Pink on the Cheek

What are you looking for in a sponsor?

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I asked you, What are you looking for in giveaways when you sponsor a blog.

How do you like the winners picked for the giveaway?
Multiple winners, each winning one prize each. A lot of you liked having more winners so the chances of winning would increase!

When sponsoring a blog, do you participate in the giveaway?
This had mixed answers, but most of you answered YES and MAYBE.
The bloggers who picked MAYBE wanted to know if there was a minimum dollar amount to join the giveaway.

If there was a minimum dollar amount to participate in a giveaway, what do you feel comfortable contributing?
$5-$10 was the highest amount that bloggers felt comfortable with.

When sponsoring a blog, are you looking to join a individual giveaway or a group giveaway?
Mostly, everyone said both or individual. I now made that an option again for sponsors.

Do you like to participate in a giveaway that has gift cards or prizes from the sponsors?
This was tied. Bloggers liked both types of giveaways!

Sometimes, I think that blogging is the cat's pajamas and I got this sponsor stuff down. Then other days I just sit and doubt myself about what I am doing with my sponsorship program. Honestly, I change it a lot because of self doubt.

But really, what are you looking for when you want to sponsor someone? Is it the numbers on the sidebar? Page views? Comments? Blogger interaction?

I would LOVE to know your opinion!

Weekend Wrap Up + Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:30:00 +0000

We had so much going on over the weekend, it was E's birthday! I took him out to dinner on Friday night to our local Mexican restaurant. They make a mean margarita. Always a great way to start the weekend.

Then on Saturday, we went jet skiing!
There are no actual pictures to share since I didn't want my camera destroyed by water. So this is what I imagine we looked like.

E had never been before and I had only rode a jet ski on a lake. Which I found out is way different on the ocean. It was really chopppy, but after we got used to the waves, it was a blast.

Then we finished the day by heading to Ra Sushi and drinking the night away.

Finally on Sunday, it was E's actual birthday. We went to brunch at Lazy Dog Cafe with his parents. Hung out all day and then went to dinner at Paul Martin's American Bistro.
Our birthdays usually involve going out to eat at a lot of places.

Outfit details:
green dress| Stitch Fix (similar dress here)
grey jacket| Stitch Fix (similar jacket here)
purse|Olivia and Joy (this is my summer staple. I get so many compliments on this purse. i love the creamy white color, goes with everything!)
shoes| Tory Burch (similar shoes here)

Even though it was my fiance's birthday, I got my own gift in the mail...my Pop Sugar Box came!

This box was the best one yet:

Beauty Blender Set: $34.95

The Modern Cocktail Modern Margarita Set: $8.29
Questions I Ask When I want to Talk About Myself: 50 Topics to Share with Friends by Mindi Kaling: $13.45
Pacifica Color Quench Lip Tint: $7
Charm & Chain Gift Card: $30
Way Better Snacks: $1
Kooringal - Giselle Mid Brim Hat: $27.99

Total value: $122.68
But I only paid $35!
If you are interested in getting your own monthly Pop Sugar Must Have box, use promo code REFER5 and use my referral link here.

Finally, my sweet sponsors (Mandi, Laura and Melissa) are giving away $30 to Nordstrom!

Giveaway ends on May 31st, so enter daily for more chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Land of Nod Dream Suite

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Mon, 20 May 2013 01:05:00 +0000

Baby showers are the new bridal showers.
I am used to the fact that I have been to more "celebrate the baby" instead of "celebrate the bride" parties.
But, I love it.
It's so fun going to children's stores and gifting my friends for their bundle of joy.

My favorite place to shop for children's items is The Land of Nod. They have everything you could possibly imagine for children. Plus, all their items would work well in any home.

If I had a little girl, I would love to design a room with these Land of Nod items.

knit hippo//crib bedding//glider//lamp//curtains

The glider would make an awesome statement piece for a little girl's room.

I am in luck now that The Land of Nod is opening a store in Costa Mesa, California (3333 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626).

On May 31st, they are having a grand opening party complete with in-store giveaways and free goodies who come early to shop! I love a good party.

If you are not local or can't make the party, you can always shop The Land of Nod online here.

Also, like them on Facebook for the latest updates AND check out their current giveaway here.

LAND OF NOD’S WIN A ROOM SWEEPSTAKES

The Land of Nod Win a Room Sweepstakes runs from now until 11:59 PM CT June 17, 2013.

