Mattie Reid Chicago

Baby-G & Ke$ha = Fab watches for any occasion!

2011-10-29T03:02:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Baby-G for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I'm someone who typically prides myself on current trends. Fashion-forward brand Baby-G has done it once again! This time partnering up with Ke$ha to create two watches that couldn’t tie in any better with her hit song “TiK ToK.” Launched in September, the Baby-G and Ke$ha collaboration watch models display the head-turning style that make both Ke$ha and Baby-G unique to loyal fans. Ke$ha tackles two of her most signature themes in the design of her timepieces – animal print and All-American. Both watches are also adorned with Ke$ha's signature "Ke$ha" logo.

To date there are two Ke$ha watches that are currently available:

1) Red White & Blue watch: Inspired by the American flag because it's a recurring theme in Ke$ha’s aesthetic and also represents freedom of speech which is a right she passionately exercises in her life and music. Ke$ha created the patriotic BG5600KS-7 model, which features the colors and shapes of the American Flag's imagery with red, white and blue complete with stars.

2) Leopard Print: Ke$ha enjoys wearing leopard as it brings out the animal that is inside of her. Ke$ha hopes when people wear her watches they express themselves and never lose the animal inside of them. The BGA200KS-1E harkens to Ke$ha's wild side, as well as what is arguably the most identifiable theme in Ke$ha's music, imagery and style, by using an animal print. She designed this watch with a leopard print pattern on the watch's face and also its black resin strap.

The attention-grabbing watches also have the functionality that sets the Baby-G brand apart. The BGA200KS-1E is shock resistant and 100M water resistant and is equipped with an LED Light, world time from 48 cities and 29 time zones, a daily alarm, 1/100th second stopwatch, countdown timer, 12/24 hour formats and a mute function. The BG5600KS-7 features 100M water and shock resistance, EL backlight with afterglow, 48-city world time, four daily alarms and one snooze, countdown timer, 1/100 second stopwatch, mute function and 12/24 hour formats. Check out images on the watches here.

The watches are available at Tourneau, Nordstrom, select Macy's stores and fashion boutiques, with an MSRP of $120 for the BGA200KS-1E and $99 for the BG5600KS-7. Check out the collection on baby-g.com for more information. I personally love the leopard print watch! I typically wear a lot of black and this watch would look great with jeans, t-shirts, flats, skirts, shorts-basically anything. I also love big watches. The bigger the better!

I encourage everyone to check out the watches themselves and enter the Baby-G sweepstakes! Please comment on this post and tell me which watch you love and why! For more information about the Baby-G sweepstakes please visit the contest rules page. You could win a Baby-G watch! Please also be sure to check out Baby-G's photo shoot below.

Do you want to cut your cell phone bill in half? Try Straight Talk today!

2011-10-21T14:01:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Feel Richer with Android

Straight Talk offers two No-Contract plans:

1) The “ALL YOU NEED” plan for $30 a month to receive 1000 minutes, 1000 text or multimedia messages, 30 MB of data transfer for data phones and 411 calls at no additional charge.

2) The unlimited plan for $45 a month to receive unlimited talk, text and data Nationwide anytime with calls to 411 at no additional charge.

• All the apps and games you need.

• A smart phone with a smart plan, and as always, no contract.

• The power of Android phones, at only $45/month for unlimited use.

• Imagine unlimited calls, text, picture messaging and web for a whole year, for only $499.00!

• 411 calls are included at no extra charge.

• Free from activation, reactivation, or termination fees

International Long Distance:

Straight Talk also offers an International Long Distance Service, which is a flexible prepaid calling service that enables you to make international calls from your home, cell or office phone at low rates.

Free from activation, reactivation, or termination fees. There are no contracts, no surprise bills and no credit checks. Great nationwide coverage and excellent reception/connectivity. Amazing smart phones; touch screen phones, and app capable phones with features like voice navigation, camera, video recorder, music player, instant messaging, and Bluetooth®. Reconditioned phones are available from $10.00 with camera, mp3 player, mobile web access, and blue-tooth capability. Great for young users! Finally, Straight Talk only uses trusted phone manufacturers like LG, Motorola, Kyocera, Nokia and Samsung.

The power of Android Feel Richer with Android

I love how Straight Talk enables people to cut their cell phone bills in half. You have to be crazy to be on a contract these days when you can get everything you need without one. Imagine the amount of money you could save switching to Straight Talk. What would you buy with the extra money you save?

