A Little of This and a Little of That

We Have a Winner!

2012-01-05T20:43:00.004-05:00

The winner of the Alexa's Angels Giveaway has been drawn and contacted and I heard back from her. It was #10. Congrats Amber!

Happy New Year,

Alexa's Angels Review and Giveaway

2011-12-11T14:49:00.004-05:00

Beth Lang President and CEO of Alexa's Angels has been selling her inspirational jewelery at art shows all across the country since 1995. Each piece of her jewelery is thoughtfully designed to evoke heartfelt emotion. The line offers something for everyone such as necklaces, bracelets, earrings, angel pins, handbags and accessories.

I chose the Mom and Daughter Dog Tag Two Toned Necklace Set. I chose this because I had been estranged from my daughter by her choice, and one day out of the blue she contacted me on Facebook. Now keep in mind I haven't heard from or seen her in over a year. She contacted to let me know I was a grandma again. I had a new grandson. I was ecstatic first to know she was safe and alive and 2nd to know I had a new grandson.

Due to events when she was a young child we never had a great relationship and I thought sending her the daughter necklace from the set would be so appropriate at this time. She loved it. It comes in a box that also has an inspirational message on the inside lid.

She loved the message. She wears the necklace all the time and we talk almost everyday and sometimes more than once a day. Here is a picture of the necklace, it's so pretty and can be worn with anything.

Her tags say FRIEND JOY, DAUGHTER, LOVE. My tags say WISDOM GRACE, LOVE, MOM. I'm not saying that the necklace fixed all of our problems but it did get a message across that I was unable to do with my own words. I want to thank Alexa's Angels for helping me with a very difficult and what I thought was impossible situation.

Alexa's Angels is giving away the same Mom & Daughter Dog Tag Two Toned Necklace Set. All you have to do is tell me what message you are trying to get across to your daughter when you give her the Daughter Necklace. This is mandatory and must be completed for all other entries to count.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

"Like" Alexa's Angels page on Facebook
Follow Alexa's angels on Twitter
Follow me on GFC
"Like" my Blog Facebook Page
Follow me on Twitter

Giveaway for US only
Giveaway ends Christmas Day (Dec. 25th)
Please leave a way for me to contact you.
Winner will be chosen by random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my email or the prize will be forfeited and another winner chosen.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated monetarily for this post however I did receive a product for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Alexa's Angels for supplying the product for me to review and the prize for the winner. You can read the rest of my disclaimer here.

It's good to be back!

2011-12-04T12:22:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone! I've missed you all. I'm sorry I haven't been around but I've had some interesting months the last 4 months. I haven't been around because I've had a double lumbar spinal fusion and revision of an old spinal fusion I had done in 2007. So I had to give up the blog world for for awhile but now I'm back. I'll have some giveaways up as I go along, it's almost like starting over. Just give me time, please don't give up.

I was in the hospital for about 4 days, the surgery took a lot longer than they expected, and they had to remove all the old hardware and there was a lot of scar tissue, I had a blood transfusion, went through in home physical therapy and now out patient PT. Just to give you an idea here is a picture of what they removed and replaced with 3 times as much not to mention a new product called Opti Mesh, which is mesh bags filled with cadaver bones to place instead of disks.

So all I ask is give me some time to get my blog back up and running and I will have some great giveaways for you! I will work as hard as I can, which obviously won't be as hard as before right away but I will get back there soon!
Thanks for your support!

Trick or Treat

2011-10-25T20:33:00.002-04:00

As kids, we all remember the houses that gave out good Halloween candy, and the ones that stiffed us with a toothbrush or a handful of change. Now, neighborhood kids are sizing us up based on the treats we give out every October 31st. Below is an infographic detailing what your choice in Halloween goodies says about your personality to help you make sure you keep your homes from coming under attack by unruly Trick-or-Treaters.

What the Halloween Candy You Give Out Says About You By Ultimate Coupons

Do We Really Know What We're Eating Everyday?

2011-10-15T17:35:00.001-04:00

   MENACING MEALS (YOUR QUICK GUIDE TO FOOD DANGERS)
   Everyday there seems to be something in the news about food being recalled
   and people becoming very sick and even dying. Well read this infographic and
   maybe learn something that could save your life!

"Meanacing Meals" infographic courtesy of WEBstaurant Restaurant Supplies

The Hystory of the Small Business Administration (SBA)

2011-10-14T20:34:00.002-04:00

History of the Small Business Administration (SBA)

Winners, Winners, Everywhere!

2011-09-27T12:48:00.001-04:00

Share Your Love of Cereal Week One Winner- #22- KAREN-

Share Your Love of Cereal Week 2 Winner-#41 PAULA

Share Your Love of Cereal Week 3 Winner-#8 DDDIVA

Share Your Love of Cereal Week 4 Winner- #5 DEB C.

CONGRATS TO ALL THE WINNERS FOR THE SHARE YOUR LOVE FOR CEREAL WEEKS 1-4

AMERICA'S FAVORITE CEREAL WINNER- #10 EMILY

Helzberg Diamonds Pearl Earrings Being Given Away

2011-09-23T20:33:00.000-04:00

Lesson's Learned a new Blog a just found tonight is holding a giveaway for Pearl Earrings from Helzberg Diamonds.. It's a great blog that I just started following and plan on going back. So go and enter to win. She uses Rafflecopter to make entering easier. Just click on the banner and go and enter!

So, I've gotten to 500 (503 to be exact) followers...I'm not sure what you all see in my little old blog - but I LOVE YOU FOR IT!!!

In celebration of all of you - my wonderful bloggy buddies - I am giving away a pair of pearl earrings from Helzberg Diamonds...why?! Because I think you all are the most fabulous peeps EVER! Come on over and fill out the Rafflecopter info below...I will pick a winner on October 1st and announce on October 3rd.

Has 9/11 Changed the Way You Travel?

2011-09-23T11:22:00.002-04:00

I've been wondering since 9/11 has passed about how many people who used to fly a lot still fly as much as they used too since the attack on 9/11. I know after that time I had to take a plane for work and I have to tell you, I was a nervous wreck. It wasn't my first time for flying either. So I'm curious, share with us are you nervous?

Osama vs Travel – The post 9/11 effect on travel

What Editors DoYou Use?

2011-09-18T16:24:00.000-04:00

If you're and avid reader of my blog posts you'll notice that I use quite a few pictures in my posts. I just feel it gets the point across more efficiently. But I can't take the credit for how well they turn out. I use a photo editor called Paint, also one called Gimp sometimes. They are so easy to use and fix your picture to make it look exactly like you want it too. I used to use Photshop on an older computer when I got it from a friend (free) but lost it when my computer crashed.

Now it was a bit different with my Vlog movies. Those were edited by a movie editor called Muvee Reveal that I reviewed in 2009. It's a good if you're just starting out and learning out how to use a movie editor. I was able to make photos into home movies, and even funny stuff. I really enjoy doing that and wish I had more time to learn more. Now let's hear what you use as your photo and movie editors and do you like them. Share it here in the comments with us.

Looking for Men's Wedding Bands?

2011-09-17T17:45:00.002-04:00

If you're ready to tie the knot and are shopping for men's wedding bands, men's tungsten rings just might be for you. I perused their website and they have some very classy looking rings and you'll still have that money to take your extravagant honeymoon. Here are a few of the rings they carry. Some are fancier, but my husband would choose just the plain band.

They also carry black tungsten rings for men. Men might be more likely to choose one of these for their band thinking they are more manly. They are classy yet more manly looking in my opinion.

So after seeing a few of each what do you think?? Which one do you like? The regular men's tungsten rings or the black tungsten rings for men? Which one do you think your husband would choose? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Have You Ever Dealt With an Annoying Real Estate Agent?

