Tuesday, June 29, 2010


Splits For a Cause: A New Program to Earn Money For Ovarian Research!

My friends at MomSelect asked me to let you guys know about this really cool new program!

Kelly Ripa and Electrolux are joining forces once again to celebrate the launch of Electrolux Appliance's new stand-alone refrigerator and freezer - that's right, the familiar duo has split up. And to sweeten the celebration, they're bringing in the "Emperor of Ice Cream" Stephen Bruce, owner and founder of Serendipity 3, the landmark New York City restaurant and dessert spot, into the mix.


Kelly and Bruce teamed up to make banana splits for a cause. And now we want you to dig in, with your virtual spoon! Starting today, at http://www.kelly-confidential.com/, you can build your ultimate banana split using virtual ingredients from classic whipped cream to caramel sauce to rainbow sprinkles. For each "split", Electrolux will donate $1 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund as part of its $750,000 commitment to help fight ovarian cancer


***(From 6/29/10 - 9/7/10, Electrolux will donate $1 to OCRF for each banana split made, with a minimum of $35K and a maximum of $40K)


As usual, Electrolux and Kelly find new and fun ways to say thank you to those who support this great cause. Everyone who logs on to the site and builds a split will be automatically entered for a chance to win the daily prize - $50 towards sweet summer treats - and the grand prize: the new stand-alone refrigerator and freezer from Electrolux.


What kind of split will you want to make? 


Disclaimer: MomSelect has entered me into a drawing in appreciation of writing this post.  No compensation was received and the opinions expressed are my own.


Friday, June 25, 2010



I Am Hutterite: A Fascinating True Story Of One Woman's Journey To Reclaim Her Heritage - A Review and GiveAway!

I love stories.  I love stories about real women and the tales they tell.  This is a book about a women born into the Hutterite community in Canada.

Mary-Ann Kirkby is an award-winning author, whose first book, I Am Hutterite chronicles her childhood experiences of life on a Hutterite colony and the aftermath of leaving community life.


A former journalist, she began her career in Dauphin, Manitoba as a news anchor and reporter and later was appointed senior reporter responsible for aboriginal issues at CTV in Prince Albert. From 1993-1996, she worked in Ottawa as a freelance journalist and served as Media Relations Consultant for the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

She is the recipient of two Can-Pro Awards for political reporting and for hosting a children's program.

In 1969, Mary-Ann Kirkby's parents did the unthinkable. They left a Hutterite colony near Portage la Prairie, Manitoba with seven children and little else, to start a new life. Overnight, the family was thrust into a society they did not understand and which knew little of their unique culture. The transition was overwhelming.

When Mary-Ann leaves Fairholme, she embarks on a mission to reinvent herself. She is put in the awkward position of denying her heritage in order to fit in with her peers. Her book details her painful and often humorous attempts to adapt to popular culture as she comes to terms with the heart-breaking circumstances that led her family to leave community life.

Few Canadians are aware that the prairie region is home to the largest concentration of Hutterites in the world. Their appearance and cloistered lifestyle have often made them the objects of prejudice and suspicion but beneath the black hats and polka dots lies a spirited and proud community of storytellers, artisans, inventors, teachers, carpenters, and agrarians who have made significant contributions to the North American cultural tapestry and economy.

I Am Hutterite takes us inside Fairholme Colony where Mary-Ann Kirkby spent the first ten years of her life. Her intimate portrait of Hutterian people opens a window on a closed community and reveals a way of life that seems extraordinary to the outside world.

As a television reporter, Mary-Ann Kirkby spent years telling the stories of others. Now she is ready to share her own. I Am Hutterite layers the rich traditions of colony life with the stark realities of intolerance and mistrust, weaving a gripping tale that tests the power of forgiveness.

Here is a review from US Publishers Weekly:

"This sweeping prairie memoir, self-published in Canada in 2007, rapidly garnered both commercial and literary applause. Recounting the author's journey from a Hutterite girlhood to an adolescence of desperate striving to catch up with fashions of the time, the book manages to pack information about Hutterite life into a coming-of-age narrative without slowing it down. Kirkby's family moved away from their Manitoba colony when she was 10 years old, after what she calls a “near idyllic childhood” in the cradle of a communal society. Once a reader commits the many characters and their relationships to each other to memory, the book becomes as riveting and well-paced as a novel. Kirkby captures the complex cadences of Hutterite life—the bawdy humor and knack for storytelling that stands beside austere ritual, the poverty of personal possession and freedom that exists beside the security of community life—with pitch-perfect writing. She also manages to avoid either vilifying or romanticizing a culture that has been subjected to both. Readers will find themselves hoping that Kirkby follows the popular trend in memoir writing: producing a sequel. "

I must admit I could not put this book down.  From the opening sentence to the very last word I found myself being drawn into the mind and heart of the author, Mary-Ann Kirby.  I cried and I smiled and I related to her observations on women and family, even though the community she grew up in is totally foreign to anything I have ever encountered.  She speaks on universal themes of love, anger, sadness, and friendship. 

