This year bloggers from around b5media’s Lifestyles and Health and Wellness channels are giving readers a special surprise. We’ve created a virtual mall to help ease the anxiety of shopping for those on your Christmas list who may be a little more difficult to buy for!

What an awesome response to Monday’s Blogtoberfest sponsored prize post! I’m sure pairing it up with the two-minute microwave fudge recipe didn’t hurt either!
The winner from Monday’s Blogtoberfest post is AmandaK!
AmandaK won a Search for the Cure Stationary Caddy! Each caddy contains 25 pearl-white correspondence cards with a pink ribbon icon at the top. Coordinating pink mist envelopes are included, and the package is wrapped with a pink ribbon. $2 per box will donated by Crane & Co., a breast cancer awareness organization.
Congrats, AmandaK!
Everyone else, thank you for participating and keep an eye out – there are tons more prizes …read more

October is traditionally an exciting month for b5media’s Lifestyles Channel and our readers. Summer is over and the Holidays have not yet begun, so it is the perfect time for us to thank our readers for their continued loyalty!
To do this, we’ve joined forces with hundreds of sponsors to create a two week extravaganza of giveaways, jump-starting the holiday season and allowing our readers to win gifts, both for themselves and for giving. This year’s Blogtoberfest is better than ever before. We have simplified the process and the sponsors have been extremely generous in the gifts that they are …read more

The b5media Lifestyles Channel is excited to announce our Second Annual Channel Wide Blogtoberfest!
Blogtoberfest will run an entire two weeks throughout our channel beginning Monday, October 6th and wrapping up Friday, October 17th.
Here’s how it will work:
Each day select blogs within the channel will post as usual, the only difference is, they’ll post our beautiful Blogtoberfest button (shown above) and a special note letting you know that it is a sponsored post. That particular post will have a secret prize assigned to it from our list of awesome prizes that will be announced prior to opening day.
All you have to …read more

We’re in the last throes of summer, when even the most enthusiastic fans of the season begin to wish for things start cooling down soon. For this last official month of summer, the Lifestyles channel decided to introduce you to what makes our dog days a little more bearable!
At The Food Bowl, I’ve got a frosty treat to help your dog beat the heat with a home-made, doggy-approved ice cream recipe, and I want to know how you calm your upset pet when it comes time for travel and vacation. You can also meet my menagerie here.
Linette at Mother Earth’s …read more

This is the week of Bloggy Giveaways! Don’t forget your chance to win ‘The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook’ ends tonight, as does the contest for “Hugs for Chocolate Lovers” at JLo Stalker.
Check out the rest of the giveaways happening around the Lifestyles Channel this week!
The Food Bowl: 2 copies of “Take Our Cat, Please!” A Get Fuzzy collection
Contest Ends: July 31
Inside Motherhood: Hoover WindTunnel™ Self-Propelled Vacuum
Contest Ends: July 31
Weary Parent: EZSchoolSupplies.com school supply pack
Contest Ends: July 31
Inside Fatherhood: Your Baby Can Read! Starter DVD and Word Cards
Contest Ends: July 31
Babylune: The Book of Calamities; A is for Atticus
Contest Ends: August …read more

This month, the Lifestyles channel decided to have a little fun with one of summer’s favorite pastimes – a picnic!
Let’s start with dessert first!
Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch by Robust Cooking
Watermelon Raspberry Lemonade at All Holiday Cafe
Rice Krispie Treats at Keeping the Castle
Homemade Oreo Ice Cream at Chocolate Bytes
Cool Summer Snacking at Inside Motherhood
Baking Delights is bringing enough chocolate for everyone to catch a chocobuzz with her favorite brownies
Nothing like sweet tea on a hot, summer day…Wait..I taste lime..mint…is that a non-alcoholic Mojito?  Kettle and Cup has the answer.
Blogfabulous is serving up a super easy, keep your butt out of the hot …read more

While the writers here at the Lifestyles Channel reside all across the globe, one thing that remains constant are the celebrations of fireworks. Whether it’s here in the U.S. with the Fourth of July or on the other side of the world in New Zealand we all know a summer celebration isn’t the same without fireworks and the memories that go with them.
Chloe of Tangled Thread shares a few festive fireworks and needlework patterns.
Kerri and Cory at Marriage Actually talk about why having a shared past is one of the best parts about being married.
Heather …read more

This month, the writers around the Lifestyles channel were asked to show everyone the views from our windows. Some took a creative approach and painted a portrait with words and others share actual images of what we see on a day-to-day basis:
Mary Emma Allen at One Book Two Book shares a view from her window that entertains and delights her grandchildren. She also tells us how she was influenced by her mothers view from a kitchen window, as well as suggesting views for quilters.
Also at One Book Two Book, Karen shares the sweetest view of her kids playing on the …read more

The theme for this month’s Lifestyles day is “The View From My Window.” I decided to take a shot from my little kitchen window because it’s what I look out of when I’m in the kitchen playing with chocolate! It’s located right above the kitchen sink, which is in a corner of the kitchen, so the view from the window is a little awkward. Just to the right of the shot is the front door, which is why you see a little bit of our “No Soliciting” sign in the bottom right corner.
The view isn’t much to look at. Our …read more