Reviews

  • Gifting with intention: Keeping the Christ in Christmas

    the Christ in ChristmasChristmas is a few hours away and I’m pretty sure some of you, like me, have yet to wrap those Christmas gifts. Okay, okay, let’s keep it real, I have yet to BUY those Christmas gifts too. I love gifting with intention though… and that takes time! I usually find myself online sifting through the latest fads and trends, to find the perfect gift for my family members. You know, gifts that actually mean something! This year, I decided to keep the Christ in Christmas. Jesus is the reason for the season, after all. Fortunately, my friends over at Christian Art Media has a range of inspirational gifting ideas to help make the tedious yet very, very rewarding job of Christmas gifting, that much easier. Here are some of my faves:

    Books and more books
    If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you’ll know that I am a huge fan of Christian Art Medias range of amazing inspirational books. My favorite picks, this festive season is Nick Vujicic’s autobiogrophy, Be The Hands and Feet. This guy is amazing. He tells the story of how God used him, despite being born with out limbs. Nick Vujicic is known worldwide as the man without arms and legs who personifies a “can do” spirit.
    Using compelling stories from his own experience, Nick shares the heart of his message, the motivation behind all he does, and something that he believes the world needs now more than ever before: A faith in Jesus Christ that moves people to act and make the world a better place.

    If you’re looking for a stocking filler, the hand bag sized Minute Motivators for Women by bestselling author Stan Toler and his wife, Linda, is a great gift idea! In this mini manual, they share thought-provoking quotes and beautiful words of hope that is sure to keep you inspired in the new year. Each chapter will draw your attention to a single attribute every godly woman wants to cultivate in her life, such as patience, wisdom, persistence, courage, and gratitude. Bite-size portions of inspiration make this the perfect devotional for, well, anytime—especially those days when you feel like you can never get ahead. Recharge in the middle of a hectic schedule or end your day with a much-needed reminder that God has every aspect of your life under control.

    Bibles
    Christian Art Media has the biggest selection of Bibles. There literally is something for everyone! My favorite is the My Promise Bible, which is beautifully designed, inside and out. Besides for the stunning illustrations (which you can color in), there is also a whole collection of scrap book goodies, in the sleeve behind the Bible, for you to document your spiritual journey through color and expression. I love this so much!

    If you’re looking for something a bit more masculine, this stunning classic King James Version tan lux leather Bible is perfect. It offers a one-year Bible reading plan, full-color map, a con­cor­dance and the words of Christ in red. Gilt-edged pages and a presentation page make this Bible perfect for gift-giving.

    Journals
    I’m a journal kinda girl. I love planning out my online and offline stuff, in one of the beautiful Christian Art Media luxe leather journals. Whether you’re looking for something for a guy or a gal, young or old, you’re guaranteed to find the perfect fit!

    For more inspirational gifting ideas, visit a CUM Books store or check out their website.

  • christmas stocking fillers

    Christmas stocking fillers for kids

    One big gift, on Christmas morning, just makes sense. Well, to us big people, that is. But the truth is that most kids want to open a whole bunch of gifts, come December 25th! And let’s be honest, there’s nothing quite like hearing the rip of wrapping paper and seeing festive inspired gift bags laid strewn across your living room floor. Fortunately there are some really cool Christmas stocking fillers for kids that work well at making your Christmas tree pile look a bit more impressive.

    Crazi Erazi

    Crazi Erazi
    Kids love to collect! How about topping up that Christmas stocking with the latest craze – Crazi Erazi mini collectibles. I love this new series of collectibles, which features tiny versions of a bunch of South Africa’s best loved stationery products. The full Crazi Erazi collection consists of 13 erasers that really work. Unlike the retailer specific free collectibles seen over the last few years which rewarded shoppers with a collectible item per specific amount spent in store, Crazi Erazi collectable erasers can be purchased at a variety of participating retailers and stationers for only R 6.99 each. The plastic collector box, which doubles as a pencil case, retails for R 39.99 and is fitted with exact compartments where all the erasers can be housed. The replicas of actual stationery products include brands such as Pritt, Mondi, Treeline, Artline, Uni, Penflex, Staedtler, BIC and Butterfly with mini versions of glue sticks, multi tack, paper reams, counter books, pens and markers, highlighters, pencil cases, pencils, crayons, pocket files, paper pads and colouring books. So cool! Find these at your nearest retail outlet.

