DIY GIFTS WITH NJ LOTTERY

Are you looking for the perfect gift for the adults on your list this holiday season? This year I'll be gifting New Jersey Lottery Holiday Scratch-Offs to my friends and family! With top prizes from $500 to $500,000 and fun themes tickets like "Sleigh Bills" and "Peppermint Payout" holiday scratch-offs are a fun gift for anyone over eighteen. 

Below are two easy DIY projects to help you give a little scratch-off magic this season. Further details and video for both can be found on my Instagram!

Gift #1 Supplies:

•12 cookies (bonus points for homemade)

•Holiday loaf pan

•Cellophane bag

•String

•NJ Holiday Scratch Offs

Instructions:

•Put 12 cookies into the bag.

•Twist the bag to close it and secure it with string.

•Put the wrapped cookies into the loaf pan.

•Arrange varying holiday scratch-offs in the loaf pan.

Gift #2 Supplies:

•11 Sleigh Bills Scratch-Offs

•1 Peppermint Payoff Scratch-Off

•Tape

•1 holiday chocolate

Instructions:

•Following the video on my Instagram arrange the Scratch-Offs into a Christmas tree.

•Using small pieces of tape secure the tickets.

•Tape the holiday chocolate to the top of the tree.

Have you ever given Holiday Scratch-Offs for a gift?  If you have and you have a unique way you gift them let me know in the comments!

This post has been sponsored by NJ Lottery, but all opinions are entirely my own. The New Jersey Lottery reminds players, it's only a game...remember to play responsibly.  If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER®.  For more information visit New Jersey Lottery.

                    

Pup Prep for Spring Box

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.

 

Lucy and I are getting ready for spring with the Pup Prep for Spring Box that BabbleBoxx sent over for us.  As a huge dog lover I was so excited to get to tryout all the amazing goodies in the box to share with all of you and I’m breaking everything down below!

 

Natural Care

Natural Care+ Odor Neutralizing Activated Charcoal Shampoo for Dogs

Since Lucy is a hypoallergenic breed dog she has hair, instead of fur, that needs to be washed relatively frequently.  Over the years we’ve tried numerous different pet shampoos and I am super impressed with this one from Natural Care.  The first thing everyone in my family noticed was how great it smells and how good she continued to smell after using it.  This is thanks to the ingredients in the shampoo like activated charcoal and the patented odor eliminating technology that absorbs and removes impurities in a dog’s skin and coat while neutralizing odors (like skunk odor, urine, feces, sweat, wet dog, and more).  The other highlight for this is how moisturizing it was for Lucy’s hair and skin—I usually use a pet conditioner when washing her but didn’t need to with this and her hair has been noticeably soft.

 

Natural Care+ Aches-PLUS Tasty Chewables 

These treat-like chews are great for senior, large breed, and highly active dogs.  They feature a blend of pineapple bromelain, white willow bark, and yucca root to naturally soothe any aches and pains dogs have. While Lucy is lucky to not really suffer with any ailments at this point I’m glad to know about this aspirin and synthetic pain reliever free alternative as she ages.

 

Natural Care+ Flea & Tick Wipes for Dogs 

These wipes are the perfect anytime flea and tick treatments for dog who love spending time outdoors but hate baths.  Since they’re in wipe form, they are super easy to use—they’re great for anytime you bring in your dog from outside and are convenient to bring with you on any adventures you take with your pup. Like the chews I talked about above they are another natural alternative since they use plant-based ingredients like peppermint oil and eugenol (which comes from clove plants) to kill fleas, flea eggs, ticks, and mosquitoes on contact.

 

Natural Care+ Flea & Tick Leave-In Foam

This leave foam in is an alternative to the wipes above as it’s a great way to treat for fleas and ticks without having to bathe your dog.  It too kills fleas, flea eggs, ticks, and mosquitoes on contact with the same plant-based ingredients in an easy to use foam formula.

 

Multipet International Inc.

Ice Cream Truck and Pacifier Pals Toys

Lucy is one of those dogs that loves dog toys so she was super excited to get these.  The ice cream truck is a latex toy that features a high-pitched squeaker to stimulate play and the Pacifier Pal is perfect for her as it combines a latex and plush toy in one that squeaks too (her favorite feature on any toy!).  They are great for keeping Lucy engaged during playtime and help to get her moving. These toys can be purchased at local retailers, and you can find more information about them here.