I encourage you to seek out this book and read it. 

If you don't want to wait you can win your very own copy!

Here's what you have to do:
1) You MUST be a Google Friend Connect follower of my blog ( this will be verified)


AND

(2) You MUST like I am Hutterite on Facebook via this link

BOTH (1) and (2) MUST be done for your initial entry! Leave me ONE comment stating that both items were completed

If you already subscribe to my blog please just let me know in that mandatory first comment as well.

If you want additional entries:

(3) Follow me on Twitter

(4) Tweet about this giveaway ( leave one comment with a link to your tweet)

(5) Subscribe to my site via Feedburner ( look on the side of my blog for the place to leave your email address)

(6) Blog about this giveaway and leave me a comment with a link to your post and link back to this give-a-way post as well!



Give-a-way to run until 11:59 pm EST on July 5th, 2010. Winner will be chosen via Random.org. Email will be sent to winner with a response needed within 72 hours of winning email with shipping information. If winner does not respond to email, an alternate winner will be chosen. Good only within the continental USA. Make sure you leave a contact email within your post or check to make sure that I can email you via your blogger profile.




Disclaimer: I was provided with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.







KC Distance Learning: A New Way To Meet Your Child's Academic Needs


I know...it's summer and since school has finally ended, why am I posting about online learning?  Actually this is the ideal time to review this program since the areas that my child might need additional help with are fresh in my mind.

Taking classes online is one way to give middle and high school students (and their school districts) new options to learn using preferred tools in a familiar environment, and even experience enhanced, one-on-one relationships with educators. Whether they're in need of more assistance, looking for wider range of classes or simply prefer to learn in a medium that they have grown up with, online learning can be a great way to fit your child's needs.

Students are increasingly able to take online classes in partnership with their local school districts. Schools facing budget cuts and a reduction in teachers are turning to online classes to supplement their curriculum, from offering classes for which they have no teachers, Advanced Placement classes for students who excel, and credit recovery options for students who struggle. In fact, today there are 1 million children learning online, either part time, full time or between school terms. Additionally, more than 20 percent of schools and educational institutions around the country offer online classes today, and that number should grow by another 30 percent within a couple of years, according to industry research.



A recent survey found that compared to traditional learning environments, online learning is proving to be an effective way in teaching today's "iGeneration" who live in a world of customized and instant feedback. Here are highlights from the survey:


-72% of online students spend three or more hours on homework per week vs. 56% of students in traditional schooling.


-54% of online students get more challenges when they are doing well in school vs. 49% of students in traditional schooling.


-58% of online students get more help when they fall behind vs. 40% of students in traditional schooling.


-Online students have more interest in attending a four year college after graduation than students in traditional schooling. 78% vs. 67%


Take a moment to look at a demonstration where you can view the tools and technologies online students use to engage with their teachers and classmates. Click on the following link to experience how students engage with their teachers and classmates online, in a recorded session where students from around the country come together outside of class to discuss the results of the "iGeneration" survey with their teacher and hear their insights. http://smub.it/jlj/iqlive

Also, to experience the robust curriculum offered by online learning, click on the following link - http://aventalearning.com/aventa-capabilities-demo. Once there, select the green button that says "view multi-media demo." When the demo loads, select media-rich curriculum to experience how online learning is effectively teaching today's iGeneration.

I watched the demo and was impressed with how engaging it really was! I initially thought that it would be dull and complicated to use but it was really very interesting and oh so easy to use. When I looked at all the types of offerings that were available to Sarah, who is a 10th grader, I was really blown away! Being able to choose the courses that she needed provides the type of flexibility that makes this ideal for home-schooled children as well.


Take a few minutes and look around the website and see what is available for you.....


Disclosure: Momselect invited me to review this site and although they are providing me with a gift card to say thank me for my time it in no way influenced my review of this program.




























Tuesday, June 22, 2010





Neutrogena UltraSheer Liquid Sunblock: So Light You Don't Even Realize You Are Wearing It!


As I get older, I have begun to realize the importance of protecting your skin on a daily basis, not only when you go to the beach or spend the day outdoors.

Personally, I hate the greasy feeling of most sunblocks and the heaviness of that feeling on my skin, especially my face.

That is one of the things that I really like about Neutrogena UltraSheer Liquid; the fact that it feels light-weight and does not bother me or make me feel like I have gobs of what-ever on my face all the time.

The fact that it is protecting my face from damage now, and in the future just makes me like it even more.

Would you like to review UltraSheer®, too? Then go to http://www.giantwavepool.com/ultrasheer!

Or get $2 off your UltraSheer® purchase at http://www.neutrogena.com/suncoupon.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the product mentioned above for free for review purposes from Tidal Labs. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."


Monday, June 21, 2010




Wrap Me Up Anytime: Affordable Scarves Review and Give-A-Way!!

I love scarves.  I really do.  I use them year around to add a touch of  "me" to what I wear. So when I was asked to choose a scarf for my very own from the Affordable Scarves website imagine my surprise when I saw not only all the choices I had but how very reasonable the prices were!