Grand Prize and Approximate Retail Value: One (1) Grand Prize is available to be won.

The Grand Prize winner will receive a Room designed by The Land of Nod, including:

(1) Design consultation with The Land of Nod design team.

(2) Room makeover with selected product from The Land of Nod.

(3) Feature in The Land of Nod Real Families section of an upcoming Catalog.

Total ARV of the Grand Prize is $4,000.

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Land of Nod, but all my opinions are my own. #PMedia #NODinCA http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.

What it's like to go to Elevate Blog Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:51:00 +0000

This was my second year of attending Elevate. I don't know how, but the Summer, Jen and Nichole out did themselves again.

The lineup for this year's speakers for Elevate knocked it out of the park.

Kimmie, Sarah, Ashley, and Erin.

I can't believe I got to hang out at Newport Dunes all day!

The girls put their heart and soul into decorating the conference.

I loved meeting Julie Ann Art. She is so darling in person.
I also met two incredible girls that have sponsored me: Sam and Chrissy. These girls have amazing stories to share. It make me so happy that we got to meet.

The conference always ends in a game of Minute to Win It. I practically peed myself laughing with Kristine.

We need to put uncooked spaghetti through a soda can top. Then both carry the can to another table and stack the cans.
Kristine and I thought we had it in the bag since we are both 5-foot-nothing. We were dead wrong.
I believe that we got faulty spaghetti since it kept breaking so easily!! Needless to say we were in last place.
Rematch next year?

When the conference ended, we headed to the Back Bay Bistro. I can't say it enough, I love these girls.

So that's what it's like going to Elevate. See you next year everyone!

The pictures used in this post are from Lora Knight Photography.

Walk in her heels

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:44:00 +0000

If you don't already know Laura from Walking in Memphis in High Heels, you are truly missing out.

You wouldn't know it, but Laura has only been blogging since December! Her sweet hubby encouraged Laura to start her own blog!

Not only is Laura beautiful, but she's a smart cookie. She's in grad school earning her MBA! I don't even know how Laura has the time, but she is also a runner...she just completed her first 1/2 marathon. Go Laura!

Um, how funny is her hubby Jack doing a style pic?!

As if you can't tell already, Laura has major style.

Gah, I wish I lived in Memphis so I could raid her closet!

You can find Walking in Memphis in High Heels on

Instagram//Facebook//Pinterest

Comments are closed, head to Laura's blog to say Hello!

All My Happy Endings

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:00:00 +0000

If you follow me on Instagram//Twitter//Facebook you might have heard my announcement that
The Blog Scoop is back!

What is The Blog Scoop?
Initially, the website was a resource to find bloggers in your area. The response was tremendous, but it really relied on me to do all the work. I needed a format that allowed bloggers to use the website without my help.

Luckily, that day is today. The new Blog Scoop has forums for bloggers to ask questions and talk to each other. There is a section for personal messaging. A blog area for featured posts. Also, we can do chat sessions, similar to a Google+ hangout.

Head to The Blog Scoop and sign up! Then in the forums you can introduce yourself or post a new topic if you have any questions.

I am looking for bloggers who want to be featured on The Blog Scoop. If interested, email me at pinkonthecheek@gmail.com.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I love finding bloggers like Mandi.

She wants her readers to laugh. To know they are not alone. I love that she is brave enough to say "Sometimes, life stinks." Because that is the truth.

Who is Mandi?

Mandi is completely genuine.

I found Mandi after joining one of her massive giveaways. She loves promoting others and takes the time to really get to know you.

Some of my favorite All My Happy Endings posts:

A reflection on growing older.

What you are made of.

You are made of YES.

Each one of these posts resonated with me. I constantly reflect back on myself on birthdays. Thinking about where I have come from, where I am going.

You can find All My Happy Endings on

Facebook//Twitter//Pinterest

Comments are closed today, head to Mandi's blog to say Hello!

Get Flawless

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:41:00 +0000

Over the weekend, I went to Elevate and had the best time.
Basically, meeting Erin from Living in Yellow was amazefest.

I also earned the name, Pink on the Shoulders. Kinda forgot sunscreen!

On Thursday, I will share more details with the Elevate linky party.

Lately, I have been struggling to find great makeup that will provide coverage AND not clog my pores.
After seeing a dermatologist, he told me no more liquid makeup.
This sucked, because I relied on liquid makeup to cover blemishes (a nice way of saying pimples).

