My Loonyverse: See the world through my eyes

SYLVANIA halogen light bulb Blog Tour!

discriminating_diva@yahoo.com (dddiva) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:48:00 +0000

As you know, we try to be green when it is feasible for us, but the huge things just aren't happening.

As I've said before, I think it is important for us to do what we can to make our world a better place, but I don't think we should beat ourselves up for what we can't do- either we'll get to it later when we can or we'll do something else.

When we need new electronics and appliances we try to get the most energy efficient ones we can afford, because that's something we (and most of our friends and family) can do. We don't have an electric car or a huge compost pile, but we recycle and try to remember to bring our own bags to the store. Organic clothes when we can afford them- certainly. Converting to a solar house- well that's a dream for another day.

We have been using CFL light bulbs whenever ours burn out even though we weren't thrilled with them, because they are more energy efficient and that makes sense to us - they cost more but they don't work as well as traditional light bulbs. And, I am still not thrilled with the shape- just one of those personal preferences.

The other things I don't much care for is that they take longer to come on, flutter with any energy surge and of course are never quite as bright- let me tell you if you haven't experienced 40-itis, your eyes really do get *dimmer* and the eye specialists themselves recognize 40-itis as an unavoidable condition- that is in fact where we first heard the term. And you could care less about my reading glasses, but my point is that it gets harder to read and good lighting is essential. My eyes get tired quicker with the CFL bulbs than traditional ones, but again we chose that as something we could do that was worth the trade off.

Aside from it being worth it to us to make the decision to use CFL light bulbs, traditional incandescent bulbs are being phased out by the Federal Government’s Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, so even if I didn't want to change, soon I wouldn't have a choice.

I was really excited to be chosen to participate in the SYLVANIA halogen light bulb Blog Tour!

I am delighted to say they work as advertised- a bright white light in a traditional shape- and they are not only instant on but work with dimmer switches. They are brighter than CFL, which means my eyes don't get as tired and I can read longer (I'm a bed reader and stretch that one final chapter out as long as I can and yes, mom, you always knew and let me anyways!)

What does this mean for us consumers? Basically we don't have to compromise and give up anything- we're doing the good for the environment thing, the SYLVANIA halogen bulbs contain no mercury (you knew you had to take your CFL bulbs to be disposed of and couldn't just toss them out, right?) and they use between 22 & 33% less energy than traditional bulbs. The best of everything, as far as I can tell.

Unless something drastic changes over time, I will be using the SYLVANIA halogen bulbs, and it's a choice I can feel really good about- it has combined the best features of both CFL and incandescent bulbs, meets the guidelines of the security act and means I don't have to sacrifice anything to get the light quality I want.

The SYLVANIA halogen SUPERSAVER light bulb is available in 28 watt (replacing 40 watt), 43 watt (replacing 65 watt), 72 watt (replacing 100 watt) and a variety of flood lights. Currently they can be purchased online, and nationwide at Menard's and some BJ's and prices start at $4.29 a 2-pack.

Win/win for everyone.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of SYLVANIA and received products necessary to facilitate my candid review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls Giveaway

discriminating_diva@yahoo.com (dddiva) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:56:00 +0000

Do y'all do the whole breakfast thing? As we've blogged before, it's pretty much hit and miss here and I hate to say it but we're really bad about grabbing and going (and practically snarling until we've had our caffeine intake), so the whole family togetherness doesn't happen too often and that's only when Ken is in the mood to make a brunch for us which usually happens on Sundays.

Oh, but when he does we all come running- bacon or sausage and eggs and toast and (remember, he's the french-fryer) delicious homemade fries or wedges or slices or whatever shape he's in the mood for.

And now something new to add to the mix - and yes, I'm a GIRL, of course I like sweets, so these really hit the spot- thanks to MyBlogSpark we recently had the opportunity to sample Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls.

Can I just say- YUM! Pretty much, I think they are the cinnamon rolls we already loved- and added a truly excellent orange icing. The vote is pretty much split here as some of us prefer the traditional icing and some the orange now- luckily, we can have both.

As we've mentioned a time or 6, we (especially Devii) are big fans of the doughboy. And now we've got something else to be thankful for. You should definitely give them a try- the hint of citrus really adds a new twist to a classic and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Now on to the good part. MyBlogSpark and Pillsbury want you to try them out for yourself and are giving one of our lucky readers a Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls gift pack that includes a VIP coupon for Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls as well as a photo album to help keep your family's sweet Sunday morning memories close at hand.

THE GIVEAWAY: 1 lucky reader will win a Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls gift pack including a VIP coupon for Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls and a photo album. Open to US residents 18+ ends 3/17 at 11:59pm CST.

Main Entry: Daily- What is your family's favorite way to spend a Sunday morning? Do you have any traditions you wouldn't mind sharing? If you don't, that's okay, just tell us your fave breakfast/brunch food. This is for first daily entry only, on subsequent days you can just put today's entry.

Want more? The main entry is all you need for a chance to win, but you can find out how to get additional entries into our giveaways here.

