Wordless Wednesday: New Haircut

I'll eventually get good pictures posted instead of cell phone pictures -- having some technical issues with my computer at home :)



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Peet's Coffee wants to know -- Do you give a cup?

Image and value provided by our partner, Peet's

Disclaimer: Peet's Coffee provided links and compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.

I am a huge fan of single-serving coffee machines. I have a Tassimo here at home which has probably made thousands of cups of coffee for us over the past two years, and at work, we're on our second Keurig machine. We are definitely a caffeinated company! And what working parents aren't, right? We work hard all day, we play hard all night, and the mornings can be rough. What's better than a freshly made cup of coffee to get your day going?

Peet's Coffee is finally releasing a line of single cup coffee pods! They spent five long years perfecting the brew so that it would be just perfect for single serving cups, and to celebrate, they want to know: Do you give a cup? It's a social sharing experiment -- you vote on a topic on their website and it helps them determine where to send their sip truck give out cups of Peet's Coffee! This week's topic was on hot dog eating contests. I can say with certainty that I was in the minority because -- I don't give a cup! (Now, if it was a veggie hot dog eating contest? I'd be all over that!)

Feel free to swing by doyougiveacup.com today to weigh in on the weekly topic! You can also find out if the Peet's Coffee sip truck is coming to a place near you sometime soon. They are coming to Boston in mid to late July and I will have to hunt one down, because free coffee? I am all about that!




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FREE Escape Monthly Subscription Box Giveaway - Ends 7/12

Disclaimer: I was provided a discount code from Escape Monthly for purposes of this post, but all content below is my opinion. 

If you're like me, you work hard and rarely get a chance to get away. There are lots of places I'd love to go and have just never had the opportunity to. Ireland, Italy, anywhere I could get to on a cruise ship...I'd even take a trip to the west coast if I could! But, as a working mom, it’s hard to fit a destination-based vacation into our hectic lives and finances.

That's where Escape Monthly, a new destination-based subscription box, can help bridge the gap. Each month, Escape Monthly will provide you with a box of gourmet foods, spa and beauty goods, and other luxury items for $50/month (and that includes shipping). These aren't just samples either -- these are full-sized products designed to help you experience a taste of the getaways you'd love to have without having to do all the travel planning. It’s a perfect way to fit a luxury spa vacation into your busy daily life.

Another great thing about this service is that you don’t have to sign a contract. If you ever need a break from the deliveries, you can cancel your subscription easily through customer service.

They're just getting started -- the first batch of boxes go out next month, so now is a great time to sign up! In fact, if you use the coupon code YOURESCAPE you can get 20% off your subscription for LIFE. That brings the price down to $40. That’s a lot cheaper than booking a plane trip or taking a cruise!

Escape Monthly was generous enough to offer a giveaway to one of my awesome readers, so one of you can get a taste of what they have to offer for free! Fill out the Rafflecopter form below, and on July 12th, one lucky reader will win his or her own Escape Monthly box!  It’s the equivalent of a one-month subscription so it’s a great way to get a feel for the products.  (Open to US residents only.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway



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Wordless Wednesday: Birthday Card

Okay, not so wordless -- This card Angelica made is awesome. The front has a person at the top of a mountain, a video game control pad, the number of levels beaten, and an "LC" for "level complete". The little person at the top if the mountain is well drawn...but oddly looks like the grim reaper. And the back of the card has us at a birthday party. And the inside...well, no, I don't let her call me by my first name. But it's cute :)



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Easy Canvas Prints Giveaway - Ends 7/12/13!

photo canvas prints

Disclosure: The below opinions are my own, but I was offered a free canvas for purposes of review.

I've been absent from blogging in large part due to the fact that we moved at the beginning of the month. It was a good move for us -- we moved to a town in the Boston metro area, but out of the city proper. We're in a better school district, and while we're still renting, living in the town we're in now gives us better opportunities to buy a home in the near future.

One of my favorite things about moving is getting the opportunity to redecorate, and so it was a great coincidence that shortly after we moved in, I got an email from Easy Canvas Prints offering the opportunity to review a canvas print. I was able to get a 16x20 print and, while it hasn't arrived yet, I'm greatly looking forward to seeing it!

Choosing a photo was EASY! I haven't bought photos or canvases for our walls since late 2011, so we were in dire need of some updated photos. Fortunately, since I do photography as a hobby, and I have the most adorable subject ever, all I had to do was narrow it down to a few of my favorite pictures and pick just one. (Okay, so maybe that part wasn't easy...)

I finally settled on this photo, from a group of photos I took of Angelica for her 4th birthday (over a year ago). It's one of my favorite pictures of her because it totally captures her personality down to the impish smile.

I am so excited for the canvas to arrive! I just know it's going to make a wonderful addition to our home's decor.

Would you like to win a canvas from Easy Canvas Prints? You can, right here on this blog! They're generously offering an 8x10 canvas to one of my readers. To enter, see the Rafflecopter form below!



a Rafflecopter giveaway



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Birthday.

Today was my birthday! I love birthdays. Not because of the presents and stuff like that (though those are great) but because I'm always reminded on birthdays how wonderful my friends and family are.

Birthdays are also great, especially for me because mine is so close to the middle of the year, because they're like a second new year's celebration. A time for reflection. This one has been particularly introspective for some reason. I'm not sure what's been driving it but I've been feeling the need to be more grateful. In all honesty, my life is great. I may not have the home I want (we're apartment dwellers) or the second baby I want or the savings account size that I want but I have a wonderful family, wonderful friends, a job that keeps me on my toes, a freelance business that's taking off, a doting husband and a daughter who is as sweet as sugar.

My only real goals for this next year of my life...the big 33...is to find gratitude, and to improve my health.

And with that -- THANK YOU to everyone who made this birthday so wonderful. Whether it was a phone call, a gift, a "Happy Birthday" in person, or a birthday wish on Facebook, you have all made my day, and I love every one of you so much.

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Wordless Wednesday: Cat Pillow!

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