Busy time...

Boy, it is not even December and already it is busy time here at the Lee Residence.  We have all kinds of holiday goodness coming up and thankfully a bit of free time coming up too. Our Music Together class ended yesterday, and we are taking a break from Stroller Strides for the winter.  Instead, we will be heading back to Gold's Gym and I am looking into Gymnastics class or some kind of dance class for Ana for the winter. Also, we have Toddler Time once a week, and playgroup at least once a week. Busy, Busy.  I am so looking forward to a fun holiday craft and party filled weekend. Will share photos on Sunday!! Stay well and have a great weekend!!

The #XSREGIRL model search was a success and shopping haul!

Hello fine readers:
Recently I attended the XSRE model search and it was a resounding success. It was so much fun to watch the pretty young things arrive, get styled and then photographed for the online contest. I don't  know who is going to win, but I bet it will be close as there were a lot of great models.  Not only did I love watching the contestants get styled and preen for the camera, but I got a bit of shopping in and had a blast at XSRE. I had no idea the store was so big and gorgeous, and there were so many fabulous clothes, earrings, shoes ,bags etc to choose from.  I took a bunch of photos so check out the model set up and then what I bought!!

The ladies shopping; XSRE is organized by colors schemes, which makes it so easy and fun to shop and find what you want.

A row of spangly bangles and pretties:

                     One of the first models arrives, and is styled well! That is the cutest vest!!


And want to see my haul?:

                               Pretty off-white blouse with removable beaded collar from XSRE

Beautiful Blue beaded and silver long earrings and blue/gray beaded necklace from XSRE.

And lastly, my fave piece:

Cool blue/white and gray snakeskin jeans, I love the flash of color with all of my usual black. And the blue/gray necklace from XSRE is perfect with jeans and these pants!!

I also bought a couple of Holiday gifts, including some stocking stuffers for Ana and beautiful scarves for the moms.  It was so much fun to shop at XSRE!!! I cannot wait to see who the final choice for #XSREgirl is.... I will be watching and voting at their facebook page:   XSRE on FB.



*******This post was compensated by The Blogger Connection. All opinions within are my own. Photos were taken by me! I had a gift card to help facilitate my shopping obsession, Thanks XSRE****

6000 Fan Giveaway : Day 6 Goodskin Labs products!

Hello Dear Readers:
  As some of you know , I am a member of the Goodskin Circle with Goodskin Labs, and I love it. Every month, I get to make a video talking about my fave products and what they mean to me, and now I get to share my love of these amazing products to you! Goodskin Labs is giving away two of my fave products to one lucky winner! If you have ever wanted to try a Goodskin product, here is a great chance.



Here is all the info:

Exten-10:  


I use this as a daily moisturizer and love it. There are several reviews of me using this on the Goodskin site and at the facebook Circle. It is great for all kinds of skin and I just cannot rave enough about it!

Officially: Instant Youth Boosting Moisturizer with Spf 15









and another fave of mine:

Eyliplex-2: Eye lift and circle reducer.  I use this often , especially now that I do not get a lot of sleep and am often tired. I find that heading towards 40, my eyes need a little lift now and then and this is a great product to help me look more refreshed and bright eyed. I think you will love it too.






Both of these products can be found at your local Kohls. Or you can try your luck and win them here on the blog!

Also, if you are not sure what products are good for you, Goodskin has a Quiz on their page that will help you with any  concerns! 

Giveaway is over ...:)

Catching up....

Hello Dear Readers:
  Phew, I do not know why but whenever we have a family holiday, I feel as if I get far behind in daily life. I have so much to write about but so little time to write it, so this is going to be a quick game of catch up.

  Ana and I have been busy with play dates and our Music Together class, but she is so active now and seems to be so into dancing and flipping and tumbling that I am going to enroll her in some sort of gymnastics or dance class. I know that she cannot start formal ballet dance classes until she is 3, but in the meantime she can learn to tumble, jump and handstand (or headstand as she is wont to do) the right way. We are fortunate to live in a small town with a big gymnastics school and at least three schools of dance. So, we will definitely find something that matches her activity level and ability.  Also, we recently signed up for Toddler time at our local library and she has been enjoying coloring, crafting, doing puzzles and listening to stories.

