...THREE winners tonight!
The winner of the adorable felt cell phone case from FeltLLang is Kimberly Wright. She won by adding my button to her blog (thanks!!)
The sweet little red fox from ritaboth (that I have still resisted peeking at, but I tell ya, it hasn't been easy) goes to Jill, who tweeted about the giveaway. Yay, Jill!
And Katy wins her choice of cell phone case from Fancy Ferris, also for tweeting about the giveaway. The tweets have it this time!
THANK YOU to all who entered - I hope you enjoy your sweet new cases. (Kimberly and Katy, stop back by to tell me which ones you choose!)
Another giveaway will be happening soon, this time for camera lovers...be on the lookout!
Showing posts with label giveaway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label giveaway. Show all posts
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Giveaway #3: Spunky or Sophisticated - You Choose! Cell Phone Case by Fancy Ferris
Okay, it's no secret that I harbor an active inner child. I strongly suspect that all of my 30-something friends are truly grown-ups and I'm the lone pretender, because I certainly don't feel like 32 most days. (I seem to have a lot of people fooled, though, which is kind of nice.)
Anyway, after drooling over cases adorned with cutesy animals for a while, I figured I should go and look at something a little more...adult. Something more appropriate for those occasions when I want to seem more mature and sophisticated, such as...such as...well, I can't think of any just now. But you know where I'm going with this one.
After much much much browsing, I finally found Fancy Ferris's Etsy shop, and fell in love with the design of her phone cases. A deceptively simple envelope shape...but with elastic on the edges to hold the phone securely, a pocket inside for license/cards/etc, and a detachable wristlet strap. Awesome!! And she has two pages, ya'll, of amazing color and pattern combos to choose from. I went through them at least five times before I finally decided that I liked this spunky little black and pink polka dot number best:
Look, black is sophisticated. No doubt. But a girl needs a little pink, and polka dots never hurt anybody.
This is actually one of the more "muted" combos in the Fancy Ferris shop. I also really really loved this one and this one and this one. And this one. It just really isn't an easy choice.
But all things considered, I'm glad I went with the black and pink dots. Silliness aside, this one is my go-to case for Sunday mornings, not least of all because it matches my Bible cover nicely, and because I can slide in my debit card, clip my keys to it, and not have to haul my whole purse into church with me. It's understated enough for more serious environments, without sacrificing the fun factor...and exceptionally well made to boot.
(All three cases in my giveaways are very well made, in fact. Kudos to all three of the amazing designers!!)
Chyrel - the creator behind Fancy Ferris - is just the sweetest, and reminds me once again why I love doing reviews and giveaways for fellow Etsy folks - I get to meet so many nice people along the way! Be sure to check out her shop, and enter to win one of her beautiful cases for yourself. Good luck picking one, though. Might I suggest eeny-meeny-miney-moe? :)
Giveaway #2: Little Red Fox Case from Wild to Wear by ritaboth
The second case that caught my eye and made me stop and squeal a little was this precious little bird:
Now tell me, is that not sweet?! I just loved his little birdy shape, that big eye, even the teensy little black beak sticking out in front - can you see it in this picture? I hope so, because it's just too cute.
Truth be told, I had a hard time deciding which case I liked best in the Wild to Wear by ritaboth Etsy shop. Besides the little blue bird, she has a darling brown mole, a sweet polka-dotted whale, and a gorgeous little plaid fox that was a CLOSE contender for my favorite.
And wouldn't you know that the fox is the one she'd offer to give away to one lucky reader. I think maybe she was trying to tempt me, at least a little, when she sent him along with my birdy. But I have not opened the tissue paper he's wrapped in, lest I fall in love and have to keep him too. ;)
** UPDATE: I'm very sorry for a mistake in my original post. Rita contacted me this morning to let me know that it is not, in fact, the plaid fox that was sent for the giveaway, but the RED fox. See, this is what happens when I have willpower. I mess things up. Anyway, the red fox is adorable - who could resist that little face?
Anyway...back to my lovely little bird! He (I'm assuming he's a he, since he's mostly blue) is made of organic hemp and linen, and is just so much more cuddly and squishy than a mere cell phone case has any right to be. The inner lining is soft, to protect the phone, and there's a handy pocket on the back - just right for headphones, driver's license, debit card, whatever you need to keep close at hand. And did I mention how cute he is? He's more like a friend than a functional object. But I'm kind of weird that way.
Anyway...back to my lovely little bird! He (I'm assuming he's a he, since he's mostly blue) is made of organic hemp and linen, and is just so much more cuddly and squishy than a mere cell phone case has any right to be. The inner lining is soft, to protect the phone, and there's a handy pocket on the back - just right for headphones, driver's license, debit card, whatever you need to keep close at hand. And did I mention how cute he is? He's more like a friend than a functional object. But I'm kind of weird that way.
Once I learned a little more about Rita, I understood why her creations are so unique. You see, she's an independent filmmaker and animation film maker. She says, "I've always had some creatures in my mind, and I tried to show them to other people. First it started with making plush toys of my own design for the children in my family. Then I wanted to make some creatures that are wearable and useful, like the bags, laptop cases, and phone cases. The first one was the Whale bag, inspired by a drawing by my sister...then came the owls, foxes, and moles, and I'm constantly working on new designs."
Personally, I can't wait to see what comes next. I hope it's an owl. Or a duck. Hint hint.
Personally, I can't wait to see what comes next. I hope it's an owl. Or a duck. Hint hint.
Want to win the mischievous little fox case for yourself? No? Oh, well, I can't force you to enter. If you don't, I suppose I'll just have to keep him for myself. That would be such a shame.
But here's the widget, just in case.
Giveaway #1: Adorable Felt Cell Phone Case by FeltLLang
Before I dive into giving stuff away, I should back up and post an explanation. Why three giveaways all at once, instead of my usual one? And why three giveaways of such similar items? Well, it's like this.
Back in August, my dear sweet darling husband decided to do a load of laundry for me. It was his own work clothes, so it only seemed fair. A couple of hours later, I asked to see a picture he had snapped with his phone...only he didn't know where his phone was. Not on the table. Or his desk. Or in the living room. It wasn't in his car. And that was when he realized...it had to be in his pants pocket. It sure was, and although it was very clean, it was no longer functional.
Back in August, my dear sweet darling husband decided to do a load of laundry for me. It was his own work clothes, so it only seemed fair. A couple of hours later, I asked to see a picture he had snapped with his phone...only he didn't know where his phone was. Not on the table. Or his desk. Or in the living room. It wasn't in his car. And that was when he realized...it had to be in his pants pocket. It sure was, and although it was very clean, it was no longer functional.
So off he went to the Verizon store for a replacement. One of their special offers was a free smart phone - something that neither of us had ever had. Knowing full well that I would use it more than he would, he generously took my old phone and presented me with a shiny new Samsung Gem. Which ultimately turned out to be a ginormous pile of poo, but I didn't know that at the time. I should have gotten my first clue when there was no case made to fit the thing.
Okay, you're with me so far? I have a brand new smart phone with no case or cover of any sort. Time to head for Etsy and see what's out there. There's a lot out there, but three cases in particular jumped out at me for their cuteness and uniqueness. I asked all three sellers if they might be interested in a blog review, never expecting that all three would jump on board - but they did!
Therefore, I have three gorgeous phone cases to show off, and three more to give away to a lucky reader.
Since then, I've sold the horrific smart phone and downgraded back to a nice, normal dumb phone that will actually allow me to make phone calls. And it still fits nicely in all three cases, which I love switching between and showing off.
So, are you ready to see case number one? This was the first one that I received, and it is darling.
This case was made by Yujin Kim, the creative genius behind FeltLLang on Etsy. Yujin recently moved to the U.S. from South Korea. She has always loved the arts (especially drawing), majored in the arts in college, and taught art to elementary school students before her big move. Now she lives with her husband in Cincinnati, where she began crafting in her free time. Her hobby led her to Etsy, where she now has an amazing shop full of adorable felt covers for most electronic devices, plus felt checkbook covers, wallets, keychains, etc.
All FeltLLang items are made of high quality polyester felt from Korea, which is very durable. Most items can be customized for size, color, etc. Yujin loves illustrating her creations with cute Asian influences, and says that she takes pride in each item that she creates for each and every customer.
