have at it. She really enjoyed applying all the stickers herself.

The few issues that I did have with the Trunki are small and once figured out it’s not a big deal. I felt that the side locks were a bit difficult to both install and to use, not making it incredibly child friendly. When trying to figure out how to correctly install and use the side locks, I sent them flying a few times. It was my husband who actually figured out how to correctly install them (I had one upside down) and use the side locks.

Also, although this won’t be an issue with an older child, my 3 year old liked taking off the stickers just as much as she enjoyed putting them on. So a warning for the young ones — don’t expect the stickers to be permanent. I actually think it may have lasted longer had I brushed some modge podge over it to seal the sticker to the surface. Again, it’s not a big deal.

My daughter has had her trunki for a while now and she still uses it for sleepovers at her Memaw & Papa’s house. She frequently stays over as they are two of her most favorite people in the world so it’s great that she has a suitcase that she can pack herself and take with her. I also don’t have to worry about her destroying. It was made to withstand my daughter. That is for sure! Overall, I thought it was very cute and Carli just loves it. We will be using our Trunki for years to come!

Win it!

With your choice of a Melissa & Doug Trunki & matching Totebag and Saddlebag sponsored by GummyLump.com

To see the color options, please visit the Trunki page on Gummylump.com.

There is absolutely NO cost to enter. You simply just comment on this entry with your email and name. If you are a winner, I will email you at the email address provided. If you do not respond within 1 week of my email, the winner will be redrawn. Make sure you can receive emails from allison@wellreadreviews.com!

Our 2 Year Bloggerversary

Extra Entries

For every extra entry, make sure to fill out a comment for every point that it is worth. If the extra entry is worth 3 points, please fill out 3 comments stating what you are getting the extra credit for!

• Subscribe to my RSS Feed (2 points)
• “Like” me on Facebook (3 points)
• Follow Me on Twitter (2 points)
• Follow Me on Google Friend Connect (2 points)
• Tweet about the Giveaway (2 points each tweet) 5 max a day.
• Link to Well-Read Reviews on your sidebar (5 points)
• Blog about Well-Read Reviews hosting this giveaway (7 points)
• Stumble This Giveaway (2 points)

8/05/2011 until 08/19/2011

Synopsis:

Kim Edwards’s stunning family drama evokes the spirit of Sue Miller and Alice Sebold, articulating every mother’s silent fear: what would happen if you lost your child and she grew up without you? In 1964, when a blizzard forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his own twins, he immediately recognizes that one of them has Down Syndrome and makes a split-second decision that will haunt all their lives forever. He asks his nurse to take the baby away to an institution and to keep her birth a secret. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child as her own. Compulsively readable and deeply moving, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter is an astonishing tale of redemptive love.

Win it!

With a copy of The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards

There is absolutely NO cost to enter. You simply just comment on this entry with your email and name. If you are a winner, I will email you at the email address provided. If you do not respond within 1 week of my email, the winner will be redrawn. Make sure you can receive emails from allison@wellreadreviews.com!

Our 2 Year Bloggerversary

Extra Entries

For every extra entry, make sure to fill out a comment for every point that it is worth. If the extra entry is worth 3 points, please fill out 3 comments stating what you are getting the extra credit for!

• Subscribe to my RSS Feed (2 points)
• “Like” me on Facebook (3 points)
• Follow Me on Twitter (2 points)
• Follow Me on Google Friend Connect (2 points)
• Tweet about the Giveaway (2 points each tweet) 5 max a day.
• Link to Well-Read Reviews on your sidebar (5 points)
• Blog about Well-Read Reviews hosting this giveaway (7 points)
• Stumble This Giveaway (2 points)

8/05/2011 until 08/12/2011

Book Cover

Synopsis:

When Henry Oades accepts an accountancy post in New Zealand, his wife, Margaret, and their children follow him to exotic Wellington. But while Henry is an adventurer, Margaret is not. Their new home is rougher and more rustic than they expected—and a single night of tragedy shatters the family when the native Maori stage an uprising, kidnapping Margaret and her children.

