Happy Halloween!!

Have a good Halloween! Be safe, and get lots of candy. :)

I'm All Spidered Out, And It's Not Even Halloween Yet

Husband works on the side as well as having a day job, and we do pretty much all of the sidework at his buddy's shop. So, last night we are there working and he yells, "Holy SHIT, come look at this black widow!"

Intermission: There is something you should know about me - I am totally creeped out by spiders, but I love seeing them. I don't understand it and don't expect you to, either. I'm really intrigued by the gross, weird, or disgusting. I'm pretty much a 6-year old boy when it comes to things of this sort.

Anyway, I go over and there is a black widow and it's body is, like, the size of a quarter. It was freaking big. So we grab the propane torch and kill the little sucker. Well, it was in a corner and next to where it was there were a bunch of boards stacked up against the wall. As if we hadn't already seen enough spider for one day, Husband pulls the boards from the wall and there are THREE!!! black widows! OH UNHOLY HELL. We [when I say 'we', please know that in this instance I had absolutely nothing to do with it except observing] proceed to fry all three to death. At this point, Husband is on a hunt for spiders and is checking all of the corners, and he finds ANOTHER black widow. This one puts the first one to shame! He tries to fry it and it falls, so he finds it and pulls it out and the spider is definitely still alive! Ewwwww. It crawls out and Husband takes the torch to him again and apparently, it really pissed the spider off because he stretched his legs out as far as they would go and started coming towards us. So again, he gets the torch and finally dies. But no kidding, when this thing was spread out it was like as big as a soda can. NASTY.

I have the heebie jeebies right now as I type about it. Ewwwww, for real. And I apologize for giving you all the heebie jeebies. I didn't put a picture up, does that help?

Anyway, just to let the spiders know, I'm all spidered out. Please leave me be for awhile, k? I'd appreciate it.

And if you don't hear from me for awhile? The black widows may have come for revenge. Send help.

Tropical Traditions Review and Giveaway

You guys know how much I adore Tropical Traditions. Go ahead and do a search for it [go on, up there in the left-hand corner, type “Tropical Traditions”, I dare you] to see everything I’ve reviewed from them, and I really do love it all. It’s amazing how much can come from coconut! They also now have a site where you can find coconut recipes here.

This time around, I got to review Tropical Traditions' unscented bar soap and their unscented lip moisturizer. First, let’s talk about the soap. It acted like soap, it smelled like soap and it looked like soap. So, A+! It does everything soap needs to do, and did it well. It seemed to be a little less harsh than most bar soaps. I used it for my face and it didn’t dry me out, so that was good. I like this soap, and I really like the idea that it’s made from coconut instead of some concoction of chemicals and stuff.

Now, the lip moisturizer. It’s unscented, but because it’s made from coconut, it smells like coconut. The smell actually reminds me of the coconut oil. This lip moisturizer is pretty thick when you put it on, but it is VERY moisturizing. I don’t use it as my every day lip stuff because I feel like it’s too thick, but I have been using it pretty frequently lately because my lips have been super dry because of the weather change. I really like it for the moisture that it provides.

Buy it!
You can purchase any of the great items from Tropical Traditions by clicking here.

Win it!
Tropical Traditions has offered one of my fabulous readers their very own bar of soap and lip moisturizer! Totally rad of them.

To enter, visit their site and tell me something else you would like to try. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions newsletter -- 3 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
--Leave a comment on one of my non-giveaway posts [tell me which you left your comment on… please?]
--Enter another one of my giveaways [enter as many as you want, but only one extra entry]

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 Thursday, November 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 US and Canadian readers only.

Oh Geeze

Oh boy. My first vlog.

How do you pronounce that, by the way? V-log, or vlog [like, blog but with a v]? I don't know.

I do know that I feel like a total dork. And am I that air-headed in person? Yah, probably. Anyway, enjoy! At my expense, if you must.

Weight Watchers Review

Weight Watchers is a company that wants to help you lose weight. So... what happens when the sweet craving totally hits and you NEED sugar, like now? They now have you covered! Weight Watchers came out with a line of chocolates, made by Whitman’s Candies. They have things like peanut butter cups, mint patties, NougieNuttyChews and more. Reading the list, I’m totally drooling.

I was sent a package of the Pecan Crowns to review, and I must say, they are delectable. I love them. LOVE them. Each of these delightful little treats only contains 53 calories, and only 1 Weight Watchers point. Now, I’m not a member of Weight Watchers so I don’t exactly know how the POINTS system works, but I’m assuming that’s pretty good. They do not taste at all like low-fat candies and I love them. It took all the self restraint in me to not down the entire bag at once. I cannot wait to try the peanut butter cups and the almond nougat. They sound so yummy, and now that I know they actually taste good, I want to try more!!

Buy it!
You can purchase any of the treats, or anything else from Weight Watchers, by clicking here.

Anti Monkey Butt Winner!

Woo, finally time for one of you to win the Anti Monkey Butt Powder! Wanna know who that lucky person is? Let's see...

Here are your random numbers:
17
Timestamp: 2009-10-29 14:58:57 UTC

Naddez

Congrats to you! I've e-mailed you, and you have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will have to be picked. Thanks to all that entered!

I Almost Forgot!

I need to tell my wonderful friend Liz CONGRATULATIONS!!! Liz and her Hubs had baby boy #2 yesterday and I couldn't be more excited. Their little guy #1 is one of my favoritest kids on the planet.

So yah, that's all. I just wanted to send her a shout-out.

Oh, and Liz? Seriously, you aren't allowed to look as pretty as you do in that picture after you just had a baby. I'm pretty sure that's in the rules somewhere. Come visit as soon as you can so I can see him in person! And I will try to talk my Husband into coming up there. :)

Bad to the Last Drop Giveaway

Bad to the Last Drop. I loved this book. Want to read my review? Check it out here. The book is scheduled for release in November so watch for it in your local bookstore!

Why am I talking about it again? Well, because I’ve got a copy to give away to one of you, of course!

Win it!
Langdon Street Press has generously offered one of you [the best readers in the world] a copy of this fantastical book!

To enter, leave me a comment. That's really it!**THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--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
--Leave a comment on one of my non-giveaway posts [tell me which you left your comment on… please?]
--Enter another one of my giveaways [enter as many as you want, but only one extra entry]

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 Tuesday, November 10th 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.

Wordless Wednesday, 10/28

I actually finished a scrapbook! And I forgot to take a picture of it totally done. So, imagine that it's totally awesome because it is. :) And my daddy loved it! Want to see more? Go here, or even here!

Silverstein & Me Winner!