Should I pick a spring scarf?  A summer scarf?  So many scarves...so little time!

About the only thing I didn't have a struggle with was the color to choose...yeah, I chose purple:


Surprised?

This is called the Sequin Party Shawl and it is absolutely beautiful!  Sequins and beading and a beautiful purple color to boot....great to dress up that simple summer outfit and it works as well with jeans and a tank as it does the classic black dress.

The Affordable Scarves website is actually more then just a collection of great accessories....it is also a primer with videos and tutorials and even history!  Cool, huh?

To make it even better Affordable Scarves is giving you, my dear readers, the chance to own an Affordable Scarf of your very own!  They are offering you a chance to win a $20 gift certificate to their site to buy anything you want!


If you want to win, however, here is what you have to do:




1) You MUST be a Google Friend Connect follower of my blog ( this will be verified)

AND

(2) You MUST subscribe to the Affordable Scarves Blog via this link

BOTH (1) and (2) MUST be done for your initial entry! Leave me ONE comment stating that both items were completed

If you already subscribe to my blog please just let me know in that mandatory first comment as well.

If you want additional entries:


(3) Follow me on Twitter

(4) Tweet about this giveaway ( leave one comment with a link to your tweet)

(5) Subscribe to my site via Feedburner ( look on the side of my blog for the place to leave your email address)

(6) Blog about this giveaway and leave me a comment with a link to your post and link back to this give-a-way post as well!

(7) Follow Affordable Scarves on Twitter

(8) Like Affordable Scarves on Facebook and let them know you are there from It's Really Only a Purple World.



Give-a-way to run until 11:59 pm EST on July 5th, 2010. Winner will be chosen via Random.org. Email will be sent to winner with a response needed within 72 hours of winning email with shipping information. If winner does not respond to email, an alternate winner will be chosen. Good only within the continental USA. Make sure you leave a contact email within your post or check to make sure that I can email you via your blogger profile.



Disclaimer: Affordable Scarves provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.


Smoke Gets in Your Blender: CSN Saves Me From Smoothie Cravings!

How hot is it where you live?  Here in New York so far it has been a brutal summer.  My boyfriend introduced me to the indulgence of home-made smoothies recently and it has been the one thing that kept me cool and refreshed.

My boyfriend was too busy this weekend to indulge my cravings so I asked him to give me the secrets to smoothie making...and he did.  I know I followed the directions thoroughly but somehow the moment I turned on my blender all of a sudden I saw smoke!  Uh-oh!  Now what will I do?

Da-Da-Da....CSN Stores to the rescue!  Moments after I cleared the kitchen of the smoke from the now never-to-work-again blender I get an email from the CSN folks asking me to choose a product to review.  Can you guess what I chose?  No, not a vanity ( they have those to you know!)....but a BLENDER!  And one that does not smoke either!

Stay tuned for my review....


Sunday, June 20, 2010


To All My Readers and Their Fathers I Wish You a Happy Fathers Day!!!!!


Saturday, June 19, 2010

How Sweet It Is!  Truvia - A Review and Giveaway!!!

Got a chance to try out the new no calorie sweetener Truvia recently and I must say I am quite impressed!  Unlike the other alternative sweeteners out there, Truvia actually is granular just like sugar and for me that is a major appeal.  I really dislike the powdery consistency of some of the other brands so this was a real plus for me!

Here is some information the people who represent Truvia sent me that I thought was pretty interesting and really speaks to why Truvia is a pretty unique product:


INGREDIENTS


Truvia natural sweetener is made from rebiana, erythritol, and natural flavors:

• Rebiana comes from the leaves of the stevia plant, which was discovered more than 200 years ago in South America and has been used as a sweetener in various parts of the world for more than three decades. Truvia rebiana is different from most stevia sold today because it consists of only the best-tasting components of the stevia leaf.

• Erythritol is a sugar alcohol found naturally in various fruits such as grapes and melons. Erythritol is an all-natural, non-caloric sweetener, used as an ingredient that provides bulk for Truvia™ natural sweetener.

• Natural flavors are used to bring out the best of Truvia natural sweetener, like pepper or salt or any other spice that would be used to heighten the taste of food.

SAFETY



Truvia rebiana is safe. Government agencies in the United States and around the world, including FDA and the World Health Organization, have recognized its safety.

Truvia natural sweetener is safe for people with diabetes, because it has no effect on the glycemic index (it does not raise or lower your blood sugar).




LOOK FOR THE LEAF

Truvia rebiana is also used as an ingredient in foods and beverages. Look for this leaf symbol to indicate that the product has been naturally sweetened with Truvia rebiana.

Current products include:

• Glaceau vitaminwater10 and vitaminwater zero
• Coca Cola Sprite Green

• Odwalla Reduced-Calorie Quencher

• Kraft Crystal Light Pure Fitness

• True Lemon Naturally Sweet

• Kraft Nature’s Splash

• All Sport Naturally Zero

• Hansen’s Natural Lo-Cal Juices

• Blue Sky Free sodas

• Minute Maid Premium Pomegranate Tea

• Breyers YoCrunch 100 Calorie Pack

• Velamints breath mints

• Dippin’ Dots ice cream

I am loving some of the recipes from the website as well..check this one out!