Straight Talk is a service provided by TracFone Wireless Inc., America’s largest no-contract cell phone provider in the U.S., with over 18.8 million subscribers. TracFone Wireless is a subsidiary of América Móvil S.A.B. de C.V. ("AMX") (BMV: AMX; NYSE: AMX; Nasdaq: AMOV; LATIBEX: XAMXL), the 5th largest cell phone company in the world with more than 236 million cell phone subscribers.

Feel Richer with Android

So what are you waiting for? Their phones have all the apps and games you need, a smart phone with a smart plan, and as always no contract! Ditch your carrier and your high monthly phone bill and check out Straight Talk today! You'll be happy you did!

The getting richer effect has expanded... by LittleBard95

Now I know better so I'll do better!

2011-10-21T11:31:00.000-05:00

Most people who know me aren't aware how much I love Oprah's new OWN television network. I started watching shows on her network when the network first started. I'm not even into tv, but I love, love, love the OWN network.

Oprah just started a new show about two weeks ago called Oprah’s Lifeclass. I love this show so much. I am DVR'ing all episodes and watching them when I'm laying in bed at night.

Last night, Oprah was talking about people who have made mistakes in their life and how most everyone has regrets or wishes they could go back and do things. I myself have so many regrets. I had some really rough years in my teens, twenties and into my early thirties. There are situations I wish would have never happened, relationships I wish I would have never gotten involved in, people I wish I would have never come in contact with or known. There are certain things about myself or my life which I wish were different. Wishing I would have taken a different path for myself, gone to college sooner, etc.. Oprah mentioned at one part in the show last night that her friend, the great Maya Angelou told her one time, "Now you know better so you'll do better". That really hit home with me.

Life is a lesson to be learned. We learn new bits and pieces every day. Our lives are like puzzles. We need to get the right pieces to make us a whole puzzle. A finished puzzle. I'm not finished with my puzzle yet. Are you?

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Halloween craft ideas....Family fun!

2011-10-13T16:17:00.001-05:00

In the spirit of Halloween season, I searched online for some easy handmade Halloween craft ideas just for you!

The first idea was found at Martha Stewart.com. Spiderwebs made from cheesecloths. What a cheap, cute way to get into the holiday spirit! For more info and what supplies you need to make these spiderwebs, visit here.

The next item is a cute halloween evil googly eye pom-pom wreath found at Dollar Store Crafts.com. Total cost for this cute lil' wreath is $6 and you get to make it yourself! For info and supplies click here.

If you have kids, you know how much they like to make stuff and help out when you're making stuff. This last craft would be a fun, perfect way to spend family craft time together. I found this idea at Family Fun.go.com. This looks like a super easy craft. They are called spirit jugs. You could use them inside or outside your house. Please click here for supplies and more info.

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Work It in Business Suits from Express!

2011-10-13T16:01:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Express for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

From the Executive to the Professional and even the Creative Professional, Express has the suits that every man/woman needs! I visited Express earlier today and took a look at their women's suits. My son started pre-k full time last month and I've been contemplating going back to work. I used to be a recruiter and was required to wear a suit and/or jacket daily. Express has some really great stylish suits!

I absolutely love the Studio Stretch Jacket and Editor Pant. It's available in fours colors including earth, charcoal, taupe and black. It's sophisticated style and shape is a wear-to-work must-have. It has stretch fabric that hugs your curves for a flattering fit. You can pair with the Editor Pant for a chic office look. This suit is perfect for work as well as going out after work. Some of the features of this suit are:

64% Polyester/31% Viscose/5% Spandex
One-button front closure
Long sleeves with 4-button detail at cuffs
Two flap pockets
Lined
Dry clean only
Imported

Since I'm considering going back to work, I think I'm going to go to Express and try on some of their suits. They are perfect for interviewing and will make you look as polished as can be! For a limited time, enter Express sweepstakes everyday for a chance to win a $500 suiting makeover! Be sure to visit today! You never know, you may win!

Please feel free to leave a comment and tell me which suit/suits you love and why! What are you going to use your suit for? Work, networking events, job interviews? I want to know!

My favorite handmade things on Etsy today

2011-10-06T11:53:00.001-05:00

Light Bulb Terrarium $20

Vintage look waxed leather tote bag in brown $179

Platinum Micro Pave Diamond Engagement Ring $1960

Handmade Paper Journal $28.25

Sleeveless Wrap Cardigan Top $68

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Discovery Green park has putt putt golf!

2011-10-04T13:34:00.003-05:00

(photo credit: taken from Discovery Green's website)

We've had amazing weather in Houston for the past few days. We decided to go to Discovery Green park this past Sunday. For those of you who don't live in Houston, Discovery Green park is an amazing park that was built a few years ago. It's smack dab in the middle of downtown Houston near the convention center.

