Car & Driver

I received a Sweetwater gift card and compensation as part of my relationship with the Quality Blue Community. All opinions expressed are my own.
We are a musical family…we love music whether we are just listening to it or playing it, it’s a big part of our lives. All my boys have an instrument…guitars, drums, keyboard & even a violin. This time of year, music often plays a bigger role in our lives than it does during the rest of the year. We attend school concerts, choir performances, seasonal community events, & enjoy listening to holiday songs playing on the radio — all are opportunities to take advantage of both the physical and emotional benefits that music can bring.
The magic of music shines brighter during the holidays. It is important to use the abundance of musical opportunities as a springboard for making music throughout the entire year. Shopping for new equipment is a great way to springboard into making music the rest of the year! Sweetwater makes it easy to shop online for quality instruments that would make fantastic gifts for the holidays.
My oldest has been a little bummed that he outgrew his 3/4 sized electric guitar that he’s had for years, even though he plays his dad’s acoustic often…so you know he was super excited to get a new one from Sweetwater! I’ve never purchased a guitar online, I usually like the boys to touch & hold and make sure it feels right & looks right. Then there is the worry about how it would arrive after being shipped…I’ve seen some of the packages I get..they aren’t always the best looking. But Sweetwater made sure my guitar arrived in great condition! This guitar was sent in the box below, which was also shipped in a larger box to ensure a safe shipment…
And also wrapped to ensure no movement for a safer ship.
The site was pretty easy to navigate, you choose your category and then can narrow down from there. We looked at electric, acoustic and some basses…they have some pretty awesome guitars to really make you feel like a rock star! We chose a Sunburst Acoustic, as we have plenty of electric guitars in the house.
This guitar fits right into our budget and looks great! To even sweeten the deal Sweetwater currently provides free shipping and free return shipping on guitars…which is nice..so no extra cost & relief just in case it comes in all beat up. Another reason Sweetwater eases my mind is they offers free tech support for your guitar and a 2 year warranty on all guitars they sell. As an extra “sweet” surprise, they included little bits of candy in the shipment! About a day or two after my order I received an email from my “personal account representative”:
I’ve have been in the music industry for over a decade, and have helped many people achieve their goals in music technology and recording. If you ever have any questions about products, applications, or pricing please contact me and I’m eager to help you. I look forward to working with you.
Such fantastic personal service!
Every guitar that comes into Sweetwater is unboxed and inspected by a professional who make sure everything is in perfect working order. They tune the guitar so that your child is ready to jam the moment they open the box. When you purchase from other retailers that don’t tune the guitar after receiving it they are leaving this step up to you. This can be a buzzkill after opening a sick new instrument – kind of like batteries not included!
Music can help on many levels. It has been proven to promote cognitive development in babies and young children and stimulates areas of the brain involved with motivation, & emotion. Music can also bond families across generations. Making or listening to music can result in increased levels of dopamine, increasing happiness.
Here are five reasons you should be making music with your family this holiday season:
Music-making is beneficial. Music promotes social, physical, cognitive, and emotional development plus language & concentration skills, confidence, and self-esteem. It’s easy to get started making music with your children during the holidays: Sing your favorite Christmas carols in the car, dance to holiday songs, take them to a holiday concert or musical, or purchase an instrument and let them make their own music.
Music helps us create and recall memories. Music can spark the recall of past experiences. Singing while you decorate the tree, at a holiday party, or at a religious celebration can help form memories and bonds with extended family and friends that will be recalled for many years to come.
Music relieves stress. The holidays, while joyful, can also be stressful. Singing can actually relieve stress. Play music in the car while navigating the mall parking lot or sing along to a holiday recording while getting ready for company. It will help you stay calm and, most importantly, model for your children a healthy way to deal with the stress of everyday life.
Music connects people. The holidays can be lonely for some people. Singing, especially in groups, can relieve this loneliness by connecting us to others in ways that no other activity can. When you sing with others this holiday season, whether it’s during a religious service, at a community event, or at a family gathering, everyone benefits.
