Artisoo $25 Gift Certificate (3 Winners) [Giveaway]

The walls of my home are filled with family photographs mixed in with a few pieces of artwork. Wall decor is an easy and quick way to transform a home whether you are looking for an update or would like to change your style. Artisoo.com is a bridge for artists to show their talent and connect with those wanting to purchase art. Worldwide shipping and a vast selection of art (including oil painting and Chinese painting) make Artisoo the one-stop shop for art.

Three people will each win a $25 voucher gift certificate to Artisoo.com. Voucher applies to all paintings on Artisoo.com, including weekly deal special paintings, but excluding custom orders. Vouchers can be used once and cannot be combined with any other coupons.

Please use the Rafflecopter entry form below. Open WORLDWIDE. All entries will be verified. Duplicate and invalid entries will be deleted. 

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Artisoo.com $25 Gift Certificate (3 winners)

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Disclaimer: This giveaway is brought to you through 4Sponsor. No compensation was received. All Natural Katie is not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations. All opinions are my own. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
  

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SOI Co. Luxe Box Soy Candle [Giveaway]

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Soy candles offer many benefits over traditional paraffin candles. Longer burn rater, clean burn and no emission of harmful toxic chemicals (such as Benzene) entering the air are some of the benefits of burning soy candles. SOI Co. candles are hand-poured using kosher soy oil. They burn 40% longer than wax candles.

The best part, the soy oil burns coolly at 106º into a reflective pool of soy that always remains warm to the touch and will not burn little hands. You can even use the melted soy oil as a skin moisturizer for dry or irritated skin. Soy oil is soothing for sunburns, eczema, psoriasis, and poison oak.

Enter to win a SOI Co. Luxe Box Soy Candle ($27 value) below.

Please use the Rafflecopter entry form below. Open to the US only. All entries will be verified. Duplicate and invalid entries will be deleted. 

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SOI Co. Luxe Box Soy Candle ($27 value)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  
Disclaimer: All Natural Katie is not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations. I never received the sample, even after contacting the company. I am required to include the standard disclosure, as follows. I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
  

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Cheap Canvas Prints Online [Review]

I feel like I am finally at the point that I can think about home improvement projects again. I am excited about adorning our walls with photographs of our baby. I have been reserving a huge wall in the basement hall for photographs of our baby. The plan is to complement the black frames containing our wedding photos with textured canvas prints of the baby and our new family. Canvas prints are becoming more readily available and more affordable, allowing families to reproduce the look of original oil or acrylic paintings on stretched canvas. Canvas Champ is your go to online retailer for cheap canvas prints online.

8x12 Canvas Print (.75" Wrap)                              ($11.00)
Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Very affordable	Ships from India
Easy ordering process	Limited customization options
High quality canvas prints
Ready to hang

Canvas Champ offers the cheapest canvas prints online. I was surprised by their extremely low prices. You can order a print as low as $10 for an 8x8 inch canvas print. With such cheap prices, I would consider getting a bigger print, which is usually much more than my budget. The affordable prices are due to the fact that the prints are printed and shipped from India. Although I prefer to purchase products and services from the U.S., I would consider purchasing from an overseas company. Canvas prints can get expensive if you get multiple photos printed or if you print a larger size to hang on a wall behind a couch. I do wonder how environmentally friendly and economical it is to ship from India though.

The ordering process was very easy. I quickly uploaded a high resolution photo and was able to select options like layout, hardware, border options, image effects, and canvas wrap style. Within a couple of minutes, I was ready to place the order. I like that I can quickly order with the Canvas Champ and feel confident in the product that I am going to receive. I would like to see more customization options.

I received an 8x12 canvas print with a 1.5" border wrap (gallery-style wrap) ready to hang on the wall with a standard hook for hanging. I chose the Mirror Image wrap style since my canvas print will hang in a high-traffic area. I decided against the Image Wrap option because the ordering application would zoom in to the photo and then wrap it around. I did not want to cut off any of the people. I am pleased with the Mirror Wrap.

The print arrived in well packaged and protected inside cardboard and plastic bag with a Fragile sticker on the outside. I like all of the protection to ensure that the canvas print does not get damaged during shipping. I had to sign for the package. The print was ready to be hung as soon as I took it out of the package. The canvas print was on the wall within a few minutes. The saturation of the print was not as deep as I expected, so I would recommend increasing saturation manually before ordering.

