Choosing The Perfect Gift For Her With SouFeel Charms + Jewelry

I received a sample product to facilitate this post, regardless all thoughts below are genuine and original. All photos contained below are property of Momma Told Me Blog 2015.

Momma Told Me: It's not the size that makes the statement.

I've never been much of a jewelry person- that is to say I don't have a large box or cabinet full of priceless chains and pendants, or a rotating set of rings. I like to accessorize, yes, but I wear jewelry and accessories to make a statement. This pendant makes that neckline pop, the colors and crystals on these earrings match my favorite dress perfectly, or that bow brings my retro attitude to complete an outfit. There are few pieces I will wear on multiple days of the week with a varying number of outfits; my charm bracelet, however, is an exception.

There's simply something about charms that captivate me. Maybe they just tickle my obsession with miniature and tiny objects but I feel it's the act of collecting charms, over time, to tell the story of one's life. A charm to mark a special vacation, a new friendship, a beloved pet, a passion or hobby- each charm tells a little story about it's owner, and no charm bracelet is ever quite the same. Last year at the Fall Fashionista Event I won a sterling silver bracelet with 4 retro kitchen charms from a certain 'kitsch' collection; a teal spatula, a silver oven mitt, a turquoise bead, and the most exquisite little hand mixer charm that still makes me smile when I see it. I won these charms, I didn't pick them out for myself, but they speak a very specific story of who I am, none-the-less, and they ultimately began my charm collection.

Now, those first 4 charms were valued over $200, and starting your own charm bracelet can be a lofty task, as most fine beads and charms are limited edition and skillfully crafted. When I discovered SOUFEEL and their range of unique collections and Pandora/Chamilia compatible designs I was instantly in love. There were hundreds of charms to browse and choose from with seasonal and limited edition collections constantly being added. An the free expedited 3-5 day U.S. shipping made it easy to splurge on a little indulgence here and there.

Of course, whether you have a charm bracelet of your own, or are shopping for a gift to someone who does, you likely understand the importance of competitive pricing. High quality Sterling Silver charms and beads such as SOUFEEL's will range upwards of $140 on other websites- when you buy direct from SOUFEEL you not only get to take advantage of the great shipping deal and amazing prices, but the many other promotions constantly going on. Currently you can enjoy a free bracelet (of your specified length) with orders over $99, a free charm with orders over $79 and a free ring with orders over $59. I've received many of my charms as gifts from family and friends, and always refer them to SOUFEEL for their adorable one of a kind designs and great pricing.

Gifting quality charms is more than handing someone a piece of jewelry, it's just like adding a piece of you and your connection with that person to the bracelet directly. Choose a charm that directly reflects the recipients interests or passions, or find something unique that reminds you of a special memory or occasion. The great thing about gifting charms is that they can always be interchanged in a number of ways to suit one's mood or fashion on any given day, so it's hard to go wrong when gifting them!

I've been consistently wowed at the quality and detail within several of my favorite SOUFEEL charms. Many have secret components, such as a locket mechanic or unique etched filigree. The use of gorgeous, vibrant, Swarovski crystals compliments my most beautiful beads and makes it hard to choose which I will display on any given day. If you're looking to give your charm collection a good start I suggest investing in one of SOUFEEL's complete charm bracelets, which can include anywhere from 4 to 12 beads. This is a great way to help someone start their own charm bracelet, or accent a few select favorite charms you might have lying around. One of my favorite beads, the Swarovski Seahorse, actually came from the Sweet Memories Sterling Silver SOUFEEL bracelet!

For me, jewelry is a statement about myself, and who I am- few pieces of jewelry can echo that statement quite like a charm bracelet. If you're interested in gifting someone a charm or complete bracelet, be sure to check out SOUFEEL online for their complete collection of 925 Sterling Silver Charms. The brand has a 365 day compatibility and satisfaction guarantee on all of their charms, and jewelry, and you can take advantage of an exclusive 5% off your order with exclusive coupon code Jenna5 (not commissioned.) Do you or someone you love have a charm bracelet? If so, tell me about one of your/their favorite charms!

What Daughter Says: Charms are unique, personal gifts of sentiment and memories that continue to tell stories, despite their unsuspecting size.

