Milson Road - The Daily Portrait - Contest!

Creating a one-of-a-kind heirloom has never been this simple!

There are moments in our lives that we want to remember forever. Our weddings, graduations, and the births of our children are all milestones to cherish. Each of these events is typically celebrated with gifts from our friends and family. Remarkable moments should be honored with remarkable gifts and that's why we're proud to share Milson Road's The Daily Portrait with you and your family. With this one-of-a-kind gift you can capture the events of an extraordinary day, and consider that day saved - forever.

The Daily Portrait announces a celebration or milestone within a "news page" of the day's headline - a time capsule of memories in an elegant, beautifully produced, 18x20 inch print with custom wood frame. It captures the emotion of a special event in a tangible, contemporary heirloom for the lucky recipient. Whether you're giving it to a close friend to celebrate the birth of her child, or you're giving it with a group of friends to a bride on her wedding day, The Daily Portrait is the ultimate in thoughtful gift-giving.

I was able to get one for free through MomSelect to review. I choose to do our anniversary that was coming up. Just to see what it looked like and how it varied from the Wedding Day one. I had to patiently wait a month or so - til the day of our anniversary to pass so they could get the paper info... I'm so glad I was able to wait!!

It arrived beautifully wrapped and secure in its box... I was in awe when I took it out. It was so much better than I expected and its now hangs in our entry way. It has our names, year of anniversary - information about our wedding and if we celebrated our anniversary with a party/friends/family. It has so many details of the days events - I almost want to do our wedding day cause that day was swept through so fast that I don't recall anything that happened that day other than getting ready. It would be a perfect gift - Wedding present, Anniversary gift or Birthday gift. Well worth the money for what you receive and how it would be cherished.



It's a large 16x20, heavy wood frame, superb quality and it even has a plaque inside the thick mats. Take a peek at it close up...



The Milson Road Daily Portraits can be ordered at the Milson Road website and sell for $165.
Ordering process was easy to do - you choose the gift type, put in your info and they give you a preview of what it will say/look like and you can even go back and edit. Very pleased with the site and the product :)

Would you like to win one? Give it as gift or keep it for yourself!

Required 1st Entry: Go to Milson Road and tell me which gift you would get and why! Come back and post below (don't forget your email address!)

Optional Additional Entries:(Once you've done the required entry, you may do as many of these additional entries as you'd like!) Leave separate comments for each entry.

1 Entry - Post this Contest on your Blog - leave a link to your blog

1 Entry - Post this Contest on Twitter - leave a link to your twitter

1 Entry - Follow me on here and let me know that you did :)

Contest Ends August 6th

Combi Pod Bouncer Review

No idea what the neighbors were thinking, when this showed up at my front door. No I'm not pregnant... just another product arrived for me to try out lol. It arrived in this big red/white box direct from the company. It's a Combi Pod Bouncer - this one is the Chestnut version.


When I opened up this slim box - this is what I found and it took me three AA batteries, one screwdriver to pop the battery back off and a little pressure to put it together in 5 mins.


When its all finished and the base is securely on this is what it looks like with the removable toy bar and without the toy bar (which I've knocked off twice lol)




The back has easy controls... music - vibrate - on/off - and the i-pod connection.

The ipod even has its own little outerpocket that you can place it in and let it go - with an additional equipment pocket should you travel with it.
The Pod Bouncer uses your child's movement along with a built-in sound and vibration unit to provide comfort and enjoyment. A 3-point padded harness, slip resistant feet, 2-position recline, removable toy bar and MP3 input make for a safe and comfortable environment for your child. The rear mounted electronic control unit that allows easy access while baby is resting and a seat back storage pouch add convenience.

Dimensions: 28.25 in (l) x 20.25 in (w) x 23.5 in (h)
Product Weight: 5.89 lb
Weight capacity: 5-25 lb

Thanks to our gorgeous model... she's 16months old and 20 pounds. We don't have her buckled in but she does fit and had just a ball playing with the blocks on the toy bar. She actually loved the vibration too.



Overall I have to say its worth the money. Its has nice fabric, easily removable headrest and covering to clean. Cause you know how much babies spit up or leak out lol. The buttons are at a good location as well as the i-pod connection. I will say the back pocket is a little lower than I expected but easily accessible.

The vibration is good and steady, not too loud for little ears and I couldn't hear it unless I had my face up to the buttons turning it on and off.

