Today I might be co-Chairing the Science Fair, but my mind is on Fantasy. For the Fair, my youngest son did a project on "freezing and melting." He carefully tested different liquids' freezing and melting points (in a non-precise, Kindergarten-way, naturally.) A week from Saturday, we'll watch a show on ice -- and of course, ice-skating is possible because the blade melts the ice as the skater glides across the slick surface. But at that point, all my son will care about will be his favorite "cutey-cuties," glitter, and sparkles.
We had a blast when Mom Central and Feld Entertainment sent us to the Circus. And then my youngest son was completely smitten by Princesses on Ice. (My eldest son thought it was pretty cool, too, but he won't admit it.) And so, we are thrilled that we've now been invited to Disney on Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy.
This show includes scenes from Cars (wooo! cars on ice!), Little Mermaid, Lion King, Tinkerbell, and more!
Of course, like with the other shows, I'll report back after I have seen it. But, in the meantime, I have a special offer for YOU, my super-awesome readers:]]>
Come experience
Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy
Playing HP Pavilion - San Jose, February 24-28
And Oracle Arena - Oakland, March 3-7!
A SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU!
Purchase a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 for weekday shows (excluding Friday evening, VIP, FR) or receive $4 off weekend tickets (excludes VIP/ FR) by logging onto http://www.ticketmaster.com/promo/7qk2w7 and entering the coupon code: MOM.**
San Jose Show Dates:
Wednesday, Feb. 24: 7:30pm
Thursday, Feb. 25: 7:30pm
Friday, Feb. 26: 10:30am, 7:30pm
Saturday, Feb 27: 11am, 3pm, 7pm
Sunday, Feb 28: 11am, 3pm, 7pm
Oakland Show Dates:
Wednesday, March 3: 7:30pm
Thursday, March 4: 7:30pm
Friday, March 5: 10:30am, 7:30pm
Saturday, March 6: 11am, 3pm, 7pm
Sunday, March 7: 11am, 3pm, 7pm
**Get 4 tickets for $44 Monday-Friday matinee or $4 off weekend Friday evening - Sunday. Use promo code "MOM" at time of purchase by phone 1-800-298-4200 or visit http://www.ticketmaster.com/promo/7qk2w7. Offer not valid on Front Row, or VIP seats. Cannot be combined with other offers. Additional service charges, facility fees, & handling fees will apply.
--
Disclaimer: I will receive 4 tickets in exchange for publicizing this show and discount offer. After the show I will report on my family's experiences. I will receive no other compensation for posting about the event, nor will this post or the after-show post be edited or "approved" by Mom Central or Feld. The wording of the offer is from Feld, as are the list of dates/locations of the show, but the introductory information - and my enthusiasm - is all my own!]]>
I am a big fan of the Olympics. I cry during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and proudly point out the countries of my ancestry with pride, even though I have been to none of them. I turn on sports that I wouldn't watch unless it was the Olympics. I have it on in the background when I work or workout. When we come home, I eagerly snap on the TV.
Except my kids routinely ask to put on Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Seriously, without fail, I click on the TV for some curling, and the chants of "Wubbzy! Wubbzy!" begin. Thankfully, we can now have both simultaneously.
Sort of.
You see, Wubbzy has put out a new DVD, Wubbzy: Go For Gold. ]]>
Wubbzy: A Little Help from my Friends and Wubbzy: Pirate Treasure, the good Wubbzy-folks decided I'd appreciate a copy of Wubbzy: Go for Gold, too!
Of course my kids were absolutely thrilled to receive the DVD. They put it on immediately, and naturally wanted to see it again and again and again. I got a kick out of the WuzzOlympic Opening Ceremonies and appreciated the black & white showing of the "History of the WuzzOlympic Games." Of course I loved the skating character "Michelle Kwanzleberry," especially since I worked at a gymnastics meet with her mother back in December. (Ah yes, that is a story for another time - but suffice to say that supporting youth athletics is a priority for the Kwans .. er, Kwanzleberries.)