Canvas Champ offers a quick and easy process to order high quality, affordable canvas prints delivered right to your door. With the frequent discounts and sales, Canvas Champ offers cheap canvas prints online.

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own.

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High Quality Affordable Canvas Prints [Review]

I am slightly obsessed with photography. Currently, one of the top items on my wish list is a DSLR camera. My smartphone takes great photographs, but as my baby has become more mobile, I need something better to take beautiful photographs that I can print and put on my wall. Although I love a big print in a frame, I tend to prefer the look of canvas prints. Canvas printing is now easier than ever with Easy Canvas Prints, which allows me to quickly order professional looking canvas prints online.

8x10 Canvas Print (.75" Wrap)                              ($44.71)
Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Easy ordering process	Limited customization options
High quality canvas prints
Ready to hang

Easy Canvas Prints offers high quality, gallery-ready prints at affordable prices. The ordering process is quick and easy. The prices are a lot cheaper than at comparable companies. Easy Canvas Prints frequently offers sales and discounts to make printing your memories on canvas even more affordable. To me, there is something unique about printing your special memories on canvas.

I chose to print an 8x10 canvas print with 1.5" border wrap (gallery-style wrap) ready to hang on the wall with a standard brass hanger and a Mirror Wrap border. Since my canvas print is hanging in a high-traffic location, I wanted the border to match the image as opposed to having a colored border. I decided against the Image Wrap option because the ordering wizard would zoom in to the photo and then wrap it around. I did not want to cut off any of the people, so I chose the Mirror Wrap. I am pleased with the Mirror Wrap.

Ordering the print took me less than 10 minutes the first time and would take me less than 5 on subsequent orders. I like that I can quickly order with the Easy Canvas Prints ordering wizard and feel confident in the product that I am going to receive. I would like to see more customization options like portrait orientation. I wanted to print a portrait photo and did not see an option to change the photo orientation on the ordering wizard. Therefore, I had to manually rotate the photo before uploading. I would like to see an option to select the orientation that I want printed.

*Update Regarding Photo Orientation: If ordering a photo in the landscape orientation, select "custom size" and choose 10x8 (or the size of the print that you would like) to make the image landscape. Basically, flip the two numbers and select that size. The ability to rotate photos after they are uploaded will be available from Easy Canvas Prints in the future.

The print arrived in a sturdy cardboard box, well protected inside a plastic bag, and a Fragile sticker on the outside. I like all of the protection to ensure that the canvas print does not get damaged during shipping. The print was ready to be hung as soon as I took it out of the package. The canvas print was on the wall within a few minutes. Since I printed the photo in the portrait orientation, the hanging bracket was hung on the landscape orientation side. My husband removed the hanging bracket and attached it to the adjacent side to remedy this issue. The canvas print hangs flush with the wall and is easy to remove and hang.

Easy Canvas Prints offers a quick and easy process to order high quality, affordable canvas prints delivered right to your door. With the frequent discounts and sales, I will look to Easy Canvas Prints for any of my future canvas printing needs.

Easy Canvas Prints is offering a 50% off coupon code plus Free Shipping to the US (excluding Alaska and Hawaii)! You will not be disappointed!

Enter to win an 8x10 canvas print with Free Shipping to the US.

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own.

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Solid Cordz 1 Foot Extension Cable [Review]

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

There always seems to be one outlet that I use all of the time that is just out of reach. I end up doing yoga poses, extending and contorting my body, to plug something into the outlet. The outlet always happens to be behind a big piece of furniture, so I have to feel with my fingers to figure out where the prongs should go. The other problem I usually encounter is big, bulky plugs that take up 2 slots on a power strip. Premium Solid Cordz 1 Foot Extension Cables liberate the power strip and allow for more efficient use of outlets and plugs.

PREMIUM Solid Cordz 1 Foot Extension Cable (5 pack)    
   
Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Convenient size (1 foot)
Heavy duty
Lifetime 100% money back guarantee

Premium Solid Cordz 1 Foot Extension Cables come in a 5 pack. This is the perfect length and number of extension cables to extend a power strip. The extension cables allow you to utilize every slot of a power strip when big, bulky power adapters take up more than one space. Instead of having multiple power strips and a mess of cables, you plug each 1 foot extension cable into a slot on the power strip and then plug the power adapters into the extension cable.

The entertainment center in the basement was the first stop for the Solid Cordz 1 Foot Extension Cables. The television and the stereo system come with big power adapters. I quickly plugged in the 1 foot extension cables and opened up a couple of slots for other electronics that were never plugged in because of no room. I don't have to play "musical chairs" with the slots anymore!

