Aloha Friday #17

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life – The home of Aloha Friday. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

My Question:
If you're in a long-term relationship or married, do you and your significant other ever go on dates?

My Answer:
As a matter of fact, we do! We go on picniks and all sorts of other "dates".

While you're here, check out my Mother's Day giveaway (Sweets & Treats Gift Basket).. Giveaway ends tonight!

Reminder: Giveaway Ending Tonight

One winner will receive a Mother's Day Sweets & Treats Gift Basket from GourmetGiftBaskets.com!

Be sure to enter... Giveaway ends tonight at 11:59 PM (central time).

Farm Rich Review

I don’t know about you, but I love eating snacks. Sometimes, I have days that I won’t eat a single meal because I’m too busy snacking all day long. (I know, I know, not healthy… shame, shame.) A few of my favorite snacks come from Farm Rich.

About the Company: Farm Rich products have been setting the standard for delicious, easy-to-prepare food the whole family loves.

Farm Rich foods taste like nothing else because they're made like nothing else – with 100% real ingredients like real cheese, high-quality meats and fresh vegetables. Our snacks, appetizers, and breakfast foods are quick-frozen and carefully packaged so busy families can prepare great tasting food within minutes.

Farm Rich is a Rich's Consumer Brand, which brings to market some of the food industry's leading retail brands including SeaPak Shrimp Co., Casa Di Bertacchi and more.
From early morning breakfasts to midnight snacks, we're proud to say Farm Rich products have become synonymous with high quality and great taste.

The other day, Joshua and I went to WalMart with a coupon for one free Farm Rich product of our choosing. As we looked at those bags filled with snacky goodness through those fingerprinted, fogged up, glass doors in the freezer section, we figured out something – we couldn’t just choose one item! So we grabbed the Quesadillas and Cheese Sticks. We hurried home, popped the snacks onto a big pan and threw them into the oven. I turned my timer on and…BAM! It was time to chow down.

Mmmm, mmm, mmm.

There’s really not much more to say than that.

Quesadillas: Thin authentic tortilla-style crust stuffed with a special blend of 100% real Mozzarella, Cheddar, & Monterey Jack cheese and grilled, all white meat chicken with a zesty kick.

My Experience: I didn’t expect them to taste as good as they sounded, then again, I do love Farm Rich. I was right to trust my instincts of getting them. The cheese melted just perfectly in the quesadillas and the chicken is delicious. It is true, they have a certain kick to them, but I prefer things with more of a kick so we used some homemade salsa and dipped the quesadillas into it.

Cheese Sticks: They’re made from 100% real mozzarella cheese and are breaded and seasoned to perfection.

My Experience: No complaints here. The cheese sticks came out of the oven nice and crispy. They didn’t get soggy as we were eating other things. That’s a big plus to me. The breading is super yummy; I’m the type of person that usually just peels off the breading and leaves it on my plate because I don’t typically like it, but with Farm Rich, the breading was just as good as the rest of it.

Everything was wonderful, as it usually is with Farm Rich.

So why not get you something from Farm Rich? It’s nice to have a few nights that are dedicated to snacking – no stand in front of the stove for hours cooking something up…Just toss them in the oven, set a timer, and you’re ready to go.

Check out their site and look at all of the different products that they have to offer. While you’re there, be sure to check their Promotions; there are many things you could win (and being a blog author, I know how much you all enjoy winning free stuff!)

Mmm, Mmm.. I want it.

I love cooking, baking, and trying to make the food look presentable after it's finished. But to be totally honest, I'm not the best baker.

I've burnt brownies, cupcakes, muffins, and of course... Cakes all in the past two months.

I've come to face it, I'm no where close to being Martha Stewart.
But that's why places like Bake Me a Wish! exist...to help people like me eat delicious tasting cake - even though we can't bake it.
Bake Me a Wish! is the award-winning, premium nationwide service for delivery of gourmet cakes for every occasion.

Right now, the following sites are each hosting a giveaway from Bake Me a Wish! Winner gets to choose which Bake Me a Wish! cake that they'd like to win!!
The Mom Reviews

Jabbering Jessi

Sleepless Merrie

I personally am feeling the Red Velvet Chocolate Cake or maybe the Chocolate Truffle Lave Cake! Mmm, Mmm.. I want it!

Vanilla Berry Parfaits with Meringue Cookies

Ingredients

Custard:
2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon butter

Remaining ingredients:
1/4 cup raspberry preserves
1 tablespoon framboise (raspberry brandy)
1 2/3 cups fresh blackberries (about 5 1/2 ounces)
1 1/3 cups fresh raspberries (about 6 ounces)
1 cup fresh blueberries (about 4 1/2 ounces)
12 large fat-free vanilla meringue cookies (such as Miss Meringue), divided

Preparation
To prepare custard, place milk in a medium saucepan. Scrape seeds from bean; add seeds and bean to milk. Heat milk mixture over medium heat to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around the edge (do not boil); discard bean.

Combine sugar and next 3 ingredients (through egg yolks) in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Gradually add hot milk mixture to sugar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return milk mixture to pan; cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 5 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add butter, stirring until melted. Pour into a bowl; cool completely. Cover and chill at least 4 hours.

Combine preserves and framboise in large bowl. Reserve 6 blackberries, 6 raspberries, and 6 blueberries. Fold remaining berries into preserves mixture.

Reserve 6 cookies. Place remaining cookies in a large zip-top plastic bag. Crush cookies using a rolling pin.

