Sailing on a Movie Star -The Schooner Woodwind II in Annapolis, MD

A couple of weeks ago, my husband, daughter and I had the privilege of sailing aboard The Schooner
Woodwind II in Annapolis, MD. It was a perfect day for sailing and it was the perfect boat to sail on!

The Woodwind is a beautiful, 74-foot wooden schooner with tall, majestic sails and it just so happens to be a movie star to boot, having been featured in "Wedding Crashers." It is available for public and private cruises every day of the week, with the public cruises lasting 2 hours.

We drove to Annapolis from Leesburg, VA for the 4 o'clock public cruise and thanks to Northern Virginia traffic, we ended up stuck on the highway and made it to the boarding dock with literally two minutes to spare!

Thank God we made it in time to board because the 6 o'clock sunset cruise was booked up. And we really would have missed out on an amazing time if we had not been able to sail!

We set off from the harbor of Annapolis with at least a dozen other people and immediately took notice of the Naval Academy. I grew up in Annapolis and spent almost every weekend boating, many times by the Naval Academy and harbor, so this was like coming home to me.

One of the best parts about sailing on The Woodwind is that you get to be part of the crew by either helping to hoist the sails or steer the boat if you wish. My husband Matt was the first to hoist a sail with a few others and then I got to take a turn:

My daughter Natalie took the helm toward the end of the sail and she had such a blast!

There was another child who steered us for awhile too. I love that they let children take an active role in sailing the boat!

Here's video of Natalie navigating us through the wake of a very large speed boat:



It made my husband and I very happy to see Natalie enjoying herself so much and we were definitely loving every minute ourselves!

The winds were strong enough that we were able to sail all the way out to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Some days, the wind is strong enough to sail as far as the Thomas Point Lighthouse, another favorite place from my childhood boating memories.

During the sail, we were able to look at a photo album filled with pictures from the filming of "Wedding Crashers" and it was very cool to see that Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Rachael McAdams, Isla Fisher, Jane Seymour, and Christopher Walken all sailed on the same boat that we were on.

From left: Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson and Rachael McAdams

Christopher Walken "steering" the boat (see Captain Jen steering it for real from below).

Isla Fisher and Vince Vaughn

We may not have been on the sunset cruise, but the sun was setting as we headed back to the harbor, and it was stunningly beautiful to see it on the water!

Here's a video that shows just how perfect the winds were and how much fun it was to sail on the Woodwind (note the "pirate ship" in the distance).

    As you can hear from Rena, who is part of the Woodwind crew, a complimentary beverage (soda or water) is part of your sail for the public cruise and a cash bar is available as well. There are lots of local beers to choose from and you also receive a complimentary snack.

If you live in the DMV area or are planning to visit, I highly recommend a sail on board the Schooner Woodwind II! It's a perfect activity for birthdays, anniversaries, date night, etc.

Check out the Schooner Woodwind website for more information on booking, events, pricing and more. You can find them on Facebook and Twitter as well.

Disclosure: My family and I received a complimentary sail to facilitate this review, but opinions stated are never influenced by comp products/events.

Jamberry Nails - Review and Giveaway

I am a girly-girl and I love making sure my nails look their best. So I was thrilled to learn about Jamberry Nails via Independent Consultant Joann Puckett.

Joann sent me a few complimentary sets of nail shields to try to facilitate my review and wow, did I fall in love with them! Jamberry Nail shields are vinyl nail shields that stick to the nail via adhesive. Because they are not made from nail polish as some competing brands are, they last much longer and are much more durable.

Here are a several highlights of what Jamberry Nails have to offer:

• Lasts up to 2 weeks on fingers and 6 weeks on toes.
• Applied via heat source (hair dryer) which activates the adhesive on the back of the shields and then forms a water tight seal on the nail.
• They do not chip since they are not made from nail polish. They are made from a type of thin vinyl which is also latex-free.
• They are safe for acrylics or can be used for acrylic encapsulation.
• Each sheet does 2 to 4 sets of mani/pedis.

My absolute favorite thing about Jamberry Nails is the wide selection of adorable and classy styles! There are so many, in fact, that it was hard to choose just a few. Here are the ones I ended up picking:

The top design, Paint Splatter, I chose for a Coldplay concert my husband and I were attending. The graffiti-like color matched Coldplay's tour theme perfectly:

Here I am wearing them the day before the show:

The other patterns I chose are (from top to bottom), Birds (because my husband and I met on Twitter), Teal Sparkle, and Gray Plaid:

The application process was the most difficult part, but mostly because this was my first time using Jamberry Nails and there is a learning curve involved. But for the quality that you get over that of regular nail polish, the extra effort is worth it in my opinion.

