The Real Housewives of New Jersey: Season One DVD Review & Giveaway

Yes, I am a fan of "The Real Housewives" series. I started watching the original Housewives several years ago and got a kick out of watching how the rich & famous lived in California. Now comes what I would say is my favorite ladies to watch, The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

These women are real and they are raw. You mess with them, you will feel their wrath. And you aren't dealing with one woman. Oh no! You're dealing with a family of women. Let me just say for the record, it doesn't pay to be on their bad side. Being an observer, I wonder why anyone would egg them on. It's hysterical.

Let me introduce you to the Housewives:

Caroline is the matriarch of the Manzo family. She doesn’t take anyone’s crap and she is a straight shooter. It’s obvious she loves her family fiercely and will protect them to the end. Can I be honest and say I wish she were my big sister. Not kidding. Family is serious business to her and she’s got your back!

Dina is Caroline’s younger sister. Dina’s husband isn’t part of the show because he made the choice not to be. Dina has a daughter who she treats more like a sister or BFF. I like that Dina has chosen to step back from her career to a certain degree while since she’s missing so much of her daughter’s life.

Teresa is a hoot to watch! She doesn’t seem to live in the same reality of any other woman on the show! She goes shopping 3-4 days a week and can easily drop over a grand, in cash, while doing so. They just finished building a house that took 3 yrs!! She is also trying to get her oldest daughter into the acting industry (but she’s not a stage mom, so she says). Teresa had her “bubbies” done this season and it was hysterical!

Jacqueline is married to Dina & Caroline’s brother. She doesn’t come from wealth and is probably the most level headed and easiest to “relate” to. She actually reminds me of my sister-in-law, Liz, whom I love! She has a teenage daughter from a previous marriage and 2 sons from her current marriage. Right now Jacqueline struggles with being friends with Danielle and maintaining her relationship with the family.

Danielle has 2 daughters and a sketchy past. She seems to enjoy stirring up drama and brings it with her wherever she goes. Danielle has no problem trying to convince Jacqueline to stay her friend even when it could jeopardize Jacqueline’s standing in her family. She has no respect for the other women and portrays herself constantly as the victim. You can see she tries to act as though she doesn’t realize people are going to have certain reactions and then when they do, she’s like, “gee, I didn’t know that would happen”. For real? She’s easy to dislike.

About the DVD:

DISC 1 (approx 157 min): Season Preview / Thicker Than Water / Mama Knows Best / Not One of Us / bonus – Text Bios

DISC 2 (approx 135 min): Black & White & Read All Over / Casinos and C-Cups / The Last Supper (Finale)

DISC 3 (approx 180 min): The Last Supper Director’s Cut / Reunion: Watch What Happens, Pt. 1 / Reunion: Watch What Happens, Pt. 2 / The Lost Footage / bonus – Quiz

My Review:

I hadn’t had satellite for almost 2 yrs so I’ve missed all the fun new shows. I was so glad to have the opportunity to watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season One. I ended up watching them all in one night I was so hooked!

We all have our guilty pleasures, and this definitely became mine. I wish we had Bravo with our satellite package, but since I don’t I will either have to watch it streamed on the computer or wait for the next season come out on DVD. I’m serious, this is my favorite Real Housewives! I’ve seen the other shows, but I think the “family” part of the show makes it more Real! You can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family, so that’s what adds to the show.

Now, this isn’t for everyone. They do say the “B” word on occasion and Danielle introduces her daughters to the guys she “dates” which I think is unhealthy. Teresa lives a lifestyle that is so beyond knowing there’s a recession it’s not even funny, although she is fun to watch. There’s also a LOT of drama, and that’s where you get sucked in.

You can purchase your own copy of The Real Housewives of New Jersey: Season One on Amazon.com or Walmart.com. It’s worth the entertainment!

Would you love to win a copy of The Real Housewives of New Jersey: Season One? If so, here’s what you need to do…

REQUIRED: Tell me which NJ Housewife you think you’d be like. You can either go by my personal description above or visit the bio pages HERE.

Giveaway is open to US residents 18 yrs and older. Please remember to leave your email address or have it available on your Contact page. No email/contact info = No entry. Giveaway ends 5/12, 10pm CST. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email.