We have had quite a bit of grandparents time which is so nice for Ana, she is really lucky with all three sets living in NY and within driving distance. We are staying at my Mom's tonight as I have an event in NYC tomorrow and Ana will be staying and playing with my Mom.

I cannot believe my little baby girl is almost 2 and half years old and speaking in full paragraphs. She is such a talker, a mile a minute and says the cutest things. Plus,she loves to sing. I will share with you some of her songs soon. I need to record them.

There will be a lot of photos coming soon too as the winter rolls in and we have a bunch of holiday events and activities. I am so excited to bring Ana to her first play in NYC and to take her to see the winter holiday windows at the big department stores.  Lots of fun coming up. But for now, I need sleep and rest.

Stay warm and have fun,

6000 Fan Celebration Giveaway Day 5: Firmoo Sunglasses, $500 Giveaway, 25 winners!

Hello and welcome to Day 5 of my celebration (I am hoping to continue this for a week).
  Recently I received a beautiful pair of fashionable sunglasses from Firmoo. I love the vivid green color and cute shape! Firmoo contacted me again and has generously offered to give away 25 vouchers to my readers! Each voucher is worth $20 towards glasses, which could buy any of  these:

Check  out the website and let me know which pair you would choose, and dont forget to enter to win a voucher. Lots of winners on this one!

Also:

Enter to win in the easy rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

6000 Fan Giveaway: Day 4 Jamberry Nail Shields with Susan D!!

Hello Dear readers:
   I am so excited to bring you today's giveaway in my ongoing celebration.  Today's Giveaway  is sponsored by a personal friend of mine, a lovely local Mom and a member of our playgroup who works with Jamberry Nails, Miss Susan D.

 I saw her nails after she had applied the Jamberry nail shields to them. and they looked so colorful and fun, I had to try them for myself. Take note that I tried to apply them to my acrylics, which was not the best. As soon as I remove my fake nails, I will be Jamberrying my real nails. Here is my before and after:

Before

And after...isnt it sooooo pretty??

Find the black and white floral here:

 Jamberry has all kinds of designs and they have the cutest holiday designs right now. I think I am going to invest in some of these:

Or maybe the snowflakes...love the blue and white.

Want to know more about Jamberry? Right now there is free shipping on orders over 45 dollars through November. That will buy you 4 sheets with the buy 3 get 1 free deal. You can host a party for your family and friends and earn free shields!!

 Each sheet does 2-3 manicures or pedicures. Also, there is a line for girls 8 and under called Jamberry Juniors that come with 2 coordinating patterns. Super cute for the little ladies:

 Jamberries are formaldehyde free, contain no harsh chemicals and are even vegan friendly. Best of all they last for up to 2 weeks on fingers and up to 6 weeks on toes with no chipping etc.  How fun!!!

Here is the best part, you can win a sheet of Jamberry Nails of your own choosing!! Enter in the easy rafflecopter form below:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

*** I was provided a complimentary sheet of Jamberry Nails to facilitate this review, the opinions within are my own.  Photos courtesy of the official Jamberry site ***

What I am Thankful for...

As I  sit and contemplate my life on Thanksgiving morning  after a somewhat restless sleep I realize that if I listed everything I was thankful for, I might use up the rest of this blog. So, I will keep it simple.

• I am thankful for a loving, kind, intelligent husband who treats me with respect and kindness. Who challenges me intellectually, but lets me win arguments every now and then. 
• I am thankful for a smart, beautiful and healthy child who soaks up information like a sponge and enjoys spending every day with her Mama.
• I am thankful for a supportive family who understand why I do not want to "work" while I have a young child who benefits from a full time mama. And who loves me. 
• I am thankful for a big, warm house in the country. Sure, it may not be the neatest,biggest, best or brightest but it is my home. 
• I am thankful that I have the luxury not to "work" and instead spend my waking moments with a wonderful  child who teaches me the meaning of life.
• I am thankful I live in a country where I have the freedom to speak my mind, express my own opinions in public or private, educate myself, wear whatever I want, read what I want and write what I want to. I am thankful I can follow my own religion (or none), vote, eat and drink whatever I can afford and be social and outspoken.
• And lastly I am thankful that our lives are moving onward and upward. That the sunshines in the morning, and wakes me up to a day that I look forward to.

