CSN Stores GC Giveaway! (And a Review)

I really enjoy every opportunity I get to to work with CSN Stores.  Everyone I have dealt with is so helpful, and there is such a diverse selection of products on their web stores!  You could spend hours shopping and still have so much more to enjoy!
Recently CSN offered me the chance to do a review and giveaway. I chose to review a set of Columbia Microfiber Sheets. I was really impressed with the quality of these sheets, especially with the very reasonable cost ($14.99).  I picked the sheets in Overcast, which is a cloudy blue color with a hint of turquoise.  The sheets are a very lightweight material, perfect for dealing with summer heat (although I keep my room so cold at night sometimes I need a blanket anyways :)
I love how perfectly the sheets match my curtains. They blend great with the room decor!
The set came with a flat and fitted sheet and a pillowcase. Made of 100% microfiber, and wrinkle free.  These are made by Columbia Home, which is part of the well-known Columbia Sportswear company.

For anyone not familiar with CSN Stores (I'm sure most people are, but just in case)...
"Based in Boston, CSN Stores LLC began in 2002 and has grown rapidly into a Top 3 online U.S. retailer of home and office goods with 400+ employees. See our Facts at a Glance and Industry Associations. 

Beyond providing unparalleled customer service, selection, and savings to our U.S. customers, CSN Stores has opened its doors to online shoppers from Canada, the U.K., and Germany. Recently named to the Hot 100 List of online retailers for 2009, CSN Stores continues to grow.

CSN Stores began with just two employees, Niraj and Steve, and one online shop.

In year two, CSN added three more Web-based stores. In year three, CSN added nine more stores. From that point onward, CSN Stores went into hyper drive to become what is now one of the Top 3 home and office goods e-tailers in the country, according to Internet Retailer.

At this moment, CSN Stores, a $200 million company, is comprised of more than 200 different shopping sites under the overall csnstores.com umbrella. Most sites are named for their primary product offerings or the styles they provide. These include: Luggage.com, AllModern.com, WritingDesksAndMore.com, Cookware.com, and BedroomFurniture.com.

Now that CSN has 200+ sites, it also has 400+ employees with several of them working in the service center counseling customers and helping them to find exactly the right item. "

CSN Stores is giving a $25.00 gift certificate to one of my readers!! Woo-hoo! Someone gets to go shopping at CSN!

Mandatory Entry-

Go to CSN Stores and tell me one product you'd buy if you won!

Bonus Entries-

2 entries-Become (or be) a public follower of Hope's Cafe. Leave 2 comments.

1 entry-Follow me (Pilgrim86) on Twitter. Leave a comment with your Twitter name.

1 entry-Tweet this giveaway. This may be done once daily. Leave a comment with a link to your Tweet.

1 entry-Enter another of my giveaways. Leave a comment for each giveaway you enter.

3 entries-Blog about this giveaway. Leave 3 comments with a link to your post.

This giveaway ends Saturday, August 14, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. Please leave a valid email address in each comment, as this is how the winner will be notified. Winner will have 48 hours to respond, or another winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to US residents only.

Disclaimer:I received product for the purpose of review. All thoughts and opinions are mine. All quotes taken from the CSN Stores website.

Canvas On Demand-Review!!

Canvas On Demand is a great place if you're looking for the perfect way to "keep" a memory!  They take your photos, and turn them in to an absolutely beautiful canvas print. From an 8"x10" all the way up to 40"x60", you can have a gorgeous canvas print of your favorite photo.  You can decide whether you want a gallery wrap, or from a few different frame choices.  There are also options for changing your color photo to B/W, PixelPainting your photo, which makes it look like an oil painting, and more!  And it is so easy, too!  All you do is choose your framing option, upload your photo, and Canvas On Demand will quickly get your photo turned into a lovely canvas print.

I was able to review a 16"x20" Thick Gallery Wrapped Canvas Print. I sent in a picture of my parents from a vacation a couple years ago. I love the picture, and was glad for an opportunity to get it where it could be hung on the wall.  I was expecting it to be nice, but when I received the canvas print, I could not believe how great it looked! Very very clear and crisp! The colors stand out, and it almost makes you feel like you're really there in the picture!  Very high quality, too! The canvas print comes with the hardware and instructions for hanging it up. I was impressed with the great customer service at Canvas on Demand as well.  Within a very short time of placing my order, I received a call to let me know that to make the print look it's best, the photo would need cropped.  I was asked what I would like cropped, etc., and the print turned out great with their advice!
Here's a picture of my canvas...it really doesn't do the print justice. The camera flash sort of destroys the crispness of the color on my print.

Isn' it cute?!

