Who Doesn't Love Shopportunities?

Marshalls gave me a Top Secret Mission - a Secret Santa Mission that is. Find something super fabulous for someone that I have. never. met. Oh, you read that right. I was sent off shopping for a fellow blogger that I do not know. Talk about a challenge! But I knew that if I was going to find a great gift, Marshalls was the place to shop!

First stop - Home Goods. I am a sucker for gadgets, dishes and colored vases and I was not disappointed! I did find these winetastic party napkins for the Merlot lover in me:

Now... on to shop for my secret santa! Wait..... what's that over there?? Ooooo, sassy black and white thank you notes. A definite MUST during the season of gift giving. I wonder is my secret santa would like those. Hmmmm. Oh I will put them in my cart anyway!

Ok, now what to get my secret... GASP!!!

I. MUST. HAVE. THEM.

Take a deep breathe there lassie, remember you are shopping for someone else. What?!? These Enzo Angiolini boots that retail for almost $200 are only $29.99!! Oh I definitely can't walk away from a deal like that! Mmmmm, momma loves her new boots.

Now - on to shop for my secret santa! I am sure it won't hurt to take a quick browse through the sweater section. It is getting a wee bit chilly in the Midwest these days and maybe I could find something to go with my new boots. Looking... perfect! Yes, this lassie found the perfect brown Limited sweater for more then half off!

Yes, yes. I know. Secret Santa. Well don't worry. This little lassie found an amazing gift for an amazing price for her secret santa, but I can't share what it is yet! I will be sure to keep you posted. What about you? Do you have a fabulous find that you want to share? Let me know!

Don't forget that Marshalls and T.J. Maxx have joined together for a "Carol-oke" contest. One lucky person will win a $5,000 holiday shopping spree - just for singing their favorite holiday tune! Check out the Caroling Channel for your chance to win AND for each off price Carol-oke video that is uploaded, a charity donation will be made. It's a win win!

Vitalize Me!

Do you have that beauty product you just can't live without? Having fair skin and living in the Midwest my poor Irish skin takes a beating. That is why I have been such a huge fan of the Bioelements skin care line. I love what their products do for my skin and am secretly addicted to the smell of their products.

The Bioelements masters have been at it again! Now, not only can you have professional skin care for you face, but your body as well. Vitalization is a rich intensity body cream designed to make a major difference in the appearance of your skin. Do you battle dryness in the winter? Suffer from lackluster skin texture? Missing that 'glow'? Well fear no more! Vitalization banishes dryness, smoothes and restores radiance and encourages a firmer body.

With my fair Irish skin, I suffer from all of the above. I am always in search of "the perfect moisturizer." I am happy to say my search is done! Vitalization handles all of my skins issues with no artificial colors, fragrances or alcohol. I also love that Vitalization is not greasy and keeps my skin soft all day long. Throw in that addicting fragrance of all their natural ingredients and this Lassie can take on the coldest of winters! Who wouldn't want to coat their body in sunflower, grape, black currant, apricot, red tea and cloves? Kind of makes a girl hungry reading their ingredient list!

Want some even better news? Since 1991, Bioelements has only been available in exclusive salons and spas. NOW Bioelements has their own website! You get FREE shipping with any $35 purchase as well as THREE FREE samples. I can't think of a better reason to give it a try.... can you?

Thanks Bioelements for Vitalizing my skin!

Smelly Washers - Be Gone!

Being the mother of boys, I am quite familiar with the odors and smells that come along with them. Laundry is a never ending drama in this Lassie's house. Did I mention we live on a lake and that one of the boys plays football. You can smell where I'm coming from can't you?

Well, between the football stench and the moldy smell in the towels because no one seems to remember to hang them to dry, *ahem*, I am often at a loss as to how to get things smelling fresh around here.

Enter Smelly Washer!

Smelly Washer is an all natural way to remove mildew in your towels as well as all those nasty smells in your washing machine. You know the ones..... the ones no one likes to talk about. You can achieve all this freshness with only one Tbsp! Smelly Washer is also the only all natural washer cleaner available. But could it tackle the nasty smell which is the football uniform?? This Lassie had to put it to the test.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. While it did take longer to complete the load of laundry, it did get rid of the smells. The only downfall you ask - you have to run it through the wash twice; once with the smelly washer and then again with detergent. You also have to let the clothing soak for two hours and have already completed the 'two day cleaning of your washer step', so you have to have your day planned around de-mildewing your laundry.

The perks - no more mildew smell in my beach and bath towels and no worries of the repercussions of trying to get rid of the smell with bleach. You also get a whole year supply when you buy one 12 oz. bottle. Now that is definitely worth it!

So what are you waiting for? Go check out Smelly Washer's website for more great tips on eliminating all the odors you!

Beauty Tip Tuesday!

Ok, I really wanted to save my 666th post for this Saturday but how is a Lassie supposed to not post ALL week? Well, I know it would be pretty easy to do but I'm dedicated, I'm ambitious, I'm.... are you buying any of this yet?? Yeah, I didn't think so.

So in honor of my 666th post I am going to tell you one of my favorite beauty tips and offer you a treat - a box of beauty - from Unilever! No tricks here I swear!