2011-09-17T15:07:00.002-04:00

Several years ago when my sister-in-law was looking at houses to buy she had what I thought was the most annoying real estate agent. She was nice enough and not really pushy but brought my sister-in-law a plant and every now and then we would all come home from work to a plant on the steps.

When my sister-in-law finally found the house she wanted, it was a beautiful Town home in a really nice area.
After deal went through and everything was over the real estate agent received her commission the plants stopped showing up.    It just annoys me because it seems like she was just "buying" her business or like bribing her to not go with another real estate agency. I hate that quality in sales people no matter what they sell.

So what do you think, do you have any stories to share with us about annoying real estate agents? Am I right to feel with way? Do you think she was "bribing" her to use her as her agent? That's what it sure looked like to me. Or am I just a little touchy on about the subject? Let's hear what you have to say!

What Companies are Doing to Keep Their Employees Safe Behind the Wheel

2011-09-14T10:49:00.000-04:00

How many times have you been driving behind a car that is either driving a lot slower than the traffic is moving or is all over the road? I used to think they were drunk but now the first thing that pops into my mind is their on their cell phone. As we pass them due to safety sure enough they are talking on a cell phone.

I have to be honest I tried talking on a cell phone 1 time (I was a manager of an endoscopy center) and it was a business and I live in Maryland and it was rush hour traffic. I will NEVER do that again. I almost slammed the back of the car in front of me and had to slam on my brakes and turn my wheel so I ended up over on the shoulder. I swear I don't know how people do it, I couldn't pay attention and talk and it scared me so bad I never talked on my phone while drving after that. So below is an infographic on how employers are protecting their staff:

How to Stay Cool in the Summer Months

2011-09-14T09:51:00.002-04:00

Here are a few ways to keep yourself cool in the summer months. Some of us have a harder time dealing with summer and some of us love summer. Anyhow some summer days can bring on some health issues so here are just a few ways to help with that.

Companies Customer Service

2011-09-14T00:18:00.002-04:00

A great example is what I just went through with Verizon on Sunday evening. Our router stopped working and my husband after trying many things to get it working again, ended up calling Verizon. The guy was really nice and had him try all kind of things and then decided the router was not working. He told my husband he would send another one and it would take about 3 days to arrive.

The router arrived today and my husband hooked it up and followed all of the instructions with the disk that was sent with it. He still couldn't get it to work so he ended up calling Verizon once again and the customer service gentleman talked with my husband for a few minutes and told my husband that he had to turn off the whole package off from their side. By whole package I mean phone, TV, and Wireless router. After he did that it worked, we were able to connect to the internet.

He thinks that is all that had to be tried to get the router working and that we really might not have had to even get a new router. So I have to say I was quite impressed with the customer service we received today. I admire companies that go out of their way to make sure the customer is happy. They may possibly use customer management software along with the surveys, or questionnaires. However they handle treating their customers with that customer experience management will make a company look very professional and will go far.

The Hot Flash and Why We Have Them

2011-09-13T19:06:00.003-04:00

I know most of you women out there have experienced the hot flash. Some ladies call it a "summer moment". I call it HELL. I have hot flashes but since I went through Breast Cancer Treatment such as Chemotherapy and now take a daily medication that as the doctors said will "make my hot flashes 100 times worse than normal ones" and they were not kidding. It's not only uncomfortable but embarrassing to sweat that much and has kept me from some social activities. Here is an infographic of the Science behind the Hot Flash:

Are Digital Signatures For You?

2011-09-08T17:59:00.001-04:00

As you can tell I have some paid ads listed on my blog. When I have corresponded with the PR Rep I have always signed the contracts with digital signatures. They have always been accepted and I have never had a problem using them. I prefer the digital signatures, they are just like a conventional hand written signature, but unlike a hand written signature the digital signature is even safer due to the encrypted information that is unique to the signer. Much easier and I recommend it to all.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are some companies out there that according to their laws they will use signature revocation. That is where the digital signature will be revoked and you will have to actually sign a contract and fax, or mail it back but I have never had that happen at all. I haven't heard of anyone else having that problem either. So Are Digital Signatures for you?

Number One Online Marketing Tool

2011-09-06T22:48:00.001-04:00

What is one of the major Online Marketing Tools you use to advertise your blog or Home/Online Business? There are so many different tools out there such as Social Media, email blasts, blogging, pay per click ads and several more. I think mine is Social Media. I use Facebook, Twitter and Stumble Upon the most. I also use Digg, Delicious, LinkedIn, Google Buzz, Google +1 and many blogger forums. As for businesses Blogs are a great online marketing tool and can save thousands of dollars in advertising. I believe I get the majority of my traffic from Facebook, Twitter and Stumble-Upon.

Website Search is great for searching for names of blogs/businesses or even keywords to explain what the niche of the blog is or a keyword of the type of business such as hardware if you're searching for Home Depot, or fashion if the blog is more of a fashion blog, or health awareness if it is a health related blog.

So I would love to hear what your number one online marketing tool is. Please leave a comment and let us know.

America's Favorite Cereal-Honey Nut Cheerios

2011-08-25T15:11:00.003-04:00

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

Did you hear that Honey Nut Cheerios is America's Favorite Cereal? Well it is! As a special Thank you for making Honey Nut Cheerios cereal America's #1 choice they are hosting a "Billion 'O' Giveaway" providing free samples of Honey Nut Cheerios Cereal (while supplies last). Just click on the America's Favorite Cereal Logo below and it will take you to a page to fill out for your free sample.

Honey Nut Cheerios plans to keep this celebration going all summer long. As I have stated in posts before Honey Nut Cheerios are my favorite cereal not only because they are heart healthy, they are delicious. When I bite into a spoonful of Honey Nut Cheerios it's like a mouthful of goodness especially for me being diabetic. So eating Honey Nut Cheerios for me is like eating a dessert. I can taste the right amount of honey, with the perfect nut taste. Delicious.

General Mills and MyBlogSpark also has a giveaway to share with my readers. They are giving away an America's Favorite Cereal Prize Pack which includes:

1 box of Honey Nut Cheerios cereal

2 cereal bowls
1 Honey Nut Cheerios t-shirt
1 bee antenna headband

The mandatory entry for this giveaway is: Share with us in the comments why you think Honey Nut Cheerios was chosen as America's #1 Favorite Cereal.(MANDATORY AND MUST BE COMPLETED FOR ALL OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT)

EXTRA ENTRIES: (LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY (meaning following GFC then you comment 5 separate times that you are a follower-gives you more ways to win) AND LEAVE A WAY FOR ME TO CONTACT YOU)
1) "Like" Cheerios on Facebook and leave your Facebook name (5 extra entries)
2) Follow my Blog via GFC (5 extra entries)
3) "Like" my Blog Facebook Page (5 extra entries)
4) Follow me on Twitter and leave your Twitter name (3 extra entries)

Giveaway Open to Continental US only
Giveaway Ends August 31st
Leave a way for me to contact you.
Winner will be chosen by random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my email or the prize will be forfeited and another winner chosen.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated monetarily for this post however I did receive a product for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. Thank you to MyBlogSpark and General Mills for supplying the product for me to review and the prizes for the winner. You can read the rest of my disclaimer here.

Since I Have So Much Time On My Hands Lately

2011-08-24T00:02:00.005-04:00

I thought I would work on some things to fix up my blog and make it look more professional. I just got done creating one of those online forms for PR Reps and Companies to contact me. Before, I just listed my email address for my contact but it made me look like I didn't put any effort into it. So now it's one of the web forms they can fill out and leave their name, email address, subject, message and they have the choice of saying yes or no to sharing the Pitch with other interested bloggers. I used Adobe FormsCentral and it explains everything and it was very easy to use.

