Winner of the Cutting Board

The Random Number Generator has spoken.
The winner of the cutting board is entry #25

Our Little Family

Send me an email with your address and I'll get this right out to you!
crystalbeutler@msn.com

Holiday Giveaway #1

It's December!
Wow this year just flew by.
It seems like only yesterday that I was wandering through the streets of  France eating Eclaires. {sigh}

To celebrate the season, I'm hosting a few giveaways this month!!
Yes, I said "a few."
Exciting huh!!

Today I'm giving away a product to promote a good cause.

This beautiful high grade cutting board is manufactured in Honduras at a small factory called GiveBack Products. If you shop at Pottery Barn, West Elm or Williams Sonoma, you may have see them there.
Each board is made from felled trees from the Rain Forest.  {By felled, I mean that the trees were destroyed in hurricanes.}

I have one of these boards at home and I love using it for 6 great reasons:

1.   I feel a lot better about cutting my  food on a natural board as opposed to plastic products, which studies are showing may be a cause a cancer.

2.  It's easy to clean, and disinfect with a swipe of vinegar diluted in water.  I keep it on hand in a spray bottle -- it works great on counters too.

3.  My knives stay sharper.

4.  The product is Earth Friendly -- reclaimed wood, that won't sit in a landfill when it is no longer in use.

5.  The proceeds from each sale of GiveBack Products is used to help improve the living conditions of individual families in Honduras.   They have an amazing program that is changing the lives of the families who work or live near the factory.   You can read all about the specifics on the GiveBack blog, and I hope you do because it might compel you to buy one of their products for someone on your Christmas List.  Enter this discount code at the time of checkout and you will get 25% off your order as well as free shipping!!!    The code:  crystalb12

Here's how to enter the giveaway:

This giveaway is open to anyone living in the United States.
It begins today and ends Wednesday, December 7, at 10:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
The winner will be announced Thursday morning, December 8 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.

You can enter up to four times:

1) Leave a comment in the comment section with your name.  


2)  If you Twitter, tweet about GiveBack Products http://www.givebackchopblocks.blogspot.com.  Come back here and let us know what said.

3) Like" Giveback Products  on Facebook and help  spread the word about their great products, and good works.  Come back here and let us know you "liked" Giveback.


4)  Visit my blog or facebook page and become a follower -- (that's where I mention giveaways, and discounts for my online store.)  Come back here and let us know.


Good luck!!

400th Post Giveaway Winner

Sorry for the delay in posting this morning.  I had computer issues.

The random number generator has selected the following entry number as our winner .....

#65

Kelly Moody!

Congratulations Kelly.  Shoot me an email with your address will you?

I'll be giving away one of my new creations on November 10th.  Check back then and enter to win!

400th Post - Giveaway

I'm celebrating my 400th post on my blog today!
Not this blog, my other blog -- the one where I actually write stuff.

I'm giving away one of my new creations and a few surprises as well . . .

A flower cuff!!
These look so great with sweaters.
I don't even have them listed in my Etsy shop yet!

Do you want one???


Here's how to enter:

This giveaway is open to anyone living in the United States.
It begins today and ends Sunday, October 30th at 10:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
The winner will be announced Monday morning, October 31st at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.

You can enter up to three times:

1) Leave a comment in the comment section with your name.  If you Twitter, tweet about Crystal B Handmade at http://www.crystalb.org

2) Visit my blog and become a follower -- (that's where I mention giveaways, and discounts for my Etsy shop.)

3) Visit my Etsy shop, and pin one of my creations on your Pinterest boards, or "like" it on Facebook, then come back here to let me know what you pinned, or liked.

Good luck my friends!

P.S.  Free shipping in my shop today for all purchases over $20.00.
At the time of checkout, enter the code:  400post

Winner of the Crystal B Jewelry Giveaway

The random number generator has declared a winner:

#14 Chelsea

Chelsea, you have two days to contact me at crystalbeutler@msn.com to claim your prize.

Thanks for playing everyone!  Check back next week.  I'm going to give away a pair of aqua blue earrings -- just cuz you asked.

By the way, I think you should link up to my Inspired by Pinterest linky party on Thursday.  It's over here.

Crystal B Jewelry Giveaway

A few weeks ago, I ran away from home.
Well, I didn't really run away,
I went to Kansas to visit Meg, Kim and Ashley for Craft Weekend.