Here's an instructional video that explains how to apply the nail shields:


Each set comes with written instructions as well. The only things you will need are a hair dryer, alcohol or alcohol wipes (to make sure the nail bed is completely free from oils which can prevent the shields from sticking well), a cuticle pusher if desired (I just use my other nails to push my cuticles down), a nail file and scissors...basically things you most likely already have around the home. Tweezers are also helpful for holding the shield while heating it.

I have petite fingers and toes so one of my concerns was having shields that fit me. Because the sheets are customizable, however, it was no problem at all finding and shaping them to fit each of my nails perfectly. I have the added benefit of getting more use out of the shields as well since I don't require a lot of the shield for each nail (I'm guessing I'll probably get at least 3 uses out of each design for fingers and toes).

Thanks to Joann, one lucky reader of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review will win 3 Jamberry nail shield design sheets of their choice as well as a bottle of Jamberry Nail Care Cuticle Oil for a total product value of $55!

With so many designs to choose from, I bet the winner has just as hard of a time selecting their colors as I did!

Can't wait to see if you're the lucky winner? Head on over to Joann's Jamberry Nails website and order your favorite colors right now! And be sure to like her Facebook page for specials, deals, tips and offers!

To enter this fantastic giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post stating why you'd like to win, then use the RaffleCopter widget below to complete your entry. There are additional, bonus ways to enter (follow the instructions on RaffleCopter) but the first (commenting on this post) is mandatory.

By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here. Please also see my disclosure policy here. Deadline to enter is 12:01 a.m. EST, Tuesday, August 14, 2012. Good luck!


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Oral-B ProfessionalCare 3000 Power Toothbrush - Review and Giveaway

All of my life, I have used a manual toothbrush, and wow, I had no idea what I was missing! Thanks to Oral-B, I now brush 3 times a day with my brand new ProfessionalCare 3000 power toothbrush and it has made a world of difference in my oral health.

The Oral-B ProfessionalCare 3000 is a rechargeable electric toothbrush that combines a compact, round brush head with a unique pulsing action. There is just no comparison to what this brush has to offer in terms of plaque removal, shine, and gingivitis and cavity prevention over that of a manual brush. You can see and feel the difference with every brush!

Here is a list of the features that sets the Oral-B ProfessionalCare 3000 apart:

• Cleaning action: Provides 40,000 pulsations and 8,800 oscillations per minute which helps remove up to two times more plaque than a regular, manual toothbrush, thus preventing and reversing gingivitis.


• Customized brushing modes: Daily Clean, Sensitive and Polish.


• Brush head design: Provides a unique clean with the compact, round brush head that surrounds each tooth for a tooth-by-tooth clean. The pressure sensor in the brush head stops pulsations when you're brushing too hard.


• Indicator bristles: Remind you to replace your brush head every 3 months, once they've faded halfway.


• Includes four brush heads: Precision Clean Brush Head for a deep and thorough clean; Dual Clean Brush Head for cleaning, freshening and gum care; Pro White Brush Head with polishing cup whitens teeth by removing surface stains; and the Sensitive Brush Head is gentle on teeth and gums.


• Professional Timer: Every 30 seconds, a brief signal will encourage thorough brushing of all four quadrants of your mouth. At the end of two minutes, a longer signal indicates when the dental expert recommended brushing time period has been reached.

Having never used an electric toothbrush before, there was definitely a learning curve for me, but it was easy to get used to. One tip I'd offer to new users is to put the brush, with toothpaste on it, in your mouth before turning it on. Otherwise, you'll end up with toothpaste everywhere as I did. ;)

I love the timer feature. 2 minutes of brushing is a lot longer than you realize, and with the timer being broken up into 30 second intervals, you know just how long to focus on each quadrant of your mouth.

I also have sensitive teeth and gums so the Sensitive Brush Head is my favorite, which I use in conjunction with the Sensitive Brush mode. (You simply click the button on the brush once for Daily Clean, twice for Sensitive and three times for Polish. Four clicks turns the brush off.)

I do use the Pro White Brush Head every now and then for whitening and it really brightens my teeth!

The Oral-B ProfessionalCare 3000 is available at department, retail and specialty stores nationwide at a suggested retail price of $99.99. As of 6/27, Amazon is running a sale on the brush for just $64.99!

But, thanks to Oral-B, I have one brush to give away for free to one lucky reader of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review!

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post stating why you'd like to win, then use the RaffleCopter widget below to complete your entry. There are additional, bonus ways to enter (follow the instructions on RaffleCopter) but the first (commenting on this post) is mandatory.

By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here. Please also see my disclosure policy here. Deadline to enter is 12:01 a.m. EST, Wednesday, July 4, 2012. Good luck!

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Disclosure: I received a complimentary Oral-B ProfessionalCare 3000 power brush to facilitate this review, but that does not influence my opinions stated here.

