My Memories Review and Give Away!!!

A while back I was given the unique opportunity to review My Memories Digital Scrapbooking software.

Before I tell you how great it is, I have to issue a huge thank you to Liz for this awesome opportunity, and for being patient with me as family, work and other issues have kept me from posting this for quite some time.

But I'm here now ready to tell you all about it! :)

After I downloaded the software to computer, I loved that there were tons of FREE features!  The site is easy enough to use for beginning scrapbookers but would be a great resource for devoted digital scrapbooking crafters as well.

I tried out many different free kits. With just having got married in May I spent a lot of time looking at Wedding themes. I also peeked at baby kits for hopefully, future reference ;)  I enjoyed the fact that the free kits are still of great quality for those of us that want to create a great scrapbook without pushing our budget.  Although, the pieces that do cost are fairly inexpensive!

The My Memories Site says it perfectly,

"With over 1,500 papers, over 1,000 page elements, and over 30 album templates (including 10 new for v3), MyMemories Suite lets you hit the ground running with your very own scrapbook or photo album in a matter of minutes. It’s easy-to-use and affordable—and compatible with both Windows and Mac computers. Don’t put off your important memories any longer, add MyMemories Suite to your shopping cart now.

You can make a beautiful scrapbook an interactive memory experience for anyone who sees it. Use simple one-click options to enhance your scrapbooks, with music, narration, video, and even the Internet. Go beyond pictures by showing off video of the birthday party, or record a narration to capture the memories that pictures alone cannot. With My Memories Suite you simply don't look at a scrapbook-you experience it!"

If you can't wait any longer, here's some GREAT news!  My Memories is providing all of my readers with a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store! All you have to do is use this code: STMMMS20835.

If you would like a chance to get your own FREE copy of the My Memories Software, keep reading! Thanks to My Memories, I get to give away a free copy of the software!  The giveaway will run for exactly one week, ending on midnight on SATURDAY, March 31st.  The winner will be announced on Sunday, April 1st on the blog and receive an email from me.  They have 48 hours to respond to the email, if no response is received, a new winner will be chosen. Please remember to leave your email with EACH comment to make it easier to contact you! Comments with out email provided will not win. Here are some give away guidelines: 1. You must be a follower of my blog. You may leave a comment telling me that you have recently followed and your blog address so I can follow back, or just leave a comment telling me you already follow me, for one entry. 2. Please go to www.mymemories.com and choose your favorite layout or paper pack and then leave a comment here, telling me what that is. This counts as one entry :) Extra Entries:  Please remember to leave a comment letting me know you've done them! 1. LIKE Some Sorta Fairytale on Facebook 2. Follow Me on Twitter 3. Follow the My Memories blog 4. LIKE My Memories on Facebook 5. Follow My Memories on Twitter Seriously, go check out My Memories!

GERMS!

Can we talk about germs for a second???

As a preschool teacher, I come in contact with germs a lot more than I would like. I couldn't tell you how many times I've wiped a runny nose, been coughed or sneezed on, or how much I wash my hands when I'm at work.

Sometimes, though, you're somewhere where soap and water aren't always available. That's where Prefense comes in! I can definitely remember several times that I was on the playground or leaving a child's home and wanted to wash my hands.Prefense prides itself in being "a unique, alcohol-free hand sanitizer that provides you and your family proactive security from germs that can make you sick." It is 100 % poison free, alcohol free and safe for kids. Like Prefense on Facebook here!

Prefense is available in many different sizes and types. I was sent a 1.5 fl oz pump style bottle for review which is said to contain 120 sprays.  The spray is silica based, and is supposed to smooth, soften and protect.  It has a light citrus scent, but not enough to be noticeable.

Upon applying the prefense to my hands, I like that it sprays out cleanly.   When I first rub it in, my hands always feel a tad waxy, but that seems to go away quickly once my hands are dry, leaving a smooth finish. My guess is that the silica is what protects your hands from the multiple washings, and knowing how chapped my hands can get, especially in the winter, I really like this feature!


