April 20, 2010

Celia’s Puppies Book Review

Ever since I was a child, I have loved curling up and getting lost with a good book.  There is something about sitting in a quiet place and delving into the lives of imaginary characters that lets me enjoy some much needed “me” time and also exercises my imagination a bit.

A couple of months ago, I responded to a Business 2 Blogger opportunity to do a book review for the second book in a series of fiction, Celia’s Puppies, by Claudia Hall Christian.  I was particularly interested in this opportunity because all of her stories take place in Denver, where I lived and worked for about three years after I married my husband.  To me, it makes a book seem much more believeable and the characters seem much more real when the location where the story takes place is authentic.  And it’s even better if you’ve been to some of the places that are mentioned, because it allows you to picture the characters visiting those special spots as if you were right there with them.

Claudia Hall Christian’s first book in the series is called The Denver Cereal. What makes The Denver Cereal unique from other books out there, is that it is also available online as serial fiction.  Readers can log onto the Denver Cereal website each week to indulge in watching a new chapter of the story unfold.  I had actually never heard of serial fiction before being contacted by this author, but I think it is a great concept that is sure to become a hot trend in this age of technology we live in.  I know that as a mother, I lead an incredibly busy life, and I don’t always have time to read a book from cover to cover.  It is just so much easier to check in with a website once a week to get a little excerpt without it taking up too much of my day!

Celia’s Puppies is the second installment in the Denver Cereal Series.  It is a wonderful and light read, and even though I had not read The Denver Cereal, I was able to follow the storyline fairly easily and was quickly hooked into the world of these intriguing people set in Uptown Denver.

Without giving away the storyline, I found Celia’s Puppies to be a wonderful mix of romance and mystery all wrapped up in one nice little package.  I got hooked on the characters and what was going on in their lives first, and then a few chapters into the book the mystery and suspense kicked in and that is when I found myself unable to put it down!  I love it when a book grabs a hold of my interest and won’t let me go, and Celia’s Puppies definitely rose to the occasion.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a compelling storyline accompanied with interesting characters who make you root for them throughout the entire book.  It is the perfect escape for busy moms like me to enjoy while sipping a cup of coffee and having a little alone time!

In lieu of doing a giveaway of Celia’s Puppies with this review, I chose to donate my giveaway copy to Operation Shoebox in an effort to giveback to our troops in a small way to express my respect and appreciation for all they do to keep us safe in this country.

If you would like to purchase a copy, you can do so on the Denver Cereal website, and Claudia Hall Christian has offered a 20% discount on all of her books to my readers.  All you have to do is use the coupon code “BLOGTOUR” when you check out.

I know that you will enjoy this gem of a book as much as I did!

Disclosure:  I was not compensated in any way for this review.  I was provided with a copy of the book so that I could accurately write this post. All of the opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced by the author in any way.  If you have any questions about this review, please contact me via email at themommyologist(at)gmail(dot)com.

10 Comments
Posted Under: Book Reviews, reviews & giveaways
April 8, 2010

Pledge For Better Health: Whole Foods Gift Card Giveaway

I don’t know about you, but ever since the weather started to take a turn towards the warmer side and the sun came out and the birds are chirping, I’ve had a huge boost of energy! It feels so good to get outside and not be cooped up in this house anymore. It feels great to take my son to the park and let him run around and burn off a little steam. It lifts me up each time I go to one of my Zumba classes or take a walk around my neighborhood.  It just feels great to actually MOVE my body again and start taking the right steps towards being healthy.

It is so easy to slack on my healthy habits over the winter, but now it’s time to get my butt back in gear and improve myself from the inside out!

I am so happy to have been chosen to help spread the word and take part in GE’s “Healthymagination” Initiative, Pledge For Better Health, in support of National Women’s Health Week, May 9th-15th, 2010.

GE is hoping to encourage women to take an active role in their own health, and the health of their loved ones through the Pledge For Better Health. I took my pledge this morning and it read as follows:

“I pledge to eat cleaner foods and get at least 20 minutes of exercise every day!”