The next stop was the plug behind the bed. I charge my phone overnight every other day. I would keep the cord plugged in at all times, but I like having it with me when I leave the house. Therefore, I am forced to plug and unplug every other day. Sometimes, I have to move the heavy bed just to get the cord plugged in. No more! I plugged a Solid Cordz 1 Foot Extension Cable into the outlet and can now easily reach the plug to charge my phone. My husband quickly realized the convenience and also took a Solid Cordz 1 Foot Extension Cable to use with his phone.

Features:

• Convenient & money saving
• 5-pack 12-inch length to provide a clean, organized look
• Equipped with a 16AWG wire gauge
• Underwriters Laboratories (UL) listed
• CSA Approved for top quality
• Heavy-duty molded ends

I love the convenience of these Solid Cordz 1 Foot Extension Cables. I can quickly and easily make power strips and hard to reach outlets more accessible. The cables are heavy duty and will last for a long time. If you are looking to make your cords and cables more organized and accessible, I would highly recommend Premium Solid Cordz 1 Foot Extension Cables.

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own.

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How To Decorate a Christmas Tree ANK Style!

We FINALLY bought a Christmas tree today! I would call this a little bit last minute since we are less than 2 weeks away from Christmas. Nonetheless, we have a real live tree in our house! If you have not gone Christmas tree shopping, it's not too late. On my way to the grocery store, I saw three lots with Christmas trees. Trying to decide whether to buy a real tree or a fake one, read my real vs. fake Christmas tree post.

Now that we have the tree, let's decorate! Our family strategy for decorating is below.

1. Husband hangs lights
2. Wife ensures lights are evenly spaced
3. Baby watches lights being hung
4. Husband, wife, and baby stand back and enjoy the lit tree (no ornaments yet)
5. Wife selects first ornament to hang and recalls the origin of the ornament
6. Husband selects second ornament to hang and recalls the origin of the ornament
7. Baby selects third ornament to hang
8. The remaining ornaments are laid out on the coffee table
9. When someone walks by the tree, they select an ornament to hang on the tree

I do not remember how we came up with this strategy. Maybe we were too tired after buying the tree, setting it up, and putting lights on it that we decided to space out the ornament hanging. Maybe we liked the lights-only tree. Either way, we are starting a family tradition!

>> What are your family traditions for tree decoration??
  

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Choose Soy Candles for Longer Burn [Review]

My experience with candles has not been the best one. Either they smell too strong (even unlit), or they collapse on one side because of uneven burn, or they produce soot that ends up on something else. I resorted to using candles for decoration only. The big burgundy candle that used to decorate the middle of the dining room table quickly got moved to the butler's pantry because I could not stand the strong smell. The candle is gorgeous, but the scent is overpowering. When I needed candles for the master bathroom, I bought unscented candles. Needless to say, what I really needed was naturally scented candles. Mountain Laurel Naturals makes candles from high quality soy and essential oils to provide clean and even burn, longer burn rate, and pleasing scent.

Mountain Laurel Naturals Soy Candle        ($15.00)
Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
No dyes or artificial ingredients
Long lasting burn
Clean and even burn

Soy candles have a longer burn rate than candles made from wax/parafin. Although soy candles will cost a little bit more, you can be confident that they will last longer than traditional candles. Soy candles also burn cleaner, so you do not have to worry about getting soot on anything around the candle. I mainly use candles when I am cooking something that will be smelly/stinky or frying something. The candle usually sits on the kitchen counter after I am done cooking. Inevitably, the bottom of the nearest cabinet gets soot on it. No one likes the black smoke coming off candles! I really like that Mountain Laurel Naturals soy candle can be placed anywhere without worrying that something will get soot on it.

I received the soy candle in the Spiced Eggnog scent. My husband and I both agreed that it smelled more like sugar cookies. Nothing better than the scent of the holidays! The smell of unburned candle was pretty strong, but when I lit the candle and let it burn for a few minutes, the smell was not overpowering. I prefer candles with milder scents that slowly fill the house. Mountain Laurel Naturals uses essential oils to scent the candles, which are healthier for your and your family. Perfumes and synthetic fragrances are potentially carcinogenic. Therefore, burning candles scented with essential oils results in cleaner indoor air.