The WuzzOlympic Games motto of "Prepare, Practice, and Have Fun!" is applicable to more than just sports. I admit I need to take these simple instructions to heart. As I prepare for the Disney Princess Half-Marathon, I'm touched with a little envy of those who are going to run faster than I am. I'm worried I'll be the slowest of our group. And yet, I've prepared and practiced (and will keep doing so next week) so must simply have fun, and I'll benefit. I will finish the race, even if I am much slower than the others. And I know that I will have accomplished something that would have seemed insurmountable a little less than a year ago when I first began running.
Last night, the USA women's ice-hockey team won the silver medal, but cried because they really wanted gold. One of my sons got angry. He started yelling bad things about the Canadians, who had won gold. Although we were disappointed that the USA "lost" we had to remind ourselves that they won silver, and that an Olympic medal is an enormous accomplishment! I also had to remind my son to be happy for the Canadians, and respect their skills.
The lessons on sharing, taking turns, good sportsmanship, playing fair, and other important social graces are woven into the Wubbzy storylines, as always. I love being able to remind my kids, "Remember when Wubbzy..." to help illustrate a lesson. Last night's ice-hockey discussion was made easier as I was able to remind them how all the characters on the podium at the WuzzOlympic Games were winners, and that even those who weren't on the podium were winners for trying hard.
The Go for Gold DVD also includes music videos and special coloring & activity pages. My sons are hooked.
Fortunately, I have been given the opportunity to give away a copy of Wubbzy: Go For Gold! Simply leave a comment below with your favorite Olympic sport for one entry. Tweet about this contest for an extra entry. Blog about this contest for an extra entry. As always, winners will be determined via random.org and you must leave your email address in order to win (so that we can contact you!)
The Olympics end Sunday night (waaaah!) so my contest will end shortly thereafter. I'll close comments at noon Pacific-time on Monday. That gives us enough time to watch the Closing Ceremony on tape-delay (even though we are in the same time zone as Vancouver!) and cry our tears.
Good luck!
--
Disclaimer: I received a screener copy of Wubbzy: Go For Gold in exchange for publicizing it here. The winner will receive the DVD directly from the fabulous Wubbzy people. Anyone who chooses to purchase the video through the links in this post will be giving me a few cents since my Amazon-affiliate code is embedded in said links.]]>
During the Silicon Valley Moms Group Holiday Party, I was giddy when I saw a Tassimo in action. I had never heard of such a product, nor seen one before. I was thrilled to observe how this individual-cup coffee maker uses "T-disks" instead of ground coffee. I was intrigued that these disks could also contain tea or hot chocolate. I watched in awe as the machine read the bar code on the disk, therefore heating the water to the proper temperature for that particular beverage, and then dispensing the proper amount of water.
I walked away from the demo with a delicious hot chocolate beverage, but also a plan: I would get my husband a Tassimo for a gift!
You see, my husband and I both have an "off and on" relationship. No, not with each other: with coffee. ]]>
Yuk!
With Tassimo, each serving is individual. The T-disks (shown above) are self-contained units. If we want coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, we simply grab a T-disk, put it in the Tassimo, and press "start." The machine delivers the beverage a couple minutes later. Husband can have coffee, while I can have hot chocolate. If we want to have hot beverages every day, we can do that. But if one of us wants a coffee one morning out of the blue, but doesn't want another for a week, that's fine, too.
The T-disk is super-easy to clean up (just open the Tassimo, take out the disk, and toss!) The Tassimo itself is also very easy to clean, just a swipe around the area where the T-disk lies, and then occasional flushing with fresh tap water. The version I received for review even has a water filter built-in.
Yes, you read that correctly -- I was very lucky and the folks at Tassimo gave me a machine for review. After seeing it at the party, I was ready to purchase it, so I can definitely say that I love this product. It was unexpected and thrilling to find out I could get one free!