Music spans the generations. Music is an ageless way to connect with older relatives and create ties between the youngest and oldest family members. Sharing memories of holiday music-making from their past and teaching those songs to future generations can be joyous for both the elderly storytellers and the family members listening.
Why Buy Sweetwater?
I encourage you to try Sweetwater for yourself on Cyber Monday…adding music to your home and a great deal..what could be better than that!
Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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With autumn here and Thanksgiving just a few days away, what better way to invoke some serious fall vibes than with homemade apple cinnamon sangria? When it comes to sangria you can get the best of both the wine & spirits world with this crimson-tinged well-balanced blend:
What I Used
The Wine: Astoria “Primo Rosso” Red Blend IGT (SRP $11): This round and velvety blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Pinot Noir, and 20% Merlot is marked by an herbaceous bouquet and harmonious flavors of ripe plum and red berry.
The Spirit: Soberano Brandy (SRP $25): Made from 100% distilled wine, aged by way of the traditional solera system which utilizes American oak barrels, this dark amber brandy boasts smooth and elegant flavors of oak, raisin, and caramel.
Apple Cinnamon Sangria
Ingredients:
1 bottle Astoria “Primo Rosso” Red Blend IGT
1/2 cup Soberano Brandy
1 cup apple cider
1 Golden Delicious apple, diced (reserve a few slices for garnish)
1 Honeycrisp apple diced (reserve a few slices for garnish)
1/2 orange, sliced
1/2 orange, juiced
2 cinnamon sticks (plus 1 for garnish)
Ice
Directions:
Fill a large pitcher with the cinnamon sticks, diced apples, and sliced oranges. Add wine, brandy, apple cider, and orange juice.
Stir well.
Pour into a stemless wine glass filled with ice, garnish with cinnamon stick and colorful apple slices, and enjoy.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kraft. The opinions and text are all mine.
From shopping for gifts to planning family dinners, it’s hard to keep up with all your holiday to-do’s. Target stores are now including a larger grocery section to accommodate the busy lifestyle of today’s families. I love one stop shopping like that, who wants to stop at two or three stores when your dragging the kids around. Our family goes through cheese like you wouldn’t believe, so it was nice when I was at Target the other day to get diapers and check out Christmas stuff, I was able to pick up dinner items as well. Our favorite cheese is Kraft..shreds, slices, block, it doesn’t matter it’s all good in my book!
This year, Kraft is helping out with great weeknight meals and entertaining ideas to make the season a little bit easier. Plus, Kraft is offering up to $20 in coupons, redeemable exclusively at Target, to make food shopping easier and to help you have a happy holiday season.· What’s better than my favorite store and my favorite cheese brand teaming up to save me time & money!!
I wanted to share a recipe with you that is one of our favorite to create with the Kraft cheese, that I saved money getting with the Kraft coupons exclusively at Target! PIZZA PUFFS is a family favorite! Ingredients:
2 Cans of pizza dough (found by biscuits)1 jar pizza sauce
4 cups Kraft shredded mozzarella
6 mozzarella cheese sticks
pizza toppings (we use peperoni & bacon crumbs)
Instructions:
Spread out pizza sauce. Place three cheese sticks on edge,
then toppings and cheese all over the rest. Roll up your dough encasing your ingredients Cut into about 1/2 – 1 in pieces & place into sprayed muffin tin Bake at 400 for 10 – 15 min I hope these give you some inspiration to use these great coupons for!
Click here to find your Kraft coupons and start shopping today!
FEEL FREE TO SHARE YOUR FAVORITE RECIPE USING KRAFT BELOW!
Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.

As LeapFrog continues the pursuit of making reading an activity that every child and family can enjoy, they are hosting the 20/20 Reading Challenge in honor of National Reading Month this March. LeapFrog is hosting a campaign to encourage families to take a pledge to read for at least 20 minutes per day with their kids. As I’m sure you are aware, an early introduction to reading is an important part of a child’s development.