Spoon 1/4 cup custard into each of 6 tall glasses; spoon 1/3 cup berry mixture over each serving; top each serving with 1/3 cup crushed meringues, 1/4 cup custard, and 1/3 cup berry mixture. Top each serving with 1 blackberry, 1 raspberry, 1 blueberry, and 1 cookie.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 268 (21% from fat)
Fat: 6.3g (sat 3.2g,mono 2.1g,poly 0.6g)
Protein: 5.8g
Carbohydrate: 48.8g
Fiber: 3.7g
Cholesterol: 115mg
Iron: 0.6mg
Sodium: 125mg
Calcium: 149mg

And the winners are..

It's time to announce the two winners of the Fom-Mom.com giveaway for the MVP Care Packages.

Here are your random numbers:
166
7
Timestamp: 2010-04-28 06:37:42 UTC


#166:
Anne J said...
I follow on twitter, lunaj1456
April 27, 2010 6:35 PM

#7:
Jennifer @ Giveaways and More! said...
Tweet! http://twitter.com/curlyq776/status/12107363517
April 13, 2010 7:46 AM

Congratulations ladies!! I have already e-mailed you, be sure to check your spam. You will have 48 hours to respond; if you do not respond within the 24 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

Hi There, Remember Me?

I'm sorry for the lack of personal posts lately. Joshua and I have been so tied with with trying to find work, studying for finals, and wishing that we had the money for a HOUSE.
In the next few days, I should be getting more posts to you all, and maybe some today, as well.. (due to the incredibly rainy weather..)

Ahh, we've needed this rain for a long time. The pollon was so thick on my white car that it looked like it really was yellow!! Eeek.

Be sure to check out my giveaways going on - they both would make wonderful "me time" prizes or gifts for Mother's Day!! :) You can find the links for them on my sidebar. :)

GourmetGiftBaskets.com Review & Giveaway - CLOSED

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and being that it’s so close, I’d say it’s time for shopping! My mom is one of my best friends – she’s amazing! So, while getting her something for Mother’s Day, I want it to be something that is of her worth, which is pretty high up on a pedestal, if you ask me. :)

Needless to say, my mom is pretty low maintenance. She doesn’t want jewelry or a pretty spring time dress – that’s just not much of her style. But my mom loves chocolate – anything chocolate. While looking online, I came across the perfect gift basket for my mom from GourmetGiftBaskets.com. So I got this basket for my mom as an Early Mother’s Day present and she’s been reviewing it (and sharing some of the yummy goodies) with me.

A Bit about the Company: For a small company, GourmetGiftBaskets.com likes pulling off big projects that make it easier for customers to assemble an assortment of foods and flowers for a holiday or special occasion.
In 2008, GourmetGiftBaskets.com (No. 446) was the fastest-growing web-only merchant in Internet Retailer’s latest annual ranking of the 500 largest online retailers. GourmetGiftBaskets.com grew web sales last year by 172% to $12 million from $4.4 million in 2007. Despite the recession, GourmetGiftBaskets.com grew because the company developed web site features and functions that enhanced content, provided greater product detail and expedited checkout, says founder and president Ryan Abood.

The gift basket that I (ha, my mom) received is the Mother’s Day Sweets & Treats Basket. My mom adores it. She was so excited to, not only get something in a package FOR HER) but to receive something with so many goodies. Here’s a list of what she got in her basket:
• Bountiful Harvest Granola by GourmetGiftBaskets.com
• Key Lime White Chocolate Chip Cookies by Brent & Sams
• Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Melt-a-Ways by Chocolates on Broadway
• Cranberry Orange Tango by Nutorious
• Metropolitan Trail Mix by GourmetGiftBaskets.com
• Chocolate Nut Medley by Marich

Be sure to check out all of their exciting gift baskets. They have so many different gift baskets for all sorts of occasions.

My mom is a doll, plain and simple. She’s easy to please and loves anything from anyone. But this, I think, was one of the best gifts to give to my mom. I took one picture of her with her Mother’s Day present from GourmetGiftBaskets.com and didn’t get the chance to take any separate pictures of the items; my mom dug into the basket head first.

WHAT YOU WIN:1 winner will receive a Mother's Day Sweets & Treats Gift Basket!

TO ENTER:
Required: Become a facebook fan of GourmetGiftBaskets.com. Leave a comment on their wall telling them one product on their website that you like. Then come back here and let me know you did, please leave link to your comment if you know how. I WILL BE CHECKING. (1 entry)

EXTRA ENTRIES:
*Grab My Button. (2 entries)
*Subscribe via e-mail. (2 entries)
*Follow my blog publicly. (2 entries)
*Follow Me on Twitter. (1 entry)
*Tweet the following; MUST leave link in comment (1 entry, unlimited): I just entered to win a GourmetGiftBasket for Mother's Day from @jerricapuck http://tiny.cc/gy9bs Ends 4/30
*Share my giveaway: Facebook, Technorati, etc. Tell me where you shared it and leave link. (1 entry)
*Write up a post about the giveaway, include a link back to the giveaway. (5 entries!)

**ALL comments require an e-mail address. This means that even if you include your e-mail address in the required entry and then do all extra entries, you still need to have your e-mail address in each extra entry, as well. If an e-mail address is not provided in a comment, I will delete the comment. The only exception, is if you have a blog & have your e-mail visable on your profile or have the e-mail button on your profile.
To better your chances of winning, be sure to leave a seperate comment for each entry that you complete.
This giveaway will end Friday, April 30th at 11:59 p.m. (Central Time). I will contact the winners within 24 hours via e-mail and will also write a post announcing the winners. The winners will have 24 hours to respond (due to Mother's Day being on the 9th), after that, a new winner will be chosen. Contest open to Continental U.S. citizens only.I received the Mother's Day Sweets & Treats basket free of cost, in order to do my review. The opinions expressed here are 100% my own.

And the winner is...

It's time to announce the winner of the DORMBUYS.COM giveaway for the Prize Package filled with goodies.

