2017 Galentine's Blogger Gift Exchange Reveal and Linkup

It's time for another exchange reveal for the 2017 Galentine's Blogger Exchange I hosted with Mattie. Reveal days are some of my favorites-it's so fun to see what everyone gave each other! This time, I received my gift from Lindsay from The Flynnigans, and I gave my gift to Lacey from Perks of Being a JAP.

Lindsay sent me the kindest note with my gift. The best part of these exchanges is getting to know other bloggers. Since I found out she sent me my gift, I have been reading her blog, and I love how much of an animal lover she is!

I was so excited when I opened up the package from Lindsay and saw the new Beatriz Williams book! Y'all know my love for the Schulyer Sister series, so I am super excited to read The Wicked City. I've also been needing a neutral pink color for spring, and I love the Essie ladylike color Lindsay sent me! I am planning to use it on Saturday before our road trip to Colorado! She also included a beautiful bookmark that will look so pretty in my books! Thank you so much for the wonderful gifts, Lindsay!

If you participated in the exchange, link up with us below (it will take you to Mattie's page to link up). I can't wait to see what you got!



Just a quick note: it's finally time for our trip to Colorado! If you'd like to follow along, I will be posting on Instagram (thesiberanamerican) and SnapChat (SiberianOlya).

SaveSaveSaveSave

Announcing the 2017 Galentine's Blogger Gift Exchange

I am so excited to announce that Mattie and I are hosting our second annual Galentine's Blogger Gift Exchange! We had so much fun doing it with y'all last year, and I am so glad people love it as much as we do. I've had several people reach out and ask me if we're doing it again, which is super exciting. Whether you are new or did the exchange with us last year, I hope you decide to join in on the fun with us!

The Details: 

What:
Our Galentine’s Blogger Exchange is a fun opportunity to get to know another blogger! We will also be having a linkup, so everyone can see the great gifts you picked out.

When: 
1/27: Signups close
2/10: Deadline to ship your package
2/24: Show off your gift by linking up with us!

How much will it cost me? 
We have set a minimum of $20. If you would like to spend more, you are more than welcome to do that, but please don’t expect anyone to spend more than $20.

Am I sending to/receiving from the same person?  
No, this is a Secret Santa exchange. This way, you get to know two people!

Should I contact the blogger who is my partner?  
If you need to contact your blogger, please do it through the Elfster site. We want your identity to be a surprise!

How do I tell my partner what I'd like?
Elfster has a great wish list tool where you can add items to your wish list! You can also send a message to your partner through Elfster without knowing who she is.

Is the exchange open to international bloggers?
Yes! If you are a US blogger, please let us know when you sign up if you prefer to ship to only US bloggers!

Click here to sign up for the Galentine's Exchange.

Announcing the Second Annual Blogger Christmas Cheer Exchange

We all need a little bit of happiness this week, so I am so excited to announce that Mattie from Northwest Native and I are hosting our second annual blogger Christmas exchange! We would love for you to join us as we get to know other bloggers and spread the holiday cheer!

The Details:

What:
Our Blogger Christmas Cheer Exchange is a fun opportunity to get to know another blogger! We will also be having a linkup, so everyone can see the great gifts you picked out.

When:
11/18: Signups close
12/2 Deadline to ship your package
12/16: Show off your gift by linking up with us!

How much will it cost me?
We have set a minimum of $20. If you would like to spend more, we don’t mind, but please don’t expect anyone to spend more than that.

Am I sending to/receiving from the same person? 
No, this is a Secret Santa exchange. This way, you get to know two people!

Should I contact the blogger who is my partner? 
If you need to contact your blogger, please do it through the Elfster site. We want your identity to be a surprise!

How can I let my Secret Santa know what I want/don't want? 
Elfster has a great wish list option, where you can add anything you want! Please update this! It's so helpful to your Secret Santa.

Is this open to international bloggers? 
Yes! If you are a US blogger willing to ship internationally, please let us know when you sign up. :)

Click here to sign up!

We would love to have as many people as possible participate, so please share our button:

<div class="Blogger Christmas Cheer Exchange " style="width: 300px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a href="https://www.elfster.com/exchange/view/16159322/095fc6/ " rel="nofollow"> <img src="http://imgur.com/iVBnrnl.png " alt="Blogger Christmas Exchange " width="300" height="300" /> </a> </div>

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! 

Blogger Galentine’s Exchange Reveal

I had so much fun hosting the Blogger Galentine’s Exchange with my blogger friend Mattie from Northwest Native. It’s such a fun way to get to know other bloggers.

Emily from Yippee! It’s MLE sent me my gift, and she really outdid herself. Not only did she send a beautiful knit scarf perfect for a Chicago winter, she sent me two heart containers filled with Starbursts and gummy lifesavers, sticky notes (I love office supplies!), a mini red Essie nail polish, and a mini perfume.