I would definitely recommend Prefense to anyone but especially Moms, teachers and those in the medical field. Such a quick, inexpensive, healthy way to clean your hands when soap isn't readily available!

In fact, Prefense is now offering sanitizing wipes in their online store. I think this would be a great way to clean not only your hands but possibly toys/books that get sticky while you are out on the go! Follow Prefense on Twitter!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Comfortable

I love to be comfortable. On my days off when I desperately need to rest and relax you can typically find me on the couch in a comfy tee, some work out shorts and under a cozy blanket.

There's something about a familiar blanket and comfy clothes that always makes you feel better, too, don't ya think? I know that was my favorite part of when I would stay home from school sick. Staying on the couch in comfy clothes under my favorite blanket, with some ginger ale.

The cool thing is, that tee shirts are beginning to be more purposeful and stylish now a days. They aren't just clothes to "beat around in". It is now acceptable to wear teeshirts out to clubs, the grocery store and even to work!

I was recently sent a teeshirt from tshirtprinting.net for review. They sent me a grey short sleeve shirt with their mascot, a colorful monkey, on the front.

 The company specializes in all types of shirts from normal every day tees for men and women, to polos for work, printed hoodies and more.  They offer tons of styles and colors, competitive prices, and promise a quick turn around time so that you get your shirts in a timely manner!

This would be a great resource for any company looking to provide shirts to their employees. They work hard to personalize your shirt with your own company logo and information!

This time of year there are also a lot of fundraisers and walks going on for various causes. What a great way to show support for a cause but also have team unity! Matching teeshirts!  I've never had to order mass tee shirts before, but if I ever do, I know I have a great resource in this site.

The shirt they sent me is made with 90 percent heavy cotton and 10 percent polyester. The colors withstood washing and drying very well, although I'm curious to see how the screen printed picture on the front stands up over time. I try to turn the shirt inside out before I wash and dry it to help with that. At the advice of the sites owner, I ordered my shirt a size smaller than I'm used to and I'm glad I did. The shirts run bigger and my medium fits impecably. I feel comfortable in the shirt, it wears great and will be a huge hit with my preschool kiddos who are loving monkeys and all animals right now.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Who needs an excuse to Party??

Hello Readers! I was recently given the opportunity to review an AWESOME ebook of Hawaiian Luau Party Ideas.

Like anybody, I absolutely LOVE a good party. From the planning to the decorations to the food, it is all so much fun! Many of you know I recently moved. I had thought about having some sort of house warming party. Well, now that I've received this ebook, I actually wonder if having a Luau might be fun. Plus, Luaus are all the rage right now! I can't tell you the wealth of decorations I've found in simple places like the dollar store and Walmart. Of course, there is also a ton of available stuff at our local party store!

Before I get started here, let me tell you the most awesome part. This entire book of awesome luau ideas is FREE to anyone who signs upto the Python Printable Games Newsletter, which is also free! All you have to do is go to http://www.python-printable-games.com/fun-printable-games-ezine.html 
and enter in your name, email address and click subscribe.  I'm actually thinking of subscribing myself, because their website has tons of party ideas from camping parties, to birthday parties, and even a spot where you can check out all of their printable games!

Upon dowloading the book to my computer (as a pdf file) I couldn't help but first think that it would actually be fun to print out and have at hand and not have to be scrolling on the computer. It would also make it really easy to show off where you got all the fun ideas from. Unfortunately, our printer is not currently hooked up and I'm not sure I'm comfortable using that amount of ink anyway.

I liked several things about the book. I liked first that it included lots of color and real luau pictures. It catches your attention but also gives your eye a break from all the text. In fact the entire, "table of contents", is nothing but pictures.

The idea book includes several different types of invitations that would be appropriate for a luau. If I end up doing a luau party once we get moved in and all, I will probably print several pages of one type rather than using all the different versions.