    Action BibleThe Action Bible Guess-It Game
    Discover and learn about the Bible in a whole new way with The Action Bible Guess-It Game! Designed for ages 8 years and older, this game can be played with 2 or more players and tests and expands your Bible knowledge. Includes 100 oversized, laminated cards with 20 questions on each card that point toward the answer (a person, place, or thing from the Bible) and feature artwork taken from The Action Bible. Guys, this really is so much fun! Great for traveling or family game night, these action-packed cards will help expand youngster’s Bible knowledge in a fun and interactive way. Available at CUM Books, or online.

    mini me legoMini-Me Personalised LEGO
    Wow your kids with their very own personalised mini LEGO! The super cool Mini Me online store allows you to build your own LEGO ‘people’. Yep, you get to personalise everything… torso, face, hair, even the accessories! Theare are 1000’s of categorised items, on the website, and you are able to purchase a special stand for your creation too. Visit the online store for more.

    Gelli BaffGelli Baff and Slime Baff
    Guys, I was so excited when Zimpli Kids sent us some Gelli Baff and Slime Baff to try out at home. I think that these would make such great Christmas stocking fillers! The product basically turns your kids bathtime into an exciting, slime (or jelly) filled experience! Both products are 100% safe on skin, manufactured in the UK, non toxic and environmentally friendly, which means they can be drained away and disposed of easily. Gelli Baff is a totally unique, fun, bath time product that lets you turn water into goo and back again! Slime Baff turns your bath water into a gooey, oozy bath of slime. By just adding more water, the slime can be diluted into coloured water that can be safely drained away. Such a fun time! You can pick it up at Toys R Us or Takealot. Check out the Zimpli Kids website for more deets.

  • DVD's are great Christmas gifts

    Gifting with intention: Why DVD’s are great Christmas gifts!

    I love giving gifts that have meaning. Intentional gift giving (and receiving) is my thing. I get it though. Sometimes a “grab and go” gift makes more sense than a “this made me think of you gift” because: LIFE. But that’s why I love gifting books and DVDs. You can literally check their ratings and synopsis on the internet, make your decision, and then pop into a store (or online, yo) to quickly pick it up. Christian Art Media has an amazing selection of books and DVD’s, this Christmas, that will help you to gift with intention! Plus, have you been following my Christmas music giveaway? It closes tomorrow, and I’ll be adding something from this DVD collection to the prize! Whoop whoop!

    Superbooks

    Superbook
    You guys, I LOVE the latest Christian Art Media release – CBN’s Superbook. It’s an animation series, telling the story of real Bible heroes whose success came from trusting God and following His direction. Your kids will learn valuable, lifelong lessons of faith and victory! Seth reviewed these for me, and he was so impressed with the quality of the graphics (he’s 11) and found the storyline to be compelling. In fact, we learnt a bunch of things that we didn’t know, about some of these Bible stories. CBN’s Superbook team is made up of Emmy-winning artists and storytellers, whose credits include Mulan, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast. Together they are collaborating to completely reimagine the classic Superbook series using the latest 3D CGI technology. The new Superbook honors the life-changing legacy of the classic series and introduces the stories of the Bible to a new generation. I LOVE THIS! This is such a great Christmas gift! Check out more on the Superbook website.

