Michelle Fox's Blog, page 20
December 1, 2016
Christmas Gifts for Girls Ages 3-16 & Family Gifts Everyone Will Love
Here's my list of what I've bought the kids in my life this year and in years past. The last item on the list is one of our big family traditions...which is to spend time together on Christmas day learning a new skill or making something together. I have enough ideas to last you for YEARS on that one and you'll have lots of happy family memories.
And please comment with your own gift ideas! I am ALWAYS looking for good gifts!
1. Galaxy leggings. I think this trend probably peaked last year, but I'm still digging it. I bought a pair for my kiddo and my teen exchange student. These would make a great stocking stuffer. Warning: Be sure to check prices, they vary wildly and watch that the leggings you order are in stock and fulfilled by Amazon--a lot of these are sent on the slow boat from China.
2. Mermaid tail blanket. FYI mermaid stuff is very trendy right now and I've been writing a lot of mermaids lately so YAY! Warning: Be sure to check prices, they vary wildly and watch that the blanket you order is in stock and fulfilled by Amazon--a lot of these are sent on the slow boat from China.
3. Games! My big recommendation is Rush Hour. I LOVE this puzzle game. It is FANTASTIC for building logic skills and predictive multi-step thinking. It can be played alone or with a small group. I used this game all the time when I worked as a tutor.
4. Books. We are readers in my house!
What Santa is giving my kiddo this year:
Chronicles of Narnia boxed set
Percy Jackson boxed set
Warriors boxed set
If you have younger kids on the list, anything with stickers is awesome. Such as...
Make a Face Sticker Book (kids get to make animal faces with stickers, it's AWESOME)
Disney Sticker Book
Fancy Nancy Sticker Book
Or you can encourage nascent handwriting skills with a book of simple mazes. We loved these when my kiddo was smaller!
For really itty bitty kiddos, I'm gifting Flotsam this year which is an award winning children's book that tells the story only in pictures.
5. Spa Party Kit. This one is the brainchild of my 9-year-old. She is dying to invite her friends over for a spa party play date. The only problem? The 'spa party kits' on the market all kind of suck. So I sourced everything separately and then called her friends' moms to set up a play date between Christmas and New Year's. I love that this gift idea brings people together. (Full disclosure, this one got kind of expensive to put together...so I recruited the grandparents to help. We all bought pieces of it.)
Perfume making kit
Lip balm kit
Hair chalk
Nail polish kit for kids
An inexpensive face mask
6. Lego kits. My kiddo has all the basic Lego sets so the focus this year has been expanding what she can do with them.
-I bought some Hexbugs so she can build a Hexbug habitat and maze. We do stockings on Christmas Eve in our house so I'll slip these babies into her stocking and get her busy making them a home...an excellent way to exhaust that pre-Christmas excitement. My kiddo has been known to stay up all night on Christmas (and her birthday) so I'm all for giving her a way to use up all her Santa jitters.
- Lego Crazy Contraption Kit. This will allow her to use her existing Legos to delve into actually building different things.
- Lego Chain Reaction Kit. What kid doesn't like a good chain reaction? Legos just make it better!
7. Learn new skills and make crafts. Every year I buy a group gift that gives us all something to do together. Despite all the gifts, kids can still complain they are bored (or at least mine does). What they want, in my opinion, is connection. All too often, families open the gifts and then everyone spins off in their own cocoons. Little kids have too much energy for that, so I've found it helpful to channel that need for interaction into a group activity.
When my kiddo was really little we would buy those big cardboard houses and boats for her to decorate. I would give her markers, paints and tons of stickers and let her go to town. (If you happen to have a big box lying around, you can just use that and skip buying anything.)
Then we did watercolor resist painting--another great stocking stuffer. Santa brought watercolors, paper and white crayons (you have to get those online, the craft stores don't carry them and you'll want more than one). We all drew snowmen in the snow with our white crayons and then painted over it.