Here are your random numbers:
42
Timestamp: 2010-04-20 16:41:59 UTC

Anonymous said...
I like the low top stools.
brent5y@yahoo.co.uk
April 8, 2010 9:10 AM

Congratulation Brent5! WINNER IS CONFIRMED!
I have already e-mailed you, be sure to check your spam. You will have 48 hours to respond; if you do not respond within the 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

Buckle Down Design Contest

Not too long ago, I review BeltsDirect. You can view my Review, by clicking on Review. Now, Buckle Down (which is the same company) is hosting a Buckle Design Contest!!


Are you extrememly talented whenever it comes to designs? Do you know someone else that's really talented?
Enter the contest.
You could win $500!!

CouponChief.com Review

Very recently, I came across a really neat site filled with a ton of useful coupons - CouponChief.com.
They have so many coupons for stores that I go to on a regular basis, including Target and Walmart. As a matter of fact, CouponChief.com is the leading coupon site for Walmart coupons!!

A few things that CouponChief.com offers you:

You Get Coupons That Really Work -
Don't get stuck with coupons that either don't work or are expired. CouponChief invites its members to comment, rate and validate coupons so everyone always has access to the best deals. Once a coupon expires, it gets removed from the site so you only see what's absolutely valid.

They have it covered -
You'll find codes for thousands of retailers on the site - from computers to apparel, you'll find it here. The offerings represent an amazing range of coupon codes for you to browse and use!

Their users help -
They know how tough it is to find every coupon out there, so they've invited you to contribute. This helps them keep an exhaustive database of all working online coupons.

They pay you back -
They offer you the ability to share revenue with them! For any coupon you submit, they'll share 2% of revenue earned from purchases made with that coupon.

Fan CouponChief.com on Facebook.
Follow CouponChief.com on Twitter.

Want to be the first to get the scoop on amazing coupons? Simply sign up for the CouponChief.com Newsletter. And be sure to head on over to see if your favorite stores have coupons listed at CouponChief.com.
I was given compensation for this post. All facts came directly from the website. Opinions expressed are 100% my own.

No Stranger Sunday #9

Welcome to No Stranger Sunday, where every Sunday I will try to post an interview of a different blogger from around the blogsphere. Take the time, get to know these people. Visit their blogs. This week, I am pleased to announce Laura. She has numerous blogs and they're all worth checking out. Definitely be sure to check her out!! :)


Tell us a bit about yourself:
Do you live in a city or a more rural area?
I live in the st louis metropolitan area. I recently moved to the suburbs, after living in the city for 20 years. It is a big change for me, but I love it.

Are you married? If so, how long?
I am not married but I have a wonderful boyfriend of 15 years and we are very compatible.

Do you have children? If so, how many?
I have one grown child, a boy, who is the highlight of my life. He has grown into a young man who I am very proud of. He loves to blog too.

Any extra family members? (i.e. pets)
Wow, where do I start. The main reason I moved was to have a larger house so that my 82 yr old mother could live with me. So I bought a home with mother in law quarters. As it turns out she needed to be closer to me, so my son and his wife live in the mother in law quarters. My mother has the back two bedrooms and my boyfriend has his own section of the house. I have a rottweiler and a standard poodle, a tabby cat and two birds - a blue and gold macaw and an african grey.

What food makes your mouth water, just thinking about it?
I honestly think I could live on ice cream. Chocolate ice cream for every meal would be my ideal. In fact when I was a teenager, my father walked in on me eating ice cream for breakfast.

What is your favorite book?
I am an avid reader. I love Gone With the Wind - I read it the first time at the age of 13. My favorite authors are Stephen King and John Irving. Oh, and I really loved the Twilight Series.

Do you collect anything? If so, what?
Yes, I collect Dreamsicles, the little cherubs with flower wreaths on their head. I also collect books and quilts.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
My hobbies include scrapbooking, reading, gardening, quilting, singing and anything to do with animals. I have also dabbled in painting, especially watercolors.


Tell us a bit about your blog:
Is there any certain reason that you named your blog what you named them?
I actually have 5 blogs. One of them is The road to weightlessness - about my struggles and success with trying to lose weight. Another one is Everything Free - to showcase freebies, samples, coupons and anything free. I am a Real Estate Broker, so I also have a real estate blog called Real Estate News.

When did you start blogging?
I have been blogging for a few years now, but more so within the last year. I struggled at first and had a blog for a few years that didn't really go anywhere, but it sure helped me get the blogging practice I needed.

What is something that you love about your blog?
Mainly the weight struggles because I use this as a way to get a handle on what I should do to get this aspect of my life in check.

Did you design your own blog? If not, who did?
Partially. I downloaded a free blogger template and then constantly tweak it.

Are there any topics that you LOVE to blog about?
I enjoy blogging about blogging, diet, exercise, freebies, real estate, dogs and self improvement in general.

Any topics that you really try not to blog about?
I steer clear of religion and politics for the most part.

How many blogs do you currently use?
I have 5 blogs, but I love to read other blogs. I have quite a few that I follow and comment on regularly. I love the blog community.

Do you have any tips for other bloggers?
I would say to blog what you love, relax and have fun, and enjoy the relationships you make along the way. Submit your site to search engines, ping your posts and comment on sister sites.

Is there anything you'd like to say to the readers?
First of all, thank you very much for having me on your site. Your site is a great one. I would love to hear from any of your readers and I would also love to feature you on my blog.

Laura, thank you for being a part of my meme, No Stranger Sunday! I enjoyed getting to know you, as I'm sure that others have, too. :)

And thanks to everyone for visiting this week's No Stranger Sunday! If you would like to be interviewed, feel free to visit the No Stranger Sunday link and sign up. :)

Aloha Friday #16

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life – The home of Aloha Friday. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

My Question:
What's do you eat as a comfort food?

My Answer:
I love a big bowl of egg drop soup. YUMM!

