So a Blonde Walks Into a Review

SMILE! Crest 3D White Teams With Billboard To Offer Grand Prize Trip to Woman of the Year Award Honoring Taylor Swift

2011-11-16T08:00:00.003-05:00

Those who have followed along with my wedding blog know that Taylor Swift holds a special place in my heart, as her song, "You Belong With Me" was one I often thought of my now-husband to before we started dating.

So I am thrilled that Taylor Swift is being given the coveted Woman of the Year Award at Billboard's 2011 Women in Music Event! Better yet, Crest 3D White, the #1 most awarded whitening brand, and Billboard, the #1 name in music, want to see you at the Women in Music Event in New York City on December 2nd!

For your chance to win VIP treatment at this star-studded, ultra-exclusive event, enter the “Smiles that Rock” contest before November 18th by showcasing your smile in a creatively designed Billboard magazine cover featuring YOU!

BEFORE YOU ENTER – WHITEN!

Ensure you are putting your best “smile” forward by showing off a bright, white smile in your submission. A little tip...when used together, the Crest 3D White Collection can help you achieve a noticeably brighter smile in as little as just one day!

CONSIDER THESE CREST 3D WHITE WHITENING PRODUCTS!

Crest 3D White Professional Effects Whitestrips with Advanced Seal Technology:

Most efficacious concentration of Crest’s whitening ingredient available at retail – the same enamel-safe ingredient that dentists use
Advanced adhesive formulation that temporarily molds the strip to user’s teeth for secure fit
$50 per kit, 20 whitening doses

Crest 3D White Vivid Toothpaste:

Features a patented dual-action silica system that helps gently polish away surface stains
Provides up to 80% surface stain removal for a whiter smile in 14 days
Toothpaste-gel hybrid formulation offers the cleaning of a toothpaste and the freshness of a gel, helping teeth feel smooth and clean
Radiant Mint flavor, 4oz $3.25; 5.8oz $3.75; 7.6 oz for $4.25

For more information on Crest 3D, be sure to like their Facebook page here, and follow them on Twitter: @Crest!

And don't forget to stop by the “Smiles that Rock” contest page for your chance to win a VIP trip for two to Billboard's 2011 Women in Music event!

Disclosure: I received complimentary products from Crest 3D to thank me for my time in writing this post.

Extraordinary Hair with the HANAair Professional Hair Dryer from Misikko Beauty

2011-11-06T00:00:00.001-04:00

As you might have gathered by this site's name, one of my most noticeable features is my hair. Thus, keeping my hair healthy and looking its best is very important to me.

Having been a natural blonde throughout my youth, I've had to get a little help from the salon in keeping that color in my adult years. And as we all know, the coloring process can put a lot of stress on even the healthiest of hair.

So when I was contacted by Misikko Beauty to review the ultra-chic HANAair Professional Hair Dryer, I was beyond excited to give it a try. A hair dryer that promises to actually make your hair healthier with use? I'm all in!

I'll admit I was skeptical at first, as conventional wisdom has always taught that hair dryers are bad for your hair. But from the very first use of the HANAair dryer, I could see a noticeable difference in the look and feel of my hair. It was shinier, sleeker and much more smooth.

What's the secret behind HANAair's performance? It's actually a combination of three things: 2300 wattage power, pure tourmaline crystals and a ceramic heater.

As someone with very thick hair, it usually takes me forever to dry my hair! But with the 2300 wattage power, the HANAair dryer cuts my drying time by at least half. That alone saves my hair from the damage that can come from longer heat exposure with conventional dryers. And the faster drying time has meant that I'm out the door faster and have actually made it to appointments ON TIME (a rarity for me!).

The tourmaline crystals and ceramic heater combine to give the most advanced far infrared ionic heat possible. What this basically means is that your hair will have less frizz, more shine and healthier radiance with each use.

My hair is not only thick, but it's also very frizzy when I use a conventional dryer. Those stray, curly hairs that stand up all over the place after drying have always drove me crazy! But with the HANAair dryer, my hair was much more smooth with just the first use.

Other features include:

Silver Nano Technology for anti-bacterial protection
Scratch resistant shell with black metallico finish adds durability and is easy to clean
Long lasting motor with low noise
Gyroscopically balanced for easy handling (note: it is very lightweight too!)
Fiberglass concentrator attachment
12' extra long cord, ALCI safety plug
Italian design
2 fan speeds, 3 heat settings, plus a cold shot button
Two Year Warranty

The extra long cord is another favorite feature of mine. I hate when I am drying my hair and need to reach for something, but can't due to a short cord. With the HANAair dryer's cord, I can move all over my bathroom with ease!

I also used two products that Misikko sent to me for review along with the HANAair dryer (as well as all of that other gorgeous swag pictured above...thank you, Misikko!): HANA Shine Shield Thermal Protectant and Paul Mitchell's Leave-In Conditioner. Between the products and the HANAair dryer, my hair has never looked healthier!

See for yourself how fast my hair dried and how sleek, smooth and shiny it looked with the HANAair dryer:

I honestly never would have invested much money in a hair dryer before (the HANAair dryer retails for $314 but is currently on sale for $194.99 with free shipping). Now that I've seen the difference firsthand, though, I could never go back to my cheaper, department store dryer.

The HANAair Professional Hair Dryer is the only dryer I will trust my hair to from now on!

For more information, follow these links:

~Misikko.com
~HANAair Professional Hair Dryer
~HANA Salon
~Misikko on Twitter
~Misikko on Facebook
~HANA Salon on Twitter
~HANA Salon on Facebook

Disclosure: I received a complimentary HANAair Professional Dryer to facilitate this review, as well as other complimentary products to thank me for my time.

Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens, Williamsburg

2011-10-29T21:53:00.004-04:00

Forget Paranormal Activity 3. If you really want to get your scare on, you have to check out Busch Gardens' Howl-O-Scream in Williamsburg, VA! With elaborate haunted mazes, scare zones, realistic zombies and ghouls, rides, and more, you're bound to have a good time!

I was fortunate enough to have been invited to Busch Gardens' Fright Night social media event and got to experience all of the scares first-hand. The theme this year is "The Dark Side of the Gardens - Fear Grows Here" and the star was this creepy, scary, eerie "Lady of the Garden"...

Oh sure she may not look as scary during the day, but stand next to that statue at night, with rain drizzling down and fog surrounding you and she gets even creepier! The same goes for the rest of the park:

The scare has been so ramped up this year, in fact, that the park advises parents NOT to bring children after 6 p.m. (when Howl-O-Scream officially starts). There are no safe zones this year and the scares are not designed to be child-friendly. (The screaming little kids I saw being dragged by their mother across a bridge with bloody, chainsaw wielding zombies chasing after them is just one example of parents ignoring such warnings...to the detriment of those poor kids!)

One of the best shows this year, Fiends, is also adult-oriented and my husband and I got to watch from the balcony of Das Festhaus:

We even got to meet the members of the cast after the show and they were so friendly!

Notice our face paint? Here's a close-up:

We stopped at one of several kiosks throughout the park to get our faces done and our artist did a great job! It's so much more fun enjoying all the festivities decked out in face paint (or horns as the case may be).

The best part of the night for us, however, was winning a chance to go through the Deadline maze BY OURSELVES with a camera attached. Here are clips of us in Busch Gardens' promo video:

Here's the full footage of just us (yes, I was scared, lol!):

Want to get in on the scare? Sunday, October 30 is the last day you can enjoy it, so hurry over if you haven't already.

And if you miss it this year, don't worry. Howl-O-Scream is an annual event so you can always go next year. I know we definitely will!

Talking Turkey With Jennifer Garner and Frigidaire

2011-10-08T21:36:00.001-04:00

It's hard to believe that the holidays are right around the corner! On September 21, Frigidaire and Jennifer Garner hosted a holiday discussion with food/mom bloggers to talk turkey, traditions and keeping family dinner a priority during the busy holiday season.

The event celebrated the launch of Frigidaire's new Gallery Range with Symmetry Double Ovens. The new, freestanding range helps families cook their holiday meals faster thanks to its huge capacity (each oven holds a 28-lb. turkey), faster preheat time (4 minutes), and easy, one-touch options. It also features a Keep Warm Zone that will maintain the temperature of your food while you prepare your table for dinner.

Most importantly, the holiday round-table event also kicked off Frigidaire's latest campaign to support Save the Children's U.S. programs. And it's not too late for you and your family to join in and support the cause!

Just visit MakeTimeForChange.com, where you can see Jennifer's top turkey tips and fabulous holiday recipes, as well as videos of the round-table discussions. For the first 550 visits, Frigidaire will donate a turkey to a Save the Children Family, and for every visit, $1 will be donated to Save the Children to support their U.S. Programs.

Helping others has never been so easy, has it? With just a click of a button, and never having to leave your home, you can help feed hungry families across the country this holiday season, at no cost to you whatsoever.

In addition to supporting a worthy cause, visitors are entered for a chance to win a Range with Symmetry Double Oven of their own from Frigidaire! So hurry over to MakeTimeForChange.com right now and check out the great videos and tips!

Disclosure: I wrote this post as part of the Frigidaire Test Drive program and received a gift certificate to thank me for my time.

Remembering Francine Virgilio

2011-09-11T00:26:00.002-04:00

This post was originally published on "So a Blonde Walks Into a Blog" (no longer active) on 9/11/06 as part of a blog project to honor each victim of the September 11 terror attacks.

Our family is reading about the life of Saint Frances Cabrini, an Italian-American saint (the first Italian-American to become a saint). Her real name was Francesca.

So while I was searching for information on Francine A. Virgilio, who died in the Twin Towers on 9/11, I found a message board in which she is referred to as "Francesca."

I don't think that's coincidence.

In reading about this amazing woman's life - her kindness, acts of charity and love of others, I think you could say she was a saint on earth.

Born June 7 in Brooklyn, NY, Francine was 48-years-old when she died in the World Trade Center. She worked there as Vice President of insurance claims for Aon Corp. Francine lived for a short time in Sicily, but always considered New York her home, so much so that she was a devoted New York Yankees fan.

Though she wasn't married and had no children, she served as a "surrogate mother" to her four nephews, who considered her "cool" enough to hang out with without being embarrassed in front of their friends.

As a NY Times article noted:

One Christmas, Francine Virgilio treated her nephews to a show with the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall and dinner afterward at Mickey Mantle's. She even hired a limousine to take them around.

Cool aunt, indeed!

From an SLive.com article:

"If there was a second mother to us, she would be it," said her nephew, Kevin. "She would always come up from the city to visit us. We are like the sons she never had."

Her other nephews are Salvatore, Joseph and Paul Virgilio.

The NY Times article goes on to describe a little about her life:

An Aon executive, Ms. Virgilio started out as a secretary after high school and worked her way up. She was just as disciplined about her favorite team, the Yankees. She followed them through the bad years, and kept an autographed photo of Lou Piniella on her desk. Last year, she snagged a ticket to the Subway Series and had it framed for a place in her home on Staten Island.

Generous does not seem an appropriate word to describe how incredibly giving Francine was. Her sister-in-law Susan was quoted as saying, "A lot of times it was more fun to watch her give the gift than to watch the person she gave it to open it."

From the SLive.com article, writer David Andreatta summed up Francine's generosity perfectly:

She spent nearly 20 years caring for her ailing parents in their Queens home before settling on Staten Island in 1993. A humanitarian who rarely asked for favors, Ms. Virgilio donated her time and resources to several charitable organizations, including the Alzheimer's Foundation and Save the Children, through which she adopted a little girl.

Even on the day she went missing, Ms. Virgilio had planned to meet her sister-in-law, Susan Virgilio, for lunch in Manhattan, and to give her a 35mm camera so her nephew could take a photography course at his high school.

Unfortunately, that lunch would never happen.

According to the SLive article, at 9:05 a.m., just two minutes after the first plane crashed into the first tower, Francine called Susan from the 98th floor of the building where she worked.

In her seemingly understated way, she phoned Susan and told her she wouldn't be able to make it for lunch, but she would call her later that evening. I was struck by her words. It appears as if she is once again thinking of others instead of herself, not wanting to worry her family.

On September 16, 2001, firefighter John Caputo found Francine's checkbook among the rubble. In the book were photographs of her loved ones as well as a blood donor card, just another symbol of her generous spirit.

In addition to her sister-in-law and nephews, Francine is survived by her mother Josephine Sorrentino Virgilio, and her brother, Nunzio.

If you have the time, please visit this message board to see how loved Francine was by so many.

Also, the SLive article has more detailed information on Francine's life and is very well-written.

God bless you, Francine. God bless you, your family, friends and loved ones. I will never forget you and feel so priviledged to have learned about your wonderful life.

Game Time: Tackling the Past - P&G and Walmart's Family Movie Night Review

2011-08-31T00:00:00.002-04:00

The next movie in Proctor & Gamble and Walmart's Family Movie Night will be premiering on September 3 at 8/7c on NBC and it is just as moving and wholesome as the last one!

Game Time: Tackling the Past is a sports-themed movie, but don't let that fool non-football fans (such as myself!). As always, there is something for everyone in this movie and I found myself glued to the set the entire time!

The movie stars well-known actors Beau Bridges (as dad Frank Walker) and Catherine Hicks (as mom Anna Walker) as well as Ryan McPartlin (as Jake) and Josh Braaten (as brother Dean Walker). Here's a synopsis of the movie:

"Pro football star Jake Walker is just one season away from setting an all-time receiving record that will guarantee him a spot in the Hall of Fame. But when he gets news that his father has suffered a serious heart attack, Jake leaves training camp and returns to Riverton, the small hometown he's avoided for nearly 15 years. Past memories of glory and regret resurface as Jake is forced to reconnect with the family and community he abandoned in pursuit of his career.

A call from his agent delivers another crushing blow - Jake's contract will not be renewed. Stripped from the thing he cares about most, the real Jake begins to emerge from behind his armor to see that life proves more than the accumulation of personal stats. But when he's offered a lucrative new contract with another team, he must decide whether to go back to the career he thought he loved, or stay in Riverton and embrace the people who have always been there for him.

As a Family Movie Night Mom Ambassador, I was able to preview the movie with my family. Watching the scenes of the fallout from Jake's father's heart attack were particularly hard for my fiance to watch, as he lost his father to a sudden heart attack many years ago and rushed to his hospital bedside as well (in his father's case, however, he never regained consciousness).

We held hands tightly through those scenes and shed a few tears. That's how real they were. The actors did an amazing job of portraying such a crisis.

Our whole family loved the movie and once again, it was nice to sit back and enjoy entertainment that I know is free of inappropriate or adult-oriented content. Game Time: Tackling the Past teaches the importance of family, helping others and what really matters in life, lessons that are so crucial in raising good kids, and it does so without being preachy or overbearing.

Check out the trailer below:

Uploads by momcentral11great free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

For more information on Game Time: Tackling the Past, visit the official Family Movie Night website here.

You can also visit the Family Movie Night Facebook page here.

Be sure to tune in on Saturday, September 3 at 8/7 C to see all of the action, drama and fun Game Time: Tackling the Past has to offer!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Fun With Disney Interactive Studios

2011-08-22T23:16:00.014-04:00

It's no secret that my family and I are HUGE Disney fans! Our trip to Disney World this past spring was amazing and brought tears of joy to my little girl's eyes since it was her first visit there ever and also her first vacation since being diagnosed with diabetes several months ago.

So she was overjoyed when Disney Interactive Studios recently sent us two video games for us to review: Cars 2: The Video Game and Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension.

The original Cars movie has a lot of meaning to my three kids because it was the last movie they watched with their grandfather before he passed away. He was a race car driver so it was the perfect movie for them to watch with him.

We haven't had a chance to see Cars 2 yet but we are definitely planning on it! I am sure it will live up to the Disney name and deliver wholesome, fun entertainment as all Disney movies do.

Disney's video games are no different and Natalie has had so much fun playing the Nintendo DS version of Cars 2 (the game is available on all major gaming platforms). Here's a description from Disney Interactive Studios:

"In Cars 2: The Video Game, players prepare to become a world-class spy at the international training center C.H.R.O.M.E (Command Headquarters for Recon Operations and Motorized Espionage) and then take on dangerous spy missions. While using their new spy skills in exhilarating, action-packed combat racing and battle arenas, players compete to become the best race car in the world.

Fans can play in either single or multi player modes with up to four people to unlock new tracks, characters, events, and thrilling spy missions. Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii, DS, and PC/Mac.