In fact, kids who are read to at home have a substantial academic advantage. These advantages last throughout a child’s academic career. Studies have shown that:
Twenty-six percent of children who were read to three or four times in the last week by a family member recognized all letters of the alphabet. This is compared to 14 percent of children who were read to less frequently.
According to NCES, only 53 percent of children ages three to five were read to daily by a family member. Children in families with incomes below the poverty line are less likely to be read to aloud every day than are children in families with incomes at or above poverty.
The NCES also reported that children who were read to frequently are also more likely to:
Count to 20 or higher than those who were not (60% vs. 44%)
Write their own names (54% vs. 40%)
Read or pretend to read (77% vs. 57%)
As a part of the March 20/20 Reading Challenge, LeapFrog will be partnering with a great non-profit, Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream Foundation, to donate 20 books to the foundation’s under-served classrooms for every pledge they receive.
“As a mom, it has always been part of our family’s routine to spend time reading together. Research has shown that children who were read to at least three times a week by a family member were almost twice as likely to score in the top 25 percent in reading compared to children who were read to less than three times a week. So many children are showing up to their kindergarten classrooms unprepared for school, and if this little bit of time every day can make a difference in my children’s future academic success and confidence, I am all in!” – Kristi Yamaguchi
The Kristi Yamaguchi Always Dream Foundation is an organization founded to inspire underserved children to reach for their dreams through innovative reading programs and by advancing the cause of early childhood literacy. As an accomplished children’s book author, athlete and mom, Kristi’s passion for reading ignited the Foundation’s commitment to early childhood literacy.
Through this program, LeapFrog plans to donate up to $5 million worth of books to children in need – and they need your help! Take the pledge today to help put a book in a child’s hand!
You can also head over to check out an interview with Kristi that my friend Lisa from Money Saving Parent did about the program.
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Make it a family movie night with the beloved blue creatures in the fully animated, all-new take on The Smurfs when Sony Pictures Animation’s SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE debuts on Digital June 20 and on 4K Ultra HD™/Blu-ray™ + Digital, Blu-ray + Digital and DVD July 11 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE follows Smurfette and her friends Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty on an exciting and thrilling race through the Forbidden Forest filled with magical creatures to find a mysterious lost village before the evil wizard Gargamel does. Embarking on a rollercoaster journey full of action and danger, the Smurfs are on a course that leads to the discovery of the biggest secret in Smurf history!
SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE features an all-star voice cast, including platinum-selling recording artist Demi Lovato as Smurfette, Emmy®-nominated comic actor Rainn Wilson as Gargamel, Joe Manganiello as Hefty Smurf, Jack McBrayer as Clumsy Smurf, Danny Pudi as Brainy Smurf, Michelle Rodriguez as SmurfStorm, Ellie Kemper as SmurfBlossom, Ariel Winter as SmurfLily, with Mandy Patinkin as Papa Smurf and Academy Award® winner Julia Roberts as SmurfWillow.
SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE is bursting with bonus materials on the Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, DVD and digital releases. Along with filmmaker commentary, there are 10 fun and interactive featurettes, including Meghan Trainor’s “I’m A Lady” music video and “Lost Village Dance Along” where you can join in the Smurf dance party. Get ready to represent your Smurf style with “Smurfify Your Nails” and create a Lost Village inspired manicure, then go inside “Baker Smurf’s Mini Kitchen” to follow along and guess what’s cooking, plus get step-by-step tutorials on how to draw your favorite Smurfs with three “how to” videos. Fans can also go behind the scenes as Demi Lovato auditions for the film and goes through a pretty tough interview with Smurfette herself in “Demi Lovato Meets Smurfette.”