Pioneer Pet

Elevated Vortex Fountain

I have never used a water fountain for pets before and have been quite impressed with this.  Even Lucy who can be a bit skittish with new things was comfortable using this right away.  I think it’s important to give your dog clean, filtered water and this makes doing that almost effortless.  It uses a filter to purify the water, adds oxygen into the water, and creates a vortex in the center to pull down any debris that might be in the bowl.

 

Unscented Pick-Up Bags

I like having dedicated waste bags for Lucy like these that are easy to grab before a walk or a trip in the car so I always have something in case she needs to go to the bathroom.  These are great because they feature a drawstring to close each bag, are leakproof, and come in a pack of 80 bags.  In my opinion these are a must have for dog owners!

 

You use the code summer10 for 10% off your order at pioneerpet.com!

 

eufy Pet

Dog Camera

I have been wanting to get a dog camera for a while and have been loving this one!  It has been so awesome to be able to check on Lucy when I’m not with her to make sure she’s doing ok and this has some fun features too (which don’t require a subscription to use like other pet cameras I’ve seen).  It took me less than ten minutes to setup the camera and app for it and since it both rotates 270° and has AI Tracking and Smart Alert it was easy to pick a spot to place it.  My favorite part of the dog camera though is being able to toss treats to Lucy from it when I’m not home and I would say that’s definitely her favorite part too!  After using this I don’t know how I went without one and I’m glad I won’t have to in the future.

 

 

As you can see with all these amazing items Lucy and I are all ready for spring!  If you have any product questions let me know in the comments below.

 

How are you getting ready for the warmer seasons with your pets?

                    

Four Ways to Give the Gift of NJ Lottery for the Holidays

My father is a HUGE fan of the New Jersey Lottery and loves gifting tickets during the holiday season, especially the NJ Lottery Holiday Scratch-Offs.  Every year (since I’ve turned eighteen) I’ve always had lottery tickets to look forward to as a stocking stuffer from him.  I love to think of all the ways I would use the money if I ever hit it big with one of the tickets.  The practical way I’d use it would be to put it towards student loans and an upcoming trip I have, but the more frivolous way I’d spend it would be to purchase a bag during said trip.  This year though I’m excited to turn the tables and be the one gifting New Jersey Lottery Scratch-Offs to my friends and family, over the age of eighteen, as they offer the wonder of a wrapped gift, the entertainment of a game, and the potential for a large cash payout!

An added bonus when gifting NJ Lottery Holiday Scratch-Offs is how stress-free they are to give.  They are available to purchase at any brick and mortar lottery retailer, such as Wawa and QuickChek, so they’re easy to grab when you drop in for a cup of coffee or lunch.  This year the New Jersey Lottery has released four holiday themed Scratch-Offs with the purpose of gifting in mind.  These holiday tickets are a great gift because you can do something as simple as use them for stocking stuffers, which is always a hit in my experience, or you can get imaginative and create your own DIY project to make gifting the tickets more fun too.  Below I’m sharing with you a few different ways to give the gift of NJ Lottery this holiday season.

1. Decorate with NJ Lottery Holiday Scratch-Offs

This is perfect for people (over eighteen) to grab a lottery ticket off the tree while celebrating or to give the full tree as a gift.  For this idea in addition to the Scratch-Offs you’ll need a small pre-decorated Christmas tree and clothespins (I used sparkly ones).  To assemble this you simply attach the Scratch-Offs to the tree using the clothespins, which took me about five minutes to complete.  I then fanned out some of a different Holiday Scratch-Off around the bottom of the tree to add a little variety.  In the spirit of practicing social distancing this could also be placed on your front porch and friends and family can grab a ticket as they drop something off.

2. Attach Scratch-Off to a Gift

If you’re looking to add a little something to a gift you already have then this is the perfect idea for you!  With this easy idea all you have to do is attach an NJ Lottery Holiday Scratch-Off to the outside of a wrapped gift.  For gifts wrapped in bags you can just clip a Scratch-Off to the outside of the bag (I used another sparkly clothespin) and for gifts wrapped with paper you can slip a Scratch-Off under the gift’s ribbon to keep it in place.  This easy addition to any present adds something fun to make the gift extra special!