The music was lame lol but aren't all lullabies... so it was sweeet to be able to pop in the tunes and have the baby listen to anything you want. I was able to adjust the volume on the i-pod easily.

The toy bar comes off easily and for a first timer using it I knocked it off twice - it stayed on after that. It bounced, was soft, sturdy and fairly equiped to handle occupying a baby with a little vibration and music.

It's neat to see how things have changed after 13yrs. Cause we got stuck with what ever crappy music was in the swing or exersaucer and had no choice to do anything but take out the batteries lol.

I give this a thumbs up on style, sturdiness, ability to have it adapt to your needs, being to clean it and assembly was a breeze.

Price ranges from 127.00 (Amazon) to 80.00 (bedbathnbeyond) - of course with a BBB coupon its only 64.00 and manageable!

Its also comes in Butternut and Jade (love jade for a girl!!) - Check out Combi online to see the other designs and more products they have available.

Note: I was sent this product for free to do the review.

America deserves a raise!

Have you worked your butt off over the years, trying to get ahead, get the American dream? Well it hasn't gone un-noticed... AmericaDeservesARaise.com has taken it upon themselves to reach out and help.

America deserves a raise.
So we decided to do something about it.

At Advance America, we’ve noticed something over the past year. Everyone’s working harder. But fewer of us are getting raises. That’s why we created America Deserves A Raise. Why we’re awarding over $80,000 in raises, over $10,000 in bonuses, and $10,000 in daily giveaways. And why Advance America is also helping people get ahead in other ways by donating up to $50,000 to charities involved in job training and education. We understand that even though pay increases have gotten less common, America deserves a raise now more than ever.

How can you participate? You can submit a story, read stories and vote, enter the daily drawing and give a donation.

Submit Your Story

It’s easy to do. First, tell us who you are. Then let us know who you think deserves a raise, and tell us why in 500 words or less. http://www.americadeservesaraise.com/submit-your-story

I submitted a story about my husband... Take a moment to read it and vote!

• My husband served in the AF for 7yrs - in the gulf war and stationed overseas. He came home to his father ill with lymphoma and we got out to care for him. We managed to have 10 more beautiful years before the lymphoma came back and took his dad 2 yrs ago.

  My husband has worked since he joined the military at the age of 18 - 24hrs a day, 7 days a week. His job now is just like the military - on call and ready to jump when needed. He's dedicated, loyal and worthy. He does everything he can to please his team, his boss and the company while also trying to get his degree in business so that he can move up the ladder in the company. He's gotten his Associates and is now on his Bachelors. He's managed to get on the Deans list and have straight A's each year! I don't know when he has time to sleep.

  In those 11 years we’ve been married, we’ve moved 10 times, due to the civilian job. Through the midwest and east coast. The company kept loosing contracts and we kept being promised his hard work would pay off and the next site was solid. Unfortunately, that was never the case.

  Moving so much = selling houses - we have lost huge money on them and had to borrow from family to get out of thanks to the market. It's sickening to see hard earned money go down the drain. All that saving to go belly up.

  One beautiful spotlight is that he managed to switch jobs - getting a solid steady job in a wonderful company, where we are not moving! But he’s beginning all over at the bottom, loosing vacation, seniority and he’s working hard to move up the ladder to a manager position. He doesn’t goof off when things are slow, he asks for work, calls his team and looks for things to keep him occupied and going.

  He doesn't ask for much - he does so much for others - jumping when a neighbor gets broken down miles from home, fixing everyones brakes just cause he knows how without asking for anything in return but to be there for us while he's gone for work.

  We have a child that's ADHD/LD/Speech and Occupational therapy. We would love for him to be able to spend more time together as a family - take a weekend trip fishing/camping and have no worries - as this is something they treasure to do together.

  I don't know anyone who works harder, does whatever he can for his family and doesn't blink an eye when he's worn out and tired to lend a hand to a friend.

Vote online for your favorite story!

What would your story say?? Who would you submit?

Don't forget their daily drawing!! win a $100 Visa^® Gift Card - giving one away every day from April 19 to July 27, 2010.

(I received nothing for reviewing the website, was sent to the site by BZzzzAgent.com)

Shadowland and Dark Flame

It has taken me a year yes a year to get through this damn book lol - I was stuck, literally not able to push through a couple chapters, but in the end I sat down with a good drink (wink wink) and was able to get do it. It ended up being worth it and I tore through Dark Flame.

