Winners!

The winners of the Pear Tree Greetings Giveaway are...

 #3 - jillyq

#12 - I♥thesecrazykids

#15 - Frugal Science Gal

#28 - TiffsPixieDust

#35 - Jen

Congrats ladies!!

Winners have been notified and prizes have been claimed!

This Morning's Coffee

So I've been enjoying my new Keurig coffee machine. I've really been enjoying it. I've been having coffee every morning and a cup of tea at night. The Keurig makes it so convenient and quick! I love that!!

I'm not usually a fan of flavored coffees. I don't hate them, usually, but I'd rather a non-flavored dark roast any day. But I received 4 sampler boxes of k-cups with my Keurig coffee maker & one of them was a sampler of Green Mountain flavored coffees, so I've been giving them a try.

This morning I tried one that I didn't have any desire to try a few days ago. My mother told me that she was talking to a co-worker the other day and that he loved Green Mountain's Fair Trade Wild Mountain Blueberry. Yes, I said blueberry! Weird right? Blueberries are not my favorite fruit. I don't mind them fresh but I don't tend to like blueberry flavored things. I've been seeing commercials for a new blueberry juice drink, and I think that sounds gross. So when my mom said this about the Green Mountain coffee, I thought I'd try it. It's not like I'd be wasting a ton of time or anything if I hated it.

The coffee wasn't bad. It wasn't overly acidic or sweet. I didn't really taste blueberry, but I don't know that I really wanted to, lol. It wasn't very dark, but it wasn't watery either. It was a decent cup of coffee. But I want to talk about the aroma. My goodness!! It smelled just like blueberry muffins were baking in my oven! It only lasted a few seconds while my Keurig poured my cup, but it was wonderful! A very nice surprise this morning!

Reminder!

Just a quick reminder that my Pear Tree Greetings Giveaway ends tomorrow (June 30) at 12 noon EST! There are very few entries at this point and there will be 5 winners! Your odds are very good! But you can't win if you don't enter!

Follow Me Back Tuesday!

Follow Me Back Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at Little Yaya's, Survey Junkie, Review Retreat and Boobies, Babies and a Blog! FMBT is a great way to discover some great blogs and to gain some new followers!  If you want to add your blog to the mix and get in on all the fun, start at one of these blogs, check out the Linky and get to following! :)

If you decide to follow me, let me know, and I'll follow you back!!

Be sure to enter my Pear Tree Greetings Address Labels giveaway while you're here too! 

Thank You Mom Contest From P&G

Does your mom live nearby? Or does she live entirely too far away. I know many people who would love to be able to see their moms more, but distance or finances keep them apart.

Proctor & Gamble are continuing to honor Moms with their "Thank You Moms Reunion" contest: a nationwide contest to reunite Moms and their children for milestone events like birthdays or graduations that might have otherwise been missed. P&G feels it is important for families to be together during these events and is bringing together 15 families each month for the 10 month-long promotion!

Since Mother's Day, people have been submitting their stories. 30 finalists have been selected and voters will choose the 15 winners. Please go vote for your favorite!

You can vote once per day and voting for this period ends June 30 at 11:59:59pm est.

If you would like to submit your own story, you can do so and enter the July round of the contest. If you decide to do so, good luck! Each winner will receive $1000 and a video camera. Winners are encouraged to share video of their "reunion" on ThankYouMom.com.

200th Post!

Yes, this is my 200th post!! It's crazy how time has flown by, but I've enjoyed every minute. Blogging is fun, and yes, therapeutic sometimes too, but it does help to know that people are reading. So thank you all for reading!

I started this blog last year, and it's been quite a ride! I've really enjoyed writing, introducing new products to you and chatting about life and the things I love. The blog has been changing lately and I've been venturing out into new directions. I'm also working on a blog design that I hope to get finished and posted in the next week or so. Good things are happening!

The Notebook

So, I told you all yesterday that I was going to watch The Notebook. Well I must have a tough skin because I only teared up during one part of the movie and the tears NEVER DROPPED! I dunno what was going on, but I did ok! My boyfriend was shocked!