As it turns out, Tassimo isn't ridiculously expensive. Models range from $120-199. True, the T-disks are more expensive than purchasing a bag of ground coffee, but for a family like mine where we simply don't use a whole bag of ground coffee in time for it to remain fresh, the T--disks make perfect sense. We picked up large packages of T-disks at Target: easy-peasy. There are many different brands of coffee available in T-disk form, as well as several teas and hot chocolate. I expect more brands will jump on the Tassimo bandwagon as time goes on.
I'm lucky - I live in California, where we haven't had the "snowpocolypse" that the east coast has had. They certainly need their hot beverages! Instead, we've had these nasty patches of stormy weather followed by beautiful sunny days. A few days ago, I craved hot chocolate. Today it is icy-cold lemonade. Thankfully, with Tassimo, I have the flexibility to have a hot beverage when I feel like it, without opening a huge bag of ground coffee or dirtying a full-size coffee machine for a single cup.
Seriously - my husband and I love our Tassimo. We've shown it off to people - like my parents - who are equally as intrigued. Thank you Bosch for giving me a fabulous gift!
--
Disclaimer: I received a Tassimo free-for-review. Bosch has not edited this piece or otherwise dictated what I could say. I will not receive further compensation for posting or for a positive review. Thank you Bosch!]]>
Jokes aside, portion control is a big deal. We all know the "secret" to losing weight is "eat less, exercise more," but that is easier said than done. Some "experts" recommend using smaller dishes to create the psychological satisfaction of filling up one's plate without truly packing in the calories. The plates that we typically use for a regular meal are several inches bigger than they were in leaner times. (That's "leaner" both financially and physically.) And portion control isn't just about losing weight; it is about maintaining a healthy weight as well.
"Yeah, that's great, Kari," you say, "You can do that plate-trick when making meals at home, but I'm super-duper busy and can't always take the time to cook from scratch." Yeah, I hear you.
Convenience food is typically one of those categories for which portion control is a challenge. Back when "fast food" originated, a hamburger and fries were the size of what is now considered the smallest of meals. Now, such a meal looks puny. Bottled drinks have 2.5 servings-worth of liquid packed inside. And "personalized size" pizza typically has at least three-servings worth of calories.
But not anymore.]]>
200-Calorie Portions pizzas thanks to BlogHer Reviews. I received three varieties: Cheese & Tomato, Pepperoni, and Chicken with Peppers & Onions. Each box contains two individually wrapped portions. Each portion is one serving size. That's right, ONE serving size. And like advertised, that one serving size is 200 calories.
The individual serving size is packaged separately from its mate, so opening one single-serving won't affect the freshness of the other. So those of you who have made a three-serving "individual" pizza and then justified eating the other two servings because it is just there and I don't want the rest to go to waste can calm down.
Make a single serving. Eat a single serving. No temptation to eat more.
The pizza can be microwaved or heated in a conventional oven. The serving size is not puny; it is a 7X3.5 inch rectangle of yumminess. The pizza is not a "diet product." I am glad that DiGiorno didn't call it "Diet Pizza" and instead calls it "200 Calorie Portions." It is a practical way to get a single serving, not some sort of experiment in deprivation.
It is fast. It fills my tummy. And it tastes like pizza.
I will buy more to have in my freezer for when I crave pizza. At 200 calories a pop, it is a great way to satisfy. No guilt, no bloat. Just yummy pizza.
As a bonus, I have something that I hope will satisfy YOU. One of my lucky readers will win a $200 VISA Gift Card.
To enter, leave me a comment below and tell me which of the 200 Calorie Portions varieties sound the most inticing. Or, you may leave a link to your post about DiGiorno on your own blog in the comments below. The contest will begin 1/26/2010 and will end 2/22/2010. Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct.
Rules:
• No duplicate comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
• This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
• You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• Please see the official rules here: Official Rules
Check out the BlogHer.com special offers page for more chances to win!