We received a a Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls gift pack for review purposes and one to give away but that in no way influenced our opinions, nor were we compensated in any other way.

Baby Bunch review and giveaway

IansGeekyMommy@gmail.com (GeekyMommy) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:23:00 +0000

We were recently given the chance to review The Baby Bunch medium baby clothing bouquet, which while we do not have any babies immediately in the family, I have two friends both about to pop, neither of which know the gender, so this in yellow is a wonderful gift.

The bouquet is very pretty. I'm usually more into fun and funky, but they have that covered as well with crayon, lollipop and cupcake gift sets (which also begin at a much lower price... something most people in this economy will find wonderful. The time and art put into the larger pieces does make it worth $59.95... if you have it). I wish they also had a sushi roll one, now THAT would be my style! No matter which you get, the packaging is lovely , the flowers do look rosey, and it would be fantastic to display at a baby shower.

Now its time to open the gift! First thing we notice... it smells like the fake plant section in Hobby Lobby mixed with eucalyptus. Not a fav. We are sure it's because of the fake greenery to complete the bouquet, but if you are sensitive to smells like we are you may want to let it air out a bit. The clothing itself is soft-- it is made of organic cotton, and its a pretty light yellow, not mustardy like some. The bouquet includes two onesies, one hat, one t-shirt, one bib and two pairs of socks.

Over all this is a wonderful product that I was thrilled to receive, and can not wait to give it to my friend for her baby shower!

THE GIVEAWAY: 1 lucky reader will win a Baby Bunch bouquet in medium in your choice of blue, pink or yellow- a $59.95 value. Open to US residents 18+ ends 3/17 at 11:59pm CST.

Can't wait? Order now and receive 15% off (excluding shipping) using code BUNCHGW10

Main Entry: Daily- head on over to the baby bunch and tell me your fave item. This is for first daily entry only, on subsequent days you can just put today's entry.

Want more? The main entry is all you need for a chance to win, but you can find out how to get additional entries into our giveaways here.

We received a medium bunch in yellow to review. We did not receive any other compensation for this review and the opinions expressed are our honest opinions and are in no way biased or swayed.

SpiceStack Spice Rack Giveaway

discriminating_diva@yahoo.com (dddiva) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:09:00 +0000

We have a great giveaway for anyone looking to get organized in the kitchen. I won this for Kyra when she was on her own but she never got a chance to use it and since she's moved back in it it is just taking up room here (I have WAY too many spices and use an over the door clear shoe bag in the pantry for mine).

It's the original SpiceStack Spice Rack

Original SpiceStack

Measures 8" w, 8.5" h, 10.75" d

Holds 18 full size or 36 half size spice bottles up to 5.5" tall

Includes 48 blank and 48 pre-printed drawer labels

Stackable, durable, easy-to-clean

We have one SpiceStack Spice rack to give away - new in box. No one is sponsoring, it is in our hands and we will be sending it to the winner ourselves.

THE GIVEAWAY: 1 lucky reader will win a SpiceStack Spice Rack. Open to US residents 18+ ends 3/10 at 11:59pm CST.

Main Entry: Daily- tell me your biggest organizational challenge. This is for first daily entry only, on subsequent days you can just put today's entry.

Want more? The main entry is all you need for a chance to win, but you can find out how to get additional entries into our giveaways here.

Denise's Daily Dozen giveaway

discriminating_diva@yahoo.com (dddiva) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:42:00 +0000

Win a Copy of Denise's Daily Dozen: The Easy, Every Day Program to Lose Up To 12 Pounds In 2 Weeks by Denise Austin

We have a copy of Denise's Daily Dozen to give away to one lucky reader.

No one is sponsoring, it is brand new, it's in our hands and we'll be sending it to the winner ourselves.

THE GIVEAWAY: 1 lucky reader will win a copy of Denise's Daily Dozen: The Easy, Every Day Program to Lose Up To 12 Pounds In 2 Weeks by Denise Austin. Open to US residents 18+ ends 3/3 at 11:59pm CST.

Main Entry: Daily- Tell me what you do to stay in shape. This only needs to be done the first day, you can just put today's entry on subsequent days.

Want more? The main entry is all you need for a chance to win, but you can find out how to get additional entries into our giveaways here.

Count Your Blessings giveaway

discriminating_diva@yahoo.com (dddiva) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:32:00 +0000

Somehow we ended up with a spare copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul Count Your Blessings so we're going to be giving it to one of y'all.

No-one is sponsoring, it's brand new, it's in our hands and we'll be sending it to the winner ourselves.

THE GIVEAWAY: 1 lucky reader will win a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul Count Your Blessings. Open to US residents 18+ ends 3/3 at 11:59pm CST.

Main Entry: Daily- tell me something you are grateful for. Easy peasy, right? Make it something different each day so we don't get bored if you don't mind. ;-)

Want more? The main entry is all you need for a chance to win, but you can find out how to get additional entries into our giveaways here.