Of course, I tell myself on a daily basis that I am going to do these things, but somehow taking the pledge and putting it in writing just makes me much more committed to it.

I would like to encourage all of my readers to take the Pledge For Better Health as well!  Together we can motivate women everywhere to live healthier lifestyles and feel good about themselves.

As an incentive for taking the pledge, I am so pleased to be giving away a $20 gift card to Whole Foods!

image credit

Whole Foods is such an awesome store and offers so many clean and healthy food choices to shoppers.  I always feel confident about feeding whatever I purchase there to my family.  Their produce is absolutely incredible, and they have such a wonderful selection of fresh meats, cheeses, seafood, and other minimally processed items.  What better way to start a health kick than with free groceries, right??

Interested??  Ok, here is the scoop on how you can score $20 worth of free goodies from Whole Foods!

REQUIRED ENTRY – Submit your Pledge For Better Health here.  After you submit, a field will pop up with a link to the pledge you submitted.  Please copy the link, come back to my blog, and post that link into the comment section of this post to count as your required entry.

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES – *You must do the required entry for any of the additional entries to count.  Please leave a separate comment for each entry.*

Follow my blog publicly – 1 entry

Follow me on Twitter – 1 entry

Become a fan of The Mommyologist on Facebook – 1 entry

Tweet this giveaway by copying and pasting – Win $20 in free groceries from Whole Foods @themommyologist http://bit.ly/aXeTDq - 2 entries – You may tweet once a day

Link to this giveaway in a blog post – 2 entries

Grab one of my buttons and add it to your blog – 2 entries

Add The Mommyologist to your blogroll – 2 entries

Subscribe to my feed – 2 entries

Pledges can be submitted up until May 9th, so this will be an ongoing giveaway until that date.  Plenty of time to get those extra entries in!

WAIT!!  THERE’S MORE!!!

I’m throwing out a shameless self-promotion in addition to this giveaway. The blogger who has the most people take the Pledge For Better Health will win a grand prize…and the word on the street is that the prize is an Apple Ipad.

There is nothing that would make me happier than to win that Ipad and be able to give it to my hubby for Father’s Day.  He works his butt off for me and my son and he is a total technology junkie and he would freak if I won him an Ipad.  He is also 100% supportive of me and my efforts to grow this blog, and I just can’t express to him how much that means to me.  The Ipad would definitely be a nice way to say thank you!  (Hint, hint, wink, wink)!

Of course…if I do win the grand prize, I won’t forget about my wonderful readers who helped me earn it…so…I will be offering my own grand prize to one of you if I win!  The grand prize will be a Microdermabrasion Cream and Buffer set from BeautiControl worth $65! It erases years off your face through deep exfoliation and is the perfect way to get a fresh summer glow.  Similar treatments in day spas run over $200!

I’d love to give it away to one of you…but I have to have enough pledges first!!

I can’t wait to read all of your entries and see how all of you are pledging to lead healthier lifestyles!

Disclosure:  I was not compensated in any way by GE or Whole Foods for posting this giveaway.  All opinions about Whole Foods and their products are strictly my own and were not influenced by them or by GE in any way. I will only receive the grand prize if I am the blogger who has the most pledges submitted during this initiative, which ends on May 9th, 2010.  My intention with this giveaway is to inspire people to take their health more seriously, but I am not a doctor nor do I have any medical expertise. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet or exercise plan. If you have any questions about this giveaway, you can contact me at themommyologist(at)gmail(dot)com.

170 Comments
Posted Under: reviews & giveaways
March 18, 2010

Triple Paste/Triple Cream Review and Giveaway

When my son was an infant, he had the absolute most horrible diaper rash.  I mean, his poor little bottom was so raw and red that sometimes I would just wrap him in a blanket and leave his diaper off and keep my fingers crossed that there wouldn’t be any explosions while his poor little tortured tush was airing out.

I had tried pretty much every single diaper rash ointment out there, and nothing was working.  When I was totally at my wits end, I finally broke down and called the pediatrician.  I wish I had just called him right away, but I was worried about being one of those neurotic new moms who stalks their child’s poor doctor and calls him every time the baby hiccups.  I really wish I had shoved my pride aside a little sooner, because the product that my doctor recommended for my son’s diaper rash was an absolute miracle cream.

