(un)paint

Grocery Coupon Giveaway

2010-11-15T22:01:00.002-05:00

It's time to go through my coupons and weed out some things I probably won't be using. Lucky you..

I have..
* TEN 55¢ off any flavor Betty Crocker Boxed Potatoes (except Potato Buds and Betty Crocker Pouch) expires 12/31/10
* ONE $1.00 off any bag of Eight O'Clock Coffee expires 12/31/10
* ONE free 13oz bottle of regular or spicy hot Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce expires 12/31/10
* ONE free pint of Ciao Bella All Natural Gelato or Sorbet expires $5.99 expires 12/31/10
* ONE free Premium Salad from McDonald's expires 12/31/10

I've never tried the Betty Crocker Potatoes, but I mean.. potatoes. Eight O'Clock coffee is supposed to be a very good coffee for it's price. I'm not really an all-purpose sauce kind of person, but lots of people love Country Bob's. Ciao Bella has tons of delicious flavors.. everything I've tried has been great. As for McDonald's, I haven't actually been there in years, but a free salad is a free salad, right?

One winner will be randomly selected to receive all coupons listed above. Giveaway ends Friday, December 2, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winner will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to U.S. addresses only.

Entry methods:
1. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
2. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
3. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the Grocery Coupon #giveaway @Unpaint http://bit.ly/bwX4TG Ends December 2" (daily)
4. Like Unpaint on Facebook. (once)
5. Sign up for Unpaint emails. (once)

Belkin Laptop Bag Giveaway

2010-11-14T22:31:00.002-05:00

I love my computer. Love it. Or. Well. I like it a lot. A lot. If the house (God forbid) was on fire, it would absolutely be one of the 3 non-human/cat things I'd be saving. Having said that.. you may find it hard to believe that I don't really have a proper "spot" for it. Or, rather.. I didn't. Until now..

Now, I have the super handy and convenient Belkin Laptop Hideaway Bag which is currently on sale for just under $37 at CoolComputerBags.com It looked great when I saw it online. And it was even better when I got to try it out for myself.

It's not the type of laptop bag that you'd carry outside during your day in cabs, the subway, in and out of the car- more something you'd keep next to the couch, a multi-purpose desk, in the dinning room, etc. And that is exactly what I needed in my life right now. I mostly use my laptop on, get this, my lap.. sitting on the couch, the floor, or wherever else. When I was done, where did I put my computer? Just wherever. And many times this "wherever" was within easy reach and sight of a curious 2-year old. Now.. I just stow it away in my Belkin bag. No worries.

The bag itself seems very durable with thick, padded microfiber walls.. for every wall, not just the outside ones. That keeps your computer safe from the outside, but also from anything else you put in one of the other compartments.. separate mouse, keyboard, papers, pens, calculator, and more. The large compartment, meant for your laptop, claims to fit "most laptops with screen size up to 15.4 inches." Upon testing it myself, it fits both 15" and 17" macbooks just fine.

What else can I tell you about it? The outside is a dark, rich brown and the inside is a very light blue. The handle is padded underneath for a more comfortable grip and the bag (without computer) weighs in at just over 3 pounds.

If you think this sounds great, head over to the Cool Computer Bags website to get one (or one of their other 3,000+ items) for yourself. [They are currently offering free shipping on all orders over $75] Or, enter this giveaway..

One winner will be randomly selected to receive a Belkin Laptop Hideaway Bag from Cool Computer Bags. Giveaway ends Wednesday, December 1, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winner will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to U.S. addresses only.

Mandatory entry:
1. Check out CoolComputerBags.com. Which computer bag or type of bag is your favorite?

Entry methods:
1. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
2. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
3. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the Belkin #laptop bag #giveaway from @CoolComputerBag @Unpaint http://bit.ly/dmf0Dx Ends December 1" (daily)
4. Like Unpaint on Facebook. (once)
5. Sign up for Unpaint emails. (once)
6. Follow Cool Computer Bags on Twitter (once)
7. Follow Cool Computer Bags on Facebook (once)

(Review samples and giveaway prize provided by CoolComputerBags.com)

Episencial all natural skin care giveaway

2010-11-11T20:11:00.003-05:00

I see the Episencial skin care products in the Target baby aisle all the time, but never tried them myself. Until now. Well, not right now.. a little while ago. I was so missing out.. and didn't even know. Episencial is kind of awesome. I said that recently, about something else, but I don't tend to feature things here that I don't think are at least "pretty good".. so, I mean.. don't be so surprised that I'm telling you about something else that's "kind of awesome."

"Episencial is the first and only professional-quality, all natural skincare system created specifically for the unique developing skin type of babies and kids. Free from the bad stuff like parabens, phthalates and fragrances, Episencial products are loaded with all-natural goodness and healthy organics. Plus, these gentle, newborn safe formulas feature an exclusive actively healthy immune complex™ to boost the skin’s immune functions to help the body ward off illnesses."

The Episencial natural skin care line is mainly marketed for babies and kids through age 5, but really they are for all ages.. "0 to 150 years." And guess what is featured on the labels? That's right, the cute fruits and critters from The World of Eric Carle (when my daughter saw that she started trying to snatch them away from me and pointing to tell me the names of the fruit..)

Some of my favorites things about Episencial are, in no particular order, the bottles are made from recycled materials (which are BPA and phthalate free), the products are made with organic ingredients whenever possible (and they are constantly updating their recipes to include more), AND they are proudly made in the USA! Plus knowing that they are using solar power in order to manufacture everything doesn't hurt either.

I love that there are no added fragrances in the Episencial products- but there is a very light, pleasant sent to each one which comes from different juice extracts.

We were able to try the Playful Foaming Wash, Better Body Butter, and the Soothing Cream. Lily went for the Soothing Cream first, probably because it came in it's own box and she wanted to see what was inside (pssh, toddlers..) .. but we sensitive skinned souls are not immune to the irritations that the Soothing Cream is meant to combat.. so, let's just say it was a big hit with both of us.

The Better Body Butter (as well as the Soothing Cream) are like any good lotion and a little goes a long way. Our skin seemed to appreciate both lotions and either would be a great addition to a Winter skin regimen.

And finally, the Playful Foaming Wash.. which is true to it's name. It seems to be just as gentle as a baby wash should be and cleans gently as well.. no sulfates!

Want to try out some of the Episencial for yourself? Use the store locator to find a store near you or order online from stores likes Target and Diapers.com. Or, enter this giveaway..

One winner will be randomly selected to receive the same three items as I did (Playful Foaming Wash, Better Body Butter, and Soothing Cream) as well as a $5 Target gift card! Giveaway ends Saturday, November 27, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winner will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to U.S. addresses only.

Mandatory entry:
1. Check out the Episencial website. Which item is your favorite or would you love to try?

Entry methods:
1. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
2. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
3. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the @Episencial all natural skincare #giveaway @Unpaint http://bit.ly/adLhT1 Ends November 27" (daily)
4. Blog about this giveaway by November 25 and comment on this post with the link. (once)
5. Like Unpaint on Facebook. (once)
6. Sign up for Unpaint emails. (once)
7. Follow Episencial on Twitter (once)
8. Follow Episencial on Facebook (once)

(Review samples and giveaway prize provided by Episencial.)

World Vision Giveaway

2010-10-29T19:12:00.003-04:00

The World Vision organization is a new one to me, but I'm SO glad I know about it now. They are a pretty amazing organization, doing pretty amazing things all over the world, and their gift catalog truly is a great place to head when seeking out a gift for someone that already has everything they could ever want/need.

But, let me back up a little. World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization that has been focusing on children since 1950. They work with children, their families, and their communities in close to 100 countries by breaking the cycle of poverty and injustice.

They have helped "earthquake and hurricane survivors, abandoned and exploited children, survivors of famine and civil war, refugees, and children and families in communities devastated by AIDS in Africa, Asia, and Latin America." They help where the need is greatest, which includes children right here in the United States.

"The excellence of World Vision’s work has earned the trust of more than 3 million donors, supporters, and volunteers; more than half a million child sponsors; thousands of churches; hundreds of corporations; and government agencies in the United States and around the world."

You can find so much information about World Vision on their main website and help in ways from small to large through their extensive gift catalog in print and online.

There are so many ways you can help those in need this holiday season and all year long- the donations through the World Vision gift catalog is just one way. You can make donations under $20 and all the way up to $500 (or more). Search by price range, category (animals, clean water, education, medical care, etc), or request that your money go to help those most in need.

And when you choose to have your donation to go to the areas in most desperate need.. you can also get a small gift for yourself. For a gift of $150 you'll receive three handmade Zakale wire and bead Christmas ornaments from Nairobi (meaning "reuse" Zakale crafts are made from recycled materials by a group of Kenyan artisans reclaiming their own lives from poverty).

A gift of $25 or more will provide you with a cute plush chick named Chuma. "Chuma will be a delightful memento for your loved one of the hope you’ve given in his or her name. At your request, the plush toy will arrive with a beautiful card explaining the impact of the donation." And another option, at a donation of $40 or more, is a beautiful turquoise Thai bracelet (made in a project that helps protect vulnerable girls from exploitation).

In order to help promote the World Vision organization and their gift catalog, I am able to offer one of my readers the opportunity to have their own turquoise Thai bracelet.

The winner will be randomly selected to each receive one beaded Thai bracelet. Giveaway ends Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winner will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to U.S. addresses only.

Mandatory entry:
1. Check out the World Vision gift catalog. Which gift would you be most likely to donate?

Entry methods:
1. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
2. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
3. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the @WorldVisionUSA #giveaway and win a piece of beautiful turquoise #jewelry @Unpaint http://bit.ly/dtB3P9 Ends November 17" (daily)
4. Blog about this giveaway by November 15 and comment on this post with the link. (once)
5. Like Unpaint on Facebook. (once)
6. Sign up for Unpaint emails. (once)
7. Follow World Vision on Twitter (once)
8. Follow World Vision on Facebook (once)

(Giveaway prize provided by World Vision.)

Weleda Giveaway

2010-10-21T17:54:00.002-04:00

If you don't know about Weleda yet.. well, they are kind of an awesome company making personal care products- 100% certified natural ones. It's also stated blunty on their website of their ingredients.. "no synthetic anything."

"We believe nature offers everything we need to create effective beauty and wellness products. Look through our list of ingredients and you won’t find one unpronounceable synthetic compound or one toxic chemical. You will find flowers and herbs. Fruit extracts. Clays. Roots. Minerals. Each one carefully selected to heal, protect and beautify, to work with your body’s own healing systems, and do it all gently and effectively."

I got to try out several different Weleda products for this review (really, trying all of them would have been just fine with me, but..).

The one I went for first was the Salt Toothpaste. Really, salt toothpaste? I thought it'd either be great.. or awful. Thankfully, it was great. Before baking soda was the toothpaste trend, salt was a popular choice for cleaning and whitening teeth.

After using the Salt Toothpaste for about a week (and not realizing it helped with whitening), I looked in the mirror and said "oo.. are my teeth whiter??" The taste isn't bad at all. The first use was a little different, but the adjustment wasn't a big deal. It's not a taste like 'this popcorn is too salty'- not overwhelming, just present.

If you want something else a little different then the Mallow Body Lotion is perfect. Really nice scent. Not overwhelming. Not underwhelming. Perfect for dry, sensitive skin as the mallow (a flower) is full of "medicinal and anti-inflammatory properties that smooth and soften your skin."

And finally, the beautifully scented spray-on Wild Rose Deodorant. "With no risky antiperspirants such as aluminum salts, your body’s natural detoxification process is supported while bacteria that cause unpleasant odors are neutralized."

Any of these three items are great choices. Everything on the Weleda site sounds wonderful and I cannot wait to try out some more of the choices- possibly using some of the printable coupons and special discounts found: here.

Three winners will be randomly selected to each receive one of the same items I talked about above. Giveaway ends Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winner will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile.

Mandatory entry:
1. Check out the U.S. Weleda site. Besides the 3 products I got to try, what else sounds good to you? AND which ONE of the products I talked about would you like to win? (must do both parts for entry to count)

Entry methods:
1. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
2. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
3. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the @weleda #giveaway @Unpaint. Three winners: http://bit.ly/9w8GlA Ends November 9" (daily)
4. Blog about this giveaway by November 7 and comment on this post with the link. (once)
5. Like Unpaint on Facebook. (once)
6. Follow Weleda on Twitter (once)
7. Like Weleda on Facebook (once)

(Review sample and giveaway prizes were provided by Weleda.)

Moving on to the PlayStation Move

2010-10-21T12:20:00.000-04:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PlayStation MOVE. All opinions are 100% mine.

The PlayStation was my first video game console- I’m not afraid to admit it. (Wish I’d had a Nintendo or something before that, but I digress.) PlayStation was pretty awesome and the fact that Sony was on the cutting edge with a disc, instead of a cartridge.. wow.

Some people want to blame video games for everything bad in the world- violence, obesity, etc.. but the video game industry is taking those people down a peg with new offerings like the PlayStation Move. And it’s exactly what it sounds like. You don’t just sit on the couch, you MOVE.

Although I’m not the most athletic person in the world, games like Sport Champions sound like the most fun to me: playing table tennis or having a gladiator duel without, you know, really having a duel. Tons of family fun- duel night! And you really have no excuse for not getting up and getting moving.. can’t say it’s too hot out or it’s raining or a monthly gym fee isn’t in your budget (only $99 for the MOVE bundle package if you already have the PlaySation3).

I can’t wait to add the Move to our collection of all things electronic. And besides, you know what they say.. the family that plays video games together, stays together. Or. Maybe I’m the only one that says that.

In-store coupon for 30 or 40% at Old Navy

2010-10-20T19:50:00.000-04:00

Old Navy's top fall fashions for women are 30% off, or 40% off with your ON Card. Offer valid 10/23 - 10/28! Click on link to print out in-store coupon.

all my followers

2010-10-20T11:09:00.000-04:00

I just now noticed that I have 200 followers. How very exciting. Thanks for following along with all my nonsense commentary and fantastic giveaways and reviews. Here's to the next 200 that will come along for the ride..

CSN Stores Giveaway

2010-10-16T18:48:00.001-04:00

I've ordered an ice tea pitcher and a set of Dr. Brown's bottle brushes (which are perfect for sippy straws by the way) from CSN Stores and was completely satisfied with the order process and the items were just as described when I received them. The prices are reasonable as well. And sometimes more than reasonable. Even if you don't have much to spend for a few new items, there is something for every budget; I mean, they have over 200 websites.

$40 isn't going to cover the cost of a bistro set, but with so many deals on over a thousand items listed for that search term on csnstores.com.. it'd be a nice extra discount. Or I mean, you could really buy whatever you want, because CSN Stores carries just about everything imaginable (seriously, 200+ websites).

Don't believe me? Go ahead and check them out for yourself. Oh, and then come back here and enter to win, oh, I don't know.. how about a $40 gift certificate?

One winner will be randomly selected to receive a $40 gift certificate for csnstores.com. Giveaway ends Thursday, November 4, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winner will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to US and Canada only.

Mandatory entry:
1. Check out the CSN Stores website. What would you use the $40 gift certificate towards?

Entry methods:
1. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
2. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
3. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the @csnstores #giveaway @Unpaint. http://bit.ly/aJvNrY Ends November 4" (daily)
4. Blog about this giveaway by November 2 and comment on this post with the link. (once)
5. Like Unpaint on Facebook. (once)
6. Follow CSN Stores on Twitter (once)
7. Like CSN Stores on Facebook (once)

(Giveaway prize was provided by CSN Stores.)

WallPops! Giveaway (closed)

2010-10-13T19:15:00.002-04:00

I'll make this short and sweet. There are times when you need a change of scenery. Within your home. And maybe you can't (or don't want to) paint the walls. What's a person to do? Why, get some cool new wall decals of course.

Enter WallPops!. They have a huge selection of peel and stick, repositionable, and removable wall decals. My favorite was the Ringlets Wall Art Kit.. cus hey, I like spirals. But if you don't like spirals, there are tons of other graphic and colorful options for you to choose from.

One winner will be randomly selected to receive their choice of wall decal from WallPops! (WallPops Products category). Giveaway ends Friday, October 29, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winners will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to US addresses only.

Mandatory entry:
1. Check out the WallPops! website. Which decal from the WallPops category is your favorite?

Entry methods:
1. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
2. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
3. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the @WallPopswallart #giveaway @Unpaint. http://bit.ly/dfqAvg Ends October 29" (daily)
4. Blog about this giveaway by October 27 and comment on this post with the link. (once)
5. Like Unpaint on Facebook. (once)
6. Follow WallPops! on Twitter (once)
7. Like WallPops! on Facebook (once)

(Review sample and giveaway prize was provided by WallPops!.)
winner: #1 LambAround

Take 30% off select Gap outerwear styles

2010-10-08T16:10:00.000-04:00

Time to buy a new coat for the upcoming fall and winter weather? Right now, through Monday, October 11, take 30% off select Gap outerwear styles. Online only. SHOP NOW.

Click through to gap.com on the click above for some really good deals. You're welcome.

Hydros Giveaway (closed)

2010-10-05T18:45:00.003-04:00

"Your first reusable filtered water bottle. Especially designed to conveniently give you great tasting, filtered water on the go."