Links!
--
- 200 Calorie Portions Official Site
- DiGiorno Official Site
- DiGiorno Facebook Page
- Follow DiGiorno on Twitter
BlogHer.com special offers page (Nine total chances to win the $100 VISA giftcard -- plus OTHER offers you might like!)
- Contest Official Rules
]]>
The good news is that one round of treats takes around 4-6 minutes (the exceptions are with biscuits around a rapid-fire 2 minutes and brownies around 8), which is pretty quick - and certainly faster than baking a whole cake, a bunch of muffins, or an entire loaf of bread. But the bad news is that since only seven little treats cook at a time, it takes quite awhile to make the entire bowl of batter. It takes patience to dole out an entire heaping plate of all seven shapes, and tons more if the child only wants a single shape.
But there is more good news in that the child is usually pretty happy with the first round, so by the time they are nearly done with those, the second round is nearly finished (sort of like when cooking only a couple pancakes or waffles at a time.) Still, I admit being a bit impatient.
One possibly excellent way to use the "quick initial round" to one's advantage would be to save some batter from a sheet cake (or other "bake it all at once" project) and create the little fun shapes with that reserved batter. That way, the Birthday Boy (or otherwise super-eager child) can enjoy little nibbles ahead of time while the larger cake cooks. (There can also be stimulus generalization practice, such as explaining that the little green train is the exact same thing as the large green loaf.)
Another idea is to have more than one Tasty Baker. I can see how combining the "original" with the Mickey and Princesses versions could create quite a fun assortment of shapes, and this would use up the batter quickly!
I'm thankful that the Pop Art Tasty Baker people introduced me to this product. My kids have had fun with it, and I have some ideas for how to use it in creative ways. (Just now I saw on the box that it can cook eggs! Perhaps I'll give that a shot...)
Although my son is old enough (and verbal enough) to not require the reinforcement and "therapy" from this product in a way that might be useful for someone younger or "more affected" on the autism spectrum, I can see how the Tasty Baker could be beneficial. As "regular kids" both my boys have enjoyed the baker, and I expect it would meet with universal approval from other baked-product-loving children.
Thank you Tasty Baker!
--
Disclaimer: Pop Art Tasty Baker gave me a media sample of the Pop Art 5-in-1 Tasty Baker for the purposes of review. I received no other compensation, nor will I receive further compensation for the contents of this post. In the event that you readers click on the Amazon links above and then purchase something on the Amazon website, I'll get a few cents.]]>
At the Silicon Valley Moms Group Holiday Party, I received a bunch of fabulous free products and learned about some terrific programs, vendors, and charities. One such product was Olive Smart Sacks, reusable grocery sacks that hold a lot, but are compact when not in use. I have a lot of reusable bags, so honestly didn't get a chance to use my Olive Smart Sacks until just recently. I had cleaned out my car, so the only thing in the front of the van was the little sack with the three Olive Smart Sacks in it. My other reusable bags were all stuffed in the truck. It was the perfect opportunity to take my new ones for a spin!
When I unwrapped them, they looked a little small. I admit I was concerned that they might not handle my grocery shopping. I considered going back to my car for the larger bags.
When I checked out, the bag boy laughed a little, "Hey, I thought these were pillowcases!" he exclaimed, noting the texture of the fabric, before making a joke that people could actually use pillowcases for their groceries if they wanted, "Maybe just cut some holes out?" he said, before revising, "Or just grab 'em from the top!"
Indeed, the Olive Smart Sacks are very silky and comfortable. The material feels thin, because it can bunch back up into a small place, but is sturdy while remaining soft-to-the-touch. And to my amazement, the three "small" sacks that I brought held a LOT of groceries! (Olive Smart also has a pack of six bags, which of course would bag up twice as much.)
I'm really happy with my trial run of the Olive Smart Sacks. They are certainly more attractive and more compact than the rather stiff variety I have stuffed in my trunk.
