The Kids Stay in the Picture #WordfulWednesday

The fall season kicked off this week, and I miss summer already. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy Autumn... cranberry-colored leaves, juicy nectarines, pumpkin pie, Halloween costumes. It's all good! But I just had to give summer one last salute in a pictorial (with words).

Clockwise: (top left): Marlie celebrated the BIG 0-4 with a cowboy western-themed party and pony rides to boot! (top right): Marlie on an urban hike with her dad. (bottom left): Desmond in the bathtub using ducky to cover up his bits. (bottom right): Desmond is thriving at his new preschool. His favorite activity is art. He is a budding Picasso!

A Preview of the 2013 Fall #FashionistaEvents + Lookbook Giveaway!

The Fashionista Events Giveaway is back October 3-9!

For those of you who don't know, it's the Internet's largest fashion giveaway event with $26,000+ in prizes and 100+ participating blogs each offering a minimum of $125 prize! I am sponsoring this Sterling Silver Edmon Starfish Necklace ($230 value) as a prize:

But you don't have to wait until October 3. There are chances to win awesome fashion prizes before the event starts in this Lookbook Giveaway!

Fall Fashionista Events Lookbook Giveaway!

Ju-Ju-Be Lookbook Giveaway Prizes:  Packabee, BeFabulous in Earth Leather, BetterBe

Welcome to the Fall Fashionista Events Lookbook and Lookbook Giveaway!

In this Lookbook, you will get a SNEAK PEEK at all the prizes that are being sponsored by all 108 blogs for this year’s Fashionista Event, hosted by Still Blonde after all these Years and Modly Chic. Event is co-hosted by K Squared Glamour. OH WOW! Can you hardly wait to see all the great prizes in this year’s event?

Ju-Ju-Be Smart Bags for Smart People

Ju-Ju-Be is our Lookbook sponsor for the Fall Fashionista Events Giveaway 2013! They have provided us with three of their darling bags. The winner of each bag will be able to choose their colors. Up for grabs is the PackABe , the BeFabulous in Earth Leather, and the BetterBe. Let’s take a look at these beautiful bags that can be used as everyday totes or high end diaper/parent bags. Watch this video as Susan, the owner of Ju-Ju-Be Bags describes these amazing bags with a presentation of the BetteBe:

Just a few amazing features of a Ju-Ju-Be Bag

• Detachable and adjustable messenger strap
• Messenger strap has a memory foam shoulder pad with a grippy textile underneath … no more straps sliding off your shoulders
• Gusseted mommy pocket with extra long scrunchy key clip, sunglass case, lipstick loops, and pen loop
• 2 exterior insulated bottle pockets … with Thinsulate™ by 3M™. Keep it warm? Keep it cold? Sure!
• Picture pocket to keep photos handy when bragging to friends
• Crumb Drains™ … bye-bye mess!
• Memory foam changing pad included … nice ‘n’ comfy, super cushy
• Teflon® … fabric protector helps repel stains
• Agion® … natural antimicrobial treatment inhibits and reduces the growth of odor-causing bacteria, mold, and mildew
• Metal Hardware … we don’t trust any of the cheap plastic stuff
• Light-Colored Linings … you can actually see what’s inside; it’s not just a big black hole in there
• Machine Washable … air dry

Now, for the Fall Fashionista Lookbook

The Fall Fashionista Lookbook features many of the sponsors for the Main Event and for individual blogs. Our Main Event Prizes total $1000. Coupons.com is sponsoring $300 of our Main Event Prize. They want you to know that in addition to their amazing coupons, they also have coupon codes to use when shopping online. More sponsors will be added everyday, so be sure to check back and make a list of your favorite products and bloggers. You will then be ready for the Fall Fashionista Events Giveaway which takes place Oct. 3-9. Take the day off work and don’t miss this event!

An InLinkz Link-up

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thumbs Up Wine Finder Mobile App [Review]

B.Y.O.B.

These four letters seem harmless on their own, but when they appear on a social invitation it's instant pressure to find a crowd pleaser.