Silverstein & Me: A Memoir really showed me a lot about one of my favorite authors. Now, one of you will get to learn about him, too! Who will it be?

Here are your random numbers:
8
Timestamp: 2009-10-28 14:37:29 UTC

Shooting Stars Mag

Congratulations! I've e-mailed you, and you have 48 hours to get back to me or I have to pick a new winner.

Things Are a'Changin'

So... How are things? Good, I hope. Um... yah... we need to talk. Well, it's been really fabulous having you all here, and I hope we stay friends, but I need to let you know something. I'm moving on.

Aaahhh, sorry, not moving ON. Just moving. As in, moving to a new house. A new house 6 houses away from the one we currently live in. The house we lived in before we bought the house we live in now. Are you with me? Okay, here is the back story. When Husband and I met, I had my own apartment. When my lease was about up, we decided that rather than find a new place to rent and waste our money, we wanted to buy a house. The problem was, we didn't find anything before the lease was up. Rather than try to find something temporary, I just moved into his mom's house with him and we continued looking for a house to buy. We ended up finding one 6 houses down that was perfect for us, and we moved. Well, Husband's mom just purchased her mom's house but her house is paid off and the market is crappy so rather than sell it right now, she wants to hold onto it and try to sell when [if] the market comes back up. Soooo... in comes our part. Husband and I made the decision to move into her house, and sell our house to pay off all of our debt. Because it just makes sense. Husband is trying to start a business so we are going to pay everything off that we can so that our bills are super low so that if the business doesn't go well, we are still okay financially. Get it? Buuuuuuuuuut, until we sell our house, we are going to be basically paying to keep two houses heated and all that junk, and I need some sort of income to help out with that. Which means that I have to get a job. A real job [YIKES!].

Which brings me to the real point of this post. I won't be able to blog nearly as much as I have been, since I'll have a pesky job in the way. I still plan to blog and do it as often as I can because I love it, and I love you all!, and this job thing may be temporary - it could be just a few months until I can not have one again. :D I still have reviews and giveaways for you guys, but they won't be nearly as frequent.

Please don't leave me! Please?!

My Little Pony Winner!

Thanks to Shout! Factory for sending me a copy to review AND a copy to give away! The amazingly lucky winner is...

Here are your random numbers:
2
Timestamp: 2009-10-27 16:39:49 UTC

-nickk and whitleyy-

Congrats lady! I just know you and Brynlee will love it! I've e-mailed you and you have 48 hours to respond or I have to pick a new winner.

You're In For It Now

You thought me taking pictures of myself was bad...

TJ Maxx Review and Marshall’s Giveaway

I am now officially a Maxxonista.

Boys [?] and girls, have you met TJ Maxx? How about Marshall’s? If not, you should get acquainted. Both stores offer amazing deals on high-end clothes. Pretty much, they get to buy overstock of the great product for cheaper prices, so they can sell it to all of us for less! And it’s awesome. Now, I’m not one to always play to the trends; mostly I just wear whatever is comfortable and cute, and if it’s in fashion then great. But TJ Maxx made me feel good about buying the super cute and trendy clothes because it is, like, clearance prices! It doesn’t get much better than that.

I’ve been looking for a cute plaid shirt for awhile now, and when I got a $25 gift card to do a review of TJ Maxx/Marshall’s, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to find one. Little did I know, I would spend almost three hours of my day wandering around TJ Maxx and trying things on. And I didn’t even go into the little girls section! [She just got a bunch of new winter clothes; it was totally my turn.] I wandered through every aisle and found SOOO many things I loved. I am NOT a shopper; typically, I get in and get out. But I spent my time looking at things and trying things on because I really did find so much I liked. My only complaint is that it was kind of hard to find similar items in different sizes, because everything is just grouped together [like, all size medium shirts are together instead of like-items together]. I totally understand why they do that, though – they get what they get and can’t always guarantee they will have more of something.

>>Check it out! I got my computer fixed! ♪I am so smart, S-M-R-T♫ Here are my adorable shirts. And no, I can't help but make dorky faces while taking pictures of myself, thanks for asking.



Buy it!
You can find a local TJ Maxx store by clicking here or a local Marshall’s store by clicking here.

Win it!
I have a $25 Marshall’s gift card for one of you super lucky people!

To enter, visit their site and tell me if they have a store in your area, and if not, how you would use the gift card. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--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
--Leave a comment on one of my non-giveaway posts [tell me which you left your comment on… please?]
--Enter another one of my giveaways [enter as many as you want, but only one extra entry]

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, November 8th 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.

Certain Dri Winner!

I'm still using and loving the Certain Dri I got to review. The lucky winner that also gets to love it is...

Here are your random numbers:
1
Timestamp: 2009-10-26 16:22:34 UTC

Kristina P.

Woohoo! I've e-mailed you and you have 48 hours to respond or a new winner gets picked. Deal?

It's So Frustrating!

I've discussed my issues with 'real mom' and the way she dresses before, yes? And also explained my concerns when it comes to Punk deciding what is appropriate or not appropriate to wear. Okay...

Friday, I go to pick Punk up from school and she talks my ear off as soon as she gets in, as usual. We stop at the gas station to get a treat and while we are there, she tells me, "Look Mommy" and raises her arms, exposing her stomach clear freaking past any point I view as acceptable, "I told my mom when she got my clothes out for school that this shirt was too small and I shouldn't wear it, and she told me it was fine. She told me that it was long enough. But it's not long enough!"

GAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! First off, I am SOOOO happy that Punk told her mom that. It means that we are getting through to her and she realizes that some things are not okay [and also that she is starting to speak her mind to 'real mom', which is great!]. BUT - I am SO pissed. Beyond belief, steam coming out of my ears, pissed. When your 8-year-old daughter tells you that she should not be wearing something, don't you think you should go ahead and listen? When is it EVER acceptable to make her wear something to school that she is not comfortable in?!? So, not only are you being a not-so-great example to her, but now you are forcing her to wear something she clearly feels is not okay to wear? Even when her arms were down, her shirt was barely resting on the top of her pant line, so the slightest movement totally exposed her stomach. Not to mention how bad it would show when she raises her hand in class, or is playing at recess! GGGGGGGRRRRgggggggggrrrr freaking grr.

Can you tell I'm mad right now? Well, yes. I am mad. Mad, mad, mad, mad, MAD! Augh! I know we are paying her enough every single month in child support to be able to afford an entire new wardrobe every month, and Punk is really small for her size [like, she's still in 7 slim pants and 6x tops] so pretty much anything that fit last school year still fits this school year so there is no excuse for her to not have clothes that fit her properly.