Kidorable review & giveaway

IansGeekyMommy@gmail.com (GeekyMommy) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 04:41:00 +0000

With all this snow we've had, melting away, you can bet we have had plenty of something else, too. Mud puddles. Well, lucky for us we received some Kidorable Froggy Rain boots to review. These things are ADORABLE!

Shortly after we received the boots when we were in Target we saw some similar (copycat) frog boots but they were... okay. Cute, nothing special, with kinda creepy eyes. The Kidorable ones are just FUN and awesome and you can really see a difference in the quality.

And, what is better for puddle jumping then frogs, really? They seem comfy, Ian sure doesn't complain, and his feet stay warm and dry. They seem sturdy, and are easy to wipe clean, and don't have that funky rubber smell, all good points. Very very good points as mom gets gaggy with that funky smell and lets EVERYONE know- especially if we are shopping and we get an unpleasant whiff.

We also received a Froggy rain coat, but instead of a 5 they sent the 18 month old size so it is going to my goddaughter, Miss Lexxi, next time we visit her. She likes frogs and just had a birthday, so it works well, and I will let you know how it holds up after she has worn it a time or two. We did take it out of the packaging to inspect and it is really, really cute.

Now the good news- Kidorable has generously offered to send one of our readers an umbrella of their choice.

THE GIVEAWAY: 1 lucky reader will win the umbrella of their choice from Kidorable. Open to US residents 18+ ends 3/1 at 11:59pm CST.

Main Entry: Daily- Head on over to Kidorable and tell me your favorite item. This only needs to be done the first day- for subsequent daily entry just put something like today's entry.

Bonus Entries-
Fan Kidorable on Facebook and leave me your name (first name and initial is fine).
Follow Kidorable on Twitter and leave me your nickname.
Tweet the giveaway with a link back here - can be done up to 3x daily - wait at least one hour between tweets.
Sample tweet- can cut & paste: Win the umbrella of your choice from Kidorable @dddiva #giveaway ends 3/1 http://bit.ly/9brfzG

Want more? The main entry is all you need for a chance to win, but you can find out how to get additional entries into our giveaways here.

Opinions Wanted - what would you do? Bloggers, Review / Giveaway preferences

discriminating_diva@yahoo.com (dddiva) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:32:00 +0000

So I've been putting some effort into entering giveaways and contests lately- ya- like everything else got a little lazy with it. And the world didn't come to an end. Imagine that. *grin*

Ugh is all I have to say. I've had some wins, and yes I will eventually update- probably- but for now, I'm kind of bummed again.

In some ways I think I sort of have a unique viewpoint coming into the game the way I did- as someone who enters contests, sweepstakes and giveaways first, then later getting into the review and giveaway aspect of things. So, you can trust me to tell you when something smells rotten in Denmark as they say. YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary) but for the most part, there are a few sponsors and bloggers who are taking advantage of you (and by that I mean those of us who enter the giveaways) or they are trying to, in my not so humble opinion.

For a mandatory entry- you have to blog about the giveaway with links back to the blog and the sponsor. And not just a blurb, but a separate post. And it has to be a certain length. Okay, let's break this down shall we. Blogger hosting the giveaway gets free product and / or monetary compensation and / or traffic to their blog for hosting the giveaway. Hosting blogger also gets traffic from every blogger who posts as well as an extra link to their giveaway. Good for hosting blogger. Company gets traffic from hosting blogger and from each blogger as well. Lots of PR, very little money- usually just a couple of products which we all know- not very expensive for company. Good for company.

Blogger trying to win- well, not so good. Sure you get a shot at winning- 1 in hundreds or 1 in thousands. I don't have a problem with extra entries, in fact there is a page on my site you can go to if you want them for most of the giveaways I host, but for the main one- yeah, I do have a problem when you are making it mandatory I do your work for you. Especially when you say I can't use your words- umm hello you want me to pitch a product I never received and use my hard won traffic ranking and link you and your sponsor to up your traffic & ranking for a one in thousands chance that maybe just maybe I'll get lucky this time? Why on earth would I want to do pretty much what you are doing minus the benefits? You got compensation but I only *might* win against at least hundreds but most likely thousands of other entrants? Yeah, that's fair.

I'm not dissing review & giveaway bloggers, heck, at times we are both, but there are opportunities I turn down because it just doesn't feel right. And while say winning a mattress or higher end vacuum would be nice- I don't think that it is right to make it mandatory that I post you on my front page where my readers have no choice but to see- some of my traffic is certainly for the giveaways, but much is not. I don't have a problem if I REALLY want a prize posting a blurb about your giveaway and links to both you and your sponsor on my giveaways around the blogosphere page, but I really don't think it is fair to ask for or expect a feature which is what a LOT of blogs are now wanting- and not always for high dollar prizes, I've seen it for a $25 GC as well.

If a company wants to give me a mattress set, I'm all about splashing you all over my social networks and promoting the heck out of you, and I will offer extra entries to others if they'd like extra chances but I won't say you can't enter if you don't have a blog with a certain number of readers or a twitter account with x number of followers or link my giveaway to your FB account, etc.. Those are great for BONUS entries, and really, I don't have a problem with that or any other hoops that I can choose to jump through or not, but the key word there is choose.

