ES6tLMQ0PXfdqC9-18bZz9xUQ9E The Life Of A Coast Guard Wife: 5/16/10 - 5/23/10

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Summer in the South Sponsor List!

Well, you guys asked for it, and you're getting it! The results of the poll was that y'all wanted a summer theme. So, Summer in the South it is! I've been gathering some really cool sponsors! Here is my list and I will update whenever there are new ones! Enjoy!

Essential Swimwear- Giveaway included! $50 value!
RPCM Cool Vest- I'm REALLY excited about this one! Giveaway included! $179 value!
Crazy Dog T-Shirts- Giveaway included! $20 value!
NachoMamaTees- Giveaway included! $20 value!
RoadKill T-Shirts- Giveaway included! $15 value!
Ban T-Shirts- Review only
NOVICA- Giveaway included! $50 value!
Silly Mama Quilts- Giveaway included! $20 value!
Kerasal- Giveaway included! $10 value!
Scrubz- Giveaway included! $9 value!
Zehn Naturals- Giveaway included! $28 value!
Zero Water- Giveaway included! $35 value!
Vapur- Giveaway included! $9 value!
Sanuk- Giveaway included! $28 value!
4 The Beach- Giveaway included! $73 value!
Head over Heels- Giveaway included! $19 value!
Hatley- Giveaway included! $40 value!
Safety Tat- Giveaway included! $40 value!
Bad Idea T-Shirts- Giveaway included! $15 value!
Kidorable- Giveaway included! $14 value!
Coco Bonbons- Giveaway included! $30 value!
USANA- Giveaway included! $40 value!
Sand Gone- Giveaway included! $12 value!
Kikkerland- Giveaway included! $11 value!
Wild Texas Wear- Giveaway included! Prize pending...
Tech Labs- Giveaway included! $8 value!
Sundog Co.- Giveaway included! $49 value!

Total value of all prizes: $824!

Don't forget to thank a member of our MILITARY!

Looking for Sponsors for the my Summer in the South Blog Event!

I will be holding a blog event for the whole month of July called Summer in the South! I will be featuring porducts/companies for everything from Swimsuits to water toys! Any product that could fit into the 'summer' theme is welcome! If you have a product or company that you would like featured in this event, please contact me at USCGWifey(@)gmail.com.

The event will bring in hundreds, possibly thousands of people! Your products WILL get seen! Please feel free to contact me with any and all questions.

Don't forget to thank a member of our MILITARY!

Friday, May 21, 2010

MIA

I know I have been MIA the last few days. Yesterday at around 2ish, I went out to my backyard and noticed that one of our dogs, Sassy, was stumbling around like she was drunk. She could hardly walk, and was very shaky. I got scared and called my mom. She worked in a vet as a dog groomer for over 20 years. She knows A LOT about dogs, so I call her for advice. I was FREAKING out!

At first we thought that maybe she got stung by something. She LOVES hunting bugs. So I gave her some children's allergy medicine and put her in her kennel. Our other dog, Dodger, was just fine.

Alittle while later I went outside. My mom and I were still discussing what was wrong with her. Then, I remembered that when we moved in, the home owner had left a bag of Ortho Max Insect Killer by the back porch. I immedietly went to it...it was open! I looked on the ground and there was a little trail of it. I KNEW she had gotten in to in and ate it. My mom told me to take her to the vet and that she would pay for it.

I got the boys and I ready as quickly and I could and rushed her to the vet. They wieghed her, took her temp, and did blood work. Everything was normal, thank God! They took her to the back, gave her activated charcol to absorb the poison and then started her on fluids. I left and they said they would call me in the morning.

I got home and Dodger was missing Sassy. He was whinning. I felt bad for him! Later that evening at about 9:30, I went out back. Dodger was now stumbling around! I broke down and started crying! Not again! I called my mom. She looked it up and saw that CVS, Walgreens, and Rite-Aide sold activated charcol. I loaded the boys up and took the 20 min drive to Walgreens. THEY WERE CLOSED! Ughh!

I drove back home. My mom asked if I wanted to take him to the ER Vet. I would have, but by that time it was already past 11 and the boys were asleep. It would have been another 30 mins or so until I was at the ER. So, I put Dodger in his kennel and prayed that he would be alive in the morning.