Husband has decided that when this happens, we are going to keep the clothing we don't feel is appropriate and send her home in something that is. More expense on our part, because we never get the clothes back that we send her home in even though 'real mom' throws fits if her clothes don't go back to her house. [We have clothes for her here, and then her mom has clothes for her there. We don't share.] But we're just going to have to deal because I am sickened at the fact that even though Punk did not want to wear it because it showed her tummy, 'real mom' made her wear it.

Rumer & Qix Review and Giveaway

It's the year 3013 in cosmopolitan Nanjing ... and Rumer, a sixteen-year- old apprentice reporter for the Global Quotidien, is secretly investigating bizarre nature sightings with her tiny sidekick, Qix. Little does she know that she's hot on the trail of a chain of events that will soon determine the fate of life on the planet forever.

Thanks to AME, I got to review a copy of Rumer & Qix. This book is pretty interesting! I think it would be perfect for a tween/teen that’s into sci-fi, much like my little brother [who, by the way, is not so little]. It follows Rumer through quite the adventure, and it’s pretty fun to follow along. The way the author portrays the future is really strange but something I could totally see happening at some point. Basically, the earth is no longer a natural place – they’ve taken everything and covered it in synthetic materials so that nothing really grows or lives from the planet. Pretty weird. But, Rumer goes on her journey to try to find the real Earth [or Terra Incognita, as they refer to it] that is hidden under the Syncov [the fake stuff]. Definitely a different story, but fun to read!

Buy it!
You can purchase this book by clicking here.

Win it!
AME has generously offered one of my fabulous readers their own copy of Rumer & Qix!

To enter, visit their site and then come back and leave me a comment. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--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
--Leave a comment on one of my non-giveaway posts [tell me which you left your comment on… please?]
--Enter another one of my giveaways [enter as many as you want, but only one extra entry]

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 Thursday, November 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 US readers only.

You Unstuck Winner!

Thanks to AME for providing a copy of You Unstuck to me for review, and a copy to give away! The winner is...

Here are your random numbers:
11
Timestamp: 2009-10-23 14:53:45 UTC

Anonymous

Yay, go anonymous! :) I've e-mailed you, and you have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will have to be picked. Thanks for entering!

Halls Refresh Review

Once upon a time, there was a company called Halls. And Halls made cough drops. One day, Halls decided that although their cough drops were great, they wanted to broaden their horizons. And thus, Halls Refresh was born. And they lived happily ever after.



Halls Refresh is exactly what it sounds like it would be – something to refresh your mouth. It’s not a cough drop or a throat lozenge; it’s something you can use when your mouth is feeling a little dry. Use them every day, if you want! Unless you are a child under 5. Then you need to consult your doctor.

Anyway, Halls Refresh comes in three different flavors: juicy strawberry, tropical wave and refreshing mint. I was able to review the juicy strawberry and tropical wave varieties. Personally, I enjoyed them. They do still have a little bit of the cough drop effect to them [you know what I’m talking about, right?], but to me, it just makes my mouth water, which I thought was the intent. The tropical wave is my favorite. The strawberry is pretty good, but I am a tropical flavor lover, so it wins. And just in case you’re worried about calories, each drop only has 6. So, the moral of the story is, I like them. In need of a mouth refreshment? Go get some.

Buy it!
You can purchase Refresh, or any of the great Halls products, at a grocery store near you.

Lipo-Flavonoid Winner!

Thanks to Lipo-Flavonoid for providing me a bottle and also a bottle for one lucky person! The winner is...

Here are your random numbers:
4
Timestamp: 2009-10-22 15:17:49 UTC

brandon and jakell

Woot! I've e-mailed you and you have 48 hours to respond or a new winner gets picked.

Softlips Review and Giveaway

You have all heard of Softlips, right? If not, you don’t know what you’re missing! So by now, everyone should realize that I’ve got an addiction to lip balm. Seriously, I use it all the time and always have two or three different flavors in my purse so that I can use what I’m in the mood for. Softlips is possibly the most moisturizing lip balm on the planet! [Well, at least that I’ve had the opportunity to try, anyway.] They offer tons of different flavors, some even come with SPF 20.

I got to review a few different flavors of Softlips, and for the most part, I liked them! So did Punk and the Husband, who both stole a couple of flavors [those scoundrels]. They aren’t too heavy – you don’t feel like you are wearing lipstick – unlike some of the cheaper brands out there. They are also super moisturizing. We are driving straight into the super cold season here, and Husband’s lips are starting to split. I gave him the peppermint tube and it’s been a permanent staple in his pocket since. He says it is helping immensely. Punk also took to the lip balm [I think I may have passed the addiction on, poor thing] and says she really likes the flavors, plus it makes her lips soft. Plus, it fits in her little pockets so she can carry it with her at the dunes.

Buy it!
You can purchase any of the great items from Softlips by clicking here.

Win it!
One of you lucky people will win a pack of the new Softlips winter flavors! That includes winter mint, sugar cookie, sugar&spice, and sugar plum berry. Yum!

To enter, visit their site and tell me what flavor you most want to try [it doesn’t have to be a winter flavor]. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--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
--Leave a comment on one of my non-giveaway posts [tell me which you left your comment on… please?]
--Enter another one of my giveaways [enter as many as you want, but only one extra entry]

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 Tuesday, November 3rd 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.

Wordless Wednesday, 10/20

Mix equal parts:
- proud mommy
- ohmigosh you're going too fast, please slow down, you're going to get HURT! mommy

and you get an 8-year old jumping 6 feet on a Polaris 90. Oh boy, what have we started?

To check out more [mostly] Wordless Wednesday posts, go here. Or here.

CoverYourHair.com Winner!

Thanks to CoverYourHair.com for providing me with products to review, and for a prize for the giveaway! The lucky winner of any headband is...

Here are your random numbers:
13
Timestamp: 2009-10-21 15:04:52 UTC

amanda

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

Switch It by Nan Winner!

Thanks to Switch It by Nan for providing me a purse organizer to review, and for giving one away to one of you lucky people! Who will it be? Let's see...

Here are your random numbers:
25
Timestamp: 2009-10-20 15:55:26 UTC

chelsea

Congrats to you! I know you will love it. I've e-mailed you and you have 48 hours to respond.

The Power of Women United Review and Giveaway

The Power of Women United is a stunning presentation of the hard lessons learned by women who have met the challenges of life and succeeded. Each chapter is authored by a woman who has traveled her own road and overcome unique struggles in her quest to live a fulfilled and satisfying life. In their own words these women project the emotional strength and wisdom they have gained, and shine as beacons of light for those women searching for answers and their own truth.