From there, we progressed to recorders in everyone's stockings. It was shrill (not gonna lie!) but actually really easy to learn. We were playing Christmas music within a half hour. The key is to buy the right music book! (BONUS: I use my recorder like a whistle when I'm teaching at my kiddo's school. If they get loud, I make the most awful racket on my recorder and they all get reeeeeal quiet. lol Believe me, no one ignores the recorder!)
The next year we had origami paper and a how-to book. There are free tutorials online, but the books tend to be better in my experience--we've been doing origami for three years now so we have some first hand experience with this. (If you're on a tight budget, check out some origami books from the library instead of buying one.)
Then we had a beginning sewing kit to work on together. I really liked this kit. I thought it was very thoughtfully put together, and more importantly, my kiddo really enjoyed it. (I mean, the thing has over 700 reviews at 4.5 stars and doesn't even have an Elsa or Olaf!)
This year, Santa will be dropping off everything we need to make two no-sew fleece blankets. A friend made me one years ago and it has been the BEST blanket. We actually fight over who gets to use it, so I thought it would be good to make some more.
For this gift, you'll need to head to the fabric store. It costs around $20-$30 per blanket to make. Since there are so many fabrics now, it's easy to tailor the blanket to each person's interests and favorite colors. And they'll be nice and warm all winter long!
Still need gift ideas? Check out my list of 21 local, handmade and homemade gift ideas.
November 29, 2016
Dragon's Maiden is LIVE! $50 GC Giveaway
Amazon US / Amazon UK
Amazon CA / Amazon AU
iBooks / Kobo / Nook
(Coming soon to Googleplay)
Dragons were real.
But history erased them. Find out why.
And discover the love story that kept the magic alive.
"This is a story that quickly draws you in and has you wanting to keep reading to see what happens next. The author has created a unique take on dragon mythology and it works. There is plenty of action and adventure, suspense and romance - something for everyone. This is a great book to curl up and relax with."
Enter the giveaway here: https://goo.gl/forms/rN9vPSeKxpv7CgKi1
November 21, 2016
Wolf Pack Thanksgiving Giveaway 2016
Happy Thanksgiving from the Wolf Pack! We are hosting a reader appreciation giveaway. Be sure to enter - the prize is a $100 gift card!
Enter our giveaway: CLICK HERE
Don't miss out -- join us! newsletter ~ facebook ~ twitter
November 18, 2016
Cover Reveal! Dragon's Maiden
Look! A new cover! Which means a new release is coming! FINALLY! Woo!Dragons were real.
But history erased them.
Find out why.
And discover the love story that kept the magic alive.
Dragon's Maiden is an alternate history fantasy romance with dragons and magic set in the Elizabethan era.
What was I smoking?
Hell if I know. This story happened to me. I didn't happen to it. I sat down to write and this just appeared out of nowhere. If you are into Outlander or loved the HIghland Shifters boxed set, I bet you will like this. It has a sexy man in a kilt with a deep brogue.
I am working on setting up a preorder. Early next week I'll share sneak peek and the preorder link...and you can judge how much crazy is in my crazy pants for yourself. lol
November 16, 2016
New Blood Courtesans Book ~ 99c or Free in Kindle Unlimited
Brand new and full of sexy vampire! My sister has disappeared into the shadowy vampire world of Blood Courtesans, where blood and sex are money, and humans are sold to the highest bidder
Before I can find her, I’m assaulted by two human thugs, and of all the luck, a vampire comes to my rescue. Cam is sexy as sin with an accent that melts panties, and he hasn’t eaten in far too long. And now he's offering to help track down my sister… no strings attached.
Yeah, right.
Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA / Amazon AU
Look at all the new Blood Courtesans books are coming to keep you warm this winter!
November 15, 2016
Gratitude Giveaway 2016
Welcome to
We're a group of authors and readers who love a good howl.Check out one of our 99¢ box sets.Then scroll down to enter our giveaway.
