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Flashy Nails for Summer + Great Giveaway!!!

May 19, 2013 by 2 Comments

 

CoutureGelNailPolishLogo

It’s Spring!!! For many of you, you may have been enjoying blooming flowers and sunny days for a couple months now, but here in Denver, we are still just a week past our last snowstorm! I think we’re finally in the clear though, and today we’re enjoying a gorgeous, sunny, blue sky, 70 degree day!

To enjoy this awesome day, the hubby and I wandered to our neighborhood park and joined some friends for an afternoon picnic. I wanted to make sure to arrive in style so I made sure to flaunt my staple – colorful nails! Luckily this time, however, I didn’t have to kick out $30 for a Shellac manicure. I got the same flawless nails right at home using the Couture Gel Nail Polish Kit!

Couture-Gel-Nail-Polish-kit

Gel nail polish is so much better than any polish I’ve ever used! It fully dries in 2-minutes and lasts 3-weeks with no smearing, chipping, smudging or scratching off — ever! It also serves to strengthen your natural nails and the polish is free of harmful chemicals.

The Gel Nail Polish Kit includes everything you need for a salon-quality gel nail polish manicure at home:

· Your choice of 3 Couture Gel Nail Polish colorsCouture-gel-nail-polishes

· Plus base coat and top coat

· A professional 36-watt Salon Quality Curing Lamp

· Instructional DVD and brochure

· Zippered carrying case for easy storage

· A bonus salon nail care kit!

· Additional colors can be purchased

It’ll be one of the best beauty investments you’ll ever make! I love it!!!

And in the meantime, enter the amazing giveaway below to win your very own Couture Gel Nail Polish Kit!  This is a $129 value so don’t miss this great opportunity! There will be 3 winners (!) and each lucky lady can choose 3 nail polish colors!

Connect with Couture Gel Nail Polish @ Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest!

Disclosure: No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a sample product from the sponsor for the purpose of this honest review. This did not affect the outcome of this review. All opinions are 100% my own. For full disclosure click here.
Filed Under: Beauty, Giveaways Tagged With:

Sweet, Soft, and Scented Dessert Indulgences on Your Lips!

April 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment

CupcakeChapstick

Ladies! The sun is coming out, the heat it rising, and with that…bikini season is on its way. Whatever you want to call it – bikini season, tank top season, t-shirt, shorts, anti-jacket, or fewer cover up season – it’s coming! And, we need to be prepared!

For me, that’s cutting back on the extra calories I hide beneath layers of clothing throughout the winter season. That means, no more (or far less!) sweets, chocolates, and rich cakes.CupcakeForChapstick

But when summer hits, my cravings for these delicious treats do not go away. Luckily, I’ve found the answer! Chapstick has come out with two new flavors – Velvet Cupcake and Cake Batter. With these deliciously indulgent flavors coating your lips day in and day out, you will feel forever satiated!

Chapstick has even made it easy to give these sweet, scented flavors to your friends and loved ones! They feature a convenient gift tag on the back of each package, which takes the hassle out of gift-wrapping, making it easy to attach on top of a gift or give as a thoughtful gesture.

So come on, ladies, put that piece of cake back in the fridge, and slap some sweet, soft, and scented dessert indulgences on your lips!

Connect with ChapStick: Facebook and YouTube

Disclosure: No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a sample product from the sponsor for the purpose of this honest review. This did not affect the outcome of this review. All opinions are 100% my own. For full disclosure click here.
Filed Under: Beauty, Product Reviews Tagged With:

Cook in Style with the EatSmart Precision Retro Mechanical Kitchen Scale! {Giveaway}

February 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 

EatSmartLogo

I would never claim to be an amazing cook. But I sure enjoy it.

I fantasize about having one of those big, beautiful, spacious kitchens, with sunlight streaming through the huge windows on a warm spring day. I want a beautiful oak island in the middle, with cast iron pans hanging from an antique piece up above. I want abundant, large countertops that offer all the space I need to spread out and make an enormous mess with my flour, sugar, and eggs. I am all about big, bold colors – oranges, reds, and yellows – and want my kitchenware to match my kitchen towels, rug, and placemats.