After seeing a lot of great reviews about Emani, I wanted to give it a try.
All of their products are free of parabens, talc, and nothing is tested on animals.

I tried the Flawless Matte Foundation, Pressed Blush in Miami Tan, and Trio Eye Shadow in Tantilizing.

The result was fabulous.
I loved how easily the foundation went on. It was light, but I could build coverage.
The blush stayed on all day. The best part was the eyes shadow, my eyes just popped!

I have been using Emani products for about two week now, and I have not broken out because of it.
That is my main concern when trying new makeup...will my skin look worse.

Interested in scoring some Emani products of your own?
Enter the Rafflecopter below to win your choice of:
Foundation, Blush, Eye Shadow, and Brush!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was compensated Emani products for this review. All opinions are my own.

The Life of a Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:03:00 +0000

Schedule your post early, get comments when you wake up.

Someone has a question about coding from my blog button tutorial.

Figured out how to fix their code.

Tweet my blog post, hope someone retweets me.

Head to my blog roll and comment on my friend's blog posts.

Check my page views on Google Analytics

Set up a giveaway on Rafflecopter.

Promote your advertisers for the giveaway.

Read a tweet about someone at Starbucks. Now need Starbucks.

Sit down to write more blog posts.

Meet My Bloggy Bestie and win $500 cash!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:21:00 +0000

Ever have a friend you have met in blog land, but you haven't actually met?

Yup, that's me and Chelsea boo boo.

Oh, and if you haven't noticed, she's a hottie.

Chelsea runs the blog Olive and Ivy, she's a mega designer, is the brains behind The Blog Design Collective

AND she is my partner for Small Biz Love Affair.

Yeah, she's kind of a big deal.

You can score an iPhone wallpaper here.

You can read all about Small Biz Love Affair launch here.

You can read my favorite fashion post here, because glasses are cool.

Find Chelsea on

Bloglovin//Facebook//Twitter

So, I have kinda complained that the no-cell phone while driving law in California is LAME.

I even got a $170 ticket!

No bueno.

Getting a bluetooth hands-free system installed in my car is not happening right now.

I have a wedding coming up!

A better solution? A Jabra Freeway.

See that device on the visor? That's the Jabra Freeway.

You can enjoy hands-free calls AND surround sound music.

Everything is voice controlled so I don't need to take my eyes of the road.

This part is so James Bond...the Freeways turns on automatically when I get in the car!

How can you score a Jabra Freeway AND $500 cash?

Example of how the Pinterest board should look

After making the Pinterest board, head to Jabra's Facebook Page and enter!

Super easy! Contest ends TOMORROW (May 9th) so hurry!

Dress It Up or Dress It Down- Peplum

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

When I was at Snap, there were a few bloggers I knew that were going to be there.

Ashley from Flats to Flip Flops was one of those bloggers.

When I spotted her at the 1st dinner, I practically skipped all the way to see her.

Of course she was just as darling in person!

I wanted to collaborate with Ashley on a project and I knew she would be PERFECT

for this:

OH MY GOSH! Ashley totally strutted it out for this picture.

I love the vest she paired with her top. It totally makes the flourish at the bottom POP!

You can head to Ashley's blog and see the rest of her post here

Here is how I dressed up my peplum top:

Well it was raining when I decided to head out and take my pictures.

So I made the best of it and got out my new umbrella!

Oh and Mochi had to be involved. The rain did not slow him down. He was constantly running back and forth around the tripod!

Then my neighbor's kid came out of his house and watched me posing for the camera.

AWKWARD!

If you want to join me and style something two ways, email me!

Small Biz Love Affair and Barnabas Clothing Company

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Chelsea and I are back to introduce another wonderful company to you.

A company we are so lucky to partner with Small Biz Love Affair.

Meet Barnabas Clothing Co.

California casual with urban sport influence. Barnabas is an evolving clothing company carving out its own niche in fashion by giving back to those impacted and affected by HIV/AIDS in Kipkaren, Kenya.

10% of all their sales at Barnabas goes to The Living Room International, a hospice and medical center for HIV/AIDS in Western Kenya.

This scarf incredibly soft. I am in love!

What's great about Barnabas Clothing Company is they inspire others to

change the world around them.

"Live a life worth imitating."