Discovery Green park is a great family park with tons of stuff to do. They offer yoga, zumba, live music, have a few restaurants and cart vendors. They even have a Houston public library branch. Click here for their calendar.

Dominic and Justin decided to play some putt putt golf. I just watched and took photo's.

It was a great day for all of us!

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Yummy, yummy frittata! You won't be disappointed!

2011-09-28T13:33:00.000-05:00

I occasionally make Frittata’s. I like them because they're pretty healthy (can be made healthy) and super easy to make. If you've never had one, it's sort of like a quiche minus the crust. Last night, we didn't have a lot of food in the house, but we had eggs, broccoli, cheese, onion, garlic, tomatoes and turkey sausage. I thought a Frittata was in order. You can use whatever you want or like in terms of veggies and you can even use egg beaters or egg whites if you don't want to use the whole egg.

Turn your oven to 375 or 400 degrees. Mix your eggs together (I used six) and I also added a bit of cream to the mixture.

Next, you'll want to prep all of your veggies. I washed my broccoli and cut it up:

You'll probably want to add some olive oil to a pan and heat the oil. Start adding each ingredient one by one until you've added everything:

When you're finished Sautéing everything, pour all of the items into the egg mixture. Stir gently.

You'll want to get out a baking dish, lightly grease it (I use non-stick spray stuff) and add your entire mixture into the pan. I also added a tiny bit of jack cheese on top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cheese looks golden brown.

I plated a piece of Frittata with some mixed grapes and I added picante/salsa to the top. Yum!

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Flattened curry chicken with panko breadcrumbs and smashed broccoli!

2011-09-26T21:16:00.000-05:00

I decided to cook dinner tonight. I don't cook every night like I should. I bought some organic chicken breasts at the store a few days ago and needed to cook them before they went bad.

I turned my oven to 400 degrees. I decided to take my kitchen mallet and I flattened the chicken breasts. I took an egg out of the refrigerator and whipped it up. I took another plate out and poured some panko bread crumbs and milled flax see onto the plate:

Don't ask why I added flax seed because I have no idea, but it has a sort of nutty taste and I thought it would be good. After flattening the chicken, I added salt, pepper, curry power and garlic powder. I then dipped the chicken breasts into the panko and flax mixture. I took out a baking pan and put some olive oil into the pan.

I put both chicken breasts into the pan and put the pan in the oven to bake. I originally set my cooking timer for 20 minutes, but decided they needed another five minutes (I always do that).

I decided we were going to have broccoli with our chicken. I had some broccoli in the refrigerator that also needed to be consumed. I boiled some water and added the broccoli:

When the broccoli was finished, I drained each piece and put in a bowl. I sort of mashed the broccoli, added olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and almonds slivers.

When I finished the broccoli, the chicken was ready to be removed from the oven. I plated our food and here's the final result:

Yummy, yummy healthy goodness!

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In a hurry? Try TRESemmé Fresh Start Dry Shampoo.

2011-09-21T03:02:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TRESemmé for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you're a busy mom like me, you're always in a rush, running around wishing there were more hours in the day. I always feel like I have a million things to do every day and the last thing I want to think about is washing, drying and styling my hair. My hair is a short bob, but It's thick and takes forever to dry. It can take a full 20 - 30 minutes to dry my hair. I have a solution for those of you who are like me. TRESemmé Fresh Start Dry Shampoo is uniquely formulated to absorb excess oil and remove odor, the full line of dry shampoos rejuvenates hair without a drop of water. It offers a renewing burst of citrus extracts infused into every product, it leaves hair with a clean, fresh scent. It's uniquely formulated to absorb excess oil and remove odor, the full line of dry shampoos rejuvenates hair without a drop of water. So, instead of shampooing your hair every day, you can shampoo one day and use TRESemmé Fresh Start Dry Shampoo in between washes. It's not meant to replace your regular shampoo by any means, but it is designed to freshen up your hair and remove oil.

If you're in college, working on projects or studying a lot and have don't have a lot of time to wash your hair every day, TRESemmé Fresh Start Dry Shampoo is one of the Top Hair Products for School. YouTube Celebrity Elle Fowler (http://www.youtube.com/allthat…) has teamed up with TRESemmé and created a tutorial to teach people how to use TRESemmé Fresh Start Dry Shampoo properly. Please visit the following video to learn more about this great product:

To get the best results from TRESemmé Fresh Start Dry Shampoo, here are some tips:

- Do shake vigorously before use and in between spray bursts for best results.