Don't forget to check out my two giveaways!! :) They're on my sidebar & can both be used as super awesome gifts for Mother's Day!! :) :)

From-Mom.com Review & Giveaway *CLOSED*

Recently in an Aloha Friday post that I had, I asked the question “Have you ever received a care package from someone?” Many of you had said that you had only received care packages from doing blog swaps, and some of you had not received any care packages at all.

Let’s face it, people don’t always think of a care package these days – we mostly turn to a simple card that says “We miss you” and leave it at that. But just think about it, wouldn’t you have preferred a care package whenever you were in college? Let’s weigh it out for a second: Card with a few words or a care package filled with goodies? Hmm. I know which one I’m choosing!
I have just the place for you to get your care packages: From-Mom.com!!

A Bit about the Company: We’re very proud to say we are a family owned and operated business. At From Mom.com, we specialize in one thing…care packages for college students. College Care Packages are the only thing we do, which makes us different from other gift baskets companies. Our care packages, designed for college students by college students, include hip specialty snack and beverage items as well as fresh baked cookies. We are the experts on what college kids really want from Mom (or Dad, Grandma…)
Our motto is "NO VENDING MACHINE JUNK FOOD, NO FLUFFY BOWS, JUST AWESOME FOOD!"

Being a college student, I figured that this would be a fantastic thing to try out! Who better to test out college based items than a college student? I received the March MVP package, and let me just tell you – it was packed!! The box that it arrived in was pooching out in the middle due to how much stuff was in the box!! Here’s a list of what came in my March MVP Large Care Package: •6-Fresh Baked Cookies, Chocolate Mint Chip
•1-Brownie, Fudgy Chocolate
•1-Mini Loaf, Marble
•1-Jones Soda, Green Apple
•1-IZZE Fruit Soda, Blackberry
•1-Boylan's Soda, Ginger Ale
•1-Adagio Tea, Silver Needle
•3-Hot Cocoa Instant Drink Mix, Creamy Chocolate
•1-Fastachi Snack Mix, Fiesta
•1-Mom's Snack Mix, Classic
•1-Terra Chips, Original
•1-Milton's Crackers, Multigrain
•1-Jelly Bellys, Smoothie
•1-LGC Dark Chocolate Graham Cracker
•1-Chocolate Traveler, Orange
•1-Dr.McDougal Instant Oatmeal, Peach Raspberry
•1-Sensible Foods, Cherry Berry
•1-LaraBar, Banana
•1-Glee Gum, Bubble Gum
•1-Oral Fixations Mints, Fabulous Fruits
•1-Simply Grand Cheese, Camembert
•1-Jack Links Beef Nuggets

As I said before, it was PACKED! Everything was so delicious! The different drinks were very unique and had a wonderful taste to them. The cookies were amazing; minty – yummy!! From-Mom.com is the ultimate source for college care packages.

From-Mom.com has so many different packages to choose from, you can even BUILD YOUR OWN care package!! Pretty nifty, don’t ya think? Here’s a list of the different types of packages that they offer:
»Mom’s MVP
»Happy Birthday
»Just for Fun
»Thinking of You
»Final Exams
»Healthy Choices

Remember, with Final Exams just around the corner for students, an MVP (or even Final Exam package) are not only full of goodies, but they're also full of value!! :)

From-Mom.com even offers a Group Sales/Fundraising Program! From-Mom.com Care Packages are a great way to raise funds for student and parent organizations such as Alumni Associations, Athletic Teams, Sororities, Fraternities, and Residence Hall Associations.
They make it so easy for your organization to raise money.
At From-mom.com, they’ll take care of the ordering, payment, and shipping, making the fundraising process hassle free.

WHAT YOU WIN:
2 winners (yes, two!!) will receive an April MVP, Medium Care Package!

TO ENTER:
Required: Visit From-Mom.com and tell me one other package that you'd love to have. (1 entry)

EXTRA ENTRIES:
*Grab My Button. (2 entries)
*Subscribe via e-mail. (2 entries)
*Follow my blog publicly. (2 entries)
*Follow Me on Twitter. (1 entry)
*Tweet the following; MUST leave link in comment (1 entry, unlimited): I just entered to win a MVP Care Package from From-Mom.com at @jerricapuck http://tiny.cc/tclxa Ends 4/27
*Follow my blog on Networked Blogs - use the widget. (1 entry)
*Share my giveaway: Facebook, Technorati, etc. Tell me where you shared it and leave link. (1 entry)
*Write up a post about the giveaway, include a link back to the giveaway. (5 entries!)

**ALL comments require an e-mail address. This means that even if you include your e-mail address in the required entry and then do all extra entries, you still need to have your e-mail address in each extra entry, as well. If an e-mail address is not provided in a comment, I will delete the comment. The only exception, is if you have a blog & have your e-mail visable on your profile or have the e-mail button on your profile.
To better your chances of winning, be sure to leave a seperate comment for each entry that you complete.
This giveaway will end Wednesday, April 27th at 11:59 p.m. (Central Time). I will contact the winners within 24 hours via e-mail and will also write a post announcing the winners. The winners will have 48 hours to respond, after that, a new winner will be chosen. Contest open to Continental U.S. citizens only.
I received the March MVP Large Care Package free of cost, in order to do my review. The opinions expressed here are 100% my own.

It's MY blog and I will say what I want..

Back in January, I posted a post about Mindy McCready being on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew Pinksy.
While Mindy was on the show, she did a lot of bashing her mom, which I happen to know on a very personal level. Mindy claimed that her mom was abusive to her & to Mindy's son.

In part of the post, I put, and I quote, "Maybe Mindy was abused as a child, I don't know. I wasn't there..." However, I do know Mindy's son (which Mindy's mom has custody of, and has for a very long time) is in wonderful hands. Mindy's mom loves that boy.
I never said that there's no way that her mom never abused her. But being that I know the situation a lot better than many of you may think, please leave it be.