It was awesome.
Holed up in a house for 2 days
crafting
eating,
laughing
creating,
with 12 strangers who in the end
became friends.

If you ever get the chance, you should run away to Kansas too.  A little birdie told me that the next Craft Weekend is in the planning phases.

In honor of the weekend, I'm giving away a pair of earrings!

Cute huh!
You need a pair.
You do!

Here's how to enter:

This contest is open to anyone living in the United States.
This giveaway begins today and ends Sunday at 10:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
The winner will be announced Monday morning at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.

You can enter up to three times:

1) Leave a comment in the comment section with your name.

2) Visit my blog and become a follower -- that's where I mention giveaways, and discounts to my Etsy Shop.

3) Visit my Etsy shop, then come back here and leave a comment telling me what you would like me to give away next month.

Good luck my friends!

Make Your Own Table Talk Game

Did you know that several studies have found that there are fewer than twenty minutes a day of conversation between parents and children --  if you subtract talking that has to do with a command or criticism.  Twenty minutes.  That's not much is it?

To start opening lines of communication in your family, try  playing the Table Talk game at the dinner table. Ask open-ended questions to get your children talking at length rather than answering in one syllable answers. Within a few weeks or months, your children will be used to talking to you and it won't be as hard to communicate with them.  

Because Table Talk is a game, there are rules -- rules that help family members become better communicators. The rules are simple, everyone at the table gets a turn to ask a question, everyone at the table gets to give an honest answer without being interrupted or embarassed, and everyone listens to the person who is speaking.  Anyone who interrupts more than once must skip a turn to ask a question.

Here are a list of questions for conversation with kids, feel free to make up your own, or you can purchase a Table Topics  game online.  

• What world record would you like to hold?

• If you could be driving any car right now, which car would you choose?

• What is your all time favorite vacation?

• Would you rather see a movie, a parade, or a magic show?

• What makes you feel better when you are sick?

• If you wanted to earn $50, how would you like to earn the money?

• What's your favorite board game?

• What object would you like to be able to draw really well?

• If you could be a superhero, which special power would you choose to have.

• Tell us the five best things about you.

• If you could invite anyone in the world to eat dinner at your house, who would you choose? 

• Why do kids put rings in their eyebrows and nose?

• If you could choose to vegetables that you never had to eat again, which two would you choose?

• Who do you think I'd rather you be: an NBA ballplayer, the mayor, a famous explorer, or a movie star? Why?

•  Which of your friends do you think your parents like the most? Why?

• On a scale of one to nine – one being not at all and nine being totally – how strict are your parents? Where on the scale would you like them to be? (Parents: you can draw this on paper to make it easier for smaller children.)

• What would be the ideal allowance? How would you use it.

• Who was the worst teacher you ever had? Tell me why.
• What would the ideal teacher be like?

• If you had to have one of these, which would pick – and why? Really long nose hairs, hair in your ears, hair above your lip, massively hairy armpits!

• How much privacy would you like? What time of the day would you like to be alone, and why?

• If you could arrange it, what time would your mom or dad come home from work? Then, what would you do together?

• Can you think of any clothes that your parents should never put on again? Why?

• Have your parents ever embarrassed you?  If so, what did they do?

• Which of the following choices do you think would be best, and why?

• Dinner with everyone at the table and the TV on with your favorite program
• Dinner in which everybody took what they wanted from the fridge and no one had the same thing
• Dinner with the whole family together and no TV on

• If a genie would give you only one wish, which would you pick, and why?

• being world-class attractive
• being a genius
• being famous for doing something great

• If you are feeling sad, what meal would be the one that would cheer you up?

• Are you afraid when flying in an airplane?  If so, why?

• Tell me who you think are the three greatest musicians in the world? Why?

• What punishment have your parents given you that you thought was really unfair? Why?

• If you could change three things about yourself, what would they be?

• At what age do you think a child ought to be tried as an adult if he has hurt someone very badly? Why?

• If you could keep your room any way you wanted, how would it look?

• How much money could you use a week? Why?

• What kinds of lies do your friends tell their parents?

• What are the qualities that make a good friend?

• Do you think you should be paid for specific chores? Which ones? And how much do you think each is worth?

• What was your favorite toy when you were little?

• What do you say to comfort yourself when something scares you (like when a plane is bumpy, or when you are in a scary place)?

