Blue Lemon Review

I hate that when I hit the enter button, it posts my post right then. Grr. Anyway, on to the review...



I had the divine opportunity to finally try out Blue Lemon yesterday! And I must say, it was pretty darn good. My sister and I went together (after visiting the Making Memories warehouse sale, which was fun!). We ordered the chipotle pineapple bbq brisket sandwich and sweet potato fries. First off, the fries. They had a really great taste to them, and the dipping sauce was to die for. Shelb said "I could drink this sauce!" I wish they had been a little crispier, but they were still pretty darn good. The sandwich was, well, amazing! It was really sweet and had a lot of flavor. I was kind of expecting more kick because of the 'chipotle' in the name, but nonetheless, it was great. We chose the wheat bread and it was super yummy, too! It didn't taste like boring wheat bread, it had a really great flavor and was soft.

After devouring all of the sandwich and fries, we wandered over to the Blue Bistro and stood forever trying to decide what to get. We ended up with cake bites, a raspberry lemon cupcake, a cream puff, and a little kit to make pink sugar cookies that came with a flamingo cookie cutter! So cute! The cake bites were really yummy, but also very rich. One was definitely enough. The cream puff had a great, light taste to it, but it almost seemed like the pastry was closer to a crust than a puff. The cupcake was our last to eat, and the raspberry buttercream was SO good! (p.s. I made a buttercream identical to this on accident a few weekends back, and I must say, I'm now pretty proud of myself!) The cake tasted really good, but it seemed more like a frosted muffin than a cupcake. Still really good, and I will more than likely get one again next time I go.

Blue Lemon is overall a great place and I recommend it!

Kim's Crafty Apple Winner

The giveaway for the super adorable Kim's Crafty Apple has been chosen! Without further ado, the lucky winner of the gorgeous earrings is...

Here are your random numbers:
6
Timestamp: 2009-03-28 21:10:25 UTC

shelby a. hudson said...
Holy moly those earrings are so dang cute! If I don't win them, I might buy them.
March 11, 2009 10:15 AM

Congrats! I e-mailed you and you have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will have to be chosen (which I feel really bad about doing).

P.S. I LOVE that my comments are numbered now. I got the instructions at The Mom Nerd and I thank her very much!

My First Blogger Award!

Awww, I can't even tell you how excited I was when I got this comment! My first blogger award! How cool. Thank you Bella from Bella is Reading...



I was awarded with the Splash Award! The Splash Award is an award given to alluring, amusing, bewitching, impressive and inspiring blogs. Am I blushing?

The Rules:

1) Put the logo on your blog/post.
2) Nominate up to 9 blogs which allure, amuse, bewitch, impress or inspire you.
3) Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4) Let them know that they have been splashed by commenting on their blog.
5) Remember to link to the person from whom your received your Splash award.

My nominees for the Splash Award are (in no particular order):
Bella from Bella is Reading...
Valerie at Sweeps4Bloggers
Miranda at Paper Princess
Kathleen at Grosgrain
Shelby at Little Ms. Sass
Aisha at Sugar
Bakerella at Bakerella
Ree at Pioneer Woman

And that's all for now. :) Although, if you read my blog, know that I've looked at yours (I check out all commenters so just know, I'm watching you...) and I love your writings. Mmmkay?

New Sassy Apron Giveaway Winner!

Sad for her, but good for one of you, I never heard back from the first winner of the Sassy Apron. So without further ado, the new winner is...

Enter a lower limit: 1
Enter an upper limit: 47

Random Number: 11


valerie2350 said...
nothing.....I'll make up for lost time in a few years.
March 9, 2009 8:27 PM

Yay! I've e-mailed you and you have 48 hours to respond before I have to pick another winner. :)

Thanks!

Pure Naturals Winner!

The giveaway for the Pure Naturals face mask ended last night, and a winner has been chosen!

Enter a lower limit: 1
Enter an upper limit: 43

Random Number: 3

I had to use a different site than random.org because it was down or something; it wouldn't pull up on my computer. I used this site: http://www.mathgoodies.com/calculators/random_no_custom.html

Anyway, comment #3 was...
LT said...
I would love to try the Asian Pear Lip Balm
March 7, 2009 5:38 PM

Congrats LT! If I don't hear from her within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks to all for entering!

Must Go On A Stash Diet Giveaway

Some more blog candy! Check it out.

http://mustgoonastashdiet.blogspot.com/2009/03/blog-candy.html

Olde Country Creations Giveaway

Another blog candy giveaway! Wahoo!

http://oldecountrycreations.blogspot.com/2009/03/celebrate-with-me-blog-candy.html

The Coconut Shack Giveaway

Super cute and fun blog candy giveaway! Go here to check it out:

http://coconutshack.blogspot.com/2009/03/blog-candy.html

SugarPlums Cupcakery Discount

So, I found this phenomenal cupcake shop on Etsy called SugarPlums Cupcakery and had to share. I already ordered a few treats and will do a more in-depth review when I get my tasties, but wanted to let all of my wonderful readers know that they have offered my readers 50% OFF their order if they mention this blog when ordering. WOW!!! 50% off cupcakes? It does not get any better than that. Go order! Hurry, do it now before I order and eat all of their yummy desserts. Also, they have another shop called Cakes by SugarPlums where they sell cakes and other delicious-looking things.