Another trend is having many many many bloggers post the same giveaway for a paltry number of prizes to be chosen among all blogs and the chance that the blog hosts could win one fairly decent prize. We're talking about the blogs getting to offer readers a chance to win a $20 to $50 prize here, not like the major appliances from a while back, and maybe 10 winners will be chosen from ALL the blogs- so that could literally be hundreds of blogs and only a handful of winners- and then one of those bloggers will win a few hundred dollars- now the blog chosen could either be random or the most entrants (which let's face it- there are only a handful who are not wasting their time if that is the case). Only one I see winning here is the company.

I know I have the choice to host or not, to enter or not, but I am genuinely curious as to whether this strikes anyone else as extremely unbalanced or do you just think- oh smart business going as cheap as you can with the adverstising?

I am at the point where I am seriously considering starting a blog strictly to post giveaways that I want extra entries for- honestly I would LOVE LOVE LOVE a decent mattress, I haven't slept well in forever as mine is ancient and I am stiff and sore all the damn time, but I don't want this blog to be all about other peoples content and giveaways. I'm all for sharing the love, but we're divas here, not gonna give y'all top billing. Just isn't gonna happen. ;-)

Oh- sorry, back on track- so that's my thinking- starting a new blog- which will get no time or anything at all it will strictly be for the extra entries- so no traffic, no page rank, no followers, but I won't mind giving you a blurb. Would you rather I did that- and you got a whole post dedicated to your giveaway, albeit one no one would ever see, or would it be better to have a blurb on my giveaway page- where people who actually give a crap about entering do go and look?

Mommy Magic: Defying the weatherman, one snow day at a time.

noreply@blogger.com (Geekazoid) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:12:00 +0000

The other day, the weather man said our town was going to get somewhere between a dusting and two inches of snow. In true Dddiva fashion, Mom immediately began chanting, "Mommy magic! Mommy magic! Make it a snow day!"

We ended up getting six and a half inches of snow, and three days off school--paired with the "mental health day" I took on Friday, that's a six-day weekend. I used it to catch up on all the important things... sleeping, reading bad romance novels, and most importantly of all, being lazy. Y'know, life's little essentials.

Along with controlling the weather, Mommy Magic also has the power to break jinxes, settle not-my-turn disputes, and override dibs. I don't know if Mommy Magic is something that comes with being a mother or unique to my own, but I strongly recommend you try exercising yours. To use, just shout "MOMMY MAGIC!" and say the desired outcome.

MilkDot lunch tote review

IansGeekyMommy@gmail.com (GeekyMommy) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:55:00 +0000

An embarrassingly long while ago, we received a lovely MilkDot lunchbox to review. The one we got is Cotton Candy Pink + Chocolate, a lovely combo, and they also have Robins Egg Blue and chocolate, very lovely as well. It is fairly spacious, not the biggest lunchbox but it easily fits a sandwich, chips, drink, yogurt and dessert, with little pouches for a cold pack, silverware, napkin etc.

It also has a little button/tag where you can put a name or picture so everyone knows its yours, or you can tuck it in the front pocket so they DON'T know its yours and your home made cookies will be safe! (a problem I had around Christmas, though more so with fudge haha!) It is well insulated... Okay... the inside is all silvery, so it can double as a tin foil hat, only with a much more fashionable outside! (yeah, I'm a goober, the first thing I do with a new lunchbox is put it on my head. I wear everything =P Life is more fun my way.)

The other really handy thing? It folds flat. Yep, flattens out, so when I'm done with lunch and need to squeeze it into my smaller then a shoebox locker with my purse and such.

As you know, we're trying to do our part by using less packaging and Milkdot helps us do it stylishly.

We received a product so that we could do a review and no other compensation. The opinions are ours and were in no way influenced by the receipt of this product.

Dentyne mega review & giveaway.

discriminating_diva@yahoo.com (dddiva) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:14:00 +0000

As previously mentioned, we're gum chewers here so were delighted to receive 3 of the new Dentyne containers - they are limited edition images by artist Anthony Yankovic - you can see his work here on his site.

First off- the gum is not new, just the container, so it is a given the gum is as fab as always.

We have all given them a thumbs up, with a minor caveat.

The designs are bright, bold and colorful- hip,trendy and totally now, the teens and early 20's especially find them awesome.

The size is wonderful- perfect to fit in the cupholder of your vehicle and/or toss in your backpack/purse/diaper bag.

Since the lid can either be completely opened or just a small opening perfect for shaking out a piece or two of gum the container is very versatile.

The lid stays on tightly so when the littlest diva pops the container into her backpack she doesn't have to worry about it getting smooshed or icky as sometimes happens. The large containers are especially good while she's in so many activities- the musical and quizbowl are the current ones she's in several times a week and so she is assured of having plenty to share- each pack holds 60 pieces. (And if you have been around them much you know with the play especially- some of those she's up close and personal with- minty fresh gum is a really good thing.)

