Giveaway Winner - But First, Tell Me How Awesome My Child Is

Yes, it's Friday, and in the interest of starting off the weekend on a generous note, I could simply cut to the chase and tell you who the winner of the fabulous E-Mealz meal planning subscription is.

However, we can agree I'm neither generous nor brief, so first I'm going to force you to look at 11-month photos of my no-longer-so-wee Master P and further, implore you to comment on how delicious he is.

We parents like to pretend we have some valid excuse for foisting baby photos on innocents - something along the lines of "keeping everyone updated" blah blah blah. What we actually mean is, "Look, I'm trying my best here, there is no guidebook to doing this right, yet the baby is still alive. Please just give me some validation and tell me my kid is cute even if you secretly think he looks like a mini-Trump."

It has been a good yet challenging few weeks on the parenting front here at Pretty HQ. In addition to taking his first steps, Master P is also getting two teeth and battling an ear infection while we attempt to suss out the source of his ongoing sniffles. He's finally working on his "mamamamama", after months of cruelly going on & on about "dadadadada", and is wanting extra snuggle time* with the former. Signs of a burgeoning temper are popping up, complete with wails of being VERY ANNOYED INDEED with mamamama when he isn't at liberty to practice said walking every moment of the day.
*Show of hands - who thought the phrase "extra snuggle time" would ever be deployed here? Me neither.

What I actually mean by all this is, "Look, I'm trying my best here, there is no guidebook to doing this right, yet the baby is still alive. Please just give me some validation and tell me my kid is cute even if you secretly think he looks like a mini-Trump."

Ahem. And so I bring you Master P's 11-month photo shoot or, more accurately, our attempt at same:

 

And . . . cue validation!


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Oh, and of course the super-duper, luck-duckiest winner of one three-month subscription to E-Mealz (click there to keep Mama in handbags) is . . . Misty! I'll put the kind E-Mealz people in touch with you in one hot minute. Thanks for playing, everyone!

Giveaway: E-Mealz.com Subscription

(Note: this is a sponsored giveaway, though the review given here is 100% my own opinions & usual drivel)

When the kind people at online meal planning service E-Mealz.com contacted me to give one three-month subscription to one of you supremely lucky readers, I actually paused instead of hitting "delete" with the usual zeal I give to trashing PR blogger pitches. "What a rare treat to hear from a company I'd actually consider using myself, who apparently also spent at least a minute reading my blog," I thought.

Anywhoodle, E-Mealz allowed me to test drive their menu service for a few weeks before posting this giveaway, and I'm happy to report that I am, well, happy with the service. There are various plans accommodating an impressive variety of diets, family members (love the "couples only" option), and stores, and I opted for the "Low Carb, Any Store, Meal Plan for 2" version.

New menus & grocery store shopping lists post once per week, so getting my menu plan was as simple as logging in and printing two pages. With my demanding little CEO cutting into my cookbook reading time - let's pretend for a second I'd be reading cookbooks if I had free time - I particularly appreciated this swift simplicity.

And while the recipes at first glance looked like they'd be too simple to be good, in fact the ones I tried were tasty. While some options, like a turkey tortilla roll-up, were too "lunch" for my dinner tastes, the Anonymous Husband & I both enjoyed others like the easy to make and eat Pineapple Meatloaf (despite that kitschy, 1950's sounding name):

Ok, so meatloaf may not be the most photogenic of meat dishes. But before you get too impressed with our monastic low-carb lifestyle, let me show you what we served the meatloaf with:

Yes, that would be mac n' cheese, of the high carb, high fat persuasion. We at Pretty HQ believe in all things in moderation, even (especially) diets.

Verdict: E-Mealz looks to be a convenient time & money saver for families wanting to stick to a certain diet and/or one that eats at home regularly. With the Anonymous Husband's long, late, irregular hours as a fancypants corporate lawyer, the program isn't something we'd use weekly, but I hope to try it again if & when we get serious about a diet or his hours become regular.