The life-saver of a product that he recommended was Triple Paste Medicated Ointment for Diaper Rash.

Developed by Summer Laboratories, Triple Paste is a fragrance free, hypoallergenic product that contains no added preservatives.  It contains several ingredients that are specially formulated to heal and prevent diaper rash, including zinc oxide, lanolin, and beeswax.

With other diaper rash treatments, I found that they really only served as a barrier to prevent diaper rash, but if the diaper rash was already present, it was impossible to get rid of.  This is where Triple Paste is different and sets itself apart from other products on the market.  Triple Paste’s long-lasting barrier works to seal out wetness between diaper changes to prevent the onset and recurrence of diaper rash, but it also provides rapid relief of raw and irritated skin.

The day that my pediatrician recommended Triple Paste to me changed my diaper duty days forever!  I will never forget how quickly it worked and healed my son’s poor little bottom, and I was more than ecstatic to see him comfortable and smiling again!

I was provided with a large jar of Triple Paste as a thank you for doing this review, and since my diaper changing days are over for the time being, I plan on giving it to a friend of mine who is getting ready to have a baby in the next week or so.  I’m sure that she will fall just as in love with this wonderful product as I did!

Diaper rash isn’t the only skin problem that ever plagued my son.  He gets these incredibly dry patches of skin on his body and he has since infancy. My husband and I call the patches “alligator skin”, because that is how rough they feel to the touch.  He has not been diagnosed with eczema, but I’d say that his condition is borderline eczema for sure.

I couldn’t have been happier when my pediatrician informed me that the makers of Triple Paste also have a product called Triple Cream.

Triple Cream is designed to heal severe dry skin and soothe dryness associated with eczema.  It is such an effective product that it can even be used for adults too!  It is also fragrance free and hypoallergenic, and it was even awarded the National Eczema Seal of Acceptance!

I have used it over the past 4 years to treat my son’s “alligator skin”, and the results are amazing.  Within two to three days of applying the Triple Cream product at night, the dry patches are completely gone.  It is not greasy at all and it is completely gentle.  My little guy never flinches when I apply it to his sensitive skin.

In addition to my jar of Triple Paste, I was also sent a large jar of Triple Cream to sample, which was a very good thing because I was completely out of my supply!  I had been kind of a slacker mom lately and kept forgetting to pick up a tube when I went to the store, so it’s a good thing that the jar came when it did!  My son had started to develop dry patches again, but Triple Cream came to the rescue!

My little guy is also getting over a cold, and the area under his nose was very raw and red.  I applied just one layer of the Triple Cream at night to see if it would help, and when he woke up in the morning the redness was completely gone.  Another miracle!

I highly recommend both the Triple Paste and Triple Cream products to combat any of your child’s diaper or skin care needs.  I honestly don’t think that there are any products on the market that compare to the quality and effectiveness of these.

Triple Paste and Triple Cream are both available as over-the-counter products at major retailers such as Babies R Us and Target.  You can also find them at some drug stores and other fine retailers who carry baby items.

Ok folks, are you ready to hear about the awesome giveaway for Triple Paste and Triple Cream that I’m hosting?

One of my lucky readers is going to win a gift basket from Triple Paste/Triple Cream that is worth $75!

Isn’t it just the cutest thing ever?  This basket is a must have for any new mom and contains a 16 oz jar of Triple Paste, a 2 oz tube of Triple Paste, a 3.5 oz tube of Triple Cream, a brushed cotton receiving blanket, a plush Triple Paste comfort bear, and the Good Night Moon book by Margaret Wise. Products are arranged in a handy, reusable oval wicker basket. Keep it for yourself or pass it on to someone you know. Wouldn’t this make the perfect baby shower gift?

How To Enter:

Required Entry:

Leave me a comment telling me why you or someone you know needs this all-in-one skin saving gift basket!