As women, we trust the wisdom of those who have gone before us and dealt with the problems of balancing work and home life. Though many are convinced that you can’t have it all, these women have proven that not only can you succeed, you deserve to grasp the opportunity to live your dream. The Power of Women United is the ultimate tool to begin your own personal growth journey to be the woman you choose to be.

Thanks to AME, I was able to review a copy of The Power of Women United. Did you know that women hold 45% of the North American workforce, but hold only just over 6% of the highest paying positions in the largest 500 companies? That’s pretty sad! I don’t want to sound like a feminist or anything, but I honestly do believe it is harder for women in the workforce than it is for men. It just seems a little unbalanced. The Power of Women United shares the stories of 22 women who have made it in this world. From realizing your worth, to building your confidence, to earning respect, this book will help teach you some really valuable lessons.

Buy it!
You can purchase The Power of Women United by clicking here.

Win it!
AME has generously offered one of my fabulous readers their own copy of The Power of Women United!

To enter, visit the book’s site and then come back and leave me a comment. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--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
--Leave a comment on one of my non-giveaway posts [tell me which you left your comment on… please?]
--Enter another one of my giveaways [enter as many as you want, but only one extra entry]

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, November 1st 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.

Die $mart Winner!

The winner of their very own copy of Die $mart is...

Here are your random numbers:
3
Timestamp: 2009-10-19 17:58:28 UTC

brandon and jakell

Congrats! I've e-mailed you, blah blah blah. :)

It's The Little Things Winner!

Sorry for the delay in announcing this winner, we were out of town. The winner of the gorgeous headband from It’s the Little Things is...

Here are your random numbers:
3
Timestamp: 2009-10-19 17:52:18 UTC

Jingle

Congrats! I've e-mailed you and you have 48 hours to respond or a new winner gets picked. Thanks to everyone that entered!

Anti Monkey Butt Review and Giveaway

Monkey Butt: the soreness, itching and redness that affects one’s backside as the result of friction and sweat.

Now that you know that, let’s talk about Anti Monkey Butt Powder. Anti Monkey Butt Powder was created by a healthcare professional and a heavy equipment operator/construction worker, who are both dirt bike riders. They had tried multiple products to help with Monkey Butt, but were never happy with the results. So, they decided to create something on their own! After several months of testing and trying formulas out, they found just what they wanted, and started to sell it as Anti Monkey Butt Powder.



I was sent a bottle of Anti Monkey Butt to review. However, I don’t usually have issues with Monkey Butt. So I recruited the Husband to try it out! He doesn’t frequently complain about this type of issue, but I know he has talked about “seat rash” after a day or two at the dunes, so it is something he is sometimes affected by. And his verdict? It seems to work! He said that he can ride longer without feeling like his legs and butt are getting “chapped”. [Totally his words, not mine.] Which I take to mean, this product is good!

But I don’t think Anti Monkey Butt Powder would only be good for someone that rides dirt bikes or 4-wheelers. Does anyone in your life work in the heat, standing up and moving around all day? They probably get this! Construction workers, concrete finishers, runners, whatever – this product could benefit anyone! Husband has a friend that works for the city, and he is always complaining about Monkey Butt during the warm months – we may need to get him a bottle of this stuff.

Buy it!
You can purchase Anti Monkey Butt Powder by clicking here.

Win it!
TWO of you fantastic people will get your own bottle of Anti Monkey Butt Powder.

To enter, visit their site and then come back here and leave me a comment. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--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
--Leave a comment on one of my non-giveaway posts [tell me which you left your comment on… please?]
--Enter another one of my giveaways [enter as many as you want, but only one extra entry]

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 Wednesday, October 28th 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.

Cystex Winner!

The winner of the bottle of Cystex is...

Mommyhood is Thankless

[No random drawing was needed because she was the only one that entered]

Congrats! I've e-mailed you.

And remember - if you ever get a UTI, go get some Cystex to help with the pain until you can get to the doctor.

Silverstein & Me Review and Giveaway

Silverstein & Me: A Memoir is a book written by Marv Gold, a lifetime friend of Shel Silverstein. From childhood to the Playboy era to death, you will learn about Silverstein’s hobbies and interests, escapades and jobs. You may like it, and you may not. Don’t come read the book expecting a Shel Silverstein poem; come expecting to learn about the man behind the poems and cartoons.

Thanks to AME, I was able to review Silverstein & Me: A Memoir. Shel Silverstein will always be one of my favorite authors. There are a few of his books that I checked out from the library more times than I can remember, and there was always at least one of his books in my Book Club orders. That said, I couldn’t wait to read this memoir. I didn’t expect it to be his poetry or his cartoons, and I think that helped. I learned that he was pretty anti-social. He drew cartoons for Playboy. None of what I expected, but it makes the writing I love that much more sincere. I liked this book for what it was – a look into one of my favorite authors’ lives.

Buy it!
You can purchase this book by clicking here.

Win it!
One of you has the chance to win a copy of this book!

To enter, visit Marv Gold's site and then come back here and leave me a comment. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--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
--Leave a comment on one of my non-giveaway posts [tell me which you left your comment on… please?]
--Enter another one of my giveaways [enter as many as you want, but only one extra entry]

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 Tuesday, October 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 readers only.

I Started A Workout Blog

And you all are more than welcome to come check it out, though I'm seriously doing it more for myself than anything, so I won't be sad if you don't. [hi, run-on sentence anyone?]

You can check it out here.

Have a good day!

Designs by Mikel Winner!

A huge thank you to Designs by Mikel for sponsoring this giveaway. If you haven't checked out her shop, go do it now! The winner is...

Here are your random numbers:
6
Timestamp: 2009-10-14 16:36:25 UTC

brandon and jakell

Congrats to JaKell! I've e-mailed you and you have 48 hours to respond or a new winner is picked. Thanks to all that entered!

Wordless Wednesday

Last year's pumpkin. I'm SO excited to carve pumpkins this year! [Yes, I am only 7 emotionally. Deal with it.]

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, go here!

My Little Pony Review and Giveaway

My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure is the newest release of the My Little Pony movies [release date = TODAY!]. This movie follows along with Pinkie Pie and her friends as they try to find the Wishing Star in time for their Winter Wishes festival. Not only is it an adorable movie but the DVD also includes 6 sing-alongs, 2 new animated shorts and 4 activities. And, if you have a DVD-rom, you can download coloring sheets [see below for an example] and cut-out pony ornaments. Now, how does it get any cuter than that?