Developed by Avalanche Software in collaboration with filmmakers at Pixar Animation Studios, the team brought in a former CIA agent to ensure some of the spy elements in the game (from training to gadgets) reflect what spy agencies might implement, with an animated twist, of course. Check out this cool video on the making of the game:

The DS version includes exclusive global locations not seen in the film. Natalie's favorite character to play as is Holly Shiftwell and she really had fun with the different maneuvers only Cars characters can do, such as backwards driving, air tricks, sidestepping to avoid obstacles and two-wheel driving.

The console versions are rated "E-10+" and retail for $49.99 while the DS version is rated "E" for Everyone and is available for $29.99.

Natalie enjoyed playing Phineas & Ferb: Across the Second Dimension just as much! This game just hit the shelves earlier this month and comes on the heels of the Disney Channel Original Movie of the same name.

The game continues and expands the movie storyline and fans can play as their favorite characters from the series, including Phineas, Ferb, Agent P, and the all-new Agent T who is introduced for the first time in the game.
Here's a description of the game from Disney Interactive Studios:

"Players will adventure through unique worlds of gelatin, bouncy balloons, old-school cartoons and more as they utilize all-new and upgradeable gadgets such as the Carbonator, Ninja Glove and Jetpack. These items will be utilized to battle new adversaries,, as well as familiar foes, while engaging in epic boss battles against enemies like the Goozim and Giant Normbot.

The game is available on PlayStation3, Wii and Nintendo DS platforms. The console versions are rated "E-10+" and retail for $39.99 and the DS version is rated "E" for Everyone and is available for $29.99.

Here's a trailer that shows how much fun the games is:

Natalie's favorite part of the game is traveling through the dimensions and her favorite character is Perry the Platypus. She also loves the different robots found on each level of the game.

For more information on Cars2: The Video Game, click here. And for more information on Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension, click here.

Disclosure: I received two complimentary video games from Disney Interactive Studios to facilitate this review.

MagnetStreet Weddings

2011-08-08T00:18:00.012-04:00

With only a little over a month left until my wedding, I am scrambling to take care of last-minute details! One thing I don't have to worry about anymore are the invitations, thankfully.

I stumbled upon MagnetStreet Weddings while searching for our wedding invitations awhile ago and I fell in love with this design immediately.

Our wedding, as you probably already know from our wedding blog, is taking place on the beach in the Outer Banks, so we wanted a beach-themed invitation. Hot pink and white are our wedding colors so that made these invitations even more perfect, but we could have changed the colors if we had wanted to.

In fact, the personalization tools at MagnetStreet are what we love the most about them. Not only can you choose your own colors and add a photo, but you can also change the font type and size and you can even mix and match fonts as we did.

We created an online invitation for our friends who can't be there in person (click the photo to enlarge):

But the "real life" invitations are even more amazing and all of our friends have raved about how beautiful they are! They are very high-quality and are printed in full color on linen paper and, like the online version, contain our phrase "So Much" as well as one of our favorite quotes:
"He loved the beauty of the sea for its own sake and asked nothing more of it" -Thomas Steinbeck

(I am not posting a photo of the actual invitations since they contain personal information)

MagnetStreet ensures that your order is exactly how you want it...not only are you given an online proof to review to ensure accuracy, but they also double-check your order for you. They contacted me after I placed my order to let me know that the photo I had uploaded wasn't large enough and would appear pixilated in the invitations.

I was able to send them a larger version and it turned out perfectly! It's rare to find that kind of customer service and with something as important as wedding invitations, it's comforting to know that an actual human being is quality-checking each, individual order.

There is such a wide selection of products that MagnetStreet offers, from save-the-date magnets, to reception favors, place cards, thank you notes and more. I was able to order address labels and thank you cards that match our invitations:

Outside

Inside

In fact, most of MagnetStreet's invitations come with matching sets as well as a variety of ordering choices (layered, tented, flat, etc.).

For more information on MagnetStreet, follow these links:

~MagnetStreet Weddings' website
~MagnetStreet Weddings' Facebook page
~MagnetStreet Weddings on Twitter (@MagnetStreetWed)
~MagnetStreet Weddings on Pinterest

Disclosure: I received complimentary products from MagnetStreet Weddings to facilitate this review, but chose them as our invitation vendor before comp products were discussed.

Who Is Simon Miller? P&G's Family Movie Night Review

2011-07-30T21:15:00.010-04:00

Finding something on television that everyone in the family can watch is a tough task these days, especially when it comes to movies. That's why I'm a huge fan of Proctor & Gambles' Family Movie Night. As a mom, I love it when my entire family can sit down to watch a movie without having to worry about inappropriate content.

Thanks to Mom Central and P&G, I was fortunate enough to be selected as a Mom Ambassador for Who Is Simon Miller?, the newest movie from Family Movie Night. Airing August 6 at 8/7 central on NBC, Who Is Simon Miller is a fun, action-packed adventure that celebrates families without being boring.

Here's a synopsis:

When unassuming geologist Simon Miller mysteriously disappears one night, the Miller family is thrown into a desperate search to find him. Simon's wife Meredith and their two kids, Sarah, 18, and Kevin, 15, frantically search Simon's office for information. When they find a stash of passports, all with Simon's picture but each with a different alias, they realize that their father has been keeping more than a few secrets.

Who is Simon Miller? And what has he gotten himself - and now his family - into? Not sure they can even trust the Dad they thought they knew, the Millers embark on an international mission to get him back. It's a heart-pounding adventure that tests the limits to which families will fight for each other. (The movie stars Robyn Lively, Loren Dean, Skyler Day, Drew Koles, and Christine Baranski.)

I was able to preview the movie with my family and we all loved it! My daughter and I even watched it twice. Robyn Lively participated in one of the screenings and gave some interesting insight from behind-the-scenes.

If you watch carefully, you'll see that she is noticeably absent from one scene and in the movie it is explained as her being tired and needing to sleep. But in real life, Lively was stuck in her trailer with a major migraine and was unable to work (she said that everyone was very sympathetic and caring about it).

Lively's character (she plays Meredith) was my favorite, but that might be because I'm a mom. ;)

Take a look at the trailer to see all the action and fun that Who Is Simon Miller? has to offer:

Who Is Simon Millergreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

Exciting, right? If your family is anything like mine, they are sure to love it!

Check out Family Movie Night's Facebook page for more information. Enjoy!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Flavor Over Fizz with Crystal Light

2011-07-24T00:09:00.001-04:00

As temperatures in my area have hit 100+ recently, hydration is more important than ever. Crystal Light has made staying hydrated easier with their Flavor Over Fizz Challenge. To take part in the challenge, you simply need to trade in your diet soda for the delicious taste of Crystal Light. With more than 30 flavors to choose from, you're sure to find one you love.

Hungry Girl's Lisa Lillien held a video conference call with bloggers recently to get the word out about the challenge. One of the best benefits of replacing your diet soda with Crystal Light is the fact that you will consume more water, and at only five calories a serving, you won't have to sacrifice your diet for flavor.

Participating in the challenge is free, and Crystal Light is giving away one amazing prize per day, including a Michael Kors watch, gift cards, a bicycle and more!

This summer, Crystal Light has introduced three, limited edition "mocktail" flavors: Appletini, Mojito and Margarita. My personal favorite, and one that Lillien raved about on the call, is Appletini. My kids loved it as well, so I will be buying it all summer until it's no longer sold. And as a mother to a Type 1 diabetic, having a flavorful drink that won't add to my daughter's carb count is a HUGE plus (all Crystal Light drinks are considered a free exchange for diabetics).

Check out Crystal Light's Flavor Over Fizz Challenge here (to enter, click on "Flavor over Fizz" on Crystal Light's main Facebook page).

Disclosure: I received samples of Crystal Light from Kraft Foods to facilitate this review/post.

Interview with HGTV's Star of Design David Bromstad

2011-06-28T20:17:00.013-04:00

An all-new season of HGTV's Design Star premiers on Monday, July 11, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, and design guru David Bromstad will mentor the show's finalists as they compete for a chance to win their own show on HGTV. Bromstad was the winner of the first season of Design Star and now hosts his own show, Color Splash. He also appears in the new series HGTV'D.

Check out this sneak-peek from the new season of Design Star:

I already have my DVR programmed to record the show and can't wait for the first episode! I had the privilege of participating in a conference call with Bromstad and I can tell you that he exudes the same energy and friendliness off-screen as he does on. He was an absolute delight to speak to and he gave me some personal tips for making my temporary living space feel like home.

Here's a transcript of our conversation:

Blonde Blogger: "I have moved from a home into a rental townhome, and I’m finding it challenging to make it feel like a home—with such a smaller space, not being able to paint. I’m wondering what your advice...would be to someone like me who wants to make it feel like home."

Bromstad: "Well, I’m probably going to give horrible advice right now because I’m sure everyone out there is going to be like, what? But, I think in every lease, every rental agreement that I was in before I bought my place, it always says don’t paint, but I always did. It was the first thing I did before I even moved in just because that is one way that you can just put your stamp on it and make it feel cozy. And all they want to do is have it look nice and have it be painted white when you leave.

"So, if you’re willing to paint it white when you leave, that’s just fine. So, I was always willing and you know what? Every time that I did paint it, the landlord would come in and would be like, 'You’re not supposed to paint, but it looks really great.' And I’m like, 'well do you want me to paint it back?' And they’re like, 'no.'"

Blonde Blogger: "Yes. That’s what I was thinking too..."

Bromstad: "And if you don’t want to take the time to paint, just bringing in personal effects and just hang things on the wall—hang pieces of art, hang mirrors, make sure that it looks lived in.

"My house, honestly, is all white...and it’s very comfortable and it’s very cozy, and I’ve done a lot of homes that are all white with all white walls. You can still make it look sheik and still make it look amazing. Don’t let the white walls fool you."

Blonde Blogger: "So would you say that paint though, is the most important?"

Bromstad: "Yes. I think it’s the easiest and the fastest and the cheapest way to transform your house for sure."

Great advice, wouldn't you say?

Tune into the new season of Design Star on July 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT to watch Bromstad in action as he uses his talent and energy to mentor contestants and give them the guidance he wishes he had when he was a contestant himself. You can check out the show's page here for more information.

Tree Hut Summer Skin Care Giveaway Winner

2011-06-26T22:38:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to Rachel R. who was selected at random via Random.org as the winner of the Tree Hut Summer Skin Care Giveaway!

Thanks to all who entered and to Tree Hut for sponsoring this great giveaway. Stay tuned for more contests to come!

Eating Fresh with Frigidaire and Jennifer Garner

2011-06-16T14:00:00.001-04:00

You may remember my previous post about Frigidaire's wonderful Kids' Cooking Academy with actress Jennifer Garner. Now that summer's here, Frigidaire has kicked off their Kids' Cooking Academy Summer Session!

In an effort to teach the importance of eating fresh, Garner and Frigidaire joined parents and kids on June 9 for a day on the farm at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, NY. Garner and a group of children picked fresh vegetables from the farm and discussed ways to prepare meals with their hand-picked ingredients.

Now, Frigidaire and Garner are inviting families everywhere to commit to eating fresh by visiting the Kids' Cooking Academy Summer session online. There, you will find great tips, videos and recipes for enjoying farm to table meals.

You can also learn more about Frigidaire's continued effort to support Save the Children's U.S. Programs. To help give more children access to fresh foods, Frigidaire has teamed up with the popular check-in app Gowalla. Simply check in at your local farmer's market via Gowalla and Frigidaire will make a $1 donation to Save the Children as part of their $500,000 commitment to the cause.

Frigidaire will also donate $1 to Save the Children when you commit to eat fresh on the MakeTimeForChange.com website. Entering is free and everyone who registers will automatically be entered to win a brand-new Frigidaire Gallery French Door Refrigerator! The new refrigerator is packed with features that make it easier than ever to preserve your farm-fresh produce, such as the Effortless Glide Crisper Drawers.

Head on over to the Kids' Cooking Academy Summer Session for more information and to make your commitment to eating fresh!

Disclosure: I received a $25 gift card and tote as part of the Frigidaire Test Drive program.

Tree Hut Summer Skin Care Giveaway

2011-06-15T17:05:00.011-04:00

If you read my previous post about the wonderfully luxurious skin care products by Tree Hut, then you already know how much I love them! Now, thanks to Tree Hut, you have the chance to try them for yourself!

One lucky ready of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review will win a full line of summer skin care products from Tree Hut, including:

~Shea Moisturizing Shower Wash
~Shea Sugar Scrub
~Shea Extra Rich Lotion
~Shea Body Butter

The winner will be able to choose whichever scent they prefer and can even mix and match scents if they wish. Scents include Coconut Lime, Brazilian Nut, Almond and Honey, and Hawaiin Kukui.

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post with the scent you'd most like to try (you can always change your mind if you win). Be sure that there is an email address that can be found with your entry or your entry will have to be disqualified.

By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here. Please also see my disclosure policy here.

You can receive additional entries by doing one or all of the following (one entry, one time, for each step):

~Tweet with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with your Twitter link. Feel free to use the Twitter share button at the bottom of this site.

~Follow BlondeBlogger on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment on this post with your Twitter name.

~Follow Tree Hut on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment on this post with your Twitter name.

~Become a Facebook fan of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review. Simply click here and like the page, then leave a separate comment on this post letting me know your Facebook name.

~Become a Facebook fan of Tree Hut. Simply click here and like the page, then leave a separate comment on this post letting me know your Facebook name.

~Blog about this contest with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with the link to your post.

~Follow this blog. Simply click on "Follow this blog" found near the top of the sidebar to the right (under "The Blonde"). Then, leave a separate comment letting me know you are following.

~Post the button below on your blog and then leave a separate comment here letting me know it's posted and where. Here's the code for the button:

Deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Wednesday, June 22, 2011. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received complimentary Tree Hut products to facilitate this giveaway

Summer-Ready Skin With Tree Hut

2011-06-13T15:52:00.007-04:00

It's swimsuit season and that means it's more important than ever to take care of our skin. Nothing worse than that dry, alligator look on our legs, ladies...right?

I recently tried a new product that is perfect for moisturizing my skin and keeping it beach-worthy. Tree Hut is an amazing skin care and lotion line that includes lotions, shower washes, body butters and sugar scrubs.

And all of their scents are from the tropics! I tried the new Tree Hut Shea Moisturizing Shower Wash in Coconut Lime:

It definitely smells tropical! Every time I shower, the smell conjures up that beachy, fun, summery feeling. And it is so nourishing to my skin. No alligator skin for my legs at the pool!

I also tried their matching Shea Body Butter in the same scent and it makes my skin even more silky-smooth. It's not too heavy like some body butters can be, which is a huge plus.

All Tree Hut products are made with 100% certified organic shea butter and they also include other natural extracts and oils. New mothers use Tree Hut products to combat stretch marks, another important benefit to consider.

Find out more about Tree Hut's wonderful line of products here. You can also find them on Facebook here and Twitter here.

Disclosure: I received complimentary products from Tree Hut to facilitate this review.

So a Blonde Walks Into a Wedding

2011-05-25T22:30:00.001-04:00

There's a brand new blog in the "So a Blonde Walks Into..." series, and it is the most exciting one yet to me! Check out So a Blonde Walks Into a Wedding!

Yes, that is my WEDDING blog!! I am so excited! I'd be so happy if you'd sign up to follow in the sidebar and join us as we count down the days until we say, "I do!"

Tomorrow is a big day for us as we meet with our wedding vendors and do tastings in the Outer Banks. Follow our Twitter accounts for live updates and pics: BlondeBlogger and Boobtubious. We'll need help choosing which foods, cake, flowers and decor we want so definitely tune in and give us your opinion!

Thanks for joining us on our journey! :)

He is We "My Forever" CD Winner

2011-05-17T19:42:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to Erin whose name was selected via Random.org as the winner of the He is We "My Forever" CD giveaway. Thanks to everyone who entered and shared their happily ever after stories!

I am aware of the huge Blogger glitch that occured this past week and apologize if your entry/comment did not appear or if you had difficulty with entering. I know other review sites on Blogger had similar problems and it was a Blogger-wide issue. Hopefully this has been resolved by Blogger for good and that it will not happen again! Thank you for your patience and continued readership!

He is We - My Forever Review and Giveaway

2011-05-09T08:00:00.002-04:00

My fiance and I recently took a road trip to Florida with our kids and there was one CD that played on repeat for most of the trip: "My Forever" by the amazingly talented band He is We. Having received the CD for review just before leaving, I played it for everyone to see what they thought. Everyone loved it and my soon-to-be stepdaughter Kylie begged to borrow the CD after the trip.

