Fierce Style: How to Be Your Most Fabulous Self Review & Giveaway 10/31/09 - CLOSED WINNERS

CLOSED - CONGRATULATIONS TO

SWEETSUE, KC, FANCYGRLNANCY, BELINDA & MASONSGRANNY59!

E-MAILS HAVE BEEN SENT!

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR ENTERING!

Fierce Style: How to Be Your Most Fabulous Self (Hardcover)

by Christian Siriano

 
Product Details:

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (October 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446546011
• ISBN-13: 978-0446546010

If you don't know who Christian Siriano is, he was the 2008 (Season Four) Project Runway winner.  Winning Project Runway is a big deal for those in the fashion world but the bigger feat is the fact he's only 21 years old.

Hachette Book Group provided a free copy of Christian's book for my review.  This opportunity was provided by the Product Review Place.  The book is broken down into four sections chock full of useful tips for all women:

1. Lady, You Look Fabulous!!!!  This section is helpful tips in finding your personal styles and what to do as well as what not to do!  For example, he says to not wear UGG boots and I'm right there with him!  He advised on how to find your own signature style.   His tips are spot on such as if you are large breasted, you should try to elongate your top half.  I was really surprised as he does know what looks good and what doesn't and he's not just catering to stick women.
2. Finding Your Inner Ferocia is a nice section on finding yourself.  He explains how the clothes is only one aspect of what makes you fierce.  It's really a great breakdown on confidence, self-esteem and just finding out how to love yourself.  There is much more in this section that you have to read it to find out!
3. Every Day is a Runway...Work It is about taking chances, finding yourself, confronting change and again, much more is included in this section.  There really is good, sensible tips throughout the entire book. For example, what you can do with five valuable minutes and he uses the example of knowing where you put the keys so you don't have to spend five minutes looking for them and missing a traffic light later thus throwing off your whole day.  Every minute does count!
4. Inspire Me is the ending to a complete package of hints, tips and inspiration to get to the total fierce you.  For someone so young, he really has invaluable, sensible solutions to become the person you might want to become. 

You don't have to be flamboyant or a super model to be fierce.  All it takes is practical sense, confidence and some good inspiration.  Christian is a prime example of a success story and this is a must read if you want a boost or are in the fashion industry or just want to be entertained as he's a showman!

To purchase, Amazon has it here:

   

The Giveaway:

Hachette Book Group is giving FIVE of my readers the chance to have their own copy!

To Enter:

Leave a comment that you would like to have a copy.

Extra Entries:

1. Follow my blog and leave a comment.
2. Follow me on Twitter.
3. Tweet about this giveaway.
4. Blog about this giveaway.
5. Go to Christian's site and comment here on something you learned.
6. Vote for me at DivineCaroline (widget top left) and get FIVE extra entries! Just vote, return back to the each giveaway and leave five entries with what number of voter you were. Easy!
   
   
   Giveaway ends October 31, 2009 at midnight.  Winner will be chosen via random.org.
   

Don't forget to follow Hachette Book Group on Twitter:

www.twitter.com/centerstreet
www.twitter.com/faithwords
www.twitter.com/foreverromance
www.twitter.com/grandcentralpub
www.twitter.com/littlebrown
www.twitter.com/businessplus
www.twitter.com/orbitbooks
www.twitter.com/twelvebooks

Thank you and good luck!


Looking for some other fashion and style books and DVDs, check out these:

    

Angie's List Free M&Ms When a Friend Joins

If you are a member of Angie's List and get a friend to join, you get a free bag of M&Ms and a chance to win a $1000.

Free Deluxe StriVectin-HS Sample at Beauty.com

Free deluxe StriVectin-HS sample with any http://www.beauty.com/ purchase*.


*Sample size is 0.5 fl oz/14.79 ml. While supplies last. Offer expires Tuesday, October 27, 2009. Cannot be redeemed for cash, exchanged, or applied to previous purchases. May not combine with other offers. Limited to once per household. Please see site for additional details.

AdorableBabyClothing.com Halloween Sale

AdorableBabyClothing.com is having a $5.00 off sale just by using the word "ADORABLE" at checkout.

Fitness Magazine's Customized Workout Video Check It Out!

Did you know that FitnessMagazine.com has a great feature to build your own workout video?

It's an easy step by step tutorial:

1. Pick the body parts you want to target:  abs, chest, arms, legs, back, shoulder, butt and thighs.
2. Choose how much time you want to workout: 15 mins, 20 mins, 30 mins, 45 mins or 60 mins.
3. Select from the equipment you have to use: yoga mat, dumbells, scarf/towel, chair, step, exercise ball, ankle weights or bench.

It also provides an option to instead choose a goal between a four week all over make over or a 20 minute miracle workout.

Just to try it out, I'm a wimp mind you, I picked my abs, butt, thighs and arms for 15 minutes with an exercise ball and bench.

Click here is the customized workout.

You can make changes to the routine.  This is really a great workout option where you can control what you do.