For those into recycling (and who isn't these days?) one thing that came immediately to mind is they would be perfect if I were still in the northeast and doing a lot of driving where the quartereaters are out to get you.
If you don't know what I am talking about- there are an awful lot of toll roads and you can zip on by them a lot quicker if you have exact change or tokens so you don't have to get in a long line, just toss the amount into a bucket and be on your merry way. Not sure what they are really called everyone I know calls them quartereaters. ;-)

Where we ran into a problem is if you aren't very careful when opening (and we weren't with the first) you will rip the artwork and instead of just removing the safety part, we tore up the artwork. Oops. So, one of our containers has the artwork completely off, and a second, though we were careful, has a small tear that gets a little worse with wear- it will last a while, but we can see it not lasting forever, especially if miss fidgety mindlessly picks at it as she occasionally has a tendency to do.

Overall we are impressed and will be buying them again- and being the shallow divas that we are, if we aren't in the mood for a specific type of gum, (and since we buy in bulk, and often buy several varieties at a time) yes, we'll choose the pretty packaging. It's what we do. ;-)

From the site: Dentyne® is a must-have socializing essential that allows socially addicted consumers to practice safe breath for the confidence to make a close connection instantly. Dentyne® premium badge edition bottles, a first in the U.S. gum category, come in twelve bold, badgy, limited edition designs for three flavors—Peppermint, Spearmint and Arctic Chill™. The bottles, designed by artist Anthony Yankovic, are especially appealing to young adults who love socializing. Anthony previously produced limited edition designs for trend and badge-driven categories like Apparel, Skateboard and Snowboards. http://anthonyyankovic.com/home.html

THE GIVEAWAY: 1 lucky reader will win 3 packs (one of each flavor) of Dentyne Gum in the new premium badge edition bottles. Open to US residents 13+ ends 2/14 at 11:59pm CST.

Main entry: this one is easy- tell me what you think of the new bottles or where you think you would use them for socializing.

Want more? The main entry is all you need for a chance to win, but you can find out how to get additional entries into our giveaways here.

We received 3 packs of gum from Dentyne as part of a mega review as a contributor for Pink Lemonade of Life so that we could do the review- the opinions expressed are ours and were in no way swayed because we received a sample. You can read the other reviews here.

It's party time- are you ready for some football? Old El Paso review & giveaway

discriminating_diva@yahoo.com (dddiva) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:10:00 +0000

Even if you aren't a super huge sports nut, chances are if you are in the US, you are going to be watching some football come February 7th.

According to research 61% of adults will be watching the big game- and since neither of my teams (Pats and Steelers) are playing this year, I'll say- I hope the Saints make it- I did live in Louisiana for 10 years after all, and 3 of the divas were born there,so there is some small sense of loyalty.

We used to have a big party but lately we just kick back at home. Regardless of what you do, food is a HUGE part of the festivities. HUGE! And when my teams aren't playing, pretty much all I care about- sad but true. ;-)

This year thanks to My Blog Spark and Old El Paso, our menu will be spiced up some.

Truth be told, I've used Old El Paso diced green chilies for... as long as I've been cooking with chilies.

My Blog Spark sent me a Tackle The Taste pack which included 2 cans of Old El Paso diced green chilies, a football shaped serving dish and paper goods.

This gave me the perfect excuse to make a big old pot of Taco Soup (the first time I've ever tried to make it at home- it's one of those things we like to get out but never made ourselves for some reason- it's really easy and delish) we kind of winged it and added things that sounded good willy-nilly like we do.

One of the things I really like about Old El Paso chilies is that they really pack a punch flavor wise, but not a lot of heat. I love spicy foods but not the burn the roof of your mouth off kind of spice, just jam-packed with flavor. My kids eat them, always have, as does Ian, and a couple of them don't like any flavor *waves hi to Blondie* err I mean any spice at all, so you don't have to worry about keeping the good stuff out of your recipes or making separate batches.

Old El Paso green chilies are a great addition to your Mexican or Tex-Mex inspired dishes.

For more ideas, check out these quick (with a prep time of less than 30 minutes each!) and delicious recipes that incorporate Old El Paso Green Chiles and will have your fans cheering for more! (These are not my recipes, but are part of the info I can include in my review.)

Nachos

Green Chile Dip
Green Chile Cornbread

Taco Nachos
Black Bean Dip
Slow Cooker Salsa Chili

Seven-Layer Bean Dip
Skillet Nacho Chili
Southwestern Dip

Sounds fabulous, right? Here's a coupon for you to receive $ .55 off of one can of Old El Paso chilies - you can print it off today and make your dinner livelier tonight.

Guess what? The generous folks at My Blog Spark and Old El Paso are also going to give one of our readers a Tackle The Taste prize pack of their own.

THE GIVEAWAY: One lucky reader will receive a Tackle The Taste Prize Pack which includes a football shaped ceramic serving platter, table runner, paper plates, napkins and two cans of Old El Paso Green Chiles. Open to US residents 18+ ends 1/26 at 11:59pm CST.

Main Entry- tell me your fave Superbowl snack (or party snack if you aren't a football fan) OR what you might like to make using the Old El Paso chilies if you win.