As you can see above, the case that Yujin sent to me is purple (love!) with the CUTEST little balloon-holding bunny, and beautiful floral accents. Rachael immediately tried to take it away from me, before she even knew what it was. (I'm sure she'd have found something to keep in it if I'd been willing to let go.) She customized it for me to fit my piece of junk smart phone, but my new phone - which is a bit smaller - still fits very nicely inside. The top strap is wide enough that it keeps anything inside from falling out. The case is so soft inside, so as not to scratch the face of the phone, and padded enough to cushion it in case of a fall too. (I know this because I dropped my phone within an hour after putting it in the case. Not the case's fault; I'm just a klutz that way.)
Go go go, check out the FeltLLang Etsy shop - there is SO much cuteness there!
Yujin has made a case just for one lucky reader...I'm not sure which one it is, so you get to be pleasantly surprised when it arrives! Just check out the Rafflecopter widget below to enter. Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on October 16. Winners will be emailed immediately, and announced here too.
Yujin has made a case just for one lucky reader...I'm not sure which one it is, so you get to be pleasantly surprised when it arrives! Just check out the Rafflecopter widget below to enter. Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on October 16. Winners will be emailed immediately, and announced here too.
Don't forget to check out the other two giveaways as well!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Page Traitor
It's not too often that I'm really, truly surprised. When our anniversary rolls around, or even my birthday, Gene asks me what I want...and that's what I get. You know, as long as I don't ask for anything too exorbitant.
So I was really shocked last Christmas to find a gift under the tree with my name on it that was not something I had asked for. Oh sure, Gene got me the new pillow and the new bra that I had requested (I know you're jealous; my life is soooo exciting) but he had also, in a brilliant flash of brilliance, gotten me a Kindle.
So I was really shocked last Christmas to find a gift under the tree with my name on it that was not something I had asked for. Oh sure, Gene got me the new pillow and the new bra that I had requested (I know you're jealous; my life is soooo exciting) but he had also, in a brilliant flash of brilliance, gotten me a Kindle.
Kindle - for those of you who either live under rocks or have never read a book - is the Amazon e-reader. You can download books and books and books - there are a ton of free books to be found online, and plenty to be bought at cheaper prices than "real" books. It'll hold 3,500 books in a slim little 8.5 ounce package, so you can haul a whole library in your purse. Oh, and the battery life is about two months before you'll need to charge it again.
So you can see why this would be an amazing gift for a confessed bookworm. I have always, always adored books, and would happily do very little else but read...except for having a family to care for and whatnot.
It wasn't very long (about fifteen minutes) before I started encountering Kindle haters. Those who claimed that Kindles were evil, that they could never be as good as a real book, that those who owned them were vile traitors to paper pages everywhere.
They were partly right - the Kindle will never be as good as a real book. There's something so satisfying about the feel of paper pages and (probably because I'm a tad insane) the smell of a library book. I can't line the shelves in my living room with Kindles since a) that would get expensive really quickly and b) it wouldn't be as aesthetically pleasing since all Kindles look pretty much the same. And there's just something lost when you curl up with your child and a good book...on a screen.
But in other ways, a paper book can't compare to my Kindle. Being thin and flat, I can lay the Kindle down anywhere and the pages don't flop around while I'm simultaneously trying to read and, say, cook. (Not that I would ever. Ahem.) Books are heavy and bulky, so the Kindle is really nice to have on long trips. And the speed of acquiring new books is both exhilarating and dangerous. Just a couple of clicks and voila! New book.
Take this past weekend, for instance. I finally picked up a copy of The Hunger Games from the library. I had been hearing about it for months and finally decided to give it a try, even though it didn't seem like anything I'd be interested in. You know, just based on the title and cover. It was wonderful. I literally devoured that book - 384 pages in 36 hours. That might not sound like a lot to some, but when you factor in child care, dinner guests, church, housework, basic hygiene and sleeping, that's pretty speedy. I couldn't put it down - and once I finished it, I needed the second book in the series. So I hopped online and went to the library's website. Out of six branches, not one had a copy available. Who knew when they would be returned? I put it on hold and waited. And twitched. I willed whoever-it-was that had the books checked out to bring one back on Monday, but they didn't. *sigh* I couldn't last much longer.
And I didn't. Just a couple of clicks and I had that second book (and the third, and what the heck? the first one too, for good measure) on my Kindle. Downloaded in a minute, Jack, and I was off and reading again.
Oh yeah. I'm an addict, and Kindle is my enabler. It's not the same as a book - never meant to replace them, at least not to me. But I love it just the same.
Ahh, my precious...it is lovely, yes? And the cover that it's lying on? Well, thank you for noticing!
Isn't it pretty? This is my Kindle's new home. One of the first things I did on Christmas Day (after downloading a bunch of free books) was to whip out the yarn and needles and knit a quick Kindle sleeve. This didn't work out as well as planned, yarn being a bit of a dust magnet and all. So I put "find a better Kindle case" on my to-do list, then promptly ignored it, since I'd taken the time to cable my knitted sleeve, for Pete's sake. But then I found Polka Dot Birdie's lovely Kindle sleeves on Etsy.
Polka Dot Birdie (aka Angela) was kind enough to send me a cover to review, and I am very impressed. To begin with, the fabric is soft but very sturdy, and the stitching is so strong, straight and professional. There's an outer pocket on each side of the cover, with a thicker, firmer sleeve in the middle to protect the Kindle. (Or Nook, or whatever e-reader you have. My Kindle has a little bit of wiggle room, so it would accommodate a reader that's a little larger.) It has a snap closure with strap wide enough to keep the reader from falling out if you turn the sleeve upside down. (Yes, I tried it, just so I could honestly say that. Yes, I was holding it over the bed at the time. I figured it would hold, but why take crazy chances?)
So to recap: Pretty. Sturdy. Padded. And keeps the dust off my screen so much better than my own creation. The pockets are handy for storing ear buds or USB cord for charging. And now, my Kindle "lives" in its Polka Dot Birdie sleeve, only coming out when it's time to read.
Okay, so it's out of the sleeve nearly as much as it's in. Anywho.
Being all-around amazing, Polka Dot Birdie also sent a second case for me to give away to one lucky reader!
Prize: One Kindle (okay, okay, e-reader) sleeve from Polka Dot Birdie.
To enter: Go visit Polka Dot Birdie's Etsy shop, then leave me a comment to tell me which of her items is your very favorite. It doesn't have to be an e-reader case - she has other neato stuff to choose from as well! As always, please be sure to leave your email address with your comment so I can contact you if you win.
That's the mandatory entry, but here are a bunch of ways to earn extra entries as well. Each one is worth one additional entry unless otherwise noted; please leave one comment per entry, and don't forget your email address!
Additional entries:
- "Like" Polka Dot Birdie on Facebook and leave her a note to let her know I sent you.
- Follow Polka Dot Birdie on Twitter.
- Sign up for "Birdie News" to receive updates, coupons and giveaway news.
- Comment and tell me which e-reader you have and/or why you're NOT a page traitor!
- Follow June Cleaver Would Be Shocked via GFC.
- "Like" June Cleaver Would Be Shocked on Facebook.
- Follow me on Twitter.
- Snag my button (top right of this page) and add it to your blog. Leave a link in your comment!
- Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link! (+2)
- Tweet about this giveaway - may be done once per day, for one entry each day.
- Subscribe to this blog via email - just look near the top right for that too. :)
Contest ends: 11:59 PM EST on Monday, August 22. Winner will be chosen by random number generator and emailed immediately. Please contact me within 48 hours to claim the prize, or a new winner will be chosen.
Good luck, everyone!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Congratulations to...
So, who wins the adorable cupcake headband from Glitter Bug Gallery?
There were 99 entries...plug that into the random number generator and we get:
...who is...
Congratulations!! I'm emailing you now.
Even if you didn't win, don't forget that you can use the code junecleaver to save 10% in her Etsy store through September 15!
And, I have a brand new giveaway that will be posted later on Monday evening. If you have a Kindle, Nook, or similar e-reader, be sure to come check it out! :)
Friday, August 5, 2011
Time for a girly giveaway!
