Noteworthy Memos Winner!

And the winner of the Noteworthy Memos notecards is #2

Kelly L.

Kelly on the Brink

Thank you to everyone who entered!

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:2Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Winner! T.J. Maxx/Marshall's Gift Card Giveaway!

And the winner is.....

Leslie W.

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:8Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Anonymous said...

I LOVE T.J. Maxx. I could shop there forever! And thanks, I would love to win!! :)
Leslie W.
kendyloo@

April 23, 2011 11:59 AM

Thank you to everyone who entered. Please be sure to checkout my other giveaway going on right now for a free pack of notecards from Noteworthy Memos. Click here to enter.

Noteworthy Memos-Review and Giveaway

**Update: this giveaway has ended. Thank you to all who entered. Winner will be announced soon. **

I don't know about you but I stress out a little bit when I have to give an adult a gift. I always want it to be perfect. I also want the recipient to know that I thought of them specifically when I bought the gift.

One of my favorite gifts to give is anything from Noteworthy Memos. My friend (and mompreneur) Jill started this company a few years back. She had an idea that was good and it took off from there.

I started giving the List Notes as gifts and people loved them. I even gave some to new moms with a picture of the baby on them. I also had some made as gifts for my sisters with a picture of the three of us on them.

Jill has since expanded her business to include Notecards, Planners and Artwork Notes. I love the idea that you can put your child's artwork on a pad of paper or notecard.

Last year I gave Kelly a "Mom's Menu" planner as a gift. She loved it! Each week she could plan her menu and then write it on the planner. She hung it on the refrigerator for the whole family to see...getting rid of the phrase "what's for dinner?"

Anything from Noteworthy Memos makes a great gift for Mother's Day. Grandmothers especially love getting them.

Please be sure to have your Mother's Day orders in by this Friday, April 29.

I am giving away one set of notecards to one lucky reader.

To enter, simply leave your first name, last initial and email address.

Giveaway ends Thursday, April 28 at 9:00 PM EST.

Click here to "like" Noteworthy Memos on Facebook.

TMI Tuesday

It's TMI Tuesday. I'm warning you now, it's not for the faint of heart. Don't blame me if you can't handle it. You've been warned.

I'm physically incapable of using a porta potty. My bladder shuts down at the sight of one.

TMI Tuesday. Love it or hate it, it's here to stay.

A Letter to a Friend

Dearest Flo,

We've been friends for a long time now; 27 years to be exact. I feel as though I haven't been honest with you. You see, I hate you Flo. I really, really do. You always overstay your welcome and you seem to delight in showing up at the exact wrong moment. Many times you've ruined a perfectly good beach day or vacation. You make me sick! Literally.

It seems that the only people who like you, Flo, are girls in college who wait anxiously for you to arrive after a couple of crazy, drunken weekends. Otherwise, you're not welcome.

It may sound harsh, but I've tried hinting around and you just don't seem to get the point. I think we should see less of each other. I think we'd both be happier that way. Don't worry, you'd make new friends. I'm sure there are some 13 year-old girls just dying to hang out with you. Go introduce yourself to them. I'm not saying that we have to say goodbye forever, just maybe not see as much of each other. Once every few months would be okay. I'm just getting a little tired of you knocking on my door every 28 days. It's a little rude.

There, I said it. I hope I didn't hurt your feelings. That wasn't my intention. I just wanted you to know how much you're not welcome around here.

Best of luck in the future.

XO,

Loopy

Happy Earth Day!

I wouldn't exactly call myself a tree hugger..despite the evidence below:

Although, I do recycle like a crazy person. Last year I worked for a family that didn't recycle. I would literally go through their garbage and take the recyclables home withe me. It pains me to see someone throw away a plastic milk container. I just can't sleep at night knowing that I didn't prevent it. Seriously.

My dad is the one that got us all into recycling. He did it before it was even trendy. About 15 years ago the town that they live in announced that they would have recycling bins available for residents. My dad picked one up and the rest is history. We would call him "The Recycle Police." God help you if you threw something away that had a #1 or #2 on the bottom. You'd get a lecture on how those don't go in the trash, they go in the recycle bin.

In honor of Earth Day I took my nephews out for a "nature hike." Okay, I really took them out so my sister could get her house in order for Easter. But, I made a big deal about going on this hike and it being Earth Day. I think it made an impact since the first words out of my 6 year old nephews mouth when he saw me today was, "Happy Earth Day!"

Here are some pictures from our day:

A rare sweet moment

Climbing up a cliff

"We made it!"