Here is some information about the company...
"Who are we? We are Joe Schmidt and Tom Lotrecchiano, co-owners of Canvas on Demand. We are great friends and remarkably compatible business partners. Both of us are quite involved in our business. We enjoy talking to and listening to our customers. We monitor operations and personally review canvases everyday. We have surrounded ourselves with a staff of professional people who genuinely care about others. As a team, we work diligently to gain and maintain customer respect. We are proud of what we do and how we do it. And we are grateful that you have chosen us to create your artwork.


What do we do? We take your prized photograph and transform it into an amazing canvas work of art. You have two rendering options to choose from. You can select PhotoRealistic, bringing your photo to full life even more vivid than the original, or BrushStroke, which appears to have been produced by delicate strokes of an artist's brush. Additionally, you have two primary finishing options. The canvas can simply be stretched and framed to your specifications, or it can be Gallery Wrapped, stretching the canvas over a wooden frame so that the edges of the material are drawn around it."


So, whether you're looking for a special gift for someone, or you just want your favorite photo turned into a beautiful canvas print, I definitely recommend checking out Canvas on Demand.  You'll be very pleased with the quality of your print, as well as the helpful customer service. Canvas on Demand is the 
perfect way to commemorate a special event (wedding, anniversary, family reunion, etc.) too!

Say It With Socks Review!

Okay, Here's a really neat company-Say It With Socks! Say It With Socks is-you guessed it-a novelty sock company! They have socks for children, ladies and men.
Say It With Socks is the assumed name of Second Child Inc. a corporation based in Texas.  I really like the fact that all their socks are made in the USA.
And here's a tidbit I thought was neat-former Presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush have worn socks from Say It With Socks! Wow!

"Welcome to Say It With Socks. We are pleased to bring you the most unique selection of fun, silly and crazy socks you'll ever put your feet into. We hope that you will find our site fun and easy to shop. Have fun checking out our almost endless selection of fun socks for men, women and children. With a wide selection of fun socks, silly socks and novelty socks for men, women and children to choose from, you are sure to find the perfect phrase here at Say It With Socks. All of our socks are made in the USA from top quality materials to insure that your feet are warm and comfortable. Can't find the right words? Let your feet do the talkin' and Say It With Socks!"

I was sent 2 pairs of socks for review-a pair of the Happy Birthday, and a pair that says"Coffee Please".

(What other pair did you think I'd get?!) Let me tell you, these are the most comfortable socks I have ever worn! They are very thick and plush. I like that they are ankle cut style. It's so comfortable for this summer heat.
These are great for wearing around the house...you don't even need slippers with a pair of these socks on.  My little brother got a kick out of the Happy Birthday socks. I wore them on his birthday earlier this month, and would show them to him every once in a while throughout the day. Needless to say, he thought it was neat :)

There are 24 phrases available for ladies, as well as several different sayings for men. Some of the infant socks are adorable too.

Seriously, aren't they cute?!

Say It With Socks also offers custom ordering. If you're looking for a cute saying for a family reunion, Church activity or other gathering, you can order a custom phrase in bulk!

Or, why not use Say It With Socks for your next school or Church fundraiser? Everyone wears socks, and who wouldn't love a pair with a fun saying on them?

"Sell Socks for your next school fundraiser! Everyone needs socks.  Say It With Socks are high quality and fun.   Take advantage of our new ONLINE fundraiser! Simply complete the online application and we'll assign your school a unique code for use whenever an order is placed. Your school will earn funds for every pair of socks ordered using this code. We'll even send you weekly updates to let you know how you're doing. It doesn't get any easier than that! So, what are you waiting for? Fill out our online application and start earning for your school today!"

Say It With Socks are available online through the website, or you can find them at retailers like The Sock Gallery and Maternity distributors.

Disclaimer:I was not monetarily compensated in any way for this review. I did receive product for the purpose of review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Smells Really Good Scentsy Review!

For anyone not familiar with Scentsy, they are a direct-selling candle company. Their products are sold by over 40,000 independent sales reps known as Independent Consultants. And one of those consultants generously offered to sponsor a review and giveaway here!
James has his own Scentsy website, called Smellsreallygood.com
Here you can find the full line of Scentsy Warmers (full-size, mid-size and plug-in), Design-It-Yourself, Scentsy Fragrance Bars and Bricks, and other great home fragrance products!

I was able to choose a warmer and 3 bars for review.  I picked the Cherry Blossom Warmer. This is a beautiful warmer with raised branches and very detailed blossoms on a soft blue background.  It adds beauty to any room!  I love the idea behind the Scentsy warmers, too. They plug in and use a low-wattage light bulb to warm the brick/bar. With this system, you don't have to worry about open flames, so it definitely provides more peace-of-mind than burning candles!