I like when my readers participate in my postings, that's part of the reason that I post what I post. But remember, it's MY BLOG, and I will post whatever I choose to.

Do not lecture me on what to (or not to) post. Don't tell me what I should think or feel.
You're entitled to your opinions, but do not come to my blog and try to tell me what to think about a situation that I have a lot of ensight on.

As I said before, I never said that there's no way she was abused. But I did say that if she were, I'm 99.999% positive that her son is not and therefore she should not try to bash her mom on national television.

I understand that many of you were abused, and I'm truly sorry to hear that. My heart goes out to you, even after what you said to me. Nobody deserves to be treated in such a way. Mindy (if she were truly abused) did not deserve it; but even still, don't be rude.

A lot of rape charges are proven to be false. People want attention.

I try to be polite as I enjoy readers and I enjoy hearing people's thoughts, but this was just enough. Don't compare me to the Pope. Don't be rude to me for blogging (on my blog) my opinion of things that I know about.

It's rude and I do not appreciate it. You don't know the things that I know about the situation. You don't know what I've heard Mindy say to her mom. You haven't seen them together, the way that I have. So, as I defend a friend, a loved one, DO NOT criticize me, unless you know the situation.

It's good to stand up for what you believe in, but do it in a more mature manner or it makes you just as guilty.

As a member of Pssst... and General Mills, occasionally, I receive special coupons, products, and updates about new products.

“The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook” by Erin Chase, a MyBlogSpark member and creator of 5DollarDinners.com, prepared her first $5 dinner in August 2008.

She turned it into a three-fold mission:
■ To make dinner for my family every night for $5 or less!
■ To prepare healthy meals using natural and wholesome ingredients!
■ To encourage and inspire others to do the same!

In addition to 200 economical recipes each with a Frugal Fact, she offers suggestions for making the most of grocery shopping and couponing. Her tips on meal planning include sample menus and ideas for using leftovers. Her recipes feed a family of four and list the approximate cost of the ingredients. Here’s a recipe Erin suggests to get you started.

Pssst… will give away an autographed copy of Erin’s cookbook to each of 100 lucky members in a sweepstakes drawing. To enter, go to Pssst.GeneralMills.com and either log in (or register to become a member), click on “The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook” Sweepstakes link on your Pssst… Personal Page and complete and submit the online. Go to official rules to learn more. “The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook” is available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Overstock and Walmart.

Saturday 9: #17

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: Have I Told You Lately That I Love You

1. When was the last time (in a romantic setting) you have told someone that you loved them?
The other night. :) Joshua really is amazing.

2. Tell us about your very first romantic kiss.
Romantic? Ah, I was never really the "romantic" type until I met Joshua. (No, this isn't a lie.. I've never been very romantic, it isn't my style.)

3. What was/is your idea of the perfect date?
Going somewhere, just the two of us. Being able to snack on yummy foods and relax together. No need to worry about life's stresses or anything. Just hang out together, and have fun.. I'm not picky. However, I do enjoy whenever Joshua cooks for me :p

4. What music would you prefer when you are “getting it on”?
Uhm, I suppose something soft yet with a good beat.. I don't really know.

5. What is the most amazing experience you’ve ever shared with a partner?
We've shared many lovely nights and days - but I'm sure that there will be even better ones to come.

6. Sex is best saved for: love, marriage, alcohol, days that end in “y”?
Days that end in "y".. haha. I'm just kidding. I never really planned on waiting until I was married - I don't know why, I just didn't. But I did always want to save it for someone special and not just give it to every guy that I met.

7. Have you ever kissed a stranger?
Nope. I don't know who they may have been with or what they may have.. yuck. Ha, Joshua calls me a germophobe; I don't like touching people.

8. What's missing from your life?
Quite a few things - we're just getting started.

9. Are you a giver or taker?
I try to be both. I use to be more of a taker though, but I believe that in the past year or so, that I've developed a happy medium.

Tips to Blogging..

Recently, I've had number of people ask me for blogging tips. First off, I'm flattered - truly. I don't see myself as being a good enough blogger to ask questions to, as a matter of fact, I asked a blogging friend a question today about something that I didn't understand.

So, I'll give as best hints as I can, and from there - feel free to add some in comments that I may not have mentioned.

*Don't use CAPTCHA's. People find them annoying and tend to comment less. I'm guilty of not commenting sometimes due to CAPTCHA.

*Blog freely. Although many people say to watch what you blog about, I think it's important to also post about what you find interesting. Don't be afraid to mention politics. Now, I'm not saying to put down anyone or be offensive, but you can express your opinions in a mature way. I follower certain bloggers for the exact reason that they blog about crazy issues (even though I often do not agree).

*Write Consistantly. If you want your blog to do well, you have to stay pretty much on top of it. Don't go two weeks without writing anything at all.

*Comment others. People love comments, plain & simple. So if you comment them, they're more likely to check out your blog in return.

*Participate in daily memes. I, personally, participate in Aloha Friday & Saturday 9. These memes bring people to your blog and give you comments.

*Be honest! I cannot stress this enough. Especially if you host reviews. If you don't like something about a product, post the Good and the Bad. Don't tell your readers that a product was wonderful if you wouldn't buy it yourself.

*Post personal posts. Your blog should tell about you, not just companies. Include embarrassing moments, trips to the park, struggles you face, and obsitcles that you overcome. It's nice to get to know the blogger on more than just an "I liked this product" level.

*Be professional with your writing. Now, I'm not expecting everyone to know how to spell every word correctly - but that's why there's a Spell Check button in the posting section. :) Use Spell Check. d0N't tyP lyk dis, or like thiz, nd dnt right lyk thiz. Make sure to use propper grammer, correct punctuation, and avoid other typo errors (like mixing up there, their, and they're).