I woke up at 6:30 this morning, dreading on checking on Dodger. I got up, peeked my head around the corner, and Dodger lifted his head to look at me. Oh what a relief! Then, he tried to stand up. He was very shaky and still couldn't really walk. I called my mom and the vet. Both said to take him in.

Once again, we loaded up and drove to the vet. They told me that they were going to start Dodger on fluids to flush him out and that I could pick him up at 4:30. They brought me Sassy, who is doing just fine! She is back to her normal self! They left the cathader in and they are going to do the same for Dodger, just in case they go back downhill.

So, I pick Dodger up at 4:30 and take them both back in tomorrow morning for a follow-up. I'm sure both will be fine and pull through. This has been a very rough couple of days. It's even harder because I'm having to do it all by myself! My family is in Texas, and the hubby is hundreds of miles away out to sea.

Everything is under control now and I will try to post a new review soon. Please bare with me!

Here is a picture of Sassy back to her normal self!

Don't forget to thank a member of our MILITARY!

The Infiniti by Conair You Curl Giveaway

WHAT- The Infiniti by Conair You Curl
OPEN TO- US Only
ENDS- May 31st

Don't forget to thank a member of our MILITARY!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Vinyl For All Giveaway

WHAT- Vinyl wall decal of their choice from Vinyl For All
OPEN TO- US Only
ENDS- June 4th

Don't forget to thank a member of our MILITARY!

Button Wanted!

Hey everybody! I hope everybody has taken the poll! It closes soon, so you better let me know what you want from the event!

I am looking for someone to make my event button. I don't want to pay a ridiculous amount of money! I'm on a fixed budget with very little play room. If you know of anybody, or you do them yourself, please PLEASE let me know! Thanks in advance!

Don't forget to thank a member of our MILITARY!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Winners!

I know, I'm a little behind on picking winners, I've just been busy around the house! But, the night light giveaway and the TT insect repellent giveaway are both over. Random.Org has picked the winners, and I'm here to let you know who the lucky winners are.

Krysha's Creations night light giveaway-
Congrats to Tylerpants #133!
Tylerpants said... 133

I'm an email subscriber. tylerpants(at)gmail.com #2
May 16, 2010 9:47 PM
 
TT Insect Repellent giveaway-
Congrats to Huguette E. # 72!
Huguette E. said... 72

Entered the Krysha giveaway
May 17, 2010 8:35 PM
 
Winners have been emailed and have 48 hours to respond.
 
Thank you to everyone who entered! You still have about 4 hours to enter the e.l.f. Mini Makeup Collection Giveaway! Trust me, you DON'T want to miss out on this one!
 
Don't forget to thank a member of our MILITARY!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Sigma Makeup Giveaway

WHAT- "Princess Grace" Hollywood Glamour Kit from Sigma Makeup
OPEN TO- EVERYONE!
ENDS- June 2nd

Don't forget to thank a member of our MILITARY!

The All Natural Face Review & Giveaway

As you may already know, I have taken a liking to mineral makeups! They are so much better for your skin, and to me, they feel a lot lighter than store bought makeups! Well, I found another wonderful place that sells Vegan cosmetics, bath, and body! The All Natural Face!

The All Natural Face didn't start out to be as huge as it is. It actually came into existence because friends and family members of Crystals (the shop owner) insisted she start selling her stuffies. She used to write mortgages and would blow glass with whatever time she had left over! That's so neat! She really wanted a way that she could get out of the mortgage field and blow glass full time. So, she though if she opened two shops, one with the glass and the other with her cosmetics, that would be enough to support her so she could quit her job writing mortgages. The rest is history! She told me that her only complaint now is that she hasn't touched glass in months and months. Her shop has taken over her life. She now i dedicates herself to it 24/7! Now that's dedication and good customer service!

I am truley impressed with The All Natural Face! I say that about all the mineral makeups huh? Well! I can't help it, they just keep getting better and better! This shop has so much to choose from, you could spend all day their just looking at everything!

I recieved a bunch of goodies to review!
There were also 5 different cards in the package!
  • A card for how to apply Mineral Foundation, Veil, and Glow Most mineral makeups
  • 3 cards for a specials she's running (don't worry, I'll get to that)
  • A card on how to find the right shade of foundation
The cards were very helpful on choosing and applying the foundation! Yeah, I know I should know how to by now, but I have freckles, and don't often cover them. The great part is, is that these foundations don't cover them! :)

I have been wanting to try an eyeshadow primer for a long time, just to see how good it works. Let me tell you, it's the best! It makes eyeshadow go on nicely, and it stays in place without getting that aweful line in your crease! Good stuff!

