If you're wondering why it's been so long since I've posted, it's because I've been working on getting my new business up and running. Check out Media Fl@ir, my new venture with my husband! Now that we're in the flow of things and things are running smoothly, I am back to blogging again (I could never stay away for too long!)
I've also opened my personal blog, So a Blonde Walks Into a Blog, back up. I'm so excited to get back to personal blogging as well (it's been years since I've done that!)
To celebrate our new business venture, as well as our upcoming trip to Disneyworld, we are giving away a souvenir to one of our fans on our Facebook page! To enter, just click here, like our page, then leave a comment on this status update. Let us know what you would like to win and we just may pick it up for you!
Stay tuned to my personal blog for pics and updates from our trip, starting with seeing our favorite band, Blue October, perform Sunday night at Rams Head Live in Baltimore (we fly to Florida the next morning). I'll also be live tweeting most of our trip so keep an eye on my Twitter feed!
Those who have followed along with my wedding blog know that Taylor Swift holds a special place in my heart, as her song, "You Belong With Me" was one I often thought of my now-husband to before we started dating.
So I am thrilled that Taylor Swift is being given the coveted Woman of the Year Award at Billboard's 2011 Women in Music Event! Better yet, Crest 3D White, the #1 most awarded whitening brand, and Billboard, the #1 name in music, want to see you at the Women in Music Event in New York City on December 2nd!
For your chance to win VIP treatment at this star-studded, ultra-exclusive event, enter the “Smiles that Rock” contestbefore November 18th by showcasing your smile in a creatively designed Billboard magazine cover featuring YOU!
BEFORE YOU ENTER – WHITEN!
Ensure you are putting your best “smile” forward by showing off a bright, white smile in your submission. A little tip...when used together, the Crest 3D White Collection can help you achieve a noticeably brighter smile in as little as just one day!
CONSIDER THESE CREST 3D WHITE WHITENING PRODUCTS!
Crest 3D White Professional Effects Whitestrips with Advanced Seal Technology:
Most efficacious concentration of Crest’s whitening ingredient available at retail – the same enamel-safe ingredient that dentists use
Advanced adhesive formulation that temporarily molds the strip to user’s teeth for secure fit
$50 per kit, 20 whitening doses
Crest 3D White Vivid Toothpaste:
Features a patented dual-action silica system that helps gently polish away surface stains
Provides up to 80% surface stain removal for a whiter smile in 14 days
Toothpaste-gel hybrid formulation offers the cleaning of a toothpaste and the freshness of a gel, helping teeth feel smooth and clean
Radiant Mint flavor, 4oz $3.25; 5.8oz $3.75; 7.6 oz for $4.25
For more information on Crest 3D, be sure to like their Facebook page here, and follow them on Twitter: @Crest!
And don't forget to stop by the “Smiles that Rock” contest page for your chance to win a VIP trip for two to Billboard's 2011 Women in Music event!
Disclosure: I received complimentary products from Crest 3D to thank me for my time in writing this post.
As you might have gathered by this site's name, one of my most noticeable features is my hair. Thus, keeping my hair healthy and looking its best is very important to me.
Having been a natural blonde throughout my youth, I've had to get a little help from the salon in keeping that color in my adult years. And as we all know, the coloring process can put a lot of stress on even the healthiest of hair.
So when I was contacted by Misikko Beauty to review the ultra-chic HANAair Professional Hair Dryer, I was beyond excited to give it a try. A hair dryer that promises to actually make your hair healthier with use? I'm all in!
I'll admit I was skeptical at first, as conventional wisdom has always taught that hair dryers are bad for your hair. But from the very first use of the HANAair dryer, I could see a noticeable difference in the look and feel of my hair. It was shinier, sleeker and much more smooth.
What's the secret behind HANAair's performance? It's actually a combination of three things: 2300 wattage power, pure tourmaline crystals and a ceramic heater.
As someone with very thick hair, it usually takes me forever to dry my hair! But with the 2300 wattage power, the HANAair dryer cuts my drying time by at least half. That alone saves my hair from the damage that can come from longer heat exposure with conventional dryers. And the faster drying time has meant that I'm out the door faster and have actually made it to appointments ON TIME (a rarity for me!).
The tourmaline crystals and ceramic heater combine to give the most advanced far infrared ionic heat possible. What this basically means is that your hair will have less frizz, more shine and healthier radiance with each use.
My hair is not only thick, but it's also very frizzy when I use a conventional dryer. Those stray, curly hairs that stand up all over the place after drying have always drove me crazy! But with the HANAair dryer, my hair was much more smooth with just the first use.
Other features include:
Silver Nano Technology for anti-bacterial protection
Scratch resistant shell with black metallico finish adds durability and is easy to clean
Long lasting motor with low noise
Gyroscopically balanced for easy handling (note: it is very lightweight too!)