DVD and Digital Bonus Materials Include:
Filmmaker Commentary
Meghan Trainor “I’m A Lady” Music Video
The Emoji Movie Sneak Peek
Featurettes:
“Kids at Heart! The Making of Smurfs: The Lost Village
“Demi Lovato Meets Smurfette”
“Lost Village Dance Along”
“Smurfify Your Nails”
“Baker Smurf’s Mini Kitchen”
Meghan Trainor “I’m A Lady” Music Video
“How To Draw Smurfette”
“How To Draw Brainy”
“How To Draw Clumsy”
“Making The Song ‘You Will Always Find Me In Your Heart’”
“The Sound Of The Smurfs”
Blu-ray & 4K Ultra HD Exclusive Bonus Materials Include:
Everything listed above, plus:
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes:
Digital (iTunes, Vudu and Xfinity) Exclusive Bonus Materials Include:
Everything on the DVD, Blu-ray & 4K Ultra HD
“Girl Power! Making Meghan Trainor’s ‘I’m A Lady’”

This post may contain affiliate links which fund the My Sparkling Life blog.
Myself along with millions around the world are anticipating the biggest movie release in years, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. LucasFilm & Disney have been pretty hush-hush about this release only releasing teaser that leave us begging for more..and Harrison Ford showing up at D23 Expo didn’t help my anticipation any!
Today, merchandise inspired by the highly anticipated new movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens launched at retailers around the globe as #ForceFriday officially got underway. 3,000 retail locations in the U.S. opened their doors at midnight for fans to be among the first to discover new Star Wars products. With the closes target about 45 minutes away, I didn’t get to hit the stores early, so most of it was gone before I got there…I remember playing with micro machines as a kid and was so excited to head out to look for some #StarWars ones to hang around my office…While I didn’t get to get some Micro Machines I did pick up a few figures ????
Starting in Sydney and ending at Lucasfilm headquarters in San Francisco, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media hosted an epic global live event to unveil key Star Wars: The Force Awakens products. Fans who tuned in to the Star Wars YouTube page were able to see the following toys unboxed by top digital stars from the Maker Studios network:
Additionally, fans tuning in to watch ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ on ABC were treated to a fun product reveal with Jimmy and his security guard sidekick Guillermo, showcasing Star Wars: The Force Awakens Voice Changing Masks exclusive to Disney Store.
Beyond lightsabers, construction sets, figures and collectibles, fans can find products across a wide variety of categories, including apparel for all members of the family, home décor, lifestyle accessories, books and more. New Star Wars products can be found around the world at mass and specialty retailers, such as Amazon.com, Kohl’s, Target, Toys “R” Us and Walmart, as well as Disney Store and disneystore.com.
I couldn’t help but take a picture with my R2D2 American Tourister Suitcase! I mean..it is #ForceFriday after all!
Highlights from the merchandise line found in the U.S. include:
A large collection of exclusive merchandise from Disney Store including role play items, talking action figures and figure play sets, along with themed apparel, tech accessories, mugs, journals and more
J. Crew apparel for men, women and kids featuring the fan-favorite “Chewie, we’re home” scene of Chewbacca and Han Solo from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer
A Star Wars collection of Rock & Republic® misses apparel and Mighty Fine juniors apparel offers female fans graphic tees, leggings, sweatshirts, hoodies and dresses available at Kohl’s
The ultimate Millennium Falcon children’s bed from Pottery Barn Kids, looking like something seen from a galaxy far, far away
A villainous take on home merchandise featuring new characters from the Dark Side, such as First Order Stormtroopers and Kylo Ren available at JCPenney
To preserve the integrity of key movie moments, an additional wave of products will be released closer to the film’s debut, when fans will be able to find additional items featuring the newest characters, including Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren, Captain Phasma, BB-8 and more. On December 18, a Play Set based on Star Wars: The Force Awakens will become available for Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition, the latest installment of the best-selling “toys-to-life” video game from Disney Interactive.
Like STAR WARS on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Visit the official STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS website
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS arrives in theaters everywhere on December 18th!