The eyeshadows were equally wonderful! The colors were vibrant and some even had some sparkle to them. I love it when eyeshadows sparkle! :) Overall, I LOVE all of the products I tried! My boys did too! "Mama, you look beautiful!" :)

Here are a few of her specials:

Foundation Sale
Don't miss this amazing deal! 15% off of the entire foundation category! ALSO...spend $50 before shipping and get a FREE Organic Argan Oil Roll On...a full 1/2 oz.! Sale runs until 5/31/2010 midnight EST! So hurry!

Go Green Initiative
Let's make the world a greener place together! This month...if you buy a 'Get Started Green Kit" and have me send itto someone else...(you must provide me with their address and I do the shipping...gift tag will be in the box from you)...I will send you absolutely free anything you would like in the shop with a value of $10 or less...FREE Remember to include their skin tone. As always...you can use the coupon as often as you wish and share it with family and friends. Can not combine with any other coupon. Sale runs through 12/31/10 MUST INCLUDE THE WORDS "Go Green" in notes to seller

Help Me Help YOU
I love Etsy but the fees are killing me every month...so for all my faithful Etsy customers I am going to offer you a DISCOUNT FOR A YEAR. Every time you purchase through my website until January 1, 2011 at midnight, not on my Etsy site, I will give you a 5% discount. Simply go to the "Find your consultant button" and enter "Etsy" into the box that says "code" then hit the "shop" button and shop. Your discount will be automatic at checkout.

There is always something good going on over at The All Natural Face! So, get on over there and start ordering!

~Win It~
Crystal is going to give one (1) of my readers the chance to win her Give Um Green Gift Box!


**Mandatory Entry**

Go to The All Natural Face, and leave me a comment telling me which item you like best! Please be sure to leave your email address in the first entry, or that it's visible on your profile.
*You MUST do the mandatory entry! All bonus entries will be deleted if it's not done first!*

**Bonus Entries**
{Leave separate comments for each entry}

1. Follow me on Twitter {1 entry}
2. 'Like' me on Facebook{1 entry}
3. Make a purchace from The All Natural Face {10 entries) {I will verify}
4. Grab my button and leave a link to where it's at {2 entries}
5. Follow my publicly on google friend connect {2 entry}
6. Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link to the post {8 entries}
7. Enter another one of my giveaways {1 entry per giveaway}
8. Add my blog to your blog roll {1 entry}
9. Tweet about this giveaway {3 tweets per day} Please don't tweet them all together! You can use this:

@USCGWifey is giving away a Give Um Green Gift Box from The All Natural Face ends 6/8 http://bit.ly/cAGktC

**Rules**
•Giveaway ends June 8, 2010@ 12 (noon) CST
•Winner will be chosen via Random.Org., and contacted my email
•Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email or another winner will be chosen
•Open to EVERYONE!
 
Don't forget to thank a member of our MILITARY!

My sissy is coming!

I just talked to my sister yesterday. One minute she's saying, Ryan (my future bro-in-law) is talking about coming to visit in like 2 weeks, the next she is calling saying that she will be here next week!

I love it when my sister comes to visit. She always has been my best friend. She's 6 years younger than me, but we have always been close. It's hard to live so far from her. We talk at least once a week on the phone or text. A lot of times we are talking about the Vampire Diaries! :) We LOVE that show!

She LOVES her nephews like they were her own kids. When she is around, I don't even have to be mommy because she takes over. And the boys? They adore her and always want to be with their Aunt T's! Her name is Tammy but all her nephews call her Aunt T's. My nephews call me Aunt CC. Don't ask, we are a strange family! :)

So, her and Ryan will be here next Wednesday, staying until Sunday. The last couple of times she was here she didn't get to go to the USS Alabama. I went with my mom and told her about it and she's been dying to go ever since! So, we are going to be doing that.

Also, last time she was here, she came without Ryan. We ended up going to the Mobile Zoo. If you have never been there and you are ever in the area, you HAVE to check it out! It is the strangest zoo ever! There is one dirt lane in/out. The parking lot is as big as my front yard. There is a staff of like...2 (that we saw). The animals are SO CLOSE! And they aren't behind plexiglass, just chain link fences. Most of the animals you can feed peanuts. You can buy them when you enter. There are tubes that you put the peanuts in and the animals will wait at the bottom for them. There is also a chimp there. He is REALLY cool! He was in a movie, but I can't remember which one.