Follow my blog publicly and tell me that you are.

Additional Entries:

Subscribe to my RSS feed – 1 entry

Follow me on Twitter – 1 entry

Become a fan of The Mommyologist on Facebook – 1 entry

Tweet this giveaway (only one tweet per day) – 2 entries

Link to this giveaway in a blog post – 2 entries

Click the buttons on my sidebar and vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs and Top Baby Blogs – 2 entries

Giveaway Rules:

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents over the age of 18 only.  The giveaway will begin on March 18th and will end on Friday, March 26th at 12 noon, EDT.  The winner will be chosen using random.org and will be notified via email.  The winner will have 48 hours in which to respond to the email and if I do not hear from them, then another winner will be chosen.  If your email address is not accessible in your profile, please leave it for me in the comment field when you enter.  If you are the winner and I cannot access your email from your profile and you have not left me your email address in the comment field, then a new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure:  I was not paid to write this review.  I was sent a sample of both products for my personal use as a thank you for doing this review and giveaway.  All opinions about Triple Paste/Triple Cream expressed in this post are purely derived from my own experiences in using the products and were not influenced by the manufacturer in any way.  I am not a doctor or nurse, nor do I have any other medical expertise, so if you have concerns about trying this product then please ask your pediatrician first before using the product.


Posted Under: reviews & giveaways
March 4, 2010

Dove Mencare Review: The Hubster Loves his Beauty Products

Ever since I got married a little over six years ago, I’ve had a bit of an issue to deal with.  Well, there’s been more than one issue, but this one just really kind of sticks out for me and for the longest time I didn’t know what to do about it.

You see, I am kind of a product whore.  I love my cleansers.  I love my moisturizers.  I love my serums.  I love my hoity-toity shampoos and conditioners.  And I love my body washes and body scrubs.

I wish someone had warned me six years ago that the man I was about to marry is a product whore too.  (That’s right honey!  I’m totally outing you right now).  Let me ask all of you lovely ladies a question.  Have you ever hopped into your shower on a busy Monday morning only to realize that there is not one drop of body wash left in the bottle? It’s happened to me on more than one occasion.  And the reason there is only one drop left in the bottle?  That’s easy!  The hubster just can’t seem to resist lathering himself from head to toe in whatever delicious smelling variety of body wash happens to be in our bathroom at the time.

I’m a lucky girl, because I recently found a solution to this problem.  The hubster has his OWN products to use now…and both of us couldn’t be more excited about it.

I was recently given the opportunity to review a new line of products that are just for men.  Dove Mencare was just launched, and it is going to save so many women from resorting to sitting on top of their product containers in the shower just to get one last drop out.

Dove designed this line so that men can finally feel comfortable in their own skin, with products that are specifically formulated to their needs. Most men don’t even realize that the irritation they feel on their skin is from using cleansers and soaps that are just way too harsh!  When he’s not digging into my stash of cleansers, my hubby has even been known to wash his face with the antibacterial soap that sits by our sink!  And that just can’t be good for his skin, especially in these cold winter months!  The new Dove Mencare products fight dry skin without any tightness or irritation, so it’s even great for those sensitive men out there!

You should’ve seen the look on the hubster’s face when the box from Dove showed up on our doorstep.  I won’t go into too much detail, but all I know is that I haven’t seen him that excited about anything in a while.  Included in the box was the Clean Comfort Face and Body Wash, the Body and Face Bar, and the Active Clean Shower Tool.  The hubster couldn’t believe that he not only received some awesome products to try, but that he also received, as he described it, “this really cool little scrubber brush thingy!”

That scrubber is now proudly displayed hanging in our shower and greets me every morning.  The hubster LOVES that thing.

He’s been using the Dove Mencare line for over a week now, and I must say that he has really raved about it!  He says that his skin always used to feel really dry after a shower, and now it feels much smoother and softer and he’s just much more comfortable.  And I seriously think that he just loves the idea of using products that are made for MEN.

And did I mention how great these products smell?  It’s nice for him to smell like the man that he is instead of a grapefruit.