Stop by and take a look around. And then, when you've wiped the drool off your chin and keyboard and desktop, order some cupcakes. Then order more. Then come share with me. :)

Need Your Input!

I'm calling on all women and/or parents out there! Is there a company you would love to see a review/giveaway from? Let me know! So far, all I've had is Etsy shops but I'm looking to branch out. However, I want to know what you want to see here on Stepmom Extraordinaire. I want you to look forward to the reviews and giveaways! So, let me know.

And this is a random llama that makes me happy, mmmkay? :) Thanks in advance for your input!

Food Reviews

I have a few new places I have tried recently and wanted to let you all know about them!

First off, we have Guru's Cafe. This place ROCKS. I had heard a lot about them and finally decided it was time to try them. It wasn't at all what I had expected; when you hear "cafe" you think small tables and a cash register. Or at least, I do. Guru's is in a great location on Center Street in Provo (Utah) and has fantastic decor! You order at the cash register and then they bring the food out to you, then clean up the table for you. All of the people I interacted with were super friendly, and the food was awesome!! I got the Thai peanut pasta and sweet potato fries and was in heaven. The fries were the best sweet potato fries I've ever had, and they came with a sauce that was slightly spicy; not enough to make your nose run but just enough to let you know it's there. They were great. Then there was the pasta... I am typically a pretty light eater. On many occasions, my 7-year old eats more than I do. But not with this pasta! I finished every last bite, and trust me, I was FULL after like the first four bites. It was super yummy. I highly suggest eating here if you are anywhere near Provo.

Second, there is Sub Zero ice cream. Let me first tell you that I am a huge ice cream fan. I could eat ice cream for every meal and have it for dessert too, and still not be sick of it. We were in the area and I decided I wanted to try it. I wasn't really sure what to expect when I went in! The first things I saw were these huge silver tanks with what look like big faucets attached. Weird. Second thing I notice is that it's basically Coldstone. At least, that's what I thought! The girl asks if I've ever been in and I say no, so she explains to me "Here are the flavors, you can pick as many as you want. And here are the mix-ins, you get one free. And this is the type, you basically pick how much fat you want in it!" I laughed at that. Give me full fat, please! So, I go with my fallback ice cream. Amaretto-flavored cream, I went with the premium cream which is what they said was closest to regular ice cream (and the highest fat content) with maraschino cherries and cookie dough mixed in. (Aisha, remember this?! Yes, I still eat this and yes, people still give me funny looks when I order it.) I was already psyched because A) they had amaretto flavoring and B) they had maraschino cherries already chopped in half, ready to be mixed in. At Coldstone, you have to get someone willing to pick the cherries out of the jar and pull the stems off to get it in your ice cream. At this point, the girl is holding a big silver bowl with cherries, cookie dough, and liquid. I'm thinking; this is not ice cream, lady! Then, she puts it up to the huge silver thing with the faucet and turns it on, and BOOM, what looks like dry ice smoke everywhere! Turns out, they make their ice cream using cryogenic technology, so basically they super-fast freeze the liquid into ice cream. Weird, huh? Well, it was fabulous. Seriously amazing. And I was totally entertained by the process. The texture is not identical to ice cream, but I like it MORE, which says a lot because I am hyper-sensitive about textures. Try it! Right now, it only looks like they have locations in Utah and Idaho, but they are a franchise and I would expect that to change because they are awesome!!

I could have sworn I had somewhere else to write about, but I can't remember right now. Sometime soon, I will be making my way to Blue Lemon Bistro so you can expect a review of that too. :)

Fatts MaGee Review and Giveaway

I am SO excited about this giveaway! Andrea, owner of Fatts MaGee, has great taste in fabrics and color combos, I just LOVE her shop! Here is a little about her:
I started out just this last June. I had found Etsy in April and had purchased a couple of bags from DSCHICBOUTIQUE and fell in love with handmade stuff. Dawn from DSCHICBOUTIQUE and I became fast friends via convo's because I was so interested in this life of sewing handmade bags and selling them. I had never even touched a sewing machine before! She talked me into buying a machine, she said "start with a pillow, you wont be able to stop..." And she was so right! And here I am! I couldn't believe I took to sewing like a duck takes to water, it's been such a joy for me, a wonderful hobby, a way to express my crafty side that I assumed would never come out. I wanted to open a shop and sell odds and ends that were fun, functional and affordable. I named the shop after my daughter Reese's nickname. Because she is my only girl! I started with pillow cases, bags, fabric coasters, purse organizers, and tool rolls. I got my first sale the day after I opened and was then addicted to this process. And it has nothing to do with the money. It has everything to do with somebody seeing something I made and liking it and wanting it! I never thought this would happen, and never thought I would see the sales I have had. I have been so fortunate. I can't believe I have stuff in other countries! As well as I did in the beginning it still felt a bit slow for my liking, I hadn't yet found my "thing". So one day I made a zipper pouch out of scrap fabric and it sold two hours later. I was amused! I made more, and they just started selling like hot cakes. I was shocked and excited. And so here I am.....I think people enjoy a quick affordable fun purchase, which zipper pouches provide. I keep them simple because sometimes less is more. And I love playing around with fabric combos. The zipper pouches keep me VERY busy, but I still enjoy sewing other things and taking custom orders. I work full time as a Data Specialist at a wonderful children's hospital, I have a husband and three kids, 4 yr old twins, and a 7 yr old, and we have a new puppy! So, my life is always going going going and it is very full! I would like to think if I was able to teach myself to sew and be this fortunate with it so far, their must be other crafts out there for me, I just need to find the time first! In the meantime, Etsy is really like a family, all of us sellers are very supportive of each other, I have felt so welcomed here since I started. I am very proud to be part of this handmade life.