Sweet Potato Pie with Truvia Natural Sweetener

Pastry for single-crust 9-inch pie 


3 medium sweet potatoes

¼ cup unsalted butter

16 packets Truvia natural sweetener

¾ cup skim milk

3 eggs, large

2 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon, ground

½ tsp nutmeg, ground

1/8 tsp allspice, ground

Light whipped topping, optional



Procedure

1. Assemble all ingredients; preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Wash exterior of each potato, prick several times with a fork and bake until tender 60-75 minutes. Cool potatoes to room temperature.

3. Scoop interior flesh of baked potatoes into a medium bowl (no skin). Mash potatoes until smooth.

4. Melt butter and add to sweet potatoes.

5. In a separate small bowl, whisk together Truvia natural sweetener, skim milk, eggs, vanilla, salt and spices.

6. Add spice-egg mixture to potatoes.

7. Mix until well combined smooth mixture.

8. Carefully transfer pie to oven* and bake on bottom rack until filling is just set approx 35-45 min. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

*For an extra crisp bottom crust, preheat a shallow baking pan in oven for a few minutes before placing unbaked pie on it to bake. Optional: Garnish with light whipped topping

Nutrition Facts per servingCalories 260; Total Fat, 15g; Saturated Fat, 7g; Trans Fat, 0g; Cholesterol, 135mg; Sodium, 300mg; Total Carbohydrate, 32g; Dietary Fiber, 2g; Sugars, 5g; Erythritol, 7g: Protein, 5g; Vitamin A, 220% DV; Vitamin C, 15% DV; Calcium, 6% DV; Iron, 6% DV.

* This sweet potato pie has 260 calories and 5 grams of sugar per serving as compared to regular sweet potato pie that has 370 calories and 33 grams of sugar per serving.

And if you have read all the way to this point, then you will know that it is time for the giveaway of a box of Truvia for you to try too!

If you want to win, however, here is what you have to do:

1) You MUST be a Google Friend Connect follower of my blog ( this will be verified)


AND

(2) You MUST tell me which recipe from the Truvia site you would like to try

BOTH (1) and (2) MUST be done for your initial entry! Leave me ONE comment stating that both items were completed

If you already subscribe to my blog please just let me know in that mandatory first comment as well.

If you want additional entries:

(3) Follow me on Twitter

(4) Tweet about this giveaway ( leave one comment with a link to your tweet)

(5) Subscribe to my site via Feedburner ( look on the side of my blog for the place to leave your email address)

(6) Blog about this giveaway and leave me a comment with a link to your post and link back to this give-a-way post as well!

Give-a-way to run until 11:59 pm EST on June 29th, 2010. Winner will be chosen via Random.org. Email will be sent to winner with a response needed within 72 hours of winning email with shipping information. If winner does not respond to email, an alternate winner will be chosen. Good only within the continental USA. Make sure you leave a contact email within your post or check to make sure that I can email you via your blogger profile.


Disclaimer: Truvia provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.


Thursday, June 17, 2010


Solo Online Photo Contest: How Does $5,000 For a Single Picture Sound To You?

Please Note: The following post is brought to you courtesy of the folks over at MomSelect.


Our friends at Solo are back this summer with their second annual Solo Online Photo Contest! And like last year, they are unveiling new must-have product just in time for summer barbecues. Solo Squared plates and bowls are the perfect complement to their popular Squared cup. These durable, single-use cups, plates and bowls cut down on clean-up time, which means more time for summer fun!


Speaking of fun, how does winning great prizes sound? The Solo Cup Company has launched their second annual online photo contest with a grand prize of $5,000 for the best photo featuring Solo products. You'll be able to enter your favorite photos at http://www.solocups4ever.com/ until August 6th. In addition to the grand prize, two $1,000 runner-up prizes will be awarded at the end of the contest. By entering, you'll also have the chance to win daily and weekly prizes of gift certificates and Solo products- a great way to extend the fun of summer well into the fall!


Disclaimer: Although I received no compensation or product for this post, I am entered into a contest for a gift card for posting it. 


Tuesday, June 15, 2010



Zippity Doo's: Preventing Lice is What is Does: A Review and Giveaway!!!

Yeah, I know...who wants to talk about lice?  Yech!  It seems that the only times we, as parents, want to talk about it is when it affects our own children and our own home.

Lice prevention is especially relevant as we get ready to send our children to camp and summer programs - a perfect breeding ground for lice!  Kids can't help it..they share clothes, brushes, hats, and tend to play together in close proximity....the very conditions that contribute to your children getting lice.

Up until now there was no products that I know of to actively prevent the transmission of lice...and then came the Zippity Doo's line of products!

When Mom Central offered me the opportunity to review the Zippity Doo's line of Lice Prevention Products I accepted because I have first hand experience what a pain this is to eradicate in your child's hair.  I was excited to see what this line was about and whether or not it would be pleasant to use.