I would highly recommend picking up the Dove Mencare line for the man in your life the next time you are at the store!  And if you click the link below, you will find a $1 coupon to use for these great products!  (Total plus)!

Dove Mencare Coupon

Dove wants to help men celebrate those unsung moments in their life, meaning those moments when they finally became comfortable with themselves.  Want to surprise the hubby with something great for Father’s Day?  Just click here and enter your man’s unsung moment story for a chance to win him a Backyard Makeover!  Isn’t that pretty much every man’s dream??  Pretty cool, huh?

Disclosure:  I was sent these products for free from Dove for my husband to sample before I wrote this review.  I was not compensated in any way to provide my review of these products.  All opinions expressed in this post are purely my own and are based on the feedback that my husband gave me about the products.  I am not a dermatologist or an aesthetician and I am not qualified to determine whether these products are right for men who have serious skin issues.  If your man has concerns about whether or not these products would be good for his skin, then I advise that he speak to one of these professionals first before using them.

14 Comments
Posted Under: reviews & giveaways
February 26, 2010

“When Turtles Fly” Book Review: How This Book Inspired Me To Be a Better Blogger

Each and every single time I travel, I always get so excited to head over to Barnes and Noble to pick out a brand new book to pack in my carry-on bag.  There is something about sitting on a plane and getting lost in a good book for an hour or two that is just so relaxing to me these days.  I’m lucky, because I’ve finally reached that age with my son where he will sit next to me on a flight and look at his own books so that I can steal a few minutes with mine.  (Don’t hate me though, because I more than paid my dues as far as air travel goes when he was an infant.  I deserve every minute of silence that I get).

Before my trip to Florida last week, I didn’t have to make that Barnes and Noble trip because I was provided with a review copy of a new inspirational book, “When Turtles Fly”, by Olympic athlete Nikki Stone.  I honestly don’t think I could’ve been sent a more appropriate book for my first official book review.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with her, Nikki Stone was determined to be an Olympic athlete ever since she was a little girl, and she fulfilled that dream when she became America’s first Olympic champion in the sport of aerial skiing at the winter games in Nagano, Japan.  Her success at the Olympics was even more significant because of the fact that less than two years earlier, she endured a chronic spinal injury that prevented her from standing, and she wasn’t sure that she’d ever take to the slopes again.

Her determination to overcome her injury and continue on her journey of being an Olympic champion was inspired by some advice her mother gave her as a little girl.  In support of her daughter’s ambitions, Nikki’s mother taught her about a little thing called, “The Turtle Effect.”  Basically, if you want to be successful, you have to be soft on the inside, have a hard shell on the outside, and be willing to stick your neck out.


Nikki was committed to her goals no matter what challenges life threw at her, and despite her injury, she went on to win 35 World Cup medals, in addition to several World Titles, and a spot in the Ski Hall of Fame.  She never forgot about “The Turtle Effect”, and she applied it to every aspect of her life.  Her career is now focused on sharing her secrets to success through this book, and through motivational speaking, in order to inspire others to “stick their necks out” and reach for their dreams.

“When Turtles Fly” is filled with wonderful stories from other athletes, entrepreneurs, and other well known figures who have overcome their adversities and achieved great success in their lives.  While I was reading these stories, I started thinking about how these principles applied to my own dreams and goals as a blogger.  I thought that a great way to review this book was to examine the key elements of “The Turtle Effect” and to show how I believe they can benefit and improve my writing and my blog on a daily basis.  I’m hoping that maybe some of my readers will feel as inspired as I do by what I learned!

1.  ”To Be Successful, You Need To Make Sure You are Committed” – Find Your Soft Inside

I cannot tell you how many times I have an idea for a great post, and instead of immediately sitting down at the computer or grabbing a pen and paper to jot down notes, I start going over the usual excuses in my head such as: “I’m too tired right now…”,  ”I really need to throw a load of laundry in instead…”, “I’ll just wait and do it tomorrow…”

That last one seems to get me every single time.  And you know what the biggest downside of waiting till tomorrow is?  Nine times out of ten, by the time tomorrow rolls around I’ve completely forgotten whatever it was that I intended to write about.  Who knows how many awesome posts are floating around in the back of my brain somewhere because I didn’t take the time to grab a napkin and a piece of paper while I’m having lunch to jot a few thoughts down so I have those notes for later.