Thanks to Shout! Factory, Punk and I got to review My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure. Punk likes My Little Pony, and this movie isn’t any exception. It’s really cute [though pretty girly] and tells a good story. Plus, though the movie seems geared to maybe a little younger than Punk, she had fun with the activities.

Buy it!
You can purchase My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure at most stores that carry DVDs near you.

Win it!
Shout! Factory has provided me with a copy of the DVD to give away to one of you lucky people!

To enter, leave a comment and let me know who the DVD would be for. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--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
--Leave a comment on one of my non-giveaway posts [tell me which you left your comment on… please?]
--Enter another one of my giveaways [enter as many as you want, but only one extra entry]

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 Monday, October 26th 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 and Canadian readers only.

You Can Make This Winner!

Thanks to You Can Make This for providing such a great prize! The winner of the Halloween bundle is...

Here are your random numbers:
9
Timestamp: 2009-10-13 15:51:28 UTC

AmyLynn

Way to go! I've e-mailed you.

Bye Bye Jiggle [The Workout Rundown]

Oh man.

I just got done working out and I'm hot and broken and I feel dehydrated. I just downed my second water. You'd think this working out thing was new or something! Oh, yah... it is. Alrighty then.

Kind of a long time ago, I reviewed something called Hit the Deck. That's what I've been using as my workout routine. To sum it up, there are 5 warm-up/cool down cards and then 30 workout cards. There are 10 easy, 10 medium and 10 hard moves to do. I started out just doing the warm-up/cool down cards and then the 10 easy cards [warm-up/cool down cards for a minute, move cards for 30 seconds]. I'm slowly working my way up the cards and can now do all the way through the medium cards! I am pretty stoked about that, because I've only done them 4 times now [though I am pushing myself pretty hard]. My goal is to be able to do all 30 move cards for a minute.

Weight lost so far: 2 pounds
Goal weight loss: 10 pounds
Jiggle factor: on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being Fergie abs and 10 being Jell-o, I feel like I'm at a 7.
Goal jiggle factor: as much as I'd love to be a 1, I will never have enough time. I'd say 3.

Favorite song to work out to this week: Drop It Low by Ester Dean. Laugh if you want to but the beat in this song is fast and hard and it's a perfect workout song.

Moves that are killing me: Nordic Ski Race [start bent down with one foot in front of the other, jump and land with opposite foot in front], Triceps Push-ups [put your hands together in the middle to form a triangle and do push-ups], Squat Jumps [start in a squat, jump, land in a squat]

Have a great week!

Certain Dri Review and Giveaway

Certain Dri anti-perspirant is the leading dermatologist-recommended product for controlling excessive sweating [underarm sweating, anyway] and has been for over three decades. That says a lot about the product! Certain Dri anti-perspirants are the strongest available over-the-counter. They provide up to 72 hours of control – wow.

Let me start off by saying that I don’t sweat excessively. I’m pretty much average when it comes to that area. But even so, this anti-perspirant is freaking awesome for me. I was provided the Certain Dri solid anti-perspirant to review, and I must say that it does indeed control sweating! It’s also pretty great for the sensitive skin in that area. I was looking for a new anti-perspirant because my last one left me with bumps after shaving [it was not friendly to my skin]. The Certain Dri makes my skin softer and so less irritation happens! The weird thing about Certain Dri is that you apply it at night, and only every few days. [It works for 72 hours, and you apply at night because it helps shrink the pores that sweat comes through, thus less sweating.] That was somewhat difficult for me because I have a routine that I follow every morning, and I had to retrain my brain to not grab the Certain Dri. It took a few days, but I got it. :)

Buy it!
You can purchase any of the Certain Dri products at pretty much any chain grocery store near you. For a full list, click here.

Win it!
One of you fantastic people is going to win a bottle of the same stuff I tried, the Certain Dri anti-perspirant solid.

To enter, visit their site and then come back here and leave me a comment. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--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
--Leave a comment on one of my non-giveaway posts [tell me which you left your comment on… please?]
--Enter another one of my giveaways [enter as many as you want, but only one extra entry]

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, October 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 readers only.

You Can Make This Giveaway – 4 DAYS ONLY!

Are you ready for Halloween? If you’re anything like me, you aren’t even close. :) Want something to make it a little easier? How about a not-so-scary Halloween giveaway!? I know you have all heard of You Can Make This. If not, let me sum them up. They are a site that sells all sorts of wonderful instructions for doing things yourself. From quilts, to purses, to jewelry, to clothing; they’ve got it all! Plus, if you sign up for their newsletter they give you all sorts of free instructions. It’s a win-win! And, I know firsthand that their instructions are pretty easy to follow and typically come with pictures and everything.

Buy it!
You can purchase any of the great instructions from You Can Make This by clicking here.

Win it!
You Can Make This has generously offered one of my gorgeous readers a not-so-scary Halloween bundle [value of $50]! It includes:

Fancy Filled Tutu with Bonus 40 Tutu "Recipes"
Pumpkin Polly Patterns
Paper Piecing Project: Pumpkin Patch Pillow
Frayed Applique: Too Cute to Spook!
Little Miss Spider Applique Patterns
How to Applique the Easy Way
Hocus Pocus Patterns
Just a Little Something for a Happy Halloween Table Runner

To enter, visit their site and then come back here and let me know what you’re going to dress up as. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--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
--Leave a comment on one of my non-giveaway posts [tell me which you left your comment on… please?]
--Enter another one of my giveaways [enter as many as you want, but only one extra entry]

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 Monday, October 12th [that’s only 4 days!] 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!

Just so you know, I was given an e-book for my time in posting this giveaway.

Two Big Favors!

Okay, because I know you guys love me [or maybe you don't but I pretend so], I have two favors to ask of you.

First off, I know this great girl Kim [through MomDot] who blogs at What's That Smell?. She's a riot and you should stop by her blog at your earliest convenience! Anyway, she is in a contest for SAM-e and I would really love for her to win as their family needs the opportunity. Right now, she's behind in votes. Sooooo, favor #1 - can you go vote for her? Click here. You can vote once a day if you are using Internet Explorer.

Thanks!

Second thing. And let me start out by saying that I know I'm not fat!! But I've put on about 10 pounds in the last year and it's starting to really bother me because I have jiggle in places that there wasn't jiggle before, and I don't fit into my jeans as easily. I need you guys to hound me to work out! I've got a great workout that I've been doing but I need someone to basically kick me in gear so that I work out every day and not, like, once a week. Okay? Just a comment or an e-mail if you remember. Thanks again!!