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Enter to win MY copy of The Housewives @ MMR (1 entry)

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Tweet about this giveaways (1 daily entry) “Two chances to win The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season One DVD http://bit.ly/a583SP OR http://bit.ly/aAQqo8 #giveaway @AEHomeEnt"

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I found out about this awesome giveaway at The Product Review Place Blogger Select Group! I’d also like to thank Jelena on behalf of A&E Home Entertainment for sending my review copy and supplying the giveaway set. The opinions expressed in this review are mine and may not be the same experience as others.

Raising Girls of High Character

Raising Girls of High Character

By Randi Shafton of http://www.girl360.net/

The tween and teenage years can be turbulent ones, full of self-doubt and angst. There is a tremendous amount of hormonal, psychological, physical and biological flux. In addition, there is a culture that requires girls to be aggressors, competitors, pleasers and at the same time be models of female perfection 100% of the time.

The statistics are staggering, every hour and a half, a teenager tries to take his / her own life. Many of whom, are actually cyber-bullied on websites. Statistics also say that 43% of teens are exposed to cyber bullying. And the scariest part of all is that only 1 in 10 kids tell their parents.

The adult tendency to “look away” or underestimate children’s cruelty to other kids as “kids will be kids” needs to be held in check. Bullying is serious in and of itself-- and bullying kids grow up to be bullying adults. We as parents need to see the signs, step in and act.

We must give our daughters the tools to choose the right relationships and manage conflict. The tools listed below will help to reduce bullying and aggression and hopefully help to build a tween’s self-confidence as well.

• Don’t be owned by a clique
• Don’t be reliant on other kids for your happiness
• Learn to say no in the face of opposition
• Acting confident is the first step to feeling confident
• Take control of friendships and set clear boundaries and limits
• Talk, talk, talk about bullying. Encourage confrontation and “out” the bully

Female role models can make a huge difference in the life of young girls. The truth is that if you are a mom, your daughter already has a powerful role model: YOU. Like it or not, she is learning what it means to be female by observing you in your day to day operations. If as a parent, you are modeling positive interaction, ethical and kind behavior, chances are you will help to raise a daughter with the highest character.

Glasses USA Review and GIVEAWAY

With age I know comes the possible deterioration of eye sight. I know in our Moms In Touch group that I've been involved with the past 10+ yrs moms come year after year and it seems every year there's a new one with glasses. I recently received a pair of eyeglasses from Glasses USA.

When I spoke to Hillary intially, I was concerned that I might need to have prescription glasses to particpate in a review, but thankfully that wasn't the case. I don't really need glasses unless my eyes are tired, at least at this point. Since I typically read at night, my eyes have a tendency to be tired. So, the glasses I was sent were exactly what I needed!

So I headed to Glasses USA to check out their selection of glasses and find a pair that might suit me. I played it safe and got a pair that look similar to the ones I already have. I know, I know, I need to stop playing it safe. I need to break out of my mold and go for something funky & fun.
Ordering glasses online should be a simple and easy procedure. That is what you will find at Glasses USA. They have an amazing array of glasses to choose from:

• Designer Frames



• Classic Frames


• Retro Frames



• Fashion Frames



• Dior



• Polo


• RayBan

Those are just a sampling of their options. They have some really nice sunglasses, too!
If you'd like to make a purchase, you can visit Glasses USA and use the neverending 5% off code Mommy5 on your final order. One of their awesome functions at Glasses USA is to see how the glasses will look on you. You can upload a photo of yourself, use your webcam, or use one of their stock photos and then click through their selection to see how they'll look on you!! Isn't that an awesome feature? I love it. I also love that the glasses come with a heavy duty glasses case and cloth. They have been wonderful to wear. The Lyncoln are a lightweight frame and fit me to a "T"!


Here's a bit more that I thought you should know about Glasses USA:

"There are a few things you should know about GlassesUSA. We’re not just out to make money – we actually care about society! All of our returned eyeglasses are not restocked as they are with most optical stores. Ours are "recycled"! What does that mean? Well, we believe that everyone should have access to vision care. So, we donate all of our returned eyeglasses to various organizations around the US who then sanitize and redistribute the eyeglasses with the correct prescription to people all over the world who can’t afford vision care! Seeing properly shouldn’t be a luxury – it should be a necessity. We do our best to help our customers and we take their vision needs very seriously. We are an international company with two offices: one in New Jersey (our headquarters) and one in Israel. Our eyeglasses are produced at both facilities in order to provide our customers with top quality lenses in the
hottest frames available!"