It turned out like this and for someone that doesn't know that much about blog design I think it turned out pretty well. If everyone would take a look at it and let me know if I did something wrong or could add or remove something I would appreciate any input. Thanks.

Sending Large Files Take forever?

2011-08-23T23:03:00.002-04:00

Do you get frustrated sending large files via email? My kids all live 7 hours away and that's how we have to share files like photos and videos but it's so annoying to send it by email only to get Delivery Notification: Delivery has failed. Makes me want to pull my hair out! Well until I found Adobe SendNow.

It works in three easy steps. You upload your files and Adobe SendNow does the rest and quickly I might add. Adobe
SendNow securely store the files then you click send and the recipient get's notified by Adobe that they have files to
download from you. Then you receive a confirmation that your files arrive safely every time.

Adobe SendNow let's you send, share, and track large files online without the headaches of email size restrictions.

Finding the PERFECT Salon has never been this easy!

2011-08-22T13:20:00.002-04:00

I have to admit I don't know a whole lot about Salons as I have only been to one in my life. However I know they are quite popular now a days and if you use Salons often I came across a website that will be a big help to you. It's called Find a Beauty Salon.Com.

It has the Salons listed in categories. Hair, Nail, Spa, Tanning.

You just type in your zip code and it will tell you all of the Spas listed in your area. The website also has an area where you type in your zip code and it lists all Salons that offer up to 75% off. I typed in my zip code and this is one of the adds in the list that showed up.

When I clicked on the add this is what came up:

This site is so helpful when looking for Salons not to mention Salons that are offering the best deals. Not only can you find the best deal on Salons in your area, but if you're a Salon owner you can list your information on the site also. They have a marketing tool called a Salon Steal so Salons can receive maximum exposure.

Finding a Beauty Salon.Com is holding a giveaway until the end of summer. Beginning August 10th they are giving away thousands of dollars in gifts and prizes. They will be holding weekly or daily gift card giveaways. The giveaway ends 11:59 pm September 30th. The Grand Prize is a year of treatments to a salon or spa of your choice. The Weekly and Daily winners will receive gift cards to luxury salons or spas in their area, or stores like Nordstrom, Sephora, Victoria’s Secret, and more. Official Rules.

So if you visit Salons you need to visit and bookmark this page so you can make sure you're getting the best deal out there. Find Beauty Salon.Com

I Would Like Everyone's Opinion

2011-08-20T12:57:00.000-04:00

Until recently I didn't even know the difference between a Tablet PC and a Netbook but would really like everyone's opinion about which would be the more realistic to use if confined to bed for awhile? Without going into any details I am coping with a health issue that really was very difficult to deal with at first but I am doing better dealing with it everyday.

I would like a small "laptop" that I could take to the hospital when I go. I have a 17 inch screen laptop but something smaller would be a lot easier to handle. So now the big question? Netbook or Tablet PC? Which would you guys choose and why?

Here's what I found out about the difference of the 2:

Tablet PC:
Tablet PC is a notebook or slate shaped mobile computer.
Equipped with a touchscreen or graphics tablet/screen hybrid technology which allows the user to operate the computer with a stylus or digital pen, or a fingertip instead of using a mouse.
Normally they are quite a bit more expensive.

Netbook:

Small to medium sized

Lightweight

Low-Cost

Energy Efficient

Looks like a small Laptop

Generally Optimized for internet-based services such as web browsing and emailing

7 inch to 10.2 inch screens

I prefer a tablet PC myself as I think it would be easier to handle so any opinions would be appreciated. Just leave your idea in the comments. Hope to hear from all of you!

VTech Connect to Cell Phone System Review

2011-08-18T13:07:00.005-04:00

VTech is quite a household name. I knew them from making children's educational toys and purchased many when my children were young. I must have been living under a rock though because not until recently did I know they made phones.

I recently did a review of one of their Connect to Cell Phone Systems. Which means you can connect any Bluetooth cell phone to the VTech 3 Handset DECT 6.0 Expandable Cordless Phone{DS6421-3}. You can purchase accessory handsets if 3 aren't enough also with Caller ID and Speakerphone. Same Key Features as the Base Phone.

Key Features:

Download your cellular phonebook directory to this cordless phone system dial a landline or cellular call from the directory for easy access
Pair four different cell phones (or headsets) and have two devices actively connected. Cellular calls can be made or received from either of the these two active cell phones. Land line service not required, works great for cellular only households.
The frequency band has been extended allowing for the signal to be reproduced and tuned for a fuller and clearer sound.
Push-to-Talk intercom
Audibly announces the name and number of the caller on all of the handsets and base unit. No need to find the handset to see who is calling. Makes screening calls that much easier.
DECT 6.0 Digital technology provides the best sound quality, security and range in cordless phones.
Interference free for crystal clear conversations—won't interfere with wireless networks and other electronic devices
Protect yourself from identity theft with digital security—your call is digitized and encrypted, making it nearly impossible for someone to eavesdrop
Expandable up to 12 handsets using only one phone jack—uses [var] accessory handsets
Return phone calls and recall numbers with 50 name and number caller ID memory. (*Caller ID service requires a subscription from your local telephone company.)
Digital answering system—no tapes or moving parts
With just the touch of a button, hands-free conversations are made easy with the handset speakerphone.
50 name and number phonebook directory—easily store and dial frequently called numbers
Trilingual prompts—choose between English, Spanish or French
Wall mount bracket included

This explains it better than I could.

Now for the Pro's and Con's of my experience.

Pro's

It get's better reception with less dropped calls than my cell phone here at home.

We love the Intercom System. We had one on our last phone but this one is like a Walkie-Talkie and you can connect to all handsets at once instead of calling each one separately.

Verbal announcement of each caller's name again our other phone had that also but this one is much clearer.

Expandable up to 12 handsets, we needed 4 and it only comes with 3 and VTech was kind enough to send a 4th.

If you didn't have a land line phone hook-up you could still use this phone system.

Also you can choose between English, Spanish and French languages, not that actually would be that handy for us as we only speak English but for most I believe it would be a big Pro.

Nice clear Speakerphone.

Con's

The only Con we found really is the On and Off buttons don't light up like the rest. The on button lights up when the phone is ringing but after you answer it, it shuts off. All the numbers light up so when using the phone in the dark it comes in handy but when hanging up the phone in the dark can be a little tricky. As you can see in the close up it's the HOME and OFF button.

Basically we love the new phone. We are very happy we found the VTech Connect to Cell Phone System.

Visit VTech to purchase your own Connect to Cell Phone System. So the next time you need a new phone system or you're tired of trying to find your cell phone every time it rings think about VTech and how nice it would be to own a Connect to Cell Phone System at a decent price.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated monetarily for this post however I did receive a product for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. Thank you to VTech for supplying the product for me to review. You can read the rest of my disclaimer here.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T13:25:00.001-04:00

Every weekend my daughter Elizabeth has to send her son to his father's. So she spends mom & daughter weekends with her daughter, my granddaughter Olivia. I just wanted to share these photos of them playing make-up. Olivia did Elizabeth's make-up and they just had a blast! The bottom picture is just a beautiful picture of them that I adore and wanted to share.

Share Your Love for Cereal Week 4

2011-08-14T16:12:00.003-04:00

CLOSED

Well this is the 4th and final week of the Share Your Love for Cereal and I hope you all have learned as much as I have about cereal being a good nutritious and healthy breakfast. The most surprising thing was to find out that frequent cereals eaters tend to have healthier body weights. That's true of men, women, and children who choose to have sweetened cereal.