I was able to review this adorable hippo zipper pouch. Andrea gave me the option of zipper color, but I let her choose, and she chose pink. It’s freaking darling! I got it in the mail and instantly put it in my purse. I love that the pouch is big enough to hold lots of stuff, but not too big to fit in my purse (I don’t carry luggage around, I carry a purse; I am not a fan of huge bags). I took it to the dunes with us over the weekend and put keys in it and then put it in the rhino glove box. It was the perfect size to hold the keys and I knew they wouldn’t fall through the cracks or fall out.

The pouch is put together really well. It feels really sturdy and is lined on the inside to add extra strength. I really am happy with it and will be buying more in the future. She also has some other great items, like make-up pouches, purses, pillows and more!


Buy it!
You can purchase any of the great items from Fatts MaGee here.

Win it!
Fatts MaGee has generously offered one of my fabulous readers a zipper pouch of their choosing!

To enter, visit their site and tell me your favorite zipper pouch (don’t worry, you can choose something else if you win). **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--Make a purchase from Fatts MaGee -- 5 extra entries!
--Follow this blog
--Follow me on Twitter, and tweet about this giveaway, with a link to the giveaway
--Add my button to your site
--Blog about the giveaway and leave me the link

Please be sure I have a way to contact you if you win! Leave your e-mail address in your comment, or if your profile is set to public and your e-mail address is in your profile, that works too.

This giveaway ends Sunday, April 12th at midnight, MST. I will use random.org to choose a winner, and will post the winner on my site. The giveaway is open to international readers.

Sassy Apron Winner!

With 47 entries, after going through it all with Punk, we've picked a winner.

I couldn't go through and decide whose comment was the best because as long as you commented, you're perfect in my book! :) As long as you do something for yourself, that's good enough. So I had her pick a name from a hat and the winner is...

Happy Housewife said...
What an awesome apron! Let's see- for myself...I dream about winning this fabulous apron! Seriously, how does a mom find time to do things for herself without becoming selfish about it? Every time I get involved in my own project, I feel guilty. Wearing a pretty apron while doing my chores that I'd be doing anyway makes me feel special. :)

I've e-mailed and if I don't get a response within 48 hours, I will pick a new winner. Thanks to all who entered!

A few random thoughts

First and foremost, if my computer freezes while trying to open the "upload picture" window again, I AM going to throw it out the window and then run it over. Twice.

Anyway, I am leaving to the sand dunes for the weekend in just a few hours. Why should you care, you ask? Well, because I had the Sassy Apron giveaway scheduled to end tomorrow night, and I am obviously not going to be able to pick a winner. So, I've extended the deadline for entries until Sunday at midnight, MST. K? So any of you procrastinators out there, get your entry in now!!! Also, I've decided from here on out that no giveaways are going to end Friday or Saturday night just because of this. Dune season is upon us and more weekends than not, we will be out there trying to kill ourselves. :)

Also, go to Sweet Tooth Fairy and try their strawberry and vanilla cake bites. Both are incredibly good.

And that's all. I think.

Have a good weekend!

Zooguu Giveaway

About Zooguu’s creators:
Jen and Brian Gubicza spend their days creating loveable plush characters and other products to brighten your day. We are firm believers that nobody can have too many friends, real or imaginary. We currently work out of a beautiful shared studio space in Brooklyn, NY with a view of the Statue of Liberty. Together, we design, illustrate and create every toy that we sell. They come in a variety of sizes from ornaments to bean bag chairs!


Buy it!
You can purchase any of the great items from Zooguu here.

Win it!
Zooguu has generously offered one of my fabulous readers a keychain or ornament in their choice of animal and color! How CUTE is that?!

To enter, visit their site and tell me your favorite plush they have for sale in their shop. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--Make a purchase from Zooguu -- 5 extra entries!
--Follow this blog
--Follow their blog here.
--Tweet about this giveaway, with a link to the giveaway
--Add my button to your site
--Blog about the giveaway and leave me the link

Please be sure I have a way to contact you if you win! Leave your e-mail address in your comment, or if your profile is set to public and your e-mail address is in your profile, that works too.

This giveaway ends Sunday, April 5th at midnight, MST. I will use random.org to choose a winner, and will post the winner on my site. The giveaway is open to international readers.

Lily Pond Soaps Winner!

With 54 total entries, the winner of the Lily Pond Soaps goat's milk sampler is...

Here are your random numbers:
29
Timestamp: 2009-03-19 23:14:47 UTC

Marybeth I. said...
I follow
March 10, 2009 8:43 PM

I just sent you an e-mail! If I don't hear back from you within 48 hours I will have to pick a new winner.

Thanks to all who entered! Keep checking back for more great giveaways.

My Other Princess Review

So, I have this pen pal named Miranda. She's super nice and makes some really adorable scrapbooking stuff, found here. Definitely check her shop out.