Required: There's no time like the present to get a new pair of glasses. To be entered to win
one free pair of single-vision prescription glasses LIKE their Facebook page. Leave a comment saying, "Checking in from the giveaway at Woven by Words".

Giveaway is open US resident 18 yrs or older. Please leave me your email/contact info in your entry. No email/contact = No Entry! Giveaway will end 4/27 at 10pm CDT. You will have 48 hours to respond to winning email or I will draw a new winner.

Extra Entries:

Follow my new giveaway site Marvelous Mom Reviews (2 entries, comment 2x)

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Visit GlassesUSA & come back here and let me me know which pair of glasses you'd like to win because this will be the group you choose from!! (1 entry)

Follow me on Twitter (1 entry)

Follow GlassesUSA on Twitter (1 entry)

Tweet this giveaway (1 entry per day) "RT Win a pair of Rx glasses from Glasses USA @glassesusa from Woven by Words #giveaway http://bit.ly/9YveO8 "

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Enter any other giveaway through the end of this giveaway (1 entry per giveaway)

I'd like to thank Hillary from Glasses USA for contacting me and asking me to review their glasses.

CSN Rachel Ray Bakeware Review & Giveaway

I was so excited to be contacted by CSN Stores! They have got the most amazing line of products that you might find on the internet! I initially went to their site to check out their barstools since one of ours had just broken in half! They have a wide array of barstools to choose from!

So, Ashely from CSN Stores gave me the opportunity to choose from any of their stores for a product to review. I was like a kid in a candy shop...an extremely large candy shop! Decisions, decisions!

I chose the Rachael Ray “Bubble & Brown” 2-Piece Stoneware Baker Set in Yellow. This set came so quickly, I was surprised! I called my girlfriend who is an amazing baker! I took the Rachel Ray Set to her house and this is what she created:

She bakes for our church on Wednesdays and always has the BEST baked food. I thought she would make a fabulous casserole using these and she certainly did! Here's a little information about the Bubble & Brown Set:

• 1 x 1-Qt. Bubble & Brown Stoneware Baker


• Small Baker Dimensions: 4.5" H x 11.5" W x 7" D
• 1 x 1.5-Qt. Bubble & Brown Stoneware Baker


• Medium Baker Dimensions: 4.5" H x 14" W x 9.75" D

This dish cooked the food so well and look at the photo! Isn't it gorgeous? The size of the handles is pefect for pulling the dish out of the oven and carrying it with hot pads or gloves.
You know what the funny part of this set is? The day after I requested this set, I was watching Rachel Ray and there was the Bubble & Brown Set on her table that she was baking with!! I was so excited! To see a celebrity actually using the items she's helped create is very encouraging!
I gifted the set to my dear friend who created the dish you see. She's been so amazing in my life the last couple years and since she loves to cook, I thought she deserved this!

REQUIRED: So, would you like to walk away with the same Bubble & Brown Set? Then it's time to take a trip! Head on over to CSN Stores and visit ANY one of their stores. Come back and leave me a link and a product name you liked! BOTH are needed as the REQUIREMENT.
Giveaway is open to US residents 18 yrs and older. Please leave your email/contact info in your comments. Giveaway ends May 10, 10pm CDT. Winner has 48 hours to respond to email.
Extra Entries:

• Follow my new review site Marvelous Mom Reviews (2 entries, comment 2x)
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• Follow Woven by Words (1 entry)
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• Tweet this giveaway (1 entry daily) "RT Win a Rachel Ray Bubble & Brown Bakeware Set http://bit.ly/959dp8 #giveaway @csnstores"
• Follow CSN Stores on Twitter (1 entry)
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• Enter any of my other giveaways (1 entry per giveaway)

CSN provided the product for this review and was not paid for this review. The opinions and results are soley my own and opinions may vary.