I love the compact size of the candle. I will be keeping this candle on the kitchen cabinet to combat any cooking smells for the upcoming holiday season. I might even light it to get into the holiday mood as I am cooking or baking up goodies. I would recommend Mountain Laurel Naturals soy candles as a perfect stocking stuffer or gift for any family member or friend. The soy candles are also available in the following scents: Bayberry & Peppermint and Lavender & Vanilla. I hope Mountain Laurel Naturals offers these candles in bigger sizes in the future!

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

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$300 TARGET Gift Card [Giveaway]

Celebrate Your Holiday Wish Giveaway

Nov 11-30, 2013 Open to US

Target is one of the stores I frequent for home and holiday decor. I always find something unique and high quality that will add that special touch to my house. Every once in a while, I can even find something green and eco-friendly. I am excited to share this giveaway for a $300 Target store gift card with my readers.

Bringing You Moments To Celebrate

Sponsored by Celebrate Woman Today

What would be your Holiday Wish this year? The one that could warm your heart and have a powerful effect on you and your living for a long year ahead, may be even your entire life? I encourage you to go for it and take the steps to get what you wish for yourself and for other people in your life. This event would send a lucky winner on a shopping spree to Target. Who wouldn't love that? Lot's of choices there to satisfy all ages and tastes. Ready to enter your chances to make one of your wishes come true and purchase something special for the special person or persons in your life?

Prize – $300 Target Gift Card To Make Your Wish Come True This Season

I have been spying some really cute eco-friendly baskets made of natural fibers at Target. I would love to add them to my living room. On the other hand, my husband has been searching for the annual nutcracker display at Target. I guess he is ready to decorate for Christmas!

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Wordless Wednesday - My New Friend Terrarium

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Reused Gift Wrapping

The first eco-friendly gift of the season has been wrapped and is under the Christmas tree. Here is what I used:

1. Plain paper used to wrap fragile items at Home Goods
2. Shoelace-type string from a J Crew bag
3. Red ribbon from a Victoria's Secret bag

I need to add a name tag and the gift will be complete.

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Green Motivation Monday: Buy a Live Christmas Tree

This post is part of the Green Motivation Monday series. The purpose of these weekly posts is to offer motivation to take a small baby step in the green and eco-friendly direction. Of course, I will be taking the step right along with you. I will let you know how I did and I hope you let me know what you were able to accomplish.

Motivation: Buy a live Christmas tree instead of an artificial Christmas tree.

I asked my husband if he thought that a real tree or an artificial tree was more eco-friendly. His answer: artificial tree. Initially, we both thought that an artificial tree would be more eco-friendly because you are reusing the same tree year after year and not cutting down real trees. We were both wrong!

Real Christmas trees are the eco-friendly choice. Buy a tree with the root ball and you are being even more eco-friendly because the tree can be planted after the holidays are over. Good Girl Gone Green and Earth 911 cover the debate of "real vs. fake" and also promote buying a real Christmas tree. Over the long run, a real tree will cost you more money. However, the positive environmental impact of buying a real tree every year will outweigh your out-of-pocket cost in the end.

Artificial Christmas trees are harmful. They can potentially cause cancer because they are made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is “one of the most environmentally offensive forms of non-renewable, petroleum-derived plastic.” Fake trees might contain lead and other additives that have been linked to liver, kidney, neurological and reproductive system damage in lab studies on animals.

I challenge you to buy a real Christmas tree (even if it is a small one) and stand clear of fake, toxic plastic trees!
  

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Pine Cone Gift Decoration

I am officially in gift giving mode!  With my husband's side of the family, the Thanksgiving weekend is a time of exchanging gift lists and then shopping for those gifts.  Several gifts have been bought and I am thinking of eco-friendly ways to wrap them.

My recent post about pine cone decoration was well received by my Twitter and #CTWW followers.  I must admit that I am going a little crazy about the pine cones.  I am now Googling pine cone gift decorations!  (Off Note: My husband thinks I've gone off the deep end and should just drop the whole pine cone theme.)

The Country Living website offers creative ideas for decorating with pine cones.  My favorite is the pine cone gift wrap.  Instead of using the standard-issue bow, you string one or two pine cones on top.  You can even spray paint or brush paint them with your favorite holiday color. All year long, I have been saving the brown/beige paper that is used to wrap fragile items. I will use the paper to wrap some of the gifts and will attach one or two pine cones with a name tag at the end of ribbon.  

>> How do you incorporate eco-friendly themes into your gift wrapping?
 

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