shameless promotion Archives

May 10, 2013

My Entry for BlogHer’s Voices of the Year

As many of you know, I’ve gone to BlogHer’s annual conference every year since I started blogging. Several years back they started a Community Keynote, where a handful of blog posts were selected and honored by having the writers read the posts out loud to the crowd during an evening keynote session. The result was laughter, tears, and a lot of thought-provoking moments. It was a wildly popular and brilliant idea. Since that time, the community keynote has continued to grow and develop into a fantastic showcase of the talents of our community, now named Voices of the Year.

I’ve submitted posts in the past, but have yet to be selected. (No, not whining here. Those who were selected completely deserved the honor and had fantastic posts.) But it’s always good to keep trying, yes?

So this year I’ve tossed my evil Furby post into the ring. Humor generally isn’t my category, but sometimes terrible things happen in your house that are simply too disturbing to not tell as a funny story. And that pink demon counts as both amusing and disturbing, depending on which side of our walls you live on.

I’ve told friends that if my Furby post is selected, I’ll be bringing it with me to BlogHer for the reading. Don’t worry, I’ll neutralize any threat by removing its batteries first. I can’t imagine trying to keep it from waking up for the entire trip.

Shhhh…don’t wake the fuzzy overlords of DOOM.

Maybe if I’m lucky it’ll get lost in a pile of swag and be left behind to terrorize the city of Chicago? (You’re welcome, Chicago friends!) I’m sure I could offer Mira a trip to the Disney Store or Build-a-Bear to soothe any sadness over losing her Furby. Considering how it’s played with only once a week now, she might not even notice.

If you’re a member of the BlogHer community and want to spare a vote for my post, you can find my entry here. Votes don’t have any sway on the committee selecting most of the posts, but they do matter for the People’s Choice honorees. I’d love a vote if you feel up for it.

The Furby doesn’t want me to tell it’s story. Don’t let the Furby win, folks.

Filed Under: BlogHer, shameless promotion · Tagged: furby

Aug 10, 2012

Dish Suds, Domestic Disasters, and P&G Deals For You

By Christina ·

As has been established, I’m useless when it comes to basic domestic activities. We all have our talents – mine are recalling large amounts of information, figuring out technical subjects, math, directions, and sticking my foot my my mouth (figuratively, not literally on that last one, although that would be a talent). Cooking, cleaning, organizing? Not my best subjects.

So the first time I ever washed dishes, you can guess it was a disaster. I had watched in commercials as Dawn dish soap was squirted on dishes and the oily grime just ran away in fear, or at least that’s how it looked to my eight year old self. I figured I could help my mom out by doing the same. I grabbed our bottle of Dawn and went to work in the kitchen sink.

I squirted a little on the glass casserole dish, the plates, the cups…and nothing happened. So I squirted a little more. Or maybe a lot more. Then I remembered that I’d need a lot of water, too. I’d watched my mom add Dawn to the water, so I continued squirting Dawn into the sink as I plugged the drain and turned on the hot water.

As you probably know, a little Dawn goes a long way. And a lot goes, well, an even LONGER way. I wasn’t paying attention to the sink filling as I reached under the counter to get the dish drainer and set it on the counter, so I missed that all of that dish soap was quickly creating a mountain of suds that would quickly erupt into an avalanche.

When I saw the suds had claimed the sink and were now creeping onto the countertop and over the side, I quickly turned off the water. I had a mix of horror and delight at the sight in front of me. I didn’t plan on creating a suds monster and would have to somehow clean it all up, but also WOW look at all the fun suds!

It was still disappointing to me that the food didn’t magically disappear from the dishes, but it did come off fairly quickly with a little work. Too bad I didn’t understand rinsing, as I set the dishes in the drying rack, still with some suds on them. Or that suds on the floor still needed to be cleaned up – I assumed that since it was soap, it was doing the floor a favor and no further assistance was needed.

My mom (who amazingly kept her composure) appreciated the gesture when she saw it, but then asked me to not help with the dishes again as she re-washed all of the dishes and cleaned the dish soap from the counter and floor.

