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| | Suburban for a Diva |
 
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A few weeks ago, I got an email informing me I was on the “Chevy Influencer list.”
After I investigated and made sure this wasn’t the Chevy Under-the-Influence or Easily Influenced list, I was told that if I was interested I would have the opportunity to drive a Chevrolet car for a week. There was no other instruction; no press release to regurgitate, no PR firm in which to report to with site traffic numbers. No cash exchanged hands.
A week ago, a couple of gentlemen drop off a 2010 Chevy Suburban in Black Granite my driveway with a full tank of gas. I resisted the urge to kiss them both full on the mouth. They took my driver’s license number and passed me the keys and told me they’d see me next week.
I give you this full disclosure up front so now I can proceed with our story.
Tuesday:
The kids jump in and start exploring. Even they can tell this is a way cooler car than the minivan sitting next to it. It’s like Fonzie sitting at a booth with Richie Cunningham at in Arnold’s and wondering who the chicks are going to sit next... Continue Reading >> |
| | $100 Giveaway from CSN Stores!--UPDATE! |
 
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****Linda B. is our winner! Thanks to all who entered and stay tuned for more!
If you are looking for some new online retailers for great housewares, look no further.
Whether you’re in the market for Corelle or Le Crueset, Cookware.com has the quality brands you love at the prices you can’t beat.
Cookware.com is just one of the over 200 stores at CSNstores.com, and they would love to give you a $100 shopping spree to stores like www.AllModern.com, www.LuxeByCSN.com or any of their vast choices. This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only, and to enter, simply leave a comment below by August 17, 2010 to be entered in the random drawing.
So good luck and happy shopping!
Disclosure: I was not paid in product or cash to host this giveaway. |
| | Tea Collection Giveaway!--UPDATE! |
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We have our winner! Congratulations Melinda W.!
Stay tuned for more giveaways...
******
Drink this giveaway up, folks.
The Tea Collection has nothing to do with Earl Gray, but everything to do with cute kids clothing. Whether you’re looking for cute baby clothes or for older kids or their new women’s collection, you’ll find lots of quality clothing and gifts.
One lucky reader is going to get $100 to spend with the Tea Collection. Simply leave a comment below and I’ll draw a random winner on 8/6/10 from the entries. Choose something for you or your children, leave a comment and you could win a little shopping spree.
Good luck!
Disclosure: I was not paid in cash or product to host this giveaway. |
| | The Captain is Back |
| | Hello again, 1986. Good to have you back for 16 minutes.
Tucked down in the Imagination Pavilion in Epcot where Honey, I Shrunk the Audience once played, Captain EO starring Michael Jackson has returned for a limited showing as part of Disney’s Summer Nightastic events.
Opening to the public this Friday, July 2, the show created and directed by George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola returns after a 16 year hiatus.
Nothing much has changed since the original--in fact, Disney touts that it is the original 70 mm film and not digitized. Even the sign that hangs above the entrance is the real deall, retrieved and dusted off from a workshop wall on property.
And you know? That’s just okay.
It’s nice to see Michael Jackson in his talented prime. Sure, it may be a bit cheesy and certainly the special effects that were landmark 25 years ago may not impress younger, more technologically sophisticated audiences, but when Michael was good, he was so good. (And so bad.) Before the eccentricity and the scandal, there was the music and the dancing, and this is an example of that early talent.
Your kids still may not recognize what a groundbreaking artist he was, but you will no... Continue Reading >> |
| | Tampa hosts a Better-Than-A-Picnic |
| | We here in the Bay area know what it’s like to wait for looming disaster.
With each named storm we carefully watch its projected path charging our batteries and dust off our hurricane shutters.
Waiting for the oil spill to reach our coast is sort of like that.
On Saturday, a group of local mom bloggers teamed up with Hebrew National and TheMotherhood.com for a Better-Than-A-Picnic Picnic to benefit local wildlife agencies to deal with the impending disaster.
At E.G. Simmons park in Ruskin, volunteers collected donations for Save Our Seabirds, Inc. while enjoying free hot dogs and beverages provided by Hebrew National. In addition to games and activities, kids could also make their own pine cone bird feeders to place in their backyards to help migratory birds that have already been affected by the oil spill.
“A lot of people are feeling pretty helpless and aren’t sure how to help,” said Caroline Jorgensen of Morningsidemom.com. She put the wish lists of S.O.S and the National Wildlife Federation on her blog which included household items such as batteries, beach and trash bags.
The picnics are part of a nationwide tour that has stops in nine cities across the country... Continue Reading >> |
| | Disney's Summer Nightastic! |
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There are more than wishing stars lighting up the night sky over Disney World this summer.
“Summer Nightastic,” was recently unveiled at the Magic Kingdom, and features a new fireworks show and a revamped Main Street Electrical Parade.
It’s tough to improve on your basic fireworks display, but Disney has elevated the experience with the “Summer Nightastic! Fireworks Spectacular” by not only synchronizing the show with a narrated story and music, but increasing the viewing perimeter by 25 per cent so no matter where you are in the park, you will be surrounded by the display on all sides.
I’m not usually a parade watcher--I generally see this time as the perfect opportunity to ride Space Mountain while the tourists are busy saving seats along the route--but I really enjoyed the Main Street Electrical Parade. The famed show premiered in Disneyland in 1972, and has resurfaced sporadically over the years but not in the Magic Kingdom since 2001. Featuring almost a half a million LED lights, the floats, music and costumes are brilliant. You’ll appreciate the old school characters like Pinocchio, Pete’s Dragon and a Depp-less Alice in Wonderland, even if your kids don’t recognize them.... Continue Reading >> |
| | The 6th Annual Great American Backyard Campout |
| | Dust off those tents and unfurl those sleeping bags, summer is here and it’s time for a campout.
The National Wildlife Federation is hosting the sixth annual Great American Backyard Campout, an event encouraging families to get out and enjoy the great, and not too far away, outdoors.
On Saturday, June 26th all across the country folks will literally get out for a night by taking part in a campout which could certainly be at a local campground or park, but not necessarily. Your own backyard is a perfect place location.
Here in these neck of the woods, late June can be a little on the warm side so you may want to consider a handy battery-operated camp fan, and Livestrong.com even suggests a large box fan placed in front of a block of ice to make instant air conditioning, but you’ll probably be fine with a tent set up in the shade and just dressing in light, loose clothing with a sheet or thin blanket rather than a bulky sleeping bag for comfort in the heat without defeating the spirit of camping.
You can get more tips and information on the NWF website to make your... Continue Reading >> |
| | Better-Than-A-Picnic Picnic--UPDATE |
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Last year I had the honor and privilege of hosting a “Picnic with a Purpose,” sponsored by Hebrew National.
In addition to tasty hot dogs, I was able to choose a local charity near and dear to my heart--the boys from Attention Home--to benefit from donations as well as a service project my guests and I completed at our home in between the fun games and activities we had planned.
This year, I’m honored to have been asked again to “host” Hebrew National’s “Better-than-a-Picnic Picnic.”
It’s a little different--we will be holding the event at E.G. Simmons Park in Ruskin on Saturday, June 26th from 11:30-3:30. There will be fun activities, lots of people and of course, hot dogs. But the charity we’ve chosen will benefit the efforts to clean up the oil spill and help protect our beautiful Gulf coast and the native wildlife from this disaster.
I will post more details as they become available, but please consider joining us on the 26th for this fun and meaningful afternoon.
E. G. Simmons Park
2401 19th Avenue, N.W.
Ruskin, FL 33570
Location: 19th St., N.W. (Off U.S. 41 in South Hillsborough County)
Telephone: (813) 671-7655
All are welcome!
Disclosure: I am proud to be... Continue Reading >> |
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