- Do lift sections of dry hair and spray lightly at roots

- Do spray in short bursts, holding 8-12 inches from head

- Don’t spray it like hair spray (all over and continuously)

- Do leave in for 1-2 minutes

- Do use fingertips or a brush to distribute product evenly

- If clogging occurs, remove nozzle and rinse the nozzle under warm water, then reattach

The full line includes:

Strengthening Dry Shampoo, Volumizing Dry Shampoo, Smoothing Dry Shampoo and Moisturizing Waterless Foam Shampoo. TRESemme' has a dry shampoo product for whatever type of hair you have.

So what are you waiting for? Try TRESemmé Fresh Start Dry Shampoo today!

Full, busy weekend.

2011-09-19T11:25:00.000-05:00

This weekend was no different than most of our weekends. I try to keep Dominic busy because he's such a spaz if we sit inside all day. Friday evening, we went to Chuy’s for dinner. I ordered their Baja taco's, which is their version of fish taco's. Yum!

Saturday, Justin had to work (he's a hair stylist and Saturday's are normally his busy day). Dominic and I walked Hana and then we went to eat breakfast at Empire Cafe. Empire Cafe is a coffee house/restaurant/place to chill. It's been open for a very long time and I think it used to be an old gas station or something. Anyway, I ordered their Migas for breakfast. I tend to think I'm a Migas connoisseur, but I was truly not impressed with their version. I think it needed more eggs or something. Looked really good though:

Dominic was a spaz all throughout breakfast. We were sitting on the patio and he would get up from his seat and start chasing the poor pigeons around. He makes me really upset when he does that. Ugh! We were going to go to the park after we ate, but it started to rain. We ended up going to Blockbuster video and renting some movies.

The rest of the day was pretty chill. We didn't do anything yesterday. I love weekends!

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Tired of paying an arm and a leg for cell phone service? Try Straight Talk!

2011-09-17T19:01:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you're like most people these days, you try to figure out ways to cut back or cut out bills altogether. Cutting back doesn't necessarily mean you have to sacrifice good service. I'd like to tell you a little about Straight Talk:

Straight Talk offers two No-Contract plans:

1) The “ALL YOU NEED” plan for $30 a month to receive 1000 minutes, 1000 text or multimedia messages, 30 MB of data transfer for data phones and 411 calls at no additional charge.

2) The unlimited plan for $45 a month to receive unlimited talk, text and data Nationwide anytime with calls to 411 at no additional charge.

So what are you waiting for? Ditch your carrier and your high monthly phone bill and check out Straight Talk today! You'll be happy you did!

Express Jeans For Her: Born to Rock the Sidewalk, Bred to be Epic.

2011-09-17T18:01:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Express for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Many western films were made in Hollywood in the 1930's and many stars wore denim jeans. In the 1950's, denim became popular again and people called them jeans from that point on. Since the 1950's, jeans have been incorporated into what people wear on a daily basis.

Express jeans came on the scene in 1980. The store was originally called Limited Express. I remember going into the Limited Express stores in junior high and thinking they had the most amazing clothing. I started high school in 1986 (wow, I'm dating myself) and also remember all the popular girls in high school always had clothing from the Limited. I was only lucky enough to get 1-2 items from The Limited.

For as long as I can remember, http://www.express.com has had great jeans. They offer a variety of women's jeans styles including boot cut, barely boot cut, flare, skinny, straight, skyscraper, wide leg to the ever so popular jean leggings:

I personally love the crop Zelda jean legging:

The Zelda cropped jeans resemble cropped pants from the 1950's. The denim is dark, which gives a slimming appearance and they are made of a cotton/spandex blend. They look like the fit in all the right places. They're so cute!

No matter what type of jeans you like or wear, you can find what you are looking for at http://www.express.com.

Express has women's jeans and denim essentials you need! For a limited time, enter for a chance to win free Express jeans! Express will be giving away 50 free pairs that you could possibly be rockin’ on the sidewalk!

I encourage everyone to visit Express giveaway to learn more about this great jeans giveaway opportunity. What Express jeans are your favorite? Leave a comment and let me know what your favorite pair is and why.

Missoni for Target. Was it worth all the hype?

2011-09-14T10:29:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the first day the Missoni line for Target was released.

There were many discussions on Facebook as well as Instagram about the line and how all stores were sold out and the Target website was even down. Come to find out, Target had created a virtual line for their website and the front page would refresh every thirty seconds and open up when it was your turn.

I kept my browser open and finally got my turn to get into the website. While I thought the items were cute, I don't think this line was certainly worth the hype. What do you think?