With the mood that she's been in today, I'm quite tempted to give away this girly. But I'm not, because I'm pretty sure that it's illegal, and I'd miss her around bedtime.
When she's not being a tee total pain in my backside, she's my little cupcake - which is why I'm always on the lookout for adorable cupcakey things. They were super easy to come by when she was a baby - cupcakes were on absolutely everything then, and I'd keep snapping them up only to have her outgrow them three minutes later. So lately, I've been looking for cupcakey things that might last a little longer, like the cupcake Scentsy warmer I posted about a few weeks ago. (It still hasn't found its way into her room, but she's keeping a close eye on it.)
Recently, I was browsing Etsy for cupcakey items and stumbled across the cutest wool felt cupcake headband. Of course, Milly needed one immediately.
Aside from the utter adorableness of the cupcake itself, I love the soft, stretchy pink headband. Milly usually won't wear an around-the-head headband for very long because she says they "squeeze too tight", but this one she said was "really comfy" and she'll leave it in all day. That, of course, earns it mucho mucho brownie points in my book, because what's the point of a headband that your kid won't wear? Good photo props, sure, but sometimes you just want them to look cute for longer than five minutes. Being so stretchy, it'll last Milly for a good long time. It'll even fit her sister's gigantic noggin - although, of course, that is strictly forbidden.
(I edited this next picture just for my Pink Saturday friends, to show off the delicious pinkness!!)
Of course, another thing this headband has going for it was that I found it on Etsy - I would much rather support a person than a corporation. And there are so many wonderful people to meet on Etsy besides! Let me introduce you to one of them...
Milly's cupcake headband came from Glitter Bug Gallery, which also has lots and lots of other wool felt headbands and clippies to choose from. ALL of them are stinking adorable - I love these flowers and this caterpillar and this adorable little crab with a cute little bow on her head, which doesn't really match a thing that my girls own but I'm going to have to find something that'll go with it.
Glitter Bug Gallery is owned by Christine, who is a fellow stay-at-home mom to three quirky kids (her description, not mine!), aged 13, 9 and 7. She comes from a family of crafty women, and has always been crafty herself. In the past, she's made ornaments and magnets, and says that "so far, it has been great for Christmas money or a little extra here and there." But with her oldest child inching ever closer to college age, it's time for her to start thinking of saving for that - and so her Etsy shop was born. And it's an Etsy shop that I would love to see take off - everything is adorable and wonderfully made, and it just deserves to be seen.
Christine has generously set up a coupon code to Glitter Bug Gallery just for YOU, because you're so awesome for stopping by and reading. :) From now through September 15, enter the code junecleaver and receive 10% off the merchandise total of your purchase. Her prices are already great, which makes this an even better deal!
She also donated two of her beautiful cupcake headbands to JCWBS - one to be used and reviewed, and one to give away to one lucky reader!
Prize: To be completely honest, I liked the one with the dark pink headband better, but I was overruled by my children. So YOU can win it instead!
To enter: Go visit Glitter Bug Gallery at Etsy, then leave me a comment to tell me which of her designs is your very favorite. And good luck with that, because it's going to be hard to choose! As always, please be sure to leave your email address with your comment so I can contact you if you win.
That's the mandatory entry, but here are a bunch of ways to earn extra entries as well. Each one is worth one additional entry unless otherwise noted; please leave one comment per entry, and don't forget your email address!
Additional entries:
- "Like" Glitter Bug Gallery on Facebook and leave her a note to let her know I sent you.
- Use that coupon code to snag some cuteness of your own - tell us what you bought in your comment! (+5)
- Suggest a new design for Glitter Bug Gallery that you'd like for the special little girl in your life and count it as one entry!
- Follow June Cleaver Would Be Shocked via GFC.
- "Like" June Cleaver Would Be Shocked on Facebook.
- Follow me on Twitter.
- Snag my button (top right of this page) and add it to your blog. Leave a link in your comment!
- Blog about this giveway and leave me a link! (+2)
- Tweet about this giveaway - may be done once per day, for one entry each day.
- Subscribe to this blog via email - just look near the top right for that too. :)
Contest ends: 11:59 PM EST on Sunday, August 14. Winner will be chosen by random number generator and emailed immediately. Please contact me within 48 hours to claim the prize, or a new winner will be chosen.
Good luck, everyone!
P.S. - My friend's beautiful daughter Penelope passed away at only 33 days old due to complications of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Vivint is having a contest through August 27; the charity that receives the most votes will receive $250,000 for research. CHERUBS needs funding for CDH research. Will you please go vote? It takes three clicks of your mouse and less than thirty seconds of your time to help these sweet babies. You can vote once every day. You can also read about Penelope on the CHERUBS website, here, and join the "voting in memory of Penelope" Facebook group (if you'd like to leave a note for her mom) here. But most of all, just vote-vote-vote. Her mom never got to bring her home, but she did love to put pretty things in Penelope's hair...so voting in her memory really is relevant to this giveaway!
Friday, February 4, 2011
It's been one of those weeks (but now it's giveaway time!)
As I mentioned before, my dear sweet hubby started a new job this week...a job that was long awaited and thankfully received. However, it hasn't made for an exceptionally easy week. After a short, easy day of paperwork on Monday, he has now worked three 13-hour days and one 11-hour day this week, with another day to go on Saturday. He's dead on his feet and I feel like a single mom - especially on Tuesday, when he went straight from work to school and we didn't see him at all until bedtime.
Needless to say, his increased hours are cutting into my free time, but I can't complain. Training is rough, but it won't always be this way. In fact, we learned today that he'll be in training for two more weeks and then...he'll have his very own sales route. This is BIG NEWS, since he's been in position-lingo since signing on, aware that he may be working in the warehouse indefinitely until a route becomes available. Five days into the job, and he has a route!! A route means more flexibility in hours (after he's finished training, of course), his own company truck, and more money, since he'll earn commission off of his stores. His new route is no slouch, either - several grocery stores, lots of convenience stores, but I'm excited that he has Sam's Club and Target. Big sellers = probability of good commissions. Yes, I'm thrilled - and even more so since he's truly enjoying his new job. I can't tell you what a welcome change that is!
Anyway, the newfound lack of free time (during normal waking hours, at least) is the reason why I didn't get around to my next review and giveaway until now. Hopefully it'll be worth the wait. Do you remember this picture from last weekend?
This is my brand new, wonderfully pink cosmetic case from miss lucy's monograms! (Miss Lucy herself is an adorable little black pup who you simply must meet - just click on her about me page to learn all about her...and her faithful owner, Debbie, too. I just love supporting a small business, and especially one with such an adorable namesake!)
So, my bag! Milly immediately christened it "the Minnie Mouse bag", and it's not hard to see why. If it were red instead of pink, it would be spot on...er, no pun intended. It's pink and polka-dotted and shiny and just perfect in its girliness - something that I'm surrounded by every day, but don't splurge on very often for myself. (If you tend toward the less in-your-face-girly, this case is also available in black/white and brown/white polka dots.)
Inside the case...
See the Pearberry lotion lying in the bottom there? That's a full sized number from Bath & Body Works - yes, I love it, but I mainly threw that in to show you guys how roomy this case is! It measures 8.5" x 6.5" x 6", which is plenty large enough for all of your makeup, lotion, toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush...all of the essentials! There are handy pockets on the back and side, with loops on the other side to help hold things in place. Nifty little looped pockets inside the lid are meant to hold makeup brushes, but since I'm not a big user of makeup brushes, I use it to hold lip gloss, concealer, even a small bottle of perfume. As you can see, I have quite a bit stored in my Minnie Mouse bag already, and there's still plenty of room for more.
There are only two problems you're going to run into when shopping at miss lucy's.
1) Choosing what to buy. Everything is so stinking cute! And she does have everything that you could possibly monogram - bags for your makeup, laundry, laptop, diapers, and books, baby and bridal gifts, towels, aprons, Bible covers - I mean everything, and I'd happily accept one of each. I've got a wish list as long as my arm!
2) Once you finally decide what you want - and assuming that you want it monogrammed, since monograms are free - you have to decide on a monogram style. Will you go with classic or curly or boxy or your full name or your name overlapped with an initial or or or or... And once you have THAT down, there's still a font and a thread color to choose. AHHH, the choices!!