What really intrigues me though, is that the company has the "Olive Smart Fundraising Program," an affiliate program for schools and non-profits. Olive Smart will contribute 20% of all sales that your organization sends to their website. I frankly can't stand the various types of fundraising we've had for our school and gym, it is usually stuff that I don't want to purchase but feel like I have to to support the school (or to earn prizes for the kids.) But these reusable bags are practical and stylish enough to actually make sense as a fundraising product. (To learn more, email info@olivesmart.com with the subject line "affiliate program.")
I'm glad I tried out the Olive Smart Sacks -- they'll definitely come in handy time and time again.
--
Disclaimer: Olive Smart Sacks gave the attendees of the SV Moms Holiday Party a three-pack ("Half-Sack") of their silky bags. We were under no obligation to post about them and I will receive no compensation by posting twice (once in the general party write-up and once above.)
]]>
As you readers know, I've recently done more by way of exercise. As a result, my body has changed and I am more confident in how I look. Meanwhile, since I work for home and shuttle the boys around in the afternoon, I have amassed a wide collection of rather boring casual clothing (I'm afraid to call it what it is - "the mom uniform") rather than anything even a bit more dressy, trendy, or flattering. It was therefore very easy for me to enthusiastically jump up and down when BlogHer asked me to participate in a LOFT party.
I knew I'd have to step out of my comfort zone to set foot in an actual store with actual employees looking at how I look in their clothes. But, I figured they would have to be nice to me, and I really wanted to learn about what I should be wearing. ]]>
Stylista and Styl'd. I certainly never thought I'd be the one having a stylist "pulling" things for me.
Below are the three looks Haley the Fabulous created for me. The photographs are courtesy of the amazing Robert Schroeder. I felt a little funny having him follow me around because I'm usually the one behind the lens, but he was terrific and made me feel great.
Outfit 1: "Look Pretty At Every Party"
When Haley asked me my sizes, I automatically thought "Large." Turns out this sweater dress fits me in a "Small." YES, a SMALL. I've never worn a sweater dress for fear of the whole "boob and back sway" issue, but this style was exceptionally flattering on me. And it is a SMALL. Amazing. The necklace was something I wouldn't have selected on my own, but it definitely adds something great.
Outfit 2: "Perfect Desk-To-Dinner Look"
I usually sit at my desk in my running tights or sweatpants and knew that look wouldn't fly at a dinner party. Again Haley hit a homerun by layering this cool stone-emblazoned T-shirt with a belted cardigan. I love how the cardigan creates a "V" both at my chest and waist area. I wouldn't have thought to pair the T with the cardigan in this way, and certainly wouldn't have thought about a T-shirt with such a nice skirt. The skirt turned out to be too large (it is pinned back in the photo) but I ordered a smaller size to be delivered later. The texture of the skirt is really pretty. I know I'll wear it with other tops too. I really love the mix of the various textures for this particular look.
Outfit 3: "Have A Perfectly Casual Holiday"
I loved the jacket the instant I saw it. The lining is my favorite color and I love the striping. I can hear my mom saying "Don't wear blazers, they'll look too masculine on you!" but Haley paired it with a ruffled blouse. Abracadabra! These feminine elements balance the jacket well. Also, since the jacket is cut in a flattering way, it doesn't look boxy or shapeless. Typically I wear boot-cut jeans, but Haley had me try these skinny jeans. SKINNY?!? Yes, indeed. And they ended up looking and feeling good. Ann Taylor LOFT had a wide variety of different denim styles and washes; I was surprised. Typically I think of denim as a super-casual element, but in this context it became "dressy casual."
Overall, I was blown away. I felt amazing and bought all three of these looks. LOFT gave me a $200 gift certificate to participate in this promotion, but I took out my own credit card to make up the difference. Each outfit was a little more than $100 apiece including accessories, which is affordable, especially considering that these elements can be worn with other pieces. We could have easily mixed and matched these pieces with others to create even more outfits for just a little extra money.