And one last thing. This isn't a favor but is really funny. So, you guys know I am concerned about Punk turning out like 'real mom'. Lately, I get the feeling that we are FINALLY getting through to her, and I couldn't be happier! She's finally realizing things are not alright; like when 'real mom' flakes out or forgets to do something she promised she would do, that it's not okay [among other things, but that's the easiest to explain]. 'Real mom' called on Sunday to tell us she was going to be there at 6 instead of 8 because they were driving home from Mesquite and they were earlier than she expected. LAME, but okay, we'll just make sure to even it out next weekend when we pick her up Thursday instead of Friday. Mmmkay? :) So, we tell Punk her mom is coming at 6, and she says "Why? That's stupid!!". It's pretty typical to hear "that's stupid" in our house for a myriad of reasons and it cracked me up to hear her say it. Then, 'real mom' gets to our house to pick her up and she says to her, "You're 2 HOURS early, did you know that?!"

O.M.G.

Punk has been taught not to have her own opinion when she's at her mom's house. She is just supposed to go with what her mom wants, and what she wants never has any play in decisions. She has also been taught that she isn't supposed to speak her mind, so when she said this, I was OVERJOYED!!! I am so happy that she is finally feeling brave enough to say how she feels about things. I get so fed up with her mom taking advantage of her and using her as a pawn in her stupid mind games. I hope the pattern continues. :D

You Unstuck Review and Giveaway

Everyone gets stuck. It's part of the human condition. Maybe you're stuck in your career, finances, health or relationships. Or maybe life dealt you a bad blow like a layoff or divorce. The real question is this: What are you going to do about it?

YOU UNSTUCK is designed to give you hope and tools, backed with science, to get you past your sticking points. Hope because that's the one thing you can't afford to lose if you're going to succeed in work and life. Science because you need the latest brain research to understand why you behave the way you do. And tools because the process of life change is so misunderstood, you may have been going at it all wrong. Otherwise, you wouldn't be stuck right now, would you? It's like trying to replace a flat tire without a jack. The more you try, the more hopeless you feel and more hopeless you feel, the more stuck you are. Author Libby Gill wants to help you change all that.

Thanks to Paula at AME, I was able to review You Unstuck. Let me ask you this – do you ever feel like your life is at a standstill? Like you’re on Groundhog Day and it’s all the same, over and over? If so, you need this book! It will teach you the best way to go about changing your mentality about taking a risk, and then taking that risk. If you continue to think the way you think today, nothing will change as you need it to. It’s got quizzes, places to take notes, and even more suggested reading to help you. Overall, very educational about yourself to read. And I liked it.

Buy it!
You can purchase You Unstuck by clicking here.

Win it!
AME has generously offered one of my fabulous readers their own copy of You Unstuck!

To enter, visit their site and then come back here and leave me a comment. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--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
--Leave a comment on one of my non-giveaway posts [tell me which you left your comment on… please?]
--Enter another one of my giveaways [enter as many as you want, but only one extra entry]

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 Thursday, October 22nd 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.

Crazy Love [Michael Buble] Review

Thanks to One2One Network, I got to review Michael Buble’s newest CD, Crazy Love [being released today!]. I completely expect this album to be just as popular as his last one, which was the #1 album in 15 different countries. His album before that stayed on the Billboard Traditional Jazz charts for a full two years [!!!] and was at #1 for 80 weeks. How’s that for popularity? This CD is very jazzy and very classic. If you liked his last CD, you will love Crazy Love. My favorite song on the CD is “Haven’t Met You Yet”, and you can watch the video by clicking here. It's a cute, upbeat, fun song. I like it.

Need more Michael? Visit his site here, or find him on Facebook.

Buy it!
You can purchase this album on Amazon today!

Sweetly You Winner!

Thanks to Sweetly You for providing me with products to review, and for also sponsoring this giveaway!

The winner is...

Here are your random numbers:
13
Timestamp: 2009-10-09 15:24:08 UTC

Anne

Congrats! I've e-mailed you, and you have 48 hours to respond or a new winner gets picked. Thanks everyone that entered!

Oh, So Sad

I have to vent about this experience because, well, I need someone to tell me everything is going to be okay [..hint, hint..].

So, since my first visit to Outback, I was sold. From their deep fried onion thingy [that might not be what it's called on the menu], to their cheese fries, to their Wallaby Darned [a peach drink, that's to KILL for, with or without the alcohol!], to their steak, Outback had everything I needed in a restaurant. I even had pretty dang amazing service every time I went, which is fantastic.

A little bit ago, we decided we were going to do dinner with our friends Crazy and Crazier [yes, these are well deserved nicknames] and when the decision was left to me, I went to my tried and true fallback - Outback. We get there and are seated right away. The cute girl tells us our waiter will be right there to take our drink orders. So we wait. And we wait. And then we wait some more. Maybe 15 minutes later our waiter comes by and takes our drink orders and then WALKS AWAY. Doesn't ask if we are ready to order. Okaaaaaay... When he comes back 5 minutes later [no drinks] he takes our orders. Another 10 minutes and we finally have drinks [all we ordered were sodas; it's not like they had to mix us anything]. We wait another 10 minutes; no food. Not a problem except that by this time, we had already been there almost 45 minutes and we were HUNGRY. Plus, it was Tuesday night so it wasn't busy at all. Almost an hour after we were seated, our food is finally out. I start with the potatoes [an addiction of mine] and then move to the steak. I cut it open and it is still BLEEDING. Like, A LOT. I think all they did was roll it around on the grill to make the outside brown and then brought it to me. I asked for medium, which is what I always ask for, and it's usually just barely pink in the middle. So I wait for the waiter to come around. For 10 minutes. All of our drinks are empty and I'm PISSED by this point. Crazier finally stabs my steak with his fork and walks back to the kitchen to find someone to fix the situation [yes, he walked all the way through Outback with a steak on a fork and it was AWESOME]. So, he comes walking back to the table with the waiter and the waiter says, "So, what's the problem?" And I tell him that my steak is still making cow noises, it's so rare. He says, and I QUOTE, "Well, you did order it medium, which means it will still be pink in the middle." And I say, "Yah, I did. But this? [and I hold up the steak] THIS [and I point to the steak] is as rare as they come." You wanna know his response? "Well, it is a pretty thick steak, so it's hard to get it cooked all the way through."

OH, I'm sorry! I thought for a second I was at a STEAKHOUSE that knew how to cook STEAK. My bad.