If you survive the process, there's some relief in knowing that your item will a) be gorgeous and b) arrive really quickly. Unpacking my box was like unwrapping a gift from Lucy, complete with tissue paper and a darling raffia bow tied to the handle with care instructions. I just loved the attention to detail - you just don't get that from big companies!
Yes, I am a big, big fan of miss lucy's monograms now. I think this wallet has my name on it next, and it's on sale too - as are LOTS of her items right now. Be sure to check them out!
Now that you're ready to go shopping...how would like a little spending money to use at her site?!
Prize: Miss Lucy has generously offered one lucky blog reader a $20 gift certificate (emailed as a coupon code) to her store (merchandise only; shipping is extra.)
To enter: There's a two-part mandatory entry for this one! First, visit Miss Lucy's site and sign up for her newsletter (look near the bottom of the left column.) Then, "like" Miss Lucy on Facebook. There, that wasn't so bad, was it? Leave me a comment to let me know that you're all done, and that's your entry! As always, please be sure to leave your email address with your comment so I can contact you if you win.
That's the mandatory entry, but here are some ways to earn extra entries as well. Each one is worth one additional entry unless otherwise noted; please leave one comment per entry, and don't forget your email address!
Additional entries:
That's it! Happy shopping, and good luck! :)
Needless to say, his increased hours are cutting into my free time, but I can't complain. Training is rough, but it won't always be this way. In fact, we learned today that he'll be in training for two more weeks and then...he'll have his very own sales route. This is BIG NEWS, since he's been in position-lingo since signing on, aware that he may be working in the warehouse indefinitely until a route becomes available. Five days into the job, and he has a route!! A route means more flexibility in hours (after he's finished training, of course), his own company truck, and more money, since he'll earn commission off of his stores. His new route is no slouch, either - several grocery stores, lots of convenience stores, but I'm excited that he has Sam's Club and Target. Big sellers = probability of good commissions. Yes, I'm thrilled - and even more so since he's truly enjoying his new job. I can't tell you what a welcome change that is!
Anyway, the newfound lack of free time (during normal waking hours, at least) is the reason why I didn't get around to my next review and giveaway until now. Hopefully it'll be worth the wait. Do you remember this picture from last weekend?
This is my brand new, wonderfully pink cosmetic case from miss lucy's monograms! (Miss Lucy herself is an adorable little black pup who you simply must meet - just click on her about me page to learn all about her...and her faithful owner, Debbie, too. I just love supporting a small business, and especially one with such an adorable namesake!)So, my bag! Milly immediately christened it "the Minnie Mouse bag", and it's not hard to see why. If it were red instead of pink, it would be spot on...er, no pun intended. It's pink and polka-dotted and shiny and just perfect in its girliness - something that I'm surrounded by every day, but don't splurge on very often for myself. (If you tend toward the less in-your-face-girly, this case is also available in black/white and brown/white polka dots.)
Inside the case...
See the Pearberry lotion lying in the bottom there? That's a full sized number from Bath & Body Works - yes, I love it, but I mainly threw that in to show you guys how roomy this case is! It measures 8.5" x 6.5" x 6", which is plenty large enough for all of your makeup, lotion, toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush...all of the essentials! There are handy pockets on the back and side, with loops on the other side to help hold things in place. Nifty little looped pockets inside the lid are meant to hold makeup brushes, but since I'm not a big user of makeup brushes, I use it to hold lip gloss, concealer, even a small bottle of perfume. As you can see, I have quite a bit stored in my Minnie Mouse bag already, and there's still plenty of room for more.
There are only two problems you're going to run into when shopping at miss lucy's.
1) Choosing what to buy. Everything is so stinking cute! And she does have everything that you could possibly monogram - bags for your makeup, laundry, laptop, diapers, and books, baby and bridal gifts, towels, aprons, Bible covers - I mean everything, and I'd happily accept one of each. I've got a wish list as long as my arm!
2) Once you finally decide what you want - and assuming that you want it monogrammed, since monograms are free - you have to decide on a monogram style. Will you go with classic or curly or boxy or your full name or your name overlapped with an initial or or or or... And once you have THAT down, there's still a font and a thread color to choose. AHHH, the choices!!
If you survive the process, there's some relief in knowing that your item will a) be gorgeous and b) arrive really quickly. Unpacking my box was like unwrapping a gift from Lucy, complete with tissue paper and a darling raffia bow tied to the handle with care instructions. I just loved the attention to detail - you just don't get that from big companies!
Yes, I am a big, big fan of miss lucy's monograms now. I think this wallet has my name on it next, and it's on sale too - as are LOTS of her items right now. Be sure to check them out!
Now that you're ready to go shopping...how would like a little spending money to use at her site?!
Prize: Miss Lucy has generously offered one lucky blog reader a $20 gift certificate (emailed as a coupon code) to her store (merchandise only; shipping is extra.)
To enter: There's a two-part mandatory entry for this one! First, visit Miss Lucy's site and sign up for her newsletter (look near the bottom of the left column.) Then, "like" Miss Lucy on Facebook. There, that wasn't so bad, was it? Leave me a comment to let me know that you're all done, and that's your entry! As always, please be sure to leave your email address with your comment so I can contact you if you win.
That's the mandatory entry, but here are some ways to earn extra entries as well. Each one is worth one additional entry unless otherwise noted; please leave one comment per entry, and don't forget your email address!
Additional entries:
- Look around miss lucy's monograms and tell me what you'd buy with your $20!
- Tell me something you learn from Miss Lucy's site that I didn't get around to in my review!
- Follow June Cleaver Would Be Shocked via GFC.
- "Like" June Cleaver Would Be Shocked on Facebook. (+2)
- Follow me on Twitter. (+2)
- Snag my button (top right of this page) and add it to your blog. Leave a link in your comment! (+3)
- Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link! (+2)
- Tweet about this giveaway - may be done once per day.
- Subscribe to this blog via email - just look near the top right for that too. :)
- Comment on another of my posts (let me know which one!)
That's it! Happy shopping, and good luck! :)
Monday, January 24, 2011
Snapware winner!
THANKS to all who entered my Snapware giveaway! The lucky winner is...
There's another giveaway coming soon...you might want to go here and start drooling over the cuteness now to get ready for it! :)
There's another giveaway coming soon...you might want to go here and start drooling over the cuteness now to get ready for it! :)
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Food-y Birthday to You! (And a giveaway too!)
Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!
What's that? It's not your birthday, you say? Well, a very merry un-birthday to you, then. But it IS my honey's birthday - he's 37 today and I can tell you that since a) he's a guy and doesn't care like a woman does, and b) it's written on his cake, which I'm going to post a picture of, so you would know in just a minute anyway.
Unfortunately, his day was very much the same as any other, seeing as how he had to work...but he did come home to two very sweet cards made just for him by his little girls (both comprised of crayon, lots of time, and a heap of love) and tickets for the movie that he wants to see this weekend.
Oh, and he ate well today. Not in a nutritional sense, mind you. Just in a way that meant several of his favorites that he rarely has made for him all heaped into the space of one day.
I actually started last night, with sausage balls. I HATE MAKING SAUSAGE BALLS. Hate it, hate it, hate it! There's only one way to make the things, that I've found, and that is to dig right in with both hands - into a bowl of cold, raw sausage, Cheez Whiz, water, and Bisquick. Even if you've never made sausage balls before, you can probably imagine what a disgusting feeling that is. It takes forever too, but it results in this:
...and really, seeing him running for the oven as soon as they come out makes it mostly worth the hassle.
So he had sausage balls to snack on through the day on his birthday, and then came home to one of his favorite dinners - a Pampered Chef recipe consisting of sausage, pasta, sauce, cheese, and a lot of pepper. Can't remember the exact name of it, so we call it "sausage pasta stuff."
It's tasty, but as Gene says, it feels like a brick in your stomach when you're done...which is just one reason why we don't have it very often.