Knowing your purchase is going to making a difference

in someone else's life is a great feeling.

Small Biz Love Affair wouldn't be complete without other bloggers sharing their love.

Check out:

Olive and Ivy

Aunie Sauce

I Wore Yoga Pants

Also, we are lucky enough to share a discount with our Small Biz Love Affair readers:

Use promo code BS2012-20 for 20% off your next purchase.

For more information on Barnabas Clothing Company, you can find them on

Facebook//Twitter//Pinterest

Taking pictures is hard.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:14:00 +0000

When taking style pictures, I have to take a LOT of pictures to get a couple good ones.

I think I am trying to whistle at my photographer.

I was trying to jump in the air. Sadly, all the pictures looked like this.

I was in Utah for Snap. The mountains were incredible, so of course I wanted a picture of them.

Well, the wind was no cooperating with me.

Looks like I am holding an imaginary phone.

Told you I like to make goofy faces.

I know I can't be alone in this.

Raise your hand if you delete copious amounts of pictures while editing for a post.

This my friends, is real talk. I think I would like fashion blogs more

if they showed all the outtakes for their style pictures.

I know we all don't look like this:

This is why I am not a fashion blogger, it's hard work!

Hello Box Matches

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Wed, 01 May 2013 15:35:00 +0000

Thanks to Jenna from Life is Sweet, I am able to continue this project.Read the information below and at the bottom you can find your match!

Mandatory:

Get to know the person behind
the blog/shop

Email, Text, GChat, etc your new friend.

Send them encouragement during the month,comment on their

blog.

Talk to them and see how you can help each other. Even if it’s simply asking

"how is your day is going?"

Send a small gift, no more than
$10 to brighten their day, sometime during the month.

Optional:

Friend them on Facebook.

Collaborate on a project (linky, blog post…)

Sponsor their blog or shop!

Blogger date if you are close by.

Now here's the fun part, let's meet the matches:

Bamboo Blossom and Fueled and Aflame

Chase All Your Dreams and The Mustache Diaries

My Nanny Diaries and martywiththeparty

Did I Really Say That? and A Little Dash of Diva

Living Laughing & Loving Life and Andrea's Adventures

Spool and Spoon and Daily Dose of Del Signore

Keeping Up With Kayla and Kakers in Wonderland

Sarcasm and Curls and Adventures of D and V

Walking in Memphis in High Heels and The Pretty Pinhead

Plush Paisley Lane and A Pretty Nest

The Accidental Stay at home Mom and Venus Trapped in Mars

Greendoodle and By the Porchlight

The Gypsy Teacher and Jess Buckley

De l'Etoile and Patterned Love

Violet Lilac Plum and My Wholesome Home

Styles And Smarts and Country Girl in High Heels

She Can't Shut Up and Simply Megan
Not In Jersey and Simple Kind of Wonderful
Taush.O and Life Is Sweet

You have 48 hours to get in touch with your new BFF.
Please email me if you haven't heard from her so I can pair you with someone else!

I'll be emailing you all during the month to check in and keep the conversation
about how this is going!

Don't hesitate to email me with any questions.
Have a great Wednesday!

Currently on Pink on the Cheek:
Shop My Closet
Win a portable phone charger from NewTrent
Win a digital magazine subscription-9 Winners!!

Two Major May Announcements

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:22:00 +0000

What does $60 get ya the month on May?

How would you like YOUR blog to be featured on mine Pink on the Cheek {of course},

Melissa @ A Mile in Her Boots, Ashley @ Wannabe Green, Stephanie @ Never The Same Spice Twice, Kristine @ Heart Shaped Sweat, Ashlee @ Ab Petite the whole month of May for ONLY $60??

Good deal right!

So your blog or shop would be on ALL of our blogs as a LARGE ad that included a group giveaway with all of us girlies!

You want in right??

ONLY 10 PEOPLE WILL GET THIS DEAL!

Just click here!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next I have another announcement from Alyson from Vintage Sunshine.
Take it away!!

I am SO excited to share this new venture with you all!

A little more info..

each month i'll be designing 3 hoops that will be available exclusively* to Happy Hoops subscribers! one hoop will be something "month" related and the other 2 will be designs that i think you'd love. you'll receive an email with sketches of the 3 hoops available that month, as well as an invoice. when you pay your invoice, you'll let me know which hoop you'd like to have. if you want your hoop sent to someone as a gift, that's fine too. just let me know the address and if you'd like it gift wrapped.