        Happy Thanksgiving! Have a wonderful meal and a wonderful day! 

6000 Fan Giveaway : Day 3 Scentsy and Grace Adele from Heather B!

Hello Dear Readers:
  YAY!! I am so super excited to bring you Day 3 of this amazing 6000 Facebook Fan Celebration.

 Today the sponsor is a friend of mine, the wonderful mom and hard-working woman: Heather Bruggman. Heather works with Scentsy and Grace Adele and she is sponsoring  a wonderful and generous prize package.

For those of you familiar with Scentsy , you know how gorgeous Scentsy plug-ins and warmers are! And the warming scents are so delicious. I have a stockpile of at least 20 scents of all time and change them depending on my mood.

 Some of my faves are :

• Pumpkin Marshmallow 
•  Baked Apple Pie  and
• Blueberry Cheesecake 

 They have some amazing Holiday scents and Holiday warmers, they are gorgeous and would complement any seasonal decor. Plus, they are affordable and would make great stocking stuffers.

Heather is offering a plug in warmer and 3 scent bars of the winner's choice..wowee..check out the warmers here:

Plug-Ins from Scentsy! 


Also, Heather works with Grace Adele. Grace Adele has beautiful, trendy accessories and bags and is perfect for the holidays and to add some sparkle to your outfit.

Check out those bags! They are spacious and  just the right size for the busy woman on the go (like Heather, and like me! )

and Grace Adele has lovely Scarves:

Heather is offering a scarf and wallet of the winner's choice from Grace Adele for another lucky winner! Woweee, look at them here:


Scarves from Grace Adele


For more information, to set up a party from the lovely Heather, or buy some presents, check out Heather's links below:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Independent-Scentsy-Family-Director-Heather-Bruggman/192774747420649

• Scentsy: www.YouLoveIt.scentsy.us

• Grace Adele: www.YouLoveIt.graceadele.us

• Twitter: @youloveitscents

To enter to win one of these 2 wonderful prize packages, check out the easy to use rafflecopter form below:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

***I am a big fan of Scentsy and was not compensated for this post, the opinions expressed within are my own *** 

6000 Fan Giveaway: Day 2 Printcopia 8x10 Canvas

   Thinking of a beautiful, fun to make gift for the holidays?? How about some canvas prints?  Recently, I used Printcopia to make a beautiful 8x10 canvas gift to surprise my husband. I used one of our recent beach photos from a vacation to South Carolina. It was such an easy process. I just chose the size of the photo that I wanted to use. Then, the width of the wrap. Then, I chose my photo, picked a border option ,a display option and if  I wanted any retouching. This is the photo I chose :

without the frame and wording of course

and the canvas hanging up on my wall:

Isnt it gorgeous??

Need other personalized gifts, check out their other sites for car magnets. vinyl banners, and lawn signs.


Want to win one? Enter at the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


**** I received a complimentary canvas to facilitate this review, opinions expressed within are my own****

Open Casting: The Search for the next XSRE Girl! #XSREGirl

Hello Dear readers:
  I  am so excited to tell you all about a fabulous fashion event that is just around the corner. This coming Sunday November 25th at 1 pm the XSRE store in the Palisades Mall is searching for the next XSRE girl! They are holding an open casting call including a professional photographer. 

If chosen, the XSRE girl will win:

• a 6 month modeling contract
• Be featured on their website and in ads
• An all expense trip to NYC for photo shoots
• Monthly $100 giftcards for XSRE stores

Location: XSRE store - Palisades Mall - 1000 Palisades Center Drive, West Nyack, NY 10994 (First Floor)

Event Date: Sunday, November 25, 2012

Time: 2:00-4:00 pm

Check out XSRE on the web:

Official Site
Facebook Page
XSRE on Twitter

 I will be there to meet some of the potential XSRE girls, it is going to be so exciting!!! Let me know if you are planning on attending or know the perfect XSRE girl!! 

Since this is the post in the Pinterest contest, I am adding my photos from the event here too:

 


****This post was compensated by The Blogger Connection. All opinions within are my own.  Some Photos are from the XSRE facebook page and belong to XSRE.