That's not the end though. She ALSO runs a shop where she sells bath stuff here. She sent me some bath salts, and can I just tell you? They were AMAZING! She sent me some peach and some strawberry. They both smell super yummy and add just enough scent to your bath, so that you know they are there but they aren't too strong. My gosh, I love them! Plus, she has some of the cutest flower clips in her pictures! Oh, they look like some that I make? That's because they are. :) Don't pretend you don't love me. I sent her some cute hairclips and she took pictures of her stuff with them in there because she is cool like that!

Make sure you check her and her shops out because she has a very creative mind and some really yummy-looking cupcake bath bombs.

Karisma’s Scrappin’ and Crafts Corner Review and Giveaway

I found this cute little shop while wasting some time on Twitter. She makes the CUTEST paper crafts!

About Karen, the owner of Karisma’s Scrappin’ and Crafts Corner:
I am a SAHM of 3 children: 15, 12 and 7. We love to go 4-wheeling and camping together. I love to scrapbook, make cards, read, jog, and cook. I started crafting about 16 years ago, right after I got married. I used to tole paint and did lots of scrapbooking (not so much anymore)! Now I spend most of my time making cards, tags, etc. I love to use paper, ribbon, buttons, and paint. I sell my work on Etsy and Artfire.

Karen also keeps a blog here and can be found on Twitter.

I got this super cute crown paper pack to review. It’s SO adorable! The cards have 4 different kinds of patterned paper on them – dots, solids, flowers, and a stamped solid. CUTE! The crown embellishment is also raised off to give it a great 3D effect. There are also matching tags and then darling mini matchbook paper pads. All in all, this set is absolutely adorable.

From what I can tell, the paper used is high quality and everything holds up well. Karen definitely took her time and put her heart into making these quality paper crafts.



Buy it!
You can purchase any of the great items from Karisma’s Scrappin’ and Crafts Corner here.

Win it!
Karisma’s Scrappin’ and Crafts Corner has generously offered one of my fabulous readers a set of princess crown cards (with envelopes), matching crown tags, and coordinating matchbook paper pads.

To enter, visit their site and tell me your favorite item she offers. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--Make a purchase from Karisma’s Scrappin’ and Crafts Corner -- 5 extra entries!
--Follow this blog
--Tweet about this giveaway, with a link to the giveaway
--Add my button to your site
--Blog about the giveaway and leave me the link

Please be sure I have a way to contact you if you win! Leave your e-mail address in your comment, or if your profile is set to public and your e-mail address is in your profile, that works too.

This giveaway ends April 2nd, 2009 at midnight, MST. I will use random.org to choose a winner, and will post the winner on my site. The giveaway is open to international readers.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hope it's wonderful for all of you. Don't eat/drink too much green-dyed stuff or you will pee green. Not that I speak from experience here... :)

...Giveaway

Pretend you don't see this. DO NOT enter this giveaway. I want to win desperately! I don't need anymore competition. But if you do enter, and you do win, you better share. Seriously.

Giveaway is here: http://3kidsandus.com/bangerang-cupcakes-giveaway/

From this amazing company (WARNING: do not click on this link if you are hungry or a cupcake fan or on a diet...): http://bangerangbakeshop.mybisi.com/

Oh, I'm drooling.

CreatedByMom.com Giveaway

$25.00 gift card giveaway to createdbymom.com

Check it out here: http://inevergrewup.net/giveaway-48-created-by-mom-gift-cards/

Nicholas Landon Jewelry Winner!

The giveaway for the necklace from Nicholas Landon Jewelry ended last night at midnight. The winner is:

Here are your random numbers:

37 Timestamp: 2009-03-14 20:53:15 UTC

Erika Lynn said...

Congrats Erika! I've e-mailed you and you have 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks all for entering!

Boojiboo Review and Giveaway

As I was wandering around Etsy one day, I found this absolutely adorable shop called Boojiboo. I don’t know that I could love their stuff any more! They have so much to offer and all of it is just fabulous.

Here is a bit about them, from their profile:
All our products are original and handmade with love out of our tiny home. Our items will last you a LONG time. We take pride in our work, meaning no sloppy stitching, things are nice and ironed, and most of all, everything looks PRETTY!

We are based out of the wonderful city of La Mirada. Boojiboo is run from our home, and everything you purchase is 100% handmade with love by us. If you would like to purchase from us, you can check out our online store or go to one of the many craft fairs we sell at.

We are a team of three, I am the sewer and get lots of help from my two lovely daughters. They help me with custom orders, answering convos/emails, and listing as I am technologically illiterate. But I do the rest, including packing, shipping, and the funnest part of it, fabric shopping! I am a stay at home mom, so after the other household duties are taken care of, I have nothing to do but sew sew sew!

They have a few sites all together, so make sure to check them all out! There is izznit, The Snooty Poodle and Boojibootique.

They were awesome enough to send me an apron of my own to review, and I love it. I’ve had it for about two weeks and trust me; it’s been put to the test! It survived through everything, even the awful playdough-orange fondant cake. And when I say awful, I mean completely awesome. In an awful sort of way. I washed it and dried it and it is still totally fine. I could not be happier with the cuteness of the apron, and aside from being cute, it holds its own while I cook, which is great.