One of my new favorite beauty products is Pond's Original Clean towelettes. This all in one wash cloth cleans your face while removing even the toughest make-up. Can you believe it can even remove water proof mascara!? Amazing! It removes all the impurities from your skin - even deep in your pores. What girl doesn't need that? I love the fact that it gently cleans my face and removes my make-up in one easy step. Cause let's be honest, by the time I get around to washing my face I am exhausted. This is the perfect product for this lazy tired lassie.

With Pond’s towelettes, you can grab-and-go for quick, easy beauty maintenance! They even come in three different formulas: Original, Micro Dermabrasion and Age Defying. Plus they made Allure Magazine's list of BEST beauty products of the year!!

Ready for your treats? Leave a comment and you will be enetered to win a box of treats from Unilever including products from Dove, Vaseline, Pond's and Q-Tips. You even get a treat if you don't win the prize pack! Just go to Pond's website you can get a $1.50 off coupon to try them for yourself!! Now go on... treat yourself!

Brandi Carlile Review

I made it! Ever have weeks where you feel like that? This week has definitely been one of those. Thank goodness Ann is hosting her weekly Virtual Girl's Night Out!! This Lassie needs one!

As part of this week's blog hopping extravaganza, I am hosting an uber fabulous giveaway. You know I am a HUGE fan of music. Love, love, love it. It is a trait that I have happily passed on to my boys. While none of us can sing worth a lick, we can dance and jig like nobodies business.

This week I am happy to introduce, thanks to One2One Network, a new up and coming musician. While her music isn't the type to get down and shake your booty too, it does have a great folksy sound. May I introduce you to Brandi Carlile and her new record Give Up the Ghost! My favorite song on the CD you query? Why it is definitely THIS SONG - Dreams.

When I first heard her latest CD I was immediately reminded of the Indigo Girls. Well no wonder! She worked with Amy Ray on the song 'Looking Out'. Brandi also had the opportunity to work with Elton John, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers multi-instrumentalist Benmont Tench and drummer Chad Smith.

While I am not sure this CD will be a daily regular play, I can definitely see it as a road trip CD or played to help mellowing out after a long day. Of course, it's the perfect fit for tonight while I veg out in front of the fire with my large glass of Merlot. Mmmmmm, I can feel the relaxation now!

Want you own chance to win Brandi's latest CD, 'Give Up The Ghost'? Leave a comment with your email and you will be entered. I will pick and post the winner at next week's VGNO! See you then!

The Diamond Princess Has Evolved!!

I met this amazing guy who works for Eden Fantasys at BlogHer in Chicago this summer. I loved his personality, his honesty, his humor. I could have easily hung out with him all night shooting the stuff over drinks. He asked if I do reviews. Why yes, I do. And so it all began.

I have to admit I was a bit leery to do a review on something so... personal. We are all human, have human urges and act on them according to how comfortable we feel about ourselves and out partners. I thoroughly love my Hubby and we tend to look for, shall I say, adventure? But not too adventurous because, in all honesty, some of those vibrators really scare me. They are all pink, sparkly and have a bunch of moving parts. That's a lot for this girl to try and digest in the moment. I don't like to think too much when it comes to that area of my life so I was very pleased when he sent me something simple - the Diamond Princess.

I loved that it wasn't pink and sparkly and quite honestly... I am a fan of the bling. It has a soft velvety texture - not plasticy. It is also very user friendly. I also like that on Edens website, you can see the actual size of the vibrator you are looking for. This leads to no surprises when you get the uber discreet box in the mail. I knew just what I was expecting. I also love that they have various other thing like lingerie, massage oils and edible puddings! They even have books - a girl's gotta have her books!

So with the holidays right around the corner why not add some adult gifts to your list. I am sure on that list, it doesn't matter if you were naughty or nice. In fact, it is probably better if you were naughty!

Between Me and the River

It has been a long time since I have read a memoir. It has been an even longer time since I read one that I could not put down. Of course, I have never read a memoir from Harlequin!

Between Me and the River: Living Beyond Cancer - A Memoir is a beautifully written and heartfelt book about the trials and triumphs of a patient with Carcinoid Cancer. Author Carrie Host offers a more then honest view into her daily life and the emotional struggles she faced while being diagnosed with such a deadly disease. She demonstrates through her writing that hope is a powerful thing:

"Cancer takes you to places that you'll never really completely come back from/ Sometimes, while all is still but the rustle of the leaves, I'll hear that angel's wings brushing the ice....."

This is one of my favorite samples of her amazing writing ability. Throughout the book, Host shares her fears, her discussions with God, her love for her husband, family and friends. With the love of her family and the doctors at the Mayo Clinic, Host overcame some of the most unbeatable odds. Host learned to put aside her pride and rely on others, even with the hardest of all tasks, raising her ten month old son. It was also through this struggle that she rediscovered a long lost love - writing.

This book really made me think about how I (and my family) would react to this situation. I guess one never ever fully knows how they would react but I do wonder if I would be strong enough, would me faith carry me through? This book is definitely getting passed on to fellow friends and survivors. It also makes a great book to give to those in the trenches of cancer. What better way to soothe the body then feed the mind?