Too bad Jeremy isn't here to visit too, but I know Tammy plus my dad and Kathy (stepmom) will come to visit again soon.
Don't forget to thank a member of our MILITARY!

Follow Me Back Tuesday!

BWS tips button
Yay! I LOVE getting new followers and finding new blogs to follow! Such a great way to meet new people and find awesome blogs and giveaways! If you are new here, please feel free to look around! Don't forget to take my poll for my upcoming blog event! And enter some of my giveaways! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Don't forget to thank a member of our MILITARY!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

I won!

1 win to report. I am very happy about this one! I've got 3 books that I won that are sitting there waiting for me to pick them up. This win will motivate me to read! :)

It's a Sterling Silver Single Charm Mini Bookmark! I get to have my initial on it too! My sister is going to be jealous! :) I won this from Smile A Day Giveaway! Go check out her blog, she has lots of good giveaways going on! I'm going to enter some more when I wake up in the morning. But, for now, good night bloggy blog land!

Don't forget to thank a member of our MILITARY!

Scentsy Review & Giveaway

I am totally obsessed with plug-ins and things that make my house smell good! I have different things all thoughout my house. I don't want people to walk into my house and think to themselves that it stinks! So far, I have only gotten compliments! I love that! It means I'm doing my job!

Scentsy is a company that makes lots of products to make your house smell wonderful! They have warmers, travel tins, hanging fresheners, and room sprays! There are also different catagories of smells! Bakery, Tropical, Spring and Summer, Spa, Scentsy Man, Romance, and Scentsy Cafe! I love the names of the catagories! It gives you a good idea of what the different scents will smell like!

About the company (taken from the website)
Inspired by an Oprah episode on “Millionaire Moms,” stay-at-home mom Kara Egan was seized with the urge to start a business of her own.



Then, over lunch one day, her sister-in-law Colette Gunnell mentioned this funny thing her neighbor did, breaking scented candles into pieces and melting them in an old potpourri warmer.


Something clicked for Kara. “I heard the words in my mind saying Kara, this is it.” She called Colette that same night and asked, “Why don’t we start a business together selling candle chunks in a warmer?”


In July 2003 Scentsy was born. “We actually poured our first set of bars in an ice cube tray,” remembers Colette. “The scent was Red Delicious. I still have some of the original cubes we made.”


The Founders Find Orville


The partners began selling their wickless candles and low-watt bulb warmers at trade shows and fairs. The product was a hit, but they faced a steep learning curve as they dealt with the many challenges of trying to run a new business.


At a Salt Lake City home show in March 2004, their booth happened to be right across the aisle from entrepreneur Orville Thompson’s. He was fascinated by the wickless candle idea, and brought a warmer, several bars and a set of testers home to show his wife, Heidi.


A few days later, Heidi was visiting and sharing the scents testers with her mom and sister. Orville left to run an errand and came home to find the women smelling the testers. They were having a great time and something smelled delicious. He asked Heidi what she was baking and the women laughed. She told him it was a Scentsy candle bar called Banana Nut Bread.


Orville was touched at the cozy scene and intrigued to see how different scents could evoke emotions and memories. He was energized by how natural it was to share those feelings and memories with others in the “party” environment.


On May 1, 2004 Orville and Heidi bought the company from Kara and Collette, who are now Scentsy Consultants.


Heidi Discovers the DSA
A stay-at-home mom for 10 years, Heidi quickly became immersed in the new venture. She took over the books and began researching different business models, including direct selling. She learned about the Direct Selling Association (DSA) and was impressed by DSA’s high level of support for its members. But what really drew her to DSA was the organization’s Code of Ethics.


Heidi convinced Orville to attend a DSA meeting in New Orleans even though the expense was considerable. And that’s where the idea to launch Scentsy as a Party Plan company was formed. Orville and Heidi learned everything they could about how the direct selling business model worked. They realized how well that model suited the wonderful experience the women in Heidi’s family had shared in her kitchen with the Scentsy testers.


On July 1, 2004 Orville and Heidi launched Scentsy as a Party Plan company. Click HERE to learn more.