But enough about what I think - who wants a shot at a 3-month E-mealz subscription? Leave me a comment - including your email address - below for one entry.

For an additional two entries, you can do as follows: 
(1) Visit the E-mealz blog here and "like" at least one post; 
(2) Tweet me & @Emealz which meal plan you'd like (you can check out the meal plans here). Oh, and. . .
(3) Let me know in your comment here if you do either of the above; I love you all, but it's a challenge following my wee precious son from on end of the house to the other, let alone y'all over the Interweb.

One winner will be announced this Friday, May 20th! Exclamation point!

Giveaway - Chickdowntown.com Winner!

By the power vested in me via Random Number Generator Thingy, I hereby pronounce Miss E in AZ, one of my favorite bloggers and Invisible Internet Friends, the winner of my admittedly awesome Chickdowntown.com giveaway! Miss E, please shoot me an email with your final clothing selection; everyone else, please go read her blog or follow her Tweets immediately.

Thank you all for playing! I'll be back in a minute or two thousand with my proposal for a new secret society, as well as more hugely exciting travel photos and commentary . . .

A. Tierney Giveaway - Winner!

Or as the expression goes, "Winner winner, chicken dinner!" - although I'm not quite sure why the expression goes that way, since if I were to win anything, I'd probably prefer a filet mignon dinner. Or a tiara. I'm not particular, really, just saying.

Ahem. Babbling aside, the winner of my supercalifragiawesome A. Tierney giveaway, selected by Random Number Generatory thingy, is one of my favorite bloggers & past Feature Friday star . . . Snowbound of When Pigs Fly! S, please email me by this Friday with your mailing address. Thank you all for entering - and remember, you can leave me a comment even when I'm not offering you free stuff! Hint, hint.

As if this weren't thrilling enough, I'll be back tomorrow with yet another stylish giveaway! The fashion forward amongst you are going to be truly excited about this one. It's a good one, and unlike any giveaway I've done or really even seen before.

'Til then, I will be attempting to kick the arse of the writer's block standing between me, you, and a mere three million travel photos of mine. The suspense of which excuse I'll give you next - work? jetlag? ingrown toenail? - is killing me. Hoping to be back soon, up some actual travel writing and less some sorry justifications, shortly . . .

Blogiversary & A. Tierney Giveaway

We're trotting out the official pink bendy straw of Pretty celebration - as well as the royal "We" - today in honor of . . . well, Hell, does a girl actually need an excuse to declare a champagne toast? No, but as it happens, We've got a good one - it's Our one year blogiversary today!

Before my self-celebration gets too much like Z. Efron's hair - shaggy, long, and unnaturally flat - let me set my snark aside for a second to thank you. I started this space one year ago when I was feeling adrift personally & professionally, in a new city & job where I didn't really have a social or creative outlet. Getting to write here and, more importantly, getting to know you Invisible Internet Friends has truly been a blessing. I haven't a clue why you read my drivel, honestly, but I so appreciate that you do. Again, thank you.

OK, before this turns into a weepy Sarah Macl*achlan moment, complete with sad puppy faces and soaring emotional background music and me bawling in the background because I secretly cannot make it through 3 seconds of one of those ASPCA commercials, let's get to the business of the day . . .

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The exceedingly nice people at A. Tierney contacted me about doing a brief product review & giveaway. Given that I'm a fan of Pretty stuff and had actually admired their goodies for a long while, I eagerly jumped at the (unpaid & no guarantee of a positive review, by the way) chance to pick an item to give away to you.

Behold the "Bamboo Enamel Bangle", a gorgeous little bauble as featured in "People" magazine this May:

In person, this beeyoutiful bracelet is incredibly lightweight, and the accents more silver than they appear in the top photo. The aqua color is so vibrant, and just the perfect accessory for summertime; pair it with a (faux!) tan, a white shift dress, and big silver hoop earrings, and you've got the perfect summer getup.