10 sizzling paranormal romances filled with danger and desire.Find out how to love an Alpha without losing your heart.
AmazonUS AmazonUK AmazonCA AmazonAUNook iBooks Kobo
Don't miss out -- join us! newsletter ~ facebook ~ twitter
Enter our giveaway for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card: CLICK HERE
November 9, 2016
21 Christmas Gift Ideas for Mom, Dad, Grandparents, Teachers etc...
Christmas is just weeks away and if you are stumped on the perfect gift for the adults in your life, I have some ideas.
Because I am thinking about Christmas hard core today. I'm in the holiday mood early this year. So I made you a list of the best local, handmade and homemade gifts I can find.
1.Gift certificates to your local hair salon or barber. I would love this because a cut and color is expensive and I am always putting it off to save money.
2.Car washes and auto detailing. Small detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.
3.Yard work. Pay for your loved one’s lawn to be mowed for the summer, or their driveway plowed all winter.
4.Golf games at the local golf course or bowling gift certificates or laser tag or other activities in your town.
5.Restaurant meals. Give gift certificates to local owner-operated non-chain restaurants. I live in an area with a thriving local food scene so this is my go-to gift for my parents. I try to find a new restaurant for them to try every year.
6.Oil change for a car, truck or motorcycle, at a locally run shop. My husband does our oil changes BUT he hates doing them in the winter. A gift certificate for an oil change would be a real treat for him.
7.Gift the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.
8.Local crafts. I love to go to craft shows this time of year and pick up homemade items to give as gifts.
9.Tickets to a play or ballet or concert at a hometown theater. Also tickets to a sporting event.
10. A jar of local honey and bee pollen. Honey is really expensive these days and makes a lovely gift for anyone who likes to cook or drink tea. Bee pollen is a great pick-me-up for the winter months. I know I would be thrilled to receive this as a gift...the last jar of honey I bought was $25 so Santa can hit me with free honey all day long. lol
11. Massage. I would especially love love LOVE to open up a gift certificate for a hot stone massage. First, it's wonderfully cozy in cold weather and second, it is deeply relaxing.
12.These candles from AI Root are awesome. I buy them all the time. Having asthma, I can't burn just any candle and these never bother my lungs.The Entice scent is perfect for Christmas with clove and orange notes. Enlighten has a refreshing lemony note and Seduce has a rich patchouli scent. I am giving these to all my siblings and cousins this year.
13. Smuckers jams make great gifts too. I like to get food gifts for my grandfather as he has everything he needs. This blueberry jam in particular is divine and made with the old-fashioned way, with all natural ingredients. Look at the label, there are four ingredients total. No chemicals! Seriously, this jam is amazing (and inexpensive). I have to hide it or else it's gone in ten minutes flat. It's that good.
The price on Amazon is a bit high so look for it in the grocery store. And of course, Smuckers has a ton of other flavors to choose from as well. I'll be pairing jam with a loaf of raisin bread from a local baker for my grandfather. This would also make a good hostess gift or coworker gift for a cost of about $5-7.
14.For teachers, I like to give lip balm and some nice chocolate truffles. It's inexpensive, yummy and useful. Burt's Bees has fantastic lip balms that are made in the US. You can get a 4 pack for a little over $8 (in this case Amazon appears to have the best price. It's $10 at the Target by me.). I then have my kiddo decorate some plain gift bags (which are super cheap) to hold everything, split up the 4 pack to cover 4 teachers and add in some good chocolate--either something from the local chocolate shoppe or Lindt Truffles (they have a factory here in the USA). Total cost is around $5 per teacher.
15. Custom magnets for the year's highlights. My brother got married this year and I'm going to use Zazzle to make some photo fridge magnets of his big day. (Zazzle is a US company although I can't tell if they manufacture in the US or not.)
16. Pay for a class. If someone is taking yoga, find out where their studio is and pay for a month of classes. Have someone who loves food? Find a cooking class.