Well, my kitchen is not quite there yet. In fact, my hubby and I can barely pass by one another in our narrow, tiny kitchen. BUT, rest assured, Ill have my dream kitchenEatSmartFlourPM one day. As time goes on, and I patiently wait for that day to come, I am slowly but surely collecting those perfect pieces that will compliment my dream kitchen so well.

The EatSmart Precision Retro Mechanical Kitchen Scale is one of those must-have items that I just adore. Before I even begin to tell you how useful this awesome scale is, let me tell you about the way it looks. It’s bright red, offering a slightly retro look with a well-shaped stainless steel mixing bowl. The dial is big, easy to read, and reminds me of a piece from the 1970s. The scale is beautiful enough that I prefer to display it on my countertop as opposed to hiding it in the back of my cupboard.

The scale has the capacity to meet all your baking and cooking needs. It weighs items up to 11lbs, the mixing bowl is 1.5 quarts and is dishwasher safe, and the dial displayIMG_3018 is 5” which makes measurements easy to read.

I broke mine in by baking my sweet, loving husband the batch of blueberry muffins he’s been asking for for over a month. Let me just say – they were well worth the wait! And I’d like to give a special shout out to my EatSmart Precision Retro Mechanical Scale!

The blueberry recipe I used comes compliments off Allrecipes.com. You should check it out!

Connect with EatSmart: Facebook; Twitter; Pinterest; Google Plus ; EatSmart Blog; and Instagram

Enter the Giveaway! I know you want an EatSmart Scale to brighten up your kitchen and to fulfill all your baking needs!!!

Disclosure: No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a sample product from the sponsor for the purpose of this honest review. This did not affect the outcome of this review. All opinions are 100% my own. For full disclosure click here.
Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With:

Dangle Those Fabulous Earrings! {Giveaway}

January 21, 2013 by 1 Comment

DivaDangler_Logo

Oh, how I love to feel beautiful!

I love that after 5 years, my husband, my sweet love, still invites me out on dates.  Ok, ok, so perhaps this is a tradition we re-started just a month or so DivaDangler_PicMonkey Collageago, but hey, who’s counting!?

These dates are fun!  We are taking turns planning a date night that we keep hidden from one another until we walk into the door of wherever we’re going.  My hubby tells me what style I should wear (casual, formal, plaid, heels…) and what time to be ready, but that’s about all I have to work with.  It keeps things exciting and fun for both of us!

Now, he can tell me what to wear and choose where I’m going, but what he has no say in is what earrings I’m going to wear to spice up my outfit!  I’m one of those girls that absolutely refuses to leave my house without earrings.  And not just any earrings – they have to be the perfect earrings – the ones that go well with my outfit, with my make-up, and most important, with my mood!

I have long dangly ones, I have hoops, studs, and more!  They may be colorful, metal, beaded, or chains.  But no matter how many earrings I have, I will never ever have enough!  That’s why I jumped at the chance to review earrings for Diva Dangler!DivaDangler_Danglers

Who they are: Diva Dangler was started by two moms who were fed up with their earrings being splayed out in piles in their bedroom and bathroom.  They created a fantastic earring holder that keeps their earrings organized and easy to see and access.

What they offer: If you’re interested in their Diva Dangler, you can pay just $29.95 for a great, reversible frame that holds tons of earrings, and then receive, for FREE, a second frame, a free pair of earrings, and a membership toDivaDangler3_PicMonkey their Earring of the Month Club. 

The Earring of the Month Club is what really got me!  By paying just $9.95 a month (which is so inexpensive for high quality earrings), you will receive a new pair of surprise earrings every month – each of which is stylish and follows the current fashion trends. In addition, they keep track of the styles you like most so that you continue to receive ones that you’ll love! And each pair arrives in a cute silk leopard pouch!

Connect with Dive Dangler!: Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. 

Giveaway!!! I highly encourage you to enter the giveaway below!  Diva Dangler has offered one of our readers an AWESOME gift!  The lucky winner will win 3 free months of FREE earrings! 