 

Relive The Magic Of The Cracker Jack Box With Jackpot Candles Gifts- Giveaway 4/24

***I received the following product in hopes I would share my honest opinion with my readers. Regardless, all thoughts are my own, and all images are copyright Momma Told Me Blog 2015.

Momma Told Me: Don't judge the cereal by it's prize.

How do you make a product people already love and use stand out as a brand in a sea of equally colorful and engaging products? Why, you put something equally exciting, a bonus we'll call it, inside the product to delight consumers long after the point of purchase. Kellogg's was the first to do this, in 1945, when the inserted a pin back button, promotional item, into the boxes of their Pep cereal. Of course the creator of Cracker Jack, a German immigrant named Fritz, was truly the first to incentivize product consumption with this method in 1912. Regardless, today's consumers are just as thrilled to enjoy products which promise the immediate satisfaction of a trusted brand and product with the delayed reward of a hidden incentive. And so the industry, of candles with jewelry inside, has become quite popular in recent years.

It's not a little known secret that there are many brands using wax to he trinkets and jewelry as motivation to buy their products. One of my first product features here on Momma Told Me was for the first major company to do this, and still remains one of my largest search engine traffic sources to this day! But not all that is original or 'first' is the best at what it does. I especially love it when a new craze or trend is saturated in the marketplace, represented by multiple sellers and brands. Not only does this breed competition, which is good for prices, but creativity, which means forward movement on concepts. For yeas now I have bought candles with jewelry inside as gifts for family members.

In the beginning I heard about how exciting the experience was, how high quality the candles were, and how gorgeous the jewelry was- however, the 'jewelry' pieces were rings, and most often did not fit the actual recipient. Jackpot Candles has fixed that problem by offering a range of different jewelry surprises in their wax based products, from rings and necklaces to even earrings. This way you can feel most confident your recipient will be able to wear the piece found inside their gift. Even more exciting is the opportunity to order select fragrances and products in certain jewelry sizes- these products will come with a simple numeric 'size' sticker on the bottom, so you can gift the ones you love something that is guaranteed to fit. Of course the item inside will still be a surprise!

Jackpot Candles have  not only taken some of the improbabilities out of ordering mystery candle gifts, they have dedicated their brand to 100% soy, hand poured, quality products made exclusively in the USA. Many similar operations have moved overseas, so I am happy to continue to support a USA based business.

Every August, for my cousin's birthday (which happens to be the same day as mine) I head online and order 2-3 pieces of mystery candle gifts in my cousin's size. I first gave her a jewelry candle gift 3 years ago for Christmas and she still has not stopped raving about how she loves them the most. Her only complaint? She is impatient and seldom wants to wait for a candle to burn half-way down to discover her gift inside. Jackpot Candles' wax tarts are the perfect solution, and a great gift for a flame free home.

I recently had the chance to explore the range of vivid fragrances in the Jackpot Candles collection and fell in love with the playful juicy Watermelon tart fragrance and the rich, fresh baked, Blueberry Muffin aroma. I'll admit, I tend to be impatient too, so having the wax melts on hand for an immediate treat was wonderful, while the anticipation of the 16oz candle burning made me feel a little like a kid again! Jackpot candle jewelry is assured to value between $15-$5000. While I did not find a $5000 trinket in any of my pieces, I did enjoy the tracking code on each piece, where I could easily look up the appraised value, and composition of, my piece online.

In all, Jackpot Candles has been one of the more affordable brands offering this jewelry in wax gift trend, and I found the quality of the products, and variety of fragrances, at the top of my list. I would love to see them expand into a candle-of-the-month plan, or even soap and fragrance beads, but the brand is fairly new and still growing. Lastly, something that seems to be sorely missing in this genre of gifts is an unscented line of wax candles with jewelry inside- I know several people with fragrance allergies who would love the ambiance and experience of a Jackpot Candle but cannot enjoy them quite yet. If you are not scent challenged, however, I highly suggest picking up a few of these gorgeous candle gifts while they have your desired sizing in stock!

What Daughter Says: With unique, sized, jewelry in a quality soy wax candle product, there's not disappointment from start to finish.

One Momma Told Me reader will win a Jackpot Candles prize pack including a Candle and Tart Pack in the fragrances of their choice.