"My Forever" is a perfect road-trip album. In fact, it's a perfect-for-anytime album...while cleaning the house, relaxing on the deck with friends over, by candlelight while snuggling up with my fiance on the couch...I could go on and on. It is, by far, one of my favorite CD's now and I never get tired of it.

I had never heard of He is We before this review but I am a huge fan now! The band was formed when music store coworkers Rachel Taylor and Trevor Kelly felt like outcasts and collaborated on a song ("Such a Beautiful Sound") together.

The duo's quirky songwriting gained attention when they posted their song "Pardon Me" online. When the song received thousands of hits, Rachel and Trevor were encouraged to write more, deepening their musical connection with the birth of each new song.

And their relationship with their fans was solidified when they began touring in early 2009, as the two never leave a shirt unsigned or a fan unhugged. By 2010, they wanted to have something more to give to those fans than just a few online songs so they began recording the ten tracks for their debut album with several different producers across the country. Working with so many producers created what the band feels is a sense of open-minded diversity on the record.

The final album is a delightfully eclectic collection of acoustic songs that shine with enthusiasm and passion. "Happily Ever After" is a subtle pop song that showcases Rachel's soothing voice perfectly. "Forever and Ever," is a sweet, intimate song that Rachel says is about "learning what unconditional love is." The last song, "Fall," is haunting and has a palpable ache. It's one of my favorites, and Rachel wrote it while in the hospital, watching too much "Maury" on TV and thinking, "Why in the world do girls go for douchebags?"

My most favorite (and it really is hard picking a favorite as every song is just so good) is the bonus track, which is the acoustic version of "And Run."

The album as a whole is lovely and inviting and one the whole family can listen to. "Making the album turned our little demos into exactly what we were hoping for," Rachel says. "It made our little babies grow up into beautiful young songs."

And He is We is just getting started. Expect more releases in the future from this fabulous band. As Rachel promises, "It's only going to get better."

For more info on He is We, follow these links:

Official Website
Facebook
MySpace
Twitter
iTunes

I have one copy of "My Forever" by He is We to give to one lucky reader of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review! To enter, simply leave a comment on this post sharing a "happily ever after" moment in your life.

Be sure that there is an email address that can be found with your entry or your entry will have to be disqualified.

By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here. Please also see my disclosure policy here.

You can receive additional entries by doing one or all of the following (one entry, one time, for each step):

~Tweet with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with your Twitter link. Feel free to use the Twitter share button at the bottom of this site.

~Become a Facebook fan of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review. Simply click here and like the page, then leave a separate comment on this post letting me know your Facebook name.

~Blog about this contest with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with the link to your post.

~Follow this blog. Simply click on "Follow this blog" found near the top of the sidebar to the right (under "The Blonde"). Then, leave a separate comment letting me know you are following.

~Post the button below on your blog and then leave a separate comment here letting me know it's posted and where. Here's the code for the button:

Deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Monday, May 16, 2011. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of "My Forever" by He is We to facilitate this review, and a free copy will be sent out to the winner as well.

Frigidaire Wins ENERGY STAR Partner Award

2011-04-25T16:31:00.006-04:00

Readers of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review already know that Frigidaire dishwashers save you time, energy and money. Now, I'm excited to let you know that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have named Frigidaire an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for Appliances!

The award recognizes Frigidaire for increasing their selection and delivery of environmentally-conscious ENERGY STAR qualified appliances and helping to educate consumers about the ENERGY STAR program.

Frigidaire's new kitchen and laundry collections include ENERGY STAR qualified appliances in every product category where applicable, offering a wide variety of stylish appliances that are from 10 to 80% more energy-efficient than non-ENERGY STAR qualified appliances.

As I stated in a previous post, I had to say goodbye to my amazing Frigidaire dishwasher when I moved and I miss it tremendously. I've never owned a more quiet, efficient, and roomy dishwasher than my Frigidaire.

Here's a video I made showcasing some of its features:

The dishwasher in my townhouse rental (NOT a Frigidaire) is loud, doesn't hold a lot of dishes, and often does not clean very well. When I purchase a new home, I am going to make sure I have a Frigidaire dishwasher again!

Frigidaire's award comes at a perfect time as April is Earth Month. One easy way you can celebrate Earth Month is to take the Eco-Friendly Options Poll on Frigidaire's Facebook page. You can also enter to win an eco-friendly Frigidaire appliance while you're there! Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a $50 gift card to help facilitate this review as part of the Frigidaire Test Drive program.

Giveaway Winners

2011-03-22T00:31:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to sue14625, the winner of the chicBuds giveaway, and to Nancy, the winner of the Army Wives boot camp prize pack giveaway. Both were selected at random via Random.org.

Stay tuned for more fun giveaways to come!

Army Wives Boot Camp Prize Pack Giveaway

2011-03-13T10:00:00.004-04:00

With spring in the air, I have a little more bounce in my step and decided to join a gym. There’s nothing quite like the feeling you get after a good workout, especially when the sun is shining brighter and the days are getting longer.

Another great reason to get in shape? Army Wives has returned for a fifth season with 13 all-new episodes and I have a great boot camp prize pack to help celebrate the return of the show and to kick-start your workout routine!

Airing on Lifetime at 9pm et/pt on Sundays, Army Wives follows the struggles, dreams and friendships of a diverse group of women – and one man – living with their spouses and families on an active Army post.

The series films in Charleston, South Carolina and stars Kim Delaney (Claudia Joy Holden), Sally Pressman (Roxy LeBlanc), Brigid Brannagh (Pamela Moran), Brian McNamara (Michael Holden), Sterling K. Brown (Roland Burton), Wendy Davis (Joan Burton), Drew Fuller (Trevor LeBlanc), Terry Serpico (Frank Sherwood) and Catherine Bell (Denise Sherwood). The series is based on the book Army Wives by Tanya Biank, who serves as a show consultant.

Here's a preview of an intriguing scene from season five:

One lucky reader of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review will win an Army Wives boot camp prize pack which includes:

Camo Gym Bag
Gaiam Yoga Mat/Bag
Padlock
Dog Tag
Water Canteen
Tank Top
Terrycloth Sweat Towel
Messenger Cap
Yoga Ball
Jump Rope

Contest is limited to U.S. Residents only. To enter, simply tell us what your favorite workout tip is in the comments on this post.

Be sure that there is an email address for you that I can find, or your entry will have to be disqualified.

By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here. Please also see my disclosure policy here.

You can receive additional entries by doing one or all of the following (one entry, one time, for each step):

~Twitter with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with your Twitter link. Feel free to use the Twitter share button at the bottom of this site.

~Become a Facebook fan of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review. Simply click here and like the page, then leave a separate comment on this post letting me know your Facebook name.

~Blog about this contest with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with the link to your post.

~Follow this blog. Simply click on "Follow this blog" found near the top of the sidebar to the right (under "The Blonde"). Then, leave a separate comment letting me know you are following.

~Post the button below on your blog and then leave a separate comment here letting me know it's posted and where. Here's the code for the button:

Deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Sunday, March 20, 2011. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck!

Note: Thank you to Lifetime Television for providing the wonderful prize pack for this giveaway!

Ear Candy - chicBuds Review and Giveaway

2011-03-07T00:07:00.003-05:00

As a music lover, I am always listening to my iPod or songs from my iTunes on my laptop. I've always used run-of-the-mill earphones while doing so but have longed for something better.

When I came across chicBuds, my heart skipped a beat. Classy, fun, girly earphones with bling? Earphones with retractable wires? SOLD!

Thanks to the great ladies at chicBuds, I was able to try out the Black chicBuds Earphones in Marshmallow "flavor." (They're also available in blueberry.) With genuine Swarovski crystals, retractable connectors, and a mini belt clip, chicBuds are a girly-girl's dream come true.

The retractable connectors are easy to use and eliminate the tangled mess that can happen with other earphones. Click here to see how the retractable system works.

And they sound as good as they look! My music comes through crisp and clear without any distortion. I refuse to listen with any other earphones than my chicBuds from here on out!

chicBuds was founded by my beautiful friend and former model Kailynn, better known as "Chic Geek CEO," who is the Queen of all things girly so it's no surprise to me that chicBud products have become such a hit.

But don't take my word for how great they are. Thanks to chicBuds, I have a black pair of earphones in Marshmallow (retail value $40) just like mine to give to one lucky reader!

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post letting me know which chicBud product is your favorite (see their full line of products here.) With adorable keychain and retro cassette speakers, and a wide variety of earphone designs, it will be hard to choose just one favorite!

Be sure that there is an email address for you that I can find, or your entry will have to be disqualified.

By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here. Please also see my disclosure policy here.

You can receive additional entries by doing one or all of the following (one entry, one time, for each step):

~Twitter with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with your Twitter link. Feel free to use the Twitter share button at the bottom of this site.

~Become a Facebook fan of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review. Simply click here and like the page, then leave a separate comment on this post letting me know your Facebook name.

~Blog about this contest with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with the link to your post.

~Follow this blog. Simply click on "Follow this blog" found near the top of the sidebar to the right (under "The Blonde"). Then, leave a separate comment letting me know you are following.

~Post the button below on your blog and then leave a separate comment here letting me know it's posted and where. Here's the code for the button:

~Add So a Blonde Walks Into a Review to your Technorati Favorites (just click the button below and follow the simple steps). Then, leave a separate comment here letting me know you've added this blog to your favorites:

Deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Monday, March 14, 2011. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary pair of chicBuds to facilitate this review.

Paws Up! Lady Gaga's Monster Ball at Verizon Center in Washington DC

2011-02-28T08:00:00.003-05:00

It was a packed house full of little monsters at Lady Gaga's Monster Ball Tour last Thursday night at the Verizon Center in Washington DC. More than 15,000 were in attendance to watch "Mother Monster" (as she's affectionately known to her fans) put on a dazzling show.

Let me start off by saying how much I enjoy attending any event at Verizon Center. In the heart of DC, the center is expansive and clean with plenty of bathrooms, and there is no such thing as a bad seat. Even those sitting in the 400's can see well.

And the Verizon Center is always buzzing with life, even blocks away, whenever a concert, sporting event or other happening is taking place. It was no different for The Monster Ball, and as my fiance Matt and I grabbed a couple of drinks and dinner at The Greene Turtle right next to the venue (we had a "Paparazzi" and "Alejandro" specially made by the bartender for the show), we found ourselves surrounded by fellow monsters:

We were approached by a lady who was in attendance with her nieces and nephews who didn't think she was hip enough, so she asked Matt if he would paint a lightning bolt on her face that looked like his. He happily complied:

My vote for best-dressed fan of the night went to Kira Peasley of Kira Peasley Designs:

Kira designs Lady Gaga costumes professionally and was featured on Virgin Mobile's "LadyVirgin.com" site (2.25.11). She even got a shot out from Gaga herself as Gaga uttered, "Nice meat dress!" while performing "Telephone." Youtube user David526 caught it on video here:

As Matt and I made our way back to Verizon Center, we had to stop for a photo next to Virgin Mobile's HUGE tour bus:

We then stopped by Virgin Mobile's photo stop, one of many within the center, and had fun taking a few shots:

We missed the opening act (Scissor Sisters) and by the time we took our seats, the center was already packed! We had a great view of the stage as well as the thrust:

The crowd grew more and more anxious as we awaited the star of the show, but finally at 9:25, Lady Gaga's silhouette appeared behind a white scrim. She did various Vogue poses to "Dance in the Dark" and her "there but not quite all the way yet" stint made the crowd even hungry for more:

She finally made her way down a steel staircase to the floor in the midst of a New York City street-scene:

The ongoing theme through the show was Lady Gaga trying to get to the Monster Ball. After her beat-up, green car (which doubled as a piano) broke down, she hit the New York subway to one of my favorite songs..."Lovegame:"

As if the sets, costumes, designs and dancers weren't enough, Lady Gaga showed what she was made of by singing every song live. "I don't lip sync," she shouted. "I will never waste your damn time or your money!"

Gaga often quipped throughout the show, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers and applause. She inspired everyone to love themselves, celebrate who they are, and to always follow their dreams.

"We're gonna be super free, little monsters! This is a place where all the freaks are outside!"

And as if we needed any coaxing, we all obeyed when she told us, "Paws up, little monsters!" (which we were obviously doing even before the show started!)

She also preached about religion, stating that Jesus loves everyone, and, "My religion is you, little monsters...tonight, my religion is D.C.!"

At one point during the show, Lady Gaga made a call to a fan in the crowd. Matt and I had given our number to Virgin Mobile when we took our picture at the photo stop, and we waited anxiously hoping my cell would ring.

But it was another attendee who got the call and her jubilation could be felt throughout the entire center. Lady Gaga spoke with her briefly, then invited her backstage to meet her as the crowd "oooh'd and ahhh'd" with both awe and jealousy.

After the call, Gaga announced that another call was coming in. She answered and said, "Oh...it's Beyonce," then went into her beloved song "Telephone."

Gaga also performed a couple of ballads, including a new song, "You and I," performed while playing a piano with flames bursting from it.

The piano wasn't the only pyrotechnic prop. For one number, Gaga wore a costume complete with "boob sparklers" as I like to call them. But she did Katy Perry one better and had fireworks shooting from her crotch as well.

To thicken the "let's get to the Monster Ball on time" plot even further, Gaga and her dancers were swallowed up by a "tornado" that descended upon them from the ceiling.

She emerged as an angel with moving wings, but I thought she looked more like Glenda the Good Witch from "The Wizard of Oz."

That look was in sharp contrast to her dark, "bloody" monster set and costume, where spooky spiked trees dotted the stage and a creepy mist rose in the air.

And what Monster Ball would be complete without a monster? A creature reminiscent of the angler fish featured in "Finding Nemo" appeared on stage as Lady Gaga inched closer and closer before lying on the ground and being swallowed up by it.

For the finale, Gaga did a breathtaking, acapella performance of her new hit, "Born This Way." With she and her backup singers wearing long, flowing robes, it was like watching a Southern Baptist choir, Gaga-style.

It was the perfect ending to a perfect show. And the next day, Matt and I created another little monster as his daughter Kendall found my Gaga mask and wore it better than I did.

For more pics from the show, check out my Flickr page here. (Many thanks to Matt for taking many of the photos!)

Gaga's full set list from the DC show is as follows:

Dance in the Dark
Glitter and Grease
Just Dance
Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
The Fame
LoveGame
Boys Boys Boys
Money Honey
Telephone
Speechless
You and I (New song)
So Happy I Could Die
Monster
Teeth
Alejandro
Poker Face
Paparazzi
Bad Romance
Born This Way

If you're planning on attending an upcoming Monster Ball show, be prepared for Gaga's brand new "monsterlook," as tweeted by Lady Gaga herself here! Though with Gaga, you never know what look she might pull next. What you can expect though is a stellar performance by a talented woman who is one of a kind!

Disclosure: I received two, complimentary press passes from Verizon Center to faciliate this review.

Stay Tuned, Little Monsters!

2011-02-23T21:46:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow night at 8pm EST, I will be covering Lady Gaga's "The Monster Ball Tour" live from Verizon Center in Washington DC! Be sure to tune in to my Twitter feed for live tweets and twitpics and then check back here for the post-show review!

I have both of Lady Gaga's fabulous albums and I just preordered her latest, "Born This Way," from Target. From now until February 26, if you preorder from Target, you get a free download of the title track, so hurry over and place your order before the offer expires!

From what I've read, "Born This Way" has been added to her set list so I'll let you know how it was live. See you tomorrow night!

Disclosure: I was given two press passes to the show to facilitate this review.

Live Like a Celebrity Giveaway Winner

2011-02-12T18:20:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to kylie8cake! Her name was selected at random via Random.org as the winner of the Live Like a Celebrity giveaway.

Stay tuned for more fun giveaways to come!

Get the Dirt on How to Live Like a Celebrity - Giveaway

2011-02-02T21:30:00.005-05:00

Some of my favorite apps on my iPod are celebrity-related: People.com, TMZ, Pop Sugar...I could go on and on. I certainly don't envy those celebs whose lives are in shambles, but I do wonder what it would be like to live the life of a celeb like Angelina Jolie for a day.

Ever wish that you could switch lives with a celebrity for a day? Wouldn’t it be great if you could figure out how to pull off a red carpet worthy look and keep your home looking like it belongs on the cover of a magazine?

The truth is, though we may not want to admit it, we like hearing celebrity gossip but we also like to keep things clean. That’s why Clorox® Regular-Bleach is giving busy moms like you the chance to do both with Get the Dirt...but Keep it Clean, a new mobile program that delivers quick clean-up tips to your phone while letting you indulge in the celebrity lifestyle.