Oh, look - I exist! And I'm probably just as white as you had imagined. In any event, here's what this bauble looks like on the wrist - elegant on its own, but also would be as paired in a stack of other other silver or bamboo (A Tierney offers a number of colors) bangles.

If I weren't such an upstanding - and modest - blogger, I would be sorely tempted to keep this bracelet myself. However, I'm forcing myself to give it away to one lucky reader. Here are the rules . . . and you know how I adore making up rules . . .

1) For ONE entry, leave a comment to this post by this Sunday, August 9th at 9 pm CST;

2) For TWO entries, in keeping with our upcoming travel post theme, tell me what your favorite vacation destination has been & briefly why, in that same comment.

3) For extra super special bonus point opportunity, worthiness to be solely determined by me, tie your travel advice into an opportunity for me to meet Don Draper* or, at the very least, to gain a starring role on "Mad Men". I don't ask much.

*Love you, Anonymous Husband!

The winner will be announced on Monday, August 10th - only to be followed up the next day by yet another stylish giveaway. Best of luck, Invisible Internet Friends!

Giveaway Winner - "Mommywood"

The grand high supreme champion winner of my "Mommywood" giveaway, selected via Random Number Generator Thingy, is . . . Something Blue! Miss Blue, please email me or leave a comment by this Friday, June 26th to claim your intellectually thrilling prize.

(Credit:  Barnes and Noble)  (Relatedly, if you would be so kind as to buy me this fetching green frock, I'd really appreciate it.  Smooches!)

Back in two shakes of .  . . whatever it is that one shakes twice while trying to remember a cliche . .  . with a vitally important fashion poll .  .  .

Featured Blogger Friday: "BonBon Rose"

Darlings, I'm ecstatic to bring you one of my favorite new fashion blogs, BonBon Rose!

My discovering Kristin & Megan, the gorgeous bloggeristas pictured above, was one of those happy moments us bloggers all hope for; I noticed a few comments from Kristin, clicked over to check out her & Megan's sparkly new blog, and fell in www-love with their witty and spot-on attention to style detail.  After all, what other site will tell you which trendy fabric pattern best camouflages baby doo-doo? 

Humor aside, I appreciate Kristin & Megan's focus on affordable style; for example, me likey features like this, in which they translate a celebrity's haute style into an affordable equivalent.  Their style analyses ranges from clothes to housewares to my personal favorite, paper, offering a fresh look at each with their daily posts.   

Please give a Pretty welcome to BonBon Rose:

How They Got Into Blogging:

Kristin - Megan got me into it. I think she sensed my new mommy desperation about staying home with the baby alone all day with no creative outlet. Partnering in blogging was a natural fit for our friendship. (Pretty Note: I've been trying to coerce one of my BFFs, the multi-talented International Woman of Mystery, to post here;  take this as an order a sign, J!)

 

Megan - I've always loved writing and over the years have loved reading several blogs.  Kristin and I are always looking for ways to work together on creative projects so when it worked out that I had a break from working to finish graduate school it seemed like the perfect opportunity!

What are your blogging inspirations? 

Kristin - I'm inspired by beauty in anything from fellow fashionista bloggers, to the cool style of celebs like SJP, Nicole Richie and Heidi Klum, the colors in a Florida sunset or my little man's baby blues. It all keeps me going.

Megan - I'm such a dabbler and find so much inspiring!  Mainly my friends inspire me from a coffee date to hash out a problem or for margarit's and boy talk. They always inspire me with great ideas and laughter.  Also, reading magazines, magazines and more magazines.  It's an addiction Kristin and I share!  

(Pretty Note:  This inspiring photo was actually taken by Megan's professional photographer husband, whose work you can check out here; clearly, creativity is a family affair. Just like my family, except the opposite.)

Outside of blogging, what are some of your favorite hobbies?

Kristin - Is reading fashion mags a hobby? (Pretty Note:  Yes.) I get a ridiculous amount of subscriptions. Although, I have to say that I've saved a bundle by subscribing to them compared to the impulse buys I used to make in the check out lane. I also love to bake, just wish I could say the same about cooking dinner, and have found a renewed love for writing. Writing was something that drove me at a young age and which I foolishly abandoned.