Although I'm not a big water drinker (for shame, I know), I do use water to dilute all my (and Lily's) fruit juices a little. And all that water I use is.. filtered of course. For very hot days, when I want to carry water with me, something like the Hydros bottle is perfect! And I don't have to worry too much about what's in the water I'm refilling it with when I'm out of the house for the day either. Just remove the cap and fill from any tap.

The filters last for about 3 months or 150 uses and additional filters can be purchased right from the Hydros website.

I also think the Hydros could come in handy for making up a serving of the Starbucks Iced VIA that I love so much. Just throw a packet of VIA and an empty Hydros bottle in a bag.. and when you're ready for coffee.. it's ready for you too. (Also: I LOVE that the bottle is BPA-free and is also made/assembled in America!)

Specifications: volume: 700 ml or 23.7 fl oz, filter life: 3 months, and contaminants reduced: chlorine, chloramine, particulates (for improved taste).

"New Hydros Fast Flow Filter™ technology reduces contaminants from tap water quicker than your pitcher filter. Powerful IonArmour® natural, triclosan-free antimicrobial protection actively defends against the odor-causing bacteria found in other bottles."

One winner will be randomly selected to receive their own 24oz Hyrdos bottle. Giveaway ends Thursday, October 21, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winners will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to US addresses only.

Mandatory entry:
1. Check out the Hydros website. If you were ordering your own bottle, which color would you pick?

Entry methods:
1. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
2. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
3. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the @HydrosBottle #giveaway @Unpaint. http://bit.ly/aYZ2Ju Ends October 21" (daily)
4. Blog about this giveaway by October 19 and comment on this post with the link. (once)
5. Like Unpaint on Facebook. (once)
6. Follow Hydros on Twitter (once)
7. Like Hydros on Facebook (once)

(Review sample and giveaway prize were provided through Hydros.)

winner: winner: #36 Yona

Geek Dad Giveaway (closed)

2010-09-30T00:38:00.002-04:00

I requested to receive a review copy of Geek Dad by Ken Denmead (sort of) recently. Not so much for me (obviously), but more for H.. and Lily. Although, now that I think about it.. I've probably looked through it more than he has. Maybe. Anyway..

It's full of so many awesome projects for geek dads to do for and with their geek children. (And non-geeks too!) Most of the projects are pretty inexpensive and a lot of the supplies needed are things you may already have at home. It's also nice that there are handy icons throughout the book letting you know the price range, difficulty, etc of each project.

Since Lily is only 2, we haven't done too much for her with this book yet.. but once she's able to participate in the projects more she and H will be having a blast. I mean, come on, who doesn't want to learn how to make the Best Slip 'n Slide Ever?

If you want an extra dose of Geek Dad.. the book has a website too. Of course. Check it out at: geekdadbook.com. And now..

Two winners will be selected to each receive one copy of Geek Dad by Ken Denmead. Giveaway ends Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winners will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to US and Canadian addresses only.

Entry methods:
1. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
2. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
3. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the Geek Dad @fitzwillie #giveaway @Unpaint. http://bit.ly/aqyfmK Ends October 16" (daily)
4. Blog about this giveaway by October 14 and comment on this post with the link. (once)
5. Like Unpaint on Facebook. (once)

(I received a complimentary review copy of Geek Dad.)

winners: winners: #41 Cheryl F, #13 Heather R

Sophie Grace Designs Giveaway (closed)

2010-09-26T23:15:00.003-04:00

"Sophie Grace Designs is a family run jewelry business based out of Maui, Hawaii. Every design is hand made using semi precious stones, fresh water pearls, swarovski crystallized elements, vintage coral and a variety of metals."

If you haven't had the chance to take a look at the beautifully designed jewelry at the Sophie Grace Designs website, I hope you will now. It may remind you of your last vacation.. or trip to the beach.

One of the really nice items at Sophie Grace Designs is the Starfish Maggie Necklace.. which comes in four different colors: purple, blue, green, and smokey quartz. Each ones features an 18 inch silk cord and a small cluster of Swarovski Crystal starfish, Paua Shell, Fresh Water Pearl, and more! I can't decide which colors I like the best. Fortunately I don't have to, but you do..

Four winners will be selected; one for each of four colors of Starfish Maggie Necklaces I featured above. Giveaway ends Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winners will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to US addresses only.

Mandatory entry:
1. Check out Sophie Grace Designs and let me know which item is your favorite AND which color Starfish Maggie necklace you would love to win. (must answer both parts of the question)

Entry methods:
1. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
2. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
3. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the Sophie Grace Designs jewelry #giveaway @Unpaint. 4 winners. http://bit.ly/dtUtNc Ends October 13" (daily)
4. Blog about this giveaway by October 11 and comment on this post with the link. (once)
5. Like Unpaint on Facebook. (once)

(Giveaway prizes were provided by Sophie Grace Designs.)

winners: winners: #49 Heather R, #47 Judy, #5 2kidsand8cats, #70 Yona

Spilt Milk Giveaway (closed)

2010-09-21T19:24:00.002-04:00

I recently received a copy of Spilt Milk by Linda Vujnov.. and have actually already read a little bit of it. No one likes to be a book cover judger.. but this one is cute.

"Spilt Milk is written by a busy mom for other busy moms. Laughter lightens the heart and helps you discover grace in the moment In a mother’s land of milk and honey, the milk is often spilt and the honey is usually smeared all over the face of the baby in his high chair. Author Linda Vujnov has been there and knows exactly what it feels like. Between packing lunches, drying the dishes in the sink, returning emails, and making sure mascara is applied without smudges, Spilt Milk offers a delightful alternative for busy moms that will lighten your day and remind you that God’s grace is found in the most unlikely places. Spilt Milk is a collection of brief, hilarious stories and meditations mixed with biblically based applications that encourage women in their spiritual journey. Written by a Gen-X mom, these stories remind busy mothers that God’s grace is always there in the messes and marvels of life, love, and being a mom."

Two winners will be selected to each receive one copy of Spilt Milk: Devotions for Moms by Linda Vujnov. Giveaway ends Saturday, October 7, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winners will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to US and Canadian addresses only.

Entry methods:
1. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
2. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
3. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the Spilt Milk by @lvujnov #giveaway @Unpaint. http://bit.ly/9uQ70b Ends October 7" (daily)
4. Blog about this giveaway by October 5 and comment on this post with the link. (once)
5. Like Unpaint on Facebook. (once)

(I received a complimentary review copy of Spilt Milk.)
winners: #14 rubynreba, #7 SolDucky

new iced via flavors?

2010-09-16T21:35:00.000-04:00

I stopped in Target today (surprise!) and got some coffee at the Starbucks there (surprise!). When I was waiting at the end of the bar for my coffee I looked to the right at one of the tables set up for customers. There were a lot of little Starbucks (sampling) paper cups, a few larger ones, AND two packages of what looked like Iced VIA. However..

Instead of the blue coloring that the current iced VIA packages have.. one was orange and the other yellow. My eyes went wide. "What is this?!" I though to myself. Not wanting to make a spectacle.. I took only one step closer (as I pretended to have trouble turning Lily's stroller around) the packet closest to me said "Cinnamon Spice", but I couldn't see what the other one was (ug. not a time for no glasses). But.. according to this.. maybe it was vanilla? or caramel?

So excited!

Green Mama Giveaway (closed)

2010-09-16T19:59:00.002-04:00

Another book on the long list of Books I Want to Read When Another Hour or Two is Added to the Day- Green Mama by Tracey Bianchi. (It's not fair to make you all wait 3 or 4 years until I get around to reading it all before I get this giveaway going, so..) I really wish I could recycle every scrap of.. everything. And drive an electric car. Or one fueled with recycled cooking oil. I hate disposable water bottles. And utensils. And cups, plates, bowls. But I am far from where I'd like to be in terms of my green-ness. So.. this book.. is going to be great. For me. And you too. No matter how yellow, green, or blue you are.

"Printed on 100% recycled paper, Green Mama: The Guilt-Free Guide to Helping You and Your Kids Save the Planet by Tracy Bianchi, helps busy moms, who don’t know where to begin, become green mamas. Bianchi’s easy-going guide spares readers from a green guilt-trip and unrealistic expectations. She encourages readers to make small changes that set a wise example for their kids, but if some advice doesn’t fit a family’s dynamics, Bianchi will be the first to rethink the strategy. Green Mama is full of practical tips and easy changes, but some sustainable initiatives she offers take a bit more thought and sacrifice. The guide builds readers’ green confidence and allows them to gradually become a darker shade of green – until they earn the title of Green Mama."

Two winners will be selected to each receive one copy of Green Mama: The Guilt-Free Guide to Helping You and Your Kids Save the Planet by Tracey Bianchi. Giveaway ends Saturday, October 2, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winners will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to US and Canadian addresses only.

Mandatory entry:
1. Do you have a green tip to share- are you big on recycling or are you just starting out?

Entry methods:
1. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
2. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
3. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the Green Mama by @traceybianchi #giveaway @Unpaint. http://bit.ly/90UfcC Ends October 2" (daily)
4. Blog about this giveaway by September 30 and comment on this post with the link. (once)
5. Like Unpaint on Facebook. (once)

(I received a complimentary review copy of Green Mama: The Guilt-Free Guide to Helping You and Your Kids Save the Planet.)
winners: #2 Katrina, #16 ape2016

ChicoBag Giveaway (closed)

2010-09-13T23:57:00.003-04:00

A few months ago, I received my first items from ChicoBag. Wow. I absolutely love them! I have several reusable bags already, but the ChicoBag ones are kinda stylish as well as being better for the environment.

There are so many great designs and styles of reusable bags on their website, including some for the upcoming Halloween holiday! Looking through the options, I really liked the shoulder style Vita bags and as a result choose them among what I wanted to review.

I honestly intended to use my Vita bag for retail purchases, etc, but then I took it to BlogHer '10 with me..

At BlogHer I got tired of lugging around my heavy bag, so I put my wallet, keys, glasses, and a couple other little things in my very, very light ChicoBag.. and I was a happy camper (er.. blogger). So light. So awesome. Did I get comments? YES. AND I made a connection with a woman that used to work with ChicoBag after she saw my bag. So, you never know..

As with all ChicoBags, the bag folds into an attached pouch. When the bag is in use, the pouch is on the inside. Very clever- and I always put it into use.. usually for my phone so it's easy to find.

Retro Brown Polkadot Plaid

Three winners will be selected; one for each of these prints from the Vintage Collection by ChicoBag. Giveaway ends Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winners will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to US addresses only.

Mandatory entry:
1. Check out everything at ChicoBag and let me know which item is your favorite AND which one of the prints I featured above, in the Vintage Collection style, would you like to win? (must answer both parts of the question)

Entry methods:
1. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
2. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
3. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the @ChicoBag #giveaway @Unpaint. http://bit.ly/cwOXOb Ends September 28" (daily)
4. Blog about this giveaway by September 26 and comment on this post with the link. (once)
5. Like Unpaint on Facebook. (once)

(My review samples and giveaway prizes were provided by ChicoBag.)
winners: #101 Rebecca O, #47 rubynreba, #28 Molly Joy

Kidz Banz and Real Kids Shades Giveaway (closed)

2010-09-11T19:06:00.003-04:00

And we're back!

This giveaway features two pairs of really cute kids sunglasses. The first is a pair of blue KidZ BanZ - Adventure BanZ - Ages 2-5. They feature silicone nose and brow pieces embedded into the glasses for added comfort, category 3 lenses which offer high sunglare reduction/good UV protection, and neoprene elastic strap which allows for flexibility, breath-ability, and comfort. And they are also capable of being replaced with prescription lenses.

The second pair is from the Real Kids Shades 0-24 months My First Shades collection- in a red strawberry print. They offer 100% UV protection (UVA & UVB) to 400 nanometers, professional grade polycarbonate frames and lenses, and the adjustable neoprene® band keeps the glasses comfortably and securely in place. All styles of MyFirstShades® sunglasses can be fitted with prescription lenses.

Two winners will be selected; one for the Kidz Banz and one for the Real Kids Shades. Giveaway ends Friday, September 24, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winners will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to US addresses only.

Mandatory entry:
1. Which of the two pairs would you like to win?

Entry methods:
1. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
2. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
3. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the Kidz Banz and Real Kids Shades #giveaway @Unpaint. http://bit.ly/9Uy4JD Ends September 24" (daily)
4. Blog about this giveaway by September 22 and comment on this post with the link. (once)
5. Like Unpaint on Facebook. (once)

(Kidz Banz and RKS provided these glasses for me to use at my discretion.)
winner: #4 Jennifer

the giveaways. part two

2010-08-19T00:14:00.000-04:00

I have been working on selecting winners for giveaways that have finished up the last few weeks.

I sent out a few emails.

Were you a winner?

the giveaways

2010-08-15T20:38:00.000-04:00

sorry.. i'm a little behind on the giveaway aspects here. (and like, everything else too)

blogher 10 really threw me for a loop i guess.

i'll be drawing the winners and posting new giveaways within the next week.

i promise.

probably.

Things I learned at BlogHer part 2

2010-08-10T16:56:00.000-04:00

- It's hard to be at a blog conference if you're sick. Not saying don't go.. just saying it's hard.

- The name of my blog tells noone anything about what goes on here. Do you think I ever thought about that before? Nope. On Friday, after telling someone the name of my blog, the woman responded "is it about art?" Oh..

- It's really hard to be at a blog conference if you've lost your voice. Not saying you have to go home.. just learn sign language.

- It's okay to show up at parties/events a little late. Chances are half the attendees show up after you do.

- The shipping station at BlogHer was a FAIL. The idea was spot on, but the execution was beyond a fail. So so so disorganized. No one knew the hours, a lot of people were wandering around not able to find it, and the shipping options were zero. AND how much did it cost? No idea. I shipped two boxes on Saturday and I still don't know how much it cost. However, I read that the 3-day shipping that you were forced to opt into was changed to Ground Shipping for everyone. (Did I receive those two boxes yet? Nope. Do I know where they are? Nope.)

- On Sunday morning I walked one block from my hotel to a UPS Store with 3 more bags of swag to mail (in one box). It was shipped as Ground.. and showed up at my house early this afternoon. Lesson learned.

- As I mentioned before, the internet at the Hilton was ridiculous. Bad ridiculous that is. I never could get the wifi working on my iPhone and it was so so so so slow on my macbook (although at least it was working for me.. others not so lucky I guess).

- The elevators at the Hilton. Were they slow? Ya.. But ya know what I think A LOT of people didn't realize? You didn't have to go all the way down to the lobby to get into a block of elevators that wasn't listed on the one you were on. For instance.. the elevator that stopped on my floor went to L, 2, 3, and 15-24.. but if I was on the 25th floor (whose elevators did something like 24-35) and wanted to get to my floor all I needed to do was go down one floor, get off the elevator, walk around the corner and get on the 15-24 floors elevator to go the rest of the way.
There should have been an explaination about that somewhere, but there wasn't. I figured it out by accident when I got too impatient waiting for an elevator and was going to just take the stairs down a few floors.. walked around a corner and discoverd more elevators!

- I feel like I learned way more not going to a single session than I could have learned showing up for everything that was offered. Why? I don't know. It wasn't one single thing that happened.. just a lot of little happenings.

- If you read that for some reason aspirin/tylenol/pain relief is hard to come by at BlogHer and you should bring your own.. believe it. I brought 6-8 tylenol tablets.. I came home with 1. I took some because I was sore and some because I was sick. I was SO glad I brought some and didn't have to spend $30 for the Gold plated version that they sell in NYC.

- If you are sick and Vicks is at BlogHer and they give you sample NyQuil.. be really happy. But.. do not take it during the day.. or you will end up missing the only session you would have actually gotten to. There is a reason they started making a product called DAYquil.

- Swag is cool, but I didn't think swag pickups weren't that great in the end. There was one event (can't remember the name though) that was about the swag, but the room was plenty big enough for everyone there. The products were all layed out around the room and you could either take the item or not. And if you wanted to talk to the brand you could.. and if you didn't want to.. you weren't made to feel like you had to. And when you were done.. you left.. and didn't feel like a loser for just walking away from the event.

Things I learned at BlogHer (and what can be improved upon) part 1

2010-08-08T01:02:00.000-04:00

- The swag recycling/swap room is a fantastic idea. I wish I had stopped in earlier than I did. I was there once or twice late Friday and 3 or 4 times on Saturday- AND I did more dropping off than I did picking up thankyouverymuch!

- The swag recycling/swap room also needs to be open late on the last day of the conference or for part of the day after BlogHer ends officially (ie. Sunday). I think most people are leaving on Sunday and don't pack until late Saturday or early Sunday.. and realize they have a lot of things they don't need.

- For some people, there is too much going on to attend all of the sessions. Or half of them. Or any of them. Honestly. I didn't get to a single session. But.. I was also (in denial that I was) sick and had to take a nap one afternoon. Two days is not enough for a BlogHer conference. It's just not, I'm sorry.

- The shipping station was also a fantastic idea.

- Ways to improve the shipping station.. have more shipping options than just "3 day" (but it was later changed to the cheaper "ground" for everyone) and just like the swag swap room.. it needs to be open on Sunday.. when people realize they have too much to fit in their suitcases.

- BlogHer needed way way WAY more info on when things started/ended in the guide, etc. What were the hours of the expo hall? What were the hours of the swag swap? When did the shipping station close? I heard A LOT of people asking this stuff. Maybe that info wasn't known when the guide was printed.. but why couldn't you post signs up on the doors or areas certain things were happening?