Visit www.Clorox.com/GetTheDirt to receive Clorox’s Get the Dirt...but Keep it Clean cleaning tips and to be entered for a chance to win a trip for two to Hollywood, California.

Readers of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review also have the chance to win a free Stunning Starlet Palette make-up kit by Stila! To enter, simply leave a comment on this post with your favorite clean-up tip to keep your home looking glamorous!

Be sure that there is an email address for you that I can find, or your entry will have to be disqualified.

By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here. Please also see my disclosure policy here.

You can receive additional entries by doing one or all of the following (one entry, one time, for each step):

~Twitter with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with your Twitter link. Feel free to use the Twitter share button at the bottom of this site.

~Blog about this contest with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with the link to your post.

~Follow this blog. Simply click on "Follow this blog" found near the top of the sidebar to the right (under "The Blonde"). Then, leave a separate comment letting me know you are following.

~Post the button below on your blog and then leave a separate comment here letting me know it's posted and where. Here's the code for the button:

~Add So a Blonde Walks Into a Review to your Technorati Favorites (just click the button below and follow the simple steps). Then, leave a separate comment here letting me know you've added this blog to your favorites:

Deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Wednesday, February 9, 2011. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a sample of The Stunning Starlet Palette make-up kit from The Clorox Company at no cost to me to facilitate this review.

Frigidaire and Jennifer Garner Team Up to Get Kids Cooking!

2011-01-31T02:16:00.008-05:00

One of the most important things to me as a mom is making sure my kids have healthy, nutritious, homemade meals to nourish them as they grow. And since kids learn by example, they've developed a love of cooking from watching me cook in the kitchen over the years.

Now, I have a new tool at my disposal to help them learn more cooking skills thanks to the Frigidaire Kids' Cooking Academy. Frigidaire teamed up with actress Jennifer Garner to help families in preparing nutritious foods together with this online school that features daily tips, fun recipes and how-to-videos hosted by Chef Mary Sue Milliken.

Not only is the school free to join when you visit Frigidaire.com, but Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children for each person that joins to help ensure that children across the world have access to healthy food.

And there's something in it for you as well beyond having fun with your children while learning new skills. Everyone who participates will be entered for a chance to win the daily prize (a kid's apron set) and the grand prize (a new Frigidaire Double Oven Range that offers more room for preparing healthy meals and snacks!).

I plan on making the "Apple Cinnamon Hand Pies" recipe with my fiance and our kids this weekend. I watched the instructional video and it looks like a fun way to teach our kids how to cook. And getting them to eat fruit is an added bonus!

I also want to try the "Cauliflower Popcorn" recipe with them since getting them to eat vegetables is even more of a challenge.

With all of this cooking comes added dishes to wash of course, and as you might remember, I am part of the Frigidaire Dishwasher Test Drive program with Mom Central. But due to my recent move, I no longer have my beloved Frigidaire Professional Line Dishwasher so I will have to settle for the dishwasher that's in our townhouse rental to handle the clean-up from all of our fun recipe making.

I won't mention what brand I have here in our townhouse, but I will tell you it's not Frigidaire. And I can't express enough how much I miss the performance of my Frigidaire dishwasher. Not only does it not clean as well, it's not as quiet and holds less dishes and silverware, which means running more loads, wasting energy and more of my time. I really miss Frigidaire's SpaceWise Organization system, which had adjustable racks and the "Largest Silverware Basket" feature. It really, really made a difference in how many dishes I could load in one wash.

As soon as my fiance and I are in our new home (hopefully by the end of the year), I am going to make sure we have a Frigidaire dishwasher there!

In the meantime, I'll suffer through the extra dishwashing so that my fiance and I can cook up the fun, healthy recipes from Frigidaire's Kids' Cooking Academy with our kids!

Note: Follow these links for more information:
Make Time for Change by Frigidaire - Facebook
Frigidaire - Facebook
Save the Children - Facebook
Make Time for Change - Twitter
Save the Children - Twitter

Disclosure: I received a $50 gift card to facilitate this review as part of the Frigidaire Test Drive program.

Working Class Premiere

2011-01-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the great ladies at the One2One Network,I had the privilege of previewing CMT's first ever sitcom, "Working Class." The show stars beautiful Melissa Peterman and fabulous Ed Asner...a perfect combo if you ask me!

Peterman plays Carli Mitchell, a single mom from a rough and tumble background, trying to give her three kids a better life by moving them to an upscale suburb. She quickly finds that making the transition to “the good life” is harder than she thought.

She's unwittingly befriended by her cranky neighbor, Hank (Asner), her only “career” prospect is a glorified deli job at the local grocery store, and the man she falls for not only already has a girlfriend – but he’s also her boss, Rob (Patrick Fabian). With her ladies-man brother, Nick (Steve Kazee), to help her out (when he’s not acting like one of the kids himself), Carli faces the challenges of parenting, dating, and making friends in her new community by doing more with less, staying true to herself and approaching each day with a touch of working class.

My fiance and I watched the preview of the pilot episode and loved it! It was cute, quirky, and funny and the chemistry between all of the cast members is spot on!

My favorite character is definitely Carli. She is down-to-earth and finds herself in embarrassing situations that we can all relate to. Here are some behind-the-scenes videos of Peterman and Asner on the set of "Working Class:"

Tune in to CMT on January 28, 8 pm EST to see the premiere of "Working Class" and check out the show's website here.

HGTV Premiere Week Giveaway Winners

2011-01-12T19:40:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Nancy and Lorena! Their names were selected at random via Random.org as the winners of the HGTV Premiere Week Giveaway!

Stay tuned for more great giveaways to come!

Random Acts of Zhu

2011-01-04T17:22:00.008-05:00

"It's better to give than to receive." It may be cliche, but I couldn't agree more! And thanks to ZhuZhu Pets, I was able to do just that through an amazing charity program called "Random Acts of Zhu."

Dozens and dozens of ZhuZhu Pets, the number one toy of 2010, arrived at my door for me to donate to the charities of my choice (those are just a small portion in the photo above). My fiance and I took our daughters to our local police and fire departments to personally donate the toys and the remaining ones went to a local prison ministry. We donated more than 100 ZhuZhu Pets in total!

Here we are with the Leesburg Fire Department:

Think about how frightening a car accident, fire or other emergency can be for a child. Being able to give them a toy can be a valuable distraction, and that's why we chose the Leesburg Fire Department as one of the charities. (Many thanks to DJ and Jim for being so accommodating to us!)

Here we are with the Leesburg Police Department:

The Leesburg Police Department has several community outreach programs, including Recreation Outreach to Community Kids (R.O.C.K.) which is a free service that provides positive recreation and leisure activities to area youth through after school and summer programs.

We loved the sound of such a program, especially after learning that it's proven to reduce crime in our community so we requested that the ZhuZhu Pets be used for R.O.C.K. We also encouraged the use of the toys for any other needs that may arise in the department such as emergency/domestic calls. (Thank you to Officer Tidmore and the volunteers with the Law Enforcement Explorer Post 1041 for being so wonderful to us during our visit!)

The local prison ministry received the remaining ZhuZhu Pets after a request went out for toys for children of prisoners. We were so happy to be able to respond to the request and help in giving these children a happy Christmas!

ZhuZhu Pets was also kind enough to provide me with their new line of Kung Zhu Pets and accessories for review so stay tuned for a post about these fun toys soon!

And remember...your local charities need help year-round, so please do all you can to support them today and every day!

HGTV Premiere Week Giveaway!

2011-01-03T00:00:00.001-05:00

Celebrate the new year with two fabulous shows on HGTV: Cash & Cari and Selling New York!

Cash & Cari is a brand new show while Selling New York is celebrating its second season. And both have the fun, vibrant feel that HGTV is known for!

Here's a synopsis for each show:

Cash & Cari

Whether it's a vintage Chanel gown left behind in a disused dry cleaners or a limited-edition pink vinyl copy of Michael Jackson's Thriller, or a Capo di Monte porcelain statuette, antiques dealer extraordinaire Cari Cucksey is always on the lookout for the undiscovered diamond in the rough. Cari travels the country to estate sales, flea markets, attics, garages and anywhere else that peaks her interest in search of obscure pieces to restore or flip for profit. Premieres Monday, January 3 at 10/9c on HGTV.

Selling New York

They are assertive, razor-sharp, and always compelling real estate brokers, in the country's most competitive market. In a city of over 8-million people, where the average sale price is over 2-million dollars, the competition to seal the deal is stiff. Now, catch a rare glimpse into a world where a solid reputation at the top of the real estate food chain involves swimming with the sharks, going head-to-head with the best, and rubbing shoulders with the wealthiest and trendiest of New York's social, political and artistic elite. This is SELLING NEW YORK. Premieres Thursday, January 6 at 9/8c on HGTV.

I can't wait to tune into both shows starting TONIGHT with Cash & Cari! As if the fun of both shows isn't enough, HGTV is offering readers of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review a terrific prize pack to celebrate premiere week!

~~One~~ TWO lucky readers (U.S. residents only, please) will win each of the prizes pictured above, including:

1 HGTV Red Can Koozie
1 HGTV Ocean Blue Mug
1 HGTV Canvas Visor
1 HGTV Multi-Colored Roll-Up Tote

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post letting me know what you love about HGTV or why you would like to win.

Be sure that there is an email address for you that I can find, or your entry will have to be disqualified.

By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here. Please also see my disclosure policy here.

You can receive additional entries by doing one or all of the following (one entry, one time, for each step):

~Twitter with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with your Twitter link. Feel free to use the Twitter share button at the bottom of this site.

~Blog about this contest with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with the link to your post.

~Follow this blog. Simply click on "Follow this blog" found near the top of the sidebar to the right (under "The Blonde"). Then, leave a separate comment letting me know you are following.

~Post the button below on your blog and then leave a separate comment here letting me know it's posted and where. Here's the code for the button:

~Add So a Blonde Walks Into a Review to your Technorati Favorites (just click the button below and follow the simple steps). Then, leave a separate comment here letting me know you've added this blog to your favorites:

Deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Monday, January 10, 2011. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck!

Note: Thank you to HGTV for providing the prize packs for this giveaway.

Busch Gardens' Christmas Town Review

2010-12-13T00:00:00.004-05:00

note: be sure you don't miss the amazing video of our time at busch gardens at the bottom of this post! it's the best part! :)

A couple of weekends ago, my future husband and I had the privilege of visiting the wonderful Busch Garden's Christmas Town Social Media event.

First, there's something you should know about me. From the time I was a little girl, I have always been enthralled with Christmas lights and Christmas has always been my favorite time of year. As soon as I'd see those colored bulbs twinkling in front of homes and businesses as I rode in my mom's car, I would be overcome with joy.

I am just as enthralled with Christmas lights and displays now as I was then, so when I walked into Christmas Town, it took my breath away. Never in my life have I ever seen such a magical, magnificent display of lights, sounds, scenery, etc. Never ever! I felt like a kid again and the joy rose up in me, bubbling over just as it did when I was a child.

When you enter Christmas Town, you feel like you've entered another world. And not just the "Old Country" other world you may be used to if you've been to Busch Gardens before. This is a place where ornamental snowflakes dangle and sparkle above your head, while real ones fall softly on your shoulders from snow machines.

A place where millions of lights illuminate every area, some reflecting into the river while a large "Peace on Earth" sign sits majestically above it all...where one tree alone shines with over 100,000 lights:

A place where real-life entertainers enthrall you with bagpipes and caroling and music themed to each country plays soothingly all around you:

A place that celebrates the true meaning of the holiday with a heartwarming nativity scene:

The shows are just as dazzling and the heartfelt messages give you the warm fuzzies which helps fight off the chill of the winter air. (But if that's not enough for you, there are heated seats and standing heat lamps throughout the park...not to mention plenty of delicious hot chocolate and mulled cider!)

Being roller coaster enthusiasts, we made sure to stop by the one coaster that was open...The Griffon:

But after one ride, we decided that strolling along the peaceful pathways was more to our liking. Christmas Town is about the scenery and shows, and not the rides, in my opinion.

In addition to walking, you can also check out the views from the Christmas train or the "Flight of Lights" (the sky ride), both of which are decked out in lights themselves. The aerial view of the park at this time of year is astounding. You definitely don't want to miss it!

What visit to Busch Gardens would be complete without animals? Here's Matt and me posing with the gorgeous Clydesdale Dusty:

There are also penguins that we somehow missed but will be sure to look for next year.

We were fortunate enough to meet some of the faces behind the event. This is me with Virginia, who runs Busch Gardens' Twitter account:

And this is Matt and me with Carl Lum, president of Busch Gardens:

Matt and I are definitely visiting again next year, and we plan on bringing our kids next time. It makes for a perfect family outing! But this year, it was just the two of us, which was more romantic than words can describe:

Matt put together a wonderful video that captured all the beauty and splendor of the evening. Watch it here:

And then make every effort to get to Christmas Town this year if you haven't already! It will be open EVERY day from the 17th to the 31st, so hurry over and enjoy the magic yourself!

Marry Me!

2010-12-09T00:00:00.001-05:00

As someone who is soon-to-be engaged, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to screen Lifetime's upcoming miniseries "Marry Me" starring the fabulous Lucy Liu!

From Lifetime's website:

Lucy Liu stars as Rae Ann Carter, a single aspiring-artist-turned-social-worker who always wanted a fairy-tale romance — to fall madly in love and live happily ever after. But when her two-year relationship falls apart, Rae unexpectedly falls for a new man, Luke (Steven Pasquale), who asks her to marry him after a few short dates. Just as everything seems to fall into place for Rae, her ex-boyfriend Adam (Bobby Cannavale) suddenly re-emerges into her life with a proposal of his own. Things get even further complicated when a third man (Enrique Murciano), smitten by Rae, enters the picture and asks for her hand in marriage, as well. With three men after her heart, who will be Rae’s Prince Charming?

I was rooting for romantic, good-guy Luke through the whole miniseries since he reminded me of my romantic, good-guy Matt. :) Is it true that "all romantic men cheat" as Rae's friends warn her? Not in my case! As for the miniseries, you'll have to watch to find out. ;)

Will Rae choose my favorite (Luke)? Or will she fall for old flame Adam?

Or maybe it's the suave and debonair Harry?

My favorite quote in the miniseries comes when Immy, one of Rae's foster clients (who happens to have captured her heart), is questioned about her belief in love and romance. Lucy Liu asks, "You believe in all that?"

"Yeah," Immy replies. "Why? Just 'cause I've seen a bunch of people get it wrong? That's just how you learn to get it right."

I left a marriage of 21 years and it was one of the hardest decisions of my life. That quote really hit home with me and I couldn't agree more. Having the courage to make a change and learn from the past has led me to be happier than I've ever been in my entire life. So I love this miniseries all the more for recognizing people who have been through my situation with a quote like that.

"Marry Me" is fun, lighthearted, and enchanting and it was a nice change of pace to see Lucy Liu shine in a comedic role. There are castles, private jets, romantic adventures, and more! But it's the lessons Rae learns about true love, romance, and following your dreams that will resonate most.

Check out the trailer here:

I had originally planned to host a viewing party to screen the miniseries, but due to complications with FedEx (nothing wrong on their end...I just wasn't able to be there to sign for the package), I received my kit too late. So I got creative and took the fabulous goodies that were sent to me and made them into gift bags to share with my neighbors and friends:

You can host YOUR own viewing party when the series airs, and Lifetime has some great ideas to help you be the hostess with the mostest right here!

Whether you watch by yourself or with friends, "Marry Me" will be sure to sweep you off your feet! <3 Tune in to Lifetime at 9 pm et/pt on Sunday, December 12 and again at 9 pm et/pt on Monday, December 13 to catch all of the fun!

Disclosure: I received a free preview copy of "Marry Me" as well as several gifts to help facilitate this review.

Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

2010-12-02T09:07:00.001-05:00

Stay tuned to my Twitter feed for tweets and Twitpics Friday night, starting at 5 p.m. EST for live coverage of Busch Gardens' Christmas Town celebration. I'll be attending their social media event that night and will be bringing you behind-the-scenes coverage right from the park, including comments from Busch Garden's president Carl Lum and Vice President of Entertainment Scott Gasparich.

I visited Busch Gardens during their Howl-O-Scream event and was VERY impressed. My family and I had an amazing time! I can't wait to show you all that Busch Gardens has to offer you at Christmas Town!

I'll also be posting follow-up videos here for your enjoyment after I return so stay tuned for those as well. "See" you Friday night from the park!