So I’m better at it now and can wash a sink of dishes successfully. Aaron generally handles the dishes now, but when I do it I try to make it as pleasant as possible. I still like Dawn dish soap, although we’ve moved beyond the old blue formula to their new Dawn Ultra Hand Renewal – Olay Beauty Pomegranate Splash Scent. It smells great, and the formula actually moisturizes my hands.

Love the Pomegranate scent!

My eight year old self might not have minded the dry, tight feeling from having my hands in hot water for a long period, but at 36 I’m doing my best to keep my hands from getting ahead of me in the age game. This Dawn helps my hands feel soft and smooth while still getting our dishes clean. I’m all about multitasking.

And here’s the whole point of this story: I’m partnering with Procter & Gamble to help promote their new P&G eStore. Nearly every product made by P&G can be found in their store, including the Dawn Ultra Hand Renewal – Olay Beauty Pomegranate Splash Scent. I’ve looked around and found their prices to be as good as or even better than the store sale prices in our area.

Some products have instant coupons that can be applied immediately – no need to hunt around for coupon codes. They currently have some back-to-school and Olympics themed product bundles right now, helping you save even more for products you already use.

You’ll get free shipping for any purchase of $25 or more, too. I don’t need to tell you how fantastic that is – why haul all of your favorite home and personal items from the store (large size Tide containers can be heavy!) when you can have them delivered right to your doorstep for free?

Plus, if you shop through my specific link, you can also get 10% off your entire order this month. I must point out that I receive a commission from anything you buy in the P&G store from my link, too, which is mighty helpful with all of the back-to-school expenses coming up. So really, you’re getting a deal for yourself and helping me afford shoes for two children who grow too quickly. Or Dawn dish soap, if they take after me in their dish-washing abilities.

Feel free to pass my link along to friends and family so they can get in on the deals as well – I only get the commission if you shop through my link.

And if you do take advantage of the 10% off and shop through my link, please leave a comment and let me know what you bought! (Unless you’re buying personal items you’d prefer not to share. Or maybe you do want to tell me about your tampons – I’m OK with it either way!)

Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to go buy my Puffs and Bounty multi-packs for our school supply lists.

Filed Under: domestic zero, memories, shameless promotion, sponsored ·

Aug 9, 2012

That One Time I Walked In A Fashion Show At BlogHer ’12

By Christina ·

You may have seen the reports that while I was at BlogHer ’12, I was in a fashion show.

I know, I know. Stop laughing – I’m serious!

When I was first contacted about participating in the first ever BlogHer fashion show, I almost wondered if I was being punked. Except the email was from Elisa and I know she’d never do that to me. She had noticed me discussing BlogHer fashion on Twitter – of course, I was discussing why my jeans are perfectly acceptable conference wear, since that’s how I dress in real life. My jeans are practically my brand!

I’ll admit I went through a lot of emotions on the subject. First, I was completely flattered to be asked – what an honor that my name was considered to be in such a big event! I’m not a big name blogger by any means, and fashion is not a topic I generally write about.

Another emotion was giddy. Never before in my life have I considered being in a fashion show. Ever. While some little girls dreamed of being a model, I dreamed of being an astronaut. And as I got older – and heavier – it simply wasn’t on my radar. When you’re presented with quite possibly a once-in-a-lifetime experience like this, it’s easy to quickly add it to your bucket list.

But then the fear set in. Me. On stage. Dressed up. And walking. Being on stage I can handle, even being on stage and dressed up. But add in walking or talking and I suddenly fear making a fool of myself in front of a crowd. I have lost a lot of weight, and I’m ready to celebrate that, but I’m not model perfect.

Would people make fun of me? The big girl on stage wobbling in her heels? When I was younger I was the fat, ugly girl, a message I internalized after so many others had declared it to be true.

I didn’t want fear to win this time, so I quickly accepted before I could talk myself out of it. But even in the days leading up to it, that nagging voice of low self-esteem kept filling my head with doubt. Even at the fitting it was hard to accept a compliment from anyone. And being unable to fit in the first dress I tried on just provided ammo for that little voice that I would fail. I anxiously awaited Saturday night.