- Coupons for free items are awesome.

The BlogHernet

2010-08-07T21:15:00.000-04:00

The internet here at BlogHer is amazing..

I've seen..

2010-08-06T18:07:00.000-04:00

So far, I have seen.. one of the Rabbid Rabbits, Elmo, Dora (the explorer), the Jimmy Dean Sun, the Pilsbury Doughboy, Mrs. Potatohead, and Ronald McDonald.

I saw Twenty Four at Heart in the elevator (she decided to go with the purple streaks by the way), Vodkamom in another elevator (who I would have shrieked "omg i read your blog" at.. had I not lost my voice yesterday), @militarymom (who is very pregnant) went up to the one of the same swag suites I was waiting in line to be checked in for, and I watched Kailani of An Island Life move on the the next round in a sandwich making contest.

Other than that.. pretty much every. single. badge that I can get a look at swinging around the neck of someone.. I've never heard of. There are SO many of us (bloggers).. and this is only a tiny representation at BlogHer '10!

Being at BlogHer10

2010-08-05T23:48:00.000-04:00

Sooo.. tomorrow is the official start of BlogHer10 (with sessions and whatnot), but I started a little early with a dinner for the winner's of the JVC (how I got here in the first place) BlogHer10 contest.

I stupidly, stupidly did not listen to H when he said I should just take a cab from the train station. I walked. It wasn't that far.. but dragging my suitcase.. and in the humidity.. stupid. Soo.. by the time I got to the hotel, got into my room, rang out all my clothes, changed for dinner, and signed in at BlogHer registration.. there was not enough time for my first swag suite. Ug. Well.. there will be so much more I'm sure..

Dinner was goood. Not the best New York food I've ever had.. but really delicious nonetheless. I got a mozzarella salad as an appetizer which came with an olive tapenade (the word was in my head, but had to look up how to spell it) and I could have licked the plate clean it was so good. My dinner was mushroom ravioli. At first it was really good.. I even ate the asparagus(!) slivers.. but it very quickly became VERY heavy in my stomach and I would only eat about half of it.

My mozzarella salad looked similar to this, but way way tastier

Almost my exact view throughout dinner, except it was darker.. but that "the new baby" poster was all I could focus on.

And to finish up, just some coffee. Although admittedly, it didn't really help. I'm SO tired. I'm so so so tired. All I did was arrive in the city and shove food in my face. Too tired to walk around. Honestly, I'm kind of hungry (now). I looked at the room service menu.. just for giggles.. grilled cheese is $22. twenty-two dollars. Whatever. That's crazy. Even for a fancy hotel such as this one. So unless I feel like eating some Play-doh (swag!) I guess I'm screwed until the morning.

But speaking of Play-Doh. Here's the first lousy picture of my first little bit of BlogHer swag..

The best is the little PlayDoh kit (for Lily). But also cool is the coupon for a free Healthy Choice frozen meal, coupon for free laundry detergent, Extra dessert delights mint chocolate chip gum (favorite!) even thought it does have aspartame in it, and the Tropicana lip balm (made in the usa!). Walmart offered up a little "hatch a basil plant" which is cute and AOL's business card holder is actually going to come in handy. Not a big fan of Jimmy Dean (being a vegetarian), but I love the cute little alarm clock they included.

There's a few other things too. And.. I'm just gonna say it. I don't like the bag. It's itchy. The whole freesetglobal.com aspect of it is awesome awesome awesome, beyond words.. but the bag is too itchy for bare summer arms. Sorry. Or.. maybe it's just me.

Yo Gabba Gabba! giveaway (closed)

2010-08-03T20:35:00.003-04:00

Any fans of Yo Gabba Gabba out there? Or parents of fans of Yo Gabba Gabba? Admittedly, I am both.

Lily loves the show and I can't say I don't like it. There are many (nameless) kids shows that I cannot stand to watch and there are others that after the 500th time I haaaate.. but not YGG. The songs are (unfortunately) extremely catchy and the characters (Muno, Foofa, Brobee, Toodee, Plex, and DJ Lance) are super cute. There are many different YGG toys at our house.. dancing Brobee, small stuffed animals, larger talking stuffed animals, bath toys, figurines, etc.. And we've Lily's been an avid fan for about an year and a half now.

When the Yo Gabba Gabba tour came around the first time I really wanted to take her, but she was only a year old and the closest venue was several states away. BUT.. this year she's almost 2 and the venues are a lot closer. AND we're going! So excited! For Lily I mean. We are planning to see one of the shows happening in Providence, RI at the Providence Performing Arts Center- never been, but it sounds nice. (And they still have tickets for both shows on September 28).

I am hoping it will be a good experience and Lily will love it. She'll either love it or be terrified I think.. or at least a little overwhelmed. (I can't wait to tell you all about it after the show.)

In the meantime, you can enter to win your own copies of the Yo Gabba Gabba!: Music is Awesome Volume 1 CD and Yo Gabba Gabba! Clubhouse DVD (just released in June). Oddly enough, with all the YGG in our house, we don't have either of those yet. We better get moving on it though because the Volume 2 CD (more songs from seasons 1-3) is only a few weeks away from being released as well.

One winner will each receive Yo Gabba Gabba!: Music is Awesome Volume 1 CD and Yo Gabba Gabba! Clubhhouse DVD. Giveaway ends Monday, August 16, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winner will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile.

Mandatory entry:
1. Is Yo Gabba Gabba a big hit at your house? (Admit it, you watch it too!) Who's your (or your child's) favorite character?

Entry methods:
1. Comment on one of my non-giveaway posts and let me know on this post which one it was. One giveaway per comment please. (once)
2. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
3. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
4. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the #YoGabbaGabba #giveaway @Unpaint. http://bit.ly/cyaOoB Ends August 16" (daily)
5. Blog about this giveaway by August 14 and comment on this post with the link. (once)
6. Like Unpaint on Facebook.

(I received passes to Yo Gabba Gabba Live for this review.)
winner: #10 Jennifer

What to do if you've been switched at birth

2010-08-01T07:38:00.001-04:00

I came across this article yesterday. Never heard of such a thing in my whole life.. and I guess no one else really has either (perhaps because it's never happened before?).

Two men in Brazil were switched at birth (over 20 years ago) and only recently found out. One of the men, and his parents, moved to the farm of the other man (and his parents).. they built a house on the land and both families work the farm together and are a kind of joined family. Wow. I actually think that's pretty neat.. seeing how it was 2 decades ago- no one's "switching back" now..

Random Thoughts Saturday

2010-07-31T17:08:00.000-04:00

Wow.. I have seriously been neglecting this blog. But you know what I have been seriously not neglecting? The #blogher10 Twitter stream. Watching a lot. Commenting a little. And stalking the invites some. My schedule is pretty full, but I am still waiting on the invite for one more. I can be in three places at once, right?

+++

I still haven't been able to get a haircut. I have almost completely accepted the fact that I won't be able to get one before BlogHer (or Lily goes to kindergarten in 3 or 4 years), but that doesn't mean I'm okay with that. I thought that maybe a straightener would help a little (and buying one is something I can do with Lily, while a haircut really isn't).. but they aren't really cheap, are they?

+++

I get to go grocery shopping today. With Lily. So that should be a good time. I mean, if you like going grocery shopping while trying to entertain (and keep from having a melt down) a troop of monkeys. Yes, that's right.. I just compared my toddler to a troop of monkeys. Deal with it.

+++

I was looking through my clothes to figure out what to wear in New York next week. Turns out I had a whole bunch of capris I had forgotten about and could have been wearing for weeks now. The sandals I was going to wear look silly with everything.. but another pair look better thankfully. I have three potential "nice" outfits hanging up to try on again later- I think I really only need to bring two and then some switch-around options. So fascinating for you to read about I'm sure.

+++

Oh ya, we need to go to Target today as well. For the 54th time this week. Oh well, I'm sure they are used to seeing me and the toddler 19 times a day.. maybe they even look forward to it, seeing how we are constantly making spectacles of ourselves!

Rambler's Way. As American as Apple Pie..

2010-07-29T22:15:00.002-04:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Ramblers Way. All opinions are 100% mine.

I can't help but look for the Made in America label when shopping for clothes and other items. The vast majority of the time I am disappointed with the chosen country of manufacture, but every once in awhile I am happy to see that a company chose the U.S. to manufacturer at least one of their products.

And then there are company's like Rambler's Way (the same people behind Tom's of Maine)- that actually believe, as an entire company, they should be putting local before global- "we connect American farms with American manufacturing, we invigorate local economies." Beyond just "supporting" their local economy- they're invigorating it!

Personally, I think putting more back into this country is incredibly important. Businesses are going bankrupt, men and women are losing their jobs, and entire families are losing their sources of income in the blink of an eye. If more companies wanted to invest in this country by making sure their products were made by Americans and kept Americans employed.. how could our economy not improve? Or maybe I've just left my rose colored goggles on too long. But seriously..

I encourage you to check out the unique, high quality wool garments from Rambler's Way.. even just to learn more about the ethics of this great company.

Island Cowgirl giveaway (closed)

2010-07-28T20:30:00.002-04:00

"Each romantic creation is hand carved with poetic etchings and words of inspiration before being cast in sterling or 14k gold using the age-old technique of lost wax casting. Island Cowgirl strives to create not just jewelry but "wear forever" keepsakes."

The Island Cowgirl shop is well organized and has a really extensive collection of beautifully designed bracelets, rings, necklaces, and more. I received the Inner Circle Bracelet, which I love love love- and wear all the time. It's pretty simple, but kind of striking at the same time. My wrists are about average or smaller and this bracelet is the perfect size for me. I sometimes have a hard time finding bracelets that aren't falling off my arm.. and this one was a winner. It's not tight, but isn't able to slip off over my hand either.

There are pages and pages and pages of jewelry for every taste. It's all very beachy and cowgirlish.. (kinda of rustic), but I am neither of those things and still found so many items that appealed to my tastes. I'm guessing you will too.

Three winners will each receive a pair of Hearts & Keys earrings from Island Cowgirl jewelry. Giveaway ends Wednesday, August 11, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winners will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile.

Mandatory entry:
1. Take a look around the Island Cowgirl jewelry shop. Which item is your favorite?

Entry methods:
1. Comment on one of my non-giveaway posts and let me know on this post which one it was. One giveaway per comment please. (once)
2. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
3. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
4. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the Island Cowgirl Jewelry #giveaway @Unpaint. http://bit.ly/aaAzfc 3 winners! Ends August 11" (daily)
5. Blog about this giveaway by August 9 and comment on this post with the link. (once)
6. Like Unpaint on Facebook.

(I received sample jewelry from Island Cowgirl for this review.)
winners: #32 L'ubasa, #2 designHER Momma, #28 Helena

Another day in the life

2010-07-27T18:41:00.000-04:00

I had another dentist appointment today. Yippee. Actually, I was fine with it. No, really. The last one was a breeze so I didn't have any qualms about this one. But as the time for my appointment ticked closer, one thing after another, after another just started going wrong.

I was 10-15 minutes late (depending on which of 500 clocks in my life you ask) and they almost wouldn't take me for my appointment- but the dentist agreed to still fit me in- thankfully(?).

The receptionist told me if I knew I was going to be late I should have called to let them know. Well, uh.. I didn't KNOW I was going to be late. It's not like I planned it out to ruin your day lady. The dentist's assistant seemed pretty annoyed with me as well. I asked her if I could leave my bag on a chair near the door of the room I was in. Flat out "no". Oh. Didn't offer another chair, a spot out of the way on the floor, the hook I later noticed in the far corner of the room, nothing. Super.

So far I managed to piss off both the receptionist and the denist assistant. Fan-freaking-tastic. I sat in the chair, waiting for the dentist, holding back tears. Big stupid baby. I figured the dentist would probably be annoyed as well. But..

If he was, he hid it unbelievably well. He started off by telling me a story about our small world, and then began numbing up my mouth. I sat in the room alone for awhile thinking how unbelievably relaxing the office was. I could hear a kind of water/white-noise sound and wondered what it was.. and that I would love to have that at home because it was making me what to close my eyes and sleeeeeeep. It was so peaceful and unstressful listening to the noise and watching the cars drive by outside.

But then bam! It was over and the drilling commenced. It was fine for a bit, then I started to feel the drill just a tad. I didn't think anything of it, until BAM!- like he hit a nerve- and I jumped! And he jumped.

More novocaine. More sitting alone in the room- but slightly less peaceful. And this time my entire head was numb except for maybe my right ear.

It was supposed to be so simple and I was there for an hour. I left the office 3 1/2 hours ago and my face is still pretty numb. I've never had so much novocaine in my life! I couldn't even speak when I got up out of the chair. I had to talk to another receptionist and she could. not. understand. me. I was trying to ask her if they could "bill me" for the copay. But my Bs were coming out like Ms and she thought I was saying "mail".. which was close enough. But I was so embarrassed, because she was not being understanding like "oh, it happens all the time".. more like "what the heck is wrong with you?!" Sigh.

The side of my face from my cheekbone to my throat was totally numb. I was going to run errands after the appointment, but I since I had to interact with people to do them, I would have been unbelievably embarrassed since I was completely unable to be understood. I went home instead.

I called H on the way home.. he asked me what was wrong with my face.. thanks. Ya, I know.. I sound like I'm mentally handicapped (or being an @ass and making fun of someone who is). By the time I got home I thought I sounded more like Marlee Matlin. Which is obviously an improvement, although very odd since I don't think novocaine usually affects ones hearing. But I'm just that lucky.

H goes to the playground

2010-07-27T11:56:00.000-04:00

H met Lily and I at a playground on Monday afternoon.

H: This playground is really bad.
Me: What? Why?
H: People come here to do drugs and get r4ped.
Me: (Looking around..) What are you talking about?!
H: See those guys playing basketball? Doing drugs..
Me: Well, no one else was even here when we got here. And there are other kids here now. What's the big deal?
H: There's a guy over there by the trees..
Me: What guy? The one with the woman? That's a mom and dad with their two kids! They were just over here on the swings!
H: Whatever.. Don't ever come here again.
Me: Are you serious?! Fine. Lily, enjoy yourself because we're never coming back here.
H: Stop being mean to her.
Me: Me? You are the one freaking out about some dad that brought his kids to a playground with his wife.
H: Whatever. You're probably going to blog about this now, aren't you?

I'm ready for my closeup..

2010-07-26T20:33:00.001-04:00

Do you know why moms of toddlers wear sunglasses all the time?

Hi. My name is Laura. And I’m a blogger. Oh, and Lily’s mom. And, uh, some other exciting things too.

My ability to turn my embarrassing, humiliating, very bad, nonsense moments into something funny is probably what sets me apart. I laugh at myself and then let it go. Some may say that’s avoidance.. but people always say weird things. No sense in dwelling on the bad, when there is something so much better just waiting to happen. I don’t have time for the bad stuff. And I’d rather laugh anyway.

Sooo.. what's my story? I used to have a job. In an office. Sometimes it was great. Sometimes it was not. I felt that I was very good at it, but let’s face it, I wasn’t making the world a better place or teaching anyone how to fish. (Plus.. it was just a tad soul sucking.) So I got the heck outta there- sort of. First I went back to school, for.. nothing really. It was something other than a job that was never ever ever going to give me any fulfillment, but as a real adult, school had no place in my life.

I cannot say I always wanted to be a mom, because I didn't. But the idea of being a deliciously awesome influence in a little person’s life sounded like pretty much the greatest job ever, so..

I became the stay at home mom. It was the best thing for… everyone? But anyone that’s ever been the SAHM knows that it’s not easy. And anyone that never has..? Usually thinks you pretty much do “nothing” all day. Who’s laughing with me?

You think I have any idea what I'm doing? I don't have a clue. But I get more on-the-job training than I will ever know what to do with. And patience? I have patience now like you would. not. believe. In terms of toddlers and tantrums anyway. Plus, I get paid in kisses and dirty diapers.. let me tell you that makes me pretty darn rich! (If you can pay the cable bill with used Huggies..)

I want as much time with Lily before she.. I don't know, has her own life? I don't knock anyone that has chosen daycare, but I am Lily's mom and I want to be the one that guides her through life. Staying home with her has meant giant life changes. Giant. There is some regret, but lots of joy too. There have been family sacrifices great and small.. from and for each of us. (Now we hug.)

So.. I partly blog for sanity and partly to reach out to a world beyond Yo Gabba Gabba, crayons, and tiny people that won’t eat their lunch but have no problem stealing mine (even if it’s exactly the same). I realize, now, I am not alone here. There is an awesome blog community to find a place with no matter who you are.

Anything I can say about my life, is as good as saying it about my blog. I blog my life.

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Want to watch me on tv? You might get the chance if I can charm the Project Mom Casting group.. help me get the word out about my entry: "RT What do you think about my entry for Project Mom Casting? http://bit.ly/9BR9F8 Help me get @Unpaint on tv.."

Promoting giveaways through Giveaway Scout

2010-07-26T12:42:00.000-04:00

I received an email from Giveaway Scout a few weeks ago, but basically forgot about it. Now I see a few other blogs are trying it out.. so I'll jump on the bandwagon too. Which is weird, because I'm not usually a bandwagon jumper oner, but whatever.

To start out with Giveaway Scout, you just need to put a post on your blog to give them a little free advertising and promotion.. and they return the favor for your giveaway.

This is my post for them, so I have no idea how great their service is yet. I'll let you know..