I don’t have anything bad to say at all. I love the fabric, I love the pattern, I love that it’s really durable, everything. They even have darling little tags on their aprons!
Can we all just pretend I don't look SO terrible in this pic? I just got done with a root canal and my face is still swollen and puffy and I hurt bad enough that I don't care to edit it to make it look okay! :) Thanks for agreeing to pretend with me. Also, I'm not pregnant, even though this picture makes me look that way.

Buy it!
You can purchase any of the great items from Boojiboo here.

Win it!
Boojiboo has generously offered one of my fabulous readers an apron of their choosing! (As long as it’s in the shop at the time of your choosing, which would be after you win.)

To enter, visit their site and tell me what you would pick if you win (don’t worry - you can change your mind). **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--Make a purchase from Boojiboo -- 5 extra entries!
--Follow this blog
--Tweet about this giveaway, with a link to the giveaway
--Add my button to your site
--Blog about the giveaway and leave me the link

Please be sure I have a way to contact you if you win! Leave your e-mail address in your comment, or if your profile is set to public and your e-mail address is in your profile, that works too.

This giveaway ends March 31st at midnight, MST. I will use random.org to choose a winner, and will post the winner on my site. The giveaway is open to US readers only.

What the #@*$ did I do?!

You know those days when NOTHING seems to go right? Augh! Is today ever one of those days.
First, let me say hi to all my new followers. It's good to see those numbers climbing and I'm glad to have you all here! Let me also say that I'm not always this angry. I've got the rage today, and I apologize.

I thought today was going to be a good day. I actually slept in until 9 (my body typically wakes me up around 7:30, don't know why). That's good. Then, my fantastic pen pal Miranda sent me some fabulous bath salts to try yesterday (I will be posting a review on those) and I took a bath with some lovely strawberry bath salts. That's great! My hair actually straightened (it's naturally curly)... See, it all started out well. Then, I decided to go tanning (I know, bad me, slap on the wrist, I get it - tanning is bad).

So I get there and get all set up and lay in the bed, and hit the button to turn the bed on... nothing. No lights, no sound, nothing. I spend like 5 minutes searching to see if there is another button or something I'm missing, but there is NADA! Re-dressing myself, I walk out to see what my deal is and the lady tells me the button is on the outside of the booth. WTF?!? That makes no sense. How am I supposed to start my bed if the button is outside of where I am laying, nekkid? Der. Anyway, then I go to Walmart which is just a plain crappy place to go. Earlier while on Twitter, Sweet Tooth Fairy posted a pic of cupcakes with a peach ring on them. Peach rings!? On a cupcake!? So I had to go try them out. On my way, some jack@$$ cuts me off and then stops in the lane - I'm doing 65 coming up on him, slam on my brakes, groceries go flying, all that. And then, HE FLIPPED ME OFF! WHAT?!? I was driving in my lane, like most people like to do while in a lane of traffic when you pulled out and stopped in front of me. I wanted to get out and rip his face off. Then, C calls and tells me that his truck motor is finally done (it's been at the builder's for over 6 months now), but bad news. It's going to be $3,000 more than we had expected. GRR. I'm SO over today. Can it be Thursday now?

Anyway, thanks for hanging in there with me. I wanted to introduce you to the only thing to have really made my day a fraction better. Well, two things really.

Hi! I'm peanut butter cake bite. See that spot where my nose used to be? Well, it fell off while we were driving home. And then it went in between Kendahl's seat, which really makes her mad. (She's kind of anal about keeping her car clean.) I also dove after it but just ended up on Kendahl's pants, leaving a huge chocolate mark. I feel kinda bad about that.



This is my inside. I look delicious, don't I? Well, I am. I taste pretty much like peanut butter covered in chocolate, which is sheer perfection. Move over, Reese's; I'm coming through.


Hi there! My name is heaven. Okay, not really; it's peach cupcake. I have little pieces of peach in my cake. How great is that?! Plus, I have a peach ring on top. And my lightly flavored peach frosting is 100% awesomeness in your mouth. I don't know that it could get any better than me, really... See that little ding there on the side of my cupcake head? Yah, that happened on our drive home. My cute plastic holder decided to make a break for it and took me along for the ride. Unfortunately, all he managed to do was roll off the seat, leaving my frosting a mess. There is a message here: wear your seatbelt.

So, if you are still reading, I apologize for the length of this post and want to say sorry if I've offended you or cut you off in traffic or made fun of your child or something. I want this bad karma off my back! And thanks for your time.

--Kendahl

Kim's Crafty Apple Giveaway

Kim's Crafty Apple is a super cute Etsy shop I found through Twitter. She has a ton of really fun and funky jewelry, as well as some adorable baby and kids' clothing, quilts, and more!

A bit about Kim and her shop, from Kim herself:
I have been creating things for as long as I can remember. When I was six, I sewed my brother a "quilt" using my mom's rags... including a furry toilet seat cover. He loved it, of course! I love to sew, bead and make things you wouldn't expect out of everyday items. I have a degree in engineering because I thought solving problems was fun. I also own and operate an apple orchard with my husband and his parents (hence, Kim's Crafty Apple). [You can read more about this if you are interested at http://www.LapaceksOrchard.com and/or http://www.lapaceksorchard.blogspot.com.] After I had my first baby girl I went back to work, but once I was pregnant with my second, my husband and I decided I would stay home with the kids, do the orchard thing and try to make my love of crafts support my love of crafts. I started my Etsy shop five days after my second child was born. I try to make a mixture of 'standard' items along with some more unique things that the right person has to come along and fall in love with. You will find a wide variety of items from original quilts to funky earrings to fun rings to ACEO's to beautiful hand-dyed clothing to our original 'Apple-tizing Recipes from Lapacek's Orchard' Cookbook to vintage Candy Land Magnets! I hope you enjoy browsing my shop! To read stories behind the things I make or the happenings of a crafter's life, make sure to check out my blog.