I will admit that I am also guilty of using the “I’ll do it tomorrow” excuse when it comes to returning emails, returning comments, and visiting other blogs on a consistent basis.  It is not that I don’t want to return those messages or comments, and it is not that I don’t want to visit other blogs, it’s just that sometimes I find myself feeling guilty about how much time I devote to trying to make my blog successful, and so I choose to do something else instead and I neglect my blog community “until tomorrow.”

You know what?  I’m not going to feel guilty anymore.  I know that this blog may not be something that I receive an outside paycheck for, but it is my baby.  It is my baby, and it is my little dream (though I’m not sure exactly what that dream is yet) and if it is going to be my baby and my dream, then I need to nurture it and be committed to it each and every single day.  Something about writing this blog just feels “right” to me, and so I’m going to listen to my “soft inside” and sit down and write and email and comment and visit when I need to.  No more guilt, no more waiting. The time is now.

2.  ”Overcome Your Adversities” – Have a Hard Shell

In a lot of the ventures I’ve taken on in the past, I’ve been so afraid of failure.  And not only have I been afraid of failure, I’ve actually been ashamed of failure.  There are things in my life that I definitely haven’t “gone for” because I have been too afraid of not succeeding to even give them a chance.  The saddest part is what is truthfully behind my fear of failure.  My fear of failure is really my fear of what other people will think of me if I do not achieve my goals.  I fear the whispering behind my back.  I fear the conversations that will be had between people discussing how “lame” they think whatever I’m doing is and how they know I’ll never make it work.  I fear how pathetic I will look if I go from being at the top of my game to the bottom.

Nikki Stone’s words encouraged me to ask myself a question presented in her book.  “If I knew I couldn’t fail, what would I try?”

I think that the possibilities of answers to that question are endless. I think that there are a lot of things that all of us would try if we were somehow assured beforehand that we had no chance of failure.  In thinking about this concept, I realized that facing the possibility of failure is part of what makes achieving our goals so much more meaningful.   If we are so passionate about something that we are willing to take risks in order to fulfill whatever dream we have for it, then when we finally do succeed, it will be so much more significant and important to us as individuals.  If success were simply handed to us without having to strive for it, then we probably wouldn’t hold it in such high regard.

In thinking more about my blog, I’ve determined that I really can’t fail. That’s right…I CAN’T FAIL.  Sure, I may have some setbacks, and I may have some struggles, and I may have writer’s block that makes me want to throw in the towel a time or two, and I may have my share of criticism from people who don’t agree with what I’m doing or saying, but none of that is enough to make me believe that I can fail.  I can only fail if I let myself fail. And I’m not going to allow that.

I think I finally have the confidence to PUT ON MY HARD SHELL as far as this blog goes.  As I’ve said before, I have no idea what the future holds for The Mommyologist, but to me, I’ve already succeeded.  I’ve gotten the chance to use my brain for something other than trying to figure out what sort of species Elmo is.  I’ve gotten the chance to express myself and to have an outlet that is solely for ME.  I’ve met some of the most amazing people and have made some wonderful friends who I never would’ve known if I hadn’t started my blog.  And if nothing else, twenty years from now I will have all of the funny little memories that I’ve shared with my son written down in one place.  But something tells me that my journey with this blog is far from over.  And that makes me positive that I can’t fail.

3.  ”Draw Inspiration From Others and Use Teamwork” – Stick Your Neck Out!

If this principle doesn’t apply to the blogging community, then I don’t know what does!  Nikki’s perspective on this concept is that when you are given a piece of wisdom or have learned an important lesson from someone that you respect, then you need to make them proud and live up to their advice and pass it on.  Wisdom is a gift and it is meant to be shared with others.  I have met so many amazing women (and a man or two!) since I started this blog, and every day I continue to be amazed by the sense of reciprocity that I feel in the blog world.  There are quite a few blogs that I have literally salivated over while reading their exceptional posts and thought to myself, “Wow.  I’d really like to be like that someday.”