And finally, the pièce de résistance, the thing that he has asked for repeatedly for the past month, his chocolate and peanut butter cake (another amazing creation by Brittany):
I could go on ad nauseum about how talented she is with a cake, but I can sum this one up in three words: peanut butter buttercream. *drool* (If you're local and need a cake, I promise, you cannot beat hers.)
Even at 37, Gene finds it hard to share some things.
So yes, he has had a very food-y birthday, and I just hope he doesn't pay for it tomorrow.
* * * * *
To celebrate Gene's birthday, how about a little something for YOU? (Or for one lucky reader, at least.) I've been promising a giveaway for a while and just haven't gotten around to the pictures and posting, and shame on me for it. (Not to mention my apologies to the fine folks at Snapware, who are making this giveaway possible.)
Okay, so SNAPWARE - ever heard of it? If not, you're missing out! Snapware is, basically, plastic storage containers that snap together to form towers of nice, neat storage. Most of the containers come with two trays that snap together, but really, you could add as many as you want. They offer products for storing food, household and craft items, holiday decorations, even canisters for storing pet food. There's really something for just about anything you need to store.
They were kind enough to send me two items to review. The first was the Large 2-Layer Rectangle Snap 'N Stack. Each tray measures 14.5"x10.25"x3.75", so it's really a good size for storing a whole bunch of things. I still haven't decided what will be stored in it permanently, actually - at the moment, it's holding my knitting. As you'll see, just one tray is plenty large enough to hold a baby-blanket-in-progress, long knitting needles and the pattern book. Best of all, it keeps everything tangle-free and dust-free in the loooooong intervals between times I actually feel like knitting.
(The bottom tray is obviously not attached in this picture. However, each tray has plastic tabs on each side, like the ones seen here, that snap onto layer upon layer upon layer...okay, Snapware actually recommends a max of five layers, but I still need to see that for myself.)
The second item that I received from Snapware was the one that made me sit up and take notice in the first place: the 2-Layer Cupcake Carrier. This thing is awesome. It's actually very much like the Large Rectangle Snap 'N Stack - the sizes are only off by about 1/4", and honestly, I'm pretty sure I mixed up the bottom trays and they still fit.
The really cool thing about the Cupcake Carrier is that each tray comes with an insert with twelve little "cups" on one side...so that when you make cupcakes, you can place them all neatly inside and carry them to wherever you're going, resting assured that they're not going to end up in a mangled mess of cupcake mush before you get there. (Assuming some caution in handling, of course...if you just open your car door and sling the whole thing into the backseat, then you just plain deserve a mess.)
I got my hands on the carrier just a couple of days before Milly's third birthday, so of course I had to make celebratory cupcakes to take along on a playdate. She insisted on pink cake, with pink icing and sprinkles.
Look how NEAT they fit in there! Even cooler - see the little handles on the sides of the tray? Well, you can lift up the tray and hook the handles over the edge of the container, and it raises the whole thing right up to serving level, so you don't have to stick your whole hand down in the box to extract them and then bring it back with icing smeared everywhere.
Here's what the carrier looks like fully loaded with two dozen cupcakes:
Ohhh, how I love it. But you know what? It gets even better. Those little trays with the handy cups for holding cupcakes? They'll also fit upside down in the tray, turning the handles into legs and effectively dividing each tray into two. Perfect for cookies! Especially the peanut butter ones with the Hershey Kisses on top, because those things don't stack well anyway. Here we are ready for a little Christmas entertaining:
So to recap - two layers for cupcakes, four layers for cookies (or whatever else you want to carry.) The whole thing is perfectly food-safe and BPA-free, of course - as are all of Snapware's products. Even dishwasher- and microwave-safe, most of them. Not to mention cute and terribly convenient.
Want Snapware of your own? (You really do, even if you don't know it yet.) Here's a list of retailers - most of which we don't have where I live, but I have noticed them at both Lowe's and Target.
Alternatively, you could just win some of your own. Here are the details...
Prize: Snapware has generously offered one lucky blog reader the same two containers that I was sent to review - the Large Rectangle Snap 'N Stack and my beloved Cupcake Carrier.
Restrictions: Open to U.S. residents only.
To enter: Visit Snapware.com and sign up for discounts and special offers. (Look for the green "Join Now" button on the right.) Leave me a comment to let me know that you've signed up, and you're in it to win it! As always, please be sure to leave your email address with your comment so I can contact you if you win.
That's the mandatory entry, but here are some ways to earn extra entries as well. Each one is worth one additional entry unless otherwise noted; please leave one comment per entry, and don't forget your email address!
Additional entries:
That's it - have fun and good luck!
What's that? It's not your birthday, you say? Well, a very merry un-birthday to you, then. But it IS my honey's birthday - he's 37 today and I can tell you that since a) he's a guy and doesn't care like a woman does, and b) it's written on his cake, which I'm going to post a picture of, so you would know in just a minute anyway.
Unfortunately, his day was very much the same as any other, seeing as how he had to work...but he did come home to two very sweet cards made just for him by his little girls (both comprised of crayon, lots of time, and a heap of love) and tickets for the movie that he wants to see this weekend.
Oh, and he ate well today. Not in a nutritional sense, mind you. Just in a way that meant several of his favorites that he rarely has made for him all heaped into the space of one day.
I actually started last night, with sausage balls. I HATE MAKING SAUSAGE BALLS. Hate it, hate it, hate it! There's only one way to make the things, that I've found, and that is to dig right in with both hands - into a bowl of cold, raw sausage, Cheez Whiz, water, and Bisquick. Even if you've never made sausage balls before, you can probably imagine what a disgusting feeling that is. It takes forever too, but it results in this:
...and really, seeing him running for the oven as soon as they come out makes it mostly worth the hassle.
So he had sausage balls to snack on through the day on his birthday, and then came home to one of his favorite dinners - a Pampered Chef recipe consisting of sausage, pasta, sauce, cheese, and a lot of pepper. Can't remember the exact name of it, so we call it "sausage pasta stuff."
It's tasty, but as Gene says, it feels like a brick in your stomach when you're done...which is just one reason why we don't have it very often.
And finally, the pièce de résistance, the thing that he has asked for repeatedly for the past month, his chocolate and peanut butter cake (another amazing creation by Brittany):
I could go on ad nauseum about how talented she is with a cake, but I can sum this one up in three words: peanut butter buttercream. *drool* (If you're local and need a cake, I promise, you cannot beat hers.)
Even at 37, Gene finds it hard to share some things.
So yes, he has had a very food-y birthday, and I just hope he doesn't pay for it tomorrow.
* * * * *
To celebrate Gene's birthday, how about a little something for YOU? (Or for one lucky reader, at least.) I've been promising a giveaway for a while and just haven't gotten around to the pictures and posting, and shame on me for it. (Not to mention my apologies to the fine folks at Snapware, who are making this giveaway possible.)
Okay, so SNAPWARE - ever heard of it? If not, you're missing out! Snapware is, basically, plastic storage containers that snap together to form towers of nice, neat storage. Most of the containers come with two trays that snap together, but really, you could add as many as you want. They offer products for storing food, household and craft items, holiday decorations, even canisters for storing pet food. There's really something for just about anything you need to store.
They were kind enough to send me two items to review. The first was the Large 2-Layer Rectangle Snap 'N Stack. Each tray measures 14.5"x10.25"x3.75", so it's really a good size for storing a whole bunch of things. I still haven't decided what will be stored in it permanently, actually - at the moment, it's holding my knitting. As you'll see, just one tray is plenty large enough to hold a baby-blanket-in-progress, long knitting needles and the pattern book. Best of all, it keeps everything tangle-free and dust-free in the loooooong intervals between times I actually feel like knitting.
(The bottom tray is obviously not attached in this picture. However, each tray has plastic tabs on each side, like the ones seen here, that snap onto layer upon layer upon layer...okay, Snapware actually recommends a max of five layers, but I still need to see that for myself.)The second item that I received from Snapware was the one that made me sit up and take notice in the first place: the 2-Layer Cupcake Carrier. This thing is awesome. It's actually very much like the Large Rectangle Snap 'N Stack - the sizes are only off by about 1/4", and honestly, I'm pretty sure I mixed up the bottom trays and they still fit.
