Win an Etsy Gift Card and More at the Holiday HOHOHO Giveaway Hop! #RWMevent

Welcome to the Holiday HOHOHO Hop!

Now is your chance to seek out some awesome prizes for those on your Christmas list, but you better hurry, the hop ends on December 5! Make sure to stop by The Review Wire for the Grand Prize, an Erin Condren Life Planner! Use it as a nutrition/exercise log, newborn sleep & peep record, work meetings & appointments, academic & social planner, keepsake journal or as a scrapbook...the possibilities are endless! 

I'm giving away a $20 Etsy gift card! Help support home based businesses by shopping on Etsy. This giveaway is open worldwide so check out the Rafflecopter below to enter and then share with your friends!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: This giveaway ends at 11:59 PM EST on December 5, 2014. The Anything Goes Event Bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. Companies and bloggers, if you would like to participate in group giveaway events like this one, sign up to be emailed about future events hosted by Review Wire Media. Visit the other bloggers on the hop to win more great prizes! *************************

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Walnut Wreath Cookies

Welcome to the Homemaking Party!

Mom was helping me come up with some ideas for holiday baking and told me about these Wreath Cookies that my great-grandma used to make. They're super easy and taste awesome! You can find the recipe below, but first...

Check out the adorable ballet bag I bought for Avalon from Heather Rogers Designs on Etsy*. What first got me excited about this bag was that I could personalize it with her name, and even choose her hair and skin color! Besides that, at only $20, I figured it was a good investment to keep her ballet things organized.

Once I received it, I realized what a great investment it really was! First off, the bag is way bigger than I was expecting. The measurements are, 14"W x 18"H x 2"D, which is plenty big enough for her to use into her teen years. I'm also impressed by the quality of the canvas bag. The design is dyed into the fabric, rather than ironed on, for a much better quality product.

Heather has over 2,500 items to choose from in her Etsy shop---lots of bags, mugs, phone covers, and clothing items to choose from---all personalized. You can find tons of gifts in Heather's shop and, best of all, you'll be supporting a home-based business to boot! Check out Heather Rogers Designs and tell her you saw her here! (I've always wanted to say something commercial-ly like that!)

Now, as promised, a yummy recipe!

Grammy Annabelle's Wreath Cookies
1 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs, separated
2 c. flour
2 c. chopped nuts
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 c. chocolate chips


Cream sugar and butter. Blend in egg yolks. Add flour and mix well, then form into small balls. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until frothy. Dip dough balls in egg whites and then roll in nuts. Set them on a cookie sheet and press down the center of each cookie. Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes, then remove from oven and immediately press down center again. Cool completely. For filling, melt milk and chocolate and stir until smooth. Spoon into cookie centers and let cool until hardened. 

Now it's time for the Homemaking Party---I can't wait to see what you've got to share! 

*I was given a discount on my purchase in exchange for this review. Review was solicited by me because I LOVE this bag! All opinions are honest and are my own.

Linking with:

RSV Prevention and World Prematurity Day #MC #RSVAwareness #PreemieProtection #sponsored

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for MedImmune. I received  a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Today is World Prematurity Day and what better way to honor families who have experienced the birth of a premature baby than to discuss RSV Prevention. Up to 1/3 of parents are unaware of the risks and symptoms of RSV and often brush them off as a simple cold. However, when you're dealing with an infant, especially a premature one, any illness should be taken seriously.

When Lynzie was about 22 months old, she contracted RSV. Her symptoms included blue color around her mouth, as well as a raspy cough and gasping for breath. As young parents with no experience recognizing the symptoms of a sick baby, we held off taking her to the doctor much longer than we should have. We'd dealt with sickness like this ourselves as adults and knew we eventually recovered fine. It didn't occur to us how this sickness could be much more serious in a baby or toddler.

When my husband noticed her "falling asleep" on the couch, I realized she was actually passing out. We raced her to the emergency room, me singing, You Are My Sunshine, all the way just to keep myself from panicking. Her oxygen saturation was very low and she was immediately put into an oxygen tent where she spent three days. 

We were blessed to have a baby who recovered, yet not all children do. Up to 200 infants die each year from RSV.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus effects nearly all babies by the time they're two years old. It usually causes mild or moderate cold-like symptoms, but in some babies, symptoms become severe and cause a dangerous infection.

Premature babies, those born before 37 weeks, are at a higher risk for severe symptoms since they usually have underdeveloped lungs and immune systems. RSV season usually runs November-March and accounts for about 125,000 hospitalizations each year.

Here are some things to look for in your infant:

*Persistent coughing/wheezing

*Bluish color around lips, mouth, fingernails (indicates lack of oxygen)

*Rapid, difficult, gasping breaths

*Fever (over 100.4º in infants 3 mo. and younger)

How can you prevent RSV? Here are some crucial steps:

*Understand risk factors to see if your baby is at an increased risk.

*Never let anyone smoke around your baby.

*Wash your hands and require others to do the same before handling your baby.

*Keep toys, clothes, and blankets clean.

*Avoid crowds or other young children during RSV season.

For more information, contact your child's doctor or visit RSVProtection.com.