On buying generic..

2010-07-24T16:09:00.000-04:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

An article on Walletpop.com, entitled 10 Products to Always Buy Generic, was recently brought to my attention. I am all about stretching a dollar to the ends of the earth, but I don't always think about generic/store brands. Or actually, in some ways I do.. but don't realize it. Gasoline, for instance, is one of the items on the 10 Products list.. and I couldn't care less what the name on the sign says.. I'm looking at the numbers next to the dollar sign.

Of course, of course, the big item on the generic buying list is baby formula! So so so expensive, right? Thankfully Lily has been off formula for almost a year now, but I definitely remember the feeling buying formula..

Did I consider buying store brand formula? Not really. Well, I would have considered it if they were making it as organic, but two years ago, I never saw such a thing (and now I am starting to). Organic formula was my main desire, not so much who was making it. I trust that the formula regulations are very strict wether it's Similac or Target brand. If it's the same exact content and say $5 cheaper.. saving a few hundred dollars is something I would have been into.

BlogHer '10. And stuff..

2010-07-23T23:12:00.000-04:00

Still so excited about BlogHer '10 in a few weeks. It's barely two weeks away. Several times a day I am over at Twitter following along with the Blogher10 chatter- the excitement is almost too much. There are so so so many amazing, cool companies that will be there, just waiting to chat us all up (and vice versa).. cannot wait. Did I mention that? Did I mention how exciting going to this year's BlogHer is?

I know many people (okay, like most of them) are talking about buying new wardrobes, outfits, shoes, etc- but I'm really not. I need a belt to go with a dress I already have.. but I think since I've looked everywhere under the sun for one I like (and can afford) and come up empty handed, that I may just make my own (which would of course be way more awesome anyway).

I'm not buying new shoes. I have a pair of sandals I bought 3 years ago that I hardly ever wear and a pair of sneakers I bought a few months ago. That's right.. I'm going to wear sneakers at BlogHer. Gasp! Will I be shunned? No idea.. but, it would be very sad indeed if I was. Sad about people, I'm saying. If you don't want to talk to me because of my shoes, I totally understand.. but then again, if that's why you don't want to talk to me.. I probably wouldn't want to talk to you anyway. So there.

I did buy 2 new shirts. Actually 3. But I had said I would return the 1st one if I found something better. And I did. I think. Also, the 2nd shirt I bought is going back.. so really it's like I only bought one new shirt.. and I had a gift card, so.. it doesn't really count. (And I'm only 50% sure I'm keeping the 3rd one.)

But the shirt thing.. not so much in regard to BlogHer. I recently (about 2 weeks ago) decided all my summer shirts look terrible on me and need to be replaced asap. Actually, I'm not really thrilled about the 79% of pants in my life either.. but I'll muddle through somehow.

What else? I bought a new bag about a month ago, but still haven't used it yet- because I'm not sure if I'm going to keep it or not (are you sensing a theme here?) I needed a new bag. I love the one I have.. but it's black wool (uh, winter?) and I've ended up using it 80% of the year since I bought it. And, no, I'm not a multi-bag kinda girl. I know, really. In other words, it kind of needs to be replaced, or at least receive some TLC.

BlogHer '10 seems to be prompting (aka kicking in the @ss) me, like a lot of people, to get a few things that I really should have gotten myself by now. I just keep forgetting- this little person called Lily just somehow always manages to come first in my life. I must ask her for some tips..

That's Caring giveaway (closed)

2010-07-23T20:03:00.004-04:00

The natural, organic, better for the earth, etc giveaways are among my favorite ones to do. I was recently introduced to That's Caring and it seems like a great idea- "the greenest gift giving option."

"That's Caring utilizes environmentally friendly packaging and shipping practices to make sure that their gifts tiptoe, not stampede across the Earth. That’s Caring has over 40 gift basket options to choose from that range in price from $16.99 to $99.99 and include bakery, gourmet, pasta, sweets and snacks, home and spa, and pet gift collections."

Plus, That's Caring makes every effort to buy as locally as possible (the Chicago area) and everything else in their gift baskets comes from the U.S. The idea behind that is to support the businesses in their community, while cutting down on the negative environmental impact of shipping individual items across long distances.

I received the Tub Therapy gift basket in Seascape/Citrus Blossom. What I received..

looks about as identical as you can get to what is shown on the That's Caring website..

..which is great, I think, because that's not always the case when you order something online. Even the packaging is what-you-see-is-what-you-get. Everything that is included in the Seascape/Citrus Blossom Tub Therapy gift basket is from a great, fair-trade, nonprofit organization (The Enterprising Kitchen) which provides workforce development and support for woman working towards self-sufficiency and economic independence.

My favorite items in the gift basket are the Citrus Blossom liquid hand soap (smells almost edible!), the Seascape shower/bath gel (very fresh and sharp- almost "green" smelling), and the Citrus Blossom bar soap (to me, almost cinnaminy). There was also body butter, bath salts (with a natural wood scoop), and a soy candle in the Seascape scent. One of the best parts of each item is that little inclusion on the back of each item; "packaged with pride by" is printed on the label.. and then the woman responsible has signed her name below it. Really nice. Personal.

One winner will receive a Tub Therapy gift basket from That's Caring. Giveaway ends Tuesday, August 3, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winner will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to Continental U.S. addresses only.

Mandatory entry:
1. Take a look around That's Caring. Which gift basket, besides Tub Therapy, do you like? Who would it be for?

Entry methods:
1. Comment on one of my non-giveaway posts and let me know on this post which one it was. One giveaway per comment please. (once)
2. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
3. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
4. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the eco friendly That's Caring #giveaway @Unpaint. http://bit.ly/af7Cv8 Ends August 3" (daily)
5. Blog about this giveaway by August 1 and comment on this post with the link. (once)
6. Follow Unpaint on Facebook.

(I received a That's Caring gift basket for this review.)

winner: #35 Lauren

How do you spend your 2am?

2010-07-22T03:13:00.000-04:00

Right now it is 2:40 in the morning. How is it 2:40? Wasn't it just 1am about 5 minutes ago?

I am awake. I cannot sleep. I should not be eating this muffin right now.

(imagine a picture of a delicious muffin here)

And yet.. Nom. Nom. It is delicious. I heated it up and added some butter. (P.S. Which reminds me, we need more butter.) (P.P.S. But I will forget that as soon as I fall asleep.)

I am also drinking some watered down V8 Splash- which is pretty delicious. But not as delicious as the muffin. It's an apple muffin. Did I mention that? If I was drinking apple juice, I'd really have a theme going here right now. (Seeing how I'm using a macbook and all.)

Will I be tired "tomorrow" morning? Absolutely. Is there anything I can do about that right now? Nope, not so much.

I just deleted the picture of the muffin, because it looked crazy and very non-muffin. Not delicious looking at all. And unfortunately I cannot retake the picture because I've eaten the entire thing by now.

It was a little warm in the kitchen, I'll have you know. But I turned on the ceiling fan and the breeze is so nice. I never had any idea how awesome ceiling fans were until a few years ago (NOW I understand why the home owners got so upset on those design shows when the designers would take the ceiling fans out of a room).

I only bring up the ceiling fan matter because the other room is actually extremely cold. When I say extremely, I mean about 65 degrees. Or. Maybe less. Yes, Fahrenheit. Don't get me wrong, I am probably air conditionings number one fan.. but that's too cold for me.

You think I'm rambling and making seemingly odd subject connections because I'm tired? Nope. Unfortunately, that is a nope. I am just always at this level of go go go.

And on that note..

Canson's Eric Carle eco series giveaway (closed)

2010-07-19T21:21:00.003-04:00

If you haven't already had the chance to check out my review of the Eric Carle eco series paper from Canson, please go check it out, here: http://unpaint.blogspot.com/2010/07/cansons-new-eco-series-featuring-eric.html. There are some great drawings done by Lily featured as well. And I know you don't want to miss any of that!

We are using up the paper at an alarming rate, but I have happily discovered that the smallest sketch pad that was included is great to take out to doctor's waiting rooms, restaurants, etc. And now I'm able to offer one of my readers a similar package to the one I received (below).

One winner will receive a great prize package of the Eric Carle eco series Canson pads. Giveaway ends Saturday, July 31, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winner will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile.

Mandatory entry:
1. Who would be the lucky recipient if you were to win?

Entry methods:
1. Comment on one of my non-giveaway posts and let me know on this post which one it was. One giveaway per comment please. (once)
2. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
3. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
4. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the Canson Eric Carle eco series #giveaway @Unpaint. http://bit.ly/beBl9e Ends July 31"(daily)
5. Blog about this giveaway by July 29 and comment on this post with the link. (once)
6. ReTweet by 11:59pm on July 20: "Enter to win a $2000 #BlogHer10 sponsorship from #energizer and @kailani http://bit.ly/997lLl. @unpaint did: http://bit.ly/a7Ulid"
7. Follow Unpaint on Facebook.

winner: #26 ohhhfire

Today is..

2010-07-19T15:16:00.000-04:00

Today is one of those kind of days.

It's a grab-your-best-toddler-and-sit-on-the-couch-eating-an-entire-container-of-Cherry-Garcia-frozen-yogurt kind of day. Not that I'm saying I did that. Or might be currently doing that.

It's a I-finally-remember-to-put-cardboard-in-the-recycling-bin-and-now-it's-been-pouring-for-hours kind of day.

It's a I-just-happened-to-be-looking-out-the-window-when-the-mail-came-and-now-I'm-dying-to-know-what-those-little-packages-were-but-well-it's-pouring kind of days.

What's good at CSN Stores?

2010-07-19T14:12:00.000-04:00

I ordered a few things from CSN Stores several weeks ago. Sometime between then and now, they arrived- separately. The pitcher for my iced coffee arrived first- and then it took me three days to get around to opening and washing it.

I really wanted the glass 51oz pitcher from Bodum, but they didn't have it in stock (and still don't), so I went with the plastic (but BPA-free) 102oz one. It's nice. The major flaw (to me) is that they lid doesn't seem to be detachable, which makes cleaning it out pretty awkward. I've used it a few times, but then decided I really don't like the iced coffee making process.

The other item I ordered is probably the best thing I have bought in months. You wouldn't know it by looking at it, but it has actually made my life a molecule better. Maybe even two molecules. I present to you the Dr. Brown's Replacement Cleaning Brushes..

Why these things aren't given out like candy to moms of toddlers, I don't know. Every company under the sun makes strawed sippy cups, but how many of them make devices to clean them? I'll give you a minute to think..

Anything? Ya, exactly. I just happened to come across these cleaning brushes on CSNStores.com- and I am SO glad I bought them. At $3 for a 4pack, that's pretty cheap.. especially since I'd be willing to pay about $50. Each. For the amazing work they do. The brushes are long and skinny.. and bendable if you need them to be. They clean every size straw Lily has really well.. including the very very skinny Green Sprouts ones. I had previously been using Qtips.. but no more!

Thanks CSN Stores..

(I received these complimentary products from CSN Stores in order to spread the word about them. But, I did still have to pay for shipping- boo.)

oh, my dear cvs

2010-07-18T11:28:00.001-04:00

Ah CVS, I got you good today. You didn't even have a chance. I planned out my shopping trip- had manufacturer coupons, store coupons, extra care bucks, and all sorts of other tricks up my sleeve.

I bought..
- 1 pack of Huggies diapers $8.99 (got $3 ecb)
- 2 M&M's pretzels $1.00 (got $1 ecb)
- 1 4ct of Schick cartridges $8.99 (got $4 ecb)- used $4 off coupon
- 1 cvs sanitizer pen $1.99- used $1.99 coupon
- 1 cvs roll of paper towels $2.53 (because I needed to spend $1.99 more and needed paper towels)

subtotal: $23.50 -$5.99 (in coupons) - $4.00 ($4 off $20 coupon) = $13.51

Total: $13.51- 12.97 (in ecb) = $0.54 + $0.02 tax = Grand total of $0.56 wooooo!

Not bad, not bad at all. I could have spent nothing, but I didn't want to waste a ton of time wondering around the store for something that I wanted/needed that was exactly $1.99. We needed paper towels and the cvs select-a-size ones were pretty close.. so that was that. (oh, and then I got $8 in ecb back too)

Did you get a good deal today?

Random thoughts Saturday

2010-07-17T13:27:00.000-04:00

I took Lily to the doctor yesterday for some routine business. Although we had to sit in the waiting room for about 40 minutes.. we only had to wait in the exam room for about 40 seconds before the doctor came in. Does that even it out? Hmm.. almost I guess.

+++

I ordered my business cards today. I designed them two days ago, but when I tried to log back into my account, I was told my email address wasn't even registered. What?! So, I started from scratch this morning. I even utilized their live chat feature after I placed my order. It was a decent experience I suppose.

+++

A bland, boring day is in store for Lily and I today. I changed the sheets, washed lots of sippy cups and dishes, did two loads of laundry, ordered business cards, ate a muffin, got Lily and myself dressed for the day, cleaned out the litter box, and now I'm blogging and watching Lily watch The Wonder Pets. Jealous?

+++

I used to play I Love Katamari on Playstation. And it is addicting. Earlier this week, H told me it was available on the iPhone. Again, that is addicting as well. Do they have any of the Katamari games for XBox?

New England Coffee giveaway (closed)

2010-07-15T18:58:00.003-04:00

A little known fact about me.. I like coffee. No it's true, I promise- I know I don't talk about it much, but..

I got the chance recently to try a bunch of coffee flavors from New England Coffee. A whole bunch.. I cannot express how excited I was when I found the big New England Coffee box waiting on the doorstep for me. And then when I opened it and saw all the flavors included in my sampler- wow.

By far, the most fragrant flavor I received was the Blueberry Cobbler- I could smell it as soon as I cut the tape on the box. It was the first coffee I tried, by making it (as suggested) as iced coffee. Excellent suggestion by the way. I don't normally go for flavored coffees (sometimes vanillas), but honestly the blueberry flavoring is nice. The fragrance is definitely much stronger than the taste, but I think it's good when flavored coffee still tastes like coffee.

My favorite from the sampling I received would probably be the San Francisco Blend. It is roasted darker and therefore has a much bolder flavor-- which is what I've come to prefer (iced or hot). It is not the darkest of roasts.. but just dark enough to have quite a lot flavor to it. If that makes sense..?

Another of New England Coffee's flavors (they have a lot) is the Pumpkin Spice. I didn't receive any this time, but I've had it many times before and I would recommend it to anyone. It is delicious as a hot coffee.. and my hands down favorite fall coffee. And, true story, it was the first cup of coffee I had after Lily was born.

With all this coffee talk, I may need to go brew up some of coffee right now! But one last thing before the giveaway details. There's a lot of interesting things on the New England Coffee website, including coupons:http://www.newenglandcoffee.com/offers/coupon- so go check it out.

One winner will receive one bag of Peach Cobbler and one bag of Blueberry Cobbler from New England Coffee. Giveaway ends Monday, July 26, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winner will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to Continental U.S. addresses only (no P.O. Boxes).

Mandatory entry:
1. Take a look around the New England Coffee site. Which flavor, other than Peach Cobbler or Blueberry Cobbler, sounds delicious?

Entry methods:
1. Comment on one of my non-giveaway posts and let me know on this post which one it was. One giveaway per comment please. (once)
2. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
3. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
4. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the New England Coffee giveaway @Unpaint. http://bit.ly/cdT2TQ Ends July 26"(daily)
5. Blog about this giveaway by July 24 and comment on this post with the link. (once)
6. ReTweet by 11:59pm on July 20: "Enter to win a $2000 #BlogHer10 sponsorship from #energizer and @kailani http://bit.ly/997lLl. @unpaint did: http://bit.ly/a7Ulid"
7. Follow Unpaint on Facebook.

(I received New England Coffee samples for this review.)

winner: #40 jerseygirl137

business card advice

2010-07-15T17:30:00.000-04:00

I, like everyone else I guess, need some business cards for BlogHer 10. I first I was going to go the traditional size route, but then I started to seriously consider the 2x2 square. And then of course there is the slim card (2x1.75?).

Did you get new cards for BlogHer or for some other reason recently? What do you think about the different sizes? Are the more odd sizes, too.. well, "odd"?

i went to the dentist. it's true.

2010-07-14T20:07:00.000-04:00

I went to the dentist today. I haven't been in a long long time and I was not looking forward to my appointment today. H cancelled his appointment and I guess I could have weaseled my way out of it too, but I just figured what-the-heck.. get it over with already Laura.

I had a bunch of crazy xrays, and moved apparently (although I had no memory of it) and the second half of my around-the-head xray was blurry. The hygienist, while looking at the xray, asked me if I moved. I told her I didn't remember. And it had literally happened 5 minutes prior. Nice memory I've got. But she stood there looking at me like she expected some kind of explanation. I was a little lost for words. I just opened and shut my mouth.. and then mumbled "uh, maybe?"

I didn't like the way the office was set up, no actual rooms.. just sections with partial walls. But other than that.. best dental visit ever. Heck, I almost asked them if I could go back tomorrow too. I spent all these years going to an office that poked and picked and jabbed and stabbed and dug at my mouth making me wince and bleed.. and I thought that was just how it was done. Nope. It was a lie. I haven't been to the dentist in yeeears.. and they just picked a little, looked around, scrapped a little.. and they were done. Brushed and flossed my teeth. The End. Wow. If I wasn't so into being as anonymous as possible, I would totally tell you all where I went so you could have a fantastic dental experience as well.