For those of you who haven't seen it, I won't ruin anything for you, I promise! I agree with bayctygrl who said she thought it was just ok. I wish the storyline had been a little more unexpected, it was a bit cliched for me, but maybe I'm a tough critic. If you like a romance and don't mind the sad that Nicholas Sparks is known for, see it & decide for yourself. I did like the performances of the actors in the film though. I thought they all were wonderful. Ryan Gosling is pretty dreamy too! Not a bad way to spend 2 hours, even if looking at him is the most enjoyable part!

I did find it odd how many extras they offered on the DVD though. I've seen less extras on a science fiction film, and you know how the sci fi fans like extras!  They offered about 10 deleted scenes, the film with commentary from the director & the film with commentary from Nicholas Sparks. You could even watch the deleted scenes with commentary if you wanted to. I'm not sure who out there would want to watch all of that...

Have a great weekend everyone! And enjoy the rest of your Friday!

Friendly Friday!

Friendly Friday is a great way to find new readers and followers for your blog! It's hosted by three lovely ladies: Christi at The Frugal Novice, Xenia at Thanks, Mail Carrier & Charla at Healthy Home Blog! Be sure to follow their blogs and say hello! And if you want to join in, add your blog to the linky on one of the above named blogs and start following.

 Happy Friday! I hope you all had a great week and have fun things planned for the weekend! I'm having a garage sale on Saturday and going to a pool party on Sunday! It's going to be busy, but I'm looking forward to it!

So welcome to Jodibee Designs! I hope that if you like what you see, you'll decide to follow me too. (Leave me a comment if you do so I can be sure to follow you back!!) Also, enter my Pear Tree Greetings Giveaway while you're here. You can win an adorable set of personalized address labels! I'm also working on a face-lift for the blog, so stay tuned in the next week or so for the new look! Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a wonderful weekend!!

Movie Club Night

Every month, my boyfriend has to watch a movie and live blog it with readers for an assignment. Last month, we watched Ghostbusters. The month before was The Princess Bride. This month...We get to watch The Notebook. Yay. Can you hear the excitement in my voice? lol.

I read the book years ago and remember thinking that it was so sad, I never needed to see the movie version. I didn't need to put myself through that. I'm a crier. If it's remotely sad or touching, I'll tear up. I'm not a sobber. I won't go into hysterics like this lady. (Her husband posted a bunch of videos, and I guess she doesn't hate him for it cuz they have a website and sell tshirts. It is pretty funny, go check it out!) But I do tend to tear up pretty good. 

So I decided long ago that I didn't need to ever watch The Notebook. And I know my boyfriend never had any interest in watching it. I've heard good things from women about this film, but never asked for details and honestly, I didn't really pay much attention if they gave any. I wasn't interested. Well now, interest has nothing to do with it. We're going to watch it tonight. 

Have any of you seen it? What did you think? Am I in for a good movie or a big ball of gouda? (my favorite phrase for total cheese.)

Pear Tree Greetings Giveaway!

*Giveaway is now closed. Winners will be announced soon*

I'm so excited to announce....

I'm a Pearista!! This means that I'm going to be bringing you deals, coupons and giveaways from Pear Tree Greetings every month! I'm excited to introduce you to Pear Tree. I'm new to them as well, so we'll get to know them together! :)

Pear Tree Greetings was created to give people better options for fun, fresh and affordable stationary! They have succeeded! They offer holiday cards, birth announcements, kid birthday invitations, note cards and more! Pear Tree also offers photo and non-photo designs for their cards and stationary. I know many families like to add images of their children or family portraits on their cards. When I have a family, I may want to do the same thing. But right now, I'm usually looking for non-photo designs for my cards. Sometimes cute, non-photo designs are hard to find, but Pear Tree offers lots of options. I have heard great things about their quality as well!