*happy hoops exclusive hoops may become available after the new year, certain designs only!

there are only 7 spots available now for May (10 spots each month for now at least). hurry and grab one before they're sold out.

Click HERE to fill out the form & sign up!

Shop My Closet

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

$10.00

Life of a Not So Ordinary Life dslr camera strap cover. Bunting print. Slides over your current dslr camera strap.

$25.00

Darby Mack dslr camera insert for travel bag or purse.

Padded. Measures 11 " wide x 4.5" deep x 7.5" tall. 3 sections for your camera and lens.

Side pocket for extra storage.

~~$12.00~~ SOLD

JAVOedge iPhone 5 wristlet case. Turquoise and Black with Gold studs. Credit card inserts inside. Never used.

$20.00

Mophie Juice Pack Reserve for iPod/iPhone/iPad. Does not work for iPhone 5 and new iPad that uses lightning cable.

$20.00

Kate Spade 'Play Hooky' iPad/tablet case. Light scratches on the silver Kate Spade logo. Navy blue striped interior.

$15.00

JAVOedge iPad 2 case. Glossy Turquoise outside with glossy leopard interior. Interior pockets. Black band to keep closed. Camera hole on the back.

$15.00

Speck iGuy for iPad mini. Protect your iPad mini with a purple buddy. Very durable for children to use! Camera hole in the back.

$15.00

Rokform iPhone 4/4s case. Made of very durable plastic. Inside is a heavy duty magnet that you can use to mount your iPhone. Put it on your desk at work. On your fridge in the kitchen.

$8.00

Stitch iPhone 4/4s case. Ears pop open with a touch of a button.

$5.00

iPhone 4/4s iPhone case. Rubber with multicolored hearts.

~~$40.00~~ SOLD

iPod Nano 5th Generation 8 GB purple.

Works perfectly. No scratches. I will even throw in a black Incase arm band with it. Power cables are included.

$15.00

Gold Michael Kors iPad case. This is the for the first generation iPad and made out of metallic leather.Light scratches from use.

$10.00

Juicy Couture iPad case. This is for the first generation iPad. Never been used and in the original box.

$50.00

iPod Touch. I think this is the 3rd generation. 8GB Black with silver back. Scratches on back. Front doesn't have scratches but some residue from the plastic protective film that was on it. It will come off with a cleaning. Power cables are included.

Please email me at pinkonthecheek@gmail.com

and I will let you know shipping costs. I can ship internationally as well.

If you buy more than one item I can bundle shipping.

All of this money is going to my wedding fund!

Minted Business Cards

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:46:00 +0000

Minted Business Cards features fresh indie-designed business cards.

I already love Minted for all my wedding stationary. The best part of working with Minted was being able to see the quality of the paper before I ordered a 100 invitations!

The same quality of paper Minted uses for the wedding invitations is used for the business cards. The designs are drool-worthy. The colors were so rich and beautiful. Plus, I am a little addicted to fabulous fonts, so it was very hard narrowing down which design we wanted to pick!

I am headed to Elevate in two weeks and I need more business cards.

Of course I would turn to Minted since I loved working with them for wedding stationary.

I want my business cards to stand out and make a fabulous first impression.

Help me decide on my next design!

via

I love the clean lines and the black and white pattern on the back. I think it will stand out among other business cards!

via

You know I can't stay away from pink. I love the all the font and hearts. It's super girly.

via

I love a bold design. The front has clean lines. The back is adorable with pink and grays, it reminds me of my blog design!

via

I like that I can make my blog name super colorful. It's cheery and happy with polka dots.

Minted has tons and tons of beautiful designs, but I narrowed it down to these four.

It was a hard decision!

Which one do you like?

Zinio Magazine Giveaway and Hello Box Sign Ups

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Hello. My name is Lauren and I am magazine hoarder.

My current list of magazine subscriptions:

Rachael Ray Everyday

Real Simple

US Weekly

Cosmopolitian

Disney Family Fun

(I didn't buy it, it just comes in the mail!)

Glamour

Golf Weekly

So yeah, I kinda like magazines. But I don't like carrying them around! I use my Kindle and iPad to read my books, why not do the same for my magazines?

See where I am going with this?

Today I am partnering up with Zinio to give 9 readers a magazine subscription of their choice!