Serving in Style with Villeroy & Boch

2010-12-01T20:18:00.006-05:00

With the holidays fast approaching, I've been scrambling to plan my family's Christmas party. And thanks to Villeroy & Boch, I will be serving food in style on my new Toys Delight serving platter:

Words do not do this platter justice, but elegant, classy, and stylish come to mind. Toys Delight is Villeroy & Boch's new holiday pattern. The platter is perfect for cookies, cakes and all of your other holiday treats.

The Platter has an MSRP of $100 and is currently on sale for $69.95.

Villeroy & Boch also has an adorable candle holder, "Apple Seller," that's part of their Nostalgic Market collection:

The candle holder has an MSRP value of $43 but is on sale for $29.95.

For everyday serving, Villeroy & Boch's Ceramicplus Lasagna Dish in French Garden is absolutely beautiful! Ceramicplus Bakeware is oven-safe, dishwasher-safe, microwave-safe and freezer-safe. It has a proprietary glaze that repels baked-on food, so you can clean it quickly and easily without scrubbing or scouring. The Lasagna Dish has a MSRP of $121 and is currently on sale for $60.50.

Villeroy & Boch offers a great selection of modern and classic dinnerware place settings, accessories, crystal stemware and gifts for any occasion, perfect for celebrating casual or traditional get-togethers. The company is 260 years old and still family owned. Its dinnerware sets the tables of the Pope, crowned royalty, and households of the rich and famous as well as renowned restaurants on every continent.

Even the box that my Christmas platter came in screams "elegance." Any of their products would make a perfect gift for a loved one during the holidays.

Isabelle von Boch is currently blogging at www.villeroyandboch-blog.com. She wants to inspire people to use their good china every day, and she's offering a variety of simple recipes as well as decorating ideas.! Be sure to check it out!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary Toys Delight serving platter to facilitate this review.

Lunchables Winner

2010-11-18T22:51:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Steph! Her name was selected at random via Random.org as the winner of the Lunchables giveaway!

Stay tuned for more fun reviews and giveaways to come!

Lunch Made Easy (and Healthy!) With Lunchables

2010-11-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

With all of the changes and chaos in my life now, time is one thing that's hard to come by. As a single mom with school-aged children, I need fast, healthy choices when it comes to lunch for my kids and Lunchables has always come to my rescue! In fact, it will be the lunch of choice when I chaperone my daughter's field trip into DC on Monday.

Lunchables has come out with two new varieties of Lunch Combinations and an addition to one classic that my kids were able to try out: Chicken + American Sub Sandwich, Chicken Strips with DOLE Mandarin Oranges, and Deep Dish Pizza NOW with DOLE Mandarin Oranges.

My kids were thrilled to see mandarin oranges added into the Lunchables Combinations since that's their favorite fruit. And they loved each Lunchables Combination, both of them fighting over who got what combo (if they had their way, each one would've gotten to eat all three!).

~The Chicken Strips Lunchable is made with 100% white meat chicken and a the mandarin oranges provide a full serving of fruit.

~The Chicken + American Sub Sandwich Lunchable is made from rotisserie seasoned chicken breast and includes spring water and a bun made with 8 grams of whole grain per serving.

~The Deep Dish Cheese Pizza Lunchable has a crust made with 8 grams of whole grain, reduced-fat cheese and a full serving of fruit.

The new varieties feature clear, outside packaging so moms can see what they're giving their kids and is largely recyclable, including the sleeves, bottom trays and water bottles.

Want to try out these and other Lunchables for your family? I have six coupons for one free package of any Lunchables combination each (for a total of six combos)to give to one lucky winner!

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post letting me know what you love about Lunchables or why you would like to try them out.

Be sure that there is an email address for you that I can find, or your entry will have to be disqualified.

By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here. Please also see my disclosure policy here.

You can receive additional entries by doing one or all of the following (one entry, one time, for each step):

~Twitter with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with your Twitter link. Feel free to use the Twitter share button at the bottom of this site.

~Blog about this contest with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with the link to your post.

~Follow this blog. Simply click on "Follow this blog" found near the top of the sidebar to the right (under "The Blonde"). Then, leave a separate comment letting me know you are following.

~Post the button below on your blog and then leave a separate comment here letting me know it's posted and where. Here's the code for the button:

~Add So a Blonde Walks Into a Review to your Technorati Favorites (just click the button below and follow the simple steps). Then, leave a separate comment here letting me know you've added this blog to your favorites:

Deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Friday, November 12, 2010. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received complimentary Lunchables Combinations as well as coupons to facilitate this review.

Dinner With Disney!

2010-09-14T16:45:00.009-04:00

If there is one place in the world that I will never be too old for, where the most magical memories are made, and where happiness lives, that place is Walt Disney World. I have always been a huge Disney fan and every time I walk through those gates, I feel like I am a kid again.

No Disney vacation can be complete without experiencing the wonder of their cuisine, whether it's something as simple as a quick snack at a kiosk, or a delicious, sit down dinner at one of their 200 (yes...200!) restaurants on the 40-square mile property. Walt Disney World is a premiere, international dining destination, with something for everyone.

Craving a Mickey-shaped ice cream bar? Just swing by a kiosk while walking to your next attraction. Prefer to sit down in an adults-only, formal setting, with harps, butler service and personalized menus? Then the AAA 5 Diamond-rated Victoria and Albert’s is the perfect choice!

Right now is the perfect time to experience Walt Disney World's vast array of eating choices, as the park is offering a free Disney dining plan promotion! Book your Disney vacation today through the promotion and you will be able to:

(Regular Dining Plan) Choose meals and snacks at over 100 select Walt Disney World restaurants, including some with Character Dining. During your package stay, each person over 3 years of age will receive:

1 Table-Service Meal
1 Quick-Service Meal
1 Snack

OR

(Quick Service Dining Plan) Choose Quick-Service meals and snacks at over 50 select Walt Disney World restaurants. During your package stay, each person over 3 years of age will receive:

2 Quick-Service Meals
2 Snacks
Plus one Resort Refillable Drink Mug per person (refillable only at your Disney Resort Hotel)

Click here for more information on both plans.

I will be attending a special "Dinner With Disney" event at Old Ebbit Grill in Washington DC on Thursday from 6 to 9 pm EST, and I will be bringing YOU along with me with live updates from my Twitter account. I will also repost information here in case you miss the live Tweets and Twitpics.

You can also follow along with other mom bloggers who are attending through the Twitter hashtag #DisneyDinnerDC.

Don't miss out as I will be sure to give you all of the behind-the-scenes info I can get on Disney dining and will let you know exactly what foods you'll want to try when you visit Walt Disney World! "See" you on Thursday!

Even My Dishwasher Thinks I Work Too Hard!

2010-09-13T15:07:00.006-04:00

First of all, I want to offer much thanks to the team at Mom Central for their patience with me in sharing my last posts about my beloved Frigidaire Dishwasher with you. As I mentioned in a previous post, I am going through some life changes that have taken up much of my time and the great people at Mom Central have gone above and beyond in understanding about me missing (that's putting it mildly) my deadlines.

I am back now and ready to blog away and have some exciting posts to share with you! But first, I want to bring you my final post in my Frigidaire Dishwasher series to let you know how very impressed my family has been with its performance.

Let me just say that this is one dishwasher that refuses to let you work too hard. I discovered this when I noticed a build up of soap on my dishes and didn't know why it was happening. It turns out it was my fault, not the dishwasher's.

Frigidaire's Professional Line dishwashers are both energy efficient and intelligent. It actually knows when your dishes are clean and when they are soiled. Having been used to pre-washing my dishes before loading them into the dishwasher (which requires a lot of effort and time), I was essentially telling my dishwasher, "Hey, here are some clean dishes for you to wash!"

Frigidaire's soil sensor recognized that the dishes were not soiled, and thus, ran fewer wash/rinse cycles. But I had been putting in enough soap for a full, soiled load.

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty impressed with a dishwasher that tells you, "No, REALLY! Stop working so hard! Let me do it for you!" :)

Now, we have a "just scrape" rule where we wipe off the big chunks of leftover food and leave the rest to our Frigidaire dishwasher to take care of. So now I'm saving even MORE time, which is something that I am definitely short on these days!

As if I hadn't already had enough things to rave about when it came to the dishwasher, I've found a new thing to love! (and if you've read my previous posts, you know that there is SO much to love when it comes to this dishwasher!)

Click here to see all that the Frigidaire Professional Line Dishwasher has to offer. Thanks again to Mom Central for allowing me to test drive this fabulous appliance!

“I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive Campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Frigidaire and received a Frigidaire Dishwasher to facilitate my review.”

Frigidiare Makes Dish Washing Fun!

2010-05-22T20:54:00.006-04:00

One of the chores my kids help out with around the house is washing dishes. They've always hated it as much as I have. But ever since we got our new Frigidaire Professional Dishwasher, dish washing has been less of a chore. Utilizing the space-saving and time-saving features has actually been fun!

I asked my kids to tell me what they love best about the dishwasher and they both agreed that their favorite feature is how much space there is:

Natalie, 9 yrs. old: "I like the space. I like how many bowls can fit in the top part and you don't have to always put bowls on the bottom because of those little slot things. (she means the prongs that can be adjusted for more room)

"You know how they have those little flap things that hold the silverware? That's also something I think is cool."

Matthew, 13 yrs. old: "The space is good because with the old dishwasher, you couldn't fit as many cups into it, and the top is nice because you can fold down the prongs. And You can fit more silverware into the basket."

For me, choosing one feature as my favorite is hard. I love them all! The space, the many cycle options, the adjustable racks, the sleek, fingerprint-resistant stainless steel...I could go on and on!

In case you missed it, you can see an overview of all the fabulous features in my intro video:

Click here for more information on the Frigidaire Professional Dishwasher. You can also follow along with all of the Frigidaire Moms over at Twitter with the hashtag #frigidairemoms.

“I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive Campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Frigidaire and received a Frigidaire Dishwasher to facilitate my review.”

Hiatus

2010-05-10T18:58:00.003-04:00

I wanted to offer an apology to my readers for the lack of posts/giveaways on this site. I am in the middle of making some very important life changes and have gone back to work as a freelance writer so I don't have the time to put into this site that I once had.

I do want to complete my series on my Frigidaire dishwasher and will be bringing you two final posts this month to let you know how it's been working for me. As for future posts on other topics...never say never. I will keep this site open and will consider hosting giveaways or doing reviews as time will allow.

Thank you to all of my readers for your loyalty over the years! My contact information can be found in my bio if you would like to keep in touch.

Harlem Globetrotters 2010 "Magical Memories" Tour Review

2010-04-16T00:00:00.002-04:00

Dizzy, Airport and Moose greeting fans backstage at the Patriot Center
Last Saturday, I got to experience the magic that is the Harlem Globetrotters for the first time with my kids at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. We had such an amazing time that I want to make it a yearly tradition now.

We started out backstage before the show with a Meet and Greet. We got to meet Dizzy, Moose and Airport and they were so nice and gracious to us.

My daughter Natalie with Dizzy.

Me with Dizzy and Moose.

My son Matthew with Dizzy.

Everyone backstage got a free program for the players to sign and we got to take tons of pictures with them. My kids were in heaven!

After we were done with the meet and greet, we headed to our seats to watch the show. I've always heard such wonderful things about the Globetrotters but I never realized just how entertaining and hilarious they were until I saw them in person.

There were magic tricks, tons of audience interaction, gags and of course...amazing basketball stunts.

My kids had SO much fun and they, along with everyone around us, were laughing as the Globetrotters defeated their arch rivals The Generals. There wasn't a boring moment during the entire show. My oldest and I particularly liked the music that was played. Every song that came on we loved and she joked that she wished they had a soundtrack to sell.

It's very obvious that the Globetrotters care a lot about their fans and they go out of their way to show it. They handed out free basketballs and other gifts to people they pulled onto the court to interact with, and they took time after the game as they always do to sign autographs and meet their fans. It was pure, wholesome family entertainment at its best and I can't wait to bring my kids again!

To see if the Harlem Globetrotters are coming to your area, visit their website here.

Disclosure: I received free tickets and meet and greet passes to the show to facilitate this review.

The Harlem Globetrotters Return to DC!

2010-04-08T16:43:00.005-04:00

In case you missed The Harlem Globetrotters during their last stop in DC, you'll have the chance to catch them again at the Verizon Center at 1pm on Saturday 4/10, and at 7:30 pm at the Patriot Center on that same day. Click here and here for ticket information.

I'll be participating in a meet and greet and will be covering the game at the Patriot Center. Stay tuned for live tweets and Twitpics during the show (if cameras are permissible) and I'll be sure to post a review here afterwards!

If you're not in the DC area, click here to find out if the Globies will be in your town.

Frigidaire Features

2010-03-31T20:55:00.001-04:00

I've already shared with you several of the wonderful features my Frigidaire Professional Dishwasher has to offer: how quiet and roomy it is, how much energy and time it saves, and how sleek and sophisticated it looks. But there's STILL so much to tell you!

One feature that I love that I haven't yet written about yet is the stay-put door:

No matter what angle you open it at, the door stays in place!

In addition to having the most adaptable delay start (1- to 24-hour options), the Frigidaire dishwasher also offers multiple cycle options:

We usually use normal wash, but for dirtier loads, you could choose the power plus wash cycle, or, for lighter loads, choose the light wash option. There's also an energy saver cycle to help you save money, and a china/crystal cycle for your more delicate dishes.

The air dry option will also help you save money but I personally like to have my dishes heat-dried. The germaphobe in me also prefers to use the high-temp wash option, and even better is the sanitize feature, which I use if we're throwing sponges in with a load of dishes to get them clean.

Frigidaire's DishSense™ Technology is automatic for all cycles and sensors inside the dishwasher either shorten or lengthen the washing time based on how soiled your dishes are.

Click here for more information on the Frigidaire Professional Dishwasher. You can also follow along with all of the Frigidaire Moms over at Twitter with the hashtag #frigidairemoms.

And don't forget about Frigidaire's "Make Time for Change" campaign. You can log on to www.maketimeforchange.com for a chance to win prizes, including a new time-saving Frigidaire Affinity washer/dryer. Every day that you take a spin, Frigidaire donates $1 to Save the Children as part of their $250,000 commitment to this worthy cause.

“I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive Campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Frigidaire and received a Frigidaire Dishwasher to facilitate my review.”

Build-A-Bear Winner

2010-03-24T01:38:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to Stephanie! Her name was selected at random via Random.org as the winner of the Build-A-Bear giveaway.

Thanks to all who entered and to Build-A-Bear for sponsoring this fun giveaway!

Honor Society Winner

2010-03-21T22:41:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to smilekisses! Her name was selected at random via random.org as the winner of the Honor Society giveaway.

Thanks to all who entered and to Crowd Surf for making this fun giveaway possible!

Frigidaire Dishwasher Update

2010-03-18T00:00:00.005-04:00

I'm now well into month two of my Frigidaire Professional Dishwasher ownership and wanted to share with you how well it's been performing. I have to say my favorite feature of the dishwasher so far is how quiet it runs. You can barely tell it's even running...that's how quiet it is. There's a reason it was voted the quietest dishwasher in its class!

I also love the rinse-aid displays that alerts you when you're running low. There are two indicators as you can see in the pictures above and below. With my old dishwasher, it was always hard to tell when I needed to refill it. I would refill the rinse aid dispenser every couple of months or so, which apparently wasn't enough because this dishwasher has reminded me to refill twice in the month and a half or so that we've had it. And as you can see:

...I need to refill again!

There's exciting news that just came out on Frigidaire's entire professional line of appliances. The EPA just awarded their prestigious 2010 Energy Star award to the line for their “Swap and Save” Energy Star Promotion. The award recognizes Frigidaire’s commitment to smart energy management and its efforts to share the importance of energy efficiency with a wide audience.

In addition to the time-saving features, the new Frigidaire collections also save you considerable amounts of energy and water. My dishwasher uses at least 41% less energy and 40% less water compared to dishwashers from just ten years ago. There's a really cool energy calculator on Frigidaire's energy savings page that you can use to find out how much energy, water and money you would save by swapping out your dishwasher for Frigidaire's.

Click here for more information on the Frigidaire Professional Dishwasher. You can also follow along with all of the Frigidaire Moms over at Twitter with the hashtag #frigidairemoms.

And don't forget about Frigidaire's "Make Time for Change" campaign. You can log on to www.maketimeforchange.com for a chance to win prizes, including a new time-saving Frigidaire Affinity washer/dryer. Every day that you take a spin, Frigidaire donates $1 to Save the Children as part of their $250,000 commitment to this worthy cause.