    Andy Stanley

    Who needs Christmas
    I’ve recently been glued to Andy Stanley’s thought provoking teaching, Who Needs God. Andy is the founder and senior pastor of North Point Ministries and I love his way of dissecting the word of God. He brings you facts, arguments and an almost unbiased look at what the word of God says versus what the world says. The teachings are available on DVD (the first segment is called Athiest 2.0 and is especially interesting). Stanley also has a teaching called Who Needs Christmas. I mean, I get it, the details of Christmas can seem a bit sketchy. On the DVD, Stanley goes into the story and talks about WHY we have a “Christmas” and WHY a “Christmas” was needed. Argh, this is so good, I can’t even form the correct words to express it. If you’re looking for a gift that is deeper than your average box of chocolates, then this is it!

    Something for everyone
    With a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction, story-based or teaching-filled DVD’s available, there is literally something for everyone! How about grabbing that Christmas-themed movie dvd, as the perfect festive stocking filler? If you like to be a little bit “extra” (like me), use a marker to write your special message on the DVD cover. Ta da! The perfect keepsake.

    Pick these DVD’s up at CUM Books or shop online, to check out their wide variety of Christmas inspired gift ideas.

    DVD's are great Christmas giftsRemember that I’m giving away a collection of Christmas themed CDs? Well, I’ll be adding something from this post to that set, as well. Yeah, you might not have to hit the shops for Christmas gifts this year, folks! The giveaway closes in 12 hours you guys, so complete the rafflecopter below, asap! Winner will be anounced on my Facebook page tomorrow.

    Find the rest of the reviews (and more about the giveaway) here:
    Lauren Daigle – Behold

    Crowder – Oh For Joy

    Top 25 Christmas Hymns

    Matt Redman – These Christmas Lights

    Jeremy Camp – God With Us

    Casting Crowns – It’s Finally Christmas

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

  • Casting Crowns

    Music Monday: Casting Crowns – It’s Finally Christmas

    Casting CrownsI love Christmas music, you guys. It gives me all the feels. Like, literally, ALL of them! I love hearing and singing about the birth of Jesus Christ. I think this is why I’m such a fan of Christmas music. Thanks to Christian Art Media, this weeks review sets the mood just right! It is Casting Crowns’ latest festive offering called It’s Finally Christmas.

    Well, for those who don’t know, Casting Crowns is a 7 piece contemporary Christian band from the sunny state of Florida. The one thing that I’ve always admired about them is their stunning vocal arrangements… I mean, if you’re looking for vocal perfection, you should have a listen to some of their harmonies… amazing!

    On this their latest festive EP, the band gives us a collection of original Christmas tracks, beautifully written and flawlessly executed. The album also boasts two reworked Christmas anthems, O Holy Night and What Child is This. Both songs are kept true to it’s original melody, and the musical arrangement is simple yet haunting. I really enjoyed listening to this EP. You can check out my complete review over at Gateway News.

    Win your own set of Christmas albums!

    But wait… there’s more! Remember I said that I’m giving away a collection Christmas-themed albums to one of you (thanks to Christian Art Media)? Well, that’s definitely still happening! Whoot whooot! I’ve changed the entry mechanism, to give everyone more of a chance. Simply complete the rafflecopter below! Giveaway closes on Tuesday, December 19th!

    Find the rest of the reviews here:
    Lauren Daigle – Behold

    Crowder – Oh For Joy

    Top 25 Christmas Hymns

    Matt Redman – These Christmas Lights

    Jeremy Camp – God With Us

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

  • Hasbro's Christmas Gift Ideas

    Scoring all the “cool mom” points with Hasbro’s Christmas gift ideas

    Hasbro's Christmas Gift IdeasI don’t know about your kids, but mine are only slightly impressed with me. I mean, I serve my purpose, no doubt, and I’m pretty sure that they love me. But as far as cool points (I talk about these a lot, I know) go, Hubstopher usually scores all of them. But not this Christmas! Oh no, I’m about to be as cool as rolled up skinny jeans and top knots! That’s right, I’m bringing out the big guns this festive season as I prepare to wow my kids with Hasbro’s Christmas gift ideas and stocking fillers. Check them out here:

    My Little PonyMy Little Pony
    Following in the My Little Pony tradition of heartwarming tales of adventure, magical characters, colourful worlds and humour for all ages. The MY LITTLE PONY:THE MOVIE, was released on 6 October 2017. In the movie, the ponies face off against their biggest villain yet, the evil Storm King who is determined to steal all the magic from the kingdom of Equestria. It is up to the Mane Six to stop him and take back their beloved home. The fun doesn’t end with the movie – Hasbro has launched a MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE inspired range of characters and play sets, now available in South Africa. Kari’s favorite pony is Twilight Sparkle, so I am so chuffed to give her one of the My Little Pony seapony figures. Each 6-inch seapony figure has a beautiful mermaid-like tail and her signature cutie mark on her back fin. Her eyes and wings are detailed with glitter for extra under-the- sea sparkle.

    Toilet TroubleToilet Trouble
    There’s a lot more family fun time to be had with the introduction of Hasbro’s latest games; Toilet Trouble and Fantastic Gymnastics. (I chatted about Fantastic Gymnastics in this post). This Toilet Trouble game is hilarious! True to its name Toilet Trouble produces some hilarious and suspense-filled moments as players take turns spinning the toilet paper roll, flushing the toilet handle, and hoping, this round, they don’t get sprayed with water. The number that turns up on the paper roll spinner indicates how many times each player must flush. Players are safe if they hear the flushing sound, but no water is sprayed. Suitable for ages four and up, Toilet Trouble is fun for two or more players, keeping the kids (and adults) entertained for hours. Watch the Toilet Trouble game in action here.

    Grab and go MonopolyGrab and Go Monopoly
    Monopoly is back with the next generation game featuring the newly launched token set. Over 4.3 million fans, from around the globe, voted to keep their favorite tokens on board. The eight tokens set to carry on “Passing Go” in the new set include: the Scottie dog, top hat, car, battleship, cat, T-Rex, rubber ducky and the penguin. Monopoly Gamer is the Monopoly edition with a Nintendo twist. Instead of standard Monopoly tokens the game features Super Mario characters each with its own special powers within gameplay. Still a firm family favourite, Monopoly Mzansi, featuring 22 local locations, makes a perfect gift for the festive season. A definite must have for travellers, Monopoly Mzansi provides an opportunity for family and friends to come together and enjoy some quality time, Mzansi style.

    Nerf GunNerf Gun
    The Nerf N-Strike Elite Raptor Strike blaster is part of the AccuStrike Series, which features darts designed for greater accuracy. If your kids are gamers, like mine are, Nerf Blasters make for a fun reason to get them playing outdoors! The Elite Accustrike foam darts, with its twisted flat tip moulding, helps the bullet to stay straight when travelling through the air. The bolt-action blaster comes with an extendable bipod to stabilise shots, perfect for stealth battles with your friends. The 2 six-dart clips and 18 darts includes ensures battlers will stay stocked for their Nerf fights. The blaster comes complete with a pop-up sight for targeting.

    So what do you guys think? Spot anything that your kid would love for Christmas? More importantly, which of these will give you the much needed “street cred”?

    You can pick any of these up at Toys R Us, ToyZone, Toy Kingdom, Hamleys, Lilliputs and other major retailers. You can also shop online at Takealot.com. Visit the Hasbro website for more.

  • Stylish Steppers

    Stylish Steppers: Helping me nail those hair goals

    Stylish SteppersSo, you may or may not know that I have more grey hairs than a Golden Girl. No, seriously, the patches of greys on my head resemble a really warped version of a map of the world. Yep, it’s that much. And yep, this means that I color my hair quite regularly. So I’m always on the look out for product that can make my mane feel loved and cared for, and not as if I’m trying to morph it into something that it doesn’t want to be. Anyways, I was super duper chuffed when the wonderful Michelle of Stylish Steppers took one look at me and said “you should try out my new range!” Finally! Someone recognizes my potential to be a hair model. Or a Kardashian. I mean, I’ll take either one, thanks.