I received the Zippity Doo Shampoo, Conditioner, Styling Gel, and Shield Spray.  I am unable to review the efficacy of the product ( thankfully) but I can attest to the fact that they smell nice and present no barrier to everyday use by children, a most important point of sale.

All the products that are in this line have three things in common:


Leaves hair clean, shiny and healthy


Protects against head lice infestation

Pleasant, fresh scent
 
I have the pleasure of offering you a FULL SET of the same products that I was sent from Mom Central!  Perfect timing, huh?
 
If you want to win this set, this is what you have to do:
 
1) You MUST be a Google Friend Connect follower of my blog ( this will be verified)


AND

(2) You MUST tell me where Zippity Doo products are available in your area ( you can use this link)


BOTH (1) and (2) MUST be done for your initial entry! Leave me ONE comment stating that both items were completed


If you already subscribe to my blog please just let me know in that mandatory first comment as well.


If you want additional entries:

(3) Follow me on Twitter

(4) Tweet about this giveaway ( leave one comment with a link to your tweet)

(5) Follow Zippity Doo's on Twitter

(6) Blog about this giveaway and leave me a comment with a link to your post and link back to this give-a-way post as well!

(7) Like Zippity Doo on Facebook and let them know you are there from It's Really Only a Purple World



Give-a-way to run until 11:59 pm EST on June 29th, 2010. Winner will be chosen via Random.org. Email will be sent to winner with a response needed within 72 hours of winning email with shipping information. If winner does not respond to email, an alternate winner will be chosen. Good only within the continental USA. Make sure you leave a contact email within your post or check to make sure that I can email you via your blogger profile.




Disclaimer: Mom Central provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.






Monday, June 14, 2010








Domenica Restaurant in New Orleans:  A Welcome Addition to the New Orleans Food Scene

My friend Chav and I recently had the pleasure of a girl's getaway to New Orleans, one of my favorite places to visit.  We had a fabulous time and ate some amazing food, but our visit to a fairly new restaurant called Domenica blew us away with their food, ambiance, and level of attention to service.  So much that I decided they definitely deserved a blog post by yours truly since this is a secret that should not be a secret anymore.

I'll start with our server Todd...






Hi Todd!! 

He started our amazing experience with being able to suggest and modify dishes based on our dietary needs ( Chav does not eat meat) That he made us feel truly welcome and special was just icing on an already exquisite cake!

I have to mention Matt as well since he was a fellow New Yorker and made us feel equally as welcome...



Hi Matt!

I want to say Hi to Laurie as well, but unfortunately we forgot to take her picture...

We ate an amazing meal and this was our starter..



It's called Fried Squash Blossoms and was amazing!

One thing I want to mention is their pizza oven; it is unique as the pizzas rotate through on a conveyor belt so they come out even and perfect every time...





What I didn't know when Chav chose this restaurant amongst the literally hundreds that are available in The Big Easy is that this is a John Besh Restaurant and if the other restaurants he runs are as good to eat in as this one, then they are truly a " Do Not Miss" food event while your are visiting!!

Go eat, ask for Todd, and tell them Wendy sent you!





504 648.6020

123  Baronne Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70112















My Dear Readers,

The following is a direct copy from a Blogger friend of mine who runs " We Aren't Perfect".  Today she put up this post and I was moved enough to respond with an offer to post it here as well to give this great cause as much exposure as possible.

She graciously agreed to let me copy the entire post here; please take a moment to read it, comment on it, post it, and give it the shout out it deserves.

I hope you will be moved as well.

Wendy



6/14/2010


TEARS for a Tiny Life Lost


When those two pink lines show up on the test stick, you never imagine burying your baby. Instead, you dream of soft blankets, sweet-smelling baby skin, and cute maternity shirts on a rounded belly. You brush away happy tears imagining those little newborn sighs while he lay at your breast.



You don’t dream of an ultrasound that shows a full-grown baby…with no heartbeat. You don’t think you’ll be leaving the hospital without a belly, without a new child. The car seat you picked out, so lovingly installed by an eager dad-to-be, now sits in the backseat. Empty. The nursery you’ve just finished decorating is still beautiful--but there’s no one there. No cries heard on the monitor. No little body to be swaddled in the blankets, or dressed in the carefully washed and folded baby clothes. No bottom to be diapered, no colic to be soothed in the rocking chair.

No baby.

While the rest of us new moms and dads mourn for sleep, there are parents weeping for babies they can’t have. For babies they’ve buried.

A dear friend of mine and her husband lost their son when she was just over 7 months pregnant. But it wasn't just a 'pregnancy'; it was their baby. It was their child. She nurtured him and mothered him, fed him and loved him. His daddy read to him and bonded with him. She remembers rocking him to sleep in her belly, being awakened at the same time everyday with a hearty “ninja” kick, feeling the lurch of his tiny body hiccuping. And the love. The insane, all-encompassing, passionate love she had for her boy.