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"I love my mom"

2011-09-13T12:48:00.000-05:00

A few days ago, I was laying in bed acting as if I was still sleeping. My cute little four and a half year old son was next to me. He cuddled up behind me and whispered, "I love my mom". So sweet!

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Upromise Celebrates its 10th Anniversary! What's your dream?

2011-09-10T17:01:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of UPromise for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Upromise is celebrating its 10th Anniversary by giving away $20,000 to users who share a story that tells how a parent has supported a child's dream! Upromise members have received more than $600 million in college savings through their rewards program, and it wants to celebrate all of the ways it has helped to fuel those sparks that made children into the people they are today and the adults they will become tomorrow.

Users can participate in the sweepstakes by submitting a story, and can vote on their favorite stories by “liking” them. Upromise will give away $1,000 to 10 winners and a grand prize winner for $10,000 will be selected from the participants as well.

Here's my dream I submitted:

I grew up in the 1970's to parents who were children themselves. Neither my mother nor father went to college. My parents divorced when I was nine years old. I grew up in Texas with my father. I never did exceptionally well in school. My father used to tell me I was not college material. When I was twenty-seven years old, I decided I was ready for college. I moved to Chicago and earned my degree in fashion design. Several years later, I earned my MA. Ed. I had to work full time while earning both degrees, which was very challenging.

I dream my son will someday have the luxury to earn as many degrees as he wants and not have to work while attending school.

Upromise invites you to join the movement, share your experiences and give a spark to help fuel the flame of their future dreams. This is an amazing opportunity to win a significant amount of money. I encourage my readers to visit www.upromisetodream.com and submit your dream. I would also like to see this contest promoted via Facebook, Twitter and your own blogs. You can also visit dream wall official rules to learn more about the rules of the contest.

Dive into the season’s sexiest swimwear at Express!

2011-03-26T19:01:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Express for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Dive into the season’s sexiest swimwear at . The new spring women's swimwear line at is fabulous. They've managed to design a variety of super cute bikinis and other swim suits. My favorite suit is this two piece:

I love how has managed to incorporate bold hues with on trend graphic prints. I would wear their suits to the beach, the pool, on vacation. Anywhere! They're all cute and spot on with the current trends.

Some key points about the women's swimwear line at :

* They offer their always-popular monokini, sexiest string bikini and must-have strapless and halter bikini styles.
* A choice of bright solids, on-trend graphic prints, the essential reversible style, nautical-inspired striped and sleek metallic styles.
* Their collection includes designer details including flirty ruffles, sexy self-tie sides, glam beaded embellishments and polished metal hardware.
* Removable padding in tops.
* Bottoms fit smaller to size for moderate back coverage.
* Swim shorts available for men.
* You can accessorize with Express spring essentials including sandals, tote bags, sunglasses and hats For Him and For Her.

Sign up for Express e-mail for a chance to win one of ten $200 Express gift cards! Please be sure to visit the sweepstakes rules for additional information.

Mattie Reid Chicago blog contest

2011-03-15T13:34:00.000-05:00

I am very excited to offer Mattie Reid Chicago readers a chance to win a $20 store credit at our Etsy shop. Don't want to wait for the contest to end to get something from our shop? Use coupon code "ETSY20" and get 20% off anything in our store. Coupon expires 3/31/11.

The giveaway details are as follows:
1. Visit our shop, find something you really like and come back here and comment.
2. Heart our shop or favorite an item for extra entries and then come back here and comment.
3. Earn one extra entry for following our blog. Come back here and comment and tell us you are following our blog.

Contest ends Thursday March 31, 2011 at midnight CST.
Limit is $20 store credit.
Open to residents worldwide.
Winner will be drawn randomly.

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Etsy Recyclers Guild Attempts to Raise $5000 for Fire Victim They Don't Know Calling Out to Ty Pennington

2011-03-13T16:33:00.000-05:00

This is was Ron's House.

THIS COULD HAPPEN TO ANY OF US. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

I'm pleased as your Team Captain to announce a huge Fundraising challenge. I am asking for help spreading the word to our readers, followers, team members , people on other Etsy teams, your twitter friends, your blog friends, and people at your church or youth groups, so that if everyone donates as little as $1, we can raise $5000 to help someone in dire need. As you may or may not already know, I personally work with many charities and often times I don't get to know the actual person I'm helping. In this case, I selected this cause we will be helping just one person and that's something we can feel good about. I honestly think this is a cause for Extreme Makeover Home Edition but we have to start somewhere.

RON FEEDING HIS HORSES
This cause is RON. I am asking each of you to help spread the word. I've never met him. I live in Baltimore, Ron is on a farm near Ames, Iowa. I heard about him through Etsy seller, Marie, WearTheHeartIs who shared the initial story her blog.