Even if you don’t win the giveaway, they have provided you with a code that will get you a free pair of earrings and free shipping when you join the Earring Once a Month Club!  Use code BLING!

Disclosure: No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a sample product from the sponsor for the purpose of this honest review. This did not affect the outcome of this review. All opinions are 100% my own. For full disclosure click here.
Filed Under: Beauty, Giveaways Tagged With:

Forever Young Eyes with Mario Badescu! {Giveaway}

January 21, 2013 by 1 Comment

MarioBadescu_logo

Do you remember the beautiful love affair that sprouted up last Fall, as the leaves began to turn, the temperatures began to fall, and the turtlenecks came out?

I met a man named Mario, and he changed my life. Mario Badescu.

I finally found a skincare line that I truly adore.  Mario Badescu sent me a number of amazing products last September, all of which I continue to use daily.  The products I received help even out my skin and limit acne breakouts. 

This time around, however, I am looking for help with a new problem – I’m getting OLD!  With my 30th birthday less than two months away (yikes!), Im seeing wrMBadescuEyeCreaminkles and dark circles taking over the soft, smooth, bright skin that used to surround my eyes!

Therefore, I have begun using Mario Badescu’s Hyaluronic Eye Cream and Seaweed Night Cream to hydrate my skin, minimize puffiness and fine lines, and keep my skin soft and supple.  Is it possible that I’m actually glowing already – because I feel like it!?!?

Mario Badescu is awesome.  It has been offering personalized skin care and acne treatments for over 40 years, and even have an impressive list of celebrity clients who swear by their products (yet, their affordable for us average joes!). Mario Badescu recognizes that skin types vary considerably from person to person, as do other factors that influence our skin such as age, gender, skin care history, and lifestyle. As a result, they do not offer a one-size-fits-all skin care regime but rather offer customized skin care recommendations based on skin care consulting questionnaires we easily fill out online! Products range from cleansers, astringents, moisturizers, exfoliates, eye creams, and sun screen/self tanner.

ENTER TO WIN! I encourage you to enter to win a Mario Badescu Night Cream!  The lucky winner will work directly with a Mario Badescu representative who will help you find the right cream for your eyes!

MBadescu_seaweednightcream

MBadescu_hyaluroniceyecream

Disclosure: No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a sample product from the sponsor for the purpose of this honest review. This did not affect the outcome of this review. All opinions are 100% my own. For full disclosure click here.
Filed Under: Beauty, Giveaways Tagged With:

Manischewitz Chanukah House Decorating Kit and Contest!

December 4, 2012 by 1 Comment

chanukahbox

I’ve never claimed to be an artist. I just felt it necessary to put that out there – and you’ll soon see why.

While I do not celebrate Chanukah, nor am I very religious, by lineage I’m undeniably Jewish, and sometimes I wish I carried on more of the wonderful traditions. Therefore, as Christmas nears, I thought I would spice up my holiday spirit by making an edible Chanukah House! How freakin cool, right?

Manischewitz, the nation’s largest manufacturer of processed kosher food products, is selling a Chanukah House Decorating Kit which includes vanilla wafer cookies, icing in white, light blue, and dark blue, fondant in blue and yellow, sugar beads, sprinkles, yellow sugar dusting, and sugar decorative pieces of the Star of David and Menorahs. PicMonkey Collage

The house takes no time at all to put together, and once you’ve let it sit and set for 20 mins, the fun begins – DECORATING THE HOUSE! I must warn you, mine was shipped to me and a couple of the cookies were broken in half, but no fear! – The frosting you use to meld the pieces together easily fixed the problem, and I’m going to bet you can’t even see where the cracks once were!

With the help of my wonderful husband, we got to work building, and ended up with a, well, umm, almost, replica of the picture!?!?! Well, I’ll let you decide…!