But then, they lost him. One day he was healthy, with a strong heartbeat, the next...he was gone.

Through sobs and gasps of sorrow, she delivered their baby boy. With insurmountable grief they held their tiny baby together. Isaiah, (“God is My Salvation”) was their firstborn child. Who could ever imagine that a 3 pound, 10 ounce bundle could hold the weight of the world's sorrows?

Today Isaiah should be running and jumping, covering his mom and dad with muddy hugs and chocolate kisses. He should be sleeping with his favorite blanket, protesting for just one more story, one more kiss. Instead, Isaiah sleeps in a cemetery, under a tree that provides shade and shelter for those who come to see him.

Even in death, this sweet boy puts others first.

What do you tell a woman whose belly, now flat, was swollen with life just two weeks ago? What do you tell a father who spent his days praying for his new baby? What do you tell a mom, who counted every kick, every movement with baited breath, praying for her baby’s safe delivery? What do you say to her? I don’t know.

My blog is mostly carefree; bordering on humorous. It is not political nor does it promote social activism or charitable causes. But I wanted to do this post to bring awareness to anyone who has ever been affected by infant loss. And because of life; oh, how I treasure it. How I believe in it. Every week and month that little baby exists is a week and a month we’re connected to another soul. I don’t believe for a second God causes these babies to die. I don’t believe He ignores the prayers and turns his back on hopeful parents. No, I can’t believe that. I don’t know why it happens, other than we live in a broken world. Bad things happen. Life happens. But at least it happens with a God who can hold us as we mourn. While that is my belief, I know it may not be that yours. And that’s ok. I just believe what I believe.

Where TEARS comes in: The next time you go to the store and see excited moms-to-be eagerly picking out items to stock their wish lists with, take a moment to breathe a prayer for the parents who are at the same moment picking out a tiny headstone. A tiny coffin. And think of the tragedy on top of it all: Their inability to pay for a funeral. While they desperately want to give their daughter or son a proper burial, they simply cannot afford it. Who plans funeral costs during a pregnancy? If you get a chance, if this post has moved you at all, please go visit the TEARS Foundation. The outreach and financial support it gives these grieving families is quite simply, a blessing. My friends have their own page in honor of Isaiah: http://www.firstgiving.com/abbiesmith2. Each year they do a walk to raise money for tears. This year I didn't have any money to give to them. What I did have was a blog, and lots of people who read it.

Whether you have a dollar or twenty to spare, send it on. And if you don’t, that's ok. Just send this post to someone who might. And then they’ll send it, and they’ll send it, and hopefully, we can get enough funding to give least a few families the ability to bury their children properly.

And do me a favor (my faithful followers and readers in particular): Make sure to leave a comment below and let me know if you’ve forwarded either this post to someone. Linking back to this on your blog would be even better. We really want to raise awareness for this cause.

Thanks for visiting. And tonight, as you approach the never ending bedtime battle with your kids, give them a free pass--let them read that third book. Lay with them an extra five minutes. Or ten. And as you do, think of those parents who would give anything to be in your shoes.

Links:

http://www.firstgiving.com/Abbiesmith2

http://www.thetearsfoundation.org/
 






Have you guys heard of Stacy's Pita and Bagel Chips?  I was recently given an opportunity to try them, courtesy of the One2One Network and I have to say they are actually quite good!

Here are some facts about the chips you might find interesting:

· Stacy’s Pita and Bagel Chips are twice baked, all natural, have no trans fats per serving and are incredibly versatile.


· By pairing Stacy’s Pita and Bagel Chips with a healthier dip option like hummus it allows you to get a little extra nutrition into your snacking.

· Stacy’s Pita and Bagel Chips are the perfect snack when entertaining this summer – whether it’s before dinner, girlfriends’ night-in or your family’s next big occasion.

Sounds pretty good, huh?  Even better is that there are many different varieties such as Tuscan Herb, Cinnamon Sugar, and Multigrain.

But what you really want to know is that Stacy’s The Art of Summer Sweepstakes runs from 12:00:00 p.m. Central Time on June 14 to 11:59:59 p.m. CT on June 23!  You could win a one-year supply of Stacy’s coupons (52 coupons total) each good for one (1) 8-ounce bag of Stacy's snacks up to $3.99 each; and a prize basket which may include items such as, but not limited to: Candles, serving ware, plates, glasses, kabob set, picnic basket and/or a camcorder. Approximate Retail Value: $769.48.

To enter this great contest you need to share your favorite healthy summer Stacy’s snack! Submissions will be accepted as a photo of the snack, a photo of you and/or friends enjoying your snack, a written description, or a written recipe.

All entries need to be submitted on www.facebook.com/stacyspitachips



Limit one entry per person and/or email address per day.

Go ahead, give it a try, and if you win send me a bag of chips so I can snack while I write my blog posts!!!

Disclosure:Although I received free product samples and my post is eligible for a gift card via random drawing by One2One Network, the opinions expressed in this blog post on wholly my own.


Friday, June 11, 2010








Costume Supercenter: Who Do You Want to Be?  Review and Give-a-way!