17. Books from your favorite indie authors. Send them out on Xmas day for ebooks and have the lucky recipient check their email. Or get a signed print copy. Indie audiobooks are also great, too.
18. I love this hand painted pottery from Poland. It's gorgeous and useful. A coffee mug with organic, fair trade tea is an awesome gift for any tea lovers. If you have some newlyweds in your family the butter dish, gravy boat and serving platters will make for a family heirloom.
19. Foodies will love this sampler of Hawaiian salts. I recently discovered flavored salts and I LOVE them. They are an amazing way to add awesome flavor to food.
20.This gift idea looks forward to the future, but giving seeds to grow a butterfly garden is a wonderful gift that saves money, results in gorgeous flowers and helps bees, hummingbirds and butterflies.
We've been growing a butterfly garden for the last 4 years at our house. It is SUPER easy and just stunning to look at it. Even better, it doesn't need to be weeded, these flowers actually grow like weeds. Maybe once a summer we pull out a weed that finally got too big.
My go-to flowers are: Cosmos and Zinnias. (Or you can buy an actual butterfly garden kit.) I sow them directly into the dirt. I don't bother to germinate them inside. Once the last frost is done, I just put 'em right into the dirt. Easy, peasy.
The Cosmos grow super tall so they should go at the back. Zinnias come in various heights and I buy all of them tall,medium and short so there's color at every level. $20 in seeds is enough to grow a full butterfly garden. You could also pair it with a hummingbird feeder or a decorative garden ornament (I love the solar light ones although they are mass produced) to round it out.
21. Don't forget things like Califorina wines, California olive oil, cherry jams and sauces from Michigan and other regional foods.
Because I am thinking about Christmas hard core today. I'm in the holiday mood early this year. So I made you a list of the best local, handmade and homemade gifts I can find.
1.Gift certificates to your local hair salon or barber. I would love this because a cut and color is expensive and I am always putting it off to save money.
2.Car washes and auto detailing. Small detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.
3.Yard work. Pay for your loved one’s lawn to be mowed for the summer, or their driveway plowed all winter.
4.Golf games at the local golf course or bowling gift certificates or laser tag or other activities in your town.
5.Restaurant meals. Give gift certificates to local owner-operated non-chain restaurants. I live in an area with a thriving local food scene so this is my go-to gift for my parents. I try to find a new restaurant for them to try every year.
6.Oil change for a car, truck or motorcycle, at a locally run shop. My husband does our oil changes BUT he hates doing them in the winter. A gift certificate for an oil change would be a real treat for him.
7.Gift the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.
8.Local crafts. I love to go to craft shows this time of year and pick up homemade items to give as gifts.
9.Tickets to a play or ballet or concert at a hometown theater. Also tickets to a sporting event.
10. A jar of local honey and bee pollen. Honey is really expensive these days and makes a lovely gift for anyone who likes to cook or drink tea. Bee pollen is a great pick-me-up for the winter months. I know I would be thrilled to receive this as a gift...the last jar of honey I bought was $25 so Santa can hit me with free honey all day long. lol
11. Massage. I would especially love love LOVE to open up a gift certificate for a hot stone massage. First, it's wonderfully cozy in cold weather and second, it is deeply relaxing.
12.These candles from AI Root are awesome. I buy them all the time. Having asthma, I can't burn just any candle and these never bother my lungs.The Entice scent is perfect for Christmas with clove and orange notes. Enlighten has a refreshing lemony note and Seduce has a rich patchouli scent. I am giving these to all my siblings and cousins this year.
13. Smuckers jams make great gifts too. I like to get food gifts for my grandfather as he has everything he needs. This blueberry jam in particular is divine and made with the old-fashioned way, with all natural ingredients. Look at the label, there are four ingredients total. No chemicals! Seriously, this jam is amazing (and inexpensive). I have to hide it or else it's gone in ten minutes flat. It's that good.