Michael Bublé Crazy Love CD Review

The One2One Network provided an opportunity to receive and review Michael Bublé's new CD titled Crazy Love. I have never heard of Michael Bublé before so I had no preconceptions on what type of music I would hear but I was immediately in love with him! The first couple of songs reminded me of a mixture between Frank Sinatra and Harry Conick Jr. I absolutely loved his sound, his voice and how he was able to capture my atttention so quickly.

The smooth sounds coupled with a wonderful mixture of vocals is apparent in each single. I did not like every song but a few were key such as Cry Me a River. It started dramatic with the horns heating up the sound but ended up jazzy, smooth and sensational. I loved it!

I was surprised that I also liked All of Me as I'm usually picky about how I expect a remake to sound. He added a dramatic flare to each one but it was enough to not ruin each song. He really has a sensual, soothing voice and has blend of instrumentation provides a unique flavor just his own.

I didn't care for Hold On and Heartache Tonight. At least for me, I think his vocal range is better suited for the other song choices.

Overall, I would recommend this CD to someone who likes the jazzy soothing sounds and a flare for the older genre that sounds like Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin. He is definitely crooner material with a big band jazz sound and this is a nice CD to have on a relaxing evening with a bottle of wine or during a romantic dinner.

Album Tracklisting:

1. Cry Me A River
2. All Of Me
3. Georgia On My Mind
4. Crazy Love
5. Haven't Met You Yet
6. All I Do Is Dream Of You
7. Hold On
8. Heartache Tonight
9. You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
10. Baby (You've Got What It Takes)
11. At This Moment
12. Stardust
13. Whatever It Takes (bonus track)

If you missed Michael on Oprah, you can go here to see the interview. His website http://www.michaelbuble.com/ also has the "Haven't Met You Yet" video if you would like to see and hear his soothing, jazzy music.

This CD, Crazy Love was released October 8th in the US, Canada, Mexico and Australia and according to my dear friend Annie in Australia, he is very much liked down under. Here are the remaining release dates:

• 12 Oct - New Zealand
• 16 Oct - Germany, Italy, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Switzerland and Austria
• 19 Oct – UK and France
• 20 Oct - Spain

Amazon has a special Crazy Love promo video here and you can purchase it here:


                        

Join Michael's Facebook page here.

All The Free Photos and Books

Just in time for Christmas, I've noticed in between the mail and e-mail, I'm getting endless offers for free prints, photo books, photo gifts and enormous discounts off my orders.  If you haven't created a photo gift yet, you are missing out as they are the best gifts to give anyone.  I have created a variety of tear responsive gifts through the various businesses over the years.

Your options are endless and I'll include some of the ideas I have done:

• Gather old photos of a loved one (i.e. father/mother) and create a story book.  I created one for my father-in-law last year of his father who was a WW2 veteran.  I included his Marine photos, statistics of the various islands he fought at, pictures of the various campaigns he was involved in, old war posters and so forth.  I will state he had some of this mostly created so all I had to do was retype it into the Blurb photo software package, organize it and add to it.  It induced numerous tears!
• My mother-in-law has a family photo blog site (after loving mine, she got one).  Without her knowledge, I was able to download a few of her pictures and one in particular of her and her sister with Santa was touching.  I had that picture turned into a ceramic keepsake Christmas ornament through Kodak.
• Through Zazzle, I created a personalized photo calendar for my oldest daughter.  Each month had a picture of her sisters in it as well as pictures of all three.  She loved it!
• Another year, I made her photo cosmetic bags that still sit on her dresser as she refuses to use them as she though they were too pretty.  I purchased those at Photoworks.
• I alternate on the Christmas cards as two year's before, I used Kodak as I love the accordian style cards where you can have multiple photos in one card that spans out for a lovely display.  Last year, I used Zazzle to create my cards, matching postage stamps and matching stickers. They were gorgeous!  You can go here to see some of my Zazzle projects.
• This year, I just purchased a personalized photo book from YourPictureBook.com.  I was provided one to review and liked it so much that I had one created for my other daughter.  They will have matching books personalized with their photos.  Want to see the review, read here.
• TrendyPrints.com is another soon-to-be Christmas shopping stop as I was able to review their scrapbook and loved how easy they were to create and they beautiful quality.  Want to see the review, click here.

If interested in all the free and reduced codes to the various photo gift sites, leave me a comment with your e-mail (if you are not registered) and I'll send those out to you.  I'm still gathering them myself as I want to start ordering and taking advantage of the free offers from places such as Kodak, Shutterfly, TrendyPrints and more!

Brandi Carlile Give Up the Ghost CD Review

I never heard of Brandi Carlile but when the One2One Network offered me a chance to listen to her CD for free, I took them up on it.  I love my Michael Buble and Harry Connick Jr. CDs so I thought that Brandi must be good as well. 

I wanted to find out more about Brandi, the singer and song writer, as I like to understand their background and music genre a little more.  I will note that I will not just agree to listen to any music as the initial review offer was appealing since there was a comparison if you like KT Tunstall, Indigo Girls or Missy Higgens, you will most likely enjoy Brandi's third CD Give Up the Ghost.