We brought some bird seed for the birds.

Tired after our hike up the hill.

We had a great day out in the fresh air honoring Mother Nature.

As my dad would say, "Rememba to recycle!"

T.J. Maxx/Marshall's Gift Card Giveaway!

**UPDATE: This giveaway has ended. Thank you to all who entered.**

Does your spring wardrobe need a little sprucing up? Why not head to T.J Maxx or Marshall's. They have all the latest styles for a fraction of what you'd pay at a department store. Here are some other interesting facts that you might not know:

• Their buyers travel 40+ weeks per year to negotiate with more than 12,000 vendors in over 60 countries (vs. department stores who buy seasonally), giving them more opportunities to score great deals.
• There is tremendous buying power behind their two national chains. T.J. Maxx has over 900 stores in the US. Marshalls has over 820 stores in the US and Puerto Rico.
• T.J. Maxx and Marshalls’ nationwide distribution system allows for faster processing of goods to stores. Therefore, buyers can purchase merchandise up until the last minute of any given season – not only allowing them to respond to trends much more quickly than other retailers (who buy several seasons in advance), but also allowing them to “swoop in” and negotiate a better deal by waiting until a vendor is highly motivated to sell.

I bought this jacket at T.J. Maxx about a month ago. It's faux leather and I paid $29.99 for it. I've worn it several times and it's paid for itself in compliments.

I'm pretty sure this blue bathing suit cover-up was made for me.

And the shoes....don't even get me started on the shoes. Have you been to Marshall's lately? Their shoe department looks like it belongs in a department store. They have the top name brands at half the price. Everything is organized, easy to find and they have a HUGE selection.

Would you like to win a $25 gift card for T.J. Maxx/Marshall's?

To enter simply leave your first name, last initial and email address.

Giveaway ends at 9:00 PM EST, Wednesday, April 27.

TMI Tuesday

It's TMI Tuesday. I'm warning you now, it's not for the faint of heart. Don't blame me if you can't handle it. You've been warned.

When I get out of the shower, there is enough hair in the drain to make a wig. Or two.

TMI Tuesday. Love it or hate it, it's here to stay.

Gift Idea for Children

I have a birthday party for a two year old this weekend and I had absolutely no idea what to get her. I always seem to get kids books as gifts. I wanted to do something different (and inexpensive). I decided to put together a beach bucket for her.

I had quite a few errands to run today, so it was easy to pick up things for the bucket as I made my way through my day.

My first stop was Old Navy where I picked up a cute little bathing suit for 60% off. Next, I went to the Christmas Tree Shops. I knew I could find a beach bucket for $1 and I wasn't disappointed. I also love CTS for sunscreen. They have a great selection and great prices (note-always check the expiration dates on sunscreen, wherever you happen to buy it). I also picked up a bag of sea shells to put on top of the completed bucket. After those two stores, I had to run to Target to pick up a few household essentials. There, I was able to find a cute little pair of sunglasses, a Sesame Street book and a blue sandcastle thingy, all for $1 each. Score! I took a quick peak down the wrapping paper isle and found some brown "grass" for the top of the bucket.

Here's what it looks like completed:

I had my sister write the child's name on it (she has way nicer penmanship than I do). I added the shells on the top to make it look beachy.

Total cost: less than $15.

If you think that's creative, you should check out the bucket my friend Kelly did. Click here to see it.

Island Treasures Gourmet Rum Cake - Review

I entered a giveaway on My Shiny Monkey and I won the Island Treasures Gourmet Rum Cake. I wasn't sure what to expect. When the box arrived I was surprised how heavy it was. Inside was the yummiest looking cake. It almost looks like a pound cake. The directions suggest you turn the cake upside down for 30 minutes before eating. This is so any liquid can flow back into the cake.

As soon as I opened the cover I could smell the rum. The taste....wow! so moist, so delicious. That cake will not last long in this house at the rate I'm going. Every time I walk by, I stop and cut, just a tiny sliver to taste. A few minutes later, I cut another piece. I'm going to have to have my husband hide it from me.....at least until tomorrow. This will taste so good with my coffee tomorrow.

Island Treasures Gourmet can be found here Island Treasures Gourmet and on Facebook

Thank you Julie at My Shiny Monkey for hosting the giveaway and shipping it so quickly to me.

Scarred for Life

When I was younger, my family called our girlie private parts your "tooney." Not that private parts were ever discussed. It was more like when you got out of the tub, my mom would ask "did you wash your tooney?"