Disclosure Notice: I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive Campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Frigidaire and received a Frigidaire Dishwasher to facilitate my review.

Win Tickets to See Honor Society With Meet and Greet Passes!

2010-03-17T12:59:00.009-04:00

I recently had the pleasure of seeing Honor Society for the first time when they opened for Timbaland at the 9:30 Club in DC. I had never heard of them before then, but I definitely became a fan after seeing them perform.

Check out their video for their hit song "Over You":

Here is a list of upcoming shows for Honor Society's new tour:

3/19/2010 St. Petersburg FL State Theatre
3/21/2010 Ft. Lauderdale FL Culture Room
3/22/2010 Orlando FL The Social
3/24/2010 New Orleans LA House of Blues
3/25/2010 Houston TX House of Blues
3/26/2010 San Antonio TX White Rabbit
3/28/2010 Dallas TX House of Blues
3/31/2010 Scottsdale AZ Martini Ranch
4/2/2010 San Francisco CA Great American Music Hall
4/3/2010 Los Angeles CA Club Nokia
4/6/2010 Denver CO Marquis Theatre
4/7/2010 Kansas City MO Beaumont
4/8/2010 St. Louis MO The Old Rock House
4/9/2010 Milwaukee WI The Rave
4/11/2010 Pontiac MI Eagles Theater
4/13/2010 Minneapolis MN Varsity
4/16/2010 Chicago IL House of Blues
4/17/2010 Pittsburgh PA Chess-A-Rena
4/20/2010 Toronto ON The Opera House
4/21/2010 Cleveland OH House of Blues
4/22/2010 Philadelphia PA Theatre of Living Arts
4/24/2010 New York NY Nokia Theater
4/25/2010 Norfolk VA The Norva
4/26/2010 Washington DC Rock and Roll Hotel
4/27/2010 New Haven CT Toad's Place
4/29/2010 Allentown PA Crocodile Rock
4/30/2010 Clifton Park NY Northern Lights
5/1/2010 Montreal QC Le National
5/2/2010 Boston MA House of Blues
5/4/2010 Charlotte NC The Fillmore
5/5/2010 Raleigh NC Lincoln Theater
5/7/2010 Nashville TN Rocketown
5/8/2010 Atlanta GA The Loft

Click here for ticket information.

Thanks to Crowd Surf, I have two tickets as well as meet and greet passes to give away to one lucky reader!Due to the quick turnaround of this contest, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of their winning notification or the prize will be forfeited and another winner will be selected.

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post letting me know which show you'd like to attend (city, state and date). Since the winner will be selected on Sunday, please be sure to only select a date from 3/23 and beyond. The contest is open to US residents only.

You can receive additional entries by doing one or all of the following (one entry, one time, for each step):

~Twitter with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with your Twitter link. Please be sure to include @honorsociety in your tweet.

~Blog about this contest with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with the link to your post.

~Follow this blog. Simply click on "Follow this blog" found near the top of the sidebar to the right (under "The Blonde"). Then, leave a separate comment letting me know you are following.

~Post the button below on your blog and then leave a separate comment here letting me know it's posted and where. Here's the code for the button:

~Add So a Blonde Walks Into a Review to your Technorati Favorites (just click the button below and follow the simple steps). Then, leave a separate comment here letting me know you've added this blog to your favorites:

Deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Saturday, March 20, 2010. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck!

Disclosure: I will be receiving two complimentary tickets and meet and greet passes to see Honor Society in Washington DC on April 26 in conjunction with this giveaway.

Build-A-Bear Blossom Bunny Review and Giveaway

2010-03-14T22:30:00.002-04:00

My little girl has been a long-time fan of Build-A-Bear and has amassed quite a collection over the years. So she was thrilled when, thanks to Build-A-Bear, she got to take a trip to the store to build the new, limited edition Blossom Bunny, part of the Collectibunny® line. (There's also an adorable limited edition Cheerful Cheeks Chick available)

First, my little girl chose a heart, rubbed it in her hand, made a wish, then gave it to the attendant to put inside the bunny. One of my favorite parts of Build-A-Bear is how your child gets to give their animal a hug test to see if it's stuffed just right. If it's too firm or too soft, the attendant will make the adjustments needed until it's perfectly huggable.

After Natalie picked out an outfit for her bunny, she headed over to the "dressing room" to dress it:

Here she is at home with her new bunny, Valerie. So cute!

Until April 4, while supplies last, kids get a free Easter basket and candy with every $20 purchase. And of course, as with all animals made at Build-A-Bear, your child can bring their creation to life at Build-A-Bearville.com.

Thanks to Build-A-Bear, one lucky reader will be selected to win a $25 gift card to use toward anything the child in your life would like to create at the store. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post letting me know what you love about Build-A-Bear.

Be sure that there is an email address for you that I can find, or your entry will have to be disqualified.

By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here. Please also see my disclosure policy here.

You can receive additional entries by doing one or all of the following (one entry, one time, for each step):

~Twitter with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with your Twitter link.

~Blog about this contest with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with the link to your post.

~Follow this blog. Simply click on "Follow this blog" found near the top of the sidebar to the right (under "The Blonde"). Then, leave a separate comment letting me know you are following.

~Post the button below on your blog and then leave a separate comment here letting me know it's posted and where. Here's the code for the button:

~Add So a Blonde Walks Into a Review to your Technorati Favorites (just click the button below and follow the simple steps). Then, leave a separate comment here letting me know you've added this blog to your favorites:

Deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Sunday, March 21, 2010. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a $25 gift card from Build-A-Bear to facilitate this review.

More Father/Son Drama This Week on General Hospital

2010-03-11T00:37:00.004-05:00

This week on ABC's General Hospital, Sonny is already suspected of a murder he didn’t commit, but wants his son Dante's approval. Sonny is driven to tell the truth about Claudia’s real killer...his other son Michael. If Dante finds out the truth, what will he do with it?

Don't forget that you can follow along with me on Twitter each day as I tweet about the show. You can also follow all of the discussion among mom ambassadors and fans with the hashtag #ghmoms and/or #generalhospitalmoms.

Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review.

Sir Elton John Will Discuss "Hot Topics" on The View This Week!

2010-03-10T00:05:00.005-05:00

My favorite part of The View has always been the "Hot Topics" segment. But Thursday's episode will be even more exciting as Sir Elton John joins the women of the View at the table to weigh in with his take on things. I can't wait to see how that plays out!

Here's the rest of the schedule for the week:

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10 – Guests: Forest Whitaker (“Our Family Wedding”); Jesse Ventura (author, American Conspiracies).

THURSDAY, MARCH 11 – Sir Elton John will be sitting with the women at the table and partaking in “Hot Topics”; Guest - Eric McCormack (“Who Is Clark Rockefeller?”).

FRIDAY, MARCH 12 – Co- Host Kate Gosselin is back and will join the women and the return of “The View: Fashion Friday” with designer Carolina Herrera.

In case you missed Monday's episode where the women discussed all of the fabulous dresses from the Oscars, here's a clip:

You can join me in discussing The View on my Twitter account, as I'll be tweeting about the show each day. You can also follow along in the discussion with other mom ambassadors and fans of The View with the Twitter hashtag #theviewmoms.

Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.

Sing Along With Barbie DVD Winner

2010-03-04T21:23:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to shimmala! Their name was selected at random as the winner of the Sing Along With Barbie DVD giveaway!

Thanks to all who entered!

Robert Pattinson Visits "The View"

2010-03-03T16:06:00.004-05:00

Actor Robert Pattinson made his first-ever appearance on The View on Tuesday with his “Remember Me” co-star, Emilie de Ravin. In case you missed it, here's a clip:

Here's the lineup for the rest of the week:

~Thursday, Mar 4: Celebrity guest co-host Valerie Bertinelli, former Oscar nominee Abigail Breslin from Broadway’s “The Miracle Worker,” Mia Wasikowska from Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland,” and a musical performance from Broadway’s “Fela” will be featured on this jam-packed episode.

~Friday, Mar 5: The View’s “Road to the Oscars” episode welcomes former Oscar nominee Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes and “Fashion Friday” celebrates “The History of Oscar Fashions” with a two-part look back at some of the most memorable – and perhaps forgettable – Oscar hits and misses, with host and celebrity stylist Robert Verdi. Hosts of “At the Movies” Michael Phillips and Tony Scott will also be on set to unveil their 2010 Oscar predictions.

You can join me in discussing The View on my Twitter account, as I'll be tweeting about the show each day. You can also follow along in the discussion with other mom ambassadors and fans of The View with the Twitter hashtag #theviewmoms.

Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.

This Week on General Hospital

2010-03-03T14:53:00.004-05:00

This week on General Hospital, Dante is determined to put his mobster father Sonny behind bars and might have to use his brother Michael to do it. Also this week, Dante questions Michael— will Michael confess or will Dante realize on his own that it was Michael who was responsible for killing Claudia and not Sonny?

I have the privilege of sharing with you a never-before-seen interview with Brandon Barash of General Hospital, the actor who plays Johnny Zacchara. The questions and answers have been provided courtesy of Mom Central and Barash:

Q: What would you do if you could turn back time?
A: I would meet Benjamin Franklin.

Q: What do you do in your down time?
A: I like playing music, standing on my head, walking around in nature -- and if I’m really feeling ambitious, I’ll do all three at the same time.

Q: What is the best way to prepare for a love scene?
A: The best way to prepare for a love scene is by spending lots of hours at the gym.

Q: What is your favorite sport?
A: Basketball – college or NBA.

Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t an actor?
A: If I could not act I would NOT be one of those people who give you tickets for expired parking meter. I would be a surgeon or a police office in Alaska. Only in Alaska.

Q: Describe your perfect date.
A: My perfect date is being with a girl I can talk to.

Q: What is one of your favorite things to do?
A: When it is just me and my dad my favorite thing is to sit outside, drink a scotch and talk about nothing.

Q: What do you do for Thanksgiving?
A: I spend Thanksgiving with both sides of my large extended family.

Q: describe your most memorable moment on GH.
A: When Johnny was shot 5 times and survived it, recovered and went to a wedding the next day.

Q: What was the most memorable moment of pop culture in 2009?
A: Clearly it was when we lost the late and great MJ.

Interesting guy, isn't he? :)

Don't forget that you can follow along with me on Twitter each day as I tweet about the show. You can also follow all of the discussion among mom ambassadors and fans with the hashtag #ghmoms and/or #generalhospitalmoms.

Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review.

Saving Time With Frigidaire

2010-02-27T11:00:00.002-05:00

If you've been following along with my Frigidaire posts, you already know about Frigidaire's "More Me Time" guarantee.

For my second update on my new Frigidaire Professional Dishwasher, I'm going to let you all know how Frigidaire has lived up to their guarantee.

There are several features the dishwasher has that help you save time, and energy:

· SpaceWise Organization System: Features adjustable racks so there's a place for virtually anything.

· Largest Silverware Basket*: There’s room for over 180 items in the multi-compartment silverware basket.

· Adjustable Upper Dish Rack: Flexible racking system lets you adjust the to rack to fit taller items.

· Quick Clean: Enjoy a quiet night with a book, extra time with your family or catch up on favorite shows with the Quick Clean to clean dishes faster.

My favorite time-saving feature is the SpaceWise Organization System. Being able to fit more dishes, pots and pans means less loads to run, and that's definitely a time-saver!

Click here for more information on the Frigidaire Professional Dishwasher. You can also follow along with all of the Frigidaire Moms over at Twitter with the hashtag #frigidairemoms.

And don't forget about Frigidaire's "Make Time for Change" campaign. You can log on to www.maketimeforchange.com for a chance to win prizes, including a new time-saving Frigidaire Affinity washer/dryer. Every day that you take a spin, Frigidaire donates $1 to Save the Children as part of their $250,000 commitment to this worthy cause.

Disclosure Notice: I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive Campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Frigidaire and received a Frigidaire Dishwasher to facilitate my review.

* Among leading brands
** Based on published manufacturer specifications for plastic interior dishwashers.

Nadya Suleman (AKA "Octomom") On Today's Episode of The View

2010-02-24T00:53:00.008-05:00

Today's episode of ABC's The View is sure to draw a lot of controversy and interest as Nadya Suleman, better known as "Octomom" makes an appearance on the show. Suleman, who famously gave birth to octuplets last year, will be making her first trip to NYC to chat live with the Women of the View.

“I am elated. I am honored," Suleman told ABC in an exclusive quote posted on The View's website. "I love The View and can’t wait to meet everyone, my heroes. I can’t wait to see New York.”

Author Danielle Steel will also be a guest, and the rest of the week promises even more fun. Here's the rest of the week's schedule:

Thursday, Feb 25: A one hour show themed “Trying to Have a Baby?” Guests include Giuliana And Bill Rancic.

Friday, Feb 26: Regis and Joy Philbin will perform a song from their new CD: Regis & Joy: Just you. Just me.

You can join me in discussing The View on my Twitter account, as I'll be tweeting about the show each day. You can also follow along in the discussion with other mom ambassadors and fans of The View with the Twitter hashtag #theviewmoms.

And don't forget the exciting contest being hosted by Mom Central for The View, where one lucky winner will be randomly selected to receive a trip to New York City to watch a taping of the show!

The sweepstakes is open until February 28th. Click here to fill out the sign-up survey to be entered.

Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.

Sing Along With Barbie - Giveaway

2010-02-23T21:00:00.001-05:00

My littlest one has inherited my love of singing. When she was around 4 or 5, we were at a neighborhood party and there was a karaoke machine. The other kids played around with it, but when Natalie got the microphone, she started shouting out to the crowd to get their attention.

"Come on everybody! Put your hands together," she yelled. And then she started belting out whatever song it was at the top of her lungs. I, of course, was very proud!

She often sees me playing Singstar on Playstation and she'll sing along with me. But now she has her very own songs to perform with the Sing Along With Barbie DVD. How perfect that one of her favorite childhood toys can now serve as her singing partner?!

The DVD features 12 songs from popular Barbie movies of the past (also perfect, since Natalie loves and has watched each one). Easy-to-follow lyrics play on-screen on the off-chance your child doesn't remember the words. Whether your child likes "All for One" from Barbie & The Three Musketeers or "We're Gonna Find It" from Barbie & The Diamond Castle, they will find extended versions of many Barbie favorites to turn into family room performances.

Natalie's favorite song to perform is "I Am a Girl Like You," and I just might possibly enjoy it as much as she does. But don't tell anyone. ;)

Sing Along With Barbie makes a perfect gift, especially for those hosting slumber parties. Click here for more information and/or to purchase.

I have a brand-new copy of Sing Along With Barbie to giveaway to one lucky reader. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post. Be sure that there is an email address for you that I can find, or your entry will have to be disqualified.

By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here. Please also see my disclosure policy here.

You can receive additional entries by doing one or all of the following (one entry, one time, for each step):

~Twitter with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with your Twitter link.

~Blog about this contest with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with the link to your post.

~Follow this blog. Simply click on "Follow this blog" found near the top of the sidebar to the right (under "The Blonde"). Then, leave a separate comment letting me know you are following.

~Post the button below on your blog and then leave a separate comment here letting me know it's posted and where. Here's the code for the button:

~Add So a Blonde Walks Into a Review to your Technorati Favorites (just click the button below and follow the simple steps). Then, leave a separate comment here letting me know you've added this blog to your favorites:

Deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Tuesday, March 2, 2010. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck!

Disclosure: “I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Mattel. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Want to ask General Hospital's Nancy Lee Grahn a Question?

2010-02-23T16:10:00.008-05:00

If you watched ABC's General Hospital today, you may have noticed the new opening credits that were made in honor of the show's 12,000th episode. In case you missed it, here's a peek:

I LOVE the Cassadine castle in the background during Nikolas, Liz and Lucky's part. And of course, the final credit goes to Luke!

This week, Sonny’s trial for murder begins! Michael is tormented when his father takes the fall for him while Dante is called to stand to testify against his father. Ooooh, the drama!

Here's a look at what's to come:

As a General Hospital Mom Ambassador, I have the opportunity to send a question to actress Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis). The question must be personal and not storyline dictated, so if you have something you would like me to ask for you, let me know in the comments on this post. I have to have my question in by Thursday, so make sure you post right away! I'll be sure to share her answers in a follow-up post.

Don't forget that you can follow along with me on Twitter each day as I tweet about the show. You can also follow all of the discussion among mom ambassadors and fans with the hashtag #ghmoms and/or #generalhospitalmoms.

And if you haven't already, be sure to enter the exciting contest at Mom Central where one lucky winner will be randomly selected to receive a trip to Los Angeles to visit the set of General Hospital and have a walk-on role!!