Buy it!
You can purchase any of the great items Kim has to offer at her Etsy shop.

Win it!

Kim's Crafty Apple has generously offered a pair of her pink lemonade earrings to one of my lucky readers!


To enter, visit their site and tell me your favorite item they offer. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**


Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--Make a purchase from Kim's Crafty Apple-- 5 extra entries!
--Follow this blog
--Tweet about this giveaway, with a link to the giveaway
--Add my button to your site
--Blog about the giveaway and leave me the link

Please be sure I have a way to contact you if you win! Leave your e-mail address in your comment, or if your profile is set to public and your e-mail address is in your profile, that works too.

This giveaway ends March 27th at midnight, MST. I will use random.org to choose a winner, and will post the winner on my site. The giveaway is open to US residents only.

Oh, I forgot

I forgot to tell you that I am sponsoring a giveaway on Valerie's blog! Go check it out and enter to win free scrapbooking products!

http://tinyurl.com/dhavut

Sassy Apron Giveaway

Today is International Women's Day! Take some time out for yourself today, I'm sure you deserve it because all of the women I know do.

In honor of the day, Sassy Apron has offered a fantastic giveaway for one of you fabulous women out there! This is one I wish I was on the other side for. :) First, let me give you some info on Sassy Apron (from her Etsy shop):

Hi, my name is Lana and I am a fabric-holic. My addiction: Amy Butler's fabrics. I have over 50 Amy Butler designs in stock right now, I am addicted to her prints. And I know I'm not the only one.

I learned how to sew when I was a little girl and I've been sewing ever since. My dolls had the best clothes in the neighborhood :) My designs are original and unique; they come from my imagination and are handmade by me, one by one.

I love aprons and I have so much fun making sassy aprons. I can't cook much, but for sure, I can do it in style. So move over Betty Crocker, here I come!

She is offering you one of her adorable artsy aprons:



How FREAKING cute is this apron?!

Now, this giveaway is a little different and will require just a tad bit of thinking on your part. There will only be one entry per person, and to get that entry, I need you to answer this question:

How do you express yourself?

Tell me what you do for yourself - not for the kids or the husband or anyone else; for YOU. It can be something as simple as creating your favorite dish, to sewing a cute pillow, to reading your favorite book; whatever you do! My answer would be anything crafty. There is nothing more I love than making bows and cute wall decor, etc.

Punk and I will be reading the entries and deciding the winner together. Contest runs until March 21st at midnight, MST. Open to US/Canadian readers.

Pure Naturals Review and Giveaway

About Dan, the owner of Pure Naturals:
My name is Dan and I’m the guy behind Pure Naturals. I have personally created all Pure Naturals products after conducting extensive research and testing. I am dedicated to using only natural ingredients to make the best possible product. Furthermore, I design and print all of my own labels.

I first became interested in natural products a few years ago. This came after I further discovered that the barrage of chemicals in commercially available skin-care and other products we use on a daily basis can be harmful to our health and harmful to the environment as well. After trying various ‘natural’ products available on the market today, I found that most of them were either not actually all that natural or didn’t work as effectively as their synthetic counterparts, so I set out to create Pure Naturals. Pure Naturals is intended to develop completely natural, effective, and safe products for your health and enjoyment. As I continue my research and development, new products will steadily be added to the Pure Naturals line. Also, all of my products are made in a super clean, smoke-free, meat-free environment, and of course nothing is ever tested on animals.

You can also visit them on their blog, and find them on MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter.

Description of the item from their shop:
A weekly facial mask is an excellent way to cleanse and refresh your skin. This weekly regimen will rid your skin of the dirt and debris, from the environment around us, that we're exposed to on a daily basis. These impurities can combine with oils on our skin, resulting in clogged pores and leaving skin looking and feeling unhealthy.

Formulated for all skin types, the Pure Naturals Kelp & Calendula facial mask works to gently unclog pores and remove toxins and impurities. In addition, the mask gently exfoliates, leaving your face rejuvenated.

KEY INGREDIENTS:

KAOLIN WHITE CLAY: One of the most gentle clays available. Allows for the absorption of toxins, impurities, and excess oils.

KELP POWDER: Kelp contains over 60 minerals and elements, 21 amino acids, simple and complex carbohydrates. Nourishes skin.

CALENDULA POWDER: Reduces inflammation and redness. Decreases appearance of wrinkles & hydrates skin. Calms and relaxes.

First things first: packaging. I got this in a small package; not too much packaging for the product. There was a handwritten note from Dan inside (what a great touch) along with a business card, printed with soy ink on a 100% recycled-content business card. You can tell he is serious about being environmentally friendly!