For months, Henry scours the surrounding wilderness, until all hope is lost and his wife and children are presumed dead. Grief-stricken, he books passage to California. There he marries Nancy Foreland, a young widow with a new baby, and it seems they’ve both found happiness in the midst of their mourning—until Henry’s first wife and children show up, alive and having finally escaped captivity.

Win it!

With a copy of The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran

There is absolutely NO cost to enter. You simply just comment on this entry with your email and name. If you are a winner, I will email you at the email address provided. If you do not respond within 1 week of my email, the winner will be redrawn. Make sure you can receive emails from allison@wellreadreviews.com!

Our 2 Year Bloggerversary

Extra Entries

For every extra entry, make sure to fill out a comment for every point that it is worth. If the extra entry is worth 3 points, please fill out 3 comments stating what you are getting the extra credit for!

• Subscribe to my RSS Feed (2 points)
• “Like” me on Facebook (3 points)
• Follow Me on Twitter (2 points)
• Follow Me on Google Friend Connect (2 points)
• Tweet about the Giveaway (2 points each tweet) 5 max a day.
• Link to Well-Read Reviews on your sidebar (5 points)
• Blog about Well-Read Reviews hosting this giveaway (7 points)
• Stumble This Giveaway (2 points)

8/05/2011 until 08/12/2011

Book Cover

Synopsis:

Not all dreams are sweet.For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people’s dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody- notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie’s seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.

She can’t tell anybody about what she does — they’d never believe her, or worse, they’d think she’s a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn’t want and can’t control.

Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else’s twisted psyche. She is a participant….

Win it!

With a copy of Wake by Lisa McMann

There is absolutely NO cost to enter. You simply just comment on this entry with your email and name. If you are a winner, I will email you at the email address provided. If you do not respond within 1 week of my email, the winner will be redrawn. Make sure you can receive emails from allison@wellreadreviews.com!

Our 2 Year Bloggerversary

Extra Entries

For every extra entry, make sure to fill out a comment for every point that it is worth. If the extra entry is worth 3 points, please fill out 3 comments stating what you are getting the extra credit for!

• Subscribe to my RSS Feed (2 points)
• “Like” me on Facebook (3 points)
• Follow Me on Twitter (2 points)
• Follow Me on Google Friend Connect (2 points)
• Tweet about the Giveaway (2 points each tweet) 5 max a day.
• Link to Well-Read Reviews on your sidebar (5 points)
• Blog about Well-Read Reviews hosting this giveaway (7 points)
• Stumble This Giveaway (2 points)

8/05/2011 until 08/12/2011

Synopsis of Horrid Henry’s Underpants:

Horrid Henry makes a deal with his parents in return for eating his veggies; accidentally wears girls’ underwear to school; tries to prove he is sicker than his brother; and writes the meanest thank-you cards ever (and makes money on it too).

Francesca Simon is one of the world’s best-loved children’s authors. She is the only American to have ever won the Galaxy Book Award, and her creation, Horrid Henry, is the #1 bestselling chapter book series in the UK—with a hit TV show and over fifteen million copies sold! Each book contains four easy-to-read stories and hilarious illustrations by the one and only Tony Ross, so even the most reluctant of readers won’t be able to resist Henry’s amazing talent for trouble!

Synopsis of Horrid Henry and the Mummy’s Cruse

Horrid Henry indulges his favorite hobby—collecting Gizmos; has a bad time with his spelling homework; starts a rumor that there’s a shark in the swimming pool; and spooks Perfect Peter with the mummy’s curse.

Win it!

With a copy of Horrid Henry’s Underpants and Horrid Henry and the Mummy’s Curse by Francesca Simon

There is absolutely NO cost to enter. You simply just comment on this entry with your email and name. If you are a winner, I will email you at the email address provided. If you do not respond within 1 week of my email, the winner will be redrawn. Make sure you can receive emails from allison@wellreadreviews.com!

