There are days when I like to bake and then there are days when I prefer to be lazy and grab something out of a box. This last month I was a little under the weather during the holidays. Instead of baking a batch of cookies to leave out for Santa, we left him some yummy Gold Emblem cookies that you can purchase at CVS.

Yes, we cheated and didn’t make any cookies for Santa but that is okay. I think he was okay with what the kids left for him to snack on.

We received the following Gold Emblem products to try:

• Gold Emblem Brownie Cookies
• Gold Emblem Maple Leaf Brownie Cookies
• Gold Emblem Select Vanilla Coffee Cookies
• Gold Emblem Coffee

The kids left Santa a cup of coffee instead of milk along with a plate of cookies. Santa ate all of the Brownie Cookies that we left out. We knew those must have been good and we finished the box in no time. The other two cookies are good too but the brownies were my favorite.

Now the coffee, my husband LOVES it! He thinks it is his special coffee. I just smile!

Do you have any product from CVS that you buy on a regular basis?

I received product samples to provide you with this review. This post is not a paid post and all opinions are my own.

When it comes to beauty products, I have always been a fan of lotions. I can’t help it, but I prefer to have soft skin. I am picky though with my lotions I use. I don’t like lotions that don’t smell good and I don’t like lotions that leave your skin feeling greasy. I enjoy applying lotion on my hands throughout the day and after I rub the lotion in, I want my hands to smell nice!

I received a few of the products from Mother’s Therapy to review. I received some of their hand lotion, hand sanitizer and their baby lotion. I have to say, I LOVE their hand sanitizer. I am a germaphobe and have sanitizer in my purse, desk drawer, car, etc. One thing about hand sanitizers is that they usually stink. Most of them will usually dry out your hands too after use. Not the Mother’s Therapy Hand Sanitizer, it leaves your hands smelling pleasant like fresh cut cucumbers. The hand lotion I received also has the same scent and leaves my skin soft like I like.

Their hand sanitizer is also available in travel size, perfect for my purse. Santa also left some in my kid’s stockings!

In addition to liking the actual products, I love that this company is a woman-owned company that strives to provide parents with healthy options for our children. They also are using organic and natural products to make their products. Here is what you will find in their hand sanitizer.

For more information on these products, visit: www.MothersTherapyOrganics.com.

I received this game to provide you with this review. This post is not a paid post and all opinions are my own.

My 5 year old son LOVES the Angry Birds. He enjoys playing the game on my phone and he has a few Angry Bird stuffed animals around here. I used to play the game on my iPhone all the time until I decided to cut back from games since it takes up time I could be spending studying, blogging, creating recipes, etc.

Arr, matey! The popular Angry Birds app comes to life in this epic Pirate Pig Attack Game! Can you triumph in this fast-crashing game? Launch your bird to take down the dastardly pirate ship and topple the swashbuckling piggies on their perches! Load your kart and target the pigs just right with your launcher. When you take out the pigs’ sailing vessel, you’ll become the feather-flying champion of the Pirate Pig Attack Game!

It started with just the app on my phone . Now there are all sorts of Angry Birds games my son is wanting. Know that my son was super excited when he opened the Angy Birds Go! Jenga Pirate Pig Attack Game on Christmas. He immediately wanted to play it before even opening the rest of his gifts. I made him finish, but it was the first thing he took out of the box and it is one of his favorite gifts he received.

Amazon has Angry Birds Go! Jenga Pirate Pig Attack Game on SALE for only $17.99.

Do you have an Angry Birds fan in your house?

My daughter Hannah just loves to sing, make music or better yet make noise. She is a member of her school choir and she is one that enjoys making her own music with her plastic recorder. This Christmas I gave Hannah something I knew she would love, a 12 hole Hobbit Ocarina.

The 12 Hole Tenor Ocarina “The Hobbit” is about 5 inches long, accurately tuned in the key of C Major, with a pitch range of 13 notes. It also has the capability of performing sharps and flats.

Before I wrapped this and gave it to my daughter, I had to be the first one to try it. I can’t say that my music sounded good but I like that this comes with an instructional booklet as Hannah is eager to learn how to make beautiful tunes. I kind of want to learn how to play it too!

The STL Ocarina website has this hobbit style ocarina as well as a large variety of other ocarinas in different shapes, colors and prices. For more information, visit: www.stlocarina.com.