I admit when I received the Star Treatment, I figured that LOFT must have pulled out all the stops just for those of us who are bloggers. After all, they'd want to impress us so we'd give them good press. But I noticed that there were a lot of people on the floor, many shoppers with a LOFT employee by their side. The employees were happily putting clothes in dressing rooms, getting the correct sizes out of the back room, or suggesting other products that might work with what the shopper was looking at. Essentially, the random shopper off the street ended up with their own attentive LOFT employee to help them pull together their holiday looks. Fabulous!
The store manager explained that LOFT employees don't work on commission. That means their sunny smiles and excellent expertise comes from wanting to help the customer, not trying to earn a high commission on an expensive item that might not really fit or flatter the customer. It has been several days since my LOFT experience and I don't have any sort of buyer's remorse as I have in the past from pushy saleswomen. The happy feeling I got at the store has continued as I brought my purchases home.
Will I return to LOFT? Absolutely. I know now that their clothes do fit me, and that I can look chic even if I'm not one of those size-0 gals who know how to do their makeup better than I do. Thank you to BlogHer for providing this opportunity, and for LOFT for treating me like a rock star while giving me a $200 gift card so I could really benefit from the style consultation.
Lucky readers, you have a chance to win a $200 LOFT gift card, too! All you have to do is vote on which of the above three looks is your favorite on me. Simply leave your answer in the comments section. Check out the BlogHer.com special offers page for more chances to win!
The contest will begin at 12/10/2009 and will end 12/25/2009. Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct.
Rules:
• No duplicate comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
• This giveaway is open to US Residents aged 18 and older
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
• You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• Please see the official rules here: Official rules
And don't worry if you don't win the $200 gift card. You can still benefit from this fabulous LOFT-BlogHer partnership with this coupon for 20% off LOFT - just follow the link and enjoy!]]>
I've also used the Nike jacket I received from the same review, plus a UV Skinz jacket that I purchased over the summer. I have two long-sleeved UV Skinz shirts that I wear frequently, too, because they are thin but provide that important UV coverage. Now that it is getting chilly, I'm putting the thin jackets over my shirts, and am looking around for some sort of appropriate cold-weather running solution. (UV Skinz is having a holiday sale - 20% off with code HOLIDAY09 through New Years!)
On the bottom I have two go-to brands: lululemon pants (a capri type and a running-tights type) and Running Skirts. Both these brands use hidden pockets liberally, which is important for stashing my various items. I must admit that I made a poor choice during my 10K though, because I kept an unwrapped chew in a front pocket that ended up pretty sweaty - ick! But aside from my stupidity, the pockets are well placed for easy-access!
For things I don't need instantly while I'm running but need to have (car keys, hotel room key, credit cards, cash) I rely on my shoe pouch from RoadID. I had learned about RoadID through the Shredheads. I purchased a wrist band, too. Essentially, this means that if I collapse, get hit by a car, slide on ice and pass out, or otherwise become too ill to give anyone any useful information, my RoadID will talk for me. As a bonus, for every $20 you spend during the holiday season on www.RoadID.com through December 25th you'll receive an entry to win either a Human Touch massage chair or an Orbea bike. Plus, if you become a RoadID customer, they will frequently send you exclusive coupon codes to get discounts on their gear.
Now that it is getting really cold, I got myself a Nike fleece running cap. I like it - and it is warm - but my problem is that I have really thick hair. It comes with a little ponytail hole, but my hair doesn't come close to fitting in it. So for now, I have the "ponytail bump" which then makes the hat ride up too far. When I get some free time (ha!) I'll cut the ponytail holder a little bigger and try to reinforce the edges so it doesn't completely rip the back of the hat.