Want more? The main entry is all you need for a chance to win, but you can find out how to get additional entries into our giveaways here.

I received a Tackle the Taste prize pack to review as part of My Blog Spark and they will be sending an identical pack to the winner. The opinions expressed are my own and were in no way influenced by receiving the sample. No additional compensation was received for this review.

Sustainable kids review and giveaway, help for Haiti

IansGeekyMommy@gmail.com (GeekyMommy) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:32:00 +0000

A bit before Christmas we received a wonderful package from Sustainable Kids to review, their clothing is available at solne (kids 5-12) or A Green Wardrobe / Greenedge Kids. As most of you know, our life went upside down so things kind of got away from us... I'm pretty sure I already typed a review, but my computer ate it so here we go again!

~Sustainable Kids is not just another organic, eco-friendly company. Their money, time, compassion and passion is definitely where their mouths are. My first post had a lot of info on what they are doing around the globe and the Open Door Haiti School, but as you'll see when you read further, right now there are more urgent needs.~

The first thing I noticed, of course... the clothes are adorable! Stylish and up to date but not so trendy they won't be wearable with your next child. Most of it was for girls, so we gave it to my little cousin Ophelia. Her Mama oohed and squealed over it! Some of the pieces I -really- want in GeekyMommy sizes =) They have changed it up for the approaching warmer months so they don't have the jacket I want to link you, but they do have some other adorable options, including a cutesie tunic and skirt.

*Here are a couple of samples of what is currently available.*

The second thing I notice is quality. I will not waste money on something my son will wear through in a day... trust me, if it isn't made well, he will rip it by looking at it. He is ROUGH on his clothing! But this is sturdy, no loose seems, high quality and wonderful.

The third thing I noticed was some extra cardboard... another box. Upon further inspection, I saw this box was a wonderful, marvelous, postage-paid way to remove your excuse not to help people. This box is for you to donate anything that might be needed- toys, shoes, toiletries, anything- to those who need it. A wonderful philanthropic effort! I will be sending mine off soon, I'll let you know what I fill it with when I'm done (waiting on payday!)

On that note, perhaps it is a good thing I didn't post this before, because now I can add this. We have all heard about the tragedy in Haiti. Sustainable kids is already acting to do what they can, and instead of trying to paraphrase I will just copy what she sent Mom

To our friends who want to be able to help in this time of need.

RESCUE WORK- our partner organization will be assisting monetarily through established relief organizations in the area during the first week or two when things are critical from a medical standpoint. 100% of any funds donated go directly to relief and rescue work.

You can make any financial donation, even as small as $25 directly through our partner organization: Open Door Haiti

Or you can send a check of any amount, to their address below.

SUPPLIES DONATIONS - the needs for basic items are vast, and only worsened in wake of this disaster.

You can send items directly to Open Door Haiti US for immediate disbursement to those in need.
Most needed: Shoes, First Aid supplies, Personal care items, Vitamins and Clothing.
Send directly to: Open Door Haiti/U.S. 5070 Orange Blvd. Sanford, FL. 32771

Thank you for your support in this time of crisis.
- Sustainable Kids

We urge you to spend a little time at the Open Door Haiti site and check out their efforts- this is not a band-aid slapped on but an ongoing long term plan for a hand up.

On to the giveaway. Sustainable Kids has generously offered to give an Our Loonyverse reader 2 outfits, 1 for a boy and 1 for a girl. One winner will receive both outfits in their choice of sizes, if you don't have a boy and girl yourself you can pass whatever you don't need along to a friend or relative, donate it or give it away on your own blog if you like. The outfits sent will depend on what is available at the time but you will love love love them, of that I am certain. Maia is an absolute delight to work with and she will hook you up.

***From Dddiva- I have never exchanged more positive, uplifting, joyful emails than I received from Maia- every time I saw one in my inbox my spirits soared, there is that much passion and energy radiating through an electronic message- truly amazing, and we are honored to have been chosen to work with Sustainable Kids.***

THE GIVEAWAY: One lucky reader will receive 2 (2 piece) outfits, one for a boy, one for a girl to be chosen based on availability at the conclusion of the giveaway. Open to US Residents 18+ ends 2/2 at 11:59pm CST.

Main entry: Head on over to solne &/or A Green Wardrobe or Greenedge Kids and tell me your fave item (doesn't have to be kids clothing, poke around and check out all the fab things they have to offer. Easy peasy.

Want more? The main entry is all you need for a chance to win, but you can find out how to get additional entries into our giveaways here.

BONUS ENTRIES: for 3 extra entries, go to Open Door Haiti and tell us something you learned about what they are doing.

We received several articles of clothing so we could do this review and giveaway. The opinions expressed are ours and were in no way swayed because we received samples.

