6 Clean Valentine Romance Books

I love literature that is clean and wholesome yet fun to read. Around Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to pick up a great romance. I especially enjoy Regency Era novels. Here are some top picks of books to read for Valentine's Day:




Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson: I love this book. It takes place during the Regency Era. I've gotten this book for my mother-in-law and mother for Christmas. It's a quick, fast, fun read.




Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin: Pride and Prejudice is a classic, romance that never goes out of style.




Friends and Foes by Sarah Eden: Sarah Eden has a couple of books that deal with sons of a family named the Jonquils meeting their wives.  I would highly suggest reading Friends and Foes. It is by far one of my favorites. I love that it mixes contempt, love, and espionage.


 

Longing for Home by Sarah Eden:  Longing for Home deals with an Irish immigrant coping with past horrors from the Potato Famine and trying to raise money to send home. Along the way she meets two potential love interests....

 

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austin: Sense and Sensibility shares the story of the Dashwood sisters and their struggles to find love and understand each other.



Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson: Blackmoore's heroine is not the typical regency character. She's a little more rough around the edges. It's a quick, easy and enjoyable read.

February Giveaways to Enter (some are low entry)

Naturally Fresh Dressing (ends February 1, 2015)
Spartan Race Entry (ends February 1, 2015)
Hurraw Lip Balm (ends February 1, 2015)
Kind Snacks (ends February 1, 2015) 
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Voucher for Foster Farms Chicken (ends February 14, 2015)
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$25 Marshalls Gift Card (ends February 15, 2015) 

Dole Heart Healthy Pack (ends February 16, 2015)
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Nonni's Biscuits (ends February 21, 2015)
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Mediterranean Gift Basket (ends February 22, 2015)
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Stonyfield OP Smoothies (ends February 23, 2015)
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Freshly Picked Moccasins (ends February 26, 2015)
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Color Run Tour (ends February 27, 2015)
Star Wars and Goonie Shirts (ends February 27, 2015)
Fig Spreads (ends February 28, 2015)
$15 Paypal Cash (ends February 28, 2015)
$15 Paypal Cash (ends February 28, 2015) 
Van's Vouchers (ends February 28, 2015)

Last month, there were 2 wins. Please be sure to leave a comment if you win something!

Treat your Carpets Well

Treating your carpets well can help eliminate bacteria, dirt and grime. They will also last longer and look better. I have made a goal this year, to start taking better care of my home. Taking better care of your home gives you a greater feeling of peace for you and your family. It also helps you become less depressed (over the state of your living situation) and more organized. The following is an informational graphic on your carpets.


Source: eReplacementParts.com

Want to win a trip to Paris or Switzerland?

My husband and I have been dreaming about visiting Paris and/or Switzerland together. My husband living in France and Switzerland for two years while doing a mission for our church. I love hearing his stories about the culture, the food, and the scenery. Right now, Oscillo has a sweepstakes to win a free trip to Paris! How fun would that be! The trip is for two and five days and four nights. The sweepstakes ends 3/11/2015. To enter, click here.













Ricola also has a sweepstakes to win a trip to Switzerland. The trip includes three night in Zermatt, a village in the mountains. Ricola will let you also tour their herb gardens and you can go hiking and take in the beautiful scenery. Click here for more information.

Olivia Books by Ian Falconer

I love the Olivia Books by Ian Falconer. The illustrations are so amazing, interesting to look at and the story is amusing and captivating. I am not so sure my 15 month year old boy is as impressed although he does seem to like Olivia's Opposites. We have read most of the books. I am hoping that Mr. Falconer will write some more soon. I know there are some books that are branded Olivia, but aren't by Mr. Falconer. We don't tend to read those since they're not as good. I have a couple of suggestions or themes:

An Olivia Book on:

• Halloween 
• Valentine's Day
• Thanksgiving
• New Year's
• Friends or her Best Friend
• Visiting Paris
• Visiting London
• What does Olivia do at school? 
• Olivia Cleansher Room

Do you have any other ideas?

Tiecoon Emergency Clearance Sale

I have done a few posts on Tiecoon. They are my favorite place to get ties - inexpensive and looks great. I used Tiecoon to get ties for my wedding, as gifts and to update my husband's tie collection. Tiecoon's tie are usually around $5.95 and they also sells bowties, XL ties and boys ties. Right now, Tiecoon is offering an emergency clearance where ties are 50% off with the promo code, "CLEAR." Please note that this sale will only go on until January 20, 2015 at midnight. With this sale, you can get ties for Father's Day and/or Easter.

* This post is not sponsored by Tiecoon. These are my own opinions without sponsorship incentives.

DIY Haircut

One of my friends posted on Facebook that she did a DIY haircut and it turned out pretty good. I decided to give it a whirl and I made a video of it for your viewing pleasure. I got the instructions here, in case you want to try it too.