6000 Fan Giveaway Day 1 : Minted $50 Giveaway and Review!

Hello  Dear Readers
    and Welcome to Day 1 of the 6000 Facebook Fan Giveaway and Holiday Celebration with Everything For Ana.  I am so excited to hit 6000 fans on facebook, and have some great sponsors.

First up for review and a giveaway is Minted.com. Minted is a fabulous online store and global community of independent graphic designers.  They hold monthly design challenges for stationery, invitations and calendars among other categories.  The best thing about Minted is that all graphic designers are welcome to enter.

  The winning designers earn cash prizes, a place in the Minted collection and commissions on all sales of their designs.  Minted was started in 2007 and the very first contest was run in April of 2008.  I  absolutely love this site for all kinds of cards and beautiful party decor. It is easy to use, has beautiful, creative templates and arrives quickly. I made my holiday cards recently and they already arrived. And, they arrived in style!

All of this was in the box and my cards look gorgeous!

  

I love the way the cards came packaged. Wrapped in a ribbon with the and with a pretty sticker, in plastic so as not to damage the cards.  The card stock and envelopes are heavy stock and are lovely, really great quality.

Want to see more?

Check out Minted.com and make your own!

 I love them. Simple, but elegant and gorgeous. Gold/white for holiday but not too schticky or christmassy for my non Christian friends.

One of the best features of the site is you can upload your photo and they show you how it looks on all of the designs before you choose one. Makes it super easy and fun to choose. Though there are so many choices it is hard to pick.

Here are a couple of my favorites:

 It covers it all: Happy Everything!

Simple but oh so precious: Joy

You can check Minted out on
Pinterest,
Facebook
Twitter

   and while you are there check in and enter one of their contests!Their current one ends tomorrow, so enter today! Minted Giveaway on FB

Want to win your own cards? Enter for a $50 code and free shipping in the easy rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Check back daily this week for more great sponsors and gifties for Holiday 2012! I cannot wait!!

**** I received a complimentary code to make my own cards, and the opinions within are my own. I love the cards and am over the moon with the quality****

Touched by a Mama blog...Thanks Offbeat Mama

Dear Readers:
  When I first started this blog, I did intend to write about my thoughts and fears of becoming a mom. Frustrations, rants, raves and a bit of bragging. But, I had no idea that I would start reviewing things and hosting giveaways. And , that it might start taking over the entire blog. So i do want to get back to brass tacks and talk about Ana. And raising Ana. And being a Mom. A mom who is trying to stay hip, and fashionable, in the know and juggle things.  And feel worthwhile and special . And Beautiful.  I found this blog post the other day that touched me . I read the entire passage and by the end, I had tears in my eyes and just knew I had to change some little things. I tell Ana that I love her all of the time and that she is special and beautiful and smart. I emphasize smart. Because although beauty will make her life easier and open doors it is her intelligence that will move her ahead in life and fulfill her. So if you want to be moved, read this. And let me know what you think. I think it is so beautiful.

Offbeat Mama : Telling my daughters I am Beautiful.

XO

Horseradish Salmon,Garlic Broccoli recipes!!

Hello Dear Readers:
   I have been so lax on my recipe posting on here , but I assure you I have been cooking and baking up a storm. One of our new fave recipes is simple. and oh so delish.

 It is Horseradish Crumb Crusted Salmon. Yummers!!!

Found here: Horseradish Crumb crusted salmon  copied here:

• Ingredients:
• 1 lb salmon fillet (1-inch thick), skin removed
• 1/2 cup panko crumbs
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 1 tablespoon honey

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 425°F and coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Cut the salmon into 4 equal portions and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.
Combine the panko crumbs, melted butter, horseradish and honey in a small bowl. Spoon the mixture on top of the salmon and pat with your fingers to form an even crust.
Bake for 8 minutes, then switch to the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes to lightly brown the crumbs. Watch carefully - they can burn quite easily.

Makes 4 servings

Recipe Notes:
Prepared horseradish can lose its flavor rather quickly, so for best results, make sure you have a fresh jar on hand. Refrigerated horseradish usually has a "use-by" date you can check as well.