The really cool thing about the Cupcake Carrier is that each tray comes with an insert with twelve little "cups" on one side...so that when you make cupcakes, you can place them all neatly inside and carry them to wherever you're going, resting assured that they're not going to end up in a mangled mess of cupcake mush before you get there. (Assuming some caution in handling, of course...if you just open your car door and sling the whole thing into the backseat, then you just plain deserve a mess.)
I got my hands on the carrier just a couple of days before Milly's third birthday, so of course I had to make celebratory cupcakes to take along on a playdate. She insisted on pink cake, with pink icing and sprinkles.
Look how NEAT they fit in there! Even cooler - see the little handles on the sides of the tray? Well, you can lift up the tray and hook the handles over the edge of the container, and it raises the whole thing right up to serving level, so you don't have to stick your whole hand down in the box to extract them and then bring it back with icing smeared everywhere.
Here's what the carrier looks like fully loaded with two dozen cupcakes:
Ohhh, how I love it. But you know what? It gets even better. Those little trays with the handy cups for holding cupcakes? They'll also fit upside down in the tray, turning the handles into legs and effectively dividing each tray into two. Perfect for cookies! Especially the peanut butter ones with the Hershey Kisses on top, because those things don't stack well anyway. Here we are ready for a little Christmas entertaining:
So to recap - two layers for cupcakes, four layers for cookies (or whatever else you want to carry.) The whole thing is perfectly food-safe and BPA-free, of course - as are all of Snapware's products. Even dishwasher- and microwave-safe, most of them. Not to mention cute and terribly convenient.
Want Snapware of your own? (You really do, even if you don't know it yet.) Here's a list of retailers - most of which we don't have where I live, but I have noticed them at both Lowe's and Target.
Alternatively, you could just win some of your own. Here are the details...
Prize: Snapware has generously offered one lucky blog reader the same two containers that I was sent to review - the Large Rectangle Snap 'N Stack and my beloved Cupcake Carrier.
Restrictions: Open to U.S. residents only.
To enter: Visit Snapware.com and sign up for discounts and special offers. (Look for the green "Join Now" button on the right.) Leave me a comment to let me know that you've signed up, and you're in it to win it! As always, please be sure to leave your email address with your comment so I can contact you if you win.
That's the mandatory entry, but here are some ways to earn extra entries as well. Each one is worth one additional entry unless otherwise noted; please leave one comment per entry, and don't forget your email address!
Additional entries:
- Follow June Cleaver Would Be Shocked via GFC.
- "Like" Snapware on Facebook.
- "Like" June Cleaver Would Be Shocked on Facebook. (+2)
- Follow me on Twitter. (+2)
- Follow Snapware on Twitter.
- Snag my button (top right of this page) and add it to your blog. Leave a link in your comment! (+3)
- Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link! (+2)
- Tweet about this giveaway - may be done once per day.
- Subscribe to this blog via email - just look near the top right for that too. :)
- Comment on another of my posts (let me know which one!)
That's it - have fun and good luck!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
How about a SCENTSY giveaway this time?!
Oh, you knew it was coming. Sooner or later, I just had to have a Scentsy giveaway, given that it's one of my favorite products ever. But first, please allow me to share the top five reasons why I love it so much.1) It's pretty. The warmers are so much more attractive than your typical plastic air freshening device.
2) It's cheap. I know, the warmers are a little pricey, but once you have one, it lasts forever. Then bars of wax are only $5 each and are much more economical than jar candles and pricey oil fresheners. (Yes, I have a comparison chart typed up around here somewhere that compares price and burn time. No, I can't find it at the moment. Yes, if it's that important to you, I will dredge it up.)
3) It's SAFE. No flame (like a candle), no smoke (like a candle), no soot (like a candle.) Yes, the warmers get a little warm, but never hot enough to burn your hand. You can even stick your finger right into the melted wax, and it won't burn you. It's kind of like a paraffin wax at the spa. The very worst thing that could happen is that you spill the wax and make a mess, but that can happen with a regular candle too...and those could burn down your whole house. Oh, and Scentsy wax is considered "food-grade" too, in case your curious pet or toddler decides to bite off a chunk. Not that I'd recommend it, bu
t you know.4) It smells sooooo good. There are more than 80 different scents, and I could name ONE that I really don't care for. (I won't, but I could.)
5) It's an amazing business opportunity. I did the direct sales thing twice before, with Mary Kay and The Body Shop at Home. I failed miserably with both and said that I would never sell anything else. Then a friend starting selling Scentsy, and I had a party for her. I saw first hand how it just sells itself...let people smell it, and they're sold. I decided to give it a shot, and I'm so glad that I did. It's a super easy "job", especially thanks to basket parties that travel around without me, and it's a product that nearly everyone loves. The extra income is wonderful, and the time commitment is minimal. I know I sound like a Scentsy cheerleader, but it's really been a blessing to me. :)
Okay, wanna know what you can WIN?!
How about a plug-in warmer and not one, not two, but three bars...all of YOUR CHOICE!
(This would even make a wonderful Christmas gift...IF you can bear to part with it!)
So here's what you have to do...
Mandatory entry: Visit my Scentsy site and tell me something else about Scentsy. Anything at all that I didn't mention already. You can tell me something about hosting, about joining, even which warmer or scent is your favorite. :) Please be sure to include your email address so I can contact you if you win.
Want to earn extra entries? You don't have to do any of these, but you're welcome to do as many as you'd like. Each one is worth one additional entry unless otherwise noted; please leave one comment per entry, and don't forget your email address!
- Follow June Cleaver Would Be Shocked via GFC.
- "Like" June Cleaver Would Be Shocked on Facebook.
- Follow this blog on Twitter, too!
- Tweet about this giveaway - copy me @juneshocked, please. May be done once per day.
- Subscribe to this blog via email - check out the handy box on the right! (+2)
- "Like" my Scentsy page on Facebook to keep up with sales and giveaways. (+2)
- Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link! (+3)
- Snag my button (top right of this page) and add it to your blog. Leave a link in your comment! (+5)
- Make ANY Scentsy purchase from my website. (Contact me with your order if you're local to receive free shipping.) (+5)
Restrictions: Open to U.S. residents only. Sorry, other friends. :(
Contest ends: 11:59 PM EST on Tuesday, November 16. Winner will be chosen by random number generator and emailed immediately. Please contact me within 48 hours to claim your prize, or a new winner will be chosen.
Good luck, everyone!!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Congratulations to...
...my most recent winner and the proud new soon-to-be owner of her very own SOAP NUTS!
THANK YOU to everyone who stopped by to enter the giveaway! I'll try to work up another one soon! :)
THANK YOU to everyone who stopped by to enter the giveaway! I'll try to work up another one soon! :)
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
HERE IT IS!!!
Only the longest-in-coming giveaway in the history of blogdom, right? Sorry about that. You guys should see my to-do list lately...it's just plain scary.
Anyway.
I was recently sent something very interesting...I had heard of it and was intrigued by it, but probably would have never bought them for myself. I mean, it's just a little counter-intuitive to wash your clothes with something called Soap Nuts.
And I'll admit, seeing them in person didn't do much to ease that "what the heck" sensation. They arrived from Greener Living in a canvas drawstring bag - very eco-friendly looking (which, after all, they are.) Inside were several smaller drawstring bags (like the one pictured above) and, inside a ziploc bag, a big pile of sticky brown nuts that smelled a bit like vinegar.
My first impressions were:
1. I don't want my laundry to smell like vinegar.
2. I don't want to touch those things!
3. They're supposed to get my clothes clean how?
Well. I'll address #3 first. You throw a few of the soap nuts into the little drawstring bag and toss it in the washing machine. No other detergent, now - these are your detergent. You won't see suds while the washer is filling, but agitation in the water causes a soap-like substance to be emitted from the soap nuts. Not as much as with regular powder or liquid detergent, but enough to clean your clothes. Or so they say.
On to #2. I really didn't want to touch them, as they actually looked sticky. But I did it anyway - I was too intrigued not to at least give them a try. So I reached in and gingerly picked out a few near the top...and they really weren't very sticky after all. Just shiny, which I suppose I equated to sticky. So I threw a few in the little bag, tied it up, and tossed it into a small load of laundry. Probably some of the kids' clothes, since they're not as picky about the scent of their clothes as I tend to be.