Shadowland deals with Ever's decision to keep Damen alive. It seemed to revolve for chapters around them not being able to touch, their love still virgin (literally). Maybe this is what just made me pause on the book... too much of 'I can't have' and self pity... I didn't like it.

Dark Flame was back in the action - more twists... the urges she felt were severe and intriguing since it wasn't for Damen but another. I couldn't believe where the author took the book and loved every minute of it!

Shadowland

synopsis:

Ever and Damen have traveled through countless past lives—and fought off the world's darkest enemies—so they could be together forever. But just as their long-awaited destiny is finally within reach, a powerful curse falls upon Damen...one that could destroy everything. Now a single touch of their hands or a soft brush of their lips could mean sudden death—plunging Damen into a bleak afterlife in the Shadowland, an eternal abyss for lost souls. Desperate to break the curse and save Damen, Ever immerses herself in magick—and gets help from an unexpected source...Jude Knight.

Although she and Jude have only just met, he feels startlingly familiar. Despite her fierce loyalty to Damen, Ever is drawn to Jude, a green-eyed golden boy with magical talents and a mysterious past. She's always believed Damen to be her soul mate and one true love—and she still believes it to be true. But as Damen pulls away to save them from the darkness inhabiting his soul, Ever's connection with Jude grows stronger—and tests her love for Damen like never before...

Dark Flame

synopsis:
In this eagerly awaited continuation of the bestselling Immortals series, Ever struggles to help her best friend Haven transition into life as an immortal—trying to keep her from doing anything that puts them at risk, while attempting to gain control over her enemy Roman, so she can finally obtain the antidote that will allow her and Damen to be together. But when the spell she casts backfires, resulting in a strange, foreign pulse that binds her to Roman instead, Ever turns to Jude and dark magick, desperately attempting to break free of the curse, and ultimately risking everything she knows and loves—including her beloved Damen.

Night Star is next and coming out November 16th, 2010!!!

Wickedly Lovely

I've devoured a new book... Wickedly Lovely by Melissa Marr

By now, you know I love fairies and after reading several series I was looking for a new twist and found one. I love how you really don't know how things turn out and how unexpected they are when they do. Love, romance, fairies... its all there. I was thrown off when I first started reading but after the first chapter I couldn't put it down. I have to say that I was following Donia (the winter girl) in the book more than the main character Aislinn, who sees fairies in the human world. I've already got the second book ready to go tonight lol.

There are 5 books in total in this series with the 5th one yet to be release (soon!).

*parental notes* - there is some talk about virginity and drinking fairie wine. But the whole point is to make sure you don't loose it. So its not a bad topic that's brought up in the middle of the book.

Synopsis:

*Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries.

Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty—especially if they learn of her Sight—and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.

Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.

Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.

Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention.

But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost—regardless of her plans or desires.

Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.

Faerie intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunning 21st century faery tale.

BZzzzz... Covergirl LashBlast Fusion Mascara

I was sent a Covergirl LashBlast Fusion Mascara in very black. I have a preference for mascara and some things that I need it to do for me before I can fall in love. Mac mascara has been the only one to do it ... so far!


Pet peeves...

• I wear contacts and I HATE when I'm driving to have a heavy mascara'd eyelash to fall into my eye while driving. I literally have to pull over to get it out.
• I don't like going out in the heat wave, humid summer days and have raccoon eyes
• I really don't prefer to take 20 mins applying mascara to get thick long lashes. Three times through should be enough, with one touch up later in the evening.
• No flakes... is supposed to stay on my eyelash not my cheeks.

So now that I'm sure you share my pet peeves... lets explore how Covergirl LashBlast Fusion Mascara worked out...

It didn't smear while we went out today in humid hot weather - PLUS

It took me 5 or 6 brush throughs to get it thick enough and long enough - I did wait to go back and forth between eyes - could be that its new to me. OK

NO FLAKES!! PLUS

Even thought I wasn't driving today I did have my contacts in and I didn't have to worry about any eyelashes falling. They didn't falter one bit! PLUS

It's 8pm - 8 hrs of wearing it and its not smudge a bit - still perfect - even did some exercise with it on and its good to go.

Overall I think its a great product. I do have to admit I love the very black color - I might have to switch off between covergirl and mac mascara's lol

CONTEST...
What are your mascara pet peeves? Have any nightmares or disappointments you want to share... post them below and a winner will receive a coupon for $ off any covergirl product