The price on Amazon is a bit high so look for it in the grocery store. And of course, Smuckers has a ton of other flavors to choose from as well. I'll be pairing jam with a loaf of raisin bread from a local baker for my grandfather. This would also make a good hostess gift or coworker gift for a cost of about $5-7.
14.For teachers, I like to give lip balm and some nice chocolate truffles. It's inexpensive, yummy and useful. Burt's Bees has fantastic lip balms that are made in the US. You can get a 4 pack for a little over $8 (in this case Amazon appears to have the best price. It's $10 at the Target by me.). I then have my kiddo decorate some plain gift bags (which are super cheap) to hold everything, split up the 4 pack to cover 4 teachers and add in some good chocolate--either something from the local chocolate shoppe or Lindt Truffles (they have a factory here in the USA). Total cost is around $5 per teacher.
15. Custom magnets for the year's highlights. My brother got married this year and I'm going to use Zazzle to make some photo fridge magnets of his big day. (Zazzle is a US company although I can't tell if they manufacture in the US or not.)
16. Pay for a class. If someone is taking yoga, find out where their studio is and pay for a month of classes. Have someone who loves food? Find a cooking class.
17. Books from your favorite indie authors. Send them out on Xmas day for ebooks and have the lucky recipient check their email. Or get a signed print copy. Indie audiobooks are also great, too.
18. I love this hand painted pottery from Poland. It's gorgeous and useful. A coffee mug with organic, fair trade tea is an awesome gift for any tea lovers. If you have some newlyweds in your family the butter dish, gravy boat and serving platters will make for a family heirloom.
19. Foodies will love this sampler of Hawaiian salts. I recently discovered flavored salts and I LOVE them. They are an amazing way to add awesome flavor to food.
20.This gift idea looks forward to the future, but giving seeds to grow a butterfly garden is a wonderful gift that saves money, results in gorgeous flowers and helps bees, hummingbirds and butterflies.
We've been growing a butterfly garden for the last 4 years at our house. It is SUPER easy and just stunning to look at it. Even better, it doesn't need to be weeded, these flowers actually grow like weeds. Maybe once a summer we pull out a weed that finally got too big.
My go-to flowers are: Cosmos and Zinnias. (Or you can buy an actual butterfly garden kit.) I sow them directly into the dirt. I don't bother to germinate them inside. Once the last frost is done, I just put 'em right into the dirt. Easy, peasy.
The Cosmos grow super tall so they should go at the back. Zinnias come in various heights and I buy all of them tall,medium and short so there's color at every level. $20 in seeds is enough to grow a full butterfly garden. You could also pair it with a hummingbird feeder or a decorative garden ornament (I love the solar light ones although they are mass produced) to round it out.
21. Don't forget things like Califorina wines, California olive oil, cherry jams and sauces from Michigan and other regional foods.
October 25, 2016
Snarkology Halloween Hop! What's YOUR ghost story?
Happy Halloween everybody! This is one of my favorite times of year. I love the weather, the beautiful fall colors, the cozy rainy days perfect for soup or the first hot cocoa of the season and the excitement of my kiddos as they pick out their costumes and dream about all the free candy (that, let's be honest, I'm going to eat!).
That's why I put together the Midnight's Call boxed set. Full of NEW stories about ghosts, vampires, demons, witches and shifters, it's sure to make your Halloween week feel complete. AND it's only 99c (free in KU) right now.
Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon CA ~ Amazon AU
My story in this set is about ghosts and ghost hunting (with a side of romance) so my question to YOU is...what's your ghost story? I'll pick one person from the comments who will win a $10 Amazon gift card.
My ghost story is...I went ghost hunting in Salem Mass. and some really strange stuff showed up in my photos from the old prison. A flaming cross appeared in one, as if someone (who was DEAD) was crossing themselves. It inspired to me to write Ghosts of Desire, which is my contribution to Midnight's Call. What would cause a ghost to stick around in a prison? What's worth holding on to and never letting go?