It was such a great gift that I was surprised when I opened up the card and read this was only part one! Emily also sent me $10 to Starbucks, which was such a wonderful surprise. Thank you so much, Emily, for these amazing gifts and for feeding my Starbucks addiction! I can’t wait to read more of your blog.

Ladies part of the exchange, link up with us below! I can’t wait to see what y’all got. If you haven’t received your gift yet, the link up will remain open for a week.

An InLinkz Link-up

CG Swaps: Book & A Cuppa Swap

Hey y'all. I'm writing for the first time ever on a Sunday to share that CG Swaps is currently hosting a Book & A Cuppa Swap, and I am so excited to participate. There is nothing better than cuddling up with a mug of tea and a good book while it's cold outside (bonus points if it's snowing!), so I thought it would be fun to do a swap for a mug and a book! Sign ups end Monday, and I would love for y'all to participate with me! Click here for all the details about the swap.

CG Swaps 12 Days of Christmas Swap Reveal

I'm a little late on this because I decided to stay in Milwaukee a little longer than expected, but today, I am excited to show y'all my fun gifts from the 12 Days of Christmas Swap from CG Swaps! My partner was Mistle from Sweet Tea and Hydrangeas, and I had so much fun getting to know her. I could quickly tell we had a lot in common, which made it even more fun to shop for her!

Starbucks Via Instant Peppermint Mocha Latte: I was so excited when I opened this because I love peppermint mochas from Starbucks.
Teavana Passion Tango Tea: This tea smells amazing, and I can't wait to try it.
Wintertime Hot Chocolate Collection: I was so excited to see red velvet hot chocolate as part of this trio. I love anything red velvet, and I have never tried red velvet hot chocolate.
Clint's Texas Salsa: When Mistle and I were getting to know each other, I told her I miss Texas salsa, so I asked her to send me some of her favorite salsa! I loved what she picked out!

Mint Target scarf: This scarf is so soft, and I love the color!
Sugar Paper planner: I love that this planner has so much space for each day. I'm using it as a blog planner this year.

Burt's Bees Cucumber & Sage Facial Cleansing Towelettes: I love facial cleansing wipes, and I can't wait to try out the Burt's Bees ones!
Essie Bahama Mama: I love this color! So pretty and fun.
Que Bella Masks: I love trying new brands, so I was excited to see these!
Colourpop Matte Gloss: This is such a great color, and Colourpop is a new brand to me.
Colourpop Eyeshadow: The color she picked out for me is so pretty!
Snowman ornament: I put the cute little guy on our tree as soon as we got him! He really dressed up our Chicago Christmas tree.

Thank you so much for the great gifts, Mistle! If you want to see what I got Mistle, click here!

Friday Favorites: Blogger Christmas Cheer Exchange Reveal + Linkup

Happy Friday and one week until Christmas, friends! I was just going to do the Blogger Christmas Cheer Exchange reveal today, but I had a few more fun things I wanted to share with y’all today before I shared my fantastic gift!

/ / One
Christopher has a golden weekend this weekend (what people in the medical field call having both Saturday and Sunday off), and I am so excited to go on a few Christmas dates and celebrate him being done with the Step 3! He has had to study for several months after coming home, so it is a relief to have that out of the way.

/ / Two
I have been trying to mix up Skyler’s diet a bit, so I was excited to receive Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost Mixers from Chewy. I put about 1/8 of a cup into Skyler’s food every day, and she gobbles it up. I love that it is natural, grain-free, and pure animal protein. She loves that it provides variety to her dry food.

I received the Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost Mixers from Chewy, but all opinions are my own. 

/ / Three
Christopher and I finally got to decorate the tree on Monday because he got home early from one of his test days. It was so nice to spend time together decorating and listening to Christmas music.

/ / Four
This week, I finished my 100th book of the year! One of my latest reads was The Tsar of Love and Techno, which I picked up because it was short stories about life in Siberia when during the Soviet Union period. I don’t usually read short stories, so it took me a while to get into them, and I thought the first half of the book was pretty boring. That being said, once the back story was established, I loved the second half of the book. Everything came together and kept me engaged.

I received this book through Blogging for Books, but all opinions are my own.

/ / Five
Last but not least, I had so much fun putting together the Blogger Christmas Cheer Exchange with Mattie! My Secret Santa was Katie from Running with Wine, and she got me a beautiful blanket scarf! I have been wanting a blanket scarf in those colors forever, and it is so warm and soft. It finally got cold enough here to wear it when Christopher and I went on a Christmas date to ZooLights last night. I love it so much with my red peacoat, and it will be on heavy rotation this winter. Thank you so much, Katie!

Ladies part of the exchange, link up with us below! I can’t wait to see what y’all got. If you haven’t received your gift yet, the link up is open until December 31.

An InLinkz Link-up

Linking up with Amanda, Karli, and the High Five for Friday girls.

I hope y’all have a wonderful weekend!