He takes it back to the kitchen and by this time, everyone else is pretty much done eating. We wait for another 10 minutes, and he brings out the same steak and asks me to cut it to see if it's done enough. So, I cut. And it bleeds. Like, A LOT. Again, it looks like they rolled it around on the grill, this time for maybe a whole minute, and brought it to me. And I tell him I don't want the steak anymore and I don't want to pay for it and we are ready to go. He tells me he can't make the decision to take it off our check and will have to get the manager. To me, it feels like he is saying this so I'll just say NEVER MIND and pay for the damn steak to get out of there, but I was holding my ground. A few minutes later, out comes the manager. And I get the question again. "So, what's the problem?" I tell her the entire story, and do you wanna know what she said? It's a good thing I wasn't holding a steak knife in my hand at this point. She said, "Well, it is a pretty thick steak, and they are kind of hard to get cooked all the way through." OH. MY. HELL. Um, Outback STEAKhouse? Really? It finally gets taken off my check and we pay and leave. It was the first time I've ever not left a tip AT ALL and I felt almost guilty about it but re-hashing the story right now has reminded me why I shouldn't.

I don't think I'll ever go back. Wallaby Darned, I've always loved you and I'm sorry it had to end this way. You will be missed.

Lipo-Flavonoid Giveaway

Lipo-Flavonoid is nutritional support for people suffering from Tinnitus. What is Tinnitus? Well, it’s ringing in your ears! I get this sometimes, after a concert or certain loud events we attend, like, every other day. But it’s not something I suffer from constantly, and for that I am thankful [that also means I probably do not have Tinnitus].

Tinnitus can be caused by aging, from frequent exposure to loud noises, or from a sudden damaging noise. It can also be a sign of Meniere’s Syndrome, which is a combination of other symptoms as well [like vertigo, loss of hearing, and a “full” feeling in your ear]. I know how annoying it is to hear ringing for 30 seconds, so I can’t even imagine having to live with it all the time. Want to learn more about Tinnitus? Click here.

Do you know anyone with Tinnitus? Lipo-Flavonoid is for them. It provides nutritional support that helps improve circulation in the inner ear, which helps the little teeny hairs stay flexible, and may help the fluid in the ear flow better. All of which can help the ringing go away.

I was provided a box of Lipo-Flavanoid for my time. I just don’t have Tinnitus [yet] so I can’t review it.

Buy it!
You can purchase Lipo-Flavonoid by clicking here.

Win it!
One of my readers has the chance to win a bottle of Lipo-Flavanoid!

To enter, visit their site and then come back here and leave me a comment. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--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
--Leave a comment on one of my non-giveaway posts [tell me which you left your comment on… please?]
--Enter another one of my giveaways [enter as many as you want, but only one extra entry]

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 Wednesday, October 21st 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.

Slice [Five for Fighting] Review

Thanks to One2One Network, I got to review the new album by John Ondrasik [also known as Five for Fighting, FYI]. Five for Fighting is one of those bands that hasn’t sold out! They still sound just like they did in the beginning, and I for one think that is a great thing. [If you remember, they did a song called "Superman" that was mega popular in 2001]. I love bands that stay true to their own style.

You can catch Five for Fighting on TV here:

CBS Saturday Morning - 10/10
The View - 10/14
The Today Show - 10/16

And see them on tour here:

18-Oct Toronto, ON - El Mocambo
20-Oct New York, NY - City Winery
22-Oct Bay Shore, NY (Long Island) - YMCA Boulton Center
23-Oct Uncasville, CT - The Wolf Den
24-Oct Washington, DC - Jammin Java
26-Oct Boston, MA - The Paradise
27-Oct Philadelphia, PA - World Café Live (downstairs)
29-Oct Nashville, TN - The Belcourt
30-Oct Chicago, IL - Lakeshore
3-Nov Salt Lake City, UT - The State Room
5-Nov Seattle, WA - Crocodile
6-Nov Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater
10-Nov San Francisco, CA - Swedish American Hall
11-Nov Los Angeles, CA - Largo at the Coronet

And you can find them at their website, on Twitter, on YouTube, and on Facebook. Gotta love a band that keeps up with the time!

Buy it…next Tuesday!
You can purchase Slice by Five for Fighting on October 12th in a music store near you, or pre-order it now on Amazon.

GreenSmart Winner!

Thanks to GreenSmart for providing me with products to review, and for providing a giveaway! The winner is...

Here are your random numbers:
32
Timestamp: 2009-10-08 17:20:39 UTC

Mommyhood is Thankless
Congrats! You've been e-mailed and have 48 hours to respond. Thanks to all who entered!

Stars For A Wish

So, you guys remember Pediped, right? If not, go back and read the post about how amazing their shoes are. Do it, now. ... Back? Okay. I love Pediped and their adorable shoes, but they just announced they are doing something that I SO totally believe in, and I wanted to share it with you. It's called Stars For A Wish.



What is it? Well, my dear friends, it's only 50+ famous people signing shoes to be auctioned off to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The auction runs from October 25th through November 1st on Charity Buzz. You wanna know what stars are participating in this amazing charity event? Well, here are just a few...

Jessica Alba, Halle Berry, Pierce Brosnan, Andy Garcia, Molly Ringwald, Rachel Weisz, Tim Allen, Courtney Cox Arquette, Marcia Cross, Jennie Garth, Whoopi Goldberg, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Heidi Klum, Charlie Sheen, Jon Stewart, Clay Aiken, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Sugarland, Jerome Bettis, Anna Kournikova, Shaquille O’Neal, Mark Teixeira, J.D. Drew, David Ortiz

OHMIGOSH! That's pretty freakin' cool. The bidding starts at $250 for the signed shoes, and the winner gets the shoes displayed in a shadow box or acrylic box, complete with an engraved plaque. Stars For A Wish has a minimum goal of $25,000, of which EVERY. LAST. CENT. will go to granting wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Every penny, guys!

To learn more about the Stars for a Wish fundraiser and see the entire list of participating celebrities, visit this link.

I know right now with the economy being rough, it's hard to see paying $250 for a pair of shoes. BUT - this is for a really good cause. And the shoes are cute. So you can't go wrong!

CoverYourHair.com Review and Giveaway

CoverYourHair.com sells all sorts of really great hair accessories. From headbands, to hairclips, to bandanas, they’ve got you covered! [Ha – get it? Covered?] They offer something for everyone’s tastes, with prices you can live with.

CoverYourHair.com sent me a headband and a bandana to review. First, let’s talk about the bandana. I’ve got quite a few bandanas because they are super convenient for the sand dunes. When you’ve got bangs, which I do, helmet hair can be such a scary sight. So, I take off the helmet and tie on a bandana, and I’m good to go! Plus, when we’re in the sandrail it helps keep my hair contained. It’s become one of my staples. So, I love the bandana! And it’s red, which isn’t a color I had, so it’s more than welcome in its new home. If you aren’t a sand dune junkie like me, bandanas can also be a great substitute for a headband! Fold it up, wrap it around with a cute updo, and you’re golden.