• What do you think makes a person good-looking?

• What would you do if you saw a group of guys who looked like a gang walking toward you?

• If you could decorate our house, what would it look like?

• What do you think of your mom's driving?  Of dad's driving?

• Looking at your pictures. When you think you have been the cutest so far?

• What do you think are the characteristics that make a good parent?

• Name the three movie stars you most admire.

• Have you ever imitated something you saw in a movie? What was it?

• Name a TV or movie star that you think is lame.

• Do you think it's important to get physical education in school? Why or why not?

• What is the most enjoyable thing our family has done together in the last three years?

• Do you think that kids as young as twelve can fall in love? If not, at what age do you think that happens?

• What do you think is beyond the stars?

• What is the nicest thing a friend has ever done for you?

• Why do you, or don't you, like violent movies?

• Name two things we should do as a family on the weekend.

• How do you think kids are affected by divorce?

• Do I ever not notice that you are sad? What signs should I look for?

• What sport (that you haven't tried) do you think you would be good at? Why?

• Who is the meanest kid you know? Why?

• What do you think Heaven is like?  

• If you were going to have a weird, unusual pet, what would it be? Why would you want that pet?

• If you could look like anyone, who would it be? Why?

• Do you think "honesty is always the best policy"? Why or why not?

• What have you done, in school or sports or anywhere, that you are especially proud of?

• Do you think girls look better with or without makeup? Why?

• Do you think it's bad, okay, or good for guys to cry at movies? Why?

• Which of your friends are you proudest of? Why?

• Have you ever had a dream that really scared you? What was it about?

• Can you describe the most beautiful place you have ever visited?

• What kinds of things on TV and in movies make you laugh?

• Tell me about your two favorite movies of all time and why you like them so much.

• How do you describe your mom to your friends?  Your dad?

• Do you feel you are as intelligent as most of your friends? Why or why not?

• What is the scariest movie you've ever seen? Why?

• Have you ever gotten really lost? If so, tell me about it. How did you feel?

• How much TV a day do you think a kid should watch?

• At what age, if any, do you think a kid should be able to watch any program no matter what is in it?

• Do you think you live in a dangerous neighborhood? Why or why not?

• Not counting our religion, which religions do you find interesting? Why?

• Tell me what you think is good, or bad, about rap music.

• Do you ever feel you could lose your temper so badly that you could hurt someone? If so, what has made you feel like that?

• What is the grossest thing you can think of?

• Is there anybody in history that you have read about that you would like to be?

• What do you think is the right age for marriage? Why? 

• Tell me three things you remember about kindergarten.

• What kids are popular in your grade? What do you think makes a person popular?

• Has anyone ever tried to sell you drugs? If so, what did you say to that person?

• If you knew a friend of yours had stolen something, what would you do about it?

• Do you feel close to any of your grandparents, aunts, or uncles? If so, to whom do you feel closest?

• What paper have you written that you really felt proud of? Tell me about it.

• If you could trade lives with somebody you know, who would it be?

• How do you think you would feel if you thought you were going to be the first person to meet someone from outer space? What would you say or ask?

• What would you do if you were invisible for a day?

• What is your very earliest memory as a very little kid?

• If you had to go live with another family, who would you choose?

• When have you been most proud of your mom?  Your dad?

• Is there anything you pretend you understand, but you really don't? What is it?

• Who do you think you are most like in our family? Why?

• Do you believe men and women are equally smart? Why or why not?

• Do you ever have a dream that comes back over and over? If so, what is it like?

• Why do you think some people don't like animals?

• What kind of person should be President of the United States?

• Why are sports so important to kids?

• Is it more fun to be a parent or a child?

• What's your favorite family tradition?

• Would you rather live a week in the past, or the future?

• Which famous athlete would you most love to meet?

• Is it harder for your to eat healthy, or get exercise?

• What family or school rule would you most like to change?

• Who are your closest friends, and what do you enjoy about them?

• What do you like to think about while gazing at the clouds?

• What is the best way to cool off on a hot day?

• Did you ever try to sell lemonade as a kid?  What to you remember about it?

• What entertainer would you most like to hear while picnicking at a summer concert?

• Have you ever been to sleep away camp?  What do you remember about it?

• If you could only choose one companion for a grueling backpacking trip, who would you take?