What really amazes me is how these top bloggers, who I consider to be role models, are willing to take time out of their busy days to support me and answer questions that I have as a newer blogger without any hesitation. These people will never know how much I appreciate them or what an impact they’ve had on me.  (They know who they are and I won’t single any of them out because I don’t want to look all weird and stalker-ish).  I feel that in order to do them proper justice, I need to “Stick My Neck Out” and pass on their knowledge to other new bloggers when they have questions for me.  I think it would be pretty cool to feel like I’ve helped someone out!  I’m hoping maybe I’ve done that a little bit with this review!

There you have it folks!  To conclude my review of “When Turtles Fly”, I truly loved this book.  It made me feel inspired.  It made me feel empowered. And most of all, it made me want to set goals for myself and commit to achieving them no matter what it takes.  I highly recommend this book as a great read for anyone who needs to be reminded of what their dreams are, and how to reach for them.

Disclosure:  All opinions expressed in this review of “When Turtles Fly” are solely my own.  I was not influenced or compensated in any way by the author or publisher for my review.  I was sent a copy of the book to read in order to be able to give an honest opinion of it, and as a thank you for posting this review.

22 Comments
Posted Under: Book Reviews, reviews & giveaways
January 21, 2010

Old Navy $50 off $100 Purchase Coupon Giveaway!!!

Do I have any fellow Old Navy fans out there in the blog world? If so, today is your lucky day! I am so pleased to be doing a giveaway to help promote OldNavyweekly.com, Old Navy’s brand new coupon hunting site! Ten of my lucky readers are going to be receiving a $50 coupon off a $100 purchase! We all know that $100 goes a long way at Old Navy, and just for entering this giveaway you have the chance to get $100 worth of stuff for half the price!

Old Navy is full of great deals for the whole family, and one of those deals is their “Item of the Week.” Old Navy’s Item of the Week for 1/22 – 1/28 is the Women’s boyfriend cardigan. These are especially great during these cold winter months when we all want to curl up in a warm sweater with a cup of hot chocolate! I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely not ready to bust out the bikini quite yet. These cardigans are just the ticket for finishing off the season with a bang!

The boyfriend cardigan adds a fab new twist to an old classic. Women’s boyfriend cardigans are $15 (Reg. $29.50). They’re comfy cozy and super stylish at the same time – especially when you add a layer underneath and a super skinny belt to accessorize. With six buttons, two pockets and one stylish rolled edge, the look adds up to one stylish looking lady! Get ‘em in-store only 1/22 – 1/28.

Ok, so here’s the scoop on how you can win and stock up on the boyfriend cardigans and a whole bunch of other goodies with your $50 off $100 purchase coupon!

This is an easy one folks, so enter right away and don’t miss this amazing offer! All you have to do is:

1. Follow my blog publicly and tell me that you are a follower (if I don’t already know).

2. Check out www.OldNavyweekly.com and tell me how the “Supermodelquins” should wear their boyfriend cardigans. The 10 people who have the best answers will receive the $50 coupon!

Old Navy Weekly Giveaway Rules:

Since the coupons are only good in stores from 1/22 – 1/28, this giveaway will end at 8:00am EST on Friday, 1/22, so that the winners have ample time to use their coupons.

I will notify the 10 winners via email, so make sure to leave your email address in the comment field if I am not able to access it from your profile.

Once the winners are contacted by me, they will have until 5:00pm EST on Friday, 1/22 to claim their prize. If I do not hear from them by the deadline, then new winners will be chosen.

After accepting their prize, winners will then be forwarded a “print-and-click” coupon from Old Navy to be used in stores from 1/22 – 1/28.

Coupons are valid for a limited time only and cannot be replaced if not used within the correct timeframe.

Once the coupon is distributed, bloggers assume full responsibility for any costs associated with their purchases.

These are only one-time use coupons. Once redeemed, code is no longer valid and cannot be used again.