I LOVED that the book came with decoration ideas from Amazon.com complete with clickable links!!!! This makes the OCD part of my brain very happy, lol. And if you're like me, you know that some of the decorations are totally able to be made yourself and the pictures will only serve as inspiration! ;)

The next few pages of the book are cake, costume, recipe and drink ideas. I love baking a good cake and this book totally has me craving Pineapple Upside Down Cake now.  Now, I know what you're thinking, costumes? But here's the awesome part...you can definitely get away with just a simple lei and sunglasses at a luau if you don't want to go the grass skirt and coconut bra route! I also don't think any of us need an excuse to have a fruity drink :P

The last few pages of the book are a list of different games that can be downloaded at their site for a cost. Not to worry though, if you sign up for the newsletter and get the book, a coupon code for 10% off any game is also included, not to mention a FREE copy of their mad lib game.

All in all I think this would be a great resource for anyone planning a luau type party!  And heck if you can get the reader for free just by signing up for a newsletter, why not? I do think that if the reader was not free, I would not pay for it. That's totally me though, I'm a cheap skate and with the wealth of internet info available I doubt I'd pay for anything like that.


P.S. Stay tuned to the blog for another review AND give away, this time of a Luau Party games pack!!!






I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Guest Post and a Give Away!

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CrowdTap

Today I joined a site called crowd tap. You can take surveys, write reviews, answer questions and participate in discussions, all while making a bit of a profit! A portion of your earnings will be donated to a charity of your choice and crowd tap will match all of your donations!

What a great way to get the word out about your blog, make some play money, and do good for a charity as well!

Best yet I get credit and earn 5 bucks for getting five friends to join with me! What are you waiting for, link up!

A Wedding-In Review :)

This is my husband, Nicholas and I.

We got married on May 7, 2011 in York, Pennsylvania!  The weather was absolutely gorgeous all day and only got a little overcast and drizzly towards the evening, when we were all partying inside for the reception anyway!

We got married at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in York, PA. The picture above is us actually standing in front of the altar, but no picture can really do this church justice. It is gorgeous, huge and the organ when played, sounds like you stepped foot into heaven. I love this church. I also love that there was no need to decorate, minus some altar flowers, because we let the church and it's ornate architecture speak for itself.

 

 

Our Reception was held at The Viking Athletic Association in York , which is located right across the street from the York Fairgrounds. I would have never have pegged it as a good reception location, as it is a large red and yellow building, but looks can be deceiving! 

The facility features a decently sized banquet room complete with beautiful chandeliers, a stage for your DJ, a small dance floor, and room for up to about 150 people comfortably. Here's the thing. If you have more than that, they have to use long cafeteria style tables, and the seating is not very comfortable. Plus you run into issues without room to move around and dance! We had about 105 people at our wedding and could have fit probably another 10 or 15 more very comfortably. If you have 138 people coming or less the facility can then use round tables which SUIT the room much better. 

I did not pay for china, linens or cake cutting. Everything was included in the 13.99 price I paid for food. The only extras I bought were some champagne/sparkling cider for toasts, a 1/2 keg for dinner, a refillable punch bowl and refillable bowls of chips and pretzels for dinner. 

When all was said and done I think it ran us some where around 2300 for EVERYTHING, including some where around a 300 dollar automatic gratuity, which I figured on but it would have been nice to know about before hand.  

Water and soda were all free, we had a cash bar which was VERY inexpensive, and lots of waitresses staffing, getting drinks and bringing out food. The chairs in the room are brown, not blue, like in the website pictures. There are SO many possibilities with the room when you use the right table decorations, and linens. I made all the table decorations myself and I went all out, knowing that I wouldn't be hanging anything on the walls or whatnot. Unfortunately there were some staff changes going on at the time of my wedding which made things not run AS smoothly as they were supposed to but they did a pretty good job. They were aware of special food needs, and made sure to address them. There were several waitresses working the night of the wedding but it still took a little while to get everything out. 

