We did it (again)! March 31, 2008

My mom and I finished another Half-Marathon together yesterday!  This one was better in some ways…(my mom wasn’t sick, the course was an amazing tour of the city, and we didn’t have to get up at 3 in the morning) and worse in some ways…(my mom injured her knee, the weather was super cold and damp, there were no Disney characters to pose with, and we were missing 3 members of our team - my sisters).  We had a really great time together - my mom is really becoming quite the 65 year old force to be reckoned with!  I can only imagine having her drive and motivation when I am that age.  I saw places in Atlanta the I had never been before all blooming with gorgeous dogwood & cherry tree blossoms.  The course was laid out really well with lots of room to run and plenty of water stops.  I got to try out my new Flip Camera and make a really cool documentary of the entire 13.1 miles.  Mom and I must have watched the video at least 4 times already - it is a great memento of our race together.  I love, love, love this camera and will bring a full review to you soon.  So hats off to Mom…you rock!!!

Handy to have… March 27, 2008

Do you hate soggy cereal? This should do the trick! Only around $9 too

Super hip, ultra modern hanging planters. Bring your Fern up to date!

Canouflage. Drink responsibly & discreetly

Take Guitar Hero with you on your next road trip (Jenny…I’m talking to you!) and jam out in a new city.

Have a great weekend! You probably won’t hear from me again until Monday or Tuesday. My parents are coming to visit and my Mom and I are going to run the ING Half Marathon together on Sunday. I can’t wait!

 

 

This just in… March 27, 2008

Spring Hill Nurseries has a coupon code for $20 off of any order.  You will have to pay shipping which will be about $7 though.  I ordered mine through Ebates and will get cash back for my purchase too!!  Go to Ebates (or go straight to Spring Hill Nurseries if you are not an Ebates member), place your order, enter code 414465 at checkout, and wait for your spring plants to arrive :)  I picked out a cute little Myer Lemon Tree.  I can’t wait….

Swimsuit Season is coming… March 27, 2008

One of my shows that I always TIVO is The Biggest Loser. I love watching people work hard, eat right, and lose weight! A friend of mine lost 17 lbs last week by following Weight Watchers. I am so proud of him!! Another friend has lost over 23 lbs in 3 months following eDiets. We all know people who have found success with The South Beach Diet. I could go on & on listing diets that have worked for people that I know. The trouble is sorting through all of the diets and figuring out which one is best for you. When one of my friends was researching different diets she found out about a site called Weight-loss-diet-help.com . Not only does this site describe all of the different diets out there, they also link to the various sites. It is kind of like “one stop shopping” for diets. It will really help you choose what diet will work with your lifestyle. In addition to the diets, they also have handy articles to help you. From “How to lose that last 5 pounds” to “12 tips for cutting out calories“. Another handy option is the coupons that you can find on Weight Loss Diet Help. I found Weight Watchers and discount coupons for prepackaged meal plans from Nutrisystem and Medifast. If you are stressing out about getting into that bikini this Summer check out your options! Good luck!

43 Things March 27, 2008

How many of you have to-do lists? Are they daily lists or life lists? I read about a site called 43 Things in various magazines. Today I decided to Visit 43 Things and find out what it is all about. The premise of this site is simple…List your goals, Share your goals, and cheer others on. What a great positive website! They say by listing your goals you are much more apt to complete them. I have also heard that people who make a life list actually have richer lives. What kind of lists do people have? I found a huge variety of lists on the site. From joining the Peace Corp to cutting out sugar. The best part of this site is the social networking that goes on. Strangers will actually become your cheerleader! They will encourage you and motivate you to knock out your list. You can also be connected with people who have the same goals and aspirations as yourself. Plus…it makes you want to succeed when you know people are watching We all need someone in our corner….

Freebies March 26, 2008

Here we are again…time to get something for nothing

• Get a free sample of Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser.
• Click for a free sample of Total Cranberry Crunch Cereal.
• Free Travel USA shirt.
• Get O, the Oprah Magazine Free just click here. (BTW..I received an issue of my free Family Fun magazine yesterday).
• Free pocket square. Yeah, I’ve been looking all over for mine
• Free Dial Soap sample.
• Get a free sample of Starbucks coffee. This offer is dead already
  
• Help celebrate National Baseball Card Day at Toys R Us on Saturday March 29th. Get a pack of Free commemorative trading cards at any register

Click here to sign-up to be a Consumer Tester for McCormick. You will get to try products & let them know what you think - you will get free product and compensation!