No "Do-Overs" With Frigidaire Gallery 24" Built-In Dishwasher - GIVEAWAY!

We all have those moments in life that we wish we could do over, but washing dishes shouldn't have to be one of them. Frigidaire is making it easier than ever to "get it right the first time" with the new Frigidaire Gallery™ Dishwasher with OrbitClean™ Wash Arm that eliminates the need for dish do-overs and prevents "icky dish hands!"

To celebrate the launch of the new Frigidaire Gallery® Dishwasher, Frigidaire invited fans to visit their Facebook page to submit a moment that you wished you got right the first time around. Whether it’s a bad first date or a vacation gone wrong, Frigidaire will help cover the costs for one lucky visitor to carry out the ultimate do-over.[1] The contest is now in the voting phase, and for each vote submitted, Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children.[2]

Thanks to Frigidaire, I have a great giveaway for readers of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review to celebrate the launch of the Frigidaire Gallery® Dishwasher, but first let me share the great features this dishwasher offers, and a moment in my own life I wish I could do-over.

Signature Features of the Frigidaire Gallery® Dishwasher include:

• Best Cleaning Dishwasher[3] - Exclusive OrbitClean™ Spray Arm provides 4 times better water coverage and a clean no other dishwasher can beat.
• Best Drying Performance[4] - With SaharaDry™, there's no need to towel-dry before putting dishes away.
• Quietest Dishwasher[5] - Quietest dishwasher, so it won't interrupt your time at home.
• Energy Saver Plus Cycle – Eco-friendly cycle uses less energy without compromising cleaning performance.
• Built with American Pride – Appliances that are high-performing, more accessible, and more innovative than ever—designed, built, and engineered in the U.S.A.
• Smudge-Proof Stainless Steel – Real Stainless Steel with protective coating reduces fingerprints and smudges so it's easy to clean.
• NSF® Certified - Sanitize cycle removes 99.9% of common household bacteria.
• Fits-More™ Capacity – The large capacity, tall-tub dishwasher fits up to 14 place settings so you can wash even more at once.

Fits more, cleans better, sanitizes, drys better, is smudge-proof and saves energy? Sounds great to me! I also love the idea of no more "icky dish hands."

As for a moment I would personally like to do-over? Where do I even start?! It would have to be something involving something that I said, as most of my embarrassing moments in life involve the wrong words coming out of my mouth.

I think the worst moment came during the funeral for my friend's husband. Our daughters were friends and very young (around 5). As I approached my friend in the receiving line, she said how much her daughter liked mine and suggested they get together again soon.

What did I say? "Oh yes! Amanda is just dying to see her again!"

As I realized my poor choice of words, I tried to make it better by saying something else quickly to cover up the fact that I had just said "dying" at a funeral.

And those words were? "She just loves her to death." Seriously. Proof that I speak much faster than I think.

So if I could do it all over again, I'd prepare something MUCH better than that to say to my poor friend at her husband's funeral!

On a much lighter note, Frigidaire would like to offer one lucky reader of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review a $25 gift card toward a manicure (or whatever else you'd rather spend it on) to celebrate the launch of the Frigidaire Gallery® Dishwasher and no more "icky dish hands."

To enter, simply log in to the RaffleCopter entry form below and follow the instructions. For those who are new to RaffleCopter, you simply follow each step, then tell RaffleCopter that you have completed the step (The first step, commenting on this post, is mandatory to enter. The other steps are bonus entries).

By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here. Please also see my disclosure policy here. Good luck!

a'>http://www.rafflecopter.com">a Rafflecopter giveaway

Update 6/25/2012- Congratulations to Courtney B who was selected at random as the winner of this giveaway via Rafflecopter and Random.org!



Disclosure: I wrote this post as part of the Frigidaire Test Drive Moms team and  received a gift card as a thank you for my time.

1. NO PURCHASE OR DONATION NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.  Sweepstakes ends 7/4/2012.   Full rules available at Frigidaire.com.

2. Frigidaire will donate $1.00 to Save the Children for each Submission uploaded during the Submission Phase (5/14/2012 – 6/10/2012) and for each vote cast during the Voting Phase (6/13/2012 – 7/1/2012) with a minimum $35,000 and a maximum of $40,000, as part of our $500,000 commitment to Save the Children's U.S. Programs.

3. Based on ANSI-AHAM-DW-1-2010 for plastic interior dishwashers. March 2012.

4. Based on industry drying tests using SaharaDry™. March 2012.

5. In its class based on published manufacturer specifications for similar MSRP models.

Congratulations to "Cinderella10383," who was selected at random (via Random.org) as the winner of the Mariah Carey Mother's Day giveaway!
Thanks to all who entered and thanks to Sony Music for sponsoring this fabulous contest! Stay tuned for another fun giveaway coming very soon!