Wahl Massager Review & Mother’s Day Contest

I work 6-7 hours at job where I’m on my feet all day long. Not only am I on my feet, but most days I’m lifting heavy products and boxes. Such is the life of a gal in a hardware department.

Wahl Home Products makes a fantastic selection of massagers, one of which I was able to review!! I received the Deluxe Therapy Massager, and it was heaven!

I had to have my sons help out because I can’t reach my back on my own. Well, as soon as they saw the massager and the two extra heads, it took time for them to try it out before I even had the chance. I think my boys love doing my product reviews more than me sometimes. Gotta love their enthusiasm. =)

So, the next step was trying out the different heads. Each boy got to pick one. Yes, for the actual review, I let them go first.

Doodle picked the Kneading Massage head so I gave him a massage for a while. Thank goodness it was my day off. You’re only supposed to use a massager for 20 minutes. I’m sure he’d have gone longer if I’d have let him.

Next, Buddy chose the Smooth Massage. He wasn’t feeling well, so this felt great to him! I was thinking this would be awesome the nights he comes home late from a baseball game. Give him a massage while he eats his snack before bed. I think it’s a trend that would catch on quick with him!

For my turn, I wanted to try a couple of them. While I was waiting for the boys to take pictures and do the massaging, I had my cat laying next to me. She got a quick massage and looked at me like, “could you never stop doing that?”

When Doodle was doing the massaging, it was tickling waaay too much and I realized he just wasn’t pressing hard enough. So I asked him to press harder. He used the head with Deep Massage and I know that one is going to come in handy on the days I’ve worked my tail off!

Then I think for the every day, I’ll go with either the Smooth Massage head or Kneading Massage head. Both of those will be perfect on my shoulders and neck! That’s where I carry most of my stress and have a lot of knots.

I’m telling you, these boys are going to be put to work making sure mom is feeling good at the end of the day. Of course, it’ll come after they get their massages happen. I think we all know how it works in this house already.

Now, here’s the awesome part! Wahl is having a giveaway!

Beginning April 26 and running through May 13, those who like Wahl Home on Facebook can nominate a mom to win a mom relief package from Wahl, whether it’s your mom, grandmother, wife, daughter, a friend or yourself. They’re giving 50 massagers to 50 deserving moms this Mother’s Day

To enter the Mom Relief Initiative, simply post a comment explaining why the mom on your list deserves relief—maybe they’re a single mom who does it all, a working mom who never takes a break, a grandmother who’s always been there…every mom has a story and every story matters.

Entries will be judged on their uniqueness and sincerity and the winners will be selected once the contest wraps up on May 13. Stories MUST be submitted before then in order to be considered.

If you’re anything like me, you know a mom or ARE a mom who could use a little pampering. That deep tissue massage would come in handy right about now, right?

So head on over there and enter for yourself or someone you know!

*I received the product above for review. All opinions expressed are my own and never influenced by the company.

New Year’s Eve DVD Giveaway

I saw New Year’s Eve in the theater this past winter and really loved it! I’m thrilled (and extremely jealous) of this current giveaway because I want this movie in my collection!

Warner Bros. Pictures is proud to announce the release of the hit romantic comedy New Year’s Eve on DVD and Blu Ray May 1st!  This all star comedy stars Ashton Kutcher, Michelle Pfeiffer,  Katherine Heigl, Sofia Vergara, Hilary Swank, Sarah Jessica Parker, Zac Efron, Jon Bon Jovi, and Josh Duhamel!

April is a perfect time to think about all those resolutions you made that may have been placed on the backburner.  With the New Year’s Eve Resolution Reset Blog App you can double check and make sure you are on the right path to making your resolutions come true!

Featured at Mother of Pearl It Is

Tree Lindsay, owner and blogger at Mother of Pearl It Is has a weekly feature called Supahstah Saturday.

Well, last Saturday (yes, I know I’m a little late to the show) I was featured! She sent me a list of really awesome questions I tried to fill out the best I can.

She took the lame stuff I shared because I’m not so hot at filling out questionnaires and she made me sound really cool!

I’d love to have you visit Tree and leave her some comment love. While you’re there you’ll have the chance to get to know me a bit better!

If you’re a blogger, make sure you contact Tree to get onto her list so you can be featured as well!

Thank you SO much Tree for allowing me to hang out at your blog for a day! You’re a blessing!

Rust-oleum Countertop Transformations: DIY Project Day 2

I woke up the morning of my 2nd day of working my way to a brand Rust-oleum countertop! I was really bummed that I couldn’t start working on it right away because I had to do the patching on the end that I forgot when I was prepping!

So, off I went to get some putty, slap it on, let it dry and twiddled my thumbs while I waited. I’m not the most patient person in the world to say the least. When the putty was dry I did the first day’s process to it and went around to the rest of my counters filling in the mess ups I’d made. There were a few places with swipes of adhesive missing or a slight bare spot I’d missed.