Teen girls who eat cereal are less likely to become overweight than non cereal eaters.
Boys´ cereal consumption is associated with lower body mass index (BMI).

For more information, go to www.cerealbenefits.com

The giveaway this week is a gift pack which will contain 6 assorted sample-sized boxes of cereal and an on-the-go container so you can enjoy cereal anytime.

How to enter:

Share with us the most important thing you learned in the 4 weeks about the benefits of cereal in the comments

Follow my blog via GFC
Please leave a way for me to contact you in your comments

Giveaway ends August 18th
Giveaway open to Continental US only
Winner will be chosen by random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my email or the prize will be forfeited and another winner chosen.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated monetarily for this post however I did receive a product for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. Thank you to MyBlogSpark and General Mills for supplying the product for me to review and the prizes for the winner. You can read the rest of my disclaimer here.

Share Your Love for Cereal Week 3

2011-08-14T15:26:00.006-04:00

CLOSED
This is week 3 of the Share Your Love for Cereal. I have partnered with General Mills and MyBlogSpark to discuss the importance of cereal as your choice for breakfast. Week 3 we're going to talk about taste and nutrition coming into play while you decide your breakfast options.

Did you know?

Cereal is a great breakfast option because it is the number one dietary source of many key nutrients including iron, zinc and folic acid. Frequent cereal eaters tend to have better nutrient intakes.

A typical breakfast contributes more than 30 percent of needed calcium, iron and B vitamins while delivering less than 20 percent of daily calories.

In addition, ready-to-eat cereal is the top source of whole grain in kids´ diets.

Big G is the only leading line of kids' cereals to contain at least 8 grams of whole grain (48 grams recommended daily) and a good source of both calcium and vitamin D in every serving. In addition, cereal is an inexpensive but nutrient-dense option. On average, a bowl of cereal with milk is approximately 50 cents per serving.

I was a little leery of the Reese's Puffs that came in the Gift Pack because I wasn't sure what Reese's cereal would taste like but to my surprise it was delicious. General Mills Cereals are so good I even eat them for a snack. The Cookie Crisp is like eating cookies and milk. The cereals are even a great snack without milk.

This weeks giveaway is 6 assorted sample sized boxes of General Mills Cereal and a Cereal Dispenser.

How to enter:

Share with us your families favorite General Mills Cereal in the comments

Share Your Love for Cereal Week 2

2011-08-13T18:00:00.004-04:00

CLOSED
Did you know that cereal is actually one of the healthiest choices for breakfast? This is according to Dr. Keith Ayoob who has worked extensively in the area of childhood nutrition, obesity, and heart health and family dynamics for more than 2 decades. Dr. Ayoob is partnering with General Mills to let moms know that cereal is one of the healthiest choices for breakfast.

Children's choices in cereal may actually fight childhood obesity. According to Dr. Ayoob:
"Cereal provides key nutrients that are important to overall health and cereals, including sweetened cereals, provide less than 5 percent of a child´s daily sugar intake." Cereal is also lower in calories and higher in nutrition than other breakfast options such as bagels and creme cheese or pancakes.

A 2009 study of children aged 6 to 18 shows cereal eaters have healthier body weights than those who don´t eat cereal, regardless of sweetness level.
Cereal eaters consume less fat than non-cereal eaters.
Not all cereals are equal and it´s important to read the labels -- General Mills is proud of its commitment to reduce sugar in all of its kids´ cereals to single-digit levels per serving.
General Mills has more than 30 nutritious cereals with 130 calories or less per serving.

(Quoted from the website)

I'm now more conscientious of reading labels to everything I buy actually, but definitely my cereals. I'm diabetic so I also have to check for the carbohydrates. As I stated in week 1 I prefer Cheerios, as it is heart healthy. You can find out more information from cerealbenefits.com.
Here are what some mom's are saying about what benefits they look for in their children's cereal.

General Mills and MyBlogSpark is offering a Share Your Love For Cereal Week 2 Gift Pack which includes: 6 assorted sample packs of General Mills Cereals and 4 Cereal Bowls and 4 Colorful Spoons.

How to enter:
Share with me what nutrition facts you learned by reading the different labels on the cereal boxes in the comments.
Please leave a way for me to contact you.

Giveaway ends August 18th
Giveaway open to Continental US only
Winner will be chosen by random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my email or the prize will be forfeited and another winner chosen.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated monetarily for this post however I did receive a product for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. Thank you to MyBlogSpark and General Mills for supplying the product for me to review and the prizes for the winner. You can read the rest of my disclaimer here.

Share Your Love for Cereal Week 1

2011-08-13T15:17:00.005-04:00

CLOSED
First of all let me apologize for this review/giveaway for being so late. I have been having some health issues that has prevented me from blogging. I'm still going through the health issues but I am going to try and blog when I can. Now let's get to the important stuff.......Reviews/Giveaways.

Let's talk about Cereal. There are so many cereal options out there. Now days when everyone is so busy and everything goes so fast we don't really think about the benefits of cereal for our children.

Did you know?

Cereal is one of the healthiest breakfast options you can make (See video below to learn more)
Packed with nutrition, cereal provides a great choice for breakfast
Studies have shown that kids who eat breakfast tend to perform better in school and have fewer disciplinary problems. They also have shown that breakfast also tends to help kids stay alert.

General Mills recently conducted a breakfast survey with parents from the D.C. area to discuss their children's eating habits. In the survey 97% of the parents felt it was important for their children to eat breakfast and 86% agreed cereal was a healthy choice.

They have always said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but do you know why? You can find out at www.cerealbenefits.com.

I myself love cereal and never really knew the benefits until I started seeing all the advertisements for Cheerios being Heart Healthy so I switched to Cheerios. I felt that was a good choice for me since I lost both parents to heart conditions. They have several different flavors of Cheerios out on the market today. I enjoy the Honey Nut and Cinnamon Burst. Now I feel like I am getting the healthy benefits I need.

General Mills and MyBlogSpark is offering a giveaway to one of my readers for a Gift Pack for week one. Which includes 10 sample packs of assorted General Mills Cereal with an insulated Milk Pitcher.

How to enter:
Share which cereal benefits are most important to your family in the comments. Please make sure you leave a way for me to contact you.

Giveaway will end August 18th
Giveaway Open to Continental US only
Winner will be chosen by random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my email or the prize will be forfeited and another winner chosen.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated monetarily for this post however I did receive a product for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. Thank you to MyBlogSpark and General Mills for supplying the product for me to review and the prizes for the winner. You can read the rest of my disclaimer here.

Voting Time, I Need Everyone's Help-

2011-06-25T15:12:00.000-04:00

THE CONTEST IS OVER AND #9 WON BY AN OVERWHELMING 39 VOTES. CONGRATS TO CHARLOTTE VARNER. HOPEFULLY CHARLOTTE WILL TAKE SOME PICTURES AND SHARE HOW SHE USED THE GIFT CARD TO PAY IT FORWARD. THANK YOU ALL WHO VOTED! I WILL BE SENDING YOU AN EMAIL CHARLOTTE AND CONGRATS AGAIN.
PAYING IT FORWARD,
ELLIE

OK the giveaway is over and we have 4 entrants that we need to vote on. I am leaving them posted for 2 days and please vote on the one you think will get the most use out of the $50. Amex Gift Card. Please take your time and pick the best one. It's up to all of you. The one with the most votes will win! Please just comment with the number of the entrant you think is best! Thank you!

Winners, Winners, We Have Winners!