Zinio is the world's largest newstand with all digital magazine subscriptions. Straight to your tablet or mobile phone you can read your magazines on the go.

They have magazines like Vogue, Marie Claire, MacLife, and so many more.

Right now Zinio is offering a really great deal: save 50% off over 100 participating titles!

This deal ends on April 30th, 2013

I was compensated with one magazine subscription from Zinio, but all opinions are my own.

Now I have another announcement to share with you.
I thought about quitting Hello Box since it takes a hot minute to put it all together.
Luckily, I have some great friends who are willing to help me out so that doesn't have to happen.
Starting this month, Jenna from Life is Sweet is going to host Hello Box with me.

What is Hello Box?

I started Hello Box because I personally wanted to meet new bloggers. I stuck to my same blog feed of reads and forgot that there are thousands of other bloggers out there.
There are other sign ups were you can meet bloggers, but I wanted to make mine a little different.

First of all- I want to pair bloggers in the same blogging category (lifestyle, fashion, diy, family, etc.)

Next- I want to pair bloggers within the same age range.
When I first started Hello Box, I unintentionally put 16 year olds paired with 30 year olds.
Obvi they wouldn't have much in common, my bad!

After matching the bloggers and announcing the partners, I want the bloggers to actually get to know their partner.
Talk to them. Ask them about their day. Give them a friend in blog land to talk to!

I know my friends in real life, they don't know what I am talking about when I mention sponsors, page views and mean comments.
But a blogging friend would know and understand me!

Finally, I know some people can't afford a fancy subscription box but they still would love a goodie box in the mail. Really, who doesn't love happy mail days??

This is where you send your partner a treat in the mail sometime during the month.
Just a $10 minimum is all I ask.

That's Hello Box!
Meet a new blogging friend. Have someone to talk to in blog land. Brighten a friend's day with some happy mail.

Want to join? We would love to have you!
Come back on May 1st to find your partner for the month.

Win a NewTrent Chargepak Portable Phone Charger

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 02:00:00 +0000

Remember when I shared my love for the NewTrent chargepak last week?

Now you can win your very own portable phone charger thanks to NewTrent!
I loved using my NewTrent chargepak last week at Snap.
I could charge my iPad mini and my iPhone at the same time!
It was so handy since there was never an outlet close by when I needed it.

This is open to US Residents ONLY. Contest ends on May 9, 2013 at midnight PST.
If you are interested in your own NewTrent Charger
and can't wait for the giveway to end, Amazon is having a sale!

I am not perfect

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:42:00 +0000

By no means have I ever claimed that I am perfect.

via

Since this is my blog, I make mistakes through trial and error. It's a growing experience and if I never try anything, I may regret not going ahead with my ideas.

Last night was my first attempt of moving away from Rafflecopter induced giveaways.

Yes, it's a fabulous way to organize entries and prizes. But it's so time consuming!

Since this month was packed with Snap adventures, I wanted to change it up and do a trivia night instead.

But the question that kept coming up was, how is this going to benefit my sponsors?

So I thought the logical solution was: have a link up for the trivia night.

For example, follow the three sponsors then link up your blog when completed.

That way I can track the bloggers who followed the sponsors.

After seeing only 8 names link up their blog after following the sponsors, I got worried that my idea was backfiring. I thought that the trivia night was going to be a bust and no one would jump on my Facebook page and join the game.

Luckily, some bloggers were there on the Facebook page ready to play.

It was a fast game of 3 questions and 3 prizes: each winner receiving $10 gift cards.

Question #1: Which doctor is referred to as “The Nazi” in Grey’s Anatomy?

Question #2 What was the very last word said on "Friends"?

Question #3 What is Mr. Big's FULL NAME on Sex and the City?

The winners were:

Diana from Down Home Travel

Erin from Two Thirds Hazel

Rachel from Polka Dots and Lemonade

I was so happy that my sponsors this month were willing to try a new idea out with me. But, I just don't know how I can drive traffic to a sponsor's blog without going through a regular giveaway through rafflecopter.

You would be the best person ever if you took 5 seconds to fill out the form below. This way I can better understand what you are looking for in giveaways!
Thank you, thank you!

Google+ Help and Meet Venus Trapped in Mars

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:35:00 +0000

Helpful Tips For Using Google+

You can use hashtags just like you do on Twitter.

This allows you to search for specific words and have items trending on Google+

Google keeps a record of what I value.