You’re learning about this great Decorating Kit just in time to enter Manischewitz’s Chanukah House Decorating Contest which will crown its winners following the December 15th deadline. All you have to do is creatively decorate your Chanukah House, take a picture and post it on Manischewitz’s Facebook page. Three winners will be crowned and a fourth prize will be given to a lucky person who ‘likes’ a contestant’s house. So, even if you don’t want to make a house, go vote for someone else and you might be a prize winner!

Great Prizes:

Grand Prize — $500 cash.

Second Prize — $200 cash.

Third Prize — $150 worth of Manischewitz selected products.

Fourth Prize, “Lucky Participant Winner” — $100 worth of Manischewitz selected products.

chanukah1

Disclosure: No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a sample product from the sponsor for the purpose of this honest review. This did not affect the outcome of this review. All opinions are 100% my own. For full disclosure click here.
Filed Under: Holiday Gift Guide, Product Reviews Tagged With:

Beauty Products at the Tip of Your Fingers!

December 2, 2012 by Leave a Comment

escentual_comIm not going to lie – I smell Gooood! For the last week, I’ve been rocking Carolina Herrera 212 VIP Women’s perfume and with every gust of wind, passersby have been getting a whiff of my  lovely scent! Ok, ok. Maybe I’m just imagining that part!

It makes no difference if you’re a fan of the sweet, floral smell of Herrera’s perfume, because Escentual, your perfume2go-to website for just about any beauty product out there, offers over 100 fragrance brands for men and women that range from the most popular mainstream releases, to more underground, niche perfumes. Furthermore, Escentual stocks over 7,000 skincare, haircare and makeup products. It’s a great way to get your holiday shopping done from the comfort of your own home!

Don’t know much about your skincare or haircare needs? Not to worry! Escentual offers excellent online customer service from perfume experts and beauty therapists who are always on hand to answer your questions.

In addition, check out their blog which contains hints and tips, new launches, and useful reviews!

Some of the many brands you’ll be excited to see:
xmas-gifts_escentualBVLGARI
Calvin Klein
Dior
Dolce & Gabanna
Giorgio Armani
Gucci
L’Occitane
Yves Saint Laurent
Bare Minerals

…and so many more!

Connect with Escentual on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google +!  

Disclosure: No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a sample product from the sponsor for the purpose of this honest review. This did not affect the outcome of this review. All opinions are 100% my own. For full disclosure click here.
Filed Under: Beauty, Product Reviews, Style Tagged With:

Hydrating ChapStick that Leaves Your Lips Kissable Soft! {Giveaway}

October 30, 2012 by 38 Comments

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A year ago, I moved from wet and rainy England to sunny and dry Denver, Colorado. It took no time at all for my skin to feel the effects of living in a climate devoid of moisture. And nothing has suffered more than my poorly cracked lips!

Luckily, I’ve consistently kept Chapstick close by which turned my sandpaper lips into soft, silky, and ultra moisturized lips!

ChapStick Flavors

ChapStick, a brand people have depended on for over 100 years, offers numerous flavors like their Classics which come in flavors like original and strawberry to Medicated, Peppermint, True Shimmer, Overnight, Tangy Green Apple, and many more.

One of my favorites is a new flavor, Raspberry Crème, which contains SPF 15 with an ultra hydrating formula and Aloe and Vitamin E. It smells great, hclip_image004ydrates like nobody’s business and apparently makes me extra ‘kissable’ per my hubby!

Another great new product that I’m taking advantage of now that I’ve finally gotten my butt back into running is ChapStick’s Sports Ready which not only features a clip that easily attaches to my shorts as I run, but also protects my lips from the sun with SPF 30, is water resistant for up to 80 minutes, and prevents and protects my lips from drying and cracking in the wind and cold weather. Sports Ready is part of a new Active line that also includes LipShield 365 and Ultra 30.

I highly recommend you check out all the ChapStick flavors that offer great lip protection and kissable fun!

Connect with ChapStick: Facebook and YouTube

Giveaway!

Want to test out ChapStick’s new Raspberry Crème and Sports Ready and receive a fun bag to tote them around in and beach towel to take on your next trip to the coast!? Leave a comment below telling me why YOU would love this gift!