AND.. I got dental swag. Psh! I don't know if it was because I was a new patient or they do that every time. Either way.. super impressed. If you think you live near me and are seeking a new dentist I will definitely give you the info..

brand party- hooray!

2010-07-13T20:00:00.001-04:00

There was a brand party during blogher '10 I just just found out about (two days ago?) that I thought would be awesome. I tried to sign up, but it was already full. Since my desire to be a part of it was so grande, I took a chance and emailed the organizer.

Well, I got an email tonight letting me know that they were letting a few more people sign up.. and I jumped right over to the site and was one of the very lucky to get in! Hooray.. I'm SO very excited. Thank you brand party organizer!

I don't know too much of what will go on, but based on the "presenters".. it's gotta be good..

KIWI's Summer Shoe Kit giveaway (closed)

2010-07-13T14:04:00.004-04:00

Dear Kiwi, Thank you for creating products specifically for women and their feet. As you already know, we have a different kind of feet than men.. we shove them into different kinds of shoes.. and our weight (and feet) can change quite a lot over a lifetime (babies anyone?). The one size fits all genders mentality of other innersole companies is no longer acceptable.. glad you see that too. Love, me.

So seriously. Kiwi's Smiling Feet line of products for women is pretty great, whether you are wearing 4 inch stiletto heels or slip-on flats.. you are going to love these things.. and maybe your feet really will smile.

the kit I received

There are 7 different choices from the Smiling Feet line (all $5 or less), including Ball of Foot Cushions, Anti-Slip Pads, and Mini Cushions (to be placed in your shoe where you need the most padding). Honestly, what I'm getting the most use out of are the Ultra Slim Gel Insoles and the In-Between-the-Toe Cushions.

The Ultra Slim Gel Insoles are great because they have padding specifically in the places a woman needs the most comfort help with her shoes. Gel insoles, in general, are nice.. but they are often made to suit every person of every gender. Women (especially in heels) need comfort in some places while not in others so that it doesn't create any more bulk (or tightness) in a shoe than absolutely necessary.

As far as the In-Between-the-Toe Cushions.. I've never seen a product like that before, but it's definitely needed in the world of poorly designed (but cute) flip-flops. I have not bought a cute pair of sandals many times, because I knew from just taking a few steps in them at the store that they were going to be a super painful (and little utilized) part of my wardrobe if I did waste the money on them. Now I am just thinking how much more broke I would be (but with cute sandals!) if only I had come across this product sooner.

The entire KIWI Summer Shoe Kit that has been put together by a great team includes the Ball-of-Foot Cushions, Ultra Slim Gel Insoles, In-Between-the-Toe Cushions, Gel Heel Cushions, and Gel Heel Liners from the Smiling Feet line as well as 2 of KIWI's most popular products: Fast Acting Whitener and Express Shine Sponge. PLUS two bonus coupons to buy even more necessary shoe items from KIWI!

One winner will receive their own Summer Shoe Kit from KIWI. Giveaway ends Saturday, July 24, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winner will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to US and Canada addresses only.

Mandatory entry:
1. Take a look around Kiwi's Smiling Feet site. Which product would you get the most use out of?

Entry methods:
1. Comment on one of my non-giveaway posts and let me know on this post which one it was. One giveaway per comment please. (once)
2. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
3. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
4. Tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter the KIWI Summer Shoe Kit giveaway @Unpaint. Your feet will thank you: http://bit.ly/cUR7Nw Ends July 24"(daily)
5. Blog about this giveaway by July 22 and comment on this post with the link. (once)
6. ReTweet y 11:59pm on July 20: "Enter to win a $2000 #BlogHer10 sponsorship from #energizer and @kailani http://bit.ly/997lLl. @unpaint did: http://bit.ly/a7Ulid"
7. Follow Unpaint on Facebook.

(I received KIWI samples for this review.)

winner: #21 Barginmom

Target + embarrassing ourselves = nothing new

2010-07-12T19:02:00.000-04:00

If you follow my Tweets, earlier you may have noticed "What am I up to today? Oh not much.. Just embarrassing ourselves at target again"

And it actually was a two day run of embarrassment.. that's how awesome I am. Yesterday at Target #1, I bought 3 small items: a shirt, a little toy for Lily, and an air freshener for the toxic diaper pail. I didn't realize the cashier had put my 3 items in TWO different bags.. so I only picked up one. He chased after me before I got out of the store. Geesh.

Then somewhere between the door and the car I dropped the other bag. And had no idea. When I was putting Lily's stroller in the car I had trouble closing it.. but then figure the bag with the shirt must have gotten stuck in it. I was tired and too hot.. figured I'd get it when we got home. But I forgot about it.

We went to Target #2 this afternoon to look for something that Target #1 didn't have. (Seems they just don't carry it any more so we got a substitute). When I got the stroller out of the trunk I expected to see the bag from the day before, but.. nope. Shit. I checked the car again. Nothing. Shiiit.

So I texted H, and the conversation went something like this..

Me: Are you near Target #1?
H: No
Me: Shit.
H: Why?
Me: Can you do me a favor please?
H: What now?
Me: I think I left my bag at Target yesterday, could you stop on your way by and check?
H: I have no interest in embarrassing myself as much as you clearly enjoy embarrassing yourself. (that's not even close to what he said, but that's what he meant) (And then something about wiping my own @ss)
Me: Fine! (and then thoughts about bringing this conversation up the next time he asks me for a favor)

I called Target #1 while I was shopping in Target #2. Yes, they had my bag. Thankfully. And the man on the phone just had to add in "oh, it says it was left outside".. Yes thank you for adding that in, sir, I didn't feel stupid enough already.

Lily and I stopped at home to change our clothes, since we had melted through the previous ones (did I mention how awesome it is to not have working a/c in the car? no? oh, maybe that's because it's actually not awesome at all).

At Target #1, I returned something that I had found marked down even further at Target #2 (and had bought again at the lower price) and then brought up "the bag." I'm pretty sure the guy that did my return was the one I talked to on the phone.. but he pretended like he wasn't. Gosh, I mean, I'm so freaking important how could someone not remember a phone conversation with me an hour ago?! (Whatever, I'm sure he's been fired by now.)

Anyway.. he says "you called already? did they tell you they found it?" (See that? "they".. like it wasn't him! Pff, whatever man.) "Yup."

"Okay, do you have your receipt?" Um. No one ( aka YOU) mentioned me needing a receipt on the phone. However, it didn't matter much because I had to say..

"Uh, I think it might be in the bag actually." Ya. Seriously. I dropped my bag in the parking lot of Target, didn't even notice, it had the receipt in it, and someone brought it to customer service (and didn't try returning it to get the cash). That is my good karma shinning it's glowing face right there folks.

He checked.. sure enough.. receipt in the bag. Wow. I had to sign their book-of-shame, admitting that I do indeed suffer from momma-of-a-toddler syndrome and we were on our way.

priceless

2010-07-10T20:59:00.000-04:00

1 package of diapers + 2 packages of baby wipes + Target's version of Mr. Clean Magic erasers + 1 package of plastic forks + 2 Luna bars + Ziploc Evolve bags + a new (orange) Brita pitcher = $53

Bringing a PSP Go loaded with Lily's shows which kept her fuss-free until we hit the checkout lanes = priceless

facebook gets unpainted

2010-07-09T14:17:00.000-04:00

It's true. I finally got Unpaint up on facebook..

To be an Energizer Smart ChargHer at BlogHer

2010-07-08T01:14:00.001-04:00

At An Island Life.. there is a contest for two registered BlogHer '10 attendees to each win $2,000 for trip related expenses.. or whatever. It's really important for me to be one of those winners. So, if you were wondering..

Why do I deserve to be an Energizer Smart ChargHER?

First of all, do you have any idea how many batteries we went through in the first year of my daughter's life? (No. No, you don't.) Everything under the sun that my daughter required, needed 15 batteries. Each. (I don't remember reading about that in any baby book.) There was her crib mobile, the baby monitor, the thing that played music, the thing that rocked her to sleep, the thing that lit up, the other thing that lit up, the annoying thing that didn't have volume control, and all the remotes that went along with them. Every other day I was tearing apart the house to find the right screwdriver so I could change the batteries in something else.

Eventually, enough was enough and we broke out our battery charger (the newer Energizer Smart Charger reeeally would have come in handy though- can you say Bad Battery Alert?). I am the last person that wants to throw something away (recycle, recycle) and what to do with a dead battery just killed me. I know there are stores that say they recycle them, but I mean.. do they really? Everytime I used our good old Energizer recharger, I thought.. there's another battery I'm keeping out of the landfill! And another. And another.

The money we saved by recharging batteries? Oh my goodness, do not even get me started! (23 batteries a day.. everyday.. at $1 a battery.. over the course of a year..) Of course the downside is that now we aren't nearly as buff as when we hauled 50 pound bags of dead batteries out to the curb on trash day.. but what are you gonna do?

We have two battery chargers now, running practically around the clock. Toddler needs her light up things, her piano things, noise making things, give momma a headache things, tv remotes, dvd remotes, cable remote, remote remotes, xbox remote (no, I'm not kidding), alphabet teaching fridge magnets, dancing monsters, singing monsters, and noise cancelling headphones (oops, how did that get in the list?).

I love those batteries chargers, but a lot of it is guess work. So, when I saw the specs on the Smart Charger..? Wow- a timer that counts down to a full charge, a bad battery alert to let you know when to just put the poor battery out of its misery (instead of trying to charge it for the 57 millionth time), and a gauge to check how much fuel that battery stuffed between the couch cushions has- pretty awesome!

The Smart Charger would save so many tears (not just mine)- knowing ahead of time whether a battery is going to last 5 weeks or 5 minutes (and to get a back up ready). So, honestly, I know my battery recharging stuff. I am well versed in all aspects of battery-requiring toys and the best methods in which to charge up those batteries. I can totally put the (good) word out about Energizer Smart Charger- and not just cus I'd get a super cool Energizer t-shirt (to add to my cool t-shirt collection) to make the other BlogHer '10 ladies green with envy! There would be NO problem talking up those gift cards to my home away from home (Target!) either- another great way to meet new BlogHers. BlogHer and Energizer, here I come!

Wait, there's a $2,000 sponsorship prize too?

I am told it helps if I tweet about it. I would be grateful for anyone that thinks my blog is even remotely enjoyable to take a few minutes and retweet the word out for me. My Twitter is @Unpaint- you'll find my tweet about it there and you can retweet. There doesn't seem to be a limit on how often, daily, etc..

an incentive to order from lulus.com

2010-07-07T16:09:00.001-04:00

I still haven't ordered anything from lulus.com, although I look around their website all the time. But now that I have my own personal promo code (that I will of course share with you all), perhaps that will be the final push I need to actually order something.

There are certainly enough products to choose from. Unique bags with all different price ranges..

Lots of jewelry- like rings..

And big rimmed hats that I have nowhere to wear..

Oh well. Now about that code.. Take 15% off your order now through July 31 with code: UNPAINT. Tell your friends..

You and your friends at Hampton

2010-07-07T12:01:00.000-04:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hampton Hotels. All opinions are 100% mine.

Right now Hampton is promoting their hotels through the Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes. As most contests are, this one is super easy to enter and the prize..? You could win an entire hotel for two nights. That's right.. 100 rooms for you and 99+ of your closest friends for two nights.

Actually, the specifics of the grande prize are that it's 200 Be My Guest Certificates. And each certificate is valid for a one-night stay at a Hampton Inn hotel worldwide. Um.. that actually sounds a heck of a lot better. Because all your "friends" could really end up being YOU. And you could have a great vacation.. many times. Or if you are renting.. move into a Hampton hotel for 7 months or so.. and think of all the money you'll save. Can you do that? I don't know.. probably.

Anyway.. there are also daily giveaways of 8 Be My Guest Certificates (or a 2 night stay for you and 3+ friends). Sigh. Wouldn't it be so much fun to get away for a weekend? Where would you go? Who would you take? Or would you just sneak away to enjoy the time to yourself? Sometimes a momma needs that. Oh. Not that I meant me necessarily. Maybe.

Random thoughts Wednesday

2010-07-07T10:24:00.000-04:00

Today was an 8am morning. Which is actually sort of obscene for us. Especially when bedtime was like.. oh, I don't know.. possible 2am. Maybe. And then at like 9:30, Miss 8am was laying on the floor in front of the tv, with droopy eyelids. I crouched down in front of her and said "you aren't sleeping, are you?!" Her eyes popped open and she sat up. No way are you going back to sleep when you woke me up too kiddo..

+++

I was reading something yesterday about piercing an infant's ears. Not super into that. If it's a cultural or religious (is it?) sort of thing, I can understand that. But to do it just so your tiny tiny person "looks like a girl" (in modern american culture) seems odd to me. Not judging. Just to me, it seems odd.

This is coming from the momma of a toddler that looks like a little boy many days. She still doesn't have tons of hair and while she does have doses of pink, purple, and other "girly" colors in her wardrobe it's by no means the predominant palette. She's been mistaken for a boy on days when she's in purple and has maryjanes on.. so it's more of their lack of observation skills than anything. Doesn't bother me and Lily clearly has no concept of it. But back to the point..

Lily's ears aren't pierced. It never even occurred to me to get them pierced. If she wants to get them done when she's older, that'll be her choice.

+++

Today, I read about banning plastic bags. Do I think they should be totally banned? No. But something should definitely be done.

I don't think that offering a 5 cent incentive for each reusable bag a customer uses really does much- most of the time the cashier doesn't remember about it. The better tactic I think is to charge for bags. IKEA does it. Price Rite does it. And there's more I'm sure. So if you need a bag on occasion, the charge is pretty small. But would definitely start to add up quickly if you were a repeat bag-forgetting offender. But that's just my opinion..

Timothy Jay Candles Giveaway #4 (closed)

2010-07-06T03:21:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago I hosted a giveaway for the Foliage scented candle from Timothy Jay Candles, then it was the Perfect Gardenia, and last week was the beautifully blue, Celadon.

In the fourth and final week of Timothy Jay Candle giveaways, I present you with.. Black Orchid.

"Deep in the jungle interior the atmosphere vibrates with the wafting fragrance of gardenia, tuberose and wild orange. For 12 years this legendary fragrance has continued to release an air of mystery!"

If you missed my original post about Timothy Jay Candles, please check it out. There are currently four collections: florals, naturals, greens, and fruits- and three different sizes to choose from (including samplers). And in case you were wondering (because I would be), yes, the wicks are all eco-friendly, 100% lead-free, and made in the U.S.

One winner will receive a 10oz. Black Orchid candle from Timothy Jay Candles. Giveaway ends Tuesday, July 13, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winner will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to US addresses only.

Mandatory entry:
1. Take a look around Timothy Jay Candles. Which fragrance, other than Black Orchid, sounds good to you?

Entry methods:
1. Comment on one of my non-giveaway posts and let me know on this post which one it was. One giveaway per comment please. (once)
2. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
3. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
4. Tweet about this giveaway. The final Timothy Jay Candles giveaway at @Unpaint. Ends July 13. http://bit.ly/ae5BIq (daily)
5. Blog about this giveaway by July 11 and comment on this post with the link. (once)

(I received candles from Timothy Jay Candles for this review.)

winner: #3 geniuswaitress

Fireworks through an iPhone

2010-07-05T13:27:00.000-04:00

happy (belated) independence day

Canson's new Eco Series featuring Eric Carle

2010-07-03T19:50:00.001-04:00

"The introduction of Canson's "What Do You See?" art and activity pads expands the appeal of Canson papers to a new generation. Based on the works of children's author and illustrator, Eric Carle, these pads will bring excitement to young children by providing them with quality papers to spark their love of art."

We are big on crayons, markers, and scribbling up a storm these days, so when I was contacted about Canson's new Eco Series line of Eric Carle pads.. you better believe I jumped at the chance to review them. I mean, for Lily to review them.

I cannot say enough good things about Canson. I have been using their products for a long, long time.. and I have never been disappointed with the quality of their papers. (They have been making paper for 450 years, so they seem to know what they are doing!) This Eco Series is even better since Canson has made a series of 5 pledges to the environment, including reducing energy consumption, limiting their use of harmful chemicals, and recycling waste material.

We were sent The Very Grouchy Ladybug lil' sketch, The Very Hungry Caterpillar sketch & tell story drawing book, The Very Quiet Cricket sketch pad, and The Very Lonely Firefly marker pad.. among other things. Lily's favorite so far seems to be The Very Hungry Caterpillar drawing pad. I'm not sure if it's the quality product or just some overnight talent coming out.. but she has been making some amazing new drawings and I am running out of places to hang them up!

Even though these papers feature a good amount of recycled product in them, they are still just as high quality as the non-recycled Canson products. If they weren't labeled as such, I would have assumed these pads were just sparkling white papers without realizing how much better for the environment they were.

Besides how much Lily seems to love them, one of my favorite features of these new pads are they are more geared towards kids. Some of the pads have covers that roll and fold behind to stay out of the way during furious coloring, some have sleeves that slip on and off, etc. Really impressed.

The new Eric Carle series from Canson are designed for kids ages 3 through 9 and priced below $10. I'm sure you've Canson products all over, but, for more specifics on where they are currently being sold, check out Canson's product locator.

(I received complimentary Canson products in order to do this review.)