2011-06-20T22:17:00.002-04:00

CONGRATS TO ALL THE WINNERS!!! THANKS FOR FOLLOWING AND ENTERING MY GIVEAWAYS

Just Finished My Media Kit

2011-06-08T15:20:00.009-04:00

I just made my Media Kit. Everyone tells me as a blogger I should have one so I made one. For not really knowing what I was doing, it turned out really professional looking. I was on such a roll I was able to convert to PDF with my Free PDF Trial from my PDF Converter from Adobe. Now I have it in Word and a PDF and I learned something new.

When I opened it and was able to read PDF I was impressed that it turned out so well, as I have said before I need the How to create files for Dummies. However I have to say it was quite easy to combine PDF Files. Now when companies ask for my Media Kit I can send both versions. The one in Word and the other in PDF. I actually have sent 2 out so far and got a compliment from one Rep about the PDF Media Kit.

I think it was a good idea to do it both ways. Now I just need to learn to post it to my Blog. lol Maybe I'll just keep it and let Rep's ask for it and send it that way. What do you all think? Should I try and figure out how to post it to my blog or just send it individually when asked for it?

Pampers Launches its Little Miracle Mission & Wants YOU to Pay-It-Forward within your Community

2011-06-05T17:11:00.003-04:00

First of all I would like to say HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY to Pampers. In celebration of it's 50th birthday Pampers has launched a pay-it-forward program called "Miracles Mission". It's designed to deliver acts of kindness to little miracles and their families while challenging the public to do the same and support others within their community.

Pampers sent me a $50. Amex Gift Card to do with it what I wanted. I could keep it and use it, or pay-it-forward and perform a random act of kindness. You can use the card for whatever you want and some of the suggestions people came up with were to buy diapers for families, use the money to prepare meals for a family, or even use the money to host a larger fund raiser for a family.

I chose to give the gift card to a single mom with 2 children struggling day to day. I received pictures of what she did with the card and she was so thankful, it was wonderful to hear. She even cried. Here are some pictures of what she used the Gift Card for:

Her youngest baby just turned 6 months old didn't have any summer clothes so when I sent the card to her she was ecstatic! I can't even describe the feeling I felt. I was so happy I could help someone in need. When I was in need, people helped me, so I like to pay-it-forward when I can.

Now Pampers is giving one of my readers a $50. Amex Gift Card. This giveaway is going to be a little different however. The MANDATORY entry is going to be- You tell me your idea how you're going to use the gift card and I will pick the best three, then leave them up 2 more days for you to vote on, the one with the most votes wins.(THIS ENTRY IS MANDATORY AND MUST BE COMPLETED FOR ALL OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT).

EXTRA ENTRIES:
Follow Pampers on Twitter
Sign up for Pampers Village and earn GREAT Rewards
Share this giveaway on Facebook and return with the "SHARE' link (5 Extra Entries)
Share this giveaway on Twitter and return with the URL and Twitter ID (5 Extra Entries)
Blog about the giveaway and return with the URL. (5 Extra Entries)
Follow my blog via GFC.

Giveaway will end June 19th. Giveaway open to US only and must be 18+. Please leave a way for me to contact you in your comments. I will choose 3 finalists then leave those up for 2 days for everyone to vote on the best one and then announce here and also email the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me and if you fail to do so the prize will be forfeited an another winner chosen.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated monetarily for this post however I did receive a product for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Pampers for supplying the product for me to review and the prize for the winner. You can read the rest of my disclaimer here.

Even if you don't win the gift card you can still participate in a small way by logging on to Pampers Facebook page by hitting the 'LIKE' then going to the Miracle Missions tab and committing to Mission 2.

Little Miracle Mission

Let’s make a dad's first Father’s Day one he’ll never forget. The mission is to help give dads the time he and his baby deserve to bond. As it's so critical to his baby's development. Just by running some of his errands, covering his late meeting at work or helping him out with some chores at home can make room for some precious quality time with his little miracle. Pick one or one of your own and tell us how it goes.

For committing to help, you can enter The Little Miracles sweepstakes for a chance to win free diapers and wipes for a year.

Pampers' Pledge

If we get 4,000 commitments to complete the mission, Pampers will throw special Father’s Day cook-outs for dads and babies across the country designed to give dads and their babies valuable bonding time. It'll be a day to remember.

The Good Ole Days

2011-06-04T21:45:00.002-04:00

I come from a little town in Pennsylvania called Meadville. When I was a young girl we had a department store downtown that was called Shyrock's.

The cool thing about Shyrock's was they used a conveyor belt to do their sales. They collected the money from the customer sent it via conveyor belt to the payment office. A few minutes later the package that is purchased arrives via conveyor belt along with a print and apply sticker to place on the package to show proof of payment.

Back then, probably 1967 or so I just loved going to Shyrock's because if fascinated me how they did business with the conveyor belt and I always wondered why none of the other stores used them. It's odd to me now that it never caught on as it looked like it made their work so much easier. I miss those Good Ole Days.

Blue State Red State Coffee Review/Giveaway

2011-06-04T16:48:00.003-04:00

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED, WINNER CHOSEN

Blue State Red State is a brand that allows us to give back to society and express ourselves with each purchase. The idea is simple- buy things you use everyday, but instead of keeping all the profits, 33% go to keeping America better. While you're checking out you get to direct your donation and therefor express yourself with each purchase. We will be supporting charities and advocacy groups across our brands because we think people should expect more from the companies they buy from. They have Red State Red, Blue State Blue, and Blue State Red State.

The Flagship Blue State Red State brand donates 33% of profits to non profit organizations. The Blue State Blue brand donates 33% of the profits to support Democratic causes. The Red State Red brand donates 44% of the profits to support Republican causes.

Blue State Red State has partnered with Larry's Beans to offer the highest quality, absolute best coffee on the planet!

My take on the coffee is, it has a very fresh, rich flavor. I requested the strongest they had and was sent the dark toast. When I received the coffee in the mail all I could smell was that delicious coffee aroma. Once I made that first pot I was hooked. It was outstanding coffee. Blue State Red State coffee is a slow roasted, fair trade, shade grown, organic coffee.

If you would like to purchase your own Blue State Red State Coffee you can go here.
OR
One of my readers can win 2 bags of their choice (smooth, or dark roast) right here on my blog.

The mandatory entry is which roast would you like to try and why (THIS IS A MANDATORY ENTRY AND MUST BE COMPLETED FOR ALL OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT)

EXTRA ENTRIES: (Please leave a separate comment with each entry)
"LIKE" Blue State Red State on Facebook (5 Extra Entries)
Follow my blog on GFC (% Extra Entries)
Follow me on Twitter (5 Extra Entries)
Share this Giveaway on Facebook and return with the "SHARE" link (5 Extra Entries)
Subscribe to my blog and verify via email (leave email) (5 Extra Entries)
Grab my button (3 Extra Entries)
Blog about the giveaway and return with the URL (5 Extra Entries)
Tweet the giveaway (DAILY) and leave Tweet Link and Twitter ID (5 Extra Entries)

Giveaway will end June 18th. Giveaway open to US only and must be 18+. Please leave a way for me to contact you in your comments. I will choose a winner via Random.Org and announce here and also email the winner. You will have 48 hours to contact me and if you fail to do so the prize will be forfeited an another winner chosen.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated monetarily for this post however I did receive a product for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Blue State Red State Coffee for supplying the product for me to review and the prizes for the winner. You can read the rest of my disclaimer here.

Smartfish Whirl Mini Laser Mouse Review/Giveaway

2011-06-03T20:43:00.005-04:00

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

If you're like me and use the computer a lot then you should really look into owning The Smartfish Whirl Mini Laser. The Mini Laser is fantastic. It's the only mouse with Gravity Defying Comfort Pivoting Technology. No other portable mouse provides the fluid, air-like comfort of the patented ErgoMotion Pivot System. It's very easy to use and set up. You just slide the 2.4GHz wireless connectivity into the USB Port. It also takes 2 AAA Batteries and has 800-dpi hi-def laser sensitivity. I love that inside the mouse, between the 2 batteries there is a place to keep the 2.4GHzwireless connector for storage.