∗∗ This is an original recipe created & tested by the editors of MyGourmetConnection ∗∗

Then, on the side:

Yummy Broccoli Fries  copied here:

• 1-2 pounds fresh broccoli
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and thinly sliced (or 1 teaspoon minced garlic)
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoons salt (Kosher or sea salt, if possible)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets. Toss the rest of the stalks. Cut the remaining pieces into finger-food size pieces.
3. Wash the florets and thoroughly dry them with paper towels. Make sure they’re 100% dry. If there’s moisture, the broccoli will end up steamed and tender, not browned and crisp.
4. Put the florets in a bowl and toss them with the garlic, salt and pepper and enough olive oil to coat each piece.
5. Arrange the broccoli on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned. If they start to get too brown midway through cooking, flip the broccoli with a spatula to expose some not-brown parts.
6. Remove from the oven and immediately toss with lemon juice and Parmesan.

Even Ana liked it.  What a delicious, nutritious meal..and yummy muffins coming soon too!!

Eat up and TGIF!

Review: Pine Bros Softish Throat Drops

Hello dear readers-
 I have another great review for you. I was so super excited to open up my box of Pine Brothers Drops because I love throat drops/cough drops and I had never tried them before. I started with the magic bag of Natural Honey and I was instantly hooked. These are super addictive.I ended up eating/sucking/chewing at least 5 in my first sitting.  They are slightly  chewy, sweet, but not too sweet and taste full  of honey. In a word, delicious.

 Then I moved on to the Cherry.

 YUMMMY Delicious.  I love the Wild Cherry, they are so so good. Light and sweet. Not over Cherried.
The thing I really love about these drops besides the flavors are the consistency. They are not hard and chalky, they are chewy and fruity or honey-ey.
Also, I really like the their story, this is what they had in their PR blurb:

   Ulysses S. Grant was President, the population of America hovered at 39 million, and the telephone was still a pipe dream, when in 1870 J. Herman Pine hung out a confectionery shingle on 8th Street above Walnut in Philadelphia and, along with his brother, sold their first batch of what they called 'Pine Brothers Glycerine Tablets.' In an attempt to relieve his own sore throat and those of his family members, Mr. Pine, a former German confectionery maker, determined that by combining the soothing natural qualities of glycerin with the healing properties of gum acacia, he could sooth and mitigate the mild discomfort of a sore throat. Add in some natural flavoring and a sweetener and voila, Pine Brothers Softish Throat Drops were born. "I have discovered something," Pine wrote, "which will give quick throat relief to thousands afflicted as I was." He added,"Perhaps I won't make much money out of this. But I can make people happy, and that's more important than money." Mr. Pine was being unduly modest, as his "discovery" would become one of the most successful, most delicious and most unique throat lozenges in the world. Nor has the recipe changed appreciably since it was first introduced to the public over 140 years ago. In 1930 Pine Brothers was sold to the Life Savers Company and continued to flourish. Known for its 'soft drop consistency,' Pine Brothers lozenges became a favorite of adults and children alike. The product, which attracted healthiest sales in the eastern and northern states, due to its icy winters, reached its peak popularity in the 1970's. The company was sold by Life Savers, and then, having been re-sold and acquired a number of times, found itself essentially rudderless and under appreciated; this despite a legion of loyal consumers. Cost cutting changes were made to the original recipes, packaging became stale and marketing non-existent; Pine Brothers began to be made overseas. Sales declined. Recently, Pine Brothers was acquired by the creator and former owner of Airborne, Victoria Knight-McDowell, for her new company 3 Sisters Home Products™. Much time and effort has been spent locating the original Pine Brothers recipes, redesigning the packaging, and creating an exciting yet classic new look. The natural product is once again being made in America, and is launching nationally in fall 2011. At which time old Mr. Pine, will succeed once again in "making people happy." God bless him!


  Isn't that a great story, I love it too!

   So another reason I love this product, the handy dandy stick in my purse, throw in the diaper bag, hide in the cupholder, sized containers:

Aren't they cute? They fit everywhere. I always have one on me :)  Want to connect with Pine Bros:

Pine Bros on Facebook  
 they have great giveaways on Facebook too!

Pine Bros on Twitter

Pine Bros on Pinterest

Official Website

Product is available nationwide at CVS Pharmacy, Amazon. Drugstore.com etc. Also, you can buy them on their site:  Pine Bros. 

  I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.