Brandi was inspired after seeing the Indigo Girls in a Lilith Fair concern and soon picked up a guitar and learned to play.  Her second album, The Story, debuted on Billboard's Top 200 and rose to 2nd on iTunes which is pretty impressive for a new artist. She's also been on tour with one of my favorites, The Dave Mathews Band, which was really my draw to review this CD.

She has multiple genres that she could fit under whether it's pop, country or folk.  Her voice can handle upper and lower ranges as she's a natural.  If you like the folksy/country sound, you will love Brandi.  Some of the songs are very soothing and relaxing while some are a little on the sad side.  It's obvious she grew up with country and western music. 

Tracks:

• Looking Out
• Dying Day 
• Pride And Joy 
• Dreams 
• That Year 
• Caroline 
• Before It Breaks 
• I Will 
• If There Was No You 
• Touching The Ground 
• Oh Dear

Her music has also appeared on several episodes of Grey's Anatomy.



Dreams:


This album is a great collection of work with some of the best.  Elton John was taken by her when she had the opportunity to work with him on this album:  “Brandi has an amazing voice,” he says. “She’s a great songwriter and has a tremendous career ahead of her.”  She also worked with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Benmont Tench and Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls.

See her in concert:

Oct 10 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle

Oct 11 Birmingham, AL Workplay Soundstage
Oct 12 Fayetteville, AR George’s Majestic Lounge
Oct 14 Tulsa, OK Cain’s Ballroom
Oct 15 Santa Fe, NM The Lensic Performing Arts Center
Oct 16 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre
Oct 17 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
Oct 20 San Francisco, CA Fillmore
Oct 22 Portland, OR Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
Oct 24 Seattle, WA The Paramount

Permission Slips: Every Woman's Guide to Giving Herself a Break by Sherri Shepherd Book Review & Giveaway: CLOSED WINNERS

CONGRATULATIONS!

LittleEsMomma, fancygrlnancy, Katie, SRC1964 & kngmckellar

All Winners Have Been e-mailed!

Thanks!

Permission Slips: Every Woman's Guide to Giving Herself a Break

by Sherri Shepherd and Laurie Kilmartin

Product Details:

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (October 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446547425
• ISBN-13: 978-0446547420 Sheri Shepard is a co-host on The View
  
  

Permission Slips Description:

Covering topics such as "It's Jesus or Jail," "Marriage, the Hard Way," "Children: The Gift You Can't Give Back," and "All the Things I Don't Know...And All the Things I Definitely Do," stand-up comedienne, actress, and ABC's The View co-host Sherri Shepherd comically chronicles her struggles to keep up with the many roles-professional, wife, mother, daughter, and friend-that women must play in today's world. Sherri urges women to pursue their most important dreams and to never give up, but also let's readers know that it's okay to give themselves "permission slips" when things don't always work out the way they want them to. As her many fans know, Sherri is never hesitant to speak from the heart, and her bubbly personality shines through in this delightful autobiography.

My Review:

I found this opportunity from The Product Review Place and Hachette Books to review Permission Slips and I will admit that I don't watch The View nor have ever heard of Sherri.  I read the book and immediately laughed both inside at times and outside as she's genuinely funny and made me laugh at her humor and the accuracy on so much of what she wrote about.  Although she has had to endure disappointment and pain, like us all, she brings the humor out and allows you to relate to her experiences.  It was more touching for me because I had been there and the things she wrote about were spot on.

The title of the book is the theme as it's really a creative way to handle life and the guilt women in particular apply to themselves at all levels.  The fact that Sherri tunes into the differences between how men and women react and feel was an eye opener to allow myself to know I'm not alone.  She tackles probably one of the biggest issues women endure and that's guilt.  If you want to laugh, find sympathy and enjoy the ability to relate to another woman and feel good about it, read Permission Slips.  Allowing yourself excuses every now and then is a great idea.

I would highly recommend this book not only to women but to men.  I think it's a good book to show men how women are truly different and why we are different.  Her examples are witty, downright correct and allows you to overcome and rise above. 

Don't miss out on the laughs!

To Purchase:

The Giveaway:

FIVE readers will have the opportunity to win their own copy of Permission Slips!

To enter, leave a comment that you follow my blog <-- isn't that easy?

Extra Entries (leave a comment for each extra entry):

• Follow me on Twitter
• Subscribe to my blog
• Enter another giveaway I have on-going
• Tell me something about Sherri you didn't know by reading about her
• Tweet about this giveaway - worth two entries
• Blog about this giveaway - worth two entries

Giveaway ends November 10, 2009

Winners will be chosen by random.org

Good luck and thank you for entering!

Zazzle $25 Halloween Gift Certificate Giveaway - CLOSED - WINNER

CLOSED - CONGRATULATIONS

LYNN

AN E-MAIL HAS BEEN SENT

PLEASE RESPOND IN 48 HOURS

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED!

Enter the $25 Zazzle Gift Certificate!

Zazzle produces many high quality, unique products from numerous sellers.  The range is almost unlimited and out of all the products I've ordered, I've never been unhappy.