The headband CoverYourHair.com sent me is darling. It’s white with pink and black leopard print and sparkles. How do you go wrong with that?! Plus, you can wear it scrunched, like this:



Or spread out, like this:



Either way, it’s a super cute way to add a little color to any outfit. I like to wear it when I’ve just got a white shirt on. I dig it.

Buy it!
You can purchase any of the great items from CoverYourHair.com by clicking here.

Win it!
CoverYourHair.com has generously offered one of my fabulous readers a headband of their choosing!

To enter, visit their site and tell me something you would love to have. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--Join the CoverYourHair.com Google Friend Connect [At the right corner of each page on CoverYourHair.com, there is a 'peel away' to click on that will bring you to our Social Center. At the right side of the Social Center click "join this site" in the Google Friend Connect box.]
--Become a fan of CoverYourHair.com on Facebook [they are always offering free stuff!]
--Follow CoverYourHair.com on Twitter
--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
--Leave a comment on one of my non-giveaway posts [tell me which you left your comment on… please?]
--Enter another one of my giveaways [enter as many as you want, but only one extra entry]

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 Tuesday, October 20th 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!

Wordless Wednesday

My first time participating in Wordless Wednesday! Don't get your hopes up that it will continue, but I will try. :)



The Garage Dodge, on its way to a race. One of the many toys.

Wanna play? Check out more WW posts here!

Got Jacked Up Teeth?

I apologize for posting this picture

Can't afford a dentist visit, let alone cosmetic dentistry? NeedWant to fix your jacked up teeth? I've got news for you! 1-800-DENTIST is running a competition right now, and they will be giving out $30,000 in dental work! Wow, that's a lot of fixed grills. To enter, all you gots to do is make a 2-minute video about why you want to win. Then, you need to get people to vote for you. That's all! Pretty simple for a new smile, right? For details and to enter, click here.

Zestra Winners!

A big thanks to Zestra for sending me some of their product to review, and for providing a great prize for 5 of my readers!! The winners are...

Here are your random numbers:
16
8
12
2
23
Timestamp: 2009-10-07 15:11:57 UTC

brandon and jakell
Honey Mommy
adrian
-nickk and whitleyy-
Jennai

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

Your Songs [Harry Connick Jr.] Review

Do you know who Harry Connick Jr. is? My guess is, yes, you probably do. But did you know that he is a multi-talented fellow? Well, I'm here to tell you he is. Harry Connick Jr. just released a new album titled Your Songs, and thanks to One2One Network, I was able to review it. To sum it up, it's fabulous and you should own it. This album is a bunch of covers of other songs that are super popular songs... just check out the playlist:

Album Tracklisting (Originally performed by):

All The Way (Frank Sinatra)
Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)
Can’t Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis Presley)
And I Love Her (The Beatles)
(They Long To Be) Close To You (The Carpenters)
Besame Mucho
The Way You Look Tonight
First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack)
Your Song (Elton John)
Some Enchanted Evening
And I Love You So (Don McLean)
Who Can I Turn To? (Tony Bennett)
Smile (Charlie Chaplin)
Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole)

Doesn't that look like an amazing line-up? Oh, it definitely is! The entire album - his voice, the songs, the sound - remind me of Sex and the City. It totally fits that show and the music they always play. I really liked the entire CD, and this isn't my typical music style!

You can visit Harry Connick Jr. on his website and also on Facebook.

Now, go get the CD, run a bubble bath, light some candles, and get your CD player. It just fits together nicely.

Switch It by Nan Review and Giveaway

Switch It by Nan is the company behind the ingenious idea of an organizer that goes in your purse, but can be switched between purses with ease. They also offer some pretty purses that the organizers fit right into!

I got to review the medium-sized purse organizer in purple. It really is convenient! I was able to organize all of my things into it, and then slip it into my purse and was ready to go. The see-through plastic it is made out of was a little stiff at first, but after using it for awhile, it loosened up and was easier to use. It fits into most of my purses, so I can use it quite a bit.

Buy it!
You can purchase any of the great items from Switch It by Nan by clicking here.

Win it!
Switch It by Nan has generously offered one of my fabulous readers a medium-sized purse organizer in purple!

To enter, visit their site and tell me what other color option you like. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--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
--Leave a comment on one of my non-giveaway posts [tell me which you left your comment on… please?]
--Enter another one of my giveaways [enter as many as you want, but only one extra entry]

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 Monday, October 19th 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.

Die Smart Review and Giveaway

Die $mart: What Everybody Should Know About Death and Dying is all about the financial aspects of your [or anyone’s, really] death. Here is a little about the authors, from, their site:

We’re not attorneys; not doctors; not grief counselors. We are people who have started and managed businesses, raised families and nurtured friends. We became caretakers for our aging parents, and then acted as executors of their estates.

In dealing with the incapacity of family members and, later, their deaths, we discovered laws we didn’t understand or even know about that governed how we managed their financial affairs.

We found it hard to believe that educated people like ourselves did not understand the paperwork or the legal and financial aspects of dying.

We realized that no one teaches someone how to die smart in school. Or explain why a lack of knowing or doing means someone pays later.

We discovered that dying is not just an emotional event in life, but a major financial one as well. An event where “dying dumb” can cost 4 to 8% of your net worth and, if long term care is involved, perhaps all of your net worth.

We discovered a lack of quality information and resources to help someone plan for or manage the paperwork and legal procedures associated with incapacity and death.

That’s why we created Die$mart. A place to visit when you have questions or need help in understanding the rules and laws that manage our life in the case of death or incapacity. And a place to go to find out what to do before you need help.

Die $mart is a really great book. I sometimes didn’t understand things, and some things were just too far over my head, but I am appreciative of the book! Plus, there is a glossary in the back for people like me, that don’t quite get the financial jargon and terms and all of the endless options out there for your money. Die $mart goes through all of the things you should know and should do, just in case you are ever incapacitated or die. It organizes everything in a question/answer format, which was perfect for me. I gained a lot of knowledge through this book and will definitely be lending it to my parents so they are aware, too.

I was provided a copy of this book to review.

Buy it!
You can purchase Die Smart by clicking here.

Win it!
The publisher has generously offered one of my fabulous readers a copy of Die $mart!

To enter, visit their site and then come back here and leave me a comment. **THIS IS REQUIRED!!**

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
--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
--Leave a comment on one of my non-giveaway posts [tell me which you left your comment on… please?]
--Enter another one of my giveaways [enter as many as you want, but only one extra entry]

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, October 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 US readers only.