    Turns out Michelle is not working for Kris Jenner. Better yet, she is actually working for herself and besides for running her own highly popular hair salon, Stylish Steppers, she has also started developing her own hair care products. Stylish Steppers is based in Nelson Mandela Bay and I’ve heard such great things about Michelle and team. But, truth be told, it was mainly from my curly girl friends. And hey, since we’re being honest, I sometimes felt like I can’t sit at the curly girl table, because those chicks are so darn fierce, surely what works for them won’t work for me. Right?

    Stylish SteppersWell, yeah, I am right. We can’t really use the same product. BUT Michelle has taught me that this is exactly why you need to find a salon and a hairdresser who actually KNOWS hair. You need a “hair person” who has a passion for hair. Someone with more than just skill! And that’s what I found in this wonderful lady. For starters, Ella has been raving about her curly girl product (which I am yet to try on my own curly girl). But then Michelle told me that she has developed product for us straight haired sisters too (yay, someone actually sees us, can we have our own event now?). I got to try out this Silky Smooth range, the past few weeks.

    The shampoo has a delicious fruity smell, and I swear guys, an almost pearl-like consistency, which made me feel like it’s really going to make my hair silky smooth. I fell inlove with the condicare. Michelle said that it’s actually a deep conditioner, which I was super excited to hear about. (Because I clearly have no life and hair care products are the only excitement in it). The condicare went on extremely well – no lumps – and I left it on for a couple of minutes before rinsing.

    stylish steppersThe difference? Well, there was a major one, in my opinion! For starters, I didn’t have to use heat on my hair, after week two of using the product. That’s like, a big deal, if you’re from where I come from! (Brown girls, hollar) My hair had a great shine and texture to it. I mean, sure, it was clean (and clean hair is always a good time) but people actually stopped me to admire my hair… and all I had done was literally wash it and leave it to air dry.

    Needless to say, I’m a huge fan and I can’t wait to try out the other Stylish Steppers products! If you’re in Nelson Mandela Bay and would like to visit the salon, or if you’d like to learn more about the product, check out the Facebook page.

  • Jeremy Camp

    Music Monday: Jeremy Camp – Christmas:God With Us

    Jeremy CampFor those who prefer your more tradish Christmas sing along songs, you need to check out Jeremy Camp’s totally rad Christmas offering called Christmas: God With Us. Jeremy is a really cool contemporary Christian artist and his festive album is very rock meets pop meets U2.

    I really appreciate that he’s stayed true to the traditional Christmas songs, not altering any of the classic melodies or words. He has, however spiced up the music and arrangements a bit. But in a really great way. In fact, I almost feel like he’s somehow added an element of fun to these age old classics.

    All the faves are on here. Namely Jingle Bell Rock, Joy to the World, Away In a Manger, the works. If you’re a contemporary rock fan, and you like to get your Christmas music on, this is definitely one for you! You can check out more on Gateway News, where I did an official review for Christian Art Media.

    Win your own set of Christmas albums!

    But wait… there’s more! Remember I said that I’m giving away a collection Christmas-themed albums to one of you (thanks to Christian Art Media)? Well, that’s definitely still happening! Whoot whooot! I’ve changed the entry mechanism, to give everyone more of a chance. Simply complete the rafflecopter below! Giveaway closes on Tuesday, December 19th!

    Find the rest of the reviews here:
    Lauren Daigle – Behold

    Crowder – Oh For Joy

    Top 25 Christmas Hymns

    Matt Redman – These Christmas Lights

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

  • Gary Chapman’s Conversation Starters made my family talk {Giveaway!}

    Ever sat around a supper table and literally heard crickets, because the conversation was just that non-existent? Or do you find that one child is a chatterbox, leaving no room for any of the others to share? Or do you just want to get your family or spouse talking more? You and me both, pal! Which is why I literally squealed when my friends over at Christian Art Media sent me a parcel so amazing, I’m sure I heard angels singing when I opened it. Introducing: Gary Chapmans 101 Conversation  Starters. If you love board games and group games, like I do, then this is right up your alley! (Stay tuned to find out how you can win a hamper for you and your family!)