Fiberglass concentrator attachment
12' extra long cord, ALCI safety plug
Italian design
2 fan speeds, 3 heat settings, plus a cold shot button
Two Year Warranty
The extra long cord is another favorite feature of mine. I hate when I am drying my hair and need to reach for something, but can't due to a short cord. With the HANAair dryer's cord, I can move all over my bathroom with ease!
I also used two products that Misikko sent to me for review along with the HANAair dryer (as well as all of that other gorgeous swag pictured above...thank you, Misikko!): HANA Shine Shield Thermal Protectant and Paul Mitchell's Leave-In Conditioner. Between the products and the HANAair dryer, my hair has never looked healthier!
See for yourself how fast my hair dried and how sleek, smooth and shiny it looked with the HANAair dryer:
I honestly never would have invested much money in a hair dryer before (the HANAair dryer retails for $314 but is currently on sale for $194.99 with free shipping). Now that I've seen the difference firsthand, though, I could never go back to my cheaper, department store dryer.
The HANAair Professional Hair Dryer is the only dryer I will trust my hair to from now on!
Disclosure: I received a complimentary HANAair Professional Dryer to facilitate this review, as well as other complimentary products to thank me for my time.
Forget Paranormal Activity 3. If you really want to get your scare on, you have to check out Busch Gardens' Howl-O-Scream in Williamsburg, VA! With elaborate haunted mazes, scare zones, realistic zombies and ghouls, rides, and more, you're bound to have a good time!
I was fortunate enough to have been invited to Busch Gardens' Fright Night social media event and got to experience all of the scares first-hand. The theme this year is "The Dark Side of the Gardens - Fear Grows Here" and the star was this creepy, scary, eerie "Lady of the Garden"...
Oh sure she may not look as scary during the day, but stand next to that statue at night, with rain drizzling down and fog surrounding you and she gets even creepier! The same goes for the rest of the park:
The scare has been so ramped up this year, in fact, that the park advises parents NOT to bring children after 6 p.m. (when Howl-O-Scream officially starts). There are no safe zones this year and the scares are not designed to be child-friendly. (The screaming little kids I saw being dragged by their mother across a bridge with bloody, chainsaw wielding zombies chasing after them is just one example of parents ignoring such warnings...to the detriment of those poor kids!)
One of the best shows this year, Fiends, is also adult-oriented and my husband and I got to watch from the balcony of Das Festhaus:
We even got to meet the members of the cast after the show and they were so friendly!
Notice our face paint? Here's a close-up:
We stopped at one of several kiosks throughout the park to get our faces done and our artist did a great job! It's so much more fun enjoying all the festivities decked out in face paint (or horns as the case may be).
The best part of the night for us, however, was winning a chance to go through the Deadline maze BY OURSELVES with a camera attached. Here are clips of us in Busch Gardens' promo video:
Here's the full footage of just us (yes, I was scared, lol!):
Want to get in on the scare? Sunday, October 30 is the last day you can enjoy it, so hurry over if you haven't already.
And if you miss it this year, don't worry. Howl-O-Scream is an annual event so you can always go next year. I know we definitely will!
It's hard to believe that the holidays are right around the corner! On September 21, Frigidaire and Jennifer Garner hosted a holiday discussion with food/mom bloggers to talk turkey, traditions and keeping family dinner a priority during the busy holiday season.
The event celebrated the launch of Frigidaire's new Gallery Range with Symmetry Double Ovens. The new, freestanding range helps families cook their holiday meals faster thanks to its huge capacity (each oven holds a 28-lb. turkey), faster preheat time (4 minutes), and easy, one-touch options. It also features a Keep Warm Zone that will maintain the temperature of your food while you prepare your table for dinner.
Most importantly, the holiday round-table event also kicked off Frigidaire's latest campaign to support Save the Children's U.S. programs. And it's not too late for you and your family to join in and support the cause!
Just visit MakeTimeForChange.com, where you can see Jennifer's top turkey tips and fabulous holiday recipes, as well as videos of the round-table discussions. For the first 550 visits, Frigidaire will donate a turkey to a Save the Children Family, and for every visit, $1 will be donated to Save the Children to support their U.S. Programs.
Helping others has never been so easy, has it? With just a click of a button, and never having to leave your home, you can help feed hungry families across the country this holiday season, at no cost to you whatsoever.
In addition to supporting a worthy cause, visitors are entered for a chance to win a Range with Symmetry Double Oven of their own from Frigidaire! So hurry over to MakeTimeForChange.com right now and check out the great videos and tips!
Disclosure: I wrote this post as part of the Frigidaire Test Drive program and received a gift certificate to thank me for my time.