I love costumes...I really do!  I love to pretend that I am someone else every now and then and having the right outfit really helps me to do just that!  No longer only for Halloween, costumes are used year round for parties, performances, and even weddings!  Yep...my cousin Kim actually had her wedding on Halloween eve and not only did she and her hubby have on costumes, she asked for her guests to come in costumes as well ( true story!)

I was excited when I was presented with an opportunity to pick out a costume to review for you, my dear readers.  I chose to be Fifi - my French Maid alter ego!  As I am somewhat "well endowed" I chose the French Maid Plus Size Version to make sure that it would fit...and fit it did!  Just ask my boyfriend, who loved watching Fifi clean up around the house.  TMI...yeah, I know! 

What a great site!  The choices seem endless, even in the Plus Size Costume category....which is really great to see!  Want to be Cleopatra for a while?  No problem here!  How about a princess?  Just as easy!

The CostumeSuperCenter.com website also runs another site called The Wholesale Costume Club and they are giving me the chance to give away to you two free one year memberships.  This membership allows you to get the wholesale price on the costumes you want.  What a great excuse to play! 

If you want to win one of these two memberships, here's what you have to do:

(1) Follow my blog on Google Friend Connect ( this will be verified)

AND

(2) Tell me who you want to pretend to be when you buy your costume from The Wholesale Costume Club!

BOTH (1) and (2) MUST be done for your initial entry! Leave me ONE comment stating that both items were completed



If you already subscribe to my blog please just let me know in that mandatory first comment as well.

If you want additional entries:

(3) Follow me on Twitter

(4) Tweet about this giveaway ( leave one comment with a link to your tweet)

(5) Blog about this giveaway and leave me a comment with a link to your post and link back to this give-a-way post as well!


Give-a-way to run until 11:59 pm EST on June 25th, 2010. Winner will be chosen via Random.org. Email will be sent to winner with a response needed within 72 hours of winning email with shipping information. If winner does not respond to email, an alternate winner will be chosen. Good only within the continental USA. Make sure you leave a contact email within your post or check to make sure that I can email you via your blogger profile.






Disclaimer: CostumeSuperCenter.com provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.




Sarah McLachlan Does It Again! 'Laws of Illusion" is a Winner!

I have been a fan of Sarah McLachlan for a long time and have been waiting ( too long) for her to release something new.

I am so happy to let you know that the wait is over with her release of " Laws of Illusion".  She has really hit it dead on with the songs, sung only as Sarah can!


TRACKLISTING


1. AWAKENINGS

2. ILLUSIONS OF BLISS

3. LOVING YOU IS EASY

4. CHANGES

5. FORGIVENESS

6. RIVERS OF LOVE

7. LOVE COME

8. OUT OF TUNE

9. HEARTBREAK

10. DON’T GIVE UP ON US

11. U WANT ME 2

12. BRING ON THE WONDER

Also want to let you know that she is back on the road yet again with her Lilith Tour!  I went to the very last one and I already have tickets for the August 1st date in Hartford.  Check out the stops:


LILITH FAIR TOUR DATES



Jun 27 Calgary, AB McMahon Stadium

Jun 28 Edmonton, AB Northlands Spectrum

Jul 1 Vancouver, BC, Canada Pitt Meadows Airport

Jul 2 Portland, OR Sleep Country Amphitheatre

Jul 3 Seattle/George, WA The Gorge Amphitheatre

Jul 5 San Francisco, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View

Jul 7 San Diego, CA Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre

Jul 8 Phoenix, AZ Cricket Wireless Pavilion

Jul 9 Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay Events Center

Jul 10 Los Angeles, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

Jul 12 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre

Jul 13 Denver, CO Comfort Dental Amphitheatre

Jul 15 Kansas City, MO Capitol Federal Park @ Sandstone

Jul 16 St. Louis, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

Jul 17 Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

Jul 18 Minneapolis, MN Canterbury Park

Jul 20 Indianapolis, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center Indianapolis

Jul 21 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre

Jul 23 Montreal, QC Parc Jean Drapaeu

Jul 24 Toronto, ON Molson Canadian Amphitheatre

Jul 27 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center

Jul 28 Philadelphia, PA Susquehanna Bank Center

Jul 30 Boston, MA Comcast Center

Jul 31 New York, NY PNC Bank Arts Center

Aug 1 Hartford, CT Comcast Theatre

Aug 3 Washington, DC TBA

Aug 4 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek

Aug 6 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte

Aug 7 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena

Aug 8 Atlanta, GA Aarons Amphitheatre at Lakewood

Aug 10 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre

Aug 11 Tampa, FL Ford Amphitheatre

Aug 12 Birmingham, AL Verizon Wireless Music Center

Aug 14 Austin, TX TBA

Aug 15 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Aug 16 Dallas, TX Superpages.com Center

Anyone going to any of these dates?

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid89264662001?bclid=88964126001&bctid=87230864001

You can go to the above link to see a really cool video!