Who is Ron?
This story breaks my heart and I know we can help! The key thing to remember is, Ron could be your neighbor or mine. This could happen to any of us. Ron had a beautiful home on an Iowa Farm. His address is in Ames, Iowa, but he's inside the town of Story, Iowa. Ron worked hard and loved animals, often taking in strays (cats, he loves them, and can never refuse a cat.) He had a love for horses, he has 4 horses, who are ages 14, 25, 26 and 27 are alive and fine and getting fed everyday even though Ron is not. He was a kind man, and always generous. When the recession hit, Ron was not spared. Ron felt the economic fallout when he had lost his job at 3M. After that he served on the Census board, and tried desperately to make ends meet. Soon Ron found himself juggling which bills to pay, as well all know, times are tough and we are often forced with these type of decisions. Ron let his home insurance lapse.

August 23, 2010 a fire swept through Ron's house, all but destroying it. Here is a video that was taken of what is left of Ron's home by Marie. I must warn you it is sad to see this once prestigious home in shambles. No insurance means this is the way the home stays.

If you can't watch this video, go direct to Flickr and watch it here.
.

Ron has been making due, but never able to regroup after such a devastation. He has been trying to fix up the small, cabin-like offshoot to the north of the house. The truth is, it is riddled with raccoons, and Ron is the type of man who doesn't want to ask or bother anyone for help. It doesn't have electricity or running water. It is unfit, but we can help make it fit. Ron made it through the winter huddled inside the small building. Over the winter, he took in two stray cats. That's just Ron. He has a heart of gold. You can see by this photo, taken from the video, that Ron's cat "Hillbilly" is eating, but Ron's shoes are busting out the sides.

He's been taking showers at a local health club and getting evening meals at friends or relative's houses. He has a tracphone only with limited minutes, often running out of them. He went from living in a beautiful home, trying to make ends meet, to having absolutely nothing. Marie from WeartheHeartIs has been bringing him food and even cat food and selling some items she finds on his farm on Etsy to help Ron receive some sort of income. She spends one day a week rummaging around through any of the half dozen, dilapidated buildings he has on his farm, looking for things to sell, and that helps somewhat....sadly, not enough to even begin picking up the pieces that once was known as his life. Nothing is salvageable from the large home, nothing. Ron is just happy to be alive and like I said, hasn't asked anyone for help.

When I heard this story I knew I had to do something. There comes a time when I have to look at our team and know that in numbers, we can make a difference. This story touched me and I know I was meant to do something.

This could happen to any of us overnight. I realize that everyone is feeling this economy, but I'm asking everyone to open their hearts and help spread the word. If you can't donate $1, that's fine, you can help by spreading the word.

Here is how we can help Ron.

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

1) SPREAD THE WORD, it doesn't cost you a thing but a few moments of your time:

Tweet, Facebook, Blog, Digg, and talk about this story and this post to anyone that will listen. If have an Etsy shop post this story in your announcement, and in your automatic Message to buyers, send them the link and ask them to spread the word.

We need to get this guy to Extreme Makeover Home Edition. I'm printing out this application and blog post and sending it to them. You can do the same here's the link. If we continue to put the word out, people will donate, help, and eventually someone who has real means to help Ron will come forward. I am calling out to Ty Pennington and I encourage you to post THIS STORY to Extreme Makeover facebook page, post it to your local news, your church, or anywhere anyone will listen.

Send this story to o Friskies or 9 Lives and ask them to send cat food, to Ron. Send your friends or family back to this link, so they read about Ron and send just a $1 or more to help Ron. If you send to twenty people, and they send to twenty people, and everyone sends $1, Ron can some temporary help he needs to possibly make his outbuilding more liveable until someone comes in and fixes this home!

If you know of any huge construction companies that build residential homes, send it to them. Ask them to rebuild Ron's house. You would not believe how charitable people can be. The key here is we are doing this for someone we've never met, and do not know. A stranger to us. Has a stranger ever helped you?

2) DO MORE AND DONATE, if you have the funds to do so here are a few ways:

Mail a small donation as little as $1 bill to Ron. ADD IT HERE TO THE FUNDRAISER SPREADSHEET!

Ronald Craig

55089 282nd Street

Ames, Iowa 50010

TRAC PHONE: HAS VERY LITTLE MINUTES

515-708-5639

You can donate via this paypal button and I will send the Donations to Ron as they come in, and I'll add you to the spreadsheet. (WARNING: This won't be tax deductible because I'm not a 501C! and Paypal does take fees unless you send me money as A GIFT to IraMency@verizon.net

:( I tried to use a site like Kickstarter but they said NO CHARITY CASES!)
You can donate below but know they will take fees!