3. Add Something Special to Your Holiday Place Settings

This is a wonderful way to add a little pop to your holiday tablescape and my personal favorite way to give Scratch-Offs this season.  To create this I simply set my holiday table as I would without placing the napkins.  I then did a quick search on how to fold napkins (I used paper because that’s what I had, but you can use cloth as well), watched a short YouTube video, and decided which folding technique I liked best.  After folding the napkins instead of placing silverware inside of the pocket I placed two NJ Lottery Holiday Scratch-Offs and tucked the napkin between the plates.  This idea makes for a wonderful, yet unexpected surprise for those at the table to enjoy.

4. The Classic Stocking Stuffer

Did you know that even if the NJ Lottery Holiday Scratch-Offs you gift are not winners there is something the recipient can do with the tickets?  The Million Dollar Replay allows VIP Club members to enter eligible, non-winning Scratch-Offs into quarterly second chance drawings for a chance to be selected as one of four hundred quarter finalists who win a $250 prize and entry into the yearly Grand Prize Drawing for a chance to win one of fifteen prizes ranging from $10,000 up to $1,000,000.  You can find more information on how to become a VIP Club member and how to participate in the Million Dollar Replay here. 

There are so many wonderful reasons to give the gift of NJ Lottery this holiday season that they are a must add to your holiday shopping list.  Have you ever given Holiday Scratch-Offs for a gift?  If you have and you have a unique way you gift them that’s not mentioned here let me know in the comments!

This is a paid partnership with New Jersey Lottery.  You must be 18 or older to buy a lottery ticket.   The New Jersey Lottery reminds players, it's only a game...remember to play responsibly.  If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER®.  For more information visit New Jersey Lottery.

                    

Gift Guide: Fashion

1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  |  11  |  12  |  13  |  14  |  15

Today I'm sharing a guide with the perfect gifts for the fashionista in your life!  After the beauty gift guide this one is always a favorite for me.  I tried to keep it budget friendly and everything is under $100 except for this, this, and this.  For items under $50 make sure to checkout these, this, and this.

I included these, which are on my personal holiday wishlist - I did my research and they are supposed to be the best faux leather leggings!  These are one of my favorite gifts to both give and receive and while I linked the set here they come individually too.  I'm also a huge fan of this and eyeing it as a Christmas present to myself.

As I'm sure you can tell I always love shopping for girls who love fashion because I find them to be easy to buy for!  Hopefully this gift guide can help you out with all the fashionistas you need to get gifts for and if none of these work for you a gift card to Nordstrom never fails!

SHOP THE POST HERE:

                    

Gift Guide: Beauty

1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  |  11  |  12  |  13  |  14  |  15  |  16

I did a poll on my InstaStories a few days ago to see what gift guide you guys wanted to see next and you voted for beauty!  As a lover of all things skincare and beauty this might just be my favorite gift guide to put together.  Everything here is either a favorite product of mine, like this and this, a recommendation from a trusted friend, like this, or from a brand I love, like this.

I love that around the holidays so many beauty companies release gift sets, like this and this, as they make for the perfect present.  My personal favorite beauty gift to give is this perfume sampler because it is an amazing value, super fun for the recipient, and becomes very personalized.  I'm also loving advent calendars, like this, this year since they are the gift that keeps on giving and provide a little mystery too.  There is something in this guide for everyone from the beauty novice to the beauty aficionado and anyone on your list is sure to love whatever you pick!

SHOP THE POST HERE:

                    

Gift Guide: Self Care

1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  |  11  |  12  |  13  |  14  |  15  |  16

This gift guide is for the person on your list who needs a little self care in their life (which is really all of us!).  It can be hard to remember to do something just for yourself, especially during the holidays, and these gifts will hopefully help the recipient remember to take time for themselves and recharge.  I think self care is so important and actually own quite a few of these like the bathrobe and eye mask and the water bottle is on my holiday wish list.  I also got a heated blanket as an early Christmas gift and think everyone needs one in their life because they're amazing and so cozy!  In addition to these gift ideas gift cards for nails, facials, massages, etc. are wonderful self care presents too.  Gifting any of the options here are sure to make for a happy and (hopefully) more relaxed recipient!