Disclosure: No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a sample product from the sponsor for the purpose of this honest review. This did not affect the outcome of this review. All opinions are 100% my own. For full disclosure click here.
Filed Under: Beauty, Giveaways Tagged With: , , ,

Give an Experience Gift this Holiday Season with Cloud 9 Living!

October 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment

 

Cloud9Logo

Are you a bigger fan of giving or receiving?

I’ll never forget when my parents threw me a surprise party when I was turning 9 years old. I walked into the skating rink with my best friend, prepared for a leisurely day filled with giggles, secret-sharing, and skating, Upon entering, however, a crowd of friends from school looked up from securing their skates and jumped up with a rousing ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY!’ Oh my gosh, I looked over at my mom, grinning from ear to ear in the corner, and burst into a million tears. HOW COULD SHE DO THIS TO ME!? I get so uncomfortable when the attention is all on me. Opening presents is the worst. I prefer that gift givers come by, drop gifts off, and let me open them later when no one’s around. Weird, right?

Well, gift giving is a whole different story. There is nothing I love more than searching far and wide for the perfect gift for the perfect person, wrap and re-wrap until it’s perfect, find the perfect card, the perfect moment to give, and then wait for the smile with delight! I just love it!

My love for gift giving, however, makes the whole experience relatively stressful for me. I’m never satisfied until I find a gift that’s just right. Sooo, you can imagine my excitement when I learned about Cloud 9 Living. Instead of hopping from store to store and risking getting a gift that spends the duration of its life in the back of someone’s closet, Cloud 9 offers experience gifts that leave behind memories that last a lifetime.

Cloud 9 Living offers over 1,700 unique experiential gifts for men, women, and couples in 43 regions. Examples include:

· Race a Lamborghini clip_image002

· Learn to fly a plane/helicopter

· Ride in a fighter pilot for a day

· Sunset sailing cruise

· Couples’ massages

· Food and wine gifts

· Golf lessons with a PGA pro

· and many more…

Experiential gifts offer something that material gifts are often missing. People aren’t looking for ‘stuff’ these days as much as they are looking for cool experiences. Research studies have even found that:

“Spending money on life experiences makes people happier than spending money on material items.”

“People want to buy their friends experiences because the newness from a new thing wears off in about 9-to-14 months whereas a good memory will gain luster over time.”

While this may not be nearly as thrilling as speed racing in a Lamborghini or learning to fly in an airplane, I chose to be pampered at a local spa for 3 hours!!! Cloud 9 Living sent me to A New Spirit Wellness Center and Spa for a Massage and Float. It was a fantastic experience all around! Cloud 9 Living made it all so easy.

Here’s how it works for the purchaser:clip_image006

· To buy a gift, just go online to www.cloud9living.com. You can search by Region, Experience Type, Recipient, Occasion, or Most Popular.

· Gift certificates can be sent to the recipient in a free personalized gift pack (see picture), via email, or in a format that you can print and give.

Here’s how it works for the receiver:

· To redeem a gift certificate, go online, pick three time/date options that work for you and a representative from Cloud 9 Living will get back to you within three business days.

· The Cloud 9 Living representative will handle all appointment scheduling for you.

· You will receive a one week reminder email.

· Show up to the appointment and ENJOY!!!

Great benefits:

· Buy Now, Book Later – gift certificates have no expiration date and do not require booking at the time of purchase.

· Free returns within 30 days

· Free exchanges – if the recipient would have preferred a sailboat cruise over the surfing experience they received, he/she has the option to exchange any experience for another (required to pay price difference).

· You can purchase a specific experience or an open ended gift certificate.

· Gift certificates can be re-sent and re-printed (so no more worrying about losing it!).

You can win your own Cloud 9 Living experience by entering their “9 Days of Christmas” contest, which is kicking off November 1st! Entrants around the country can win an experience package during each of the nine days leading up to Christmas by simply entering their email address HERE.

Connect with Cloud 9 Living:  Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus.