*Try to include pictures. Even if it's something simple, pictures do help. Once I'm on my own computer, I will update this post with a picture. :p


I really hope that this helps all of you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.

Also, if there's any tips that I missed, please post them below. :)

Comment Problems.. Anyone Else?

My comments are on moderation. This way, I can keep up with what people say, when they say it, and reply if necessary.

However, all day today, I approve the comments, but only a few of them show up.

Hmm. Anyone else having this problem?
If so, do you know how to fix it??

Ultimate Blog Party 2010 - Count Me In!

Thanks for stopping by and visiting my blogs little party! A big shout out to 5 Minutes for Mom for making this all possible! I'm very excited to be a part of this year's UBP!!

Allow me to introduce myself the best way that I can... My name is Jerrica, my olders sister named me off a cartoon Jim and the Hologram. I like my name - it's not very popular. My sister is everything to me, and on 10/10/2010, she's getting married to her [very lucky] fiance.

I love eating tomatos with salt and watching movies all day long. Camping is something I really enjoy and I act tougher than I am. I'm not shy, but I am cautious. I've been dating my best friend for almost a year & a half; he doesn't always make me smile - but when he doesn't I just kick his toes. :P I'm 5'0, so Joshua is my "Can you get me that?.. I can't reach it.." guy, and he doesn't mind. We like to joke around; we're young, and not getting any younger, so live for the smiles.

Here at Something To Talk About, you'll come across many different topics and posts. I don't really have any specific things that I write about. Some days you'll find recipes, other days you'll find reviews. You'll see posts about adventures that Joshua and I take and times that we've messed up cooking.

Something To Talk About is currently giving away a Large Prize Package from DORMBUYS.COM! You won't want to miss this - the package is full of Food Storage Containers!!Joshua and I are a fairly young couple, not even in our 20's. We may be young, but we've experienced things that some people couldn't even imagine. We've been strong and stuck together when it seemed as if everything would fall apart. We are not yet married, but we're working our way there one step at a time. We're goofy - we don't want to be told to grow up. We're living our lives the best that we know how and we're making it in this crazy world that high school never told us about.My blog isn't just about reviews and giveaways. It isn't just about my relationship. It's about life and the things that life hands to me.

I host a lot of swaps for my readers and anyone else that'd like to join.

I hope that you decide to stick around and find out some of what goes on, here at Something To Talk About.


As for prizes that I'd like to win - there's a lot!
#7. #15. #18. #20. #22. #31. #32. #36. #39. #40. #52. #112.
USC 3. USC 8. USC 35. USC 39.
INTL 14.

Aloha Friday #15

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life – The home of Aloha Friday. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

My Question:
Do you shop online?

My Answer:
Yes. I didn't use to, but I recently started. I love getting things in the mail. :)

Don't foget to check out my DORMBUYS.COM giveaway. One winner will receive a Large Prize Package of Food Storage Items! Giveaway ends on 4/19 -- LOW ENTRIES!!

Get Paid for Tweeting!

Ever wish there was an easier way to earn money? Well, there is. Sponsored Tweets is a super easy way to earn cash! The only thing that's required is a Twitter Account!!! :)

When there are available advertisements that need to be tweeted, Sponsored Tweets informs me.
I have the option to Accept or Decline tweeting the advertisement.
If I choose to Accept, they tell me the main points that need to be mentioned in the tweet and the website's URL - after that, I'm able to word the tweet however I choose.

Very Simple.

I even get to choose how much I'm paid for my tweets!! Once I reach $50, Sponsored Tweets send me my money via PayPal.

If you're not already signed up, please sign up using my Referral Link.

And the winner is...

It's time to announce the winner of the Hasbro giveaway for The Game of Things.


Here are your random numbers:
37
Timestamp: 2010-04-08 04:31:40 UTC


Kelly L said...
I went to hasbro's site - I love so many of their games - but I have to say Monopoly is the fave.
Love,
Kelly
March 26, 2010 10:04 PM

Congratulation Kelly L! Winner is CONFIRMED! I have already e-mailed you, be sure to check your spam. You will have 48 hours to respond; if you do not respond within the 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

Sometimes, it's all that I have..

I was listening to a radio commercial yesterday - which I don't typically do. (I'm one of those people that changes the stations everytime that a commercial comes on..)

But the station was asking for callers to call in and admit to stuff that they cannot stand..

One lady called and said "I hate whenever people leave less than 20% for a tip.." she continued on by adding "...It makes me just want to toss the tip right back at you! Jerks!"

Maybe it's just me, but I didn't like that answer too much.

Look, don't get me wrong, I understand. I use to waitress. And believe me, waitressing in a small town restaurant (up on a mountain) doesn't bring in very much in tips - a lot of people didn't tip at all!!

But that's just life. I learned very quickly not to get upset about a tip. Sometimes, people are rude and don't want to leave you a tip - true. But sometimes, people just don't have the extra 20% to leave.

Whenever Joshua and I go out to eat, we order pretty cheap meals - we know that we don't have the money to order expensive things. We always make sure to clean up any spills that we make, pick up all of our trash, and yes.. I even stack all the dishes properly so that you don't have to spend as much time cleaning the table. But sometimes I just don't have the money to leave a big tip.

I always try to leave $2 or $3. That's a $1.50 per person.. which is really all the extra that we have. Whenever I can, I leave about $5. But Joshua and I never eat more than about $20 worth of food, including tax.

So, if you're waitressing, keep in mind whenever someone doesn't tip you as well as you'd like - it may be all that they can afford ;; and they don't have to tip you at all.