Speaking of Nike, I got a Nike+ sportband. I don't wear Nike shoes, so purchased a Switcheasy RunAway to hold the sensor. Admittedly, the sportsband required a learning curve for me because I had actually turned the sensor off, amongst other things, but once I figured it out, I was good to go. The first couple runs were off, but then I completed a successful calibration run and I think it is pretty accurate. At the least, I have an exact time for my run, and I usually already know (from marked pavement) what the distance is. I have a couple GPS programs for my phone, so if I wanted to be super-accurate I could run those at the same time so that the distance is precise. I love how the sportband tracks how I speed up and slow down during different points. Although I use DailyMile to keep track of (and tweet about) my runs, the nike+ also keeps track of my runs online so that I can have a record of them.
Aaaaaand... that's about it. I expect that I'll find some other running gadgets if I keep this up, but for now, the above is what I use!
--
Disclaimer: As noted, some of the products mentioned I received through other reviews. Most of them I purchased on my own. Where I link to products on Amazon I've included an affiliate code that gives me a few cents if you make a purchase. Otherwise there is absolutely no compensation given for mentioning any of these products here. The discount codes mentioned in the post are either publicly posted elsewhere or obtained via subscriber email. I do not receive a commission if these online coupons are used.]]>
On Wednesday, November 25, Dunkin' Donuts will serve free coffee to any United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier. Any USPS letter carrier that is wearing an official uniform or shows their union card identification can visit participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants throughout the country for a free coffee, any size. No additional purchase is necessary.
Hooray!
Earlier in the season, Dunkin' Donuts generously gave me coupons to try out some of their new fall flavors. Alas, we don't have any Dunkin' Donuts in our area, so I planned to take the coupons with me back east when I visited my college alma mater.
But I forgot.
When I saw that familiar pink and orange sign, my heart sank. First, because it was closed. (Really, why must airports close down so early? Those of us who got up early on the West coast end up arriving very hungry on the East coast!) And second, because I remembered those coupons at home.
Well, just now (yes, I got up at 4am today for no good reason. It is now 5am and I hope to go back to bed for a little bit...) I received an email from Dunkin' Donuts about their new Peppermint Mocha Lattes (sounds DELISH!) AND to announce that small lattes will be only $1.99 this season. PLUS, they have "Latte Lites" at only 70 calories for a 10 oz serving. You LOVE my ALL-CAPS? (Really, I need to get back to bed or pep myself up with some coffee... )
In sum:
If you are a USPS worker, get thee to a Dunkin' Donuts for your free coffee today!
If you are anyone who has a Dunkin' Donuts nearby, get thee there to try the $1.99 latte. Please pick up either a pumpkin one or this new Peppermint Mocha one for me in spirit. Really, they sound so good, and yet I'd need to take an airplane to get one...
--
Disclaimer: Dunkin Donuts sends me packages of coupons from time to time. They send me sprinkles and drink cozies. They like me and like I them. But I post because I want to post, not because I have any obligation to post. No money exchanges hands (unless I actually went to a DD and purchased something delicious to eat, but that has nothing to do with blogging.) Really, they send me press releases and I sometimes post 'em - that's just how simple it is.
]]>
Last Sunday was my son's end-of-year soccer party. I was the "team photographer" and had lovingly created Blurb books of each player. I really wanted to see the families' reactions to my books, as well as to enjoy a slide show of the team. Plus, I welcomed a chance to socialize instead of just scurrying away post-game to another commitment.
But Jill Asher told me that the Silicon Valley Moms Holiday Party - sponsored by Chevy - was a not-to-miss event. Fellow SV Moms told me it would be worth it to skip the soccer party.
And oh yes, it was worth it.
Now, I'd like to think I'm not a completely greedy person, but let's just say my calm approach to the event turned into a surprised excitement along with that ooooh, I wonder if I can get me some of that.
And there was a lot of that to be had:]]>
First off, there were some new Chevys awaiting our perusal, including a Camaro. Chevy was the major sponsor of our event, plus provided us with carabiners (what a great idea!) and a Tiffany keychain (with "GM" monogrammed on it, natch!)