They also offer really cute return address labels. I was actually thinking just last week that it would be great to have return address labels for my blog. I host a giftcard giveaway every month, and it would be so cute to have new, personalized labels to send on the package to my winners! Pear Tree's labels start at just $2.99 for a set of 12-24 labels. Pretty good price, don't you think?

 

Aren't their labels adorable? Great designs for all kinds of occasions! Want to hear even better news? Pear Tree Greetings is offering a set of address labels to five (yes, 5!) of my readers!

I will choose 5 winners using Random.org. The giveaway will end June 30 at 12:00 noon EST and is open to U.S. residents. I will contact winners and they will have 48 hours to get back to me by email or I will have to choose alternate winners.

How to enter:

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment telling me which Pear Tree Greetings address label design is your favorite! (This entry must be completed before completing any extra entries.)

*Please also leave your email address in your comment if it's not visible in your blogger profile*

Extra Entries: *please leave a comment for each entry. If it says 2 entries, leave 2 comments*

- Follow my blog on Google Friend Connect
- "Like" Pear Tree Greetings on Facebook
- Grab my blog button *leave a link so I can find it*
- Blog about this giveaway *leave a link so I can find it* (2 entries)


That's it! Easy right?! Good luck everyone!!

As a bonus to readers, you can get 10% off of any order over $19 during the month of June! Just use code: PEARJUN10 at checkout! :)

Disclosure: As a Pearista, I have partnered with Pear Tree Greetings to bring you deals, giveaways and new products from the company. Pear Tree Greetings, on occasion, will send me free product samples to get my opinion and also offer free products to readers as giveaway prizes. The opinions in these posts are all mine and I receive no other compensation from the company.

Wordless Wednesday

Walt Disney World's Pop Century Resort

You'll find more Wordless Wednesday entries at 5 Minutes for Mom, Harriet and Friends and WordlessWednesday.com.

Follow Me Back Tuesday!

Follow Me Back Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at Little Yaya's, Survey Junkie, Review Retreat and Boobies, Babies and a Blog! FMBT is a great way to discover some great blogs and to gain some new followers!  If you want to add your blog to the mix and get in on all the fun, start at one of these blogs, check out the Linky and get to following! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by! If you decide to become a new follower, please be sure to leave me a comment so I can follow you back! Hope you all have a great week! 

Neutrogena UltraSheer® Liquid Daily Sunblock Review

First of all, I love that this Neutrogena UltraSheer® Liquid Daily Sunblock is SPF 70. I burn easily so a higher SPF definitely makes me feel good about the product. I'm really surprised at the consistency of the sunblock. I didn't expect it to be so thin. Sunblock is usually much thicker, so I was pretty excited to try this. It goes on really nicely. It didn't feel heavy or like it was clogging my pores. I have breakout-prone skin, so this is always a concern. Within a few seconds after applying, my face really felt clean. I didn't feel the sunscreen or see it. It soaked right in and didn't affect my foundation application at all.

After my first weekend using this, I have nothing bad to say about it. I wasn't in the sun a ton this weekend, but I was definitely out in it enough to have sunblock on. And no burn :) This week, however, is going to be a hot one and we'll be swimming this weekend, so that will be a real test! I'll check back in after to let you know what I think!

There is a $2 off coupon available from Neutrogena for readers, so if you're interested in trying this for yourself, be sure to check that out!

Would you like to review products, too? Then go to http://giantwavepool.com !

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the product mentioned above for free for review purposes from Tidal Labs. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

10 Things That Make Me Happy!

Today, I'm feeling less than happy. I have a knot in the muscle where my shoulder meets my neck and it's causing a lot of pain. I've been trying to rub it all day, trying to work out the knot, but so far the only thing helping is the advil I've been able to take every 4 hours or so. What I need to do is go to bed and hope I can get comfortable long enough to fall asleep.

But because I know I'm not the only one feeling less than happy, I'm going to give you a list today anyway. When we're feeling low, that's when we need to remember the things that make us happy, right?!