One day, when I was about seven years old, I playing in my playroom while watching one of my favorite shows, "Donny & Marie." I loved those two crazy Mormons! I was only half watching when they started singing a song and dancing. The song went something like this:

"Shake your tooneys

Shake your tooneys,

Yeah, yeah!"

I stopped dead in my tracks. Why on earth would Donny & Marie be singing about tooneys? Why would ANYONE sing about tooneys? They must be some kind of sickos! It looked like they were actually trying to shake their tooney's while singing it! I almost ran to my mom and told her when I realized what they were really singing:

"Shake your two knees

Shake your two knees

Yeah, yeah!"

Yes, I was scarred for life by Donny & Marie.

TMI Tuesday

It's TMI Tuesday. I'm warning you now, it's not for the faint of heart. Don't blame me if you can't handle it. You've been warned.

Sometimes I think that I should just throw my food directly into the toilet and avoid the middle man.

TMI Tuesday. Love it or hate it, it's here to stay.

Loving Old Navy

Old Navy is one of my favorite places to shop for spring/summer items. They have the cutest dresses. I picked up these two yesterday:

They always have the best summer dresses AND the best prices. Each of the dresses above was on sale for $15. If you want to wear these in spring you can pair them with a cute cardigan. I love easy dressing!

While I was there, I shopped their amazing clearance sale. I picked up a pair of dark skinny jeans for $4.99.

I also picked these up for my BFF's daughter, who's 9 months old.

This shirt was $1.49

This sweater was $3.49

I'm looking forward to seeing what else Old Navy has to offer this spring/summer!

Quotes and Conversations with my 5 year old

*The following was written by Kelly, part-time contributor to this blog and Loopy's sister*

Here are some of my favorite conversations with my 5 year old:

It's amazing the things that come out of his mouth. Makes me wonder what's going on inside that brain of his.

* On our way to the grocery store B says "We don't need to stop and look at the toys in the food store. All the toys are expired."

* "What's Chicken + Chicken??" Answer: "Chicken!"

Every morning when he wakes up the first thing he asks is a math question.

"Mom, what's 100 + 100 + 100?"

"Mom, what's a billion + a billion + 1,000?"

This is before I've even opened my eyes

Hubby's favorite quote from B "Let me outta here....I am not an animal!" He says this in a really creepy voice. I think the quote is from the movie Marmaduke

"Antarctica is the coldest CONDIMENT in the world."

"Nobody's pretty in here after all". This was said minutes after telling Auntie Laura and I how pretty we were and then when I reprimanded him for something he got upset and took back the compliment. He sure showed us!

*B has informed me that he's NOT going to sleep away college. He's going to live with us forever.

B also doesn't think he wants to get married. When he's older he's going to drive a pick-up truck and he doesn't think there would be room for his wife, since all his stuffed animals will be riding up front with him.

He told Grammie that she can't take him to Burger King for lunch because the workers pee on the floor. (ummm, yeah, NO idea where that came from. I think McDonald's had a better toy in their kid's meal)

My little man. Love him to pieces

TMI Tuesday

It's TMI Tuesday. I'm warning you now, it's not for the faint of heart. Don't blame me if you can't handle it. You've been warned.

I cannot burp on command.

TMI Tuesday. Love it or hate it, it's here to stay.

The Bugaboo Donkey

Saturday I attended a launch party for the new Bugaboo stroller called the Donkey. Since I'm forty and single, with no children, it was a little weird that I was so excited for this party.

First of all, it was held at Magic Beans. That is one of the best toy stores around. And, they know how to throw a party. Check it out:

See what I mean? Any party that has cupcakes is a good party!

Onto the stroller. This thing is magnificent. I mean, if you are done having children, this stroller will make you reconsider your decision. It's that cool. It converts from a single to a duo. How great is that?!

After watching some demonstrations on how the stroller works, my ovaries started to ache. I had to walk away. Then I thought, "Maybe I can just get the stroller. Who needs a baby to have a stroller?" Then I realized that that's weird.

I especially love the pink/sand one. It's just so darn cute. It's hard to believe how far strollers have come in the last 10 years. They're constantly evolving. It's always a thrill to see the latest designs.

The Donkey is not cheap. It has a starting price of $1,199. It's also not cheaply made. It's lightweight, easy to fold and reconfigure and it's easy to push. This is a stroller that will grow with your family. It's an investment.

For more info on the Donkey click here.

*This is not a sponsored post. I attended this launch party free of charge. I also received a gift bag. All opinions are my own.*