The reason I love the Smartfish Whirl Mini Laser is because I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and being on the computer for long periods of time can be somewhat painful. However this Mini Laser Mouse allows me to pivot my hand in several angles so my hand doesn't stiffen.

The magic of the function is how it naturally adapts to the hand motion not the other way around. Meanwhile all other computer mice require your hand and wrist to remain in a fixed position. The mouse will pivot, lean and swivel with you
so your wrist and hand are never in a fixed position that creates the comfortable and healthy mousing experience ever.

Here is a video of how the Whirl Mini Laser Mouse works.

You can purchase a Smartfish Whirl Mini Laser here
OR
You can win one here on my blog by following the MANDATORY entry. The MANDATORY entry is telling me if you won this would you keep it or give it a way and WHY. Both questions must be answered to count. (MANDATORY ENTRY AND MUST BE FOLLOWED FOR ALL OF OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT).

EXTRA ENTRIES: (Please leave a separate comment for each entry)
"LIKE" Smartfish Technologies on Facebook (3 Extra Entries)
Follow Smartfish on Twitter (3 Extra Entries)
Join the Smartfish Community (3 Extra Entries)
Follow my Blog via GFC (5 Extra Entries)
"LIKE" My Blog Facebook Page (5 Extra Entries)
Follow me on Twitter (5 Extra Entries)
Subscribe to my blog and verify via email (leave email) (5 Extra Entries)
Share this giveaway on Facebook and come back with the "SHARE" link (5 Extra Entries)
Grab my button (3 Extra Entries)
Blog about this giveaway and return with the URL (5 Extra Entries)
Tweet this giveaway (DAILY) and leave Tweet Link and Twitter ID (5 Extra Entries)

Giveaway will end June 17th. Giveaway open to US only and must be 18+. Please leave a way for me to contact you in your comments. I will choose a winner via Random.Org and announce here and also email the winner. You will have 48 hours to contact me and if you fail to do so the prize will be forfeited an another winner chosen.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated monetarily for this post however I did receive a product for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Smartfish Technologies for supplying the product for me to review and the prize for the winner. You can read the rest of my disclaimer here.

K.C. Cake Pops Review/Giveaway

2011-06-03T14:53:00.006-04:00

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

Have you ever heard of a Cake Pop? Me neither until recently. I believe the first time I heard of them was the summer of 2010. They are a tasty little treat. They are cake mixed with frosting on a stick.

Becca and Renea started KC Cake Pops in June of 2010. They also believe in giving back to the community so if you ever need an item for a charity auction or help spread the word about a worthy event or cause, KC Cake Pops would be happy to help.

Our Products

We make cake pops! We can decorate/customize the cake pops for any occasion.

Our standard menu:

White

Chocolate

Red Velvet

Butter Pecan

Yellow

Strawberry

But we can make pretty much anything. Just ask! $18.00/doz plus tax
Arrangements are a bit more, depending on the container.

Birthdays
Weddings
Bridal Showers
Baby Showers
Thank You
Congrats
Treat Day at work
Kids classrooms - teachers don't have to deal with plates, napkins, etc. - easy to clean up
Holidays
A great alternative when calling on clients (can put your business card/contact info with them)

Our take on KC Cake Pops: My husband and I LOVED them. It was enticing flavors of cake and icing mixed and brought together on top of a wooden stick. I was sent several different flavors:

Banana

Butter Pecan

White

Chocolate

Lemon

Carrot Cake

I have to say my favorite flavor was a toss up between the Lemon and Banana. It was truly a treat. I will definitely be using Cake Pops in the future for events or holidays.

If you would like to order your own Cake Pops:

We currently don't have online ordering, but are hoping to be able to offer that service very soon.

The easiest way to reach us is to send us an e-mail to kccakepops@gmail.com.

Here are some questions we will ask you.

How many? We usually sell them per dozen.
What cake flavor?
What color chocolate coating or would you like milk chocolate?
Any decorations or customization?
Would you like them arranged?
What is the best way to get them to you? Ship or deliver for a small fee.

KC Cake Pops, LLC

(816) 721-5014

(816) 898-4634

Or you could win a dozen right here by following the mandatory entry which is visiting KC Cake Pops and telling me what flavor you would like to try, (MANDATORY ENTRY AND MUST BE FOLLOWED FOR ALL OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT).

EXTRA ENTRIES (Please leave a separate comment for each entry)
"LIKE" KC Cake Pops on Facebook (3 Extra Entries)
Follow KC Cake Pops on Twitter (3 Extra Entries)
Follow KC Cake Pops Blog via GFC (3 Extra Entries)
Follow my blog via GFC (5 Extra Entries)
Follow me on Twitter (5 Extra Entries)
Subscribe to my blog and verify via email (leave email) (5 Extra Entries)
"LIKE" my Blog Facebook Page (5 Extra Entries)
Grab my Button (3 Extra Entries)
Share this giveaway on Facebook and return with the "Share" Link (5 Extra Entries)
Blog about this giveaway and return with the URL (5 Extra Entries)
Tweet this giveaway (DAILY) and leave Tweet Link and Twitter ID (5 Extra Entries)

Giveaway will end June 17th. Giveaway open to US only and must be 18+. Please leave a way for me to contact you in your comments. I will choose a winner via Random.Org and announce here and also email the winner. You will have 48 hours to contact me and if you fail to do so the prize will be forfeited an another winner chosen.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated monetarily for this post however I did receive a product for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. Thank you to KC Cake Pops for supplying the product for me to review and the prize for the winner. You can read the rest of my disclaimer here.

N.Y. Cupcake Company Review

2011-06-02T12:14:00.001-04:00

The N.Y. Cupcake Company is a family owned business that I came across while surfing the Internet. I contacted them and wanted to get a little more information about them and see if I could possibly do a review of their products. Well I feel honored because they said yes, since they are a private cake studio that only operates by appointment only and never have cakes pre-made for sale. Also they don't ship their product. And because of that they gave me several options to review their product:

"Since it is extremely difficult and crazy expensive to ship cupcakes I can offer you a few options to look over and think about".

1- I could make up a kit for you where I would ship the cupcakes plain with a piping bag of frosting and a set of cake toppers. All you would need to do is frost and place the toppers on top.

2- I can make a set of cupcake toppers or a single cake topper

3- I can make a set of decorated chocolate covered oreos

4- Some decorated cookies or edible photo/logo cookies

I chose the Chocolate Covered Oreos and she decorated them to help me celebrate my 3 year anniversary of being a Breast Cancer Survivor. I was so touched when I received them.

They were lovely and brought tears to my eyes. I think Tina from N.Y CupCakes went above and beyond and the taste...Outstanding. Just enough chocolate covering to make it "gourmet".

NY Cupcake Company specializes in custom cakes, cupcakes, cookies, handmade chocolates and other sweet treats - always made to order and always using the finest ingredients.

We carefully prepare our gourmet cakes and cupcakes everyday, right here in our own kitchen.

We use only the finest ingredients;
Ghiardelli Dark Chocolate, Pure Madagascar Vanilla, Sweet Cream Butter, Real Fruits and Fresh Citrus Zests. Just like mom used to make! We work with every customer individually, then we custom design our sweets to capture the theme and decor of your special event.

To Purchase from the N.Y. Cupcake Company:

For more information give us a call at 718-619-2608

Hours of Operation are 10am to 9pm Tuesday to Saturday. Sunday 11am to 6pm However we may be up to our elbows in buttercream and unable to answer the phone during business hours. Please leave a message with your name, number and a brief description of what you are looking for and we will return your call ASAP! All calls are usually returned in the late afternoon or early evening.