She gets that from me

2010-07-03T18:33:00.000-04:00

This is what I call "the olive instinct."

I gave Lily 4 olives along with the rest of her lunch. I put the plate down on her table and walked back into the kitchen to get her juice. When I came back, she was plopping the olives on her fingers.. getting ready to eat them off that way. I'm 99% sure she's never seen anyone do that on tv or otherwise.. she just knew. She gets that from me..

Hey you! Ya, YOU..

2010-07-02T13:05:00.001-04:00

I don't like to be negative, especially here.. but I can't help it today. I'm dealing with a lot of mixed emotions about this blog and who reads it. I admit, I don't know who most of you are. Some of you leave comments and I enjoy reading them and getting to know you a little as you get to know me a little more.

I never really thought about the people in my past (or really, H's past), that chose not to like me, seeking out my blog to read about my life. If you decided not to like me.. then why do you want to keep reading about what I'm doing? Jealously? Obsession? Just like to make yourself angry/upset/agitated?

Do you know what analytics are? They are actually really interesting.

I found out that H has a big mouth (not recently, but you know..) and that not only does he stay in contact with several people that have caused a lot of unnecessary nonsense in my life, but he tells them in detail about my upcoming trip to new york and whatever else that is absolutely none of their business. And in return they tell him whether they weigh 240 or 246 pounds (oops, or was that not the right number?).

So in the end, I can't stop him.. and I can't stop you. But don't think I don't know. Because I do. And I always have. I just choose not to dwell on any of you and your negativity. Have a great day.

Starbucks Iced VIA.. it's official

2010-06-30T15:48:00.000-04:00

Do I talk about Starbucks too much? Maybe they should throw some sponsorship or swag my way! That'd be awesome. Anyway, I have officially tried the Starbucks Iced VIA.. and it is officially delicious.

When I bought it, I was just so excited that I didn't realize it's pre-sweetened (which, duh, makes sense). I was worried about the sweetness level, especially as I was pouring it into the water and it really looked like a 50/50 mix.. but the sweetness is fine. I almost didn't even need to add any dairy to it. I mean, I could have drank it just fine with milk/cream/whatever.. but I decided to add a couple of spoonfuls to make it super delicious. And it was.

I got my pack of iced VIA right from a Starbucks location yesterday, where they were having taste testing- but I'm too paranoid to participate in things like that. Is that water filtered? Were other customers putting their fingers on the spout or cups? I blame H for turning me into a germaphobe. (whatever, he can handle that blame) However, I did notice there were $1 coupons behind the pitcher and used it on a 5-pack.

Normally, they are priced $5.95 for 5 packets. With the coupon, that's basically $5 for 5 Venti ice coffees.. very good deal. If your location isn't doing tastings or if they have run out of the coupons already, you can print them out from here: http://www.starbucks.com/blog/28138/try-starbucks-via-174-iced-coffee-and-save.aspx. Enjoy.

$2 drinks at Starbucks

2010-06-30T14:39:00.000-04:00

Yeah! $2 drinks are back at Starbucks (if you didn't know already). This promotion is going on through October 4. If you go to Starbucks before 2pm, save your receipt. You can get another cold grande drink after 2pm for just $2 (yup.. frappuccinos too). I will definitely be pointing this out to H, as he seems to be going there 2 times a day now! Ug. More info here: http://www.starbucks.com/blog/28139/hang-on-to-your-treat-receipt.aspx

Truvia Giveaway (closed)

2010-06-30T12:11:00.003-04:00

Truvia (pronounced Tru-VEE-a) is a natural, zero-calorie sweetener made from the best-tasting part of the stevia leaf (used to sweeten food and drink for more than 200 years). You can cook with it, bake with it, and it sprinkles just like sugar. (One pack of Truvia sweetens as well as two teaspoons of sugar!)

I got the chance to review one of the newest sugar substitutes to enter the market- Truvia. Personally, I don't have a problem with sugar, but my husband had been talking about moving away from putting sugar in his coffee and wanted to try Truvia (he thinks regular sugar doesn't set well with him). Perfect.

The only real way to do this, I thought, was to conduct a blind taste test. Of course. I borrowed some regular sugar (but not from the neighbors), used some of my organic sugar, and then of course the Truvia. Before the taste test for my husband (the guinea pig), I tried the all three myself.

I thought the Truvia had the most different taste.. it wasn't a bad taste, it just wouldn't fool me for sugar (and I don't think it's trying to). I thought it tasted a little along the lines of a pixie stick. But let me explain that. There is sort of a powdery, "sharp" manner to a pixie stick that lets you know it's not just grains of sugar.. Truvia is similar. I didn't think it was any sweeter than sugar, but different. I bet it's good IN things.. cus I mean, who over the age of 18 eats just sugar anyway?

My husband was totally mixed up. He couldn't tell the organic from the regular sugar.. and I think he thought the Truvia was regular sugar. Basically, it was all the same to him. So if it's going to provide any improvement in how he feels, over eating regular sugar, then I guess he's all for it.

To find out more about Truvia, check out their website at Truvia.com.

One winner will receive one box of Truvia packets. Giveaway ends Wednesday, July 15, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winner will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to US addresses only.

Entry methods:
1. Comment on one of my non-giveaway posts and let me know on this post which one it was. One giveaway per comment please. (once)
2. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
3. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
4. Tweet about this giveaway. Win a box of @Truvia natural sweetener at Unpaint. Ends July 15. http://bit.ly/aSdKBo (daily)
5. Blog about this giveaway by July 13 and comment on this post with the link. (once)

(I received Truvia samples for this review.)

winner: #19 etirv

Do you want to go to BlogHer '10?

2010-06-29T15:18:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! I just came across another contest to get your butt to BlogHer'10 while I was tweeting about the freaking awesome cover letter I just wrote.

Anyway, here it is: http://www.mamavation.com/2010/05/do-you-want-to-go-to-blogher-ive-got.html. She is picking a winner on July 9. Go check it out and maybe I'll see you there! Just kidding, you wouldn't have to interact with me at the conference if you win.. I promise.

Good luck!

Random Thoughts Tuesday

2010-06-29T14:29:00.000-04:00

Today just seems like another random summer Tuesday. And it is. So that makes sense. I'm not sure, but I think I might be over summer already. I know, really not good because summer 2010 is only, what?, like a week old? Bad sign.

There have been a few days already that have just been so gross that Lily and I didn't even leave the house. The worst part? They probably weren't even that bad.. I just melt at any hint of humidity. Lily turns into a cranky mess.. and I am right there with her.

+++

Somewhat relatedly. Staying inside leads to more opportunity to "shop" online. I say "shop", because really.. I'm not buying anything.

Well, that's not totally true- if I could find what I was looking for, I would buy it. (ha) One of my most desired items is a glass, BPA-free plastic, or stainless steel container (preferably with a spout) for my new iced coffee brewing process. Not so simple. I've actually been looking since last summer and still haven't found anything. But with recent CSN Stores talk, I've headed over to that site. Which has like.. every category you could ever imagine- including one for a bedroom vanity. I thought only people on tv have things like that.. but then again, I don't get out as much as I should.

Anyway, I'm happy to say that there are actually a few that are in the running for being mine. I would love something like the Chill-It Pitcher, but $125 is at least double my spending cap. So I am more likely to get something like the Stainless Steel Carafe, which is on sale for $43.

+++

Lastly. I have been left to my own devices today. Where H and Lily went is apparently a matter of nation security, and it seems my clearance doesn't go that high. What to do, what to do.. Nothing good will come of this I'm sure. Mwahaha.

Me and Coffee

2010-06-28T16:01:00.001-04:00

I think you probably think that I drink WAY more coffee than I do. But, I probably don't. I think. Well, I didn't used to anyway. Don't get me wrong.. I love my coffee. If it's good coffee. Or if I'm propping my eyelids open with toothpicks to get through the day. But, I don't drink it all day long or just to be social.

My favorite coffee is bold or dark and around here that pretty much means Starbucks. Oh ya, there are Dunkin Donuts and Honey Dew on every corner (literally), but to me, that coffee is just so-so. The worst part about it, and what really makes me stay away is that the employees just don't listen (or give a sh*t) when you say ONE milk/cream. One. Please, just "one". It's not that I want that little dairy in my coffee, but when you say "one" you get about "seven".. and really I'd like about "two."

I keep putting these numbers in quotes because, honestly, I don't even know what unit of measurement it is! Most people probably think that it's about a tablespoon full (or the amount that's in those little sealed cups brought to your table in small dishes).. but there's no way it could be. No way.

After about the fifth time of asking for "one" cream in my iced coffee and getting something slightly tanner than a piece of paper, I gave up with DD and HD.

Maybe I'm a coffee snob, I don't know. But when I order coffee, I want coffee.. not milk with a few spoonfuls of coffee. Which lead me back time and time and time again to Starbucks. There are several down sides to that however.

First, the closest Starbucks is in Target. Now I love Target like you don't even know (or maybe you do), but it does get slightly embarrassing when I'm in there every other day (even if it is just to get coffee). There are 5 or 6 people that have worked there for awhile.. and oh ya they see me coming. And 99% of the time with Lily in the stroller- I cannot hide from my coffee addiction. I'd say, be nice to everyone you ever meet.. because you never know who will end up being your barista. I'm just saying. And the second closest Starbucks doesn't have a drive-thru (which I'd prefer with a sleeping toddler) and is 20 minutes away- although I do go there sometimes. Yes just for the coffee, so what?

And second, Starbucks isn't cheap. What? No, for real- it's not! I try to keep my Starbucks visits to under 3 times a week, but mostly it's only twice. I make the VIA at home, which is cheaper and tastes almost as good as a fresh brewed cup.

So, what's a girl to do? Make coffee at home you say? Hmm.. interesting notion. I have a really nice espresso machine. Somewhere. And we have a coffee maker. Somewhere. There is a coffee maker in use almost 24 hours a day in this house, but it's not mine. And the person it belongs to thinks Starbucks is gross.. so clearly our coffee tastes are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

About a week ago, H agreed to take me shopping for a new (small) coffee maker! And it really happened, it was so exciting! We went to Target (of course) and I picked out a nice stainless steel, 5-cup Mr.Coffee coffee maker. And it was on a Price Cut for only $19.

The non-see thru carafe was a little hard to get used to, but it's fine now. I brew the coffee a little stronger than normal and throw it in the fridge for iced coffee later. It's actually been coming out so awesome that I haven't gotten coffee from Starbucks at all since I started using it! (It's only been a week, but so what.) I told H that it was so good, I was going to go get a job at Starbucks and all the baristas would quit out of shame.

I tried the Blueberry Cobbler from New England Coffee Company (more about that later) and Caffe Verona and Komodo Dragon from Starbucks.. all have been delicious as iced coffee. And I am probably drinking about twice the coffee I used to. Oops.

Ironically, since I've been saving so much money not going to Starbucks, H is all up on the getting-a-gold-card-from-Starbucks kick (jealous!) so he's been going there more! Sigh.

Timothy Jay Candles Giveaway #3 (closed)

2010-06-28T10:00:00.003-04:00

Two weeks ago, I gave away a Perfect Gardenia candle from Timothy Jay Candles and last week I gave away another of their candles.. Foliage. This week, I'm giving way a third candle.. if you can believe it!

The candle of the week is Celadon: "A classic and timeless green fragrance. The freshness of cypress and firs combined with sensual Hawaiian tuberose. As clean and as artful as the ancient glaze for which it’s named." To me, that sounds great.. and the color is perfect, I love light blue.

If you missed my original post about Timothy Jay Candles, please check it out. There are currently four collections: florals, naturals, greens, and fruits- and three different sizes to choose from (including samplers). And in case you were wondering (because I would be), yes, the wicks are all eco-friendly, 100% lead-free, and made in the U.S.

One winner will receive a 10oz. Celadon candle from Timothy Jay Candles. Giveaway ends Monday, July 5, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winner will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to US addresses only.

Mandatory entry:
1. Take a look around Timothy Jay Candles. Which fragrance, other than Celadon, sounds good to you?

Entry methods:
1. Comment on one of my non-giveaway posts and let me know on this post which one it was. One giveaway per comment please. (once)
2. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
3. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
4. Tweet about this giveaway. Timothy Jay Candles giveaway at @Unpaint. Ends July 5. http://bit.ly/a48GrS (daily)
5. Blog about this giveaway by July 3 and comment on this post with the link. (once)

(I received candles from Timothy Jay Candles for this review.)

winner: #23 Heidi V

Good Earth dinner kit giveaway (closed)

2010-06-27T13:09:00.002-04:00

The newest of the Restaurant Favorite dinner kits, Good Earth, will be in stores this summer.. and I was one of the first to be able to try them out. I also received a bamboo set of little plates, two sets of utensils, and a cutting board- also a good sized reusable grocery bag.

When I originally took this opportunity, I didn't really know much about the Restaurant Favorites dinner kits and thought "Mediterranean Chicken", okay well H would probably like that- even if I can't eat it (vegetarian here remember). I knew the rest of the package that would get sent along would be nice to have, so that was enough for me. However!, when the package did come and I read the ingredients on the box.. totally vegetarian! You add the chicken to the dinner yourself and there aren't even any hidden vegetarian no-nos! How often does that happen? Not often enough. There is so often chicken fat, beef broth or whatever else in food.. and I miss out.

So, not only can I actually have this new line from Good Earth, but all the ingredients are pronounceable too! There are no artificial flavors, no artificial preservatives, and the pasta is 100% whole grain. Per serving there is 470mg of sodium and 290 calories.. which is in the acceptable range for what I usually eat.

As a family, we don't eat premade meals everday, but they are excellent to keep on hand and something like this one from Good Earth seems better than other meal kits I've come across- in terms of calories, ingredients, etc. And the preparation is fairly simple: cook pasta, cook chicken, mix up sauce, and combine. Well, slightly more complex than that.. but not much. Like I said, you need to provide your own chicken for this kit, but if you don't like chicken, try something else. I went for fake chicken and it was just as good (to me anyway!). I wonder how tofu would be? Little steak pieces might be good; mini meatballs, or even pork might work.

And the taste? Pretty darn good. I would make it again. I'll have to keep a look out for when they start appearing on shelves.. should be anyday now and if you head over to restaurantfavorites.com you can print out coupons for any of the Restaurant Favorites brands.

One winner will receive a Good Earth Mediterranean Chicken dry dinner kit, two sets of bamboo flatware, two bamboo dishes, a bamboo utility board and a 100% recyclable grocery tote. Giveaway ends Saturday, July 10, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winner will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to US addresses only.

Entry methods:
1. Comment on one of my non-giveaway posts and let me know on this post which one it was. One giveaway per comment please. (once)
2. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
3. Follow unpaint on Twitter. Good Earth restaurant favorites dinner kit giveaway @Unpaint. Ends July 10. http://bit.ly/cP1PHj (once)
4. Tweet about this giveaway. (daily)
5. Blog about this giveaway by July 8 and comment on this post with the link. (once)

(I received samples from Good Earth and MyBlogSpark for this review.)

winner: #39 Michelle Murphy

Starbucks VIA Iced Coffee

2010-06-26T13:20:00.000-04:00

Starbucks VIA Iced Coffee is coming! Starbucks VIA Ice Coffee is coming! I am pretty excited about the new VIA being released in a few days. I love the VIAs that are out now, but since it's summer an iced coffee version would really be perfect.

Once or twice I've probably mentioned that I love the convenience of the VIA. Maybe? But now that it's hot and summery.. drinking hot coffee isn't my first choice. What better treat from Starbucks than to offer coffee drinkers a super easy way to make iced coffee?

The Iced Coffee VIA sounds just as simple (actually more so) as the original (hot) VIA. Any cold water will do.. and it dissolves perfectly. I cannot wait! The release date is June 29.. only a few days away. Do you think they're taking preorders? (no, I'm not a nutcase.. I'm trying to be amusing based off of all my iPhone release talk recently)

new layout troubles

2010-06-26T12:03:00.000-04:00

I knew something would come up eventually, I just didn't know what. Because I was forced into a new layout, I, obviously, lost all edits I had made in it's html. So.. today I discovered I'd lost my comment numbering.. which is really needed if you are running giveaways.

Thankfully I still had the link to the only code that had worked for me with numbering my comments. If you want to number your comments and haven't found a code that works with your Blogger version yet, try this. It works with the newer templates and also the newest "design" templates on Blogger.

the new layout

2010-06-25T19:58:00.000-04:00

My blog has a new layout. And not because I thought it was time for one or that it would be awesome. No. I was playing around with Blogger's new design feature and lost my old layout. The layout I spent months and months perfecting (not that it was perfect, but you know..) the html of.

Now I have this layout (wasted hours that I could have spent doing something else) which I'm not super excited about. But it's fine. For now. Until the days start having 25-26 hours in them and I can fix it.

Random Thoughts Friday

2010-06-25T16:30:00.000-04:00

There's a little too much going on in life right now to sit down and organize a real post, so how about just a bunch of random smaller thoughts mashed together into one?

+++

Thought it was neat that I got an iPhone yesterday? Me too. Right up until it went into an endless reboot cycle. Su-per. No more iPhone. I'm not that upset about it. I'm disappointed I only got to be a cool kid for a few hours, but I'm glad it was my phone and not H's that was a dud. He was the one that went out and got them, so he should be able to enjoy the new phone. Plus, he tends to get awfully upset about things like that.

Who knows what happens now. Not like I can just walk into the store and get another today. Haha.

+++

I've been reading up on BlogHer '10 and all the other events (parties) they are co-sponsoring. And looking into the private brand parties. Oh yes. There is a freakin LOT going on in New York city for the BlogHers coming to town!

+++

I'd love to say that I want a digital SLR camera, but that's really kind of pushing it isn't it? (Not sure what happened to my manual SLR, now that I think of it.) They are easily $500-1000+. Maybe someone will buy me one for my birthday. No. I'd feel awfully greedy- in a very bad way. I'm not even sure which brand I'm want to go with, Kodak, Cannon, Nikon, Sony..? Sigh. A girl can dream, right?

+++

I found a BlogHer contest today, if anyone is interested. It's through the Powder Room Graffiti site. Prize includes full conference ticket, 3 night at the Sheraton, and $250 (for travel, new oufits, whatever). Cool. Good luck to anyone that enteres. If you win, come back and tell me!

This is where I tell you..

2010-06-24T12:29:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the inadvertent secrecy yesterday. Well, I guess it was advertent (not a word!)- but I didn't mean for it to be secrecy for so long. I was just so excited when I got the news, but had to get on with what needed to get done during the day, and then there was all the iphone 4 hoopla in our home (which I will tell you about briefly).

If you didn't know, the new iPhones were launched this morning. H had preordered his without issue, but then somehow "talked me into" getting one too. But by that time it was too late to add another one on to his order OR for me to preorder my own for launch day. So we had hour long discussions about when the white iPhone would be released (I was convinced they were just being sneaky and it really would be available on launch day, but H thought I was crazy- turns out just this once he was right) and how we would handle launch day.

H's mom was going to watch Lily so we could leave at whatever unGodly hour to get our phones. And when I say unGodly, I mean super unGodly 3am. But, H couldn't get his mom to wake up, so I told him to just go without me. I was disappointed, because it was another thing I didn't get to go to.. but that lasted about 3 minutes because I got to go back to sleep(!).

Can I just say that I truly thought that there would be like 20-30 people standing in line? Funny. H got to the mall before 5am. No one was allowed inside until then apparently. 5am comes.. SEA of people run into the mall. Run. Like they are giving away gold bars at the Apple Store. Security yells at them not to run, because they won't get there any faster. What? (I stole these pictures of the "line" from his blog)

There were hundreds and hundreds (if not a thousand) of people in the mall waiting for an iPhone. H was around number 50 or so waiting outside the store. Totally crazy. Not upset at all that I missed it. He got the phones and came home. And now he is sleeping.

The phone is really nice and I will get more into it throughout the day, but I need to catch up on my bloggery. Which leads me to this..

I'm going to BlogHer 2010!! And I'm so totally excited. Ya, still. There's no way I could be any more excited. I entered this contest- and won. I really, really wanted to go, but it would have been too much for me to pay to get there, hotel, ticket, food, etc. I knew the only way I was going to get there was if I didn't have to pay for any of it. I entered thinking the odds were stacked against me, but I seem to have beat them.

So, the conference is paid for, my hotel stay, etc.. and I get a freaking awesome video camera too! I've never been to BlogHer or any other blogging event before.. and I am absolutely looking forward to it.

(On a side note: I love that you were all so interested and congratulatory that I won something so awesome- without even knowing what it was. I know sometimes people can get snarky with others good luck.. but I'm so thankful you are all not like that. Sniffle. I'm not getting teary, I just have alleriges.)

oh. my. goodness.

2010-06-23T13:14:00.000-04:00

OMG. OMG. I could say that about 100 times more and I would still be just as excited. I just won something else (I know, sorry to annoy you with my recent luckiness- please feel excited for me and not any bad vibes). I entered a contest that I really, really wanted to win.. but I mean, you know how contests can be- hundreds, if not thousands of entries.. and only one winner.

Well, one of the winners is ME. And I am SO flipping excited. I received an email about it. At first I was all defensive like, "what the heck is this?!". When I read the first sentence my mouth actually dropped open. And then I uttered my first "OMG!" I unplugged my computer and ran it into the kitchen where H was making us lunch (nice!). "Read this!" I said and shoved my computer at him.

Can you believe he wasn't as excited as me?! Haha. He was excited- he just didn't want to jump and down and squeal like a cuckoo with me. And that's okay- someone has to maintain adult composure I guess.

It's heeeeerre!

2010-06-22T13:14:00.000-04:00

"It's Christmas!," I shouted when H came up the stairs carrying what the UPS man had just delivered. My gigantic Kaboom from JVC was on the bottom, two boxes from NewEgg for my brother-in-law came next, and then a smaller package from American Eagle topped it off. (He and I are having a contest to see which one of us can force our package delivery workers into early retirement first.)

Lily had fun pushing the JVC box (which was about as big as she is) down the hall and then she helped me open it up. Geesh. I knew it was kinda big from the pictures I saw of it online, but it's actually even bigger than that- I don't know where we're going to put it. Especially since my dear toddler will not keep her sticky fingers off the volume knobs! Thankfully it comes with a remote- and I don't have to get up 200 times an hour to turn the volume back down when people from neighboring towns call to complain about the noise.

Maybe today's the day..

2010-06-21T18:56:00.001-04:00

Maybe today is the day that Lily learns to play with the squirrels, I don't know. Just when I figure out how to deal with most of the charming aspects of what it means to hang out with a toddler everyday.. my toddler comes up with new ways to test my patience and create opportunities for new gray hairs. I've told her twice already that I'm putting her outside if she doesn't "stop it." (Ug, momma, why are you trying to cramp my style?) Thankfully she has no concept of what that means.. and I'm not serious anyway.

Today has brought some of the old stand-bys of not listening, doing things mommy has said "no" to 500 times before, and sticking lots of non-mouth things in ones mouth (which is also part of doing things mommy has "no" to 500 times before). We also enjoyed the dumping out of a bag of cracker crumbs on the carpet. Fun!

And then came the new fun toddler trick. New and fun. Except not really. High-pitched screeeaming followed by shaking her head back and forth and letting her saliva/drool whip her in the face, and then immediately laughing hysterically. Clearly too much time around dogs.

Hopefully this will be a short lived behavior, otherwise I will have some explaining to do when she gets to kindergarten. (No, Mrs. Jones I can assure you she was not raised by a pack of wild dogs and she does live in the house with the rest of her human family. Thanks)

Things to do on Father's Day

2010-06-20T12:41:00.000-04:00

Well, last night I was thinking that maybe I would get up early to bring back coffee for H, since it was his day and all. The thought of getting up early was really just not doing it for me and in the end I didn't even set my alarm.

My thinking was like this: if I wake up early on my own then great, if I don't then great. So I woke up at like 5:30am. (Ya, no freaking way was I getting up out of bed at 5:30am to stumble around, break my leg falling down the stairs, and then propping my eyes open with toothpicks as I drove to Starbucks .) So I fell back asleep. Woke up again around 8:30 and sighed- okay fiiiiine I'll get up.

I tiptoed around trying to get ready as quickly as possible without waking anybody up. I was even prepared to not put anything on my face until I got in the car! (I know, what if the neighbors saw?!) But did that work? No, of course not!

The cat was crying since he enjoys being spiteful to me at times like these (oh, don't want to wake anybody up, eh? I don't think so!). H woke up. Looked right at me. And then started talking like he was going to get up and get ready for work. No way mister- you aren't ruining my fantastic idea!

"It's not even 9 o'clock," I said. Then he tried acting like he needed to take a shower and get ready for work! Psh. Nuh-uh- you can't pull that nonsense on me. "It's not even 9 o'clock, go back to sleep," I kept saying.

He asked me where I was going. And I lied. Of course. What was I going to say? Oh, I'm just going out to get you some coffee from the next town over and then I'll pick up breakfast for you too so you can enjoy it in bed before you get ready for work- surprise! No.

Well he was annoyed at me for saying I was going out to go to CVS so he couldn't get ready for work. "Don't get me anything for Father's Day!" he snapped at me. "Oh, I'm not, don't worry!" Ha ha. And as I left I just know he was saying nasty things about me in his head cus 'it's Father's day and she gets to go out?! so I can't even get ready for work before Lily wakes up."Well, maybe he was dreaming that.. cus he fell back asleep before I could even turn and walk out of the room.

Ah.. but who was (internally) happy that I brought him coffee and a bagel with cream cheese from our delicious bagel place? Ya, that's right..

Timothy Jay Candles Giveaway #2 (closed)

2010-06-20T12:17:00.002-04:00

A new week and a new Timothy Jay Candles giveaway. Last week Timothy Candles offered one of their fantastic Perfect Gardenia candles, but this week a new scent is being offered to one of my lucky readers. Foliage.

I hadn't picked out that scent for myself, but it was in the running as I tried to narrow down my choices. Foliage is described on the site: "We’ve mixed the first leaves of spring with the summer shade varieties. It’s a subtle result...reminiscent of a walk around the forest’s edge on a clear, spring morning." Great visuals. Great sounding fragrance.

If you missed my original post about Timothy Jay Candles, please check it out. There are currently four collections: florals, naturals, greens, and fruits- and three different sizes to choose from (including samplers). And in case you were wondering (because I would be), yes, the wicks are all eco-friendly, 100% lead-free, and made in the U.S.

One winner will receive a 10oz. Foliage candle from Timothy Jay Candles. Giveaway ends Saturday, June 26, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winner will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to US addresses only.

Mandatory entry:
1. Take a look around Timothy Jay Candles. Which fragrance, other than Foliage, sounds good to you?

Entry methods:
1. Comment on one of my non-giveaway posts and let me know on this post which one it was. One giveaway per comment please. (once)
2. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
3. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
4. Tweet about this giveaway. (daily)
5. Blog about this giveaway by June 24 and comment on this post with the link. (once)

(I received candles from Timothy Jay Candles for this review.)

winner: #3 meeyeehere

Cheapest shopping spree ever

2010-06-19T19:30:00.000-04:00

Today I went into the garage. Yup, it's true. I haven't been in the garage in quite awhile.. at least a year or so. There is so much stuff in the garage that I miss so dearly (and that is part of the reason why I haven't been in it). Why torment myself ya know? Seeing all kinds of belongings that I can't have in my daily life. Sob.

Well, anyway.. I convinced H that I really needed to find more of my summer clothes. He was in a good mood so he dragged a few plastic tubs down from shelves for me. Oh. My. Goodness. It was like going on a giant shopping spree! I found so much stuff that I had absolutely no memory of wearing or owning. In some ways it was a little scary, like, how couldn't I not remember half a wardrobe?

There was a bin full of maternity clothes from two summers ago- that was interesting. Most of it I remembered. I laughed when I came across my Crocs. I swore up and down I would never wear such awful looking shoes.. and yet when months 8 and 9 of pregnancy rolled around, I was carrying around an extra 40-50 pounds, and the only shoes I could still fit on my feet were flip flops.. you better believe I gave in to Crocs. And oh ya, they were so unbelievably comfortable. Funny.

One bin had a lot of clothes from when I was a real person, had a real job, and interacted with other adults everyday. (Ya, I really did that.) A lot of the clothes made me smile so much to see (oh ya, that is definitely going to fit me now!) and others, after I tried them on, will get saved for when Lily is in middle school (did I get taller?!).

Kinda made me not want to get rid of anything ever again- just store it away in a bin somewhere. I'll come across it in a few years and think it's the greatest stuff ever. Or shake my head in disbelief that I would ever wear something like that.

Ten minutes to myself

2010-06-18T17:11:00.001-04:00

If I can't have at least ten minutes to myself a day, I turn into a pretty grumpy momma. There are some days I could use about 10 hours. (Ya right.)

The only time I can get to myself comes during nap time (no, not my nap time- I wish!), which is pretty normal for a stay-at-home mom. But, I can't always plan out the day for Lily to catch a nap at home, so when she's asleep in the car or in the stroller walking around a store.. I lose out on my little slice of peace (and am the crazy person talking to herself, instead of the crazy person having an in depth conversation with a toddler).

Today, thankfully her nap time is at home and so I somewhat get time to myself. When I have 10 minutes at home with no husband, a toddler who is sleeping, and no emergency tasks to do.. I just want to sit still with silence. However, I am falling further and further behind on blog duties, so I am mostly spending my time working on that. But, first I sat down on the couch. And just sat. No toddler. No cat. No laundry. No dishes. Just sat. And it was peaceful. But then..

The peace just became too stressful. All I could think: I need to pee (alone!). I need to brush my teeth(alone!). I need to drink some coffee(without help from toddler hands). And that was the end of that. Oh well. Maybe tomorrow.

Sprint has just launched Gaming on the Now Network™, bringing you the first wireless 4G network from a national carrier. Sprint and JuiceBoxJungle have sponsored me to write about what "ten minutes" a day means to me.

Snorg Tees Giveaway (closed)

2010-06-18T09:45:00.001-04:00

Yeah, I get to do a Snorg Tees review and giveaway! I have been looking around their website for awhile and they have some really funny and clever designs.

I had a hard time narrowing it down to just one design to try. It was between Gimme Some Sugar, Baby and Mixed Martial Arts and Crafts. Finally, I decided if I was only going to have one.. it was going to be the one that wasn't soliciting smooches from random strangers. However, because I LOVE the shirt I received so much (the fit is per-fect!) I am pretty sure I am going to go back for the coffee related/smooch seeking shirt. So, speaking of the fit..

It's perfect. Seriously. For an average cut shirt from Old Navy, Gap, etc.. I wear either a small or medium. Knowing how devastated I would be to get such a cool t-shirt and have it not fit, I followed Snorg's "form fitting; runs small" warning and ordered a large. Smart. They are printed on 100% Super Soft cotton American Apparel shirts, if that helps. This is no time to "think thin", because the sizing is a little closer to Juniors.

Don't like crafty ninjas or coffee? No problem. Snorg Tees really has something for everyone. Even if you prefer not to be witty and just want a shirt with a tree eating dinosaur or one showing off your like of turtles.

Do you want one too? One winner will receive their choice of shirt from Snorg Tees. Giveaway ends Monday, June 28, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winners will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile.

Mandatory entry:
1. Here's a surprise.. tell me which shirt you would choose if you win. If you want to elaborate, you can share who it's for as well!

Additional entry methods:
1. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
2. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
3. Tweet about this giveaway. (daily)
4. Blog about this giveaway by June 26 and comment on this post with the link. (once)

(I received a Snorg Tee for this review.)

winner: #40 Heather

How to cook an egg with your cell phone

2010-06-17T19:35:00.001-04:00

Last night H told me that you could fry an egg with the amount of radiation coming out of my BlackBerry. Ya right. Except he was serious.

Well, he was sort of serious. My cell phone is on the current list of top ten worst radiation emitting phones. And is barely under the limit of what is allowed. Su-per.

It's not like my cellphone is attached to my head, but I do let Lily watch Wubbzy on it sometimes when we are shopping to curtail a potential meltdown (for her) (okay, for me too sometimes). And you know what H kept saying to me? "You shoulda got an iPhone. You shoulda got an iPhone." Okay, that's great, and yet totally not helping me at all.

He went on and on about how I'm the Mac girl, the only reason he even got a Mac was because of my bad influence, and I don't want an iPhone?! He even brought up Hitler. Hitler! Of all people. I had no idea what he was talking about and he refused to repeat himself, but in his mind I guess it was a good analogy.

I should have stuck with my Motorolas, but noooo some guy I was married to convinced me that I should get a BlackBerry (too) (ya because he had one also, for about 5 minutes). The first one I had was great and I loved it. It's so useful and keeps me organized. But then somehow it broke (I admit no involvement in that) and I had to get an upgrade.

Whatever, now I have to get a new phone because I don't want my brain to turn into hard boiled egg. So if you'll excuse me, I need to go find a kryptonite box to put this cellphone in..

Random thoughts on a Wednesday night

2010-06-16T21:33:00.000-04:00

I have been drinking a lot of Country Time Lemonade lately. In my review for the lemonade giveaway, I said I liked it, but didn't think I liked it so much that I would want to drink it all day long. It turns out I pretty much have been drinking it all day long. I also found some coupons for more lemonade at the grocery store and took them- for later.

+++

Has the weather been good where you are? A few days at the end of May were horrible here and I was bracing myself for an awful Summer, but the last couple of weeks have been pretty nice. It's rained enough to keep the temperatures down, but not enough to dampen anyone's spirits.
Lily has dragged me up the street a few times and we've even managed to get over to the park to walk and play.

+++

I'm looking forward to all the fun stuff Lily and I are going to get to do this summer. She's getting so big, running around, and she's into anything and everything. She loves baths like I couldn't even imagine- constantly asking for one and pointing pointing pointing at her bathtub. I think part of it is that she likes the water. And part of it is she likes sitting in containers.. laundry baskets, bathtubs, toy boxes, cake lids.. it's all the same to her.

Digital Room's Poster Printing Giveaway (closed)

2010-06-16T09:53:00.003-04:00

Although I haven't ordered my own poster through Digital Room, I have gone through the ordering process for a printed canvas. It was really easy. I was able to upload my photo and then reload it a few times when I didn't like how it was coming out on the screen. I just wish there was more editing I could have done once I did upload my picture, but ultimately it was fine.

They had great correspondence with me during the process and kept me updated as to the status of the canvas all the way through until when I received it. I'd definitely work with Digital Room for printed products again and I am looking forward to being able to try out their digital poster printing as well.