The photo mugs are of amazing quality and you can choose the size of mug, type of mug and the color on some of the features of the mugs.  You can pick the usual type of mug or they have beer steins and the plastic/metal commuter cups.  I've ordered the standard mugs (I pick the largest size mug) as well as the commuter mugs and a clear beer stein which everyone who opened their gifts, were extremely pleased.

On my daughter's wall, I have a large print of my wedding in Hawaii of the two oldest.  It's a beautiful picture and Zazzle did a great job with the quality of the poster size print.  It was delivered in a protected roll container and had no damage.

I just ordered business cards of the Halloween theme to attach to my daughter's school bake sale in October as well as extras to place on the treat bags for the school's party. 

Last Christmas, I created and ordered my own customized photo cards for Christmas and they were the same high quality of any other place where you spend a lot of money.

When my husband returned from Iraq, I customized "Proud Daughter" t-shirts for the girls that had his name.  We wore them when he returned from the airport.  I also ordered customized horse t-shirts for my middle daughter.  All of our great quality and the printing was incredible.  The only thing to note is you have to watch the notes on the ordering page as they will explain if a shirt runs smaller than normal.  I'm not having problems with shrinking but they do tend to run small sometimes.

All in all, as you can tell, I'm a Zazzle fan and you can really create some great gifts with Christmas approaching.

The giveaway:

A $25 gift certificate to Zazzle.

To Enter:

Go to my Zazzle site and leave a comment here on what you product you would pick and follow my blog.  If you already follow, just add that to the comment.

Extra Entries:

1. Follow me on Twitter - leave a comment
2. Blog about this giveaway - leave a comment
3. Tweet about this giveaway - leave a comment
4. Leave a comment on another one of my posts and come back to this post and leave a comment

Giveaway ends 10/31/09 at 10:00 pm

Winner chosen by random.org

Good luck and thanks for entering!

Rue La La Bare Escentuals GREAT Sale: Hurry Ends Saturday

Love Bare Escentuals?

Rue La La has a great deal going on until Saturday but hurry as they are selling out fast.  This is just a sample of what they have:

Don't forget, Join today, place an order and get a $10 CREDIT!

Expires 10/10/09!

bTrendie Shopping Network for Moms and Moms-to-be Latest Sales

Paul Frank Industries

Adorable & Hip Monkey Designs

Paul Frank on sale now!  The above is only a sample of what is available so hurry!

Use YOUTH as your invitation code!

TwitterMoms provided the information to check out a place called bTrendie.com.  It's an online shop that offers the convenience of shopping from home while offering unique items on limited sale day events.  By invitation only, you can participate in the sales events that offer great items at a fraction of the costs.

Membership is free and to check out bTrendie.com yourself, use YOUTH as your invitation code.

After you complete the short registration process, you will be able to view the current sales and future events.  The option to read about the designer or creator is also a great feature.

Your items will be delivered within two weeks.

bTrendie.com does have an upgrade to their membership level to bFirst.  This will allow you access to all events one hour earlier than everyone else.

A great perk to upgrade for free is to invite 10 friends to sign up and you will be upgraded to bFirst.

Things to Note:

• There is a limit of two items per product for purchase to be fair to all members.
• You can add items from more than one on-going event into your shopping cart.
• They accept the usual credit cards and PayPal.
• No shipping to Canada (for now) but they are working on it.
• No shipping internationally (had to list that for my Australian family/friends).

Another nice feature of bTrendie.com is they offer Mompreneurs the opportunity to display something that is a nice fabulous, new "mom" product.

More Information:

bTrendie.com is an invitation only shopping network for moms and moms-to-be. We scour the globe for wonderfully designed, high quality, newly created products you need for your baby, your home and yourselves. Once we find these products, we negotiate the best price possible and then offer it to you, our member, but only for a limited time. Our Events are usually open for 48 - and sometimes just 36 -- hours, so shop fast and shop hard because once the event is over, it's over.

Their Story:

Orbitz Deal for a Shutterfly Free Photo Book

Photo books are the new way to preserve your travel memories. And now they’re so simple to make. In fact, Shutterfly will create a stunning, professionally bound photo book filled with your pictures in just a few minutes. Simply upload your photos to Shutterfly, and they’ll do the rest.

Get your free photo book & use promotion code: OR01-EA7G-Y12V-1VTKXG

Offer ends November 15, 2009.

Tria Beauty Celeb Ready Sweepstakes

The winner of our Celeb-Ready Sweepstakes will receive Phillip Bloch's top 10 do-it-yourself must-have products to help the winner shine like a star.

The 48-Hour Weight-Loss Jump Start Tips

FitnessMagazine.com has a terrific article on how to jump start your diet plan.

Can You Really Lose Weight in 48 Hours?


The short answer to what you really want to know: no, it's unlikely you'll lose any real weight in 48 hours. "Experts recommend a safe level of losing two pounds per week," says FITNESS magazine's Fitness Director, Mary Christ Anderson. "One pound equals 3,500 calories, so to lose a pound in two days, you'd need to eat 2,500 fewer calories" -- a crash diet that, really, no one should ever attempt.