You can also fill out our contact form on this website or email us at NY CupcakeCompany@aol.com for a faster response time.

Check out their Blog
You can also "Like" them on Facebook.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated monetarily for this post however I did receive a product for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. Thank you to N.Y Cupcake Company for supplying the product for me to review. You can read the rest of my disclaimer here.

Don't Forget About the Upcoming PartyLite Online Party

2011-06-01T23:33:00.001-04:00

Please don't forget about the Online Party I'm having for my son on June 11th @ 8:00 P.M. eastern time. I will be posting his website address so you can drop by and shop. I will also be posting information about PartyLite and their products and their specials they are running.

We will also be having a giveaway. As some of you may know the person that holds the party receives Host Rewards:

Well my Host Rewards are going to be added up at the end of the party and given away as a prize, so the more you spend, the bigger the prize will be!

The June 2011 Guest Rewards are really worth looking into!

Don't forget to check out the Online Offers:

If you would like to order from PartyLite on my son's web page but it will be my party (so we can get the host rewards to a nice price for a giveaway)

http://www.partylite.biz/sites/bgisewhite/productcatalog

Novica Review/Giveaway

2011-06-01T21:44:00.005-04:00

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

I have worked with Novica before and I am lucky enough to get to work with them again. I say that because Novica gives their artists a global platform to express their true artistic talents and to spur their creativity. And, we also want to provide you with access to unique, hard-to-find items at great values that only the Internet infrastructure can allow. This is their mission plus they want to create a bridge between you and the many talented artisans across the globe.

Fair Trade and Compensation of Artisans:

The purpose of Novica is to create a revolutionary system through which the artists and artisans of the world can display their fine works to a global audience of prospective customers. Novica does not charge artists any fees for listing their items on the website. Furthermore, artists remain fully independent--they are free to raise their prices, lower their prices, or remove their items from our website. By cutting out the long strings of middlemen, Novica allows both consumers and artisans to get the most out of each and every transaction.

Novica has many wonderful artifacts, jewelery, and accessories. Such as Silver Cross Necklaces, Silk Scarves, Silver Charm Bracelets, Wool Scarves, Silk Fans, and Novica Live. What is Novica Live you ask? Well sit down grab a drink of your choice and I will try to explain it to you.

Novica Live is the exciting yet bold new chapter of the Novica Dream. While ordering online is great some people would actually like to touch and feel the products they are purchasing and that's where Novica Live comes in. Novica Live is able to bring handcrafted items across the nation into homes creating a unique, interactive shopping experience through fun and lively home parties. If you love the Novica Dream and want to help, you can become the bridge between the artisans and customers when you host a Novica Live Party or become a Novica Live Consultant.

Novica let me choose an item to review and if you know me at all then you will not be shocked that I chose the Wooden 3 Monkeys Statuette.

Isn't it adorable? I just love it and it looks great with my other Monkey Statuette.

The statue in the back is not from Novica however but I like the way they look together. Here is the picture off of the website:

Novica is offering one of my readers a $50.00 Gift Certificate.
The mandatory entry for the giveaway is to sign up for Novica Welcome Gift and Join them on a journey of discovery: SIGN UP AND YOU'LL ALSO RECEIVE

exclusive offers and special promotions
generous credits when you invite friends
access to members only private sales
automatic entry into our loyalty program
credits on every purchase
updates on new releases from favorite artisans

(THIS ENTRY IS MANDATORY AND MUST BE COMPLETED FOR ALL OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT)

(EXTRA ENTRIES)- Please leave a separate comments for each entry and add your email in your comments also. "Like" Novica On Facebook (5 Extra Entries), Follow Novica on Twitter (5 Extra Entries), Follow my blog Via GFC, and "Like" my Blog Facebook Page (5 Extra Entries Each), Follow me on Twitter (3 Extra Entries), Share this giveaway on Facebook-Return with the URL(5 Extra Entries), Subscribe to my blog and verify via email (5 Extra Entries), Tweet the giveaway-return with the URL(3 Extra Entries), Blog about this giveaway and link to this post (5 Extra Entries).

Giveaway Ends: 6/15/11

Winner must be 18+, US only

Please make sure to leave a way for me to contact you in your comments
One email per person per household
Winner will be chosen via Random.Org and have 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and another winner chosen.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated monetarily for this post however I did receive a product for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Novica for supplying the product for me to review and the prize for the winner. You can read the rest of my disclaimer here

Pure Pearls Review/Giveaway

2011-05-21T21:15:00.002-04:00

GIVEAWAY ENDED

I love Pearls. I have a beautiful Black Freshwater Pearl Necklace and recently was able to review a pair of Black Freshwater Pearl Earrings. They are a gorgeous pair of 8.0-9.0mm Black Freshwater Pearl Earrings . They retail for $275.00.

These color-treated black Freshwater pearl stud earrings are famous for their intense rainbow iridescence. Measuring 8.0-9.0mm, these versatile pearl stud earrings can be worn to the office or a night out on the town with zero effort.

AA+ quality 'buttons' are known for their distinctive domed shape and flat, comfort-fit bottoms that fit comfortably against any earlobe. Each pair of Freshwater pearl earrings is mounted on solid 14K gold posts and backs and arrives in our Signature Little Black Gift Box. GIA Graduate Prepared Appraisal included.

Pure Pearls carries a wide variety of pearl jewelry at discount prices. They carry Akoya, Tahitian, Freshwater, South Seas, and Hanadama Pearls. These pearls come in Bracelets, Earrings, Rings, Necklaces, Pendants, and Pearl Sets. They carry several different colors of pearls as well. Also Pure Pearls is offering my readers a 5% off discount on any order as long as the giveaway runs. Just use the Code LILBIT05 @ checkout.

When I wear my Black Freshwater Pearl Earrings I get many compliments. They look so good with my Black Freshwater Pearl Necklace. You can wear them with casual clothes or dress them up for more elegant occasions. Pearls are the kind of jewelry that you can wear forever, they are timeless and never go out of style. Pure Pearls want to give one of my readers AAA Quality (cute, perfectly round pearls)7.0-8.0mm, Freshwater pearl stud earrings your choice of color: (Black, Lavender, Pink, or White)

Purchase your own Freshwater Pearl Earrings here:
OR
Win a pair here on my blog:

For the mandatory entry please visit Pure Pearls and sign up for the Pure Pearls Newsletter (on bottom of page)(THIS ENTRY IS MANDATORY AND MUST BE COMPLETED FOR ALL OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT)

EXTRA ENTRIES: (Please leave a separate comment with each entry)
"LIKE" Pure Pearls on Facebook (3 extra entries)
Follow Pure Pearls on Twitter (3 extra entries)
Follow my blog via GFC (5 extra entries)
"LIKE" my blog Facebook page (5 extra entries)
Follow me on Twitter (3 extra entries)
Share this giveaway on Facebook and return with the "share" link (5 extra entries)
Subscribe to my blog (3 extra entries)
Tweet the giveaway and return with the URL(5 extra entries)
Blog about the giveaway and link to this post (5 extra entries)

Giveaway ends June 4th
Winner must be 18+, US only
Please leave a way for me to contact you in your comments, one email per person per household
One winner will be chosen via Random.Org and will have 48 hours to contact me before the prize is forfeited and another winner is chosen.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated monetarily for this post however I did receive a product for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Pure Pearls for supplying the product for me to review and the prize for the winner. You can read the rest of my disclaimer here.

Cheesecake.com Review/Giveaway

2011-05-14T13:23:00.003-04:00

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED!

