Weekend Links: Home for the Holidays Winners!

What a fun week! I know I’ve said this before with other giveaways, but never before have I wanted to be Oprah more than the past few days: “YOU get a mixer. And YOU get a mixer. And YOU get a mixer. Everybody gets a mixer!”

Sigh… Oh well. But it was a blast showing you some of my favorite gift ideas for the year, and to put in front of you companies I gladly endorse. They all make quality products, so a huge thanks and shout-out to Epiphanie Bags, Hearthsong, and KitchenAid!

I also loved getting to share my heart about one of my favorite organizations, Compassion. What great work they do—I’m honored to direct some of our holiday giving to them. And I loved hearing about your favorite holiday movies! Who knew so many of you love Muppet’s Christmas Carol? (I do, too, by the way.)

Now on to the winners. There are three of you who’ve won a sweet early Christmas gift this year—are you one of them?

The winners

• The winner of the Epiphanie Bag is LaDonna, who likes the Paris bag in black!
• The winner of the Vortex Marble Run and Connectagons from Hearthsong is Danielle, who loved to play with the marble run at her aunt and uncle’s house when she was a child!
• And the winner of the 7-Quart Bowl-Lift Residential Stand KitchenAid Mixer is Amy, who likes to bake sourdough English muffins and banana bread!

Congratulations, all! I hope this makes your holiday season a bit brighter—please check your inbox for an email from me, and respond as soon as possible.

The rest of you amazing readers—I know, I know, I wish you won, too. But some of our vendors have given you some coupon codes to use for the holidays, so I hope this helps with your gift giving.

Giveaway Sponsors (and coupon codes)

A huge thank you to all 15 giveaway sponsors this year! We love these companies, so keep them in mind for your holiday shopping:

• Barley and Birch: 20% off your entire purchase with the code SLM20.

• Breville

• Edgeware: 10% off all items with the code HOLIDAY11.

• Epiphanie Bags

• Hearthsong: $1.99 shipping on orders $50+ with the code HSPR199, valid through December 15, 2011.

• I Heart Maps: 15% off with the code SIMPLE15, valid through December 11, 2011.

• Imagine Childhood: 10% off with the code SHS10, valid through December 5, 2011.

• KitchenAid

• Le Creuset

• Magimix

• Mineral Fusion: Click here for a $3.00 off coupon, valid through December 31, 2011.

• My Initials, Inc: Free U.S. shipping on orders of $50 or more—email Angela at personlizeme [at] live [dot] com and mention Simple Living Media. Valid through December 10, 2011.

• Sarah’s Silks: Use the code FAMILY to receive a free mini-star playsilk with your order.

• Shenzhen Knives: Get a free peeler with the purchase of a chef’s knife with code FREEPEEL3, valid through December 31, 2011.

• Strider Monkeys: $10 off a Nutcase helmet with the purchase of a bike—mention Simple Kids in the checkout comments. You’ll need to request an electronic catalog in the comments to see all the helmets.

Recent weekend giveaway winners

I get to feel like Santa for just a few more minutes—a few of you have recently won weekend giveaways:

• The winners of a copy of Make and Takes: 50 Crafts Throughout the Year are Julia and Theresa!
• The winners of a selection of eco art kits from Artterro are Melissa and Julie!

And don’t forget, Artterro has a coupon code for you, too: for 20% off any purchase, use the code 20OFF at checkout.

“Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” -Calvin Coolidge, 1927