Wordless Wednesday - Christmas 2009

discriminating_diva@yahoo.com (dddiva) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:41:00 +0000

Between operator error and camera issues we got very few pictures for Christmas but here are a few that aren't too terribly hideous. Mostly. ;-)

What is it they say about good intentions- yeah I'm speeding rapidly towards h*ll

discriminating_diva@yahoo.com (dddiva) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:53:00 +0000

Ugh. So our weekend sucked. Aside from freezing half to death and the central heat not working- luckily we have space heaters- which we used on frozen pipes which unfortunately when they thawed out burst. We were supposed to get the central heat fixed Monday. Guess what has to wait now?

Thank God Ken's mom lives right down the road so we can do laundry & showers and have water to drink, make coffee, brush teeth, flush etc.

Unfortunately when Ken finally got the stuff to fix the pipes that finally defrosted he jumped the gun and turned the water on too soon (before it was sealed tight) which he also did with the leaking gas in the car- repeatedly- UMM yeah take his icky boy badge away til he gets it right!!!

So not only does it have to dry out before he can try again, it also overflowed one of the bathrooms. Yeah, good times. NOT!

Luckily he was able to take vacation days today and tomorrow to deal with it, otherwise y'all no matter how far away would be able to see the smoke coming out of my ears and the bolts out of my eyeballs.

YES, I'M PISSY. So sue me. I try not to be but dammit enough already.

Eventually I'll get back to real blogging. Maybe. Someday. Or not. At this point I just want all my stuff working right so we can get back to whatever semblance of normalcy we pretend to have around here.

Aloha Friday- How do you motivate yourself?

discriminating_diva@yahoo.com (dddiva) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:24:00 +0000

Kailani over at An Island Life started this fun thing for Fridays- ask a simple question and then hop around to see what others are asking so we can pretty much take a break from the routine and chillax on Fridays.
As you can tell I've been a little tooooooo lax lately with the blog etc even though the holidays are now officially over (the 6th was the 12th day of Christmas) so there really is NO excuse for being in slow mo- well except for the dang cold... It's freakin' freezing here in Arkansas.

This is NOT my question but someone on tv or something mentioned Bumf*ck Egypt and Dev had never heard it before and it got us wondering where/how that originated as the classic middle of no freakin' where place- any trivia buffs know the answer?

So my question is: How do you motivate yourself when you just want to hibernate or find things I *need* to do around the house (or play on Facebook) etc? We totally got off track due to family drama (which is NOT the kind of drama queens we are, tyvm) and the holidays and I am just not wanting to get back into the swing of things.

For me- I give myself permission to get by with the *if this doesn't get done we won't eat or have anything to wear* and set a deadline to get back into the swing of things. My deadline is Monday which- if I haven't gotten some reviews and giveaways and dropped some EC by then feel free to kick my butt.

The reason I don't just do them now and get over myself is that if I do whatever I do will be half-*ssed at best and that's not fair to anyone- better to wait until I can get myself into gear and give my best.

GeekyMommy Vs. 2010: round 1

IansGeekyMommy@gmail.com (GeekyMommy) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:32:00 +0000

As most of you know, last year was hectic for everyone, and downright disastrous for some...

Namely, me.

I left my husband, have been stuck living with my mom (love ya pretty lady!) and just can't go more then one paycheck without a miniature disaster or worse. The end of the year was the real butt kicker; My ex had lied to me, and without getting into much details the result is he currently has custody of my boy. This... does not work for me. I've determined for this to be a year of changes, all for the better. Here are a few goals;

Get something published. Be it a book, lyrics, poetry, back of a serial box I don't care, something published.

Get a new job. I'm applying for one at a hospital as a nurses aid that would be a dream job, wish me luck.

Move out. This one goes with the job thing. If all goes really well, maybe I will even buy a slightly decrepit old house to fix up, which goes with my next, last, biggest goal;

Learn something new every day. Yep, one new thing, every day, 365 days. Though, it will probably be more like three or four one day, nada the next. But still, 365 skills. I'm going to try to figure out how to connect two blog (moreso then just another link) or make it like a second page, and catalog my experience here for you all to read (without hijacking moms blog). I'm going to learn everything from making paper and changing oil to fire breathing and plumbing. If anyone has any ideas I will need a lot more to make it the whole year!

Right now my biggest challenge is laziness. I laze a lot. Excessively, even. It's much worse without my boy... I just sit around not knowing what to do with myself. I can't make myself get up and do what I have to do, I just mope. And moping simply does not suit me. Hopefully I can figure this out and get back to my busy self... any tips on that would be appreciated too.

HAPPY NEW YEAR Welcome 2010

discriminating_diva@yahoo.com (dddiva) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 06:14:00 +0000

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for supporting our blog in 2009.

We've had our ups and downs, and the end of the year kind of knocked us for a loop but we hope that the new year brings new friends, new opportunities and renewed spirits.

We really appreciate all of our awesome sponsors and loyal readers- especially those of you who stuck with us even when we had to take little mini breaks to deal with those knocks upside the head.

While we could have pushed and rushed to put things on our blog we chose to wait until we could do justice to the posts, reviews and giveaways we have committed to and hope that our generous readers and sponsors understand and that you all will continue to visit and enter.

Here's wishing you a marvelous and blessed 2010 filled with love, health, happiness, wealth and as much joy as you can stand.