Jilzara Premium Clay Bead Jewelry Review and Giveaway~ 4/23

Momma Told Me: It's not the size of the sparkle, but the spark behind it.

I've always been an eclectic mix of tomboy and girly girl. When I was in kindergarten I'd often get into fights over the Pretty Princess silver tiara, simply because it was the most coveted (I'd never be caught wearing it). My love of all things sparkly has only blossomed through the years. I adore sparkles, glitz, and glam; but don't care much for wearing it. Let's face it, Diamonds may pay the mortgage, but they won't keep me arm at night. Retract that, I could buy a dozen down comforters with said theoretical diamonds, but I'd still be alone. You get the point; I've stressed time and again (as nice as sparkly things are) the jewelry I actually pull out of my jewelry box to wear is often a unique statement piece that will garner compliments and turn heads. So many women get caught up in karats and cuts, when I feel if I were to receive a safety pin bracelet from my special man, it would be far more meaningful.

Luckily accessorizing doesn't have to come to that. Most men feel lost when buying jewelry for the women in their lives. It seems every holiday I am called to help my father wade through a sea of jewelry for his mother, sister in law, or girlfriend. As lost as the poor man seems, I am often just as much confounded. Gifting jewelry is an intimate thing. To do this successfully you must know a little something about the person being gifted, and their style. Or you can skip the long line of cookie cutter pendants from Kay Jewelers and gift something handcrafted and truly unique. Jilzara, which arguably sounds more like a mythical lizard monster, exists to satisfy the whimsy in every woman. With handcrafted premium clay beads, no piece is ever truly identical, and all are limited edition. I recall messing around with polymer clay and bead layering as a teenager, but Jilzara blows my humble attempts out of the water.

You may not recognize the name Jill Manzara, but she pioneered the art of clay beads for modern jewelry nearly 10 years back. Today her and her daughter (don't you just love a mother/daughter team?) work tirelessly in their studios to create intricate hand rolled beads that are guaranteed to last through decades of wear. Unlike pretty painted synthetic beads, these hand designed beads are actually layers of rolls spliced together into round and square beads. The traditional round clay beads are strung and displayed on a high quality cording with the Jilzara brand stamp, while square beads are mounted in lead and nickel free castings that add tangible weight and quality to the overall pieces. I'll admit, when I hear 'clay beads' I don't jump to place an order- but there was something captivating about my first Jilzara encounter that sent me online to explore a little more.

One of the things I especially love about Jilzara is the accessory pieces are titled by collection in order of mounts/facets. That is to say while a particular arrangement of beads on a bracelet may be titled 'Medium Crystal,' the various colors and patterns of actual beads available within that style are numerous. I received a Medium Silverball bracelet in Navy, and this is hardly the best way to introduce the piece seen in the header. With beautiful paisley and lace prints that remind me of fine porcelain, the wide beads on this bracelet are each unique in pattern. I'll admit, I was weary of the 'stretch' wear, but the nylon cording fed through the heart of the bracelet is especially giving and durable. Still, I prefer the brands other fixtures like the below Square Wrap and toggle options. One thing I love especially about my Jilzara pieces if the soft feel of the buffed clay and the tiny imperfections in the designs that remind me of the impressive creativity and patience that went into engineering each and every one.

We gifted some Jilzara pieces to family this past holiday season and I have to say they were the talk of the gift exchanges. I had to convince a few aunts that these were indeed traditionally crafted clay beads, not painted imitations. We inevitably ended up browsing the brand's online catalog, where I heard many remarks about how reasonable the pricing was, given the weight and quality of the pieces we had in hand. The brand's new Bangle Charm Bracelet also caught several eyes; we thought these would be wonderful mother/daughter sets to build and collect over time. In all, Jilzara is a delightfully whimsical American jewelry brand that offers something for every style. Some of the bold patterns and colors might intimidate the average male shopper, but the unique design and time put into each bead on those pieces make them an especially meaningful gift to me! Stop by and browse the current Spring collection today, and be sure to check out the double strand watches; they're simply gorgeous.

What Daughter Says: I adore the girly prints and frilly patterns of Jilzara's handmade premium beaded jewelry!