Megan - Some of my favorites are cooking and entertaining, reading and most recently I've picked up golf again, although I'm a bit rusty.  I'm also a big fan of going to the movies on a hot summer day!  

What are your future goals, both for you personally & for your blog? 

Kristin - I would love for us to be the next Dooce. What? Is that unrealistic? Ah ha. My aspiration is to someday be able to contribute to my family financially by doing something I'm passionate about. Dare to dream.

Megan - I'd like to see our blog continue to grow.  Since I write a lot about decorating and am moving from a small condo to a real house I'd like to do more projects and before and afters for our readers.  On a personal note, I'd like to do more writing on the side such as children's books and short stories.  And last but certainly not least, I've always dreamed of making the perfect chocolate souffle.  So far I haven't had much luck!

Before a reader would click over to your blog, what would you like her or him to know about your site? 

Kristin & Megan - As you've probably figured out, there are two of us. Megan operates out of Washington, DC and Kristin out of Tampa, FL. We've been best friends for years and touch on everything from fashion, to home decor, to food and travel. We would like to think we have a little something for everyone and absolutely love sharing our lives and passions with our readers!

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Please stop by BonBon Rose and say a Pretty hello to Kristin and Megan.

Note:  If you are interested in the outrageously prestigious honor of being a Feature Friday blogger, please peruse my guidelines here & leave me a comment, including your email address.

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Super Special Note of Supremely Important Specialness:  Don't forget to enter my intellectually stimulating book giveaway before 6 pm CST today!

Giveaway - "Mommywood"

Before I announce this giveaway, I feel compelled to mention a few things . . .

- I have seven years of higher education under my mental belt, and no, that wasn't all spent in undergrad although I certainly wish that it was. Kids, extend your time in glorious undergrad for as long as possible - or as long as Mom & Dad will tolerate it;

- I have a dreadfully serious day job for which I get to read dreadfully serious stuff;

. . . and so in my spare time, amongst the Chaucer and Dickens, I admit to reading and liking beach-reading books like "Mommywood", ghostwritten by my favorite 90210 alum and yours, Tori Spelling. Yes, that Tori Spelling.

As in, the star of "Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood", the reality show to which I'm hopelessly addicted & which has me secretly convinced that, in another universe, Tori and I could be friends. You know, in that wholly non-stalkery way. All to the dismay of and derision from the Anonymous Husband, naturally.

While the book does not answer burning Spelling questions such as, "What happened to her real life little brother, ie, Steve Sanders' sibling?" and "What supernatural force, aside from surgery, is behind that incredibly odd cleavage?", I argue that "Mommywood" is both an entertaining and yes, at times relatable, read. I found myself empathizing - empathizing, lots of syllables here - with Spelling's desire to overcome her unusual familial past and create that proverbially "normal", picket-fence clan of her own.

(Credit: Barnes & Noble. With apologies to my 9th Grade Honors English teacher.)

One of you lucky readers will win my copy of "Mommywood" by merely following these convoluted rules:

FOR ONE ENTRY: Leave me a comment to this post;

FOR TWO ENTRIES: In addition to leaving me one comment, let's try something different than the usual drumming-up-followers business - leave me an entertaining haiku, poem, or movie quote. You don't have to write it yourself, but if it isn't yours, please credit the source. Feel free to publicize this giveaway on your site or Twitter, but the key point is the funny bit. If I am amused, you get two entries.

Yes, this "amuse me" bit is a totally subjective standard. I'm writing the rules. Surely my sweetly dictatorial tendencies don't come as a surprise by now, do they?

RULES TO ENTER: Forgive me, international readers, but due to extortionate mailing costs, you must live in the US to win. You must also be 18 years of age.

Entries will close by this Friday, June 19th at 6 pm, so please enter away . . .