Love to all,
Sherry aka dddiva

Goodbye 2009

discriminating_diva@yahoo.com (dddiva) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:20:00 +0000

I for one can't say I'm sorry to be seeing the end of the year. Like everyone we've had our ups and downs this year, but overall there were a lot more downs than we usually face in a 365 day time period.

Here's to a better, brighter year in 2010 with more of the good for all of us.

Wordless Wednesday - The Proposal

discriminating_diva@yahoo.com (dddiva) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:51:00 +0000

Casey aka the mini-diva aka little me is engaged. Derek proposed on Christmas night and she said yes. :D

Merry Christmas! Tracking Santa

discriminating_diva@yahoo.com (dddiva) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:54:00 +0000

Happy Holidays from our family to yours- Merry Christmas everyone!

If your kids are as antsy as mine always were- Norad tracks the Jolly Old Elf so you can see where Santa is and how much longer it will be til he gets to your town.

And, our favorite Christmas Carol- yeah, we're a little bit loony. ;-)

Yummy Dough review

IansGeekyMommy@gmail.com (GeekyMommy) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:51:00 +0000

We were recently allowed to review Yummy Dough which we also received from Plasmart and it was fun! First, let me just say... play dough Ian can eat? Yes! Less messy then letting him yogurt-paint, and while you can make your own, this was easier and a much smoother consistency then anything I've made. And tastier. I have to admit, we can't say how it bakes... Ian played to the point no one else wanted to eat it, smashing and munching... then he ate most of it. And fed the rest to his "best friend" Dude. Who happily gobbled... boy am I glad its non-toxic! It was easy to make up, fun, and surprisingly non messy... it definitely gets my mom seal of approval. I would have liked if there was a white one to color ourselves, but that's probably just because I have a few pounds worth of funky food colors.

We received the product to review but no additional compensation. In no way was our review influenced, it is our true and honest opinion(s).

Plasma car review

IansGeekyMommy@gmail.com (GeekyMommy) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:41:00 +0000

We received a Plasma Car from Plasmart for review, and it is the best "airplane" ever! We gave it to Ian for his birthday and it was a huuuge hit! It takes a little bit to get used to it, Devii is the best at driving it, and Ian mostly scoots or sits in our laps for it. He also likes to push us from behind, we glide like its nothing so that's fun. It is sturdy, and can hold up to 220 pounds on a smooth, flat surface (120 on a rough surface).

The web site is useful, and they have tutorial videos and such to help you figure it out.

Things I love as a mom; It is completely boy-powered. No batteries, no pushing, no plugs... he makes it go. This is exercise and energy expending, and I love that! I hate refilling batteries, Ian hates waiting for things to charge... and frankly, its just better to let him go on his own once in a while. Its not as fast or, well, wobbly as a bike, so I don't have to worry about him getting hurt so much, either. As of yet we have not had a plasma car incident, knock on wood. I would like to point out-- I have no doubt someone will get hurt on it, if only to trip on it, eventually. That's just us. The fact that we haven't is proof that this is a rather safe toy.

I think the only "complaint" I could see, this could be frustrating to figure out if he was a little older and cared about doing it right. If your kid is easily frustrated, perhaps show them the video first. Once you "get" it, its fairly easy, but, well... I still go backwards.

It's fun anyways...

Seeing where I've been and all...

Yeah, I'm not coordinated. But that's, eh... user error.

We received a product to review but no additional compensation for our true and honest opinion(s) which were in no way influenced but are our actual thoughts.

My Entry For the Kia Sorento Ultimate Road Trip Sweepstakes

discriminating_diva@yahoo.com (dddiva) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:54:00 +0000

Momlogic is hosting a giveaway to spread the word about the new Kia 2011 Sorento due out in January and they are asking bloggers to do a post answering the question If you could take your family on a road trip anywhere, where would you go and why?
At any other time I would have said Florida, but right now I would take my family to see my mom in New Hampshire. She was a passenger in a car that had a bad wreck earlier this month and is recuperating but on oxygen and it is incredibly hard not to be up there with her but my family needs me and we just can't all afford to go right now.

The girls and I lived in New Hampshire over a decade ago and it is one of our very favorite states, so beautiful and so much to do- both the mountains and the ocean, so really, everything is right there in one compact little area, so it would be good for all of us to rediscover old haunts as well as find new ones.

If you were able to take your family on a road trip to anywhere where would you go? What would you love to see and do? One random commenter on the winning entry (which may or may not be mine) will receive a $100 Target gc so feel free to answer so you have a shot to win as well.

Twitter's been hacked! by the IRANIAN CYBER ARMY

IansGeekyMommy@gmail.com (GeekyMommy) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 06:24:00 +0000

Eek! Twitters been hacked by "IRANIAN CYBER ARMY"

Oh no!

When the Twitter Homepage finally loaded here's what comes up

IRANIAN CYBER ARMY THIS SITE HAS BEEN HACKED BY THE IRANIAN CYBER ARMY
iRANiAN.CYBER.ARMY@GMAiL.COM