Once you've shared your ghost story, be sure to visit the other stops in the hop. There are prizes at every stop and a grand prize giveaway as well.
List of Snarkology Halloween Hop Blogs
a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 24, 2016
Wolf Pack Trick-or-Treat Newsletter Hop! Oct 26 - 31 2016 - Winners Posted!
WINNERS ARE BEING POSTED!SCROLL DOWN TO SEE IF YOU WON A TREAT!
* Winners are listed in RED text.
Wolf Pack - $25 Gift Card - Sam
Tmonique Stephens - 1 ebook + $10 Gift Card - Jennifer G
Solease M Barner - $15 Amazon Gift Card
Skye Jones - 2 ebooks + $10 Gift Card - Heather N, Linda W & Ashley H
Sedona Venez - 1 ebook + candy + $5 Amazon Gift Card
Rosalie Redd - 1 signed book + bookmark + keychain + $10 Amazon Gift Card - Andrea P
Olivia Arran - $20 gift card - Virgen C
Nancy Corrigan - $10 iBooks Gift Card + signed paperbacks
Michelle Fox - $25 Gift Card - Elvira
Katalina Leon - 3 ebooks + 1 signed book - Tina G, Paula H & Susan B
K.C. Stewart - 3 book bundle + swag + candy
Jami Brumfield - 1 signed paperback + $5 Amazon Gift Card
Debbie Herbert - $5 Amazon Gift Card + 1 Kindle ebook - gracioushoneybee
Crystal Dawn - $5 Gift Card - O. M
Cecilia Dominic - 1 paperback
Beth Caudill - $10 Gift Card + 1 ebook - Sandy E
Annie Nicholas - 3 ebooks - Jenny
Angelica Dawson - 1 box set ebook + 1 ebook + a pair of edible candy cuffs - Shelly H
A K Michaels - Surprise Swag Pack + 1 Signed Book - Vicki B
Join the Wolf Pack Facebook group --
it's the place to be for readers who like a good howl:
Wolf Pack Trick-or-Treat Newsletter Hop! Oct 26 - 31 2016
Welcome to the Wolf Pack's Trick-or-Treat Newsletter Hop!
What is it?A bunch of Halloween treats from Wolf Pack authors.
How does it work?Join the newsletters below - as many as you'd like.If you already subscribe, you're all set.Each author will announce a winner on Nov 1st.Winners also will be listed here.
Who's giving away what?The list of prizes is below... but that's the trick!You don't know which prize goes with which newsletter.Every newsletter has a treat, but which one?We'll find out when the winners are drawn!
~ TREATS ~
$25 Gift Card1 paperback3 ebooks$5 Gift Card$10 Gift Card + 1 ebook$20 gift card1 ebook + $10 Gift Card
$25 Gift Card$5 Amazon Gift Card + 1 Kindle ebook2 ebooks + $10 Gift CardSurprise Swag Pack + 1 Signed Book3 book bundle + swag + candy$15 Amazon Gift Card3 ebooks + 1 signed book $10 iBooks Gift Card + signed paperbacks1 signed paperback + $5 Amazon Gift Card1 ebook + candy + $5 Amazon Gift Card1 signed book + bookmark + keychain + $10 Amazon Gift Card1 box set ebook + 1 ebook + a pair of edible candy cuffs (Pink Cherry)
~ NEWSLETTER SIGN UPS ~
Wolf PackTmonique StephensSolease M BarnerSkye JonesSedona VenezRosalie ReddOlivia ArranNancy CorriganMichelle FoxKatalina LeonK.C. StewartJami Brumfield Debbie Herbert Crystal DawnCecilia Dominic Beth CaudillAnnie NicholasAngelica DawsonA K Michaels
Join the Wolf Pack Facebook group --
it's the place to be for readers who like a good howl:
