Giving Away Something SWEET!

This year, I have been a very busy mom.  As most of you know, I've always been very active in my kids school.  At the kids' school in Georgia, it was easy.  I was PTO Vice president.  All 3 kids were in the same school and I knew everything that was going on, because, chances were, I had a hand in planning it.  

Since I've been in AZ, that urge to be active isn't the same.  It's not as welcoming here and I don't feel the loooooove in the PTO at my son's school and I have only spent time in Miss Missy's class at her school.

But, I haven't stopped giving to the school.  Boxtops for Education gives parents who can't (or choose not to) give there time in the school the opportunity to still help out.  Boxtops for Education is great because all you have to do is collect boxtops from some of the popular brands, like Betty Crocker, turn then in to the school and collect cash to go towards education!

MyBlogSpark and Betty Crocker have come together to spread the word about Boxtops for Education and are allowing me to give away a fun prize pack on my blog today!  

 Prize Pack includes:

• Cupcake iclips
• Cupcake bag
• Cupcake notepads
• Box Tops for Education pencils
• Neoprene Lunch Sack

       



Want to win?  I'm making this one VERY easy!  All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog telling me your favorite Betty Crocker dessert.  

The winner will be chosen randomly on November 14th.  DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!


Want more chances to win?  Spread the word on your blog, FB Page or Twitter and leave the link in the comments for an extra chance.  And YES you can enter ONCE each day it's open!  


SO GO!  




Kay


Helpful Links:

• Box Tops for Education Website http://bit.ly/btfeweb
• Box Tops for Education Facebook http://on.fb.me/btfefbook
• Box Tops for Education Twitter http://bit.ly/btfetweet

• Betty Crocker Website http://bit.ly/bcbtfeweb
• Betty Crocker Facebook http://on.fb.me/bcfbook
• Betty Crocker Twitter http://bit.ly/bctweet

Giveaway Winner!

I'm feeling great this morning and I'm in a great mood, despite the fact that I woke up earlier than I wanted to.  Hubs decided to get his workout on with music blaring in the living room this morning.  He tried to be respectful and closed the door to the bed room, but the sound of E93 Jamz and the sound of whistles blowing.  I'm think it was coming from his Droid ap, counting out his push-ups.

Today, I opted not to do my morning walk because the boys had a friend sleep over and while I might leave my own for a short time in the morning while they're sleeping, I figure it wouldn't be a great idea to leave someone else's rugrat, sleeping or not.

So instead, I folded 2 weeks of laundry.  Yeah I despise folding laundry!

Oh I know I had to brag on FB, but I didn't get to brag to you all about my accomplishment.  

I MADE THE DEAN'S LIST!  

It's amazing how smart going back to college has made me feel.  I finally feel accomplished, like I'm doing something worthwhile and meaningful.

I'm signing the kiddos up for soccer today.  This will be their first time play this sport, but they are all so excited.  I can't wait to see "The Princess" out there in the heat.  If my memory serves me correctly, cheerleading didn't go over too well with her because she didn't like sweating.  

This should be interesting!

*********************************************

YES I'm late, but today, I'm ready to announce the winner of the Fiber One 90 Calorie Giveaway!

Are you ready???

The Winner Is.

Marina!   

Congrats to you!  Contact me with your mailing information so that I can get your prize out to you!

Thank you to all who participated!

*************************************************

Review and Giveaway... Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies

How many of you have 

Struggled to lose weight? 

Gone on a diet? 

Changed your eating habits to a healthier diet?

MEEEEEEE!

What's one of the hardest things to stop eating when you're trying to do one or all of these things?  

Did you say sweets because I know that's what was ringing in my head?

Well one thing is for sure, when I want to cut back and get my eating habits in check, chocolate seems to want to hold on to me.  And it holds on tight to my stomach area every time I give in to the craving.

Well I've recently become a fan of Fiber One products because 1) The box says fiber and fiber is suppose to be healthy, right? And 2] They have some things that taste like, well, GOOD.

Well, General Mills and Fiber One asked me through MyBlogSpark to give the new Fiber One 90 Calories a try and already being a fan and all, I was like 

OKAY!

Brownies?  Why Not?

And Again, it has the word FIBER on the box.  FIBER is a healthy word, right?

Well, I got to try out these

and these

The consensus of  of the house hold was so so.  I liked them.  They're a small healthy chocolatey snack that's great for taming a craving.

My oldest LOVED them and pretty much scarfed down both boxes and said that I needed to buy more.

Middle child, ...eh.  He's a food connoisseur.  A gourmet cook.  Apparently they didn't taste homemade.

Little Miss Missy doesn't like chocolate and wouldn't give them a try, but she loved the jump rope included as one of the healthy life goodies that came with the Fiber One Brownies.

Hubs, eh.  Not a fan.

So, for those in the house that gave them a try, the consensus was fifty-fifty.  

So, if you want to give them a try in your family, Fiber One and BlogSpark wants to give one lucky reader a chance to give them a try!

Here's what they have to say:  Cool, right?  Well, all you have to do is leave a comment letting me know what favorite sweet treat you are willing to give up and replace with a Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownie!

Have we tempted your taste buds? If so, let us know and be among the first to try these new brownies. We will provide you with a Fiber One 90-Calorie Brownies gift pack that includes a box each of the Chocolate Fudge and the Chocolate Peanut Butter brownies, as well as a Fiber One 90-Calorie Brownie themed duffel bag, jump rope, water bottle, snack case, headband and bracelet. We will also provide you with an additional gift pack to give away to one of your readers. 

Cool, right?  Well, all you have to do is leave a comment letting me know what favorite sweet treat you are willing to give up and replace with a Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownie!

One comment a day, please!


The winner will be drawn randomly, probably by someone with very small stick fingers out of a random hat.  

Deadline:  WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2011

And the winner is...

BabyLuv!!

Congrats on winning the $25 American Express Gift Card

courtesy of Kelly Ripa and Electrolux!!

Thank you all for participating!

Giveaway!

It's hot.  No, it's really hot!  In Georgia, hot is a different kind of hot.  Like, walking outside and feeling like someone turned a blow dryer on in your face type hot.

This past week, the kids and I had to find something to cool us off to try to escape to 103 degree weather.  The neighbor's pool has been a hit this week with the boys and yesterday I took them all to a friends house and let them swim while I had some grown up conversation with a few of my girls.

There are times when I just want to sit with my head in the freezer.  Now speaking of freezer let's get to that giveaway!

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

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

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

Now, that's one great giveaway, right?  I mean, who can't use a chance to win a brand spankin' new fridge and freezer??  MEEEEEEE!

Now, just for helping out, Kelly and Electrolux are allowing me to giveaway a $25 American Express gift card to on of my lucky readers!  

  All you have to do to enter is go over to the website, www.Kelly-Confidential.com, and build your favorite banana split (remember, $1 will go to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund!)  Then come back here and tell me in a comment what kind of banana split you made!  That's it!  This giveaway will close on July 25th and the winner of this giveaway will be announced shortly after.

Want extra entries?


* 1 Entry - Tweet about this giveaway with a link back to this post and leave the tweet link in a comment.

* 1 Entry -  Post to Facebook about this giveaway with a link back to this post. 
** 2 Entries - Follow my blog on the Networked Blogs link my sidebar.  

Nature Valley Giveaway

Okay, so I'm not really the health nut. Matter of fact, I lack health knowledge all together. I'm a fried chicken/macaroni and cheese type girl.

So, when the ladies at MyBlogSpark asked me if I wanted to review some new snacks from Nature Valley, I was like, hmmm, a health food?

Okay, back in the days when I thought I was too cool to eat breakfast before school, my mom use to buy Nature Valley bars for me to snack on on the way out the door.



Nature Valley has come up with a new snack!



Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters are a bite size blend of 100% natural ingredients that include select roasted nuts, whole grain oats and a touch of honey - a wholesome and delicious pick-me-up any time of the day. If you love nuts, you´ll enjoy this flavorful little snack featuring the perfect combination of sweet & salty flavors paired with a crunchy texture that you can see and taste. And with the first unique cluster-shaped granola packaged in a handy re-sealable pouch, it´s perfect for sharing on the trails or in your living room! New Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters come in four easy-to-crave flavors: Nut Lovers, Roasted Almond, Roasted Cashew and Honey Roasted Peanut. (taken from Laurie Pepitone and My Blog Spark)


Okay, so I'm not big on nuts, so I wasn't expecting to love this snack. But I decided to tear into the Honey Roasted Peanut pack. I-HEART-this-snack! Yum! It was a perfect blend of sweet and crunchy and just plain good!



Now, I don't care for almonds or cashews, so I wanted to save those flavors for someone special. HUBS was coming home for his 2 week visit from Iraq. He LOVED nuts. I figured this would be right up his alley. And it's healthy, which is a plus because he has me beat in that department.



The other bags were gone within the first 2 days of him being here. He thought they taste like Crunch n Munch!


So that's a snack that was a hit!






And all the goodies that came with the samples were a plus. Everything you need for a hike. The kids loved the flashlight and binoculars. I was in need of a bag to carry my keys and really like the water bottle.



So, here's the thing. I've been holding on to this giveaway for far too long. I want to make this short and sweet. All you have to do to win this Nature Valley prize pack is leave a comment telling me what your favorite snack is. I'll randomly pick a winner on Friday, November 6th. You can enter until NOON eastern time.



Soooooo, GO!

WInner Winner Chicken Dinner

I have a "flu-like virus" according to my doctor.

I went in because I was feeling really close to how I felt back in March (or May?) when I had the FLU.

This isn't a good time as I'm soon to be a single mom.

So, I'm gonna make this short and sweet because I'm about to take some perscription cold medicine with CODINE (ummm, the good stuff!) and be OUT like a light.

So.... drumroll please.................................................

CLUELESS_MAMA @ Guessing all the way!

Congrats to the winner! And thank you all for participating! Special thanks to our sponsors at MomSelect and Suave!

A little "Me" time and a GIVEAWAY! - CLOSED

Since school has started and ALL THREE kids are back in school, I haven't been quite so sure what to do with myself.

I mean, I never really had any real time on my hands. Yeah, Miss Missy is one of those "perfect" kids that takes care of herself and pretty much let her TV and her doll house keep her occupied, but there's nothing like being totally alone during the day.

So, now after goodness knows how many years of only knowing how to cater to my kids, I'm home alone.

If you know me, then you know that I spend A LOT of time at my kids' school. I mean, a whole lot! You'd think I was getting a paycheck!

But that's what I love, so that's what I do with my time.

Well this week, I got a lot of advice on what I SHOULD be doing with my new found freedom, none of which included volunteering at the school, mind you.

Take A Nap

Go Shopping

Read a Book

Spend More Time With Facebook

Have a Drink (not sure that this one was good for morning freetime!!)

All were EXCELLENT ADVICE!!

My best friend has called me every day this week and asked if I'd done anything for myself (and to tell me to keep myself out of that school!)


If no one else, she knows that I rarely take time to take care of myself, to nurture myself, to pamper myself. I opt not to get my hair and nails done, as there are more important things to take care of with that cash... football registrations, birthday parties, school clothes. You know, those pesky little everyday life expenses.


Well, I DID take a little time and have a little ME time. Something that is a luxury to me is a bath. I get a good shower in everyday, but to sit in the tub with bubbles, music, a book and maybe a candle lit, is a luxury that this mom only sees every blue moon.

But when Amy at MomSelect offered me a little box of goodies from Suave, the first think I thought about was trying it out in a bath!



Here's what was in my wonderful little box:
· NEW Suave® Naturals Wild Cherry Blossom Indulgent Body Wash
· Suave® Naturals Body Washes for luxurious lather and perfect nose bliss: Apricot Exfoliating and Ocean Breeze
· Suave® Body Lotions for clinically-proven moisturization: Advanced Therapy and Cocoa Butter with Shea


Suave is striving to create relationships with the African American mom community, though their products are obviously suitable for use by anyone.

Now, I'm one of those folks that doesn't really buy the cheaper body products because in my experience, the scents dont last as long, the lotions don't get rid of the ash, or they give me hives! (that's a whole nother story!)

Well I decided to give these a try, to see if, as the commercials claim, Suave really could stand up to the other more expensive products I like to use.

So into the tub I went, the first chance I got. It was not only nice to be able to take a bath without kids knocking on the door to tell me that there were no more paper plates, or that one of the others wouldn't stop passing gas, but the scent of the Apricot Exfoliating Body Wash was AMAZING! My favorite out of the 2 lotions was the Cocoa Butter with Shea. As you can tell, I'm all about good smells! LOL! The Advance Therapy did surprise me, as I expected to feel dry by the middle of the day, but found it to work as well as my current lotion. GOLD STAR!

Holly Robinson Pete, actress and celebrity Mom, has also offered her personal tops for feeling beautiful every day.

So, if you're like me and never take that time to pamper yourself, try some of Suave's products and “Showering Themselves Beautiful” this summer.

For a chance to do just that, I have a GIVEAWAY!!!!!







All the products I got to try, you can try too, and all you have to do for a chance it to win is leave a comment and telling how you pamper yourself.



After that, you can earn more chances to win:



Follow My Blog - Leave a message to let me know you did.

Twitter about this giveaway - Leave a link to your twitter.

Blog about the giveaway - Leave your link in the comments.



Be sure to leave your email so that you can be contacted if you are the winner!

ENDS: Wednesday, August 19, 2007

And the Winner is.......

Silver Hart!

I'm proud to announce the winner of my very first giveaway today.

I used a highly techical form to pick the winner. I each comment a number, wrote the on torn up pieces of paper, and pick one out of a box!

I know, real creative, right?

Now go over and check out this mom and her beautiful kids!

Congrats!

My Very First Giveaway! School Supplies, Anyone?

We're right on the doorstep of the first day of school. I'm not sure if I'm happy or sad about this.

Any other time, I'm usually thrilled that the summer with arguing, whining kids is over. This year, I think we had such a great time I hardly want it to end.

Or it could be that this year, I pretty much start back with them as I live in the PTO life. (HA!)

Perhaps it could be that this year may be a little bittersweet as my youngest is starting Pre-K.

(I say this as I do the happy dance, chanting I'm free! Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! I'm free!)

Still, I think that I'm just not ready because I have NOT finished school shopping.

Is anyone else out there as overwhelmed as I am about the seemingly growing school supply lists? Is it me or are the schools starting to ask for everything except for the kitchen sink nowadays?

So while the economy gets worse, times get harder, pocket get thinner and tighter, kids still have to go to school and still have to have those supplies.

Does anyone remember the days when all you had to do was show up at school?

Anyone? Am I showing my age here? The teacher gave you a piece of paper and a pencil and you did your work. Those were the good ol' days. I guess I need to stop complaining. I hear some lists have started including toilet paper!

Pencils, pens, notebooks, crayons, and is Sir-Talks-A-Lot really going to need 16 glue sticks?

That's why I was so glad that My Blog Spark hooked up with Box Tops for Education and sent me a "TOP THIS" prize pack filled with school supplies, just in the nick of time!

Avery has some great sturdy products that can even hold up to my kids. The 1" binder is great for my 7 year old, whose binder came home in 2 pieces last year. I was so glad to see the JUMBO sized glue sticks because, as I said, they must go through a lot of those! The big ones last maybe 3 times as long! And the highlighters, well, those will come in handy for me as I am trying to keep all of my MOM stuff in order, color-coding PTO from FRG from family life.

Covered in that box also for the first few days of school, if they last until then, is breakfast and after school snack. Now, I have some picky eaters around here and finding something that suits them all is nearly impossible, but when I pulled a box of Pillsbury Toaster Strudel out of the freezer in the frozen food isle, I got YAY's!! all around. I think that the best part for the kids is being able to squirt the frosting on the strudel.

In the frozen snacks isle, I was able to pick up a 40 count bag of Totinos Pizza Rolls, compliments of my little box as well. I only got 2 YAY's that time as Runnin' Man doesn't care for the tasty little snack as the other two do. That's okay, I'll be more than happy to take over his share!

Now, if you collect Box Tops for Education for your school, you'll be happy to know that all the products in my little box, except for the highlighters, participate in the Box Tops program. It's a great program, really. All you have to do is clip the little thingy off of products you are already buy them anyway, send them into the school and you are helping with fundraising!

Each top is worth 10 cents. Okay, that may not seem like much, but not only did I get a box full of great school supplies for the kids, but I also got $2.10 worth of Box Tops to go towards the school! Every little bit counts when your school is in need of recess equipment and a basketball court!

So, if you are still with me as I have babbled about my wonderful little box of goodies, then you will be happy to know that I am priviledged to to be able to give away the same little box to one lucky reader!

WHOO HOO! My First Giveaway!

WIN IT: I'm not going to make it too hard for you to win. All you have to do is tell me in a comment leave a comment telling me what your favorite thing was about the first day of school when you were a kid.

MORE CHANCES?

Follow my blog!

Join MyBlogSpark

Then leave a comment and let me know you have!

Easy enough? Cool! The contest will close on Wednesday, August 13 at 11:59 pm.

Giveaway open to US residents and ends August 12, 2009 at 12 noon EST. Winner will receive coupons in place of actual products for the Pillsbury Toaster Strudel and Totino's Pizza Rolls. All prizes will come directly from MyBlogSpark. Winner will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.

All Info, Prizes and Product are offered my MyBlogSpark.

The Unhappy Housewife reviews and a givaaway!

I'm an Unhappy Housewive and here's why:

It's Saturday, and do you know what I do on Saturdays?

I Clean!

Normally I turn it into a family affair. The kids become slaves and we get down and dirty into the cleaning.

Today, I let the kids be kids and I went into a world of my own as I cleaned the kitchen, did some laundry, dusted, vacuumed....

And in order for me to spend Mother's Day tomorrow not having any housework, I figured I'd better do it today!

So it got down to the vacuuming. Well, let me tell you. A few months ago, I had to buy a new vacuum cleaner. The other one went Kaput! No it wasn't because I kept running over things that had no business going into a vacuum. Must have been one of the kids!

ANYWAY.... I don't remember what kind we had before... whatever it was I didn't like it... but this time around we purchased a Bissell. Well, we didn't buy it for the name, anyway. We bought it because it is the

BISSELL LIFT-OFF REVOLUTION (that little R should be right here) PET.

It said it would work like "MAGIC" on pet hair. Well, Ginger has been shedding a lot now that the hot weather has kicked in, so this simply HAD to be the Vacuum for us!

Okay, I'm not that thrilled with this thing.

We, as moms, are constantly looking for appliances and products that make our lives much easier. I buy the magic eraser because it quickly erasers spots and does wonder at cleaner the kids' sneakers, we buy mops so that we no longer have to get on our hands and knees (although I have an Italian friend, who, for the first year here in the states never bought a mop. The chick used a sponge and got down on her hands and knees and wiped her floors down, pregnant and all! I was like, "GIRL! You simply have to get you a mop! We are not in the medieval times anymore! You really give truth to the phrase 'Bare Foot and Pregnant'!" Don't know if she ever did get that mop. Last I checked, she'd passed the task on to her daughter.), and I'll go out and get a new product simply because it says it cleans faster. Anything to make cleaning quicker and more exciting. I'm now hoping that one day my old washer and dryer will simultaneously break down and I can go get the new Frigidaire Affinity washer and dryer set with the "MORE ME TIME GUARANTEE" just because they claim to wash AND dry in 30 minutes. (really, I don't want my set to break down because CAN'T afford one of those, but the thought....), and we buy vacuums so that we don't have to SWEEP the dog hair out of the carpet.

So this vacuum that claimed to pick up great and pick up dog hair "LIKE MAGIC"....... Again, not happy with it.

I'm use to having a vac that can pick things up. I'm not talking about dust and regular old dirt. I mean stuff like beads and uncooked macaroni noodles. You know, stuff THE KIDS might drop on the floor from one of their art projects. It is so low to the floor that it just pushes that kind of stuff out of the way. And if you happen to maybe like lift the thing up a little just to vacuum up a bead (not me, of course. The KIDS), then that bead will NEVER get sucked up in there! Instead it rattles around until you turn the thing off and it falls out.

AND IT GETS CLOGGED A LOT!

Okay, one of my peeves is to have my carpet vacuumed and to have those vacuum lines all pretty and fresh. You know, you vacuum back and forth in a zigzag pattern in individual rows. Okay, you might not know what I'm talking about because it is a tad obsessive.

Anywho, when I can not get those lines in my carpet, it is an indication that something is clogging the suction in my vacuum.

This happens QUITE often with this vacuum! I get so many clogs and I have to get a wire hanger (am I the only one that still has some of those?), twist it and bend it to the right shape to try to dig out that clog. The hose is in such a inconvenient place on that thing that it's hard to get to the clog!

I spent 45 minutes trying to get a bunch of dust and fur out of the hose this morning. 45 minutes! That's just short of an hour! I'm a MOM! Do you have any idea what I could have done with that time?

Okay, if you can think of 5 things that you would do if you had an extra hour and you want a chance to win a pair of the Frigidaire washer and dryers like I was telling you about earlier, Go over to MomSelect where they have teamed up with Frigidaire to give some away. I'm not trying to give out too many details here in hopes that you WON'T go over there and get in on this fabulous giveaway and I'll have more of a chance.

It's not that exciting. Really. Just stick around here and keep reading my blog!

Oh, and I'm so sure that READING MY BLOG would surely be in your top 5!

Wanna win a Blog Design?

I was over at Punky Monkey's admiring her new blog page when I read that the chick that did her design is giving away a design with the WORKS!

Here is what Punky Had to say about it all:

Sara has generously donated a custom blog design (meaning you will be the only one that has it) to one of my readers!!! I bet you want to know how you can enter to win it right! We will get to this, tons of ways to enter! This is what is included in the design she is giving away here.....to one of my readers....in 2 weeks!

Here is what my Custom Blog Designs come with:
Custom Template (2 or 3 columns)
Custom Header (the sky is the limit)
Custom background
Navigation image (umlimited links)
Unlimited sidebar images
Social buttons (Twitter, Facebook, BlogHer, Feed, etc.)
Hosting space via my serverButton for linking (150x150)
Post signature
Email image
Post divider
Favicon (bookmark icon)
Flash animated greeting messageInstallation
*Rollover effects per request.
Can you all say... WOW!!!!
Sara has some other awesome designs she has done for fellow bloggers. You can see those here, including Crazy Book Slut .

Rules:
To enter to win your own blog design by Sara, you MUST do the following:Post a post on YOUR blog about this giveaway with a link back to this post as well as Subjective Beauty. Not too hard right, we want to get the word out to everyone about how much Sara and Subjective Beauty rocks... and that they do!! That's it. There are more ways to earn yourselves extra entries of course BUT this entry HAS TO BE DONE for those to count. After you have posted come comment here with a link to your post and you are entered.

On top of that, if you go to Punky Monky's page, she gives you a few more ways that you can win, so GO CHECK THEM BOTH OUT! Let em know who sent ya!

Investing in Mom

I came across a blog post today that made me think about how important it is for moms to invest in themselves as much as we invest in our children. OhMommy at Classy Chaos is having an awesome giveaway that I really could use. She is giving away some awesome boots. They are the $220 "Sexy snowbunny" boots from YOU by crocs. If you can use a pair, get over there and leave a comment. I'm getting these babies, but you can try!

I'm one of those moms that had children and seemed to have lost myself somewhere during the way. I'm one of those moms that I always hated. You know the ones that were skinny and cute, well-dressed and always groomed BEFORE they had kids. almost 9 years after becoming a mom, I look in the mirror and ask myself, who is this chick?

I never wanted to be one of those frumpy looking women that wear t-shirts or jeans and sweat pants all the time. And I'm really not, at heart anyway. But it seems the older the kids get, the more they need, and the less there is for me.

Less time. Less money. Less everything.

I'm not one of those glamorous moms that I sometimes secretly envy who seem to have it all together. You know the ones that ALWAYS have their hair done. ALWAYS have their makeup flawless and ALWAYS dress like they were cut out of a Vanity Fair magazine.

In fact, I've lost that "glamorous" side of myself that I so know is somewhere in there.

As a mom, I wear sneakers more often than I care to admit, simply because they are way more comfortable than those heals in my closet. I so want to be able to wear a nice pair of skinny jeans and a slammin' pair of stilettos. I so wanna find that glamorous inner me!

But in order for this to happen, I have to first start investing in myself. Taking time for me. I've started this road to self improvement. Working out, getting on my treadmill as many times a week as I can. Doing crunches to get rid of this muffin top. Eating less.

I force myself to go to store, mainly Cato, to try on clothes and face my fears. I think they have a trick mirror in there because I really never knew I looked like such a cow until I tried on some clothes in there dressing room. I don't seem to look that bad in my own mirror at home.

And I plan on buying something for me every now and then. Something that will make me feel pretty.

(or at least prettier ;-) )

Investing in yourself is important. Doing things that make you feel good. Every mom needs that special something that gives them a pick me up. Some just for them. Invest in yourself and everyone your entire family is sure to benefit.

Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Giveaway!

Not me of course. I can't give it away. I'm not ballin' like that!

But if you go over to

Mama Kat's page,

you could be a proud owner of a brand new vacuum cleaner provided by Hoover themselves.

Only one lucky winner is going to win and sorry guys! That's going to be me, but go on over there anyway and enter to win. Give me a little competition. But don't get too excited! That baby is MINE!!!