Could you use a picture, collage, or design printed up as a poster? One winner will receive their own 18x24 poster printed by Digital Room in semi gloss/high gloss. Giveaway ends Sunday, June 27, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winners will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to US addresses and 18+ only.

Mandatory entry:
1. I'm not sure what I'd get printed up as a poster. Tell me how you would put this prize to good use.

Additional entry methods:
1. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
2. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
3. Tweet about this giveaway. (daily)
4. Blog about this giveaway by June 25 and comment on this post with the link. (once)

winner: #1 Kristen

oh, hello I just won a JVC Kaboom

2010-06-14T14:43:00.000-04:00

I entered JVC's contest to hopefully get to BlogHer and started following them on Twitter. Today I happen to notice they were running a contest every hour on Twitter and started participating. You have to watch a Stone Temple Pilots video and at the top of every hour, they ask a question about it- first one to get it right wins some JVC swag. And I don't mean t-shirts and bumper stickers. The are giving out video cameras, headphones, etc!

At 1pm I was the first person to answer- but I was wrong. Based on that, I watched the video a third time.. and took notes. Seriously.

Just before 2, I was rushing around the kitchen to finish making Lily's lunch, with minutes to spare, I got back in front of my computer and reloaded, reloaded, reloaded, reloaded Twitter. Finally the question. Which finger of which hand does the lead singer wear a ring. What?! What kind of a question is that?!

No way it's a wedding ring, I thought, that's too obvious. I quickly guessed the ring finger of his right hand instead. And then went right back to the video. I was wrong, but immediately saw the giant ring on the pinky of his right hand. I couldn't believe that when I Tweeted again, no one else had gotten it! The prize was a JVC Kaboom. I am so, so excited to have won! My iPod is one of my absolute favorite things (that H got me 4 or 5 years ago), but I wasn't ever able to get a dock for it. Thank you SO much JVC.

Country Time Lemonade Giveaway (closed)

2010-06-14T13:04:00.001-04:00

You know what they say about first impressions? Country Time Lemonade definitely had a great presentation when they sent their samples. And I admit it, I've never had Country Lemonade before.

I know you don't hear much about the packaging in blog review and giveaways, but I couldn't not mention this one. It is definitely one of the best ones I've received. Full of crimped pink and yellow paper strips that not only held the samples in place, kept them totally safe in shipping, but also looked really great. Bright pink and yellow- representing their lemonade.

But enough about the packaging. As I started to say, I hadn't ever tried Country Time Lemonade before I was contacted for this review. But it's summertime, I like the flavor of lemonade, and I know Country Time is pretty popular- so I wanted to try it out for myself.

I washed out the provided pitcher (nice quality, I might add), measured out the powder into the pitcher (the lid is your measuring cup), and added 8 cups of water. I stirred it up to ensure all the powder had dissolved and I was done. So easy.

Now the taste test! It was actually pretty good and I was sold. I don't think I'd want to drink it all day long everyday, but the flavor was very lemonadey- not too sweet, or too watery (but you could obviously had more or less powder for your personal taste). It was fine at room temperature when I first made it and was just as good after spending the night in the fridge.

I'm not really a fan of Kool-aidy type drinks, but to me, that's not what the Country Time Lemonade drink is like. It's more of an adult drink than something sugary marketed for kids.. but I'm sure they would enjoy it too. With the pitcher, this is something great to keep mixed up in the fridge through the warm weather, plus the powder is handy to keep as a back up drink too.

Want to try some? TEN winners will receive the pitcher and a 19 oz container of Country Time Lemonade mix. Giveaway ends Friday, June 25, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winners will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile.

Mandatory entry:
1. Do you have a favorite Country Time Lemonade product? Or a summer lemonade memory?

Additional entry methods:
1. Follow unpaint through Google Friend Connect. (once)
2. Follow unpaint on Twitter. (once)
3. Tweet about this giveaway. (daily)
4. Blog about this giveaway by June 23 and comment on this post with the link. (once)

(I received Country Time Lemonade products for this review.)

winners: #89 pixie13, #101 WWillows6, #77 Luvdaylilies, #11 Jen, #32 Jack, #50 M and M, #56 Helena, #4 Nicole-Lynn, #74 Tammylyne, #31 Margie

conversations with my husband

2010-06-13T20:48:00.000-04:00

And by conversations I mean, of course, an exchanging of text messages..

H: I got Lily a pot.
Me: A pot of what?
(There's no way he means a potty. He wouldn't just go buy one out of nowhere. Without me. Or Lily. Maybe he means a flower pot? She's been playing with the ones I bought for my flowers, maybe he got her her own. Wait. Does he mean her own cooking pot.. to bang on or something?)

H: To poop in.
H: Pull ups too.
Me: Why?
(And Pull ups? That's awesome because I only just bought her a 3 week supply of diapers. And seriously? You bought a potty without me?!)

H: You said a basic potty. That's what I got.
H: What's the problem?
(Um, ya I said that I did not want a miniature toilet with a bunch of stupid frills and tiny parts because I knew I would be the one cleaning it up 98.9% of the time. And uh, he bought a potty without us?)

The Starbucks Elite

2010-06-13T09:05:00.000-04:00

I got an email from Starbucks the other day (have I mentioned how much I enjoy their coffee?). I didn't realize they sent emails out regarding these types of things.. but I was over joyed to read what it said.

How cool is that? Okay, well there are a few neat perks that come along with that.. like getting a free drink after every 15th one you buy. And once you are are Gold, you are Gold for a year. One more thing.. I get a fancy card to use when I get my coffee now.

If that's really what it looks like, with my name and everything.. that's incredibly neat. Ya, it doesn't take much these days..

beware of pirate cats

2010-06-12T11:56:00.000-04:00

When I was making the bed this morning I found what looked like a tiny black plastic screw. "What the heck?" I said to myself. No, I really did. (Okay, so I said it out loud. Whatever.) I set it aside thinking it must be H's.

I pulled up the sheet and smoothed it out.. but there as a small lump on one side. Ug, socks. Nope. It was Lily's Perwinkle (of Blue's Clues)! I looked at it closer, "Oh no Perwinkle, one of your eyes is gone!"

The black plastic screw explained.

Lily didn't seem to care. Or notice. I was more (pretend) upset about it than she was. But she did laugh when I did this..

(Poor kid has a weird momma.) Well, I mean.. if your eye fell out wouldn't you want an eye patch? Even if it was made out of paper towel and dental floss? (I tried to use an elastic, but it kept slipping off his head and flying across the room.) Poor Periwinkle. He seems to be taking his eyeball falling out really well though, look at that little grin.

our first farmer's market of the season

2010-06-11T17:53:00.002-04:00

Lily and I went to one of our favorite Farmer's Markets today. And oh how I had been counting down the days. There weren't tons of vendors, but the location is what I love about this particular market. The vendors are great, but if it was in a parking lot somewhere I don't know if it'd have the same appeal for me.

The weather was perfect- it had been raining here the last few days and I thought that even if it wasn't raining the grass would probably be wet.. but all was fine. We went early, as we usually do, and there weren't really that many people there yet. I like to go early for the best selection, but the other shoppers can sometimes really add to the experience of a Farmer's Market. Maybe next week we will try for hours 2 or 3 and see if more people are around.

Several vendors had strawberries that you could smell well before you got to their stand. We didn't get any this time, but definitely next week since Lily and I are both big strawberry fans. My most favorite vegetable stand was there, but only at about half size. The prices are comparable to good deals at a grocery store, but I've found that (obviously) they last for weeks. What you find at a Farmer's Market was very likely picked that morning so I, personally, end up throwing away a lot less before I can eat all of it.

The lettuce was beautiful. Weird statement, but true nonetheless. I was going for a red leaf lettuce, but Lily pointed at something else and I went for that instead. Don't know what it is exactly, but looks delicious.

Of course I had to get some bread. Fresh baked bread is one of the best things ever. An older man (70s?) and his wife came around while I was looking with Lily and he was just so thrilled by what they were offering (lots of rustic bread, pies, cookies, etc). He excitedly told the girl (late teens) working there about his mother that used to bake and started paraphrasing her process. All she was responding with, over and over, was "that's good."

That's good? I felt bad for him- he was clearly reliving a great memory of his mom baking that I'm sure the owner/baker would have loved, but not the girl working at the stand. I've never come across a stand that didn't have someone working that could talk to you for 4 hours straight about the product and totally enjoy every second of it. Fortunately the bread we bought was totally totally delicious and I can almost guarantee we will be back.

Gleeee

2010-06-11T16:23:00.001-04:00

I missed the first few episodes of Glee. I just didn't think it was for me, can you imagine? Anyway, when I watched the season finale last week, I learned that they were re-airing all the episodes, in order, starting the next week. I am watching the first one now on dvr.. and it's kinda funny to see the origins of all the characters I've been watching for the last couple of months.

There were only a few episodes I saw while Quinn was still a cheerleader and it's funny to see her like that now. It's interesting with all the characters actually.. even over just one season how much all of them have evolved. If you haven't watched any of Glee yet, now is your chance. The next episode is on Thursday at 8pm.

Don't think it's for you either? I am one of the last people you are ever going to find at a musical, I can't even watch one on tv unless I'm truly bored and it's Grease. But I like music, a lot. I like singing in the car and I have a wide variety in my musical tastes, and so.. I like Glee.

Under Cover at Wendy's

2010-06-10T20:02:00.001-04:00

So maybe I ended up stopping at Wendy's this afternoon so I could buy some health food to shove into my face (fries) and that of my grumpy, screaming toddler (chicken nuggets)- who may or may not have fallen asleep by the time I finished ordering the health food.

Either way, check out what was over the drive-thru ordering box. (picture above) I couldn't believe it. I have never seen that before.. anywhere. But I absolutely love it. I have ordered food in the rain many times and never understood why they don't have a cover for when the poor driver must unroll their window in a downpour. Way to go Wendy's- mommas of grumpy toddlers having to order food in the rain will love this.

Timothy Jay Candles Giveaway (closed)

2010-06-10T13:48:00.001-04:00

Another great product I've learned about through this blog is Timothy Jay Candles. Each of their candles is hand poured, cleaned, and packaged in a small space in West Hollywood, but this company is anything but small. These candles can be found at Saks Fifth Avenue and the Beverly Hills Hotel- so much care and consideration is taken which each candle and it really shows with the finished products.

I was really impressed with the candles I received. Each one was carefully packaged in the shipping box and within their own boxes. The candle is poured in a heavy duty glass with felt padding securely attached to the bottom (no scratching or clunking on tabletops!). The candle was wrapped with plenty of tissue paper and held in place with crimped shredded paper. The box is high quality and finished off with a big ribbon- overall a really beautiful presentation. If you are thinking about giving a Timothy Jay Candle as a gift, there's really no need to worry about wrapping it.. they've done it for you.

The first candle I burned was Perfect Gardenia, which is described on the website as just that. The fragrance is perfect, lovely, like walking through a garden on a perfect Summer day. It's perfectly subtle, not overwhelming at all, but it spreads quickly through a room and really lasts. I only burned my candle for about half an hour one night and I could still smell it the next morning!

There are currently four collections: florals, naturals, greens, and fruits- and three different sizes to choose from (including samplers). And in case you were wondering (because I would be), yes, the wicks are all eco-friendly, 100% lead-free, and made in the U.S.

One winner will receive a 10oz. Perfect Gardenia candle from Timothy Jay Candles. Giveaway ends Friday, June 18, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment for each entry. The winner will be selected at random and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected, etc. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile. Open to US addresses only.

Mandatory entry:
1. Take a look around Timothy Jay Candles. Which fragrance, other than Perfect Gardenia, sounds good to you?

Entry methods:
1. Comment on one of my non-giveaway posts and let me know on this post which one it was. One giveaway per comment please. (once)
2. Tweet about this giveaway. (daily)
3. Blog about this giveaway by June 16 and comment on this post with the link. (once)

(I received candles from Timothy Jay Candles for this review.)

winner: #27 lisanne

Who you gonna call?

2010-06-10T00:32:00.003-04:00

Improv Everywhere does some pretty funny things. One of their most recent pranks involves ghosts. The reaction of the man in the lower right corner of the screen around the 1 minute mark is great.

a little about Glidden

2010-06-08T23:44:00.001-04:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Glidden. All opinions are 100% mine.

I don't know anything about house painting (inside or outside). I mean I don't know anything that isn't sort of obvious. Why? Never gotten the chance to do it myself. And that is unbelievably disappointing for me. Why? Because I do like painting abstract sort of things with acrylic paint and I think that would carry over really well to the painting of walls and such.

Anyway.. hopefully very soon I will have the chance to see if I have any real (house) painting skills. To start on my way, I signed up for the Get Color, Give Color giveaway from Glidden. Through that you can sign up for two of their sample paints AND a friend can get two as well. I haven't received mine yet, but the promo did just start on June 1.

Little testers like that are great because you really get to try them out before you commit to an entire can. They can also be used for small touchups too. Glidden is so clever.

I love that they also have Top 10 Color Palettes on their website. If you get overwhelmed with color choices and don't know where to start, the Top Color Palettes or Room Painter are perfect places. You can try out all sorts of options before you head to the store.

unrecycling

2010-06-08T14:09:00.000-04:00

It just occurred to me, that with a blog name like 'unpaint'.. I really should be fully utilizing the UN in my post titles. So today is about 'unrecycling'.

The blue speck in the photo above is my recycling bin. MY recycling bin. (Well, actually it's my inlaws' recycling bin, but they were just using it to store random things in their garage before I reclaimed it for it's true calling.) No one else in this house recycles. No one. About once a month I'll find one thing in it that isn't mine and I will think 'ah finally someone else is recycling!', but nothing ever comes of it. And I never learn.

But unrecycling, really? Yup. H is very, very anti-recycling- and proud of it. He refuses to participate in any of my efforts and even tosses things I've set aside (which he calls "an eyesore").

The same person that brings the garbage barrels out to the curb is usually the one that brings them back to the house. But do you think the recycling bin is ever involved? Nope.

If I want to recycle, it's always 2am (after Lily is sound asleep) that I am creeping around in the dark, praying there aren't snakes, skunks, coyotes, ferrel cats, and axe murders waiting in every shadow for me. I stomp around in the driveway, making as much noise as I can so there's no chance I sneak up on something that is terrified and attacks. I trip over sticks, fall in holes, and have all kinds of other fun while just trying to save one more molecule of the Earth.

days lately

2010-06-07T16:25:00.000-04:00

It seems like all I can really remember about the last few days is lots of driving around, doing errands, and nothing else in particular. There has been all sorts of weather.. hot, humid, rain, tornado warnings, sunshine, wind, and blue skies. Very New England. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

That's the sign post up ahead..

2010-06-05T12:19:00.000-04:00

This morning I woke up in the twilight zone.

First clue? I woke up on my own. No one jumped on me, yelled for me, poked me, or was crying hysterically. In fact, Lily was sitting next to me watching Blue's Room on the iPad and drinking juice.

Oh okay. And I rolled back over to sleep.

Wait a minute. Eyes pop open. I took another look. No H in the bed. What? How long has she been sitting here like this? She's totally content. She's not bothering me, she's not running all over, and she doesn't even seem to notice I woke up.

Hmm. Ya right. As soon as I get up, she's going to bolt after me. I open the door to walk out of the room. Nothing. I walk into the kitchen to get juice. Nothing. Walk back into the room. Nothing. She doesn't even notice.

I sit and drink my juice. I sit in a chair, on my own, and drink my juice. No one is on my lap. No one is trying to drink my juice or throw it on the floor. When I go to set my juice down I see money. Cash. Currency from this country. In a neat little pile, held together with a clothespin. H left me money? On purpose?

I'm scared..

dear driver

2010-06-04T18:36:00.000-04:00

(Okay look, this isn't about all of you.. just some of you. And really really in particular the late teen/early 20s driver that was behind me this afternoon on my way to get coffee.)

To whom it may concern,

First of all, I couldn't even tell if you were male or female because you were slumped down so far behind the steering wheel of your late 90s light blue Ford Taurus that I could only see the very top of your head. In terms of driver safety.. probably not so safe.

Leaving only a foot or two between you and the car in front of you when the car in front of you is going 40 or so- also not so safe. However, since you did only leave a foot or two or space between our cars you must have noticed the car seat in the back of my car and the shades on the windows. Guess what that means.

If you guessed that it means I am driving with my most precious cargo in the world, my child, in the back of my car.. then you are smarter than your driving skills say you are.

So, dear teen/20s driver that was behind me this afternoon.. in the future I'd love to advise that you sit up high enough to be able to see over the steering wheel and stop driving up the tailpipe of the car in front of you.

Especially if that car is transporting children. Because had you even tapped the back of my car with yours during our 2 mile journey together through about 5 red lights.. I would have gotten out of my car and nothing good would have happened to you. Possibly. Not that I'm saying I do that kind of thing. But it might come to that. And I can't really say I wouldn't. Because of course nothing impresses me more than some genius that wants to show off how big his pipe cleaner is by driving like a fool and endangering my child.

Twenty-four hours a day I deal with shit, screaming, biting, temper tantrums, and a whole barrel of nonsense that even 10 minutes of would make you cry like an infant. Do not mess with the momma of a toddler before she's had coffee. And that is really the lesson to be learned here.

Love,
me