The sweepstakes is open until February 28th. To enter, click here to fill out the sign-up survey. Good luck!

Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review.

Celtic Woman - Songs from the Heart

2010-02-18T15:04:00.000-05:00

I am a huge music-lover, so I was very excited to have the opportunity to review the incredibly soothing and lyrical CD "Celtic Woman - Songs from the Heart." I played it as I fell asleep the other night and it was like listening to lullabies for adults.

The first track, a cover of Sting's "Fields of Gold" is my absolute favorite. That song was already relaxing, but Celtic Woman's cover is almost angelic. There's also a cover of Mariah Carey's "When You Believe" and Billy Joel's "Goodnight My Angel" and they're both as beautiful as "Fields of Gold." In total, there are 15 tracks that are perfect for relaxing and de-stressing to.

Celtic Woman is a 5-member, Irish, female ensemble known for putting a modern twist on the Celtic Sound. Their vocalists include Lisa Kelly, Chloe Agnew, Lynn Hilary and Alex Sharpe, and Mairead Nesbitt is the violinist.

The group is all over the Billboard charts, selling more than 3.8 million records in the U.S. alone, and has had 7 sold-out US Tours. They've performed on "Dancing With the Stars" and will also have a special coming out on PBS. Even the First Daughters are big fans of the group!

You can see when they'll be performing in your area here.

Thanks to Music Moms, I'll be attending their show at the Patriot Center in Virginia on March 17 (St. Patrick's Day! How perfect is that?), with a possible meet-and-greet. I'll be sure to do a post after the show to let you know how it was!

In the meantime, click here to check out Celtic Woman's gorgeous website, complete with videos, news, merchandise and more.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the CD "Celtic Woman- Songs from the Heart" as well as two tickets to their show as part of a blog campaign by Music Moms.

I'm a Brand Ambassador for The View!

2010-02-16T00:20:00.000-05:00

As if the news that I was selected as a General Hospital Brand Ambassador wasn't exciting enough, I was overjoyed to be informed that I was also chosen by Mom Central to be a Brand Ambassador for The View!

I have been watching The View since the days that Meredith Vieira and Star Jones co-hosted (remember them?). The "Hot Topics" portion of the show is my favorite and I love listening to each host's take on whatever is happening in the news.

Being conservative, Elizabeth Hassleback is my favorite co-host. I'm so glad she's on the show to represent conservative thought on political matters, and I often root her on when the debates get heated.

As with the General Hospital campaign, I will be posting news on the latest happenings on The View here once a week. You can also check out my Twitter account daily, as I'll be tweeting about the show there as well. And you can follow along in the discussion with other mom ambassadors and fans of The View with the Twitter hashtag #theviewmoms.

Of course, a contest would make things even more exciting, right? Mom Central is hosting a contest for The View where one lucky winner will be randomly selected to receive a trip to New York City to watch a taping of the show!

The sweepstakes is open until February 28th. Click here to fill out the sign-up survey to be entered.

Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.

I'm a General Hospital Brand Ambassador!

2010-02-16T00:00:00.001-05:00

I have really exciting news to share with all of you, especially if you're a fan of General Hospital like I am. Thanks to Mom Central, I am now an official General Hospital Brand Ambassador!

I have been watching GH for more than 20 years, and even drove with my daughter, who is also a fan, to West Virginia to meet Tyler Christopher (Nikolas Cassidine) in person. So I'm very passionate about being selected as a brand ambassador for the show.

For the next four weeks, I'll be posting the latest information on General Hospital, with about one post here per week. You can also check out my Twitter account daily, as I'll be tweeting about the show there as well. And for even more fun, follow along in the discussion with other General Hospital Mom Ambassadors and fans with the Twitter hashtag #generalhospitalmoms.

Best of all, there is an exciting contest at Mom Central where one lucky winner will be randomly selected to receive a trip to Los Angeles to visit the set of General Hospital and have a walk-on role!! Doesn't get much better than that!

The sweepstakes is open until February 28th. To enter, click here to fill out the sign-up survey.

Good luck and enjoy the show!

Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review.

NBC's Parenthood

2010-02-14T20:06:00.004-05:00

If you're a fan of the box-office hit movie, "Parenthood," (I am!), then you'll be happy to know that NBC will be airing a new, 1-hour drama by the same name that's inspired by the movie. From Academy Award winners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer ("A Beautiful Mind," "Frost/Nixon") and from Jason Katims, the executive producer of NBC's "Friday Night Lights," "Parenthood" introduces audiences to the very large, very colorful and imperfect Braverman family.

I was able to screen the pilot episode (Emmy Award winner Thomas Schlamme of "The West Wing" is the director and executive producer of the pilot), and though it's cliche, I really was laughing and crying. Even though the show is a drama, there are so many parts that will make you laugh out loud (watch for the uni-bomber joke at the dinner table scene...SO hilarious!)

There are two particular storylines that I found touching, especially as a mother with a son. Sarah Braverman (Lauren Graham, "Gilmore Girls") is a struggling single mother to Amber (Mae Whitman, "In Treatment") and Drew (Miles Heizer, "ER). There is one scene between Sarah, Drew and Drew's absentee father that just broke my heart. You'll know what I mean when you see it.

The other storyline I found most compelling is that of Max (Max Burkholder, "Brothers and Sisters") and his family. I won't give away what happens but the scenes of his father, Adam Braverman (Peter Krause, "Six Feet Under") and Kristina (Monica Potter, "Trust Me") worrying about the well-being of their little boy were so touching to me as a mom. (His teenage sister, Haddie is played by Sarah Ramos from "American Dreams.")

This really is an all-star cast. At the head of the Braverman family is headstrong patriarch Zeek (Craig T. Nelson, "Family Stone," "Coach") and pillar-of-strength matriarch Camille (Bonnie Bedelia, "Heart Like a Wheel"). In addition to Sarah and Adam, their children include Julia (Erika Chrisensen, "Traffic") who is married to stay-at-home husband Joel (Sam Jaeger, "Eli Stone"), and Crosby (Dax Shephard, "Baby Mama") whose old flame Jasmine (Joy Bryant, "Antwone Fisher") shows back up in his life.

I've been a long-time fan of Dax Shepard's so I was really excited to see his character. And he really does deliver. I think he's the most funny character on the show.

In fact, the entire casts delivers and gives an excellent portrayal of a typical American family with all of its quirks and problems, and all of the love and support that carries them through it all.

Check out NBC's trailer for Parenthood below:

You can also see bios, videos, games and more at NBC’s Parenthood Website here. And, of course, be sure to tune into Parenthood on Tuesdays at 10, EST, starting March 2 on NBC!

My New, Sleek, Gorgeous Frigidaire Dishwasher

2010-02-12T16:17:00.001-05:00

As you know from my previous post, I was selected by Mom Central to be a Frigidaire Test Drive Mom and I was chosen for Team Dishwasher. My brand new dishwasher, from Frigidaire's Professional Line, arrived a few weeks ago and I am in love with it!

First, let me show you a couple of pics from my old dishwasher, which was on its last leg and even stopped working at one point. We didn't even realize how icky it had become until our new one arrived.

There was a permanent stain on the door and on the inside of the dishwasher, which I suppose happens over time with a white interior:

And while there was a good amount of space inside:

the prongs had become broken and rusted and it really lacked a lot of space-saver features that our new dishwasher has.

Here's our new dishwasher right after it was installed:

Isn't it gorgeous? I love the stainless steel and Frigidaire's appliances have a protective coating that prevent fingerprints from showing, a problem I was concerned about after hearing about other stainless steel appliances being notorious for showing those.

The interior is much more roomy and the space saving features make it even more so. I also love the silver inside, rather than the white, which as you saw above, shows stains.

For this first post, I recorded a vlog to give you an overall feel for the features the dishwasher offers. Over the next few months, I'll be covering the features more in-depth and will keep you up to date on how it's running.

One thing I forgot to mention in the video is how quiet the dishwasher is. It's so nice not to have to try to shout over the sound of our old dishwasher!

As for Frigidaire's "More Me-Time Guarantee?" So far, they've lived up to that. With more dishes fitting into the dishwasher, I have less loads to do. And I find that most of the cycles are more quick due to the soil sensor.

More time for me is probably the best part of all!

Click here for more information on the Frigidaire Professional Dishwasher. You can also follow along with all of the Frigidaire Moms over at Twitter with the hashtag #frigidairemoms.

And don't forget about Frigidaire's "Make Time for Change" campaign. You can log on to www.maketimeforchange.com for a chance to win prizes, including a new time-saving Frigidaire Affinity washer/dryer. Every day that you take a spin, Frigidaire donates $1 to Save the Children as part of their $250,000 commitment to this worthy cause.

Disclosure Notice: I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive Campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Frigidaire and received a Frigidaire Dishwasher to facilitate my review.

I Don't Want to Miss...

2010-02-10T00:05:00.001-05:00

Whenever my kids don't want to wash their hands, I use the motto that our pediatrician once used on them...Would you rather puke, or wash your hands? I love that question because it drives home for them the consequences of not taking precaution against germs.

Right now, there is a campaign underway by Clorox to bring about awareness of this and other flu prevention methods. Clorox has teamed with American Idol finalist Danny Gokey on "I Don't Want to Miss" which gets teens and teachers actively involved in stopping the spread of H1N1 and seasonal flu.

Now in its second year, the program features a contest that invites school musical groups such as glee clubs and show choirs to develop a video performance of a song written by Berklee College of Music student Will Wells. The song is about the importance of flu prevention and all of the things teens don't want to miss out on when they're sick. The winning school gets to have a music class led by Gokey.

For my kids, there is SO much they wouldn't want to miss out on. In fact, H1N1 hit our house last fall and it lasted a few weeks. They were miserable being stuck at home and not being able to play with their friends (we homeschool, so we didn't have to worry about them missing school).

If you have a teenage child who would like their school to enter the contest, click here for more information. For each entry submitted, The Clorox Company will donate $100 (up to $10,000) to the Sophia's Heart Foundation, a charity founded by Gokey in honor of his late wife, Sophia, and dedicated to helping children achieve academic success via musical training and restoring musical dreams in children.

Be sure to check out Clorox's Facebook page as well for more information about flu prevention. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that children and teens over 6 months and up to age 18 get flu vaccinations. In addition to vaccination, the most important step in flu prevention, disinfecting frequently touched surfaces and washing hands often play an important role in prevention.

Stay well!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Clorox and received $20 thank-you gift certificate.

Winter Fun with Wii Giveaway Winner

2010-02-09T00:07:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Mommy 2 Bears! Her name was selected at random as the winner of the Wii Family Party: 30 Great Games Winter Fun video game.

Thanks to all who entered, and to 47 for sponsoring this fabulous giveaway!

Pepsi Refresh Project

2010-02-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Imagine if you had the power to give up to $250,000 to a charity. Imagine if your own ideas for a better world had a chance to thrive and prosper. Imagine being able to make a difference with just a simple vote.

Pepsi is making such dreams a reality with their Pepsi Refresh Project, where YOU have the power to help move America forward.

The Pepsi Refresh Project, a groundbreaking effort to foster innovation in social good, will award more than $20 million this year to fund great ideas that refresh the world. Pepsi will fund projects that make a difference in six categories: Health, Arts & Culture, Food & Shelter, The Planet, Neighborhoods and Education.

Where do you come in? Right now, you can cast your vote at www.refresheverything.com for the consumer-generated ideas that you believe will make a positive impact on your community. This is the first of eleven opportunities for the public to win grants from $5,000 up to $250,000 throughout the year. The first voting session ends on February 28 and the ideas that receive the top votes will be announced on Monday, March 1, 2010.

You can also submit your own idea to be considered in the next round of voting. Submissions can be sent in starting at 12:00:01 a.m. ET on March 1st, 2010.

On Monday, Pepsi Refresh Project spokespersons Demi Moore and Kevin Bacon, kicked off the Pepsi Refresh Celebrity Challenge on the Today Show and joined college students to discuss great ideas in an interactive brainstorm that was viewed by thousands of others via a live stream on Facebook.

Here's a brief clip of Monday's event, as well as information on the Pepsi Refresh Project:

"The Pepsi Refresh Project puts the financial resources in the hands of those who are passionate about creating a better world. I am very pleased to be a part of this creative initiative to refresh our world," Demi Moore was quoted as saying in a press release.

Moore is campaigning in support of GEMS – Girls Educational & Mentoring Services. The grant would help GEMS reach out to women who have been victims of sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking. GEMS helps such women integrate back into society as healthy, safe, and productive individuals.

Recent Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award winner, Kevin Bacon, is campaigning for SixDegrees.org, which will give thousands of people a $20 Good Card — a gift card for charity — which they can use to support their favorite cause.

"I applaud Pepsi for its commitment to fostering social good and its tremendous work in encouraging people to submit their ideas on how to improve our nation. I am optimistic that great changes will be made throughout 2010 as a result of this," Bacon stated in a press release.

Visit the Pepsi Refresh Project Facebook page to cast your vote by February 28 in the Pepsi Refresh Celebrity Challenge for Moore or Bacon’s idea. Pepsi will grant $250,000 to fund the idea that wins the most votes.

Be sure to visit the Pepsi Refresh Project as well to vote on your favorite idea there, and to submit your own for the next round of voting. You can also find info on the project by following Pepsi on Twitter and/or #pepsirefresh.

Take the Neosporin Lip Health 3-Day Challenge!

2010-02-01T08:22:00.007-05:00

As someone who constantly battles to keep my lips from being chapped and dry, especially during the winter months, I was so excited to hear about the Neosporin Lip Health 3-Day Challenge. I've used Neosporin for our family's cuts and scrapes over the years and thus have a lot of respect for the brand.

Neosporin has two products to help keep your lips healthy and beautiful: Neosporin Lip Health Daily Hydration Therapy and Neosporin Lip Health Overnight Renewal Therapy.

Can these two products really restore your lips to a healthy state in just three days? I set out to find the answer after receiving them for review.

I applied the daily therapy two to three times a day and the overnight therapy once every evening. After the first day, I noticed that my lips began to peel slightly as the treatments sloughed off the top layer of dry skin. This is a GOOD thing and not painful at all. With mild exfoliation, more healthy and vibrant skin was revealed underneath as the dryer layer washed off.

By the third day, my lips retained their new, moisturized look without further peeling. I still apply both products each day, but unlike other products I have used, if I skip a treatment, my lips don't go back to being dry right away.

The secret to Neosporin's success lies in a patented combination of lipids, fatty acids, antioxidants, peptides, vitamins and emollients. While Neosporin Lip Health Overnight Renewal works to sooth, restore and hydrate your lips as you sleep, the Daily Hydration Therapy not only contains SPF 20 but also absorbs quickly. That's yet another advantage over the greasy, gooey products I've tried before.

You can see the clinical results, along with photos of participants, here. As of this writing, you can also register for free at NeoLips.com to get a $3 coupon towards either product.

Best of luck with YOUR 3-day challenge!

Disclosure Notice: "I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Neosporin and received a sample of the Lip Health Overnight Renewal Therapy and the Lip Health Daily Hydration Therapy to facilitate my review and a $20 thank-you gift certificate."

Win $10,000 in Pillsbury's Easy Frost No-Fuss Frosting Challenge!

2010-01-31T09:11:00.003-05:00

If you're tired of messy frosting containers that need refrigeration, you are going to LOVE Pillsbury's new Easy Frost No-Fuss Frosting! Available in a convenient aerosol can with a built-in, five-star applicator tip, No-Fuss Frosting can help you create gorgeous desserts in a flash.

I was given Decadent Chocolate Fudge and Vanilla Dream for review (there's also Velvety Cream Cheese) and my whole family not only loved the taste, but we all had fun icing our cupcakes with the easy, decorative tip.

Here are some tips direct from Pillsbury on getting the best use our of your No-Fuss Frosting:

One 13.5-oz. can frosts about the same amount as one tub of frosting: one 13x9" cake or 18-24 cupcakes.
You may hear a popping sound the first time you use a new can of Pillsbury® Easy Frost™ No-Fuss Frosting.
Store and use frosting at room temperature—do not refrigerate.
A can of Pillsbury® Easy Frost™ No-Fuss Frosting can last up to 12 months.
No need to shake the can to dispense frosting; simply press the nozzle.
For best results, wait until your baked goods have cooled before frosting.
If you happen to refrigerate Pillsbury® Easy Frost™ No-Fuss Frosting, allow it to come to room temperature before using.
Be sure to wash and completely dry the tip after each use. You can remove the tip by twisting counter-clockwise.

