Coming soon…

I know Halloween hasn’t even passed yet, but I also know that many of you have already started your holiday shopping! (I sort of have….) Every year, I like to create a feature post for you featuring some great gift ideas.  This year, I think you’ll really enjoy what I have selected, as well as the little giveaway at the end!! So be sure to check out all of these great locally-owned businesses/independent representatives. I try to support as many small businesses and military-spouse-owned businesses as I can, because I know how important the support of the community has been to me!

Of course, I would be remiss if I left out the gift of holiday portraiture. Whether giving photos of your own family to loved ones, or gifting a session to your spouse or family or friends, family portraits are so important. I could share a hundred stories from my clients and what their portraits meant to them, but I will leave it at this: you only get to live in this moment once. Why not capture it?  Powell Woulfe Photography offers gift certificates for packages and sessions, as well as a wide range of albums, prints, canvases, metal prints, and everyone’s favorite: Organic Bloom frames.  There is no gift as unique as YOUR family portraits.  (And I might just have thrown a family portrait session and OB frame into the giveaway below…there’s only one way to find out…enter!)

Still wondering what to get for a teacher, neighbor, best friend or co-worker?  If you haven’t heard of Scentsy, you need to get on the ball! I am in love with all of their products, and my amazing representative, Sara Seemayer, always keeps me well-stocked. I have about 10 warmers and nearly as many plug-ins throughout my house, and gift these several times a year. The Scentsy line of products literally has something for everyone, and I personally love it because there is no flame – just wonderfully scented wax that warms gently and smells delicious!!  If you want to learn more, visit Sara’s Facebook Page or enter to win the amazing giveaway below! Sara has graciously contributed the Bluster plug-in (so cute for the holidays!!) and two bars to get the winner started: Peppermint Dreams & Mandarin Moon!

Isn’t he adorable?

One of my other new favorite things is Kelly’s Kids. Extremely high-quality, unique children’s clothing that is affordable and durable! I purchased my daughter’s holiday portrait wardrobe from Kelly’s Kids by Kallie Pitcock. Kelly’s Kids is a family owned Mississippi based children’s clothing company. Kallie is a company representative and hosts in home trunk show parties for the fall and spring lines. They offer high-quality classic children’s clothing that is created to mix, match, and coordinate the family. For more information on Kelly’s Kids by Kallie, you can follow her blog at www.kalliefrances.com. Kallie has contributed one of their large hairbows to the giveaway, and I am eagerly awaiting their spring line. LOVE their stuff!!

Recently, my hubby and I have been chatting about what the future holds for us. I know this is a bit of a heavy topic, but really, the timing couldn’t be better.  With the economy so uncertain right now, and knowing how life can just “happen”, it is something that weighs on our minds a lot. Luckily, I have the honor of knowing exactly who we’re looking forward to working with: Wealth Preservation. (They also happen to be some of my most cherished and sweet clients!) I strongly believe that your family’s legacy and estate planning should be left to the experts, so I asked Stacy to give me some information (as this is clearly not my area of expertise!) Here is some more from Wealth Preservation:

Life Insurance is the Gift of Love

We buy life insurance to protect the ones we love – even after we’re gone. There are many other reasons why people find life insurance as an invaluable component to their financial plan, many of which are often overlooked:

1.Chances are your family relies on your income to pay the bills. Mortgage payments, college education, business and basic living expenses… consider how your family would make ends meet. Who would pay these bills for them if you are gone, how do they survive, on welfare with food stamps?  Think about it, for pennies a day, you can make sure they are provided for, at least to have an opportunity in life.
2.Create liquidity to pay taxes due, when we die, there is always some amount of  taxes payable, estate, capital gains, income taxes.  Do you really want your family to  be forced to sell  your house and/or your business in order to cover the tax burden. Life insurance can provide the funds necessary to cover the estate tax bill without your family having to liquidate your assets.

3.Legacy Planning: How do you want your family to live and how do you want to be remembered after you’re gone? What about retirement income planning for your surviving spouse? Are you aware that most spouses, have no retirement plan? As we live longer  than ever before those retirement incomes are being exhausted and many of us are now outliving our monies,  what happens to your wife/husband/partner?  It is very common today for the female to outlive the male, the one question I always hear from a windowed spouse is, Where is my  income coming from?  “Life insurance can secure your family and your legacy”.

“Remember people don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan” Don’t let that be you…Contact Wealth Preservation today at (800)313-PLAN (7526) or visit us at www.wealthpreservationllc.com we are a family owned business and family is our business.

Wealth Preservation has very graciously contributed to our holiday giveaway as well… Get Financially Fit! Living life fabulously—and frugally—isn’t always easy. That’s where Wealth Preservation LLC comes in with a drawing for a free financial bootcamp meeting tailored to your life. Sign up to be entered to win a meeting worth $1,500 of expert financial planning.

(I don’t know about you, but that is definitely something I could use!!)

Those are just a few things on my holiday shopping list this year. And without further ado, here’s what you’ve been waiting for! The special prize package with goodies from our friends! (Please be sure to go and check out their websites as well!) There is one caveat, besides the official mumbo-jumbo: you must live in San Diego County to win.

One winner will receive:

• A family portrait session from Powell Woulfe Photography

• One ticket to a DSLR Owners of Photoshop for Beginners Workshop by Powell Woulfe Photography

• Choice of one 8×10 single frame or three ornament frames by Organic Bloom, from Powell Woulfe Photography

• A Scentsy plug-in warmer and two bars from Sara Seemayer, Independent Scentsy Consultant

• One large hairbow, from Kelly’s Kids by Kallie

• Get Financially Fit! bootcamp from Wealth Preservation, LLC

a Rafflecopter giveaway