For my 3 fragrances, I chose the Green Tea Smoothie, Rustic Lodge (a "guy" scent), and, of course, Mocha Doodle! My favorite is definitely the  Mocha Doodle. It gives my room such a coffee shop aroma!  Obviously, I love coffee, and sometimes I think I like the smell better than actually drinking it! (Just kidding, but really...is there anything that smells better than a coffee shop?) This scent combines coffee beans and cocoa with sugar and caramel, and gives off a delightful fragrance!
The Green Tea Smoothie also smells delicious! (I know, I seem to like food/beverage scents the best :) t's a lighter scent, yet very quickly fills the room. Has a luscious fruity hint to it!
The Rustic Lodge scent is from the "Scentsy Man" collection, so I got my brothers' opinion on this one. They both really like it! Although, I have to admit, I really liked this one myself, too!  This is named very well-it has a strong cedar fragrance, with a hint of oak and musk. If your husband or son doesn't like the "girly" fragrances, try one of the scents from the Scentsy Man collection-I'm sure they'll love it!

I am really impressed with the Scentsy products. The warmer/fragrances really work great!  I have always been a big fan of oil warmers with tealight candles as the heat source. I am sold on the Scentsy warmers and fragrances now, though!  They provide a much stronger smell...I use mine in my room, and can smell it all the way out in the living room! So many candles just don't really spread the fragrance while burning...not a problem with Scentsy products!

Another plus with the Scentsy products is that you can easily change fragrances without wasting any of your bar or brick.  Just completely melt the fragrance that is in your warmer, pour it back into the original packaging, and clean the dish out with a paper towel (very little gets left in there). Then you're ready to try a new fragrance!  The melted wax will cool and resume it's former shape, ready for the next time you want to use it!

Disclaimer:I received product for the purpose of review. All thoughts and opinions are mine. All quotes taken from the Scentsy and SmellsReallyGood.com websites.

Bodycology Review and Giveaway!!

Bodycology is part of Advanced Beauty Systems, which was founded in Dallas, TX in 2003, and quickly became one of America's fastest-growing health and beauty companies. The company produces innovative, spa-quality products that are great for women who don't want to spend tons of money on beauty products.

With 12 great smelling fragrance lines, you're sure to find a scent to suit your tastes! 

I was sent a Body Cream, Body Mist and Shower Gel/Foaming Bath in the White Gardenia fragrance.

First of all, I have to say this is a beautiful fragrance. It's like a light musk combined with gardenia, and it has become one of my favorites! The scent is not overpowering, but after using all 3 products in the morning, the fragrance lingers all day.  I think I've said it before, but I really don't like heavy fragrances; however, I do want the scent to last at least a few hours. With at least this fragrance, (and I'm sure the others are just as good), Bodycology has done a great job of providing just what I like!

The Shower Gel produces a nice, creamy lather and doesn't require a lot to wash your whole body.  This can also be used as a bubble bath. Simply drizzle a small amount under warm running water, and you have a great smelling bubble bath!



The Body Cream gives an all day hydration to your skin. I really like using this cream rather than other lotions-it seems to work so much better! It leaves me with much smoother skin, even on my hands, which tend to dry out very quickly.


The Body Mist is a great way to revive the fragrance if it seems to be wearing off after your shower.  I just use a couple sprays on my wrists and shoulders, and it provides a lovely fragrance all day.  I have also sprayed a small amount on my hair (after styling), and my hair smells great all day too!

Bodycology products are available at your local Wal-Mart, and most drug stores. So you don't have to go out of your way to try and find a specialty bath store! You can just pick up your spa-quality bath products during your next shopping trip at Wal-Mart!

Bodycology also offers Anti-Bacterial Hand Soap, Body Lotion, Moisturizing Beads and Gift Sets. These are available in 12 fragrances, so there's at least one for every one!
They also have a new product, a Rich and Creamy Body Wash, which is available in 6 scents!

And guess what? 

Bodycology is giving a bottle of their new Rich and Creamy Body Wash to one of my readers!!

Mandatory Entry-

Go to Bodycology and tell me which Rich and Creamy Body Wash you'd most like to try!

Bonus Entries-

2 entries-Become (or be) a public follower of Hope's Cafe. Leave 2 comments.

1 entry-Follow me (Pilgrim86) on Twitter. Leave a comment with your Twitter name.

1 entry-Tweet this giveaway. This may be done once daily. Leave a comment with a link to your Tweet.

1 entry-Enter another of my giveaways. Leave a comment for each giveaway you enter.

3 entries-Blog about this giveaway. Leave 3 comments with a link to your post.

1 entry-Fan Bodycology on Facebook. Leave a comment telling me you did.

1 entry-Follow Bodycology on Twitter. Leave a comment with your Twitter name.

1 entry-Subscribe to the Bodycology newsletter. Leave a comment telling me you did.

This giveaway ends Thursday, August 12, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. Please leave a valid email address in each comment, as this is how the winner will be notified. Winner will have 48 hours to respond, or another winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to US residents only.

Disclaimer:I received product for the purpose of review. All thoughts and opinions are mine. All quotes taken from the Bodycology website.