However, it is possible to start developing healthy exercise and eating habits in just two days, which will set you up to drop the weight that you want -- five pounds, 10 pounds, or more.

Go here to read the entire article and plan.

It's a sensible plan and really the smartest way to gear to join us in the Step Up to Slim Down Challenge and win giveaways and LOSE weight! 

What better reason do you need than that?

Why a yeast-free diet? - 09/28/2009 - A Yeast-Free Lifestyle - Everyday Health Blogs

Why a yeast-free diet? - 09/28/2009 - A Yeast-Free Lifestyle - Everyday Health Blogs



Posted using ShareThis

New Wii Fit Plus Review & Possible Giveaway?

New Wii Fit Plus has been released!

If you have the Wii Fit with or without board, you probably like it as I do.  I don't have the Plus game yet but plan on buying it ASAP as it's time to kick it into gear!  I have an Army ball at the end of November so it's time to shape up.  Besides, what better way to get prepared for my Get Fit challenge that starts November 1st?  Want more information on the Get Fit challenge, click here for more.

Amazon has it on sale right now:



It's just like the Fit game in some features but it does vary now:

• Users can input the amount of time they want to spend on their workouts or select an area for personal improvement, and Wii Fit Plus will suggest a number of diverse activities for them.
• For the first time, users can mix and match which strength and yoga activities they prefer on a given day. The seamless exercise flows make it easier than ever for users to maintain their daily workout routines.
• Users might be asked to run an obstacle course across a series of platforms, zoom across a beach on a Segway x2 Personal Transporter or flap their arms to help their hilarious chicken-suited characters aim for targets.
• The range of games and customization options will make players want to play every day. They'll be having so much fun that their workouts will seem to fly by in no time at all.

Unfortunately, Amazon can only ship to the US and some APO/AFO addresses and you can only purchase three games at once. 

The did get great reviews already and this one in particular caught my eye:

"A few of my early favorites:

• Rhythm Parade. I almost skipped over this one because of the title but it's a fun little musically themed 3 minute (at the beginner level) activity that has you marching and "drumming" with your Wiimote and nunchuk. I quickly warmed up and the minutes were over before I knew it. I enjoy this more than the Hula Hoop activity and it makes you move the entire time. 
• Island Cycling. Looks like the environment from the Run modules, but you're on a bike this time. You use the Wiimote sideways to steer (a la MarioKart) and walk on the board to simulate pedaling. The faster you walk, the faster you bike. 
• The Training interface. For the first time, you can customize your workout. You pick from Yoga or Strength exercises (no Balance, though) and customize your workout. Wii Fit Plus will tally up the minutes and you can save the routine. If you click on the animated Balance Board he'll ask you how much time you have and put together a routine for you. You can also pick one of the routines for a specific target area, e.g. entire figure, posture, etc. These are all brief (6-9 minutes) but interesting and beneficial. 
• Pet and child weight support. Got a pudgy child or pet? In my case, I have a fat chihuahua (really!) and am actively trying to slim him down. Since I'm looking to exercise and trim a few pounds myself, this works out. I can now weigh myself AND him and keep a running time line of our respective losses. This all sounds silly, but will be well used by me. It motivates me to weigh him as much as I weigh myself and make sure he is trending down, not up. I would imagine Nintendo did some research here and realized that this would be a valuable feature. 
• Quick stats option. When you're doing a body test, you can simply do a BMI and weight quickly without all the fluff using the Quick stats option. This is good for people who like to weigh-in before work, but do their workout sometime later in the day. 
• Calories for food. This is a bit over the top, but it's cute. The game asks you to pick a target calorie loss per day in terms of a food item (in my case, it's a 190 calorie vanilla ice cream cone). All throughout the workout, you tick down the calories toward your "goal".

All in all, it's a solid game. You can't beat it for the price. It's a marked upgrade and will entirely replace the current Wii Fit disc. All of the original games, yoga, and strength moves are included on this disc."

Want to see this game as a giveaway?  Leave me a comment and let me know!  Otherwise, be on the lookout for the next Wii Game Giveaway!

Once in a Blue Moon by Eileen Goudge Book Review

Once in a Blue Moon by Eileen Goudge

Book Review

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Vanguard Press (October 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593155344
• ISBN-13: 978-1593155346

One2One provided the opportunity to read Once in a Blue Moon by Eileen Goudge which was officially released today.  I would normally not be drawn to the book due to the cover as it had the appearance of a romance novel which I don't normally prefer to read.  Although the cover had the appearance of that genre, it was tastefully done but then I like blue, darker colors. 

From Ms. Goudge's website for Once in a Blue Moon:

"Set in a fictional coastal town in Northern California, where I grew up, it's the story of two sisters separated at a young age, who reunite in adulthood. There's drama aplenty as well as mishaps, misunderstandings and general mayhem. Not to mention romance, which the sisters find in the unlikeliest of places."