"Pretty in Plaid" Giveaway Winner & Hint for Next Time

AND the winner is . . . Tootie!  Congratulations on winning my "Pretty" extravaganza.  I'll be in touch shortly to get this in the mail to you tout suite*.

*I know, I know!  Terrible.  Just terrible.

For the rest of you who entered and/or haven't un-followed me for that egregious pun, I have one more beach-reading treat on my bookshelf waiting for you, so stay tuned for an upcoming giveaway. I don't want to turn this site into "I Pick Giveaways", but this one is too fun to keep to myself.  Hint:  if you've been paying attention to my reality TV predilections of late, you might just know what's coming . . .

Giveaway - "Pretty in Plaid"

Am I above bribing you by any means possible to read & admire the Pretty?  No!

Are these recent giveaways also helping me avoid death by book avalanche, hence not so very selfless of me after all?  Absolutely!

Did I stay up late last night watching "Tori & Dean" episodes instead of coming up with a post of actual (if questionable) substance for you, thus also inspiring this giveaway? Possibly!

Do I actually think that the lady bloggers amongst you will adore this book like I did?  Yes!

Darlings, I'm so happy to be passing along my copy of  the autobiographical "Pretty in Plaid", written by blogger turned bestselling author Jen Lancaster, to one wildly fortunate reader.  Loath as I am to feature anyone here infinitely more talented than I'll ever hope to be - except for all of you, dear readers - the secret has long been out about the snarkstress Jen anyways. If you don't know her, please go do yourself a favor and buy this, this, or that immediately, and then enter my drawing as follows:

Rule #1:  For one entry, leave me a comment to this post by this Sunday, May 31st at 10 PM CST

Rule #2: For two entries:

         a) Follow this blog using the "follower" thingy to the right; - or -

         b)  Post sweet nothings about how intriguing & wonderful I am elsewhere, whether on Twitter, your blog, or skywriting across Austin or whatever.  

For your second entry, please note in the comments if you are a follower or have in fact hired a skywriting / sweet nothings plane.  Because I am nothing if not exceptionally lazy* and am likely to miss it if you don't mention it.

*But good looking, not to mention modest - nice how the universe balances things out, isn't it?

Rule #3: Unfortunately, I have to limit entrants to US residents.  This isn't some sinister government conspiracy, but rather just a reality of These Difficult Times and the exorbitant postal rates that come with it.

I will draw one winner at random & announce results on Monday, June 1st.   Best of luck!

Giveaway Winner & Thanks

Darlings, I have a winner to announce - via random number generator thingy, reader Elle is the lucky winner of the tremendously titled "It Sucked and Then I Cried"!  Elle, please email me (click on my profile for link) by this Friday, May 1 to claim your booktastic prize.

Thank you all for playing!  There are plenty - or, as the Anonymous Husband might say, too many  - of books where that giveaway came from, so look for some similar goodies over the next few weeks.

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Thanks also to the lovely Marina of Penny Lane Designs, who is responsible for this site's Pretty new look, as well to as my fabulous Invisible Blog Friend, Mojito Maven, for recommending her.  After all, makeovers - even Invisible Blog ones - are good for both the eyes & the soul, no?

Giveaway - "Marie Claire" Magazine

Those haute ladies over at Shop It To Me - the ones who put those tantalizing emails in your inbox showing you what's on sale, based on your shopping preferences and the inspiration for many an AmEx indiscretion here - are doing a Pretty-worthy contest;  you can win a one-year subscription to "Marie Claire" magazine!  They are giving away five subscriptions, so run by their blog here to enter and, while you're at it, feel free to tell them The Pretty sent you.

(Credit: Shop It To Me blog)

Full Disclosure:  I am a "Shop It To Me" trendsetter & stand to get a free subscription myself by plugging this contest.  After all, If I don't keep up with Prettier Than Everyone Else research, who will?  Oh, wait . . . 

Back shortly with yet another giveaway.  No, really.  I mean it this time.