Google brings your circles and your searches into one.

For example if I was searching on Google, "How to Make a Blog Button" and there was an item that came up that had a "person icon" next it, it would mean the person shared the article is in one of my circles on Google+.

People can see that you circled them, but not which category you put them in.

When you circle a friend in Google+, they will be notified. But the person that you circle will not know which category of circles you placed them in.

For an example, if I circle my mom I could place her in the category of "family".

She will never know the name of that category of circles.

DO NOT EMAIL YOUR CIRCLES

This is the most important lesson of all.

Never, ever click the button that emails your circles. This is the worst kind of spam.

Don't spam your friends of all your status notifications.

Next, I am so happy to introduce you all to Sarah from Venus Trapped in Mars.

Seriously, she can't get any cuter!

Hey Sarah, if you were trapped on a desert island,

what 3 things would you bring?

Bug Spray

If I am going to make it until rescue ships find me I have to have bug spray.

I don't know what it is but those dang mosquitos just have a Barbecue Block party all over my legs in the summer.

An inflatable boat

See item number 3

An outboard motor

To place on the inflatable boat, take my bug spray and get the hell outta dodge.

Hey Sarah, tell me your 3 favorite posts:

Why Won't Anyone Give Me Free Stuff

why Sarah should get free sports tickets

Girly Girl vs Venus Girl

a lesson all things Venus

Things Girls Say (At The End of the Game)

you know you have said at least two of these phrases

I am going to just say that Sarah and I have the same type of humor. I laughed uncontrollably at my desk when I saw this on her blog:

This is the funniest way to label GFC friends.

Immediately, I knew that we would get along.

BONUS, we both love talking about the gym. Because it's our blog and we can do that sort of thing.

If you need a lesson on how to tell everyone about your gym time, check it out {here}

Now go to Sarah's blog and say HELLO.

Snap Conference 2013 Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:03:00 +0000

Let me just say, I am so happy to be back in California. After a couple of days in Salt Lake City, Utah attending the Snap! conference...I am so thankful for California weather.

This girl was not made for the cold.

I thought I packed enough warm clothes, but let me just say, I was cold the minute I got off the plane in SLC until the moment we touched down in Orange County.

Other than the cold, I had a blast at Snap! I met so many bloggers, learned a ton, and laughed my butt off with my roomies Summer, Angela, Nichole and Jen.

I met the most kind spirited blogger around: Beth from Through The Eyes of the Mrs.

I am not kidding when I say that Beth is the sweetest blogger I have met in a long time.
Her heart is so big and she genuinely wants to get to know you.
She practically attacked me in the bathroom when she saw me.
The good kind of attack you want in the bathroom. Lots of hugs were involved.
I am going to miss seeing Beth on the daily, so glad I met her.

My favorite place at Thanksgiving Point was the ice cream parlor.
It was totally old school and the best part was...cheap ice cream!
This sundae was only $2.50!

I may have eaten the whole thing.

I also found my new love in Utah. It's called Barq's Red Creme Soda.

This soda is so good. Like almost cherry bubblegum. Needless to say, I have to find this soda in California like yesterday.

Ummmm now it sounds like I was only interested in the food in Utah.

But I promise you, I learned a lot. I am going to share it all with you, so keep coming back this week to learn more about Pinterest, Google+, Instagram, and more!

Tomorrow night I am hosting my very first trivia contest.
Just head HERE and follow the rules to enter!

My Best Friend (NewTrent Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000

While at Snap this week, I am going to be abusing the battery on my iPhone.

Tons of tweets to be sent, pictures to be taken.

My dilemma is that my battery will not last all day and outlets won't be readily available during the conference.

A portable charger is necessary.

Meet the device that is going to keep me charged all day long: NewTrent Chargepac (Model NT600C)

There are dual outlets so you can charge two devices at the same time.

You can push a button to see how much charge is left on the pac.

I have already used this charger for a week and I am a huge fan. I just leave the charger in my purse and if I am out and see my battery is dying, I just plug it in!

I know this is going to be so handy while at the conference this week.

Plus, I can share it with a friend so we can charge our phones at the same time!

If you are looking to buy your own, you can do so {here}.

It's on Amazon so you can get super quick shipping when using Amazon Prime.

Guest Post from Sugar & Dots

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Hi.

I'm Kimmie Ess and I blog over at Sugar and Dots.