Now, have we gone over the fact that I’m really sensitive about smells? Now is a good time to review. It’s hard sometimes to take my word on smells. You could say I’m hypersensitive to all scented things. The reason I start off with this is because I really did not like the smell of this face mask. Though, to be honest, it smelled just about what I thought kelp would smell like. Not letting the scent deter me, I mixed up my mask and applied. It took about 15 minutes for my entire face to be dry (in which time the smell decreased dramatically) and I rinsed.

The way my face felt afterwards completely made up for the scent. My skin was tight and firm and soft! My daughter kept rubbing my cheeks, saying how soft they were. I felt exfoliated and moisturized and clean. It was nice. I didn’t like the scent but I will no doubt be using the mask again; my skin is begging me! :)

I considered for a moment, posting a picture of me while using the face mask. HA! Not going to happen.

Buy it!
You can purchase any of the great items from Pure Naturals here.

Win it!
Pure Naturals has generously offered one of my fabulous readers one 2 oz. tin of the kelp and calendula face mask. This is enough for 20+ treatments. You could have all the girls over for a spa night and still have some left over!

To enter, visit their site and tell me one thing you would love to try. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--Make a purchase from Pure Naturals -- 5 extra entries!
--Follow this blog
--Tweet about this giveaway, with a link to the giveaway
--Add my button to your site
--Blog about the giveaway and leave me the link

Please be sure I have a way to contact you if you win! Leave your e-mail address in your comment, or if your profile is set to public and your e-mail address is in your profile, that works too.

This giveaway ends March 25th at midnight, MST. I will use random.org to choose a winner, and will post the winner on my site. The giveaway is open to US/Canada readers only.

Lily Pond Soaps Review and Giveaway

About Lily Pond Soaps, from her profile:
Treat yourself with Lily Pond Soaps! We provide beautiful designs, aromatic fragrances and lush ingredients! Combine all this and you have a spa experience in the comfort of your home! Come, browse and spoil yourself!

Jaime is such a sweet lady and is so great to work with. She’s a mom to 4 (WOW!) and is also from good ol’ Utah.

I was able to review two different flavors from Lily Pond Soaps, the grapefruit and the orange dream.



Let’s start off with saying that I have never really liked the idea of using a bar soap. To me, bar soaps=dry skin. SO not the case with this! It left my skin feeling really clean but not dry. I’m definitely a changed woman now; I will be buying more handmade soaps in the future.



I really liked the scent of the orange dream, but my husband hated it. Of course, he hates the smell of vanilla and it did have quite a bit of the vanilla scent to it. If you like orange dream bars, this is a great scent for you. However, both of us really liked the smell of the grapefruit. It was super citrusy, which I love, but also had a sweet side. It reminded me of the way I like to eat my grapefruit – fresh but covered in sugar. Yummy.

If you haven’t tried handmade soaps but are weary, I can say that I am a believer now. Go to Lily Pond Soaps and get some soap, and be a believer with me.

Buy it!
You can purchase any of the great items from Lily Pond Soaps here. Please be sure to also visit her other shops here and here!

Win it!
Lily Pond Soaps has generously offered one of my fabulous readers a large goat’s milk sampler! I have this right now (I will be shipping it to the winner) and can I just say how good it smells?! Love it.



To enter, visit their site and tell me your favorite scent choice. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--Make a purchase from any of Jaime’s shops -- 5 extra entries!
--Follow this blog
--Tweet about this giveaway, with a link to the giveaway
--Add my button to your site
--Blog about the giveaway and leave me the link

Please be sure I have a way to contact you if you win! Leave your e-mail address in your comment, or if your profile is set to public and your e-mail address is in your profile, that works too.

This giveaway ends March 18th at midnight, MST. I will use random.org to choose a winner, and will post the winner on my site. The giveaway is open to international residents.

Skin MD Review

I was given the opportunity to review a couple of different skin care products from SkinMD – the shielding lotion for face, hand & body, and the Natural + SPF15 lotion.

Here is a brief intro to the lotion from their website:
Our world class cosmetic for­mulating chemists have spent the last twenty years developing personal care products for many of the most internationally respected cosmetic companies that are known for their innovative products. Collectively they have developed more than 40,000 formulations.

We have developed a formula that can duplicate the natural action of the skin and help to heal the dry, damaged skin. The formula for this shielding lotion is a result of natural ingredients along with cutting edge chemistry and new cosmetic products only recently available on the market.

While we were researching and testing the formulation one of the most exciting new ingredients to come out in years was released to the cosmetic industry. Glycerin has been the standard against which all humectants are measured. This new substance has a moisturizing factor 6 times higher than glycerin.

Apart from searching for the perfect ingredients to form a shield we included natural ingredients that could help heal damaged skin. Nature provides us with some very effective healing agents; one of these is Aloe Vera, used for centuries to soothe dry skin. Our blend of five natural plant extracts with moisturizing elements makes Skin MD Natural extremely effective.

Basically, this is more than just a lotion. It is made to not only give you back the moisture that you lose, but also create a barrier to the products we deal with every day that cause dryness, irritation, and more.

They have been featured in quite a few magazines, as well as are being recommended by a lot of dermatologists.



I can honestly say I liked both of the lotions I was able to try.

First, let’s talk about the shielding lotion. Right off the bat, I noticed that the texture of this lotion isn’t quite the same as other lotions. It’s really light and silky, and to be honest, I thought it was going to be greasy. I was wrong. It soaked into my hands and left them feeling like my hands feel just after I get out of the shower. They were soft but not oily, but the thing that got me, is they looked soft! They really looked moisturized. A couple of hours after putting the lotion on, I noticed that my hands still felt great and looked like I had just recently applied lotion.