The Decadent Chocolate Fudge was my favorite flavor, and the 5-star tip made our cupcakes look like they just came fresh from the bakery:

But even with the easiest, mess-resistant frosting, my teenage son will find a way to make a mess. This was his cupcake just after he decorated it:

And then just a few seconds after holding it up for all to see:

...it fell down the side of our island, leaving the cupcake looking like this:

That cupcake certainly won't be winning any decorating contests! But YOURS could! Pillsbury is hosting an Easy Frost No-Fuss Frosting Challenge where your creation could win you $10,000 and a year's worth of frosting. 4 runners-up will win a gift basket full of Pillsbury baking products and a Flip Video Ultra Digital Video Camera.

Check out this video for a little inspiration:

You can get even more decorating ideas and enter your creation at PillsburyBaking.com. Contests ends February 19, 2010 (see the website for complete rules and details). Good luck!

Winter Fun with Wii! (Giveaway)

2010-01-30T18:15:00.002-05:00

Skiing, snowboarding, skating and more...all in your own living room? Wii makes it all possible with the new Family Party: 30 Great Games Winter Fun, releasing in just a couple of days (February 2).

The game is the latest in the top-selling Family Party franchise. Winter Fun delivers hours of family entertainment on Wii where players can choose from over a dozen cute characters dressed head-to-toe in customizable winter outfits, and can participate in up to four player action including multiplayer co-op. Players can get in the spirit of playing all-time favorite winter games and competing and unlocking games and challenges to achieve high scores and win medals. You can also play solo if you prefer.

The colorful, eye-catching graphics alone will pull you into the game, and the fun, action-packed sports will keep you there. Have a look at some of the gorgeous, pre-release stills:

KEY FEATURES:

30 Fun, Addictive Games Optimized for Wii - Players will exercise while playing their favorite winter snow competitions and playground snow games without leaving home.
Winter Sport Competitions: cross-country ski, figure skate, ice canoe, bobsled, and even snow plow!

Playground Snow Games: compete against friends in a snowball fight, snow tube race, and more!

Brain Freezing Challenges: test your wit at memory games, help Santa deliver presents and create beautiful star constellations!

Play With Up to 4 Friends – Players do not have to be professional athletes to compete in this game! Winter Fun is entertaining for the whole family with support for up to 4 players in Challenge or Battle Mode and now features multiplayer co-op team events for the first time.

Choose Your Own Friendly Character to Play – Players can play as any family member with over a dozen cute characters dressed from head-to-toe in customizable winter outfits. Even Grandpa and Grandma can play!

Achieve the Highest Score and Win Medals – Players can mix and match games to create their own unique challenges against friends and family to be the best all-around and win gold or establish the highest scores on the leaderboards.

Publisher: D3Publisher

Developer: Tamsoft Corporation

Release Date: February 2, 2010

Platform: Nintendo Wii™

Suggested Retail Price: $19.95

ESRB Rating: “E” for Everyone

As of today, January 31, Winter Fun is available for pre-order on Amazon.com for $19.99. But thanks to Wii and fortyseven communications, one lucky reader of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review will win a copy of the game just as it's hitting the shelves!

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post letting us know what your favorite family winter activity is. Be sure that there is an email address for you that I can find, or your entry will have to be disqualified.

By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here. Please also see my disclosure policy here.

You can receive additional entries by doing one or all of the following (one entry, one time, for each step):

~Twitter with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with your Twitter link.

~Blog about this contest with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with the link to your post.

~Follow this blog. Simply click on "Follow this blog" found near the top of the sidebar to the right (under "The Blonde"). Then, leave a separate comment letting me know you are following.

~Post the button below on your blog and then leave a separate comment here letting me know it's posted and where. Here's the code for the button:

~Add So a Blonde Walks Into a Review to your Technorati Favorites (just click the button below and follow the simple steps). Then, leave a separate comment here letting me know you've added this blog to your favorites:

Deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Saturday, February 6, 2009. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck and enjoy the show!

The Perfect Multi-Seasonal Sweater from Lands' End

2010-01-30T16:14:00.008-05:00

I've been meaning to post a review of my fabulous Lands' End holiday sweater for some time now, but I think now is actually the best time, as I have found that it's the perfect sweater for transitioning from winter into spring.

I received the Lands' End Women's Regular Original Fine Gauge Argyle Cardigan Sweater in true navy/ivory for review, and while it's kept me warm in the winter, I'm looking forward to wearing it open-buttoned over a white tank in the spring. The colors are perfect to pair with a white tennis skirt or capris for a boaty, breezy spring look.

Best of all, the sweater is on sale for only $34.99 (regularly $69.50), so it's the perfect time to buy!

Here's the description of the sweater from Lands' End:
100% Supima® — America's finest cotton
Classic Argyle pattern
Flattering, gently shaped silhouette
Fine Gauge Argyle Cardigan falls to mid hip

This Fine Gauge Argyle Cardigan ensures softness that lasts wash after wash — Guaranteed. Period.® It all comes down to incredibly soft Supima® cotton — America's finest — spun into silky, pill-resistant yarns and knit into our smoothest sweaters that hold their color beautifully.

The classic argyle pattern makes it a sure bet for layering over shirts and tees in any season. Fully fashioned with rib-trim cuffs and bottom. A striped inside placket adds a refined finishing touch. 100% Supima cotton. Machine wash. Imported.

I can attest to the softness guarantee! The sweater definitely retains its shape and softness after washing. You do have to lay it flat to dry after washing, though. All-in-all, I love the sweater for its design, comfort and the high-quality that I've come to expect from Lands' End.

Click here for more details and/or to buy. Spring will be here before we know it!

You're Invited to a Garden Party with Actress Jennie Garth!

2010-01-20T21:02:00.000-05:00

The generation of moms who grew up watching Jennie Garth as the beloved Kelly on Beverly Hills 90210 will be happy to know that she is now coming to our rescue as we try to get our kids to eat their veggies!

Jennie is starring in a new NBC digital series entitled "Garden Party," which is sponsored by the makers of Hidden Valley Ranch and is being distributed on iVillage. The series premiered yesterday and features videos, recipes and tips to help families incorporate vegetables into their diets.

"I saw this series as an opportunity to help inspire, educate and motivate families like mine," Garth said in a statement. "I found out that incorporating vegetables into your families' life is not only healthy but can be fun too."

Garden Party celebrates a new vegetable each month. From planting cucumbers at home, to visiting a kid’s cooking school, to taking a tour of a family farm, Jennie infuses her personality and experience as a mom into the series to make the information come alive. Jennie shares her own experience and tips with rich interactive elements including a "Cook and Tell" cookbook, a "What's For Dinner" meal planner and an opportunity for moms to tell their veggie stories.

I had the privilege of speaking to Garth in a conference call yesterday afternoon and am excited to share all of the insider details with you. No pun intended, but I found Jennie to be very down-to-earth, and her friendly, warm personality should really make this series shine.

I asked Jennie if her youthful appearance (she never seems to age!) had anything to do with her diet. She told me that she strongly believes that there is a direct connection to what you put in and on your body to what you get out, and even believes that society's move away from organic foods and products might be linked to increased cancer rates. She added that a colorful diet is vitally important to overall health.

Jennie grew up gardening and always had fresh vegetables available to her, something that she now realizes was a luxury. Her father-in-law (Jennie is married to actor Peter Facinelli) helped her and Peter build a garden at their home, which she says greatly helps her children to make a connection to what they're eating and creates a bonding experience.

"There's something so cool about being able to pick something out of the ground and eat it," she said. "Especially if it tastes good."

As for tips on getting veggies into your children's diets, Jennie said she's not above subterfuge and will hide vegetables in foods if she has to. She often will puree garlic and green and yellow zucchini and mix it into spaghetti sauce. She has also pureed spinach and mixed it into meatloaf.

I plan on trying those tips as well as those found on Garden Party...the broccoli mac and cheese recipe is at the top of my list. Head over to the site today to get ideas for your family.

Happy veggie eating!

I'm a Frigidaire Mom!

2010-01-18T01:45:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to announce that, thanks to Mom Central, I have been selected to take part in the Frigidaire Test Drive Moms group! I'm on "Team Dishwasher" and I'll be bringing you posts and vlogs of my brand new Frigidaire dishwasher over the next few months.

Frigidaire introduced more than 250 new appliances in 2009, and all were designed to create more time for moms. In fact, Frigidaire is so confident that their appliances will do just that, that they offer a “More Me-Time Guarantee.” Moms will save a minimum of eight hours a month or their money back. You can't beat that!

With five people in our house, we do a LOT of dishes! And time is something I could definitely use more of, so I am extra excited to start using my dishwasher from Frigidaire's Professional line when it arrives this week. I'll be sure to share with you all the ins and outs of how it runs, how it looks, how it sounds and most importantly, if it saves time!

In the meantime, take a look at how gorgeous this dishwasher is (click photos to enlarge):

Front...

Open...

Interior...

Very sleek. Very modern. Very professional!

Above all, I am most proud to be working with Frigidaire because of their commitment to helping others. You may remember that, last September, Frigidaire teamed with actress and philanthropist Jennifer Garner to create the "Make Time for Change" campaign, which benefits Save the Children.

Today, Frigidaire launched a brand new feature of the campaign with Garner called "Spin & Win." You can log on to www.maketimeforchange.com for a chance to win prizes, including a new time-saving Frigidaire Affinity washer/dryer. Every day that you take a spin, Frigidaire donates $1 to Save the Children as part of their $250,000 commitment to this worthy cause.

Head over today for your chance to win, and stay tuned for my upcoming reviews of my fabulous new Frigidaire dishwasher!

Disclosure Notice: I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive Campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Frigidaire and received a Frigidaire Dishwasher to facilitate my review.

KODAK Digital Frame Winner

2010-01-18T01:40:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Lissa! Her name was selected at random as the winner of the KODAK D830 Digital Frame giveaway!

Thanks to all who entered and to KODAK and Ketchum for sponsoring this fabulous giveaway!

Be a Part of the Consumer Electronics Show 2010 From Your Own Home!

2010-01-07T16:30:00.002-05:00

If you didn't get a chance to attend this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, KODAK has come to your rescue! CES is the largest trade show held for consumer electronics and features products and the companies that create them.

Thanks to KODAK, you can see all the action by watching live streaming panels direct from the Kodak K-Zone on the CES Floor. You can also join the discussion by submitting questions to the panelists via Twitter using the hashtag #kzone.

And as an added bonus, KODAK and Ketchum are offering one lucky reader of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review a KODAK D830 Digital Frame worth more than $135! (details below)

The upcoming panels at CES that you can view from home include:

The M-Suite (Friday, January 8 at 3:00 p.m. PST)

How momtreprenuers and stay at home moms are building successful businesses.

Speakers include: Amanda Robinson (NaturalMommies.com), Sharon Napier (founder, Partners & Napier), Susan Tousi (Kodak), Soleil Moon Frye (actress), and Stacie Haight Connerty (blogger, Thedivinemissmommy.com).

Help, My Mom Friended Me on Facebook (Friday, January 8 at 11:00 a.m. PST)

Kids eight and under will never know what life was like before Google. Learn how technology is changing their lives – and their parent’s lives in the process.

Speakers include: Pam Sherman (author and public speaker known as The Suburban Outlaw), Susan Getgood (Blogwithintegrity.com), Jill Zarin (the Real Housewives of NYC), Linda Sawyer (CEO of Deutch), Christy Matte (editor of the Family Computing Guide, About.com)

Father Knows Best (Friday, January 8 at 5:00 p.m. PST)

It’s time to hear from the dads! Hear from these tech savvy dads on how they use technology with their kids, and the lessons learned.

Speakers include: Michael Ferrara (TechnoDad), Jeff Hayzlett (CMO, Kodak), Fred Fishkin (technology reporter, Bloomberg Radio), Jackson Lynch (WIRED)

To view the live streaming and recorded videos, or for more information, click here.

To enter to win the KODAK D830 Digital Frame, simply leave a comment on this post. Be sure that there is an email address for you that I can find, or your entry will have to be disqualified. By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here. Please also see my disclosure policy here.

You can receive additional entries by doing one or all of the following (one entry for each step):

~Twitter with a link to this post using the hashtag #kzone. Then leave a separate comment here with your Twitter link.

~Blog about this contest with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with the link to your post.

~Follow this blog. Simply click on "Follow this blog" found near the top of the sidebar to the right (under "The Blonde"). Then, leave a separate comment letting me know you are following.

~Post the button below on your blog and then leave a separate comment here letting me know it's posted and where. Here's the code for the button:

~Add So a Blonde Walks Into a Review to your Technorati Favorites (just click the button below and follow the simple steps). Then, leave a separate comment here letting me know you've added this blog to your favorites:

Deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Thursday, January 14, 2009. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck and enjoy the show!

Harlem Globetrotters Prize Pack Winner

2010-01-05T16:45:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to MomUnion! Her name was selected at random as the winner of the Harlem Globetrotters Prize Pack giveaway.

Thanks to all who entered and to Coyne PR for sponsoring this fun giveaway!

Save on Shipping with FedEx

2009-12-22T15:59:00.005-05:00

We're in the midst of that holiday rush where some (*cough* me *cough*) people are scrambling to get last minute gifts shipped out. We want our packages to get to the recipient fast, cheaply and in-tact.

My choice this holiday season is FedEx. Not only does FedEx Ground cost 10% less than UPS Ground, but the new FedEx Office Print & Ship Centers offer customized calendars, cards, and stationery in addition to packing tips and assistance. With FedEx Office Print Online services, you can even print holiday newsletters and cards to a nearby center of your choice or have them delivered to your friends and family hassle-free.

Here's a hint on how you can save even more money with FedEx: If you open an account at Fedex.Com, you can save up to 16% on FedEx Express services and 8% on FedEx Ground and Home Delivery.

Best of all, when you visit any FedEx location nationwide, their professionals can help you pack and ship whatever you are sending, and give you tips on how to minimize the size and weight of your package to reduce shipping costs.

Right now, anyone who signs up for a free FedEx account can enter their information here to be entered to win an iPod Touch!

Happy shipping!

Disclosure Notice: “I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of FedEx and received a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

A Spectacular Christmas

2009-12-20T23:04:00.002-05:00

I have a confession to make. I have never seen the Rockettes or the Radio City Christmas Spectacular show before. After seeing both for the first time on Friday at Verizon Center in Washington DC, I learned what I'd missed out on and am now determined to make it a yearly tradition.

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular Arena Tour is fairly new, having debuted in 2008, but the show itself dates back to 1933. Two of the scenes from the original show are performed today: the "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" and "Living Nativity."

I, for one, was moved to tears by the latter and was happy to see a celebration of the true meaning of Christmas come to life before my eyes. I asked my 9-year-old daughter Natalie, who attended with me, what her favorite part of the show was and she said, "The way (The Rockettes) were able to do everything at the same time."

She was referring to their well-known precision, and she's right. From every little kick, to every little turn, their timing was perfect. But she was just as dazzled by the entire 90-minute performance as I was, waving at the dancing bears and laughing at the "boom" flag shot out of the cannon. At one point, Santa ran down the aisle in front of us and she practically jumped out of her seat.

The only thing better than the performance itself for me, was seeing her reaction as well as the children around me. Eyes were wide, jaws were open and there were tons of "oohs" and "ahhs" from the little ones in the crowd.

One fairly new number, "New York at Christmas," made me long for another visit to New York City. The scene features a tour bus with an LED screen backdrop that makes it appear as if the bus is driving through the city. It was so realistic that I just sat back and soaked it in as if I was there.

The special effects were even more dazzling than the backdrop, costumes and scenery. A few times during the show, huge explosions of "snow" are shot out over the crowd, and glitter falls from the ceiling to create a magical snowfall. Colored streamers were shot out at another point to the delight of the audience.

The show was helpful in answering one of the age-old questions children have about Santa: How can he be in more than one place at one time? So asks a boy by the name of Patrick, who doubts the existence of Santa, despite the faith of his younger brother Ben.

It is then that "Santa" tells Patrick that as things have gotten busier for him, he's had to find a way to be everywhere and does so through the use of magic. That brought us to a fabulous number with dancing Santa clones.

My little girl still believes so I know this number went a long way in putting any doubts she may have to rest. In fact, the entire show made our Christmas much more magical. Indeed...spectacular.

Many thanks to Verizon Center for making this review possible. For information on Verizon Center, including events and ticket information, click here.

For more information on Radio City's Christmas Spectacular, including tour dates and ticket information, click here.

Note: Originally published at So a Blonde Walks Into a Blog.