Disclosure: No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a sample product from the sponsor for the purpose of this honest review. This did not affect the outcome of this review. All opinions are 100% my own. For full disclosure click here.
Filed Under: Holiday Gift Guide, Product Reviews Tagged With: ,

Book Review: Mommy MD Guides Series + {Giveaway}

September 28, 2012 by 5 Comments

MommyLogo

Hi, my name is Emily and I’m a hypochondriac. There, I said it.

Sometimes I can get a new bump or bruise and just about freak out over it. If only I had a doctor in the family that I could call every 5 minutes to assure me that nothing is wrong! …Ok ok, you’re right, it’s probably better that I don’t!

So what does this mean for me when I decide to get pregnant!? As far as I can tell, pregnancy is 9 straight months of icky feelings, unease, anxiety, and unexplained bodily sensations. (Oh, and an absolute freakin’ miracle I hope I’m lucky enough to experience one day semi-sorta-kinda-soon!)

Well, I’ve found my answer (and yours!) – Dr. (s) Rally McAllister and Jennifer Bright Reich have kindly offered to become a quasi-on-call doctor/guardian/support system to each and every one of us as we go through pregnancy and birth and then begin to raise our little ones! And this awesome resource is not just for the hypochondriacs of the world. It’s for everyone who respects and sometimes wants a doctor’s advice.

Our awesome neMommy MD GuidePregBirthw docs filled over 500 pages of a book (plus 2 others i’ll tell you about later!), The Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy and Birth, which offers over 900 tips that doctors who are also mothers used during their pregnancies! This is huge – do you know that there has never been a time in history that the gap between what doctors say to their patients and what doctors do for their families has been this wide!?

The book is divided into 43 chapters, one for each week of pregnancy plus chapters about the baby’s birth.  Each chapter begins by telling you about your baby’s size as of that week, the baby’s latest developments, your latest developments, and a fun fact that gives you reason to celebrate. This information is followedby pages and pages of tips from over 70 doctors with more than 160 children among them about how they coped with pregnancy – not just the bad stuff, but also the good! They even recommend specific brands and products they’ve used and loved.

 

Ok, so let’s get some examples:

Week 13

Dr. LaBarge talks about the pain you’re likely feeling around your gums: "It’s very important to go to the dentist when you’re pregnant – even more important than usual. Problems develop and worsen more quickly during pregnancy because your immune system is suppressed."

Week 8

Dr. Dado talks about the odd tastes and smells you might be noticing and offers that when smells made her want to vomit: "I carried a cut lemon with me, and when an odor triggered my nausea, I’d sniff the lemon to ease the feeling."

Week 31

Dr. Brown talks about that yucky stretch marks we all hope, and often fail, to avoid and recommends: "I put cocoa butter on my belly every night. It was great! I only got one stretch mark, and that popped out the day before I delivered."

 

The Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy and Birth is followed by two additional books, The Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby’s First Year; and The Mommy MD Guide to the Toddler Years, each of which also includes over 900 tips that doctor’s have used for their own families!MommyMDCovers

I highly recommend you check these handy guides out!  There’s nothing like some trusted and reassuring advice from doctors who are also moms!

Coming soon, look out for The Mommy MD Guide to Losing Weight and Feeling Great and The Mommy MD Guide to Feeding Your Baby Right!

You can buy the MommyMD Guides online on many sites including MommyMDGuides.com, Walmart.com, Amazon.com and at many bookstores nationwide. They can also be downloaded on your kindle, nook, or ipad. Also download their Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy and Birth iPhone app and check out their companion site, DaddyMDGuides.com.

Also, connect with Mommy MD Guides on Facebook and Twitter as well as Daddy MD Guides on Facebook and Twitter!

Now listen up! – Dr(s) Rally McAllister and Jennifer Bright Reich are offering one lucky reader a free Mommy MD Guide of their choice!  Don’t miss this opportunity! Enter to win below!

:: Giveaway ::

a Rafflecopter giveaway

** Please leave your entries using the above Rafflecopter form. It might take a bit to load. **

Disclosure: No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a sample product from the sponsor for the purpose of this honest review. This did not affect the outcome of this review. All opinions are 100% my own. For full disclosure click here.
Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: , ,
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