Yes, I know that people don't always have to go out to eat, but some people (like truck drivers) don't have too much of a choice - so there are always circumstances where people cannot help it.

I was not compensated for this post in any way. The opinions expressed here are 100% my own.

DORMBUYS.COM Review & Giveaway *CLOSED*

Do you have a loved one or friend in college? Or maybe, you’re in college, yourself? If so, I highly recommend that you check out DORMBUYS.COM! They have everything that college students need: from Appliances to Space Savers! And not only do they have all sorts of things, but they have all sorts of things at an affordable price – especially for those of us on a college budget.

I don’t know about you, but I know that whenever I think of college students, right off the bat I think of students with no money, eating Ramen noodles and Mac & Cheese. Well, DORMBUYS.COM keeps in mind that the link between college students and money is slightly inexistent in many cases (like me for example). I for one am on a heck of a budget: buy in bulk (if I can afford to), don’t leave unless I need to, no extra “me time” shopping. So whenever I’m able to catch a break, I try to jump on it. With DORMBUYS.COM, I know that they have prices that I can actually afford and it takes a bit of the edge off of buying the essentials that I need.

A Bit about the Company: Dormbuys.com is a retailer focused on providing anything and everything for college students living in the dorms. With categories ranging from bath to bedding, laundry to decor, furniture to space-savers and many more, we've got you covered. Stuck living in a small space? Pop in for a visit and see all the different ways we can expand your unspacious place!

I received a few different items that have already been so wonderful to have - Food Space Savers! I love food – there’s nothing better than after a long day (or night) of classes and being able to relax to a delicious snack before going into your next class. But sometimes, it can be hard to be able to keep items at the temperature that they’re meant to be; however, with these nifty products, it was easy as imaginable! Blaster Salad Bowl: The Salad Blaster Bowl consists of an easy to store 26 ounce, clear plastic container for your salad, vegetables, and other small meals. The lid compartment is a two ounce chamber for your favorite salad dressing. When you're ready to eat, press down on the top to "blast" your salad with the dressing. Shake the container to evenly distribute the dressing, remove the lid, and enjoy! We've tested it - it won't leak.
Cereal On The Go: Keep your milk cold and separate from your cereal. Then when you are ready to enjoy breakfast in between your early morning classes, simply pour the milk into the cereal bowl section for a quick snack. Portable! EZ-Freeze Deluxe Cereal Bowl: A lot like the Cereal On The Go, but bigger. It will keep your cereal separate from your milk and make sure milk stays colder for a longer period of time. The set includes a lid with patented freezer gel technology; just keep in the freezer until you need to prepare your cereal.
EZ-Heat Warm Soup Container: The insulated lunch container works like a thermos but is shaped like a bowl, so you can eat neatly and comfortably. Great for soup, spaghetti, and more. Just microwave in the morning, and food stays warm until lunchtime. There is even a folding spoon in the flip-top lid. It's reusable, so it's great for green lunches. Holds 2/12 cups!
Fit & Fresh Deluxe Lunch Chiller: The bottom four-cup capacity compartment is large enough to hold a sandwich, salad or meal, while a removable one cup Smart Portion chill container allows you to take a proper portion side dish with you. A removable ice ring snaps into the underside of the lid to keep your food fresh and chilled until you're ready to eat. Put utensils, napkins or another nutritious snack in the top storage area and seal securely with the top storage lid. All parts except for the ice pack are microwavable and top rack dishwasher safe.

Fit & Fresh Healthy Food Snacker: The Healthy Food Snacker is ideal for celery and carrots. With the frozen ice pack easily fitting in any dorm freezer, our Healthy Food Snacker is a realistic dorm on the go food container. Just pile in your veggies and put the ice pack in and head off to class for the day with a quick snack! Your healthy snack will be sure to stay cold and enjoyable until you are ready for it.

DORMBUYS.COM has a ton of items to choose from in all different categories: (All of the bulleted items will link to its category on the site).
»Appliances
»Bath
»Laundry
»Bedding
»Décor
»Furniture
»Space Savers
»Tech
»Gift Cards & More, and even
»Sale Items

I’m telling you, these products are my new Tupperware. I’ve used each of these, multiple times and I love them! I’ve even had people come up to me at class and ask me where they could find them. Joshua has even used 3/6 products, and loved each of them. He said “It wasn’t anything embarrassing to pull out in front of the guys” and that his food was kept at the temperatures that they were meant to be at.

You wouldn’t believe how well these great products work without trying them for yourself. And that's exactly why DORMBUYS.COM has generously offered one lucky winner an extremely large gift!!

WHAT YOU WIN:
1 lucky winner will receive a prize package filled with goodies. The package will include:

1 Blaster Salad Bowl

2 Cereal On The Go

1 EZ-Heat Warm Soup Container

1 Fit & Fresh Deluxe Lunch Chiller

1 Fit & Fresh Healthy Food Snacker

TO ENTER:
Required: Visit DORMBUYS.COM and tell me one product (not listed in this review) that you'd love to own. (1 entry)

EXTRA ENTRIES:
*Grab My Button. (2 entries)
*Subscribe via e-mail. (2 entries)
*Follow my blog publicly. (2 entries)
*Follow Me on Twitter. (1 entry)
*Tweet the following; MUST leave link in comment (1 entry): I just entered to win a Large DORRMBUYS.COM Prize Package from @jerricapuck http://tiny.cc/k2a2c Ends 4/19
*Follow my blog on Networked Blogs - use the widget. (1 entry)
*Share my giveaway: Facebook, Technorati, etc. Tell me where you shared it and leave link. (1 entry)
*Sign up for Swagbucks using My Referral Link. (2 entries)
*Write up a post about the giveaway, include a link back to the giveaway. (5 entries!)