Send some cat food or clothing or figure out how to refill the TracPhone! ADD IT HERE TO THE FUNDRAISER SPREADSHEET!

Sell an item in your shop, and send the proceeds to Ron! When you do, ADD IT HERE TO THE FUNDRAISER SPREADSHEET!

Or you can purchase some of the items that are listed from WearTheHeartIs wherein you obtain a cool item from Ron's estate of which net proceeds after packing and fees go to Ron. These items are tagged "SUPPORTS RON" and click here to see them and Marie is constantly finding new things to sell from Ron's estate.

It's stories like this where I know, if enough people reach out, we can make a difference.
I beg of you, to spread the word and help this man. I believe that if we do, someday someone will help us when we need it. Such is life, and random acts of kindness. Every tweet, every facebook post, will help this man. It is now I will stop blogging for awhile and start helping Ron.

Copy and save and post this banner to your shop. Do what you can for Ron~!

We are banding together to help someone we've never met because random acts of kindness is what we are all about.

Thank you,

Cindy Fahnestock-Schafer
aka Ira Mency
http://www.IraMency.com

Update: STORY ON YAHOO HERE

410-908-9241

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Yogurtland Rocks!

2011-03-02T12:37:00.001-06:00

The new rage of sweet shops to visit in Houston is yogurt shops. One of my most favorite yogurt shops is Yogurtland.

I've been to other yogurt shops here in Houston and they're all basically the same. I stumbled upon Yogurtland one day and they seem to have a better variety of yogurt. They have tart frozen yogurts, which I love, but they also have other normal flavors such as chocolate and strawberry. All of their yogurt is self serve and they have a topping bar near the checkout. The topping bar includes things such as granola, fresh fruit and candy. I love chocolate covered sunflower seeds and typically spoon on some of those with some blueberries (I know it probably sounds pretty gross, but it tastes really yummy!).

Dominic and I went to Yogurtland after visiting the zoo yesterday and each got a yogurt and sat outside and enjoyed the afternoon.

If you like frozen yogurt and haven't been to Yogurtland, you need to go. They weigh your cup and their price is the best around-and, they have the best flavors around. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

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The Earth Laughs in Flowers - An Etsy treasury featuring items from the Handmadeology team

2011-02-27T11:37:00.001-06:00

'The Earth Laughs in Flowers' by HoneyFromTheBee

Maybe we can give it a little tickle?

Pink Flower Drop Earrin... 3pearls $16.00	Natural Ranuncula and B... fanciestrands $15.00	Felted flower brooch - ... galafilc $16.00
Daisy. Earrings petalandpink $20.00	Flower Fairy Yellow OOA... CraftaholicWom... $25.00	Flutter - Carefree summ... joystclaire $15.00
Spring flower bouquet f... elsahats $40.00	Cherry Blossoms II- an ... SunnyLeeStudio $70.00	Handmade Victorian Loli... JiltedCoquette $22.00
Pocket Full Of Sunshine tamaralove1 $23.00	1 Pair Blue Moon Brand ... TUTreasures $5.50	Fine Art Photography: ... TatterBeans $18.00
Jonquils Sterling Silve... ZurDesigns $50.00	pink blooms gift tags s... studiozuzu $5.00	Cuff bracelet made from... mattiereidchic... $48.00
Custom Size Double Flow... KnitzyBlonde $26.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

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Soyrizo Migas I made this weekend!

2011-02-22T10:38:00.000-06:00

So my dad and step-mom are pretty much complete vegetarians. They changed their eating habits a few years ago and haven't stopped to look back. My dad is always telling me about some new soy product they discovered or something they made. He told me about a product called, "soyrizo" sometime awhile back. Soyrizo is made by different companies, but I always tend to find Reynaldo's soyrizo at the 99 cent only store. This store actually carries a lot of food now and I try to shop there before going to the larger chain grocery stores. You just have to be careful and read labels because some of the stuff may be expired.

I went to the 99 cent only store last Saturday and they apparently get a big food shipment in on Saturday mornings. Saturday is the day to go. I bought some soyrizo on my last trip. I decided to cook migas with soyrizo this past Sunday.

I started out with some olive oil in a pan and cut up some yellow onion. I sauteed those for awhile. I cut up corn tortillas in pieces while the onion was cooking. I added the corn tortillas and let those cook for awhile.

Once those had cooked, I added Reynaldo's soyrizo to the mix. It's basically already ready. It just needs to get mixed in and warmed up. I mixed up my eggs while this was cooking.