    So, for those not familiar with the geniosity that is Dr Gary Chapman: He is the brilliant psychologist (with more than 30 years experience, yo!) and the author behind the highly popular New York Best Selling Five Love Languages book. Dr Chapman says that each person has their own unique language, pertaining to their own, unique personality and characteristics. We all give and receive love in different ways. He explains that by knowing your partner or children’s love language, you can finally take the mystery out of what they really want and expect. Knowing your child’s love language can help you to understand them better and will give you the “cheats” on how to get the best out of them!

    According to him, the 5 Love Languages are: Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Physical Touch. For example, my love language is acts of service. When Chris washes the dishes, or gives me a food rub, I’m like “woah, this guy really loves me!” His, on the other hand, is physical touch. So, if I’m upset with him for like, a week, and avoid contact, he really feels the burn!

    Anyways, so based on the amazing Love Languages series, and together with Ramon Presson, Dr Chapman has developed the 101 Conversation Starters cards. This handy tabletop resource is designed to get you, your family and your spouse talking! With 101 probing questions, 101 Conversation Starters for Families blends just the right amount of fun and thought-provoking questions, to help develop a culture of meaningful conversation in your family! I simply adore the 101 Conversation Starters for Couples cards. These offer 101 probing questions for couples, with the aim to enhance the relationship and create a deeper intimacy.

    If you’re looking for an affordable way to create a fun atmosphere, at home, during the summer period, then I highly recommend these! And hey, aren’t the ‘couples’ cards a really legit way to spend a date night indoors? The 101 Conversation Starters cards and Love Languages books are available online or at your nearest CUM Books store.

    We played the family game, this past week, and learnt a bunch of really interesting things about each other. For starters, Kyle wants to leave the country. But we always knew that. Chris realized that he needs a dedicated day, in the week, to spend with the family (yep, the cards told him this!) and now everyone knows that the one thing I want for Christmas is to be 16 again! That last one was meant to be funny, but only I thought it was. Oh well, you can’t win them all. And talking about winning, I want to give one of you a hamper, as part of my Christmas Crazy festivities! Woohoo!

    101 Conversation StartersThe hamper includes both the 101 Conversation Starters for Families, 101 Conversation Starters for Couples AND the 2 accompanying Dr Chapman Love Languages books, that will help you to work on building better relationships within your family and marriage! AAAACK! I know, right?!!

    To enter, simply follow the rafflecopter prompts below, and check out my Facebook page on Friday, December 15th to see if you’re a winner! Yep, there are hundreds (I’m exaggerating) of ways to enter… I wanted to give you as many chances and options as possible! This prize is that good! Good luck ya’ll!

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

  • Matt Redman

    Music Monday: Matt Redman – These Christmas Lights

    Matt RedmanFor those looking for a more contemporary listen this Christmas allow me to introduce your ears to all that is Matt Redman. Matt is a 2 time Grammy award winner, worship leader and renowned singer and songwriter in the christian music circles. I mean, I am all for putting “Christ” back into Christmas… and that’s exactly what he does on his festive album, These Christmas Lights.

    For starters, the album is filled with a collection of original Christmas themed songs … so if you’re preconditioned to “bleugh” at the mere sound of jingle bells, this one is for you! Secondly, as I’ve mentioned Matt is a really top songwriter and as a double score, he features the vocal prowess of Chris Tomlin, Natasha Bedingfield and the great Tasha Cobbs, on this album.