Can you tell how rough the counters are in this photo?

After everything was dried, I was wishing I  had that second person around again because it was time to start sanding. Now, let me just mention, I watched parts of the DVD over and over again. I’d get a step done, rewind the video, watch more, get another step done and repeat the process.

I was kind of worried I would miss something.

 Got all the sanding done, wiped it all down and got ready for rolling on the Protective Top Coat. I did my best to make sure that I got every single spot covered and that I rolled it correctly. Hello stress. This was the final coat and I knew I better do it right!

We let it sit for an entire week before we put anything but ONE piece of paper on it. LOL After all that work there was NO way I was going to mess up the job I had done.

 

I could tell by the end of the first dry day that my filling in spots were noticeable and that you could see lines where I hadn’t done such a great job with the roller. One spot I must’ve lifted the roller and there’s a slight raised line. Whatdaya do?

You can kind of see in the middle where there’s the little ridge.

I mentioned it to a couple of friends and my best friend came over to look at it and she said it looked great. That she couldn’t see any mistakes. Of course since I’d been nose-to-counter I knew where every little mark and flaw was.

It’s been a few weeks now and I have to tell you…I’m absolutely in love with my counters! Even if you have an amazing budget to do some remodeling, don’t get new countertops. Put the cash towards something else and go with the Rust-oleum Countertop Transformations. You will NOT be disappointed. I promise. They look and feel like brand new countertops.

BEFORE

AFTER

Now I’m so excited to do my cupboards next. Well, the idea of doing my cupboards excites me. The actual work of it…not so much!

Please be sure to visit and follow Rust-oleum:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

YouTube

*I received this product for review. The opinions expressed are my own and never influenced by the company.

Rust-oleum Countertop Transformations: Kitchen Remodel

A couple months ago, I shared what my countertops look like. I’m pretty sure the countertops are the original ones from when the house was built back in the 80s. I finally got to the point where I couldn’t deal with it anymore.

Rust-oluem had the solution I needed! Countertop Tranformations is what I used. There was NO way I could afford to actually replace my counters.

I was pretty indecisive as to what color I wanted to go. I ordered the Onyx initially and then kind of freaked because I thought maybe it would be too black. So I tried to change it to the Java Stone to go along with my “coffee” theme that I hope to have in my kitchen. Get it…”java”. Well, unfortunately the order had already shipped. LOL

Several weeks ago my oldest daughter took my boys overnight and that meant it was time for me to get to work. I have to admit, I was more than a little nervous. What if it was more complicated than it looked?

I got all the extra items I thought I’d need…except some very crucial ones. For the record, let me just say, follow Rust-oleum’s suggests throughout the entire process, including what else you need to get for the project.

I didn’t get painter’s tape or drop cloths. Both are essential to the project. Trust me. And get a LOT of the drop cloths. I’d suggest about 10+. I’m telling you, you’ll thank me afterwards!

The project began with me watching the DVD. I’d have to say this was the most valuable part of the kit! I learn by doing. I don’t do so well just by reading. Having the DVD to follow along was priceless! This was a brilliant addition to the kit!

I started off by sanding down the countertop and the backsplash. Holy cow that’s a workout. As in, I was sweating. In the DVD it tells you it’s good to have 2 people working on this. I have to agree. hahahaha

I gave the counters a good wipe down and then rolled on the adhesive. I wish the can were a bit bigger. I have a lot of countertop space and got the largest kit. You’re told to put on a thick, cake-icing like layer, but as I was rolling it, I knew I wouldn’t have enough if I rolled it too thick.

After I got one section done, I came to the fun part. And THIS is where all those drop cloths come in handy. I got to spray the chips onto the adhesive. This stuff sprayed everywhere! It’s crazy! You are going to have THE biggest mess you’ve ever seen, but it will be worth it.

  You’ll want to make sure your drawers are covered with the drop cloths. Since I didn’t follow instructions, I’ll be finding black specks for the next decade!

After I made sure every square inch was covered in specks it was time to let it set! It had to dry overnight. Unfortunately, I had to save a spot for the next day because I didn’t have an filler for a huge chip that was missing on the side of the counter. I had a small window in which to get it done the next day.

This was the end of day one of the Countertop Transformations. So far, so good!

Tomorrow I share with you the rest of the process and the end results!

*I received Rust-oleum Countertop Transformations for review. The opinions expressed are my own and never influenced by the company.

Wordless Wednesday: Tweet-up in Minnesota

I know I’ve shared photos with you before of the tweet-ups I’ve done with my Twitter friends. I got to do another one this past Friday and it was a blast! I swear, these people are like my extended family. Brothers who drive me crazy and sisters who give wonderful advice and encouragement.

I seriously dig these tweeps!