1. Harry Potter -- the books, movies, etc. I love it all. It's such a fun world to delve into!
2. Family Photos - My mother just brought home a box full of old family photos from my grandmother and I'm really excited to go through them!
3. The Phillies -- I've been a fan since I was a kid. Such a fun way to spend the afternoon or evening, watching my guys in red and white.
4. Keurig Coffee Maker -- I won this in a giveaway from Melissa at  Saving Cents with Sense and I love it! (Coffee in just a few seconds makes Jodi feel much better!)
5. Strawberry Milkshakes -- I had one from Sonic today and it was amazing!
6. St. Ives Apricot Scrub -- Such a decadent way to smooth skin! I use this on my heels to keep them sandal-ready :) And it smells great too!
7. Sweet Potato Fries -- I know these probably aren't any healthier that regular french fries, but they're delicious!
8. Flip Flops -- I break out the flip flops every year even before spring is technically here and I wear them til October. I'm obsessed. I have tried to get nicer, dressier ones than just the plain ol' rubber ones, but I won't give them up til my toes get too cold.
9. Samples -- I love free samples. They're always great, whether it shows up in the mail or it's a snack at the grocery store.
10. American Pickers -- A show on the History channel that I discovered today. Two guys travel around, visiting people and their junk collections, looking for treasure to buy. Such a fun show for people who appreciate vintage!

My Dad is the Coolest!

My dad is a cool guy. Always has been. I remember being a little girl, watching my dad play his electric guitar and thinking he was the coolest! He taught me about music. He took me fishing. We used to sit down at his ham radio and talk to people from Miami or Dallas and he'd show me where they were on the map. Every summer, we'd go to Rehoboth Beach and play Skee-ball and Wack-A-Mole. He took me to meet Ray Manzerak of The Doors when I was 17. He made me tapes full of music from The Beatles and Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin and I wore them out, I played them so much. He took me to the Philadelphia Flyer's Carnival as a kid and I got to score on the goalie! He bought me my first camera. He had a band he knew dedicate a song to me onstage and made me feel famous. He has taken tons of photographs of bands and musicians and has great stories to tell.

I thought it was pretty great to have a dad like mine growing up. We did all of that cool stuff together and had so much fun. But even now, my dad is still the coolest dad I know. He is always there for me, no mater what. That, to me, is the most important reason that he's the coolest. Sure, he still listens to great music. (Pearl Jam is one of his favorite bands.) He still takes amazing photographs and has great stories to tell! (Check out his wedding and portrait work at Cricklewood Photography!) But most of all, he's cool because he's a great dad. He is always there to talk to and laugh with. And he loves me unconditionally. He is definitely the Coolest! :)

(Thanks for everything, Dad! Love you!)

Friendly Friday!

Friendly Friday is a great way to find new readers and followers for your blog! It's hosted by three lovely ladies: Christi at The Frugal Novice, Xenia at Thanks, Mail Carrier &  Charla at Healthy Home Blog! Be sure to follow their blogs and say hello! And if you want to join in, add your blog to the linky on one of the above named blogs and start following.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Get comfy and look around a bit! If you like what you see and decide to follow me, please leave me a comment so I can follow you back! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!! 

Wordless Wednesday - Red Spotted Purple

Interesting name for a blue and black butterfly, don't you think?

You'll find more Wordless Wednesday entries at 5 Minutes for Mom and WordlessWednesday.com.

Follow Me Back Tuesday! (6/15)

 Follow Me Back Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at Little Yaya's, Survey Junkie, Review Retreat and Boobies, Babies and a Blog! FMBT is a great way to discover some great blogs and to gain some new followers!  If you want to add your blog to the mix and get in on all the fun, start at one of these blogs, check out the Linky and get to following! :)

I can't believe we're half way through June already. The time is flying by! I hope you're all enjoying the beginning of your summer! I know the weather has been less than desirable in some places over the last few days, so I hope you all have beautiful weather near you soon!

Last week on the blog, I started a new feature called, "Treat Yourself for Under $5 Shipped!" My first featured shop is Carrie Bea's Accessories. She makes really fun, affordable earrings. For under $5 shipped!! Definitely check her out!