The above photo was taken the one and only time that my hair did what I wanted it to do.

If you ever hear my name or "Sugar and Dots", I want you to envision the above photo.

Do not picture this photo:

That's what I look like 99.9% of the time.

No makeup.

Hair up.

Roots showing.

Too lazy to put on a bra.

Typical.

My little blog started in January of 2010, and for the first year, I had about 200 readers.

I didn't network and pretty much had zero idea what blogging was all about.

From 2011 to today, I have found my voice and have decided to blog from my heart- whether that makes me popular or hated- my words are straight from my soul.

Most of the time my words are sarcastic.

And always typed out as I think; in sentence fragments.

If you ever meet me in person, my words are usually similar to that of a sailor, and I quote lyrics like it's my job.

The best part?

I listen to vulgar rap.

So yeah.

There's that.

People usually assume that I am confident because I stand tall and have zero volume control.

It's actually the opposite- I'm just a tall person.

And I'm just loud- I never mean to draw attention to myself.

If you ever see a tall blonde rapping in public loudly... look away.

Nothing to see here.

I'm a sensitive mama.

My heart has been broken.

You can read about my story HERE and HERE.

I have been blessed with three beautiful children.

You can read my new love's announcement HERE.

And you can read just how emo I am about parenting HERE.

See those pants?

Proof that I shop at Target.

Addicted to that store, really.

One day I decided to write an entire post about that store.

You can read that post HERE.

My husband is my whole world.

We have been through more struggles together than the average couple, and he makes me a better person.

Which is hard to admit to because he met me at the peak of my awesomeness.

19 years old and debt free.

Good times.

Oh yeah... and I like elephants.

A lot a lot a lot.

I jump on the bed with my kids.

I bend the rules.

I am a babywearing, baby lead weaning, cloth diapering, Jesus loving, thrift store shopping, craft making 29-year-old who basks in the Southern California sun.

Also, I don't ever want to turn 30.

I am so happy that Lauren is letting me make some new friends over here today!

I hope that a little intro helps break the ice!

And I know this post doesn't prove it, but I do in fact know how to smile.

Say what?!

Showing my teeth and everything.

Don't break up with me just yet- I promise I'm not as crazy as I sound.

PS. Sometimes I break promises.

By the Porchlight + I'm Leaving

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Say HI to Lesley

I always wanted to be a teacher.

I'm an only child so never had a whole lot of people to play with everyday so I used to set up a "school" in the spare bedroom and make my parents be my pupils.

I ended up following that dream a couple of years ago, got my Education degree, but recently decided that the classroom isn't where I truly want to be.

Now, I work for a wonderful not-for-profit organization running tons of different activities, programs and camps for youth with physical disabilities.

It's a great compromise between my love of education and my passion for not-for-profits.

Learning to Live in the Present

Free Ad Space & Support Easter Seals

Cutest, Easiest Menu Board DIY

You can also find Lesley on Facebook//Twitter//Pinterest

I also want to mention that Lesley hosts an online book club!

On the 3rd Tuesday of the month link up what you are reading. Then learn what everyone else is reading that month!

LOVE this! I am constantly looking for a new book to read, so I love peeking to see if other bloggers have the same taste as me.

Also...I am headed to Snap this week!

If you are following me via twitter/instagram, stay tuned. You will be flooded with pictures of my journey to Utah! #sorryimnotsorry

Changing the game

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren ) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 04:28:00 +0000

Hear me out.

I love me some giveaways. They are amazing to win. But they are a PAIN to set up.
Rafflecopter is not my friend.

So I am taking this month to change up the giveaway game.
Luckily my sponsors were just as excited to try this out!

Here is how the game is going to work:

1. Follow the three bloggers below

Follow Venus Trapped in Mars via GFC {here}

Follow By the Porchlight via GFC {here}

Follow Dreams and Colour via GFC {here}

2. After following the three bloggers, link up your blog below:

3. On April 23rd at 6:30pm {pacific}, head to Pink on the Cheek Facebook page for 3 trivia questions.
There will be THREE QUESTIONS and THREE winners, each one winning a $10 gift card.

**To play the trivia game, you have to have completed the first two tasks. Follow the bloggers and link up your blog**

So mark your calendars for April 23rd, so you can be there for the trivia party!
I am super excited to be trying this out with you all this month.

If you have any questions, comment below!