 

GourmetGiftBaskets.com Brownie Giveaway

I love GourmetGiftBaskets.com. It’s as simple as that. Trust me, go to their site and you’ll be hooked. You need a gift basket? They have absolutely got the one for you. Think they might not have something for your occasion? Then you haven’t searched enough through their site.

I was sent samples from their Baked Goods category. Oh. My. Gosh. Yah, I hid them from my boys…until I wanted them to sample them and I’d eaten most of them. I was just doing my job as a reviewer. What can I say?They were delicious! Every single one of them. The one that grabbed my taste buds and wouldn’t let go was the Belgian Chocolate Chunk! Soooo chocolatey! I “let” the boys try the Peanut Butter Brownie, and they liked it. I’m not a fan of Peanut Butter, but I actually ended up eating the rest of it. Yah, I was quite the reviewer this time! =)

How can anyone resist brownies called:

Fudge Walnut

Butterscotch

Belgian Chocolate Chunk

Peanut Butter

Cheesecake

White Chocolate MacadamiaNow you have the chance to win your own set of Brownies from GourmetGiftBaskets.com
Doesn’t the Peanut Butter Brownie look scrumptious? ↑ You soooo know you want one!

*I received samples for review. The opinions expressed are my own and never influenced by the company.

In Support of Brandie @littlewys #BEWBLUV #usguys

Some people may poo-poo connecting online with others. The thought of actually meeting them in person, crazy. Well, I can tell you, the power of community online is amazing. Meeting them face to face, phenomenal!

I’m part of a Twitter stream under the hashtag #usguys. We’re from all over the world connecting for various reasons. Many people share amazing content that’s full of meat and thought. Then there are those like me, who are simple mom bloggers who talk about coffee, bacon and just encouraging everyone to have a stellar day.

We all bring something different to the conversation.

A couple weeks ago, @lttlewys revealed to us that she had breast cancer. She even shared it on her blog. We were all stunned. One of our own. Someone who has been met by others in the #usguys stream. A woman who adds warmth and goodness to our day.Well, today was her surgery day and I decided that I was going to wear ALL pink (aside from my jeans) in honor of her. Ted Rubin dedicated his 100,000th tweet to Brandie! Meghan M Biro created a very cool avatar that I took for today on Twitter. JC Little made a Twibbon, which others have added to their avatars. Dave Reynolds, DJ extraordinaire made a YouTube video saying he wasn’t going to take off his dress until he heard Brandie was out of surgery and doing well!

THIS is the Social Media I know and love! We surround those we know with love and encouragement!

So, I can’t do a lot as just me. I don’t have the same connections and reach that many in the #usguys stream have. BUT, I can let Brandie know that I’m praying for her and loving on her from afar!

If you think about it, will you visit Twitter and let @lttlewys know you’re sending good thoughts her way, prayers, what-have-you. Use the #bewbluv hashtag.

Moms Do It Better…In the Kitchen Giveaway

Introducing the Moms Do It Better…In the Kitchen Giveaway event! We have a huge selection of amazing prizes for our readers and can’t wait to see you win! Moms Do It Better is a great community for bloggers that offers interactive blogging courses, networking, sponsorship opportunities, and a meeting ground to connect with Brands and PR. The site is free to join and there are still amazing things to come! We believe when it comes to blogging, Moms Do It Better! Let’s move on to the prizes, shall we?! Here is what you can win by entering the Moms Do It Better…In the Kitchen Giveaway: **Grand Prize: A stone kitchen hood from Tuscan Stone Mantels. If you’re building a home, remodeling your kitchen or just looking for something to add an elegant appeal this is the perfect addition! The value of the stone kitchen hood is between $2,500 and $3,600 (depending on size)** Prize Pack 1: $150 Gift Card to Anderson Seafood & an Aeternum PINK Sauté Pan SET from Bialetti ($230.00 value) Prize Pack 2: Gift Basket from Alter Eco (4 chocolate bars, Ruby Red Rice, Jasmine Rice, Rainbow Quinoa), 3 piece Healthy Steps Serving Set, The Low GI Cookbook--Nutrisystem Edition from Around My Family Table & a Bamboo Vegetable slicer and cutting board ($122.00 value) Prize Pack 3: 12 piece T-Fal cookware set in blue or black and an Enjoy life Apron & Electric Pepper Grinder from Ozeri ($101.00 value) Prize Pack 4: Zoku Duo Quick Pop Maker and a Rubbermaid 2-in-1 Recycling Bin and a gift basket from Alter Eco (4 chocolate bars, Ruby Red Rice, Jasmine Rice, Rainbow Quinoa), ($107.00 value)($110.00 value) If you’re as pumped and excited as we are, then get started by entering on the Rafflecopter form below! You have until May 7, when the giveaway ends, to enter so take your time and come back to finish when you have time!