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to say hello so I can follow you back!

Winners!

The CSN Stores Giveaway had 202 entries and the winner is...

#43 janetfaye, who said, "I am subscribed with Google Reader."

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The $10 Bob Evans Giveaway had 33 entries and the winner is...

#2 I♥thesecrazykids, who said, "I am a follower via gfc"

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The 1-800 Baskets Giveaway had 304 entries and the winner is...

#162 Mames3, who said, "I tweeted: http://twitter.com/swtthing3/status/15603874783"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Congrats winners! I'll be contacting you via email in a few minutes and you'll have 48 hours to get back to me with your addresses! Thanks to all who entered!! 

10 Things That Make Me Happy - Movies!

Do you have a favorite movie that always leaves you feeling good? Here's a list of 10 of my favorite feel-good films. I love the way these films end. I know, that if I'm in a sad mood, any of these will change my mood and leave me feeling better than I did before I started watching. They all aren't necessarily grown-up movies, but they'll make you feel good! And I know that on Monday's, I usually need a mood boost. I'm usually exhausted, sluggish and yes, sometimes cranky. I think I'll be watching #10 tonight! After the busy weekend I had, I'm probably going to need it...

1. Almost Famous 2. 13 Going On 30 3. The Mighty Ducks  

4. Because of Winn Dixie 5. Breakfast at Tiffany's 6. 50 First Dates 7. Elf  

8. Lilo and Stitch 9. Little Miss Sunshine 10. It Could Happen to You

Treat Yourself for Under $5 Shipped!!

If you're like me, you like to treat yourself every so often. Lately, finances haven't allowed me to splurge too often, so I'm always on the look-out for what I call, "cheap treats". If I see something that catches my eye, whether it be beautiful or fun or enticing, and it's also inexpensive, then I can't feel too bad about treating myself right?!

I'm going to start featuring these kind of "cheap treats" on my blog, so that you can splurge every so often also! I mean, for under $5 shipped, you can afford to treat yourself, right?

Today's Treat Yourself for Under $5 comes from Carrie Bea's Accessories! Carrie makes really fun jewelry. She makes bracelets, pendants and earrings at very affordable prices. Wait til you see, I'm not even exaggerating! 

Aren't they great! I love the fun colors and shapes! Those orange stars glow in the dark!! The red circle earrings are sparkly and the white stars are a pearly finish! She offers hearts, stars, bigger circles and mini circles in all different colors and finishes! I guarantee you'll find a color you like! Want to hear the coolest part? Each pair of these earrings costs just over $1!! Price is determined by the size, shape and finish, but the most expensive single pair of earrings in her shop is only $1.36! 

Carrie Bea also offers earring sets of all 4 shapes in a single color for $3.00 like the ones pictured below.

The name of this feature, though, is Treat Yourself for Under $5 Shipped! And Carrie Bea's makes it possible! You can treat yourself & get it shipped for under $5! 

Shipping to the U.S. is only $1.15 and it doesn't matter how many pairs you buy!! That means you can get 2 or 3 pairs of earrings (depending on the price) for under $5 shipped! You can even get one of the sets and get 4 pairs for under $5! There are so many choices!

So treat yourself and don't feel guilty! Or treat your best friend! Or do both! You deserve it!

Friendly Friday! (6/11)

Hello and welcome to everyone here from Friendly Friday! :) I'm glad you stopped by! Look around a bit and if you like what you see, follow me and say hello! While you're here, be sure to enter my 1-800 Baskets Starbucks Break Time gift basket giveaway too! It's ending tonight at 11:59pm est.

Friendly Friday is a great way to find new readers and followers for your blog! It's hosted by three lovely ladies: Christi at The Frugal Novice, Xenia at Thanks, Mail Carrier &  Charla at Healthy Home Blog! Be sure to follow their blogs and say hello! And if you want to join in, add your blog to the linky on one of the above named blogs and start following. There are a ton of great blogs that participate and we'd love to have you as well!