 When I originally chose my photographer, I was willing to pay a little more, to get better quality. I got lucky though and was able to get good quality AND a great price. Nick and I decided to go with Frank E. King Photography and Video based in Dover, PA.  After signing a contract with the company, I learned that a friend of mine, Kevin Fischer, was actually employed by them. 

(717.649.7808, KevinJFischerPhotography@gmail.com)

I requested to have him as our wedding photographer and I couldn't be MORE pleased. He took the time to learn all the names of my wedding party and close family to make getting pictures easier. He was patient with me and my family, which we all know is so important on something as stressful as your wedding day. He was fun! He went above and beyond what was expected, helping to get water for tables at my wedding when the waitresses were busy in the back getting food.  What was more impressive though, was Kevin was in an accident merely one week before my wedding and it required WRIST surgery. He took it upon himself to recruit another photographer (James Hoang) to come with him on the day of our wedding, when we had only "paid" to have one. Just in case, he would need help or his wrist/hand would get tired. He ended up taking many pictures anyway, even with his hurt wrist. Many people came up to me during and after the wedding expressing how pleased they were with the photographers and telling us how great of a job they did.

Fawn Grove Florist and Nursery is a gem of a place located in rural Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania. The shop is owned by my Aunt, Karen Heaps, and is responsible for some of the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen come out of the southern York County area. She was timely, efficient, patient and had great ideas. When my Mom and I met her, for the initial consultation, my budget was higher. Upon receiving less back than I had planned for taxes, I had to call and scale back my plans. She was able to still make beautiful flower plans even on a lesser budget. My Dad ended up then calling her back later and paying the difference so we could go with the original plans, but I was more than happy. The flowers were unbelievably gorgeous! I had bouquets for all the girls and myself, petals for the flower girl, boutonnieres for the guys and corsages for parents and grandparents.

 

The bridesmaid's dresses were bought at Alfred Angelo! They were absolutely amazing! To save money we had Linda Poff do all of the alterations. She has her own shop in the Dover/Dillsburg area and is very inexpensive! She does alterations, gown and veil preservation, as well as sells wedding jewelry, garters and veils.

The guys tuxes were rented from Men's Warehouse!

 (Rings were bought at Kay Jewelers!)

 
I got my wedding dress at Premier Bridal in York. The shop was great to both myself and my sister! They have a great selection of various sizes and types. Upon Walking in you receive markers to put on hangers. You can walk around pulling dresses that look good or fit your style/budget. After the consultant sees things you have picked she may pick other dresses that she may think of that fit your style. Pictures used to be allowed, but since they are going out of business they have stopped allowing them. The business is shutting down at the end of the summer, but right now, all of the dresses they have in stock are 50 % off!

Our DJ Company was absolutely AMAZING!  DJ Party Entertainment was efficient, timely and so very patient! Brian, our DJ has a full time job as a DJ job on the radio, and helps to run this company as a side job. The company will do Unlimited consultations with their brides and grooms and they helped us choose the perfect music! They edited a Glee song for our entrance and made it possible for us to do the garter grab and toss to music from the popular Mario Video Game. NOTHING short of AMAZING :)  They also made sure to stay involved with the planning, sent us final layouts, double checked with us about names and pronunciation before hand, as well as were sensitive to family needs such as the need to not have strobe lights due to sensitivity!

My videographer was my cousin, Christa Craig! She offered to do our wedding video as our wedding gift. We are SO very grateful! We are very excited to see the finished product! She may be venturing out into the videography world eventually, and would be a great resource to ANYONE if she does!