Then the magic happened.

I was still feeling like an ugly ducking as I sat down for makeup just hours before the show. I joked with the Elizabeth Arden team that my usual makeup regimen was face wash and a moisturizer with sunscreen. For special occasions I’d switch to a tinted moisturizer. Rebecca Restrepo, a woman who deserves the title of world-famous makeup artist, took her time and provided tips on how to use makeup to highlight my own natural beauty. She took my own makeup habits into account and created a look that was natural and simply luminous. I glowed.

No really, I love this woman. She works magic.

Next, the Paul Mitchell team took control of my hair. My stylist asked what I’d like, and I showed her a photo of my outfit and gave her free reign to do what she thought best. The finished result was stunning.

We had to wait to get dressed, and I remember going into the bathroom and just staring at myself in the mirror.

bathroom instagram

I was beautiful. But my hair wasn’t drastically different. And my makeup wasn’t that heavy either – hell, she used a tinted moisturizer as a foundation! So with the changes being so minor, why did I feel and look like a different person?

It wasn’t until my dresser had helped me into my outfit (jeans! imagine that!) and I turned around and found myself face-to-face with a different me in the mirror that suddenly it all made sense.

All of this fuss to make me look beautiful for the runway also made me feel beautiful on the inside, and what was reflected in that mirror wasn’t just makeup, hair and clothing, but also an inner beauty and self-confidence that had been hidden for most of my life. A simple trick of prettying the facade had convinced my self-esteem that I really was beautiful now, but logic also kicked in to say look closer – it’s still the same you. You just never noticed.

We were then lined up and prepped backstage for our big moment. The nerves were still there, but they were partially mixed with excitement. I had made a last minute decision to keep my phone with me, and even though we hadn’t rehearsed it, I was going to photograph the crowd at the end of the runway. This was a blogger fashion show, right? Well, that’s what this blogger would be doing in this circumstance!

The walk was a blur. I remember taking a deep breath right before I climbed the stairs to the stage. I remember the cheering and hearing my name, although I couldn’t see out into the crowd because of the lights. I remember letting those cheers fuel my walk as I strutted to the center of the stage.

Photo credit: Mark Von Holden Photography

I remember lifting my sunglasses and giving my best surprised act – omg! look at all of you out there! how ya been? – at the end of the runway. I remember my sunglasses falling low on my nose as I tried to take a photo of the crowd (it didn’t turn out – too bright) and fumbling with my phone as I tried to get it in my coat pocket.

Showing the crowd some photo love. (photo credit: Melisa Wells)

I remember walking back towards the main stage and seeing friends in the front row, yelling and cheering me on, and then as I neared backstage seeing Kelly standing in her row of chairs and whooping as loud as she could. And as I stepped backstage, I remember thinking wait – it’s over? No! I want to go back out!

Now I had all of the confidence in the world. I was unstoppable. I sat backstage while others took their turn on the runway and couldn’t stop smiling.

And after? I felt like a new person. It was amazing. I felt beautiful. Powerful. Worthy. I happily jumped into photos with friends at the CheeseburgHer party. I even photobombed a few folks, too.

Sorry, The Next Martha, I couldn’t resist.

I didn’t want to go to bed that night, mostly because I didn’t want to wash off the makeup. I took self-portraits in my hotel room bathroom before pulling out the face wash, sad to remove this pretty face. But you know what? I still woke up beautiful. (Well, aside from the bedhead and lines on my face from the pillowcase.) Taking off the makeup didn’t remove what I had discovered the night before.

Thank you, BlogHer, Kathryn, Darlene, Sheila, 6pm.com, Elizabeth Arden, Paul Mitchell, Petsmart, all of the other fantastic blogger models, and everyone involved with the fashion show, for giving me the experience of a lifetime, and helping me find my inner beauty.

You helped this 36 year old mom, who has never in her life considered herself worth a second look, much less a fashion show walk, blossom into the swan I always wished I could be. It was there the whole time, but I couldn’t see it until now. Real beauty is feeling comfortable in your own skin, accepting who you are, and loving yourself.