Our 2 Year Bloggerversary

Extra Entries

For every extra entry, make sure to fill out a comment for every point that it is worth. If the extra entry is worth 3 points, please fill out 3 comments stating what you are getting the extra credit for!

• Subscribe to my RSS Feed (2 points)
• “Like” me on Facebook (3 points)
• Follow Me on Twitter (2 points)
• Follow Me on Google Friend Connect (2 points)
• Tweet about the Giveaway (2 points each tweet) 5 max a day.
• Link to Well-Read Reviews on your sidebar (5 points)
• Blog about Well-Read Reviews hosting this giveaway (7 points)
• Stumble This Giveaway (2 points)

8/05/2011 until 08/12/2011

Book Cover

Synopsis:

Sometimes your life just needs a little jolt.

This is what Evie’s new friend Francesca tells her, and soon enough, Evie’s life has had something more like an earthquake. Francesca thinks life is dull unless you go after everything you want and say everything on your mind all the time–and sometimes that includes giving other people a little behind the scenes help to give them what she thinks they want.

Evie can’t always tell if she’s horrified or fascinated by everything Francesca convinces her to do, but ultimately, she comes to see friendship–and life–in a whole new light.

Win it!

With a copy of This is Me From Now On by Barbara Dee

There is absolutely NO cost to enter. You simply just comment on this entry with your email and name. If you are a winner, I will email you at the email address provided. If you do not respond within 1 week of my email, the winner will be redrawn. Make sure you can receive emails from allison@wellreadreviews.com!

Our 2 Year Bloggerversary

Extra Entries

For every extra entry, make sure to fill out a comment for every point that it is worth. If the extra entry is worth 3 points, please fill out 3 comments stating what you are getting the extra credit for!

• Subscribe to my RSS Feed (2 points)
• “Like” me on Facebook (3 points)
• Follow Me on Twitter (2 points)
• Follow Me on Google Friend Connect (2 points)
• Tweet about the Giveaway (2 points each tweet) 5 max a day.
• Link to Well-Read Reviews on your sidebar (5 points)
• Blog about Well-Read Reviews hosting this giveaway (7 points)
• Stumble This Giveaway (2 points)

8/05/2011 until 08/12/2011

The Book Cover

Synopsis:

A novel full of grand passion and intensity, The Soldier’s Wifeasks “What would you do for your family?” “What should you do for a stranger?” and “What would you do for love?”As World War II draws closer and closer to Guernsey, Vivienne de la Mare knows that there will be sacrifices to be made. Not just for herself, but for her two young daughters and for her mother-in-law, for whom she cares while her husband is away fighting. What she does not expect is that she will fall in love with one of the enigmatic German soldiers who take up residence in the house next door to her home. As their relationship intensifies, so do the pressures on Vivienne. Food and resources grow scant, and the restrictions placed upon the residents of the island grow with each passing week. Though Vivienne knows the perils of her love affair with Gunther, she believes that she can keep their relationship–and her family–safe. But when she becomes aware of the full brutality of the Occupation, she must decide if she is willing to risk her personal happiness for the life of a stranger.

Win it!

With a copy of The Solider’s Wife by Margaret Leroy

There is absolutely NO cost to enter. You simply just comment on this entry with your email and name. If you are a winner, I will email you at the email address provided. If you do not respond within 1 week of my email, the winner will be redrawn. Make sure you can receive emails from allison@wellreadreviews.com!

Our 2 Year Bloggerversary

Extra Entries

For every extra entry, make sure to fill out a comment for every point that it is worth. If the extra entry is worth 3 points, please fill out 3 comments stating what you are getting the extra credit for!

• Subscribe to my RSS Feed (2 points)
• “Like” me on Facebook (3 points)
• Follow Me on Twitter (2 points)
• Follow Me on Google Friend Connect (2 points)
• Tweet about the Giveaway (2 points each tweet) 5 max a day.
• Link to Well-Read Reviews on your sidebar (5 points)
• Blog about Well-Read Reviews hosting this giveaway (7 points)
• Stumble This Giveaway (2 points)

8/05/2011 until 08/12/2011