I found the book interesting and the descriptions of the characters was excellent.  It was easy to sympathize and find common ground with the details surrounding the sisters and the pain they endured.  I ended up experiencing a sadness early on while reading it because it was very convincing. 

The saga continues with the one unfortunate sister, Kerrie Ann, continuing down a hard path while the other one, Lindsay, fairs better.  It seems to be a continuing theme with siblings and how one usually gets a break while the other doesn't.  It's an unfortunate story that invokes many emotions.  They are finally reunited and the saga continues with the ups and downs and  relationships the two endure.  I don't feel too much can be divulged by the review without giving away the end.  If you want to know what happens, read it!  If you like this type of novel, you will most likely love it.

Ms. Goudge does a superb job with describing scenes, situations, emotions and other characters.  The author was able to tap into the personal side by providing enough insight of the characters to make it come alive.  The real life drama is one in which many readers will be able to relate to. 

If you are not familar with Ms. Goudge's books, visit her website for a list of books and descriptions.  Once in a Blue Moon is Ms. Goudge's 13th book and was dedicated to her sister

There is also an excerpt of the Once in a Blue Moon here.

Fall Into Good Health Reviews and Giveaways: Infectigaurd - CLOSED & WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

CLOSED - CONGRATULATIONS TO:

Katie, Kngmckellar, Heather, SueE and Tera.

e-mail were just sent and each winner has 48 hours to respond.

Tera, I need your e-mail so please send within 48 hours!

Thanks for entering and thanks to Megan at Light Year's Ahead for this opportunity!

With fall and winter approaching, I'm dedicating a series of reviews and giveaways to good health.

Infectiguard by Dr. Fresh is a great new hand sanitizer that is effective in killing germs but not killing your hands.  It has a moisturizer built in to not alone protect your hands from germs but also against dryness unlike other hand sanitizer products. 

I used Infectiguard for a week and with having two medically compromised children, one with an immunodeficiency, I'm nearly an expert on using these type of products.  All the various products up until now, always dried my hands out and have strong alcohol odors to them.

What I also like about Infectiguard is the smell doesn't linger on for hours.  It's quick, you can tell it's working as you can still feel the same properties without the overwhelming smell and the drying out factor.

Infectiguard is even being deployed as the sanitizer of choice for all US military personnel.  Dr. Fresh is working with the Army and US Air Forces Exchange Service which is great news for me since I'm a military spouse and shop at the Exchange.

Straight from Dr. Fresh:

Infectiguard Hand Sanitizer does double duty killing germs and counterbalancing the drying effects of alcohol with moisturizing botanicals and vitamins. It contains 62% alcohol to effectively kill germs, along with aloe vera, vitamin E and other moisturizing ingredients. Unlike other hand sanitizers that have harsh and drying effects on hands, the pH neutral formula leaves hands hydrated, but never sticky. The base stores will carry a wide variety of Infectiguard sizes and formats, ranging from pump bottles, individually wrapped wipes, and portable sprays with carabineer clips, perfect for duty in the field.

Don't want to wait and want to try it yourself?

The Giveaway:

Five readers will be given one bottle of Infectiguard for their own protection.  With the flu season and the fears of swine flu, you won't want to miss this chance to try it!

To Enter:

Comment and follow my blog.

Extra Entries:

* Subscribe to my blog (leave comment).

* Follow me on Twitter (leave comment).

* Blog about this giveaway (leave comment).

* Tweet about this giveaway (leave comment).

* Leave a comment on any other post on this blog (leave comment - up to five entries for this per day please).

Giveaway ends October 31, 2009 at 10:00 PM EST

Winner chosen by random.org

Thanks to Megan at Light Year's Ahead for this opportunity to review Infectiguard.  I received one bottle for this review and was not compensated financially.

Click here for more posts on getting healthy for fall/winter!

Kelly Confidential Perfect Party Planner Site & Enter to Win

Kelly Ripa's Confidential Perfect Party Planner is a great site dedicated to the many causes Kelly represents as well as a party planning feature to help you plan the ultimate killer party with the help of Electrolux and many guest celebrity chefs. 

With Thanksgiving approaching, it's the next holiday that Kelly and friends will provide helpful tips, hints and ideas for making a memorable party.  Each week, a new element will be added to the party plan and you get to choose from three options to add to your specific plan.  They will then pick the most popular choice and enter that into the Kelly Confidential community party plan. 

Every week you return and select your favorite theme to add to your party plan, you will be entered to win a luxury double wall oven from Perfect Turkey Button from Electrolux.  This week's guest celebrity chef is Colin Cowe.  I chose the Simple Elegance theme:

Simple Elegance

You don’t have to go all-out to set an elegant stage for your Thanksgiving celebration; a few special touches can really make a difference.

Try incorporating red into your color scheme to liven up the traditional autumnal browns and gold. Black Magic red roses alongside red votive candles are a … Read Morenice touch.

Instead of fresh flowers, lay white Manzanita branches down the center of your table to create a lush landscape. Then, add a few lovely pieces of crystal or glass and a bowl of silver almonds. Pair simple geometric white china with tumblers and starched white linen napkins.