    Some of my favorite picks include the duet with Bedingfield. I mean, the lady has a set of pipes on her! Cobbs also does her fair share of vocal wowing, on the duet ‘Glory to you in the highest‘, where she totally does justice to an amazing song that is kinda like a reprise of the traditional Christmas tune, ‘Hark the Herald angels‘.

    Matt is a story teller. He has been gifted with the amazing ability to paint pictures, with words and music and I love that he has taken something that is often completed and utterly pulverized (I’m talking about Christmas, yo) and reinvented the way it’s told, in a way that is more personal and intimate.

    There’s a whole lot more that I can say about this one… and I did, over here at Gateway News. You can check out the complete review there.

    Win your own set of Christmas albums!

    But wait… there’s more! Remember I said that I’m giving away a collection Christmas-themed albums to one of you (thanks to Christian Art Media)? Well, that’s definitely still happening! Whoot whooot! I’ve changed the entry mechanism, to give everyone more of a chance. Simply complete the rafflecopter below! Giveaway closes on Tuesday, December 19th!

    Find the rest of the reviews here:
    Lauren Daigle – Behold

    Crowder – Oh For Joy

    Top 25 Christmas Hymns

    Jeremy Camp – Christmas: God With Us

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

  • So we made christmas tree ornaments in our LG NeoChef Microwave Oven

    It’s no secret, I’m not exactly a domestic goddess. But when I got my hands on the new LG NeoChef Microwave Oven (with smart inverter technology, yo) I found myself all kinds of inspired! I stood there, staring at it’s sleek exterior, wondering what on earth I could make in it. And then I watched the LG NeoChef advert, where a very well spoken Daniel Les – world renowned ceremic artist – shows us how he bakes intricate hand-crafted pottery in his NeoChef. “Hey, I can do that!” I said out loud to no one in particular, because that’s how I roll. And that, my friends, is how I ended up making christmas tree ornaments in our LG NeoChef. Granted, it wasn’t an entirely smooth ride (because my cleverness forgot to remind me that an oven is an oven, so don’t put metallic bows in it maybe) but I am totally chuffed with the end result!

    LG NeoChefHere’s how we did it:

    Kari and I simply made a batch of salt dough with about 4 cups of flour and 1 cup of salt. After combining the flour and salt, we slowly stirred some water into it (key word: slowly!), kneading at the concoction until the dough is formed. Once this was done, we grabbed some of our cookie cutters and got a couple of really cool shapes for our ornaments.

    christmas tree ornaments in our LG NeoChef Microwave Oven

    christmas tree ornaments in our LG NeoChef Microwave OvenYou guys, so the recipes I found online told me to bake my ornaments in the oven for at least 2 – 3 hours. I put these in the NeoChef for 20 minutes and guess what… it was too long! We put the second batch in for only 10 minutes! How’s that for impressive AND a time saver?!

    Okay, here’s where my cleverness failed me. I thought that we could decorate the ornaments before sticking them in the oven. But alas, this did not work out quite as expected. But, all was not lost. I remembered what my very crafty pal, JustEllaBella, told me about using nail polish to decorate your tiny crafts. And that’s what we did!

    All in all, I think they came out really sweet! What do you guys think? I am simply loving our LG NeoChef Microwave Oven. Here’s a few more really impressive things you need to know about it:

    – It has Anti-Bacterial EasyClean™ interior coating, which means it’s easier to keep your microwave oven clean and germ free. The coating gets rid of 99.99% of harmful bacteria from the surface.

    – The inverter technology is a real thing, yo! Like a super power… but better! Basically, it enables more precise temperature control. (Which is why Mr Les could bake his pottery in it!) This also prevents overcooked food and unthawed areas on your defrosted foods.

    – It has a legit interior LED lamp, which is three times brighter and more energy efficient than most premium microwave oven lights. This means it’s way easier to see into the oven – no more stopping to check, simply peek in through the window!

    Totally impressed.

    Disclaimer: The LG NeoChef was sent to me, but all the opinions and photos in this post are my own, I promise.