The only thing I didn’t really like was the smell. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it. It just smelled like a regular lotion, but what do you expect? It’s a natural lotion, meant to protect your skin; not to make you smell good. I typically go for the girly scents, so it just wasn’t my normal scent. :)



Second, I was able to test out the SPF 15 over the weekend while I was in Vegas. I was very happy with the results! I am a natural redhead and get color pretty easily, especially my first time out in the sun for the year, which this was. I applied the sunscreen before we went to the NASCAR race on Sunday, and I came home with very little color. Everyone else with me got FRIED!!! Poor things.

After a couple of hours, I did put on some SPF 50 to really block out the sun, but I can say that if I had only been out for a couple of hours, or if it hadn’t been my first time in the sun, this would have been more than enough coverage for the day. It also left my skin feeling really moisturized without feeling oily, and that great soft feeling didn’t go away. This smells almost identical to the shielding lotion, which I actually like because most sunscreens really stink!

I appreciate the fact that their lotions are all natural skin care products. You don’t have to worry about chemicals or toxins being absorbed into your body. I will definitely use the SkinMD skin care products again in the future, especially the sunscreen. I really liked it!

Buy it!
You can purchase any of the great items from SkinMD here.

Sweet Tooth Fairy. Again.

I went to lunch with my daddy today and made him go to Sweet Tooth Fairy since he works just down the street. I also made him get a cupcake even though he didn't want to, at first. :) I got the key lime cupcake, and OH MY GOSH was it fantastic! The frosting tasted like a green popsicle, only sweeter and obviously much more creamy. And the cupcake was green! So cute, and perfect for the upcoming Holiday, St. Patrick's Day.

I highly recommend the key lime cupcake, if you like lime-flavored things at all!

Crazy for Cupcakes Giveaway

Visit the giveaway here!

Nicholas Landon Jewelry Review and Giveaway

I would like to introduce you to a wonderful Etsy shop, Nicholas Landon Jewelry.

From her Etsy shop:
I have always shown an interest in Arts & Crafts...even as a young girl. I made candles and decorated cakes with a neighbor, learned to crochet and attempted to sew with my mother, learned to tie knots, develop photography and work metal with my sailor father and even learned to deep sea fish...yes, there is an art to it~ besides, I love the pretty transparent orange beads against the clear blue nylon! My passion is decidedly pearls. I enjoy working with them in any medium~metal, leather, macramé and of course, those old fashioned sailor knots. With the help of my equally curious & creative boys, we have started a jewelry business named~ Nicholas Landon Jewelry. It is our pleasure to create pieces that are about you...cherished keepsakes that remind us all of life's unique treasures...

You can learn more about the company at their blog.

Let me just tell you that I worked with Mickey at Nicholas Landon to coordinate this, and she is possibly the nicest person I have ever dealt with in my life. She is the type of nice that makes me smile to read anything she writes. I can just tell it’s not fake, even through e-mail. That gave me a really good impression of the company from the beginning.

I was able to review the Le Chanceux necklace. This necklace is SO pretty! I really like it. It’s a metal circle with the stamped word “LUCKY” on it, with a four-leaf clover charm and a gorgeous white pearl. All of it is really high quality and looks great. I took it to Vegas with me this weekend and it survived the trip in my bag just fine, which is sometimes a miracle! I like the length of the necklace and where it hangs to - it doesn't feel like it's choking me but I also don't feel like it's getting lost in the depths below. Also, the package she shipped it in was darling, wrapped up with a ribbon; you can just tell she really cares about her products.

I don’t have any negative things to say about the company or the jewelry. All of the designs in her shop are absolutely gorgeous and I really enjoyed talking with Mickey. All in all, a great place to purchase jewelry from and they come highly recommended from me.

More of their gorgeous designs:

Buy it!
You can purchase the above items, or any of the great items from Nicholas Landon Jewelry here. Or you can visit their blog here.

Win it!
Nicholas Landon Jewelry has generously offered a Le Chanceux necklace to one of my wonderful readers!

To enter, visit their site and tell me your favorite item in the shop. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--Make a purchase from Nicholas Landon -- 5 extra entries!
--Follow this blog
--Follow Nicholas Landon's blog
--Tweet about this giveaway, with a link to the giveaway (please leave your Twitter user name in the comment)
--Add my button to your site
--Blog about the giveaway and leave me the link

Please be sure I have a way to contact you if you win! Leave your e-mail address in your comment, or if your profile is set to public and your e-mail address is in your profile, that works too.

This giveaway ends Friday, March 13th at midnight, MST. I will use random.org to choose a winner, and will post the winner on my site. The giveaway is open to US only.

Tutu Giveaway Winner!

The pomegranate&pink giveaway ended Sunday night at midnight and the winner has been chosen!

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

15
Timestamp: 2009-03-02 19:31:42 UTC

Rochelle said...
My favorite is the brown polka dot bow. my daughter has "big" hair :) and needs a bow with size.
thanks for entering my giveaway :)

Congratulations Rochelle! You've won a tutu from pomegranate&pink. I just sent you an e-mail; if I don't hear from you within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks to all who entered!