Love dessert? How about cheesecake? I mean who doesn't love cheesecake? Well if you don't you haven't tried Cheesecake.com. Cheesecake.com has fabulous cheesecakes but they even have more than cheesecakes, they have pies, cakes, cookies, brownies, chocolate covered strawberries and even flowers. Cheesecake.com also have no sugar added, and gluten free products for those on special diets.

Founded in Alpharetta, Georgia, by David Clements and Harvey Kaplan, Cheesecake.com is a one stop shop for cheesecakes, pies, brownies, fruit, gift baskets, and flowers online and it is fast becoming one of the largest online gift and dessert sites in the United States. As foodies themselves, David and Harvey understand the value of getting a great dessert delivered into your home.

Its mission: To offer the best quality desserts, treats, and sweets you will find online, along with the convenience of fast shipping and a customer satisfaction guarantee that is simply unbeatable. Standing behind this mission, everyone at Cheesecake.com makes it easy for customers to contact them by phone or email - the company name says it all.

I was sent the Gourmet Sampler. It was 3 lbs of the best cheesecake you'll ever eat! It was 3 pieces of 4 different flavors each.

Turtle

Strawberry

Original

Mocha Chocolate

With a delicious Honey Graham Pecan Crust.

Our opinion: My husband and I loved it and before this I wasn't a big cheesecake fan. It was a combination of sweetness and tartness that mixed so well together. I thought the Honey Graham Pecan Crust was simply marvelous! Really a wonderful addition to the cheesecakes. The mocha chocolate was nice and chocolatey with just the right amount of coffee flavor and my favorite. My husband enjoyed them all!

To Purchase it: Got to Cheesecake.com

OR
Win one: Here on my blog!

Cheesecake.com is giving one of my readers a 3 lb. Gourmet Sampler.

MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit Cheesecake.com and return and tell me which product you would buy first. (Mandatory and must be completed for all other entries to count).

EXTRA ENTRIES:
1) "Like" Cheesecake.com on Facebook
2) Follow Cheesecake.com on Twitter
3) Subscribe to the Cheesecake.com Newsletter- (home page)
4) Follow my blog via GFC
5) Blog about the giveaway and return with the URL

Giveaway Open to US only, 18+
Giveaway ends May 28th

One winner will be drawn via Random.Org and contacted via email. You will have 48 hours to contact me and give me your mailing information and phone number for shipping purposes, before the prize will have to be forfeited and another winner chosen. Thank you to Cheesecake.com for supplying the product for me to review and the prize for the winner. You can read the rest of my disclaimer here

Upcoming Online PartyLite Party

2011-05-10T23:58:00.000-04:00

If you're a blogger than you are familiar with PartyLite and if not then I will tell you that PartyLite is a leader in the art of creating ambiance and entrepreneurial home business opportunities, with over 68,000 Consultants worldwide. In June I will be having an online party for PartyLite. My son Brian is selling PartyLite and I will holding the party for him. As a host I will get a host credit which I am giving up for a giveaway. The more money he makes at the party, the bigger the giveaway prize will be. So it's up to you guys to get that prize amount to be nice and high.

Now I know you don't know my son at all but he started selling PartyLite recently and has done fairly well with parties and this is his first Online Party and I would like to help him make it a success. I will be posting all about it and all the specials and deals they will be offering. So please keep checking back. I promise to make this a great party and have many good deals for you guys.

Thanks for listening,

We Have a Winner!!

2011-05-10T23:29:00.000-04:00

We have a winner for the Perfect Little Microwave For....iWave Cube Review/Giveaway. It's Gianna # 810. Let's all give her a big CONGRATS!!!!

Sometimes Life Get's in the Way!

2011-05-10T22:58:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry I haven't blogged in awhile but I had real life happen. I had a family medical issue and my own medical issue to deal with. I am better and the family medical issue is better for now so I am back! I have a lot to catch up on and it is going to take me awhile but I am going to do some every day and I should be caught up within a week. (I hope). So enough of this, I have reviews and giveaways to get done. I hope you all stick with me as I get caught up.

You're all important to me!

The Perfect Little Microwave For....iWave Cube Review/Giveaway

2011-04-22T00:19:00.006-04:00

It's the time of the year for people to start planning their vacations and camping trips. I know when we stay in hotels on vacation or travel anywhere we always ask for a microwave and refrigerator in the room. Sometimes we get them and sometimes they run out, but even when we get them we pay anywhere from $5.00 to $10.00 extra daily for each appliance. Well if you're like me you do also.

I found the answer to my prayers when it comes to staying in hotels. It's called the iWave Cube. It's a Microwave that measures 10.5"W x 10"D x 12"H with a heating cavity of .3 cubic feet (8"W x 8"D x 6"H) 600 watts. It's perfect for heating snacks, popcorn, beverages. It may not hold a full size dinner plate but I don't know about you but when I travel I don't normally use one of those anyhow. It will heat up delivery food such as pizza, small containers of Chinese food, sandwiches, and drinks. It's also perfect for home parties when you set up a buffet with hot foods. Just set it at the end of the table at the end of the line and your guests can slip in their small plate of Hors d'oeuvres and warm them. They come in a variety of colors such as: Black, Silver and White. Many others coming in the future such as red, pink, yellow, green and blue.

I will get all of my use out of it when I travel and can save myself money in the hotels. However I tried it at home and heated some sandwiches in it, and tried some microwave popcorn. I love it! I think it's the handiest gadget I own right now. It was invented by a company called iCubed International, LLC. which was founded in 2004.

As seen on:

Here is a little informational video about iWave Cube:

You can purchase an iWave Cube here:

OR

Win one here on my blog:
All you have to do for the mandatory entry is visit iWave Cube website and choose which iWave Cube you would like and what you would use it for (THIS IS MANDATORY AND MUST BE COMPLETED FOR ALL OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT)

EXTRA ENTRIES: Please leave a separate comment for each entry and your email in the comment. "Like" iWave Cube on Facebook (3 extra entries), Follow my blog via GFC, Networked Blogs, and "Like" my Blog fan page on Facebook (5 extra entries), Follow me on Twitter (3 extra entries), Share this giveaway on Facebook and return with the URL (5 extra entries), Share this giveaway on Twitter-daily and return with the URL (3 extra entries), Subscribe to my blog (5 extra entries), Blog about this giveaway and link to this post (5 extra entries).

Giveaway open to US only, 18+
Giveaway ends: May 9th

One winner will be drawn via Random.Org and contacted via email. You will have 48 hours to contact me and give me your mailing information and phone number for shipping purposes, before the prize will have to be forfeited and another winner chosen. Thank you to iWave Cube for supplying the product for me to review and the prize for the winner. You can read the rest of my disclaimer here

Surprise Engagements

2011-04-13T21:51:00.001-04:00

I was talking to my friend the other day and she was telling me she thinks her boyfriend maybe thinking of proposing. She was fooling around and picked out a Pave engagement ring and it was a beautiful Emerald center diamond with small round diamonds all around the band. It sounds beautiful mainly because I love Emerald diamonds. She also told me it's a Taccori which is a very popular brand. She found it on Amazon.com but her boyfriend got a package in the mail (small) from Since 1910. So she was curious and went on that website and found out it sold engagement rings. Then she felt bad and was mad at herself because she kind of ruined the surprise if that truly is what she thinks. They met 5 years ago on April 22nd so she thinks he may propose on that day.

I really hope it's all she has dreamed about, they are a great couple and I want to see them as happy as I am with Gary. Her boyfriend took the package and hid it so she is so sure that is what it is. I sure hope so or I think she is going to be very disappointed. So let's all say a little prayer that when April 22nd comes around I get a phone call or email saying my friend is engaged :-)