And in the end (I'm really going backward here - here's #1), they came out of the wash smelling...clean. Not like vinegar, not even a hint of it. Not flowery-springtime like most detergents either, just...wet and clean. It defies description, really, until you try it - and here's why you should.
Not only are these things mega cool because they're so different, but they're also environmentally friendly (USDA certified organic, even.) No added dyes, fragrances, etc., means they're a safe bet for people with eczema, allergies or sensitivities to regular detergents. Not to mention that they last forever. You can use each tiny drawstring bag of soap nuts several times - I use mine about four times, on average. The Greener Living website says that at a rate of one load of laundry per day (and who doesn't have that much?), one bag will last you six months. Yes, one bag is $22 - but do the math. One bottle of Tide is $9 or so, and might last a month if you're lucky.
Sooo, you can click here and buy all the Soap Nuts you want (as well as other cool things like the Soap Nuts Bath Bar that they were also kind enough to send me to sample - once again, it doesn't have dyes or fragrances and doesn't leave me smelling as girly as I'd otherwise like, but man did it leave my skin soft!)
OR, you can WIN some Soap Nuts of your very own! How do you do that, you ask? Well, here you go.
To enter: Visit Greener Living Soap Nuts and comment here, telling me one thing you learned about Soap Nuts that I didn't cover in this post. I really did leave out a lot - they're fascinating little things. Go forth and learn! And be sure to include your email address so I can contact you if you win.
That's the mandatory entry, but here are some ways to earn extra entries as well. Each one is worth one additional entry unless otherwise noted; please leave one comment per entry, and don't forget your email address!
Additional entries:
Good luck! :)
Anyway.
I was recently sent something very interesting...I had heard of it and was intrigued by it, but probably would have never bought them for myself. I mean, it's just a little counter-intuitive to wash your clothes with something called Soap Nuts.
And I'll admit, seeing them in person didn't do much to ease that "what the heck" sensation. They arrived from Greener Living in a canvas drawstring bag - very eco-friendly looking (which, after all, they are.) Inside were several smaller drawstring bags (like the one pictured above) and, inside a ziploc bag, a big pile of sticky brown nuts that smelled a bit like vinegar.
My first impressions were:
1. I don't want my laundry to smell like vinegar.
2. I don't want to touch those things!
3. They're supposed to get my clothes clean how?
Well. I'll address #3 first. You throw a few of the soap nuts into the little drawstring bag and toss it in the washing machine. No other detergent, now - these are your detergent. You won't see suds while the washer is filling, but agitation in the water causes a soap-like substance to be emitted from the soap nuts. Not as much as with regular powder or liquid detergent, but enough to clean your clothes. Or so they say.
On to #2. I really didn't want to touch them, as they actually looked sticky. But I did it anyway - I was too intrigued not to at least give them a try. So I reached in and gingerly picked out a few near the top...and they really weren't very sticky after all. Just shiny, which I suppose I equated to sticky. So I threw a few in the little bag, tied it up, and tossed it into a small load of laundry. Probably some of the kids' clothes, since they're not as picky about the scent of their clothes as I tend to be.
And in the end (I'm really going backward here - here's #1), they came out of the wash smelling...clean. Not like vinegar, not even a hint of it. Not flowery-springtime like most detergents either, just...wet and clean. It defies description, really, until you try it - and here's why you should.
Not only are these things mega cool because they're so different, but they're also environmentally friendly (USDA certified organic, even.) No added dyes, fragrances, etc., means they're a safe bet for people with eczema, allergies or sensitivities to regular detergents. Not to mention that they last forever. You can use each tiny drawstring bag of soap nuts several times - I use mine about four times, on average. The Greener Living website says that at a rate of one load of laundry per day (and who doesn't have that much?), one bag will last you six months. Yes, one bag is $22 - but do the math. One bottle of Tide is $9 or so, and might last a month if you're lucky.
Sooo, you can click here and buy all the Soap Nuts you want (as well as other cool things like the Soap Nuts Bath Bar that they were also kind enough to send me to sample - once again, it doesn't have dyes or fragrances and doesn't leave me smelling as girly as I'd otherwise like, but man did it leave my skin soft!)
OR, you can WIN some Soap Nuts of your very own! How do you do that, you ask? Well, here you go.
To enter: Visit Greener Living Soap Nuts and comment here, telling me one thing you learned about Soap Nuts that I didn't cover in this post. I really did leave out a lot - they're fascinating little things. Go forth and learn! And be sure to include your email address so I can contact you if you win.
That's the mandatory entry, but here are some ways to earn extra entries as well. Each one is worth one additional entry unless otherwise noted; please leave one comment per entry, and don't forget your email address!
Additional entries:
- Follow June Cleaver Would Be Shocked via GFC. (+2)
- "Like" Greener Living Soap Nuts on Facebook. (+2)
- "Like" June Cleaver Would Be Shocked on Facebook.
- Follow me on Twitter. (+2)
- Follow Soap Nuts on Twitter.
- Snag my button (top right of this page) and add it to your blog. Leave a link in your comment! (+5)
- Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link! (+3)
- Tweet about this giveaway - may be done once per day.
Good luck! :)
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Oops...
Well, it happened again...I went from regular updates to kind of dropping off the face of the earth again (oops!) The past couple of weeks have been absolutely ridiculous around here - homeschooling, housekeeping, Girl Scouts, Scentsy, groceries, church, errands...which isn't terribly abnormal for me, except for Girl Scouts thrown in the middle there. Maybe one more obligation was all that was needed to push me over the edge? I guess time will tell. Our first "real" meeting is next week - if you see me after Tuesday night, you'll know that I'm still coping.
I keep thinking of more and more and more topics to blog about, and I'll get around to them soon...but for now, I'm behind on announcing the winner of my Costume Squad t-shirt giveaway!
And the winner is...
Congrats! I'll be contacting the winner via email to hook her up with a cool new shirt of her very own. (And for the record - I really like this one too.)
Oddly, NO ONE guessed which shirt my hubby chose for himself. And he refuses to let me take a picture of him in it tonight, saying that he "hasn't shaved", which is really just a euphemism for "don't wanna get off the couch and change into it right now." He has promised me a good picture tomorrow evening though, so you all have something to look forward to...or not.
I have several new giveaways lined up, so keep checking back - there'll be more craziness posted soon! :)
I keep thinking of more and more and more topics to blog about, and I'll get around to them soon...but for now, I'm behind on announcing the winner of my Costume Squad t-shirt giveaway!
And the winner is...
Congrats! I'll be contacting the winner via email to hook her up with a cool new shirt of her very own. (And for the record - I really like this one too.)
Oddly, NO ONE guessed which shirt my hubby chose for himself. And he refuses to let me take a picture of him in it tonight, saying that he "hasn't shaved", which is really just a euphemism for "don't wanna get off the couch and change into it right now." He has promised me a good picture tomorrow evening though, so you all have something to look forward to...or not.
I have several new giveaways lined up, so keep checking back - there'll be more craziness posted soon! :)
Monday, September 13, 2010
50th post giveaway!
Okay, it's not strictly a giveaway to celebrate my 50th blog post, but since it DOES happen to be my 50th post...we can pretend! :)
Who wants to win a t-shirt? Even better...who wants to win a hilarious t-shirt? CostumeSquad has a ton of great shirts to choose from - from classic to TV and movie quotes to just plain funny and smart aleck-y (which I happen to love.) If you've never visited their site before, be prepared to spend some time browsing all of the great tees! Of course, they also have a wide array of pretty awesome Halloween costumes...I especially love their adult-but-not-skanky version of Alice in Wonderland. And the Burger King. And doggy Elvis. You get the idea.
NOW...in the spirit of full disclosure, CostumeSquad was kind enough to send me a free tee for review. Actually, they offered it to me and sent it to my husband, since he was looking over my shoulder and fell in love with this particular shirt (not so fast, I'll tell you which one later!) He changed into it as soon as it arrived and confirmed that it is indeed very soft and comfy, and pretty true to size. (I didn't try it on, but I agree completely about the softness!) It came through the wash like a champ and I have a feeling that this is going to be his favorite tee for quite some time now. He's even decided that it will be his Halloween "costume", such as it is.