Upcoming Races to Do in Boise This Winter/ Early Spring

I have been looking at races to do in Boise over the winter. There's a couple of ones that look interesting. I find running races at Running in the USA or Trifind. You can find races for every state.

February 14, 2014 - RUN4LUV - 5k, 10k and half marathon
February 14, 2015- Valentine's Dash - 5k
February 28, 2015 - Coeur D' Alene Triathlon - Triathlon (not in Boise, but looks like fun!)
February 28, 2015 - Winter Triathlon - Run 4k, Bike 15k and Ski 8k
March 21, 2015 - Volition Half Marathon - 13.1 miles
April 3, 2015 - Spring Sprint Triathlon - Long and Short Course
April 10, 2015 - Bo-Glo - 5k
April 11, 2015 - Lake Lowell Marathon - half marathon, 10k, 5k

If you're looking to travel for a race, check out vacation races. They have half marathons at National Parks including Zions National Park, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain, Great Smokey, Yosemite.

9 Things to Do in Boise in the Winter

Sometimes its hard to think of fun family activities to do in the Winter especially when its cold outside. Here are some ideas on things to do:

1. Go to the Public Library and/or attend an event: The Boise Library has many events and programs that are fun and free to do! Check out their website here. Upcoming events include:

• Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors, February 5th from 6:30 pm to 8 pm at the Main Library
• Author Discussion with Nommi Eve (Henna House, The Family Orchard), January 21st at 7 pm in the Main Library
• Swordmanship Discussion, January 17th at 2pm in the Main Library

2. Ski or go Snow Tubbing at Bogus Basin. Bogus Basin: If you go to your local Jackson's and purchase three participating Pepsi products, you can get a discount voucher. Go here for more details.

3. Boise Aquarium is indoors and would be a fun, family activity. There is a discount now available through Groupon. Click here to see the deal.

4. Bowling is a great indoor activity and there's a discount at 20th century lanes on Groupon. Click here for more details.

5. Participate in a class or activity through the Boise Park and Recreation Program. Classes range from fitness to art classes. Click here to see the program guide.

6. Listen to a musical concert at Boise State University. Music departments at colleges often have periodic concerts so that students can practice. Usually, the concert is well done and reasonably priced. Click here for more details. Upcoming concerts include:

• Senior Recital, January 31st from 7:30-9 pm. Admission is Free (parking is not)
• Boise State Jazz Concert Combo, February 10th, 7-9pm, Cost $7-10 per ticket
• Little Women Musical, March 6th, 7:30-9 pm

7. Idaho Ice World has open ice skating and open nights for Hockey. I went there once on a date with my husband and it was so much fun. See my review here.

8. Discovery Center in Boise: Explore, discover and learn about a variety of things.They have a current exhibit on propulsion.

9. Boise Art Museum: Be inspired by the creative talents of various artists.

Brookside Dark Chocolate Crunchy Clusters Berry Medly Flavors Review

Brookside sent me their Dark Chocolate Crunchy Clusters Berry Medley to review. Brookside began in 1954 in British Columbia, Canada. They have developed patented technology to create soft sweetened fruit centers into chocolates. At first glance, I thought that berry taste might be overwhelming since the package has lots of berries on it and the cluster looks like it contains a huge berry in it. The berry taste wasn't overwhelming. There's a slight berry taste and a crunch to it. The chocolate is just the right sweetness too. These are easy to snack on and would be a great item to give to your Valentine, have out on Valentine's Day, or to have for special occasions.

Disclaimer: I received my sample from Crowdtap for free for testing and review purposes in exchange of my opinion, which is reflected in this entry.

 

Giveaways to Enter (some are low entry)

Gorton's Prize Pack (ends January 12, 2015)
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"Sweet" Valentine Giveaway (ends January 24, 2015)
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Nautical Pillow (ends January 25, 2015)
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$25 Visa Gift Card and Trucks (ends January 26, 2015)
$50 Target Gift Card (ends January 27, 2015)
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Fisher Nuts and $50 Costco Gift Card (ends January 27, 2015)
Emergency Food Supply Kits (ends January 27, 2015)
$20 Pear Tree Credit (ends January 28, 2015)
Krusteaz Mix (ends January 28, 2015)
Gorton's Prize Pack (ends January 29, 2015) 
Eat Smart Salad Coupons (ends January 29, 2015)
Lush Decor $200 Gift Card (ends January 30, 2015)
$50 Gift Card for iherb (ends January 30, 2015)
$50 Whole Foods Gift Card (ends January 31, 2015)

If you have a giveaway you would like to include on this list, please contact me or if you have won a giveaway, please let us know in the comments.