Fresh Produce Clothing Review

I’m so happy Spring arrived early here in Minnesota. The only issue for me is clothing. Everything I have is years old (for the most part) and outdated. They just really shouldn’t be worn in public anymore.

Fresh Produce game me the opportunity to look around their site and update my shirt collection!! Woo Hoo I need all the help I can get, trust me.

They have clothing for pretty much any activity you’ll be doing during these warm Spring and Summer months! I know several people who will be going on cruises this year and Fresh Produce has a great line of Cruise Clothing!

I got the BFF top in black and it’s SO comfortable. It fits perfectly and comes in an array of colors! This is one of their newer shirts so I’m excited to have the chance to wear it! I have to admit that I’ve worn it a number of times and I’m sure people are wondering if it’s the only shirt I own these days.

With the warmer weather here, I’m looking forward to having some nice beach clothing to wear! Fresh Produce has a wonderful selection of fun apparel!One of the things I love is that their selection is for ladies of all shapes and sizes. Their models aren’t just skinny women who none of us will ever look like. They’re every day women like you and me! Something I appreciate and can associate with. Makes me more comfortable shopping with them because I can see what someone like ME will look like in their clothes!

Fresh Produce now ships to over 200 countries, so women outside the US can enjoy the colorful styles, too.

*I received my shirt for review. The opinions expressed are my own and never influenced by the company.

Balance Bar Mother’s Day Gift Set G!veaway

If you’ve read any recent posts, you know I’m trying to live a somewhat healthier, active lifestyle. I have to admit, my eating habits leave a lot to be desired. Balance Bar features nimble™, the first bar for women that combines nutrition and beauty.
“Each 1.16 oz. single-serve nimble bar adheres to Balance Bar’s 40/30/30 nutritional model (40% of calories come from healthy carbohydrates, 30% from quality protein, and 30% from dietary fat) that can help women stabilize their blood sugar, reduce inflammation, steady their mood, and improve energy.”I tried the Peanut Butter flavor as well as the Yogurt Orange Swirl. They were both really good! Surprisingly, I think I leaned more towards the Peanut Butter flavored one. The Yogurt Orange Swirl was pretty sweet and I liked the yogurt surrounding it.These would be perfect for my lunch snack. I’ve been having a granola bar and 2 fruits, but since nimble™ has 7 critical ingredients for women’s health, this will be the better way to go! I also like that it provides Beta-Carotene and Lutein (an important carotenoid found in green leafy vegetables.
They aren’t very large, but just the right size so I don’t feel full after having a good snack! And I’ve had nutrition bars that taste like cardboard…not so this one!

nimble™ is sweetened by Truvia! So, that takes some extra sugar out of my diet! HA!
Now it’s your chance to win this awesome Gift Set for yourself or another mom in your life!
*I was provided samples from Balance Bar. The opinions expressed are mine and never influenced by the company!

BlacK Eyed Peas Experience for the Wii

Yes, I’ve added another activity to my workouts, The Black Eyed Peas Experience for the Wii. I really liked their Pump It on Just Dance 3 so I figured I contact Ubisoft and see if I could review this new “experience”.

For the record, let me just say, the Just Dance 3 version is a child’s version of the dance they have in BEP Experience! I wanted a challenge, well, I got one!

The Black Eyed Peas Experience can be played by up to 4 players and the more players you have the more points you can get. I’ve danced (and I use that word lightly) the solo ones and the multi-player ones.

To be honest, I’ve got rhythm, but I can’t dance like they do…yet. I’m working on it, but I have a long way to go. That just gives me the motivation to work on it every day! =) The moves go super fast, because they’re authentic moves. It exactly what you’d expect to see in a dance video or similar. That’s exactly what I was looking for. I just didn’t realize how bad I would suck at it.

Now, what I didn’t realize was that it’s rated “T” for teens. The other thing I have to admit is, I don’t listen to BEP music. Not for any specific reason, I just don’t. So, imagine my surprise as I’m working out and HELLO swear words. LOL I was like, “Did I just hear what I think I heard?” Yes indeed. I grabbed the case and sure enough it says, “Mild Suggestive Theme & Strong Lyrics”.

Then there was one song I was dancing to and as I listened to the lyrics I thought to myself, no way can the boys play this game. And that’s fine, they’re 12 and 8, it’s not suggested for them. Look at me being a good parent.

I can say for certain that The Black Eyed Peas Experience will get you working out and having a TON of fun once you master the moves. It’s coming along slowly, but surely. I’m going to keep at it, you know, in case you see me in a club and a BEP song comes on. Then I can show you how it’s done!

What about you? Have you found any “games” for your game console that would be perfect for exercising? If so, I’d love to know about it! I like to mix things up!

*I received The BEP Experience from Ubisoft. The opinions expressed are my own and never influenced by the company!