Sooo...who wants to win a CrazyDog tee of their very own? Here's your chance!
One lucky winner will receive: EITHER a $15 gift card to CostumeSquad OR a free mystery tee!
Restrictions: Winners cannot have won a shirt from CostumeSquad or have been sent a shirt for promotional purposes in the last 90 days. U.S. only (sorry!)
To enter: Here's where I get to have fun with the giveaway... *insert evil laugh here* Go visit CostumeSquad and leave me a comment with your best guess as to which shirt my hubby chose! I'll reveal photographic evidence when the winner is announced. ;) Please include your email address so I can contact you if you win!
That's the mandatory entry, but here are some ways to earn extra entries as well. Each one is worth one additional entry unless otherwise noted; please leave one comment per entry, and don't forget your email address!
Additional entries:
That's a lot of ways to win - go for it, and good luck! :)
Who wants to win a t-shirt? Even better...who wants to win a hilarious t-shirt? CostumeSquad has a ton of great shirts to choose from - from classic to TV and movie quotes to just plain funny and smart aleck-y (which I happen to love.) If you've never visited their site before, be prepared to spend some time browsing all of the great tees! Of course, they also have a wide array of pretty awesome Halloween costumes...I especially love their adult-but-not-skanky version of Alice in Wonderland. And the Burger King. And doggy Elvis. You get the idea.
NOW...in the spirit of full disclosure, CostumeSquad was kind enough to send me a free tee for review. Actually, they offered it to me and sent it to my husband, since he was looking over my shoulder and fell in love with this particular shirt (not so fast, I'll tell you which one later!) He changed into it as soon as it arrived and confirmed that it is indeed very soft and comfy, and pretty true to size. (I didn't try it on, but I agree completely about the softness!) It came through the wash like a champ and I have a feeling that this is going to be his favorite tee for quite some time now. He's even decided that it will be his Halloween "costume", such as it is.
Sooo...who wants to win a CrazyDog tee of their very own? Here's your chance!
One lucky winner will receive: EITHER a $15 gift card to CostumeSquad OR a free mystery tee!
Restrictions: Winners cannot have won a shirt from CostumeSquad or have been sent a shirt for promotional purposes in the last 90 days. U.S. only (sorry!)
To enter: Here's where I get to have fun with the giveaway... *insert evil laugh here* Go visit CostumeSquad and leave me a comment with your best guess as to which shirt my hubby chose! I'll reveal photographic evidence when the winner is announced. ;) Please include your email address so I can contact you if you win!
That's the mandatory entry, but here are some ways to earn extra entries as well. Each one is worth one additional entry unless otherwise noted; please leave one comment per entry, and don't forget your email address!
Additional entries:
- Tell me which shirt is your favorite!
- Follow June Cleaver Would Be Shocked via GFC. (+2)
- "Like" CostumeSquad on Facebook. (+2)
- Post a comment on CostumeSquad's Facebook page telling them which one is your favorite tee or asking them a question about the shirts. Don't forget to mention that JCWBS sent you!
- "Like" June Cleaver Would Be Shocked on Facebook.
- Follow me on Twitter. (+2)
- Comment on, or "Mark as Favorite", one of CostumeSquad's Flickr photos.
- "Like" or "Share" one of the products on the CostumeSquad site. (The buttons for these are on all product detail pages, above the main image.)
- Snag my button (top right of this page) and add it to your blog. Leave a link in your comment! (+5)
- Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link! (+3)
- Tweet about this giveaway - may be done once per day.
That's a lot of ways to win - go for it, and good luck! :)
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Yet another winner!
Congratulations to my most recent winner - Augie and Chris won 250 color die-cut business cards from Uprinting!
I have a brand new contest coming soon...maybe even tonight. Be sure to check it out! :)
I have a brand new contest coming soon...maybe even tonight. Be sure to check it out! :)
Friday, September 3, 2010
Mind your own business...cards.
Okay, how about win your own business cards? Don't have your own business, you say? Well, that's okay - just think of all the things you can use them for. Mommy cards for exchanging info when you meet a nice new mom at the playground. Blogger cards for sharing your URL with other people. Inserts for luggage tags. Heck, I don't know - be creative! I'm just hosting the giveaway; you decide how to use 'em.
Uprinting.com has some of the neatest business cards I've seen - gone are the days of the boring little rectangles (unless that's just what you want, of course.) Uprinting has sleek, modern cards with rounded corners, square cards, round cards, slim cards (still rectangular, only cooler). Seriously, these are just neat - click here to see them for yourself. And they want to give you 250 of them. Well, one of you.
So here are the details...
WHAT YOU CAN WIN: 250 die cut business cards - 2 x 3.5" rectangle, 2 x 2" square or 1.75 x 3.5" slim. You can have rounded corners, one rounded corner, half-circle, circle, leaf...you can have 14pt cardstock gloss, matte or high gloss or 13pt cardstock uncoated...you can have a 4-color front with blank back, 4-color front with black back or 4-colors on each side. Are you getting the picture? This is a pretty awesome giveaway!!
LIMITATIONS: Giveaway is open to U.S. residents aged 18 years and older. Sorry, Canadian kids. :(
TO ENTER: Mandatory entry on this giveaway is to take a look at Uprinting's business cards and leave a comment telling me what shape you would choose, and what you would most likely use them for. Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact the winner! This contest will close at 11:59 PM EST on Friday, September 10. Winner will be selected using the random number generator at random.org and will have 48 hours to reply to my email, or a new winner will be selected.
ADDITIONAL ENTRIES: You can do any or all of these, but please be sure to leave one comment per entry, and include your email address! Each task is worth one entry unless otherwise noted.
Disclaimer: Although I have not yet used Uprinting's service or products firsthand, I will be receiving 250 die cut business cards of my very own for hosting this giveaway. It's a sweet deal. And in case you're wondering, I haven't decided yet which shape I like best, and I'll likely be using them to help promote a women's networking group that I started a couple of months ago...you know, in my spare time.
Uprinting.com has some of the neatest business cards I've seen - gone are the days of the boring little rectangles (unless that's just what you want, of course.) Uprinting has sleek, modern cards with rounded corners, square cards, round cards, slim cards (still rectangular, only cooler). Seriously, these are just neat - click here to see them for yourself. And they want to give you 250 of them. Well, one of you.
So here are the details...
WHAT YOU CAN WIN: 250 die cut business cards - 2 x 3.5" rectangle, 2 x 2" square or 1.75 x 3.5" slim. You can have rounded corners, one rounded corner, half-circle, circle, leaf...you can have 14pt cardstock gloss, matte or high gloss or 13pt cardstock uncoated...you can have a 4-color front with blank back, 4-color front with black back or 4-colors on each side. Are you getting the picture? This is a pretty awesome giveaway!!
LIMITATIONS: Giveaway is open to U.S. residents aged 18 years and older. Sorry, Canadian kids. :(
TO ENTER: Mandatory entry on this giveaway is to take a look at Uprinting's business cards and leave a comment telling me what shape you would choose, and what you would most likely use them for. Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact the winner! This contest will close at 11:59 PM EST on Friday, September 10. Winner will be selected using the random number generator at random.org and will have 48 hours to reply to my email, or a new winner will be selected.
ADDITIONAL ENTRIES: You can do any or all of these, but please be sure to leave one comment per entry, and include your email address! Each task is worth one entry unless otherwise noted.
- Tell me which of Uprinting's products you could use most.
- Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect.
- "Like" June Cleaver Would Be Shocked on Facebook.
- "Like" Uprinting on Facebook.
- Follow me on Twitter. (+2)
- Tweet about this giveaway! You can do this once per day. Comment with the link, please.
- Share a link to this giveaway on Facebook.
- Enter my other giveaway.
- Add my button to your blog (snag it from the top right - there's code there for ya and everything) and leave me a link to your page. (+5)
Disclaimer: Although I have not yet used Uprinting's service or products firsthand, I will be receiving 250 die cut business cards of my very own for hosting this giveaway. It's a sweet deal. And in case you're wondering, I haven't decided yet which shape I like best, and I'll likely be using them to help promote a women's networking group that I started a couple of months ago...you know, in my spare time.
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