(And a special thank you to two lovely women I had never met before who approached me at CheeseburgHer to tell me how fantastic I was in the fashion show. You have no idea how much your kind words meant to me!)

PS: The full video of the fashion show can be found at BlogHer.com. Elizabeth Arden has a great set of photos from the event, too.

Filed Under: big issues, BlogHer12, love, me me me, shameless bragging, shameless promotion ·

Jan 30, 2012

Surviving Winter Hair With Head & Shoulders

By Christina ·

January is such an icky time of the year, at least here in Ohio. The winter weather has set in, and with it comes a wrecking ball of dry, cold air aimed at my hair and skin. It seems like no amount of moisturizer is enough to tame the sensitive skin on my face, and my hair has that lovely winter combo of oily on the scalp and filled with static on the ends. The dry weather always seems to irritate my scalp more, too, resulting in dandruff and itching.

Can’t you just picture me on one of my rare date nights with my husband, patchy skin, flaky scalp and hair that looks like I shocked myself? Attractive, right? Sigh…it’s enough to make anyone wish for spring.

I’m no longer afraid to admit I occasionally have dandruff due to my sensitive skin, and I need an arsenal of tough-yet-gentle options to fight it. I need my shampoo to get the job done while still giving me soft, great looking hair that doesn’t smell like a medicine cabinet.

Recently I had the chance to try out the new Head & Shoulders Green Apple shampoo and conditioner. The Head & Shoulders collection of soothing products promises to ease three scalp and dandruff problems: dryness, itchiness, and sensitivity. With 84% of surveyed scalp issue sufferers concerned about these issues, Head & Shoulders has combined the effectiveness of their HydraZinc formula to alleviate these conditions leaving your hair beautifully flake free.

That’s enough of a promise for me to expect some big results. I’ve been using the shampoo and conditioner for two weeks, and so far the results have been great. Despite the recent drop in temperature, my hair has been shiny and virtually flake-free. My scalp isn’t nearly as itchy as it usually is when the weather gets this dry, but the ends are still well conditioned and not standing out from static.

But even better than that? (Yes, even better than having great looking hair!) The smell! This shampoo has the most heavenly green apple scent. It’s like aromatherapy in the shower. I can breathe in deeply and imagine that spring isn’t all that far away.

The shampoo has a more powerful scent than the conditioner, but that doesn’t affect the fragrance left in your hair. The scent remains strong even after applying styling products and drying. While faint, the fresh green apple aroma is still noticeable on day two as well.

Overall I’m pleased with the results of Head & Shoulders Green Apple shampoo and conditioner. These new products make it easy for me to have beautiful, flake-free hair with a fresh scent reminiscent of a relaxing spa-like experience.

It’s OK…spring can wait.

Giveaway!

Head & Shoulders wants to know: what’s your routine for getting ready for a date night? Leave me a comment to be entered for a chance to win a $50 Visa gift card from BlogHer.

Rules:
No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.
This sweepstakes runs from 1/30 – 2/28.
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

Be sure to visit the Promotions & Prizes page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win! And visit the Life Well Lived section on BlogHer.com for more great tips on looking your best.

Filed Under: reviews, shameless promotion ·

Jan 21, 2012

What I’ve Been Up To This Week

By Christina ·

It’s been a busy week for me. Aside from the normal work, kids, dog, etc., I also had a quick flight out to New York for one of those “is this really happening to me” moments.

Why? I’m now a brand ambassador for Slim-Fast for the next 4 months. I’ll be updating my progress on Losing My Hind and hosting some giveaways soon on Mommy’s Must Haves. But I’ll be sure to give you all a heads up here as well so you don’t miss out on a chance at some freebies!

Now just cross your fingers and hope that the winter storm heading our way doesn’t keep us stuck in the house all weekend. Because then I might have to resort to crafts or cooking or something to keep Cordy and Mira entertained, and we all KNOW that usually ends poorly, LOL!

Or maybe we’ll give this guy his first bath. If I can get him off the kids’ furniture.