**ALL comments require an e-mail address. This means that even if you include your e-mail address in the required entry and then do all extra entries, you still need to have your e-mail address in each extra entry, as well. If an e-mail address is not provided in a comment, I will delete the comment. The only exception, is if you have a blog & have your e-mail visable on your profile or have the e-mail button on your profile.
To better your chances of winning, be sure to leave a seperate comment for each entry that you complete.
This giveaway will end Wednesday, April 19th at 11:59 p.m. (Central Time). I will contact the winners within 24 hours via e-mail and will also write a post announcing the winners. The winners will have 48 hours to respond, after that, a new winner will be chosen. Contest open to Continental U.S. citizens only.
I received numerous products in order to do my review. The opinions expressed here are 100% my own.

Camping Trip

Oh yeah, that's right - Joshua and I went camping this weekend!
This camping trip was out first - and it was a success!!

I grilled pork chops, Joshua built a cozy fire, and we relaxed all weekend!

We did figure out that there are a few things that we'll be bringing next time that we did not include in this trip, but it was still awesome!!

Next time, we're going to even bring kayaks! That'll definitely be interesting - and a lot of fun!!

It was nice for us to get out and not have to worry about anything but each other. I do know one thing, we need more camping gear. We borred everything from a portable grill to a tent from our parents.

But it was worth it!!! :)

Trip to a theme park = too much, we've never been. (We both want to though!)
Going to the movies = $6 (for both of us, because we go to the inexpensive place).
Camping = Free; Few People; Relaxing; Gorgeous!!

My New Phone -- LG VX9400 Review

Remember how I was telling you all that I bought a new phone eBay?

Well, I've been using it for about 2 weeks now and guess what? I love it.

*It takes really good pictures, the quality is beautiful - especially as opposed to my old phone.

*When I'm using it to make calls, I can hear people clearly.

*It's fast with internet.

*I have a black hard case on it. But my-oh-my, I forgot that it was in my pocket and went to get out of my car, it fell - HARD. It didn't even scratch my cover.

*It's small enough to fit in my pockets, but big enough that I don't easily misplace it.

*Light weight.

I really enjoy using this phone. I've had a few people ask me if I could find them one, too. :) So I'm on the prowl. :) :)

I did not receive any form of payment or product(s) for this post. The opnions expressed here are 100% my own.

Garden Swap at ENGINE3

Julie over at ENGINE3 as decided to host a Garden Swap! No, you're not going to send your garden - haha, I know, I'm a loser. But what you will do is send gardening stuff to your partner!!

Who: Anyone - the more the merrier.

What: You & your partner will each send one another a package of gardening goodies (i.e. flowers, garden tools, etc.)

When: Sign up NOW through the 12th.
Swap Date: April 26th.

There will be a $20 spending limit (not including shipping). If you're interested in participating, you can leave your e-mail address on my blog on this post and I'll pass it along OR you can go straight on over to Julie's Site: CLICK HERE TO GO TO HER SIGN UP PAGE!!

This is Julie's first swap - show her some support. :)

So, I've been thinking...

It's a lot of fun hosting swaps. I've found that I really enjoy hosting them. Although, unfortunately, I can't afford to participate in them anymore, I like being able to help others have the fun of swaps!

I'll be trying to hold swaps every month or two, mainly for major holidays, but for other things too. I'll be holding one for the 4th of July, so keep an eye out in May or June. :)

Also, if there's a swap theme that you'd like for me to host, please don't hesitate to ask - I promise to do my best. Just shoot me any ideas that you may have.

I'll try any type of swap at least once: gardening, holidays, cooking, adult - whatever. Just ask. (Haha, Joshua always says "I'll try anything twice - just in case the first time goes bad."

To tell me your idea, you can leave a comment or e-mail me at jerricapuck(at)yahoo(dot)com -- but please be sure to fill in the Subject as "Swaps for your blog" or "Swap Ideas" so that I know the message isn't spam.

Saturday 9: #16

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: Hurts So Good

1. Tell us about the last time you really got hurt.
Truthfully, I don't even remember.

2. What's your oldest possession?
I have a few stuffed animals that I've had ever since I was really little, so probably them.

3. Do you have any phobias?
I don't like clowns - but I'm not scared of them. So I suppose that I don't.

4. What values did your parents instill in you?
They've instilled a lot of values into me that I try to keep in mind. :) In my opinion, my parents did a great job -- not to toot my own horn or anything. ;)

5. What are your plans for Easter?
I'm not totally sure yet, but I believe that Joshua and I will be going camping Saturday night.

6. I like sun more than snow.
Absolutely. Snow is pretty, but it just doesn't beat the sun.

7. Tell us about 3 fads from your teenage years.
I'm only 19, but I really am not sure. I don't think I've really had any.

8. Tell us what is the most important attribute in a lover.
There are so many but trust & respect are at the top of my book.

9. What new piece of technology have you resisted buying and what would it take for you to change your mind?
The iPad, uhm - it'd take a ton of money and a lot more knowledge - I can't stand things like that.

Aloha Friday #14

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life – The home of Aloha Friday. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

My Question:

Do you enjoy camping or is it something that never really crosses your mind?

My Answer:

I actually like to camp a lot - I get a little scared, truth be told - but I love it!! Joshua and I may be going camping this weekend. :)

Don't foget to check out my Hasbro giveaway. One winner will receive The Game of Things! Giveaway ends on 4/07 -- VERY LOW ENTRIES!!

Today's April Fool's Day!!

So be sure to keep an eye out for all pranks and pranksters!! I plan on throwing a few pranks at Joshua today :p

Be on the lookout & have a wonderful April Fool's Day!!

Reminder Giveaway Ending Soon.

Enter to win The Game of Things by Hasbro! This giveaway ends on Wednesday! As of right now, there are only 83 comments on the giveaway -- so very low entries!!