The Back-Up Plan Releasing April 23, 2010 & Win A Private Screening

I have to admit that I love Jennifer Lopez's acting. I haven't seen her early work, but over the course of her acting career, she has evolved into a fantastic actress. She has such great comedic timing. On that note, she has a brand new movie coming out at the end of April called The Back-Up Plan.

Jennifer Lopez (Monster-In-Law, Shall We Dance) and Alex O’Loughlin (August Rush, “Three Rivers”) star in The Back-up Plan for CBS Films, the film division within CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS). The project, which commenced principal photography in Los Angeles on May 11, will debut in theaters spring of 2010.

Alan Poul (“Swingtown” and “Six Feet Under”) is directing. Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch (The Pursuit of Happyness, Knowing) are producing through their Escape Artists banner. Kate Angelo (“Will & Grace,” “What About Brian”) wrote the screenplay.

Movie Summary

After years of dating, Zoe has decided waiting for the right one is taking too long. Determined to become a mother, she commits to a plan, makes an appointment and decides to go it alone. On the day of her artificial insemination, Zoe meets Stan - a man with real possibilities.

Trying to nurture a budding relationship and hide the early signs of pregnancy becomes a comedy of errors for Zoe and creates confusing signals for Stan. When Zoe nervously reveals the reason for her unpredictable behavior, Stan commits fully and says he's in.

Never before has love seen a courtship where a wild night of sex involves three in a bed - Stan, Zoe and the ever-present massive pregnancy pillow. Or, where 'date night' consists of being the 'focal point' at a near-stranger's water birth which does for kiddie pools what "Jaws" did for swimming in the ocean. The real pregnancy test comes when both of them realize they really don't know each other outside of hormonal chaos and birth preparations. With the nine month clock ticking, both begin to experience cold feet. Anyone can fall in love, get married and have a baby but doing it backwards in hyper-drive could be proof positive that they were made for each other.

My Thoughts

I obviously haven't seen the movie, but the trailer looks fantastic and already has me itching to watch it. Now, when you read the first sentence in the 3rd paragraph, I have to say that I don't approve of this aspect of the movie. Yes, it's an adult movie, but my conservative views aren't in line with it. I'm just sayin'. My job is to be honest with you as a reviewer. That's what I'm doing. The rest of the story however seems very charming. The film is not rated. I have a feeling it'll be PG-13.

How about learning more about the movie? Let me forewarn you about visiting the Official Back-Up Plan website. When you move your cursor around, there's a little heart with a tail that follows you around. Yes, it's a sperm. Did I honestly say that on my blog? Never in a million, gazillion years did I ever imagine myself typing that word here...for any reason. Never say, "never," eh?

You will see the chemistry Jennifer and Alex have on screen watching the trailer. It is so adorable! I love Zoe's reaction when Stan professes his love for her! I hope the funniest parts haven't already been shown. Somehow I doubt that when I've loved every movie I've seen Jennifer in! Alex, I think is just smokin', and I really like his character in the trailer. He has a certain magnetism! Hello fella! *grin*

Kid Basix Private Hometown Screening Details:

http://kid-basix.com/blog/win-a-private-screening-of-the-back-up-plan-for-you-and-50-friends

Check out this great giveaway from CBS Films and Kid Basix in celebration of The Back-up Plan, starring Jennifer Lopez and Alex O’Loughlin in theaters April 23rd! A comedy about dating, love, marriage, and family “in reverse,” CBS Films and Kid Basix are now giving you the chance to win a grand prize private screening of The Back-up Plan for you and 50 friends right in your hometown! Additional prizes include $100 worth of movie tickets and a basket of Kid Basix products worth $225.

Here are some links to keep up with The Back-Up Plan:

Movie Trailer: http://www.theback-upplan.com/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/backupplanmovie

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheBackupPlan
http://apps.facebook.com/love_shot

There's a pretty hysterical game called 'Love Shot' that you can play to unlock clips from the movie: http://theback-upplan.com/games/ls

Did you see The Back-Up Plan during the Super Bowl? I thought it looked even funnier watching the commercial! If you didn't get a chance to see the commercial, here are 2 other ways to view it:

The Back-up Plan 2010 Super Bowl spot on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheBackUpPlan#!/video/video.php?v=319923051097&ref=mf
on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uaEzFYm_X4