Thursday, June 10, 2010





Touch'd by Rachel: Lovin' the Way It Makes Me Feel!
A Review and Give-a-way!

Have you heard about Touch'd Bath and Body Products by Rachel Ferrucci yet?  Well get ready....Touch'd is getting about to become your favorite bath and body product!!!

Here is some background on Rachel from her website:

Rachel Ferrucci is a former hair dresser-turned-entrepreneur, with a passion for beauty and fashion, and is an overall product enthusiast.


Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been obsessed with beauty products. I would beg my mother to draw me a bubble bath from as young as I could remember and I was always stealing her lotions. I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to go to cosmetology school. I spent 15 years as a hairstylist, but gave it up to work a corporate job. That was the biggest mistake of my life. Now that I’m back in the field I love, I’m more inspired than ever. Touch’d is my passion, my quest, and a lifelong dream come true.

She put all her creative energy into bringing the best bath and body products to discriminating women everywhere. She spent eight years researching body scrubs, moisturizing lotions, salt baths, and other products before concocting the winning formulas in her home bathtub. The idea for Rachel’s products and company was the result of years trying to find a product line that met ALL the needs of her family


I often needed a soothing salt soak after a long day of work. My hard-working husband needed to smooth out his rough hands and dry cracked heels. And, my two teenaged daughters sought out deliciously smelling moisturizing lotions. So when I couldn’t find a line of products that suited my entire family, I finally decided to start a line of my own: Touch’d.

The first Touch’d product was the Organic Sugar Scrub, a perfect natural blend of white cane sugar, healing oils, and scents. Its purpose is to exfoliate dead skin cells while hydrating the skin and leaving it feeling silky, smooth, and sexy. Touch’d Organic Sugar Scrubs come in a variety of scents, including Tropical Paradise, Dream, Warm Vanilla and Cherry Bomb.


Cherry Bomb was created specifically for the launch party of the rock chick girl guide, Cherry Bomb: The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Better Flirt, a Tougher Chick, and a Hotter Girlfriend, and to Living Life Like a Rock Star by Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna for Simon & Schuster.

Other signature items in the Touch’d women’s product line include Bath Butter, Moisture Myst, and the Foaming Salt Soak, which is derived from the Dead Sea. The men’s line (inspired by her husband of 13 years) includes the scrubs Outlaw and Captain.

The LOGO

Lots of thought was put into the logo. I didn’t want my company to be like all the other bath and body companies. They’ll all a little too foofy for me. I’m more of an edgy woman, who still loves to be sexy and sophisticated. Family is very important to me and I was told by my mom to “seal everything with a kiss”. My mom signs every single card with a lipstick print of her lips. So I asked mom to get the lipstick on good and thick and start kissing pieces of paper until we found the perfect set of lips……….Touch’d was now sealed with a kiss!

Pretty cool, huh?

What's even cooler is that I was sent a sample of the Sugar Scrub in Tropical Paradise scent. 







What a great product!  It smells delicious and made my skin feel really, really nice.  I love the way that the sugar acts as a natural exfoliant and makes my skin feel so soft and silky!  It also comes in other scents such as Cucumber Melon, Dream, and Warm Vanilla.

Even better until July 15th, 2010 if you enter the code "PurpleWorld" at checkout you will receive 25% of of all of your purchases!

Rachel also has generously agreed to sponsor a giveaway of her Foaming Salt Soak

Here's what she has to say about this product:

Our Foaming Salt Soak is made with 100% Dead Sea Salt and essential oils which allows you a traditional soak with a frothy layer that will relieve sore muscles, alleviate stress, and rejuvenate your body and mind.



Note: Dead Sea Bath Salts are clinically proven to provide relief from Psoriasis when utilized in a recommended six week regimen (2.2 baths, 20 minute per bath, 3 baths per week, for 6 weeks).

If you want to win, here's what you have to do:
 
(1) You MUST be a Google Friend Connect follower of my blog ( this will be verified)


AND

(2) You MUST subscribe to the Touch'd email Sales Newsletter via this link!


BOTH (1) and (2) MUST be done for your initial entry! Leave me ONE comment stating that both items were completed and make sure the email address that you subscribed to the newsletter with is provided within your comment.

If you already subscribe to either/or/both please just let me know in that mandatory first comment as well.

If you want additional entries:

(3) Follow me on Twitter

(4) Tweet about this giveaway ( leave one comment with a link to your tweet)

(5) Go to the Touch'd website and tell me what scent in the Foaming Salt Soak sounds yummy to you!
(6) Blog about this giveaway and leave me a comment with a link to your post and link back to this give-a-way post as well!

(7) Like Touch'd on Facebook and leave a comment that you are there from Purple World!


Give-a-way to run until 11:59 pm EST on June 21st, 2010. Winner will be chosen via Random.org. Email will be sent to winner with a response needed within 72 hours of winning email with shipping information. If winner does not respond to email, an alternate winner will be chosen. Good only within the continental USA. Make sure you leave a contact email within your post or check to make sure that I can email you via your blogger profile.




Disclaimer: Touch'd provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.