I recieved 3 products to review
  • 2 travel tins: Camu Camu and Sweet Pea & Vanilla
  • 1 plug-in warmer with a Scentsy Bar in Clarity
Since I just moved into a new house, the first thing on my mind was "I NEED to put my smell in this house!" The owner of the house (friends of ours) had 4 pitbulls here that they let in the house. Needless to say, even though they cleaned the house, it still smelled like big dogs. The products I reviewed could not have come at a better time!

The travel tins worked miracles in 2 of the closets! I have a lot of plug-ins, but I can't put those in the closets obviously. In this room (our office), they had their dog kennels in here. This room held the most smell. My husband complained right away! He hangs all of his uniforms in this closet. He said he went to work smelling like dog! I opened one of the tins about half way and put it on the top shelf. The next day he said the smell was gone and he didn't stink anymore (lol)! The other tin I put in our master closet. Again, it worked great! I opened that one fully since it's a larger closet.

You can put the travel tins anywhere you want. In your car, bedroom, kitchen, laundry room, anywhere! They are small and can be hidden easily! For me, the closets are a perfect place!

The plug-in warmer was equally as great! Since I have a lot of plug-ins, I put it in the only room where I didn't have one, the laundry room. The evening I plugged it in, I made tuna helper for dinner. The smell of tuna fish filled the house. I turned on the warmer and waited. Once it melted into oil, the smell of pine replaced the smell of tuna fish! Everywhere! It spread through the house with no problems. I left it on for about a half an hour, then turned it off.. The smell lingered for a good while. I was very impressed.

The warmer is very easy to use. When you take it out of the box, there is a small amount of assembly required. Screw in the small light bulb, put the base on, and add a section of the bar in. Then, you plug it in and turn it on. Easy huh?

Want to change scents? Turn on the warmer and let the wax melt. Remove the warmer and either poor the oil either back into the packaging for later use, or discard. Wipe out with a paper towel and you are ready to go again!

Scentsy left an overall wonderful impression with me. I'd recommend their products and would buy it myself!

~Win It~
Scentsy is offering two (2) of my readers a chance to win a travel tin! Your choice of scent!

**Mandatory Entry**

Go to Scentsy, and leave me a comment telling me which scent you would like to try! Please be sure to leave your email address in the first entry, or that it's visible on your profile.
*You MUST do the mandatory entry! All bonus entries will be deleted if it's not done first!*

**Bonus Entries**
{Leave separate comments for each entry}

1. Follow me on Twitter {1 entry}
2. Follow Scentsy on Twitter {1 entry}
3. 'Like' me on Facebook {1 entry}
3. 'Like' Scentsy on Facebook{1 entry}
4. Grab my button and leave a link to where it's at {2 entries}
5. Follow my publicly on google friend connect {2 entry}
6. Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link to the post {5 entries}
7. Enter another one of my giveaways {1 entry per giveaway}
8. Add my blog to your blog roll {1 entry}
9. Tweet about this giveaway {3 tweets per day} Please don't tweet them all together! You can use this:

@USCGWifey is giving away Scentsy travel tins from @hossmommy 2 winners! ends 6/6 http://bit.ly/cAMIbS

**Rules**
•Giveaway ends June 6, 2010@ 12 (noon) CST
•Winner will be chosen via Random.Org., and contacted my email
•Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email or another winner will be chosen
•Open to US only
Don't forget to thank a member of our MILITARY!

Winner!

Random.Org has picked the winner for the Sarah's Treasures eyeshadow giveaway! Congrats to Sarah #87!

Sarah said... 87

I entered the Wag's Creations giveaway.
May 1, 2010 10:29 PM

Winner has been emailed and has 48 hours to respond.

Thanks to everyone who entered. I'm about to post a couple new giveaways so keep an eye out!
 
Don't forget to thank a member of our MILITARY!

Attention Bloggers! Reviewers Wanted!

Recently I did a review/giveaway for an Etsy shop called The Lucky Horse Shoe. Her shop sells vinyl wall art (one of my favorite things!). Her sales went way up while my review was running! She is now looking for more blogs to review her shop! If you are interested, please head on over to her shop and send her a message! She is very nice and easy to work with! Good luck! :)
The Lucky Horse Shoe

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Sid The Science Kid DVD Giveaway

WHAT- Sid the Science Kid DVD
OPEN TO- US Only
ENDS- June 1st

Don't forget to thank a member of our MILITARY!

 
Blog Makeovers by Tara