My cake was made by JaimeCakes which is a licensed home bakery based out of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. When my husband and I first met the baker, we found her helpful, a great listener and very willing to work with us to create a style we loved that was within our budget.  Being a pink and black wedding we wanted a cake that was more on the modern side and less girly for my husband, but still elegant for me. The flavors were fresh and amazing!  She did a four tier pink and black cake with two amazing flavors. She offers a fresh buttercream cake on your one year anniversary,if you choose to cut the top tier rather than freeze it. I wanted that option anyway! My groom and I actually didn't get any of our favorite flavor at the wedding so I called her and on the day that I took my cake display back, she gave a bunch of cup cakes for like 15 dollars!!

Hair: A good friend of mine, Theresa did my Hair! She works at a shop in Red Lion and also sells Creative Memories. Email me if you live in the York, PA area and want her information!

Make Up: Nick's Dad's Girlfriend, Oksana is a Mary Kay Consultant! She donated all of the makeup, as a part of their wedding gift!! She is based out of Lancaster and an absolute sweetheart!! Here's her website! Feel free to browse and place an order! :)

Invitations: Walmart! LOL


Favors: orientaltrading.com

Decorations:  orientaltrading.com and saveoncrafts.com


If you have any questions or anything feel free to email me! linz85@comcast.net

Stay tuned for a special review and coupon code!!!!

Read It: I Will Carry You

I finally finished reading Angie Smith's new book, I Will Carry You.

http://www.amazon.com/Will-Carry-You-Sacred-Dance/dp/080546428X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299282700&sr=8-1   (<---Order it Here!)


I Will Carry You is a beautifully written, spiritually driven account of Angie and Todd Smith's journey to expand their beautiful family.  Through ultrasound, they find out that their beautiful fourth daughter would not make it. They chose to carry their daughter to term, and received a miracle when they were given almost three beautiful hours to spend with their new little one. Her name, was Audrey Caroline. And her short life changed the world in more ways then her parents and society would ever know.


I have to say, having experienced an Early Miscarriage, this book was very helpful to me. It helped me to sort through my grief, and help me to feel as if I'm not alone. I respect Angie very much for her willingness to share her story with the world. Something she said in her book also really resonated with me. She mentioned that, no matter if you had an Early, Middle or Late Miscarriage, every loss is still a loss and we all have to grieve in our own way. EVERY loss is important, Every loss is meaningful to that Mother. It hits every woman differently. I really feel as if Angie really explained this in her book.

The book definitely had some tearful moments, especially the letters to Audrey from her Mommy and Daddy. It was an eye opening, heart wrenching, book.  The pictures, and the bible verses made me feel as if I was reading right out of her own journal! I recommend it to any Baby Loss Mama!  MOST IMPORTANTLY, I would also recommend it to any one that has a family member or friend, that has experienced a loss. It will help you understand what those going through or who have had a loss are feeling.

Angie has a blog that she started to share Audrey's Story. Please go, read and learn more about this amazing family!

Her husband Todd, is one of the lead singers of the Christian group, Selah. They wrote a special song called "I Will Carry You (Audrey's Song). Pulls at my heart EVERY time. Please watch it.

Give Away!

My friend Danielle has an uber awesome blog, Flip Flop Reviews. She posts lots of great info about companies, savings, give aways and more! It's really nice to be able to go to her blog and read her reviews because I know her perspective will be an honest one!

Danielle recently got the opportunity to review a lingerie company, Jada Micheals.
See Jada's site here:  http://www.jadamichaels.com/


I have to say, I love her stuff! I love that she offers lots of cute options in many sizes. I want to be able to look sexy and still be comfortable, know what I mean!!!

I am oober excited that Danielle and her blog partner have been given a giveaway opportunity through Jada Michaels! It would be so neat to win something that I could wear on my honeymoon!

Please feel free to view Danielle's site and more information about her giveaway here: 
http://flipflopreviews.blogspot.com/2011/02/jada-michaels-review-and-giveaway-18.html

While you are there, check out the rest of her blog and many reviews! Follow her for some great deals and info! She is an awesome Momma, and is the best coupon clipper/shopper I've ever seen! ;)