The individual code should not be shared with nor used by multiple users.

If a Sales Associate advises that code is not working, customer should ask them to key in the alpha-numeric code under the barcode (if the code is valid, and it’s just a question of the barcode reader having issue with the print quality of the code, then keying in should work – unless it’s already been redeemed then it will come up as invalid).

Hurry up and enter to save some dough everyone…the clock is ticking!

Disclosure: I was not compensated in anyway by Old Navy for writing this post. All opinions about their clothing are strictly my own and were in no way influenced by Old Navy. I am hosting this giveaway purely as a nice way to say thank you to my loyal readers.

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Posted Under: reviews & giveaways
January 6, 2010

My First Winner and What the Heck? Wednesday

I want to take a minute to thank each and every one of you who entered my very first giveaway for the Crystal Light variety pack! I’m hoping to do more reviews and giveaways in the future and I really appreciate all the support that I received on my premier attempt!

The winner was chosen from random.org, and it generated #2…and the #2 commenter was my dear friend Kimberly! Congrats Kim…your variety pack is on its way!

In the spirit of trying to get back into a normal routine…I’m bringing back What the Heck? Wednesday. I took a little break from my Wednesday posts over the holidays…so it’s time to get them back up and running!

What the Heck? Wednesday

I guess I knew that “it” was bound to happen sooner or later, but when I say sooner, I meant more like when my son was about eight or nine years old…not three and three quarters. Yesterday, I plopped the little guy down on my bed and turned the TV on so that I could throw on some clothes and wash my face before dropping him off at preschool. It only took me about five minutes to get ready, and that’s when I turned to the bed to let him know that it was time to go downstairs and put on his socks and shoes and hop in the car, and that’s when I saw “it” for the very first time. What is this “it” that I’m referring to? “It” was the sight of my perfect little angelic child laying on the bed, totally chillaxin’, with one hand halfway down his pants and a little smile on his face. That’s right, my son pulled his very first Al Bundy yesterday. And I’m not ashamed to admit that even though I know he is in fact, male, I couldn’t help but feel just a little bit mortified by what I saw. I mean, isn’t three and three quarters too young for my son to have discovered that putting his hand down his pants feels kinda nice? What the heck?

One day over the Christmas break, I went over to one of my best friend’s houses so that our kids could have a much needed play date. They are together all the time and really missed each other and just couldn’t wait to tell each other everything that they wanted from Santa. We are so lucky, because our kids are totally used to each other and play so well together. So well in fact that on this particular day, we decided it would be fun to go ahead and open a bottle of wine (It was after 4:00pm, which is perfectly acceptable in my book on any sort of break or vacation) and have a couple glasses and chit-chat and catch up while the kids played in the other room. We should’ve known that something was up when things started getting kinda quiet in the playroom, but we were way too busy congratulating ourselves on how independent our kids were and how great it was that we could sit and enjoy a little vino without them interrupting us. For the record, next time we’ll intervene a little sooner when things aren’t at a decibel that is consistent with three year olds.

Needless to say, cleaning this up was a real bitch. Good thing we’d had a couple drinks. What the heck?

Ok, so I know that in my New Year’s Resolutions I said that I wasn’t going to beat myself up about carrying a few extra pounds around my middle this year, and I’m still holding true to that. However, I am also down to about two or three pairs of jeans that actually fit me after indulging in every delectable treat that I could get my hands on during the Christmas holiday season. I don’t want to go nuts and beat myself up and completely deprive myself of everything I love, but I also can’t afford to go out and buy an entire new wardrobe at this point. The hubster and I started the South Beach diet on Monday and all I want is to get back to my pre-holiday weight. I’m pretty sure that I’ve given up on wedding weight for good, but pre-holiday weight will at least let me back into my closet again. I am down four pounds since Monday (definitely water weight), and I’ve got three more to go. And I’m not allowed to have alcohol for 12 more days. And I really miss my wine. In fact I could totally go for a glass this evening. What the heck?



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Posted Under: reviews & giveaways, What the Heck? Wednesday
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