I usually defer to my husband on matters of wine shopping, but since I was sent this new mobile app call Thumbs Up WineFinder I have become my own personal sommelier! Okay, that's a stretch. I'm still no wine expert, but this app has helped me become more educated about wines, and I definitely feel more confident about picking out a bottle on my own thanks to Thumbs Up WineFinder.



Have you ever stood in the wine aisle of your grocery store staring at the wall of wine and your head started to spin from all the choices? You'll never get dizzy again with this app. It is designed for the average wine consumer in mind. It's the only mobile app developed to match buyers with wines while they're in the store and the only one that provides national coverage of more than 50 of the largest wine retailers.

To say the app developers Joe Gaspardone and Matt Eshoo are passionate about wine is an understatement. These guys professionally review hundreds of wines each month carried by retailers like A&P, Albertsons, Costco, CVS, Food Lion, Giant Eagle, Kroger, Safeway, Trader Joe's, Von's, Whole Foods, Winn-Dixie, and other major chain stores. They made Thumbs Up WineFinder to be thorough and user-friendly.

It all starts with the quick search menu. Your search can be basic – price, varietal, food pairings – or more advanced – geography, flavors, and palates. Full-screen images of the bottles allow the consumer to match the picture of the bottle with the wine on the shelf. Another option let you search by occasion: just sippin', meal, party, or gift.

For example, I can tell Thumbs Up WineFinder that I am in Trader Joe's, planning to eat BBQ read meat, and I want to spend $10-$20 on a wine to pair with my meal. Tap, tap, tap. The thumbs up icons start spinning and return results in a few seconds. The results are displayed in list view and you click each listing to read the review. It would be nice to be able to sort the results by wine type, price, etc... See for yourself how easy it is to use the app in this demo:


Thumbs Up WineFinder sent me a bottle of one of their featured wines, the 2011 Villa Moscato d'Asti. I typed the name into the app and saved it to my favorites. I can also give wines my own rating of 1-5 stars and even share my favorite picks through my social media accounts. There is a "Where to Buy" button that lists the stores that sell the wines I am browsing. It would be awesome if the app was connected with a map service so I can input my zip code and find the nearest location.

Thumbs Up WindeFinder is a very handy mobile app! I will never shop for wine again without it! Available on iPhone and Android. Download it today!

Connect with Thumbs Up Wine on social media: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

What I Wore: #WordfulWednesday

I had one of those rare days yesterday where I felt like a true fashionista, not just someone who is always admiring another person's fashion sense. Can you relate? I know you know what I am talking about...those days you just love what you are wearing from head-to-toe!

I must brag that I hit it out of the park with this outfit! I am most proud that it is dressy casual; meant to look effortless, but don't be fooled. Look for the small elegant details: 

I look good.

What I wore:
Blouse: Crochet dolman sleeve with pearl collar, $26-from 9thandElm.com
Jeans: $29.99-from Ross
Earrings: hammered sterling silver gossamer leaves-gift

What grade do you give my outfit?

Proskins SLIM 28 Day Challenge Week 3 Update

I just completed week 3 of the Proskins SLIM 28 Day Challenge. To recap: I have been wearing the Proskins Slim anti-cellulite leggings every day for a minimum of 8 hours in an effort to reduce cellulite and lose inches in my legs. You can read about my journey: why I joined the challenge and my week 1 and week 2 results.

True story: I misplaced my Proskins for 3 days this week. I wore them to workout on Tuesday and then, poof, they disappeared. I couldn't remember if I removed them then forgot to put them in the laundry or if I washed them then stashed them in the wrong place. I practically tore up my house looking for them. I accused my husband of swiping them for his run (because I bragged how great they felt on a jog). I finally found them on Friday hiding in a leg of my husband's sweatpants (so it was his fault after all). I guess they slid in there while in the dryer. Here I am reunited with my Proskins:

reunited and it feels so good!

So I didn't get a full week of wearing my Proskins, but here is the skinny (ha! pun intended) on my week 3 results:

		Baseline	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4
	Hips	41"	40"	40.5"	40"
	Top of thigh	25"	25"	24"	24.5"
	Widest part of thigh	23"	22.5"	21.5"	22"
	Above knee	15.2"	15"	15"	15"
	Below knee	13"	13"	13"	13"
	Widest part of calf	12.5"	13"	13"	13"