For place card holders, simply cut the stems of white baby pumpkins with a knife, and insert a place card printed from your computer. The look is minimalist, but still has the feeling of Thanksgiving – it oozes luxury and elegance.

Don't miss out on the fun and enter Kelly Confidential Perfect Party Planner contest!

Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham Review

Find Your Strongest Life What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently

by Marcus Buckingham

Book Details:

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (September 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400202361
• ISBN-13: 978-1400202362
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches

This is a superb book particularly for women who feel they are in a rut, need a change or just need more.  This book is a coaching exercise to identifying what is needed in your life to make changes to reach a goal of happiness.   Marcus is excellent in providing the tools to unlock the keys that will bring fulfillment, peace and control.

What makes the book more valuable is the usage of real women and their plights.  This extra care to details allows a variety of women to relate to them and it shows the path forward or it shows how they could have found the path forward.  This book's timing was perfect for my situation as I look to find what is missing and what will increase my quality of life.

I also found the statistics interesting such as the increasing number of unhappiness among women in general since the 1970's.  Marcus has an ability to understand and provide examples on how to beat the odds.  He also breaks down different domains in your life and provides useful tips in improving those areas whether it's your children, your career, your relationships and so forth.  It's a very well rounded book that I would highly recommend to any women regardless of emotional and physical happiness. 
This website has great resources from an overview of the book, the Strong Life Test, an overview video, an excerpt from the book, conferences and a discussion series.

Marcus has spent his career helping individuals discover and capitalize on their personal strengths.  He calls on his wife's experiences and other women to write this excellent resource on identifying what it is that so many women suffer from.  Marcus was able to take his work experiences as a senior researcher at Gallup Organization which laid the foundations to his book.

To purchase, you can go to Amazon:

Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently

Need more proof, look at the 22 reviewers from Amazon that gave it four out of five stars.

Take the Strong Life Test here.

'Twas The Night Before Christmas with AniMotion™ Book Review & Great Gift Idea

'Twas The Night Before Christmas with AniMotion™

Product Details:

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
• Hardcover: 26 pages
• Publisher: Accord Publishing, a division of Andrews McMeel (September 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0740784323
• ISBN-13: 978-0740784323  

I received this great opportunity by Mom Entrepreneurs and Christa to review this great new technology incorporated into an age old classic 'Twas The Night Before Christmas.  This is an Accord Publishing exclusive with AniMotion™.  Each full-color AniMotion™ window that appears within the festively decorated pages, provides the children with a thrilling, come to life experience.

My two girls literally fought over the book and both wanted it.  The bigger one won so now I have to buy one for the little one.  I have to admit that this is a great family book to start or continue a Christmas tradition with.  The illustrations are rich and colorful yet have an old fashion appearance.  No review can do the animation justice as it's really innovative.  At first you think it's a hologram type image but you quickly learn that as you move the page, the animation comes to life. 

The picture above on the left is a screen shot of what is posted on the Andrews McMeel Publishing site.  The picture on the right is my photo which shows a very rich, beautiful picture of the cover.  I love the deep colors and how it has the appearance of a pricey book.

This photo of the book shows an area on Santa's belly that shakes.  When you move the left side of the page, his belly moves up and down.  The girls laughed when they saw that one. 

To purchase this wonderful, festival book, visit here.

I highly recommend this book to children of all ages and those that love Christmas!  This would make a wonderful Christmas present that can be handed down through the generations.

Pur Flavor Options Water Filtration System Pitcher Review & Giveaway - CLOSED WINNER

CLOSED - CONGRATULATIONS TO

GRADSCHOOLMOMMY!

AN E-MAIL HAS BEEN SENT.

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED!

Bye, bye Aquafina!

I received my Pur Flavor Options Water Filtration System pitcher for review from an opportunity on the Product Review Place and Lindsay (thank you!)!  I always call my husband a computer geek but I'm starting to accept that I'm a reviewer geek.  I waited impatiently for my Pur Flavor Options Water Filtration System after reading all the other great reviews on this innovative product that not only delivers purified water but you can purchase flavor cartridges to jazz up the tastes. 

After I received my Pur Flavor Options Water Filtration System, there are specific instructions on a first time use whereas you need to soak the filter for 15 minutes and then rinse.  After you complete the step and have a cleaned pitcher (no dishwashers), you can start to assemble your choice of flavors or leave it plain.  The beauty with this system is you have a choice!  You can choose any flavor they offer or enjoy the great taste of purified water.  If you want to change the flavor, you don't have to wait until the cartridge is empty.

The water definitely tasted better filtered than straight out the tap.  Something about the Savannah River water isn't appealing to me relative to the taste and odor.  I have bought Aquafina for years but now I can happily say I will switch.  I'm a very picky water drinker and up until now, I would only drink Aquafina so switching to Pur Flavor Options Water Filtration System is a huge step for me.  I'm also in the middle of a weight loss program so the more water I consume, the better.  The flavors will provide a variance and encourage me to stay motivated as plain water after awhile becomes dull.