Next, I added my egg mixture to the pan. Cook thoroughly.

Then, I added a can of Mexican style canned tomatoes. Stir everything up.

I added some refried black beans with white cheese and fresh fruit. Wa la, breakfast is ready! It was really yummy too!

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It's Your Baby's Life. Learn More! Take one minute and get a free belly bag!

2011-02-18T09:03:00.001-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of CryoCell International. All opinions are 100% mine.

Are you pregnant and considering banking your cord blood stem cells? Stem cell collection, processing & preservation is a one in a lifetime opportunity. Cord blood is collected from the umbilical cord after a baby’s birth, but generally before the placenta has been delivered. The moment of delivery is the only opportunity to harvest a newborn’s stem cells. There is absolutely no pain or risk to the mother or child during the collection process since the blood is taken from the cord once it has been clamped and cut. And collection is safe for both vaginal and cesarean deliveries.

Cord blood stem cells have already been used to treat more than 75 diseases, including numerous types of malignancies, anemias, inherited metabolic disorders and deficiencies of the immune system. The majority of cord blood transplants to date have been performed in patients less than 18 years old and have been sibling or allogeneic (unrelated third party) transplants.

If you have are considering banking your cord blood stem cells, you should go directly to www.Cryo-Cell.com or www.Cryo-Cell.net .

With your new baby on the way, you and your family have so many things to do and prepare for. One of the most important decisions you can make is to save your newborn's umbilical cord blood at birth.

Cryo-Cell Makes It Simple.

Visit www.Cryo-Cell.com today. You can also go directly to http://cryo-cell.net/online/epip/RequestInformation.aspx and complete the requested information. Complete the questionnaire online and receive a free belly bag.

Take 30 seconds: Request Expectant Parent Information Packet.
Click Submit to watch 3 minute Cord Blood Movie.
Same day kit delivery available at no additional cost.

Birds of a feather.

2011-02-17T15:54:00.001-06:00

'Birds of a feather.' by mattiereidchicago

Selection of items from the Handmadeology team. Tagged HMET.

Handdrawn bird necklace... MundaneAndBeau... $37.00	Love Nesting Bird Nest ... KottageKreatio... $15.00	mobile paper birds whi... RedorGrayArt $12.00
WINDUP BIRD Steampunk R... 19Moons $65.00	Funky bird on sterling ... JustJaynes $26.00	NEW VERSION Large round... ArtisEverythin... $49.00
Little Black Bird - Han... designsofthehe... $15.00	Valentine Heart Bird in... almostmonday $25.00	Birds Bees Butterflies ... TUTreasures $55.50
Sweet Tweet Love Birds ... AngelEllie $18.00	Organic Catnip Cat Toy ... wagsandwiggles $3.00	keys holder, white bird... prettylovelypa... $16.00
Peace Love White Dove H... laurali $26.50	Tree with Birds - Paper... MamaTita $10.00	Swallow & Leaf Drop Ear... tuscanroad $14.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

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Boudreux's Butt Paste is awesome!

2011-02-17T09:04:00.001-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Boudreaux's Butt Paste. All opinions are 100% mine.

I received a jar of Boudreaux's Butt Paste for one of my many shower gifts. I had never heard of Boudreaux's Butt Paste until I had my baby shower. My friend Ginger swore by the product as she had used it for her son who was six months older than my son. Once my son was born, he was like many other children who would get diaper rash.

Diaper rash looks extremely painful and when you child is in pain, you want a product you know will work to relieve their pain as well as make the awful diaper rash go away. Each and every time my son would get diaper rash, I would use Boudreaux's Butt Paste and the rash would be gone super quickly.

Boudreaux's Butt Paste was specifically formulated by a pharmacist with direction from a respected pediatrician to provide effective diaper rash care. It is Pediatrician recommended, goes on and cleans off easily. It's available in convenient sizes, has a flip top cap (tubes), is available is handy travel sizes, has a pleasant scent as well as a skin protectant. It contains 16% Zinc Oxide, Peruvian Balsam and treats diaper rash and soothes irritated skin.

Boudreaux's Butt Paste has been featured on:

- Oprah Show
- Tonight Show
- Today Show
- People Magazine
- ESPN
- While You Were Out TLC

It's available in convenient sizes of 1oz, 2oz, 3oz and 4oz tubes, 16oz jar.

If you are a parent of a baby, I highly recommend using Boudreaux's Butt Paste.

Please visit Boudreaux's Butt Paste today and get a free sample of their awesome butt paste for your baby. You will love it!