If you have little girls at home sign them up to be on the Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers Product Test Panel. Click here to print out a form giving consent…they will get some free Lip Smackers just for joining!

Sign up here to become a product tester for Nailene!

If you signed up for BzzAgent check the site…they just opened a new campaign for Silk Soy Milk. I know some of you received an email to join the campaign, if you didn’t make sure you have completed some of the surveys so they know what products to match you with. Log into your account and see if it is listed in your offered campaigns!

Its a learning curve for me. March 25, 2008

I’m trying very hard to stay “hip” in a household with a teenager. I am constantly being corrected on my version of the current top 40 songs on the radio. Maddie and I did not see eye to eye on the words to Flo Rida’s song Low. Sooo…I went to Rapartists.com to find out about all of the best rappers out there. I scrolled through the hundreds of artists listed on the site and easily found Flo Rida listed alphabetically and pulled up the words to Low. Yeah, I was wrong! She knew what she was talking about. From now on I am going to check my facts out on this site before I start using my rapping skills around my daughter. They have tons of artists, songs, and pictures to make my research quick and easy. Thank goodness for the internet…how in the world did mom’s stay hip when they didn’t have the net?

I refuse to hibernate any longer! March 25, 2008

Seriously…it was sunny & snowing yesterday! I am so sick of the cold weather we have had this year. It is the end of March…we should be sunburned by now! I am going to break the cycle of cold weather by writing about my favorite Spring weather activity…GRILLING OUT. I love to have people over to grill out, hang out, and partake in a few adult beverages. I am a huge fan of the Donny Deutsch show The Big Idea. I often find out about great new products to share with you by watching this show. My favorite companies that I write about are the small guy (or gal) who thought of a really great idea that solves a common problem. I really want these small companies to do well…I am always rooting for them. I am so impressed with people who can take that leap of faith and risk everything just to bring their “big idea” to market. One of the companies that he had on a while back was called Grill Charms. While researching the product I ended up really liking the inventor Leslie Haywood. She is one determined chick! She is a mommy, a wife, a breast cancer survivor, and now an inventor! One night while sitting down to eat at a dinner party that she was hosting her husband served her a piece of super hot & spicy Jamaican Jerk chicken instead of one of the mild pieces that he had grilled too. He simply forgot which piece was which. She decided right then that there had to be a way to determine what was what on the grill. From her brilliance came Grill Charms. Grill Charms are for meat what wine charms are to glasses…they identify who it belongs to. Each charm is about the size of a dime and made out of solid stainless steel. You stick them in the meat before grilling to identify spices, flavors, and cooking temperatures. I use mine all of the time - I like my burgers very rare and my friend Kristen likes her burnt I mean well-done. I don’t want to get stuck eating her burger and she would never want to eat mine They stay put throughout all of the grilling and flipping and leave no confusion when it comes to serving! You can choose the seasoning charm kit or the steak kit. One is for spice options and the other is for temperature differences. You can buy a set of six for under $20 or individual charms for $4. What a great idea!! These are going to be awesome this year for all of my burger bashes! I also think they would make a great hostess or housewarming gift.

Happy Easter! March 23, 2008

Happy Easter to all!  I hope you are having a great Easter Weekend…I will be back on Tues (or maybe late Monday)….

Wanna Trade? March 21, 2008

I found out about this great site called Swaptree. Visit swaptree to trade your old books, cds, dvds, and games for ones that you would rather have. You simply list the items that you have to swap and they will match them up with items that you can trade for them from other members. Pick what you want…send your items off…and wait for your replacements to arrive. The best part is that there is no cost for the service! You can compile a list of things that you would like to trade and the things that you want…Swaptree does all of the work for you. You can even enter your items by typing in the UPC code. I gotta go clean out the basement and find some things to trade…