It's reasonably priced too:



The cartridges pay for themselves in the bottled water you don't have to purchase:



These filters provide up to 40 gallons (1 to 2 months) of crystal clean water. Reduces lead and removes microbiological cysts while leaving beneficial fluoride in the water. Can also help remove 96% of trace pharmaceuticals found in some tap water supplies.
The flavor cartridges come in the following flavors:

• Lemon
• Grape - I tried this one and was surprised that I liked it.  I think I'll prefer the lemon flavor which I'm going to buy today.
• Rasberry
• Strawberry
• Peach

The cartridges are great for my weight loss program as they have 0 calories, 0 carbs, 0 sodium, 0 fat and 0 sugars!

To get special coupons and offers from Pur, click here:
https://www.pgeverydaysolutions.com/pgeds/pur/brandsampler-login.jsp

To read some alarming news about our water supply, click here with a story that has excerpts of an interview with the EPA.

I almost forgot to note that my six year old LOVED it!  She likes water but was fascinated with this new gadget and had to have it as soon as I assembled it.  She preferred the plain water as she's not a grape or rasberry fan.  I think she will enjoy the lemon flavor.  As a mom, getting rid of the sodas is a high priority and this gives her an option in between other products of water I purchase to replenish her electrolytes.

I highly recommend the Pur Flavor Options Water Filtration System to anyone.  Not only will you have peace of mind that some of the contaminants, pollutants and pharmaceutical residues are getting removed, it's cheaper and it's fun for the little ones!

The Giveaway:

Your own Pur Flavor Options Water Filtration System! 

To Enter:

1. Leave a comment on which flavor you think you would enjoy and you must follow my blog.

Extra Entries (leave an additional comment for each step completed):

1. Go the PUR site and sign up for their newsletter.
2. Go the PUR site and leave a comment here on something you learned.
3. Follow me on Twitter.
4. Tweet about this giveaway.
5. Blog about this giveaway.
6. Subscribe to my blog.
7. Read another post, comment and come back to this post and leave a comment.

Giveaway ends October 31, 2009 (Happy Halloween!) at midnight (EST)

Winner chosen by random.org

Jillian Michael's New Wii Fitness Ultimatum 2010

I just saw the pre-order advertisements at last for Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 for October 6th and I'm excited!  I'm hoping this one is better than her last game and I hope to hear more of the Jillian we all have grown to love (and some hate).  I can hear her already yelling to "GET OFF YOUR A_____!!!"

Love her or hate her, she makes The Biggest Loser great.  She's the Simon Cowell of weight loss and makes no bones about it.  If you are watching the latest season of The Biggest Loser, have you noticed how Bob is taking it up a notch?  He's not so Paula Abdul anymore.  I love it as they are both acting out the good cop/bad cop with the contestants.  I digressed a bit so back to the game.

You can pre-order this through Amazon and if the price drops from the point of purchase until release, they will adjust your price. Buy.com is advertising a lower price by a few dollars so I suspect Amazon will follow.

Here are some screenshots of the game and they look better from the last game:

The graphics look much better and you actually get to see Jillian performing the exercises.  This game looks way better than her first one:

Product Features:

• "Resolutions" Mode features a customizable training calendar that allows users to plan their routines for up to six months as Jillian coaches you every step of the way.  I love the trackers as it's a great tool to see how you are progressing.
• Cardio Training: Swing Kicks, Obliques, Jumping Jacks, Hip Twists, Water Pump, Running, Bicycle. This already looks better than the other game's exercises.
• Strength Training: Push-Ups, Crunches, Pelvic Thrust, Side Planks, Side Lunges, Sledge Swing, Back Kick w/ Shoulder Press, Boat Pose, Lunge Kick.
• Most exercises enhanced for Balance Board.
• More accurate motion tracking for more precise exercise movements

Building on the success of her first videogame, star fitness trainer Jillian Michaels returns to Wii with a new and improved fast-paced, high-intensity workout in Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2010. Set on a rugged, Pacific jungle island, players will enter a Hell Week-style boot camp filled with many new features and workout modes for 2010, including more accurate motion tracking and a calendar system enabling the user to program routines on a period of up to 6 months. Finally, you'll never train alone with direct feedback and motivation from Jillian for greater results! Game design by health and wellness expert Jillian Michaels: > Features Jillian's motion-captured movements > Fitness routines created by Jillian > All-new audio from Jillian

I'm game ... :)

Tombstone Helps Pay Your Bills

Kraft via Tombstone Pizza is offering a mail in rebate deal where if you purchase 7, 12 or 17 pizzas, they will send you back either $5, $10 or $15.  Not a bad deal if you eat their pizza as $15 can come in handy around the Christmas time.

Requests must be postmarked by January 14, 2010 and received by February 01, 2010.  You must include your utility company and account number and they suggest attaching a copy of a past bill to ensure proper credit.

It will take around 6 to 8 weeks to receive credit.

For more information, go to http://www.kraftfoods.com/sitecollectionimages/imagerepository/7/tombstoneflyer.pdf